The Renaissance Man

Since being released early for bad behaviour, I've had more time on my hands. I've used this time wisely and fully, I've reached level 28 on Nazi Zombies and have watched full seasons of trashy TV programing. "With Vampire Bill missing and her Boss/Ex-Boyfriend shapeshifter Sam once again vying for her attention, what will Sookie Stackhouse decide and will she ever be safe in her humble town in the bayou?" *clicks add full series to instant queued*

But I've also spent alot of time reading and doing crafts! Something I really enjoy but never seem to have enough time for. I've even considering an etsy shop! but we'll see what the future has instore when it gets here. So far I've started crocheting again, I've also painted my dirty black chuck taylors bright kelly green for St. Patrick's. I've started making chainmaille which is so much fun and super easy but a real pain in the ass even still. I've been taking vintage ties from the thrift store and making them into trendy belts. I've also been toying with the idea of making shirts again. But in any case here are some of the success stories, and we just won't mention the number of chainmaille tragedies it took to get to this point.

Double Coda Marriage Weave

The Chain Maille Neck Tie

For looking your best, even in battle.

The Viking Beard Hat.

Because scarves are for little girls.

I would like to thank the Department of Unemployment of the great state of Wisconsin for all its support. Without you, none of this could have ever happened.

Emulation

I remember when Eminem first got popular. (now I realize this is a dangerous way to start off a post. you're prolly thinking "oh man, here we go, its either going to be a 'remember those days' post, or this entire blog is going the way of a of a latenight fox sitcom, a slow painful death that upset all 6 of its followers. but stick with me.) I remember right after he got popular everyone started buzzing their hair and bleaching it. suddenly it was ok for skinny white kids to dress like gangsters. when we see something, whether it be a style, a personality trait, or a way of speech that we find interesting or attractive we emulate it. its like that screeching weasels song. "everywhere i go, i find more pieces of myself." we see something, we decide that we want to make that apart of ourselves and we do, whether consciously or subconsciously.

there is a problem with this though. you can't always adopt certain traits out of the blue. allow me to give you and example. I recently found out I was a hipster. (I know, and thank you for your prayers.) I found this out by accident. I googled it and searched the old urban dictionary and sure enough, the definition practically described me. Not all of it in a positive light I might add. so lately I've been dressing more like a hipster, and people have noticed. People think its lame that I find out I have some characteristics in common and suddenly go out and buy a closet full of flannel and start growing a beard. But here's the fun part. I was already growing a beard, and I've had a closet full of flannel since I was 12! I just didn't know I could wear it. lol. 

or an even better example is Stacey, Stacey now wears skinny jeans, but so does everyone, so its not a huge noticeable change. there is a line though. lately we've been watching Tru Blood. And both Stac and I think the whole, southern gentleman and southern style is kinda cool. but you can't just start wearing cowboy boot and talking in a southern accent out of the blue. that'd be crazy. (ps. i'm totally getting cowboy boots cause hipsters wear them, and I've always wanted a pair so I can keep a straight razor in them like a Quinton Terantino character.) so there is always going to be limits. but I personally love the culture mashing. so if you see me walking up in cowboy boots, skinny jeans, flannel, and some avaitors, try to cut a brother some slack. cause it can get rough in these parts

downtime

Stacey and I were asked to watch the dogs and the house while my parents are on their cruise. we jumped at the chance. while mom and dad go someplace warm so do we! chicago is almost 9 whole degrees warmer than two rivers! woot! bring on the sunshine. so while we're down here, we need stuff to do. you can only apply for jobs and school so much. and only watch netflix so much. (ps. totally had netflix the whole time I was at fam vid. suck it.) so stacey asked me, "what did you guys do for fun around here." and answer is simple, nothing. Joe, my best man, told her we watched movies, played halo, ping pong hacky sack and talked. see the thing I had forgotten was that we were in school at the time. we only had weekends to try and squeeze in as much fun as possible and even then we had homework. and in the summer I worked jobs in other states. I've kinda come to the conclusion that no matter where you live. there is nothing to do, atleast not without spending a ton of money. at some point hiking mountains will lose its luster, halo will pwn out, and pingpong elbow will sideline even the most seasoned athlete.

Pictured: Most Seasoned Athlete

So for the time being it looks like we'll be going to a couple bars with friends and maybe catching a movie at the cheap theatre not far from the house. so glad we've gotten out of that old wisconsin routine...=]

Hideous orange chair for sale

I was finally fired from that awful job and now can apply for unemployment. I have no idea where we will end up or when it will happen. but things seem infinitely better without having to work for that company. now we start the routine of shedding the old unwanted objects from our life, no i'm not talking about retired parents, I'm talking about the things you thought would look great in your new place, or items that were just too good of a deal to pass up. the perfect effigy i can present is our hideous orange chair.

ONLY 6 DOLLARS!

I use the term effigy because some things should just be burned. or what about all that wood that you were totally going to use for this project you thought of.

Hunny, thats good wood, you don't just throw away good wood.

*sigh if only we knew then that we were going to have to move all this someday, perhaps we would have chosen an apartment with a larger dumpster. so the struggle continues, to pack up all that we wish to keep and find creative ways to dispose of the rest. *Craigslist enters stage right*

end scene 1

It can't really be as bad as it is...

For those of you who know me, you will not be surprised that I've seen Dune a number of times. And in that film there is a scene where they compress a soldiers body with a heavy stone until every drop of liquid has been extracted. they do this, because they live on a desert planet and greatly need the water. lately i've sort of felt like that soldier. alot of things have been weighing on my mind lately. you see, we were expecting to get these great jobs at the nuclear power plant, they would have paid off nearly all of our student loans and we could choose nearly anywhere to work. perhaps phoenix, to keep with the desert theme. however these jobs fell through, and now we are nearing the end of our lease. most of the cheap apartments around our area have been snatched up by people who were lucky enough to get the nuke plant jobs. (nearly 350 in number) and so everywhere we look is overpriced or has camouflaged wallpaper. (not a joke) is missing part of the ceiling and looks like it is still a working meth lab. but luckily i still have my job! or do i? I've been bounced around between two stores for the last 3 months. in the past 35 days i have had 7 days off and have worked 11 days in a row, twice! my shift last night was filled and i was sent home with no prior notice. and today my shift was cut in half with only an hour notice. I am a full time assistant manager and supposedly they are required to give me 38 hours a week. I am now below 28.  I am continually belittled by my boss in front of other employees and customers and his superior has told me to "deal." I have never been disliked by my coworkers and certainly never hated. here i am both. I honestly cannot think of a single thing i have ever done to these people that would warrant even a harsh look. I have worked off the clock, ran errands on my own time and even used my truck to move a trailer for them not because i was asked to, but because i was told to. I have been written up three times for things i never did and that they have no proof of. in one of the instances i wasn't even in the same state at the time. I keep thinking to myself that it can't be as bad as it is... but it is. I can't quit because without this job we can't even afford our rent and they won't fire me, so i can't collect unemployment. I have applied to every job i can think of or heard of within 20 miles. past that there is nothing until you hit green bay or sheboygan, which is nearly 40 minutes away.

and maybe thats what we need to do is move somewhere else. but i don't know where. and i don't know how.

I have given all that i can and all that i will. please crush something else. 

For lack of 'Better Words'

I spent some time recently in St. Louis with some friends from college. All of whom, our much much smarter than me. Many of them would argue that we are simply intelligent in different ways or areas of study, and it would sound even more like crap than it does lying typed across the webpage. I enjoy being around people who are smarter than me. The very act of talking with them makes me smarter and I truly enjoy learning. Over the course of several drinks I learned terms like "cognitive dissonance" and "carbon offsets." I learn more drunk with guys than I did in my college classes. AND I was able to bring some things to the table myself! remembering back to my sophomore chemistry class and the rule of object displacement. basically that if you place a larger object in a confined space before smaller objects you maximize your efficiency, therefore more objects can inhabit the same space than if you had reversed the order. 

Pictured: Science.

Plus we rode segways, smoked hookah, ate bedoin food, and visited the science museum. JUST FOR FUN!

Life is good.

good to the last drop.

I've been learning many things over this last year. patience, mostly. but something more than that, I've learned to enjoy things to their fullest, to the very last moment of them. nothing can put this into a more perfect picture than my darling cats. They are as many of you will hear, terrors of the apartment. but alas today is the day we take them in to get declawed and spade. this morning I had to wake up extra early to get them ready and drive them to the clinic. the cats it seems, must have realized that they would no longer have such perfect and terrible weapons at their fingertips, so to speak. and decided to spend the night climbing our plant rack. (a joy they will thankfully no longer have) and tip over the many herbs and vegetables we have growing there. spreading the dirt as far as they could in our tiny apartment and at last, rolling in it and scratching me for spoiling their fun. sometimes you have to enjoy the things you love to the fullest. even if it really pisses others off.