PINCUSHION GIVEAWAY ENDS AT MIDNIGHT

Last minute reminder, if you want a chance to win the pincushion, be sure you comment on  the  original giveaway post below, before midnight EST tonight.

Good luck!

Good Day/Bad Day

Let's start with the good.....my sister came over today for a little demo on how to set up her machine for her machine quilting class on Saturday (my Christmas gift to her). She brought me a couple of goodies that she found in her inherited sewing stash.

First up was this cool silverplated needle case. It was black when we started, but I gave it a once over with the silver polish. It's a modern case (because it's got a screw on cap).

She suggested I add the bling to it. I like it. A lot. It's got a bit of heft to it, and it will slip right into one of the pockets on my applique organizer bag.

Next up is this ivory and velvet screw on pincushion.  Check out the intricate carving. See the people in the garden?

It clamps on to your machine table. I don't know if it's antique or modern, ivory or bone. Old or new. Whatever, it's pretty neat.

On to the bad.....

I haven't mentioned it, but Bailey, our beagle has leukemia (among other problems). We found this out last week, and have pretty much come to terms with it and are doing our best to make him comfortable and give him lots of treats and love.

Now, my baby Paco (the chihuahua) has suddenly taken ill tonight. Not sure what's up.  He was fine when I left for merchandising and when I got home he's taken to his bed and the hubs says he's been not acting well since he got home from work. Poor little thing seems to have some issue with his neck or his throat, or something. I'm hoping he'll be fine in the morning and his tail will be back to wagging.  Last months' vet bill was crazy...almost as crazy as the vet suggesting another $1000 worth of chemo for Bailey (who is 12 years old). Fingers crossed Paco's back to normal tomorrow.



Okay, so what happened in the Safeway parking lot on Wednesday night?

I've just pulled into a parking spot and I'm going to run in and do my last merchandising job of the day. Knowing the Powerball jackpot was up there, I'm digging in my purse for some cash to put in my pocket. There's a teenage kid sitting in the car parked next to me, so I don't want to be too obvious that I'm leaving my purse in the car, so I'm taking my time.

The driver of the car next to me arrives, so I'm waiting until they pull out to exit. As she's pulling out WHAM! I'm jostled out of my seat and I hear the SCRAAAPPPE as her car's front bumper gouges down my rear quarter panel.

I jump out of the car, take a quick look to assure that indeed she has left a nasty scratch on my car and as I walk toward her car she drives off. I'm waving my arms and yelling, 'What the Hell? You just hit my car, where are you going', as I run alongside her and the kid in the passenger seat looks at me and laughs.

At this point I look at her tag, thankful that can still read it without my glasses, and knowing that I have no short term memory (Woodstock generation) , I start repeating the tag numbers over and over as I go back to my car to grab a pen and a paper to write it down. It doesn't occur to me to see what state her tag is from, or what kind of car she's driving. I'm lucky I've got the tag number.

 "911, what's your emergency" (as if I'm not aware I've dialed 911...like I was trying to call 922 and misdialed). "I'm sorry, I'm not sure it's an emergency, but while I was sitting in my car someone hit me and drove off laughing as I tried to stop them".

The police car arrives. I'm slightly embarrassed because it's not like my car is totalled or anything, it's just an ugly 18" scratch on my previously unscratched, undinged car that I usually park at the back of parking lots to avoid inconsiderate people with no manners or conscience opening their doors on me. (The hubs thinks I'm nuts)

While we are speaking this MONSTER tow truck...the kind that you would call to pull your 18-wheeler out of a ditch, is trying to maneuver himself into the Safeway parking lot, down my lane and I get the feeling that he's not there for milk. Clearly he's got a police scanner and he's heard 'hit and run' so he's trolling for the tow.  Disappointed in not finding a mangled, undriveable mess, he gave up trying to get to our lane and nonchalantly headed for the other exit.

Having stood outside my car for 15 minutes, while all of the Safeway customers are walking by wondering what the heck I've done that there's a police car idling behind my vehicle doing paperwork and talking on the radio, and blocking two prime front parking places, the policeman backs his car into the space next to me and hands me a sheet of memo paper. He has obtained the name of the person who hit me and their insurance information. (Go figure). He tells me he can't really file a police report because it's only my side of the story,  maybe the person didn't realize they hit me,  I can't identify make and model of the car, or the state on the license plate, so it's not enough info for a report. I should call their insurance company, and if they don't cooperate, I'll need to call mine. Gee, thanks.

I'm sure he saw the 'What the Hell' look on my face, because he concluded by telling me that since the car came back as living just behind the shopping center, he was going to swing by there on his way out and just see if there was any damage to it and if the owner was home, ask them what was up. Okay, I felt better.

I went into the Safeway to do my job, resigned myself to the fact that it wasn't likely going to be easy to get ESURANCE (the person who hit me's insurance company) to deal with this, and headed home--after buying Powerball tickets--figuring just how unlucky could I possibly be in one night? (Answer....no luckier)

On the way home the cell rings, and it's the policeman. He's been to the driver's house to speak with her, and as he suspected, she denied hitting me. Vehemently. Of course, he had checked out her car and the damage on her car was consistent with the damage on my car, so he knew that she had, yet still she denied it. I think the real problem for her was when the kid in the car told the police officer that yes, she did hit me. (Yeah, I'm wondering about that kid)

He charged her with hit and run and something else and was sorry to say that now I would likely have to go to court as a witness for the State. (Great!....let me take a day (or two) off of work now). But the good news is that now there's a police report number for ESURANCE. (Can you tell I'm thrilled.)  He'll give me the number...but "are you in a moving vehicle ma'am?". "Yes I am, but I'm hands free" (it's illegal to talk on your cell phone and drive in Maryland) "I can tell, Ma'am." (Great, now my suspicion that the car's Bluetooth makes me sound like I'm laying in a bathtub in a mineshaft has been confirmed. Jeez, I hope I've never called in sick to work--'Uggh, I can't even get out of  bed'--while driving to a quilt show).

So this morning I call ESURANCE. (Note to self, and all of you....do not get your car insurance from ESURANCE. Really, it's okay to get your insurance from a Gecko, but stay away from companies that talk through cartoons).

After recording my call and asking me more questions than were asked at Nixon's impeachment....

 "Okay, since the driver isn't going to admit to hitting you, this is going to take a lot longer to clear up. And I'm going on vacation next week...."

( Seriously? )

"Do you have the police report?"

 "Um, no"

 "Not a problem, we can get a copy, but it usually takes us 7-10 days to do so. If you could just pop into the police station and pick up a copy and then fax it to us, it will go much faster."

"EXCUSE ME?!!!  You want me to do your job for you so that you can pay me to fix my car that the crazy woman you insured hit and run?"

The hubs said that when the guy started talking about me getting the police report to speed things up, and him going on vacation that I should have said:

"Not a problem, take your time, but I should tell you that my neck is really starting to hurt"

Let's hope tomorrow is a better day for all of us.

Another reminder....your luck is bound to be better than mine, so be sure you enter the pincushion giveaway by commenting on Tuesday's blog post.

Thinking About Applique

Or is it procrastinating rather than starting a project? Hmmm....what do you think?

Today was another70 degree day in the Nation's Capital, and again, I spent it wistfully staring out the window of my third floor attic office. Tomorrow begins the 3 day telework run (I don't have to go back to the office until next Tuesday), and while the dogs are happy campers (no crates!), the weather is slipping back to winter and the 70s are gone. Figures.

To compensate, I've scheduled a rather entertaining weekend. We begin with Champagne and Crepes (or as my iPhone insists on entering in my calendar....'Champagne and Creeps') for the ladies' Friday Night Happy Hour. One of the ladies' mother is visiting from Sweden (or Denmark, or something like that), and her specialty is crepes, (I keep picturing the Sesame Street Chef when I think of this). My assignment for the night is to bring a bottle of Prosecco. Can it get any easier than that? Actually, I'm thinking of adding Chocolate to the mix...though I'm sure Susie will have that covered.

No bubbly hangovers for me, as I must behave (now I'm channeling Austin Powers) because I've got to be up in Frederick Saturday morning before 10 for an 'Honorary Quilt Buyer For a Day' seminar. A Northcott fabric rep will be presenting a trunk show, sneak peak of upcoming lines, Stonehenge designs, and a lesson on how fabric is made over a 4-hour session that includes not only lunch, but a 20% discount on Northcott fabrics. Oh, and did I mention that the seminar costs $5, and at the end you'll get a $5 credit on any Northcott purchases? Sweet. How could you not attend this?

Back to the applique world I've been living and breathing in for the past 4 weeks.

Which thread would you use for applique? The one on the left or the one on the right?

On the left is DMC Broder Cotton 50 wt. Single ply. Nice. On the right  is 100 wt. Superior Kimono Silk. The thread on the right is my thread of choice. It just disappears into my applique cottons.

Uh oh....looks like someone is out of Sz 11 applique needles. Time to try the new Clover Black Gold needles. And as it works out, I'll just happen to pass the JoAnn Fabric SUPERSTORE on Saturday on my way back from the seminar. And what a coincidence....needles are 50% off. Detour!

Shh.....pretend you didn't see all those.

Check back tomorrow to share in the Creeps and Champagne ....er Crepes and Champagne fun. I'll also tell you why I spent a good part of this evening in the Safeway parking lot leaning up against my car with an idling police car blocking me in. (Before you panic...think....I'm typing this now, so I 'm not in jail :) ).

And, most importantly, if you haven't entered the pincushion giveaway, be sure to comment on Tuesday's post for your chance.