So Much Family Time

Six months after graduating from college I moved to North Dakota.  12 hours from Illinois.  A drive too long for a weekend trip, a plane ride too expensive to do regularly.  I had effectively, although unintentially, separated myself from my family.  I won't lie, it was nice.  Every weekend was mine.  I found other families to cling onto in the Praire State, grew deeper friendships than I ever had or have since, and when I did see my siblings, my parents, my aunts and uncles I found I was greeted with more warmth than ever before. 

Now two and a half years since leaving North Dakota, my family is a bigger part of my life than ever.  My mom is gone and Amy, trapped with her disability and in a less-than-ideal home, needs interaction.  Me?  I have always had middle child syndrome.  I'm used to being the distant sibling, the one to reach out to friends rather than family.  It's all changing now.  In the last year I've adjust to seeing family atleast every month, more recently to seeing my younger sister atleast biweekly.  My older sister, always my friend, is now my best friend. I miss those North Dakota days of planning around only myself, but yet as I look for my next job, I'm hoping to keep this closeness going, and to try to fight my middle child ways of drifting away.  And so, fingers crossed as I interview tomorrow, for a job that will let me stay somewhat close to the ones I love.

Another Family Gathering: Pool Party at a Hotel for Amy's 25th Bday This Past Weekend

Easy Peasy Skirt Tutorial

Back from Vegas where my favorite slot machine reminded me of Zoe. I drank way too many pina coladas.  And I learned a skirt I recently refashioned can also double as a top.

I took apart a skirt I bought at thrift store a couple weeks ago, shortened it up, and added a black elastic waistband.  The entire project took an hour at the most.  I can barely sew, so if I can do it, anyone can.  I didn't directly follow any tutorial, as I couldn't find any that seemed like they'd give me the resulting skirt I wanted.  That said, I figured I'd share this easy sewing project, if you can even call it that.

Aside from basic sewing materials (scissors, thread, sewing machine) you'll need some black elastic 2-2 1/2 inches wide and an old skirt or dress.  If it's a longer skirt it doesn't necessarily have to fit you as the width grows as you cut a couple inches off the original waistband.

Step 1: Measure your waist, where you want the skirt to hit when wearing it.  Add two-three inches.  Cut the elastic accordingly and using machine sew together.  I did several lines of stiches to make sure it really holds.

  

Step 2:  Chop up your old skirt!  I didn't do any measurements beforehand, and just laid into it with my scissors.  But a smarter sewer would put the skirt on, figure out how much shorter they want it and cut accordingly.  The skirt I used had pockets that I ended up cutting through, so I had to cut those out too.

Step 3:  You're going to pin the skirt and elastic band together in four places. Turn the skirt inside out before hand, and be aware, as you pin the waistband should be underneath the fabric.  My skirt has a back seam so I matched it up with the seam of the elastic waistband and pinned. (see picture)  Also pin the side seams of the skirt and a front center point of the skirt to the waistband.  You may have to repin several times to get an even amount of fabric.  I found hanging the skirt (above) gave me a better idea of how equally I had dispersed the fabric.

Step 4:  Almost time to sew.  First a little more pinning.  Keeping the pins from before in place, and looking at the front of the skirt, pin two pleats to the right of the center pin and two pleats to the left of it.  They should be symmetrical and with the folds facing inward (see above picture). Flip the skirt over and do the exact same thing on the back. (Again I used no measurements here, just pinned until everything looked even)

Step 5:  With the skirt still inside out, sew it all together, removing the pins as you go.  I'm paranoid of clothing I make falling apart so I did two rows of stitches.  Press afterwards.  And wallah!  An easy peasy, and cute, skirt!

She's Back!

Six weeks after a hit and run, my Scion is back.  Six weeks full of countless calls to the shop, where my car sat outside and was hit by hail. Where a three week estimate turned to four.  Then five.  Six.  Ahhh who cares.  I have her back.  She looks better than ever.   And because they 'sensed my frustration' they knocked off 300 dollars.

The damage.

Like new again.  They even cleaned the inside.

Mom's Bed

The bed where mom spent her last hour.
Anything but a death bed. Instead, place of solace, love, and life.
Where decades ago 3 young girls found late-night comfort from tummy aches and nightmares.
And could always squeeze in, fall asleep between the snoring of two tired parents.

The bed where mom read a few pages of a book before a final stretch.
Once a king size table for family pizza parties.
Shades pulled, the five of us huddled in front of the TV as the window air conditioner hummed, keeping us cool on a hot summer day.
It’s where teenage daughters took turns crying with fears of someday losing their mom.
And they were comforted. Told that when it did someday happen, they would be ready.

The bed where mom was found. Resting peacefully.
Where we now sit, sorting out her jewelry.
The turquoise necklace Allison gave her three birthdays ago. The matching earrings we bought when she visited me in North Dakota.
A bed too big for daughters too young to start their own families, buy their own homes, and welcome their own children to their bedside.
A quarter century old cut of mahogany left behind, stained with memories of life.
Anything but a death bed.

*Since my mom's passing last year I've thought a lot about that bed.  It's presence in my life. I'm not a poet.  I haven't written a poem, actually since high school.  But this seemed like the best way to compile my thoughts.

Nudity, Vacuums, and Beer

Maybe it's because I'm unemployed and I spend the week thinking about what I want to do when other people are finally off work although I like to think it's because Spencer and I generate fun when we're together; either way, this weekend, another one spend hopping around from a garage sales to a brew tour.  We made it to Rib Fest, made it out to the burbs to have lunch with my sister and dad, and saw a lot of naked people. 

The nudity started Saturday morning at breakfast.  Eating bagels at our favorite corner shop and lounging on their couches, Spencer said suddenly, "I've gotta go."  He repeated himself several times as his eyes bulged and darted to something five feet away I needed to look at.  I did.  Balls.  Hanging out of an older mans shorts as he sat reclined and cross-legged.  We left, and later by choice, almost as a bookend to the day, opted to see hundreds of man-berries as we watched the city's naked bike ride make its way through Boys Town.  So much skin.  Such a bottlenecked bike ride.  Most of the naked riders were standing next to their bikes, as they were slowed down, and significantly stalled by the huge crowds that had gathered outside to see the spectacle.  Some bicyclists were obviously not thrilled. Here they thought they'd be streaking through the city with speed, but no, instead they're walking slowly through crowds who cheered for the first couple hundred people and are now just staring quietly at them.

Perhaps the most exciting part of the weekend for me: achieving my goal of 'acquiring a new vacuum.'  Ten dollars at a yard sale.  And I swear, it's like new.  They either never used it or totally cleaned it out before selling it, and not only does it work fifty times better than my old vacuum, it has a brush to clean cat hair off furniture!  After buying it, Spencer carried it a block and half to the car as I danced around in excitement.

 

We also did a tour of the Half Acre Brewery on North Lincoln Ave.  If you're not from the area, the company is newer, small, only distributes around Chicago and a few suburbs, and, in my opinion, puts way too much hops in their beer. 

They give one tour a week, to 60 people; first come, first serve.  So we waited outside in the hot sun about an hour to get a spot, but were rewarded with three beers, a pint class, and an honest, laid back tour for the same cheap price as my vacuum.  Ten dollars.

Oh I love beer.  After my trip to Vegas next weekend, however, I'm taking a break from alcohol.  I'm at my heaviest weight ever (by a few pounds, but still) and need to start taking care of myself again.  And so, hopefully, once High Life's are out of my life, the same will go for a few pounds.

Amy the House Hunter

Amy has been wanting to move out of the house she lives in for years.  Monday she toured a potential new home.  It may not be the perfect fit, but it was exciting to dream.

Some fun I had with iMovie regarding the day...

A HOME FOR AMY TRAILER

CLIPS FROM THE DAY

Cat Apps

So many great 'apps' out there, but let's forget about the ones that translate languages for you, let you scan documents from your phone, or help you find the nearest BYOB place for a minute to talk about what really matters.  Cats.  And the multiple of applications that allow me to indulge my love for them even when I'm not at home with my furry pets. Alot of the apps generate various meows...

 

But my new favorite app.  Cat Wang.  Simply because I can now make everyone I like, someone I love by adding a cat head on them.

If pasting a cat head on a picture is too impersonal, you can always paste a cat face.  Cat Face is a must have app on your phone if you have free time, and cats.  It doesn't always line up purrfectly, as seen here with the younger sis.  But still fun.

The Cat Face creators appropriately also have Dog Face, and well, I highly recommend it too.

Reunited

I had a fallout with a  close friend four months ago.
Correction.  I thought I had a fallout with a friend.  In our last email correspondence he apologized for being a bad friend and taking so long to reach out to me after a breakup. I told him 'Hey, no biggie, although you do sometimes suck as a friend.'
And we hadn't talked since.  Until last night.  The one friend I regularly saw, talk to about my family, my mom, and my dating life, and really felt close to, just disappeared.

I was sure he'd ridden me off, that he'd decided if he's such a 'bad friend' maybe we shouldn't be friends at all.  And apparently, he was sure I had ridden him off. Decided he was a bad friend not worth my time.  See, I lost my job shortly after that email, and he'd been texting my work phone.  He says he text me several times and gave up after he didn't hear back from me.
And so last night when we saw each other at a party, hugged, and sorted it out, I started crying.  In fairness, the alcohol may have added to it too. 

As I cried, and we both laughed, about the misunderstanding, Spencer pointed out how funny it was that neither of us just picked up the phone and called one another.  He's right.

I lost one of my best friends for four months because of a miscommunication.  Funny how that works.  Sad, really.  But we're reunited now, and (cringe, cliche) it feels so good.