Adrienne Metternich

Sewing was a wash yesterday. I did go ahead and lop off 1/2" at CF tapered to nothing at the sides, did rather a hack job of it, and immediately sewed the small CF waistband wrong. Twice. Called it then and there, the longer bands were NOT going to go well.

Another sleepless night thanks to this stupid organ, punctuated by a most malodorous smell. I typically ascribe those smells to my weed-smoking neighbour who stands barely past my window and stinks the place up, but this had an added layer of a petrol refinery and it permeated the entire back side of the house. Did a skunk wander by and have to discharge its back end at something? I've never smelled skunk spray that was fresh. It took like an hour to clear out enough to open the window again. The sun was definitely rising as I attempted to sleep again. At least this time my dream wasn't deep enough to pull me back so firmly into sleep when my alarm was going off.

But more unpleasantness awaited me. Was reading on the train, as I normally do, and my body suddenly decided it didn't like, not one little bit. I managed to make it to a station, got off and immediately plunked my butt down on a bench. I started looking for the nearest bin bc I was about three seconds away from puking. When my motion sickness decides to rear its head, it does so ferociously! Not helping at all is that I am also dehydrated enough to be dizzy when my head changes positions, and I've been having trouble focusing through my glasses, looking down more when I don't need to and getting that awesome reading lens watery effect. I'll have to get a pair without the reading portion for travel like this.

Anyway, I am super tired and still not feeling like my tummy is settled and I really need a drink. Send good thoughts, it's gonna be a long day.

Oh yes, and tomorrow's plans are the new How to Train Your Dragon movie with M! That will be fun. I expect my pants to be finished this weekend.

Game 6 tonight and if we win, we're coming back on Friday for the FOR REAL absolutely last game of the season. If we lose, at least Florida didn't win in our house. I want to keep my expectations reasonable and keep thinking "this might be the last time i get to wear my jersey (this season)" or "this might be the last hockey game of the season", my heart is saying it's not over yet. Only time will tell.

I have a confession: I am absolute rubbish at maintaining a dental care routine. It is the first thing to go when I am not mentally up to it and the last thing to get back. I dislike flossing and have not even tried the Waterpik I got in December 2022. Despite that, I got a clean bill of health on my cleaning and x-rays. Now I just need to maintain it bc I really don't want to go through all the fillings and root canals or anything all over again! And I really gotta be brave about the waterpik lol.

I put on leggings this morning to go with my jersey, which is a little longer and covers my butt. With my tank top underneath tucked in, it is SO MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE than the dress pants I've been wearing that slip down all the f'n time. I really really need to get on those trousers! That was my plan for Sunday buuuut. Tonight I just need to make a dinner and wash up some dishes and call it good. That should leave lots of time for sewing. Well, for cutting out, more like. And I have all day to make a decision lol.

On Friday I went directly to the mall where M works to go shoooooppppiiiiinnnngggggggg. I used my birthday coupon at Hot Topic (I got a cute dress with mushrooms and snails on it, and a Jurassic World blind box that had T-Rex!), four mini hand lotions at Bath & Body Works (they had SO MANY SOAPS and only two major displays of the summer scents and almost NO other significant collection of any scent except Gingham-everything and something with tomatoes? It was weird. It's fine, it takes me so long to use the full size ones anyway, small ones are perfect), and finally a new hockey jersey. The website said they had the player I wanted but... that was a lie. I couldn't even find someone to ask and all the jerseys were locked together except for one plain one in the size I wanted. That was sufficient, I was really waffling on a named jersey anyway.

M and I took the bus home, where I ordered food from Skip the Dishes, which took SO LONG to "confirm" the order that it arrived before ever doing so. I got the "your courier is about to arrive" and I worried bc without the confirmation, I couldn't track the driver. Did he go to the wrong building? I messaged him on the app at the 8 minute mark, and then he showed up at 9. Typically the text arrives and within 5 mins the courier is there so... you can understand my concern, I'm sure.

I ate and loafed on the couch, and just as I was thinking that I should go to the other room and watch Drag Race, my brain said no! No TV, only sewing! So... 9:30 pm and I am stitching on the last bit of rickrack (I got the bodice edges done, centered the rest on the midriff and that covered the front plus 4 or 5 peaks on the back on either side. Good enough!) and then making the straps, attaching them, and then the lining. "I guess I need to grade these seams now" I thought and immediately decided to put it down. No cutting after 10pm!

In the morning, it was gloomy and raining. It was Knit In Public day but I was hesitant to go due to said rain. Friend who'd invited me said they had a tent set up, but later said they had moved inside the outdoor venue's cafe. But she wasn't feeling well and would let me know if she made it, since she also had to set up for a game viewing party at her community league and wouldn't be staying until it ended at 4 anyway.

So, after a cup of coffee, I did the bodice things I needed to do (trimming, understitching, pressing), I put the gathering stitches into the skirt tops, drew them up and pinned them to the bodice. I'd run out of the matching thread colour the previous night so now it was go-out o'clock to do those errands. I put on my neeewwwwwww hockey jersey and a rain coat (bc it was raining) and headed out. First stop: bottle depot. Second stop: creative re-use focused on sewing, where I made out like an absolute bandit. A couple patterns, some notions (2 rolls of narrow interfacing, 132" of a pretty lace, suspender clips, 6 pairs of snips, three of which have curved tips, two mismatched but similar kilt buckles), a 3m length of knit fabric with safety pins on it, a meter of cutesy narwhals in double knit, and 2 meters of absolutely *delicious* red wool. I absolutely plan to make a short coat out of it, it'll be a squeeze but I should be able to do it.

Third stop: Marshalls fabric store, where I got thread. I did take a scrap of my rickrack with me, and absolutely NOTHING matched. The navys were far too deep and rich, the royal blues were too bright, etc. Guess I'm stuck with a partial band! Fourth stop: Lunch at Chipotle. It was OK, I've only had it once before about 10 years ago. BarBurrito is better.

Then I decided to get some groceries and call it a day. By the time I left the store, I was rather peopled out so... probably the right decision. I was home by 2, and finished sewing my dress before the hockey game started, including hand sewing. Hockey game was terrible, but at least it wasn't a shut out. We are back in Florida tomorrow night, possibly for the end of the series.

Saturday evening I was watching Drag Race at last when all the shenanigans happened in the alley. Stolen vehicle, I heard that the owner was rather nearby and had been threatened with hatchet when it was stolen. No one was hurt (that I know of), the building was not damaged beyond a small chip on the corner, but the car was totally wrecked. The thieves abandoned it bc the front bumper had been torn off and become stuck underneath it. Back was all bumped around too, and scratches on the side. Tow truck showed up around 11 to load it up and take it away.

Yesterday I really didn't do much. I cut down the patterns for a pair of pants but again waffled on my fabric decision. Mostly I watched true crime documentaries and played phone games. For dinner I made chili with ground beef and all of my remaining peppers and I even purchased a can of mushrooms for it. It was yummy, but I was too hungry to let it simmer for all that long.

Could NOT sleep last night but any time I tried to read or play a game or whatever, my eyes insisted they were too tired!! I did finally get to sleep at some point and of course morning came so early. I am le tired.

Today I have a dental appointment, and I plan to hit up Walmart on my way home for more groceries (staple items, mostly; Safeway was very lacking). I will also get something to eat while I'm out, the last thing I will want to do by the time I get home is cook.

In the meantime, on to look for coat patterns!