Stuff is clicking for me!

Work is still a nightmare, but today I seem to be turning the corner on some stuff. Some of it is just dumb luck and good timing, but I honestly think that going out last night for a 'night off' with the family has helped me become more focused.

Today I:
Talked to a couple of folks and confirmed some stuff that I needed to for Sapphire.
Got an email update about a commission.
Wrote the first Draft of the investiture ceremony.
Got a draft of court business stuff work out.

All while getting work done and managing not to kill anyone here. I don't know, things just seem to be going my way for a change. I am actually able to focus again! Of course, I have just jinxed myself now, I just know it. Bah! :-)

There's nothing like leaving things until the last minute! I finally sent in my registration for Sapphire today. Since the price of postage goes up on Monday and I had two stamps left, I also wrote a note to my grandmother and sent a thank you to someone. It pays to keep non-work stationary in your desk.

I have a few errands to run tonight. Hopefully they won't take too awfully long because I still have a bunch of sewing to finish up. My new dress needs hemming and I'm working up another mockup for a fitting tomorrow at TYD Birthday. Are you seeing a trend here? More last minute stuff.

Oh, since Tir-y-Don Birthday is on the table, I'd like to mention that the Michelobe Golf Pros are having a tournament this weekend in Williamsburg. Anyone coming down from the Richmond area to either Jamestown Landing Days or Tir-y-Don Birthday should give themselves some extra time to navigate the increased traffic. Also, I64 will be closed from 5:30am to 7:00am on Sunday to test the reverse flow gates in preparation for hurricane season. Yes, you read that right. They are closing the interstate for an hour and a half. You'd think they would pick a day that didn't cause havoc for so many paying tourists.

A Net Loss for Washington

All I have to say is the Kolzig deserved a better exit than he got. I hope he can find a new team, but it won't be the same.

Scale at the doctor's office this morning read 348. That's 52 lbs since Christmas.

I've done it. I'm under a Guido-weight for the first time since Freshman year.

I've got a long way to go yet, but at least I feel like there's hope.

http://scatoday.net/node/11463

Jean Paul de Sens has created a 10-minute video montage from videos taken at the November 2007 Ansteorra Crown Tournament. (Caution: strong language in one song.)

Another quiet week rolls past. Still, I've gotten a lot done, particularly with Anthrocon stuff.

The new registers for Artists Alley are mostly programmed; we just need to replicate the changes out across all three registers. I've revamped my spreadsheets to incorporate changes we're going to need to upload each day's artist names into the registers, which shouldn't take more than a few minutes each morning. I've also started to document some of the processes required in the off chance that I'm pulled away or hit by a bus or something. And I've firmed up my staff, as well. Last year I had seven people on Artists Alley/Con Store staff; this year I've got nine people with two others available part-time. That's going to make scheduling a lot easier.

There's still a lot to do, though. takaza and I need to revise the receipt forms and get those to uncle_kage by the end of the weekend. I need to figure out how to put together a map of the Alley on a whiteboard so we can write who's sitting where (legibly!) each morning to help people find artists, and I need to make up a similar template that we can print out so it can be easily and quickly filled in once artists are seated and then transfer the information to the whiteboard. I need to pick up supplies for the Alley as well, and print and laminate the barcodes for the Con Store once I get them from Kage, and...and...

Man, it's amazing the stuff we do for fun, isn't it?

Meanwhile, we've been having a blast playing with our new Wii. The only game I'm really playing a lot of so far is Wii Sports, but I'm sure in the near future we'll be thinking about buying another game. Whether that's Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros., Boom Blox, or something else, we'll see...

 Hip-Hip-Hooray for ME!!!!

I finished the big DoT project!  20+ files are no longer taking up permanent residence on my desk!  I can actually SEE my desk calendar!  (Which, still shows February, if that's any indication how long those files have been in the way...)

Now if I can just get the past due estates done, and all the other cases that have been looming large without resolution due to not enough me!

This doesn't catch me up by any stretch of the imagination, but you'd be amazed what a huge weight it lifts off my shoulders...

Whew!

Grrrr, so I went all the way down there spent about $400.00 (hotels, gas, food, visiting with the kids) just to be told that the judge wants to wait through the Summer. Are you kidding me? We've been doing this since last Summer.
The judge called my attorney the night before our hearing to "discuss" the children being at court (because she actually had something else in mind regarding custody). Of course I was already half way there. I got to my attorney's office in the morning and he guessed that she would continue things. He was right. He didn't fault because she wanted to be very thorough and sure of her decision. He guesses that she has already made her mind up to give me custody. Let's hope he's right on that one too. Her thought for postponement is to get the children to realize that their concerns are no longer valid since the issues have been resolved. My point to my attorney was "well, that's ridiculous". Of course they want to live with him. I have rules and make them do chores. There they have access to internet and TV any time day or night without supervision. How is spending the Summer with me going to change a child's mind on that? I was already going to have Summer visitation with them so it hasn't changed a thing. Oh except that it's going to cost more money for the guardian. That's just what I need (you'll understand more when Tuesday comes).
Ugh.
Crap.

There was a long post I wanted to make on the parallels between many recent events -- Open Source Boob Project, Rev. Wright, Ferraro, and so on.

But the news on a potential breakthrough in Holocaust research (WARNING: all kinds of triggery!), which I got to from this post, which came from someone on my Friend's List, makes we want to say two things, briefly:

1. I'm convinced America's coming to a Turning Point. Sub-cultures issues over the last 50+ years are still growing, yet they are also starting to really, and honestly, merge. Feminists can't escape dealing with issues of Color, Africans Americans can't escape the lessons of Obama in dealing with the mainstream, and the mainstream is starting, slowly, to be confronted with the issues hidden under centuries of bitterness and ignorance. It's ugly, but generally healthy.
   How we deal with it, how we start the long process of listening and defusing everyone's issues and complaints, will say a lot about how we grow as not just Americans, but as Sentient beings.


2. The underlying issue with attacks is the potential for demonization. We don't like to think of ourselves as capable of going along with atrocities, and we want to be the "good guys". And that urge, combined with easy communications, can do both harm and good.  But it's fast, so fast that issues quickly become devastating attacks on a person's character.
   And what makes it weird is that these fights can quickly objectify a person, or a group.  For example, there's always a fight about making Hitler into a "nice guy" in fiction. And what these fights miss is that Hitler was, in being a human, not a demon. He is a lesson for future generations in so many horrific ways that it's hard to remember that he was, in the end, of flesh and blood.
   It's not fun to think "there but for the Grace of God go I", and no, I don't think ordinary folks will ever be as evil as Hitler. But it's easy to enable such kinds of evil, to allow it to pass. And in doing so -- as Amanda Marcotte recently found out, is a lesson in learning to be humble, and to listen.
   
   And that never hurts.

We had a much needed pleasant evening last night.

We went out for Mexican at La Siesta, which, if you happen to be in Midlothian, I highly recommend. Afterwards, we went over to the Great Big Greenhouse where I hoped to find some clematis and an organic rose spray called Rose Pharm (I found neither). We wandered the place for a while and I found a rose for my mom for Mothers Day (Gingersnap- a gorgeous neon orange rose!). I almost got a few things but my cheapness kicked in. They had some gorgeous dianthus, but Gianetta has offered some already and I didn’t want to pay $8 per plant. Same with the irises. And the day lilies.

After that, we had ice cream at Brewster's which was yummy.

Gracie had a big day too. She ran laps from the back door to the living room and back, apparently stopping for a nap at the back door eventually according to my mom. The mental image of her face down in the carpet looking out the back door is very amusing to me. Later on, she was playing around the living room and using the entertainment center, pulled herself onto her knees. Wow! Her doctor said she would likely be pulling herself up by 9 months. We are halfway there at 7 and a half months. I don’t know what her rush to get on her feet is...I am in no hurry myself.

She also had two fun dietary experiences last night. I put a tiny taste of salsa on my finger and let her try it. The jury is out on how she felt about it. She had a look like she had been betrayed on her face, but she gets that same look whenever I offer her water from my straw. Later on, at Brewster's Byram let her have a tiny taste of his mint chocolate chip ice cream. To say she liked it is an understatement. She cried when we wouldn’t give her more.

This week she also got meat for the first time. I wont buy meat in a jar that doesn’t need refrigeration; something about that to me just sounds unwholesome, so mom boiled some chicken breast and I ran it through the blender with some water from boiling it.

I sort of overestimated how much water it would need. She wound up with chicken you could pass through a coffee filter. Ugh. A little oatmeal thickened it up enough so that she wouldn’t have to eat it though a sippy cup. Yuck. I think neither of us can wait for the day when she can have meat that hasn’t been through the "liquefy" setting on the blender.

She is doing all kinds of funny things like crawling around making raspberry sounds, or she will throw her arms up in the air when I walk past her, obviously wanting to be picked up. I find this very cute.

She will be with us at TYD BB tomorrow, and then with us at Sapphire in a couple of weeks (!!!). Since my dad wrecked his race car on Monday, (FIRST TIME ON THE TRACK WITH IT!!!) he wont be racing Sapphire weekend, so I am trying to convince my mom to come to Sapphire. She would be very helpful in wrangling the baby.

That is all I have for the moment. Have a nice weekend and I am looking forward to seeing folks tomorrow in Tir y Don.

I haven't been a Herald in mumblety-many years. In fact, it's been so long, that the last time I had to conflict check something I used that enormous stack of dot-matrix printouts that was big enough to use to prop the couch up. Not that I ever did that of course. La la!

Also, is it considered rude to consult with someone at an event and then turn around and consult with someone else? Again, don't remember the protocol and I don't want to piss anyone off. I just want to get my device changed and want to run a few new ideas by someone. The original consulting herald seems a little busy. I could ask her if she minds.

I had a totally surreal experience yesterday. Every Thursday the folks from the local Goodwill come down and get books. These are all mentally handicapped adults and it's usually an event when they visit. Yesterday I noticed a particular dress one of the ladies was wearing...and had to do a double take. Yep, it sure was. She was wearing a dress that I had donated to the Goodwill a couple of months ago. I'm positive. I'm always a bit afraid that I'll buy back something I donated, but I've never even considered seeing someone else wearing something that used to be mine. weird.

On another note, I hired a new page yesterday. I'll be making the bad call today to tell the other woman she didn't get the job. Not a pleasant thing to do and probably one of my least favorite things to do as a manager. Fortunately, we don't go through the hiring process too frequently, so I don't have to hurt feelings like that. Wish me luck with the new person though, she'll probably start in about a week.

I have NO plans for the weekend. I am thrilled. However I did get a call from the Red Cross saying that they had an opening tomorrow for the bleeding and if I wanted it I could have it. I'm thinking I'll pass this time and stick with my appointment for later in the month.

Hopefully I'll have time to do some house cleaning and some crafty things. Hell, maybe I'll even take a nap! Of course, I need to see what the Mother would like to do...it is *her* weekend after all.

Speaking of the Mother, she called a little while ago to let me know my brother & family were ok. They live in Clemmons and endured the nasty, nasty weather last night. They spent the evening huddled in their hallway with a mattress over the top of them. They hauled off and left the house during a break in the storm to go to some friends who have a basement. Their power is supposed to be off until 11pm...with the potential of more storms today. yay.

Hope everyone has a good weekend and the storms stay away!

http://scatoday.net/node/11488

Gelis of Balwery has posted photos from 2008 La Prova Dura on her SmugMug website. The event took place recently in the Kingdom of the West.

Blew megabucks on summer annuals this morning, getting soaked to the skin in the process. I know that purchasing annuals twice a year is not the most efficient use of gardening dollars, but I do love having color in the yard year-round. Maybe someday I'll have the time and facilities to grow plants from seed.

This time I'm trying New Guinea Impatiens in front; white under the variegated Euonymous and light purple in the larger bed. The back will be the usual riot in pink.

Looking forward to seeing some of you tomorrow at Jamestown.

So the lemon sour cream cake came out okay. In that British understatement sort of way. I leveled the cakes, collected the tops, and while the mixer bowl is soaking so I can make the raspberry buttercream, I decided to try a bit of the seedless raspberry preserves on a bit of the scrap cake.

OMFG WOW!
 
WHY did no one tell me what an incredible combo raspberry and lemon are??? What have I been missing all this time??? I mourn the years that I did not have this in my life. (and if you did tell me and I ignored you, I'm sorry. No...I mean it. I'm really really really sorry! LOL)

I did a little bit of that for Sam and Diane, and they were both over-the-moon about it, as well. :) I"m thinking I might need to run to the store and get another thing of All-Fruit... Instead of the buttercream as filling, I'm thinking just thin layers of the preserves for the torting, then buttercream to frost and decorate. (The jewelry box idea went out the window. I woke up unmotivated.) But the raspberry buttercream will still happen, and I had enough leftover batter last night to make a tall 6" cake, so I've torted that and it can stay here at the house while I take the other one to Arwen's. :) My in-laws are thrilled at the prospect. :)

So in a little bit, I might have something to show. Maybe not. we'll see. At this point, I might just frost the dang thing and call it a cake. That way, I can get just the feedback on the taste and texture, without decoration getting in the way. Or not. I'm sure that once I get it frosted and smoothed, I won't be able to leave it at that. :P I am me, after all... LOL

With any luck, I should be done with the cake and ready to head out by 11 or 12. A quick stop in Gastonia to drop off an insurance check with our agent, then on to Meredith's for visiting. :) I'm half-way tempted to cut the 'leftover' cake in half and take it to Mom and Dad's... see what they think. Or I can make another one Saturday night, when we get home from the event, and take it over for Mother's Day. Hmmm... I think that's a winner. Let's do that.

stream of consciousness moment... sorry 'bout that! :)

Better go get the bowl cleaned so I can get this finished and get on the road. Wheeeee!!!!! :)

http://scatoday.net/node/11505

Countess Rowan reports that Sir Jason Kinslae was the victor of the recent Crown Tournament in the Kingdom of Atlantia. Sir Jason was inspired by Gerhild the Willful.

On one hand, I really like 'em because they're so eye-catching. On the other hand, I'm shuddering to see the new 'fashion wave' of inaccurate hangerrocs (apron dresses) with all the big whomping applique work all over them.

Sometimez, I just wish I waz more ignornat.

Took a ton of photos of this bust in the Art Institute this past Monday; photos will be uploaded to Flickr at some point. VERY excited about the hair & the "headband" ... *plotplotplot*

( Antonine female bust; 62cm )