Little by Little

So, I've gotten a little bit of time to spend on the fixing of the title graphics. I've gotten through a pretty good portion of the site, but there's tons left yet.

On the plus side, it's given me a chance to realize that a lot of the older patterns have terrible pictures. Fuzzy, dim, you name it. The Chocolate Bunny looks like a blob, and some of the others aren't much better. To that end, I'm going to do the best I can to get a new digital camera (for those of you who don't remember, I got a really good, but used Nikon about a year ago - for free - and the battery pack promptly crapped out on me.) in the next couple weeks. I found one that looks like it will handle basic website photos and snap shots really well and it's only like $40.

Little by little, things are falling into place.

Next on the list is to get everything switched over to the new Project Wonderful-friendly layout. That will take some time, but once it's done, it'll look really good. Also, it will bring in a bit of money and hopefully get you all some useful links.

Once that's done, I'll have a pretty good idea of how to layout really sharp-looking, ad-friendly pages for Tilghman Street Studios. Which will make me very happy. I think that there will be things at Tilghman Street that you will like quite a bit.

Honestly, though, even if you don't find anything that you like, the Crochet Pages fans will be benefiting in several ways. I'll be in charge of the advertising, instead of Lycos. No more pop-up ads.

Liam and I will be handling the T-shirts - we'll be using a grassroots print-on-demand style production - which means that they'll be hand screen-printed.

Eventually, we will (hopefully) be handling the book printing also.

In the end, this will lead to a better, friendlier website, and better merchandise with lower shipping costs. And unless I'm way off - this should make everyone happier.

Etsy has expired.

So, I'm still waiting on the photo for the pattern I finished. Can't post it till I get the pic. I totally need to get my own camera. I just don't cross paths with Sarah often enough for this to work anymore. She's got a second job and an early morning gym routine. My job has me working more evenings than days lately.

Which means, in addition to sometimes not seeing my husband for days at a time, it also means that more often than not, but the time I get home from work, Sarah's gone to be already too. Which means it's almost impossible to get pictures from her, she doesn't have internet at home and can't upload anything at work.

Totally need to get my camera working.

Also, I need to relist my Etsy items. I forgot that the listings expire - silly crafter!

I really need to get back on top this stuff and stop letting work from getting in my way. You guys deserve better than a half-assed job from me and I deserve to do something that makes me happy. Getting my act together will be good for everybody.

With a little luck.

Hopefully, *crosses fingers* my files will be pulled from the Dell one day this week and I can actually get started on posted some patterns. Maybe I can even make that new patterns every month thing a reality!

I do have a few patterns waiting to be posted, but the downside of the site looking really good is that I can't really post anything without access to my templates. I know that sound like a huge cop-out, but there's a lot of code for that link bar and that sidebar, and unfortunately, grabbing the code from Tripod isn't that easy, either, because they embed a lot of crap into the site for their banner ads and stuff.

I feel bad about all of this, because there was a time when I would have hand-coded everything and all that code would still be living in the bad of my mind. Unfortunately, I no longer have access to Dreamweaver and the incredibly cool split-screen feature it has.

I know, I'm a nerd, but here's the thing. In Dreamweaver, with the split screen pulled up, as you type code, it displays the finished result. No such feature in FrontPage. I can switch between HTML-view and WYSIWYG editor, but you don't get that immediate correlation. You have to find what your code did.

It's really easy to find yourself giving up on hand-coding altogether in favor of the WYSISYG when it's a pain in the ass to see the effect of your code. Also, I've slacked really badly about keeping current with the HTML standard. I badly need a new book.

At any rate, hopefully, I'll have my files back this week. It would be great, because it will be something I can do. You know, keep me occupied while I have no car.

By the way, if you haven't heard, I think we've had it with the Corsica. It was never a pretty car and I never cared because it got me from Point A to Point B. After having it towed FOUR TIMES this year, I think it's safe to say I can no longer count on it getting me from A to B.

Like I've posted in a few other places, anybody know someone selling a reliable car for cheap?

Aw, shit! or You'll never guess what I did now.

So, I was waiting to post this until I had pictures, I figured the evidence would be appreciated, but as I just discovered that the battery pack for my digital camera has gone bad and I'm currently waiting for the dryer to finish so Hubby doesn't have to go to work pantless tomorrow, I figured, "Heck, what better time to post this story?"

Last weekend, after I spend a day feeling, well, quite sick, actually, we decided that it was finally time to put the air conditioner in the dining room window.

Now, if you've never installed a window air conditioner, there's a few things you need to know.
1) They're really friggin' heavy.
2) The bastards don't have anything resembling handles or a piece you should hold it by.
3) It's really, really awkward to put something out a window and then slam the window shut on it so it doesn't fall out.


If you've never seen my house, there's a few things you should know.
1) My dining room is on the 1st floor, but the window is still about 6 feet off the ground.
2) The sidewalk leading to the basement door runs along that side of the house.
3) The basement door is one of those outside slanted kind with steps under it.


If you have seen my house, you probably know where this is leading already.


Anyway, Carl wrestled the a/c unit up from the basement and then we proceeded with the suck-tastic job of actually putting it in the window. It went really well, sat right into the window frame, pulled the window, started adjusting the little accordion thingys on the sides to close up the extra space around it.

Then Carl noticed that lip on the window frame was on the wrong side of the thing on the bottom of the a/c. And here is the part where we should have communicated a little better.

I thought that I was only helping him guide the thing back into place. He thought I was actually holding on to it tight enough to support the weight. Then he let go.

And the air conditioner tore right out of my hands and FELL OUT THE WINDOW!

Now, remember the part about the slanted basement door? That door is right below that window. And for a brief moment, it was right below the falling air conditioner.

The good news is, when the a/c hit the door is bounced slightly and sort of rolled onto the sidewalk, no harm done. The bad news is, the door didn't fair so well.

The thing is, the door is, correction, was, old beadboard plywood. When the a/c hit, it cracked along one of the grooves, almost the whole length of the door.

And that's not even the best part. Replacing it is a pretty big project, not huge, but most of a day. The problem is, due to a coworker of mine being on vacation, Carl and I have not been home at the same time long enough to fix it yet.

Here is the best part. We've had 3 thunderstorms since the door broke. I never thought I'd be glad for that nasty old drain in my basement floor.

It's been quiet, or Nothing Rant-worthy has been happening.

Well, work's been ok, physical therapy is going pretty well, the wedding present is almost done, Lisa's cake was a hit, but nothing terribly exciting is happening. I try to at least post something pretty regularly, but there really hasn't been much to say.

Some updates

My knee is feeling better, but the laptop is still busted. I start therapy tomorrow for my knee and I'm thinking that later today I'm going to start getting the website off the 'net and onto the other laptop. You know, since I can't get it directly from the old one. I'll still need somebody to snag the unpublished files off the Dell, but at least it will be a start.

I'm really itching to get these pattern books going and also the new patterns every month idea. In between that, I do still have to finish a wedding present and a baby afghan - although I do have until like November for the latter.

I haven't forget about the website, believe me. There are still several patterns to be uploaded.

Knights who say "knee"

So I went to the orthopedic this morning, and it looks like I'll be spending yet another summer in a neoprene brace. Yay. I'm radiating excitement, can you tell?

Anyway, good news is, he doesn't think at this point that I'll need surgery, bad news is he does think I need physical therapy, and surgery isn't completely ruled out. I have therapy for my knee when I was in college and it went really badly. My knee was actually worse after 6 weeks. Needless to say, it left a bad taste in my mouth and I'm not feeling very optimistic right now.

I didn't get any solid answers, really. My kneecap is dislocated, which I knew, he didn't mention the cyst at all and honestly, I'm afraid this will turn into a very expensive case of "I could've done that myself."

I know a lot of then negativity is based on bad past experience and the fact that I'm overtired and frustrated, but I've already racked up 2 doctor visits, an MRI, a set of Xrays, and a prescription brace. Not to mention the ice packs I had to buy. Or the fact that I'm still in follow-ups from the asthma attack I had last month.

*sigh* Oh, well. One day at a time, right?

Moving the Website.

So, I hate to say it, but it looks like there's a good chance that Age's Crochet Pages will probably be relocating to a new domain sooner than I originally planned. Apparently, (the trouble ticket is still pending, more when i hear back) Lycos thinks that every outgoing email I send is UBE - unsolicited bulk email. Nice, huh? The strngbn account linked at Crochet Pages is still ok, so far as I can tell, but my personal email is a mess.

As a result, I'm seriously thinking about pulling all of my accounts from Lycos. The downside is, since I host the website with Tripod, it's on a Lycos property and will have to be moved.

I refuse to deal with somewhere that is denying me a very basic aspect of the service they're supposed to provide.

Yay! Laptop's back.

You wouldn't know it, because I'm still posting from the desk, but I do have my laptop back now. I'm probably going to have to start transferring files to the Toshiba soon, because the keyboard has issues, but at least I can start getting something done about all these patterns I've been promising.

The next project is to get the scanner working again, that's always touch and go. Plug and Play, my ass. More like Plug and Pray. Cause sometimes it works. And usually it doesn't. At least not the first try. But I've gotten it working before, and have no intention of unplugging it once it's set up this time.

Missing you

I miss my laptop. I try to pretend that I don't rely on technology more than I have to, but I have to admit, these last 4 days (yes, only 4) without my laptop have SUCKED! I have so much website work to do that I can't until I either get the laptop or a copy of my files back. I'm painfully aware of the fact that the laptop may not be fixable, and I'm ok with that, mostly, but I really need the files for my website. So that I don't have to download all 487 of the from the web. So that I can get working on some of the pattern books I'm trying to put together to put on LuLu. So I can get back to designing sarcastic crochet-related t-shirts. So I can keep researching print on demand services.

So I don't have to wait until Carl leaves so that I can get on the Internet!

Rest assured, however, in the meantime, I am working on new patterns!

Our economy in a nutshell.

Last night, on the way back from State College, while putting another $30 worth of gas in my car (the second one for the day) we noticed that the last guy who bought diesel had spent $145.65 to, presumably, fill his tank.

$150 for gas!

There's something very wrong about that, people!

Technical Issues

So, the laptop apparently has a design flaw where the jack for the power cord is soldered directly to the motherboard. It's been going bad (ie coming loose) for quite some time now, but the other day with no warning, it broke completely. As a result, once the battery goes dead, I can no longer use the laptop until we get it fixed. Oh, did I mention, it's out of warranty.

The guy who usually fixes that kind of stuff for us probably won't touch it, apparently it's attached to some very intimate parts of the board circuitry and could destroy the motherboard if not done right.

What this means:

Site updates are on hold for a while. All of the most current versions of the files live on the laptop, including a couple that I didn't get the chance to back up. We do have another computer I can use, but it'll be a while before I can either get the files pulled off the hard drive on the Dell or get them downloaded from Tripod so I can keep working.

Yes, I'm on vacation this week. That doesn't mean there aren't a million things that have been getting put off that I need to handle.

Not enough Time!

So, by Saturday, late afternoon, I have to have a cake done and the whole downstairs clean. And by Sunday morning at 8am, I have to have a cross-stitch done. Nevermind the laundry so I'm not doing this naked. Needless to say, don't expect any patterns to uploaded in the next few days.

Holy Aphids, Batman!

I came home from work just a few minutes ago and saw green crap all over my rose bushes.



My first thought was, "hell, last year the Japanese Beatles ate my rose bushes, this year it will be a fungus. great."



Then I noticed the lady bugs. My rambling rose is covered in hundreds of aphids. If I had to guess, I would say at least 1000, no exaggerating.

I had no idea aphids swarm.

*edit* Apparently aphids swarm to eat. Who knew? *edit*

More new Patterns coming up!

I've gotten the Hilo Star sample crocheted, now I just need to finish the ends and pin it. (Carl sprays the starch for me when I block, I'm allergic to the aerosol.) I need to double check what still needs samples/photos after that.

I think I'm done to just a dozen or so things that need the photos uploaded and only a small portion of that needs the samples remade. All in all, I'm pretty please with the progress I've made.

The next batch of site updates will probably not be very noticeable to you, the user, but will be important, nonetheless. From not using the same web editor for all of the pages, some of the code is clunky. In fact, from using Word for some of the pages when I had no access to an HTML editor, some of the code is really ugly.

The project, once all the pictures are up is to clean up the background stuff, for ease of editing and also so that the spacing and fonts are the same on all the pages. I just noticed the other day on a friend's computer that some of my titles are still in "Rage Italic" which is an awesome font, but not everyone has it.

In fact, I don't have it anymore.

100th Post!

Yay! We're in the big time. Believe it or not, it just happens to be coincidence that this is also the post where I announce that the Photo Tutorials have GONE LIVE! on Crochet Pages. Jessy and I spent most of the afternoon working on them and after fighting my way through a minor glitch with getting PeaZip and Tripod to play nice, I've gotten them uploaded.

Incidentally, the only obvious way to get PeaZip and Tripod to play nice it to not use them together. Everything had to be uploaded individually. I'm not sure if it's a glitch in PeaZip, or if it's a change in the way Tripod handles .ZIP uploads, but when I uploaded my .ZIP, Tripod put the whole thing in it's own folder as a subdirectory of my site. Which means, my entire site was mirrored (which is usually good) inside itself (which is not good.)

It used to be, that when you uploaded a .ZIP to Tripod, it overwrote any duplicate files and just added the new ones. Which made huge updates, like what I've been doing the last few days, really easy.

It's been a long time since I did a massive upgrade to the site, therefore a long time since I tried to upload via .ZIP, and of course last time, I had actual WinZip on my computer. So, like I said, I'm not sure where the issue is, but apparently I have to do future updates in the 8 single file batches that I've always tried to avoid for large updates.

On a separate, but slightly related note, I am genuinely feeling better today, which is good. I've been out of work sick, since NOON Tuesday! Thank goodness I have friends who were willing to come over and entertain me, because Carl was also sick. Today he was feeling basically over the bad head cold he had, so I had wanted to let him have some quiet work time.

Basically, Jess in a big part of the reason that Carl got that time, because she helped my bring my work table up to the 3rd floor and we spent the day working on the tutorials samples, photos, pages.

Also, I finally saw The Dark Crystal, which was probably one of the worst movies I've ever seen, but at the same time, I think if I had seen when I was a kid, it would be one of my favorites, because I love the The Muppet Show and Fraggle Rock. I think it's just not a movie you can appreciate if you see for the first time as a grown up.

While we were watching The Dark Crystal, and then Clue, Jess and I worked up a couple more new patterns for Crochet Pages (all granny squares this time) and I'll probably be able to get those all posted tomorrow some time.

All in all I feel like I have accomplished a lot this week in spite of feeling like hell most days. My sinus congestion is starting to let up, and my chest congestion is finally breaking up. I may not be sick as long this time, as I was the last time I had walking pneumonia. I certainly don't feel as awful as I remember that was, in spite of having a head cold immediately before and a nasty sinus infection at the same time.

Now, if only the antibiotics didn't leave a nasty taste in my mouth. (Weird side effect)

Supposed to be sleeping

The doctor gave me cough syrup with codeine in it with the intention that it would probably make me unconscious which would force me to rest. He said 1 teaspoon probably won't even make you groggy, but 2 and you'll probably have to sleep. I've been taking about a teaspoon and a half so I can sleep if I need to, but I don't want to take more, because it's really disorienting to wake up from a medicine induced fog.

However, I've had walking pneumonia before and I'm smart enough to know that blogging is about the most strenuous thing I should be doing. I plan on watching some movies and working on some patterns for Crochet Pages if I'm not sleeping. I might work on Nibbler some more, but I'm a little stumped on his wacky eyesockets. Shallow sockets with big gaping eyes. His eyes actually come out past the side of his head a little.

I'm a little worried that I'm going to have to postpone our hike, again. The last time I had walking pneumonia I was sick for a couple of months. I had gotten sick in early December, and it was like Spring before I finally felt back to normal. This doesn't seem to be quite as bad as last time, but it will probably be weeks before I'm not winded sooner than normal. *sigh* I guess the plus side is that I'll have to work on website and pattern stuff.

Long week.

So the week has ended. Or more correctly a new one has started, this being Sunday and all. Sue gave me off, even though it's not really my weekend, because I haven't had off since last Sunday. With a little luck, I'll be back in my store, long term, starting Wednesday. Or not, as I've apparently impressed my DM.

Don't get me wrong, I like going to other stores, I actually have a lot of fun, but I also worry about what's going on in my shop while I'm not there. I'm proud of what we've got going and while it could use some improvement, it's good and it's taken a lot of work to get it there. So I'm a little protective of that.

I'll admit it.

I never wanted to put myself in the position of needing to dye my hair, but I'll admit it, it happened today. I had dyed my hair a great shade of dark red brown. For fun, I was on vacation and got bored.

But I let it grow out really badly, like since early October. So today, when I got my hair cut, also after letting it go, really badly, at first I was thinking it looked really good. Then it dried. (I always airdry, the blow dryer does scary things to my hair.)

Then I got a really good look at my hair. Dark brown in the back, dark brown with some gray at my temples and my roots and funky red streaks throughout. But only on top. Where it's longer.

I look like a middle aged housewife trying to relive her teens.

So I had to dye my hair. To get rid of the rest of the red.

So here I sit, reeking to high heaven while I wait for the color to develop. I've never had dye that stank this bad and it even has an aromatic additive. My eyes were watering putting it on my hair. Can't wait to rinse out. I'll twitter how it turns out.

And hopefully, I'll never have to dye again. This should grow out ok.

*sigh* still pooped.

I still feel kinda lousy. Like in that way where when you finally break down and go to the doctor you can't really describe how you feel. It's been like 6 weeks now where I just don't feel quite right. I think it's because I've been going full tilt since like Thanksgiving and before that we painted and so on and so on.

I'm hoping that either I'll feel better when things slow back down at work, or I'll just get really sick and get it over with. Something needs to give soon because the house is starting to be a mess again from me not feeling like doing anything. And the Christmas tree is still up.

As far as projects go:
Nibbler is half finished and on hold for now.
I need to check if the Shrek hat fits Lyam so I can finish that.
I need to make a cow to go with the pig.
Katherine's gift is stitched, but not finished.
Dave's gift is about halfway stitched.
Haven't started stripping the radiators.
Haven't started fixing the hole in the 3rd floor ceiling.
The cat got his bath.
The cat has forgiven me for his bath.
I have a long list of dolls for our collection.
Haven't heard from Troy about the Retail Hell art.
Haven't gotten around to calling Troy to remind him about said art.
Got a smidge of writing done on my short story.
Started writing down and fleshing out my apocalypse dreams.
Haven't gotten past looking at the Psionics games based on the short story.
Sarah needs to proof, edit, etc the first draft of the kids book.
I need to email the 1st draft of the kids book so Sarah could edit it.

And on and on.

I really need to sit and make a complete list. Maybe then I can make some headway. If I'm ever not tired.

On a side note, I highly recommend Narutaru if you're interested in Anime.