Playing Sardines and the 18th century dress
Today, on the Metro, I got to participate in Metro's latest game -playing Sardines! What Metro does is they conspire with the Federal Government. The gov't says "Hey, umm, we need to work and stuff" and Metro says "Well, I suppose we could open a station or two and maybe a rail" to which the gov't says "Great! We'll send everyone back at once! KTHNXBAI!" And hence, the game of Sardines starts.
Metro runs one rail line between all it's red line and orange line stations. This means only one side of the platform is working -which they will tell you in a loud angry voice from the heavens at least twice and long before your train is scheduled to come in. So you wait on the wrong side of the platform -assuming your station is open. If not, you take an hour long bus ride on what should have taken you ten minutes to walk to the nearest open station. You lose two points for not living closer.
Once your train comes, maybe in thirty minutes, most like forty five, jam yourself in through the doors, the bookbags, the purses, and the briefcases until you are stuffed beneath a guy you just pray is wearing deodorant because his arm his holding on to the too-high-above-you-unless-you-are over-six-feet-tall handrails. And pray everyone else showered within the past twenty four hours. And that no one needs to get off the train. Or that anyone needs to use the facilities.
Once adequately stuffed into the can -er car- make sure to hold on tight to anything that is not another person otherwise you will fall into the guy behind, the woman in front of you, or the girl next to you. If you bop the guy's elbow with your head, you get two points back.
Try to see how many people can get on at each stop. The exit to entrance ratio seems to be three people for each one that gets off. Since you are already jammed between a grey coat and a green coat -which clashes horrible with you lovely bright pink wool coat- see if you can still move your feet. If you can, you get two more points. If you can't, you loose a point.
Once adequately squished to the point you feel like you are wearing a corset and wondering why you aren't wearing your hoops too keep all these people away from you, watch as half the train suddenly empties at a train station you've been to once. Lean against the wall behind you now since both grey coat and green coat got off the train. Also, remember during all of this to make jokes with your fellow passengers about the reliability of Metro and/or playing Sardines. Half a point for each laugh you get.
If you need to switch trains, remember to plow your way through the train before the train actually stops. Otherwise, you will NOT be able to get off. That's sort of the point of Sardines. If you have a train waiting, you get five points. However, a point is deducted for every ten minutes the train is sitting there due to only having one rail at a time and has two trains in front of it.
Once you finally get to your destination, look at the Starbucks. If you feel the need to continue playing Sardines, go inside said Starbucks...
Now for the dress
The dress with the trim pinned as of last night I've sewn the trim down now and it really is coming along. However, I'm still trying to figure out the rosettes or ribbon question.
Here is a similar style with the ribbon on top of the trim from a period fashion plate and here is a similar style with rosettes from a period fashion plate; just to show what I'm thinking. I'm still very open to suggestions on this either way or if you have a third idea. Comments? Opinions? Thank you to those that have commented thus far!
Metro runs one rail line between all it's red line and orange line stations. This means only one side of the platform is working -which they will tell you in a loud angry voice from the heavens at least twice and long before your train is scheduled to come in. So you wait on the wrong side of the platform -assuming your station is open. If not, you take an hour long bus ride on what should have taken you ten minutes to walk to the nearest open station. You lose two points for not living closer.
Once your train comes, maybe in thirty minutes, most like forty five, jam yourself in through the doors, the bookbags, the purses, and the briefcases until you are stuffed beneath a guy you just pray is wearing deodorant because his arm his holding on to the too-high-above-you-unless-you-are over-six-feet-tall handrails. And pray everyone else showered within the past twenty four hours. And that no one needs to get off the train. Or that anyone needs to use the facilities.
Once adequately stuffed into the can -er car- make sure to hold on tight to anything that is not another person otherwise you will fall into the guy behind, the woman in front of you, or the girl next to you. If you bop the guy's elbow with your head, you get two points back.
Try to see how many people can get on at each stop. The exit to entrance ratio seems to be three people for each one that gets off. Since you are already jammed between a grey coat and a green coat -which clashes horrible with you lovely bright pink wool coat- see if you can still move your feet. If you can, you get two more points. If you can't, you loose a point.
Once adequately squished to the point you feel like you are wearing a corset and wondering why you aren't wearing your hoops too keep all these people away from you, watch as half the train suddenly empties at a train station you've been to once. Lean against the wall behind you now since both grey coat and green coat got off the train. Also, remember during all of this to make jokes with your fellow passengers about the reliability of Metro and/or playing Sardines. Half a point for each laugh you get.
If you need to switch trains, remember to plow your way through the train before the train actually stops. Otherwise, you will NOT be able to get off. That's sort of the point of Sardines. If you have a train waiting, you get five points. However, a point is deducted for every ten minutes the train is sitting there due to only having one rail at a time and has two trains in front of it.
Once you finally get to your destination, look at the Starbucks. If you feel the need to continue playing Sardines, go inside said Starbucks...
Now for the dress
The dress with the trim pinned as of last night I've sewn the trim down now and it really is coming along. However, I'm still trying to figure out the rosettes or ribbon question.
Here is a similar style with the ribbon on top of the trim from a period fashion plate and here is a similar style with rosettes from a period fashion plate; just to show what I'm thinking. I'm still very open to suggestions on this either way or if you have a third idea. Comments? Opinions? Thank you to those that have commented thus far!