work for idle hands

so! ummm, yeah....

2006-09-14T12:40:00.000-05:00

long time no blog! you know, i'm not even sure why i'm writing this. i guess because just letting the blog slip away without saying goodbye is too "unfinished business" for me. nobody likes unfinished business. so yes, that's right, i'm ready to call it quits here in blogland. life is just too busy for me to play around here anymore, and that suits me just fine. the bummer is that i barely have time to check out all your wonderful blogs anymore, either! i promise to still check in and comment when i get the chance, though. i really do like you all. very much, actually, which is probably the main reason i've stuck around this blog-thing for so long. i still may get it together enough to start a craft blog someday soon, but i'm making no promises. holy hell, this is rambly. sorry. i'm actually pretty sick -- sinus infection-type thing -- and feeling miserable. ugh. but at least i get to sit down long enough to write this final post.

so thanks for being my blog friends, peeps. hey, i still want to get a blogger's retreat going with some of you ladiez -- maybe next year? i guess i'm technically not a blogger anymore, but we'll bend the rules for me. heh. it'll be like blogher, but only with people you actually like and want to hang out with. no classes or panel discussions, just fun and booze and no anxiety! yeah, that would be rad. doesn't that sound rad? let's start talking about it for real! who's in?

that's all i got, folks. thanks for checking in on me and what i'm doing. i'll be around if you want to email me.

xo debbie

orgasmic

2006-08-25T08:48:00.000-05:00

orgasmic
Originally uploaded by workforidlehands.

so when jack is eating something good (ie: candy, cookies, anything with massive amounts of sugar) he makes this face. this picture doesn't even capture the rapture (hey! band name! heh.) he's feeling. to be honest, it creeps me out. oh, and makes me laugh, of course.

the fine art of procrastination

2006-08-24T07:23:00.000-05:00

i'm quite skilled in this area, though lately my procrastinatin' ways are bordering on avoidance. i have convinced myself that when jack starts school next week (HALLELUJAH!) that i will get back on track. on the agenda:

paint bathroom and buy a new bloody sink (well, not really bloody...)
buy a new damned washing machine -- current one has decided it will only wash with cold water
finish wholesale order -- almost done, but not quite.... i have learned that agreeing to stitch a complicated design on black shirts is A MISTAKE.... it's way too hard to draw/transfer the design
get started on crafty bastards stock
organize damned office/craft room so i can do work without feeling CRAZY
make a doctor's appointment to figure out what the hell is wrong with me -- so i've been waking up in the middle of the night with ferocious hunger pains. like, gut-wrenching pains. i googled and, considering symptoms like low energy and depression and others that ring a bell, concluded that i may have hypothyroidism. while it's nice to put a name on it, i'm totally freaking out about the possibility that it could really be low thryoid. since i got back from austin i have steadily gained about 5 pounds, which is just enough to make my clothes uncomfortably snug and my gut irritatingly bulge-y. and even though i have been waking up 1-3 times a night with these insane hunger pains, i refuse to eat anything because i don't want to gain any more weight! it seems that a lot of folks with low thyroid tend to put on weight and are unsuccessful with losing it because, in addition to being hungry ALL THE FUCKING TIME, their metabolism slows down. WHAT KIND OF FUCKED UP CONDITION IS THIS?? sigh. so yeah, it might not even be low thryoid, which apparently goes undiagnosed A LOT anyway, but i'm at a loss to figure out what else it could be.

rough cut

2006-08-22T17:40:00.000-05:00

here's a prelim cut of the X dance party video on the pancake mountain site. you can see an awesome close-up of that little rocker natey! so awesome.

if you weren't sure of how much a nerd i am: the whole time we were next to exene and john doe, all i could think was, " dude! she did it with aragorn!" and "dude! he was in road house, one of the best movies EVAR!"

sweet, sweet shellfish

2006-08-17T12:50:00.000-05:00

how i've missed you so!

jack is allergic to shellfish, among other things, so we do our best to stay far away from the tasty critters on our dining out excursions. it's really not so hard for us, but i do have to remind the grandparents to skip their weekly red lobster fest when he's visiting, which he happens to be doing right now. he's with grammy and grampy for a couple of days, and it is doing wonders for my sanity. repeat after me: 10 more days until school starts! YAY!!!

last night we threw caution to the wind -- we don't know if natey's allergic to shellfish or not -- and went to legal seafoods. natey munched away on corn on the cob (his new favorite), cole slaw and rice, while dave and i indulged in oyster po'boys and lobster rolls. oh my god, it was good. really, really good. SIGH.

i know it's silly, but i feel like we're cheating on jack.

dude, we're right next to john doe!

2006-08-15T19:53:00.000-05:00

dude, we're right next to john doe!
Originally uploaded by workforidlehands.

okay, so this photo is not so great, but still! we're standing next to punk rock icons john doe and exene cervenka! awesome.

we got to bust a move with the legendary band X for a pancake mountain dance party at the 9:30 club today. it got off to a rough start, as we were waiting outside the club for over an hour in the oppressive august heat, but it ended so well, i'm not even going to bitch about that. jack and nate danced their asses off! it was hilarious, and all the girls were in love with them. heh. unfortunately, it was hard to capture the brilliance of their dancing in pictures, but i'll be sure to pimp the pancake mountain dvd when it comes out. the lee boys are sure to be in it, showing off their mad dancing skillz. well worth 15 bucks, i'd say! heyyy, i think i've found the perfect holiday present for friends and family! heh.

damn you, internet!

2006-08-13T20:41:00.000-05:00

you and your infinitely vast pool of resources! you and all your damned information! oh, and i might as well throw google up in there, too. damn you, too, google!

sooooo, i think i have hypothyroidism. 'twould explain a lot. now i have to go to a doctor to find out for sure.

crap.

family portrait

2006-08-06T21:19:00.000-05:00

Lee family
Originally uploaded by editrix.

taken by my awesome friend amy, who is in town with the equally awesome doug. we brunched with them today, and it was great to see how they're doing. i wish they would come to DC more often, but i do think i might take them up on their offer to visit them up in somerville, massachusetts. i've never done the whole boston thing.

big thanks to amy for taking one of the best pictures i've seen of the whole clan! we all look happy, which is the best you can hope for with these hooligans. i mean, all of us looking at the camera at the same time is asking WAY too much. seriously.

I'm back, y'all!

2006-07-31T09:34:00.000-05:00

Back from Austin, Texas and happy to see my crazy boys. Not so happy that it's fucking HOTTER THAN HELL here, but after sweating my butt off in Austin, I'm not even going to complain. There is just no comparing DC heat to Texas heat.

The Austin RnR was totally awesome and very successful, and I got to hang out with all kinds of cool internet kids like Aaron, Shannon and her husband Ant, Siobahn and, of course, Paige. It was sweet. Everyone was so cool and nice and not all creepy, which restores my faith in this whole blogging thing, you know? I mean, I know bloggers who really are nothing like I'd imagine they'd be in person, but the folks I met this weekend were as fun and funny as I thought they'd be. Nice.

I really suck at the blow-by-blow recap of events, so let's just say that there were avocado margaritas, fish tacos (the kind made with fish, pervs!), multiple stubb's barbecue trips, a morning news show interview, it's always sunny in philadelphia (you really must watch this show), lots of beer and laughing and picture taking. I spent most of the time with Paige, and I think it's safe to say that we are totally BFF now. LYLAS! 2 good+2 be=4 gotten! Heh. But everyone was seriously awesome. Y'all are welcome to crash at my house if you're ever in DC!

Oh and "y'all" is officially my favorite word now.

another list!

2006-07-23T15:33:00.000-05:00

i got into crafty bastards. woohoo! i wonder why i'm not obsessing over it yet. hrm. must be because i'm...
leaving for austin in 2 days! yeehaw! i am very excited, if you couldn't tell. it is going to be awesome. i have yet to get anything ready or think about what i'm packing, though. par for the course, people.
we had RnR yesterday, despite the stupid rain showers, because the supernice folks at austin grill let us use their stage! yes, i am a networking genius. heh. it was fantastic. the margaritas were cold and strong, the music was great, and there was AIR CONDITIONING. sweet.
i got to meet xiobhan and her cutie-pie boy beck at the RnR. i just love meeting people i know from online and finding out that they're not freaks. what? you know it happens!

so yeah. pretty good weekend, i'd say. i'm gonna be hella busy this week, so i probably won't be ablogging so much. later skaters!

can i get away with a list?

2006-07-18T21:51:00.000-05:00

things and stuff:

jack is at camp grammy's (my mom's house) for the week. since yesterday. am i totally horrible for not missing him yet?
RnR is saturday. the weather was looking decent, but now thunderstorms appear to be rolling in. if we have to cancel AGAIN i will be PISSED. ugh.
i have 2 dozen shirts to stitch up for that wholesale order and i have yet to start one. why oh why must i be a world-class procrastinator??
i leave for austin to visit paige in 8 days. yeehaw! i am more excited about RnR in austin than i am about the one in my own damn yard! plus, i'm scared i won't want to come back to DC! seriously.
i find out this week if i got into crafty bastards. hrm. i'm actually not obsessing about it, which is odd for me. i truly think if i don't get in, i will be okay with it.
OH MY GOD, I'M BORING MYSELF TO DEATH. sorry. i just feel like i'm ignoring the three people who bother to check this if i don't post! heh.
leslie, if you're reading this, you'll like this: i told natey we were going to see baby maddox, and he said, "see beebee maggots?" i swear. it was pretty damn funny, even after the tenth time we asked him to say it.

thanks for stopping by, folks! good night!

wow.

2006-07-11T07:18:00.000-05:00

really, wow. that benjy ferree is supernice and incredibly talented. seriously. he is so nice that he gave me his EP last night, but i wish i had bought it, that's how much he deserves to get paid for making music. oh well, i'll make up for it when his full-length comes out. so, if you're in town august 19, you'd better get your ass to RnR to see benjy play, as well as the cute, rockin' boys in greenland and the lovely laura burhenn. it promises to be a rad show. if the music world is just (ha), this kid is definitely going places.

can i freak out now?

2006-07-08T14:30:00.000-05:00

RnR has always been about relatively unknown indie local music 'cause, well, the big guys ( i'm looking at you, ian...) usually have conflicts and booking agents and other hurdles to jump and i'm just not about all that. one of the things i love about the DC scene is that it is small and really welcoming, and the bands that i don't personally know genuinely love it when i ask them to play. yes, even the big guys think it's cool, but it never seems to work out. i'm okay with that. anyway, it is kinda laughable to imagine some of the larger-than-life punk icons playing in my dinky backyard. that doesn't mean i won't ask, though! heh. so the bands that play RnR still have day jobs, but their love of playing music is obvious, and i'm sure they'd all quit in a second if approached by a label to make a record and tour the country. or another country. or the world! anyway, the closest i've gotten to booking a "major act" was the carlsonics, who had been signed by some label.... sorry, i don't remember which. they were a bunch of sweet kids playing raucous garage-y rock, who made a record, toured around, played SXSW, then decided to form a new band called nethers, which sounds nothing like the original band. i love their new stuff and would have them play in a heartbeat, but i fear they've gotten too busy (big) for RnR. we've been in touch, but it never seems to work out....

today i received an email from someone who has been a fantastic supporter of RnR, who also happens to be very well-connected in the DC scene, to tell me that he has found someone to fill out the august bill--someone up-and-coming and very cool and who would love to play RnR. someone who just got freakin' signed to DOMINO RECORDS, the home of arctic monkeys, franz ferdinand, stephen malkmus... the list goes on! so this incredibly talented local fellow's name is benjy ferree. remember it. check out a song here. nice, yeah? i think so, too. if you're in town, someday you'll be able to say you saw him play in a sweaty backyard for a bunch of kids! heh. i'm freaking out a little, but i do hope this works out.

now playing

2006-07-05T11:41:00.000-05:00

franz ferdinand - what you waiting for (gwen stefani cover)

brilliant. yes, i have the gwen stefani record. shut up.

TAKE A CHANCE YOU STUPID HO! my new mantra. heh.

oh, for fuck's sake!

2006-07-05T09:40:00.000-05:00

i am looking for a new towel bar and accessories, as we are about to start renovating our bathroom. our shitty, little, desperately-in-need-of-a-makeover bathroom, with it's hideous once-white-but-now-dingy-gray floor tile that never EVER looks clean. WOOHOO! i am quite excited. we've got a paint color and new bath and tile and such all ready to go, we just need to look at the little things like toothbrush holders and shower curtains and towels and towel bars now. these are the things i LOVE, people. little details mean a lot in my book, and seeing as how we are certain to never remodel or redecorate this bathroom again, i think it's worth it to take care in choosing all the parts.

so how many of you knew all the choices there are in the towel bar department? well, i'll tell you, it's A LOT. and, as per usual, i am attracted to the expensive ones. the ones with german names, for some odd reason, like kohler, rohl and hansgrohe. the ones that are the most spare, clean and minimally designed. THE ONES THAT COST WAY MORE THAN A FUCKING TOWEL BAR SHOULD. why is that?? seriously, am i wrong here? heh, i'm sure all the bath accessory aficionados out there would be like, " $100 for a towel bar? perfectly reasonable!" hrm. we shall see how this goes. the one thing i know is that i am a sucker for quality, and if it's not totally insane, am usually willing to pay the price for good stuff. and as *ahem* frugal as the husband may be, he usually feels the same way when it comes to purchases that can be seen as long-term investments. trust me, i'm definitely going to shop around, but i can see it now, i'm in bed bath and beyond or some other huge box store, checking out towel bars and thinking, "wow. this is one shitty, cheap looking towel bar for 30 bucks!" heh. i'll keep you posted. ooh, maybe i should post before and after pictures. that will give me something to blog about!

it's my worst nightmare come true.

2006-07-04T17:32:00.000-05:00

yikes! so i have been negotiating with a children's boutique in michigan (i have no idea how they found me) about wholesaling some 60 bugs long sleeve tees for fall. this is my worst nightmare because i am completely inept when it comes to business dealings. seriously, i am totally naive and trusting of people and their intentions, and am probably the world's worst negotiator. i do/make things because i enjoy them. money is a nice by-product of any endeavor i take on, but i think i'm just one of those spaced out "artsy" types who has no clue how to succeed in the business world. like, if i had to do 60 bugs full-time to feed and clothe myself? holy shit, i can't even imagine! i don't want to imagine! i'd be beyond destitute. *shudder* but back to my nightmare...

i did a little research on wholesaling and the like, and i emailed the owner of the boutique a figure per piece, wholly expecting a "thanks, but no thanks" reply, but she was totally cool with it. she's picked some designs, and now i'm just waiting to find out how many and what sizes. as you can imagine, it's only taken my OCD a few minutes to kick in and repeatedly calculate the possible number of shirts multiplied by the wholesale price, as well as think about how the fuck i will pull it off if she wants a lot of them because i only have so many hours a week i get to work uninterrupted and she wants them before fall so we're talking august at the latest and what if she sees them in person and hates them and maybe i need some kind of contractual agreement before we go any further and UGH. there's more, but even i'm getting bored typing out my inner monologue. heh.

i'm excited that people like 60 bugs, and this is actually not the first wholesale inquiry i've had, just the first to (almost) come to fruition. it's just i can't ignore this stupid fear of the unknown. i have no head for business, and i have a particularly bad habit of selling myself short. it will all be fine, though, right? don't mind me, i'm just thinking out loud. SIGH.

chalkboard tee prototype

2006-07-03T14:44:00.000-05:00

chalkboard tee prototype
Originally uploaded by workforidlehands.

i am a friggin' genius! okay. maybe i shouldn't go that far, but this is one of my favorite brilliant ideas lately. you got your little baby tee, you got your velcro "chalkboard," and you got a bunch of letters to write up anything you want! you know, some people have a problem with parents using their kids as billboards, but i am not one of them. heh. i would refrain from vulgar language, but pretty much any other word is fair game, i think.

oh, and if you have seen this idea somewhere else, i do NOT want to know. seriously!

want to read an interview i did?

2006-07-01T11:56:00.000-05:00

sure you do! i must warn you, though, that most of my responses were written by me, so i sound somewhat articulate, but there are a few that came out of a conversation i had with the writer, and those sound like i'm a bumbling idiot. heh. thankfully, those responses are in the minority. so yeah, check it out at the DCist.

oh, and while i'm stopping by (bad blogger!) i should mention that the RnR Showcase we did the other night that is mentioned in the interview (the sweet flyer that accompanies the piece was designed by the one and only paige maguire) was a rousing success. i think i'm going to be helping them book more shows, so i'm psyched! not to blow my own horn (heh, right), but quite a few folks have told me that i should be a show promoter. sounds nice for the future, but i just can't fathom doing more than booking RnR and shows at the neighborhood bar right now. we'll see....

twinkle twinkle smack my booty

2006-06-27T19:29:00.000-05:00

sung to the tune of "twinkle twinkle little star," obviously. yes, my speech delayed 2 year old has come far under the tutelage of his rump-obsessed 5 year old brother. at this point i'm just happy that he's saying anything, so i guess i can put up with inane butt references for a little while longer. did you know that you can find a way to stick "booty" in pretty much any sentence, phrase, lyric? ummm yeah. i'm curious to see where this obsession is going. heh.

i know you want to know the rest of the song, but it's really nothing more than two lines. sing it with me now!

twinkle twinkle smack my booty
smack smack smack smack smack smack smack [while bending over and smacking your booty]

you think i could make this shit up??

how do you do it???

2006-06-22T12:13:00.000-05:00

no, really, how do you bloggers do it?? i swear i have to be the worst fucking blogger EVER. i mean, you guys are so great with the daily posts and flickr uploads and commenting and good content! i, on the other hand, am so backed up with stuff i should write about and birthday photos i should post and blogs i should check and RnR shit to get ready and 60 bugs stuff i want to do and....GAH. my ADD...okay, you know what? i think it's time i admit this is full-fledged ADHD. it has gotten so bad that my mind is racing with all the things i need/want to do, but i can't sit still long enough to do them. when i do stop to do something, it lasts about 2 seconds because i get distracted thinking about the other stuff i should be doing. add to that the two hooligans running circles around me and fighting and, well, basically i am in hell. i think that after RnR (this sunday), things should get better, but i don't know. SIGH. sorry for the bitchfest. i'm a little under the weather, too, so that isn't helping....but as i was saying, my ADD/ADHD is starting to feel crippling. perhaps it's time for some drugs. hrm.

oh, and if you're reading this drivel, thanks for checking in even though my blog sucks ass! seriously, shouldn't you be reading dooce??

NO.SLEEP.TILL BROOKLYN!

2006-06-12T16:10:00.000-05:00

whee! i am very excited for this coming weekend, because not only is it father's day and dave's fourth 35th birthday celebration, but i've talked my awesome pals SupaMB and Mamac-ta into roadtripping with me to the totally amazing Renegade Craft Fair! dudes, this is going to be SO great. there will be a ton of cool, innovative and talented crafters and artists in one big open space! i'm actually freaking out a little, because i'm going to get to meet jenny hart (of sublime stitching fame), who was my inspiration for picking up embroidery again! i'll be a blubbering fangirl! heh. you know, i've never been to brooklyn. can't wait.

so yeah, i need this little getaway after last week. i can't even really write about last week, it was so mentally and physically exhausting... long story short, dave was out-of-town for 5-and-a-half days. i was alone with the boys. i was PMSing. HARD. it was pretty grueling, but i am proud to say that we made it with minimal bumps and bruises, physical or otherwise. i think that's all i could have asked for, really.

so brooklyn here we come! WHEE! i'm sure i'll have goofy photos eventually. any of you gonna be in brooklyn this weekend?

skateboard karate

2006-06-12T11:19:00.000-05:00

skateboard karate
Originally uploaded by workforidlehands.

so i've been obsessed with making stencils to paint on shirts -- i suck at detailed stencils, so stick with obvious silhouetted images i can make from photos. anyway, i made these stencils of two of my favorite things: skateboarder and karate dude! these shirts are embroidered, which looks pretty cool, but i can't wait to paint some up in groovy colors.

is it just me, or does my generation have a bizarre fascination with skateboards? seriously, i'm still attracted to that "skater look" i found so irresistible 20 years ago. hrm. oh, and karate dudes will never not be cool in my book.

2 legit 2 quit!

2006-06-04T20:06:00.000-05:00

and shit! god, i'm immature. heh. so the awesome Go City Kids site has added Rock-n-Romp to their Entertainment section as a venue! pretty sweet! if your city has a GCK site you should totally sign up for the email list. you get weekly emails detailing all the kid-oriented happenings around town, which can really save a dull-looking weekend. no, i am not getting paid to promote them. heh. i really like how comprehensive their listings are, plus i'm just happy that i have found another way to promote RnR without actually having to do anything!

in my perfect world

2006-06-03T20:15:00.000-05:00

chubby, sausage-like upper arms would be HOT. especially on display when one's wearing a tank top or other sleeveless garment when it's sticky outside. and a little poochy mommy gut wouldn't detract from the way low rise bottoms look. oh no, not at all. in fact, a little foldover action when you're sitting would be quite attractive. oh, and that totally natural, make-up free look would be incredibly alluring. if you've got a few glaring zits and stray eyebrow hairs, even better! the zits and stray hairs wouldn't necessarily be attractive, but they wouldn't detract from your carefree look, either. they would be like freckles or a mole or something. natural things that you find occasionally on people's faces. nothing to be ashamed of or covered up with sunglasses or layers of concealer. oh and, most importantly, no one would have any hang-ups about the way they look in my perfect world. AND NO ONE WOULD HAVE PERIODS. oh okay, i guess just I wouldn't have a period. or hormonal shifts. OF ANY KIND.

SIGH. it's been a rough, premenstrual day, people.

now playing

2006-06-01T20:25:00.000-05:00

echo and the bunnymen - never stop

holy shit this song is fucking good. seriously. totally pretentious 80s new wave with cello and violins and an infectious beat and truly poetic lyrics. oh and can't forget totally yummy ian mcculloch. SIGH. it doesn't even bother me that the creepy singer from the goo goo dolls also loves this song and requested it for the VH1 classic video jukebox, which is why i am listening to it now. i must thank you, creepy goo goo dolls singer, for requesting this song. i can't believe i'd never seen the video before! dudes, it's no wonder i was madly in love with them 20 years ago. HOT.

Rock-n-Romp pimpage over at Cool Mom Picks!

2006-05-31T12:39:00.000-05:00

actually, it's a shout-out from a dad, who is contributing as part of father's day week. flippin' sweet.

have i mentioned that Rock-n-Romp is less than a month away and i am SO not ready? YIKES. oh, and all systems are go for the Austin RnR...i've got my plane ticket! whee! all i can say is that paige better show me a good time...heh.

VICTORY!

2006-05-31T12:22:00.000-05:00

YES! first, let me say thanks to you ladies who offered words of encouragement over my crafty predicament. things continued to get testy via the listserv, and i finally convinced others that we needed to break free from the oppressive dictatorship of SAHMs Who Craft Ugly Things And Wear Mom Jeans! we are starting our own collective, and i am beyond happy. check out these cool chicks and their wares:

awesome stuff, yes?? these are the confirmed members of the new collective, and i'm hoping there will be a few more very soon. so now we just need a name, because there is an amazing opportunity for heidi from my paper crane to be on a DIY network show with some other crafty friends to promote the group, and they need to know the group name! like NOW! give me some suggestions, dudes. i know you all are creative and shit. here are my least lame ideas so far:

Indie Craft Brigade (or just Craft Brigade)
Craft Mutiny! (something pirate-y would kick ass)

uhhh, i guess that's all i got. thoughts? ideas? suggestions?

don't rock the boat, baby....

2006-05-29T11:56:00.000-05:00

[rock the boat!]
don't tip the boat over!

i am not a drama queen. i do not like confrontation. but if it's important enough, i will stand up for what i believe in and make my voice heard, no matter how unpopular my views may be. okay, even if it's not so important, i'll weigh in with my opinion, but i don't do it to be obnoxious or offensive. i do it to make sure that all sides are heard. i do it if i feel that something is unjust, unfair or just plain wrong.

recently i joined a craft collective (who shall remain nameless because i don't want any of the other members to google that shit and end up here!) to meet other cool, crafty people and work together to build/promote our little crafty businesses. honestly, my main objective was to find other crafty chicks to hang out with -- none of my friends get into the crafts like i do! well, imagine my surprise when i meet some of the women in this collective and they are nothing like i'd imagined them to be. NOTHING. a few are awesome -- funky, indie, interesting, creative, potty-mouthed.....everything i was looking for when i joined. a few are, uh, not so awesome. these would include the person who started the collective (basically she got permission to use the name, which is an offshoot of the original collective using the name in another state) and someone who showed up wearing mom jeans and white sneakers (who i will now refer to as mom jeans). oh, and who makes jewelry that i hate. i have no idea what the woman who started the collective makes....let me start calling her the founder. i do know that they are both stay-at-home-moms who live in the suburbs FAR from DC (which is part of the collective's name and, obviously, identity). i won't get into the boring details, but these women and i seem to have reached an impasse. on the group listserv i expressed my displeasure with all the tedious rules of linking to each other and the fact that i'm not interested in promoting someone else's work when i don't even know what they do. i called the founder out by name on that last point. mom jeans said i was being "offensive and less than tactful." you can see where i'm going with this, right? these women don't have their shit together (the group site is ugly, there is no cohesiveness [is that a word?] to the group), and i don't have time to fuck around with a group of people i don't like! so my first instinct was to get the other cool chicks to leave with me and start a new group! heh. i'm such an instigator! but they seem to think that sticking it out is the way to go, and eventually we'll be able to take over. so then i think, okay, i can stick it out. then i read more tedious bullshit emails on the listserv, and think about how much i don't want to work with the founder and mom jeans, and think FUCK THIS. how will we take over without being total assholes? god, i feel so elitist and exclusionary saying this, but the fact is that certain people in the group do not represent what i feel this particular craft collective is about. but i'm not into hostile takeovers. i'm not into hurting people's feelings. i'm not into telling someone that i don't like their work. i respect anyone making things for the love of making things, but just because you craft does not mean i want to work with you! i just don't see how sticking it out and being lumped in with uninteresting product is helping me. oh yeah, the main thing it seems that other people want out of this group is promoting their businesses and getting exposure. that's all well and good, but the people who like mom jeans' jewelry are certainly not gonna be into the skull and crossbones i stitch up, you know? and vice versa! SIGH.

so now i don't know what to do. maybe it's really not so important to be part of a collective? i can still hang out and talk shop with the cool crafters i've met from the group, right? but then if the group ends up being really cool and the boring ones drop out, i'll feel like i fucked up a good thing. ugh. today i'm leaning towards sticking it out, but i seriously don't know if i can keep my mouth shut for that long. if i stay, i'm not going to blindly follow the founder, and that's going to mean i'm gonna say some very unpopular shit. gah, why can't i just be a follower???

we went insane when we took cocaine

2006-05-27T20:08:00.000-05:00

WTF? this is why i should not be allowed to have an iPod, people. i will troll iTunes and find all the songs of my misguided youth and listen to them over and over, bypassing all the cool, new music i have also downloaded. i guess it was the summer of '81 or '82 when i would listen to "genius of love" over and over and OVER. it's a pretty great song, even now. clueless preteen me didn't even notice all the drug talk in the lyrics! oh who am i kidding, i barely pay attention to lyrics now. heh. i'm all about the instrumentation, dudes. speaking of which, i've had a serious hankering for taking up the drums lately. maybe bashing away will get rid of these sausage-like upper arms! but i digress....

so david took pity on his prehistoric technophobe wife and got me an iPod for mother's day. pretty sweet, eh? now i can listen to all my favorite songs from the 80s while looking all 21st century with white wires coming out of my ears! the last 5 songs that played in shuffle mode:

tom tom club - genius of love
yaz - don't go
fishbone - ugly
tears for fears - mad world
asia - heat of the moment

HA! did i just admit that i downloaded a FUCKING ASIA SONG??? dudes, i have no shame. you know, this could very well be someone's submission for paige's shittiest mixtape challenge which, by the way, you should all really enter. the winner will receive a totally awesome hand-stitched tee shirt made by ME, proclaiming them as the mixtape king or queen. whee! what have you got to lose??

paper planes don't loop

2006-05-27T08:11:00.000-05:00

it looks better than a straight line, though.

check out

paper planes don't loop
Originally uploaded by workforidlehands.

my latest creation. over the winter i schemed stitching on cute velvet mary janes, but life was too hectic to try it. i'm quite pleased with the results! i remember my first pair of cheap, black cotton chinese mary janes in high school. god, where did i get those? i don't even remember, but they were the perfect accessory for my gothy-punky-new-waver, all-black wardrobe. i actually preferred the boy version, and when i bought this red pair, saw that they make them in kiddie sizes! whee! so jack and nate have been sporting their mini karate shoes everywhere. fucking adorable. there's been a lot of "HI-YA!"ing going on in this house lately. heh. so i think it's safe to say that this will be my new obsession, stitching on shoes. so many colors! so many sizes (yes, they make baby sizes)! awesome. if you want a pair and have an idea for a design, you know where to reach me.

shittiest mixtape challenge

2006-05-22T17:18:00.000-05:00

so, the lovely paige offered up this challenge a week or so ago, and i was intrigued. watching the video of aziz wandering around the city with his boombox blasting god-awful songs made me laugh, and i thought this could be a fun challenge! so many bad songs! how to pick just five?? then i forgot about it. but dear paige has reminded me, and i'm feeling inspired by xiobhan's submission, though a little intimidated by her forethought and criteria for her mix. dudes! i just figured i'd pick 5 shitty songs off the top of my head that make me cringe when i hear them! so that is what i will do. and, no, you will not get mp3s, because i still don't know how to link to them, and your efforts to instruct me will be a waste of time! but you won't need them. trust me, you will read the title of the song and you will instantly remember the melody and all the lyrics, though you'll desperately wish you couldn't. heh. so, without further ado, my shittiest mixtape:

steve miller band - abracadabra
shania twain - man! i feel like a woman!
crash test dummies - mmmm mmmmm mmmm mmmmm
USA for africa - we are the world
starship (they had dropped the "jefferson" by then, right?) - we built this city

so there you have it! wanna play along? submit your list to paige's blog! there is a prize, though i'm not sure what it is. i'm hoping it's a roundtrip ticket to austin. heh.

now playing

2006-05-21T09:28:00.000-05:00

big country - in a big country

you know what? i fucking LOVE this song, and i don't care who knows it. the bassline is crazy, and the bagpipe guitar effects are awesome. yes, i am a dork. SHA!

last night there were skinheads on my mom*

2006-05-17T17:59:00.000-05:00

in the car today the whole family rocked out to an interesting setlist:

...trail of dead - the rest will follow
supersystem - born into the world
camper van beethoven - take the skinheads bowling
the darkness - i believe in a thing called love

basically played on repeat the whole journey. all songs vastly different from each other, but each deemed worthy of rocking out (complete with air guitar solos, flailing imaginary drumsticks and rousing choruses) by the boys. we must have looked insane to people in the cars around us. awesome.

* from the fantabulous CVB song above. this is jack's take on the line, "last night there were skinheads on my lawn." yeah, i laughed my ass off, too.

kindergarten roundup

2006-05-16T21:02:00.000-05:00

jack did not get into the spanish immersion program. or the french immersion program. motherfuckers! did i not say that i don't handle rejection well? heh. so today we went to the academy program's kindergarten roundup, where jack got to do a project in the classroom while dave and i filled out paperwork. it's still kind of unbelievable that i have a child that will be going to school! real school! where there are no naps, no one to wipe your butt, you eat in the cafeteria, you go on field trips...wow. pretty crazy. we had a sweet, 5 minute walk from the house to school, which will be our daily ritual come fall. as we were walking i wondered when i would ever feel comfortable letting him walk by himself. NEVER! heh. no, seriously, i don't know. i'm so fucking paranoid, i'd probably stand on the curb and watch him or something, even though the school is literally down the street from us.

so that's that. school. jack is really into it, so i'm happy no matter what program he's in. really! doesn't sound like me, huh?

i've been feeling really uninspired as far as blogging goes, friends. i'm boring you , i know. bear with me.

i just don't know if i can handle that kind of rejection*

2006-05-10T09:29:00.000-05:00

this week we are waiting to hear if jack got into the fantastic spanish immersion program offered by the county school system. we've also applied for the french immersion program, but spanish is obviously our first choice because that is what he has been learning for the past 3 years. plus, the spanish immersion program is highly coveted because it lasts through high school, and is taught in three (elementary, middle, high) of the best schools in the area. so yeah. i'm pretty much freaking out right now. it's a total lottery system, so no kid is rejected for any other reason than the luck of the draw, but i hate this shit because I NEVER WIN ANYTHING. seriously! and this is important, so the randomness of the selection kind of sucks. jack deserves to go! gah, i need to just deal with whatever happens. i need to work on my "it's okay, sweetie, french is going to be fun!" speech. and, speaking of which, the french immersion program is taught in the school down the street, so the walking factor would be sweet. and, on the off chance he doesn't get into the french immersion program, the school down the street also offers all students what they call the academy program, which pushes math and science. so, really, any program he is in will be good. no, any program will be GREAT, because we are lucky to have great schools in our area. even so, if he goes to the school down the street, it's still going to feel like he's getting the short end of the stick.

dudes, how the fuck am i going to handle college applications??

*from the excellent toy story, which has all its dialogue permanently etched into my brain. why don't they make a toy story 3?? no, really. i want to know.

now playing

2006-05-08T07:32:00.000-05:00

love and rockets - kundalini express

when this album came out 20 years ago, i'd listen to it regularly -- it's really damn good. this song is all about transcendentalism and reaching that "higher plane," blahblah bullshit. heh. what can i say, i'm too wound up and cynical to believe in such things now. but i still enjoy listening to it even though now, two decades old, it has lost any spiritual meaning it may have had for 16-year-old me, and has instead become the perfect vehicle for nate and i to yell "WHOO! WHOO!" as loud as we can. it is about a train, after all.

i know they say deaths come in threes

2006-05-05T06:19:00.000-05:00

but this is ridiculous. yesterday was an awful day for people we care about. a good friend's father passed away, another good friend's sweet, sweet dog was put to sleep, and dave's aunt succumbed to her illnesses. i'm always pathetically inarticulate when it comes to things like this, so i won't muck up these tragic events with stiff, hollow sounding words. i just want to say that the pain that those who have lost are suffering is something i can't really relate to, but my heart hurts for them. i'm so incredibly sorry for their losses.

now go kiss/hug/call someone you love. life is much too short...

um, men? you might want to skip this one...

2006-05-03T08:24:00.000-05:00

so, ladies? give it to me straight: do any of you know when you're ovulating? like, know precisely when you're ovulating? I DO. and it's freaking me out! i know that mittelschmerz is quite common, but it doesn't seem right that i can literally feel the egg BUSTING OUT OF MY OVARY. and it does NOT feel good! i won't even get into the abundance of cervical mucus.... and i'm not usually squirmish about bodily fluids, but ICK. so yeah. i ovulated today. for 20ish years i was so clueless and unaware about my body that i'd get surprised when my period started, and now i can set the clocks by my cycle. i guess this is what birthing babies does to a woman, huh? tell me this is what birthing babies does to a woman! PLEASE. i won't feel so freakish then!

with great power comes great responsibility

2006-05-02T16:49:00.000-05:00

some days i feel like i can do anything, and say things like, "oh, we don't need to worry about summer camp for jack this year! we live in a place full of awesome things for kids to do like visit the museums at the smithsonian and the national zoo (both of which are FREE), the botanical gardens, glen echo park, the aquarium in baltimore, the washington monument (all the monuments, really), numerous nature centers, six flags, the list goes on and ON. we can go on little field trips every week, and jack and nate can spend time together, and we can SAVE MONEY. yes, that is what we should do this summer!"

and then i wake up the next day and realize I'VE LOST MY FUCKING MIND. TWO crazy boys with me ALL DAY? EVERY DAY?? YIKES. but maybe, just maybe, it will be the funnest summer EVER. i dunno. the jury's still out on this one, folks.

oh, and for the uninitiated (non-parents, parents of girls, non-comic book readers, et al), that line is from spiderman. DUH.

so spring has sprung

2006-05-01T13:54:00.000-05:00

it is gorgeous outside and i feel all energized and ready to conquer the world! there is the slight problem of my allergies wreaking havoc when i am outside for any extended period of time, though, which makes gardening or other nature-related activities next to impossible. but that's okay! i'm looking at the positives! dave can take care of the yard and i can set my sights on Rock-n-Romp!

the insanity of starting up 60 bugs sidetracked me, so i've been totally remiss in relaying all the exciting news about RnR this year! so, RnR::Baltimore is going on its second year, which is great, and we're going on our fifth year, but we also have some new additions to the RnR family: Memphis, Austin and -- this just in -- Canada! does that not kick ass?? Memphis had their first show last month and it was an unbelievable success, and they're planning several more this summer. my pal paige is hosting the Austin version, and i'm pretty sure i'm gonna be there for the inaugural Romp in july -- i'm so excited! and now i've just heard from my pal jess that she and her hub are down with doing RnR Canada-style! whee! dudes, they live on a farm. i am totally envisioning a Woodstock-type festival, with toddlers caked in mud and twirling around and playing hackysack. heh. is that not AWESOME?

if you know anyone who lives in the DC, Baltimore, Memphis or Austin areas, hep them to the awesomeness that is Rock-n-Romp! [jess, help me out...where exactly are you in Canada?] if you live in any of those areas, get your butt to a show! you will have fun, i promise. if you don't live in any of those areas: got a backyard? want to elicit oohs and aahs over how brilliant you are from all your parent friends?? want to rub shoulders with the cool, local indie bands that you never get to see?? Rock-n-Romp across the world, baby! you know where to reach me.

they say the first step is admitting you have a problem

2006-04-25T17:58:00.000-05:00

a couple of months ago, after trying on some new clothes, i decided that i was okay with my weight. now this is a big deal for me, considering i've been weight/shape-obsessed since middle school. not enough to exercise (shudder) or eat right or anything crazy like that (heh), but enough to obsess about what clothes flatter my figure, etc. after two pregnancies, i have a bit of a gut -- i call it mommy gut -- and i know that i will never do the crunches or eliminate the fatty foods from my diet that it will take for it to go away. fine. no, really! it's cool. i really had come to terms with it. i mean, i'm back into single-digit sizes, so what more do i really want? okay, a flat stomach would be really nice, but i know better than to fantasize about such things. anyway, i decided to work with what i've got, which ain't half bad, right? well, along the way i decided that i would no longer deprive myself of those things i enjoyed eating and drinking, because maintaining my current weight was completely different than trying to not gain weight, right? WRONG, MORON. with the stress of starting a new business and various other things, i've gone completely overboard. to clue you into how delusional i am about what i can consume without gaining weight, a list of things i recently reintroduced to my diet in large amounts:

coke... regular coke... with real sugar!
cadbury cream eggs... to be honest, i prefer to lick out the cream filling and leave the chocolate shell. gross, i know. but at least easter is over so i can't really eat them anymore!
java chip frappucinos... i crave one every fucking day. seriously, 3:00 hits and i feel like i'm going through withdrawal. yes, i know they have, like, 2000 calories in them.
barbecue chips dipped in sour cream... a friend in high school introduced me to this culinary masterpiece. it sounds disgusting, but is oh so tasty.

those are just the things off the top of my head. basically, i have been eating all the things i usually deny myself because they are fattening or disgusting. or both. but now i'm feeling a little gross and flabby. the mommy gut is pooching out a little too much. the cute spring clothes i bought aren't looking so cute anymore! HELP.

fashion! turn to the left!

2006-04-24T12:33:00.000-05:00

fashion! turn to the right! that's vintage david bowie, for all you youngsters out there. so, fashion. i haven't been paying attention to the latest trends, but after shopping a bit today, i have concluded two things:

bubble skirts were never meant to be resurrected. i mean, COME ON. fucking bubble skirts?? numerous times today the design of a skirt or dress would catch my eye, then i'd have to throw it back on the rack in disgust when i saw the stupid bubbled hemline. such a shame.
gauchos were also never meant to be resurrected, and really only look halfway decent on very tall, skinny people. i'll admit i had gauchos (denim, no less! with a rainbow embroidered down the side of the leg!) when i was younger, but it was the FREAKIN' 70s. we didn't know any better back then!

SIGH. you know, i'm all for retro fashions and all that, but some shit will never look good. EVER. man, i really need to bust out that sewing machine and make some clothes.

sunday morning coming down

2006-04-23T11:32:00.000-05:00

yesterday's craft show was basically a bust. not only was the weather fucking awful, but the only thing i sold was a set of pillowcases for one of the richmond craft mafia chicks, which she technically ordered online. so, i really didn't sell a damn thing. lots of folks took cards, which has already resulted in one order from the website, so hopefully more will follow. i dunno, i think if the weather hadn't been so miserable and mmore people had come out to shop, i would have a better attitude about it, but i still feel i need to rethink this whole craft show thing. maybe a pros/cons list will help.

PROS:

getting your name out there
letting people see the stuff in person
meeting other cool, crafty people

CONS:

60 bugs is very much a niche product -- most people i saw yesterday didn't have kids or didn't know anyone who had kids
if no one's buying anything it makes for a really LONG fucking day
you usually pay to participate, so if you don't sell anything you lose money

kinda even, i guess, but i do believe that this will be the first and last time i travel to participate in a craft show. anything in DC or my 'hood, i can handle, but no more driving out-of-town. oh! speaking of cool, crafty people, i did meet a very cool woman who lives not far from me who makes awesome, funky jewelry! it's nice to know there are other crafty, geeky types out there like me. i guess that does make yesterday's excursion worthwhile. so why do i feel so exhausted and let down? hrm.

trouble

2006-04-23T10:43:00.000-05:00

trouble
Originally uploaded by Mrs. Kennedy.

the fantabulous mrs. kennedy's adorable son jackson rocks the skull tee well, no? i just want to pinch those cheekies!

top 5 things i want to bitch about but i'm biting my tongue because i'm trying to turn over a new leaf

2006-04-20T07:49:00.000-05:00

i mean, even i find the constant bitchfest boring, so i can only imagine how you must feel. but anyway, this list is relevant to my life this week, so bear with me.

my friend just informed me that my recently found, totally awesome hairstylist has moved to ocean city. FUCK ME.
the weather is absolutely fabulous (in the 80s and sunny today) but i am holed up stitching my ass off. that's a funny visual, eh?
i am stitching my ass off for this cool craft show on saturday, when it is guaranteed to be a rainy, crappy day. do people go to craft shows outdoors when it's raining?? FUCK ME. oh, i said that already. sorry.
jack has turned into some kind of demon child, and we are having major discipline issues. i'm having a tough time containing my displeasure at his behavior, but he obviously has some kind of superpower which makes him impervious to yelling and timeouts. FU....oh, nevermind.
my supercool friend is moving across the country, and i don't think i'm going to be able to see her because i'm too fucking busy stitching my ass off and various other scheduling issues. this does give me a reason to check out portland in the future, though.

so yeah, whee! in more pleasant news, my sweet friend mamac-ta said very nice things about 60 bugs yesterday on her new site urban baby runway, which made me feel good. see? i'm not all bitching and moaning all the time! heh. just most of the time.

now playing

2006-04-19T08:12:00.000-05:00

yeah yeah yeahs - way out

off the new album show your bones. i am attempting to break out of my non-new-music-buying shell, but it's hard. i like to play this album back-to-back with duran duran. heh. my sweetie-pie friend paige knows all the cool, new music and writes about it so well, and i remember her posting something about this album a few months ago, so thought what the hell. to be honest, i like the idea of karen o more than i actually like karen o --don't even get me started on that ridiculous bowl haircut she's sporting now -- but i gotta say, i think this album is growing on me. natey seems to like it, anyway.

so so so so so so

2006-04-14T14:34:00.000-05:00

SO busy! ack! have you ever been so busy making money that you didn't have time to spend it? until now, my answer would have been HELL NO. that kind of job is for suckers! heh. this is a dilemma, people. i like to spend money. i want to spend money. i know i shouldn't complain about being busy with 60 bugs, and i will probably complain even more loudly when i'm not busy with 60 bugs, but the fact is I AM TOO BUSY. at this very moment, i am too busy. can someone add a few extra hours to the day, please? yes, even i am not happy about the direction this blargh is taking. i promise to not bitch this week anymore. see you monday!

EDIT: lest i sound like a totally ungrateful jerk, i must say that i am really happy and excited and amazed that 60 bugs business is booming. really! i am! i'm just feeling a little overwhelmed (hmmm, what time of the month is it?) because i'm working my ass off doing orders PLUS getting stuff stitched up for the craft show NEXT SATURDAY. what can i say, planning in advance has never been my forte.

top 5 things i've wanted to blog about but haven't had time

2006-04-12T07:00:00.004-05:00

how much i love listening to the eurythmics, big audio dynamite, echo and the bunnymen and REM while i'm stitching. i've considered including a free gift CD with orders entitled The Soundtrack to Your 60 bugs Shirt, but am pretty sure that would just frighten people.
natey's unbelievable language explosion. he is talking. and talking and talking. it is so freakin' adorable it hurts my heart a little to hear his sweet voice. even when he's being belligerent and saying NO i can't help but smile. dave has taught him to say mini me, because he likes to think that nate looks just like him. while i might not completely agree, it doen't stop me from getting him to say it many times during the day. i am so grateful that his speech delay issues seem to be resolving themselves.
disneyland! it seems like it was forever ago! it was FUN. jack was so great about the whole exhausting ordeal, it made me quite proud. perhaps i'll write more about it later.
jack's back in ft. lauderdale for spring break this year. heh. kidding! he's back at grammy's house FOR THE WHOLE DAMN WEEK. um, people reading this who have one kid? your life is a CAKEWALK. heh. he wanted to go, and is having a fantastic time, so i only feel slightly guilty. it sure is nice to have just one little monkey to corral while i'm so busy, though.
i think i need to find a sitter for a few hours a week. true to form, i neglected to have a real plan as to how i was going to find time to work on 60 bugs. right now it's basically whenever i can, which isn't so bad, but i've got this dang craft show coming up and i need to have a good assortment of pieces to take. ugh.

oh and then there's that whole grup thing below, which i swear has been on my mind for a while now. specifically the whole clothes thing. i've always been a clothes whore -- since i was wee -- but i just kinda feel like i'm too old to wear certain things. why i have that old-fashioned notion, i don't know. i love funky and interesting clothes. i think that's just a part of who i am. it always will be, i suppose. ah, fuck it. they're just clothes, right? i'm not running around wearing micro minis or crop tops and shit. i would never wear something that would embarrass my kids or (more importantly!) myself. but please, dudes, if i'm 60 and running around looking like betsey johnson, whose clothes i have been known to wear on occasion, don't hesitate to throttle me.

my life suddenly makes sense now

2006-04-12T06:40:00.000-05:00

lately i've been feeling like i'm out-of-touch. like i'll never grow up. shit, i'm 36 and i care way too much about funky clothes and shoes. way too much about cool music. and i'm NOT a musician. i mean, i'm not freakin' 20 anymore! what's up with that? even though we're in a large, metropolitan area, i feel like an anomaly. turns out i'm just a grup. it's a funny read, but, oh so true. yikes. at least i know i'm not alone.

had enough 60 bugs yet???

2006-04-10T14:07:00.000-05:00

i didn't think so! more kind words today over at blogging baby and posh and pretty. where are people finding out about 60 bugs?? it's kind of freaking me out. in a good way, of course. heh.

EDIT: i'm a little irked to see that that same woman that commented on cool mom picks about 60 bugs also commented on blogging baby. what the fuck? am i being too sensitive or is she being a jerk? she always follows up her "oh i can do that and so can you if you buy sublime stitching patterns" bullshit with something nice. seriously, what the fuck is up with that? should i email her? CEASE AND DESIST, BITCH. gah, i really don't have time for drama right now. i'm too busy with orders from nice people! huh. i think she wishes she had thought of 60 bugs. as jack would say, too bad, so sad. yes, i taught him how to say that. so i'm immature! i don't deserve assholes talking shit about me! do i?

gimme your opinions

2006-04-07T15:10:00.000-05:00

i have no time to really blog, but wanted to see what ya'll thought about something. 60 bugs is grooving along, and in my plotting for the future have thought about doing adult shirts. is that something you think would sell? would you buy one? i may stitch some up for the groovy craft fair i'm going to be in coming up, but we'll see if i even have time do all the core kiddie stuff i want to do! ugh. i'm stitching up a saucy roller derby shirt for my pal stacey who started the memphis rock-n-romp, and i'm really enjoying it, so that's also why i'm thinking about doing shirts for big people. i'm actually hoping that when she wears it the other roller derby chicks will want me to make one for them! how cool would that be?? anyway, thoughts would be appreciated!

we're all still on west coast time

2006-04-05T22:27:00.000-05:00

and I DON'T LIKE IT. fuck, i can't remember the last time i stayed up past 11:00 pm TWO NIGHTS IN A ROW. yes, i'm lame. what can i say, i love my 8+ hours of sleep. SIGH. it will pain me, but tomorrow i think i'm gonna have to roll the brothers out of bed earlier than 9:30 am (felt like 6:30), which is when they woke up today. UGH.

more bloggy 60 bugs pimpage

2006-04-04T20:07:00.000-05:00

from the swell folks over at cool mom picks. so the woman commenting about the similarity of the designs i use to sublime stitching's (just stopping short of saying that i stole them, basically) got me hyperventilating a little bit, 'cause i had a little anxiety about using someone else's designs in the first place, you know? but i am, indeed, a licensed sublime stitching merchant, so there's no reason to panic. i love jenny hart and sublime stitching's designs, and i enjoy using them. i could make my own -- and i do use some of my own -- but why? the patterns are exactly what i want to stitch up, so it seems redundant. call me lazy, but how many different ways can i draw a drumkit? or a skull and crossbones? or a cowbell?? heh, i sound like i'm freaking out, but i'm really not. i'm helping to support what sublime stitching is doing, as well as what i'm doing, so it's a win-win situation. it just makes me feel a little icky that someone basically came out to say, hey, i can do that myself with those patterns! which then makes me feel like, why would anyone want to buy something they could make themselves?? hello, insecurity! heh. anyway, i thought it was very nice that the cool mom picks reviewer came to my rescue with her comment. judging by the number of orders i've received in the few short weeks i've been in business, i'd say that there are more people out there who do not feel inclined to pick up a needle and stitch something themselves, than there are who do. good for me! and for sublime stitching!

ps: thanks gingajoy, for suggesting 60 bugs to the cool moms. it sounds like maybe a few other moms did the same thing! so nice.

dudes, this could be dangerous

2006-04-02T22:00:00.000-05:00

i have just returned from strolling around the gaslamp quarter and eating delicious sushi at some hole-in-the-wall place i happened upon to the uberhip and swanky hotel solamar with a yummy double cafe noel (espresso with caramel, chocolate and steamed milk) in my hand. oh, i forgot the important part! [all the stuff in the first line] + ALONE. BY MYSELF. NO KIDS. NO TIME CONTRAINTS. JUST ME AND WHATEVER THE HELL I WANT TO DO. i think i may faint from the freedom.

dave has a dinner meeting and the boys are at their auntie's place. i don't know what to do with myself! it's kinda weird, you know? i honestly cannot remember the last time i was a in a city with nothing to do but explore at my own pace. it's nice. i'm actually not that interested in checking out all san diego has to offer or anything, but just having the option is SWEET. so what do i do now? watch a movie maybe. surf the web maybe. peruse the room service menu for breakfast maybe. sounds boring, i know, but dammit being alone is awesome. don't worry, i'm not gonna run away from home or anything. i'll be missing my monkey boys by morning. but, i tell you what, i'm gonna sleep really fucking good. i just know it.

damn, mickey's short

2006-03-31T19:04:00.000-05:00

damn, mickey's short
Originally uploaded by workforidlehands.

we are having a wonderful time in disneyland! lots o' fun to be had in the Happiest Place on Earth, that's for sure. had to share the awesome photo of nate meeting mickey. true to form, jack refuses to get anywhere near the costumed characters, which is cool. a little frustrating, but whatever. natey cries whenever he has to leave the characters. night and day, those two. anyway, judging by his face, i think nate's a little annoyed that he had to wait in line so long to see mickey for 10 seconds.

IN-N-OUT BURGER, MUTHAFUCKAS!!!

2006-03-29T17:40:00.000-05:00

it's what's for dinner! and mucho excellente fish tacos for lunch. is it terribly sad that i mostly love california for the food? i guess the beautiful weather and palm trees and stuff are okay.

I'm going back to Cali, Cali, Cali

2006-03-28T06:58:00.000-05:00

I'm going back to Cali....hmmm, I don't think so.

GET OUT OF MY HEAD, LL COOL J.

So, we are, indeed, going back to Cali(fornia) bright and early tomorrow morning. It will be Nate's first trip to the left coast and [sound the trumpets] his first 5+ hour flight! Whee! Yes, we booked a non-stop flight, because what sane parent wants to have to lug all the shit that comes with dragging your kids on an airplane around three fucking airports in one day?? Not I, friends. It will be a radical experiment, but we are hopeful. I do believe this is only Nate's second encounter with the friendly skies, which makes me a little anxious, but I'm sure he'll be fine. We've got the laptop powered up with Dora and Diego and Bob the Builder and Thomas the TankEngine, which means he'll probably be in a video-induced coma by the time we land in San Diego. Heh. As long as there are no shrieking/whining/hitting-filled tantrums on the plane, I am fine with that. For the first time, I am not worried about Jack at all, which is such a relief. He's at the age where he can occupy himself for LONG stretches of time, and looks forward to plane rides. [in my best Napoleon Dynamite voice] Yessss.

When it comes right down to it, this trip is mostly about Jack. Dave has a meeting in San Diego, which also happens to be where the sister-in-law lives, and we've been meaning to get the boys out there to visit, so thought this was a good opportunity. Most importantly, though, is the close proximity to the evil empire, Disneyland! Dudes, I have been practically counting the days until Jack was old enough to appreciate Disney! The time has finally come. Yes, I am a geek. I love Disney. I've never done Disneyland, but I've been to Disney World several times, and all in my adult life. I think I'm making up for the shitty childhood trips I had to take to places like Paris and Venice and Switzerland. Fuck the Alps, mom, show me some Space Mountain! Heh. So this will be the first time I get to experience Mickey Mouse-land through the eyes of a child. I am beyond excited. I think 5 is a perfect age because he can process what the hell is going on, you know? Plus, he can talk about it. Coherently. That has been the greatest thing lately, to be able to talk with Jack about stuff. Like, really have a conversation. Little dude's pretty smart. Anyway, I am looking forward to sharing his enthusiasm and excitement in a more equal way, you know? It will be awesome.

I think Natey will have fun, but he is a little more sensitive than Jack when it comes to things like sleep. He has never been able to sleep with others -- near him, with him, whatever. God knows I've tried, but he will have none of it (much to Dave's delight). So we're a little nervous about the hotel situation when we're at Disney. I think if we make sure it's completely pitch black and lay perfectly still and makes absolutely NO sounds, we'll be okay. Heh, sounds like a fab vacation, huh? Shit, we should've just gotten him his own room! Oh well, kid's gotta learn sometime.

So today is get shit ready to go day! I will attempt to post pictures of glorious Cinderella's Castle and Jack fleeing life-sized Mickeys and Goofys trying to hug him and shit. Heh. Have a good week, blog peeps! Oh hey, anyone want Mickey ears? Anyone??

this really could start going to my head

2006-03-27T10:05:00.000-05:00

i received a nice email from emily of pretty crabby, telling me that she has listed 60 bugs on a group site she contributes to called Awesome! is that not awesome? the blog love...it is blowing my mind. i may not have the money to advertise on dooce or other superstar blogs, but i placed an ad with the most excellent (not to mention reasonably priced) fussy, which has already paid for itself a few times over. plus, mrs. kennedy is really fucking NICE. it's pretty cool. anyway, i do believe the fussy ad has proved itself to be a most wise investment, since i'm betting that is where emily found out about 60 bugs. awesome. no, really, i mean it! AWESOME. i am in awe at the power of the blogosphere. please forgive any badmouthing i have done. oh wait, i only do that in email or on the phone. heh. nevermind. I [HEART] YOU, BLOGOSPHERE.

yup, i'm famous

2006-03-25T19:00:00.000-05:00

the dooce has photos of leta wearing her 60 bugs "more cowbell!" shirt up on her blog. nevermind the fact that she doesn't reference that it is a 60 bugs shirt or who gave it to her (sweetney) or anything about it AT ALL. heh. it doesn't matter. i know that i made that shirt, and it feels pretty dang good to think that thousands of people have seen it and thought, "hey, where did that awesome shirt come from??"

Learn budgeting basics with Excel!

2006-03-22T06:27:00.000-05:00

Discover how to use a spreadsheet to create and manage a budget in this FREE online class.Whether your business is a struggling startup or a thriving enterprise, knowing what money is coming in and going out is essential for making solid business decisions. In this course you'll learn how to create budgetary spreadsheets, analyze the financial data, and make predictions for the bottom line.

This hands-on class features interactive tutorials that show you how to create basic formulas, analyze worksheets, collaborate with others to share and merge workbooks, create trendlines, and perform what-if analyses to estimate expenses and profits.

this is the kind of email my husband sends me. gee, thanks, honey. the title alone makes me want to claw my eyes out. so, yes, the financially responsible member of the family has already started with the 60 bugs money talk: i need a spreadsheet, i need to remember the tax shit, i need to do this, i need to do that, blah blah blah. maybe this is why i've never started my own business? totally makes sense.

shout-outs and such

2006-03-17T07:11:00.000-05:00

dudes, i am so frazzled i don't even know what to title this post. suffice it to say that the last few days have been BUSY. 60 bugs is taking off. i am slightly freaked out, but mostly floating-on-air. some things to note:

the internet is my friend. if you had asked me 5 years ago if i thought i'd ever have a web-based business i would've laughed so hard that i'd probably start choking. for a dinky little crafty thing like what i've got going on, the web is the only place to have any real success. after 2 days of being open for business it's already obvious, and i haven't even tapped all the amazing internet-ty resources there are for 60 bugs!
i have truly amazing friends, who not only helped design and host 60 bugs, but have also pimped and pimped and pimped, and whose kind blog posts have spawned even more pimpage, which is so kind it makes me weepy. then there are the lovely bloggy friends who have taken photos and ordered shirts and used their amazing talent for illustrating insects to help with the website design (i swear your beautiful bugs will be used once things calm down, chair!), and all out of the kindness of their hearts. oh! and friends who post things on geeky chicago music message boards about 60 bugs, which results in orders! and can't forget the new friends , who i have literally just "met" and are totally awesome and starting up Rock-n-Romp in memphis, who place HUGE orders! and then there are the friends who don't have websites or blogs who have deluged my inbox with praise and orders, and my insides are just all mushy trying to comprehend and absorb all the love. wow. and, of course, you 10 readers with your congrats and supportive words are the bestest. i [heart] you all!
as the poster child for pmdd, i really should know better than to start something huge like launching 60 bugs at my most overwhelmed time of the month. stupid dumb, as the beasties would say. but the OCD won this month, and i'm really not complaining, just feeling, you know, FUCKING TOTALLY OVERWHELMED. heh.

and on the 6542842256987235756984238th day

2006-03-14T09:24:00.000-05:00

60bugs.com was finally born! check it, blog peeps. give me your feedback!

EDIT: shame on me for not mentioning supamb, without whom 60bugs.com would still just be a crazy pipedream rolling around in my computer-illiterate brain! smooches to MB! bow to the kickass webdesigner, peeps!

oh, richard harris

2006-03-13T21:38:00.000-05:00

why'd you have to go and die before the harry potter movies were done filming?? that new dude playing dumbledore is LAME. not to mention the fact that the kids are getting more annoying and overacting too much as they get older. sadly disappointing.

three things

2006-03-13T09:36:00.000-05:00

the lovely jess asked me to do this meme and, to be honest, i quite like participating in these little survey-type things. it forces me to think about things i probably won't/don't have time to otherwise, and it satisfies the voyeur in me because i get to learn more about you all! this particular one, though, has made me see how selfish i am deep down inside. heh. oh well, here goes:

3 things you wish for (just for you)

1. a flat tummy
2. money to open a shoe store
3. the ability to deal with stressful situations calmly

3 things you would do to/for yourself if there was no one to judge you (or if you had the guts to do it!)

1. get a tattoo on my arm (i'm scared of flabby, wrinky old lady arms with ink!)
2. give the boobs a lift
3. lipo the tummy

3 bad habits you have

1. junk food
2. buying things i don't need
3. criticizing others

3 insecurities you feel

1. i'm not really that smart -- i'm quick, but that's not the same thing
2. that the things i make or do are really not worthy of praise
3. that my ideas are unoriginal

3 talents/skills you wish you had

1. that i had the innate ability to just pick up and do all this computer shit
2. i wish i could sew
3. i wish i could draw well

3 things that you would do if you had more time

1. silkscreen shirts
2. spend one-on-one time with jack
3. make Rock-n-Romp a worldwide sensation!

3 things that bring you peace/relaxation

1. being alone
2. doing anything completely uninterrupted
3. acting crazy with the kids

3 things that spark your creativity

1. discovering other creative people's work
2. my favorite songs
3. my boys

and now it's your turn paige, shannon and chair!

nerds nerds nerds!

2006-03-10T09:02:00.000-05:00

nerds nerds nerds!
Originally uploaded by workforidlehands.

part of the 80s ABCs collection (i'm still tweaking the design of these shirts, so they may be slightly different in the end), soon to be available at 60bugs.com. yes, this website IS going to be ready SOON. if i weren't so obsessive about details it probably would already be up but, well, you know how it is. when you're obsessive. and compulsive. and such. heh.

now playing

2006-03-06T12:27:00.000-05:00

de la soul - potholes in my lawn

dudes! does anyone remember 3 feet high and rising?? wow, i'd forgotten what a great album it is. natey and i have been shaking our booties all morning. perfect music for a dreary, overcast day such as this.

you think you know a person

2006-03-05T08:59:00.000-05:00

like really really know a person. you've enjoyed spending time with them, laughing with them, learning about them, sharing your life with them, giving them pretty much all you've got to give. and then? then you learn that this person has a side that's so bizarre that you can hardly believe that you thought you knew them at all. you wonder how it's possible you never picked up this facet of this person's personality, it seems so huge. *shudder* i'm still a little shaken from the shock of it all.

i have learned today that dave does not like the beatles. does NOT like the beatles. who doesn't like at least some beatles?? i can see how someone could not like the more sugary, early stuff, but hard day's night?? fucking revolver?? COME ON NOW. how did i not know this?? "i just don't think they're that great," he tells me. "i've NEVER liked them," he tells me. wow. and please, if you don't like the beatles, don't tell me. not today. i don't think i could handle the shock.

kid-friendly?

2006-03-01T12:44:00.000-05:00

ever since seeing the fantabulous edie sedgwick the other night, i'm having a hard time clearly defining this term. in my post below i told you that i had asked edie/justin to play Rock-n-Romp, such was my admiration for what she/he had just done on-stage. justin was most gracious and, in fact, already knew about RnR (let me pat myself on the back here, because i am constantly meeting hipster, childless, musician-types who know about RnR. i suck at promoting the damn thing, so i think that it must be seen as a pretty cool thing for the word to get around like that.). as he looked at my shitty little RnR business card (shitty because my black ink is fucked and i can't figure out how to fix it!) he chuckled at the tagline Kid-friendly rock shows! and said, "i'm not exactly kid-friendly." i laughed and said that it was just as much about the parents enjoying the show as the kids, and to give me his email and we'd talk about it more later. so the thing about it being as much for the parents is true, but now i'm wondering, would parents not want their kids to see someone like edie sedgwick? so she's a skinny boy dressed in drag singing/screeching about famous people. the music is loud and fast-paced. she gyrates and dances and knocks over chairs. it is truly an awesome show, and i can't wait to see her again, but i suspect that i've got unique tastes. and even though edie sedgwick is kind of outrageous, i'm not sure i agree that she's not "kid-friendly."

i use "kid-friendly" to describe Rock-n-Romp because it's held during the day, there are toys and a playground, the volume is kept low and it's held in a safe environment. the only ground rules for bands who play are 1. keep the volume low 2. keep the cussing to a minimum. um, yeah, i guess that's it. i don't want bands or musicians to have to compromise their artistic integrity, you know? and i have had bands not want to play because their music is meant to be played loud, or their lyrics are too maudlin, which i totally understand. to be honest, though, volume control is much more important to me than whether or not someone says "fuck" in a song or sings about smoking pot or something. i don't think children necessarily need to be shielded from that sort of thing, though, again, i suspect that i am unique in that sense. i think if edie played RnR, there would be questions from the kids, but isn't that a good thing? i dunno. ugh, the more i write about this the more i'm not sure!

help me out, folks! answer this: knowing what you know about edie sedgwick, would you feel comfortable bringing your kid to see her perform?

things and stuff

2006-02-28T10:08:00.000-05:00

you know you love the bulleted lists!

been busy getting shit done for the 60bugs website. MB has been awesome and i think we are pretty dang close.
internet, have i told you lately that i love you? well, when you lead someone from montana through flickr to me to order a "more cowbell!" baby tee, I REALLY DO. my first order from someone i don't know! it's feeling real now, folks. e-commerce! woohoo!
natey's talking has exploded in the most awesome ways. it's adorable. we have also stopped the physical therapy because the kid is running like nobody's business. this makes me very happy.
we got paid today. THANK FUCKING GOD.
i got to see edie sedgwick perform last night as part of the taffety punk theatre co.'s production at the black cat last night. brilliant. BRILLIANT. this kid was really amazing, and he only played a short set. i talked to him about playing Rock-n-Romp, though now i'm not so sure it wouldn't be too intense for the kiddies. we'll see.

well that was lame, eh? sorry! too busy! okay! talk later!

this is getting ridiculous

2006-02-24T22:35:00.000-05:00

the last few months i keep catching the last 30-45 minutes of the lord of the rings: the return of the king, and usually there's nothing else on, so i watch it. you know the scene where frodo is recovering in bed after destroying the ring and all his friends come in the room to laugh and make merry? every time i see it, i cry my eyes out. I CRY MY FUCKING EYES OUT. what the hell is wrong with me? a few times have definitely been hormonally influenced, but this time i think i'm just being a sappy fuck! i think it's frodo's big blue pensive eyes or sam's hangdog expression or something. is it the way that they are so in tune with what the other is thinking? how sam is willing to give his life to help his beloved friend? oh shit, here come the waterworks again. *sniff*

oh, and am i the only one who thinks aragorn is goddamn sexy? heh. i am such a nerd.

you've got to be fucking kidding me

2006-02-23T12:15:00.000-05:00

because i am a dumbass, i do not carry a wallet. i am a cash-and-debit-card-and-license-in-the-pocket kinda gal. however, i do not like to accumulate coinage in my pockets -- so unflatteringly bulky, don't you think? i usually dump it in my jacket pockets or whatever bag i'm carrying. yes, i carry a purse pretty much everywhere but do not use it to hold a wallet. or a change purse, obviously, seeing as how the change swims freely about the bottom of the bag. i dump the change in the bag and i forget about it. in addition to being a purse-carrying-but-not-wallet-carrying kinda gal, i'm also an accessory whore. i have multiple purses. lots of purses. TOO MANY purses. and i like to switch them up, 'cause i'm cute like that. so this means that there are pools of change swimming around in the bottoms of LOTS of purses. you want to know where i'm going with this, don't you? okay, i'll cut to the chase. this month has been the official We Are On A Budget And We Are Going To Stick To It, GODDAMMIT, Or I Will Throttle You, You Overspending Shopaholic Bitch month. it has been difficult. very, VERY difficult. it has pushed my OCD to the limit, as i have started to feel like i'm suffocating when i have to calculate the total of the purchases in the shopping cart, and whether we really need those cookies. of course we need those cookies, dammit! we'll buy lightbulbs next month! anyway, today i spied a bunch of change in one of my bags and thought, "wow. i am going to go through all the bags and all the change bowls/receptacles around the house (dave uses bowls or cups to collect his ever-increasing collection of change), and see what i come up with!" wanna know what i came up with? do ya?? i'll tell you! CLOSE TO ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY DOLLARS IN QUARTERS AND DIMES AND NICKELS. and there are still a gazillion pennies to be counted! is that insane, or what? but the more important question: what to spend it on?? heh.

oh day, you are so fucked

2006-02-23T08:47:00.000-05:00

natey has a nasty cold. the last few days have been a blur of snot, tissues (i am amazed and incredibly thankful that this kid can blow his nose -- like, effectively blow his nose. it is awesome. now he just needs to teach his older brother.), crying, fitful sleep, food strikes etc etc. if he weren't such an awesome sleeper, i suppose waking up multiple times at night wouldn't bother me so much but, well, you know. i feel like a zombie. and i feel like i could be getting the same cold. whee! so i've got some pillowcases i need to finish, some things to get from the store, a hellhole of a house (remember the spinal tap song "hellhole"? hellhole! don't want to live in a HELLHOLE! so yeah, dave and i sing that a lot around here.) and a kid who woke up at 5 am. 5 MOTHERFUCKING AM. i suppose i should be grateful that he's really not cranky -- he was totally ready to party at 5 FUCKING AM. i, on the other hand, WAS NOT. so anyway, this day is fucked, you see. he's already delirious because he's tired, wants to be with/on me constantly, won't eat, and will probably fight me tooth and nail when i try to get him to take a nap. if he doesn take a nap, it will be totally off-schedule (early) and i know he won't take another one later, no matter how desperately he needs it. BLARGH. i should do stuff while he's napping but, come on. i got up at 5 FUCKING AM. did i mention that i'm on my period? NICE.

lloyd dobler vs. jake ryan?

2006-02-21T13:18:00.000-05:00

seriously?? PLEASE.

i just heard peter gabriel's "in your eyes" which made me think of lloyd dobler (john cusack's character) from say anything, which then made me remember an article about his appeal in the washington post's style section a while back. the writer recalled a previous article on why women my age love jake ryan (the hot dude from sixteen candles), and countered with how just as many women love lloyd dobler. um, what? are you kidding me? maybe i was an atypical teenager, but even though i was angsty and wore all black and loved punk and new wave music, i still knew that jake ryan was FUCKING HOT. lloyd dobler was a geek! sure, he was kinda cute and had decent taste in music, but he wore ridiculous sweatpants with bandanas around the ankles and a trenchcoat! give me a cute, clean HOT preppy boy over that any day. plus, that girl lloyd wanted was a dingdong! molly ringwald's character was so much more deserving of the happy ending with the HOT preppy boy. yes, i was this shallow back then, too. heh.

so, in closing, jake ryan so obviously kicks lloyd dobler's ass. sorry, sensitive boy. and now i'm wondering whatever happened to the hot dude who played jake ryan...

trying to catch a deluge in a paper cup

2006-02-21T10:23:00.000-05:00

is that not an excellent lyric? this weekend we've had our radio tuned to the local classic rock station because they're doing this "30 years in 30 days" thing, and i am a total whore for 80s music. saturday was 1983, sunday was '84, monday was '85 and today is '86. holy fuck, 1986 was TWENTY YEARS AGO. so yeah, good and bad 80s music, it doesn't matter. i love it. and they've definitely been playing the good AND the bad. i've heard john cougar mellencamp, depeche mode, thompson twins, bruce springsteen, motley crue, new order, fabulous thunderbirds, huey lewis, RUN-DMC, billy idol, peter gabriel, jefferson starship (or was it just starship at that point?), general public, heart, echo and the bunnymen, crowded house. man, these songs really take me back. and now i'm getting misty-eyed 'cause they're talking about the space shuttle explosion. wait, frank zappa was on miami vice?? oh god, and i remember the monkees revival. yikes. good times, folks. i almost want to dig out my big, baggy cure tee-shirt and black leggings!

happy happy joy joy

2006-02-15T12:33:00.000-05:00

so i recently had a lovely visit with my gynecologist. oh pap smear, why must you only come but once a year? heh. things seem to be in good working order, but i did find out that i am now at the age where i should have a mammogram. A MAMMOGRAM. if there's anything that makes a woman feel like she ain't no spring chicken anymore, it's the words YOU NEED A MAMMOGRAM. ugh. i was like, okay, whatever, but she made sure to tell me that the reason to do it now is to have baseline results to compare the results of the yearly mammograms i will have once i hit 40 against. ah, i see. whatever. it's funny because i'm not really freaked out about having it done -- isn't it supposed to be, uh, rather uncomfortable? i'm sure i read that in self or saw it on the learning channel or discovery channel or something. what? that's where i get all my important medical information! heh. perhaps my blase attitude was because i was also processing the fact that she had just given me a prescription for zoloft -- my first anti-depressant! let's just say that i have been having some serious issues with the pmdd lately, and asked for her advice. i hate how out-of-control i feel, though i'd wager that dave, jack and nate hate it more, as they bear the brunt of my raging mood swings. the doctor said that the anti-depressant meds are worth trying, though there's no guarantee they'll work. i'm down with that, though i'm a little freaked out! i am the person that experiences all the side-effects associated with Rx drugs, which is why i shy away from them. it's like, hey, i feel pretty dang good, it's just this diarrhea sure puts a damper on things! SIGH. damned if i do and damned if i don't.

any experienced zoloft users out there? give me some feedback!

now playing

2006-02-14T06:43:00.000-05:00

the cure - boys don't cry

nate's current favorite song. he prefers to listen to it repeatedly, like 4 or 5 times in a row, and i am happy to oblige, but now it is playing in a repeated loop in my head. it's not so bad. the thing that sucks is trying to explain to jack why it is okay for boys to cry. i'm slowly finding out that i am not cut out for this i am curious about everything and will ask the most puzzling questions because i MUST KNOW why and how everything works, happens, and just plain IS! phase. nothing like a curious 5 year old to make me feel like a total dumbass.

ROK IS A BAD FAT ROK

2006-02-13T12:50:00.000-05:00

today jack is home because the schools are run by pussies who can't handle more than a dusting of snow. BAH. he is currently watching zoboomafoo (excellent show, btw. jack has learned all kinds of stuff about animals, so it's not like he's rotting his brain with pokemon or some shit. if you have the PBS sprout channel , you should check it out.) because natey is napping and i just really, really want him to SHUT UP. this kid! with the talking and talking and TALKING. sheesh! it wouldn't be so bad if half of it didn't sound like gibberish because he's using some crazy high-pitched voice that he finds to be hilarious. so yeah, TV time = quiet time. THANK GOD FOR TV. there have been a few non-TV quiet times today, though. earlier nate and jack were coloring together, and jack presented me with a paper scrawled with purple sparkly crayon. it read:

ROK IS A BAD FAT ROK BUCUS HEE IS A BAD ROK.

while i am totally beaming with pride because his reading and writing are coming along so well, and this is the first time he has given me something that he's written on his own, i can't help thinking, who the hell is rok, and what did he ever do to YOU??

i am PUNKMAN!

2006-02-13T08:55:00.000-05:00

i am PUNKMAN!
Originally uploaded by workforidlehands.

i got the "punk rock" accessories in a little kit from the 5 dollar store. funny, huh? it took exactly 2.2 minutes to lose the earrings, so poor punkman isn't as "punk rock" as he should be. i love the chin beard. oh, and the green 'hawk, of course.

*edit* i have just been informed that it is PUNKHEAD not PUNKMAN. jack is a stickler for details.

SNOW!

2006-02-12T13:15:00.000-05:00

continuous shutter snow slide action 1
Originally uploaded by workforidlehands.

so i totally love the continuous shutter feature on this camera -- especialy nice when you've got two spazzy boys who won't sit or stand still. take a look at the 8-part series "continuous shutter snow slide action" over yonder on flickr! click the pic!

ps: i know that the pictures are not in the correct order. i am too lazy to fix it. you kids know how to view them the right way, right? of course you do!

the electric company!

2006-02-10T10:32:00.000-05:00

YAY! this makes me so very happy! if you aren't old enough to remember the electric company, i really do feel sorry for you, but at least you can watch the dvds. man, i used to love the crap out of that show.

wow, i've had a crush on morgan freeman for 30 years. groovy.

god, i hate photos of me

2006-02-09T16:43:00.000-05:00

god, i hate photos of me.
Originally uploaded by workforidlehands.

but i have been inspired to share by supaMB, who also just got a rad haircut. i hooked up with a kickass hairstylist last night to fix a HORRIBLY FUCKED UP cut i received the other day. oh my god, it was painful -- i can't really talk about it. heh. no seriously, it was beyond awful. don't these people-who-are-allowed-to-touch -strangers'-hair need to go to school and shit?? anyway, i couldn't be happier with this 'do. we were going for a domino-meets-soccer-mom look -- a little messy, a little sexy, a little yes, i drive a station wagon but i could totally be a supermodel-turned- assassin, that's how fucking good my hair looks! heh. looks good, yeah?

oh, and WHY IN THE HELL did i think that i looked good with long(ish) hair?? I DON'T. not to mention the fact that i also have no idea how to style longer hair! this is a little wax+blowdry if i've got time=AWESOME. i will now and forever embrace the short(ish) hairstyles. you are my witness.

now playing

2006-02-07T07:11:00.000-05:00

rick james - give it to me baby

as i stepped outside to get the paper, a royal blue PT cruiser drove by blasting the all-too-familiar bass line to this song. it made me happy, even though it is 7 in the goddamn morning, asshole! it's okay. i think it's gonna be a good day.

in case you'd forgotten:

When I came home last night
You wouldn't make love to me
You went fast asleep
You wouldn't even talk to me
You say I'm so crazy
Coming home intoxicated
I say just want to love you, I just wanna love you, baby
Guess that's why I'm so elated, come on, girl

Give it to me, baby (Give it to me, baby)
Give it to me, baby (Give it to me, baby)
I betcha I'll make you holler you've had enough
Give it to me, baby (Give it to me, baby)
Just give it to me, baby
Give it to me, baby (Give it to me, baby)
I betcha I'll make you holler you've had enough
Give it to me
Give me that stuff, that funk, that sweet, that funky stuff {Say what}
Give it to me
Give me that stuff, that funk, that sweet, that funky stuff {Say what}
Give it to me, give it to me
Give it to me, give it to me
Give me your stuff, that funk, that sweet, that funky stuff (Yo-ho, ow)
Give it to me, baby

When I was high as the sky
Out all night just dancin'
You say, 'Let's go home' {Come on, Rick, I'm tired, let's go home}
That's the time I start romancin'
You say how can I love you, how can I love you, baby
When your body keeps on movin'
I say wait till I squeeze you, oh
Maybe then you'll start to groovin', come on, girl

Give it to me, baby (Give it to me, baby)
Give it to me, baby (Give it to me, baby)
I betcha I'll make you holler you've had enough
Give it to me, baby (Give it to me, baby)
Just give it to me, baby
Give it to me, baby (Give it to me, baby)
I betcha I'll make you holler you've had enough
Give it to me
Give me that stuff, that funk, that sweet, that funky stuff {Say what}
Give it to me
Give me that stuff, that funk, that sweet, that funky stuff {Say what}
Give it to me, give it to me
Give it to me, give it to me
Give me your stuff, that funk, that sweet, that funky stuff (Yo-ho, ow)
Hey, girl
Give it to me what you say
Give it to me what you say{Give it to me}
What you say {Give it to me}, what you say [Hey, girl]
Give it to me what you say
Give it to me what you say{Give it to me, give it to me} [Hey, girl]
Give it to me what you say
Give it to me what you say
Give it to me, give it to me
Give it to me what you say
Give it to me right away
Give it to me, give it to me
Give it to me what you say

don't you feel happy now??

skull + red tee = LOVE

2006-02-03T09:52:00.000-05:00

skull on red 2
Originally uploaded by workforidlehands.

an experiment that turned out pretty well, i must say. i think this would make a perfect valentine for a tot with attitude! anyone interested? i've got a buncha red tees in lots o' sizes i can stitch up and, for you lovely bloggy friends, one can be yours for the low, low price of 20 bucks + shipping! i can't promise valentine's day delivery, but i'd do my best.

ps: supa and i are chugging along on the 60 bugs site, and hope to have it up this month. then you can have all the wicked cool tot shirts you want! whee!

pps: i used a sublime stitching pattern for the skull 'cause i seriously can't draw anything better than this.....i love how creepy it is....perfect on baby shirts! heh. i [heart] sublime stitching!

ppps: and! i do have other designs available, as well. check it. this is the only design available on red, though. all others are on white onesies and tees.

whorish consumer, take 2

2006-02-02T13:44:00.000-05:00

so i have an unnatural love for target and, yes, i do say tar-zhay sometimes, like a dork. i remember when i first discovered target about 10 years ago. one had opened up close to where i was working, and i went and couldn't believe how awesome it was. everything was clean! and bright! and modern! and CHEAP! i told a co-worker: "it's like wal-mart, but with clothes i'd actually consider wearing!" and it's true! the clothing there is actually decent. no weird polyester muumuus, like you'd see at wal-mart -- clothes that are modern and made out of natural fibers and, i dunno, normal? yeah, i guess that's a good word. but now target has started dipping into the high fashion pool, offering collections from liz lange (when i was pregnant with jack i coveted her online catalog, but it was insanely expensive. i got lucky with nate, thanks to the cheap line she does for target!), isaac mizrahi, fiorucci (which i love, but have determined that i can't really get away with wearing anything other than their t-shirts at my age.) and now! NOW, they have done it. they have debuted a line by fashionista luella bartley, which appears to just be one in a string of collections offered for a limited time only, and it's pretty damn cute. today i bought this skirt, which i think is going to be a favorite come spring, and i'm freakin' giddy at having found it! 25 bucks! i love green, and it looks good on me. like, really good. and i'm no skinny, leggy model, either! oh and it comes in khaki, which is probably in my closet next. what can i say? i'm a closet preppy. heh. anyway, this makes me happy. now that i'm a stay-at-home-mom on a budget, it's nice to know that i can buy cute, hip clothes without breaking the bank. oh, and pick up diapers at the same time!

i have been tagged

2006-02-02T10:16:00.000-05:00

by dimple and a smirk, so here goes:

4 jobs in your life

glamour shots photographer (i know, you wish you were me. heh.)
optician
ticket seller in a movie theater box office
sold fancy knives at a store i can't remember the name of

4 movies you could watch over and over

fifth element
dazed and confused
napoleon dynamite
rockstar

4 tv shows you love to watch

LOST
gilmore girls
west wing (last season! WAH!)
family guy

4 places you have lived

augsburg, germany
washington dc
fort knox, kentucky
arlington, virginia

4 places you have been on vacation

venice, italy
nassau, bahamas
dublin, ireland
toronto

4 websites you visit daily

DCist.com
flickr!
weather.com
sweetney.com

4 of your favorite foods

french toast
big fat bacon cheddar burger
french fries (any potato, really)
totrilla chips and guacamole

4 places you'd rather be right now

at MoMa in NYC
shopping on queen street west in toronto
shopping for all things kawaii in tokyo
doing pretty much anything in san francisco

4 bloggers you are tagging

supafine!
miss domestic
drowning in kids
ninjamonkey3000

OUCH. MY OVARIES.

2006-02-01T09:05:00.000-05:00

yesterday i was smacked in the face with the realization that i will not be having any more kids. i knew this, but i guess i didn't know this. like, emotionally, you know? natey and i were playing and practicing words (his talking has exploded, though he's mostly stuck on words that start with B. hey, i'm cool with that! he's TALKING.) and chasing each other, and as he ran across the room with a huge toothy smile and hugged me with his two little arms wrapped tight around my neck, my heart basically melted. POW. it hit me: my baby isn't really a baby anymore. he's going to be two years old next month, and is going to keep growing and moving and won't want to hug me as much and will talk back and OH MY GOD i'm going to miss this little boy in diapers.

what is it about babies? i know exactly what it is: they're helpless and love you unconditionally and don't care if you haven't showered in three days and they're just goddamn CUTE. i LOVE babies! okay, more specifically, i love MY babies. having jack and nate has changed my life in ways i never thought possible, and i guess i'm not sure if i'm ready to give that baby high feeling up just yet. i love feeling needed the way my boys need me, but there's something so powerful about the way a baby needs you. it's a feeling like no other. dave and i have talked about my wanting another baby, but he's against it. his fears are breadwinner-like, in that he basically thinks we don't have enough money to have more kids than we do now. there's clothes (if it's a girl, though i kinda dig the big brother hand-me-down tomboy look. oh, who am i kidding? i'd be all over that pink shit!) and there's preschool (we love montessori, but it's fucking expensive! jack has had such a wonderful experience, but i'm pretty sure that nate will not be riding the montessori train.) and there's space (our house is small already, and even though our neighborhood is great and our property value is through the roof, we couldn't afford to buy another house here. i refuse to move further out.) and, most importantly, there's my total lack of budgeting ability. so basically, i don't know how to live within our means, so it's my fault we can't have another baby. hrm.

to be honest, there are days i want another baby (like yesterday) and there are days where i'm absolutely sure that two boys is enough. what chafes me is not having the option, and feeling like i can't do something i want to do because of something stupid like money. i know i could make adjustments if we were to get pregnant again -- i'm not a damn moron! we could make it work. i guess the question is do i really want this? or does yesterday's smack in the face mean that my heart has accepted, sad as it may be, that there will be no more babies? SIGH. let me think about it some more and get back to you.

executive decision

2006-01-31T12:48:00.000-05:00

so i am not going to the Blogher conference. i've decided that with the flight, the hotel and the conference fees, and my general feeling of not really belonging there, it's money better spent elsewhere....like Disneyland! WOOHOO! yes, we are taking the boys to the HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH. dave has a meeting in san diego the end of march, which is fantastic because my lovely sister-in-law lives in san diego, and we've been meaning to get the boys out there to visit, but it hasn't worked out. anyway, we haven't really taken a family vacation since nate was born, and Disneyland is less than 2 hours away from the sister-in-law's place, so YEAH! DISNEYLAND! i'm really quite excited about this, in case you couldn't tell.

i must say that i am bummed about not getting to meet the awesome lady bloggers in person, but i think this is incentive to get together someday for a girl's weekend or something! i'll start plotting something and let you know about that. i know you all are going to have mucho fun and learn a lot at Blogher, so drink some booze for me. maybe do a panty raid or something. CUT LOOSE!

if anyone wants mickey ears, just let me know!

jack and half of deerhoof

2006-01-28T19:42:00.000-05:00

jack and half of deerhoof
Originally uploaded by workforidlehands.

the pancake mountain dance party was great fun! jack barely danced (big surprise), but tim and i got to get up there and shake our booties with the kids to deerhoof. they were awesome. we also got to see local indie celebs ian mackaye and ian svenonius! woohoo, right?? heh. just goes to show how small the music world is in this damn town and, NO, i was not excited to see the two ians. i see them all over the damn place. i jus like to drop names. heh. oh! but i was excited to meet the guy who puts on the whole shebang that is pancake mountain, who was very nice and said that he was just on the Rock-n-Romp site and loves it, and that we were an inspiration to him and that we should talk about doing something together! can you believe it?? i can't! i hope this means that he'll convince some big indie rockers to play in my backyard! whee!

i am SO in love with you, kid

2006-01-26T15:45:00.000-05:00

ever since natey was old enough to move around a bit, jack has been in his face. like IN.HIS.FUCKING.FACE.ALL.THE.TIME. he always wanted what natey had and would hover over him like a damn vulture. it annoyed the crap out of me to just watch it, so think how a poor, defenseless baby felt! i kept telling him, "dude, as soon as he's old enough to fight back, you are SO getting it." that time has come, my friends. jack takes something that natey has and natey whacks him in the face. jack hovers over nate or gets too close for comfort and nate turns around and pulls his hair. i shouldn't say this, but it is awesome to watch. hey, payback's a bitch, dude!

hooray for magazine day!

2006-01-26T13:05:00.000-05:00

it feels like christmas morning when you open up the mailbox and not only see your beloved real simple, but ALSO allure, jane, spin and self*! thank you worthless frequent flier miles that can be traded in for magazine subscriptions! I LOVE YOU. did i ever mention what a magazine whore i am?

*yeah, i know, what the hell am *I* doing reading self?? it was free, people!

pancake mountain

2006-01-26T09:44:00.000-05:00

so there's a little indie tv show for kids called pancake mountain in DC that films interviews and live performances with cool big-time rock folks. to be honest, i'm totally jealous of their connections -- i wish i could get some of these rockers to play Rock-n-Romp! anyway, this saturday i'm taking jack to a dance party they're filming with deerhoof. dudes, this is going to be hilarious. i will try to take pictures, but not sure if that's frowned upon or not. knowing jack, he won't dance, but my friend tim (he's a big deerhoof fan and just obnoxious enough to act crazy in front of strangers. i love you, tim! heh) is coming and i'm sure he'll be willing to shake it. heh. the age limit is 25, so i think he'll be able to get in the video. god, i hope so. can't wait!

and the indie cred goes down the drain

2006-01-22T15:25:00.000-05:00

everytime i go to my local chain craft store to pick up supplies, they are always playing music that i like. seriously, every time. it's usually something from the 70s or 80s, and i usually know all the words. it makes the shopping experience quite pleasant, and i even find myself lingering to see what song will play next. yes, i have become their target demographic. ACK. HELP.

oh, and the "indie cred" thing is a joke. please believe me.

i like the idea of a dark road...

2006-01-21T16:10:00.000-05:00

last night dave and i were burnt out from the week and there was nothing to watch on tv, so we watched jiminy glick in lalawood. first let me say that i love martin short. LOVE him. i've loved him since the days of SCTV, which is a very long time ago, all you whippersnappers. he's truly brilliantly funny, i just think he's made some really bad movie choices. much like dana carvey, who i also think is pretty damn funny, but his movies? um, the master of disguise? yikes. anyway, i can't say that i even remember this jiminy glick movie coming out, though i did catch the show a couple times when it used to be on, and it was always good for a laugh, so how bad could the movie be? it turns out that it was really not bad. it was actually pretty funny, though i wonder who thought they needed to spend the money to turn it into a feature film, you know? my favorite part was martin playing david lynch. hilarious. he kept starting all his conversations with "i like the idea of a dark road..." while the dark highway scene from mulholland drive was shown on screen, then they'd cut to him (wearing a salt-and-pepper pompadour and white shirt buttoned up to the neck) using some lynch-esque camera angle. it was brilliant, though i am a little tired of that line running through my head all day.

ps: david lynch is fucking brilliant, too! my favorite memory of watching a lynch movie was when i was 14 and drunk (possibly high, too, but i don't remember. such a bad girl!) watching eraserhead at my friend's house and thinking WHAT THE FUCK? i recommend watching it this way. heh.

feeling a little bad

2006-01-21T13:56:00.000-05:00

about teaching natey to call jack "bobo" because "jack" is too hard for him to say. that doesn't stop me from laughing at how insanely fucking adorable it is when he says it, though. jack's trying to teach him to call him "toto" (uh, wtf? i have no idea.) but nate's not really having it.

top 5 reasons i feel like a blog fraud

2006-01-20T11:47:00.000-05:00

my content is lame. now i'm not looking for validation, you 10 readers of mine, so don't bother arguing. it's okay. i may come up with an interesting tidbit from time to time, but i'm really not a good writer. now if you sat next to me in a bar, i could probably say something to make you spit your beer out, but that doesn't really translate over to my blogging.
i have absolutely no interest in the technical aspects of blogging. if it weren't for this here Blogger, and it's ridiculously easy format, this blog wouldn't exist. truth be told, i DETEST technology. i don't want to know how it works. i really think i have a mental defect that won't let me, even if i wanted to. so yeah, that's why i still don't know how to link to mp3s, why i don't have cool little links to my flickr photos and other stuff, no RSS feed (okay, i'm talking out of my ass here, because i have no fucking clue what an RSS feed is, i've just seen talk of them on other blogs) -- i don't know how to do these things because it hurts my head to think about learning how! and i'm really okay with that.
i don't know or read all the cool blogs. i think the ones i have managed to find in my bumbling, fumbling way are pretty damn awesome, but i'm constantly reminded of others that i should be reading. but, honestly, i can't fathom reading anymore than i do already! my ADD/OCD-addled brain will freak the fuck out! there are only so many hours in the day, dudes.
i don't comment on blogs where i don't know the blogger. is it because i'm shy? i dunno, it just seems like butting into a conversation between friends. that doesn't stop me from reading, obviously, but it does usually stop me from commenting. plus, i'm an attention-whore, so if i say something i want to know that it's been heard! but these people don't know me, so why should they respond?? heh. ah, the vicious cycle.
i neglect my blog. the design is boring and generic, thanks to my aforementioned hatred of technology, and my posts are sporadic, at best.
i do nothing to promote my blog or get new readers. aside from a few personal friends i told about this blog, the other readers i think i have came from my friend sweetney mentioning me. they all didn't come directly from sweetney, but that's most likely the starting point. should i be promoting my blog? that's the dilemma. the few blogging folks i have connected with have been really, really cool, which makes me want to "meet" even more, but i dunno. there's the matter of time and, like i said, my content is lame. i'd probably scare folks away. heh.
even though my blog is lame i still want to go to BlogHer! i want to meet the cool blogging chicks face-to-face and have fun and hang out, but i would so be the odd woman out. i'm not into lectures or discussions about blogging and all that. god, i wouldn't even know what to say! "hi. i do have a blog, but i'm here for the booze and socializing. oh, you're talking about blog syndication and how it's the future of content distribution? can you point me to the bar?" somehow that doesn't seem like what the BlogHer folks had in mind.

okay, that turned into 7 reasons. sue me. so yeah. blog fraud. i think that has a nice ring to it!

i think i just peed in my pants

2006-01-20T08:59:00.000-05:00

nate just said, "poo poo," and i got more excited than any sane person should have. i squealed and clapped and basically had a pep rally to get him to do it again. fuck, he's goddamn cute when he talks, which is pretty much never, so i think a pep rally is justified. maybe this is the beginning of some hardcore talking! i hope so. he's, what, 22 months now and still not talking much AT ALL. *sigh* i probably wished jack would shut the hell up when he was 22 months! i think when i finally hear natey's voice (will it be as i imagine?) i really will pee in my pants.

that does it

2006-01-18T12:33:00.000-05:00

i accept defeat. i am officially the lamest of the motherfucking lame. i am so unbelievably unhip to what's fresh and exciting and cool it is pathetic. thank you, FOX. last night as i finished up some custom stitchwork, i caught some of FOX news. no, i'm not in the habit of watching FOX news, it's just i didn't want to watch the law and order show about the woman killing her babies because they were fathered by her own father, and stitching is not conducive to channel-surfing. ANYWAY. this one news dude that irritates me starts reporting live from JAXX (scary, metal-type rock club) in virginia about a superfantastic new webtool for unknown bands to get exposure! know what it's called?? yup. myspace. see post below. god, how did i get so late on this shit?? anyway, he went on and on and on, and they even went to the trouble of shooting footage at another club, the velvet lounge in DC, to talk to some other bands about their myspace experiences. i mean, this was a pretty extensive piece! why on earth would they take up so much time and effort on something like myspace, you ask? they 'fessed up at the end that FOX had just purchased myspace. fuckers.

pimpin'

2006-01-15T09:35:00.000-05:00

because it is my nature, i have become totally obsessed with myspace lately. see, this is what i do: join something, start something, whatever, become totally engrossed for a while, get distracted by something else, drop the first thing for a few months, then stumble back across it with renewed interest. for a few months, anyway. but this time, i need to make this myspace thing work like i know it can for Rock-n-Romp. i'm hoping this year (our FIFTH year!) is going to be the biggest and best. we've got a new awesome website design on the horizon (thanks to sweetney's connections) and we're hoping to officially become a non-profit so we can get funds from generous organizations to make things bigger and better. pretty sweet. oh, i'm going off on tangents here. the whole point of this post was pimpin'. sorry, i got distracted.

it's very possible that i'm totally late to the game on this one, but i wonder if folks know how much great music is available to them on myspace. bands and musicians from all over the world have myspace pages where they put up songs and info on shows and ways to buy their cd. whoever came up with this myspace thing is really a friggin' genius. you can even search your specific town or city to see what local music is out there, which i am finding to be the greatest thing ever. RnR has always been about championing local music because we know what it's like for unsigned artists to get their name out there or to get a few people to go to their show without looking desperate, or to even get a show somewhere. yes, even a cool city such as washington dc [snort] has an abominable band : decent venue ratio, though it is getting better. i'm not saying that all of these bands are worthy of national attention or anything, but there are quite a few that are really, really good and, in my opinion, could go far if given the opportunity. so that's what i'm pimpin' today: local music on myspace. have a listen and maybe you'll like something! come on, don't be such a snob! heh.

georgie james - i am so digging this right now. laura burhenn (the prettier, blonder half of the duo) played a romp last summer and she was really great, and john davis was in the late DC fave Q and not U. the only reason i even found out they were working together is because i got a sneak preview of the song they contributed to my friend kim's kiddie compilation coming out this summer. i am so out of the loop on this kind of shit.
nethers - these kids are great. they used to be in this garagey, raucous band called the carlsonics, which makes their switch to the hauntingly beautiful songs they play now pretty amazing.
the aquarium - okay, the song they have up does NOT do them justice. they are so awesome live, i don't really know how to describe it. go to their website and listen to their other mp3s. hopefully they'll have a full-length release someday soon!
eyeball skeleton - if you have kids, i swear to you, if you buy this cd and play it around them they will love it. and sing along with it. ALL the time. dudes! it's better than barney or dora! these boys are the sweetest and have the best manners -- they just look like little hooligans in their baggy shirts and pants and skate shoes. seriously, they make me look forward to when jack and nate are their age. and they ROCK!
supersystem - holy crap, i love me some supersystem. you will, too, if you like dancey electro-rock-type crap.
hi ho six shooter! - these boys are gosh-darn cute. and YOUNG. romping with them last year didn't work out, but i'm hoping this year will.

okay, so the thing is, i could totally do this all day and link to all of the bands on my myspace page, which is kinda dumb because you can just go there and see them yourself, so i'll stop now. the ones above are my current favorites, but you can trust my discriminating tastes, and know that most all of the ones on the RnR myspace page are pretty damn good. happy listening!

i'm really trying not to be a myspace snob

2006-01-12T09:34:00.000-05:00

but i'm having a bit of trouble with that. no, really. i'm really trying! but the stupid band names! the awful band photos! the labelling yourselves as "emo" or "screamo" or "jam band"! i can't take it! seeing those words alone will keep me from clicking on your page! and if i do click on your page and some hideous black background with neon type or some other such nonsense pops up, i'm SO moving on (damn you, ted leo and kelly clarkson! heh.). yikes. i have begun my search for DC and baltimore bands to hook up with through myspace, which i've truly found to be a veritable goldmine of excellent local music, but some of these myspace pages are just too awful! you've got to package yourself the right way to get interest, people! sheesh.

so yeah. anyone got any recommendations for bands for this year's Rock-n-Romp schedule?

now playing

2006-01-09T13:06:00.000-05:00

ted leo - since u been gone

i am so freakin' lame because i haven't heard this until now! my awesome friend melissa made a mix cd for my birthday and this is on it, along with a dozen or so other brilliant tracks. it is unbelievably excellent. damn it, i [heart] ted leo.