New hobby

I'm slowly learning the skill of machine sewing. This is a very good thing.  Today, I completed my first all-by-myself purse.  It's a bit small for an all-the-time bag, but will be great for those times when I don't want to carry everything in the world with me (it fits my wallet, glasses case, and phone with only a little room to spare)...or even as a formal purse. It's pretty!

 This is a pretty good shot...it shows off the different patterned materials that I put together. They are all in the same shades and have a metallic sheen to them. Ooh la, la!

Isn't it pretty?

Something about Sunday

There is just something. Something about Sunday. There is something about this particular Sunday...and other like it, that helps me slide into introspection. Today's topic seems to be friendship and or more accurately my homebody behavior.

I do this thing. I know I do it. It was pointed out to me in the past as being negative, but I no longer know if it is. I like to spend time with the person I love. Sometimes to the exclusion of all other people. I let the object of my affection take up all my time. This was a negative. Previously, this focused attention kept me from my friends, from others I adore, from places and events, and from myself.

I realized today that while I do have local friends, I don't often see most of them. The two or three people I consider to be my friends from work....I see daily there, but only once in a great while outside the school system. Friends from geek circles are usually only seen at geek events. The rest of the time I use twitter and facebook to keep up with them. Friends from kink circles have all but faded. There are still a few I consider friends, and keep in touch with, but yet again....it is only through twitter and facebook.

I don't even really call and chat with people.

I don't think my lack of social interaction is truly a negative thing, this time. Sure I spend most of my time with my husband, but that's good. We get along and are interested in many of the same things. I'm not missing events or people because of my time with him.  We just don't go out often. A large portion of this is due to money....or lack there of. Some is location. We live in a different part of the valley than most of my friends. And another portion goes to time. My weekly schedule doesn't allow for much socialization on weekdays...even with Teel. Weekends are available, but then I have to get over my own personal homebody tendencies.

I'm usually much more willing to stay home and be comfy than drive across town to hang out for a couple hours.

I haven't decided where this post is going or has ended up. I don't know if I actually miss having a large group of friends that I saw daily....or if these small interactions are fine. I do know that there is something about this Sunday that is pointing out how much I miss having one or two close friends to just hang out with occasionally.

Vegas and SanDiego

Yay for vacations....even working ones! A few weeks ago we went on vacation. It started with a quick jaunt to Vegas were during the day I was holed up in an oh-so-excited education conference. Some good things came of it, but classes sure aren't what I think of when I think Vegas. We did do a bit of sight-seeing...I think we walked the entirety of the strip pretty much every night. Saw all the free shows, ate some awesome icecream at Serendipity 3, and hung out with Coley. She and her sister took us to a dive restaurant where I had my first taste of crawfish, shrimp w/heads n legs,  and crab legs by the plastic bag full. Delishious, messy, and so much fun to catch up with her!

This is war!  The shrimp brigades line up for battle. Or we were silly full after eating several pounds of sea bugs and this seemed like a good idea.

A much prettier picture - reunion!












And then there was comicon! SanDiego is quite the awesome place. We stayed in a strange little hotel right in the heart of Little Italy. And by strange I mean the elevator can barely hold two people comfortably and the toilet is on a landing a step higher than the rest of the bathroom.  But it was a nice walk to and from with lots to see.

One of my  favorite sights on the walk was that many of the overpasses had been decorated with old school video game characters, in tile. The one nearest the hotel was a space invader and a tiny lil Mario 1-up mushroom.












There was so much to see at the Comicon that I often didn't even think to take my camera out. Also, I was strangely disappointed in the lack of costumed people wandering around. I did snap a few photos, but really the most memorable....you know outside the fact that at one point I was in the same room as Nathan Fillion....was the amount of swag we walked away with. I had no idea that many of the vendors would be just giving away cool products. I was even more surprised to see that there were tons of publishers there...giving away ARCs! I was a bit discombobulated, it took a couple days, and much razzing from Teel, before I became comfortable enough to ask for the freebies.  So much stuff!  All in all I'm glad I went to the comicon, but I don't think I'll be going back any time soon.....too many people...too stress-filled...and line-filled. I'll stick to the Phoenix con.

Adventures in Birthday Land

First, this one isn't about my birthday, but I keep giggling about it so I thought I'd share. New evidence has been found that supports the conclusion that my brain does not work they way many other peoples do. Yesterday, while on the way home, I noticed a sign. It reads: "Ray's body and paint"  Using my deductive reasoning skills and only a small amount of gray matter, I am aware that this sign is probably for an autobody shop. That is not however how my brain initially interpreted that sign. I read the sign and was immediately given a mystery movie like scenerio where there was a body on the floor (Ray by the name stitched onto the pocket of his shirt) and several dozen spilled paint containers. I can almost hear the dialogue. From the gruff, out of sorts Chief of Police looking at a picture of the scene: "What the hell is this?"  Smart assed rookie: "Well Sir, Ray's body and paint."  Ok. I know it's terrible, but it had me in giggles at the time and still does.


Alright, birthday stuff. I learned three very important things this Saturday. One and two are so closely related that I'll let you untangle them. I learned not to procrastinate when planning an event that is important to you or one that people will have to drive for. When you do you smack into things like not being able to get reservations or even random seating at the restuarant you've chosen. I was undecided until late Friday evening as to whether I really wanted a birthday party or not. When I decided it took several hours to decide where. I sent out the invites and let procrastination kick in. I didn't call the restaurant for reservations. I didn't think it was necessary. Turns out it was. Luckily, everyone involved was willing to take a side journey to another restaurant. I was especially lucky to have Teel around. After letting me apologize and wrap my embarrassment around my mistake he pulled the internet out of his pocket (iPhone) and with the help of Zoe (foodie friend extraordinare) located a restaurant not too far away that would take a last minute reservation. Yay!

The third thing I learned is that my friends/family are amazing. I'm sure I already knew this, but the reminder was well timed. Even with my close to temper-tantrum pouting my family supported me and hung in there. My friends, who could have been really put off by having to drive all over town, were gracious and accepting of the changing plans. The whole thing could have gone so very wrong. Instead it became an adventure with delicious end results.

I still haven't quite accepted 32, but I'm much closer than I was. If this whole weekend taught me anything it was that just because something is bad, it doesn't have to become terrible. 32 is starting out rough, but if I focus on the good I am sure it will only get better.