Shannon

I've made it over a month without smoking a cigarette. I guess it's official now. I've vowed to not smoke again 'til/if I reach 75 (at that point I'm doing what I want!).

I am very excited, I almost have my little sewing/craft room set up. Soph and I are sharing a garage in the alley with our neighbor so we now have some much needed storage. We are FINALLY starting to reorganize our little apartment. The extra bedroom is going to primarily be Soph's eBay room-and the new home to the majority of her Star Wars collection that has taken over the living room.

I've been doing a lot of knitting as of late, it really helps calm the smoking urges (DAY 9). I hope to get back into sewing ASAP, now that I have space. I'm really upset- Sac City Dry Goods is having a one day corset building workshop on Saturday but there is no way I can swing the $150 right now. Besides the fact I already have most of the supplies that are included in the fee, right down to the pattern that will be used. Only corset thing I'm really lacking is some fine coutil for a strength layer. That is one of my many projects for the year-to build myself a corset or two.

I also want to get serious about reasearching family history. From what I've gather I have relatives buried in Roseville and Sac from the 1800's and had family that lived in Chico for years. I want to track down that info and have my dad take me out there eventually. I'd really love to find all of my Californian relatives gravesites and photograph them.

We watch A Christmas Story multiple times during the holiday season. This is my favorite quote from the Winter of '09 viewings.

I am a horrible story teller* so bear with me.

Last Tuesday December 1st I was scheduled to work until 4pm and Soph was at home. Our neighbor Wendy knocks on the door and asks Soph if her outfit looks okay as she is attending a fancy red carpet event downtown. They talk for a bit, and Wendy tells her she is attending the induction ceremony for the 2009 California Hall of Fame held at the California History Museum at 10th & O. Then she mentions the inductees. Let's just say that the name George Lucas came up and leave it at that.

4:00 rolls around and I'm excited to be off work early. I decide to do some Christmas shopping while I have the car. First I take a quick smoke break in the alley and listen to the message on my cell phone. Its Soph. She's super excited babbling on and on about George Lucas. After a brief conversation I decide to make my way home early. We leave the house shortly after five headed downtown on light rail. Three stops later we are at our destination, and join the already formed crowd waiting in anticipation of seeing stars. Our long wait is worth it, one of the first persons down the carpet is Carol Burnett. We were not anicipating autograph opportunites so we did not even think to bring anything with us (I would love to have Schwarzenegger's autograph on Total Recall as that movie kicks some serious ass and is one of my all time favorites).

The last people down the red carpet are Schwarzenegger and Lucas. The crowd is already riled up, as Maria Schriver had just escorted John Madden by. I started feeling like I was at a mosh pit as I tried to take photo after photo. Soph realized that she had her Star Wars Fan Club membership card in her wallet AND SHE WAS ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES THAT GOT GEORGE freakin' LUCAS' AUTOGRAPH!

She' still over the moon.




















*I am SUCH and avid reader and have been my whole life, I think that would be enough experience to tell a tale but for the life of me I cannot.

Soph told me about this story the other day.

http://www.savepetethemoose.org/




My name is Peter, I live in the NEK I love fresh leaves and bananas and I love my friends. I really want to live but I need everyones help to make it happen. The VT Dept of Fish and Wildlife wants me destroyed. Join us in telling the Governor NO!!

Basic Information
Sex: Male
Hometown: Irasburg, VT
Looking For: Life & Help from You Keeping Mine!

Personal Information
Pete having a snack.

Activities: Napping in the sunshine, hanging with my firiends and enjoying life.
Interests: What David has in that little black he brings me each day.
Favorite Music: Bob Dylan.. David had the new CD
Favorite TV Shows: The local and national news that I am on each night.
Favorite Quotations: Live and let live.
About Me: I was attacked by dogs and mauled when I was about 5 days old. Some nice people took me to David and he nursed me back to health. Fish and Wildlife told the people who found me to let me die. They couldn't bear to just leave me there. David has been my best friend for the last 14 months. A nice man named Doug has a 600 acre ranch that is fenced and he lets me stay here along with about 120 other deer and moose that have gotten thru the "state designed and approved" fence. Now that we are here the dept of fish and wildlife wants to destroy us. They have known about us all along but they didn't care to try and help out a long time ago. Instead they sat back and did nothing until now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Lhh72L1Xz8

I've actually been sewing a bit lately. I have two top hats that need to be finished (my binding is not the best)and I have been working on Halloween costumes. Yesterday Soph and I went to JoAnns and got the rest of our supplies. She is going to be an Ewok and to that effect purchased an adult dog costume at work, I am going to make her a headpiece and a little Ewok bag.

I bought the nice Wicked Witch costume at work but can only wear it on Halloween if it is cool outside as it is long sleeved and restrictive and I will FREAK out if I get too hot. Since I want something for any type of weather that I can wear to work as well I decided to recreate the toddler owl costume from the Martha Stewart Halloween issue in an adult size. I spent beaucoup time tracing and enlarging. I do not have a large phtocopier so I had to make the pattern pieces 500% bigger by hand. I am very thankful that I had wrapping paper left over that has 1/2 squares on the indside. I haven't cut out the felt yet, that's next on the list. Here are some photos so far. And yes, I do indeed have a sewing assistant that helps me with every proect I do.

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I am having one of those weeks where I do not feel like doing much of anything. It happens from time to time. I haven't been feeling well the past few days, I think it is a natural depression brought about by sunshine. My body secretly knew that the fall like weather would never last this early in September. I've been giving serious thougth to moving out of the area once I finish school. Sacramento would be a great location to begin my career as an archivist or preservationist given the variety of county, state and federal historical programs yet the blasted heat is killing me. I've lived in this area my entire life and after thirty two years I still have not acclimated to the summers. I am thinking that Northern California would be a wonderous place to inhabit, somewhere near Eureka or Arcata. Basically I'm giving myself six months after I graduate to find a decent job somewhere doing something I love. At that point my student loans will be due and a mickey-mouse retail job will no longer cut it. I may end up staying in the area for a few years until I come across a position elsewhere. I do however refuse to move anywhere with a higher average temperature than Sacramento.

Soph plans to work from home and is taking business classes at SCC to that effect. She wants to run a home based internet business. It is very comforting to know that her future is portable and if we really decide to move up North we can.

In other fun stuff news, I am taking a top hat/riding hat workshop at Sac City Dry Goods this Saturday. I went and bought supplies at Joanns the other day. It is amazing how one bag of merchandise can add up to eighty plus dollars. I did end up with a lot of basic supplies that I needed and hopefully by the time this weekend ends I will have learned a new skill. I am going to attempt to make a top hat similiar to the one in the new Martha Stewart Halloween issue.

Speaking of Halloween, this is my first year at Evangeline's that I have not worked in the Cstume Mansion. Tres strange, I do not even feel like it is open half the time since I no longer work up there. I've decided that I am totally against commercial Halloween costumes. After years of seeing the offerings from the major companies year after year (Charades, Rubies, Leg Avenue, Franco, California Costume Collection, etc etc) I have concluded they all SUCK! Poor choice of materials, no historical accuracy (one can wish) and slutty as hell! Although there are likely some costumes from companies thst we do not stock that are of much better quality, on average the choice for the consumer is pretty horrible. I think I would be much better off finding a local seamstress and commissioning a costume. I am sure someone out there could create a perfectly lovely black witch dress out of natural materials without any pesky zippers for under $150.00. Now I need to find that person....

I am losing it trying to remember a book I read recently. The only part I can recall involves a girl returning home after many years. Her old dog is still alive and long forgotten. He hears the special whistle she used to have for him and his heart bursts with love and he dies (after their brief reunion). She ends up burying his body in the forest or a pond, somewhere I think a not so nice human is buried as well. I cannot remember any of the main points of the book but the dog scene was so poignant I'm trying to track it down so I can buy it and read it again in the future. I went through the list of all the books i've checked out in the past few months, and think it may possibly be one of the Alice Hoffman books I read, though none seemed too likely. It could be a book I have or something..I am getting mighty frustrated trying to remember.

I've been trying to read more literature lately as opposed to all the mystery books I read. I just finished the Thornbirds and absoloutely loved it!

Found near the EK McClatchy Library, 22nd and U Street Sacramento.



Abandoned un-neutered male orange and white cat. He is super friendly and probably less than a year old (he is growing every day). I've been feeding him for a few weeks but he has gotten more territorial with the cats that already call this place a home and he cannot stay here any longer. Definitely a sociable cat, would make a great companion. He needs to be neutered and to have his nails trimmed. I am willing to help pay for the cat to be neutered and would have done so already but I don't have anyplace he can recuperate safely as I already have an elderly cat that lives with me.

I refuse to take this cat to an animal shelter as he is very nice and I'd hate to see him put down.

I called Happy Tails and they are not accepting anymore cats at this time.

If you are in need of a companion or know of any no-kill shelters accepting cats please call or e-mail me.

Shannon

718-1072
foulcollier@yahoo.com

I went to the Old City Cemetery after I took Soph to work and took some pictures. I'm not too keen on most of them as the middle of the afternoon is not the best time to take photos outdoors. Here are a couple that I cared for.

I've decided against manipulating the majority of my SF photos as I'm satisfied with how they turned out but I couldn't resist messing around with a few of my favorites. The jellyfish are fun to play with!









More photos on flickr: foulcollier

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I'm currently printing out the 27 page monstrosity that is my research paper for HIST 197. There are only 16-17 pages of text, a bit short, and additonal pages of photographs. I'm proud of the research I accomplished for the paper but not so happy with its outcome. Its just one of those things, I procrastinated too much and could use another week to work on it. I AM SO SICK OF SCHOOL at this point that I think I may explode. I offered Soph a $100 to go work for me tonight but I don't think she's biting :). I've taken a lot of time off work these past few weeks to finish school and I don't really want to go back! I think I need a vacation!

I guess I'm going to school next semester since I just signed up for the MOST AWESOME classes ever.

Hist 203 Public History Principles and Techniques
Hist 282B Archives & Manuscripts
HIST 282E Historic Preservation

I think I may even be a little bit excited!

I had a lot of fun learning about bicycles this weekend. Soph found a vintage Western Flyer 70's 3 speed on Craiglist and the guy actually delivered it to us on Friday night. The tire were completely dry rotted so we pedaled on over to College Cyclery on Saturday. Soph bought new tires but they did not have the time to put them on (bike shops seem to be very busy on Saturdays). We took the bikes (and the new tires)over to the Sacramento Bike Kitchen on I and 19th and had great experience learning how to put them on ourselves (with a lot of assisstance). One of the gentlemen who helped us showed us how to true her rim by tightening the spokes. We were there for a few hours, and it only costs $5 to use their tools and everyone we dealt with was super nice and very helpful. We will definitely be going back to do any repairs we are capable of.

I've spent a lot of time online learning about english 3 speeds as that is what I am riding. My gears aren't shifting properly so its been a lot of work cycling around since I've been stuck in such a high gear. I went over to College Cyclery this morning and one of the gentlemen rigged it for now (for free). They are going to order some parts to fix it and will give me a call later in the week so I can drop it off. I think I am going to really take to this bike riding thing. The last time I rode a bike was at Burning Man in '99. I had about 3 hours of bike riding experience under my belt 'til this past week. I don't think i will be riding to work anytime soon, as I am a bit sketchy to ride any distance by myself. Getting to College Cyclery was no problem as its only over on 21st street and I rode on the sidewalk most of the time. Its quite strange that it takes half the time to get home as it does to get there.

I never really rode bikes as a kid as we lived on gravel roads until I was 15. I do remember having a blue bike with a big banana seat featuring a rainbow butterfly but I dont have any memories of actually riding it. I think my dad got bikes later on, but they were men's mountain bikes and not something that interested me in the slightest. At this point I only want to ride english 3 speeds as they are so classy! My bike is likely a lower end model from the 60's or 70's but its still classy as hell. I really appreciate the chrome tip on the front fender.I can't wait to get a traditonal wicker basket and a nice saddle seat. I put a Schwinn seat I found at Target on for now as the seat it came with hurt like hell.

I'm supposed to be working on an essay for which I had a draft due last Thursday but I'm more interested in going on bike rides. I'm really not taking to school this semester since I feel I am doing make up work that I'm beyond. I have about 160 units, I wish they has just let me into the Public History program right off. I don't know if I am going to get B+ at this rate, which is what I need to coninue on. I really want to get my MA in Public History but I am just so burnt out with school right now. My attendance has been HORRIBLE this semester, but its hard for me to justify spending two hours getting to class and back when he only keeps us for twenty minutes max.

One of the hardest parts of doing research is knowing where to find sources. I'm researching the preservation of Old Sacramento for a paper (and for my own personal knowledge) and came across this wonderful research guide. Now I think I am going to be on overload with information. I still need to make a trip to the Sacramento Reading Room and possibly to SAMCC. Here is to hoping I can expand on this research paper in the future as the topic would make a great Master's thesis and I find it so very interesting.


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My research has also benefited from the fact that I work in Old Sacramento and my boss owns two of the buildings I will be discussing. I got to take home the sign ordinance book last night that is given to merchants and developers. It basically outlines the proper usage of signs and street numbers for the historic district. Everything is required to be period in order to maintain Sacramento's historical heritage from the dates 1849-1875. It is amazing how tightly controlled Old sacramento is.

We've been feeding a Raccoon whom we've named Bandit since last summer, and as of New years we have not seen him/her at all. Soph and I were both concerned and hoped he/she had found some companions and had ventured off to parts unknown. Yesterday, as I left for work, I noticed Zorros' (my outdoor cat) food bowls were tossed about and the water was all murky, definite signs of a Raccoon visitation. Last night we saw Bandit again, we knew it was her for sure becuase she got really close, and then we saw the two adolescents behind her. Bandit had babies! She showed them where the cat food is and they all ate heartily. My cat food bill will be on the upswing, but it is well worth the joy of being able to observe three raccoons and ensure that lack of food will never be a problem they have to face in this urban environment. I also feed numerous cats, one of which I am sure is homeless,whom we named Bent-Ear (he must have had some trauma to his face as it is a little squished). He has serious breathing issues :( but is too shy for me to get near. I also feed an oppossum and who knows who else that lurks about.

I am attempting to teach myself how to sew. I know the basics and have practiced on some apron patterns, but what I really want to make are costumes. I recently started working on a simple single layer corset that I hope to finish as soon as I order some supplies. I first tried making a corset years ago but was quickly discouraged, this time I have a much better understanding of the costruction process and a much better sewing machine. I just wish that every freakin' hobby I was interested in wasn't so damn expensive. Corset coutil costs about $20.00 a yard (I'm finding an alternative, like cotton duck)and metal busks (the part that opens in the front) cost about $13.00 each. Of course one also needs to purchase lining fabric, metal bones, grommetts (and a grommett setter) etc. I see why corsets are so expenive, as it likely costs $30-$50 just to make one of the damn things!

The Sacramento Dry Goods store in old Sacramento is supposedly going to be offering a millinery class (hat making) in March and I hope to do that as well. I seem to have a strong desire to be creative yet lack talent and follow through :)oh, also, the lady atthe Dry Googs store is the one who make sth eLaughing Moon patterns, I talked to her a bit last week and plan on asking her advice once I start the LM corset.

Gryphon is home and doing well! He has gone pee a few times, so no more urinary blockages. I just hope this doesn't happen ever again, as twice in a lifetime is more than enough.

I need everyone to think good kitty thoughts tonight! Gryphon had to go to the emergency vet today, because he was unable to urinate. This happened once years ago and it was a really bad situation but we caught it early this time fortunately. The Dr. was able to get a catheter right in him and drain his bladder so he is doing well, he just has to stay overnight. He is getting some x-rays and a urinalysis done. Hopefully he will be coming home tomorrow.