We don't get many "non-standard" holidays here at the University, but the 2 we do get really float my boat.
CAUTION: EXTENSIVE AND EXHAUSTIVE RUNDOWN ALERT. Grab something to drink before you dive in. I don't want you getting dehydrated.
Friday night was pretty quiet; I picked up The Kid and her buddies from their orchestra rehearsal, as usual, dropped the not-mine kids off at their homes, as usual, and then went home and crashed on the couch by 10PM.
As usual.
I did manage to get a couple of things done before falling asleep, which was good. My New Years Resolution (such as it is) was to finish up any UFO's (Unfinished Objects) I've got before taking on anything new (birthday presents excepted), and so I've been attempting to finish up a couple of the more complicated ones first.
One of the UFO's is a dragon like this one, just in different colors, which I had started probably a year ago with the intention of selling it at the convention I'm not going to anymore, but I figured I can stash it away for later gifting. I got fairly far on it, the toughest part being the head (what with all the hand-stitching...those eyes!). Pictures when I'm done!
My other project was a quickie, a birthday gift for a friend... a guitar strap!
I bought a semi-cheap nylon adjustable strap (there was the super-cheap one, and the upgrade with the leather tabs, and the leather just looks so much better), then deconstructed it, covered the strap itself with fabric and put it back together.
I had considered just doing a plain fabric strap and ditching the nylon, but I figured for sturdiness (and to guard against the fabric stretching) it was best to use it as the guts of the thing. It made it a little thicker and a little harder to adjust, but it can still be done with a little utching.
Is that how you'd spell that, do you think? Utching? You know, when you utch something along, bit by bit?
Anyway.
UPDATE: New Photo Below! (The old one was a camera-phone picture, and awful.)
Saturday The Kid and I just kind of lazed about before heading down to Denver to meet TR and have a hot dog and do some quick shopping for said friend's birthday; The Kid hadn't yet experienced Twist & Shout and she totally loved it, because she's awesome like that. Some of their toys are a little R-rated, but I successfully steered her away from them with my amazing mom radar. She wanted this and that, but I assured her I'd bring her back another day, all while making mental notes for her upcoming 14th (!!!!) birthday.
SNEAKY.
Hopefully they'll still have the cute little lunchbox/MP3 player speaker combo she was gunning for; if not there are about 20 other things she was pretty jazzed about.
The hot dogs were from Steve's Snappin' Dogs, which were pretty good although TR's smashburger was covered in what appeared to be small grey eels. I didn't point this particular comparison out at the time, since he gamely scraped them off in order to be able to actually eat his meal and I didn't want to gross him out, but that's pretty much what they looked like. I think they were supposed to be grilled onions, but if that's what they were aiming for, they missed.
A lot.
After our excursion we headed to the party for the guitar strap recipient, which was a great success (he was super surprised). The Kid was a good sport about being there (I brought her with since the birthday boy's 8 year old stepson was going to be in attendance, and there's a Wii, so I figured they'd be able to find some common ground), and we got to see a video of some underwater work (I'm not entirely sure what they were doing, other than "science") done by some other friends of TR's who work in and around the Alvin sub, which is famous for, among other things, being one of the subs that found and explored the Titanic wreckage.
There was one part of the video that showed super-heated water that makes these solid-looking masses (which would evaporate in the air), and I couldn't stop gawking. Totally amazing stuff.
We also watched the video I'm tacking on the end of this post, which had me absolutely mesmerized.
Sunday morning, after stopping by The Kid's Colorado Grampa's house, we head to the mall...
And she got her ears pierced.
This might not seem like an event, but over the years many have tried and failed to convince her to get it done, but as with most things in her life, she wasn't going to do it until she was ready. (I didn't really care whether she ever did or not, to be honest.) It almost didn't happen due to a set of circumstances that will only bore you, my dear readers, but suffice it to say that she did it! And no tears!
Sunday afternoon I ferried The Kid to a birthday sleepover and went home to snooze awhile (ah, lazy weekends). TR came by later in the evening and took me out for a steak, some helpful items at the Less Than Safeway, and some adventuresome donuts.
We headed back home with our spoils and watched more Rick Steves.
Well, he watched more of it than I did, to be honest. Remember I mentioned about lack of light + arm around the shoulders = Mimi's out cold? Add a blanket and it's a guaranteed knockout.
The Kid was headed to the Denver Aquarium (which has tigers and a seafood restaurant - wrap your noggin around THAT one) Monday, and even then not until noon, so I was able to really maximize my sleeping in. Lovely! After lunch at Lucille's, TR headed home just as The Kid was getting in, and she & I spent the afternoon hangin' on the couch.
I attempted to make pizza for dinner, but it failed miserably. Oh well.
I hope you had a lovely, lovely weekend... enjoy the video, we'll consider it the Totally Random Tuesday post, shall we? (I'm not giving up on Tome Tuesdays, but I'm not going to make it to the 52-book level, which is okay.)
Do yourself a favor and full-screen this. It's stunning.
3 comments:
Sheesh that post took me forever to go thru but I totally loved it!
I can't believe The Child is turning 14! What the heck is a lunch box with speakers?
I want a Rockies Dog and does the frito pie really come in a filled frito bag? Don't even get me started on eels, from being in the water with them to B eating them, I've had enough.
Ear piercing is a very big deal.
What makes a donut adventuresome?
Do the tigers at the aquarium at least swim? And a Seafood Restaurant seems so very wrong.
OMG I need a LUcile's by me. I am now on a quest for Creole food which I've really never had but I need those dishes in my life. Praline waffles? Eggs Sardous? I think I would starts with eggs New Orleanes but I just adore anything with hollandaise sauce.
Finally, that video. I think it will be what I watch when I can sleep, It was soothing and fantastic and mesmerizing.
Eels = ew. Guitar strap = awesome! Denver aquarium = who knew? Lucille's = YUM
New guitar strap picture - check it out!
Yes, Lucille's rocks, the tigers don't swim, Rockies Dogs are good if you get them at the right place, and eels are fine by me as long as they're living in the water where they belong. :)
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