Balls and Dye

Remember why women rub their eyes in the morning?

Because they don't have balls to scratch.

Using that admittedly faulty logic, I've decided that birds chirp in the morning because they don't have balls to scratch, either.

It must be an adequate substitute because they make a lot of noise for quite some time before going out for their morning grub.
Ha. Get it? GRUB!!

And that old saying about the early bird and the worm just proves that the worm should have stayed in bed.

I had to roll over and scrounge around for earplugs this morning. The avian chorus was quite loud and proud. What a waste of energy to get up at that hour and sing.

Geez.

I slept like an exhausted rhino for most last night. Got up once to get rid of some used water, but fell back asleep immediately. I think it helped that the room was chilly and my electric blanket was really warm.

Ahhh.

But then Eric came in to wake me up at 6:15, and I *really* did not want to get out of bed. I still don't want to be up and it's an hour later.

I did the 50th anniversary party invitations yesterday.
I put a wedding picture of my parents in the center and the particulars above and below it.

For some reason, my computer/printer in the living room don't interact properly. Probably because the damn computer runs Vista. So no matter how I cajole, plead, beg or swear, the printer utterly refuses to print more than one copy at a time.

So I clicked print and go and print and go and print and go about 55 times. The printer queue was quite long. Took forever.

::sigh::

Then, the envelope printing program refused to take the names from the address list in the Word program, so I had to copy/paste every single address and print the envelopes. Also one at a time.

That little project took me all afternoon, basically, although Lyssa and I did run to Sprawlmart and Goodwill for a bit. But, the invitations are done, they look good and they're going out today. I'm pleased with how they turned out, and hope my parents like them.

On the happy side of things, I put in a big order with Dharma Trading yesterday and bought tie dye supplies. LOTS of them. I got an email yesterday afternoon to let me know the order has already shipped. I love Dharma... they're prompt and accurate and when you call their toll free number, you get an actual human on the line...and that human speaks English as their first language!

My parents are friends with a nice couple where they live, and the tie dyed shirts I helped Mom make last summer have aroused great envy. Every time my mom or dad wear their shirts, the lady says "I want your shirts!!"

So my mom said, "Well, I'll tell my daughter next time she tie dyes to make YOU some, too."

Not that I mind. It really is fun, and the quality of the materials make the finished products very nice. What usually ends up happening is that I make so many projects over a one or two day period that the 'bug' is satisfied for another year or so and I don't want to make any.

This time, although I swore NEVER AGAIN, I'll be doing a set of king sized sheets and pillowcases for part of my mom and dad's anniversary gift, five shirts and at least five pairs of socks. It doesn't sound like much until you really get going on it, then you realize what a huge undertaking it is. King sized sheets are, well, big. You know, king sized. It takes three people to do the initial roll or fold because wet sheets are heavy. I will blithely press my friends and daughter into service. It's in a good cause, right?

I plan to take some pictures of the process this time. It's not difficult, but there are some tricks to making sure your project comes out bright and well done.

Tami and her lovely daughter will be joining me and my lovely daughter in a tie dye bacchanalia. We sent our order in together to save on shipping. We'll be going to Tami's house and make an afternoon of it.

Can't wait.

Then, I'll make up some bottles of dye and haul it all to work at the end of the summer. The kids love doing it, and last year's projects turned out beautifully. Several of 'my' kids wore their shirts to school during the school year and were very proud. You could tell they enjoyed the envious comments of the kids who weren't in summer program.

It's an experience teaching 30 kids at a time how to do tie dye, though. Only a trained professional should even attempt it.

Which of course leaves me wondering how *I* end up in these predicaments.