adorable and strange, all in one day

So, Proptart and I were on our way into work today, when we came upon a pair of squirrels chillin' in the middle of the street. At least, we thought it was a pair of squirrels. One of the pair turned out to be a mama squirrel carrying her babe by the scruff! I couldn't blame her for needing a rest, but the middle of the street was not the best for mom or babe. Squirrels are adorable anyway, add wee to the equation, and it doesn't get much cuter!

Later in the day, at work, Ms. HJM and I were working, and a gentleman and his lady were in. They were being helped by a salesperson, and seemed rather chatty. The man was wearing a goldenrod tank top. One of those man-tanks that has overly large arm holes and a racerback. As he was gesturing, I thought I saw a fat roll protruding out of the opening under his arm. I realized that he had much less fat on the other side. Then, as he gestured, I noticed the shape of the "fat roll." Then, the nipple in the center. I realized the man had a third breast under his arm. It was confirmed by Ms. HJM, and the image was scarred into our brains. If I had a babe with a third nipple, I would have that shit removed asap. If I had a third nipple that had not been removed, I would gladly give up my career in fortunetelling, and have it cut off....much less let it develop into an entire boob! We thought such a thing was an urban legend...I guess not.

separation anxiety

So, last Saturday, before heading off to a Bachelorette party (for the Beauty half of Beauty and the Meat), I was actually able to do a couple of errands! I finally dropped off my Dansko's to be repaired so I can actually wear them, along with my favorite pair of shoes to have the heel fixed (not to be confused with my favorite pair of boots, which also need servicing, but I couldn't bear to part with both at the same time). Hopefully having my Dansko's back will make my back less hurty after work.

I also dropped my trusty Singer off for servicing. I was given the price for the workover, and told that the problems I've been having with the tension are probably due to a loose or missing spring, no big deal. However, the potential issue comes into play with the issues I've had with it wanting feed through fabric. The woman at the shop said it was probably the feed dogs, and if so, not a huge deal. However, if it isn't, then it is probably a gear. If it is a gear, the number of dollars to repair goes up considerably. She said if that's the case, I should just buy a new machine. I think the look in my eyes must have registered with her, for she quickly added, "unless you are particularly attached to this one." To which I replied that I am very attached! Eeps. I think I have decided that I would rather put the money into this machine, rather than get a new one. I just don't think they make them like her anymore. I hope my talk of getting a serger didn't hurt her feelings...the serger would never replace the Singer!! I am lamenting that I haven't been able to work on any projects, including two gifts....I am trying to patiently await the call about my machine.

In other news, the bachelorette party was fun. People watching in the Iron Range is super fun. I also learned that if I drink under the assumption that no alcohol was brought to take back to the house, I should not consume any alcohol that was dug out of a cousin's cupboard and shows up at the house. Wow. I was a drunk girl, and hopefully didn't offend anyone.

I will resume my fitness report on Saturday. With the excitement of shoe repair and sewing machines, I didn't get to it. In the meantime, I will be purchasing my plants for the summer in the morning and hanging out with a dear friend I don't get to see enough. I think both are things worth taking a Friday off of work for!!

i'm a little bit tranny and a little bit rock and roll!

A week ago last Friday (yes, I'm slow. Get over it.) was Elvis day at work. Due to the Mall of America hosting some sort of Elvis convention that weekend, and my workplace's close proximity, we decided to have peanut butter and banana sandwiches in one of the conference rooms, along with Elvis flicks playing all day. In our cafeteria, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and fried okra were served. We had Elvis' greatest hits playing on the overhead. Finally, there was a costume contest. Best old Elvis, and best young Elvis. I'm game for any opportunity to dress up. So, lacking any sort of Elvis attire, I used my free night off of rehearsal to find something. We wound up with roughly a half hour at Goodwill. Silly me assumed that there would be a bounty of polyester castoffs, just waiting to be Elvised up. Alas, I was wrong. I found a handful of poly pants, all of which were over priced. Seriously, $8 for elastic waist polyester pants that your Grandmother would probably turn her nose up at? I persevered, and found a pair of white ply flares, from Express of all places, a white button, erm, snap, up with cowboy detailing and rhinestones, and G found a bedazzled white belt. It would have to do. I also made a futile stop at JoAnn's for some glittery fabric, thinking would have time to fashion a cape for my ensemble. I barely had time to get home, sleep and get up for work in the morning! But I did managed to pouf my hair, and put on my fabulous outfit.

Surprisingly, the only other person that really tried to dress up was Proptart, in a black velvet Elvis shirt. Sad. It was still fun, and I got perhaps the best compliment from one of the management team, as referenced in my title.
Behold me as Elvis:

Don't worry, I'm not quitting my day job.

what should be a fitness recap

But, is not. I will leave it at, I had a crappy week, workout wise, due to feeling crappy, and then injuring myself. I was going to try and go to the gym today, but it would be a really , really bad idea. Especially since just walking around for about an hour or so today was painful. And not in a good way.

So, I am writing this week off, and knowing that I can pick up where I left off, and keep going.

Assuming my shoulder is not sending shooting pains off to other parts of my body tomorrow, I shall hit the gym, then do it again Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. I will also not need to splurge on pizza and carrot cake in the name of charity this week, nor wine because I never go out anymore.

On the bright side, I got the most amazing belt buckle ever today, and I am going to stare at it in the hopes that my depression will lift. Pictures of its awesomeness will come the second I get a belt for it.

Also, on the bright side, I have some pretty cool friends, who were even willing to hang out with me and put up with my caffeine induced chattiness, and be seen with me in public.

Again on the bright side, I am going to see THE KIDS IN THE HALL TONIGHT! Methinks I must have a belt for my buckle so I can rock it at the show.

Must lose four pounds this week if I hope to meet my goal for Goth Prom and tattoo rewards.

happy earth day!

Yesterday, Proptart found this kick ass tutorial on line for making take anywhere shopping bags out of old tank tops! We said this would be a perfect project for earth day. Not only would we be repurposing an existing item and giving it a new life, we would also insure that we would have a bag anytime we were out and about, thus negating the need to use evil plastic shopping bags that will sit and sit and sit, or from buying a reusable bag every time because we forgot ours!

Check out our super fantastic handiwork here.

I was only disappointed that my machine was being grouchy and would randomly decide it didn't want to dig into the fabric. I don't know if it was unhappy out of its home environment or if I over worked it trying to get it to sew through multiple layers of indoor/outdoor fabric. Methinks she is just way overdue for a tune up. I am hoping she will make it through the last of the current project I am working on, as it is a gift, then she will get serviced. I really, really, really love my machine. She is a Singer that is older than I am, which was purchased from a family friend. She has been reliable in the approximately 13 years she's been with me, and I really want to have her forever. I see all the "fancy pants" machines that are available, and they just don't do it for me. I do admit that I also would like a serger, but that's it. For everything else, my lovely singer does the trick!

In other news of the very old kind, I am in love with Austin Scarlet. Yes, I know he's so four years ago, but I only saw Project Runway for the first time this evening, whilst sewing Earth Day bags. Mr. Scarlet is adorable! I could eat him with a spoon, or in the very least keep him as a pet, from whom I would borrow fantastic rhinestone necklaces and ascots. Adorable, I say! Also, I am now addicted to PR. I must see it all. Although, I do not have cable, so I may need to schedule gym visits around when the next season is on, and hit the elliptical for the duration.

Have I mentioned he is ADORABLE?

fit to be

The usual Saturday fitness recap.

This week kind of sucked, thanks to my back. Monday, I headed home after work, rather than to the gym, as my low back decided it was going to have one of its fits. Boo. I checked my e-mail, and laid down to see if I could get it to calm down before rehearsal. G got me up, and took me to rehearsal only to find out it had been canceled (not altogether, just for me). So, we decided to grab coffee, and check out the small bookstore downstairs. going downstairs was not pleasant, but doable. Going up on the other hand? I was nearly in tears, as the pain from my lower back shot down my right leg. Home and horizontal was the order of things. Tuesday, I was determined to overcome. So, I went to the gym, focused on my abs (as they are a huge part of compensating for my damaged low back), didn't do any of the exercises I thought would aggravate my back, and for cardio did the recumbent bike. Wednesday, during the day, still some shooting pain, but it cleared up by day end. Thursday, when I hit the gym, things were fine, until I went to do my lower ab exercises. They involve the piece of equipment whose name I do not know, but involves holding myself up with my elbows, and pulling my knees to my chest. I climb up, get settled, and lift, and PAIN! This time in my armpit area. I try to readjust and go again, but it was a no go. This also meant I couldn't work my sides, as holding the 25 pound weight I use was impossible on my left side, and I thought it silly to only work one side.

So, my week went as follows:
Sunday: Nothing
Monday: Nothing
Tuesday: 45 minutes full body strength, excluding about three or four exercises, 45 minutes bike on cross country, 10 minutes of stretching, focusing on calming low back
Wednesday: 55 minute walk, 4 miles
Thursday: 1 hour full body strength, 30 minutes elliptical on cross train, 10 minutes stretching
Friday: nothing
Saturday: Nothing despite best laid plans

Starting weight: 144.5
Last week: 145.5
This week: 145
Weight loss for week: -.34%
Total weight loss: +.34%

Whilst I am definitely firming up, I need to focus on my eating to really see results. Tomorrow shall involve a trip to the grocery store to stock up on good food for the week, and me cooking while G is at his karaoke show, and getting my lunches and dinners ready for the week. With my crazy schedule, it is all to easy to eat junk.

review

One week ago, right about now, I was gussying myself up for Ground Zero's Rubber Ball 2008. G had kindly gifted me this romper off my wishlist for Valentine's day, which I had earmarked for the event. Based on this, I decided to go for an old-timey performer look. Somewhere between tightrope walker and saloon girl. I busted out the curling iron and hairpins, added some plumage, rhinestones and false eyelashes, and voila! I had rehearsal, so I went with myself done up from the neck up, and changed into my ADORABLE romper immediately after. G gussied up as well, and we went out, for the FOURTH Saturday night in a row, and had a pretty swell time.

Some things I would have changed about the event would include having the vendors upstairs/near the rear bar. Whilst I understand wanting to have the wares up front, it was totally in the way of dance floor access. It made for some unpleasant congestion. The "fashion" shows were anticlimactic. Maybe I am too used to the creation of items that are cutting edge, and look like something someone could/would wear, as opposed items looking like fabric remnants were taped onto models bodies. Also, sending out a model who obviously CANNOT walk in heels/platforms just makes me feel sorry for the poor girl, not thinking about how I really want what she is wearing. The two shows were awkward, at best. I love fashion, I love seeing what people create, however, these just made me feel embarrassed for these people. That is not really my idea of fun. Also, while I think the fetish shows are fun, I don't like feeling forced to watch. We went to a club in Cali, that had the right idea. There were stages with shows going on throughout the night, but they didn't cause every other activity to cease. IF it is one huge over the top piece, that is one thing. Otherwise, I want to be able to choose to keep dancing/chatting/whatever, not have everything stop for a show that I may or may not find interesting. I can't imagine that every single person in the room has the exact same tastes, and I think the event should allow for that.

On the positive side, we got to see and hang with some peeps we don't get to see as often as we would like. The people watching was fun, and we got to make a new friend, Morgan, a recent transplant to the area, who seems to be good stuff. I got some dancing in, and to top it all off, I looked awesome. I do not say this lightly, whilst I try to make myself look good when we go out, I usually have some reservations about my look. However, I can say pretty confidently, that I was the prettiest girl in the room. I felt pretty fucking badass. There were some photogs there, and I am hoping I can find the shots that were gleaned of me on the dance floor. Sadly, I forgot to grab the real camera, so the only shots that were grabbed by us, would be the above, on Gs camera phone. Overall, we had a good time, I just wish there was more dancing...the night went too fast!

However, this means the pressure is on. I have to look at least that good for the upcoming Goth Prom. I have a dress...I must accessorize, and determine the overall look I would like to style. Good thing I have a couple of weeks to pull it all together!!