Bamboo Ragtime

psi_fer @ 2008-07-29T00:31:00

2008-07-29T05:31:35Z

Good Friends, good books and a sleepy
conscience: This is the ideal life.~ Mark Twain

Gobin Market

2008-07-12T04:27:10Z

From "Goblin Market" by Christina Rossetti
"We must not look at goblin men,
We must not buy their fruits:
Who knows upon what soil they fed
Their hungry thirsty roots?"
"Come buy," call the goblins
Hobbling down the glen.
"O!" cried Lizzie, "Laura, Laura,
You should not peep at goblin men."

psi_fer @ 2008-06-09T23:18:00

2008-06-10T04:24:20Z

-31

As a 1930s wife, I am
Very Poor (Failure)

Take the test!

Not really surprised by this result. I'm too much of a slob, too lazy, and too self-centered to score well on this test. Plus, I whisper in the movie theater, so not only am I a terrible 1930's wife, but I'm going to the special hell.

musing

2008-05-06T07:32:59Z

I've been interested in the way our brains work. Most recently, it's been interesting to notice an incompatibility between hardwired social interactions that were developed when we lived in small tribes, and the reality of living in a digital, technological, global world. Specifically when I realized I had a "crush" or infatuation with a character in a movie played by a (regrettably) deceased actor. (Heath Ledger playing Jacob Grimm in The Brothers Grimm. Great movie by the way, my current obsession) My stupid brain can't tell the difference between an actor in a movie playing a character and a real person in my social group, it just wasn't designed for this kind of technology. I've read in Psychology Today that people's brains react to images of their favorite characters as personal friends, probably because the brain has tagged their faces as someone they see often and in pleasant circumstances, so they MUST be a member of the tribe. Stupid brain picks my desired mate as a nonexistent character played by a dead actor. Thank you brain.

Just another chapter in my "brains (and specifically, love) are stupid, stupid things" book. Not stupid as in horrible, but as in mindless, unthinking, irrational.

So much of our decision making process in just under the surface, where it's fiendishly difficult to get at, and really know what's going on. It's an ice burg where the only bit we can see is the conscious bit, and all of this other stuff is going on underneath.

************

I told Judy I had a crush on Jacob Grimm and she said "WHAT???" and then "Of course you do," in a very knowing way. I'm not 100% sure what she's implying (inferring?) but it's probably something not altogether complementary about my taste in guys.

********************

Also, listening to the commentary to The Brothers Grimm I think Terry Gilliam is a brilliant, creative man who would be absolutely maddening to work for on a movie, because while he's brilliant and creative he has difficulty being organized, can't keep to a schedule or a budget, and gets bored and impatient with the work part of actually making the movie.

Kinda like working for M.

psi_fer @ 2008-04-23T00:02:00

2008-04-23T05:01:34Z

shamelessly stolen from Kari, because it was hilarious:

psi_fer @ 2008-04-20T01:22:00

2008-04-20T06:27:50Z

Arm is doing a lot better. It's as if I'm wearing a long sleeved shirt with a straight pin stuck in the sleeve that pokes me sometimes if I move my arm or twist my wrist, but otherwise it doesn't hurt, so that's good.

Thank you drama, for not stopping by. I appreciate it.

psi_fer @ 2008-04-16T14:26:00

2008-04-16T19:43:10Z

Finally over the ick Judy so kindly shared with me. That was sicker that I'd like to be again, thankyouverymuch.

I seem to have nerve damage from a blood draw last Tuesday. I hadn't even realized that was possible, but there you go. Evidently the "stick the needle in, then rock it around looking for a vein" method used during the draw is dangerous for this very reason, so if anyone tries this on you MAKE THEM TAKE THE NEEDLE OUT AND START OVER, or better yet, insist someone else do the draw. There's fairly constant pain in my left arm below the elbow, and it hurts to pick up things with my left hand or rotate my hand. Hopefully this is something that will heal itself, and not go into some long drama. It's not really bad pain, but constant low grade pain gets irritating after a while.

I have a Ginkgo Biloba tree to plant, and nowhere to put it. But it's moaning and whimpering in it's pot, making me feel horribly guilty, so I'm just going to have to stick it in the ground somewhere.

I'm getting NOTHING done today. I have yard work, drafting, and more things I should be going. ARGH!

ARGH ARGH ARGH!

grrr. argh.

psi_fer @ 2008-03-14T23:39:00

2008-03-15T04:42:30Z

bought my comic con ticket

have one more bathroom to draft before monday, and then an entertainment center for tuesday, and then an exterior elevation of a house for friday

also, I seem to have the crud. #*@$ I JUST GOT OVER BEING SICK #$*(&($&#$*&@@!)!*$

I want to find the person responsible for running the universe and look them in the eye, and then cough on them.

psi_fer @ 2008-03-01T00:21:00

2008-03-01T06:28:46Z

I'm not dead, just busy.

nice moment this week though, after wanting to stab someone over the N job and questioning my skills as a designer and why I even went into this, had a client write a check out $300 over what we asked for me. I only get to keep half, but still, wow. To clarify, she knew she was writing it out over, and it's not like they're the kind of people who throw money away. I know that won't happen much, but having it happen made me feel better about my skills as a designer/space planner. (I fixed their house plans)

psi_fer @ 2008-02-16T00:14:00

2008-02-16T06:32:09Z

on the 8th I went to the doctor for a sore throat, cough, and general ick. I got antibiotics, cough syrup, and tamiflu. One week later I'm back at the doctor with a sore throat, cough, and ear ache. I get shiny NEW antibiotics and cough syrup. Let's see is this works any better, and isn't the beginning of an event loop lasting far too long. I am tired of being sick. I have trees I bought right before I got sick that I need to plant! I have seasonal yard work that I need to do! And I have an entire house plan I need to draft this week! ARGH!

and my ear hurts. ::whine whine whine::

Also. Van Helsing is freaking hilarious. Why didn't anyone tell me this? But I think it could have been 100x better if they had pushed the rating to R (or more!). There are some very attractive people in this movie, and with the camp and melodramatic comedy it's just begging for gratuitous nudity and sex. Come on! Flying women need titties! (if not more)

My only complaint is why did they make Kate Beckinsale look like Catherine Zeta-Jones? Both lovely women, but I prefer Kate to Catherine. And even with a Hugh Jackman and Kate hotness, I love David Wenham in this! Who knew he could to meek comic relief?

Jobby Updaty Posty Thingy

2008-02-05T05:06:52Z

After working on fixing the plans for a family on a house to be built (moving the powder bath, reconfiguring the kid's bathroom, doubling the size of the kitchen) today I think I picked up a whole house remodel. My first one! They haven't signed yet, but M thinks it likely enough for me to start with the existing plan while it's still fresh in my mind. I'll be basically redesigning an existing 1950's era house, almost doubling the square footage by taking over the garage and connecting it to the house and making it the laundry, master bedroom and master bath. The kitchen is going to expand into what was the master bedroom, add a breakfast room, and rework the existing bath. I'll be learning more about construction drawings, joists, spans, air conditioning returns, etc. and learning to draft architect style rather than kitchen planner style (entirely different way of dimensioning, for one)

Not only is this a shiny new area for me to learn how to do and increase my skill set, but it'll be the biggest design fee I've made so far! Go meeee!

psi_fer @ 2008-02-04T11:13:00

2008-02-04T17:16:28Z

Willy update:

Willy's ok, he doesn't have cancer, like they were worried, he has a massive case of inflammatory bowel disease. It's treatable with steroids, antibiotics and food changes. He's got a seam running from stem to stern, but he acts like his old self, and hopefully still has many years of expensive medication to look forward to. :p

psi_fer @ 2008-01-24T22:41:00

2008-01-25T04:52:20Z

Everyone please think positive, healing thought for my dog Willy. He had surgery on Tuesday to take 5 biopsies of his stomach and colon to try to figure out what's trying to kill him. The surgeon said the flesh was badly diseased, and it could open up again, which would be extreemly bad. They don't know if he has a massive case of irritable bowel, lymphoma, or some weird fungal infection, but the biopsies were sent to the local university and we should hopefully know by next Tuesday. In the mean time, we're just waiting for him to heal up enough to come home. I've had him for 9.5 years, he's been my baby . . . I've been something of a mess the last few days.

psi_fer @ 2008-01-08T00:29:00

2008-01-08T06:30:03Z

82% Barack Obama
81% Chris Dodd
81% John Edwards
81% Hillary Clinton
77% Bill Richardson
71% Joe Biden
71% Mike Gravel
62% Dennis Kucinich
51% Rudy Giuliani
48% John McCain
47% Tom Tancredo
43% Mike Huckabee
42% Mitt Romney
34% Ron Paul
30% Fred Thompson

2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz

psi_fer @ 2008-01-05T14:13:00

2008-01-05T20:18:01Z

Oh. My. God.

Kari is now the official Most Greatest Person Ever In The History of Everything. I'm thinking of setting up a little Kari shrine on my desk.

I was feeling kinda blah today, struggled with illegible dimensions in a bathroom design last night, woke up with a sore throat, then had a client call me to complain about something, and now I have to go fight a fire (metaphorically) at a client's house at 4, but this really helped.

psi_fer @ 2008-01-03T19:38:00

2008-01-04T01:40:37Z

When it hits home that I'm not a student any more:

"I don't have time to start Portal right now. I'll wait and do it in the summ. . .

oh."

Resolutions 2008

2008-01-01T07:14:57Z

Hmmm, resolution time. Well, there's the ever popular loose weight/get in better shape. I did manage to drop one clothing size this year at least. 1. Need to get back into the gym habit. Get up enough nerve to attend yoga and/or belly dancing.

New job means paycheck means 2. I need to start getting serious with my finances.

Also I need to 3. Study for and take the AKBD exam in October to be a Associate Kitchen and Bath Designer.

And the writers strike might help me with 4. watch less TV, do what's important.

psi_fer @ 2008-01-01T01:02:00

2008-01-01T07:06:41Z

Kari: Oh wow, would you help me? That would be fantastic!

Ticky: The other day I went to lunch with an old friend whom I hadn't seen in a while, and I wore one of my Client Meeting outfits. She couldn't get over how "grown up" I looked. I should have Judy take some pics of me and let you see them and give me a professional thumbs up or down. Camel colored corduroy jacket with chocolate colored pants?

psi_fer @ 2007-12-30T17:06:00

2007-12-30T23:09:40Z

I going to spend the last days of 2007 cleaning (bedroom, desk area, bathroom, etc) and the first days of 2008 preparing for the coming year(putting together client folders, making business cards, registering with the NKBA)

Resolutions to follow.

psi_fer @ 2007-12-08T13:08:00

2007-12-08T19:08:58Z

So, I graduated with an Associates in Interior Design Technology.

Huh.

psi_fer @ 2007-11-27T23:17:00

2007-11-28T05:24:00Z

where is a giant T-rex foot crashing through a kitchen ceiling and smooshing my clients into a sticky puddle of frowning, uncommunicative, uncertain disapproval when I need it?

In somewhat related news, I'm back to the drawing board with Mr & Mrs S.

On happier note, finally got paid for R job. Yay moneys!

psi_fer @ 2007-11-16T00:54:00

2007-11-16T06:59:12Z

Things I Need To Do:

sleep.
work on the S bathroom.
draft the N entertainment center
clear off the dining room table
get to the gym
make my lighting board for my portfolio
write up my hours for internship
get mead to sign my last two time sheets, and fax them in
print out a graduation verification form
get a transcript
apply for the AKBD exam
put up curtains
work on J kitchen

deep breath.

start with the first thing on the list. I can do that.

psi_fer @ 2007-11-12T22:29:00

2007-11-13T04:42:30Z

Doing an extensive master bath remodel for Mr & Mrs. S have to start over from scratch.

Powder bath, guest bath and mater bath remodel for Mr & Mrs G in a holding pattern until they're back in the country.

Kitchen remodel for Mr & Mrs E gearing up for the installation, still need to help her make all of her selections. She's getting nervous.

Emergency kitchen remodel for Mrs R is in rush mode to make selections

Kitchen remodel for Mrs N is in the 5th revision.

Kitchen remodel for Mrs J is waiting for me to start.

And trying to keep up with two classes.

Do the words IIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE mean anything to you?

psi_fer @ 2007-10-21T00:13:00

2007-10-21T05:13:14Z

If people would just conform to the scripts I write for them, things would go so much more smoothly.

psi_fer @ 2007-10-13T10:17:00

2007-10-13T15:20:42Z

**********KATE*******

If you want to come for renfest, the weekend of Nov 10 & 11 is good. Also, I should have more free time to do Kate-things between Nov 6 and 16 because my boss is going to be out of town.

If that's too short of notice, any time after new years is also good. :)