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november
mon 1 nov 2010 | |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101101.html | |
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∞ Blog Every Day! oof, I am already nervous about this one! ha. ∞ Finish crocheting my current project I'm about half done, but I've gotten bored with this pattern since this is my 4th Single Cable Scarf! ∞ Keep on top of... the postcards! the reading! the photography. the emails? some doodling? ∞ Figure out some DSL I've just been excessively lazy about our Internet connection. ∞ Figure out some shelving for my room, another thing I've been lazy about. ∞ Start New and Fun Projects! I don't know what, but I am definitely ready for something different!! huh. Kind of looks like a lot to do... |
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Vegan MoFo
tues 2 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101102.html |
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I didn't sign up myself... I am vegan and I do eat food, but I don't like cooking. at all. But my friend over at Vegan Wheekers is doing the MoFo. And her first blog post of November was pizza. Which has inspired this blog post! My Significant Other has recently discovered how to make pizza crust from scratch. So far he's made probaly five or six pizzas. Here is his creation from last weekend...
Yay Green Pizza!! The sauce is avocado. The toppings were olives, tomatoes and celery. And "from scratch" wheat pizza crust... And the pizza was wonderfully Wonderful! Kudos to my SO, who is also wonderfully Wonderful! |
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Postcards
wed 3 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101103.html |
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That got me hooked. I've been a member at PostCrossing for about two years now. I've sent 202 postcards from PostCrossing, so far! I try to keep track of the postcards that go out my door... I did a quick count and I've been sending between 40 and 60 postcards every month! crazy, huh? ("60" even surprised me!) Postcards are such an easy and fun little project. I've got a template set up in my desktop publishing software, and I can whip a digital photo into postcard shape in just a few seconds. Print it up, cut it out. Write a few sentences on the back, stick on a stamp... and that's a little piece of ART, and _I_ made it, and it's going to make somebody very happy at their mailbox! :) |
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Books
thurs 4 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101104.html |
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∞ The Vegetable Gardeners Bible ∞ The Idiots Guide to Amigurumi Also Reading... ∞
Cheek by Jowl, by Ursula K. Le Guin ∞
Refuse to Choose, by Barbara Sher ∞ the user guide to the newest edition of my desktop publishing software! Still Considering... Getting a Kindle? Maybe after the holidays. Book Backlog... At the beginning of the year, I counted the books I have laying around that I've not read yet. The number was "at least 28". I am pretty sure I've bought more than I've read, since then. I just can't help it! I love to buy books! Quick count: at least 39. heh. |
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photo friday
fri 5 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101105.html |
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So now the camera is with me, most of the time. Weird thing is, "oh that would make a brilliant photo" moments are not happening anymore. In fact, not only am I taking less pictures... I haven't taken Any pictures lately! So here is a completely non artistic picture of our community garden plot...
As you can see, we have started laying down cardboard to kill the Green Growing Things. Hope to get the entire plot covered. And then, if we get the chance, we will pile some leaves on top of that for perfect mulch over the winter. On the left side of the picture, down in front, the little splash of purple? That's a few remaining aster flowers! With mulch surrounding it, I'm confident it will come back next year. Which makes me happy. I bought a bunch of flower bulbs a while ago, too. I wonder when they will arrive. I can't even remember what all I bought! So that will be a delightful surprise when they get here. :) |
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Printer
sat 6 nov 2010 | |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101106.html | |
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One of my more interesting projects involves fixing a new-to-me (previously owned) printer. It's a Canon i9900: photo printer, takes pages up to 13x19inches and has 8 different inks. I was excited to get it because many people loved the image quality! And I obtained it, basically, for the cost of the inks! Pretty good deal...
The reason I got it so cheap: it was making black lines on the back of everything it printed. ugh. If I could Not fix it, it would be useless for my postcards because I print both sides of those. So! A printer cleaning project!! The problem was not hard to find. This is an edge-to-edge printer, and there is a sponge along the print line that soaks up extra ink. And extra sponges at the beginning and end of the print line to soak up ink from print head cleaning. There was a crazy amount of wet ink in that sponge. And when I say crazy... I mean COPIOUS, with capital letters and everything. If ink were blood, this printer would have bled out several times over! I spent about an hour soaking up blood... uh, I mean ink, from that sponge. And I didn't even get it all. I did get really bored of the process tho! *laughs* I ran a few test pages, and after a few run throughs the back of my prints came out clean!! well, mostly clean... there's still a bit of extra ink on the front of the pages at the very top. Which will get cut off of my postcards, so isn't a big deal. So! I have a new printer! Weird thing is... I was not impressed by the colour on my print outs. :( The print outs are pretty much the same as my ancient HP printer. Think I just need to play with some of the settings...
And "Ah Ha!"... now that I kind of know what I'm searching
for, I've found a page that describes how to take the
printer apart and clean the "waste pads"... Maybe next weekend! (or, maybe not! since the author couldn't print again after the disassembly!!) |
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odds and ends
sun 7 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101107.html |
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∞
20 Potatoes A Day
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Typewriters!
∞
I've joined
LEX |
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Progress Report
mon 8 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101108.html |
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So! Blogging every day? check! I am keeping on top of my postcards! I am not keeping up with emails (*cringe* sorry people!). reading: a bit. photography: I am actually *looking* again!
zero crocheting.
Other Projects... *sighs* oh well, I still got a ton done on Saturday, which pleases me! In other Exciting news: I've been an aunt for a week and I didn't even know anyone was pregnant! :) My cousin and his wife adopted a baby girl. I am extremely proud of them for adopting. And extremely happy that I am too far away to babysit. ;) |
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crochet
tues 9 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101109.html |
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Actually that's how it's gone all this year... I've only
completed two small
I've kind of just lost my interest? well. not my "interest"... I've lost my Enthusiasm. And I thought that the amigurumi book would re-invigorate me. But then I got annoyed when I read the chapter about stuffing. Humph, ya know? But then again... it's _almost_ chilly enough to start wearing the scarf that I made for myself! That might get me working on my current scarf project again!
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um.
wed 10 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101110.html |
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Libraries and Free Ebooks
thurs 11 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101111.html |
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Last week, after reading about my piles of unread books, one of my friends basically said, "Haven't you ever heard of a Library???" ha! My town does have a decent library. A few too many users, tho... popular books have about 12 holds on them. But you know what the real problem is? The Library has too many free books. On the non-fiction floor of our library, they group books by subject. So. When I go to pick out a specific book on such-and-such subject... I have to look at about 20 other books on exactly the same subject! How am I supposed to Not read them? I had the same problem with Project Gutenberg. When I first discovered the site in 1997, I went through every single page of the index and downloaded every single book that interested me. I've got... 344 ebooks I want to read from Project Gutenberg. *laughs* Despite this, I highly, highly recommend Project Gutenberg!! I have read many books from them, on my handheld -- and I see they now have Kindle, Nook and cell phone files. A few favorites...
∞
Charles
Darwin ∞ Classic Fiction: Little Women, Pride and Prejudice, Withering Heights, Room With a View, Dracula ∞ Fantasy and Animal Fiction: Black Beauty, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Old Mother West Wind, Wind in the Willows, The Jungle Book, Doctor Doolittle Oh! and so many others!! Check it out!! |
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Photo Friday
fri 12 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101112.html |
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This is baby, mom is just to the left leading the way around the apartment complex. Mom had twins this year, very late... I saw them as tiny babies in late August? Sadly, the other twin was killed by a car. Which made me cry. It happend on the street that I live on. Which made me pissed beyond ken. Anyway. I was happy to see Mom and her not-so-little one, last weekend. The urban wildlife delights me. Humans are death and destruction to everything and everybody they touch. It's nice to know that somebody might survive us. Oh, and in other news: I am no longer an aunt. The birth mom wanted the baby back from my Cousin and his wife. *sighs* |
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uh oh
sat 13 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101113.html |
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crap. It's kind of funny, because I just took a "mental health" day, not too long ago... and I was complaining that everyone else got sick and stayed home, but I "never" get sick. And now, I think I am getting sick, and it's going to ruin my weekend! *laughing* The treatment? A handful of vitamins and some whiskey. Actually, I think it's working, too! |
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House Plants
sun 14 nov 2010 | |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101114.html | |
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:) We shall call it the Blitzed Blogging Series. *laughing* (it's one of the groups I've joined over at National Blog Posting Month.) This afternoon, I brought my two large house plants back indoors. They have really been complaining about the chilly nights, but, as you know, I've been on a procrastination binge. The umbrella plant seems fine... Actually it needs to be cut up and re-planted into three or four different pots! The ficus is losing leaves tho. I'm sure it will survive, it's a very tough plant! Actually, all my house plants are pretty tough. They have to be, because I am not very consistent about watering!
My house plant menagerie includes: I just love the green growing things. |
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Typewriter Update
mon 15 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101115.html |
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SO and I brought the three boxes home today, and I opened up the smallest box. Inside was the "mystery" typewriter, that I've never seen. And I am so delighted to have it...
A quick GoodSearch, and I've discovered this particular model is only worth about 150$ because the company made millions of them. Ha! oh well. It makes me so happy to look at it! It's really dusty and dirty. But it works! and the machine is open so it won't be too hard to clean. Maybe just a bunch of pipe cleaners to get between all the bars connected to the keys and letters. A new ribbon and I'll be typing away!! Here are a few links that I need to read...
∞
MyTypewriter.com I'm looking forward to opening up the other boxes. I think they are both electric, an older one and a modern typewriter. It would be nice to have a place to put them tho. Guess I'll be looking to buy a desk or something next! |
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tuesday photo
tues 16 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101116.html |
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And yes, I have a "thing" for taking pictures of cherry tomatoes! It's something about the roundness, and the water drops, and the green, and the different stages of development... It was when I was crouching in the mud, taking photos of cherry tomatoes when I had a revelation: I love photography! ha... so cherry tomatoes have a special place in my heart, ya know?! :) looking though my archives from the past few months, I also found a photo of the twin fawns. They still had their spots on 14 sept. But it made me sad, since only one is alive now. and then I had a day at work where I started photographing everone standing next to the chair where warehouse kitty BeBe was sleeping. *laughing* I wish I took pics of everyone in the warehouse before she moved. |
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going off line
wed 17 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101117.html |
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Her adventures started here: 30 Sept. And continued, 1, 2, 3, end, different She "cheated" quite a bit, but her hand written and typed (on a typewriter) entries are interesting to read! As much as I love Internetting, I don't need to be online every day. Well, I do need to be online every day THIS month, and any other month that I choose to do daily postings! But when I'm not doing the daily thing, I usually take one or two days off every week! I don't use a computer regularly at work, and I never got involved with facebook or any other social network... so the Internet fasting days aren't painful, and I get some extra reading or crocheting done. But I don't think I'd want to avoid the Internet for an entire month! Email alone starts piling up after just a day! (the email piles up even when I am online every day... over 200 at the moment.) On the other hand, not only would I get through some of the books on my unread pile... I would also have my temptation to get more books taken away! *laughs* |
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oh my gosh
thurs 18 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101118.html |
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∞ Camera takes one giant photo leap for two dads and their kids These two guys set up a weather balloon, attached a camera programed to take pictures at a set rate, and let it go. Pictures here: The pictures are totally Amazing! This just totally blows me away and delights me! These are ordinary people (well, kinda ordinary), who got an idea, involved their kids... and took photos of Space (well, practically)! Photos of Space! |
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Photo Friday
fri 19 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101119.html |
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oof, I really should do something with my camera besides carry it around everywhere! This is a pic from July in Colorado... alpine buttercups and I can't remember what the purple ones are. Usually by this time in the week, I have a huge list of stuff I need to get done over the weekend. No list made yet. I have been kind of discombobulated all this week. Just trying to get through the day, I can't even think about the weekend. And now it is the weekend... and ya know, I don't need a stupid list. I ignore most of the stuff on my lists anyway! *laughs* |
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Saturday
sat 20 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101120.html |
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This morning, I decided I wanted to send some postcards. So I played on PostCrossing. In printing up the postcards, I had to replace my magenta ink. Wondering how long these inks last in the new-to-me printer, so I'm writing down every time I have to replace a cartridge. Each cartridge is normally 12 or 13$, if I get on an Amazon subscription, I get them for 8.50$ I think it was? When I got this printer, I decided to upgrade my desktop publishing software. I haven't installed the software yet because I am reading the user guide. I like to read the user guide of major programs even when I've been using the program for years, because I'll always discover new tricks or old shortcuts that have suddenly become relevant. I really love my desktop publishing software, and I've been using it for eleven or twelve years, at least! It's called Page Plus by Serif and I'm on version X5. Or I would be on version X5 if I would install it! I had about 200 pages left to read in the user guide... which is about how many pages I read in a week. Approximately. oof! Read Faster!! |
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Letter Writing
sun 21 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101121.html |
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Technically, I do not write letters. I do send out quite a bit of mail tho... in the form of postcards. I am thinking about experimenting with some over-size postcards so I can write a bit more. And of course, there are the typewriters that I may some day use to type letters.
Anyway. I really enjoy reading the letter writing blogs.
The links led me to this blog post from last year: The author talks about a couple of her favorite books, which are written in letter format. At the end of her post, she asks, Do you think the art of letter writing is dead? There are about a million comments, and I've been reading through them. Many people say the art of letter writing is dead, or dying, or has transformed into emails and blogs. Most people say they love receiving a letter, but won't write one. Just a handful of the commenters do write letters. And only occasionally get a letter reply. My thoughts? heh, I get mail every couple of days from PostCrossing. And if I were better about timely replies, I would have a handful of regular pen pals as well. The Art of Letter Writing is not dead. It is an Art, tho. Capital letter A and everything, and letter writing definitely intimidates people! But there will always be artists. And I think that as long as we have postal services, there will be letter writers. And postcarders! You just have to find the right web sites, and put a stamp on something every once in a while! :) |
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mon 22 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101122.html |
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It's supposed to snow tonight. Up until this weekend, the day time highs have been in the 50's, so I don't suppose any snow will stick. But I may have to get out my coat for the walk to work in the morning. And my scarf! |
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Snow Day
tues 23 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101123.html |
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Kinda Pretty! Even more exciting, the roads were pure Ice... and I didn't have to drive! Although, as I walked to work, all I heard was the sound of sliding cars. *laughs* Winters are usually mild here... I think the city has maybe one truck that throws sand down on the streets. Okay. Get through tomorrow and there's a four day weekend! I have already started a list of Things To Do. Never mind the fact that it only has two things on it!! *grins* I do intend to Enjoy my time off, after all!! |
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odds and ends
wed 24 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101124.html |
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In thinking about what to type about today, I considered my last two posts. Which were pretty much ... um, what could be called "small talk", I suppose. I didn't have anything to say, and yet I typed anyway because I must. In times past, these kind of posts really drove me crazy! I am definitely from the generation who was told, "if you can't say something good, don't say anything at all." And when you're blogging, "good" means... well; something other than meaningless small talk! :) But the last two posts -- not "good" by any definition -- don't bother me this time around. Is it simply because it's been a while since my last daily blogging challenge? Or am I getting more comfortable with the idea of small talk? Or don't I even care anymore?? (yikes on that last one... I DO care!!) So! This Weekend! Yay! I need to catch up on my sleep. *sighs* I've had major insomnia for the past two weeks or so. Wake up at 12:30am and not get back to sleep until the last half hour before the alarm. ugh! They say when you have insomnia this bad, you are supposed to get out of bed and do stuff until you are tired again. Mostly I've been too tired to get out of bed, even tho I'm wide awake for hours. *sheesh* But last night I did get up and did some reading done... Currently Reading ∞ Biophilia by E.O. Wilson not what I expected, and still a delightful read! I read a chapter about leaf cutting ants last night... and I am so glad I nabbed this (e)book! :) Can't wait to finish this book and read more from him. ∞ the PagePlus user guide... still reading it! And I already have a project idea. I'll be installing X5 this weekend! Yay! I actually have excitements about this OpenType deal. We'll see how it goes! ∞ There are a couple other books that I may or may not be reading. yeah, sometimes it's hard to tell. ha. |
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Happy Thanksgiving
thurs 25 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101125.html |
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I don't celebrate Thanksgiving. I think it's a terrible holiday. First we screwed over the Native Americans, and now we compound our evils by torturing and murdering almost 50 million baby turkeys. Thanksgiving is complete BS! Thus my protest this year. And, heck, maybe next year as well. It'll be my new tradition. |
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Twarted
fri 26 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101126.html |
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I had kind of decided that maybe I want to learn how to knit. I do pretty well at the crochet, but it seems like every time I see a pattern I'd like to try out, it's always a knit pattern. Arg. In my Internetting this morning, I ran into a little free ebook of Learn How To Knit. Perfect! I'll download this, maybe the next time I go to the store, I'll pick up some knitting needles, I already have tons of string to work with... The download never happened. Maybe my connection was flaky. Maybe the site was flaky. I did try like six or seven times before I gave up. sighs. After a little while, I got over my disappointment and tried something else... I installed my new desktop publishing software! Yay. The OpenType thing that I was interested in... the user guide it said that these OpenType fonts had little extra capabilities. You could add "swashes"!! or small caps or petite caps or make pretty fractions. Or other things, depending on the font. So I checked out the OpenType thing as soon as I got the program installed. uh huh. I have all these fonts that say they are OpenType. But none of them have the extra capabilities. Darn it. I really wanted a few Swashes! Just one! would have made me happy. But no. Well, anyway. Hope you had a great Buy Nothing Day! I bought nothing today... Not sure what I am going to protest tomorrow. Stay tuned to find out!! ;) |
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Paper Journal
sat 27 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101127.html |
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I don't journal like I used to: I've been writing in this notebook since February. So, I've spent some time with this notebook, and I'm going to miss it... but I am ready for something new! A bound book maybe. Something smaller maybe. These are the choices...
(some of my blank journals, with Mr. Mango and The Motivator Bunny modeling.) I am leaning towards the dark blue book at the bottom of the stack... I like the colours and the heft, the pages are 6.25x7.75 and the book opens flat. Not sure about the paper quality, and the tag says 400 pages... that's a lot! The vertical striped one seems to have better paper. The next one is a double spiral from my day job: excellent paper, 5x7. The purple and brown horizontal strip is about the same size, but has lined, thin paper. The dark red one was a gift (*waves at AJ*!) with luxurious cotton rag paper. It's small tho, about 4x6. As is the "Sugar Cane" double spiral notebook at the right-most. Postcard size! Plus I love the Tree-Free papers in both of these! But I also have a huge 11x14 (not in the pic), beckoning. So: thinking about the blue book with the different colours. The "problem" with bound books... when you start sticking things in them, they kinda expand. To a point, this is artistically attractive. But you keep this up and the book starts falling apart. With 400 pages, I can see this happening pretty quickly. So... The remedy for this, write and draw and doodle more! (or rip pages out to make room? ugh! I'm not sure I can do this in a bound book!) Writing more? In the past couple of years much of my writing has been "transferred" to my blog and the postcards. I have gotten out of the paper journalling habit! Hmm. |
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National Blog Posting Month PRIZE!
sun 28 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/1011_nablopomoprize.html |
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Here's guinea pig Boo with the prize I am offering for National Blog Posting Month: all 24 colours of the atyou Spica Glitter pens! From the makers of COPIC markers comes the Spica glitter pen. This pen comes in 24 transparent colors and contains pigment based, non-toxic, acid-free ink. It is archival and has a no-clog tip. Best of all this pen will write for over 360 yards- twice the length of other writing pens. It is perfect for adding sparkle to your scrapbooks and craft projects.
atyou Spica Glitter Pen Color Chart I use these glitter pens all the time, in my journal and on postcards and for random notes. I really like the colours and the very elegant glitter. And I am happy to offer them as a prize! ∞ the list of this year's NaBloPoMo Prizes... yeah, I hope I win something! (I never win anything!) :)
Prize won on 1 dec 2009 by |
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sunday evening
sun 28 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101128.html |
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I got much relaxing done. Almost got caught up on my sleep. Veg'ed out in front of the TV. Some reading done. Lots of Internetting! I even played a game! I honestly cannot remember the last time I TOOK the time to play a game! Seriously. Today I did have to get a few things done. Pay some bills. Clean Boo's house. Get my NaBloPoMo prize taken care of... Here's the page I made, in all guinea pig cuteness, Prize. :) Actually, I got a bunch of great photos with Boo and the glitter pens. But she was most comfortable when she was in her house, so that's the pic I used. But...
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monday complaining
mon 29 nov 2010 |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101129.html |
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Pppbbbttt. Exhaustion does not become me! I can't believe that november is all but over. It's gone too quickly and now there's all the stress of that other holiday looming. And I don't even want to glance at the goals that I set for myself to do this month. I know I've not finished my crochet project, nor started any others. Didn't look into shelving, or getting real Internet, or finding a dentist. my emails still number over 200. I never opened up my other two typewriter boxes. And I have no idea what the december postcard will be (this is bad). *shakes head* ha. Well. I have updated the blog every day, and there's just tomorrow left. That's something, I guess! |
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NaBloPoMo Complete
tues 30 nov 2010 | |
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Permalink: http://www.static8.com/journal/2010/101130.html | |
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It's probably sacrilegious to say it... but I'm looking forward to a day or two off-line! It might be nice to get something other than blogging done. Seriously, re-reading yesterdays "complaining" post, it sounds like I did nothing but play online for the entire month! *laughs* oh well. |
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