Design in a Box

What up my homeys.


About 15% of the time when I log in to post something, I have no idea what I--hold on, phone call.

That was a volunteer for the Minnesota DFL (Democratic Farm & Labor Party, a.k.a. Democratic Party). I was hoping she was going to engage me in political conversation, but she was only calling to make sure I'm registered to vote. I was actually glad she called because I have a confirmation card that tells me my polling place, but I wasn't sure if it was for one of the primaries or for the general election. I kept putting off checking on it. Crazy thing to do considering the deadline is really close for registering in advance. Sometimes you can register at your polling place but it's going to be pretty crowded this time, so doing it in advance is definitely a plus.

Anyway, as I was saying, I sometimes have no idea what I'm going to write, and this is one of those times. But I just thought of something.

My interior designer recently moved out of state. She's getting her business going in her new location, and in light of the state of the economy and the likelihood that clientele will not be easy to come by, she decided to try taking her business nationwide by offering a "Design in a Box" service: you send her pictures of a room that you want to change, and magazine clippings that inspire you, and answer a questionnaire, and consult with her by phone, and she sends you a box filled with everything you need to put a new room together: paint color swatches, fabric samples, furniture photos, and 2 space plans using existing or new furniture. It's ideal because I can shop, push a sofa and paint a wall. I just don't know how to get started and I need someone who has designed a lot of rooms and can predict what is likely to look best; otherwise I might waste money and time getting to the right place, and maybe I'll never get there.

I seemed interested so she asked for my opinion on the web page as well as the general idea. I immediately gave it, and long-windedly so. I think it's a great idea and could really take off. I emphasized that I thought the box itself (as opposed to the contents) should be cute (yes, cute) and in line with the colors/theme of the new room. I noted that I thought it was too expensive, because she specifically asked about that, but I also noted that I am not in an income bracket where I ought to be dealing with interior designers. I didn't say it quite that way, but my point was that things like that always seem too expensive to me. When I worked with her last year is was sort of a splurge, but I am sure it was worth it, because I learned a lot and I love my interior, and really it wasn't that much money in the grand scheme of things. But NEVER AGAIN! Except I can't resist the idea of saving up a little fun money so I can figure out what the hell to do with this bedroom:


It's next to our bedroom. We currently store all of our clothes in it and use it as a dressing room. It's very long but also narrow, 8' by 20', has a 7' ceiling. Dale is demonstrating how you have to walk in the middle of the room or else bump your head. Note that he also has to turn on his headlights because the lighting is less than ideal. I've thought a lot for over a year about what to do to make the room more inviting and cozy, so that it at least looks like it's being used for something, and I've googled "decorate awkward space" and similar terms many times, but I'm coming up empty. The ideal thing might be a big comfy sofa, but the cats would claim it as a scratching post. So how do I make it look cozy, or at least inviting, without upholstered furniture? Where do I put the furniture? This is where I think it would be fun to get a Design in a Box. And hopefully, the box and contents would be cute enough to put in the room as a design accessory. That would slightly make up for the high price of the service.

I would like to add that if anyone has any thoughts about what to do with this room, I would be very glad to hear them.

Stanley just got back from the sporting goods store. He bought an orange vest because he's going pheasant hunting with Dick Cheney this Saturday. He also went to the gourmet grocer and picked up dessert, so I gotta go.

Live Debate Blogging III: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

8:00 I'm nervous again. Why do I get nervous for these things?? Tonight we've got a total of five people watching.
8:02 Jorge* is wearing his bracelet. Too.
8:03 Tom Brokaw is nervous?
8:04 Excellent question.
8:05 Kind of sucks but I have to pause to take some cinnamon rolls out of the oven.
8:09 Didn't they put a 35-year-old in charge of the bailout fund? Silly. Rolls not warm yet.
8:12 He was totally going to say "fundamental" and he stopped himself. Don't drink.
8:13 It's an infinite meanwhile regress.
8:14 Obama's actually explaining how the economic crisis can lead to personal crisis. Excellent.
8:15 Rolls should be hot; gotta check.
8:19 I just can't comprehend a trillion. Sorry.
8:20 I have to be honest; I'm distracted and not really listening. It might be boring. Annoying because they are talking about something really important.
8:26 The rolls were FANTASTIC. Also, kudos to Obama for actually ranking the issues as requested.
8:28 I can't believe Brokaw has had to repeat the rules so much. I can't believe I haven't listened to one whole answer yet. Just too much going on in Hazel's House right now.
8:31 Right after 9/11, when Bush told me to shop, I was totally on board. Whatever my President tells me to do, I'll do it, if it helps America. I feel different now.
8:34 I believe the phrase is "pretty high OFF the hog", not "ON the hog". Joe Six-Pack he ain't.
8:35 I'm not too sure about what I wrote at 8:34.
8:36 Everyone in the room thinks McCain's lying about Obama's taxes on businesses.
8:37 Nice of Obama to yield to the moderator.
8:39 Oh I guess he didn't yield after all.
8:44 Pretty much can't hear anything from the TEEvee because of the animated political discourse here in the living room.
8:45 I like how he pointed out that even though the climate (or was it the economy?) is a crisis, it's also an opportunity. Which reminds me that I've been wishing that Obama would get on a stump and fill us with hope and inspire us a little bit, like he used to. Be positive. Make us feel proud and resolved.
8:47 Should we do nuclear energy research...in our garages? Oh yes indeedy.
8:49 Yes, I believe health care should be treated as a commodity. Next question.
8:51 Let's do everything to change health care except give people more access to health care.
8:54 Earlier a blogger I read wrote "8:30 PM ... This debate's so boring I don't even know what to tell the staff to upload to youtube."
8:58 Come on. Say something insightful, inciting, inviting, invoking.
9:01 I'm glad he brought up the whole "Obama doesn't understand" thing and turned it on its head.
9:03 Take the Congo. Or take Rwanda. Please.
9:04 OOH! Check out the blond guy in the dark suit in the back with the porn mustache and the lime green tie.
9:06 McCain says we need someone with a cool hand. He doesn't strike me as such a person.
9:09 ZZZZZZZ
9:16 Yes mjb I can see how the town hall format would appeal to a politician. Sound bites. Jab jab jab. Repeat repeat repeat.
9:21 This debate is like an intermission in the middle of a horror film.
9:27 The horror film in this metaphor represents the state of the economy this week.
9:28 I do believe the audience is doing the wave.
9:29 YAY last question!! Go Peggy. Go Peggy.
9:32 "What I don't know is what the unexpected will be." Didn't Confucius say that?
9:33 Basically, he's saying "I don't know the future." That's a safe answer. I think I'll use that in a job interview for the weakness question. "My greatest weakness is that I don't know the future."
9:34 WOW that was awkward. Brokaw barking at McCain, "You're in the way of my script!" and McCain trotting out of the way. Actually kind of running a little. Brokaw just made an old man run.
9:36 I don't think I even want to watch that moment again on youtube.
9:38 Changed title to more accurately reflect the debate. I had heard it would be a "Character Assassination" but it was more like a nap.
9:39 TTFN


*Names changed.

Chickens and Chick Flicks

In a comment on yesterday's post, The Chicken Lady* suggested that one way I can avoid throwing out egg cartons is by getting chickens. When we went to Stanley's cousins wedding in Denver this past August, I met his other cousin Travis*, who had several chickens. I think he had driven them some long distance; not too sure. They were cute and made adorable noises and didn't mind being held. I felt drawn to them. Must be in our genes, Chicken Lady! But are chickens allowed in my back yard? I looked up the local ordinances and while I didn't find an official document describing the rules for keeping chickens, I did find a description on a non-government site. It said that for my city, a bloke "can have one chicken without a permit, but more than one you have to get permission from 75% of neighbors 150 ft. around, or proof you have no neighbors for 150 feet. No roosters, and no selling eggs without a permit." Fair enough. I will give the eggs away. Or trade them for gold and treasury bonds.

In my search for the local laws, I came across a (~10-minute) youtube video that documents the difficulties one guy had when he tried to find out whether he could have chickens in Chicago.



I also came across this awesome video.



If I have to watch one more rabbit fight in my back yard, I'll go nuts! I gotta get me some chickens.

I'm not sure what to do with the chickens when it gets too cold. Eat them? I hear they taste like rare and questionable delicacies.

I was a bit surprised to learn that there is another presidential debate tomorrow (Tuesday). Already! I haven't fully digested the last debate! I plan to liveblog it again. Why stop now? 9 p.m. MJB and Biden time. 8 p.m. Hazel and Amacrine time. 7 p.m. McCain time. 6 p.m. Chicken Lady, Jasmine, and Lotus time. 3 p.m. Obama and Palin time.

Stanley is out of town (not sure what town) at a departmental retreat. I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've had the house to myself overnight since we moved in over a year ago. I'm trying to take full advantage of it. I've got a horrible chick flick playing right now: Dancing at Lughnasa, starring an underused Meryl Streep. Just really terrible. Painfully touching and cloyingly dramatic. I'm enjoying it. But I miss Stanley a little bit. Earlier this evening I tried to open a jar of pickled beets which I planned to put in a spinach salad. For the first time in my adult life, I needed someone to open a jar for me because I wasn't strong enough. I pride myself in not needing a man to open a jar for me, but I put all my strength into this one and used several tools but it just wouldn't budge. I was kind of getting angry and sad. But then I opened it. Independent reputation intact.

Just now on the phone I made tentative plans to entertain our friends Mike* and Carolyn* tomorrow night. Mike helped Stanley brew the latest beer, a Toasted Oat Cream Ale, and he's also going to help with bottling. Carolyn is the friend that I do the frozen meal prep with, and we're going to cook one of them up.

Yay the movie is over.

*Names changed.