It's Thursday, someone pass me a coffee!

So this morning, our whole department trooped off on a field trip. We left the office at 9 a.m. and returned about a quarter to noon. In that time there was (a) no coffee, (b) no bathroom breaks, and (c) a stupid amount of climbing up and down stairs. This is, in my universe, an unacceptable way to spend a morning. So now, returned and (somewhat) refreshed by pizza, chocolate cake, and coffee (lunch of champions!), I can tackle into the afternoon's to-do list. I'd rather be napping.

In knit news... well, squares are happening, and I am making progress on the lace scarf sample, though it's slow. I changed from the Heart pattern to the somewhat-simpler Crest of the Wave, but it's a slow grind. And I'm really wondering if it's worth it, because odds are pretty high no one will sign up for the dang lace class anyway. I'd rather be doing something else. Which reminds me, I need to add projects to the list. But - tomorrow is Friday (huzzah!), so let us be happy and enjoy the sunshine. And this last bite of chocolate cake. Yum.

EDIT: Got a note from the class coordinator at the store, need to get the sample in this weekend. Time for more lace knitting.

EDIT #2: You know, half a lace scarf is enough for a sample. If someone signs up for the class, I will finish the scarf, otherwise I will frog it and repurpose the yarn. It's not really my style, though a lovely pattern. What do you think? Note the ever-present charity-blanket square on the right. Computer knitting.

EDIT #3: Ok, picture time! Lots and lots...

This is my Winter 2007/2008 Toque - Patons Shetland Chunky, 84 sts on a 5mm (6mm?) needle, ribbed all the way up. Swirly!

These are the matching mittens (matching, in that I used the same yarn. Not Swirly).
A finished (but pretty unsatisfying) crochet scarf, Lion Brand Homespun. I swear by all the gods, aside from one current WIP, I will NEVER use this blasted yarn again. I hates it.


Cedar's Neckwarmer. Funky neon, perfect for a little boy. I wish I'd taken a shot of the matching mittens, they've got green lightning-bolts around them. Very fun. Mystery yarn.

Safety Baby Hat! You will NEVER lose your baby in a snowbank if they are wearing this hat. Originally intended for charity, this will be going along to some friends who are expecting in the fall.

Yes, I'm turning into one of those knitbloggers who posts pictures of their cat. Here is our Squeeky, very comfortable on top of my socks, which I had spread out on the headboard to warm and dry in the sun. They are now warm, dry, and covered in cat hair. Speaking of that, isn't it amazing how much our Squeeky looks like Laurie's Sobakowa? (scroll down to the January 10 post).

OK that's enough for one day. Now over to Ravelry to update my project page!

Happiness Is...

- Sleeping in an extra hour on a workday
- Being woken by a kitty licking your hand
- Pants that didn't fit 2 weeks ago, fitting (yay weight loss!)
- Beethoven's 4th on the drive to work
- A *really* good cup of coffee
- Homemade bread with a schmear of Laughing Cow cheese for breakfast

So yeah, today is starting pretty well, for a Tuesday. Hope yours is, too!

Blargh

Chest congestion, sinuses blocked so bad I can hardly hear, sneezing, freezing, everything aches, and running a fever.

And, I'm at work, because stuff is happening today I HAVE to be here for. Tomorrow, however, I intend to stay in bed, drink soup and tea, and sleep and knit and read.

Hm - maybe I caught it off Yumi's blog?

Blargh.

Plan the work, adapt the plan, work the plan...

Two projects have to be added to the list and started right away - one due to a lack of foresight on my part, and one to help out a friend. See, I'm teaching a class on lace next month, and have given away both my previous lace samples. So since it's February, I found a nice lace scarf pattern with hearts in it which I think will work well - but I need to knit the sample, and by this time next week (if not sooner). Oops. So MP2008 will have to be on hold for a few days.

And then, a friend needs a Moebius shawl for her mother's birthday, 3rd week of February. She handed me the yarn tonight. Now I know I can knit this in a week if I'm dedicated to it, so that's not too bad, but still - that's another week away from the original "whip the WIPs / MP2008" plan. Argh.

Nevermind. I'm adaptable and I had an itching to start something new anyway (besides blanket squares, of course). I'll take the Zen attitude - "when the knitter is ready the project will appear"!

Getting things done

Three FO (ok 2 finished and 1 frogged) in 2 days!

Last night: finished the Crochet scarf, consulted with Peter on the neckwarmer and decided to frog it. Today at lunch: finished the baby hat. That's 4 projects in less than 1 week - go me!

Photos of the scarf and hat to be posted probably tomorrow evening - I'm teaching tonight, huzzah!

And, being a very good girl with the food and exercise. Go me - again!

Ok, enough rah rah. Back to work. Have a great day, all.

Sunday photos!

Yes, I'm keeping my word and posting photos of my lovely FOs today - including the first FO of 2008, the Lilac Socks! (apologies if you don't have Ravelry, there are non-linked photos here also).

So, photos! First up, the aforementioned Lilac Socks. Started August 2007, finished January 12, 2008. *ahem* These are knit in Marian's Suffolk Wool, which is a real delight to work with - springy and yet firm - it's what I would call a "no-nonsense" yarn, you can tell it's going to stand up for a lot of abuse, and yet it's so pretty the way she dyes it! Look at the neat pink/purple/green/white going on here, just lovely!



Next up, the Wedgewood Socks - Patons Classic Merino, colourway "Wedgewood" - started April 2007, finished December 2007. *ahem* I've already raved about the Classic Merino for comfy socks, the only small drawback is that it tends to "fuzz" a bit after a few washings and wearings, but it's still warm and durable and comfy, so all good.






Third, the Rosewood Socks - also Patons Classic Merino, colourway "Rosewood" (gee, I'm original!) - started May 2007, finished December 2007. *ahem* Are we seeing a trend here? More warm happy feet.









And finally, yes you've waited over a year for this... Peter's v-neck cabled sweater. Front and back views here, there are a couple more shots on the Ravelry project page. I can honestly say I am VERY pleased with this sweater, not least of all because Peter is VERY pleased with it - it's his default "wear around the house because it's a bit chilly" sweater now. It's very comfortable due to the sweatshirt-type styling and he likes it a lot - immediately after putting it on he requested another, in a crewneck style. Not quite what I had planned for his next sweater (a Shetland Chunky sweatshirt-style), but there are many years ahead for many more sweaters. He also wants a traditional Aran-style cabled cream wool fisherman-type sweater. Put it on the list.

Actually, thinking of lists, did I mention that I joined "Mission Possible" yesterday? Same basic idea as my UFO sidebar, but with a twist - you have to finish / deal with 12 knitting/yarn-related things from a list by the end of 2008, or else donate them to charity! Eek! So, more motivation, more accountability, more excuses to spend time on Ravelry... uh, did I just say that? Heck, I spent 3 hours reading knitblogs yesterday morning, so why not. I do LOVE LOVE LOVE not working weekends anymore!

Today is about laundry and taking down the tree and a raid on Sunken Temple at high noon. And knitting on a new blanket square for the charity project - one of my volunteer "joiners" has finished a whole blanket this week and started on a second. So we need more squares! Nice.

Have a lovely Sunday!

Saturday Morning...

What is this, the blog week of song titles? Apparently. "Saturday Morning" is one of my favourite Harry Chapin songs, let me give you an excerpt:

Saturday morning, and it's growing light.
I look out my window, and remember the night;
The story is starting, as this story ends,
And I feel like I need you again.

That about sums up this morning for me. It's quiet, I feel well rested and content, and it's the first of many Saturdays that I can spend on things that are important - household, family, friends, knitting, etc. Non-income-earning but important. And I can tell you, that feels pretty darn good. Today's agenda involves baking a simple white cake for my big sister's birthday (shh, she's 41!), which will be served unfrosted, with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. This comes AFTER the hoisin-bbq spare ribs, salad and baked potatoes. Oh man, I'm hungry already thinking about this dinner, and I'm still having breakfast! Then go fetch said sister, do the "girls' afternoon out" thing, and fetch hubby (and the food) before spending the evening with the rest of the (in Ottawa) family, with knitting and hockey. I expect to finish my 2nd Lilacs sock tonight, so Marian, stay tuned, pictures of your lovely yarn knit up to come tomorrow!

Oh, something I forgot to put in yesterday's post - about healthier eating and better food choices, etc. I can see where making small changes can make a big difference, but it's also important to ENJOY what I (you, anyone) eat, so certain concessions to "dammit, I like it that way" need to be made. For instance, coffee. I like coffee, I like being able to drink it again after not being able to for a couple of years due to the acid reflux/IBS combination. Now I can have it in moderation, and I like it with cream and sugar. Three of each. I tried cutting back on a sugar, I tried switching cream for milk, and I didn't enjoy my coffee. Blargh... heck with it, 3 and 3. Now, this is only at work. At home I have vanilla soymilk, which requires no sugar, and at mom & dad's I have milk & sugar, just a splash and one teaspoon full - because dad generally makes flavoured coffees which don't need much enhancement. But at work, where the coffee is free and (to be honest) diesel-strength, I like it with cream and sugar. So there. Over three cups in a day, that's 147 calories but I really ENJOY those 147 calories.

Peter heard something on the radio about the shift in our culture between food as food, and food as nutrients, and how we break things down to their component parts, yadda yadda. Sounds like it would have been interesting but unfortunately I missed it. Oh, and in case anyone's interested, I'm using www.myfooddiary.com for the food/exercise tracking. It's a good tool and I like it.

And now, I should get that cake happening, so I can get myself organized for the day. Tomorrow will have pictures of knitting, I promise! Have a great Saturday.

One Week...

(with apologies to the Barenaked Ladies)

It's been one week since I said "hm, I need to do something about this extra weight". Here's the progress report:

1. I've been following my training plan at the gym which feels good (a little sore on the muscles but it's the good sore that says I HAVE muscles, not the bad sore which says I've INJURED my muscles).
2. I've been trying to add one serving of fruit and/or vegetable per day (so as not to shock my poor delicate system too much), and am currently having 4-5 where I used to have 1-2 (maybe, if Peter hid them in my dinner).
3. I've been cutting back on sweets and other junk, not entirely, but to a more moderate level.
4. I've upped my water intake to the point that I am wearing a path to the bathroom.
5. I've been spending more time knitting and reading, and less time playing WoW (this is not STRICTLY a weight-loss thing, more of a "life-balance" thing).

Here's the results:

1. I feel stronger and am sleeping like a log at night. Reward: I bought new Nike Air Pegasus for walking in. SOOO cushy!
2. My system is, so far, happy with the changes and not rebelling.
3. I'm very very tired in the late afternoons from not having had my 3:00 chocolate fix. Need to work on that.
4. I haven't weighed myself but judging by the "pants test", I've peed out about 2-3 lbs. (ew, I know, but loss is loss!)
5. I've finished a fabulous book (review on the weekend) and almost a whole sock (2nd of the pair, photos on the weekend), started another book (also pretty fabulous) and had a lot more quiet time with Peter. We've started listening to CBC Radio 2 in the evenings. We feel Smart. :D

So overall, it's been a good week. Tomorrow I take my big sister out for a round of birthday yarn shopping and a decadent dessert, then we have a big family dinner for her birthday and watch the Detroit/Ottawa game on Dad's big-screen TV. Sunday we take down the Christmas tree and do chores, and putter a bit. So tonight - ta da! - I'm playing WoW. It's my Re-Ward for being a (mostly) good girl all week.

More on the weekend. Stay warm and dry!

Oh dear...

Well, I went to the gym yesterday all full of motivation and vigor. Had a great workout, nice hot shower, and then got dressed... except my pants were very tight. Oh dear, perhaps not being sick over the holidays for a change has resulted in a slight weight gain? Hm.

Had a Dr.'s appointment in the afternoon (routine, nothing to worry about) and thought, "I'll just pop on the scale and see..." 167. Yikes. That's 22 lbs over my top-end "healthy" weight range. No wonder my size 10's were pinching!

So, rather than get all weird and depressed, I got more motivated. Signed up for My Food Diary.com, where I can track all my food and activity and get encouraging little smileys when I do good (and frownies if I do bad). It has pretty comprehensive reporting and a good interface, and the food database is much better than the one at Fitday.com (which I had used before with mixed results). Set a weight-loss goal of 1.3 lbs/week; HOWEVER, I do not have a scale at home, nor do I intend to buy one. I will go by how I feel (and how the pants fit) until I see the doctor again in 12 weeks. I should be down by about 15 lbs by then. Between now and then, it's all about following the training plan and making better food choices.

Oh, and no eating at the (home) computer. I've a sneaking suspicion that at least 5 lbs of the excess is "Gamer's Gut" from scarfing potato chips and cookies whilst playing Warcraft. Oops.

Have a great weekend all!

The week of many posts...

Or, Kit goes back to work tomorrow. :(

Today was snowy and blowy and we spent it inside "in the warm". A little gaming, a little knitting, a major OH CRAP! as the Clapotis slipped off the needle and started to frog itself. CRAP CRAP CRAP! I took it as a sign and put it out of its misery. Frogged to zero and the yarn rewound and put away for a future sweater. I had intended it for a sweater in the first place, something slinky and v-necked, so maybe this was the yarn's way of telling me it didn't want to be a dang trendy shawl/scarf? Perhaps. Anyway, that takes it off the list too, ha ha!

Been knitting away at some garter stitch 'squares' for Blankets for Canada - actually one long strip, nice soothing garter stitch (albeit on 4mm needles which is a bit tight but it's prescribed gauge). The office group to put the blankets together is starting up next Monday, I'm really looking forward to that. Actually I'm looking forward to getting back to work and some semblance of a routine again. I hate to admit it, but I do need structure in my day/week/life or I get all weird and out of sorts.

Oh, a New Year's joke to share - this was SLAYING people last night:

Knock knock.
Who's there?
Interrupting Cow.
Interrupting cow -
MOO!

It's important to time your MoO! before they can say "who"? Got it? Share and enjoy!

Happy New Year!

Today, the last day of 2007, was good. Got up early (for a holiday, 7:30), had good breakfast, sewed the seams of Peter's sweater (finally, yes it's finished!) and got 2 repeats done on the straight section of my Clapotis while watching Kelly's Heroes and 1 1/2 of the Planet of the Apes movies. Did some gaming (Jake is now 51 and climbing), did some laundry, and just had a nice relaxed day with Peter.

Tomorrow we are starting the New Year right with some cleaning and organizing, and some more relaxation before we both head back to work and get our routines (re)-established. I'm looking forward to getting back but I have SO enjoyed this holiday break.

Pictures of the finished sweater and socks tomorrow (need to find batteries for the camera - again). Happy New Year everyone!

Insomnia sucks

I went to bed at 8, read 'til 9, slept 'til 12, and have been awake from 12-2. My head hurts, my back hurts, and I have heartburn on my heartburn (thank you very much "mild" BBQ chicken wings). And I have to be at the store in 7 hours. Time for T1 and (hopefully) some sleep. Otherwise I'm gonna be mainlining caffeine tomorrow... ah well, 2 shifts to go.

Time to go "gently nudge" my snoring hubby. Yes, that's what woke me up. No, it's not his fault. However, this does not lessen the urge to either (a) kick him in the shin or (b) cover his face with a pillow, when he's buzz-sawing so blissfully. Now I'm past the violently-awake stage, I shall try again.

Goodnight!

One down! (and one to go...)

Finished my Wedgewood Socks - just needed the toe decreased and Kitchener'd shut and voila! However, also found Yumi's Fleece Artist shawl-in-progress, so the list changes slightly. Great morning of movies and knitting, now time for some gaming. Balance in all things!

Happy Friday!

Getting ready for 2008

So, as I was saying before, I've got some plans for the upcoming year:

1. No more weekend work at Michael's (2 more to go, that's it!) so I have more time for home stuff.
2. Training to walk the National Capital half-marathon at the end of May.
3. Finishing UFO's from 2007 before starting anything new for 2008 (yes, I tried this in the fall, but I have made a list and it's now manageable).
4. More and better rest / leisure.
   
5. More and better time with family / friends (see #1).

That's pretty much it. Nothing grandiose, just small steps (lots and lots of them, for #2) to make me happier and healthier this year. Things that make me feel good, including (because I am that kind of person), making plans and lists and working my way through them.

Now, I have to figure out how to put my 2007 UFO / 2008 WIP list in the sidebar. Wish me luck, and Happy New Year!

24th

Twas the afternoon of the night before Christmas, and having just polished off a FABULOUS sandwich (using up the last of the pre-Christmas deli meat, ha ha), I am about to do the family and friends cookie-baking. (Funny, I just typed cookie BANKING. Maybe I need to keep a reserve of cookies?)

And merriment will ensue. I love the holidays. Probably no blogging until boxing day or later, when I am planning a big revamp of sidebars and things. stay tuned.

Happy holidays, be safe and warm and loving.

'twas the something before Christmas...

And all through the house, was a pile of dishes, unwashed by my spouse.

Ha ha, clever rhyme. TOTALLY not his fault - we have been without hot water for 48 hours. Heat - yes. Water - yes. Heated water - no. And since all the natural gas contractors are busy with people with no HEAT, we have 'low priority'. Argh.

Fortunately, I can shower at the gym at work. Which I would have done today had I not woken up with a raging migraine (that's 2 in less than a week, and I have no migraine meds. Must see doctor in new year). Spent half the day in bed and half on the couch finishing the Christmas knitting. No pictures, not because the gift-ees read this, but because I cleverly wrapped all the presents this evening whilst watching "The Year Without a Santa Claus" and "Rudolph". Nothing like stop-motion animation to make a person with throbbing brain pain feel festive.

And now there are two days of office work left, and two days of Michaels work left, before my Christmas holiday break. I can do this. Things have been a little more "interesting" than is strictly good for me, lately (long stories - family stuff mostly), and to be honest I really REALLY need the extended break. I have from suppertime Sunday the 23rd until the morning of the 29th with no (employment) work. That's the longest I've gone without working since... well, the fact I can't remember should be a clue I need the break.

Ok, enough whingeing. Stuff to look forward to (other than six days without working):

1) Christmas breakfast at work - we go to the buffet breakfast and have a good feed, then go back up to the office and goof off the rest of the day Friday before going home for the holiday break.

2) Dinner and movie at Bundy & Kid's - after 8 hours at Michaels' on Saturday, this is going to be HEAVEN.

3) Dinner and a good long visit with Peter's family - the non-evil brother and his lovely wife are kidnapping us from Sunday evening to Monday lunchtime, to spend at their new home. As a guest, I get to do NOTHING! I look forward to this an unimaginable amount.

4) Christmas Eve at Bundy & Kid's - the moms, the friends, the festivity, not to mention the food. All it lacks is my dad reading the pop-up "Night Before Christmas" but really, that tradition is kind of gone by now. Besides, B&K are 15 minutes from our house, so we can stay later than we would at Mom & Dad's anyway.

5) Christmas Day - yup, I'm a big sucker for it, and trying SO much this year to not stress about stuff. We have found a Starbucks that will be open Christmas Day that is (sort of) enroute from our house to the folks' place. We have gifts (mostly ready and wrapped, even). All I need to do is make my spiked cranberry sauce and a couple of pies, which I can do in the morning before we leave. Then we can have a nice relaxed afternoon of gifts, a good dinner, and still be home at a reasonable hour. And then...

6) THREE DAYS OF WHATEVER THE HECK I WANT TO DO!!! Boxing Day Peter and I will probably hibernate and/or visit with the neighbours. But then he goes back to work Thursday and Friday, and I don't. WoW and books and knitting and movies. And lots and lots of sleep.

And, after New Year's, well - a new year. I have some plans percolating. Well, actually they're at the "beans have been picked and roasted but not yet ground" stage, so not QUITE percolating. But they're in there.

Happy holidays all!

Snow Day!

20 cm on the ground, another 20 cm forecast to fall through the day. I am not going ANYWHERE! And, it's Peter's day off, so he's not going anywhere either. SNOW DAY! Books and knitting and hot soup and putting up the Christmas tree.

Woohoo! Snow Day!

It's cookie day!

Or rather, it's "bake the cookies for cookie day, day." Also known as "I haven't updated my blog in three weeks day." What can I say? Things haven't been all that interesting lately. Frankly, that's kind of a nice change!

Life is continuing to be life. Peter's new job is good. My jobs are good (office is winding down 2007 and I've got a decent head start on 2008, store is in the midst of holiday insanity but I only work Saturday/Sunday days so I'm not really suffering the full brunt of retail hell). I've even been knitting! Made an adorable pair of mitts for a co-worker's little boy (black with neon green random lightning stripes, and a STRING no less!) and am about halfway through a new toque for Peter to match his new coat (black and navy, double-thick).

I was sick a few days last week (to the point of one day, lying in bed completely unable to do anything - not even knit, not even crochet!). But I'm better now. Glad to get that out of the way early... of course, the irony was that I was home sick in bed on the day our company had its Flu Shot clinic. Argh.

So today, as mentioned, I am going to bake cookies. I do this every year (last year of course didn't happen due to Peter's mom's sudden illness and death), make a whack of homemade goodies and distribute them to the people with whom I work - consultants, city staff, etc. They are a gift FROM ME, not from my company, so no one gets in trouble for accepting gifts (the rules on that kind of thing are stupidly rigid in some places). However, this year (at last!) my boss said I could take a day to 'work from home' and make the cookies instead of trying to squeeze them into a couple of evenings and exhausting myself. Good boss. He may get a cookie or three. :)

The plan, as it stands now (by the way, I'm already about 2 hours behind schedule, but MAN did I sleep well!) is to make 4 batches of gingersnaps (6 dozen per batch), an equal amount of sugar drop cookies, a tray of Rice Krispies squares, and two cake mixes' worth of mini cupcakes. Then sometime next week, do the cookie exchange baking (another batch of gingersnaps and a batch of nut-free toll house cookies). Finally, the evenings of December 21, 22, 23 do the "family" baking (another two batches of gingersnaps, a suet pudding, a lemon pie, a punkin pie, and maybe another batch of the sugar drop cookies).

The upside of all this is while a quality control sample is necessary for each batch, beyond that I have not much interest in actually eating the cookies. I am trying to stick to my tradition of actually LOSING weight over Christmas, which I've done the past few years. Portion control, careful selection of treats, etc. All the usual tactics. And not eating all my own cookies. :)

So now, I must finish my coffee (mm coffee!) and make my list for the grocery store. Which I intended to do last night but I was playing WoW with Peter instead. Quality time comes in many forms. :)

I send you all virtual cookies. Have a lovely day!

It's NovemBRR! - and, call for help!

Despite the fact that today's forecasted high is 10 degrees Celsius, it's definitely winter (or at least, late fall) now. This is evidenced by the fact that in the midst of all the things I have to do for work and home and other projects, I'm knitting (and crocheting!) myself a new hat/scarf/mitten combo that will go with both my late-fall navy football coat and my deep-winter red parka. The hat is done, one mitten is done (except the thumb), the other mitten is at the cuff stage, and the scarf is about halfway. I'm crocheting the scarf, partly for practice and partly for speed - using a Q-hook with Shetland Chunky yarn certainly does go quickly! It's lacy and open which means I need to make it long enough to wrap around at least twice. Two balls oughta do it.

Also in the works are Christmas-tree ornaments of my own design, sample demos for the Yarn Event next weekend at the store (more on that, please keep reading!), and other odds and ends.

Quick Personal Note: Peter is NOT going out driving long-haul after all. He's found work with a local company that has him home every day. We're very VERY happy about this!

Back to yarn. A week from today (that would be Sunday November 11), from 1-6 p.m., Michaels is having a Yarn Event. Lots of yarn on sale, knitting and crochet demos, and a Blanket Joining Party for Blankets for Canada / Warm Up America. As I am the designated "Yarn Lady" at the South Keys (Ottawa, ON) Michaels, I am in charge of this event for our store. I've taken up the crochet hook to do the demos. I've laundered the squares that were donated for blankets last year that no one did anything with. :( I need HELP! I need people who can sew or crochet to help join all these donated squares into blankets to give to homeless people, because it's NovemBRR!

So, a call for help - if you have an hour or two or five to spare on the afternoon of Remembrance Day next week, I would really REALLY appreciate you stopping by the store to lend a hand. Of course, if you don't live in Ottawa, this will be going on at Michaels' stores all over Canada and the States, so visit your local store and pitch in there! And if you want to contribute squares, visit this link for some easy patterns.

And now, after a blissful extra hour of sleep (yay time change!), it's time for me to haul my ... squares ... to work and get some yarn downstocked. This week's yarn sale is not nearly as massive as next week's but we do have Patons SWS and Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick on for $5/ball!

Three WEEKS?

Holy crap on a stick, I did not realize I'd gone three weeks without blogging. I am SORRY, world who reads this - I did not fall and hurt myself again or anything, just been insanely busy with work, work, and work (yes, I'm up to THREE jobs now, but only for a few weeks more), and trying to squeeze in time with Peter, and keeping food in the house for us and the cats, and... well, life, you know? And I've barely had ANY knitting time, so the "Knit Spot" side of things has kind of fallen away a bit.

I have, however, learned to crochet. *GASP!* I know. But I had to, for work - we're having a "Yarn Event" at the store on Nov. 11 and there are crochet demos and we didn't have anyone to do them, so since I'm the designated Yarn Guru of our store, I said I'd try to learn enough to do the demos. It's actually not as hard as I remembered it being when I tried before, and while not as fun as knitting, it's another fiber skill and that's all to the good. It does really REALLY eat yarn though. I don't know if it's the whole "3x as much" that the Harlot claims, but it is more than knitting uses for the same area. Ah well. I'm just doing squares for blankets with some Bernat Supersaver, so it's not like burning through stash or anything. I'll post a picture on the weekend maybe.

What else? Well, work work work. Office work is at an odd point - we're winding down 2007 and simultaneously getting ready to roll out 2008. This week and next are going to be totally In-Sane. But then things should even out a bit. Store work - well, Christmas is 2 months and 3 days away. Which means a ton of freight in, most of it covered in glitter and with U.S. price labels affixed that have to be removed before it can go to the floor. FUN way to spend a Saturday/Sunday morning, I can tell you... thank heavens I'm not vain about my nails like some of the girls! And store classes are going pretty well, wrapping up Socktoberfest tomorrow night and then November will be "Knitting Circle/Project Help" which I don't have to prepare anything for, just show up and knit and chat and help. That'll be fun. And this week is the last week of my school board class for the Fall - then I'm on hiatus until February, when I will be teaching 2 classes for them on Mon/Wed nights. Probably a good thing, because in February I tend to want to just crawl into fuzzy PJs and hide until April, and this will get me out and being social in the evenings.

Home - yes, I do TOO have a home life! Moush (our older cat) had to go to the kitty hospital last week, she's 15 years old and (was) full of crap. Digestive issues of the blocking kind. She's home and better now, got some better-quality kitty food (both the girls are loving the new food) and has had a personality transformation! Before, she was totally anti-social, and particularly did not like me one little bit. If our house were a street she'd jaywalk to get away from me, you know? Now, believe it or not, she's sleeping ON ME at night, or between Peter and I. Bizarre. I think it's because he took her to the vet and therefore is on her s**t list, whereas I did not and am hence the good one, at least for now. Squeeky is fine, out prowling and howling at night having a fine time with her harem of boyfriends. She's fixed, so it's just for fun. Bad kitty! :) She comes in at breakfast, naps all day, goes out after dinner. I swear, we've got a teenager on our hands, in kitty years.

Oh, and my hubby... yes, I still have him too. :D
However... well, things are going through a transitional period right now. (WE ARE FINE, this is not a relationship issue!!!) Peter's changed careers, closed his business and is now going to be driving long-haul transport truck. Which is great, the pay is amazingly good and it's work he's really enthusiastic about (what little boy doesn't want to be a truck driver, right?). But - there's a but, yes. This week he's on training so out of town until Friday. No problem, he'll be home on the weekend. Next week, though, he starts his three-month "break-in" period, where he will be on the road for two weeks at a stretch and then home for three days, then gone again. This rotation goes for three months, then he gets a regular route and shorter trip lengths.

I feel weird about it, to be honest. One, the money is GOOD, and we need it. Realistically after Christmas the Michaels' hours will fall off again and it will be nice not to be pinching pennies for a change. Two, we're both pretty independent and it's not like I will fall apart with him away. I will eat, the cats will eat, the house will be cleaned, the bills paid, etc. Knitting will be done, I can play Warcraft and blog and Ravelry and whatever. I'm also not a fraidy-cat about weird noises in the night or anything, and I do have some good friends and neighbours close at hand. BUT - (there's my but again!) I will miss him. Terribly, in fact - I know this because I miss him now and it's his first night away. However, we have phone and email and this is a TEMPORARY situation. And there's that little voice that says "Hey, he's not in the Forces or anything, he'll be home often, don't worry, it'll be fine." In fact I'm much better off than my sister, who only sees her hubby 2-3 times a YEAR, for a week or maybe two. (Of course, my hubby is better than hers, but that's a long story we won't get into).

So, we live, and we adjust, and we carry on. And if, after three months, we really HATE the long haul, he can always drive local for less money but more home time. And we can adjust to that too. Believe me, we as a couple are nothing if not adaptable. Hell, we dated for 5 1/2 years before moving in together, and for most of that time we only saw each other on weekends. Then when his mom got sick he was at her house more than ours. Then she died, and I finally got him to myself, but we've both been working such crazy hours to pay the bills sometimes we only see each other to fall into bed and sleep. So really, we can hack this.

And wow, was that a lengthy blargh of blogging! So now you're caught up. Miss me?