Obviously everyone sees this but if you're on my friends list already you have nothing to worry about...

Quick Drawstring Purse

Materials needed:

• K crochet hook
• G crochet hook (for drawstring)
• 2 colors of worsted weight yarn (held together as 1 strand)
• Scissors
• Tapestry needle (for weaving in the ends)

Gauge:
Unimportant - but for those that really need to know the gauge the first three rounds have a diameter of 3.5 inches

Pattern:
Hold 2 strands as one through the entire pattern.

Round 1: CH 4, SL ST into 1st stitch. CH 2, 9 DC into ring, join with SL ST to top of chain. (10)

Round 2: Ch 2, 2 DC in each stitch, join. (20)

Round 3: CH 2, DC in same stitch, (DC in DC, 2 DC in next DC) around, join. (30)

Round 4: CH 2, DC in same stitch, (DC in next two DC, 2 DC in next DC) around, join. (40)

Round 5: CH 2, DC in same stitch (DC in next three DC, 2 DC in next DC) around, join. (50)

Round 6: Working in the BL of the previous round, CH 2, DC in each stitch around, join. (50)

Round 7-10: CH 2, DC in each stitch around, join.

Round 8-9: CH 2, HDC in each stitch around, join.

Round 10: CH 1, SC in same stitch, SC in each stitch around, join.

Round 11: CH 3 (counts as DC and CH 1), (skip next stitch, DC in following stitch, CH 1) around, join to 2nd stitch in CH 3.

Round 12 (& shoulder strap): CH 1, SC in same stitch, SC in 24 stitches. Chain 100 [you can make this part longer if you want a bigger strap], join chain to the opposite side of the purse (where you began each round), SC back across the 100 stitches, then SC in each stitch around the rest of the purse, join and weave in ends.

To create the drawstring just create a chain, using the G hook, long enough to weave through round 11, (I have never counted because each purse is different).

Ok, so after spending 3 hours alone today at work... while trying to help customers and close the deli I have decided to come up with my own list of rules. This comes about because I had to start the cheese slicer THREE times before I finally could clean it and close it. I also had to clean the last slicer twice because after almost 45 minutes of no customers I got one five minutes before we closed. Now I know that without customers I wouldn't get a paycheck, but sometimes they just irritate the hell out of me. I know that these would never really work but still this is how I feel.

The Rules:

1. If you have to ask if the deli is open, don't bother asking just keep walking.
   
2. Don't order a just quarter pound of anything. That is not enough for me to unwrap whatever it is that you want and slice it.
   
3. Please don't order anything if you see that I am trying to break down a piece of equipment (that includes a slicer or the olive bar).
   
4. Don't be frustrated if you have to wait a minute while I am in the back trying to take care of washing and putting away the dishes. I will acknowledge you and gladly help you if you are polite to me.
   
5. There is no need to have a taste of every product then decide not to buy anything. Because everything I have to unwrap needs to be wrapped again and put away.
   
6. There will be no product sliced between the time of 9:45 and 10:00, I need those fifteen minutes to clean the last slicer and bring the cardboard/garbage to the compactor.
   

This is also going to be one of the few times that I am going to have a public entry and cross post it to Facebook because I want to share my silly little rules.

Alright - like usual I am writing... (Anyone surprised there?)
Anyway I am yet again editing my Blood Secrets saga and have decided that I am tired of the original names for two of the characters, and while I usually have no problem coming up with names (narrowing it down - yes I have issues with) I am drawing a blank right now...

So I am pleading to all my LJ friends to suggest some names for me...

I'll even give a brief character description to see if that spurs any ideas... The big thing is that they are very close friends with a trio of OBSCENELY old vampires and there is the potential for both of these people to be turned themselves...

Original Name: Charlene (No Last Name)

Description: In the original versions Charlene had black hair, that hung to her mid-back. She was about 5'7" with an athlete's body and emerald green eyes - this could all change in the rewrite. She's highly sarcastic but loyal to a fault, and is not bothered in the least that her best friend is a vampire.

Bit of dialogue: “Is there any particular reason why you haven’t installed an elevator in this building?" She asked sarcastically flopping into the overstuffed armchair and taking the glass of water from Rayna. (Said after running up six flights of stairs during a heatwave in New York City and after an old "acquaintance" of the main character showed up.)

Original Name: Hunter Stephens

Description:"His blue black hair was tied in a ponytail, with a piece of leather lacing, which hung just past his shoulders. He was handsome in an inexplicable way, tall and lanky with an angular face and almond eyes. More so than his features it was his demeanor which made him handsome. It wasn’t necessary to be a vampire to know that Hunter was a genuinely nice person." Directly from the rewrite... Hunter loves Abigail, even though she is in a relationship, but will not act on his feelings - he is quite content to be friends with her.

Bit of dialogue: Hunter laughed. “Well there are very few people, and even those who are rich and famous, that actually have 45 million dollars lying around. How the hell did you manage?? You know what never mind I don’t think that I really want to know,” he shook his head. (Said after finding out that his friend bought a townhouse on the Upper East Side, New York)

Poll #1175585 Name My Characters
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 2

Suggest Some Girl's Names

Suggest Some Boy's Names

Suggest Some Last Names

For background on this strike and why it is being held, please read the following posts:
http://beckyzoole.livejournal.com/394838.html
http://beckyzoole.livejournal.com/395310.html

To find out exactly when the strike begins and ends, depending on where you are located, please see this:
http://beckyzoole.livejournal.com/395125.html

What's this about?

* It's about free and ad-free LiveJournal accounts being abolished for new members, ignoring the advice from the newly-formed Advisory Board.
* It's about LJ staff trying to sneak this decision in under the radar, and when people found out, telling the users it was done 'to make the signup process less confusing'.
* It's about LJ staff failing to apologize for trying to hide the facts from view and for lying about the actual reasons for their actions.
* And finally, it's about the latest decision to hide certain user interests from the list of Most Popular Interests, some of them being fanfiction, bisexuality, sex and depression. This decision was not announced or explained in any way. Users found out for themselves.


The one-day content strike is on for this Friday, March 21, from midnight GMT to midnight GMT.

For 24 hours, we will not post or comment to LJ. Not in our own journals, not in communities. Not publicly, privately, or under friends-lock.

This is a protest that will have long-lasting effects, showing up forever in the daily posting statistics.

This is a protest that will not harm LJ in the long run, as leaving LJ might do.

This is a protest that will demonstrate the power of community, as all users unite to support Basic users, the concept of adfree space, and our right to enjoy any interests we choose.

This is a protest that will educate the new owners that LJ is driven by user-created content.

How Can You Help?

DO post about this in your own LJ.
DO post and comment about it in appropriate communities.
DO turn off LoudTwitter and your RSS feeds for 24 hours.
DO feel free to friend me for updates, and defriend when the strike is over.

DON'T forget to get permission from community mods before making an off-topic post or comment about the strike.
DON'T be spammy with your posts or comments about the strike.
DON'T forget to turn your LoudTwitter and RSS feeds back on when the strike is over.

Appropriate Times

The 24-hour strike will begin at the following times for the following locations:

Thursday, March 20, 2:00 PM -- Honolulu
Thursday, March 20, 4:00 PM -- Anchorage
Thursday, March 20, 5:00 PM -- San Francisco; Los Angeles
Thursday, March 20, 6:00 PM -- Mexico City; Denver
Thursday, March 20, 7:00 PM -- Chicago
Thursday, March 20, 8:00 PM -- Montreal; New York
Thursday, March 20, 9:00 PM -- Buenos Aires
Midnight -- London
Friday, March 21, 1:00 AM -- Paris
Friday, March 21, 2:00 AM -- Istanbul
Friday, March 21, 3:00 AM -- Moscow
Friday, March 21, 4:00 AM -- Dubai
Friday, March 21, 5:00 AM -- Islamabad
Friday, March 21, 6:00 AM -- Bangladesh

Why Are We Striking?

We are holding the Content Strike because we want the new owners of LiveJournal to better understand the power and resolve of the LJ Community of Users.

We are holding the Content Strike because all of us, Paid, Permanent and Plus users as well as Basic, want to demonstrate our solidarity as a Community of Users. We do not consider Basic users to be freeloaders, we consider them to be valuable content-providers and Friends.

We are holding the Content Strike because we ache to do something to show our displeasure, and commenting on the news post -- even with cat macros -- just isn't powerful enough!

The strike has four terms:

1. Restore basic accounts for new account creation.

2. Inform users before any change to the site that affects how we use the site or demands on our resources.

3. Run change proposals by the Advisory Board and take their advice into account before implementation of any change.

4. Homophobia, misogyny, and racism must not be a part of the decision making processes about appropriate content of the site, including what user interests are deemed appropriate.

NOTE: We are aware that there may be good business decisions for eliminating Basic accounts. If Basic accounts are to be eliminated, though, that action should be taken only after approval of the Advisory Board and consultation with the LJ Community of Users.

Will This Make Any Difference?

The protests are making a difference. Within the last three hours (as of 3pm March 17, '08), the censored interests have been restored! If you look at the Popular Interests page, you will once again see the formerly filtered "fanfiction", "depression", "bisexuality" -- even "faeries". LiveJournal is once again presenting its true face to the world, not a sanitized blandness.

Please continue to spread the word about the Content Strike. We are not merely consumers. We are a Community of Users, and we will be heard.

LiveJournal Content Strike, Friday, March 21, midnight to midnight GMT.
No posts. No comments. No content.

I won't be here from 8PM Thursday to 8PM Friday.

For everyone there is always something that brings back those fond memories of their childhood... the smell of cookies baking, the feel of the sun on you while outside... something no matter how small.

Okay so I am only 19 years old and my childhood wasn't that long ago, but still... there is something. It's watching the movie the Indian in the Cupbord... it reminds me of reading the book by the same name when I was little... The wonder of being 10... Not that I had a very happy childhood, most of it was spent in books because my peers would pick on me... I was the school scapegoat, but still it was my childhood, and some of it was wonderful. Not that I would give up where I am today to go back.

Your experances in childhood, and the rest of your life make you the person that you are today, and with out those experances, no matter how scaring, you would not be the same person. People say they would give anything to go back and change some event in their lives, not me though... even the really horrific thing that happend to me I would not change, because then I wouldn't be the Leslie that everyone knows and cares about.

The memories of childhood are like a warm blanket... memories of days of 'freedom' and less responsablilty. Even though you can't relive them the memory will always be there.

You will use your experiances from childhood to help rase your own children. Praying along the way that they don't make the same mistakes that you made as a child, mistakes that again made you who you are.

Life's a journey, sometimes traveled alone, sometimes with a companion. It's your life, it was your childhood... no one can take that away from you.

19 years old, and am now an adult, no longer a child... out of school, in a wonderful relationship... there are days and times that I wish that I could go back to being 6-7 years old, but I can't so I trudge on... living everyday to the fullest, and that's all anyone can ever ask of me. It's my life...