Home Improvement: Programmable Thermostat

Last Saturday, I installed my new programmable thermostat!!

The directions were VERY detailed, and broke it into steps Roger could have followed. It was a bigger project than I realized, due mainly not to the actual installation, but what had been installed in the past.

The footprint of the new one is TOTALLY different from the footprint of the old one, which is again different than the one before that! The result is screw holes that needed to be filled, and a lovely paint line that needs to be sanded and repainted.

Luckily, I'm a girl who believes in having the right tool for every job, so I actually had a tube of spackle in my toolbox. Pink spackle, no less. So with little fuss, I was able to patch the holes and continue on with the project at hand. (The sanding/painting are for another day)

I picked a location that covered as much of the old mess as possible, and screwed it to the wall. The new thermostat came with little stickers to label the correct post of each wire for reattachment, and it was relatively easy to attach them.

And that was it! I put in the batteries, popped the facepiece on, and programmed the times and temperatures.

Mon-Fri get a separate schedule from Sat/Sun, and there are four dayparts: morning, day, evening, and night. Since my weekday schedule is pretty locked down thanks to the Little Sir, it was no problem to program. However, weekends are not so easy. On Saturdays I'll usually be at the mountain, but Sundays I'll be home. I think what I'll do is set it to my Saturday schedule, and then "override" the programming on Sundays.

A very worthwhile investment, and an interesting home improvement project!

Roger meets Peanut Brittle

"OMD WHAT IS THAT???"

"I would really really really like to eat that thing that you are eating, Girl. Please can I?? I will continue my sniff-sniffing a half-inch from your mouth as long as you are eating that, so you should maybe just share it with me..."

Sadly, the Little Sir did not get to share my peanut brittle. It was delicious!

Welcome, IC Feminists!!

I am so thrilled to be mentioned and linked to in today's ICFeminists email! (yes, I'm still on the listserve!) Welcome, ICF members, thanks for checking out my blog!

It's been so wonderful reading about all the awesome programs you have put on in the past two years! The ICF blog is a great idea. I'm so impressed, and thrilled that the group has continued to gain strength and recognition on campus. Cheers to you, ICF!

Being one of the founding members, let me give you youngsters a history lesson, haha. Spring '04, a group of us started ICF to discuss feminist issues, debate current events, and raise funds to bus students to the March for Women's Lives in Washington, DC on April 25, 2004. I served as treasurer that first semester, vice president spring '05, and president 05-06.

I had the honor of working side by side with many truly passionate, brilliant board members - Meg Favreau, LeeAnn Marhevsky, Dana Malone, Kim Marsh, Kristin Baker, Kendra Lynn, Naomi Karp, Lizzie Nolan, and more. We tabled more hours and sold more tee-shirts than I ever imagined possible. We even caused a stir among republicans, check it out!!

For any fellow alumni reading this, I would love to hear what you've been up to! There IS feminism and activism after college - I'm a member of the Burlington feminist meet-up, an active group of women here in town. So please, reach out to me - if there's interest, I'd be happy to facilitate some sort of network to keep ICF alums in touch, and keep the energy going!

Photos: ICF banner for a Progressive Alliance event; This is What A Feminist Cooks Like potluck hoodie celebration (that's me front left)

They say it's your birthday...

So, as it happens every few years, my 25th birthday fell on Thanksgiving. That meant I was in the warm, loving home of my parents eating way too much food, visiting lifelong friends, and trying to keep both Mom and Dad from sneaking Roger too many treats.

However, the side effect of ThanksBirthGiving Day is that the day didn't really feel like my birthday since it was already another holiday. Pumpkin pie is good, but it's no birthday cake. A group of us had planned to go out for drinks Saturday night in Burly, but for various reasons it fell through. Not exactly the hoopla I had hoped for on my quarter-century.

I did get presents, though! My parents scored a huge cache of Lu-Ray dishes from an antique store looking to stop carrying it. Dad found me an old wooden ladder to use as fun shelves, and a vicious little pocket knife.

And the star of the day: I am pleased to introduce you to the "Climbing Vine" found online at Designer Stencils. It's for my bedroom. I plan to paint the walls a pale green and stencil the vines over it in white. (Unfortunately, that's probably a long way out, considering my room still looks like my closet exploded all over it!)

Rainy Saturday

Which is your favorite?

Hand-painted porcelain knobs for the upcoming holiday craft sales! I'll post them to my artfire account, and maybe etsy as well.
I always struggle with pricing my work, any input would be appreciated!

Stalling...stalling...

As you have possibly noticed, I have not been updating at the same pace lately. I've had my hands more than full finding a housemate, then getting settled in with our new housemate, then losing said housemate, and now searching for another housemate (and someone to repair the damage)!

But that doesn't mean you dear readers should suffer!! So until I can offer a cohesively written entry, here are some pictures of a silly dog!!

Don't give up on us, regular entries will resume soon!

Roommate Search 2.0

As you know, I found a roommate for November!

But, within the first week her dog had caused so much damage that she evicted herself before I had to.

So now I'm back on the hunt for a new housemate! The room will probably be available earlier than Dec 1, depending on how long the repairs take. I would greatly appreciate if you could all pass this on to anyone you know who might be looking for a place. Thanks!!

Here's the craigslist post to pass along:
http://burlington.craigslist.org/roo/910657546.html

Available Dec 1 - $625/month + security deposit

The Deal: Room to rent in my 2br condo, 12'9x10'. Off-street parking, dishwasher, laundry. Heat included. Two blocks from the waterfront, just a few blocks from the bottom of Church St. Room can be furnished or not.

Me: Mid 20s professional woman, no smoking/drugs, occasional drinker. Mellow 2yr old male dog (catahoula/lab mix). Clean but not a neat freak. Skier, craftster, feminist, environmentalist.

the room - the kitchen - the roger

Tough Stuff

"Mom...can we talk?"

"That girl and her food lady are still here."

So, Roger and I have a new housemate! Actually, two housemates - Heidi and her lovely little boxer, Roxy!

Roger's still adjusting to the news that he has to share his space. Plus, the stuff I had to move out of the second bedroom is still all over our bedroom and living room. It makes it hard for a guy like Roger to do his thing. "His thing" consists mainly of napping, and following me.

(A casualty of the move - I dropped my favorite mug. But Roger sat with me and headbonked me til I felt better.)

Networking 101: Welcome to the dog park

This is a piece I wrote for the KSV intern newsletter, The Know, on starting to network.

It’s all about who you know, right? That’s what “they” say, and they seem to have a point – the more people you know, the more likely you are to hear about potential job openings, new clients, and exciting opportunities. How do you get started though? It can be intimidating!

It’s hard to get used to, but forming and using personal connections are important steps to building a reputation and getting your name out there. At the beginning, attending networking events felt forced or uncomfortable. I realized I much preferred a more natural, real world approach – meeting people through shared interests! For me, the logical connector is DOGS! Every dog parent likes talking about his or her dog, so it’s an easy way to start a conversation. In my first few days at KSV, I was able to make a personal connection with 4 different coworkers just by being genuinely interested in their dogs.

As well as an ice breaker technique for getting to know your fellow KSVers, you never know who you’re going to meet at the dog park or in the dog-friendly shops on Church Street. And as far as personal interaction, it doesn’t get much more low-stress than watching your dog have fun! It’s easy enough to strike up a conversation about your dogs, and then venture to other topics. “Oh yes, Rufus comes to the office with me every day, it’s wonderful! Where do I work? KSV – we’re a full service ad agency. What do you do?”

Poof, you’re networking.

The way I was finally able to be comfortable with the big scary concept of networking was to take it for what it is, at its core – building personal connections that will benefit both of you down the road. For me, dogs are my foot in the door. But everyone has his or her own best fit. Maybe you love hiking and camping around Vermont, you’re a total green thumb, or a budding wine aficionado. Give it some thought, what’s yours?

Yummy nomz!

It's always an ego boost when someone loves your baking, even if it is a dog! And there's no little dog I'd rather bake for than Roger.

Roger's Favorite Cookies

-2 cups whole wheat flour
-1 cup oats
-1/4 cup peanut butter
-1 cup warm water

Combine all ingredients, it works best to mix it with your hands! Roll out and use cookie cutters, or just slice into bars. Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 40 minutes (flip over after 20min for best results).

Depending on how thin you rolled them, they're either crunchy or a little soft. Crunchier cookies last longer, so especially for bigger batches let em cook a bit longer. Store in an air-tight container, or freeze extras for longer storage.

(If this picture had been a little wider, you'd see a little gray dog sitting very patiently, waiting for his cookies to be ready.)

Photo Shoot #1

The Little Sir and I had a photo shoot!

Clearly, we are a very glamorous pair.

Tis the voting season

This past week, I hosted the Burlington feminist meet-up group Women for Change. In keeping with the voting season and inspired by an email from That Girl, we watched Iron Jawed Angels. Everyone brought delicious food, and after the movie we talked for several hours about all kinds of things! The commercializing of girlhood, the packaging and sale of sexuality, polyamorous relationships, "post-feminism," the different extremes of women's liberation and how it's affected by or expressed through outward appearance, and the disintegrating state of women's rights in our country.

I'm so happy to be part of this developing community of women here in Burlington. Lately I've been missing the group bond I found in Ithaca College Feminists, the strong, smart, passionate women of the executive board, and the energy of the group as a whole.

The HBO-made historical drama about the fight for women's suffrage stars Hilary Swank, co-starring Frances O'Connor, Julia Ormond, and Anjelica Huston. I'm not any good at summarizing or reviewing movies, so I've pasted the synopsis from the HBO page:
IRON JAWED ANGELS recounts for a contemporary audience a key chapter in U.S. history: in this case, the struggle of suffragists who fought for the passage of the 19th Amendment. Focusing on the two defiant women, Alice Paul (Hilary Swank) and Lucy Burns (Frances O'Connor), the film shows how these activists broke from the mainstream women's-rights movement and created a more radical wing, daring to push the boundaries of political protest to secure women's voting rights in 1920. Breathing life into the relationships between Paul, Burns and others, the movie makes the women feel like complete characters instead of one-dimensional figures from a distant past.

Although the protagonists have different personalities and backgrounds - Alice is a Quaker and Lucy an Irish Brooklynite - they are united in their fierce devotion to women's suffrage. In a country dominated by chauvinism, this is no easy fight, as the women and their volunteers clash with older, conservative activists, particularly Carrie Chapman Catt (Angelica Huston). They also battle public opinion in a tumultuous time of war, not to mention the most powerful men in the country, including President Woodrow Wilson (Bob Gunton). Along the way, sacrifices are made: Alice gives up a chance for love, and colleague Inez Mulholland (Julia Ormond) gives up her life.

The women are thrown in jail, with an ensuing hunger strike making headline news. The women's resistance to being force-fed earns them the nickname "The Iron Jawed Angels." However, it is truly their wills that are made of iron, and their courage inspires a nation and changes it forever.

World Domination!

He's just a little dog, but he's got big dreams - and big plans.

World Domination Coloring Page courtesy of Cartoon Drum

Wanted: Housemate

I mean, I would think Roger and I make a pretty attractive package, as far as housemates go. Why is it so tough to find a match? Perhaps I'm too picky...

Available Nov 1 - $625/month

The Deal: Room to rent in my 2br condo. Off-street parking, dishwasher, laundry. Heat included. Two blocks from the waterfront, just a few blocks from the bottom of Church St. Room can be furnished or not.

Me: Mid 20s professional woman, no smoking/drugs, occasional drinker. 2yr old male dog (catahoula/lab mix). Clean but not a neat freak. Skier, craftster, feminist.

I might be open to a friendly dog/cat, but my dog would have to make that decision.

Drop me a line if you're interested.

gone to the birds

Check out my current crafty project in progress! I'm sewing these bird softies to make a mobile either for my bedroom or the living room. A second one is in the works as a baby shower gift for little number seven. It's a free pattern downloaded from the Spool Sewing blog, there's also a flickr group, Spool Bird Softies.



This is the first one I did, so of course it came out the best.

Then came this one, who looks like he has a stuffy nose or something, because the fabric was too thick to turn out nicely.

This one looks okay, I like the way the back came out.







More to come later this fall!

The ladies love him - and he loves us back

(Just in case you think I've been spending too much time doting on Rogerdog lately)

I would like to direct your attention to the newly-launched Feminists for Obama site, a project of the Feminist Majority. It features a run-down of the issues, and a side by side comparison of the candidates' platforms. The Feminist Majority fully supports the election of Barack Obama and Joseph Biden. They are strong supporters of women’s rights including the right to equal pay for equal work, programs to reduce violence against women, a woman’s right to choose legal and safe abortion. They believe in access to affordable birth control, work/family balance, and the end of the Iraq war.

From Eleanor Smeal, President of Feminist Majority -

“Obama/Biden are running on the strongest platform for women’s rights of any major party in U.S. history. But it’s not just platforms. Voting records show the stark difference between the Obama and McCain tickets.

Women simply cannot afford a President McCain. He would stack the Supreme Court and federal judiciary against women’s reproductive and economic rights for future generations; stubbornly pursue a policy of endless war no matter the cost in human lives and dollars; and continue Bush failed economics and political policies.”

Take a spin through the site, and share it with anyone you know who might be unsure what to do on November 4th.

My favorite little alternative heat source

Recommended Reading: Her Dog Has A Blog

From Mutt Gal's blogroll, I found Her Dog Has A Blog!

Maintained by Buzz's Food Lady, it's filled with great photographs and stories about Buzz and all his dogfriends. She offers proof that Buzz is, in fact a supermodel, and even put together a video of his silly puppy antics in celebration of his birthday! The entry that got me hooked was Don't buy a dog!, where the food lady works to explain puppy mills to Buzz:

Lady: Well, Buzzy, imagine if each of your toys was a dog. Now imagine that not only do we have 100 dogs in our house that need to be killed because we don’t have room for them or food to feed them, but also picture that there are 100 extra dogs at Billy’s house. And Milly’s house. And at every house in our city. That would be 9,000,000 dogs.

Buzz: Whoa. Do they deserve it?

Lady: No, Buzz. Those dogs are very nice dogs. Most of them are even better behaved than you.

Buzz: I’m perfect.

Lady: You chase cars. And try to take down joggers. And snap at bicyclists.

Buzz: I would like to revise my earlier statement. I’m mostly perfect.

When Roger's a little older, I'll use her conversation as a guideline to have the talk with him!

I love this method of story-telling, through pictures interspersed with the narrative, it's inspiring me to get more shots of Roger in action. She must have a remote clicker for her camera...maybe I can bribe a friend to come play photog for a day?