Welcome to Saturday Night of Amy's Wine Buzz theatre. Strap in for verbal diarrhea.
While I am waiting for the chicken in the oven to roast enough that I can add the potato wedges, I'm sitting here, laptop on lap, wine glass empty and iTunes playing 1 40's music station, it occurred to me just how much crap I collect. I can't help it. I'm a highly organised packrat.
Thing is, I don't collect anything ENOUGH to be obsessive about it. The sort of collector that MUST have EVERYTHING of a certain type/colour/year etc. I just... gather stuff I like.
Long-time obsessions:
Sketchbooks (well, obviously) - I REALLY need to stop buying new ones when I have at least THREE still uncompleted.
DVDs - natural offshoot of videotapes. I stopped cheaply taping stuff off TV LONG ago(although I still have most of Nikki's MST3K vids, yay), but I'm still a sucker for a god DVD sale. I'm not a huge movie person, but I'll take anything animated if it's cheap enough. I got Watership Down for a steal a couple of weeks ago :) I'd always loved that movie as a kid, but I'd forgotten how creepy some bits are, like Cowslip's warren.
Books: Holy crap, I love books. Not much fiction, though. NOT a big fiction reader, despite my parents' best efforts (both are big fiction readers). I like reference books and reading about real things. And comic strips, of course. From Krazy Kat and Little Nemo to the Flight series, I love 'em.
Recent obsessions:
Sock Yarn: It's called a stash, and every self-respecting knitter has one. In some circles, having so much yarn you're storing it in the sleeves of hanging clothes and willing it to your descendents is a badge of honour. To others, like me, it's a sign you need help. But it's so damn pretty.
Reader's Digest LP collections: Nothing later than mid-70's. They're DIRT cheap and there's a lot of good music on there if you're odd enough to still have a turntable and the time to rip them all to mp3. Not that I would know anything about that.
Vintage ephemera: Show me an old magazine, and I'm happy for hours. Vintage popular culture (anything 1975 or earlier. 80's is my childhood and therefore NOT OLD, DAMN YOU!) fascinates me no end and I love it all. I love the mid-century design aesthetic, like many artists. That doesn't mean I'd actually want to LIVE in that time. Denigration of women, racial inequality and stultifyingly boring infant suburbia? No thanks.
Rings: On my left pinkie, at this moment, I am wearing a plastic Cinderella ring I got as a 3-pack at Michael's for a dollar. I am 35 years old and like Disney Princesses and I am not ashamed of that fact. I am also a quirky artsy person and can get away with wearing a piece of plastic children's jewelry.
Stuff I collected as a kid:
Coins & Stamps: Who didn't at one point or another?
Music taped off the radio: Hey, some of us had bugger-all for allowance, shut up.
Budgies: Unfortunately, JUST as I'd got one nice and tame, I'd lose it because my punk-ass sister couldn't shut a damn screen door. Ah well. They escaped into native habitat, so there's always that consolation.
While I am waiting for the chicken in the oven to roast enough that I can add the potato wedges, I'm sitting here, laptop on lap, wine glass empty and iTunes playing 1 40's music station, it occurred to me just how much crap I collect. I can't help it. I'm a highly organised packrat.
Thing is, I don't collect anything ENOUGH to be obsessive about it. The sort of collector that MUST have EVERYTHING of a certain type/colour/year etc. I just... gather stuff I like.
Long-time obsessions:
Sketchbooks (well, obviously) - I REALLY need to stop buying new ones when I have at least THREE still uncompleted.
DVDs - natural offshoot of videotapes. I stopped cheaply taping stuff off TV LONG ago(although I still have most of Nikki's MST3K vids, yay), but I'm still a sucker for a god DVD sale. I'm not a huge movie person, but I'll take anything animated if it's cheap enough. I got Watership Down for a steal a couple of weeks ago :) I'd always loved that movie as a kid, but I'd forgotten how creepy some bits are, like Cowslip's warren.
Books: Holy crap, I love books. Not much fiction, though. NOT a big fiction reader, despite my parents' best efforts (both are big fiction readers). I like reference books and reading about real things. And comic strips, of course. From Krazy Kat and Little Nemo to the Flight series, I love 'em.
Recent obsessions:
Sock Yarn: It's called a stash, and every self-respecting knitter has one. In some circles, having so much yarn you're storing it in the sleeves of hanging clothes and willing it to your descendents is a badge of honour. To others, like me, it's a sign you need help. But it's so damn pretty.
Reader's Digest LP collections: Nothing later than mid-70's. They're DIRT cheap and there's a lot of good music on there if you're odd enough to still have a turntable and the time to rip them all to mp3. Not that I would know anything about that.
Vintage ephemera: Show me an old magazine, and I'm happy for hours. Vintage popular culture (anything 1975 or earlier. 80's is my childhood and therefore NOT OLD, DAMN YOU!) fascinates me no end and I love it all. I love the mid-century design aesthetic, like many artists. That doesn't mean I'd actually want to LIVE in that time. Denigration of women, racial inequality and stultifyingly boring infant suburbia? No thanks.
Rings: On my left pinkie, at this moment, I am wearing a plastic Cinderella ring I got as a 3-pack at Michael's for a dollar. I am 35 years old and like Disney Princesses and I am not ashamed of that fact. I am also a quirky artsy person and can get away with wearing a piece of plastic children's jewelry.
Stuff I collected as a kid:
Coins & Stamps: Who didn't at one point or another?
Music taped off the radio: Hey, some of us had bugger-all for allowance, shut up.
Budgies: Unfortunately, JUST as I'd got one nice and tame, I'd lose it because my punk-ass sister couldn't shut a damn screen door. Ah well. They escaped into native habitat, so there's always that consolation.
Ugh. Came down with a sudden, raging sore throat last night.
Swallowing feels like gulping glass and now my joints are all owie and my temp is up a bit.
I think I have strep throat. It feels too sore to be a common cold.
Blah. We were planning a drive to the coast today.
Nothing for it now but lay on the couch, knit and give Band of Brothers a try.
Swallowing feels like gulping glass and now my joints are all owie and my temp is up a bit.
I think I have strep throat. It feels too sore to be a common cold.
Blah. We were planning a drive to the coast today.
Nothing for it now but lay on the couch, knit and give Band of Brothers a try.
Just to prove I'm still alive, here are some things I like doing to chill:
(watch out, Amy's finished her beer and is riding a buzz until it's time to prepare the pizza)
* trawling Ravelry for knitting patterns. There are plenty of them, lots of them free and lots of them VERY pretty. Whether I will actually make them is another matter. Anyone out there like socks, scarves, wraps or shawls?
Not sweaters, I'm too cheap to buy that much yarn ;)
* Playing Rock Band with Mike, Nikki & Scott (and sometimes Steve and Stephanie). Highlights are when Scott actually sings in tune and Steve sings at all. Super Bonus points when Grumbles joins in. Low points are when I try to sing Judas Priest in any form at all. It's not pretty.
* Watching Top Gear, Mythbusters, Dog the Bounty Hunter or any time they sell animation art on America's Auction Network - the auctioneer inevitably claims something about each piece which is complete and utter bullshit and I laugh.
* Yarn shopping. Mmmmm, sock yaaaarn.
* When the weather is nice, unleashing unholy agonising death on dandelions that have the audacity to try growing in our yard. Sure, there are plenty of toxic things in bottles you can spray on to kill them slowly, but I find digging the bastards out by hand with a long pointy trowel much more cathartic.
(watch out, Amy's finished her beer and is riding a buzz until it's time to prepare the pizza)
* trawling Ravelry for knitting patterns. There are plenty of them, lots of them free and lots of them VERY pretty. Whether I will actually make them is another matter. Anyone out there like socks, scarves, wraps or shawls?
Not sweaters, I'm too cheap to buy that much yarn ;)
* Playing Rock Band with Mike, Nikki & Scott (and sometimes Steve and Stephanie). Highlights are when Scott actually sings in tune and Steve sings at all. Super Bonus points when Grumbles joins in. Low points are when I try to sing Judas Priest in any form at all. It's not pretty.
* Watching Top Gear, Mythbusters, Dog the Bounty Hunter or any time they sell animation art on America's Auction Network - the auctioneer inevitably claims something about each piece which is complete and utter bullshit and I laugh.
* Yarn shopping. Mmmmm, sock yaaaarn.
* When the weather is nice, unleashing unholy agonising death on dandelions that have the audacity to try growing in our yard. Sure, there are plenty of toxic things in bottles you can spray on to kill them slowly, but I find digging the bastards out by hand with a long pointy trowel much more cathartic.
Day 3 of the Master Plan to Bury Portland in freak Snow.
Aim: To prevent Scott and me from leaving the city to reach San Francisco to spend christmas with Scott's family and our brand-new nephew, Christopher George (born 20/12, 8lb 8oz, mother and baby are well)
Execution: 6 inch dump on Saturday, freezing rain on Sat night, 2 more inches on Mon
Result: Amy is about to start eating furniture in frustration because ODOT has executed a chains-only rule for the entire metro area and all major freeways. There is not a single set of Mazda 6 chains to be found in Portland and down as far as Salem.
I WANT OOOOOOUUUT!!!!
Aim: To prevent Scott and me from leaving the city to reach San Francisco to spend christmas with Scott's family and our brand-new nephew, Christopher George (born 20/12, 8lb 8oz, mother and baby are well)
Execution: 6 inch dump on Saturday, freezing rain on Sat night, 2 more inches on Mon
Result: Amy is about to start eating furniture in frustration because ODOT has executed a chains-only rule for the entire metro area and all major freeways. There is not a single set of Mazda 6 chains to be found in Portland and down as far as Salem.
I WANT OOOOOOUUUT!!!!
To anyone who, ohmigawd, might still HAVE me on their friends list, just popping in to let you special people know that I finally published an art book!.
Whooooo! It's 32 pages, but full-colour and chock-full of stuff which has MOSTLY not been posted online.
Also, for those who have remained blissfully unaware of my Flickr stream or blog, I also have an Etsy store, too.
Whooooo! It's 32 pages, but full-colour and chock-full of stuff which has MOSTLY not been posted online.
Also, for those who have remained blissfully unaware of my Flickr stream or blog, I also have an Etsy store, too.
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