the view from here

alisgray @ 2008-07-22T21:29:00

2008-07-23T02:31:39Z

'specially for rgeorge, manna_panna, celina, and anyone else with a serious emotional attachment to fonts...
http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1823766

alisgray @ 2008-07-22T11:05:00

2008-07-22T16:22:52Z

to do:
~~11:30 am: medicate cat~~
12 - 2 pm: ~~go to shop, mark out and paint sign~~
2 - 3 pm: ~~figure out how to return ferousoxide's library book and do so~~
3 - 4 pm: ~~second coat of paint~~
4 - 7 pm: ~~be at home to orchestrate deep cleaning,~~
~~grocery delivery~~,
hand off old microwave oven for reuse in a sculpture;
7 - 8 pm: back to shop, third coat
9 pm: ~~medicate cat~~

interleaved:
1) ~~call one bank to have it explain to the other bank. (again.)~~
2) ~~acquire new microwave oven.~~
3) ~~more laundry~~
4) ~~refill dishwasher~~
5) ~~get chair upstairs~~
6) empty car

There are a number of spots in my life where I have suddenly run out of energy or enthusiasm for whatever it was I was or meant to be doing. Symptoms: piles of books next to the kitchen sink, none of them about cooking; storing clean, even folded laundry in baskets (though it doesn't help that there is no closet in my room); sorted, unopened mail.

I'm not sure if it is laziness, an unconventional sense of problem solving, depression, some combination thereof. I need to try harder to keep this out of my job.

alisgray @ 2008-07-21T23:16:00

2008-07-22T04:16:46Z

Do I want to go out, or do I want to stay in? get things done...

Because I can,,,

2008-07-21T22:24:18Z

Send a JibJab SendablesÂ® eCard Today!

alisgray @ 2008-07-18T19:49:00

2008-07-19T00:50:10Z

and another 'I wish I could make this' shout out...
hey San Franciscans, are you familiar with this? I'd love to.

alisgray @ 2008-07-18T13:11:00

2008-07-18T18:14:36Z

hey, remember Prozac Rat who opened for that first Danger Board show? They didn't suck at all! they have a free show tonight at the Acadia over on Riverside. I can't make it but I thought I'd spread the word.

Drive In Livingroom, or, how to become spontaneous

2008-07-15T22:49:32Z

PARTYALARM! INSTANT PARTYALARM!
Now hear this...
vaxjo and some others have invited us all to join them this evening at 8pm for a Drive In Living Room. The second such event!

Those of you who know me better may know exactly how ridiculously owned/attached I am to and by my living room furniture. Most of it belonged to one grandparent or other. But the weather is nice! And since I never invite anyone to my home hardly, I'm very tempted to bring some of the nicer things. Of course I have only a hatchback at my disposal.

This ought to be awesome.

The films playing are: ~~Hitchcock~~ (I mean) Hancock, The Incredible Hulk, and Get Smart. I really liked both of the last two. It's $7.50 for admission, and concessions are available. Or you could bring some take out. Or something.

(PS in other news, the kitty is healing fine. kthx.)

alisgray @ 2008-07-12T11:27:00

2008-07-12T16:34:28Z

Well, both my work and personal email accounts are still on the blink. Thank you kindly still to the gentlemen who have been hosting them; I know I'm rich in good friends. It still makes me just a bit twitchy to not know who might be trying to contact me. (No doubt with more concern for the size of my genitals and offers of discounted designer footgear.)

Tomorrow is Bastille Day (observed) at Cafe Barbette. I think I'll go! Today is evidently not shopping day... then again, if I wasn't working I'd probably be out playing too.

FeO, I have mailed your letter but still have to return your library book. And your plants are fine. XOX.

alisgray @ 2008-07-05T13:53:00

2008-07-05T19:08:38Z

predictably very slow day in the storefront.

Kitty health: She's an old, old lady. she's mostly very healthy with her few remaining teeth, and she still jumps and sasses and all that. But she's got a LOT of these odd cysts in her skin, and one of the big ones on her back has opened (it's hard to discuss this because it's kinda gross and I love her.) The vet has examined it, cleaned it up, and given me some meds and stuff. But it's where she can lick it, and that's no good. She can't wear a collar, because there's another cyst on her neck that might open if it got rubbed. Amusingly, the vet recommended I find her a onesie to keep her from licking it. So far I haven't found time to do this, but shall this evening after work. I imagine she'll hate it. I'll need to provide her a way to use the litter box. Poor furry old thing.

The AC in the shop is fixed, HURRAY! My monsterboy and I had a chance to look at CONvergence some last night, even hang out with paulzebras and company. That was nice. The Dreaming is gorgeous. The Space Lounge has never sounded better. Many of our best former Minneapolitans are visiting! It really is one of the most creative, most fun SF conventions around. I hope my sweetheart manages to love it too.

The age-old land war in New Mexico seems to have reached a long-standing detente. Anna and Daniel are evidently prospering this year and eventually this strange old debt will be paid in full. Living well does beat revenge.

alisgray @ 2008-07-03T18:24:00

2008-07-03T23:26:43Z

It's kind of a miserable day so far. Kitty had to go to the vet this morning, and the AC is both out 'til Saturday and going to be X-Pensive. We've put the chocolates up in the refrigerator so they're not damaged by the heat. Gah.

alisgray @ 2008-06-22T21:23:00

2008-06-23T02:52:25Z

About that last poll, thank you kindly to those of you who answered. I appreciate your participation, and I suppose it is something of a sop to my sense of security and ego just to know you're there.

Some of the folks currently listed as "friends" I hardly know but would like to. Some of them are people whom at this point I probably can't keep in contact with elsewise, since they have moved in some direction. Actually my massive f-list includes a number of people who are seldom or never active... at least one is deceased, and I keep her name there as a rememberance. Still I am not able always to keep up on everyone. I sometimes shirk looking at livejournal for a week at a time. I seldom write. Sometimes it is because the day-to-day is so day-to-day. Sometimes it's because I'm afraid of a conflagration from misinterpretation or overexposure. (my business partner does not have me friended, if you will notice. my boyfriend just very rarely reads this anymore, as far as I can tell. he didn't answer the poll.) Often I just feel boring or exhausted.

Birdfigment is right, that the subject came up out of feeling shocked and rejected by being cut from someone else's list. No doubt that person has every right to administer this part of her life as she needs to.

It is all somehow reminiscent of the Five Geek Social Fallacies (a useful meditation, although hardly all-encompassing.)

I don't know yet how I feel about all of this. Evidently there is some pruning to the list that's beneficial. Likely I will get there in a couple of days. I have some self to be getting over.

In other news, attended nicholay's and thetrustmeguy's birthday last night, which was delightful with firecrackers and velvet underground and perilous tales of jodi's ankle.

This afternoon saracura (the girl) and I had a really interesting meeting with luno about software. Then my sweetheart took me out to see Get Smart, which was much funnier than I expected.

The annual car show at the state fairgrounds has been making traffic really curious, symbolic, and irritatingly slow in my neighborhood. I have to wonder how much gas a model T actually uses.

these are pieces of my life that I wonder whether I will remember next year.

100 friends

2008-06-21T18:15:42Z

I can't say I really understand the social networking phenomenon or whether I am using it properly.

View Poll: 100 friends

alisgray @ 2008-05-26T13:02:00

2008-05-26T18:03:06Z

Michael and I are sitting in a coffee shop discussing the Flying Spaghetti Monster. (saracura wasn't familiar with it either.)

Sentiment

2008-05-24T17:46:56Z

I love the flowering trees. It's one of my favorite things about springtime. We're too cold a climate to have many dogwoods, but those are my favorite. My grandmother had and elegant little dogwood in her strange, ornate garden (octagonal brick fishpond, hedges, kiln.) Sometimes my father would stand behind me and make it bark.

Sometimes thinking about that makes me sad.

alisgray @ 2008-05-09T10:34:00

2008-05-09T16:27:46Z

It's evidently not my gallbladder that has been chewing on me, it's a peptic ulcer. And it's (mostly) now under control, I'm thrilled to say. Thanks for everybody's support.

alisgray @ 2008-05-01T19:10:00

2008-05-02T00:20:03Z

Have any of you got experience with gallbladder attacks? My super-sleuthing self-diagnosis is that. Flu is pretty unlikely to be sticking around two weeks with no contagion. I think my brother must have made up "walrus flu," anyway. Anyway, the symptoms are pretty congruent, despite the negative ultrasound.

I am sick and tired of being sick and tired, I can tell you that for sure.

Things at work have been burbling on really rather well, and I should be bragging about our recent wave of publicity.

We were in last Monday's Star Tribune business section as well. Go us!

And, happy May Day!

For the record

2008-04-19T16:21:13Z

Thanks to those who have been looking out for and after me for the last couple of days, chiefly saracura and my sweet monsterboy_msp. Boy howdy was I sick! After a very pleasant (and not-sick) visit in DC with azure_armand and birdfigment, I came down with something most unpleasant and ended up in the Urgent Care getting anti-nausea drugs usually prescribed to chemo patients and two and a half liters of saline intravenously.

But I am back at work today. Perhaps not 100%. But this is all part of the American Dream. I'm so glad I had a partner to take over for me yesterday on her usual day off!

Just a Reminder...

2008-03-12T17:26:34Z

SaraCura in Dinkytown

offers a 10% discount to students every Wednesday! Adornment and thoughtful gifts for every occasion. Jewelry, cards, art, candles, henna, costuming!

New this week are scrabble tile pendants and phone charms by XO Handworks...

more information can be found at http://www.saracura.com/blog.html

Enrich your sensual world.

jumpstarting your SPONTANEOUS

2008-02-20T01:30:25Z

Do I know anyone who would be up for a synthpop musical adventure this Thursday evening that doesn't already have other plans? C'mon. The first step toward having a more vibrant social life is showing up! One and possibly two tickets available.

Of course I could use them myself. But since I was already planning to go, and since I know the hard-working folks who are throwing this event, and I feel they deserve to break even, I'm going to buy my ticket. If you were going anyway, please go! if you were probably not, take me up on this one. (you'll need to get yourself to the Greater Twin Cities and be above the age of 18 to accept.)

This ain't a date. (I have a date.) But it could definitely be An Adventure.

love,
Alis

alisgray @ 2008-02-19T12:07:00

2008-02-19T18:37:12Z

Dear Livejournal, it's true, I have been avoiding you. I've experienced several journal-worthy experiences since my last vaguely personal posting, but I haven't written about them. Is it because of the new allure of Facebook? Or that my to-do list is enormous? Or that it's February and cold and depressing? Or some of all of the above?

Michael and I are together, we're mostly very happy about that though there are some things we haven't figured out yet. I feel like talking about that relationship here is somehow disrespectful of it. Certainly it was really wonderful to have a sweetheart for the Great Greeting-Card Holiday (especially while running a greeting card related business.)

ferrousoxide and I have managed to have some sundry small adventures, the next upcoming one is probably going to see De/Vision at Ground Zero this Thursday. (De/Vision is a German synthpop band -- if synthpop can be oldskool, they'd be it. One of my local favorite bands, Amdeide, is opening. Consider joining us.)

luno generously has helped me by installing the video camera rig in SaraCura (the store). It works! so the *third* time someone smashes our front door, we can show pictures of it to the police, and maybe get that person to pay the extra $400 - $600 vandalism has cost us each time.

Sarah and I went over the calendar yesterday and we confirmed that I have time off in March to travel. I plan to go visit azure_armand and birdfigment, since I've been promising to do that for the last three years. Michael is disappointed that he can't really afford to go with me.

guess that's enough of an update for now.

I Wanna Be Adorned

2008-02-06T22:41:07Z

Hello again from SaraCura! I'd like to remind you that every Wednesday there's a 10% discount on all merchandise here when you show your student ID. Some other things to remember:

Upcoming Henna workshops:

Tuesday, February 19th – from 6 to 8pm

Wednesday, February 27th – from 6 to 8pm

Thursday, March 6th – from 6 to 8pm

Workshops include application and/or materials and a 10% discount on all shop merchandise for the evening.
Cost: $18, $15 with any valid student ID.

Each workshop is limited to 8 participants, please contact us to reserve a spot. saracura@saracura.com

We do now also feature a temporary tattoo preparation similar to henna called Jagua, which is blue-black instead of golden brown in color.
Safe & all natural, no PPD!

(info: http://www.saracura.com/hennaworkshop.html)

Valentining
Our area card makers have been making gorgeous, handmade, unique and small-run cards.

Don't miss our delicious specialty ChocoLove chocolate bars, each with a love-poem in the inner wrapper! As ever, there are shiny things and spangly things and delicious smelling things to try.

We also have Pirate and Sock Monkey Valentine card packs. And Wild Things. should you need that sort of thing. I know I do.

Thanks!

alisgray @ 2008-01-15T20:35:00

2008-01-16T02:37:16Z

Michael made delicious porkchops with German potato balls and gravy and pickled beets for dinner; we shopped for this at Byerly's, because that seemed to me the obvious place to find German specialty comfort foods. Now we are watching The Devil's Backbone, which is one of the most beautiful films I have seen, I think.

love,
Alis

alisgray @ 2008-01-12T14:58:00

2008-01-12T21:20:35Z

I'm at the Java Train with Michael, who is taking a typing test for a temp company. Evidently part of the test is figuring out which browser is kosher with it (Explorer, Netscape Navigator and AOL only, windows only.) It's awful nice to have my own shop to call employment. Although it's totally awfully nice to have two consecutive days off of that as well. I spent an exciting Friday night trying to figure out what the hell had happened to the register balance after a brisk sales day. Three returns and a certain amount of distraction, I think, is the answer. S and I have a plan to keep it from happening again.

I have now have a little time to do things like my laundry! I even finally gave my exciting Christmas/birthday present a spin -- a stand to put my bicycle on to make it a stay-bike. Awesome. I need to rig a table to put my laptop on next to it so I can watch things while I ride. :) Maybe I'll even get to making stuff.

First, however, I get the chance to show St. Paul off to nephster13! He can admire the army of snowmen in my front yard. Perhaps we will make snow angels. I thought it'd be nice to take him to the Como conservatory too, if it's still open. This evening we thought we'd make it out to the club. Who else is coming? [edit: we will be out this Monday as well.]

~~Sunday there is a book club meeting at the Wilde Roast at 6pm, with bookswappage and a discussion of Perdido Street Station. You're all welcome. be good to see you.~~ Someone else's evidently proprietary event. Right. Guess I'll find something else to do. It's a busy weekend already.

if you'd rather catch up with me at work, you can find me there on Monday mornings, every Wednesday and Thursday, and alternating Fridays and Saturdays. Next week it's Saturday. So it shall go throughout January. So it has been written.

alisgray @ 2008-01-07T20:24:00

2008-01-08T02:27:06Z

I am about to head off to meet an old college friend and compatriot* this evening, she's just in town for a short time for work. And, Michael has an interview in the morning. So likely I'll skip Hard Mondays this week after all. But, it's for a good cause!

*it's LISIF! sometimes formerly known as FISH!! and currently called (mysteriously) Allison. she is the mommy of a five year old girl named Maeven, and (no, it's true!!!) wife of James. Yes, that James. All this is really old news, in case you didn't know.)

alisgray @ 2008-01-05T18:51:00

2008-01-06T01:03:15Z

Michael and I have decided to go see what Ground Zero is like on a Saturday night these days. I'm not sure when I was last out on a Saturday.

join us?