new runners

i have been actively going to the gym 3 - 4 days a week. trying to make 4 the more common number, but some weeks it just doesn't happen.
recently my feet and ankles have been hurting. looking at my shoes i thought "they're fine." but then i started remembering what i had learned in CC. shoes only last so long. and i think I've had these like.... 3 or 4 years, and they're my top tier shoe.

so, following in my sister-in-law's foot steps I bought a pair of Vibram FiveFingers- Classic. since i wanted a color other than black, i had to order them. they should be here next week, and I'm WAY excited.
Apparently they can barley keep them in stock at our local REI, which means that more people are following the idea that the unstructured shoe is better for you. this is as close to being barefoot as you can get from the current retail market.

and in case you had missed it some how, i hate wearing shoes.

Do's and Don't's of Spring Fashion...

... according to MSN.

1. DO try the nude trend
2. DON'T forget to keep things simple when wearing a feather skirt.
3. DO go head to toe indigo
4. DON’T shelf the sparkly tops in the “for the fancy parties I go to once or twice a year” section of your closet.
5. DON’T overdo the novelty-print thing.
6. DO make tie-dye look sophisticated with non-boho accessories.
7. DO liven up your wardrobe with a high-impact pattern.
8. DO have a sense of adventure this season.
9. DON’T stash those silver and gold pieces until date night! Go ahead and wear ‘em during the day

just so you know.

confused emotions

something i have had to work really hard at is leaving the job at the job. i'm not a workaholic, but i have a hard time leaving the emotional stress at work.
i have been feeling a lot better since i now, rarely deal with the boss that makes me crazy. but still there are things.

yesterday:
-found out several people had been let go over the last several weeks.
-found out the rest of design will be in NYC next week- the exact week i had requested to be there for the children's version of Magic. i found out from one of the assistants, who found out from another assistant, who only knows because her boss decided to tell her no one would be here next week. Oh and my brand is tied for 3rd highest selling out of 6. and i have the smallest line.
-found out my catalog went to print and i never saw it.
-found things re arranged on my office wall this morning, because apparently conversations were had after i left last night.
- continue to find out that changes were made to garments, only when i get a new approval- not when the changes are made, nor am i ever involved.
- oh and my hormones are all wacky with the new meds and I've been a bit of a bitch.

it goes on from there.
that part of me is annoyed.

on the flip side i am way excited about:
- being 4 for 4 on good experiences at Dr.s offices this month. more good experiences than i have ever had in my life combined.
i finally feel like i am moving forward with the efforts to solves my health issues.
-i bought new running shoes, and cant wait for them to get here.
- the figure skating costumes have been great.
- we have dinner reservations for The Mealting Pot Friday night.
- i lost a pound last week. not really significant. but it was nice to see the scale number go backwards 1.
- its spring! there will be warm weather and lots of snow!

this part of me is wildly excited.

i am confused. its stressful being really excited and really annoyed at the same time.

oh Subaru, you make me so sad.

Subaru! What have you done?

Why is the 2010 re-designed Outback now larger than the newly enlarged Forester? The Outback is supposed to be a station wagon, not an SUV. What are you thinking?
*note the height of the people in both pictures. its not as obvious here. wait till you see one.
2009


2010

the art of art.

as everyone knows, the art you create, you usually hate. Sometimes i look back over sketches i did 6 months to several years ago and they are better than i remembered. however things i thought were good at the time, i often no longer like. i don't know if this has to do with personal expectations, or what.

i need to start drawing again. i had started a project that i thought would be helpful to me, but quickly got distracted and it is now gathering dust.

i want to start that project again, but i am coming up with lots of excuses for why i haven't.
1. i spend all day trying to be creative- a lot of forced creativity. which is hard.
2. i don't have time. [i do.]
3. i admire so many other peoples wide ranging illustration styles and am discouraged, feeling that mine are inferior and, pretty much, crap. i really haven't found my "style."

i know that i need to just get out that pencil, and draw, and stop worrying. because i do have the time, i just enjoy being lazy. but lazy is less enjoyable when it is the only thing you do.

RIP McQueen

RIP McQueen.

ValOlymCiNew

it was a good weekend!

First the 2010 winter Olympics kicked off in Vancouver, Canada.
We watched some of the opening ceremony- who knew Canada was known for punk tap dancing?

Second it was Valentines- and we had a lovely day of movie watching, wine and hot wings.
Ok, so every weekend is a pretty darn good weekend for us. and most things we do are romantic somehow. sometimes eating hot wings and a bottle of wine are all i want out of my day.

Third it is Chinese New Year [of the dragon]. I am hoping to make some fortune cookies this week- as i got a wonderful little fortune cookie DIY kit from our friends Robin and Charles, at Christmas.
i am dreaming of ma pow [sp?] tofu and hotpot and pot stickers.... mmmmm...

organized space

i had every intention if getting the Christmas stuff finally packed away and out of my craft room.
i was unsuccessful at self motivation.
for that matter i have every intention of getting this really truly organized so that room and space can be used better.
i have been meaning to do this for 2 years.

what can i say. I'm lazy. I'm not terribly self propelled. and once i do organize things, i either forget my plan, or do a project and never put anything away.

its not because my mother didn't try. I've always been "messy" but deep down i wish everything lived in its place all the time and that putting things away wasn't the most awful thing in the whole world.
frankly i find the chaos a bit .... oh you nkow when you find your self panicking in too small of a space.. yeah. like that.

maybe i just dream a little too much of magazine beauty. in magazines pets can live in a home full of fancy furniture and delicate arrangements- never shedding, creating dust or knocking things over.

the challenge

I've been complaining about things to my Dr.s for a couple years now.

they keep doing blood tests. they keep telling me that everything is normal. i would guess that everything is not normal when every visit, with every Dr. ever starts with "your neck is huge!"
and then the tests are normal, and they put of my complaints to the fact that clearly i am lying about my diet and exercise. its understandable. everyone lies. and everyone lies to the Dr. and most likely themselves about these things, in particular.

i have never been skinny. I was trim in high school- before i got sick, and spent a semester lying on the couch drinking soda, because it was the only thing that didn't hurt my throat.
after college i started playing soccer again. i got my weight down a bit and was happy.
and then, it started to creep back.... slowly at first... but then it just wouldn't stop. i don't sleep well, i have problems breathing and I'm ALWAYS hot. i have gained 60 pounds, most of it in a 2 year span.
it was finally recommended that I see a specialist.
They looked at my numbers and couldn't believe i hadn't been being treated for an under active thyroid. Actually it's the first time i have had a positive experience at a Dr.s office in as long as i can remember.
an under active thyroid means that my metabolism isn't working right. [I've never had a fast one to begin with.]

So. Starting soon, I will be medicating- hoping to get things working right again and hopefully get my self back to a healthier weight.

I'm very self conscious of it. I feel the stairs of people i haven't seen in a while. I wonder who is judging me. I am happy to have a supportive husband, who is very good at saying all the right things. and i try to remember, that, despite what is reflected on the outside, i know that i am trying and i hope it will finally show.

Neb. 2

Tater-tots are known as Gems.

Nebraska...

where to start.. where to start....

well, we started by accusing poor product design on a gadget made in China.

went to the Lutheran soup supper. for $4, all you can eat ham sandwiches, chili or chicken noodle and 9 kinds of pie. I had an AMAZING piece of mullberry pie.

there was later a joke about some one thought something smelled funny. mush have been the Lutherans... HA

had a baked potato w/ broccoli cheese soup for $3.50

had hamburger and fries at the Legion for $4.50

was told to eat an orange- then told it would probably be too dry.

was told to eat a sandwich, then was told the bread was probably too dry.

my grandmother didn't know anyone involved w/ the Grammys, except for Miley Cyrus- who she though was a sweet young girl.

She didn't know why anyone would want to see any of the performers in concert. including Elton John.

i know there was a lot more. but i have blanked on it for now.

Spring and things

OMG OMG!! SPRING IS COMING!
Spring is my second favorite only to Fall.

I find spring to be terribly romantic. Everything is new and beautiful and green. I love watching new little plants push up out of the ground.
Its been 10 years since I was in London in the spring, and I desperately wish to go back and share my favorite city with Tim.
It's been 3 years since Tim and I went to Chengdu, China. Where I decided I was absolutely head over heals in love, and would have married him then and there on top of a mountain. Incidentally we have a forever lock on a chain along the path to the top of a Taoist mountain, with our initials engraved and the date.

Valentines Day is coming up. I have to say, I enjoy this holiday. For me it marks the start of spring. I also think of it a bit like Thanksgiving. I like to think of all the things and all the people I love and why.
I know almost everyone dislikes this holiday, saying "It's only for a select few" or "I don't need to be told to be romantic one day of the year."* Maybe not, but I think it is fun to have that day dedicated to Love. No one is saying you cant do romantic things the rest of the year.
Do most people expect too much out of Valentines Day? Yes probably. I know deep down that I don't need or want the diamond tennis bracelet, but good god in the days surrounding this holiday i sure as hell do.
Have fun, think of all the people and things you love and cherish and don't take it all so seriously.


* I know some girls who were talking about their Valentines plans over a month ago. When i commented that they seemed excited about it [they both have boyfriends this year], they replied in unison what a shitty holiday it was and so forth. Excuse me, I'm not the one that has plans, knows the days of the week, or what my work schedule for that weekend is before the New Year.

Lazy day.... kind of

Lazy day for me. busy day for Tim. When he started planning this LARP event, we thought it was happening last Saturday, but change of plans, and it is tonight, so we are no longer going to Derby Prom, he is full of adrinalin, and i dont have any plans.

Sitting at my desk this week feeling kind of terrible, i was thinking all the things i wanted to get done at home this weekend.
put away the Christmas boxes.
do some drawing
get new photos on the computer machine.

and i continue to not feel all that well. I've been in a bot of limbo, not feeling good, but not feel that bad either.
i don't really want to do anything. At all. but am still sad i do not have plans for tonight. [admittidly i have made no, zero, zip effort to have plans tonight.]

olympics 2010

As most of you know, the winter Olympics will be starting shortly. This years host is Vancouver, BC.
When we were in Seattle over Thanksgiving I started seeing merch. And it is amazing. I wanted all of it. I am SO impressed with the mascot design, along with the more serious, actual sports designs. I love the Olympics, and i can not wait!

this week

i need to write something here. but what I'm not sure.

The Mr. is finally taking the plunge, starting up his own one shot/one day LARP group. He has been talking about this for a year. foreseeably this is something that, in the future he would not loose money on. though the chance of making money is slim. still i'm glad that he is dong this.

it's market week for me. every januarary Denver hoasts the largest western buyers mart in the US. [i think Atlanta is knownfor their Christmas market.]This is an exciting, crazy, exhosting, dreaful time of year. i spend most of my day in the back room dressing modles for our runway fashion show within the show room. when i'm not in the back i am either in the way, not being helpful enough or gazing longingly at beautiful boots- the kind that i dont need, wont wear much, but absoutly love and want to own. maybe this year i will find a pair in a more erasonable price range than the ones i have been lusting after for a year.
this year my first official with my name attached Kids line will be on the run way. I am super excited. in the office i just finished summer and am thinking aobut outerwear and soforth for the following fall. fall 2011. i think that this current group is going to have blow out sales.

out of my head onto the computer

my work computer has been having issues all week. virus issues.
i had no computer before lunch, and now i am trying to work on something that is taking 45 min to rasterize in Illustrator.
my head hurts. right on schedule for my monthly sinus infection. BOOO.
i just really feel not good today.
i got my bonus check at work today. since its a bonus i want to do something fun with it. usually we spend it on car repairs.
there are some cowboy boots i have been lusting after for a yr. and a camera that i want badly. travel plans w/ no funding, car repairs, house up-dates.... etc.

We have talked of going to Taiwan this year, to visit friends who are their teaching English. I intensely wish to return to London. its been 10 years since my first trip over seas. I fell in love with London. Even now i look for job opportunity's that would take us there to stay.
i want to go in late February or early march to see the daffodils at Kew Gardens. the museums are amazing, the architecture fantastic and the tea shops plentiful.
I loved it there and i want to share London with Tim.

I think i have come to understand "survivors guilt"- at least on a low level. We know a number of people who seem to have hit rough patches in their personal relationships lately. its hard knowing that you are madly in love and in a fantastic marriage, while knowing so many others are miserable. there is nothing you can say - or should say that can help them find happiness, but you don't want to throw your own happiness in their face.
2010 has started out really good for us, and i hope that everyone else we know finds happiness too.

We made meatballs last night.

tales from the gym

why do women wear giant dangley earrings at the gym? it looks painful and stupid.

the orchid story

So the orchid did survive it's first day w/ the cats. and no one appears to have thorns stuck in their paws or mouths.

The story w/ the orchid [as told by Tim]:

"Hey, this plant rung up at $30.00 The sign says it's $14.00." "No, that's only the obvious sign. This was the sign that's facing the wall, hidden behind some plants, that says $23.00" "Can I have it for the large, visible, advertised price instead?" "No, but you can have it for free." Negotiation: win!

DAM

Denver Art Museum's current exhibit is a series of installation pieces by different artists.

i liked this one.

tales from the gym

your iphone looks stupid in a giant encasing arm band thing.

there was a guy carrying around a 2 liter bottle of green tea ginger ale.

and so so so sooo many people in attendance for the first monday of the new year.