Gusset (resurrection)

Even when I was thin (and these days, even more so), I've always had the kind of thighs that rub together at the top. It's murder on the crotches of pants, which tend to wear out long before the rest of the pants do. The big loose Japanese linen pants – the ones I wear all summer – are the worst, because the fabric is the softest. I have a whole stash of them that I love, that still fit and look great, except in the crotch, which in most cases is either totally blown out or so thin that I dare not wear them in public for fear of giving friends and loved ones an unwelcome eyeful à la Britney or Lindsay or any number of other bald, shrivelled and attention-starved pseudo-celebrities.

Last night I decided it was time to rehabilitate that pile of pants. From the ones that were too far gone to repair I cut many triangles of pristine fabric, and sewed them into gussets to replace the crotches of other pairs that still had a little life in them. I wasn't sure how it was going to work out, but I'm pleased to report that the operation was a tremendous success! So much so that I'm not going to have to do any pants shopping at all this summer.

Which is great, because there are so many other things I'd rather spend money on right now. These beautiful bougainvillea bed linens, for example, which, if I were to buy them, would set me back seven hundred and change for just the duvet cover and two pillowcases. Did you hear me? Seven hundred! If you add sheets, my entire bed would be $1589.50, plus tax and shipping. Needless to say, I won't be getting these this year. Still, click the picture to see the big version – the color and details are so pretty!

I did use my REI dividend to buy myself a little present that I've fallen madly in love with, though – this cool brown "adventure" skirt. I love the fabric, the fit, the pockets and zippers – everything about it. I'm actually considering buying a second one, just to have on hand in case anything ever happens to the first one. It's dressy enough to wear to a meeting at work, and it's so comfortable I can ride a bike in it (if I unzip the side zippers all the way up). Highly recommended.

Sigh. More boring blog posts about clothes.

In other news, my only real friend – as in, the only person I actually hang out with on a regular basis, other than Mr. A – is moving to Arizona this week. They lost their rental when the owner died, and haven't been able to find anything else here that they can afford. Her husband is leaving tomorrow with everything in the van, and she and their three-year-old daughter are staying with me and Mr. A for a few more days to wrap things up with her business. I'm a little nervous about how it's going to be with a toddler in the house – our "lifestyle" is not very kid-proof, and the Jeeps is so frail and unpredictable that I think we'll probably keep him in the bedroom most of the time when the kid is up. Tater's always been great around kids so far, but I'm going to be keeping a close eye on him, too. All that aside, I'm mainly just glad to have some time to spend with her before they leave town for good. They made the decision pretty suddenly, so I haven't had much time to get used to the idea.

I do have other friends, of course. And now I will be spending more time with them again. Something to look forward to.

Things continue to be weird at work, but I'm going with the flow. I found out from a neighbor that we're supposed to be getting cable service up our road, FINALLY, within the next couple of months, so once that happens I can upgrade my equipment at home and start ramping up my roster of private clients again. Maybe. I don't really like spending extra hours in front of a computer at home in the evening when I've already spent the whole day in front of one at my office. But if things go on the way they have been at work, I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to want to stick around there anyway. For now, though, it's okay.

Just FYI, I'm somehow starting to feel pressure (from myself) to be more interesting and witty and wry and self-deprecating when I write here, and so I want to declare publically, and mainly for my own benefit, that I've decided once again to acknowledge and let go of this pressure and keep on writing the same old boring things I always write, the things that concern me, that I want to remember or work out or play with. Sharing these thoughts with the World Wide Web is secondary to recording them for myself. Which is good, because really, who else cares what sheets I coveted online, or what skirt I bought to hike around the yard in?

P.S. I also like these leafy green ones. Sigh. Must learn to block print fabric ... I could make my own! Or I could even just paint them freehand. That would be a fun project for a sunny spring day.