09 June 2009

belt/sash

I bought a dress online a few months ago. The model was probably a size 0 and it looked great on her. But it looked like a mumu on me. I hardly wore it. It needed a belt.

Stores didn't have a belt that would work well. I found one eventually but it was an XL. First I'm not a size 0 and then I'm not an XL. This dress was giving me a run for my money.

So I just made one. Yes, just. I just finished. I see a few ends to tidy up, but here's my attempt at photographing it. I made a sash belt... part sash, and part belt. Asymetrical on purpose and with two purple buttons. I'm crabby because my machine was making it very difficult today to make a buttonhole; they're they ugliest buttonholes I've ever made. 

It'll do, and I like it too! I think it looks a lot better when you can see the whole dress but it's just me in the house these days, so these self shots will have to do.


08 June 2009

lobotomy, anyone?


I already knew that Eau Claire, Wisconsin was a strange place, but I was shocked to see the hospital still uses these ancient wheelchairs. Creepy. Paging David Lynch, paging David Lynch...

04 June 2009

microstories

The last few weeks I've written several microstories and I've emailed them to Hugo. I'll just put the best of the best here.

1. microstory: the bus.
I was on the bus this afternoon. A woman sat in front of me. She was along the side of the bus, and I faced the front. She sat very still. Her eyes half-mast. Large, thick blue sweater - it seemed too much for today, 65 and partly cloudy, scattered storms. After awhile, she said, "Excuse me, driver." Not a question, a statement. He said yeah. She said, "Where's Burger King?" He paused. Most people ride the bus with a destination, but her question seemed to insinuate that she did not. She wasn't unkempt (read: homeless), so it was a surprise to think she might be riding the bus aimlessly. After a few moments, the bus driver said there's one on west 7th and did she mean that one? She said, "That'll do. You let me know when."


A few moments went by. Nothing changed. She stared into nothing, it seemed. Where my focus was drawn, she did not dart her eyes. I think she was looking beyond where I was looking.

She said, "What about a place called Poppy's." The bus driver said he'd heard of it. She said, "take me there." He told her the 65 would take her there, that he couldn't. She said, "ok, Burger King."

When we got to Arcade and Maryland, he stopped and said there's a Burger King over there. She said, "no thank you."

I got off.

2. microstory: the yard sale
Once a year our neighborhood has a yard sale. Today's the day.

I just walked around some. The yard sale is sparse and a little sad compared to last year. I wonder if other people like it. The American families have tons of crap. The Asian families have a few things out. One Asian family was selling bottles of shampoo, laundry detergent, body wash, etc. I wonder where they got it.

Right before I walked out of the house an old Asian man had just purchased a cowboy hat. he was fitting it to his head and smiling.

3. microstory: spring
Within 3 seconds I saw:

A buff, grown man crouched on the ground making all sorts of squeaking, cooing, schnazmuffleing noises at a puppy. The puppy started jumping. The puppy started bearing its teeth from sheer, intense excitement. The puppy spun in circles. The man squeaked on. The puppy jumped on his face.

A woman suddenly pulled her green convertible over onto the shoulder of the street. She pushed a button. Down went the soft top! Zheeeeeeeeeeeeeep. Now she had air in her hair. She ran her fingers through her curls and pulled away from the curb, coasting down the hill at 25 mph.

It's spring in Minnesota.

4. the white squirrels
I went for a run.

A white squirrel ran so close to me I thought I was going to step on it. I haven't seen a white squirrel for a year. Last year when I saw one, it was the first I'd ever seen and I'm sure I blogged about it. I totally freaked my shit.

5 MINUTES LATER I was running still and I saw a 2nd white squirrel! I freaked my shit again.

03 June 2009

found object frog

I went on a hike today at Tamarack Nature Reserve just north of the cities. At the trailhead, I found this huge frog sculpture made out of scrap plastic and metal melted and welded together. 

bread

I've been trying out a bread recipe that requires no kneading. This is the first loaf that turned out edible. Now I have to figure out how to make it beautiful.