Nothin' Much

Look how warm it is! I'm in 2 shirts, no jacket, and the sun is shining! I look a hot mess, thanks to a night of drinking and watching "Bird"- the Charlie Parker biopic. It was pretty good, as was the 1554 Ale.



Why bother trimming these grasses when Maggie does it so much better? All winter, she's been rubbing up against the grass, slowly pruning it. Kind of like a big hunk of that meat Middle Eastern restaurants us. Is it kibbe or gyro meat?

Regardless, the dog is damned cute. She has created a little fort for herself, and will sit there watching the birds and squirrels at the feeders.
And now to sew more of these:


For sale now, at www.squaresville.etsy.com!

Sickness

For the past week, I've been coughing, a la 1996, when I had bronchitis. Back then, it was brought on by a Wednesday night gathering of my friends to watch Beverly Hills 90210.
I distinctly remember the episode. Dylan had just gotten married to that actress with the big eyes. There was a scene with him talking to his new FIL. Holly said, " Excuse me sir, while I go bang your daughter behind this bush." I spit out my beer and started laughing so hard I started coughing.
I didn't stop coughing for a month. My roommates were woken up in the middle of the night by me. I took a bottle of Robitussin with me to work and stashed it under the counter. I finally went to Massachusetts General Hospital and got some Robitussin with Codeine and some other little bath-bead-like drug which suppressed the urge to cough.
Wish I had some now. This is what my drinks of choice have been for the past week:


You will note they are almost empty. The shaky picture is indicative of how I feel. I got tired just making the bed yesterday.
The doctor put me on Amoxicillin, which makes it hard to leave the safety of a toilet. I don't know if I'm going to work tomorrow.
Anyway, the pretty blue medicine makes me have very realistic dreams about the most RANDOM topics. Things I haven't thought of in a decade or more! WTF?
Last night, I dreamt about 2 kids I used to babysit. Dennis and Jennifer L.. In the dream, I was talking to their neighbor. Dennis and Jen went to my church, and were among the throngs of Solebury Township kids I babysat. The neighbor was actually Jen G., which I found out after consulting my yearbook. Good times, good times.
Jen went to Boston University, too. I ran into her and her parents in the checkout line at Star Market one day. My hair was probably some bright red color, and knowing the year, I was probaby Cute Punk Rock/Hardcore Girl. Blue Doc Martens and all.
The other night, I dreamt about the albino deer that roamed Solebury Township. Daniel and I saw them, and were calling for our father to come outside to see them. One was the size of a Holstein.
God bless Tylenol.
On New Year's Day, I received 4 orchids from a lady on Freecycle. I have a bad track record with phalaenopsis orchids, but I decided to give it a shot anyway. Well, I am pleased to report progress:



I pruned the bud stalk just above the third node, and it has sprouted a new flower stalk! Do you see the baby leaf in the center of the other leaf?! They are perched on top of the medicine cabinet in our bathroom. Good, filtered light, humidity, and probably the most warmth in the house. I figure since they're used to being in a house, and not Target, they won't die.
I was in Chicago a few weeks ago, hanging with Alexis and whoring my potholders to chic stores in Lincoln Square. It was a great, great weekend. I'm always sort of worried that I'm one of those people who is constantly rehashing the good old days, to the annoyance of others. Not so with Lexi! She reminded me of many stupid things we did that I had forgotten about.
Saturday night, her husband was DJing at Club Foot, so we drank many Guinesses/vodka tonics and grooved to the strains of Charlatans, Echo and the Bunnymen, and the Descendents. I love how just one note of one song can instantly transport me 16 years into the past, into a warm summer night, into Lexi's ancient purple Volvo. Pavlov would be proud. One note of one song from "Songs To Learn And Sing" and I'm tasting watermelon Bubble Yum. Here's to the good old days, Lex!
Saturday after Hot Doug's, we went to Quiltology, and I left with these:



I know, I know, theyr'e Denyse Schmidt fabrics. Fabrics from my sworn enemy. But they're so dang cute! And they'll be perfect in potholders! Cut me a break!
Also, I'm still taking applications for Chilicraft. Please, please, sign up and help a sister out!

Remember zines?

I'm sure there are still scrawny punk rock kids who make zines. Lexi and I made 1 issue of "Bread". It rocked. My brother did "Milkshake" for a while. He drew a happy milkshake character which looks strangely like Shake from Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Dan's zine was done back in the early 90's, so THEY ripped HIM off, not the other way around. Plus, those guys are total idiots. I'm sure I'd have to wait in line to slap them around.
Here is what I just spent the last few hours on:


Pretty cool, huh? You like the tattoo lettering? I had to slip that in there somewhere.
So, if you're a crafter or a chef in the St. Louis, area, sign up!

Stalker Girl

I saw it today.
It went right past me, like I wasn't even there. Isn't that part of a Dag Nasty song?

I know it was the one. My sweet, cherished, blue Mazda, that I THOUGHT I was fully over.
Nope.
Just as "You're So Vain" came on the radio, I looked over, and in front of the SouthSide Bank, was the deer-damaged front quarter panel I knew so well!
It was headed south on Grand.
I will have to find out where it lives now.
Did it see me in my new Mazda? Was it jealous? Did it see me? Does it miss me?
I had to buy a new one! Matt wouldn't let me dump any more money into it! It's not my fault it got a cracked water pump!

Sigh.


Oh yeah, my birthday is tomorrow, and I expect chocolate, bitses!

Who Do You Love?

You all love me, and my silly, silly ways, right? You all love the spontaneous, flybytheseatofherpants Alli?
Well, bitses, sign up for my very own craft fair! I volunteered/was volunteered by my evil best teacher friend to organize a craft fair to benefit my school's PTO.
Yes, me. Organizatin' somethin'.

The picture to the left shows what happens when I organize Monty's morning glories and purple hyacinth bean. There's a headboard and footboard under that mass of leafy fence.











So, the deal, tentatively called Chili Craft, is March 24th. You're right, that isn't a lot of time. It'll be from 9 am to 2 pm at Brittany Woods Middle School, in our awesome 1956 gym. I might even be able to get tables for us. The booth fee is $35 plus 10% of your profits. It's a benefit, stop griping.
Are you a chef? Did you make basil jelly from this (the basil, not the scowl or boobs) :


There's more where that scowl came from! I know who you are, you knitters and stitchers and cutandpasters!
Help a sister out, wontcha? Let me know ASAP so I can impress the PTO on Feb. 6th.
God, that is a really unattractive photo, but it works in so many ways.

Now GET CRAFTIN'!

End of Year Summary

Allison F.'s comment made me laugh out loud, and I wanted to expound upon it.
Yes, we are old.
I am more interested in knitting or sewing than bands. If I get into a band, that means I'll have to go see them IF they play in this shitty town, and that involves standing in a smoky room with youngsters.
I actually passed up a Bouncing Souls show, because I didn't want to be the oldest person there. I didn't want to be the only person who knew them "when". We used to go see them at City Gardens, in Trenton, New Jersey. I bought a t-shirt from their old drummer. I still think they rock, and their newest album is great, but....ugh...the standing.
And college-age kids bug me, with their Uggs and perfectly emo-d hair and shirts with that happy bunny. Back in my day, we didn't have the luxury of Hot Topic to achieve our look. We had Allston Beat, Amvets, and The Garment District. Heck, growing up, I had NONE of that. It was The Pinwheel consignment shop for me.
I guess by age 30, I've lived my wild and crazy youth. That doesn't mean I'll never occasionally drink too much and puke out of the car. I'll wear a band t-shirt if I find one I like. But now, I know what Allison is about. I'm comfortable with my homebody, knitting, sewing, coffee drinking, traveling self.
I don't know where I'm going with this. I'm full of eggs over easy, bacon, toast, and diner coffee, and there is a pile of 4.5 " squares beckoning.

And Allison F., I too have a husband who watches football.

Post For Kate

Hi Kate!
Here is what I've been up to:
1. Knee deep in cottons for those dang charity quilts Robin and I keep stalling on.
2. Creating new garden via cardboard, compost and dirt.
So, I just laid down a cheet of cardboard, from the dinette set, layered leaves, compost, and dirt on it, planted the birdfeeder stake, and voila! My mother had done this a while ago, and now has a strawberry patch. She used newspaper, though. Eventually, I'll turn that whole strip of grass into a patch of tall, colorful flowers.
Oh yeah, I also dug up and reset those big edging bricks. I have calluses!

3. Enjoying my Winter Break, and already moping about going back to work.
4. Drinking way too much coffee.
5. Seeking, and thanks to Cat, finding my dream dinnerware set!

The pattern is called Blue Dandelion, and it's by Stetson China, in case you ever find a sugar and creamer set for me. My birthday IS coming, you know.
Also, please note I am not scowling in this photo. Pretty good for a self-portrait!
Kate, you will recognize this shirt, no?

Here is my favorite Christmas gift:

This would be a coral Christmas cactus from my beloved. Not red, not white, not yellow, but a gorgeous pale orangey peach coral.

Remember when I asked Santa for a table and chair set? Apparently Santa's name is Lynne. I have the greatest MIL around!

The dog was already here :)

New Year's Resolutions? Ha.
I resolve to go on a 1.5 week vacation to PA, Boston, and Maine to visit parents, grandparents, Gardner Street, and Kate.
I resolve to drink more water.
I resolve to stop wasting so much time on the computer.
I resolve to really get my little business cookin'. I made my first international sale yesterday!
So, a brief question, dear readers: What more/else should I sell? Keep in mind, I am but one person, with one sewing machine.
Let me know!

SNOW DAY!!! Wait...

So, I did The Happy Dance Thursday night, when my coworker called to tell me there was no school Friday. I stayed up late! I drank beer! All on a weeknight!
But....I woke up Friday, at 5:30 am, as usual, thinking it was a leeeetle cold. One look at my clock radio told me that it would be a long, cold day. No cheerful red numbers, no KDHX waking me.
Dear God,
You know I wanted a snow day so I could stay home and replenish my craft stock for Wintermarkt next Saturday. That requires electricity. So, why did you do this?

Now, I'm glad those ancient trees didn't fall across my street, or pull down the lines, but I really wanted to sew. I had laid in bed the night before, watching the blue flashes of transformers exploding, and hoping one wasn't responsible for my coffee, sewing machine, and radio. I prayed to you, remember? I thought about all the things I was thankful for. So, how do you explain this?

I am thankful that our house didn't get crushed by a tree, or that the wires in my backyard

didn't give up and snap from the weight of 2 inches of ice. I am lucky Matt's mom has an extra bed, even if it's in a small room with a million pieces of furniture (many with flowers). His mom is a lovable crazy lady. After all, she and I were singing along to "Let Your Love Flow" by The Bellamy Brothers this morning.
And thank you God, for allowing me to drive home Thursday afternoon in the ice storm without smashing my new car!
Love,
alli

So folks, sewing did get done at the MIL's house yesterday. I'll have enough stock to not look silly, and hopefully people will be eager to buy retro Santa Claus print oven mitts.
Come see me, Beqi, and Cat at Wintermarkt!

Everything Went Green

If you know me, you can easily guess my favorite colors. Green of all hues, and deep blue. It was painful to have to get a red car, but I've made it though the fear.
So, here is the color of our New Porch. A dark avocado-ish green.

Here is Matt, looking cute with a paint smear on his face.

Other than approving of the paint color, and periodically checking to make sure Matt hadn't fallen off the ladder and made me a rich widow, I spent all weekend sewing. And let me tell you, Rock and Roll Craft Show customers, if 55 pairs of potholders and 20 oven mitts aren't enough for you, then I don't know what is enough.
Besides the RNRCS3, I'll be at the St. Louis Vegetarian Society's annual Turkey-Free Thanksgiving, selling my wares. I know, I know, I'll eat anything with a heartbeat or a growing season, but I can't say no.
Beqi and I are selling at Wintermarkt, in the Skinker-DeBaliviere neighborhood on Dec. 9th. Last year was the only year it was painfully cold; we've always had decent weather before.
And then, I rest, until I get a wild hair to do a craft event in Chicago in the spring.
Always accepting old jeans,
Allison

On the 7th day, Allison rested

It hasn't been 7 days yet, but we're resting this weekend. By resting, I mean I'm sewing like a banshee and Matt is tinkering with the railing of the steps.
Here is what is now attached to our house;
You will note that the 300-lb concrete pillar, "Sir Lean-A-Lot" has now been retired. Since my dad was able to push it over with just a touch of his foot, I'm glad we're not relying on it to keep our porch from blowing off the house in one of the many tornadic storms St. Louis gets. Remember last January 2? After drinking cheap beer all day and watching a Star Wars marathon at John and Jenna's house, I awoke to tornado sirens at 5 am. Welcome back to work, Allison!
So, I dug a trench big enough for me to lay in (no exaggeration) and gave the pillar a proper burial.

Dad and I rolled it across the yard, and thankfully, it fit right into my trench, after crushing one of my fingers.
If you know me at all, you know I LOVE trash and recycling stuff. For instance, there is a teal recliner by one of the dumpsters as I type. I'm resisting going over to check it out.
I like how the post makes a nice border for the rosemary and dill. If the next owners don't like it, it's their problem. I'm not moving that behemoth again.
Here is the inside of the porch, from the kitchen doorway:

We're really excited to use the porch for dinner, breakfasts, and I want to be able to sleep on it in early summer. Matt bought 2 curtain rods for the windows you see above, as the streetlight shines right in.
Santa, bring me a hammock and a cute table/chair set!

Workin' Man Hands

So, my dad is in town, from Pennsylvania, with the intent to build us a new covered porch. So far, things are going smashingly. I took the day off from work and did this:
That whole pile of old porch? Neatly stacked in the garden. What about the dirt Matt dug up yesterday for the concrete pilings? Yeah, I shoveled all that and spread it around the garden.
The new porch is 8' by 12', and if you don't think pressure treated decking in 12 foot lengths is heavy, you're a moron.
In the above photo, I've captured the rarely photographed Big Mike. My dad's pretty badass for 59. Here's what the end result of today is. Don't let Maggie fool you, she just laid around all day and watched us.

It was pretty surreal, roaming through the new Lowe's with my dad. I had multiple flashbacks of being 6,10, and 15 and in the same scenario. Dad mutters to himself about the plans, we can't find 14' planks, so we have to get 16-footers, I had to go back and get angle caps, but got the wrong size, I hold the board while he bashes it just a teensy bit more into the hole in the house...did I mention my hands are inches away from the bashing tool?
All my life, Dan and I helped build things with him. We were the holders, the flashlight shiners, and the weight. "Go get your brother and stand on this thing". Today was really awesome, even though I was cold. I wish I could take the rest of the week off and be a little girl again, holding heavy things and fetching tools and looking for the elusive 9/16ths wrench that grew legs.

Dull update

So, as fate would have it, here is the excitement of the night: Patrick from the Tower Grove Farmer's Market called me to see if I was available for a taping of the farmer's market by Show Me St. Louis. He said they wanted to interview a vendor, and I was his FIRST CHOICE!!!
But, once again, work drags me down. They're filming at 1:30 tomorrow afternoon, when I will be in 5th period/The Henhouse.
Goldang it.

On a brighter note, my dad is driving out on Saturday/Sunday to rebuild our hoosier-fied porch!!! In this pic, can you see the lean? It's like an M.C. Escher drawing. Disregard the crazed moonflower vine, unless you want some seeds.

He's making it just a smidge longer, and infinitely more stable. It's been a long time since I've played helper to Dad on one of his projects. Our family tore down and rebuilt an addition onto our farmhouse, and then we tore down and rebuilt a 3-car garage. We also tore down our barn after a windstorm blew out the side.
I am no stranger to nails or hammers or saws or "Come stand on this board while I run the circular saw mere inches away from your foot".
The other big news is the Tower Grove Harvest Fest this whole weekend. Autumn and I will be selling our wares (if I get any done). Come stop by-I should have some Chrismasy potholders for your holiday delights.
Jeez, I don't think I have one picture where I'm not snarling at the camera. I swear, I look much happier than this!
Oh, and GO CARDINALS!!!!!

I want a piglet

This is so freakin' cute, I had to share.

*blows dust off diary*

Well, dear readers, I've finished several sewing projects, and instead of rebuilding my stock for the Harvest Festival and Rock and Roll Craft Show 3, I'm on the computer, giving you what you want.

May 6, 1987
Dear Nancy,
Hi. Sorry. Today the sun actually shone and so I wore shorts. Mom picked me up from school and as a nice surprise, took Dan and I to Dilly's Corner for ice cream.
Yesterday Dad fixed the valve core on my bike. H. asked me if I wanted to ride along the canal path to Limeport. So I said maybe, because my bike was sick. Today she says, "I don't know if I'll have my bike back by then?" She better not have lied to me!
C. likes Chris C. He has a humongus hacienda! But it seems every time I look at him, he's looking at me. Oh dear.
Mom and Dad are planning to go to Ireland this summer.
Bye!

Ah, the ever present plan to go to Ireland. It fell by the wayside, along with the computer, rebuilding my 1967 Mustang, a new car for me upon college graduation ( I got $90 and "Eat something, will ya?" from Dad).....we Walkers love to plan, plan, plan.
Dilly's Corner was a little ice cream/snack shop right at the bridge over to New Jersey. I probably had a blueberry milkshake, made with real ice cream, real blueberries, and real milk. They also had good cheese dogs.
H. lived along the New Hope Canal, which followed the Delaware River down to Morristown. Mules used to pull barges along it, but when we lived there, it was a bike/walking path. Actually, I think you could still take a mule barge ride.
Chris C. was a hot item for most of my high school years. Last I saw him, he had a big neck and had obviously been working out 30 hours a day. He was one of the smartest kids in my grade, quiet, and had a good sense of humor. He was a BMX-er. Chris was one of those kids who want to be millionaires by the time they're 25, and I bet he was close.
The first wearing of shorts was a big deal for me, because my legs are/were blindingly white. I may be responsible for several holes in the ozone layer. I was SO self-conscious of it, but never resorted to fake tan, thank god. Even now, my legs never tan. I get a few freckles, but that's about it.

In Which I Offend Many In The Name of Humor

Dang, I hate working. If anyone has any ideas of how I can still rake in the big bucks yet stay barefoot all day, please let me know.
No, I won't do that.

I've been inundated with special request potholder orders, including one for EIGHTEEN. Now, I love these repeat customers, but damned if I don't need to take a day off just to sew.

Things of Importance Since Last I Blogged:
1. None of my size 6 pants fit anymore, thanks to the potbelly someone glued to me one night.

2. My new students are nicer, but have funkier names. Taundalayaria. No, it's not a tropical disease. She goes by Tangie. Actually, I don't even know if that's spelled right. If she was Thai or Cambodian or Laotian, I'd understand. I once taught a Sourisack Pachanirisiri. He was a straight Crip, yo, but very respectful to me, and not just because I'm a Crip Killa.

2.5. I'm not really a gang member, if anyone accidentally gets here because they are one.

3. A frighteningly large percent of hits to this blog are from people looking for pictures of Girl Scout Cookies. Now, hell yeah, they're tasty, but we can wait until March, folks.

4. Poppymom and I went to a quilt show in St. Charles last weekend, as did hundreds of bikers and their leathery biker women. It was a feast for the senses.

5. Too many people made quilts out of dusty pink and blue in the 80's. We scoffed at these.

6. Baby accessories are totally cute, and I want you all to buy me cute baby accessories once I get a bun going in this oven.

7. I awoke last night in pain from what I can only guess was my right side wisdom tooth tearing apart my jaw.

8. I am in dire fear of getting them removed, even though I only have 2.

9. My mom informed me that my brother was 12 pounds at birth, not 10 as I had previously thought. Will my potbelly help make delivery of a huge baby easier?

10. Strange Folk Festival is coming up with a quickness and I'm panicking that I don't have enough.

11. I accidentally said, "I'm black on the inside" to one of my classes today.

12. If it makes it any better, we were discussing what the word minority meant,and I used myself as an example. A kid said, "But how do we know you're not mixed?" and I said the phrase before I could stop myself. It got several laughs. It IS a running joke among a few of my co-teachers that C. is secretly black, and was given this designation by A., a black teacher. C. jokes about it herself, and the other day, A. said I wouldn't know who Blair Underwood was because I don't watch black movies. It's all a joke, people! C. and A. and I are cool like that! But god help me, I said "I'm black on the inside" to my kids!

13. That pic of Bloods is really creepy. Like they really play guitar.

First victim

Today was the first day of school for me and my 13-year-old Vietnamese neighbor, Hieu. He was excited; I was not.
But, my Legging Forecast was accurate! One girl was wearing black leggings and a white mini-skirt, which was probably too short for school. She seems really sweet, but talkative, so I won't feel too bad about pointing out that her fashion is rehashed from one of the worst Fashion Eras in History---The Eighties.
Legging Count-1

A few things

I've been saying that my new car is a color my hair has been. Well, here's photographic evidence:



















I was at a wedding of a coworker in the Somerville School Age Child Care program. It was open bar, all night. Kathy and I are a few sheets to the wind. Do you see that I'm drinking what looks like Windex? Would you believe that's not the first blue drink I had that day? Blue Hawaiians are very, very yummy.
I don't remember much about the ride home, aside from puking out the window of the Jeep I was in. It was a great wedding. I still have the dress in the picture.

Now, for more serious topics. Each year, I'm disgusted more and more by the fashions my students parade around in. I cannot WAIT to show these pictures to my girls who will be sporting leggings and skirts. This was taken in 1991.
I am wearing what probably were my dad's jeans and Chinese mary janes. I am ragingly tan from sitting at the Pool, checking for member badges. Juliana is thrilled that I'm reading to her.
There's an even better picture of me in leggings, but I can't find it....yet. This was a look that I LOVED! It provided warmth and flaunted my skinny legs. Plus, it looked so cute with mary janes. Almost all of my current shoes are mary janes, but I don't have a pair of leggings. And you all will forbid me from buying any, won't you?

The Last Day of Summer

Well, I felt it would only be right to share pics of the quilts that Poppymom blogged about. I'm sure I could come up with some witty rendition of The Brady Bunch song about 2 houses of quilts coming together, but it's my last day of vacation and I've let my brain go for the day.
Here are pics of the quilts I finished/am finishing/hopefully will finish before the snow flies.



The blue/green one is just a top, a little long and skinny, but someone will love it. Robin cut a gajillion squares, and I did the piecing and plotting of the design.
The right one is all 3 pieces, just not tied. Each square is about 1.5". I am not the crazy one who cut all those little pieces; they were in the bag of donated fabric from Freecycle.


Here is the only one I've completely finished. This also came out of the donated bag. I hate binding. Give me prairie points any time.

You can see how excited Maggie is that the quilts are nearing completion. Or, it might have been the huge piece of buffalo meat, bone in, that she just finished eating.

And the basil? Robin isn't kidding when she says I bring her gargantuan amounts of it. This is how tall it is. I'm 5'2".
I like the look on my face. Not only does it say, "Bright sunlight!", but you can also imagine me saying, "Ima cut you, you mess with the basil." Note the grey streak wafting across my face. Note the swarms of bees anxious for me to get away from their basil. Note the hyacinth bean taking over the garage. Is this proof enough that I have 2 green thumbs?! I could reanimate dead bodies!
Actually, looking at this self-portrait a few hours later, and after some "Finding Pants For Work" drama at J.C. Penney's, I'm not too hot about it.
At least I've got a good personality.

I'm crying on the inside

So, the towing company that contracts with Goodwill called today. They'll be by to pick up my blue Mazda. I feel really weird and sad about this, even though it's not very Buddhist to be attached to material things.
Here is a poem I wrote in the Gateway Writing Project about this event:

Ode To My Mazda

To my '96 Mazda
I'll no longer drive ya
I'm no money chump
So no new water pump.

Good times we've had
But your parts are going bad.
You've been in the garage leaking
While I've been new car seeking.

How many hot guys did I meet
Who later rode in the shotgun seat?
How many wild nights
Saw the dawn's early light?

You got me to Pennsylvania
Eight times or more; I felt safe in ya.
Remember the trip to tall Taum Sauk?
You blew a brake rotor on that mountain top.

And the deer in Oklahoma?
I hope you only gave it a coma.
Thanks for not hitting the other two
Cause I don't think I'd be writing this to you.

You'll always have a place in my heart.
With you I made a single life start.
Your usual passengers were me and the dog
Through blizzard and rain and lots of fog.

On 9/11 I cried, driving north on 55.
For one awful year, I hoped Dan was still alive.
I prayed with you, driving home from school
There'd be no phone message
And everything'd be cool.

Little blue Mazda, you were my first pick.
My newest car ever, built in 1996.
With AC and tape player, we could roam all over.
A vast improvement over the '71 Nova.

I'll remove your stickers and vacuum you out
But first make sure you have no doubt.
I'm very sad to send you away
My beloved blue Mazda Protege.

On a lighter note, my volunteer moonflower vine is now named Audrey. We're pals. She is probably opening her first flowers as I type.
Yes, folks, this plant came up of its own accord, as did the yellow sunflower-like plants. In the background, can you see the parents of the yellow plant? The bees, butterflies, and pretty much anything with wings enjoy these flowers.

Introspective Blog Entry.

Each August makes me wax romantic about my years at Boston University, namely my first one. After that, the shit hit the fan and I found my intellectual ass at the local community college. It wasn't my fault, by the way.
I wish I could relive those days again. The bristling excitement of moving 6 hours away from my parents to an unexplored city. The swarms of cute boys I saw on my 2 campus visits there. Being able to walk down the streets at night because there were SIDEWALKS and STREETLIGHTS and NIGHTLIFE! Sidewalks, people, not ditches!
A few weeks before I went, Mom took me shopping for dormware and clothes. I knew I'd have an office job as part of my work-study program, and neither of us knew what the attire was. Just last summer, I tore up my green and checkered trim towel to use as rags. I had it for 14 years.
I never wore those white button-down shirts agan.
It's still fresh in my mind, the picture of me and my parents standing on the corner at the end of Bay State Road.
"Well honey," Mom said, "I guess we'll go." We Walkers aren't much for emotions.
"Okay," I replied. I was itching to unpack my stuff and start collaging my desk.
Dad got in the truck, and Mom and I hugged.
"Give us a call," she said.
"Okay."
They waved, well, Mom did anyway, and drove off. I could almost feel the apron strings break. A strange feeling came over me. Giddiness, elation, ectasy, thrills. I may have had a brief out-of-body experience.
"Holy hell," I thought. " I am COMPLETELY alone in a strange city, with cash in my pocket and nobody to tell me what to do! HELL FREAKIN YEAH!!!! College rules!!"
I mentally danced a jig in the afternoon sun and went back inside my brownstone.

My first month, I spent many Friday nights in Copley Square watching the skateboarders to their thing. I met Jahmal , who stayed cool with me for years. Unfortunately (or, in retrospect, fortunately) the rest of the skater bois ignored me. I met a guy named Chris, who took me to a million Mighty Bosstones shows.
On weekends, I'd ride the B-line to Downtown Crossing and sit in the park writing in my journal. Or, if I didn't have 85 cents, I'd sit outside Warren Towers, the main freshman dorm, and write in my journal. My hope was that a dark-haired hottie would be enthralled with my obvious intellectual-ness and fall madly in love with me. We would drink tea and listen to The Smiths. We would share eyeliner. He would weep at my beauty as we lay naked in his dorm bed.
I did develop a crush on a guy who lived on the same floor as my friend Eric from work. Can't think of his name right now, or even the nickname I gave him. We did talk a few times, and he played This Mortal Coil for me and we talked about "Lolita". He was friends with a girl named Belkiss, who was beautiful, and already hip/cool in a French way at age 18. I wasn't. I'm still not.
Years later, I ran into him at The Model. FLAAAAAMING! I was probably drunk on grape crushes or Cider Jack and hanging on Tom, but I knew this guy was probably never interested in my penis-less self.

Backtrack.....a month or so before I left PA, I had been babysitting Juliana (who turned all the guys' heads at my wedding). Nancy was driving me home, and we were talking about Boston. She and her husband had attended Harvard Business School, so she was familiar with Beantown.
"So, what are your goals for your freshman year?" she asked.
"Get laid," I thought. "It is time to shed the virginity."
"Get decent grades, make cool friends," is what I said.
Boy, I hope my mom doesn't read this.
That was a good year. And, Nosy Nellie, I stayed pure as the driven snow until the next year, but that's another Introspective Blog Entry.

No excuses

*blowing dust off Blogger Dashboard*
I'm not even going to explain what has kept me from blogging, because there' s no good reason. I'm just lazy as hell.
But, I have been sewing a lot, in preparation for Strange Folk and the next Rock and Roll Craft Show.
Here's what I made today:

A nice roll, although I wish it was sushi, cause I'm hungry.





Open, sesame!







DPN pocket, which is a real pocket.







Close up of outside. I love polka dots. I love Asian things. I love them together.




Another close up.






So, this is only a sample. I'd like to incorporate more patchwork into the flap and pockets. I didn't need any batting, cause the layers of fabric are cushy enough. Hopefully I can come up with some brilliant idea to use up at least half of one of my scrap tubs. *sigh*

New Toy

So, I'm finally able to blog again, after having no power for 5 days. We stayed at Matt's mom's house, which was fine, except for the fact that there are 18 different items in her bathroom with flowers on them. That means 18 different flower patterns. It's a busy, flowery bathroom.
Autumn and Raquel were the first to lay eyes on my new car, but don't be jealous-here's a pic for the distance-challenged.
I forgot, in the first posting, to draw your attention to my neighbor across the street in this pic. He comes out to his porch several times a day. He often mows or rakes, taking a LOT of breaks. I wonder if there's anything wrong with his heart. We've only said "Hi" or "Good morning" and he said hi to Maggie once. His wife works.
The tree on the left side lost half its branches last Wednesday night. Usually, Neighbor's porch doesn't get that much sunlight.
My Creepy Neighbors, Gollum and his wife and creepy kids, live in the house on the right. He really does look like Gollum, yet the 2 little girls call him "Dad". He isn't as bug-eyed as the real Gollum, but is surely wrinkled. The wife wears a fanny pack every day, with her skirt/dress and her hair up in a bun. Matt observed him cleaning out his electric lawnmower while it was still plugged in. Somehow, Gollum didn't lose fingers.
I know, it's not the dark blue I lust after, but those are apparently impossible to find. I like this color; my hair was this color a few times. The moonroof is going in this week. It's zippy, has radio controls on the steering wheel, and the dog is banned from riding in it. Oh, and at night, the dash lights are red and purply-blue! So cool!

Fun With Crabs

I realized I haven't posted an actual diary entry in a while, so here you go, folks.
As for the list of things I want to do this summer, well, I still don't have a car. Don't ask about anything else.
April 29th, Wednesday

Dear Bonnie, The name of my family's cherished marmalade tabby who died this winter!
Today I was holding my hermit crab right after I gave him a bath, and he grabbed ahold of me and pinched! I was in major pain, but after about 30 seconds, he let go and fell into the sink.
PAIN!!!!
Today I really let off at CT today in lunch. She said she had wanted to talk, but she didn't, so I said, "That's why I never talk to you. You say you want to talk but you never do, so I talk to Lexi because she is more interesting than you and that's why you think she's trying to take me and AD away!"
She didn't say anything.
Bye!
Allison
"Al" to my friends.
I will admit that I used both a period and an exclamation point in my last quote. I will also admit that somehow I spelled "pinched" without an "n".
To bathe a hermit crab, you merely hold them in the sink while letting the faucet run lightly over your palm. Do not turn it on full force. Do not blast your crustacean with cold water, as he will grab onto your palm flesh for security. I have a pretty high pain tolerance, but that really hurt.
And, was CT a man? How many stupid boyfriends have you had who said, "I want to talk" but then don't say anything worthwhile?
Was it only in Pennsylvania that friends could "take" you away from other friends? Was I merely a pawn? Lexi WAS more interesting, mainly because she wasn't a scary freak. She had a cool house with a deck on every floor. I'm a sucker for decks. Her mom was a good cook. We made dollhouses together. She had carpet in her room, which I always wanted. And she had a goofy sense of humor, which she hasn't lost. Yay for Alexis!
Now that I'm "grownup", I prefer a nice rug on hardwood floors.
Oh, and it's been one official year since we bought this:

I am St. Patrick.

So, you know how St. Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland? Well, I've done just that in my garden. For some reason, my sweet little cucumber plants have produced monstrous cukes that would put Ron Jeremy to shame.


No, that is not a cute little fairy's foot, that's my size 7. Yes, those are $1.oo flip flops from Target.




Here is another pic of my fierce garden:
You can see the tomatoes to my right are thinking about taking over. Behind me is the bed frame I found in the trash. The lablab violet vine and morning glory (thanks, Monty!) have formed a fine windblock. In the lower righthand corner is what this little guy turned into:


And the siamese twin cukes? Here's what a month of heat and sun and water will do. Notice that there obviously was a stronger twin. Notice my cute dog wondering why the hell I'm taking art student photos of cucumbers.


And for my final photo, my Green Envy zinnias which bloomed yesterday!

Update

Sometimes when I do this, it feels like I'm feeding my hungry sparrows and blackbirds in the yard. Eat, eat, my friends! Leave comments! Let me know you've been here! Just don't poop on my basil.
So, as of last post, I have:
1. attended the wedding of Matt's friends. They had been at our weddng last year, and I was determined to earn back the price of their dinner/drink then. So, Matt had 2 plates of food, and I had 4 gin and tonics and a beer and a lot of fried okra.
Then, we went to a bar. Then, we went to another bar, where I ran into my old boyfriend Rob, who informed me that Gorilla freakin' Biscuits is playing in Chicago next month! Holy crap! I introduced Rob to Matt. Their bands had played together years ago. It's all good.
When we came home, our scary/weird lady across the street was standing in the gangway between her house and her neighbor's house. Matt yelled, "I see you in the bushes!" and she came into the light and said, "I was just making sure you got in okay!"
Readers, it was 2 freakin' 30 in the morning. What was she doing?!

2. Slept late the next day, but endured barely a hangover. Thank you, okra.

3. Watched the Boston Fourth of July on TV. The fireworks being set off by the poor people in the projects a few blocks away were much better than St. Louis' official ones. Can you buy fireworks with food stamps?

4. Discovered a new plant growing/blooming in the fence. It resembles a sort of mallow. It closes in the heat of the day. Its leaves look like scented geranium leaves, yet are not pleasantly scented. The flower has 5 petals. It's rare for me to NOT be able to identify a plant.

5. Ate one of the giant cucumbers from the garden.

6. Slept a lot, yet woke up feeling like I had been run over. This was not the day after the wedding.

7. Sold a lot at Tower Grove Farmer's Market.

8. Bought cute Airwalk sandals at Payless, inspired by my sister-in-law. They are red and perky and kinda hippie-ish.

9. Somehow hurt my thumb. It aches constantly.

10. Spent inordinate amounts of time on cars.com, consumerreports.org and edmunds.com researching a new car. I rode in Jenna's Mazda3 wagon today and am in love. You can get a cassette player in it! Folks, you know that's a priority for me!

11. Matt found my missing Babaloo CDs, so all is well in my samba world.

Procrastination

Thanks to Poppymom for giving me a reason to NOT sew anything for the next 20 minutes....I do so love surveys! Glad you had a wild evening involving meat!
I hereby decree that if you read this, you must also answer this:

The idea is that you answer each question, using 3 or less song titles/artists/etc. Answers like "...everything by the Smiths" is not okay, even for me. *sigh* This is ripped from some chick named bookhart.

NAME UP TO THREE:
Song(s) That I Loathe To The Core Of My Being:
1. Butterfly by....Crazy Town?
2. What's Your Name? by Skynyrd
3. Candyshop by some rapper guy

Musical Artists That I Loathe To The Core Of My Being:
1. Britney Spears
2. P. Diddy Why does he always look sulky?
3. Korn

Rolling Stones Songs I Love:
1. Ruby Tuesday (surprisingly hard to karaoke)
2. Mother's Little Helper
3. Angie

Beatles Songs I Love:
1. Norwegian Wood
2. The song about sharing an umbrella at a bus stop
3. Here Comes The Sun

Who Songs I Love:
1. Teenage Wasteland (good for driving, esp. the YEEAAHHHH part)
2. Baba O'Reilly ( heard it sampled as I was laying on the floor at a rave in 1997)
3. um....drawing a blank here

Reggae Songs I Love:
1. Could You Be Loved?-Bob Marley
2. The Bob M. song about sharing my single bed with the roof right over our head
3. dang, I am really blank this morning..

Country Songs I Love:
1. These Old Bones-Dolly Parton ( I think that's the name)
2. Walk The Line-Johnny Cash (played at my wedding after the vows)
3. Tennesee Stud-by a bunch of guys

Movie Soundtracks I Love:
1. Valley Girl
2. Pretty In Pink
3. Suburbia

Musical Soundtracks I Love:
1. The Sound of Music
2. South Pacific
3. Man of La Mancha

Cover Songs I Love;
1. Stairway to Heaven-Dolly Parton
2. Paint It Black-Seven Shot Screamers
3. It's My Life-Gwen Stefani

Contemporary Top-40 Artists I Secretly Love:
1. Since You Been Gone-Kelly Clarkson
2. Gold Digger-Kanye West
3. Can You Take Me Higher=Creed (it's a secret! ssh!)

Songs That Bring Me To Tears:
1. The Star Spangled Banner
2. What A Wonderful World
3. Once, I cried to Pictures Of You by The Cure

Songs That Make Me Shake My Ass:
1. Hey Ya!-Outkast
2. Superfreak-Rick James
3. Whip it-Devo

Classical Composers I Love:
1. Aaron Copland (not exactly classical, but you know)
2. Tchaikovsky
3. Wagner (even though he was an anti-Semite)

Rap/Hip-Hop Songs I Love:
1. She's Crafty-Beastie Boys
2. Walk This Way-Run DMC and Aerosmith
3. Gangster's Paradise by?

70's Disco Songs I Love:
1. Hot Stuff-Donna Summer
2. Stayin' Alive-Bee Gees

70's Supergroup Songs I Love:
1. Come Sail Away-Styx
2. Another One Bites The Dust-Queen
3. Suite Judy Blue Eyes-Crosby, Stills and Nash

Metal Songs I Love:
Old metal or nu metal? Metal core or grind metal?
1. Run To The Hills-Ronnie James Dio
2. White Buffalo-Ted Nugent
3. Here I Go Again-Whitesnake

New Wave Songs I Love:
I can't say "all of them?"
1. Images of Heaven-Peter somebody
2. the New Order song originally done by Joy Division before Ian died
3. Love Will Tear Us Apart-Joy Division

Soul/R&B Songs I Love:
1. Stop! In The Name Of Love-Supremes
2. Sam Cook-I can't think of the song title
3. My Girl-Four Tops/Seasons

Power Ballads I Love:
1. Every Rose Has Its Thorn-Poison
2. November Rain-Guns n Roses
3. Eyes Without A Face-Billy Idol (pant pant pant)

Pre-1950s Songs I Love:
1. Let's Have Another Cup Of Coffee-Glenn Miller
2. Skyliner-Artie Shaw
3. Jumpin' Jive-Marian Hutton sings to Glenn Miller

Punk Songs I Love:
1. Hong Kong Garden-Siouxsie and the Banshees
2.TV Party-Black Flag
3. Loser-Descendents

Singer/Songwriter Songs I Love;
Hmm...I'm not too knowledgeable,but here goes:
1. Anticipation-Carly Simon
2. You're So Vain-Carly? or Carole King?
3. I Think It's Time that we move in together/and raise a family on our own/just you and me-probably also by Carly

MTV Videos I Love:
1. Take On Me-A-ha
2. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun-Cyndi Lauper

None Of The Above Songs I Love:
1. World Music Artists:
a. Babaloo
b. Joao and Astrud Gilberto
2. Hardcore Bands:
a. Fugazi
b. 7 Seconds
c. Gorilla Biscuits

Whew. Now I must fill my stereo with CDs and sew.
As a disclaimer, I've been listening heavily to Stiff Little Fingers and Joy Division lately, and not so much to the radio, so there.
And I happen to LOVE "Horse With No Name"! Matt says it's about heroin, get it? HORSE?