Tuesday 29 March 2011

a long walk

Well it felt like it anyway. It's about a 3 mile walk to work for me and I swear to all that is holy it's all up hill. And it's all uphill on the way home too. Yes I am aware that this is impossible but the uphill bits really are killer! It's along busy roads and is noisy and filthy. But there is a section along a municipal golf course and there are many blossom trees along the way. My walk was full of daffodils and blossom and birds tweeting. It's all about what you choose to look at.

I watched the sun change from a red sliver behind a cloud to a glowy ball of fire until the clouds swallowed it again.

I used to always have music when walking. I don't bother now. I like to listen to what is going on in the world around me. I love it when you get those rare moments where there are no cars and all you can hear is the stop of people's feet and the birds. It only ever lasts for a moment but it's wonderful.

I'll be walking home as well to night so I'll have clocked around 3 miles. Here's hoping the rain holds off.

Sunday 27 March 2011

Cleanliness is next to......erm

So I have just finished cleaning/tidying the house. It is the tidiest it has been for months. Please don't judge us. Our house is fairly small and very crammed with stuff and we are generally busy. The tidying is never a top priority.

Feels nice to have it done though.

I'm gonna grab myself a juice. Can't remember my last drink today and my throat is scratchy dry. Never good. Then I need to fill in my Census form and after that well, I might just get on with trying to finish my Nerd Wars projects. I've been very lax in filling you all in on this round so expect a big post soon on that.

Friday 25 March 2011

Avoidance

I am, rather successfully you will note, avoiding doing the washing up right now. I will get round to it before Spadger gets home. Bit right now I am trying not to fall asleep.

Last night was the auditions for my AmDram groups latest production. We're doing The Importance of Being Earnest and I'm directing. This meant I was in charge of the audition and spent 2 hours judging people. I was sat on my ass the whole time, no idea why it was as exhausting as it really was!. Then I didn't sleep much last night and what sleep I did get was full of weird dreams. So yeah, sleepy now.

I walked home from work as Spadger wasn't at work today. I took a moment to walk on a wall. When did that stop being fun? Never apparently. I grinned the whole time. I also love the fact that I'm sure many other grown ups gave me funny looks for doing it. I like messing with the adults!

*sigh* Supposed I'd best go wash up then.....

Thursday 24 March 2011

And I'm back

Ok so I've been a bit MIA of late. I'd like to say I've been busy (which I have been) but that's not the reason for the lack of posting. I've been out of sorts. There has been family stuff, which I ahve decided I'm not going to go into here. Let's just say my already broken family got a little bit more broken and leave it at that. But I'm feeling much better. Things are still broken but I feel better about it now. So let's leave it at that.

I plan on trying to post something every day of April to try and get back into the swing of writing. Be prepared to be bored my friends.

Sunday 20 March 2011

Today I have...

Cooked 1 quiche, 2 loaves of bread, 7 jam tarts and 2 batches of flapjack.
Peeled, sliced and dehydrated all the remaining garlic bulbs from last year.
Set a ton of wild garlic dehydrating.
Helped a friend with a film he's making.
Hung laundry out for the 2nd day running.
Avoided ironing.

Not a bad day really.

Thursday 17 March 2011

Why today is a good day

There was actual sky visiable rather than the thick fog/white sky full of rain that there has been for the last 2 days. The next street was once again there!

I turned the heel of my 2nd sock and joined the whole thing back together again in my lunch break. Very speedy for my 2nd ever heel!

I got my unopened emails at work back to a manageable number after a major project I'm working on went live. The last 2 days it has been over 50!

I'm going to a gig tonight that I have been looking forward to since before Christmas.

I got the muslin for my Momma's dress/jacket completed last night so can enjoy the gig without guilt that I should be sewing.

Saturday 12 March 2011

Signs of spring

First lot of washing outside
Sapling cherry tree in the greenhouse
The blueberry bushes survived the winter.
The rhubarb is growing well though we won't be picking any this year (sob)
Crocuses :o)


The wild garlic seems to have survived the removal of the shady tree so far
Spiders are ever present
The roses have started to leaf
Blue skys and everything is in bud. Definitely spring!

A bit of support

Today I'd like to talk support. Boobie support. So gents this might not be one for you.

I'm a big fan of being well supported. The fact that my support is engineered may have something to do with this. The girls are substantial :o) I don't understand current measuring systems. Measure back size then add 4 or 5 inches. Do these people not understand that the back strap is the one that does all the work! How adding that much to it can be right I do not know. I don't do this. My back measures 33 inches. This means I could either go with a 34 or a 32. I actually use the 32 even though it means a couple of uncomfortable weeks because it means they last longer. Once you get past a certain size these babies are not cheap. Next is your cup size. Measure the fullest part of your bust and take the back size off that. For every inch bigger your FB measurement is you add a cup size. So in my case this is 10 inches. Now this is where it all gets a bit fuzzy. Because that equation is dependent on the maker of the bra and the style. I generally wear a 32J but that can change depending on the bra. You should just grab a variety and go try them on.

The back strap should stay level and not ride up. A new bra should be worn on the loosest hooks. There should be no over spill on the cups, even on a low cut bra. If you manage all that then it fits, go buy it.

Your next issue is how long it will last. I hold my hands up and say I wear them far too long. I know I am over due for them when my back starts hurting. It's a lot of weight to be carrying if you're not doing it right. So here is some photo evidence of how much strain this wonderful piece of engineering is put under and what is does to the bra.

The top one is the new one (you can tell by the shiny colour hehehe) . Look at the difference in shape caused by the elastic in the old one being shot.
Look at how much the back strap has stretched. It is sitting I have worn it on all 3 sets of hooks and now it is totally knackered.
The side panels no longer sit where they should. They are all squished and dig into my side.
The left picture is in the old bra. The right picture in the new. Spot the difference? Perkier by far don't you think? My clothing is sitting better and my back no longer hurts. They might not be the cheapest of things in the world but they are definitely worth the money. I get fitted at Bravissimo. They don't use a tape measure, it's all done on how it looks and feels. They only do from a D cup upwards so if you are smaller than that I would recommend taking a morning or an afternoon, going to your fave lingerie shop and treating yourself to a trying on session. You may find that you need to come down a back size (or 2) and up a cup size or so.

Friday 11 March 2011

You are not forgotten

Hey guys. Just a quick one to let you know I have not abandoned you. I have many posts in the works, even taken pictures fo them. But there is stuff going on in my life that is making me not have the energy to oomph to write.

I'll be back soon!!!

Tuesday 1 March 2011

Nerd Wars - Tournament 1 Round 2

And so the 2nd round of Nerd Wars began this morning. I'm gonna try really hard this round to use projects I need to get done as part of it. Below are the challenges. I have ideas for the Intellectual, Team Spirit and Scientific. I'm just running them past one of the mods before I start to see if they would qualify. Squee, the excitement. I finished the 1st month with a respectable 2.5 points. Considering I've never really done anything to a deadline like this I'm quite proud.

Challenge (Intellectual): WARRIOR'S FRIEND
Craft a shield. Spinners, find a picture of a shield (historical or fictitious) and make something reminiscent of its colours. Or, if you can think of another answer to this riddle, craft that. Make sure to explain what your answer is and why you chose it.
Craft something that will protect you from something unpleasant or undesirable.
Craft something that will protect an object that is important to you from something unpleasant or undesirable.

Challenge (Team Spirit): IN LIKE A LION, OUT LIKE A LAMB
If you haven’t heard, March is the month that comes in like a lion (blustery, cold, and harsh) and goes out like a lamb (mild and temperate). This month’s challenge pays homage to that saying.

The Challenge: Create something inspired by this saying.

* Make something inspired by an animal or animal-like being. Werewolves need love too, you know!
* For those without animals in their nerddom, play off the hard and soft duality of the saying. Perhaps that gruff space pilot has a soft and gentle heart?

Challenge (Nerd Culture): DON’T HIDE YOUR LIGHT UNDER A BUSHEL!
Your challenge this month is to spark wonder in your home towns and cities by performing your art in public. You may choose to submit photographic or video evidence of yourself knitting, crocheting, spinning, or weaving in public (from either a third- or first-person view, if you’re camera-shy), or by summoning a minor Yarnstorm of your own. Knit colorful flowers to stand by the side of the road until their organic counterparts take over. Crochet that One Tree on campus a sweater. Fill those who view your art with wonder, and help spread your nerdery to a new audience!

Challenge (Giving Geeks): WIP HELP
Some projects take what seems like forever, even if they are small. My friend’s mother had a pair of thumbless mittens sitting on top of her knitting basket for years, and now she is so shaky with her ailments she cannot do the simple task of finishing the thumbs. It took a gentle touch to get her to allow my friend to take the mittens and finish them up.

Your challenge is to finish a WIP for someone who can no longer do it themselves, from age, injury, or illness. The person does not need to be elderly - it can be a peer who has broken a hand, but needs to finish the WIP on a deadline. The size of the WIP is unimportant - what is important is helping someone finish a project.

This challenge is not for completing your own WIPs.

Challenge (Scientific): CAPILLARY ACTION
Capillary action is responsible for moving groundwater from wet areas of the soil to dry areas, creating that pesky meniscus when measuring liquids for cooking or science projects, and what Bounty tries to maximize to be the quicker picker upper. It is the ability of liquid to flow against gravity. It is one of the qualities that makes water a unique compound.

In this challenge, you must find inspiration in capillary action. Whether it is from capillary action in nature, kitchen, or otherwise.

Challenge (Technical): POLYTECHS
A polyglot is someone who is able to speak or write in several languages. It comes from Greek, meaning many tongues.

A polytech (made up by me from Greek meaning many techniques or arts) is someone who is able to craft using many techniques (spinning, knitting, crochet, quilting, needle felting, tatting, etc.). Your challenge this month is to demonstrate your proficiency in multiple techniques by combining two or more to produce a single finished object. One of the techniques must be from the Rav-sanctioned four (spinning, knitting, crochet, weaving), but the other technique(s) can be any craft of your choosing.