By the Pricking of My Thumbs…

I have a confession to make: I have no idea how to use a sewing machine.

I can hear you gasping in shock all the way over here.

Before y’all condemn me, I know how to sew, but only by hand. And it’s not that I haven’t had the opportunity to learn on a machine. My mom sews, my sister sews, my daughter took it in what we used to call Home Economics before it went all politically correct. In retrospect, I should have taken Home Ec. It sure would have made my culinary path a bit easier, that’s for sure. I think the reason I never learned to use a sewing machine was fear: I was afraid of sewing my fingers, or making a huge mistake, or tangling all the bobbins, or having the machine come to life. I have an active imagination.

Lately though, I have been wanting to learn to use a sewing machine. Why? Because all of the tiny little projects I have been doing need some sewing, and my thumbs are about to go on strike.

Last night as I was making a cord cover for Eldest’s light fixture, I jammed the needle into the thumb cuticle. I bet that just made y’all flinch, didn’t it?? I know I sure did. I think that was my last straw. Perhaps getting a small, standard sewing machine isn’t a bad idea. Oh, nothing fancy that does embroidery or the dishes. Just something that will prevent me from inflicting multiple stab wounds on myself. I’ll make sure Santa Claus gets the memo. I know he’s always at a loss as to what to get me 😉

Another One of Those Days

….when I don’t have much to say.

This too, shall pass.

Feeling Stabby

I am not a happy camper today. Aside the fact that Eldest is STILL not finished reorganizing her room, I now have been dealing with a rather ornery thorn in my side: my phone bill. It’s not what I pay. It’s the fact that I’m not getting paper billing when I have requested it five times already.

I understand that I may get someone in a foreign country to help me. I have no problems with foreign accents. But I do have a problem when I keep requesting paper billing, and I don’t get it. It is still an option with my carrier, after all. And the worst part? I can’t see my bill online, because apparently the sign-up feature doesn’t recognize me as being a customer!!!

But hey, let me skip one payment and they sure as heck find my address to send me my overdue bill.

So, if they can send me an overdue notice, why can’t they send me the freakin’ bill in the first place???

Yes, they are now on my Voodoo List™. Here’s hoping that after a stabby session with their representative doll, they get their act together. If next month comes around and there’s no bill, I will make origami machetes out of $1 bills and deliver them personally 😉

My Empire for a Pillow

This post has been 30 years in the making. At least, it feels like it.

I have owned the same pillow since I was sixteen years old. I love my pillow. It’s latex, not feather, and I do get it dry cleaned on a regular basis, so don’t get all icky on me. Anyway, everyone tells you that you must replace your pillow every so-many-years, since pillows tend to “break”. And I have tried. Boy, have I tried….

The first replacement I bought in college. It was a feather/foam type. As soon as I lay on it, it just flattened. I was so disappointed, because the salesperson absolutely guaranteed I would sleep like a baby. Turns out I did. A colicky one.

The second time, I found a latex pillow, and I was ecstatic! It was JUST LIKE MINE!! We were in the process of moving from San Antonio to Fayetteville, NC, when I realized my pillow had been packed with all the household goods. GAH!! We went to some big name housestuff store, and I found it. It was just the right size, too: three inches at the middle thickness. That is important, as you will see later. Anyway, we drove out from Houston to Pensacola, and stayed at a La Quinta overnight. And in my hurry to pack up in the morning, I left my pillow in the hotel room!!

Some hotel staffer is sleeping well in Pensacola.

The third time was only two years ago. I decided to splurge on a memory foam pillow, because that’s all the rage and it’s supposed to conform to your head, blah, blah, blah… So I do. I spend $50 on a pillow, but I am prudent enough to keep my old one, just in case. I try it out that night, hoping against hope that it works.

And I ended up waking up feeling rather stabby. GAH!! This time, Little One ended up with the premium pillow. At least she loves that thing, so it wasn’t a waste of time or money.

I scoured all over town for latex pillows, and finally found one. Number Four was latex, and firm, and awesome. But it was four inches thick, and I ended up waking up with a crick in my neck every morning. So, Son becomes the proud owner of a very nice latex pillow, and Momma once again literally dusts off her old pillow for her use.

Fast forward to last Saturday. Hubby and I had been contemplating a new mattress set. The old one was fine, but the box spring tended to creak horribly if you so much as looked at it. So, you can let your imagination wander here. And….you can stop now. Suffice it to say, it wasn’t conducive to a good night’s sleep, either. So, we went to get a new set, and while purchasing the mattress, I spied another foam pillow. The salesman told me it was a top seller, and I tried it out. Seemed the right height, so I added it to the final purchase. I awaited its arrival in eager anticipation. FINALLY, a new pillow for me!!!

And after two nights of waking up in discomfort, I have to take it back. Short of me shaving off an inch from the pillow top, I don’t see how it can work for me. So, either Eldest will end up with it, or the store will.

All I know is, my old, trusty pillow will probably be with me forever. At least, until I get cremated. Then we will have to part, because burning latex can be toxic, and I don’t want that ending up in the sewage along with my ashes 😉

We Remember

And we shall never forget.

We woke up that day. Let us remember the sacrifices, and never forget the reason. And above all, let us remain vigilant.

Always.

Weird Day

It happens every year.

Kids go back to school, and I briefly enjoy the rapture that comes with the peace and serenity.

And then, I come back to Earth.

I guess today marks the day I return to reality. But it’s hard finding a groove again after dealing with kids being home for a while. This morning I walked the dog, folded the towels, and started dinner prep. And I was done by 9 AM. Shopping is out, since I am still adhering to my financial diet. Eating is out, since that would lead to shopping for larger sizes in the long run, not to mention more eating from being depressed over buying larger sizes. And there is just so much cleaning I can do before I begin doing the kids’ chores.

I’m sure this will last all of two days. By Friday, I shall be back in the swing of things. Until then, I will start making the Christmas List, making gifts, and planning my Halloween costume.

It’s never too early for that!! 😉

Six Songs of Me

Sing a song of sixpence, this ain’t. I’m just going to go ahead and blame Nicole for it, though she found it at Dustbury, who got it from Bayou Renaissance Man, who got it…. Well, you get the idea. But I figure it’s a short meme, and I have been lacking in blog fodder, and it’s bound to cause someone to get an earworm, so WINNING!!

What was the first song you ever bought?

I saved lunch money until I could buy Heat of the Moment, by Asia.

Yep, I still own it. I will NEVER get rid of it.

What song always gets you dancing?

It’s a statistical tie: Shook Me All Night Long, by AC/DC, and Dance the Night Away, by Van Halen. And I think the latter edges out the former, but not by much.

What song takes you back to your childhood?

The Emperor Waltz, by Johann Strauss II. Not a song, but my dad used to play it a lot while I was growing up.

What is your perfect love song?

This one is tough. Our song, mine and Hubby’s, is not a traditional love song. And since I wish to keep that tidbit of trivia to myself, I shall go with my second choice: At Last, by Etta James.

What song would you want at your funeral?

Well, since The Imperial March would be too cliché, and Who Wants to Live Forever? by Queen would be too heartbreaking, I shall go with Llama, Llama, Duck.

Y’all didn’t think I would be serious at my own funeral, did you?

Time for an encore. One last song that makes you, YOU.

I thought about this one for a while. Fire Woman, by The Cult. Smoke, she is arising 😉

My Name is Aggie, and I Remember EVERYTHING

It’s a gift, and a curse.

I was blessed with a very good memory. Well, some call it a blessing. I call it The Curse of a Thousand Gnats. Why? Because that’s what it feels like, to have so much stuff floating around in my grey matter. Seriously, who cares if actress Jennifer Tilly is a poker champion? Or that there are 119 grooves in a U.S. quarter? Or that there are 20 kisses described in the Kama Sutra?

Ok, that last one may be helpful. Don’t ask how I know.

The other day, we were visiting my sister’s and Hubby remarked that the only other people he personally knew to have owned boxer dogs were his grandparents.

Hubby: She was a very nice dog. Gypsy.

Me: No, her name was Queenie.

Hubby: Are you sure?

Me: Yep. I never met Gypsy, only Queenie.

Hubby: Crap, I’m losing it.

And it’s not just useless trivia and random memories. It’s remembering what my 23 year old niece was wearing the last time I saw her, when she was a toddler. It’s remembering the last view of my grandmother as we drove away. It’s remembering the scent of the flowers at a friend’s grave.

But it’s also remembering the first time Hubby kissed me. And it’s also remembering the nail polish I wore on my wedding day as Hubby slipped the ring on my finger. And it’s remembering the joy at holding each of my babies in my arms for the first time. Sometimes memories serve to remind us of the wonderful successes and even the tragic failures we have experienced so that we may better appreciate the paths we have chosen.

I just wish sometimes I could stop remembering that the shoelace tip is called an aglet 😉

Sunday Sithy

Today I am travelling. I’m taking my mom back to her home, and it will be an all day affair. So, here’s a Sithy for y’all.

I’ve always wondered how they bend 😀

Have a great Sunday!!

Things I Miss

Yesterday I was having a nice chat with a dear friend and it hit me: I miss a lot of stuff. No, I don’t mean that I need target practice. I mean that there are things I miss from my life and wish I could have them again.

I miss the sound of coquís, I miss having the choice of mountain or beach. I miss being able to walk into town for lunch or to see what’s going on in the plaza. I miss the ability to get in a car and drive to the river.

I’m thinking it’s time I flew to Puerto Rico for a visit 😉