I have so far written ONE PAGE. ONE. I’ve made up lots of stories but I just can’t WRITE IT DOWN. AAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGHH why is this so hard? I love writing, I just can’t write sequentially anymore.
What is WRONG with me?
Wait, don’t answer that….
Ok, I’m off to write another page. Hopefully this one will make sense.
What is my carbon footprint?
I have no idea. The calculators are weird to me. I don’t have a car, I commute everywhere. I don’t keep track of my energy bills. I don’t turn off my computer when I’m not using it, but then, I’m using it more than not. I have energy efficient bulbs in most of my lights. I eat meat (organic/grassfed when I can get it) and organic vegetables when I can. I’ll walk the extra blocks to a farmer’s market rather than buy cheap yukky veggies, but I eat meat so that somehow increases my carbon footprint. So those stupid calculators make ME feel like I’m doing something wrong, but the vegetarian hippie who drives a hybrid SUV down to the mall to buy Free People clothes and more LUSH soaps gets a pass.
That’s not very motivating.
Am I going to stop eating meat because of it? No, probably not. Am I going to give up and run out and buy a car without paying attention to the gas mileage? Again, no, probably not. I just find those calculators unconvincing and unhelpful. Am I going to stop caring about the climate? No. But I would like a concrete way that I can see myself making a difference. It’s too bad there isn’t really one.
Not really…. I went to a local yarn store, and brought two Addi Lace needles. They’re beautiful and I love using them, BUT… Holy crap, they are expensive. Not just “good tools are expensive” expensive, but “does it come with a free kick in the nards?” expensive. They are really good tools, though. And I wanted more. MOAR!
eBay.
Yes, yes, I’m fully aware they are probably knockoffs, or stolen from the original factory, or something. I have a set of KnitPicks options, but they don’t come as small as I would like, and although they are quite pointy enough for most things, they are not pointy enough for my Continental knitting lace. (Insert something crazy here about knitting with thread and silk.) So I bought a few pairs on eBay, for the same price that I got two of them at the local yarn store. Including shipping.
When they arrive, I’ll compare them to the yarn store ones and let you know how it turns out.
Back to knitting.
How exactly do you get to slap that title after your name? It’s not like there is any nationally recognized certification (not in the US anyway). There are hordes of cheesy courses available from people who somehow made themselves professionals without taking any courses and instead teaching them.
And what does that really mean, anyway? You smell better? You heal people with smell? How do you prove that you’ve healed that, and that it was your smells that did it? What a goofy, weird thing to say. “Hi, I’ve made a profession out of claiming that I healed people with odor.” “Can you prove that?” “Sure, sniff this!”
I’ve been asked to review the ViDerm line of Skin Care Products by Kalil Medical. The first thing I noticed is that they are not organic, which makes me sad. They were originally a prescription line of skin care products, but they are now available without a prescription. If you have serious skin issues with blemishes or dryness, this line of products will probably appeal to you.
On the FAQ page, ViDerm is described as using “high quality botanical extracts and essential oils” but with “other ingredients that have been scientifically engineered,” hence the lack of “all natural” or “organic” on the label. These products are really meant for people who need a serious anti-aging product, and if you need these you probably hate me and my mom for our youthful and perfect skin. (Ha hah.)
ViDerm also sells body wash and most interestingly, men’s products. The men’s products do not smell like Dial soap, which is a huge bonus. If I had a boyfriend, I would buy him some so that his skin is properly cared for and doesn’t smell like a shower stall. The packaging is nicely gender neutral, and could even be tossed in a gym bag without comment.
And finally, please note that ViDerm does not test on animals, otherwise I wouldn’t even have bothered looking at the product. Their beauty is cruelty-free, and yours should be too.
Because doing one thing at a time is not my style.
I just realized I never actually posted this!
I’m looking to make a costume for interviewing people with, based on a 40’s newspaper reporter à la Torchy Blaine or Hildy Johnson. (Lois Lane is just a knockoff, after all. I’m going for the source.)
I plan to (since I will actually have a press badge next year) schedule a few interviews with some hot gamer properties, and then of course publish stuff. With pictures.
This will require:
My vacation takes a lot of work!
I live right across the tracks. It’s pretty literal, on one side of the tracks, you can see people dressed like hookers and skanks with too many babies waiting for the bus. On my side, there are manicured lawns and cute little condos and midrises and stuff. I live in the buffer zone in the middle of nowhere. The farther north you walk from my condo, the nicer it gets. But there are still weird pockets of not-niceness.
So when I was buying the condo, and insurance, the first thing the insurance agent asked me was “Do you have an alarm system?” So I went online and searched for alarm systems for the home; I was pretty sure I was going to go with ADT since that’s what my mom has. But I felt compelled to search and compare anyway. I ended up with ADT, and a nice discount on my insurance and a really big ol’ thing on my keychain. I need to get a smaller one.
Also, do remember that if you buy a security system, you usually have to register it with the local police/fire department or something. It’s a teensy extra cost, but something you have to consider and usually you have to fill out the form again every year so that all your information is up to date. Also, if you have DSL you will have to get a wireless solution as the system can’t be on the phone line. It’s not much of a hassle, really. I think the peace of mind is worth it.
Yeah, I found the perfect shoes for the Steampunk outfit. They’re more Victorian, and less Steampunk. They’re by NAOT.
I found a few online stores that carry them, one of them still has this awesome paisley color. If I can get those, I will (oh paycheck, why must you taunt me so?) otherwise I want to get black rather than brown.
You know, shoes determine so much about your outfit! Now I’m restricted to a certain color palette based on what shoes I buy. And I want the NAOTs because they will be comfortable enough to walk around a convention hall for 6 hours while wearing them, not to mention posing for pictures and walking to the mall for lunch and going out to dinner. Shoes are of paramount importance, even if no one ever “sees” them.
I have a horrible tendency to go overboard, especially with accessories. So for my Press Girl and my Steampunk outfit, I’m trying to create a total persona. And both of those personas will need business cards.
The Press Girl needs them more than the Steampunk, mostly because I still haven’t decided on the whole Steampunk persona.
But the Press Girl really is going to be sporting a Press Badge, so I will need to set up some interviews and carry some business cards. I would like to get some free ones for the persona stuff, but I will also need some real ones with my name that look all professional and stuff. (Yes, I overuse the word “stuff.” Shoot me. It’s a fun word!) While trying to find a place for real cards that look nice and are cheap, lo and behold, I came across this: save the date magnets.
How excellent would that be for setting up interviews? I could mail them ahead of time, and they are actually useful. “Save the date! Interview with Costumed Press Girl at Gen Con 2010!” Better than a business card, since I’d rather they remember the persona and not the crappy website that I haven’t made yet. They have nice looking cards too, and they’re not very expensive. I may just have to go with those instead of the free cheapo ones. I’ll have to think about it, but those magnets are pretty sweet.
