Monday, December 31, 2007

2008 - Bring It On:

Here's my list. I didn't stick with a particular *number* except I wanted it to be at least 100 'to-dos' for 2008.

HOME & FAMILY
1 Save for and buy an Ipod
2 Finalize legal issues
3 Organize household paperwork
4 Clean out 2007 household paperwork
5 2007 taxes
6 Share 1/2 of the 'chore' load
7 Clean-clean between cleanings
8 Laundry from start to finish 2x per week
9 Hang out with the dogs each day
10 Don't smoke
11 Seriously. Just don't do it
12 Dinners in at least 4x a week
13 Buy handmade soap
14 Buy more fruit and vegetables
15 Follow Dr. Tindall's *diet* (for lack of a better term)
16 Drink less
17 Clean car 1 or 2 times per month
18 Take care of stuff I already own
19 Face my finances (ala CAP)
20 Decide if I want to really be married
21 Take on a home-repair project myself
22 Brush Shadow 1x per month
23 Recognize when I'm being lazy and slovenly
24 Listen to myself when I'm being mean
25 Bring my sack lunch 3x a week
26 Get a dental check up
27 Get my eyes checked (again!)
28 Get my crown finished
29 Remember to laugh OUT LOUD - not just inside
30 Cut two episodic shows from my weekly viewing
31 Wake up by 7am on Sundays 1x per month
32 Take my real measurements
33 I *know* better, so I need to be doing better
34 Quit nagging Mike about his poor English
35 Make 1 more effort with Faith
36 Immediatly resume contact with Raymond

KNITTING
37 No new yarn unless for a PLANNED project
38 Finish cataloguing existing stash
39 Upload rest of existing stash to ravelry
40 Clean yarn room
41 Keep yarn room clean!
42 Start a sweater no later than April 2008
43 Learn a different cast-on method
44 Practice and master the Kitchener stitch
45 Make one pair of socks Toe-Up
46 Upload knitting podcasts to future Ipod
47 Finish one easy project every month
48 Always have two projects on needles
49 Complete a more difficult lace project
50 Make one project out of any already-owned past IK issue
51 Make one project out of an already-owned Fiber Trends pattern
52 Start and finish 2 queued ravelry projects
53 Make one pair of socks that is not stockinette
54 Make a project out of any already-owned book
55 Make one project out of an already-owned Noni pattern
56 Practice the Magic Loop method
57 Make the already-mapped-out Entrelac scarf
58 Finish the two-tone blue Entrelac scarf
59 Visit the Visalia Borders for Knit Night
60 Harp on my LYS owner for knitter-friendly activity
61 Get together with the 4 local people that want to knit
62 Buy some SOAK
63 Knit one thing for charity
64 Knit one thing for the cats
65 Participate in one 'national' knit-related event
66 Swatch 3 about-to-be-made projects
67 Make a garment based on my actual measurements
68 Drop the blogs that don't interest me
69 Organize and cull my knitting *favorites*
70 Actually leave the blog comments I always think (the nice ones!)
71 Knit more socks for myself!

FUN
72 Walk and use Ipod 1x per day, no matter duration
73 Go to 4 'live venue' activities (excluding knitting stuff)
74 Make special time with Sheila
75 Visit my MIL every so often just because
76 Remember how great mobility is!
77 Visit the underground gardens in Fresno
78 Rent a cabin at Bass Lake
79 Go fishing with Mike at least 1x
80 Try a new food
81 Go some place new with or without Mike
82 Visit the snow
83 Sit ON the beach for 2+ hours
84 Watch 10 movies made before 1985
85 Take and post a picture every day
86 Print and gift some pictures I've taken
95 Smile more
96 Have another garage sale by summer
97 Finish the 9/11 Commission report
98 Read a history book
99 Learn a different crafting technique
100 Use my sewing machine 6x
101 Get a hair style already!
102 Allow myself to get my very first pedicure
103 Touch up my toes during the other 3 seasons
104 Grow tomatoes
105 Try 2 'chi-chi' dessert recipes this year
106 Cook a new-to-me recipe 1x per month
107 Lay down outside and just look and listen
108 Spend one night in the dunes like a Dunite
109 Visit Oso Flaco
110 Be available for Judy and especially during her daughter's wedding
111 Research gluten-free

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Random Pictures Sunday:

Not much to say - I took like a freak'n 4.5 hour nap today. I never nap! Musta needed though.

Here's the promised picture of my Falling Water . . . not a great one, but that's what happens when I sleep through the only sunshine of the day:



Once it's done, soaked, conditioned, blocked and dried I'll post the results.

Freckles has learned (like the rest of us) to feign interest in Mike's stuff. Here she pretends to give a rat's ass over his new Daiwa reel. For the record, giving a rat's ass gets you treats and snuggle time, so it's a win-win for both of them, lol.



Ella expresses interest in my new 'shoe'



One of my "2008 To Do" items will be about getting a freak'n hair style already. Yes, it's long, and yes, I really like it, but all I ever do is wear it in a ponytail or a bun. That's BOOOOOORING!



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WARNING! CREEPY LEG AND FOOT PICTURES AHEAD!

******************************************************

See that kinda 'ridge' running inside the length of my lower left leg? That's my freak'n shin bone! I am so totally creeped out by it. There's no way I haven't lost weight since breaking my foot! For one, I barely drink any wine now and for two, that's like the leg of an eleven year old bean-pole! Eeek.



For comparison purposes: If you'll notice, the swelling has gone down, but the bruising on my toes has gotten considerably worse. My toes feel a bit numb most of the time and that's creeping me out too. Man I hate being infirm. It is sucktacular.

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Excited versus Happy:

All the Christmas knitting was done on time, and seemed to be a hit. I'm happy about that but OHLORDY am I excited to start *fun* knitting again!

Right now I have Falling Water on the needles, using the lighter of the Baby Alpaca I got at the Exeter fiber festival the other month. One ball does 11 repeats on size 5s so I'll definately have enough to make a long-enough scarf. I probably could've gone down to size 4s but 5s are working well.

Do I have some fiber disorder? All the yarns that feel scrumdelicious wound up just don't stay so soft to the touch once knitted. I *am* happy with the yarn fersher but I'm excited to try the hair conditioner plan when it's done. Hopefully I can get the yarn to fluff up some, and yes, I know that is what a swatch is for, but I'ma swatch AFTER I finish the scarf. Me + BackAsswards = Standard Operating Procedure.

THE game of the season is on right now. Weirdly, I'm pretty excited for New England because they are 2 quarters away from potentially making NFL history. Them making history will tarnish my team's history, but hell, this is EXCITING! If they lose this game, I can't lie. I will be VERY happy too! For now I'm just enjoying rooting for them in the moment.

The last few days I've seen 2008 To Do lists popping up on blogs and forums and it's gotten me to think about what I need on my own list. I will be SO happy when 2007 is over and I'm very excited to gear up and plan (and daydream) for 2008. In that same vein, I'm not *unhappy* that I broke my foot (I finally broke something and I've really been able to take a breather) but I am very excited for the day my crutches aren't a necessary accessory!! There's lots to plan for when that particular day comes lemmetellya.

I was perusing new groups on ravelry and I about fell over when I discovered the 'smoking' group! Now, if I'm sucessful on this smoking thing I seriously doubt I will be one of those 'born again' anti-smoking pains-in-the-asses. That shit is annoying and condescending! The ravelry group made me chuckle because I never thought of my smoking as part of my 'knitting' or part of 'craft' in general, but I don't really have room to talk. Freedom from children and their annoying breeder parents don't have anything to do with crafting but I made that group on ravelry, lol. The smoking one must of hit my funnybone just right. Now if there was a 'quit smoking' group . . . I'd think about joining it . . . but I'm not interested in creating one.

Pictures of my Falling Waters WIP tomorrow. The Mike took the camera fishing today (well, he took it WITH him when he went fishing - not like he strung up a pole for the camera to use, lol) and by the time he got back it was too dark for good pictures.

This Dark At Four In The Afternoon winter gloom shit leaves me neither excited NOR happy!

*******************************************************************************

Every so often, when I'm lounging and knitting (or using the computer) on the couch, Poops (Josie Pau Pau) climbs on me and plops down right in the center of my chest. She acts like I'm her 'mom' all the time. She'll do 'drive-bys' where she just walks by me, rubs up against me and then goes about her business. She sleeps on my head most nights too. This picture cracks me up because I was knitting, listening to a knitting podcast AND watching a football game but when she wants 'mom love' . . . all activity must stop to meet her immediate need. She's excited for the attention and I'm happy to give it to her.

"Get your own Mom!"

Friday, December 28, 2007

Happy One Week Anniversary!

One week ago today I kicked the (ash) can and gave up the inhalation of cigarettes.

I can't believe it myself.

That is all.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things:

Today was another good day, folks!

Whoever invented the Broken Foot Moon boot? I love them. LOVE. My mobility (and thus my independence) has been greatly inhanced with this moon boot. I wonder if the moon boot inspired the snow boot or vice versa because they are very similar. Velcro strappings and no ankle bending at all. I was told not to actually *step* on that foot and I haven't. Believeyoume, if I really did *step* on that foot? I'd be writhing on the ground in such intense pain that I would be wishing the ground would swallow me up and put me out of my agony immediately. It HURTS people. The moon boot just allows me a way to balance and take the pressure off my right foot. Having to bear my entire weight on one leg and hold my other leg up to never touch the ground? Fucking hard. Thank you Mr. Broken Foot Moon Boot Creator Guy.

Football. Miami lost, New England won and I still love football. Football is kinda like my personal favorite blanket. LOVE it!

The Hub. Well, of course. He went fishing while I met up with CJ (Jollyewe to y'all) today. His attentiveness and help has blown me away. One of the downfalls of my "just deal with it" mentality is that I really don't allow myself to depend on others. Having an S.O. never changed that mindset for me, even though he thought that would change with the "I Do's". Four years later and I do my thing and expect that he does his thing. With this craptacular foot issue, I've had to eat a slice of humble pie and :gasp: ask for help. Alot. He's grumbled a few times, but I think it's because he IS so used to me being independent that he's not accustomed to my reliance on him. I also think that he's really been liking that I'm getting more independent again, lol! He went fishing this morning, went food shopping with his dad after that (it's their *thing* they do together for Thanksgiving & Christmas . . . ) and now is having dinner out with family. I've seen him this morning as he left for fishing and about 4:30pm when he came home to put the boat away. Hopefully he'll get home before I go to bed. All those years of being happily single. I never had a clue of what I would eventually find back in my home town years and years later :grin: I am so happy that I have him.

Knitting and knitting friends. I spent a few hours with Jollyewe today - she was nice enough to come to my ghetto town and hang out at the local StarCrack (tm). Having a Real Life buddy that absolutely and completely understands the world of knitting and fiber love is priceless. Online knitting has made leaps and bounds and is an entire sub-culture that I wallow in daily. Love the online knitting world! There is nothing like having a face-to-face conversation about it all with someone that actually knows what you are talking about, though. We talked Socks That Rock, ravelry, Childfree stuff, Handknit gifts and their clueless recipients, husbands, work, the Coast, roving and spinning, podcasts, sweaters and steeking, Crazy Aunt Purl, the Yarn Harlot and Drew the Crochet Dude - all while she knit on the sleeve of a sweater. I think we touched on 12% of general knitting stuff in all that time but for me, it was such a real feeling of 'ahhhh - another knitter' bliss. If'n you don't know, Jollyewe is almost 100% self-taught. Seriously! The chick wants to do steeking in 2008! She is amazing with her knitting fearlessness. I'm about 88% self-taught and haven't even made a sweater yet! Steeking. She's crazy y'all, lol. Crazy but inspiring.

Blue. Blue the grey cat is sofa king hilarious and the best part is that she has no clue. She doesn't *do* cute on command. She just *is* cute. She has throw-downs with shadows on the carpet. She attacks cat toys with wild abandon. She tries SO hard to play with the other cats and gets shot down every frigg'n time. She has a spot on her back that if you pet it she lays right down and starts licking the air. She is absolutely adorable and doesn't even know it.

Today was a day that I could forget about all the other crap that goes on in life. Knitting with a friend while my husband fished. Coming home to an empty quiet house and watching cat antics for the last few hours. Absolutely priceless.

Oh, and this evening I also cast on for a hat for a 2.5 year old. Really! The "Have To" knitting was done last night and in talking with CJ today, I realized there isn't a good reason to not knock out a hat for the only weetiny one in the immediate family, in time for Christmas.

Size 9 dpns and white GGH (GHH? I don't have the ballband handy) mohair doubled.

Cast on 64 and distribute evenly to the four dpns.

K4, P4 until the brim is 4 inches.

That is as far as I've gotten. Once the ribbed brim is done then I'ma switch to Paton's Katrina (also in white) and make a basic beanie hat. How's come Paton's . . . PATON'S people! Made out of Rayon and Polyester is marked as Hand wash? WTF?

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Those Were The Days, My Friend:

Today was a very good day.

I was pretty much on my own today, and whatever gett'n done that I had to get done? I got'er done! All by my onesies.

Okay, so all I really had to do today was get my nails done, but by gawd I did it. I started getting ready 45 minutes before my appointment - dressed, moon boot, shoe, teeth & hair brushed, essentials like $$/knitting/drivers license . . . all done by me alone :grin:

The Mike chose to brave the Big Box Stores of Commercialism with his out-of-town brother and I am *so* not into that crap. He went his way and I was in charge of my way.

I even drove myself for the first time since breaking my foot. Driving is not hard with an automatic, but getting in & out on the driver's side, with a disabled left foot? Major suckage!

Things I've learned since becoming temporarily disabled:

1) The average able-bodied person really doesn't see a handicapped person. Doesn't see them, does not change their own wants/needs because of them and apparently couldn't care less about them.

2) I was that person above, to some degree. I just really had no understanding of their day-to-day world until now.

3) Some people are nice people not because they have to be nice, but because it's their nature.

4) I want to be # 3 more.

5) Holy Fuckoly I am sore and out of shape. There are muscles I didn't even know existed on my body until this last Tuesday. Today is the first day that my shoulder and stomach muscles are not trying to kill me in their mutiny. Every damn step has been a mini-stomach crunch and my upper arms and shoulders have felt like a horse has pummeled me half to death.

6) Always know the amount of toilet paper left in the bathroom before you use it. Just say'n.

7) "For Better or Worse" and "Do Unto Others". This has been a MAJOR learning experience for me about 'us'. I will do my darnedest to be a more sympathetic wife and let go of my 'deal with it' attitude. It's gotten me through my life so far, but if I want The Mike to be a part of my team, then I certainly have to be on his team too.

8) "I didn't quit 'nicotine' but just the inhalation of the 4,746 horrific chemicals in cigarettes that hinder the healing of bones". Telling myself that again and again and AGAIN has gotten me through 48 hours of not smoking. Seriously. That is so fucking major, y'all don't even know.

9) The sayings "Necessity is the Mother of Invention" and "Where There's a Will There's a Way" ? I've always believed it, but today I lived it. If there is something I have to do? I'll do it, come hell or high water.

10) Something* has been telling me for a while to take stock and slow down and stop goinggoinggoing but I shush that voice while I dododo. I am donedonedone always 'going' and I understand that I have a laundry list of things I need to address.

11) If I had known how to knit 10 or 15 years ago, my life would be so different, in a good way. Well, okay, not knitting necessarily, but Something* that would have channeled my energy so much better than I knew how to back then.

12) Thank the Lord Above I never had kids. Going through this is hard enough. If I was in charge of my offspring? Quaaludes and Merlot for everyone! Honestly, I would deal, but I would so utterly hate everyone and everything because I was living an irreversable wrong choice.

13) Being temporarily crippled gets me out of a bazillion family things. Yay for that!

Part of me wonders why I'm finally starting to look at life from a different angle than usual. About to turn 40? Why, yes. Yes I am. I've always felt that my age isn't representative of my *me* though. When I was 23, I felt older. I don't feel younger than 39 and I don't feel older than 39 either.

I just feel like it's time for a change from where I'm not doing right by myself and my commitments to something different. It's not about an upcoming new year or an upcoming milestone birthday, but about making change because the old way of doing things worked then but they aren't working now. My life has changed and I've changed. It's time to change the old behavior.

Weirdly, The Mike and I shared a moment while in my Ortho doctor's office - we looked at each other and I knew and he knew . . . we needed a change together - before the good Doctor talked about broken bones and smoking and weight and lifestyle changes. We already both knew but we finally, without really talking, agreed to each other that it was time for a change.

Fingers crossed for us. Where there's a will? There's a way, and now finally there's a will.

*Whatever Something means to you. I have several Somethings. Some things are God, and Some things are paradigm shifts and Some things are learning about other ways of doing things from observing. Not a sermon, just a thought.

Friday, December 21, 2007

Caution - Crime Scene Photos:

FRIDEEEE! Yay for Fridays!

Couple of things . . .

I joined ravelry's Project 365 group. Not on ravelry yet? Get over there already!! But until then, you can participate via this blog. Basically you post up one picture a day, EVERY day, for 365 days. You can take a squillion pictures, but you only post one. It doesn't *have* to be of any particular thing - just whatever you want. I'ma start January 1st of 2008.

I just found out (well, I kinda found out a few weeks ago, but I'm getting confirmation every day) that my old boss is in deep doody. Deep. She's been sanctioned by the Internal Revenue Service and cannot represent tax clients in front of them. For a CPA, that's bad news. The weird part? She's been sanctioned since freak'n 2005 and none of us worker bees had a CLUE! She's been working and presenting herself as if nothing was going on. That's some crazy-assed mental health issue shit right there! She's sanctioned until 2009, but I have a feeling that as more and more of her clients get wind of this, she's gonna be in long-term trouble. Looks like I got out and into a better job at the perfect time! :grin:

My husband has been such a help with this foot shit! He's bitched and whined and moaned but he really has stepped up. I cannot do a damn thing to help around the house or to even help myself really. He's dealt with the dogs (Hunter especially) all by himself, and he's done all the chores as well as bring me stuff and help me shower . . . oh, wait. He just wants to see me nekkid. That's not a good example, lol! Between the back problems and now the foot problem, he's been lacking *attention* if you know what I mean (and I think you do, to steal from Crazy Aunt Purl), so tonight is date night at home. He definately deserves it. I cannot imagine having to deal with this without an S.O. or live-in family member. If I was by myself, I think I'd get home every evening, lay in a big pile of stink, never eat and probably have unfed cats gnawing on my black and blue toes! Maybe that's why I've never broken a bone until I was married, lol.

Christmas. I hate this holiday so much. Regardless, I'm stuck with other humans that give all that 'family togetherness' bullshit great weight, so I get through every year. This year I get a guilt-free ride with the bum leg. I'll be in attendance, but all that is required is my physical presence. No actual participation. AWESOME!

I didn't officially take the Buy Handmade pledge like Jollyewe and 10,647 other people did, but I actually ended up adhering to it for the gifts I was in charge of. We're friends with a couple in our town that make awesome candles (I'm trying desperately to get them on etsy, but they're older and not real intronets savvy, but give me time) so all the chicks are getting their candles. I'm finishing up my last soap sock and they'll be stuffed with handmade soaps to accompany the candles. The Mike is in charge of the dudes so he's sticking to commercial gifts :eyeroll: Actually, I didn't make the one child in the family anything hand-knit but if there's time I'll whip her up a nice warm hat.

So, I leave you with pictures. If feet gross you out, or at least a swollen bruised foot does . . . don't scroll to the bottom.


YOU'VE BEEN WARNED! MWAAAHHHAAAHAHAAAA





Deep Thoughts by Josie Pau Pau



You bring the wine and I'll bring the sexy


All tuckered out (again!)


Contented Cat is contented


Contented Cat does not like Charlie Sheen


Tools of the Broken Foot trade:

1 Moonboot, 2 Crutches

LOTS of knitting!


Covered in ice


That is one swollen foot!

I promise there's an ankle in there somewhere


I do NOT know why the triage nurse wrote a big X on the top of my foot!

(and yes I've tried washing it off, but that shit hurts)

That's not where it was broken and that's not even where it hurt!

See the difference in size there? That ain't good.


This carpet haz a flavorz and it is YUM

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Some Pictures:

An old picture I found in my cellphone

An old FO - hat for Ella

My day at work

My cellphone takes the WORST pictures!
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Here's the latest soap sock:
Elann's Endless Summer Connemera (sp?)








Tuesday, December 18, 2007

2007, Please To Be Ending Now:

This year has really been a doozy, and seriously? I'm so looking forward to its end.

Y'all aren't going to believe this one. Hell, I can barely believe it myself!

Last night I was all ready to post some pics of another finished soap sock from my made up pattern. This one is my favorite so far too. The yarn is perfect for it and the color is a pretty red, and the size has finally been hammered out.

It's lovely (and I'm not a 'lovely' kind of talker, so that's saying something!)

Then I broke my foot.

Yep. I sure did.

Broke it real good and broke-like.

JESUS H. KEY-RIST on a pogo stick.

&#^*%@ !!!!

My back has been getting better every day. Saturday was actually the best day I've had - almost like 'the good old days' better, even. Sunday was fine too since it's our day of rest/football and I didn't overdo it. The weird part of my back problem is that as the days have progressed, the pain part has slowly travelled down my leg. It's finally gotten down to my foot/ankle area and my way of relieving the pressure is to use my toes to balance myself on that side. It helps alot, but one downfall is that I sometimes forget I'm on my toes and when I go to step, I am off-balance and I put my full weight on the toe-edge side of my foot.

Sunday night about 11:30pm, Shadow decided to start her nightly "I hate everyone and I want outside RIGHT NOW" caterwalling song. It's SO annoying, lemmetellya, so I got up to put her in the garage and when I was trying to situate her in my arms, I did that stupid 'rest on my left foot toes' thing . . . 'scept this time, when I went to walk, I was taking one step down into my living room. It didn't so much end as a 'step' but as a 'fall flat on my face' landing, with Shadow in my arms.

It hurt in the moment, but I was 1/2 asleep and annoyed at Shadow, so I just limped back to bed and went to sleep.

OH MY GAWD when I woke up this morning! It didn't really *hurt* when I woke up, but Oh! Boy! I about ate my own fist when I went to step on that foot getting out of bed. I made it to the bathroom (you know) and then right back to the bed to stop the screaming pain. Then I tried getting around to get ready but hopping on one foot down the hallway and across the living room into the garage is fucking hard to do!

The pain was so bad, I ended up crawling - no lie- on my hands and knees to get ready. Crazy Aunt Purl would've lost big time if we were competing in a 'covered in a fine patina of cat hair' contest this morning! 6 cats and brushed cotton-covered knees makes for a nice fuzzy pant, lol.

I was supposed to go the the Chiropractor this morning but The Mike called and cancelled. At my appointment the day before, I had told Dr. Jones that I noticed my tendency to rest on my toes and that I was kinda worried it wasn't safe. Seems I was right unfortunately.

Instead, we went directly to the E.R. of my local ghetto-town hospital. It is officially GHETTO when there is a security guard in the lobby of the emergency room, and he uses a fucking metal detector wand on the patients before they can be seen! I sure wish I was kidding, but I'm not. A town of 50,000 people, and this is what the hospital is like? Pathetic, but that's a rant for another day.

We got there about 8:10am, and at noon I was still sitting in the lobby. There was 'no room at the inn' the intake nurse told us. No. Seriously. She said that. I replied 'well, I certainly hope Jesus doesn't need emergency medical care today!" :eyeroll: She was nice enough to order x-rays immediately, so those were ready by the time I was attended to.

I didn't get taken to a room until about 12:30pm, and by 'room' I mean a blocked-off exit area that was really the hallway. I never did get seen by a doctor, but the physician's assistant finally examined me about 1:30pm. Yes. I had spent 5.5 hours at the E.R. before I was looked at.

He was a very nice P.A., I will say that. Professional, but was caring about my case. He said I have a fractured bone on the left side of that foot. One that is attached to (attributed to?) my little toe. It feels like the top of my foot on the left side, but definately not my ankle, thank God!
Originally, he was going to put me in a brace, but as I was been fitted for it by the nurse, he changed his mind and now I have a splint. Kinda like a 1/2 cast and it's pretty neat - it's molded to the shape of my foot and calf. The only suck-ass part was the nurse in-fucking-sisted that I had to straighten my foot in the position as if I'm standing on it. That shit hurt!! We almost had a head-to-head discussion but she relented at the last minute and figured out a better method to get her goal accomplished without me having to be peeled off the ceiling.

So now I'm on crutches and it's been the rainiest day in ages around here! It took almost all of an hour to get undressed, get in the shower, take a shower, dry off, get back dressed and for Mike to re-wrap my foot. Something that would take 20 minutes tops, otherwise.

I went in to work and was able to suffer through until the end of the day. Oh boy do I have a rant about my work (really, a coworker) but I'll save that one for another day too. Let's just say I *have* to go to work because she's always missing work, and when she's not there it falls on me to make sure her job (getting the money accounted for and in the bank) gets done. When I'm not there, or I'm doing somebody else's job, then my job doesn't get done because noone else knows HOW to do my job. Grrrr.

The Mike picked up my Vicoden and Motrin precriptions this afternoon and he said it was only $6.40 total! Does this insurance rock or what?!

I can tell the pain is pretty bad when I've taken a Vicoden and all it feels like is that a weetiny bit of the pain has been alleviated. That and a bit of nausea. Tomorrow is back to work with the Motrin.

So. That's what's going on with me. What's going on with all y'all? I'm off to catch up on my ravelry 'friends' blog updates, then to bloglines. See ya 'round the intronets!

Friday, December 14, 2007

Quick Pattern:

Last night, I started the red soap sock and used the opportunity to refine my 'on the fly' pattern ideas. What I ended up with created the perfect texture for scrubbing with soap and I'm just pleased as punch! It was exactly what I was looking for.

A little voice in my head has me worried that what I concocted is really some already *known* stitch pattern (like the 'farfalolly stitch' or some such shit I'd never heard of, LOL), but if it is, it is, and oh well. Feel free to make fun of me and definately feel free to steal my made up pattern.

I used Elann's Endless Summer Collection - Connemara and size 7 dpns

Cast on 16, and knit 5 rows using 2 of the dpns.

With the remaining dpns, pick up and knit 3 stitches on both short sides and 16 on the long side for a total of 38 stitches as the base. (The bottom is created with the same technique as the
Booga Bag pattern)

The stitch pattern is as follows:

Row 1 -
K1, P1 and repeat for all 16 stitches on long sides
K1 for each of the 3 stitches on the short sides

Row 2 -
P1, K1 and repeat for all 16 stitches on long sides
K1 for each of the three stitches on the short sides

Row 3 -
YO, K2Tog and repeat for all 16 stitches on the long sides
K1 for each of the three stitches on the short sides

Repeat rows 1 through 3 until pouch is as long as you want, then bind off.


For the drawstring I just could NOT bear doing a foot of I-cord so I picked up a dusty, hardly-ever-used crochet hook and winged it. I just crocheted a starting chain about 12 inches and then turned it to make it wider by doing a basic crochet stitch back across.

Weave the drawstring through the top-most YOs of the pouch, tie a knot on each end and voila. Done and Done.

It isn't the prettiest pattern ever written, but there ya go.

I did get a few pictures of the finished product, but The Mike has the camera today. They'll be up sooner than later, but not right now.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Picture Show:

Madden & Freckles are always sleeping together



Any given day around our joint!



Who you call'n cross-eyed?



She plays herself silly with this box


and then she conks out in her signature Michael Jordan pose, lol !


Alright. Who did that?




Where the Cats Are 99% of the time

Callie loves my heating pad more than I do!



Oh, yeah! That's the spot!



Reluctant Model #1, Josie Pau Pau




Reluctant Model #2 (Freckles), and rather pissed, quite frankly!

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Hunter January 1st, 2004

(I got the camera for Christmas)



Hunter & 'Scilly after a hard playtime


Hunter December 9th, 2007


(EEK! Where did all that white hair come from?!)






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Peach Soap Sock

Purple Soap Sock


Side By Side


Note Different Shapes
(I'm tweaking as I go)


Already 1/2 done since that picture!







Early Prototype





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Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Diary of a Crazy Knitter:

With all this 'jacked back' downtime, it's been a requirement to live life in the slow lane. My personal slow lane has alot of knitting podcasts in it (something like 600-ish left to listen to!). I've finally climbed Mount Lime & Violet, waded through Lixie Knits It, and listened to a whole host of random podcasters. It's left me SO SO excited about knitting (not that I lost my mojo or anything - just kicked it up another notch) and eager to try new things.

I learned to knit on April 23rd of 2005, and I've never not knit since. Yeah, there has been a day here or there where I didn't pick up the sticks, but only due to other things - busy, sick, running around, whathaveyou. From that day in April of 2005 I was hooked though.

So, in light of having my 3rd year 'knit-iversary' coming up I'm ready to expand my skills and test my abilities and learn new challenges.

I'ma make me a sweater, folks!! You heard me say it, and now I'm accountable.

All this time of knitting, I haven't really tried anything *difficult* for my personal ability. I took an Entrelac class so now I can knit that. I took a sock class and I can do those too. Felted purses, scarves up the wazoo, potholders, washclothes, blahblahblah. None of that is challenging or difficult, but a fitted garment scares the bejeezus out of me, so I've never tried.

Between now and April 23rd of 2008 I'm going to get all my planning done, and this is where ravelry earns it's FREAKING AWESOME award.

I already own this batch 'o yarn, thanks to an old kpixie yarn purchase.



That's 490 total yards of pastel Aurora 8. Perfect for a particular wee-tiny 3 year old girly-girl in the family.

I then head on over to ravelry and look up the yarn. Cool - there are 609 projects to check out, but wait! Lookie here . . . I can narrow my search down to 1) just *finished* items and 2) just *child* patterns and 3) *knitted* only and 4) by color.

With the click of a mouse, my search is narrowed down to 4 items. A pinwheel blanket, a pinwheel sweater, a swing coat (at first glance, I think it's the "Girlfriend's Swing Coat" from Knit & Tonic) and a hat.

From there, I can do more research on the pinwheel sweater and the swing coat, or I can change my search and modify # 2 by looking for *baby* patterns or *pullover* patterns.

HOW AWESOME IS THAT??

For years, we (the collective knitter's we) have had to go through googling, blog posts, archived knitty.com and magknits, all our saved up issues of Interweave & Vogue etc. and all our pattern books. Well, we can still do that (it's loads of fun and you remember shiat you forgot you wanted to knit, and then you promptly forget it again, lol), but ravelry is an awesome jumping off point to research and search in general.

I have roughly 4 months to plan this anniversary project and it's going to be so much fun! I'm scared kinda, but I know I can do it.

Being knee-deep in Christmas gift knitting has given me a bad case of the 'I wanna knit for ME now'-itis.

After Christmas, I'm going to get back into my sock knitting and challenge myself with more complex patterns. Hell, anything outside of straight stockinette and a basic heel-flap will be challenging!! I'm not a fan of the Monkey socks or those Potomuseswhateverthehelltheyrecalled ones. I know. If I could find my Knitting Membership card I'd turn it over, but I really don't *get* them. They just aren't attractive to me. There's a cute cables sock/booty pattern in LMKG that may be my December 26th project, or maybe the Embossed Leaves from Interweave Knits 2005. Something more challenging for sure, though.

**I'll post pics tomorrow, of Hunter, Blue and the finished Soap Sock for Jollyewe's viewing pleasure. Yep, I said it. TOMORROW!!**

Monday, December 10, 2007

Handsome Hunter Is Still Around:

Hunter did (relatively) well over the weekend, although personally, *I* don't think he's doing well at all.

As he walks, he cannot lift his foot up which causes the top of his toes to drag across the ground. When he's not walking but just standing, his leg is really wobbly (liked a cooked spaghetti noodle) and sometimes it just goes out from under him. To stop from falling over completely, he'll put that leg out to his side, kinda like a bicycle kickstand. He's urinating on himself when he *finally* gets up to go, and now he doesn't even get up to defecate. That is so not like him.

This morning Mike loaded him into the Envoy (he's never been a jumper, so lifting a 100lb dog is not easy!) and we went on over to the Vet. As instructed, we pulled around back, and I stayed with Hunter while Mike went to let them know we were there.

Our plan was to not make any sure decision until the Vet really saw Hunter in action. We waited . . . and waited . . . and waited . . . all the while on an asphalt ground. He was dragging his paw alot and he could barely stay upright to relieve himself.

Finally Dr. D. came around to the back and watched Hunter move about. Dr. D. said Hunter's problem is in his spine. He used some real medical jargon that I don't remember now, but I do remember the L5 (vertibrate??) being the issue. According to the vet, Hunter does not feel any pain, and does not have severe enough symptoms that warrant having him put to sleep. He can still wag his tail, and boy is his mind alert!

So, we loaded Hunter back into the Envoy and went back home. I'm scared to death Hunter is going to break his leg since he has it cocked out half the time, bearing his weight. I can just see him putting that leg out and going down - breaking it right in half.

The vet says that his balance/mobility will only deteriorate. It will get to the point where Hunter won't be able to move himself at all. What the hell are we going to do then? It's not like I can back the vehicle up into our back yard and load him up. Our yard isn't set up that way. For Hunter to get from the back yard to a vehicle, there HAS to be some walking on his part.

Hunter has rapidly gotten as bad as he is now. It's not like this has slowly been building up. A few times over the years his back leg gave out on him, but at the time we just thought he was running too fast on the back patio concrete. With the way he is now, we realize it was the precurser to today's diagnosis. His leg turning into a spaghetti noodle and having NO ability to balance has come upon him fast, and it's only getting worse. Other than spinal surgery on a 10+ year old dog or eventually attaching him to some cart contraption, there is nothing else to help him.

I dunno. I'm glad he's still here but I'm very worried about his future and our ability to deal with it. I have to go to work every day and if Hunter hurts himself it could be HOURS until one of us even finds out. If something happens while Mike is out of town, there is no way in hell I can lift a struggling 100lb Labrador into the back of my vehicle.

So, that is The Hunter news.

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Moving on . . .

My back is still jacked, but it has gotten alot better! I have a pinched nerve, and something about a bulging disc or something. Lemme tell ya - this has been quite the anatomy lesson! All those pictures of your muscles and tendons and nerves attached to each other and the spine? I am actually feeling those things inside my body and it is freaky deaky!

Seems my (new to me) chiropractor was told that my insurance covers his treatments 100% and I have ZERO deductible and ZERO co-pay. I KNOW!! I can't believe it either. Finger's crossed it's true when they send their billing in, lol!

On the knitting front, things have been moving along.

I've knit one So-Called Scarf out of red/purple Malabrigo that I gave away at the Bass Club Christmas party, and I also just gave away a previously knit checkerboard scarf made out of Meunch Touch Me (if yarn were clouds, Touch Me would be the softest fluffiest cloud in the sky) at our 'Friday Night Dinner' club Christmas Party. The first scarf present wasn't a big hit (it's 90% dudes though), but the second one? Mike thought some women were going to come to blows over it (I just love that 'stealing' gift giving game!!). There were some other funny/nice things - lotions, chocolate, etc. but the scarf was a hit.

Now I'm working on 'soap socks' for presents. Two years ago I had bought a bunch of nice soaps with the intention of knitting pouches to match, and then I didn't do it. Last year either, lol! Oh well. This is the year.

Currently, my pattern is this one from I'm Knitting As Fast As I Can, although I've modified it.

What is it about me and recipes and patterns? I hardly ever follow them to the letter. I've followed lace patterns exactly, because I don't know how to do anything different, but run-of-the-mill patterns I just do my own thing. My soap sock was started by making the bottom ala the Booga Bag pattern. I just made sure to have an even # of stitches when I was ready to follow the soap sock pattern. Oh, and this is when I decided it was high time to start using the Magic Loop Method!! Not very far into it, I realized that YOs were a tad bit much as my first ML attempt. Back to DPNs I went. It made me lose some time, but tonight I can finish the thing up lickitysplit.

This is how I do recipes too. I know what I'm expecting as my end result, so I just kind of 'back into it' with the recipe. For instance, I've been having a real hankering for Butternut Squash soup. Nope. Never ever made it myself. I did a search, skimmed two different recipes (didn't write anything down) and will go shopping for the ingredients from my memory. Hell, it's just soup.

Thanks you guys for commenting nice things my way on behalf of Hunter (even you Tess!!). I'll make an effort to put up a picture I took of him yesterday (I'm leaving work where I do not have pics available).

Happy Knitting!!

Saturday, December 8, 2007

The time has come, my friends.

It is so hard to say, but Hunter is probably going to be put to sleep on Monday.

The house of Knitting Blue Content is very sad this weekend.

Friday, December 7, 2007

Woo Hoo Jollyewe!!

Holy Crap Jollewe!

You made Lime & Violet's 2007 Gift Guide.

That is *so* awesome!!

What a great idea too - you just fill in stuff and hand it to your loved one to go shopping. They don't have to be knitting experts with this handy-dandy guide.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Kaboom!

That would be the sound of my back going out a week ago today.

I am JACKED. UP. People.

It's all I can do to sit at work for any length of time, and when I do sit, it's on this stupid inflated rubber ball (which helps, but is gawd-awful green).

So, I'm not around for now, but I'm getting better and I *will* be back.

Lots 'o knittin going on, and lots 'o cat antics too.

Stay tuned.