Last night, I decided to give Spencer a bath this weekend. We have three towels that are deemed appropriate for "Spencer use" as it's difficult to wash all the hair out, and I don't so much enjoy using furry towels on myself. So we have these three particular towels, and all three were dirty. Spencer had been dragging one around the house, and the other two were left in a heap on the front steps after Scott used them, presumably to dry off motorcycles or some such thing. No biggie, I'll just throw them in the wash, right?
So I stepped outside the front door, picked up each towel, still wet from the recent rain, and gave it a good shake. Included in this pile, I found several microfiber cloths that Scott also uses to dry and/or clean bikes. I shook them out a bit as well, scooped everything up, and put it all in the washer with the detergent and Borax (for an added KICK! just like the box says).
About an hour later, I opened the washer and pulled out the towels, one by one, tossing them into the dryer. As the bottom of the washer was slowly uncovered, I discovered the legless corpse of a large stinkbug, resting on its back in the bottom of the machine. I shuddered at the sight of it, then it slowly dawned on me that it probably wasn't the only one. Every fall these bugs descend on our home in near biblical quantities, desperate to escape the approaching cold weather. They come in through doors, windows, vents, and now apparently, towels. I slowly pulled the towels out of the dryer, and piled them on the floor. I picked one of the microfiber cloths out of the pile, and looked it over. Stuck in the nap were no less than three dismembered bug legs. I nearly wept.
As some of you may know, I have a thing about bugs. I can't touch them. They squick me right out. I can't even bear the thought of feeling them through a tissue, and so refuse to squish them. The thought of picking little bug parts off the towels nearly sent me over the edge. But somehow the shame of throwing all those towels away and replacing them felt even worse, so I got a paper towel and started picking... I think I may have actually constructed a second personality in order to cope with this.
Once all the towels had been scrutinized and transferred from either the washing machine or the "Possibly Horrific" pile, and placed into a new "Bug Free" pile, I had to deal with the washer itself. Inside there were four stinkbugs, all belly up and limbless, and a few legs. Seeing as how I adamantly refuse to touch or even feel bugs- especially big ones- this presented a challenge. Fortunately, I was able to use one of those large postcard-type ads from the mail to sort of scoop the suckers out and into the garbage. All the towels went back in the wash, with a little extra detergent and Borax to put my mind at ease.
Once the second wash finished, the towels were once again inspected (just to be sure) and are now in the dryer. I will have to remember to wear gloves or something when emptying the lint trap... one can never be too careful. Scott has been officially banned from leaving towels outside, and I had a much needed drink- a big one.
P.S. Is it weird that in my mind, the card used to scoop the bugs is no longer recyclable? It touched dead bugs, so now it has to go in the garbage... That seems reasonable to me, but at the same time it seems like something other people would mock me over.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
The Socks of Doom were a success!
Joe really likes them and they fit, and when he saw me later (I wasn't there when he received them), he greeted me with a big hug and a "thank you." Pure awesome.
I also finished a pair of socks for Cass, which she should get this week.
I still have 85g of the yarn left, and I bet I could get another pair of socks out of that. If I try it, they'll probably be toe-up just in case... and I've never done toe-up socks, so that might be interesting.
On Friday I received my Venture Swap package! Enclosed were some sweet goodies, including a mini Brock Samson and Molotov Cocktease, squishy sock yarn, stitch markers, tiny gun, Monarch-orange hat, and tarot deck. The tarot deck really struck me, because a couple months ago Claudia from Eleganza told me that you're supposed to learn on a deck that somebody has given you... Is the universe trying to tell me something? Spooooky! Anyways, I'm stoked, and extra revved up about the 4th season premier.
It finally stopped raining today! The sun is even peeking out a bit, which will make the plants happy. It rained here pretty much nonstop since Wednesday night. When it's wet and icky out, I like to wear my boots. The slight heel keeps the cuffs of my jeans out of the puddles for the most part, and they keep my feet dry. Except when I neglect to oil them up regularly and water seeps in through the seams. Fail! I spent the better part of Thursday with damp toes, freaking out that I or my shoes would develop some sort of fungus or mold or something (perhaps a slight overreaction). So today I am giving my favorite boots some love. They have been wiped down and rinsed off, and are now drying thoroughly before I lovingly rub mink oil into every nook and cranny, ensuring their water-resistance once again.
Unfortunately, I noticed that one of the heels is getting pretty worn down. I wonder if it would be worth it to have them resoled one day? It might cost just as much as another pair of boots, but holy hell I really love these boots. They kept my feet dry and comfy while I stomped around in the rain and mud at Maryland Sheep in Wool for upwards of 4 hours, they're perfect for motorcycle rides, and are just all around awesome. The leather is super thick and rugged, and has slowly conformed to my feet over time. Do I really want to have to start over again with a new pair? I don't know.
No new car yet. In true Amanda form, I've been flip-flopping all over the place. One of Scott's mechanic friends had some helpful advice, and I've got some more test-driving to do. For a short while, one of the front-runners was a Jeep Wrangler- until the mechanic friend let me know that I'd probably be replacing the transmission in just a couple years. But now I wonder if that would be covered by their lifetime powertrain warranty? But even if it is, would it be worth the hassle? And there's still the super crappy gas mileage to consider... I don't think all that is worth it just for the fun of driving a Jeep. Yeah. I think the Jeep is out.
I think my boots are dry now. Time for some greasy mink oil!
Joe really likes them and they fit, and when he saw me later (I wasn't there when he received them), he greeted me with a big hug and a "thank you." Pure awesome.
I also finished a pair of socks for Cass, which she should get this week.
I still have 85g of the yarn left, and I bet I could get another pair of socks out of that. If I try it, they'll probably be toe-up just in case... and I've never done toe-up socks, so that might be interesting.
On Friday I received my Venture Swap package! Enclosed were some sweet goodies, including a mini Brock Samson and Molotov Cocktease, squishy sock yarn, stitch markers, tiny gun, Monarch-orange hat, and tarot deck. The tarot deck really struck me, because a couple months ago Claudia from Eleganza told me that you're supposed to learn on a deck that somebody has given you... Is the universe trying to tell me something? Spooooky! Anyways, I'm stoked, and extra revved up about the 4th season premier.
It finally stopped raining today! The sun is even peeking out a bit, which will make the plants happy. It rained here pretty much nonstop since Wednesday night. When it's wet and icky out, I like to wear my boots. The slight heel keeps the cuffs of my jeans out of the puddles for the most part, and they keep my feet dry. Except when I neglect to oil them up regularly and water seeps in through the seams. Fail! I spent the better part of Thursday with damp toes, freaking out that I or my shoes would develop some sort of fungus or mold or something (perhaps a slight overreaction). So today I am giving my favorite boots some love. They have been wiped down and rinsed off, and are now drying thoroughly before I lovingly rub mink oil into every nook and cranny, ensuring their water-resistance once again.
Unfortunately, I noticed that one of the heels is getting pretty worn down. I wonder if it would be worth it to have them resoled one day? It might cost just as much as another pair of boots, but holy hell I really love these boots. They kept my feet dry and comfy while I stomped around in the rain and mud at Maryland Sheep in Wool for upwards of 4 hours, they're perfect for motorcycle rides, and are just all around awesome. The leather is super thick and rugged, and has slowly conformed to my feet over time. Do I really want to have to start over again with a new pair? I don't know.
No new car yet. In true Amanda form, I've been flip-flopping all over the place. One of Scott's mechanic friends had some helpful advice, and I've got some more test-driving to do. For a short while, one of the front-runners was a Jeep Wrangler- until the mechanic friend let me know that I'd probably be replacing the transmission in just a couple years. But now I wonder if that would be covered by their lifetime powertrain warranty? But even if it is, would it be worth the hassle? And there's still the super crappy gas mileage to consider... I don't think all that is worth it just for the fun of driving a Jeep. Yeah. I think the Jeep is out.
I think my boots are dry now. Time for some greasy mink oil!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Not Dead Part Deux
So what’s it been? Two months or so? That’s a lot of time to cover in one post, so I’ll quickly sum up.
Cass came out in August, and we had a great time. She got to shoot the shotgun, and she took us for a spin around the block. Way back on the day that Cass and I first met, she learned how to ride a bike without training wheels. Now she's driving a car. Freaky.
Scott wants to get me new car for our anniversary, so I’ve been researching and test driving a couple cars. I’ve pretty much settled on one, but I’m not telling what it is lest I jinx myself (I am very prone to jinxing).
There has been some knitting, but I don’t think I’ve really finished anything. I am working on a pair of socks for one of Scott’s friends, Joe. He was in a motorcycle accident this summer, and burned up one of his feet pretty badly, so one sock is plain black and the other has flames on the cuff. Lolz. I am promised that he won’t find this horrifically offensive.
I finally got tattooed again. A rose that was started back in like 2002 or 2003 was finished, and once it’s healed up its twin will be done as well. I was a total whiny griper last time, but this time I was a good little customer and sat still and whine-free through the whole thing. Apparently, at 21 it didn’t occur to me that being a pain in the ass would make Scott less likely to want to tattoo me further. Hopefully he now thinks otherwise.
Scott wants to open his own shop in the next few years. As a tattoo artist, it’s really the logical thing to do business-wise. You can only get so far working for someone else, you know? Of course, this means a lot of planning, changes, and work for both of us. As with any small business, the first year can be tough, and we’ll definitely still need my income, but after the shop is established I get to quit my job and become a full time Shop Wife. That is, I'd take care of whatever stuff Scott doesn't have time to do- mostly office type work, taxes, etc. I both love and deeply fear this idea. It’s sort of scary to think of how badly it could affect the business (and possibly our marriage) if I fuck it up in some epic way. But if I do a decent job, I will have a job I love, no boss, and never have to worry about whether my tattoos will be a problem at work ever again. And I DO hope to get a lot more work done (hence the importance of not being a whiner). And did I mention I get to quit my job? Mwah hahahaha!
Well, I get to quit my job assuming that I still have one. There were more layoffs at work a couple weeks ago, and things are pretty much at a standstill. Not to mention we have a new CEO who knows nothing about what it is we do in our little department. He’s been at the company since March, and has yet to even step foot in the lab. The old CEO is still hanging around and helping with the transition, but it wouldn’t surprise me if we got cut loose shortly after he leaves for good... if not right away, then as soon as we become any sort of hassle for him.
I've been attempting to learn the Tarot, which is actually pretty challenging. Oh! But there's a finished knitting project involved! I knit a little Tarot Card Sack to keep my deck nice and cozy...
Tarot bags are supposed to help keep the metaphysical mojo from escaping your deck while it's not in use. Mine is knit with SWTC Therapi, which is a wool, silk, and jadeite (aka jade)(yes, the mineral)(I don't how they do it either) blend, and I used the skull chart from Son of Stitch and Bitch by Debbie Stoller, with a 2 stitch i-cord for the drawstring.
My deck is the Deviant Moon deck, designed by Patrick Valenza. His artwork is freaking awesome. You can get it from his site, or from a zillion other places online- but if you get it directly from him, he will sign the cover card. Anywho, learning the cards is going to take a long time, but I'm not really in any hurry.
So that’s about it. Not terribly exciting, but there it is.
Cass came out in August, and we had a great time. She got to shoot the shotgun, and she took us for a spin around the block. Way back on the day that Cass and I first met, she learned how to ride a bike without training wheels. Now she's driving a car. Freaky.
Scott wants to get me new car for our anniversary, so I’ve been researching and test driving a couple cars. I’ve pretty much settled on one, but I’m not telling what it is lest I jinx myself (I am very prone to jinxing).
There has been some knitting, but I don’t think I’ve really finished anything. I am working on a pair of socks for one of Scott’s friends, Joe. He was in a motorcycle accident this summer, and burned up one of his feet pretty badly, so one sock is plain black and the other has flames on the cuff. Lolz. I am promised that he won’t find this horrifically offensive.
I finally got tattooed again. A rose that was started back in like 2002 or 2003 was finished, and once it’s healed up its twin will be done as well. I was a total whiny griper last time, but this time I was a good little customer and sat still and whine-free through the whole thing. Apparently, at 21 it didn’t occur to me that being a pain in the ass would make Scott less likely to want to tattoo me further. Hopefully he now thinks otherwise.
Scott wants to open his own shop in the next few years. As a tattoo artist, it’s really the logical thing to do business-wise. You can only get so far working for someone else, you know? Of course, this means a lot of planning, changes, and work for both of us. As with any small business, the first year can be tough, and we’ll definitely still need my income, but after the shop is established I get to quit my job and become a full time Shop Wife. That is, I'd take care of whatever stuff Scott doesn't have time to do- mostly office type work, taxes, etc. I both love and deeply fear this idea. It’s sort of scary to think of how badly it could affect the business (and possibly our marriage) if I fuck it up in some epic way. But if I do a decent job, I will have a job I love, no boss, and never have to worry about whether my tattoos will be a problem at work ever again. And I DO hope to get a lot more work done (hence the importance of not being a whiner). And did I mention I get to quit my job? Mwah hahahaha!
Well, I get to quit my job assuming that I still have one. There were more layoffs at work a couple weeks ago, and things are pretty much at a standstill. Not to mention we have a new CEO who knows nothing about what it is we do in our little department. He’s been at the company since March, and has yet to even step foot in the lab. The old CEO is still hanging around and helping with the transition, but it wouldn’t surprise me if we got cut loose shortly after he leaves for good... if not right away, then as soon as we become any sort of hassle for him.
I've been attempting to learn the Tarot, which is actually pretty challenging. Oh! But there's a finished knitting project involved! I knit a little Tarot Card Sack to keep my deck nice and cozy...
Tarot bags are supposed to help keep the metaphysical mojo from escaping your deck while it's not in use. Mine is knit with SWTC Therapi, which is a wool, silk, and jadeite (aka jade)(yes, the mineral)(I don't how they do it either) blend, and I used the skull chart from Son of Stitch and Bitch by Debbie Stoller, with a 2 stitch i-cord for the drawstring.
My deck is the Deviant Moon deck, designed by Patrick Valenza. His artwork is freaking awesome. You can get it from his site, or from a zillion other places online- but if you get it directly from him, he will sign the cover card. Anywho, learning the cards is going to take a long time, but I'm not really in any hurry.
So that’s about it. Not terribly exciting, but there it is.
Not Dead
I’ve decided to merge my two blogs, mostly because I’m too lazy to update both, so now there is only Indiscriminate Postings. I will leave Knitty Ripper up, but any future knitting posts will be made to this blog instead, since knitty things could be considered indiscriminate, but not all indiscriminate things are knitty. Make sense?
So anyway, I'm still around. Stay tuned for more posts...
So anyway, I'm still around. Stay tuned for more posts...
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