Impulse Day

Today I bought a sewing machine. I'd been turning the idea around in my mind for some time now in only the most cursory of ways, but today I decided to look into it. This morning I consulted the internets and then decided to actually go to a store and see what was what, as I lack experience in this area. It was actually quite helpful. The whole time the sales clerk was helping me I was thinking "Is this how I sound at work?" because if so, I sound like a stammering idiot with an agenda. But then, you can't kidd a kidder, and I know how the mind of a sales person turns. I also learned that sales people make good customers, probably because we know that the base item is not the whole thing that you need. I also bought an assortment of pins, needles, threads and the like. Unfortunately, the neighboring fabric store was closed due to some plumbing mishap so any real project must wait. I am anticipating making some seriously boss threads at the first oppurtinity though. I tried to mend the inseam of some pants, but I think they were too worn to really fix, so good practice. I'm mostly just glad that I didn't get frustrated and give up before I even got started. The initial needle-threading process was difficult.

I've also been doing a lot of cooking and baking lately. I've been trying out a variety of foods and mostly just seeing what I can do. Eating can become tedious. For the most part, the stuff I've been making has been very successful. Last week I made some very delicious zuccinni bread and I also made some good straganoff recently.

Up til recently, I've had little interest in such feats of domesticity; however I think I've decided that such feats are 1) practical 2) entertaining and that I like to be able to do things myself. If children in vietnam and ecuador can make shirts and they can be resold to me for $40 each, I'm sure I can do it too. I'm really on a "do it myself" kick lately. I also think that I was initially reluctant to cook, sew, etc because it seemed extremely required when growing up mormon. Of course, there's also the matter of taste and creativity. When the adult ladies around you are going to monthly meetings and making stuff like this (thanks random people found via google) , there's little motivation, in my mind, to pursue it. But then again, I always have found greater enjoyment in doing something because I like it, rather than acting in accordance with the hive mind.

Persian Test looms large in the future. I am taking it on september third. I'm on chapter 21 of 25, so the plan is to finish out the book within the week. At such time I'll have all the vocabulary down and then a wholesale review of grammar will commence. I've been giving grammar the short end of the stick because I know it takes less time. Vocabulary is easy but time consuming. Why can't I do both at once? None can say. My main motivation at the moment is that if I don't pass, next year will be very fucking boring becuase I'll still be in first year persian after studying it so much. Easy A's and such, but still...boring.

And that's the state of things! Just have to get through August now and then it will be school again in no time.