04.24.07
What We Will Do…
Those people who cook food for their cats must be nuts. Or are they?
04.22.07
Quick (Frugal) Tip: Self-Healing Mat
I have a large self-healing mat that I carried from Arizona to Virginia. It didn’t survive the trip very well (I didn’t really think that it would) but I kept it because I couldn’t bear to throw such a thing away. Silly, really, since it’s easy to buy a new one, and I can’t really rely on the measurements any more, since the mat is warped in various directions.
But me, being me, I can’t bear to just throw something that significant (in size) away, and to my knowledge, my mat isn’t recyclable. Or is it?
I did a quick Google search on how to fix my mat, and as I thought, it can’t really be trusted to be accurate for measuring. I can, however, flatten it out and cut it up to use for smaller craft projects - like my new card-making obsession! How’s that for a little bit of Earth Day, reducing-my-ecological-footprint action?
Happy Earth Day!
04.17.07
Tragedy
I feel more than a little bit sick when I think about what happened yesterday at Virginia Tech. I, however, am apparently doing much better than some, considering that I didn’t end up in the hospital with chest pains or other stress related symptoms.
E says that six people showed up in his ER yesterday with anxiety symptoms from watching the coverage of the event on TV. WTF?!
04.14.07
Centerpiece
I’ve started to put together an idea for our wedding reception centerpieces. I’ve been reading books like mad, but I hadn’t seen much of anything that really felt like me. Then I found Flowers for the Table: Arrangements and Bouquets for All Seasons
The centerpieces have to be low to the table. I don’t want people trying to talk to people over the flowers. 
They also have to be something relevant to our style. We’re not big into foofy, poofy stuff, so it needs to be somewhat simple. They also have to be created from plants that I can get all year
I found three perfect baskets at Tuesday Morning, and stopped by Home De(s)pot for some of their small potted houseplants. I’ll be going back for some dropcloth that I can cut up and glue to the inside, so that the plants can be watered inside the basket, and not destroy the basket (or whatever they are sitting on).
I still need to figure out how I am going to include color in the centerpieces, which may be flowers, ribbon, fabric, or maybe fruit (suggestions welcome!)?
04.12.07
RIP
Kurt Vonnegut passed away yesterday. He wasn’t my favorite writer, but I felt like I had read my first really profound book after finishing Cat’s Cradle in high school.
My thoughts are with with his family.
04.06.07
Dollars and Lunches
Packed lunch is going pretty well. Since I received my Mr. Bento
Some pretty basic math suggests that, based on our monthly grocery bill, we spend the approximately $3 per meal per person, each day (and no, I haven’t figured out what it is when we use leftovers from dinner or what we’re actually spending on food and not cleaning supplies, etc.). If I eat out for lunch, I spend about $10 on average. So, if you take the amount I would have spent on lunch ($10) and subtract what it costs to bring food from home ($3), I’ve saved $7 each of the times that I’ve brought lunch to work. Multiply that $7 nine times, and I’ve saved $63! Whoot!
That $63 represents a good chunk of change towards the debt reduction, which makes me regret not eating with my work friends less. If I save $30 per week, that’s and additional $120 per month towards credit card debt, which means that one of my credit cards balances will be gone in four months at the most. If that’s not incentive, I don’t know what is!
TMI
I think that one of the creepiest things about semi-public restrooms (like at work), is when you are sitting on the commode (with a seat cover, puleeze!) and you can feel someone in the other bathroom sit down on the other side. I know it’s just because of the way the pipes are installed, but ick!
04.04.07
Sakura
sakura sakura
yayoi no sora wa
miwatasu kagiri
kasumi ka kumo ka
nioi zo izuru
izaya izaya
mi ni yukan
(traditional Japanese folksong, transliterated as I sang it in choir, english version below)
Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,
The expanse of the spring sky
as far as I can see
Is it the mist,or else the clouds?
Their smell comes forth.
Now, now,
Let’s go look at them!
The cherry blossoms are GORGEOUS! Let’s go look at them… this weekend. I hope they stay up long enough for us to go visit the Tidal Basin this weekend. Unfortunately we have gone in the last 24 hours from lovely, soft, warm spring weather, to COLD and wet!
I’m hoping for some nicer weather, especially since our moms will be here this weekend. Yes, that is mom-plural. They are meeting for the first time.
04.03.07
The Neverending Baby Blanket
I was hoping to get this done in time to deliver at the end of April, but there is a long way to go. I haven’t measured yet, but I don’t think I’m even halfway - and that doesn’t even include the trim! Gaah!
There’s an additional 3-color repeat done that isn’t in the pic, but I still don’t think I’m halfway.
Stats:
