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useful things
Jan. 26th, 2009 09:41 pmI bought a vacuum over the weekend. Yes, I have a Roomba, but I've found an issue with their programming. I have a black rug in my bedroom, and the poor thing's "dirt sensor" just goes bananas when I try to use it in there - it beeps, stops, starts, goes backwards, and really doesn't get anything iseful done. So with part of my rebate check from the sale paint I got over Thanksgiving, I got a cheep Dirt Devil stick broom that does a decent job on that. I even pulled up the mattress and cleaned under the bed! Pepper of course did not approve. She's spent MONTHS building up all that fluff, and I had to go and take it away!
I also cleaned and rearranged my living room. I've come to the conclusion that there are two reasonable arrangements of furniture around the heat and light elements - one is better for company and the other is better for every day use. As I don't plan to have any major gatherings for a while - around Easter is likely the next one - I moved the couch back to the optimum position for both reading AND watching TV.
Had to vacuum up a fair amount of sawdust because I've been crafty. I got a folding closet door for free off CraigsList (and wow do people took at you strangely when you take a door on the 97 bus...) with the intent to make proper half-door for the workroom. A gate is ok, but something solid and more permanent would be better for bunny-proofing. She's less likely to try to get to something that she can't actually see.
It was one of those doors that has solid panels halfway up and slats the rest of the way. Sawing it where the slats started (and moving a hinge down a bit) made a nice door that is just below my waist height. I mounted it in the outer part of the door frame, so that it is still possible to close the original door should I want to. At the moment it doesn't have a latch (the one I picked was too lightweight and bent the first time I tried to use it) but I actually hung it a little tight to the floor so it takes a fair amount of oomph to get it moving. At the moment, I'm trusting that it's a bit more than 6.5 lbs of oomph.
With the remaining wood, the slats, a wire grid panel, a couple of screws and some liquid nails I made up two square wood "planters" for deck use this summer. I'll have to put actual pots or containers in them, but they will look really nice out there. The bottoms are the grid panels, so if I put them on a couple of bricks there will be plenty of drainage.
I've not caught that mouse yet. I got a couple of glue traps, baited them with peanut butter, and put them inside the carton that my 15pak of yogurt came in at Sams Club. It has little holes in the sides but a solid top and bottom, and I've put a couple of 1/2 gallon detergent and vinegar bottles on top so Pepper can't get inside. Yes, I know glue traps can be very inhumane but 1) these have an anesthetic as part of the goo and 2) I check it at least twice daily so that if necessary I can quickly dispatch any captured rodent.
It's been a pretty good week dfor my wish list on PaperbackSwap. I scored one of the old Wild Cards books, a copy of 'Sex With The Queen" (to go with my copy of 'Sex With Kings'), a photobook of geisha, and Mirror Mirror. Sent off a book I wasn't planning to keep and then today I realized that the author is GOH at Marcon this year. Oops.
Also sent off my Marcon panelist info today. I put in for my usual eclectic assortment of which they will choose 3 for me. I've got everything on there from 'The Demon Barber of Fleet Street', "SF and StreetWear", and "Sex and Horror" (anyone who has every worked a haunt knows all about THAT) to the usual "Strut Your Stuff - stage presentation", "Don't Ever Do This" (one of my usual faves), and "Costuming on a Budget". The theme this year is British Invasion, so my recent conversion to Doctor Who and all things Torchwood will be appeased. (Just keep telling me that I DON'T need to do a 'Blink' angel costume). I always love being a panelist at Marcon because they do it right. I get to be on panels that might be outside my specialties, and they not only tell you weeks ahead of time what you'll be presenting so you can plan and bring examples, but they will also give you the contact info for your fellow panelists so you can touch base and make sure that everything you want to cover gets done. Chicago cons could learn a LOT from these people.
I also cleaned and rearranged my living room. I've come to the conclusion that there are two reasonable arrangements of furniture around the heat and light elements - one is better for company and the other is better for every day use. As I don't plan to have any major gatherings for a while - around Easter is likely the next one - I moved the couch back to the optimum position for both reading AND watching TV.
Had to vacuum up a fair amount of sawdust because I've been crafty. I got a folding closet door for free off CraigsList (and wow do people took at you strangely when you take a door on the 97 bus...) with the intent to make proper half-door for the workroom. A gate is ok, but something solid and more permanent would be better for bunny-proofing. She's less likely to try to get to something that she can't actually see.
It was one of those doors that has solid panels halfway up and slats the rest of the way. Sawing it where the slats started (and moving a hinge down a bit) made a nice door that is just below my waist height. I mounted it in the outer part of the door frame, so that it is still possible to close the original door should I want to. At the moment it doesn't have a latch (the one I picked was too lightweight and bent the first time I tried to use it) but I actually hung it a little tight to the floor so it takes a fair amount of oomph to get it moving. At the moment, I'm trusting that it's a bit more than 6.5 lbs of oomph.
With the remaining wood, the slats, a wire grid panel, a couple of screws and some liquid nails I made up two square wood "planters" for deck use this summer. I'll have to put actual pots or containers in them, but they will look really nice out there. The bottoms are the grid panels, so if I put them on a couple of bricks there will be plenty of drainage.
I've not caught that mouse yet. I got a couple of glue traps, baited them with peanut butter, and put them inside the carton that my 15pak of yogurt came in at Sams Club. It has little holes in the sides but a solid top and bottom, and I've put a couple of 1/2 gallon detergent and vinegar bottles on top so Pepper can't get inside. Yes, I know glue traps can be very inhumane but 1) these have an anesthetic as part of the goo and 2) I check it at least twice daily so that if necessary I can quickly dispatch any captured rodent.
It's been a pretty good week dfor my wish list on PaperbackSwap. I scored one of the old Wild Cards books, a copy of 'Sex With The Queen" (to go with my copy of 'Sex With Kings'), a photobook of geisha, and Mirror Mirror. Sent off a book I wasn't planning to keep and then today I realized that the author is GOH at Marcon this year. Oops.
Also sent off my Marcon panelist info today. I put in for my usual eclectic assortment of which they will choose 3 for me. I've got everything on there from 'The Demon Barber of Fleet Street', "SF and StreetWear", and "Sex and Horror" (anyone who has every worked a haunt knows all about THAT) to the usual "Strut Your Stuff - stage presentation", "Don't Ever Do This" (one of my usual faves), and "Costuming on a Budget". The theme this year is British Invasion, so my recent conversion to Doctor Who and all things Torchwood will be appeased. (Just keep telling me that I DON'T need to do a 'Blink' angel costume). I always love being a panelist at Marcon because they do it right. I get to be on panels that might be outside my specialties, and they not only tell you weeks ahead of time what you'll be presenting so you can plan and bring examples, but they will also give you the contact info for your fellow panelists so you can touch base and make sure that everything you want to cover gets done. Chicago cons could learn a LOT from these people.
