Day 2 of adding a corset back

There's roughly twelve hours to go before the masquerade and so much to be done.

Boyfriend Jon and I made an excursion last night to a different costume shop to look at their mask selection. While most impressive, the price tags were downright painful! Jon was disappointed that a the top hat he liked was $119. So he settled for a rather dashing fedora.

For me, my taste in masks ran far beyond the capacity of my wallet. There was a gorgeous silver fillagree mask for just $156. The average of the masks in the store was around $40. And for one night, i couldn't justify that cost no matter how much my heart begged me to. However, wandering around that store, they have the single largest costume rental that I've ever seen. They won my heart when i saw the Jedi robes prominently displayed right next to the front door. I shall be returning to A Masquerade Costume in Bellevue.

Yesterday was frustrating in the dress alterations department. I tried my best to follow the advice on Sew for Dough's page, but the chord i used made my life hell. I would advise fellow attempters to avoid using any kind of chord that cannot be pressed flat or that unravels. Getting them done was quite a fight and I'm not thrilled with the results.

Getting the old fake criss cross lacing out was by far the easiest part of yesterday.

And finally i couldn't avoid it any more and i was forced to cut into the dress itself. There is no turning back now. The white lines you see were whip stitches so that the top layer (see through with the sparkles all over it) would stay in place while i cut.

All and all it was productive. But time is closing in fast and i wish i had more of to perfect my creation.

Boy this sure reminds me of being back in school. I always waited till the last second and then threw something together. Granted, writing a 5 page report was never difficult for me and i typically got A's. But with this, i run the risk of having it tear and rip, ruining the dress or exposing more flesh than intended. Since this is an annual event (i know this now) i don't want to have to do this again.

Please please please come together flawlessly! Or at the very least, make the results worth the battle.

It's the attack of self taught HTML

Me+HTML= bad combination.

However, thanks to the world of the internet, even someone as inept as me can figure out how to make things like bold, strikeouts, tables, column widths, and tweak certain things about pre-made templates.

I'm in awe of people who can do this all day every day. I humbly bow to your superior skill and enormous amounts of patience. Just reading all the acronyms gives me a headache. tb, table border, tr, table row. I would rather just do an excel sheet. Which, i'm very aware has a very similar code running in the background.

Thank you so much to those who put in the time and effort to make my life easier so that I don't have to speak HTML on a daily basis. You have no idea how much I appreciate that.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programing!

There's been a Rant and Raves tab at the top for quite some time. But due to the obnoxious way I originally had this laid out, it was rather difficult to look at. I tried colors, different lines....but what i really needed all along was a table. Which i now have!

Go go gadget internet. The ultimate tool.

I'm an opinionated person. I know this sometimes is a bad thing, but other times it can be good. I enjoy sharing my opinions and experiences with others. Most of the time i'm just trying to be helpful...in a blunt, graceless, more than you needed to know way.

I hope someone out there finds my Rants and Raves page helpful. Each of the places are hyper-linked to the post that explains more about why i chose to rant or rave.

So here are a few places that haven't made it on my list yet.

Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park:

Not only is this the workplace of wonderful friend Annie from NaNo, but it's hands down the coolest bookstore around. I never much cared for the overpriced Barnes and Nobel, or the snobbish attitude i seemed to routinely get from the Borders personnel. So i was a "leave me alone" second hand book store kind of person. But this place really rivals my favorite half price books because most likely they WILL have the book i'm looking for at super competitive prices. If i want to sit and read the first couple of chapters before buying...i can. Not once have i been interrupted to be convinced by someone who's never read the book that i should definitely buy it. The crew of Third Place really know their stuff and seem like real bookworms themselves rather than people who just needed a job.

They even have multiple kinds of food stuffs (not just a typical cafe) and occasionally a live band. This place is easily worth the drive.

(They also had Buddy Valastro from the Cake Boss there for a signing! COOL)

Another place that's worth the drive

Legend Nails in Kirkland/Juanita

I'm not big on girly things. But manicures and pedicures just feel SO good it's hard to resist sometimes. So when i go get a pedicure and pay good money, it truly and utterly pisses me off when the nail polish chips or peels after ONE DAY.

It's not like i get home and immediately wash my entire collection of dishes. But invariably, i have a tiny window of looking good.

Perhaps thats why Legend Nails is on my raves list. I don't know what they do special but I have never had a pedicure last less than THREE weeks from them. Manicures are usually good for a couple weeks at least before they start to chip.

I found it just after my sister moved because they had just opened and were having a special. Now, i'm more than willing to drive all the way over there. It's a plus cause i have someone to go with :)

Another amusing dinner with Kenny

Buddy Kenny texted me at exactly 5:00pm last night. "Bored and hungry, want to hang out?" Since i was hungry to and confirmed that i did NOT have plans with Boyfriend Jon, we went to Pho. (Vietnamese noodles).

As i told him my tale of woe about the fall, Kenny started cracking jokes to make me feel better. I normally would have J-walked to beat on-coming traffic and to not have to wait in the cold for the crosswalk. And then Kenny had to go and remind me that i was currently a gimp and probably couldn't make it. Since i had my arm hooked through his and was using him to keep me upright as i limped....it would have been ridiculous to try and argue with him.

As we left dinner after discussing our respective jobs, dreams, mutual friends, and the yummy food, Kenny asked if i wanted to go blow some stuff up (Black Ops). Considering lifting my water glass had been an effort, i mimicked the motions for the controller just to make sure my undignified fall hadn't damped that ability. Thumbs...move just fine. Kenny asked me "what about the buttons?" and i started using my pointer fingers. My left was just a little bit slower than usual. He started laughing at me so i told him to stop because clearly i could still deliver a purple-nurple even in my weakened state. That sent both of us into laughing fits as i made ninja sounds and hobbled along the sidewalk back to my car.

Thus began the next three hours of playing Black Ops and trying to remember not to use the Halo Reach controls. For desert Kenny broke out a gallon of vanilla ice cream and root beer and we had old school root beer floats for desert which absolutely hit the spot. I don't think I've had a root beer float in at least a decade. In a word: Awesome

Another one for my Rants and Raves tab:

Pho Than Brothers on Leary Way in Redmond. If you're looking for Pho and nothing else for super cheap. The small bowl is at least 8 inches across and four inches high and believe me, it's a full meal deal for only 6$. Those with bigger appetites...still can manage to get out of there with full bellies for under 10$.

My only comment is the service is fast, but dismally detached. Servers commonly say just three sentences. "how many?" when seating you. "What would you like?" when taking your order which is then brought out no more than five minutes later. And the total for your meal when paying upon leaving. They don't smile, and they typically cluster around the entrance to the kitchen talking in their own language. Also, don't expect to get are-fill of your water unless you wave one of them down and hold up your empty glass. It's not usually a problem, but something they could improve on.

Nano 2010 day 12

Word Count: 18,368
Todays' Quota: 20,004

Yesterday was just for casual writing. Between a severe lack of sleep, the write in, and my cousins spending the night which means we talked until way too late.....trying to make a full 1667 words just wasn't going to happen. I knew this early and accepted that i would have a yellow mark on the calendar widget. Although today, I'm kicking myself as I drink my first cup of coffee this week.

I wrote a grand total of 923 words just so that i could stay ahead of the quota for the day. I finished the last "slow" chapter and now is when the action starts which is my forte in writing.
I'm not sure why but I've been complimented several times for my action writing. Vivid details, what my characters are thinking, when they act vs react. I'm pretty excited to write tonight.

Tomorrow is the 1 year anniversary for me and Boyfriend Jon. Since it's smack dab in the middle of Nano, we're saving the more major celebration for December. But we will be making a trip to our favorite steak road house:

Jimmy Mac's in Renton: If you're looking for high class, don't come here. If you're looking for a (sanctioned by my brother who lives in Texas) INCREDIBLE steak, fun atmosphere and to die for bread rolls...this is the place. Peanuts are available as you walk in, and you're supposed to throw the shells on the floor which can make walking through in stilettos rather difficult. But the food and the staff completely make up for it. It's worth the drive through rush hour traffic for us. Their crab cakes are also high on my salivate over list. Casual, filling and very reasonably priced for steak. This place is going on my Rave Page.

A day of "Who Cares?"

Let's play a game. I'm going to spell out a scenario, and then I want someone to answer answer their own opinion of who cares about said scenario. I'll give you an example.

BP's Oil Spill. People who care: Those who think that gas prices will go up, those with investments in Oil who could be affected by negative press and PETA.

Ok? Catch my drift? Let's go then. Edit: And because my temper rose as I was writing this, I'm going to answer them myself as well. Feel free to add your own commentary.

1. There's a dead coyote at the bottom of the driveway to my work. It's along a very busy road which a lot of people drive on twice a day. It's been sitting there for three days. Apparently...not too many people. Because the Animal Control only was notified today.
   
2. Three seconds ago, a child died because they live in a third world country with no access to medical treatment and not enough food to survive on. Probably just the family and the few people who found out about it after the fact. And by the time they've finished shedding one tear...another child is dead too.
   
3. Seattle council members put a ban on the Bodies exhibit because the organizers couldn't prove the cadavers had signed consent forms to be put on display. But then again...neither did King Tut. Those who found the display educational and now can no longer go....and those who thought it was "morally reprehensible" in the first place.....and the politician who is getting more publicity now.
   
4. The coffee urn at work (free coffee by the way) was empty. The person who had to refill it thus wasting exactly forty-five seconds of their precious time to be courteous to another person in the building...and nope....we can't have that! Instead, they'll just walk away and wait for someone else to fill it for them....and the person who did fill it for them: me.
   
5. Lindsey Lohan finally got sent to jail because she didn't follow the laws. Probably just LiLo.....and how unfair it all is.
   
6. Lindsey Lohan has her OWN two bed cell. EVERYONE ELSE who has ever heard of her or been sent to jail before and under no circumstances would have received such tempered punishment. Wait...did i just hear the cries of "justice" just start changing about that "injustice"?
   
7. There are still thousands of people who are homeless thanks to Katrina. The people who don't have homes and those who they are staying with.
   
8. There was a roll-over accident on the Alaskan Way Viaduct which blocked traffic for hours this morning. Everyone who drives to work on the Alaskan Way Viaduct and was cursing the person who made them have to wait.
   
9. That roll-over....was a fatality. Just the paramedics and police who had to deal with it, and the family of the people involved.
10. I taped up a calendar at work on top of a poster next to Miss Queen Bee who didn't like it and had to inform me that I'm not "allowed" to do that. Oh wait....I know the answer to this one.................could it possibly be...No one? Not even me?

That's right. Anne is fed up today with petty nonsense and holly-er than thou art bullshit.

I realize that we're from FIRST WORLD. We only care about things that inconvenience, annoy, or limit us in some way. Stuff that happens far away (unless it's displayed over every media format about a celebrity) doesn't matter! We're not supposed to worry about that kind of stuff.

We'll just brush it under the carpet and pretend it doesn't exist while we bemoan the obscured (out of date) poster or the empty free coffee pot or the snarled commute.

Heaven forbid that we get a little perspective to make us realize how precious life is and just how GOD DAMN GOOD WE HAVE IT.

Rants and Raves

Rave: Health Foot Spa in Redmond Town Center.
reason: Do affordable massages sound good to you? How about 25$ for an hour? Now throw in strong hands, a hot water foot soak, and guys who know what they're doing? I'm all in.
Two things that made me slightly uncomfortable: The guy massaged my pectoral muscles. Since i'm a girl...yeah, uncomfortable. He got pretty close to my breasts, but didn't actually touch. that and he seriously massaged my posterior. Given that my clothes were on...it was less invasive, but with no warning, i kept wondering if it was part of it or if he was taking liberties. When i looked over and another woman was getting the same treatment, i felt better. So just be aware and if you're not OK with it, you can tell them no. Just use some sign language since I'm not convinced that they understand English.
Suggestion: Wear a long tank top and sweats. They put a warm towel over you so you won't be cold.

Rant: Sushi Land near Bella Bottega (more specifically the Manager)
Reason: I understand that running a business can be stressful or frustrating. I understand that customers and employees alike can wear your patience. Your food and service is a great meal for the price, and your staff is friendly and helpful. YOU, Mr. Manager on the other hand, are a PERPETUALLY RUDE AND DISRESPECTFUL ASS! If you detest working with people so much, STAY IN THE BACK ROOM! You'll get more return customers that way.