I had a very busy but good weekend. I went to Carmen's Halloween party and I must admit her house looks like it should be in the pages of the magazine. I was very depressed when I got back to my sad looking apartment. I'm really, really going to have to buy myself a dining room table at the very least... Sunday, I watched the Hex Marathon on BBC and I made Minestrone Soup from scratch. It was very yummy! Of course, I had enough to feed a small army and will be eating off of what I froze for the rest of the winter... I made that fall tradition, Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese icing, which were also mucho yummy. My co-workers agree. I also finished a small secret xmas present. I have 3 gifts left to finish, one of which I still need to find yarn for because what I bought is not working... UGHHH!!!!

Back to the subject of Hex, if you haven't seen this show, it's very addicting. I turned it on just because there wasn't anything else on Sunday morning and the next thing I know it's 8 hours later and I've watched the entire marathon. This is how sad I am, I even made the soup and cupcakes during commercial breaks so I didn't miss anything. Of course, the highly attractive lead actor, Michael Fassbender, didn't have a thing to do with that at all...not at all I tell you. Although, he was exceedingly easy on the eyes, far exceeding the normal Sunday TV fare. I even looked to look up the Hex page on BBC just to find out who he is. Yes, I need a life... He's younger than me, sadly. What is it all of the sudden everyone is younger than me. Is that sad or what? Where are all the men in their 30's???

I have a busy week at work this week, but if I survive, I'll be home free for the rest of the year!!! Yeah!!! And, the company I work for just announced that they'll close down between x-mas and new year, so that's 10 days off in a row. Yipee!!!

It's a winner...

The St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series!! Hurrah!!! I felt very homesick watching the game. I worked downtown in an office building that overlooked the stadium and it was such a fun atmosphere. Sniff!! Woo Hoo!!

I've finally jumped on the bandwagon and knit a washcloth. It was

enjoyable and a quick project...and although it needs to be blocked, looks pretty darn good.

Hurrah! A Finished Object. Hey, coming out of the funk I've been in, I've got to celebrate every little thing.

I got up this morning. I was feeling good. No headache. Only minimal allergies going on. I slept well. All my projects at work were done and I was going to have an easy day. Fast forward 35 minutes and I'm walking in the office, unlock my door, sit down in my chair....

...and realize I left my laptop at home this morning...

UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

47 Things about me

Since I've been stressed out and traveling, the motivation to knit and blog has been about nil here lately and since I've been feeling guilty about not posting, I've stolen this from Carmen's Blog...

47 Things About Me.
1. FIRST NAME?
Gwen. Just Gwen, not Gwendolyn, not Guinevere...Just Gwen

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Not to my knowledge. My mom just liked the name.

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY?
June 24th about midnight when I broke 2 tiny bones in my foot.

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Cursive: Yes Printing: Not so much

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT?
Really good thinly sliced Ham. With cheese. Colby. Mmmm...

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Yes. I love me. I would probably annoy myself at times, but in general, we'd get along great.

7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL?
This is as close to it and I still don't bare it all...

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
If I weren't terrified of heights and afraid the cable would break with my weight, I would do it. I think it would be incredibly liberating.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Captain Crunch with crunch berries.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Why on earth would you bother to do that??? Off! Off! ASAP!!! is my motto.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
Yes

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
Ben & Jerry's Phish food. If they ever discontinue it, I will seriously cry.

14. SHOE SIZE?
7

15. RED OR PINK?
Both??? Ummm...if I have to make a choice, red.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
Procrastination...

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
My Mom

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
Not necessarily.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Grey work pants and a pink silk sweater. No shoes, black socks.

20. LAST THING YOU ATE?
Popcorn. Which is really weird, because I hated it for years and have only recently become obsessed with it. I have to have it every night.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
My loud computer fan

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Burnt Sienna
Black

23. FAVORITE SMELL?
Lavender bushes in spring. Jasmine.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Some weirdo guy who keeps calling me at work asking me to donate money on behalf of my company. He calls every day.

25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO?
Hands.

26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON you stole THIS from?
Yes. She is always herself.

27. FAVORITE DRINK?
Starbuck's Cafe Mocha...I walked 12 blocks in the cold to have one today...it was that kind of day....

28. FAVORITE SPORT?
Hockey. It's hard living here where we don't have a team.

29. EYE COLOR?
Hazel

30. HAT SIZE?
I look really, really bad in hats, so this is a non-issue

31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Yes

32. FAVORITE FOOD?
Lasagna

33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings. I'm a sap.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Winter. I hat hot.

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Hugs

36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Cherry Pie

37. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
??

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
???
39. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING?
The Historian

40. WHAT’S ON YOUR MOUSE Pad?
Don't have one.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV?
CSI: Miami and an episode of Men in Trees I had DVRed.

42. FAVORITE SOUNDS?
laughter

43. ROLLING STONES or BEATLES?
Beatles

44. THE FURTHEST YOU’VE BEEN FROM HOME?
Germany

45. WHAT’S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT?
I can curl my tongue...

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
St. Louis, MO

47. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
I stole it from Carmen

AWOL

Yes, I'm a bad, bad blogger. I haven't been around for awhile. I have no new knitting projects to report. I've been traveling. I've been working. I'm tired and burned out. Today, on the way home from work, I passed all 3 exits on the highway that lead to my apartment complex. Yes, I drove 10 miles farther down the road before I realized it and wondered where on earth I had gotten to...this didn't look familiar... Ugghhh!!! I missed the darn exit. I decided I didn't need to work anymore tonight. I really needed to relax. Watch some tv. Find my brain again.

I got my yarn in for Lift & Seperate. I had it sent to the office...it's still sitting on the guest chair in my office because I keep forgeting to bring it home. (Can you believe that?) I've been an internet ordering fool. I also bought myself a new comforter for my bed. I like it a lot, but man is it warm! Which will be good for tonight when it gets down to 35 degrees.

That's all for now. Hopefully I'll have knitting news soon. All of my projects I've been working on are due on Friday, so life should slow down after that.

Okay. After a 14 hour layover at my house in Kansas City, I'm now in St. Louis. The whole time in KC was kind of fuzzy. I arrived about midnight because my plane was delayed. I'd like to say as far as airports to be stuck in for more than 8 hours, Atlanta would not be high on my list. The chairs are more uncomfortable that most airports. Bathrooms are far away and the floor is all torn up because their renovating. You might ask why I care that the floor is torn up, but those of you who know me well, knows this did not bode well for me. Yes, I did a faceplant in the middle of the Atlanta aiport. Luckily I got away with just a bruised knee and a little embarrassment. Some guy even came up to me an hour later as I was sitting at my gate and asked me if I was okay. Ummm...other than being mortifying embarrassed that you even remembered me, just fine...

Since I got home so late, I overslept this morning. Oops... I don't remember hearing the alarm. Not sure it went off. Not sure I set it. Not sure I didn't just turn it off when it went off and go back to sleep. Uggghhh! You know how that throws you're whole day off and I was trying to get to the office and get stuff done so I could leave early for my drive to St. Louis, so the day was one whole blurr of action item, action item, conference call, meeting. Ugghhh!

Nothing new on the knitting front. I worked on a sock a little on the way to Atlanta. I called half the people in my phone book and then had a long discussion with a KC cop while waiting for my plane on the way back, so no knitting got done... Yes, I was bored. Cop was interesting though.

So far, the simple sock thing seems to be working. I'm about an inch from the heel and I've not yet felt the urge to rip it out. I also ordered yarn for the Lift & Seperate sweater. I've decided on some Elsbeth Lavold Silky Wool in a nice blue. Which is different for my wardrobe which is mostly pink and purple and orange...which is weird, I know.

I had a busy weekend this weekend. I went shopping at the Talbot's sale...which is an evil place I tell you. I bought a pair of pants, a sweater, a cardigan & tank, and 2 shirts. I also stopped by a yarn store and bought some size 0 Brittany needles for some socks I want to take with me on the plane to Atlanta on Tuesday. I stopped and bought a new CD (The Fray) for my car ride to St. Louis on Friday. Then I came home to do the 6 loads of laundry. Got to love the weather changes, where you can wear all your cool weather clothes and then it warms up, so you can go back and wear all your warm weather clothes. It really extends the amount of time between laundry cycles, but it had to be done since I'm in Atlanta Tues - Thurs and then St. Louis Sun-Mon. I was kind of looking forward to November because I thought I was going to get to stay in town from 10/28 til Thanksgiving, but while working this evening, I discovered I need to go to Dallas the second week in November. You know, I really don't have job where one would think you travel a lot. The past two months not-withstanding...

New Lows...

My knitting slump has taken on new depths...I went to a yarn store today and I couldn't find anything to buy. Yes, it's a sad, sad day. I even went looking for something specific to make an x-mas present and nothing appealed. I need to get out of the funk... Finishing old objects didn't work. Trying to start new major projects not working...so, I've gone back to basics. I started a simple sock with no pattern. Just the straight sock pattern. I'm hoping this will help...

I've been thoroughly spoiled...

by my Knitflix pal!!! Noelle, you are a goddess, you totally rock. I've had an up and down week and this package just made everything better.

She gave me the Hugh Grant double feature of 4 Weddings and Funeral and Sense & Sensibility. And the coolest thing ever for movie knitting, Knit Lites knitting needles. Yippee. Two totally different yet totally cool pink sock yarns. I love, love, love pink. 2 books - Socks, Socks, Socks and Knit Fix. A sock Pattern. A note book and a pen and the coolest thing ever, a Sock Blocker key chain, where you can knit your own sock to go over it. Whenever it wears out or you get tired of it, you just knit a new one to go on the blocker. How cool is that! I've never seen that before. Great usage for extra yarn. Also some green chili pistacio nuts...Yes, they're already opened. They're wonderful. Where on earth can I get some of those here in the midwest. :-)

Noelle, you totally rock. Thank you so much!!!

I'm back...for a few days anyway. The world is conspiring against me. I came home last night and my toilet overflowed. Big yuck. I had a pen explode on my at work today. Big fun. I rushed out of the office this evening so I could get to the apartment office before 6pm to get my Knitflix package only to run into traffic and arrive at the office at 6:01 to find the door locked and no, knocking did not bring anyone. UGHHHHH!!!!! I want my package!!!! On top of all that, I still have knitting malaise. I broke out the Mountain colors yarn. The yarn that I lusted after for months before buying. Yarn I've been saving for over a year. Yep, you guessed. Knit, Frog, Knit, Frog. I need some mental help. UGHHH!!!!!