tent construction and pets

Today I learned that the trick to sewing seams in rip-stop nylon is to use six zillion pins per inch. Then, when you have systematically emptied your pin box by pinning seams and then throwing all the pins on the floor* one by one while sewing the seam, you can use those old-fashioned metal refrigerator magnets with the hook on them (a convenient handle) to pick up all the pins. I recognize that the fabric store people would be happy to sell me a magnetic pin box or some such thing, but so far, this is the only use I've found for those magnets I picked up at the hardware store. Oh, yeah, and I made an impulse purchase in a hardware store, where I learned a new term for the pesticide department from the clerk, who referred to it as "the death aisle."

In other news, scientists have proven that dogs think about stuff. I'm pleased they got around to figuring out how to prove it, and I sincerely hope someone is working on proof that your cats really are just messing with you.


* I actually put the pins on the table, but they spend most of their time on the floor. It could have something to do with the fact that all my tables are patio furniture.