Stocking up for my next UpMarket on the 20th. I’ll be out of the country for the next two… Trying to stay ahead of the curve. #earrings #handmade #crystals
Is it normal for a three year old to have crying fits and tantrums every fifteen minutes? I don’t know I don’t have kids and I have no idea what is considered normal or not. But the kid downstairs annoys the fuck out of me.
I was putting some stuff in my passport holder leather case thingy yesterday and I found fifty bucks (US dollars) that I guess I had left there from my New York trip last year. How sweet is that? Thanks past Natasha 😀
I was just thinking today about my niece and race. My niece is white-passing. My sister is fair but obviously not white. When people have seen her with my sister they have often assumed she is a caretaker but not her mother.
I wonder what it will be like for her growing up in a country like the U.S.? How will she identify racially? If she were in Trinidad it would be simpler. But in the States it seems like you’re obligated to pick a side. She’s mixed. She’s African, European, Indian and Chinese. But she looks white. How does that work? I’d like her to grow up proud of her mixed heritage, but she’s not going to be exposed to it (culturally) there like she would be here. I guess it’s too early to tell if she will connect with her Trini side at all. I just want her to know where she comes from and that even if the world thinks that she’s white, she’s not.
Kylie Jenner is featured on the cover of Interview Magazine’s December issue, and in addition to one of the cover images, the 18-year-old reality television star is photographed wearing fetish outfits in an elaborate gold wheelchair inside the publication as well.
After receiving backlash from disability advocates and hundreds of individuals on social media, Interview Magazine released a statement, but they didn’t actually apologize for running the controversial images.
“At Interview, we are proud of our tradition of working with great artists and empowering them to realize their distinct and often bold visions,” the magazine told E! News on Tuesday. “The Kylie Jenner cover by Steven Klein, which references the British artist Allen Jones, is a part of this tradition, placing Kylie in a variety of positions of power and control and exploring her image as an object of vast media scrutiny.”
“Throughout the Art Issue, we celebrate a variety of women who are both the creators and subjects of their artistic work, and the Kylie feature aims to unpack Kylie‘s status as both engineer of her image and object of attention,” the publication continued. “Our intention was to create a powerful set of pictures that get people thinking about image and creative expression, including the set with the wheelchair. But our intention was certainly not to offend anyone.”
“At United Cerebral Palsy (UCP), we appreciate pushing boundaries for the sake of art,” a spokesperson for UCP told The Mighty. “In fact, there are many talented artists with disabilities who explore themes of ‘power and control,’ which is how Steven Klein fromInterview describes one of the motivations behind the image of Kylie Jenner posing as a wheelchair user. What the artists behind this cover seem to be missing, however, is an understanding that using a wheelchair is not exactly an artistic ‘choice’ for nearly 3 million people in the U.S. While we understand there was no intent to offend, we would hope that people who are setting out to capture ‘powerful images’ that make an artistic statement would not diminish the challenges people with disabilities face by using a wheelchair as nothing more than a prop for a celebrity.”
“It’s deeply disturbing,” Emily Smith Beitiks, associate director of the Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability added to CNN. “People with disabilities are already seen as powerless, and this just reinforces that. I think she’s literally being objectified made to look like a sex doll, and this wheelchair is an added element of passivity they’re adding on.”
Kayla Whaley, editor of the blog Disability in Kidlit, told CNN she would like to see a formal apology. “I’m constantly infantilized because of my wheelchair, denied even the idea of sexuality and agency let alone desirability,” Whaley later tweeted. “But Kylie? She gets paid and praised to wear the shallowest possible illusion of my disability for a few hours. The wheelchair is a prop to her. It’s my mobility, my freedom, my agency, my identity, my reality. A reality I’m often despised for.”
A rep for Jenner told The Mighty that she would not be commenting on the matter, and Interview Magazine has yet to reply to our request for an additional statement.
Twitter has been abuzz with comments about the photos, with many users expressing their outrage over the message it sends.
Everything about that photo is disturbing. Everything
Everything that could possibly be wrong is wrong with these images. A wheelchair is not an edgy fashion statement. This is so incredibly disrespectful.
@shanniballecter watched 50 Shades of Grey earlier and assured me that it was so utterly horrible and unwatchable that it was damn near hilarious. So… I’m gonna give it a try.
Omg do not torture yourself with this abomination of a movie. It’s not even laughably bad, it’s truly horrendous. I could not get even hallway through it.
How is it 10 o’ clock already? I am still working in the studio. I made some pieces today that I had to discard and rather than remake them tomorrow, I’m working on them tonight.
Those two days this week that I spent trying to renew my license really threw shit off for me big time. Plus on top of that we are functioning with one car because Chris’s is at the mechanic (AND mine is giving trouble).
I have a bunch of deliveries to make and I cannot see how I can possibly find the time to get them done before I leave.
Thankfully Chris is flying out on Friday morning. I’m hoping his car will be fixed by then so I can use it to run some last minute errands because if not I’m screwed.
Having entered a new career at the age of 42 has been an interesting experience.
The field of jewelry making is very different from advertising.
You very much do your own thing so you have complete ownership over your creativity and your product. What you produce is as good as your skill level. In advertising, your portfolio is largely dependent on the kind of clients you’ve had to work with. If you’re lucky you’ll have some clients that allow you to showcase your skills. But you still don’t get final say over the end result. The client does.
It’s also a smaller field. So if you’re willing to do the work to promote yourself you can easier make a name for yourself. Everybody and their mother calls themselves a graphic designer here. There’s a lot of competition. A lot of people are crappy at it but a lot of clients don’t know the difference.
With jewelry people pay what you’re asking, period. I’ve only ever had one client try to bargain with me. My friends who sell jewelry don’t have that problem either. With advertising people present you their budget first and then try to get you to do the work to fit within that price range. They’re always off, always estimate too low. Even if they ask upfront how much it costs they will try to get you to lower your price. I think it’s because you are giving them something intangible so they feel your prices are arbitrary. In a sense they are. But you’re paying for experience as well as the product itself. Good work takes time to happen. Good work costs money. And when they come back to you after wasting time and money on five cheap inexperienced designers who couldn’t give them what they wanted, then they understand why you cost what you cost.
The one drawback is that you have to work a lot harder for your money in jewelry making. It’s physical labor. Each piece takes time. You can’t make, on one piece, unless you are selling really high end jewelry, what you make on one graphic design job. And of course you have to put out capital for supplies to make the pieces. In design, your overheads are basically your computer, your internet and electricity. And you’d be paying for those things anyway.
But as far as job satisfaction goes, I’ll take my current profession any day. The creative freedom alone makes it worth it. When, as a designer, you are constantly stymied by your clients, when you know that you can produce something better but they will not let go control of a project, it becomes frustrating. Most people I know who quit the field leave because they cannot produce the caliber of work they want to. Eventually you look at your career and you realize you will never work on the kinds of projects that you had dreamt of that would allow you to go all out. And for some people, knowing that they cannot go farther is what makes them pack it in.
For me, I simply fell out if love with my career. It was no longer fun. I was tired and bored and overworked and I didn’t see it getting any better. Eventually all jobs became the same job. When I was freelancing, I stopped feeling excited when I took on a new project. I just felt annoyed, bothered, and stressed. That’s how I knew that it was time to move in another direction.
I don’t know if this is it for me career-wise. But I can see myself staying here for a long time. I’d like to go back to school, maybe take some courses and learn more skills. There’s so much I don’t know. And I’m hungry to learn. Hungry to expand my skill set. But even if that isn’t possible, my direction keeps changing and that in itself is enough to keep me interested. I’m enjoying it. And I’m starting to make a name for myself. And that feels really great. So as long as there is room for growth, room to keep moving forward, I’ll be happy doing just this.
I made this pair of earrings a while back. A hammered silver hexagon with a tiny brass bee soldered to it. I made a few in copper as well. They’re very different from my other pieces and while my customers found them charming I never sold any.
When I was setting up for Upmarket on Sunday, I debated whether to put them out. In the end I kept the copper and put out the only silver pair.
My friend Chimene came by with her boyfriend, his brother and the brother’s girlfriend. The girls were shopping while the guys stood to the side idly looking through the earrings while waiting.
Then the brother suddenly held up the silver earrings and said, “Can you put these aside for me!”
He had that spark in his eyes that I see when somebody absolutely MUST have a piece.
I told him he was free to take them and Chimene (who is basically family) would give me the money later but he would not hear of it. Eventually his brother lent him the money.
Chimene leaned over and explained that he was a beekeeper. It suddenly all made sense and I secretly smiled.
I never know what people are going to connect with or why. Sometimes a piece just isn’t moving and I don’t want to put it out but I’m learning that sometimes I just have to be patient. The owner will eventually show up. The expression in that guy’s eyes was priceless. It makes me feel like a million bucks whenever I see that.
I finally get to be home today and do some work in my studio. *throws confetti*
I had a terrible headache when I went to sleep last night and woke up to a pounding head at 3am. Chris got me a glass of water and I took an Aleve and by this morning it was gone. Now it’s been replaced by mysterious body aches in my upper back. I guess I slept badly. Boo.
My 15% off discount seems to be bringing me a lot of sales in my online store. I’m really happy about that. The past two months have been pretty slow.
I was hanging out by my friend Ro yesterday. He sells jewellery that he imports from India, Nepal, Thailand etc. and recently opened up a retail space. It’s so nice. I wish I had a retail space too. But I’ll be putting some of my pieces in his place so it’s like having a space without all the hassle of having to pay rent.
I can’t wait until the day when we get a pet again. Chris always jokes that we have fish, but you can’t pet a fish. I miss having a doggy so much. While I love cats, I will never understand them or connect with them the way I do dogs. There’s something just natural in how I relate to dogs. I get them. I kinda don’t get cats. But I still really like em. They’re just not dogs.
I’ll be really glad when I can go home and relax today. I’ve been running around for the past two days trying to get things done and I’m exhausted. I also have orders to fill and I’m not getting any time to work. It’s stressing me out big time.
The good thing is that I still have two sushi rolls in the fridge that I’m going to devour when I get home. And tomorrow will be business as usual again too. I am psyched to get back into my studio.
I’m reminding myself not to judge on this one. Ain’t working too well….
that elephant had every right to kil this guy.
I couldn’t help but think that this guy had it coming, but then I had to remind myself not to judge…but then still thought the guy had it coming to him. Then felt guilty for feeling satisfied that someone had dies. This man does have a family and friends who are mourning his death, one assumes. SMH….
I haven’t read the article because just the headline alone turns me off. A celebrated elephant hunter. I see nothing to celebrate, laud, admire or congratulate about a man who kills elephants for sport. This is poetic justice. Sorry not sorry.
#Repost @heartmade_studio with @repostapp.
・・・
Did some shopping at Upmarket too! I was finally able to collect my adorable custom gold fill knot ring and gold fill midi ring from local jewelry artisan Natasha Gill of Sundara Artisan Jewelry. I am such a fan of her work! #sundarajewelry #handmade #trinidad #supportlocal #daintyrings
So Chris decided to renew his license too. We get to the licensing office in St. James and it’s opens half an hour late. And then we stand around for another half an hour while no one attends to us. Finally someone comes and announces there is no cashier and they don’t know when a replacement will arrive. We waited until ten and left. I called a while ago and a cashier still had not arrived.
I fucking hate Trinidad for this bullshit. It’s completely unacceptable. It is 2015 and we are in the Stone Age when it comes to any dealing with the government. I am going to their Facebook page now to give them a piece of my mind.
I know numerous people who have visited that same office and were also informed that there was no cashier. One told me of the time he went and the photographer was out sick. One person not being there can literally shut down that entire office. One time, I made the mistake of going at 11:55am. I had to wait until 1pm for the employees to come back from lunch. We really have some truly archaic practices here, on top of poorly trained personnel.
Well shortly after I wrote this post I called and they said a cashier had arrived. They recommended I come back after 1pm as the morning crowd was still there. I arrived at 1pm and walked into chaos. Apparently the machine (I’m assuming the one that prints the licenses) kept breaking down so they closed off the cashier (hah) and told everyone who hadn’t paid to leave. We took the chance that Wrightson Road* might be open but it closes at 1 pm. SO we are going to try again tomorrow because I need to renew the insurance on my car and I can’t do it until I renew my license. I’ve spent the day running around and accomplishing absolutely nothing.
I am now at the bank waiting to get $US to take on my trip. And of course we know there is currently a shortage of that. This country is just going to shit.
*I heard that licensing offices in Arima and Chaguanas are not working either. I may just fly to fucking Tobago and get it done there at this rate. *STEUPSSSSSSSSSS*
So Chris decided to renew his license too. We get to the licensing office in St. James and it’s opens half an hour late. And then we stand around for another half an hour while no one attends to us. Finally someone comes and announces there is no cashier and they don’t know when a replacement will arrive. We waited until ten and left. I called a while ago and a cashier still had not arrived.
I fucking hate Trinidad for this bullshit. It’s completely unacceptable. It is 2015 and we are in the Stone Age when it comes to any dealing with the government. I am going to their Facebook page now to give them a piece of my mind.
I had a dream that I landed in Chicago in my way to Toronto and then realised I didn’t have a visa for Canada. I decided to make the best of it and explore Chicago. I’ve never been there always wanted to go.
This is because my license expired recently and I didn’t know. That’s why I’m awake at 5:30, so I can go into work with Chris and get it renewed. Honestly I’d rather go to sleep and do it tomorrow but I need to be an adult.
I hate being an adult. It’s nothing like I was promised.
I was inspired by severalarticles about the Tampon Tax recently and some of the protests against the categorization of tampons as “luxury items,” so I made this up. It’s funny because it’s true.
Tampons are a “luxury item”
Once I worked as an intern in the state capital. One of the representatives I worked for was this middle-aged guy. And he hated the tampon and napkin machines in the women’s bathrooms. Hated them. He insisted that they weren’t necessary.
I found out why after I’d been working there, oh, about a month. My period started suddenly, as it sometimes does, and I asked to excuse myself to go to the ladies’ room. He wanted to know why. I told him.
He started ranting about how lazy women were. How we wasted time. How we were so careless and unhygenic, and that there was no call for that. He finished by telling me that I certainly was NOT going to the ladies’ room and that I was just going to sit there and work. He finished this off with a decisive nod, as if I’d just be told and there could be no possible argument.
“If I don’t go,” I said in an overly patient tone, “the blood is going to soak through my pants, stain my new skirt that I just bought, and possibly get on this chair I’m sitting in. I need something to soak up the blood. That’s why I need to go to the bathroom.”
His face turned oatmeal-gray; an expression of pure horror spread across his face. He leaned forward and whispered, “Wait, you mean that if you don’t go, you’ll just keep on bleeding? I thought that women could turn it off any time that they wanted!”
I thought, You have got to be kidding.
Several horrified whispers later, I learned that he wasn’t. He actually thought a) that women could shut down the menstrual cycle at will, b) that we essentially picked a week per month to spend more time in the bathroom, i.e. to goof off, and c) that napkins and tampons were sex toys paid for by Health and Human Services. I didn’t know the term then, but he believed that tampons were dildos. Which was why he and a good number of his friends considered them luxuries.
And that’s how, at twenty, I had to give a talk on menstruation to a middle-aged married state representative who was one of my bosses. American politics, ladies and gentlemen.
OH GOOD GRIEF!
YOU WERE WARNED –
Bloody hell…
Build someone up. Put their insecurities to sleep. Remind them they’re worthy. Tell them they’re magical. Be light in a too often dim world.
People expect that because I make jewellery that every time they see me I’ll just be dripping in it.
The truth is, my style is very minimalist. I wear a simple pair of earrings, maybe a single pendant, and I’ll wear a ring or some stacked rings on my right hand. That’s it.
I never wear any of those fancy layered necklaces I make (I’m busty, that doesn’t work for me), I don’t have an armful of bracelets (they make me hot) and I do not feel functional with a hand full of rings. I am not the best person to endorse my products.
This is why I have a website and pass out business cards like nobody’s business. Love you Vistaprint!
Thank you to everyone who came out to support Sundara Artisan Jewelry at UpMarket today! I met some wonderful new people and I look forward to seeing you all again on December 20th! 💗💗💗
My belly is full (of KFC yeah yea!) and I am so ready to pass out. I really need a shower but that might have to happen after a nap.
I had a banner day for sales today (thanks M!) and it couldn’t have come at a better time as I’m heading to Orlando next Sunday for a Disney/Universal vacation and we all know how cheap THOSE are.
Seriously though I need to rest I’ve been up since 5:30 and we all know that for a night owl like me that’s going to bed time not waking up time.
Also I heard Racked (another local market that also took place today that’s super exclusive and you have to like, audition to get in and I’ve never applied mainly cause I always miss the deadline but also I really have this Groucho Marx kinda philosophy about being part of shit so fuck it) was not great. So I made the right decision to stick with UpMarket. Made a lot of sales, met a lot of new customers, gave out a lot of business cards. Tasha is happy like pappy.
I am seriously about the gnaw my arm off I’m so hungry and it’s like they’re piping food smells over here just to piss me off.
I wonder if the chicks opposite me sold anything today? At least I know where to buy Trini souvenirs when I need them (never).
I have to start packing up. At least I’m going home lighter. My proverbial cupboard is bare. Naturally I cannot be happy about doing well with my sales. My solution is to start stressing out about how I’m going to make enough pieces in time for the next one I’m attending.
We have reached the excruciating last hour. When sales slow to a crawl because everybody’s already spent their money but you have to stay here until the end.
Ok I take that back somebody just bought a pair of earrings.
You know what hasn’t happened to me yet?
I haven’t gone out and spotted anybody wearing my jewelry. I mean other than my mother and that’s thrilling too of course but I haven’t seen it in the wild.
I remember the first time I saw one of my ads in the newspaper. I couldn’t take my eyes off it.
And when you see your stuff on a billboard all gigantic and shit while you’re driving down the highway it feels pretty awesome for a minute.
So yeah I’m still waiting for that moment. Until then my mom will have to suffice.
When my customers show up boy do they show up. I’ve done really well today and I still have three more hours to go. I really enjoy interacting with my customers. I used to feel super awkward and shy but I’ve learnt the value of self promotion and found I get better sales when I just get over myself.
I was talking to the girlfriend of one of my friends who also sells jewelry and she was telling me that my sales are actually really good considering I’ve only been open for five months. They’ve been doing this for eons and they net about double what I do. But I do a massive amount of marketing so I guess my efforts are paying off because they’re extremely established and also have a lot more variety because they don’t actually make their stuff.
I’m at Upmarket today. I’m an hour in and I haven’t made any sales yet. I always panic and think I’m never going to make any money. And then they all seem to come all at once. People don’t seem to shop for jewelry this early in the morning. They come for food. My customers show up later. It still makes me antsy every time. I’m always really glad when the day is over.
I went to a Hindu wedding tonight and I was transfixed by all the beautiful saris.
Apparently while we were dancing to tassa drums some guy wanted to hit on me and asked the groom who I was and he pointed to Chris and said that was my husband and he got the agouti caught in the headlights look and scuttled off. I had no idea any of this transpired until Chris told me.
Is there a dress code for lesbians of a certain age in Trinidad that must include loafers?
I have to buy myself a sari. The only time I ever wore one was for a Halloween ball in college. My hair was longer and I slicked it back in a braid. I painted a tika on my forehead. The first person I saw as I entered was my (Trini) friend Gary. He looked at me in shock and exclaimed, “Oh gawd yuh look like a real fuckin coolie!” I felt proud to pull it off.
My then boyfriend dressed up as a cowboy. It never occurred to me until just now that we went as a cowboy and Indian.
One of the things I liked about replies was that when people put stuff out there I could check other people’s responses before I said anything. You never know if you understood wrong. Or if they’re going to take offense to something you say. Or if your feedback will be redundant. I often times would realize it wasn’t necessary for me to comment because other people had already said the same thing. Now I don’t know what to say. So I just don’t say anything.
I just tried my hand at a wire wrapped bow ring. I think it’s rather cute. Wondering if I should make some for UpMarket this Sunday? This is brass. Copper? Silver? Gold filled?
I think I just want to make some giant statement rings with them. Maybe a matching necklace. I stuck them in my studio with all the other rocks. I don’t have time for them right now but maybe next week. Might make a nice Christmas gift for my mom!
I’m kinda jealous that y’all get to pig out for Thanksgiving tomorrow. We don’t get to do that until Christmas.
I only remember celebrating Thanksgiving once, when I was in college. Me and a few of my friends, two Trinis, one Bermudan, decided to get together to create a feast. The celebration itself meant little to us but it was as good a reason as any to join in the festivities.
I don’t even remember who cooked what but I do recall a last minute trip to the store to get cranberry jelly. I baked the pumpkin pie. It was my first and last time ever eating it. It wasn’t horrible. Just not something I need to repeat.
I’m not in touch with any of those people anymore. Jason and I broke up and he went on to form a web design company and got rich and is now even a bigger asshole than he was before. Sally and I lost touch but I hear she lives in Atlanta and is married with two kids. I don’t know if Lincoln ever became the famous fashion designer he aspired to be or if he ever moved back to Bermuda. The only other person in attendance was my brother and I’ll be seeing him in Orlando in two weeks.
I’m thankful that it all turned out as it did.
Have a happy thanksgiving y’all. Pig out.
Come for a visit! We have tons of room and would happily share turkey and fried okra with you!!
I just got three gigantic amethysts in the mail today. They’re obscene. I don’t know what I was a thinking buying stones that large. I don’t know what to do with them. I’m tempted to take a hammer and smash them to bits. Bits I can actually use. But I can’t. Oh my god they’re huge. How do you set stones that big?
I’m kinda jealous that y’all get to pig out for Thanksgiving tomorrow. We don’t get to do that until Christmas.
I only remember celebrating Thanksgiving once, when I was in college. Me and a few of my friends, two Trinis, one Bermudan, decided to get together to create a feast. The celebration itself meant little to us but it was as good a reason as any to join in the festivities.
I don’t even remember who cooked what but I do recall a last minute trip to the store to get cranberry jelly. I baked the pumpkin pie. It was my first and last time ever eating it. It wasn’t horrible. Just not something I need to repeat.
I’m not in touch with any of those people anymore. Jason and I broke up and he went on to form a web design company and got rich and is now even a bigger asshole than he was before. Sally and I lost touch but I hear she lives in Atlanta and is married with two kids. I don’t know if Lincoln ever became the famous fashion designer he aspired to be or if he ever moved back to Bermuda. The only other person in attendance was my brother and I’ll be seeing him in Orlando in two weeks.
I was running errands yesterday in my newly recovered stolen car. It started making a weird noise and I couldn’t get in touch with my mechanic so I went to a guy in my old neighbourhood to have a look at it. He said it just needed steering fluid and dumped an whole bottle in. When I asked him how much he waved me off. I was really grateful because I only had three dollars on me and they only take cash. I was just telling a male friend about it and he shook his head. “If it had been me he’d have looked me straight in the eye and told me thirty dollars.”
It might be sexist but I have to admit that I get a free pass a lot of times because I’m a woman. When Chris (and other men) have told me of their dealings with the police who are notorious for being unhelpful here, I’m always surprised by how our experiences contrast. The police have always fallen all over themselves to help me, even when I was doing something wrong. Bat your eyelashes and act helpless and they all want to rescue you.
I think Trinidad is actually a lot more egalitarian when it comes to certain things than a lot of more “developed” countries. But there’s something about a damsel in distress that really gets guys going. I’ll take it. Use what ya mama gave you.
A friend posted this as her Facebook status today:
My friend’s philosophy, “I don’t overthink anything. If somebody tells me something, i believe them because they said it. I don’t have the time to think about if they lying…I know if they ask me something I answering honestly.” And really, he does.
I function in exactly the same way. I don’t see the sense in treating people with suspicion because if they’re lying there’s no way for me to tell anyway. I’m an honest person so whatever I say is the truth.
But I’ve found that a lot of people I meet are the opposite. They question everything you say. I personally find it insulting because I don’t lie. But I view their attitude toward me more as a reflection of themselves than I do a reflection of me. If you’re suspicious of everyone you meet are you a trustworthy person?
When I was building my website I thought I was going to have to spring for a fancy DSLR to get good pictures of my products. I have a little Panasonic Lumix point and click that I bought maybe four or five years ago. I had to give myself a crash course in photography and lighting and really learn through trial and error what worked and what didn’t. Jewellery is really tricky to photograph. My early pictures are horrendous. Over time I’ve learnt that for me, simple is better. White background, natural light. Nothing fancy. Being a graphic designer helps in that I can fix the balance when I fuck up. But one thing I realised is that no matter how expensive your camera, you’re not going to get good pictures if you don’t know anything about lighting. My camera has its limits, but I’m sticking with it. I’ve been pretty happy with the results. I’m glad I never sprung for that DSLR in the end.
So to recap my neighbour downstairs bought a new car and started parking the old one in my spot in the yard forcing me to park in the unpaved part of the yard which, now that it’s rainy season, has turned to mud. So whenever the spot is vacant I take it back because wtf.
Chris, trying to be diplomatic, asked him the other day why he had taken my spot. His reply was that I rarely use my car so he felt it made better use of the spot to take it. What??? So Chris pointed out to him that he was forcing me to park in and walk through mud and he responded that he had recently laid down some gravel so I suppose that was supposed to make it better.
So my car had gotten stolen and we recovered it and I brought it home and parked it back in my spot and it’s been there ever since. So the neighbour had the audacity to ask Chris to ask me if I could move my car and let him have the spot because you know, convenience. Chris told him that I’d always parked there and why should I, as a woman, have to walk through the mud to get in my car. Furthermore, he doesn’t contribute to the maintenance of the yard (we pay for it with the other tenant). And if he wanted we could share the spot on a first come first served basis but it has always been my spot to begin with so he felt his request was unfair.
Well he had a little shit fit and barked that if I wanted the space I could have it. So problem solved (we will see). I hope that also means he will stop asking Chris for rides to work while he talks his head off in the car and never contributes to gas.
Loving this beauty! Newly listed teal green agate druzy slice ring in gold filled prong setting. Made to order (only limited quantities) #druzy #agate #goldfilledrings #handmade
Project Monsoon Clever colorful street art that only appears when it rains
After the Superhydrophobic Street Art, which uses a superhydrophobic coating to create designs which appear only in the rain, here is the Project Monsoon, which uses the same concept, this time with hydrochromic
painting, which reveals its color only when wet. This amazing and
clever project was designed by a Korean team of designers, in
collaboration with Pantone, to provide color to the streets of Seoul
during the rainy season, while paying tribute to the Korean culture. A
brilliant idea! Source: ufunk
I don’t follow porn blogs. And every so often someone I follow will out of nowhere post something porn-ish and it’s always like this huge what the fuck moment because it’s not part of my experience on tumblr. I wish people wouldn’t do that. It’s really jarring. Sort of like an unsolicited dick pic. Unfollow.
I dreamt of octopuses last night. I have what I consider a very rational fear of those creatures. They are way too fucking smart, and anything with that many arms is out to get you I don’t care what anyone says. Don’t fear the zombie apocalypse. It’s those fuckers gonna rise up and take over the world. Fucking nightmare.
Cleaning up the stamped brass wrap ring just looked up and saw blood streaming down my thumb. Apparently I cut myself when I was cutting the metal. I rinsed it off and put a bandage on it so all good. Hurts though.
Someone just called my phone asking for Fozzy (as in bear).
I told them they had the wrong number and hung up chuckling about the name. Haha Fozzy sounds so funny how does someone get a nickname like that it’s so weird.
You ever notice that deep rumbling in the ground that happens with an earthquake? Well I just heard it and got all prepared for the shaking and it never came. It was so odd. But it got me thinking about earthquakes and I remembered this.
My father had once been a university lecturer so we had many students pass through our lives. There was one particularly solemn young man who stayed with us for a day or two in Venezuela that I intrinsically associate with earthquakes. Before he arrived, my father told me he had been in Caracas when there was a massive, devastating earthquake back in the late sixties. He had lost his parents and had grown up an orphan. I remember wondering as we took him sightseeing what it was like to revisit the city where his life had so drastically changed. He was introverted and quiet.
A few years after his visit there was a huge and equally devastating earthquake in Mexico, I think in the late 80’s, and this time he wasn’t so lucky. I always thought it so odd that earthquakes should feature so prominently in someone’s life, especially considering that he had been from neither of those countries.
The most interesting part of the story was yet to come. Years later my father was on a flight when he noticed a young woman studying him intently. She eventually came up to him and asked him who he was. Somehow she recognized him and introduced herself as the former girlfriend of that very student. It turned out that unknown to him, she had been pregnant at the time of his death. She was now a single mother to their son. Despite his horrible luck, part of him had survived to carry on. It was the completing chapter to end his short story.
So two Friday’s ago Chris and I went into Port of Spain, limed with some friends, did a little bar hopping, bought some gyros, and when we decided to go home realised my car was not where we’d left it.
We walked across to the police station which was literally 50 meters away and after confirming that it hadn’t been towed, reported it stolen.
The police basically tried to tell us we were drunk and didn’t know where we parked our car.
Luckily we spotted a detective that we knew and he took over, taking our statements and driving us through the area to make sure it wasn’t somewhere around. Naturally it wasn’t.
Tonight I received a call saying they recovered the car. It was parked down the street, around the corner from where we’d left it. A block away from the police station. A street we drove down with the police the night it disappeared and didn’t find it.
It was exactly as I’d left it, not a single thing missing, and the police still kind of tried to insinuate that I didn’t know where I parked it.
Chris then diplomatically asked them how they could miss a car reported stolen that was parked a block away from them for thirteen days. They kind of shut up about that.
They told me someone working in the area reported it. Someone who works nights, and for some reason decided there was something weird about a car parked in a residential area for several nights in succession. As if residents don’t park on the street all the time.
They think the person who reported it is suspect but they’re pretty much not pursuing it. Car recovered, case closed.
My car is one of two or three in the country. It’s not desirable because it would be impossible to unload it. Nobody would want it. You can’t get parts for it. And its conspicuous.
So anyone who stole it either took it on a joyride or didn’t know what the fuck they were doing.
The police told me they’re clueless as to why it got stolen and how it showed up again. They find the whole thing very strange and can’t understand why a thief would go through all the trouble to drive it all the way back and park it right under their noses, risking getting caught.
Well there’s things you can tell them and things you can’t.
Let’s just say I know a guy who knows a guy and that guy means business and that’s why my car suddenly reappeared almost exactly where I left it.
Client: We have this really exciting project and we need it to launch soon! You’re the best person for the job! Here’s the downpayment!
Me: Great! What do you need?
Client: Here are the details. We need to finalize by next week!
Me: *whips up job in a hurry*
Me: Here you go! Give me some feedback ASAP so we can get it out on time!
Client: *silence*
Me: Hi, any feedback on that job?
Client: *crickets*
Me: *puts feet up on desk and chills the fuck out because this is not my emergency*
This is a serious thing. Im curious how many people over the course of year(s) kept the same tumblr handle. A ton of the people I follow have changed their over time.
As far as I know Im one of the few who havent. Few being relative as there are millions of tumblr users. But yeah.
We don’t usually do reblogs, but The Oatmeal nails the issue of working for exposure.
Carolyn Myss, the medical intuitive who writes and lectures about why people don’t heal, flew to Russia a few years ago to give some lectures. Everything that could go wrong did — flights were cancelled or overbooked, connections missed, her reserved room at the hotel given to someone else. She kept trying to be a good sport, but finally, two mornings later, on the train to her conference on healing, she began to whine at the man sitting beside her how infuriating her journey had been thus far.
it turned out that this man worked for the Dalai Lama. And he said — gently — that they believe when a lot of things start going wrong all at once, it is to protect something big and lovely that is trying to get itself born — and this something needs for you to be distracted so that it can be born as perfectly as possible.
Dinner tonight was pan seared scallops in lemon basil butter with portobello mushrooms in garlic butter and pasta in alfredo sauce. I swear it tasted like restaurant food. I felt quite proud of myself, it was delicious. Who knew scallops were so easy? And we have leftovers *pats self on the back for cooking for future Natasha*
Apparently I have this habit of grabbing Chris when he tries to get up in the morning and pulling him back into bed. Sometimes I do it two or three times so he falls asleep again and ends up late for work. I say apparently because I do it in my sleep. The poor guy ends up having to stealth escape from the bed.
So I’ve been watching The Great British Bake Off and I’ve realised several things:
– As a relatively inexperienced baker I’ve most likely been really lucky because I’ve had very few failures. My meringues whip up easily into peaks, my breads always rise, I’ve never burnt my caramel, I didn’t even know you could fuck up caramel. I had no idea you could get so many things wrong.
– I knew baking was very scientific but I’ve learnt so much more about it while watching this show.
– I’m most likely gaining weight just watching all this cake and icing and puff pastry.
– I’m dying for a pork pie. I’ve never had one but they made some on the show and now I’m obsessed.
soulsistrin 