On a hot summer day with the top down on my convertible, I came to a stoplight. I picked up my knitting, using this time wisely, I started to knit. A trucker in the next lane said "HEY LADY, the light is going to turn green and you are going to hold up traffic!!" I politely responded "RELAX!!! This is a 6 STITCH LIGHT!" Then I raced to the next light hoping to catch another red!
Today was the last work day of the week for me so typically it is the more "casual" day for apparel. The day started out pretty normal, I woke up around 4am, moved around the house slowly and in the end of the week fog that always seems a little thicker at the end of the week. I remember getting dressed in my jeans and sweater, then slipping my house slippers on an puttering around the house.
I toasted a bagel, took the dry towels out of the dryer, put the finished load of laundry in the washer into the dryer, watched a little bit of the early morning news program while ate my bagel and had a glass of juice. At some point, I must have realized it was time to get moving and head to work....so I packed a lunch, grabbed my knitting bag, a couple of books and some work papers and made my way to the front door before realizing that I needed to say goodbye to Grant. I put everything down, quietly made my way to the bedroom, whispered good bye with a little peck on the head. Turned around and made my way out of the bedroom, trying to make sure not to bump the bed and knock him into a full wide awake status. At the front door, I picked up my lunch, my knitting bag, grabbed my keys and then quietly exited the house. Loaded everything into the car before realizing I had to go back into house to get my cell phone......went back into the house, grabbed the phone, then went back to the car.
Once in the car I made sure I had my wallet (it was in the bottom of the knit bag) found out that the TV remote must have fallen into the knit bag so I had to return THAT to the house. Another "back and forth" then resumed my " pre commute check list".....got the wallet, the ID badge, my lunch, my knit project to work on at lunch, a pack of gum, the cell phone, key is in the ignition........"Houston - We are Go for Ignition Start Up!"
I don't remember the actual drive into work, it was uneventful and frankly at 5:30am I'm pretty much on autopilot.
Now I'm in the employee parking lot, getting all my stuff ready to take into my office. I walk to the building, get all the way into the building when I sense something is just a little "off". I look down and then, "OMG!" I realize that I STILL have my slippers on!!!
Working with the bunch of guys I work with....it will be a little while before I live this down.
Am I the only one that feels ripped off by Daylight Savings every Spring? My weekend is an hour shorter and as minor as that may sound...I FEEL that loss of an hour on my drive into work come Monday morning. Do you find the people on the road and at work seem extra grumpy the week following the start of Daylight Savings? In fact I think everyone is grumpier till the clocks roll back in November!
We allegedly gain an hour in the fall, but then it is taken back in the Spring. But I think we lose at a minimum 2 hours every year in this cycle of "give and take". As the following video explains......
It is now 8pm, I am starting to roll the clocks forward in the house so that by the time the time changes, I'll be done setting all the clocks.
Today was the first day that I really was able to go out and do anything after coming down with the flu a little over a week ago. I was off today and Grant had to go to work late so Grant decided that we'd sneak out for lunch.
Normally when I have an off Friday and the girls are at school, Grant and I have a "date" where we either go out for breakfast or lunch....so today was not untypical in that sense, it was just not our normal Friday "date".
The issue is Grant's definition of "SNEAKing" out for our lunch date.
"Sneaking" implies a secret....or to stealthy do something that goes undiscovered by others......doesn't it?
Well, Grant gets so INTO sneaking that he has to PROVE that he is sneaking to those very people that he is sneaking away from, i.e. the girls.
So what does Grant do, every single time we go out to lunch while the girls are at school???
Grant takes pictures with his camera phone of our plates full of food then sends the pictures to the girls on their camera phones while they are at school!! This way, he finds out if they have their phone on when they are not suppose to AND he gets the added satisfaction of letting them know he is up to something while they are studying hard at school. Or whatever it is they do at school these days!!
Now that would be the end of this blog post except that this evening.....Since Grant is working late, and Jillian has a date, Janeva and I are having a "girl's night" watching horror flicks and we decided....rather Janeva decided that I should spring for pizza. So a girl's night complete with pizza, horror flicks and having the run of the house in our pjs! It's one of the BEST ways to spend a Friday night!!
Imagine my surprise when I look over at Janeva as she starts to break out the pizza and I see her holding her camera phone to the pizza.......
About a week ago I came down with the flu. It was nothing more than your typical flu, one what makes you wonder for a few days if you'd live through it....but you almost certainly will. The question is, will your relationships and family still want you when it is all over?
Add to that, the stress of knowing that an anniversary is coming up and while you had in mind what you were going to do and the gift you were going to pick up you had not anticipated a need for a "Backup Plan" in the event that you were flat out with the flu.
The day before the Big Day, it became clear that I was not going to be in any shape to get to the mall and pick up the gift, let alone find a card that was suitable to give to Grant. However, that didn't stop Grant from teasing me and dropping hints that I was going to be thrilled and excited to wake up the next day.....increasing my frustration and irritation over my situation.....why I just couldn't wait to find out what the "anniversary fairy" was leaving me!!
It was then in that heightened irritated flu induced frustration that the following conversation took place:
Grant: "I have to run to the store to ummmm, well....I just need to go to the store." Me: "Great, go then." Grant: "Do you want me to get anything for you....I mean......aside from what I'm going to the store for ...do you want something?" [insert a smuggly smirk] Me: "Nope" Grant: "Nothing? I can easily pick something up while I'm out".
OKAY....that was it!
ME: "YES!! While you are out could you stop at the Hallmark Store and pick up an Anniversary card..a NICE one, not a lame one....and one that is really sweet that says all the crap you'd want to hear from me! If it is loaded with sweet romantic crap, THAT would be the one to buy so I can give it to you tomorrow! Don't you dare come home without a great card because I don't want to look like an ass not having a card for you on our Anniversary, damnit!"
Grant: [slowly backing away from me, eyes wide.....and after he determines to be a safe distance away......breaks out in an uncontrollable laughing fit!!!]
You know that silly bastard still didn't get me a card to give to him on our anniversary!!!!? I won't let him forget that either!!!
Meanwhile....I was able to capture Jillian with the camera wearing a little cardigan I knitted/crocheted for her.
In keeping with the family tone this week Jillian said "FINE!! You can take my picture, but don't get my face it it!"
I think we could pass as one of those TV families!!
Here we are on Freaky Friday with an actual post specifically for those of you that are knitters:
As it happens, while Grant was away this week, I have received a few knitting books in the mail! My favorite time of day is when the UPS truck comes barreling around the corner and I hear the brakes of the truck screeching to bring it to a stop in front of our house. I am at the door waiting after hearing the metal clanking of the door opening and the driver steps out with my packages. Anyone from Ravelry that has ever seen my library count will clearly see that I love collecting knitting books and magazines!
Both of these books have great sock patterns and both explain the method for working two socks at the same time on circular needles. "Knitting Circles Around Socks" uses the two circular needle method while "2-at-a-time Socks" uses the Magic Loop method. As someone who is familiar with both methods I find the two circular needle method to be easier and I don't have to buy a special length needle to make a pair of socks. I will work patterns from both books using my preferred method using two circular needles. Either of these techniques are great to master in order to avoid the dreaded 2nd sock syndrome. The patterns in both of these books give a well rounded selection of socks for the family and so far I'm happy to add them to my collection.
The third book was Cover Up with Nicky Epstein: Knitted Afghans from her Personal Collection There are roughly 21 different patterns of afghans in this book and there isn't one of them that I could easily pass on making. At some point, I would like to make them all.....something to look forward to in the years to come.
Okay..I lied, the fourth book is actually a crochet book. It is Nicky Epstein's Crocheted Flowers This is similar to her Knitted Flowers book but a nice companion to have if you are both a knitter and crocheter. I love to embellish simple sweaters for my daughters and so both books have something to offer.
I love collecting and using books as much as I do yarn. The only limit is space, and one can always just add on to the house or move up I suppose.
Only thing left to do is to tuck the books away before Grant gets home tomorrow. He will certainly notice the first time I bring them out....by then my response can be "What? These books?....I've had these for awhile now honey!" 8-)
While Grant is away to the romantic city of San Francisco for a conference, I decided that it would be a good time to use some vacation time to clean the house. Clearly, a decision that I didn't think through. Vacation......to clean the house? WTH was I thinking??
When I'm not cleaning, I'm looking at videos on YouTube ABOUT cleaning. I think the diagnosis here is BOREDOM.
I do think that this girl in the video has the right idea though......
Okay....how bored am I? I have been taking pictures of my yarn!
See?
Oh...and this one has clam shells smashed INTO the yarn apparently....
Can you imagine the grip I'll have on my coworkers when I return to work and give them the blow by blow details of what I did on my vacation?
by Antje Gillingham
by Melissa Morgan-Oakes
There are roughly 21 different patterns of afghans in this book and there isn't one of them that I could easily pass on making. At some point, I would like to make them all.....something to look forward to in the years to come.
This is similar to her Knitted Flowers book but a nice companion to have if you are both a knitter and crocheter. I love to embellish simple sweaters for my daughters and so both books have something to offer.
