That Time of Year Again.

First, a moment of silence please, for Mr. Jon Snow, the fishie who would not die. He was about 2 years old, with a squished fin that made him gimpy. After about a week or two of acting really weird, he has finally passed on to the big muck pond in the sky. Since I still have one albino Cory left, I'm not sure whether I should downgrade the tank to a smaller one, restock the fishies, or just wait for the very last fish to die before I give up totally. On top of that, Miss Maow needed a trip to the Emergency Vet after having a bad reaction to her yearly vaccines. Not cool, considering that we are strongly considering snatching up this little guy...

Meet Hobbs... aka Ajax, if he moves in here.

Anyways, it is one of the best times of year ever in the Northwest. Everything is turning green, and the cherry blossoms are exploding everywhere. That means it's time to plant more green things! I was hoping to do it yesterday when the weather was great, but, thanks to the weather changing, I came down with a massive migraine. I used the down time to finish my math project instead. I made up for it today though, and I'm already feeling the ouch setting in. But I love to see things grow! I love that every time I come home I am met with lots of sprouting little greens, and sometimes a Bill, too.

If he's not busy showing off his belly, he
usually comes downstairs when he hears
anyone's car pull up.

So I still barely know what I'm doing when it comes to gardening, but this time I decided to stick with pretty things instead of edible things, so maybe I'll be less sad when they don't quite work out. Part of it is also growing things outside. Honestly up here, you just plop everything down and let it do--As long as you've got it in the area that gets the right amount of sun, our local weather takes care of the rest. My Bestest ever has a lovely container-garden in her front yard, and since I will likely be moving, I've made sure to mimic her garden as well as planting in the cute little flowerbed out "front."

So far in the front, I've got giant golden crocuses sprouting, Wildflower Tulips starting to pop out, and some Muscari or something (like Bluebells) slowly growing in the back. My crocuses aren't filling in as densely as everyone else in the neighborhood, but I'm guessing I planted them too spread out. Again, trial and error. They'll come back thicker next year for whoever moves in though, and that will be nice. I left one more row behind everything, to plant some Dahlias come springtime--er, nowtime. After doing some research though, I found that Dahlias tend to be annuals, not perennials, so I'm less interested in paying at least $5 a pair for the roots.

That didn't stop me from grabbing one pack of them though, and we'll see how they do in the container. If I manage to keep them alive through the winter, I may plant them in the ground once I land in my real real-home house. While I was walking around in a haze, I also grabbed Columbines and Bleeding Hearts because I really love them. I figured the Lupines would be a nice filler in the back of the flowerbed since I'm more or less ditching the Dahlias. And for fun, I also grabbed an everbearing strawberry plant. I remember them being really easy to propagate.

 Last but not least, on the left, I have no idea what I'm growing. Obviously some pretty purple crocuses, but I cannot for the life of me remember what's popping out in the middle. There's two of them, but the other one is growing much slower. On the right, I paired the Bleeding Hearts with two pink Hyacinths, just to mix things up. Not pictured, I also did a row of Gladiolus, and mixed the Columbines with some of the Lupines since they're both perennials. And I also did a pot full of Lilly of the Valley... I think... That may or may not be all. It's hard for me to say. There's a lot of other random stuff growing in the flower beds, but I don't know what most of it is. I want to pull the weeds and clean it all up, but--eh, effort. Swapping over to nights soon isn't really going to help, and going to DC won't help, but hopefully in the next few weeks I'll be able to pull up the weeds and lay down some more hens-n-chicks by the big tree. Then there's the matter of the actual lawn...

Why We Can't Have Nice Things: Reason Sub-Group 3

Anyone who says cats don't have personalities is just dead wrong.

I don't say this to be an instigator, but really, I have never known a cat that didn't have a vibe, a feeling, an attitude. Some of them, it just takes longer to find it than others. This morning, I had a bit of a run in with 'Cousin' Emmett, which both cracked me up and annoyed the hell out of me. And it got me to thinking about our little Pride.

She smiles. A lot.

Miss Z, aka Zero, aka Maow Maow, aka Pretty Girl
Well, she's sort of the ruling matriarch... except the boys don't really take her seriously. She used to be the runt of the house and was picked on or ignored quite a bit. She's the only one in the house that really actually knows that she's a cat. The other felines are nowhere near as self-aware. She adopted me as an itsy bitsy feral kitten, and that was about 7 or 8 years ago. Since she's more mature, she generally prefers to spend her days cuddling in the bed, or sitting on top of something high and looking down on the others. The boys do tend to pick on her quite a bit. Bless her heart, she's so small that she kind of takes the beating... although not quietly. Aside from her extreme disdain of the others--and her OCD regarding the litterbox--she is a really well-behaved kitty.

"I'm helping....... right?"

Bill, aka Biiiiiilllll-BO, aka Billy-Boy aka Derp-Cat
When we picked Bill up, they told us he was the last of the litter to be adopted. The adoption gal laughed and said, "Look, his mom is so relieved that you're taking him--she can finally sleep!" Normally, he's the second-best behaved cat in the house. He likes to pick on his sis now and then, but he will also cuddle with her and try to give her a bath [that's usually when things start to get violent]. He plays fetch. He'll follow you around the house. He's starting to learn that snapped fingers means "no." He's really talkative, but he doesn't quite miao. He may, in fact, be a reincarnated dog. When he sleeps, he takes up half the bed. He's a good boy most of the time... Until his cousin comes to visit...

"So this is toys?"

Ichigo, aka Ichi, aka Hey Fatass, aka WHAT!
Oh, Ichi. Bless his heart. He just doesn't know how to "cat." I'm not sure if he even knows exactly what a cat is. Slowly but surely, we are teaching him. He can't cuddle. He can't play. He can't miao--like at all. He just kind of squaks, awkwardly. He loves the smell of people food, and will climb up on the bed to beg. He is the epitome of the heavy-breathing cat meme. The smell of his poops would suffocate and kill small children. He makes sure to do so at least once a day, and I've heard tell that he has put more than one love-making event to a halt. And if that doesn't stop the lovin, he will stare at you. He and Zero tend to compete over loafing territory, and he does kind of pick fights with her. On the other hand, he and Bill get along pretty well aside from occasional playtime tumbles. Normally he's the most annoying cat in the house. Until Cousin Emmett is here...

Shown here in obnoxious trouble mode.

Emmett, aka HEY STOP IT, aka GET DOWN, aka WTF, CAT?!?!
Emmett's Real Dad is in the military, so when he goes away, guess who comes to stay? In respect to his Indian heritage, I am now his Auntie and everyone here is his cousin. But when he comes to visit, everything gets turned upside down--literally. He's a bad influence on Bill, who goes from being a sweet, well-behaved, cuddle-bug to a secondary terror. He blatantly attacks Zero. He even attacks Ichi! He climbs on everything. He walks on everything. And then he gets stuck and can't remember how to get back down. He has a backwards schedule... so, during the day he is cute and adorable because all he wants to do is hide under the covers and sleep; but once people-bedtime hits, it's playtime for him, which means bouncing off the walls and making as much noise as felinely possible. He may even attack your feet while you sleep--under the covers, or sticking out. He may climb on your face and attempt to suffocate you.

Shown here in adorable powered down mode.

So, now that you know the basics, here is what happened today that made me laugh and growl at the same time. You "train" cats with squirt bottles, right? I mean, assuming it's possible at all. Well. The most common offense for getting squirted in this house is picking on Zero. So although she doesn't like the squirt bottle, she knows that it is generally actually in her defense, and hardly ever meant for her. If she's doing something wrong [the worst she does is climb or sit somewhere inappropriate] I can usually get away with talking nice to her and/or moving her to where she belongs.

In true faux-dog fashion, Bill has learned a lot from the squirt bottle. If he's being rambunctious, all it takes is an angry look and a shake of the bottle to calm him down--and he'll usually scamper off, too. [One time his dad-folk shook the bottle at him as a joke, and not knowing what he was 'bad' for, Bill let out the saddest and most pitiful miao you could imagine. It was hilariously heartbreaking!]. He's also learning that snapped fingers mean to knock it off. Ichi at least has common sense. So when he was being a bully this morning, he got squirted. "Oh, hey, I don't like this." So he went down stairs. Logic, right?

"duuuurrrrrrr...."

Not for Emmett. Keep in mind, this happened in about a ten minute time span. After Bill and Ichi got their 'whoopins,' Emmett made a pass at Z. I squirted. He licked himself for a second... made another pass at Z. I squirted furiously. He retreated. Cleaned himself up, again. And then... you guessed it, dumb cat made a third attempt at picking on her! Something about the first two just wasn't enough to get through to him. He got a face-full of squirt water. Although he stayed put this time, he continued scowling her way, seeming to weigh the options in his little kitty brain. I think it was starting to sink in... 

Overdue.

So, the New Year has started, and I've been busy as all get out. I was able to start college again--I'm taking one math class to get caught up before I start full-time next quarter. I spent the New Year in a hotel in SC, as I did last year, so I could visit my wacky grandma. We had a blast and went out to lunch. I had to cut my trip short to make it back for school, or I would have visited my other grandma and my dad too. I don't remember how I got into it this time, but I have started the genealogy thing again. It's a blast, and I have found some really interesting folks. So far nothing much worth noting; I keep getting stuck since a handful of my folks came from Canada and Ireland and I don't have access to those records... because I didn't pay for a world-wide account. Maybe later. 

I am very very achy today, and I'm not sure if it's because I've been going to class every day or some other reason. But I'm taking it easy today either way. I need to get to work on my letters... For the record, my medical board was denied. So I have a few more days to put together my rebuttal and request for a formal hearing. Which I should be doing now, instead of this. 

For art stuffs... Here is a glimpse at a projecting I'm doing for Dirty Jose. I couldn't find the right size canvas at first, so I coated an old one I never finished in gesso and tried my hand at it anyways. Did NOT turn out like I wanted... and while organizing a bunch of paperwork, I found the canvases that I could have sworn I'd bought before. So I'm redoing the whole thing. The quote he requested is from a Bad Religion song, and I'm trying to figure out what else I can factor in to the work to make it more cohesive. 

 

 One thing that is consistently making me smile, like on a daily basis, is the garden! I planted bulbs back in November, and they are starting to pop up! Although I'm pretty sure a few of them were eaten, there's enough of them left to make me grin. The garden by the kitchen window is sprouting at a rate that is noticeable daily, although I still can't see the Crocus. My extra bulbs I planted in pots, so I can take with them with if/when I move. Those Crocus are popping right up, and I can't remember what the huge ones are in the other pot, but I love having them next to the door. 

And just for fun, here is your adorable kitty pic of the day. She decided to cuddle him, which is kind of against her nature. Ever the sweet boy, Bill decided it was bath time. I guess I managed to take this when he was making an exceptionally derpy face. I missed my kitties!

In other news, after geeking out on Musical Tesla coils off and on all night, I have decided I MUST play with them. 

I Don't Do This Enough

Well, it's Thanksgiving. One of my favorite holidays. I generally end up working though, because I don't travel, I have no kids, and in general, I'm really flexible--it's not the date you celebrate, it's the celebration you have, regardless of what day. And although I'm pretty much the only one of my family out on the west coast, I am still really stubborn about practicing a ton of traditions that I grew up with. I'll be calling at least one of my grandma's to check in on my way home. The cornbread dressing is in the fridge, ready for the oven; as is the mac-n-cheese. I went out of my way to find "bacon ends & pieces" for the greenbeans, which must be fresh popped. And even though it may be 6pm, 8pm, or even later when we go to chow down on our feast, I will enjoy every bite.

Normally on Thanksgiving, or Replacement Pseudo Day of Turkey and Excessive Food Gorging [RPDTEFG? nah] I collect lost souls and force-feed them until they explode. It's just what I do, okay? Damn that soft spot for puppies and broken things. Luckily, I only cook in one mode, and that is "make enough to feed a small army!" Sadly though, this is perhaps the first year that I'm not adopting anyone to feed who doesn't actually live in my house. It's kinda sad for me. But at the same time, we are planning to take a plate to some folks tomorrow--long story, just go with it. Plus, the last time I adopted something for Thanksgiving... well, let's just say I'm still feeding it on a daily basis, teehee.

Point being. The one tradition that nearly everyone participates in on Thanksgiving... the family goes around the table and says one thing they are thankful for. I was thinking on this idea while I drove to work this morning, crafting and formulating a Facebook post in my head [hey, I'm an English Major, okay? It's what we do], and I realized that I had way too much to say to just let it slip by momentarily on Facebook. I also figured that I'd get cut off by whatever character limits there are. So without further ado, and in no particular order, Things I Am Thankful For:

-I am not deployed. I am not on duty. I may be working, but I get to go home afterwards and spend time with people I care about. I have a big hurty spot on my heart for anyone who is away from home because of the military.

-I got to cook. Or more accurately, I get to eat! It's not the galley, it's not the ship, it's not an MRE, it's not whatever else some poor sailors/soldiers/airmen/Marines are stuck with right now. I have a kitchen, and by golly I am putting it to use.Two years ago, I think my dinner consisted of Tuna with Rice and Sirracha, and a chocolate bar.

-I'm off the ship in general. My life has improved by lengths and bounds since I left that hellhole. Seriously. My current co-workers care about people, generally have common sense, and finally, a generalized sense of humor!

-Family, and "Family." Family is what you make it. I am thankful for both the family that "raised" me, as well as the "family" I have developed over the years. I am thankful for people and relationships; the ability to cultivate and maintain them; and... man, I don't know, the fact that we all exist?

-Coffee. And the people who sell it. Being greeted not with "what can I get you?" but instead a smile and, "how many shots today?" Seriously, that means so much to me and I don't know why.

-Kitties. My kittens probably don't get enough credit and cuddles. But they are so sweet, and I don't care if you hate cats, I can tell you that they love me every bit as much as my dog did.

-The past year. Change. Turning points. So much has gone upside down and topsy turvy and backwards, but honestly it all seems to in general be for the greater good.

-Scars. Internal and External. They remind me of who I am, what I've been through, what I am capable of, and how strong I can be. They remind me where to draw the line, and the essential need to take care of myself. They show me that I've changed.

-Me! I mean sorry to sound narcissistic here, but really, I'm pretty glad to be me. Generally speaking, I like who I am, especially now. I may have moments of jealousy, but when it all comes down to it... nah.

-The Italian. Mon Chere, Mio Amante, L'uomo che amo, Mo Anam Cara, Namaste. I am still amazed every day that such a caring, genuine man can even exist. And that he somehow accidentally fell for me.  I am thankful for the lessons he has taught me, and for throwing me a floatation device when I needed it most. But he didn't just reel me in, he showed me that if I didn't do the work myself it wouldn't really count. Even when we are both stressed out and frustrated, it is still obvious that we were meant for each other. I strongly feel that everything happens for a reason, whether or not we understand it, and the experiences we have had separately only managed to completely prepare us for each other in the present. Now I look forward to every day, and I no longer fear my future.

-The Internet. Without which, on some level, none of the above would even be possible.

See? There was no way that was going to fit on Facebook.

Been a Minute...

Well, you know, things fall apart and fall back together. I have been back and forth on and off of nights, so adjusting to that has been a little difficult. Life and the Universe has been quite tempramental to the Italian, bless his heart, but hopefully it will be smoothing out soon. I barely know where to start for this blog!

I've got a lot of projects up in the air at the moment, but a couple of them I am saving until completion to actually share, particularly the glass project. It deserves its own post. Ah! Ok, I can start with this one. While my buddy is out of town for work, we have the distinct pleasure... with a grain of salt... of babysitting his Savannah cat, Emmitt. Oh boy, this guy. He's a handful when he's awake, but every night he climbs under the covers and gives out awesome cuddles. Miss Z hates his guts still, but Bill has come to realize that even though he's not 'the kitten' any more, having a 'cousin' around to play with can be lots of fun. They both fetch and throw mousies, and chase each other, and wrestle. Since Emmitt will be come-and-go, and also since we've run out of perches for kittehs, I ordered a cat-tree from Amazon. I didn't go all out because I'm a little bit of a cheapy, but this one is almost as tall as me [but then again I'm only 5'3"] and cost $60. I put it together all by myself! Which of course brings me way more joy than it should. All the cats ignored the tree for the first day or so, but Bill has discovered that it's great for derping about, and they both love the fuzzy mice on elastic. Oh man. Hours of entertainment right there! Once full grown, Emmitt should be the size of a small dog, but he was the runt of his litter and seems to be a late bloomer. He's very tall and thin, and can jump disgustingly high. He may look the same size as Bill, but when you turn him into a kittyball, there's hardly anything there! 

 Considering the Italian's upcoming surgery, we started turning the excessive space in the upstairs into a kitchenette. We put in a mini fridge to match the microwave, and later he insisted on adding a toaster oven. After introducing him to "The Met," where we found fresh, hand-pulled mozarella, made in-store putanesca, and all sorts of absolutely to-die-for goodies, I now know why. [The Met also sometimes carries divine Mango Chutney chicken, as well as bottled Thai coffee and literally... espresso soda. It's pricey, but to see him so happy was worth it. I knew he'd love it, and my favorite part about finding something neat is sharing it with someone who Really--capital R--appreciates it. We have yet to hit the olive bar, salad bar, or gelatto bar, but they're the second best place to go for cut flowers, only beat out by Stadium Thriftway, in my opinion.]

Woah, sorry for the tangent. Anyways, he threw together these mini pita-pizzas in about five minutes, and they are to die for! Impressively filling, and the putanesca gives them a little after-kick. Only down side... they taste better when someone else makes them. tee-hee.

The other day I was out and about and decided to pick up burritos for lunch/dinner. The quote on the bag was so apt that I decided to art it up. I figured the brown-paper-bag feel would be an interesting thing to work with. Here it is half-finished. I've got a couple more layers of textures to add before I call it done. I am really enjoying art still, although mostly I am doing it from bed these days. And also, I am not sure what to do with it all anymore... Sure, I can keep hanging it on the walls, and that's great for me, but it's not really getting anything OUT there for others. And I guess that's still a big thing for me. On the other hand, Honey Bunches contacted me last night to do an art trade... apparently he's got a project in mind? I asked for a quote to work with, and now must do some research on Freddie Mercury. I've got to do a test run on a theory I have [using crackle paste to transfer instead of gel medium], hopefully it works out, because in my head it makes perfect sense for the quote he gave me.

Last but not least. I have been putting off planting my flowerbed for at least a month now. I was really excited at first, and bought bulbs and some tools... but then the rain and pain set in, and I lost my motivation. Somehow today was the perfect combination! It was dry outside, but not warm, and I didn't feel like crap. I also had nothing to do and was feeling good, so I decided to attack it. I wasn't looking forward to digging up the topsoil, but it turned out not to be too bad. I planted yellow crocus, Wildflower Tulips, and Muscari. Tried to leave some room in back for Dahlias when the spring comes, and finally put the LED/solar charged garden lights. They are so cute! I also laid down some nice red top bark, but I should have listened to the guy at the shop and bought three bags instead of just two. From there I don't know why but I started raking the yard... I got a little overwhelmed with that. I was about a minute from calling it quits when the Italian came home and insisted on taking over, even though I tried telling him it was unnecessary. Of course, that led to me getting further distracted and digging up the mushrooms that were taking over our yard, as well as cleaning up the hens-and-chicks under the big tree [trying to get them to root and spread after almost killing them all this summer--my bad]. I also had a handfull of Muscari left, and finding that the dirt in the flowerbeds by the front door was much softer than the one under the window, I lined the stairs with the extra bulbs. I'm excited to plant more, even though I suck at garden follow-through. Also, I'm afraid for the Fibro repercussions of what I did today... we'll see how bad it gets.

Seems like lately all my projects have been trying to teach me patience--none of them are instant gratification! The art must always be done in layers, and seems like each one takes longer to dry than the last. The glass project, well I'm on day two of that one, waiting for stuff to dry. The bulbs... well I won't even get to see them until spring time. I'm sure they'll be great though, I can't wait! And even if we move out, I hope they bring some happiness to the folks who move in after us. But that's a whole 'nother story.

Fighting the Good Fight... Barely

After a one week hiatus, I'm back on night shift. Not that I would normally complain, but I had a vaguely Good Guy Greg moment... or at least, not a total jerk moment. Combine that with some bad dreams and the result is trying to tackle a full night shift with one 3-hour nap and one 2-hour nap under my belt. Not such a good idea. My 12-shot, 44 oz. Americano doesn't fit in the microwave to heat back up. I can hardly keep my eyes open, so focusing on anything is a struggle. I'm going to pay for this so bad tomorrow... And of course by 'tomorrow' I really just mean 'later today.'

I'm still stuck in the rut of coming up with--and occasionally even starting--new projects, but then not finishing them. I wish I had something to share, but right now mostly I just have piles and piles of supplies. And not a whole lot of motivation. I am branching out into other varieties of 'makin stuffs,' and it's a lot of fun. I'm so tired right now it is practically painful.

Anyways. Borrowing this little guy for the next fortnight, as my buddy has to be out of town for work. Now that he's adjusted, he's a cuddle bug, although the other kitties are still not so sure about this guy. He is a Savannah by the way, but a major runt. So basically saying, he is a very expensive fur-covered SPRING.

And in random other pictures, Mr. Bill has decided that he enjoys sleeping on top of the poop-house. Don't know why, but this is apparently where the 'cool kids' hang out. Lately we have 'remodeled' the upstairs, including a mini kitchenette type space for the Italian's pending surgery. 

As far as pending projects, I am still mustering the energy to rebuild an entertainment center out of a book shelf... More paper cranes... Shellac said cranes... paint glass ornaments... paint wooden ornaments... paint in general... read lots of books... track astrology stuff... crochet baby blanket #2 [not for me!!]... tons of random yarn projects... how many unfinished blankets?... including the one I worked on throughout deployment... potential for music rearing its head in my life again, through multiple avenues... must do yoga... edit that one novel for that one guy...

Bzz Bzz Bzz

That's the sound of a bee. They're busy, like I have been. The time off from work has been glorious, despite the bum knee, and I've finally had time [and energy!] to do things. Things above and beyond a load of dishes, or clean up the bedroom. I'm finally qualified at work, which means I get to start working the night shift on my own. Yay! First time I've ever worked a legit night shift, I'm excited. Haven't quite mastered the schedule change yet though--I'm still asleep around midnight and up by 9 am. Trial by fire, I suppose.

So what all have I done? Let's explore with photos.
I took this pile of squares... added a little kitty magic [all three on the bed at once!] and turned it into this lovely blanket for Boss Man's new lil' girl.

this...

...plus this...

 

...equals this.

Between the daylight hours, I noticed these little guys growing in the corner of my yard by the sidewalk. Before I got a closer look, I thought they were all crocus[es?]. But when I went to dig them up, I noticed the one was actually a different flower with some super gorgeous ivy with it. Luckily I had enough spare pots. The crocus seems to be doing okay, it was two or three bulbs. The ivy... well... I hope it will recover. It had nodes or whatever, and I had some rooting hormone I picked up for cuttings I'd like to do eventually, so I tried it out. I'm hoping it will perk up in the next couple weeks. Anyone got ideas on the strain, species, or variation? I love the two-tone leaves. 

Another thing that I started lately. I haven't read the book that this is referring to, but the journal caught my eye. It's smaller than I had thought, but it is my favorite color, and I really like the idea. So far this will only be the third day I've owned it, but I think it's a great idea and I look forward to... um... looking back.

Here is my next major project. Aside from finally planting my winter bulbs, I am going to make a little side planter in a round pot. Just something I can take with me after the move. The landlords said I can plant whatever I want, and I hope the next people love the flowerbed as much as I... will... but I'm kinda selfish so I am making one pot to take with me.  

I'm also waiting for a drill/powered screwdriver from Mr. Brown to finish [er, start] my attempt at transforming an old bookshelf into an entertainment stand. I have the shelves cut, thanks to Home Depot, so now all I have to do is screw it all together and paint it. Pics of that on the next update.  

In other news, I am putting myself on concert-ticket-restrictions. Too many times this year I have bought tickets to a show in advance--and tickets for friends too--and then had one or all of us bail last minute [myself included!]. I mean there are a few exceptions, of course, but I am done with that nonsense. If I want to go bad enough and feel up to it, I will just have to buy tickets at the door. No more telling myself, "it's going to sell out! I need to buy NOW!" and then regretting it or feeling guilty because I'm not up to fully enjoying the mosh pit. sigh I guess this is what it feels like to get old. On the plus side, I did spend the first part of that day jamming with a friend of a friend. It was nice [but really really rocky!] to play bass again. I've got to sit down with the tracks to try and get a better feel of what the music is actually doing, but it might work out.

DIY... ish

Or in my case, "bring things home and have an over-zealous roommate with a dremel do it."

The only drawback of kitties is the litter box. It's worse for some people than others, and the Italian hates it. He wanted to turn a spare bathroom drawer into a box holder to keep some of the litter off the bathroom floor, but since we're renting I wasn't sold on that idea. But, having looked it up in the past, I had another idea ready to go. $10 plastic tote from Wally World, turn it upside down, and cut a door into it. I asked the boys for some sandpaper before I started the project, but Lo and Behold, a dremel appeared! Granted, they went a little overboard while I worked on the beef Stroganoff, but hey, you know what, the litter box cover [aka "Das Poop Haus"] was completed in record time, and probably relatively low effort. I'm not sure yet how the kitties are going to react to it. Also, I'm not a big fan of having the litter box on carpet, but really we're out of places to put one upstairs. Hopefully the combination of covered box and litter mat inside [not that you can really see it] will keep the litter out of the carpet.

Yes, there's an ohm on top.
Everyone could use some zen while they poop.

Aside from this last minute renovation [innovation?], I'm planning on repainting a bookshelf to use as a TV stand. The one we like is $100 at Wally World, but lacquer spray paint was only $20. It's pretty sturdy, so we'll see how it works. If not, meh, small loss. Also, the Italian's boss [no Mafia jokes, please, haha] is expecting--his wifey is about to pop any day now. Or better said, if she doesn't pop by the end of the week, they're dragging the little alien out. Realizing that being social requires certain... efforts... he realized we should do something sweet for them as little Z arrives. Which means, long story short, I have an excuse to crochet!! Wrapping up the bases for her blanket now... I'm not sure I'm sold on the monogram-type square, the Intarsia came out a little harder to read than I'd hoped. Worst case scenario, I might redo it with one letter per square, and do them catty-corner on the blanket. This has been my main project for the weekend. Once I run out of the multicolor yarn, I'll put edges on them all, and start connecting the squares. Yes I know, they don't look very square yet, but they will! I promise.

Army of Cranes

I guess it's been a little while, hasn't it? Adjusting to a new pace of life has been exhausting, exciting, and rewarding. Aside from some pretty nasty shoulder pain, things have been getting better. The nice new "part time" military  is working pretty well. It's really nice to have a day off to recover and get things done around the house, taking care of things around the house. Not to mention epic marathons of House... the show, that is. I suppose that's not very interesting, but it's very comforting.

I've only been dabbling in the arts lately, not as productive as usual. I've had a bit of the fog and fatigue going on, which is killing my attention span, motivation, and that 'good' feeling when you do things. The one thing that has been able to keep my attention has been paper cranes. I had a great idea a while back, about paper cranes as a Christmas ornament. So far I'm liking the wrapping paper ones better than the ones out of actual origami paper, but I'm getting more ideas. I still need to figure out how to preserve and strengthen them--torn between spray shellac and coating them with mod-podge or gel medium--but i'm excited to play with more papers and also two layers of paper. My dad is sending me more charts so I can play with them as well. I'm also thinking of doing some cheesy wrapping paper ones. Below, I had some fun playing with neon paints, and a quote that I am trying really hard to remember to practice daily. I need so much of a reminder that I actually posted it next to my bedroom door so that every time I leave the room, it catches my eye.

 

"Do not delay the difficult decisions or avoid the new habits that are necessary to advance your life. What must be done should be done with haste, for life is precious."

--Brandon Buchard












And, to complete this post, I leave you with... yes, it's a kitty with a pistol. Also a book on Bonsai and an unfinished zentangle. Such is the assortment of items on my bedroom floor. He loves helping.

Next Level Homemaker Maneuver!

I was hoping I'd finish a very special piece of art today in time to post, but it needs to finish drying and have a couple more layers worked out. I had a rather eventful day all said and done. Unfortunately it takes me about two hours to do the grocery shopping at Wally World because of the ADD and Fog, but you know, whatev. Overall it's been a good day. I can't remember half of it, but I feel good. And happy--definitely a new one for me. I didn't spend a single morning this weekend looking at the sunrise over a creek, so I guess I broke that part of the promise, but... walking back from breakfast yesterday, I really did feel happy. I had a big uncontrollable grin on my face. And it's been a year since I looked at a beautiful scene with someone whom I thought cared for me very much and felt absolutely dead inside. It's been a long, crazy trip since then, but I've come a long way. And it seems like things are continuing to move in directions that only indicate life will continue to improve as we move away from [un]lucky 2013. I would love to point to celestial bodies, but unfortunately I don't understand them enough to warrant an explanation.

Okay so anyways, moving on, I have pictures to share! As always, of course. They may not be of art in particular, but they are stuff I did.

 So, here is my bathroom door. Fun fact, it doesn't open in or out... it slides into the wall. Cool, sure, but I've noticed that when it slides into the door, the friction between it and the frame has been scuffing the paint on the door itself. I originally bought some fabric to mount on the door, but it got reclaimed by my tarot deck, so I went back to my original idea--painter's tape [I couldn't find any at the craft store, ironically]. So I lined the painter's tape across where the scuffs were starting to hit. I may do some stenciling or painting over the tape, just to add to the artistry of it. I also decided that I wasn't pleased with all the whiteness, so I lined the panels too. On the lefthand side you can see my "A Little Cracked but Still Not Broken" above my smallest bookshelf, and "Mo Anam Cara" next to the Godzilla collection [that's a whole 'nother rant, I should follow up on that!]

My other project for this evening only took me about five minutes! So, the kitties love to sit in this bathroom window. Unfortunately, one of them likes to nudge the orchids a little too close to the edge for my taste; also, I've found that they are getting too much direct sun in this window. You can see them to the very right, next to the Eucalyptus and Aliesha Larson's "Calavera Girl" [gorgeous art, she is a huge inspiration to me to 'keep at it']. Unfortunately, they always manage to run into the blinds. I'm a little paranoid since I left the apartment with a $1700 discrepancy, and now we already have to replace these blinds, as they've broken two slats already. But. There's a second-floor neighbor right across the way, so unfortunately we can't leave the blinds open all the time... so first of all, I picked up some spray-on window frost. All it really does is opaque the window a little bit, and theoretically I can clean it of with simple acetone when it's time to move. I also noticed that in their jumping onto the ledge--or perhaps off the ledge--aforementioned kitties are also scuffing up the tile or whatever. So I bought a small bathroom rug, the kind that's slightly grippy on the bottom, just hoping it would fit in the window. It fits almost perfectly, with just a small overhang that I was able to thumbtack in place. Now we have a wonderful kitty perch and much less damage to the rental.

Last photo. Over the past couple days, I've decided that I want to get into Bonsai. Well, sort of. Ideally I'd like to have a bonsai tree and integrate it into a sort of terrarium setting. Maybe a teensy tiny pond, rocks and pebbles, some moss and sand, ya know? Well, I found out that bonsai is less a type of tree, and more a style--sometimes a dwarf or a cutting, but the concept is to emulate or capture the whole of nature in a small, tabletop-sized pot. Although I stopped by a local nursery, I didn't find much. Most of the "kits" on Amazon are actually misleading, and start from seeds... which can take years to grow before you can even begin to work with them. I have a major soft spot for the super-red maples and whatnot, and although you can sometimes use them for bonsai-ing [yes, I made that up]. After coming up with not much at the nursery, I thought Wally World would be a long shot--and it was, until I found this little guy in the back corner. Technically a vine, something about a red sweet-potato? I don't know, but I love the color and the shape of the leaves. I should've picked one of the others that weren't so root bound, but this guy had a whole bunch of leaves, so I'm going to see how it goes. Of course, I don't have the proper substrate or the appropriate dish [my cheap fix idea didn't pan out because I can't figure out how to get drain holes into ceramic]. I plan on replanting it in the next couple days, so we'll see how it survives that.

Well. That about sums up my evening. I took my amiltryptoline for the evening, but it's kind of a slow effect, it's just been causing typos, not knocking me out. Signing off for now, good people. Do something today that makes someone smile, even if that someone is you. 

Lots of Feel-Goods

Whew, where to begin?

The other day, I cleaned out my car and reinstalled the boom-boom in the backseat. Although it was unfortunate to see the lovely blue crystals on my battery terminal, the good news is I am competent enough to rewire things in my car. Thus, I has moar bass again. This of course spurned a loud ride to my doctors appointment this morning, blasting Bayside and singing along. And I realized, this guy here, he is one of the best songwriters I've heard--at least, since the likes of Matt Skiba and Dan Andriano. So simple, so straightforward, yet with that play on metaphors I love so much. Snarky, heartfelt word play, showing a glimpse of pain so deep you feel it too. The funny thing about Bayside is that even though his lyrics tend to be fairly specific, they are still so relateable. So, as Mrs. K predicted, I have spent my free time today cleaning my metaphorical wounds with ink and paint. One of the tips I'd been meaning to try was printing onto tissue paper, and holy crap. I'm not done with this one yet, but below is the progress so far. I'm waiting for the clear coat to dry before I start layering the tissue paper on. I'm really excited to see how it turns out, I'm just hoping I don't have the same issue with the ink bleeding that I did when I got into stamping.

One of the other wonderful things--aside from cooking home-made baked ziti from scratch [happy Italian], followed by crock-pot beef stew today... Anyways, now that we're all hungry, moving on.

If you know me at all, you know how pleased I am when I am able to help people. Especially good people. So although tomorrow I have to put the blasted uniform back on, I have been able to help someone because of it. A while back, someone from my bootcamp division separated and based on my descriptions, decided to move to WA. We talked about meeting up to jam a time or two, but it never panned out. After I made an off-handed comment online, he ended up coming over for dinner and socializing. Fun fact is, he's closer to my brother's age than mine! He's enlisted the Italian's help with navigating the VA, and today they have made quite a bit of progress. The boys are getting along famously, which makes me smile inside. As my dad said once, I have quite a soft spot for "puppy dogs and broken boys," and given the chance, I will feed and comfort both of them. When the holidays come around, I make a big effort to invite displaced military folks for meals. I realized last night, that it's almost like I've adopted a little brother--no offense to my actual little brother, he's just a little too cool to talk to me these days. He'll come around eventually, I'm sure, but living three states away doesn't help either.

Anyways, just the interactions between those two cracks me up and makes me happy. Loud music with good words. Making art, exploring, testing, results. Kitty cuddles, especially with a little rumble of purr... surprisingly my typing has yet to disturb Miss Z, who is draped across my arms at this very moment. Homecooked food. And of course, top it off with a bit of British humor. Ah, good days. I can't wait until my life is filled with this on a daily basis and punctuated with school and working with awesome people.

I hope you are all having some small victories or small happiness, and leave you with this--so at least if nothing else, you can say you saw a cute cat picture today.