Christmas Cheer

So here I am, the day before all packages must get shipped, feeling so good about myself because, for the first time, I'm actually on top of things enough to get everyone's package to them in time for Christmas! And then, disaster strikes.....

Actually disaster struck the day before, when I started my last homemade gift, a ********** for *******, and it wasn't looking quite right. Right then and there I should've started over, and I would have, except that I was on a deadline, and that deadline was getting pretty close.....so I fudged and I nudged and I did everything I could to make it work. I spent all day on it on the 19th (USPS says the last day to ship is the 20th). And then at 11:30 pm, in the middle of our second game of Munchkin with Cindy, I saw it....it was unsavable.....cute, and if I were 12 it would totally have been ok, but I'm 27, and I am not going to give a rushed, half assed gift (well, unless it turns out really nice....). I just about cried right there. I was already going to spend all of the 20th on last minute shopping and packing and shipping....I had no time to redo a 10 hour project.


In the end I sent a card saying that the present would be in the mail after Christmas. At least they would get that on time. And I just held back all the presents, so I could make one shipment, and ******* wouldn't feel left out.

And the funny thing is, the first gift I made was going to be for ****** (same person.) I was just planning on making one, and it was going to be for her. But then, it was so fun, I thought....lets make more. And as this last project took shape (and a misshapen shape it was) I knew that this would be perfect for her, much more than the first project. So now I'm behind....and so disappointing....I guess maybe next year will be easier. I'll start sometime before Dec 11, and I think that will make a difference. :)

yay for crochet!

So some of you may remember when, a few years ago in college, I started to crochet. I made a blanket or two and then dropped it. My fingers were sore, it just wasn't fun, and I was bored with blankets. And so it stayed until three weeks ago when my friend Katherine showed up to our Dickens' fair carpool with a crochet hook and some cotton yarn. Teaching herself from a book, she was making a potholder. No offense to Katherine, but it didn't exactly make me wanna jump up and shout, but......it did seem to be a pretty good answer to the question "What do you do in a car for six hours if you're not driving?" AND I could make a homemade gift or two for Christmas.

The more I thought about it, the better it started to sound. And then fate struck. Jeremy had to go to the Last Grenadier for a drow minature and what store happens to be right next door? That gorgeous yarn boutique Unwind, that I'd been curious about since we moved here last year. So I browsed, and I touched and I caressed....finally deciding on a gray alpaca yarn that was so soft, I swear it feels like angora is mixed in. This would be a perfect scarf for ***************** [censored until after Christmas], and it would be easy to ship to *********. Perfect!

Not twenty minutes into it and I realized what I disliked about crochet and why I had stopped. It was the acrylic yarn that I had bought at the craft store all those years ago (well, two years at least) That yarn dried my fingers out, felt plastic-y when I worked with it (the finished product felt much better but still) and just wasn't enjoyable. Not so with this stuff. Its so nice and warm and soft, and within a day I had the makings of a very nice scarf that I almost want to keep myself.

Still, you might say, what's crochet good for except blankets and scarfs and stuff? I was fairly amazed to discover on the internet, patterns to crochet just about anything you would like from bags to teddy bears, and this weekend, I even saw someone wearing a miniature crocheted top hat at Dickens' (of which I am very envious). I've also learned about felting, which is a way to take your crocheted something or other and make it really cool and soft so it doesn't even look crocheted, but certainly looks chic.

To my gaming friends, have no fear. I've decided, at least for the present, that crochet takes too much attention to be enjoyable while gaming...it would take me out of the action. But, movie watching works great, and of course, sitting at home waiting for students to show up is a great time to crochet. And in January, Katherine and I are attending a yarn tasting at Unwind. Can't wait to see how that goes. :)

Guess who's going to be a certified SLS instructor!!!

YAYAYAYAYAY! For three years and four months I have been working toward certification as a SLS (speech level singing) vocal instructor. I had about eighteen of those months with almost no singing or teaching due to thyroid issues, so I had to start all over again with my training and evaluations in March of this year. And then, I passed my deadline in Sept without completing my training, and I thought I was done. But I asked for an extension anyway, and today I had my last lesson and evaluation (the instructor thought I was doing GREAT with my students!), and I just got awarded an extension. They sent me a writen test to prove I knew the codes of conduct and whatnot, so easy. I don't think there will be any trouble with that. So, starting January 1st, I will be certified Level One. WOOHOO!!!

Now I can actually say, "Yes, I'm a SLS teacher" and put it on my advertising and everything. AND I get listed on their official website, which is where every singer looking for an SLS teacher goes to find one in their area. So, so happy. If you're wondering what this whole SLS thing is, check out Speech Level Singing and their singer's community mySLSworld

As a note I should also mention I heard back from one of the places I applied as a part time bookkeeper. the property management company, which I really wanted to work in, offered me $12 an hour! Now, to make it clear how insulting that is, $12 an hour is currently the low end of what a bookkeeper's assistant would make. And they want me as a full bookkeeper, not an assistant. But whatever, it can't get to me, cause I'm gonna be certified!!!!

Dicken's Fair

Ok, so I've been asked to post about Dicken's Fair.

Its so fun this year. I'm working in the pirate booth with Jeremy, we have a blast. The one downer is the cashier that Michelle (our boss) hired. I have no idea why she hired her. She's slow and has a permanent frown. She's just not energized or excited about anything. But at least she's in the corner, kinda by herself. The turnout for the fair this year is great so far, and I think it'll keep getting better. They've expanded a bit too....new booths.

So, for those who haven't been, dicken's fair is an indoor fair that basically feels like you've walked onto a movie set for Dickensian London. Its Christmas Eve Night, and the lighting is all orange tones, like everything's lit by gas lamplight. Inside the shops of course, they all have their 'new' electrical lighting. There's Fezziwig's party, where you can waltz and polka (which I did a bit of last weekend....very fun :D), The Victoria and Albert Theater where we watched a shortened but very good Pirates of Penzanze, and where, this week, we'll see the new and improved French Postcards show (funny, tasteful, and of course, 18 and over). And Mad Sal's dockside alehouse (and brothel) where you have the more debaucherous shows. And in between, in the streets filled with food vendors and shops with handmade wears (there is a woven cloak that I am just drooling over...$200 of course) there are characters from Dickens' most famous (and some less famous) works walking the streets, acting through the books. Scrooge comes by our booth with the ghost of Christmas present every day at 2. And then at three, we see Queen Victoria and Prince Edward make their progress through the streets.

The other thing I love about working the pirate booth is that we're at the docks, so we're next to the Sea Dogs (or Paddy West School of Seamanship) stage (sailor themed singing group)....they are so fun. To listen to, dance to, and sing along to. Totally keeps my spirits up when I'm tired.

So, that's Dicken's in a nutshell....more specifics later.

Santa List part two

So I've added a bit to our Santa list, along the lines of what I wrote in my What Would Jesus Buy post: maybe, instead of giving a gift you bought, you can give the gift of time, like an afternoon tea or somehting. Or, if you want to buy something, how about something to help us in our new business venture, like 50 signs from banditsigns.com or three weeks of a classified ad or soemthing. Mostly, we need help with the marketing, and for large and small investors, the things that work the best are signs on telephone poles (bandit signs) and newspaper classifieds.

Also, I am really getting into fiber arts, spinning and crocheting so far, so anything along that line is great too. Maybe a spinning or weaving class or some really great yarn.

What Would Jesus Buy?

So last week, Jeremy and I saw this documentary "What Would Jesus Buy?". Very funny, and sums up totally how I feel about the things I buy. I highly recommend it, for fun and for food for thought. The activist they follow, Rev. Billy, is not a reverend. I think he called himself a comedic activist? or something like that. Anyway, he's crazy. and its funny to see him be crazy. The actual message comes from interviews with real reverends, which is cool. And the message is really, be aware of the cost of your shopping.

So, to sum up for those of you who are wondering what to get us for Christmas, I don't want to cause undo pressure, but if I had my preference, this is how I would have you shop for us: don't. donate, or if anythng, give us money. Or, if you must, we would love handmade gifts, or gifts bought at a small store, or something made in the US. That way money spent goes back to the local community.

I just don't like big corporations...sure they have low prices, but the cost of those prices is so high....and yes, I do still shop a target occasionally. I'm no saint. But I like this trend of thinking more about the impact of our spending. It goes right along with the other trend I'm followng of thinking about the cost of what I eat. (read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and Fast Food Nation) All this stuff just fits with what Jeremy and I were already leaning towards.

Santa List

I'm following Cindy's lead, and putting together my own xmas list here. I really don't have much I want or need, so if you'd rather, I'm very happy with donations to your charity of choice as well.

If I think of anything else, I'll add it to this 'list', so maybe check back in a week or two. So far, the only things I can think of are books, cooking books and baking supplies, and gardening tools. Books, I'll enjoy anything, though fantasy and scifi are always my fav. Cookbooks are great too, and I could use more. Any great cooking or baking supplies are fun, and, as I've just started gardening, I could use some gardening tools too. All of mine are passable, but cheap and will probably break sometime next year. Also, we love spending time with everyone, so a gift of time, or a gift that will make going out or staying in easier or more fun is great too. I'm thinkng gift cards to restaurants, or cafes, or games to play with a group, but feel free to come up with other great ideas.

Of course, it is christmas, and the whole giving gifts idea is less about the things given than the thought behind them, so I will appreciate and treasure anything given me, especially if you think I'll love it. Sure, things I need are great, but so are things you are inspired to give. :) Happy holidays everyone!

Ouch!

Oh wow am I sore today. I hadn't worked in so long, I almost forgot what this felt like....I know I've had much, much worse, but damn! (Or darn if you're easily offended) this hurts. Mostly I just hate how it shortens my range of motion.....

So, you may be asking, Katy, how did you get sore?

I'll tell you: two wheelbarrows worth of pulled crabgrass and an entire compost pile turned are testiments to how much work I did in the garden yesterday. I won't lie, it felt REALLY good to be working my body, and to be gardening in such a quiet and beautiful place. And I know I did good, cause I saved some roses, irises and gladioli who were being suffocated and smothered by nasty grass. >P And then, when I was pooped, after two hours (yay me!) I called Jeremy to pick me up, but he couldn't for another hour.

What to do! I figured, I'll prune the roses, cause they need it, but alas......no pruning shears in the community tools (they like to grow legs.) Hmmm...what to do, what to do....aha! That compost needs turning....so one hour later (that's three hours total for those who are counting) I call him and say, get down here! I am thirsty, starving and TIRED!

But it was fun....and I can't wait to work out these sore muscles on more gardening work after Thanksgiving.

New Paths

Wow, much to tell. I've been so busy I haven't had time to blog, and now Jeremy is home all day and hogging the computer. Arg.

Anyway, I think the big news in my life is that I joined a community garden in North Hollywood, over by Laurel Canyon and Magnolia (its hidden behind the high school) So far, I've just been weeding some neglected rose beds, but its fun. Everyone there is really friendly, kinda like a little family, and they all like to give advice. ;) Its also great cause its organic, so they have this great system for making mulch and compost, and I can't wait till I actually have some goods to show for my fabulous little garden plot.

I've tried gardening at my house, but our sprinklers are screwed up so its impossible to know when the plants have been watered unless I see the plants dying (or check the soil three times a day, but ick, like I'd remember to do that), and then the soil itself is all dead and mostly clay, so its just not worth the work it'd take to get it to real good gardening level. We're just renting and probably moving in a year anyway. So yay easy garden with compost and community already set up!

I also got a handspinning kit with a drop spindle and four colors of wool. I'm so happy with my new toy. I know I'm insane, but I just love making things, and this is something I can do mindlessly (eventually) while I watch movies or something. I've always been kinda facsinated with spinning, and this is a cheap simple way to start. Plus I'm starting to have dreams of the scarf I can make with my own, handspun wool. :D

And finally, I've been feeling so well these last few weeks, that I've decided to start applying for bookkeeping jobs in the area, particularly in companies that work in real estate (so I can learn by osmosis). I have all this energy and staying home is driving me insane, and gardening is only going to take care of so much. So if anyone knows of a company that needs bookkeeping help, let me know!

Yay for new paths!

On a lighter note....

I don't want you all to think life is tough or that I'm in a pissy mood or anything, so here's what the rest of life is like:

AWESOME! My vitamin D supplements are really working well. I'm feeling better every day. AND its become pretty normal for me to be able to stay up past 10 (which was a major feat before....though I love our Thursday night gaming sessions, I learned pretty quick that I had to plan to sleep till 12 on Friday to make up for them) So, yay for a normal schedule! and yay for energy! Now I just have to figure out what to DO with it all! I'm sitting at home going, 'Shit, this is BORING! How did I do this for 18 months?'

And then I realize that the thyroid and pregnenlone hormones are gonna kick in in a few weeks. I am going to be running marathons or something, just to deal with all this energy......well, not really. I'll probably just be normal again, but after feeling so tired all the time, this much energy is a huge change. really amazing. Yay!

That is IT!

So I heard from the student today who flaked yesterday. He left this rambling message about how hard it was to get to my place, eventhough they tried, and how far it was, and how his daughter's didn't realize how far away I was when they scheduled the lesson (though I have record of me telling them the distance through email) and how I should just forgive them cause they are new to the area.

So I'm a forgiving person, at least, I'd like to think so. And I like to be nice to people. In fact, I really hate not being nice, it gets me really upset (which, I realize, makes me even meaner in the moment, but that's not the point). The point is, I can't do this! I can't set up for a student, schedule my day around a lesson, wait for 30 minutes and then get jerked around by someone about how they forgot, or didn't know about my cancellation policy (they all know), or whatever. It makes me not want to teach. Plus, I have a really hard time holding people to my 24 hour cancellation policy. I hate it. I wish people would just be honest and pay instead of fighting me on it ALL the TIME.

So, as of today, all new students must pre-pay to reserve a lesson space, and by Jan. 1, all my students will be doing the same thing. No more freebes! ARG!

Teaching rant number 2

Ok, so I know I already posted today, but I need to rant. Every teacher complains about this, and now I guess I will too. How am I expected to teach a student when they come in every week with a different song, and different things to work on? The work we did the week before barely applies to the new song, and teaching voice is a cummulative effort. You're supposed to build on the lessons learned in previous weeks. I've got one student who, due to her in ordinate number of auditions, gigs, etc. as a child actress, she rarely has the same song twice. I'm amazed that she learns anything at all. Of course, she does, and her parents keep bringing her back, but geez! And I've talked to them twice about how its not helping her and its going to make the process of learning voice longer and harder, but the auditions are important too, and arg! Its just frustrating. I know I can't teach in a perfect world, or in a bubble, oblivious to what's going on in her outside life, and I guess I should just be thankful that she learns as much as she does. She really is improving. I just know it would happen faster if we had one song to work on, at least for a couple of weeks. Sigh.....I guess it just is what it is. She's a good kid, and a fast learner, so maybe it'll work out alright.

Don't flake on your teacher!

Arg! I just hate it when new students flake. I get it, I do. You just scheduled a lesson, and you aren't used to the new routine, so you forget. But seriously! I can be an uber flake and at least I call! So frustrating. I get the house all cleaned up, and prepared, and then wait for no one. Today its not so bad, as I have three other students coming, so I needed to clean anyway. I just didn't have to rush and skip lunch. ARG!!! At least they still have to pay me. I should start taking payment in advance. Then maybe people would remember their lessons.

Insights

Here's a exercise from my friend Cindy. Its fun! Try it out yourself

life would be simpler if... money wasn't such a big deal.
i feel most beautiful... When I'm being held by my husband
the quality i like most about myself... that I don't give up, and, on a good day at least, I can let go of worrying what someone thinks about me and just do my thing
the quality i like least about myself is... on a bad day, when I act like an idiot cause I'm too worried about what someone thinks to do anything, let alone my own thing
something that no one knows about me is... I can get very very sad when I'm alone, and sometimes I just sit and do nothing for hours
something I'm proud of... how much I love to learn new things, and how good I am at it
guiltiest pleasure? television
high road or low road? high
my favorite possession is... not sure. they all rank pretty much the same, as in, not that important. but maybe the fuzzy blanket my friend Maia crocheted for our wedding. Its warm!
when i was little, i wanted to be... on TV (yetch!)
what surprises me most about my adult life is... how scattered and crazy life is, even though I'm supposed to be this totally together and responsible adult. This CAN'T be how my parents lived. (Though of course, they did)
the big decision i'm currently wrestling with is... whether to spend money, save it, donate it, invest it, or some other option I don't knwo about yet, but will feel totally stupid when someone points out how I should have done so and so
my motto is... Just do it. They'll either like what you do, or they won't. Either way, it'll be done.

AMAZING fabulous music

So I just watched "The Holiday"... I SO love Kate Winslet. Cameron Diaz I could do without....she has all of the feigned happiness of her character with none of the depth or sadness. But what I really love, REALLY, was the score. So good....and of course, no surprise who wrote it. I swear, anything he writes I melt over. Hans Zimmer. Action, drama, romance. The man can do no wrong...at least, none that I've heard. Probably because he has an army of writers who can help him out when needed. But since my favorite track was a solo by him, I'll still give him the credit.

I know that part of my reaction is also because I totally needed this music. I can't quite describe what it did, but I just feel more aware and alive than I have in a while. It makes me want to move and dance. Happy. :)

Good news

So I just got back from the Doc, and am vindicated! (though perhaps not as dramatically as one would have thought) Its clear, I have a case of what they call low normal thyroid - basically I'm in the normal range, but low for my age....if I were 55, then I'd be fine....and the other day I was just thinking that Gram and I have the same energy levels.

So that would be ok, easy enough to handle with diet and whatnot, but I also have really high levels of a protien they call Reverse T3 that blocks the T3 hormone from the thyroid from doing anything its supposed to do. Damn you Reverse T3! And I was doing so well!

Next she told me I also have very low levels of Pregnenolone, a precursor to progesterone, and the biggest factor in memory and mental clarity. "I'm sorry....what were you saying?" I'm very happy I can look forward to not being such a ditz in the future. :) (Caution: those expecting big results....don't hold your breath. This stuff takes its time)

And finally, I am to continue on my Progesterone as I am also low in that and must now take massive amounts of Vitamin D, which I'm also low in.

The good news though, is that nothing is so out of whack that its gonna be that hard to fix. Just a few pills, and some extra supplements to support other hormones, but no major treatments or weekly check ups. Also, because I just need some minor adjustments, my doctor figures I'll be off of all this stuff in a year, which is really good for anything thryoid related.

As I said to my dad, all very promising....now if only I felt better. In time, though, I will, and that makes me happy.