Saturday, February 25, 2006

miniature snapshot collages

I've put a few of my miniature snapshot collages up on eBay, to see if anyone likes them enough to want to own one...



eBay: The Blue Door Miniature Snapshot Collage by K. Carbary (item 7393588242)


I am behind on getting art up on the neglected web site, but you can see some of my stuff I've been working on by going through eBay. Go through that link, or search for "Carbary." (The brewery clock isn't mine, though!)

Now, back to accounting. Fun!

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

I (heart) Oprah

Oprah.com, no matter how you feel about Oprah herself, is the most awesomest resource. America's Debt Diet looks pretty simple, but I know a lot of people who don't even KNOW how much money they owe.

Me, I know, which is why I have insomnia. But still, it's a good web site.

Dear Universe

Dear Universe,

It's official. I hate looking for a new place to live.

I don't want to move, so if you could make it so we don't have to move, that would be ideal. But if not, I need to ask you for a little help.

This is what I require in a place to live:

Must allow cats. They are usually good cats and usually just pluck our dining room table, not walls or doors or carpet. Usually.

Must have a dishwasher. This is apparently important to me, since we looked at a really nice place this weekend, but the fact that it had no dishwasher make me get all icky inside.

Must have good windows. And a deck or balcony where we can sit and drink beer and write in our journals on summer nights.

Must not have white or offwhite carpet. Come on, that's just asking for it, don't you think? Why oh why do so many apartments have that lovely cream colored carpet, and then the landlord acts surprised when you stain it with raspberry jam?

Must have a washer/dryer in the apartment. Or at least have enough in the common room for all of the apartments so you don't have to camp out at 6am to try to get your laundry done.

Must have a decent bathtub that isn't frightening. You know what I mean.

Must have two bedrooms, or one bedroom is OK, but the bedroom must be larger than our bed. A walk-in closet does not count as a bedroom, no matter how you sell it to us.

Must be close to busses. Ballard is preferable, because our office is here. But to be honest, I'm getting a little frustrated with the condoexplosion going on in this neighborhood.

Must be within walking distance of a grocery store. We do not have a car and will not get one just to go get groceries. Plus, we like to walk.

Must be secure. I like those chains on the door, they make me feel better at night. But at least the front door shouldn't look like you could easily break in by just kicking on the hinges a little.

I like doorbells. A doorbell isn't a dealbreaker, though.

Must not allow pianos in the building. I have psychological issues regarding this.

Must not require first, last, damage, cat, blue eyes, and bicycle deposit to move in.

I have a price in my mind that it must not exceed. Universe knows.

In return, we are good tenants. We don't pester the landlord hardly ever. Only for exploding electrical outlets and leaky ceilings, really. We mostly take care of ourselves. We don't want to have to fill out your five page application. Is that really necessary? We're good people. We might not have good credit right now, but we always pay our rent. We're clean and we know how to sort our recycling. We don't have loud parties and we won't let our friends spray paint the living room. We just want a decent place to live for a while, and have more than a year of our lives when we don' t have to move our business, our home, or our parent's home.

So please, Universe, whatcha got for us?

Saturday, February 18, 2006

My daily hatreds

Yesterday morning, as we were leaving, we notice an envelope taped to our door. Apparently our landlords are considering selling the building and have to show the place to buyers TODAY. Yes, 24 hours notice to make the apartment look nice, or at least not so messy that I want to hide under the bed with the cats.

They're SUPPOSED to give you 48 hour notice, but whatever.

We cleaned and straightened so that it's at least acceptable for annoying people like real estate agents, if not at the level I'd desire for mother in laws or dinner parties. But, even though the apartment is nicer than it was yesterday morning, I'm quite annoyed. Quite. A heart full of hatred might be a better way to describe it.

PLUS, I worry that any buyer will actually knock this building down and build townhouses instead, which are taking over the neighborhood like vampires as it is.

So, I guess we're at least casually looking for a new apartment. I hate hate hate moving.

This is Seattle, right???

I opened our bedroom window, just a tiny bit, to get some fresh air in there after vacuuming.

The window has frozen open.

It's cold for my Seattle blood.

How do you unfreeze an open window, for goodness sake?"

Saturday, February 04, 2006

Required Viewing

I mean it.



WAL-MART: The High Cost of Low Price



There will be discussion and a test later, when I'm feeling better.

The Dangers of Grime in Driveways

My New Februaries Resolution was to post to my blog more often, even, dare I consider it? Every day, maybe. But, instantly on February 1st at midnight, the deathflu caught me. I'm feeling like crap. Fevered weird dreams and all that.

I had a fevered dream that there was a man vacuuming our apartment building's driveway. So, imagine my surprise when I stumbled to the kitchen for life-saving tea, and saw that it's all real. Not a dream at all. There really IS a man vacuuming our driveway, with one of those big mega vacuums that look like an industrial carpet cleaner.

Our driveway isn't dirty, really, any more than any driveway is. I didn't think so anyway. But now I wonder...maybe all along our driveway has been covered with germ infested filth, and if only our landlord had had it vacuumed more often, maybe I wouldn't have caught the death flu.
Hmm.

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

The Best and Worst Dressed at the State of the Union

Best Dressed: a tie between Cindy Sheehan and Beverly Young

Ms. Sheehan wore a stylish black t-shirt with bold white type that read, "2245 Dead. How many more?"

Mrs. Young, wife of wife of Rep. Bill Young, wore a "Support the Troops - Defending Our Freedom" t-shirt.

Both designers are unknown, but many copycats are already showing up on CafePress.

Worst Dressed: Dare I say, his and hers coordinating colors outfits (a light blue tie for boy presidents, a light pink First Lady dress suit for, well, First Ladies?)

When in doubt about how to handle the horrors of a Certain State of the Union, attack the clothing, I guess.