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March 2007 Archive
Saturday,
March 31, 2007
Look
at this heartbreaker...
posted on 3/31/2007 04:44:00 PM
Friday,
March 30, 2007
A
New Era in Luggage
I've got two (nonsexual) fetishes. Blankets and luggage. I'm a pretty
darn simple-living person, but those are the two things I go overboard
with and I give and inordinate amount of power to.
Today, we talk of luggage.
When I got out of college, I got a nutso job with a consulting company
that had me travelling. So I toddled off to Target and bought a
duffle + carryon set for $99. That black carryon has taken my stuff
all over the country and served me very well since fall of 1996.
Soon I realized that the black bag was so ubiquitous so I painted
a big ol' tooth on it.
A Tooth-on-bag story:
I have a no-home-for-the-holidays rule that I was breaking. The
St. Paul Amtrak train station was completely nutso. The badly-designed
baggage pickup doesn't jut out from the wall 90 degrees giving us
a lot more space for people to watch. Instead, it was maybe 20 feet
long, with about a bajillion people crammed up to it looking for
their black bag.
Somehow we still had the holiday spirit and we were in it together.
And we were polite Minnesotans. I said, "If anyone sees a bag with
a big tooth on it, it's mine, " beginning a game of Spot the Tooth.
And when it appeared, folks were shouting, "The Tooth! I see it!"
I knew it was time to retire the Tooth Bag. It had served me so
well, but I could tell I was on the verge of a broken zipper in
a crowded airport.
I recently got a snazzy, lightweight, American Tourister duffel
bag. It's bright, nearly-neon green. I snapped it up for $15 at
TJ Maxx. Because I am the Sumpreme Ruler of the Light Packers,*
I can pack my clothes, toiletries, markers and laptop in this baby
duffel for a one day/overnight gig.
Happy with the baby duffle, I wanted it's Aunt carryon. Lo and Behold,
eBags wins again! On sale, with an eBags promo code and $10 off
Google checkout. For $55 I got the American Tourister - iLite Expandable
21" Upright Carry-On in Apple Green.
The 1996-2006 Tooth Bag next to
the 2007-? Apple Green bag.
This bag is about to go to the UK. Great timing, because this is
my first international trip. Here's to the next decade of travel!
p.s. Here's the odd thing. The greens are different. Huh. I guess
two different seasons? It bothered me for a bit, just because I
had something else in my head; the greens matching. Cest la Greens.
* Okay, I know there's a eschelon of incredibly-light packers that
I don't compete with. You know, the "I've got a toothbrush and a
credit card" crowd. But for someone who has to bring clothes and
tools to work with, I'm darn efficient.
posted on 3/30/2007 04:56:00 PM
This Week's Flowers:
Aren't these stunning! I don't get much variety at my local grocery.
This ultrabright combo is a great surprise. And perfect for my housewarming.
posted on 3/30/2007 03:51:00 PM
Thursday,
March 29, 2007
Kansas
City
The ominous sky. I usually have great luck with weather on trips.
Today, I kept getting caught in the rain. At first, I loved it because
everything was in bloom and green and I was drunk on The Smell of
Growth. No downpours, but always damp. I was happy to get into dry
clothes before the airport.
Today, I went to The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. I got there about
15 minutes before opening. Groups of students formed in amoebic
shapes outside. The sullen teens, the undergrads, the latino public
school kids, the latino younger Catholic school kids, the all white
Catholic school kids.
The museum experience was nice. A solid B grade. When I could avoid
the school groups, I had a quiet museum (nearly) to myself. At times,
the school groups sounded like a stampeding herd. Seriously.
It was lovely to see all the Henry Moore maquettes. Between Moore
and all sort of other objects, I got some great ideas on what I
could making in my impending handbuilt ceramics class.
At one point, I was in a gallery filled with iconic religious painting
a sculpture with the all-white Catholic school group. They were
learning about the art in relationship to the stories of the saints.
Being a public school kid and an atheist, it was a new perspective
to me. Looking at a museum through that specific lens. Make sense.
Not something I had thought of before.
I loved turning and seeing this:
The Latino students and the Giant
Buddha.
posted on 3/29/2007 07:05:00 PM
Wednesday,
March 28, 2007
Grocery
Sushi
In my Kansas City hotel room.
Today, I was a graphic facilitator in Overland Park. Now I'm tired
pup in my hotel room. Tomorrow, I'll be a tourist. Tomorrow night
I'll be back home.
The gig went smoothly. Client was lovely. Client's client was interesting.
The woman at the front desk pointed me towards a grocery store.
I picked up my dinner, breakfast and a couple snacks to cover my
time here. Now I'm in for the night.
Here's my dessert:
Check out these sprinkles! Note: it's March. With the pumpkin and
bat, I think they used the Jar of Sprinkles Collected From the Counter
All Year:
posted on 3/28/2007 11:04:00 PM
Wednesday,
March 21, 2007
This
Week's Flowers:
These were totally closed when I got them. I love the transformation
of them opening up.
posted on 3/21/2007 01:43:00 PM
Sunday,
March 18, 2007
Quilting
+ Columbo
My friend Jen wanted to learn to quilt. Jen and her hubby Josh were
surprised to hear I had never seen Columbo. We planned a weekend
to watch Columbo and do quilting.
Our original weekend was postponed because I got the Stinky, Groddy
Flu. We started out this weekend with an awesome breakfast at M.
Henry and then a trip to Hancock Fabrics.
Get this. It was National Quilting Day! All quilting fabrics 40%
off! How perfect!
We drove off to Jen and Josh's Oak Park home. I sat down and showed
then the general steps in quilting.
Jen's a smart cookie. I assumed Jen would want to make a lap quilt.
Jen judiciously said, "how's about I make a table runner?" Smart.
Very smart. She could definitely make a table runner in two days.
Her mother-in-law Paula sent her a box of fabrics, being a sort
of ex-quilter (now consumed with knitting). Although unseasonal,
Jen took a stack of Paula's Halloween fabrics. There's was an almost
perfect set of fabrics to make a Bento box pattern table runner.
And she rounded out the stack with a couple prints from Hancocks.
I had a simple project. The center of the yellow and white checkerboard
quilt for my windowseat. I had a great group of yellow prints that
I was so excited to use. And I was using the old white roman shades
from my last apartment as the solid white fabric.
Saturday was a long day but went well. Cutting is always a drag,
I think. Jen had all sorts of great questions. I can tell Jen gets
the logic of quilt design, so she could enjoy designing her own
projects, rather than rigidly following a pattern. That's way cool.
Sunday was super! Once Jen got to start sewing her blocks together,
she was zooming! While I'd be ironing and Josh would be getting
to know his new laptop, Jen would start giggling and say in a singsong
voice, "I've got a neeewww hoooobbbby."
Here's Jen beaming with her table runner top:
I had a mini-meltdown myself. I had to add one last row of squares
for my checkboard to have an odd number. And I was really trying
to not have any of one print in two consecutive squares. It had
worked 95% of the time, but I had a few mistakes. That last row
was a bear. Thank goodness Josh swooped in to help me look at it
with new eyes! I did get the center of the top done. And it's much
bigger than I expected, so it'll be a proper quilt once I add the
borders.
Here's Jen (with her finish table runner), Josh and I (with my top's
center)!
p.s. Getting to know Columbo was fun. I especially liked the Johnny
Cash episode.
posted on 3/18/2007 10:31:00 PM
Tuesday,
March 13, 2007
Gorgeous!
Today was beautiful. I had an appointment, then loads of time before
an evening engagement. I went to the zoo!
This llama looks so pleased with it's face turned towards the warm
breeze. I had rolled up my jeans to my knees. The wind blew through
my winter-grown leg hair. It felt nice. I'm with you, llama.
I went to the Lincoln Park Conservatory and enjoyed the Fern Room:
And some dancing orchids in the Orchid Room
Before the evening event, I scored a superdelicious Southport Grocery
vanilla cupcake!
Not a bad day.
posted on 3/13/2007 08:26:00 PM
Monday,
March 12, 2007
This
Week's Flowers:
I love tulips. I'll get my fill while they are in season.
posted on 3/12/2007 02:16:00 PM
Thursday,
March 08, 2007
Gunther "levitating"
posted on 3/08/2007 01:28:00 PM
Wednesday,
March 07, 2007
This
Week's Flowers:
Normally, I got for one arrangement. It dawned on me I could do
two. The tulips by my computer, and the roses by my front door.
posted on 3/07/2007 03:24:00 PM
Sunday,
March 04, 2007
posted on 3/04/2007 10:53:00 PM
Friday,
March 02, 2007
I
wanted to write a blog about my awesome time in LA last week before
I heading for a (hopefully) awesome time in Florida this weekend.
Part work/part play.
I was up far too late and woke up far too early. 
I'm feeling half human.
Bonus: Gunther chewed through
my $70 noise-cancelling headphone cords! The night before it was
the dimmer switch on the light. Hell hath no fury like a kitty bored.
posted on 3/02/2007 06:59:00 AM
Thursday,
March 01, 2007
posted on 3/01/2007 01:57:00 PM
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