salixbabylon | State of the Me

Man and Dog

G’s gone for the next 12 days to Burning Man (http://www.burningman.com/), a big festival in the middle of the Nevada desert. People make big art installations and it’s a huge party. I hate the desert, so I planned on staying home to babysit the dog.

Which turned out to be a good thing, because Hershey broke his leg 3 weeks ago, and he’s got 5 more weeks in the cast. As you know, he’s a pretty energetic big dog, so we’re having to sedate him so he will rest and let the bones heal. Not fun. :P

hershey and books

Work

Work has been super busy, but I love it. We’ve hired some more people, and I have two minions under me now! I work directly under the Editor-in-Chief and manage the department, keep all the editors and production assistants on task and on schedule. While I wanted to grow up to be somebody “important”, with a professional career and everything, I love working for a queer publishing company, and I love what I do. I’m really good at organizing and coming up with procedures, and taking care of business. It’s satisfying to be in a place that’s such a good fit.

It’s also great to work from home. At 20-30 hours per week, I get more done than I ever did at a 40 hours/week job, and still have time for myself. My house is tidy (well, mostly), and I’m currently going through all the cupboards and drawers and closets tying to get rid of crap.

Projects

I’ve put aside kitting socks for a while, and I’m crocheting a blanket. It’s going to be patchwork, with every other patch a sold square of variegated yarn, and the other patches rainbow striped granny squares, like a checkerboard. I hope it turns out to look good, but mostly I had a bunch of skeins of that supersaver acrylic yarn and this seemed like a good project to use them up. I’ll post a picture when I’m done.

Also, my friend is teaching a sewing class next month, and I’ve decided to enroll. Sewing usually makes me cry with frustration. Hopefully with eight weeks of sewing class, I’ll have an attitude adjustment. And since we work on whatever projects we want, maybe I can finally get all my mending and alterations finished. And make those quilts I have owed people for about 4 years…

Baking

Also, I have been baking! I made croissants!

It was a lot of work, but not difficult at all, just time consuming. You make the dough, don’t knead it, then let it rest overnight in the fridge. Then you put in the block of butter, let it rest for an hour in the fridge, roll it out, fold it, let it rest for an hour again, and repeat that 4 times before resting overnight again! Then you make the croissants, let them rise for 3 hours, and finally bake them. They were DELICIOUS! Not perfect-looking, of course, but fantastic, especially with some home-made strawberry jam.

I also took half the dough and made chocolatines/pain au chocolate – with a layer of chocolate in the middle. Heavenly!

Shoes
Also, I bought glitter-covered green sneakers yesterday! Yay!

glitter sneakers

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Totally loving the shoes! And the rolls are beautiful! (I miss having an oven).

Wish I'd noticed to remove the silly pink tags before I took the pics, but thanks! I adore them. :)

I froze two of each of the rolls, for fear they'd go moldy. I hope they defrost okay. It's hard to bake for just 1 or 2 people...

love the shoes!, god i hate baking so kudos to you .

Thanks! I have a new motto this year, that any time I'm depressed, I should bake something and put glitter on everyone in the house (including the dog). It makes me smile. :)

Totally impressed by the croissants. :-)

Thanks! I do love complicated baking projects. :)

Wow, croissants. I saw them on FB and was so distracted by how delicious they looked that I couldn't even say anything! I will have to try it sometime.

Hehe! It was fun. I adore really complicated baking projects, like the time I made coconut cake, or death by chocolate cake, or bread art, or my annual gingerbread with fresh-ground spices. It's so hands-on and full of good smells. :)

The recipe wasn't difficult, just took forever. I recommend it.

*cuddles Hersey and mommmy* Sends quick healing wishes!!!!

So happy to see all the wonderful things you're doing!!!! *cheers* So inspiring!!!

So many cuddles for Hershey. He's doing fine with it, doesn't seem bothered by the cast at all, just wants to know why the heck we aren't going out to play anymore! :)

*hugs* Thank you! I finally have felt like my "old self" again this year. Not that I don't still miss my loved ones who passed, but that after two years, I'm able to focus on being happy now. I know you're missing your Morris like crazy, and my heart goes out to you.

*pets Hershey* (great name!) Hope he heals before it drives you mad! *grin*

"It’s satisfying to be in a place that’s such a good fit." Oh yes, that's really the only way to work!

Gorgeous shoes . . .

Sewing and baking are my bete noirs too - so well done you in doing something about it. Your croissants and pains-au-chocolate have set my tummy rumbling :D

Thank you! I think he's just confused about why we can't go outside ad play ball anymore - it's his raison d'etre!

I love baking, but hate sewing. I'm hoping my newfound yarn-related crafting will spill over into fabric. :)

To a bakery with you! I seem to recall that Paul's is a French bakery chain in the UK - is there one nearby you?

*grin*

Oh I've never heard of Paul's - there isn't one here, but I shall look up on the internet and find the nearest town!!

There are Paul's bakeries in London - in the stations to be precise. I'm not sure if they are anywhere else.

Poop. Well, I hope they are elsewhere, or that Sue can at least find croissants somewhere yummy. :)

Yes, having looked at their website, they seem only to be in London, but there are many of them, so next time I'm there . . . *yum*

Love the croissants and the shoes!

SO glad you are happy where you work - it makes such an incredible difference to life, doesn't it?

I really does, to know you're doing useful work and to have it valued by your boss. Best feeling. :)

Thanks! I wore the shoes today. It's like my inner child is my outer 40 year old!

I approve your idea of staying at home. This baby seems to need you too much right now. * sending hugs and kisses to him * I'm a dog lover. Can't see one and not pet it. Mine are already spoiled. ;) People look weird to me when I'm with them, because I say "come with mommy", and then they look and see it isn't a baby, but dogs. :)
So good to know that you like your work! I think life is much more enjoyable when we work with what we like. :)
Ok ok, this is another love of my life. Food. I really appreciate a good food, and yours look delicious. Here my mom is who cook. I've tried, but I'm awful at it. The only one thing that I make is cake. I'm really good at baking cakes. I suck at all the rest.
I like your shiny shoes! :) Crafts, personification of clothes and shoes or anything else, it is with my niece and my mother. I'm a mess with glue, scissors and a pot of glitter. Anyone who knows me, do not let me handle these things.

Awww, thank you from the dog. He's doing fine, although sometimes he goes into daddy's office and naps under the desk. So sweet and sad. Two more days!

I'm totally a dog person too. It's hard not to have him feeling 100% himself.

OOoh cakes! How fun - I love to bake (and eat!) cakes. I don't have many occasions to, though, and I miss it.

I actually bought the shoes that way - http://www.zappos.com/skechers-gimme-low-glitter-explosion-green?zfcTest=fcl%3A0

Poor puppy. I'm sure you've been giving him loads of attention though.

Totally awed by the croissants. I've never made anything that fancy. Very cool.

And the sneakers. Well. The are simply bitchin'.

I am SO ready for the cast/splints to be done. He doesn't care much, but he clomps around superloudly, and he also has a bad habit of stomping on MY feet. :P

More croissants. This time, from a store. Now that I know I can make them, I never need to again. Right?

I am so wearing those shoes on my bday. :)

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