Mr Squiggee Unplugged

THIS IS A FLABUNNY!

2012-03-08T09:14:00.000-07:00

This odd little creature was our first "genetic
engineering" success story. A couple of minor
quirks to work out, but it is rather unusual. Isn't
thias the sort of thing you would expect in
SQUIGGEELAND?

WELCOME TO THE THEATRE OF THE ABSURD.

2012-03-07T15:08:00.002-07:00

     Under "Categories", I'll take "Famous Quotations",
for 50 cents. You got 15 seconds to name it's author.
The first one is easy. Ready? Here we go!

"The bitch set me up!"

You are correct: It was none other than Marion Barry, the
ex-mayor {?} of Washington D.C.

On to our next quote:
"I am not a crook"!

Yep, it's Richard Nixon.

Too easy? OK. next!

"I tried it once, but I didn't inhale".

You're on your own with this one. BC

A SMALL INTERLUDE SO THAT YOU MAY
RETURN TO YOUR SENSES.

    Actually I am listening to Tony Rice sing
"Nine Pound Hammer". Moves right along.
And, " Hold What You Got".
    Today has been filled with numerous interruptions,
so I got a bit of a late start. Had to enter some new stuff
into the catalog, and when I get done with this post,
I shall update the price list. You'll just have to suffer with this
bit of nonsense for a few more minutes. "Blue Railroad Train".
Nice Dobro and flat picking guitar work.
   I had originally planned on doing a posting called
"Guilty Pleasures". We all have lines from different movies
that have somehow crept into our strange little brains, and
they just hang out there. Occasionally you blurt one of
these little gems out.   Political correctness be damned.
For instance: Season Three of "Curb Your Enthusiasm."
I think it's hilarious. "Absolutely Fabulous", too.
   Anyway, I shall do this soon. Right now I have to get back to
work, or the boss will fire me. Just joking. Lighten up, folks.
"You're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat". JAWS

Christmas Vacation w/Chevy Chase
Back To School w/ Rodney Dangerfield
The Ref w/ Denis Leary

Mrs. Slocum on Are you Being Served?

I do think that you have caught my drift.

I AM MORE BETTER THIS MORNING!

2012-03-07T07:49:00.000-07:00

     It's Wednesday, so that means it's trash day.
I set the alarm clock to get up early enough to
put this last little bit that we keep in the freezer.
Food stuffs. Don't want the coyotes or the hungry
javelina's spreading it through the neighborhood.
Don't want the bugs, either. Yuck!
   What to do with the early morning time. Checked for
updates and defragmented the drive. It takes a while,
but, since this computer is used primarily for photo's and
such, we really have to stay on top of it all. FedEx should
be here with some ink, later this morning. Omar goes
ape shit when we get deliveries. I swear that he is
a descendant of Linda Blair in "The Exorcist".  Sounds
like the Hounds of The Baskerville's.
    As you could probably tell from yesterdays tirade,
Mr. Squiggee was in a snit. So many agendas, and so
much fabricated information to back up these agendas.
There might be one small kernel of truth in there, but
that small kernel gets lost or so twisted around that you
don't recognise it anymore. In order to balance out my
equilibrium, we shall venture off into another direction
today.
   I do have a couple of things to attend to this morning,
but this afternoon we shall scope out some famous,
infamous, and dubious quotations. From movies, as well.
Might give a quiz,too.
So, hang in there and I shall return. Trash truck comin'.
Get 'em, Omar.

DID I HAVE A LOBOTOMY AND DIDN'T REALIZE IT? A PARALLEL UNIVERSE, PERHAPS?

2012-03-06T14:10:00.002-07:00

       Absolute and utter drivel. Obviously I must have been
in the wrong place. Must have blinked, or something.
This, too, was political speak. Gibberish.    And this was printed, because?
     I shall just move on to another topic. Every once
in a while you read one of these items that arrives in
your mailbox, and want to go bang your head against the
wall because of the time you have wasted reading it.. It arrived
on Super Tuesday, so at least it is appropriate timing.
This is where the indelicate phrase, " Go blow smoke up
someone else's ass", came from. Yes, I do realize that this
particular comment is more than just a little bit " rude
and crude". I just got of the phone after doing battle with
one of those insipid answering service computers. I know there
is a better name for this contraption . Yeah, the one that
you give answers to, and it tries to find a way to drive you
insane with with question after question. A loop. And the
best that it can come up with is:
A. It does not understand your answer
B. You can return to main menu
C. The info you just gave them is not valid.
D. It is also incorrect
E. Return to menu.

    How about this for an answer:
A.   BITE ME!!!!

     "You have plucked my last nerve." Yes, Mr Squiggee,
that is just slightly more civil!   Do we need some anger
management classes? " No, we just need one of these
jerks to pick up the phone, so I can actually have a conversation
with something that has the ability to think, reason, and respond
to my question. It'll take all of about 5 seconds.
     I need some trash food! Don't you feel that way, at times,
when you just want to go running into the street, ranting like
some deranged lunatic?
   We can do a saccharin moment a bit later? A Hallmark card just
ain't gonna cut it.   Maybe some chocolate or something crunchy
and salty. Yo, Carole, got any Cheetos left?
     Footnote: I have some computer work to do and entries for
new designs. I am going to put on some tunes, and let the
music take me wherever it wishes to. When I come
back from this reverie , we shall launch into what I call,
"trash, and nothing but! Stay tuned

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY PAL CAROLE- NICE BIRTHDAY BREAKFAST, LADY!

2012-03-06T08:41:00.001-07:00

     And what did we have for our birthday breakfast?
My God, what is that crunching noise?
   And, yes, of course that sounds delicious! Yep, you
did manage to get all the necessary food groups in
there! And since you are asking, yes, I think I will
have seconds. Thanks.
   Have a wonderful birthday, Carole! And say HI to Ed and
Chloe.
    Did I miss Super Tuesday? Tsk! Tsk! I am just on pins
and needles. NOT!. This should be called "The Day of
The Gasbags". Every talking head in America will be
spouting the same old tired rhetoric about what all of this
means. It's just another opinion, but they can bore the
pants off a rag doll. Over and over and over and over.
SOS DD. Play with that one, spell check!
   I have other things to tell you, but I need to head to the
Post Office. Back in a few.

I AM SAFE, FOR THE MOMENT!

2012-03-05T11:20:00.000-07:00

     Gail informs me that I am probably in some sort
of deep shit after yesterday's blog about the frogs.
"Carole is going to make you do a humble, dude",
she said. Omar seconded the motion. "It was
Sunday and my meds had worn off". Hmmmm,
not buying that one, either! Just teasing, of course.
    I think that she and Ronnie are now at their weekly
stitching club ( or whatevert is called}. I shall endeavor
to show some sort of restraint and make amends today
You believe me, don't you?
    I went to the Post Office a little bit ago. It's actually
in the back of a small store near us. They had some
music playing. It's usually some sort of muzak, or
background music for elevators. But today I heard
an instrumental version of "Walkin' After Midnight",
the old Patsy Cline classic. Some songs you just never get
tired of hearing.  Just one of those tunes you
can't categorize.
    And, while we are speaking of the PO, have you
tried sending mail to Canada lately? The PO acts
like you're shipping something to the third world.
We always send catalogs and packages via Priority Mail,
with Delivery Confirmation.
We learned to do this many years ago
when we were selling on EBay. It protects you. You
make the effort to send something out, and there will
always be someone out there who claims they didn't
get it. The laws of probability.
    Anyway, to send a catalog to Canada, using Priority
mail was going to cost $25 plus additional fees, and if
it went to the wrong address, somehow, you were
obliged to pay an additional $25 to have it returned to you.
I don't think so. So we shall opt for the seven to
10 day delivery time. It still wound up costing us $11
to send it via First class. That's just the cost of doing
business, folks.
    Back in a bit. Doing laundry. That lazy dog is no help
when it comes to this sort of thing.
Uh, oh, I think the meds are wearing off, again.

THE PROGNOSIS

2012-03-04T16:38:00.001-07:00

Just got off the phone with my pal, Ronnie.
She informs me that our mutual partner in crime, Carole,
has been having sinus headaches. Being the concerned
and caring individual that I am, I called up the Mayo
Clinic. Here is what they told me:
    This particular affliction oft times occurs if you live
in a region that is known as "the frog capital of America",
or "can be caused by excess gas." It has most definitely
got to be the former, cause that girl don't even break a
sweat, so excess gas is way off the mark. She has, however,
been known to call Mr. Squiggee several unsavory names.
Truth be known, I know a compliment when I
hear one. Hi, Carole! Hope you feel better soon!
    Now to the design:
    If you look at the graph, this particular dude has no face.
It' s there on the stamped design, but I guess you were
just supposed to wing it when you reached the part where
you stitched the mouth, nose, etc.
     The photo's on the left side are of the original piece.
The one's on the right and the two lower photo's
are of the new needlepoint canvas. What the customer
was looking for was the feel and all of the elements
of the design. By jove, I do believe she's got it.
   Hang on, going for some coffee.
    I have an older cell phone that I am getting ready
to ditch, but it still had about 15 min. left on it.
Needed to use up the minutes today, so I was
making calls just to chat away the minutes. Poor
Ronnie had to listen to several minutes of my
lunacy. Bless her heart.
    We are waiting on some ink for the printer.
Thank goodness for FedEx. Quick service.
Gail tried to leave a comment the other day,
and for some reason, never did get it to work.
So I took a look at the configuration , and only
managed to find one comment, but it was in the
spam file. Never had seen the comment before,
but it was from a reader in Milwaukee. There was a
suggestion that I take a poke into social issues.
That is dangerous turf. Moi, give an opinion?
I would probably wind up looking out my front door
at something burning on my lawn. Oops, I almost
forgot, we don't have lawns in my hood. Au natural,
is the way to go.
   Facebook now has some bug that needs to be fixed,
and every fix only brings about another problem .
Just when they manage to get it working correctly,
they decide to improve it and make it worse.
A rather pathetic cycle, but each one seems to be
striving for a larger percentage of the action. The new
look that Google has adopted for gmail is another
example of their willingness to irritate  and frustrate
people. Circle of friends, unsubscribe, subscribe,
rebuke, rebuff. emicon alerts. And all I want my telephone
to do is make a simple phone call. No out of focus
photos or games to play. Simplify.
   The dogs are wanting food. Might be back later.

" I'M YOUR SPONGE"- Agnes Gooch.

2012-03-04T15:14:00.000-07:00

     This is one of those scene stealing lines from
Peggy Cass in the movie adaptation of Auntie Mame.
One of those throw away lines that always makes you
laugh.
   This what Gail is listening to as she paints, today.
Got a late start today. We finished watching that series
on Prohibition this morning. I am just amazed that this
went on for such a long time.   The age of graft, greed and
corruption. Actually, not much has changed. Just a little
more slick about it. One interesting fact was that, in order
to replace the anticipated tax revenue that would have been
lost once the Volstead Act was passed, the income tax
was enacted. Never knew that. This whole thing went
on for fourteen years. The Wall Street Crash of 1929, the
Great Depression. etc.
   This was narrated by Peter Coyote. The music credits at
the end of this series are amazing. One of the songs used was called
"Let's Misbehave", which was also used in the film
"Bullets Over Broadway".   There was also some footage
of Duke Ellington playing at the Cotton Club in NYC.
They also used two of his compositions that are particular
favorites of mine. They are: "Echoes of Harlem' with
Cootie Williams on trumpet, and "Creole Love Call" with
Ray Nance doing the honors. I have a live recording of these
two songs, probably made in the early sixties.  Mesmerizing.
Some pieces of music are just beyond description. Just stop
thinking, forget about what the rest of the world is doing,
and listen to some of the most soulful playing you will ever
hear.
   I first heard Ry Cooder on a simulcast when I was living in
New York. He was doing a solo club date in the city and I just
happened to be trying to find something on the radio to listen to.
This was probably in the early to mid 70's. Anyway, the song
selection was all over the map. Covers of old Woody Guthrie,
Leadbelly, traditional and gospel tunes, and some of the best
bottleneck guitar playing I had ever heard. I have enjoyed his
music for years. Maria Muldaur, as well. A lot of the same reasons.
Stellar musicians playing with them, too.
     Gail just came in to use the scanner to size a couple of sketches.
When I return for my next posting, I will give you some info
about the graph at the top of the page. Hmmm! No face, eh?
This is the piece on Aida Cloth and this was the graph that came
with it. Back in a bit.
   Uh, Oh, it's Donna Summers singing "Bad Girls". Shake it,
Omar!

OK, I DID FIND THE QUOTE THAT I WAS LOOKING FOR.

2012-03-03T18:37:00.001-07:00

      For those of you that just stumbled into this little
bit of madness, we have been watching a documentary on
Prohibition. There is a good bit of incidental music from
that time period, as well. This was the "Jazz age". It pulled
it's influences from all over the globe. Musicology has
always been sort a hobby/fascination for me. Where it all comes
from, the influences and how it all fits together.
Without further ado, here is the quote that I was looking for:

     "The idea behind this album was that there has always been
a lot going on in the periphery of popular jazz trends. We wanted
to provide a thread of alternative jazz settings to some great
music that falls within the one hundred year scope of
jazz in America."   R.C. 1978

   R.C. stands for Ry Cooder, and the album was simply
titled "Jazz". The music period he was referring to was
the late 1800's to the mid 1930's. There are compositions by
Bix Beiderbecke, Jelly Roll Morton, Bert Williams, and
numerous traditional pieces. In it's day this was contemporary
and very popular music. Even it's instrumentation is
unique.   It's just another part of our musical history, and
while this sort of musical history goes unnoticed to most
of my fellow man, I am thankful to be able to listen to it.
    It was not a popular album for obvious reasons. No matter.
Anyway, I thought of this album while we were watching
Boardwalk Empire, and the Prohibiton piece. The power of music is
that it can transport you back in time and culture like nothing
else can. The voices of our storytellers.
Thanks
FOOTNOTE: For those of you that are unfimiliar with
Ry Cooder, I will list a couple of his CD's that you could
look up on Amazon's webside, and else where. Roots
music is what I guess you would call it. He is what is known
as a musicians musician. Anyway here are a couple of them,
and this doesn't cover any film scores:
INTO THE PURPLE VALLEY
PARADISE AND LUNCH
BORDERLINE
BOP TILL YOU DROP
and
CHICKEN SKIN MUSIC.

YOU HAD TO LOOK HIM UP, DIDN'T YOU?

2012-03-03T07:36:00.000-07:00

      You knew I had to jump into the pool at
some point. You looked up his name on Wikipedia,
didn't you? And maybe even looked at one of those YouTube
video clips.   A very apt character portrayal. Funny
and scary, at the same time. The scary part being is that these
types of people really do exist. "The silver tongued devil", is
the the kindest description that one can use.
    It's a Saturday morning, and a bit on the cool side. I got
up earlier to brew a pot of coffee and let our vicious guard
dog out. No interlopers in the 'hood. Whew!
   The canvas that Gail was working on will go out in the mail today
Not an enjoyable piece to paint, I gather. Tedious and
time consuming. But it certainly does capture the feel of
it's predecessor. Plus it will be a hell of a lot easier to stitch.
   Hang on, need more coffee.
   Ah, that's better. We were about 3/4 of the way to completing the
second disc of "Lie to Me", and just decided to call it a night.
We'll watch the last little bit this morning. We are really enjoying
this, and you do manage to run across some familiar faces
that you haven't seen in a while. Veteran actors, that you can't
quite place. When in doubt, go to IMDB, and you will be
able to find out what other films or TV series that they have
acted in.
The natives are stirring, so I shall stop here, and come back
later.   A few tidbits, perhaps. And news, too

MR SQUIGGEE DIVES INTO THE POLITICAL ARENA!

2012-03-02T15:32:00.000-07:00

     You should never have asked the question. I have
listened to all the speeches, the rhetoric, the muckraking,
and even the snide cracks about your kin folk.
Inquiring minds want to know who gets my vote?
WAIT FOR IT!
{ cue the drum roll}
It's my man SENATOR
CLAY DAVIS!
    Yeah baby, you got it! The dude has style out
the "wazoo". This is the cat that can get it done!
He's right up front with it, and you'll never never
have to wonder where he stands on any topic.
Personality, a full grasp of the language, suave,
and extremely charismatic.
    Now all we need is a running mate. Shouldn't be
too difficult, especially with the good Senator's fund
raising capabilities. Case closed.
   The mail came a little while ago. Received the
last disc on the "Prohibition" series and the second
disc of "LIE TO ME". I think there were 48 episodes
of that particular series. I read somewhere that Melki
Pheifer [ aka the notorious Junior Bunk from Homicide,
and Omar Jones from Curb Your Enthusiasm ] became a
member of the cast. Strong character actor.
I had some quotes from an album liner notes, but I need
to track them down so I get it right. It was in regards to the
music of the jazz age. Very eloquent, I might add.
   My pal Carole has done a runner, I think. Or she's
just keeping schtum. I like that expression, actually, and
I looked up it's origin this morning United Kingdom.
We watch numerous shows from the UK, so you wind up
hearing the jargon, and it eventually becomes an
expression just seems to work for you. Cut to the chase,
in other words.
     More later, possibly. I wonder whatever happen to Susan!
Haven't heard from her since the Giants won the Super Bowl.
Hope all is well. TTFN

I WAS THINKING OF CALLING, BUT..........

2012-03-02T12:39:00.002-07:00

CORRECTION TO THIS MORNINGS POST:
     The piece that Gail is working from was craeated/stamped
on AIDA CLOTH. It is more like a piece of cloth,
as opposed to the canvas with distinctive holes.
SORRY ABOUT THAT.

     Go ahead, fill in the blanks any way that you like.
Go "gangster wild" with whatever excuse that your
mind can come up with.
   I know, I know, every time I decide to wash my hair
or change my socks, my brain turns into pudding and
I lose track of what planet that I am on.
   Not to worry, I am still pissed with the water company.
We watched the second disc of the series on Prohibition
last evening. Talk about something that never had a
chance of working. It turned normal law abiding citizens
into bootleggers and distillers. And the level of
corruption is enough to make you cringe. Whole sections
of rather large cities and most of them on the pad.
Future water company exec's, I'll wager.
    The music is very interesting and a lot of the incidental,
or background music was composed by Wynton
Marsalis. Period music, is the term most often used.
In it's day this was considered pop music. The jazz age.
Contemporary music.   America, at that point of time,
was a melting pot of all sorts of rhythms and musical
influences from all over the world. It really is a
shame that the recording techniques were so primitive
back then. It was a time of diversity in musical styles,
and regional influences played such a major part.
    There are only so many musical notes available.
It's in the way they're all thrown together that truly
makes a piece of music unique.
Back in a while.

HAMSTERDAMN, AND OTHER STUFF.

2012-03-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

     The second of March already. Lots of stuff to tell
you about.
   How many of you have tried to work one of those
canvases where the design is just stamped onto the
canvas? Bit of a challenge, isn't it? The more intricate
and fussy the design is, the harder it becomes to
stitch.   We have received one of these designs that a
woman bought, quite obviously because she liked the
elements in the canvas. The problem was that when
she began stitching it, the detail in the canvas and the
actual number of stitches that were needed to provide
this amount of detail did not coincide. In other words,
there was just way too much detail for this mesh. It's
like lettering. The minimum you need for lettering
to at least be legible is 5 up and 3 across. We are talking
block letters. This woman attempted to work portions of this
canvas , got frustrated with trying to make it work, and went
looking for someone to design something to give the same
feel, but make it workable.
    So, yesterday was one of those days where you work
a section, step back and take a look for comparison sake,
and then move on. It's very time consuming. And you
have to make so many adjustments along the way. The
facial features on the original, when you tried to stitch
them, no longer looked like faces.   The irony of all
of this is that, for needlepoint , you have to think of
the stitch placement as you paint and create a canvas.
Stitch painting. Gail called me in to the studio several
times to take a look and ask if the newer one captures
that same feel. This is one of the peculiar quirks of
custom designing. It also represents the challenges
of doing custom work.
   Got some sort of form letter from the customer service
department at the water company. Just a form letter with
no signature or anyones name on it. We will get to that
later on today. It merely reinforces the adage that:
"We are the only game in town and we can do anything we
want". Bureaucracy gone mad.
I shall return, pooch patrol.

WHOA, TALK ABOUT POETRY IN MOTION!

2012-03-01T10:53:00.000-07:00

    One of Mr. Squiggee's pals, MK, posted an old clip
on her FB page yesterday. The clip was from an old
movie called "Stormy Weather", and this particular clip
was of a dance sequence by The Nicholas Brothers.
What an amazing pair to watch. This, my friends, is
dancing. Those of you that have watched some of Gene Kelly,
Fred Astaire, and the routine between Danny Kaye and Vera
Allen in White Christmas, know exactly what I am talking
about. We do forget how effortless they made it all look.
Like I said, poetry in motion. The real deal.
   And I suppose that you like the picture ,above, of
"The Three Gabones", as we called them. Gail did this
years ago using some card program that we had on the
computer. Per the norm, each time one of these
companies start to give you a song and dance about how
they are going to improve a product, it actually
winds up having so many bugs and flaws that it never
really seems to work correctly. All they really managed to
accomplish was to add more bells and whistles.
    I have some errands to do and a few phone calls to make,
but I shall return.

THANK YOU, MASKED MAN!

2012-02-29T16:04:00.000-07:00

     It's the Lone Ranger, you heathen."Cleaned up the whole
town, and just split. Never waited for a thank you! What the hell
is with that guy? I got my hand out like some jack ---, and he's
on his horse, already."
    This, in case you don't know, is from a Lenny Bruce bit.
There was a somewhat animated version of this that was used as
a trailer on one of those art house films. I think the movie
was titled "King Of Hearts", with Alan Bates. Not one of
those big budget movies, but fun, never-the-less.
   After my poke at the water company I figured it best to lay
low for a couple of hours. Omar and I went to McDonald's to
get some tea. I did manage to do a bit of networking, however.
Spoke with Jill at Louise's Needlework in Powell, Ohio. Her shop
will be having a Squiggee Designs Trunk Show in June. She's
always fun to talk with and has promised photo's of her shop, and
other info that I shall pass on to you.
   Spoke with Diana at Designers Desk in Chicago. Wicked sense of
humor, of course. Just touching base, of course. Our catalog
updates had to be put on the back burner for a while there, when we
were in Colorado. Nice to be back at it!
    As you could probably tell from the top photo, Easter isn't that
far off. "More wabbits than you can stake a shick at"! Yes, I
know that was pretty lame!
    The major advantage to compiling and publishing our own
catalog is that you can add new stuff all the time. She has added
around 21 new designs since the end of January. Give em a stock
number, photo shoot 'em and send them on their way. That's also
what makes it fun to talk with the shops.
     Started watching a series called "Lie To Me" last evening.
It stars Tim Roth, and Kelli Williams. Very edgy show, too.
It's about how your body, and especially your facial muscles,
really give you away when you tell a lie, or try to cover things
up. Behavioral Scientist, is one of the terms used. All manner
of interesting tidbits that take place in fractions of a second and
can tell you so much more than the words. Very quick and very
dry.
Is it true that every time a rabbit tells a lie that their teeth grow longer?
No, you idiot, that was Pinocchio!. Omar calls him Pistachio, but
we won't go down to his level. You already know what a poodle he
is.
One funny thing did come up when I was talking with Jill in Ohio.
It does seem that we have a couple of pals in common, and this
particular person is renowned for her shipping packages. So we both
had a good laugh. You know how it goes, a common bond. This
is a "cut to the chase, business woman', and she is always a pleasure
to do business with. Never wastes your time or leaves you
standing around waiting for an answer. Wish there we more like
her. It's some shade of purple and it's so shiny.
    Yes, those were Irish Flamingo's. I have their papers, right here.
And it is true that today is Leap Day, the 29th Of Feb. Don't lose
any sleep over it.
   Might be back later.   Spell check just informed me that wabbits is
really a word. You lying toad!

YES, I DO REALIZE THAT I AM BEING "SANDBAGGED"!

2012-02-29T07:01:00.001-07:00

    They take an intractable stance, and there is absolutely nothing
that you can say or do to alter that stance. Logic means
nothing. Standard operating procedure. Nothing that is written
down, or in document form. "This is the way we have always done
it". They don't come out and say it, but the true message
that they are giving you is this: "We're the only game in town,
and if you don't like it, well that's just tough shit for you
This is customer service, and we have a script to follow."
    Today's chagrin is aimed at the water company. They finally
came out to read the meter on the 24th of Feb. Spoke with
them yesterday. After listening to around 30 minutes of
canned messages, and I especially liked the one about
becoming a snitch when you spot someone wasting water,
I did finally get a representative. This is not the person
that makes the final ruling,of course. Push come to
shove, I guess this person is just too important to talk
with a mere customer.
    It is, however the same old song and dance. "I will
have to clear this with my supervisor, and he is out of the
office at the moment.". For all I know, this person could be
completely fictitious.. Enough is enough. They will reduce the
bill for one month {the highest month} by 50%, and they
say they can only do this once every three years. We are talking
about water. WATER! Not some tangible goods.
Never did find the leak. Rerouted the water line from the meter
to the point where it enters the house. The original line does
not take a direct path from A to B. It travels underneath a
shed and a rather large heat pump/AC unit.   This is something that
is dug by hand. Electrical wires, cable wires, and the gas line
are all in this same area.
    I got no satisfaction at all, talking with these people. Yeah,
right, file a complaint with the Public Utility Commission.
I have just had enough of this particular dance. They will
just stonewall me the same way. The company line!
Yada, yada, yada!
This must be the new mode of doing business. Sandbag 'em
, stall 'em , and eventually they will stop with all of these
questions. It does seeem that way, at times. I am not real
enamoured with the cable company either. Seventy dollars
a month just for internet.
   Of course with all the deregulation, our bills just keep getting
higher. Now the phone companies can charge you for incoming
and outgoing calls. "Double Dipping" is what I believe this
is called. Coming and going, the greedy devils.
   Just needed to rant a bit. I knew this day was coming, of
course. Today is Omar's trash day. Have a couple of letters
to write today. Sometimes an email just won't do.
   We'll talk about some new designs and the website a little
later on, today.

STUFF

2012-02-28T07:48:00.000-07:00

     Several weks ago we watched an HBO
series titled "BOARDWALK EMPIRE". We do
not have HBO, so this was a rental DVD set from
Netflix. It was about Prohibition and most of the
action in the series centered around Atlantic City.
   After trolling through the Netflix site I found a
three DVD Documentary set that was simply
titled "Prohibition". The date says 2011 and I
can assume that this was shown on PBS last year.
It's a Ken Burns production, for those of you that
pay attention to this sort of info.
   I do enjoy a well researched documentary, and this
one certainly fills the bill, in that respect. You learn of
the many varying Temperance Movements, you get
to hear excerpts from diaries that date back to the 1800's,
old photo's and drawings, etc. This is one of those
subjects that, back when you and I were going to school,
never got more than glossed over.  We just got the tidbits,
so to speak. Among the people doing voice overs are
John Rothman, Tom Hanks, Patricia Clarkson, Campbell
Scott, and numerous others. For instance, Patricia Clarkson
is doing the voice over from the diaries of Carrie Nation.
That woman was a pistol and a half.
    Among the more fascinating aspects of this set, is a section
of bonus material. It's called interview outtakes. You know, the
stuff that didn't make it into the final cut, but are none the less
quite interesting. I can remember listening to Pete Hamill, the
author, talking of his ancestors in the documentary on New
York City. I swear that he could probably read the phone
book and make it sound interesting. Anyway, we shall eventually
wind up buying this set. It has so many interesting bits
of information that you will learn something new each time
you watch it. And it covers the subject matter from so many
perspectives.
    The repurcussions of this time period are still very much
with us. Makes you wonder just have far forward
we have moved.   { Spell check on fritz, again}
Back in a while to edit.

"CAN'T JUDGE A BOOK BY LOOKIN' AT THE COVER"- BO DIDDLEY'

2012-02-27T14:06:00.003-07:00

    Yeah, you know what I'm talkin' about!
Just keep your knickers on while I get Gail a
sandwich!
   Yo', I am back! Trying to have lunch in our house
is always done with four eyes staring at you. Squiggee
may be blind but her sniffer certainly knows which
direction the smell is coming from.
Oh, shit, it's the theme from " Ghostbusters"!
How is a man supposed to make any sense while listening
to this song? I do have the headphones on so that I don't
disturb the painting process.
Our boy, Omar, is named after a character in "The Wire",
that goes by the name of Omar Little. Gail has the second
season of this show on, and if you've never seen Omar
testify in a courtroom, it is an absolute treat.
   We watched a couple of episodes of "Trial and
Retribution" last night. This is a series from Lynda LaPlante,
and has Gemma Jones as a forensic pathologist. This is the
actress that played Louisa Trotter on "The Duchess of
Duke Street", which was on a PBS Masterpiece Theatre
series many years ago.
I am listening to a tune called "Native Son", by John Hiatt.
I first heard this on a show called "Homicide", but never realized
who it was. One of life's little ironies is that I now
notice that he does a lot of sets with Lyle Lovett at various
clubs around the country. It is funny how you can tie
music very specifically to a show you have seen, even though
the tune wasn't written for the show. Of course, I loved the
show anyway.
   Hang on . Gotta take the kid out. Edit when I get back.

STOP THE PRESSES!
     My pal Carole informs me that there has been
some sort of critique regarding Mr. Squiggee's outfit
for the show in Phoenix. This ensemble was picked by Mr.
Bubble Butt himself. Oh, and we have a new fiber color.
Of course, we spell our colors phonetically. { spell check must
be on the fritz} Bugger! I will have to log out and go check
it out somewhere else. Anyway the color had something to
do with gomer, or was it guber. And, by the way, the
color of "Bitchy" is chartreuse.
Well, it is time to go get dinner ready for the dogs. Squiggee
has begun to start barking at the walls or the furniture
when it begins to get close to her dinner hour. She also gets
belligerent if you try to ignore her. Back in a while.
Edit and spell check later. You get the drift.
I am back, and I actually spelled it correctly. Imagine
that!

AND THE WINNER IS...........

2012-02-26T15:35:00.000-07:00

    OOPS!
     Just kidding. I heard voices from the other room,
so I went to check it out.
    Gail was painting something for Easter and had
just finished listening to the last season of "THE WIRE".
For some reason or another we had never looked at the
bonus material on the last disc. Very informative, I might
add. For those of you that are unfamiliar about this
series, the last season concerned itself with the role of the
print media in our cities. The newspapers shrinking size,
buyouts and the perils of print journalism and how all of this plays
out in the context of the city. What gets coverage and what
does not.
   They also had talks with the various actors, what parts they
auditioned for, favorite characters and favorite scenes. This
is a series that is loaded with surprises. It's the story of any city
and it's inhabitants and institutions from so many differing
perspectives. From the drug dealers to the police departments,
the courts, the docks, the school system, and it shines it's
light on the interaction between all of these institutions.  It
is also one of those things that you pick up on something new with
each time that you see it. It's a slow burner that takes a novelistic
approach to it's storytelling. Not for the faint of heart, and it
requires your attention. And funny, too.
If you want to take a look, don't read the spoilers on the Internet.
Experience it without the knowledge of knowing what is coming.
All for now.

QUESTIONS--- PART TWO

2012-02-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

    By and large, the major question I get asked is
why prices seem to be continually on the rise.
We have absolutely no input regarding the pricing
of designs after they leave our hands. Gail is the
creative portion of all of this.
   When a design leaves this house ,
it goes to the distributor, theie painting service, back
to the distributor, and then to the various shops.
At each stop along the way it gets a "bump", or as they
say on the street; " It get's stepped on". A piece of the
action, as it were. Anything more that I could add to this
dialog would be considered blasphemy. I do see the
high cost of these small designs and have to ask myself,
especially given the current economic climate in this
country, why you wouldn't be able to sell more of these items
at a lower price. Isn't this the whole basis of wholesale,
to make it up in bulk sales?
   Sorry, is all I can say, that these prices have gotten out so
of hand!

MR. SQUIGGEE ANSWERS SOME QUESTIONS.

2012-02-26T10:02:00.000-07:00

        First rule: This is a work in progress. You will
just have to stop by at different intervals today.
Most of the questions that Gail and I receive are in
regards to how this business really works. This is the
creative end. Pure and simple. But I will lay it all out
for you, step by step.
    Over the last few weeks I have shown photo's of
canvases at various stages. Now, I grant you that these
are custom designs. Sometimes you get photo's and sometimes
it's just an ide with specific parameters, such as size,
mesh, etc. Gail does custom design work for several
different shops across the country. All sorts of designs.
She also has what is known as private customers. These
are people that sought her out, over the years, and
periodicly have another project. And some shops do not wish
to be bothered with custom work anymore. It takes a lot
of people skills, hand holding, and an investment in time.
Listen, if they don't answer your email, chances are that
they're not interested in custom work.
     Estimates are generally based on the size of a design,
the degree of detail, and the estimated time that it will
take to create a design. And here is a question for you.
What is your creative time worth? OK, a day of your time?
The artist has to make a guess on how much time it will
take to create this design. Sizing all of the elements that
go into this design, laying it all out, using their expertise,
training and years of experience to come up with a price that
is fair to both parties. You've watched how it works.
If the shop, or the customer wants a sketch, there is a
flat fee of $15. This also helps to weed out those people
that are not serious about the whole process and seem to
be of the opinion that your time is worth nothing. These
sketches are merely line drawings, but they are to size and
provide all relevant images. If you take a gander at the Squiggee
Designs website, you will find a couple of pages of various
custom designs.
   There is also a page marked Squiggee Custom. These designs
are available only through us. These are personalized
designs. Lettering, school emblems, etc. These are not
a part of the wholesale line and they never will be. Anyone can
get one of these. The overall sizes and patterns are already
worked out. Since they are personalized items, they are always
prepaid. The internet does make it a lot easier to get images
for schools, even the small prep schools. They're small, quick pieces
to work and make great little momento's for grandchildren, etc.
   I shall be back in a few. Miss Squiggee needs to go out.
Edit when I come back

THE LUNACY CONTINUES.

2012-02-26T07:49:00.000-07:00

    I did post a blog a few minutes ago, but just
went back and deleted it. It's just the way these things
work, sometimes. Occasionally you wind up going
off on some tangent, and when you read back through
it, a few minutes later you realize that was not where you
wanted to wind up.   Delete! Gone. Poof!
   Got busy this past week with catalogs and updates.
These catalogs and updates are still the most effective
marketing tool. I have spoken with a lot of shops and
they are always pleased to have something for their
walk-in customers to sit and browse through. Sorry,
but the computer screen is not all that relaxing to sit
in front of. The telephone is another under utilized
tool. The ability to listen and take notes can work
wonders.
   Most of the people who peruse my blog are probably
stitchers or people that just enjoy having something
new to look at. Those people that are stitching, as a
profession,wouldn't be interested in anything I had to say
either. I doubt that I get more than a random
visit from a shop. No matter! I do manage to get a
good deal of feedback and questions. The dog stories
and my swipes at the absurdity of the world we live in
are all part of life. So, Mr. Squiggee wishes to thank
those of you who drop by to see me and subject yourselves
to my rants.
   I am not sure why they {Google} have made it so difficult
for people to leave comments on blogs, but it is a real
pain in the ass. You can't argue with the computer. I just
get bored and give up. You give it the right info and
the damn thing still tells you that you are are incorrect.
Same thing with passwords.
Just looked out the kitchen window and saw six Javelina's
going in between our house and the neighbors. Mom, Dad
and four of the little ones. On their way back into the desert,
I guess. Ugly little brutes. Omar was not amused.
More in a while , the family is on the loose.

SHE ALMOST HUNG UP ON ME! GUESS I SHOULD HAVE IDENTIFIED MYSELF FIRST!

2012-02-24T15:35:00.000-07:00

     Some days just start out crazy and never get
better. For instance:
The National Enquirer is under fire for publishing
a tasteless photo. "Tell me it just ain't so".
And the USPS is laying off 35,000 employees, and
closing down several sorting facilities.
Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't the PO the only
branch of the government that actually accomplishes
their mission? Delivering mail. You can winge all you
want, but it gets to it's appointed destination, day in and
day out. In soo many countries, this just ain't so. Just
another case of Congress not getting the bigger picture.
Wouldn't give them the 5 cent increase for letter postage.
Short sighted.
   I did see someone lurking in our neighborhood with a
telephoto lens and a video cam. If anyone posts footage
of Omar's dance moves before it's aired on Sunday, I'll
sue the bastards, have them puts in the stocks and paraded
through town on a cart, all being pulled by a Corvair. That
out to be serious enough humiliation for them. MC Hammer,
look out! "Omar is  in the hood! Go on, show 'em how to shake
that Bubble Butt! I'm a Road Runner, baby!" { Jr. Walker and the Allstars.)
     HELLO SAUNDRA! Nice chatting with you, even though
you almost hung up the phone.
   In other news, I sent a catalog off to Canada and an order
to New Jersey.
Omar is telling me that I have been ignoring him, so
I will interrupt this little diatribe and spend some time
with the boy. The thought of fifteen seconds of airtime
on national TV has turned him into a bit of a diva.
No shame, either! Later!

CATALOG UPDATES AND STUFF.

2012-02-23T13:02:00.000-07:00

     Is it noon already? How the time do fly, some days.
We started watching a series titled "RAIN SHADOW",
last night. We've rented this a couple of times before.
The series is about two veterinarians in the Australian
Outback. It's beautifully filmed and really shows the starkness
of that part of the world. Farming in such surroundings, as well
as having any sort of livestock, is an extremely difficult way
to make a living. Life can be very precarious.  You are
constantly at the mercy of the weather. Rain cycles play
such a major role in the lives of those living in these
climes. Those of us that live in and around larger cities,
rarely get a glimpse into this way of life and it's struggles.
And they don't sugar coat the story or dumb it down to
make it more palatable for the huddled masses.  I
can only urge you to check it out. It is heartily worth
the time you will spend watching it.
    Spoke to a shop in Cincinnati and one in Ontario, Canada,
this morning. Mr. Squiggee is getting ready to send updates.
OH, I did talk with the original Jersey girl, Karen, as well.
The FedEx guy will be bringing ink for the printer at
some point today.
   Have to go install a programmable thermostat and
one of those peep hole viewers on an exterior door.
I shall endeavor to make it back, in a while. 12:57

WHAT CAN I SAY, RONNIE IS BACK IN THE "HOOD"! AND AS BAD AS EVER! KEEP ROWING!.

2012-02-22T16:24:00.000-07:00

   Had to take care of some errands, grocery shopping,
etc.   Her highness blows back into town and I have been
"dissed" already.   And that comment about the "naughty
Santa" being posted on the correct blog. I am truly shocked.
Well, I guess shocked is not really the correct word, but I
swear somebody "snitched'. I suspect it might have been Carole,
but I can't be sure. No matter.
Omar has been warming up all of his poodle muscles in
preparation for his Whitney Houston Tribute Dance, live on
Sunday evening. Check local listings. There, is that tasteless
enough for you? There were no fewer that five of the
tabloid magazines at the checkout line of the grocery store,
and each one of the covers showed herself and some ridiculous
caption. There is a legacy for you.
    On to other matters. We did get a call from a needlepointer
pal from the D.C. area this weekend. Gail has done multiple
Xmas stockings for her over the years. She finally managed to get
ahold of us just before we moved from Pa. She actually did the
two hour drive {one way} to come out and visit with us. She is
ready to do another stocking and she always fills us in on the
gossip about the shops in the D.C. area. Juicy little tidbits.
   Now I can give you a bit of insight into all of these
"exclusive clubs". It looks as though several of these shops are
running multiple exclusives. These are monthly clubs and a sure
bet for the shop owner. They are generally kitted and all
packaged up, ready to ship out. The more of these clubs that
you join, the less that the shop has to concern themselves as to
what their customers may be really looking for. Your set for a whole
year of designs. Big deal, so they all begin to look the same.
You didn't really want individuality anyway, did you.. This is
also a safe month by month delivery system. It also means that
the shop can keep a tighter rein on inventory. Why bother with anything
new when the steady flow of assembly line designs will do.
   For myself, it all begins to look the same after a small amount of time.
These clubs, while they are not new to the scene, tend to
give that warehouse sort of feel to the creative process. Doesn't
everyone think in terms of an even dozen when they are in the
midst of creating a design? Change a color here, add a bit of
something there. It's kind of like going to a concert and hearing
multiple versions of a song, but in a different key, or a different
rhythm..
    Yes, I do realize that what I say will not set particularly well in
some quarters. No matter, I have always been somewhat of a fringe
dweller anyway.
   Anyone know that song by Ernie K Doe: "MOTHER IN LAW"?
Or "Please Don't Bury Me", by John Prine? Come on, give it a whirl
You know you're curious.
RONNIE MADE ME DO IT!
I AM INNOCENT, THIS TIME.

SO, THE ONLY REASON THAT I DON'T GET CHUCKED OUT OF THE BOAT IS THAT" SOMEONE HAS TO ROW"!

2012-02-22T10:22:00.001-07:00

Poop, camera download time. It ain't over!

GOOD MORNING TO YOU ALL!

2012-02-22T08:04:00.000-07:00

Omar did help me put out the last bag of
trash for pick up this morning. And now the little
gutter snipe has gone back to bed. My little rant,
last evening, has somewhat subsided. All of that
blathering on and on is just media fodder. I gather,
based on the sheer quantity of their coverage and
tastelessness of the whole mess, that they've
assumed that the world needs to know every lurid
and seedy detail. They will eventually get bored
and go back to digging up some dirt for the election.
It's kind of like that naughty/nice Santa. One minute
they adore you, and the next minute you are absolute
shit. The news, as we know it, has become a major
business enterprise. Got to get those ratings up.
I am actually kind of glad that we do not have our TV
set up to receive broadcast news. It's bad enough
seeing little bits of this in print on the Internet home page.
If I had to actually listen this crap, I probably yell
and swear at the TV.
Back in a bit.

HAS THE WORLD GONE ABSOLUTELY MAD?

2012-02-21T18:51:00.000-07:00

    Just when you think it can't possibly get any more
tasteless and ghoulish, there is yet another layer that
seems to creep out of the woodwork with a tribute, or
some funeral film footage to be auctioned off to the
highest bidder. How low can one sink in this mire?
    I find the whole thing to be truly offensive. Period.
Go flog something else for a while until another
headline grabber appears.   Save your sympathies
for someone that didn't have any choices in life!.

AND WHY, PRAY TELL, DO I GET THE "NAUGHTY" SIDE?

2012-02-21T12:46:00.000-07:00

YO! This game is rigged. The year has just
begun, and I am already on the poop list.
WHO SNITCHED?
Off to the Post Office to put this puppy in the
mail.

PART TWO- " THE BIG BOAT IS UP THE RIVER".

2012-02-20T15:13:00.001-07:00

   This expression is from some song, but the
name eludes me at this time. I have always found
the above design to be one that suggests
tranquility.   I have never seen it stitched, of course,
but that really doesn't matter.
    One of my favorite shows/series is "The Wire".
I have mentioned this before, but the reason I mention it in
reference to the above design is the view of the docks.
The second season of this show centered around the
ports of Baltimore. It could have been any port city.
When they were filming this, you got a real glimpse of
all of those businesses that prospered along the various
ports and inlets. Many of those businesses, especially
the manufacturing ones, are gone now. But a lot of
those buildings are still there. A ghost town, if you will.
A testament to all of those who earned a living with their
hands. The steel mills, textile mills, etc. You realize
as you view this montage that the people filming it had a
real love of those abandoned structures and machines, with
all of the rusted metal, rail spurs, and the beauty of all of
this on a moonlight night. The reflections across the water.
There is a beauty and symmetry to it. I am sure it's much
the same as when the Interstate replaced the state roads
and bypassed all of those little towns.  The volume of
traffic diminished and many of these small burbs just died
out.
    Sorry to wax nostalgic on you, but I guess just seeing
those two boats just rocking with the tide just took me away.
Simple pleasures. Sometimes you just gotta stop and
smell the coffee.
   Speaking of coffee, I just brewed a pot. Gail is tying some
embellishments on a new design before it goes out the door.
Elmer Fudd says "It's Pwesidents Day.
   Hang on for a bit. If you look on Gails blog, you will catch
a glimpse of Omar with his Mardi Gras beads on. Thanks
again to our pals down in La.
And a thanks to all of you that just happen to drop by
for a visit. It'st ime to take the kids out.

AND HERE IT IS, THE 20TH OF FEB. WHO KNOWS WHAT EVIL LURKS? THE SHADOW DOES!

2012-02-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

     It's been a month since the big trade show in
Phoenix, and I have been giving a bit of thought
to what I saw.
    Anyone who has either lived in a big city, or even
visited one, remembers what it's like to window shop.
The store windows and their displays would lure you
into their store. It's like that Neiman Marcus Xmas
catalog. You just can't resist taking a look. Sure, most
of us cannot afford to buy a lot of it, but we certainly
took a good look at it. Putting that catalog together
and knowing just how to display merchandise to
make it even more alluring, is what makes the whole thing
really pop. That was also the allure of going downtown.
Window dressing.
    When I took the big stroll at the show, I saw a pretty
austere group. No, I wasn't expecting carnival barkers,
or some insipid group of mimes wandering the aisles, but
it reminded me of a bunch of people waiting for a
pizza delivery.
    There are two big shows in this country; The Jan.
show and the Columbus show. The people attending
these shows are shop owners, or their buyers, and
wholesale distributors/ vendors. The rules state that
you cannot sell at these shows. Only take orders.
My question is this: Where are the people that will
eventually purchase these canvases? You have all
these other factions deciding what they will be able to
see in a shop, but without their input.
    As much as Gail and I love movies and viewing something
new, if I were to take her into a video rental store,
she would balk. She just gets bored looking at the walls
of video. Way too much to wade through. She also
had the same issue with record stores, and she absolutely
detests those Super Walmart's. It's also the way that the
merchandise is presented. No flair. "Here it is, take
it or leave it".
   Maybe it's because Gail and I still posses a bit
of that "huckster"instinct. Probably was a snake oil
salesman or a carnival pitchman in a former life. We
talked about the possibility of getting a large flamingo,
prop him in a chair, and hang a large pink" Squiggee
Designs" banner around his neck, for the next show.
Lowbrow? Trashy? Tawdry? Maybe so, but people
would certainly remember seeing it.
   Back in a while, Gail is up. 8:46 AM

I confess= I have been somewhat remiss today.

2012-02-19T19:05:00.000-07:00

     OMAR SEZ': "SOME DAYS JUST BE THAT WAY!"
Nothing worse than a trash talking poodle.
   So glad that you all have enjoyed the Westies canvas. Hope I
didn't come off as too big of an idiot. Based on a question I received,
via email of course, I have been perusing various websites
to check out all of those "exclusive clubs" that seem to be
out there.
   Had to pause for a few minutes while Dinah Washington
sang "Willow Weep For Me". Great tune.
   Anyway, I have been listening to some cassettes that I made
several years ago. Mix and match, so to speak. We still have
several audiobooks that were on casettes and Gail listens to
these as she paints. I have the cassette deck and a small amp and
headphones in by the computer.
   Over the last few minutes I have heard:
Ramsey Lewis, Soul Shadows by Bill Withers, Muddy Waters,
Van Morrison, and now it's Ben Webster and Sweets Edison.
Had some Mary Chapin Carpenter, Leo Kotke, T Bone Walker,
and now some Mr. Skin by Spirit.
   Odd mix, I know. Face it, folks, I am an odd dude. Gail will
verify that. She was watching/listening to "Homicide" as she
painted a Santa. It's a dialog driven TV series and always worth a
listen.
    The children have eaten and Gail is pulling a bead packet for
a new design. Part of my search today involved the updates that
we are getting ready to send out for our catalogs. So I shall be
doing what is known as "cold calling" this next week to the various
shops. Since the catalogs have expanded in size, and we have sent a
good number of them out over the past couple of years, I have to
find out what was the last page in the book they have, and then
sent the remaining pages of newer stuff.
   Truthfully speaking, the exclusive clubs are good for the individual
shops, but not necessarily for the artist or the distributor.
To be brutally honest, why would you confine yourself to allowing
just one shop profit fom your design, as opposed to letting all
shops have the opportunity to purchase a series of designs. It
also seems to force one to think in terms of twelve pieces
when they are creating something. You wouldn't ask an
author or a musician to do this. Creating along the same parameter
is like production, or assembly line, work. It all kinda
starts to look the same. One club was enough. Time to move on.
That's about it for tonight. Need to make some dinner for Gail
and myself.
   Have a nice evening and thanks for dropping by. Ken
Shit, spell check isn't working tonight. You're on your own.
I shall attempt to give you a better rundown on the club
issue when I blog in the morning.

And then there were two !

2012-02-18T09:03:00.002-07:00

   Here they are. Gail just finished posting these while Omar
and I went to McDonald's to pick up some breakfast..I will
post additional information in a few minutes, Enjoy the view until
I get back.
    I made it back. 10 AM.
    Gail did manage to take several photos of the process, which
we thought you might be interested in. The photo was black and
white, but all dogs have other areas of color. In order to get the
overall coloring correct, you have to do a bit of research into the
breed and markings from various resources. Hence, the book.
   Now, on another point of interest:
When Gail was attending college, over the four year schedule were
numerous drawing classes involving the anatomy. The
first year focused on drawing the skeleton, in various configurations.
The second year focused on the muscles over the skeleton.
The third year was the human form { IE nudes and models}
And the last year focused on clothed models. The theory behind
all of this was that, in order to draw or realistically paint people,
you had to know how it all fit together. Bone structure, posture,
and even how an animal moves, all come into play. She could
most certainly have phrased this better than I, but I have the
layman's view. The outsider, if you will. I could give you
all of the intricacies of building a cabinet or a piece of furniture,
and the various steps, but I am sure you would much rather
see this in action , and at various stages.
    Rather than ramble on, I like this design.  I do hear people
comment about Gail's dog portraits and I am sure that a lot of this
comes from our love of dogs. Hang on. Gail is going to put a
photo on her blog. Edit later.

AND HERE IS THE SKETCH OF THE TWO WESTIE'S

2012-02-17T17:15:00.000-07:00

     Were it not for the black and white photo
on the right, you would be hard pressed to be able
to figure out exactly what this sketch was really
supposed to be. Told you that it was just a rudimentary
drawing.
     And now the details: The finish size will be 6 inches
by 9 inches on 18 stitch. We did call NYC this morning
to verify that none of the background was to be painted.
Westies are white, and it will be painted on white canvas.
The photo is of a mother and daughter.
    The black and white cat at the top of Gail's blog is for the
same shop, so these two items will go out together.
   Over the next couple of weeks I shall be printing out catalog
update pages for the shops. Haven't done this for a while, but
the catalog is growing at such a pace, I figured that it was time
to get a move on. This is still the best way for the shops to show
their customers what is available. It's also nice to be able to
look at your leisure. It's up to 85 pages now so keeping it
updated periodically is essential.
    It's 5 o'clock already and the children will be whining for
their dinner sometime soon. Give me a few minutes, and I plan
on returning.

NEW PROJECT- A COUPLE OF WESTIES.

2012-02-17T08:06:00.000-07:00

      Actually it's known as a West Highland
White Terrier.
      Anyway, Gail is going to be painting this
pair, starting today. The sketch is on her drawing
and when she is up and has had her breakfast,
she will photo shoot it and post it at the top of
my blog. Yes, we shall take photo's as it
progresses.
    In the box with the Mardi Gras cake were a
couple of little booklets and background information
into the traditions of this yearly event. So, I have
been reading up. Fascinating stuff. You're never too
old to learn something new. Unfortunately most
of America just views Mardi Gras as a bunch of rowdies
getting drunk and partying. We do seem to have lost touch
with a number of traditions and their historical origins, sad to
say.
    I do want to thank my pals down in Louisiana for sending
the cake to us and for their friendship, as well. But I still
won't get in a small boat with them. It's a big river and there
is no telling where a guy could end up. Just joking!
More in a while, need coffee.

IT'S A MARDI GRAS KING CAKE FROM HAYDEL'S BAKERY."GET AWAY FROM THAT CAKE, YOU LITTLE HEATHEN"

2012-02-15T17:15:00.001-07:00

      It arrived, via UPS, just about 30 minutes
ago. This event calls for some fresh coffee, as
well. Gail has had two pieces and so have I. Oh, Yum!
There were other goodies in the box, but I fear
that Mr. Omar thinks that the beads are his.
Squiggee, who thinks she is part French, also
needed a taste. The girl has a sweet tooth.
    Our thanks go to Carole, Ed, and Miss Chloe
for this wonderful gift. Kinda caught us by
surprise. Listen, you gals can call me " gator
bait" any old time. There was a thought of taking
a photo, but that quickly vanished.

YOU DID TELL ME THAT YOU LIKED CHOCOLATE, DID YOU NOT?

2012-02-15T12:47:00.000-07:00

     The day after Valentines Day and you still didn't
get enough chocolate? That is very sad.
    I kinda figured that you all had gotten enough
sweetness yesterday, and what could Mr. add to that.
Of course, those of you who are smart know that this is
is pure B.S.
   We did receive a very nice card from Ronnie and
a Jacquie Lawson card from Pat, way up in Chicago.
I do have to make a run to the Post Office in a
few minutes, but I will be back to fill you in on the
next project.

WE DID SAY TASTEFUL, DIDN'T WE?

2012-02-13T15:09:00.000-07:00

     OK, you can stop all of that snickering now!
Jeez! A guy simply tries to get with the program
and pick a suitable ensemble for the show, and it all
comes down to the bag.
    Yes, I did walk into the Phoenix with the above
bag draped over my shoulder. I needed something to
carry the remaining models and the Carmen canvas that
Ronnie worked for us. Tres chic, no?
   Carole informed us yesterday that she had a flamingo
bag as well. She even sent us a picture this morning,
questioning whether we had the same bag. { I mean, please,
we would not want to be seen carrying the same bag.}
Not to worry, they are different. Whew!
   I did call her down in La. a little while ago at the shop
where she and Ronnie are in a stitching group. And, yes,
Ronnie, I will send a pix of my " pink Mr. Squiggee T shirt,
and Squiggee Designs baseball cap. You can stop laughing,
now.
    Gail posted a photo of " Fanny, the Flamingo Fairy" on her
blog. It is one of those days. Mardi Gras is only a week away,
and I had to take Mr. Omar's beads off so that he wouldn't
drag them through his plate. He looked a bit despondent
until we promised a photo shoot for his "squeeze". He is
rather shallow, now that you mention it.
    There weren't any big questions about the house canvas,
but I did hear from several people thanking me for showing
how a canvas all comes together and showing it's various
stages. Next time I do one of these things, I shall go with
something less elaborate. Rendering something that is
probably 80 feet long and at least 30 ft high into a small
space, is tricky. Got to make it look right.
     That is about it for the moment. Maybe a bit more, later
on. It's lunch time.

AND HERE WE ARE- AS PROMISED

2012-02-11T10:29:00.003-07:00

     While I am off to the PO to put this in the
mail, Gail will put the photo's up for you to see.
    Mr. Omar is now ready for Fat Tuesday.
We might be able to get a shot of him with his
Mardi Gras beads, provided by Ronnie, of course.
    Shit, I keep getting sidetracked. Gail needed
to print some stuff. It does seem that these
chocolate bar ornaments have made a hit. Lory
likes Mr. Goodbar, so that and a Nestles Crunch
are on the agenda for today. After the house, you
look for something a bit less taxing to paint.
   So, I put on some Steve Goodman and parked
my loathsome carcass in front of the computer.
Spoke with my pal Carole for a few minutes this
morning. She told me that she was still a bit worn
out from her jaunt to New Orleans with several of
her pals. She did tell me, and she was laughing
when she said it, that I would have fit right in with
this crowd. That is a very scary thought. Another
example of trouble looking for a place to happen.
    " You don't have to call me darlin', darlin'
    But you never even call me by my name."
Great tune.   There is also a live version that he
did of this song that is hilarious. Same with
"Elvis Imitators".
    She did tell how much she enjoyed watching the
the canvas of the house coming together. The various
stages, etc. Getting the proportions on a house of this
size, and reducing it to 10 1/2 inches by 22 inches is
tricky. The photos were taken from a good distance
away, so the architectural details aren't in that
great of focus. The trials and tribulations of custom
designing. Getting good photo's is not always possible.
You just gotta work with what you have.
    I do thank you for your indulgence while this was
being painted. Hope you enjoyed it. Granted, I am not
the most eloquent of fellows, but you gets what you
gets. If anyone has any questions about any of this,
you can always gmail me and I will attempt to answer any
questions you may have.  Might have to ask Gail, though.
     I may be back in a while, but it is time for lunch, and
I think we will order pizza. TTFN. I will edit at that time.

DAY TWO- AND THEN SOME!

2012-02-10T09:39:00.001-07:00

    here we go day two.. Just wanted to post this so you could get
a look at how things are progressing.
    I shall return, after a tubby, to give you the scoop.
YES, I FINALLY MADE IT BACK.
    Errands and emails. Gail is in there putting the finishing
touches on the design. Shrubs, pots, flowers, etc. I have
watched her, over the years, giving a final cleanup
to every design that goes out the door. Each on gets the
same treatment.
    In this particular instance, she will be giving a fiber
list to go along with the design. This will be stitched in
wool and I do believe it's " Paternayan Persian Wool".
Shading was kept to a minimum especially since we are
talking 10 stitch.
    We shall be taking the final photo's this evening, before
it is sent on it's way. And I will post the various
stages of the canvas, to give you a better idea of how it
all comes together. Usually, when Gail is painting
one of these, I try to keep the phone calls at bay and
distractions to a minimum. Worked out pretty
well this time. Omar always needs his mommy time, but
he has been pretty calm.
    More later, possibly. An edit, or two.

DAY ONE- THE HOUSE

2012-02-09T08:55:00.002-07:00

    Since the template for my blog and Gail's blog
operated differently, I put a small amount of text
and a title, hold it as a draft, and she can add a photo
at the top of the text. Not too sure why it works this
way, but it does. You can't argue with a computer or the
template.
    I am getting breakfast while Gail gets a photo of the
painting progress. So, hang on for a while, and I shall be
back.
     It's 11 AM and I have made it back. Breakfast is done
and I have been rearranging some furniture. Omar's
idea!
     And now, back to the house. I have decided to leave
the top sketch in place during the course of my diatribe
about the canvas. A reference point, if you will. As we
move forward with the design we will be posting photo's within
the text. Off and running.
    From Gail's perspective, it is the roofline that sets the
overall tone of the piece. When you approach this house, and
in particular from this angle, the first thing that grabs you,
even from far away, is the many unique angles of the roof.
This is the starting point, and everything else works from that.
I have watched Gail paint multiple dogs, over the years, and
she always begins with the eyes and the facial expression. Once you
have captured the essence of that expression, the rest of it
just seems to fall into place.
   When you look at the two photo's that are in the text, the first is
a glimpse of the drawing table and various photos. The second gives
you a closer image of what she has done, thus far.
   One thing that you might want to remember is that this
piece is being created on 10 stitch/mesh. It's very difficult
to tell whether the the house in the photo has a slate roof
or asphalt shingles. I do like the flare at the lower edge of the
roof. This is very east coast. A steep pitch, as well. On 10
stitch, every stitch counts. It is not for the novice. It requires
an enormous amount of concentration and finesse to
pull off. Much moreso than on 18 stitch.
   I keep seeing one of those ads informing one and
all that they can take any photograph and turn it
into a needlepoint canvas, and how cheap it is.
It merely stamps the photo onto a piece of needlepoint
canvas or a piece of cross stitch canvas. However,
since it cannot really discern the stitches, it must be a
real pain in the patoot to try to stitch one these little
buggars.  I have heard stories, of course.
   Gail posted a stitch frog rollie on the top of her blog
that we received a couple of days ago from Pat, in
Lancaster, Pa. We do get such a kick out of our
Squiggee pals that donate their time and effort to
stitch designs to be made into models. Each one is very
unique in their choice of stitches and fibers, and that is
the basis of Squiggee Designs. You're supposed to have fun
while you are stitching. The design is a Squiggee, but the
stitching choices and fibers are all your personal choices.
OMG, and now I will just have to schmooze that crazy woman.
LOL. Hi, Pat!
     All for the moment. Need to take out the beast.
PS. See the lamp with all the paint splotches? That is
trademark Gail. Sometimes she will hold a couple of the
brushes in her mouth, when she is switching colors in a certain
area. This lamp is loaded with paint from her shifting
position and forgetting that the brushes are in her mouth.
I will catch hell for telling you this, of course. No matter.
Later If you have questions, drop me a line.

THE SKETCH- OR PART ONE! THE BEGINNING.,

2012-02-08T15:05:00.000-07:00

     If you take a look over on the right side, you will
see a photo of this elevation. This is the view that
you would see from the main entrance to the property.
    Working from photographs can be tricky. Certain
aspects don't necessarily translate well when you are
transferring from one idiom to another. You have to
think of your design in terms of stitches. You are working
on a grid, so , if you are stitch painting, you have to consider
every vertical and horizontal as a stitch. Shading becomes
very tricky. Shrubbery, trees and the shadows that a house
creates, also have to be taken into account.
   The sketch that Gail did will be placed under the canvas
as a sort of guideline. This sketch is the same size as the
finished canvas. It was cropped to fit this screen. The sketch
is done freehand, and sets the overall feel of the piece.
You'll see.
   After this piece is stitched and finished it will be a
"boxed pillow". Plus there will be a half inch rectangular
border around the design. The finish size of the deign
will be 20 1/4 inches by 11 3/4 inches, plus an inch and
a quarter drop all the way around , for the boxed pillow.
   In hopes that I don't come off as a complete idiot, I
will get Gail to come back and do a little editing.
Over the years, I have watched her create these types
of designs, so I get the perspective that a lot of people
do not get to see. Just lucky, I guess. And, yes, we shall
be posting photo's as we go along. I shall be serving
refreshments, as well.
   Back in a while, need to take a look in the oven.
PS. Omar made me do it. He also told that I should not
try to bore the pants off of you, either. Snotty little dog!

TODAY IS THE BIG DAY! HEADS UP!!!!!!

2012-02-08T09:42:00.000-07:00

Gail, is in taking a shower, and Mr. Squiggee
has breakfast ready. I finally called the water
company yesterday, just to get that out of the
way. Went to the Vet for Squiggee's medicine
and took care of all those loose ends.
Once we have breakfast, Gail will take a photo
of the house sketch, put it into the computer
to size it for the screen, and post it on the blog ,
along with the photo of the house.
Stay tuned, folks, this should be interesting.
Off to get breakfast.

THOUGHT YOU MIGHT ENJOY THIS!

2012-02-06T15:02:00.000-07:00

     The above canvas is now on it's way to it's
destination, along with the one at the top of Gail's
blog. All of this involves time sensitive designs, and
getting that block of time that I was talking about.
It also involves what colors are to be mixed for a
project. Gail uses Basics Acrylic paint, and mixes
any colors she might need. Depending on the design,
you will see numerous little plastic containers and
lids for the colors she is using. I usually try to keep
an abundance of clean pots available for one of these
designs. I have about 50 or sixty of them soaking in
buckets, ready to be rinsed out.
    I am not sure where the bronze statue on the right
is located. This was one of those custom pieces she did
many years ago. I am not sure what made me think of it
this morning. We have a small bronze sculpture in the
living room., sitting on a marble top table. I have always
liked this form of expression and it takes an enormous
amount of skill. It's hard to imagine the amount of time
that it would take to create this statue in bronze. The use
of the fall colors in the canvas design is one of those little
tricks to fool the eye. More on this later.
     Received a small package from Pat, way up in
Lancaster, Pa. a few minutes ago. We shall post a photo
of this in the morning after we give her a call . She's
always fun to talk with.
     Gail just asked me to bring her the roll of 18 stitch
brown canvas. I informed her I had heard a rumor that
the shops would not buy these little gingerbread houses
if they were painted on brown canvas. I won't repeat
what she said, but it was very graphic.
   Oh, I did look up Tom Leher on Wikepedia, or whatever
you call it. An interesting character, to say the very least.
Just one of those rather obscure talents that we seem to
somehow stumble across. For some reason or another,
they leave an impression on us. And there is a major
difference between political satire and social satire.
Just thought I would share that with you.
    That's about it for the moment. I shall call the water
company tomorrow. Might be back in a while to share
a little madness with you. Ken

MR. SQUIGGEE DECIDED TO TAKE A DAY OFF YESTERDAY!

2012-02-06T08:08:00.000-07:00

       Yesterday was Super Bowl Day and I figured
that most folks would be watching all of the hoopla
surrounding this event. We still have one of those older
TVs that is not digital, so we don't get any television
stations. Let's just say that this is a personal
preference. Yes, I know I could go out and get one of
those converter boxes, but the sad fact is that I just don't
feel that it's worth it.   I do know that the NY Giants won.
But that is about the extent of it.
    Gail finished up the last of the rush projects, yesterday.
I will put them in the post this morning. A few odds and ends
for me to take care of this morning, while she gets everything
set up for the house. Today is my day to call the water company
back and get some sort of adjustment on the bill. They only trust
the meter readings and seem unwilling to come out and look at
anything. Lazy, lazy, lazy! Their lack of initiative reminds me
of several people from the not so distant past. 'Nuff said on
that subject.
   I did bake that cake,but it wasn't very good. It was a Betty
Crocker box mix. Super moist, it said on the box. It was
moist, but had very little flavor. Are they using some sort
of chocolate substitute in cake mixes now. It was like one of
those awful rice cakes that a chocolate bar ran through.
We ate one piece and ditched the rest. What shall Mr.
bake next? I shall look around tomorrow.
     Anyone here remember Tom Leher? I guess if you
had to assign some sort of descriptive phrase to his
musical compositions, the best one I can come up with
is a " social satirist". Very tongue in cheek. His work
predates Mark Russell. Anyway I have 3 of his albums.
{Remember those}. These are all from back in the sixties.
I ran across these albums yesterday while I was puttering
around in the office. One of the things that seems to be
lacking on Cd's is liner notes that you can actually read,
without a magnifying glass.    Nevertheless, the liner notes
were extremely well written. Snappy banter, witty, and
loaded with sarcasm and a hint of cynicism. Scintillating
reading. Maybe I will scan a portion of one of these and post it
here for you to look at.
    Well, it's time to take Gail her morning coffee. She has never
been a morning person, so I amuse myself in the office until
she arises. More in a while. Photo's to come. Might need to
edit, too.

YOU CAN'T ROLLER SKATE IN A BUFFALO HERD!

2012-02-04T08:42:00.000-07:00

     This line belongs to Roger Miller of course,
but it's Super Bowl weekend and almost everything
you see in the print media is talking about the biggo
game. "Omar don't care"! Not his thing.
   And since the next couple of days are centered
around group gatherings, cocktail food, having enough
beer for the main event, betting pools and the like, we
shall place the blog entries about the house on the
back burner until Monday.
    I have noticed that some of the commercials
for the big event have already been leaked to the media.
I haven't taken a look at any of them, but the
buzz on Facebook will tell me all that I want to know.
Stupid, or cute, doesn't enter into the picture. It's
just more big business. I am sure that I can read all
about it later.
    I do realize that the above comments may sound
a trifle sarcastic. Who is going to have a costume
malfunction this year? Hope it's not the Clydesdale
Horses. I have heard rumors that some nefarious
protest group has slipped Viagra into their feed, this
morning. Rowdy halftime show, eh?
     It's been a couple of weeks since the big show and
I have been talking with several of the shops and
asking pertinent questions. Several of them did not
go to the show and it is interesting to get the shops
opinions on such matters. Granted, I was only there for
a couple of hours, but I know how to shut up and listen.
    Breakfast time. I shall return throughout the day.
PS- I liked Roger Miller's tunes, King Of The Road,
Kansas City Star, etc. Fun Stuff. Later, dudes and
dudettes! Spell check doesn't like slang! Edit later.

I DO LOVE THE ROTUNDA!

2012-02-03T12:16:00.000-07:00

     There is another photo at the top of Gail's
blog, for you to look at. That rotunda looks
like a very inviting place to do almost anything.
Sunrise, sunsets, or just a wonderful place to
sit and relax.
     Gail is settling in to paint, the kids are relaxing,
and I can hear the theme song for "The Sopranos"
coming from the TV. The first season, of course.
When she has something this involved to paint
she generally pick a series that has a lot of episodes
to listen to as she paints. You never know exactly how
long it will take to paint one of these projects, so
the tricky part is giving a cost estimate that is fair to
both parties. However long it takes to complete, the
price of the canvas does not change. There are exceptions,
of course, but that generally involves the addition of
something major in the design.
   For those of you that are curious about the chair
medallions that I posted, we do have the photos of
the remaining ones. The painted canvases. These chairs
reside out in San Francisco.
   Had a chat with our pal Carole, yesterday, and my
ears are still burning. She and Ronnie are coming up
with some suitable color titles for Omar's Fibers.
Multi-tasking just comes natural to him What a poodle!
   Spoke with a very pleasant woman this morning from
Louise's Needlepoint . It's on the outskirts
of Columbus. The owner wasn't there, but it was nice to just
have a chat. As things begin to get back to normal, I will
get back to conversing with the various shops and find
some new ones, as well.
   A quick question: How many of you remember who
"FARFEL" was? I can remember him from the
commercials on TV from the late 50's until the late
60's. He and his little pal would promote
NESTLES QUIK and there was always a tagline
at the end when you would hear his jaw snap shut.
Kids used to run around using this expression all the
time. You can find one of these commercials on the
Internet. A little dated, but still entertaining.
And certainly not as extravagant as the one's you
will see during the Super Bowl this weekend.
A lot cheaper to produce, as well. Spell it out, kids:
"N-E-S-T-L-E-S, nestles makes the very best...
Chocolate. {snap}"
    Any of you still have your Secret Decoder Ring
from the Ovaltine days? How many labels did you need?
Back in a bit, Mr Squiggee is baking a cake. Strange, but
true! You will just have to visualize the icing. Just
remember the bundt cake episode, is all I can tell you..

2012-02-02T17:43:00.000-07:00

Now, I do realize that this looks nothing like the house,

But this is the sort of line drawing that Gail uses under the

canvas. This one is a bit more elaborate than most that she

uses, but this was from a series of chairs that she did. There were

either six or eight of these. Different chair, different sketch.

all of the sketches were sent to the client/customer for

approval. There is a color palette involved, of course. This

is generally based on the colors in the room where these chairs

are placed in the house. The colors in rugs, curtains and

various room contents all play a factor.

Variations on a Theme, is the best description that I

can come up with. I watched her do the sketches for these

chairs and each one is unique, but the same.

Pardon me for a minute. I put some music on to go with

this blog. It's one of those Cd's that I made a while back. A

combination of all sorts of music. Sometimes you just need

sit and listen. The song that took me away, so to speak, is

"Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me", which is a Duke

Ellington classic, but this version is done in the trio

context by Mose Allison. A true pop standard. Nat Cole

also did a great version.

Back to the subject at hand. I did think that you would

enjoy the comparison of the sketch and the painted

canvas. We have an enormous amount of these

sketches on hand. We have some dating back to the

early 80's that have so much paint on them that printed

through the canvas that they crinkle when you fold them.

One of them is of Dorothy's red shoes from the Wizard of Oz.

Another time, perhaps.

A lot of phone calls the past couple of days. Questions

about custom work, and estimates to go out. My job is to

handle the phone work, talk to the shops, and take care

of the day to day stuff so that Gail can create. We are

of the old school of business that returns phone calls

and emails. This seems to be a tack that has been lost

in today's business world. The above chairs and this house that

she is about to paint require blocks of time to do. We

try to keep the interruptions to a minimum. The above

chair medallions were approx 9 inches Round on 13 stitch.

The sketch is freehand, of course. Enjoy. More tomorrow.

You do realize, of course, that you can always email me

with any questions or comments you may have. I will

keep Omar away from the keyboard.

HERE WE GO!

2012-02-01T15:34:00.001-07:00

     All is calm. Gail is painting a tootsie roll, Squiggee
is napping, and Omar is in the lazy boy, holding vigil.
And here you are, stuck with Mr. Squiggee. Bummer,
dude!
   In our 33 years of marriage I have seen an enormous
amount of needlepoint created. The canvases she
designs for the wholesale market are just one aspect
of what she does.   A lot of these designs are merely
out of her head.
    Custom designing is a different animal, altogether .
In the hopes that I don't bore you, my view of what she
is about to create is much the same as yours. Since I
am not a painter, let's assume that you aren't either,
and progress from that point.
     First..... THE CANVAS
    This design is going to be on ten stitch- Gail does a
lot of teaching pieces on 10 stitch, but also informs me
that you could also do one of those little gingerbread
houses on it as well. The only difference is the finished
size. The stitch count is the same, whether it's 10,13 or 18.
That was one of the factors that went in to creating
Squiggee. Many people love the 18 st. and will do
nothing else. The painting process is the same. It's counted.
Ten stitch works quickly. And it can be used for all sorts
of things. Wool is still the fiber of choice for chairs, rugs,
etc because of it's durability and the fact that it can be cleaned.
    It is primarily used for chair seats, rugs, church kneelers,
pillows. It's not used for belts or smaller shaped items.
The canvas, itself, is a cotton weave, and treated with
a sizing. This is like a starch. This starch, or sizing, is
what helps it reshape itself when it goes to be finished.
Depending on the tension that you use when you stitch,
sometimes things get a bit misshapen. The finisher uses
all sorts of magic to get things back into shape, but some
stitchers tension is so heavy that they actually have been
informed by the finishing services that they will need to
use stretcher frames when they stitch to keep things
from getting too out of whack.
   We have recently had a phenomenon called "blogus
interruptus". Actually, it was a call from a shop placing
an order. We had lunch, sent out confirmations, and Gail
just added the above photo of Miss Muffet. "Stop licking
the screen, Omar." Just joking.
   One other thing that you may not realize is that if you
do a count of stitches in two different directions and then
measure that distance, you will find a variation anywhere up
to 1/8 inch or more. Canvas comes in a couple of different
widths also, 40 inches and 54 inches.
    The first major hurdle is the realization that you are painting
on a grid. It is not the same as painting on a flat surface.
At first it drove her crazy, until you reach a point that
when you are creating a design it becomes second nature to
plan your design within the framework of the grid.
This may sound a bit convoluted, but that is what stitch
painting is. Once you look at the sketch that
is placed under the canvas, this will all become clear.
Saying that something is hand painted really has
no meaning. It's like buying a piece of furniture that
states it as being "solid wood", but if you look closely it is
just particle board with a solid veneer. Not the same thing,
at all.
   For lunch we had some rice a roni, and the dogs mooched
something horrible. They are even worse with won ton
soup.
    Hope I didn't bore you too much. It is a process, however,
like all things, and I assure you it will get more interesting
as we progress. Thanks.

UP WITH THE BIRDIES TO PUT OUT THE TRASH!

2012-02-01T06:58:00.000-07:00

     And I can hear the truck rumbling down an
adjacent street. Omar didn't arise with me this
morning when the alarm went off, but the sound
of his nemesis up the road will bring the boy out
of his lair very soon.
    Hopefully there won't be a lot of distractions
today. It's like one of those displays of
dominoes. A cascading event. You know how these
things can change the whole tone of your day. Your
mood shifts and you just can't get back to where
you were. A good night sleep helps to clear the head.
I do have a couple of calls to make this morning to the
shops. We received a voice mail yesterday, but by
the time I returned the call the shop was closed. So I
shall give it a whirl this morning until I can get ahold of
someone.
     These automated switchboards that many companies
are using now can be quite aggravating. How about the
option of just answering the phone? That would be nice!
And we all thought that answering machines were bloody
awful.
     With all of these new gadgets, people actually have
become worse about returning phone call and even emails.
I read an article about this in The NY Times a couple of
months ago. And I , like so many others, get increasingly
ambivalent about doing any sort of business with someone
that won't take a few second to get back to me. How long does
it take to do a text, an email, or just leave a message.
Too busy? Please, no one is that busy!
    Now that we have that out of the way, I hope you are
enjoying the photos, and I thank you for your indulgence.
Gail will post a couple more of them this morning, and,
after she does, Mr Squiggee will give you the
play by play as the whole thing progresses. The chosen
elevation and the sketch will be forth coming.
Uh oh, here comes the truck and little Lord Bad Ass
is on the move!. "Just let me at those big tires, dad.
I'll rip 'em to shreds. They'll rue the day they drove
into my hood"! Down, boy down!
     See you in a bit, after I calm the savage beast.

NICE SHACK, EH?

2012-01-31T20:25:00.000-07:00

   Today was spent updating the catalog, taking
photo's, and being put on hold with "customer
service reps". Incorrect passwords, security questions,
etc. "Your call will be answered in 25 minutes.
And, by all means, play me some more muzak.
Even you aren't on meds, it makes you wish that
you were.
    Just one of those days when you look at the time and
wonder where it went. Ah, tomorrow is another day.
But we did think you would enjoy the pictures and it
does help to set the overall tone of the piece that
Gail is about to create. You'll see.
     More in the morning. Early up, it's trash day.
Omar is pumped and ready. See you then.

JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK NOTES BEFORE WE PRESS ON!

2012-01-31T08:24:00.000-07:00

       Di ya' like that? Never mind.
What I did forget to mention yesterday is that we
heard from a dear friend Lesley out in Mass.
She obviously reads the blogs and loves to tease
us both. A dog lover and one of the original
Squiggers from the EBay days. It's always nice
to hear from her and the lovely Miss Muffett.
She did state in her letter that she was willing
to pass the hat around town to raise Mr. Squiggee"s
bail money. A true smart ass, God love 'em. Hi Lesley!
kiss, kiss from all of us in Squiggeeland. And Omar and
the Squig send their love as well.
     Gail is sleeping at the moment, so I thought I would
just come in here to babble for a bit. Oh, the pug rollie
that you see on the front page of our website is actually
on 10 stitch. Just thought of that.
   Gail's blog is formatted differently than mine. For some
reason when I insert a photo and then attempt to add
text, it always comes out very strange. The text placement
is not as it should be. What I wind up having to do is the
text and then insert the photos. Kind of a pain in the
patootie, but there it is.
     I will get into the scoop about the house in my afternoon
blog. I had not realized that Gail had dropped a dime
about the arm photo's.   This photo actually appears on a
website for a shop back east. They won't purchase any of
Gail's designs or any of the Squiggee, but they certainly don't
seem to mind using her image to imply that people seeking
custom needlepoint designs could find Gail's services through
them. NEVER HAPPEN!
    I won't get into the rest of it, but Gail is getting ready to
send off a letter to this shop. We'll see how long it takes them
to remove the photo. I got all kind of stories about this bunch
that I would love to tell you about. This is the same bunch that
told Gail that she was charging too much for custom work, and
that they made more money from finishing. Yada Yada. We
shall see. The photo is from the spare bedroom in Pa. where
Gail set up her studio. This was back in 2006.
    More in a while.

A MOMENTARY GLITCH IN THE SYSTEM!

2012-01-30T10:09:00.081-07:00

     It has just been one of those days. A lot of
telephone time and tying up a few loose ends.
Everything you do that involves the Internet requires
some sort of user ID and password. It becomes
a muddle after a certain point. Thanks for your
patience. On to the matter at hand.
    The photo above is an aerial view of the house
and grounds that Gail is going to create into
needlepoint. Not all of it, of course, just the
house. There is another shot of the surroundings
at the top of Gail's blog. And, no, this is not where
the Clampett's live! We have other photo's,
but we thought you might enjoy looking at these,first.
It's not Tucson, either. There seems to be an abundance
of pools, as well.
     As one might suspect, and especially with a house
of this size, we were provide with all manner of photo's
to use as references. The major decision is deciding
which elevation, or view, to use for the designs. It's
an enjoyable house to look at. The architect took
great pains with this house, and it's orientation on the
property. As a builder/ woodworker , you realize that
this house was built by true craftsmen. Nothing shoddy
or second rate. I especially like the radius porch and
roof. It also appears to be screened in. These kinds of
efforts take a good deal of time and expertise to create.
   I do understand that this time of structure may no longer
be practical and cheap to build, but it is a reminder
of the pride people took in their craft.
   Yes, I know, everything on the East Coast looks old.
That's history, you putz. I consider myself fortunate
that I have been able to do some work in a few of those
old historic buildings along the eastern seaboard. The
mind never loses the images, somehow.
    I will show you a few more pictures tomorrow, and
show you the elevation photo which was chosen.
Remember that this is going to be created on 10
stitch, so it should be interesting to watch it develop.
   Oh, and I will tell you about the photo that is on the
right, at the top of the page. I guarantee that you will
love this story. Do you know that arm? Where have I
seen that arm before?
   More in the morning Take care. After finishing up
the Boardwalk Empire, the only movies we had of that
specific era and prohibition was "The Untouchables" and
"Bullets Over Broadway". So we watched them both.
Later.

A SPECIAL TREAT!

2012-01-29T14:19:00.000-07:00

    Over the next few days, you and I are going to
take a journey through the process of creating a
custom needlepoint design.
    The finished design size will be 20 1/2" X 11 3/4".
Gail informs me that it is for a box pillow. The subject
matter is a rather large house in Long Island, New York.
A house in the Hampton's. We shall scan some photo's
and post a few of them to give you an idea of what we are
dealing with.
    Gail sent the sketch out for approval from the owner
of the house, and it's recently come back so all is ready
to go. This has been in the cooker for a while now, but
we never could have anticipated all of the turmoil
of the last year, so it had to be put on the back burner
for a bit. Painting a canvas of this type and size
requires a serious block of time. Once you start one
these pieces, all else goes to the wayside. Over the years
I have watched Gail paint all different sorts of architecture,
from small cabins, the White House, and pretty much
everything in-between. It's kind of fascinating to watch
the whole process come together.
    I will be posting photo's at various stage of the canvas,
as well as a scan of the sketch. The sketch gets placed under
the canvas , as a sort of guideline while she paints.
    This particular canvas will be on 10 mesh/stitch, and will
most probably be worked in wool, as it stands the test of time.
    You'll have to pardon me for saying this but, " this
ain't no tar paper shack". You'll see.
   Gail goes into a zone when she paints one of these things.
It takes a lot of concentration and finesse. The most difficult
part to fudge is the bushes and/or grass and trees. You
have to utilize various tricks to fool the eye.
   So, it should be, at the very least, interesting to look at.
I shall endeavor not to sound like a total putz.
   I am sitting here listening to Mary Black on a Cd.
If you are unfamiliar with her, she is an Irish folk singer.
Wonderful voice and great musicians, all from Ireland.
Music for listening and contemplation. Irish writers, as well.
Universal themes.
   I guess it's time to start thinking about putting some
chicken in the oven. I may add to this a bit later, but one never
knows. Gail is finishing up some Santa's and listening to
"Beach Music" by Pat Conroy.
   There is one song on this CD that is sung completely
in Irish. I have no idea what the words mean, but it's
amazing to listen to. Haunting, is the best description
that I can come up with
    Anyway, that is what's going on here. Hope you are
having an enjoyable day.
   Feel free to drop me a line. Mr. Squiggee.

UNTITLED----- SO FAR-

2012-01-29T08:05:00.000-07:00

     Generally speaking, the week after the big
January Trade Show is a quiet one. The vendors
have to pack up their displays and arrange for
it to be shipped back to their home base, and then
squirrel themselves away for a few days to process
all the orders they have taken. The next step for them
is to get an order off to their painting service. It's a
bit of a mad dash.
    The shops and owners that went to the show seem to
have all sorts of different methods.   Some will place
orders at the show. Some spend the first two days looking
at the various designs and then return to order. And
then some of them make notes about what they like,
go back to their shop, and then make their decision on
what to purchase.
     The trick to a successful buying expedition is knowing
the kind of designs that you customers are looking for.
The whole emphasis being all of these shows is "what is new".
It is unfortunate that the costs for printing any sort of
catalog is going up all the time. Especially photographs.
When I wandered around at the show, I didn't see a lot
of catalogs, and I was only offered one fiber sample.
    This is one of the major reasons that we put the catalog
online. Everyone can view it. The shops, the stitchers,
the curious, etc. Anyone interested in one of these designs
can simply call a local needlepoint shop, give them a stock
number, and the shop can order it for them. The catalog is pretty
big, and it's going to get bigger.   Anyone that wants to know
the name of a shop near them can always contact us and I
will find them a shop near them that we have dealt with.
    This lull is temporary, of course.  Jan. is one of those months
that puts people in a limbo mode. Valentine's Day is your
next holiday, so perk up.
     We did finish the last DVD of "Boardwalk Empire" last
night. So really good extras, too.   It is amazing what they
can create, based on old photographs. The period costumes,
the creation of the boardwalk, and you get a chance to
hear the actors talk about their characters, and all the
historical tidbits.
     One thing I will tell you. The actor that plays "Chalky
White" in this show, is the same man that played "Omar"
in " THE WIRE". Michael Kenneth Williams is his name.
A very charismatic character.
    If you are thinking of watching this, you might want to
steer clear of these sites where people give away all
sorts of plot details. Spoilers, I believe they are called.
It is the correct term, of course, because it does tend
to spoil the experience for the first time viewer if you
know what is coming nest. Way too many self appointed
critics. You either like, or you don't. Why dissect it
and ruin the experience for others? But that's just
my take on the whole thing.
Breakfast time . EDit later Ken

GOOD MORNING !

2012-01-28T07:29:00.000-07:00

     For those of you that are interested in this
sort of thing, on the fourth DVD of "Boardwalk Empire",
are some extra bits. The first of these is a brief
history of Atlantic City and a few of it's illustrious
characters and past. The second set of extras is a tour of
some of the speakeasy's of the day that are still remaining.
So you get to see several in Chicago and several famous
ones in NYC as well. All sorts of hidden exits and concealed
liquor vaults. These places are now icons of the city, but
what truly amazed me was the woodwork, metalwork, glass
and detailing on the interior of these " illegal drinking
parlours".   Elegance, is the best description that I could
give you.
     It's always the eye for even the smallest little detail
that makes it really sing out to you. That "majestic"
ambiance.   It's like going to a Sunday tea at The Willard
Hotel", in Washington D. C. History just permeates the
whole structure.
    I remember a couple of people telling me, upon their
return from a visit back east, that they didn't care for
it because "Everything looked so old".  Vapid, truly
vapid. Attempting to point out any sort of historical
events would be a total waste of time. Some people
just don't see the beauty. Can't see the trees for the
forest, is the expression that comes to mind.
     Anyway, if you should happen to rent or purchase
these DVDs, don't forget to check these extras out.
Well worth your investment in time.
    So is that PBS documentary on New York City.
The photo's, newsreel footage, and the narration
are exceptional.
    That's about it for this morning. More, a bit later,
I imagine. Guess I need to edit, as well.

JUST HOW MANY BOOKS OF S & H GREEN STAMPS DO YOU HAVE?

2012-01-27T13:58:00.000-07:00

     It's certainly been a while since I have seen those.
Hmmm! How many books for a toaster?
   I am really not sure exactly when they stopped giving
these out, but I can certainly remember the time spent
licking those awful stamps.
   For those of you that don't recall this bit of Americana,
it was pretty common, way back when. Merchants of all types
would give out green stamps with each purchase, as a
sort of reward for your patronage. You received them
at the grocery store, the pharmacy, the gas station, etc.
At some gas stations, and this was back when a business
actually courted you, they would give you double stamps
for a fill-up and throw in a couple of coke glasses.
    All houses seemed to have a drawer full of these loose
stamps, and when the drawer would no longer close some
lucky sod was delegated to lick and paste the stamps in the
book. It took quite a few books to procure something
really usable, but that never mattered. Everyone browsed the
catalog like it was from Tiffany's. Then off you went, with
your small bags of filled green stamp booklets, to the
redemption store to claim your prize.
   Soda bottles, back in those days, were also prized items.
You could wash them out and take them to the corner
store, get your 2 cents or 5 cents per bottle reward, and get
yourself some BB Bats, licorice, fireballs, or any variety
of penny candy that your little heart desired. Simpler
times, of course. But you could always see small groups
of children scouring the roadways and alleys for these
glass bottles.
    YES, RONNIE, YOUR
S&H GREEN STAMPS
BOOKS ARE WELCOME
HERE!
     I did tell you that we have been watching the first
season of "Boardwalk Empire", and,being the curious
creature that I am, I did a bit of research about
Warren G. Harding. He was elected President in 1920
and died in 1923, while still in office.
   Truth is always much stranger than fiction. You don't
have to delve too far into all of this to see the greed
and corruption that fueled this whole era in our
society. What is that old saying, "power corrupts?
And with such a vengeance, too. The fact that
prohibition, as an enforceable law, was never going
to work, only brought on more graft. Hell, even
the Pres was having liquor parties. It wasn't until
1933 that the whole thing was repealed.
   This show gives all kinds of historical tidbits for
you to nibble on. For myself, doing a bit of
research on the computer can go a long way
towards filling in a few of the gaps that we, as
children in school, never seemed all that interested in.
   Time marches on, so they say. More later maybe.

HE'S BACK! OH CRAP, WHAT'S HE UP TO NOW?

2012-01-25T16:09:00.000-07:00

     Not to worry, he's not up to anything sinister.
Or at least not anything more than the usual. Gail is
in the other room painting some candy wrappers,
and for some strange reason I have this craving
for some chocolate. OH, yum!
We have an audio book on at the moment. This
time it's the unabridged version of a Michael
Crichton book titled "PREY". It's about 13 hours long.
The person reading the book is not a name I am
familiar with, George Wilson, but he is doing an
excellent job.   Anyone that is unfamiliar with his
novels, or his name, need only remind themselves
of Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain, Disclosure,
Congo, and the creator behind ER, on television.
A rather vivid imagination? You got it!
Dumb and dumber, this is not. Needless to say, it's
a very informative and mesmerizing book. Bottom
line,"Don't mess with mother nature and be very
cautious with what you are about to create." It just
might turn on you.
   As a footnote to my earlier posting; The Volstead Act of
1919 led to the passage of the 18th amendment, which
was Prohibition. It was repealed in 1933. Women in this
country gained voting rights in 1920. A strange, but
fascinating, period of history in this country. Stock crash
of 1929 and the Great Depression. History is anything
but dull and boring.
     Just thought I would toss that out there.
     Mr. Squiggee gets to write a letter this evening., and
I shall fill you all in on the result of this action. You will
find the subject matter quite interesting. The recipient
of the letter won't, however. I shall be civil, but very
emphatic.
   I doubt that my take on the TNNA show in Phoenix
shall sway any ones opinion, or make any drastic ripples.
But, when you look around you and see all these
little mom- and-pop stores disappearing, only to be
replaced by some behemoth corporate entity, it might
make one come to the realization that, if you want your
small business to survive and flourish, you can't be
complacent.
     "Check the chicken", says Omar. "Smells good".
Later

BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN! ON GUARD FOR THE TRASH MAN!

2012-01-25T07:04:00.001-07:00

SEE CARMEN'S PHOTO BELOW.
NOW THERE IS A GAL WITH
FLASH, AND ATTITUDE!
THANKS, RONNIE!

     Got up around 5:45 to put out the last bag of trash.
You know, the foodstuffs and wrappers that, if you put
them out the night before, all the innards would be
littered about the yard. Varmints. Coffee has just finished
brewing so I need a cuppa. Hang on!
    We have started watching HBO's " Boardwalk Empire".
Rental, for the time. We have watched the first two
disc's and have already deduced that, at some in the
future, it will be added to our collection of DVDs.
That period of time in history, between the two world
wars, prohibition and the Volstead Act, the Temperance
movement and women gaining voting rights, has always
been one of interest.   A lot of research went into the
making of this show. Tons of characters to keep track of.
The good, the bad and all those caught up in the turbulent
era.
    This just came out on DVD. Now, for those of you who
never watched The Soprano's, Carnivale, Deadwood, or
The Wire, you might not find this type of show appealing.
Too convoluted or disjointed. Each episode seems to
pull you deeper into that world. Don't kid yourself,
your fellow man has not changed all that much in modern
times. He has just gotten slicker at it. The greed and
corruption is just as prevalent now as it was back then.
The stock market crash of 1929 was not far off and
with so many fingers in the till, things got pretty ugly for
those in the cities.
Like I stated earlier, a lot of research went into the making
of this series, and while there are those that merely
view this sort of thing as merely entertainment, it's a slice
of our history. Or, as Omar says : "Read a book, and learn
about our not so sweet and cuddly past".
   Good coffee this morning. Gail went back to sleep for a
while. Her reverie will be interrupted by the trash truck
and Omar, in a little while. Pancakes for breakfast,
compliments of Mr. Squiggee.
     The temperature said 39 degrees in Tucson, this morning.
The winter has been a colder than normal this year, so I
am told. It's tough on the vegetation, as well.
   I do have a few errands to take care of this morning, but I
have some other stuff to tell you, so drop back by. Sounds
like Facebook is going to force more changes on everyone,
so I shall be bidding them a not so fond farewell. It served
it's purpose and it's time to move on. This circle of friends,
timeline, etc. is a "load of old cobblers", as they say.
   Catch you later. Spell check and I am outta here.

TOO MUCH SUSPENSE? SERVES YOU RIGHT, YOU NOSY THINGS?

2012-01-24T18:02:00.002-07:00

     Got waylaid doing errands today, but the
chicken is in the oven and Gail is finishing up a
couple of custom orders. I did speak with the
kind folks at Rainbow Gallery this morning to let
them know how kind and knowledgeable their
reps at the show were. Credit where credit is due.
    Gail will be in shortly to post Carmen's photo.
I have been reading a few of the comments, on FB,
made by a few of the vendors at the show. Maybe
I went there on the wrong day or I had my eyes closed
and missed something. Attendance on Sunday
seemed a little sparse to me. But then I am used to attending
woodworking shows and home building trade shows.
A bit more demonstrative, as well. Yeah, yeah, I know it's
a wholesalers trade show.
     The irony of this show, as well as the one in Columbus,
is the fact that that it's only about taking orders. Can't sell
anything on the floor. All that expense of going to the show
and the shops come home with orders to be delivered sometime
in the future. Kinda like putting something on layaway.
   Without the input from the people that actually plunk
down their hard earned money to purchase the designs,
how is a shop owner to know what his/her customers are
really looking for. We have all been manipulated and told
we are supposed to like {sort of an "in crowd' thing]. The same
is true with music, literature, and TV/movies. All I can tell
you is that sometimes you just gotta step on up and make a
ripple, now and then, or be swept along with the tide.
    If you gotta tell people that it's "cutting edge", then it
really isn't "cutting edge."   And you thought I didn't
have an opinion? Guess again.
   And while we are on the subject of my opinion, and it's
intrinsic value; As the Internet plays a larger
role in all of our lives, shows of this sort seen a bit passe,
from my view. I listen to so many of the smaller shop
owners, from all over the country, who simply cannot
afford to attend one of the big shows. This economic
downturn has put the hurt on the smaller business person.
Learning to make full use of the Internet, as a vital
tool for your business, is going to be a necessity for
the future. It's just a reality, sorry to say. It's still
a hell of a lot cheaper than going to one of these shows.
The Squiggee Designs Website costs us $14 a month
Not bad for all the coverage it gives us., eh? All 85 pages
of designs, right at your fingertips.
   Got to check the chicken.

YOU DIDN'T SERIOUSLY THINK I WAS GOING TO SHOW YOU THE COMPLETE FLAMINGO, DID YOU?

2012-01-23T11:39:00.003-07:00

     Is that malcontent, Mr. Squiggee, teasing you again?
Boo Hoo. Of course he was.   I just thought you might
want to feast your eyes on her magnanimous hat. Wait till
you see her dress and el magnifico legs.
     Our very big thanks to Ronnie Oliver for stitching the
wondrous Carmen. And, yes, she did make a hit at the
show yesterday, but I had to whisk her back home, for her
own protection and a photo shoot.
    Gail provided some photo's of her wall of canvases at the
show. This is what is known as the tip of the iceberg. "Just
ran out of room". When the Columbus show rolls around there
will be so much more.
    The show closed at 4 PM, so everyone is packing up. A rather
daunting task, to say the least. From what I can gather, the show
next year will return to Long Beach, and nobody knows about
the following year.
    Yes, I schmoozed, and I was as charming as I could be,
but a man of my caliber can only hang on for a certain
amount of time.
    For those of you that are needlepointers, Mr Squiggee
was most impressed by the new fibers from Rainbow
Gallery. Mr. Squiggee and his cohorts love bling and
pizzazz. Must've been a crow in a previous life. The two
women that I spoke to, from Rainbow Gallery were very
helpful and the sample card they gave me made quite a hit
with Gail. They have some fibers designed for 10 st. The
pug rollie is actually on 10 st. Gail was thrilled to actually
a metallic thread that wouldn't have to be doubled for
use on ten stitch. Their names are Fluffy Fleece, Plastic
Canvas 10, and Ribbon Rays.
Also something called EdMar, and their card
said: Explore the colorful world of Brazilian Dimensional
Embroidery Threads.   Very nice stuff. Check it out. Also
YLI Corporation out of Rock Hill, South Carolina .
    The two gals I spoke with from Presencia were also
very helpful. Cool looking stuff, even if I don't stitch.
   Like I have stated before, this was my first foray
into this world. I do think, however, that the addition
of the " Soul Train Dancers" could have livened the
place up a bit. It ain't no thang! Just a thought.
A lot of serious looking people, but Mr. Squiggee
did behave himself. Kinda!
    Had to go to the laundromat earlier today to was the
king size comforter. Too large to do in the washer
at home. Looked through a few old magazines while
I was there. No news is good news, so to speak.
Supposedly, the water company was out to read the
meter today. I will give them a call tomorrow. I will
let you know the result.
That's about it for the moment.
As for Carmen, you'll just have to come back. Didn't
want to make to easy on you. TA!

WHEW! I'M BACK! ANDE NOT A MOMENT TOO SOON!.

2012-01-22T18:33:00.000-07:00

      Enough, already. Thank goodness my friend had
bail money, or I would still be in the pokey. First, they
tried to toss me from the Convention Center for doing
"the hoochie coochie dance"in the new items display
area, but the final straw was doing the "gator crawl"
through the fiber displays. On go the cuffs. Off to the
hoosegow with the degenerate Mr. Squiggee.
       I LIED.
    But I am back home. Had a very nice visit with
Sharon G, even though I had forgotten the chocolate.
Let's see, I spoke with Megan from Needlework Retailer,
Elizabeth from Needlepoint Now, Pat Delp and her family from
Designer's Desk. and several different fiber company
reps. Oh, and a friend of Ruth Schmuff at Bedecked and
Bedazzled. So, for all practical purposes, I had a good time.
Since I had never been to one of these events, I wasn't
quite sure what to expect. I do understand that many of the
people there were shop owners and buyers. Not exactly a place
for a relaxing visit, but it was nice to be able to put a face
to the voices I have heard for the last couple of years.
    I did manage to get a couple of orders for Omar's new
fibers. Laughs, as well. You have to be a dog lover to fully
appreciate this sort of thing. Sharon wanted to know when
my next Sensitivity Training Seminar was scheduled to take
place. Just have to keep her in the loop.
   I can't say that I envy those that have to tear all of those
displays down on Monday and prepare to go back home.
Got a few photo's and Gail will post later. Bear with me!

MR. SQUIGGEE IS HEADING TO PHOENIX.

2012-01-22T08:53:00.000-07:00

AND A GOOD AFTERNOON TO YOU!

2012-01-21T15:11:00.002-07:00

     Just finished eating a rather late lunch and
just lounging around. Gail is in the living room,
with Omar resting on her lap, watching a movie.
Just took the phone in to her and Squiggee is also
beside her on the lazy boy.
   The show is in full swing, of course. As Gail said
on her blog, I am ready to head on up there tomorrow
morning for my debut, as it were. We did receive a package
from Tyler, Texas a little while ago. I will be taking
these canvases, as well as my gal Carmen with me when
I head to Phoenix.
   As flippant as I may seem at times, both Gail
and myself truly appreciate our pals sacrificing their
time and making such an extraordinary effort to stitch
some of these designs for us. We are very grateful for
their input, as well.
Hang on, back in a bit.

ALL THE PIECES MATTER- PART TWO- WHOA, JUMP BACK! YES, WE HAVE NO BANANAS!

2012-01-20T13:45:00.000-07:00

    Got a package from the men in brown a little
while ago. It was from Ronnie, down in Louisiana.
Inside of this package was none other than the
magnificent "Carmen Flamingo". We are talking
some serious bling, glitz, and, as Omar would say,
"That woman is seriously trashy. I think I'm in
love".   There was also a couple of mardi gras
beaded necklaces in the package, so himself and
Squiggee just had to try them on. We will have
to do a photo shoot later on today. Omar got in to
his prance mode where he sashays his bubble butt
around the room.
   I will be taking my pal Carmen with me, when I
head up to Phoenix for the show on Sunday. We
just got off the phone with Ronnie a few minutes
ago and expressed our gratitude and thanks for
stitching such a flamboyant character for us.
Not too sure how she did the ruffles on the dress,
but they are pretty amazing.
Yes, we will post photo's, but not until I come back
from the show. Probably post her photo on Sunday
evening when I get back.
    I have printed out my map to the Convention Center,
so I am pretty well set.   Well, I am heading off yo get a snack.
I shall return a bit later.

ALL THE PIECES MATTER!

2012-01-20T07:15:00.000-07:00

     Before I begin, I just want to let you know
that I will be posting several times today. On
all sorts of topics So you'll need to stop by to
scope it out, at various points today. We have been
rather busy getting all the loose ends tied up and ready
for the show, so I have been told, by the boss, to just
relax and putter, today. We call this: "getting yourself
correct", for the impending festivities.
    I do have a couple of duties that I have to take care of
at the show. I asked Sharon G if she brought me any
chocolate from PA. Her response was no, but that I
should bring her some when I visit her at the show.
I just might do that.  Great sense of humor, and I
am looking forward to saying hi.
     In other news, we just received an order for a couple
of the candy wrapper canvases. You can see these on the
right side of the blog. You just never know what will
catch peoples attention. The catalog just keeps
getting bigger. We are up to 81 pages now. There
is also a custom section for the new shop in
Middleburg, Virginia. It called "STITCH", and
it is owned by Stacy Norris. There are several pages
of some of the custom designs that Gail has done for
her shop. It has taken her a bit longer, due to
remodeling, etc., to get it all up and running, but she
will soon have her website up and she has promised to
send us some photo's to post. Opening a new business
is both exciting and exhausting. She sounded pretty pooped
the last time we talked. Enthused, is putting it mildly. She
will do very well. She has the drive to succeed.
    Got an email from the fabulous Saundra this morning, and
it sounds like a few of our little pals are on their way back
home. Such an absolute sweety, and very talented. There,
Saundra, now can I have a cookie or something? LOL.
Teasing friends and associates is not a crime. It's more of
an endearment, so to speak. The world does need to lighten
it up a bit. Way too much of this "gloom and doom".
Where is Auntie Mame" when we really need her?
More in a while. Gail is stirring.

AND THE FUN BEGINS- IT'S REALLY BITCHIN', DUDES AND DUDETTES!

2012-01-19T18:21:00.000-07:00

     Of course it's silly. It was supposed to be. Anyway,
people are beginning to arrive in Phoenix for the show.
I just happened to notice that Sharon G is already in her
hotel room and getting ready for tomorrow. Friday is
the day that all of the vendors set up their wares. And
Friday evening is chocked full of activities before the
show really opens. Showcase night, so to speak.
"Sample it night' and all manner of splendor.
On Saturday the show opens for the buyers, the shops
and shop owners.
    I shall be going on Sunday morning, taking a few models
with me for the display. The frog shown above used to be
on the side of a green straw bag, but needed to be sent off
for a bit of repair work. It looked as though the last
distributor had gone to pick up groceries in it. Pretty beat
up. All better now and ready for Phoenix.
     In other news, my pal Carmen is on her way home.
Ronnie informs that she might arrive as soon as tomorrow.
You can call me a simpleton if you like, but I enjoy seeing
these things when they are stitched. Always a different
touch. I don't stitch, or even pretend to know anything
about the stitches, but I do like the tactile feeling and the
look of it. Like a beautiful piece of wood.
     I do have a couple of really good stories to tell you in
the morning, as well as some info about the photo's at the
top of Gail's blog. The heart with the Lillies of the valley,
for those curious about such things, is on Page 81 of the
catalog, along with a matching frame. A twelve year old
design. Simple and elegant.
   We've been relaxing a bit today, tying up loose ends,
and watching a couple of movies. The kids have been
fed and we might even throw them in the car and take them
out for ice cream.
     I will catch up with you in the morning. xoxoxo Ken

CAN THIS BE SO? MR. SQUIGGEE HAS GONE SWEET? JUST WAIT TILL THE MEDS WEAR OFF!

2012-01-18T17:03:00.000-07:00

    That certainly didn't last long. Had me worried for
a few seconds. It's all just a ruse, of course!
   I do have lucid moments when I can approach being
charming. The thought of Mr. Squiggee on the loose
at the Phoenix Convention Center this weekend can
certainly conjure up some scary scenario's. "Who is holding
the bail money"?, I hear you ask. Not to worry!
   I did print up the floor plan for the show, that way I won't
get lost when I venture off to visit a few pals{?????}
And I already have the booth numbers written down.
I just know they'll be anxious to see me.
   If you look at the above photo of the candy wrappers,
on the left side of the canvas you will see some writing.
Gail has always used poster board under the canvas
when she paints and well always have to thoroughly
review all of the notes on this poster board so we don't toss
out phone numbers. Under the poster board is ceiling tile.
The push pins hold the canvas still while she is painting.
These were created in 2002, and all of these were created
within a two week span.
   These items were returned by a previous distributor, who
was quite insistent that he/she/it would never stoop so low
as to ever reproduce one of Gail's designs. And yet, ten years
later this person is doing precisely that.
   Or, as Tony Soprano would say: "The con game never ends."
He certainly got that right. Where is all that designing prowess?
Ten year old scraps is the best that they could come up
with.
   Want to know the date the canvases were created? Hell,
maybe I shall just cruise on by, at the show, and ask them.
More later. Just though you'd like some food for thought.

???????? LITTLE KEN??????

2012-01-17T20:50:00.000-07:00

A gator named "LITTLE KEN"? This has all
the earmarks of those two crazies down in Louisiana.
You know which ones I am talking about, don't you?
Bless 'em both! Hi gals! Do you want some of OMAR'S
Fibers to stitch that little rascal with? All you gotta' do is
"drop a dime" to Mr. Squiggee and he will send 'em
on down to you, post haste. PDQ, expedited handling,
el pronto express. And they are some truly "Fab" colors.
Some of these colors are so outrageous that they don't even
have names yet.
The number to call is 1-BUB-BLE-BUTT, and we'll
hook you right up.

OY! GLAD I'M NOT ON THAT CRUISE SHIP!

2012-01-17T09:17:00.000-07:00

     It do look a bit ugly laying on it's side like
that. Not quite sure what happened, but someones
ass is going to be in a sling.
    After yesterdays news, you just pick yourself up
and keep moving on. We haven't had any contact with
them since Gail told them that she she and I were
getting married. Dismissed as a family member, so to speak,
for marrying someone that her mother did not
approve of. And this was back in 1979. Life, most certainly,
goes on.
    A few matters to attend to this morning, but I shall
return, and spread the news. So, just hang on for a while.

LIFE SENDS YOU A CURVE BALL

2012-01-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

     Gail is in the other room, talking with her
cousin. We just found out that Gail's stepfather has
just passed away. Her mother died a couple of years
ago. I have listened to Gail speak of him many times
over our married life. I met him only a couple of times,
back in the seventies. This was before Gail and I were
married. Families become estranged for all sorts of
reasons. Sometimes for reasons that really make no
sense.
     I have heard Gail speak of him many times over the
years.   And it was always with love and affection. All
of the little trips they took together, the Sunday matinee
movies they went to, the carnival visits up in Maine, and
numerous stories. The same applies to her mother. We knew
that he was in assisted living and that it was only a matter
of time. But there is still a sense of loss.
    Over the years I hear the stories of her childhood and
the love that these two people gave her. I am actually
envious, sad to say. Mine was the opposite.
    Thank you Bill and June. All those qualities that you strove
to instill in your child are still there. A little bruised, but
hanging in there.
     All for now. Ken

GOOD MORNING

2012-01-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

     Never did manage to get back to blogging
yesterday. Lots of other little things to take care of.
Presumably, lot's of folks were watching the pro
playoff games yesterday. I am sure Susan is skipping
down the road today, since the Giants won. Same with
Jane and the Ravens. We haven't had our TV hooked up
since all of this went digital, which was a couple of
years ago. Just never was one to watch a lot of
sports on TV, anyway. Possibly a quirk from my
childhood when I was forced to watch any and all sports
on TV. Lost it's luster, so to speak.
    As usual,the week preceding the show is always a busy
one. Loose ends, etc. Making sure to get the word out,
so that the shops will be able to locate the booth at the show.
   After the last two under performing { and I am being generous
in that description] distributors, it's a real boost to finally
be represented by someone who understands the business,
has a love of the needle arts, and the drive to succeed.
     I will try to zoom in and out today. Photo's and info to
load on the computer. Sounds like the new shop is almost
ready to open, so as soon as we can we shall give you the
scoop. Breakfast time. Back in a while.

RIDE IT ON OUT OF HERE, BOB! LOT'S GOING ON TODAY!

2012-01-15T08:29:00.000-07:00

         I am not quite sure how this has happened,
but there are a couple of "gators" that have been
adorned with the name of "Ken". Gail informed
me of this yesterday, after a phone call. Jeez, now I
do feel special. I can't quite bring myself to ask. At
least it wasn't a possum, or that strange armadillo.
     The show is next weekend, so we shall be posting
all sorts of information on our blogs and the website.
The new edition of Needlepoint Now arrived yesterday,
and there were two ads for Squiggee Designs. Some
Gingerbread houses and Round Santa's. Great looking
ads, too. So, CBK and Squiggee Designs are on the move.
     Omar thought it would be best to wait a bit before he
took an ad out for his line of fibers. He has been busy
getting samples together for the show. You know how that
is. Psssst!
    You might need to check back in today for photos and
musings. Oh, there is A Squiggee Designs trunk show
booked for PEACOCK ALLEY in Ada, Michigan for
sometime in the spring. The final date hasn't been set, at
this time but I am sure that Sandy will fill us in on the
details.
     Shit, I absolutely need to get the bio done for the
website today. Mama wants it kind of light and with
a bit of a Squiggee twist.
     I can hear her requesting coffee, from the other
room. Omar is useless at this sort of thing.
    MORE LATER!

THIS LITTLE KEWPIE'S NAME IS " COWBOY BOB". SAY "HOWDY" TO THE FOLKS, BOB!

2012-01-13T08:01:00.000-07:00

     Gail painted this little Kewpie on Wed. With all of the
rushing around to have everything ready for the show, this
was the last design to go off in the mail. At this point anything
else for the show will be hand carried by yours truly.
     As with all things in Squiggeeland, choosing the name for
a design is kinda fun. The intention was to have all
the Kewpie names start with a "K", but we couldn't come
up with the right name for this one. So, here is where
the name came from:
     We have a rather odd and eclectic taste in movies.
Cowboy Bob's name came from a movie called
" Parenthood". It's a Ron Howard movie with Steve Martin,
Mary Steenburgen, Jason Robards, Diane Wiest and
Rick Moranis. It's a funny little movie that involves
the pratfalls of parenting and life in general. One
of those movies like "Christmas Vacation" that is just
fun to watch. You can see part of your family in it,
as well. Anyway, Steve Martin gets himself all
done up to look like a cowboy for his son's birthday.
But he does so with anything that he can find around
the house. It's hilarious.   So we named this little Kewpie
after Cowboy Bob. This is the third in the series, so
there are more in the works.
      My pal has informed me that I need to ditch those
little Air Wick thingy's when I go to the show. "Way
too bulky" under your shirt, so they would be quite
noticeable. We have our people working on it.
     I did happen to notice that a big snowstorm was
moving east. This is the first winter that I haven't seen
any snow in a very long time. Actually, about 40 years..
Very strange.
    Gail is stirring, and Omar is telling me that he needs
to do a varmit check, so I shall try to come back later.
Might need to edit.

NO, THAT IS NOT A PICTURE OF MR. SQUIGGEE ON HIS WAY TO PHOENIX!

2012-01-12T15:00:00.000-07:00

LUCY, YOU GOT SOME 'SPLAINING TO DO!

2012-01-12T10:48:00.001-07:00

      I think that was the old Ricky Ricardo line
from the " I Love Lucy" series. Anyway, I guess it
might be a wise move to explain my previous post.
     I received a message from a pal {?} telling me
how grateful my fellow citizens are that the water problem
has been taken care of. This message intimated that the
folks attending the show should be grateful, as well.
I suddenly had this vision of shop owners "haulin' ass"
for the exits as if a skunk had entered the room. OUCH!
{Vivid imagination, I guess}. Maybe I will just strap a
couple of those Air Wick thingy's under each armpit before
I hit the boardwalk. Might take a couple of days, but I
am certain I can find the right scent. My man, Omar will
put me on the right path. Kiss, kiss, Susan! LOL
     We did speak with Christine yesterday and I shall be
taking some display models with me to the show, along with
several new designs. Should be fun.
    Gail and I used to like watching Masterpiece Theater on PBS,
but aren't real enamoured with the Contemporary excursions.
If ten minutes of watching something doesn't make you care about
any of the characters, on any level, we just pop it out of the
machine and send it back. Hell, I could watch regular TV for that
much boredom. Besides, I miss Alister Cooke and Russell Baker
doing the intro's.   More in a bit, I need to do some laundry.

NO, THAT IS NOT A NEW COLOGNE I AM WEARING!

2012-01-12T08:22:00.002-07:00

OMAR IS BACK FROM THE COIFFURE AND CLAIMS HE IS NOW A "RIGHTEOUS DUDE"!

2012-01-10T16:32:00.000-07:00

     So he says! He does, however wish to take a
quick siesta before he "git's down on some baked
chicken" with his sister Squiggee. He certainly
lives up to the name of his "fibers". We are talking
some very serious " Bubble Butt". He tells me that
there can be no picture taking until he is rested and
fed.
    Did manage to have a con-fab with Carole this
morning and one yesterday with Ronnie. Yes, you
will get pix of Mr. Squiggee's pink T shirt. Ought to
look spiffy with that pair of black and white shoes.
No, not like a pimp! Jeez, control yourselves!
   Our neighbor, Fabiola, dropped by for a visit this
morning. I could hear the two of them in here, talkin'
trash and laughing. I do hope they are not planning on
buying one of those hats for me to wear. You know, the
ones from the garage sale. Other than the golf course
or down on the corner, I am not sure I could wear it
anywhere in public, without seriously clashing with the
decor. Where is that Jamaican bobsled team?
     Time to go check on the chicken. Don't want to
overcook the boys grits. I shall return.

MY CALL TO THE WATER COMPANY- THESE PEOPLE ARE A JOKE!

2012-01-09T12:51:00.000-07:00

     OK, I told you that the water leak had been
repaired. I have been monitoring the meter for the last
couple of day for any sudden leaks, but all is
holding fast.   So, I called the water company this
morning to let them know that all was well. Another
wait on the phone, for about 20 minutes.
     When someone finally came on, and I explained the
issue for the fourth time, I was told that they would have
to come out and read the meter themselves and verify that
it was repaired. I was ready to give them the readings
but they were not interested. They are only interested ,
so it seems, at over charging you for water. They have
a tiered approach to how much they charge for water.
It's the same water, of course, but they want to charge you
six to 8 times what you are normally charged.
This is a Public Utility that puts the Soprano's to shame.
What a racket. It ain't over yet, of course. They wouldn't
come out to look at the system, or even glance at the meter.
They will be out on the 23rd to read it. I shall be waiting for
them and let the meter reader know how enamoured I am of the
company he works for. Henceforth, I will be the one doing the
meter reading. When did we start paying more for services that are
hell bent on giving us less and less with each coming year?

IT ARRIVED ON SATURDAY-- GET DOWN WITH YOUR BAD SELF!

2012-01-08T18:48:00.000-07:00

      Only two weeks until the big show and Mr.
Squiggee is warming up the important muscles of
the body and getting his wardrobe "correct" for
Phoenix. My pink Mr. Squiggee T-shirt arrived on
Saturday, along with the new business cards which
are also pink, and his tan baseball cap with Squiggee
Designs embroidered on it. Whoa! Won't be hard
to spot hoofing it down the aisles at the show.
     I still need to do a printout of the floor plan at the show,
so I can go visit some pals. Omar is sending along some
fiber samples. A few more colors to name, but, as they
say:" BUBBLE BUTT ELITE is the fiber that speaks
your language".  Need I say more?
    No, you may not see a preview of my ensemble. You
just gotta wait for it.
    We had a visit from a couple of Javalina"s last night.
All the commotion with the water lines left some openings
and the smelly little brutes were out there banging into
things trying to get into the crawl space. It was driving Omar
nuts. I blocked up all the access points and then went
over to a friends new house and put up curtain rods. She's
getting settled in, so I will be back over there from time to time
to help out.
    As always, Gail is always really busy just before
one of these shows.   Had a call from Michelle earlier
in reference to some models for the show. She'll ship them
here and I will take them to Phoenix along with whatever
new designs she comes up with.
    Watched "Midnight In Paris" a couple of nights ago.
A Woody Allen movie. Low keyed and character driven.
Great music, too. Sidney Bechet and Django Reinhardt.
This is one of those movies that requires a modicum of
knowledge about literature, painters, composers and
dance. Someone once told me this sort of stuff was
just for egg heads, and was way too boring for words, but
that's utter nonsense. We are awaiting another season of
"New Tricks" from Amazon UK, plus one other DVD.
Should be arriving soon.
    Well, it's dinner time for the kids, so I had best get
moving towards the kitchen. Rather bossy dogs in
Squiggeeland. I will come back and edit a bit later.

KEEPING VIGIL FOR WATER LEAKS

2012-01-07T12:52:00.000-07:00

    Now that the water line is repaired and no
longer leaking underground, checking for any
small changes in water pressure every time
you turn on a faucet becomes an essential part
of your routine for a couple of days. Debris in
the water line has caused the washing machine to
dump water all over the floor on more than one
occasion when our well pump was replaced back east.
Not fun!
     Clogged aerators on faucets need to be replaced
as well as the floats in the toilets. We are not even
going to talk about the craters in the backyard that
were created trying to find the water line.
     Did speak with Sandy out in Ada, Michigan this
morning. They were doing shop inventory. Some
people just know how to have fun.
    Now, I know you are wondering about the garage
sale, so here we go: The best items at this sale were
hats. Wait, now. We are not talking about your run
of the mill hat. Let your mind drift while I try to describe
these lovelies:
    We are talking the Queen of England hats, but with a big
twist. There were six of these bad boys, in all sorts of colors.
They were crocheted. I do believe that Stevie Wonder
picked out the colors, and it reminded me of some photo's
I once saw of the Jamaican Bobsled Team, at the Olympic
tryouts. We are in Arizona folks, so doffing one of these
little puppies could make people seriously question whether
you were 1. A golfer with no fashion sense { unless you
had matching pants, 2. A truly garish pimp. or 3. Could
just as easily put a Tupperware bowl on the top of your
head.
     This was truly scary! I never did see anybody attempt
to try one of these on. I had the camera ready, too.
    FYI, the "Itchy and Scratchy" portion of the show
is now over. Inside joke, so bear with us. Back in a bit.

WHEW! THE WATER IS NOW BACK ON. MR SQUIGGEE HEADS FOR THE SHOWER

2012-01-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

Finally!, It's almost 2 PM A long three day battle,
so to speak I am heading for the shower and will be back
a bit later.

LOST IN THE OZONE AGAIN

2012-01-05T17:50:00.000-07:00

      Actually, I think that is an album title, or
somewhere thereabouts. It was by Commander Cody
and The Lost Planet Airmen and contained the song
"Hot Rod Lincoln", and "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the
Bar". Mucho goodo for dancing ,enjoying yourself.
     The same cannot be said for the current water
blues. One side of the house has water, but not the
other side. Someone obviously did some DIY when
this was all hooked up many years ago. There is
galvanized steel pipe which has corroded over the years.
This type of soil only speeds up the corrosive effects.
They shall be back tomorrow to attempt to fix it once
again. Still haven't found the exact location of the leak,
but they are going to have replace all of it to the point
where it enters the house.
   I will have to fill you in on the neighbors garage sale
tomorrow. Gail and I just wish we had some video to go
along with the story. Mondo Bizarro!
   Might be back later. Need to go check out the cooking
status of the chicken. Not to worry, I did find my
oven _____s.

YOU JUST HAD TO GO THERE, DIDN'T YOU?

2012-01-04T20:32:00.001-07:00

     Complete the following phrase:
"Eye of _____ and keester of toad."
The next one is a bit easier:
I know it's finished baking, but it's hot
and I won't be able to get it out of there without
my oven _____.
   Easy, wasn't it? See, I am up on current events.
You thought I didn't even know the candidates names.
Silly you!
   I do miss those "Fractured Fairy Tales" and Mr.
Peabody's Wayback Machine. My goodness, where
is Nell?
    The digging crew will be back tomorrow morning to
work on the water line. At present the back yard looks
as though somebody lobbed a couple of mortar rounds
back there. No, we didn't find Jimmy Hoffa! Didn't
they finally find him under the Bada Bing, all wrapped up
in tin foil so the space rays couldn't get to him?
    In other news, my hot pink Mr. Squiggee T-shirt is on
it's way. I shall certainly appear festive at the Phoenix show.
I almost wish I had a pair of spats, but that might be too
over the top. I do promise pictures, however. New business
cards, as well. Zazzle comes through , again.
    Omar told me that he would like to go as well. When I tried
to inform him that dogs were not allowed, his solution
was to tell the powers that be that in his former life he was
one of the "Soul Train" dancers. He and Don Cornelius
were tight.   See, I told you that all of our dogs were a bit
odd. "Funky as you wanna be", says Omar. Down boy
down!
    To be honest, I miss "Soul Train. I enjoyed it. Different
generation, I guess. That's enough for tonight, I guess.
Hold it, I almost forgot. After all my begging and pleading,
I finally have added a new follower. Incognito, of course.
Holy Bat Turds. I have reached nirvana.
    By the way, those Godiva chocolate wrappers have not
arrived yet, so I had to do a bit of slumming and
resort to a plain ol' Hershey bar from the Circle K.
They are open 24/7, thank goodness.
   Later, gater!

SLIGHT CHANGE OF PLANS YESTERDAY

2012-01-04T06:42:00.001-07:00

     Got the water bill yesterday. It was $194, which
was triple the amount for the month of Nov. Now, included
in this bill are the sewage fees, which are always $37 each
month. I was a bit concerned about the previous month
but this one was way over the top.
    By far, the biggest frustration of the day was trying
to get someone on the phone from the water company.
You get the luxury of an automated answering device
which sends your through this maze of questions and
then you wait. And you wait. And you wait some more.
Thirty minutes go by and finally you get to hear a
voice that can actually respond.   This seems to be
the modus operandi for business these days. Customer
service seems to have become archaic. They court you
as a potential customer, but once that is all taken care
of, you can whistle till the cows come home, before you
get a response.
    They rang up the account and told me that, based on
my previous bills, there must be a leak somewhere.
No shit, Sherlock! Duh! So, I check underneath the house,
the faucets, the toilets, and take a look around outside.
Nothing! "Well, it must be leaking underground, somewhere
between the water meter and the house.. We thought that
might have been the case when we read your meter on the
23rd of Dec." When I asked them why they made no effort
to contact me, via telephone, Internet, a knock on the door,
or even a tag on the door, all I was given was the silent
treatment. they are only responsible for getting the
water to the meter, and that's as far as it goes. Their
only suggestion was to call a plumber.
   I called the landlord.  They get to take care of it. That
is one of the few advantages of renting. I did a bit of
digging yesterday to see if I could pinpoint the location.
We're only talking a distance of 20 feet or so. They
will be out this morning to work on it. It got dark so
I quit digging. There are gas lines and buried electrical
lines in the same area, so one has to proceed with
caution.
    Might be a disruptive morning. This laissez faire
attitude in reference to customer service really
"gets right up my nose", so to speak..
   And Poodle Boy is worthless with a shovel.
Life goes on, n'est-ce pas?

A SUCCESS STORY???????

2012-01-03T10:04:00.000-07:00

     OK, guys, now that we have all trimmed down
to what can best be described as "cruiser weight",
we venture forth into the new year.
    Omar tells me that he didn't gain any weight over
the holidays, but that is probably because of the
constant vigil he kept on the local goings on out in
front of the house. It takes a lot of energy to protect
us all from marauders. OK, dude, you can "pump up"
now. Actually the boy needs to be coiffed, again. Four
to six weeks, tops.
    Just spoke with Pat in Lancaster this morning, and it
sounds like she is also recovering from the holidays
as well. It does take a lot out of you. What is it about
that "Gator Loving Santa"? Must be the absurdity
of the whole thing.
     Nothing, at this time of year, runs on a rigid schedule.
So, here it is almost 10 AM and I am getting ready to
make pancakes for a late breakfast. I have been
an early riser for many years. A morning person, so to speak.
Gail is not, and neither is Squiggee. They begin to
focus around 9:30 or so. I just putter and try not to make too
much noise.
    I shall return after the flapjacks with more nonsense and
possibly some pictures. Just hang in there.

WELCOME BACK FROM YOUR HOLIDAY

2012-01-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

    OK, I just saw a rather strange ad on my
TV. Here goes:
   "The holiday season is now over. Remember
all of those lovely food ads and recipe's we
touted around the holiday? Well, now it's time
to pay the piper.
   Consider the following images: The "Stay Puft
Marshmallow Man" or the "Michelin Tire guy".
I would have said the Goodyear blimp, but the
network execs thought that might be pushing the
envelope. Bottom line is that you're supposed
to inflate your tires, not yourself. Don't you
know anything about air hoses?"
    They don't say any of this, of course, but this
is the general modus operandi for the network
TV talk shows, right after the holiday. Then they
devote about five minutes of exercises with some
anorexic looking 20 year old telling you how to
shed those holiday pounds while nibbling on a sprig
of cilantro or some other new vegetation meant
to balance out your flora. Yummy, I'd almost
rather eat the plate.
   You change the channel, but it's the same message,
only different faces. The ads for the gyms also
picks up this time of year. Treadmills, stationary
bikes, etc. The beat goes on. Did these pants
shrink over the holiday?

PROPAGANDA FROM A RATHER NEFARIOUS SOURCE-ME

2012-01-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

We get this little community newsletter each
month. It is delivered, possibly in the wee hours of the
morning, and placed in a small can that is attached
to the side of the mail box. In this little newsletter
you will find little nuggets of info. There was a best
holiday decoration award for the houses in the area.
Being the inquisitive individual that I am, I thought I
had better go check this place out. Don't get me wrong, I
do like decorations, but the award winner looked like that
old TV show "SANFORD & SON". I kid you not.
It scares me to think of the type of individual that
deemed this dwelling as El supremo. The only thing
missing was the lawn jockey and the donkey pulling a
cart. Wait, I stand corrected, there was no empty bathtub
with flowers in it, or toilet, with the lid propped up.
Tasteless does not even come close! Must look like
a carnival ride at night.

AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU, AS WELL

2012-01-01T09:38:00.000-07:00

    A quick heads up, before we begin. Mama
wants pancakes this morning, and she's been throwing
out all these new ideas for designs. Mr. Squiggee
is a sounding board this morning.
    Anyway, you will need to check back at various times
during the day, as this is going to be one of those
days with numerous interruptions. But I do have some
good stuff [ I was going to say "good shit", but some
of my readers are such delicate creatures.}
    Back after breakfast.

TUNES AND TRASH

2011-12-31T17:04:00.000-07:00

   For this portion of my blog I shall attempt to
make a bit of sense while listening to some
favorite tunes.
   I have always been a fan of artists/songwriters
like Percy Mayfield, Alan Touissant, and Mose
Allison. Craftsmen with words,so to speak.
The same could be said of people like John Prine,
Steve Goodman, Lyle Lovett, etc.
The first tune was "Please Send Me Someone to
Love", written by Percy Mayfield and performed by
Paul Butterfield's Better Days. This song has been
done by a lot of people over the years. Percy also
wrote "Hit The Road Jack". and countless other great tunes.
   I do know that Lyle Lovett also posts on Facebook.
This, I learned by accident. actually. I enjoy reading
his posts and talking about the various venues he and
his fellow musicians play in. These are top tier musicians
in anyones book. A class act, no matter how you spin it.
I do have a great admiration for those that have that
true dedication and love of the art of making music.
I also admire Norman Granz for his dedication to the
jazz world. All of this can be looked up, of course.
   For a bit of a change of pace I am now listening to
"Heartstrings" which was written by Milt Jackson and
performed by himself, Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, and
Ed Thigpen. Vibes, piano, bass and some really nice
brushwork on the drums. A ballad that swings. It's from
an album titled "The Very Tall Band" or something like that.
And also some Wes Montgomery.
Oh, we did get an email from Mandy who is presently in
mid flight somewhere between Tucson and Wisconsin.
Just wanted to say hello.
Time to take a break , for a few minutes.

AND YOU FOOLISHLY THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO FINISH OUT THE YEAR WITHOUT SOME TRASH TALK. SILLY YOU!

2011-12-31T14:30:00.001-07:00

     Today's madness is brought to you by
BUBBLE BUTT ELITE
   THOSE FAB FIBER'S FROM THE VATS
OF OMAR...

And so ends the commercial plug of new and exciting
products. Made in the third world, but the little name tag
printed right here in the USA.
    For those of you that can remember when Johnny
Carson was host of the Tonight show, he used to do this
skit called :THE EDGE OF WETNESS.
He would provide a narrative and pan the camera around
the studio audience. Usually some rather convoluted
and nonsensical story, but nevertheless very comical.
I still miss that good hearted fun he used to have
with guests and the audience.
   If you are expecting some sort of cosmic revelation, I
suggest that you move on. It's the end of the year and
it just ain't going to happen.
   I did speak with Carole earlier today and she has promised
to send a photo of Chloe in her Xmas pajama's. Chloe is
Omar's paramour and a Yorkshire Terrier. A real box
ripper, so I am told. Anyway, for those of you familiar with
Yorkies, these PJ's obviously make it appear that Chloe
has what is known as a BUBBLE BUTT. My man Omar
has already asked, assuming this story is true, if this vision
of loveliness could adorn the tags of his line of fibers. He
will need consent, of course, but he must have conjured
up some sort of image in his mind. Where is that PR
machine? Stop the presses! We have a logo! A trademark
worthy of the dude himself.

NEW YEARS EVE --2011

2011-12-31T08:44:00.001-07:00

     Yes indeed, the last day of the year. Out
with the old year and in with the new. Omar is
back in control of the homestead from his
vantages point on the lazyboy. Mandy, and her
family will be heading back to Wisconsin this
morning. They have been visiting their family that
lives next door to us. She's another dog lover, so
Omar has been enjoying her visits. We enjoy meeting
new people, as well. A bit of something new around
the holidays.
    It will be nice to put this year behind us. Lot's to
look forward to. I guess you might call it the new rhythm
of your life. So many changes this last year. So, as
we bid a not so fond farewell to those that are inflicted with
PBD { that's Personality Bypass Disorder}, we do
wish all our pals a Happy New Year.
   It is nice, feeling that things are getting back on
track. A few loose ends to tie up, but nothing that
can't be dealt with.
Looking forward to many things this next year. The
trip to Phoenix, new voices and new faces. I will
finally get the opportunity to come up with a Squiggee
Custom catalog . The past year put all of that in the
crapper, so to speak. Too many other things to
think about. Have been getting my little office
in order, and organizing all sorts of stuff. Getting
all of Omar's new fibers sorted and labeled.
     New and fabulous links for you to check out.
Omar is not, however, very discerning when it
comes to plugging products.   He will plug anyone
and anything, just to get noticed. Rather shallow, no?
The world is full of that sort of wannabes.
   Need to run out to the grocery store before it
gets crowded. I might be back a bit later. Maybe
I will put on some music and just ramble a bit.
Time for a bit of fun. Gail has been taking a couple
of days off from the drawing table and trying to
relax. Catch you a bit later. New pictures coming.

GREAT GARBONZO'S- ONLY ONE MORE DAY LEFT

2011-12-30T08:38:00.000-07:00

      My, how the time flies. Well, sort of. I keep
waiting for my pal to send me some new addresses,
but, per their norm, they have chosen to ignore
my invitations for meaningful dialog. How's that
for delicate diplomacy?
     Managed to get the computer room all back together.
Gail is in the other room sleeping. Yes, I do know that
I spelled Eau Claire incorrectly! Not one of those things
that spell check catches.
    At long last, Gail did give me some spiffy names for
Omar's new line of fibers {Bubble Butt Elite}, but I am
a little reticent to print them. And you thought mine were
trashy.
    His paparazzi needlepoint blog is starting to pick up
steam. Lot's of new links to check out. He has been
so busy culling the www. that he seems to lose track
of the dinner hour. As the town crier, the first with the
gossip wins. Not one to build his rep on the talent
of others, he is very diligent, and dare I say, dogged,
in his pursuit of any sort of swag he can get his
little paws on. A freebie is a freebie, after all.
Yes, yes, yes, it's wonderful! Where are my free
samples?
     Get on with your bad self, Omar. The fire sale days
have dwindled down to a precious few. Oh, no!
That puce colored step van has stopped sending
signals from the GPS tracking device, so I can't
tell you the locale of todays sale. Pity!
More on this later!

HOME AGAIN, HOME AGAIN, JIGGEDY JIG! DEUX

2011-12-29T08:57:00.001-07:00

      Busy, busy, busy! After Omar and I get back from
our breakfast run, we shall fill you in on the scoop. The,
so called "yin and yang" of life, or as Omar calls it:
the "poon and tang" of life. You know what a lowbrow he
is. Who else would name his new line of highbrow super
special fibers
BUBBLE BUTT ELITE
    So, hang on to your knickers, we shall return. Our
house guest has gone to her new home, so our animals
are running amok this morning. The new year is almost
upon us. Only a few more days. We shall be back, shortly.
   BACK AGAIN!
     FYI- I am still waiting for my pal to send me a few more
addresses, but it hasn't happened yet! Of course the email
wasn't sent to me, but to Gail. It was a bit of a swipe since I am
such a despicable human being. Ouch! Of course, Mr. Squiggee
has always been considered persona non gratis in certain
environs. TSK, TSK!
    At least I am welcome down in La., but I am unsure if
that is because they consider me as "gator bait", or
it's because I am so damn charming. But I still refuse
to get in a boat with either of these two women. Kiss, kiss.
    We were discussing not so famous lines in movies that we like.
One is from "State of Play", with Bill Nighy. And here it is:
"Shag on tap".
This is a British expression along with the following:
"She/he has a face like a slapped ass".   Not a PC expression,
but very succinct in it's meaning.
    Slang expressions certainly can be interesting
and even eloquent. We used to be able to watch
EastEnders and viewed their website the other day. It
was great fun. It's what could be considered a soap opera.
Ah, Albert Square. You just need to have an ear for
this sort of thing.
   Gail needs the computer, but I shall return.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

2011-12-27T15:59:00.000-07:00

Quite obviously someone is under the
misapprehension that Mr. Squiggee does not
have the mental capacity to find an address using
the Internet or a phone directory. It was such
a nice gesture, however. Lucky me! Was this an email
that deserves an answer? Not!!!!!!

THE AFTERMATH- IT ARE WHAT IT ARE!

2011-12-26T13:44:00.002-07:00

     What else can one possibly say? Mr. Squiggee is
in a rather pensive mood today. A couple of songs running
through my mind. One of them is titled "Souvenirs" by John
Prine. Somehow I always think of this song around the holidays.
The second phrase in this song actually mentions Christmas, so
at least at least that much of the song ties in. The other song is
also a John Prine tune titled "Hello In There". These two songs
date back to the 70's, but the themes are universal and very
thought provoking. Songs that, once you hear them, they never
seem to leave you. I am sure you can find both of these tunes for
download, etc. In this time of giving and receiving, it's the giving
that means so much. Check them out, you'll be glad you did.
Our neighbor's have had their son and his family here for the last
week or so. They are from Eaux Claire, Wisconsin. and just visiting
for the holiday. She misses their dogs, so Omar visits with her
and garners his share of hugs. She likes to come over in the evening
to visit. Her grandmother used to do needlepoint and she is
fascinated with all the fibers and Gail's designs. We have learned
a couple of regional expressions from the upper Midwest that
we've never heard used before. One of them is "sausage-bologna".
Just don't get the two reversed. The literal equivalent is "Holy bat shit".
Or something closely related. I will attempt to clear this up later.
Anyway, she enjoys coming over to visit. There's 20 years
difference in our ages, but doesn't matter. Universal themes
in life humble us all.
   Gail is painting a dog collar with pearls on it. We all just
had our lunch and the dogs are napping. Squiggee is in her
"Cubby" and Omar has his spot in on the lazy boy. We did
hear from a friend in Wake Forest, North Carolina yesterday.
And another good friend down in Houston, Texas. It's always
fun to touch base with those you consider friends, even though
you have never met.
     The week between Christmas and New Year's has always
been strange. A rather transitional period of time. Gail and
I will most certainly be glad when this year has rung it's last
bells. To bid a not-so-fond farewell to certain nefarious
individuals and that insufferable group of people {?}known
as my family that has obviously finally gotten the message.
     Also, quite obviously, we are looking forward o the new
year and all it will bring. Movin' on. I did happen to
notice, when I looked at the interactive floor plan for the
TNNA show in Phoenix, that the CBK booths are very
close to the fiber manufacturers. In particular, the Krenik
fibers. Gail loves their fibers, and also mentioned Rainbow
Gallery, Vineyard Classic, and DMC Floss are among the
booths the Mr. Squiggee must visit.
   See, lot's of mischief for me to get into. Hang on for a bit.
Java run.

IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY

2011-12-25T14:42:00.001-07:00

     A bit of a busy morning. Relaxing, but
busy. Didn't want any of you fellow heathens thinking
that Mr. Squiggee had done a runner.Nah!
I gather that the huddled masses will be flocking
to the stores to exchange all manner of gifts that
they did not care for tomorrow. Won't catch
me out there.
    Went with a friend to a cell phone store a couple
of days ago. Browsed around a bit and decided that
all of this nonsense was not something that I was
particularly enamoured with. Not my cup of tea.
Just another example of being manipulated into thinking
we need all this stuff in order to function in our daily
lives. Nonsense.
    Hope the Big Red Lobster man was good to all of you.
Back in a bit. Something I need to check out.

FOR MISS BUBBLES- WITH ALL OUR LOVE

2011-12-24T16:26:00.002-07:00

     The photo at the top of the blog and the numerous
pictures along the right side are of Miss Bubbles.
Miss Bubbles died Xmas Eve of 2009. She was 12 years
old and one of the sweetest dogs. Squiggee's older sister
and constant companion. When she died it cast such a
pall over the holiday. Throughout all the trials and tribulations
of this past year, my thoughts of her always make me smile ..
She was poetry in motion and always game for a walk,
no matter what the weather brought. Thank you Bubbles
for enriching our lives.   Squiggee sends her love, too.
     Thanks to our dear friends and those twisted souls that
suffer through my blog entries. As we look forward to the
New Year, the big show in Phoenix, and our lives moving
forward, we are grateful for these people, many of whom
we have never met.
    Happy Holiday's to you all.

IT'S CHRISTMAS EVE

2011-12-24T11:08:00.001-07:00

Gail will be adding some photo's in a few
minutes, so just hold tight and we'll continue in a
while.

ONLY TWO MORE DAYS

2011-12-23T08:59:00.002-07:00

      Yep, it's fast approaching! Gail has one more
order to put in the mail this morning and that will be
about it. She has been working like some sort of maniac
to get it all done. The added push this year is to have
everything in place with our new distributor for the Jan
TNNA show in Phoenix. It's been pretty hectic but
we are in great shape for the show. Lot's of new stuff
and models.
    The dog's have been feeling somewhat neglected these past
few weeks , but we're all looking forward to a nice
Xmas together. When I told Gail that she hadn't posted anything
on her blog since the 15th, she said she would do some today
and add some photos.
    I will be back later to talk some trash and give you some
news.