Narcissistic Sundays #10: Adventures in Moving

Adventures in Moving

The U-Haul we rented was a fairly small one. We did not have much in the way of furniture, since our campus apartment was furnished. Over the 2 ½  years of living in Davis, we did accumulate “Stuff”. Yard sales and moving sales, and even just free stuff from students moving and leaving Davis was a great source of the odds and ends of “Stuff” we collected.

My bead collection had also grown significantly. A few trips to General Bead, and up to Folsom over 2 years has increased my stash from what once fit in a shoe box to 2 good sized 15 x 20 boxes. I loved how my collection had grown! I stored most of the hanks I bought in small baby food jars gleaned from a next door neighbor. Beads stored in glass jars made for heavy boxes.

With map in hand, we were ready to go to Southern California. It was another adventure for me. I had never been to Southern California. Not having driven a car more than 3 times since arriving in California, made me especially nervous driving what to me was an enormous vehicle, and the expectation of the famed LA traffic was enough to give me an overdose of adrenaline.

We must have hit the LA area at the right time. Traffic was not horribly bad. Busy, as it was early afternoon, unbeknownst to me, we hit the lag just before rush hour traffic was on the rise. We did not have a home to move into. We were “winging it” Once we got to Upland, I planned on staying one or 2 nights in a cheap hotel while looking for an apartment. We checked into a Motel 6 right off the freeway in Upland and parked the vehicle. The U-haul sputtered and chocked when I turned the U-Haul off. Didn’t sound too good.

I was eager to start looking at apartments. So once we “freshened up” we piled back into the U-haul. We drove about ½ mile up to a nice looking apartment complex and decided to see what they had to offer. It looked quite nice. Well kept grounds, a pool and rent was a tad on the high side for what my budget allowed. We settled on a 1 bedroom apartment for the 3 of us. The soonest we could move in was the next day, while they ran a credit check.

I thought I would take a little time to “explore” the neighborhood while I had a vehicle to drive, since I thought it would be a while before I could afford to buy one. We drove around what we thought would be the range of our walking distance from the apartment and found just about everything we would need. Grocery stores, restaurants, clothing stores, everything was near by.

Exhausted, we decided to go back to the hotel and maybe go for a swim in the scrappy little pool that the hotel had. It sounded refreshing and just what I needed after a long haul down to Southern CA.

The entrance to the hotel was very narrow. I drove carefully, but didn’t make the proper allowance for the top of the U-haul. I should have kept more to the right where the building didn’t jut out so far. The U-Haul met the building with a considerable WHACK!/ Plaster from the building fell in chunks. The manager came running out. I am not sure to this day, if he really thought there was an earthquake, or just didn’t care that I had remodeled part of his building. He asked if we “felt that jolt”. We were quick to say, “yes, it was a good one”, to which he went back inside.

The next morning, I called the apartment manager, she gave us the OK, that we could move in. Excited, we piled back into the U-Haul to drive it the ½ mile up the road to our new home. I put the key in the ignition and tried to start it. It sputtered. I tried again. This time it backfired. I tried a third time and the U-Haul was lifeless.

I called U-Haul and they sent someone over to assess the situation. The man got into the U-haul to see if it would start for him. The damned U-haul started like a charm, as if it were brand new. I felt foolish. I told him the symptoms, including the sputtering I noticed the day before. I asked if he would follow us up the road to the apartment since I was apprehensive about making it there.

The man followed us until we turned into the drive way,  then continued on. I felt rather foolish, but I was happy to be in the parking lot of our new place. I parked the U-Haul and went into the office to sign papers and get the keys.

The apartment we were given was further down the parking lot. We needed to move the U-haul closer so we wouldn’t have to carry our stuff so far. I put the key in the ignition, and attempted to start the U-haul. KA-BOOOM!!!!! Then black smoke came billowing out from under the hood of the U-Haul. It was quite a sight. John and I looked at each other, Jasmine crying from fright, and we just shrugged our shoulders. We were here, in the parking lot of our new place. Yes, a bit further than we cared to lug all our boxes, but we did have a dolly. So, we schlepped all our stuff to our new apartment. Some that day, and the rest the following day.

I called U-Haul and told them they had to tow their truck if they wanted it back. IT took them 2 weeks to pick up their broken down truck.

It was kind of fun to arrange our things in a new apartment and walk and bike to discover our new home town of Upland CA from our place on Mountain Ave. It was a nice uphill street going up to Mount Baldy. I didn’t even know it was there due to the smog. I finally saw it one clear morning from my kitchen window and it surprised the heck out of me. There it was, every nook and cranny visible. It was a rare smogless day when I discovered it.

We had the weekend to settle-in. Monday would be my first day at my exciting new job that I hoped would be the job I would keep for many years, possibly even until retirement.

My Year Ahead

My year ahead.

We have just gotten through January, and already the rest of my year is pretty well booked up. How can that be? There are still 11 months to go.

I just sent in applications for two Art and Wine Festivals. One is in August, the other in October. I have to fill out my application for a show in May, and for one in November.  At the end of March and into April, Jasmine and I will be in the UK for 2 weeks for family matters. In June or July (we are uncertain of when at this time), we are expecting Jasmine’s fiancé to emigrate from Turkey, then there will be a wedding shortly thereafter. Oh…and I think I will be teaching a class for the Embroidery Guild in November (Adeline help me with this, I seem to have lost the date!!!).

Phew. Some time in the midst of all this, I would love a vacation. I usually go somewhere for about 3 weeks, get on a plane and discover a new land. I don’t know where I will go yet. There are a lot of factors this year that will influence my decision.

It is crazy how quickly the year gets “booked up”. I can hardly keep things straight! And to think when I still lived in the San Jose area, I would do no less than 12 shows per year, and teach 2-3 times per month.

That was over 10 years ago. I have slowed down some. Darnn it!! Getting older has a way of making you want to put the brakes on a bit. But even when I try to keep up with things, moving at mach-1 speed with my hair on fire, I cant seem to keep up.

I spent about a half hour this morning in the backyard pulling weeds that were engulfing my gnome village. I know, it’s the end of January and most of you can’t imagine going outside to pull weeds at this time of year. I remember what it’s like in the snow country, and I don’t miss it. Anyways, my “garden” was overgrown with weeds, I could hardly see my gnomes.  Poor things. I pulled out a lot, but still, there is much work to be done.

I can’t keep up with it all. It drives me nuts. There are too many things I have to do when all I would like to do is bead and design (which I have woefully been neglecting).

How do you keep up with all the things YOU need to do?

TRIVIA QUESTION!!!!

Surprise!! A Beaded Bear's Nonsense trivia question for my FOLLOWERS!! Sign up if you arent one at the right side bar.

What did Norm the Gnome in the Know do with a wine barrel that his friend Heinz gave him?

First correct answer wins $20 towards any kit on my website.

WE HAVE A WINNER!! 

CONGRATS CATHEY!

Please email me with your selection at beadedbear@earthlink.net

Coffee or Tea?

Do you prefer Coffee or Tea? Do you like the caffeine jolt that coffee gives you? The big bold flavor of Coffee? Do you like it black? Or do you like the sweet creaminess of a Caramel Macchiato?

Or is tea your thing? Black? Green? Herbal? With sugar and cream? Or with lemon?

Do you have a strong preference of either? Does tea make you gag? Does coffee have enough of a caffeine jolt to make your heart go into fibrillation and you have a need of the paramedics?

I like both. I was a Starbuck’s junkie for a while. Absolutely hooked on the stuff. Especially during the time that Jasmine worked for Starbucks. She brought home a pound of coffee per week (one of the benefits of working for the company). Sometimes she would bring home a package of tea. The choice was hers.

During the time, when we were a two income family, and I could afford my Caramel Macchiato, or a Latte, I would stop in about 3 times a week for my morning Elixir from the heavens. That’s what I used to think of it.

Good coffee has its complexities. Is it from Guatemala? Is it from Africa? Is it Kona coffee from Hawaii? Every source has a different effect on the smoothness and boldness. If you are strictly a supermarket variety coffee drinker, than maybe you are missing some of the real joys of coffee drinking.

I have also always enjoyed tea, especially in the summer. I always have herbal iced tea in the fridge. Celestial Seasoning’s Zinger teas make a fantastic summer beverage. I put 4 teabags into a gallon container filled with water, and into the fridge it goes. No need to boil water, or put it in the sun. About 2 hours later, it’s ready to drink. I don’t add sugar, it is tart and flavorful enough on its own merits.

Since my arsenal of Starbuck’s coffee is pretty much spent (and I can’t afford a $10 per pound bag, except on special occasions, and Yuban and the like give me a bad sour stomach), I have for the most part become a tea aficionado. Fine…I will say it , a tea SNOB.

I LOVE teas. There are so many varieties it is insane. If you claim that you don’t like tea, I think you just have not found the right tea. And as with wine, and even with coffee, there are great quality teas and the ones that are poorly made with horrible flavors.

I think that in the US, drinking of tea is slowly becoming sort of a cult thing. There are tea shops opening here and there, serving formal tea in the English fashion, complete with cucumber sandwiches. There are also Japanese tea shops that are similar in set up to Starbucks. They serve a variety of teas, hot and cold, with or without “Pearls” (somewhat like large balls of tapioca) and pastries. “YUMMY!!”

There are also some great tea suppliers. One of my favorites is Teavana. They have a store in the mall in San Jose. Every time that Jasmine and I go to that store, we walk out with an insane amount of teas. They have these huge tins for you to smell, and samples to taste, as well as other tea accoutrements. One of my favorites is the Almond Biscotti tea (since they have discontinued their Rose-Marzipan Tea). It is a black tea that tastes of almond biscotti (I do add a bit of sugar and cream so I can enjoy the full decadence of this brew). But that is not the only tea I love…they have too many to list.

I also love Tea Forte. They have a fantastic herbal tea that I like to make. The Raspberry Nectar tea makes a wonderful bright red tea with a wonderful raspberry flavor! They also carry the most wonderful tea pots and cups! They make for a wonderful tea party setting.

Then there is the somewhat hard to find Rote Grutze tea.  Oddly enough, I bought a small sack of this tea in Beijing, when Jasmine and I were there last summer.  I was surprised to find this German product in this Asian land of tea. This tea is named after the fruity German desert that I grew up with and loved as a kid. Let me tell you…this is my ABSOLUTE favorite iced tea. Once I finished the sack of tea, I went on a mission to get more. It took a little doing, but I found it at Upton Tea Imports. They have the mother of all tea catalogues. Every variety in a multitude of flavors, and mixes. It is really mind boggling!

Hmmm…..I think if I were to have my idea of my perfect business to be in…it would be a tea and bead party.

I still have an open invitation to anyone who wants to take me up on it! Tea and crumpets anyone?

Up and Running

I know that as far as the average female behaves, I am really low maintenance. I don’t have a lot of need for foo-foo girly things. It’s not that I don’t like them, but they just don’t fit into my present life style.

This morning on the way in to work, I was astounded when they were talking about the average day of the average female. Let me tell you, I am WAY off the chart. I am so far below “NORMAL’ that I must be bordering on the Male side of the equation (and before you guys think I am categorizing you as sub-normal, I am NOT…just bear with me a while).

I don’t remember all the actual numbers the radio guy was spouting off, and I couldn’t write during my commute through the pea-soup fog this morning, so if some of you might know of this breakdown more exactly than I, forgive my inaccuracies. But I will still be close.

 

It was said that the average female takes just a tad under 1 hour to get ready for work.  Here is the approximate breakdown : 8 minutes to shower, 8 minutes to get dressed, 12 minutes to style her hair, and 15 minutes to put on make up, 5 minutes to eat breakfast . Ok..so this adds up to 48 minutes. There was an additional total of 10 minutes that I can’t remember what the average female does before heading out the door.

From the moment I get up, until I walk into my office, I will have spent a total of 34 minutes. Here is my breakdown.

Up and running:

Jump out of bed, shower                            5 min

Get dressed                                               3 min

Brush hair                                                  1 min

Feed Zoo while kettle for tea is on             6 min

Grab fruit, stuff for work                           1 min

Drive to work                                           18 min

Grand Total                                            34 minutes

By the time I get to work to start my day, the average female is still fussing with goop on her face.

Ok, fine, I am not a glamour queen. I don’t wear makeup. My hairstyle is wash and run, and my daily work clothing consists of jeans and a T-shirt. I can dress with a speed that many a fireman wishes he could.

I am a “field” person. I go to manufacturing and construction sites to do my work. Dresses, heels and girly paraphernalia do not go well with what I do. I work in basically a “man’s world” more often than not. While I have not lost my femininity, I am not a girly-girl…for the most part.

I shake my head when I watch others of my gender obsess with make up and hair, and worry about if their butt looks “fat” in a pair of jeans. I frankly can’t be bothered. I KNOW my butt looks fat. One less thing to worry about. I have better things to spend time on. I will only have those worries for “Special Occaisions” when dressing up is part of the event.

Maybe the other reason I don’t bother with all this foo-foo stuff is I hate wearing panty hose. The crotch always hangs down to my knees. I hate high heels, and would love to shoot the misogynistic bastard who invented them, and I feel that make up’s real purpose is to paint over ugliness.

I think the guys have it right. You are what you are, so don’t waste time on superficial stuff that doesn’t matter. And besides, I can sleep in just a bit longer than the average girl and still get to work on time!

Bragging Rights: Linda Craig

Linda did several of my patterns. The top 2 are from my Santas of the World collection.
Then there is the Snowman Bracelet and the Petro Horse Bracelet

I think she did a superb job, don't you? I especially like the horse bracelet.

Great Job, Linda!!

Tipsy Tuesday, 1/26/10 Use of Designs

This week’s Tipsy Tuesday’s question was submitted by Karen, who earned a free pattern for her question.

Send in any question, on any topic, and once the three of us (Norm, Barney and I) answer it, you too can earn your free pattern. Not a bad deal, right?

Here is Karen’s question:

“Can we use items made from your patterns in local bead shows?”


“The background. I am currently working on your Starry Night tapestry. When I get it done I was hoping to enter it in our local Glass Art Show in Cheyenne put on by the Botanic Gardens.”


“The show was started for stain glass art but the local beaders talked them into letting beaded items be entered since the beads were made of glass. The tapestry won't be done this year but hopefully it will be done in time for the show next year. I would love to enter it giving you credit for making the pattern.”


“I love this tapestry. It is so neat to see the picture develop. Have you ever thought of making Van Gogh's Sunflowers into a pattern? That would be beautiful also.”


YES OF COURSE, you can enter any beadwork made from my patterns to enter into a show, fair or any other exhibit. I would appreciate a credit as the designer, with my website http://www.beadedbear.com if possible.

Many beaders have entered shows, and exhibits and have won ribbons using my patterns. I am very proud of that fact. I would love for you to send me a jpg of the project, along with the ribbon for my webpage (and I will also post it here).

I know some other designers would take objection to you using their design to enter a show in this way. That is their call. But for me, I really do get my enjoyment through other beaders who have won with my designs. Gee…with beaders help, I have become an award winning designer many times over. I think that is fantastic!
I have started doing Van Gogh’s Sunflowers several years ago, and just did not like how it was coming out. There just didn’t seem to be enough shades of the yellow/orange to do it right. I might have to revisit it and see if I still feel the same way.

Not every image will translate well to beads because of the color choices available in beads. I wish we had all the variances of shades as there are for embroidery thread. But that is not the case. So those of us who design, do the best we can do with what we have.



Norm the Gnome in the Know’s Response:

A little known fact about us Gnomes: Our design for our hats was stolen by a fat man in a red suit. He tried to steal our style. Sometimes people confuse us with him. He just gets better publicity than us that’s why he is generally better known than us Gnomes. Also, he buys favoritism by going down chimneys and giving away stuff to snot nosed kids. I wish one day he would just get stuck there. Or that his reindeer would crap on him, the lousy copy-rat.

I would never let someone use my designs for anything because of this, even though it happened so long ago. That is why some designers are so protective of what they create.


Barney the Brainy Bruin’s Response:

I don’t understand the question. What would be wrong with showing off your work? If I ever did any work, I would be showing off all the time.

I’d rather eat berries, sleep and leave the work to others who are silly enough to do it.

Bragging Rights: Cheryl Bernhardt

Cheryl bought both of these kits from me. Available on my website.

The Brambleberry necklace/earring set is a fun set to make. The berries are incredibly easy to make. You will love them. It's kinda hard to stop making them.

The Polar Bear bracelet is fun too. You could even make the single polar bears into earrings.

Cheryl did a really fantastic job. I was especially happy to know that she could make sense of the directions to the Brambleberry set since that took several steps to create this layered piece.

Narcissistic Sundays #9: Further Job Hunting/Graduation Day

A REAL JOB, Is It In Sight?

It was coming down to the wire. I had 8 weeks to find a job, and move out of Student Family Housing. I had a couple more interviews that I was sort of hopeful about. One was at a chicken processing plant in California’s Central Valley. I borrowed a friend’s car and made the drive down to the plant. They wanted a quality control specialist. I had no idea what that meant as far as what my daily duties would entail, but I was grasping at ANYTHING that I had the remotest chance at for employment.

I found the plant. It was in the middle of no-where. The scenery reminded me of a scene of  John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. It was flat, dry, and dusty with not much else around it.  Even the tumbleweed was blowing about. The building was ugly, surrounded with a chain link fence topped with barbed wire. I suspected that was to keep employees in rather than robbers out.

I took a deep breath, and went up the stairs to Administration. They had me wait in the narrow hallway that was covered in bright green astro turf.  While I was waiting, I looked through the window into what I could see of the plant. I saw a Congo line of disemboweled poultry hanging from hooks going by at a rapid rate. I decided right then, that unless they offered me a mansion on a hill with a chauffer, I was not going to take this job. My desperation to find a job would only go so far before I drew the line. But since I was here, the interviewing experience would be good. Maybe I could have just a little fun with the interview since I did not care what the outcome was.

Finally, a man called me into his office. He was pleasant enough, and the questions were predictable. What classes did I take? What was I hoping to find? What qualities are my strengths, and weaknesses?  I answered them like a pro. He was getting a great impression from me.

Then he asked me some managerial types of questions. I got through a few of them before he asked me, “What do you think of manager/subordinate relationships? What is your managerial philosophy in this area?” The way he asked the question was poorly worded. I knew what he was after, but I gave him an answer he did not expect.

“What relationships a supervisor and a subordinate has, is their business. I would not care, as long as it did not interfere with work, and as long as their affection with each other was discreet.”

I could barely keep a straight face.

He lost his composure. I don’t really think he thought I was funny, or trying to be funny. He just looked at me with total disbelief, and almost horror! He had all he could do to ask me a couple more questions before sending me on my way.

The rejection letter arrived within a week! No managing disemboweled poultry (or randy employees) for me!

My Graduation day had finally arrived. I attended the ceremony along with my classmates, and Jasmine walked the stage with me. It was as much her "graduation" as it was mine. Little did I know at the time that some 20 years later, she too would walk across the very same stage to accept her Bachelor's Degree.

I was happy to graduate, but sad to leave the educational life I loved, and my classmates. Some went on to continue their schooling, others found jobs. For all of us, the day was a springboard to new adventures, and the great unknown of being self supporting adults.

Meanwhile, I had another interview. It was at a Navy base in Vallejo, just a few miles from San Francisco. I would be responsible for dealing with asbestos and hazardous waste from submarines. It seemed like a challenging job. The person who would be my boss and I hit it off really well. I really felt comfortable with him. So comfortable, that I asked him “How do YOU like your job?” His answer was telling.

“It’s a job….”

Hmmm…not happy. Ok…why? No, I didn’t ask. I thought I asked enough.

I also had a phone interview with Federal OSHA a few days later. That was the job I wanted! I could see myself in that job! Enough variety, enough challenge! I wouldn’t have to fix problems, just make sure that others did. I loved the idea, and the purpose of the job.

I had no idea how my interview went. It’s hard to gauge when you don’t have a person’s expression and body language to watch. But I thought I answered the few questions they asked me fairly well.

I got a letter in the mail from the Navy base. The job was offered to me. I had to tell them yes or no as of Aug 1. That gave me 2 weeks. Two long miserable weeks to wait for OSHA to tell me yes or no. I really did not want to work for the Navy base. Something told me, that even though my would-be boss would be great to work for, the job itself would not be enjoyable.

I would wait to see what Fed OSHA’s answer would be.

I waited

And waited…

And waited some more…

4 days left.

3 days…

2 days…

Tomorrow, I would have to accept the job….The phone rang. It was Fed OSHA!! Could I start August 15^th? In West Covina (outside of LA)?

YES!!!!

I stated packing and made arrangements to rent a U-Haul eagerly anticipating my ADVENTURES IN MOVING!!

Furlough Friday 01/22/10: Things I Wish I Could Say!!

I have not written about my day job in a long time. So here is another little snippet about my day job.

There are times when I really bite my tongue. I cannot say what I REALLY want to say. Here are a few things that during my 20 years working as a Safety and Health investigator, I wish I could have said at one point or another, but I didn’t. Oh my poor bloody tongue!

To the Employer:

I’m sorry, but the fire extinguisher you just pointed to does not constitute a Safety Program.

I have news for you. Telling an employee to hold his breath does not count for a Respiratory Protection Program.

That rag, or whatever article of clothing your employee is using is NOT an approved respirator. Just WTF are you thinking?

What made you think that throwing a match into a flammable container is a good way to test for residual flammable vapors?

Running is not a good plan to escape a trench cave-in, nor is the ability to jump high a form of protection.

Telling an Employee to drink out of a hose that has been lying in barnyard muck does not meet the requirements of providing drinking water, even though the source of water is the same as from the drinking fountain.

I don’t care if you have it documented, but telling an employee to be careful and not to fall, does not count for a “Fall Protection Program”.

A Safety Program written in Korean, does not make for an effective program for your English speaking workers no matter how good you think it is.

So….you had me wait for 45 minutes in the lobby. Where are your employees? Oh…you sent them HOME?

I am sorry, but this is the US. We women do work outside of the home, and YES, even though I am a woman, dear Sir, I CAN AND WILL tell you what you must do. Not only that, when I find something wrong, I WILL cite and fine your bigoted Ass!

So, you will move your company to Mexico because you don’t like our regulations? Will you be hiring robots who will never become ill or injured due to your total disregard of employee safety?

Isn’t that special! Did the Devil make you do that?

To the Complainants:

You sustained injuries in 2007, and it is now 2010…so the reason you took THIS LONG to complain is…..let me guess…..you have been denied worker’s comp?

No, your employer is NOT required to provide a couch for you to lie down on, you lazy sack of shit.

Quit your whining, be glad you have a job!

If your chair is uncomfortable, maybe you should get up off your butt more often. At least you don’t have to STAND all day!

So what if you have to share toilet facilities with the general public. You have a toilet to use.

The toilet paper that your employer provides is not to your liking? Oh, your butt is sensitive. THEN BRING IN YOUR OWN!

No lunchroom at your place of employment? You have to eat at your desk? Oh, that’s too bad, you poor thing. SO DO I!

No microwave or refrigerator at your place of employment? I bet there is no gourmet cook either!

If you think the air in your office is bad, maybe you should go to work in a foundry for a week or two. Maybe then you will have a different idea of what “TOXIC AIR” is. You WUSS!

If you have an allergy to almonds, then tell me, WHY THE HELL are you working at an almond packing facility?

Just because you were conceived in a basement of a bar where lead paint was present, does not mean that your learning disabilities are from the paint in that bar.

No, I will NOT tell you what you can complain about.

All you have is a PO box for your employer’s address? How do you get to work then? Do you report to the PO Box? How the HELL do you think we can do an inspection?

I attempted the inspection at the intersection of Road A and Street 1. YOU IDIOT!! They run parallel and NEVER intersect.

If you won’t tell me the name and address of the Winery you work at, we will not go and inspect every one of the 40 wineries in the area until we figure out which one has the problem you are so concerned about.

Sorry NO HABLA ESPANOL!!  THIS IS AMERICA! LEARN F*&()*& ENGLISH!

Bead Personal Ads

Are you looking for a compatible bead mate? Perhaps the ads below will help you find true bead-love.

Abbreviations:

SB              Seed Bead

DB             Delica Bead
JA              Japanese

CZ             Czech

AUS           Austrian

CR             Crystal

FP              Fire Polished

PB             Pressed Bead

GS             Gem Stone

LPW          Lamp Worked

SB DB  

 

I am as dependable as it gets. I am well cut, and even. No matter where you find me, my name is consistent as well as my colors.  I don’t have fancy foo-foo names, I go by numbers. I know, not very romantic, but at least it’s dependable. I have no need for aliases.

I am straight edged, and can make for a rigid piece if you string me up too tight. I’d love to have a relationship with a complicated piece with exacting colors. I prefer straight edges, I don’t do very well if you throw me a lot of curves.

I may cost more than other seed beads, but I am worth it.

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SB CZ

Who needs stodgy predictability when you can have the excitement of a lot of variance!! Sometimes I might go by the name of Robin Egg Blue, other times I might use the name of Happy Sky Blue. It all depends on who I am with. So you can call me what you like, I won’t be offended.

I like the freedom of not having to be exacting. Sometimes I am fat. Sometimes I am thin. Isn’t it better to be flexible? I am not straight edged like SB DB, I have rounded edges. Don’t you think that is better for snuggling in tight spots?

I would love to find a piece that is playful, free form and not too exacting!

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SB JA  Thanks to Gina for submitting this ad for this shy bead!


I'm the one to come to when you want something a bit more dependable than my cousin CZ. Not at rigid as my DB sister I may go by many names but my numbers stay the same. Still don't rely on me just like coloring your hair, my shades tend to turn out a bit different from dye job to dye job.

I'm more expensive than my cousin SB CZ yet cheaper than my sister SB DB. At bead shows and shops I line up like candy whispering sweet nothings from my tubes. I am a middle of the road choice. Try me for things when you want more accuracy but don't need absolute accuracy.

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AUS CR

I am Austrian born. I am of exceptional quality and I am looking to be part of a piece of elegance and sophistication. Nothing less will do for me.

I will bring my piece exceptional sparkle and color. I am unsurpassed. I will not settle for less, and neither should you.

I enjoy elegant evenings out where the light will show me off to my most radiant beauty. Yes, I am arm candy (or neck candy or ear candy). I will not disappoint the most discerning among you.

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CZ FP

I am low maintenance, easy on the pocket book, but with enough flair to bring sparkle to the high society types. I can fill in for the expensive snobby types who just want to be a part of high end pieces. I will give your pocket book a break.

I am open to most any relationship. I adapt well to almost any piece, from every day to special occasion.  Give me a try! I am sure we will get along!

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CZ PB

I have been under a lot of pressure lately. Seems like someone is always trying to mold me, and shape me to suit their need. I am co-dependent, and would like to be part of a piece where you have chosen either SB DB or SB CZ. I really don’t mind sharing a relationship. I usually do not do well alone.

I can add to your relationship with SB DB or SB CZ. I understand that they will always be the foundation, and the focus of your piece, but I promise to enhance that piece that you created with them.

I can be just about any shape or size you need me to be. Give me a try!

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GS

I am the salt of the earth. I can range from being rock solid and earthy to absolutely precious. I am seeking a relationship that is solid and trustworthy just as I am. I do well with the artsy set, and also the glamorous high society settings. With my many moods and variations, I am sure you will have fun with me!

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LPW

I am hot! I am individual and very artistic. I will wrap myself around your steel rod as you turn me into the being you want me to be! Put me into the fire and watch me glow.

There is no one like me.

Once you get me all hot, I do need a decent cooling down time, otherwise I might just crack. That would be the end of me.

I am seeking a relationship with piece that is as unique as I am, or at least showcase me in a special place. A nice warm shadow box will do. Don’t waste your time with me if you can’t give me the special treatment I deserve.

Tipsy Tuesday, 1/19/10 Secret Bead Buying Habits

This week's question is from Lisa K. She earned a free pattern of her choice for submitting a question for Barney, Norm and me to answer. Submit a question for us to answer, and you too can earn a free pattern!

"I keep buying beads. I just can’t stop. I have so many, I feel I need to hide my packages from my DH. I have them sent to work so he won’t know. I feel so happy when I get them, and then I feel guilty about having spent the money. I pay my credit card bills myself, so my DH never sees what I spend.

Do you have the same problem? Should I tell my DH about my bead buying?"

My Response:

I think that beads are our extension of the need to hoard what we need to survive. We may have stock piles of items such as food, house supplies, clothing and other items in the anticipation of times where “hunting” will be difficult. I really do think some of these tendencies go back to our caveman days where we would store things for the long winter.

While the definition of “long winter” may no longer apply to a season, but rather a time of financial difficulty, or inability to find the items we love to hoard, we still try to gather provisions to get us through these times.

I notice a similar quality in myself (read my “You Hoard” post). I do have my stock pile of beads and groceries. Some of my hoarding tendency is due to my years at Davis where things were very lean, but I think also my tendency to hoard things is something that is part of  natural human behavior.

It is ok to buy beads, or whatever items make you happy, as long as your purchases do not cause your family problems, and as long as you can afford your purchases. If the beads make you happy, then enjoy the happiness they provide you, don’t let guilt taint the joy they bring you.

I don’t think hiding things is good for a relationship. Perhaps you need to ask yourself why you feel you need to hide your bead buying habits. Are you spending money that should be spent on family items? Is the money you spend on beads, money that is yours after all the financial obligations are met?  If so, then it is money you earned at work, and you should enjoy your earnings somehow.

I bet your DH buys things you might wonder why what purpose he has for them. Let him have his guilt free enjoyment too!

Norm the Gnome in the Know’s Response

Maybe you should collect seeds instead of beads? They are smaller, and easier to hide. I have a shed full of them that my lovely wife Olga knows nothing about.

I did have a problem one year though. The roof leaked and got all my seeds wet, and when it got warm they all sprouted. There were so many plants sprouting that they grew through the cracks of the shed.

That was about the time that my lovely wife Olga found out about my seed hoarding tendencies.

So keep your stash dry.

Barney the Brainy Bruin’s Response:

Are you part Squirrel or Chipmunk? They have the same habit of hiding their things. Do you hide the beads in a hole in the ground, then dig them back up later? That would be a sure sign that you have Squirrel or Chipmunk in you genes.

Swan Necklace

Just finished moments ago! I hope you will like this one.

This piece is layered, has a nice Heliotrope heart shaped crystal, and crystals in the strap. Kit includes all the Delica beads, and beads as you see in the image with the pattern and basic instructions. You provide needle and thread.

For peyote/brick.  Swan Heart is 2.5 inches wide X 2.25 inches tall.

Pattern Sale

Are you a bird lover? Then you might just love these patterns. I hope to make more in this style. Are there any birds you would like to see?

I am offering these two patterns at a sale price. They are priced at $8.00 each. The sale price is $5.00 each or both for  $9.00,

Once you order, I will EMAIL the pattern(s) to you. Please allow me a little time to email them. I am at my day job during the day, and do not have access to my computer and files. But once I am home, I will send it right off.

Patterns are for Delicas in a color coded chart, brick stitch recommended.

Sale is until Jan. 23 2010.

                                                             Barn Swallow

Macaw

Narcissistic Sundays #8: My Intro to Bead Shops, Art Festivals and Time to Move on!

My Introduction to REAL Bead Shops and Art Festivals!

A friend of mine at College who discovered my love for my hobby thought I would like going to a Native American store in Folsom. They had a lot of beads there! She took me there, and I was amazed! It was the first time I ever saw beads on hanks! They had them in large Mason Jars. If you wanted one, you just took one hank out of the jar.

I had never seen so many colors! I was used to seeing only about 12 colors in those little packages at the craft store in Saratoga. They had several shades of blue (not just 2), and colors I had not seen in beads before. I bought what I could afford. I could hardly wait to get home and play with them!

Having discovered that beads exist in places other than a hobby shop, and in different possibilities, I was always looking for more. I had heard a rumor that there were other “bead shops’ and that there might be some in San Francisco.

John, Jasmine and I took the train into the San Francisco one Saturday. I went to the nearest phone booth once we got off the train. I tore out the yellow page with the heading “beads”. With map in hand, we started to walk the city. We began with the North Beach area. The address listed there was not a bead store, but a jewelry store. Cross that one off my list!

Then we went through China Town. I was hopeful as there were 5 listed within a few blocks of each other. The first one was a dry cleaner (how stereotypical!). No beads there! Another address looked like a sweatshop, with people sewing away like crazy. Maybe there were beads there, but not for sale! Another place had traditional Chinese medicine and teas. The remainder had temporarily strung pearls and finished jewelry. We got funny looks by the people working in the shops when we asked for beads. But I felt they were the ones deserving the “funny looks”! I didn’t pay for their listing in the Yellow Pages.

We hit a few more places as we wearily walked back towards the Bart Station. There was one more place left on the list. I was too tired, and discouraged. John insisted that I check out the last place, it was only about 6 blocks from the Bart Station. He didn’t want the last place to go without proper investigation. The walk to the last address looked unpromising. John had to prod me along. It was in an alleyway in the Tenderloin District of the City. It was not a nice area. But, there it was!! The sign said “General Bead”. It looked promising to me! At least there was signage referring to beads rather than laundry. I opened the door, and we peered in. I froze. John looked at me and said, .”See if they have a chair for me, it looks like we will be here a while!”.

General Bead has a LOT of beads. It is a fun, freaky, funky place to go to. It should be on every beader’s tourist tour route. It’s just a lot of fun to visit this store. They have everything from seed beads to funky components that you might not find anywhere else. The workers are a lot of fun too. The are definitely counter-culture and fit with the ambience of the store. You will love them!

I bought as much as I could afford. I left the store with a sack of reds, yellows, and actually the full range of the rainbow in seed beads and assorted goodies, feeling like a junkie drooling with anticipation of my fix. I could hardly wait to get home and play with my new beads!

My free evenings while at Davis, were spent beading. I found such comfort and escape from creating earrings. I made dozens of them. I sold some to friends. A few extra dollars never hurt. Then one friend said to me. “You should apply to the Whole Earth Festival!” Of course I didn’t know what that was, I had only been at Davis for a short time. My friend got the application for me, I filled it out, and got in!! I was so excited!

My very first show was so exciting to me. I loaded up my card table, and my box of earrings into my bicycle trailer and off to the show I went. It’s funny to think back and realize that all the beads and earrings I had all fit into 2 small boxes, when now….well, they could fill 2 rooms! I loved doing the show. I made about $200, a small fortune for me! I was hooked on the process. I knew I wanted to do this show again.

The following year (my last year at Davis), I did do the show again. This time, I shared a booth with another jeweler and instead of having a card table, I had enough to fill up a 5 ft table! This time, I made close to $400. I knew that this was a hobby that I loved. Not just because I could earn money from it, but also because I loved the process.

Time To Move On!

Finally, it was my last quarter at Davis. Graduation was not too far off. I had mixed feelings about graduating. I had accomplished what I wanted to do, and I had hopes of finding a good job that would get us off welfare. On the other side, I would be leaving the academic environment l really loved. Being part of campus life has a youthful optimism that is hard to experience anywhere else. I had settled into a routine I was comfortable with.

My classmates and I spent a lot of time during our last quarter applying and interviewing for jobs. Even in the best of economic times, this is not easy. One of my classmates sent out over 300 resumes, and only got 10 interviews. There were some recruiters on campus for various large companies looking to fill positions in various environmental and safety positions. They all had their requirements, such as so many units in one subject or another, some related interrn experience and a certain grade point average (GPA).

I applied for every job I could, even if I didn’t quite meet the requirements. I figured if I got an interview, then I could convince them that even though I fell short in one of their requirements, that I had a lot more to offer.

Mostly, I never got to the interview stage if I didn’t meet the minimum requirements. But I did slip through one. They wanted a minimum GPA of 3.2. I had a 2.85 (of which I was so embarrassed about…but considering what I had to go through to get it, I was happy). I was nervous about the interview. I knew I would be questioned about my GPA, and I had my answer all prepared. I could turn my weakness into an incredible strength if given the opportunity!

I sat in front of the interviewer as she scanned down my application and transcript. I was nervous. Then I saw her sneer. I did not even have a chance to say a word, and I could see this was not going to go well.

“Did you not read our minimum qualifications on our job notice? We do require a minimum GPA of 3.2. Your transcript reflects a GPA of 2.85. We cannot even consider you. You are doing nothing more than wasting my time. I am sorry, but I will not continue with your interview.”

WHAT??? Couldn't she even give me a CHANCE? I was shocked. I could not imagine the nastiness with which she delivered those words. She represented a behemoth chemical company in the San Francisco Bay Area (from which many people buy their gasoline, and there is a beading stitch that bears a similar name) with an attitude like that? All she could see on my application was my GPA? She couldn’t read past that to see what else I had written?

I had nothing to lose. I was going to have my interview. I was going to tell her what I had prepared to tell her about my strengths, but in an all-together different tone. I would take that bitch off her high horse and set her on her ass.

“Is a GPA the only thing you evaluate an applicant on? Do you even consider drive and motivation? Do you even consider what obstacles I might have had to earn my lousy 2.85 GPA? I thought not. But I WILL tell you."

"I am not the average 22-year-old applicant. I am  a mature 30 years old. Don’t you even consider the work experience I had before coming to school? Since you don’t seem to understand, it took drive and dedication not to mention a huge risk to quit a job and move across country to put myself through school while being mom to a young child, and being on welfare. It took sacrifice and hard work. Unlike most of your applicants who had mom and dad pay for their education, they didn’t have to work, they didn’t have to think about holding a family together, they had more time to study. I gave my studies every bit of time and effort I could. And against all odds, I DID IT."

"Isn’t that the sort of dedication and drive your company WANTS? What does a GPA mean? Does it really reflect a work ethic? Does it really reflect the willingness to work hard? All you are is a number cruncher. And if all you and your company can do is look at the superficial arbitrary bull crap you determined to be “minimum qualifications”, then you are right. I am not a good fit for your company. In actuality, I am TOO GOOD for your company. I WILL find the company that will appreciate my hard work and dedication, since that is something you do not even begin to understand.”

With that, I left the gaping mouthed bitch sitting there like she was smacked with a 2 X 4.

Set in Stone

Every morning, it is the same thing. I get up, take a shower, then I feed my zoo. First in line is Trouble. I throw her a dog bone and a “treat”. Then Slug gets her kitty treats. Next is Lucy, I give her fresh water and bird food and when she is lucky, toast and jam (her favorite). I will then put the kettle on for tea, or on occasion make coffee. I grab a piece of fruit or some yogurt, and something for lunch and I am out the door to go to work. On weekends, the routine is pretty much the same, except much slower paced and I don’t think about lunch (or work).

This has been my routine for years. I am comfortable with it. When the routine changes, it is because I am on vacation somewhere fun. So I am quite happy when a change in my routine comes about.

We are creatures of habit. We all have certain things that we like a certain way. How about you? What routines do you have? Do you always take the same route to work/school/shopping? Or do you change the scenery from time to time? When construction activities force you to detour from your normal course, do you get rattled?

How important are your routines to you? Do you welcome the change, or do you grumble because when your routine becomes changed? Do you look at the change as something positive that would broaden your experience or do you see it as an annoyance that you have trouble dealing with?



I have found that beaders have their routines, and their habits when beading. Some approach change with a sense of adventure, while others will look at change as if it were the end of the world. The way some people fight change is really something that causes me great wonder. I have seen way too many people who are convinced that they dislike something without giving it a fair chance. In the end, people like this don’t grow.

Take word charts for instance.  Many (most) beaders are open minded enough to try them. Some take a little encouragement, and then most become converts. Then there are those stubborn few who have a negative attitude before they even give the process a fair shake. It has little if anything to do with liking a new way of beading. Most of these individuals oppose change of any sort. It causes them great insecurity, and stress. They come up with all the excuses they can to justify their stubborn stance. I have seen enough of this type of unbending personality to almost be able to profile this type of person!

Another routine that really makes me laugh at the absurdity of it all, is the direction a beaded peyote panel is done in. Top to bottom, or bottom to top. I never understood the insistence some beaders have of working ONLY from bottom to top, it seems against everything I have ever learned. We read top to bottom, so that is the most natural way to go. Beading a panel top to bottom also allows me to end a pattern sooner, in a more logical place in most cases, if it is too long for me. Sometimes, I will start a pattern in the middle, then I will work in one direction and come back and go the other direction. It all depends on the pattern. It really makes no difference to me which direction I work a panel.

There are indeed changes in habits or routines that do cause great discomfort. Changes such as moving, divorce, a new job, or change in health can cause terrific stress, even if the final outcome is positive. Humans do like things to be predictable, and there is some degree of comfort when we never have to change how things are. But without experimentation, how will you ever grow? I grumbled in my last post how I did not want to file my taxes on line, (which I will), and that I still keep my records with pen and paper rather than with a computer. But if push came to shove, and I had the few extra bucks to spend on a program, and the time to learn it, I think I would.

A change in doing something new and different in beading should never be stressful. Always look at it as a challenge, and as a way to improve upon your skill, and give you more tricks. The more you have of these, the better beader you will become. Don’t ever become set in stone. Even stones crack and crumble!

Who knows….maybe I will try something new and change my routine in the morning and have my tea before I feed my zoo. Now that would be living Dangerously!

Bragging Rights:Ronit Florence

"Paints With Beads" pattern worked by Ronit Florence

I love this pattern. It is one that I have meant to work up myself, but never had the chance to. I love what she did with it.

Ronit changed some of the colors that I had in the original pattern. I
love how she carried the feel of the Eiffel Tower in the strap.

What a fantastic job!! Congrats to Ronit for creating such a fun piece!

If you like this pattern and would like to make your own version, it is available here.

My Annual Weekend FROM HELL!!

This weekend is my traditional Weekend From Hell. I hate this weekend. The only good thing about this weekend, is when it is over. This is always a 3-day weekend. It is the weekend of the Martin Luther King holiday, which is on Monday, a holiday for us State Employees. It is not the holiday that makes it nasty for me, but rather the task that I always tackle on this 3-day weekend.

TAXES!

UGHHHHHHHH

I HATE THE TASK.

Ok…maybe not as much as making a visit with the medical profession, but almost.

Why this weekend, you ask? Because the State Sales Taxes I have collected all year are due by Jan 31. This sets the whole wretched exercise in motion which includes the bulk of what I need to do to prepare for my income taxes, which usually get done in early to mid February by my accountant.

My recordkeeping system that I use throughout the year is ridiculously easy. EVERYTHING, every receipt, every bill every record I am required to keep gets tossed into a box. By the end of the year, the box is full. This is the weekend that I sort through the crap-load of papers that I have saved, needed or not, to be decided keep or toss.

I have receipts for bead and art related books that I bought, beads I bought (wholesale and retail), paypal invoices, check stubs from stores that I sell to, invoices I mailed out, parking receipts, postal receipts, credit card receipts, bank statements, merchant credit card statements, receipts for the shows I did, quarterly city business taxes….on and on it goes.

I sit on the living room floor and put all the papers in piles. Then I go through each pile and record what I bought, what I sold, what fees I paid, what taxes I collected...It's not my idea of fun.

I can't imagine accountants actually LIKING their number crunching jobs. They MUST be masochistic!

I do not use Quick Books, or any other computerized bookkeeping system. I use a pen, and a notebook. I know, it’s tedious, maybe even inefficient, but I prefer it that way. I am stuck in the pre-historic times with some things.

Maybe that’s why I became frazzled when I got a letter in the mail for the State Board of Equalization that they are no longer sending out the paper forms. They are really pushing to have the tax forms done (and paid) on line. There is something about that which makes me uneasy. I like going to the Post Office and mailing my forms (and check) to them via CERTIFIED mail. I have proof I sent it, and proof they got it. (One year they claimed I never sent it…).

I just don’t like it. I hate that everything about everyone is on a computer. A hacker can steal your whole being. Never has it been so easy to turn a person into a number and a statistic. I guess that’s the bad side of computers and the internet.

Maybe I am just in a lousy crabby mood because I have been battling the mound of papers for HOURS that no longer make much sense to me, and trying to get the figures to balance that just won’t balance.

Yes, this is the weekend from hell.

On the positive side, I got a jump start, tomorrow is a furlough day, and with some LUCK, I will be done late tomorrow and still have a weekend left to PLAY!!