I've got about 1300 words of incoherent babble so far, but I never intended this to be a proper story.
I have never had trick or treaters in this building in the 10+ years I've lived here so I don't bother dressing up.
Tonight it's raining and I had four, making me very happy that I always buy a bag of candy, just in case.
I did go to work yesterday in the Rebecca costume after our boss decided on Thursday that everyone should dress up, which reminds me that I still need to get the pictures uploaded so all the people who helped me can see it. Maybe tomorrow.
dcb @231 I tried www.rabbit.org first, but I couldn't find much about safe ways to keep flies from rabbit litter in all the information about how horrible fly-strike is and what to do if you see signs of it. It was very discouraging.
I went several places looking for fly strips and finally found them in the local hardware store. I also saw someone spraying the garbage bins with raid, so I'm hoping the fly problem will be under control soon.
Thanks everybody for the tips. I had one fly strip leftover from a previous invasion, which I put up last night, and I'll go out and get more today.
I have screens on the windows, but trying to figure out where the flies were getting in was part of the problem. I think I've narrowed it down to the vents in the bathroom and kitchen. Another friend suggested taping dryer sheets over the vents, so I shall see how that works.
dcb @318 Thanks for the reassurance. Searching on flies and rabbits brings up the most alarming sites and no information on what to do for a minor problem.
They're about 1/2" regular houseflies.
I've been using the fly swatter and finally broke out my last roll of (non-toxic) fly paper, but I'm feeling a bit defeated tonight and worried that sooner or later the rabbits are going to end up with a case of fly-strike no matter what I do.
Speaking of insects...
Hmm. I wasn't expecting this comment to relate to the current topic at all.
My apartment building has a fly problem at the moment. Any thoughts on keeping them out of my apartment? I've killed at least 10 flies today and I know I haven't got them all.
I'm mostly worried about my rabbits and the open litter boxes (even though I clean them out once a day, I'm afraid they'll keep attracting flies). Because of the bunnies, I'm reluctant to use poison or anything they might get into. They have the run of most of the apartment during the day.
I know we have an exterminator in once a month, so I'm hoping the building problem will be taken care of soon, but dealing with the flies in the meanwhile is becoming more and more stressful. It's also meant I've been keeping the windows closed despite the fact that this means my apartment temperature is hovering in the 80s.
KeithS @63 - Technically, the cut of meat I buy is labelled Top Round for London Broil so they shouldn't have a problem with Stop & Shop. This follows their general labelling policy - the cut of meat and the most common use for it.
I'll second LMB @43's method. My steaks improved dramatically once I shifted to a cast iron pan and very high heat.
Like Linkmeister @34, I buy a Top Round/London Broil, but as I'm just feeding myself, I cut it into 5-6 single serve portions before freezing.
I wish I could have a charcoal grill, but only electric grills are permitted in my condo. Given that I have a gas stove, the idea of an electric grill seems like a step backwards.
I'm another Opera user. I use Firefox as a backup, but I've never found the password saving to actually work in the latter. Wand is a thing of beauty.
And now I'm off to clean up my rss feeds. I haven't been removing them from google reader when they die, and so with the upgrade, I've had about a hundred threads show up suddenly with "new messages". This happened to a lesser extent with the previous upgrade attempt, so I was expecting it, and it shouldn't take too long to mark all read or unsubscribe from the comment threads that aren't likely to have new comments.
No WorldCon for me this year, but I'm attending Dragon*Con for my first time ever. I blame the friend who set the costume idea in motion.
I am worried a bit about the crowds (I prefer much smaller conventions), but I won't know how bad it really is until I get there, so I'm going to chance it and plan to hole up in my room if it gets too overwhelming.
KeithS @64 and Diatryma @67 American Science and Surplus it is. They've got leds by the dozen in assorted colors which will be perfect.
The nearest universities are a few towns over, so electrical students are few and far between.
We're in a temporary location, so I don't want to have too many leftovers (though they'll be handy for future programs).
But I like to do this sort of program, so the sites will come in handy in the future.
KeithS @59 That would be a lovely idea if I actually lived in NYC. I would have made a special trip in from Westchester County if someone had come up with a good source. I suspect I'll just end up going with Mouser.
oliviacw @40 Thanks. That does look like a good site. I only dabble in electronics and the sites I was looking at were confusing and seemed to only sell in larger quantities than I needed. If I haven't found a good local source, I shall place an order at work tomorrow.
Glomming on to the open thread with a question.
I'm planning a program at the library, making LED Throwies, and I need about 25-50 leds and batteries. Radio Shack is expensive, and judging by the stock I saw today, it might be hard to come up with enough.
Before I chance ordering them over the internet, is there a good store in New York City that sells that sort of thing? Alternately, I'll take recommendations of places on the internet, but I'd prefer not to deal with shipping and time is getting tight.
LLA @ 958 I'm not actually fond of cowl collars or wraps or I'd be considering that. Part of the appeal to me is the traditional collar, as it's less obtrusive. But I certainly like the option of changing things. Lace might be fun, for example.
LLA @ 956 My first thought when I saw the herringbone was wool too. I have sewn light wools before, so it shouldn't be too difficult, but I'll see what's available in the way of fabric.
I like the idea of having multiple collars and cuffs. The reason I thought of taking them off was your idea of having them snap in. A plainer version for everyday would be good, especially if I can find the same fabric of the dress in black.
LLA @ 954 No. Quilt fabric, while lovely, isn't appropriate here and flannel (which they also stock) will be inappropriate for the venue. What I was looking at at the other store were slightly heavier-weight textured cottons but I'll keep your suggestion of wool in mind. If you look closely at the dress, the fabric has a herringbone pattern so I'll be keeping an eye open for that.
The dress is a good length for me and not too fussy, so, if it turns out well, I have every intention of wearing it as a regular outfit (sans velvet collar and cuffs).
LLA @948 I'll let you know when the pattern arrives and we can talk.
My local fabric stores consist of a quilting store within walking distance of work (nice for cotton prints, not so much for anything else) and a medium sized fabric store in a nearby town. No truly amazing stores here, though I'm close enough to NYC that if I needed one, I could manage. But then I don't do that much sewing and most of what I'm doing has been patchwork.
I'll check the medium sized store for the right fabrics and if they don't have a red/burgundy I like, I'll inquire about stores in the city.
LLA @ 946: Seen and ordered. It's just as well - the Joann's I thought was at a local mall has closed. It's been at least two years since I've been to that mall, but I'm glad I thought to check. The fabric I'll purchase from a local store.
The best pictures I have are the ones I linked you to @ 944. I do not own the doll, nor was I planning on purchasing it.
As I said, the asymmetrical addition seems simple enough - a 45 degree angle to where I want the first button and then straight down from there. But I can scan the pattern instructions once the pattern arrives as I would appreciate your input. I have a friend who did a lot of sewing before she started having issues with arthritis, but she doesn't have that much experience with altering patterns.
| Year | Number of comments posted |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 56 |
| 2008 | 34 |
| 2007 | 8 |
| 2006 | 10 |
| 2005 | 6 |
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