New Iron
I just bought a new iron.
I realize most people wouldn’t consider a new iron worthy blog fodder. I’m not most people. I’m a quilter. A quilter without an iron is a quilter with wonky quilts. I don’t want wonky quilts. So when my iron died on Sunday, I began the quest for a new iron.
Now I have high expectations from my iron. I want an iron that can conquer linen and last a long time. In my adult life, I’ve had two irons. Iron #1 was purchased prior to going to college. I didn’t spend more than $25, and I used it for 15 years, probably 10 years too long. I replaced it when it started to melt a hole in the bottom. Iron #2 was a mighty fine iron from Oliso. Of course until it died on me. The death was rather unexpected. One moment it worked. Five minuted later it won’t heat up. I spent a good chunk of money on this iron, and it lasted two short years. This makes me a little sad. (Ross thinks my relationship with my iron is unhealthy.) I think a iron should last 5 years. I’m not sure why, but it sounds like a reasonable time.
My new iron wasn’t easy to find. Based on my internet research I decide my new iron needed to be heavy, have a stainless steel plate, and have a nice steam feature. I avoided a Rowenta based on bad reviews. Oh, I didn’t want to spend more than $50. If it dies in less than 5 years, I don’t want to regret what I paid. Also I wanted to buy locally versus the internet. When it starts to act up, I need someone to complain to. After visiting all the close stores and finding nothing, I drove out to Target to find the perfect iron. Yea! Life can now resume.
Bed Quilt: Cutting Into Pieces
Sep 14, 2008 Quilting
After using the same quilt on our bed for 11 years, I started to make us a new quilt. Above represents half of the fabric that’s cut up. Sometimes it seems odd that I buy big pieces of fabric only to cut them up and sew them back together into a new big piece of fabric. Anyways the quilt is in motion.
I’ve forgotten how much work a queen sized quilt is. It felt like a spent the better part of my Saturday cutting fabric. Luckily, i had the foresight to choose a simple quilt pattern for such a large part. The pattern is Summer Porch in Eleanor Burns’ Quilts Through the Seasons. I first saw this quilt made up about two years ago. Since then I’ve seen a couple of different versions, and I like it even more. With a little luck, i’ll have a progress update by the end of the week.
Have You Seen the New iPod Nano?
Sep 10, 2008 Techy Stuff
Aren’t they cute? I love the saturated colors. They make me feel cheerful. I bet a lot of people will be really cheerful when they find their bright nano under the Christmas Tree this holiday season. The green one is calling my name, but I’ll ignore the call. I don’t need it. My first generation nano works great. When it does die, I’ll upgrade to the iPhone. Until I have my own new toy, I’ll just admire these pretty Nanos
Catching Up
I’m so guilty of neglecting my blog over the past few weeks. I have plenty to blog about. My excuse is more about being tired at night. While I probably should just stick with the current stuff, I have to recap a bit of the past, because it was fun.
I went on my first long bike ride over Labor Day weekend thanks to Jen, the grand trip planner. We (myself, Jen, Brian, and Dale) met at the train station in Salt Lake. The commuter train in new to us in Salt Lake. So this more than just a mode of transportation, it was a new experience. We rode the train to Layton, a suburb to the north. Then the real ride began.
From Layton, we rode out to Antelope Island, which is in the middle of the Great Salt Lake.
The ride out was easy. The terrain is fairly flat, the heat was bearable, and I had lots of energy. On the island, Jen and Brian tested their ability to float in the lake. Sure enough if you walk out far enough, there is enough salt in the lake to make you float.
Of course you have to be willing to tolerate the smell of brine shrimp. Me, I’m not so adventurous. I have no desire to be covered from head to toe with water from that lake. However, I did get my feet wet.
This is a brine shrimp or sea monkey.
They are the only thing that can live in the lake due to the high salinity level. The lake is like the Dead Sea. The lake has inlets, but no outlets.
The trip back to the train station was a lot harder. Physical and heat exhaustion started to set in. I got a quick reminder that I live in the desert (hot wind with no trees near by). To top off the experience, we rode home into a headwind. Headwinds have been the hardest thing for me to adjust to while cycling. They quickly kill my enthusiasm.
Of course no trip would be complete without a flat tire. Unfortunately, Dale was the unlucky victim. I really need to get slime liners for my tires.
By the time we got back to the Salt Lake train station. I was sick (the slurpee was really bad idea), but not sick enough to regret the trip. In total, I rode 37 miles. Not bad. Now my next hurdle is riding up hills. I live by plenty of hills. I avoid them. I just need to start working my way up so I can ride in the mountains.
