Tuesday was a good eye candy day at PT. Of course, I just look. I tried getting a peek at the sign in sheet to see a name, but the desk was manned by the manager of the facility and the private trainer. They stopped talking when I walked over to look at the sheet. I saw one name and booked before they could say anything! God, it feels like high school again! No one knows who he is and he is there several times a week.
Then I went to return my mom's mower, no, I didn't burn it up this time. I mowed the small lawn on the river side and did most of the hill. There was one spot I couldn't quite reach because the extension cord was not long enough. The mosquitos and black flies were trying to eat me alive and I was sweaty and out of water, so I put the mower back and wrapped up the cord. I went inside downstairs because the door was open to the basement inside the porch. My mom was folding clothes and watching TV. She said "you don't have to do the lawn today, I don't think it is long enough to bother". I laughed and said it was done, didn't you hear me? I was mowing right outside the window. At one point she was in the back area with the dryer running so she didn't even know I was there! Later, at home, I think the heat and exercise caught up to me, because I took a sip of water and my stomach knotted and stayed that way the rest of the night and most the day Wednesday. Between that, a scary book, and a thunderstorm, I didn't get much rest that night.
Wednesday I was at the bookstore. My lack of sleep didn't catch up to me until almost 3pm. I was able to drink some water and later I was able to eat a protein bar. It is a lot of fun working there and interacting with all the customers. My tech job usually doesn't allow for that type of social interaction and I am wearing dresses, fixing my hair and thinking about wearing perfume and jewelry again!
Thursday - I am going to turn Mister into an outdoor cat. He it acting out in bad behavior more and more and I was about to take him back to the shelter when I read the article in the paper about how overcrowded they are. I let him out today and he was gone for several hours, but he came back. I hate to say it, but I was hoping he would run away. He is constantly in the garbage, on the counters, and peeing all over the house now! I am at my wits end. Today, I told my mom and Aunt Margaret about it and my aunt kept saying "let him go, Teri". So I did. I do know that he used to be an outdoor cat because he has nicked up ears and he's missing a few teeth. I am hoping his disposition improves.
I went to the gazebo and that is where I ran into my mom and aunt. They were doing their usual Thursday jaunt. They saw me heading through the gate and stopped to say hi and then decided to join me for a little while. It has been pretty windy for the past couple weeks and it was really breezy there today. After they left, I changed into my suit and moved to the end of the dock in order to be in the sun and stay warm. I was sunburned in 15 minutes! So I moved back to the front of the gazebo. I had brought a hammer and nails to make the screen stay in the window opening. I finally finessed the window into the opening and put in a few nails to see if that will hold it until I learn better carpentry skills.
Saturday, I have MEAP orientation at the college. I will meet my students and parents and tell them my rules and recommendations. It only takes a hour so it isn't a big deal. Erin called and asked me to orient her class and one other because they can't be there. I said sure, we have the same rules and building, so its not a big deal. Then on Monday the MEAP Week begins! It is a fun program and I enjoy doing it for one week. I honestly don't know how teachers can do it all day everyday. I am so exhausted by the end of the day I can hardly move.
Well, this is getting long, so I will get back to my usual evening ritual...knitting. I am already working on the heel of the second sock. And yes, I am finally admitting it, I like knitting socks - but only because I am doing it with 2 circular needles...I hate double pointed needles and always will. LOL
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Monday - the cat and chipmunks
Today....hmm
I woke early and made my MARVIN call, then I called to check on my claim determination. They have all the forms from KCC and COOR, and they should make a determination on or around August 10th. Yeah, I know! Good news is that if I am approved, they will pay me something to make up for the reduced hours when I do go back.
Then outside to sip coffee on the deck, it is now my fair weather ritual. Then I built a kitty korral out of my old compost bin. It was a very ambitious compost bin. My cat, Lucky, has always been an indoor cat and has absolutely no interest in going outdoors. However, I think Mister was
allowed to tom-cat around. He has rips and nips out of his ears, a nasty no nonsense attitude, loves to get into the garbage (I HATE that particular trick), get on the counters and basically doesn't respect...anything or anyone. Did I mention he is stubborn and tenacious? He is pretty darn buff from fighting with Sadie on a daily basis, too. Everytime the door opens, he tries to make a dash outside. I don't have him licensed or tagged so this is not a good thing. Hmm, after reviewing what I just wrote, maybe I should re-think this... Anyway, the corral is for him. You would think it would make him happy, but noooooo, he walked around in it looking for a way out and when he couldn't find one, he started bitching. So back to being indoors for the rest of the day!
I decided to take it easy the rest of the day. My feet have been really sore with all the productive stuff I have been doing. I settled for patching the holes in the drawer sets and getting them ready for sanding. That is my plan for tomorrow.
Today I have been hanging laundry on the line (another windy day), sitting on the deck, and laying in the hammock. I am watching the chipmunks torture poor Sadie. They chirp and act vulnerable right outside the reach of her zip line. When she can't take in anymore and she dives for them, they scream bloody murder (probably laughter) and dart into the bushes or under the deck.
Well, time to microwave dinner, get a shower, and go to knit knight.
Hasta la vista!
I woke early and made my MARVIN call, then I called to check on my claim determination. They have all the forms from KCC and COOR, and they should make a determination on or around August 10th. Yeah, I know! Good news is that if I am approved, they will pay me something to make up for the reduced hours when I do go back.
Then outside to sip coffee on the deck, it is now my fair weather ritual. Then I built a kitty korral out of my old compost bin. It was a very ambitious compost bin. My cat, Lucky, has always been an indoor cat and has absolutely no interest in going outdoors. However, I think Mister was
allowed to tom-cat around. He has rips and nips out of his ears, a nasty no nonsense attitude, loves to get into the garbage (I HATE that particular trick), get on the counters and basically doesn't respect...anything or anyone. Did I mention he is stubborn and tenacious? He is pretty darn buff from fighting with Sadie on a daily basis, too. Everytime the door opens, he tries to make a dash outside. I don't have him licensed or tagged so this is not a good thing. Hmm, after reviewing what I just wrote, maybe I should re-think this... Anyway, the corral is for him. You would think it would make him happy, but noooooo, he walked around in it looking for a way out and when he couldn't find one, he started bitching. So back to being indoors for the rest of the day!I decided to take it easy the rest of the day. My feet have been really sore with all the productive stuff I have been doing. I settled for patching the holes in the drawer sets and getting them ready for sanding. That is my plan for tomorrow.
Today I have been hanging laundry on the line (another windy day), sitting on the deck, and laying in the hammock. I am watching the chipmunks torture poor Sadie. They chirp and act vulnerable right outside the reach of her zip line. When she can't take in anymore and she dives for them, they scream bloody murder (probably laughter) and dart into the bushes or under the deck.
Well, time to microwave dinner, get a shower, and go to knit knight.
Hasta la vista!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Productive Weekend
The past few days have been productive. Lots of pictures today to show for it.
I hit an estate sale and bought 4 sets of drawers (and lots more stuff). Now I have to paint them.
They are up on saw horses in the car port waiting to be sanded, primed, and painted. Colors to be determined.
Before noon today, I did a makeover on my back yard. Mom let me borrow her electric lawn mower. Apparently, she has forgotten (or forgiven) what I did to the last one she had. :)
I have taken 2-3 showers since I caulked and NO LEAKING onto the floor! Woo Hoo! Maybe I fixed the issue with the little bit I did do. Don't worry, I will still need the molding and to finish caulking all around the walls and inside the tub.
And here is a picture of the finished sock! Ta Dah! Mom didn't like the colors, but the first thing she did when I showed her was try it on! Perfect fit!
Tomorrow I have my MARVIN appointment. That is the automated call in for unemployment. You have to call in to the system every 2 weeks at your assigned time to keep your claim active and up to date. You have to report any income and verify a bunch of other stuff to this automated guy voice. Good news is that it doesn't take long.
I hit an estate sale and bought 4 sets of drawers (and lots more stuff). Now I have to paint them.
They are up on saw horses in the car port waiting to be sanded, primed, and painted. Colors to be determined.Before noon today, I did a makeover on my back yard. Mom let me borrow her electric lawn mower. Apparently, she has forgotten (or forgiven) what I did to the last one she had. :)
I have taken 2-3 showers since I caulked and NO LEAKING onto the floor! Woo Hoo! Maybe I fixed the issue with the little bit I did do. Don't worry, I will still need the molding and to finish caulking all around the walls and inside the tub.
And here is a picture of the finished sock! Ta Dah! Mom didn't like the colors, but the first thing she did when I showed her was try it on! Perfect fit!
Tomorrow I have my MARVIN appointment. That is the automated call in for unemployment. You have to call in to the system every 2 weeks at your assigned time to keep your claim active and up to date. You have to report any income and verify a bunch of other stuff to this automated guy voice. Good news is that it doesn't take long.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Long post, short day
Since you asked....
Eye candy day was a big let down. I even complained to my fellow candy fan club member, Dana, the PT Assistant. We commiserated and evaluated the only other man in the weight room. I said he was gay and she agreed. She said she flashed her friendly grin at him and he was unaffected. I laughed, she is a cute little blond you could pick up with one hand. The only other man in the place was Cari's ex-bf, Ed, but he lives there on the elliptical machine from 6am until 5pm.
I stopped at work to see about getting my palm pilot charger replaced. I take my Palm pilot with me everywhere. It has all my phone numbers, addresses, and appointments in it. It also has several addicting solitaire games on it. :) I use it A LOT and now it is not charging. Anyway, my boss and I checked everywhere and we did not have a spare, so we had to order a replacement. I said hi to everyone, did a little catching up and had to run because I had raw burger in the car and it was 80+ degrees and it wasn't even noon yet.
I spent the rest of the day napping in the hammock and knitting my sock. I finished it except the toe which calls for a kitchener stitch. Yeah, I didn't know what it was either so I just went to bed.
Gas has dropped from 4.25 to 4.14 (in Houghton Lake). It is ridiculous. Right now I am combining all my errands. I think I am still running on the fill up I made the day the TX crew left...hard to believe! But it is down to 1/4 tank, so I will have to fill up soon. I car pooled with Katie to Gaylord and I bought her lunch in lieu of gas money. I plan errands around my PT appointments and groceries around my days at the bookstore.
Today I slept in late. I was probably exhausted from all that lounging around in the hammock the day before.
I drank a pot of coffee and started caulking my bathtub and floor. Every time I shower, water leaks out of the shower, into the wall, onto the floor and between the floor tiles. It is a potential problem for the sub-flooring. Today, I determined that the tile is stuck right to the sub-floor, the sub-floor is damp. I am tired of worrying about it and decided to finally do something about it. The floor is not rotted yet, just wet. I pried up a tile to confirm this. I caulked all along the bottom and sides of the tub and also between the tiles where they didn't butt up against each other. I had to clean out the worst seam before I caulked it up. Then I caulked behind and around the toilet. It looks better already! It is a temporary fix. I need that rubber molding to run around the walls and tub and a proper floor. I also need to re-caulk the inside area in the tub. I believe my tub is not plumb and the water hits the back and runs to the front in the channels that the previous owner put in instead of caulk.
Poor mom, she called to ask me a question and I had her on the phone for 45 minutes - I was still cranking from my pot of coffee and babbled on about planning a yarn crawl for the knitting group, and anything else I could think of. :)
Then I vacuumed, cleaned the kitchen, did a couple loads of laundry, hung them on the line outside and fixed lunch.
THEN, I went to the hammock. It was really windy out and knew the gazebo would be too cold. It was a great day for drying clothes on the line though! I am lost without my palm pilot. I usually use it in the hammock, but today I took my iPod instead and listened to knitting podcasts. Not relaxing! It just made me want to knit, not nap. Around 6, I gave in and went inside to feed Sadie and myself. I puttered around some more, downloaded instructions for the kitchener stitch, did more laundry and before I knew it, it was after 8pm! Time to finish that sock! I will post a photo when I am done.
Lesson learned today: Sleeping late means a very short day (but it sure was productive!)
Eye candy day was a big let down. I even complained to my fellow candy fan club member, Dana, the PT Assistant. We commiserated and evaluated the only other man in the weight room. I said he was gay and she agreed. She said she flashed her friendly grin at him and he was unaffected. I laughed, she is a cute little blond you could pick up with one hand. The only other man in the place was Cari's ex-bf, Ed, but he lives there on the elliptical machine from 6am until 5pm.
I stopped at work to see about getting my palm pilot charger replaced. I take my Palm pilot with me everywhere. It has all my phone numbers, addresses, and appointments in it. It also has several addicting solitaire games on it. :) I use it A LOT and now it is not charging. Anyway, my boss and I checked everywhere and we did not have a spare, so we had to order a replacement. I said hi to everyone, did a little catching up and had to run because I had raw burger in the car and it was 80+ degrees and it wasn't even noon yet.
I spent the rest of the day napping in the hammock and knitting my sock. I finished it except the toe which calls for a kitchener stitch. Yeah, I didn't know what it was either so I just went to bed.
Gas has dropped from 4.25 to 4.14 (in Houghton Lake). It is ridiculous. Right now I am combining all my errands. I think I am still running on the fill up I made the day the TX crew left...hard to believe! But it is down to 1/4 tank, so I will have to fill up soon. I car pooled with Katie to Gaylord and I bought her lunch in lieu of gas money. I plan errands around my PT appointments and groceries around my days at the bookstore.
Today I slept in late. I was probably exhausted from all that lounging around in the hammock the day before.
I drank a pot of coffee and started caulking my bathtub and floor. Every time I shower, water leaks out of the shower, into the wall, onto the floor and between the floor tiles. It is a potential problem for the sub-flooring. Today, I determined that the tile is stuck right to the sub-floor, the sub-floor is damp. I am tired of worrying about it and decided to finally do something about it. The floor is not rotted yet, just wet. I pried up a tile to confirm this. I caulked all along the bottom and sides of the tub and also between the tiles where they didn't butt up against each other. I had to clean out the worst seam before I caulked it up. Then I caulked behind and around the toilet. It looks better already! It is a temporary fix. I need that rubber molding to run around the walls and tub and a proper floor. I also need to re-caulk the inside area in the tub. I believe my tub is not plumb and the water hits the back and runs to the front in the channels that the previous owner put in instead of caulk.
Poor mom, she called to ask me a question and I had her on the phone for 45 minutes - I was still cranking from my pot of coffee and babbled on about planning a yarn crawl for the knitting group, and anything else I could think of. :)
Then I vacuumed, cleaned the kitchen, did a couple loads of laundry, hung them on the line outside and fixed lunch.
THEN, I went to the hammock. It was really windy out and knew the gazebo would be too cold. It was a great day for drying clothes on the line though! I am lost without my palm pilot. I usually use it in the hammock, but today I took my iPod instead and listened to knitting podcasts. Not relaxing! It just made me want to knit, not nap. Around 6, I gave in and went inside to feed Sadie and myself. I puttered around some more, downloaded instructions for the kitchener stitch, did more laundry and before I knew it, it was after 8pm! Time to finish that sock! I will post a photo when I am done.
Lesson learned today: Sleeping late means a very short day (but it sure was productive!)
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
hump day
I have been lazy the past few days. But today I went into work at the bookstore. The time flies when I work there. My friend, Erin, came in the store today while I was working and the 3 of us had fun. Turns out she knows my boss because she carded her!
My feet were sore, naturally, when I got home. I grabbed my hammock stuff and headed out for a couple hours to relax. I made the mistake of putting the pad in the dryer because it was damp. When I put it on the hammock it was melted and bunched up...and it smells! Ugh! It didn't smell bad enough to repel mosquitoes (or me). I used a wipe on my arms and hunkered down to relax.
I am going to work on my sock some more tonight. I am about 75% done. Of course, I have to do a second sock still.
Tomorrow is eye candy day at PT...woo woo!
My feet were sore, naturally, when I got home. I grabbed my hammock stuff and headed out for a couple hours to relax. I made the mistake of putting the pad in the dryer because it was damp. When I put it on the hammock it was melted and bunched up...and it smells! Ugh! It didn't smell bad enough to repel mosquitoes (or me). I used a wipe on my arms and hunkered down to relax.
I am going to work on my sock some more tonight. I am about 75% done. Of course, I have to do a second sock still.
Tomorrow is eye candy day at PT...woo woo!
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Sunday Morning, 9am
When the phone rang this morning, I was awake, but unable to get out from under the critters to get to the phone before Sheila hung up. Even after I was out and about, Sadie didn't move. I had thrown the covers off, partially covering her and that didn't even phase her.
We headed to town for the dock diving competition a little after 10am. I was hoping the rain would hold off for the event.
There was a good turnout for the event and about 10 dogs entered. It was fun to watch all the different levels of expertise. There were some that came early to try it for the first time and others that were pretty good already. There were a few that jumped over 10 feet. Everyone had fun watching and cheering them on. I ran into Cari and Jerry and Carol Sue while I was there. I had Cari take a photo for the blog.
Sadie didn't like standing on the wet grass, she was having a prissy moment, and was getting restless so we headed over to Mom and Dad's when it was done. I picked up one of Dad's colored pencil drawings. I am going to enter two of his pictures in the Ogemaw County Fair (West Branch) for judging. Grand Prize is $4.50. LOL I am going to enter my Shadow one in the charcoal class and one of the fish in the colored pencil class.
I consider it my excuse to go to the county fair. Not that I need an excuse. But, I have never been there and it is an old fashioned county fair. There were catagories for pies, jellies, quilts, knitting, and all the animals for 4-H. There are horse shows, dog obedience, flower arrangements, cake decorating...all sorts of country-fied stuff.
The fair is August 10-17. I am afraid I am starting to overbook myself for August! I have to be at the Michigan Fiber Fest on Aug. 17, and at the Weaver's Guild Meeting on that Wednesday...hm, I will have to see when I can pick up the pictures at the fair or make arrangements to have someone pick them up before I go much further. See what I mean about not having time to work? LOL
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Rainy Lazy Saturday
It was overcast when I woke up this morning at 7am. I took this as an excellent opportunity to go back to bed, so I did! At 10:30 I rolled out of bed and noticed the sun was shining.
I have noticed a big change in myself in the past week. No stress, none. I am getting more rest, exercise, and enjoying my little hobbies. My attitude is improved.
The bookstore called me this morning to ask me back to work next Wednesday. I really enjoyed working there last week and hoped they would call me back. The owner indicated that she was pleased with me and the volunteer I worked with keeps asking when I will be back. :) Did I mention my perk for working there? I get all the free books I want! Hmm, so many books to read and so many hobbies to explore, what will I do? LOL
I set up the hammock for another morning "hanging out". It got too hot soon after I settled in. I
decided Sadie and I needed to go to the gazebo. But first, she needed a run. I want to take her to town for the River Festival tomorrow to watch dock diving (want to know what dock diving is?) so I need her tired. A tired Sadie, is a well behaved Sadie. She did great at Art in the Park and I am looking for a repeat performance tomorrow.
I took her up to Pioneer Hill for a run. She spotted a deer and joined it for a romp. She was back in less than 5 minutes. She doesn't chase them, she runs with them. She seems to lose interest if they don't want to chase her.
Then we headed to the lake. I was bummed when we pulled up and there were big dark clouds in the distance. But we both went for a short swim anyway. Even Sadie jumped right in for a swim. The water was refreshing, but with the storm on its way, I wanted to put the cushions away at home. We said hello/good-bye to the neighbors and headed home.
It is sort of nice to have a rain day. I can stay inside and work on my sock and watch the Deadliest Catch marathon on Discovery. Sadie is still wet so she has to stay on the floor on a blanket. :)
The yarn was given to me by Kristi when she was here the end of June to visit. I believe she dyed the yarn herself. I did get several compliments on it while at Imagiknits yesterday. Kristi, is this the yarn you used cake frosting coloring to dye it?
I have noticed a big change in myself in the past week. No stress, none. I am getting more rest, exercise, and enjoying my little hobbies. My attitude is improved.
The bookstore called me this morning to ask me back to work next Wednesday. I really enjoyed working there last week and hoped they would call me back. The owner indicated that she was pleased with me and the volunteer I worked with keeps asking when I will be back. :) Did I mention my perk for working there? I get all the free books I want! Hmm, so many books to read and so many hobbies to explore, what will I do? LOL
I set up the hammock for another morning "hanging out". It got too hot soon after I settled in. I
decided Sadie and I needed to go to the gazebo. But first, she needed a run. I want to take her to town for the River Festival tomorrow to watch dock diving (want to know what dock diving is?) so I need her tired. A tired Sadie, is a well behaved Sadie. She did great at Art in the Park and I am looking for a repeat performance tomorrow.I took her up to Pioneer Hill for a run. She spotted a deer and joined it for a romp. She was back in less than 5 minutes. She doesn't chase them, she runs with them. She seems to lose interest if they don't want to chase her.
Then we headed to the lake. I was bummed when we pulled up and there were big dark clouds in the distance. But we both went for a short swim anyway. Even Sadie jumped right in for a swim. The water was refreshing, but with the storm on its way, I wanted to put the cushions away at home. We said hello/good-bye to the neighbors and headed home.
It is sort of nice to have a rain day. I can stay inside and work on my sock and watch the Deadliest Catch marathon on Discovery. Sadie is still wet so she has to stay on the floor on a blanket. :)
The yarn was given to me by Kristi when she was here the end of June to visit. I believe she dyed the yarn herself. I did get several compliments on it while at Imagiknits yesterday. Kristi, is this the yarn you used cake frosting coloring to dye it?
Friday, July 18, 2008
Knitting Classes at Imagiknit
Don't forget to stop in at Down-South and Raleigh News (coming soon) for more pictures!
I don't know how I found time to do anything when I was working! So much to do and not enough time in a day.
Katie and I went to Gaylord today for our lessons at Imagiknit. What a nice store! We didn't have much time to shop, so we do have a good excuse to go back. We were excited to head to Gaylord today. We left at 11:30 for our 2:30 appointment.
The time went by quickly. We ate at Gobblers, found a parking spot easily, and Katie pulled out her GPS and we did some geocaching. We could not find the cache, but I found twigs and leaves on my couch when I got home. They must have been on my back and no one said anything! LOL
Alpine Fest was going on and it was busy, but not too bad, probably because it was a Friday, not during the weekend. We wandered in and out of stores and went to Ben Franklin's (of course). Then we grabbed our stuff out of the car and went to class.
Katie signed up for spinning and I took socks on 2 circular needles. On Fridays, ImagiKnit offers classes on whatever you want to learn (by appointment) for $6/hour. Great opportunity!
In all honesty, I have to tell you that I have been resisting knitting socks from the beginning. Why spend all that time on something and snag it the first time I walk across the floor in them? Why would I force myself to use 3-4 of those nasty DPNs (double pointed needles). Kristi and
Katie have been encouraging me to try socks and I have been stubbornly resisting. Okay, I would sneer and mumble about the *^&%@# DPNs and change the subject quickly. I finally realized I would like to try socks, if it wasn't for those *^&%@# DPNs.
It turned out my instructor is a blogger I have been reading! It was nice to meet her and put a face to the blog. Also, she is on Ravelry and we exchanged user names too. It was really fun and she taught me a different way to cast on that I really like. It was hard getting used to the itty-bitty needles and the itty-bitty yarn (notice you can hardly see the needles or yarn in the picture), but by the end of the hour, I was getting comfortable and more confident. Of course, in the spirit of my first blog post, I had to have my picture taken while taking the class. Deby, the instructor, kindly snapped a couple pictures of both of us working away. I can't wait to go back!
I got home around 5:30 and it was hot hot hot and humid too. I don't think I mentioned that earlier. There were no men wearing lederhousens in Gaylord today!
I ate a salad and Sadie and I headed to the gazebo. Ahhhh, so much cooler there with a nice cool breeze. I cushioned up the glider and relaxed until I got too cold - about 2 hours. Then I went home and camped on the deck for a while longer....until the mosquitoes chased us inside. They are not too bad now. We haven't had much rain.
Well, it is getting late and I want to work some more on my sock. Deby warned me it would be addicting...I hope not! I do have to go back to work in mid-August!
I don't know how I found time to do anything when I was working! So much to do and not enough time in a day.
Katie and I went to Gaylord today for our lessons at Imagiknit. What a nice store! We didn't have much time to shop, so we do have a good excuse to go back. We were excited to head to Gaylord today. We left at 11:30 for our 2:30 appointment.
The time went by quickly. We ate at Gobblers, found a parking spot easily, and Katie pulled out her GPS and we did some geocaching. We could not find the cache, but I found twigs and leaves on my couch when I got home. They must have been on my back and no one said anything! LOLAlpine Fest was going on and it was busy, but not too bad, probably because it was a Friday, not during the weekend. We wandered in and out of stores and went to Ben Franklin's (of course). Then we grabbed our stuff out of the car and went to class.
Katie signed up for spinning and I took socks on 2 circular needles. On Fridays, ImagiKnit offers classes on whatever you want to learn (by appointment) for $6/hour. Great opportunity!
In all honesty, I have to tell you that I have been resisting knitting socks from the beginning. Why spend all that time on something and snag it the first time I walk across the floor in them? Why would I force myself to use 3-4 of those nasty DPNs (double pointed needles). Kristi and
Katie have been encouraging me to try socks and I have been stubbornly resisting. Okay, I would sneer and mumble about the *^&%@# DPNs and change the subject quickly. I finally realized I would like to try socks, if it wasn't for those *^&%@# DPNs.It turned out my instructor is a blogger I have been reading! It was nice to meet her and put a face to the blog. Also, she is on Ravelry and we exchanged user names too. It was really fun and she taught me a different way to cast on that I really like. It was hard getting used to the itty-bitty needles and the itty-bitty yarn (notice you can hardly see the needles or yarn in the picture), but by the end of the hour, I was getting comfortable and more confident. Of course, in the spirit of my first blog post, I had to have my picture taken while taking the class. Deby, the instructor, kindly snapped a couple pictures of both of us working away. I can't wait to go back!
I got home around 5:30 and it was hot hot hot and humid too. I don't think I mentioned that earlier. There were no men wearing lederhousens in Gaylord today!
I ate a salad and Sadie and I headed to the gazebo. Ahhhh, so much cooler there with a nice cool breeze. I cushioned up the glider and relaxed until I got too cold - about 2 hours. Then I went home and camped on the deck for a while longer....until the mosquitoes chased us inside. They are not too bad now. We haven't had much rain.
Well, it is getting late and I want to work some more on my sock. Deby warned me it would be addicting...I hope not! I do have to go back to work in mid-August!
July 2, 2008
It appears this day, we were at the Beaver Club. :)
Images selected by my lovely niece, and aspiring photographer, Jordan. You won't see her in any photographs, she is very shy.
Images selected by my lovely niece, and aspiring photographer, Jordan. You won't see her in any photographs, she is very shy. Thursday, July 17, 2008
PT and Plans for FridayP
I was up early to go to PT. I now look forward to Thursdays at PT. I enjoy watching a guy that works out there. LOL So now I request, no, demand Thursday mornings. Today I asked him to remove a 45 lb weight off my machine for me. Yes, Jordan, it is the guy that smiled at me the week before. I have the therapists investigating for me. There is lots of other eye candy on Thursdays too. I have at least another month of Thursdays!
I spent a couple hours trying to get through to the unemployment office to check the status on the "investigation". I was on hold forever and during that time, I realized I was calling the wrong number. Upon trying the correct number 60 million times through the day, I repeatedly heard "all circuits are busy".
It was really hot and muggy today - and windy! I wanted to go to the gazebo, but it was really windy and it looked like it was going to rain any time. So I ended up in the hammock again. No, I stayed in the hammock today. No spills. Sadie dug a hole under the hammock to stay cool and would not get in the hammock, it was too hot.
Tomorrow I am going to Gaylord for a knitting lesson with another girl from my knitting group, Katie. She is going to take a spinning lesson while I learn to make socks on 2 circular needles. There was supposed to be another girl going with us, but she had something come up and I don't think she is going to make it. There is supposed to be a live violinists and a bunch of spinners hanging out at the yarn shop - Imagiknit
Alpine Fest is going on in Gaylord this week too, so there will be plenty of people and things to see...but I am concerned about parking! There is supposed to be scattered showers and hot and muggy again. You might want to feel sorry for the guys wearing those lederhousens(sp?), they are made of leather!
I had Jordan pick out a few photos from each day I took. or had Jordan take, pictures during the the July 4th weekend. I will post them randomly between posts this week.
I spent a couple hours trying to get through to the unemployment office to check the status on the "investigation". I was on hold forever and during that time, I realized I was calling the wrong number. Upon trying the correct number 60 million times through the day, I repeatedly heard "all circuits are busy".
It was really hot and muggy today - and windy! I wanted to go to the gazebo, but it was really windy and it looked like it was going to rain any time. So I ended up in the hammock again. No, I stayed in the hammock today. No spills. Sadie dug a hole under the hammock to stay cool and would not get in the hammock, it was too hot.
Tomorrow I am going to Gaylord for a knitting lesson with another girl from my knitting group, Katie. She is going to take a spinning lesson while I learn to make socks on 2 circular needles. There was supposed to be another girl going with us, but she had something come up and I don't think she is going to make it. There is supposed to be a live violinists and a bunch of spinners hanging out at the yarn shop - Imagiknit
Alpine Fest is going on in Gaylord this week too, so there will be plenty of people and things to see...but I am concerned about parking! There is supposed to be scattered showers and hot and muggy again. You might want to feel sorry for the guys wearing those lederhousens(sp?), they are made of leather!
I had Jordan pick out a few photos from each day I took. or had Jordan take, pictures during the the July 4th weekend. I will post them randomly between posts this week.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Hello? Yeah, I know, it has been awhile!
Yikes...it has been a long time. I got caught up in the whirlwind of relatives and relative's relatives! I enjoyed every minute of it, but the last week has been all early bedtime, sleeping in, and napping.
I am still in Physical Therapy. Twice a week now, instead of three- I am improving!
I am still waiting for an unemployment check...
I have not heard back from the lady that wanted me to maintain her website.
Today was my first day at the bookstore. She said I was like a kid in a candy store with a smile plastered on my face. She seems pretty happy with me, so I will probably go back in next week. I did enjoy myself immensely, but I am soaking my feet as I type this, I was on my feet the whole time.
Yesterday, I fell out of the hammock. An earwig landed on me and I freaked. I hate those things! I leaned over to brush it off and flipped. Landed on my chin! I was so sore this morning. Of course, part of that was due to mowing the backyard with the old fashioned push blade type mower.
Anyway, I was being harassed via email to start updating my blog since I had so much time on my hands...by someone who has not updated their blog for over 3 weeks...hmmm
The River Fest is this weekend in Rosco. They are having Dock Diving on Sunday and I would like to go to that for sure. That is when the dogs run to the edge of the dock and take flying leaps off the dock and into a large pool of water. I will tell you about it if I can get there.
Oh, we now have a big black bear in my neighborhood. First appearance was at 2:30am on my next door neighbors front porch. Coincidently, it was the same day I had to get up at 2:30am, let my dog out, and head into town to pick up the TX gang to take them to the airport. I never saw or heard a thing! The next morning, at 6am, my aunt Margaret took a picture. I saw his leg a couple nights later when Sadie started making some snuffly-barking noise she has never made before. I turned on the outside lights and saw something black fade into the shadows in my front yard. I don't let Sadie out on her line anymore after dark.
I will try to get back in the habit of blogging again. I am working on some fiber/knitting things and will keep you posted on that too.
I am still in Physical Therapy. Twice a week now, instead of three- I am improving!
I am still waiting for an unemployment check...
I have not heard back from the lady that wanted me to maintain her website.
Today was my first day at the bookstore. She said I was like a kid in a candy store with a smile plastered on my face. She seems pretty happy with me, so I will probably go back in next week. I did enjoy myself immensely, but I am soaking my feet as I type this, I was on my feet the whole time.
Yesterday, I fell out of the hammock. An earwig landed on me and I freaked. I hate those things! I leaned over to brush it off and flipped. Landed on my chin! I was so sore this morning. Of course, part of that was due to mowing the backyard with the old fashioned push blade type mower.
Anyway, I was being harassed via email to start updating my blog since I had so much time on my hands...by someone who has not updated their blog for over 3 weeks...hmmm
The River Fest is this weekend in Rosco. They are having Dock Diving on Sunday and I would like to go to that for sure. That is when the dogs run to the edge of the dock and take flying leaps off the dock and into a large pool of water. I will tell you about it if I can get there.
Oh, we now have a big black bear in my neighborhood. First appearance was at 2:30am on my next door neighbors front porch. Coincidently, it was the same day I had to get up at 2:30am, let my dog out, and head into town to pick up the TX gang to take them to the airport. I never saw or heard a thing! The next morning, at 6am, my aunt Margaret took a picture. I saw his leg a couple nights later when Sadie started making some snuffly-barking noise she has never made before. I turned on the outside lights and saw something black fade into the shadows in my front yard. I don't let Sadie out on her line anymore after dark.
I will try to get back in the habit of blogging again. I am working on some fiber/knitting things and will keep you posted on that too.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Wednesday, July 2 - Guest poster - Ali
Today's post is a guest post from Ali. It is a copy of an email she sent to a friend and copied me in on so I could post it on my blog. I may edit it some, but all errors are included to maintain authenticity. I will have to make a mental note to quiz her on capitalization and question marks to make sure she knows about them. :)
Thank you Ali!
my cousins are here. they are from north carolina. they are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo cute and sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sweet. there are four of them. erica (youngest) liz and emily are twins and then there is allison june she is like a leader although they are 5 and 6 and erica is two and a half. allison june is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo cute yet so vicious. she took my shoe so i had to flip her over and tickle her just to get one. she bit me on my leg. i couldn't feel it bcuz i was so occupied trying to get the other one. in the lake they are not allowed under the dock but i am so that is my safety zone they got on the dock and held sticks over the water like they were fishing and i would take them or grab them and give them back. it was funny until they started throwing them at me. for little people they throw very hard. my scratch from the sticks on your roof went away. yeah. my aunt is on her way to pick us up and take us to the cousins. they have so much fun with jordan and i and when we have to leave they scream at there mom and dad. they say hug and kiss hug and kiss. they are adorable. i just watched legally blonde it is a funny movie. have you seen it. i want to see the second one and the musical. it was really good. yesterday i saw get smart. it was histerical. then afterwards i left my phone in the theatre so i tried to go get it but it said doors don't open til 905 it was 845 so my aunt and i were constantly knocking on the door. then a guy came out and teri said she left her fone in there and he pulled it out and said this one. my aunt teri asked if he heard it vibrating and without any hesatation he said yeah. my sister and i have very loud and strong vibration. anyways the movie was hilarious. got to go to the beaver club. a house on private property where we all hang out. anywho see ya l8ter bye. really buh-bye
Thank you Ali!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
I have little memory of Tuesday. I know I canceled my PT appointment. I know I called about my part time job and was told I could start in August. Surprise! Oh well, no worries. Everything happens for a reason and by today (Tuesday) I was really really needing a break.
I remember Kristi saying goodbye at the lake house (or was that the day before?). I had Jordan and Ali, took them home to grandma's. The plans were to go to the movies in HL. I went home and fell into bed. I didn't stir until Ali called at 6 to say they would be leaving in 20 minutes to come and get me. I re-heated some coffee and began working on a website that needed to be updated by midnight.
We had a great time at the movies - Get Smart. Ali left her phone in the theatre and she and I banged on closed doors until someone finally answered and handed it to us. Then we stopped at Dunham's at 8:59pm for tees. Yeah, they were happy to have 4 crazy women as their last customers of the day. We left them smiling and hit the DQ before heading home.
Oddly, I had some trouble falling asleep.
Well, that brings us to Tuesday. I am still a couple days behind, but I have some other things to do before tomorrow. The 4th. The plans are for a huge family gathering at the lake house with a pot luck meal. I will probably not be able to add pictures or more entries until the weekend. I hope this is enough info for those who can not be here with us.
I remember Kristi saying goodbye at the lake house (or was that the day before?). I had Jordan and Ali, took them home to grandma's. The plans were to go to the movies in HL. I went home and fell into bed. I didn't stir until Ali called at 6 to say they would be leaving in 20 minutes to come and get me. I re-heated some coffee and began working on a website that needed to be updated by midnight.
We had a great time at the movies - Get Smart. Ali left her phone in the theatre and she and I banged on closed doors until someone finally answered and handed it to us. Then we stopped at Dunham's at 8:59pm for tees. Yeah, they were happy to have 4 crazy women as their last customers of the day. We left them smiling and hit the DQ before heading home.
Oddly, I had some trouble falling asleep.
Well, that brings us to Tuesday. I am still a couple days behind, but I have some other things to do before tomorrow. The 4th. The plans are for a huge family gathering at the lake house with a pot luck meal. I will probably not be able to add pictures or more entries until the weekend. I hope this is enough info for those who can not be here with us.
Monday
My last day at work until I return part-time in the fall. The girls took me to lunch at the new place, Matt's. It has been super busy ever since it opened and we decided to go early to beat the lunch crowd. I had a patty melt and it was very good. We did beat the crowd and were able to get back to work within a reasonable amount of time. :( LOL
The day flew by! There were lots of last minute things to take care of before the end of the day. Monday's are usually pretty fast, but I was still scrambling to get my work done and say goodbyes 15 minutes before quitting time...I had already turned in my time sheet so I was trying to honor it. :)
When I got home, Kristi and I met the gang at the Gerrish Twp Park. The kids were undergoing a process conjured up by grown-ups that attempted to run them until they were exhausted. It seemed to be still in the beginning process when we arrived with water and camera. I think I had been home 5 minutes when they called, so I was hitting the ground running. :)
This was the first time I had seen the kids dry and recognizable! I still got it all wrong. I am having trouble telling the twins apart. I haven't seen them enough to get to know them as individuals. That is a goal for this trip. They are so sweet.
They went to the library for storytime and had a great time. Apparently, everyone went, even the grandparents. They were very impressed. Susan applied for a library card and checked out more books!
Then Kristi and I had to get going to eat and get to the knitting group by 6. Sheila decided to join us as well. Chris backed out. LOL The three of us rode together and had a pleasant evening. Nana got some adult time. :) We talked in the car in my driveway for awhile. I did some more laundry (yes, I have tons of laundry, I haven't caught up on sheets, towels, blankets and rugs.
Oh that reminds me, on Monday, I mailed my class registrations for the two fiber festivals Kristi and I plan to attend. I wanted to pay for it now before I was too poor to afford it. :)
The day flew by! There were lots of last minute things to take care of before the end of the day. Monday's are usually pretty fast, but I was still scrambling to get my work done and say goodbyes 15 minutes before quitting time...I had already turned in my time sheet so I was trying to honor it. :)
When I got home, Kristi and I met the gang at the Gerrish Twp Park. The kids were undergoing a process conjured up by grown-ups that attempted to run them until they were exhausted. It seemed to be still in the beginning process when we arrived with water and camera. I think I had been home 5 minutes when they called, so I was hitting the ground running. :)
This was the first time I had seen the kids dry and recognizable! I still got it all wrong. I am having trouble telling the twins apart. I haven't seen them enough to get to know them as individuals. That is a goal for this trip. They are so sweet.
They went to the library for storytime and had a great time. Apparently, everyone went, even the grandparents. They were very impressed. Susan applied for a library card and checked out more books!
Then Kristi and I had to get going to eat and get to the knitting group by 6. Sheila decided to join us as well. Chris backed out. LOL The three of us rode together and had a pleasant evening. Nana got some adult time. :) We talked in the car in my driveway for awhile. I did some more laundry (yes, I have tons of laundry, I haven't caught up on sheets, towels, blankets and rugs.
Oh that reminds me, on Monday, I mailed my class registrations for the two fiber festivals Kristi and I plan to attend. I wanted to pay for it now before I was too poor to afford it. :)
Sunday, June 29
Anne had planned on going home today, but after talking with Saturn, On-Star, and Triple A it was decided that she would wait until Monday and get towed to TC for service. Exactly the opposite direction she needs to go, but the nearest dealership.
The three of us ended up at the lake house with the Ostling family again. They had a full house with more visiting family. Talk about southern hospitality!
We sat down on the dock while the kids played in and out of the water.
Liz was using her magic fishing pole to bring us whatever we wanted. Shoes, food, lots of fish. Anne finally realized we should be asking for a man. Duh! Our priorities were messed up. Next time Liz asked I requested a "perfect man please". She looked to the side for a moment, then back at me and asked "What's a perfect man?" We laughed ourselves silly.
We went shopping, visiting, and I think this is the night the three of us called it an early night and bought steaks for the grill. Anne met some more new people - Kristi's dad, more family at the lake house.
I had to go to work in the morning for my last day and had to go to bed early. I talked Kristi into staying in order to go to my knitting group on Monday night. Cari called and she was serving breakfast a 9am so Kristi's worries about what she was going to do while I was at work were solved. Cari was having her new windows installed and needed help moving furniture. I had to decline, but I RSVP'd for Kristi. :)
The three of us ended up at the lake house with the Ostling family again. They had a full house with more visiting family. Talk about southern hospitality!
We sat down on the dock while the kids played in and out of the water.
Liz was using her magic fishing pole to bring us whatever we wanted. Shoes, food, lots of fish. Anne finally realized we should be asking for a man. Duh! Our priorities were messed up. Next time Liz asked I requested a "perfect man please". She looked to the side for a moment, then back at me and asked "What's a perfect man?" We laughed ourselves silly.
We went shopping, visiting, and I think this is the night the three of us called it an early night and bought steaks for the grill. Anne met some more new people - Kristi's dad, more family at the lake house.
I had to go to work in the morning for my last day and had to go to bed early. I talked Kristi into staying in order to go to my knitting group on Monday night. Cari called and she was serving breakfast a 9am so Kristi's worries about what she was going to do while I was at work were solved. Cari was having her new windows installed and needed help moving furniture. I had to decline, but I RSVP'd for Kristi. :)
Saturday
I am very proud of myself for remembering back this far! This was the day we were going to go canoeing, but it is cold and threatening rain. No one even considered it!
Saturday, Kristi arrived to stay with Anne and I in my disorganized house, with a hostess on her last legs mentally. Just tell me where to go and when to be there became my phrase. Of course, the mentally legless can still have fun. I did a lot of laundry, visiting, and general bumping into walls, getting up and forgetting why, and numerous other things people do when exhausted but too overstimulated to do anything about it.
The three of us visited the new arrivals that night and Anne had a whole new family to learn. What a trouper, she got them all right when quizzed, except the kids. They had just finished their baths and even to me, they all looked alike! When we got back home, she made a list of all the people she had met in the last 2 days and the total was 27!
I think this was the night we ate at the Spikehorn, because we went to the lake, right afterwards. Then stopped at Nibbles on the way home. Anne loves the broasted chicken and we were all happy we didn't run into the old boyfriend. (He had taken us there last year when Anne visited.)
Saturday, Kristi arrived to stay with Anne and I in my disorganized house, with a hostess on her last legs mentally. Just tell me where to go and when to be there became my phrase. Of course, the mentally legless can still have fun. I did a lot of laundry, visiting, and general bumping into walls, getting up and forgetting why, and numerous other things people do when exhausted but too overstimulated to do anything about it.
The three of us visited the new arrivals that night and Anne had a whole new family to learn. What a trouper, she got them all right when quizzed, except the kids. They had just finished their baths and even to me, they all looked alike! When we got back home, she made a list of all the people she had met in the last 2 days and the total was 27!
I think this was the night we ate at the Spikehorn, because we went to the lake, right afterwards. Then stopped at Nibbles on the way home. Anne loves the broasted chicken and we were all happy we didn't run into the old boyfriend. (He had taken us there last year when Anne visited.)
Thursday & Friday, June 26 and 27
I spent Thursday running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I had PT and someone hit my parked car in the parking lot. They left a note, but I did not notice it until I was almost to my parents, then I saw it stuck under my windshield wiper. I slowed down so I wouldn't lose it, thinking it was a love note from a secret admirer. Why does everyone laugh when I tell that story?
I made it to the TWICE Retreat and everything went smoothly. It was exciting to brainstorm and think about new ideas and goals for next year. The RAM Center is an awesome place to stay. We had a bonfire on the beach the night before and tons of food and great weather.
Friday, afternoon we all parted ways, except a few of us trying to get Anne's car started by jumping it. It took a while and we were wrapping up as it started to rain. Anne and Terry were following me to the freeway and a torrential downpour started. It was almost impossible to see. I finally pulled over at the Valero until it lightened up. Eventually, Anne and I made it to my house and the sky cleared and the sun came out again. I ran to get Sadie and Anne drove her car around some more to charge the battery.
We went to my parents for dinner and when I pulled into the driveway, I warned Anne that she was going to meet EVERYONE. The driveway was full of cars. No worries, she remembered my family, and the lone Flory. We hung out for several hours before heading home. When we got home she tried to get into her car and it was so dead the locks wouldn't unlock with the remote! This car is 1.5 years old and covered under warranty...but it is Friday night. Long story short, Anne spent the rest of the weekend on the phone and I had a very expensive, yet lovely lawn ornament. :)
I made it to the TWICE Retreat and everything went smoothly. It was exciting to brainstorm and think about new ideas and goals for next year. The RAM Center is an awesome place to stay. We had a bonfire on the beach the night before and tons of food and great weather.
Friday, afternoon we all parted ways, except a few of us trying to get Anne's car started by jumping it. It took a while and we were wrapping up as it started to rain. Anne and Terry were following me to the freeway and a torrential downpour started. It was almost impossible to see. I finally pulled over at the Valero until it lightened up. Eventually, Anne and I made it to my house and the sky cleared and the sun came out again. I ran to get Sadie and Anne drove her car around some more to charge the battery.
We went to my parents for dinner and when I pulled into the driveway, I warned Anne that she was going to meet EVERYONE. The driveway was full of cars. No worries, she remembered my family, and the lone Flory. We hung out for several hours before heading home. When we got home she tried to get into her car and it was so dead the locks wouldn't unlock with the remote! This car is 1.5 years old and covered under warranty...but it is Friday night. Long story short, Anne spent the rest of the weekend on the phone and I had a very expensive, yet lovely lawn ornament. :)
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