Giant Pencils

[rain_gryphon]

We have three faucets in the breakroom at work: the usual hot and cold pair, plus one labelled "near boiling". I'm coming to appreciate the convenience of the near-boiling faucet, and miss it when I'm at home. I've got a Sunbeam flash heater (one of my most dearly loved kitchen gadgets) that will boil a pint of water in under a minute, but it's not like just turning a tap and having it right there.

*****

I need to clean out my closet, and make a massive drop-off at the Damnation Navy. I'm not exactly sure how I'll do that. In past, I've packed stuff in paper grocery bags, but those seem to have gone out of style. The paper bags were capacious, easy to handle, and had a more or less block-like form factor, which made them easy to pack full of clothes then haul around in the car. The plastic ones have many virtues, but don't cut it for this. I may have to get some boxes.

*****

After a lull of two or so years, A. Gusman Tratores Ltda, a Brazilian mining equipment supplier, has once again started sending me news about their latest deals on heavy mining equipment. It's a mystery to me.

*****

Only two months until Christmas. I need to get going on the restoration of my little houses.

Comments

[dakhun.livejournal.com]

A. Gusman Tratores Ltda, a Brazilian mining equipment supplier, has once again started sending me news about their latest deals on heavy mining equipment.

Huh. Someone else on my friends list is apparently being targeted for advertising by Vestas, to buy some of their wind turbines.

[xolo.livejournal.com]

Pyesetz the Dog once told me that he gets mail from Gusman's too. The odd thing is, they spontaneously stopped mailing me, then just recently resumed. They've got a 'remove me' link, which I have to think that they'd honour - dragline excavators and tunnelling machines aren't the sorts of thing you can get random people to buy on impulse. I enjoy looking at the stuff they're selling though, as it's sort of interesting.

[mahto.livejournal.com]

Many grocers still have paper bags, hiding under the counter, for people who request them (I do, if I don't forget - they're too handy and when I'm done they can go into the recycle bin, instead of building up into an enormous ball of plastic film in my closet like the poly bags tend to). Target's are the best; heavy-duty ones with twine handles.

[xolo.livejournal.com]

I was thinking of you just Friday, as a matter of fact, as I shopped at le Tarzhay :) I've recently begun going there again. They're really not much more costly than Wal-Mart or Meier's, but far more stylish and pleasant to shop at. I'd stopped going there for several years, more for psychological reasons than financial. Now that I'm wearing slacks and tabbed shirts for work again (instead of jeans and tees) I feel like a Target shopper once more. It's odd how those things go.

[mahto.livejournal.com]

Yay. :) Target is the more pleasant of the two I think, or at least cleaner. I admit the new concept WalMart is using of lighting their stores with skylights instead of tubes is kind of nice though, the few times I go in there.

[spaceroo.livejournal.com]

Are your little houses made of ticky-tacky?

[xolo.livejournal.com]

Cardboard, gesso, paint, glitter and loofah, mostly. http://www.papatedsplace.com has examples. Mine were originally my grandmother's purchased mostly just after the War.
The windows and doors mostly need replacing - they've baked dry over the years, and eventually just crumbled.

They fascinated me as a child, and still do. They're part of my primary process material, the little houses glowing from inside, and the smell of baked cardboard and the C6 lights that looked like glowing candy, but were too dangerous to touch. They've got nice ceramic ones at the store, but I like my cardboard houses :)

[spaceroo.livejournal.com]

Cardboard, gesso, paint, glitter and loofah, mostly.

So... basically made out of the same materials as the full-size postwar houses, then. ;^)

I need to pick out which of the Lionel trains to keep out for Christmas. I've actually made it my new mission to sort and repack them all (but not back into the stinky trunk they came out of last Christmas season), since it's just not cool to have half the shelf and counter space in the garage occupied by dusty gear that I'm apparently not going to get around to fixing for *yet another year*. I'm thinking the picks (as will be case for the next few years) will have to be restricted to "sturdy and expendable". Last Christmas we were able to keep the trains out of a crawling-joey's reach, but this year I see trouble afoot (literally). My wife's been wanting to start a Village of her own to go with the trains, but... the rampaging toddler thing comes into play there as well. Probably not for a few more years.

That reminds me... In the garage last week I found a box of weird Christmas bulbs, including some of those bubbling-candle ones. I wonder if they work...

Yay, the season is approaching fast, ain't it?

[xolo.livejournal.com]

So... basically made out of the same materials as the full-size postwar houses, then. ;^)

The best ones were made of enameled steel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lustron_house).

*****

My wife's been wanting to start a Village of her own to go with the trains, but... the rampaging toddler thing comes into play there as well.

Like having a Qat with opposable thumbs, I'm sure. If you look online under 'paper models', there are quite a few places that sell model houses as files that you print out on a colour printer, then assemble for wargaming or trains. They might make an acceptable interim solution, until a proper village would be safe.

When I was very young, our village sat atop a medium-tall bookcase. I could see it if I got up on the couch, but I couldn't reach it from the floor.

*****

I found a box of weird Christmas bulbs, including some of those bubbling-candle ones

Oooh! Pictures?

[spaceroo.livejournal.com]

If you look online under 'paper models'...

I bet there are probably some free ones floating around... I should look. There are *many* sites out there loaded with models of just about *anything*. I've already downloaded a few ship models that I hope to get to "someday".

Oooh! Pictures?

Your wish is my command. (http://spaceroo.livejournal.com/33590.html) ;^)

[blayzebright.livejournal.com]

Rawr! Me shall nom thee!
Also wanted to talk to you furhaps about fursuit making, if you wanted. My AIM/yahoo/MSN/gmail addy is blayzekohime ^.^

[xolo.livejournal.com]

I'm not averse to helping you, but it's going to be a few weeks before I actually have any free time. I thought you'd actually built one before - didn't you used to have that lamb?

[blayzebright.livejournal.com]

I had a poorly made bunny that I got on ebay ^.^
If you don't have time right now that's fine, I mainly just need help making a duct tape dummy and stuff to use for patterns and such so whenever you are able I wouldn't mind help with whatever part I am on at the moment.
Me will still nom you though. Me will do it.

[xolo.livejournal.com]

As long as you're not in a terrible hurry, we can work something out. What're you making?

[blayzebright.livejournal.com]

A dwagon ^.^
Rawr!
I was hoping to have it done before next April.

[xolo.livejournal.com]

Hey, also - ask Squirrelly and Goodrich if either of them got my email about where I'm working now. Thanks!

[blayzebright.livejournal.com]

Squirrelly said that he had, I just saw him today cause I was off work the last few days . I am not sure about Goodrich cause haven't seen him yet, he works the shift after me.

[xolo.livejournal.com]

Did you ever see Goodrich?

[blayzebright.livejournal.com]

I actually haven't seen him since then :(