(no subject)
Jul. 10th, 2025 12:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
m_of_disguiseAlmost forgot to post about it since the amnio took up so much of my brain space recently, but Maintenance finally came and looked at our air conditioner! And, it's completely borked. We told them that when the last few guys had recharged the AC, it had cooled for about 4 hours or so before blowing warm air again. They sent some leak detector stuff through the system and didn't see any leaks outside, which means that the leak is somewhere within the walls. M speculated that the complex would put us up in a hotel while they tore up the walls to fix it (to which I had to stifle the hearty laugh that was trapped in my chest.) Instead, they just marked the service ticket as "resolved" and went on their merry way. So, I think we are without AC for the rest of our time in this apartment. Which, thankfully, will only be until next spring. We've survived so far with our window units, we can keep going the same way until winter.
(no subject)
Jul. 10th, 2025 08:19 amm_of_disguiseAmnio went about as expected. We waited an hour once we arrived for a room to open up. They took my vitals when we first got there, and then sent us back out to the waiting room for a small eternity. Once in the room we waited some more. Then it was lots of ultrasounds to take measurements of all her anatomy, and I got to see her tiny little walnut brain and her crazy alien skull with all its open plates. Very freaky and very cool.
The procedure went quickly. With Kate they had to poke me twice because she squirmed so much, but this one was more cooperative, even though she was doing backflips on every scan, so I only had to be impaled once. They can't numb you for the procedure, so you just have to endure being stabbed, and man does that suck so, so much. I felt very sore afterward, so we went home and M got us some burgers for lunch, and we all ate together on the couch.
I am very glad that Chance was able to watch Katie while we were at the appointment! M expected us only to be gone for an hour (lol) and not the three we were actually out. Kate would have been a mess if she'd been with us.
The baby napped after lunch, and so did M. Once M was awake again, he headed out for the evening since Chance was taking him to the movies to see The Thing as a birthday gift. The baby ran around and was in an overall good mood for the rest of the evening. Quick dinner of sausages and cheese, and then she went to bed without fighting me, thank goodness.
I crawled into bed not long after and watched some TV in the cool bedroom, ate some chocolates, and enjoyed my rest.
The procedure went quickly. With Kate they had to poke me twice because she squirmed so much, but this one was more cooperative, even though she was doing backflips on every scan, so I only had to be impaled once. They can't numb you for the procedure, so you just have to endure being stabbed, and man does that suck so, so much. I felt very sore afterward, so we went home and M got us some burgers for lunch, and we all ate together on the couch.
I am very glad that Chance was able to watch Katie while we were at the appointment! M expected us only to be gone for an hour (lol) and not the three we were actually out. Kate would have been a mess if she'd been with us.
The baby napped after lunch, and so did M. Once M was awake again, he headed out for the evening since Chance was taking him to the movies to see The Thing as a birthday gift. The baby ran around and was in an overall good mood for the rest of the evening. Quick dinner of sausages and cheese, and then she went to bed without fighting me, thank goodness.
I crawled into bed not long after and watched some TV in the cool bedroom, ate some chocolates, and enjoyed my rest.
Proven Wrong
Jul. 9th, 2025 09:24 pmatherleisureWhy is it that every time I post that I won’t get time to sew or something is going to take a long time to finish, I am proven wrong? I ended up getting to sew last night and tonight, and now the skirt is nearly ready to put on the bodice. I just have a little bit more to gather, and then I’ll be ready to start setting the waist. The front isn’t done, but I want to get the back on so I can figure out where the top of the front goes and how deep to cut the front slit.
Progress...
Jul. 9th, 2025 07:22 pmkoshka_the_catThe armhole is finished and I started binding the neckline.
Plenty of time! I have until the 30th...
Plenty of time! I have until the 30th...
![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
A little
Jul. 8th, 2025 09:03 pmkoshka_the_catSeams bound, neckline and armscye pinned down ready for ironing and seam binding, beads bought at a local store.
I still need to come up with a design. Sequins, rhinestones, seed and bugle beads, so I'll come up with something pretty!
I still need to come up with a design. Sequins, rhinestones, seed and bugle beads, so I'll come up with something pretty!
At a Standstill
Jul. 8th, 2025 06:01 pmatherleisureVacation is good for needlework. I finished the embroidery for the pocketbook except for the black that I ran out of. I ordered more, and it should be here this weekend.
In the meantime, there's a lot of housework to do. If I get time to do any sewing before the weekend, it will be a minor triumph. And if I do, there's a dress to work on and knitting to block.
In the meantime, there's a lot of housework to do. If I get time to do any sewing before the weekend, it will be a minor triumph. And if I do, there's a dress to work on and knitting to block.
week of vacation part 2
Jul. 8th, 2025 06:41 amianukSo with the rest of the family here we did some good things out side of the house like agate hunting on the road, archery practice with the whole family, movie nights where we have watched Jurassic Park II and ID 4. Hiked around Newton Hills State Park, Palisades State Park, Falls Park, crafted while the boys played video games/watched YT and hit up fighter practice. We have been active and that has been nice though now sitting at my desk for 9 hours makes my hips hurt. Le Sigh.
Right now Rob is putting in new light fixtures in the dining room and the entryway. The entryway has a boob light and the fixture in the dining room is for if 1) you had the table centered in the room, 2) if your ceilings were 15 foot heigh. Neither of those are the case since we use the patio (mom never did) and with the move of table during the overhaul to put in the bar. So I got two lights and wasn't sure which would go where. After discussions last night the stained glass went up in the dining room today and crystal in the entry. Rob had to do some finicky work to get the plates to line up and the fixture in the entry he just swapped out the shade. It looks so good! Before and . I didn't get the before shot in the entryway but here it after. This makes me happy and now no one will hit their heads in the dining room.
We also got a new dishwasher but it didn't get the plumbing hooked up cause its all copper in this house and needed a new valve. So it was a week before we could use the dishwasher for anything other than a drying rack and we have 7 people in the house...that is a lot of dishes we have all been doing. And teenage/tweens produce a copious amount of dishes.
For animals we've now seen a whole deer family unit with two does, and two fawns, including a tiny one who is so cute. But I had a muskrat visit the downstairs patio doors and I only got this photo through the screens . The bunnies and ground squirrels have been all over, lots of finches, swallows, robins (with a nest of 3 babies on our porch light), cardinals, finches, killdeer, wood peckers, and the boys saw a mouse in their bathroom drop ceiling, so I will have to get traps. We will put kill stuff out when we leave since I don't want the cats to eat a poisoned mouse. But sighs.
So wildlife and such. Its been nice to have the family here and we have an SCA trip to Wisconsin on Thursday. It will be fun and the weather is only looking kinda rainy so hopefully not with the tornado issues from last year. :)
The storms have shown some pretty skies though:
Fourth of July
June 23
Right now Rob is putting in new light fixtures in the dining room and the entryway. The entryway has a boob light and the fixture in the dining room is for if 1) you had the table centered in the room, 2) if your ceilings were 15 foot heigh. Neither of those are the case since we use the patio (mom never did) and with the move of table during the overhaul to put in the bar. So I got two lights and wasn't sure which would go where. After discussions last night the stained glass went up in the dining room today and crystal in the entry. Rob had to do some finicky work to get the plates to line up and the fixture in the entry he just swapped out the shade. It looks so good! Before and . I didn't get the before shot in the entryway but here it after. This makes me happy and now no one will hit their heads in the dining room.
We also got a new dishwasher but it didn't get the plumbing hooked up cause its all copper in this house and needed a new valve. So it was a week before we could use the dishwasher for anything other than a drying rack and we have 7 people in the house...that is a lot of dishes we have all been doing. And teenage/tweens produce a copious amount of dishes.
For animals we've now seen a whole deer family unit with two does, and two fawns, including a tiny one who is so cute. But I had a muskrat visit the downstairs patio doors and I only got this photo through the screens . The bunnies and ground squirrels have been all over, lots of finches, swallows, robins (with a nest of 3 babies on our porch light), cardinals, finches, killdeer, wood peckers, and the boys saw a mouse in their bathroom drop ceiling, so I will have to get traps. We will put kill stuff out when we leave since I don't want the cats to eat a poisoned mouse. But sighs.
So wildlife and such. Its been nice to have the family here and we have an SCA trip to Wisconsin on Thursday. It will be fun and the weather is only looking kinda rainy so hopefully not with the tornado issues from last year. :)
The storms have shown some pretty skies though:
Fourth of July
June 23
(no subject)
Jul. 8th, 2025 08:28 amm_of_disguiseYesterday afternoon was death by a thousand cuts, I tell you what. Everything went just slightly wrong, enough that it built up to a burst of frustration. The sausages from dinner might be spoiled (thankfully they weren't), there are no clean pots, the cat is getting sick while things on the stove need to be watched, the baby is running toward the vomiting cat!, the internet keeps going in and out, I'm on a call with customer service while I need to clean a pot and while the sausages are cooking and the baby is screaming. AUGH.
Anyway, dinner got made, the internet people are sending a tech out today, and everyone ended up fed and entertained until bedtime. Yeesh.
Baby fought bedtime, so we had an extra hour cuddle session and then she went down. M went to bed, and I struggled to watch the latest episode of The Gilded Age while the internet cut in an out every 15 minutes. I finally gave up and watched the last 10 minutes on my phone, which I hate doing but I wanted to finish it.
M was still up when I went to bed, so we used his phone as a hotspot to watch a bit of TV before falling asleep.
Baby was up at the crack of dawn, before my alarm even went off, so I got her up, changed her, we brushed our teeth together, and I made her breakfast. I had to wake M to take over when it was time for me to leave, and he was cranky about it because he had only managed to fall asleep at around 5AM.
Internet tech is coming at 11 today, so I'll likely have a long lunch hour. Hopefully I can get the baby down for a good nap and M can get one, too.
Amniocentesis is tomorrow morning. Chance is coming over to watch the baby so she doesn't have to see mommy get jabbed with a giant needle. I'll probably take the opportunity to get my bloodwork done afterward since my OB requested it again, and maybe I can get M to spring for going out to lunch together, since we hardly get the chance to do that anymore.
Anyway, dinner got made, the internet people are sending a tech out today, and everyone ended up fed and entertained until bedtime. Yeesh.
Baby fought bedtime, so we had an extra hour cuddle session and then she went down. M went to bed, and I struggled to watch the latest episode of The Gilded Age while the internet cut in an out every 15 minutes. I finally gave up and watched the last 10 minutes on my phone, which I hate doing but I wanted to finish it.
M was still up when I went to bed, so we used his phone as a hotspot to watch a bit of TV before falling asleep.
Baby was up at the crack of dawn, before my alarm even went off, so I got her up, changed her, we brushed our teeth together, and I made her breakfast. I had to wake M to take over when it was time for me to leave, and he was cranky about it because he had only managed to fall asleep at around 5AM.
Internet tech is coming at 11 today, so I'll likely have a long lunch hour. Hopefully I can get the baby down for a good nap and M can get one, too.
Amniocentesis is tomorrow morning. Chance is coming over to watch the baby so she doesn't have to see mommy get jabbed with a giant needle. I'll probably take the opportunity to get my bloodwork done afterward since my OB requested it again, and maybe I can get M to spring for going out to lunch together, since we hardly get the chance to do that anymore.
Busy Weekend/Week of vacation
Jul. 7th, 2025 07:38 amianukFunny thing at work before I was done for the week was a job posting came of of my exact job on a different program and the persons applying needed to be 2 pay grades above my current level. I sent an email with the job listing link to my section manager and said well this is interesting...what do I need to do to convince folks to promote me that way. He misread it completely and thought I was going to apply. (head desk) and then when I was logging off my department manager asked for some interesting info especially how much budget I control (which is a significant amount). so we shall see what happens with that. :P
so Friday I did all of the errands. The Plate were easy on the Rav but I need the title (which is in Tucson) to get mom's name removed. I had forgotten that detail (le sigh) so next year. I dropped off a whole load of stuff at good will that filled the back of teh van. I hit the first bank on the list and that was forever to get a $200 check out of the IRA. I will definitely be moving that to my other finance stuff cause they were a PITA bank, very nice people, but lax security and just weird vibes. Then I went to the main bank my other accounts are at and that was super easy and they were able to print me a new debit card onsite. And set up everything I needed to automatically start the distributions on the IRAs. Like easy peasey. I then I hit lunch from Taco Johns, Ace Hardware, and Hy-Vee before coming home.
Saturday we got up a bit late cause there was a doozy of a storm at 1am. I had to run around closing windows and the bathroom window wouldn't crank back in. (its had an issue for years but yeah) so I had to take the screen off to pull in in manually cause I was not going out int he pouring rain and the lightning. I then was up cause my anxiety kept telling me something else was wrong and I had to check things...so I slept poorly. But we got up and out of the house mid morning to Madison SD. We hit up a nice little college bar called The office, shopped at an antique store and then hit up a place from my childhood Prairie Village. We were too late to see/ride the steam powered carousel but we did manage to get rides on some of the railroad stuff. And boy howdy did we get a personalized tour of the train shop including on all of them and underneath them. There was a family reunion on site and they took a long time to load folsk on the small rail doodlebug cars cause their main conductor who runs the big trains was out sick. But Benton got curious and went to look and got invited in and we met Sonny who was amazing and volunteers there and is on the board for the center. We had a great time and got to ride around the site on the worker cars twice. The whole premise of the site is saving historical buildings and places from the surrounding areas in the county so the history is kept. Its really cool and my ownly regret other than not seeing the restored carousel is we forgot sunscreen and I was a bit crispy. When we left the farm it was raining so I didn't think it was going to get that bright but oh well. We had a good time, the we got pop and the boys got ice cream for the drive home. It was took late to go to costco but we got home and I showered and slathered on moisturizer. Sunday I got up early and managed to hit costco and another grochery run to be ready for the family when they got there in the afternoon. I managed to get home, get things put away and into some projects including making a mulberry cobbler. The family arrived and we had burgers on the grill. Even tried some from hyvee that are bratwurst burgers and those got a cheer from the crew.
More tomorrow but I did finish the follwoing things:
1) book 16 and started book 17 Slaying Monsters for the Feebleminded
2) I finished spinning the kona, plied the dinosaur fiber I had spun, and started in out the white sparkly stuff
3) found fabric for aprons and made 2
4) fixed mel's janky worn tunic from 8 years ago, and patched my one middle dress
5) have been working on socks from my trip to Virginia a while ago.
so Friday I did all of the errands. The Plate were easy on the Rav but I need the title (which is in Tucson) to get mom's name removed. I had forgotten that detail (le sigh) so next year. I dropped off a whole load of stuff at good will that filled the back of teh van. I hit the first bank on the list and that was forever to get a $200 check out of the IRA. I will definitely be moving that to my other finance stuff cause they were a PITA bank, very nice people, but lax security and just weird vibes. Then I went to the main bank my other accounts are at and that was super easy and they were able to print me a new debit card onsite. And set up everything I needed to automatically start the distributions on the IRAs. Like easy peasey. I then I hit lunch from Taco Johns, Ace Hardware, and Hy-Vee before coming home.
Saturday we got up a bit late cause there was a doozy of a storm at 1am. I had to run around closing windows and the bathroom window wouldn't crank back in. (its had an issue for years but yeah) so I had to take the screen off to pull in in manually cause I was not going out int he pouring rain and the lightning. I then was up cause my anxiety kept telling me something else was wrong and I had to check things...so I slept poorly. But we got up and out of the house mid morning to Madison SD. We hit up a nice little college bar called The office, shopped at an antique store and then hit up a place from my childhood Prairie Village. We were too late to see/ride the steam powered carousel but we did manage to get rides on some of the railroad stuff. And boy howdy did we get a personalized tour of the train shop including on all of them and underneath them. There was a family reunion on site and they took a long time to load folsk on the small rail doodlebug cars cause their main conductor who runs the big trains was out sick. But Benton got curious and went to look and got invited in and we met Sonny who was amazing and volunteers there and is on the board for the center. We had a great time and got to ride around the site on the worker cars twice. The whole premise of the site is saving historical buildings and places from the surrounding areas in the county so the history is kept. Its really cool and my ownly regret other than not seeing the restored carousel is we forgot sunscreen and I was a bit crispy. When we left the farm it was raining so I didn't think it was going to get that bright but oh well. We had a good time, the we got pop and the boys got ice cream for the drive home. It was took late to go to costco but we got home and I showered and slathered on moisturizer. Sunday I got up early and managed to hit costco and another grochery run to be ready for the family when they got there in the afternoon. I managed to get home, get things put away and into some projects including making a mulberry cobbler. The family arrived and we had burgers on the grill. Even tried some from hyvee that are bratwurst burgers and those got a cheer from the crew.
More tomorrow but I did finish the follwoing things:
1) book 16 and started book 17 Slaying Monsters for the Feebleminded
2) I finished spinning the kona, plied the dinosaur fiber I had spun, and started in out the white sparkly stuff
3) found fabric for aprons and made 2
4) fixed mel's janky worn tunic from 8 years ago, and patched my one middle dress
5) have been working on socks from my trip to Virginia a while ago.
Progress!
Jul. 7th, 2025 02:13 pmkoshka_the_catThe machine sewing on the Lanvin dress is done. Next up, placket, snaps, and a hook at the waist, seam binding, necklace and armscye binding, and piping the waist.
I was going to do the skirt and then the placket from bodice to skirt, then read the reprint pattern and it has you do the bodice placket, pipe the waist, then add the skirt. That will be much easier than beading with the skirt attached!
I haven't patterned the skirt yet, but it's just a rectangle with an overlap.
I was going to do the skirt and then the placket from bodice to skirt, then read the reprint pattern and it has you do the bodice placket, pipe the waist, then add the skirt. That will be much easier than beading with the skirt attached!
I haven't patterned the skirt yet, but it's just a rectangle with an overlap.
(no subject)
Jul. 7th, 2025 09:41 amm_of_disguiseStarted off the long weekend nicely, with the Captain bringing in barbecue for lunch for everybody. Unfortunately, admin decided that because everyone expects to be let out early the day before a holiday, they were going to teach us a lesson and keep us at work for the full day. -_- Petty bastards.
The long weekend was pretty nice. We didn't celebrate the 4th because what's to celebrate. I made chicken tikka masala for dinner, and we had a quiet day with rain on and off.
Saturday was also pretty quiet. Baby had a nice long nap just as M was getting up, so he and I lounged on the couch together for a while before I got up to heat up lunch and then take a shower. I had a burst of sewing mojo while in the shower, and wanted to simultaneously make a ballgown bodice for the ruffle monster, and Elizabethan shift, and OH! I could totally make that embroidered cassock at the V&A! Of course, once I got out of the shower, the baby woke up and any ability to sew flew out the window.
M went to bed early, so I actually had some quiet time to myself, which is a rare luxury these days. I pulled out some costume books and started looking for a cassock pattern. I figure I can actually use the pattern I drafted out for the loose gown and just shorten it, but it was nice to see that the basic shapes for the extants is pretty much the same. Went to bed around midnight.
Woke up Sunday to a very nice storm. It rained hard for about two hours, and then was overcast and dreary the rest of the day, which is a novelty in July! Unfortunately, my mood deteriorated throughout the day until I was fairly depressed by early afternoon. It didn't help that the baby absolutely refused to nap, so I had no time to myself at all. M brought me a burger for dinner, which was very nice, and I shared my fries with the baby, who had her first taste of ketchup. She kept sucking the ketchup off the fry and then redipping it to get more ketchup, silly girl.
She went down early for bed, but woke up a couple of hours later after having a nightmare. We cuddled on the couch for a while and she had some cheese and milk, and then went back to bed.
Slept poorly and am dragging today, which I blame on my sleep schedule getting out of whack during the long weekend. Got up early enough this morning to iron a dress for work and make breakfast for the baby, but I feel dead and just want to rest. Don't foresee that happening, though.
The long weekend was pretty nice. We didn't celebrate the 4th because what's to celebrate. I made chicken tikka masala for dinner, and we had a quiet day with rain on and off.
Saturday was also pretty quiet. Baby had a nice long nap just as M was getting up, so he and I lounged on the couch together for a while before I got up to heat up lunch and then take a shower. I had a burst of sewing mojo while in the shower, and wanted to simultaneously make a ballgown bodice for the ruffle monster, and Elizabethan shift, and OH! I could totally make that embroidered cassock at the V&A! Of course, once I got out of the shower, the baby woke up and any ability to sew flew out the window.
M went to bed early, so I actually had some quiet time to myself, which is a rare luxury these days. I pulled out some costume books and started looking for a cassock pattern. I figure I can actually use the pattern I drafted out for the loose gown and just shorten it, but it was nice to see that the basic shapes for the extants is pretty much the same. Went to bed around midnight.
Woke up Sunday to a very nice storm. It rained hard for about two hours, and then was overcast and dreary the rest of the day, which is a novelty in July! Unfortunately, my mood deteriorated throughout the day until I was fairly depressed by early afternoon. It didn't help that the baby absolutely refused to nap, so I had no time to myself at all. M brought me a burger for dinner, which was very nice, and I shared my fries with the baby, who had her first taste of ketchup. She kept sucking the ketchup off the fry and then redipping it to get more ketchup, silly girl.
She went down early for bed, but woke up a couple of hours later after having a nightmare. We cuddled on the couch for a while and she had some cheese and milk, and then went back to bed.
Slept poorly and am dragging today, which I blame on my sleep schedule getting out of whack during the long weekend. Got up early enough this morning to iron a dress for work and make breakfast for the baby, but I feel dead and just want to rest. Don't foresee that happening, though.
Progress...
Jul. 6th, 2025 07:16 pmkoshka_the_catI've been working a little on the gala dress each day. The contrast is sewn on, the darts are basted in, and the flat lining is basted on. I usually don't do that, but wanted to because of the bias neckline. Hopefully machine things tomorrow...
Tom, Day 2
Jul. 5th, 2025 07:03 pmkoshka_the_catOur neighbor put a collar on Tom. He was fine with it. Today I got him a name tag with our phone numbers in case he heads back for the streets. He hasn't been too interested in the door though, so hopefully he's good.
Poppy and Sid seem ok with him. Last night's fireworks (what's there even though celebrate?) really freaked them all out though.
I think his trial period is over. Welcome home, Tom!
Poppy and Sid seem ok with him. Last night's fireworks (what's there even though celebrate?) really freaked them all out though.
I think his trial period is over. Welcome home, Tom!
Tom
Jul. 4th, 2025 01:35 pmkoshka_the_catWe've been feeding a super friendly stray for a while. Yesterday we got him neutered. He's here on a trial basis. So far, Sid and Poppy are wary, but curious. A tiny bit of hissing and growling, but less than I expected. No matter what, he's definitely not going back on the street!
I'm a nervous wreck 😂
I'm a nervous wreck 😂
