Static8.com

Tag: January 2010

oh my, it's a New Year!!!
fri 1 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100101.html
Entry #1 of 31 on this page (tagged: january)


Bidding a sweet goodbye to 2009! A fairly good year... but hopefully just a rev-up for 2010! :)

In 2009... I taught myself how to crochet. I got hired at my day job, and got Copic Certified (oh yeah!!)! I did National Blog Posting Month, several times over. In PostCrossing, I sent and received about 130 postcards. In my monthly postcard exchange, I sent postcards to everyone, every month except December (when we took a break). I got an olive green Bike!! SO and I got a community garden plot and we made a garden! With tomatoes even! :) I discovered a love of Photography in 2009. I crocheted a couple Snuggle blankets and sent them to the animal-people at Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary. Twitch the guinea pig died suddenly. :( I bought a new computer (and was unhappy to discover my printer, scanner and graphics tablet are now useless). And I crocheted some xmas presents: Four Scarves for my family!

 200420052006200720082009
Books518455418230 books
Magazines-------5464 mags
S8 Blog6349986853 + 31205 entries

Whoa! One of my goals for 2009 was to do more blogging... and did I ever! I am happy with my other goals for 2009 as well: photography, crocheting, and postcards... the garden and the bike... and keeping on top of the magazine reading.

The goals that did not go so well, were my paper journaling and my vegan stuff. I've been avoiding my journal. and it's been ages since I have seriously cooked anything. I wanted to have more whole foods in my diet... And, yes, I think I do. But there's a bit of a vegan rut that I'm stuck in. Trouble is, I kind of like my rut! :)

          2010

  Reinvigorate the paper journal

  Get serious about drawing

  Learn some ASL

  Re-Engage my Vegan soul





moon
sat 2 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100102.html
Entry #2 of 31 on this page (tagged: january)


moon

I love taking photos of the moon! My camera doesn't always agree with me... but not to worry: for xmas I got FOUR camera tripods!

Laughs!

Unfortuately, I don't have any of them with me! (Arriving next week in the post.) (Just one, that is... the others being traded in for gift card money.)





xmas scarves
sun 3 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100103.html
Entry #3 of 31 on this page (tagged: january, )


Easy Scarves

Two for the Road scarf

Xmas Tree scarf

Yep: those were the things that were keeping me occupied for the last 3.5 months of the year. Scarves for Mom, Gram, Brother and Dad!

I had actually started the black scarf in the middle in Sept. The pattern looked fun and the directions said "Easy" and I was going to whip up four of these scarves, and be so happy with my homemade gifts that were finished with months to spare!

*scoffing* Yeah Right!

The stitches were interesting, but I had to rip them out several times over and use different sized crochet hooks... even so, the width of my poor, pathetic scarf ... had much variation. *nods* And I never did get the hang of the Lacy Grit: I had to put a normal row in between the Lacy rows. *pppbbbtttthhh*

But, yeah, it got done eventually after being abandoned a couple times to make the two Easy Scarves.

And then my pride and joy! laughs... my xmas tree scarf. Black scarf with a green triangle at both ends... the brown trunk and yellow star are sewn in. I was going to sew some blue garland and some white snowflakes... but I quickly discovered how much I hate embroidery! It's Not fun At All!

But still, I love that scarf! I made it! And I designed it! I am Brilliant!

Also Brilliant: My Friend LaLooFah... Happy Birthday!!!





xmas snow
mon 4 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100104.html
Entry #4 of 31 on this page (tagged: january)


First day back at work after the two week winter break... ugh! Plus my rib cage is not quite healed from a uh sledding incident. So I had to pack my boxes rather gingerly.

When we arrived in Iowa, there was a good bit of snow on the ground... And then christmas eve day we got a real live blizzard. Which was scary since most of the rest of my family was trying to travel in it. The snow was so dry, the wind blew it all over the place, making huge drifts across the road and next to impossible driving conditions.

But everyone stayed alive! And you'd think an extra foot of snow would be great for the sledding. But not really... so powdery, the little sled just sank down into it and wouldn't go anywhere. The long sled was okay, but not very fast.

The snow board WAS fun, because you didn't go fast enough for your life to flash in front of you. I'm pretty bad at snow boarding tho... I have to fall down three times before I get to the bottom of the hill.

My last sled run, was so boring I decided to keep going and dump myself into the ditch at the bottom of the hill for some excitement. I was going down on my stomach, face first, and when I was going over the edge of the ditch and saw how deep it was... probably six or seven feet, practically straight down... I decided face first might kill me and rolling down sideways might be much more pleasant.

Yeah, I may have twisted and pulled a few things in my back as I "re-positioned" myself on the way down.

As I was laying there at the bottom, in the frozen creek, looking up at the sky, I figured, "well. If I've paralyzed myself, I guess they'll come looking for me in a little while."

Laughs.





photo
tues 5 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100105.html
Entry #5 of 31 on this page (tagged: january)


demon cat

This picture just amuses me.

(Cat also known as Poudre in some circles.)





audio books
wed 6 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100106.html
Entry #6 of 31 on this page (tagged: january)


We started listening to a book called Snow Flower and the Secret Fan at the day job. About a Chinese girl in the 1800s; foot binding, arranged marriages and arranged friendships.

I heard most of the first disc, and it was pretty good. Unfortunately, it looked like it was going to get a bit graphic in the second disc and they decided to stop listening. humph. (And today we listened to Tick Tock by Dean Koontz, instead.)

But everyone is still thinking about the Snow Flower book, and someone looked up a web page that had photos of a old lady's bound feet. Whoa, freaky and sickening! I might have nightmares tonight!

But yeah, I've decided to get the book and read it for myself.





blogging?
thurs 7 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100107.html
Entry #7 of 31 on this page (tagged: january)


So. You may have noticed that I'm blogging every day.

I actually didn't want to do a blogging month in January. I wanted to focus my attention on some art projects. And my paper journal.

But the art projects and journal haven't gotten... organized yet. So I'm blogging instead, just to give myself a feeling that I haven't completely wasted the day!

Today at lunch, Marianne was chatting and all of a sudden she offered me a couple sheets of vellum. Stuff to draw on? heck yeah, I jumped.

She gave me two sheets that were so big they didn't even fit in my backpack. (so they're still at work right now.) and a bunch of little bits that are approximately the size of ATCs. [Artist Trading Cards] [ATC Primer]

So hopefully these gifts will nudge me into the art direction that I want 2010 to go in!





Vellum and Vegan Art Supplies
fri 8 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100108.html
Entry #8 of 31 on this page (tagged: january, )


A note from my vegan friend, LaLooFah, and I realized I should probably address this issue.

Vellum! I talked about getting some yesterday (and darn it, I forgot it at work, and I really wanted to play with the big sheets this weekend, arg.)

Anyway. Vellum! In the days of yore, vellum was made out of the skin of a dead animal (maybe even a baby animal). *sad* *and very not-vegan* The skin was processed by scraping, wetting, drying, bleaching, stretching, and liming to make a writing surface that was translucent.

These days, the "vellum" that you buy in the art stores is actually called "paper vellum" and it is plasticized cotton! Yay Vegan!

[They do still sell the dead animal kind of vellum... but you will notice it in the price. One sheet of it costs over 30$. But please don't buy it, okay, because you'll make me cry.]

Vegan Artists... yeah, we have to question these things. And it would be super-great to have a web site where we could share stuff like this!

I wish Veganica was a real website. They are not entirely vegan ( :/ they allow vegetarians), but they are about art! One post a month, if you're lucky, does not constitute a "real" web site, tho!

eh. Future project?

Possibly.





friend's photo
fri 8 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100108_.html
Entry #8a of 31 on this page (tagged: january)


My friend AJ has entered a Pet Photo contest, and she's really excited about it and really really wants to win! So, I hope you'll click on over and vote for her precious cat, Paleface, because AJ definitely has the best cat and the best photo!

Vote For Paleface

(You will have to sign up and give away your email addy to vote.)





ASL
sat 9 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100109.html
Entry #9 of 31 on this page (tagged: january, )


I have been visiting some ASL web sites, re-learning my alphabet and learning random signs that interest me.

I've started at this web page:
First 100 signs

I've been practicing the signs for all the animals listed there (cat, dog, pig, cow, horse, sheep, bird, bug). And I've looked at random colours, times (day, night), places (home, work) and feelings (happy, sad, like).

It upsets me that some of the animal signs are not very vegan. For instance, the sign for "sheep" is a shearing motion. And the sign for "bird" can be substituted for the chicken you're going to eat. sighs.

I think I've mentioned before that there is no sign for "guinea pig". (Poor Boo!) There is a short discussion about it at the bottom of the "pig" page. You can say "test"+"pig" (and then "g"+"pig"). But, again, test pig is not vegan!

I think my contribution to the language shall be to call guinea pigs "bunny"+"pigs".

:)





sunday evening
sun 10 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100110.html
Entry #10 of 31 on this page (tagged: january)


oh dear. The weekend is never long enough, is it?

But I'm happy that I did get some stuff done. On saturday I quietly worked on my website; just some back-end, archiving stuff (and yeah, don't look too close! :)

Today, I made bread and some Tofu Squares for lunch. And I've completed a little postcard project I was working on for my Mom. And I'm almost done with the book I'm reading, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.

I am also happy because it feels like I am finally ready to contemplate the New Year. Yeah, I'm a few days late, maybe. But I was so very tired after my vacation, and it's difficult to get back into the routine of a day job.

I did not want to deal with anything last week... but now I'm looking forward to working on my projects again. Look out World!





book backlog
mon 11 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100111.html
Entry #11 of 31 on this page (tagged: january)


And speaking of getting things done... I'd really really like to go through and read the pile of books that I've bought and haven't read yet.

I just did a quick count... and there are at least 28 books! Yikes! I only read 30 books total last year... so this year is pretty much taken care of. But if you think I could go an entire year without buying another book, I would have to laugh in your face. Because that's the most insane thing I've ever heard! :)

So anyway. I've already bought one book this year, last week. But maybe I could read an old book before buying another new book?

Sighs. Yeah, I don't know how well that's going to work out. When I see a book I want, I download it and I start reading it right away! How can I stop myself? More importantly, Why would I want to stop myself??!

Okay. We now see the problem with the 28 books. Probably not going to get read, are they?





photo
tues 12 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100112.html
Entry #12 of 31 on this page (tagged: january)


yeah, absolutely nothing to say today. Here's something vaguely interesting to look at instead. Half a barn at my Grandma's farm in Iowa...

snowy barn





food
wed 13 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100113.html
Entry #13 of 31 on this page (tagged: january)


tofu squares

For my tofu squares, I slice up a block of tofu, put some "stuff" on the tofu and then broil them on both sides.

The "stuff" involves whatever I feel like throwing in there. Last weekend I poured on some canola oil, some tomato juice and a bit of lemon juice. From the spice shelf, I sprinkled on some dried parsley and then I reached for the salt. When I went to sprinkle that on I thought "What the heck am I doing? I don't want salt!" Instead of lifting the salt away, my hand jerked.

So my tofu squares taste like salt.

Sighs: it's pretty much 100% kitchen disaster whenever I attempt to cook food. I'm used to it.

I put my tofu squares on bread for the sandwich I eat at the day job. Today I tried an experiment, thinking if I combined the salty with something sweet, that might be good. I put Four Berry Preserves on my tofu sandwich. It was eatable: it tasted almost exactly like peanut butter and jelly. (or maybe soy nut butter and jelly.) Which would be okay, except PB&J is my normal "fall back" sandwich, and I've eaten it so much I'm sick of it! heh.

Happily and Joyfully, my Significant Other bought me some Yumm! sauce today. Yumm! sauce can make anything taste good, so my sandwiches have been saved. :)

  Cafe Yumm!





Booking Through Thursday
thurs 14 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100114.html
Entry #14 of 31 on this page (tagged: january)


Booking Through Thursday meme
Mark the Spot

  • What items have you ever used as a bookmark? What is the most unusual item you've ever used or seen used?

ha. Well, I have to be conventional and boring here... so you'll have to click though the comments at BTT if you want to know about unusual bookmarks!

I used to buy bookmarks... the pretty ones with the tassel at the top. I loved the unicorn ones and the ones with flowers that were just saturated with colour.

When I was a kid, I thought it would be cool to collect bookmarks. But at some point, I realized I would much rather spend my limited money on the books themselves! heh.

For the past couple of years, I've been using index cards as bookmarks. Very handy when I want to write down a quote. Unfortunately, when I'm done with my book, the index card invariably gets lost.

I should have a system!





two week resolution review
fri 15 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100115.html
Entry #15 of 31 on this page (tagged: january)


Two weeks into the new year...

  Reinvigorate the paper journal
Okay. This is the one thing that I have not worked on. I keep changing my mind on what kind of journal I want to write in. And I just can't get interested in it. And I just go to bed at night instead of writing a little.

  Get serious about drawing
This, evidently, is going to be a slow process. But I have done a few doodles. Which is a ton more than I've done in the last few months. So I'm happy with my progress here.

  Learn some ASL
Yep, I've been visiting the web site about every other day to learn new signs. Once I get my books organized, I'll pull out my two sign language books and see about reading them.

  Re-Engage my Vegan soul
Well, I made Tofu Squares. And pretty soon I'll need to buy some new vegan shoes. (actually, I needed to buy new shoes when it started raining in mid-october because my current vegan shoes are leaking!) (ha.) (and I hate shopping for shoes.) (I hate shopping.)

  28 Book Backlog Reduction
This weekend, I'm going to get all my books out and have a pile of them out in the open. Right now, I've got my books hidden away in boxes, and under papers and mostly not in plain sight. I'd like to get them all out so I can figure out what I want to read next!





books, continued
sat 16 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100116.html
Entry #16 of 31 on this page (tagged: january)


A gathering of my unread books...

the book backlog

27 dead tree books (the front stack is a couple of my unread mags... and the online classes that I printed up and bound). Not in the picture: two (or more) ebooks. Also the grey book at the bottom of the left stack is actually seven books combined!

Opps, I guess I miscounted. Also not in the picture: the ebook I bought today. I also bought a few more art journal magazines this weekend. Sighs, you see my problem! :)

Anyway, I stacked most of these in a box and that box is right outside my bedroom. I have to look at the box of books every time I enter my room. Even tho I bought a new ebook today, I think I'm going to get through a few of these old books this year!

I finished Snow Flower (oh so sad! but relevant.) and now I'm continuing on the book that I had started reading before the new year... The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon (translated by Ivan Morris) (the best translation according to Kij Johnson of The Fox Woman, I loved this book!)

Anyway, The Pillow Book is Classic Japanese Literature. It's basically a journal of a woman living in the royal court in the 990's. Completely random, and lists, and oh my Yes I love it!

Something I need to research:

The title, Makura no Soshi ('notes of the pillow'), whether or not Shonagon actually used it herself, was probably a generic term to describe a type of informal book of notes which men and women composed when they retired to their rooms in the evening and which they kept near their sleeping place, possibly in the drawers of their wooden pillows, so that they might record stray impressions. This form of belles-lettres appears to have been indigenous to Japan. The Pillow Book is the precursor of a typically Japanese genre known as zuihitsu ('occasional writings', 'random notes') which has lasted until the present day and which includes some of the most valued works in the country's literature.
-- Introduction by Ivan Morris

"Random Notes" Wow: a whole genre to explore!





apparently getting old
sun 17 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100117.html
Entry #17 of 31 on this page (tagged: january)


I was having a very pleasant sunday... it's raining outside and I am all cozy inside happily reading my books.

This afternoon I got online and checked one of my emails. The top subject title says:
Your domain STATIC8.COM has expired

*PANIC*

Oh, Jeez, it expired THREE DAYS AGO! I am always on top of these things! My web site is my LIFE. I do NOT forget to pay my rent, no matter what!

And I had forgotten. Anything could have happened in those three days! Some one could have stolen my domain out from under me!

ugh. How could I have forgotten? I check on my domain every year, at the beginning of the year, and this time I just didn't. Is my memory going in my old age?

The other day I was walking down the sidewalk, coming up to an apartment driveway, I saw a SUV whip around the corner in the apartment parking lot and I decided to stop and let them go by. The lady had a truck full of kids but she noticed me as she jammed to a stop. Before hurrying on her way she said, "Sorry Ma'am," through her open window.

I smiled at her but I was all "ma'am"?? are you kidding me? I've got a hat on my head, hiding my greying hair... and I still look like a "ma'am"?

I'm 36 and I'm feeling kind of old right now!
*laughs*





oof, stupid monday anyway
mon 18 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100118.html
Entry #18 of 31 on this page (tagged: january)


A tiresome day at work... the warehouse manager is out of the country and the supervisor is "incapacitated", so I've been the boss of the warehouse since last Thursday. And it's starting to wear on me.

I hate having to figure out what everyone else is supposed to do! I can barely figure out what _I'm_ supposed to do! heh. And I have to answer questions and solve everybody's problems, and I haven't learned how to delegate yet.

Work is just not Fun anymore! I want to Quit! *whine*

Significant Other wanted to watch a movie when I got home from work. Normally, I can't be bothered with a movie; it takes too long and I have things to do. But tonight it got my mind off work, so that's good

The movie was Paranormal Activity... nice and scary, tho the ending was a little bit cheezy. ;)

I'm still pretty grumpy about work. I'll probably show up there again tomorrow. But if anyone annoys me, I'm gonna walk home!





blah, cont
tues 19 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100119.html
Entry #19 of 31 on this page (tagged: january)


The day job was better today, but I have kinda lost my sense of humor. So I'm going to go to bed early and maybe read for a few minutes and hopefully get some good sleep.

Hoping tomorrow I'll have something interesting to type about!





might not have happened
wed 20 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100120.html
Entry #20 of 31 on this page (tagged: january)


Instead of walking to work this morning, I got in my car and drove to the coast. It took a while to get there, but that's okay, it was a nice drive through the hills. I drove up the coast a little ways and then parked at one of the beach parks.

I took off my shoes and socks and walked on the sand. It was windy and cold, but my jacket kept me mostly warm. When I got hungry, I got my backpack and pulled out my lunch. I sat on a rock at the edge of the beach.

Right then, a sea lion came out of the ocean and rolled up the beach to sit next to me. "Hi, Sea Lion" I said. She nodded her greetings. "I was just going to eat some lunch. Would you like to share with me?"

I held out my sandwich and the sea lion came closer and sniffed delicately. She pulled back and shook her head. "oh," I said, a little disappointed. I looked at my sandwich. "Too vegan for you?" She may have smiled.

I chatted with her about the weather, and what did she think of that storm last weekend, and, yeah, I'm supposed to be at work but I just didn't want to go today...

After a while, the sea lion reached over and tugged on my jacket. She wanted us to go for a swim. I told her the water was too cold for me, but she shook her head and tugged again. "Well," I decided, "maybe I'll wade out a little ways. I can always warm up in the car."

I rolled up my jeans and walked out to the sea with my new friend. Yep the water was freezing! But we kept going. When the water was up to my knees I had to stop, but the sea lion bumped me and I fell over into the water.

And then I turned into a mermaid! So I went for a swim with my friend the sea lion after all.





Booking Through Thursday
thurs 21 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100121.html
Entry #21 of 31 on this page (tagged: january)


Booking Through Thursday meme
Gifts

  • What books did you get for Christmas? Do you usually ask for books on gift-giving occasions or do you prefer to buy them yourself?

For xmas, I got a few books that I asked for specifically. I like to get books from people, because while I'm reading, I'll usually remember "oh I got this at xmas" and sometimes I'll remember who it was from. And that just makes the reading experience happy.

Gift cards are good too. Because my wish list is excessive. :)

The books I got:

  Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
  My First Summer in the Sierra by John Muir
  Mountaineering Essays by John Muir
  Firefly: the Official Companion (vols 1 and 2) by Joss Whedon





the boss
fri 22 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100122.html
Entry #22 of 31 on this page (tagged: january)


The Copic warehouse supervisor has been "incapacitated" all week... and in her place, I am the boss of the warehouse. It's not a costume that fits me at all. Here are a couple examples of my leadership style...

Currently, half the warehouse workers are college students, and on friday, everyone trickles in at some point during the morning.

H comes in and asks what she should do. "Um," I say as I look around. There's a little bit of work over here, and a bit to do over there. I look at H, "I don't know... What do You want to do?" She grins and tells me and I say "Okay!" heh.

Towards the end of the day, one of the people notices we're getting low on orders. "What are we going to do, Cheri? You're the boss! Tell us what to do!"

uhoh! Cheri says: I don't know what to do! Start Panicking!!





crochet
sat 23 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100123.html
Entry #23 of 31 on this page (tagged: january, )


Thanks to an email from Linda (*waves*), I got inspired to finish up a  Snuggle blanket that I had started last year:

Guinea Pig Boo on a small crocheted Snuggle blanket

I had been so stressed out this past week, and going to bed early every night... I really wanted to get something accomplished this weekend. And when Linda reminded me about the Snuggles Project, I also remembered I just had a few rows to finish up this blanket.

This one is 20x22inches, crocheted with three strings: two "Eco Cotton" white and one "Red Heart Super Saver tri-colour" called Ocean. The colour is messed up in the photo; the three colours are a pastel blue, pastel purple and aqua... it totally delighted me, but I only had one roll and I haven't seen it in the stores since. So, when I ran out of Ocean string, I finished off the blanket.

I will say that crocheting with three strings... sucks! I will never do that again. They were constantly getting tangled up and I threw my project across the room a couple times!

Now I'm wondering what my next crochet project will be. I have newsletters delivered to my email that have free patterns... but nothing has really caught my attention. Yet.

Linda is awesome, she loves rats and crocheting!
Linda at Ratpunzel :)





bread machine
sun 24 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100124.html
Entry #24 of 31 on this page (tagged: january, )


Today's post is dedicated to my friend over at Vegan Wheekers... who has just bought a Bread Machine!!

I just love our bread machine, given to us by SO's mom, many many years ago. I eat sandwiches at work, and make a loaf of bread about every weekend.

Yummy Vegan Bread!

rift's vegan, wheat sandwich bread!

2 cups wheat flour dumped into the bread container
1 1/4 cups soy milk (or water) nuked for 45 seconds, also dumped into the bread container
-- shake this up so the liquid and flour make balls

In a separate container, letting the previous "soak" for a few minutes:
3/4 cup white flour
1/4 cup wheat gluten
3/4 tsp salt
3 or 4 tbsp sugar
-- Dump this into the bread machine and add
2 tbsp oil (optional!)
1 1/2 tsp yeast

Set the machine for 1.5 pound loaf, with the "white bread" setting. I also set it for a "light" crust.

I hand wash my measuring cups and spoons, and when I'm done the machine has finished it's slow stir cycle and is on to it's fast stir cycle. I get my spatula out and make sure I've got a perfect ball of dough, adding warm water or flour if I don't.

Then I go do other things for 3.5 hours!

The "wheat bread" setting just adds a few minutes at the beginning of the cycle to let the wheat soak. It's not necessary, the way I do my first steps!

When the bread is done, it's important to take it out of the bread machine quickly. Our machine stays on and keeps the bread warm, but I've found it really drys the crust out. The bread will just slide right out of it's container, I just dump it on one of the stove burners (um, turned off, of course!).

After the loaf has cooled, I cut it in half and put each half into a ziplock. These go into the freezer. When I need bread, I pull one out, slice it up while it's still frozen (easier to cut straight!) and then put it in the fridge. I've never had my bread get moldy: most of the bread gets eaten pretty quickly, sometimes I leave the heels because they are small but even they last for weeks and weeks!

Oh. And the prep time is less than 15 minutes... and this includes clean-up time! Sometimes I can do it in 10!

Update!

Bread Success at Vegan Wheekers!!!! Yay!





monday
mon 25 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100125.html
Entry #25 of 31 on this page (tagged: january)


yeah, monday and I need a vacation already!

African Violet silhouette

That's the back of one of my Grandma's African Violets. Yesterday, I was admiring how the furry leaves caught the light.





history
tues 26 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100126.html
Entry #26 of 31 on this page (tagged: january)


I was born somewhere in Indiana in 1973.
When I was 6 years old, my family moved to England.
When I was 10, we moved to Wichita, Kansas.
When I was 13 or 14 (?), we moved to Shreveport, Louisiana.
I did my senior year of high school in Iowa.
I started college in Kirksville, Missouri.
I finished college (just 5.5 years!) in Fort Collins, Colorado.
I have a Bachelors of Science. Never mind what I studied.
In 1997, I moved to Athens, Georgia.
At some point I met my SO and we moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 2000.
And in 2005, I was sick of the desert and we moved up to Oregon.

I kinda like it here, and I think we might stay here a little bit longer.

This post is all LaLooFah's fault. *jk grin* She talks about not learning to sew. Which, kind of randomly went ... in many different directions!!

Random is good!





okay
wed 27 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100127.html
Entry #27 of 31 on this page (tagged: january)


I had enough energy today to (almost) power walk on my way home from work. The supervisor has returned to supervising, so no more stress there. I've finally caught up with my sleep, and possibly related: my back is finally starting to feel better.

And I just realized I've not been practicing the sign language in ages. I've bought more books and haven't finished reading any of my old books. I'm not journaling, not drawing. And I've even been mean and stupid at my friends.

Sheesh. 2010, not off to the best start.

Begin Again.

This instant, I can work on the sign language! The words I remember: cat, dog, bunny, pig, cow, horse, goat. Day, home? stop. Happy, sad.

So, today let's do colours!
Green! (shake a G)
Purple! (shake a P)
Blue! (twist a B)
Yellow (shake a Y)
Orange (squeeze an orange in your mouth)
Red (index finger down lips)





old stuff
thurs 28 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100128.html
Entry #28 of 31 on this page (tagged: january)


Drawing on my handheld

Drawing on my handheld

I was trying to get my old technology (my ancient Palm handheld) to play nicely with my new technology (the new computer, Sheep)... and I rediscovered my drawing program on my Palm.

I should draw more. ;)





Retail Therapy
fri 29 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100129.html
Entry #29 of 31 on this page (tagged: january)


So, the back pain has returned... with a vengeance. eh. The first thing I do in the morning is make my bed, and that's also when that muscle in my back, announces itself. So the grumpiness started pretty early.

Retail Therapy? Yeah. Fortunately at the day job I am surrounded by art supplies!

Last weekend, I was writing my monthly exchange postcards with my sky blue Multiliner SP. And I was wondering why blue? Why don't I have a green Multiliner?? Or a purple one? Sky blue is great and all... but I must have variety!

Today, my Copic order started with olive, purple and turquoise Multiliner SPs.

But I figured, if I'm buying things at work, I should probably get some markers too.

And the gathering began. I thought I was aiming for five or six markers. When I had 14 markers, "Somebody Please Stop Me!" I handed in my order.

buying art things

I've decided that the YG67 is my favorite shade of green. It's the medium green at the bottom of the index card. It's called "Moss".

The Multiliners are on the side there, with the 0.3 printed on the top of the cap.

A Pen discussion...

My old favorite pen -- Uniball Vision Exact... now called Uniball Vision Needle -- I love this pen. It costs about 2$ and with liquid ink there are no refills. The needle point and that vivid dark black ink; those things make me happy.

The Multiliner SPs are going to be my new favorite pen. It costs 9$, and the refills cost $2.50. The SP pen is needle-like, but the tip is a plastic nib rather than the ball point that Uniball has. It has a different feel to it, that's for sure. But the nib is replaceable as well in the SP, so I feel free to write as intensely as I usually do and pound on it all I want!





photo
sat 30 jan 2010

Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/100130.html
Entry #30 of 31 on this page (tagged: january)


Oh my gosh, I fell in love with this photo even before I took it. It was extreme luck that one of my shots came out non-blurry!

crow in a tree

Wow! I love all the sticks all over the place! And that's a crow... she was picking through the moss, looking for something to eat, I suppose.

I have been wondering what my february project should be. Draw every day? Photo every day? More blogging?

Photos during this time of year are so very Grey. But this picture makes me want to take my camera everywhere! Suddenly, I love grey!

*laughs*





You Are Here:

Static8 > Journal > 2010 Archive > Tag: January

<< BackTo December 2009 --- GoTo February 2010 >>


Site Map

Static8.com