Life Off the Grid: In Which I Eat a 'Doormat'

Much like Jess in Season 2 of The New Girl my first days of living "off the grid" (after I decided to leave my bed) were full of freakish domestic activity. I organized and crossed things off lists and scrubbed things to a shine and baked bread and did laundry.

However, by week two or so I officially 'freelancing' and my life is now a bit...unpredictable. And I haven't been able to do laundry since.

So far I've been a stitcher for a production of The Magic Flute at the Chicago Opera Theater (with Miss Moshka! A pleasant surprise!), working on some shirts for my Auntie M, selling things at Renegade, steaming gowns and dressing for a fashion show at a bridal expo, I might be working part-time for a custom linens company soon, and now on Tuesdays and Thursdays I do repairs and alterations at a halloween style costume rental company.

Yeah.

I've literally made a 'Go Bag' like I'm a BAU agent in Criminal Minds. It's a little ridiculous but I'm enjoying it. The last gig, the fashion show, was a hoot as some of the dresses were absolutely massive! Massive!

Poor Miss W is being eaten by tulle.

When there were several of these monsters in a row (with a hoop skirt underneath!) they had to go on and off over the head instead of being stepped into which meant me prepping them like this, ready to be heaved over the models head, which is ridiculous looking. Speaking of ridiculous...

Here's that 'Bam Bam Rubble's Quinceanera' dress I know you've been searching for (modeled by my girl Amber!).

And don't worry. It also comes in pink.

And in case that wasn't enough ridiculousness here's me and Miss W after our models forced Quinceanera dresses on us. You're welcome.

When I'm not running around the city playing with dresses I've managed to have some cheap/free good fun with friends.

Lincoln Square's Apple Fest with Miss Ashley where we searched in vain for caramel apples and were finally forced to make a pilgrimage to the nearby Jewel. WE WOULD NOT ADMIT DEFEAT.  And oh, FYI Ashley, that candy store down my street is making caramel apples. Get over here ASAP.

I spent a work free afternoon "slip covering" my poor sad oven mitt in the most adorable quilting square in the world. Pink and red floral AND blue and white gingham??? Shut yer face.  Even better? I have others, equally cute, to cover my oven pad.

Also cute, there was a Lady H in my apt for a sleepover weekend. Look at that head bow! Adorable. We spent a lovely Sunday morning zoned out watching Foyle's War in a pancake coma.

For dinner we had Miss Linda's Honey Curry Chicken with sauteed kale. Yet another convert, I'm gifting her the recipe (and the one for the best brownies of all time) as a housewarming present.

Miss Eyre, her roomie Bobbi Pins, and I are scheming up crafty things to perhaps make money on or at least have fun making together with help from her kitty Viska and her sometimes gross yet lovable Ewok dog Chompers who is ready for fall in his sweater.

I tried to get photos of her other dog, Cider, but she's always moving! Oh well, next time?

One nice thing about being "fun-emplyed" is that I could go to the Art Institute's free day today.  They used to be free and open late on Thursdays but they changed it a few years ago and I'm still upset about it.  I used to go on little "dates" where I'd go downtown after work and wander around the AIC for an hour or so then slowly make my way up the Mag Mile which was all lit up in the falling night before picking up some take-out as a treat and getting on a train to head back north. If "fun-employment" continues I'm definitely going to start that again! Other than visiting my favorite pieces the exhibit I especially went to see was on on Frank Lloyd Wright's Japanese print collection. It wasn't as large as I had hoped but it was fascinating to see photos of when it was originally done back in the day (I am sooo not fancy enough to wear a big hat when I go to the museum) and it introduced me to a new idol, Marion Mahony Griffin who you can read more about here.

Image Source: https://historyrat.wordpress.com/tag/marion-mahony-griffin/

The renderings of hers they had in the exhibit were incredible but hard to photograph, this is the closest I can find on the web, she really took Japanese composition and style and ran with it to a delightful place that mixed architecture and art. It was a lovely afternoon and I came home to a dinner of this:

Hello Midwestern comfort food, the classic tuna noodle casserole. I spent a dreary wet day outside with Miss Moshka thrift store hopping the other day and the whole way home I fantasized about tuna noodle casserole. I'm not entirely sure how this happened as I honestly can't even remember ever eating it before. Maybe I had some at a friends house? Or college? Or in my head? But definitely not in Miss Linda's house! I told her what I was making and she was both amused and a bit concerned. Dishes like this are so fascinating and exotic to me as we never ate them at home being far too Midwest-y and full of things like Campbells cream of mushroom soup. I'd bet hard money a can of that stuff has never made it past Miss Linda's doorway since she started buying her own groceries. I had green bean casserole for the first time when Miss Moshka made it for Thanksgiving in 2008. And yes. I remember the exact date. What is it about these casseroles that are so comforting?? I don't know, this lady has some interesting points. But the bottom line is I've made tuna casserole, condensed soup and all, twice in the past month. Who am I???

Also comforting are paillason which translated is 'doormat', the French version of latkes which I watched Monsieur Pepin make on the Create channel the other day and was so amused by the name I decided it was a good way to use up a lone potato I had. Very tasty and soothing but mine refused to brown up as nicely as his which annoyed me greatly.

Stupid doormat.

The End.