![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
*coughhackwheeze*
Aug. 12th, 2007 08:54 pmThank you, oven cleaner, for clearing out my sinuses for me.
Less than two weeks to moving day.
The inlaws came up again yesterday to help with painting and with laying down our new floor. BIL brought along his dog, and she was very well-behaved - I had been worried that she would be upset about being leashed outside, but she didn't whine or make a pest out of herself. (Peanut is a big dog with a very waggily tail, and we didn't want her bumping freshly-painted walls, stepping in paint trays, or knocking over paint cans.) We have everything painted now except for the master bathroom and a shitload of trim. Painting trim is a pain in the ass, but I bought an itty bitty baby (itty bitty boat) roller that makes it easier.
Today was more of the same, but I did clean some crud out of the washer and finally cleaned the oven. It's amazing what oven cleaner removes. I didn't bother cleaning it before, because fuck it, it's not my oven, but it looks so much nicer now. I also hauled boxes - we are trying to get as many boxes moved as possible before the big day so that we can concentrate on moving furniture. That's going to be a real trick, because we have a very tight entryway, and most of our stuff will need to be disassembled before it can get down the stairs and out of the house.
We should be getting countertop samples this week, and then we'll get that ordered. It's a good thing that we are going to re-do the sink, the floor, and the counters in the kitchen, because all three are stained beyond repair from the paint. Especially the brick-red we used in the kitchen. Whoof.
Still two loads of laundry to fold tonight, and sandwiches to make for lunch for the week, and the oven door to rinse, and then maybe I will put some more boxes in the car if I haven't fallen on my face.
Less than two weeks to moving day.
The inlaws came up again yesterday to help with painting and with laying down our new floor. BIL brought along his dog, and she was very well-behaved - I had been worried that she would be upset about being leashed outside, but she didn't whine or make a pest out of herself. (Peanut is a big dog with a very waggily tail, and we didn't want her bumping freshly-painted walls, stepping in paint trays, or knocking over paint cans.) We have everything painted now except for the master bathroom and a shitload of trim. Painting trim is a pain in the ass, but I bought an itty bitty baby (itty bitty boat) roller that makes it easier.
Today was more of the same, but I did clean some crud out of the washer and finally cleaned the oven. It's amazing what oven cleaner removes. I didn't bother cleaning it before, because fuck it, it's not my oven, but it looks so much nicer now. I also hauled boxes - we are trying to get as many boxes moved as possible before the big day so that we can concentrate on moving furniture. That's going to be a real trick, because we have a very tight entryway, and most of our stuff will need to be disassembled before it can get down the stairs and out of the house.
We should be getting countertop samples this week, and then we'll get that ordered. It's a good thing that we are going to re-do the sink, the floor, and the counters in the kitchen, because all three are stained beyond repair from the paint. Especially the brick-red we used in the kitchen. Whoof.
Still two loads of laundry to fold tonight, and sandwiches to make for lunch for the week, and the oven door to rinse, and then maybe I will put some more boxes in the car if I haven't fallen on my face.
it's that time of year again
Aug. 11th, 2007 08:54 pmTHE GIANTS STINK.
Already!
The defense isn't hanging together at all, Feagles just shanked a punt, and even though Eli managed to score a touchdown, he threw a wounded duck into triple coverage. Terrible!
Oh good, personal foul, fifteen yards.
I think we are going to be cheering very fiercely for Rutgers this year.
Already!
The defense isn't hanging together at all, Feagles just shanked a punt, and even though Eli managed to score a touchdown, he threw a wounded duck into triple coverage. Terrible!
Oh good, personal foul, fifteen yards.
I think we are going to be cheering very fiercely for Rutgers this year.
Home improvement
Aug. 5th, 2007 10:04 pmTo borrow a word from British English, I am knackered.
The Q's came to help us paint the house, and we got two coats on the sitting room, the den, the guest room, and the desk room; two coats of primer and one of paint on the dining room; and one coat in the bedroom up to the top of the cathedral ceiling. The place is feeling more like ours now. It was just the four of us today, but yesterday my husband's cousin came by to help as well.
So far, we have a screaming yellow dining room that will look great with black and white toile curtains, a restful light grey guest room, a sunny yellow for the desk room, light sage green for the bedroom, and a grey-brown for the sitting room. Next on the attack list are the cave paintings (really) in the powder room. The previous owner was very into Native American designs and artifacts, and there are buffalo hunters over the toilet, handprints near the sink, and a perfectly awful wallpaper to complement. We already stripped the Kokopellis out of the kitchen.
The flooring arrives tomorrow, though how much help I'll be in that department is yet to be seen. It's taking all my good sense not to order the new TV. (Priorities, yo.)
The Q's came to help us paint the house, and we got two coats on the sitting room, the den, the guest room, and the desk room; two coats of primer and one of paint on the dining room; and one coat in the bedroom up to the top of the cathedral ceiling. The place is feeling more like ours now. It was just the four of us today, but yesterday my husband's cousin came by to help as well.
So far, we have a screaming yellow dining room that will look great with black and white toile curtains, a restful light grey guest room, a sunny yellow for the desk room, light sage green for the bedroom, and a grey-brown for the sitting room. Next on the attack list are the cave paintings (really) in the powder room. The previous owner was very into Native American designs and artifacts, and there are buffalo hunters over the toilet, handprints near the sink, and a perfectly awful wallpaper to complement. We already stripped the Kokopellis out of the kitchen.
The flooring arrives tomorrow, though how much help I'll be in that department is yet to be seen. It's taking all my good sense not to order the new TV. (Priorities, yo.)
The Potterdammerung
Jul. 23rd, 2007 11:31 amYes, I have survived it, mostly by staying in the wilds of Maine last week.
I bought my copy from Bookstacks in Bucksport, where you would be fairly lucky to see one other patron at any given time, let alone roving packs of trolls shouting spoilers through megaphones. (They do have a rather large cat, but Leo is more inclined to sleep in the window.) Andy charges cover price, more than a bigbox store with a discount scheme, but it was well worth it to avoid any madness (and to support the store and the kitty.) Against his wishes, he had to hold a midnight release party, and he said that he had sixty people in the store. Bookstacks isn't much larger than, say, a mobile home, so the place must have been bursting. I went at about 10 AM: sleep is more important.
It was breezy and somewhat chilly on Saturday, so I spent the day stretched out on a chaise, reading HP by the lake. My husband interrupted every couple hours to ask "NOW what happened?" By cocktail hour, it was all over. End of an era.
SPOILERS UNDER CUT, DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU.
( My thoughts on <strike>yaoi</strike> Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows )
I bought my copy from Bookstacks in Bucksport, where you would be fairly lucky to see one other patron at any given time, let alone roving packs of trolls shouting spoilers through megaphones. (They do have a rather large cat, but Leo is more inclined to sleep in the window.) Andy charges cover price, more than a bigbox store with a discount scheme, but it was well worth it to avoid any madness (and to support the store and the kitty.) Against his wishes, he had to hold a midnight release party, and he said that he had sixty people in the store. Bookstacks isn't much larger than, say, a mobile home, so the place must have been bursting. I went at about 10 AM: sleep is more important.
It was breezy and somewhat chilly on Saturday, so I spent the day stretched out on a chaise, reading HP by the lake. My husband interrupted every couple hours to ask "NOW what happened?" By cocktail hour, it was all over. End of an era.
SPOILERS UNDER CUT, DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU.
( My thoughts on <strike>yaoi</strike> Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows )
Back from Maine
Jul. 22nd, 2007 10:17 pmJust back from our weeklong yearly vacation to Maine.
The good news is that we had a nice time in the sunshine and we bought some art for the new house and I survived Potterdammerung completely unspoiled because Internet is but a legend in the part of Maine we visit.
The bad news is that it rained for five days out of nine and my little pansies were all dead when I got home because obviously it did not rain enough here to help them. Or not often enough, I understand that there were terrible storms and flooding mid-week.
Finished HP:TDH about 6 PM yesterday. My husband and my father went straight to the back of the book, and I had to issue a serious warning: "If you so much as insinuate anything, I will be very upset with you." Husband also had to talk incessantly about how fast I was reading, and how amazing it was that I can speed read, and eventually I had to tell him to stuff it. JKR is not the hardest author to read and she uses a big font; I'm having a much harder time with Evangeline Walton.
In less than ten days, if all goes well, we will close on the house. Ohshitohshitohshit. woo.
The good news is that we had a nice time in the sunshine and we bought some art for the new house and I survived Potterdammerung completely unspoiled because Internet is but a legend in the part of Maine we visit.
The bad news is that it rained for five days out of nine and my little pansies were all dead when I got home because obviously it did not rain enough here to help them. Or not often enough, I understand that there were terrible storms and flooding mid-week.
Finished HP:TDH about 6 PM yesterday. My husband and my father went straight to the back of the book, and I had to issue a serious warning: "If you so much as insinuate anything, I will be very upset with you." Husband also had to talk incessantly about how fast I was reading, and how amazing it was that I can speed read, and eventually I had to tell him to stuff it. JKR is not the hardest author to read and she uses a big font; I'm having a much harder time with Evangeline Walton.
In less than ten days, if all goes well, we will close on the house. Ohshitohshitohshit. woo.
So, we went to see the Transformers movie on 4th of July. And there was much rejoicing, for it was not a complete travesty, and Peter Cullen was in it.
I will definitely be needing a Bumblebee-as-'74-Camaro with the caption "BITCHIN' CAMARO."
( cut for spoilers )
I will definitely be needing a Bumblebee-as-'74-Camaro with the caption "BITCHIN' CAMARO."
( cut for spoilers )
Part the first:
All of you who are TransFans or at least saw the show need to watch this clip. It is hilarious.
We did lots of stuff yesterday.
Husband and I swatted the ball around on the tennis court, and I am not really improving. I have to find a teacher who's not out in Westfield.
We did manage to get to the EB Games to buy husband's new games with the discount card. He bought me Spyro: A New Beginning, and fuck but that game is hard. Or maybe I'm too old to manage to play a game on a teensy little screen.
On the spur of the moment, we went to see Transformers, and we had a lolarious time. The New Yorker described the movie's bombast as "an explosion in a trombone factory," and I would have to agree with that assessment. On the other hand, Peter Cullen was in it. (and why why WHY if they were going to go through the trouble to get Cullen, did they not haul Frank Welker's butt into the recording studio as well?)
We did manage to make it to the State Fair for a couple of hours, and it was silly fun, even if we didn't do much besides get food and go on one ride and go to see the Giant Horse (a lonely-looking grey dapple Percheron) and a freak show that was nothing compared to the Mutter Museum. Husband suggested that we eat under a nearby tent about 10 seconds before the heavens opened, so that was a bit of good luck.
Thoughts on the movie in another post. 'Tis geeky and will hearken to my brief flirtation with the TransFandom, before Trigun came along.
All of you who are TransFans or at least saw the show need to watch this clip. It is hilarious.
We did lots of stuff yesterday.
Husband and I swatted the ball around on the tennis court, and I am not really improving. I have to find a teacher who's not out in Westfield.
We did manage to get to the EB Games to buy husband's new games with the discount card. He bought me Spyro: A New Beginning, and fuck but that game is hard. Or maybe I'm too old to manage to play a game on a teensy little screen.
On the spur of the moment, we went to see Transformers, and we had a lolarious time. The New Yorker described the movie's bombast as "an explosion in a trombone factory," and I would have to agree with that assessment. On the other hand, Peter Cullen was in it. (and why why WHY if they were going to go through the trouble to get Cullen, did they not haul Frank Welker's butt into the recording studio as well?)
We did manage to make it to the State Fair for a couple of hours, and it was silly fun, even if we didn't do much besides get food and go on one ride and go to see the Giant Horse (a lonely-looking grey dapple Percheron) and a freak show that was nothing compared to the Mutter Museum. Husband suggested that we eat under a nearby tent about 10 seconds before the heavens opened, so that was a bit of good luck.
Thoughts on the movie in another post. 'Tis geeky and will hearken to my brief flirtation with the TransFandom, before Trigun came along.
I bought a Nintendo DS Lite recently, and a couple of games to play on it. Among them was FFIII, which is cute like many buttons.
Also, it is HARD!
I just got through the part where you fight Garuda, and it took me six or seven tries at level 31. It took making all my characters Dragoons and equipping them with two spears each to win the fight. Those damn Wind Spears were expensive, too!
On a side note, FFIII pathos is very hard to take seriously when all the characters look like dollies. People are dying and my reaction is "eeeee, cute!"
'Twould be fun to cosplay Refia, though, except for the part where she's 10 and I'm not.
Also, it is HARD!
I just got through the part where you fight Garuda, and it took me six or seven tries at level 31. It took making all my characters Dragoons and equipping them with two spears each to win the fight. Those damn Wind Spears were expensive, too!
On a side note, FFIII pathos is very hard to take seriously when all the characters look like dollies. People are dying and my reaction is "eeeee, cute!"
'Twould be fun to cosplay Refia, though, except for the part where she's 10 and I'm not.
(no subject)
Jun. 16th, 2007 11:00 pmTo start, a fast rant:
I have been on the subway/metro in several different cities: Montreal, Paris, Boston, Washington DC, and NYC. Of these, the NYC metro is by far the most confusing. It must be an initiation into the club to learn how to get where you're going.
Went into NYC today for no particular reason other than it was nice out and we felt like it. We decided to take the train, and most of the day was spent either on the bus (service to Summit was suspended due to whateverthefuck they are doing on Route 202), on the train, or on the subway.
I had never been to the Cloisters, so that's where we went. It always makes me feel guilty to get in using my corporate ID, but it's $40 in my pocket. It was amazing to see the Unicorn Tapestries. Although the unicorn is supposed to be an allegory for Christ, it reminded me that a very medieval (well, maybe not so medieval) mindset was, "Hey, look! A fabulous beast! Let's kill it!" There were several pleasant gardens, one with small sections devoted to medicinal plants, culinary plants, and magic plants (mandrake, rue, vervain, mugwort, etc.)
We went back downtown to the tune of more track troubles and had to get off before Canal St, where we were hoping to go Faulex and Fauxmega shopping. That was OK, because the friends we were meeting for dinner live at Prince and West Broad. I insisted on going through a nearby street fair, and there was a kimono vendor, probably from The Kimono House. Picked up a lovely deep green iromuji, only $30.
The heavens opened up at about 4:30, so we called our friends and asked to come over early. It's always nice to visit with them, and they were happy to see us. We went to dinner at a wonderful French/Moroccan place called Country Cafe, and there went my diet.
Trip home was harried - we missed the train uptown to Penn Station and had to get a cab. Then it was back on the bus to slog towards Far Hills. Tomorrow we really have to clean this place, it's a pit.
I have been on the subway/metro in several different cities: Montreal, Paris, Boston, Washington DC, and NYC. Of these, the NYC metro is by far the most confusing. It must be an initiation into the club to learn how to get where you're going.
Went into NYC today for no particular reason other than it was nice out and we felt like it. We decided to take the train, and most of the day was spent either on the bus (service to Summit was suspended due to whateverthefuck they are doing on Route 202), on the train, or on the subway.
I had never been to the Cloisters, so that's where we went. It always makes me feel guilty to get in using my corporate ID, but it's $40 in my pocket. It was amazing to see the Unicorn Tapestries. Although the unicorn is supposed to be an allegory for Christ, it reminded me that a very medieval (well, maybe not so medieval) mindset was, "Hey, look! A fabulous beast! Let's kill it!" There were several pleasant gardens, one with small sections devoted to medicinal plants, culinary plants, and magic plants (mandrake, rue, vervain, mugwort, etc.)
We went back downtown to the tune of more track troubles and had to get off before Canal St, where we were hoping to go Faulex and Fauxmega shopping. That was OK, because the friends we were meeting for dinner live at Prince and West Broad. I insisted on going through a nearby street fair, and there was a kimono vendor, probably from The Kimono House. Picked up a lovely deep green iromuji, only $30.
The heavens opened up at about 4:30, so we called our friends and asked to come over early. It's always nice to visit with them, and they were happy to see us. We went to dinner at a wonderful French/Moroccan place called Country Cafe, and there went my diet.
Trip home was harried - we missed the train uptown to Penn Station and had to get a cab. Then it was back on the bus to slog towards Far Hills. Tomorrow we really have to clean this place, it's a pit.
To Canada and back
Jun. 12th, 2007 04:40 pmJust back from our yearly trip to Montreal. It wasn't a good year for Ferrari, but we did see the new British wunderkind Lewis Hamilton win his maiden GP. We also saw a horrific crash (search "Robert Kubica crash" on youtube; the videos have been getting TOSed) that miraculously resulted in nothing more than a mild concussion and a sprained ankle for the driver.
It occurs to me that I've been going to Montreal for four years, and I've never really told all you guys out in LJ-land what we do there.
( Thursday )
( Friday )
( Saturday )
( Sunday )
It occurs to me that I've been going to Montreal for four years, and I've never really told all you guys out in LJ-land what we do there.
( Thursday )
( Friday )
( Saturday )
( Sunday )
O HAY GUYS
Are any of you guys on Facebook? I just joined it b/c an old friend from high school was on it, and even though Ell Jay will always be my blog o'choice (Strikegate notwithstanding), three friends on the list looks a bit sad. So, tell me where you are!
My email is crawlybug at gmail dot com if you want to add me.
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
fallnangelspike, I used the photo you took of me at ANext (Isane in sunglasses.) Because Facebook is SRS BIZNESS.
Are any of you guys on Facebook? I just joined it b/c an old friend from high school was on it, and even though Ell Jay will always be my blog o'choice (Strikegate notwithstanding), three friends on the list looks a bit sad. So, tell me where you are!
My email is crawlybug at gmail dot com if you want to add me.
fallnangelspike, I used the photo you took of me at ANext (Isane in sunglasses.) Because Facebook is SRS BIZNESS.Paint Shop Pro 8
May. 24th, 2007 09:36 pmAnyone want an OMG OFFICIAL FOR REALS copy of PSP8? With doorstop manual and everything? In the (battered) box?
$25 or best offer!
If the program doesn't work for some reason, I'll refund, no worries.
$25 or best offer!
If the program doesn't work for some reason, I'll refund, no worries.
Cosplay dreams
May. 24th, 2007 04:07 pmYes, I know I'm sick in the head, but it would be so awesome to cosplay the Esper Ultima from FFXII. Without the box on the bottom, of course.
Zombie Training Film: 28 Weeks Later
May. 20th, 2007 09:39 pmOn Friday night, husband and I went out to see the zombie training film "28 Weeks Later." We found "28 Days Later" to be such a useful resource that we ended up buying it, and although we did not expect "28 Weeks Later" to live up to its predecessor, it got a 70% from Rotten Tomatoes and we figured it couldn't be all bad.
And, it wasn't. Not nearly as good as "28 Days Later," but I didn't walk out of the theater wanting my money back. Although, I was deeply concerned at how few people had come to see the movie with us. Don't they understand that scenarios such as these have been made to make people think about preparations for a Class 4 outbreak?
So, let's go over some of the points of the movie and see what it has to teach us.
( Click for more )
And, it wasn't. Not nearly as good as "28 Days Later," but I didn't walk out of the theater wanting my money back. Although, I was deeply concerned at how few people had come to see the movie with us. Don't they understand that scenarios such as these have been made to make people think about preparations for a Class 4 outbreak?
So, let's go over some of the points of the movie and see what it has to teach us.
( Click for more )
Reverse psychology
May. 18th, 2007 11:31 amThe more right-wing groups that come out against Rudy Giuliani, the more I want to vote for him.
Christian right leader writes off Giuliani
If voting in a primary didn't mean choosing an affiliation, I'd do that too.
Christian right leader writes off Giuliani
If voting in a primary didn't mean choosing an affiliation, I'd do that too.
I would really love to go to Dragon*Con.
Pity it's on Labor Day weekend. Husband would be sad if I left him alone on a holiday weekend.
Sigh.
(oh my but cosplaying as one of my favorite book characters would be lovely, lovely, lovely...)
Pity it's on Labor Day weekend. Husband would be sad if I left him alone on a holiday weekend.
Sigh.
(oh my but cosplaying as one of my favorite book characters would be lovely, lovely, lovely...)
the apocalypse is coming
May. 14th, 2007 03:20 pmFrom CNN:
Rowling: Please don't give away Potter details
Otakon + HP = Fandom Wank Overload.
Rowling: Please don't give away Potter details
"We're a little under three months away, now, and the first distant rumblings of the weirdness that usually precedes a Harry Potter publication can be heard on the horizon," Rowling wrote on her Web site Monday.
Rowling has said two major characters will die in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," which comes out July 21. Although the Potter books are released under tight security, copies often are obtained before the publication date.
Otakon + HP = Fandom Wank Overload.
a matter of grave importance
May. 8th, 2007 10:39 amMy colorist isn't working at the salon any more.
I am crushed.
I am crushed.
