It's The Weekend Again!

Rather difficult to believe that in a couple of days, it will be the new year...you know, the year the Mayan's said we would self destruct on December 21, 2012. Yep, it's that year.

And while there might be some great big disaster coming in the middle of the winter on the solstice, you know? Who knows what might be around the corner? It's better not to think about it too hard, and remember the happy times.

The weirdness visited upon me by my hubby has apparently resolved. I reminded him that he had told me that Wednesday was the day for me to do all the running around because he was going with his buddy for most of the day. After that, he started talking to me again. Then today, we worked on the chair covers and the fireplace mantel--that puppy is cleaner than clean now. Except of course, I have lots of knick-knacks that I have to figure out a place to go, because he doesn't want them on the mantel where they are supposed to go...my little memories. He keeps trying to make deals:

"If you don't put all that 'STUFF' up there, I might keep the mantel dusted once in a while, but if you put anything other than those candles and those hurricane lamps up there, deal's off."

Yeah, that kind of stuff.

Then he wants to put a great big mirror on the same wall as our television--which will look pretty stupid--because the mirror is nearly as big, but in the opposite orientation--aka, portrait, instead of landscape...if you get my meaning. The result would be an off balance wall, that would totally destroy the room's chi. Or something like that. The mirror is too much of a focal point, to put next to the television. Ideally, it should go on the wall next to him. Perfect place for it. Then there's the matter of the clock he got when he retired...there's no real good place for that either. I'd like to put the clock above him, and the mirror above our bed, but he wants it in the room where everyone can see it. I get that part. Then he's telling me "it's too bad that we can't get another one just like it to put on the other side of the television." To which I reply "Okay Mr. Monk!".

Long story.

So we're still trying to work through all the issues with the living room, and at some point (probably in the spring), I'll have to take a lot of my yarn and toys back downstairs, to go with my other yarn and toys and patterns and--and--and...I don't even want to think about it. The shelving that I put up on milk crates has fallen over, and there is glass broken all over the floor. I have to carefully go in and clean before I can get in to organize and let me tell you, organizing is not going to be easy...mainly because he THINKS that I'll be getting rid of some things.

HA!

Well, what he doesn't know now won't hurt him, right?

But there will be some dealing with his attitude in the spring. We'll see how it goes.

In the meanwhile, I'm knitting another shrug, this time in a bright jewel-tone blue and green, with a little rust tossed in there occasionally, and it really is quite beautiful. I'll likely have it done in a couple of days, and there will be pics when I'm done. In the meanwhile, the pattern for it is HERE, and it's REALLY easy. If you stay with it, you can have it done in 5 or 6 days. I substituted Lion Brand Homespun, which seems to work quite well, and the end result is a really warm, slip on your shoulders and go type sweater with no buttons, one size fits most, and if you LIKE buttons, you can add one, without too much trouble, because the stitches are not so fine that you can't make a buttonhole of one of them.

That said, I'm going to head over to Ravelry and see if anyone has responded to my postings on the forums. I'll let you know when I'm done with the shrug!

The Week is Passing

It's snowing outdoors. It's cold. I've got my jammies on with my woolen slippers. I'm not cold in the house, but outside it's just too cold. I don't want to go anyplace today, even though I really need to get out and return hubby's Christmas sweater (slightly too small) and my robe (extremely too small) for exchanges for a larger size. I had no idea that my upper arms were that big, but guess I'm a big girl now.

I swept the stairs that lead to the basement and once at the bottom of the stairs, found a hairball the size of Rhode Island. I graded all the cat upchuck from the floor that had turned into cement, and dumped it all in an empty bag of cat food, spiders and all. Then I took my new handheld Shark vacuum and vacuumed all the little nooks and crannies (what's a crannie?) and sat down to type it all down.

Interesting blog fodder, eh?

I ran out of Christmas gifts at the end of the giving part, and parted with the crochet shrug I'd made when hubby's sister turned up and I had no gift for her. I didn't really get much for the guys, because most of the guys don't appreciate that sort of thing anyhow, but everyone of the women and girls got SOMETHING. I think. I hope I didn't miss anybody.

So, I'm in the process of making another shrug, this time in blue/green, and after one skein, I can see it's going to be very jewel-toned, and probably too pretty to wear about the house....however, it doesn't wear well under a coat--as the sleeves come to about the elbow.

The urge to go shopping is really strong, but the snow is discouraging me. I expect that from here on out we won't see much of the ground anymore. Sigh. I'm starting to miss the color green again.

It's Finally Here!

Christmas Morning and none too soon!

Santa brought all sorts of things, including some that we have to deliver....(we're a hub, you see?). Santa got my hubby some new underthings, a new wallet, a cardigan (courtesy of Younkers Meridian Mall) and hand-made gloves. He's pretty happy.

Tenna got a fuzzy robe and jammies, a Shark Vacuum Cleaner, cordless and handheld, and still hoping for the Addi Lace Interchangeables, but they aren't here yet. Santa had to go all the way to Germany to get them, I suppose, so they are taking longer.

Gifts for delivery are a couple of hats and scarves, a cowl, a Hello Kitty and one of those new sew fleece blankets. Which had technically been intended for one person, but it's going to have to go to a different one. Not that Santa forgot about that someone, but because hubby is sending the family to a fun-park, and well, that's just going to completely change things entirely.

But the food is on, cooking. Hubby's made his signature baked beans, and I've made my signature meatballs, and we're going to be leaving pretty soon, I hope.

I finished my shrug. I've gained a bit in "girth" apparently, especially around my upper arms--and the robe didn't fit, but the shrug wasn't quite big enough around my belly. So I added a ruffle. And if you can overlook the sleepy-eyed woman in the picture, and just look at the shrug, you'll see what I mean!

I know, I know. Pretty frumpy in my new jammies. The shrug is perfect, though. Now I have to buy the perfect button--I was thinking a toggle would work best.

Now, on to the next project!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot

Like Christmas...Reindeer hat in tow...
Everyone loves it, but nobody will pay $30 for it, and that's all SUPPLIES, believe it or not.

But the crowning glory is my latest hat, also pattern by the same person who patterned the reindeer hat....
Check this out...

Now, if you don't like this, you really are a Scrooge.

This one is for my brother's step daughter--who wanted a panda instead of a reindeer, which I suppose is more "wearable" throughout the year, but it's still pretty cute.

Ya'll have a Merry One, hear?

I Should Have Stayed Home

I arrived at the office and logged in this morning, before the normal "wake up" time for all the IT people, who reset things...

So when I logged into one program, I was fine, but when I logged onto a different program (associated with the first program), it told me that my password expired and to enter a new one.

Well, idiot moi. I didn't realize that when I changed the password in the second program, it would blow up the first program, so when I changed back to the first program, things didn't quite work the way they were supposed to.

End result, I locked myself out of both programs.

And I can't do anything until I get a password reset. Yukko!

So I'm pretty bored.

But it's lunchtime now, and I think I'll head over to JoAnn's and get some googly eyes for my new creation. Pictures later.

Excitement Aplenty--Too Much!

Such an exciting day at the office today.

First, there was a fire drill that wasn't a fire drill, but just a hot transformer of some sort in the conference room.

Then there was another fire drill that wasn't--it was just the test of the same transformer, and it didn't go well, I guess.

Then, they locked down the building. And they locked down the Police Department next door, and there was rumor of a shooter in the area, and everyone is flocking to the windows (they have a name--they are called TARGETS), to watch the State Troopers with rifles all around our building and theirs. They nabbed a couple of people and took them to the State Police building for questioning, but not before they stuck rifles in their faces and scared the bejesus out of them!

Then, the police called an all clear, while they were still searching the building. I left before they got to my floor, and stood outside with some of my office pals, who said that NO, the guy with a gun was INSIDE the building, and they were looking for him...so it was good that I got out when I did, I suppose.

I took a little walk to the pizza joint, sat down, shaking like a leaf, told everyone on Facebook, and then someone comes and says "No, it was a hoax."

Really? A hoax? They take my office buddy to the State Police building at gunpoint, and question her? On a hoax? I still don't believe it. As I've always said, the stuff you hear before the authorities get hold of it, is probably more true than what you read in the paper a few hours later.

And sure enough, Communications wrote us all an email that it was all contrived, and here's how it went down, and all this, but police don't stand outside their building with guns ready to shoot somebody if there's trouble for a 'maybe' thing.

When I got back to work, the troopers had gone inside, our doors were open, and I simply said "I don't feel safe here, anymore." There are lots of ways that a shooter could get into our building if he wanted to--not all doors are carded, and all they have to do is wait for someone to walk out, while they slip in. They have a guard only at the front of the building--the back and sides are, while not "completely" unprotected, it's enough that a bad guy could get in unperceived and take the elevator, and no one would ever know. None of us knows everyone, and with all the new positions in Information Technology--it's just not safe. Knowing this causes me to have concern about us all for tomorrow, when the State closes down for the holiday.

But if I happen to make it through tomorrow without incident, I'll be sure and blog so you all know that I lived through it.

Reindeer Hat

Here it is. I thought I had submitted it via my Android phone, but apparently, it didn't post.

I have to make another....
And another for next year....

It's going to be a long week before Friday finally comes.

They have added to my responsibilities at the office and I'm doing mostly what I was doing before the new boss came on the scene. I'm not sure what that means, other than more work, but it's keeping me busy, and making the days go by quickly. It's a short week this week, too, and after Thursday is over, I'm off on vacation until next year.

That makes it sound like a long time, but really, it's only 10 days.

Ten solid days of nothing but kicking back and relaxing.

Ten solid days to count on my fingers and toes.

And this hat to keep my brains between my ears. Merry Christmas, one and all!

Coming Apart at the Seams

Well, that's how it feels anyway. I'm on my lunch break, and the boss happens by. He's going to give me extra work to do, and I'm caught up with my regular stuff, which is just fine, but I figure he's going to give me a big job to do, and it's going to throw off my "plan".

I'm working on the reindeer hat. I got the ball for the hat done, and then realized I'd need some fiberfill before I can go any further.

Funny how that sort of thing happens. Just when you think you've got everything together for taking to the office, you forget the ONE thing that you REALLY NEED. Like the fiberfill. Or your cell phone, where all your phone numbers are stored, and then you can't call your dentist because your cellie is at home.

It's a real bummer when this sort of thing happens to me.

Now, yes, I can wait and buy more fiberfill at JoAnn's when I get there for my class tonight, but I HAVE fiberfill (a whole bag of it) at home, and really don't want to spend the extra for something that's just going to sit and collect dust in my room. All of this means NOT MUCH PROGRESS at all on the hat, and I was really hoping to have it done tonight so I could wear it to my knitting circle on Tuesday.

But now, that's just not going to happen.

And my brother, who is currently on Facebook, won't respond to me with his address so that I can send him and his wife their Christmas pressies. That irritates me, too. In fact, there are lots of things that irritate me these days. I suppose it could be hormonal.

Maybe I can find some stray fiberfill at JoAnn's tonight. I'll look around. In the meanwhile...

Hubby's Gloves and...

Another hat. Made half at JoAnn's in class, and the rest at home. I think it took a total of 5 hours.

The recipient of the hat...remains a secret...a Christmas present to someone far away.

My son's Christmas Present is safely in the car, boxed and ready for Tuesday. I'll take a pic of him. He is going to be SO surprised.

And then I will post it here...so stay tuned!

In the meanwhile, I leave you with a pic of the gloves and hat...

A Cardigan for Christmas

He wants himself a cardigan for Christmas...
Only proper cardigans will do.
He wants it knit by me
And plainly I can see
There's only twenty days to knit, impossible decree!

But he wants a simple cardigan for Christmas
One that doesn't sag or bag or zip.
With buttons on the band
And sleeves that reach his hand
And covers up his belly, keeps him warm and right to plan.

So I started shopping stores, and more and more and mores
And not one simple cardigan to find.
I looked into goodwill, and got my searching fill
And 'tis quite plain, I'm right as rain, and flipped out of my mind.

Cus he wants a simple Cardigan for Christmas
And a Cardigan is just all that will do!