What I Did On My Internet Vacation
Day 6 draws to a close. Comcast has still not changed their entirely unhelpful pre-recorded message. I am falling further and further behind because I can't order stuff for coming updates. Hell, I've had to go on walks just to get enough cell signal to check my email. Tonight, I'm at a friend's house, and tomorrow I'll be at Terra Firma, so I can get some things done, but if we don't have connectivity by Monday, I am switching to FiOS. I don't mind downtime so long as you update your customers regularly with estimates. Comcast's weak point has always been their horrendous customer service, and I may be at my breaking point.
Anyway, things I have done on my Internet Vacation:
Saturday, on the way back from my mom's, we drove through Sudbrook to check on Dixie & Jayson in the house where I used to live. Sudbrook was A MESS. Aside from the downed giant trees and live wires I was quickly becoming accustomed to, we saw a tree that went clear through a house. Like, straight through the top two floors, landed in the basement. There was a sign taped to the railing that said "everyone got out okay," thank God.
There was also this:
Dixie & Jayson were having a bad day. Aside from the chaos in their back yard, they had no power, no running water, and they absolutely needed to harvest their hives' honey that weekend. The $800 electric honey doohickey they bought was absolutely useless, so they had to rent a hand-cranked one instead.
Dixie was SO DAMN HAPPY to see us, because she was on the verge of tears at the thought of not being able to shower. So we offered them a shower and a hot meal and did our good deed for the day.
Terra Firma was closed until today, so I had a lot of downtime. Part of it was spent doing what repair jobs I could for the local jewelers I work for without needing additional supplies. Mostly pearl knotting, including a three-strand choker that had to be perfectly knotted to the millimeter. I still have three jobs left to do, as well as a few to do for one of my own clients, but I can't do anything until I can get my hands on supplies tomorrow. Also for July's Earring Club. And then I have to do ordering for the next few Sihaya Designs updates.
Monday, I took myself on a date. I woke up with the overwhelming urge to just get out. I took the Metro to the Inner Harbor and went shopping for a sundress. Found the perfect purple one on 70% sale in the Galleria. Walked around Barnes & Noble and saw THIS atrocity:
Like... what is that? Not only is it Pride & Prejudice fanfic, but it's VAMPIRE DARCY and appears to have a Phantom of the Opera crossover? WHAT. I can't even. I have lost my ability to even.
Sat atop Federal Hill for a bit, overlooking the waterfront that has changed so much since I was a child. Enjoyed the breeze. Got a craving for a shrimp sandwich, and so walked down to Cross Street Market. On a whim, I picked one up for my father, and walked it down to him by Riverside Park, then walked all the way back to the metro at the Shot Tower. Overall, it was a six hour date/walk, and it felt so amazing to be out and about on my own time, entirely unhurried.
Wednesday, the Fourth of July, I was also feeling the need to Get Out Of The House, so J & I drove up to Gettysburg for lunch at the Farnsworth. Our server got big eyes when he asked for our drink order and we ordered three Louisiana Tiger Fires and a Belle Boyd's Revenge. We were not playing around. The Louisiana Tiger Fire is easily one of my favorite drinks of all time. It's basically like a super-charged Bloody Mary with added horseradish, olives, and gulf shrimp. It is a thing of glory.
So we basically went for a walk around Gettysburg tipsy, is what I'm saying. It was on the unpleasant side of hot and sticky. Still, we stopped in our favorite little gift shop, Habitat, and I picked up some of the best coffee ever-- one bag of Snickerdoodle, and one of the Jenny Wade blend, which is banana nut bread flavored. So, so delicious. There is also a new cupcake shop right across from the Farnsworth, and we split a vanilla bean cupcake. Nommy.
Today, having run out of work I could do, I tried my best to relax. I watched Princess Farhana & DeVilla's stage makeup dvd while tossing out expired makeup and cleaning my brushes. I cuddled Olive and read for a while. Still, relaxing makes me kind of antsy-- I'm a Virgo, what can I say?
Anyway, kittypix.
I did get a few accurate shots of the new hair with my camera, with bonus wings, as I've been meaning to take size reference pics for a while. These are my own personal wings-- Elf-Queen ones in copper.
The streaks, by the by, are not my real hair-- they're clip ins, and I have them in lots of colors.
Aaaaanywhoodle. I need to be productive now. Later. Cross your fingers for me that I'll be back up and running by Monday.
Anyway, things I have done on my Internet Vacation:
Saturday, on the way back from my mom's, we drove through Sudbrook to check on Dixie & Jayson in the house where I used to live. Sudbrook was A MESS. Aside from the downed giant trees and live wires I was quickly becoming accustomed to, we saw a tree that went clear through a house. Like, straight through the top two floors, landed in the basement. There was a sign taped to the railing that said "everyone got out okay," thank God.
There was also this:
Dixie & Jayson were having a bad day. Aside from the chaos in their back yard, they had no power, no running water, and they absolutely needed to harvest their hives' honey that weekend. The $800 electric honey doohickey they bought was absolutely useless, so they had to rent a hand-cranked one instead.
Dixie was SO DAMN HAPPY to see us, because she was on the verge of tears at the thought of not being able to shower. So we offered them a shower and a hot meal and did our good deed for the day.
Terra Firma was closed until today, so I had a lot of downtime. Part of it was spent doing what repair jobs I could for the local jewelers I work for without needing additional supplies. Mostly pearl knotting, including a three-strand choker that had to be perfectly knotted to the millimeter. I still have three jobs left to do, as well as a few to do for one of my own clients, but I can't do anything until I can get my hands on supplies tomorrow. Also for July's Earring Club. And then I have to do ordering for the next few Sihaya Designs updates.
Monday, I took myself on a date. I woke up with the overwhelming urge to just get out. I took the Metro to the Inner Harbor and went shopping for a sundress. Found the perfect purple one on 70% sale in the Galleria. Walked around Barnes & Noble and saw THIS atrocity:
Like... what is that? Not only is it Pride & Prejudice fanfic, but it's VAMPIRE DARCY and appears to have a Phantom of the Opera crossover? WHAT. I can't even. I have lost my ability to even.
Sat atop Federal Hill for a bit, overlooking the waterfront that has changed so much since I was a child. Enjoyed the breeze. Got a craving for a shrimp sandwich, and so walked down to Cross Street Market. On a whim, I picked one up for my father, and walked it down to him by Riverside Park, then walked all the way back to the metro at the Shot Tower. Overall, it was a six hour date/walk, and it felt so amazing to be out and about on my own time, entirely unhurried.
Wednesday, the Fourth of July, I was also feeling the need to Get Out Of The House, so J & I drove up to Gettysburg for lunch at the Farnsworth. Our server got big eyes when he asked for our drink order and we ordered three Louisiana Tiger Fires and a Belle Boyd's Revenge. We were not playing around. The Louisiana Tiger Fire is easily one of my favorite drinks of all time. It's basically like a super-charged Bloody Mary with added horseradish, olives, and gulf shrimp. It is a thing of glory.
So we basically went for a walk around Gettysburg tipsy, is what I'm saying. It was on the unpleasant side of hot and sticky. Still, we stopped in our favorite little gift shop, Habitat, and I picked up some of the best coffee ever-- one bag of Snickerdoodle, and one of the Jenny Wade blend, which is banana nut bread flavored. So, so delicious. There is also a new cupcake shop right across from the Farnsworth, and we split a vanilla bean cupcake. Nommy.
Today, having run out of work I could do, I tried my best to relax. I watched Princess Farhana & DeVilla's stage makeup dvd while tossing out expired makeup and cleaning my brushes. I cuddled Olive and read for a while. Still, relaxing makes me kind of antsy-- I'm a Virgo, what can I say?
Anyway, kittypix.
I did get a few accurate shots of the new hair with my camera, with bonus wings, as I've been meaning to take size reference pics for a while. These are my own personal wings-- Elf-Queen ones in copper.
The streaks, by the by, are not my real hair-- they're clip ins, and I have them in lots of colors.
Aaaaanywhoodle. I need to be productive now. Later. Cross your fingers for me that I'll be back up and running by Monday.