Evilsciencechick » photos

Pictorial overview

ESC — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 02:57:03 +0000

On the weekends, we amuse ourselves by torturing the dog.

I bought these faux-chocolate dog biscuits for Sadie in the hopes that I would fool Kev and we’d have a repeat performance of last time. So close! I couldn’t let him do it, though.

Grace and Barron came into town on Saturday to buy tiles for their newly rebuilt back porch. We planned to meet for lunch. I waited for Grace’s call to tell me they were on their way, all the while thinking “It’s weird that Grace is coming to Atlanta and not going to Ikea.”

phone rings

“Hi, we’re on our way. Also, do you mind if we meet at Ikea for lunch?”

HURRR! Totally called it.

So while I was there, I decided to replace our dingy paper hanging lamp. Every time I bump the damn thing it ripped a little more. NO MORE PAPER! I had my eye on the FILLSTA lamp. Plastic! And when it gets dusty, just take it apart and hose it off! Perfect.

Except when I got it home, I realized the problem. The paper lamp plugged in and hung from the cord. FILLSTA is hardwired.

I gave Kev the sad puppy face.

He disassembled and unscrewed and respliced and in a few minutes…

My lamp!!!

I love it.

Saturday I decided it was past time to try my recent boozy experiment.

It’s a beautiful pinkish orange.

We tried it with lime juice, simple syrup, and some soda water. Refreshingly tart! I blended it with ice and some mangoes gone overripe. Tropical deliciousness!

We will be enjoying this bottle for a while .

What else, what else…

I started a lace project. Because I was getting twitchy not working on a shawl.

But don’t you already have a lace stole on the needles somewhere?

Who keeps letting you in here? Get out.

The pattern is Luiza and the yarn is NummaNumma Saucy, in the “Red Wine Reduction” colorway.

Totally channeling my friend Olivia on the color. PEEENK!!!

I possibly overindulged on the grapefruit vodka, because Sunday suuuucked. Really, I didn’t even drink that much! But Sunday I was tired and headachey alllll day. The only thing that salvaged it was that we finally went to see Harry Potter.

Tonight I tried to get a rare picture of Sadie playing with a toy, something she doesn’t do very often without a lot of encouragement. She saw me with the camera, though, and promptly dropped it. So instead you get this, which happened when I pushed the “take picture” button instead of the “off” button:

HOT LEGS!

I don’t take very many pictures of myself that I actually like, and there’s not much of my body that I feel is really show-off worthy. But I do like my legs :)

Sadie is very pleased with herself.

Quality time

ESC — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 03:45:00 +0000

I spent last weekend having some quality girl time with Grace in ALABAMY! A while back we decided it was ridiculous that we only lived a few hours apart and only saw each other a couple times a year. WE HAVE CARS, DAMMIT! So now we try to visit every month or so, and trade off hosting duties. Last weekend was her turn, and though she claims to have slacked off on the cleaning part, she was an excellent hostess.

Look! We got mani/pedi’s together!

Salt scrub followed by hot towels. My legs were as smooth as BUTTAH afterwards

I was mauled by her many animals.

You will pet me, human, and then we will never speak of this again.

And she got me mostly caught up on the Doctor Who. I would have been totally caught up, but I’m pretty sure my boss expected me to be at work that Monday. I did have to disentangle myself from Grace, who was clinging to my leg, sobbing, and begging me not to leave.

It wasn’t a pretty sight.

The only suck part of the weekend was the 7:30 am arrive of the workmen who were rebuilding their back porch on Saturday. Not only were they loud, they all got a very good view of me passed out on the couch through the many windows to the back porch in the family room. HELLOOOOOOOO! DO YOU LIKE MY PJs?

No sleeping in for me!

Back to real life and a dull week.

ALTHOUGH! I got my hairz did! Waaaay overdue for a haircut. The woman who I entrust WITH MY LIFE…I MEAN HAIR, Alana, is awesome. That’s good for me. Unfortunately, other people have discovered her awesomeness. That’s good for her. That’s bad for me. It’s now tough to get an appointment when you want it, so I had to wait an extra two weeks, which is FOREVER TIME when you have short hair.

How bad was it? You may want to have small children leave the room.

IIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

CHRIST ALMIGHTY!!! Can you believe I was walking around looking like that? I’m surprised I wasn’t shunned at work. SHUNNED!

Now I look like this:

Muuuuuch better

Geeking out

ESC — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 04:04:34 +0000

Today I skipped my usual knit night. *GASP!* I’m kinda bummed that I had to, because I think my friend Clara was there tonight and I haven’t seen her since she had her baby a couple months ago.

BABIES RUIN EVERYTHING!

Anyway, I skipped because INSTEAD, I drove to Buckhead to see Jim Butcher and get him to sign his newest Dresden Files book, Ghost Story. I haven’t actually GOTTEN all the way up to the latest book in the series yet, but I’m working on it.

At any rate…it was awesome.

For those who care about these things, he has short hair now. Apparently, it’s a shock to some people.

I went with my friend Kat and her friend Daniele. They both arrived early, made sure they bought an extra book for me, and saved me a seat. FRIENDS ARE AWESOME! We sat for over an hour and people-watched. It was your typical geek fan-girl and fan-boy crowd. There were the pimply teenage boys, the girls with crazy dyed hair, guys wearing wide-brimmed hats, the ubiquitous guy in a kilt, the inexplicably sexy-dressed chick (really? a corset? you’re in a Barnes & Noble, sweetie…), ALL WERE THERE! Except no one showed up in costume, which was kind of disappointing.

Jim Butcher came out at 7 and went straight to the Q&A, and there were A LOT of questions. Seriously. From the incredibly detailed, nitpicky questions about the books, to trying to tease out information about future books. He answered them all (well, except for giving away future book bits) and was pretty funny and entertaining in the process. I didn’t ask any questions because I was COMPLETELY out-geeked by the crowd. Seriously. Those people were HARDCORE. Man, I just like to READ. I do not have the energy to apply myself to the level that some of those people had.

More power to ‘em. Everyone needs hobbies!

I did end up hearing a few spoilers. Inevitable, since I’m only on book 9. There were no spoilers for the new book, though. Although one guy did end up trying to ask a specific question about a scene in Ghost Story, and a riot almost erupted. SERIOUS BUSINESS, PEOPLE!!!!

After that was the book signing, and even that went smoothly – no riots or complaints.

Ta-daaaaaah!

Tomorrow after work I head to ALABAMA for the weekend, to visit LittleMissDramaPants, where we will drink too much coffee, get mani/pedi’s, spin, knit, and generally just lie around being sloths. PERFECT!

Tourless joy stealing

ESC — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 03:39:36 +0000

Soooooooo yeah…what’s going ON?

Yeah, I have nothing to post about now that the tour is over. I am not going to start talking about current events, because frankly, whenever I start even THINKING about current events, I just get the urge to march up to washington dc and grab every single politician, democrat and republican and just SHAKE THEM AND SHAKE THEM AND SHAKE THEM AND SCREAM WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE CAN YOU JUST PULL YOUR HEADS OUT OF YOUR ASSES FOR ONE MINUTE AND TRY TO SAVE THIS COUNTRY YOU PATHETIC WASTES OF HUMAN EXISTENCE????

But I am ALREADY on blood pressure medicine and really, aren’t there enough websites doing the “yell pointlessly at politicians” thing already?

Instead I just keep spinning, just keep spinning, just keep spinning, spinning, spinning…

Sorry, Finding Nemo was just on the other day…

I was on a roll until I couldn’t keep the yarn from breaking to save my life. After the millionth time, I decided it was time to step away.

Well how is work going?

I have made PROGRESS on projects at work, which is GOOD, finally. It’s frustrating to be working on Big Projects where your PROGRESS is reliant on other people to do a good part of it, and…well…they don’t. Or they do it very….slowly….and you just want to MARCH OVER THERE AND SHAKE…

I mean…send politely worded emails reminding them of their duties.

*snicker*

duties…

MOSTLY I work with very awesome people, and really, can you ask for better than that? Nothing sucks all the fun out of life quicker than working with irritating joy-vampires. Ask me how I know.

But if you could please aim any job-finding mojo you have towards my husband, that would be great. Kev’s job ended abruptly and unexpectedly not long after I started my current job. Because the universe won’t tolerate us both being employed for any reasonable length of time. Hopefully he’ll find something soon.

I mean, COME ON…who WOULDN’T want to hire him??

He’s here to reset your network login.

I leave you with a picture of my very sleepy dog. It’s a rough life for a dog out there.

Post tour shenanigans

ESC — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 02:52:16 +0000

The tour is over! I made it! I spun nearly every day and I busted through a good bit of stash. Let’s review, shall we?

Look at all that!

And what do I have to show for it, besides all that nice yarn?

Well, I’d like to think I’ve improved my technique. I’m really liking long draw, and I think I’m getting better results with it than I did with my previous method. I’d like to do more spinning from the fold, so maybe after I finish up with the merino tencel, I’ll pick something fluffy to spin next.

What else? Well, some battle scars:

A groove and scorch on my flyer, and a blister and callus on my big toe.

And the spinning continues. Not as much as I wanted to today, because I was feeling a bit…*cough* delicate today…

Why was I feeling so poorly?

Parrrrr-tay:

Ohhhhhh yeaaaaaaahhhhhh…

Day 22 – going the distance

ESC — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 05:02:52 +0000

Today we had a full day planned. Lunch out, followed by a quick trip to the international farmer’s market, and ending with the last Harry Potter movie.

Well, 2 out of 3 ain’t bad, as they say. By the time we got to the theater, the movie was sold out. Dammit! Spent too long at the market. The farmer’s market is a little…busy on Saturdays. Which I knew, of course. I knew. I should have gone after work on Friday, but I didn’t. I figured I just needed a few things, so it wouldn’t be that bad.

Ugh.

Don’t go on a Saturday. Ever. If you can help it. They’re like animals there. ANIMALS! And I become one of them. OUT OF MY WAY, KIDS! I NEED RED PEPPERS!!!!

I needed to go, though, to pick up ingredients to make some mango slaw for a party we’re going to tomorrow. A PARTY! Kev and I will be socializing! With PEOPLE! People I work with!

Uhh…risky!

I tend towards not mixing work and not-work time. Of course, that’s because I’m always a contractor. I don’t want to get too attached to people, because it’s not a permanent situation. Like I’m a foster puppy!

THEORETICALLY this job will become permanent. Eventually. At some point.

This is me. Holding my breath.

*sigh*

ANYWAY…

Actually, my biggest anxiety about this party is that I will have to introduce people to Kevin, and I’m probably supposed to know their names, and I AM TERRIBLE WITH NAMES, especially names of people I should DAMN WELL KNOW because I work with them, but only actually SEE once in a while. This is when I wish work email was like facebook and had PICTURES in people’s profiles.

My only hope is impressing them with my MAD SLAW SKILLZ. Thus, the mango slaw.

With spicy dressing!

It’s pretty good, especially after it sits overnight and all the flavors meld together. It’s spicy and sweet and delicious. Tomorrow before we leave I’ll grab some mint from the pot outside, and this will be ready to go.

ALSO I bought drinks. DRINKS! Alcohol smooths over much social awkwardness.

I did manage to find some time to spin today.

That’s 1 bobbin done. Unfortunately Sunday is the last day of the tour, and we’re going to that party. So I don’t think I’m going to be able to do the entire second bobbin and also ply. SO this is going to be a Tour straggler.

SHE’S GOING THE DISTANCE! SHE’S GOING FOR SPEED! SHE’S ALL ALONE (ALL ALONE!) IN HER TIME OF NEED!

Now get THAT out of your head!

Day 21 – did I black out or what???

ESC — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 04:13:54 +0000

Every morning I wake up Sadie so that she can eat breakfast and go out for her morning constitutional. Every morning I get the GLARE OF DEATH from her, because bitch is LAZY. Well, she’s 13, so I guess I can cut her some slack. But seriously, I’ve been getting the GLARE OF DEATH from her every morning for years. It’s pretty funny.

“If you call me Sleeping Beauty one more time, I will poop in your shoes.”

Since it’s not fair that I took pictures to show off how rough my poor, abused dog looks in the morning, I took a quick picture of me.

Of course, I had benefit of makeup. Though I think I need to start wearing lipstick more often.

No post yesterday because it was knit night and I worked on the baby blanket instead of spin. So NO DAY 20! I know you’re all disappointed.

Today was CHALLENGE DAY on the tour, so I decided my challenge would be to finish off the silk hanky that damaged my flyer last week. I finished spinning all 0.3oz of the hanky.

And then I thought, well, that’s not SO much of a challenge, since I had already started it last week. So how about I try my hand at navajo plying? Basically you make a 3 ply out of a single bobbin. I haven’t ever tried it before, so that should be a nice challenge.

SUCCESS! Though let me say, when you navajo ply, it seems like your yarn is more prone to snapping. And when silk snaps. you have no real good way of attaching it back together again. And when you CAN get it back together, it’s difficult to remake the loop and resume plying again.

Pain. In. The. Ass.

But there wasn’t much of it, so it didn’t take long.

It’s a tiiiiiiny little skein

61 yards from a 0.3oz hanky

Day 19 – Distracti….OOOO SHINY!

ESC — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 03:19:46 +0000

I feel so distracted lately. I’m having a hard time focusing on things before my mind starts to wander – and it’s not wandering anywhere productive or useful. It’s downright irritating. That combined with complete lack of energy and other weird things going on physically…let’s just say…I was…concerned.

Thank god for SCIENCE. My…concerns were unfounded.

But that means I’m distracted and annoyed for no good reason. Humph. Come on, brain. Get with the program.

Spinning helps – it’s meditative. The rhythm of pedaling the wheel is soothing and it really helps to clear the mind. No distracting thoughts, no anxieties, no brain wandering into pointless directions. Just the feel of the soft fiber in my hand, pulling through my fingers, keeping careful watch on the twist as I keep a steady rhythm with my foot…and focus. It’s a mental relief.

Why do I spin yarn? What’s the point when you can go into any craft or yarn store and buy yarn of every kind and price point imaginable? This. This is why I do it.

Wow. Deep. You’re boring.

Who let you in here? Shut up.

FINE! Not everyone is into it. You don’t have to be. But you probably have something you do that clears your mind and helps you relax. If you do you can start your own damn blog and post about THAT.

Damn punk ass kids!

I’ll just post my picture and you can go back to looking at porn or kitties or kitty porn or WHATEVER valuable thing you were doing with your time.

It’s got a bit of shimmer in it that’s difficult to see in pictures. It really is lovely.

Day 18 – Halloween in July

ESC — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 04:12:47 +0000

What is in the air this week? My eyes bugging the crap out of me – red and itchy and URGH! all day, in spite of drops and allergy pills and such. I look like shit. Like I’ve been smoking CRACK!

Note: I’ve never actually met anyone who’s smoked crack, so this observation is based SOLELY on some episodes of Law and Order I saw once. And my best guess. I’m sure smoking crack has other effects besides red eyes. Twitchiness? Or maybe that’s meth. This is what happens when you get a job and can’t watch the Law and Order marathon during weekday afternoons. USEFUL INFORMATION LOST FROM MY BRAIN FOREVER!

Today was not a total wash, though. We had EXCITEMENT and DRAMA at the office! It was quiet and boring until someone rounded the corner by my desk and asked me “ARE THEY COMING AROUND THE BUILDING YET? THEY WERE WALKING THIS WAY!!!!” And I thought WOW I’m not the only one smoking crack around here!

HAHAHA! Just kidding.

No, actually I wondered if someone important had shown up and if maybe I should have worn nicer shoes. But NO! It was not people. It was a deer! And her two babies! Here’s my shitty phone pic taken through our tinted office windows:

One of the fawns – you can see the other to the right of the shrubbery at the top.

Someone tried to shoo them away from the road, and managed to separate the doe and one fawn from the other fawn on opposite sides of the fence. NICE ONE. So for the rest of the day, I was distracted by DEER WATCH 2011. I don’t know if mama and baby were ever reunited – I’m assuming so, because deer aren’t THAT stupid and it’s not a very big fence.

But you did not come here for adorable baby deer. You came here for a spinning update, right?

Hey, where are you going???

I decided to pick something that would be fun. So I decided on some 50% superwash merino/50% tencel from Knitwitch in the All Hallows Eve colorway. I got it as part of their christmas gift in the swap we did at last year’s christmas party. I don’t have a good picture of it, but here is a shitty, blurry photo of me at the party with satanic eyes and the fiber shoved down my top:

You know…as you do…

It’s nice stuff. It spins up nicely, too.

Niiiice!

Day 17

ESC — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 02:04:33 +0000

I skeined up the BFL I finished yesterday.

306ish yards of a respectable sport-like weight

It’s beautiful and I love it. I want to wrap it around my head and call it smooshy.

Still gun-shy from the wheel-scorching silk, I reached into my bag and pulled out the last thing I put aside for the Tour…the dyed locks.

sigh…

It’s not going well. OH well, into every spinner’s life, a little clown barf will fall. At least I tried.

Now let us never speak of this again!

Tomorrow I will dig into the stash and pull out something fun to spin – like some KnitWitch merino/tencel, perhaps?