So I've been busy

I haven't updated my blog. I haven't been going out much. I've been working quite a bit and weekends are full...especially my Sundays.

"What are you doing on you Sundays, Jenna."

Holy crap, I'm so glad you asked.

In the beginning, Regina & I would dye roving and yarn for our own use. And then, while shopping around for, well, more yarn and roving, we realised that no one does what we do. No one is dying exactly how we dye and really, we needed to share it with the world.

So, ta da! We are.

4 Torpedoes is up and running. Now, the blog is under construction. But, since we have items listed at etsy and the blog is actually up I wanted to share that with you.

So, if you need fabulous yarn or roving, we're here to provide it for you. And, besides, since we dyed it, we love it and if isn't bought, we're using it to make Christmas gifts. Win win for everyone!

Right now we're dying a rambouillet roving blend endorsed by the one and only John Pitblato. I mean, it was a part of his fleece and he works with it himself, so I'm calling that an endorsement. We've had a ball dying and spinning with it so I'm hoping everyone else enjoys buying it and spinning it. I'm all about spreading joy and love. And, we also have fantastic one of a kind, hand-painted sock yarn as well as glow under blacklight sock and bulky yarn. I mean, we all need yarn that'll glow under a blacklight.

Getting a little too close to home

So we all remember the pet food recall last year. That was a big one. Then I learn that there's a smaller one...which in the scheme of things isn't a big deal except that ITS THE FOOD MY DOGS EAT. So not cool.

Luckily, we don't shop at Albertson's and we haven't bought their food at Costco for months. (That and the food we had bought at Costco is long gone.) Anyways, here's the recall information.


CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH WARNS CONSUMERS NOT TO FEED THEIR PETS PEDIGREE® COMPLETE NUTRITION SMALL CRUNCHY BITES BECAUSE IT MAY BE CONTAMINATED WITH SALMONELLA

DATE: August 12, 2008

NUMBER: 08-43

CONTACT: Suanne Buggy or Lea Brooks - (916) 440-7259

SACRAMENTO – Dr. Mark Horton, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), today warned consumers not to feed their pets certain bags of PEDIGREE® Complete Nutrition Small Crunchy Bites because the product may be contaminated with Salmonella, which can cause serious illness in humans as well as in dogs and cats. People who do not adequately wash their hands after handling the contaminated pet food may expose themselves to Salmonella.

This recalled product, manufactured by Mars Petcare US of Franklin, Tenn., was sold in Albertsons in Southern California in 20-pound bags with Lot Code No. 830BFCAT02 and Best By Date of 07/2009 and at Costco stores statewide in 52-pound bags with Lot Code Nos. 831BFCAT02 and 830DFCAT02 and Best By Date of 07/2009. The lot code is located on the back of the bag. There have been no reports of human illness associated with this product.

This product should be properly discarded in a secure container. Consumers can return the product to the store where purchased for a full refund.

Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting. Some pets will exhibit decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Animals can be carriers with no visible symptoms and can potentially infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

A list of safe pet food handling tips can be found at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Web site: www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/petfoodtips080307.html. Pet owners who have questions about the recall should call 1-877-568-4463 or visit www.petcare.mars.com.

My head just exploded

Just like every other blogger who read WWD's August 7th issue (Hey my source gets me WWD a few days late, but its free so who am I to complain) talking about Alexander McQueen being in talks with Target to do a Go International collection, my head exploded.

Seriously.

Alexander McQueen + Target = Jenna's head exploding

I would not only mark it in my all important Greyhound Calendar as I did for Paul & Joe and Erin Featherston, chech Target's website daily for the two weeks leading up to the release in hopes of it going live "accidentally" as the lines often do, but I might have already threatened a certain significant other who happens to live in the birthplace of Target that he might be going to every store in the Metro area to score every piece of this collection in my size.

Not that it exists yet, but I've already put that out there.

I have my priorities.

I'm not sure why, but last night I had one of those how-did-I-get here types of moments. Not the 33-year-old-living-at-home-with-two-dogs-as-roommates type of moment. More the, how- did-I-end-up-in-a-job-I-really-freaking-like kind of moments. Here's how the chronology ran in my head.

Got out of college and had two job offers...a really crappy on in Tucson (where I went to college - Go Wildcats!) or a really crappy on in L.A. Mom offered to let me move home so I did. Three promotions (with no extra pay) and a year later I left to go work assisting someone fabulous. A year later she left but took me with her. A year later I enrolled in paralegal school (mom's idea) and mentioned to the chick I sat next to that if a position ever opened up over there, please sign me up. Three positions opened, I sent her my resume, she sent me the key words that HAD to be on there (PowerPoint, Outlook, etc...) and after a few serious promises that I would learn any software they wanted, I got the job. 18 months. 2 going away parties, a $500 gift certificate to Neimans and a trashed office later I left for my first paralegal gig where I was greeted with "Do you always dress like that?" "Why don't you wear makeup" and my favorite "How do you expect to catch a man like that?" Five years later I left for another firm and then a year later I found myself here. 14 months its been and what a ride.

And after I went through that chronology, I thought to myself, when I talk about how long I've worked here, even if I say 10 years, I'm always going to refer to it in months. 'cause I'm cool like that. I make my own rules.

Before and After is Fun for Everyone (Part III)

Damn, two posts in two days. I'm on fire! Someone stop me! Seriously.

Backyard before:

Backyard After:

Overgrown trees & bushes look so much better when you have grass leading up to them. We were amazed with the improvement!

And, you know what the punchline is to the backyard after picture?

Wait for it...

The dogs aren't allowed to step foot on it.

I know, right?

Dick has already filed several complaints with his union representative. Don't worry, the pups being banned from the yard is not permanent. We just need the sod to take root before we let them loose. (Mom let them "walk" on it after the guys were done and Dick took of running and kicking up some of the strips of sod. We were able to put all of it back, but it was a good lesson in appropriate sod behavior.) In the interim they have access to the patio and they get about 4 walks a day.

In addition, we left "Dick's alley" without sprinklers or sod so that he will still have an area to dig and get dirty and just be a bad boy dog generally. Dick's alley is the area of the yard that parallels the patio. Its one strip (not seen in the picture) that has never had grass or sprinklers and yet a few bushes have lived on. In fact, it was a favorite haunt of our retriever Maggie. She would clear out a spot under the bushes for a cool place in summer. Dick has decided to revive this tradition and not only has hiding spots for toys under the bushes but has a few digging holes he likes to nap in.

With all this evidence, the union has declined to press formal charges against us.

Before and After is Fun for Everyone Part II

Ok, so when I said tomorrow, I really meant a week.

Here's the part of the patio I didn't have the after pictures for.

Before:

After:

And, for clarity, here's the during:

Yeah, those pipes, that's where the concrete was and where the tile now is. We had to take that whole portion of the patio down to the ground. Its kind of amazing that they made it look original to the house again.