Woman on a Mission

What does a craft-loving woman do after her first market stall. Rest and recover? I've done a bit of that. Now I'm embarking on a rather unusual mission. I've been asked to make a Sehlat. I had to ask for further information, not being a Star Trek fan myself. Here is the best picture I've been able to find.

You can find more information at the appropriate wiki if you're that way inclined.

It seems I'm looking for a teddy-bear-like creature with six inch fangs and a tufted tail. It just so happens that I have quite a variety of soft toy patterns. The grizzly bear from Marshall Cavendish's 101 Soft Toys seems to be a likely candidate. I'm going to get started tonight by tracing off the pattern. It's one of those old-style scale-up-each-square-to-2.5 cm kind, but I think I'll be using the photocopier instead. Once that's done I'll dig out some suitable fur. Hopefully there's enough in my stash essential fabric collection.

Would you believe, this isn't the most unusual request I have received. Some years ago I made a Veeblax for a nine-year old. The request was accompanied by drawings of  front and side views and special notes on the single protruding eye.

And if you've been wondering about my somewhat unusual silence here: I've spent several hours in the past couple of days on the phone to my internet service provider. I think it's all sorted out now.

 

Gremlins

Yesterday I spent more time on the phone with technical support people. No offence intended, but I don't much like talking with technical support people. They have their little problem-solving script, "unplug this; plug it in again; turn the power off and turn it on again; check this setting and so on and so forth . . ."

I've had weeks and months of it. It seems that one problem is solved only to make room for another one to develop. I've lost count of the number of phone calls I've made. Yesterday one of the technical support people finally was willing to look at the bigger picture. She noted the number of problems in my history and agreed to "escalate the problem". I spoke with a Level 2 technician, who referred me to a Level 3 technician. This morning the Level 3 technician called me. I expected a long and complicated conversation with in depth analysis of the situation. Instead he laughingly agreed with me that my modem-router has a gremlin problem. He advised me not to add water and promised to send me a replacement. He even volunteered to test the new machine for a couple of days before sending it to me. Meanwhile I have internet access for the time being. At least until the gremlins strike again.

Absence

My apologies for an unusually long absence from my blog. My internet access has been cutting in and out--mostly out--and I've been dealing with technical people . . .

I hope to have things back to normal next week.

Access Angst

Where have I been the past 5 days? Well you may ask. My friend V called on the weekend to make sure I hadn't been struck down by some terrible catastrophe--it's so unusual for me to miss a day on my blog, let alone several days in a row. I've had internet issues. I've had service and communication issues. I've had conversations with three different companies in I don't know how many locations. Today I've had workmen coming and going from my house. Just when the last technician was starting up his van, having given up on the problem, I clicked on the computer and just like magic, there was my web page. I was so excited that I ran to the door and shouted to call him back. He came in--again--and observed the transformation for himself. The best he could manage was, "whadayano!" (for those of you who speak a different strain of English, that's , "what do you know?") I know I have internet access again and that's a good thing. I'll keep you posted!