stück eisen

I have been feeling relatively happier in the past couple of days.  I tie it in mostly with my feeling of accomplishment at work.  I am now actually doing real work that will end up becoming a real machine.  This makes me feel good as I have only done theoretical work since June when I got here.  The theoretical part was also fruitful in design, but will for now only exist on paper.  I like designing machines, and I am actually pretty good at it most of the time.  The slant on the stuff that I am only more or less finishing now, are designs that I did when I lived here a year and a half ago.  That’s what I presented to the Japanese.  My designs that had existed for a long time, but are still not realized.  They will see the light of day soon, as assembly starts the first week in February 2006.  I need to get lots of things on order soon.  I am no longer bored at work and the hours seem to fly by now that I have a couple of months work ahead of me.

I visited my doc on Tuesday about my cholesterol.  She felt that it was on the edge and that I should do some sort of exercise a few times a week, and to quit smoking.  My cholesterol numbers sounded good to me, as the total has stayed constant for the last four months at around 230.  But the best part is that my HDL went up.  It had always stayed around 38 or so, and now is 55.  I look upon this as a bit monumental.  My LDL was around 175 or so.  This was good enough news for me.  If I were to be able to eat less fattening German food, like cordon bleu made with pork cutlet stuffed with ham and cheese, I could possibly drop it a bit more.  German cordon bleu is a bit redundant I think.  Riding my bike everywhere for the lack of a car is enough exercise for me.

I mentioned to my doc that I wanted to start looking for a doc that can work on my adam’s apple and another for hair transplants.  She said that I should concentrate on my facial hair before considering anything else.  I don’t see why.   The laser treatments are six weeks apart, and I will be doing them for the next six months.  I want to get both other things done in the meantime.  I want to be ready to start living full time in late spring or early summer.  I was also thinking of maybe seeking out some docs in Detroit or Boston and have a consultation over the holidays.  I’m not sure when the docs usually take their vacation then, so I should probably call soon.  I should also speak with Petra to find out when my health insurance will start to pay for such treatments.  I have a feeling that they don’t pay for anything unless you are living full time.  I can’t imagine living full time without doing it before.

I worked on edge finish samples Tuesday night after work on the beastly serger.  I was working with pieces of lightweight fleece that I want to make a top out of.  It didn’t really work out so well.  The fleece fed like shit and therefore the threads got all knotted and jammed the machine.  I got so frustrated with it.  I wonder now if the presser foot pressure should be reduced.  I may try it one more time.  I was going to try to do some edge finishes with my normal machine.  I’m thinking the dual feed will probably work wonders.  I bought some top weight fleece at karstadt on Monday.  I guess it’s really double fleece, whereas each side is a different color.  One is chartreuse with a reddish-orange side, and the other is navy blue with red on the opposite side.  But the real score was the three metres of blue-green fake lambs fleece that I bought to make a winter coat.  It’s reminiscent of the low pile, shimmery combed lambs fleece coats from the 50’s.  I want to make a ¾ length tie waist coat.  I can’t decide on a collar for it though.  Lapels or mandarin?  I think lapels.

I went to the Grohe last night with Helmut, Mari, and Christi.  I haven’t been out with them for a while now. I have been really good lately with the drinking.  Until last night.  We drank a few beers and had something to eat.  We also talked a lot, and not so much about work.  We all left the Grohe together, Helmut went home and Mari and Christi and I went to the Krone.  It was sort of a goth/punk night.  We stayed there until about 1a and then went home.  I was pretty tipsy on the bike ride home.  I went right to bed.  I felt like major shit this morning when I got up at 7a.  I started to wash some dishes and to make coffee.  As soon as I put the water on the stove I started to feel whoosy and broke into a cold sweat.  I went back to bed and lay down.  There’s something oddly comforting and scary at the same time with cold sweats.  It usually means that the body is fighting something and giving it all it has to get rid of it.  I’m sure it was from the alcohol.  I only had 6 beers over five hours.  I really can’t drink like I used to.  I have to get that through my head.

I took delivery of my antique art nouveau oak buffet tonight.  I am really glad I decided to have it delivered rather than getting myself.  It is a lot bigger and heavier than I had remembered   I thought the guys were going to get a hernia from carrying it up four flights of stairs.  One of the small doors fell open and ripped out of the hinges.  They took it off and brought it back to their shop to fix it.  I will pick it up on Saturday.  One of them asked me if my living room set is authentic.  I told him it was but the upholstery was newer.  I told him that I had bought the smoking stand at their store here in DA.  He said he would do me a good deal on the companion to it.  I also asked if they had any dining tables in oak, and by chance they got a new piece just today.  They showed me pictures of it, but I’ll take a look at it on Saturday.  I am very happy with my decision to buy the buffet.  It’s big and beautiful and weighs a ton.  I’ll post a pic on my photo blog if I think of it.

It’s time to start thinking about planning my time off around the holidays.  I originally planned only to go to Boston, but I realized if I fly NWA, I would have to go through Detroit anyway.  I am getting close to silver elite status with NWA and want to make it before years’ end.  Silver elite means free upgrades and bonus miles that seem to perpetuate once you achieve it, but that’s only if you continue to fly regularly.  My company per contract is paying for the flights.  I am a bit nervous about going back to see family.  But then again, I guess I don’t look so drastically different since the last time they saw me.  If you are looking at my photo blog, then you know how I look. I’m not sure how long I will spend there, I’m thinking a week.  I will maybe spend a couple of days in Detroit to visit Bill & Merry, Jason & Elise, and Jenny and Allison.

My belt keeps getting bigger.  I have lost so far two inches off of my waist, or at least where my jeans sit.  It seems I will have to re-do my sloper before I design anything new.

I wanted to remail sweet trini tonight but I have run out of time.  Sorry sweets…this kid needs to go to bed.  I hope your bathroom is finished soon.  walk good.