Friday, January 30, 2009

TGIF

Whew... what a week, I am so glad it's over. Technically it was over yesterday, but still. I slept until almost 11am today. Felt really good. Eric has the car still, so I had an excuse to not go anywhere and stay home and knit. That sweater is almost done. I just have half a sleeve, the neck, and the seaming to do. The neck is the hardest. This is the sweater that broke me for necks for good. The first time I knit this sweater I redid that neck so many times it was big enough for my waist. (curious on the pattern? it's the woman's simple pullover from Cables Untangled) So we shall see if it kicks my ass again. At least this time I know how to pick up the stitches the 1st time.
Eric bought a used car, we pick it up on saturday. It's a VW Jetta, he's very excited.
If you read Tracie's blog (the linky is on the left side) you will see she and I had a dual experience in husband's being stupid this week. Her's brought her roses, mine brought me wine. Seriously, we thought we were reading our own blogs when we checked in on each other. Maybe it was the moon.
I will be working on finishing up this sweater, and I am having a serious hankering for some socks. I may finish the 2nd sock of my Monkey socks that I started over a year ago. Hows that for second sock syndrome? I may not though. I have some beautiful colors that have been hiding away in my sock yarn bin for some time, and I may just have to start a new pair, or two, or three.
Just call me crazy sock lady.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Go figure

Monday night me and hubby got into a raging fight. The kind of raging screaming yelling cursing name calling fight that husband and wife can have when wife feels wronged. Husband said a bad thing in the middle of the fight, which caused wife (me) to call more names and threaten to throw things at him until he left. End of fight. Husband spent night on couch, wife left in the morning and didn't say anything. Wife spent entire day thinking of oh so brilliant things to say to husband when he came home that would make him sorry he ever learned to speak.

Then reality...Husband stumbles into front door. Husband uses back door. That's where garage is. Wife (fuming... ready with her words) looks at husband and asks if garage is broken. (in a snarky way of course). Husband says brakes in car went out going 50 mph on the highway and he had to use the emergency brake and almost died.

Oh. Well. Um. Wife tries to sympathize. Regrets wishing husband dead all day, but also wondering if simultaneously the fates have decided to listen to her and kill off all of the people she wishes dead. (must explore further). Wife's fuming is dissipated and for some reason this has quelled said fight and after initial figuring of what/who's car is going to get who/where the next few days, a semi-rational (I did say SEMI) conversation about earlier fight is resumed.

No real conclusion to said fight. But is there ever really?

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Handles on the OUTSIDE please

Yesterday Amy came over and because she sews way better than I do, I had her help me decipher a sewing pattern that stumped me about a year ago. And because I have been in the mood to finish things that have been started and stuffed in the closet or drawer when they pissed me off, this was a great idea.
And she fixed all of it in my brain. The pattern I mean. She figured it all out and even showed me stuff I had missed. Like a whole section. Looking at the pattern now, I would not have chosen it if I had looked more closely. But the bag is cute, the fabric is Amy Butler, so I forged ahead. After the sewing lesson, I took everything out and spent about 4 hours on it today. Got to the home stretch, fitting the handles and the lining together to the outer bag.
I actually managed to sew the handles to the inside of the lining and outer bag. In no way at all accessible as handles. This is a mistake I have made before. But clearly, I like to rip seams, so I did it again. No, I am not taking a picture.
but I have matured a bit. The bag is on top of the sewing table, instead of in a drawer. It will be finished sometime this week. Not next year. I swear.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Much better

Starting the week of 8 hr days for 4 days. So far liking this getting off at 3:30 thing. I used to get off at 3:30, but then I wanted half days for fridays so got off 1 hr later. I think I might just chuck the whole half day friday thing and go back to 3:30 every day. I either come home and nap or don't get home until then on friday's anyway because of the lost hour during the week, so what the hey

The baby sweater is coming along. Might finish it tonight. Then just to finish the blanket and some extra touches and she will be done!

Friday, January 16, 2009

I will not feel guilty

Why is it that even though I have my days off approved I still feel a bit guilty not going into work? I started my 32 hour work week today, by taking today off. Monday I start the real 32 hour week. But my boss ok'd the day off, and I still felt a bit guilty. Dunno why. Work ethic I guess.
I did sleep in, but I finished my 4 inches on Orange Dream, the preemie blanket, and went to get my oil changed and all those little extras that go with the oil change and started the 2nd section of the baby sweater while I waited. All the laundry is folded and put away. I threw all the sweaters that need to go to goodwill on the closet floor in a corner so I know they have to go in a bag and go downstairs.
I'm kinda looking at this reduction in my hours as getting my life back together a bit. Kinda like when I took those 5 days off last sept and did a lot of housework. This is kinda a bit of me-work. It will include housework, but mostly I need to get myself re-grounded in being happy. That probably doesn't make any sense. I will try to explain. When things at work go the way they have been, slow, I get tired and crabby. I come home and I don't want to do anything. On the weekends I sleep in too late and don't spend enough time on me because of all the crap I have to catch up on. I don't knit what I want because of all the charity stuff (charity stuff is not bad, just the not knitting other stuff is bad). I cram in my tivo'd shows and knit what I'm supposed to and go to bed. then i start over again on monday. This way of living, day after day and week after week, gets to me. It makes me slow and tired and crabby and not very happy.
So I am taking the opportunity granted to me by the slowness of work to take some time off, meaning shorten my hours and spend more time with myself. And other people... however it works out. This means I'm getting off work at 3:30 instead of 4:30 and off on friday. This means 1 more hour to myself during the week, and friday as well. All of you that know me know that my time to myself is extremely important. I love Eric, but he's the same way as me, we both need our alone time. But since he is self employed, he gets more days to himself than I do.
This change in hours will end in April, as all good things have to do, but it will be ok. Because our billing dept is undergoing some serious changes come April and May, and they are exciting potentially life changing changes. (well... life at work changes).
So I'm not going to feel guilty. I am going to take this extra time that the universe has allowed me to have and have some me time.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

-25

That's all I have to say today. -25 BEFORE the windchill.
Seriously. I must drink to raise my body temperature now.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Sticking things in my eye

So I've been cranky lately. The weather here sucks. Really sucks. We keep getting snow which I have to shovel, and then a blast of -20 degree weather. Even going to the store for lunch sucks. I don't want to go to the post office, and I certainly don't want to leave my warm snuggly bed to go to work.
Which is another thing that relatively sucks right now. Work. There isn't a ton to do at work right now, so my week drags so bad I want to stick things in my eye to entertain myself. I want to fart to see if anyone notices. And there is really only so much internet out there. So I went to my boss with a plan. 32 hrs a week. cutting back, working mon thru thurs, and off on friday. Temporary because we are going to electronic billing in July and I need to be there full time for that. My boss and her boss are fine with the idea, but the plan doesn't implement until monday. Which sucks. Because in my brain, I have been dealing with this no work issue for a few weeks and devising my plan, so I want said plan implemented now. So instead I will poke things in my eye and fart to see what happens.
Tomorrow is thursday, and I am going to bring my knitting to work. I have never actually KNITTED at work, but we'll see. Better than poking things in my eye.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

2 hours


2 hours is what it took to take the pink border off the blanket and add a 4 row garter stitch in light green.
Tracie and I met Friday for coffee, and she can attest to the fact that on Friday the border was pink. She and I brainstormed and came up with the idea of adding a lifeline to the bottom, and then picking up all the stitches and knitting backwards. That is what I did. I meticulously threaded a lifeline through every stitch on the border, pulled off the pink, and then picked up every one of those stitches and knit. It took 2 hours, but it's done, and looks rather nice.
Knitters sure are a crafty bunch of people. Give us a problem, some coffee and some time and we'll figure it out.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Rebellion

I know that I have to start the new set. I have the yarn. It's all on my desk. But when I looked at the yarn and contemplated where to start, I cried. I got a lump in my throat and wanted to throw up. I know I am getting paid for this set. It is not my coworkers fault. But seriously, 20 or so hours of work and needing to start over would make anyone want to throw up.
So instead I worked on my oddball acrylic pet snuggle, and then I got out my resolution #2. Redo my 1st sweater better. I am about halfway thru the back of the sweater, and I feel much better.
Because I am quite positive that if I had decided to work on the set this weekend, I might have chucked it across the room, stomped on it quite a few times, called it names that aren't fit for baby items, and burned the whole mess in my garage. Just to feel better.
I think we all win this way instead.

Friday, January 9, 2009

The Crying Game

Ya remember that baby set I was making for the first great-niece of a coworker? Well, coworker said that her niece had the ultrasound and the baby is a girl. Niece wants all pink and white. Well, nother ultrasound later and the baby is a boy. Yep. It's a boy. The tragedy is three-fold. First, I have put about 20 hrs of knitting into this set so far. The sweater (all pink) is about 3/4 done. This means new sweater. Another freaking sweater. After this kids, no one gets a baby sweater from me EVER AGAIN. Second, the trim on the fantastically heavenly soft white blanket is pink. The TRIM. How the freak do you redo pink trim???????? Third, the coworker knew all of this yesterday and was too scared to tell me until today. That means that last night when I was working diligently on the PINK sweater, I could have been working diligently on the now GREEN sweater we have decided on.
Good thing I saw my psychiatrist today. And my psychiatrist turns out to be a new knitter. So she totally understood when I said I was going to play video games and drink beer tonight instead of knit the NEW GREEN SWEATER.
Someone get me some beer please.

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Bad day-short post

I had a bad day today. A lot of people had a lot of problems that I had to deal with. I ususally like solving problems. Really, that is one of the best parts of my job. But crabby people making their mistakes my problem tend to tick me off. When you can't take responsibility for screwing up and make it my problem, when it's not even close to my problem, and try to blame my company and threaten to withdraw from the network when you suck anyway, you tick me off. Threats are stupid, and threats left on a voice mail suck even more. I could way go into more detail, but it has to do with healthcare claims and not a lot of you care to hear the minute details of this. Lets just say people suck. And I had already been bombarded with the stupidity of the human race when I was told very personal details of a person's life that I hardly know just because she wanted attention. And I work with her. So this sucked. I was literally standing there and was bombarded with way inappropriate crap about her life. This makes no sense to any of you. I know. But it is my way of saying I am really not in the mood for any more people who want to through a tantrum to get attention or not take responsibility for their actions.
nuff said.
So that's my life.
I thought I would update you on what I'm watching on tv, because, people, I am in my early 30s, have been with the same man for 13 years, knit and watch tv. this is my drama. (I am also saying that if you would like to introduce drama into my life, I do not care for it. tv is my drama. A dropped stitch is my drama. All of the above drama is offensive to me.)
So, I'm watching Nip Tuck, which just started it's new season last night. Seriously addicted to this show. It's not for everyone. It has bare butts and boobs, dirty sex, and seriously fucked up people. But I have no drama in my life and do not care to have any, so this rocks.
The Tudors season 2 is out on dvd. If you didn't see season one, you should. This is also a pretty dirty show, boobs and sex and all, and is shown on showtime, so not for the easily offended. But if you get into English history, especially the 1500's -Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth, Henry, Mary, etc, this is really addictive. Ever since I was a kid I've been really into this part of history, so I love the crap out of it.
Other than that the most exciting thing to happen to me lately is finding out that my pharmacy will mail me my meds, instead of me traipsing across town to pick them up. Seriously cool people.

Monday, January 5, 2009

As if I didn't have enough on my plate




But heck, spice is the joy of life... or something like that.

For this year I am working on 2 major projects right off the bat. The first is a full baby set for a coworker who is having her 1st great-niece in May. It's a hat, booties, sweater, and blankie, and I'm going to throw in a knit toy. It's all in pretty pinks and whites, a little sparkle in there. The pic is of the hat and booties that are finished. I have started the blanket and sweater, and hope to be done by the end of the month. The booties will have laces in a pink/silver ribbon. She is paying me a nice commission, which is a price I quoted her, so I am feeling a bit of a pinch on this.

But not so much of a pinch that it kept me from starting my own charity project - Acrylic oddball pet snuggles! I am on 3 charity groups, midwest babies, midwest preemies, and oddball snuggles in cotton, but none of them allowed for stash use of ick acrylic that all knitters have in the back of the closet. (When you start knitting, you accumulate this acrylic at an alarming rate. It's cheap, the colors can be great, and people gift it to you from their own stash to get rid of it.) So we all have this stuff, but nothing to use it on. The pet snuggles are perfect, because the pets don't care, and they get washed a TON, so eventually soften up some. I think the only thing that might slow me down on this is the needles, they need to be knit on size 10 - 11 circular needles that you may or may not ever see again, because they go along with the project in the mail to the next knitter. Which is fine, but I'm running out and haven't gotten any back. And it's not even close to garage/estate sale season, which is where I get a lot of them. (Any readers harboring these needles? I could use them!) The blanket in the picture is the 1st of the project, called "hugs n snugs" and is knit in double stranded acrylic, red heart for both yarns, in variegated and solid blue. not the prettiest, but not the ugliest either. This one goes on to Tracie on friday when we meet for coffee and knitting and I get the next midwest preemie blankie from her for my turn. Fun stuff guys. Seriously fun stuff.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

I have no resolutions

Everyone seems to be posting their resolutions. I have none. I hate resolutions. They seem like a surefire way to set yourself up for failure. So instead, I just like to have life-day-month long resolutions. Something I set for myself that I hope to "someday" achieve. I hate setting myself up for failure, so this is better for me.
My someday resolutions: (not in any particular order)
1.lose 10 pounds
2. knit that first sweater again and have it be better
3. learn to knit colorwork
4. quit smoking
5. be nice to everyone whenever possible. unless they are stupid. this voids the resolution.
6. try not to show it so much when i'm crabby. it makes other people crabby too.
7. try not to take people so much at their word and then be dissapointed.
8. If someone is a jerk, try to forgive them. they might be having a bad day just like me/you.
9. figure out what to do with my hair. it is seriously bothering me people.
10. spend a lot more time doing stuff I love. I don't know how to do this because time is not infinite. But I really want to figure this one out. I don't know if it involves my job, my house, my car, the cats, or the weather, but this one is a lifelong quest and I resolve to figure it out eventually.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Happy new year!


At least the cats are getting along enough now to be in the same chair together.