Days of Shades

I am a pumpkin carving purist.

I was raised in the true art. You have not seen pumpkin carving until you have seen my father's visions rendered in squash. I was taught to use any and all carving tools available, but never to stoop to such cheap tricks as paint. Oh, yes for some shows and crowd-pleasers dad played with leaves and dye and gourds, but for the pumpkins outside our door on Halloween night only the true, subtractive carved pumpkins would do.

My efforts this year shame me. Nay, don't coddle, it's true - the right pupil was not described by careful removal of excess in the manner of my ancestors. No, the iris was crudely hacked-out and the pupil affixed with, I can barely say it, a toothpick. I have stepped into the realm of additive pumpkin carving, and sullied my family name.


Totally borked the ears, too.

EDIT: My ancestor drove by and told me that I learned well, and he used toothpicks, too! I AM REDEEMED!

So, I can reasonably expect to spend some quality time tomorrow night insisting to my bosses four-year old that yes, I do regularly eat dinner plates. I can expect this because I started teasing him about it at the company christmas lunch today, and he is a very, very, persistent four-year-old. Luckily, I have lots of practice. And a special plate eating tooth!

The chris barnes design staff lunch was really fun. The beaujoulais is now fighting the caffeine in my head, and I think it's winning. Almost the first thing I did was spill wine on the white tablecloth at the fancy restraunt. Then Finn (four) spilled his water. Then his mom lost an olive (at speed). So at least I'm not the only one.

Finn: M-m-MY spill was BIGGER!
Me: Well, MINE stains! So there!*

Chris and Holly are having a party at their house tomorrow night, and I'm so glad that it's gonna be full of kids. I don't want 'em myself, but other people's four-year olds are excellent ice breakers. If nothing else, when you find yourself the odd outsider at the party, the four year old will probably be happy to talk to you for hours.

We've been exchanging little gifts at TRL too. One of the other designers, who likes to point out my extreme youth, left me a brown-paper wrapped package labeled "For Sarah. Please Do not Eat."

It was fingerpaint.

How totally cool are the people I work with?

In other news, I've been writing at least 500 words/day on that story I said I'd stop.

Gabriel (6): Why do you have two different shoes?
Me: Because my legs are different sizes.
Me: Uh, that's true. Not like the plates.

*actual transcript of our business lunch

I'm told that there is an already coined phrase that goes something like 'Christmanikwanzika', but mine is a hell of a lot easier to say.

As I've previously said, I hope you all have a happy. Choose your holiday, or make up your own, but for the Little Fishes' sakes, celebrate something!. Celebrate the fact that you can celebrate whatever you want, or that there are friends around, or it's rainy and your warm and dry, or anything. Celebrate the fact that despite our current leanings this country is still open enough to print non-christian holidays on it's calendar...sound like something completely normal? I thought so, until I wished J happy Channika and he asked how I knew. "Er...it's on my little calendar...and my big calender...and all the other calenders." Apparently that's pretty special.

Now, in a few hours i'm off to Olympia via Portland. It makes about as much sense as most other things I do. In the meantime I'll be attempting to finish my portfolio for Berkeley, pack, and clean the appartment. To give myself a little pat on the back, I've been taking a look at this: http://www.livejournal.com/users/skellington1/12465.html#cutid1

Okay, I didn't finish everything that's on the list - but I'm coming damn close. Art History and Web Design were both done without any late nights. Lummi island is as done as it needs to be until January. Not one but two dr.'s appts have been persued. I've talked with the lady about fiddle lessons. I'm almost done with the 'latte'. The rest of break? Grad school apps.

Ta, daalings!

Once again, I found myself sitting at home alone on friday night. Quelle suprise. Obviously, in dire straits like these, the first thing any 20-something chic does is get on the internet and blow some $100 or more with her credit card, right?

Right!*

Unfortunatley, after that I was still sitting at home on a friday night - but I have more than $100 to pay off of my credit card. So I turned to more safe pursuits. Safe for me at least - I played with halloween photos I just got back. Two disclaimers - 1, I am not a photographer. 2. Er... 2.

*'more than $100' being a very rough approximation of the combined application fees of the University of Washington and Harvard. Yeah, you read that right. No, I'm not finished with my apps - just the bit where I send them money.

( photos )