Kitty pile!

The kitties say we can all fit in my chair, can't we?

Needless to say, they were keeping me quite warm! :)

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Blizzard # 1

It begins with a silent snowfall at dawn....

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Snuggles

Kitty says, "This would be a lot more comfortable if your fat butt wasn't in the chair!"

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Back to knitting!

It sure had been a while, hasn't it? Stress does not make for a good knitting companion, let me tell you! But! I have finished another project, plus it was a "lingering" project. Double yay! These gloves for John are made from local alpacas that we met. How cool is that? (The sadly now-closed Fish wood Farms)

This is also my first attempt at decorative gloves; all the other ones I've done have been stockinet / rib stitch with pretty yarns. Don't ask me for a pattern... these gloves are cobbled together from the Not Just Socks pattern I always use, plus a but of Knitty's Cigar Gloves for gauge, plus a slapped-on cable I found on another pattern somewhere, then the fingers were done to custom fit. Like I said, don't ask me for a pattern! Haha

Overall, I am pleased with them. I learned a lot while making them- number one rule is to not put down a project when you don't have a pattern for it! It makes it very hard to pick back up again. And, number two, they look a but rough, but that is because apparently non-factory alpaca shows tension issues. Who'd've guessed? Though, once John starts wearing them around, they will start to block a bit on his hands and look a bit cleaner.

Yay finished projects!

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Garlic Festival Festivities

Fun times at the Garlic Festival include:
1. Getting oh-so-good-for-you midway food (gyro for me, polish sausage for john)
2. Fudge!
3. Touching a tarantula at the petting zoo.
4. Tasting the "Kiss the Devil" wine (brewed from chiles, not grapes).... And then wishing for death. :(
5. Eating real, not low fat ice cream.
6. Bringing home loot & goodies from various wineries and shops.

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Frustration for the Week

Can I just say that it really pisses me off when other people drop the ball on something and yet I am the one that gets that subtle reprimand.... Yeah, that is getting old, Universe. Can we try something new?

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Kids & Animals

You know that old show-biz saying, "Never work with kids or animals?"  Well, folks, today I proved the animal part true.  Mom was up visiting and I used her to take our annual Christmas card picture (yes, I can say "annual" because we're on our third year of including a picture in our Christmas cards).  And I thought that since our "new thing" this year was the kitties, they should be included in the picture, too. 

.... Have you ever tried to get two cats to sit in your lap, let alone get them to sort-of look in the appropriate direction?!? This is what you end up with:

John and I look decent... but Martin is chewing on John's foot and Winks has chosen this moment to groom himself.  Notice, too, the numerous kitty toys scattered about that we were using to "pose" them.  (Sigh)  What am I going to do with these boys!?

Sicky Me

I am so tired of wanting to throw up... Why are stomach bugs so lasting?

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Saturday morning musings

Here I am, still in bed as I catch up on my social networking, wondering how awful I would be if I hollered down at John to bring me up breakfast in bed.... That crosses a line somewhere, doesn't it? Toasty blueberry bagels in bed should be a spontaneous act of love, not a demand. Sigh. I guess I will have to go toast my own blueberry bagel. Stupid rules of relationships.

(Yeah, didn't you know? Rule of Relationships # 359: don't holler for toasty blueberry bagels in bed. Look it up, it's a well known fact.)

Also as I am still in bed, the kitties have decided that I would make a great addition to their obstacle course of morning craziness. I have been run over by rampaging kitties several times now. Not really the best way to start a morning. Haha.

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Wishful thinking

Well, the realistic part of me says I wasted a Saturday afternoon, but the stupidly optimistic part of me disagrees.  What was I doing yesterday? I spent much of the afternoon planning wedding colors and themes.  I've known I want to use a dark purple and a dark teal -- in fact I have a shirt and sweater that I was using as a color guide -- but I wanted to see if they were workable for a wedding theme.  I have been playing with the idea of a "peacock" theme based on the colors, but I want it really understated... with minimal feathers... so, "peacock" without being too peacock.   :)

They say when designing anything, you should make an "inspiration board" with pictures of things that you like and, well, are inspired by.  That was what I was doing yesterday.  The bonus point is that I also helped narrow down the style I like:  Grace Kelly, Understated Chic.  I REALLY like simple, clean lines that are rich and luxurious.  I'm not opulent, garish, or over-stated.  I like minimalist decorations that evoke high quality and taste.  I've seen too many wedding TV shows where the bride/ designer think, "If one centerpiece / flower arrangement / feather / yard of lace / jewelry / knick-knack is good, then 4,000 must be great!"  Some table settings I've seen just make me want to gag!  (Same goes for engagement rings!  There are some U. G. L. Y. rings out there in the world!)

So here's my inspiration board.  I really like that L'Instant Taittinger poster!!!  I didn't even realize the dress I want is basically a white version of it.

And for those of you asking, no, I am not engaged yet.  John and I have been together coming up on five years this fall, but he is a planner / saver who won't settle for less than "what I deserve," but is reluctant to go into debt when the economy is so bad right now.  Which of course puts me in the position of having to show him that I don't want a $50,000 affair.  My thinking is that if I can plan it all out and show him that we won't bankrupt ourselves, he will be more amenable to the idea of a wedding.... or I may kidnap him one day and take him to the courthouse and just make it legal with no frills attached!  Haha.

Life Musings

I seem to be going through a bit of a rough patch in my life-- the Thursday before school started back in August, my (former) boss calls me up and tells me that I am moving sites... back to the high school.  The understatement of the year is that I was not thrilled with the idea.  I was really excited to start a new school year in the same place that I was last school year, and I was really liking  my client age-group and my coworkers over at the elementary school.  The high school staff and I aren't really the best of friends, and you just have to ask anyone working with teenagers: they are a tough crowd.  Now, add on mental diagnoses, histories of abuse, and total apathy for their futures, and you have our special teenagers.

So now I am stuck in limbo with stupid company politics determining my future.  I've been told that the company is doing the best they can; but, let's be real, I am not high on the priority list when regulations are changing, the economy is tanking, and our billing just got audited.   :/   I am trying to be positive, but when faced with glaring proof that your company does not give a rat's ass about you, it is rather hard.  I know I'm not special, but they don't have to rub my nose in it.

On the flip side, the caving program is back up & running!  White nose syndrome had put all caving on hold so scientists could figure out what was killing the bats and how we could prevent spreading the disease.  If I am remembering correctly, it's been about two years since any caving was allowed up and down the east coast.  BUT! Now the NSS has put out safety measures and restrictions on recreational caving groups that would allow small parties inside the caves.  The Girl Scout program I help staff is going to be taking a (very!) small group of experienced girls this October up to West Virginia to see if these restrictions are manageable.  Usually, we have about 40-60 girls with about a dozen "rookies" that take trips twice a year.  This fall, I think we are taking only about 25 girls total, with LOTS of staff to supervise.  Hopefully, this trip will go well and we will soon  be able to resume regular trips!  Yay!

Testing....

My new toy (read: my new phone) is owned by Google... My blog is owned by Google... There should be an app for my blog to be able to use on my phone!

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Finished Project!

I also finished another project while in Florida!  Yay me!  Nothing big, but a Finished Project nonetheless.  I made a cozy for my mega-huge water bottle.  :)

During Summer Camp, I found that my regular water bottles were simply not enough to keep me hydrated, so I bought a huge (54oz) water bottle.  The only downside to it was a lack of insulation, so it tended to sweat everywhere.  For the summer, I used an unmatched sock of John's as a cozy, but I knew I would need something a little classier to use on a permanent basis.  So, I scrounged up some old wool blend that I had laying about and made a super-quick rib-knit cozy!  Yay!

It was really easy, when all was said and done.  Sizing didn't need to be exact since I wanted it to be a snug fit, and I used the water bottle itself as a guide for length.  Then I just used a drawstring to cinch up the top, and Voila!  I am still deciding if I want to loosely seam the gap around the handle or not.  I don't want the hole to be that big, ya know?  Right now, though, it's working just fine.

2 skeins Berroco "Soft Twist" (41% wool / 59% rayon) -- one in purple and one in magenta, held together.
US 8 needles
Less than 100yds used!



And, yes, this is Finished Project Number Six for the year.  (Remember, 12 projects in 12 months was my goal.)  I know I am a little behind, but I seem to be progressing at a rather nice pace, I think.  I just need to re-adjust to the school schedule and wrap up a few of the half-finished things I have laying about.  Summer Camp really did me in!  I was waaaay too tired to knit anything once I got home, and now I have to catch up! But I think I can do it!  (Determined face)

New Toy SQUEEEEE!

First, let me sum up my absences:  I had a few weeks of vacation at the beginning of August... and I took it!  I was a waste of organic matter, resting and relaxing without any responsibilities.  Then, we took a week to visit family in Florida for my grandfather's 90th birthday party.  Not as relaxing, but not as stressful as it could have been either.  (John *loves* going to see my extended family; it shows him that I am one of the saner and more rational people in my gene pool.  Heehee.)

While in Florida, Mother and I opted to use our cell phone upgrades and get something fancy.  I have been suffering with extreme phone-envy since John got his Droid many moons ago, and Mother was finally caving to the lure of the smartphone.  I got the Motorola Droid X and Mom got the HTC Droid Incredible.

Can I get this out of my system?  ... SQQQQUUUUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Ok, I'm better now.  Seriously, this phone is slick!  I am slowly moving my way through all the settings and functions, but I think I can say now that I am enthralled with this phone!  I don't want to sound like just another review, but I highly recommend this phone to someone who is looking for serious fun.  Maybe it's just a symptom of upgrading from a Blackberry (which is probably the LEAST intuitive operating system out there), but I am really enjoying the Droid X.

Next step: choosing a skin for my phone.  I'm not really liking any of the cases I see, and as I suffer from "black phone in a black purse" syndrome, I need something to brighten up the casing of my phone.  There are several on ebay that I like, but I can't choose!  So indecisive!    :)

I think I just found the best (American) sushi I've ever had! And at a buffet restaurant of all places! Yummmm ... Happy place.

Weirdness from the Web

Aaaaand, here's one more thing to add to the "Stuff not to Knit" list. The blog I found it on doesn't say anything about it, just that it's machine knit.  My question is which dress is worse: the front one or the one in the back?  (In revisiting the What not to Knit blog, I have discovered that they already found this lovely dress & that it apparently costs a mere $1500! Goodness!)

Maybe that website gave me two things to add to the "Stuff not to Knit" list.  They say this "Compubody Sock" is the way you keep hands & ears warm, as well as ensuring privacy as you watch DVDs on a plane.  Weird.

P is for...

P is for phone!  Well, folks, it's that time of year again.  When your cell phone plan is coming to a close and you start looking at your current phone... and you realize that you hate it.  Haha.  Don't get my wrong, I love my Blackberry in comparison to the Windows Mobile phone I had before (mainly because the BB would actually WORK consistently without crashing!).  But since I have seen John and his Droid.... I has the phone envy!  :(

Mom reminded me that our plans are renewing soon, so I am looking at the new Android phones.  Sadly, I am torn between two options:  1) get a phone that is a little bit better than what you have now, but is not expensive, or 2) pay an arm and a leg for the coolest phone out now, knowing that it will last longer before becoming totally obsolete.  Hmmmm.... decisions, decisions.

And yes, knowing me, I am making lists and comparison charts and reading up on all the reviews out there.  For some reason, I have a VERY hard time buying electronics / appliances without some serious research done first.  Maybe it's because they always cost so darn much and I have little understanding of what they're all about.

Wish me luck!

O is for...

O is for overtime!  Ain't Summer Camp great?  Where else can you easily work 55hr weeks and only get paid for 37.5hrs?  At least they compensate us with "comp time" when we work more than 40hrs per week (yes, your math is right, we donate 2.5hrs for free).  For our department, you can save up all that extra time from Summer Camp and use it as vacation time in the weeks between Camp and school starting when we have very little to do.  The catch is, you can only use it in August and you lose it if you don't.  But it's REALLY nice to have because there is no possible way to run Summer Camp and do all our paperwork if we only work 37.5hrs.  And since the overtime is "mandatory," it's nice that they compensate us for it.

This summer, I earned a whopping 45hrs of comp time!  That's six full days off from work without having to take annual leave!  Yay!  I am using it to visit the Florida Family for Granddad's 90th birthday party. 

ABC Catch-Up

I is for... I don't know!  Rraarrrrg!  I don't have anything for I!  Epic Fail!

J is for... John, of course!  :-*

K is for... knitting!  So sue me, I went for the cheap and obvious choice; I have no excuse other than that I am behind on my alphabet.  But, I do have a bit to say that's new and interesting:  I am aiming for "12 projects in 12 months" this year.  I noticed that I was churning out finished projects this spring, so I decided to set myself a goal.  Admittedly, I have gotten a little sidetracked, what with having to pull out Mom's copper sweater and then Summer Camp giving me no free time or energy.  BUT! I am decided and determined.  I have so many half-finished project lying around that I think I can whip a few of them into shape and still meet my goal.  (And if all else fails, I have a 24hr round-trip car ride coming up next week. That should definitely give me time to knit!)

L is for... lifting weights!  I know, technically I am bragging when I report my lift successes, but I don't really care.  The other day, we were doing deadlifts and the guy resting behind us actually applauded me after I lifted 185lbs-- it was not even my personal best!  Score one point for tiny girls everywhere!  And if you combine the magic of Deadlift Fridays and the euphoria of No-More-Summer-Camp, you will get me rocking out multiple reps at my max weight (225lbs, thank you very much).  PLUS, after establishing that my calves are freakishly strong (my back starts to crumble under 315lbs, but my legs don't feel it), I felt even stronger when a muscle head stereotype was working 315lbs on his calves, too.  Me and the muscle heads!  Haha! ... I'm sorry, it's just too funny.

M is for... Martin!  Martin the new kitty has settled in quite well and is developing a personality of his own.  He is very twitchy and always seems to be mobile; I call him our little tap dancer.  He is very different from Winks, but they still get along.  They make me laugh at least once a day with their stereotypical "brother" attitudes.  For example, one kitty can be on the floor ignoring me, but if the other jumps up and starts purring because he is getting attention, then you better be sure that floor-kitty will soon become "He's getting loving, I want loving too!" kitty.   :)   Such brothers!  Though Martin meets my criteria for defective kitties: he has herpes.  No, cats don't get the genital kind; the feline virus lives in their eyes (ewwwww! gross!).  Soon after we got him, he started losing weight and had the worst eye-goop discharge I had ever seen.  The vet recommended oral antibiotics, eye drop antibiotics, then eye drop anti-virals for more than three weeks.  She said that cats, like people, will have the virus forever, but may only have outbreaks every now and then.  So, to date, I have chosen a cat with Feline AIDS, a cat with one eye, and a cat with herpes.  I am apparently the protector of medically defective cats.  Go, me!

N is for... new games!  This summer has seen the release of a much-anticipated sequels for both John and me.  John (and 99% of Korea) have been WAITING for Starcraft 2 to come out for over a decade and they all squealed in fanatic joy last week when it was finally released.  I didn't play video games back in the day, but apparently Starcraft is a real-time, war-strategy game where you command various troops and support units.  The original game has such a cult following that it is still sold in stores... 12 years after the initial release date!  So needless to say, there was much excitement when the sequel was released.  John has turned me into a video game widow this past week... but I don't care because my Puzzle Quest 2 was released too!!  Yay, PQ!  Puzzle Quest is basically Bejewelled with a plot line.  The battle mechanics are just a Bejewelled board, where matching the different colors charge up various attacks.  It's pretty stimulating because you take turns with the enemy, so you don't want to set up a great move only to have him steal it.  I LOVED the first one and was very excited for the sequel.  :)

Hello Again!

Well, it's been a grueling seven weeks, but I have once again survived Summer Camp.  For those of you confused about my absence for two months, I work with the local community service board providing Therapeutic Day Treatment for children in the school system.  During the summer, we run a day camp to continue services to these kids.  Yes, it all sounds like a bunch of fun when you think back to your own childhood summer camp adventures.... but you were the camper then, not the counselor.  Now, with that mental adjustment, also think of being a counselor to children who are medically diagnosed with hyperactivity and defiance disorders (among various others as well).  Let's just say, it's about four tons of stress in a two-pound bag.  Not to slander our kids too much, I should admit that the "good" days can be lots of fun; we take them swimming and to the skating rink, do crafts, and watch movies.  But when our kids decide to have "bad" days.... (shudder).  'Nuff said.  On top of all that, our days are MUCH longer than we get paid for and we don't get any  breaks at all.  (Because if you scamper off to use the restroom, who is watching the kids now?)  Having not done any marathons personally, I can only liken it to running the Iditarod... without dogs.... or shoes.... or sleep... while still trying to maintain "therapeutic" reactions to the children's bad attitudes.

That being explained, I AM NOW FREE!!!  I only have to work this upcoming week, then I can use my overtime to take a long vacation.  And then school starts at the end of August.  Woohoo!  Who would've thought that a person would be happy to see the school year approaching?  Haha.

Guys, bear with me as Summer Camp eats my will to live... 10hr days (with no breaks AT ALL) are a real bitch, let me tell you!

Past Sillies

(trying to catch breath from laughing too much)  I revisited a HYSTERICAL video today; I wanted to share it with a coworker and decided to share it with you all.  If you have cats or engineers in your house, this will be beyond funny, and you might want to go ahead and visit the bathroom.... you know, just in case.  I don't want to be blamed for any accidents that may occur from laughing too hard while watching "An Engineer's Guide to Cats."

P.S.  We tried corporal cuddling on Martin last night to get him to stop begging for breakfast (AT 4:20 AM!!!) and it worked!  Thanks, engineers!   :)

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You really should check out Paul the Engineer's other videos on YouTube.  But, if you are too lazy to link over there for the full view, here is a small, embedded window with his playlist.  The "Guides" are all around 6minutes, but the others are shorter.  You don't even need cats to laugh at the "Family Portrait," just imagine trying to arrange any 3 separate entities to sit still for any length of time!  Haha!  And if you fall in love with Engineer's Guide, check out their stuff-  I am trying not to get something that says "Don't Buzz Da Tower!"   hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha  .... silly kitties!

Random Silliness

Just because I haven't been around recently, I will update everyone with a dose of cute kitty pictures.  Because everyone could use some cuteness in their day!

Aaawwwww... The kitties are friends!

You play with that end, and I will play with this end!

HOW is this comfy for that cat?!?  He's done this a few times now and will stay until John kicks him out.

 Fat kitty & skinny kitty:  my ying & yang twins.

Competitive with my Sister? Nooo...

Well,  it's been a while but I have not (as rumors may have stated) died.  The school-year-to-Summer-Camp transition is a headache and a half, and while I may have wished for death, I stayed both alive and exhausted.  Needless to say, we have all survived the first week of Summer Camp, and now I have a little time this weekend to catch up on my pointless internet surfing.  So of course I see Lara's blog post about the movie list I sent her... and somehow my little sister competitive streak comes out a bit... because I have seen more movies on the list than she has!  hahahahaha!  I'll do the same system as she did, bold for movies I've seen and italics for movies I know are on my Netflix queue.

12 Angry Men (1957)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
The 400 Blows (1959)
8 ½ (1963)
The African Queen (1952)
Alien (1979)
All About Eve (1950)
Annie Hall (1977)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
The Battle of Algiers (1967)
The Bicycle Thief (1948)
Blade Runner (1982)
Blazing Saddles (1974)
Blow Up (1966)
Blue Velvet (1986)
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Breathless (1960)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Casablanca (1942)
Chinatown (1974)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Die Hard (1988)
Do the Right Thing (1989)
Double Indemnity (1944)
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Duck Soup (1933)
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)  
Enter the Dragon (1973)
The Exorcist (1973)
Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)
The French Connection (1971)
The Godfather (1972)
The Godfather, Part II (1974)
Goldfinger (1964)
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1968)
Goodfellas (1990)
The Graduate (1967)
Grand Illusion (1938)
Groundhog Day (1993)
A Hard Day's Night (1964)
In the Mood For Love (2001)
It Happened One Night (1934)
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Jaws (1975)
King Kong (1933)
The Lady Eve (1941)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
The Lord of the Rings (2001,2002,2003)
M (1931)  
M*A*S*H (1970)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
The Matrix (1999)
Modern Times (1936)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
National Lampoon's Animal House (1978)
Network (1976)
Nosferatu (1922)
On the Waterfront (1954)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Paths of Glory (1958)
Princess Mononoke (1999)
Psycho (1960)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Raging Bull (1980)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Raise the Red Lantern (1992)
Rashomon (1951)  
Rear Window (1954)
Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
Rocky (1976)
Roman Holiday (1953)
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Schindler's List (1993)
The Searchers (1956)
Seven Samurai (1954)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)40
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Some Like It Hot (1959)
The Sound of Music (1965)
Star Wars (1977)
Sunset Blvd. (1950)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
The Third Man (1949)
This is Spinal Tap (1984)
Titanic (1997)
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Toy Story (1995)
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Vertigo (1958)
When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
Wild Strawberries (1957)
Wings of Desire (1988)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988)
The World of Apu (1959)



That makes 53 for me! With another half-dozen on my Netflix list.  Take that, Lara, Miss Queen of the Movies!  mwahahahahahahhaa  (little sister evil laugh)

My kitties like oatmeal. Or at least they like to lick my oatmeal bowl clean ... One more for the category, "weird things kitties do."

Little Brother Marty

         

Winks really zizzed me off today.  Two unprovoked attacks, plus numerous moments of defiance and refusal to submit to my authority ("mah  ah-thor-i-tay!") just pushed my over the edge.  He's been doing fairly well controlling his biting for the past week or so, but today he's ripped up my arm anew.  John scruffed him, dragged him upstairs, and shut the door, saying that Winks needed to behave because he couldn't listen to me fussing anymore.  Yeah..... not a good morning.  Winks has definitely reverted to his "bite-o-saurus" ways.

We had a deal that if Winks wouldn't stop biting us despite other training methods, then we would get him a friend in June.  He came from a house with dogs that he played roughly with, so we thought he just had lots of energy and poor sportsmanship.  However, in light of today's set-back, I dragged John to our Petsmart (it has a Humane Society adoption center in it) to get a friend a little earlier than expected.  There were maybe a dozen cats, but only a few were labeled "good with other cats" ... and two were sadly mislabeled.  That left us with a skinny little ginger tabby, about 6months old, named Marty. 

Marty has spent a good but of his time today attacking feather-mouse.

Marty definitely likes people, loves to rub up on you, and was indifferent to the various cats who hissed at him (we wanted to prove the "good with cats" label before we brought anyone home).  He's got a few fleas and could stand to have some weight put on him, but otherwise, they say he is healthy.  We'll take him to the vet as soon as we can get an appointment next week.

Who is that handsome kitty behind me?

As I write this, Marty is sequestered away upstairs.  We're trying to do this introduction the right way so that Winks and Marty will get along.  This whole thing is to acquire Winks a friend who will mellow him out; it's not worth it if the two felines don't play well with each other.  Can everyone pray / keep their fingers crossed for me that this crazy plan works?  I am irrationally stressed out about it all.

How often do you get the freeze-frame shot of the kitty eating something?  Everyone say, "Bleh!"

ha HA!

Aaaaannnd this is what I did on Mother's Day. No, really, I called my mother, too, don't worry.  But I did spend most of the day playing Warf Rescue, determined to finally get my gold trophy.  Apparently, May is my month, as everyone sucked and my not-so-great score DOMINATED everyone else!  MWAHAHAHAHA!  I am the Warf Rescue Grand Champion!

Adventures in fixing an annoying ceiling fan instead of going to bed! ... Yay ...

New Knitting!

I know, I know, I've broken my new-found rule (no more new projects until I finish some old ones), but I have been staring at some new yarn that Lara sent me and reeeeeeeally wanting to make something not meant for winter weather (my two "old projects" are a heavy cardigan and a pair of gloves).  I hate making things and then having to put them away for several months before I can wear them.

Lara's yarn has been staring at me and I have put off making anything with it because I have not found a pattern (that's not a scarf) that only needs around 500yds total.  But then, enter Classic Elite Yarn's Four Season Vine Lace Vest.  Light and summery, and exactly 500 hundred yards!  Yay!  Thus, new yarn plus finding a usable pattern equals Anne not being able to wait to start a new project.  I am so very weak-willed.  :(

         

Look! I can do a mattress stitch without it looking like total butt!  Woohoo!

      

I have now officially finished the sweater ("officially" means I actually have woven in all the ends.  Haha!). Go me!  I am excited about finally making something for me that I can wear.  :)  This sweater was pretty easy to make and I was able to whip it up fairly quickly without it having to be one of those "I need to work at least an hour every night or it will never be finished" projects.  I highly recommend the free pattern from Classic Elite.

Yarn:  Araucania "Ruca,"  100% sugar cane  (how cool is sugar yarn?!?!)
     263yds per 100g
     Colorway #6 (pale blue & grey mixed)


In the fairness of full disclosure:
- I used a DK yarn meant for US4-6 needles; the pattern called for US9.  I used US6 on the ribbing like I was told, but dropped to a US8 for the pattern and made the size 40inch to fit my ~37inch self.
- Pattern called for 515yds & I had 526yds.  I still have a handful left over; I haven't measured it yet, but I feel like it is more than 10yds.  But...
- None of the ribbing is as long as it "should" be.  The waist ribbing is shorter because I was worried about  running out of yarn, so it is only 3in long instead of 3.25in, and the neck ribbing is 2.75in rather than 4.25in.  I was planning on doing the neck ribbing until I just ran out of yarn, but John said I should stop there as it looked good.  Thus the left-over yarn, I guess.
- I was not expecting it to be a crop sweater (for some reason, I didn't notice that from the picture), but I really like it.  It hits me right where it should and makes my waist look tiny!  :)
- My sleeves are different lengths!  :(   One side is a row longer in the ribbed cuff than the other side.  I know about it and I was too lazy to fix it.  John promised me that no one would be able to tell while I was wearing it.  (What does Grandma say?  "It'll never be seen on a galloping horse!")

Fetch, Kitty, Fetch!

My kitty is better than all three Gallion dogs because he plays fetch and they don't!  HAHA! Take that, canines!

We probably played fetch last night for 15min before he got distracted.  John took a longer video of him, but since I was throwing the toy, I had a better angle of him holding mousie in his mouth.  Cats holding things in their mouth are super silly / cute!

This video was taken at the end of our session last night, so he was starting to get tired.  He was bringing mousie more towards the blanket rather than straight to me, but when we started, he brought mousie immediately back to my feet.

My cat plays fetch!!! ... Videos to come.
:)

H is for...

H is for Hammock Man!  Not very dear to my life, but funny nonetheless.  The story:  We had a few warm & gorgeous, picture-perfect spring days in a row and one of our back-door neighbors decided to hang out in the ditch between our streets... in his hammock.  John and I laughed at his enjoyment of the awesome weather when we saw him napping outside, and then, just like that, Hammock Man left our lives as suddenly as he had come.  We may never know more.... 

(dramatic and slightly sad violin music)

Me = Pickiness

Yay! John and I went engagement ring-shopping today to see how hard I am to shop for... or something like that.  Whatever.  Anyway, we found three so far that I like. 


At Kay:

Kay was a little hard to find something for me because I'm not totally sold on having diamonds down the sides of the band.  I like the plainer bands to accentuate the stones better, rather than hiding the main stone in the midst of the all this crap on the band.  Eh.  Personal preferences.

And at Zales, there were two that I liked:

 This is a solitaire with a wrap-around do-dah.  Just enough to be different from a regular solitaire.

 This is a three-stone that has swooshy thingies coming up from the band to form the setting.  Again, plainer (i.e. not tacky), but just a little unusual.  I find that I am walking the fine line between "plain and boring" and "god-awful tacky & decadent."  Sigh.  I want it to be unique but not horrific.  Is that too much to ask?

Random & Geeky

Ok, if you haven't noticed yet, I am a super-dork.  (Gasp!)  I know, I know, I hide it well.  But there it is. 


ANYway, in random perusing of the internet, I found another super-dork like me, but she has artistic talent!  If you have any interest in brain chemistry / chemistry / psychology / neurobiology, check out Made with Molecules.  Raven Hanna, PhD is a "Yale-educated scientist turned artist" who lives out in sunny California and makes chemistry-inspired jewelry and things.  My favorites would have to include:

Neurotransmitter Charm Bracelet

Neurotransmitter Earrings

Ethanol Champagne Glasses

And for when I win the lottery (it IS hand-made jewelry), the Endorphin Choker.  It is made of the 31 amino acids in beta-endorphin!  How cool is this?!?!!

She also makes t-shirt designs, baby onesies (glucose for sweet), greeting cards, and more!  When you get a minute, check out her store!

FINALLY!!!

A day I thought would never arrive is finally here!  We received our IRS New Home-Buyer Credit today!!!  WOO HOOO!!! It only took 270 days!  (I submitted my 2008 Tax Return Amendment on July 7, 2009.  8-12 weeks, my ass!)

I guess what makes it all worthwhile (besides finally getting the government to do what they said they were going to do) is the fact that we got about $300 interest as well.  Almost as if the IRS admits that it took them a long-ass time to get a check mailed out to us.  And it pays for the new tires I've been needing for several months!

:D

G is for...

G is for Great Ideas (said sarcastically) !  Recently we have had a spate of great ideas ... and I am at a loss for a "G" item, so this post might seem a little weak.  I apologize.  Moving on.

John and I have had two Great Ideas recently, and they are both coming back to bite us in the butt.  A few weeks ago, we looked up and said, "Why are we both paying for personal training sessions with the same trainer on the same day?  Why don't we go for a partner session, which is cheaper (per hour) than the individual sessions?"  Well, Fletcher said he would do a partner session with us, but he'd want to bump it up to a full hour.  We've been at our full-hour sessions for a week now, truthfully, the thrill has worn off!  Monday was a leg day, so I easily outpaced John in endurance (he felt bad and wondered why we signed up for a full hour).  Wednesday was arms & abs, and I hated every minute of it because I admittedly have no ab strength and the upper body power of a hamster.  Then, with my triceps still in searing pain from Wednesday ("It burns & stretches!"), we moved right into dead-lift Fridays.... with the added bonus of Fletcher purposefully trying to hurt us because he will be out of town on Easter Monday and we will not have a session.  Take it from me, you do NOT want your trainer to go out of town; he will only hurt you!!!  So, I sit here on Sunday, back in pain & arms still hurting, wondering who's crack-headed idea was it to move up to a full hour work-out session!

The other Great Idea we've had was John's, and I have no idea what prompted it.  Anyway, John went out and got us a chin-up bar.  Having a chin-up bar in your house means you have to use it!  ... 'Nuff said.

And if that doesn't cut it for you, G can also be for gray face.  A sleepy gray face.