A World of Paper Flowers

DRAGON*CON!!!

2008-09-06T23:12:01Z

Well, Dragon*Con was like a beautiful affair-- so gorgeous in its perfection that it could only be experienced a short time (four days to be exact). But such an experience, in the fashion of Titanic or Bridges of Madison County, will forever remain beautiful and perfect and whole in the realm of memory...

Ah, and such a whirlwind romance it was! (Yes, I'll continue this for as long as I want to). Crowded beds, late nights, hardly any food or sleep at all- toss in some risque clothing and alcohol and you have a veritable orgy of everything incredibly awesome and missing from the day-to-day lives of the geek- initiated. Dragon*Con is a Four-Day extravaganza of nerd-dom, all things fantastical or scientifically fictitious, the goths and bondage lovers, anyone who grew up in the 80's, knows what being Rick-Rolled means, cosplayers/costumers/Ren-Faire enthusiasts/those handy with fiberglass. Oh, and pretty much anyone else.

Having been home for nearly a week now, looking around at the blank stares of my 8am Fashion Drawing students in their ordinary-ness, and me, NOT in my Wasp costume, trying to look business-like and not like I'm only 6 years older than they are... you realize that D*C was heaven, and also... if ANY of those students knew what I'd been doing just a scant few days ago... they might think of me a little differently. Yes, life is mostly boring, and D*C reminds us all just how much our lives might suck 98% of the year, but at least we've got that 2%, and that 2% will be enough to get me through another year until the next time I'm again in Atlanta.

Something that struck me this year was how nice everyone was. The Owly comic artist was incredibly sweet and smiley as Katie got a signature. A man named Justice from the League of Heroes forums wasn't afraid to pull me out of my shell a bit (he was also very nice about the fact that I crashed their photo session):

...Hm, that's the potatoes burning, be right back. ...Yes, I'm having delicious and nutritious, albeit crispy, sautéed potatoes for lunch. They are left-over from before D*C and my roommate and I have exactly NO money, not even for groceries, until about next Friday. I even had to ask for a little loan from one of my more responsible friends so I could get by until then, and I now feel extremely humble. I put lemon-pepper seasoning on my potatoes. You should try it, it is good. I found that out when I was making a recipe for Cod and potatoes and the seasoning went so well that I now use it for only-potato use too. Back to D*C... I met several very nice guys from the League of Heroes, who had some nice costumes. I was also pulled to a Disney photo session (Cody's heaven) and got to see a lot of amazing costumes there too. I got my photo with an incredibly good Prince Edward from Enchanted. He liked my fan, see picture:

Although I'm very happy with how my costumes turned out, seeing such amazing costumes made me realize I really need to step it up and try for more elaboration. Although my Wasp outfit was popular, I realize now how incredibly simple it was. It still had its share of "How the hell do I make this work?" to it, but not compared to this guy:

Or this guy:

How do people make these things?? I'll be quick to admit that my specialty is not robotics, and although I have bought the makings for fiberglass crafting, I haven't had the balls to try it.

Here's a pic of us girls in costume:

On the Left, Katie as Stormer from Jem, I as Wasp from the Avengers, and Stacy in an original fantasy. Here are some more Wasp pics:

Here's a close-up pic of my woefully inadequate Steampunk costume:

Katie found a Jem group!! How amazing is that?? She was so unbelievably happy. These girls looked fantastic.

We all had such a good time in costume this year. Having people recognize you and want to take pictures is really nice because it kind of takes a boosted level of confidence to walk around in strange outfits in front of strangers. Haha, my confidence was a little too high maybe, since I did flirt with some strangers and took lots of pictures with amazing costumed men. The walk of fame:

This guys costume was made from recycled materials found around his house. I certainly do like an environmentally-conscious man!

IRON-man from Starch Industries. Takes the cake in outrageous crowd-squealing at the Masq, me included. I love nerdy insider-humor. Seriously.

Stacy and I might have to fight over this one. I got to hold his gun. It was heavier than I expected. ...Have I ever mentioned that I really love long hair on my guys?

These pictures make me laugh so hard:

Did I mention we were Rick-Rolled at the Masquerade? What an amazing piece of engineering and deviousness that was.

Cody getting blessed by Popetine. God, he's scary looking.

A Yip Yip from Sesame Street. All of us were looking at him going, "Why does he look/seem so familiar??" and it's because we were Sesame Street kids. He's on Youtube if anyone's interested in reminiscing. "Yip Yip Yip! BurrrrrrINGGG!!"

All of us together laughing so hard after a few too many drinks. Especially Stacy and Katie, though they were absolutely hilarious. Meeting Terrence and Brian was great, they had some great stories and jokes. I already miss being a part of a group.

I'm so sad that D*C is over...! So what is there to do for 360 or so days? WELL. Make more costumes, of course! Already planned for next year: Hexadecimal from Reboot, and Dr. Blight from Captain Planet:

And this time, they're going to be complex and impressive and perfect. :)

I'll probably be adding another entry with more pics, but this is quite long enough for now.

Tropic Thunder

2008-08-23T18:42:15Z

Tropic Thunder was indescribably stupendously amazing. That is all I will say. And this video. He's making hotdogs??!

Steampunk and Pre-Dragon*Con Piccies

2008-08-09T01:41:53Z

Well, after realizing I wouldn't know what further steps to take in creating my costume without trying the whole ensemble on for the first time, Stacy and I took a few pics to give me a visual clue as to my direction. In layman's terms (because although I have no clue what a layman is, I certainly am one), we took some pictures in the hallway while our cats were locked in the bathroom. :D

Ohh, it looks like a Biker's glove?! Oh well, at least I only had one crocheted. The mask is a neverending work in progress, but it's on its way I hope. I need to concoct a way to have it removable from a headpiece, because as strange as it may sound since it's an air filtration mask, it's IMPOSSIBLE to breathe easily in that thing. Coupled with hundreds of crowding D*C travelers, and I might really swoon like the Victorian's supposedly did.

Pouty picture. Some elements are just pinned together right now, so I definitely have some work to do, but I like the look so far.

I just like my fan. And my pin.

Soo... whatcha think?? What's missing? What's ugly or incongruent? I have some ideas already on how to fix it up and make it a little better, but if anyone has any input, I'm all ears!

I'm looking forward to a Steampunk gathering at Dragon*Con. I need to find out when any events will be!! I'd also like to find out if any authors from the magazine are attending, because I might have to fangirl on them a bit. Anyway, lots to do and dwindling time. :D I wish I didn't have to work tomorrow!

BTW, Half Blood Prince Trailer for the win. Not enough footage of course, but a definite start to my impatience. Also randomly, when you put Tiramisu Coffee Mate in Chai Tea, it is, mmn... it might even be better than coffee... :)...

sobegreentea @ 2008-08-04T10:29:00

2008-08-04T14:29:29Z

Your result for Test Who You Are in the Steampunk Ether City of Salmagundi...

Inspector Marie LeClerc (the Forensics Expert)

59% Cerys, 40% Ras, 20% Bell, 34% Wilde, 68% LeClerc, 23% Kendrick and 13% Fuzzy!

You are Forensics Inspector Marie LeClerc. In a city ravaged by chaos, greed, class struggle, and the occult, you somehow find the strength to face each day with a smile and a ray of hope. You aren’t naïve: you realize that the world isn’t all flowers and bunnies, but you also understand that if you went through life expecting the worst you’d never get anything done. You’re a diligent investigator and you don’t believe in giving up on a difficult problem without making every effort.

Intrigued? Learn more about G. D. Falksen's Salmagundi and the Cities of Ether here

Take Test Who You Are in the Steampunk Ether City of Salmagundi at HelloQuizzy

I love Steampunk. Steampunk, Steampunk, Steampunk. The Victorian era is one that I've always been drawn to, it's where most of my original clothing designs come from, and I love love LOVE the idea of the Do It Yourself-er. I'm currently reading The Ruby in the Smoke by Phillip Pullman, and there was a scene where this poor disjointed "family" of friends are eating food on a bench, doing their best to avoid creating any dishes, and using empty chemical jars for their drinks. I think Steampunk, for me, is a theme of self-reliance, strength in even a small offering, DIY, beauty, and optimism. It's also an interesting view of what the world may have come to had the Industrial Revolution taken a different turn (or not happened altogether).

Speaking of Steampunk, my outfit is almost complete. I'm crocheting the gloves, still contemplating the hat/mask device, and wondering over an umbrella. Pics to come soon. I may have Stacy take some preliminary shots tonight after I get out of work. We shall see! Hopefully it all comes together so far. Ugh, WHY DO I HAVE TO GO TO WORK?? I really need money though. I have no extra money for Dragon Con and I've been relying on my credit cards a bit too often. ...But I don't want to work any more than I already am... what a horrible position to consistently be in!

Ah, in other news, for $50 bucks, Stacy and I re-made our bathroom into something museum-worthy. It's quite a sight to behold, though it suddenly makes the rest of the house seem dark and drab. It's amazing what a little bit of money can do to improve one's life. However, obviously I should be saving my money. Oh yeah, we bought a coffee pot too! It's so awesome! And I bought a picture frame, and some jeans the other day, and........ HahaHA it's all my own fault.

Thursday news? What news?

2008-07-31T15:17:06Z

It's never a good thing when your checkbook is showing a negative amount of funds... When you're riding the "As long as my bills don't go through before pay-day, I'll be fine" wave. Paycheck to paycheck wouldn't be quite as bad if I just had some back-up money in my savings... but that's not to be at the moment. When I start teaching this fall, my time will immediately be zilch, but I'll have a fatter account. Win some money, lose some time.

This morning I woke up remembering that it's my stepfather and sister's birthdays this month. It'd be nice to have an idea for gifts... I think I might head to those culinary shops in the mall, like Crate and Barrel. You can always find neat things in there, at least for my sister. She doesn't cook yet, that I'm aware of, but her boyfriend does, and maybe if I got some kind of fun kit they could do something together, kitchen-y... ? Hm. As for my stepfather... hm.. I'm running out of ideas for him. Father's Day wasn't so long ago, and then Christmas before that! I'm not a factory of great middle-aged-man gifts. It's depressing when you know the presents to give your parents are out of your budget. Though I've never cared much about trying to become rich, it would be very nice to be able to do things for family and friends. So long as they didn't start expecting it. It's a double-edged sword.

The day is sunshiny, but there are dark clouds in the sky. I hope the rain is over. God, there's been way too much rain for summer. Fall's going to come before I feel I've had a good hot summer. ...I wish I could move. Contemplating Grad school, again, and still don't have a great idea of that yet. Katie's pretty set on a Buffalo/Rochester school, but they don't have theatre/costume design, which I think is the only way I can go and be true to myself. Ugh, there's a lot to do aside from thinking about this I guess.

Today:

Clean my bedroom
Buy new vacuum bags and vacuum this freakin place
Think about how to construct wing pulleys for Wasp
Steampunk please? Maybe paint mask
Finish laundry
Maybe see Hellboy 2, but with what money?
Go to the college and get an ID Card and a master key
Curse my mom for giving my phone number to people and leaving me with problems...
Write my Aunt a thank you letter for the tv

In other news, Stacy and I (Katie's totally in on this too I'll bet) want to own a shop of immense proportions, including a little dessert/tea/coffee cafe, handbag and cute gifts store, stationary, books, imports, clothing, etc. It will be a veritable Mall of Gifting! Complete with gift-wrap center for items or food or cards; we could even have a card-writing class or service where we use Caligraphy or quill pens and beautiful papers- that would be my section of course. The stationary/clothing/handbag section. Ahh, if life could be so amazing! I should be making more clothing to sell. I need to get it to be more of a science than an art- you can't sell clothes if you haven't pre-washed them or know what their fabric content is. Not easily, anyway. I'll add that to my life-long list of goals and work on the short-term for now. God knows Stacy's not going to switch over that laundry.

sobegreentea @ 2008-07-21T17:39:00

2008-07-21T21:39:20Z

Yep, it's Quiz time. That time in everyone's life, where they came online to do one thing, and ended up doing several pointless others.

Your result for The What type of MAN turns you on Test...

Pretty boy

You scored 15% masculine, 41% athletic, 45% exotic, and 56% refined!

You like a man that looks like you can bring him home to mama. Clean, toned (but not over the top) and not the macho type. A genuine nice guy.....like Orlando Bloom. But let's face it, the whole point of this was to look at a bunch of hot guys. If you liked what you saw, please rate my test!

Take The What type of MAN turns you on Test at HelloQuizzy

Your result for Which Chess Piece are You Test?...

The Rook's Hawk

Congrats! Only 12-16% of the population score this!

The Rook’s Hawk is like a judge. They have a great sense of right and wrong especially in their area of interest or responsibility. They are devoted to duty. They are punctual. People who set their clocks on others are typically measuring their time with the Hawk. It is common to perceive that the Hawk is cold or aloof. They frequently protect their emotions via practicality.

They work systematically to get the job done. When a new procedure is proven, they can be depended upon to carry it out. The Rook’s Hawk is deeply frustrated by the inconsistencies of others, especially when it comes to commitments. They will keep their feelings to themselves – but when asked expect truth over tact. They are quite able to make the tough call and carry it out. You will find the Rook’s Hawk at home in government, schools, military or any other organization which maintains strict hierarchy. They are the traditionalist and are perfect for balancing out the idealists of other types.

The Rook’s Hawk thrives on organization. They keep their lives and environments well-regulated. They bring painstaking attention to detail in their work and will not rest until satisfied with a job well done. They are obviously hard workers. They will sort through ideas and find the most practical ones, again revealing how common sense prevails in this type. This ‘Pawn’ is the cornerstone of an ethical working society. They are centered on dealing with the present and most practical affair. They observe life and promote consistency in society. They value loyalty and others are best to acquaint themselves with this type if they wish to gain a fruitful insight to what makes the world tick.

Take Which Chess Piece are You Test? at HelloQuizzy

Your result for The Lover Style Profile Test...

The Devoted Lover

55% partner focus, 33% aggressiveness, 30% adventurousness

Based on the results of this test, it is highly likely that:

You prefer your romance and love to be traditional rather than daring or out-of-the-ordinary, you would rather be pursued than do the pursuing and, when it comes to physical love, your satisfaction comes more from providing a wonderful time to your partner than simply seeking your own.

This places you in the Lover Style of: The Devoted Lover.

The Devoted Lover is a wonderful Lover Style, and is perhaps the best Lover Style when it comes to developing a long-term, caring and rewarding relationship. The Devoted Lover is a treasure to find, though it is sometimes difficult to time establishing a relationship with one just right; usually, this is the last romantic relationship you'll need to find, so sow any wild oats first.

In terms of physical love, the Devoted Lover can be shy at first but gradually warms and eventually can be a thrilling partner who knows every need of his/her partner. Given a strong and loving relationship, and the right lover, the Devoted Lover can be a delight in bed.

Best Compatibility can probably be found with: The Suave Lover (most of all) or the Classic Lover, or the Carnal Lover.

Congratulations!

If you enjoyed this test, I would love the feedback! Also, you might want to check out some of my other tests if you're interested in the following:

Nerds, Geeks & Dorks

Professional Wrestling

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

America/Politics

Thanks Again! -- THE LOVER STYLE PROFILE TEST

Take The Lover Style Profile Test at HelloQuizzy

Your result for The Color Code Test...

Color Code: WHITE: The Peace Keeper

17% Red, 34% Blue, 40% White and 9% Yellow!

Here is the basics: For a more in depth analysis, I suggest you look up the Color Code, and take a more intensive test.

WHITE MOTIVE: PEACE

WHITE NEEDS: To feel good (inside), To be allowed their own space, To be respected, Tolerance.

WHITE WANTS: To withhold insecurities, Kindness, Independence, Contentment.

SUMMARY: Whites are motivated by peace. They will do almost anythign to avoid confrontation. They like to flow through life without hassle or discomfort. Feeling good is even more important to them then being good. Whites need kindness. They resent being scolded. They dislike harsh words. They open up instantly to people who are kind, but Whites recoil from those who are hostile. Whites prefer quiet strength. they enjoy thier quiet independence. This can often be percieved as bullheadedness. Whites like to keep a low profile. They like to be asked their opinions but they won't volunteer them. Whites are independent. Unlike Reds and Blues who want to control others, Whites seek only to avoid being controlled. They don't like to be pushed, and they can be fearsome when they finally "blow up." Whites are motivated by other peoples desires. They want suggestions however, not demands.

Take The Color Code Test at HelloQuizzy

Oooh, that last one's right on! :ooo

That's all for now. On to sewing. hopefully. gotta get my ass out of the chair............... .......

Update!

2008-07-15T15:22:02Z

Lately Lates:

-Sniglets are amazing and hilarious- http://bertc.com/sniglets.htm
-I hate breakfast and there is nothing to have for it but coffee.
-Costumes are fun but hellish and expensive and disheartening when they aren't coming out right.
-$1200 in plane tickets says D*C oughtta be shweet.
-Writing a novel is not easy, but internet makes it easier. Thanks WikiHow.
-Having a shitty drier means an infestation of wet clothing in the living room and a build-up of dirty clothing on the floor. Maybe WikiHow can help me here too.
-Stacy and I have been spending more than our fair share on theater movies lately- counting the 3 times I saw IronMan, then Hulk, then Wall-E, then Hancock, and soon Hellboy 2 and Batman, that equals a total of $76 given to the good old Syracuse economy for a habit I'm getting to think is pretty addictive.
-Agreeing to teach Fashion Drawing this semester means I should put some heavy planning time in.
-Why am I still getting nosebleeds?? Must be because Bush signed for Offshore Drilling...
-Thanks to Grist, I'll now be turning off my computer at work, because it reduces energy consumption.
-Might go to Grad-School just for a change to scenery, avoidance of loan and bill-paying, and presumably a higher paycheck upon graduation... we shall see.

Well, I'm off to... no, not really, I'll use the computer a bit more, but after that I'm planning on showering, walking downtown with Stacy to the hardware store for costume pieces, then working on said costume pieces and finishing this self-amassing laundry and pile of dishes. TTFN!

sobegreentea @ 2008-02-28T11:10:00

2008-02-28T16:10:21Z

Due to Stacy's excitement over cosplay groups, we are now cosplaying Pokemon for one of our costumes at Dragon*Con this year. I chose the first one that really popped out to me (since there's like hundreds), Bronzong!

Should be interesting. I'm very excited. There were so many cutesy ones, but with my angular face I always feel somewhat uncomfortable with something bright pink and round and fluffy... But anyway, I'm quite excited. The interesting part is that Bronzong isn't an animal- it's more of an oracle thing, here's a link.

In addition to this new and exciting costume, I also plan to do Steampunk. There are other costumes I'm interested in, but I think these will keep my hands and my wallet busy enough for the time being.

In other news, I cut my hair a couple weeks ago. Here's a new picture:

Well, I'm off to pick up Stacy, go to the bank, pick up my newly printed Steampunk Magazine #4 and new portfolio pages, then go to work for a few hours. Oh yeah, first I have to dig out the car from about a foot of snow- but after THAT! I get to go to WORK! Yesssssssss!!~...!

sobegreentea @ 2008-02-27T08:08:00

2008-02-27T13:08:14Z

It's currently 8am and I have all day to myself because of the snow!! :D

Things I'm currently thankful for:
-dreams that I remember
-the sunshine, even on a cold day
-the Steampunk communities I'm a part of. How inspirational.
-having enough money to pay the rent and consider a trip to Florida to see about a grad school
-that my car is working again
-finding old friends on Facebook (and a past "crush" that is a Conservative Jesus-lover... guess that wouldn't have worked out)
-YouTube for music to listen to
-Friends, family, the guys who work at the car place- they came and got me themselves, and then didn't charge me for the fuse replacement or the pick-up.

Well, as soon as I peruse a few communities I'm going to work on some cleaning and finishing some projects that I've started. If possible, I'll post a picture of something I just finished yesterday later today.

Ahh, today would be a great day to watch a Miyazaki movie...

sobegreentea @ 2008-01-09T21:45:00

2008-01-10T02:45:04Z

In small response to the nuclear waste problem, I looked up some information on Wikipedia. It's a long Wiki page, but I copied and pasted a few sentences I felt were important:

"Radioactivity by definition reduces over time, so in principle the waste needs to be isolated for a particular period of time until its components have decayed such that it no longer poses a threat. In practice this can mean periods of hundreds of thousands of years, depending on the nature of the waste involved." (More on this below.)

"High Level Waste is produced by nuclear reactors. It contains fission products and transuranic elements generated in the reactor core. It is highly radioactive and often thermally hot. HLW accounts for over 95% of the total radioactivity produced in the process of nuclear electricity generation.The amount of HLW worldwide is currently increasing by about 12,000 metric tons every year, which is the equival to about 100 double-decker busses or a two-story structure built on top of a basketball court."

This is about one method of storage:
"After being inspected for external contamination, the steel cylinder is stored, usually in an underground repository. In this form, the waste products are expected to be immobilized for a very long period of time(many thousands of years)."

Information about sending the stuff into space:
"Space disposal is an attractive notion because it permanently removes nuclear waste from the environment. However, it has significant disadvantages, not least of which is the potential for catastrophic failure of a launch vehicle. Furthermore, the high number of launches that would be required — due to the fact that no individual rocket would be able to carry very much of the material relative to the material needed to be disposed of—makes the proposal impractical (for both economic and risk-based reasons). To further complicate matters, international agreements on the regulation of such a program would need to be established." This is interesting, because I didn't really think about the fact that the stuff could blow up in a shuttle malfunction and never leave the atmosphere, falling on the heads of anyone in a certain radius. Not to mention, sending stuff into space seems a little like what our ancestors did by sinking garbage into the oceans- "out of sight, out of mind" but they realized later that it was a terrible idea.

The information below comes from Grist (I'm obviously a fan), and has some interesting things to consider:

Much of the waste is supposed to be kept isolated for 10,000 years --more than twice the age of the beat-up and cryptic pyramids and Stonehenge. Right now, these DOE sites are usually protected with "keepout" signs, chain-link fences, and guards. However, there's no guarantee that any of those measures will be feasible more than a few decades from now. ...At Hanford, a rough rule of thumb for planners is to look ahead 1,000 years. That's like a Viking trying to conceive of an astronaut, then trying to pass a note to him. ...Now take into consideration that language, science, and technology have evolved much faster in the past 200 years than in the previous 800. And future changes will likely accelerate over the next millennium. After all, videotapes were state of the art in the 1980s, and are antiquated today. Computers become obsolete in less than five years -- so what are the chances of a warning sign lasting 1,000 years at a nuclear burial site?"

So that's an interesting way of looking at it. If anything is going to last that long, it's bad news. Humans are not that smart yet on knowing what to do with something this lethal and hard to get rid of. It's way over our heads, in my opinion. Also, there's this to consider too: "Now more than ever, with growing concern about terrorist attacks on nuclear plants, this energy source simply doesn't seem to be worth the risk" (Grist).

sobegreentea @ 2008-01-09T19:08:00

2008-01-10T00:08:37Z

I think I'm swaying toward Hillary. Unlike Obama, she doesn't like depending on Nuclear energy until we know how to dispose of the waste. I think Nuclear power is a very dangerous thing that we should stay away from altogether.

I still need to research more, but at least if I get my registration card out by Friday I'll have a month to make a final decision before the primaries.

Treehuggerz

2007-11-29T15:09:03Z

There's all this controversy about plastic bags: recycle them, re-use them, use less when at the grocery store, bring a cloth bag, etc. Those are all good ideas, but it's not going to fix the problem. People aren't going to remember to bring a cloth bag to shop with. People aren't going to stop putting their garbage in garbage bags, because they're very good at containing smell and messy items. What truly needs to happen, is for the 'plastic bag companies' to switch from regular plastic to something biodegradable like corn-made plastic. That way the average consumer keeps their everyday antibacterial lifestyle, but the bags don't lie in landfills unable to break down because of the plastic barrier. Same goes for water bottles. They're already making bottles that are made from this Corn Plastic. People don't need a DISPOSABLE water bottle to last for a few decades. They need it to last a few weeks, then it can decompose after being thrown out.

"Corn-based plastics take just 45 days to biodegrade in a landfill. Normal plastic can take thousands of years to decompose. Corn plastics contain no petroleum, require 20 to 50 percent less fossil fuel to create and are derived from a renewable resource." http://jscms.jrn.columbia.edu/cns/2005-03-15/russell-cornplastic/

Good website: http://www.treehugger.com/

sobegreentea @ 2007-11-25T20:36:00

2007-11-26T01:36:46Z

The P&C by my house is remodeling but it didn't seem like they'd done much when I went in the other day. So I go along my usual route with my list of items, then went for the bread and Silk (yeah, I've switched to soymilk- it's better for you and tastes good after awhile). There was some plastic hanging in the center of the store, hiding their construction, and I realized the bread had moved. So I go toward the milk instead, and look to my right, and see through this doorway that there's a whole new part of the store! It hadn't seemed like they'd done any construction outside, so as I was walking through the doorway it was like I was walking into Narnia or something: this was not supposed to be here. There was another man in that section too, but he didn't seem to have the same awe-struck look I did, so I grabbed my items and left, feeling like I'd walked into the Looking Glass. Well, I suppose it must sound stupid, but it was a very interesting evening. It probably helps that I was shopping at around 9:30.

In other news, I got a real steal of a loveseat today from a former teacher of mine for $25!! Below are pics beneath a cut. Kitties are an added bonus!

It's amazing how the color changes between flash and regular hall lighting. I haven't bothered to move the find to the living room yet. Don't really know how to fit it all in, but I'll make it work. It's so amazing.

sobegreentea @ 2007-11-21T10:25:00

2007-11-21T15:29:21Z

'Delegates from more than 140 countries came to agreement on the document, which summarizes three previous reports and warns of the grave dangers posed by climate change. The new report is intended to be a guide for policymakers -- particularly the ones who'll be meeting next month in Bali, Indonesia, to begin hammering out a new treaty to pick up where the Kyoto Protocol leaves off. "Today the world's scientists have spoken, clearly and in one voice," said U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. "In Bali, I expect the world's policymakers to do the same." Scientists reportedly managed to fend off efforts by U.S. representatives and others to weaken the report -- and yet many experts say the final version still doesn't capture how bad the situation really is.' -Grist List Tuesday

... I should probably already know who this is, but... Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.... it sounds like it's directly from some novel... What an amazing name!! Well, of course, he's also saying great things for the planet.

sobegreentea @ 2007-11-19T23:44:00

2007-11-20T04:44:15Z

The last few seconds of Heroes had me gasping to the cats, "Holy crap..." just before the character put in his "Holy...". Ahahaha, amazing episode.

sobegreentea @ 2007-11-10T10:10:00

2007-11-10T15:10:38Z

http://www.forbes.com/markets/2007/11/05/hongkong-pollution-batman-markets-econ-cx_vk_1105markets02.html

Very interesting...! Maybe negative international media coverage will be enough for Hong Kong to speed up their cleaning programs.

In other news, my head and eyes hurt today. Hopefully coffee and a shower will help. I'd love to go to Wegmans and the pet store this morning, but unfortunately I have to work 12-9. 12-9!! Who works 12-9 shifts? ...well, I suppose a lot of people do, actually, but it's soooo long.... and I don't have time to do anything beforehand, and then the day might as well be over. Of course, it's doing this weird snow/rain combo outside right now, so maybe I don't actually want to drive anywhere... But I want to go to Wegmans!! Ahh, I love Wegmans.... it's such a wonderful grocery store, and it carries a line of products called Ecover, which is earth-friendly, etc. Ecover's laundry soap smells amazing, and I'd really like to try some of their other products. And I want sushi. The food, not the cat. Sushi!! Come 'ere!! lolololol

sobegreentea @ 2007-11-09T13:52:00

2007-11-09T18:52:10Z

I was just eating some garlic-cheese toast (and soup) before going to work in a few minutes, with Sushi on my lap, as usual, and I looked down and there were crumbs all over her head! Hahaha, the poor thing, I started wiping them off, apologizing, but I don't even think she noticed. haha...

Finished garment!! +photos!

2007-11-07T16:52:28Z

Oh my goodness, I just got a new mouse WITH A LASER instead of that ajfdjaljfdkamousewithballeffingthingihadbeforethatmademeSOANGRY so now I can actually ENJOY using the computer!! I also splurged (good in the long run) on a wireless mouse. Wires get annoying just like that ball mouse was annoying and I certainly don't need anymore annoying.

I made a shirt/sweater yesterday!! Wanna see some crappy pics??!!

I finally finished something!! lolbutnotreallyfunnyrathersadactually

I just draped it on a form while I was teaching class, and finished it up later. I also traced the pattern so I can make more!! It's just got a tube-like bottom and a kimono sleeve. I might make another one with shorter sleeves, just to test the look.

Yay!! And it fits meeeee!! I think a bit of my confidence came back. Now to make those black leather patchwork pants!! Haha, no, but I really kinda want some. Not real leather though, too hard to sew, too expensive, and there are greater alternatives. Bye for now!

Daemon, Lutheus

2007-11-01T03:33:14Z

Halloween 2007

2007-11-01T03:25:03Z

Decided, last minute, not to go to my parents house and veg and actually socialize a bit, so threw together a few Victorian-ish items I had around, hopped over to the Masquerade shop for some accessories, altered accessories and sewed a few items, and wallah!! Ghetto Victorian.

How could I not like Victorian items/fashion? It goes with my FACE.

I made this corset today and though it ripped in back (because of crappy trim), and I didn't have time to fix it for this photo, and that no one got to see my hard work except for you fine folks, since I wore that coat the whole time, I'm still proud of that little thing, and I think it looks good, and I also like run-on-bad-grammar-sentences-that-I'm-too-tired-to-rewrite.

When I was putting on the costume, looking in the mirror, I realized I looked a bit like a Victorian Transvestite. To remedy that, I added lots of makeup and fake eyelashes. It's certainly caused by the glasses/top hat combo, but I loved that and was keeping it. Oh androgeny.

This image somehow reminds me of Annie Lennox. If I had the balls, I'd chop all my hair off and dye it orange just to dress as her from her video for Sweet Dreams. So hottttt... in a weird way.

Here's the back of the hat.

Well, that's all there is, there isn't anymore... Oh wait... maybe there IS!! LOBSTER BABY!!!

His dad owns a restaurant in town, so he was dressed as a Chef, carrying this kid in a blanket-lined pot. It was amazing.

2 Minute Poem!

2007-10-26T01:44:37Z

Not that I regret it
Not that I dislike it
More that I'm in wonder
Of what isn't in it.

The sleeping and the waking
The day to day to day
I'm sleeping while I've waken
MIA today.

There! My Two-Minute Poem of the Day! :)

sobegreentea @ 2007-10-22T21:58:00

2007-10-23T01:58:15Z

The most beautiful young Russian man was in the Inn today for dinner. He had a very nice suit on, and his dark hair did a small flip outwards at the neck. I managed to catch his very light blue eye as he was leaving and offered my very best, "Goodnight!"~ Ah... but it was not enough for he didn't come walking back inside after a moment's hesitation, take my hand, and roll his business card into my palm, confessing, "You are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen," with Russian accent. "Please come to dinner with me sometime this week. Call me and we'll get together to discuss our future... Goodnight." No... he didn't do that. But he was nice to look at and obviously nice for my imagination. Ah, but what would his Russian family think of me?

Only Servants Work on the Weekends

2007-10-21T00:14:16Z

The name of this entry sounds like a book title- perhaps someday I'll write a book, but for now I'll settle for a journal page. Actually, the title comes from an ex-coworker of mine who, when asked to work on a weekend, said, "Only servants work on the weekends," and never once worked a Saturday. I think of that phrase each time I leave my apartment at 7:55am, because all the cars lined up at my building remind me that though I work every weekend, most people don't. Adding fuel to the fire, I also work in customer service, so I certainly know what a servant feels like. It's like acting- a performance of happy assistance. I see it everyday and though it can be humorous between coworkers, and add to comradeship, it is also emotionally taxing- and when people are rude- extremely enfuriating and belittling. It gnaws at you.

But anyway, enough of that. I had a man named Rusty Rail call today for reservations.

A coworker today asked of the boss: "What do you expect out of me?!" (and this has been a problem for the employee for a long time)

"Anticipation," my boss replied. What an amazing answer.

Daemon choosing

2007-10-12T21:29:06Z

Please try this to let me know if my Daemon was chosen correctly! :D Man, this is awesome. Everyone should try it!

The Golden Compass

2007-10-12T21:10:05Z

Oh boy, can't wait for THIS!!:

Watching trailers like this gives me shivers! Also, I want a carriage like that!