I spent Easter among strangers. And my new boyfriend, Alex. It was nice.
Yesterday we drove to Santa Cruz, where we spent the night at Stacy ad Michael's place there. (They were off on an adventure to Death Valley, which is chock full of wild flowers, with all the rain we've been having. Sounds like a great trip with starry nights and swimming in the desert.) It wasn't the same without them. And their dog, Oona.
Today we accepted an invitation for a Real Easter Dinner from friends of Alex's parents -- a government researcher and his Indian wife who had moved to Monterey from Richmond, Virginia 6 years ago. There were 11 of us -- a man from Uganda, here studying for 4 weeks, a Stanford Poly Sci graduate student, our hosts, their daughter, her (boy?) friend, a Japanese woman and her hipster son, and a man named Duncan. Interesting crew. The lamb was especially good, served with a spicy Indian rice dish with peanuts that kicked ass. And pie. There was really a lot of pie.
I'm up late trying to finish a story -- my last freelance project for Sun Microsystems. The job is making me a bit wacky; last week I got quite overwhelmed with the process-less of it all. It's hard sometimes to know what to do next. I suppose it's normal, after a few weeks on the job and being dropped in the middle of a chaotic redesign project. Still, it sucks not to know what you're doing. Or how.
OK, back to the mines. Happy Easter, everyone.
Sunday, March 27, 2005
Monday, March 14, 2005
a word about Pima
Silly me. Turns out Pima cotton, named for the Pima indians who helped establish it as a crop in Arizona, kicks Egyptian's ass. Today, the bulk of it is grown right here in the San Joaquin valley. Here's an article about what a tough time local farmers had with growing conditions for last year's crop. A rainy 2003 shortened the growing season last year, impacting the billion-dollar California cotton industry. Who knew we were growing so much cotton right here in our backyard? Not me. Will wo nders (and sheets and towels) never sease.
Sunday, March 13, 2005
The Bedding Queen
Macy's had a big sale this weekend, with an additional 40% off of clearance prices. Plus, when you use your Macy's charge card, they give you another 10% off. It's not like getting 50% off -- it's closer to 46% -- but I went in big anyway.
I have a thing for towels. And sheets. Cloth napkins, and duvet covers. I also branched out this weekend and went in for some anti-allergen pillows. I've decided that besides throwing your old sheets away every five years, you should definitely throw your pillows away. Although my friend Stacy swears by washing them. But I've never tried that. Never. Is that scary or what?
I have a new friend who's a boy. He had never tried washing his bathmat. Perhaps we're all a bit remedial about the things that are so familiar we don't notice them anymore. And so they serve us, underfoot and under cheek, growing increasingly grungy until some external force intervenes. Who knows. But I'm digging the new pillows.
No trip to Macy's (OK, full disclosure, 4 trips) would be complete without a new towel or two. I got a tip from one of the sales women that the best towels in the joint were the Calvin Klein 100% ringspun Pima cotton, and they were half off due to color dicontinuation. I got right on that. She's right. They are extraordinary towels. Soft, absorbant, and not too thick. It's like love.
I also lucked out and found some sale sheets that were not out on the sale tables. So I scored a full set of Charter Club Hotel sheets (ok, color is black, but *still*) for a measy $81. With an extra set of pillowcases. Thread count: 460. Some saleswoman tried to sell me on the Calvin Klein percale, which may be the best sheets Macy's carry. At a low 220 thread count, there is apparently room between the cotton threads for them to fluff up and soften with wear. But I wasn't buying. Even with the triple discount, those suckers still clocked in at $150 a set. Too rich for my blood. And they didn't have a matching set.
Towel advice: look for ringspun cotton for hand (softness) and Egyptian or Pima for quality and durability. Egyptian is famous for longer fibers and a smooth weave. Pima just feels good. Incredibly good. Hang on. I have to go fondle my new towel.
Washing tips: don't use fabric softener when laundering towels. It seals the fabric with a sort of waxy coating that impacts their absorptive qualities. If you slip up, wash them a few times with a little soap only, or with just water, and they'll bounce back. Wash sheets in warm water, never hot. And try not to dry the hell out of them -- this goes for all your clothes. They don't like it.
My best sheets are by Coyuchi. Organic cotton, low thread count (220), and very thick. They get better with each washing and they were pretty good to begin with. I've noticed a more expensive sheet can sometimes feel like it has tiny barbs on it, especially if you put it up against your cheek. The Calvin Klein percale felt like that. But they can really soften up to be incredible. Or, if you paid real bargain prices, they can just stay sandpapery for years and years until you throw them away in a fit of frustration and distaste. I will never buy sheets at Ross Dress for Less again. Ever. You're throwing money away, even if you get 600 thread count pillowcases for $10. Be strong.
Also, look out for a high threadcount sheet that is thin. These are all over right now. DKNY gets gauzy even, which is no good for long-term wear. And forget about fluff. It's not going to happen.
News alert: import quotas on textiles from China were lifted this month, and volumes have picked up tremendously. It will be interesting to see how this impacts the quality of goods on the market, and if it lowers prices. Not sure how they mark sheets; I think weaving and growing take place mostly outside the US. We may be in for better quality sheets (and towels!) at lower prices. Although, there will always be a high end...and sales.
Oh, my first week of work was fine. Didn't do much besides fight with my new UNIX environment. But it's coming around. I shall ride the employment beast. I'm just sure of it.
I have a thing for towels. And sheets. Cloth napkins, and duvet covers. I also branched out this weekend and went in for some anti-allergen pillows. I've decided that besides throwing your old sheets away every five years, you should definitely throw your pillows away. Although my friend Stacy swears by washing them. But I've never tried that. Never. Is that scary or what?
I have a new friend who's a boy. He had never tried washing his bathmat. Perhaps we're all a bit remedial about the things that are so familiar we don't notice them anymore. And so they serve us, underfoot and under cheek, growing increasingly grungy until some external force intervenes. Who knows. But I'm digging the new pillows.
No trip to Macy's (OK, full disclosure, 4 trips) would be complete without a new towel or two. I got a tip from one of the sales women that the best towels in the joint were the Calvin Klein 100% ringspun Pima cotton, and they were half off due to color dicontinuation. I got right on that. She's right. They are extraordinary towels. Soft, absorbant, and not too thick. It's like love.
I also lucked out and found some sale sheets that were not out on the sale tables. So I scored a full set of Charter Club Hotel sheets (ok, color is black, but *still*) for a measy $81. With an extra set of pillowcases. Thread count: 460. Some saleswoman tried to sell me on the Calvin Klein percale, which may be the best sheets Macy's carry. At a low 220 thread count, there is apparently room between the cotton threads for them to fluff up and soften with wear. But I wasn't buying. Even with the triple discount, those suckers still clocked in at $150 a set. Too rich for my blood. And they didn't have a matching set.
Towel advice: look for ringspun cotton for hand (softness) and Egyptian or Pima for quality and durability. Egyptian is famous for longer fibers and a smooth weave. Pima just feels good. Incredibly good. Hang on. I have to go fondle my new towel.
Washing tips: don't use fabric softener when laundering towels. It seals the fabric with a sort of waxy coating that impacts their absorptive qualities. If you slip up, wash them a few times with a little soap only, or with just water, and they'll bounce back. Wash sheets in warm water, never hot. And try not to dry the hell out of them -- this goes for all your clothes. They don't like it.
My best sheets are by Coyuchi. Organic cotton, low thread count (220), and very thick. They get better with each washing and they were pretty good to begin with. I've noticed a more expensive sheet can sometimes feel like it has tiny barbs on it, especially if you put it up against your cheek. The Calvin Klein percale felt like that. But they can really soften up to be incredible. Or, if you paid real bargain prices, they can just stay sandpapery for years and years until you throw them away in a fit of frustration and distaste. I will never buy sheets at Ross Dress for Less again. Ever. You're throwing money away, even if you get 600 thread count pillowcases for $10. Be strong.
Also, look out for a high threadcount sheet that is thin. These are all over right now. DKNY gets gauzy even, which is no good for long-term wear. And forget about fluff. It's not going to happen.
News alert: import quotas on textiles from China were lifted this month, and volumes have picked up tremendously. It will be interesting to see how this impacts the quality of goods on the market, and if it lowers prices. Not sure how they mark sheets; I think weaving and growing take place mostly outside the US. We may be in for better quality sheets (and towels!) at lower prices. Although, there will always be a high end...and sales.
Oh, my first week of work was fine. Didn't do much besides fight with my new UNIX environment. But it's coming around. I shall ride the employment beast. I'm just sure of it.
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