WHERE HAVE I BEEN?

When we last left our heroine, her computer had died. Though she tried valiantly to blog from Mr. Burly's netbook, it just wasn't the same...

Lo, she returns as if from the dead (indeed, she's rather felt as such the past 2 months. The winters of Indiana are cruel [expound upon any place further north, though you may]).

Melodrama aside. It's probably good to be back. I think. I had lots of time to think about my blog while I was away, and will have very little to show for it (in this post, as in the blog as a whole, too). Rather, some things will change a little, a lot of things will stay the same; because, while I entertain fantasies of full-time home-blogging as much as anyone, I totally don't have that sort of initiative. But for the time being, I'm just gonna throw a picture post in here of my five month absence (hint: I plan on putting more pictures in my posts, because popular bloggers say pictures are ALL TEH RAYGE).

So We Begin.

I purchased my very first (hopefully not last) Jonathon Adler item. Yeah, it's one of his super-mass produced items. Yeah, I totally got it on clearance in February. Yeah, it's totally an Xmas ornament when I don't even have a tree. But I love all things ballet and circus, and what better than a circus ballerina? I do aspire to own something more distinctively JA, but this is a start.

I bought an awesome lamp at GWill that just needed the $8 lamp kit replacement and a shade. So, I gave her a good washing, dolled her up with some new hardware, and bought her a brand new ill-fitting dress so that she'd be my new bedside lamp. 

Disproportional is how I roll. Also, this light makes the color of my bedroom wall look awesome.

In October, I saw Coheed & Cambria in concert (Ft. Wayne). They were a Bucket-List band & it was everything I hoped it would be. They had just started touring their new album Ascension (first half of a two-album concept release; Descension followed in Feb). These two albums are half of my top 4 from the band. I could go on a long time about the show, I listened solidly to C&C for the next 2 weeks - no room for any other band in my headspace (with only limited music expansion for the next 2 weeks after that).

I live a better life when a planner is involved, and I'm one of those types that can be a bit obsessive about the planner. This time around I made my own, following this design. I'm liking it. I have way more space than I use.

I will soonishly attempt one of those GWill refashions that are so-oft blogged. We'll see what this little beauty becomes...

And on the subject of sewing*, I picked up some gorgeous orange wool for a pencil skirt.

*I used to sew. Then I stopped. I'm slooooowly getting back into it. First with curtains for the house, and experimental GWill refashions, then some easy-sew patterns. This skirt is some ways away, but damn I love me some orange wool.

My office, while my computer was dead, became quite the mess since it was generally unused. Became one of those dreaded catch-all rooms. The cleaning & reorg (as it is also intended to be "library") has begun. It starts with:

a new wall color. I've tried living with this color since we slapped it up pre-move in July, but it's just too blue. In certain lights it's practically periwinkle. I want a true silvery-grey.



On Feb. 21 I drove 1 hr. 45 minutes in the beginning of an ice storm to Newport, KY to see Man Man!

 No Really, This was my view.

But when I looked up:

Or if Honus Honus went to my left (and he spent the majority of his standing time over here):

So, you know, not too shabby.

Man Man was another Bucket-List band, and also the name-sake of this blog. It took me another 2 hrs. 45 minutes to drive home since the ice storm was ongoing while I was in the concert, and during my drive. It was exhausting. But it was worth it. In contrast to Coheed & Cambria though, I geeked out on Man Man so much pre-concert that afterwards I was done. No need to listen to them non-stop for the next month. I needed to get some new music into my system. Namely, the new Nick Cave (BUCKET-LIST ARTIST PRIME, WHOM I WILL SEE IN APRIL).

I found my Soul Cider. It's season has run out. You can bet I'm buying caaaaaaases when it comes back in August.

And I found my Soul Ice Cream. I don't know a B&J "limited batch" entails. I currently have several stashed in my deep freezer. I hope someone is looking at the numbers and thinking "Damn, there's a crazy person in Indiana. Maybe we should make this part of our regular line, just for her."

Consider yourself caught up with my life.

The Mortgage Circle of Hell - what Dante feared to write.

Pardon my melodramatizing :)

But these are seriously things with which I've just dealt:

Providing my name & address on my 2010 W-2 forms. The very same W-2s they have copies of, on file, in their office.

And provide an explanation of why I'm earning more in 2012 than in 2011 & 2010. Now, I know I didn't hand them anything stating I was an enrolled full-time graduate student for most of 2010; however, WHAT THE HELL STUPID QUESTION.

I, apparently, did not get the memo. That memo being:

The American Dream is dead, folks. No more upward mobility for anyone.

Malling Antiques

There's an antique mall near my home that I visit about once a quarter or so. With the new house coming our way, I decided to check it out because 1) it had been a few months and 2) there are a few select pieces of furniture Mr. Burly and I don't have, so we're planning for those future purchases. (Product at this mall does not move too quickly, so I can go spy a piece and have a decent chance of saving for it before it is gone.) While I did find 1 item that fit the parameters we had in mind for it (just got to save now) and another that I hadn't been looking for but can be totally functional (just got to save for that, too), the better part of these trips is always the, um, "treasures."

What did I find today? (click to embiggen any picture)

1973 Playboy lifestyle guide:

More Indispensable: the space needed for cartoon tits, instead of  sizing & spacing text accordingly

Contents: I'm sad I neglected to visit "The A to Z of Sex" now. Rest assured, if the book is still there on the next visit, I will provide an update. Anyone have a letter preference?

But in case you were interested on their advice concerning sexual harassment...

You misspelled "Creepy":

Seriously, though, I have issues with infantilized things in adult situations, like wedding attire

I'm constantly reminded that I should purchase a record player in order to build an ironic vinyl collection. Would it be more ironic if I just collected terrible vinyl sans player?:

I do actually own records without a player. The one that started it?  A recording of Wonder Woman stories.

If I actually had the money to waste, why yes, yes I would put a large embroidered screaming flaming cock on my wall:

He's screaming because he's missing a toe. That, and  his general existential rage at his being.  I would name him Proust.

2 Birds, 1 Stone:

Q: How do we afford to remodel our rec room/ basement? A:  Start an illegal gambling hall in that very basement! Brilliant!

Lastly, panthers humping trees (matching floor lamps):

And they're not even excited about it. But apparently they grew bored with each other. This is why you don't open up your marriage if you can't communicate, kids. These two panthers are going to go home after this failed partner-swap experiment and have an ugly fight about who's idea it was. There will be no make-up sex, just misery and hatred and self-loathing. They'll divorce. One will turn to the bottle, the other to constant plastic surgery until no shade of its former self exists, and it is too hideous to look at. The End.

Mr. Burly: Those are....lamps?
Me: Yes, it's cut off in the picture but on top you add a bulb and a shade. Then you have matching panther-humping-tree floor lamps. But I don't know what type of shade you'd put on those...
Mr. Burly: Leopard print.
Me: Now that's just offensive to the panthers.
Mr. Burly: But...where would they even...There's no where to put those things!
Me: Flanking the front door. Duh.
Mr. Burly: Oh God...

(Don't worry friends, those entering the new house will still be greeted by Bucephalus and not some sad dendrophiliac panthers)

Failing Ambitiously

Short and sweet, it's late: Let's give this blog thing another shot.

ETA: Dear God isn't my choice of template OBNOXIOUS? perfect.

ETAA: It WAS obnoxious. Updated because shiny.