Where oh where

has my suitcase gone??

Well I flew into Omaha on Thursday. My suitcase decided to take a later flight or a detour somewhere else (not sure which). The airline did manage to track down the wayward traveler but since I am in Sioux Falls they wouldn't be able to have FedEx deliver it to me until today.

Yesterday Keith let me have the car so I could go to walmart and get some essentials (undies and socks) until the flipping thing gets delivered today. According to the tracking it should be here in less than two hours.

Is it sad that I really really want my extra knitting projects more than my clothes? I have stuff to wear. I don't really have anything else to knit right now!

A Weekend Too Fast

This ended up being a very fast weekend here in Mary-land. Keith flew home Thursday night since his son was in the hospital. We had hoped to go out to dinner Friday night when I got home from work but his mother also ended up in the hospital. (Both are doing much better now).

Saturday we decided to skip Heather's October cupcakefest and spent a quiet evening together. Dinner at Olive Garden (not much appetite on my part so I now have dinner again tonight! Yay to not having to cook!!) and then just a quiet night at home.

This morning was a relaxing morning at home before we went off to visit his son in the hospital. Rather Keith visited, I hung out in the waiting room. Even though I am finally feeling better there is no way the hospital would let me near his son's room with my cough.

We went out for lunch before heading home so Keith could get his suitcase and head back to the airport.

The weekend was nice bonus time together as we ended up calling it, even though neither one of us liked the reason we got this time together. Still it went all too quickly. Now we're just counting down the days to Thanksgiving.

Now it's time for me to get the laundry done so I can start packing for my trip on Tuesday. A week in San Diego courtesy of work, hopefully that shouldn't be too hard to take ;-)

Well it's not hamthrax

Unlike several of my friends from Fred, I do not have hamthrax (or Swinebeck Flu). However whatever I do have is kicking my ass from here to Sunday. I even went to the doctor today and came home with a z-pack and some cough stuff.

I would like it better if it would start working a little faster though. Now I have a fever and some of the cough (which physically hurts I've been doing it so much).

If I don't feel better tomorrow (you better sit down for this one....) I will call off sick.

Yep it's that fun.

Travelin' (Wo)Man

Go ahead.... sing the Rick Nelson song... you know you want to do it!

Well today is the last day of my vacation and what a vacation it has been. I've been off since last Friday (10/9) and I've managed to be in 10 different states in that time.

Started out in Ohio on 10/9 and Keith and I packed up his car and headed out around 4:30 am (yes am...) and drove to South Dakota. He needed to move into his/our new apartment on Saturday so he could start his new job on Tuesday.

I came home on Monday (flew home from Nebraska) and on Thursday I packed up and headed out again.

This time it was the annual excursion to Rhinebeck with the Fredizens. Much fun (as well as coughing and sneezing were had by all) and we got home yesterday. Today is my last day off before going back to work for a few days. Then it's time to pack the suitcase (again) and head off to California for a week courtesy of work.

So for those keeping track at home the official list is...

Ohio
Indiana
Illinois
Iowa
South Dakota
Nebraska
Missouri (only to change planes but I was still there)
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
New York


Hopefully my plan of not leaving my couch unless totally necessary will help my Rhinebeck cough go away.

Sorry pictures will have to come later since I am not sure where the cable is for the camera.

Speedy and Stuff

Well I haven't dropped off the face of the world and I don't have any new pictures of anything (OK maybe I can come up with one or two now that I think about it).

What I do have is a speedy speedy computer thanks to Keith. He upgraded my RAM today from 512 MB to 1.5 GB and boy am I just flying along now!!!!

It's one of those things where you don't know how slow and crappy something is until you make it faster.

I also have a plea to any of my readers (I think there may be one or two of you) to please follow this link and make a donation for my walk to fight diabetes. I know the economy sucks and money is tight but every penny is meaningful and gratefully accepted.

Now I think I promised a picture or two....(OK I found 4)

The bank sent me to Florida last month and I got to stay on the beach.... isn't it lovely? It would have been even nicer if people didn't throw garbage on it (but that's another rant)




I went to the Everglades and saw this handsome fellow!



Since it is a "knitting blog" I shall show you a picture of my latest finished project. RedScot's Traffic Island socks... pattern free on ravelry.



And since you may have noticed the kitty assistant in the picture of the socks, here is a gratuitous picture of my Bobble!!!

One year ago

It's hard to believe that it was just a year ago that I brought home a tiny little kitten that spent the night hiding from me!

Well Bobble is not quite that tiny anymore (although she is a little thing as far as most cats go). She is getting SLIGHTLY friendlier (she loves Keith much to his chagrin sometimes and even let Heather pet her the other afternoon).

So for today we bring you the latest picture of the Bobble girl!

Better Late Than Never!

Well a couple of weeks ago, Keith and I decided VERY spur of the moment to take in an Indians game. The weather was wonderful, the game not so much (the team isn't playing well on a consistent basis this season so far).

Mojo the nellyphant was enjoying the sunshine and the pretty field behind her (despite the fact that someone Keith thought she needed rabbit ears!!!)



What we didn't quite expect were the companions we had in our section.



There were gulls EVERYWHERE!!!!! It was seriously beginning to remind us of Hitchcock's movie The Birds. I think all we needed was Tippi Hedron!

Today is the Great Lakes Fiber Festival so there will be some yarny goodness in the future (and maybe a blog post too!)

Hopefully I'll have some more posts in the next week or so. I'm off on another trip (thanks corporate!). This time to Oregon (where I've never been before so I am really looking forward to it.

Then it will be busy busy busy when I get home. A six day work week, having Keith move in (YAY!!!!!!) and then Miami's bicentennial.

Gee you would THINK I might be able to get at least ONE post out of all of that (I will try!)

65 Crazy Questions

Well I stole this from one of my facebook friends and was going to post it there but facebook ate it. Since I don't post enough here my lovely blog gets it instead!

1. First thing you wash in the shower?
My left arm (no really it's the left one!)

2. What color is your favorite hoodie?
Black (with red letters that say Miami Redhawks)

3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?
Yes :)

4. Do you plan outfits?
Nope. I wear a uniform to work ... not much planning involved.

5. How are you feeling RIGHT now?
Full (just had dinner) and stuffy.

6. Whats the closest thing to you that's red?
Second place ribbon from the county fair.

7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having?
I don't remember it.

8. Did you meet anybody new today?
Nope. I don't count the people I deal with at work as "meeting people."

9. What are you craving right now?
Nothing.

10. Do you floss?
Occasionally

11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage?
Stuffed cabbage.... yum!!!

12. Are you emotional?
Sometimes but not as much as I used to be.

13. Have you ever counted to 1,000?
Not that I remember.

14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it?
Depends on my mood.

15. Do you like your hair?
It's OK. It needs a trim!

16. Do you like yourself?
Most of the time.

17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush?
Oh god no!

18. What are you listening to right now?
PBS

19. Are your parents strict?
Well since they are dead I will have to say no.

20. Would you go sky diving?
Is the plane broken? Will I die if I don't because that's the only way!

21. Do you like cottage cheese?
Yes...especially with black olives.

22. Have you ever met a celebrity?
Yep.

23. Do you rent movies often?
No, occasionally I'll get them from the library.

24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in?
Sure if I shake the snow globe by me.

25. How many countries have you visited?
Two (if you count the one I live in)

26. Have you made a prank phone call?
Probably when I was a teenager.

27. Ever been on a train?
Yes, I enjoyed it and would do it again.

28. Brown or white eggs?
White.

29.Do you have a cell-phone?
Yes.

30. Do you use chap stick?
If I know where I put it.

31. Do you own a gun?
Not unless a bb gun counts.

32. Can you use chop sticks?
Yes.

33. Who are you going to be with tonight?
Just the Bobble kitty.

34. Are you too forgiving?
Sometimes, but I can also hold a grudge for a VERY VERY long time.

35. Ever been in love?
Yes.

36. What is your best friend(s) doing tomorrow?
No idea.

37. Ever have cream puffs?
Yes.

38. Last time you cried?
Ummm maybe about 6 weeks ago.

39. What was the last question you asked?
What time are you scheduled to be in tomorrow? (to two of my employees)

40. Favorite time of the year?
Spring!

41. Do you have any tattoos?
No

42. Are you sarcastic?
Oh hell yes!

43. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect?
Ummm no (is that a movie?)

44. Ever walked into a wall?
Possibly but I did walk into a tree once.

45. Favorite color?
Red

46. Have you ever slapped someone?
Not that I can think of.

47. Is your hair curly?
Not at all.

48. What was the last CD you bought?
The new Keith Urban (can't think of the title)

49. Do looks matter?
Not really.

50. Could you ever forgive a cheater?
Nope.

51. Is your phone bill sky high?
Not too bad.

52. Do you like your life right now?
Most of it but there are things I could stand to change.

53. Do you sleep with the TV on?
Yes

54. Can you handle the truth?
I hate liars so yes the truth is always better.

55. Do you have good vision?
With glasses sure.

56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people?
Hmmmm I don't think so.

57. How often do you talk on the phone?
Every day.

58. The last person you held hands with?
My sweetie :)

59. What are you wearing?
pyjamma pants and a Bette Midler concert t-shirt

60.What is your favorite animal?
Beaver

61. Where was your default picture taken at?
(this is my picture on facebook).... at my grade school class reunion.

62. Can you hula hoop?
I try but I suck at it.

63. Do you have a job?
Yes

64. What was the most recent thing you bought?
Do groceries count? If not a new antenna for the TV.

65. Have you ever crawled through a window?
No

October is just around the corner

No I'm not in a hurry to rush past spring (the entire day of it we usually get) or summer but I have registered for my annual walk to fight diabetes which is in October.

And I am already fundraising for it. So please think about giving early so we can make the goal I have set (a mere $200) and maybe even raise the goal as we go along.

I will be having another blog contest as we get closer to summer. I still need to go in search of the yarn (but am strongly leaning towards more lovely yarn from Tuscan Grove again this year).

But please, consider making an early donation to the cause! It will be here before we know it!

Again for ease of donations there is a link to the left side of the page!

What else do you do

to celebrate Wear a Moustache in Public Day? Heather and I thought the obvious answer was to knit a nose warmer, add fun fur moustache and wear it around Erie PA.

I'm not sure how she feels about having her picture on the interwebs so you're stuck with pictures of just me.

Fishie kissies outside of a chocolate shop/cocoa shoppe we found at the end of the day.

Cleveland has guitars, Erie has frogs. We found this guy outside of the library.

With the Flying Walleye. We were a bit disappointed in this one. While it was cute, we thought it was going to be bigger than it was.

We also saw Mad Antony Wayne's Kettle of Death, and found the replica blockhouse where he died. If you go there TAKE A FLASHLIGHT! Especially if you plan on getting the key from the Soldiers and Sailors Home security guard and risking life and limb to see the replica of Mad Anthony. The stair case is very curvy and very slanted. We debated letting him wear a moustache but decided against it.

And believe me my camera has a rather powerful flash on it. I was actually holding my flashlight in my mouth while I took this one, it's not that bright in there.

One last picture... this is from the art museum. I don't remember the name of the piece or the artist (maybe Heather does) but this turned out to be the most amazing picture.

I survived New Jersey

Greetings! I am happy to report that I survived the trip to New Jersey with only minor frustration in getting lost every time I went somewhere. That and the fact that I was driving (to me) the equivalent of a tank (did I mention that they rented me a Toyota Highlander? midsized my ass!!!) compounded with the special craziness that is driving in New Jersey made for a really fun trip.

No pictures since 1) I am at work (shhhhh no telling) and 2) I really didn't take any. Want to see what the hotel room looked like? Check out the last time I was there in 2007. Same thing with the amazing view of the NYC skyline from the workout room.

I did manage to make my way to a yarn shop while I was there and picked up some yarn (a pretty sunrise/sunset color of variegated wool) and a discounted pattern for some cable-ish socks.

There was some breaking news on the home front while I was gone though! Bobble let someone that wasn't me pet her! Barb and Joey were watching her for me and she let Joey pet her so he was THRILLED!!!!

Bobble got a catnip banana from me as her souvenir since she stole one of my actual bananas off the counter a couple of weeks ago. She seems to be rather fond of it so maybe if I get off my tush I will post the pictures of her with it later on tonight.

And I really haven't forgotten that I still have one more post I want to write for the end of the 2008 wrap up. It's going to be photo intensive so that one will have to wait until I am on my own computer.

Guess who fondeled my sock?

Greetings from another business trip to the wilds of New Jersey! Only a short trip this time, in today and home on Saturday.

Got some quality knitting time in today while waiting to board the plane (cause you KNOW I was a good two hours early!) and while in flight.

A couple of people asked about my knitting, one of whom said I was the "cleverest thing ever!" once she heard I was making my own sock. (Noro Kureyon if anyone is interested)

While on the plane the lady across the aisle from me asked me about my knitting technique since I was knitting magic loop (my preferred sock knitting method) which she was not familiar with. We chatted about that (I gave her the basics and suggested google for more details) and the fact that I knit continental (apparently she does too). She showed me her sock she was working on, felt my sock (the Noro is odd... it feels like straw in the ball but gets softer as you knit with it).

We discussed local yarn shops (she had never heard of Soft n Sassy) and throughout all of this I am thinking to myself "this lady looks soooooo familiar!"

Well at the end of the flight I finally figured out WHY she looked familiar and why I kept thinking she looked like someone. It was because she IS that someone!

My sock got fondled by Carol Heiss-Jenkins!!! I totally would have Kinneared her if I had any remote chance to do so! For a skating geek like me this was a pretty darn cool way to start my trip.

Tradition continues here... I am at the same NJ hotel as last time and getting lost in the same places as last time. I had hoped to go into NYC this afternoon since I had the afternoon free but was about to chew off my arm at that point so it was time to get lunch which turned into dinner (at 4:30 I feel old) instead....

I might get over to the city at the end of the week to see my friend Kathe so all hope is not lost!

We interrupt....

the year in review to bring you breaking news from the kitchen/drive way!

We have a puddle forming since the blasted weather has caused a pipe to break somewhere under the kitchen.

A plumber has been called (before 7 am I might add). But I couldn't have them here at 9 because I needed to do my quarterly visit to the vampire (aka doctor for my quarterly blood work). So now I have a four hour window of between 10-2. It's just now 10 so hopefully the phone will be ringing soon to tell me the plumber man is on the way!

Trust me when I say this is not how I wanted to spend my three day weekend, but at least it happened when I was home. I am desperately trying to find a silver lining here!!! And I suspect it may have something to do with the pipe that feeds the never used hose which would also be a plus.

Oh and in case anyone wonders .... so far winter sucks.

New experiences

2008 review continues.....The year also brought some new experiences --- smooshed boobs and a traffic ticket. Sorry no pictures to go with this one (even though I have the ticket and my "booby bandaid" from mammogram #2) cause if I wait to get pictures of those things it will be 2010 before I finish reviewing 2008!

The mammogram wasn't hideous for anyone that is putting of their own for fear of agony. Although in my case the right boob is a total pain in my ass and caused me to go back for a second smooshing and an ultrasound. One cool thing though - they do give you a band aid with a bb attached to it to wear for the procedure.

The traffic ticket was also great fun! I managed to make it to 40 before I got my first (and hopefully only) traffic ticket. I missed a red light and the lovely police man was kind enough to stop me and give me an Independence Day present for it.

I did go to traffic court - which believe me was an experience in and of itself!!! I think my favorite had to be the guy telling a bunch of people he just met while we were all waiting that he had been totally honest with his parole officer when he said he had a dope problem. He even said that if he had to pee in a cup that minute the test would be positive!

Yes I admit, this is a side of life I don't normally see (thank Bob!). But anyway I ended up playing lets make a deal with the prosecutors office and had to pay a non-moving violation and court costs.

There will be further updates on 2008, hopefully soon! I'd like to get that year wrapped up before this year is too old!

A Year in Review (part one)

So let's see what happened in 2008? Not too much (yeah right!) actually it was a pretty busy year.

There was knitting....



















There was a rather significant birthday....

Happy New Year!

So much was left unblogged in 2008 (and by the way -- when the HELL did it become 2009!!!!! I mean hello I am pretty sure I just did this new year's eve thing last month or something) that I am hoping for a "year in review" post this weekend.

So watch this site but knowing me I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you!

Such an honor!

Ann just gave me this fantastic award!

The Spreader of Love award rules are simple:

1. Post a copy on your blog
2. Mention who gave you the award
3. Pass the award on to 6 others.

My six people are:

Heather kitteh pusher extraordinaire
Nicola my favorite fraggle
Emms my wonderful moustached friend
Calista a future crazy cat lady (in the best possible way!!)
Jesh spindle maker extraordinaire
Franklin if you don't know the charming and delightful Franklin your life is sadly lacking. He is a rare gem of a human being.

Oh and rule 4 ... leave a message on their blog letting them know about the award.

I know I know

Yes I know I still owe a Rhinebeck post but in the meantime here is a quiz...

Well my results from a quiz. And yes I was surprised at the result.

Your result for The Best Thing About You Test...

Humility

Humility is your strongest virtue. You are humble.

Humility is the defining characteristic of an unpretentious and modest person, someone who does not think that he or she is better or more important than others. And you? When you do the right thing, you're doing it for all the right reasons. All 7 virtues are a part of you, but your humility runs deepest.

It is likely you're a quiet type. But if not, then you just have dark, secret side that loves to give.

Humble famous people: JD Salinger, Isaac Newton, Harry Potter (pre-puberty)

Your raw relative scores follow. 0% is low, and 100% is perfect, nearly impossible. Note that I pitted the virtues against each other, so in some way these are relative scores. It's impossible to score high on all of them, and a low score on one is just relatively low compared to the other virtues.

YOUR VIRTUES

30% Compassion

56% Intelligence

63% Humility

56% Honesty

50% Discipline

0% Courage

58% Passion

Take The Best Thing About You Test at HelloQuizzy

Oh and just because...

I realized I haven't posted any new Bobble pictures in a while (I know, bad kitteh mamma) so to hold you over until I get home with Rhinebeck pictures here is a picture of the world's most adorable kitteh!!

WHEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

No pictures but I'm getting ready to leave for Heather's house so we can head off to RHINEBECK!!!!

There will be tonnes of VLT-ers there that I will finally get to meet in person plus yarn and fibre and other goodies!

No I'm not excited at all? Why do you ask?

Details and pictures when I get home!!!