Well, the house thing is looking up. But when we got home last night (from a walkthrough of the house, and dropping off the radon testing kit), we noticed smoke coming from the front of the car. So we opened the hood – looked like it was coming from around the engine. That’s no good.
We had it towed to a mechanics’, and walked down there this morning to drop off a key, but they weren’t open. So we drove it to another mechanics’ that was open, and they had a look – apparently a hose has sprung a leak and is leaking coolant, which I guess was getting on the engine and causing the smoke. But they won’t be able to fix it until Monday, when an actual mechanic will be in. So – what are they, then? Shop-guys? Is there a proper name? Anyway. Boo! We don’t need car troubles now. I’ve got to go back out to the house Sunday evening to get the radon kit, and we weren’t really planning on being carless this weekend, so…Yeah. Boo. But whatever. Hopefully the hose won’t be too expensive a repair, so that’s good.
So, after finishing the mudflap tank, I’m now kinda stalled. I want to knit something, but I just don’t know what. That’s doodoo. I need to start working on the pussies and posies project again, or knit up a womb for Wombs on Washington. I’d also like to work on something for myself that actually turns out well. I feel like the only thing I can do well lately is scarves and armwarmers, and that blows. I’m pretty sure the problems with the mudflap tank were due to drape and I probably should have made the next smaller size. I think maybe tonight I’ll unravel the Giotto tank and see about starting Knitty’s X-back. Wish me luck.
UGH: 
That’s the mudflap tank, minus the crocheted edging. I can’t stand it. I think I’m just not meant to wear a knitted tank top. But I’ve got lovely yarn for the Whites Lies Shapely Tank, and I was planning on ripping the Giotto tank to try Knitty’s X-back tank, so…I guess I’ll try twice more before I give up for good on knitted tanks. But, ugh.
Arbusto better shut up before my CSI comes on. I don’t really care for Survivor, so it’s no skin off my nose right now, but if he blusters right into CSI I will be pissed. I really enjoyed Alias last night, too – even though I’m totally spoiled.
We helped Lance and Angelique pack some yesterday, and I guess at this point they’re all either in New York or on the way there. It’s kinda weird.
The home hunt…Well, I don’t want to blog about it because I don’t want to jinx it, but I’m very excited and think things are going pretty well. We’ve had some surprises, and some disappointments, but all in all, pretty good. Now if it’ll just continue to be good.
I have no idea what to do for my mom for Mother’s Day, or her birthday, which is four days after Mother’s Day. Bleah. I feel like an ass for not having a plan by now. We’ll see. I guess I can always fall back on chocolate and flowers, right? But I’d rather give her something more personalized. I’ve still got some time to think about it.
Doodoo.
I broke my flip-flops at lunch, and had to walk out of the restaurant, down Franklin St., and into a store barefoot. But then I got sparkly new flip-flops, and I think the old pair can be fixed, so all is well.
We have our home inspection next Wednesday!
This article by Robert Jensen is a brilliant explanation of the anti-pornography feminist stance. It just…wow. Yeah. Go read it. I found it a bit upsetting at points – but then, the porn industry should upset you.
Also, Maya and I went to Joann’s and AC Moore last night, and I got a shitload of awesome fabric, and some balls of yarn, and four tshirts for screenprinting. I can’t wait for screenprinting. But I will have to, since I’m not doing it this weekend. Oh well.
I got an ipod shuffle! I’m so excited. And I’m such a dork.
In other news, I finished the back of the mudflap tank. I’ll put pictures up sometime, but probably not til Sunday at the earliest, as we are going to Myrtle Beach to hang with my dad and stepmom this weekend.
Maya sent me to this website, and I love it. I’m consider this one a personal shout-out. And I also love this one.
Such a lovely rainy day today.
So, I won reserved seats at the Al Franken show that was broadcast live today on campus. It was awesome! And a little surreal, in that, usually, Al’s coming through my headphones, and I’m doing work. And this time, he was live, and all I had to do was sit there and enjoy it. Rebecca went, too, and we sat in the front row. Jen listened to the broadcast, and said she could hear us when we laughed and “woohoo”-ed. What else…A couple newspaper guys were taking pictures, so we might show up in the papers, maybe. And I had the chance to give a brief interview to some tv reporter, but I declined, so she interviewed the womyn sitting next to me. Everyone on the show was brilliant. I thoroughly enjoyed it – I particularly enjoyed Barry Saunders, Mark Kleinschmidt and Mike Nelson, and Larry Grossberg. Loved it!
Also, I wanted to share two odd things. First, the other night I dreamt that the WWE took Greg and I to Disneyworld. Yeah. They flew us down there, got us in, and hung out with us on rides and stuff. Weird. Second, I’ve rededicated myself to Yourself! Fitness, and yesterday I had my first physical fitness challenge. Well, I was an idiot and did it 1-the same day that I’d already done a work out (owch!) and 2-right after eating dinner and totally pigging out. So I had to weigh myself, and it was a bit of a shock. But I wasn’t upset – this whole exercise thing is about getting regular exercise and having more energy, not necessarily about losing weight, because I’m over the whole fascist beauty standards thing. The odd thing is, I weighed myself again right after I woke up this morning, just to see, and I’d lost seven and a half pounds. That’s crazy. How does that even happen? Because I did my workout yesterday morning, and totally didn’t do anything exerting after the physical fitness challenge, which wasn’t that exerting, either. AND – I hadn’t even pooped yet. So I can’t chalk some of the loss up to that, not that I could lose seven and a half pounds by pooping. Can some of that be water weight? Bizarre. And a little troubling – like, do I have a tapeworm? I’m not really worried. But if it happens again, I think I’ll be calling my doctor.
So, according to this link Greg sent me, male-female cohabitation is illegal in North Carolina. I guess that makes us lewd, lascivious, and illegal.
Furthermore, according to NC’s marriage laws, common-law marriage is not allowed/acknowledged. (Same-sex marriages are also illegal.) However, first cousins can get married.
Way to be backwards and inbred, NC!
Okay, so I just called up a complete stranger and cussed at them on their answering machine. I wish I’d left my name – I don’t want them to think I’m some punk who’s too afraid to cop to doing it, because I’m not, but I was pissed and just left the message and hung up. (Greg has pointed out that since it was a cell phone number, they’ll most likely have caller id.) Here’s why: for the past two weeks, this orange cat has been prowling around on our porch, and getting more and more aggressive towards our cats, and upsetting them, and eventually is going to start spraying if he hasn’t already. (He hasn’t sprayed the sliding glass doors, but I haven’t really been sniffing the porch railings, although I’m sure I’d notice if he had sprayed already. But it’s escalating, is my point.) And tonight I’d just had it, so we put our cats up, and tricked him into my arm range with catfood. Then I grabbed him, and got the phone number off his collar, and called up his owners to tell them to keep their fucking cat indoors or I’d take his ass down to the complex office and let them sort it out. I was hoping his owners would be home, so I could make them come over to get him, but they weren’t. Bitches. He seems like a friendly enough cat, towards humans anyway, but he’s being a real nuisance, and apparently is starting to see our porch as his territory, and I’m not down with that. Grr! Irresponsible pet owners are the worst.
I also called the complex to complain to them, just to let them know so if he does start spraying they don’t think we’re responsible. We really don’t have terribly much longer here, and I will be pissed to proportions never before seen if we have to pay some fine because someone else’s cat pisses all over our porch. Cat piss is serious, y’all. If you didn’t know, trust me, you never want to find out. I suspect he’s not neutered, either, and unneutered male cat piss? Forget about it. That’s never coming out. So. Mad. Plus he started screaming at Chalupa and Skeeter tonight – previously, it’s just been yowling – and they’re terrified. Chalupa’s hiding under something, and will not be found. Ooooh – I bet she’s in her top secret hiding place under Greg’s desk, where she stayed the first week we had her. Poor kitties.
In happier news, here’s pictures of Drake being all cute and sleepy in the hat and booties I made for him, and of cute kitties (when they’re not being terrorized):
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How cute is this? My hair matches the kerchief I made out of the lovely blueberry rayon chenille yarn Iris sent me in the Secret Pal 2 Swap! (The blue bits, at least. Although I am thinking of pulling a Cari, and taking it to a salon to get some yarn hair. We shall see.)
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And more cuteness! They’re so busted: totally don’t hate each other.
And last but not least, plaid pants to plaid shorts:
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Edited to add:Those shiny spots/glares on the pants pictures are from the Lurex stripes in the plaid pattern.
