mace to the face

having had no experience with pepper spray,
and having recently been given some to carry for safety,
i decided to test out the sprayer to make sure that
it was ready to go should i need it.
was it pump action or a contant stream of pepper spray?
i didn't know and thought i should.
the directions clearly stated to test the sprayer outside
but it was cold out there so i sprayed a little into the kitchen sink.
just a little.
then i decided i better rinse it down the sink
and for some reason i thought hot water would be a good idea.
hot water produces steam obviously
and steam full of pepper spray is not good.

i effectively pepper sprayed my entire household
as well as a few guests who were over at the time.
not a full blast to the face, of course,
but there was plenty of coughing and stinging between us all.
sorry guys.
sometimes i just do dumb things.

-nicole

button button, who has the button?

just in case anyone who reads this
has ever entertained the idea
that i was a cool kid,
i should inform you that one of the things that
has been occupying my time this week
is organizing my button collection.

i recently acquired a shoebox full of buttons,
some of them still on their vintage packaging.
i'm tying the matching buttons together with book-binding string
and organizing them all according to color.

very girl-nerdy.
but hey, it's winter in minnesota
and an unusually cold one at that.
i'm just trying to find things to do around the home
besides eating all the day and evening long.

never have i a wanted a warm-weather vacation
more than these past days.

-nicole