Too lazy to be stupid

questionoftheday asks: Is there anything you learned as you grew up, and wish someone had told you, but no one did? What is it? (question submitted by moem)

My answer: I can't really not answer this one as it's my question... the thing I had in mind when I wrote was this:
Using your skills feels good. It's worth it to learn stuff and gather skills as you grow up, because applying them feels as good, healthy and pleasant as flexing your muscles feels when you're full of energy and nothing hurts. It makes you feel strong. It's one of the best feelings in the world.

---

Today I installed a nice new beech treshold in the new bedroom, so we will soon be able to install the door. It fits so well that it's completely stuck and snug, I hammered it in place with a rubber hammer. It doesn't need any fastening.
It's a small chore but it's nice to do little useful things like this!
Stoneshop installed a lovely old white bakelite pull switch for the mirror lamp in the bathroom. I found it in a second hand store for all of 1 euro and it matches the decor exactly, and it's in good shape.

Then we rode our bicycles into town on this pleasant autumn day, bought some food for dinner, and I just made us a hearty simple winter dish (mashed potatoes with shredded kale), with stewed pears as a dessert. The pears have been on the stove for more than two hours, as they should, and have turned a lovely pink. All very pleasant and traditional, and now the pears are done, and we're going to eat them.

This is an example of a type of conversation I have on a fairly regular basis, despite not enjoying them at all. They are hard to avoid. I wish I'd never have one again.

Me:
*buys paint at a paint store, while dressed in working clothes*
Clerk (female, as it happens):
Are you a painter yourself?
Me:
Uh, yeah. *gestures to clothing and paint*
Clerk:
Yes, I see. Well, I mean, you could have been painting as a DIYer, your own house or something... but so, you're really a painter? I mean, professionally?
Me:
Yes. *sighs, as I know what's coming*
Clerk:
Oh that's so impressive! That's great! I'm always so impressed with women who... I mean, you don't see that often.
Me:
*already a bit annoyed, but still smiling* Well, better take a good look then.
Clerk:
Haha! You know, it's just so great. I mean, when women do a thing like this, it's just great and I'm very impressed.
Me:
Thank you, but it's not that special. It's not harder for me or anything like that.
Clerk:
Oh no, of course not. But it's still great, you know? I mean, for a woman to do a thing like this. I also see women driving big trucks now and then and I'm so impressed! They're so brave! Amazing!
Me:
*getting pretty sick of it*  Well, I don't think it's all that different. Women can drive, women can paint. It's not a big deal.
Clerk:
But they're just so brave! You don't see that every day, you know. It's special.
Me:
Can't we just get used to it? Women do these things, it happens. They're not trained dogs or anything, they're people doing their jobs. Can we please get over it already?
Clerk:
*blinks a few times*  ... It's just so great!

Sounds tedious? That's because it is.

Sometimes they're shorter:

Me:
*tired after a long day, dressed in working clothes, shopping for groceries and eager to get home*
Fellow customer:
*looks me over, again and again, and finally exclaims:* YOU'RE A PAINTER!
Me:
*grumpily* Gee, really? I had no idea.
Fellow customer:
*awkwardly, trying to make things right* Oh, but... it looks really good on you, those... clothes.
Me:
*sigh*

It's January, and I'm working. An uncommon combination, but one I'm happy about for sure!

I'm working in a small castle, not far away from home. I'm restoring a painted ceiling that was damaged by water a few years ago. It has painted flowers that are pretty intricate and some of them need to be replaced completely, so there is improvisation involved. Quite a challenge, and I can't make long days because I'm quite fond of my neck and plan to be using it for the rest of my life (no, painting while lying on your back isn't really all that convenient here). Yay, work! And next week, I'll be painting some faux marble somewhere else.

Of course, weekends are the time for rest and recreation. So yesterday at the hackerspace, I painted some more. Fortunately, I had help this time.
We made a nice mural to honour a sponsor who generously donated the furniture and computers for a classroom/computer lab. It will be used for workshops of different kinds. The first one is on the 20th, so it needs to look good by then!
The picture isn't finished, the sponsor's logo is yet to be added, but it already looks pretty neat.


There's a timelapse video here !

In other news: someone nicked our BBQ. The one I made from a steel countertop with two sinks. I'm shocked that anyone could do such a thing. Seriously, who steals a BBQ from someone's yard? I'm going to the police in the morning.


It was a really good BBQ, too. *sigh*

Today is the 21st anniversary of my business.  Not bad, huh.
It was a nice day, too. First of all, time so sleep in! Secondly, lovely spring weather.
Then I did a small but billable bit of work, in the company of a good friend who paints houses and has arranged many neat projects for me over the years. And then I drove to a railway station where I picked up Stoneshop, and we drove home together.
I dressed up in a nice shirt and jacket and we went out for a celebratory dinner. The Japanese restaurant we had in mind was closed, even though their website said they would be open, but we went to an excellent Indian restaurant instead and the meal was wonderful.
Then on our way home we saw lights on in the hackerspace, and dropped in for a drink and a chat.

All very pleasant. And business is looking good right now. The project I'm working on is going well and I'm on schedule; also, the designer called and told me they loved the pictures I sent them before the weekend.
To top it all off, we heard some interesting information about the possible new house/workshop, and nothing is final yet, but our chances seem good.

And right now we have a nice freshly made bed waiting for us, so I'll leave it at that. Good night, everyone!

We're having snow. Lots of it. For this country, that's rather early in the year.

Yesterday, I was sort of snowed in. I was staying with my partner's sister for a few days, to do some painting around the house that she couldn't get around to in the past three years or so. I was supposed to drive back home yesterday, but looking at the weather map and the sites that show traffic jams, it seemed like a Bad Idea. So I stayed another night (and that was a Good Thing, because the quick-drying primer wasn't drying as quickly as it should. Might be the weather.)
Once more, I was very happy to be using a menstrual cup. It's great not having to worry about supplies for an extra day, especially when you're wearing white.
I drove home today, all across the country. It was pretty. The windmills covered in snow, along with the music playing on the radio in the Paint Can, made me feel christmassy. But in a nice way.

I'm home alone right now. Stoneshop is out fixing things that need to be fixed at night. For those in the know: it has something to do with a recent fire.
He took the car, because he may need to head back at an hour when there are no trains running. I hope the snow won't give him problems. But we do have winter tyres. And the Paint Can starts up well, even in winter, and has a belly full of diesel.

I just went for a snow walk. It was a very short one; I didn't in fact make it off the parking lot. But it's a big parking lot.
I felt like seeing the snow up close;  there's quite a lot falling right now. In the bright lighting of the parking lot, it looks like even more than it is. I could even see the shadows of the snowflakes as they fell. I caught some flakes in my mouth. Such a lot of snow!
Tigger didn't want to join me. He didn't want to get his feet cold.
The lot is well lit and especially now that it's full of reflective snow, it's quite bright out there. It gives the place a strange atmosphere. A bit like a film set.

By the time I'd walked all around the parking lot and got to the front door to get back inside, my black cap had turned white.

...about the ceremony that happened last weekend. And about snorkeling.
But it's not happening right now, because the internet is being really wonky (I'll be lucky to get this to post) and besides, I have to go to bed early because I have work to do tomorrow.
Think about that for a while, if you feel like it  ;-)

PS I saw not one but two moray eels today!
Oh, and I did upload more pics to the usual place.

...that I'll just make a quick summary. This is also a way of reminding myself of some things I need to remember.

• Friday 15: Went to Wieringerwerf to participate in, and help with, a hackers' event of sorts. There, a meme was born. It's all over the internet by now.
• Saturday 16: Helped bake over 400 pancakes to feed hungry hackers at said event.
• Sunday 17: Hung around and generally had a good time until the event was over. Helped with breakdown and cleanup. Came home way past midnight.
• Monday 18: Was fairly dead.
• Tuesday 19: Helped a neighbour rent a bus. Had lunch with Women on the Web. Released books. Had a meeting with Hack42.
• Wednesday 20: Helped a neighbour transport her new furniture. Didn't do dishes.
• Thursday 21: Helped other neighbour bring the bus back.  Got phone call from a radio station. Had visitors who brought boxes full of books. Still didn't do dishes.
• Friday 22: Talked to radio people on the phone. They want to interview me about the BookCrossing Convention. Got a phone call from a client who wants me to come and talk about a project in Den Haag. Could be big. Dishes remain undone, but we baked a really nice pizza. Currently chatting on IRC and drinking wine.
• Saturday 23: I might go to Ikea and grab some Lack side tables while they still have them.
• Sunday 24: Clean fish tank. Try to get those dishes done.
• Monday 25: First to Amsterdam for the radio interview, then to Den Haag to talk business.

• Saturday 30: Meeting of the BookCrossing Convention 2010 organising team in Utrecht. Then on to Den Haag for a new year's party in the local hackerspace.

Yeah. My life is pretty interesting. Sorry if you're not hearing from me much lately.

Look what I just got in the mail.



Cute, huh. Especially if you like cherry pickers. And I do.
This one is about 30 cm high; scale 1:50, a well-made, (almost) all-metal model.
I got it because I went to a trade fair for painters, and entered in a contest... well, left my business card. And this is the prize I won. What a nice surprise!

I broke the zipper on my new working pants. Not nice. And I was so happy with the pants... I've only worn them for a few days and there's just a bit of paint on them so far.
They're really neat pants, too, all professional looking and full of funky little pockets, loops to hang your keys and tools from, and most importantly: pockets for knee protectors.
And I really really want to wear them to work today.

But replacing zippers is kind of hard, and I'm not much of a seamstress.
So I replaced the zipper with Velcro.

Think it'll work?