HoodieGate's Happy Ending

Did I ever tell you that my cool-ass BFF Dax has an Etsy store?  It's true!  Most of her stuff centers around the more perky side of life... bibs & adorable stuff for babies of all genders, which she's really good at making; she's also got some wheels turning for other cute things in the future.  (I may even be able to make a case for catering to the darkling demographic!)  Dax has an eye for the kawaii-est fabrics on Earth, and her search for them has spanned several continents!  (Well, two continents -- but still, she came back with some good stuff.)  I did talk her into making a sleep mask that said "FUCK OFF", as I saw one on Shameless, fell in looooove with it, and I just know other people will want one!  The one that she made was a sparkly pretty pink instead of a bad-ass black... with the words in a fancy cursive, which somehow made it even cooler.  I love the idea of an offensive text written in script on something pink and girly!  She and I have different styles, but there are lots of places where our interests overlap.  I think that makes a much more interesting friendship!

However... not all differences between friends are going to turn out great.  For example:  A few months ago, my friend Fluffy was popping some laundry into my washing machine, and instead of hanging my magical hoodie to dry, he scrunched it up and put it on my "nest," which caused an apartment-wide hunt for the missing hoodie.  When it didn't turn up (because everything in my apartment is black, making it a very challenging search!), I was pretty effing devastated.  It's hard to find a summer-weight hoodie that's at least 30 inches long.  If a big girl is wearing stretchy yoga pants (or leggings!), then trust me, you want a CTB (Camel Toe Barrier) at the ready!  And with all of the bustle and activity that I have planned for these warm sunny months -- visits to my adopted local family, physical therapy, doctor's appointments, and possibly pool-based workouts on the reg at the Y, I am going to NEED a lighter hoodie to see me through all of these trips out of the house.

Everyone tried to console my broken heart, and believe me, it was BROKEN!  Fluffy placed an order to Junonia in an effort to help me move on with my life, but alas, it wasn't the same!  Dax combed the final-days clearance rack at Fashion Bug (home of the original hoodie), but alas, lime green was all they had in stock!  Even my man, Fuzz, combed the internet, searching valiantly for a good replacement.  What we found was this -- the "tag-free hooded lounger" from Woman Within...  It is long enough to go down to my ankles, but still nice and roomy for all my layers... he thought maybe we can have it redone.   "Let's try it," Fuzz said, reassuringly.  "We'll get the old ladies to fix it up good!"  (His tailors are old ladies... he calls them "the old ladies.")  The nightie came in the mail, and it does look like it can easily be converted.  We can cut it up, slice the middle, and plant the zipper.  Plus, I got an enormous one, so it will be nice and big.  What we'll do with the leftover fabric, I've yet to determine!

I was telling Dax about my idea, and she offered to help in order to give it a personal touch that the old ladies could not.  She suggested that I buy a YKK zipper, since they're the best.  And it's true... those are the kind you see on jeans and higher-quality garments.  Fun fact:  When I was a kid, I thought it said "KKK," but it actually doesn't.  My old hoodie measured about 30 inches, but since I'm having it my way like Burger King, I'm going to try to get something maybe 33' or 34'.  I want that thing down to my knees!

It's hard to find YKK zippers in very special lengths, I've found.  The ones I've seen are like $12 dollars or more for a metal-teethed one -- which isn't too bad, considering I'll be having this thing for years! But I want to make sure it's going to work out.  I just found this one on Amazon for $6something, plus shipping, which sounds all right to me.  I think 32" will work out fine.  I'm super excited!

By the way, you know you're (a) loved, (b) feared, or (c) owed a ton of favors... when you have that many people trying to soothe your broken heart over a hoodie. I like to think it's a combination of all 3. ;)  It's true that I have some weird connections to my clothes, but it's really nice that people are so understanding about it!  I'll be letting you know how the new one turns out!

Finding My Way Home

Oh, Granny! How I'll miss your linen closet!

I know that it's been awhile since I've posted anything.  Now that the excitement around here has died down, I can tell you all what's happened.  Basically, this spring I was in a 3-car accident that left me bruised from my knees to my chin.  Nothing's been (majorly) broken, but I do require some physical therapy and other treatments.  After several visits to several doctors, it's been decided that I've developed fibromyalgia and some neurological issues from the accident.  The past few months have required me to slow down and take it easy.

Right now, I live in a house with a couple of levels.  The stairs have evolved from a nuisance on the days where my knee or hip flares up, to a huge hardship.  So, I guess the motivation to move came in good time.

....and your kitchen! :'(

To tell you the truth, I've lost count of the houses and apartments that Mr. Manly and I have gone to see (alone and together)!  I think it's somewhere in the neighborhood of 7 or 8.  You may remember "Granny's" from my last batch of pictures; well, that was the one that had truly won my heart with its 1100 square feet (only half the space I'm used to now!), central A/C, luxurious walk-in closets (one was almost a room in itself!), and a glass-door shower with a seat.  Yes, it seemed to be just what I needed.  It was in a cluster of small, quiet, privately-managed buildings that were big enough to provide timely service and good maintenance, yet small enough to feel like a nice little community.  I was so excited to live there, and the moment I went to see it, I had begun pinning my hopes and dreams on Granny's.  Unfortunately, no vacancies were available -- each month, the manager encouraged me to call back next month to check, and faithfully, I did every single time.

A cool kitchen for cool people who don't cook (or eat?)

Apparently, their backs don't hurt while sitting on this cool toilet, either.  Check the back ledge!

This didn't stop me from looking at other apartments, though.  I thoroughly enjoyed my trip to "Super Cool Urban Estates," of the stainless steel appliances and a granite countertop in what seemed to be the perfect haven for hip young professionals -- despite the total lack of closets (aside from one 2.5-foot deep alleged "walk-in"), it was modern and chic, with each unit bragging its own washer and dryer!  Yes, it was overpriced and small, had no closets for linens or coats, but it was close to all the good restaurants -- and did I mention the washer and dryer?  I put it on my "maybe" list. 

How lovely, the Walgreen's is in bloom!

I also found some real hope in "Sophisticated Auntie's Place" -- it actually had an elevator with each floor sharing washers and dryers.  Not bad!  Again, I found tasty central A/C at Auntie's, a wrought-iron decorated balcony with a breathtaking view of the local Walgreen's (conveniently located for late-night soda runs when I'm up and feeling productive), and pretty hardwood floors which I couldn't decide were a blessing or a curse.  This was a larger complex with many daunting buildings, yet the 2-bedroom 2-baths which I'd selected were in the tiniest "baby sister" building which was slightly apart from those others, enjoy the same privileges but also a bit more privacy and intimacy among the neighbors.  "Sign me up!" I exclaimed, only to find out that there was one unit left -- oh wait, nope, it was filled an hour ago!  DAMN!

Cars are forced to slow down so the People Farm can have access to more fresh victims.  Please don't make me live here, OK?

Then there was "The People Farm" which was down the road from and managed by the same company as Auntie's, yet not even close to the same in style or friendliness.  The place was HUGE.  I think there were half a dozen buildings, each with like 7 floors.  It was like a creepy, slightly rundown hotel for folks who had nowhere to go.  In the middle of the complex was a pool that seemed to be the size of a football field, with about a thousand people inside and around it on that summer Sunday that we'd come to inspect a unit.  It turned out that the unit I needed wasn't available there either, though there would be vacancies come fall.  I put it on my "last resort" slot, and prayed.

Granny's looked like a possibility... a bunch of times, in fact.  People kept deciding to move, then changing their minds.  Some folks applied for mortgages (just a formality, really!) and when shit fell through, guess who got left holding the bag?  "Trust me," the manager said.  I tried hard to do just that, but with so many disappointments -- and a mere 6 weeks to homelessness -- trust was a luxury that I just couldn't afford.

Half the old tenants' furniture around during the Shoebox walkthrough. 

After many hours scouring rental sites, Googling, calling realtors, and (gasp!) resorting to Craigslist while praying not to get too many genital pictures from fellow Craigslisters, eventually "Shoebox Sweet Shoebox" was found.  As luck would have it, this building is owned by an old "friend" -- the company who owned the apartment from just before I'd moved out to the country 7 years ago.  There are pros and cons, of course.  On the plus side, I like having a history with my landlord, also quite a bit of closet space, and the building is located in a quiet and low-traffic annex situated nicely between several bustling and busy city roads, so it's like having a hundred square yards of small-town living snuggled inside an urban area.  There are only 3 floors and my place is on the second; but there's an elevator and laundry facilities on each floor, so hopefully that won't be a problem.   Also, a little balcony for growing my bunnies some tasty herbs, and a 5x6 storage unit for all the crap we can't fit into the apartment.  The cons:  The place is MINISCULE.  I'm in the middle of doing my floor plan now, and so far I've calculated about 600 square feet; that's including the closets, but without the master bedroom.  My minimum was 1100 square feet, so crapola to that!  But, another pro is even more important: I am no longer homeless.  (And I've also packed NINE boxes for donation this week!)

Official moving day will the the 22nd of this month, but the lease begins on the 15th which provides a bit of time for moving some stuff in advance.  I'll probably be posting a bit more 'til then!

Hope that everyone else is doing well! :)

The Little Things in Life

I think I'll take Rihanna's advice for now, and STFU. :)

I apologize for not posting more lately, but I have suffered some injuries through an accident which, for legal reasons, I can't really discuss just yet.  I'm alive and in one piece, but beyond that I really need to keep mum for the time being.

Before this happened, I had a few projects cooking, but the progress has slowed to a halt for now.  I recently read someone else's blog where the main article was a list of things that the blogger was "into right now."  It's a bit of a cop-out for PGS, but what the hell?  It's a nice cheerful distraction, and maybe if some of my current mini-obsessions spark some interest in you, you will find something cool or new to make your own life a bit better.  So, here's a rundown of what I'm into these days:

1.  Modal fabric.  This stuff is amazing!  It's technically not a natural fiber because of the process it needs to go through in order to become fabric, but it's roots are natural.  Modal comes from beech tree fibers.  It's softer and more absorbent than cotton, hangs beautifully, and always seems to look great even if you don't iron it.  This makes it beautiful for any body type, as it drapes and flatters the wearer to a T.  Over the past few months, I have acquired a few pieces of modal clothing; it's wonderful to go out and be seen in, but also to stay home and just live in.  I love it!

2.  No-fuss nail treatments.  If I could marry nail foils, I would.  My nails are short and brittle, and often, my nail polish chips off the edges within a day or so of applying it.  But the nail foils I've been using are designed to stay on for up to 10 luxurious, polish-free days!  They come in solids, but also in a cunning array of cute designs as well.  They're available in stores for $5-$7 a pop, but being a patient cheapie, I bought mine from this eBay store for only 99 cents.  My favorites?  Black with skulls or spiderwebs, of course!  (A close runner-up is the Sally Hansen nail pen, in chrome colors.  It dries quickly and with a minimum of BS, so it's just right for a 30-second touch up before you run out the door.) 

3.  Scramble With Friends.  A good friend of mine surprised me with an iPad for my birthday this past month, which thrilled and exhilarated me -- I've wanted one for a couple of years now, mostly for a curiosity.  But let me tell you, the convenience and fun of the iPad has made it an invaluable tool for me, whether it's for work or play.  One of the awesomest games going is Scramble With Friends, which is easier and quicker than the better-known Zynga app, Words With Friends.  I feel that it helps my powers of concentration too.  If you don't have an iPad or iPhone, no problem -- you can play it on Facebook too. :)

That's all I can think of right now.  What's everyone else into these days? :)

A Wealth of Possibilities

As many of you know, my lease ends this summer.  While I can probably get out of it a bit earlier -- as it is quite flexible -- my SO and I have decided to tough it out to the bitter end. ;)  This gives us about 3 months' worth of breathing room.  So far, we have toured 4 houses in the hopes of purchasing -- and then we realized that we don't quite measure up down-payment-wise.  After that, we began hunting for a new apartment.

Cool Minimalist Lobby is cooler and
more minimalist than your lobby.

We've seen two places so far, both of which have advantages and drawbacks.  "Apartment Number One" is an industrial brick-accented downtown loft in the heart of a city close to Boston.  It's hip, freshly converted from an old factory.  Everything about it says "The people who live here are way cooler than you."  Admittedly, it has some possibilities.  One of my favorite features is the washer and dryer hookup right in the apartment, which is like heaven on earth!  But the place is very vertical -- sucks for me on those high pain-score days -- and the 2 bedrooms are sort of small.  There wasn't a whole lot of storage space, even if the apartment itself was simply adorable.  The hardwood floors were stylish, but I'm sure our bunnies wouldn't be very happy hoppers with their little piggies clacking on the floor, and their furry little feet slipping around the smooth wooden surface!  These are big sacrifices indeed if one wishes to live in a Mecca of Coolness.

Hey, whipper-snapper. What's cookin' in Granny's kitchen?

"Apartment Number Two" is definitely NOT an M of C.  It is located in a complex in a more residential area near Boston.  (I guess they'd call it the Boston Metro Area?)  We saw heaps of boring ugly buildings, children playing outside, old people going for walks, and soccer moms with silver minivans.  This one also had a lot of floors to climb, but I realized that being on the top floor (despite lack of elevator) would be awesome since there'd be less traffic outside my door.  The master bedroom was bigger than I'd expected, bigger than what we have now actually, with a closet for each of us.  The second bedroom, conversely, was smaller, but with a nicely sized closet.  We may need to ditch the big bed in the other bedroom.  The place has central heat and air conditioning, which is a rare find!  My favorite parts of this apartment are the surprising amount of storage space (including a walk-in closet which is big enough to fit a couch!), a kitchen with a window, and two bathrooms!  One has a shower with a glass door and a seat (amazing!), and the other has a tub and assloads of drawers and storage space.

We'll be looking for more places over the next few months, so stay tuned!

Speak Out & Save the Internet!

Millions of Americans oppose SOPA and PIPA because these bills would censor the Internet and slow economic growth in the U.S.

Two bills before Congress, known as the Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House, would censor the Web and impose harmful regulations on American business. Millions of Internet users and entrepreneurs already oppose SOPA and PIPA.

The Senate will begin voting on January 24th. Please let them know how you feel. Sign this petition urging Congress to vote NO on PIPA and SOPA before it is too late.

Sign the petition here.  And be sure to use the widget below to call your representatives to urge them NOT to censor the internet!

To help even more, please share this blog entry (or the links) with anyone and everyone that you can -- repost in your blog!  Forward to your friends and family via email!  Share via Twitter and Facebook.  Do it now, before the internet is changed (for the worse) forever!

Thank you!!!

Farewell, 2011!

As we ring in this new year, I want to take a few minutes to wish a fond farewell to 2011.  With that, I am also bidding goodbye to eleven things that I hope not to experience in 2012, so let's leave them in the past.  Here goes!

Goodbye, anxiety!
See ya; wouldn't wanna be ya, negative self-talk!
Laterz, procrastination!
Hasta la vista, disorganization baby!
Smell ya later, powerlessness!
Adios, closed minds!
See you in hell, despair!
Farewell, crankiness!
Cheerio, needless worrying!
Toodle-oo, stress!
Peace out, chaos!

....And a big HELLO to a postive, prosperous, happy and healthy 2012 -- for all of us!

On My Mind: Spiritual Bath

I just came across this charming post at the simple-living blog "Down To Earth" which encouraged its readers to share a photograph and to explain a bit about it.

The one that I chose was this picture, which I'd recently taken and had been meaning to add to my blog for some time now.  This past year, I had recently discovered how wonderful it was to take a long, luxurious soak in the tub.  One of the awesomest things about taking a big ole' bath is that anyone can do it.  Doesn't matter if you're old, young, rich, or poor -- if you have access to a tub and some water, you can make it an amazingly sensual experience no matter what other accoutrements you choose to add.

There's a joke that goes something like, "You know you're ghetto when you break out your best dish detergent when it's time to take a bubble bath," but really, who cares?  It makes no difference if you bathe with a 3-for-99-cents bar of soap from the dollar tree or a pot of $140 Russian Amber shampoo by Philip B., you can make your tub time truly luxurious with only a few little additions.

I like to add a few candles on the edge of my tub; they need not be expensive (and if you can make your own candles out of leftovers and an old spaghetti jar, so much the better!) but they certainly can lend an air of tranquil pleasure to your bath.  You can even find an artificial candlelight generator app on your Android phone (if you're so blessed), which I've done more than once.  The one I have (which I downloaded for free) even gives you customizable flame colors -- purple flame, anyone?

And bubbles are nice, but not always necessary -- by the way, I recall a few times where my own mother broke out the Ivory or the Palmolive dish liquid when, as a child, I craved bubbles in my bath.  If it's not going to harm your skin, who really cares?  No shame in being creative.  These days, I save my pennies for the luxury of something special from the Lush store when I can get it (and use it carefully).  But even bubbles from your dollar store or local pharmacy will do the trick wonderfully.

Some folks choose to do their entire beauty regimens in the bath -- shaving legs, deep conditioning hair, even wearing a facial masque while splashing away in the tub.  And some people bring a cocktail (or in my case, a nice cold can of soda) into the tub, sipping their cares away.  Or, you can just relax and allow your tension to melt away, enjoying the sights, sounds, and scents of your spiritual bathing experience.  The bottom line is that your bathtime rituals can be fully customizable and specifically tailored to your needs and wants.

So grab your rubber ducky, and your favorite towel, and enjoy!

Dealing With A-Holes

I first got this funny story in one of those forwarded e-mails circa 1995.  I remember laughing hysterically at it in the computer lab.  Someone recently forwarded it to me once again... almost 15 years later... and it still makes me giggle each time.  I hope you all enjoy it!

Dealing with A-holes
 

This is for all of you who occasionally have a really bad day when you just need to take it out on someone!!! Don't take that bad day out on someone you know, take it out on someone you DON'T know!!!

Now get this. I was sitting at my desk, when I remembered a phone call I had to make. I found the number and dialed it. A man answered nicely saying, "Hello?" I politely said, "This is Patrick Hanifin and could I please speak to Robin Carter?"

Suddenly the phone was slammed down on me! I couldn't believe that anyone could be that rude. I tracked down Robin's correct number and called her. She had transposed the last two digits incorrectly.

After I hung up with Robin, I spotted the wrong number still lying there on my desk. I decided to call it again. When the same person once more answered, I yelled "You're an asshole!" and hung up. Next to his phone number I wrote the word "asshole," and put it in my desk drawer.

Every couple of weeks, when I was paying bills, or had a really bad day, I'd call him up. He'd answer, and then I'd yell, "You're an asshole!" It would always cheer me up.

Later in the year the phone company introduced caller ID. This was a real disappointment for me, I would have to stop calling the asshole.

Then one day I had an idea. I dialed his number, then heard his voice, "Hello." I made up a name. "Hi. This is the sales office of the telephone company and I'm just calling to see if you're familiar with our caller ID program?" He went, "No!" and slammed the phone down. I quickly called him back and said, "That's because you're an asshole!"

The reason I took the time to tell you this story, is to show you how if there's ever anything really bothering you, you can do something about it. Just dial 823-4863. 

Then, one day this old lady at the mall really took her time pulling out of the parking space. I didn't think she was ever going to leave. Finally, her car began to move and she started to very slowly back out of the slot. I backed up a little more to give her plenty of room to pull out.

Great, I thought, she's finally leaving. 

All of a sudden this black Camaro came flying up the parking aisle in the wrong direction and pulled into her space. I started honking my horn and yelling, "You can't just do that, Buddy. I was here first!" The guy climbed out of his Camaro completely ignoring me. He walked toward the mall as if he didn't even hear me. I thought to myself, this guy's an asshole; there sure are a lot of assholes in this world. I noticed he had a "For Sale" sign in the back window of his car. I wrote down the number. Then I hunted for another place to park.

A couple of days later, I'm at home sitting at my desk. I had just gotten off the phone after calling 823-4863 and yelling, "You're an asshole!" (It's really easy to call him now since I have his number on speed dial.) I noticed the phone number of the guy with the black Camaro lying on my desk and thought I'd better call this guy, too.

After a couple rings someone answered the phone and said, "Hello."

I said, "Is this the man with the black Camaro for sale?"

"Yes, it is."

"Can you tell me where I can see it?"

"Yes, I live at 1802 West 34th street. It's a yellow house and the car's parked right out front."

I said, "What's your name?"

"My name is Don Hansen."

"When's a good time to catch you, Don?"

"I'm home in the evenings."

"Listen Don, can I tell you something?"

"Yes."

"Don, you're an asshole!" And I slammed the phone down.

After I hung up I added Don Hansen's number to my speed dialer. For a while things seemed to be going better for me. Now when I had a problem I had two assholes to call. Then after several months of calling the assholes and hanging up on them, it just wasn't as enjoyable as it used to be. I gave the problem some serious thought and came up with a solution.

First, I had my phone dial Asshole #1. A man answered nicely saying, "Hello." I yelled "You're an asshole!", but I didn't hang up.

The asshole said, "Are you still there?"

I said, "Yeah."

He said, "Stop calling me."

I said, "No."

He said, "What's your name, Pal?"

I said, "Don Hansen."

He said "Where do you live?"

"1802 West 34th Street. It's a yellow house and my black Camaro's parked out front."

"I'm coming over right now, Don. You'd better start saying your prayers."

"Yeah, like I'm really scared, Asshole!" and I hung up.

Then I called Asshole #2.

He answered, "Hello."

I said, "Hello, Asshole!"

He said, "If I ever find out who you are..."

"You'll what?"

"I'll kick your butt." 

"Well, here's your chance. I'm coming over right now Asshole!"

And I hung up.

Then I picked up the phone and called the police. I told them I was at 1802 West 34th Street and that I was going to kill my gay lover as soon as he got home. Another quick call to Channel 13 about the gang war going on down West 34th Street.

After that I climbed into my car and headed over to 34th Street to watch the whole thing. Glorious! If you want to watch two Assholes kicking the crap out of each other in front of 6 squad cars and a police helicopter, ...

I taped it all off the evening news. lol


~Anonymous~

Photo credits:  Thanks to Justin Brockie for the cool pic of the vintage 1990s phone, Michi1308 for the great shot of the Camaro, and JessieJacobson for the awesome pic of the cop swarm!

Review: A Period Piece on the "MyDays" App

I don't usually rave about apps, but this one is so well made and so useful that I really wanted to share it with every female Android phone user!

A few months ago, I acquired a new phone, in accordance with my T-Mobile contract.  Usually the thrill of a new phone is enough to keep me glowing for a few weeks.  I've had my Android phone for nearly four months now, and I am still finding thing that excite me all over again.  One of those exciting things is an application that I downloaded early on in my "cell phone honeymoon" days.  The application is called "MyDays," a female cycle calendar.  I'm not usually one for profligate downloading of freebies, but download it I did, and it was so useful that even the trial version has earned itself a coveted spot on my home screen.

MyDays is more than just a mere calendar; it can actually track and predict a woman's menstrual cycle and ovulation dates, as well as inform the user of her most fertile times.  The user can even notate and label days that correspond with specific conception (or contraception) practices, such as taking the pill, engaging in sex, or taking her basal metabolic temperature (BMT).  There are also functions that allow note-taking, which I've found invaluable for keeping track of my gynecological visits as well as any special circumstances, such as breakthrough bleeding or excessively bad PMS symptoms.  The one function that I haven't yet used is the "Chat & Talk" selection, which will enable you to get into touch with support, as well as chat with the other MyDays users to discuss whatever's on your mind. 

As a woman with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS/PCOD) and metabolic syndrome, my lady business often comes late, which is not very ladylike at all.  I've often been mystified at how surprised medical personnel have been upon asking me about "what day in [my] cycle" I was currently experiencing.  Having had irregular periods for the last 22 years, I had never realized that most women can answer such a question right off the bat -- for me, the best answers I've ever been able to muster have been "bleeding" or "not bleeding;" answers which, somehow, don't tend to impress those in the medical profession.  I've always wondered... How do other women just seem to KNOW this stuff?  I'd always felt a little weird and out of sync with the rest of womankind; considering how erratic my cycle has been, I suppose I have been out of sync in more ways than one.  However, thanks to MyDays, I was able to go to my new gynecologist (on January 26th, according to my "notes!"), whip out the ol' cellie, and promptly inform Dr. Julio that my last period started on December 15th and ended on December 21st, yet I had experienced three instances of spotting in January.  Having these answers at my fingertips not only gave me more confidence upon answering medical questions, but also empowered me.  I felt as though I was really doing something good for myself by taking my reproductive health seriously.

This application gets a glowing A+ recommendation from me.  I would recommend the MyDays app to anyone who with an Android phone and a uterus!  It would probably also come in handy for my husband, so he knows when to stock up on chocolate and ibuprofen, but that's a whole 'nother blog entry.

Clean-Up Time

Fuzz and I don't typically make New Years' resolutions, per se, but since 2010 has brought so many changes to both of our lives, we've decided to stay on trend and continue making more changes  -- positive ones.  In the past few months, I have acquired a trash bag filled with undesireable objects for which I have no use -- a bunch of worn-out clothes, CDs of lame music, a coffee maker that was sitting inside a dirty mold-filled house -- and I've been meaning to get rid of these things for some time now.  I've also been in the process of purging other areas in the house to prepare for a major transition, so it seemed like a great idea to resolve to get rid of our extra shit.

Rather than do a full-on insane sweep of the house, I opted for an easier idea: We'll get rid of a few boxes each month, either until the end of the year or until our house is clean, whatever comes first.  Moving a heap of boxes is a hassle, though.  We've got a longstanding relationship with a number of non-profit organizations to whom we like to give extra money and items whenever we can.  Because our favorite donation organization, the Massachusetts Vietnam Veterans of America, doesn't do door-to-door pickup in our "new" local area, we opted for our other favorite charity, the Big Brother & Big Sister Foundation.  It turned out to be a fabulously successful undertaking... all we needed to do was fill out the form online, have our boxes on the porch for them on the day of the pickup, and Bob's your uncle -- the stuff's out of our lives, and ready to go into the lives of someone who wants them.  Best of all, it helps a wonderful organization to do great things!  Since the January pickup went over so well, I'm already thinking of what I want to donate next month.  I may just decide to tackle the ever-so-nasty Bedroom Closet O' Doom!

Here are a few tips to help you get started donating...

1.  The general rule of thumb is that if you haven't used an item within the past year, and you're not sure you'll be using it within the next year, get rid of it!

2.  Start small.  There's no need to purge every square inch of your living space right away; do it in small, manageable steps.  For example, choose a room -- or part of a room, such as getting all the drawers in one dresser -- and get that done first before moving onto another section of your space.

3.  As FlyLady says, "Never take out more than you can put back in one hour."  I know it's exciting to get things purged, but take your time and do it right.

4.  Schedule your pick-up or drop-off day well in advance so that you can work on the mess in small, manageable bits.  Even if your house looks like an episode of Hoarders exploded all over it, an emergency cleaning session is just gonna stress you out.  Take it slow and make the process as easy and stress-free as possible.  You did not accumulate the clutter in the space of one day, so you need not feel pressured to get it immaculate in one day, either.

5.  Don't let guilt or regrets weigh you down.  Just because you got something for free and/or got a good deal on it (or, worse yet, spent WAY too much on it) doesn't make you obligated to keep it.  Likewise with presents that just aren't "you."  If you don't love it, let it go -- maybe there's someone out there who needs and wants it.  Give those things a good home where they'll be appreciated and loved.

6.  Donate and recycle as much as you can.  It's good for the environment, the economy, and the soul. 

7.  Don't feel the need to put it off because you "haven't gotten it all done yet."  Do what you can, you can always schedule another pick-up, or find local thrift shops and make dropping things off a regular habit!


...And, in the interest of recycling and reusing, I have found these lovely pics on Flickr.  Thanks to the talented ed.ward for his awesome "messy room" photo, and the whimsical joebeone for the "moving boxes" pic!  I'm thrilled to give them credit in accordance with Creative Commons.  I do try to take my own pics when I can remember to do so, but I appreciate the sharing spirit of my fellow Flickr users.  Thanks!

Creative Commons Attribution

Well, it's a new year.  With 2011 comes an important decision. ;)  Actually I just thought to add some licensing information to my stuff.  I'd suggest this for anyone who blogs or creates things, and not just online either.

(Image courtesy of Flickr's "jorgeandresem")

You can visit CreativeCommons.org for more information on the Creative Commons licensing information.  The Creative Commons website is an extremely valuable resource for any creative person who needs help figuring out which licensing best fits each project.  The site explains the difference between each license in a way that's detailed, yet easy to understand.  If you get stuck, try their awesome licensing wizard to help determine what kind of license you need, as well as  how to present it on your website.

This work by PrettyGoodShit.Com is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.

Copyscape.com is also a great resource for people who want a quick-and-dirty "don't steal my shit" badge for their intellectual properties, to warn others against plagiarism.  Users can add an HTML notice to their content, as well as use Copyscape's service to scan the internet in order to find content which is being used without permission.


Remember to protect your content!  Also, if you need to reproduce someone else's work, be sure to ask permission or follow the direction of their licensing information.  A little respect for one another's original content will help our users get a lot more out of these resources.

The Ghosts of Halloweens Past

Halloween tends to be one of my craftiest times of year!  But this year, well, a lot of shit happened, so I didn't get to be as domestically productive as I'd have liked.  Instead, I decided to reflect on some of the fun things I've done on previous Halloweens.  

One of the things I enjoy the most during this time of year is pumpkincrafting.  I love carving jack o' lanters, cooking pumpkins, making cakes, pies, and cookies out of yummy fall gourds -- as well as tasty savory dishes.  And let's not forget pumpkin seeds!  But the first matter of business is about carving the pumpkin.

Yeah, I know, this isn't a jack o' lantern in the traditional sense... it's a cucumber that I cut in half, carved an evil little face on, and backed up with a tea light.  However, I consider it one of the best jack o' lanterns I've ever done because it's so adorably sinister! ;)

Here's one of the more intricate jack o' lanterns that I've managed to do fairly well.  I highly recommend the carving kits and books by Pumpkin Masters -- they'll really help you master the pumpkin.  Even novices can churn out beautiful finished products in a relatively short time!  This spooky mask pattern was daunting to look at, but it actually turned out to be pretty easy.  Part of the eyebrow on the right side broke off during the carving, but I used a toothpick to put it back into place and no one was the wiser.

Another pattern by Pumpkin Masters.  This vampire theme was by far the easiest one in the book that year (which I believe was circa 2007), but it looked very dramatic with the lights dimmed.  The big open space in the pattern also made it really easy to add and position multiple candles.

Here's a winking emoticon from 2006 -- it's my own simple freehand design.

I'm still searching for a better shot of this "candle basket" that I made out of a pumpkin.  It was easy as hell; just cut out two sides of the pumpkin, scrap well, and fill with some candles.  It looked pretty and lasted longer than I thought it would.  I've heard that you're not supposed to consume old jack o' lanterns after candles have been burning inside them, but with this candle basket, I was able to cut enough pumpkin to cook for dinner that night.  So this one is both pretty and practical!

  

I also loooooove Halloween candy; I look forward to it all year!  These spooky marshmallow peeps imparted a really festive touch to an ordinary cup of hot chocolate.  Who can resist having an excuse to add extra marshmallows? ;)

Cemetery photography is a serious interest of mine.  As most of the images in this entry, this 2007 picture was taken with a crappy cell phone camera.  I wanted to share it because of thost gorgeous leaves... ahh, you can almost smell that crisp fall air!  

Fuzzband and I went to the 3-D theatre re-release of The Nightmare Before Christmas one year -- I think it was 2006 -- and we had a blast.  I wish they would put it in theatres every year!  The theatre people painted a really cool "movie poster" in the theatre window.  This was the best picture I got on my old cell phone.

And of course, what Halloween would be complete without a mysterious black-furred familiar?  Here's mine... Seamus the bunny, getting his routine face cleaning!  (He had weepy eyes that needed our attention from time to time.)  He and his bunny wife, Aggie, lived with us from 2003 until their passing in 2009 (Aggie died at the end of June, and Seamus departed a month later).  Vets are estimated his age to be about 10 or 11 at the time; he had a multitude of illnesses, but he was a sweet and wonderful soul who brought so much love and joy into all our lives.  We adopted him and Aggie from New England's very own House Rabbit Network in 2003; he used to belong to a homeless woman.  Seamus was a noseless bunny with broken toes and bites in his ear -- but he was such a cool, mellow dude!  Seamus and Aggie are in my heart, and I still think of them and miss them every day.  This picture was taken in 2006; I'm sure I'll post better bunny pictures sometime though. :)

Challah Back

Although carbs are awesome, I've never been big on just plain commercial grocery-store bread.  However, fresh yummy bread that's made from scratch is a wondrous thing.  I lack the patience to make it very often; once every few years is enough.  I hate having to wait all day for the darn thing to rise, then I worry about the cooking time in the oven... and then, of course is the thrill of cleaning up all the floury mess.  Yeah... just not my thing.

I have long suspected that I might just become awesome at baking bread if I'd just try it a little more often.  Rosh Hashanah seemed like the perfect time to make my all-time favorite type of bread: challah!  (Bagels [if they count] are a very close second, and croissants are third on the list.)  Challah is quite the endeavor, but the results are soooooo worth it!

Usually my way of cooking a new recipe is to scan it for things I want to change before actually attempting it.  This time, however, I Googled for a recipe that seemed to make the most sense to me, and -- miraculousy -- decided to follow it to the letter.  My pick was Maggie Glezer's honey-scented challah recipe, which looked and sounded absolutely decadent with its added smattering of honey to the dough.  The entire process, while arduous to me, was still such fun and yielded two little loaves of the most perfect challah one could ever desire.  And although it wasn't what I'd call easy, the recipe was straightforward enough that even a bread n00b like me wasn't able to screw it up!

Apparently, Maggie is somewhat notorious for her bread recipes 'round the internet, as I've seen several  other bakers reproducing the offerings from her book A Blessing of Bread: Recipes and Rituals, Memories and Mitzvahs as well.  Eli at The Fresh Loaf took some fantastic pictures of the fruits of his labor, and Sarah Kagan at Epicurious got some great tips from Maggie on how to ensure the best possible results.

I don't have permission to reprint the recipe here, but she has it over at Epicurious for those who are interested in trying it (and I highly recommend that you give it a whirl!).  I can, however, show you some of the pretty pictures that I took while Fuzzband and I worked on our challah.

We made our yeast slurry, then added the rest of our wet ingredients....

...mixed in the other dry ingredients...

...and turned it into a ball!

We covered the ball with some plastic grocery bags (a great way to reuse), and let it sit on the table for a couple of hours.  It doubled in size and started to smell awesome!

Then it was time to assemble my loaves.  I divided the dough ball into halves, and made 3 long skinny strands out of each half.  I braided them together...

... and set them up on my trusty old cookie sheet.  Then we covered them with our plastic bags, and left them on the table to proof.

And proof they did!  When we'd unwrapped them, they surprised us by being almost 3 times bigger than they were before!  Look how succulent and fat and yummy they are!  Fuzz brushed the outside with egg while I snapped an "action shot," then into the oven our challahs went!

Here's the stunning finished product, all shiny and gorgeous.  It smelled and tasted so amazing that we've decided to definitely make it again -- maybe next year, but perhaps even sooner.

Save Our Planet Earth

Yahoo! is going to be deleting Geocities this year... taking away some informative websites that have been around since the beginning of the internet as we know it. The Internet Archives at http://www.archive.org will be trying to get as many sites as possible until that fateful day, but many will be gone forever!

 The original URL is http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/8319/savethearth.html. Our planet is in peril, so if you haven't started doing the baby steps below, you'd better get cracking! :)

We've got to Save Our Planet Earth!

---

Oh, No! Our earth is in trouble, and we've got to save it!Oh, No!: Bad Facts about our earth

• If you throw away 2 aluminum cans, you waste more energy than1,000,000,000 (one billion) of the world's poorest people use a day.
• Making a new can from scratch uses the uses the energy equal to half a can of gasoline.
• About one third of what an average American throws out is packaging.
• More than 1,000,000,000 (one billion) trees are used to make disposable diapers every year.
• In one minute, 50 acres of rainforest are destroyed.
• Some rain has a pH of 3 or 4. (which is pretty acidic, considering 7 is neutral, not acidic, and battery acid has a pH of 1). Some fish, such as lake trout and smallmouth bass, have trouble reproducing at a pH of 6, which is only slightly acidic. Some clams and snails can't survive at all. Most crayfish are dead at a pH of 5. You can see how bad this is for the environment.
• On average, a person in the US uses energy two times more than a person in Japan or West Germany does, and 50 times more than a person in India.
• About 90% of the energy used in lighting a standard (incandescent) light bulb is lost as heat.
• Air conditioning uses 10 times more energy than a fan, therefore, it creates 10 times the pollutants.
• It takes half the output of the Alaskan pipeline to heat the air that escapes from all the homes in the US during a year.
• Cars and pick-up trucks are responsible for about 20% of the carbon dioxide released into the air.
• There are about 500 million automobiles on the planet, burning an average of 2 gallons of fuel a day. Each gallon releases 20 pounds of carbon dioxide into the air.
• About 80% of our trash goes to landfills, 10% is incinerated, and 10% is recycled.
• Since there is little oxygen underground, where we bury our garbage, to help bacteria eat the garbage, almost nothing happens to it. Scientists have dug into landfills and found ears of corn still intact after 20 years, and newspapers still readable after 30.
• The average American makes about 3.5 pounds of trash a day.
• In a year, the average American uses as much wood in the form of paper as the average resident of the developing world burns as fuel.

26 things we can do to help:

1. Turn off lights.
2. Turn off other electric things, like TVs, stereos, and radios when not in use.
3. Use rechargable batteries.
4. Do things manually instead of electrically, like open cans by hand.
5. Use fans instead of air conditioners.
6. In winter, wear a sweater instead of turning up your thermostat.
7. Insulate your home so you won't be cold in winter.
8. Use less hot water.
9. Whenever possible, use a bus or subway, or ride your bike or walk.
10. Try to buy organic fruits and vegetables if you're concerned about pesticides. (Organic food is grown without man-made fertilizers and/or pesticides).
11. Don't waste products made from forest materials.
12. Use recycled paper and/or recycle it. Reuse old papers.
13. Don't buy products that may have been made at the expense of the rainforest.
14. Support products that are harvested from the rainforest but have not cut down trees to get it.
15. Plant trees, espessially if you have cut one down.
16. Get other people to help you in your cause. Make and/or join an organization.
17. Avoid products that are used once, then thrown away.
18. Buy products with little or no packaging.
19. Encourage your grocery store sell environmentally friendly cloth bags for people to use when they shop, or bring your own.
20. REDUCE, REUSE, & RECYCLE.
21. Compost.
22. Buy recycled products.
23. Don't buy pets taken from the wild.
24. If you have a good zoo nearby, (if the animals are healthy and the zoo takes care of them), support it! Espessially if they help breed endangered animals.
25. Don't buy products if animals were killed to make it.
26. Cut up your six-pack rings before throwing them out.

ALSO... If anyone has any URLS to favorite GeoCities pages, please post them below. :)