Sugar Britches Knits!

ho ho over it

2010-12-22T23:30:00.002-06:00

I've always been all about Christmas. Merry and bright is always my theme and I normally go all out. Well, I give. Uncle. I've been listening to my favorite Christmas music, watched all my movies, baked until I was ready to collapse. No matter what I just can't get into it. I'm tired of feeling guilty about it, so in just goin to say it. Humbug!
To those of you enjoying the holidays I'm glad and hope it is wonderful for you. As for me, I'm officially skipping it this year. Christmas playlist gone. David gray is going to sing me to sleep tonight. So to those of you struggling with life, holidays, and everything else...come sit by me. I'll share the fourteen pounds of cookies I have and we can rock out to something fun....and we can do Christmas next year.

Is there an echo in here? ? ? ?

2009-04-07T12:12:00.002-05:00

Wow...last post was in November of 2007!!!!

Yea, I know. That is why the resounding echo in here. Chirping crickets etc...

Well, we opened up our new business and it's been a crazy, insane, non-stop whirl wind of a year. Seriously, zero time to think about blogging. The couple of times I wanted to I couldn't remember my blasted password. Now for the new business I'm blogging and using twitter and facebook etc...but it is all for the business and I want to keep the personal stuff seperate. I think I need the outlet again so I'm going to see if I can squeeze in some time to blog again. Not much knitting of late but I'm hoping that will change...eventually.

Hopefully there will be more to come very soon.

A review in pictures

2007-11-26T16:56:00.000-06:00

Because ya'll know how I luvs the pictures!

October brought this home more than ever as a long awaited baby girl survives life threatening lung problems and we lose my aunt.

Gertrude and below is Wally. Cute couple huh? She is the boss though...and tends to kick if he gets to close when I'm feeding them carrots. They aren't mine..but live next to me and tend to follow me around. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the carrots!

Just a neat picture of a lamp

The court house in Hillsboro Texas.

Abigail the lazy...has such a hard life.

Kodi loves his kong...and yes he stays like this until he gets all the treats out!

begging for attention

My most awesome knitting bag that I got for my Birthday in October!

one of many pairs of halloween socks I bought this year.

She Lives!

2007-11-26T15:43:00.000-06:00

Why yes I AM still alive thank you :)

Considering I've had two lovely comments on old posts in the last week I thought I really need to get my rear in gear and post to this lil old blog that has been so sorely neglected.

I mean I have 3 whole subscribers I wouldn't want to lose them! I have wanted to blog in the last oh 2 months or so and have even had things to blog about. Unfortunately it just kept getting pushed to the bottom of my to-do list's. Yes you read that correctly. LISTS, as in I have a few. At the very least I have one going for each business and a personal one.

I hope everyone had a wonderful lovely Thanksgiving and got to spend the day doing just what you wanted where you wanted. I had originally planned to hibernate at home alone and take advantage of my parents and sister being out of town. However I did end up going to the family reunion (yes on Thanksgiving) and got to hold baby Peyton for which I am VERY thankful for. Our biggest blessing and miracle this year is that baby girl. I'm so so sooooooo thankful she is home and doing better. She looks so much like her Daddy that it amazes me. I told him I have visions of her running around in about two years demanding Cheetos and apple juice which is what he did when he was two.

I am going to really try to be a better blogger. I can't promise great content but I will do my best to post more often. I have been knitting on my second no rules bag and my garter stitch shawl. Hopefully I will finish one of them by the end of the year.

I also am over on ravelry as Sugarbritches, feel free to add me if I haven't already added you!

KnitOut in Austin! October 13th 2007

2007-09-29T21:18:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone!

The Lone Star State Knitters are hosting the 2007 Knit out and Crochet too on October 13th, 2007 in Austin Texas. Here is the site for more info 2007 Knit Out

It will be held at the Borders at SouthPark Meadows and should be lots of fun! There will be free lessons for anyone who wants to learn or just come and hang out with a great bunch of ladies and bring your projects!

At this moment in time I'm not positive I will be able to make it, but I am going to try my hardest. With a trip, a move, and a couple of loved ones in bad health things are a little uncertain at the moment. If there is any way I can be there, I will!

If you aren't a member of LSSK and thinking of going email me! They are some wonderful and fun ladies and have skills of all levels. AND, hello we are talking AUSTIN! What better excuse to make a road trip!

It's a Boy!

2007-09-25T15:43:00.000-05:00

A bouncing 82lb 4 year old! Meet Kodi...

Well...we aren't sure how hold he is exactly but are told around four or five years. He doesn't really act that old though, he can be pretty playful!

I adopted/rescued him on September 20th. My sister and I drove to meet the owner and Kodi with the intention of not bringing him home with us that day. With all the craziness that is our life right now and the possible pending funeral we just thought it would be better to wait. However, once we met this sweet boy we could tell he needed some immediate care and attention. He was well loved, but I think his owner just did not know how to take care of him. As you can see, he is entirely too skinny

Yes, he is the same breed as Bonnie my sister's dog. He is a Komondor and like Bonnie I will keep his hair short and not corded. He has a few physical issues and special needs that we are working on, but just in the short time we've had him I think he has improved. He is already fitting right in with the family, and much to my sisters dismay prefers to sleep on her couch. He will stay at my sister's through the first week in October while we are out of town, then I'll get to bring him home!

He really thinks he is a lap dog because he wants to be in your lap or practically laying on you all the time. He loves affection and can be a bit demanding if you are ignoring him! The poor guy has been shuffled around a lot in his life but he has the sweetest temperament and behaves very well considering! Hopefully he'll be very happy in his new home with me and Lady and the cats.

Yea for hand knit presents!

2007-09-17T15:19:00.000-05:00

My package arrived this Saturday from the Knit Knack One Skein Wonder exchange! I didn't get to pick it up until Sunday morning and I admit I did tear into it in the car!

Regan my awesome exchange buddy made me these pretty wrist warmers! I love them so! I really have been wanting a pair because the ones I have were my first attempt with some cheap acrylic and got used a lot last year and they didn't hold up very well.

She also sent me a What Happens in Canada Stays In Canada t-shirt with some yummy snacks!

Thanks so much Regan! You Rock! This was a much needed pick me up this weekend!

Calm before the storm

2007-09-14T23:58:00.000-05:00

To sum up why I haven't been posting much lately this is the best way I can describe things. I'm juggling many balls right now and they are all up in the air. At the moment they are all suspended up there and I'm just waiting for them to start dropping.

We are awaiting the birth of the newest member of the family. We are also awaiting the passing of my aunt. There is nothing else they can do for her and it's just a matter of days. It's horrible beyond words.

We (my sister and I) also have the starting of a new business. This involves much waiting and "red tape" so to speak. Relocating our current business in a VERY short period of time. Being out of the state for a week for training very soon. These things are exciting though (maybe a wee bit stressful) and I can't wait for a couple of months until we are farther along!

Oddly enough though, I'm calm. For the moment. I'm not sure why really. I guess because it won't help to be otherwise. Don't get me wrong each day can be a bit of an emotional roller coaster but over all I've been pretty calm about it all. Possibly because I know it is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

I'm terribly behind on everything. Emails, posting, the blogs I read and not to mention knitting. I'm trying as hard as I can to catch up!

Longing for Fall

2007-09-04T14:57:00.000-05:00

I am SO ready for fall. I am beyond tired of heat and humidity. Not to mention keeping my toes all painted and pretty for sandals and flip flops. I'm ready to be able to open my windows and break out my boots and pants and scarves! I am definitely a fall kinda girl. Which...I realize that compared to most places, Texas doesn't have much of a fall season, but I'll take what I can get. I really started noticing it about a month ago...I just start to get this...FEELING for lack of a better word and it happens every year. I start feeling the urge to craft and make things (even more so than usual) and work jig saw puzzles (a winter tradition my Mother instilled when I was young...but something I haven't done since I took up knitting). I start switching all of my scented plug-in thingy's to apple cinnamon. I want to drink coffee and tea and I start buying new creamers and flavors and it's still too damn hot to drink them!

To be fair I enjoy winter (especially the temperatures) and spring (everything growing and green and it smells sooooo nice and fresh!), but fall. I LONG for fall. In collage I always had the hardest time going to classes in the fall. I just wanted to be outside enjoying it or inside and being lazy but not in a class room. I used to decorate for fall too. The office mainly and when I sold Southern Living At Home I really went all out for fall.

SIGH. One of these years I really want to see the east coast in the fall. I will be spending a couple of weeks in the Virginia/DC area in either October or November. So hopefully I'll get to enjoy some real fall weather!

Actual FO's!!!

2007-08-28T16:17:00.000-05:00

I have actual finished objects to show ya'll! Can you believe it?

Behold, the Seafoam Shawl from One Skein Wonders (finished but not blocked yet)

Thanks to my friend Deb for the picture assistance of holding it up for me.
Here is a close up that shows the color a little better. This shawl is for an exchange and will be getting mailed next week to its new home. Oh, and yes this is the shawl that was in my knitting bag that I made the EMT's put in the ambulance with me lol.

I've also cranked out a few of these little cell phone cozies also from One Skein Wonders

I have no idea why...I just decided I wanted to try one and it was done so fast so I started a second...and you get the picture.

I've started my first attempt at a purse/bag whatever you want to call it. Once there is a little more to it, I'll post pictures and the pattern etc...

Thanks for all the well wishes! I'm doing fine, still having a few headaches and some dizzy spells. The Doctor said that could last for up to six weeks so it's not anything I'm worried about. I do still have a knot on my head though lol.

I'll leave you with a picture of one of my house guests (Bonnie Bell). She looks a little unhappy here...I think it's because it was about a 200 degrees outside. Dixie doesn't sit still long enough for me to take a picture of her. I think they will probably be staying with me for at least another two weeks. Their Mama really misses them!

Ok...one more AWWW

No Knitting on account of Mild Concussion

2007-08-22T15:22:00.000-05:00

What is black and blue and green and red and sore all over? That would be me. I was in a car accident this past weekend and am quite colorful at the moment. I'm ok, I do have a mild concussion so I'm still fuzzy headed and often have a killer headache. My left arm is lovely shades of black and green bruises and a HUGE welt of red. In the ER they insisted on giving me a tetanus shot, which I have had a bad reaction to. I've had flu like symptoms and fever and my arm has been red, swollen and painful. This added to the soreness from being hit by a big ass Lincoln, not so much fun. Seriously the lady's car was a boat! I don't know many details because I never saw her. Just BAM and the car was spinning and I was holding my head trying to contain the explosion going on inside it. That whole seeing stars thing? No...it's more like a huge sunburst! Then afterwards the kind people who stopped to help wouldn't let me get out of my car so I didn't see any of the damage. Probably a good thing because I was knocked senseless for a bit. Then when I came to I promptly burst into tears because I was in MY MOTHERS CAR. Her car that she just paid off 3 months ago. Yeah.

What I can't get over is how NICE everyone was. The witnesses who stopped and helped me. The fireman, EMT's, and even the police officer. Because of the huge goose egg emerging on my head they insisted I put on a neck brace in case of a neck injury and strapped me to one of those flat boards. That was not pleasant and didn't help my nerves but the EMT's were so kind and tried so very hard to get me to calm down.

Only the knitters will appreciate this: They wouldn't let me gather up my stuff except hold my purse. However I wouldn't let the ambulance leave until they got my knitting bag out of the car! Now, they didn't KNOW it was a knitting bag but still. A shawl was in there that I've been working on and is almost done, I was not letting it out of my sight! :)

So I've been resting and haven't really wanted to knit. You KNOW I'm hurt if I don't want to knit. Plus being a little fuzzy and dizzy doesn't make for good knitting.

Everyone drive safe out there and for those in the emergency field: Fire fighters, EMT's, etc...YOU ROCK!! and thanks!

M.I.A.

2007-08-10T16:26:00.000-05:00

Just thought I would check in since I haven't posted in quite some time. Where have I been? I've been around and doing tons of knitting. Sadly I've frogged most of it but I have been knitting.

At the beginning of the month an old friend asked me to dog sit for her while she went out of town for a few days. She has never left her pup for more than 2 days and didn't want to board her. I love dogs, right? So sure! Annie is a cutie but let me tell you, this dog WORE ME OUT! Talk about energy.

After being gone for several days it was really nice to be back home. I think I was missed.

This is the cat who for at least FIVE years has had nothing to do with me. When I got home she followed me around meowing at me and when I sat down to catch up on email the stinker jumped up and plopped down on my keyboard. She even, in a very very rare moment of affection, stuck her head up under my chin and gave me a little nuzzle! I think someone has given me an Abby impostor!

Also, before you start to think I'm a bad mama and over feed this fat kitty...I do not. I feed her according to my vet, a weight loss food and carefully measured amounts. She is not loosing weight but we will be looking into switching food again soon. SIGH.

Well, it has been a crazy week in the mortgage biz...and I it doesn't look like it will be getting any better. I'm about to leave for the week though and drive my Mom up to Dallas. My aunt is in the hospital and isn't doing very well. They may be sending her home this weekend but really, I don't think she is going to be with us much longer. Her heart is very weak and they just had to shock it to get it back into rhythm again. I'm not looking forward to what is to come, but thankfully we've been able to keep her with us a couple of more years than anyone expected.

So have a good weekend! Hug your loved ones to ok?

I offer you a distraction?

2007-07-25T09:36:00.000-05:00

In order to distract from the utterly boring blogging I've been doing lately...I offer you

Yarny Goodness!

One of those fun pinkish/orage skeins will be for my as yet undecided project for the One Skein Exchange over on Knit Knack. I have no guesses as to who is knitting for me this time. My buddy and I have a lot in common so I can't wait to start knitting for her!

And...ahhhh....say it with me. Malabrigo. Isn't it just beautiful? It's so pretty all twisted up that way I don't know if I can bare to knit it. Hehe...I'm sure I'll manage though.

It's almost the weekend!!

Loose Ends...

2007-07-24T17:03:00.000-05:00

I have been feeling...at loose ends lately. Restless. At least, that is the best way to describe it that I can think of. When I'm home I flip through books but can't settle down to read (Deathly Hallows was the exception). I channel surf and find nothing interesting. I've stood looking at my movie collection hoping something will jump out and interest me so I can at least listen to it while I knit. I sit down to knit and...well I think you probably get the picture.

Sadly...I'm the same way at work.

Do you ever feel like this? I can't pinpoint any particular reason why I should be feeling this way. Usually when this happens it's winter and dreary and I kinda blame it on that.

Hmmm....anyone got a cure for an unexpected case of apathy?

No words...

2007-07-23T14:58:00.000-05:00

(No worries...no spoilers here)

I started Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at 8:30 Saturday night and finished at about 6:30am Sunday Morning. I haven't stayed up all night in years! Around 3:30 I thought my eyeballs were going to fall out and I had to break out the eye drops. I'm sure it was just from marathon reading and not crying like a loon.

It is a WONDERFUL book, and it answers many of the questions and mysteries we've been wondering about. It's funny and sad, and thrilling and just....lovely. No words I can type will do it justice.

You know, I don't do sad as a general rule. Sad books or movies. It will be a while before I can re-read the book again, it was a bit of an emotional roller coaster...at least for me.

There are two things that just amaze me. First the wide spread interest in the series of books. I was out of town on Saturday and every where I went (yarn stores, grocery stores) I heard people talking about the book. Secondly, how difficult it must have been to have written that book. The Deathly Hallows is PACKED with action, characters and giving us the answers we've been waiting for.

J.K. Rowling did it brilliantly!

Order of the Phoenix

2007-07-14T18:56:00.000-05:00

Saw the movie last night!

If you haven't read the book there may be spoilers below. I don't normally review movies and am by no means a movie critic. There are probably good reviews out there...below are just my thoughts on the movie.

First of all let me just say that if you have not read the books but have watched the movies I think you will enjoy it. For the movie fans it is probably a good movie to go see. It's fast moving with good action and even more visually appealing than the previous movies in my opinion.

For the Harry Potter nerd or obsessive fan. This movie does one thing, it gives us our HP fix. I've heard a lot of people say the 5th book was their least favorite. I am probably in that category. It was dark and seemed to just beat a dead horse so to speak. So I was both anxious to see the movie and not so anxious to see it.

The minute the movie started and the theme started though I was so glad I was there. I can't say it was bad because...its HP and it is based on the book. Just like there isn't a bad chocolate :)

Like you may have read on other blogs...it moves incredibly fast. That, I think is my biggest problem with it. It seems as if they tried to keep the movie short and they tried to touch on almost everything...and as a result they touch on everything so briefly you don't get a good feel for the emotions and don't get the dark feel that the book had. Yes they changed some stuff. To me it seemed they changed more things in this one than the previous movies. However, to be honest I haven't seen the other movies in a while. They left out quite a bit too. There was no mention of quiditch at all or Ron making the team. No mention of Ron and Hermione being prefects. Dobby wasn't in it and wasn't the one that showed them the Room of Requirement. Some things left out were pretty plot important. For example Snapes memory of being teased at school when he was young. The prophecy is revealed to Harry and in front of others and not by Dumbledore as in the book. Dumbledore didn't explain things to Harry as he did in the book.

Despite all of that I did enjoy the movie and would even go see it again. The lady that played Umbridge was excellent. You really just want to punch her face in lol. Her office just cracked me up though, it was crazy and awesome. Actually all of the performances were wonderful. The fight scene in the end was spectacular! They did an amazing job of capturing Hogwarts and the grounds and the costumes. Visually the movie was just spectacular.

I realize the book is huge and is packed with important things. I know it can't all be included in the movie and everyone has their ideas of what should be in it or not. The best part of the night was at the end of the movie when Fudge sees Voldemort and says "He's Back". Half of the audience said "DUH!" out loud and that cracked me up.

All in all there is no way I can recommend anyone NOT see the movie.

Oh and for you knitters...they have some pretty cool knit wear! I've read a couple of blogs already buzzing about them, particularly Hermione's hoodie.

Nope, no knitting here

2007-07-12T12:37:00.000-05:00

Not since my hissy fit Sunday night with the MS3. Honestly I haven't really had time anyway. I HAVE been thinking about knitting. I've been thinking about fast and fun winter scarves. Considering it was 90 degrees by 8:00am this morning I have NO idea why I would be thinking about scarves. Except the general consensus this week is that I've either lost my mind or I'm very close to it. I think the need to knit mindless things comes from the chaos that is going on right now. Ya'll know. Knit Therapy. At least that is what I like to call it.

Here, cute kitty picture.

Yes she is sitting in my lap and leaning back to look at me upside down. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the unlady like language coming out of my mouth. Ahem.

Peachy Keen Jelly Bean!

2007-07-09T10:08:00.000-05:00

A rather heavy burden for a tiny tree no?

However they weren't nearly ripe enough to pick, so I left them a while longer. Then in passing my living room window I notice a cute little squirrel. Scooter scampers up into my peach tree and RIPS OFF a small limb peach and all and runs to a bigger tree to eat his prize.

Hmmm. A few hours later I see him running across the yard again with a large peach in his mouth. Now a peach here and a pear there is ok. I don't mind sharing at all. Seems to me this little stinker is getting a little too greedy though. So out I go and picked two large bowls of peaches.

Way more peaches than I expected this year since there are only two peach trees left. The rest died last year and were pulled up.

So I've been giving them away as fast as I can and last night I peeled as many as I could and bagged them up to freeze them. It doesn't look like my pears are going to make it this year. They look very sad indeed since there are NO LEAVES on the tree what so ever. Too much rain this year (which I am NOT complaining about).

The really cool part are the butterflies! There are butterflies EVERY where around the tree. Many in the tree nibbling on the peaches that have already been nibbled on by other bugs and such. They just dance and flutter all around me when I'm out there picking peaches. Very cool!

peach cobbler anyone?

Ah the sounds of summer

2007-07-08T18:31:00.000-05:00

Outside frogs and crickets, inside the air conditioner and hairballs. Yes, it is gross but for cat owners a reality.

Meanwhile...back at the house of cat hair, we are hiding inside staying cool. My Mother, ever the optimist (that was heavy sarcasm there for those that don't know my Mother) walked down the hall of the office on Friday and proclaimed "Good News! The rain is gone but now we are screwed because it's going to be hotter 'n hell!" Which oddly is about only the third time in my life my Mother has used the word "screwed". It is just as well that is hot today. It will dry things out a bit which is greatly needed. Also it appears no one is feeling in tip top shape so we might as well stay inside. Well, ok Abby is feeling fine and letting us all know it. The rest of us...not so much. Lil Bit has had some hair ball issues so she is feeling extra cuddly today and that is fine with me. Lady isn't feeling well from her second round of heart worm treatment so we've all already had a nap today.

Yesterday I had to go to one of those pet food places where it's ok to bring your pets in. I swear there were no less than 15 people in there with new puppies. PUPPIES! I swear the puppy fever came back with a vengeance. I just keep telling myself...can't afford it, can't afford it. I still have a $600 vet bill for Lady, so there is no way I can afford a puppy. Sigh. So no puppy but I can dream about soft wiggly furballs full of energy with cold noses that like to snuggle up and sleep with you.

Meanwhile I'm seriously thinking of going back to bed to curl up with said furballs. Especially since it appears we are about to have a storm. Guess Mom was wrong about the rain lol.

Hope everyone has a lovely Sunday afternoon!

Ramblings of a Mad Knitter

2007-07-03T21:50:00.000-05:00

Random musings while late night knitting on the MS3

1. Lace knitting with a chart and tv don't mix

2. Life lines are the coolest invention since salad in a bag!

3. Mp3 players/ipods are def in top 10 too

4. I can surprisingly concentrate on a chart while listening to music & singing along.

5. The cats have grown used to my singing. The dog...not so much.

6. I'm loving the lace knitting so far

7. When you get tired and can't focus your eyes... That would be when it's time to stop trying to read a chart.

8. What does it say when you are in the mood to listen to both sappy love songs from your teen years and salsa music. Particularly when these are not types of music normally on your play list?

9. Note to self pick up non waxy dental floss for lifelines. Thread works but is a pain in the butt.

10. I wonder if I sold both cats if I'd have enough to buy the knit picks options set? Nah probably not.

11. Why has Maroon 5 not come out with a new cd? (Which today I found out they HAVE duh)

12. I am not going to think about the fact that every customer we have has suddenly decided they want to close next week. Knit knit just keep knitting.

Lazy weekend with cats and lace

2007-07-02T18:32:00.000-05:00

This is mostly what my weekend consisted of.

Sitting on the love seat with at least one cat in my lap or on my legs. With both cats I had to prop my chart up on the back of the couch, with one I sat a cushion in my lap (slightly on top of the cat) with my chart. I only frogged the MS3 3 maybe 4 times before getting my head in the game and concentrating.

If I did happen to get up for any reason then this occured.

No, I don't think you understand the cuteness...here have a closer look.

That right there is a brat. While she is overcoming some of her issues with being touched or looked at...she seems to be developing new issues. Such as laying next to my head in the mornings meowing loudly. There are others....but we won't discuss those just yet.

Hope Everyone had a relaxing weekend!

Lil Bit says this lace nonsense needs to stop. Mama gets mad when I head butt her while she's trying to count and that whole chart thing takes up my space in her lap!

Can you not feel the disapproval?

Helping Furry Friends and Knitters

2007-06-30T16:04:00.000-05:00

Do you read the Yarnagogo blog? If not I highly recommend it! If you do, then you know about the amazing story of Digit and his return after four months. Dude I bawled when she thought he was dead. I bawled when he came back. I bawled reading all the comments of people donating $ to Rachael to help with Digit's vet bills in honor of their favorite kitty cats.

The story is enough to make you want to help. However, facing my own rather large vet bill at the moment I can really relate to how Rachael and Lala feel. I have so been there. Panicking because you know you don't have the money to do what needs done to save your babies. You do it anyway, because you'll do anything for them. This bill for them is going to be in the thousands...few people are prepared for that.

So if you can spare a buck or two please do so. Even though it isn't needed, Rachael is having a drawing for some lovely sweaters she has knit.

Ericka at RedShirtKnitting
is also having a drawing to help Digit! Check it out and get a chance to win your own Jane Hat!

Now I'm gonna go hug my kitty (the one that will let me) and knit on my MS3.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend full of love and kisses from those that you love and love you...furry or not :)

Clearly I did not think this thru...

2007-06-26T21:17:00.000-05:00

So...joiner that I am, I too have joined the Mystery Stole 3

I ordered some Malabrigo Merino Lace weight in the Black Forest color way. It's more green than the black it looks in the online pictures but that's ok. It's lovely yummy yummy yarn. Isn't getting yarn in the mail just the coolest thing ever? I also ordered some knit picks circs since I didn't have any small circulars to knit the stole on.

What? You want to see? Oh fine

Trust me it looks oh so much yummier in person!

Now the not thinking this little project all the way through part. So I now have 1200 yards of this love lace yarn. Know what I DON"T have? A yarn winder. No problem you say? Wind it by hand? Ok first of all 12oo yards? *sigh* I suppose I could. However. Yes, HOWEVER. This oh so lovely yarn tangles and knots if you so much as breath on it heavily. Ask me how I know? So this will be a challenge. I'm guessing this means it may not frog easily either. Yikes.

The good news is that I did do a small swatch on it for the MS3. It does look pretty spiffy if I do say so myself. (sorry no pic).

So...I'm off to do some serious (but careful) winding. Wish me luck!

Still Knitting and Evil Pink Baby Yarn

2007-06-26T20:55:00.000-05:00

See I promised a knitting post today and here I am! As long as the storm doesn't knock me offline we're all set!

So...I have been knitting. But FIRST!

My most wonderful scarf exchange buddy from the Knit Knack Scarf exchange, Karen sent me that! It is sooooo soft and cuddly! I can't wait for cold weather so I can wear it! She also sent me some yummy wool from her trip to Ireland! How cool is that??

My current drag around project is a simple garter stitch shawl made out of some crochet cotton thread. It (the color) caught my eye at my local craft store in the clearance bin. I picked it up thinking dishcloths or something. However one night I looked over at it sitting on my desk and thought. Shawl.

and then we have this...

Looks all sweet and innocent sitting there doesn't it? It's Lion Brand Baby Soft for the baby blanket I started. I'm on about row 9 (yes that is ROW nine. Not the 9th repeat). It has not started off well. It was my fault to be honest. I should have wound the yarn up into a center pull ball to start with. I didn't, however, and after much swearing and hair pulling and something that looked even WORSE than this

I thought it needed a little time out. So that ball of cute soft pink yarn is still sitting there on the cedar chest that serves as my coffee table and that pile of yarn barf is as well. We are both thinking about our actions before we decide if we shall continue or not. Pretty pink yarn is also a little on the splitty side...but it seemed to be getting a little better...we'll see.

Up next! The craze that is MS3!

You know you read too many blogs when

2007-06-25T15:12:00.000-05:00

you start saying this a little too often in conversations with non-knitters/blog readers.

"Well on this knitting blog I read...."

"Ooh I read about that, so and so mentioned in their blog...."

yeah. think I need a life? lol

I do have knitting content...I just forgot to bring the camera with me to work so I could upload the pictures!

So stay tuned tomorrow for shawly goodness and the pretty pink yarn from hell!

The Harlequin by Laurell K Hamilton

2007-06-14T20:50:00.000-05:00

Warning: Extreme Geekery ahead.

Ok, let me tell you a not so secret thing about me. I am completely hooked on Laurell K Hamilton’s Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. Completely. Have been since I read Guilty Pleasures…oh three years ago I think. No wait…that can’t be right….yeah I think so. I was reading Guilty Pleasures on the plane back from Colorado for our orientation when we switched companies. I finished the book and my sister who was sitting next to me asked me about it. “Very different” was my reply. I sat there on the plane thinking about Jean Claude (but who doesn’t?) and knew I would go get the second book.

I honestly could not tell you how many times I’ve read all the books. There is at least a year between the new releases so at least once or twice during the year I’ll pick one (or four) up and re-read it just to get my fix. The Killing Dance I think is my favorite.

Every time I’ve read one of the new books…when I start the last chapter and know the end is near there is always a moment of regret for devouring the book because they never last long enough.

So June 5th the new book The Harlequin (the 15th book in the series) hit the stores. I, of course went to the store that morning and picked up my copy. DESPITE the fact I knew it would be days before I could read it. I was in the throes of trying to get my house presentable for a family BBQ. As I climbed into bed that night I took it with me. I thought…I’ll just skim the first few pages and see who is on stage first. Nathaniel, Richard…ok maybe just the first chapter. When I turned the page to CHAPTER TWELVE I made myself put it down and go to bed. I finished Monday night at 1:30am. Then I couldn’t sleep for thinking about the book!

So here are some of my random thoughts about The Harlequin and the characters and Laurell K Hamilton.

*******WARNING*******

Spoilers ahead. If you have not read the Harlequin or all the books for that matter then you should maybe sign off the computer and Go. Read. Or something, but don’t continue listening to me blather. Go read the books…then come back mmkay?

First some background…the last several years there have been a lot of fans complaining about the direction the series. Many have claimed to stop reading the series because of how graphic (and by graphic I do mean the sex not the violence, apparently they don’t have a problem with the violence.). I really don’t understand getting on message boards and websites whining about how you hate how the series is going. If I’m not happy with a book (or series)…I stop reading it. Pretty simple. Last year when Danse Macabre came out I would say I did enjoy it more (story line wise) than Cerulean Sins. It just really seemed as if Anita’s character was starting to accept things and make her life work. Yes some of the sex scenes did seem to last a leetle bit long in this one but I liked the direction the story was headed.

Enter The Harlequin! A few people have expressed disappointment in Richard. I’m not. Like Anita and Jean Claude, I’m done and over it. Actually I was over Richard several books ago…he is the epitome of the saying “his own worst enemy”. It’s not that I don’t like his character…but his issues were wearing thin. Dolph is starting to take his place in the overly annoying department. However, I’m thinking there is story potential left for Dolph though. I also felt that Requiem was taking over Asher’s pouting roll since Asher wasn’t around much. I like the idea of Requiem…I hope his character gets fleshed out and isn’t quiet as depressing as he seems J

I (like everyone) enjoyed having Edward back in this book and even Peter and Olaf were an interesting addition. I missed not having as much Jean Claude time as well as Asher and Jason. (if you could just bottle the sexiness that is Jean Claude…Mmmm I’m telling ya!) There are a lot of new characters and it can be hard to keep up with them until their distinct personalities form so that you remember them. I like Rafael, I like that he respects Anita and her will to get things done no matter what it takes…but that was a new twist (don’t want to give TOO much away). Sampson also intrigues me…I hope he comes back in future books. I don’t know how the mermaids fit in with St. Luis but I like the idea of them. The idea of Anita, Micha and Nathaniel going to a bbq at Zerbrowski’s cracks me up.

On the message boards I’ve read a few complaints about mistakes or inconsistencies. Yeah, I picked up on them and there were a few others I saw. That being said, I understand why. There are so many characters on stage (at one time sometimes) that it is hard to keep up…and we are just reading. Can you imagine trying to write it? Especially if it isn’t in one setting? Holy Crap that would be hard. LKH juggles more characters in her books better than any that I’ve read (well I would say JK Rowling does it as well). Everyone knows what it’s like to write something and proof read it yourself. You miss the mistakes because you aren’t really reading it so much as hearing it in your head. Can you imagine a series of FIFTEEN books (in this series, not including the Merry series) with a zillion characters? Especially with the detailed descriptions LKH gives her characters! As someone who has done a good bit of writing (not for publishing purposes though) I can appreciate what it must take to keep up with the amount of characters. Particularly since so many of them are major ones that appear every book. Also, we the fans get so "into" the Anita world that these mistakes don't slip past us. This is a good thing though :)

It’s a funny thing reading an authors blog and peeking into their life and getting glimpses of their thoughts as they write a book. While LKH was writing the end of Danse Macbre I admit I was a bit worried. She seemed so frustrated with the book and ready for it to be over with. I thought the book would suffer for that. After reading it I didn’t think it did. However, the ending seemed a bit cut short and the whole plot at the end just seemed to end abruptly. That said, I loved the book and enjoyed it as I have them all.

A few more things I hope to see in future books. Another book revolving around Anita’s necromancy and a break from vampire and wolf politics. I would LOVE a novel-lite with just Anita and Jean Claude. I’d like to see Micah have more of a story line or purpose than just professionally “being there” for Anita. And of more Nathaniel and Jason because they are just so darn cute and fun! I think perhaps Nathaniel should take up knitting lol and I think Peter has great potential too as a little Edward in training.
Ok…that’s it! My rambling random thoughts about the book! I have to say I like this one even better than the last three books. If you have read the series but haven’t picked it up, I highly recommend that you do!

Amy
the book geek

p.s. I promise next time there will be knitting content!

A fresh look

2007-06-07T11:14:00.000-05:00

Ok...for those of you who are familiar with my Myspace page...you know I like to change my scenery around often :) So I've been trying to think of a new name for the blog and such....so this may not stay like this...I'm playing around with it. Let me know what you think? Which name do you like better?

I'd like to get off this ride now

2007-06-01T14:36:00.000-05:00

I haven't been posting much but a lot has been going on. The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind! There was the mama skunk that got under my house and had babies. I kept telling my Dad this but I don't think he believed me. So he goes over and fills in any holes that she had dug to get under there. Resulting in separating her from her babies. Let me tell you I had one pissed off Mama skunk thumping around my house! Anyway, we reopened the holes and put out moth balls (yes the smell is just lovely) and she has since moved them to another home. THANKFULLY! Then there was the virus/spyware from HELL that I got at work and took me FOUR DAYS to get rid of. I thought I was going to pull my hair out over that one! It took downloading 5 different programs to finally catch the bugger causing all the problems and get rid of it. It has also rained another 12 inches in the last week. I'm living in a swamp!

We did head down to Galveston, to Tiki Island, for Memorial Day weekend and it was nice to get away for a couple of days. We didn't get to go out on the boat this time, but just being near the water relaxes me. I don't know what it is about it...it just seems to sort of pull at me and instantly cause my blood pressure to drop. Kinda like knitting :) On Saturday while a big storm was moving in I went for a nice long walk around the island. It is just so different from central Texas. The tropical flowers and the palm trees and all the neat bay houses with personality. There was a bit of drinking and fun that included a cut throat game of domino's and a late night golf cart ride to get chocolate martini's.

I'm taking mom to visit her sister tonight and we'll stay until Sunday morning. I have so much work to do at home....but this is more important. Last night Lady bug was having some stomach problems, my phone line was dead again and I discovered a leak in my roof. I stood there looking up at the spot for a few minutes thinking (very calmly) "You have got to be kidding me". At this point I was too tired to even get upset about it.

So after work I'm headed to Dallas where I will knit (and finish my so called scarf for my secret buddy) and make a trip to the half priced book store. I will NOT be going to the yarn store...with all the issues there won't be room in the budget for it.

Everyone have a lovely weekend!

A different Book Meme

2007-05-31T12:08:00.000-05:00

I think this meme went around blogland long before I started blogging. I love to see what people have read and recommend though so I'm doing it now. Feel free to share your list with me!!

I've talked about my book obsession before. Interestingly enough, I didn't REALLY learn to read until about the third grade. I went to a TINY tiny school where Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade were all in one room. There were not enough of the first learn to read books to go around. I didn't get one and we couldn't take them from the class room. Half way through my second grade year my parents pulled me out of that school and transferred me to a nearby Catholic School. No we were not Catholic and yes I was the only kid in my class who was not. It was ok though. They immediately put me in remedial reading. I was embarassed at first but within a few weeks that teacher taught me more than I'd ever learned. Soon I tackled my first book which I believe was one of the Frog and Toad books. Once I finished that book...I was unstoppable. By the next year I was reading several grade levels ahead. The year after that my reading and vocabulary was on a high school level. I devoured books and my Mother (also an avid reader) happily supplied them. I was definately a fan of Mysteries. Nancy Drew, The Three Investigators, Trixie Beldon, Encyclopedia Brown, Harriet the Spy...you name it! I am also one of THOSE readers. You know that reads a book, loves it and then goes out and buys EVERY BOOK THAT AUTHOR EVER WROTE. Which would be why I have so many blasted books in my house :)

Ok...here goes. Bold means you've read it, Italics means you own it and it's sitting on a shelf somewhere waiting to be read, and highlighted or in Red is one you want to read. There are obviously a lot more that I want to read, but I just highlighted a few I'd like to read soon.

Title/Author
To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee
Hamlet William Shakespeare
1984 George Orwell
The Fellowship of the Ring J.R.R. Tolkien
Lolita Vladimir Nabokov
The Return of the King J.R.R. Tolkien
Catch-22 Joseph Heller
The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger
The Hobbit J.R.R. Tolkien
The Bible
The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald
A Prayer for Owen Meany John Irving
Brave New World Aldous Huxley
The Handmaid's Tale Margaret Atwood
One Hundred Years of Solitude Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck
Dune Frank Herbert
Love in the Time of Cholera Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Slaughterhouse-Five Kurt Vonnegut
Stranger in a Strange Land Robert Heinlein
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe C.S. Lewis
Siddhartha Hermann Hesse
The Stand Stephen King
Ulysses James Joyce
Paradise Lost John Milton
Watership Down Richard Adams
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain
The Sound and the Fury William Faulkner
Gone with the Wind Margaret Mitchell
Roots Alex Haley
The Giver Lois Lowry
The Two Towers J.R.R. Tolkien
Great Expectations Charles Dickens
Cat's Cradle Kurt Vonnegut
Cry, the Beloved Country Alan Paton
Animal Farm George Orwell
Macbeth William Shakespeare
Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck
A Wrinkle in Time Madeleine L'Engle
The World According to Garp John Irving
Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen
Atlas Shrugged Ayn Rand
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Lewis Carroll
Black Hawk Down Mark Bowden
King Lear William Shakespeare
A Theory of Justice John Rawls
Crime and Punishment Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury
Moby Dick Herman Melville
Canterbury Tales Geoffrey Chaucer
Mrs. Dalloway Virginia Woolf
If on a Winter's Night a Traveler Italo Calvino
The Martian Chronicles Ray Bradbury
Inherit the Wind Jerome Lawrence & Robert E. Lee
The Good Earth Pearl S. Buck
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Ken Kesey
The Inferno Dante Alighieri
Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare
Invisible Man Ralph Ellison
The Red Tent Anita Diamant
Death in Venice and Other Stories Thomas Mann
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone J.K. Rowling
Les Miserables Victor Hugo
The Trial Franz Kafka
Ada Vladimir Nabokov
Middlemarch George Elliot
Where the Sidewalk Ends Shel Silverstein
A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens
Jurassic Park Michael Crichton
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Hunter S. Thompson
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil John Berndt
David Copperfield Charles Dickens
A Clockwork Orange Anthony Burgess
The Poisonwood Bible Barbara Kingsolver
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Robert C. O'Brien
The Princess Bride William Goldman
Neuromancer William Gibson
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress Robert Heinlein
Prufrock and Other Observations T.S. Eliot
All Quiet on the Western Front Erich Maria Remarque
Winnie the Pooh A.A. Milne
A Light in the Attic Shel Silverstein
Treasure Island Robert Louis Stevenson
All Creatures Great and Small James Herriot
The Lord of the Flies William Golding
The Hours Michael Cunningham
Traveling Mercies Anne Lamott
A Confederacy of Dunces John Kennedy Toole
The Iliad Homer
The Right Stuff Tom Wolfe
Anne of Green Gables L.M. Montgomery
Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte
Calvin and Hobbes Bill Watterson
The Silver Chair C.S. Lewis
A Little Princess Frances Hodgson Burnett
Beach Music Pat Conroy
And Then There Were None Agatha Christie
Gulliver's Travels Jonathan Swift
The Last Battle C.S. Lewis
Babar the King Jean De Brunhoff
Tao Te Ching Lao Tzu
Anna Karenina Leo Tolstoy
Leaves of Grass Walt Whitman
The Anatomy of Melancholy Robert Burton
At Dawn We Slept Gordon W. Prange
Naked Lunch William S. Burroughs
Everything is Illuminated Jonathan Safran Foer
Tropic of Cancer Henry Miller
The Bell Jar Sylvia Plath
The Godfather Mario Puzo
How the Grinch Stole Christmas Dr. Seuss
Charlotte's Web E.B. White
The Tao of Pooh Benjamin Hoff
Beowulf ?
The Little Prince Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Henry V William Shakespeare
Rebecca Daphne Du Maurier
Frankenstein Mary Shelley
Empire Falls Richard Russo
Don Quixote Miguel de Cervantes
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Mark Twain
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Roald Dahl
The Phantom Tollbooth Norton Juster
Cheaper by the Dozen Frank & Ernestine Gilbreth
Story of My Life Helen Keller
Captain Horatio Hornblower Cecil Scott Forester
The Wizard of Oz L. Frank Baum
Le Morte D'Arthur Thomas Mallory
Life of Pi Yann Martel
Hope Was Here Joan Bauer
Less Than Zero Bret Easton Ellis
The Shining Stephen King
Our Town Thornton Wilder
J. R. R. Tolkien The Hobbit
The Tell-Tale Heart Edgar Allan Poe
The Odyssey Homer
Illusions Richard Bach
The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban J.K. Rowling
The Fall of the House of Usher Edgar Allan Poe
The Bridge to Terabithia Katherine Paterson
One for the Money Janet Evanovich
The Thorn Birds Colleen McCullough
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Betty MacDonald
The Phantom of the Opera Gaston Leroux
The Diary of Anne Frank Anne Frank
Beezus and Ramona Beverly Cleary
The Three Musketeers Alexandre Dumas
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Jules Verne
Harriet the Spy Louise Fitzhugh
Delta of Venus Anais Nin
The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde --which I bought this weekend!
The Interpretation of Dreams Sigmund Freud
Tropic of Capricorn Henry Miller
Death of a Salesman Arthur Miller
Watt Samuel Beckett
The Power and the Glory Graham Greene
Eragon Christopher Paolini
The Chamber John Grisham
The Brethren Bob Woodward & Scott Armstrong
Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There Lewis Carroll
Who Moved My Cheese? Spencer Johnson
The Hot Zone Michael Crichton
Walden Henry David Thoreau

Books on the Brain

2007-05-30T17:05:00.000-05:00

The last couple of years reading has taken a back seat to my knitting. However, lately I've been itching to read. If I could only read and knit at the same time! I know some people can...but I can't. I have done a few books on tape...but I do prefer to read the book. A few weeks ago Something sparked about the classics. I can't remember now what triggered it but it started me really thinking about books and books I've read. I ran across a couple of book meme's so I thought I'd give 'em a go. So...here is the first one and later I'll post the second which is a list of books you've read, have on a shelf, or want to read. I'm not tagging anybody but if you decide to do the meme's please leave me a comment so I can check it out. I love to know what everyone else is reading!

Book meme (even though it is a BOOK meme I answered more about authors)
A book that made you cry: Several have made me cry…the one that made me absolutely bawl (through most of the book) was The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. I’ve never read another one of his books. Yes I'm a wimp when it comes to sad stories!

A book that scared you: Hmmm…I can’t really think of one. I don’t really read many scary books.

A book that made you laugh: Again there are many. Anything by Mary Janice Davidson makes me laugh out loud. Seriously. Go. Buy. READ.

A book that disgusted you: I can’t really think of one.

A book you loved in elementary school: I would say James and the Giant Peach and anything by Beverly Cleary

A book you loved in middle school. Anything Nancy Drew…it was an obsession. There was one particular one that was a favorite that I checked out a zillion times and I can’t remember the name of it.

A book you loved in high school: It was a 3 series set by Christopher Pike. Final Friends. Oh I read them over and over. Most of his books, some R.L. Stine, Julian F. Thompson, Long Live the Queen by Ellen Emerson White was awesome!

A book you hated in high school: There were a couple…I really did not enjoy The Grapes of Wrath (I KNOW).

A book you loved in college: I don’t really associate any particular titles with this time. I think this was my romance period. Lots and lots of romance. Anything by Sandra Brown, Megan McKinney, Tami Hoag, Barbara Woods etc…were my favorites.

A book that challenged your identity: I don’t know that any have. I will say, that one that really touched me and made me think was A Time to Kill by John Grisham. They made the movie years later and it was very well done but I still remember not being able to put that book down and how it made my heart hurt.

A series that you love: Oh you KNOW there will be more than one lol. Laurell K Hamilton’s Anita Blake series is my top favorite obsession. Mary Janice Davidson’s Betsy series, Bitch out of Water series, and Kim Harrisons series.

Your favorite horror book: I don’t really read horror…although some stores put Laurel K Hamiltons books in the horror section. I don’t really consider them that.

Your favorite science fiction book: Again it seems sometimes these are in fantasy and sometimes in science fiction. I like Tanya Huff’s Keeper series.

Your favorite fantasy book: Harry Potter series and The Hobbit

Your favorite mystery book: Tami Hoags Lucky’s Lady and Cry Wolf which are really romance but have great mysteries to them. I also enjoy Jeffery Deaver. He can write a twisting turning mystery!

Your favorite historical novel: tough one…I don't read a ton of what I consider historical novels any more. I would say Barbara Woods is my favorite historical AUTHOR. Recently I really enjoyed The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, I'm not sure if it is classified as historical or not.

Your favorite biography: Don’t really read them.

Your favorite “coming-of-age” book: It's been a long time but I would have to say The Grounding of Group 6 by Julian F Thompson and/or Long Live the Queen and Life without Friends by Ellen Emerson White. Those were wonderful young adult books that I still remember.

Your favorite classic: Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland and To Kill a Mockingbird

Your favorite romance book: See Tami Hoags mystery’s above. And Kathryn Harvey (Barbara Woods) two book series Star and Butterfly. If you have not read these and you like a wild, enthralling, steamy read….RUN to your store or computer and get them NOW.

Your favorite book not on this list: Hmmm… I would highly recommend Phantom by Susan Kay. It is her own twist on phantom of the opera and it is amazing! I also really loved Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

This was fun :) Yes I'm a geek so what!

What are YOU reading and what are your all time favorite books??

My 80's Theme Song

2007-05-21T13:00:00.000-05:00

Ok when I saw this I had to take it. Honestly you can keep refreshing it and it will give you a different song no matter what you enter. I thought this was a fun one and kept it. Normally I would have gone with Girls Just Want To Have Fun since I LOVED that song and even dressed up as Cyndi Lauper for Halloween one year.

However Lil Red Corvette is a fun song and brings back a special memory that always makes me smile ; )

Your 80s Theme Song Is:

Little Red Corvette by Prince

What's" Your 80s Theme Song?

I SOOOO love the 80's music. I know a lot of it is BAD but I love it anyway. My cousin calls me the 80's diva. He has a band and anytime I go see them he always has to play an 80's song and give me a shout out. Which normally would embarrass the heck out of me but he has me so wrapped around his finger I let it slide lol

In fact just a couple of weeks ago I added a bunch of 80's and early 90's music to my shuffle's play list. It's awesome to exercise to!

Day Seven

2007-05-20T14:37:00.000-05:00

Well! Official last day! I survived and am very proud of myself I have to say. It wasn't nearly as bad as I expected.

Today I slept in (oh how wonderful it was) and other than going over to my parents I went nowhere. It was soooo nice.

Today I really was wanting something other than water. I don't miss soda or anything but I do miss the sugar free drink mix that I drink often. I was determined though to keep to water for today.

The next phase starts where you add back foods slowly to see if they are ok or if they make you feel bad. The foods added back during the next phase are not really foods that I eat. Olives and avocados (oh I do like avocados...just in guacamole!). So I was trying to decide which foods I would add back. I did feel a little achy tonight and I realized while I'm better I think I probably still have a long way to go. I'm not sure if something on the program doesn't agree with me or if the inflammation all the junk was causing in my body just isn't gone yet.

I'm still deciding where I will go tomorrow with this...

Results: I lost almost 4 inches in my waist, 2 in my hips and while the book says you can lose up to ten pounds, I did lose more than that.

More thoughts later!

Day 6 AKA Deep Fried Temptation dipped in Ranch Dressing

2007-05-19T16:31:00.000-05:00

Day Six

And I feel great! I can tell my jeans are not as snug today and overall I just feel lighter and just not so BLAH/HUGE/YUCKY pick one!

My next batch of veggie broth did not turn out as well and I'm struggling to force it down. I'm counting the days until I can stop the morning oil routine! Honestly it's the worst part of the program for me. My skin feels so soft and my nails feel stronger. In six days! Isn't that wild? However, by around 5 o'clock I started feeling a bit bloaty and puffy. No idea why as I had not eaten anything different than any other day. My jeans seemed tight and I was uncomfortable. Interestingly enough though I weighed when I got home and I had lost weight so I don't know what that was all about.

I Admit today I had...thoughts. I know you people think I'm nuts but I've really treated this like an experiment and have kept close tabs on how I was thinking and feeling the entire time. I have not had any cravings for any particular type of food. Today was a little harder though, because Friday nights are when my sister and I normally go out. We go to dinner and have a couple of drinks. It signals the end of the week. We look forward to it all week. At first I had made up my mind this week we just would not go eat. However we were out driving around looking at buildings (for our new business) and it was getting late. I wasn't very hungry and I decided we could go eat and I could order a plain grilled chicken breast and some veggies. So we did. As I said...I haven't craved any foods...but I crave the TASTE. Not everything I'm eating is flavorless and you can certainly add herbs and spices to add flavor but lets face it...healthy often doesn't taste as good. So I guess what I'm saying is I miss FLAVOR. You know us southerners...it has to be fried, BBQ'd, or covered in some type of sauce that contains mayo or other zillion calorie things. Oh and probably dipped in Ranch Dressing! Dude I love me some Ranch Dressing. I've digressed....so yes we went to a restaurant and I ordered lemon pepper grilled chicken with two sides of steamed broccoli. No salad since there wasn't a suitable dressing and I could only eat the lettuce anyway. My sister did have a salad though...and Lordy it looked good. It didn't help that this restaurant serves their dinner salads with a HUGE FLAKY croissant with honey drizzled over it. AND I DON'T EVEN LIKE HONEY lol. Anyway...while the ranch dressing and croissant looked good I didn't REALLY want it. I just kept telling myself I'd rather feel better and if I want to really see how I feel I need to go the whole 7 days.

RESULTS/THOUGHTS: This has really shown me that so much of my eating is "habit" and "event" driven. I felt cheated at first that we couldn't go out and have our usual Friday Night. We can...I just have to modify what I eat and drink. Since you need to eat every 3 hours on the program and my caloric intake has been much less this week when it's time to eat I feel the need to eat. Not because I'm "hungry" or just want to eat...because my body is telling me "Hey! I need some fuel!" Which is very cool not to be driven by outrageous cravings!

also I've discovered a slight allergy to black berries...so they are off the list!

anyone still awake?????

Day Five

2007-05-18T15:01:00.000-05:00

Day FIVE

Well, after feeling bad last night I felt surprisingly good this morning. The day went pretty well and uneventful. Eating my chicken and rice for lunch really works a lot better for me. In the evenings I eat some veggies and have one of the rice protein shakes. I’ve felt very thirsty all day so getting my water in was not a problem. I went to the Farmers Market this morning and ooooh yummy! I bought some peaches and black berries and green beans, black eyed peas, yellow squash, and onion (for my parents). This weekend I’m going to cook them all up for a family dinner. I love fresh black eyed peas and tomatoes from the garden! I can’t have tomatoes for this 7 days though.

About 15 minutes after I had my dinner I started getting itchy and sinus pressure. Something I put in my shake I’m allergic to. I had two new things tonight so I’m still trying to figure it out which one did it so I can eliminate it.

Results: Went to an open house and was not even tempted by the food and drinks. Since I don’t eat fish eating chicken every day would get very old if I did this long term. However so far there hasn’t been anything I’m seriously craving. Again, I certainly feel better than before I started the program!

More Scarf Pictures and Thoughts

2007-05-17T11:41:00.000-05:00

Well I just barely had any sun left by the time I got home last night but I took a few pictures anyway.

Here is the Baby Grande Alpaca scarf. I love this yarn but it does tend to "shed" a little bit so I have a feeling it won't wear to well with black. I like it...but like I said yesterday I don't love it.

And an extreme closeup of the My So Called Scarf

On my screen at least, it shows the colors pretty well. I forgot again (imagine that) to grab the tag at home so I could tell you the colorway.

A few notes from last night on how I felt...that would still be considered day four. Did not feel too well last night. A little achy as in flu type achy. I was sitting on the floor trying to get all of the stickers out of my dogs long hair and my muscles just hurt and cramped a little. I'm not sure if it's that I'm still low on potassium or if this is just part of all that bad stuff leaving my system? During my bath I skimmed through the book again and was reminded the author does say that you could have withdrawal like symptoms, flu like symptoms and other things. So I'm continuing on, will try and get some extra rest and take more potassium and drink extra water. I'll report on day 5 later.

Day Four and knitting pictures!

2007-05-16T15:41:00.000-05:00

Ok...as promised here is at least ONE picture. It isn't great since it is inside...but it will have to do for now. I've left the camera out beside my purse so I'll remember to take it home tonight!

Is pretty no? I so love this yarn and it looks great in the My So called Scarf Pattern I think. I'm hoping this will be the scarf for my scarf buddy exchange...but it is a slow knit for me and I have to have it out by June 8th. So I'm still working on the Baby Alpaca Grande scarf (which knits very fast!) just in case I have to send it. I hope I get some real knitting time in soon so I can wrap these up. My fishtail lace scarf is calling to me but I refuse to pick it up until I finish one of these for my cool scarf buddy. I have to say I've had so much fun doing this exchange. I figured out who was making my scarf but that's ok because she is freaking hilarious and cracks me up! She is also about to take a trip to Ireland and I'm so jealous!

Now on to the healthy portion of our program:

DAY FOUR: Last night was hard because I was really tired and had a lot to get done. I slept great again but didn't exactly SPRING out of bed this morning. I only hit the snooze once or twice (compared to my usual NINE) but I would have liked to have stayed in bed a while longer today. I don't feel quite as sharp today and I'm not sure why. My breakfast shake really filled me up and I wasn't hungry by lunch time. So I had a snack of broth and put my lunch off until about 2:00. Today I had my chicken at lunch instead of dinner. I think this works better for me. I do feel better over all though, and I think my pants are not as snug in my lower stomach area today which is very cool :) After cooking last night I hope to stay out of the kitchen tonight and get in some knitting time.

Results and some observations: A little tired today...don't feel as sharp but still an improvement than before. So far (KNOCKING ON WOOD) I haven't had a headache or sinus pain since starting. My joints don't seem as stiff and achy as before, also, my eyes aren't puffy and swollen shut in the mornings. ALL good things!

So far no excruciating cravings for chocolate but I have craved the taste of something sweet. There is nothing that tastes sweet on this program except a few fruits. So I've tried to combat this with my banana and some fresh peaches in my shakes. This afternoon I have had an odd craving for coffee though. No idea why as I'm not a die hard coffee drinker or anything. I do love me some Starbucks but I mostly only drink it during the fall and winter.

Day Three

2007-05-15T21:08:00.000-05:00

Sorry no knitting content lately! I keep forgetting the camera at work so that I can take pictures of my WIP's. Hopefully I can do that tomorrow. Please bare with me regarding the "program" talk this week.

Woke up BEFORE the alarm today! I slept so WONDERFULLY! It was just lovely! I followed the program to the letter today except for only having one of the shakes. I don't have a way to mix one at work. I was hungry today especially in the afternoon. An apple and some almonds helped hold me until dinner. I sauteed some garlic and chicken with asparagus and brown rice. Not too bad :) I've discovered a few things so far. Asparagus isn't bad if it is LIGHTLY steamed. Fresh ginger is cool and I like using it to spice things up...but I don't really like the taste of it if it's strong. For some reason I tend to add garlic and or rosemary to everything lol.

It was a stressful day today at work. Very busy! I stayed on the program but my attempt to stay calm and relaxed didn't exactly work. I felt achy this afternoon and tired. I also took one advil because I had a toothache. I'm trying to avoid all medicines except my prescriptions this week if I can help it.

Results: I feel pretty tired right now and would like to go to bed. However my broth has to cool and I still have my 12 minutes to do on the EFX machine.

So I'm off to finish up so I can have my wonderful hot bath! Pleasant dreams everyone!

Day Two

2007-05-15T20:50:00.000-05:00

Despite my rocky start on Monday, I slept good and this morning I woke up (on time) and started my checklist. The green tea was nice and I felt pretty alert although not energetic by any means. I did not feel sluggish and horribly tired as I normally do on Monday mornings which was wonderful!

I did not eat enough today as I still had no blender for my breakfast until this evening. Lunch was great and the broth was even good. I drank all of my water and even walked my 12 minutes that I've committed to every night this week. I'm not doing more than 12 because I think my body is going through enough this week so I don't want to push it.

I had more energy this evening and found myself up and doing things rather than sitting. Still feeling a tiny bit weak though and I'm having muscle cramps. I think all the vitamin C making me tinkle all the time has depleted my potassium so I did take a big dose of potassium tonight and had a banana with my shake for dinner. (For those familiar with the plan I switched my meal order today).

I ended the day with the recommended hot bath and it was HEAVENLY. So nice to relax and feel good about taking the time to take care of myself today. I stayed "unplugged" while at home. No tv, Internet (well its not working anyway) or news or anything. I did listen to music while exercising and during my bath.

Results: I feel good today and I feel great about doing this for myself. Some things may be hard to do and not taste good but I'm proud of myself for scheduling this for myself. I've cancelled all "extra" activities this week such as bunko and lunches so that I won't be tempted to eat and can focus on myself.

Day One

2007-05-15T20:42:00.000-05:00

Day one of the program did not go well and it was my fault. For this reason I really am not considering it day one and will do the program for one extra day.

First mistake was that I stayed up WAY too late the night before. Also, even though I know not to drink any alcohol what so ever if I have a sinus infection...I did on Saturday night. So I was not feeling well to begin with and did not get to "prepare" everything on Saturday so therefore was behind. I attempted to make the shake and my blender would not work right. I was a bit timid making the vegetable broth as most of the veggies going into the pot I had never purchased before or cooked with. I should have taken a picture...my fridge was PACKED with green leafy veggies! (side note: Waco doesn't have a Whole foods or organic store. However two stores in town are attempting to carry a nice selection of foods, supplements, and such. They were very helpful for this poor clueless girl and her list).

By the evening I was starving (not having my ultrashake or anything else I could eat). I was cooking a generous pot of spaghetti for Mom. So for dinner I did have a small portion of spaghetti and salad.

The vitamin C I started taking certainly started working!

Results: By the end of the day I felt terrible and stressed and very weak. All my own fault and not the programs.

An unplugged Mothers day weekend

2007-05-15T20:29:00.000-05:00

Belated Happy Mothers Day to everyone! I'm back online at home for the moment. The nice phone man did discover my problem. It's a little hard for the phone to work when all the wires (that run under your house) have been gnawed through! Yep!

My Plan for the past weekend was to stay home, hibernate, get ready to start the Ultrasimple program and cook dinner for Mom (and the family). I also planned NOT to answer my cell phone. Well before my phone service died I did get a message from my cousin asking me to come hear his band play Saturday night because it will be the last time they play for a long time (or ever). Three of the band members are expecting babies so they decided to take some time off. Not feeling well with a sinus infection I talked myself out of going. Then my OTHER cousin calls...needless to say I did end up going and had a blast. I took a disposable camera so if they pictures come out I'll try and post a couple.

Sunday I spent the day Sunday cooking my vegetable broth and such while also doing laundry and vacuuming up the massive amounts of hair the kiddos are shedding. Then cooked a big spaghetti dinner for Mom (her request), Dad and my sister. I've thought about doing a post about Mom but she would be horrified if I did lol. I'm still considering it though... lol

Amy's Adventures in getting healthy

2007-05-15T15:14:00.000-05:00

Hmm...yeah. Remember me? I am still around. I have NO PHONE or INTERNET at home and I've been so slammed at work there hasn't been time for much blogging or blog reading. My blog roll is getting terribly backed up I'm afraid. HOWEVER I wanted to post quickly about the MAY DAY tales from the scales and what I've been up to.

Well first over at Elizabeth's Blog I read about the May Day Weight Loss Challenge going on over at tales from the scales. (See the button in my side bar.) Honestly I forgot to weigh in this morning to post my progress. I will tonight so I can keep up with the May Day Challenge. I'm actually doing another program as well that has me focused not so much on losing weight this week. I have been following Lolly and her journey.

I have been feeling very Blah the last few weeks. I think it's a combination of many things really. Not eating or being healthy. Over doing it at the garage sale. Not having a vacation in FREAKING FOREVER. No knitting time and not getting to go to the monthly little knitting meet and a tiny bit of just hanging in limbo with the new business thing. So after reading Lolly and the 7 day detox she just completed I bought the Ultrasimple Diet book and have read through it. I have started the 7 day program to try and get all the "junk" out of my system and hopefully stop the cravings for bad things I don't need. I am not looking as this week as a weight loss program. Hopefully that will go along with it, but I am more interested feeling better. I know I have been putting crap in my body...and as a result I felt like crap. Also at the end of the program you can add back certain foods and find out if they cause you to feel bad. For example I had already determined that dairy (mostly milk) increase my sinus problems. So I'm very interested in testing to see which foods make me feel good and bad.

There is an inflammation "test" of sorts in the book to see which areas of your body are the most inflamed. I of course scored off the charts which did not surprise me. I'm really hoping this will make me feel better and have more energy, so I can keep up with all that life is throwing at me. Also, I'm going to budget in time and money for a pedicure in the next week or so. A little me time away from the office and family. Then hopefully Memorial Day weekend we'll head down to our friends Bay house for some "drankin and carrying on" and hopefully some R&R and knitting time.

Since I've had no Internet I've been keeping a written journal and I'll try to get it typed up and posted tomorrow. Not having internet at home puts a big kink in things let me tell you!

So...more soon, I promise!

Garage Sales and Broken Underwires

2007-04-30T19:09:00.000-05:00

Ya'll I'm dog tired and the underwires in both of the only bra's that fit me have broke. If that tells you anything.

It probably tells you my wardrobe is as neglected as my house at the moment.

I do believe we swore after the last garage sale we weren't doing this AGAIN. My Mother is a professional garage sale holder. There is none of this toss it out on the lawn unpriced stuff. Oh no! Every item is cleaned and priced. Everything is organized by kitchen/bath/clothes/shoes etc... However she has a very successful garage sale let me tell you!

I did not find a ton of stuff for the garage sale but I did manage to destroy my house today. AND I did not even touch the junk room. Only my bedroom and bath and closet. I also managed numerous loads of laundry, to organize my bathroom closet, throw away two big bags of trash, unearthed 4 cat toys, cleaned out under my bed and now that there is room Abby won't come out from under it. I did not organize my closet but I found the floor of it and now have piles of clothes every where waiting to be sorted. I hate spring cleaning and did I mention garage sales? I guess they are a necessary evil though considering I'm a pack rat. It is nice to organize things but you have to make such a mess in the process.

In a tub under my bed I found some braclets that I had to give out as prizes at my parties when I was a consultant for a certain home party company that has to do with living in the south :) Anyway they are those kind with the big silver beads and then charms on them. I love those bracelets...I've bought a lot of them. I just never wear them because they drive me nuts. ANYWAY I decided I would cut the charms off and make stitch markers from them. They are shoes and purses etc...I think they'll be cute.

I do believe I'm done for tonight. I didn't get nearly as much done as I had hoped but oh well. I haven't knit all weekend so I'm about to go park it.

p.s. I must be really tired. spell check went into a nervous twitch I misspelled so many words.

The Woolie Ewe and pics!

2007-04-30T11:06:00.000-05:00

FINALLY getting to post my pictures of my Stash Enhancement Expedition!

First of all if you live in, around, or near Dallas and you haven't been to the Woolie Ewe...I highly recommend it! Woolie Ewe

Here is a glimpse of my purchases: BEHOLD THE YARNY GOODNESS

This Baby Alpaca Grande....OMGISOOOOOOSOFT!!!!!!!! it is just YUMMY!!!

This is just a sampling. The first pic shows all of it and the dpns I bought. When I walked into the store I did not faint. I may have drooled just a little bit. I did touch, feel, pet, squeeze, and read the labels on almost every kind of yarn in the store. I believe I was in there for over three hours! If had the money I would have filled my car with yarn let me tell ya!

I can't wait to go back!

If the Cranky Pants Fit...Wear 'Em

2007-04-26T16:13:00.000-05:00

Why is it that the best laid plans never seem to work out. Well, I really shouldn't say that...sometimes they don't work out but sometimes they do...just later than hoped for. Yes I'm rambling, I know.

I have a confession. I am a big old crankypants today. Ok, FINE I have been a big old crankypants all WEEK. This is for several reasons I think. I drove Mom to Dallas last Friday night to visit her sister. So I had two nights of not so good sleep there. We are having a garage sale in a couple of weeks and so my aunt cleaned out a bunch of stuff that I ended up loading and unloading several times. I arrived home Sunday afternoon and after another session of unloading and reloading I headed to my sisters house. Why? Well because we had to be up at the butt crack of dawn (4am) to go BE ON THE MORNING NEWS. I mean really who gets up at that horrible hour and goes and pretends to be all perky and happy and silly on TV. Well other than news anchor people. That is a special breed of people right there folks. We had a huge event for Habitat for Humanity Monday night and it was a lovely success! Very tiring though. So the long of it is that I'm run down and I haven't been exercising or eating very healthy. Also everyone is on my last nerve. It's me, I know it's me and not them...but still. I'm just in one of those "I wish everyone would go away and leave me the hell alone moods". I am about to loose my mind in this office. I have cabin fever or something. I just want to GO OUTSIDE! The sun is shining and I don't want to work (and yes I sound like a whiny 5 year old)!

Good things have happened in the last week or so and that makes me feel bad that I'm a cranky pants but it is what it is.

I did make my first ever visit to A REAL LIVE YARN STORE. Not a craft store!! OMG. There are almost no words...but I will post about it tonight...or tomorrow with pictures of my lovely lovely lovely yarn that I bought waytoomuchof!!!!!!!!! *SIGH* It is a very good thing I live 2 hours away from it.

Someone seems to be feeling better!

Alice and the White Rabbit

2007-04-19T14:01:00.000-05:00

I feel like the white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. I'm alternately the rabbit yelling LATE I'm LATE!!! AND I'm sometimes Alice, chasing that illusive little bugger thru wonderland trying to get...wherever.

The last month has been crazy busy. Work has been busy (which is a good thing). We have lot's of events and things going this month so free time has been not so much. I FEEL SO BEHIND on blogging! There has been lot's to tell. So to quickly bring things up to speed....

EASTER SNOW!

Yes the day before Easter, in APRIL, in TEXAS we had a lovely lovely lovely SNOW. I took lot's of pictures! Don't worry I'm not going to make you look at all of them heh. Blue Bonnets in the snow...don't see that very often. Lot's of jokes about hell freezing over that weekend let me tell ya!

There was last month's local knitting meet in Copperas Cove at Alice's house. FUN! Great ladies and great food and maybe a wee bit of yarn petting!

I participated in a stitch marker swap over at http://getstitchy.com

These are my awesome stitch markers I got from my AWESOME new pal Melissa!

She sent Popcorn! and Mini Reese's and Life savers yummmm! I'm really enjoying the swaps. I've also joined a secret scarf exchange! My partner has emailed me and asked questions and is teasing me something terrible! It's so much fun!

This weekend I'm going to hit a "REAL" yarn store while we are in Dallas and pick up yarn for my pal's scarf.

While I have been running through wonderland like the mad hatter I have done a little knitting. I'm working on a My so called Scarf and ::drumroll please:::

My first true lace project!

More details soon!

Is that too may pictures? Well in the words of Alice "What is the use of a book, without pictures or conversations?"

The one with the flood, depression, and BAXTER!

2007-04-03T16:12:00.000-05:00

Well...it has certainly been a wild several days around here. First off we have the great flood of 07 in which we ALMOST COULDN'T GET HOME PEOPLE! These pictures here...yeah that water...not usually there!

And then Friday night my cousin invited me over to his new house he just bought for dinner and MOJITO's (YUM)! And I played with this not so little guy right here:

A bundle of energy let me tell you! His name is Baxter and we had some slobbery fun!

Things have been stressful. Most of it boils down to money. Doesn't it always? Money for the new business, money when we start the new business, insurance problems etc...

That and I have realized that Lil Bit is sick. She is drinking lots and lots of water and doing things that I now see Ditto was doing when he first started getting sick. I know it is very likely that she has diabetes. We are heading to the vet to get tested Thursday. It takes about 3 or four days for the results to get back. I'm just worried sick. I honestly have no idea how I can afford shots for her but I will have to find away. I just can't bear losing another one of my kids so soon after Sully and Ditto. Ok...I'm getting teary so enough of that.

There is knitting fun to talk about but I just can't get excited about it right now.

If I look pitiful enough will you let me out?

Things you hear in our breakroom

2007-03-28T20:31:00.000-05:00

MOM! Are you smokin' crack??

We often forget the walls in our office are very thin and I'm sure the person that has the office on the other side of what is our kitchen (fully loaded I might add, with fridge, micro, ice machine, toaster oven, table top convection oven, and of course coffee pot. Ok so there is actually more but I'm embarassed now. Think we obsess much about food?) thinks we are insane. The very odd noises I was making today while making fun of my sister (boss). Me fussing and mom because she didn't want to help me make lunch but then she wanted to tell me how to do it. And of course my sister exlaiming the above and asking our mother if she was smoking crack. I'm sure the person on the other side of the wall has heard all about our new business venture. Heard gossip about the real estate community here. Oh, I could go on and on :)

However I will miss that office so when we leave it.

That's all for now folks...my connection is running uber slow at the moment. Driving. Me. NUTS. and it's a short trip let me tell ya!

Wine Anyone?

2007-03-27T16:42:00.000-05:00

'Tis pity wine should be so deleterious, for tea and coffee leave us much more serious” Lord Byron

Guess where I am going tonight? A wine tasting. Yup. Me. A wine tasting in Waco. merLOT anyone? To those that don't know me you might think...big deal. I don't exactly drink wine. Wine gives me a headache and makes me hot. As in hot flashes. Also, sadly my tastes in libations run to harder and usually more expensive beverages.

The thing is I've never actually been to a wine tasting that I can remember. My sister says they usually end up a "drunk fest". We are going with some friends who do love the drink a touch so I have a feeling the night will live up to that title. :) Honestly I wish I had not committed to go as I will miss the Mavericks game. So on one side we have me in my jammies with a cat in my lap and knitting in hand. OR we have a wine tasting with some lively and fun people. Hmmm...

The good news is they are serving dinner as well. Which I am very thankful for since the piece of cardboard (chicken breast) and veggies I had for lunch have left me ready to chew through my desk.

Tomorrow: more on cardboard chicken and why I need to lose about 100 pounds in 3 months.

Eavesdropping at the movie rental place

2007-03-23T14:43:00.000-05:00

Conversations over heard in at the movie rental store.

Woman: Hey look, there is Snakes on a Plane! I wonder what it's about?

( here is where to myself in the span of SECONDS I thought: No she did not just ask that, is she serious? Oh he is going to have some really smart ass answer!)

Man: Snakes. On a plane. Just as serious and straight faced as can be.

He didn't even add HERE'S YOUR SIGN! or a DUH! to the end. Good man.

but you have to wonder...I mean seriously?

Looky What we Have Here!

2007-03-22T10:58:00.000-05:00

more stitch markers! Why? I have no idea! It's not like I use them often lol. I just like playing and making them! No idea what I'm going to do with them! Maybe join a stitch marker swap?

I like this one, he's a keeper

Also I have started my LSSK KAL

It's oh so good to be knitting again!

Abby thinks making stitch markers is nonsense! Because when I do I sit in this chair and she really seems to think it is HER chair.

Happy Along Don't Worry!

2007-03-20T19:51:00.000-05:00

Well I had hoped to post a HAPPY Along post Monday but work is busy and I wasn't able.

First, what am I knitting for someone else to make them happy? Mom's scarf (I call it the angelhair scarf) is the only thing I've been able to do a few rows on but I love how soft the yarn is!

Second, what am I knitting to make myself happy? Well the hat on dpns even though I haven't been able to work on it in a week makes me very happy!

Other things I am happy about this month:

Getting to meet some of my online knitting sistah's!
Spring!
Nice weather that allows to open the windows!
My swing in my front yard.
While I haven't been able to knit I've read a couple of books, which I really enjoyed!
Getting closer to our new business.
Knowing I will no longer be tied to a computer for work 8 hours plus a day in the near future.
Joining a scarf exchange on myspace knit knack group
A new dish cloth kal on my LSSK group!
Making stitch markers

And now I'm off to finish watching the Mav's game and try casting on for my dishcloth!

Spring Cleaning

2007-03-18T16:40:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about doing a little spring cleaning for the last couple weeks. Notice the THINKING about and not doing. Well Erika over at Red Shirt Knitting http://redshirtknitting.com has the same idea. Go over and check out her strategy!

The idea of spring cleaning gets a little overwhelming since I'm not home that much and most projects take a whole weekend at least to do. However, it needs to be done and it is very likely that by summer time I will have even LESS time. Plus the family is planning to have a garage sale in May so I need to get rid of some stuff!

So I've come up with a plan to break it up and help it not be so overwhelming. I’m going to break it up into small tasks. For example the idea of cleaning my whole bathroom (it is very large) makes my back hurt just thinking about it. So I will break it down by doing the closet (trust me a 2 hour project there) one day and then the cleaning scrubbing part the next day. See? Makes me feel better already!

Ok so here is my list I'm drawing up by room and I'm also going from one end of the house to the other.

Spring Cleaning To Do List:

My bathroom:
1. Clean out and organize closet. Get rid of unnecessary bathroom clutter including extra towels I don't need.
2. Scrub down tub, shower, sink, toilet, and mop floor.

Bedroom:
1. Clean out and reorganize dresser and night stand.
2. Wash all curtains, bed clothes, dust ceiling fan and vacuum floor.
3. Clean out under bed and hang picture, and clean out reorganize closet

Washer/Dryer area
1. Reorganize cabinet above washer/dryer and clean off dryer (it is right inside my back door so it tends to collect junk).
2. Optional but I would like to put up a shelf above dryer and hang a curtain in front of the washer dryer to hide it as it is not in its own little room

Kitchen:
1. Remove everything from counter tops and clean.
2. Dust bakers rack and top of fridge and clean out under sink. Get rid of any cleaners or things I haven't used.
3. Clean out pots and pans that I don't need and reorganize under cabinets.
4. Clean inside and out the oven and fridge
5. Mop floor

Desk: (It's not really a desk but serves as one. It's actually an antique possum belly table loll everyone who has never heard of that raise your hand!)
1. Clean off desk and clean out drawers.
2. File all paperwork and bills
3. Clean and old english desk.

Living Room:

1.Dust all shelves and knick knacks
2. Clean out book shelves of any books to get rid of and go thru movies to see if any can be sold.
3 Wash curtains and vacuum furniture mop floor
4. Organize yarn stash and cedar chest.

Cat's Bathroom
1. Clean out under sink and closet.
2. Wipe down counters, tub, and mop floor.

Spare Bedroom
1. Put away Christmas decorations that are piled on bed.
2. Wash all bed clothes and curtains and vacuum
3. Dust shelves and hang mirror and picture.
4. Check under bed, in craft dresser and in closet for anything to get rid of.

Front Porch and Carport
1. Clean off empty plant holders and sweep porch
2. Clean out storage shed under car port
3. Optional- I would like to sand down the rocker on the porch and paint it

Now obviously some of those I can do on the same day and I will. However it helps by breaking it down into manageable portions. That way if I don't have a lot of time that day I can do one of the smaller projects. Now for today I've already done my chores so I'm off to plop my rear on the couch and rest for what little is left of my weekend.

I'll get pictures this week of some of my trouble area's I'm going to tackle!

Happy Spring Cleaning!

The Chocolate part

2007-03-15T14:29:00.000-05:00

Since the motto of this blog is knitting and chocolate are better than zoloft, and I can't knit I thought I should throw in some chocolate!

BEHOLD.....HEAVEN

or my idea of it anyway

On an unrelated note...I have a snoring poodle under my desk at work. The camera battery is dead or else their would be pictures!

picture alert! Furry kids!

2007-03-14T17:08:00.000-05:00

Bonnie Bell

She came to visit last weekend. I tried getting her to grin for the camera but she would get too close and the pics came out fuzzy.

Here is her adopted sister Dixie

Not a great pic I know, but she RARELY stands still so I had to get her laying down.

And another one of Bonnie looking really goofy...this just cracks me up!

I'm off to play bunko...sorry for no knitting content...my hand and wrist are still causing me a lot of pain so I haven't been knitting. I'm not happy about that either!

Forecast: Good chance of storms

2007-03-13T15:11:00.000-05:00

googles weather for Waco, TX today

73°F Overcast Wind: E at 6 mph Humidity: 64% Thunderstorms

Yep I'd say that was pretty dead on today. Looks like the stormy season is upon us. So. Thrilled.

This was Sunday when the storms were blowing in

It brought a MUCH needed rain and I am thankful for that! So are my trees! However this gloomy weather outside my window is making me want to go home and curl up and knit or read. My wrist is protesting so I haven't been knitting much and I'm wearing the dreaded brace. The upside is I've been reading Kim Harrison's Every Which Way But Dead since I can't knit. Awesome so far! I do believe I'm enjoying it more than the first two in the series. If you haven't read her books and I recommend them! http://www.kimharrison.net/

Ok now I gotta get back to work! (insert heavy sigh here)

Wonderful Day

2007-03-10T22:58:00.000-06:00

So yesterday* I took a rare day off and took a short drive up the road to Temple to meet some of the ladies on my Texas Knitters list. What a great bunch of ladies! There were just 5 of us but we had a wonderful time. We ate good food and laughed and guess what I learned?

How to use dpn's! I received my first sock lesson...but I think I've got to master the dpn's first then I'll worry about the sock lol. I got stuck in traffic on the way back so I entertained myself by taking pictures and knitting. I bought some size 8 dpns and I'm going to do a hat in the round first and get used to it on the bigger needles. It was so nice to just get in the car and drive and crank the music up! It's starting to look springy here in central Tx! A lot of the trees have started to bloom. So far only one of my peach trees have started but it won't be long!

pretty eh?

Also we seem to be getting closer in the new biz venture! I'm so excited! Hopefully things are starting to come together! And now the bed is calling my name...I'll have to save the quick side trip I made into making stitch markers!

*I wrote this Saturday night but blogger was being stubborn...so I'm posting on Sunday

My Knitting Spot

2007-03-07T17:06:00.000-06:00

This is where most of my knitting takes place. Just insert me and a cat in my lap. Notice the basket of yarn? It is only one of many :)

Another basket of various yarns and a nosey cat.

The Yarn Chair. Its sole purpose is to hold yarn and books. The chair is very old and not sturdy enough to sit in...therefore it is made to feel useful by having a lap quilt thrown over it, a basket of yarn, and sometimes books. It looks rather messy at the moment, I'll have to do something about that.

Blogger is spacing the pictures very strangely. Or it could be operator error. Hopefully I can fix it...

Green Eyed Monster

2007-03-07T16:58:00.000-06:00

So I made this picture of Lil Bit my desktop wallpaper at work. I love it, but it feels like she's watching me!!

Abby on the other hand needs some serious therapy. I've mentioned here before she is not "friendly". Meaning don't touch her. The last couple months she's been getting closer to me (physically) and will let me pet her a little but she usually bites. Not hard bites but she puts her teeth over my hand. However she gets all excited and wants me to keep petting her. I'm learning she does the biting thing almost as a sign of affection I think...I just don't know how to teach her biting isn't polite.

Yarny Goodness with pics

2007-03-06T20:46:00.000-06:00

Ok, I've been a bad blogger. Wow it's been a while since I've posted! It isn't because I've been super busy or that nothing is going on...I think it's mostly because some things are happening that I can't really talk about. Not that anyone reads regularly (yet) but you never know. I think I've mentioned before that we are looking to start up a new business...we are getting closer. I think. It's tough...lots to weigh and consider. It is oh so exciting and scary at the same time.

So what has been happening in my world:

I've been watching the Dallas Mavericks kick ass! Before you start thinking I'm all into sports..no just the Mavs.

I brought the camera home again this weekend so I actually have pictures!

Behold the lace weight yarn I bought on Ebay. I luvs it. I've pet it and swatched a bit with the pink. The pink is Jaggerspun Zepher in the Dianthus color way. The Blue is Yarn Country Ice. The green is unknown. I got two balls of the pink and green. No idea what I'm going to do with it.

This is my first Lace weight. I spent the weekend searching lace patterns. I printed out a stack to go through to find one I can do. I have been practicing new stitches and such and have learned a few more things .

And here is my purple throw that I did on the bad ass US size 50 needles. It took only a few minutes to get over the awkwardness of the HUGE needles. I LOVED THEM. If my shoulder would have held up I would have finished it in two days. I held 5 strands of JoAnns sensation boucle (I think that's it...it's the one that comes in the HUGE balls). It is so soft and cozy!

Here is my dish cloth I received from Danielle in the dish cloth swap on my Lone Star Knitting group. She also sent some Party Lite tea lite candles. They smell yummy! I sadly did not take a picture of the one I knitted for her. It was of a fish and I sent lots of chocolate!

And finally I leave you with furry cuteness. I didn't notice how cold it had become in the house. Abby and Lil Bit aren't usually all cuddly like this. I looked at the temp and it was about 59 degrees. So I took advantage of the cuddling to snap some pics of them.

Tell me how cute is this paw??

Last and my favorite if I do say so myself. Miz Lil Bit...her highness. Silently commanding me to fetch her fresh water and some of that fancy canned food.

Tomorrow pics of stash and my knitting spot! Gotta go cheer the Mavs on!

One Word

2007-02-20T10:40:00.000-06:00

When in doubt...Meme

1. Yourself: tired
2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse/fiance(e): none
3. Your hair: hopeless
4. Your mother: cranky
5. Your father: grumpy
6. Your favorite item: computer
7. Your dream last night: odd
8. Your favorite drink: alcoholic
9. Your dream car: coupe
10. The room you are in: office
11. Your ex: bastard
12. Your fear: heights
13. What you want to be in 10 years? happy
14. Who you hung out with last night? myself
15. What You're not? awake
16. Muffins: lemon!
17. One of your wish list items: ball-winder
18. Time: dragging
19. The last thing you did: credit
20. What you are wearing: jeans
21. Your favorite weather: springy
22. Your favorite book: vampires
23. The last thing you ate: bagel
24. Your life: unusual25. Your mood: blah
26. Your best friend: Rhonda
27. What are you thinking about right now? knitting
28. Your car: Accord
29. What are you doing at the moment? working
30. Your summer: HotterNhell
31. Your relationship status: single
32. What is on your TV? nothing
33. What is the weather like? dreary
34. When is the last time you laughed? yesterday
35. Who did you steal this from? Scarlet http://scarletknits.scarletcherry.com/index.html

Happy Along!

2007-02-17T11:27:00.000-06:00

I've joined the new Happy Along! See the link in my sidebar.

I agree...this month bloggers have seemed to have the serious BLAHS! So I love the idea of knitting something just because it makes me happy and then knitting something to make someone else happy!

First up last weekend I drove up to pick up my Mom from visiting her sister. Since the Joann's in Carrollton is TEN times bigger and better than ours I always like to stop there. Mom wanted to buy me some yarn for coming to get her. However she mostly ended up buying FOUR different kinds of yarn for me to make scarves for HER. So, I've already started one of the scarves for her and that will take care of making someone else happy.

Last night I cast on an experiment of sorts that may be my happy knit...we'll see. I am also knitting a dishcloth for a swap (my first swap) and that makes me happy too! Once I've finished those I plan on knitting something for charity. There are tons out there that are worthy, however I'm going to do something that is a little closer to home this time. I'll post more on it later but it has to do with a local Race For The Cure that my cousin is organizing.

Also in other HAPPY news I am going to be an AUNT! Ok not TECHNICALLY...I only have one sister and at 45 I don't think she will ever have kids. My cousin who I am closest to and his wife are expecting. We'll call him Fred as this is a nickname I have for him...I remember when his mom was pregnant with him. They dressed me up and put makeup on me to smuggle me into the hospital to see him when he was born. (Back in those days you had to be over a certain age to be allowed on that floor.) Up until he was about seven years old he introduced me as his sister and he honestly thought I was. I just didn't live with him lol. His is the only wedding I've ever cried at! He refers to me as his evil babysitting cousin and tells a story to EVERYONE about how I once sat on him because he wouldn't behave. Did I mention I'm EXCITED??? We don't have any babies in the family (ok one new one but he is far away). SO EXCITED!!!

And lastly...I posted my list of 100 things about me a couple of nights ago. The next morning a certain author who I mentioned in my list commented on my blog! I was a bit stunned at first, and thrilled!

Now I'm off to plop on the couch and knit happy!

100 Things About Me

2007-02-15T16:06:00.001-06:00

Ok, to be truthfull, I actually did this list several months ago. As in before the holidays last year. So some things have changed but I decided to post anyway. I'll do an updated one again sometime. I saw that a lot of people had this on their blog and decided to try it. I was really just curious to see if I could come up with 100 things. It was actually easier than I expected.

So here you go 100 things about Amy, probably more than you ever wanted to know.

100 Things About me:

1. I love helping people
2. I love to laugh
3. I love to make things especially if they involve yarn or fabric..though I can’t sew.
4. I like cooking, I love baking, I loathe doing the dishes
5. I don’t like summer
6. I’m the baby and the peacemaker of the family
7. The last concert I went to was Trans-Siberian Orchestra. If you ever have the chance to see them, you MUST GO. Do not let the name fool you, they ROCK.
8. I’m horrible at punctuation and not much better at grammar. If I put more effort into it I could be better but sadly it just isn’t a priority (unless it is work related).
9. I love to dance, though I pretty much suck at it. But life is short
10. I LOVE Fall. I become crazed and obsessed with decorating and crafting.
11. I believe people make things too complicated in their lives and in others.
12. I wish I were brave
13. I think Birthdays are and should be special. I think you should make a big deal of that person for their Birthday. My family does not share this thought.
14. People who do not discipline or control their children and do not teach them to respect others are annoying and they are creating selfish inconsiderate people.
15. You know that saying, “the more people I know the better I like my…dog/cat” This is true! Sad. True.
16. People need more hobbies that involve creating something and doing things for someone else.
17. Christmas is my favorite holiday. I ADORE the “idea” of Christmas, and no it never lives up to the “ideal” but…it’s ok J Christmas music, movies, decorations, gift giving, cooking, family…I. LOVE IT!
18. I usually start listening to Christmas music EARLY…like months early. If you have never heard Fat’s Domino singing his version of Jingle Bells…email me…you CANNOT stop tapping your foot. I promise!
19. I always spend more money than I have on the people I love. I’ve wasted too much money on people that didn’t deserve it though. *coughs* (ex-boyfriends)
20. I RARELY ever turn my heat on in the winter.
21. I AM NOT A “CAT PERSON” DAMMIT
22. I love my kitties. Yes I have 3 do you have a problem with that? I have dogs too! (amended- I now only have 2 kitties and 1 dog)
23. I can not resist animal babies. Kittens, puppies, you name it. Yes I have SUCKER written on my forehead.
24. I always stay at jobs and in relationships longer than I should.
25. I love working jigsaw puzzles, but don’t like the really really hard ones.
26. I collect antique red kitchen stuff
27. I am a yarn-aholic. Yes I need help. If I actually had the money to buy as much as I wanted…we would have a serious problem.
28. My sister drives me insane and she is my best friend
29. I will not iron. Nope, won’t do it.
30. Yes I really do like living alone. If you don’t believe me I can give you a list of reasons!
31. My favorite way to spend a Sunday is in bed napping with the cat’s, watching movies and maybe a little knitting. If it happens to be rainy, that’s even better!
32. I couldn’t wait to get out of the country and move “in town” growing up. Now I love my two acres in the middle of nowhere.
33. I have always wanted to be a writer and or write a book. It’s the one dream I’ve had since I was about 12.
34. I try not to have regrets. They hold you back. I look at everything as a learning experience. Some are just much more painful than others.
35. I am too nice for my own good most of the time.
36. I do not have the ability to say no to my family.
37. Chocolate is the best drug there is.
38. I do not handle death well. Ok make that very badly.
39. I hate it when people just want to use you as a dumping ground for their problems.
40. I go to Target WAAAY to much. In my defense though…it is just across the street from the office! And…I just need ONE thing…ok maybe three…at least they don’t carry yarn…I would be in serious trouble.
41. I like old stuff. I like keepsakes and sentimental things even better.
42. I like using things for purposes other than they are intended.
43. On Friday’s when I get to drive to work by myself I listen to my music loud and stop for starbucks. This makes me very happy!
44. I am SO. NOT. A. MORNING. PERSON. It’s really best if you don’t speak to me before 10am PERIOD. Email is ok though.
45. I hate talking on the phone
46. I soooo do not miss working retail!! Ok maybe a tiny tiny wee sick sadistic part of me misses Christmas time…but it passes QUICKLY.
47. I have learned pets and carpet do not mix. It’s best to not have the carpet!
48. I hate it when people are unkind. I hate it even more when family is unkind to other family. There is no excuse.
49. I’m not tolerant of small minded, petty, childish acting adults who know better. Particularly when they are related to me.
50. Yes I drink. Yes I curse too much. Yes I’m over 30 and not married. Yes I like to make people laugh and hate doom and gloom. Get over it already.
51. Cleaning is not my first priority. You miss too much of life obsessing over if people think your house is clean enough.
52. It’s the only life you got, yes it may suck sometimes but enjoy what you can of it. Otherwise what’s the point?
53. I love cruises and have gone on… at least six I think
54. I led a pretty boring life in my twenties…I’m making up for it…or trying to!
55. People who knew me growing up are shocked I work with my family, and live next door to my parents. I like it…shh don’t tell!
56. I used to not like science fiction. I do now so I suppose there is hope for me!
57. I have a thing for vampire books…(but not those by Ann Rice)
58. I have enough books to start a used book store
59. Last time I moved my Mother threatened that if she opened another box and it had books or spices in it she was throwing it away. What can I say?
60. I want to go to Mardi Gras some day
61. I love traveling. I hate flying. It’s tiring, annoying, cramped, and did I mention annoying?
62. I did not get Cable tv until 2 years ago…well and it’s a dish…I live in BFE
63. My longest relationship was 5 ½ years
64. I truly like being single. Not forever but I am the happiest I’ve ever been.
65. I do have hermit like, introverted tendancies. But they don’t last forever.
66. I don’t like sad movies.
67. I will not watch movies about animals…see above!
68. I want to go to Alaska, Australia, New York, and Europe. To name a few…
69. The commercialization of holiday’s in retail stores makes me sad. I’m the first to want to start decorating for fall or Christmas but NOT IN FEBRUARY.
70. I hate discussing politics.
71. I do not like talk shows, especially when they scream over each other
72. I don’t really care for reality tv
73. I love food that is bad for me. French Fries, Chocolate, and Chinese food
74. My last vacation was a cruise of 13 family members and friends ranging in age 28 to 80. It was the best vacation EVER.
75. B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, John Mayer, and (Stevie Ray Vaughn’s brother…cant think of his name) all on stage having an old fashion jam session. The COOLEST thing I’ve ever witnessed or been to. I would pay 5 times more to do it again.
76. Last year was the first time I have ever been to Galveston to the coast.
77. I love being on, riding in boats. Big ships cruising or fishing boats SPEEDING. Love it!
78. I love old movies. Comedies and Musicals. If they have Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, or Cary Grant even better.
79. I love campy movies that make fun of scary or mystery movies. Ex: Clue, Private Eyes, Murder by Death…
80. I don’t care for the really silly outrageous bathroom humor comedies.
81. I am not so secretly a Harry Potter nut. But I’m behind on the books L
82. Anita Blake is a fictional character by Laurell K Hamilton. She is my hero. She kicks ass. She has serious issues, but did I mention she kicks ass?
83. Mary Janice Davidson is the funniest author I’ve read. Seriously, milk coming out your nose funny!
84.I am a night owl by nature. Work has changed that though.
85. I am a Libra. Whether you believe in astrology or not…Look up the description of Libra…that is so me. It’s all about balance and peace baby!
86. I am a magazine junkie
87. I enjoy doing some light yard work. Yeah it surprised me too.
88. I did not know any of my grandparents
89. I enjoy reading people’s blogs way too much
90. do you have any idea how hard it is to give a cat medicine?
91. I have tendacies to buy too much bath and body stuff
92. News, journalism and television journalist are no longer useful, no longer true, no longer trust worthy. It is truly pitiful to watch them slobbering and obsessing over creating stories where there are none.
93. I have never been bowling
94. I don’t think there is a matchbox 20 song I don’t like
95. I am currently on round 3 of physical therapy for my back after an accident 9 years ago. Yeah it’s not fun.
96. I do not understand the fascination of people putting a picture of themselves flipping off the camera up on myspace. Why? What’s the point? Do they think they are being rebellious? Someone please ‘splain.
97. I don’t own an ipod. Yes I want one. And I will get one…just as soon as I win the lottery lol
98. I love the smell of cinnamon or apple/cinnamon my entire house smells like it all fall!
99. I don’t make my bed unless I know someone is coming over
100. I have this odd urge to go camping at the moment. Sitting in a fall forest somewhere knitting my heart out sounds lovely. I’m allergic to cedar though so its probably a fantasy best not realized.

Bonnie Bell

2007-02-08T15:05:00.000-06:00

May I introduce Bonnie Bell my furry niece. This was taken two weeks ago before her haircut. You can't really tell how tall she is here, but she is a very large dog. She is a Komondor http://www.breederretriever.com/dog-breeds/165/komondor.php and her head is easily above hip level on me. Our family has never had a dog quite like Bonnie, she has quite the unique personality! She grins for one thing and everyone gets the biggest kick out of it. I've got photo's of her grinning, I'll have to dig them up. If you checked out the link above you can tell my sister obviously doesn't cord her hair. She keeps her cut short and often after grooming she looks like a funny 80lb poodle!

She's like a horse...but a sweet horse lol

They are guard dogs and she is territorial about her yard and Dixie my sister's other dog but other than that she's a big fluff ball.

I feel like a knitter!!

2007-02-06T19:47:00.000-06:00

Warning: geekery ahead

So I've been on a yarn diet. No yarn or anything knitting related bought in January. Why? Has my stash grown to such proportions that I can't house it? No because I spent waaay over budget in December. Then I had to pay taxes in January and I had to buy all of my prescriptions TWICE, since I lost my bag with all my medicine on the flight back from Virginia. So today the sun comes out and the temps rise to a lovely 70 degrees and I was itching to get out of the office for a bit. So with 50% off coupon in hand I head to Joanns. Nothing there that I want or that I can afford. Then I head for Michaels because you see we don't have real yarn stores here in Waco. As I turn the corner to head down the yarn aisle this lady looks up and lights up at the sight of me.

Now let me just say when I'm shopping for yarn (in the craft stores) I never run into other people on the yarn aisle...I don't know why, obviously I'm not the only knitter in Waco it's true. The lady asked me a question. ME. A. QUESTION. About yarn! My first thought was why in the world would you ask ME a question about yarn good grief I KNOW NOTHING! NOTHING I TELL YOU. However before I could scare her I took a deep breath. She was asking about Lion Brand microspun and if I'd ever used it. I told her I had and she looked at me as if please continue so I told her I had a problem with it splitting something terrible and wasn't very happy with it...for what I was using it for. She frowned and showed me a book and a lovely sweater pattern. Unfortunately I didn't have any suggestions for another yarn she could use because at Michaels it's baby yarn and mostly novelty yarn except for a small section of wool ease and patons sws. However we chatted about the lack of yarn stores in Waco and how she would have to buy online but preferred to feel her yarn first.

People I tell you I was GIDDY! I had an actual conversation about yarn with someone who wasn't looking at me like I had two heads!! I practically skipped out of the store! To borrow a line from Aunt Purl http://www.crazyauntpurl.com/ I almost inappropriately hugged her!

Lil Bit says I am going to sit on you and you will rub my ears until I've had enough. Which could possibly be never.

By Golly She Does Knit!

2007-01-31T20:03:00.000-06:00

PICTURES! Yea! Behold the scarf in Patons SWS in plain old exciting knit stitch! I. LOVE. THIS. SCARF. I could pet it all day! It's fluffy and sproingy and oh so soft...except it is just scratchy enough to bother my neck a bit but I LOVE IT.

Below is a scarf I did on the plane ride back from VA. I do not have the ballband so I don't know what yarn it is...I do believe it was a JoAnns Sensation yarn I got for Christmas. This will probably be gifted to a loving home.

I brought the office digital camera home over the weekend and snapped a few pic's before the sun went away again. We really can't seem to figure this camera out (as we have of course lost the book). So I'm winging it with the settings on the camera and how to use it.

I FINALLY finished Grayson's baby blanket and just in time, he arrived yesterday! A big 9 lbs! The blanket did not come out so good. It's not quite...square lol but oh well. For my first blanket it will do. It is super warm and soft and snuggly though!

These were taken at the office so the lighting isn't that great. This is it not quiet finished. I don't have finished pics on my home computer of the finished product.

NEED. TO. KNIT. NOW!!!!!

2007-01-25T16:05:00.000-06:00

So if you've ever worked in the mortgage business for an extended amount of time you will relate to this post. Also if have spent time in the business and you are not an alcoholic congratulations! I just have to say...OH SWEET HEAVEN I WANT TO HURT SOMEONE. There are 31 days in January people. THIRTY-ONE. So please tell me why for the love of yarn does everyone insist on closing in the same THREE days. Yes part of it is just me being a miss cranky pants today but the other part of it is people are seriously insane. There have been problems on almost every file that is closing and rushes and issues and did I mention problems? I seriously need to knit something. Or drink. Or both! We have one customer right now (that is not even closing in the next 3 days but in well over a week) who is a very nice man for all intents and purposes. He is just ahem...older, and finicky, and oh so very very very anal. And I'm usually very good at my customer service and can deal with most everyone. Old cranky guys get on my nerves though and this one just goes on and on and ON to the point that I want to take a dpn and hurt myself with it. Or go lie in the road maybe. Yes I know that is TERRIBLE but OMG!!! did I mention that he goes ON and ON??

Ok ok I'm done. For the most part. The old wrist and thumb are very unhappy campers today...we've got the numbness and tingling going on and it is not pleasant. I think Mom and I are going to try and walk for a bit after work so hopefully that will loosen up the muscles and ease up the stress a bit :)

It is a very good thing I'm out of alcohol at home...there would be drinking and knitting tonight!!

Friends and the winds of change

2007-01-11T20:11:00.000-06:00

I seem to struggle with my friends for some reason. It always seems as though things are a little one sided. Not that I'm some amazing fantastical friend or anything...but I would like the basic best friend perks. ASKING how I am when we talk or go to lunch. Offering to help when I need it or at least when I ask for it which is very very rare. Not just calling me when my help is needed to fix your computer or fix a flyer for you or take you to pick up your car. Am I being unrealistic? Apparently so. For some strange reason I think that since I do and offer those things it should be returned. For example today I felt the need to get out of the office. I email my friend and we make plans for lunch. I tell her I will be there at 11:00. Now she is always late so I know I have time to run in and pick up a magazine at the bookstore. As I'm checking out my cell rings. I know what she is going to say. I'm on my way, oh and X is coming with me. Lateness is one of her things and I can deal with that. Her inviting her co-workers (which I know since I used to work there too) I can handle SOMETIMES. Back for her Birthday she was kind of down so we make plans for me to take her to lunch. She brings SEVEN other co-workers with her. So today she only brings one but it is one who is newly divorced and seeing another friend/business acquaintance and I'm happy for them but I don't want to listen to her talk about being in bed with him and telling me things I don't want to know. Which she did for the ENTIRE lunch because my friend stayed on her cell phone most of the time. Other than mentioning my hair cut my friend didn't ask or say anything else to me. Am I being picky? Am I being a bitch? Maybe.

Winds of change...we (meaning my sister and I) are looking into a new business venture. It's top secret...but we are taking a trip in a few days to visit a facility of sorts and observe. If we decide to do it which I think we pretty much have, it is just a matter of in what capacity...life is going to change drastically. I'm excited and nervous!! One one hand I think it would be the most awesome thing to do...on the other it is going to be some freaking hard work. Oh and people are going to think we've lost our minds! hehe we probably have!

so I'm going to be on a plane the entire day Sunday and hopefully will get in some good knitting time!

2007 Are You Ready to RUMBLE?

2007-01-11T19:31:00.000-06:00

(sorry went to a hockey game the other night *L*)

January 11th. Already! We are halfway through January people!! sheesh...

All over the blogosphere people are doing joining exercise alongs and knit alongs. I've done nothing. Nada. And you know what? It's been nice. I can't continue to do nada but it has been nice indeed. I did not make resolutions or non-resolutions or goals or anything. I do have in my mind a few things I would like to put on the agenda for 2007.

1. I live very "lean". Meaning not many extra frivolous things. My Mother would disagree, but compared to 10 years ago I live L E A N. I do have cable now and I do have the extra package on my phone so that I can text message and all that jazz. I do buy a little too much yarn now and then. I don't go book shopping any more except on the occasion I'm in Carrollton and I go to the half price store. If a book comes out by one of my authors I read I go pick up the book and leave as quickly as possible. I'm such a book ho! I could spend HOURS (and have) in bookstores and I own more books than I can read in the next 3 years so I've been on a book diet for years now. No more candles and bath and body stuff. I stay out of those stores too! I do not buy every movie when it comes out on DVD...I have to really REALLY want it and I still look for sales. All this rambling to say that...I've got to cut it back again. LEAN and MEAN! Less impulse yarn, less cafe mocha which breaks my heart, less eating out and less everything in general.

2. Health. It's not about weight or even feeling better at this point. Things are going to be happening and my life is about to become more...physical if you will. Besides being over weight and out of shape, my back and knees are crap and I'm about to be in serious trouble because soon my income will depend on me being more active. I'm hoping this will be the... catalyst if you will, to put me on a path of being healthier. Moving more, eating better, cutting out the little caffeine I do have, and strengthening my body.

3. Me! 2006 was interesting...in the personal growth and development department I think I progressed nicely. I've become a little more out spoken and assertive this year with my family. They did not enjoy this at all. I want to continue on this road and say "NO" more and stick to it. It is especially hard when you work with family. Your brain sometimes can't switch back and forth from the family issues to work issues. I want to get the hang of it though and hopefully get my family used to me saying no...taking me seriously, and not being a "keeper" for people. Also in this category I want to plan more fun, try more things, take care of me and my time. Which means getting in plenty of knitting time, and reading a little more this year.

4. The knitters are also making knitting resolutions. There are a few things I'd like to try this year. I want to conquer dpn's, learn to make socks and hats (knitting in the round), and meet up with some local knitters. I also want to journal and photo my knitting more and keep track of progress.

Seems like there should be 5 at least....but that is it for now.

Good luck to everyone in 2007!!

To sleep per chance to dream

2007-01-07T14:01:00.000-06:00

Lately I've been having very odd dreams. Odd because they are like stories...or almost like watching a movie. Pretty detailed as far as dreams go, also long and continous. A couple almost like a science fiction movie/book. Not sure why this is happening...but I do have a nagging feeling I need to be writing them down. That niggling urge to write is growing.

Then I happened to look at my horoscope Thursday, something I haven't done in a while.

You are at the leading edge of a creative wave, allowing you to express the ideas that have been building up inside your fertile imagination. Perhaps you recently faced restrictions that prevented you from having too much fun, yet now the landscape is shifting and a party is arriving at your doorstep. Make the most of this time by simply giving yourself permission to be spontaneous and playful.

I like it.

Ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?

2007-01-06T20:21:00.000-06:00

I always ask that of all my prey...I just like the sound of it.

No I'm not insane, a little crazy maybe but not certifiable. Yes that is from Batman, the one with Michael Keaton. You know how a certain song can take you back to a particular moment in your life? This movie does that for me. Freshman year I believe...or actually the summer right before it. I was all about the movie and the music in it...so it seems it was present in many things that summer. Parties, friends, boyfriends etc... one of the better memories that makes me smile. Many lines or quotes from that movie lasted throughout the year.

If I'm not making sense it's because I still have that raging headache. It just doesn't want to go away. I've taken various medications but...I'm probably down to taking an Excedrin pm and calling it a night. I stayed wrapped up on the couch all afternoon with Lil Bit in my lap and heat (I have these things filled with deer corn that you heat in the microwave. You can buy ones in stores with rice and stuff but they are not nearly as good. The corn has moisture in it...its wonderful) on my neck and back. I finished my Patons SWS scarf finally. Yes...I KNOW I'm supposed to be working on the baby blanket...but my brain was hurty today. Also there was NOTHING on tv. sheesh. I've looked all through my collection of movies and nothing...jumps out at me. I think it must be my mood.

I've had things I wanted to blog about running through my head for days now and just haven't seemed to get them typed in. Non-resolutions, a review of 2006, New Years, upcoming things for 2007 etc...hopefully I'll get them posted. Everyone in blogland (and in real life) are making resolutions and plans. I have some plans...not resolutions really. Lets face it, for most of us those resolutions of being more organized, losing weight, saving money etc don't last past January...if that.

Ok Lil bit is going around the house scratching on the doors and cabinets. I don't know what she wants. She has food...oh she probably wants FRESH water. She loves fresh water. Damn spoiled brats lol.

ok time for more drugs and bed. Tomorrow I have to do all the fun stuff like washing my sink full of dishes, laundry, bills, and such. Ooh it's starting to rain...nice sleeping weather!

I'll leave you with one last quote from Batman. "This town needs an enema!!!" lol

p.s. the dark picture with the kitty face is Abby aka Abigail aka abby-doodle. I have a high backed computer chair and she likes to lay up on the back. We seem to be making progress (after 3 years) She has actually let me touch her a few times recently.

Holiday Hangover

2007-01-06T14:47:00.000-06:00

It's January 6th and I STILL feel as if I have a hangover from the Holidays. Christmas was okay, new years was fun. I'll do more on that later. This whole week I've kind of been in a funk. Blah. The need to hibernate is strong lol. So, so far today that is what I've done. Slept very late...and yes I'm still in my pj's. The house is a wreck and I've got to do something about that. Oh yeah and my favorite, pay bills. Sigh. It's good to be home for a change. Alone. Well...with Lady and the kitties but still. Unfortunately I have a raging headache that is getting worse. I'm off to find meds and curl up with the cats.

more soon

Merry Christmas Y'all!

2006-12-20T14:50:00.000-06:00

Well Christmas is upon us. Seems like it got here awfully quick. Things are very s l o w at the office so we've made up our party menu and Christmas dinner menu. We are having a get together Friday night at my sisters house. Hopefully we will have lots of people and good fun! Last year things got particularly crazy when people started rolling down the hill that is my sisters front lawn.

My aunt isn't doing very well though. She's back in the hospital in ICU. Her heart is only pumping at 20% and she's had a few blood clots in her legs. We know she probably will not be with us much longer and thats really hard. Of all her brothers and sisters, Mom is closest to this aunt. We also know that when she is gone my uncle will not last long in all probability. But we are trying to enjoy Christmas and family and be thankful for the time we have.

Over the past few months I've met and discovered some of the greatest people thru knitting blogs, knitting groups and such. Such warm nice people they are. Makes one thankful for the internet for making it possible to connect with people of the same interests.

Merry Christmas to all, and happy knitting too!

It's all about the Merry and Bright BABY!!!

2006-12-12T13:09:00.000-06:00

Ok...so this past Saturday I drove Mom up to Dallas to see her sister who has been very ill and in all reality will not be with us very much longer. She hates to ask us to drive her up there, but I knew she wanted to go check on my aunt so we bought a few goodies and presents and headed up there. I'm not going to go into the bad stuff and my rant on stubborn people or how sad the situation is, because people reading this have enough to deal with. AND this post is about MERRY and BRIGHT DAMMIT!

Ok, while there admiring their little Christmas tree that Mom and a friend had put up for them at Thanksgiving, I mentioned I wanted to get one of those cute trees. Then I went to run some errands for them and buy groceries and such. When I got back my uncle had pulled down a little 4 foot tree from the attic for me. It's just the cutest thing! In a red wicker basket and its VERY full, and has pine cones and berries in it. So, I've brought it to my office and it's half decorated and awaiting the finishing touches this afternoon.

This little tree is just what I needed to put the BRIGHT back in my attitude.

Gotta run...work to do but remember it's ALL about the MERRY and BRIGHT BAYBEEEEE!!!

Stash Enhancement

2006-12-11T21:18:00.000-06:00

Well my yarn stash has somehow multiplied in the last month. It's...growing rapidly! That is a wonderful and scary thing lol. And for someone who wasn't going to do any Christmas knitting...I suddenly find myself with several Christmas projects. Hmm...

Well and I did get a small Christmas tree and put it in my office. It's only half decorated but I'm getting there!

Well I'll write more soon...must break out the needles and get to stitchin!!

Oh Christmas Tree

2006-12-06T13:17:00.000-06:00

Oh Christmas Tree
How lovely are thy branches...

I so want a CHRISTMAS TREE, that I can hardly stand it!!!!!!

I can't afford one...well I could afford a small one, so lets rephrase that. I can't afford a big tree, ornaments, and lights. Also, it does seem a shame considering I'm not home all that much. However we have the office decorated SOO cute and all festive like that its almost depressing to go home to my undecorated house. Yes, I know the cats would probably trash it. I. WANT. A. TREE.

I want to be Merry and Bright Dammit!

Its the little things

2006-11-30T22:27:00.000-06:00

Cold weather
big pot of soup simmering in the kitchen all day (ok kitchen at the office but still)
Hot apple cider
Hot CHOCOLATE
sneaking shortbread cookies
putting the finishing touches on the office decorations
big comfy flannel pj pants
warm fuzzy socks
ARM WARMERS (hand knit I might add)
Lady curled in her bed looking at me like "would you turn the damn heat up already"
The cats running wild cuz they dig the cold weather too
Hot tea (yeah I know its a wonder I'm not running to the bathroom with all the hot drinks going on)

And last but not least...The Nutcracker. Thats right...years ago...I think around 1985 or so I watched a version of the Nutcracker ballet on PBS, that was introduced by Tony Randall and narrated by....I can't remember her name. I LOVED it. I of course taped it and proceeded to wear that tape OUT. I've watched other productions of the nutcracker but I LOVED this one. The others not so much. Before there was g o o g le I surfed the net far and wide to find this version. I found out the dancers were from the Pacific Northwest Ballet. I wrote PBS, I wrote the Pacific Northwest Ballet to see if a copy could be purchased. Mind you this was YEARS later. It was no longer for sale, being produced or available. I was crushed. However every year I get the bug and look again...just KNOWING someone is gonna put it on ebay eventually. I've found other people on the internet searching for the same production. Lo I have at last found it. At Amazon.com no less, previously used, and sold by a third party or something, but I FOUND IT. And yes I did BUY it. It arrived today. I cannot tell you the joy this used VHS tape in my mailbox brought me.

Now does anyone know how I can get it put on a dvd? :)

I'm off to get warm and snuggle in my bed with the cats and watch NUTCRACKER The Motion Picture.

Is it wrong that I'm wishing for a snow day so that I can stay home, and KNIT?

Happy Belated Thanksgiving

2006-11-27T16:57:00.000-06:00

Well I had hoped to do a post about Thanksgiving and the things I'm thankful for. Haven't been near a computer until yesterday, and then I didn't feel the blogging muse. We did not have a traditional Thanksgiving this year. My aunt and uncle that live in Carrollton (a 2 hour drive from my house) have been in poor health the last year. There have been so many hospitalizations and such, and then they both just had pacemakers put in this month. Since work is slowing down Mom decided to go up and spend the week of Thanksgiving with them. Dad drove her up on the 17th and that night they had to take my aunt to the ER. After a few days of a drug induced coma and being on a respirator she has been moved out of ICU. Their two children are no longer living, and the only immediate family they have is a grandson and his wife. I will not go into my thoughts on THAT, but lets say they are not around. They are not of any help. Mom stayed at the house with my uncle driving him back and forth to the hospital for visiting hours, while their church family stayed in the ICU waiting room at all times for us. My sister and I arrived Thursday afternoon and headed to the hospital for the next visit. Joyce and Lois the two ladies that have "adopted" my aunt and uncle have spent every night there in the waiting room. We had never met them but heard about them at great lengths. They instant grabbed us both in hugs saying there is no "nice ta meetcha here, you give us a hug" lol great ladies! They are a hoot and such a blessing to my aunt and uncle.

It's a sad sad situation. They need constant care but refuse to go into assisted living. They moved into their daughters house before she passed away and so they have a house full of things that they can't keep up with and no longer want or need. The grandsons wife doesn't want any of it. I fear one day soon we will lose one of them and while I know its hard to face ones mortality they refuse to deal with the legalities of everything. My aunt does everything, while unconsious in the hospital we were at a loss trying to figure out the massive amounts of medicine for my uncle, how he can refill his prescriptions or get money from the bank. He knew nothing. They have endured so much losing both their daughter and son unexpectedly, that I can't imagine.

So no turkey or dressing (stuffing for some) or pie or fruit salad this year. But walking in to that hospital room before we left with my aunt sitting up and able to talk was enough to be thankful for.

Holiday Limbo

2006-11-17T13:28:00.000-06:00

Let it be said that I am fully aware I need help. Conversation with myself to follow. Don't let it scare you...all the people on my planet talk to themselves.

True Natural Holiday Loving Self, hence forward known as Nerdself
Pessimistic, cautious, more reality based self, hence forward known as Brain.

Nerdself: OK OK ITS HERE! It's time to START the festivities!!! The Holiday Season has COMMENCED!

Brain: Huh? Has it? Are you sure? I mean really sure? I don't think it is, the Holidays are still a long way off.

Nerdself: NO NO it really is! Thanksgiving is next week! That Dallas radio station has started the 24 hour Christmas music!

Brain: Yeah but they do that crap early! They've had Christmas decorations out since July man! I really don't think its time to Commence the Holiday Glee just yet.

Nerdself: DUDE your MOTHER who has not decorated for Christmas in 10 years bought a basketful of decorations for her desk and the ledge around her "area". YOUR MOM!!! Your SISTER put up her Christmas tree before turkey day! That is like...snowballs in hell or somethin! Admit it!

Brain: Ok, yes you are right about Mom and Sis. I'm just not sure its safe to let go. I mean I've spent over a month forcefully holding back "The Holiday Glee" because it just wasn't TIME yet. Its early still...you know you have to control yourself or...you know...you scare folks.

Nerdself: Fa La La La Laaaaa! I know you think you are fooling people by just listening to a few Trans-Siberian Orchestra songs while you were making that "Mix" Christmas cd but you know you totally wanted to listen to the whole thing! Look at the shiny mini trees all over the ledge of your Mom's area! They are caaaaallling to you.

Ok, aside from the fact I need serious help, does anyone else feel this way? It's like WAIT FOR IT....wait for it....wait for it....Ok NOW go forth with the Holiday Glee! Then you kinda aren't in the mood any more? I'm just sayin. I know it will come back but I'm not feeling very Holiday-ish but does that count cuz its not exactly the Holiday-ish time yet? Yes I do believe my brain is over thinking this one. I'm going to go put on a little Fats Domino Christmas (don't laugh, its the BEST. TOE TAPPING. Christmas cd EVER!

p.s. I did buy red yarn last night. Hobby Lobby is have an S.A.L.E! Yay!

a melted puddle of cuteness

2006-11-16T12:34:00.000-06:00

**edit** Ok I can't get the darn link to work so I'll simply insert the pic I was refering to. I highly recommend the website though!! WWW.Cuteoverload.com

It is just THE cutest thing in the world. I'm unable to work. I'm hypnotized by the cuteness.

talk about cute overload! Sheesh!

unhappy knitting

2006-11-14T09:37:00.000-06:00

The knitting is going not so well. The SWS scarf looks all wonky and is going to be frogged as soon as I work up to it. The black and white scarf does not look like the picture in my head. I'm going to try smaller needles to see if it improves and if not I think I'm going to need different yarn. The wrap? Do you hear the wail of despair? I didn't work on it last night when I got home but decided I needed to do at least one row on it before bed. So I settled on the bed in my PJ's and started. Lil Bit made herself comfy in my lap after giving me the evil look because I wouldn't lay down so that she could lay on top of me (as she prefers). All was fine until her stubborn streak came out and she turned in my lap trying to put her head right through the middle of my circular needles....and unraveling several stitches. Now on normal yarn with a normal pattern, no prob. I can pick up the stitches. This slippery stuff in a lace pattern? I don't think I'll be able to. I tried...and it took 5 minutes to try and pick up 3 stitches because I couldn't get a good hold on the needles and that damn slippery yarn. I did my best and finished the row. There is a hole there still and I can't tell where the dropped stitches are. I'll try and make it look not too bad and pick them up on the next go round. I knew I would have to be very careful with this because I seriously doubt the yarn would survive frogging. It would get tangled. So...what to do what to do. I just can't get my knitting grove on! :(

Does this look like the face of a cat who could unravel my first lace wrap?

Its beginning to look a lot like...

2006-11-12T19:08:00.000-06:00

Christmas? Sort of? Well after discussing it, my sister and I decided we would not have time over the Thanksgiving holiday to put up her tree and the office tree. Therefore yesterday we drug out the Christmas stuff and put up the tree. I wasn't feeling very Christmasy even though it was actually chilly yesterday and we even put on some Christmas cd's and lit the candles in the fireplace. This afternoon Home Alone was on tv and then....the animated How the Grinch Stole Christmas. ??? Already? Now that sounds silly because I myself have been watching Christmas movies for a couple of weeks now. However I'm strange and I do that when I'm depressed. And even though its actually getting somewhat close and its only a couple weeks to turkey day I feel less and less in the spirit. Hmmm...have to work on that. I haven't put up a tree in years...one I didn't have one and two the cats (well Abby) being the little twit that she is would likely destroy it. I would like to try one this year...but I've lost my ornaments. So don't know if I will.

In Knitting News: I've started my first lacy wrap. I'm totally not going to have enough yarn but I'm determined to go as far as I can. I also bought some Lion Brand microfiber in black and white and I'm going to do a black and white scarf. I'm using circulars for the first time on the wrap...its really taking some getting use to. The short needles and the really slippery yarn is giving my thumb quite the workout that I'm sure I'll pay for tomorrow. I've spent day being totally and completely lazy save for some knitting and looking at knitting patterns. Oh and ebay..I'm watching an auction of red knitting needles that I so want. I collect red (mostly antique kitchen stuff) stuff for my kitchen and I want to put the needles in a vase.

There was also a nap with the kitties. Who were OVERLY happy to see me last night when I got home after being away since Tuesday. Well I'm going to decide whether or not to bid on the needles and then settle down with some coffee to knit until I get sleepy.

FULL COVERAGE OMG SHOCKING NEWS

2006-11-08T12:33:00.000-06:00

Its official. Everyone knew it was coming. It was just a matter of time. Britney and K-Fed are not going to live happily ever after. Oh the heartbreak.

I mean really. I open my google homepage and there are FOUR news headlines with Britney & Kevin watch: The day after. Are you kidding me? No No this one is even better

FULL COVERAGE: Britney & Kevin's split. Full coverage? of WHAT??????

Ok, I will admit I do a little celeb reading occasionally on People. While I mostly like thier photo section (because every few days that usually have a picture of Matthew McConaughey usually shirtless on on a beach)such as this http://people.aol.com/people/gallery/0,26335,1552390_9,00.html

But am I the only one sick of seeing headlines about Britney, where Lindsey is partying, TomKat, or Madonna? I assume people really care and do read it since they keep publishing it. It's not that I'm not for a little escapism myself...but it just gets NAUSEATING. If it makes you queasy as well....look here http://people.aol.com/people/gallery/0,26335,1546577_6,00.html this will make you all warm and fuzzy again hehe. Yes double standards, hate me if you will but he is yummy and he loves his dogs. Nuff said.

Ok, I'm trying to figure out links...so if the links don't show up to Matthew please forgive me.

If its not one thing its 40

2006-11-08T11:34:00.000-06:00

This is what my mother said yesterday morning upon getting into the car. I live next door to the parents so Mom and I carpool at least 4 days out of the week. Next door might be deceiving, there is land between us. Don't ask how much I'm horrible at that. Maybe a little less than a football field? I dunno, I have 2 acres fenced off for my little home sweet home and Mom and Dad live on 18 acres. I've digressed eh? lol AnyWAY tonight is bunko night and its my turn to host. I'm having it at my sisters as she lives in town and I don't and she has more room. So last night I had to make a trip to the grocery store. Let me just say this. I am so not loving the grocery store. In fact, I've started to loathe the big super duper we carry everything including products from all nations AND have started making thier own version of everything stores. So I'm looking for crackers. Saltine crackers. Something most stores have an ample supply of. Two boxes of low fat crackers was IT. Then I notice a box on the floor that is open and inside are crackers! The store brand. Ok, well whatever. So I toss them in the basket and keep on down the aisle dodging kids. Next the canned veggie aisle. There was a woman who was PARKED in front of most of the canned veggies and she was digging through every can of green beans. She loads her cart with a box full and moves down a foot to start the same thing with the corn. She had 3 boys with her probably ages 9 to 13 who were wrestling, kicking, chasing and generally almost knocking over everyone in the entire row. The woman kept diligently digging through cans blocking about 5 people from getting what they need and moving on. Why is this? Why don't people have ANY regard for others any more? Also why do people not make thier children behave? There was a boy running break neck speed through the entire store and literally almost knocked my mother on her butt if she hadn't hung on to the basket. Its terrifying that no control is being exercised in this world. So between that and the large stocking machine that goes BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP sitting in the middle of the store splitting my ears my nerves were shot by the time we left. BUT before I could leave I had to get diet coke. These bunko ladies will get some irritable if they don't have their diet coke. There were about 15 two liters left...all pushed to the back of the shelf where you could not reach them even if you stepped on the shelf below. Oh but you could easily reach the store brand knock off of diet coke. See a pattern here? Hmmmm....ok there is more but I'll stop my grocery store rant at that. They closed the Albertson's which was yes higher priced but so much less crowded and noisy. One of the many reasons I avoid buying groceries. We will touch on the "overwhelming choices" rant another day.

Loose Ends in Life

2006-11-07T20:50:00.000-06:00

We now return to our regularly scheduled program girls and boys and bloggers. Haven't posted in a while. Life happened. There were THINGS going on, and on top of that having my most number of closings in October since I've been processing. Of which I handled without breakdown, or going postal. Then things got worse. *sigh* I like to follow happy blogs. Funny bloggers. I tend to not to enjoy (as much) the sad depressing life sucks posts. So I've not blogged for that reason. I will just say that I lost my little buddy Ditto. My 15 yr old, sleeping and cuddling, man of the house gray kitty. Thats all I'm going to say because the tears they do start to flow.

On the knitting front this weekend was tying up loose ends weekend. I FINALLY put the fringe on my sisters scarf. Finshed the multi-colored long skinny scarf. Finished Mom's blue and gray scarf, and finished my wrist warmers! Whew! Couldn't use my right hand yesterday but I finished all that up! PLUS I went through my stash and organized. I also found out where all my needles were (all over the house stuck in various yarn swatches). I did this as my 21 yr old cousin was visiting and using my computer. I think he thought I was a bit nuts with all the yarn, but he very wisely didn't say anything lol. So I'm contemplating projects and patterns. I really want to do a shawl/wrap. A big lacy one done on big needles that doesn't take forever.

My sister is going out of town for the rest of the week so as of tomorrow night I'll be staying at her house to house and dog sit. No computer so I will hopefully get some knitting done! So I have to run and pack (and decide what yarn to take) and hit the sack. My head is pounding like a bass drum so I'm going to make it quick.

All tangled up in my yarn

2006-10-25T21:03:00.000-05:00

So...the title of my post. Yes my yarn is tangled. The fuzzy yarn bee yarn of moms scarf. I just don't have the energy to tackle it tonight. I feel tangled up in my metaphorical yarn these days. Having a freakishly busy month is...I don't even know. Insane? yes. Nuts? yes. Chaotic? oh yea! How am I handlig it? so far so good. There was chocolate consumed today though. And halloween candy. dots. tootsie rolls. Shut up the stress burns off the calories. Do to.

Oh and I started some arm warmers/wristlets. I'm not entirely sure why. The urge hit Saturday and I spent a good deal of the day searching through patterns and decided on THE simplest one I found lol. I've already frogged it once though. Saturday night my bestest friend Rhonda took me to dinner for my Birthday. We were gonna go somewhere "nice" but it was Baylor homecoming therefore there were about an extra million people in Waco. So we ended up at Pappa Rollo's pizza. O.M.G. I try not to eat pizza and do so rarely. BUT if you are ever in waco and you love pizza? Go! Even if you just like pizza go because its a cool place. Lots of history there folks. Then a stop at starbucks for a peppermint mocha and back to her house to sit on her back porch with a fire and my knitting. AHHHH it was lovely. PLUS I got halfway through with uh another scarf. I've GOT to get a camera...*sigh*

ok off to bed with me, tomorrow is another day to tackle!

bleh

2006-10-19T20:33:00.000-05:00

I've meant to post the last few nights. *SIGH* Work is kicking my butt and there is just nothing left of my mind by the time I drag myself home. I have been knitting. I've started a scarf for Mom with some yarn bee yarn that she picked out. Which just so happened to be the exact same yarn I just made a scarf out of for my sister (that she picked out). So yeah they picked out the same yarn, months apart without knowing it. My sister wanted a very wide and very long scarf so it took me quite a while and I'm not to excited about doing it again. I like the yarn, its so soft and fuzzy and yummy you just want to wrap it around you. It can be difficult to knit with though. Once you get in a rhythm its not bad. However Mom doesn't want a wide one, she just picked it out because it goes with all of her navy blue clothes. I have been practicing stitches though. A new one every night! I'll be able to tackle that sock again before long!

It is finally starting to feel like fall though! YEA!!!! *doing a tired happy dance* I actually got to WEAR a scarf this morning. Back up to 78 tomorrow though. Hopefully it will stay cool soon. The animals are LOVING it. Lady won't even come in side she's enjoying it so much and the cats are P L A Y F U L! Well...that may be an understatment. Abby just slid from one end of the house to the other lol.

I hear the Texas knitters get together in Austin last weekend was a hit. I so hope they do it again soon so I can go! Well I'm going to crawl into bed and work on Mom's scarf. "Bringing up Baby" is on TCM...don't ya just love Cary Grant? *G*

Rainy day sundays

2006-10-15T12:12:00.000-05:00

Well I did finish the birthday scarf for my cousin in time and I think she really liked it. We had a great time last night. A low key get together..my cousin and I attempted to make mojito's. We did it wrong but they came out pretty good! Lots of laughing envolved!

Its a cool rainy day today. One of those lovely days that just beg you to stay curled up with the kitties watching movies or reading or knitting. I do have to at least sweep up the cat hair and do some laundry...but I definately think there will be some snuggling and napping with the brats today.

and planning of the next knitting project. I have some more gift to get started on however I'm going to have to figure out how to use some from my stash...the new air conditioner has cut off my fiber budget for a while.

Don't knit angry boys and girls

2006-10-12T11:02:00.000-05:00

So yeah...knitting in anger can cause your gauge to get really screwed up lol HOWEVER it does calm you down. Rather quickly too...what is it about that repetitive rhythm that is just so soothing? Dunno but I'm almost done with the Birthday scarf for Saturday! Pretty colors...but I just can't get in love with boucle yarn. I don't know why? I just have a hard time with it and I can't use steel needles...man I had to frog it 3 times before switching to plastic needles and it was better.

Having a sucky week. My air conditioner went out and considering even though its almost mid Oct. it is still 80+ here in Tx so I need my a/c. I never run my heat regardless but I need my a/c. I'm not going to mention here how much its going to cost me. I. DONT. WANT. TO. THINK. ABOUT IT! seriously depressing. There goes my trip to Austin Saturday to meet Stalker Angie and the other TX knit bloggers.

:( not a happy camper

are you sure you knit?

2006-10-11T18:11:00.000-05:00

I do. Really. There has been much knitting. Short bursts of marathon knitting. I've even managed to get used to knitting while riding in the car without getting car sick! Must finish the scarf by Saturday!

I will get a camera soon to post pics!

Fair and Rodeo and stuffs

2006-10-07T18:03:00.000-05:00

Here in the big city of Waco it is time for the fair and rodeo. A big to-do around here. I haven't gone in YEARS. However it is across the street from where I now work. AND I, working here on a Saturday, have watched hundreds and hundreds of people going to and fro.

Why am I working on a Saturday? Because Oct (normally a slow month)suddenly has EXPLODED. We are possibly going to have our biggest month ever. Stressed? Me? Naw!

I didn't do ALL work today...I found some new knitting blogs heh. It's like the dark side. I would be over there working a file and the computer is saying...but you didn't finish looking at that new site you found!

Sheesh! I need help. But I gotta get back and wrap it up. Oh and in knitting news...the socks? not so good. I have started a scarf for a Birthday present...uh next saturday. Don't worry...it's on BIG needles hehe

I did it

2006-10-03T20:33:00.000-05:00

Today I was checking out a knit blog and the referenced http://katherinemisegades.wordpress.com/ as a sock tutorial

Katherine is doing a sock tutorial knit along. She has assured blogland that even if you have never knit socks before and are a beginner you can do this. That I can do this. She said so. She seems sure. I am not so sure. I did print out the pattern and lesson one. Then I skipped on over to the store. Yep I did. DPN's. BOUGHT THEM. OMG they are so freaking TINY. I mean you are looking (well you know what I mean) at the girl who as 4 pairs of 9.5mm needles. I LIKE big needles. They don't aggrevate my thumb and things knit up faster. I have cast on the 55sts. I know you people knit socks. Do you KNOW how tiny these things are? I'm so gonna lose them.

The next problem is yarn. I don't know a hill of beans about yarn. All this pretty wool you see on other peoples blogs? My LYS don't have that. They have cool yarn. Pretty fuzzy fun yarn. Regular yarn. I don't know what sock yarn is! Yes I know you are shaking your head and smiling at me bemused. Thinking poor girl doesn't have a clue. You would be right.

I did find some Lion Brand that had one of those nifty pics on the band of socks and it says something like hey you can make socks with this. Yeah. Lets cross our fingers for Katherine and Lion yarn!

Antiques and Autumn

2006-10-02T19:04:00.000-05:00

Is it possible to feel like an antique in your early thirties? Yeah ok I know everyone older than that is groaning. I'm just tired. No, make that worn ass out. For those of you that don't speak Texan bare with me. You know the previous post where I had no spoons. I still don't. I wasn't home all weekend. What did I do? Helped move antiques. Real antiques. Lots and lots and lots of antiques. I'm sore. And did I mention tired? You think about those items that have been passed around over the years. Sold and bought to end up on a dusty shelf waiting for someone to come along and love it enough to take it home.

On a happier note...TGI Fridays has not been a favorite of mine...but I went Sat. night and they have excellent mojito's!!!! Yum! AND they have this new fried mac and cheese thing...OMG. Stay away! Fattening overload. I mean as if mac and cheese isn't artery clogging enough already? Lets FRY it! Yeah they are amazingly scrumptious.

So I didn't have time to check out all the knitting blogs today, but good news for the yarn harlot! Go check it out! http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/

Welcome October! Fall is here (unless you are in TX)! People have started to decorate and at the store everyone has pumpkins in their baskets! I've got start getting my fall stuff out!

I think I'm in trouble

2006-09-28T20:31:00.000-05:00

Ok, I just realized something. My house. My house is...well it's a mess. I opened the silverware drawer and there were no spoons. As I wonder where all my spoons have gone I turn to the sink. Oh. Yeah. Haven't done those. Then as I head to the computer I see the cat food is almost empty...hmm I really hope I have some. It is not a pretty site people. I also know in the bedroom there is a massive monster of laundry that is threatening to take over. IT IS CLEAN but needs to be folded and put away. What have I been doing? Where have I been? I've been working late but not THAT late. I have been knitting. I try and do at least one row hopefully two a night on the wrap/lapgan thingie. You know one of those projects us newly knitters do because we are intimidated by a regular size afgan still. The knitting is good but...it's just not looking like I thought it would. ANYWAY I get home, feed the kiddies, maybe check email, then knit a few rows before falling in to bed.

I really need to spend some cleaning time this weekend. And of course there are those things that have been floating around in my head all day. What things? New things. New knitterly things. I've suppressed it for what...2 weeks but the startitis (to borrow from the Harlot) is starting again. *sigh*

It's a GOOD thing I don't know more yet...I would have a problem.

Hope everyone out there in blogland has sweet dreams! One more day and the "end of month hell" that comes with my job is over. :)

Some days just suck

2006-09-27T09:19:00.000-05:00

no matter what you do. You have to hope tomorrow will be better. Well, this is sort of a test post because blogger ate the one I did yesterday. I have starbucks in hand, and have to get super busy because I'm slammed at work.

Hope all the boys and girls out there have a non sucking day :)

So yeah...

2006-09-26T17:51:00.000-05:00

Ok I created this blog a long time ago. Never did anything with it. (surprise!) Then after recently discovering the evils of Myspace...I in turn discovered a WHOLE NEW WORLD. Knit Blogs. Yeah shocked me to! There are hundreds and hundreds of women and men out there blogging about KNITTING. I actually did a happy dance. So I've been stalking their sites. Reading. Ooohing over the pretty yarn. Just lurking. But I'm so ready to start commenting. So I actually created a new blog that had to do with knitting. Yeah but then I got busy and I've forgotten the user name and password I created. I've even gone in and put every email address I have and it says it's sending me the info...but I'm not getting it. So we'll just use this one huh? Yepper!

Ok...I'm gonna start trying to figure out this blog thing and how to put links up of those other bloggers I read!

PITA

2006-03-01T21:25:00.000-06:00

What the hell?? How did THIS happen? I ONLY wanted to post a comment on someone elses blog...I did not realize I was creating my own blog. AND it was a Pain In The Ass (PITA) to do so, so I'm damn well going to write something. I had to try like 12 user names before it would accept one.

Well hell....now what?