Domestic Geek

Dad came over this morning to take Marcus and me to breakfast. Marcus wanted some biscuits and gravy. We were going to go to LePeeps, but since we had to pick up rabbit food at I-70 & Colfax, we decided to go to the Moonlight Diner over at 62nd & Tower Rd. It's one of those places I always forget of its existance, which is a shame. Decent food and reasonable prices. The only bad thing was the server that kept trying to push dessert on us (they were probably having some kind of server contest). Marcus and I had dinner there a few years back and had intended on going back, but never did.

So while Dad was here, I showed him the progress I'm making at decluttering. I showed him the huge box of buttons that Mom had. She had one of those 48-drawer cabinets that you sort screws, nails, etc. in and it was full. I needed someplace to keep some other stuff, so I dumped all the buttons into a box. Man, there were some ugly, weird buttons in there. Dad told me that not only did Mom hoard buttons, but so did my grandmother and my great aunt, as well. That's why there were so many of them. It was a sin to them to throw away a garment without first removing the buttons. I think that explains why there were some really icky zippers I found, too. Must've been taken out of old clothes.

I held onto it thinking that maybe I'd do a project someday that needed buttons or something. Well, the one time I needed a couple of buttons, there was nothing in that huge cache that even remotely matched what I needed. I ended up going out and buying the buttons I was looking for. It seems a shame to throw the whole lot out. Maybe I can get someone to buy the whole box on eBay or at the flea market. If not, anybody have a need for a box of old buttons?

In other news, Marcus found a new job. Yay!!! He starts on May 1st. A couple of his bosses' last day was yesterday and they were having a going-away party at the Rock Bottom Brewery in Westminster. In ususal Marcus anti-socialness, he wasn't going to go, but I asked him to go and take me so that I could meet some of these people that he's talked about for the last few years. I had a good time and he won't admit it publicly, but I think Marcus did, too. I was a little embarrassed when Marcus' now former boss told me that he reads this weblog. It's weird meeting someone that already knows all about you.

I have some things I wish I could say about my job right now. I don't know if anybody from there would think to google my name, but if they did, it would lead right to here. I will say that I had a long talk with the owner yesterday and have decided not to leave at this moment. Only because I hate looking for new work and I don't want a new job interfering with starting my business. Until I have more time & experience under my belt, another job won't pay more than this one does (except freelancing). It makes me a little sad that I have wasted so much time running away & hiding from life instead of embracing and pursuing it.

That being said, enough sitting here. I've got work to do!

Well, I just went to the post office to mail the tax forms. I had to include an application for installments since I can't pay. *sigh* I had to pledge money monthly to pay it off by next tax time. That's would be $50 or so a month. Now I officially have bills higher than my income (without food, gas, clothing, birth control, or anything else). I can't keep this up any longer. I decided I'm not going to work tomorrow and instead work on getting my freelance business running.

It's Saturday. I didn't go to sleep until around 11pm. Why the hell was I awake at 5am? I tried for another half hour to go back to sleep, but I got up. Figured I can always get a nap in later if I start to crash.

I'm sure it's just my mind telling me that I've got a lot I need to accomplish this weekend and it's not going to let me get out of it.

While washing some dishes, I did get to see a beautiful rainbow briefly before the rain hit. Brrrr. It's a cold, windy rain. Oh, well...we need the moisture. Fire danger has been extemely high lately.

While sorting through junk, I found a packet of Lemon Cucumbers and a mini greenhouse with peat pellets that I bought last year. I doubt they'll grow, but I planted them anyway. Lemon cucumbers are really tasty. If they sprout, I'll have to put them in pots outside. I don't dare eat anything grown in the dirt around here. I really miss having a full-blown garden. A real estate agent sent Blue Spruce seedlings to people in the Larkspur area. The office manager was going to throw it out, but I took it. I'm going to try and nurture it and by the time it's big enough to plant outside, we'll be out of this hellhole.

It's amazing how many started craft projects I have. I'm torn about throwing some of those out since I already put a lot of time and effort into them. I have to seriously answer the question about whether I'll actually finish it and if I do, what would I do with the finished project? If it is just going to sit in a box for another 10 years, what's the point of wasting even more time and effort. I did throw out a huge pile of Granny Squares I had crocheted. There were also a bunch that my mother and grandmother had done. Since Grandma passed in 1984 and Mom in 1997, was I really going to make anything out of them? Doubt it. I already have a huge Granny Square bedspread that mom made for me in college that I never use. The dogs would always get their nails caught in it and it's too big and bulky to use on the couch. *sigh* I don't want to get rid of it since it's the last thing my mom made for me. Maybe I can take it apart and turn it into a couple fo smaller afghans. We'll see. Definitely a project for the future. Do you remember how Granny Square clothing was really popular in the '70s? I found an online pattern for a Granny Square Poncho that made me giggle. Mom used to make ponchos and vests for me and I'd have wear them to school. Oh...the horror!

I've got to get my life organized and back on track. I'm not allowing myself to dig into the "Teach Yourself Knitting" kit that Marcus' mother got me for Christmas until I do. I really want to get good enough to make sweaters and socks for myself like Mac does. Every time I see that she's finished a project, I want to delve into learning to knit.

I found this article about the Astrological signs of Billionaires via Amy. What the hell am I doing wrong? LOL

Well, I guess that is enough procrastinating for one morning. Have a great day!

Yesterday, my co-worker told me about a Graphic Design Seminar that they were having at my old school, Platt College, that he had to attend that evening. They had several graphic design professionals give presentations to the students about life as a designer and what to expect when they leave school. He said I should drop by, that I might enjoy it, so I did. I wasn't going to go at first. One, I don't go there anymore. Two, I was really tired. Three, I have an ass-ton of work I need to do to get this freelance thing off the ground. Traffic forced me to take the Dam Road over Cherry Creek home and since I was on Parker Road anyway, I went ahead and stopped in. I figured the worst thing that could happen is they could say I couldn't go, right? I am so glad I did! I really enjoyed listening to the guys from FL2. They're a high-end interactive agency (Web, Flash, etc.). After hearing them, I've got all sorts of motivation to get my web skills back and get a job someplace like that. It was also good to see many of my old instructors and a couple of old classmates. I really need to keep those contacts up. I've constantly kicked myself for letting a lot of my earlier relationships wither. They also had food (another plus since I haven't had much lately!). So, my desire to code for the web is back in full force. Now I just need to get my skills back!

Every day it is becoming clearer that this is not the work place I want to be at long-term. I'm already bored (after three months) with the type of design I'm doing. I also doubt very much that the owner is going to be willing to pay what I think my talents are worth. I've only recently come to realize that I know a lot of stuff. Between my technical, design, web and educational skill, I've got a lot to offer an employer. Three degrees. Common sense. Grammatical skills. Strong work ethic. Grasps new skills quickly. Self-learner. I'm glad I'm finally realizing that I'm a valuable asset with a strong skill base.

I know my place in this world has still yet to be found. I'm not going to waste another 15 years trying to find it.

When I have some money, I want to buy myself this "I Design" shirt from iBusyBodies (a CafePress store).

Why can't I come up with a great gimmick like that? They're stick figures, dang it!

I always tell myself that the American public wouldn't waste money on that, yet here I am wanting one. The American public WILL waste their money on that, especially if it is some gift-giving time like Christmas.

OK, Brain, come up with something gimmicky like that!