Zombies! Paychecks!

So, I've been a little busy again. Currently, I'm working at both Six Flags and SCT, which means I'm currently riding around on nearly 60 hours of work a week, but it means that I can proudly state on my unemployment paperwork that I don't currently need assistance. Whoo! And I get to walk by seals and sea lions on my way to work at Six Flags every day! They're a lot like cats--they spend a good portion of their days sunning and snoozing. I'd envy them, but I'm having too good a time. We're doing The Crucible at SCT, and Fright Fest at Six Flags, so there's plenty to do. They cast new zombies every week for Fright Fest, and so I spend every Saturday creating new looks and helping people. Everyone seems to be having a good time, and they're all just so nice. We're already organizing the shop to make next year even better, which makes me happy.

Now, if only I had the time to organize my home, too. I'll get there, I'm sure.

Lu is walking now, which means that there's a lot more chasing involved in our lives now, and she's really loving her day care, which she visits three days a week. She's also visiting her grandparents on the weekends for the time being. I miss her, but I know I'm doing the right thing for the family by working when I can. It'll get easier once J doesn't have to work so much on the weekends for Fright Fest.

Lu's going as Lucy van Pelt for Halloween this year, and I'm almost done with her dress--I just need to make her little sash and collar and finish the sleeves. After that, I need to finish the 18th century, and then I start Christmas. My mother's coming out to celebrate with us! Yay!

But, Wait. There's More!

I was just on Amazon to see what else there was by the knit lady, and there's another holiday themed knit book--Twas the Knits Before Christmas! You know, for the secular knitter. Where's the Crochet Creche?

How to Succeed--a short training program

Ugh. I slept like a pile of rocks glued together with sap until I had to get up for training today. Fortunately, the good folks at Six Flags believe in air conditioning, so I never fell asleep, but I was dragging otherwise today. It's nice to get everything about a company in one place at one time like that, though. I already know what bothers the company greatly, what can get me noticed, and what can get me fired. Good on them. That's the way it should be.

Their big rule is about cell phones. they're off and they don't come out on the clock or in view of guests. Thank you! There's nothing more irritating than taking five seconds to choose between Sprite and Barq's, only to discover that the cashier has taken this opportunity to text his best bud about how lame earning money is. I don't care how old this makes me sound--sometimes I want to take phones out of people's hands and smack them on the head with them. Middle of the sidewalk? Not the place to update your facebook, people, especially when there are other people on the sidewalk--walking! Wait for a natural stop, like a crosswalk, or pull over out of the walkway. I'm looking at you, too, Mr. Texts-in-the-Terminal-While-Sauntering-to-the-Next-Flight. If you can saunter, you can text at the gate, pal. I have a 45 minute connection with a *baby* mister, and I personally think your grey pinstripe would like even better with stroller tracks up the back. Where was I? Phones. People of my world? Most of you are not so integral to the system that you must be connected at all times. Turn off the distraction once in a while, and answer the voicemails in a couple hours. Real friends will understand that you had to turn off the phone for the show, or that you were too busy to answer their fifteen texts asking what you are doing (oddly enough). Focus is not a bad thing.

That's not to say that I don't support cell phones in their place. I dig being able to call my mother from the store to let her know about a cool new thing I found. It's awesome to step out of work and call my husband to let him know that I'm on my way home. I adore a good text message for information rather than a half hour phone conversation. Just like anyone else, I enjoy the ease of connection and the ability to chat with family while in the passenger seat or the post office line or the grocery store. But the cell phone has its place, and when you are using it to remind the people you are with that you would rather not be with them, it's inappropriate. Gah.

J and I went to Barnes and Noble today for a few minutes, since we had a coupon. He got his lego fix with a small architecture set, and then we went to find some all black shoes for me for work. While we were at B&N, though, I found a couple books that make me giggle, both by the same lady: Knit the Royal Wedding and Knitivity. I kind of want to learn to knit now, so I can make the nativity entirely out of yarn for my mother for Christmas. It brings new meaning to the dorky homemade look, I'll tell you that. I tried to call her from the store and then remembered that she was at a Christmas convention today. Up until about five years ago, I really didn't know such things existed, but they make her happy, so there you go.

As you've already guessed, I was a lazy pants and made nothing today. I guess I just have to be better tomorrow.

Mystery Make!

Since my sister reads this blog, I won't be talking about what I made for her today. She'll receive it next week, before her birthday, so I feel pretty awesome about that. I'm still stuck on what to do for my grandmother, though. Perhaps a nice necklace or something along those lines...

We also visited our neighbor who runs a daycare. She's willing to take Lu for the full time for when I work the full day at Six Flags, so we're set there. She has a great group of kids, too, and they already adore Lu big time. She was a little shy to start, but she was making friends by the time we needed to go. Hopefully she'll still be happy when Mommy has to go away.

Then we walked the mile down to the post office to mail the present and pick up stamps. I think I was a bit refreshing to the postal worker who helped me, since I was interested in the different styles of stamps available. The next letters I send out will have scientists, the Statue of Liberty and astronauts on them, which I'm sure will thrill my mother and grandmother, who totally check out what stamp you used on the letter.

When we got out of the post office, Lu was out completely. Her neck looked uncomfortable, so I dropped the back of the stroller down for her. Her little feet looked so cute stretched out and relaxed. I was joking last week with my in-laws that there are many features on strollers that should totally be on wheelchairs, too--the basket underneath for stuff, the reclining back, the cup holders, the tray for snacks, the ability to unfold it one-handed, and the nifty shade overhead for the occupant. I suppose all that stuff would make a wheelchair way too expensive and too heavy for most people.

The mile each way really felt pretty good. With the weather finally cooling down, I think I'll be doing it more often when I get the chance. Doesn't it just figure that as it finally cools down enough to be active in the middle of the day, I have to be active at work again? No complaining, naturally, as I really want to work, but I also really like to take long walks. Alas.

Training tomorrow, and then making some magic in the sewing room. I need to make that 18th century dress mucho pronto.

more baking

I was tired today, so I baked a loaf of lemon bread while Lu napped. Sometimes when you're that wiped, you shouldn't be around scissors and moving needles. J was my hero when he came home--he took care of Lu while I laid down and read my birthday present--The Help!

My gig has been moved up at Six Flags, so tomorrow is all about finding Lu some childcare. Our babysitter of choice does not watch kids past 5:30, and I know that if J and I carpool, it's going to be after 6:15 most nights when we can pick her up. My major hope right now is the daycare across the street works out--the location can't be beat, and she's really nice. Oh, I hope.

After that, tomorrow is about going into the sewing room. I watch Project Runway every week, and I get inspired, though sometimes in the "Holy cats! Who wears that?" way. I need to make some more interview wear, as I've been assured that I'll be getting a callback at another place--this one would be full time management with benefits! It's hard to tell how many people are up for it, or where I stand, but they seemed to dig me, and my mother is utterly convinced they would be lucky to have me. How lucky I am to have a Mom who believes in me!

I also need to make my sister's birthday present and my grandmother's, first thing in the morning so I can send them out immediately. It's one thing to be maybe a couple days late, but I tend to be a couple weeks late or not at all when it comes to the September birthdays, and that's not fair. I think I have a good design idea for my sister, but I'm going to need to sit in the sewing room for a while for an idea for Grandma. I know she will appreciate and enjoy anything I send, but I also want to be doing something fantastic for her. She crafts for herself as well, so it's not like she's lacking for wallhangings and pillows and such. She does enjoy a good Lu picture, though, so we're going to do a photo shoot tomorrow. Maybe we'll get more than two steps out of her!

Hey, Look! Cookies!

Tonight's make is a batch of chocolate chip cookies for J to take to work with him, done off my mother's recipe, which is the 1960s Betty Crocker. Which is not the same as the 1990s Betty Crocker, we've discovered along the way. 1960s Betty believed in more shortening, since these are cookies and not health food. Jolon assures me that they will be quite popular.

Today was about catch up, it seemed. I took a pattern for a hoopskirt over to the same friend who is making the chemise, and we had a good laugh at some of the methods suggested. Something tells me that hoops that are connected with twist ties are not built to last. She just wanted the general idea of the hoopskirt and the dimensions anyhow, so it should work out beautifully. Lu and I were going to go to Babies Love Books next, but halfway across town, I heard peaceful little baby snores from the backseat, so I decided to do a couple errands instead.

Next, we were off to Six Flags to fill out all the initial paperwork for employment. Alas, I brought Lu's Social Security card instead of my own. Whoops. When we finished, J was getting off for lunch, so we enjoyed it together. It was wonderful to see each other in daylight on a weekday, and Lu continues to looooove strawberry banana smoothies. I just have to do training, but I'm just about in.

However, I need a uniform, and as part of the entertainment backstage area, I need to rock all black. Luckily, I found a couple sets of not-terrible pants a few weeks ago, so that just left me with polo shirts. I figured it would be easy, since the Target near home had them on clearance. And yet. The Vallejo Target didn't have them. So I figured I'd check the thrift stores for the shirts. Might make things easier, you know? It was just not my day after that. Not only did I not find any shirts, but I had three near misses in traffic, I got the finger for daring to stay in my lane at speed limit, I got cut in line, and I discovered that my favorite thrift shop is having its parking lot redone, so the competition for parking was fierce. I ended up giving up on that particular shop and heading for home. I stopped off at the Fairfield Target and acquired my shirts, after discovering that I left Lu's wipes at the park. Rawr.

The day was bound to get better. J's poker game is cancelled, so I get to go out to dinner with my family for my birthday tomorrow, and I heated up a fantastic potato leek soup that I found at Grocery Outlet for fifty cents. I know it's an hour before my bedtime, but I'm considering turning in early. Maybe one of my skills books has a section on putting frustration behind you.

Thrifty, Nifty and Wise

I've been reading two books called "How to Build a Fire" and "How to Sew a Button" for the past couple weeks. They're about things our grandparents knew that for one reason or another we just don't. A friend of mine and I got to talking about them a while ago, because she was picking up the grandmother one for her almost-daughter-in-law. They're both filled with a variety of old-fashioned skills that we all should know, some of which we already do. I know how to sew a button, but I learned with rapt attention how to make bread and some of the other skills. I've been pulling them out of the library, but I think I might try to pick them up on the used market. There are a lot of little things that are important to know--how to darn socks, how to properly build a fire, how to clean your entire house with vinegar, how to comfort a friend, how to write a love letter. We need these things nowadays, and they've gotten lost in the shuffle.

My mother-in-law is coming up on Wednesday with a couple friends to plant Jolon's Christmas present--a few new plants for the front yard. I need to prep the house. It's not that she will be inspecting it--she's just not that kind of mother-in-law. It's just that I want to present a pleasant home to guests, and my home just doesn't scream gracious and lovely currently. It screams, "Someone who throws toys and food on the floor lives here, and she keeps the grown-ups busy enough that mopping doesn't always happen at the right time. Watch where you step!" I spent this evening on dishes and general tidying, and then I'll hit it hard tomorrow during breakfast. After Babies Love Books at the library, we need to run down to the HR department at Six Flags to register and get set up. I'm their newest overhire! Yay!

J has ice cream. I want some. But first, I need to cut his hair. I'm off to make the world better!