How I spend my Friday nights

The sewing of my Harley Quinn outfit has been defeated! ...I mean, completed.

I can't figure out how to flip the picture...

It took me hours and I broke countless needles (of which I will be replacing for the friend I borrowed the machine from), but it's done and ready for tomorrow's pub crawl! I just need to buy a nurse hat and some gloves that I will get at the Halloween warehouse tomorrow morning. I should look pretty rad. I can't wait to see what all the other nerds dressed up as.

On a down note, I got pulled over today because my tags are expired and I never registered my car under my name (oops). Going to the DMV Monday to sort it out (what better way to spend my day off?) and then eventually once I get it all sorted out I'll have to go to the sheriff's department so they can inspect it and waive the fine (of a whole $20) and the citation so I don't have to go to court on August 13th (which I wouldn't be able to make it anyways as I'll be stuck in LAX for a whole day flying back from Japan on that day). Seeing as how I should have paid better attention to the registration/tags I feel no angry rant is in order because it is wholly my fault. And the officer was very nice (although a little exasperated looking). Unlike the cop who gave me my speeding ticket four years ago. He was just plain mean. Regardless the fact that I deserved that one too.

And I think I did something bad to my left knee...it hurts. Just in time for my triathlon.

Oh joyous world.

Jamie  

Masked Vigilantes

Sewing. I Fucking hate sewing. Sewing machines always tend to break down on me and my hand stitching looks like lines drawn by a toddler. I HATE IT! Hence why I try to avoid doing it at all costs. Lucky for me I have friends who enjoy sewing (or at least don't mind it) so things usually work out for me when I need something sewed or patched.


However, recently I have been in the mode of learning new skills such as how to work on a car. My dad recently bought me a shanzy new tool kit to go along with this hobby, and let me tell ya, it's a lot easier to gap and change a spark plug than it is to sew a straight line.


But, since I am trying to learn new skills I figured I would give sewing another shot. There is a superhero pub crawl happening this coming Friday (http://www.superheropubcrawl.com/) and my friends and I decided that it would be totally bad ass if we dressed as batman villains since the theme for the crawl is villains this year. I decided to be Harley Quinn, the jokers female side kick. The Arkham Asylum Harley to be exact: 

My costume is going to look a little different than this but
it's the basic idea. 

I have a corset that is turquoise that I haven't and will probably never wear so I decided to cover it with red fabric. Easy right? Went to the fabric store, picked up some red, purple for the bra and some lace for the straps in likewise colors. Went over to my friend's house who has a sewing machine and we get to work on cutting out and pinning and then finally sewing. Except when she puts all the right thread in and tests it out the needle breaks (I swear someone has cursed me). After some frantic searching and cursing we find the spare needle and spend about 20 minutes trying to figure out how to replace it, eventually leading me to grab my new tool box from my car and forcing a couple things. Needle back on we set back to work. Except it keeps jamming. Un-jam, start again, jam again. Repeat. For about another 30 minutes. At this point me and my friend (mostly my friend because she's the one who keeps having to fix the damn thing) are fuming and by the last jam I call it quits and go home.


Arrrg! Why can't it be simpler. I'm going to try another friends sewing machine later this week (fingers crossed it doesn't explode or nothing). I think I'll have more luck if I just hand sew my bra but probably
not.


In unrelated news, I went on my first swim in the Columbia River with some friends in preparation for our mini triathlon coming at the end of this month. It was freezing but not so bad once we started to move. Went against the current a ways then swam down with it. Got a good work out although we definitely didn't go the whole half mile. Planning on doing the whole triathlon swim, bike, and run later this month. 


-J