expanding my horizons

Hey, I think it might cool off tomorrow! Actually, today was pretty nice. Of course, this means that the fence break will be over... Oh well, gotta get the darn thing done.

I made myself a new thumb splint the other day. This one goes on the back of my thumb, which leaves the underside sorta useful for gripping stuff. Stuff as in ivory for scrimshaw. I still wear a splint when working (art work or ranch work) so that I don't get my thumb into "Ouch Position." Actually I think there are a few Ouch Positions. They are easily achieved by 1) trying to open a ziploc bag, and 2) buttoning my pants. Probably would happen if I buttoned someone else's pants too, though that opportunity has not presented itself lately. Anyway, I won't go off on that tangent, so let's just say the nifty new splint keeps my thumb from bending the wrong way but allows me to hold things. YAY! Hi ho, hi ho, it's back to work I go! My microscope has missed me.

I was in town yesterday and dropped by my friend A.C.'s house, and she invited me to go out for "Pho" for dinner with some friends. I have this awful habit of a default answer of "no" to new places and groups of people I don't know, but I had a little mental dueling with myself and decided to go. I'd never had Pho before. Apparently that's pronounced "fuh"? Who knew! It was a good, a ginormous bowl of soup with noodles and beef. I was mortified to find that the other 8 people at the table were skillfully using chopsticks. (Chopsticks to eat soup?! My mind boggled). Cripes, my uncultured redneck roots were starting to show. I can't handle chopsticks. I only hoped that nobody paid too much attention to me eating with a FORK... and one of this big white clunky looking spoons. Oh well, it got the job done. Mmm, yummy.

And then we went to one of those new fanged frozen yogurt places. Oh my, talk about overwhelming selection. Toppings like candy, fruit, cereal, coconut, gravel, and wood shavings lined one wall. Okay maybe not all those selections. When in doubt, go with the basics. Peanut butter and chocolate frozen yogurts with hot fudge topping proved a winner. Maybe I'll be more brave next time.

I face a daunting task this weekend: shopping. For clothes that aren't jeans. And maybe shoes too. [Insert horror movie music here.] I am not a fan of shopping, but my trip to Kansas next month requires "business/professional attire" for one evening, and I just don't think jeans and a t-shirt is going to cut it. I have enlisted the help of my sis in law, and am going to give it my best effort to be cooperative and not run screaming from the first store I set foot in (I'll wait til the third). It's not that I mind getting gussied up, it's actually kind of fun, I just don't like the shopping process and having to try on all the things that accentuate all the wrong parts.

Oh my, it's late.