Serial Project Monogamy

I never would have thought it was possible! I've been working on the same project for weeks. I took this picture last week when I was almost all the way finished with the third skein of Noro Sock yarn.

I also took this picture so Bezzie could see my Imaginary Friend Tish. See. She isn't a figment of my imagination at all! She. Is. AaaaLIVE!!!!

Another event of note that happened this week... A male co-worker came over to me yesterday and asked "Do you have any yarn with you today?" Notice he was smart enough to know I have yarn with me most days. I said I did and he asked if he could have a bit of it because he wanted to use it to tie a report together. He took about 2 feet of sock yarn and looped it through the 3 hole punches and made little bows on his copy of a report that went out to the client earlier that day.

I think the poor guy lost his marbles. But it was really funny.

And lastly, I have to say something about the latest internet knitting community shit storm...

Faking your death, even on the internet, is just asking for some really awful karma. The End.

Happy Superbowl weekend!

Go Cards!

Kids ask the damndest questions!

You know how I’ve mentioned that the nephews ask me all the horribly embarrassing questions; the ones that make me think on my feet. Let me hit some of the highlights:

What happened to Bambi’s mommy?

How come Mommy has toys in the back of the van? (This was a couple weeks before Christmas and they still believe in Santa)

What’s a bra?

I have been spared the “How did I get in Mommy’s tummy” question. THANK GOD! My SIL was ready to give me books on how to answer that one. I think they asked my brother instead of me.

This past Friday evening I got to hang out with the nephews. We went to Ruby Tuesdays (even tho it was a Friday and, as DN#2 pointed out, we should have gone to Fridays). When we got back to their house, we watched a DVD. My brother is trying to expose them to more PG-13 type movies. Ones that they’ve told him their friends have seen. So we watched Dodgeball. This was about the 7th or 8th time they’ve watched it.

But they save the gems for me. Friday while watching the movie this came out of DN#1’s mouth…

What’s a hooker?

Yeah.

I came up with a lame answer about girls who spend all their time with guys, and they seemed to buy it.

Nothing new...

I've been harboring a cold with a nasty cough and although I went to the doctor and got the good meds, it seems to be coming back. Ick!

So - Kitty Pictures!

"Peel me a grape"

"I'm ignoring the grape comment"

2008 Finishes

Knitted Projects:
Argosy Baby Blanket
Embossed Leaves Socks
21 Hats for Alex
Ankle Socks for Mom
Ribbon Lace Scarf
Briar Rose Charity Afghan – 4 squares
Mr. Greenjeans
3 Everlasting Bagstopper
Baby’s First Tattoo
Mobius Wrap
Basic Ribbed Socks
Noro Striped Scarf


CrochetProjects:
Shawl out of Kiparoo Farm Sagamore yarn
Pineapple Scarf – Crochet
Chrysanthemum Tea Shawl
Peppermint Wrapper Baby Blanket

I'll update you on my WIPs which are completely embarrassing, but they need to be completed at some point. Urge me on will ya?

A Christmas of Firsts

Christmas was wonderful. I got to do several things that I'd never done before, which all revolve around my SIL's brother and SIL (who I'll call George & Jane). They live in CA and so we only see them a couple times a year.

I got to pet zebra skin. George & Jane went to Africa and they brought back some really cool gifts for the nephews. They got small hand crafted drums, made of zebra skin. Very cool.

I got to participate in the lighting of the menorah last night. Jane is Jewish, so we celebrated both holidays yesterday. It's funny, but growing up in a town that was mostly Jewish, I don't ever remember participating in that celebration with any of my friends.

Coolest of all... I got to see the personal video Christmas card of a very famous rock star. George and Jane, as I mentioned, live in CA. They live outside LA, and in a pretty upscale neighborhood. Nancy O'Dell (from Inside Hollywood or Entertainment Tonight, I'm not sure which) used to be right next door till she moved a few months ago. Anyway, this particular rock star and his family live 3 doors down. So yesterday when George opened his e-mail there was this Christmas greeting from their neighbors. It was so sweet. It was nice to see the private side of someone who's in the spotlight.

So that was my Christmas. How was yours?

MERRY CHRISTMAS

from

My personal solution to the economic crisis

My dad keeps asking me if I have any money in savings for a rainy day. I do, but not as much as I should. So I decided that I needed to find some places where I can cut back and save. Here is my plan for the New Year…

Knit from my stash. I have plenty of yarn. More than I can use up in a year. I have at least 4 sweaters worth of yarn, an embarrassing amount of sock yarn, and enough for 2 afghans. It’s all beautiful stuff and there is no reason for me not to use it. So I will not be buying any yarn this year.

There are two exceptions to this; MD Sheep & Wool and Rhinebeck. I will be saving some cash toward those two events out of each paycheck, and part of my tax refund.

Get rid of my P.O. Box. It’s up at the end of the year and I really don’t want to pay for it. I have an unreliable postal carrier which is why I rented the P.O. Box in the first place. It’s been 3 years now and I think it’s time to stop paying for what everyone else gets for free and hope the postal carrier has become more reliable (or there is a new person on the route).

Cancel my account with Audible. I love the service, but there is a perfectly wonderful library in town with a vast selection of audio books that can easily be ripped to my IPod.

Stop buying books (with the exception of Knitting Books and they have to be really special). There is a perfectly wonderful library yadda, yadda, yadda. Not to mention the stacks of unread books I have at home.

Cancel all the pay stations I have on my TV. Sure, I watch movies on the major pay channels, but I have a feeling that if I joined Netflix it would be a heck of a lot less than what I’m paying for all the channels I’m not watching. So my subscription is going to change with the cable company.

I’m going to try and use up everything I have in my house too. I have so many soaps and body washes and lotions and stuff that I had to try. I’m not the only one with this problem am I?

Then there are the impulse purchases. No more. What I think I’m going to do is carry a small notebook with me and write down the item and the cost and then see how much I would have spent that didn’t need to be spent. I’m sure it will be eye opening.

I’m planning on a new expenditure though. The cost will be more than covered by all the money I’m “freeing up” this coming year. I am joining the YMCA so I can swim 3 times a week. They have a special in January where they waive the “new joiner’s fee”. The monthly cost gives me access to 3 area Ys, classes, fitness equipment and 3 pools. I think it’s not such a bad deal, especially since I want to swim. I need to get into better shape than I am and swimming will be the easiest on my joints.

So, when you add it all up I’ll be saving a nice chunk of change.