Up and At 'Em!

True story: I was up at sunrise to take this picture.

Hello to the three friends that read this!

I am going to start blogging again. A real, honest effort to start this baby up after an unofficial, totally being lazy, I'm-going-to-blame-this-on-moving-across-the-country, self-imposed hiatus. Hopefully this will--again--bring some structure back to my life and give me something to do other than search for jobs, fill out job applications, and wallow in my own self pity wondering why no one calls me back.

But, seriously. No one calls me back. Or they haven't yet. Man, being unemployed for over a year certainly does something to one's self-esteem.

Topics that I hope to cover throughout this renewed need to blog!
-The sad state of affairs (more like a lack of Asian markets) that has led me to shopping at the "International Food" aisle at the local grocery store--when, in the past, and usually within spitting distance of a 99 Ranch, I'd always wonder what kind of sad sack purchases their soy sauce in that aisle.
-The tiny frog that lives in my mailbox--and basically terrifies me every time I open our mailbox. It could be poisonous! It could jump on my face!
-On how not having a job for over year also does something to one's psyche. Basically, I'm terrified of everything now. EVERYTHING.
-A discussion on whether or not I should venture out on the bike when surface street speeds top out at 55mph with about a 3 feet-wide shoulder for safety. I can only think of cons for this discussion, number one being: No life insurance.
-My new friend, Lola. Only she's totally not aware that she's my friend. And she's also the neighbor's dog.
-Look at all the things the South has to offer! Sub-title: An attempt to assimilate into Southern culture.
-A discussion on my internal conflict and never-ending guilt on eating at a Chick-Fil-A multiple times, despite knowing full well their stance on certain social issues. What is worse? My weakness for deep-fried chicken and waffle fries or my inability to stop frequenting a place that openly practices discrimination? At what point does a fast food joint's opinion factor into my support for them by purchasing their tasty chicken sandwiches?
-My three weeks spent exploring the greater Richmond area while I waited for the car to get fixed. Also: My first real taste...or like an amuse bouche...of the South. Also, also: My first real long-term experience in the terrible Southern heat and humidity and the rain.

Continuing My Journey into the Depths of Misery.

Took me way too long to figure out which pattern to use and where it should go.

The crafting process to give my knitting needles a home goes on this week and if I felt mildly frustrated last week, this time around I felt like ripping the fabric to shreds, and I would have except doing that would destroy hours of my work and upset me even more.

Before I get into the nitty gritty of my misery, let me introduce you to Zelda:

Pretty girl.

Technically, Zelda is not mine, it belongs to an old co-worker of mine. Two years ago, I asked her if I could borrow her sewing machine to make a Halloween costume, she obliged and I happily took it home and made my costume.

Slutty sushi!

Then I conveniently forgot to return Zelda to her and then I moved and then I forgot again and now Zelda lives with me. IMPORTANT NOTE: I do intend to return Zelda to her rightful owner--and definitely before we move even further from Seattle. So there. It's not like I'm holding Zelda hostage or something. Zelda totally loves staying with me.

Ahem.

So, this week I worked on putting together the inner pocket, where the needles will go, and the other panel. Up until this point, I've read over the directions multiple times just to make sure that I didn't miss anything. WELL. It's definitely one thing to read it and know what you are doing and then to execute it successfully. The instructions noted a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Simple enough, I thought, except I completely overestimated my ability to measure things. Did I learn nothing from last week? This is what it looks like when you think you sewed with a 1/2 seam allowance only to go back and remeasure and realize you were juuuuussssst a bit off.

So close.

It would be one thing if I realized this on the first piece I sewed together, and to a certain extent I noticed that it didn't seem QUITE like a half-inch, but instead of measuring it exactly I said, "Fuck this" and sewed all the pieces together. It wasn't until I got to the end that I realized maybe I should have listened to that little voice inside me saying to measure it exactly. So yes, I had to go back and add a tiny 1/8th of an inch-or so to all the panels. But the biggest insult of the day was to come later.

The semi-completed inner pockets

The biggest, hair-ripping-out-est insult occurred when I put together the outside panel. Remember that last week I had to fudge the numbers a bit and re-work the proportions because I wasn't paying attention to what I was cutting out. This week, my terrible math skills came to a head:

The finished panel is supposed to be the same size as the inner panel (obviously), which, when finished, measures 19x22 inches. I CAME UP AN INCH SHORT. DAMMMMMIT. Adding insult to injury, I actually cut out a 1.5x22 strip in case I came up short, but given the seam allowances, it would have been too short as well. I suppose I could use a smaller seam allowance, but I JUST GOT USED TO THAT 1/2 INCH SEAM ALLOWANCE.

It was at this point that I decided that it was enough for one day. I will work on cutting out another panel next week and I will probably finish it up then (hopefully). Until then, here is what the (mostly) finished outer panel looks like:

Perhaps my knitting needles are better off living in a plastic bag, like hobos.

"Live" Blogging: My Eventual Descent into Misery as I Attempt to Make Something

Look at the mess I can make!

Today, I was planning on blathering about things I want in my dream home (or at the very least, things I will no longer tolerate in the next place I rent) but, buoyed by a fairly healthy breakfast (oatmeal and bananas, side of turkey bacon, and a cup of coffee), I decided to start on a new sewing project. After deciding what to make, I decided to take pictures to document my "creative process" and perhaps if it turns out nice, I'll share it with the three people that read this blog. But then the coffee finally kicked in and I decided to blog my descent into a hot mess instead. Initially, I was thinking about doing a "live" blog, but then I got realistic about my weekend warrior tendencies. There was no real way I could have finished in a day and be happy about the end product--and I would have gone hungry because it would leave no time to make dinner and eat. So, this will become a diary of sorts that I hope to remember to update as I work on making a knitting needle roll.

Also, that is what I am making: a knitting needle roll. Hopefully it will make starting knitting projects a touch easier if all my needles have a proper home instead of a plastic bag. God, my knitting needles are hobos. Anyways, onto the action!


Wednesday, 1:26pm: Tragedy strikes early.

In case you were wondering what happens if you iron fabric onto your fabric cutting mat, well it warps. And the advertised "self healing board" doesn't necessarily apply to heat. I definitely yelled out loud and then cursed. Oh, there was cursing. Luckily, I had only inadvertently ironed on one edge of the cutting board so flipped it around and continued cutting out the pieces needed for this project.

Why yes, it's nearly two in the afternoon and I am still in my pajamas. (F)unemployment!

Wednesday, 4:11pm: Measure twice, cut once.


I'd like to think that it was the coffee was wearing off, but really I was being careless and not quite paying attention when I accidentally cut a strip of fabric about an inch too short. Well, normally I'd just re-cut fabric, this time in the correct size, but I was trying very hard to stick with the fabric scraps I have accrued and hoarded from various other projects and I didn't have enough of that particular color to re-cut. When that happens, the instruction pages end up looking like this, as I fudge the all the proportions and make my own edits:

Math skillz, don't let me down!

On the upside, after spending a half-hour trying to figure out how it would all work out, I finish cutting out almost all the fabric pieces I would need. I also decided to label all my fabric, which I've never done before, but it turned out to be a good idea. I'm glad that I managed to confuse myself for a bit while labeling the pieces rather than confusing myself as I sewed the pieces together only to realize I did it wrong and then cursing to myself as I rip out all the seams.

I say I'm almost done cutting out almost all the pieces because halfway through putting the fabric together to see what would look nice with each other, I realize that I hate my fabric scraps (which is probably why they were fabric scraps to begin with) and I'll need to make a point of stopping at a fabric store for some sparkly trim and a ribbon that will tie the roll together.

That's it for this week or, really, that's all I'm motivated to do for today. Now is the time for watching Gilmore Girls on my DVR and enjoying a beer.

Standing outside in cold weather + hot soup = best idea ever

Stuff I was aware of, but I didn't really believe would make a huge difference:

• A homemade broth for your soup base is amazing. I knew that homemade broths were always superior to the canned stuff at the store, but, in the past, I was always too lazy/busy/impatient to actually try it. Thanks to my longer-than-I-previously-anticipated unemployment status, I had all the time in the world to make the chicken stock and I think it made the soup from "meh, dinner" to Jack yelling at me one afternoon before I dared to reheat a bowl of the leftover soup without his knowing.
• The key to making a delicious broth is simmering it for hours on end and the best part is when you finally get to the OMGWTFBBQthisshitistotallyfallingoffthebone stage, because that means you have arrived in flavor country (to steal a phrase from a friend).   

Thanks to a handy blog post from the Chasing Delicious lady, Ten Reasons to Make Broth from Scratch with Recipes & Tips, it finally motivated me enough to try making a homemade broth and I haven't ever felt the same way since. I think I'm a changed person. ...Well, not too changed, since a week later I went a stocked up on canned stock because it was on sale at the store and I had coupons. It was a steal and I don't regret buying canned stock at all.


Anyways, I made soup a few weeks ago for dinner when it first started feeling vaguely fall-like. It started out as a "posole" as per the directions from the Real Simple recipe, but I decided that I didn't like hominy and I just said "Fuck it, we'll do it live" and doctored and adapted the recipe from there. So now it's more of like a chicken vegetable soup. Also, I can't guarantee that I would be able to replicate the same dish again, so don't ask me to make this for you.


So this is what you need: (taken from the original Real Simple recipe here)
According to the original recipe, this should serve 4, but I would hoard it to myself.
-Some olive oil, about a tablespoon
-1 onion, sliced thinly
-At least 4 cups (32oz) of chicken broth, I think I ended up using about 6 cups.
-1 28oz can of diced tomatoes, drained of the water
-some dried red pepper flakes or a sliced jalapeno pepper (or use whatever suits your fancy)
-2 cups shredded chicken, cooked (I used the chicken from the broth, but whatever, do what you want)
-1 15oz can of corn, drained
-1 lime cut into wedges
-Cilantro, chopped, and green onions, diced, for garnish
*Since I used my homemade broth, I also kept the carrots, celery, and onions in the broth to have more vegetables in the soup.

This is what you need to do:
-Heat the oil in a dutch oven or a sauce pan over medium heat.
-Add the onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook it, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown and caramelize, about 10 to 12 minutes.
-Add the broth and tomatoes and bring it to a boil.
-Add the jalapenos and/or red pepper flakes
-Add in the chicken and corn, simmer until all the things are heated through
-Garnish with cilantro and the green onions and serve it with a lime.
-Enjoy your trip in flavor country. Send me a postcard.