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November 21st, 2009
08:58 pm - Wide Open World..
Good Gods. I've been so ricauculously busy that I haven't had time for a proper update in quite awhile.. And at the moment..I'm feeling more exhausted-like than anything. So I give you photos. Words to come later.
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November 19th, 2009
01:15 pm - Dumb
Sometimes I do the most retarded things.
Things like " hey maybe I should transfer over all that money I made from my deposit account to my purchase account".
$140 insufficient funds fees later....
I seriously need to get better at this. That was an expensive reminder to CHECK MY FREAKIN ACCOUNTS.
Dumb Dumb Dumb!!!
At least the car payment went through. Rar.
Hey at least Louisiana kid's days are pulling in a little money for me this week. That will help offset the cost of my rampant stupidity.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/charitycam/goth_girl/angry.gif) annoyed
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November 11th, 2009
08:26 pm - Stabbity
Dear Uterus:
Knock it the fuck off already. The knives in my guts are not a welcome addition to my day.
OOowowwwwwwww
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02:50 pm - Fail
Really tent? Really?
Was it really necessary for you to collapse midweek and have everything in the shop get soaked with mud and rainwater? You do realise that I now I have to dismantle everything and wash all the tablecloths and the stock..and that I now have 100 perfect good receipts completely ruined.. don't you?
Well played Murphy...well played.
I at least have the most kick-ass neighbors on the planet. They moved ALL of my tables and stock inside their booth (The Leather Rose).. and helped me get the tent back up and re-staked. They are the shiz-nit.
And something stung my fingers while we were getting everything upright again. And my chain and ring order isn't here because (duh!).. it's Veteran's day. I'm a dumbass...and forgot.
Happy Veteran's day all. For those who serve and protect us..whether I agree with the agenda or not. Kudos.
Current Mood: annoyed
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November 9th, 2009
10:17 pm - Of Changes and Things
Sweet Jebus.
Where to start? Gods I have no idea... things have been a whirlwind for the past couple of weeks.. and half of it I'm not sure I remember.
What I can say is this... while Carolina may have been abnormally sucktastic.. I like this show. Siegel knows how to run a damn show and does in fact care about how his show looks. I hope that I'm accepted back.
I am, in fact, dropping Louisiana. I'm done. The utter bullshit that I've had to put up with in the past few years, hell, in the past two weeks has convinced me that it is not where the money is. And I run my business, because I want to be able to (gasp!).. live off of it.
After promising me ( yet again!) that he wasn't bringing in any other chainmailers to his already crappy show... there's a new chainmailer there. No biggie,... their stuff is completely different from mine. But the principal of the matter is that he made a promise that he again didn't keep.
Sunday, the gate count for the show was under 1000. This is it's 10th YEAR people. 10 years... there should be more than a thousand people through that damn gate.
And the show looks, for lack of a better phrase... ghetto. The comparison from the Carolina show to the Louisiana show.. it's lightyears. My head hurts too much right now to give it a more eloquent description, but it's like comparing a mudfield to a meadow .
But to get on with what I was saying... the whirlwind. I've survived the first weekend of having a booth at overlapping shows. God I'm an idiot. But an idiot with a plan, dammit!
Cullen and I left North Carolina stupid early on Thursday morning... I, being the determined and stubborn idiot that I am, had already stayed up a good portion of the night to make more stock for the Louisiana booth. I drove the entire way, since Cullen has passed out, and I wasn't feeling tired yet. 11 hours later we're in Louisiana. I'm mildly exhausted, but again, like an idiot, awake, ( thank you panic and stress.. you are the reason I get anything accomplished).
From that point it's all pretty much a blur... I paid too much to have someone set up a slightly dinky , psuedo 10 X 10 tent.. It's more like.. 8 X 8 .. almost octogan shaped. I will say that the lovely lady renting me the tent is a doll.. and said not to worry about the money..and that if the tent didn't work out for me... she wasn't going to worry about it.. THIS is why I still love our community.
Because of a sudden change in plans I'd also had to call in re-inforcements in the form of a friend in Texas who has also been in the chainmail biz ( as another Randolph co-hort), for many years, to run the booth with Cullen since I had to get back to the Carolina show where I knew I would be needed ( and again.. thank god for my stubbornness... it paid off). I may be bullheaded, but I trust my gut instincts now, and for good reason. Ugh.. but either way.. calling in a favor to a friend also cost me a bit , since I was paying for her gas, and manager wages.
I sleep all of 5 hours on Thursday night.. and wake up retardedly early.. feeling fine... except for the punching bag that someone has shoved down my throat. I've only ever had this happen in Louisiana.. where the air gets so cold and crisp that my uvula swells up to twice its size. It's nasty, it's gross... and it makes me want to kick things. I'm not certain why it happens there.. since I've slept in plenty of other cold ass places.
Anywhoo... I leave site and proceed to drive fuck-all everywhere gathering more of what we need for the booth. Namely: tables. Tables. You'd think no big deal to find just regular card table? Oh no.. no. Wal-Mart had them... for $30 a pop.. and I needed three. I just couldn't make myself spend $90 on 3 CARD TABLES. Enter the epic search involving hunting dogs, tracking devices and CIA undercover agents. All in vain. Cullen and I found some... for $27 a pop. Lame. But time was a-wastin'.. and I had plans to get out of Louisiana by 2pm.
Contain your laughter please. I had hope at that point. Becky ( recruited chainmail friend).. was back at site cranking away, trying to fill in the blank spots in my stock.. and Cullen and I got the booth set up. All told.. after making more stock and painting new signs, and in general, just getting everything looking like I actually BELONGED there.. I didn't leave until 9pm.
I will never, ever do this to myself again. Sweet Jesus. I was already running short on sleep, was exhausted, and feeling rather sickly by this point. Then I loaded up on caffeine and sugar, and drove like mad for 11 hours AGAIN.. trying to make it to site before 9am, when they close the gates.
My ultimate arrival time? 8:35 AM. Booya! Hail to the chief, I am Rockstar! I get the booth open, set up AND spread new ground covering to boot, before either of my employees get there. I'm sleep depped and slightly manic, but I managed to make it through the day without incident. And THEN stay up that night to fight with the credit card machine and its lack of wanting to connect to anything resembling a signal or a satellite..
I now feel like an honest to goodness booth owner. Like surviving a rite of passage. Yes, I can indeed do this, and do it well.
Which brought me to my decision, that Louisiana.. is just not worth my time. I think the most I'll consider is having someone else run a booth there for me. But really... is it even worth that? I see no real motivation to build there, or invest any more of my money in that show. Carolina is 100 times better , AND so far, it hasn't tried to kill me ( Louisiana has a history of not only trying to blow my tent down on multiple occasions with 80mph winds... but also.. collapsing said tent.. with SNOW. Fuckers). Carolina so far, while it has indeed sucked this year.. feels like it's the right choice. And is being run by someone who knows his business, and knows where to put the focus of it.
We have two more weekends here... and then I might just say fuck it, and let Kristi run the booth for me in Louisiana.. and just head my happy ass home. I have a next year to plan dammit.
More to come I'm sure.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/charitycam/goth_girl/surprised.gif) awake
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November 1st, 2009
10:03 pm - Dear Carolina
STOP SUCKING!
Yours most disgruntledly,
Meccahi
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October 27th, 2009
06:17 pm - Well Hells
Despite all of the annoyances with the hellion child, I have to say this.. the woman we're staying with is exceedingly generous.
She just came in to say, that if we want to stay here next year, she'd love it. And that she wouldn't charge us anything for it, because she likes having us here.
Amazing. People never cease to surprise me.
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October 23rd, 2009
03:37 am - Doorways and Windows
Got an offer to do a semi-paid, to an actually honest to goodness paid, photography gig. I, personally, do not think that I am qualified for people to hand over green papery things in exchange for my work.. but I think if it's an offer of trade I could do it without too much guilt. The falconer here is a complete nut ( in a good way), but he loved the shots I took of the birds earlier this week...and the ones I did a couple of days ago. He wants to make and sell prints, and have me receive a portion of the profits.
He also apparently showed the photos to another falconer/show organizer, who also apparently digs the photos, and wants to use them.
All of this equals.... iiiiiinnnnnteresting. I'm not certain what to make of any of it.
When exactly can I tell them that I'm a hack?
These are the two shots from a couple of days ago...I am mostly "meh" about them. I think that I can do better.
Also.. photographing dive bombing birds? Fucking hard. All I'm using is my Canon.. with no special lens.. and some rather bad evening/mixed lighting because of the surrounding trees and buildings.
The results..
We're going to try again when he flies the birds on Monday.. hopefully in an area with less distracting background.. and earlier in the day with better light.. because I AM interested in trying to get some truly kick ass shots of these gorgeous creatures.
Also.. watching a raptor tear the head off of a quail ( already dead).. and then feast on its innards? Quite icky. They eat everything down to the beak if hungry enough.
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October 18th, 2009
10:56 pm - On the Homefront..
I've been quiet, not from apathy or sloth.. but because I have been so freakin busy that I've barely had two moments alone.. let alone time to update. ( I have however managed to squeeze in time for a few games of Farkle... priorities people.. priorities).
I'm in North Carolina.. we just finished up the second weekend of show.. ( which was absolutely lame by the by). Cold, wet, windy, more cold.. and then freezing. People apparently aren't tempted by the pretties when the thought of cold metal against skin makes your teeth chatter in sympathy.
We also just finished up 3 days of "Kid's days". Right after opening weekend ( which did NOT suck.. it was in fact.. dandy. Not fabulous.. but dandy).
Kid's days remind me, yet again.. that birth control is our friend. Use it wisely folks.
Cullen and I are renting a room 6 miles from the show. It's the best and the worst $400 I've ever spent.
You see we had a choice.. rent a room 6 miles from show.. from a recently widowed mother on welfare, trying to support two boys (13 and 4), in a (rather nice looking actually) double wide trailer,.. OR.. be about 15 miles from show.. in a gorgeous Victorian house in a beautiful neighborhood with our own private bath, in a house full of all adults who were never home.
My heart said one thing, my brain said another...I listened to the brain, and the trailer house won out.
It's been worth it to not fight the traffic that would have come with being 15 miles from site ( that we're commuting to every day since I'm keeping most everything in the shop there).. and that the welfare mom is sweet, has DVR and records whatever I want, and also cooks for us. She's a peach. The fact that we have heat, and a dry place to sleep has been phenomenal.. plus free internet and washer and dryer.. and our own personal shower.
It's been horrid because I want to boil her 4 year old son and eat him with marinara sauce. He's a monster. A screaming, whining, terrorizing, over-sugared nightmare. This is why we don't give children soda woman! He screams constantly to get his way, and Mom gives in. He eats way too much sugar and is already obese at 4 years old.
I will say in her defense though... other than fattening him for slaughter overfeeding/sugaring him.. that..she's an excellent Mom.. she plays with him...she interacts with him constantly.. she reads to him. I think that a lot of her giving in to him is her way of trying to be both Mother, and Father. I can understand WHY she bends to him so easily, but it doesn't make living with the little terror any easier.
Tomorrow is our first "real" day off. I'm elated. First a stop at morning breakfast and bizarre bazarre, and then a few hours of goofing off. Then to make another scale mail mantle.. because Etsy has done it's thing, and the one I made a couple of months ago has sold. I've had a slew of inquiries and special order requests this week and I have no idea why... but I'm not going to complain.. after this last weekend I'll take all of the help I can get..
I'm trying to keep up with my photography as well... and I'm in the perfect spot to do it ..( and my apologies for these not being under a cut... I have no idea how to do it while writing in rich text.. any suggestions?)
I have photos of the Scuttlebutt AKA Shroedinger, aka Devil's Toaster Over AKA YaarrrCar loaded down with EVERYTHING.. and still having room to fit two people... those will have to be for later... but for now... these are from today.. The shop is located right next to the front stage at the show.. so we're entertained all day.
We've become friends with the Falconers at this show... in fact one of them is going to be my minion during the week and do some knitting for me.
This is Artemis the Owl
One of the falcons decided to hang out on top of the stage...
Dexter Tripp... the flaming tightrope walker
And.. I suck and can't remember his name... but he's an absolute sweetheart.. and looked exactly as anyone would with a flaming torch coming towards your face.
Oi. Going to collapse into a heap and be dead for a good 8 hours. Minimum. Wake me if the apocalypse happens... anything else before Noon can Bugger the Hell Off.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/charitycam/goth_girl/sleepy.gif) sleepy
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October 4th, 2009
06:38 pm - Because I am easily amused
In other news... I sold my beloved van today. Officially. The Mighty Blue Bubble of Love has a new pilot. I know that she'll treat her well, and restore her to new glory. But I'm going to miss my little home on wheels.
Still not ready for the show. Leaving tomorrow evening. I certainly know how to make life terrifying. Mad Skillz Yo!
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September 30th, 2009
02:59 pm - The Color Purple
Ok... so.. still in panic mode. But the ball of stress that has resided in my stomach has lessened just a tiny little bit.
It's ok if I completely fuck up right? Even if I've already fucked up a few thousand times before?
I took a very short break from knitting to take some stock photos, and then wound up having a little fun with a prop.
Smiling Daisies
A short nap.. then back to work it is.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/charitycam/goth_girl/stressed.gif) stressed
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September 23rd, 2009
07:23 pm - The Ghetto
I was working outside on the van, trying to get everything cleaned up before Sunday, when friend's mom is going to be here to look at it. Walking back up to the house , I notice there's a bike laying on my front steps, and I hear someone pounding on the security door.
Me: "Hello? Can I help you??"
Here comes a kid, maybe 12 or 13, white, shaved head....
"Yeah.. ummm.. can I have 2 dollars?"
*Me staring in disbelief at the size of the cohones this kid has*
Me: " Ok first.. why the hell are you asking me, and why aren't you asking your parents.. and what the hell do you need two dollars for anyways?" (Trying to think of some rational reason for this kid asking a random stranger for 2 bucks)
Kid with Balls the size of coconuts: " I wanted a soda and some chips".
Oh no you did NOT just ride up to a random strangers house to ask for two dollars for SODA AND CHIPS????
WTF people. Seriously. What. The. Fuck.
For a hot minute I thought it might have been an excuse to case the house for someone else. Hell it might be. But I kind of doubt it.
I had words with the kid. They weren't nice. He rode away apologizing. I don't give a fuck.
Urrrggghhhh.
Current Mood: annoyed
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September 22nd, 2009
05:32 am - Whoa Baby
I am apparently, not as out of shape as I thought. I am thinking that under all this fluffy stuff there's actually muscle!
Ran on the treadmill for 3 1/2 miles.. plus fast walking.. and didn't even feel slightly winded. Sweaty yes, winded, no. I could easily have done 5 without feeling strained. In fact I was tempted to, but I wanted to hit the shower before the morning crowd came in.
That plus my round on the circuit machines, my workouts have been about 2 hours each day. And I'm loving it. My muscles feel a little sore, but not the OMG I can't Move, sore. Just.. pleasantly? sore. Making sure to include lots and lots of stretching.
It also helps that the time I'm on the treadmill is the same time that the Television has two episodes of Angel on.. plus two episodes of Charmed. I am a serious dork when television shows are what keep me going on the treadmill because I don't want to stop watching.
Whatever works right?
I am so far behind on work it's terrifying. Plus I have to make an emergency ring order. That may or may not be here on time.
Oh oh! BUT!
I may (MAY) have sold my van. Even better.. I may be selling it to a friend's Mom. Which is like keeping it in the family. The thought of it made me tear up earlier in happiness, because god knows I LOVE my van so much. How can you not when it was your home for 7 years. I have so many memories tied up in it. So many adventures that we've had together across the country. I just want her to go to a good home where I know she'll be taken care of and restored. Apparently friend's mom runs a dog grooming service, and she wants to take it mobile. Which means she needs a large van to do it in. I already told them about all of the mechanical issues, and that it would probably have to be gutted, but supposedly that's pretty much what they're looking for, and for the price I'm asking, they don't mind so much about the mechanical issues since they have a mechanic in the family that's going to be working on it.
We'll see... I could really really use the money right now.. so happy thoughts people. I've got my fingers crossed.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/charitycam/goth_girl/working.gif) accomplished
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September 20th, 2009
06:35 pm - Tale of Stupid
We all know that I am not the brightest monkey to climb from the trees sometimes.
This is especially evident in the morning (ok it was afternoon.. but hey.. it was morning when I went to sleep) when I'm still clawing at consciousness, and snarling at anything resembling "daylight" or " getting up".
Last night (this morning) I fell asleep with Itunes going.. drifting off to the melodic sounds of Buzzcocks.. perfectly happy with the world and being unconscious in it.
I woke up briefly because of the Evil Daystar blasting its rays into my room. Glared at it. maybe even snarled at it..Closed my eyes again.. and then suddenly heard....
Voices.
In my house.
British Voices.
WTF?
And...because I obviously have a highly tuned sense of survival.. I fell right back asleep.
I was pretty sure that I was dreaming and that I was NOT a subject of a British Invasion.
Wake up about 2 hours later.
British Voices. Still there.
WHY WON'T THEY LEAVE???? WHAT DO THEY WANT?? I HAVE NO TEA!!!!!! GO AWAY!!!!
I turn the fan off in the bedroom to see if I could hear if maybe I'd left the television on in the front room.... (I had. But you can't hear it in the back rooms).
Strain to listen further. They appeared to be having a conversation. Apparently not about tea. Good, because we really were out of tea, except for some of the green tea, but it was pretty old, and I didn't think they'd want it.
Listen further. They appeared to be having a conversation about a Lion.
A Lion? Really?
Finally I get up.. The Brits had gone too far. Why the fuck were they talking about lions in my house?? ( keep in mind I'm still not fully awake by this point... hell I'm barely upright)
Walk into the middle room where my puters are.
Proceed to smack oneself in the forehead. Repeatedly.
Note to self: When falling asleep to Itunes... do not leave it on the full Unabridged version of the Chronicles of Narnia. This will lead to rampantly wild accusations and Pure Stupidity.
Thank you. That is all.
Current Mood: sleepy
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September 18th, 2009
11:18 pm - Wouldn't ya know..
I'm in a super ultra creative mood tonight. There are so many projects and ideas bouncing around in my little skull...
And I can't do a goddamn thing about it, because I have to sit here and knit stock for the shop.
There could indeed, be worse problems in life. I have caffeine. I've had my daily pep-talk with myself, and am hopefully not becoming a delusional nutcase in the process.
In the meantime.. I took about half an hour to take a few photos to curb this angry Muse inside of me who's raging that she's not Getting Her Way.
And I had some help from a furball.
This would be Bailey...My Russian Blue Terror. Gawd I love her. Sometimes she's like a furry leech. Other times she's a silver streak of spasmodic kitty-dome. She's pure awesome.
Paranoid Cat is.....Paranoid.
I have developed a serious weakness for Russian Blues. Their personalities are mind boggling, and they are far smarter than any cat should be. I'm fairly certain that they're just fuzzy aliens sent to dissect our brains in our sleep.
This was my entry for the LJ ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) photographers challenge for this month. The them was "Angry Faces"
( The Faces We Make )
Yeah yeah... back to work.
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06:03 pm - Errr.. Owee
I recently spent a little money on myself. It wasn't much.. but I finally joined a gym ( again).
My rationalization of it is that the gym has locations all over the nation.. and there's one close to the Carolina site.. AND one close to the Louisiana site. No more paying $9 to take a shower at the truck stock. No more being afraid to enter the Scary Shower at the Louisiana show. And it's 24 hours. Even better. And I have to say.. the showers there are SO much swankier than my Scary Shower at home. I think I'll be bathing there from now on.
Since I'm a night bird I figured at 2AM I'd head down there, and work out.. and shower.
OMG..
2AM... you have THE WHOLE GYM to yourself. Love it. I worked out for about an hour and a half. I punished myself because it just felt so good.
Today.. does not feel so good. Today feels achy. But fuck it. I'm going back tonight. I'll be knitting furiously all day, and then take a break to drive out there. Love. It!
Still sore. But loving it all the same.
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01:29 am - Oi-Vey
I have come to the conclusion that I suck at running a business. I mean, I knew I was disorganized, and that half the time I'm doing everything by the seat of my pants.. but SHEESH.
Ugh.
So Carolina is coming up. I don't have an employee.. and I have very very little stock. The next two weeks are going to be INSANE.
Have I mentioned that I'm low on rings?
I was working with a local spring company to see if they could become my permanent ring manufacturer, but apparently they just can't meet the pricing of my other two suppliers. Which sucks, because the samples they gave me were gorgeous, and I would have loved to use them. Now I'm stuck with one manufacturer who is rather spendy, but makes absolutely fabulous rings, and another, who makes decent rings.. but.... not exactly up to my standards. Some of their sizes are great... other.. the cuts on them are horrid. We'll see what this next batch brings me.
And I just now looked at North Carolina's gate count. 150,000
That's right...
150,000
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK.
Am I READY for a show that large? By my standards at least? My biggest show is DragonCon, and that's only 4 days long. Can I keep up with the demands of a 150,00 people? Christ on a cracker, I guess I'm going to find out.
At the moment though...I feel so fucked.
I have two weeks to make enough stock to just get through the first weekend. I think I can do it. I sure as hell HOPE I can do it. If I can pull it off then financially I think it would push me over the line of "struggling" to "making it".
*crosses fingers*
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/charitycam/goth_girl/scared.gif) scared
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September 15th, 2009
08:37 am - Fossilized
I think it's pretty obvious that I'm not sleeping tonight...
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08:14 am - The Red Lights of Pravda
Current Mood: awake
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September 10th, 2009
05:48 pm - NO F*CKING WAY!!!
I've been waiting for this for years. It looks like it could be so bad it's good.
And of course.. coming out on October 30th. Hells. Yes.
Current Mood: ![[mood icon]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/mood/charitycam/goth_girl/happy.gif) excited
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