Stix on the Beach: Tales From The Happiest Hooker!

Looking Down Can Cheer You Up

 I love looking on the ground for unexpected snapshots of happiness!

Bedtime Story

 

 

 

 

Kali has her own bed (a large rattan basket she commandeered immediately upon arrival home) that she absolutely loves. But when she sees I'm on my bed, it's slumber party time!

Police Brutality Protest in Pictures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read Resident Evil vs. Residents of Anaheim for my post chronicling my experience with the police brutality protest in Anaheim on July 24th, 2012.

Cross Stitch, Crosswalk, and Cross Process

It has been so cool reading the comments here (and elsewhere) from fellow cross-stitchers! I love crocheting and knitting, but cross-stitching has a different vibe. It's almost like working a crossword puzzle ― you gotta figure out how to make the right letters (in this case, only an x!) fit horizontally and vertically. I love it 'cause it is like a crafty brain game.

Right now, I'm just playing around with different motifs and getting to know the ins & outs of cross-stitching, and having so much fun with it! In the photo above, you can see a black thread running down the center ― that's because I am about to start stitching an actual recognizable thing. The black basting stitch is to help me center the design...I think. I'll find out soon enough.

For those of you who are itchin' to learn cross-stitching, Alicia Paulson from Posy Gets Cozy has written an awesome no-one-is-looking-so-just-have-fun-with-it tutorial. And because I adore Alicia, I don't mind mentioning (on my own accord) that she has a walk-in-the-woods-inspired ABC cross-stitch sampler kit for sale! But if you're like me and don't have that kind of money to spend, relax and know you can enjoy cross-stitching on the super cheap! In fact, I will soon be sharing with you just how inexpensive it is (and truth be told, if it wasn't, I wouldn't be doing it).

Corner of Lincoln Avenue & Citron Street in Anaheim, California

I picked up mom's car from the repair shop on Tuesday — you know, the day I was feeling the most sick from my flu-like allergies. I didn't really mind, because the cloudy and cool weather was ideal and I had the opportunity to drive through a part of town that is a throwback to yesteryear.

A second after snapping a photo of the crosswalk with my phone, I sat staring at the green light against the clouds. Fortunately, there are still courteous drivers who have the willpower not to honk at you for not moving forward instantaneously as the light turns green. The UPS guy behind me may have been taking in the gorgeous sky ahead of us as well. But since I am a hypochondriac, I drove the remaining mile home convincing myself I wasn't stroking out for not reacting to the GO light quicker.

And speaking of things that are going, you all have heard the sad news about Picnik, right? Now before you all jump up suggesting"Photoshop!" — let me tell you this: I will open Photoshop with one photo to edit for a blog post, and ten hours later, have learned a dozen new techniques, manipulated three-hundred images, created a new blog header for a whole new blog, and designed an entire collection of scrapbook paper — and I don't even freakin' scrapbook.

No, I need an online photo-editing site where I simply click, click, click, upload to Flickr, and drop the HTML into my blog post. Thank you, though. So it was off to Google search "substitute for Picnik." I'm always afraid of linking to blogs I'm not familiar with, because, ohmygod, what if the blogger is a hate-mongering bitch, you know? But I found such a terrific and thorough review by Cheri from I Am Momma-Hear Me Roar of the totally free FotoFlexer. 

So last night I gave FotoFlexer a shot using the pic I took with my phone. What I wanted a substitute most of all for is the cross process option — it's my favorite image treatment. I was tickled pink with the result! I even like FotoFlexer's user control of the cross processing better than Picnik (and holy crap, there are even other options within the cross processing option)! I even did a side-by-side photo comparison today with a different picture, and again, I liked FotoFlexer better!

But ....

...if you are one of those people who still believes you can break your computer from pushing the wrong button, don't waste your time with FotoFlexer. It's kind of slow. I have to click on things a couple of times to make those things pop-up and work (I heard you gasp!). And some of the tools for fine-tuning within options aren't clear as day, so you have to feel comfortable looking like it's your first time on a computer after being raised by wolves all your life.

I'm hoping that if FotoFlexer catches on with Picnik refugees, the people behind the site will want to better "the world's most advanced online image editor." But for now, definitely don't cross FotoFlexer off the list as an alternative to our soon-t0-be dearly departed.

UPDATE: Use PicMonkey to go all apeshi...ah...do all kinds of cool things with your photos with!!!

Storm Watch

Me and Kali pretending we live in Forks, Washington.

It rained yesterday. During daylight hours. We could stare at  it. And walk in it. And finish decorating the Christmas tree to it. Now it's back to the same ol' Southern California suckass sunshine. But for a few glorious hours yesterday, it rained.

Not only did it rain, but it was also cold! Which meant I got to bundle up in the cute winter coat Marissa bought me this weekend when I walked with her partway to work. Our path takes us past the Anaheim Duck's training rink, where we often see a bunch of rich-looking white guys getting hockey sticks out of expensive SUVs, but I wouldn't know a Duck even if one came up and quacked in my face.

The stroll in the storm put me in a festive mood. So when I got home, I finally finished decorating the tree and did a bit of Martha Stewart (if she fell of her meds) improvisation around the living room. Do you have any idea how difficult it was for me to restrain myself from setting up the Nativity scene in some sort of inappropriate manner? Does anyone remember what I accidentally did to the sheep that one year? I have the photo on Flickr, which will be available again once I have my pro-account back up. Anyways, there are three adult females in the scene and I couldn't figure out which one was Mary. Then I had a flash of Big Love. But I stopped myself because as a Pagan-at-heart, I respect different religions. And I like being different from many religious people in that way.

Now the apartment looks and feels all wintery and Christmasy while I keep an eye out for the next chance of rain.