Well, thank goodness *that’s* done

Stringing pearls is incredibly tedious. And what’s worse than stringing pearls? Stringing pearls in a hotel room without any of my beading gear. Specifically, the two pair of needlenose pliers, the beading tray and maybe some foam where I could rig a stationary needle point up would have been helpful.

Instead I improvised: I have my travel jewelry case, which is rigid and lined in soft fuzz, so I took out a couple of necklaces and used that as a tray. I began by using my tapestry needle (brought for weaving in ends of knitted socks ) to tighten the knots against, but ended up using a needle from the hotel sewing kit stuck into the bed as a fixed needle. However, it seemed to work better if I pulled the knot off the pointy end, so I had to pull it out of the bed after every knot.

They came out looking pretty good. I used .70 mm slik cord, which is probably thicker than it needs to be but I think that’s good fo durability. It makes the knots lie a bit unevenly but that will fix itself over time. I do still need to go buy some kind of glue to seal the knots on the clasps, but that’s it.

Meanwhile, ironically, I totally managed to squander the money I saved by stringing them myself. I decided to get a second pair of glasses, since I’m not completely happy with these. Actually ended up with two more pair, sinc eit was a twofer deal. Good price on the frame, but it turned out they make their money on coatings and extras. Unfortunately I need some of those: my prescription is strong enough that ultrathin lenses are mandatory, and antiglare coating makes driving at night or into the sun safer. So several hundred euros later I will have the red and orange pair I’ve already gotten, a pair of black metal frames and some blue and green ones that I think might actually be the same style as the red ones. I didn’t bother with the coatings on the blue pair. My prescription had better stay constant for a while. Still, I’m kind of glad I did this, because the eye exam was much better at this place and includes factoring in astigmatism, which I think the other might have missed. Also, they said they’d order some new contacts for me to try to see if they work better. My luck, I’ll love those, spend more money on them, wear them all the time and the glasses will be a waste. (They do look good, though.) I also got some khaki pants, more expensive than necessary but hemmed in an hour at the store. And they fit my ass perfectly, in a tasteful and professional way. (Also, flattering.) This is not a thing to discount.

I also got one final birthday present for myself, if all that wasn’t enough: a massage. That was something I missed the whole time we were in Europe, but it turns out the department store has a salon where they do massages and they were able to fit me in. It was a bit different than in the US. There was more nudity – rather, the same amount but no sheet and the door didn’t close all the way – and less pressure. The former didn’t bother me, but the latter did. And with less concern for avoiding display of body parts, there was a lot more of what I can best describe as accidental brushing of sensitive parts, which just seemed odd. That plus the lighter pressure made the whole thing seem less geared toward therapy and more to pleasure in a weird way but I do prefer the feeling of a massage that really makes some difference in my muscles. Also, the salon has an entrance with no door opening to the department store, and there was none of the darkened room, lack of background noise, or soft music I’m used to. Instead there were the sounds of store customers, shop assistants, and crying children. Despite that, I fell asleep for part of it. I always hate when I do that, because it seems like a waste of an enjoyable experience. Even if this one was a bit less so than usual.

Tomorrow involves going to Amsterdam with my old crew and riding a bike (borrowed) along the race course to cheer them on. I will also be borrowing rain pants, because tomorrow’s weather is supposed to be absolutely foul, unlike the nice warm dry day we had today. And on Monday Ted will be here. He’ll arrive while I’m at work, so I probably won’t see him until evening. I expect to be doing my best limpet imitation and clinging tightly to him whenever possible, which might make dinner difficult. But pleasant. (Mris: if the limpet process brings any names to mind I will let you know.)