And a Howdy Do, To You, Too!

  I've been trying all weekend to download the drivers for my printer. Of course, there's more software involved, but for whatever reason, I can't just download the driver and be done with it.

So now, 177 mb later, I'm still waiting for the finish of the 190 mb involved. However, this time, it's different. I can even see the speed has gone up 100%, and I've only been online today for about 30 minutes for this software. I can't believe it. After more than 50 tries during the week, it's finally going to load.

Amazing sometimes how persistent I can be--even down to waking up at 2:30am just to check the download (it cancelled). I think Hewlett-Packard must have a "you get one hour on our server, then we CUT YOU OFF AT THE KNEES!"

Today, I'm not experiencing that. It's Sunday. Everyone is asleep today.

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As an aside, I dreamed about the end of the world last night. Not so much about the actual event, but that there were people left to wander and try to find others so that they could support each other and maybe "get through it". What can I say? I have strange dreams when I don't take my sleeping pills.

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And the install is going perfectly...so far.

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I haven't done any knitting or crocheting. I've been on Pinterest most of the weekend. I did, however, locate a recipe for Cheddar, Potato and Ham Soup. We made a big kettle full of it, and the taste is out of this world! PHC is probably the best soup in the world for this time of year. Unless you make White Bean Soup or Chili. They're good for autumn-time, too.

And speaking of Autumn, the trees around here are just starting to change colors--even the oak trees are getting into the act, with oranges and golds, which don't usually appear on oaks--they generally just turn brown and fall off in the spring...but it's nice to see them with a little color on them.

In short, it's a misty, chilly fall morning, and I just finished my second cup of coffee. You all need to try the Cheddar/Ham/Potato Soup I posted to Facebook. It's really good!

When Exhaustion is Your Middle Name.

  I'm starting this blog today with tired eyes and a sleeping disposition. I'm completely exhausted. Why? Because network television decided to run all my favorite shows last night on CBS. All the new fall premiers. I was awake until 11pm, and it has played havoc with my functioning this morning--even after 2 16 ounce cups of coffee!

This is a bad thing.

I've done a lot this morning as far as work, but have nothing to show for it, really.

What do you do when all you want to do is close your eyes and ...we'll never mind the and. I just want to close my eyes. I think the rest will just come naturally.

I finished the wrap yesterday, and I put it on, but it's either too big, or I have sloping shoulders that just won't maintain it where it belongs..somewhere in the vicinity of my shoulders, rather than down around my knees.

I'll give it a go-round in my washer/dryer, just to see if it shrinks a bit...not a lot. I don't want to felt it too a size 2. I just want to full it a tiny bit...maybe one size smaller so that it hugs me closer...rather than squeeze the stuffin' out of me.

I'll be working on Elton tonight after my nap. I will likely finish him. Then it's time to decide on a new project...maybe a möbius cowl, which perked me up a little just now. I have some things I'd like to try, you see.

Ah, well. Guess I picked the wrong day to quit those 6 hour energy shots.

Flower Power Wrap

  Well, the world stands still....

I ran out of Red Heart Buff---about 1/4 the way into leg #4. So, while I wait for the chance to run into JoAnn's for another skein, I'm repairing my laptop, and knitting a wrap to wear this fall.

It's a wrap from Lion Brand yarn, using some discontinued yarn that I was able to snap up on Ebay. I'm already into the second skein, when hubby decides he wants some Apple Crisp.

And so, after making apple crisp, after eating apple crisp, after dinner and a "Bond" movie, I'm blogging about it all. Hubby doesn't think it was an eventful day, but we did manage to locate and dig up our potatoes. I think we got about 20 pounds--which isn't really much in the grand scheme of things,  but will give us some fresh potatoes for a while.

I suppose you want to see a pic of what's been done on the wrap, instead, I'll provide a link to the wrap itself, if I can.

http://cache.lionbrand.com/cgi-bin/patternFinder.fcgi?language=&store=%2Fstores%2Flionbrand&search=1&searchText=flower+power+wrap&submit.x=0&submit.y=0&submit=search

The pattern is free, but as I said, the yarn is discontinued. You can use Homespun

yarn instead.

What is It?

  I know, I know. It looks like a turkey leg. It's actually a foreleg for Elton, just need to add a few rounds of white loops, then a second leg, of the same sort. Then the tail, a little sewing, and the finished project can be revealed.

Elton, the Scary..

  The legs are on. They went much easier than expected.  The back legs anyway. He does look slightly unfinished, but I have a class to teach tonight, so I can't make the forelegs until tomorrow. Don't forget his tail, too.

Meet Elton, Everyone!

  Moving right along. Both of the rear legs are almost finished...just have a tiny bit of sewing to do. Then I can attach to the body.

We took this last night. He's so shy.

Continuing with a Broken Brain

This evening is knit night.

It is so sad, because I have a broken brain.

How do I know this?

Because in the first place, I know, deep down in my subconsciousness, that Tuesday night is knit night. In the second place, I know that I have to stop in Lowell to buy some rats for Sneaky Snake from a person I found on Craig's List. In the third place, I got all of my stuff around this morning to take to knit night.

All that is, except the crochet hook which is fundamentally required in order to crochet on Elton.

I suppose I could blame it on the darkness of the room.

I suppose that I should have prepared items the night before.

Of course you know that I didn't do either of these things, and since I was working on Elton last night, I set my crochet hook down on my foot rest. I know it's still there because I called my husband in a panic, and he went to look and yes, there it was.

But the panic was unfounded.

Why, you ask?

I'll tell you.

I get out of work today at noon for a dentist appointment. Then I'll hit McDonald's. Then, I'll go HOME and get my crochet hook. Then, I'll drive to Lowell and get the rats. Then, I'll head to knit night.

Getting out early from the office makes EVERYTHING WORK OUT just right.

In the meanwhile, I have just about finished Elton's second back leg. I may get to sew his back legs on this evening--at least that's my hope.

Just as soon as I fix my broken brain.

More On Elton

  Moving right along on the sheep. I mean Elton. The first leg of lamb is done.

I hope to get the second leg done tonight, and them I'll sew them to the body so he can sit up.

Pattern Errata

I don't care much for pattern errata. The reason is because you're well into the project, and find that either you've followed the pattern wrong, or the pattern is not quite right somehow, and you don't find out about the issue until you've actually found the issue! Then you have to run around looking for the creator, who then tells you

"Oh, there was errata for that!"

Such appears to be the case with Elton--I'm working on the leg--mind you, I read this area over 6 times to make sure that I was doing what the pattern determined I should do, because to my 40 year crochet experience, it seemed a little odd--and against my better judgement, but I carried on, nonetheless, and then came to another snag later down the "pattern highway". Don't ask me how my intuition told me, but it screamed at me when I got to the section where I was changing from the brown to the white.

And so now, I have to bug the creator of the pattern again. I'm hoping that this project doesn't become a UFO, because I really like Elton, and he'll go so well with my other stuffed toys.

What other stuffed toys, you ask. Well, I have three bears, several sheep, and a couple of dolls. I'll have to show you sometime. First, however, I have to find them. Some have been packed away to make room for newer friends.

But for now, I must go make sure there's no errata for the pattern.

How Hot Is It?

It is unbearable outside.

I took a short walk (a short block away) to get a refill on my diet cola, and when I stepped out of the door, the heat index hit me with a brick all over my sad body.

Sad, because it's not little. There's a lot of me to go around. I do mean "around"! And therefore, a lot of area to get hot and sweaty, and I don't mean that in a good way. By the time I returned from my walk I was dripping.

No advances on my sheep last night because "American Ninja Warrior", "The Big Bang Theory" and "The Dome" were all on last night, and therefore I was glued to the television after I woke up from my late afternoon nap.

Nap, because when I got out of work, I had another migraine coming on, so I took 3 Advil to kick it and lay down again with the pillow across my face.

And that's the story.

Tonight I will be heading for knit night, and I will work on him there. Pictures possible tomorrow to show some progress...stay tuned.

Moving On

The foot is completed.

A Good Day for Crochet

I've been working on Elton, the sheep. I was halted because I thought perhaps the connection between the head and body was a mite too sloppy/floppy.

But carry on...and working on a foot.  It's taking longer than I thought it would. Of course, the picture of the project is not much help, and I'm having difficulty figuring out how to work Google+ and my blogspot here, which is underneath my yahoo address. And occasionally, things just don't seem to go my way. Today is a big one of those.

I believe that I've uploaded this picture 14 times, and I don't see it when I go to uploads, but it's on the Google account, or it's supposed to be.

So perhaps I should just sit down and work on Elton's foot for a while, and not worry about this, and things will work themselves out whenever my guru can get over here.

Ah ha! Success! I finally found my photos. They are on the Google account, and the blog is on the Yahoo! Account. I have to find a way to link them. That should be EASY...um where'd I hide the hammer?

On Waking

I'm still trying to manage keeping my eyes open. It's 8am, and I've accomplished nearly nothing. Well, that is if you think that linking my gmail account to my work account so that I can join a work list serv counts. That took a little thought, actually, but things should work out from here. I'm sucking down coffee in hopes that the brew will be strong enough, if not to wake me, to help me remain seated in my chair and not puddled around my feet on the floor snoring. Methinks I am expecting too much out of a cup of coffee. Be aware--there are 24 oz of hazelnut caffeine in this cup. If that doesn't wake me, nothing will. So far....it's been good, but hope for success is failing. Gulp. I have a friend who is experiencing a life changing event. It's not the greatest event, and I'm sad for her, but I suppose I'm not much help or support. I believe too much in the committment of being married, and feel that my own divorces were just too much of a loss of myself. Yes, you saw a plural there. I know you guys are sharp. You wouldn't miss that. I see both sides of the issues, and realize that people often will stick sometimes, much too hard to their ideas of what married life should be like--and they forget that things/times/people change, and that they grow, and that they need opportunity to bring them satisfaction. Anything that stands in the way of that is going to bring feelings of being trapped, unable to do what you want. The best marriages are marriages where both partners realize these things and are able to reach agreements based on respect for the other, and basically go with the flow. When things get too rigid, one person feels controlled. And that's not a good thing. But each one has to understand the other's needs and desires, and love them enough and trust them enough to be able to discuss the matter and come to a conclusion where everyone wins. Sometimes, that's not possible, I suppose. It's sad when it's not possible. Because I believe anything is possible. Except bungie jumping. And jumping out of perfectly good airplanes. Or finding gold at the other end of the rainbow. Stupid rainbow keeps moving. How can I wax so philosophic when I'm only half awake? Oh, I don't know. I suppose it's because I've picked up the pieces so many times that I can do it in my sleep now. One can only hope that anything is possible.