What IS it?

Years ago, I ~very unwisely~ kiddingly called DH Mr. Gadget. I believe this may have even been before I realized he is Mr. Sensitive. Boy, have I paid for it ever since. Every time I find some cool gadget, he reminds me that I called him Mr. Gadget.

This thing is so cool. Fortunately it only cost $3.59. Most of the gadgets I fall in love with (read IPod here) cost way, way more.

So, what is it?












Bing! Bing! Bing! You are absolutely correct. It's a bias tape maker. To make your own color-coordinated bias tape, you have to cut the fabric on the 45, stitch all the pieces together at right angles, and then fold over 1/4" sides to the middle and iron the thing.

I'm quite sure all of you have done this before, and so you are aware that the heat from the iron sort of channels through the folded fabric, scalding your fingers as you feebly hold the sides down to iron them down.

This gadget folds and holds for you and you just chase it down the flat tape with the iron. Out behind the iron, voila (or walla as some are spelling it now--) is the folded, pressed, bias tape. My DDIL2 told me about this amazing gadget a couple years ago. I'm slow, but I do catch on.







Here are the yards of bias tape I made in about 10 minutes. The ironing part, that is. The measuring, cutting, sewing at right angles, and trimming took an hour or so. Ppl don't seem to understand for a very few of us, this is actually FUN.

Zzzzz

The past 2 weeks have really been frenetic for me. I have been in the position of attending one meeting only to have to rush out and run to the next meeting. I believe this has been exacerbated by my recent work at the computer place for kids. They want to hire me; don't have the money; are trying to raise the money to hire me; so I am donating some time there as an incentive for them to make it happen. I am only technically involved with two organizations, church and PTA, but serve on several committees at each, and have been running like a madwoman. The Smalltown Zoning Board of Appeals, where I also serve, has not met lately.
Neighborhood Association met last week, which also took some planning, but following that meeting, we had our annual election of officers, and the very capable vice-president was elected president. I truly enjoyed the 2 years of serving as president, but I was ready to step down and thankful he was willing to take it on. He will do a fine job. In fact, he has organized an investment group that met last night to discuss buying some of the slummy houses on the edge of our n'hood, improving them, and renting to families rather than crack dealers, who has them now. I can't wait to hear how the meeting went.

Little One's first band concert was Monday night. She had a solo and several of her friends did, too. Her dearest and oldest gf sits in first chair and LO told DH, "No offense to my friend, but I'm TAKING that first chair." Good for her. Go for it. The concert was great -- the eight graders sounded better than ANY high school band I've ever heard -- and the others said the sixth graders sounded better than sixth graders usually sound at this point in the year. Having only had band class for 8 weeks, with many of the kids never have learned notes before, it's got to be a challenge to have them ready for any concert.

She swims in a meet next weekend; there is one this weekend but she is attending a regional Student Council Conference instead. She was selected as the 6th grade representative based on her outgoing and friendly nature. The day she got the information, she got into the car and breathlessly told me all about it. "I don't know a soul!! I can't wait to go!" she said. She's pretty amazing.

Today my calendar is CLEAR so I am thankfully cleaning house. DH even offered to drive LO to school this morning, so I am luxuriating in the pleasure of being HOME. Time to go fire up the vacuum......

Bobcats Game

I haven't blogged in a while -- life here has been quite busy.

On Monday, LO got a free day off school! Her name was "in the hat" for making good grades on her tests on library books -- and the school drew 75 names to go to an exhibition NBA game in Charlotte, Bobcats v. Washington Wizards.

Meanwhile, the school called and asked if I would chaperone.

We arrived at school bright and early Monday morning and clambered onto buses. What would normally take about 50 minutes, somehow took over 1.5 hours. I guess it was the combination of a school bus' slower speed, plus idling in line with a bunch of other schoolbuses as we neared the new arena.

We parked about 4 blocks away from the arena and filed in with other middle schoolers from all over this side of the state. Police were at every intersection, stopping traffic for us. Door people greeted us and scanned the adults' handbags (kids were not allowed to take anything inside). The order and organization were amazing.

Once we were all seated, they passed out "Lunchables" to all the children. Fortunately, our seats were pretty low, at an end of the court. Seats were packed, all the way to the nosebleed section. Yet, there was not a bad seat in the house due to the giant screen TV with 4 sides, hanging over the center of the court. As good as our seats were, sometimes it was clearer to see the play on the huge screen. This felt pretty silly to choose to look at TV rather than the live action right in front of us!

Each student was given a little tote bag with a program and puzzles inside. Occasionally, the announcer would hold quizzes on the info and students got to compete for prizes.

Between periods, the mascots came out and did funny stunts. The cheerleaders were lovely and scantily clad. I was not sitting near LO but I could imagine her saying what she usually says: "Their clothing is unappropriate." Sometimes I repeat after her, "Inappropriate," and she just says, "Whatever," and next time says the same thing: "Unappropriate." My thought: whatever.

As students needed RR breaks, we accompanied them for safety. The bb game was punctuated by handouts and prizes for the students. What a treat, all for reading your library books and answering questions correctly!!

At the end of the game, we trooped back to the buses and rode to a mall that lies about halfway between Charlotte and our small town. Each chaperone was assigned 8 to 10 students to shepherd to the food court for another lunch, and brief shopping. We had just over an hour before we had to head back to school for dismissal.

My group of kids were well-behaved, well, all the kids, all day, were well-behaved. I am pretty sure we did not have an incident all day long. It was a pleasure to go and help. Amazingly, we arrived back at the middle school with all the kids on board -- and in time for them to catch the bus back home.

The Bobcats' program was amazing. What an incentive for the kids!

Our Cats

DH built a deck onto our shed this week and was taking pics of it when he decided to snap one of our DC2, Daniel. I try not to share realactual names on the blog, but after all, he is (just) a cat. Just don't tell him.

Daniel came to live with us 3 years ago. He was so tiny and afraid. He found an antique lowboy here in the house and climbed up through the bottom into the bottom drawer. We could not find him for a day or two -- were panicstricken -- when DH unearthed him.

Nowadays he is neither tiny nor afraid. He owns this end of the block and our house inside as well. At a hefty 12.5 pounds, he outweighs our DD Tucker.

Daniel and Tucker are best of friends. At night when I take Tuck out for her last peeps of the evening, Dan is waiting inside the door for our return. As Tucker walks in, Daniel rubs noses with her and off they go to play.

In the winter when we have a fire going in the fireplace, the two can be found sacked out in front of it, sleeping like spoons.

Dear old Francie has been with us about 22 years -- no one is quite sure, but DS2 brought her home when he was 8 or 9 and he turns 30 in a week. The pic is not very clear as Little One had the hiccups when I asked her to take a picture of her!

This is where Francie comes 2 or 3 times a day when she needs a little drink. She used to drink out of the sink with the water running, but now it's a little too hard on her back or something, so we fill a disposable cup for her and she takes her drink. She likes her water fresh and has never partaken of "pet water" standing in a bowl near the food bowls.

We have many, many stories about Francie and I may share some soon. Her health seems quite good, although she has definitely gotten a little crotchety in her old age. She likes to sleep with us, and in the old days she slept near the foot of the bed. As she has aged, she has crept up so that now she wants to sleep near my chest and shoulders. When I pick her up to move her to the foot of the bed, she loudly protests and sometimes gets so perturbed she leaves altogether and goes to see if LO will let her sleep where she wants, on her bed.

She weighs less than 6 pounds and when you rub her back, you can feel each individual backbone. She has been blind since the day we got her, or at least visually impaired, we're not sure as she can't read the eye chart, and nowadays she surely seems to be deaf as well. She used to run from the vacuum cleaner and now she doesn't even know when it's running.

She used to leap to the sink from floor level, but now heaves herself up to the tub and then with her front paws on the sink, pulls herself up from the tub. Likewise, she used to jump onto the bed, but now climbs onto the footboard and scrambles up the quilt from there.

I said above that ol'Dan is king of this end of the block and the house as well. He may be king, but Francie is Empress of this house, and Dan really respects her loud opinions when they are in the same vicinity.

Francie's days are surely numbered, but hey, I've been saying that for about 10 years now, so who knows? Maybe she'll outlive us all.