Momma, we missed you!

Mr. Winks missed me a little, I think. He has been a super snugglesaurus since I got home Monday night. Lots of purring cuddles for me!

(Martin has been playing hard to get and is acting like nothing happened. Haha)

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Flying Away!

Well, I survived another year of Summer Camp (whew!) and I am actually going to GO on a vacation while I have some free time before school starts.  :)  So! I will be flying away to see my sister and we will take Texas by storm!  haHA!  That won't leave much time for blogging, but then again, you are used to not seeing me very much (I know, sad but true).  I will try to post some pictures if we have some down time and I will definitely reconnect once I get back.  Texas, here I come!   :)

And if you are concerned about my boys, wish them luck.  I am leaving John home with the kitties for over a week!  Hopefully they can feed themselves and no one gets hungry enough to eat somebody else.....

I'm Impressing Myself

More Crafty Updates.  I must say, for as much as I am usually very slow about actually finishing projects, I am very proud of myself today.  I have been quite productive.    :)

1)  Over Memorial Day weekend, I bought fabric to make several skirts.  The shiny silver skirt was one project, but I also bought plain grey jersey knit to make a maxi skirt.  I usually don't cave to the whims of the fashion world (that's right, there are no skinny jeans in this girl's closet), but I keep seeing my coworkers in long dresses and skirts and they just look so comfortable!  I didn't get a pattern and planned on just making it up as I went along... when I eventually got around to it.  Well, I finally pulled the jersey out today, and after a little internet research, started sewing.  I got two yards of 56" wide jersey because I wasn't sure if I needed to insert gores to make the circumference bigger than 56" down at my ankles. It turns out, 56" is plenty big enough to walk comfortably in AND that meant there was enough leftover "tube" to make a shorter skirt.  Yay for options!

   

Yes, I am standing on my chair to take a picture of my skirts in the bathroom mirror.  Don't judge.

I kept the longer version fuller and just gathered it in more at the waist.  I purposefully chose to slim down the shorter version. (Though if I had to do it over again, I would probably slim the maxi as well, but it doesn't bother me too much as it is now.)  I also wrapped elastic twice around the waist in the maxi version and only once in the short one; that's just due to the weight of the fabric in the maxi pulling downwards.  I definitely don't want my clothes falling off my body in the middle of the day!

2)  While I was feeling crafty and productive, I pulled out the 31 Purse Skirts that I have stashed away.  I feel like I did more work than what is showing in the Finished pile, but I did get two more slip covers done.  :)   It took my less than an hour to sew both of them!  Go me!  (Recognize that silver fabric?  Haha.  Waste not, want not!)

     

I also had a brainstorm that may save me space in the long run.  I am quickly amassing numerous covers for my purse, and I believe they may soon get out of control.  But!  If I start making them reversible, then two slip covers will take up the space of just one!  Genius!!

The purple design in this picture is more true to color than the one above.

I say I did more work because I really DID do more work than what ended up in the pictures.  I went ahead and cut out all the fabric I had (enough for about 10 more, if I remember correctly), and then I ironed the fusible interfacing to them.  Now I have all my fabric cut and prepared for when I have a crafty mood but don't feel like running up to the ironing board.  :)  Winks may have helped me cut all the fabric.

More Finished Craftiness

This circle skirt has been sitting on my sewing table for a while.  I had to walk away from it for a bit because it was angering me.  First, why do patterns say "for a 36 inch hip, make size 14" ... only to have a size 14 be SUPER HUGE?! There was literally room for another person in the skirt with me when I first pieced it together. Made me angry to waste time repeatedly taking in the side seams to make it fit.  On top of that, the fabric was too slinky / silky / slippery for my skill level.  Hemming was a pain and I really need to iron it, but it's done now!  And I even remembered how to put in a zipper!  I still think it's a little long, but (again) I need to step away before I get angry and do something I'd regret.   :)   Apparently, anger fuels my craft projects.  Haha.

Oh! I also put a pocket in my pajama pants so I can carry things on lazy days.  :)  I think it's working quite nicely so far today.

New Species of Bird

Several months ago, I put up a bird feeder in our backyard.  I mainly wanted to entertain the kitties, but it was spring and why not feed the birds (it's only tuppence a bag).  I covered all the bases and put up a finch feeder, a hummingbird feeder, a suet block, and a general "wild bird" feeder.  Well, since then, there has been a very fat something eating the wild bird seed very quickly.  I always thought we had a family of squirrels or raccoons eating in our backyard-- you know, the usual bird feeder guests.  Then, the other day I come home and happen to look out the window and see who had really been visiting us!!

Now, my question is: are deer cute enough that I continue feeding it, or should I take steps to try to deter it from eating out of my bird feeder?

Trying to Finish things!

While I had the long weekend, I have tried to knock out some projects that have been lingering.  I FINALLY blocked the Foamy Scarf, officially putting it in the "Finished" category.  :D   I also have to note that this is the first proejct I have ever blocked.  (GASP!)  I know, I know. I have been knitting for HOW long without ever blocking anything?  What have I been doing?!  Well, I knit a lot of hats and smaller things that don't need blocking.  I've only knit a few sweaters.... and I just never did anything to them.  Mom unofficially blocks the sweater I made for her when she washes it; you know, lay it out while wet and make sure it dries in the shape you want.  That counts, right?

   

Well, this scarf had some lace, dropped stitches, and "bubble" accents.  I could no longer avoid blocking it.  I just got a set of blocking wires the last time I was home to visit my preferred Yarn Shop, so I bit the bullet and blocked my scarf.  I think it looks pretty good, yeah?   :)

    

The other project I am READY to put into the "Finished" pile is a sun hat I have been wrestling with for a very long time!  I really wanted a "movie star" hat that will keep my nose from burning this summer, but my head is too darn big for commercially bought hats so I decided to whip something up myself.  I couldn't find a pattern that I liked, but I found a "recipe" for a sun hat that sounded good enough.  They called it a recipe because they told you how to turn a doily pattern into a sun hat, but didn't give specifics for sizing or lace patterns or anything.  Well, next time I will use a pattern! I think I have pulled this hat out 400 times trying to get the right amount of brim while still staying true to the lace... THEN came trying to find the right gauge wire to attached to the edge.  18 gauge was too flimsy, the wire from a pop-up hamper was way too rigid.  (John calls it my Goldilocks hat, as I look for a wire that is juuuuust right.) We finally settled on the wire from some car sun shades, you know the kind that can twist back on itself?  I'm not sure it's 100% what I was looking for, but I am sick of trying different things! I want to wear this hat before the summer is over!  I am so tired of fiddling with this hat!!

Yes, observant reader, the hat is not totally complete yet.  I still have to put elastic in the headband and I have to weave in ends.  But I want this hat to be done!  I call it done!  So there!  (I also noticed after the fact that my "no dye lot written on the label" yarn was lying to me, as you can tell by the stripe through the brim.  Grrrr... hat from hell... mutter mutter)

Random Cat Play

Just in case you needed a bit of silliness in your day.   :)

P.S. My life / energy / time / will to live is being consumed by Summer Camp, so I will be pretty much absent until sometime after July 28.  Sorry, but that's how my job works.  See you in August!

Helpers

While putting up the fan down in the basement, we had to use a full-sized ladder and we discovered that the kitties (Mr Winks in particular) LOVE the ladder.  Winks loves it more than the cat tree I bought for him.  I guess that's a cat for ya, huh?  Winks wanted very much to help put up the ceiling fans and, in the process, kick us off "his" ladder.

Strangely enough, Martin was only interested in the ladder in as much as he wanted whatever Winks had.  He was much less confident on the steps and was not as nimble.  Winks would hang out on the steps, while Martin would only scamper up if something interesting was going on... like a feisty feather stick being rattled on the metal ladder.

We actually left the ladder up for a few days because the kitties loved it so much.  Are we spoiling them?

(Yes, that is a big belly resting on the step so that he can reach out and grab the feather stick with his paws.)

Adventures in Adulthood

You know how they say, "You're only as old as you feel"? I think there should be some kind of secondary statement that goes something like, "You're only as old as the stuff you get excited about." Don't believe me? Observe:
     small child - excited over poop jokes and bright colors
     teenager - excited over cars and hanging out with friends
     young adult - excited over parties and "college"
     middle aged - excited over children's poop and paying bills
     geriatric - excited over finding keys and spoiling grandchildren

See how things change? I personally have entered the stage where I get excited about home improvements, to whit, ceiling fans.  I'm not sure if that puts me in the "responsible home-owners" category or in the "give up now because your life is super boring" category. Haha! But nevertheless, I am super excited about my ceiling fans. ^_^

The whole story is pretty long, but to boil it down for you: when we moved into the townhouse, I wanted to add more ceiling fans... because I was raised in the South and all rooms need fans, I guess.  (I don't ask why.)  So, for the past 2years I have been on the hunt for fans, but have never really committed to anything specific. I did pick out a few models that I liked, but never could get over the huge price tag of buying three fans at once. Well, over the holiday weekend, I went online with the purest intentions of showing Mom what I had picked out, and what should pop up but the big SALE banner. Of course it was for the fans, and of course it ended within 24 hours. I was not planning on buying fans this weekend, but when the sale saved me more than $100, how could I resist? So I surprised John by leaving for the weekend with a small duffel bag and coming home with three ceiling fans.

I am actually surprised that John has been so gung ho about installing them. I guess he recognizes Crazy when he sees it and wants to avoid Angry Fan-less Crazy. (I've always known he is smart.)  We did have some adventures in the attic that lead me towards a deep hatred of blown insulation. (Scene-- John: "Just step on the studs." Anne: "WHERE THE HELL ARE THE STUDS?! EVERYTHING IS COVERED IN 8inches OF CRAP!") And we realized a long time ago that the builders/ previous owners love dimmer switches and that CFL bulbs hate them, but recently found that apparently ceiling fans hate dimmers, too. The first fan was making awful noises until we got the switch swapped out, and I was quite grumpy until we got it fixed.

Well, we did manage to get the second fan up tonight, which leaves us only with the fan that goes in the basement (which we need a ladder to install because the ceiling is much taller).  I am very pleased and hope that this will cut down on the "pockets" of dead air we get in our house.  I have definitely noticed that air is hard to move through a skinny, tall house.  We have several dead spots that don't circulate very well.  But hopefully, no more!

Nerd Rock!

Get your nerd on!  ...  I found this band, Kirby Krackle, from a fellow nerd online and think it's hysterical!!  If you know anything about gaming, comics, or general geekiness, listen to some of their songs.  Dooooo it!  Do it now!

If you want to read the lyrics, go here.  How can you not love self-titled "nerd rock"?

Thor

I was able to drag John out of the house and to the movie theater yesterday so I could see "Thor."  I know, I know, it's a bad movie, but it was enjoyable and I love super heroes.  :)   There are numerous reviews out there, so not to bore you, I will sum it all up quickly:  it was stupid & fun & I can't wait for more shirtless Chris Hemsworth ... wait, I mean, the Avengers movie.   ;)

No, really, I am a comic book dork, but I just don't know enough about Marvel's Thor mythology to get picky about details.  I could have written you a thesis paper when Batman Begins came out, but I really don't know enough about Thor to say anything.  .... The movie did have about 30 seconds of Sleipnir, so that made me happy.  And I always love Anthony Hopkins.  But other than issues I have with the movie industry as a whole*, I don't really have any witty review that isn't out on the internet already.

* Specifically, why do we need to zoom in so close on a person's face that we can see their eye-boogers?  Or the fact that more CGI shiny lights and swooshes do NOT make a movie better?  Or how about investing in a steady-cam for the fight scenes so we can actually see what is happening?  Or at the end of the movie, how did Natalie Portman suddenly grow 8inches so she could kiss him easily?  ... Okay, okay, maybe that last one stems more from my personal life of dating someone 10inches taller than me.  But the fact still remains, short girls cannot kiss tall boys without the boy exerting a lot of effort to squat down!  (getting off my soap box of craziness) Anyways....

What I do want to talk about today is the movie previews we saw.  Now, I like going to the movies, but I LOVE movie trailers.  (There's a "show" on some DirecTV channel that is simply 30min of movie trailers!  How awesome is that?!)  And I was pleasantly surprised that there were mostly good trailers for what is coming up this summer.  Not to say that there are pieces of poopoo, too, but I like the surge of comic book movies coming out now.

Cowboys & Aliens  - AWESOME!  How can you go wrong with cowboys & aliens?  Wait for it... There's Daniel Craig & Harrison Ford starring.  (squeee!)

Immortals - Pile of poopoo.  They are trying to capitalize on the success of 300, Clash of the Titans, and Spartacus and make another Greek "mythology" movie.  This one's about Theseus, but I saw not a single image of a minotaur anywhere.  (Angry at it already)

Green Lantern - MORE AWESOME!  Not to get too dorky on you, but I have reservations about this movie that are balanced out by how much I absolutely love Ryan Reynolds.  I prefer Kyle as GL, but I think Ryan Reynolds will make Hal Jordan likable.  How can you not laugh at, "Oath? Well, everyone knows the oath... I pledge allegiance / to the ring / that I got from a dying purple alien..."

Super 8 - Not sure what exactly is going on in this movie.  I would have sworn that it was an M. Night Shyamalan movie from watching the trailer (it's not).  You know how he never really shows you what it happening, but there is a bunch of crazy stuff and maybe monsters, and chaos. Not cool.

Captain America - EVEN MORE AWESOME!  Again, they are taking "not my favorite superhero" and combining it with "actors I really like."  It's almost as if they are catering to me personally.  :)   I am really hoping that there is some "Sergeant Logan" he runs with in the War, just as a nod to X-Men history.  (Hey, "Mr Stark" flipped the switch on the gizmo that changed him, why can't we have Logan, too?)

Colombiana - More poopoo.  I can tell you the entire plot in a few words from the trailer: "From those who brought you La Femme Nikita."  It's basically a Hispanic Nikita kicking butt. Nothing new or interesting at all.


I've already told John to prepare himself for taking me to numerous bad movies this summer.  AND I'M GOING TO LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF IT!!!   :D   (breathing into paper bag to calm hyperventilations)

Wall o' Yarn

I decided to finally get organized about my yarn stash and (maybe) motivate myself to knit more projects and buy less yarn.  I have a few under-bed storage boxes that hold all my yarn, but I've never seen the whole stash in one place... and therefore, I've yet to realize exactly HOW MUCH yarn I've got.  :(   Well, I got a bulletin board to shove that reality in my face each day.  I've got it all sorted into "yarn with patterns attached," "projects in some stage of completion," and "good yarn with no pattern."  I also organized the actual piles of yarn to condense and better sort what I've got.  I think I am satisfied with what I've got... I definitely have a lot on my plate!  So, I'm logging off the computer and back to the needles for me!!  :)

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Happy Mother's Day!

At my own mother's request, I will post some pictures here.  She wanted to see my fabrics and didn't feel like hunting through my Flickr account, I guess.  (Don't worry, Flickr is a bit unwieldy if you are looking for a specific picture.  Great for browsing, though.)  LOVE YOU, MOM!  Here you go:

The first batch of bags I made...

The fabric I got the first time to the store...

The fabric I got the other day....

Purses

I have had a few requests for the pattern for the Thirty-One skirt purse slipcovers, and honestly, I have been trying to figure out where the boundary of copyright infringement lies.  I know I joked about that earlier, but I don't wan to be helping people hurt a company that I like.  If you are going to make a few covers for yourself, maybe some as a gift, I have no problems with you using my pattern.  However, there will be a special hell waiting for you if you use my pattern to sell covers on eBay.  I do not allow permission for that.  I personally do not own this pattern, nor do I make money off of it; neither should you!  (end of legal disclaimer)

Admittedly, this pattern is pretty fast and loose.  I opened the seams of a skirt cover that I bought, and then traced it out on paper before transferring to the PVC.  I really do just wing it each time I make a new cover.  (Sorry to those who were expecting detailed instructions.)  But, I've measured out my pattern for you, and it should be fairly easy to recreate onto your own piece of paper.

I know not all the measurements add up (since when does 14.75 + 1.75 + 1.75 = 18?!), but that is what my pattern says.  Don't worry about it; the seam allowances are pretty big (more like 3/8in than 1/4in) and it doesn't have to be a perfect fit.  (The small black dashes in the corners in the picture are the seam allowances.)  I often trim the cover down a bit to make it more snug on the purse; I don't like it to be baggy.

Extra Notes:  I have found that plain ol' quilters cotton (such pretty patterns!) works well with fusible interfacing on the backside.  A stiffer material is easier to form into the right shape and also will be more durable and long-lasting.  I also haven't added any hook/ bars fasteners to my covers.  I try to make the top opening a little snug and just count on the magic of friction to keep it on.  (I also don't feel like going through a pack of fasteners for each cover.)

Basic Instructions:
1. Sew bottom seam.
2. Sew up side seams.
3. Fold bottom corners and sew seams.  Congratulations! You now have a basic bag!
* Check for fit on your bag - adjust side seams if cover is "baggy."  Measure how "tall" your cover is on the purse; you may need to cut down the top corners if they are too high.
4. Fold (tiny!) seam allowances in top corners and sew seams around notched corner
* Check for fit again.  Measure how much to fold top seam down.
5. Fold top and sew seam.  Run second line of stitching for strength.
6. Add bars (4 on each side) if desired.

Question...

Do I have a sign on my back that says, "Take my stuff"?  I cannot remember a time when I had something stolen from me* in more than a quarter century on this earth (*a time when I know it was stolen, not just when I misplaced it and thought someone took it), and yet in the last three weeks, I've had my credit card number stolen and now someone at the gym took my headphones.  I'm pretty pissed off to say the least. 

And I'm not mad because of the financial reasons of having to replace the stolen items... because I haven't really lost anything of great value; I don't have to replace a TV or a car.  But that is exactly why I'm mad: who really goes out of their way to steal low-in-value items?  I mean, a pair of nice headphones can be had for only $20; if you're pinching pennies, I think Wal-Mart stocks some for $10 (They actually have some for $7.11).  So, seriously? A whopping eight dollars after tax?  If that person at the gym today came up to me and asked for money to buy headphones, I probably would have given him some.  But no.  The jackass has to take mine, now I get to spend the time and effort to replace them.  Was he purposefully thinking of inconveniencing me?


Additional information that makes the situation even more confusing:
--The thief at the gym moved aside my prescription sunglasses and unplugged the headphones from my smart phone in order to take them.  Really?  You passed over two expensive items to steal a pair of headphones? 
--Would you take someone else's IN THE EAR headphones?  I mean, that's a little gross. I'm not saying that my ears are full of crusty nastiness, but I wouldn't want to stick something in my ear that has been in someone else's ear. (blech!)
--I live in s VERY strong Christian town and my headphones were taken from the YMCA.  Is there a special hell for people who break a Commandment... in the Bible Belt... while in a building with "Christian" in the name?  Just askin'.



.... I WANT TO FEEL SAFE AGAIN, YOU JERKS!! I want to think that there are good people in the world and that not EVERYbody is out to get what they can, no matter what happens to others.  I want to believe that I can leave my stuff in a cubby at the gym and not get ripped off.  I want to think that people are good and nice and friendly, and that they are not two-faced, selfish bastards.  And most importantly, I want to kick the headphone thief right in the nuts!  (Or, not to be sexist, I want to pop the female thief right on the nose.)

Baking Extravaganza!

If I've learned anything while working at a school, is that teachers love to feed people.  It feels like we have snackies / luncheons / treats all the time.   :)   The last luncheon we had was a pot-luck dessert luncheon; but several of us in our office were leery about the number of rich chocolate cakes we would be having, so we set out to find a "healthy-ish" dessert recipe to bring.  I volunteered to do the baking, but this turned out to be a really easy (and really yummy!) recipe, so I'd thought I'd share it.  It's an amalgamation of several similar recipes, so I'm not sure quite what to call it.  If you think of a catchy name, please let me know!

 Cream Cheese Fruit Dessert Pizza

• 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
• 4 ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 pkg.(16.5 oz.) refrigerated sliceable sugar cookies, sliced   (**You can always make your own sugar cookies. I normally hate the ready-made cookie dough, but this time around I was short on time and used the "break and bake" cookies.)
• 4 cups assorted cut-up fruit (kiwi, strawberries, blueberries, drained canned mandarin oranges, bananas, raspberries, blackberries, etc.)
• 1 16-ounce can sliced light peaches, drained (reserve juice)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/3 cup sugar

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut cookie dough into slices and arrange on a 12-inch pizza pan, coated with non-stick spray. Press slices together to form a solid crust. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until golden. Crust is done when edges begin to brown.

**You can also alter the "shape" of your pizza by how you make the cookies.  I was taking my recipe to a potluck, so I kept the individual cookies as single servings instead of forming a big pizza that would need to be cut apart.

Beat cream cheese until smooth; add sugar and whipped topping. Spread evenly over cooled crust. Top with fruit.

Combine 1/2 cup reserved peach juice, 1/3 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Cook until thick. Drizzle over pizza and chill.  (**I didn't do this part due to time restrictions, and my fruit browned overnight.  I think the peach juice will help prevent that.)

Makes 8 servings of fruit dessert pizza.

I also tried a "savory" version of the recipe, using a tube of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (they come in a big sheet now, too) in case the sugar cookies were too sweet... I'm not fond of them.  I don't know if it was the dough (the sheet of Crescent Rolls was not equal to normal Crescent rolls, boooo!) or what exactly, but it seemed to get soggy and un-appealing fairly quickly.  It was still good, don't get me wrong, but the fruit on sugar cookies was SO GOOD that the rolls never stood a chance.

Overall, this recipe is super fast and easy -- the only real "cooking" you do is 15min of baking sugar cookies and cutting up a lot of fruit.  Of course, you all know me, the time-consuming part for me was arranging the fruit to me mathematically precise and pretty.    ^_^    Cut to my kitchen:  Me, humming happily, "Strawberry here, then a banana, then strawberry, then bana-- DARNIT! FIT BANANA! GET IN THERE! ... lalala,then another strawberry...."

Craftiness!

I finally got Mother to stand still long enough in her sweater so I could take a picture of it.  I made this about 2 years ago, as one of my first "garments that isn't a hat or scarf."  I was determined that it would fit her and be gorgeous... so needless to say, I was not happy at her losing weight while I was knitting!  I ripped this sweater apart so many times it was ridiculous.  So! I am happy to finally post a picture.

Blue Heron Yarns, Egyptian Mercerized Cotton (2,000yds / skein) Color: Canyon

Knitting Pure & Simple #257, Split Neck T-Shirt for Women
Raveled here.

And because they are so easy to make, I've churned out a few more 31 Skirt Purses!  I feel so good about myself that this is working as I envisioned it!  Normally, my craft projects don't go NEARLY so well.

Finished #2!

SQUEEEEEE!  I've finally finished a project!  I've got three others sitting on the coffee table, ranging from 60% to 90% done, but my "Finishing ADHD" is kicking in and I just can't seem to get anything completed!I even pulled out a skein of "gift yarn" the other day and have been staring at it, trying to convince myself to finish old projects before I begin new ones.  I'm such a mess... Though today I put on a determined face and started with the one that needed the least effort to complete it.  Even though I underestimated how much effort was needed to attach the brim and buttons (namely, re-knitting the brim to fit my new PVC insert), it only took me a little while to get everything attached as it needed to be.

This is only my second project finished this year, so I am admittedly behind on my "12 Projects in 12 Months" goal.  But!  Like I said, I have others that are very close to finished, so I am still optimistic about being able to catch up and get 12 projects done this year.

I'm particularly fond of the buttons.

Cabled Chapeau
Stitch Nation By Debbie Stoller

Bernat Satin (arcylic) 200yds per skein 

color #1101, Plum Mist Heather 

ARRRGGHH!

I was so mad yesterday I was not fit to talk to!  It all started Thursday at the optometrist's when my credit card was declined.  I was confused, but the lady said that their credit card machine doesn't always accept Credit Union cards.  Weird, but whatever.  Then, yesterday I was running errands and my card was declined again!  The cashier was very nice about it, but I was financially embarrassed and getting a little annoyed.  Once time is a freak accident, but twice is becoming a pattern.  So, I called the bank and the customer service lady politely explained that there was a fraudulent charge and they canceled my card.  Way to let me know, bank!!  Thanks a lot for your prompt communication... three weeks after the fraud, I have to call you to figure out why I have no more credit card.   >:(

I can only get so angry at the bank because she told me that the fraudulent charge was for the Tahiti Club (motel) in Indiana.... so someone did steal my card number and then tried to check into a sleazy motel with it.  Gah!  Now, I have to go to every Internet account where I have a credit card saved and change it, re-enter the bills that post to my credit card, and (worst of all) memorize a new number!  I've had my credit card number memorized for the longest time and it was so nice.  Now I have to change everything because of some schmuck who wanted a free stay at the Tahiti Club!  I'd really love to meet this guy and kick him hard right in the naughty bits!!

The plus side, I guess, is that I can't spend any money for the next 7-10 days while I wait for the new card to arrive.  That, and my bank was able to protect me from a fraudulent charge.  Not much of a consolation, but I'm trying to find the silver lining in all of this.

Going Underground!

For those of you that don't know, there has been a recent infectious fungus up & down the East Coast (from Canada to the Carolinas) that is decimating the bat populations.  Scientists are working very hard to figure out how White Nose Syndrome is killing the bats, how it is spreading, and how we can stop it.  This has been a major concern for the speleological society because WNS kills up to 100% of the bat population that it reaches.  Little Brown Bats (the most common species we see around here) have mortality rates over 90%.  :(   For several years now, entire cave systems have been shut down to prevent humans spreading WNS between caves to new bat populations.  However, regulations have been created that will allow cave entrance once again (YAY!), providing there is strict cleaning and disinfecting of gear between cave trips. 

(UPDATE:  WNS has been confirmed as far west as Ohio and Kentucky within the last few months!)

Obviously, the Girl Scout caving program has suffered because of WNS.  We have been shut down for about three years now, but the new cleaning regulations are allowing us to start trips once again.  Of course, we are essentially rebuilding the program from scratch:  we had to re-establish contact with the cave owners and see who was allowing visitors; our girl members have scattered to the winds (as well as some adults); and, as luck would have it, our main recruiting workshop event was canceled this year due to bad weather.  All this resulted in a trip this weekend with 12 girls and 25 adults.  Haha!!  All of us adults were so excited that we ALL signed up even though there were not enough girls.

First - The Bad News- My group of girls was supposed to be the "Junior Staff in Training" group.... the girls who are old enough & experienced enough to help the younger girls.  Usually, at full capacity, each group of cavers has 2 adults, 1 junior staff, and about 5 girls.  However, my girls are nowhere near responsible enough to help lead others.  There was little motivation, exploration, or personal responsibility seen all weekend.  That's not to say they didn't have fun; but they would have had probably as much fun in the mall back home.  It didn't matter to them that they were in a cave at all.  :( 

Now, The Good News:
1. Got to see the "second family" once again.  There were even some of the now-college girls that came back!  (That's Mom's favorite part about our caving program: you get to see the girls mature from bratty 12-year-olds to responsible junior staff & college ladies.)

We had a retroactive high school graduation ceremony for them since they missed it.  Each spring, the soon-to-be-graduates get caving mortarboards and a ceremony.

2.  In the adventures to get permission to enter caves again, we actually got some "new" caves opened up to us.  My group went into Norman on Friday.... and Norman has been closed to the public for about 10years!!  I haven't been in it since *I* was a girl in the program.  I even made the brave leap to take my camera in with me and got some good pictures.

The funny thing about the picture of the water dripping into a rimstone pool is that I have (somewhere) the exact same picture from 10years ago!  Haha!  Some things just stay the same I guess.

3.  On Saturday, my group went into Lost World Caverns, owned by friends of ours.  The front section of the cave is made into a commercial tour with lights and handrails and such, but the back part is open for "wild" tours.  Unfortunately, my camera pooped out on me and died that morning, so I have no pictures of that GORGEOUS cave. Seriously, if you are ever in Lewisburg, WV, go check out Lost World.  It is sooooooo pretty!

4.  I got new toys to try out this trip!  Now that I am a adult on these trips, I have to carry more supplies and emergency gear.  My old pack is still usable, but just not big enough, so I upgraded my pack.  I also got a hose to connect to my Platypus water packs to try a "hydration system" rather than just water bottles.  Then, I used the rainy weather as an excuse to wear my cute new rain boots!  Squee!  Overall, everything worked splendidly for me and I really liked all the changes!  (However, the downside to having a sippy-hose for your water is that you drink more and really stress your bladder by the end of the day!)