Making Yarn

Because I have a bunch of things that need to be done. Important things, I've decided NOW is the time to finish spinning up some wool. Mind you, I've had this stuff for almost 5 years, I have no idea what it is anymore, because for some reason I thought I'd know what it was forever, and who I got it from. I'm pretty sure it came from Maryland Sheep & Wool, but that's about all I'm certain of. Except it's soft, and I like it.

My WooLee Winder is awsome, and I'm finding that I'm spinning a really fine thread, and it is consistent! I haven't decided yet if I should two ply or three ply this, so will see if once I'm done with the last little bit, if it talks to me. And of course, I didn't make it with anything in mind, so it will probably be another 5 years before I actually use it for more than wall decoration.

Oh My

I read a few blogs. Not many because like Ravelry, and the internet in general, they suck up your time. In a good way of course, but they suck up the time anyway. So yesterday I read Norma's blog. I like her blog, she is real and down to earth. She makes you feel like she is talking just to you and is your friend. She made a comment about being in a comments contest with another blogger and we all needed to do our part. So I did, I don't comment on blogs very often, but I'm all for helping the "cause".

SHE WROTE ME BACK!!!!!! More than 2 words! We could have had a regular email conversation, except I was too embarassed to write again.

That email made me as giddy as I was the day I sat down on the metro train and was next to no one other than Wendy D. Johnson. After she got off the train I called my sister and acted like a stinkin 13 year old who just met Bobby Sherman.

I'm such a dork.

Things

A few weeks ago, I was listening to a book on cd in my car and I pissed off the cd player. It decided that not only would it not spit the cd out when it was done, but it wouldn't spit any of the other cds out either. So I said to my son, the mechanic, please fix it, I need that library cd out so I don't have to buy the book. Of course he didn't want to do it, because it is a painful job.

Sunday, I got really anoyed. Right after I got the email from the library reminding me that the book on cd was due soon, so I took a screw driver out to the car and decided I'd get it out myself. I took the dash half way apart. My DH finlly realized what I was doing and decided he'd better help before I broke something. I pointed out that taking screws out wasn't difficult, and all you had to do was get started and then it was like a puzzle. And then the cd player had to come out. How hard could it be?

Not very. But then we stil couldn't get the cds out, so we ended up taking the entire player apart. Cleaned it up some, put it back together. It still doesn't work. But, as I pointed out, it didn't work before so that wasn't such a disappointment. I'll price a new one and just replace it. I can drive without it, I still have the radio. To which my DH remarked, that cd player won't be replaced before you sell the truck. I told him he may be right.

Yesterday on my way home I didn't have any heat in my truck. Bummer. It isn't spring yet, and I like to keep my truck HOT. I don't use A/C in the summer unless it's over 100F, but I run the heat, on my feet from about September thru April. My son did actually look at that. He said if the heater core needs to be replaced to sell the truck Hahahaha. I told him I'd help since I've already got 1/3 of the dash taken apart anyway (well to be fair, we put most of it back together so it wasn't so sad looking).

I had to drive the spare truck today. You get a lot of attention driving it, it is huge. I'd rather not drive it, but can.

I work at a college. The students cut through the faculty parkig lot to get to some of the buildings. That's cool, except the walk up the middle of the part we drive on. And they spread out. And if the walk thru once you've started driving, you are surrounded by stupid people.

So I parked kinda far away, I waited until there was only one student walking, he was on my right walking straight along some parking spaces that were empty. He just had to go in a straight line. There was also parking available on my left, there were no students or vehicles. So I pulled up next to him (on my right) started backing up to the left. No, I wasn't looking out my back window, no one was behind me, and the one kid was on my right, so I was using my mirrors. All of a sudden that stupid kid came running from behind my truck, from right to left so now he is on the driver side. The little F)(&*U had to go out of his way to run behind me when he was already in front of me when I started backing up. I started to tell him to just go home he was obviously too stupid to be in college.

Then I was just sorry I hadn't weeded him out right thee.

Sunday's Menue List On Tuesday

So, I realized this week that I've done poor on my eating habits, well I've known that for awhile, but I stepped on the scale yesterday, so we'll just not mention that.

The menu for this week is:
Saturday: Whole chicken in the crock pot - and then no one was hungry
Sunday: Chicken and rice we didn't eat Saturday
Monday: Sloppy Joes with baked beans and green beans
Tuesday: Veget. chili
Wednesday: Roast beef sandwiches
Thursday: Moo Shu Chicken
Friday: Baked Ziti

Now if I can just get my morning smoothie back on routine, and remember to take a lunch. I don't feel hungry then, and I don't need to snack but I can't convince myself not to. If it is above about 40F I walk at lunch and that helps, but by mid-afternoon I'm drowsy. Probably from not eating right or getting enough water. I dropped my favorite water bottle last week and need to replace it.

Mybe I really WASN'T There

I have been working on taxes. I know, but might as well get them done now, if I owe, and I have for the past several years, might as well be prepared, I still don't have to mail them until the 14th.

Army boy asked me to do his asap because he knew he would get a refund, and he needs the money. Not a problem, I got them done in a couple of hours, he doesn't have much, but they were a little tricky this year. I use turbotax so I just pulled last years into this years, plugged in some numbers and walaha it was done and ready to email out.

Less than 24 hours later, I get an email from turbotax that his return was rejected because the birthdate on the form, didn't match the birthdate that they had on file. Huh? I looked, yep, seemed right to me, and I didn't change anything from 2009, just put new income numbers in. Huh. So I checked again, and then called IRS to see what they had and why it was different. Of course the very nice young man said he coudn't discuss Army Boy's tax return with me because . . . I wasn't Army Boy. Bah! So I said, I'm sure this is right, I was there. And asked if I could just mail them in. IRS dude said sure.

Then I got to thinking, if they still thought the dates didn't match, it would just be rejected by mail, which would take more time. So, I stared at that form and date for a long time. Then I yelled upstairs to Army Boy's twin brother "Hey! What is your birth date?" He came downstairs, looked at me and then told me.

Huh, I had the month and day right, but apparently I had the year confused with their sister's.

I do remember that was a tramatic day, my water broke 5 weeks early, and labor was only about 3 hours, and Army Boy was blue when he was born. I also remember distinctly that I went to the hospital expecting to come home with one baby and ended up with two.

And why does it cost money to file your state tax by email? Meh, I'll mail them regular, for the cost of postage and an envelope - which is way less than the $19.95 they wanted, and He'll still get his refund before the end of March . . . cuz how many people have filed their state taxes that aren't due until May 1st?

Friday's Public Announcement from Stanley

Hey. You. It's too early for you! Just because it was 70 today doesn't mean spring is just around the corner. It's February. This is Washington, where the weather is unpredictable and no one really knows what tomorrow will be like. Go. Hide. Save yourself.

Ten on Tuesdays - Favorite Movies

Apparently the movie awards are coming out soon. I don't watch them. Quite frankly they bore me. I know, I'm odd. I like movies, but I don't go to the theatre because I refuse to pay the price for a ticket and then if I want a snack, I've spent a weeks pay.

A lot of times I'll but the movies when the first come out or I'll wait until they are less than 410 because they are old or deemed "not good" by whatever critic so deemed it. I find the critics pretty crappy too. They have their favorite movies and if the topic of a movie isn't one they like,tey trash the entire movie.

So, my 10 favorite movies:
not in any particular order

1. Casablanca
2. Sabrina (both original and remake)
3. Harry Potter (all except the 2nd to last one that just came out)
4. Bringing up Baby
5. Arsnic and Old Lace
6. Matilda
7. Philadelphia Story
8. Twister
9. Holiday Inn
10 Mame (with Rosalind Russell)

Yep, lots of old ones, I find them comfortable. Usually funny, no bad language, no gratituous naked bodies. Innocent I guess.

There are tons of others of course, I like Indiana Jones, Star Wars (the last three not the first three), and a few that have come out recently. I always get the disney and cartoon movies because they are usually really cute. I don't go for the blood, guts and gore, and gratituous nakedness. But I do want to see the King's Speech, I heard about that from people the first week it was out. And I recently saw Reds, bought it as soon as it was available. I liked Eat Pray and Love kinda. I thik the book was better, but you have less time in a movie. I wasn't disappointed, but didn't love it either.

Valentines Day

We don't really "do" valentines day in my house. Oh, I always got the kids a little box of candy and put it on their bed for when they woke up, but nothing much else. DH and I didn't exchange any gifts, although he is better about getting me a card, or making me one. Me? Not so much. In fact, DD stopped by after work and before school tonight to get her valentine candy. Oops. Well, I've got one for her now, she can have it tomorrow.

I always told DH that I was more interested in being loved all the days of the year, and us doing special things together at random times during the year, and not saving it all up for just one night - I've found that planning and anticipating a "special event" is a sure way to be disappointed, pissed off, sad, or otherwise it just doesn't work out the way we had hoped it would. That's why I don't celebrate my birthday, mothers day, I gave up 4th of July picnics, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Oh, we acknowledge the days, have a family meal, but nothing extra special.

So here's my challenge. For he next 364 days, see who you can love and home many times during the next year you let them know they are special, loved and cherished by you. And be sure to love yourself too.

Don't save it for just one day.

Math Test

DD and DH are taking a math class together, DD because she is working on her degree to become a math teacher. DH because he wants to keep his mind sharp, and since he can audit for free since he's over 65, it is a win win for him. They took their first test on Tuesday. Let me also say that this is a remedial type class, DD because she wanted to review a few concepts even though she tested into pre-calc, DH because he hasn't been to school for awhile (see age above). They are constantly telling me how a lot of the students are having a hard time understanding the class. I feel for them, math isn't my strongest language either, and I've got one more math class to take. . . .

So teacher hands two pages to everyone, says there are two different tests. DH finished before DD. He walked by her desk when he took the test to teacher and saw that she had three problems left on the page, so he asked the teacher about the 2nd test, teacher said did you finish both pages? Yep DH said. Well, those were the two tests. DH left, waited for DD, he said almost 30 minutes and he couldn't figure out what was taking her so long for just three problems.

In the car on the way home, he asked, why did the test take you so long? There were only 3 problems left when I waked by. DD said, well, I had to do the back side of the page.

There were problems on the back of the pages?

Bwahahahahahahahahahah

Family Time

While I've been working on losing weight hahaha, I try to work on balance games on the wii every night and walk on the treadmill, my requirement is no less than a mile a day. I'll up it before March, but you gotta start somewhere and I believe in setting the bar low to start with.

Tonight while I was doing the same old same old exercises and ds came down to see what I was doing, the challenge was on. Apparently there are games I haven't seen yet, so we had a little challenge. He's 23. I'm more than that. So, besides the stupid hit your head on soccer balls, and in my case cleats, we played golf, I rocked the first time, NOT the second. We had a snow ball fight, we're pretty even on that one. The skateboarding he can have. But now I've got a few more games to try, and I always check his score and work to beat him. after all, I am his mom and the days of letting him win are so over.

Haven't stepped on the scale yet, gonna wait until the end of the month for that one too, but slowly eating better.

Ten on Tuesday

Frustration. This has been a week of frustration for me so I decided to go with it.

1. Someone hacked into DD's email and sent out some link thing. Of course it didn't work. Of course I tried. Then my anti-virus software got all excited. Fortunately, it seems to have done it's job.

2. DD is all poopy because while I got the email, so did her x, his mom, both his brothers, two of his cousins, and one aunt.

3. We still haven't gotten any good snow, and the storm that seemed most promising for later this week has already petered out. I don't want to have to move up north. But I'm thinking about it.

4. DH broke a front tooth tonight. Pretty much completely off. I'm a whimp, I can't look. It will be Thursday before he can even get in to see the dentist, and we all know that it will be another week or two before they can fix it.

5. DH sounds like a 4 year old with a lisp - that's actually kinda funny.

6. I pissed off the cd player in my truck, it is holding the cds hostage and won't play them or let them come out. One is borrowed from the library. Don't want to think about how much it's gonna cost me to get that fixed, or replace the entire cd book to the library.

7. I missed a call from my boss tonight. He never calls, and it was 4 hours before I got the message. I know to a normal person, that isn't a bad thing, but I get this "irresponsible" feeling when things like that happen.

8. I've been talking to a friend whose wife died a few months ago. It wasn't totally sudden, so they had time to prepare so to speak, and he was devistated. But now he's stuck in the feeling sorry for himself and what point is it to get up in the morning phase, and I just chewed his ass. Pointed out that his kids need him, his grand kids need him and his wife would be really pissed if she knew about this crap. Then I felt like a moster.

9. I suppose to be finished with a pair of socks for a dyer. I'm no where near finishing them. I hate the pattern, not loving the yarn color, and probably should use different needles. Okay, so I could solve thatproblem by going to the LYS and getting another set of needles, huh.

10. I've got the cat on a diet. It's been two weeks. It is not pretty in my house. He is starving all the time. The other cat is on a diet by default, but he's figured out if he stays inside when the fat cat goes out, he gets extra food. The other cat just sits in the kitchen and howels. Please Jack, just lose a pound or two. The sooner you do, the sooner life can get back to normal.

What a Difference

We had "weather" a week ago Thursday. Mostly heavy snow and ice, and we all know what that means, I had no power for 20 hours, and we survived. Imagine that.

Here is what part of my tree during the storm.

And this was Sunday, 10 days later, most of the snow is gone, once the grass isn't a mud bogg I'll go retrieve the branch and cut it up for recycling.

Of course, someone told me yesterday to expect 6-10 more inches on Wednesday/Thursday. Which for me is okay. We haven't had enough snow for me this year, it has been mostly cold but no "snow reward". Bring it on. But I'd rather keep my power this time if you don't mind.

Saturday Friends

Well no, I don't mean I have a friend who is only a friend on Saturday. I spent yesterday with my sister and a friend. A grand morning of chatting, relaxing, key lime pie for breakfast with hot coffee, some stash diving in said friend's stash - oooh la la. I even got some of it uploaded to my Ravelry stash list already.

I got some great Funky Carolina for my happy birthday, and I shopped. Let's not discuss the total owed.

We solved the problems of the day, and then went back to our normal daily routine of a Saturday.

Late to the Game

10 on Tuesday is today 10 on Saturday, because I seem to just plain be behind.

So, 10 things on my nightstand

1. Red lamp. My room isn't red, it is shades of pink and white (well that sounds kinda gross but it isn't) and the red lamp tickled me when I saw it.

2. Alarm clock, although I'd like to re-think that.

3. Kindle because I've been trying to read more. Except reading seems to put me to sleep.

4. Light for my Kindle, because we didn't have power for 24 hours and I was reading by flashlight, so my DH very thoughtfully went out and got me one just like his.

5. Tissue - tis the season and all that.

6. A basket to hold the various things on my night stand.

7. TV remote when it's not lost somewhere in the middle of the bed.

8. Jack.

So, I guess that's only 8 things, since half the top has to be clean for Jack to sit on and stare at me - when he isn't sitting on my chest smothering me.

well, it has been too dark to take pictures here the last few days, I tried, and had to give him treats to get him on the nightstand in the middle of the day. Since his photo shoot wasn't successful, he went to find Dan's clean laundry.

Oh

I forgot that just because you want something, and you want it now, it doesn't happen that way. Darn.

So, I haven't changed the diet too much yet, but I've got the list for next market trip ready and that will include the good for me stuff, and I'm getting rid of the bad stuff that is left in the house - but that consists of serving it to my family because it would be worse to waste it in the trash than in my body. I figure I'll work it out of my body, and it isn't as if I haven't been eating it all along anyway. And the boy will probably rebel if I change too much of the food he consumes at one time. But tonight it's salad and grilled chicken so we're almost there. I'm about out of frozen strawberries so I'll have to make another warehouse run, but my morning smoothies are going to change to green this weekend anyway. I'm wondering about yogurt. I make my own so I know there isn't too much extra crap in it, and I'm pretty sure most of my problems are with white bread products, not dairy and I'm really interested in knocking those out, de-tox a bit and see what happens next. Gotta go get some vitamines this weekend, and more chicken cuz I just don't do fish. The fish oil pills are bad enough, but not bad enough to make me eat fish.

I have no knitting to share, but all I need to do is close off the toes of a pair of socks, finish the handle of a market bag, and I finally found a colar that I like for my cp hoodie. I liked the pattern but I don't do well with hoods on my sweaters. So, althought now I'm going to jinx myself, I will get that one started, it will be a good spring sweater, a little heavy but since if I'm not in the middle of a hot flash I'm usually cold it will be just fine until June. So then I will be caught up (I think) on my ufos. Of course, I got a whole box full of projects in bags ready to do one a month. Hmmm, well Maybe I'll make that my March goal to start, if I get the rest done in the next 3 weeks. hahahaha

And I'm thinking about making one of those duct tape dress forms for me. Should I wait for the belly flab to go down? How hard can they be to make? I'm gonna be with the girls on Saturday, and one of them is in desperate need of a diversion for a few hours, and how much more diversion could she have than wrapping me in duct tape? And we're having key lime pie. Maybe I'll bring a dish for lunch.

52 Years / 52 Weeks in a Year

The other day I realized that on my happy birthday this year I would be 52. Well, yeah I knew that. But then I thought, there are 52 weeks in a year. So this year I should do something different, or meaningful or something, every week. Do 52 special things. Then I was watching Joel Osteen and he said that 2011 was your year. The year that was going to be yours. Well yes, he was talking to probably 50 thousand people, but I was among them. And I though how funny it was that not an hour earlier, I was contemplating the next year.

So, what to do? I’ve started exercising again because I’m not fitting into my clothes very well anymore. I’ve been eating better and had already decided to do the CLEAN three day detox this weekend to get started, and I understand it is, while rather nasty tasting, will make you feel super.

Actually, I’m in a good place these days. I have a job I like for the most part. I don’t hate going to work and I have a lot of freedom while I’m there. The business comes and goes so I’ll be glad when that levels off, and I just got a lot of new “duties” that I’m still figuring out. I hate not knowing how to do my job.

I have been purging things in the house. Getting rid of the clutter, unnecessary and unused or unloved items. I find this most liberating. The Salvation Army knows me almost by name now, and still there is more. I don’t know if I can go down to 100 items, or even 500 items in my house, but I may start counting things in the room as I think I’m done with it. Except my woman cave. That room doesn’t count in the purging effort. And I would have to count yarn and roving as one item.

And I’m going to start my bucket list. I’m going to try and start with 100 items. Then we will see how far I get. Item number one will be walking more every day and week. I was talking today to someone who does an average of 50 miles a week. That is 7.14 miles a day. An awful lot. So, lets not be quite so ambitious to start with shall we?

1. Walk 40 miles per week average. That is only 5.72 miles a day, which
is less than 10,000 steps so should be easy peasy. What I don’t get
done by walking the campus I will finish up on the treadmill.