Happy JUNE!

My network card got fried during a lightening storm several weeks ago. Everything else still works on the pc, just no internet connection. I need to get to Best Buy and see what is available. But I really need to get the oil changed in the car. That's been on hold since Thanksgiving, I think.

I've been doing more with the kids & the garden. I've loved having fresh picked Lettuce & Romain salads every day. But with the heat here, I may not be having it much longer. They suggest not even planting during these hot months, but I may buy a packet & try to do another round- its only a buck for the seeds, right? The zucchini is doing great, and the one squash plant that survived is still trying. I may try to add a few more squash plants this season-- just depends on me remembering to get the seeds out of the freezer.

That's all for now, my day is busy & already half over!

Busy Over-scheduled week-- Beach trip on Friday

Yep- This past week has been scheduled to the gills. and to top off my week, I'll be heading to the beach tomorrow.

Relaxing? Nope. I'll be riding a bus for three hours to the beach for a picnic, look at the ocean for a few minutes & drive back. Hopefully I can get out of driving & just crochet the whole trip. I wish I had an mp3 full of Harry Potter. Ours got stepped on/rolled over/abused so its just an extra cord to tangle in the wheels of my desk chair. =( Plus, I'm not sure how appropriate it would be to crochet AND wear headphones when I'm being paid to spend time with these people.

Next week, I'm not planning ANYTHING extra, if I can help it.

Oh. and does anyone know a good sitter? I need one for Saturday. Cause I have to work with these same people I'm taking to the beach tomorrow. Which reminds me, I need to confirm with the sitter for tomorrow afternoon-- just in case we don't get back from the beach in time for me to pick up my kids.

Spring is here!

Spotted this lovely while crossing the street at work. I had to stop and admire it-- I always think it is a sign of good things to see a cardinal. Not sure why I think of good fortune, but I do.

Happy Spring!

Bummer Deal

**MITTENS FINISHED**
Okay I've finished the mittens & after wearing then for the first time today, I'm really not thrilled about the fit of these mittens.
The thumb is too short & because the way the thumb gusset is, it makes it feel like they are falling off all the time. As well, when I was driving, they felt one round too short in both the thumb AND the fingers. The thumb gusset starts near my thumb knuckle, and not at the base of the thumb. Bummer. I know I won't wear these much the way they are, but I also loath the idea of undoing all of the hiding of ends that I finally did.

Also, the wind whips through the dc stitches- but I knew that was going to happen.

(insert photo here)

So as excited as I was to make these mittens- here are adjustments that I need to make:
1: move owl up towards fingers
2: start thumb round a row sooner
3: add one round to finger section to accommodate my long fingers.
4: add one round to thumb
5: lengthen cuff
6: possible use ribbed cuff? or ruffles in contrasting color.

Hi World

Some days I just feel so totally overwhelmed.
Like today- started crappy, and with a 2-hour snow/sleet/black-ice delay.
But I struggled through the morning, and the sinus meds never really did kick in, but I made it. And then, the last 15 minutes of my work day-- one of the residents was so cheerful and talkative- and for some reason, when I left work I was smiling.
But then I had to pick up the kids & deal with all of the results from their terrible day...so now I'm back to grumpy & irritable & short tempered. And I really don't want to mop the floor where the 4yo split milk, or wash & fold two loads of laundry... or even bother to call maintenance because the hall toilet is stopped up again.

So I apologize for a photo light blog of late- I haven't finished any projects or had any real fun moments to memorialize with photographic evidence. Life continues.

Our XBox Died

Our XBOX died.
And its not even really ours.
Its my brother's & he left it at our house while he is deployed, because our DVD player was having issues. I'm not sure if it is with in the 3 year warranty period, but I CAN say he won't have the original receipt. I priced it at Sam's Club today, and just like I expected its gonna be $200 to replace it.
My thought is that a wii would be better for my family- more young games, plus the FIT stuff that I could possibly find the time to do.... (one could hope.)
But we do have several games for the XBOX360...
What ever I decide I need a new VCR, and DVD player-- and I'm figuring my TV will die soon, as it's 9 years old & has moved cross country 3 times and around the state more times than I remember.
So, as I'm fretting over the babysitter wanting $15+ an hour (which is more than I make at my job) and not being willing or able to pay that much-- I'm trying to figure out how to replace the electronics at my house. Knock on wood the pc doesn't die- it's only 4 years old... and I don't wanna learn a new OS.

My house is still a wreck- and I need an addition to get it all organized.
I DO have some tax refund money set aside for a shopping trip to IKEA. I just need to find a sitter for the weekend & get my mom free so we can go spend the day shopping. (They serve breakfast, lunch & dinner for a reason--shoppers like us!)
B wants Bunk Beds- MC wants a loft, I need some storage furniture... and all the small things I love are in store only. Go figure. At least the Charlotte store is here & I'm not dreaming of a road trip to Atlanta any more.
I MUST get my paperwork under control- AND I have phone calls that needed to be made last week, appointments to schedule bills to pay-- and my desk/paperwork is now taking over teh living room.
Of course, I guess the bright side is that we won't be "living" in here much, with out a DVD player or game system... Although, now that I think about it, my Strawberry Shortcake DVD player is in the attic. $15 on a WM clearance... it works. So maybe I can slip in a Harry Potter movie & crochet, or pay bills.... nah, I'm thinking a movie & some yarn loving would be a nice treat.

sigh.

Project up date

My "Because Red is my Favorite Colour" Blanket has consumed its first full skein of red yarn.
I only work on this during bible study, so that is about 1 hour a week. Moving along at a slow but steady pace.

My Owl Mitts now have tops and the thumbs are one row away from finished. then to tidy up the tops and tails!

My Dumbledore Slippers have been finished for quite a while, but I can only locate one of them... so I wear one red old slipper & one blue-- because the other red slipper is still missing.

The reducio hat ended up being a rainbow truffle, and I didn't take a finished picture of it.

My Malabrigo Butter Crocus Bud Shawl is about 3 inches now, and rarely sees the light of day, even though it is an easy pattern, I worry about taking the thin, pale yarn out when I'm running errands.

The Neutral Crochet Argosy is nearing completion-- almost done with the third ball of yarn. I'm thinking I'll cut it close & then start the decreases with a 4th ball. Maybe. I think blocking this out will give me the wrap I'm hoping for.

My hand-dyed Beacon Street is waiting for me to sit & read the directions- since I make so many hcd hats, its hard for me not to go on auto-pilot. And I REALLY want to follow the pattern.

The Ode to the Swedish Team Hat is only lacking an ear-flap. I'm not sure why I can burn the hook up & then when the end is in sight- I can't seem to finish. Really, I made teh entire hat in two sittings, added one ear-flap & then-- it sits. I did the stripes folowing the Swedish Team Hat that I copied from photos, but I don't wear floppy slouch hats, so I left off the extra color changes & added the flaps. I wish I had Malabrigo in blue, but that part is made from Lambs Pride Bulky. Not as soft, but the colors work & gauge is okay. I need to photo that one.

Valentines Day 2010

Happy V Day Everybody. (It seems weird calling it that-- after living in RI, where they still celebrate V-J Day-- it's an official holiday there. Banks are closed, schools closed, and workers are paid time & a half!)

Hope you did something special. Here at our house we ate homemade sugar cookies (heats with pink frosting) and 2 bite cupcakes (Duncan Hines + homemade butter cream) FOR BREAKFAST. And Lunch. And Snack... and we had leftover cookies for dinner. The cupcakes were gone by then!

I finally got a bunch of boxes into the attic that were practically blocking the hall! Woo WHOO!

I also picked up MC's girl scout cookie order. 161 boxes of cookies. It's a good thing I had my brother's car, cause his trunk can actually hold that many cookies with room to spare.

Tomorrow is a make-up school day for one of the days we missed for snow. But MC has an appointment in Raleigh, so we will be making a day trip of it... A little side trip to Target is in order. And maybe Sam's Club- if I can remember where it is. It's amazing that I have been able to live so long with out being near to a Target. Actually, I haven't lived with a Target closer than an hour in, um, well... since college? My new job does require work casual attire, and I think Target fits that bill better than Wal-mart. But if possible & IF MC doesn't kill me I may be able to get to Marshalls & Ross & Old Navy as well. Maybe. But Target is a definite stop.

SO tomorrow-- Happy Presidents Day!

Snow on the Mountain: Oh Sorry- Make that MORE Snow on the Mountain

" I think the road is here...somewhere."




"Oh yes, this is our road." See the sign? Yep, over six feet high up the pole...





"Honey, I can't find the car"








So, mom just emailed me these awesome shots from her house. Now this amount of snow-- well it is sorta expected up north, like in Upstate New York. But to think this is a mere 3.5 hours away from MY house~ um, not so expected.

Snowy Mountain

It sure looks pretty, but all that snow & ice--- brr.
Sorry Mom, we won't be coming home this weekend! (That's Windalay in the middle.)

WHOO HOO! PARTY TIME

So, I did several Liberating things This week-
1) Talked to boss & he is going to make notations on the payroll NOT to take out the 30 minute lunch breaks on my short days, AND I will get to take a lunch break on Tuesdays & Thursdays (my long days). He is going to work with the payroll department to correct the shifts where I got shafted! My new boss is awesome. Even if he did "give" me birds to tend.

2) I left the HPKCHC group. I joined that group right after the cut-off for signing up it's first term. There are some really awesome people in the group, but there are some issues that I have with the leadership of the group. Most of the people are great, but the creator of the group refuses to delegate certain task that would be much better handled by the staff, not her. I won't go into details, because I've aired my concerns to said person & got no reply-- I joined the leadership team & still got no reply-- I played the game until I just couldn't handle the irresponsible actions any more. This was a totally liberating thing to leave the group! I may not get as many projects finished this year, but hopefully my projects will continue to be things that I want to make, and not just things to earn points.

3) I threw out bunches of old papers and notes from the old office job.
I never had the chance to ride the bus on the last day of school, where it was tradition (at least in high school) to open your notebook & let the papers fly as you leave the school parking lot. I guess it was more students leaving in cars, because most of the ones on the buses got in trouble and had to pick up papers the next day.
But let me just say- the yucky job ball and chain is G O N E! I can't believe that my old boss hasn't even opened my resignination letter- it's been on his desk for 3 weeks. Yet, he will open all incomming mail that he thinks will be a check, the bills he just leaves sealed up on my desk. SO- On Monday, I'm going in to process my last paycheck... and then I'm out of there.

4) I found out today that one of the ladies in my Sunday School class has been knitting & is learning to spindle spin yarn, and I may just have to do that... as if I have time. BUT actually, I will have some time, since I currently don't have a job on Monday, or T/W/F mornings!
I need to get something official to do to earn money- so I can keep the kids in daycare/after school-- but I get 30 days to find that job... so if anyone needs some "consulting" work done or something I can do remotely from home-- let me know.

Sleety Weekend ruins week.

The title says it all. Friday night, about o'dark thirty, I woke up to hear that the sleet had started. No surprises- I knew it was coming. I'm not sure when it snowed, or how much/how long before the sleet started, but by morning, we had a nice solid ground-cover. And it kept sleeting through the morning.
MC ventured out at about 7:30 Saturday Morning- The kid who can barely roll out of bed fully dressed to catch the bus at 7:15 was up & dressed in appropriate layers in winter garb & ready to go out at 7:30! Its amazing what snow-like scenery can do!
Church was canceled, School called off on Monday. And Tuesday, with a 1 hour delay on Wednesday... And Tuesday, MC had to go to work with me- *that was so much fun.* Thank goodness my work environment allows it during bad weather. The little one went to a sitter- thank goodness.

SO, my dentist appointment for Monday was rescheduled for Tuesday, and then again for Wednesday... So I had that fun fun 2 hour dentist appointment & headed straight to work. Another fun day. Oh and yep, all of this also means I'm missing work at my office job-- and this just happens to be my last week there.

I'm still not sure if the boss is going to acknowledge the fact that on Monday, I'm showing up only to process payroll & my travel mileage check-- which I need to collect for NOVEMBER, DECEMBER & JANUARY... That will be about $150 bucks in my pocket-- if I'm guessing right! WHOO HOO! That will help out since my dentist visit yesterday cost me $2,264. Ouch that hurts worse than my teeth.

After that, I'm not sure I can afford to quit that job, except for the fact that I'm happier already without it, and my mental health is way more important than the stress of that job, plus he needs full time help, and I'm not willing to do that anymore.

And since it is February, I've been working on my budget-- checking reciepts from January & seeing where my money really went. And guess what? (More sucky stuff) I discovered that my payroll deposits from the new job are off by about $20 bucks each time-- That's $10 a week- which seems like not much- except that I'm working with a tight zero based budget & that $40 a month had somewhere it needed to be.
=(
So now, I've got to confront my boss and find out WHY I'm getting 30 minute lunch breaks taken out of my 5 hour shifts. Yeah, I was expecting it on my 9:30-5 day- but that is only ONE DAY A WEEK. WHY whould I need a lunch break on a shift from 12:30-5:30? Because I've been busting my butt to get home from one job, eat lunch & change & make it to the other at 12:30... and then I high-tail it out of there to get my kids & get them home for dinner. So, um, yeah. I really don't need them to NOT PAY ME FOR 30 minutes when I'm WORKING. Really, if they want to take it out, I might as well not show up until 1:00 so I can have more time to eat at home. Plus, apparently, not that I'm paying attention, It looks like they have been doing this since I started working there in NOVEMBER. No wonder I'm walking the thin red line to a balanced budget.
Blargle. So when my boss, fixed the schedule to squeak me in a few more hours in the week, he actually did me a dis-service... OH and checking the employee handbook, it is stated that shifts are usually 8 or 8.5 hours and include a 30 minute unpaid lunch break-- but during training, we were told that that was for full-time & full shifts, that my half day shifts wouldn't have that time automatically deducted. So, I'm not sure what is going on. Other than the fact that I'm apparently being robbed.
This week sucks and I'll be celebrating Friday night after work because Other than paying myself, I won't have to deal with the office job anymore! Oh- but really, I'll still be stressing because I have no-one to babysit on Saturday, when I have to go to the job that I used to like, until I figured out that I'm getting shafted. Plus the residents have been moody & cranky and some downright mean & ~ oh the boss, yeah, he brought 2 parakeets into MY WORKSPACE & now I have to clean a dang birdcage & feed & water them. SO NOT COOL. I don't even have pets at home because I don't want the hassle of cleaning up after them . I don't even like birds- MAYBE if it was a cat, I'd be more sympathetic, but really. WTH?

And if you are still reading this- maybe you can be like the "nice" dental assistant that did my crowns on Wednesday, she said, "Wow, I thought I had it bad. Your life is so much worse than mine." Yep, she said it. So maybe your day will be a little brighter because you weren't in my shoes this week, and maybe all the crap you dealt with seems petty compared to the crap I dealt with.
Cheers!

Mitts! Lookie I made mitts!

With cute cabled owls, no less. This was my first time doing crochet cables, and I'm glad I only had to do a few of the bpdc... those suckers are tricky.

The thumb hole is a little big for my hand- and I'm considering adding the top part to keep my fingers warm-- because well, I get cold hands. And add to that, it's been extra cold for these parts, and tonight its supposed to get down to 13 F. Yeah, and the 3-4 inches of sleet, it's not going anywhere...

But for some reason, the geranium bits that were cut off the plant TWO SUMMERS AGO-- well, they think its time to be blooming. Go figure.

Its 3 am and the phone rings...

so, I've been having problems sleeping through the night.
I keep waking up - usually around 1:30 or 2, but sometimes I make it until 3.
Sometimes the kids wake me up, sometimes a pinecone hitting the roof-- tonight it was someone calling the wrong number from a motel over an hour away. Of course I didn't know it was a wrong number, as I was DEAD asleep (yea!) and it was 3am.
Cause only emergancy calls arrive at 3am.
sheesh. now I am up & I want to sleep. Plus, I had a root canal yesterday & now I'm hungry & really don't want soup or cottage cheese at 4 in the morning. bugger. I gress I'm a bit grouchy with out sleep. I'll end my rant & try to find something soft to mush/eat & crawl back in bed for an hour.

I'm very tired. Have been for months now... but now I think I've got my nights & days mixed up like a baby, or like how I was when I would switch from third shift to first when I was working in the bakery.
At night I'm tired & cranky & exhausted, but I can't sleep. Mornings are okay- but I've always been a morning person. But by 11:00 I'm dieing. My head is screaming, I feel dehydrated, and hungover. Those of you that know me will know that is a feeling, because I don't drink.

In fact, I bought a six pact of a special limited edition beer back in the fall. I bought it 1) because I was having beer drinking company and 2) for beer bread. The guest brought their own beer, knowing I don't drink. SO, here it is almost the middle of January & I still have 3 bottles in my fridge.. But a little pumpkin spiced beer bread will be good, even in April right? I hope so.

Tomorrow I am taking my bread machine into work for our "cooking" segment. My ideas are limited due to the fact that my cooking equipment available is a microwave & a Otis Spunkmire Cookie Oven. *REALLY*

Snow on the Mountain

Okay, Okay. This isn't a current photo. But there is SNOW on the mountain. MUCH MORE Snow than this photo represents. That's because THIS photo was taken on my birthday, back in April 2009... But Maggie May LOVES the snow & I love this photo of her!

Snowy Project Updates!

Snowy Project Updates!

Well, I've been on a snowflake kick-- and I managed to make a few for our tree before the Holidays. Also, I've been searching for some STAR patterns, verses just 6 point snowflakes.

In my various web searches, (or crawls as they were back with dial-up) I came across a wonderful blog where the author was a participant in a program called Snowflake Monday. The blog was Snowcatcher, Here on blogspot. Unfortunately, her amazing snowflake patterns & post stopped in October of 2009. Maybe she will be back, as I myself haven't been a loyal blogger this past Fall. Shoot, this past forever.
Oh wow- by blindly folloing a few links I wound back on Ravelry & to the Snowcatcher blog. Apparently she has been a better blogger than I & continued to post a new orginal snowflake pattern each Monday. ( I'm totally impressed.) I added her as a friend so I caould keep up with her new patterns, so hopefully she won't think I'm some physco stalker...

Oh- but back to the Star pattern...


From http://betouched.netfirms.com/starburst.html

I messed up a bit with the stitch placement- because well, I guess I just can't count AND crochet at the same time. (I really hate patterns where I need to count.)

This one hasn't been blocked yet, but is sorta the same pattern.



I like them. In fact, I'm planning on sending the pattern, some of my fingering weitght cotton (DUDE, I'm SO NOT a thread crocheter.) and a Clover Soft Touch 2.5mm hook. I "taught" her to crochet last summer by taking step by step photos for a pattern she wanted to make. I'm talking 78 photos for the first two rounds of a star shaped afghan. Every Step. But she made the blanket & it is a winner. More & Better than any of my afghans. I swear.
Oh. I'm sending it to her because she decorates her Holiday tree with stars. Sweet.

WE now have internet at home!

And it's not dial-up!
I canceled our Dial-up just after making my November payment... And of course they offered me 2 months free, and then continue billing me---"Just in case." I figured if I kept it, I'd never get the cable guy out here to connect the high speed.
AND Guess WHAT? It took over a month without internet at home for me to finally get them here. oh that favorite holiday recipe that I couldn't find-- and couldn't check AllRecipes.com either. err. And how exactly do I Fdc? That scrap of paper is here *somewhere*... And mom needs to know what needles were recommended for the yarn I sent her... What? No Ravelry at home. HELLLLLP!

So, Thursday I called the cable company. Oh. Closed for New Years Eve.
So Friday I called. oooh. New Years Day. (I had to work, why doesn't every one else?)
Saturday, in the parking lot before his God-daughter's Baptism, my brother tries calling from his fancy-smancy new car (which won't reconginze his voice commands, but follows mine with no problem!) We get the automated voice mail system...
SO, Monday I get online & start the ordering process. First available appointment in the morning was for Friday (2 days from today.) So I call the local number-- the office is about 3 minutes from my doorstep. I get transferred to who knows where by THAT automated answerer... First available morning appointment was Today! gave them my info & now I'm skipping office work this morning to type this! From home. In my flannel pj's! Yea!