Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Abandonment

So this half hour every other day to play with yarn is only serving to make me want more. Urg! So frustrating, and since my projects usually are long and drawn out, I get nothing done in this timeframe, so I had a brilliant spark come to me last night.

Monday's Knitting Calendar pattern was for a little bitty sweater Christmas ornament, made with size 10 thread and size 1 needles (I know, I know - crack... must be in the koolaid). So, I cast on, and this is made top down starting with the turtle neck, then doing some specially placed increases to make the shoulders, putting stitches aside for the arms to work later, then continuing on down the body. It really is too cute, and I figured something that small I could have something finished pretty soon. Yesterday I was able to get to the increase part. Maybe tomorrow I'll get done with the shoulder increases? We'll see.

So starting this new project has left the following abandoned:

firstsock out of Tofutsee yarn (South West Trading Company, made in a natural fiber yarn that has some sort of stuff made from the shells of shrimp & crab which makes it naturally antibacterial - pretyt groovy!). I am on the round and round bit of the foot and have about half the foot left to go.

chenille blanket - I was about 6 inches in on this one when the doc said to stop. I was only doing it for convention since I had started to hate the angora shawl, so I have zero emotional investment in this piece. I may cut off what I've done and sell the BigHugeCone of chenille on ebay which is where I got it from.

sweater for me - You thought I forgot about this didnt you? Its in my bedroom, staring at me every night from my dresser. I am about 1/3 up the front, that's it. It is so easy peasy stockingnette, but the yarn is kinda fiddly - it's 2 strands of a very light, easily pulled apart acrylic/mohair blend - so that adds a level of difficulty. I love what it is looking like, and I may yet finish it. We'll see. For now it will live on the dresser.

angora shawl - this will not get finished. It sheads so much. I would frog it but the angora doesnt frog well, and there isnt soo much left becides what i've used. I'm not sure what the fate will be of this, we'll see.

That's it, maybe? I have the yarn to make my mom's Christmas sweater, and yarn to make me a sweater like I made Stacy last year... and thats really it on the list.

Boy is that depressing.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Blah blah blah

There is zero to talk about. No knitting, no crocheting, not even a cute picture of a child/cat/weird car to show you.


It's sad really.


One week from today I leave for convention, and I am pretty sure that I'm ready. Well, ish. I've made my packing list, and I've gone over our agend eleventy thousand and 2 times and I think we're going to have another convention meeting later in the week. Again. Our office is stacked with all manner of boxes and such. I have lists of each box and it's contents inside my trusty computer. We're highly organized over here.


Oh, wait, there is news... my mom's puppy was born, along with its 4 siblings... so if anyone wants a Maltese in about 2 months lemme know, k? I'm sure that I'll have pics of that soon MOM! And I'll let ya'll see. She called me after #1, then again after #3, and then I went to bed. they ended up with 5. That's a bunch for such a little dog! Jake is pretty astounded by "Nana had puppies?", so that was funny.


Back to blah blah convention blah. Since I'm in the no-yarn phase of this finger crap, I had to rumage around my craft fair stash to come up with something for the Silent Auction. I decided on this (actually this is the pic from the book, I donated the done afghan):
It's pretty, and hopefully it will raise some money.
Hopefully I'll have more interesting things to talk about tomorrow.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Dada and sleep.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akVt15CqFNE

This is Sean saying his first "word". He does finally say it toward the end of the video, so be patient. Yep, Dadadada. It was funny, Jake tells Sean "Say Mama" and of course Sean says "Dada". Too cute. He started saying it last weekend.
Guess what else he he started dong last weekend... sleeping through the night! Yay!

No real crocheting or knitting lately, and nothing new from the doctor, I will go in 2 weeks to get an answer so thats a good thing. I hope they will have something that I can take to make the fingers stop hurting!

Thats really it now. Sorry it's not much!

Friday, August 24, 2007

no big deal

It was just the battery. It was under warranty, so we swapped it out but paid a little more for a better one. All better now.

Work is crazy, and I am about to start arts & crafts day here at the office... should be interesting, and a little bit messy. Wish me luck.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Oh, the irony

I had no time today to post about nothing because we leave in 2 weeks for convention and hi! that's just around the corner. But, as I left to go get Sean and go home my car decided to be a bad car and not start.

So, now I'm waiting for Travis and Jake to get here - my Father in Law went to get Sean... Love him! - and now I have a few minutes to say hello to you.

My whole office minus 1 (Damarys had left via the front door when the car decided to pull its antics) decided that I do not have a alternator problem, or an electric problem, and that the issue is probably somewhere between the gas tank (yes I have gas) and the whatever it is that makes the engine start... fuel pump maybe? No clue. Wish us luck. Best case is that its all better with some cheap tada and off we go. Next, but REALLY close runner up, is that I need to get my new car early - but this is still something thats coming soon anyway. We were waiting on my bonus season to kick in to get a new one. Hrm. I'll letcha know tomorrow what the verdict is.

Monday, August 20, 2007

Drive By

My desk is a disaster. Wait, let me show you...










Obviously I have some work to do... so, here's the skinny.

Saturday we went to my Grandparents place and hung out for a while. Here is Cliff and Jake modeling their matching pirate skull caps. Cliff looks like a thug. Or the unibomber!










Sunday we took Jake and Sean for their pictures and they came out so cute, and Jake is such a ham, and we will get them on Labor Day.

Today, Jake started 1st grade. Here's what he looked like about 20 minutes before we had to leave:













I took a picture of him and his teacher, Mrs Ashmore, but it was backlit and came out horrible, so I will spare you.

Sean is so close to crawling, I took some video on Saturday of it, but I dont have time to upload it, but here is a nice picture... pretend he's moving: Never mind, I only took video. Whoops!

How about a nice picture of Gigi the Tripod dog sleeping under Grandma's feet... with her but on Grandma's scooter. Pretty funny I thought.
That's it. More tomorrow... hopefully!

Friday, August 17, 2007

yarn longing

So, hanging out with the fiberfriends was kinda sad, but I did get the sweater finished - mostly frogging, then the smallest of 3 round borders on the arm holes... hardly crocheting at all! I felt it more when I got home and had to clean, then while I was doing it. Hrm. Becides that I have not touched a hook or a stick. I'll need to dig in my craft fair stash to see if I have something appropriate to donate since I wont be able to finish what I've started. Oh well, what can you do.

It's been really strange, this not crocheting thing. I have paid more attention and actually LOOKED at the tv while watching it. Usually I just listen to the tv. The diet has helped, and I've been good with not snacking when I'm not supposed to. Last night I did have a little falling down, when my flounder wasnt defrosted and it was already 7:30 and Jake was at his Mamaw's, so when Travis suggested going out I said ok. We went to Estellas and I had a #11 - a taco, a buritto and an enchilada. Oh, and a coke and a side of sour cream. I did not have a 4th meal (or the night before either), but I know that may have derailed the plan. We'll see in the next couple days - today is day 4 and I am at the same -3 that I was yesterday. And Damarys said today is a skinny day for me, so that's good, right?



Last night was open house at Jake's school. He got the teacher he wanted - Mrs. Ashmore, and she seemed really nice. There are 2 other Jacob's in his class - plus a bunch of his other friends so he's pleased. We took home a few books that need to be covered, and went over some of the agenda he will have. I'll put together a sample schedule soon so you can see, but he will be learning Spanish and computers and poetry along with his beloved math and dreaded penmenship. Oh, and it will be in cursive. Poor kid. School starts Monday, I'll be sure to take a First day of First Grade pic for you. Have a great weekend.


I didnt take any kid pics yesterday, but I did take a picture of the cloud factory:

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

You want me to what?

So the annoying stiffness in the fingers and general feeling of fogginess in the brain sent me to the doctor yesterday. And after helping a very nice, but scared lady with a bee sting on her face get into the ambulance safely, he came to visit with me. Doc Parks is very nice, although I think this is the first time I've met him, even though his name is on the door - usually I see a NP. So I thought that was cool. He and I hold hands for a bit, and his general line of thinking is artritis - not the growing older one, but the specific area one (yeah, he told me... but, um, I dont remember which is which). Then we chatted about the other stuff going on, and he mentioned that sometimes hypothryoid will give you the focus problems I've been dealing - then went on to tell me the story of a patient who is a math teacher that came to him unable to do her math problems. Well, I've never been good at math... but anywho. He ordered bloodtests and x-rays and sent me on my way with orders to come see him in 3 - 4 weeks.

This morning I went to the vampires who stole 6 vials of blood from me, then to the x-ray people who took 3 x-rays. Now I wait.

The advice from the doctor while I wait - Take some advil or alieve if you need it and lay off the crochet.

huh?

So, I go to see my fiberfriends tonight and I can watch them and drink my $5 iced tea and smile, and remind myself that it's not that bad. Right? Ugh.

I will leave you with a picture of the oft-neglected cat.


And speaking of pictures, the boys go Sunday at 12:20. Wish us luck.
PS: Day 2 on crazydiet is going well - a pear for breakfast, orange and grapes for lunch, sandwich for dinner and strawberries for dessert.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Convention is kicking my butt, and other diet news

Yes, there will be yarn-related news in here... I promise!


I leave for Convention in 3 weeks.


(as an aside, my speakers have just gone wonky and now my music is actually annoying me. How crazy is that? Urg. Anyway, sorry.)


I leave for Convention in 3 weeks and not everything is done. A lot has been done, quite a bit actually, but I do still have a lot to do.


I bought my Saturday night dress (at a consignment shop for $21... that was 1/2 off after I discovered some rhinestones missing which I need to go to Michaels or Joanns to get replacements for... not bad I though). It's black with thinnish shoulder straps and it goes to the floor in a flowy split skirt thing. It's nice, but a little bit too big. I'll take it in some up top, the rest can stay as is.


I shall be Cinderella for the Friday night costume party. I have rented my dress (to buy it would be $995. No I'm not kidding. To rent it was $85. Thank goodness the job is picking up THAT tab!) but I need to buy opera legnth white gloves (the ones I have only go to below my elbow) and some "glass slippers". That has proven difficult... I will not pay $60 for 1 night's worth of shoes... which is what the costume place wanted. I've checked Walmart, and the consignment shop I bought my dress at with no luck. I've got to try payless and Goodwill... maybe somebody else bought them for a 1 night thing then donated them. Fingers crossed.

This dress weighs probably 30-40 pounds. HEAVY! And, although it zipped up (with help), I didnt try to sit down in it. Should prove interesting. Diet starts today!


Still on my to-do list... deal with Hotel ownership changes, make sure the crap I've ordered (give-aways, convention bags, awards, etc) get here in time and are right. I am still not quite sure how childcare is going to work out - Travis will still be on mandatory OT, so it will pretty much be up to the in-laws. I feel bad about having to rely on them so much, but I don't really have an alternative. Urg.


I have given up on the shawl. I managed 1 row during our 9,082 hours in the car last week, and I hated doing it. So, because I have no shame and have never been one to be a 'one-project person', I have started something new. Using the black chenille I have a ton of and my Brittney J hook, I am making an afghan. Simple alternating shell design. It's easy, and would go quicker if it were a) not my Brittney J hook but I cant find my Boye and b) not the black chenille. But, I think a lacy black chenille throw would be appropriate for the "Hollywood" theme, dont you? I'll take a pic at lunch to show you.


Today is day 1 of crazy diet 2.1. I will be able to do 1 11-day stint, 3 days off, then another 8 days of the diet before we leave for convention. Wish me luck... I dont want to NEED help zipping up Cinderella.


Here's a picture to tide you over:



And finally, I am starting to need a new cel-phone. My battery cant hold a charge for more than a day - and that's without talking on it! We have Verizon, but I doubt that really matters on phone model. Any suggestions?
Have a nice Tuesday.

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Stuff and all

This is a little jumbled... sorry.

I started taking some St Johns Wort and Echinacea for the ppd, and thus far it has only given me a headache. I will give it a week and if nothing, I'll go back to the doc for another option. I wont be able to function at Convention like this, so I've got to do something! Wish me luck!

Here are some assorted pics from vacay...

In the 4 minutes that I saw my siblings, I managed to get 1 picture. Just pretend that you see lovely pics of my sister and big little brother.

My little little brother and Sean:









What I did most of the car trip. And they got done by the time we got to Rere's house, they made a nice birthday gift, and they fit her! :









Sean on Nanny & Pop's carpet (I have video, maybe I'll get that up tomorrow):


Jake after a Silly String attack:












Yarn Porn:










The baby robin living in Aunt Rere's front porch wreath:










The reflecting pool at Luray Caverns:
Ok, off to do some work. More tomorrow.

Thursday, August 02, 2007

We are here...

25 hours later, and 3 hours later of a start... we are here. I saw my siblings for the sum total of 4 minutes which was not enough. I did manage to get a picture of Sean with my little little brother, but was unable to capture the sister opening her birthday socks, or the big little brother on film. Sneaky, those two!

I am on the round and round bit of the secondsock. We have a 6 hour drive ahead of us, and it MUST be done at the end. No wrapping... heck, I even forgot the cards on my desk at work! Whoops! But, even if it's not done (MUST), I have given a sock before... with the other one to follow, so I may do that again. We'll have to see how the 6 hour drive goes.

Maybe more later....