OMG, my father has a significant driving commute for the first time in like 20 years, AND he just got a hands-free cellphone thing, so I'm afraid I just got the first of many phone calls at around this time.

I'm so jealous of everyone seeing Serenity tonight. I'm still not sure when I'll get the chance, since the next ten days of my life look to be CRAXY. I'm thinking of going by myself to the 9:50 showing at the theater near my house on a weeknight, unless I can get my critique partner who also enjoys things Joss to come with.

How did you find the date on yours, sarameg?

You can, IIRC, call Singer with the serial number and they'll give you an exact date and location of manufacture.

And as she said, many websites out there that help you narrow it down.

I can't even bother to be jealous because I almost never see movies in the theater anymore anyways. oh well.

My great-grandmother had an old sewing machine cabinet that my dad refurbished for living room use about 40 years ago. He took out the sewing machine (or it was already long gone, I don't know which), sealed up the dropdown section so it was a solid tabletop, and then stripped and refinished it. It's a great turn-of-the-century cabinet with front-opening doors that my mom stored afghans and pillows in when we were kids (she uses it for her bedroom TV stand now).

My parents have an old Singer table. Unfortunately, the person who owned it before them painted the wood parts a horrible shade of seventies orange, and they haven't gotten around to getting it refinished yet. (They've owned it for about 20 years.)

I think the reason I got busted for laziness is that the other people not doing their jobs are way ballsier than I've ever encountered. I keep figuring I don't need to call, IM and send e-mail -- that if I've done two of three, that's it, they're not coming through.

But when I do call, they're all "I was just doing that! Let me get that off to you!" with so little shame -- and because I'm too lazy/forcibly naive to come at them from angles other than the "reasonable" (that'll get you every time, I'm thinking), I'm in the spotlight.

Well, I've called, I've poked, and I've sent e-mails that should make it clear who's taking what upon themselves. And now I need to duck back into the dark. Or finish that status report. Then dark.

I was going to say this [link] is it, but ours just has the four legs. There are none of those connecting bars. This [link] might be more like it, but our table is in better shape, and if the front drawer isn't just a false drawer, I haven't yet been able to open it and prove that.

We bought an old sewing machine at an estate sale, and are going to use it as an end table. It's an old-fashioned Singer--the kind that's built into it's own little wooden table.

Is it an old treadle machine or electric? I adore sewing on treadle machines, it's the ultimate in control.

It's electric, but the cord is elderly enough, I'd think twice about plugging it in and giving it a go.