For the record, I do have a present, so it won't be a totally giftless evening.
ETA: I just want to make it special, and I don't feel like I'm doing a very good job. But, I'm trying to let it go...see...this is me trying really, really hard.
Wesley: We're going to bring Angelus in alive. Connor: No we're not. Gunn: I thought you said capturing him wasn't an option. Wesley: Changed my mind. Connor: Change it back.
'Why We Fight'
Spike's Bitches 23: We've mastered the power of positive giving up.
[NAFDA] Spike-centric discussion. Lusty, lewd (only occasionally crude), risque (and frisque), bawdy (Oh, lawdy!), flirty ('cuz we're purty), raunchy talk inside. Caveat lector.
vw bug - May 04, 2005 11:52:12 am PDT #7424 of 10001
Mostly lurking...
brenda m - May 04, 2005 11:55:11 am PDT #7425 of 10001
If you're going through hell/keep on going/don't slow down/keep your fear from showing/you might be gone/'fore the devil even knows you're there
Oh, goodness! I can't even do that part right. Maybe the hampers of dirty clothes should be moved out of the kitchen.
In the hamper counts as put away.
tommyrot - May 04, 2005 11:57:20 am PDT #7426 of 10001
Sir, it's not an offence to let your cat eat your bacon. Okay? And we don't arrest cats, I'm very sorry.
Maria - May 04, 2005 11:58:42 am PDT #7427 of 10001
Not so nice is that I'm about to ruin a Friday morning for a bunch of people because of a series of unfortunate events and an upset foreign government. - shrift
I just want to make it special, and I don't feel like I'm doing a very good job.
vw, it is special, because she's going to be with you. My favorite birthday was one where I didn't get a single present, but my broke and wonderful college friends came over and we ate things that weren't good for us and drank cheap beer. We were all together, without outside pressures. J will appreciate you not making a fuss.
Scrappy - May 04, 2005 12:03:06 pm PDT #7428 of 10001
Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.
Think about what makes it more special, vw, an immaculate apartment or a sense of closeness and comfort? The more relaxed you are, the more fun she'll have.
There is an old saying about hostessing I try to live by-- "Never complain, never explain." Complaining about things going wrong just makes guests have to praise them and explaining makes them have to excuse them, and really, it doesn't matter. I still sometimes repeat "never complain, never explain" to myself as we are waiting for guests and there are dogbones on the floor or the desk is covered with papers. Just be there in the moment, ready to love and enjoy the other person, and that's what they'll remember.
Beverly - May 04, 2005 12:07:09 pm PDT #7429 of 10001
Days shrink and grow cold, sunlight through leaves is my song. Winter is long.
"never complain, never explain"
However? If the entree exploded or something, if you can get over the shock and make it funny, it will endear you to your guests far more than just letting them deal with your wide-eyed expression of suppressed horror. Not that I would know anything about that...
JZ - May 04, 2005 12:09:00 pm PDT #7430 of 10001
See? I gave everybody here an opportunity to tell me what a bad person I am and nobody did, because I fuckin' rule.
vw, what everyone else said. It will be special because you are special.
Aimée, what's a manageable price range for you? I know one professional historical costumer and a boatload of extremely competent amateurs in Southern California, and I could ping one of them to ask what a custom job would be. I had this Victorian underbust made for me for about $120 by a dressmaker acquaintance who was very skilled but had only made two corsets before in her life and wanted the practice.
Scrappy - May 04, 2005 12:11:41 pm PDT #7431 of 10001
Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.
Yeah, sometimes you gotta give the lowdown, but I'm talking more about the "Sorry about the messy pile of work on the desk, I meant to get it cleared off but I got a call so I..." kind of thing.
I still really NEED this mantra, by the way. I threw on a black velvet shirt when we had people over this weekend and realized it was covered in lint. I mentioned that I was sorry about this and one good friend grabbed me be the shoulders and said "You know what? No one cares."
Aims - May 04, 2005 12:23:35 pm PDT #7432 of 10001
Shit's all sorts of different now.
Aimée, what's a manageable price range for you? I know one professional historical costumer and a boatload of extremely competent amateurs in Southern California, and I could ping one of them to ask what a custom job would be. I had this Victorian underbust made for me for about $120 by a dressmaker acquaintance who was very skilled but had only made two corsets before in her life and wanted the practice.
Right now for the F2F, like $40. That's what I'm mainly looking for right now. After that, I'll figure out where I want to get my custom one. And upon thinking about it, I'd like to lose a little more weight before plunking down a buttload of money on a custom corset.
vw bug - May 04, 2005 12:24:05 pm PDT #7433 of 10001
Mostly lurking...
There is an old saying about hostessing I try to live by-- "Never complain, never explain."
I like this a lot. I'll have to remember that. The one my mom always used to say was, "The dust will always be here; my kids won't." I can't use that one...and I guess I use it a bit to beat myself with. I feel like, I don't have a family to take care of...why can't I keep up on this stuff? But, on the other hand, I do what I can. That's really all I can do right now. And today I've gone to three classes, written and revised a paper, read three chapters in a book for one of my classes, ran errands, paid bills and did a sink full of dishes (didn't finish them....oh, well...). That's pretty good for me.