Confessions of a One-Track Mind

I got a postponement for jury duty until October. Hopefully by then, the weather will be liveable and I'll have my act together.

I slept for ten hours today, or thereabouts. Woke up after five hours, used the facilities, stepped into the shower for a couple minutes (because I was sticky with sweat), went back to bed to cool off under the fans, and slept for another few hours. Woke for good at 7...PM.

Somehow, I managed to wrench my right foot. Possibly while switching out area rugs? I finally put down the hand-me-down I got from the C's, which I *love*, but it needs a good cleaning. It's mostly light gold, very symmetrical faux-Persian looking, which goes much better with my decor than the old rug did. However, light gold in a high-traffic area? I'm thinking some OxyClean and a power-washer....

Previous rug was geometric arcs in mostly purples and greens. Didn't go with a damned thing in the room. I'm thinking that I'll put that one down in the laundry room (garage), which will put it to good use in a space where decor isn't a major consideration.

Upside to shifting the rugs, I got at the front of my oak entertainment unit for the first time in ages. Completely emptied the drawer, which mostly had cords from various devices...found a reciept from '02, which made me wince. I really need to Unfuck that thing! It's key to a lot of what I want to do with that space.

Tuesday being trash day (along with Friday), I got two old pole lamps down to the curb. I'd been using them as hat racks, but was going to move one into my room, because I'm tired of squinting like a mole. Plugged them in and neither worked, at all. Said screw it and hauled them out. The stuff that was hanging on them is now in ONE shopping bag awaiting dispersal.

Had a call from an unfamiliar number yesterday and got all excited, hoping it was for a job, but it was a wrong number. *sigh* Maybe next time....

I did have a small freak-out because my plumbing was acting up, but my trusty J-hook and some CPR with a plunger took care of the clog. Thank god, because I sure as hell can't afford a *real* plumber! Otherwise, business as usual.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>But wait!

Fun stuff---got a clip-on light for my Nook from pwcorgigirl! I love it---it's very sleek and flexable---and I'm looking forward to some quality reading after dark. Thanks, hon!

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This may be laughably obvious, but I'm *trying* to get into the habit of multi-tasking, IE doing something while waiting for something else, like wiping the counter while microwaving something, or doing a few dishes while something's in the oven. I figure I'm less likely to burn out this way...much as I'd like it to all!be!clean!RIGHT!NOW!!!, it didn't get this way in two hours, and it's not going to be perfect that fast, either. Not that I think it's EVER going to be PERFECT, but you know what I mean.

Okay, now for my crazy idea, let me know what you think: My kitchen counter is fifty years old. It was originally white with glitter flecks (VERY 60s!), now it's old and mottled and just looks icky, even when wiped off. Over the years, it's been stained in places by red dye from various spilled drink mixes. I've had the daft thought that a couple dollars worth of unsweetened drink mix powder sprinkled across a slightly dampened countertop and left to dry would result in an interesting pink-tinted laminate.

Yes, I'd give it a rinse in the morning, but that stuff stains pretty thoroughly. Yes, I know they sell kits to paint laminate countertops---which I can't afford at the moment. And I certainly can't afford new counters. This, however, is cheap AND foodsafe. Doesn't take any special equipment. And I don't think my counters can look any worse....

What do you think?

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Okay, this is total pie-in-the-sky, NOT something that is practical in my life right now. But it's a cool idea, and I just wanted to get it on record.

As a card-carrying Former Horse Crazy Kid, I was intrigued when I saw someone's craft project of a bouncy horse body grafted onto a pole like a carousel horse. Like so:



There are quite a few of them out there; this one is for illustrative purposes and not as an exact depiction of what I'd do.* (Pink and mauve roses? I think not.) But anyway, I've seen them, and thought it was a really cool idea, BUT. It would take up an awful lot of real estate and doesn't really DO anything.

Then the light dawned. What if the pole was hollow, and there was a light on the top? That would certainly help it earn its keep. Still, that's a helluva big floor lamp. So why not get a side table or coffee table with two levels and run the pole thru that? I just so happen to have such a table, a really tacky 60's number. Both levels are marble, and the posts are baroque and gilded to a fair-thee-well. The whole thing would work fabulously with an antique gold pole and fixtures and an intricately painted pony.

I know, wild idea. And I'd have to find an old bouncy horse to repurpose. It's not like there's any hurry, though. I'm miles away from having a guest room to put it in....



* I think maybe an hommage to Scandinavian dala horses....


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I would fail! at being a Winchester. I went out and dug up the old post for the missing mailbox. It isn't like excavating a grave, it was maybe a foot and a half deep. Took me all of twenty-five minutes, not exactly a marathon.

And that was all I could do. I got the old post out of there and staggered back into the house, feeling like I'd been hit by a truck. And it's not unduly warm out---only about 70F.

But hey---it's out. Tomorrow, I'll put the new one in, fill the bottom of the hole with cement powder in lieu of dirt, soak the ground and let hydrodynamics do the rest. Then, god willing, I'll start getting mail again. I hate to think of what this interruption may have screwed up: subscriptions, utility bills, food stamp paperwork, whatever....

I haven't had these jeans on in a while. They're the elastic-waist ones that was my go-to pair for ages. They still fit around the waist, but they're tremendous through the seat and thighs. Definitely not something I'd wear out and about.

Speaking of fit, I wore black to church on Sunday. Favorite black pants and a drapey tunic top from TJ Maxx. AI complimented me on my weight loss, although really, it's only about 5 pounds since New Years. Just a reminder that black is slimming.

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As I mentioned, a couple weeks ago, Mb and I visited the ASPCA thrift store. While we were there, I fell in love with a dresser. The only thing that stopped me was the charge for delivery, which would've doubled the cost of the piece. Now, I'm second-guessing myself, halfway wishing I'd gotten the darned thing, and contemplating revisiting it when I head up there to get my glasses...hopefully, next week sometime. And if it's not there, well, I can think of several other, closer thrift stores that might have something similar. I'm going to keep telling myself that it isn't that specific dresser that matters, it's the concept.

Here's what I'm thinking: ( Cut because I ramble at length. )

Tl;dr: Fluffy wants to rearrange things and commit acts of home improvement.

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I had to leave the laptop over at J's so she could deal with a virus that was keeping me off the internet. Smart friends are a good thing to have! All's well now!

The fence business is becoming annoying; the individuals who've come out to estimate are either dumb or unhelpful. Either they're claiming they can't measure because the yard needs mowed first, or they're telling me I need a survey, a site plan and a permit, or their estimates are twice my budget. Grr. Still very much a situation in progress.

In happier news, I have pillows! Thanks to thru_the_blinds and my trusty Target gift card, I now have FOUR new pillows: One firm, one extra firm and two feather. Lovely! Also a Sunbeam electric kettle, some page protectors and a bag of Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Caramel with Sea Salt. Much squee!

I ran into Hancock Fabrics and actually for once came out with ONLY the item I went in there for, namely, a square of hot pink felt---I already had suitable thread. I have a vintage hot pink Nicole Miller bag that I'm very fond of, but the lining's seams were unravelling. I managed to sew one of them up---hopefully it will stay---but the other side was worse, and I needed something to patch it with. I considered ribbon, but it occurred to me that I wouldn't have to worry about hemming felt and wouldn't be restricted to a specific width.. It worked a treat. Fixed! So it should be good for a few more years, and I have leftover felt if anything else comes apart.

Speaking of sewing, I need some new living room curtains. The ones I have are ten years old---GK gave them to me before her move to MA, and they're staring to get pinholes from sunlight, in addition to being decidedly dusty. I need something that will unify an assortment of patterns. I have a mostly cranberry loveseat with matching ottoman, a wicker chair and ottoman with a striped pattern that includes cranberry, olive, goldenrod and rust, and now the new area rug (which isn't down yet) that's mostly light gold, with rust, slate blue and black.

I'm thinking goldenrod/soft gold for the curtains, especially since when I paint, eventually, I want a light golden yellow n three walls and something in an olive/Wedgewood green for the long accent wall. (I wouldn't rule old something with a stripe.) To complicate matters, I also think it would be nice to replace the drapes on the sliding glass doors at the same time. Either I need a lot (4-6) of sheets bought on clearance, or a really cheap bolt of something....

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Took myself to the post office and am having my mail held until I can replace the incredible disappearing mailbox. I actually HAVE a box on a post to replace it with, but I need to have the old post dug up and get a bag of concrete to set the new post in.

I've been concerned, not so much about missing bills, because I can check the usual suspects online, but about my 'zines and the package I'm expecting from Estonia. Not that it would disappear---they don't deliver those, I always have to call for them---but they might send it back, and *that* would be dire.

What about my glasses? I had the inspired idea of having them shipped to J. She's home all day in case they're delivered by UPS, although I doubt it; $5.95 tends to be post office econo shipping, in which case they'll go neatly into her locked mailbox.*

So that's one less thing to worry about. And the day after tomorrow, it'll be next year. Woohoo, the much-vaunted 2012, alledged End of Days. After 2010 and 2011, anything worse would pretty much HAVE to be the apocalypse.

o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o

* And then she'll call me and I'll zoom over there and try them on and see if they upgrade my looks through their sheer awesomeness, or if they just make the view less blurry....

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I feel a good sense of accomplishment right now; I've spent the last several hours putting together a five-shelf rack for Mb. Eight bolts per shelf, times five shelves, plus struts for stability...I've been screwing for hours!

Also caught up on my DVR cache. Saw last week's SPN and Sons of Anarchy as well as the American Horror Story pilot, which is going to be interesting. Also, this season SPN is making up for two seasons of crap. The angst is manageable.

Home soon, only because there's no guest bed here.

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One of the things I inherited from Kat was a side table that's currently being used as my coffee table. It's nothing special, but it has nice lines and is more suitable for the space I have. Somebody, at some point, painted the ersatz wood-grain top green.

Between the time it was painted and the time I got it, it got scratched up so that the ersatz wood-grain showed through in unsightly streaks. The chewed-up looking top bothered me. I have nothing against a genuinely aged piece, but this just looked BAD. I masked the surface with a runner, but was unsatisfied with that solution.

Therefore, while I was at WalMart today, I invested in a bottle of craft paint (hunter green) and this evening during Justified, I spread a couple of big plastic trash bags under the table and gave the top a quick going-over.

Now, I know craft paint isn't really intended for that sort of job, and it's liable to get just as messed up in the long run. But it's the large size bottle of paint ($2.49), so I have plenty for touch ups, and I already had a suitable paint brush (a souvenir of my ceramics hobby), so it's a small enough investment, and it really does look a lot better, even with just one coat. I'll give it another light coat tomorrow for good measure.

Little by little, it's getting better!
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One of my 'zines shows what looks like a really cool project: A gift wrap organizer that's slotted neatly into one of those over-the-door type racks. I think it's a this one with bins 4 and 5 removed:



Nice, but I don't have $60. What I DO have is a 4-drawer file cabinet that's been sitting in the corner of my office, with only the top drawer accessible---until this week. Now I can actually get at it, and discovered that drawers 2-4 mostly have random stuff in them.

Gee, I think I can work with that. At the moment, my gift-wrap supplies have been divided between two picnic baskets, one for gift bags, the other for ribbons and tissue paper. I haven't yet scoped out how I'm going to utilize it, but hey, it's already paid for, I'll think of something.

It's been like discovering a time capsule---there's a big slice of life from 10-15 years ago. Pieces of fic and RPG stuff, letters from my former SIL, newspaper clippings, catalogues (Pottery Barn, Spring 1999), a sample of the newsletter I edited for a while, so now I've got a date I can use and build a resume that features that.

I haven't even been IN the living room yet today. Nor had breakfast, which is sounding more and more like a good idea.

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ETA: After brunch, I started tearing into the blockage in my bedroom, the pile o- stuff that's impeding my access to the closet. Looks like that's good for at least another bag. (The first eight are curbside already, go me.) Whacked myself across the shin with something while I was trying to get into a tight space, and dislodged the plug for the TV. Taking a breather, back at it shortly.

Thanks for the headphones, gwilliondream!

ETA II: Another bag at the curb, at at least one more between me and the closet. Why was there a cookie sheet under the pillows and pizza boxes?!

When you're up to your ass in alligators, it's hard to remember that your primary objective was to drain the swamp.
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I always thought you could find practically anything on eBay, but maybe not. Or maybe I'm just not looking properly. I have one of those heavy-duty desk top tape dispensers. Trouble is, it's missing the little spool you put the roll of tape on.

Searching "tape dispenser" does not get me replacement spools, although I was highly amused by the leopard-print Swarovski crystal studded number for $199. (As if I'd spend money on *that*, even if I HAD $200! Some people apparently have way more money than they know what to do with. Want to adopt me?)

Nothing relevent under "spools", either. Perhaps I can improvise with used thread spool and a dowel, something like that? It seems wasteful to chuck out a perfect good dispenser for want of a five-cent part. Although, first I'll have to locate said dispenser. I just happened to think of it as I was rummaging around looking for some tape.

I have EIGHT, count 'em, EIGHT bags of trash ready to go to the curb tomorrow. My bedroom is somewhat improved (Still can't get to the closet!) and my office shows more floor space than it has in about a year.

Still, I need to get cracking on the living room. I called GK to thank her for yesterday's gift, and she said a visit down sometime this month is still a possibility. Woohoo!
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Today was our church's rummage sale. This has thoroughly skewed my sleep schedule---even more than usual---but it was worth it. I didn't buy much---partly restraint and lack of cash, partly nothing was that appealing, even among the books. ang5fam dropped by, which was nice, and H.Happy made some yummy coconut cupcakes. It was nice just hanging out with the gals between customers.

My major purchase was four folding chairs for $5 (special member's price). My plan calls for getting rid of the two pairs of mismatched chairs I have in the dining room, for starters. Since 99.9% of the time, it's just me here, four chairs is overkill. This way, if I have guests, I can pull more out as needed; meanwhile, they will take up less valuable real estate.

They are, for now, your basic greige metal folding chairs. My plan---and I *do* have one---is to paint them white and apply decals to the backrest. I was perusing eBay for suitable decals, when I ran across a seller offering ceramic decals.

It may not have come up during The Countdown, but for several years in the mid-to-late 90s, I was heavily into doing ceramics, and this made me recall that I have a whole bunch of decals of my own. I went spelunking in the middle room and recovered them. Many of them are tiny little things, suitable for application to things like coffee cups. Others are too big for a backrest, which is six inches.

I narrowed it down to three candidates: I have some blue and white scenes of pagodas, which reminds me of Delft china, which I've always liked. I have a lot of matching wheat motifs---being a Virgo, a grain motif appeals to me. And finally, I've got some pink and green florals, very 70s retro-looking. At this point, I'm leaning toward the retro, since that's more or less the vibe I'm going for, plus the colors are a bit more "Fiesta" than the others.

Ordinarily, they would be fired to the plates/ceramic items in a kiln, but as my first thought was to decoupage the backs with panels of gift wrap, a schmeer of ModPodge should keep them preserved. (Just in case, I have a spare decal, go me.)
When I finally departed around 11 to get some sleep, we were up by almost $100, and there was a guy making an offer on the rest of the chairs, which, if it's been consumated, will double that. Here's hoping!


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First let me share with you an inside joke. Back in the day, when he was still local and we hung out, my buddy Doc had a comeback to anything along the lines of, "I had a thought..."---he'd respond with, "Lonely little fucker, wasn't it?"

Well, while I was off at the C's, I had a thought. And the loneliest part was not being able to check on it while I was there.

To set the stage, in my living room, there are two entertainment units. How that came about was, I bought the first one (faux oak), brought it home, and boom! Within a matter of months, my TV died.

Thankfully, H.W.S.N.B.N.'s mama gave me another one. Old, but it *did* have a remote...the trouble was, it proved to be a half-inch wider than the opening in the f'oak unit. So I got the black unit, which is much bigger than the f'oak unit in every way. They've been staring across the living room at each other for about a decade now; I've been meaning to get rid of the f'oak and move the black one to the other side of the room, but now....

I inherited Kat's TV...which I'd planned to put in my bedroom...and then the light dawned. This evening, I fetched out my tape measure and checked the dimensions of the TV and the opening in the f'oak unit, and by golly, IT FITS.

Now, "all" I need to do is, clear out the f'oak unit, install the TV and electronics and get the other unit out of there...at which point, I can start thinking about bringing the credenza in from the garage and sundry other projects that have been awaiting the egress of ONE of those units. I have likened the process, more than once, to a sliding tile puzzle---can't do Y before X, or Z until A happens---and I feel like I just got a glimpse of how it's all supposed to fit together. Wow.

Figuring out how I'm going to do it---because there's a lot of shifting and lifting that's beyond me---I haven't gotten quite that far yet. I suspect at least part of it will involve bribing BC with stuff he can sell on Craigslist---just as long as the damn stuff GOES.

This is very exciting!
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I spent the weekend house-sitting for the Cs. One thing about being over there, I've said it before and I'll say it again, I can always find something to read. For instance, AI had the latest copy of the Pyramid Collection catalog lying around...read through it and fell in love with their Coral Reef dress.

While I was in the neighborhood, I visited Hancock Fabrics+---no, I *didn't* buy any!---for some thread to match some green fabric I've been meaning to make a skirt from. And, thinking of that dress I was pining for, I browsed their pattern books.

This is the Pyramid dress I fell in love with:


and this is Simplicity #2947:



Not exactly the same, but close enough! I think the Simplicity version will be easier to sew, since it doesn't have the skirt fitted to the bottom of the bodice. (What?! It's about time I did something with the sewing machine I inherited!)

I also like that #2947 includes patterns for a pair of wide-legged pants and a shrug. Pants are the most difficult item to find, for me, at least, and a shrug will help move some items to year-round wear---or keep me from being chilled on the rare occasions when an establishment's A/C is too cold.

I have oodles of fabric I can make a trial run dress from. Which is a Good Thing, because Jiminy Christmas, the price of fabric, wtf?! And WHEN did the standard width go from 45" to 60"? I totally missed the memo on that!

+++++++++++++++++++++++

+ Originally, when I went in there, I had the ulterior motive of wanting to snag something cheap to make curtains with. The ones in the living room are 10 years old and look it, and I'm not overfond of the tab tops I have on the sliding glass doors.

I found an awesome cotton print I would have LOVED to grab to recover my ottoman and love seat and hide the fugly fish forever. However, enough to cover those two pieces---even at the ridiculously low Clearance price---would run me more than my biweekly tank of gas, bathroom tissue and assorted necessities and bills. No can do.

Said print had a brown background sprinkled with little ivory dots all over and punctuated with bigger dots in yellow, pink and green. Very Fiestaware! Hmm, maybe I could get just enough to make a tablecloth and some chair covers...?

It's true: When you have TIME, you have no MONEY. When you have money, you have no time.

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Have spent the last hour shifting firniture, with 100% chance of more moving to come. But this is the last of it---the stuff I got from Kat's estate---no more dealings with NosyNeighbor, no more wincing as BC manhandles things---now it's "just" a matter of making room for it all.

I need to reorganize my pantry/kitchen, repaint a 'new' coffee table and find a place for the old one. (Much as I love it, it's longer than the loveseat-couch. Time for something more size-appropriate...). Then there's the ongoing struggle with my bedroom---I need to consolidate two short, wide bookcases into one tall, narrow one...but first I have to GET to it.

*Did* get BC to take four boxes of outgoing to the thrift store, and I know he's going to raid them for a few pieces of inferior decorative aluminum and brass, I'm just going to pretend I don't care, because it's the least I can do to compensate him for all the heavy lifting.

Oh---and while I was shoving things around and checking the contents of stray plastic bags, guess what I came across? Water for Elephants, which was last month's book at writer's group. (I knew the first couple of chapters sounded familiar.) Like finding that shamrock pin the day AFTER St. Pat's---timing.

Now I'm going to take a shower and make a WalMart run....
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I returned from church to find BC had dropped off the pole and brackets, yay, some assembly required, no problem---except that the pole turned out to virtually span the garage from side to side.

I don't have tools to saw an iron pipe, for one thing, and for another, I don't particularly want to saw it. So...I raised it up and ran it side-to-side on a level with the cabinets. It isn't ideal, being unsupported in the middle, but it'll work for now. This leaves me with both brackets and studs...a rack with a shorter length of pole can always go into another room.

It certainly is eye-opening as to how cluttered the garage is. I went through a pile, and it featured two quilted queen bedspreads, a chenille bedspread, a comforter, an afghan and a MONSTER of a polyester patchwork comforter. That's one pile, and does not include a plastic laundry basket full of towels and linens, a stepladder that's almost completely buried in stuff and an ironing board, covered with IDEK. And that? Is just the landry area. Correction: PART of the laundry area.

Small victories...one at a time....
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Earlier in the week, I sent missybrat a communique about a free movie (HOOT) showing in the park downtown last night. When she called me last night, though, to ask what time I wanted to meet up with her, I was less than enthusiastic. Too much time spent doing laundry, and a violent aversion to Luke Wilson---I've seen too fucking many ATT commercials, period.

She came over, let me snivel for a while, then took me up to Titusville for a really good dinner buffet that I've never been to before. Usually I'm all about the salmon, but their teriyaki pork chops were divine. Also discovered that I like fried green tomatoes. Mb was bemused that a born-Yankee gal like me enjoyed such a Southern delicacy, but I reminded her that I *detest* sweet potatoes, which balances it out.

Originally, we were going to go to Home Depot (me still doggedly trying to get the wood for the rack), but I opted for dinner first, since I envisioned wood poking out of her window, and I didn't want it to disappear while we were in the restaurant. After three trips to the buffet and dessert, we were dismayed to realize it was 9 PM---however, since Home Depot was a parking lot away from where we were, we cruised over there anyway, and were delighted to discover they're open til 10 on Friday.

I now have the necessary 2x4s to complete the rack--BC is bringing over the other materials tomorrow morning---and it gets better! While I was wandering through the store, I spent some time on the plumbing aisle. But let me digress....

Owing, perhaps, to too much fiber in my diet, my hall toilet got clogged the other day, and plunging did not solve the problem. The last time I was in a similar situation, the plumber charged me $100 for less than 15 minutes work. (I don't have $100, period.) I called over to the MI Home Depot, asking if they rent toilet snakes, was told no, but they sell a $39 thing-a-ma-thing that does the same thing. (I don't have $39, at least not until next weekend.) Found a "Household Toilet Auger" (per the packaging), which cost $8 and solved the problem neatly. Doncha just love it when the so-called experts don't know wtf they're talking about?!

After Home Depot, we detoured to Mb's, where she corrupted me with a yummy cup of chai tea and let me sit there loving on her SO's akita. (Jazzy---a beautiful, muscular bitch with the most dense fur I've ever felt.) Both J and Cesar Millan stress that affection should only be given when the dog is in a calm, submissive state. I wouldn't swear to submissive, but Jazzy is always calm, so I didn't worry about it.

Got home around 11 and found my second wind---or it might have been the chai---and watched marathon eps of "The Dog Whisperer" while I worked on my room. Specifically, I worked on my cedar chest, which has been a total nightmare for months. Or longer---I found stuff there dated 2007. Got it down to bare wood, at least temporarily. Also took care of the landslide that avalanched off of said chest---I'm damn pleased to report thet the only things currently occupying the space between chest and bed is a pair of fuzzy slippers. What's more, they match. I spent the cold snap in January in mismatched slippers because I couldn't find the second one. Maybe when I tackle the floor in front of the closet, I'll run across the mate to the other pair....

Was up til nearly 4 AM, but not tripping over things on the way to the bathroom in the middle of the night is totally worth it!
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Yesterday, I moved my cedar chest to get to the outlet behind it, which destabilized the mounds on top of it. So that's what I've been doing today: clearing it off.

It's still a WIP, but between the stuff there and the stuff in the garage, I've done a load of whites*. Almost done, anyway---they're in the dryer at the moment. Also have a load of darks on deck. and that's great, but now I'm frazzled about wtf I'm going to put them all when they're done. the hanging space I have there now is maybe 5 feet long and is very cramped as it is.

To that end, I'm spoken to missybrat, who's going to schlep over to Home Depot with me this evening so I can get those freaking 2x4s so I can make that freaking rack. Which means I also need to get BC to put the rod and brackets where I can get at them.

His boards were in crappy shape---he accused me of wanting "pretty" wood, and to the extent that I don't want weathered, splintery and nail-ridden, he's right. Scored a pair of galvinized saw horse brackets and a 12-foot length of metal conduit pipe, though, which reduces the cost by about $15.

Small victories, I keep telling myself....


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* Oh, and I found a pair of off-white cotton drawstring pants. Gee, they've been lost long enough for them to be seasonally appropriate again!
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