Weekend Funk

I'm not sure when it happened exactly but somehow I fell into a funk this weekend and just couldn't wait for it to be over. I was very grumpy and felt that I couldn't find any personal space and E whined ALL weekend. My funk was at it's peek last night because yesterday felt like I should have been at work.

I'm feeling refreshed today though, as I am up and moving around this morning, whilst everyone else sleeps. I think I was off my new early schedule and worried a lot about work. There is a lot of pressure there. I plan to get ready this morning, as usual, and walk into work with a get-er done attitude to work off some of the pressure and NOT bring it home tonight. I owe my family one. 

Needless to say I didn't get much of anything done this weekend other than clean the bathrooms and brush down the pool. Oh yeah, I did get groceries and found a moment to finish a dress that gathers around the collar and arm holes. I don't understand why the pattern wanted me to gather with baste stitches. Elastic seems like the better choice. I guess it was trying to keep things simple but it's a knit maxi and it should move with you. A lot. Oh well. I'm still trying to figure out how to use patterns to create clothing that fits well.

I think I'll make a pair of khaki drawstring pants from a pattern I bought about a year ago sometime this week. Its a Kwik Sew I think and It contains instructions for either a maxi skirt or slacks. I made the skirt last year and it was surprisingly too big. I think I know where to make the pants smaller to get the fit. I'll stop by the fabric shop to select a lovely shade and weight of linen today. That will definitely put my funk to rest. 

Full Saturday

It dawned on me this morning... I have another sewing machine! I've been contemplating trying a "cover stitch" but I had not contemplated trying it on my Bernina. The old machine sews just fine for top stitches so I could set it up next to my serger and hop from machine to machine. Is it normal to wake up and immediately think about sewing? It's in my blood.

When I finish blogging, I won't begin on the cover stitch experiment, I will be heading off to work. I plan to be there until my tummy rumbles or my eyes can't distinguish between the 0's and 1's any more. Our latest project at work is going to kill me. I know it. I called W yesterday to vent and I don't remember everything I told him but I do remember telling him that I had to walk out of there when I did because I just didn't know how to do my job. Mentally, that's a very uncomfortable place for me be. Today is a fresh day so I will go into work and it will be a very different atmosphere without the hustle and bustle and I will put on some soothing Weezer or something and figure it out - TODAY - or tomorrow or the next or whatever. 

The hardest part of IT is... whether it's systems, hardware or software... literally, IT professionals are trying to do something they've never done before with a deadline.

After work I'll stop and grab a cute little tiara for G's best friend and make her a cake since today is her Birthday. She's a special girl and I think she appreciates me as motherly-figure. I need her to trust me in order for her and G to make good decisions together and even when they don't. That way I can lecture her and G together so that she knows my standards too and be able to gauge the severity of the situation. What she doesn't know is that I am strategically using her to help G become a great young lady. aHHHAhahahahaha. What would you do? Sit back and cross your fingers?

This evening will consist of grocery shopping and attaining household supplies. Maybe even a little bathroom scrubbing and what-not. If I can complete most of what I've mentioned here today then I can certainly spend my Sunday on the cover stitch bit. I've got to try.

High School Anxiety

G had open house at school last night. We visited each one of her classes for about 8 min each. Then then bell would ring to move on to the next period. I followed her to the next class, took notes, moved on to the next and the next and finally I was so overwhelmed that I couldn't figure out which side of the campus we were on. The end of the 6th period finished by 8:10 pm - Marketing Essentials. When we left the classroom, it was as if the set of double doors to the left of the hall of dumped us out into the parking lot like a water slide at a water park with twists and turns inside that small tunnel - moving at light speeds. It was such a relief to get my bearings. I actually thought we were on the 2nd floor. It was scary to reminisce about high school and when I attended that campus. It's really changed since then of course.  

I have to give G a lot of credit. She seems to have a handle on things. She likes a couple of her teachers a lot and one of them happens to be teaching her most challenging course of Algebra II. I would like to get involved in her theater and marketing class because it seems as though those two courses will offer extra curricular activities and participation if she wants it. I think it would be good if she were involved in some sort of school activity. We'll see.

The moral of the story is, I juggle many tasks at work and at home daily. The difference between that and going back to high school is that I can dictate some of those tasks to others.  It doesn't matter how they get completed as long as they are completed. Managing and completing a set of tasks for 6 high school classes and any extra curricular activities - when you are the only person allowed to accomplish them - seems isolating and overwhelming. I will try to help her alleviate these feelings - if she shares them - by attempting to help her manage the tasks but I'm not great at that either so I don't know if I can provide any assistance at all. We shall see.

The Morning News

A news paper sales rep talked me into buying the Orlando Sentinel. It was 5 weeks worth of news paper for $15 and he gave me a $10 gift card to the craft store. It sounded like a great deal - the only problem is I don't need to know the stuff going on in that paper. I'm finding myself reading about things I'm usually in denial about and it's one more thing I'm starting to worrying about now. I normally call W and ask him about stuff if I need to know. Ignorance is bliss.

New Blogs about Patterns

I found a couple new blogs to read this morning. You may like them as well.

Skinny Bitch Curvy Chick Patterns - "Skinny bitches are considered any one under 5 feet 4 inches with a shorter torso and legs, and sometimes shorter arms."

Va-Voom Vintage Patterns

I'm not too happy with the title the first Blog gives my build but I do struggle with altering patterns so - tell me more and call me what ever you want.

Adding one more... This gal sounds like we could be best friends.
Bored and Crafty

Studio Discussions

I've been asking around - or more like poking - to see if people would be interested in a local crafting studio. The conversations start to flow instantly. "I have a sewing machine in my garage but I don't know how to use it..." and "I started a class at ___ but I didn't stick with it because I didn't know any else doing it." So many people have interesting ideas to offer. I'm taking notes ladies so keep 'em coming. I even ran into one of E's teachers from a few years ago at a local Farmers Market and she was ecstatic about the whole studio idea.

I reached out to my gal A and told her to start gearing up because W gave me the green light. A is my go-to crafting engineer. She is me but in so many different areas than I have dabbled. Her sense of "design" exceeds mine and her ability to research the proper techniques are far superior. A and I have had lengthy discussions about how our craftiness would make us money someday. We are dreamers and both ADHD (we also share a love for coffee) so I have no doubt about the creative synergy we could put into the studio. What's concerning me is that I think we need a balance of craftiness and business. The studio won't last long on prayers. We have to consider prices and putting generosity aside and be sure that the studio is thriving. We will have to consider marketing and paying quarterly taxes. Insurance and what-not. It all sounds great but we also know of the hard work ahead.

Regardless of the "work" our glorified hobby will eventually generate income to survive on it's own. And if it doesn't, I will have so many new handmade crafts/skills to last me a while.

We took the Walmart Challenge

Yesterday was grocery-gettin'-day. I've kept my last receipt from Publix and have been planning to enter all the items from the receipt into a spreadsheet matrix. Down the left side of the matrix will be all the items that I buy over and over again. The next column will be the prices of Publix and the next column will be Targets prices (they won't all the items that Publix has) and the next column will be WinnDixie. I, of course have not gotten around to creating this spreadsheet yet, but the master plan is A) to compare the prices and B) to use the list to create a specific shopping list to take to the store with little effort.

Notice that Walmart is not a store that I frequent. I gave up on it many many years ago when every time I went into one I wanted to fight someone. The associates are always standing around chatting or taking up too much space in the isles with their put-backs and re-stocking at the most inconvenient times. The patrons are inconsiderate and their are always too many people at in the checkout lines.I honestly have only gone to Walmart on average, 1 to 2 times a year for at least 10 years for miscellaneous things like a bike tire tube on Sunday because the bike shop was closed. That sort of thing.

So I had a wild hair yesterday ,or is it hare, either way, to stop in and see how much we spend and the shopping experience vs. the other stores mentioned.

It was a mad house as usual. So many cars, so many people in the parking lot. People almost blocking the front door because they were waiting for the Red Box next to it. People trying to finish their cigarette before entering the store while the smoke wafts inside. Lets take you inside. I didn't know which way to turn. There weren't any clear paths to take. All I could think was save yourself. I took only 2 kids with me G and B and we only picked out a few necessities to limit the amount of time spent in the store. In this respect, we did save a lot of money! G mentioned at one point, "This is a great place to either survive a Zombie Apocalypse or to start one."

We dodged, we bobbed, we weaved through the crowds and at some point I decided that I had enough items to get by so started the check out venture. OMG! The lines were so long. Many lanes were closed and the lines jutted out into the isles that prevented me from getting to the other side of the store to get a few toiletries but I just had to cut my loses. We waited in line for 25 min. and we walked out of the store to empty out into the parking lots sea of cars and walked for days to unload the cart.

I didn't get into a fight this time but I thought it was very rude that the cashier decided to close her register and told a very elderly man BEHIND me that she could not take him. He had two items!!! He waited for soooo long! I would have made a scene if it were me. I almost piped up to allow him to go in front of me because he was so old and gentle and that's what us Targeters would have done but I just spent 25 min., in counting in line, and I was not about to let some old man skip me and possibly make me have to go to another line. My ice cream was already soup!

When it was all said and done, I do not even have to add up the dollars. It does not matter. The experience was a flop and I spent too much precious time trying get the shopping deed done. I can usually leave my drive way, shop, check out and be back home within 50 min. at any of the stores I usually patronize. I spent over an hour in the Walmart for half the items needed. Then it took me at least 15 minutes to drive home because of the construction and the congestion that always seems to surround those stores.

I miss you Target! I didn't get to see you this past weekend but I will stop by sometime this week. Publix, I will not take you for granted ever again. Do not ever lower your prices to a prostitutional level. Thank you for being clean and small and most importantly, thank you for being close to home.