We got the beet...er, um, beat

Not too long ago, I ran across this juicer.* I have occasionally contemplated buying one to enjoy some freshly expressed juice. This one, although reasonably priced, did not inspire my confidence. However, those with two left feet may wish to take a closer look at this model.


Let's see:

It makes Pineapple Juice, very refreshing

Orange Juice, a very good source of vitamin C

Carrot Juice, excellent for vitamin A

and Beat Juice, for those lacking rhythm.




*Name has been blurred to protect the idiots

In preparation

In preparation for #45 on my list [Learn to kayak], I present a fairly new acquisition, of sorts:


She's a Hurricane Phoenix 130 and she's on extended loan from a friend. It was remarkably warm here today, so we hauled the 'yaks out for a rinse and rub-down. [My Beloved currently owns a Hobie Quest and is anxiously awaiting the arrival of a new Kaskazi Dorado II] Now all I need is a paddle, a seat, a PFD and consistently warmer weather.

Also due to the beautiful weather today, I went for a run, thus fulfilling my obligations to #43 on the list [Exercise at least 3 times per week]. I was ecstatic to find that I could pick up my Couch-to-5k right where I left off in September. Since tomorrow doesn't look as pretty, weather-wise, I may have to substitute an outside workout with some indoor aerobics courtesy of My Fitness Coach on the Wii.

101 in 1001

Okay, so I technically don't have 101 things, but I figure it's better to post what I have than to wait for my list to be complete. Besides, I've been sitting on this since October. These are things I would like to do over the next 1,001 days. My start date is today January 17, 2010, so my finish date will be October 14, 2012.

1. Plant a garden
2. Get a new tattoo
3. Reduce the unnecessary use of "like" and "you know"
4. Get a job
5. Donate blood
6. See 10 French films
7. See every movie that won the Academy Award for Best Picture
8. Collect license plates every summer [Memorial Day through Labor Day]
9. Update this blog once a week for the duration of the project
10. Keep checkbook balanced
11. Stick to a budget
12. Go through all my clothes—get rid of stuff that no longer fits/is no longer my style
13. Organize all my paperwork
14. Officially become a resident of PA
15. Get my passport
16. Find 10 letterboxes (0/10)
17. Send 10 postcards via Postcrossing (0/10)
18. Find 10 caches (0/10)
19. Send a card to PostSecret
20. Send out Christmas cards each year
21. Send all close friends and relatives cards on their birthdays
22. Join a local church
23. Sew at least ten pieces of clothing. (0/10)
24. Compile a “cook book” of my mom and grandmas’ recipes
25. Make jam
26. Make pickles
27. Make handmade gifts for my family for their birthdays one year
28. Crochet a blanket for our living room
29. Make wine [for real this time]
30. Catalog all my yarn
31. Make a blanket for Project Linus
32. Sew a tote bag
33. Increase my flexibility enough to touch my toes
34. Run a 5k
35. Take horseback riding lessons
36. Hike part of the Appalachian Trail
37. Get properly fitted for running shoes
38. Learn to swim in open water
39. Complete a sprint triathlon
40. Establish and maintain a useful daily routine
41. Participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure
42. Take a vitamin/vitamin pack once a day
43. Exercise at least 3 times per week
44. Participate in The Great Island Adventure Triathlon
45. Learn to kayak
46. Read a book every month ( /34)
47. Proactively seek out 10 museum exhibits I'm interested in, and see them.
48. Learn to play the cello
49. Learn to play the piano
50. Relearn to play the flute
51. Get my masters degree in Education
52. Complete the French textbook I have
53. Read 5 French novels
54. Learn to type correctly
55. Learn to read music
56. Become proficient in world geography [countries/states and capitals]
57. Become proficient in U.S. History [create a useful timeline/scrapbook/jackdaw]
58. Complete the French history book I have
59. Get certified as a lifeguard
60. Learn more about WWII history [create a useful timeline/scrapbook/jackdaw]
61. Read all of Shakespeare’s works
62. Get and maintain my certification in First Aid and CPR.
63. Compile my family tree [with pictures and documents whenever possible]
64. Collect family stories [share them with the rest of the family]
65. Get married
66. Volunteer at least once a month
67. Visit Toronto
68. Visit Quebec
69. Visit Philadelphia
70. Visit New York City
71. Participate in Project 365
72. Make a dress for each Christmas
73. Learn to spin my own yarn
74. Bake at least once a month
75. Finish Lone Star Quilt
76. Make Ohio Star lap quilt
77. Make Bear Paw quilted wall hanging
78. Knit a sweater
79. TBA
80. Learn to make bobbin lace
81. Learn to sew in zippers [regular and invisible]
82. Learn how to make buttonholes
83. Make myself a coat
84. Crochet my sisters surprise floor coverings
85. Make a corset
86. Make pumpkin butter
87. Learn to make croissants
88. Make my own spaghetti sauce
89. Make my sisters messenger bags [0/2]
90. Crochet and give away 3 prayer shawls [0/3]
91. Learn how to tie 10 new knots [1/10]
92. Go to a drive-in movie
93. Research women’s studies [create a useful timeline/scrapbook/jackdaw]
94. Establish and maintain a useful house cleaning routine
95. Swim a mile without stopping
96. Improve my posture
97. Give myself an at-home spa day at least once a month
98. Get a full body massage
99. TBA
100. TBA
101. TBA

Long overdue or On the Move: Part 4

So, here is a map that not only documents my moves over the past year, but also demonstrates that I have entirely too much free time on my hands. [ETA: click on the photo above to get the full effect.]

To sum up, we start in Lakewood, Ohio, then proceed to Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, moving from there to North East, Pennsylvania and finally ending up in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania for a grand total of 887 miles of relocation in 12 months. Hopefully, we won't have to do this again anytime soon.

West by Northwest or on the move part 3

Not to be confused with the Hitchcock classic North by Northwest, the title of my post indicates the general direction I will be moving...I know I just moved, but I also knew a relocation was in the works when I moved out here in November, so fortunately 95% of my stuff is still packed. You see, My Beloved got a job up in Erie, thus necessitating the move.

To give you a rough idea of the relocation plans, I need a map of Pennsylvania...fortunately, I have mad skills with the Paint program and after several grueling minutes I present to you an incredibly detailed map of Pennsylvania:


Lock Haven is where we are at this moment and Erie is where we are headed. Erie is where My Beloved is from, so we are in a sense, headed back home. I am originally from Cleveland, OH, so moving to Erie puts me closer to home, at least.

On the move...part 2

I had to rent a truck in order to transport my belongings to PA. My dad offered a suggestion that proved most amusing in the follow-through.

My dad is a fan of "Ice Road Truckers" and he learned a trick to check the tires on any large truck, in this case a moving van. It involves taking a baseball bat and taking a swing at the tires--if the bat bounces back satisfactorily, the tire is sufficiently inflated. If the bounce leaves something to be desired, the tire is probably flat.

The day of the move, I set out to pick up the 16 foot truck and trendy, matching tow dolly for my car. As the rental place was just down the street from my house, I walked. Before I left, I asked my dad for the offered bat, thinking he intended to provide me with a small souvenir bat--the kind you can get at baseball games and that looks like it would make an effective and easily-concealed weapon. But, no, the only bat he could find on such short notice was a tee-ball bat from my youth. So, I slung the bat over my shoulder and proceeded down the street.

Until very recently, I lived on one of the main thoroughfares in my hometown, so walking down the street, with the thoughtful, but somehow intimidating look on my face that I normally sport, I drew some strange glances and a few people gave me wide berth on the sidewalk. I walked into the rental place and without missing a beat, the owner said "If you're gonna rob me, you're gonna need more than a bat." No, I explained, the bat was for checking the tires on the van. He countered that he had already checked the tires and the oil. I said that I would like to check them all the same and proceeded out to the van, bat at the ready and I swung at all 8 tires [6 on the van, 2 on the tow dolly] and they all rebounded the bat to my satisfaction. I returned inside to a chuckling owner, who said he had never seen anyone do that before. When I told him it was an old trucker trick, he came back "I know! I used to drive trucks! In the 17 years I've been doing this, I've just never seen anyone do that before. I may have to tell some people about this."

Civic duty

I ventured downtown today in order to be a responsible citizen and cast my vote. As I expected, the main parking lot for the Board of Elections was full, but they were thoughtful enough to point the way to other parking venues. Unfortunately, one of the venues they indicated had several unmistakable signs indicating that parking in said lot in order to vote would result in one's car getting towed. Fortunately, there were several overflow lots that were not only free, but had actual parking spots available.

The line itself was not bad. The local paper had likened it to a line at an amusement park--long, but in constant forward motion. The set-up was very well-organized and from the time I walked in to the time I left, it was only an hour. The news later reported people waiting in lines that extended out of the building and down the street, which I can only imagine probably quadrupled the wait, but it's good to see that people are actually voting.

On the move

I am moving to PA! Finally my Beloved and I will actually live in the same house! [We've spent the past 8 1/2 years not even living in the same state.] It's been a crazy month trying to pack everything up for the move and there is still a whole lot of work to be done.

For the past 2 years, my stuff has been taking up space in my dad's garage, haphazardly packed in cardboard boxes. So, I have been repacking everything...sorting out duplicate items for my little sister...throwing out things I should have discarded long ago...finding things I forgot I had...taking impromptu trips down memory lane and finding boxes of paperwork that need to be sorted through. Oy, the paperwork! I fear I will kill another of my dad's shredders trying to destroy all the stuff that is not safe to simply throw away.

Mice have destroyed quite a few things [my favorite red chair among them--it was my first piece of furniture and it was ugly, but it was super-comfy] and in a way I am somewhat grateful for their destructive intervention. They have helped me whittle down my belongings to a more manageable size. There were things I was keeping that, for some reason or another, I felt I could not throw away, but once the mice had gnawed, nested or pooped on something, I found it much easier to discard the item. My only regret is I wish I had been more careful packing up my yarn...the mice chose some of the handspun wool over the cheap acrylic yarn, but I can't wonder at their choice of natural fibers over the synthetic. [sigh]

Watch me

Be sure to scroll down and read The Master Plan

Why my dad rocks

Instead of using this:




I get to use this: [cue angelic choirs]



My dad bought a replacement pedal for the Janome and so this past weekend, I was finally able to assemble the skirt I made from my very own pattern [via this book] with this material:



I will be wearing said skirt later this week and I will post pictures later...In the meantime, I will do the Dance of Joy!

Infernal Machine

I am itching to sew, but my machine will not cooperate. There's an issue with the tension that I can't seem to remedy. [grump] Plus, my mom's machine is out of commission since the power cord/foot pedal has run off and join the circus. [That's my best guess, anyway, since it's nowhere to be found.]

Got it right on the first try

The Recipe For Lisa

3 parts Sass 2 parts Genius 1 part Playfulness Splash of Originality Finish off with whipped cream

What's the Recipe for Your Personality?

Shamelessly backdated

Happy cookie day! This weekend was one of my sporadic "make and bake" weekends...except, I only did the baking part. I made several batches of cookies: (clockwise from left) Gingersnaps, Snickerdoodles and Shortbread. They are for a Halloween party at Corrupt & Cutie's house this coming weekend. I'm so excited with how perfectly they came out! (Unlike the photo, which is unbelievably blurry, even after touching-up.) It makes me want to bake dozens more cookies! Although, I feel my cookie-mania is a bit ill-timed. I fear if I get carried away crazily creating cookies, I'll be burned out baking-wise when the holidays (with their requisite sweet edibles) roll around. I've already experienced a bit of foreshadowing when this past summer I went a bit overboard with banana bread. It'll be a while before I make anything even remotely resembling a quick bread. [shudder]

Inspired

Well, here I go again! I've been lurking around a few sites recently that have inspired me to get in touch with my sewing side...and reunite with my blog, which has lain so patiently all these months.

I was flip-flopping on starting the Wardrobe Refashion challenge. While I am confident I can avoid buying anything new off-the-rack, I doubt my abilities as a seamstress to be able to assemble clothing that I could actually wear out in public that wasn't a costume. But...it is a challenge, right? What the hell!

I, The Mad Tatter, pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of "new" manufactured items of clothing, for the period of 4 months. I pledge that I shall refashion, renovate, recycle preloved items for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract. I pledge that I will share the love and post a photo of my refashioned, renovoated, recycled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, so that others may share the joy that my thriftyness brings! Signed, The Mad Tatter.

Let the insanity...er, I mean, the craftiness begin!

Finally!

Remember those gloves that the dapper gentleman in the picture below is modeling? (Go ahead and take a peek...I'll wait.) Well, I finally finished them. The right glove went so well that I should have known that the left one would give me problems. Yeah, I only had to restart the &@#ing thing 10 times. Yes, 10. Of course, now that I've had so much practice, I could probably whip out a pair in my sleep in about 2 days, which is good, because I owe a pair to my sister and a pair to my father. [Sigh] I need to hone my sizing skills a little. The right glove is noticeably larger than the left one and the left pinky is a little too short. I blame that last part on my anxiety to finish the glove. In any case, I will post pictures as soon as I unload all my pictures from summer vacation from my digital camera.

We remember

For all those who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks five years ago today...

Fast forward

Well, I am back again. We'll see for how long.

Update: I have graduated from Kent State University with my Bachelor of Arts in English. The whole teaching thing didn't work out. It seems to be for the best, though. I ended up moving back home, so all my stuff is taking up half the garage, which my father is hoping to have back before the snow flies. I have recently landed an editing job at Thomson West. I'm really excited about the company and I'm looking forward to retiring from there. Now, I just need to find an apartment...

I have more time for knitting now, so I have started a pair of cabled gloves. I actually found a pattern that included an intarsia snowflake pattern, but since I have never made gloves before, I thought I'd try something a little less complicated. Of course, I've never done cables before, but it seemed a little less threatening than working with more than one color.

I was a baking fool this weekend. I made 2 apple pies, 4 dozen apple cinnamon muffins from scratch, and 2 dozen frosted cupcakes. I wanted to make a coffee cake and some English muffins, but I just don't think the house is large enough to contain that many baked goods. Next weekend.

It's so weird having so much free time. I keep thinking that I need to be doing something, like studying or writing a paper. It is very bizarre that I lament that there is nothing on T. V. when a few months ago, I wasn't even watching it.

Crawling out from under my rock...and a new idea

Well, I've decided to rejoin the blogging world. How I've missed it!

I came up with an interesting idea yesterday. After reading the new challenge for Self Portrai Tuesday, I wanted to start something new and totally random--something to do with a journal. So, I thought and I looked at fabric and [REFRAINED from buying any!!!] I got a pizza and I picked up a sketch journal and I came home and I thought of verbs.

Yes, verbs, those funny little words that make you DO things. I thought it might be fun if I could be given three verbs a day and I had to go do them. While all verbs are open to interpretation, some are easier to adapt than others. For example: "surf" Lacking much of a wave center here in Kent, OH, I could surf the internet. Not overly flexible. But "play" or "think"--the possibilities are endless! With "think" I am going to encourage myself to think of something new or challenging.

So, last night I combed through a few issues of a certain temporal magazine I had lying around and started cutting our verbs. Useful verbs, mind you. Nothing harmful or destructive.

Now, drumroll please..........the words for today are:

THINK

TAKE

DRIVE

Speaking of take, I was wishing that I would take my digital camera everywhere I went yesterday. I saw an SUV that had some truly awesome Star Wars stickers on it [Sith Happens and WARNING: fully-charged light saber on board!] and I met a cat with two names at an art supply store.

Well, off I go! Got some verbs that need to get done.

That's me all over

You Are a Seeker Soul

You are on a quest for knowledge and life challenges. You love to be curious and ask a ton of questions. Since you know so much, you make for an interesting conversationalist. Mentally alert, you can outwit almost anyone (and have fun doing it!). Very introspective, you can be silently critical of others. And your quiet nature makes it difficult for people to get to know you. You see yourself as a philosopher, and you take everything philosophically. Your main talent is expressing and communicating ideas. Souls you are most compatible with: Hunter Soul and Visionary Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Mourning

My mother passed away in the early hours of January 1, 2006.