so I'm in the middle of what will probably be a massively long PIA undertaking, hereby referred to as

Michelle is going through everything she owns and getting rid of a lot of it in prep for moving out and also because she's really, REALLY broke.

(I'm putting it up on eBay, and then whatever doesn't sell goes to Goodwill)

So far I've got one pair of shoes, watercolor and gouache paints, a pair of (never worn, thankyouverymuch) socks, a huge stack of books and magazines, and an mp3 player. I think all that's left is to go through the rest of my shoes and my clothes (and my massive trunk of various skirts and magazines and who knows what else). oh yeah, and some yarn.

I think I might just be being overly neurotic, but the main thought hovering over my head this week so far (along with 'man, I need to make a clutch to match my prom dress') is 'what if I move out and FAIL MISERABLY?!'. So I've been reading like, every article I can find on living cheap and making mental notes. I need to save a lot before I move out. I need to be prepared to walk a lot to save gas money, haha. I'm planning on making everything that I can, that I'll need for my new apartment. so far, I have dishcloths and blankets on the list - I'm used to sleeping with a LOT of them, and my current quilt is falling apart, and the other one I'll probably leave at home since it was hand-stitched (bejeezus, the patience that must've been required!) by my great-grandma on my mom's side and I'm afraid I'll like, destroy it somehow. Plus I somehow feel that I should have new bedding. I dunno. Anyways, so far I'm thinking a starghan in all these multicolored wool yarns I have, if I have enough (I'll do inventory and take a guess later). It's Moda Dea...err...Cache? I picked up a TON of it on clearance, and like how it looks worked up, but don't really have any ideas for clothing or anything. So I'll just do a big multicolored starghan. And then, I'm going to do a lighter blanket too - haven't decided if that'll be sewn or crocheted. There's the Color Bay afghan I've been thinking of for a while in the Happy Hooker, but the pattern is given in LB Wool-Ease (which I'm not a fan of) and I dunno if I could be arsed converting to colors in cotton. Sure would be pretty cheap to make, though. So maybe I'll make that afghan and then do another one AND my starghan haha! (the other afghan would be a Clash one. somehow, this strikes me as the COOLEST thing ever even though I'm probably waaay too lazy to come up with a graph for it). Yes, I'm a dork.

I think all of this stress is because of that stupid economics assignment of coming up with a budget. Or maybe it's transferred from prom or something, or other issues. haha.

I have so many t-shirt recons I want to do...sigh...after the ebay/goodwill project! I think Sunday will be the Day of Mass Listing.

I <3 postsecret:

so Mr. Withers said one of the few things in his teaching career that has annoyed me today...usually I get along really well with him, but today we're talking about stuff that makes you an adult...people mention things like voting, getting a car, getting a job, etc. and I jokingly call out "getting tattoos!" and he's like "uh, yeah, that's up there with getting trashed every weekend".

WTF?! yes, because everyone who has a tattoo is obviously just trying to rebel and got some permanent art on their body FOR THAT REASON ONLY, and we're all immature people who go out and get trashed every weekend too. I was like "Uh, excuse me, I have a tattoo, whatcha trying to say here Mr. Withers?" and he...I dunno...got sidetracked or something. Didn't address it anyways, but that got under my skin hardcore.

Oh, and I thought this was interesting - something I found in this month's BUST magazine (I really think I might subscribe to it and Venus...I'm not much big on the music in either, but they both have great other sections, and Venus has a great DIY kinda feeling to it). For the long story, click here. Basically, this chick who'd been in the air force (was a sergeant) for 13 years was severely punished for posing in Playboy. Which is pretty dumb anyways, why are people supposed to be ashamed of their bodies? Is posing naked such an issue of 'integrity'? Get over it people. Something like this would only happen in America. Makes me wonder if any male armed-forces members have posed naked and what their punishment for it was. Anyways, the REALLY interesting thing about it is that, as BUST points out..."a 2006 AP investigation showed that more than 80 military recruiters were disciplined that year for sexual misconduct (including rape, assault, and groping) towards potential enlistees. . .many were reprimanded, docked pay, or had their rank reduced as a result, few were relived of their duties."

Right. So sexual assault is better than nekkie pictures. F-that. Interestingly enough, the top results on google are just links to the pictures instead of anything about that incident.

You know why shit like that happens? 'cause it's men who run it. I mean, maybe that's...a bad thing to say, I guess, but I'm firmly convinced that that's why rape doesn't get a stronger sentence. Because the men who are in office are assholes who don't give a rip. *shrugs*

And now my dad's trying to tell me that the magazine is 'skanky'. wtfever.

I mean, you know, it's just...dumb. People say there's no need for feminism but stuff like that happens (actually, I think this essay is pretty interesting - I'm not done with it yet so maybe I'll change my mind though) which kind of proves there is. And it would be nice for girls to have some GIRL role models. Nothing wrong with having male ones (Thoreau, Joe Strummer, Fat Mike are some of mine), but it's hard to find girls to look up to. What have little girls today got, Paris Hilton? yeah, let's get trashed, insult people based on their income, giggle a lot, and then talk about how we're an important role model for young heiresses everywhere. blah.

Not that I don't have my women role models - Vivienne Westwood, Exene Cervenka, Penelope Houston...et al. Maybe I just have a harder time because I tend to look towards 'alternative' people anyways, and for all the supposed acceptingness of alt subcultures, they have their sexisms too. I just wish there was more focus on women in history too.

I think I had other stuff I was going to write about and I just got annoyed. So I forgot. Haha.

I am angry.

So the flyers for the show tonight all said 7:30. I get there at 7:45 and there's no sign of anyone even setting up. Me and Jess are like, yeah, okay, whatever, we hang around...nobody even goes on stage until 8:30. No biggie, right?

They play for 30 minutes, they weren't particularly impressive. I mean...technically they sounded good, but they didn't really have a great live vibe. And then they get off the stage around nine or a little bit after. The next band didn't get on the stage until after right after ten freaking thirty! What the hell is that?! it doesn't take an hour and a half to set up the stage!!! So I ended up leaving before they were even done, because I was tired and had to be home around 11:30. I didn't even get to see the two paids I paid freakin' money to see, and I sat there for 3 1/2 hours to see two thirty minute sets of crappy bands. Not to mention the cigarette smoke was bad enough that my throat's going to be sore for days. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR

The good news is that I put my eyeshadow on at 8:30 this morning and it still looked fine until I washed it out 15 minutes ago. That's 15 hours! a record!

Anyways. The book signing went pretty well; it wasn't as big as the Small Town News one, but we figured that that was because STN was about actual events and DM wasn't. It was good fun anyways, hanging around and talking to people, except for this one guy at the end who was pretty rude. Started asking Mr. Turner if he walked with Jesus and yada yada...and I just...I mean, I know most people like that have the best intentions, but for crying out loud, you wouldn't walk up to someone and go "Hey, so what sexual orientation are you? Really, and how many partners have you had? Any STDs?"...so why would you ask them about something just as personal. Especially someone you DON'T KNOW. Sheesh. Mr. T handled it better than I would have anyways.

I think I'm a magazine addict...the list of magazines I buy on a semi-regular basis is now:
Razorcake
AMP (still subscribed, but I definitely won't be renewing my subscription, they've gone way downhill)
Crochet!
Crochet Today
Knit.1
Venus
Bust
Nylon

Sheesh. and yes, this is relevant - I bought the newest issues of Venus and Bust today. I think I might subscribe to at least one of them once I have the money...Bust is a good all-around thing, most of the time, and I *love* Venus even though I'm not big on their music picks...they have a decent DIY section. I need to subscribe to Nylon sometime too...but I think their yearly subscription is only $10 (which is a damn good buy considering as how it's like $4 in stores, it comes out either every month or every other month). And Razorcake. Haha. So yeah, everyone, if you want to buy me birthday presents...right there, baby.

I also bought Walden. Something I've been meaning to do for a while. Plus I'm sure I'll feel all totally philosophical and deep carrying it around, haha.

And I REALLY want this book called Fresh Fruits that's basically like 200ish pages of photographs of Japanese street fashion...I flipped through it and it would be GREAT for inspiration. It was like $30 at Hastings but it's only $20 at Amazon.com...or maybe I can find a copy at half.com or ebay. *makes note to check*

I'm starting a new blog, first post should be today or tomorrow. It's a crafty-type blog...but more just how to make the stuff I do (not exactly patterns, as I don't write it down stitch by stitch or anything, but more like...instructions, tips/tricks, etc.) than my crafty exploits. Like I was telling Alicia and Mr. T, I think part of the reason I massively failed at Unwise and Untimely is because my...politics and craftiness and just life are all mixed together, and if I try and separate them I don't have enough to write about any of them. 'Cause they're like spaghetti. Or alfredo. All with the twisty tangliness.

Which is part of the problem I'm having with Wardrobe Refashion, when I go to do my weekly blog post, I just...can't come up with anything. Partly because I picked a REALLY bad time to do this - SO BUSY - and don't have as much time for crafting, and partly because of the aforementioned reason.

But yeah. Tired. So bed. Night!

my prom dress just tried to kill me.

So I'm working on the top, I found a tutorial on craftster that helped a LOT. since my method was getting me nowhere and I ran out of fabric last night from multiple attempts. I went to Wal-Mart and turns out they've removed their fabric section, so I had to get red satin from Hobby Lobby which didn't match the old satin, so I had to start from scratch. I also found some hot pink cotton yarn on sale which made me happy :)

Anyways, back to the attempted murder.

This new method of making the top involves cutting out two shapes that fit the shape of your body. I did so, blah blah blah, added the corset lacing in the back, and go to try it on. Now, I have a rather hour-glass-ish shape. So I get the top over my head, and I guess I didn't leave the corset lacing loose enough, because it gets STUCK. Very, very firmly stuck right above my boobs. I'm left with my arms up in the air, home alone, no shirt on, can't get it up or down, and just about panicked. If I wasn't double jointed I'd probably still be stuck that way haha, I just managed to reach the lacing in the back and loosen it up some so that I could get it properly on.

So far so good, I just need to add a trim around the neckline, add the halter strap, and then actually sew the top and bottom together. After that, a simple tulle underskirt and I AM DONE YAY.

so my friend (the same friend that gives me crap all the time about crochet being 'old lady like' and etc.) today randomly picks up my Crochet! magazine (without asking, another pet peeve of mine) and starts flipping through it, commenting constantly on how 'skanky' the models look. I'm like, dude, wtf, it's certainly not any worse than anything you'd see in Seventeen - OH GODS A NAVEL RING!! - and then she finds a picture of this hideous, hideous trench-coat length jacket made out of varying motifs in bright clashing colors all stitched together with black. (note: this is coming from someone who normally likes the effect of day-glo colors with black. but it was just too much, it was REALLY ugly) And is like "Hey, I like that. Will you make something like that for me?"

Yes, of course! Because after you insulted every CUTE pattern in my magazine(and have spent the last six months telling me I'm such an old lady), I would love to spend hours of my time working for less than minimum wage to make an awful concoction that looks like hippy barf. No, really! *eyeroll*

I'm done with the skirt of my prom dress and about half of the top. I have the underbust pieces cut out(and one set sewn together - I'm doubling the fabric up since it's a little sheer), but I still have to do the top part of the halter, the neck of the halter, and the lace trimming/grommet tape. Not bad for only working off and on since like 4:30 or 5. Yeah, I rock. haha.

I am...probably eventually going to blog something about the V Tech stuff...but I don't even know what to say. It's just so...tragic and depressing. :(

I can't wait to get out of school. I'm rediscovering why I used to read so much - when you read, people generally don't bother you. There's always that one person or two that's like "Oh, even though they are VERY OBVIOUSLY engrossed in their reading, I will pester them with petty questions...botherbotherbother" but for the most part people get the hint.

so yeah.

I almost totaled my car yesterday.

Because of a cow.

(how podunk do I feel saying that? let me count the ways...)

So, my Dearest Baby Brother (aka Logan) stayed home due to not-feeling-well-ness (also, I think he hates school as much as I do...I feel sorry for him, because he actually knows what's ahead since he's heard me talking about it. but anyways). Which is probably just as well, as I'm driving...driving...driving...

(for those not in the know, my drive to school consists mostly of one very narrow 2-lane road with no shoulders)

And going down a hill. I glance down at the gas gauge for no more than like, five seconds, I look up at the road, and

OMGWTFBBQ

THERE IS A COW.

Standing. In my lane. Looking at me. Chewing.

The next thirty seconds consisted of a stream of four-letter words (or, more accurately, one four letter word repeated very fast) being screamed at the top of my lungs as I hit the brakes as hard as I can. This causes the printer paper that's been sitting in my backseat (the result of a staff meeting where Heath found extras and I said 'hey, you can never have too much paper, I'll take 'em') to burst out of the packages and go flying all the hell over the place. I come to a screeching halt, I kid you not, no more than two freaking inches from this accursed animal - which is still chewing - as it stands still and LOOKS AT ME. Like. "Hey. What's up."

And then, it slowly turns around and walks back across the road. As I get going again, I see a Suburban that was going the other way herding it off the road.

And I'm like, dude. I just had a near-cow-experience.

YAY! I finally got my Kryolan eyeshadow and grommet tape in. I can start on my prom dress as soon as I figure out how I want to do the skirt. Also I got a date (this guy I work with, Jake). FINALLY. I had a few days of panic. Travis couldn't go because he had to work.

The eyeshadow is GREAT, although I thought the blue was going to be a different shade than it was. Oh well, I found some Stargazer eyeshadow in the exact blue I wanted on eBay and filed it away for when I have the money.

Speaking of, I NEED a second job! Especially for summer, so I can save up enough to move out. However, the only things that pay decent for someone my age are like...waitressing and telemarketing. Yuck! I might just have to settle for working a ton of hours...sigh.

My to-do list for this week:
-start on my prom dress (the last thing I need to pick up is some black lace trimming)
-recon at least one t-shirt...I have two waiting
-start on one of my two crochet tanks
-fill out the exemption for living off campus thingiewhopper

And you know what my reward will be? this weekend there's going to be an awesome show and I'm going to that. Saturday should just be good in general...since, as it turns out, AQT districts are NOT this weekend (they were yesterday, we got like...fourth or something), I can go to Mr. Turner's book signing. He sent me some stuff to work on posters for them...I'm not sure what to do though, 'cause I can't think of anywhere good to hang 'em. The only place I can think of would be Hastings, they have a bulletin board. I keep nagging like everyone I know to go though haha, that has to count for something right?

Oh yeah, I made it through the rest of my new cds. I love them all. I need to rip them off on the computer and burn a newer version of the mix CD that's always in my car, so that I have tracks off of these new ones on it.

Man, it's been a while. Oops. Haha.

Oh yeah, I joined the Wardrobe Refashion blog. the link is over on the side. Although I haven't got a chance to do much yet - the yarn I ordered was NOT the color I thought it was (ah, the bane of online shopping) so I haven't started on that tanktop, and my grommet tape hasn't come in yet (which is highly perplexing, as the chick shipped it on the 28th). I've been so busy, or it feels like, with senior stuff that I haven't made anything for my etsy shop lately either.

My weekends are taken up too! Districts this Saturday, book signing with Mr. T next Saturday, and prom the Saturday after that. And I really need a date for prom. I think I'm cursed.

and people are so, SO weird.

very short update, but it'll have to do for now - gotta get to work.

ahhh...what a great weekend. the best in a looooong time!

starting off with Friday...a half day...which is definitely a good thing. Mrs. Culp brought her ferret to class and it was FREAKING ADORABLE. see how cute?





yeah. I swear their spines are like...made of jello or something. I didn't expect it to be so freakin' flexible! sheesh!

Anyways, right after fourth hour, Alex shows up. BUT the secretary wouldn't let her talk to us. 'cause you know, it's bad or something. whatever.

oh yeah, and I thought it was funny...I still needed a prom date, so I called over Travis(younger guy friend) during lunch.

"Hey Travvy, has anyone asked you to prom yet?"
"Yeah..."
"Crap, I need someone who will wear a black and red tux to go with me and I can't think of anyone!"
"Oh, I turned them down. But I'll go with you if you want."

because I am just that cool. (and um, 'cause I have cool friends and all)

so we talked for a while after we got out of school and then I headed home, got the mail and packed some clothes, and we met up at the hotel room. we all messed around on the insanely fast wifi internet (at least, it was insanely fast to I of the very slow dialup internet). 'cause we're all dorks like that. Lydia showed up and we went to the movie theatres...the original plan was to see Meet the Robinsons, but we saw TMNT instead, since I was the only one who had already seen it. And it was just as cool the second time around haha. I swear I'm going to buy it the DAY it comes out on dvd.

We went and ate at Bob Evans, and then went back to the hotel room...then went and dropped off some stuff for Matthew. Then to Local Chaos for Cinna's CD release show, which was great! We missed the Rats, which I was disappointed about...really wanted to hear them...but The High and Lonesome is great, and Cinna was as great as usual. We left a little early though because the cigarette smoke was freakin' killing us (my throat is still kinda sore). Said hi to a few other friends, and then we went back to the hotel room for some more hanging out. I forgot how relaxing just being around friends without doing anything can be. We finally fell asleep at like, three, and I woke up around nine...since my cell phone was dead, I went home to charge it and shower/change (which involved driving in pouring rain without windshield wipers, NOT fun in case anyone was wondering). After a while the rain just went away, and everything was all gorgeous and shiny and green (y'know, the way it looks after it rains and the sun comes out). We went up to Springfield...we drove around for a while, mildly lost, and then found Good Girl Art. We parked by it, went in and looked around a bit, and then walked up to Stick It In Your Ear. Before we got there though, we walked into this indoor flea market that had a TON of classic rock vinyl (Alicia got a good haul, none of it was really my thing...I saw a Sid and Nancy soundtrack single, but it was like $6 and I was like...naaaah) and some interesting vintage clothes...then we ate at Nonna's, which was SO good and pretty cheap for a non-franchise restaurant. Then we actually went to Stick It In Your Ear, where I got How to Clean Everything by Propagandhi. After that, we headed homewards...and apparently I was more tired than I realized:



haha. how cute right? I didn't even realize I fell asleep, I was trying not to 'cause I wanted to keep Alex company. And then the next thing I knew I was opening my eyes going 'huh, what, where are we?'. I stopped by home, where I found out my CDs came in (good on you Interpunk! fast shipping!):



(this is my CD haul of the weekend)

I'm still working through them, obviously. So far I've listened to the Soviettes LP III (kickass, they've been added to my list of bands I want to see live this summer), The Briefs Sex Objects (also great, they were already on the list), and about half of the Slapstick s/t. (also...great...surprise surprise). I'm taking a break and listening to some of the music I downloaded at Alex's hotel room (a lot of Adolescents, Gogol Bordello, the Runaways, the Cramps, some HorrorPops and Towers of London...and Black Betty since I'd had it stuck in my head from TMNT) right now, because after a while all of the music starts to blur together and I end up not getting a great impression of the CD. I'm happier with this order so far than the one from Best Buy (which was Pure Mania by the Vibrators, Damned Damned Damned by the Damned, and Germ-Free Adolescents by X-Ray Spex). I loved the XRS cd, but the other two didn't leave much of an impression. Maybe they'll take a listen or two to sink in. I hope so.

ANYWAYS...back to the rest of my weekend...we chilled at the hotel room, went and said hi to my peeps at the mall (which was mostly Chris, Jesse, and Heath), brushed by the Bridge to show it to Alex...but it was overrun with 12 year olds so we went back to the hotel room and ordered pizza. (oh yeah, somewhere in here, Levi and his friend Chris met up with us...err...at the mall, that was it), more hanging out, and then I went home. And realized on my driveway that I'd left my &*%$ing pillows at Alex's hotel room...good thing Logan wasn't home so I could use his!

The only bad part of the weekend was that I woke up this morning to a voicemail from Alex saying she'd already left. But it was totally understandable, one of her friends is in the hospital. At least we didn't have to do the teary goodbye, I know I would have bawled like a baby haha.

So now I'm sitting here feeling the most content I have in a while, listening to some great music (I think I'm going to have to buy the Towers of London CD), and contemplating that I don't really want to go to school tomorrow. At least by then my eyeshadow and grommet tape should be in (I have some really great shirt ideas waiting to be made).

Heath is leaving Journey's, and that makes me really really sad. I'm not as upset as I was at first...he's promised that we'll still talk and hang out and stuff. Heath and Amy really are more than just managers to me...I love 'em to death (and always end up asking them for advice too). so it means a lot to me that we'll still hang out. There's not very many people I'm going to miss when I move to Springfield, and those two are definitely on the list. (which, btw, I really can't wait to move haha).

Here's some random pictures from this weekend, for your entertainment:





the only picture of me making a dorky face I've ever seen and liked haha. These are all off Alex's camera...I'm sure Alicia's got a lot more I might end up posting later.





And I was afraid there might be some awkwardness with Alex coming back since we hadn't seen her in so long. But nope, it was (to use an extreme cliche) JUST like old times. Better, even. I'm gonna miss her 'til she comes back up here.

oh yeah, and I need to call Cory about getting a touch-up on my tattoo. *makes note*

there's my weekend...in a really, really big nutshell. a mutant walnut nutshell.