Misa's Place

Olives

2008-03-18T21:33:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite bloggers, Shauna (of Gluten-Free Girl fame), posted about olives and about how much she loves them.

Me too. I love olives so much it's crazy. Sometimes, I'll leave the house to go buy a jar of olives because I really want some NOW. And I've always liked olives. As a kid, the black ones that come in a can were great for sticking on my fingers at holiday dinners. They tasted fine, but I really prefer green olives. And, in fact, this appears to always have been the case. When I was little, and we're talking four or so here, my mother would frequently come into the kitchen at night and find me munching on olives. And then, my mother started finding her jars of green olives with pimentos to no longer have pimentos in them - even though she KNEW she'd bought ones with pimentos. One night she caught me in the kitchen carefully sucking all of the pimentos out of the olives and putting them back in the jar. How kind of me to share.

One of my favorite things to do at the grocery store now is pick out a selection of olives. Yummy.

I guess a lot of people don't like any olives besides those that come in a can (those taste rather bland to me), which just makes more for me, I guess.

What about you? Do you like olives?

Acanthosis Nigricans

2008-01-14T19:23:00.000-08:00

Acanthosis Nigricans

When I was a teenager, I first developed this. My mother used to hold me down, scrub me with a washcloth and loofah until my neck was bright red (... or more), and then use astringent to "get what we missed with the washcloth" - as if! Oh, that stung.

Fast forward ten years. My youngest sister gets it. The doctor tells my mother "Hey, it's a medical condition." She called me up to tell me and says I should get this looked into. I told her that I've been saying that for years. "Oh..."

Still, I can't look in a mirror without seeing it. I don't wear white shirts because all I see is my neck looking dirty and unwashed. Sometimes, my husband has to literally pull the loofah out of my hands. "Misa, honey, you're making yourself bleed." (He handles my neuroses very well.) I have it REALLY bad under my arms. Have since puberty. People used to tell me I should wash under my arms. I DO - I scrub and scrub and scrub and it makes no difference.

It can really hurt a gal's self-image.

Cleaning

2008-01-13T22:11:00.000-08:00

We did buttloads of laundry today.
And now that we've got a chest of drawers, we don't need to stack them on the table anymore.
So, we cleaned that off, too.

Woo! Yay for cleaning!!

Review: Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

2008-01-12T11:02:00.000-08:00

Title: Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

rating: 5 out of 5

Description, borrowed from the book cover: In the land of Ingary, such things as spells, invisible cloaks, and seven-league boots were everyday things. The Witch of the Waste was another matter.

After fifty years of quiet, it was rumored that the witch was about to terrorize the country again. So, when a moving black castle, blowing dark smoke from its four thin turrets, appear on the horizon, everyone though it was the Witch. The castle, however, was belonged to Wizard Howl, who, it was said, liked to suck the soul of young girls.

The Hatter sisters--Sophie, Lettie, and Martha--and all the other girls are warned not venture into the streets alone. But that was only the beginning.

In this giant jigsaw puzzle of a fantasy, people and things are not quite what they seem. Destinies are intertwined, identities exchanged, lovers confused. The Witch has placed a spell on Howl. Does the clue to breaking it lie in a famous poem? And what will happen to Sophie Hatter when she enters Howl's castle?

Diana Wynne Jones's entrancing fantasy is filled with surprises of every turn, but when the final stormy duel between the Witch and the Wizard is finished, all the pieces fall magically into place.

My thoughts: I hadn't realized this was actually a book. I'd first seen Howl's Moving Castle the movie, which is a Miyazaki film (anime). So, when I saw it appear on somebody else's reading list, I asked if it was a graphic novel. When she said that, no, it wasn't, I checked it out from the library. After reading it, I realized that I was quite fortunate to have seen the movie first - if I'd seen it after reading the book, I might have been disappointed. The book is so different from the movie! There's one aspect to the book that wasn't included in the movie that I would have loved to see, and it added a great bit of depth to the Howl character for me. It involves what's behind the black door. (Note: I think that for some people, telling what's behind the door would be spoiler-ish, so I'm leaving it out.)

Recommendation status: I love the book and would definitely read it again. I would also suggest it as a "great read" to my friends.

Sleepy

2008-01-11T23:12:00.001-08:00

I've been up since three am. It is now 11:11 pm. I'm at that point where I'm so tired that I have "jittery" legs and it will be hard for me to actually sleep.

Bummer.

Not pure

2008-01-10T23:15:00.000-08:00

I took one of those "ultimate purity tests". I was going to post the results here, but then it did one of those weird graphic-y things and I didn't want to do that. So, let's just say... I'm not pure. 100% is super-pure, 0% is not at all pure. My "most pure" score was 23.47%, but that asked questions involving two things I don't do: "bodily waste" and "bestiality". Bah.

(Full disclosure: this was posted a day late, but written on the correct date)

Reasons

2008-01-09T19:16:00.001-08:00

I found an old list of reasons why I want to lose weight. I pruned it down, got rid of some duplicates, etc. Want to see the list? Of course you do!

To be more attractive to my husband

To prove to myself that I can do it

To prove to others that I can do it

To be able to cross my legs "lady-style" (girls, you know what I mean...)

So that I don't "spill over" into another seat on the bus

So that I have more energy

So that my back hurts less

So that I don't feel out of breath just from walking

So I feel better about myself

So that I don't worry about squishing my husband if I sit on him

To look better in pictures

To be able to find thigh-high boots that fit

To be able to fit in clothing I like that's not available in my current size

So that I don't have a heart attack at a young age

So that I have more energy to take Murray (my dog) on more/longer walks

So I can walk up stairs without getting winded

To look better when I go for job interviews

To not feel that the whispering of others is about my weight

To never think that I am am a "fat cow"!

So that others don't call me a "fat cow"

So that I can breathe easier at night

To prove others wrong about me

TO help regulate my hormone levels

To be able to walk into most clothing stores and find something that fits and buy it - not because it is the only thing that fit but because I really like it

To be able to say to others "I know what you are going through" when they feel bad about themselves because of their weight.. and to be able to say "I was able to do something about it. If I can do it, so can you!"

To be able to wear a form fitting dress and look good in it

To not be heavier than my mother (because nobody wants to be heavier than their parents!)

To be happy with the way I look

To look good in shorts

To look good in a swimsuit

So that I can comfortable fit into booths

So that I don't have to worry about ending up in a wheelchair because of my weight

So that I can get my belly button pierced

So that a mother can't point to me and say to her daughter "You don't want to end up like that"

So that I can find sewing patterns in my size

So I can feel that I am worth something

So that I can knit something for myself to wear without having to buy a ton of yarn

So that I can be more flexible

So that I can stop feeling overheated all of the time

So that I can completely wrap myself in a towel

So that I can feel my hip bones

So that I can comfortably wrap my arms around my legs

So that I can prove to myself that I do, in fact, have a collarbone somewhere under all that fat

So that there is less surface area to shave

So I can see my feet without bending forward

So that my breasts are larger than my stomach

So I can put more water in my bath

So that I fit in the tub comfortably

So my grandmother doesn't keep offering me diet books

So that I'm not afraid of full-length mirrors

So that I can sew something for myself without buying a ton of fabric

So that I feel attractive

So that I feel sexy

So that my feet hurt less

Because I'm tired of my thighs "rubbing out" in my pants

So that I can run a mile without stopping

So that my legs don't rub together and get irritated

So that I can wear shorts without feeling embarrassed

So that I can go on hikes

So that walking to the store doesn't make me feel dread (oh no! a hill!)

So that I fit better in public restroom stalls

So that my husband will be (even more? I hope!) proud to say "That's my wife!"

To have better sex

To have more sex!

So that I'm not ashamed of getting my picture taken

So that I won't dread trying on clothing when shopping

To not be embarrassed about discussing clothing sizes

Because plus-size clothing costs more

Because 95% of plus-size clothing looks awful

So I can curl up on a chair and sit with my knees to my chest

So that one-size-fits-all is finally one-size-fits-Misa, too.

So that my knees don't give out

So that I never have to worry about whether a seatbelt fits or not

So that I can go to a buffet without people giving me "the look"

To see the surprise on people's faces who don't see me very often

To feel less awkward

So that if I'm late for the bus, I can run to catch it without worrying whether I'm going to still be able to breathe afterward or not being able to catch up because I can't breathe

So that I feel less frumpy

So that I can fit into my nice leather coat again

... and maybe even have it be loose!

So my ankles don't swell so much

So that my face loses the double-chin

So that I can feel more feminine

So that I can buy cute panties without feeling that I'm too fat to wear them

So that I can stop worrying that I'm killing myself

So that my husband doesn't worry that I'll die "young"

So that necklaces and bracelets fit

So that if I spill, it won't get on my shirt (on my stomach) as much

So that I don't become diabetic

Because I feel too old for my age

Because I've always felt too old for my age

Because I want to learn to deal with my emotions in ways other than eating them

To get rid of my "tummy roll"

To be able to see my "girl parts" without lifting my tummy

So that it is easier to breathe

So that my chest doesn't feel weighted down all of the time

To help my depression

So I won't fear somebody asking me if I would for for a walk (or a run!) with them

To find my lap

To be able to feel really physically close to my husband (my tummy kind of blocks the way)

To fit in places that are a "tight squeeze"

Because I'm worth it

Because I know that somewhere under all this fat is cute girl and I'd really like to find her and get to know her!

What this list says to me (aside from the fact that I have issues) is that there really are a lot of things that people who are fat have to deal with that thin people don't even think about and take for granted.

Long day

2008-01-08T20:48:00.001-08:00

Today seemed SO long. I was tired all day (I ate my lunch quickly and took a 40 minute nap in the breakroom yet was STILL tired). Then, I had to go see the ENT (ear nose throat doc) who ended up running over an hour behind (napped, still tired). So, they had me see a different ENT. Less than ten minutes after going in, I was done. "Yep, you have a chronic ear problem. Use these drops. Come back in a couple of weeks. And, oh, let's test your hearing."

I've scheduled an appointment with a counselor. It's been years since I've seen one. The last one I had seemed to be mostly about the drugs "Here, take these, and shut up." I had one that I liked, once, when I was teenager, and it seemed to help some (... so naturally, that had to stop.). She didn't think I needed medicine. She thought I needed somebody to talk to.

Find a penny. Pick it up. All day long, you'll have good luck!

2008-01-07T20:50:00.000-08:00

We've been saving up our coins and turned them in today. But, first, we picked out the quarters for laundry and such.

In the end, we got over $27. We turned in, according to the machine 1944 pennies. They add up, people, they add up.

5 things.

2008-01-06T19:23:00.001-08:00

We have the bedroom mostly cleaned out - INCLUDING the closet. There's a little bit left to do, but.. this is a HUGE deal. ~does a little happy dance~ Next weekend, we're doing the living room, if I'm not sick.
-
So, Megan, one of my little sisters, has been using a cane full-time now for nearly a month. She FINALLY went to the doctor today, after a month and a half of telling me how much pain she was in. (Don't get me started on how long it took her to get around to it...) Diagnosis? Inflamed tendon in her heel. "Get better shoes, and take some motrin and tylenol."
-
I made dessert! Jeremy usually makes this one, but this time I did. We use sugar-free pudding mix, cream or half and half, and lots of cream cheese. This time, we added Cherry Davinci's syrup. Yummy!!
-
I lost my debit card on Friday. It might be at work, so I haven't canceled it yet because if I canceled it and then found it at work on Monday, I'd be pretty pissed off. But, I'm not a "cash" girl. Having cash on me makes me uncomfortable... I could lose it and it wouldn't be able to be replaced. Plus, I feel like I'm using "play" money. So, this feels... difficult.
-
We watched 28 Weeks Later last night. Very boring. I kept waiting for the "set up" to get over and the REAL action to start. It never did.

Cleaning/organizing

2008-01-05T23:07:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, the plan is to empty out the bedroom (minus the closet) and only put back in the things we want to keep. We're leaving the furniture in there but everything else comes out into the living room. This is the plan. Unless I get sick. Again.

Frustrated

2008-01-04T23:05:00.001-08:00

Why is it that the older I get, the more I want to do, yet the less time I have?

Why I won't be voting for either Clinton or Obama during the primaries.

2008-01-03T22:02:00.000-08:00

I had a very frank discussion at work today with a girl who had decided that "our vote for president doesn't matter because the electoral college votes before we even get our votes turned in". I can agree with her in some manner. I find the electoral college to be archaic. It (sort of) served its purpose at one point because, at the time, communication over distances was difficult and voting would have taken quite some time (not to mention you'd be looking at a bunch of people randomly picking from those they knew nothing about... most of these people would have had to have the ballot read to them).

But, I said, and here's the thing: it is very important that the democrats pick the right candidate. And what do I mean by that? The one that will win. Frankly, it doesn't matter if I like Obama or if I like Clinton. I know that, in the end, it is more important for the democrats to win the presidential election, no matter WHO the party picks. Put another way: In 2004, we all assumed Kerry would win. And why not? I mean, as badly as Bush had fucked up, surely Kerry would HAVE to win, right? No.

It isn't enough to be a good candidate. It isn't enough to be "not the Republicans". It isn't enough to be "making history". The democrats need to WIN.

And, frankly, I can't vote for either Clinton or Obama right now. If they become the party's Presidential Nominee, then, yeah, I'll try to support them. But, frankly, I think it'll be a lost cause. Both candidates are too controversial and neither would win the race for President. And, that, my friends, is more important than "making history" or "making progress". We're in a point in history right now where things have gotten waaaaaay out of control and I can't help but think that another four years under Republican rule would just make matters worse.

(And, in some ways, the whole thing ticks me off: I have to vote for the Democratic candidate, even if I don't necessarily support all of their ideas, because I don't want the Republicans in office and would rather have the Democrats in power, even if it isn't necessary completely in agreement with my ideals as far as government goes. I'd probably have to vote for an independent to find somebody who I agree with all the way. But, voting for any other party ensures that I'm basically throwing my vote away. So I vote for the Democrats.)

Jan 02 2008 Day Two

2008-01-02T20:43:00.001-08:00

Jan 02 2008 Day Two
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant

Played around with it a bit in Photoshop.

Wearing jammies. I never wear white clothing, but my mom bought me white jammies, so there ya go. White clothing. Sort of.

Mmm... tasty

2008-01-02T20:18:00.001-08:00

Jeremy got a large George Foreman grill for Christmas. Now that we're doing the low-carb thing, it's super useful. We used it for dinner tonight and last night.

It's good to be able to eat kielbasa with cream cheese on it... and know that you're "being good"!

Jan 01, 2008 Day One of 365 Days

2008-01-01T19:32:00.001-08:00

Jan 01, 2008 Day One of 365 Days
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant

Restarting the self-portrait project.

Day 1.

And, technically, it'll be 366 days.

Meme!

2008-01-01T09:04:00.000-08:00

Bold the ones that are true for you.

The list is based on an exercise developed by Will Barratt, Meagan Cahill, Angie Carlen, Minnette Huck, Drew Lurker, Stacy Ploskonka at Illinois State University. The exercise developers ask that if you participate in this blog game, you acknowledge their copyright.

If you post this in your blog, please leave a comment on this post. To participate in this blog game, copy and paste the above list into your blog, and bold the items that are true for you. If you don't have a blog, feel free to post your responses in the comments.

Father went to college (technical college - paid for when he became disabled)
Father finished college (see above)
Mother went to college
Mother finished college
Have any relative who is an attorney, physician, or professor
Were the same or higher class than your high school teachers
Had more than 50 books in your childhood home
Had more than 500 books in your childhood home
Were read children's books by a parent
Had lessons of any kind before you turned 18 Swimming lessons (either in Maryland or Georgia)... I kept nearly drowning myself.
Had more than two kinds of lessons before you turned 18
The people in the media who dress and talk like me are portrayed positively
Had a credit card with your name on it before you turned 18
Your parents (or a trust) paid for the majority of your college costs
Your parents (or a trust) paid for all of your college costs
Went to a private high school
Went to summer camp Yep. I went to my dad's church's girls camp, which I had to pay for myself, AND I went to Girl Scout camp, scholarship.
Had a private tutor before you turned 18
Family vacations involved staying at hotels My stepfather worked for hotels, so we got 'em free. But before Mom married him, no.
Your clothing was all bought new before you turned 18
Your parents bought you a car that was not a hand-me-down from them.
There was original art in your house when you were a child.
Had a phone in your room before you turned 18.
You and your family lived in a single family house. When I was a teenager, we moved into my grandmother's rental home. Mom is buying it from her. Sort of.
Your parent(s) owned their own house or apartment before you left home.
You had your own room as a child ( but not after I was no longer an "only" child - and, actually, even as an only child, most of the time, I didn't have my own room. We could often only afford a one bedroom).
Participated in an SAT/ACT prep course
Had your own TV in your room in High School At one point, I think I did. But then it was "taken" by my sisters.
Owned a mutual fund or IRA in High School or College
Flew anywhere on a commercial airline before you turned 16
Went on a cruise with your family
Went on more than one cruise with your family
Your parents took you to museums and art galleries as you grew up. My mother did, when we lived in MD and Germany. But not after about the age of 8.
You were unaware of how much heating bills were for your family

I couldn't have said it better myself.

2008-01-01T09:01:00.000-08:00

May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't to forget make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself. - Neil Gaiman

5 things I do that are frugal and 5 that aren't.

2007-12-29T01:13:00.001-08:00

5 things I do that are frugal:

1. I take my lunch to work almost every day. It's been a couple of months since I haven't brought lunch with me. Very frugal, especially since I try to use leftovers.
2. I don't own a car. So I don't have to pay a car payment, insurance, or gas. In fact, using the bus is VERY frugal, since it costs me $0. My work pays for my pass.
3. I don't buy tons of geek gadgets (no matter how badly I want to!).
4. Most of my entertainment is cheap - for instance, the computer actually works out to very little money spent when you consider how many hours of use I get out of it every month.
5. When grocery shopping, I often buy store brand. Unless the name brand is on sale, in which case, I buy that.

5 things I do that aren't frugal:

1. I drink a buttload of soda. It adds up.
2. I eat a lot of candy.
3. This is the worst one: I often cab to work in the morning. It adds up quickly, but I'm not fond of walking a mile and a half at 4 am. Furthermore, because I'm often sick, it is STUPID to walk to work some mornings. (For instance, this past week, I haven't felt bad about cabbing - I'm still recovering from pnuemonia. Walking in the cold weather would be bad and STUPID.)
4. We eat out a lot.
5. Having four pets definitely isn't frugal. But it's worth it.

What about you?

Slow craft

2007-12-19T13:43:00.001-08:00

One of the blogs that I read daily is In A Minute Ago. It's a fiber arts blog and this post is about something mentioned on there, but please don't turn away, even if you're not a fiber artist. This doesn't apply just to fiber arts only. The specific thing mentioned on that post is "slow cloth" but this is relevant across the arts and crafts fields, really. If you don't care about the cloth part, fine, scroll down to the bottom. I've talked to people. I know that a lot of people feel the same way as me in what I'm about to talk about.

Sharon, of In A Minute Ago, recently posted a post about "Slow Cloth" but also called it "Slow Craft". And here's the gist of this: what has happened recently is that craft has become cool. BUT a lot of people take this in the same way they take the rest of their lives: in a very hurried pace. What this means is that we're seeing the proliferation of "Last minute handmade gifts - in 15 minutes!!!" kits. The person goes out, buys a kit, and makes the same exact thing that fifty other people made. Most of them change NOTHING and very little thought is put into this. Now, if a craft truly only takes fifteen minutes, but you selected the parts yourself and truly thought about what the person you are giving it to would like (or, if not got a gift, something you'd love to have), I think that could probably be considered slow craft. What we're talking about here is pre-made, might as well have bought you that ever-present butter-cheese-caramel-popcorn-in-a-tin kits. Where very little thought or time commitment is involved on your part. Slow Craft is the opposite of this.

“Do you think we need a craft philosophy that celebrates the handcrafted object made with care and meaning without regard to time?” - pulled from Sharon's blog.

Yes, frankly, I do.

For instance, one of my big pet peeves is Scrapbookers. (I've instantly gotten myself hated by a lot of people, I know, but this is how I feel and I'm not afraid to say it.) I'm not talking about people who make real scrapbooks. I'm talking about someone who announces herself (it's usually a her - though there are men who do this) as a Scrapbooker and goes to her Scrapbooking meetings and groups where they all make the exact same layout. Or worse, she goes to the Scrapbooking store and buys a completely pre-made layout, takes two minutes to shove it in her scrapbook, and then sticks the appropriate picture in the appropriate box. I even saw one that, in the white space where the photo goes, said "INSERT PICTURE OF SON PLAYING FAVORITE SPORT HERE." Ok. How much less thought do you need? ARGH. I remember when scrapbooks were exactly that - books of scraps. You had pictures in there, sure, but you also wrote little bits, and attached memorabilia, ticket stubs, playbills, maybe the napkin from your wedding, or a small map of where you went - even if it was just your route from home to work - and various other things that had meaning to you. Things nobody even thinks of putting in their scrapbook anymore. If I never saw one of those "Scrapbooks" again, it would be too soon. Why do people even bother? Why don't they just stick the picture in an album? Or, even better, why don't they design a page THEMSELVES, without the use of premade pages and die cuts? Maybe even, I dunno, make their own background? What bothers me the most is that these people who put so little thought into it suddenly call themselves "Very Creative". Argh. These people COULD be being creative. It isn't hard. But, instead, encouraged by the idea that these things are creative, they stick with that. They don't expand. I'm frustrated for them.

It isn't so much about the time, but about the thought behind it.

And, if you're wondering where the term "slow cloth" came from, it follows in the tradition of Slow Food.

Health care

2007-11-09T19:53:00.000-08:00

I now have health care.

In fact, I went to the doctor's office today. And got four medicines. My copay was $15, and my medicines, combined, cost me $53 dollars. I was not too bothered by the cost, really, because all I could think was "Wow. I'm seeing a REAL doctor." And, while paying for the meds, "When I had to pay for these out-of-pocket, ONE of the two inhalers I now have cost me more than all four of these combined."

See, for the past eight years, my doctors have been either the ER or a crappy community clinic (where, as I told the nurse today, you really get what you pay for and nothing more). I've had to beg my old doctor (at the community clinic - she was a PA, actually) to give me asthma medication because, gee, I really like breathing. Today, all I had to say was "I'm kind of running low on albuterol. If you could give me another one, that would be nice, but I understand if you can't and I have to come back another time for that." The doc's response? "No, I'll give you another one. Are you supposed to be on any others?" And just like that, WHAM, I now have both my rescue inhaler and the steroid-for-long-term inhaler. He also gave me azithromycin, for an ear problem I've been having. I just had to say "I've found that amoxicillin and penicillin don't really work on me anymore. However, I have chronic ear infections and find that azithromycin seems to work really well for that." The old doc's response? "Well, I'd like to try amoxocillin/penicillin anyway, because that's the prescribed method for treating an ear infection." As if I don't know my own body's response. Seriously, that shit hasn't worked on me for YEARS. The new doc? "Ok... I'll give you azithromycin." Going to the clinic was an exercise in futility and I was highly likely to get sick going there as people generally only showed up when they were fairly sick and brought along their umpteen kids with them, half of whom were also sick.

If you've never been without health insurance, or have, but maybe not had health problems, you have no idea what it's like. There have been times where I've been literally struggling to breathe, and getting frustrated because I know most of my problems are manageable with adequate health care. Life is hard enough... it shouldn't be made worse by subpar health care.

Sure, I paid $68 for one doctor's visit (and the resulting medicines) today. But I was grateful to do it.

Whoops!

2007-11-08T22:31:00.001-08:00

Well, I forgot to post yesterday. Actually, no, I didn't FORGET, I just went to bed way earlier than I meant to. I was soooo sleepy. This whole "getting up at three am" thing has really taken a toll on me, as far as being able to stay awake.

Seriously, I have not gone to bed this early (unless I was ill) since I was in the seventh grade - many, many, many, MANY moons ago.

"Emergency" foods

2007-11-06T19:52:00.001-08:00

Now that I'm at my "permanent" spot at work (about 70 percent of us just moved desks because of shift changes), I am planning on slowly building up a reserve of emergency foods and snack foods. (By emergency foods, I mean things that I can eat if I've forgotten my lunch at home.) Things I'm thinking of getting:

Lara Bars (I love the Cherry Pie flavor. Yummy. I'm not, however, a big fan of anything of theirs that is cocoa/chocolate.)
Shelf-stable packs of tuna (or, perhaps, in tuna in a can.)
Gluten-free soups (canned)
Maybe some nuts
Gluten free crackers
Jar of peanut butter
Canned fruit/veggies
Dried fruit/veggies

I have at my disposal: a toaster (hesitant to use, because of cross-contamination), a microwave, hot water, and a can opener. They also provide plastic silverware and paper plates. Any other food suggestions? (Don't forget that I need them to be gluten-free!)

It's important to be vigilant.

2007-11-05T19:23:00.000-08:00

Here in the US, Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching. (Early November is the harbinger of busy-ness in my life. There's Thanksgiving, followed by my birthday, followed by my anniversary - all within a week and a day, followed by Christmas less than a month later.) Unfortunately, if you've got a food allergy or food sensitivity, the "food holidays" can be a mine field. Even when people mean well, it's a lot to think about. And, generally, unless it's you or your spouse who has the food issue, there are little tiny things you might overlook. Please don't think I'm getting "down" on anybody here. It's a lot to learn. I still pick up foods that I think I can eat and learn that I can't. So, I don't really expect others to know what I can and cannot have.

My mother makes a big deal out of her two favorite "food" holidays, one of them being Thanksgiving (the other being Christmas). We always have Thanksgiving at her house (sometimes, when I was a kid, there would be THREE Thanksgivings in one day, always including the one at her house). She makes a turkey, stuffing, etc. We can bring stuff (and I usually do) but even if we only ate what she made, there'd still be way more than enough. And my mother has always been fairly tolerant of my food issues, including when I was being vegetarian. But things slip by. Now, my mother is a cook, and has been for many years. When I was little, she made everything from scratch. And yet, in the same breath, she assured me that she normally thickens her gravy with cornstarch and then "double-checked" to make sure I can have cream of mushroom soup (I can't - it's made with wheat flour, something that most cooks would know, but probably not think about).

This year, I asked if she'd have it at my house. She said no, she didn't want to, and, in addition, she didn't know if she could talk my stepfather into it (he wants to watch football on their much-larger-than-ours tv). So, I'm planning on bringing a couple of dishes. I'm not sure what, but I do know I'll probably be bringing a pie or some type of dessert, in addition to whatever else I bring. And I plan on putting those dishes far FAR away from the "regular" foods. And they will probably be color-coded.

My mother seems to think I'm being a bit obsessive. I like to call it vigilant. I HAVE to be. Flour in the gravy, a crouton in my salad, or cracker crumbs on my plate could set me back a whole three days. When you're looking at something like that, it's important to be vigilant.

Who wants to be in pain, bloated, crampy, and feeling crappy for three days? Not me, thanks.

Nov. 05, 2007 Bento

2007-11-04T20:59:00.001-08:00

Nov. 05, 2007 Bento
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant

I cut this weirdly because... I need to clean my kitchen. ;) Anyway, in the white container (which is actually the lid), is an instant miso soup packet. And in the upper blue container is an egg purse, a piece of this weird tangy/sweet orange candy, and plum candies (they've been preserved with sugar and salt). In the bottom blue container, I have two onigiris, which have been flavored using some furikake (I think it's a mixed veggie one... the packet had hello kitty on a horse, so who knows?), another egg purse, and another piece of orange candy.

Food and organization issues.

2007-11-03T23:01:00.001-07:00

I have some bento supplies and have packed some fairly "American"-style bentos. I'd like to pack some bentos that are more fun, though, and have a better variety. Here's the problem: I'm not very organized. Actually, that's being kind. The only thing that I own that moves around (ie not something like the computer that just stays in one place), yet still has its own "home" is my work badge. And the reason for this is that aside from not being able to get into the office if I don't have it (although I can stand there and wait for somebody to come by, it's not a good thing), my bus pass is on the backside of my work badge. AND this way, I'll find it no matter what.

But, back to my point. When it comes to food, I need to be more organized. This is seriously becoming an issue because of my food sensitivities. But, I'm not that "type" of person. I prefer to what I'm going to eat right before I eat it, rather than days ahead. In fact, if I plan to have a certain meal on a certain day, or even just these various meals throughout the week, 99% of the time, that's not going to be what I want when the time rolls around to actually eat that thing. Generally, I just eat it anyway, but feel far less satisfied than if I decided "Gee, today, I'd like steak and potatoes" and went out and got steak and potatoes.

I'm hoping to come up with a list during week of some "pantry" items that combine well with whatever I decide to pick up that day. Now that I'm getting off earlier and going through downtown almost every day, it would be easy to just pick something up to cook for dinner on my way home. We'll see if I actually do either of those things. Like I said, I'm not too organized.

Lunch

2007-11-02T23:47:00.001-07:00

My work schedule is about to change, now that I'm done with post-training. Starting next week, I'll be working Mon-Wednesday, five to two, and Sat-Sunday six to two-thirty. Our lunches, during the week, are hour long (my "lunch" will be at eight-thirty, when a lot of people are still having breakfast), whereas on the weekend, we only have half an hour. There's a pretty good reason for this. During the week, the food court is open in the next building over (we're connected via an underground tunnel-walkway), as is all sorts of places in the immediate area. And, depending on the time of day you get food, it can take half an hour just to get food - not including the eating part - in the next building over because EVERYONE is there. But, on the weekend, those places close. There's a drugstore nearby that I'm pretty sure is open, but their "deli" is closed on the weekends, too (or so I've been told).

This pretty much means that if I want to eat lunch on the weekends, I have to pack my lunch. It's challenging to find food if you have no food allergies or sensitivities, but in my case, I'd pretty much be choosing between candy and potato chips. (That's a slight exaggeration - they sell canned fruit with syrupy stuff. Of course, half of that has high fructose corn syrup, which I'm also sensitive to.) I don't mind, though. It's not hard to pack lunch, even with dietary restrictions. The only time I buy lunch during the week is if I forget my lunch at home (oops) or if my husband joins me for lunch (he can't come into my lunch room - it's not allowed - but we can go over to the huge food court in the next building). I have the attitude of a two year old when it comes to bedtime (no nap! not sleepy!), so I try to make my lunch the night before, because I'm usually too tired in the morning. This has more to do with "I can't pull myself out of bed" than "I don't want to cook, I'm sleepy" but that's not the point here.

Earlier today, I was having a discussion with somebody who lives three minutes - walking time - from his work. He goes home for lunch. I'd love to do that, and probably could, during the week, but then I'd only have five to ten minutes at home before I had to turn right back around. Thanks, but no. He says that it saves him tons of money to go home for lunch because "you can spend ten dollars or so on lunch at work, when you go out". To which I mentioned that, you know, you could always pack your lunch (like I do). Something about what the guy said next didn't make sense to me, but I couldn't figure out what was "off" about it until he'd already left (I was tired, ok?). What he said was this: "But then you have to make it at home." Now, the logical part of my brain supplied me with the weird thing here. Whether you make your lunch and eat it at home or make it at home and eat it at work, YOU'RE STILL MAKING IT AT HOME. However, at the time, my brain interpreted what he said to mean "You have to make it in the morning," and so I said "Well, you don't have to make it that morning. You can pack your lunch the night before." And the response: "But, you still have to make it. That's a lot of work." I let it go.

As I said before, I mainly pack lunch. Part of that is out of necessity because of my dietary needs, but part of it is because I really do LIKE bringing my lunch. And I hate having to pay for a meal while I'm working. My defective brain likes to tell me how much of my work day I have just "wasted" by eating out.

My question to you guys is this: Do you mainly buy lunch or do you mainly pack lunch?

Getting over the pity party.

2007-11-01T21:24:00.001-07:00

About a week and a half ago, I went to see Shauna (of The Gluten-Free Girl fame) at Whole Foods. She was promoting her book,Gluten-Free Girl: How I Found the Food That Loves Me Back...And How You Can Too and I bought a copy. I'd been hesitant to do so - not because I thought the book wouldn't be good, but because money was really tight for me at the time.

I'm so glad I bought that book.

It almost immediately brought my out of "feeling sorry for myself" mode. My husband had been saying "Don't think about what you can't have, think about what you CAN have," which was good advice, except that I couldn't think of what I COULD have. Shauna's book was able to finish that sentence for him. The book said "... and here's what those things are." (That's not all the book was about, but that was a big portion of the book.)

But now, I'm in a kind of "tough spot". The truth of the matter is that I'd love to try baking with specialty flours and flirting with gourmet ingredients, but I'm not exactly rich. And a lot of those things ARE expensive. So, I'm trying to figure out how to eaten gluten-free without breaking the bank or feeling that my food has become monotonous. I've found some inexpensive naturally gluten free things that have been pretty tasty. For instance, lunch yesterday was rice with cheese on top and tea eggs. It was pretty tasty, and not expensive at all. I packed it in my bento box and for some reason, that always makes things feel a little special.

To slightly switch topics, on Sunday night, we celebrated my mother's birthday at the Old Spaghetti Factory. They now have gluten-free pasta. It's actually pretty good, though it doesn't reheat very well (the same could be said about most noodles, however). The pasta is NOT spaghetti-shaped, but that's fine - it was spiral-shaped. It was okay with the spaghetti sauce, but was REALLY good with the mizthra cheese and olive oil. I think that it seemed like a simple pasta dish that way... maybe "old world" is what I mean to say. The pasta itself didn't really have much flavor, which isn't a bad thing. However, to be fair, I will admit that I'm constantly congested so it's hard for me to detect some of the "lighter" flavors. It had a slightly sweet hint to it. I'd be willing to order it again. Also, I called ahead and the staff was able to tell me what and how to order it in such a way that the kitchen staff would know what to do. It was nice. One of my little sisters was going to order the gluten-free pasta. I told her if she did, that she'd better not have any bread or the cake afterwards... or I'd personally kick her. Hard. I explained that it's hard enough to get places to offer such foods. It's even harder to get people to take us (people with gluten problems) seriously, and not just think it's a "fad" or worse, that we're being picky or want to be "treated specially" and are making it up/lying about it. She opted for the whole wheat pasta instead. I think she realized that I really would kick her. VERY hard. The dinner went fairly smoothly for me (food wise)... I only had a short wistful moment when the bread was down near me. I used to eat TONS of that bread every time we went (embarrassing amounts, really) but I thought really hard about how cruddy I'd feel for three days after eating it and it didn't seem as desirable after that.

Tea Eggs

2007-10-30T22:45:00.001-07:00

Tea Eggs
Originally uploaded by JoeGray

I'm talking to my husband and he says "Misa, did you put some eggs in tea this morning?"
"Last night, but... yes."
"Well... why?"

So, here's the thing: no answer I give my husband is really going to sound good to him. He doesn't like eggs, anyway. And so, "tea eggs" wouldn't sound good to him. But they're really tasty to me! Tea eggs are normally made with regular black tea, various spices, and some orange peel. It's mostly a Chinese thing. After hard-cooking the eggs, you gently crack the shell - you're trying to get through the shell but not the membrane on the inside. Then, you simmer the eggs in the tea/spice/orange peel mixture for an hour or two. I didn't have two hours and my stove doesn't like to keep an even temperature, so I attempted to simmer for about an hour, then left to "marinate" overnight. And I didn't have orange peel, so I used lemon extract. And instead of black tea/spices, I used chai tea. Chai tea actually has most of the spices that are normally used for tea eggs, so that worked out well.

I wish I'd gone for two hours. I can taste a small hint of the chai. It's yummy but I wish the flavor was just a bit more intense.

I forgot to take a pic, but I found this excellent pic by somebody who DID remember! Also, check out the inside of the shell. It's beautiful.

I cooked four eggs. Two remain. They're in my bento box, for lunch tomorrow.

Breakdown

2007-10-22T00:05:00.001-07:00

I had a breakdown today. It wasn't pretty and it wasn't fun. I yelled at my husband and broke down in tears. Yeah, I felt childish after it happened, but I was so very frustrated and overwhelmed.

Over the past few months, I've totally ignored the gluten issue. In fact, I've eaten TONS of stuff with gluten in it, not really caring that I'd suffer for it later. And maybe I could keep putting up with the pain and the gas and the "digestive issues" except for one thing: I'm pretty certain that all of this weakens my immune system. Early this month, I caught a "bug" at work. I started feeling the symptoms on the fourth or the fifth. It is now the twenty-first and I am still sick. This isn't usual. There's at least one or two weekends a month where I cannot do anything. I have to stay at home, sick. Many months, I'm sick three or four weekends... yes, sometimes EVERY weekend in a month. It's either annoying or frustrating, depending on how long the sickness lasts. Nothing gets done around the house. I have no energy. Our weekend plans get tossed aside. You get the picture.

But that isn't why I ended up a ball of tears. (Okay, that's part of it. Being sick for nearly three weeks can make a person cranky.) The real reason had to do with grocery shopping. See, today was my first day back "gluten-free". But because I'm still sick, my husband went out, got food for today, and told me to do some grocery shopping online while he was gone. When he came back, the only food I'd managed to put in the cart was tuna, rice, and cheese. I told him that's what I was eating for the week, and that he should get himself a bunch of microwavable meals or whatever he wanted to cook. Big argument ensues because my husband knows that I'd be tired of tuna, rice, and cheese by lunch on Tuesday. I didn't care. After all, I couldn't figure out what to eat and, to be honest, was holding a mini-pity-party for myself. Despite all my protesting and insisting that I had no clue what to eat (at the time, really, I couldn't think of anything), my husband insisted I order more things that I could eat.

"But, honey, I don't know what to order. I can't eat 99% of what we're used to ordering. You don't know what it's like to feel like you can't eat ANYTHING."
"Start by adding potatoes. You can have meat, too. Get some of that."

So, I did. I added those things and then some more. I still figure that I might need more food towards the end of the week, but I think I'm going to hit up Whole Foods on Wednesday night. I hear they're having a gluten-free vendor going on from six to seven that night.

Anyway, I'm still frustrated. And pissed. And yes, I feel a bit sorry for myself... but at least I'm not crying anymore.

Some days are fine, some a little bit harder.

2007-10-14T00:06:00.001-07:00

Some days are fine, some a little bit harder.
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant

"I'm not that ill. Bad moments come, but they go. Some days are fine. Some a little bit harder." - Eva Peron, in the musical Evita.

I get sick all the time. Almost every weekend and a lot of weekdays. I try to suck it up and deal, but... days like today really wear me out. I just spent a good hour or so coughing stuff up, so much so that I lost my dinner. (I often feel like my lungs are attempting to revolt.) So that "healthy red glow" to my cheeks? That's actually the result of all the "work" of throwing up. Fun.

Oct. 10, 2007 Self-Portrait

2007-10-10T21:34:00.001-07:00

Oct. 10, 2007 Self-Portrait
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant

Self-portrait, in the bath, with ParkerKitty. He loves climbing all over the tub while people are in it and often gets his tail wet (he and his brother have unusually long tails). He doesn't appreciate getting any other part of himself wet. In fact, he threatened to kill me as I was taking this picture, for holding him above the water - while I sleep, of course...

Oct. 09, 2007 Self-Portrait

2007-10-09T20:08:00.001-07:00

Oct. 09, 2007 Self-Portrait
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant

Day 9.

For the Get Naked Behind a Book mini-challenge in the "365 days" flickr group.

It made sense to me to take this in the tub. That's where I do 99% of my reading.

Oct. 07, 2007 Self-Portrait

2007-10-07T21:12:00.001-07:00

Oct. 07, 2007 Self-Portrait
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant

Day 7 of my year-long self-portrait party.

Me and Joey... doesn't he look thrilled? ;P

Started a new job... and a semi-rant.

2007-10-06T13:34:00.001-07:00

I started my new job this week. And it's going well. Except... except that there's this guy in my training class who I will call J. J came in on Monday with a cough. The rest of us were fairly well, but J had this cough. This is going to sound mean, but every time I heard J cough, I wanted to throttle him, throw up, or both. He's a nice guy, but... eww. And I'm not the only one. I've talked to at least five other people in my class who completely agree with me. See, J coughs once, makes this sound like he's about throw up, and then coughs again. It's disgusting. But that's not the worst part.

On Monday, J was coughing. No cough drops. On Tuesday, he had a couple of cough drops. Wednesday, he had a handful of coughs. On Wednesday, I suggested Delsym, which is the world's best cough supressant. It's a bit expensive, almost ten bucks a bottle, but it says "12 hours" and it means it. Every other 12 hour cough medicine I've ever used has worn off after three or four hours, if it worked at all to begin with. And when I take that stuff, there is NO coughing. He said, "Umm... thanks." I later found out that over the course of that day/the next day, several people suggested that cough medicine or whatever worked for them. Thursday, J came in with a BAG of cough drops. When our trainer, who obviously hadn't seen the bag, suggested that he get some cough drops, and he goes "I already have some." When somebody suggested cough suppressant, he said "Yeah, I took Nyquil last night." Meanwhile, throughout the week, because J is a rather outgoing fellow, he would walk around to other people's stations, stop, talk with them, etc. Friday he comes into work and the cough sounds even worse. He says that yeah, he's not feeling well. He leaves at lunch after suggesting to a couple of us that he was slightly upset because it didn't seem like rest of us were being very supportive.

Want to know what else happened on Friday? Most of us started coughing/feeling sick. Some of us started a little on Thursday, but it got really bad on Friday. And now, I'm sick this weekend. I had stuff I wanted to do, and I'm angry. I'm angry because J knew there was another training class, starting at the end of the month, and they would have let him in it. He could have said "Look, I'm pretty sick... can I do the other class?" Furthermore, we've had at least five different trainers through the week, going over various different things, and EVERY one of them asked him if he was okay. Our main trainer, I feel, should have made him go home when it was obvious he wouldn't take the initiative himself. Or on of the other trainers could have done it. SOMEBODY should have said "GO HOME, YOU'RE MAKING EVERYONE SICK." My new job involves us working on the phones, in fairly close proximity to other people, in an office building, where sharing illnesses is EASY. Ugh.

So mad.

Oct. 1, 2007 Self Portrait.

2007-10-01T12:49:00.000-07:00

Self-portrait (Oct. 1, 2007)
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant.

This is a self-portrait of me right after my first day at my new job. It's kind of bad quality because of it was taken with my phone, but I still like it.

"Misa, how will you feel about having to journal that food?"

2007-09-04T01:02:00.001-07:00

I'm trying to lose weight because I'm at a very unhealthy weight right now. But, it's hard. And I tend to eat without thinking.

So, earlier tonight, I asked my husband to do me a favor. I'm going to be writing down all my food intake for a while. So, if he knows I'm considering/about to eat a food he feels I shouldn't be eating, I would like him to ask me "Misa, how will you feel about having to journal that food?" I think this will be fairly helpful. Several times when I've tried to lose weight, sometimes at my request, if he sees me eating something he thinks I shouldn't, he will say something like "You don't want that" or "You shouldn't be eating that". The thing is (and here's why I think the "journaling question" will work better) most of the time, when he does that, my first thoughts are "Who the fuck is he to tell me what I want to eat/should be eating?" or "No, I definitely do want to eat that. I get to pick. Not him." And yeah, I know that sometimes I've asked him to do it, but there's part of me gets so resentful and angry that I want to scream and then eat three times as much of whatever it was. Not good. However, the journaling question lets me decide for myself and, in fact, doesn't even imply that I shouldn't be eating whatever it is. The truth is that, since I'm following the Weight Watchers points plan, I can have any food I want, I just have to limit the amount and plan/adjust for eating it. So, really, the question is more about asking myself if I have room for it in my plan/if that's what I want to eat. There are some foods that it's worth eating lightly for the rest of the day. Some foods are more "it's here, I'm here" but if it means I have to eat tiny meals the rest of the day, forget it.

And even more importantly, thinking about it as "How will I feel about having to journal this food?" means that I'm the one choosing what goes in my body, not anybody else. And that's a powerful thing.

Lunch today (Aug. 21, 2007)

2007-08-21T16:20:00.001-07:00

Lunch today (Aug. 21, 2007)
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant

I had sushi for lunch today. Much yummy-ness. I'd actually already eaten a piece when I took this picture today. Oh, yes, I had miso soup, also. Not bad for eight bucks.

Self portrait.

2007-07-26T19:22:00.000-07:00

I took this with my camera phone, so the quality is kinda crappy, but I really like how it turned out.

7 things you may or may not know about me

2007-07-24T09:34:00.000-07:00

7 things you may or may not know about me:

1. I was in Girl Scouts. First as a Brownie, then as a Junior Girl Scout. I've probably been in ten or so different troops (we moved around a lot when I was a kid) and each time, I had to beg to join. Each troop has dues that you're supposed to pay. When I was a Brownie, I remember constantly being short and feeling guilty when I had to ask my mom for any of it at all. Dues were two dollars a week. The eight dollars a month was a huge hit to our budget.

2. In seventh grade, I joined the school band and started playing the flute. I only got to join because my father's parents paid for the flute. I switched to the piccolo to play in the parade and they wouldn't pay for both. Sadly, when I switched schools, my band teacher had a shit fit in my general direction because the piccolo isn't meant to be played in most band pieces and I was back to playing the flute. By the time I was in the ninth grade, I played bari sax because the school needed somebody to and I seemed to have the ability to pick up on instruments quite quickly. Unfortunately for me, getting new reeds was quite a chore (time and money my mother didn't have) so I often had to use old reeds. To this day, if I think of it, I can taste the reeds and I get this horrible sensation in my teeth. In tenth grade, I played the flute again. Throughout this whole time, I loved playing. I was the girl who went above and beyond the amount of practice I needed just because I enjoyed making music so much. However, my band teacher managed to drain the fun out of it so much that I hated going to band in the eleventh grade. My father finally took me out of band because I wasn't practicing as much any more (it was by my request, I think). I still think about renting a flute and paying for flute lessons.

3. Part of the reason that I chose not to have children was because I think being a mother made my mom miserable.

4. My favorite color is purple.

5. When I was little, I hated having red hair. Now, I love it.

6. I drink wayyyy too much Diet Coke.

7. I often wake up in the middle of the night for no reason other than to check the clock and make sure my alarm is set. Several times.

Five things that happened today (July 16 2007) and one that didn't.

2007-07-16T21:50:00.000-07:00

Five things that happened...

My husband went with me to my gyno appointment. After it was over, he says "That's it? I always thought there was more to it than that." Because, really, once I've spread my legs for the doc, it only takes her a minute or two. Still, I don't like going there.

Our groceries were delivered. We'd gotten a coupon for free delivery. I forgot how convenient that was. However, Friday (our black cat) tried to make a run for it. Luckily for us, we live in a secured building, rather than one where our apartment door opens up to the outside.

I went to the store anyway. See, I had library books to return, so I did. While I was there, I filled out their adult summer reading form, for which you get one five dollar Starbucks giftcard. I then went into the store next to it and found myself shopping. I was going to buy stuff to make no-cinnamon-applesauce but I needed a vanilla bean. They've apparently stopped carrying them in bulk and now only sell them in jars that cost $14. That plus the other stuff I needed would have been too expensive (payday is tomorrow).

I made pork loin and mashed potatoes for dinner. It's funny because both my husband and I consider the pork loin to be "expensive". It's eight dollars and, yeah, that's expensive... until you stop to consider that it's only four dollars a person. Add that to the fact that we eat out a lot, at places that charge more than four dollars for the main course, and, really, it becomes a good deal.

I got in a long, involved fight with my sister's boyfriend. It ended with him saying that I shouldn't attempt to talk to my sister until she decides she's "ready" to contact me again. If I do, I'll get "slapped with a no-contact order". I'm patiently waiting for this to blow over.

... and one that didn't.

We didn't go see "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix". My husband works nights so we were going to go when he got up. We didn't because we didn't get home from the doctor's office until 1:30pm or so. That means he went to bed around two or so. He would have had to get up at 5:30. Not happening. We'll do it later this week, probably. I have Saturday off (he he... I took that off so I wouldn't be exhausted after staying up all night to read the last Harry Potter book).

Parker and Friday (on July 07, 2007)

2007-07-07T17:03:00.001-07:00

Parker and Friday (on July 07, 2007)
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant

Tryin' to sleep.

Meet Friday (June 22, 2007)

2007-06-22T10:12:00.001-07:00

Meet Friday (June 22, 2007)
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant

So. We were babysitting Parker's brother for my husbands's co-worker. We'd gotten them on the same day and they just have a ball together. So we've decided to keep this one and give his co-worker another kitty from the same litter. His name is Friday because he's kind of regal (as in "King Friday").

Meet Parker (June 18, 2007)

2007-06-18T19:06:00.001-07:00

Meet Parker (June 18, 2007)
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant

Parker is the newest addition to our household. He's currently seven weeks old and very, very curious.

Five points

2007-05-15T00:55:00.000-07:00

1. You never know somebody as well as you think you do. Today, after having been together for over six years, I just learned that my husband used to bake two cheesecakes a week, back before he moved to Seattle. He has never baked me a cheesecake. And, dammit, I like cheesecake. Why no cheesecake for Misa?

2. Jeremy, in his amazing ability to tear himself apart, managed to get his right eye to hemorrhage last week. On Thursday, they'll fix it. It involves another vitrectomy (eye-jelly-sucking-out-deal-y-o) and they'll also remove his cataract. He'll be able to see again, which is good.

3. We were lying in bed earlier today (we've done a lot of lying-in-bed this week, as he can't really DO anything because he can't see) when I mentioned that I would love to bake things but they generally need to be done in bigger batches than we can (or should) eat. He suggested giving stuff to co-workers, our apartment managers, the upstairs neighbors (who we know by sight, but not by name), etc. It's not that I hadn't thought of that, but... I don't know why I'd never seriously considered it before.

4. We're still doing the gym, but no weight-lifting right now (and haven't been, for a week), owing to the fact that the pressure would probably damage Jeremy's eye even more. So, tell me, then, why do my biceps hurt?

5. I still think Pirates 3 has a good chance of beating out Spidey 3. Just saying is all.

Interview questions

2007-03-25T17:36:00.001-07:00

From a friend on livejournal...

1) Pick something you are currently working to change in yourself (a habit, diet, etc.). Why is it important to you?

I'm working on my diet and weight loss right now. Yes, that's important. Very important. But there's something that I consider even more important that I'm working on: de-stressing. I'm a constant ball of stress. Really, most of it is my fault. Not in the "you make your own destiny" sort of way. Nope. Given that I only work three days a week and have no children, I have a lot of free time. But it never feels like I do. Why? I try to do too much, in relation to my hobbies. I'll sign up for tons of swaps, then feel overwhelmed, so I'll procrastinate until a day or two before they're due. Or, I set self-imposed deadlines and stress out when I don't make them. I think about how much work needs to be done on the apartment, then feel overwhelmed... so I put it off. I have physical symptoms from stress. And, honestly, I've been stressed out for as long as I can remember, even back to being a little kid. I'd just like a little peace, you know?

2) How do you choose your friends?

I tend to make friends with people who are just a bit "odd" or slightly damaged in some way. There are very few exceptions. I think that part of that is because I'm odd AND slightly damaged. They're people I can talk with who I know won't look at me weirdly when I go off on one of my little tangents (this happens ALL the time).

3) You list embroidery as an interest - tell me more, please!

Last July, I picked up Jenny Hart's Stitch-It Kit. Before doing that, I hadn't done ANY embroidery since I was... 10 or so? And most of that was cross-stitch. And I don't know that I ever finished any of them. They constantly frustrated me. So, I was a bit nervous but, obviously, interested. Well, it turns out that I was able to pick up most of the stitches quite easily. And this wasn't as difficult for me as cross-stitch. It just seemed a bit more free and less confining. (Plus, I didn't have the lines of the fabric hurting my eyes when I tried to count.) Then, took an online class from Sharon Boggon called "Develop a Personal Library of Stitches". I was introduced to so many new stitches and encouraged to explore and "push" each stitch in different ways. After that class was over, I signed up for her "Encrusted Crazy Quilting" class. I'm not sure how much you know about crazy quilting, but basically, it's free form quilting, generally using small-ish pieces of fabric. You do seam treatments using embroidery. Encrusted refers to a style that's heavily embellished. (Some examples by Sharon are here, here, and here.)

You can see some of my fiber work at Flickr. I haven't actually gotten around to uploading my class block with more work having been done on it yet. But, you can see the start of my CQ block AND some of my embroidery samples.

4) What is the earliest home you can remember? What do you remember about it?

I remember one of the apartments that we lived in in Germany (we moved there when I was two and a half and moved away when I was seven). I remember bits and pieces of what it looked like, but mostly, the smell. Not that it stank, but each place smells different to me. I'm very attached to how places - and people - smell. Smells evoke VERY strong memories for me.

5) And, the obligatory food question. If I asked your RL acquaintance,what food would they say is your favorite? Are they right?

Chocolate. Or ice cream. They'd be right on both accounts. They might answer Diet Coke, though, and that'd be right, too, if we're including beverages.

Interview meme

2007-03-25T01:53:00.001-07:00

1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by asking you five personal questions so I can get to know you better.
3.Update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. Include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, ask them five questions. And so on, and so on, and so on.

Block progress as of March 10, 2007

2007-03-11T09:35:00.001-07:00

Block progress as of March 10, 2007
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant.

I've added a few seam treatments and snuck in a few weeks worth of TAST!. As far as TAST goes, I've done week 10 (barred chain... I hope I did it right), week 9 (cross-stitch), and week 8 (fly stitch). There's also some wonky little thing I came up with down in the bottom right corner. I've recently read Carole Samples' book Treasury of Crazyquilt Stitches and it gave me a bit of inspiration, as far as seam embellishment goes.

Packet from Margaret (March 10, 2007)

2007-03-11T00:25:00.001-08:00

Packet from Margaret (March 10, 2007)
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant.

Margaret sent me this lovely packet of things to make wing veins for my butterfly! Thank you Margaret!!

Progress on my first crazy quilt block (as of March 3, 2007)

2007-03-03T05:22:00.001-08:00

Progress on my first crazy quilt block (as of March 3, 2007)
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant.

I filled in the body of the butterfly. I plan on working on seam embellishments before coming back to the butterfly wings.

Fabric Pack from Diane Part 2 (March 02, 2007)

2007-03-03T02:33:00.001-08:00

Fabric Pack from Diane Part 2 (March 02, 2007)
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant.

This is part two of two.

I'm currently taking Sharon B's Encrusted Crazy Quilting class. I haven't done much sewing or quilting and thus, had very little in the way of fabric. I also had very little in the way of ribbons for ribbon embroidery, just the little bit that I'd purchased for the class. When I mentioned on the class forums that I didn't have much of a stash, Diane offered to send me some things to help build my stash. What she sent me was amazing!! It took two photos to capture all of these. In this picture, you can see the ribbons that she sent. Aren't they beautiful?

Fabric Pack from Diane Part 1(March 02, 2007)

2007-03-03T02:31:00.001-08:00

Fabric Pack from Diane Part 1(March 02, 2007)
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant.

This is part one of two.

I'm currently taking Sharon B's Encrusted Crazy Quilting class. I haven't done much sewing or quilting and thus, had very little in the way of fabric. I also had very little in the way of ribbons for ribbon embroidery, just the little bit that I'd purchased for the class. When I mentioned on the class forums that I didn't have much of a stash, Diane offered to send me some things to help build my stash. What she sent me was amazing!! It took two photos to capture all of these.

Progress on my First Crazy Quilt Block (as of Feb 28, 2007)

2007-02-28T21:23:00.001-08:00

Progress on my First Crazy Quilt Block (as of Feb 28, 2007)
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant.

Butterfly!! I think I'm going to fill in the body (not sure about that, but I think so), however I'm don't think I'll fill in the wings. You can't tell in the pic, but the wings are "raised" a bit because I embroidered the red over my black backstitch outline. I'm hoping it helps break up the line in the middle of my block. I might have to fill in the body, but I'm really liking it as it is.

My cat plays fetch.

2007-02-26T02:51:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the crappy quality... I'm new to this.

My first Crazy Quilt block (naked!), done on Feb. 15, 2007

2007-02-16T13:30:00.001-08:00

My first Crazy Quilt block (naked!), done on Feb. 15, 2007
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant.

This is my first crazy quilt block. The fabrics are a bit shiny, so the block looks a little odd. There are a few design issues, too, but I'm still proud of the piece. Not only is it my first CQ block, but it's the first time I've used a machine without somebody standing over me, instructing me (and even that was only one or two times). This block is "naked" because I've yet to embellish it.

Questions Couple Should Ask (or Wish They Had) Before Marrying

2007-02-14T11:51:00.001-08:00

There's a NY Times article entitled "Questions Couple Should Ask (or Wish They Had) Before Marrying". And, while there's a lot of these questions that I agree with, there's a few that I don't. And there's a few questions that I think were left off the list that definitely should be on there.

Questions I disagree with:

10) Do we like and respect each other’s friends? Frankly, I don't think my husband needs to like my friends. It IS important, however, that he not get upset if I choose to spend time with friends he doesn't like. In return, I agree to do so either away from the home or when he's not here. Also, I think it's crucial that we have at least one or two mutual friends (or at least people we "don't mind hanging out with").

14) If one of us were to be offered a career opportunity in a location far from the other’s family, are we prepared to move? This should be amended. In Jeremy's case, he DOES live far from his family. But he likes living in Seattle. If I said that I wanted to get a job in New York (for example), I'm pretty certain the response would be "You're welcome to, but I'd really miss you." Thus, I think that the question should be "far from where we live currently" rather than "far from the other's family".

I would add:

Have we discussed what our home life will be like, including what kind of activities we want to participate in, any pets we want to have, home decor, etc? This is more important than people realize. He likes staying at home, she likes going out. He likes clean technologically- driven decor while she wants to be surrounded by multiple colors. He wants a dog, she wants a cat. She's a neat-freak, he's an artist who leaves bits of paper or paint lying around the house. These differences can work fine in a marriage, but, really, you have to discuss it beforehand and have to be willing to make compromises. I also think that before you get hitched, you need to discuss whether you want to own your own home/condo, and if so, when. Basically, you should know, at least loosely, what your day looks like, how much of it revolves around each other, and what compromises you're willing to make at home.

Do we have a common interest? You'd be surprised how many couples don't. This needs to be something fairly permanent. It can be a simple as both really enjoying a specific television show (as long as you realize that you'd better find something else before that show ends). You want to have something that you both can enjoy talking about (or doing).

In addition, and this is not really an "ask each other" question, but a "figure out about each other" question:

Are we approximately the same intellect level? So, she may be college educated and he might not be. And that could be fine, because not everybody has the resources to be well educated (or rather, to have a paper saying they're educated). But, I think that if he is very smart and she has a hard time with simple reading and can't do math well, it's going to be a rough ride. Part of this is just that they'll have a hard time finding something to talk about. Part of it is that, maybe not at first, but definitely after a few years, one may get really frustrated with the other.

Do you have any addition to the list? Any subtractions? Modifications? I'd love to hear 'em!

First Band for 2007 Band Round Robin

2007-02-12T14:15:00.001-08:00

First Band for 2007 Band Round Robin
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant.

This is the first band for a band sampler round robin that I'm in. We'll each stitch a band on everybody's piece. I've still not really figured out how to get good pictures of my embroidery. Maybe there's a setting on my camera that I'm not aware of? I'll have to figure it out soon - I'm tired of crappy photos.

Anyway, I'm very excited about participating in this round robin. I also must admit that I'm a bit nervous... all the other stitchers have been doing this for far long than I have and I don't want them to be disappointed with my work.

Fortunately/Unfortunately

2007-02-09T15:59:00.000-08:00

After a very long to the ER yesterday (there was a woman in the back screaming at somebody to stop, that she hated them, etc... so all of us in the waiting room were stuck out there for HOURS, including a woman who'd cut herself pretty fantastically but had managed to mostly stop the bleeding...), I have a diagnosis as to why my foot was hurting so bad. I have gout. (Oh, and the flu. Yay me!) While I'm pretty pissed that I have gout (who gets gout at 25 years old?!?!), it happens. And I get the next week off of work because of the foot thing (when your job involves standing on your feet all day and your foot hurts pretty badly... not a happy combo). It'll give me time to stitch. And sew. The Encrusted Crazy Quilting class starts today and, my husband loaned me the money to get a new sewing machine which should arrive right around Valentine's Day, so that's pretty nice.

This whole thing reminds me of the fortunately/unfortunately book that I read as a kid (Fortunately by Remy Charlip). Each line in the book alternatively begins with Fortunately or Unfortunately. A quote from the book, so you all understand what I'm trying to say here:

Fortunately, Ned was invited to a birthday party.
Unfortunately, the party was a thousand miles away.
Fortunately, a friend loaned Ned an airplane.
Unfortunately, the motor exploded.
Fortunately, there was a parachute in the airplane.
Unfortunately, there was a hole in the parachute.

Isn't that what life is? Just a series of circumstances, either fortunate or unfortunate, and all you can hope is the, in the end, the fortunate circumstances outweigh the unfortunate ones?

Inside of mp3 cozy. (Feb. 01, 2007)

2007-02-01T16:26:00.003-08:00

Inside of mp3 cozy. (Feb. 01, 2007)
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant.

This is the inside of the mp3 cozy. You can see the buttonhole stitching and also how it was constructed. I'm considering adding a bit of velcro or something to keep it closed, but really, I just made the cozy so that it wouldn't get scratched in my bag.

Inside of mp3 cozy. (Feb. 01, 2007)

2007-02-01T16:26:00.001-08:00

Inside of mp3 cozy. (Feb. 01, 2007)
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant.

Inside of mp3 cozy. (Feb. 01, 2007)

2007-02-01T16:24:00.003-08:00

Inside of mp3 cozy. (Feb. 01, 2007)
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant.

Inside of mp3 cozy. (Feb. 01, 2007)

2007-02-01T16:24:00.001-08:00

Inside of mp3 cozy. (Feb. 01, 2007)
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant.

mp3 cozy (made on Feb. 1, 2007)

2007-02-01T16:15:00.001-08:00

mp3 cozy (made on Feb. 1, 2006)
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant.

This is a cozy for my mp3 player. It's big enough to hold my mp3 player and the neck cord that I have attached to it. This also covers TAST (Take a Stitch Tuesday) for the past three weeks. The yellow flower is done in detached chain (week 3). The pink stitching is done in cretan stitch (week 4). That particular stitch, btw, was a new stitch for me the week that it was announced. It took a few tries for me to wrap my brain around how to do it. The green stitching is done in chevron stitch (this week, week 5). The inside is stitched up using buttonhole stitch (week 2.)

TAST Week 2 - Buttonhole Stitch

2007-01-13T01:00:00.001-08:00

TAST Week 2 - Buttonhole Stitch
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant.

The stitch for Take a Stitch Tuesday Week 2 was buttonhole stitch. I've made a heart here, using two layers of buttonhole stitching (and ran another thread beneath the top layer). The border is done in backstitch.

This is an ATC and I have to admit, I'm a little sad knowing it will have to leave me. Also, given that I'd always heard quilters and many embroiders ask "Do I HAVE to hoop that?", well, I'd always thought that it would be more comfortable without hooping. WRONG. I kept wishing I could put a hoop on it. (For reference, this piece is 3.5 by 2.5 inches. Hooping would have been... difficult.)

TAST Week 1 - Herringbone 2

2007-01-08T04:25:00.001-08:00

TAST Week 1 - Herringbone 2
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant.

This is a detail shot. As you can see, my stitching still isn't exactly "even". But, honestly, I am having too much fun to really be bothered about it. This is the first tea towel I've made for myself that I've actually planned on using. It's a thrill to be making something that is not only pretty, but useful.

TAST Week 1 - Herringbone 1 (Jan 2007)

2007-01-08T04:20:00.001-08:00

TAST Week 1 - Herringbone 1 (Jan 2007)
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant.

For the first week of "Take a Stitch Tuesday", the stitch was herringbone stitch. You can't actually see the stitch very well in this picture - I think the purple overshadows the green. (Oooh... I LOVE the purple/green color combo.) I chose to make a tea towel, rather than a sampler.

What I've been up to, embroidery wise.

2007-01-07T10:47:00.001-08:00

I've been working on Sharon's Take a Stitch Tuesday challenge - this week is the Herringbone stitch. I've created a tea towel for my apartment, using the herringbone stitch in green and another stitch in purple - which I'm not certain is actually a stitch at all! Perhaps, if it is, and someone sees it and knows what the stitch is called, they'll inform me. Unfortunately, I can't post a pic right now - my computer crashed last week and getting it back up and running properly has been a bit of a challenge for me. I've still not got Adobe Photoshop installed... I went to go do it this morning, but got a bit confused and decided to wait for my husband to wake up. (BTW, I imagine that I'm the only person involved in this challenge who does their stitching while watching Star Trek: TNG and I have to wonder what I'll stitch to after I finish the show... I've only got two seasons left!)

Herringbone stitch was quite difficult for me the first time around. I learned it while taking the Personal Library of Stitches class and, for some reason, my head just couldn't wrap itself around the stitch, which is frustrating because it is a simple stitch. I cannot even begin to describe how many stitches I unpicked. Now, though, I've got it down, no problem. I still have to work on my spacing to get it to look more even, but I imagine that comes partially with time and practice.

I never learn.

2006-12-29T04:16:00.001-08:00

I've been melancholy. And a big part of that probably has to do with the fact that I have too much on my plate, too many things I'm trying to accomplish. I was lying in bed earlier tonight with my husband, bemoaning the fact that I had so much to do and that what was even worse was that 99% of that is "self-made" things to do. How stupid. I mean... really. Ugh.

So, yes, this is me ending my 101/1001 project. Again.
And this is me learning that when I try to do too much, I actually do nothing. Again.

And maybe this time it'll stick. Maybe.

Megan's Gift, up close (Dec. 27, 2006)

2006-12-26T04:08:00.001-08:00

Megan's Gift, up close (Dec. 27, 2006)
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant.

I embroidered this banner for my sister, Megan, for Christmas 2006.

101 things in 1001 days

2006-12-10T01:24:00.000-08:00

I've started this project twice before, but didn't stick with it. I've been debating starting up again for several weeks and finally decided to go ahead and do it. I asked myself what was causing me to not finish the project in the past. I came up with a couple of answers. First, I made some rather ambitious goals. Too ambitious, I think. Secondly, I didn't have them (the goals) in front of me regularly. Third, I focused too much on interests that could change (and did, both times). Fourth, I always made my lists fairly quickly. I didn't give myself time to mull them over.

So, this time, I've spent what I consider to be a lot of time putting the list together. In addition, I checked the list with my husband to see if he thought that any of them were unreasonable for me, basically as a reality check. And I tried to focus on things that I think have "staying power" - I won't lose interest in them. Also, I tried to diversify the list so that I don't get burnt out on any one thing. Finally, I've printed them out and will have them available to look at on a regular basis.

Start date: Sunday, December 10, 2006
End date: Sunday,September 6, 2009

Without further ado, the list:

Drink 100 ounces of water every day for 12 weeks.

Do 100 crunches in a row.

Do 50 pushups in a row.

No baths for 4 weeks.

Be fine-free (with the library) for six months.

Finish a video game.

Spend 15 minutes daily for a year doing something creative/artistic/crafty.

Avoid drinking soda for four weeks.

Keep a written log of all money transactions for 8 weeks.

Get a pedicure.

Create 10 handmade gifts.

Buy myself flowers.

Buy flowers for my mother.

Buy flowers for each of my sisters.

Bring a meal to work every workday for 4 weeks.

Eat 5 servings vegetables and 4 servings every day for 4 weeks.

Cook one meal at home every day for four weeks.

Hang at least one of my artworks on the wall.

Take Murray for an hour long walk on non-workdays and a half hour walk on workdays for four weeks.

Record my food intake every day for 12 weeks.

Enter something in the Puyallup Fair.

Spend one hour a day cleaning/organizing for four weeks.

Get haircuts only to shape my hair (other than that, grow it out).

Own 10 pairs of non-holiday/non-cutesy earrings.

Own 5 necklaces.

Do karaoke.

Walk to downtown at least 50 times.

Make ten Christmas tree ornaments.

Make a mini-shrine.

Pay back the loan.

Visit a museum or gallery ten times. This can be the same museum/gallery or different ones.

Eat at restaurant by myself.

Create 5 zines.

Clean out and organize the chest-of-drawers.

Get the carpets cleaned.

Clean the refrigerator weekly for twelve weeks in a row.

Have people over for dinner five times.

For eight weeks, have 5 or less books at a time checked out from the public library.

Play board games or cards with Jeremy at least five times.

Play DDR 25 times.

Pack a dinner for Jeremy every day he works for four weeks.

Clean off my desk and keep it clean for four weeks.

Try 20 new-to-me recipes.

Go to the zoo.

Either get the sewing machine fixed, get a new one, or give it away.

Have a plant and keep it alive for twelve weeks.

Embroider a set of pillowcases.

Go a week without being online (except for useful info - bus schedules, etc).

Own a pedometer.

Walk 10,000 steps every day for a week.

Do 50 Everyday Matters or Illustration Friday challenges.

Use "hard" journal every day for one year. (This can be written or visual/art.)

Organize all of my "to be sorted" folders.

Learn to accurately tell doneness of steak by touch.

Get my food handler's permit current.

Do not eat at the computer for one week.

Make 5 linocuts.

Get rid of 50 pieces of clutter.

Wear clothes all day (no wandering around the house nakkie) for 4 weeks.

Attempt to rekindle relationships with two of my penpals and reply to their letters within one week (x12). (Alternatively, if pals unable/unwilling, establish relationship with new penpals.)

Use lotion on my hands and feet every day for four weeks.

Go 24 hours without calling self "fat" or "stupid", even in jest.

Decorate 10 envelopes.

Clean out the "kitchen tools" drawer.

Acquire a new kitchen kettle.

Be awake when Jeremy gets home from work for four weeks.

Own a tablecloth.

See a movie by myself.

Create a scrapbook.

For four weeks, clean/organize for 30 min. on workdays and 1 hour on non-workdays.

Own and use a Lush product.

Participate in "a month of softies".

Make something for every room in the house.

Own a wall calendar.

Have my portrait taken at a professional studio.

Write 50 letters.

Backup everything important on my computer.

Watch an entire series or movie "marathon".

Sort all of my email once a month for six months.

Take some sort of class/workshop/lessons.

Clean out the bathroom mirror "cabinet".

Wear earrings every day for a week.

Read 101 fiction books.

Take 500 photos.

Develop/have printed 100 photos.

Drink 10 different kinds of herbal tea.

Go clothing shopping by myself.

Go low-carb for 16 weeks.

Participate in a physical event "for a cause".

Write 5 non-erotic/non-fanfic short stories.

Cook 80% of the recipes in one of my cookbooks.

Get a more organized wallet.

Have something published that was written by me.

Complete 5 embroidery projects.

Make 5 paintings.

Finish my large Moleskine.

Make a pair of earrings.

Make a necklace.

Create something from polymer clay.

Make soap. (This can be done using melt and pour IF I use neat/interesting molds.)

Make a bracelet.

Adopt a sheep!

2006-12-06T10:04:00.000-08:00

Adopt a sheep.

Australia is having the worst drought that they've had in a long time, possibly the worst in 1000 years. Many farmers are having a hard time keeping the land green enough for their animals so, for certain livestock, like sheep, even selling them to slaughterhouses doesn't fund much. The Kiely family raise sheep, for their wool. They had to send off most of their males to slaughter to help cover the costs of mainting the sheep, but only got $5 a head, as opposed to the expected $40. (They raise the sheep for their wool, rather than for meat, so it was very disheartening to have to send so many of them off to slaughter.)Their grass is gone, the land fairly dry.

This family seems to have EXCELLENT farming practices. And, I was amused to find that they have guard alpacas (I didn't know that they were guard animals), kangaroos, and wallabies living on the farm.

Here's a small excerpt from their blog:

Australia is in the grip of the worst drought in living memory, withwaterways drying up and dams at historic lows. The Kiely’s have battleddrought for most of their farming career. They use special farmingtechniques to protect the environment from degradation and make themost of what rain falls. They were recognised in 2005 by being selectedas among the 10 most innovative farm families in the Central West. Theyuse greenhouse-friendly no-till farming and humane stock-handlingtechniques.

The Kiely’s were able to graze their flock on greenpastures long after many neighbouring farms had started hand feeding,thanks to a system called time controlled grazing which allows thegrasses time to recover and encourages ‘biological diversity’. Theyalso keep a mob of kangaroos and wallabies on their farm.

“The‘roos deserve a place to live, too. Unfortunately they get to the bestgrasses before the sheep do, but we’ve learned to live with that.”

TheKiely family has also made their own private reconciliation with theoriginal Indigenous inhabitants of the land. Wiradjuri elders conducteda ‘welcome to country’ smoking ceremony during which the Kiely’s read adeclaration of commitment to protect the land.

You can "adopt" one of their sheep for $35 (I'm fairly certain that this is in AU dollars). This will pay for the sheep's feed for the next 100 days. In exchange, you will get a photo-certificate of your sheep and be allowed to name it.

Personally, I think this would be a GREAT gift for knitters (the sheep are Merino - no, you don't get the wool, but still...) or the person who already has everything.

Frustration.

2006-11-30T03:38:00.000-08:00

I've always felt the desire to get "really good" at something, but have always felt the pull to try out a million and one things. This causes problems. I feel like I should focus on one thing and get "really good" at it. My plans were to do that with embroidery. I'm taking an embroidery class right now and the material I have recieved from that class will give me things to work on for months. The problem? I'm feeling the pull of the illustrated journal, of drawing, of painting. I want to do these things, too. There's not enough time in the day. And if I do all of these things, how am I to get "good" at them? This has been causing me much frustration over the past couple of weeks, but the general issue of specialization and the development of one or two skills/abilities versus my feeling a desire to do so many different things has troubled me for a couple of years. Why can't I settle down, pick one thing? Should I even try that? These are all questions that have been in my head for a long time now.

I still have no answer.

Why the fuck are we doing this to ourselves?

2006-11-29T22:02:00.000-08:00

You can learn a lot from a rich girl.

Not JUST for rich girls.

2006-11-28T21:58:00.000-08:00

I've tried to write a blog entry about my problems getting gifts for people this year. I'm going to delay posting that because, really, I'm still not sure what I'm going to do about it. But time is running out.

It snowed.

2006-11-27T23:43:00.000-08:00

Snow makes me happy!

2006-11-26T12:32:00.000-08:00

Some days you feel like a nut, sometimes you know you're one.

My 25th birthday today

2006-11-25T16:27:00.000-08:00

Today's going to be a great day! I'm not sick anymore, my husband got me a printer for my birthday, which I got to open early this morning, and we're going out to lunch, a movie, and dinner with a friend I've not seen in... too long. I may even try to weasel in my free birthday ice cream from Cold Stone. We'll see.

Sewing Machine Stuff

2006-11-24T15:30:00.000-08:00

I have a sewing machine. It doesn't like to work for more than a couple inches of stitching, so I don't really use it. However, sometime in the next few months/year, I'm hoping to either take it in to get it fixed OR buy a new one, depending on the price to fix it. The more I learn embroidery stitches, the more I want to get into Crazy Quilting. And I'd be a fool to try to do all of that by hand. (And patience? Not my strong suit. I'd need LOTS of patience to do it by hand.) Also, it IS very frustrating that I've had this thing for a couple of years now but have been unable to use it much at all. I got a sewing machine for a reason, dammit. I. Want. To. Sew. DAMMIT.

What I'm bringing to my mother's house for Thanksgiving

2006-11-23T10:53:00.000-08:00

What I'm bringing to my mother's house for Thanksgiving:

1.Gluten-free, sugar-free pie. I've never had gluten-free pie crust before, so I hope it turns out okay.
2. Sugar-free lemon cream pie. I've never tried this one before, but I'm sure, based on the ingredients, it'll be fine. Jeremy love lemon, so there ya go. (Provided he can actually, you know, eat today. We'll see.)
3. Stuffed jalapenos, using my friend Dennis's recipe. (Thanks!)
4. Little smokies (the cheddar kind... yummy!) with barbecue sauce.

Originally, I was only going to make two pies - a sugar free one and a gluten free one. A couple of days ago, I decided on the jalapenos. Late last night/early this morning, I thought Jeremy was too sick to go. So, I scrapped it all. (I'd not gone to the store yet - I was heading out the door to do so before I called him. I like shopping late at night/early in the morning when there aren't as many people.) But then, when he got home from work, he said that he was feeling well enough to go. So, I went to the store. On the way to the store, I decided that little smokies sounded pretty damn good. So, I got some. (Yum! Have I said yum yet? Yum!) So, I'm now in the middle of making stuff for today. The pumpkin pie is in the oven. The two sugar free pies (the recipe made enough for two, so why not?) are in the fridge. Next up, jalapeno stuffing. The little smokies are going to be the last thing... they're the easiest.

Oh, and I'll be bringing LOTS of headache meds.

Ouch.

2006-11-22T21:24:00.000-08:00

Now I'm fairly certain that 90% of what I'm feeling in my stomach is NOT from the gluten.

To avoid being graphic, one word: Yuck.

Learning to adjust.

2006-11-21T22:08:00.000-08:00

This whole gluten-free thing is a BIG adjustment for me and there are some things I just don't know how to "handle" yet. For instance, yesterday, when I'd spent the night/morning throwing up, the only way I knew how to get my tummy to feel better (and, ahem, get the damn alcohol out of my system) was to eat crackers. Buttloads of crackers. And, no, they weren't gluten-free. So, yes, I can feel the difference in my stomach today. (However, my husband is now extremely sick with stomach problems. He's so sick that he's called into work. The last time he did that, he was in the hospital. And that time was the first time in probably three or so years. I mention this because maybe, just maybe, my own tummy problems weren't all alcohol related.)

And now, I'm getting this sense of "Well, if I did it yesterday, why not do it on Thursday? Why not have all my favorite foods at Thanksgiving?" I'm reminding myself that I ate crackers because I was sick, but I still have that thought going through my head.

Ugh.

2006-11-20T12:59:00.000-08:00

Do not, under any circumstances, but especially when you must work the next day, trust the bartender to give you a good drink. Especially when it has a name like "Adios, Motherfucker!" And then, don't drink two.

I now feel like shit. Great.

Busy night a work last night.

2006-11-19T12:08:00.000-08:00

I got slammed at work last night.
My feet still hurt.
Time to go stand on them for another 8-ish hours.

I got a haircut!

2006-11-18T01:27:00.000-08:00

This first one is just a "hair shot"

Backside, after the cut:

What the stylist did:

After a shower, done my way:

From an old Five on Friday

2006-11-17T13:30:00.000-08:00

1. As a frame of reference, what is your religious affiliation?

If pressed, I would say that I'm pagan. It's more complicated than that, however.

2. Do you celebrate Christmas, Hannukah, Yule, Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa, or any other holidays in late December?

I grew up in a Christian family (Mom was Catholic, Dad was Mormon) so we all celebrate Christmas. I spend most of the time referring to it as Giftmas. For me, Christmas is basically a celebration of a friends, family, etc. I like the story behind it, but I kind of look at it as mythology. Parts of the story may have been true, but I don't believe the whole thing (son of god, etc.). I also tend to privately celebrate Yule/Winter Solstice.

3. Do you send greeting cards related to those holidays? If so, what kinds of imagery and prose do you tend to use?

Generally, no.

4. Would you send just one style of card to everyone or would you tailor your cards to each person?

When I HAVE given cards, they tend to be of the general merriment of the season. I have, in the past, tailored to each person, as well as sent a general one.

5. What kind of card makes puts you in the holiday spirit when you receive it? Is there any kind that can make that spirit fizzle?

Anything overtly religious for Christmas.

Thursday Thirteen: Thirteen Embroidery Stitches I Would Like to Learn or Improve My Knowledge of

2006-11-16T10:44:00.000-08:00

Thirteen Embroidery Stitches I Would Like to Learn or Improve My Knowledge of:

Bullion Knot - I WILL learn this stitch. I've been struggling with it all week and it's frustrating me to no end.

Triple Chain Stitch - I'm learning this stitch, but I can't seem to get it consistent. I'm making butterflies with this stitch and I need each side to look like a mirror image. Ha, says my stitching. Ha.

Detached chain, aka Lazy Daisy - I know this stitch, but again, I need to work on consistency.

Satin Stitch - Again, I know this stitch. But I need to have more practice getting it to look smooth, with no gaps.

Feather Stitch - I just haven't worked it yet. I've tried twice but it made my head hurt. I plan on getting to it in the next week or two.

Dove's Eye Filling Stitch - Cut work scares me, yet I'm really interested in it. I'll do it eventually, but first, I want to get better at embroidery in general before I go around cutting fabric all willy-nilly.

Herringbone Stitch - I'm not sure why this one is so difficult for me. It's a relatively easy stitch. I'm getting much better at it, but I'd like it to look more even, so that my each stitch is the same length.

Moss Stitch - I just haven't gotten around to this one yet.

Berry Stitch - See previous statement.

Portugese Stem Stitch - Apparently, I'm not the only one that gets confounded by this. It makes me feel better to know that.

Straight Single Feather Stitch - This is similar to the Feather Stitch, so I want to perfect the Feather Stitch before I work on this one.

Double Fly Stitch - Mainly, I just haven't gotten around to it. But it also makes my eyes do weird things when I try to piece it out individually.

Heavy Chain Stitch - I want to get my "chains" more consistent before going for this one.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Fake rice pudding

2006-11-15T22:37:00.000-08:00

Tonight, we ordered chinese food. I ordered extra rice so that I'd have something to eat later on. Just a few minutes ago, I mized some rice with some Coconut Creme Coffee Mate. It tasted like a coconut rice pudding. Oh so delicious. And gluten free.

Irrational fears: Fear of the lids from opened cans

2006-11-14T22:58:00.000-08:00

When my sister, Danielle, who is now 18, was about four years old, she was opening a can of corn. She reached into the can, pulled the lid back, and cut herself badly. There was lots of blood, lots of fighting between my parents (we'd been under my father's care at the time), and, unbeknownst to me a bit of emotional scarring on my part.

On, I realized that I am STILL afraid of people cutting their fingers on cans. I was at work and neither of our can openers were working properly. Justus swore he could get the lid open. He did, but I had to leave the room. I spent about five minutes begging him not to even try, we'd just do without until I could have someone bring one in. FIVE MINUTES. And then, I couldn't bear to watch. I had to leave. He didn't cut himself, he was fine. But then, I thought back to how afraid I am of leaving a can lid just lying around - genuinely afraid, not just rationally concerned.

What does it say about me that I'm afraid of a CAN LID?!?

Looking for healthy vegetable recipes.

2006-11-13T12:32:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to incorporate more veggies into my diet. I'm looking for recipes that are fairly healthy, somewhat low-ish in calories, gluten-free, and sugar-free. Jeremy also cannot have raw tomatoes, nor does he like them cooked if he can see tomato chunks (so, for instance, tomato sauce is usually fine), nor does he like things to have an overwhelming tomato-y taste (while sauce is fine, because it's usually just part of something, he doesn't like tomato soup).

Given those restrictions, what is your favorite healthy veggie recipe?

Thoughts on approaching my 25th birthday

2006-11-12T23:58:00.000-08:00

My 25th birthday is a week from this coming Saturday, on the 25th. I don't know why I've felt that this birthday is monumental, but the fact remains that I DO feel that way. I feel like I should have accomplished more. I feel like the first quarter century of my life hasn't really added up to much. When I was younger, I thought I'd either be dead or doing something worthwhile, like being a teacher or a doctor. Instead, I'm a short-order cook at a bar. Maybe all the hooha about we should all be something great is more harmful than good. Maybe I should not worry about not doing something worthwhile. Maybe just being myself is enough.

Then again, maybe it's not.

Jeremy and I are going to lunch!

2006-11-12T12:27:00.000-08:00

This is rare for a Sunday. Woo!

NaBloPoMo

2006-11-11T16:49:00.000-08:00

Check out a sampling of the 600-ish blogs participating in NaBloPoMo via the NaBloPoMo Randomizer.

Warning: this may cause you to lose lots of time.

How to make flowers out of Tootsie rolls and taffy

2006-11-11T16:44:00.000-08:00

How to make flowers out of Tootsie rolls and taffy.

This is kind of a neat idea. I LOVE making shapes and stuff with soft foods, including candy. I suppose that doing this with tootsie rolls/taffy isn't that much different than using fondant or modelling clay, which is something we did in the bakeshop.

Consumerism

2006-11-10T20:14:00.000-08:00

Most people who know me realize that I'm not a very materialistic person. I have one pair of shoes (two if you count the ones that hurt my toes and, thus, very rarely get worn). I have fewer pants than can be counted on one hand. I haven't bought makeup in a long time, discounting chapstick. My husband and I live in a smallish apartment and don't really pay a lot for it per month, in part because we moved in without the managers remodelling (at the time, they were trying to remodel each apartment as the current tenants moved out so they could raise prices). We only go out to see movies a handful of times a year. We've never taken a vacation together, in the almost six years that we've been a couple, although I did go with a friend to Portland, OR in August for a zine convention.

I do have a few "Weaknesses", though. We subscribe to Netflix. I pay for one of my blogs (which works out to less than $2 a month). We go out to eat on a fairly regular basis, though I don't imagine that we spend that much more eating out than we would eating at home, based on where we eat when we go out and what we eat when we're at home (this, I imagine, will become an even more accurate statement as time goes on and I discover how to cook gluten free - I've already discovered that my safest, and often only, option when eating out is salad, which isn't very pricey). I've a junk food habit. I do swaps, though I've gotten really tired of the more expensive swaps and have stopped doing them, so most of the swaps cost me the price of a stamp, a cent or two of marker ink, and five cents or so in paper. I've also picked up embroidery which CAN be expensive, but generally isn't. In addition, it is far less expensive than other fiber arts. I very rarely knit anymore, but when I do, I tend to use yarn that costs less than $10 a skein and with the knitting I do, I tend to get at least two projects from each skein. Both embroidery and knitting take a lot of time, so I view them both as "inexpensive per hour" - especially embroidery. And I buy books on a fairly regular basis, though I make use of second-hand bookstores and, for new books, shop at bookstores with rewards programs. I agonize over these things and have a HUGE problem when I buy anything over $20, unless it isn't for myself.

Where, dear reader, do you draw the line? What is "excessive" and what is "cheap"? Is it okay to spend money on yourself for purposes that are purely entertainment? If so, when is it "too much"? Is there such a thing?

Good news/bad news.

2006-11-09T13:40:00.000-08:00

So, the good news is that my tummy is already starting to feel much better. Already, the bloating has greatly diminished and some of the other issues seem to be getting better, too. That's also bad news, because it probably means that I'm gluten intolerant. This means a total change in the way I eat.

*Sigh*

Sampler 1 progress (November 08, 2006)

2006-11-08T12:20:00.000-08:00

Sampler 1 progress (November 08, 2006)
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant.

I've put the date on my sampler (well, the month and the year, anyway). At this point, I feel like it's done. I'm still debating putting french knots in the border, but I think I'm going to leave it as is.

More sampler progress (November 07, 2006)

2006-11-07T11:14:00.000-08:00

More sampler progress (November 07, 2006)
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant.

This is where I am on my sampler. I'd like to put the date beneath the box with the flower in it, but I'm a bit unsure how to go about it. I still have to decide if I'm giong to do that or more guilloche, which is also sounding attractive to me. It would definitely get me more practice with the stitch, which I need.

Last night, while working on this, I tried lazy daisy (detached chain stitch) for the first time. I found it... frustrating. I like things like that to be almost exactly the same in width, heighth, etc., and I found that very difficult to achieve with this stitch. More practice is needed.

One VERY pissed off kitty (November 06, 2006)

2006-11-06T21:56:00.000-08:00

One VERY pissed off kitty (November 06, 2006)
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant.

I can describe why in two words: Flea bath.

A Closer Look at Sampler Progress (November 06, 2006)

2006-11-06T11:04:00.000-08:00

A Closer Look at Sampler Progress (November 06, 2006)
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant.

Last night, I worked another row of stitches. That one got a bit close to my whipped running stitch so I added a row of whipped running stitch to the bottom. I think it looks like it belongs there. My biggest issue with that particular part is that the running stitches are spaced differently.

I was having a problem with my knots last night. They kept being placed off center. I had to replace the one all the way to the left seven times last night, which, let me tell you, was frustrating.

Sampler Progress (November 06, 2006)

2006-11-06T11:03:00.000-08:00

Sampler Progress (November 06, 2006)
Originally uploaded by Misa Arant.