If I didn't have bad luck... Episode #20035

I'd have no luck at all. As evidenced...

Today started off good. Joanna called me and got me up out of bed to go to Teri's garage sale. Sat and knitted with Teri and Joanna. Helped Teri inventory their donation to good will before I left to go get my oil changed. As I was turning into the parking lot where the oil change place when I heard a Pop! and then BAM!!! JOLT!!! UGHHH!!! Yep, rear-ended. Not a ton of damage to my car and none to me. Just a scratched back bumper. Uggghh!!! Now I have to find a time to get it fixed.

Carmen, wonderful person that she is, came and picked me up and we went out to dinner and then to see 300. A bloodier movie, I don't recall every having seen. Of course, you did get to see 300 attractive men running around in leather underwear with washboard stomachs, such as Michael Fassbender, of Hex Fame. Yumm!!

I've officially become one of those people...












I've been delaying the inevitable for over a year now. I finally decided I had to get one around the first of January and still managed not to get one until now, but I'm traveling a lot in the upcoming months and rather than dragging my computer along everywhere if I don't have to, this is a much better option. Believe it or not, 3 years ago, I didn't even own a cell phone...

So, I've been a bad blogger and no, not because of the crackberry...that just came today. I've been obsessively working on a gift for my nephew-to-be and since I can't post pictures of my progress (BTW...Looks amazing and I'll post after the shower on 4/14), I've been slacking off. Tonight
I did finish off a quick MasonDixon baby bib for a co-worker I'll see in Chicago next week. I started a second one in bright orange to go with it. She hasn't found out whether or not she's having a girl or a boy. I might whip a few more as well. Someone asked me if I would knit a scarf for a March of Dimes auction and while I won't have time to a full scarf (I have auction standards...), maybe since it's honor of babies I'll make a set of 3 and get some appliques to sew on as well. I'll have to consider it.

I'll leave you with the best example of my week at work...

"Hi... Why, yes, I'm responsible for hiring staff at XYZ company. Soon to graduate you say...Congratulations... Looking for a job you say?? We need you to have this specialized degree in order to work at XYZ company. A degree in psychology you say.... Well, unless you possess this specialized degree and are eligible to do this, we don't have any openings...Yes, I work in HR here at XYZ company...no we don't currently have an HR positions available in the Kansas City market...No, we don't have any business management training openings either, that's not a position we have here...the only thing we have available for new grads is for people with this specific educational background who are eligible to do this... You might get an MBA...That's great...No, we still don't have any jobs open if you don't have this and can't do this. Oh, you saw that on our posting at your college, so you realize, we do this very specialized work and we only need people with this specialized degree and this additional education that will enable them to do this... Well, yes, I do work here an no, I'm not that. No, again, we don't currently have any openings except for people with this education who can do this at this time. Sure, go ahead and submit your resume... " (anything that will get you off my phone...)

It's officially spring now in my world. I performed those two activities that in my world signify it's officially spring.

First, I took the first convertible ride of the season. Which, of course required about 30 minutes of cleaning all the junk out of it so I could drive around with the top down without hitting anyone with empty Diet Coke cans or directions to someone's house.

Secondly, I did my semi-annual closet cleaning. It's that time of year when I put away my winter sweaters and take out the short-sleeve shirts or the reverse in the fall. I also go through and decide what clothing to give away. What's gotten rundown and unwearable, what's good but I'm not wearing. If I didn't wear it all year, I'll take a look at it and decide whether I'm going to wear it next year. Some stuff I keep and then if I don't wear it again the next year. Goodwill or some other person who will wear it. Works great. So, I now have a 2 foot pile of clothing that I need to decide what to do with, but that's a job for another day.

Welcome Spring!

Secret Pal 10 contest

Shelby, my wonderful Secret Pal is having a contest. First, put your questions where they can be found. I have a link. Yeah me!

Part two was to post about our current favorite project we're working on.
I'm in love with Lady Eleanor from Scarft Style. I'm making it in Silk Garden color #247. I love entrelac. It may be stockinette knitting, but it doesn't bore me. I love to watch the colors shift. This is for me. It could be replaced in my affections by my new project though, seen above. Which some of you will recognize, but is a surprise. It's in 1824 Cotton and the colors are more muted than above.

Other than that, those of you who know me well, will be amused by my latest act of gracefullness. It was one of those moments where everything you did to try and stop it just made it worse. I tripped over a decorative tile embedded in the carpet in our lobby. I first tried to catch myself with my other leg, but by bad knee gave out. So, still going forward, I stuck out my arm to catch myself on the wall, only instead of going forward with a flat palm, I caught the tips of all of my fingers...which have these wonderfully strong nails for once courtesy of a recent manicure, which kind of tried to pull off of my fingers instead of breaking. Now those of you who are a little bit clutzy like me, will realize that fingers do not stop the downward forward motion. Yes...you can see it coming can't you??? I went face first into the wall. Yes, I have carpet burn on the tip of my nose from going into the fabric tectured wall face first at work. Yes, indeedy it was a fun day all around. Nose is still sore today, but the fingers have recovered...

















me.

Hello... Still alive here. Still not feeling back to normal. Lots of congestion and then to make matters worse, I threw my back out. So, needless to say, I spent lost of time this weekend laying in bed with an ice pack. Ughhh. I did get some knitting done though. Here is the progress on Lady Eleanor. I really love this pattern. It is so much fun to knit and the Noro Silk Garden is just fabulous! Other than that, I didn't do much else this weekend. Back hurt too much to walk around all that much. I'd really, really like to be a whole human being again and resume my life... Here's hoping next week will be better. :-)

Fins Up!

The ick got worse. Was a sinus infection. Spent 3 days wondering if I was ever going to breath again...two of those prostrate in bed. I'm getting better now though especially after I got the news today...

My totally awesome, amazing, wonderful friend Beth has secured for us 2 lawn seats to see Jimmy Buffett in Cincinnati. I'm incredibly excited and it's 4 months away. I haven't seen Jimmy in 4 long years. Those of you who have seen Jimmy in concert can truly appreciate the awesome spectacle that is a Jimmy Buffett concert. People watching is every bit as much fun as the music. And I have to say, of all the places I've seen Jimmy, Cincinnati is the best. Hoorah!!! July 26th can't get here fast enough for me. It's an especially auspicious time in my life as I have a ton of project deadlines the week before and I will be ready to relax and have a few margaritas. Beth is truly a goddess among women and knitters!

Hello. I'm still here. It was a long week at work and I seem to have acquired some general ick that is not gettting worse, not getting better, but is just enough to be annoying and sap all my energy. Chest Congestion, sometimes sore throat, sometimes runny nose... UGGHHH!!!

There has been some knitting going on and some FOs.
First up is the Placket neck sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. I did get the corrected instructions and still had to make some small corrections to make it work. I don't know if that's a pattern error or a knitter error...so we'll call it a moot point. At the moment all it needs is some buttons, but I didn't have anything that would go with the bright orange, so I set it to the side and started on the second project...
Bibs from the wonderful Mason Dixon knitting book. These are so easy and they go so fast. I knit two of the up in a matter of hours. Woo Hoo!







Next up are the new projects just started. First up is the RPM sock from
knitty.com a pattern by the amazing Aija (who also did the awesome space invaders socks in the current knitty). This time in Socks that Rock colorway Watermelon Tourmaline. The colors remind me of spring. I still love this pattern as much as the first time I knit it.




Next we have the Krista Tee from White Lies Designs. This is in some Berocco Touche I bought at Stitches Midwest last year. I have to make sure I use up some of last years purchases so I can buy more this year. (Hence the STR above as well...)
Hopefully I'll be able to finish this by summertime to wear. Lastly, work still continues on Lady Eleanor, but I'm to the point where you really can't tell there's being any progress made, so I'll photograph sometime in the future again.

20/20

In progress from my New Year's resolution. I joined a gym about 1 month ago. I make it regularly twice a week and I'm so-so on getting there 3 days a week, but I aspire. The good news is that I have worked my way up from 15 minutes on an exercise bike (and nearly dying) to 20 minutes on the bike and 20 minutes on the elliptical machine. I'd be more excited but my knees are killing me...

My parent's were in town this weekend. We had a good time. We went to see Wild Hogs, which was absolutely hysterical. I love William Macy. I went in with extremely low expectations and was at one point laughing so hard I was crying. We also went to see the Arabia Steamer. Which is where 5 guys basically dug a sunken Steamboat out of the river and display everything they found inside. Surprisingly very cool and one of the guys who dug it up even comes out and talks. Vastly superior to The Dead Sea Scrolls . Which in spite of my undying love of history, was mind-numbingly boring.

There was knitting this weekend... I'm onto the 3rd skein of the Noro Silk Garden on my Lady Eleanor shawl. Still totally in love with Entrelac. It
never seems to get boring. 2 most important things to learn before knitting Lady Eleanor. #1. How to spit splice wool. Huge improvement to weaving in ends. #2. How to knit backwards. Probably most important thing to learn for this. I learned when I was making the Ruffles scarf, also from Scarf Style.


I'm also nearing the end of the Placket Neck sweater from Last Minute
Knitted gifts. This sweater is extrememly easy and it's going by so quickly...although, it's by no means a 4-6 hour sweater as promised in the book. :-)