Ramblings

I was asked the other day why I teach middle school when I am more suited for doing something artistic or performing arts.  I had a deal with my mother when I entered University; she would help me pay for college and all the expenses that come along with it as long as I chose a degree that would give me a good paycheck by the end of the month.  I could do anything else that I wanted and she would help support me in that but I needed to be able to support myself after leaving University.  So I chose teaching.  I get a monthly paycheck, I have weekends and holidays off, I get a Thanksgiving break, Winter Holiday break, and a summer break and I'm done by 3:30pm usually every day.  Then I could come home and do what I wanted to after that. Yes, the trade off is that I have to deal with certain parents and with all the politics that come with teaching, but at the moment I'm willing to work with that.  While I'm still trying to build my business so one day I won't have to teach, at least I don't have much going on after that.

Fabric, trims, and patterns are like an addiction to me.  Yep, I'm addicted to fabric.  If I go into a fabric store (or any store that has fabric for sale) I ultimately end up getting something.  A pattern, some ribbon, trim, or 25 pounds of fabric (like I did a while ago), but I've never paid full price for any of it.  I had saved up a little bit from selling another costume and sent out to "just glance around" (yeah right) and ended up coming home paying $145 for fabric and patterns.  But the kicker for me--and this is where my high comes from--is that I saved over $985 on everything.  Granted I would never pay full price for things like that, but still, it is a great high to have.  Unfortunately now I need to go out and buy a few more bins to house it all.  I hate having fabric piled on the floor but that is where they are residing at the moment; along with 3 bags of ribbon/trims/lace, and another bag full of thread cones (because you can never have too many colors of thread and I always buy 5 cones--4 for the serger and 1 for the machine).

I don't mind not having kids.  I can come and go as I please.  I'm not dependent on another schedule.  I'm really not tied down.  Sorry to those of you who have kids and think I'm being judgmental, I'm trying not to be.  I just don't think it is the right thing for me to be doing.  I really can't see myself as a mother.  I enjoy being around kids (past a certain age), I'm really not a fan of babies, but I like the fact that if something happens or if the kid starts to throw a hissy fit I can always pass the child back to the parents (I think that is why grandparents enjoying their grand-kids).  Can I see myself having kids?  Probably not, but feelings can change.

Needs vs wants.  Yes, even I continue to struggle with that.  I know the difference, but I'm pretty good at convincing myself otherwise.  I would like a new TV.  Do I need one?  Not necessarily, but it would be nice to have.  I want a treadmill (that is one that I'm fighting with myself at the moment over).  Yeah, I know, I'm pathetic.

I really don't like the fact that if you walk around the malls or almost any store for that matter you hear christmas music playing.  I think that christmas music shouldn't start playing until December 1st.  Call me a scrooge if you'd like, but I get sick of it!  25 days of christmas music should be enough and then if you'd like more, do it on your own personal playlists.

I found out earlier this week that we get BBC America, so I've been catching up on the Doctor Who episodes they play plus a little bit of the Tutors series and a series called Downton Abby.  I really like that series, plus Dame Maggie Smith has some great lines! "Put that in your pipe and smoke it!" (yes, that is actually one of her lines!  So awesome!)

On the field

So, not really know that the guys wanted to go down on the field, my mom asked them for this last game if they wanted to and Adam, Jakob, and Andrew (Jakob's brother) their eyes lit up and of course they said yes!  So down on the field for some pre-game stuff they went.  Needless to say, they were excited.

    

 Plus, before the game the Army guys had an Apache Helicopter at the pre-game stuff and Adam and Jakob wanted to go get a picture.  Yep, they were happy.

Knows me well

Yesterday was a rotten day at work, and I mean rotten.  Grades came out.  Yep, that is why.  All of a sudden kids realize that what they do in class really does matter and they get all upset at me thinking I am the reason that they failed.  I had 4 parents come in and try to bully me into changing their students grades, 2 of those parents called me a liar when I said that their student cheated (and I have proof that they did), and so forth . . . . . . . . . just a bunch of problems.

I usually call Jakob when I'm on my way home just to see what the plans are and if we need anything before I get home.  Apparently he heard something in my voice--because I was on the verge of breaking--and said that he would be a little late getting home, he needed to go pick up a few things, but he was leaving work.  I got home, turned on a movie and pulled out my portfolio sketch book to finish up some final designs.  Jakob came home with a bag and told me to close my eyes.  He placed "something" in my hands and just from the sound of the packaging I knew what it was: Mother's Circus Animal Crackers.  Yes, Jakob gets me coated cookies if I'm feeling down.  Plus he found a toy blaster that he wanted for parts for his next project but said that I could shoot it a few times if I wanted to.  Awe, sharing his toys.

He tried to eat a cookie later that evening and I about bit his head off. 


My cookies.


In other news, my mother also figured I was having a bad day when she brought me lunch (which was a nice surprise, thanks mom!) so she designed a couple of necklace and earring sets for me and brought them to me to "brighten my day" because the designs were of bright colors.  But on that front, we're beginning to move forward with the business and I'm apprehensive but excited at the same time.  The designs of the jewelry fall into two categories: simple and classic, fun and edgy.  Guess who designs what.  Actually we do both.  We keep going back and forth.  There are times that I want something simple and classic and then I want something edgy and fun.  I should have a simple website and some pictures up soon, but I'm definitely going to need more pictures. . . . . . .

Halloween

Yep, you would think that as a costume person I would "adore" halloween, and while I do, this year something just felt different.  I love the fall and all the different costume ideas (although some of them are just really really strange) but I didn't feel like dressing up this year in something elaborate.  GASP!  I know.  Me, not dressing up?  Something must be wrong.  I guess I just didn't feel like it.  I can't give a better explanation than that.  All last night Jakob was confused by the fact that I couldn't give him an explanation.  But we had a little get together to get to, and I didn't want to be a party pooper, so I grabbed one of my long leather coats and a sword. (and no, I didn't go to work looking like this.  I'll post a picture later of my cute halloween skirt).

Any guesses?

 

This is my feeble and very poor attempt at being an "Immortal" from the Highlander TV series.  I didn't want to go searching around for a scabbard for one of the broadswords or the rapiers, so I just grabbed one of the asian swords that was on the hutch.  At least I was comfortable for most of the night.

This was Jakob.  And yes, that is real chainmail.  Probably about 50 lbs overall.

He had fun, but that tunic is still driving me batty.  The edging was a pain to try and sew on, so parts of the costume are just tacked together.  I'll get to finishing it one of these days.

Thanks Court for a nice small get-together and a . . . interesting . . . round of Apples-to-Apples. =)

But on the flip side, I have a bone to pick with the trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood.  When I was growing up, we were taught that you only went to houses with the porch light on.  I really didn't feel like handing out candy (plus, Jakob had already taken most of the candy we had to his ward trunk-or-treat) so I turned off our porch light, put a nice sign on the door, and turned on a movie while I waited for Jakob to come back.  I had a few trick-or-treaters come up up the stairs, read the sign, and go back down the stairs politely.  But there was this one group that I was about ready to become the mean neighborhood lady again.  It was a group of about 5 kids (ranging in ages) and 1 parent.    The parent stayed at the bottom of our stairs and the kids came yelling (and I mean yelling because I could hear them from inside with all windows shut and my movie on) up the stairs and started banging on the door.  I didn't answer, so they started ringing the doorbell.  Yes, ringing.  Multiple times.  One of the kids then said "kick at it!  maybe they can't hear!" and they all started kicking at my door.  After about a minute they started going down the stairs but the parent said "Are you sure you rang the doorbell?  Try it again." and sent them back up the stairs to which the came, and rang the doorbell, but kept their finger pressed down on it so the bell makes that rattling sound.  I was so annoyed by that point that I also yelled through the door but they started going down the stairs again.

Who teaches their children to act like that!?  The clincher of all of this was as the kids went down the stairs one of them said "maybe they don't have any candy" and the parent said "everyone has candy today and they just want to give it away."  UGG!

But at least the weather was nice.  =)

. . . and Michelle, I'll get those pictures to you!