Last night, I started the heel flap on the zebra sock.
When it's hot out, Miss Katie does what she does best.
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Last day for the home girls
KnightStar is on his way home, and Katie and I are enjoying our last few hours of leisure. (Leisure, my ***. I've been cleaning.) (OK, so I've also been watching Mythbusters.)
Last night, I started the heel flap on the zebra sock.
When it's hot out, Miss Katie does what she does best.
Last night, I started the heel flap on the zebra sock.
When it's hot out, Miss Katie does what she does best.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Ow.
I thought about using "Ow" for my title yesterday, but I'm glad I saved it.
Today, everything between my shins and my mouth hurt from the CPR training. As luck would have it, today was when my company had their massage therapist in for chair massages. I counted my quarters and scheduled an appointment.
She zeroed right in on my right shoulder and gave it a hefty workout. "It may hurt for a day or so," she said. Sweet jeebus. I got home and started doing normal things, like washing dishes and working a crossword puzzle, and I can barely move. Even watching TV hurts.
I hope I can find enough pillows to get into a comfortable position for sleeping.
Sorry for the whining. Maybe I will feel all better tomorrow.
Today, everything between my shins and my mouth hurt from the CPR training. As luck would have it, today was when my company had their massage therapist in for chair massages. I counted my quarters and scheduled an appointment.
She zeroed right in on my right shoulder and gave it a hefty workout. "It may hurt for a day or so," she said. Sweet jeebus. I got home and started doing normal things, like washing dishes and working a crossword puzzle, and I can barely move. Even watching TV hurts.
I hope I can find enough pillows to get into a comfortable position for sleeping.
Sorry for the whining. Maybe I will feel all better tomorrow.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
No good deed goes unpunished
I took my annual CPR recertification today. It was mostly uneventful, although there have been some changes in the procedures since last year.
One thing hasn't changed - the hands-on part of the class is strenuous, even more so than in the past. I was already a little achy from some work I did around the house yesterday, and now my neck and shoulders are positively sore. My surgeon told me last month that I may continue to have occasional aches around the surgical site for several months, and it turns out that performing CPR will bring that out, as well.
If that is not enough - I came home with a battle scar - a nice little bruise.
If I popped a vessel for a rubber dummy, imagine what I might do in the event of an actual emergency.
One thing hasn't changed - the hands-on part of the class is strenuous, even more so than in the past. I was already a little achy from some work I did around the house yesterday, and now my neck and shoulders are positively sore. My surgeon told me last month that I may continue to have occasional aches around the surgical site for several months, and it turns out that performing CPR will bring that out, as well.
If that is not enough - I came home with a battle scar - a nice little bruise.
If I popped a vessel for a rubber dummy, imagine what I might do in the event of an actual emergency.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Bachelor girls
KnightStar is off exploring the galaxy, so Katie and I are home alone for a bit. The side of me that misses him has a poem in the Piker Press this week. I wish I could say it was a heartfelt outpouring of my feelings, but in fact, I wrote it several days before he left. I am taking the poetry class and Barnes and Noble University, and this poem grew out of a challenge posted in the clubhouse. I knew he was going on his trip, though, and that certainly affected the direction of the poem.
Saturday, I got up early and went to Sergeant Bluff for the prequel to RAGBRAI, the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa, which started Sunday. I helped sell newspaper souvenir packs and hand out t-shirts. It was warm, but not blisteringly so, and we had a nice breeze most of the time. Still, it was a long day, about 20 hours from the time I got up until I crawled back into bed.
Tonight: Change the cat litter and take out the garbage (usually KnightStar's job.)
Tomorrow: Finally catching up with the CPR training I was supposed to have May 31, the day I had surgery.
Saturday, I got up early and went to Sergeant Bluff for the prequel to RAGBRAI, the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa, which started Sunday. I helped sell newspaper souvenir packs and hand out t-shirts. It was warm, but not blisteringly so, and we had a nice breeze most of the time. Still, it was a long day, about 20 hours from the time I got up until I crawled back into bed.
Tonight: Change the cat litter and take out the garbage (usually KnightStar's job.)
Tomorrow: Finally catching up with the CPR training I was supposed to have May 31, the day I had surgery.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Nature report
Item: Today was cooler, and tomorrow is supposed to be cooler still. As hot as it has been here, our friends in Kansas and California and Nebraska have it much worse.
Item: When I came home from work, I heard little peeps from the finch nest. I think we finally have babies.
Item: Last night, KnightStar rummaged around the kitchen until he found an old cottage cheese container. Then he took it to the sink and started filling it with water.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"It's been hot," he replied. "Chuckie probably needs water."
I'm not the only softy around here.
Item: When I came home from work, I heard little peeps from the finch nest. I think we finally have babies.
Item: Last night, KnightStar rummaged around the kitchen until he found an old cottage cheese container. Then he took it to the sink and started filling it with water.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"It's been hot," he replied. "Chuckie probably needs water."
I'm not the only softy around here.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
RIP Woody
I was doing dishes this morning when I heard a woman shrieking outside. I looked out the window, expecting to see kids misbehaving or a creepy boyfriend trying to be macho. But no.
Instead, I saw someone from down the street was walking her two dogs - and one of the dogs had Woody in his mouth, shaking him.
She finally got the dog to put Woody down, and got both of the dogs away and back home. One of the other neighbors and I went outside a few minutes later when the dog's owner came came back to pick up the deceased. Apparently Woody broke away a couple of times, but the dog probably broke his neck the third time.
Just a couple of days ago, our next door neighbor and I were talking about the groundhogs. They hang around in his backyard a lot, and he was wondering what kind of food he could put out for them. (He's a tender-hearted guy who has also protected baby bunnies from sneaky cats.) I have never seen all three of them out of hiding at the same time, but he has, and said it was one adult and two babies.
He thought one of the babies was crippled, because it seemed to have trouble moving its hind legs. Terry and I had also noticed that one of them didn't move very fast. That's the same one in the picture on the link above. When the others ran home, they hid. Woody would waddle under the shed when he spotted us, and then turn around and stick his little white nose out to look at us. We saw him doing that yesterday, in fact.
Until I see the other two, I won't know which one the dog got, but I have to think it would be the curious and slow-moving one. I'll miss seeing the little guy.
I learned something else this morning, too. Knowing it was going to be hot today, I called Animal Control to report there was a dead animal on the sidewalk. The dispatcher told me "they only come out for domesticated. You'll probably have to throw it away yourself." With all their protective gear, they won't come near a dead groundhog on a public sidewalk, but they expect me to pick it up with my kitchen tongs and throw it in the trash, where it will sit for three days until the next garbage pickup. If a rabid fox stalks your kid's swingset, you better hope Atticus Finch is around to put him down.
Instead, I saw someone from down the street was walking her two dogs - and one of the dogs had Woody in his mouth, shaking him.
She finally got the dog to put Woody down, and got both of the dogs away and back home. One of the other neighbors and I went outside a few minutes later when the dog's owner came came back to pick up the deceased. Apparently Woody broke away a couple of times, but the dog probably broke his neck the third time.
Just a couple of days ago, our next door neighbor and I were talking about the groundhogs. They hang around in his backyard a lot, and he was wondering what kind of food he could put out for them. (He's a tender-hearted guy who has also protected baby bunnies from sneaky cats.) I have never seen all three of them out of hiding at the same time, but he has, and said it was one adult and two babies.
He thought one of the babies was crippled, because it seemed to have trouble moving its hind legs. Terry and I had also noticed that one of them didn't move very fast. That's the same one in the picture on the link above. When the others ran home, they hid. Woody would waddle under the shed when he spotted us, and then turn around and stick his little white nose out to look at us. We saw him doing that yesterday, in fact.
Until I see the other two, I won't know which one the dog got, but I have to think it would be the curious and slow-moving one. I'll miss seeing the little guy.
I learned something else this morning, too. Knowing it was going to be hot today, I called Animal Control to report there was a dead animal on the sidewalk. The dispatcher told me "they only come out for domesticated. You'll probably have to throw it away yourself." With all their protective gear, they won't come near a dead groundhog on a public sidewalk, but they expect me to pick it up with my kitchen tongs and throw it in the trash, where it will sit for three days until the next garbage pickup. If a rabid fox stalks your kid's swingset, you better hope Atticus Finch is around to put him down.
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Mea culpa
I've been a bad blogger this week, but I have an excuse. I signed up to take the poetry writing class at Barnes and Noble University. I tried taking the same class it last year, but my vacation to Waythehelloutthere, Nebraska fell right in the middle of it, and I never finished.
This time, I am trying hard to keep up with the assignments, and so far, so good. I've already written three poems that I would rate "Good enough that Aser is going to plotz when she reads them", have started on a fourth, and am thinking about the fifth and sixth. Some of the assignments don't really seem to be up my alley, but I still try them, and hey bingo! They work out.
Wednesday was six weeks since I had surgery, and I'm finally feeling like my old self again. Back in the old days, major surgery like this was an automatic six weeks recuperation at home, and I can see why. This week was the first time I could wear pantyhose or zippered pants without wanting to claw them off my body by the time I got home from work. Of course, back in those days, a burst appendix (which is what the doctor thought I had, although I didn't) was a short road to a tragically early death. I've said it before - it's not perfect, but I still like modern times.
This time, I am trying hard to keep up with the assignments, and so far, so good. I've already written three poems that I would rate "Good enough that Aser is going to plotz when she reads them", have started on a fourth, and am thinking about the fifth and sixth. Some of the assignments don't really seem to be up my alley, but I still try them, and hey bingo! They work out.
Wednesday was six weeks since I had surgery, and I'm finally feeling like my old self again. Back in the old days, major surgery like this was an automatic six weeks recuperation at home, and I can see why. This week was the first time I could wear pantyhose or zippered pants without wanting to claw them off my body by the time I got home from work. Of course, back in those days, a burst appendix (which is what the doctor thought I had, although I didn't) was a short road to a tragically early death. I've said it before - it's not perfect, but I still like modern times.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
At the picnic
DMAS had their annual picnic yesterday. This year, they had a joint meeting with the Central Iowa Mineral Society. I thought that seemed like an odd pairing - stargazers and rockhounds - but it turned out to be pretty entertaining. Both groups are interested in how things came to be the way they are.
When we pulled into the parking lot, we saw a couple of rabbits enjoying their own dinners. They obligingly stayed put while I sneaked around with the camera, trying to get closer. This one, the larger one, had a nice white cottontail.
This one was smaller. Terry called it "that scwewy widdle wabbit."
It's a little hard to see, but that one is munching on some greenery. Click on the closeup to see it even larger.
I didn't have any road-ready knitting, so I grabbed a new ball of sock yarn and some needles to take along. This is Opal's Zebra stripe yarn. Not the most exciting as far as color changes go, but it was nice and meditative, and I got a couple of inches done.
Warning! Warning! It's just a month until Stitches Midwest. We are expecting to have six KnitWits there, plus a friend of a KnitWit who is flying in. Plus Terry. No, he is not going to Stitches, but he is going to come to Chicago for a long weekend. I've printed out the Market floor plan, and have located the places that I remember from last year, in that "I like X that I got there, but I really wish I had also bought Y." I'll be shopping for the Ys next.
When we pulled into the parking lot, we saw a couple of rabbits enjoying their own dinners. They obligingly stayed put while I sneaked around with the camera, trying to get closer. This one, the larger one, had a nice white cottontail.
This one was smaller. Terry called it "that scwewy widdle wabbit."
It's a little hard to see, but that one is munching on some greenery. Click on the closeup to see it even larger.
I didn't have any road-ready knitting, so I grabbed a new ball of sock yarn and some needles to take along. This is Opal's Zebra stripe yarn. Not the most exciting as far as color changes go, but it was nice and meditative, and I got a couple of inches done.
Warning! Warning! It's just a month until Stitches Midwest. We are expecting to have six KnitWits there, plus a friend of a KnitWit who is flying in. Plus Terry. No, he is not going to Stitches, but he is going to come to Chicago for a long weekend. I've printed out the Market floor plan, and have located the places that I remember from last year, in that "I like X that I got there, but I really wish I had also bought Y." I'll be shopping for the Ys next.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
July 5, 1996
5:00 PM...
and 10:00 PM.
To this day, we still believe that the only good part about dressing up is when you can finally take off your shoes.
and 10:00 PM.
To this day, we still believe that the only good part about dressing up is when you can finally take off your shoes.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Fun on the Fourth
No work today - that's fun. (For me, anyway. KnightStar is slaving away.)
A barbecue with the KnitWits - that's going to be fun. (KnightStar is also having a barbecue at work. Apparently, they actually have a grill at his office. Man. My company only has a popcorn machine.)
Digging through my mom's recipe box for my favorite Jello salad recipe - that was fun. I'm not a big fan of Jello, but I like this one because it has lots of fruit, and pecans, and a layer of sour cream in the middle, and hardly any Jello at all - just enough to hold it together.
Looking through patterns, trying to decide what to knit next - that's fun. I may finally cast on the fraternal twin mate to the unfortunate sock.
Seeing what Katie usually does with her day while I am at work - that's fun. She was too quick, and I wasn't able to get a picture of her chasing her tail around like a kitten. When she slowed down, though, I was able to catch her sitting in her bird blind.
A barbecue with the KnitWits - that's going to be fun. (KnightStar is also having a barbecue at work. Apparently, they actually have a grill at his office. Man. My company only has a popcorn machine.)
Digging through my mom's recipe box for my favorite Jello salad recipe - that was fun. I'm not a big fan of Jello, but I like this one because it has lots of fruit, and pecans, and a layer of sour cream in the middle, and hardly any Jello at all - just enough to hold it together.
Looking through patterns, trying to decide what to knit next - that's fun. I may finally cast on the fraternal twin mate to the unfortunate sock.
Seeing what Katie usually does with her day while I am at work - that's fun. She was too quick, and I wasn't able to get a picture of her chasing her tail around like a kitten. When she slowed down, though, I was able to catch her sitting in her bird blind.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Felting Party
The KnitWits, miffed because their usual Friday night hangout has adopted "summer hours" and closes at 10:00 PM, decided to meet at Amy's last night for a felting party. Four of us had items ready to be felted. I had the Booga Bag and Felted Bowl.
They are both upside down here, being shaped while they dry.
This was my second attempt at felting Noro Kureyon, and I had the same experience as the first time. Thus, here is my Kureyon felting tip: You can wash the bejeebers out of it, and it will felt some, but not quite enough. Take it out of the washer and let it sit overnight while you fret about what you are going to do with it. The next day, decide to give it one last chance. Throw it back in the washer for about five minutes, and it will felt right up.
Amy had a skein of yarn that caught my eye. It is space-dyed with light blue, medium purple, and light greenish-yellow. We all passed it around and discussed what one might make with it. Eventually, it landed in my lap, and I brought it home and wound it up. I forgot to take a picture of it in the skein, but here it is on the swift.
And on the ball winder.
[Non-knitter glossary: The most traditional way of organzing yarn is in a skein, or a big loop. It's hard to knit directly from a skein, though, because it would be all spread out and the yarn would get tangled and the cats would attack it. For easier knitting, the yarn is wound into balls.
[In the first picture, the skein is on a swift. This swift opens like an umbrella to hold the yarn firmly, and spins so the yarn feeds off evenly. The second picture shows the yarn being wound onto a ball winder, which produces a compact biscuit of yarn that won't roll away.
[You don't absolutely need these tools - I remember hold skeins of yarn on my outstretched 8-year-old hands while my mother wound balls by hand - but they sure are nice.]
Yarns that are dyed like this always look much different when they are wound into balls, and they look much more like they will actually appear when knitted. Here it is in natural light, with my day lilies in the background.
I'll take it to our next gathering for everyone's continuing perusal and planning.
On the other side of my porch, I have some little roses.
They are both upside down here, being shaped while they dry.
This was my second attempt at felting Noro Kureyon, and I had the same experience as the first time. Thus, here is my Kureyon felting tip: You can wash the bejeebers out of it, and it will felt some, but not quite enough. Take it out of the washer and let it sit overnight while you fret about what you are going to do with it. The next day, decide to give it one last chance. Throw it back in the washer for about five minutes, and it will felt right up.
Amy had a skein of yarn that caught my eye. It is space-dyed with light blue, medium purple, and light greenish-yellow. We all passed it around and discussed what one might make with it. Eventually, it landed in my lap, and I brought it home and wound it up. I forgot to take a picture of it in the skein, but here it is on the swift.
And on the ball winder.
[Non-knitter glossary: The most traditional way of organzing yarn is in a skein, or a big loop. It's hard to knit directly from a skein, though, because it would be all spread out and the yarn would get tangled and the cats would attack it. For easier knitting, the yarn is wound into balls.
[In the first picture, the skein is on a swift. This swift opens like an umbrella to hold the yarn firmly, and spins so the yarn feeds off evenly. The second picture shows the yarn being wound onto a ball winder, which produces a compact biscuit of yarn that won't roll away.
[You don't absolutely need these tools - I remember hold skeins of yarn on my outstretched 8-year-old hands while my mother wound balls by hand - but they sure are nice.]
Yarns that are dyed like this always look much different when they are wound into balls, and they look much more like they will actually appear when knitted. Here it is in natural light, with my day lilies in the background.
I'll take it to our next gathering for everyone's continuing perusal and planning.On the other side of my porch, I have some little roses.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Oh, I get it
I just noted with alarm that the blog has not had any hits today, and then I realized that I have not posted for a week. Hmm, that could have something to do with it.
So - the emergency ball of yarn arrived yesterday, and winding is underway. Some of the KnitWits wanted to see my nostepinne, so I started winding on that last night. I'm here to tell you, nostepinne plus sport weight yarn plus novice winder equals a long time to wind. I'm about ready to take it off and finish winding by hand, but I hate to be defeated.
I also found a reasonable substitute to use for the Kureyon i-cord. It is now ready to be felted.
I got new glasses. Unlike previous glasses, the bifocal part is perfect, but the distance vision is a little squirrelly. I may have to take Lens Crafters up on their 30-day guarantee. But darn it, the glasses are cute. And the sunglasses are perfect.
I have poem in the Piker Press this week, Making Bread With Maslow. As Sunday evening rolled around, I realized I did not have anything on hand suitable for the Food issue, so I had to write something myself. It started out being a "bread as a metaphor for sex" poem, but I wasn't too far along before Abraham Maslow and his hierarchy of needs showed up. Go figure.
I'm walking and moving better, almost back to normal for short stretches. I've also been doing a few ab exercises. I have to be careful, though, because some of them hurt. and not in a good way.
Tonight I had a glass of wine, my first since the surgery. Like caffeine, if you don't partake very often , it doesn't take much to have an impact. Yippee!
So - the emergency ball of yarn arrived yesterday, and winding is underway. Some of the KnitWits wanted to see my nostepinne, so I started winding on that last night. I'm here to tell you, nostepinne plus sport weight yarn plus novice winder equals a long time to wind. I'm about ready to take it off and finish winding by hand, but I hate to be defeated.
I also found a reasonable substitute to use for the Kureyon i-cord. It is now ready to be felted.
I got new glasses. Unlike previous glasses, the bifocal part is perfect, but the distance vision is a little squirrelly. I may have to take Lens Crafters up on their 30-day guarantee. But darn it, the glasses are cute. And the sunglasses are perfect.
I have poem in the Piker Press this week, Making Bread With Maslow. As Sunday evening rolled around, I realized I did not have anything on hand suitable for the Food issue, so I had to write something myself. It started out being a "bread as a metaphor for sex" poem, but I wasn't too far along before Abraham Maslow and his hierarchy of needs showed up. Go figure.
I'm walking and moving better, almost back to normal for short stretches. I've also been doing a few ab exercises. I have to be careful, though, because some of them hurt. and not in a good way.
Tonight I had a glass of wine, my first since the surgery. Like caffeine, if you don't partake very often , it doesn't take much to have an impact. Yippee!
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Tragedy comes in threes
First, there was the unfortunate sock. Then, there was the abbreviated bag handle.
Now, there is the hapless gift.
I haven't photographed this project, not wanting to spoil the surprise, but I got the pattern and yarn when we went to Minneapolis a couple of months ago. It was coming along nicely, but on Saturday, I suddenly realized...
I don't have enough yarn to finish it.
I took my plight to the KnitWits, and we discussed ways we might salvage the project, including some creative striping and embroidery to disguise a different dye lot. Amy took one of the ball bands and offered to look for the yarn during her travels this week.
(Explanation for non-knitters: Most yarn has a both a color number and a dye lot number. Yarn from the same dye lot, the same batch, should match perfectly. Yarns of the same color, but from different dye lots, may appear to be the same, but can be obviously different shades when knitted up.)
Fortunately, the price sticker on the ball band had the name of the store. Yesterday, I looked up Creative Fibers on the web, found an e-mail address, and sent them a semi-hysterical message. Within and hour, I had a response - "Yes, we still have that dye lot, and we will set one aside for you." I called today, and the yarn is now on its way to me. I hope this is the beginning of a trend, with knitting problems being resolved easily.
Today was my second day back at work. Yesterday I was tired. Today I was achy. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?
Now, there is the hapless gift.
I haven't photographed this project, not wanting to spoil the surprise, but I got the pattern and yarn when we went to Minneapolis a couple of months ago. It was coming along nicely, but on Saturday, I suddenly realized...
I don't have enough yarn to finish it.
I took my plight to the KnitWits, and we discussed ways we might salvage the project, including some creative striping and embroidery to disguise a different dye lot. Amy took one of the ball bands and offered to look for the yarn during her travels this week.
(Explanation for non-knitters: Most yarn has a both a color number and a dye lot number. Yarn from the same dye lot, the same batch, should match perfectly. Yarns of the same color, but from different dye lots, may appear to be the same, but can be obviously different shades when knitted up.)
Fortunately, the price sticker on the ball band had the name of the store. Yesterday, I looked up Creative Fibers on the web, found an e-mail address, and sent them a semi-hysterical message. Within and hour, I had a response - "Yes, we still have that dye lot, and we will set one aside for you." I called today, and the yarn is now on its way to me. I hope this is the beginning of a trend, with knitting problems being resolved easily.
Today was my second day back at work. Yesterday I was tired. Today I was achy. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Restorative knitting
The KnitWits looked over the unfortunate sock from the previous post, and weighed in with their advice:
1. Knit the second sock however I want.
2a. Have "fraternal twin" socks, or
2b. Like the second well enough to rip the first one back and make it match.
Grudgingly, I admit that it sounds like a reasonable plan, but I am still not ready to cast on.
Instead, I opted for some fast 'n' easy fun knitting (felted division) this week. I made a bowl from the the One Skein book.
It's just a shade more complicated than a rolled-brim baby hat, so it is excellent mindless knitting.
Then I dug out some old Kureyon and made a Booga Bag.
I'm probably the last knitter on the planet who has not made a Booga Bag. It's extremely simple, as well, and watching the color changes in the Kureyon is fun.
I did have a problem, though. I have completely consumed the three balls of yarn, and still need about two more feet of i-cord for the handles. Gah! I hate to buy another ball of yarn just for the few yards. I've put out the call to the KnitWits to see if anyone has a dab of this colorway in their stash. If not, I will have to bite the bullet and buy some yarn.
My advice - make the handles first, then knit the bag until you run out of yarn.
In other activity this week, I got my staples out and am now being held together by tape (which is starting to fall off.) I had an eye exam and ordered new glasses. Katie had her annual vet visit and is A-OK.
Monday, I go back to work. It will be nice to be back among people again. At least, I say that today. Check with me about Wednesday to see if my opinion has changed.
1. Knit the second sock however I want.
2a. Have "fraternal twin" socks, or
2b. Like the second well enough to rip the first one back and make it match.
Grudgingly, I admit that it sounds like a reasonable plan, but I am still not ready to cast on.
Instead, I opted for some fast 'n' easy fun knitting (felted division) this week. I made a bowl from the the One Skein book.
It's just a shade more complicated than a rolled-brim baby hat, so it is excellent mindless knitting.
Then I dug out some old Kureyon and made a Booga Bag.
I'm probably the last knitter on the planet who has not made a Booga Bag. It's extremely simple, as well, and watching the color changes in the Kureyon is fun.
I did have a problem, though. I have completely consumed the three balls of yarn, and still need about two more feet of i-cord for the handles. Gah! I hate to buy another ball of yarn just for the few yards. I've put out the call to the KnitWits to see if anyone has a dab of this colorway in their stash. If not, I will have to bite the bullet and buy some yarn.
My advice - make the handles first, then knit the bag until you run out of yarn.
In other activity this week, I got my staples out and am now being held together by tape (which is starting to fall off.) I had an eye exam and ordered new glasses. Katie had her annual vet visit and is A-OK.
Monday, I go back to work. It will be nice to be back among people again. At least, I say that today. Check with me about Wednesday to see if my opinion has changed.
Thursday, June 08, 2006
The sock I try to love
I finished a sock yesterday. It's a first sock, so I don't get official "off the sticks" credit for it. It has, however, been on the sticks for at least two years, so at least it is some progress.
Here is the sock.
The yarn is fun. I've always called it the Easter Egg sock because of the spring pastels. I did it toe up, with a simple lace pattern on the leg. It looks okay, but I don't know - something about it just doesn't work for me. It fits, but I don't especially like the way it looks on my foot.
For the first time ever , I did not cast on the second sock the same day the first one came off the needles. I probably will today, unless I decide to scrap the lace, rip it out, and do plain ribbing. I just don't know what I want to do with it. Except I can see using the yarn to make baby socks. Now those would be cute.
Katie likes it, though.
Terry is off work today, so I can get my not-allowed-to-drive self out of the house for awhile. I never thought I would be so excited at the prospect of going to the mall.
Here is the sock.
The yarn is fun. I've always called it the Easter Egg sock because of the spring pastels. I did it toe up, with a simple lace pattern on the leg. It looks okay, but I don't know - something about it just doesn't work for me. It fits, but I don't especially like the way it looks on my foot.
For the first time ever , I did not cast on the second sock the same day the first one came off the needles. I probably will today, unless I decide to scrap the lace, rip it out, and do plain ribbing. I just don't know what I want to do with it. Except I can see using the yarn to make baby socks. Now those would be cute.
Katie likes it, though.
Terry is off work today, so I can get my not-allowed-to-drive self out of the house for awhile. I never thought I would be so excited at the prospect of going to the mall.
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Nurse Katie
Whenever I am away from home for a few days, Terry always reports that Katie misses me. He said she missed me when I was in the hospital, too.
So naturally, when I returned home, she welcomed me by doing all of those thoughtful things kitties do. You know, following me into the kitchen so I can give her a drink of fresh water, waiting while I haul myself out of the easy chair - so she can steal it, dashing around wildly where I am trying to walk, walking across the incision.
Hogging the ottoman so I can't put my feet up:
Her newest trick: drinking the water from my mug. She will use her paw, or she will stick her whole face in there to see if she can reach the water with her tongue.
The doctor wants me to move around while I recuperate. Since I have to go get a new cup of water whenever she does this, that may be her way of helping me after all.
So naturally, when I returned home, she welcomed me by doing all of those thoughtful things kitties do. You know, following me into the kitchen so I can give her a drink of fresh water, waiting while I haul myself out of the easy chair - so she can steal it, dashing around wildly where I am trying to walk, walking across the incision.
Hogging the ottoman so I can't put my feet up:
Her newest trick: drinking the water from my mug. She will use her paw, or she will stick her whole face in there to see if she can reach the water with her tongue.
The doctor wants me to move around while I recuperate. Since I have to go get a new cup of water whenever she does this, that may be her way of helping me after all.
Saturday, June 03, 2006
The Lost Week
I work with a management staff of four during the day. One of the four is on maternity leave. One has an unchangeable vacation next week. That left me and my boss for six days. I’ve been saying for months that we are one streetcar accident away from disaster.
I got run over by the streetcar this week.
Specifically, after a couple of days of feeling increasingly crappy, I ended up at the clinic, and then the emergency room, and then in surgery, all in the space of Wednesday afternoon. Because my incision was large and my surgery was late in the day, I got to spend two nights at the hospital. They sprung me yesterday afternoon.
And I will be off work for at least two weeks, completely encompassing my teammate’s vacation. Sorry, boss. I didn’t plan it this way, really.
Terry was off work and spent a lot of time with me, bored out of his mind, but I appreciated it. I got flowers and calls and visit from him and the KnitWits and my co-workers. (Our minister stopped by just as one of my friends was on the phone saying “WTF happened?” That was an interesting parry.) The KnitWits are already planning who can entertain me, and when, during my recuperation. I’m blessed to have good people in my life.
This morning, I woke up thinking that food sounded like a good idea. I hadn’t had any appetite before the surgery, and sure didn’t have any for most of the hospital food. (Not to be critical of the hospital cafeteria. I could tell they prepared their menus with care. Nothing tasted good to me, except the iced tea, the fruit cup and the orange, and even then I couldn’t eat more than a few bites. But really, I am curious to know how they made link sausage pasty.) I knew exactly what I wanted, so Terry drove me to McDonalds for a Sausage and Egg Biscuit. I ate the whole thing. Man, was it tasty.
Before leaving the subject of hospital stays, I would just like to say that hospital RNs are the greatest people in the world. To do what they do, day in and day out, remain professional and caring, and still treat you like you are the most important person in the world, is an amazing thing. I salute them.
I got run over by the streetcar this week.
Specifically, after a couple of days of feeling increasingly crappy, I ended up at the clinic, and then the emergency room, and then in surgery, all in the space of Wednesday afternoon. Because my incision was large and my surgery was late in the day, I got to spend two nights at the hospital. They sprung me yesterday afternoon.
And I will be off work for at least two weeks, completely encompassing my teammate’s vacation. Sorry, boss. I didn’t plan it this way, really.
Terry was off work and spent a lot of time with me, bored out of his mind, but I appreciated it. I got flowers and calls and visit from him and the KnitWits and my co-workers. (Our minister stopped by just as one of my friends was on the phone saying “WTF happened?” That was an interesting parry.) The KnitWits are already planning who can entertain me, and when, during my recuperation. I’m blessed to have good people in my life.
This morning, I woke up thinking that food sounded like a good idea. I hadn’t had any appetite before the surgery, and sure didn’t have any for most of the hospital food. (Not to be critical of the hospital cafeteria. I could tell they prepared their menus with care. Nothing tasted good to me, except the iced tea, the fruit cup and the orange, and even then I couldn’t eat more than a few bites. But really, I am curious to know how they made link sausage pasty.) I knew exactly what I wanted, so Terry drove me to McDonalds for a Sausage and Egg Biscuit. I ate the whole thing. Man, was it tasty.
Before leaving the subject of hospital stays, I would just like to say that hospital RNs are the greatest people in the world. To do what they do, day in and day out, remain professional and caring, and still treat you like you are the most important person in the world, is an amazing thing. I salute them.
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Lazy Sunday
It's Sunday. It's hot. It's humid. Terry and I are both off work, and we are being lazy.
Inside, Katie enjoys Terry's new desk, which has a lot more room where she can play.
Outside, I think I found out why the finches are hanging around so much. This is in the awning over our back door.
Terry went stargazing last night, and called me to tell me that our picture was in Sky and Telescope Magazine. The July issue has an article about the Nebraska Star Party, which we have attended a couple of times. Right there on page 102, there we are.
What - you can't see us? How about this one, then?
That's Terry on the right with the cute legs, and me on the left with no face. Directly in front of us is Allen, who brought the photo to our attention.
Please, no autographs.
Inside, Katie enjoys Terry's new desk, which has a lot more room where she can play.
Outside, I think I found out why the finches are hanging around so much. This is in the awning over our back door.
Terry went stargazing last night, and called me to tell me that our picture was in Sky and Telescope Magazine. The July issue has an article about the Nebraska Star Party, which we have attended a couple of times. Right there on page 102, there we are.
What - you can't see us? How about this one, then?
That's Terry on the right with the cute legs, and me on the left with no face. Directly in front of us is Allen, who brought the photo to our attention.
Please, no autographs.
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Groundhog census
I came home from work this afternoon to find Terry's truck in the driveway, the door to the house open, lights on, but Terry nowhere to be seen. After engaging in a little logical reasoning, I went out back to the camper. Sure enough, there he was, with a camera.
"Taking pictures of Chuckie?" I asked.
"There are three of them," he said, "at least."
He had already taken some pictures, so he gave me the camera and I took a few more.
One brave little soldier was sticking his nose out into the sunshine. Two others were sticking to the shadows on the side of the shed. See them there? I couldn't even tell it was two until I enlarged the photo and saw the ears and noses.
As with most of our Chuckie photos, these were taken through a screen window, which accounts for the ethereal glow.
Here's another picture of Woody.
It's getting hard to keep them all straight, especially when they all look alike. I think I will just call all of the adults Chuckie, and the babies Woody until they are big enough to be Chuckies.
At this very moment, Terry is attempting to post his own dueling photos on his own blog. If candid groundhog photos are your thang, go check there.
In other news, I read Jerry Seeger's short story last night before going to bed. I really liked it, but then, knowing his earlier work from the Piker Press, that doesn't surprise me. As I mentioned yesterday, I'm not really into science fiction. This story, though, is first a human story, with just enough SF to give it a twist. Well done, Jer!
"Taking pictures of Chuckie?" I asked.
"There are three of them," he said, "at least."
He had already taken some pictures, so he gave me the camera and I took a few more.
One brave little soldier was sticking his nose out into the sunshine. Two others were sticking to the shadows on the side of the shed. See them there? I couldn't even tell it was two until I enlarged the photo and saw the ears and noses.
As with most of our Chuckie photos, these were taken through a screen window, which accounts for the ethereal glow.Here's another picture of Woody.
It's getting hard to keep them all straight, especially when they all look alike. I think I will just call all of the adults Chuckie, and the babies Woody until they are big enough to be Chuckies.At this very moment, Terry is attempting to post his own dueling photos on his own blog. If candid groundhog photos are your thang, go check there.
In other news, I read Jerry Seeger's short story last night before going to bed. I really liked it, but then, knowing his earlier work from the Piker Press, that doesn't surprise me. As I mentioned yesterday, I'm not really into science fiction. This story, though, is first a human story, with just enough SF to give it a twist. Well done, Jer!
Friday, May 26, 2006
One more thing to celebrate
At Borders tonight, I saw the July issue of Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine. This issue includes the first published-for-money story by fellow Piker Jerry Seeger. It always tickles me to be able to buy something that one of my pals has written and had published, and this was no exception.
We first encountered Jerry on the NaNoWriMo boards a few years ago. He was so witty and charming, I asked if we could keep him. He admitted that he would like being kept, and that is why he is listed as "Jerry the Keeper" on my sidebar.
Even though I am not a big SF fan, I can read Jerry's stuff without my eyes going all googly. (That's a compliment, really.) I even managed to give him a brief, but thoughtful, critique of a couple of paragraphs of one of his stories recently without once saying, "What the hell are you talking about?", and he seemed to appreciate my insights.
Also, he once wrote and submitted a poem that he knew I couldn't publish, but he thought I would enjoy it just the same. How can you not like a guy like that?
Which is my way of saying, if you buy the July issue of F&SF, turn straight to page 135, and read "Memory of a Thing That Never Was".
We first encountered Jerry on the NaNoWriMo boards a few years ago. He was so witty and charming, I asked if we could keep him. He admitted that he would like being kept, and that is why he is listed as "Jerry the Keeper" on my sidebar.
Even though I am not a big SF fan, I can read Jerry's stuff without my eyes going all googly. (That's a compliment, really.) I even managed to give him a brief, but thoughtful, critique of a couple of paragraphs of one of his stories recently without once saying, "What the hell are you talking about?", and he seemed to appreciate my insights.
Also, he once wrote and submitted a poem that he knew I couldn't publish, but he thought I would enjoy it just the same. How can you not like a guy like that?
Which is my way of saying, if you buy the July issue of F&SF, turn straight to page 135, and read "Memory of a Thing That Never Was".
Rumor has it
Terry told me the other day, "We have to think of a new name for Chuckie," Chuckie being our name for our personal backyard groundhog. He has spotted a young 'un in tow, so he thinks Chuckie might be a female. I haven't even seen the baby yet, but I have already dubbed it Woody. Getting photos of the pair is our weekend art project.
Work has been a wild ride this week, and I'm not sure that has cleared up yet. I just try to remember, I get paid the same, no matter what I'm doing.
Terry got me a couple of items from my rolling gift list for my birthday Wednesday - a car radio adapter for my iPod, and an IngenuiTEA, a tea-brewing doohickey like they use at Gong Fu. My co-workers, bless them, got me two big bars of dark chocolate. Caffeine, chocolate, and music - yep, I'm good to go.
Happy birthday today to two fabulous Gemini chicks - awesome Amy of It Is What It Is, and lovely Lillian, the future overlordess of the universe. Mwah to you both - have a super day!
Work has been a wild ride this week, and I'm not sure that has cleared up yet. I just try to remember, I get paid the same, no matter what I'm doing.
Terry got me a couple of items from my rolling gift list for my birthday Wednesday - a car radio adapter for my iPod, and an IngenuiTEA, a tea-brewing doohickey like they use at Gong Fu. My co-workers, bless them, got me two big bars of dark chocolate. Caffeine, chocolate, and music - yep, I'm good to go.
Happy birthday today to two fabulous Gemini chicks - awesome Amy of It Is What It Is, and lovely Lillian, the future overlordess of the universe. Mwah to you both - have a super day!
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Our new neighbors, the Finches
These two have been hanging around our kitchen window this spring, taunting Katie with their sweet song and manageable size. She wants them in the worst way, but she is an indoor cat, and they are safely out of her reach.
They are house finches. The breed is relatively new to these parts, first seen in the state during the Reagan administration.
The male is a lovely rosy color.
I'm trying not to be a big ol' Broadway geek, but I know if he stays around, I will be calling him Ponty. What can I say? Young Robert Morse is hott. I have a bootleg video of Quick Before It Melts, a silly sex comedy from the 60s, that I have watched dozens of times because he so darned cute. I'll even watch A Guide For The Married Man - which I see is now available on DVD. To Borders!
But, ahem, I digress.
The female finch ("Rosemary"), in this photo shoot anyway, always has her mouth open.
Singing is good, though. I pointed these two out to Terry a few days ago, and lamented that I had not been able to get them to hold still so I could take a picture. Yesterday, he heard them singing, and dashed out with the camera to get the pictures he knew I craved. Thanks, honey!
They are house finches. The breed is relatively new to these parts, first seen in the state during the Reagan administration.
The male is a lovely rosy color.
I'm trying not to be a big ol' Broadway geek, but I know if he stays around, I will be calling him Ponty. What can I say? Young Robert Morse is hott. I have a bootleg video of Quick Before It Melts, a silly sex comedy from the 60s, that I have watched dozens of times because he so darned cute. I'll even watch A Guide For The Married Man - which I see is now available on DVD. To Borders!
But, ahem, I digress.
The female finch ("Rosemary"), in this photo shoot anyway, always has her mouth open.
Singing is good, though. I pointed these two out to Terry a few days ago, and lamented that I had not been able to get them to hold still so I could take a picture. Yesterday, he heard them singing, and dashed out with the camera to get the pictures he knew I craved. Thanks, honey!
Thursday, May 18, 2006
All rainbows end in the street
Tuesday evening, we went to the dedication of the Temple Chess and Poetry Garden. It is in the space between the Temple for Performing Arts and the new downtown library, what used to be the patio of Starbucks. It's just a couple of blocks from my office.
The garden came about because a benefactor wanted to have an artist design a chess table that could be placed in a park. Instead, they got three.
There is a table on either side, and one to the back of the picture. The wheels cleverly disguise the fact that the tables are bolted to the ground.
We went because the powers that be wanted area chess players to come and play. There's my personal chess guru, deep in thought.
There were speeches and stuff, but the fact that Mayor Frank Cownie was speaking did not deter two kids from their game.
That's the Temple in the background.
Did you notice that I said Chess and Poetry Garden? The Poetry is farther back from the street, and for that matter, so is the garden. The garden, in fact, is fenced in by the poetry. I can't say that I'm crazy about that symbolism, but no one asked my opinion. For what it's worth, no mention was made of the poetry aspect during the oratory. The copper wall in the background is the library.
The garden came about because a benefactor wanted to have an artist design a chess table that could be placed in a park. Instead, they got three.
There is a table on either side, and one to the back of the picture. The wheels cleverly disguise the fact that the tables are bolted to the ground.
We went because the powers that be wanted area chess players to come and play. There's my personal chess guru, deep in thought.
There were speeches and stuff, but the fact that Mayor Frank Cownie was speaking did not deter two kids from their game.
That's the Temple in the background.
Did you notice that I said Chess and Poetry Garden? The Poetry is farther back from the street, and for that matter, so is the garden. The garden, in fact, is fenced in by the poetry. I can't say that I'm crazy about that symbolism, but no one asked my opinion. For what it's worth, no mention was made of the poetry aspect during the oratory. The copper wall in the background is the library.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Coming attractions
This is mostly for me, so I don't forget these dates, but anyone is welcome to join me. Here's what I plan to do with my weekends in the next month.
May 16: Dedication of the Chess and Poetry Garden. Terry is so excited about the prospects of playing chess in a park that he can hardly stand it. Plus, it is right next to Starbucks on one side, and La Mie on the other.
May 21: Jewish Food Fair at Temple B'nai Jeshurun. Food, entertainment, and a chance to tour their beautiful facility. I linked to the main page so you can see their series of "Eat like a ... " advertisements. I want an "Eat like a marxist" poster.
June 3 and 4: Greek Food Fair at St. George Greek Orthodox. My favorite culinary adventure of the year, surpassing even the reknowned Iowa State Fair. They used to just serve a plate dinner, but they have added a la carte dining. Wowee wow wow! And, it runs for two days, so you don't have to make a pig of yourself at one meal. They also offer tours of their lovely sanctuary.
June 10 and 11: Iowa Sheep and Wool Festival. It's not Maryland Sheep and Wool, but hey, it's only their second year. It was, however, reminiscent of my 4-H county fair days. Now that I know how to spin a little, I expect the shopping will be more interesting to me.
ETA Late addition: On May 29, my Piker pal Jerry will have a story published in Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine. He's a terrific writer. Go buy the magazine.
May 16: Dedication of the Chess and Poetry Garden. Terry is so excited about the prospects of playing chess in a park that he can hardly stand it. Plus, it is right next to Starbucks on one side, and La Mie on the other.
May 21: Jewish Food Fair at Temple B'nai Jeshurun. Food, entertainment, and a chance to tour their beautiful facility. I linked to the main page so you can see their series of "Eat like a ... " advertisements. I want an "Eat like a marxist" poster.
June 3 and 4: Greek Food Fair at St. George Greek Orthodox. My favorite culinary adventure of the year, surpassing even the reknowned Iowa State Fair. They used to just serve a plate dinner, but they have added a la carte dining. Wowee wow wow! And, it runs for two days, so you don't have to make a pig of yourself at one meal. They also offer tours of their lovely sanctuary.
June 10 and 11: Iowa Sheep and Wool Festival. It's not Maryland Sheep and Wool, but hey, it's only their second year. It was, however, reminiscent of my 4-H county fair days. Now that I know how to spin a little, I expect the shopping will be more interesting to me.
ETA Late addition: On May 29, my Piker pal Jerry will have a story published in Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine. He's a terrific writer. Go buy the magazine.
Monday, May 08, 2006
I'm everywhere
Maybe not everywhere, but a couple of places.
I have a poem in The Piker Press this week. It came from a writing prompt that was tossed out at my NaNoWriMo refugees group a few weeks ago.
After I got my iPod, I casually mentioned in one of the Piker online staff brawls that "we should do a podcast." One of our code monkeys latched onto that idea, and as of today, PikerCasts is listed on Podcast Alley and iTunes. (You'll need iTunes installed on your computer to go to that one.) Which is cool enough, but the first episode out there is the poem I wrote last year for Mother's Day.
You don't need to have an iPod or mp3 player to hear it. If you go to the Podcast Alley page, scroll down and click on PikerCasts 01 to listen.
I have a poem in The Piker Press this week. It came from a writing prompt that was tossed out at my NaNoWriMo refugees group a few weeks ago.
After I got my iPod, I casually mentioned in one of the Piker online staff brawls that "we should do a podcast." One of our code monkeys latched onto that idea, and as of today, PikerCasts is listed on Podcast Alley and iTunes. (You'll need iTunes installed on your computer to go to that one.) Which is cool enough, but the first episode out there is the poem I wrote last year for Mother's Day.
You don't need to have an iPod or mp3 player to hear it. If you go to the Podcast Alley page, scroll down and click on PikerCasts 01 to listen.
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Many hands make light work
It was a pretty day here, sunny and just the right temperature. The Knitting and Handgun Appreciation Society teamed up on a project that let us get outside, get some exercise, and do some actual blood-pumping work. Tote that barge, lift that bale, push that broom, and where did I leave my latte?
So now my back aches, and I am mourning my inability to take NSAIDs (pharmacist's orders). Once you've spent some time with Aleve, Tylenol just doesn't provide the same thrill.
But our mission was completed. As with knitting, there is a wonderful sense of accomplishment when you see something physically transformed by the work of your own hands.
And I think I just might sleep pretty well tonight.
So now my back aches, and I am mourning my inability to take NSAIDs (pharmacist's orders). Once you've spent some time with Aleve, Tylenol just doesn't provide the same thrill.
But our mission was completed. As with knitting, there is a wonderful sense of accomplishment when you see something physically transformed by the work of your own hands.
And I think I just might sleep pretty well tonight.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Still life with cat and shoe
The knitting project that is currently number one on my hit parade is a gift, thus, no progress pictures. It's about half done, though, and those who have seen it in person have pronounced it good and satisfactory.
So in the meantime, here's another cat picture. It was either that, or a picture of my dental work, just finished this morning. Even if you aren't a cat fan, I still think you will find this preferable.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Ha ha ha, we get it already
As I neared the end of the sweater, I fretted because spring was hard upon us. Would I have a cool evening so I wear the sweater once before I packed it away for summer?
I need not have worried. I finished Friday night. It started raining overnight that night, and has rained constantly since then. I am not exaggerating - constantly.
I wore the sweater yesterday. It was warm and cozy. It's okay with me if the rain stops now for a day or two.
While I was out yesterday, I bought the recently released DVD of "It's Always Fair Weather." It's not the greatest musical the Freed unit at MGM ever cut loose, but I always liked it. Gene Kelly, of course, is always a big inducement, but I get the biggest kick out of Dolores Gray and Dan Dailey. Dolores does a couple of phenomenal songs, and Dan drunk-dances to a litany of Fifties-era corporate buzzwords. Plus, the DVD makes it clear that he has gorgeous blue eyes. Rowr.
I need not have worried. I finished Friday night. It started raining overnight that night, and has rained constantly since then. I am not exaggerating - constantly.
I wore the sweater yesterday. It was warm and cozy. It's okay with me if the rain stops now for a day or two.
While I was out yesterday, I bought the recently released DVD of "It's Always Fair Weather." It's not the greatest musical the Freed unit at MGM ever cut loose, but I always liked it. Gene Kelly, of course, is always a big inducement, but I get the biggest kick out of Dolores Gray and Dan Dailey. Dolores does a couple of phenomenal songs, and Dan drunk-dances to a litany of Fifties-era corporate buzzwords. Plus, the DVD makes it clear that he has gorgeous blue eyes. Rowr.
Friday, April 28, 2006
Sweater off the sticks
The sweater is done.
I finished it at our Knitwits Friday night gathering. It needs a light steaming, I think, but the ends are woven in and it is ready to wear. In fact, it was raining tonight, so I wore it home. My knitting bag seems really empty now.
Katie just wants to pat the sweater - with her claws.
I finished it at our Knitwits Friday night gathering. It needs a light steaming, I think, but the ends are woven in and it is ready to wear. In fact, it was raining tonight, so I wore it home. My knitting bag seems really empty now.
Katie just wants to pat the sweater - with her claws.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Two memorable days
Three years ago today, we went to the Animal Rescue League and came home with a sixth-month-old kitten. Here is Katie when she was new to our house and a little bundle of energy.
She is punishing her tail for following her around.
We went cat shopping that day because it was one year after my dad died. Here is the last picture we have of Daddy.
Terry wanted to go camping in Texas - this was before we had a camper - so we worked out a deal with my parents where we would all go together in their motor home. Dad was becoming jaundiced by this time, and my mom kept suggesting that they should cancel the trip. He would e-mail me, though, and say, "Your mom wants to cancel, but you tell her no." That's how much he wanted to go camping one more time.
He enjoyed that trip so much. Terry and I drove a little bit, but he did most of the driving. I remember on the way home, I sat up front with him and we sang some of the songs we used to sing on long car trips. He was really happy that evening, and so was I.
Two days after we returned, he went into the hospital, and a week later, he died. He told me once, "If I can't get around on my own, I really don't want to go on." Bless his heart, he got his wish, and was able to do what he wanted right up until the end.
She is punishing her tail for following her around.
We went cat shopping that day because it was one year after my dad died. Here is the last picture we have of Daddy.
Terry wanted to go camping in Texas - this was before we had a camper - so we worked out a deal with my parents where we would all go together in their motor home. Dad was becoming jaundiced by this time, and my mom kept suggesting that they should cancel the trip. He would e-mail me, though, and say, "Your mom wants to cancel, but you tell her no." That's how much he wanted to go camping one more time.
He enjoyed that trip so much. Terry and I drove a little bit, but he did most of the driving. I remember on the way home, I sat up front with him and we sang some of the songs we used to sing on long car trips. He was really happy that evening, and so was I.
Two days after we returned, he went into the hospital, and a week later, he died. He told me once, "If I can't get around on my own, I really don't want to go on." Bless his heart, he got his wish, and was able to do what he wanted right up until the end.
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
It snowed today
It got cold, and it rained. Then while I was in a staff meeting, my boss looked out the window and said, "It's snowing." And it was. I have lilacs and tulips in bloom, and it was snowing.
I have 3.5 inches of sleeve left on the sweater. Too bad I don't have it done right now. We have frost warnings tonight.
It's supposed to be clear, though, so Terry has set up the telescope. He has been learning how to use his digital imager. When he gets some decent pictures, you'll see them here first.
I have 3.5 inches of sleeve left on the sweater. Too bad I don't have it done right now. We have frost warnings tonight.
It's supposed to be clear, though, so Terry has set up the telescope. He has been learning how to use his digital imager. When he gets some decent pictures, you'll see them here first.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Pass the whine
The last couple of weeks have been a little challenging for me physically. I won’t bore you with the details. Suffice it to say that, just in April, I have already had more than my yearly quota of doctor and dentist visits, and I have more appointments scheduled in the next two weeks.
On second thought, I will bore you with the dental stuff. The day before Thanksgiving, I bit into an almond, and it made my teeth hurt. I’ve had a dental emergency over Thanksgiving weekend before, and I know it is next to impossible to find a dentist who is working then. (Thank goodness for the dentist at the mall.) It appeared that nothing was wiggling or shattered, so I toughed it out. The pain moved around from tooth to tooth, but eventually went away for the most part.
I forgot about it until I had my six month exam. “Did you know this tooth is cracked?” asked the assistant. “And this filling has a chip missing.” Before the visit was over, the entire staff stopped by to take a peek, multiple photographs were taken, and I heard the dreaded words, “I should be able to do all six of those in one visit.”
Yeah, he said six. And the “one visit” only refers to the Novocain-and-drilling portion of the program. Four of the six teeth require crowns or inlays. It takes a couple of weeks for those to be built. Until then, I have a mouth full of temporary caps. They are sensitive to cold, and I can’t floss around them, which is more annoying than I would have thought. But I’m sure I will be pleased with the results. Any day I get rid of an old amalgam filling is a good day, as far as I am concerned.
Meanwhile, I’ve had my blood pressure taken 5 times this week (that story I really won’t bore you with), and every time it has been 20 points higher than my normal reading. “It’s probably time for you to have a head-to-toe physical,” said the doctor. So I have submitted samples of my precious bodily fluids and will be getting the once over next week.
All of this is a long way of working around to the fact that I felt mostly back to normal today. The trees are green. The lilacs are opening up. Terry and I went for a bike ride, the first one I have taken since I fell off my bike and slid down an embankment a couple of years ago. It turns out you can forget how to ride a bike. At least, you can forget a) how to get on the bike, b) how the gear shift works, and c) how to stop and get off the bike smoothly. (The time I fell down the embankment, I was not riding, but getting on the bike. This clearly is A Big Issue for me.)
It’s clear tonight, and Terry has the telescope set up in the back yard. We had a very nice look at Saturn. Now he is trying to take some photographs.
The sweater needs about seven inches of sleeve knitting, a neck hemmed, and a few more ends woven in, and then it will be done. Stay tuned. There will be much rejoicing when that monster is out of the project bag.
On second thought, I will bore you with the dental stuff. The day before Thanksgiving, I bit into an almond, and it made my teeth hurt. I’ve had a dental emergency over Thanksgiving weekend before, and I know it is next to impossible to find a dentist who is working then. (Thank goodness for the dentist at the mall.) It appeared that nothing was wiggling or shattered, so I toughed it out. The pain moved around from tooth to tooth, but eventually went away for the most part.
I forgot about it until I had my six month exam. “Did you know this tooth is cracked?” asked the assistant. “And this filling has a chip missing.” Before the visit was over, the entire staff stopped by to take a peek, multiple photographs were taken, and I heard the dreaded words, “I should be able to do all six of those in one visit.”
Yeah, he said six. And the “one visit” only refers to the Novocain-and-drilling portion of the program. Four of the six teeth require crowns or inlays. It takes a couple of weeks for those to be built. Until then, I have a mouth full of temporary caps. They are sensitive to cold, and I can’t floss around them, which is more annoying than I would have thought. But I’m sure I will be pleased with the results. Any day I get rid of an old amalgam filling is a good day, as far as I am concerned.
Meanwhile, I’ve had my blood pressure taken 5 times this week (that story I really won’t bore you with), and every time it has been 20 points higher than my normal reading. “It’s probably time for you to have a head-to-toe physical,” said the doctor. So I have submitted samples of my precious bodily fluids and will be getting the once over next week.
All of this is a long way of working around to the fact that I felt mostly back to normal today. The trees are green. The lilacs are opening up. Terry and I went for a bike ride, the first one I have taken since I fell off my bike and slid down an embankment a couple of years ago. It turns out you can forget how to ride a bike. At least, you can forget a) how to get on the bike, b) how the gear shift works, and c) how to stop and get off the bike smoothly. (The time I fell down the embankment, I was not riding, but getting on the bike. This clearly is A Big Issue for me.)
It’s clear tonight, and Terry has the telescope set up in the back yard. We had a very nice look at Saturn. Now he is trying to take some photographs.
The sweater needs about seven inches of sleeve knitting, a neck hemmed, and a few more ends woven in, and then it will be done. Stay tuned. There will be much rejoicing when that monster is out of the project bag.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
How to know you are a knitter
When I read this in the announcement of the Tomkitten's arrival--
my first thought was, "You mean, like the alpaca?"
The child, named Suri — which means "princess" in Hebrew and "red rose" in Persian, according to Cruise's publicist
my first thought was, "You mean, like the alpaca?"
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Fibs for Poetry Month
I learned about this from Marilyn, the Knitting Curmudgeon.
Writer and blogger Gregory K. Pincus got his geek on and decided to combine poetry with the Fibonacci sequence. He calls the result the Fib and blogged about it. Slashdot reported on it. The New York Times reported on it. Two weeks later, he has had hundreds of poems sent to him, and his blog has many links to Fib fans.
So anyway, here’s what you do. Remember how to write haiku? Five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second, five syllables in the third. Fibs are done the same way, except the syllable counts are taken from the Fibonacci sequence, the series of numbers where each number is the sum of the two numbers before it. So instead of 5-7-5, it is 1-1-2-3-5-8 (and 13-21-34 if you are so inclined, but that gets unwieldy.)
For example,
Bad
cat
Katie
wants a bird,
but is frustrated.
She cannot open the window.
They are addictive. I actually got out of bed to write down a couple that I thought of before I fell asleep.
I did my little part to keep the bandwagon rolling by starting a Fibs thread at the Piker Press forums. As soon as everyone wakes up, it should see a little action.
Writer and blogger Gregory K. Pincus got his geek on and decided to combine poetry with the Fibonacci sequence. He calls the result the Fib and blogged about it. Slashdot reported on it. The New York Times reported on it. Two weeks later, he has had hundreds of poems sent to him, and his blog has many links to Fib fans.
So anyway, here’s what you do. Remember how to write haiku? Five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second, five syllables in the third. Fibs are done the same way, except the syllable counts are taken from the Fibonacci sequence, the series of numbers where each number is the sum of the two numbers before it. So instead of 5-7-5, it is 1-1-2-3-5-8 (and 13-21-34 if you are so inclined, but that gets unwieldy.)
For example,
Bad
cat
Katie
wants a bird,
but is frustrated.
She cannot open the window.
They are addictive. I actually got out of bed to write down a couple that I thought of before I fell asleep.
I did my little part to keep the bandwagon rolling by starting a Fibs thread at the Piker Press forums. As soon as everyone wakes up, it should see a little action.
Friday, April 14, 2006
Latte
We stopped by Barnes & Noble this afternoon, and the staff alerted us to a special guest. This bat was snoozing on the the window ledge by the cafe. (Yes, it was outside, as Terry assured me when I sputtered, "What do you mean, the coffee shop girls have a bat?!") The barristas named the bat Latte.
For the record, I hate bats. I know most of them are harmless little bug eaters and friends of the environment. I still hate 'em.
Many years ago, a bat got into my apartment, and didn't make its presence known until about 2:00 AM. Try waking up from a sound sleep, and figure out quickly how to remove a flying rodent without harming your property. I decided I could turn on the lights where I didn't want the bat to be, turn the lights off where I wanted him to go (the back door), and use a folded newspaper to block him when he doubled back.
Seriously, have they every included this scenario in the Sims? It would be a hoot.
The plan worked. The bat flew out the back door. I slammed it shut, and didn't open it for several months. The next day, when I told the story to a co-worker and gardener, he said, "But bats are an endangered species in Iowa." I replied, "That one sure was."
But little Latte here, all curled up and drowsy, was sort of cute, and almost pettable. Almost.
For the record, I hate bats. I know most of them are harmless little bug eaters and friends of the environment. I still hate 'em.
Many years ago, a bat got into my apartment, and didn't make its presence known until about 2:00 AM. Try waking up from a sound sleep, and figure out quickly how to remove a flying rodent without harming your property. I decided I could turn on the lights where I didn't want the bat to be, turn the lights off where I wanted him to go (the back door), and use a folded newspaper to block him when he doubled back.
Seriously, have they every included this scenario in the Sims? It would be a hoot.
The plan worked. The bat flew out the back door. I slammed it shut, and didn't open it for several months. The next day, when I told the story to a co-worker and gardener, he said, "But bats are an endangered species in Iowa." I replied, "That one sure was."
But little Latte here, all curled up and drowsy, was sort of cute, and almost pettable. Almost.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Poetry and dinner
After work, I blithely suggested to Terry that we should go to Chuck's for dinner. (He didn't know it, but I had just read this review in the newspaper.) Not only is Chuck's a venerable old neighborhood restaurant, it is our neighborhood restaurant, maybe half a mile from our house.
I left with this:
When was the last time you saw a doggie bag that was an actual bag, much less one with dogs on it?
Inside was this:
Two pieces of Italian Fried Chicken, every bit as good as described in the review. I would show you Terry's leftovers, but - ahem - there weren't any. He ate his entire pizza.
I heard it got to 89 here today. It's still pretty warm in the house, but we have the windows open and are resisting turning on the air conditioning. If you can get through the day, it has been very pleasant for sleeping at night.
Chuckie says, "Bring on the sunshine."
I left with this:
When was the last time you saw a doggie bag that was an actual bag, much less one with dogs on it?Inside was this:
Two pieces of Italian Fried Chicken, every bit as good as described in the review. I would show you Terry's leftovers, but - ahem - there weren't any. He ate his entire pizza.
I heard it got to 89 here today. It's still pretty warm in the house, but we have the windows open and are resisting turning on the air conditioning. If you can get through the day, it has been very pleasant for sleeping at night.
Chuckie says, "Bring on the sunshine."
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
At last
Yesterday, I turned off the heat and opened the windows. Katie went from room to room, checking out the sights and smells. She sneered at Chuckie when he came out for his afternoon munch, but he was too far away to be threatened.
The temperature was in the mid-50s last night, and I had the best night's sleep I have had in ages. It was hard to get up this morning, but unfortunately, neither Terry nor I has a job where they will pay you to stay at home in bed and enjoy the weather.
Lent is drawing to an end, so let's check in with my sacrifices and disciplines.
Give up potato chips: Check. But if I go to brunch at Granite City on Easter Sunday, I will bypass their wonderful buffet and have a turkey sandwich with chips.
Give up E! News: Check. Of course, now I am watching American Idol again, so that may be a wash.
The third unnamed thing: Check. I did a good thing, and it turned out to also be the right thing (and not just for me) in ways I could not have anticipated.
Send out your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will get it back. --Ecclesiastes 11: 1
The temperature was in the mid-50s last night, and I had the best night's sleep I have had in ages. It was hard to get up this morning, but unfortunately, neither Terry nor I has a job where they will pay you to stay at home in bed and enjoy the weather.
Lent is drawing to an end, so let's check in with my sacrifices and disciplines.
Give up potato chips: Check. But if I go to brunch at Granite City on Easter Sunday, I will bypass their wonderful buffet and have a turkey sandwich with chips.
Give up E! News: Check. Of course, now I am watching American Idol again, so that may be a wash.
The third unnamed thing: Check. I did a good thing, and it turned out to also be the right thing (and not just for me) in ways I could not have anticipated.
Send out your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will get it back. --Ecclesiastes 11: 1
Saturday, April 08, 2006
At the new library
Our new library opened today. I've been looking forward to this, because it is just a few blocks from my office and very convenient for those lunch hours when you just have to get away from everyone and everything.
Today was not the day for getting away, though. There were hundreds of people milling around. It was great to see people of all ages lining up to get library cards. We didn't have a decent camera with us, just the Zire, so you will have to take my word for it that this is the library card queue, that there were constantly this many people in line, and that my dearly beloved is the one in the center with his back turned.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Fires
Today, one of the computers at my office caught on fire. Fortunately, someone unplugged it while it was still in the spark and sizzle phase, and no damage was done - except to the monitor, of course, which is toast. Literally.
On the way home from work, we saw smoke rising from an area a few blocks from our house. Terry diverted to see what was going on, and we saw a garage or outbuilding fully involved, as they say. We didn't linger, knowing the fire trucks were surely on their way. We drove back by later. The house had some damage, but it appeared to be mostly superficial.
All of the fire talk reminded me of what we saw on our trip. As I mentioned in January, Texas and Oklahoma have been smacked with wildfires for months. On our way to Turner Falls, we saw a area that had been burned, and stopped to take pictures. It still smelled smoky, so it had obviously happened recently. I took some pictures, including this one.
I'm assuming that is yucca, but if Aser or someone has another idea, I would be happy to hear it.
Anyway, we saw some locals at the overlook to the falls, and they told us the fire had happened a few days earlier. It gave me all of these poetic thoughts about nature's fury and whatever. Then when I got home, I did some research to find out about the fire.
It turns out that Oklahoma had rain recently, and they had lifted the burn bans that had been in effect this winter. The most recent fires were caused by people burning the trash they had accumulated during the ban. That would explain some of the random garbage I saw when I was taking the pictures. Indeed, if you take a close look at the picture above, you will see there is a Bud Dry bottle to the upper right.
Like my brother says, people are dumbasses.
Meanwhile, in order to tell the tale of fires that come in threes, I have, as we say in the news biz, buried the lead, or at least placed a lovely picture below the fold. Before we got to Turner Falls, we stopped at a park in Ardmore, Oklahoma, where the tulips were in bloom.
On the way home from work, we saw smoke rising from an area a few blocks from our house. Terry diverted to see what was going on, and we saw a garage or outbuilding fully involved, as they say. We didn't linger, knowing the fire trucks were surely on their way. We drove back by later. The house had some damage, but it appeared to be mostly superficial.
All of the fire talk reminded me of what we saw on our trip. As I mentioned in January, Texas and Oklahoma have been smacked with wildfires for months. On our way to Turner Falls, we saw a area that had been burned, and stopped to take pictures. It still smelled smoky, so it had obviously happened recently. I took some pictures, including this one.
I'm assuming that is yucca, but if Aser or someone has another idea, I would be happy to hear it.
Anyway, we saw some locals at the overlook to the falls, and they told us the fire had happened a few days earlier. It gave me all of these poetic thoughts about nature's fury and whatever. Then when I got home, I did some research to find out about the fire.
It turns out that Oklahoma had rain recently, and they had lifted the burn bans that had been in effect this winter. The most recent fires were caused by people burning the trash they had accumulated during the ban. That would explain some of the random garbage I saw when I was taking the pictures. Indeed, if you take a close look at the picture above, you will see there is a Bud Dry bottle to the upper right.
Like my brother says, people are dumbasses.
Meanwhile, in order to tell the tale of fires that come in threes, I have, as we say in the news biz, buried the lead, or at least placed a lovely picture below the fold. Before we got to Turner Falls, we stopped at a park in Ardmore, Oklahoma, where the tulips were in bloom.
Sunday, April 02, 2006
I am 23% White Trash.
I, my friend, have class. I am so not white trash. . I am more than likely Democrat, and my place is neat, and there is a good chance I may never drink wine from a box. I can always count on Kathy to find the cool quizzes. Commentary: While it is not my usual MO, I have had boxed wine. We park a vehicle in the yard, though. At least it is the back yard.
Turner Falls
In the middle of what is otherwise a pretty boring part of Oklahoma is an unexpected spot of beauty.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)