To Do's

Left over items from last weeks To Do and their progress; clean room and laundry (not done totally, but I'm satisfied with the effort I made last weekend); write audition announcement and email to T (haven't even started, but I plan to do it tomorrow at lunch); clean refrigerator (mostly done, and TLR said he would finish it); paint portion of fence (pretty sure Amma will do this one, since she's on vacation this week); painting for Amma's church (mostly complete, maybe 1 hour of work left); mechanic (not happening, can't afford it, will learn to live without air conditioning); change WoW billing information (yeah, I'm just lazy on this one).

Which means this week's To Do list looks like this:

Write audition announcement and email to T.  W
Finish painting for Amma's church.  W
Change WoW billing information.
Pack for camping.  W
Find and clean lunchbox.  Tu

It's a short list this week since I'm leaving for the camping trip with Challenger (and what sounds like every member of his family, including the extended parts) on Friday.  So the Den will be dark for a week, possibly longer depending on how long it takes to recover from the vacation and my one day back.

Because, you see, when I signed on for this job, I mentioned my vacation starting from the Friday of this week and going until the Thursday of next week.  Which meant I could potentially come back to work next Friday.  I of course thought that no one would expect me to work a one day week, but I was wrong.  You see, next Friday is when all of our potential models come in to the office for their "go see", which is an industry term for "model interview".  It sounds pretty interesting, right?  But remember, this is a children's brand.  So Friday's go see is going to mean that I come back from a potentially relaxing week of camping/potentially stressful week of Challenger-family interrogation to go to work for an entire day of lots of children running around the office.  I've been told by pretty much everyone in the building that it's simultaneously the most interesting and stressful day of the year.   Greeeeat.  Did I also mention that Friday is the last business day before the official launch of the online store?  Now I think you may be beginning to understand why I might need that weekend to recover before I can write again.

Today, though, was a lot of fun.  I met a lot of people, but not nearly as many as I met at my first day at the Office.  (Need to come up with a name for le top.   LT, maybe?)  Started learning the product, which is interesting, but a lot to memorize*.  I also started learning the data system, which is actually very well laid out and pretty user friendly.  It's surprisingly easy to make mistakes, but it's also easy to fix them, which is more than I can say for other systems I've used.  Also, there's a lot of stuff that goes on in that building.  And it makes me admire the business owner (need a name for her too) a lot more because she knows the name of everyone in the building, including the people in the warehouse who pack the orders.  That's pretty damned cool.

So far, I'm liking it.  Still getting the hang of things, but feeling pretty good so far.  I'm hoping that if I sit next to one of the other girls who works there at lunch for enough days in a row, she'll give in and be my friend.  Don't doubt the strategy; the awkward and adorable stalk is my primary means of making friends.  And it seems that the more awkward I am, the better it works.  The last time I attempted to make a friend in this manner, I talked to someone in the hallway outside a class, sat next to them in class, followed them around after class, and practically forced my phone number on them.  And I got Stripes out of that.  Clearly, the best investment of crazy ever.


*Important note:  Footed leggings are not made in sizes above 12 months.  Footed leggings are NOT pajama bottoms.  We do not make pajamas.  Pajamas cannot be made of 100% cotton because it's a fire hazard.  Yet somehow, polyester pajamas are okay.  Because instead of burning when they catch fire, polyester jammies just melt and adhere to your child's skin, which as we all know is much safer.....

WOO!

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I GOT A JOB!

In your FACE, job market!

More details will be forthcoming.  But for now, know that I start a new job on Monday and am no longer one of the huge mass of unemployed persons storming your cities hunting the elusive jobalope.

Please display more enthusiasm than Oliver Oxenfree, who when I told him the good news, literally covered his face and rolled over.

You'd think he be happier about the source of income that's going to finance a one cat living space.

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Shining, Gleaming, Streaming, Flaxen, Waxen

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As some of you may know, I've been debating cutting my hair for a while now.  I'm bored with it.  It doesn't look bad, but I don't think it looks particularly good either.  I want to cut it all off.  But every time I bring it up in conversation I'm met with indifference, disinterest, or, in Challenger's case, shock and poutyface.  Even Amma, who has always preferred me with short hair wasn't encouraging.  She said she thought it would look better, but was surprised that I wanted to cut it after having been so adamant about growing it out.  So I haven't cut it.  I think about it.  Every time I get a check in the mail, I'm tempted to immediately drive to my hair dresser's and chop off all my hair.  But I don't.  Because I value the opinions of my family and friends, who aren't exactly excited about the idea.  And because I'm worried Amma is right; that as soon as I cut it all off, I'll regret it.

But I had this dream this morning about cutting my hair.  In the dream, my hair was much longer than it actually is.  I told the hairdresser the kind of cut I wanted and in the dream, it was the same one I want now.  The one Michelle Pfeiffer has in the movie Ladyhawke*. 

But as she started cutting my hair, I got worried about upsetting everyone with my haircut, so I told her to leave it longer and instead do a reverse a line cut (where it's longer in the front than it is in the back), which is a less dramatic version of another hair cut option I've been considering; the one worn by Akima in Titan A.E.**.  I've had a hard time finding decent pictures of her haircut, but here's a few that I've managed to find that don't completely suck:

So the hair dresser starts cutting away at my hair and the visual of long sections of my hair falling to the floor didn't bother me at all.  But the hair cut she gave me...  Oh man.  What I wound up with was mutilated bob, neither what I originally asked for, or what I changed my mind to.  It had awful, AWFUL, chopped up ends that reminded me in the dream of the way Dusty's fur looks.  It was horrid-- both the haircut and the somewhat nauseated feeling I woke with.

So what does that mean?  Psychologically, dreams are supposed to be reflections of subconscious desires or fears, right?   Was that my subconscious telling me that I really did want a hair cut and if I try to please everyone, it'll make me feel and look awful?  Or was that my subconscious telling me that if I cut my hair, it really will look as bad as other people (*coughcouhgChallengercoughcough*) are trying to convince me it will?

What should I do?  Should I cut it all off and risk cutter's remorse and the disappointment of those around me?  Should I keep growing it out and just ignore that tiny pull at my heart every time I get a check?  Maybe I could do something with it to make it interesting, but still keep it long.  Like Kida's hair from the Disney Atlantis***?

Suggestions?  Comments?  Other movie references?


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*Excellent movie, by the by.  One of my favourites.  Action, adventure, romance, comedy; the whole she-bang.  Plus, an adorably young Matthew Broderick.

**I love this movie; it forever holds a special place in my heart as my first SciFi movie going experience.  It got awful reviews from everyone, but I loved it.  It also has a pretty bitchin' soundtrack, but I lost my copy. 

***I had a high school school-girl crush on Milo Thatch.  What can I say?  I'm drawn to the smart wiry ones.
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Dog Butchering

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Phase one of dog grooming is complete and I feel like I've stolen my poor dog's identity.  Except for about half of the summers of his life, he's always been a fluffy dog.  And then today I took that away.  This is not the first time he's been un-fluffy, but it is the first time I've un-fluffy-fied him.  He's always been my big fluffy stoopid head, and it's a strange feeling to get him back from the groomers without all his fluff, but it's an even weirder feeling to know that the thing by which I've always identified my dog has been destroyed by my own hand.  Yes, I know he's still the same dog.  He's still my big, stupid lumper.  Now he's just an un-fluffy lumper.  And it's my fault.

So here's the results of an hour of me sitting on my dog and attacking him with scissors:

Yes, I know it's not the cleanest cut in the world (and I do plan on going back sometime in here and evening out some of the rough spots), but I think I did a pretty good job considering the only tool I had was a pair of scissors.

There he is; my non-fluffy lumper.

Also, in case anyone was wondering if orange fur is a good camouflage colour for dirt, I would like to submit the following into evidence.

Eeeeeew.

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Stockholm Project, Day 7

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Lazy day today.  Don't really feel like trying.  So I'm wearing my favorite comfy pants (too big, but in a trendy way, right?) and a sweatshirt.  But this sweatshirt ends in an elastic band at my waist.  So it's still a comfy sweatshirt, but I'm not completely hiding in it.  Also, I tend to think that most "regular" outfits can be made more "trendy" with the right accessories.  Hence the hat and the necklaces.











Speaking of the necklaces, I want to recommend the companies who made them:



This one is made from an old typewriter key by the people at Monkapaws.  They recycle vintage typewriter keys, china pieces, and buttons to make awesome jewelry.  They also have some very cool collage pieces.  There are a few companies I've come across that make this kind of jewelry, but I'm attached to Monkapaws because I met them first and because their company is named after their dog.  I mean, anyone who loves their pets as much as I love mine has to be good people, right?


The other necklace I'm wearing is one of my favorite piece of jewelry.

It's a silver medallion made by the fine people at Ye Olde Quicksilversmith.  The information on their homepage and the video at the bottom are really cool.  I'm not sure if you can order medallions from their website; I got my necklace on my last Faire trip (and I'm excited that they're apparently going to be back this year).  Honestly though, watching them make the medallions is the most exciting part of it for me.  Seriously, watch the video.  It's so cool.

The image on the left is the Animal Interlace: "The inter-woven nature of all life, the inner weave of body and spirit. This design is one of the Celtic ‘Zoomorphic’ decorations from Manuscript art between 500 A.D. and 900 A.D."  And the image on the right is a fox (of course):  "Important in many cultures, though with different meanings.  In Japan, the white fox is ridden by Inari, the Rice God and carries the key to paradise. In China the fox is a symbol of eroticism and seduction. In European heraldry the fox represents shrewd cunning."

Monkapaws and Ye Olde Quicksilversmith are both California based companies, but Monkapaws has an online shop and Quicksilver travels all over the country (take a look at the schedule on their website).  If you're shopping for cool gifts for mother's day or are just interested in awesome handmade stuff, I totally recommend both companies.


Anyway, on to food.  Slept through breakfast this morning, so breakfast food was had for lunch.

Lunch:  Slice of sourdough toast with butter
Estimated calories:  185  (Toast: 150, Butter: 35)

Snack:  Three sugar cookies and can of coke
Estimated calories:  280  (Cookies: 140, Coke: 140)

Dinner:  Turkey sandwich and small glass of Santa Cruz lemonade  (organic, less calories than Simply, and just as delicious)
Estimated calories:  550  (Bread: 200, Turkey: 100, Swiss: 100, Mayo: 50, Lemonade: 100)

Late Snack:  Dried apricots and dark chocolate  (really good combination, by the way)
Estimated calories:  100  (Apricots: 50, Chocolate: 50)

Estimated total calories (so far):   1115

So far, still under my 1900 calories.  But we're making port brownies and microwave soda cake tonight.... First time for both for me, so I'll let you know how they turns out tomorrow.

Also, movie with Nenny tonight, so I may end up with a soda, hot dog, and candy tonight too.  Because who can resist crappy movie food?

edit:  As expected, I grabbed snack food for the movie last night.  I had one port muffin (will do a whole 'nother entry on these later), a banana, and 1/3 of a Gatorade.

Estimated calories:  400  (Muffin: 250, Banana: 100, Gatorade: 50)

Bringing total calories for the day to 1515, within my 1900, despite my late night snacking.  Go me!

Exercise:  Yeah, no. 
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A Project Other Than Stockholm

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My current (non Stockholm) project is what I'm calling the Cradle Project.

Now, before those of you who know me start freaking out, no I haven't decided to have a baby.  I'm still undecided, but leaning towards no on that one.  Interesting side note, though:  Last night I met Challenger's parents for the first time and they told me that in five generations of their family, there have only been four girls.  And the girl for this generation has already been born.  Challenger's oldest brother got the girl, so apparently the girl quota has been filled and 'it would be a miracle' if Challenger or his other brother had any daughters.  Good to know.  ...Did I mention it was the first time I'd met them?

Anyway, the Cradle Project.  It ties in to that whole, if you want it, ask God/the universe for it and then act as if you already have it thing; the philosophy central to The Secret and represented in several ancient religions, including Christianity.  The Secret is an interesting book, by the way, and definitely worth reading, but takes the ask/receive philosophy a little too far IMO*.  So what is the Cradle Project?  The Cradle Project is the first of a few projects I will be doing that focus on creating furniture for my new apartment.

Matthew 7:7-8
 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

You see, following the outlines of The Secret and Matthew's gospel, I've asked God for a job.  And corollary to that, a new apartment.  So if I am to assume that because I've asked, I will receive, I need to get packing.  Not a problem, really, since most of my stuff is still in boxes.  But I am opening them up, going through them, and repacking everything I still want/need.  Everything else is going to Mission Solano, a charity based in and focused on the community I live in.  I'm not sure about other philosophies and religions, but getting rid of old/unused/tired things is a big part of Feng Shui.  The idea is that if you get rid of the stuff you don't use or the stuff you hang on to because you have some sort of weird guilt complex about it, you create better energy flow in your house and your life and make room for new things that you will use/love.


So, how does this relate to furniture?  Once I've got my life repacked and I know that everything I want to have in my new place is ready to go, I of course need to think about furniture.  Now, asking God for a job because you need some cash, doesn't mean that you should assume it will magically show up in your checking account the next day and go out and buy a new TV.  But to assume that because I have no cash, I can't prepare for the apartment that is undoubtedly coming my way shows a lack of faith.  So instead of spending money (coughcoughthatIdon'thavecoughcough) on furniture for the apartment, I'm doing what HGTV calls "repurposing".

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to convert this:

An old cradle.  I think it was my grandfather's from when he was a baby.

into an ottoman with storage.  Probably snack storage.  What?  I like snacks.

It'll probably take a while because it's got some special issues that need to be dealt with.  Problem one; it's raining again.  I'm sure as hell not doing this inside, so I've to wait until it clears up again.  Problem two; the cradle is old, which means that the paint chipping off of it is lead-based, so I can't just sandblast the bastard.  I have to specially dispose of the paint that I need to chip off by hand.  Problem three;

some of the loopy side pieces broke off at some point and have been reattached with wire.  Which means that in order to fix it, I need to find someone who can weld them back into place for me.  Anyone know any welders in the San Francisco Bay Area?

So that's the Cradle Project.  Thoughts/concerns/comments appreciated, as I'm still not sure an ottoman is where I want to go....even if I do love snack storage.   

*IMO = in my opinion.  Watch out for gamer slang and abbreviations in the Den.  They'll getcha if you aren't watchin'.
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The Stockholm Project

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Yes, I know I don't exist anymore.  But as I said a while ago, until my life gets interesting again (i.e. I have a job), every day is the same for me, so there's no point in posting 800 posts that all say "I'm stuck on this new chapter of Icewind Dale* and I'm frustrated because this game is too old to find relevant guides online" and then immediately following, create 800 more equally depressing, self-depricating posts that say "Hey, I figured it out, now if only I could use my gaming strategy genius to land a job".

On the job front, I did interview with a law firm in San Francisco yesterday, and I feel pretty good about it.  So keep your fingers crossed for me.  Seriously.  Do it now.  Other job front news includes an upcoming contract signing for the stage management of the next season of Ivory Arts Inc. shows.  I'm really excited about working with my friend, the Director (will probably update the DP with an entry about him later...probably), again, but auditions for the first show won't start until late October.  So for now, I'm kind of stuck in Limbo (and not the fun, but not always fun, Hawaiian-themed party game kind).

Anyway, the point I'm trying to get to is about a project started Temerity Jane.  She's calling it 'Stockholming Myself' and her latest entry on it can be found here.  The basic idea is that she's taking a full-body picture of herself every day in the hopes that she will see the effects of her new diet & exercise plan or, "failing that, will learn to like what [she's] got based on continual, unrelenting exposure".  It's an interesting idea and a project I'm considering doing.  If I do decide to do this, though, I don't think I'll be posting a picture every day.  More than likely, it'll be once a week or a couple times a week.  And my goals will probably be less about changing how I feel about my body than learning to be comfortable in front of a camera.  Because let's get one thing straight: I am not photogenic.  There aren't a whole lot of pictures of me that I like that don't involve me making a silly face.  A prime example:

 This is me and my bestest friend.  I'm the one on the left.  

I love this picture, but note the silly face I'm making.  This is because attempts at a normal smile in pictures don't turn out well.  I either looked stoned, or way oh-my-god excited, or like I want to rip your soul out through your nostrils.

And then there's the the dreaded full-body pictures.  My problem with full-body pictures is, again, not because I have any problem with my body.  I apparently have a problem with posture.  And not just, 'Oh look, I'm slouching a little bit there, damn' kind of a posture problem.  If someone points a camera at me from far enough away that my legs are visible, my spine decides to attempt to jump into the fourth dimension.  The fourth dimension being time, and jumping into the fourth dimension meaning an attempt to fast forward to a pregnancy filled future than I'm not sure I want.  Don't believe me?  Here, one a few full-body pictures that don't look completely awful.
 

Again, me with my bestest friend.  And again, I am on the left.

I'm clearly drinking some form of adult libation (what else does anyone put in those red plastic cups?) and I look like I'm really, really, really oh-my-god excited to see you.  As a picture of my face, this is fairly typical.  As a full-body picture, it isn't.  My posture isn't great, but this picture would not lead you to believe that in a few months I will deliver a baby with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.  A typical full-body picture looks like this:

Yes, those tights are just as amazing in person.

What the Hell?!  Seriously.  It's the same night, the same place, the same clothes.  And yet in the time it took the person with my camera to move from in front of the couch to the center of the room, I managed to consume a six month fetus.  What can I say?  I guess when I see a camera, babies sound tastay.

./sigh

So I am considering participating in the Stockholm Project.  Because I need to get to the point where if someone points a camera at me, I don't have to go through a mental check-list that includes "stand up straight and suck it in, smile with your eyes, stand up straight and suck it in, don't grin like an idiot, stand up straight and suck it in, don't make a silly face, and stand up straight and suck it in".  Also because it might be a nice incentive to actually keep up a good diet & exercise plan, instead of just starting the same one every few weeks and getting bored.  Also also, it'll give me something to write about while I wait to hear about the job in San Francisco.  (You are still crossing your fingers about that one, right?)


I guess you'll be seeing more of me then.  Both literally and figuratively. 

'Til tomorrow. Cheers.



*Since I can no longer afford my World of Warcraft subscription, I am limited to single player, non-online games. Which would be fine, if I could afford new games.  But I can't.  So I'm replaying all of the old games that used to keep me up until 3a.m. in high school.  Some of you might be saying that I could just stop playing games (coughcoughNennycoughcough), but then I'd jut resort to watching television until my eyes dry out and I get a headache.  Also, I really am super stuck on this chapter of IWD and that's pathetic, but I'd still like a magic guide to drop out of the sky and tell me how to kill the Ancient Guardians in the caves of Dorn's Deep.  Yes, Nenny, laugh at me now.  I am a giant nerd.
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