Tuesday--Already?

Good grief! The year is nearly over with! And, with the end of the year, looms the return to the office--on January 5, which admittedly is 7 days away, but it seems so close for a two week vacation!

We're cleaning the chimney flue today. Why we didn't do it in the fall while the weather was still reasonably warm is beyond me, but there you go. It means we have to turn off the heat, pull out the fireplace, pull the flue apart, go up on the rooftop with the cleaning brush, and run it up and down the flue. Of course, I'm going to put a pillowcase on the flue with a rubber band to make sure the soot doesn't fly everywhere. That was my idea--or maybe a trash bag would work better--and a rubberband to hold it on, yes, that's the ticket...

Anyway, I've moved everything away from the fireplace so that we can pull it out. The entire process is a messy one, and you get covered in soot--even if you don't touch it directly...how does that happen, anyway?

But it has to be done because the fire isn't drafting properly, and the heat output is reduced because the stove can't get as hot as it should. Thus, the reason for cleaning out the flue.

Last night, reflecting back, we drove all over hell's half acre--almost as if it was Christmas again. First, we took Jeff's car to get it detailed (he's very happy with it, by the way), then over to Walmart/Menards/TSC/Meijer's looking for the chimney sweep and the ink for my printer. Then to my mother's to sit and chat for a while as we waited for the car to get finished.

When we arrived home, Jeff made a few phone calls, and then decided to go to his mother's to fix the tire on her car, and I asked if we could go to his daughter's house to have Christmas with the grandkids--and well, guess what?

I completely forgot that last night was spin night until we got there.

Well, we didn't get back home until after 8, and I was tired from all the driving and carrying on--so since spin night ends at 9, I figured "what's the point now?" So I stayed home and watched television.

Now, I have to wait for 2 weeks before I see my friends again, and well, one of those weeks will be spent working. By the time I see them again, I will have forgotten their names.

Not.

In the meantime, I am re-working the socks I made for Jeff last year. He decided he didn't like the heel, so I made a short row heel instead of a reinforced peasant/afterthought heel, and I decided I like the look of the short row heel better. I will however, run out of yarn, I think, and have to work some of the cuff in a different colorway--or I can work increases all the way around and then cast off normally--I'm not sure what I'll do--I think I did a stretchy sewn cast off last time. It might pay to work it again...but I am working a basketweave stitch on the leg, and it's

BORING.

I would much rather start my white lace socks, but, there you go!

Well, the fire's gone out--we're just waiting for the stove to cool down and then we'll turn it off and pull it out. I just hope that everything goes well.