WHY?!?!?!?!?

Why do so many stupid people have internet connections?!?!?!!?!?!?

I need to stop reading the imdb message boards.

*smile*

Back from today's bout of working in NY. I'm so happy to be working with Lisa again. I braved the Tappan Zee and survived.

And I realized that this is what I am meant to be doing.

And this is what my toes look like when I've been using my stocking feet to erase on my charcoal drawing all day. :) (Love made me wash my feet before coming to bed)

Things in Motion

So, it has been an eventful set of days lately. Tuesday I was subjected to an all day meeting further down the state for work. I was a little late getting there because they decided they would turn off every other set of traffic lights on the main road and teach the police cadets to direct traffic. Not fun. The meeting was rather informative on somethings, repetitive on others, and utterly infuriating on the basics. Such as, how the hell can I train my staff when I only have about 7 hours of overlap time a week when you take out the time I have to sit in meetings and/or run the store? More training on less payroll.
*breathe*
Wednesday I awoke to the joy of another UTI. When I finally got through to the doctor's office, the nice lady on the phone asked if I wanted to come in that day or the next?!?!?! I'm sorry but when I'm peeing razor blades, sooner is better. Yesterday is better. But now I'm doing better on my antibiotics and the magic red pills, though pumping my body this full of liquids always makes me a little blah. The doctor's visit did yield some good things however. We've been playing telephone tag with them about the rest of our in/fertility testing. Now we have those answers. There will be more tests next month, but at least we have some idea of what is going on. Wednesday night is also when my MIL arrived for a visit. Don't cringe...I actually adore my MIL.
Thursday I still had to close the store...that's more work stuff that we just won't bring up. Let's just say despite the UTI and being on antibiotics I still came home and had a gin and tonic.
Friday was the bearer of news I can't quite talk about yet. We also took a trip to Mystic Aquarium (hence the mermaid avatar.) The weather was a tad yucky but it was fun. I touched a starfish and several types of crabs in a little hands on area. Kodiak is HUGE! And then it was time for MIL to head home. I crashed for most of the evening.
Today was Connecticut Sheep and Wool. I was a very good girl. All I spent was the parking fee. Nothing really jumped out at me and screamed 'You must buy me!' so I didn't. The only thing I really considered was a needle felting dragon kit, but it was a little out of my intended price range. I did, however, sit a bit at a spinning wheel. I have a drop spindle that I love and a wheel is a far off hope. I haven't spun in a while...actually my spindle is full and I don't quite know what to do next. I did like the wheel I tried today. I was quite horrible at it, but it felt good. Much better than the single treadle that I tried before. Its another hobby on the horizon. Karen got a picture of me at it...I'll post it when she sends it to me. She skillfully enabled blogless Rachel into her first wheel.

Tomorrow (and various days over the next three weeks) I will be off painting with my old boss Lisa, who happens to be my favorite boss ever! I'm so excited. Its off in a little town in New York just north of NYC. I'll have some fun pics from that. And its for one of my favorite designers. I'm actually taking this who thing as a good omen for something else.

Oh and I stopped and picked up my comics today. Rachel, I didn't see Powers but I'll check next time. I had met my shopping quota on this trip anyway.

Well, my love is done cutting up pipes so I think I'm safe to move about the house now. He's replacing the pipe made of duct tape to one made of pvc. silly boy.

Healthy...of sorts

Sorry for the long absence but after being hit with the plague I did nothing but work and sleep for a while. Its only in the last few days that I've felt rather human. I still can't seem to shake this cough though. I will however extol the virtues of Mucinex. That stuff actually works and is worth the $15 for 20 pills.

I didn't do a whole lot of knitting in my illness. I knit some on the random baby blanket that I started on our trip to Florida. It doesn't require much attention and its done on bamboo needles. I did finish the ribwarmer (minus the trim on body and one arm hole) and the damn thing is too small for me. But I couldn't rip it out because I took real care with the seaming and it looks too good to rip apart. I'll either give it to someone's kid or a friend of mine who is incredibly waif-ish. (yes Emily, I mean you) I do like the pattern...I have some other yarn that should do well for one of these. So much for the selfish knitting, huh. I will have pic soon. It needs to be modeled to show it...otherwise it just looks like a cabled blob with holes.

The visit with my Mum and little bro (he's 14) went well despite the plague. I'm back into buying comics because of the little punk. Actually I never really had to buy too many comics...most of the guys I dated were comic geeks and I just read all theirs. My husband is probably the first who doesn't collect comics and we've been together for nearly 10 years (together, not married). That's a long time without comics. So now I'm hooked again. I've found 3 shops in the area. I've also started playing Exile again. I wanted to go through all the Myst games in order before I play the latest two. I also realize that I need to buckle down and learn this html stuff for real. I guess I'm getting my geek on these days. So that's where I'm at.

poetry moment

Rain, Rain, Go Away
Flood My Basement Some Other Day
Preferably After I Move Away

What you are seeing is a new source of water in our basement. It is now seeping up through all the cracks in the floor of my studio. First a cat infestation and now flooding.

It never fails

My mum and my little brother are here for a short visit....so of course that means I am sick. I've got some sort of cold thing going on. Congestion, lots of coughing and now achy is starting to settle in. This has altered some of our plans, that and the fact that work is holding my love hostage. (the bastards)

I did finish knitting the ribwarmer...now I just need to block it and figure out how to sew it together. Then there is a quick edging.

For some reason my Yahoo avatar is not updating though I keep changing her appearance. Anyone else having this issue? She changes everywhere else but on my page here. hrm?

Happy Easter!

Good morning and happy Easter...here's a few holiday links for your enjoyment!

Peep Research - scientific study of "those resilient little birds". Absolutely hysterical...from there you can link to many other peep related sites. This one is probably the best out there...it almost makes me wish I worked in an office.

If you are really up for a holiday challenge try making some Pysanky. I always loved these as a kid. We never made them but some people in the family had them and they were NOT FOR TOUCHING. Most years my friends Lisa and Robb have a pysansky party but sadly I was never able to attend (and now they live far far away...someday I'll be there)
For instructions, history, supplies and tips you can try here, here, here, or here.

Sadness

Love's Grandfather passed away on Thursday.
He was a lovely man and shall be missed.

So now what...

Now that my month of finishing projects (no I didn't get everything done...just the major ones) is over it's time for some selfish knitting. I've been having trouble on where to start and then yesterday I just picked up my needles. This is a ribwarmer from Vogue knitting fall 2006. Just a little something to get me started. It is a very easy cable pattern that doesn't require intense attention.

I'm using Cascade 220 and actually getting gauge. Its an odd pattern, knit all in one piece. I'm still not clear on the mechanics of how it goes together but that should clear itself up once I get further along (I hope). I know the color doesn't show off the cables very well but its something that I have enough of in stash that knits to gauge. What you see above is from one night of knitting. I'm rather excited...I hope it fits.

Below is the beginnings of my tulips...I hope they make it this year...it's a battle between me and the damn squirrels who decapitate my flowers just for fun. If you look close you can see some of the little onions that grow all over my yard. The bit of blue is the hatchway doors to our basement. The front door is the same color.

Finally

Yes I am finally posting the pictures of the shawl. Here are the specs:

Flirty Ruffles Shawl
Yarn: Jaggerspun Zephyr Wool-silk white
Needle size: 2

I loved the yarn...it held up very well with ripping out and re-knitting. I suppose I should say more about it, but what is there left to say. It is now all wrapped and ready to go.( I just need to find a cardboard box to put it in). And I beat the thank you notes so I'm all good.

Broken Silence

Sorry for the silence lately. It was my weekend to work and I've just been beat. Plus COH has been the dominant presence on this computer. Now love is in load-in and its back in my hands.

I want to thank everyone for their words of support in regards to the fertility thing. We are not quite sure where we go from here, but it has by no means destroyed our lives. (we have work for that...just kidding(ish)). Flash your stash pictures will up coming. I can't believe that its that time of year again.

So far I've spent the morning cleaning and doing dishes. I'm probably going to spend most of the day getting a jump on spring cleaning. I usually reserve that for days I can open the windows with out freezing my butt off...but I'm off today and have the energy. Its a cloudy day here, but fairly light. No ran but there is still a damp chill in the house from yesterday. The cats are passed out cold as usual. Once I get a handle on the housekeeping, I'll play around with the sewing machine again.

Again I apologize for not blogging and having a less than riveting post when I do. I'll work on that.