Weekend update

Oh people. The busy has set in over here. I start my part-time job this evening then have to zip home and study for a test tomorrow. Also, can't forget to clean my house! I've got someone dropping off a dog for a week-long dog-sitting job at 7:45 in the morning. AND have to prepare for out-of-town guests who are arriving on Friday.

So I don't know when I'm going to get to sew again. At this point? Maybe never. GAH!

Anyway, thank you all very much for the happy birthday comments.

It was a very good weekend indeed.

Friday evening, S took me to a nice dinner, then we went to my folks' house for cake and ice cream. He got me an awesome little shoulder bag (purple leather - LOVE it!) and tickets to the Purple Rose Theater to see a play called Panhandle Slim and the Oklahoma Kid. Talk about an intimate theater! It seats around 200 folks - probably less. The play was written by Jeff Daniels (PRTC founder) and I really enjoyed it.

But now I have to dash because I have to be at my other job in 40 mintues! EEK!

It's My Birthday too!

#36.

It'll be a low-key celebration, just the way I like it - dinner with S, then cake at my folks' after.




You say it's your birthday
It's my birthday too--yeah
They say it's your birthday
We're gonna have a good time
I'm glad it's your birthday
Happy birthday to you.

Yes we're going to a party party
Yes we're going to a party party
Yes we're going to a party party.

I would like you to dance--Birthday
Take a cha-cha-cha-chance-Birthday
I would like you to dance--Birthday
Dance

You say it's your birthday
Well it's my birthday too--yeah
You say it's your birthday
We're gonna have a good time
I'm glad it's your birthday
Happy birthday to you.

WW: My Heart's Desire

Aside from the normal desires (love, happiness, etc.) my heart desires this:

But, since this one is well loved by his current person, I'd settle for one just like him.

S, bless him, took these pictures for me because he knows I adore Basset Hounds. Like, seriously, ADORE them. If I had gone into the hardware store where this guy was, I would've SAT ON THE FLOOR to scrunch those ears and kiss that nose.

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For more Wordless Wednesday, go here.

The tale of the Generous Blogger

Once upon a time there was a blogger named Spuddy Buddy.

Spuddy Buddy has a pet cause: ovarian cancer. She lost a childhood friend who was only 25 to this disease and she wants to raise awareness amongst the general womanly population. (And, I'm sure, to the manly population, too, if they'll spread the word to their womanly friends.)

Anyway.

This box was at my front door when I arrived home today from a long day of work and school.

One day (September 1, 2008) Spuddy Buddy provided us with a PSA and a contest! She kept it open for fifteen days. To enter, all you had to do was leave a comment mentioning that you get regular gynecological exams or, if you don't, then you had to promise to make one this month. Well, I am a firm believer in getting my girly bits checked every year but hadn't made my appointment to do so yet. So I entered the contest with the determination to make that appointment.

Oooh! PACKING PEANUTS! What could my Major Award be? A bowling alley?

Never dreamed in a million years I'd win.

But I did!

Spuddy Buddy, sly little devil, didn't say WHAT the prize was. Just that it would be teal and that it would be awesome. Honestly, I was expecting a fantastic teal benefit scarf that I could wear to help keep me warm this winter. Or an Ovarian Cancer awareness lapel pin. Or an awareness t-shirt that I could wear to inspire others to make their yearly appointment.

What I got was a teal iPod Shuffle and a $15 iTunes Gift Card!

My Major Award!

I am thrilled to bits with my prize! I will, for sure, tell everyone how I got it and that they need to spread the word about ovarian cancer because it's a scary thing and they need to educate themselves about it and MAKE AN APPOINTMENT!

So, Spuddy Buddy, for sharing your knowledge about a dreaded disease and for your very generous contest prize, I shall forever think of you as a Generous Blogger.

Thank you!

You can bet my new iPod will be going with me to my gynecological exam on October 10.

Thrifty Thursday: Vintage Vogue

Oh, people. Yummy vintage pattern finds this week!

Found these at a local antique market. Vogue Pattern 9770 is the dress. Vogue Pattern 6059 is the CUTE nightgown and robe.



Aren't these sketches adorable? These alone are worth the buck I paid for it. (No pictures of the back of the dress pattern because the sketches aren't all that.)

Here's hoping that if I ever get around to sewing these up the darned things fit!

Craving

I am craving one of these:

Pic swiped from here.

I gave up beef for Lent and haven't gone back to it. I've not had a hamburger/steak/beef hotdog since FEBRUARY.

Every once in a while the urge for a slab of beef is large. Like today.

Oh. I gave up lamb, too. And I LOVE a good Greek Omelet*.

*This picture is of the EXACT Greek Omelet I was dreaming of when I typed this. It's from the Wolverine Restaurant in Ypsilanti and I used to stuff my pie hole as often and as fast as I could with the yummy deliciousness that is their Greek Omelet. Except I would get french fries instead of the hash-brown/American fries.

Why do I torture myself so?

When you're a blogger...

you tend to think about everything you see as potential blog material.

Example, this past weekend at Greenfield Village, I saw this trailer:

and thought of Miss Night Owl.

WW: No warning flags raised

Shenandoah National Park summer, 2006 - about 50 feet from a section of the Appalachian Trail.

For more Wordless Wednesday, go here.

School days.

It's my last year of school, people. Barring any f-ups on my part (or any on the University's end) I should be graduating in April, 2009.

Finally.

Wanting to carry a different bag for my final year, I hit the stores. I wasted a ton of time looking for the perfect messenger bag, people. A ton of time. Decided I'd have better luck making one of my own. So I hit the Internets. And found this: Amy Butler's High Street Messenger Bag.

I took pictures throughout the whole process of making the bag, but I won't bore you with those. Here is what I ended up with:

Front:
Back:
Front pockets and zippered storage:
Inside:
My bag and me:
With a bag like this, how in the heck could I NOT get As?

Thrifty Thursday and a new 'do.

Some fabric I scored at the Clare, MI, Flea Market:

A few yards for about $3.75.

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Got my hair cut yesterday. Had her take about an inch and a half off of what I already considered short hair.

It's shorter and easier.

Ahh, relaxation. A Dalmac recap.

S, day 1. He rode off about 5 seconds after this picture.

Am back from my stint as an athletic supporter*. Here's a brief recap:

Thursday, S finished biking his miles around 1 p.m. We set up our tent and spent some time relaxing. Drove to a nearby town to get my dinner, then back to the high school (all the over-night spots were on high school grounds) for S to eat with the other riders. The town's high school football team had their home opener so we went to that. With no TV and no light for reading after the football game, we were in bed by 10**. Oooh! And it rained. About 4:30 in the morning, we had to get up and close tent flaps. It was wonderful. It hasn't rained in these parts in well over a month so I had to talk myself out of dancing in it in my PJs.

S, Dalmac day 3

Friday S got on the road about 8:30 or so. I met S at the first support stop about 9:30, then decided I'd hit every yard sale I could find between there and his stopping point. Well. The lady running the first yard sale I went to said, so, ya' goin' to the Amish Flea Market over in Clare? I got the details and headed back the way I had just come to attend, by far, the biggest flea market I've been to in years. Didn't spend a lot of money but had a fantastic time looking at all the goodies. I told S that next year I'm going to plan on going straight to Clare on the second day and that he can fend for himself that day. Froze our asses off Friday night - it was darned chilly. Once we got the blanket situation under control we slept great. Perfect sleeping weather!

Lake Michigan from Cross Village, Michigan

Saturday was S's long day. He rode about 93 miles. We ended up in Boyne City. It just so happened that some of his sailing buddies were on Lake Charlevoix for a regatta wo we were able to hang with them for the evening. (Also we got to stay in a condo instead of having to sleep in the tent. Which meant I didn't have to shower with a bunch of women. I never understood why they put community showers in high school locker rooms anyway.)

Behind Legs Inn, Cross Village, Michigan

Sunday S got a bit of a late start - around 9. He finished up just before 2. We loaded up the bike, he took a shower, and off we headed towards home. Had to stop and pick up one of my dogs and ended up staying at the dog-sitter's house until after midnight. (The talk was of politics, politicians, and prisons. I don't talk about politics a lot but I need to say here that aside from having female reproductive organs, I have NOTHING in common with Sarah Palin. In fact, her mindset/beliefs/politics scare the shit out of me.)

I was exhausted but very relaxed and so very glad to get home and still have Monday off.

A well deserved rest for S's bicycle.

*Thanks to Miss Night Owl and Molly's Mom over at Bitchy and Ranty for identifying Grease as the movie that line came from. The complete line is "If you can't be an athlete, be an athletic supporter" said by Principal McGee.

**Here is where you find out that one of my biggest pet peeves is when people let their cell phones make noises without shutting them the fuck up. Seriously. I hate those people. Someone a few tents over had a text message or a voice message or SOMETHING that made their phone beep every few minutes. I went ape shit crazy because of it. I've not yet regained my sanity. Poor S. He heard me mutter something about beeping phones most of the night. The straw that broke this camel's back was when the damn thing woke me again at 3:30 in the morning. I believe my exact words were, "Someone needs to shut their FUCKING PHONE OFF!" said loud enough for those in the immediate vicinity to hear. Didn't happen. Phone continued to beep. I should've repaid the kindness of THAT person by finding out which tent they were in and leaving a nice fresh pile of dog poo outside their door. Ass munch. (Ok. I really feel better now. I really needed to vent.)