This is the method my mother taught me for darning socks:

1. Pick up sock.

2. Examine it carefully for holes.

3. If holes are present, say, "Darn sock!"

4. Put in stash of dusting cloths.

I probably could've fixed the old computer, but it pre-dates Mal, and over the years everything's failed on it. I've lost a hard drive, replaced the RAM, replaced the graphics card and audio card, only one of the two DVD drives still works, and it only reads, doesn't write. And the case is trashed.

So since I no longer need a top of the line gaming machine, I ordered a Dell outlet refurb which got here right away. It was the easiest computer setup ever.

seconding windsparrow's mom's method. i also sometimes cut off the toes and small bit of heel in order to make a washable liner for wrist braces that i wear at night during flareups. Man, about a month after my first bout of tendonitis that wrist brace *stank*. I apparently have very malodorous wrists.

erin_o, I didn't want to say anything. But yeah, we could smell it all the way over at the sound tech tables.

I dust with clean old socks. Slap them on your hands and it works really well for books and bookshelves.

Spent most of day in bed trying sleep off a migraine. Did not succeed, but it's better. Feh. Good thing I didn't have to work today.

{{{ smonster }}} May the pain fairies find their way out of your ears, and get caught up in the air conditioner filter, work their way free, to be sucked into the fan, and chopped to bits, and be out of your life forever.

am i a bad sister if my 14 yo (half) sister posts on facebook that she needs a hug and my first thought is "then you shouldn't have pissed off yr mom so bad that she sent you to stay with dad, and then pissed off dad in exactly the same manner" ? I didn't actually tell her that, just thought it. Hard.

Seska, I ususally just cut the whole foot off the cuff, and use the cuff part--it's short and does the job. I also sometimes cut off the toe, make (or enlarge the one that's already worn there) a hole in the heel for my thumb, and have a longer "mitt". But usually it's just the cuff, which is often ribbed and stretchy and thicker knit than the foot.

I do the dust-mitt thing too. And they make fabulous brass polishing mitts, as well, if one is silly enough to own a veritable thicket of brass candlesticks or the odd silver piece. The dusting and warmth ones I chuck in the laundry, the polishing ones I store in plastic bags labeled "brass" and "silver" (because brasso is damagingly caustic for silver) in a kitchen drawer between uses.

I would imagine the socks would make awesome, and easily washed, liners for wrist or hand braces. Luckily my braces are the knit-and-velcro type and hand-wash easily and dry overnight.

e-o, I wouldn't call that a *bad* sister, just an honest one. Of course that sounds pretty standard behavior for fourteen, too.

Erin, I'm geeking so much on all you're getting done around your house. I especially loved the photos you posted of your office. Now I want photos of the "new" nightstand!

H is taking over the living room all day tomorrow for phutball, so my plan is to finally clear off my desk and boot up the desktop computer, load a bajillion photos to HD and Flickr. So maybe I'll have some to share here. And then perform other, deskly things that I haven't done for a while, like update my paper planner, and scribble by hand in my paper journals.

Or you know, not. But right now that's the plan.