I Am Sooooo Glad

that it's Friday! It's really been one of 'those' weeks.

Monday and Tuesday were spent at home being up close and personal with a heating pad. Sunday I was on the step ladder hanging curtains back up in the living room. Stepped off the bottom step so that I could see a football replay. Oh, but oops. I was on the next step up. Big step down in which I really tried hard to drive my right hip up through the top of my head. Dang...I just can't get rid of my klutz reputation.
But once I got enough drugs in my system it wasn't all a bad thing. Lots of Cold Case Files and knitting and napping.
So I go back to work on Wednesday and discover that all sorts of bad things are happening at my place of employment. All quite complicated and probably not appropriate for blogging...and very scary. My dept. director keeps trying to give us the sense that this isn't really total disaster. But he's talking to us with tears in his eyes? We shall see. Please great employment office in the sky...I really need one more year. Please? Pretty please?
In an attempt to bring calmness and contentedness into my life, my evenings have been spent with eggnog (alcohol free) and yarn. Two of my most favorite things in the world. Apparently though, I'm somehow transmitting my inner thoughts to the animals who can't decide whether they need to race around madly or pile up on me until moving is difficult :-)


So I decided on the way home tonight that other than changing my sheets and doing laundry, I wasn't going to do anything that NEEDED to be done this weekend. Just knit and spin and nap and catch up on blogs.
Hmmm, when I booted up the computer I got this message that a problem had been discovered on my hard drive. Like I know what I'm supposed to do about that. I clicked on through and got on line without difficulty but who knows how long that will last?
Is this some sort of cosmic glitch?
I guess I'd better hurry up and look up a recipe for chai tea. So I'll have something to do if I become unemployed and without a computer.
Hopefully see you later this weekend. What have you got planned?

Weird...

Saturday after a rudimentary bit of housework, I set off for the near west side of the City with specific shopping goals in mind.
There was hopefully going to be new nail polish for my toes, possibly and MP3 player and some cotton yarn for a dishcloth.
First stop was Ulta for a little set of OPI nail polish that was in the previous Sunday paper. I love OPI but it's rather expensive for my budget so the chance to get 3 tiny bottles for $4.95 sounded like a mood brightener. I enter the bright store populated with a lot of staff, all young, thin, and dressed in black. I didn't see the product at the front of the store and when I asked, I was told they'd sold out. At which time, the associate turned back to her coworker to continue their conversation. Now, I really hate to be smothered by sales people, but I would have thought a good thing to say was something like, "I'm sorry, we've sold out. We do, however, have these whatevers that are also really cool and a good buy." Or perhaps, "Would you like to see our other OPI polishes?" But nada. I wandered around a bit, finally found a little set of red and green polish, paid and left. I felt rather invisible. Was I just not dressed appropriately for such a spiffy store? Did it not appear that I had any money to spend? Or did they just not care? Since there were very few shoppers in the store I would have thought there would have been more effort.
Next, to the Best Buy next door. I know that I can't afford an iPod. But there are other options, and I wanted to talk to someone who could tell me the differences and help me come up with a solution. I also really want a new camera, mine is sooo heavy.
There were a few more shoppers in here, but not nearly what I'm used to seeing. I first went to the camera section, zeroed in on some I'd read about. Lifted them up and played a bit. I counted...I picked up 10 different cameras, reading the info posted and peering through the view finder. After probably 15 minutes, I then went to the MP3 section. I gazed longingly at the iPods, moved on to the other kinds and tried to determine what made each special. Probably 15 minutes there too. And in that 30 minutes, NOBODY said "Can I help you?" I thought perhaps they were all busy selling Wii-s (how do you type that plural?). Or some other big gaming thing. Or the latest in computers. But the associates there are fairly visible in their blue shirts, and there just weren't any around. Well, except for the checkers (there were NO lines) and the guy at the door. As I left, he asked me if I'd found what I was looking for. And I honestly said "No, I was looking for a sales associate".
And then off to Hobby Lobby. That place was packed!! I got my yarn and got in line to check out. All the checkout lines were staffed. Most people had lots of purchases and I'm nosy. I love to see what other folks are buying. Seemed to be fabric, yarn, paint, paper, glues and beads along with some decorations. Everyone skipping Ulta and making necklaces for their girlfriends? Or skipping Best Buy and their non-existent staff and knitting iPod cozies?
On the way back to the vehicle, I did make another quick stop at Petsmart so Zoey could have a weekend treat. And once again, it was packed. Pets WILL have their treats and food.
I read all about the poor economy and how it's going to affect holiday spending. But guys, if on the off chance someone comes in to spend, it would be really nice to have a bit of help.

Can Nutmeg Make You Sleepy?

Came home from work on a blustery, damp and very cool day and once the kids were fed I made nutmeg sauce for my pound cake. Ate a bit of supper and topped it off with warmed pound cake with nutmeg sauce. Ummmmmmmmmmm yum! Granted, I ate way too much but oh how good it tasted.

Then settled down with some knitting and Keith Olbermann. I was especially interested to hear his comment on Proposition 8 in California. I wish he'd done this before the vote. But, in my experience, those who believe that gays are the spawn of Satan aren't likely to change their minds. Here in my state, I've heard all the sanctity of marraige arguments, but considering the divorce rate here I find them comical. Which doesn't win me any popularity comments.



Then it was time to watch football. I do remember reaching for the remote to change channels. Listened a bit to Maddow. And the next thing I remember was waking up at 0100 or 1:10 AM. I was halfway sitting up and halfway leaning over on the pillows at the end of the loveseat. My knitting was in my lap with a cat sleeping on top of it.

Up long enough to turn out the lights, take my PM meds and put in my eye drops. I guess I was tired? Woke up with the alarm this morning at 5 and now it's time to get all spiffed up for another day!

Hope yours goes well. Any fun things to do today?

Christmas Past

One of my holiday traditions is a trip to the mall so I can go into Williams-Sonoma and buy myself a Christmas treat. For someone who isn't all that into cooking, I am just fascinated by all the kitchen things they have and they always have mixes for something good to bake. To my budget, they're expensive but it's a once a year treat.

For some reason, last year's purchase never got made. And on Saturday, when I got the bread flour canister down, I discovered it behind hiding back there.

So on Sunday, almost a year later, I baked it. I think I'm glad it was postponed because it was just the perfect treat.



I got all involved in football and knitting yesterday, but tonight, I'll make some nutmeg sauce to go with it and have a totally calorie laden Monday night.

On the knitting front, I finished the houseshoe but it looks like crap so you aren't going to see it. I'm thinking that the ribbing is going to be completely frogged and done over. We shall see.

Yum!

Lots of scrubbing and laundry and sweeping and mopping happened here today. And, I put that fuse back in the car and now the lights work properly. A strange noise that has kept me company on the way to work and back is still there. I thought it was the antenna trying to go up, but apparently that's not it. Oh well, so far it's just annoying and everything major is working. I'll have to try and see my mechanic sometime this week.

But the highlight of the day was this..



It's been forever since I've made bread. I had a bread machine for a long time and initially I used it a lot. But when the new wore off it just gathered dust so I traded it for a dust buster and something else that I can't remember now. I really prefer doing it by hand but I wasn't sure I remembered how. Well, I can read a recipe, but the part I was concerned about was just knowing when the dough felt right. It was soooooooo good to knead that dough. And you know what was even better?

Having a warm bread/butter/honey supper. A cold glass of milk just made it perfect.

All Hail!

Wednesday afternoon my secret grins and thumbs up were temporarily suspended. I was minding my own business, standing at the copier when the most horrendous noise occured. Our building is really a metal building wrapped in brick but the metal roof was reverberating with a monstrous pounding noise. We all ran to the only view of the outside..the door. And beheld amazing pouring rain, vicious wind and a ton of hail. In places the ground was white. The road that runs by the building looked like a path through a pasture from all the leaves and dirt and such that had been carried by the rain that ran across it. All quite tremendous and exciting!

But, alas, my camera was at home. And an even greater alas....all my car windows were down! Hey, just 30 minutes before I'd been out doing work errands and the sun was shining. There were some clouds in the west but nothing looking too grim.

OMG! There was enough water on the floorboards to splash in. Hail covered the seats. A folder that had been lying quietly on the front seat was now draped across the back of a seat and the paper that had been in it was soaked and scattered about including one that was plastered to the headliner.

Using a trashbag as an underpad, I headed to the car wash to avail myself of their super vacuum. Swish, gurgle...much of it was sucked up but the car was still super wet. And the LIGHTS WERE ON. They were on when I approached the car. They were on at the carwash and they were still on when I got back to work. I turned off the delay and they stayed on. I moved the light switch and they stayed on.

I have a good battery but I don't think it's going to last through the night with the light on. So off to the gas station.

I'm sure that the guy thought I was some ditzy old woman. After all, it was overcast and my lights are supposed to come on when it gets dim. Eventually, he agreed to perhaps remove a fuse. So he sticks his arm up under the dash and his arm was immediately soaked from draining water. Uh oh.

Finally, a big fuse under the hood was removed and the lights went out. But so did the speedometer and all the other dash lights. It's odd to drive down the street and not be able to see if you're in danger of being ticketed.

He says that it should dry out in a day or two and then I can put the fuse back. :::crossing fingers::: Fortunately yesterday was quite windy so much of the upholstery is much drier and we are to have nice weather on through the weekend.

Oh, and this morning I'm thinking the wind blew out the pilot on the furnace. At least it won't turn on. Off to check on that now.

UPDATE: Just as I hit "publish", the heat turned on. Yay! It's gonna be a great day!

So, what exciting things are going on in your life??

Ooops!

This rather obscene looking project is really going to be a houseshoe. I'd finished the foot and started on the ribbing for the cuff. Alas, apparently I shouldn't knit and watch election returns at the same time. I was to pick up 44 stitches around the opening to the foot. I picked up 14 and knitted happily along, holding my breath at times as I watched the results come in. That cuff wouldn't even go over a flashlight!
Frogged that and decided that now I had these great big lumpy holes where the stitches and been pulled tight as I added the cuff yarn. So frog some more.

It's a new day. And it will be a better houseshoe.

Mystery Solved!

The strangest thing happened repeatedly last week. From Wednesday on, every morning when I got to work I'd have a piece of something in my eye. Well, not really IN it but around it. A fuzz that would just drive me crazy. Nothing I could see. I'd rub my eye, spend time looking in the mirror trying to find it all to no avail. Eventually, by mid morning, it would be gone and all was well.
Curiously, before I left for work, all would be fine. I thought of a couple of possibilites.
A cat hair that somehow found it's way to my eyes as I told everyone goodbye.
A piece of spinning fiber that somehow found it's way to my eyes as I walked out the door.
So, I quit spinning in the morning. I told the cats good bye from a distance and still....a very annoying something in my eyes.
But then, on Sunday afternoon, the mystery was solved. I'd decided to go to Sonic for a half price drink and as I approached my vehicle I saw the culprit. The sun was coming from the west and highlighting my driver's window. And gracefully arranged there were gossamer strands of a spider web. It wasn't a big beautiful web, but rather infintesimal strands going here and there. Most importantly, it reached from the front side of the window area to the seat belt bracket on the side. And the spider, a teensy weensy one. I went back in the house and got a cup and relocated her to a more appropriate area. For me anyway, she perhaps wasn't as thrilled. I guess she'd been living there for awhile and every night she practiced her weaving skills only to have me tear things up. And at work, the window was down and perhaps the wind kept her from restoring things during the day. As I cleared out the web, I was amazed at how fine it was. Not like the usual ones that I walk through and then feel all over myself. I couldn't feel it at all on my arms and hands. But when it would get to my eyes, it became an invisible annoyance.
And yesterday? No itchy, cranky eyes. Sorry spider. I hope you found a new place to spin so fine.

Sock That Vote!

Yes, I got to vote early yesterday. Our early voting only started on Friday but there was a really long line. And I was running work errands and didn't think I'd better stop. So up early yesterday as usual and was there at 7:30 with about 50 people ahead of me and they didn't open for actual voting until 8. I had my sock-in-progress in my GoKnit bag hooked onto my belt loop so I happily stood in line and visited and knit. Pretty much had it done by the time we started moving much. I know that I cancelled out the vote of the guy in front of me, and I also know that probably my vote was cancelled numerous times. But still I think it's very exciting that this election is bringing in so many new voters. I was told that in my county there have been thousands of new voters registering and the election board folks have been working really late hours getting all of them in the computer.

Anyway, so here are the sockies. They're fraternal twins..my first. I'm not sure why as the ball bands had the same lot number on them. But ohhhhhhhh they are lovely squishy and soft. The yarn is one of my prizes from Knitty Otter's contest.



Yarn: Ditto Color 4807
Needles: 2.75 and Size 1 dpns
Time spent: uhhh maybe a couple of weeks off and on.

I came home..finished the toe and grafted it. Took their picture and headed off to the next town to take part in the Grand Opening of the new



in the next town over, 10 miles away! It's so nice to not have to drive 30 miles to buy catfood. It's not that they use some bizarre brand, it's just that here there is not much choice. The parking lot was almost FULL and it's a big lot. And there were at least a bazillion dogs and their people inside. And a lot of doggie noise. I got some food (and used my $5 off coupon) and picked up all the freebies and headed home.

Almost too much excitement ;-)

Updates

Update Number 1
Yep, the water heater is dead. It's gone and a new one is in it's place. The plumber has to come back tomorrow to put on a something or other but it's functional. Once I write the check, unless there are more charges than the estimate, I'll have $7.48 left in my checking account. Hey that's better than an overdraft! And please, if you have any nice deities that will grant wishes, I'm really hoping the inspector won't find any problems. No pics (and aren't you glad?). However, with my propensity for naming everything, I have decided to name it Jolie...because..are you ready? It's HOT. Ok..don't laugh, see if I care!

Update Number 2
Re my CSI post. The latest info from the newspaper is that police stopped a 17 year old boy for erratic driving..possibly DUI. There was a passenger. Passenger would not get out of the vehicle. Passenger was dead. And although the officer told me it was a 'gentleman', it was a woman from out of state. Cause of death has not been released. The very sad thing to me is that the young man is local but they cannot find anyone to claim him. I mean, no family, no friends. That's just wrong!

Update Number 3
My good friend Katya (yay...you're back out online!) wanted to see my consistent spinning. So I wound some down on the spindle and took it's pic. I never said it was a skein or anything close to it :-). It's a start though.



One thing I have to figure out though. When this spindle gets kinda full it just doesn't want to spin. So I've been winding whatever off on toilet paper cores. But, if I were really spinning well, how would I connect all the different pieces?

And this isn't an update but it is a good example of making do. I was on the loveseat knitting and watching tv with the meezer cat. He was sleeping and I wasn't really paying any attention. But when it was time to put things away, I discovered that Mary had decided to join us. And, since apparently we were taking up all the space, she just piled on top.

Balance?

The weatherman is predicting a rather cool front coming through in the middle of this coming week. We've had a couple already but nothing that required turning on the furnace. That time is coming though so this afternoon I scurried down to the basement to
1. Retrieve my long sleeved shirts
2. Try once again to light the pilot light on the furnace. I had a plan and I had a book on tape going so I wouldn't get too frustrated if I had to keep relighting.

The first part went well; the shirts were actually where I thought they were! And that gave me hope that for the first time in years I'd actually be able to get it to stay lit. The furnace and the water heater live in a little enclosed closet sort of thing. I opened the doors and removed the covers to the pilot area and sat down to light it. That's when I noticed the water. On the floor inside the closet. Not deep but it did cover the area. Hoping against hope that there was a leak where the water comes into the heater, I managed to get my creaky self back on my feet to check. Dry as a bone! Oh hell...just what I wanted to do. Buy and have installed a new water heater. &%$&^%@ Words better left untyped spewed forth and with a very whiny face I went back upstairs to pout.

But, it was a gorgeous day outside. So I thought at least I could pout out on the porch swing. And that's when the balance thing started to happen.

I wasn't home yesterday when the mail arrived, but no matter. There wasn't anything particularly interesting in it. But what's this??? Behind one of the big flower pots I can see something white sticking out. OMG! Look!



I can't really capture the rich jewel tones of this BFL which I ordered midweek from Jessie at A Piece of Vermont. I wasn't planning on ordering anything, just went to monitor shop, so to speak. But the colors! It wasn't payday yet, but who cares. I could replace the money with cash left over from my spindle and fiber last weekend. She shipped it Thursday and it arrived way down here in two days!

I've petted it and loved on it and took pictures of it and then put it back in it's bag with some lavender for good luck and placed it in the little fiber tub. No way would I attempt to spin it until I'm a better spinner (although today I did actually spin a bit of actually consistent yarn!).

Then tonight the phone rang. It was my friend Leava saying that she and her hubby had gone to their cabin for the day and she brought back her old wheel and I get to use it this winter! She said it's a bit tricky, or eccentric, and she'll teach me first on her Louet so I'll have a better idea of what's supposed to happen.

So, although I'm going to take a big hit on my wallet, I've gained fiber and a chance to spin on a wheel. I think it's a balance..or at least close. And I'm smiling.

20 Years

As I arrived at work yesterday, in the midst of folks trying to get clocked in and ringing phones, etc, my boss said something to me and hugged me. Whaaat the? I didn't really hear what she said (or wasn't paying attention) and at first I thought something horrible must have happened that I didn't know about and she was trying to console me. But she was smiling. Hmmm... After answering a few more calls and getting things unlocked she said, "So how does it feel?" I had no idea what she was talking about...and figured that I was supposed to know all about it. Senility setting in so rapidly? Finally I realized that it was my anniversary date. The day I first hired on ... 20 years ago! About that time another boss person came in and handed me this basket. And there was even yummy cake.



Ohhhhhh that cake was so good! And Starbucks coffee! I've never had any of it for home. And this morning, when I went into my kitchen I pretended I was at a neighborhood coffee shop in my pretend metro neighborhood.

20 years...wow that's a really long time. A lot of things have changed since then. Some gains, some losses and not only in weight. I'm not who I was then, and sometimes I miss that person...mainly I miss the strength and agility I had back then. Really though, life is better now. Cause 20 years ago I couldn't knit! And I didn't know all y'all. Yep...I think I'll stick with the present. How about you?

CSI in the Neighborhood

This is REALLY a Sunday post. I awakened at 5:30 this morning with a cat meowing very loudly in my ear and lights flashing through my windows. And when I peered out the door, I saw 8 police cars with their lights flashing and crime scene tape strung out everywhere but especially around my next door neighbor's front yard. An officer assured me that they were ok, but that "a gentleman driving the pickup parked in front of their house was dead". And that's all he would tell me. other than that the ME had been called and that the victim had already been put in the funeral home limo.
I guess I was supposed to go back inside but instead I sat on my porch swing in my tshirt and pj pants and watched everyone. I found out later from my neighbor that they had been there since at least 3:30 AM. Most of the officers seemed to be just walking around and talking quietly but there was a small group of people wearing chinos and long sleeved tshirts with POLICE in large very bright letters down the sleeves and across their backs. I've never seen anyone in this sort of uniform here in town. There was a young looking woman writing a lot of a tablet and looking in the truck. Dummy me thought perhaps they were police cadets who would get regular uniforms once they completed training.

So, because I just kept thinking about them, I called the police dept on the non-emergency line this afternoon and asked about them. The person who answered the phone said they weren't our police and where and when had I seen them. I gave her my address and the time and she told me they were OSBI people. So they called in the state criminalists, and maybe someday I'll actually know what happened.

Several years ago, a lady down at the end of the block was having a bunch of work done in her yard and also had a new driveway poured. There was yellow caution tape across the front of it. At that time, I went out and walked every morning with a friend and she asked me about the tape. I told her about the driveway and we went on about our business. Later as I left for work, I realized that the caution tape had been replaced by crime scene tape and there was a police officer sitting in his vehicle outside. I stopped to talk to him and he told me that she had been murdered. One of my coworkers was married to a cop and she thought it was hysterical that I knew nothing about it. Apparently it had been discovered just as it got dark and they'd set up big halogen lights so they could see to investigate and they lit up most of the block. At least this time, I did notice something was going on.

And tonight, I'll try to remember to check and make sure the door is closed before I go to bed.

Fiber Fun

Edited to add: I wrote this yesterday evening and then just crashed before I thought to push PUBLISH

Friday afternoon and evening and all day yesterday was spent in the company of other fiber lovers. Spinners. Knitters. Crocheters. Weavers. Rug Hookers. Basket Weavers. And a mixture of all the above. What fun!



And I have a new spindle via eMail sort of. One of the dealers wasn't going to be there so she sent it on approval. It's an Ashford and I love it. And, I can spin! Rather thick yarn but most of the time it's at least sort of the same diameter. And that's thanks to someone named Megan Lacore who posted a video of the park and draft method on You Tube.





I took fiber that I already had, but also came home with several ounces of various types of wool. There was a talk on these various breeds but much of it got lost in my brain so I'm going to look each one of them up on the internet and print out the info so when I'm using it, I can know more about what I have in my hands.



I also got to use hand cards..I love doing that! And finally got to see someone use a diz. How cool is that thing? Amazing that the fiber just sitting there in those combs would turn itself into some roving after going through the diz. I watched one friend just spin away without even having roving. Just spinning from the little wads of fiber. I don't think I'll be doing that anytime soon! And I learned how to do locker hooking using roving. Wow what a rug you could make!

And there was lots of eating and talking and talking and laughing and eating and talking. I'm exhausted! I think being sociable is just exhausting.

The Real Me??

I saw this test over at Sara's and just had to try it. I'm not sure if I like the results. Although, some of them are almost uncomfortably true. Take your pick. /shrugs

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz...

You Are an Ingrid!

You are an Ingrid -- "I am unique"

Ingrids have sensitive feelings and are warm and perceptive.

How to Get Along with Me

• * Give me plenty of compliments. They mean a lot to me.


• * Be a supportive friend or partner. Help me to learn to love and value myself.


• * Respect me for my special gifts of intuition and vision.


• * Though I don't always want to be cheered up when I'm feeling melancholy, I sometimes like to have someone lighten me up a little.


• * Don't tell me I'm too sensitive or that I'm overreacting!

What I Like About Being an Ingrid

• * my ability to find meaning in life and to experience feeling at a deep level


• * my ability to establish warm connections with people


• * admiring what is noble, truthful, and beautiful in life


• * my creativity, intuition, and sense of humor


• * being unique and being seen as unique by others


• * having aesthetic sensibilities


• * being able to easily pick up the feelings of people around me

What's Hard About Being an Ingrid

• * experiencing dark moods of emptiness and despair


• * feelings of self-hatred and shame; believing I don't deserve to be loved


• * feeling guilty when I disappoint people


• * feeling hurt or attacked when someone misundertands me


• * expecting too much from myself and life


• * fearing being abandoned


• * obsessing over resentments


• * longing for what I don't have

Ingrids as Children Often

• * have active imaginations: play creatively alone or organize playmates in original games


• * are very sensitive


• * feel that they don't fit in


• * believe they are missing something that other people have


• * attach themselves to idealized teachers, heroes, artists, etc.


• * become antiauthoritarian or rebellious when criticized or not understood


• * feel lonely or abandoned (perhaps as a result of a death or their parents' divorce)

Ingrids as Parents

• * help their children become who they really are


• * support their children's creativity and originality


• * are good at helping their children get in touch with their feelings


• * are sometimes overly critical or overly protective


• * are usually very good with children if not too self-absorbed

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

Meet Della

No, Della is not this kitty visitor although kitty is quite pretty. And NOT mine. Just one of the kitties who come to visit me. Fortunately, he/she seems to be well fed and healthy so I think kitty must belong to a neighbor.



This is Della. My new-to-me clothes dryer. The real life Della was a hard scrabble lady who, by necessity, clawed her way through life but always had time for a gawky girl. Hopefully this Della will be the same. It's been a long time since a dryer lived here. And wonder of wonders, the city water was clean enough to actually do ALL the laundry at home. So I start this Monday with a pouch still full of quarters and clean underwear. What a concept!



There has been knitting going on. I had to totally rip out the big section of the blanket as somewhere near the the first miter I added a stitch. But it is reknit now and folded up neatly in the drawer. Now I have to get more yarn. There are two unrelated socks on needles as well as two that are related but not much to show yet. More about them maybe this evening.

Last week was a total bitch and I was so glad that I had my yarn to come home to and spend time with..and there are two prepositions hanging in space. Sometimes life is so not fair. But, knit on!

So, what's up with you?

October

started out as a major bitch! I came home from work soooo angry. But seeing this tempered the anger and by the time I went to bed I was feeling much better and singing too! Thanks Ann and Kay! Y'all are too much!!!!!

Some Don't Like Mondays

And I can sympathize. After a very good weekend full of housekeeping, and knitting, and football and visiting with friends, it's very hard to get excited about going to work. However, considering the alternative, I'll just go in with a smile on my face and be thankful that I can continue to earn my living. There are cats and a dog to feed, and me too. And yarn that hasn't been purchased yet. So...off I go. Hope your day goes extremely well!

I'm a Winner!

Knitty Otter had a contest.
E I E I O
And in the contest I got second
E I E I O
With sock yarn here
And sock yarn there
Fun book
Chewing gum
Chocolate, chocolate everywhere
Knitty Otter had a contest
E I E I O

Go over and see what I won because the pictures I took really, really suck! Yummy sock yarn that I've never seen before and have been cuddling with. And a really fun book...except I think I wore some of those items. Makes me wonder what future generations will think of some of the things that are designed now.

So now that I have the yarn for the Lady Sweater, and softball sock on the needle, it's time to show progress. 'cept there hasn't been any. Softball was rained out and/or games have been out of town. They start so early that unless they are here, I can't get to them in time to watch. Lady Sweater? Not even a swatch.

But I have been knitting. Last summer I bought a bunch of Rowan Spray during Webs' Summer sale even though I had no idea what it would be like. Somehow it just called my name and it was at a price (then) I could afford. One morning while eating Cheerios, I decided it should be a afghan. EZ's garter stitch. Oh it's mostly mindless but my gosh, it surely makes my hands hurt. Size 15 needles in hands used to maybe sometimes using an 8 is a new adventure. I've been knitting like a mad dog because I don't think I have quite enough and I need to see how much more I need to buy. My plan is to knit two of the pieces. Count balls of yarn used and then check the rest of the stash. Since it's supposed to be handwashed or dry cleaned I'm thinking that it probably isn't the smartest thing I've ever done. No way could it be hand washed! But hopefully any hair balls will clean up well by spot cleaning. Cause you KNOW as soon as it's done and blocked, somebody will grace it with a gift!

Here's a sucky pic of it so far.



And no, I don't have a yellow floor.

And here's a better pic of the yarn.



And now I have to go hop in the tub and get dressed because today I'M GOING TO THE STATE FAIR! Getting all ready for sheep, and cinnamon rolls, and goats, and gyros, and cows, and funnel cake, and quilting, and corn dogs, and knitting and candy apples, and spinning, and ferris wheels and and and. Actually I don't think I can eat all that but gyro and funnel cake are definitely on the list.

See ya laters!

Softball Sky

It was a very drizzly evening as the girls headed out on the field. Gray,overcast and wet.

But later, if you looked west you saw this



And, if you looked east you saw this.



Double beauty and a real treat. Just think, all the folks inside watching tv probably missed it.