TC's Life and Hobby Update
23Hey all -
I know I haven’t been active much here lately, and I’ll level with you - I seriously underestimated the time and energy level it would take to work here, even though it’s a pretty chill place to work. Without the free time to spend playing on the internet, I haven’t kept up with my forum contributions.
So yeah, it’s been a while since I shared an update, and well, I miss you all and wanted to make you feel as old as I do. 
Here’s a pic of my current hair color. (I think it was bright red last time I posted my pic on here.)
@humper is still my partner and person. We just celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary this past week. 
- We went out to a fancy dinner and passed out early because we’re old, now.
@puppycat is 9 years old, 4’11" and going into 4th grade this coming fall. (She’s a full head taller than the shortest kid in her class. So my mini-me is a mini-monster.)
I still make her dresses and hoodies on demand, and she’s getting more involved in the design process and loving it.
So, I’m still sewing, but lately I’ve been more into bag and wallet making than clothing. (I dig the challenge.)
I can’t share pics of the family, but if you want, I’ll bombard you with pics of my sewing projects so far in 2025.
What’s your update? I want to know what major changes have happened and what you’re into these days.
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Oh, I’m envious of your hair - it’s beautiful! (I put colors in mine but of course don’t get such vivid effects.)
4’11" at nine years old - wow; amazing that the little girl we saw in photos a while back is so big.
Please do bombard us with pics!
@Kyeh I have like 40 pics of a dozen projects. What do you wanna see?
@Thumperchick All/any that you want to share!
@Kyeh @Thumperchick wallets please go back dragon scale wallet sounds awesome. I’ve been sort of looking for something new that’s not junk lately and maybe you’ll help motivate me
OWLS! TOWELS! JOWLS! AWESOME!
@Cerridwyn @Kyeh Dragon wallet up first!
@Cerridwyn @Thumperchick Oh, that’s gorgeous.
@Cerridwyn @Kyeh @Thumperchick Love the zipper pulls!!
@Cerridwyn @ironcheftoni @Thumperchick
I’d like to also see the:
LOTR handbag that’s designed to look like the book
and the die shaped bag, please!
@ironcheftoni @Kyeh @Thumperchick I know that super pole is gorgeous and the fact that it is iridescent makes it even more gorgeous
@Cerridwyn @ironcheftoni @Kyeh
LOTR:
@Cerridwyn @ironcheftoni @Kyeh
DND:
@Cerridwyn @ironcheftoni @Thumperchick
WHOA! Those are SO COOL! I especially love the LOTR one, so clever! Did they come as kits?
@Cerridwyn @ironcheftoni @Kyeh The LOTR and DND bags came with the fabric as a kit, but I had to find the hardware and webbing.
@Cerridwyn @ironcheftoni @Thumperchick
i.e. “zipper pull”?
@Cerridwyn @ironcheftoni @Thumperchick
So those things just exist out there? How fantastic.
I’m just gonna post the rest of them and clog this thread with a million photos.
Messenger bag for Puppycat’s tablet, headphones, and whatever else she squirrels away in the pockets.
Pokemon wallet
Deadpool/Wolverine wallet and Minecraft wallet (these were kits, but I had to supply the zipper and pulls)
Half a dozen large tote bags:
They’re weekender size. Each tote was designed with the particular recipient in mind.
@ironcheftoni @Kyeh @Thumperchick Voice to Text gets really weird sometimes
@Thumperchick Those are all so beautiful and original! Lucky recipients!
The sexy carrot fabric is a hoot - reminds me of this.
@Thumperchick Wow. Just wow. LOTR is The One for me. Fantastic work and the design is perfect. I like the others and might choose them for myself but this one, name any somewhat reasonable (defined as I have enough) price and I would own it. You could make good money if you are not already.
Unreal that puppycat is 9. Seems like she was an infant just a bit ago. Stop blinking. Time is moving way too fast.
The purple is gorgeous.
I don’t have the guts to try colors. I have allowed my hair to grow out but don’t do anything fun with it.
I am much the same. Still working although I have reached KMA status. DH retired early after some health things. My eyes have decided to age quickly this year. I need cheaters for smaller print now. Basically same different day, just older.
@speediedelivery
I don’t sell, mostly because I don’t want to have to sew on someone else’s schedule and design. I tend to make projects with specific close family/friends in mind, and they’re all rocking wallets and/or bags I’ve made in the past few years.
Getting older is a weird ride to be on. My mind is still pretty sharp, but my body is like, “Nah, we’re done,” and that’s a really strange place to be.
Puppycat being 9 still blows me away on a daily basis. Her sass is on par with mine, so that’s kind of a riot when she gives me my own facial expressions.
@Thumperchick You could probably sell some of this stuff. Like or Etsy or something.
@Thumperchick we gotta talk, if the ecosystem is benevolent, a little bit of die brag from you mixed with a bit of handsewn puzzle pouch from me and we can conquer the board game universe!
@Thumperchick Wow, these are all super cool!
@zebazga that sounds pretty damn cool. Can you post some of your hand sewing projects?
@Thumperchick this is the 3/4 puzzle pouch currently on hold as I try to untangle the bird’s nest of thread. Well, it will be when I learn how to post pic
@Thumperchick of course the pic I used is a side waiting for hand sewing. But look at the bird’s nest making my eyes spin
@speediedelivery @Thumperchick
I am totally in love with all this
Esp the LOTR.
@zebazga I’d love to see more of your pouches!
I’ll join in.
Hi, it’s been a minute. For much of the same reasons as @Thumperchick it’s been busy.
Uh, let’s see… I just got back from Korea. Love that place and I hope I can go back again soon. Got to do a few things there like visit Lotteria, Itaewon, Gangnam, Yesan, Cheonju,
Hobbies: Still gaming not sure I’ll be quitting that anytime soon. Whatever old folks home I move into I hope their internet is strong. WoW, Overwatch, and a few others. I’ve been considering streaming for fun as well.
Getting into watching anime again. Haven’t watched a lot since the 90s. Initial D was a favorite. Started watching Frieren which was great so far.
Since we’re sharing pictures.
Here’s the giant christmas chicken leg tree I saw and that was mention in the email chatter.
Here’s the email chatter for those who missed it:
Am I dating myself by being disappointed that there is no classic Jim Anchower “Hola, amigos, it’s been awhile since I rapped at ya” intro?
@mossygreen yep
@mossygreen @Thumperchick
if you date yourself does that mean you get to eat both the appetizers?
@chienfou @Thumperchick Yes.
@chienfou @mossygreen @Thumperchick It also means fewer long frustrating discussions about where to have dinner.
I really do want to hear about your updates. Anyone want to share what you’ve been up to the last few years?
@Thumperchick I have spent the last couple months riding my bicycle around looking for the 12 pounds I lost. Unfortunately I lost 3 more.
@Thumperchick not the last few years but the last few months. I’ve been getting a little crafty teaching myself to sew again. The last thing I made was a Renn Fair costume in the 80’s so I’m learning all over again. Thanks to the Joann’s going out of business sales
And getting my mom’s sewing machine. These tablecloths are for playing mah jongg. Prices are usually anywhere from $40 to $80 on etsy. But of course like any crafty person, I can make it myself! I deconstructed the one I bought a few years ago. The mesh makes the tiles glide across the table without damaging them. First one made is the purple one and I got the measurements completely off base. But it fits perfectly for the table at the Starbucks that I play at occasionally. The second one is for a friend. I ran out of the Joann’s mesh and this mesh is window screen from Home Depot.
I plan to make more since I have a literal shit ton of fabric now but that is taking a back step to getting my mom moved from east Texas to assisted living close to my house next week. With stage 1 dementia with some symptoms of stage 2 and 3; she cannot live alone any longer
@yakkoTDI It’s great that you’re getting healthier!
@ironcheftoni Those are great! Sewing keeps me sane, it’s good to see someone else’s creations.
@ironcheftoni @Thumperchick Sorry to hear about your mom. It was tough to watch my dad make that decline. I’m glad she will be close to you.
I hope the mah jongg set I sent you wasn’t shit. I really had no idea what a reasonable set looked like
You said purple and mah jongg and I threw in a hail mary 
Those covers look great
@capnjb @Thumperchick The mah jongg set is great, Thank you!! It gets used quite a bit as my travel set since it’s the only one I have that’s in a light weight case. The others are in heavy hard sided cases.
@ironcheftoni @Thumperchick
Yeah… we definitely run in different circles. Heh.
@Thumperchick I’ve been around a lot less due to similar demands on time elsewhere. In 2021 we fostered a newborn baby straight from the hospital. 2023 we adopted him. He’s a daredevil, too smart for his own good in every way except being aware of risk, and in general a handful. He was diagnosed with autism and thanks to being a part of the foster system has access to so many resources that have helped him tremendously. While he’s nonverbal he’s gifted in a lot of ways, especially music, reasoning, and also an amazing sense of direction with respect to other places he likes to go. He was over 3 feet tall on his third birthday, so he’s probably going to be taller than me and maybe even as tall as his mom. I think being a parent of a young kid in your 40s is way different than in your 20s as far as demands on time and energy. A lot of times when I put him to bed, I knock myself out too.
Not long after he was placed with us I left my job at a family owned company to join the WFH crowd for a global company, and even though I commute upstairs instead of across town, there’s a lot of time and energy in doing that work correctly and with care. I hope I’m succeeding at it and that the company does well because it feels like that kind of opportunity is drying up if I were to need to find a new one.
The main hobby lately seems to be the golf cart I picked up for the family this spring. Fixing it up, installing lithium batteries and straightening out the haphazard electrical work the previous owner did, and hooking up all the lights to have turn signals, brake lights etc has been a fun project. All that to facilitate taking the little guy out and letting him call the shots for where we go. It’s his favorite thing to do lately. This means we drive by Grandma’s house (she lives in our neighborhood) at least five or six times per outing thanks to that aforementioned sense of direction. I’ve started taking him to random places in the neighborhood and having him lead me either to home or Grandma’s and he’s pretty good at it. Better at Grandma’s of course because I think he thinks if we go home the ride will be over. But I think instilling the ability to get to at least one of our houses will never not be useful, especially if he gets out when he’s a little older and cannot speak to anyone to get help.
So with all that I sometimes find it’s been a while before I get around to popping into the forums here and spouting off whatever nonsense comes out of my thumbs.
@djslack @Thumperchick As a person of the adopted persuasion, I love this so much. I have a crazy level of ADHD with a splash of OCD. Honestly, I’m likely somewhere on the spectrum.
Everyone has a different brain and sometimes it just takes a few minutes to figure them out. I’m happy your son landed with the parents he was to supposed to find. That is so wonderful.
high fives
@capnjb Thank you! As I’m doing research on things for him, I’m finding out some things about myself as well.
/giphy high five
@djslack My wife teaches pre-K and, not sure how to put this politely, but it’s certainly not in a wealthy area. She is working with mostly 4 year olds and has worked with kids that were non-verbal. She said something that resonated with me. She said, even when they don’t speak… smiles are a universal language. She thinks some should be in different programs, but she loves the challenge of finding new ways to communicate.
@capnjb 100% true. Our guy is quite often the happiest kid ever and his smile is contagious. I’m glad that she’s out there making a difference for these kids, and that we have similar people in his corner every day. People like her are shaping the trajectory of these kids’ life and possibilities upward every time they smile together.
@djslack That is so amazing. But before you know it, you’ll blink three times and you’ll be looking into the eyes of a happy man. Please continue to swing by here and share the story. I know it’s not an easy path, but it certainly feels like it’s full of love. And sometimes, that is all that is needed. Again, with me being adopted… this just makes my heart happy. You done good.
@djslack wow! That’s a lot, in the best way.
I’m so glad to hear life is treating you and your family well. Welcoming a new baby is such a trip. It’s like your whole center of gravity changes to center around them.
Being a parent to an elementary school student in my 40s does mean she wipes me out. But we’re more stable overall, so I’m glad we waited.
If you’re up to it, can you share a post of the work you’re doing/have done to the golf cart? If not, no worries. I just think it’ll be neat to see the process.
@Thumperchick Thanks! Yes, it’s world changing in a good way. And my mind is blown because I just realized I’ll be 50 when he is in elementary school. We’ve already gotten a couple “your grandson” moments, my wife just loves that so much she could murder someone lol.
I’ll try to make a golf cart post. I didn’t take a lot of pictures along the way but I will see what I can do. And there are still upgrades I have in mind so more to be done as well.
@capnjb @Thumperchick Traveling as in not playing at my house. We frequently play at a Starbucks inside a grocery store since it’s centrally located to all players involved
@djslack @Thumperchick I turned 50 when my daughter was in middle school. It’s not so bad
The trick is to stay 18 in your brain as long as you can 
Awesome! My daughter is a gigantor as well. She was taller than my wife at the end of 5th grade at 5’ 5". At the end of 8th grade she was almost taller than me. This was the first day of her junior year in high school. Granted she is in platform Doc Martens and I have no shoes on… but… come on
We have to keep checking her room because we think she is sneaking vegetables when we’re away. 
Can’t believe she’s about to be a senior 
edit - I’m 5’ 11" btw. With the boots she is well over 6’
VAN GOGH! MANGO! TANGO! AWESOME!
@capnjb Oh wow. I totally expect Puppycat to shoot up past me, too.
(Your daughter is beautiful!)
@Thumperchick
She gets it from her mother
@capnjb It’s probably the shoes (and your lack thereof)
Some of this has been covered in other random posts here and there, but the Reader’s Digest version is:
Retired last summer. Tho I still work PRN a couple times a month in our local ER.
Have been doing a ton of traveling. Trying to catch up with all the trips we missed while taking care of Mom in her last years. In the past 12 months have been to the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, France, Dominican Republic, St Lucia, Martinique, Guadelupe, Costa Rica, Hawaii.
Still doing a ton of gardening around the house. Tho my garden is being neglected currently.
Bought a C class RV to make a cross country trip with a cousin from France visiting for the summer for 3 weeks. Took it on a test run to Nashville for the grandson’s graduation. It got totaled when some idiot came across the road and smashed into the side (almost nailed us head-on) about 25 mi from getting back home! Thankfully no one was injured in our vehicle and the other guy came out of it with minor injuries. This was about 3 weeks before we were destined to start our trip. Replaced that RV with an A class which is not nearly as good a configuration for our needs, but we’re making it happen. (Both of those vehicles were from the 2003 to 2004 range). We are currently winding our way across the US to deposit the cousin in San Francisco to fly home. SIL will fly out to join my wife for 10 days while I go home and make sure the place is habitable. I will then rejoin her in Bozeman. Will then make the trip back to Alabama over the next few weeks with just the two of us (SWMBO and I).
TL:DR. Not much…
@chienfou that all sounds like a blast… except the wreck. That’s a bummer, but I’m glad no one was hurt.
What’s your favorite thing about traveling?
@Thumperchick
There are so many things that are appealing about traveling. Finding out how other people live, trying new foods, experiencing new sites, sounds and smells, meeting new people, experiencing other cultures, hearing other languages, in short… getting to be outside of your comfort zone.
Didn’t know you were in that industry
@capnjb
ER nurse so… yes.
@chienfou That was not the joke I was making
@capnjb @chienfou Nurses seem to be a common theme in that industry (or so I’m told
).
@capnjb @macromeh
I guess
/giphy joke over my head
@capnjb @macromeh
/image homer d’oh
Never mind…
@Thumperchick
I remember how you once painted @puppycat’s room
Have you upgraded or redone that?
Are you comfortable showing us pictures of your interior artwork?
@f00l A friend of mine did the painting in her room (I’m not talented in that way), and it’s still the same mural. (The kid still loves it.)
I will just say that in my own personal space, things excitedly anticipated early last year got delayed and then botched, and then dealing with the problems turned into an ongoing you-really-don’t-want-to-know.
@werehatrack I’m sorry things aren’t going the direction you want/need them to.
jeez you people with your tall kids.
the little one is now 12, going on 23. the eyerolls have been perfected and you can hear the eyeballs roll into the back of his head.
what else? we bought a house last year and love love love the location. trader joe’s and a really tasty bakery are within 150 yards, so that’s dangerous. plenty of parks, lakes and walking trails are nearby as well.
first night in the house, there was a massive storm. giant branch fell in our driveway. luckily, the neighbor from a couple doors down came by with a chainsaw and helped. it was a weird way to meet all the neighbors, but really nice to see everyone out and helping.
the next day was like 95 and ultra humid. we had no power. couldn’t get the car out of the detached garage because the previous owner never used the side door and didn’t have a key. unpacking was brutal. we finally said “fuck it” and walked to the giant community aquatic center that’s only a half mile away. like i said, we love the location of this house!
we also got a dog. she’s so damn wonderful that we’ve constantly ponder why her previous owners gave her up.