Good Times

Oh this was just the BEST weekend. I'm thinking I really like having 3 days off in a row. 7 would be better, but I'd settle for 3. Got the routine stuff out of the way on Saturday and then it was 2 days of whatever.

Had a great meal of smoked ribs, turkey and/or brisket with all the side stuff. Corn on the cob..YUM! Watched movies, read, oh and I took down the curtains in the living room and got them all washed up and new plastic on the windows. Ordered some of the new Lion Brand sock yarn. Ordered some Cascade 220 on the last day of the Webs sale.

Cleaned out two craft drawers. Amazing how much dried up glitter glue there was! When The Girl was younger and down here a lot to play, we always ended up glueing something. So I bought practically grosses of glue sticks and glitter glue. Alas, those days are over I think. If they don't dry out, I still have enough glue sticks to last me for life.

And there was some knitting. I would say under the supervision of two cats but they seemed more intent on napping.

Cheeseburger Blues

Today I heard part of a discussion on tv about "What would you do if you only had two days to live". Well, probably not a lot. I mean I'd be sure and say good bye to everyone, and try to figure out who was going to take care of my pets. But honestly, unless you were scheduled for execution or something you'd probably be too sick to do much. And I'm not planning on execution anytime soon.

However, I did have a couple of thoughts. If I were told that death was going to happen relatively soon, there were a couple of things I'd do. I'd buy a pack of cigarettes, and maybe some good weed although it's been so very long since I've indulged that would probably send me over the edge. And I would have a cheeseburger and french fries with plenty of salt. This healthy eating isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Tonight by the time I got out of Tai Chi, I was starving. Oh what the heck, I'll just treat myself to a Sonic meal. Feeling quite decadent, I ordered it and a big Coke and headed home to eat this marvelous meal. But ewwww...there was grease (duh)....and a lot of salt and ewwwww...I didn't even want to share it with the dog. I'm not faulting Sonic. I'm just saying that I've already gotten used to some of this new way of eating. I was disappointed and still hungry but a bowl of Strawberry Frosted Mini Wheats took care of the hunger. Maybe cigarettes and weed would be the same. Is this what growing old is about. Thank goodness for chocolate! Oh yeah, and I do know that pizza still tastes quite good to me. But only the plain cheese. That pepperoni was just too much.

I'm wondering if now, when I have dreams of good things to eat, it will consist of raw baby carrots and celery. :-(

Paying with Cash

First of all, I love, love, love my debit card. Initially I had a bit of trouble remembering to record purchases in my check register but got that down now.

However, the weekend of Rendevous, I needed to be sure that I didn't overspend so I took cash. And even managed to come home with a bit left in my pocket. I don't spend much money during the week. An occasional fast food lunch or extra milk between grocery shopping. So the debit card slept.

And then last mid-week I got a letter in the mail from the bank. They were installing a new computer system over the weekend and the debit card would be in time out. I could write checks, but here the stores mostly just use it like a debit card and hand it back to you. What was a bit disturbing was that the last time a deposit would be recorded would be on Thursday....and my pay check would be there on Friday. Oops.

Fortunately I try to stay one pay period ahead on bills so that wasn't a worry. So what I basically had to work with was a cafeteria check.

I cashed it and here's where the fun started. I'm not sure how others are, but I almost always go to the store with a list. And come home with hopefully everything on it plus a number of things that weren't. I guess I'm a sucker for end caps and "action alley". But Saturday, I actually had to make sure that what I bought could be paid for with the cash in my pocket. So, no new magazines. No new tshirts. No new nail polish etc. I paid for the groceries..which consisted of only food this time. And there was cash left over.

This week I've been to the store once. And to Dollar Tree. I needed more milk, and I needed to get a gift bag and card for a wedding gift. Dollar Tree has the prettiest gift bags for a dollar. Much less than at W*lmart. And their cards are a lot less expensive and the one I chose was just beautiful and said all the right things. Oh..and it was only 50 cents.

And still I have a bit of cash in my pocket. Will have to get more before the weekend so I can pay the mower man.

And a nice bank balance since I was unable to order anything online over the weekend (a terrible habit...browsing etsy!)

I guess I really don't pay as much attention as I should to my outgoing money. It's so easy to think.."Well, it's only $5" But when it actually leaves your hand, it's much more noticeable.

Knitting? Well there has been some. And some frogging. And more knitting. And more frogging. Was it a difficult pattern? No. Was the yarn uncooperative? No. Do I occasionally read through a line of a pattern and somehow rewrite it in my head? Um yes. Does it work? No..not if you plan to actually create what's written. Finally after a long time of puzzling, I realized what I had done. Instead of repeating what it actually told me to repeat, I was trying to repeat it repeatedly. Got it figured out now. Stay tuned.

So, am I the only one that sometimes get carried away with the debit card? (I have to admit though that I've never been overdrawn and haven't used a real credit card in a long, long time. And someday, maybe when I'm 103, they'll be paid off.

And am I the only one that sometimes just totally manages to screw up one line of a pattern?

Anyone Watch Deadliest Catch

last night??

Tai Chi was cancelled due to our instructor's son's graduation. So I came right home from work; made supper; ate and cleaned up. Changed clothes and settled down for a tv evening. NCIS first and then Deadliest Catch.

My back was kind of tight so I did some stretches and then some relaxation stuff and right in the midst of some meditation, I went to sleep. Missed both shows and woke up at 10 pm. Was up just long enough to wonder why I had dreamed of hogs dressed up like sheep. Oh, and had some water and washed my face and that was it until 5 AM. I guess I needed the sleep but I do wonder what happened to the boys.

A Not-So-Exciting Weekend

And that was just fine with me! Work atmosphere was intense last week and it was so nice to just not have to think very much.

Of course, there was laundry. And ironing. There was also a doggie haircut. She doesn't look great but she is much cooler and it's getting HOT here. No fair. It's supposed to still be spring. Did I ever mention that I really dislike hot weather? Thank goodness for a/c. My bangs are shorter. Some flower seeds were planted in large pots. Hopefully someday there will be pictures of happy blooms.

The pantry is much more open since I pulled all the high sodium stuff off the shelves and it's now in the trunk of my vehicle ready to pass on to coworkers. Good bye chicken noodle soup. And tomato soup. And vegetable beef soup. And green beans and carrots. Actually about all that's left of canned goods is a couple of cans of fruit.

There was a trip to the post office to mail a package. And mail for me too!

There was this.





I blame it all on Olivia, my Nature Conservency orangutan. She insisted she needed a friend. And who am I to deny her? Especially since it involved yarn. And here you have my first ever Socks That Rock yarn! I've wanted some forever!

And no, I didn't cast on. I think I just want to hold it :-)

There was a trip to the library where I found 500 Low Sodium Recipes. It may mean that I can actually eat some things I like with adaptations. If I find that I like many of the recipes, I'll buy it. Yesterday I made "roast" from a little steak and some low sodium boullion and vegies and it's GOOD. Surprisingly so, since most of the bright ideas I've had over the last couple of weeks were rather tasteless.

I started on a de-clutter in the dining room which resulted in quite a bit of shredding (it's also where the computer and printer is and my bill paying station). I still have a ways to go but still..it's a start. The warmer it gets, the more I want everything in it's place (preferably where I can't see it)

Knitting nada. Sewing nada. I had great plans but somehow I shuttled them down farther on the list and curled up with a cozy murder mystery and a plate of grapes.
The only 'creative' thing I did was to make a cord with my little cardboard kumihumo thingy that I played with at the Fiber Rendevous. I think it would have worked much better if the braided stuff had been a single cord. But that's what I found to play with.



So there you go. A very low-key weekend. And now it's Monday. It's How Many Days to the weekend???

Still Here

Yes indeed, although you wouldn't know it by my blogging. Let's just say that quitting caffeine almost cold turkey is a wearing experience. I knew about the headaches, I just didn't know about the general malaise and achiness. Odd, since I never felt caffeine really affected me that much but I do love the taste. Most evenings I would have my last cup of coffee just before bed, then went to sleep quickly and slept well. Ya live, ya learn.

This slothful week was bracketed by two good weekends. Last Saturday was Onion Fried Burger Day here.



35,000 (how DO they count?)people jammed the streets of our small downtown.
Car show. Lots of biker people. Various bands and vocalists. Crafty stuff. Vintage and classic cars. Ponies. Air brush tattoos. Lots of festival type food, and of course, onion-fried burgers. Our town is known for these and folks do make a special trip to eat them at other times of the year. Most times, at noon, it's about all you can smell downtown. Reportedly they began in the depression, when local burger cookers discovered that they could sell a hearty sandwich without so much meat. Making them more affordable. When I arrived her in the mid 50s they were 7 for $1.00! And I love 'em! The highlight of the day is when they cook this giant one that's got a diameter of 8 1/2 feet. I've never found a way to get a picture of it.



It gets bigger every year and I think that this one was way better than last year. The crafty stuff was more diverse and better although you can still purchase pretty pink fairy halo thingies.

My choice was this bowl. It's made of fir tree roots according to the man selling it. I had parked south of this area so walked through as I came, left to go find a friend, returned and left for good. Nice to wait till the last as I got a much better price on it.



After a day of festival, I then took part in a week of complete slothfulness both of body and brain. I managed to work but then crashed when I got home each night. Fortunately I already had scheduled Thursday and Friday off to get my vacation hours down so I managed to get the laundry done. Woohoo clean underwear. The house dusted and vacuumed and spent some money on fabric for new clothes. (no pic, I forgot)

Then yesterday was the Okie Fiber Rendevous. While I would love to go to one of those huge sheep and wool shows back east or in New Mexico, I look forward to this for months. The location was inside this year and I didn't get lost and look to bikers to be interested in wool LOL. A great site and loads of fun. I'd planned to take lots of pics, but kept forgetting as I'd get busy and talking or taking part in such things as kumihimo on a cardboard disc, or spindle spinning (still suck), visiting with people I don't get to see often enough and shopping of course. I got some felt..oops forgot to take a pic of that too. Some really fine white woolen cloth, a little rug hooking kit, and a gift that I can't show here. I totally missed out again on the henna work..someday that will happen.

I was trying to spin when the toe weaving started, but did get to watch for awhile. The little girl on the left of this picture was really really good.



And see the lady in green in this photo? She saw me taking the pic and started talking to me and invited me to sit down and visit while she spun. I'm sure I looked my very dumbest as I gazed in awe as she spun really fine lace weight yarn with what appeared to be little tufts of dandelion fuzz. Amazing!



While visiting with KatyaR, she showed me the kind of wheel she learned on. It's one of those PVC wheels, and she still has it. It's out on loan now, but when it comes back, she said she'd let me use it...and even show me how! How cool is that?? I googled and found Babe wheels online. Ya know, I could actually save up enough for one of those. More stuff to think about.

Met a new person and her hubster who were new to the whole fiber thing. They've been talking about geting some sheep (already have the farm) and saw a notice about the event in the paper. She is soooooooooo much fun! I watched her in the second spindle spinning group and man..she just took off and I'm thinking she went home with a really nice spindle. I found a little muslin sheep softie so got it and gave it to her so that she'd have a start on her herd (is that what you call a bunch of sheep?)

All and all a wonderful day. And, since gas prices went up again, I took some time to make a Petsmart run and a Michael's pit stop. My furbabies encourage me to get Cotton Ease (that maybe someday will become a sweater) for Mother's Day. Oh..and a quick stop by the a local LYS to pick up some needles that I need for the sweater. Why is it no matter how many needles I have, I never have the right ones :-) Or, is that an excuse?

And now special wishes for all the mothers. You know, it's not just ovaries that make a mother. And a special happy Mother's Day to all y'alls mothers. I'm sooo glad she had you!

Wildlife Update

This is probably cheating. The following wildlife report is copied/pasted from an email. I just couldn't bear typing it all again! They are getting longer legged now and their faces are losing some of their roundness and being more pointy. Last night we came out from work, me and my two coworkers and as we turned the corner there they sat. Even the 3rd one (firt time I've seen it) It's smaller and more timid but those other two. God, I just want to touch them so bad. But I know that what needs to be done is to make them more afraid. But they aren't and really haven't ever been. Perhaps watchful, but ever so curious about this old woman and her friends. So there we are walking slowly and I'm saying "Get your butt back down that hole!" Don't you just sit there and look at me! Go on, get outta here!" in my most no nonsense voice. And they look at each other and I swear they just shrugged. Finally I sorta stomped my foot..pointed my finger and said NOW! and they hopped down into the tunnels under the sidewalk. And as we went by and then stepped into the parking lot I turned and saw a head pop up. Silly goofs! Their mama was very watchful across the street on the golf course. For years this area was just sort of a wild part of the park and the grass would grow tall so they had good cover. I really hated it when they decided it needed to be a golf course. I'm wondering where Dad is.

And if that wasn't enough wildlife news...this morning the dog was outside barking, barking and looking through the board fence into the driveway. I figured a cat was out there teasing her. But when I looked, it was a possum! I ran back in for my camera but when I got back all I saw was the end of it's tail as it went into the garage! Holy moly..pretty soon I'll prolly have possum babies! My garage is a freestanding frame structure with barn type doors. It's too little for my car now so I rarely go in there. But when I still had my Honda, I could carefully park it inside. For some reason the concrete driveway is really really wide, but stops about halfway to the garage. So repeated driving sorta made ruts so the bottom of the doors are somewhat straight but the ground underneath has concave areas from the tires. Just enough room for a possum to squeeze through. I really don't want a possum as my neighbor but it sure beats having a skunk.

There has been some knitting going on. Nothing really exciting. I guess you could term it a large swatch. I have this idea for a felted bag and I needed to see if the colors would fade onto the white. I felted for a bit this morning before work, but had to leave before it was right and tonight I have to do real laundry so I can dry it in the morning at the laundry before work. Something to look forward to on the weekend!

Lots of ideas running around in my head. I need to make a list before I forget half of them. Oh and hey! Only one more day till the weekend! Yay!