Dear Facebook-

I still love you, but the honeymoon is over.

Mob Wars, I love you, but thrill of making a billion dollars a day is over. You won't let me buy into another city until I go up rankings. Well that's nice, but I'm not badgering people to join my mob.

Mafia Wars, I love you too, but the people who fight me all the time, take my money, and damage my properties are pissing me off. I don't have any more people in my mafia because I'm not badgering people to join me.

The Hatchings, Easter eggs, numerous causes, drink requests, and endless other requests drive me insane. I ignore a fair number of them.

What Twilight character am I? What color crayon am I? What's my redneck name? Who give a rats ass, anyway, you dipshits that write a lot of these quizzes can't spell for shit. Dictionary. Look it up.

The people from high school who didn't deal with me then are now my 'friends' oh, cool.

I spend too much time on you just looking around. A quick hit after work, and maybe later in the evenings, but not like before.

I still love you though, but not as much.

Thanx

Love

Amy

PS-

Obbie is working all day today at the car show, and I have an entire day to do anything I want.

Which is not entirely true.

The house is horrible. A pigsty of EPIC proportions. Since the kittens have taken over the place (they're everywhere) the whole house is their playground. I came home from work on Tuesday and there were newspapers scattered and shredded all over the living room, all the books and 'stuff' knocked off the side table, and a piece of pottery was broken. Not to mention the random poops and yakked up hairballs. It's like living in a frat house.

So I should clean today. And Obbie can't cut the grass of the whole yard at one time, so THAT needs done. I'm kind of weird about the grass. Half assed grass cutting pisses me off, I think I talked about that one time. And he REALLY half-asses it, and it looks like hell. If you want something done right, you do it yourself. Which I think is kind of unfair, even though I did take care of everything when I lived alone here, there's no reason I should have to do that now. Especially since there's more dishes to be done, more laundry needing washed and at least twice as much clutter that needs removed. I can count the number of times he's vacuumed since he's lived here. But vacuuming kicks up his allergies he says. Even though the bathroom is FULL of his prescriptions....oh now I'm turning this into bitching about Obbie. I'll stop that part now.

Between cleaning the house and cutting the grass, I'm not thinking there's going to be a bunch of ME time at all. I wanted to start a couple major bead projects (weaving not stringing) and get some other stuff ready for the shows in July (4th & 11th)

Yeah good luck with that.

We're back from the beach.

Early.

The mornings were clear, but within an hour or so, it'd cloud up and rain. Screw that. It wasn't worth staying there one more day in the rain. The beaches were deserted because of the wind and rain.

We spent Saturday bar hopping, but that became old fast too. So here we are.

Friday was beautiful, of course. We went into Rehoboth and had dinner at Dogfish Head Brewery. I had a very good grilled tuna ceasar salad, and Obbie had a grilled salmon ceasar. The food made us happy. Too bad freaking yuppies don't know how to keep their kids in line. We had one crew behind us, with two smaller kids and a baby. Mommy and Daddy remained blissfully unaware while their kids jumped up and down in the booth. The folks behind Obbie had two small boys, who also spent the evening jumping up and down. Or running around the restaurant, while Mommy was glued to her I-phone and Daddy kept saying, "Now Cody don't do that." Blah. I think a letter should be sent to Dogfish Head suggesting that a cage should be installed in one corner of the restaurant so asshole parents and their raving kids can eat and not bother the rest of the guests.

Then we walked around town, had an ice cream cone and shopped a little. We went back to camp and decided that we'll just stay out of town from now on, away from the hoardes.

That decision was short lived, for on Saturday morning, after visiting the ever fantastic Lewes Farmers Market, we went back into town, and I reserved the room for Mom & I for the September vacation. She, of course, was as ungrateful as ever, and I didn't even get a thank you. I got a snotty comment about "Not knowing about reality" Excuse me, I'm more reality based than most people. And the more I think about it, the more pissed I get. That's all I'm going to say about that, because I'm really pissed about the whole thing. Anyway. While we were there, it started POURING, and that was that. No beach on Saturday.

We went to the Pickled Pig Pub, and had great Bloody Marys, fish tacos and steamed mussels. After that, we went next door, where I bought some butt ugly Birkenstocks, which were clearance shoes, and cannot be returned. But, holy fuck, are they ugly. Not to self, don't shop after two bloody marys. We went to a locals bar after that, and I had one beer and two seltzers. Obbie had a couple beers and handled over the car keys to me. We went back to camp, where, yes, it was raining again. The chairs had big pools of water in them, so with nothing else to do, I took to the tent for a nap. Obbie joined me later. And this was how the rest of the evening went.

Sunday we go up and it was beautiful, but then the clouds and rain and wind rolled in. We went to the beach to see what was up, and it was even colder and windier down there. The executive decision was made to come home. So we did. By way of Philadelphia. We visited LUSH only to find out that they're discontinuing our favorite shampoo bar, so we bought six of them. We then went to Marra's pizza on E. Passyunk Avenue, since 1927. Great pizza! Wood fired oven, crunchy crust...oh man! It's great. I highly recommend it. I can't wait until we go again!

So today I'm home. I was going in to work, but I think I'd rather stay home. Obbie's off too, so we're going to have coffee and pizza, and decide what's going to happen today.

Have you missed me? I know I have.

Since we last chatted, I've done two shows. One even for two whole days.

It's been nuts. The art festival in Maryland was a whomping success. It helped that the weather was beautiful. Last year we almost died of heat stroke, this year we were under some trees, the sun was shining and it was lovely and cool. And the people shopped. Again.

Last weekend we had a two day show, locally. We made the expenses on the first day, the long and painful way, like a dollar at a time it seemed. The show was heading towards the Endangered Species list in a quick way. But Sunday was a complete turnaround. They came, they ate, they shopped. We got invites to two shows later this year. Very cool.

This weekend we're heading to the beach for an extended holiday. We deserve it. There will be beer drinking and cooking over the fire. There will be swimming in the ocean and sleeping in the new tent. I'll tell you all about it when we get back. Maybe with pictures. Whoot! Pictures!!

Indulge me. I have things to grumble about.

Grumble Number One: Jon & Kate Plus 8. GO AWAY ALREADY. Jon, grow a spine, Kate, shut the fuck up. You're an attention whore, and while I'm not for anyone smacking anyone around, you need smacked. If Jon screwed around on you, no wonder. You're a nasty, nasty woman. You've made yourself into a media sensation, and now you hate it. Too bad. This quit being about your kids a long time ago. This is all about YOU and your quest for stardom. Karma's a bitch. I'm not alone in my judging of you, some of America is judging you. And apparently a fair number of them aren't quite happy with what they see. GO AWAY.

Grumble Number Two: Art. There's an art festival in The Big City this weekend. Artists from all over the country are here, displaying their wares. Art shows are a pain in the ass. There's a lot of hard work that goes into them, set up at the crack of dawn, sit for days smiling and talking to half interested people about your passion, listening to comments about whats good or bad about your work, watching people gasp at your prices, or hear the inevitable, "Oh I can do that!"

It's not easy. And to be successful, you have to get out there and do it. So our local newspaper, a sponsor of the art festival no less, ran a story in Sunday's paper about a local artist and her struggles with her art. She's edgy, she's not mainstream, and she makes very interesting, statement pieces. The article could have played up all this in a positive light. But no, the article had her speaking how she had recently been to a show in NYC, and how for the $50 admission, as was fed 'Crap' instead of a real meal. The jist of that was the fact that Central PA is actually a very art-friendly place. But the article comes across very negatively. The article touched on how the economy is hurting her as well, but again, that was lost (to me) in the negativity.

Back to the artists at the Art Festival, two of the three news channels and two local papers wrote about how the economy is affecting artists. They interviewed several who spoke at length about how they're hurting because of the economy. People simply don't have the disposable income to buy a $400 'architectural ring', no matter how beautiful it is. But they will buy the smaller priced items. So why does the media obsess on the "OH MY GOD NOBODY IS BUYING", but not saying "OH MY GOD NOBODY IS BUYING EXPENSIVE STUFF but boy are the shopping the hell out of the lower cost items"

I had the biggest show of my life last weekend. No kidding. Nothing on my booth is higher than $75. I keep my prices reasonable, because if I don't sell it, I don't get any money. The Beadwhisperer is supposed to be a money making operation. If I mark my stuff according to the 'wisdom' of the 'experts' online, I'd be hauling the same stuff around show after show after show. Being able to say I sold one bracelet for $25 does not seem as good (to me) as being able to say I sold eight of my bracelets for $18 each. So maybe making some less expensive things to sell isn't such a bad idea.
Again, it's my opinion. It's none of my business who sells what for how much, all I need to do is make and sell MY items, not anyone elses.

That's it for ranting. Thank you to all our veterans, and thank you to those who have given their all so we can be free. Thank you. I'm humbled and honored to know soldiers and sailors. Take time out from your picnics, races, cocktails, yard work today, and think of how and why we are able to do whatever we do here in America. Thank a veteran today.

I took an order for a chain maille necklace at the garden show a couple weeks ago. It's blue byzantine, with drop beads woven in and out of it. My customer saw the bracelet and requested a necklace. She then said she'd get in touch with me. And she never did.

Until tonight.

Of course she still wants it.

So I better get going on it.

So I did.

I'm halfway finished with the chain part of it, which is a good thing. Tomorrow I'll finish the rest of it, and all the sparkly little beadies that the woman was so fond of. Then I'll take a picture of it and send it off for her approval.

Meanwhile, I have a cold, which annoys me greatly. I hadn't been sick all year long, and now I'm sick for the second time in a month. Yes, mom, I'm taking my cod liver oil pills.

I can't smell or taste (again) and that's rather annoying too.

This too shall pass. I have maille to make.

So that reel mower I bought last year has languished in the dining room.

My evil gas powered mower is currently a POS. It needs tuned up, and last year (or two years ago) SOMEONE put a new blade on it, and it's not cut right since.

My persnickity Virgo nature kicks in with the grass. I abhor crooked lines, uncut areas, or just an overall sloppy job.

So tonight, Obbie was cutting the grass (poorly) and I just couldn't stand it anymore. I trotted out the super cool-green-hipster reel mower and thought I'd help. I have discovered the secret of the reel mower. YOU HAVE TO GO OVER THE SAME SPOT THREE OR MORE TIMES.

I got about a quarter of the yard cut. It actually looks pretty good, but I have a feeling I won't be able to raise my arms above my head tomorrow.