I have made two hats in three days. I am a machine. My nimble fingers weave fine handiworks with alacrity. The first was a mean sketch, the first of the season.



My powers had regained their former aptitude, and I was ready for a challenge. (e:Matthew) was in need. I heard from my telephone booth that he had a cold-head emergency! I whipped into gear. My crochet-Ting needle was in my fist faster than a lickedy-split. I decided upon a simple single stitch weave which allows for a flexible yet quite windproof material. Since I was using a heavier thread than suggested by my pattern, I opted to deviate, using a penta-point structure rather than the hepta-point illustrated. I am quite pleased with the result. Please, gander at your leisure.



Take a look at the owner's journal for some better shots. [inlink]matthew,468[/inlink]

I shall perhaps begin a business. Is $20.00-$25.00 too much for a handy-made hat? I can not afford to do it cheaper. The materials are almost $10.00 themselves, and the wear-and-tear on my carpal-tunnel prone hands alone makes it pricey. In any event, if you wanna learn (or better yet, if you know how and wanna share) give me a buzz. I should be pretty free for the next month or two.

sidenote (but very exciting nonetheless): My sister, Alex, might be coming to town very soon. Like in the next couple weeks type soon. Which is nice, cuz she can help us move. And of course, I love her and would love to see her and stuff... So cross your fingers and maybe you can meet another desert star in wintry B-flo.

The NY Senate and Assembly have managed to override Pataki's veto on an increase of the minimum wage. Some good news to tide us over until we get our bad new here in a couple hours. More sales tax or no libraries. What a choice. How is it that these have become (seemingly if not truthfully) our only options? A lack of creativity and, dare I agree with (e:Jason)!?! a same-ole-same-ole stick to the status quo attitude. Let's fire the lot of 'em (both those voted-in and appointed) and hire one for every two currently in power. But back on planet Earth we sit and await our binary fate.

We've seen about 10-15 places so far. A bunch of duds, a couple gems, and the one we want.

The applications are filled out and will be handed in tomorrow. Now we just have to hope that our current landlord doesn't screw it up for us by saying mean things about us. We had, shall we say, not the nicest parting discussions. But we lived here for over two years and the apt. still looks very nice (about 10x nicer than when we moved in) and our only crime was using the heat that was included in our rent. But, hopefully we'll know in a couple of days and ya'll can come to our fancy new place for our homewarming. Cross your fingers for us.

The Yes Men played another one of their usually very funny jokes yesterday on the BBC. It was the anniversary of the Bhopal disaster [inlink]terry,267[/inlink] which killed (and is killing) thousands in India, with so far no restitution offered to the victims. The Yes Men have operated a site mimicking Dow's (something like this one ) for a while (and even talk about it in their movie), but apparently one BBC reporter hadn't heard of it and went looking for Dow's comments. Well they got the Yes Men's Andy Bichlbaum online who offered an interview claiming that Dow had decided enough was enough and were going to liquidate assets in order to provide compensation to the victims of Bhopal. Now enough people believed this that Dow's stock price actually plummeted which is funny. What's not so funny is the poor people in and around Bhopal who also heard the news and had their initial elation turned to tears of disappointment and rage.

A jokes a joke, and I'm all for giving it to the corps. but this one seems to have caused more harm to first the victims themselves and second to the reputation of a news organization that does seem to give at least a slightly impartial slant to its news. So go on, and have your fun Yes Men but try to keep your real targets in sight.

I spent hours today talking to strangers on the phone (and anyone who knows me can tell you just how much I love talking on the phone), looking for a home.

Aber Erfolg!

Well not in finding a place but in setting up a battery of apartment showings, and yes (e:Ajay), thanks to the kind ad placed in Artvoice by Bing (who wouldn't want a landlord named Bing?), we will be upstairs from you at 2:30 on Saturday.

We will also be viewing 6 other places on Saturday, and 5 more on Friday! Fun Fun Fun! And if after 14 apts. if we can't find one we like then I guess there's always that cozy little niche under the bridge in Delaware park (just me and my echoes...).