Remember the song?
"I couldn't sleep at all last night..."
Yes, well said, my mantra.
Must
Wake
Up.
Must
Get
Dressed.
Must
GoTo
Work.
The only good thing about having to wake up today is that it's Friday, and I can try to sleep in Saturday and Sunday--if my dog will allow it. (Don't worry. She won't allow it. I already know that I'm dreaming.)
Must
Wake
Up.
A friend of mine at the office says that he used a sleep apnea machine and slept better than he had in years--
AT the HOSPITAL.
Now, we all know how noisy hospitals are, right?
He said the machine was quieter than the aquarium he has at home. That sold me.
I'm thinking seriously about calling my doctor and having her prescribe me a sleep study, head in and find out what I already know about my having sleep apnea, and get one of these machines so that, for once, I can get some SLEEP!
In the meanwhile, I've started another pair of socks. I like the pattern, except for the bobble, which is what makes the pattern nice, so it's not like I can get rid of it, but I need to do something to the bobble itself to make it pop up on the right side of the fabric, and I had a tip on that....where did I hide it? Hmm. Will have to hunt a bit tonight for that tidbit, since apparently, I didn't save the email. Go figure. It's probably a tip inside an email that I saved long, long ago. And of course, you can search all you want, but if you didn't save it...well, there you go.
And a quick hunt on the web didn't produce what I need either. I'm doomed.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
What happens at Knit Night
I found a really cute dishcloth pattern, and I'm making the larger size for the shower, since I'm a "larger size" gal--in a minty fresh green, which is my mother's favorite color. The pattern isn't "earth-shattering fabulous", but it looked like a good candidate to hold up under soap, water and vigorous movements while wet and soapy to help me wake up on those cold, cold mornings.
In fact, it frosted last night, so it's one of those sorts of mornings today! Glad I covered up my newly planted flowers and plants last night when I got home. You see, I can literally smell frost in the air the night before. The moon was full. The sky was clear as a bell and there was this hint of frosty air on the breeze. True to form, the windows on my car were frosted over this morning when I let my dog out, and I wore a coat to go and get her untied from the pump, then started the car. So this morning is going to be a short blog so I don't run out of gas!
Last night was Knit Night in Lake Odessa. I worked on my cloth, showed off Meisterdecke and the rest of the time, I spun some pin-roving I bought 2 years ago. I figure I have enough to make a pair of (gasp) socks. I spun an entire bobbin in just a few hours. The stuff just flew off my hands. I'll spin up the rest tonight, and by day, I'll work on the cloth. Meisterdecke? Yes, yes, I got a new 40" size 4 needle so that I can get all the stitches on it, and I purchased a 40" size 2 needle for the green yarn I bought to work Susan Pandorf's Sugar Snap pattern on a pair of socks.
Before I can spin tonight, however, I have to wash my socks that I've been making. At some point, I will have hundreds of socks if I keep going like this. What can I say? I like warm feet. I also need to upgrade this post with pictures of my ongoing projects so you can see how hard I've been at it.
Hubby has an interview today to try to get into a new kind of program where they promise you a job within a year or else they give you your money back paying for the schooling necessary to get the job. It's basically "on the job training", where you learn the skill, pretty much on the job, without pay, and then they hire you with pay. I have no idea where the job might be, but this NOT knowing what he's going to be doing is rather driving him a little over the edge. Last night, he complained that Tuesday nights were a horrible thing--school all day long and stress? I walk in the door on Tuesday after Knit Night, and he's all over me like ugly on ape--raising his voice and talking down to me. I really hate that behavior. So then I give him this opportunity to show me that he loves me by doing something simple for me, and he's griping about why I always ask him to do stuff that I could do myself, and I explain why.
He doesn't get it. Why don't men get that? I *do* ask for what I want. Oh, you "love" me? Couldn't prove it by how you're acting! So let's see how you prove it "this" way. Sigh. Failed again. If you complain about it, then you're not doing it for the right reason anyway...but now that you know (again) that I do this when you're particularly "horrible" to me, you know WHY I do it. Your grousing at me makes me feel unloved, and I do not like that feeling, and you must counter it with something nice, which
I know it's against your nature,,,being such a bear and all..
But do it anyway, so that I know that there is some frigging spark in your heart for me!
Perhaps if most men knew this, there would be fewer divorces in this country.
In fact, it frosted last night, so it's one of those sorts of mornings today! Glad I covered up my newly planted flowers and plants last night when I got home. You see, I can literally smell frost in the air the night before. The moon was full. The sky was clear as a bell and there was this hint of frosty air on the breeze. True to form, the windows on my car were frosted over this morning when I let my dog out, and I wore a coat to go and get her untied from the pump, then started the car. So this morning is going to be a short blog so I don't run out of gas!
Last night was Knit Night in Lake Odessa. I worked on my cloth, showed off Meisterdecke and the rest of the time, I spun some pin-roving I bought 2 years ago. I figure I have enough to make a pair of (gasp) socks. I spun an entire bobbin in just a few hours. The stuff just flew off my hands. I'll spin up the rest tonight, and by day, I'll work on the cloth. Meisterdecke? Yes, yes, I got a new 40" size 4 needle so that I can get all the stitches on it, and I purchased a 40" size 2 needle for the green yarn I bought to work Susan Pandorf's Sugar Snap pattern on a pair of socks.
Before I can spin tonight, however, I have to wash my socks that I've been making. At some point, I will have hundreds of socks if I keep going like this. What can I say? I like warm feet. I also need to upgrade this post with pictures of my ongoing projects so you can see how hard I've been at it.
Hubby has an interview today to try to get into a new kind of program where they promise you a job within a year or else they give you your money back paying for the schooling necessary to get the job. It's basically "on the job training", where you learn the skill, pretty much on the job, without pay, and then they hire you with pay. I have no idea where the job might be, but this NOT knowing what he's going to be doing is rather driving him a little over the edge. Last night, he complained that Tuesday nights were a horrible thing--school all day long and stress? I walk in the door on Tuesday after Knit Night, and he's all over me like ugly on ape--raising his voice and talking down to me. I really hate that behavior. So then I give him this opportunity to show me that he loves me by doing something simple for me, and he's griping about why I always ask him to do stuff that I could do myself, and I explain why.
He doesn't get it. Why don't men get that? I *do* ask for what I want. Oh, you "love" me? Couldn't prove it by how you're acting! So let's see how you prove it "this" way. Sigh. Failed again. If you complain about it, then you're not doing it for the right reason anyway...but now that you know (again) that I do this when you're particularly "horrible" to me, you know WHY I do it. Your grousing at me makes me feel unloved, and I do not like that feeling, and you must counter it with something nice, which
I know it's against your nature,,,being such a bear and all..
But do it anyway, so that I know that there is some frigging spark in your heart for me!
Perhaps if most men knew this, there would be fewer divorces in this country.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
On Feeling Better
Ever notice how, when you've been sick, that when you feel better you sometimes feel like going outside and shouting from the rooftops, and then decide you would rather simply go out and conquer the world?
I feel so much improved over yesterday that it's almost weird. I got lots of rest last night--and normal rest, too, none of this sleep until noon stuff. I fell into bed at 11pm, and woke at 7. Things bode well for work tomorrow.
Unless it's work that's making me sick--that could be, too, I suppose. But highly unlikely.
The plan today is to get some breakfast at Denny's and then back to Meisterdecke. I'm to a tremendously boring point, and I want to get past it. Sadly, there was no further work on it yesterday, but today, I feel I could nearly finish it! Well, perhaps not. There are only 125 rounds, which surprises me-I had expected more--at present, on row 47, it's perhaps 30" around stretched out, which isn't very big. I'm beginning to think that it's not a very big doily to begin with, perhaps only 10"--so I'm talking with my friend from Germany to find out. I'm told the original pattern on size 1 needles should block to 42". I'm using a size 4--this thing should be HUGE.
Perhaps I will work on my wave afghan a little today, too. It has been languishing in the wip pile.
I also thought I might take one of my sweaters someday and turn the pullover into a cardi--this will take some thought and some extra yarn. A test of my skill (I hope) for steeking. See, I can maybe take one of my old sweaters and steek it for practice, make a usable cardigan out of it, then finish my Fair Isle Cardigan. Well, it's a thought. We'll shelve it for now, until I can get the "just right" yarn to do the rest of the work.
Well, enough thought for now. I need something to eat. I was hoping that hubby would take me to breakfast, but apparently that's not going to happen, as he is still sawing logs behind me. He mentioned something about not getting to sleep until 3am--well it's 9am, now--for heaven's sake! I've survived on 6 hours of sleep before!
I feel so much improved over yesterday that it's almost weird. I got lots of rest last night--and normal rest, too, none of this sleep until noon stuff. I fell into bed at 11pm, and woke at 7. Things bode well for work tomorrow.
Unless it's work that's making me sick--that could be, too, I suppose. But highly unlikely.
The plan today is to get some breakfast at Denny's and then back to Meisterdecke. I'm to a tremendously boring point, and I want to get past it. Sadly, there was no further work on it yesterday, but today, I feel I could nearly finish it! Well, perhaps not. There are only 125 rounds, which surprises me-I had expected more--at present, on row 47, it's perhaps 30" around stretched out, which isn't very big. I'm beginning to think that it's not a very big doily to begin with, perhaps only 10"--so I'm talking with my friend from Germany to find out. I'm told the original pattern on size 1 needles should block to 42". I'm using a size 4--this thing should be HUGE.
Perhaps I will work on my wave afghan a little today, too. It has been languishing in the wip pile.
I also thought I might take one of my sweaters someday and turn the pullover into a cardi--this will take some thought and some extra yarn. A test of my skill (I hope) for steeking. See, I can maybe take one of my old sweaters and steek it for practice, make a usable cardigan out of it, then finish my Fair Isle Cardigan. Well, it's a thought. We'll shelve it for now, until I can get the "just right" yarn to do the rest of the work.
Well, enough thought for now. I need something to eat. I was hoping that hubby would take me to breakfast, but apparently that's not going to happen, as he is still sawing logs behind me. He mentioned something about not getting to sleep until 3am--well it's 9am, now--for heaven's sake! I've survived on 6 hours of sleep before!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Just Call Me El-Sicko--
I do believe that I have a touch of the flu-I spent the morning paying homage to the porcelain god, and have subsisted on nothing but broth, bread and Diet 7-Up. I can't seem to keep anything down!
I'm managing some knitting, but it's slow going. I'm to row 47 on Meisterdecke. I don't think it's going to be as big as I'd like. I think perhaps I should use a fingering weight yarn, as the lace weight doesn't look like much for my 47 rows. I am getting around easily with my 24" circulars now, which is good. Soon I'll need a longer circular.
I haven't felt much like doing anything today. I had planned to go to Vermontville to watch a parade, dress up and spin, but due to rain and illness, I canceled. It hasn't really rained all that much, but enough to wet things down. It's cold, too. I don't need pneumonia-agreed?
I sent hubby to the corner to buy me a diet Sprite or Diet 7-Up. He came home with a regular Sprite. When I asked why he didn't bring a diet, he claimed that they didn't have any and what's the difference anyway? Since I eat sugar whenever I darned well want to. Apparently, he thinks this bout with the flu is my fault for eating sugar all the time, and not paying attention to my diet. In some ways, he's correct, but I have NEVER drank sugar-soda since I found out I was diabetic. If I eat sugar at all, it's a small amount here and there. I haven't had any actual sugar in DAYS. If I do get sugar at all, it's through the carbs I tend to eat more of--and yes, my weight has bloomed again to 200--
So I had to climb in the car and drive to the corner to trade the Sprite for a Diet 7-Up. I didn't feel like going with him, but I guess I should have--at least it wouldn't have taken 2 trips!
It was nice of him to go for me, but he could have been more astute and realized that he wasn't picking a diet soda. Things like this make me feel so un-cared-for when I am sick. It bothers me that most of the time, I still have to take care of myself, unless I end up in the hospital, in which case he's always right there...except of course, for the time when I had an intestinal flare up--he didn't think I was sick at all, and even scoffed at me, when I told him I was heading for ready-care. I ended up in the hospital for 3 days on antibiotics, which totally screwed up my weekend.
Perhaps I'll take a shower and wash off the creeping crud. If I didn't ache so much, I might actually do it. Or I could go stand in the rain. It's coming down again. I understand it's supposed to rain all weekend.
It's okay, I guess. I'm sick anyway.
I'm managing some knitting, but it's slow going. I'm to row 47 on Meisterdecke. I don't think it's going to be as big as I'd like. I think perhaps I should use a fingering weight yarn, as the lace weight doesn't look like much for my 47 rows. I am getting around easily with my 24" circulars now, which is good. Soon I'll need a longer circular.
I haven't felt much like doing anything today. I had planned to go to Vermontville to watch a parade, dress up and spin, but due to rain and illness, I canceled. It hasn't really rained all that much, but enough to wet things down. It's cold, too. I don't need pneumonia-agreed?
I sent hubby to the corner to buy me a diet Sprite or Diet 7-Up. He came home with a regular Sprite. When I asked why he didn't bring a diet, he claimed that they didn't have any and what's the difference anyway? Since I eat sugar whenever I darned well want to. Apparently, he thinks this bout with the flu is my fault for eating sugar all the time, and not paying attention to my diet. In some ways, he's correct, but I have NEVER drank sugar-soda since I found out I was diabetic. If I eat sugar at all, it's a small amount here and there. I haven't had any actual sugar in DAYS. If I do get sugar at all, it's through the carbs I tend to eat more of--and yes, my weight has bloomed again to 200--
So I had to climb in the car and drive to the corner to trade the Sprite for a Diet 7-Up. I didn't feel like going with him, but I guess I should have--at least it wouldn't have taken 2 trips!
It was nice of him to go for me, but he could have been more astute and realized that he wasn't picking a diet soda. Things like this make me feel so un-cared-for when I am sick. It bothers me that most of the time, I still have to take care of myself, unless I end up in the hospital, in which case he's always right there...except of course, for the time when I had an intestinal flare up--he didn't think I was sick at all, and even scoffed at me, when I told him I was heading for ready-care. I ended up in the hospital for 3 days on antibiotics, which totally screwed up my weekend.
Perhaps I'll take a shower and wash off the creeping crud. If I didn't ache so much, I might actually do it. Or I could go stand in the rain. It's coming down again. I understand it's supposed to rain all weekend.
It's okay, I guess. I'm sick anyway.
Friday, April 23, 2010
The Best of Intentions...
My intention was to have one full week of work. Did I make it?
No.
Why?
Well, for one thing, the dog kept me up half the night, whimpering and whining and doing her brand of yelp/bark all night, hoping I'd let her out of the cage to chase the cats.
Which is, at midnight, not an option. But that didn't stop the whimpering/whining/yelp/bark not one single bit.
The result was that I didn't sleep well. I woke up with nausea and dizziness, and was so overcome, that I wrote an email to my boss on my cell phone and didn't even send it until after 8pm--a full hour after I was "supposed" to be at my desk working.
Go figure.
I checked my sugar--everything seemed fine, except that now I'm out of test strips. I took a few sips of water and fell back to sleep, deciding that when I woke up, I'd drive to the doctor's to see if I could get a few to last until the pharmacy can UPS them to me.
I woke up an hour or two later, and found that my hubby had left the house. Not a word about where he'd gone! I have been quite worried about him these last few days--he's been so
SAD.
I called his mother to find out if he'd gone over there to mow her lawn. Last we'd spoken, I inferred that it was supposed to rain all weekend, and that perhaps Friday would be the best day to mow--but she said he wasn't there.
So I drove myself to the doctor to see about the test strips. No problem, they said, and gave me a barrel to last until my script comes in via UPS. During this time, hubby called from his mother's to let me know that he was at his mother's and would be home later when he was finished mowing.
Now, two days ago, I bought hubby some flowers. Pretty ones that he could plant here and there around the yard, but he didn't even touch them. So when I got home, I decided to take them outdoors and prepare some soil to plant them.
I went outside and took them with me, and with all the best intentions, decided to get some planting in the works...
I got the two barrels in the front yard planted, and pulled out last year's stems from the big black cauldron, pulled some weeds and smack from around the peonies, and was suddenly dizzy and nauseous and started to develop a serious headache!
I went back into the house and tested my sugar again. Normal. Hmm. So I drank some water. I felt a little better, but the headache got worse--you know the sort--they rather make you want to pull your head off and shelve it someplace?
So, I tried to rest in hubby's chair, but that wasn't happening. I took two Advil, pulled the covers over my head, closed my eyes, and held onto what was left of my throbbing head--until finally, sleep overtook me, and I slept for THREE HOURS!
When I woke up for the THIRD TIME today, I went outside and planted some more flowers. I took a can of Diet Pepsi with me, but I didn't stay out long before I had to come in again, dizzy and nauseous with another headache. This time, I took an Excedrin Migraine, and the headache is finally going away. I'm hoping it's gone for good, but I can feel the fuzziness creeping up. I'm keeping myself hydrated. I need to plant more flowers, and hubby is finally home. I think he might help in a little while after he's had a chance to rest.
I also re-washed some clothes that were sitting in the dryer. Hubby must have used the air compressor recently, because the dryer said Power Failure--and that means the breaker blew, which only happens when I'm drying clothing and hubby decides to use the air compressor. So I turned it off, flipped the breaker (which took a flashlight and glasses and several trips up and down the stairs--another exhausting endeavor), and came back upstairs to start the dryer.
I've been home all day. I've done one row of knitting on Meisterdecke. It's almost suppertime. I have to go get the pizza. I also have to get some birdseed. Both of our feeders are totally empty. I don't know if I'm up to all that, but there you go.
Worst of all, I missed a big meeting at work. Not that it's a big deal to me, except that I miss important changes sometimes, and I hate that. And it seems that I miss those meetings pretty regularly somehow. It's as if my body just knows that it can't take going to some big "let's all talk about what's wrong with our systems which aren't going to get fixed anyway" kind of thing. I mean, what *is* the point?
On Thursday, however, I finished my socks, and here's the pic:
They look so long in the foot, but really they aren't. Optical illusion. I wore them after I took the pic and they feel GREAT!
On to Meisterdecke--oh, maybe after I feel better.
No.
Why?
Well, for one thing, the dog kept me up half the night, whimpering and whining and doing her brand of yelp/bark all night, hoping I'd let her out of the cage to chase the cats.
Which is, at midnight, not an option. But that didn't stop the whimpering/whining/yelp/bark not one single bit.
The result was that I didn't sleep well. I woke up with nausea and dizziness, and was so overcome, that I wrote an email to my boss on my cell phone and didn't even send it until after 8pm--a full hour after I was "supposed" to be at my desk working.
Go figure.
I checked my sugar--everything seemed fine, except that now I'm out of test strips. I took a few sips of water and fell back to sleep, deciding that when I woke up, I'd drive to the doctor's to see if I could get a few to last until the pharmacy can UPS them to me.
I woke up an hour or two later, and found that my hubby had left the house. Not a word about where he'd gone! I have been quite worried about him these last few days--he's been so
SAD.
I called his mother to find out if he'd gone over there to mow her lawn. Last we'd spoken, I inferred that it was supposed to rain all weekend, and that perhaps Friday would be the best day to mow--but she said he wasn't there.
So I drove myself to the doctor to see about the test strips. No problem, they said, and gave me a barrel to last until my script comes in via UPS. During this time, hubby called from his mother's to let me know that he was at his mother's and would be home later when he was finished mowing.
Now, two days ago, I bought hubby some flowers. Pretty ones that he could plant here and there around the yard, but he didn't even touch them. So when I got home, I decided to take them outdoors and prepare some soil to plant them.
I went outside and took them with me, and with all the best intentions, decided to get some planting in the works...
I got the two barrels in the front yard planted, and pulled out last year's stems from the big black cauldron, pulled some weeds and smack from around the peonies, and was suddenly dizzy and nauseous and started to develop a serious headache!
I went back into the house and tested my sugar again. Normal. Hmm. So I drank some water. I felt a little better, but the headache got worse--you know the sort--they rather make you want to pull your head off and shelve it someplace?
So, I tried to rest in hubby's chair, but that wasn't happening. I took two Advil, pulled the covers over my head, closed my eyes, and held onto what was left of my throbbing head--until finally, sleep overtook me, and I slept for THREE HOURS!
When I woke up for the THIRD TIME today, I went outside and planted some more flowers. I took a can of Diet Pepsi with me, but I didn't stay out long before I had to come in again, dizzy and nauseous with another headache. This time, I took an Excedrin Migraine, and the headache is finally going away. I'm hoping it's gone for good, but I can feel the fuzziness creeping up. I'm keeping myself hydrated. I need to plant more flowers, and hubby is finally home. I think he might help in a little while after he's had a chance to rest.
I also re-washed some clothes that were sitting in the dryer. Hubby must have used the air compressor recently, because the dryer said Power Failure--and that means the breaker blew, which only happens when I'm drying clothing and hubby decides to use the air compressor. So I turned it off, flipped the breaker (which took a flashlight and glasses and several trips up and down the stairs--another exhausting endeavor), and came back upstairs to start the dryer.
I've been home all day. I've done one row of knitting on Meisterdecke. It's almost suppertime. I have to go get the pizza. I also have to get some birdseed. Both of our feeders are totally empty. I don't know if I'm up to all that, but there you go.
Worst of all, I missed a big meeting at work. Not that it's a big deal to me, except that I miss important changes sometimes, and I hate that. And it seems that I miss those meetings pretty regularly somehow. It's as if my body just knows that it can't take going to some big "let's all talk about what's wrong with our systems which aren't going to get fixed anyway" kind of thing. I mean, what *is* the point?
On Thursday, however, I finished my socks, and here's the pic:
They look so long in the foot, but really they aren't. Optical illusion. I wore them after I took the pic and they feel GREAT!
On to Meisterdecke--oh, maybe after I feel better.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Drinking My Latte
I have developed a taste for coffee, but I seriously add a lot of creamer--chocolate/caramel flavored creamer--which makes the coffee seem quite a lot sweeter.
Maybe I should change the above statement to "I've developed a taste for cholate/caramel flavored creamer with a coffee chaser?"
The socks are finished, just weaving in ends today, and then they will be ready to wear.
I used a toe up, figure 8 cast on, a short row heel and jeny's surprisingly stretchy bind off. Everything else was my lace pattern from yesterday, although I did increase 8 stitches on the last inch of rows to make room for the growing calf. I put them on the lace row, in between the k1's of the pattern stitch. So it was
inc1, k1, yo, k1, ssk, k2tog, k1, yo, k1, inc1, k1 yo k1, etc....see?
So I went from 64 sts to 72 in a hurry. I didn't need the extra by the ankle, as the socks go on quite easily, but I knew once I did the bind off, they would choke my leg at the top.
I love long sock legs, and I had lots of yarn left over for darning or monster sox.
So now, weave in the ends (2) and then I can put them on my feet. For now, however, I'll just wear stupid store bought white.
I got my size 4 lace needle from Double Ewe, and now will go back to working on Meisterdecke.
You might not see me for a few days. If I don't come back in a week, call out the militia.
Pictures tonight when the ends are woven in!
Maybe I should change the above statement to "I've developed a taste for cholate/caramel flavored creamer with a coffee chaser?"
The socks are finished, just weaving in ends today, and then they will be ready to wear.
I used a toe up, figure 8 cast on, a short row heel and jeny's surprisingly stretchy bind off. Everything else was my lace pattern from yesterday, although I did increase 8 stitches on the last inch of rows to make room for the growing calf. I put them on the lace row, in between the k1's of the pattern stitch. So it was
inc1, k1, yo, k1, ssk, k2tog, k1, yo, k1, inc1, k1 yo k1, etc....see?
So I went from 64 sts to 72 in a hurry. I didn't need the extra by the ankle, as the socks go on quite easily, but I knew once I did the bind off, they would choke my leg at the top.
I love long sock legs, and I had lots of yarn left over for darning or monster sox.
So now, weave in the ends (2) and then I can put them on my feet. For now, however, I'll just wear stupid store bought white.
I got my size 4 lace needle from Double Ewe, and now will go back to working on Meisterdecke.
You might not see me for a few days. If I don't come back in a week, call out the militia.
Pictures tonight when the ends are woven in!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Socks Are Coming Along Nicely..
But I have no idea what to call them. Since the pattern is a pretty basic lace stitch, I'm befuddled by the name.
The stitch pattern is k1, yo, k1, ssk, k2tog, k1, yo, k1 for row 1
Then Row 2 is knit around.
I did mine on 64 stitches, and it fits like a glove.
I did mine toe up using a figure 8 cast on and 10 wraps.
I did a modified short row heel, where I increased the stitch count to 36 to accommodate my high instep heels, and a "double wrap" technique for all except 14 stitches in the center of the heel and the outer stitches, then when I was on the last row of the heel, I decreased 2 stitches each side and re-worked the instep side, once around even, then decrease back to 32 stitches on the back on the next round.
Then I started working the stitch pattern on the whole leg.
It's going pretty fast. I'm hoping for a 7" leg at least, but I might be at 8" before I work the cuff. Presently, there are only 2" there, but tonight is Lake Odessa night and I will likely get quite a bit done.
Hubby and I slept like logs last night. I woke up 15 minutes early, and got started on my day. I haven't gotten much farther than coffee, and I'm thinking of returning under the covers because I'm chilled.
This evening, as I mentioned is Knit Night in Lake Odessa. I hope that more people show up. I'm a bit concerned that a few are making things very uncomfortable for some others. You know how it is: small town, wagging tongues at the local pub. I think that the owner would like to maintain the group, and not let it turn out to be a gossip fence, that might put some people off coming. I sit and listen with about half an ear to all of that, since I don't know anyone there.
The stitch pattern is k1, yo, k1, ssk, k2tog, k1, yo, k1 for row 1
Then Row 2 is knit around.
I did mine on 64 stitches, and it fits like a glove.
I did mine toe up using a figure 8 cast on and 10 wraps.
I did a modified short row heel, where I increased the stitch count to 36 to accommodate my high instep heels, and a "double wrap" technique for all except 14 stitches in the center of the heel and the outer stitches, then when I was on the last row of the heel, I decreased 2 stitches each side and re-worked the instep side, once around even, then decrease back to 32 stitches on the back on the next round.
Then I started working the stitch pattern on the whole leg.
It's going pretty fast. I'm hoping for a 7" leg at least, but I might be at 8" before I work the cuff. Presently, there are only 2" there, but tonight is Lake Odessa night and I will likely get quite a bit done.
Hubby and I slept like logs last night. I woke up 15 minutes early, and got started on my day. I haven't gotten much farther than coffee, and I'm thinking of returning under the covers because I'm chilled.
This evening, as I mentioned is Knit Night in Lake Odessa. I hope that more people show up. I'm a bit concerned that a few are making things very uncomfortable for some others. You know how it is: small town, wagging tongues at the local pub. I think that the owner would like to maintain the group, and not let it turn out to be a gossip fence, that might put some people off coming. I sit and listen with about half an ear to all of that, since I don't know anyone there.
My cat, Smokie, has a real fettish for showing off herself...
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Weekend Go Bye Bye...
Sunday came and went much too quickly. I need another day or so to recover from last week. I'm behind on my sleep again.
Yes, friends, it's Monday again, and the whole world is returning to the office, such as it is. It's getting so there's not a lot of reason to go anymore, considering how the government is taking away more and more every day.
Now comes socialized health care. Everyone gets health care. Do you have any idea who is going to pay for socialized health care? Do you? People like me, who have worked hard and long hours and years and years just to be able to retire in some comfort, I get to help pay for the health insurance for those who don't, and it's cutting into my comfort zone, just a little too much.
I think it's wrong.
I'm tempted to toss away my social security card and go live in a little cabin in Montana or Idaho and write a book. First, I would have to learn to use a gun and obtain a license, and then I'd need to learn survivalist living. Maybe move to Canada? I don't know. Maybe I should just find a way to stop working, because let me tell you, working at two jobs, just to support the part of society that refuses to work, really bugs me.
Sigh.
On a good note, I finally finished the heel on my toe up socks.
On another bad note, hubby isn't sleeping well at night. This is a serious health complication that can be deadly, but first, you go insane. Never mind that he's already somewhat insane to begin with, lack of sleep/no sleep can cause a person to hallucinate and literally lose their mind, before it kills them. I've seen documentaries on the health concerns here. I asked him to go to the doctor, and his response was that he didn't have time.
Yeah, right. Go to the freaking doctor.
On a good note, every so often, I hear him snore, but he's waking himself up, even though he took a sleeping pill or two last night. This is the second night of no real "good" restful sleep. It's disturbing. Truly!
Well it's time again for a shower. See you tomorrow-perhaps the socks will be done and a picture will be in the offing!
Yes, friends, it's Monday again, and the whole world is returning to the office, such as it is. It's getting so there's not a lot of reason to go anymore, considering how the government is taking away more and more every day.
Now comes socialized health care. Everyone gets health care. Do you have any idea who is going to pay for socialized health care? Do you? People like me, who have worked hard and long hours and years and years just to be able to retire in some comfort, I get to help pay for the health insurance for those who don't, and it's cutting into my comfort zone, just a little too much.
I think it's wrong.
I'm tempted to toss away my social security card and go live in a little cabin in Montana or Idaho and write a book. First, I would have to learn to use a gun and obtain a license, and then I'd need to learn survivalist living. Maybe move to Canada? I don't know. Maybe I should just find a way to stop working, because let me tell you, working at two jobs, just to support the part of society that refuses to work, really bugs me.
Sigh.
On a good note, I finally finished the heel on my toe up socks.
On another bad note, hubby isn't sleeping well at night. This is a serious health complication that can be deadly, but first, you go insane. Never mind that he's already somewhat insane to begin with, lack of sleep/no sleep can cause a person to hallucinate and literally lose their mind, before it kills them. I've seen documentaries on the health concerns here. I asked him to go to the doctor, and his response was that he didn't have time.
Yeah, right. Go to the freaking doctor.
On a good note, every so often, I hear him snore, but he's waking himself up, even though he took a sleeping pill or two last night. This is the second night of no real "good" restful sleep. It's disturbing. Truly!
Well it's time again for a shower. See you tomorrow-perhaps the socks will be done and a picture will be in the offing!
Friday, April 16, 2010
Ahhhh...
Okay, it's Saturday. Here's my schedule...
Wake up 6am.
Okay, this is a little flexible--except our dog, Mandy, has good ears. Even when I leave my phone in the car (which is the device I choose instead of the alarm to wake me), she hears it, and starts to whine to be let outdoors to do her business. It's pretty amazing. Then again on the other hand, it could be that she just has a more insistent internal clock.
Let Mandy outside..this one is non-negotiable. She runs straight for the door the second I put my robe on. I put her on her leash and open the door and she is off like a shot. The second her feet hit grass, she's well on her way. A count to six, and she is off to chase the bunnies, then back to take care of #2. She doesn't waste a lot of time with it. It's like a schedule for her, too, I suppose.
Make coffee...again non-negotiable. It's the only thing that keeps me awake. While it's brewing in the nuke (Instant Coffee--bless the person that made instant coffee!), I get Mandy's breakfast ready and set it on the floor. Then I perk my head for her bark--ah yes, there it is..and I let her inside so that she can have her breakfast.
Notice that Mandy gets her breakfast before I get my coffee? Well, I just haven't figured out a way to work it any other way--she is SO FAST! I open the door, and she bolts in with an "I'M HONGREY!" hurry about her and runs into the bathroom to see if I've completed the task (because some mornings, I'm a little slow). This morning, things were right on schedule, though. She attends to her task, as I am finishing making my coffee.
Of course, all at the same time, I am loading the dishwasher. I finish filling it, then I put in the liquid dish washing stuff, and close the door and turn it on. Then I fill the sink for the pots and pans and set them to soak, plus the utensils that wouldn't come clean if I put them in the dishwasher.
Once the dishwasher is filled and running, the pans are soaking, I can finally sit down with my lukewarm cup of coffee, and write this blog. It has taken me only a half hour. I am in fine form this morning. Go figure!
I am nearly to the heel with my toe up socks. After I finish blogging, I will finish up the dishes in the sink, take a shower, and sit down to knit, waiting for my hubby to wake. When he does, things will run much like the first half-hour of my day! Funny how that works out. Instead of the dishwasher, it will be the laundry. Instead of dog food, it might be eggs and bacon, or cereal--dependent on what he's hungry for.
Then it will be off to JoAnn's to demo, and a class at noon.
Lots and lots of knitting time.
When I come home, I change my clothes, and we head for my step-daughter's house for my grandson's birthday. I haven't yet made his present--so I'm thinking that I need to get him something at the store. I have no ideas, so it might take a little bit of shopping around to figure something out.
We'll have cake and ice cream (likely), and find out if my step-daughter has been hired by the company that she's interviewing. Later, sweet-tooth satiated, we'll head for home, and probably fall into bed together, exhausted from it all.
Well, *I* will. I suspect that he will get out the lawn-mower and get the yard mowed at some point while I'm working at JoAnn's. It has grown by leaps and bounds since the weather has been so nice. He has to do something, right? Or he might finish up the paper for his class. Or he might just sit on his collective all day and do nothing, preparing for a wild time this evening.
Frankly, I think he's dreaming about it now.
So that's my day. Don't you wish you were this busy?
Wake up 6am.
Okay, this is a little flexible--except our dog, Mandy, has good ears. Even when I leave my phone in the car (which is the device I choose instead of the alarm to wake me), she hears it, and starts to whine to be let outdoors to do her business. It's pretty amazing. Then again on the other hand, it could be that she just has a more insistent internal clock.
Let Mandy outside..this one is non-negotiable. She runs straight for the door the second I put my robe on. I put her on her leash and open the door and she is off like a shot. The second her feet hit grass, she's well on her way. A count to six, and she is off to chase the bunnies, then back to take care of #2. She doesn't waste a lot of time with it. It's like a schedule for her, too, I suppose.
Make coffee...again non-negotiable. It's the only thing that keeps me awake. While it's brewing in the nuke (Instant Coffee--bless the person that made instant coffee!), I get Mandy's breakfast ready and set it on the floor. Then I perk my head for her bark--ah yes, there it is..and I let her inside so that she can have her breakfast.
Notice that Mandy gets her breakfast before I get my coffee? Well, I just haven't figured out a way to work it any other way--she is SO FAST! I open the door, and she bolts in with an "I'M HONGREY!" hurry about her and runs into the bathroom to see if I've completed the task (because some mornings, I'm a little slow). This morning, things were right on schedule, though. She attends to her task, as I am finishing making my coffee.
Of course, all at the same time, I am loading the dishwasher. I finish filling it, then I put in the liquid dish washing stuff, and close the door and turn it on. Then I fill the sink for the pots and pans and set them to soak, plus the utensils that wouldn't come clean if I put them in the dishwasher.
Once the dishwasher is filled and running, the pans are soaking, I can finally sit down with my lukewarm cup of coffee, and write this blog. It has taken me only a half hour. I am in fine form this morning. Go figure!
I am nearly to the heel with my toe up socks. After I finish blogging, I will finish up the dishes in the sink, take a shower, and sit down to knit, waiting for my hubby to wake. When he does, things will run much like the first half-hour of my day! Funny how that works out. Instead of the dishwasher, it will be the laundry. Instead of dog food, it might be eggs and bacon, or cereal--dependent on what he's hungry for.
Then it will be off to JoAnn's to demo, and a class at noon.
Lots and lots of knitting time.
When I come home, I change my clothes, and we head for my step-daughter's house for my grandson's birthday. I haven't yet made his present--so I'm thinking that I need to get him something at the store. I have no ideas, so it might take a little bit of shopping around to figure something out.
We'll have cake and ice cream (likely), and find out if my step-daughter has been hired by the company that she's interviewing. Later, sweet-tooth satiated, we'll head for home, and probably fall into bed together, exhausted from it all.
Well, *I* will. I suspect that he will get out the lawn-mower and get the yard mowed at some point while I'm working at JoAnn's. It has grown by leaps and bounds since the weather has been so nice. He has to do something, right? Or he might finish up the paper for his class. Or he might just sit on his collective all day and do nothing, preparing for a wild time this evening.
Frankly, I think he's dreaming about it now.
So that's my day. Don't you wish you were this busy?
Thursday, April 15, 2010
I'm not sure, but...
Did you ever wake up in the morning and wonder why you're so tired?
I know.
It sounds a bit like an info-mercial, right?
I didn't sleep well last night for some reason. I tossed and turned, and now I have to work a long day again today. Beginning now. So off to shower. Bye.
I know.
It sounds a bit like an info-mercial, right?
I didn't sleep well last night for some reason. I tossed and turned, and now I have to work a long day again today. Beginning now. So off to shower. Bye.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Lousy Days
Well, after all the to do over my "job description", I spent most of my day sending messages to people.
Lousy existence. I really hate this job. I can't figure out why I stay, except for the idea that I've got a union behind me that might stick up for me considering how LONG management has taken advantage of me and my computer understanding. It's just beyond me. They just keep replacing me with other people. Pretty soon, there won't be a job for me to do.
Retirement isn't an option, but I sure wish it was. I'm so disgusted--I mean, I know I should be grateful--there are lots of people who would give their left arm for a job like I have (maybe--if they knew how bad management takes advantage of you and gives you all the crap work, while giving somebody else all the gravy, even though you have more seniority, and pass you over again and again just because you don't have a college degree), and I should be happy that I have all these crazy benefits (which the governor is taking away piece by little piece in order to balance a BIG GOVERNMENT style budget), I mean that's why I started working here-for the $ and the benefits, but it's getting harder and harder to make ends meet every day! As the benefits simply disappear, it's getting harder and harder to justify. If I could retire, you bet I would. I would have to change things quite a bit--like how I live financially, but I would love to retire.
Part of it is that I feel so old and tired. Worked to death you might say. I walk in on Monday, wondering how long it will be before Friday afternoon. That's bad! The other part is that I feel so depressed, as if I don't count. I figure that the changes that come down the pike are just an indicator of things to come, but honestly, I don't want to even think about that. It's too depressing. Even hubby has noticed that I've been more depressed the last few days than normal.
The only thing keeping me "alive" is JoAnn's. I just spent the last half hour on the phone with the coordinator, making sure that my place there is secure and finding out about her plans for the next couple weeks, and learning things. She told me that she never did get my application--which, like a ninny, I turned in around the holiday season, and I think it got lost somehow. So I was asked to turn in another, which I will do on Friday. Perhaps I can obtain some employment there working at the fabric counter or something of the sort. Since I sew, it would be quite nice to be able to fraternize with folks over the cutting counter.
But my discouragement over my other job was starting to spill over into the JoAnn's arena--something which I didn't feel was justified, but thought perhaps I should make sure that I hadn't gone and done something totally stupid (as I usually do). All this "feeling" stuff made me want to find out if there was anything wrong--and there isn't. I was just letting my "feelings" get the best of me.
And the whole discouragement business at the office, may be just a different manager trying to take some of the performance pressure off my shoulders, which is really a NICE thing to do--and maybe my attitude is coming from the wrong arena. Working today was a lot less pressured than last week was, and I didn't feel like it was my responsibility to make everybody happy. And believe me, that sort of pressure, nobody wants! One worker did try to return something back to me, and I wrote her an email stating that the case had gone past my station, and was likely in this other person's office, and I have no further responsibility for it. Therefore, perhaps it's better if she followed up with the other person, and left me out of the loop.
That clinched it. I didn't hear from her again on the matter. Then there was another caller that wanted to talk with their worker, left a voice mail, but then decided she wanted to talk to the supervisor, so okay! I put her through. I did let her know that the supervisor was going to refer her right back to the worker, but there you go! She was insistent, so I put her through. I get lots of people calling like that. Those are the ones who end up contacting the Director of the Department, and of course, that slows down the process considerably. Naturally, the caller doesn't know that, but because it's the director of the department, they feel that they've gone to the top of the mountain and touched the hand of God--as it were. In fact, all the director's office does, is write a memo with a tick-sheet, which is handed down the ladder, manager by manager, until finally, several days later, it gets to the hands of my manager, who hands it to the worker. Then it has to go back up through the SAME CHANNELS and everyone has to lay their hands on it, read about the resolution (if any) and pass it to the next pair of hands up the ladder. Then the director calls the person back. The entire process can take a week to a month!
A call to the worker directly might take two days, perhaps more depending on whether the worker has direct access to effect resolution or not.
Now, which would you prefer? I'd prefer to have the two day resolution. Now there are some things that need to be run up the flagpole, and I can see where that sort of thing can have good things come out of it--changes in how things "happen", making policies that work better and make more sense, making changes in staff responsibilities that make more sense, and make the work flow easier. Updates to programs and to computers/software and such can and do result from running things up the flagpole.
Now it takes a worker just as long to figure out a problem on the phone as it takes me-probably more!. They will get the same answers as I would. I believe that MY BIGGEST PROBLEM is self-mutilation--I want to help people. And so I bend myself into pretzels to get that job done so I can feel good about myself. That responsibility has been removed from my shoulders. I guess I can stand up straight now, and I won't have to pay my chiropractor quite so much money this year!
Maybe if there's anything to feel good about over the whole business, is the idea that I can breathe a little easier and get my job done during the day without the hassle of people breathing down my neck anymore. And I don't have to please everybody all the time now! That might turn out to be a blessing. I just have to remind myself when somebody gets irate with me, that management told me that I don't have to anymore, and go with that.
In the meanwhile, I looked out my front door, and there is my step-son, working feverishly on my car! Praises be! It looks like I might be able to drive my own car tomorrow! Such a blessing! I can barely wait. As soon as it's done, I'm going for a ride! I think that it will lift my spirits considerably!
I think I might be able to live after all.
Lousy existence. I really hate this job. I can't figure out why I stay, except for the idea that I've got a union behind me that might stick up for me considering how LONG management has taken advantage of me and my computer understanding. It's just beyond me. They just keep replacing me with other people. Pretty soon, there won't be a job for me to do.
Retirement isn't an option, but I sure wish it was. I'm so disgusted--I mean, I know I should be grateful--there are lots of people who would give their left arm for a job like I have (maybe--if they knew how bad management takes advantage of you and gives you all the crap work, while giving somebody else all the gravy, even though you have more seniority, and pass you over again and again just because you don't have a college degree), and I should be happy that I have all these crazy benefits (which the governor is taking away piece by little piece in order to balance a BIG GOVERNMENT style budget), I mean that's why I started working here-for the $ and the benefits, but it's getting harder and harder to make ends meet every day! As the benefits simply disappear, it's getting harder and harder to justify. If I could retire, you bet I would. I would have to change things quite a bit--like how I live financially, but I would love to retire.
Part of it is that I feel so old and tired. Worked to death you might say. I walk in on Monday, wondering how long it will be before Friday afternoon. That's bad! The other part is that I feel so depressed, as if I don't count. I figure that the changes that come down the pike are just an indicator of things to come, but honestly, I don't want to even think about that. It's too depressing. Even hubby has noticed that I've been more depressed the last few days than normal.
The only thing keeping me "alive" is JoAnn's. I just spent the last half hour on the phone with the coordinator, making sure that my place there is secure and finding out about her plans for the next couple weeks, and learning things. She told me that she never did get my application--which, like a ninny, I turned in around the holiday season, and I think it got lost somehow. So I was asked to turn in another, which I will do on Friday. Perhaps I can obtain some employment there working at the fabric counter or something of the sort. Since I sew, it would be quite nice to be able to fraternize with folks over the cutting counter.
But my discouragement over my other job was starting to spill over into the JoAnn's arena--something which I didn't feel was justified, but thought perhaps I should make sure that I hadn't gone and done something totally stupid (as I usually do). All this "feeling" stuff made me want to find out if there was anything wrong--and there isn't. I was just letting my "feelings" get the best of me.
And the whole discouragement business at the office, may be just a different manager trying to take some of the performance pressure off my shoulders, which is really a NICE thing to do--and maybe my attitude is coming from the wrong arena. Working today was a lot less pressured than last week was, and I didn't feel like it was my responsibility to make everybody happy. And believe me, that sort of pressure, nobody wants! One worker did try to return something back to me, and I wrote her an email stating that the case had gone past my station, and was likely in this other person's office, and I have no further responsibility for it. Therefore, perhaps it's better if she followed up with the other person, and left me out of the loop.
That clinched it. I didn't hear from her again on the matter. Then there was another caller that wanted to talk with their worker, left a voice mail, but then decided she wanted to talk to the supervisor, so okay! I put her through. I did let her know that the supervisor was going to refer her right back to the worker, but there you go! She was insistent, so I put her through. I get lots of people calling like that. Those are the ones who end up contacting the Director of the Department, and of course, that slows down the process considerably. Naturally, the caller doesn't know that, but because it's the director of the department, they feel that they've gone to the top of the mountain and touched the hand of God--as it were. In fact, all the director's office does, is write a memo with a tick-sheet, which is handed down the ladder, manager by manager, until finally, several days later, it gets to the hands of my manager, who hands it to the worker. Then it has to go back up through the SAME CHANNELS and everyone has to lay their hands on it, read about the resolution (if any) and pass it to the next pair of hands up the ladder. Then the director calls the person back. The entire process can take a week to a month!
A call to the worker directly might take two days, perhaps more depending on whether the worker has direct access to effect resolution or not.
Now, which would you prefer? I'd prefer to have the two day resolution. Now there are some things that need to be run up the flagpole, and I can see where that sort of thing can have good things come out of it--changes in how things "happen", making policies that work better and make more sense, making changes in staff responsibilities that make more sense, and make the work flow easier. Updates to programs and to computers/software and such can and do result from running things up the flagpole.
Now it takes a worker just as long to figure out a problem on the phone as it takes me-probably more!. They will get the same answers as I would. I believe that MY BIGGEST PROBLEM is self-mutilation--I want to help people. And so I bend myself into pretzels to get that job done so I can feel good about myself. That responsibility has been removed from my shoulders. I guess I can stand up straight now, and I won't have to pay my chiropractor quite so much money this year!
Maybe if there's anything to feel good about over the whole business, is the idea that I can breathe a little easier and get my job done during the day without the hassle of people breathing down my neck anymore. And I don't have to please everybody all the time now! That might turn out to be a blessing. I just have to remind myself when somebody gets irate with me, that management told me that I don't have to anymore, and go with that.
In the meanwhile, I looked out my front door, and there is my step-son, working feverishly on my car! Praises be! It looks like I might be able to drive my own car tomorrow! Such a blessing! I can barely wait. As soon as it's done, I'm going for a ride! I think that it will lift my spirits considerably!
I think I might be able to live after all.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
You Try to Show Some Initiative
You try to show some initiative at the office and you get your nose cut off.
I created a blog, a thing that is OFFERED by management for use in passing along information that might be useful to other employees. It's a place to tell people what you do, what your unit does and other things that might be helpful. Unfortunately, it's not available to the general public, but otherwise, that's okay. Because if there's a problem, there's no sense in the entire world knowing about it, right?
So, I started this blog, and added information that included corrections to the errors on the public website (the one that's completely wrong, by the way, and caused 50 million phone calls), a simple form for people to use that I could copy and email to folks for address changes. Our telephone numbers for outside workers to use to get to the proper person, and messages from my supervisor about phone problems and shutdowns of county offices...that kind of thing.
All work related, mind you. I wouldn't create a blog like this one (where I slam anything and everything that I can or where I rant rant rant until the cows come home), and I was called into the supervisor's office for it.
What? No, it's not accessible to the outside world. Only to the workers at present.
Yes, the website is in my sig line, but even if you click on it, it's a broken link for the outside world. Yes, I might have signed an email to someone in the outside world in order to give them the website address for the place to sign up for direct deposit and give them the payment dates, but that still doesn't make the blog accessible to the outside world. I sent it to myself, and tried to access it from home, and it pops up with an error message. Yes, I would like it to be available to the outside world, because it takes so (blipty blip) long to get corrections made to our public site--it would be nice to have a place where a quick quip could be made to let folks know about changes or corrections. Yes, it can be editted to be whatever you'd like it to be--I thought it would be pretty cool to do an interview (of a fashion) with you, to put in a bit about how to make sure that information is entered correctly on such and such system so that openings go more smoothly.
In short, I tried to be upbeat. I've gotten a few emails saved indicating how helpful the website was. I didn't say that I had a lot of comments, that would be rather a lie. Most people aren't even paying attention to the fact that there *IS* a blog address on my sig line. But those who have read it have said that it was helpful.
And then I was given rules and the proper use jargon, and told what changes to make, etc. And what had to be taken down, etc. I guess it wasn't so much getting called on the rug, as getting told that I had stepped on people's toes.
To my way of thinking, if other people would do their jobs...but there I go again.
You know, somewhere, there's a place for me. I am not a person who worries about how someone else might feel about losing their "job" because of a silly little blog entry. Frankly, my blog was a tool to help me get through my job--and it's been helpful so far, in that work is coming past my desk, and the errors have been far less than what they've been in the past because of my blog. And therefore, I feel it has been useful and appropriate.
And then, some of us got together, and they told me that they want me to be a phone jockey. Just answer the phone and give it to the worker. 95% of the time, we want the call to go to the worker. We don't want YOU answering the call.
Well, that's what I do most of the time anyway. I don't get why I'm being talked to about this! Do you honestly think that just because I did this blog, that I'm not doing my job? Well, that's sort of the idea I was getting. I'm not even sure the two were tied to each other! But that was the feeling I left the office with--angry and upset that my initiative has been clamped and stamped and trampled, and that because of it, my "position" has been clamped and stamped and trampled as well.
So what am I left with? I'm left with an idiot position, where I've worked for 22 years, answering the phone and saying "I don't know, you have to discuss this with your worker."
Beyond that, I "found out" something that I've been sending to my supervisor that she's seen, but it either hasn't sunk in yet as to how it's going to affect the outside world, or she's really not reading my email. I suspect the latter AND the former.
Well, it's time to shower and get going. I ALMOST wish I hadn't started this blog. I thought it was a good idea at the time. Now, I'm not so sure.
I created a blog, a thing that is OFFERED by management for use in passing along information that might be useful to other employees. It's a place to tell people what you do, what your unit does and other things that might be helpful. Unfortunately, it's not available to the general public, but otherwise, that's okay. Because if there's a problem, there's no sense in the entire world knowing about it, right?
So, I started this blog, and added information that included corrections to the errors on the public website (the one that's completely wrong, by the way, and caused 50 million phone calls), a simple form for people to use that I could copy and email to folks for address changes. Our telephone numbers for outside workers to use to get to the proper person, and messages from my supervisor about phone problems and shutdowns of county offices...that kind of thing.
All work related, mind you. I wouldn't create a blog like this one (where I slam anything and everything that I can or where I rant rant rant until the cows come home), and I was called into the supervisor's office for it.
What? No, it's not accessible to the outside world. Only to the workers at present.
Yes, the website is in my sig line, but even if you click on it, it's a broken link for the outside world. Yes, I might have signed an email to someone in the outside world in order to give them the website address for the place to sign up for direct deposit and give them the payment dates, but that still doesn't make the blog accessible to the outside world. I sent it to myself, and tried to access it from home, and it pops up with an error message. Yes, I would like it to be available to the outside world, because it takes so (blipty blip) long to get corrections made to our public site--it would be nice to have a place where a quick quip could be made to let folks know about changes or corrections. Yes, it can be editted to be whatever you'd like it to be--I thought it would be pretty cool to do an interview (of a fashion) with you, to put in a bit about how to make sure that information is entered correctly on such and such system so that openings go more smoothly.
In short, I tried to be upbeat. I've gotten a few emails saved indicating how helpful the website was. I didn't say that I had a lot of comments, that would be rather a lie. Most people aren't even paying attention to the fact that there *IS* a blog address on my sig line. But those who have read it have said that it was helpful.
And then I was given rules and the proper use jargon, and told what changes to make, etc. And what had to be taken down, etc. I guess it wasn't so much getting called on the rug, as getting told that I had stepped on people's toes.
To my way of thinking, if other people would do their jobs...but there I go again.
You know, somewhere, there's a place for me. I am not a person who worries about how someone else might feel about losing their "job" because of a silly little blog entry. Frankly, my blog was a tool to help me get through my job--and it's been helpful so far, in that work is coming past my desk, and the errors have been far less than what they've been in the past because of my blog. And therefore, I feel it has been useful and appropriate.
And then, some of us got together, and they told me that they want me to be a phone jockey. Just answer the phone and give it to the worker. 95% of the time, we want the call to go to the worker. We don't want YOU answering the call.
Well, that's what I do most of the time anyway. I don't get why I'm being talked to about this! Do you honestly think that just because I did this blog, that I'm not doing my job? Well, that's sort of the idea I was getting. I'm not even sure the two were tied to each other! But that was the feeling I left the office with--angry and upset that my initiative has been clamped and stamped and trampled, and that because of it, my "position" has been clamped and stamped and trampled as well.
So what am I left with? I'm left with an idiot position, where I've worked for 22 years, answering the phone and saying "I don't know, you have to discuss this with your worker."
Beyond that, I "found out" something that I've been sending to my supervisor that she's seen, but it either hasn't sunk in yet as to how it's going to affect the outside world, or she's really not reading my email. I suspect the latter AND the former.
Well, it's time to shower and get going. I ALMOST wish I hadn't started this blog. I thought it was a good idea at the time. Now, I'm not so sure.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
I thought I lost it!
Well, for whatever reason, my computer was acting oddly today, so I shut it down. Except when I turned it back on, it acted even funnier--but it wasn't funny--Nothing but a black screen!
I was finally able to shut it down properly, and finally got it to reboot properly. It seems to be working fine at the moment, but I think that I will shut it down when I go nighty-night.
I did a little bit of knitting and crocheting today, working on my log-cabin afghan and the cotton grannie squares. This after quite a bit of fudging with the cotton yarn to make SOMETHING, Anything! There just wasn't enough yarn left really to do much of anything with it, so I added it to the afghan. That's now put away in the yarn tub in favor of something new to work on.
What shall I work on though?
Hubby made up for his faux pas yesterday. He bought me an ice-cream cone. He never does that, so I know he's making up for his lousy behavior. I suppose I'll forgive him. He's worth it. I feel better this evening too, so I think I might start something new, or I might take up an older project-there are a fair number of those. I really would like to start a new pair of socks.
I suppose I will check my list of to do's and find something that's been languishing in my WIP pile. That's always good for something.
In any case, I have my puter back, and I have my knitting mojo back. I will chat with you tomorrow!
I was finally able to shut it down properly, and finally got it to reboot properly. It seems to be working fine at the moment, but I think that I will shut it down when I go nighty-night.
I did a little bit of knitting and crocheting today, working on my log-cabin afghan and the cotton grannie squares. This after quite a bit of fudging with the cotton yarn to make SOMETHING, Anything! There just wasn't enough yarn left really to do much of anything with it, so I added it to the afghan. That's now put away in the yarn tub in favor of something new to work on.
What shall I work on though?
Hubby made up for his faux pas yesterday. He bought me an ice-cream cone. He never does that, so I know he's making up for his lousy behavior. I suppose I'll forgive him. He's worth it. I feel better this evening too, so I think I might start something new, or I might take up an older project-there are a fair number of those. I really would like to start a new pair of socks.
I suppose I will check my list of to do's and find something that's been languishing in my WIP pile. That's always good for something.
In any case, I have my puter back, and I have my knitting mojo back. I will chat with you tomorrow!
Saturday-Busted Flat
Well, Let me Tell you. Saturday was probably not so great a day. It started out okay. Really! Hubby, his son and I went to breakfast together, and had really good breakfast conversation about looking into the windmill that I would like to have for our property to help with generating electricity for our corn stove. It turns out that it's not so efficient as I hoped it would be (the windmill, not the corn stove), so we are basically abandoning the idea. The windmill would need to operate at nearly 30 times more than it would--and we aren't sure how that would happen.
And then we went to hubby's bank, and he withdrew the money to pay for my car repair. This was also a good thing, except for the part about having to pay him back. I really don't feel that I should have to do that. Husband's are supposed to work with you--and vice versa, but mostly, for you to be able to lean on when times are tough. Well, apparently, hubby is feeling a pinch, even though all my taxes money has been going into his account for the last 10 years. And we didn't argue about it, but on the way home, I suggested he stop for gas, as the Impala was getting low, and I knew I was going to have to use it next week, so I thought I would put gas in the car--and right in front of his son, he started bad-mouthing me.
Now, I realize that I didn't say "pull off and let me buy gas for this car so I can drive it next week". But that's no reason to get in my face in front of family.
I was angry and hurt. I even cried when I got home. I told him that I didn't think it was very nice of him to yell at me in front of his son that way. And he said I should have been more clear.
He still has not apologized, although later in the day, he acted a tad more kindly toward me. I barely spoke to him the entire day--and worked my buns off with him in the barn, in silence, on the wicker, then went into the house, made supper and went to bed early, completely worn out from being upset all day.
He doesn't get it. How can a man live with me for 10 years and be so clueless about how I feel? Why would he ASSUME that I expected HIM to put gas in his car for ME to use next week? Does he REALLY believe that I'm THAT big a deadbeat? Am I such a pain in the reverse that it's okay to treat me like crap in front of family?
I was so upset, and then while knitting Meisterdecke, the Addi Click I was using came apart, and I lost a stitch.
A single stitch. I was so distraught about it that I pulled out all 38 rows. I wasn't happy with how it was turning out anyway, but the whole day was just a washout, and I'm still trying to get over.
This morning (Sunday), I woke up with back spasms at 3am, and I'm just as exhausted as if I'd never slept. I'm thinking about coffee now that it's 4am. I might try to find my Addi Lace needles, and see if I have a size 4. I was using a size 5 in Addi Click, and it wasn't turning out very nice. I think a 4 would work much better.
Well, I suppose that I should reboot this machine and get it cleaned out. One of the groups I belong to on Yahoo allows attachments of pictures, and my hard drive fills up with them. I've been keeping abreast of email, but that's been a real job and a half. Those pics, though, take up twice the space, so they need to go when I'm done looking.
Perhaps today will be a better day. One can only hope.
And then we went to hubby's bank, and he withdrew the money to pay for my car repair. This was also a good thing, except for the part about having to pay him back. I really don't feel that I should have to do that. Husband's are supposed to work with you--and vice versa, but mostly, for you to be able to lean on when times are tough. Well, apparently, hubby is feeling a pinch, even though all my taxes money has been going into his account for the last 10 years. And we didn't argue about it, but on the way home, I suggested he stop for gas, as the Impala was getting low, and I knew I was going to have to use it next week, so I thought I would put gas in the car--and right in front of his son, he started bad-mouthing me.
Now, I realize that I didn't say "pull off and let me buy gas for this car so I can drive it next week". But that's no reason to get in my face in front of family.
I was angry and hurt. I even cried when I got home. I told him that I didn't think it was very nice of him to yell at me in front of his son that way. And he said I should have been more clear.
He still has not apologized, although later in the day, he acted a tad more kindly toward me. I barely spoke to him the entire day--and worked my buns off with him in the barn, in silence, on the wicker, then went into the house, made supper and went to bed early, completely worn out from being upset all day.
He doesn't get it. How can a man live with me for 10 years and be so clueless about how I feel? Why would he ASSUME that I expected HIM to put gas in his car for ME to use next week? Does he REALLY believe that I'm THAT big a deadbeat? Am I such a pain in the reverse that it's okay to treat me like crap in front of family?
I was so upset, and then while knitting Meisterdecke, the Addi Click I was using came apart, and I lost a stitch.
A single stitch. I was so distraught about it that I pulled out all 38 rows. I wasn't happy with how it was turning out anyway, but the whole day was just a washout, and I'm still trying to get over.
This morning (Sunday), I woke up with back spasms at 3am, and I'm just as exhausted as if I'd never slept. I'm thinking about coffee now that it's 4am. I might try to find my Addi Lace needles, and see if I have a size 4. I was using a size 5 in Addi Click, and it wasn't turning out very nice. I think a 4 would work much better.
Well, I suppose that I should reboot this machine and get it cleaned out. One of the groups I belong to on Yahoo allows attachments of pictures, and my hard drive fills up with them. I've been keeping abreast of email, but that's been a real job and a half. Those pics, though, take up twice the space, so they need to go when I'm done looking.
Perhaps today will be a better day. One can only hope.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Saturday is Supposed to be a Day of Rest!
I'm here, in front of my computer, trying to wake my husband so that we can get started on the day.
I need my car fixed. I'm in too much of a hurry to have it done and over with--but I do need my car. He wants to work on wicker, and he wants my help doing it. Personally, I hate doing wicker, because I might get a meal out (such as McDonald's) for my trouble. It takes several hours to do wicker (more to run two batches), and it's a really BORING process. I personally would like to get it done so that I can do things that I enjoy doing--since I'm already working two jobs, and don't seem to get paid enough at either! Well, that's not true. It was enough ten years ago. Now, though, prices have jumped 150% and I'm simply always falling behind.
I'm raring to go. He is snoring. Maybe he's the bored one?
I got a couple more rows done yesterday on Meisterdecke. I have other projects that I would like to complete, which are bigger than one day's completion. I feel rushed and stressed and I can't seem to relax. Maybe I should lay off the caffeine?
I have laundry to do and dishes to put away. I need to get started on the day, otherwise, I'll be up until after midnight again tonight, trying to get everything done on my to-do list. I need to make it one of Menard's "To-Done lists". I have vacuuming to do. Trash to burn. It's going to be a long day!
I need my car fixed. I'm in too much of a hurry to have it done and over with--but I do need my car. He wants to work on wicker, and he wants my help doing it. Personally, I hate doing wicker, because I might get a meal out (such as McDonald's) for my trouble. It takes several hours to do wicker (more to run two batches), and it's a really BORING process. I personally would like to get it done so that I can do things that I enjoy doing--since I'm already working two jobs, and don't seem to get paid enough at either! Well, that's not true. It was enough ten years ago. Now, though, prices have jumped 150% and I'm simply always falling behind.
I'm raring to go. He is snoring. Maybe he's the bored one?
I got a couple more rows done yesterday on Meisterdecke. I have other projects that I would like to complete, which are bigger than one day's completion. I feel rushed and stressed and I can't seem to relax. Maybe I should lay off the caffeine?
I have laundry to do and dishes to put away. I need to get started on the day, otherwise, I'll be up until after midnight again tonight, trying to get everything done on my to-do list. I need to make it one of Menard's "To-Done lists". I have vacuuming to do. Trash to burn. It's going to be a long day!
Friday, April 9, 2010
Sufficiently Ticked Off!
Today was a bad day at the office.
The ignition switch has gone bad on my car, and fixing will cost at least $140 parts. That means close to $200--even for my step-son to work on it, and I don't have the money-will need to borrow it...and it's not an EASY fix--considering that the ignition is on the dashboard, and hard as cupcakes to get to--let alone fix.
Of course, that all depends on whether he's got TIME to fix it, since he's cavorting with a new girlfriend now. That has all it's own wonderful trappings.
All in all, I am not pleased. It's like I'm being pushed out of my own home. I don't like it. I don't like it one freaking bit.
And it's very possible that I'm going over the top about it, but I just can't have my husband pay for it, and have him "after" me for his money back. That's rather demeaning in itself. He's supposed to be my husband. He's supposed to help take care of me, right? Here he is retired, and I'm working two freaking jobs, and I can't keep my finances straight.
And everything is just coming due now--car insurance, car repairs, propane! Good grief!
So I'm on this strict yarn diet, starting NOW. To help me maintain it, I'm not going to Ravelry again for at least 2 months! I'm talking DRASTIC MEASURES MUST BE TAKEN!
So I will work on Meisterdecke and maybe some other things over the next few months. God knows I have enough stash to last me three lifetimes, not to mention patterns.
So, if I seem a little quiet over the next couple months it's because I'm trying to get it back in order and keep myself satisfied with what I have on hand. It's hard, because there are so many pretty things that catch my eye!!!! What do I do? Cut out my eyes? Don't answer that!
I'll be okay. I'll be okay...breathe...breathe...figure out how to get the money to my step son...yeah that's the ticket...just figure out that much and go from there.
The ignition switch has gone bad on my car, and fixing will cost at least $140 parts. That means close to $200--even for my step-son to work on it, and I don't have the money-will need to borrow it...and it's not an EASY fix--considering that the ignition is on the dashboard, and hard as cupcakes to get to--let alone fix.
Of course, that all depends on whether he's got TIME to fix it, since he's cavorting with a new girlfriend now. That has all it's own wonderful trappings.
All in all, I am not pleased. It's like I'm being pushed out of my own home. I don't like it. I don't like it one freaking bit.
And it's very possible that I'm going over the top about it, but I just can't have my husband pay for it, and have him "after" me for his money back. That's rather demeaning in itself. He's supposed to be my husband. He's supposed to help take care of me, right? Here he is retired, and I'm working two freaking jobs, and I can't keep my finances straight.
And everything is just coming due now--car insurance, car repairs, propane! Good grief!
So I'm on this strict yarn diet, starting NOW. To help me maintain it, I'm not going to Ravelry again for at least 2 months! I'm talking DRASTIC MEASURES MUST BE TAKEN!
So I will work on Meisterdecke and maybe some other things over the next few months. God knows I have enough stash to last me three lifetimes, not to mention patterns.
So, if I seem a little quiet over the next couple months it's because I'm trying to get it back in order and keep myself satisfied with what I have on hand. It's hard, because there are so many pretty things that catch my eye!!!! What do I do? Cut out my eyes? Don't answer that!
I'll be okay. I'll be okay...breathe...breathe...figure out how to get the money to my step son...yeah that's the ticket...just figure out that much and go from there.
Hey! Who Turned Off the Light?
Okay, we have had rain and clouds for the last 4 days! What gives!? I was enjoying the sunshine and warm weather so much--even my outside flowers were having a riot!
Suddenly, all we have is clouds, rain, and really seriously cold weather!
After work yesterday, I walked to my car as I usually do. I unlocked the door, as I usually do. I tossed in my things, as I usually do. I put my key in the ignition, as I usually do. I turned the key, as I MUST do if I want to go home.
And nothing.
The lights came on, but there was nobody home under the hood.
So, I called my husband to come and get me and I got out my knitting. Funny how opportunity knocks, right? But the fact that my car won't start isn't funny. I know that it's once again the anti-theft mechanism, just as it was for my Buick Regal. This is a $2 fix, so it's not a big deal, but it sure is annoying! There are other things it could be, of course, but it sure feels like the anti-theft mechanism. So when my husband arrived, it had quit raining for a little bit, and he popped the hood and set up jumper cables.
"That isn't going to work," I said. "Because it's the anti-theft device. I know what it feels like from the Regal. Is the alternator belt okay? It should be, since I have lots of dash lights."
But he tried the jumper cables anyway, asking me to turn over the key a few times...no result. Deader than dead. Not even a click, click, click of the starter!
Then it started to rain. And he gave up. I don't blame him. I sat in the car and finished the socks.
And then we took his car home.
So when we got home, I tried on the socks. I would have tried them on in the car, but it's a little bit cramped. They are too long, even for ME! And the recipient is a half-shoe size smaller than me....so I had to rip out about 6 rows--which was all the knitting I did in the car, you understand--and this frustrated me a little. But rip I did, and I put them on string for Tuesday, and dropped them in their bag. I did no further knitting last night, but I did make dinner and ran two loads of dishes through the dishwasher! The kitchen is clean again!
So today, I get to drive the Impala to the office. I will check on my car on the way through to make sure it hasn't been stolen or some idiot thing like that, then onward. This weekend, we'll pick it up with the dolly and bring it home. My step son will check it out and figure out what went wrong. I figure that I'll stick my key in, and it will start--because that's how the Regal used to be. It would hang up at first, and then 10 tries or so later, start right up. I'm expecting something similar with my Grand Am.
I'll pack some knitting.
Suddenly, all we have is clouds, rain, and really seriously cold weather!
After work yesterday, I walked to my car as I usually do. I unlocked the door, as I usually do. I tossed in my things, as I usually do. I put my key in the ignition, as I usually do. I turned the key, as I MUST do if I want to go home.
And nothing.
The lights came on, but there was nobody home under the hood.
So, I called my husband to come and get me and I got out my knitting. Funny how opportunity knocks, right? But the fact that my car won't start isn't funny. I know that it's once again the anti-theft mechanism, just as it was for my Buick Regal. This is a $2 fix, so it's not a big deal, but it sure is annoying! There are other things it could be, of course, but it sure feels like the anti-theft mechanism. So when my husband arrived, it had quit raining for a little bit, and he popped the hood and set up jumper cables.
"That isn't going to work," I said. "Because it's the anti-theft device. I know what it feels like from the Regal. Is the alternator belt okay? It should be, since I have lots of dash lights."
But he tried the jumper cables anyway, asking me to turn over the key a few times...no result. Deader than dead. Not even a click, click, click of the starter!
Then it started to rain. And he gave up. I don't blame him. I sat in the car and finished the socks.
And then we took his car home.
So when we got home, I tried on the socks. I would have tried them on in the car, but it's a little bit cramped. They are too long, even for ME! And the recipient is a half-shoe size smaller than me....so I had to rip out about 6 rows--which was all the knitting I did in the car, you understand--and this frustrated me a little. But rip I did, and I put them on string for Tuesday, and dropped them in their bag. I did no further knitting last night, but I did make dinner and ran two loads of dishes through the dishwasher! The kitchen is clean again!
So today, I get to drive the Impala to the office. I will check on my car on the way through to make sure it hasn't been stolen or some idiot thing like that, then onward. This weekend, we'll pick it up with the dolly and bring it home. My step son will check it out and figure out what went wrong. I figure that I'll stick my key in, and it will start--because that's how the Regal used to be. It would hang up at first, and then 10 tries or so later, start right up. I'm expecting something similar with my Grand Am.
I'll pack some knitting.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
I'm Just Thinking...
The weekend is coming up fast. I'm thinking that I'm going to relax most of it--simply because
I
Am
So
Exhausted.
It's hard for me to believe, but I didn't sleep well last night--even with the addition of an antihistimine to dry up my running nose, but I think that the cold (that I still have, by the way and thank you very much for asking) is really doing a number on me. Normally, one antihistimine will put me out of my misery. Instead, it's seems it made me jittery--unable to relax and get the rest I need. Tonight, I'm going to bed at 8. I don't care what comes on television. Add to that the fact that I had a very strange "X-Files" type dream just before waking, complete with a different Mulder and Scully, well--it's enough to make you not want to go to bed at all!
On the knitting front, I have two projects going. Meisterdecke is on the needles and I just finished with row 28 in this lovely magenta red, alpaca silk laceweight yarn. It's a little too lightweight, and I'm afraid it won't hold up to a radical blocking. And while the gauge seems fine on the outer ring, the inside is quite ruffly--indicating that I've finally found a workable gauge, but was simply too loose in the early part of the center. I'm afraid that ruffly-ness might not block out. The other project is a pair of socks for Nancy at Double-Ewe--really just finishing up the pair that she nearly had done--perhaps another inch or so of actual knitting on the foot and then the toe, and that's another project done. I'm not exactly sure why she asked me to do them--until I actually got ready to do it, and found out that the previous two rows had to be tinked for a couple of small mistakes. Tinking on magic loop is not a fun thing--but I managed over a couple of hours to take out the pattern row and one of the knit rows. It took me ten minutes to knit it back up. Imagine that?
Then last night, I taught a lace knitting class at JoAnn's. I taught the stitches, then sat down and worked on Nancy's socks. Afterward, I picked up a frew groceries (pop and milk) and then headed home.
It's nearly time for me to leave the house again for work. I'm not finished with my coffee, either. I'm going to have to figure that out! I should get up out of the chair, but I just can't seem to figure out how. Brain simply doesn't want to get in gear and get going!
I'm only slightly congested this morning. Hubby had left the heat on last night--he says he's checking the efficiency of our corn stove for a class project. Frankly, I have no idea what this contraption is that he's hooked up to it, but it takes note of all sorts of strange numbers. I don't know what they mean, and I don't really care. This is our heater, and I think it does a good job for the upstairs. It also runs quite a bit cheaper than propane unless we turn it up on high. Add to that , it's 100% green fuel! It gives off no emissions, and the ash is biodegradable. Not that I spout "green living" by any means, but it's nice to know that our heat, at least is good for the earth.
And with that, I head out. Move, butt, move!
I
Am
So
Exhausted.
It's hard for me to believe, but I didn't sleep well last night--even with the addition of an antihistimine to dry up my running nose, but I think that the cold (that I still have, by the way and thank you very much for asking) is really doing a number on me. Normally, one antihistimine will put me out of my misery. Instead, it's seems it made me jittery--unable to relax and get the rest I need. Tonight, I'm going to bed at 8. I don't care what comes on television. Add to that the fact that I had a very strange "X-Files" type dream just before waking, complete with a different Mulder and Scully, well--it's enough to make you not want to go to bed at all!
On the knitting front, I have two projects going. Meisterdecke is on the needles and I just finished with row 28 in this lovely magenta red, alpaca silk laceweight yarn. It's a little too lightweight, and I'm afraid it won't hold up to a radical blocking. And while the gauge seems fine on the outer ring, the inside is quite ruffly--indicating that I've finally found a workable gauge, but was simply too loose in the early part of the center. I'm afraid that ruffly-ness might not block out. The other project is a pair of socks for Nancy at Double-Ewe--really just finishing up the pair that she nearly had done--perhaps another inch or so of actual knitting on the foot and then the toe, and that's another project done. I'm not exactly sure why she asked me to do them--until I actually got ready to do it, and found out that the previous two rows had to be tinked for a couple of small mistakes. Tinking on magic loop is not a fun thing--but I managed over a couple of hours to take out the pattern row and one of the knit rows. It took me ten minutes to knit it back up. Imagine that?
Then last night, I taught a lace knitting class at JoAnn's. I taught the stitches, then sat down and worked on Nancy's socks. Afterward, I picked up a frew groceries (pop and milk) and then headed home.
It's nearly time for me to leave the house again for work. I'm not finished with my coffee, either. I'm going to have to figure that out! I should get up out of the chair, but I just can't seem to figure out how. Brain simply doesn't want to get in gear and get going!
I'm only slightly congested this morning. Hubby had left the heat on last night--he says he's checking the efficiency of our corn stove for a class project. Frankly, I have no idea what this contraption is that he's hooked up to it, but it takes note of all sorts of strange numbers. I don't know what they mean, and I don't really care. This is our heater, and I think it does a good job for the upstairs. It also runs quite a bit cheaper than propane unless we turn it up on high. Add to that , it's 100% green fuel! It gives off no emissions, and the ash is biodegradable. Not that I spout "green living" by any means, but it's nice to know that our heat, at least is good for the earth.
And with that, I head out. Move, butt, move!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Knitted Market Bag
Finally finished and ready for the pattern? Well, the pattern will need to wait a bit, while I reconnoiter it. So many changes! But it's coming.
Here's a pic.
For those who can't wait to begin...
Required: 4 skeins Sugar N. Creme Kitchen Cotton Worsted yarn in two of your favorite colors. Contrast is key, here, to make the stripes pop! Color A should be dark, color B should be lighter. I chose Navy and Spring Green.
Size 9 circular needles in either 16" or 24" (29" works, too)
Tapestry needle
Size I crochet hook, optional, as you CAN knit the edging around the handle, but I think crochet looks better.
1 marker to mark the beginning/ending of your round.
Bag Bottom:
Cast on 44 stitches using your favorite cast on with Color A. Knit two rows. Hereafter carry your colors up the edge of the bag bottom. Attach B, and knit two rows. Bring A up below B and knit two rows. Continue in this manner, alternating your colors, until you have 15 stripes, ending with two rows of your darker color.
Do not break your yarn, do not turn, but pick up 14 stitches along the short edge, 44 stitches along the opposite long edge and 14 stitches along the last short edge. 116 stitches. Purl 1 row. pick up B and knit 1 row, purl 1 row. Add a markerPick up A and follow this pattern around.
Row 1: (K2tog yo), around.
Row 2: Knit
Row 3: (yo, ssk), around.
Row 4: Knit
Change colors every 4 rounds for 6 stripes. Then work knit and purl rows, alternating, at the same time, alternating your colors for 10 rounds, ending with color A. Pick up Color B and work Row 1-4 again for 6 stripes. Then work knit and purl rows, alternating, at the same time, alternating your colors for 10 rounds, ending with your lighter color.
With Color A, bind off 14, knit across 44, bind off 14, knit across 44. This sets up your handle. Turn work, and purl across the 44 stitches. The other 44 will remain on the cable of your needle to be worked later. Turn the work, and
Row 1: K1, (k2tog, yo), across until 3 sts remain, k2tog, k1.
Next row: Purl draw up your color B.
Row 1: K1, (yo, ssk) across until 3 sts remain, ssk, k1
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: K1, (k2tog, yo) across until 3 sts remain, k2tog, k1
Row 4: Purl
Repeat these 4 rows until only 8 stitches remain. Note: You should always have an even number of stitches for the handle. If you don't, it's not critical--just decrease so that you do--change your colors, as before, of course. When you're down to 8 stitches, work as follows:
Row 1 K1 (yo, K2tog) 3 times, k1
Row 2 Purl
Row 3: K1, (ssk, yo) 3 times, k1
Row 4: Purl
Repeat these rows twice more. Remove the other 44 handle stitches to a holder so you can work with the last 8 stitches.
You'll end up with Row 4 in Color B. Bring up color A and work k1, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k1 and then work I-cord on remaining 6 stitches for approximately 6-8" or however long you'd like. Cut all yarn.
Attach Color A where you left off with the other 44 stitches and work the other side of the handle in like fashion.
Kitchener the i-cord together, weave in ends.
Attach Color A with a crochet hook and crochet evenly around the handle. Hide these ends, and
YOU'RE DONE!
Enjoy your bag!
OOO! And the yarn for Meisterdecke showed up today!
Here's a pic.
For those who can't wait to begin...
Required: 4 skeins Sugar N. Creme Kitchen Cotton Worsted yarn in two of your favorite colors. Contrast is key, here, to make the stripes pop! Color A should be dark, color B should be lighter. I chose Navy and Spring Green.
Size 9 circular needles in either 16" or 24" (29" works, too)
Tapestry needle
Size I crochet hook, optional, as you CAN knit the edging around the handle, but I think crochet looks better.
1 marker to mark the beginning/ending of your round.
Bag Bottom:
Cast on 44 stitches using your favorite cast on with Color A. Knit two rows. Hereafter carry your colors up the edge of the bag bottom. Attach B, and knit two rows. Bring A up below B and knit two rows. Continue in this manner, alternating your colors, until you have 15 stripes, ending with two rows of your darker color.
Do not break your yarn, do not turn, but pick up 14 stitches along the short edge, 44 stitches along the opposite long edge and 14 stitches along the last short edge. 116 stitches. Purl 1 row. pick up B and knit 1 row, purl 1 row. Add a markerPick up A and follow this pattern around.
Row 1: (K2tog yo), around.
Row 2: Knit
Row 3: (yo, ssk), around.
Row 4: Knit
Change colors every 4 rounds for 6 stripes. Then work knit and purl rows, alternating, at the same time, alternating your colors for 10 rounds, ending with color A. Pick up Color B and work Row 1-4 again for 6 stripes. Then work knit and purl rows, alternating, at the same time, alternating your colors for 10 rounds, ending with your lighter color.
With Color A, bind off 14, knit across 44, bind off 14, knit across 44. This sets up your handle. Turn work, and purl across the 44 stitches. The other 44 will remain on the cable of your needle to be worked later. Turn the work, and
Row 1: K1, (k2tog, yo), across until 3 sts remain, k2tog, k1.
Next row: Purl draw up your color B.
Row 1: K1, (yo, ssk) across until 3 sts remain, ssk, k1
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: K1, (k2tog, yo) across until 3 sts remain, k2tog, k1
Row 4: Purl
Repeat these 4 rows until only 8 stitches remain. Note: You should always have an even number of stitches for the handle. If you don't, it's not critical--just decrease so that you do--change your colors, as before, of course. When you're down to 8 stitches, work as follows:
Row 1 K1 (yo, K2tog) 3 times, k1
Row 2 Purl
Row 3: K1, (ssk, yo) 3 times, k1
Row 4: Purl
Repeat these rows twice more. Remove the other 44 handle stitches to a holder so you can work with the last 8 stitches.
You'll end up with Row 4 in Color B. Bring up color A and work k1, k2tog, k2, k2tog, k1 and then work I-cord on remaining 6 stitches for approximately 6-8" or however long you'd like. Cut all yarn.
Attach Color A where you left off with the other 44 stitches and work the other side of the handle in like fashion.
Kitchener the i-cord together, weave in ends.
Attach Color A with a crochet hook and crochet evenly around the handle. Hide these ends, and
YOU'RE DONE!
Enjoy your bag!
OOO! And the yarn for Meisterdecke showed up today!
Groceries
Today, I purchased 4 small bags of groceries, dog and cat food.
I spent over $100!
Holy COW!
Having heart failure at the checkout counter is not fun.
I drove extra carefully home, precious cargo and all that ya know?
I forgot the pop. Oh well, another trip, I suppose.
I spent over $100!
Holy COW!
Having heart failure at the checkout counter is not fun.
I drove extra carefully home, precious cargo and all that ya know?
I forgot the pop. Oh well, another trip, I suppose.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Market Bag
The market bag is together, but I have to figure out a different edging for it. I did a lot of editting to the pattern, to the point where it doesn't even LOOK like the original article! I knit an i-cord band for the handle, because I thought it would hold up a little better than a lace handle, and I did some garter rows in between the lace to give it a little more holding power--it's just all around a better bag--but now I'm stuck trying to figure out an edging for the handle, because the i-cord rather "bunched" the end of the lace, bringing some of the lace to the inside of the handle--which is fine, except that the lace edge needs SOME sort of finishing to hide the yarn carry on the one edge and to keep the thing from stretching out on the other side.
And I want to do it in the navy so that the lime really pops out at you.
And since pictures are worth thousands of words...
And the inside edge where I want to put some sort of "edging" to keep it from stretching out...
And I want to do it in the navy so that the lime really pops out at you.
And since pictures are worth thousands of words...
The bag that so far, everyone loves!
And the inside edge where I want to put some sort of "edging" to keep it from stretching out...
I figure I'll just take a crochet hook and crochet around the edge--which would be SKADS faster--but the pattern calls for knit--and I'm running out of the navy (and it appears that one of the navy skeins was shy SEVERAL yards).
Yesterday was a really busy day for me, and it started at 6 am. I got up and ready for work at JoAnn's, read email until my eyes were buggy, and then drove in, my bag and knitting in tow, as well as knowing that I was going to have to stop for something to eat and all that. I expected that I would demo until the class started, then teach the really cute baby hat. A hat which a novice could only be frustrated knitting because it's on dpns and because there are SO MANY COLOR CHANGES! So, I decided before I arrived that I was going to tell the students to just use ONE color for the first go round, and that there would be plenty of yarn left to make "other hats" for charity giving!
It was a good plan, and it worked. I demoed with the bag, which everyone loved, and when the students showed up, I got another shocker! While trying to amass more students into the class, the coordinator had, completely by mistake, ushered in a student that didn't know how to knit! This particular student hadn't had the 101 class, and was now in the 102 class. Well, I taught TWO classes in one yesterday. While she was learning how to knit, she was also getting the instruction on how to work the baby hat. Since she'd been exposed to the baby hat already, I simply gave her the pattern to take home and review--to try it out, and then she could come in with questions. Seemed like a logical thing to do at the time, since she'd already paid for the class!
When class was over, I drove home in a fog from the Benedryl, got off on the wrong exit, and then had to back-track. Finally got home, and had to gather everything together again to head to Battle Creek. Hubby's Aunt's Mother-In-Law (if you can follow all of that, you're a better mind than I am) died on Saturday, and we drove down to support and console the family. They all loved my bag.
We ate a little something more, and then took off for home. I'm still in a Benedryl fog. We arrived home about 10pm, and I literally fell into bed snoring.
However, hubby didn't sleep at all. Occasionally, I could feel him toss and turn. He's still asleep. We're supposed to be at his daughter's house at noon, and it's after 11! I've been trying to wake him, but all he does it fall right back to sleep.
I think I should call the kids and let them know we're not going to make it, but I think hubby was really looking forward to it. Sad thing is, there's just no way that we'll make it by noon--since he want's to shower, and we need to eat something. There's just no way.
I want to finish the market bag. YES! I think I'm going to give it to my hubby's aunt, after it's been a store sample for the Lake Odessa store. Maybe they will let me teach a class on it? That might be SWEET! Perhaps I should write up my pattern and sell it on Ravelry. I've changed it enough that it's completely different from what it used to be.
Well, I'm going to try to wake the bear again, and try to get him to go to breakfast. AHA! He's on his feet! RUN!
Yesterday was a really busy day for me, and it started at 6 am. I got up and ready for work at JoAnn's, read email until my eyes were buggy, and then drove in, my bag and knitting in tow, as well as knowing that I was going to have to stop for something to eat and all that. I expected that I would demo until the class started, then teach the really cute baby hat. A hat which a novice could only be frustrated knitting because it's on dpns and because there are SO MANY COLOR CHANGES! So, I decided before I arrived that I was going to tell the students to just use ONE color for the first go round, and that there would be plenty of yarn left to make "other hats" for charity giving!
It was a good plan, and it worked. I demoed with the bag, which everyone loved, and when the students showed up, I got another shocker! While trying to amass more students into the class, the coordinator had, completely by mistake, ushered in a student that didn't know how to knit! This particular student hadn't had the 101 class, and was now in the 102 class. Well, I taught TWO classes in one yesterday. While she was learning how to knit, she was also getting the instruction on how to work the baby hat. Since she'd been exposed to the baby hat already, I simply gave her the pattern to take home and review--to try it out, and then she could come in with questions. Seemed like a logical thing to do at the time, since she'd already paid for the class!
When class was over, I drove home in a fog from the Benedryl, got off on the wrong exit, and then had to back-track. Finally got home, and had to gather everything together again to head to Battle Creek. Hubby's Aunt's Mother-In-Law (if you can follow all of that, you're a better mind than I am) died on Saturday, and we drove down to support and console the family. They all loved my bag.
We ate a little something more, and then took off for home. I'm still in a Benedryl fog. We arrived home about 10pm, and I literally fell into bed snoring.
However, hubby didn't sleep at all. Occasionally, I could feel him toss and turn. He's still asleep. We're supposed to be at his daughter's house at noon, and it's after 11! I've been trying to wake him, but all he does it fall right back to sleep.
I think I should call the kids and let them know we're not going to make it, but I think hubby was really looking forward to it. Sad thing is, there's just no way that we'll make it by noon--since he want's to shower, and we need to eat something. There's just no way.
I want to finish the market bag. YES! I think I'm going to give it to my hubby's aunt, after it's been a store sample for the Lake Odessa store. Maybe they will let me teach a class on it? That might be SWEET! Perhaps I should write up my pattern and sell it on Ravelry. I've changed it enough that it's completely different from what it used to be.
Well, I'm going to try to wake the bear again, and try to get him to go to breakfast. AHA! He's on his feet! RUN!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Good Morning!
Okay, it's not really morning yet. The sun isn't up, smiling at me. It's 6:07am. My Border Collie woke me at 5:05 and again at 5:40, bladder about to bursting since she will not go outside in the afternoon--so when I let her out, she went straight for the flower garden, and did her business.
Really must get some sort of fencing to go around my flowers to discourage that behavior.
Hubby is still snoring, and I'm up drinking coffee and reading email.
I left the pattern for the knitted market bag at the office, so until I take a shower and head to work, I won't be able to continue on the bag. It's not a big deal, but I would have liked to continue. Idiot me for trying to get out of work on time and hurrying out before I had everything in hand.
So I knit until the last instruction I read, which was "until there are 14 sts left on the needle", and stopped. Leaving me to watching television without something to do in my hands. After a couple of hours, I was tired of not having two things to do with my brain and went to bed. I fell asleep shortly after. Funny how Benedryl will do that to you.
But I've got at least an hour before I can take a shower and head into the big city--I don't want to sit in my car and knit, you see, while I wait for JoAnn's to open so I can demo. I want to knit a LITTLE on this bag in my demo station--answer questions and set up evenings when I can come in and knit with someone else, working on reading patterns and so forth. I'm looking forward to it. I had hoped to do some of that this week, and then I got sick, of course, which ruined the whole plan.
I failed to make the coffee strong enough, and it tastes a little flat--or perhaps my palate is failing now--allergies are really kicking in, and my nose is a little stuffy. It's a little too warm in the house, since the weather has been exceedingly nice the last few days--even to breaking a few records in the highs. We have the fan on in the bedroom, but the windows are still all closed--contributing to the stuffiness in the house. It's positively stale in here. I'm looking forward to opening windows, and letting the house air out. Today, it's supposed to really storm--with high winds--which I'm NOT looking forward to that. I don't like storms.
There's a reason why I don't like storms. When I was a young girl, we lived in the country. We had just finished renovating a house. It was nighttime. Daddy was sleeping, mommy and my brother and I were watching Tarzan on television, expecting to be watching Ed Sullivan afterward (yes, it was that long ago...shaddup!), when suddenly the television DIED as well as all the lights. Right there. Boom. No warning. No weather watches. I don't remember it being especially muggy in the house, and the rain came and pattered on the roof. A nice spring rain. We got out the candles, some milk and Oreos and settled down to listen to the rain.
A little mouse came into the middle of the living room, and we tossed a crumb to him, which he ate readily. I had never seen a mouse so bold, but once he finished scurrying under the couch, we pretty much forgot about him. The wind began to howl outdoors. It was really dark, and mother had the drapes open listening to the rain. I grabbed a pillow off the bed in my room, and sat down on the floor.
That's when it seems all hell broke loose. The characteristic freight train wail. The picture window bowed in what I remember in my mind's eye like a fish eye lense--I watched myself get fatter in the reflection--and I lay down on the floor, covered my head with the pillow and screamed at the top of my lungs (as children do), and I couldn't hear myself screaming.
When the horrible sound stopped, my mother calmly got out of her chair and walked to her bedroom and woke up my father, who NEVER EVEN HEARD IT! He got dressed and went outside. The eaves and some shingles were on the roof, and branches broken everywhere. He came back inside and pronounced that a tornado must have jumped over our house.
Well, that was the beginning of my hatred of storms, I tell you what. Now I watch them, no matter WHAT time they happen. If they wake me with humidity, thunder, lightening and wind, hail and whatever else might come, I am awake and aware and listening for the characteristic sounds that happen previous to the possibility of one coming.
I also watch weather reports, waiting for the Doppler radar to show me what I believe are the telltale signs of a tornado possibility. That being two strips of storms following each other, one after the other, with a low stretching between them, moving fast and furious over the state. I've seen this type of storm many times, and a tornado is nearly always involved. I have learned what to watch for.
But in this day and age, when clouds cover the skies, it interrupts the satellite reception, and therefore, the television goes out--even the digital television.
That means no weather unless you have a portable radio. It's been a constant battle with my husband. I'd like to put up a ham radio and have a police scanner in the house. He's not frightened at all by storms, and doesn't understand me.
"Just go to the basement, and hide in the coal bin." He says.
Coal bin, indeed. While the entire house falls on me. Pfft.
So I stand at the window and fret. Watching the animals for odd behavior. Of course, Mandy goes a little hysterical when she knows that I'm upset about something, and she whines. But she would go to ground if there was anything amiss. So far, in my life, there has been no repeat (thankfully so) of my childhood memory. With any luck, this house will crumble to the ground and I will be thankfully dead and buried, before another tornado is spotted in this area.
A girl can hope.
And today is expected to be one such type of day--humid in the daytime, cooling off in the evening, bringing with it a bit of rain and perhaps thunderstorm. Shudder.
Really must get some sort of fencing to go around my flowers to discourage that behavior.
Hubby is still snoring, and I'm up drinking coffee and reading email.
I left the pattern for the knitted market bag at the office, so until I take a shower and head to work, I won't be able to continue on the bag. It's not a big deal, but I would have liked to continue. Idiot me for trying to get out of work on time and hurrying out before I had everything in hand.
So I knit until the last instruction I read, which was "until there are 14 sts left on the needle", and stopped. Leaving me to watching television without something to do in my hands. After a couple of hours, I was tired of not having two things to do with my brain and went to bed. I fell asleep shortly after. Funny how Benedryl will do that to you.
But I've got at least an hour before I can take a shower and head into the big city--I don't want to sit in my car and knit, you see, while I wait for JoAnn's to open so I can demo. I want to knit a LITTLE on this bag in my demo station--answer questions and set up evenings when I can come in and knit with someone else, working on reading patterns and so forth. I'm looking forward to it. I had hoped to do some of that this week, and then I got sick, of course, which ruined the whole plan.
I failed to make the coffee strong enough, and it tastes a little flat--or perhaps my palate is failing now--allergies are really kicking in, and my nose is a little stuffy. It's a little too warm in the house, since the weather has been exceedingly nice the last few days--even to breaking a few records in the highs. We have the fan on in the bedroom, but the windows are still all closed--contributing to the stuffiness in the house. It's positively stale in here. I'm looking forward to opening windows, and letting the house air out. Today, it's supposed to really storm--with high winds--which I'm NOT looking forward to that. I don't like storms.
There's a reason why I don't like storms. When I was a young girl, we lived in the country. We had just finished renovating a house. It was nighttime. Daddy was sleeping, mommy and my brother and I were watching Tarzan on television, expecting to be watching Ed Sullivan afterward (yes, it was that long ago...shaddup!), when suddenly the television DIED as well as all the lights. Right there. Boom. No warning. No weather watches. I don't remember it being especially muggy in the house, and the rain came and pattered on the roof. A nice spring rain. We got out the candles, some milk and Oreos and settled down to listen to the rain.
A little mouse came into the middle of the living room, and we tossed a crumb to him, which he ate readily. I had never seen a mouse so bold, but once he finished scurrying under the couch, we pretty much forgot about him. The wind began to howl outdoors. It was really dark, and mother had the drapes open listening to the rain. I grabbed a pillow off the bed in my room, and sat down on the floor.
That's when it seems all hell broke loose. The characteristic freight train wail. The picture window bowed in what I remember in my mind's eye like a fish eye lense--I watched myself get fatter in the reflection--and I lay down on the floor, covered my head with the pillow and screamed at the top of my lungs (as children do), and I couldn't hear myself screaming.
When the horrible sound stopped, my mother calmly got out of her chair and walked to her bedroom and woke up my father, who NEVER EVEN HEARD IT! He got dressed and went outside. The eaves and some shingles were on the roof, and branches broken everywhere. He came back inside and pronounced that a tornado must have jumped over our house.
Well, that was the beginning of my hatred of storms, I tell you what. Now I watch them, no matter WHAT time they happen. If they wake me with humidity, thunder, lightening and wind, hail and whatever else might come, I am awake and aware and listening for the characteristic sounds that happen previous to the possibility of one coming.
I also watch weather reports, waiting for the Doppler radar to show me what I believe are the telltale signs of a tornado possibility. That being two strips of storms following each other, one after the other, with a low stretching between them, moving fast and furious over the state. I've seen this type of storm many times, and a tornado is nearly always involved. I have learned what to watch for.
But in this day and age, when clouds cover the skies, it interrupts the satellite reception, and therefore, the television goes out--even the digital television.
That means no weather unless you have a portable radio. It's been a constant battle with my husband. I'd like to put up a ham radio and have a police scanner in the house. He's not frightened at all by storms, and doesn't understand me.
"Just go to the basement, and hide in the coal bin." He says.
Coal bin, indeed. While the entire house falls on me. Pfft.
So I stand at the window and fret. Watching the animals for odd behavior. Of course, Mandy goes a little hysterical when she knows that I'm upset about something, and she whines. But she would go to ground if there was anything amiss. So far, in my life, there has been no repeat (thankfully so) of my childhood memory. With any luck, this house will crumble to the ground and I will be thankfully dead and buried, before another tornado is spotted in this area.
A girl can hope.
And today is expected to be one such type of day--humid in the daytime, cooling off in the evening, bringing with it a bit of rain and perhaps thunderstorm. Shudder.
Friday, April 2, 2010
I made it!
I made it through the day, and a rough day it was, too...not because I was coming in from being out for a couple days, tough, but there was so much to do, and so many problems that cropped up all day!
For instance, I had to update my work blog twice!
Tough one there! But the information is used by every field worker in the entire state! I feel so privileged to have that blog. Sadly, it isn't available to the public, but I'd like to see about fixing that. If I had a public website, I could answer most of the questions people have ONLINE, instead of on the phone, which takes a LOT more time! I could have my own little program--enter your name, your child's name and birthday, your email and a brief account of your problem and POOF! An answer, right there, overnight! It is a dream, I tell you!
No, it was the onslaught of telephone calls that kept me hopping. Staff queries, preparing files for distribution to field workers, emailing field workers. Discourse on the how's and why's of why your case didn't get opened the way you expect it to. Why your check didn't come.
This list is pretty endless.
And then, there were the blissful parts. Those times when I got to take in a deep breath and get out of dodge. I had mexican for lunch today, a shellfish (shrimp) quesadilla with lime sauce and mild taco sauce. Oh, YUM! Then I got to eat it outdoors, and walk around in the woods behind my office and look at pretty flowers and watch fish jump in the river. There was even a pair of gay mallard ducks...yes, gay..both males, swimming as if they were doing some sort of synchronized pattern all across the river, up and down stream for several minutes before they both took off to the south. Sigh. Duckie love.
I ran into one of my lunch buddies before going back in, and together we discussed my blog. He thought it was a great idea, but that it was probably something that I could have shared with another unit--which I was only too glad to do! Had I known they needed to know this stuff it would have been on their doorstep in a heartbeat. ANYTHING to make my day easier!
The afternoon was busy as the morning, but I got everything done that I intended to do. Still there is a great deal more left to do on Monday. I'm pleased with myself that things went as well as they did considering I really only put in 16 hours this week. Vacation days are great, unless you have to use them for sick days. That's the baddest part. The good part is that I still get paid for 40 hours.
Coming home, I watched a fire in the southwestern sky. I stopped into town on the way home and bought a pizza. I was probably a half hour on the road since I first saw smoke, and then the sirens came. It was a brush fire, I'm sure. Leaves and dead grass set to a fire that got away from the property owner, as the acrid smell of burning leaves met my nose from miles away. It surprised me that they didn't get going for over a half hour's time of smoke!
I came home without incident. I am dressed for bed. I am EXHAUSTED. I'm not quite yet ready for sleep, which is likely to overtake me in a few more hours. I will watch Ghost Whisperer and Medium, and then head for my pillow.
I believe I might be allergic to prednisone--the steroid is causing my face and neck to turn red, which is fine, as long as that's all it does, but this evening, I am thirsty and tired, and that means that my sugar might be out of whack...something that my nurse sister in law told me could happen. I am to check my sugar this evening, but I am quite sure what I'll find.
In the meanwhile, there's knitting to be done, as usual. And relax. Relax. RELAX. If I could get comfy in the tub, I think I would take a long, lazy bath. With bubbles. Ahhhh.
Yes, I was right. The prednesone has taken a pot shot at my sugar. I'm at 316! I should be more than half that!
Well, off to relax some. Chatter tomorrow.
For instance, I had to update my work blog twice!
Tough one there! But the information is used by every field worker in the entire state! I feel so privileged to have that blog. Sadly, it isn't available to the public, but I'd like to see about fixing that. If I had a public website, I could answer most of the questions people have ONLINE, instead of on the phone, which takes a LOT more time! I could have my own little program--enter your name, your child's name and birthday, your email and a brief account of your problem and POOF! An answer, right there, overnight! It is a dream, I tell you!
No, it was the onslaught of telephone calls that kept me hopping. Staff queries, preparing files for distribution to field workers, emailing field workers. Discourse on the how's and why's of why your case didn't get opened the way you expect it to. Why your check didn't come.
This list is pretty endless.
And then, there were the blissful parts. Those times when I got to take in a deep breath and get out of dodge. I had mexican for lunch today, a shellfish (shrimp) quesadilla with lime sauce and mild taco sauce. Oh, YUM! Then I got to eat it outdoors, and walk around in the woods behind my office and look at pretty flowers and watch fish jump in the river. There was even a pair of gay mallard ducks...yes, gay..both males, swimming as if they were doing some sort of synchronized pattern all across the river, up and down stream for several minutes before they both took off to the south. Sigh. Duckie love.
I ran into one of my lunch buddies before going back in, and together we discussed my blog. He thought it was a great idea, but that it was probably something that I could have shared with another unit--which I was only too glad to do! Had I known they needed to know this stuff it would have been on their doorstep in a heartbeat. ANYTHING to make my day easier!
The afternoon was busy as the morning, but I got everything done that I intended to do. Still there is a great deal more left to do on Monday. I'm pleased with myself that things went as well as they did considering I really only put in 16 hours this week. Vacation days are great, unless you have to use them for sick days. That's the baddest part. The good part is that I still get paid for 40 hours.
Coming home, I watched a fire in the southwestern sky. I stopped into town on the way home and bought a pizza. I was probably a half hour on the road since I first saw smoke, and then the sirens came. It was a brush fire, I'm sure. Leaves and dead grass set to a fire that got away from the property owner, as the acrid smell of burning leaves met my nose from miles away. It surprised me that they didn't get going for over a half hour's time of smoke!
I came home without incident. I am dressed for bed. I am EXHAUSTED. I'm not quite yet ready for sleep, which is likely to overtake me in a few more hours. I will watch Ghost Whisperer and Medium, and then head for my pillow.
I believe I might be allergic to prednisone--the steroid is causing my face and neck to turn red, which is fine, as long as that's all it does, but this evening, I am thirsty and tired, and that means that my sugar might be out of whack...something that my nurse sister in law told me could happen. I am to check my sugar this evening, but I am quite sure what I'll find.
In the meanwhile, there's knitting to be done, as usual. And relax. Relax. RELAX. If I could get comfy in the tub, I think I would take a long, lazy bath. With bubbles. Ahhhh.
Yes, I was right. The prednesone has taken a pot shot at my sugar. I'm at 316! I should be more than half that!
Well, off to relax some. Chatter tomorrow.
Hi Ho, Hi Ho!
It's off to work I go.
Still coughing, but it's breaking up and I feel fine otherwise. I'll keep myself hydrated today and drink lots of water so I don't dry out, which makes coughing harder to do.
I'm not even gonna take knitting with me (GASP!), because I know that there will be two or three days worth of work to be done. I know I shouldn't TRY to get it all done--what will I do for the next few days, right? And if I do three days worth of work in one, what's their problem in making me a part timeidiot employee?
So I'll work my normal day and keep my day job.
In the meanwhile, the bag that I'm making for the store in Lake Odessa is coming along well. Bright lime green and navy, the green becomes neon, and the whole bag will probably glow in the dark. I suppose I'll be safe at night...some bag lady walking the street at night with her 25 market bags in tow.
What's that smell?
oops.
Guess I should shower...
Still coughing, but it's breaking up and I feel fine otherwise. I'll keep myself hydrated today and drink lots of water so I don't dry out, which makes coughing harder to do.
I'm not even gonna take knitting with me (GASP!), because I know that there will be two or three days worth of work to be done. I know I shouldn't TRY to get it all done--what will I do for the next few days, right? And if I do three days worth of work in one, what's their problem in making me a part time
So I'll work my normal day and keep my day job.
In the meanwhile, the bag that I'm making for the store in Lake Odessa is coming along well. Bright lime green and navy, the green becomes neon, and the whole bag will probably glow in the dark. I suppose I'll be safe at night...some bag lady walking the street at night with her 25 market bags in tow.
oops.
Guess I should shower...
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Tarot Thursday
Not that it's a regular sort of thing, mind you, but thought I would pull a card for the evening, and pulled the 4 of Wands reversed.
The 4 of Wands? I ask. What *could* it mean?
Well, the picture on the card shows the wands, spears pointing outward, arranged like the spokes on a wheel, with Fire all around.
Well, for me, Fire means heat, and heat means arguments. The circular shape implies wheel, and so spinning. From this intuition, I believe it means don't spin your wheels in an argument this evening. But I think it's more relating to what I just found out from my husband.
He's been thinking about applying for this job online. Come to find out, it's a scam. They send you a booklet for $15 to help you take a test. If you pass, they are supposed to give you a job. Trouble is, no one ever passes, because there's no real job behind it.
I say "Well, think about it. You send them $15 and 9 other people send them $15, they've made $150, and haven't done a thing!"
Don't spin your wheels indeed.
The 4 of Wands? I ask. What *could* it mean?
Well, the picture on the card shows the wands, spears pointing outward, arranged like the spokes on a wheel, with Fire all around.
Well, for me, Fire means heat, and heat means arguments. The circular shape implies wheel, and so spinning. From this intuition, I believe it means don't spin your wheels in an argument this evening. But I think it's more relating to what I just found out from my husband.
He's been thinking about applying for this job online. Come to find out, it's a scam. They send you a booklet for $15 to help you take a test. If you pass, they are supposed to give you a job. Trouble is, no one ever passes, because there's no real job behind it.
I say "Well, think about it. You send them $15 and 9 other people send them $15, they've made $150, and haven't done a thing!"
Don't spin your wheels indeed.
On the Mend...
I'm still sick, but at least I'm on the mend. Coughing is down, and I still feel like crap, but I'm getting better.
The medications seem to be working for the most part. Hubby's cold only lasted him a couple days, but I always seem to get sicker than he does. I'm plying myself with hot cinnamon/apple tea and chicken noodle soup. When I get to breakfast, I plan to have a small box of orange juice. When I get sick, I try to use all the homeopathic remedies I can--the warm coffee feels good on my raspy throat.
Tuesday night, I stopped by the Lake Odessa Knit Night, and the owner asked me if I would make a sample for the store! How cool is that? So I've spent the last 24 hours knitting on a market bag--a sort of "sling it over your shoulder" style mesh bag that you see everywhere. Because of being sick, I've had to spend most of the day in bed, but when I got up, I'd work a few rows. I've got the bottom done, and about 8 or 9 rows up the sides of the bag.
It's made in the round, an easy to memorize pattern. The bag is all one color with a bit of contrasting trim. I'm working a striped bag, and just added another color to the original pattern. As I move up the bag, I plan the color stripes to be wider, and I might adjust the pattern slightly so that I can just pick up the second color without having to cut thread and weave in. That way I can carry the color changes throughout.
So that's my "in between" project. In between, because I just can't seem to bring myself to work on a bigger project right now, being sick and all that--I'm spending time resting and getting over being sick, taking better care of myself, and not going anyplace to spread germs. I've got a box of Puffs in every place where I might be, and I've filled up a wastebasket here in my computer room with used tissues. Heck of a time to be sick, too. The weather has been in the 60's and today it's supposed to get into the 70's or 80's. Beautiful weather, and I'm sick.
God must hate me.
Well, I hope everyone has a wonderful knitterly day. Get out and enjoy the sunshine if you're able. Do it for me!
The medications seem to be working for the most part. Hubby's cold only lasted him a couple days, but I always seem to get sicker than he does. I'm plying myself with hot cinnamon/apple tea and chicken noodle soup. When I get to breakfast, I plan to have a small box of orange juice. When I get sick, I try to use all the homeopathic remedies I can--the warm coffee feels good on my raspy throat.
Tuesday night, I stopped by the Lake Odessa Knit Night, and the owner asked me if I would make a sample for the store! How cool is that? So I've spent the last 24 hours knitting on a market bag--a sort of "sling it over your shoulder" style mesh bag that you see everywhere. Because of being sick, I've had to spend most of the day in bed, but when I got up, I'd work a few rows. I've got the bottom done, and about 8 or 9 rows up the sides of the bag.
It's made in the round, an easy to memorize pattern. The bag is all one color with a bit of contrasting trim. I'm working a striped bag, and just added another color to the original pattern. As I move up the bag, I plan the color stripes to be wider, and I might adjust the pattern slightly so that I can just pick up the second color without having to cut thread and weave in. That way I can carry the color changes throughout.
So that's my "in between" project. In between, because I just can't seem to bring myself to work on a bigger project right now, being sick and all that--I'm spending time resting and getting over being sick, taking better care of myself, and not going anyplace to spread germs. I've got a box of Puffs in every place where I might be, and I've filled up a wastebasket here in my computer room with used tissues. Heck of a time to be sick, too. The weather has been in the 60's and today it's supposed to get into the 70's or 80's. Beautiful weather, and I'm sick.
God must hate me.
Well, I hope everyone has a wonderful knitterly day. Get out and enjoy the sunshine if you're able. Do it for me!
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