One Is The Loneliest Number

Yes, the first sock is done and the second one is halfway there. I had to restart once - the first time I tried a pattern down the sides but the yarn is so busy you couldn't even really see it, so it was a lot of work for nothing. So a bit of frogging took place and I reworked it as a plain old sock made out of fancy schmancy Australian wool. We did not do too much today. The computer got another ride to Best Buy, we had paid to have them clean it up and it still had a virus on it so they got it off - I hope. We did Micheal's today - I am a little miffed at AC Moore. I was buying yarn on clearance and the cashier gave me a very hard time about it - she kept insisting I had to pay full price even though I told her there was a sign right in front of the yarn stating it was on clearance AND I double checked to make sure it was the right yarn. She stomped to the back and stayed back there so long I finally left - I was just buying it because it was on sale, not because I needed it and anyone that has seen the Yarn Closet knows I REALLY do not need another skein of yarn. I actually was only buying it as Pity Yarn, I had wanted to go to Milford this weekend to get yarn at Jill Deal and eat at the nifty restaurant that you can eat on the porch while everyone walks by and envies you. But we had someone to come look at the house and we had to take Pearl so we ended up driving to Stroudsburg to look at our potential - we are really tossing that one back and forth. It is a huge undertaking(not to mention we stank of cat pee for the rest of the day) - but it really is what I like. We are thinking about making a super lowball offer and seeing what happens. And the stinkin people blew off the RE and didn't even come and look at our house after all that driving Miss Pants around. Oh, so anyhoo, I didn't get to go to Milford and sit on the porch and eat stuff and then buy very pricey yarn I don't need which is why I was in AC Moore trying to buy yarn that I not only didn't need, but probably didn't really want - but you know what they say - if you can't be with the yarn you love, love the yarn you're with......

Busy Days, Sleepy Nights

Interesting week. Our office set another billing record (since we had no record until a couple of months ago it was a bit easier than it will be down the road) - if your office sets a record you get a present! And they are big presents - at WSV we went out to dinner at the Mohegan Sun. We got silver necklaces. This time both offices got prizes, we got gourmet picnics which included Brie, French sour dough, etc... and we got a glass ice tea urn which is worth quite a bit! We ran like crazy all week, the office is exploding on a daily basis and we run - but the WSV office sends up reinforcements so there is someone there every day thank goodness - it is a good company to work for. David and I are looking at a highly inappropriate house in Stroudsburg - it's exactly what we want minus the frogs in the in ground pool, the cat pee aroma and the general nastiness we seen to think is a challenge. I don't think we'll get it but we are going to try and see what happens. Let's see, what else, Adam is out to sea again, I think John will be sailing for a short time soon, Jackson doesn't set sail until after September. I'm going on a conference at the end of Sept and then another one in November. Everyone liked the little bundt cakes I brought back from vacation - for BOTH offices. It's hard to find something to bring back - I didn't want to do the key ring or coffee mug - how many can you own - but found little gourmet bundt cakes that fit the bill perfectly - I counted them up twice to make sure I had enough - I did thank goodness. Since I've been working both offices I bought for everyone. In other gift giving ventures Liz received the shawl - I thought she should have it because the colors reminded me of her - and since she hurt her shoulder it's nice for her to have a present too. I've been sleeping very good lately, the weather is already getting cooler and I think with all the working I've been doing I just pass out on a nightly basis. But I am getting the hang of it (I think) and every day is a "learning curve" as my boss likes to refer to it. Sometimes it's more of a "screaming and puking curve" but we survive. All the kids are heading back to school which is a bit sad for me, this is the first time we have no one to send off to school in almost 30 years, how odd is that?

Back To Work

The first day back at work always stinks a little bit, you're not quite ready, it went too fast, just one more day. But if you had one more day, well quite frankly, you would want another one. While I was away there were major changes made in the office -more desks, more computers, more training. This was stress I don't need, also compounded by the fact that David will be coming back Wednesday instead of Monday as planned - it wouldn't be such a problem except our dog sitter is on vacation which means of course Miss Pants is stuck in the house for close to 12 hours. So I take her out in the morning as early and long as I can and rush home. Since it's summer I can BBQ so I cook and eat outside so she romp around. This is the one thing we had not thought about when we got her - that all the kids would grow up and go, no one to let her out after school. It's quiet here with just me and the pets, we fall into a rhythm easily. They crowd at night, I often wake up pushed to the edge of the bed or pinned to the mattress, one on each side and another across my feet. They're not above taking liberties. I spend a lot of time outside while I'm home - the weather is lovely but the mosquitos are NOT - if you stand outside without bug spray a cloud collects quickly and they commence the attack. So I smell most days.

Vacation Is Over.

Yep, this is it. Last day. Oh well, I have to say I had a good one - seeing Adam and the Carters, not to mention romping around Norfolk for the beginning of the week and just hanging about for the rest of it - great! I've spent most of the weekend alternately eating crap and cleaning the house - I also made it to the dentist on Saturday. I haven't been since we've moved and I've been putting it off ever since. I hate going to the dentist but the one time I didn't my teeth went downhill fast so I will not be repeating that again. It wasn't too bad and I have one cavity, one that needs to be redone and one that will be done solely for cosmetic reasons. I found a dentist that is near my office so I can go right after work instead of racing back to here and taking off a lot of time. I am busy getting ready for back to work tomorrow, part of me is dreading it, but I think I'm ready to go back. The only issue is David is still working out on LI and our pet sitter is on vacation so it will be a rough week for Miss Pants but I'm sure she'll survive.

The Wild Blue Yonder

I know, I couldn't stop looking at either. But I have. Because like most everything I make it was packed up quite tightly and shipped off for a new home after I took a few more pictures for posterity. Whoosh. There it goes. I have a few more days of Laying About And So Forth so in celebration I decided to Wash The Dog. Pearl is actually quite good about it, she just hops in the tub and lets you scrub her. I couldn't find the dog shampoo so she smells quite herbal, any port in a storm. The rain has been awful this morning, I went to do a few errands and it was coming down so hard and so fast you couldn't see. Well - I could see the Flasher People, those are the morons that the second it starts raining they hit the emergency flashers, I have yet to figure that one out. I mean if you put on your lights you can see the taillights quite well, when they put on their flashers I can never quite figure out if they're having car trouble or they're just stupid - most of the time they're just stupid. I can see the sky is turning black again, the rain has been off and on all day. But it's ok. I have no plans - just knitting, Laying About and So Forth.

On The Rack

Yep, it's finally finished - it actually didn't take that much time given it's size. It's probably a little over sized, while you're knitting a shawl it tends to look much smaller than it actually is as it's all scrunched up. Once you soak it and block it, stretching it as tight as it will go and then some, it takes on magnificent proportions. The yarn is called Caribbean, a bit on the bright side but I really liked it. There were 3 holes that needed repair but given the amount of mesh panels there are that is not bad in the over all scheme of things, so I quick grabbed a crochet hook and did the repairs after I got it all blocked out, now it just sits and dries for a few days, then it's off to it's new home. David is off to LI this morning, I will be holding down the fort for the next few days. We figured while I was on vacation would be a good time for him to go as we wouldn't have to worry about the dog and honestly, I don't know about you, but I get a lot more done when I have the place to myself. We're pretty much caught up, there's still a mountain of wash to do, things to put away, the usual Post Vacation stuff. The dog needs a bath, we did the food shopping, oil change, etc. I'm sure work will come too soon but I plan on getting some stuff done that I've been putting off for awhile. And I started a pair of socks too.

Norfolk Rocks.

I have a very limited amount of pictures, I took some the first day we were there and then that was it - I got too busy. Adam looks great and is doing well - we got to see him the entire time we were down there and squeezed a lot of stuff into that short time. We checked out of the hotel Sunday morning around 11, did a little bit of exploring and then went to get Adam. We did lunch, mall, and then to Carleen and John's. They had a BBQ and after I went out to the movies with Carleen and Tara to see The Ugly Truth - David, John and Adam stayed home. The next day we headed to Virginia Beach, the Yarn Hater was just dying to get some yarn so I was like, ok, stop crying! we'll go and get some yarn. We went to the Knitting Corner where they were having a SALE - whoo hoo!! bonus! About then the sea monkey called so we went and got him and went to the NEX which was more of a high light for me than Adam. He can go anytime he wants though so it's not a big excitement for him. I went to the movies again, this time Section 9 which we liked more than David did. The guy that was working the concession stand was the slowest thing I have ever seen in my life, he was so slow he forgot our order halfway through (popcorn, water soda) and had to re-evaluate the situation, we made it in right when the movie started. We went back to John and Carleen's- they are both busy with the sports starting up, work,etc. but we had pizza and beer for dinner. Adam got worried when I was on my second one as I was taking him back to the ship but I assured him it was alright as I not only had a pass but would let them know I knew the captain. Adam did not find that amusing but two beers does not a hammered mom make. So he got back to the ship in one piece (not to mention the ship is like a mile down the road) - the trip back home was uneventful and since we had directions that did not take us through every major city on the way back it was even fun. David is taking off for LI tomorrow and I will be manning the ship here.

It's The Navy Life For Me

What a fun day! John and Carleen's friend Tara met us at nine and took us to the place where you get the navy passes - we had a little bit of stress. You needed your registration and proof of insurance (no exceptions) - and we have a rental car. They said we needed a copy of the rental agreement and David thought it might be home on the table. But it turned out David had folded it up and tucked it in the glove compartment so we were able to go get our Sea Monkey from the navy piers. He looks great, just got back from being underway for a couple of weeks so we took him back to the hotel for coffee and then off we went. We went to the mall of course, Barnes and Noble, Eddie Bauer. He picked lunch, pizza place with beer of course (all of his favorite places seem to feature beer in one form or another) - but he has grown past that stage, has for a couple of years. After lunch we weren't sure what to do so I put in the GPS that I wanted the water and we ended up at the Naval Museum for the afternoon. It was pretty great, the USS Wisconsin is there and there was fish and stuff. We are just laying around the hotel right now, David and I are still recovering from our drive yesterday. We'll go out to dinner and then we're stopping over John and Carleen's to say hi. We're staying with them Sunday and Monday (Adam actually does have Monday off) and then will start wandering towards home on Tuesday. But right now we are enjoying Adam, he looks wonderful and is doing well - it will be fun seeing the Carters too - I love vacations, don't you?

We Are Here!

We left yesterday from PA around 2:30, I took a few personal hours so we could get a jump on things. Adam only has the weekend off so we will be spending it with him and then John and Carleen too - but we wanted to be here Saturday morning. It was a bit hairy - Adam's ship has been out all week so it was a little quasi if they would get here in time, but David and I are troopers and in the car we went. Mapquest had said 6 hours, about - I suppose that is if you are the only person in the universe and no longer have bodily functions. It's actually about 9 if you leave so that you arrive in Baltimore at the EXACT time everyone else in town decides to go home from work and there you will sit and sit. My stomach is still settling, I thought David would be bringing food - I had thought sandwiches, juice, fruit,etc. I got a box of low fat crackers and a bottle of water - and I hadn't eaten lunch. We stopped at a truck stop and just FYI - Stuffed Spinach Pizza with a Cinnabun chaser is never a good idea. Especially if you are over the age of 10. We arrived at the hotel about 11 pm - I have never been so grateful to see a bed and bathroom - John and Carleen reserved the room for us so we knew where to go, Norfolk is pretty big if you've never been here and I'm sure knowing us, we would have accidently rented a room with hourly rates. We slept like the dead and then scampered down to the continental breakfast(Coffee!!) We're meeting John and Carleen's friend Tara at 9 am, she's going to get us a pass and then we'll meet Adam at Pier 12! It's raining of course but we don't care, we are vacationing. In other news right before we left town David called and said the gynocologist's office called and I had to call the nurse. So I did and left a message - they didn't say why so it was a little unnerving - did they find something? Right before we left they called back - they had the bone density test results and it turns out my bones are perfect and impressive - they told me whatever it is I do, keep doing it. So it was a nice start to our vacation.

La Shopper

David and I went shopping yesterday - I got two great skirts for $7 apiece. The second one didn't really fit - it's such a pretty skirt I couldn't resist, it's white linen with flowers embroidered in white on the bottom - it was a size 10 but I thought I could take it in a little bit. When I got it home I realized THE HANGER was a size 10, the skirt was a 14. But I made a little pleat in the back - well, actually a 5 inch pleat but it all worked out and I have super sweet new skirt. But I can't see the washing instructions because I pleated it so I will just have to take my chances. Work was interesting today, I have a co-worker! Yep, we are an office of Two, side by side. It's a small office so the difference between being put on hold and handing the phone is about 2 feet - it's nice to not have to do everything. I told Jason he is not allowed to gain any weight as we have about 20 inches of room between our desks and the wall - if he gains weight he'll have to go sit by the bathroom. Peds is glad to have another boy in town - they have two boys so now there is someone else to hang out with - since both offices are fairly small we are back and forth between the two. We do stuff for them and they come over and help out if I need it. I'm having my first real meeting tomorrow, the director will even be there so I might head up a little early. I'm even a little excited.

Stop The Presses, I Don't Have Cancer

I guess I pretty much knew I didn't have breast cancer, what the NP said she found was LumpeeNESS (yes, that is exactly how she said it) but given current events I think it weighes heavily on everyone's mind these days. It's funny how you get out of the habit of the yearly mammogram and given my family history and personal history I was told back in my 30's that I needed to go every year without fail. I failed. So this week I found myself knitting and wearing a little cotton cape - it is this odd little hybrid johnny coat without arms designed to protect, well , I'm not sure - your modesty? Certainly not your dignity. I brought my knitting and knit my way through all empty spaces between the testing. Mammo first, stand here, relax your arm, hold still, now to turn to the other side. Bone density test, knees up, knees down, yes the doctor does want a a sonogram too and sign here so we can get your old films to compare - that made me a little nervous. Had to wait for the sonogram so I got in a couple of rows - I was sitting across from another Caped Crusader, she was in her 80's and the sight of my knitting brought back so many years of quilting, her daughter was there smiling fondly at her mother and her memories, it was strangely pleasant for all of us and it took my mind off of the sonogram that they wanted after all. Sonogram is wet and cold, laying on the unaffected side while someone runs a rod over the area in question, stopping and taking pictures, discussing what I am knitting, do I have children, click click. And we're done. I don't have cancer, I have a letter to prove it with the word NORMAL written several times. How did they know I worried after all?

Save Your Money, Eat Crap

One of the things that happens when you go to the Dark Side ("become a vegetarian") is you find yourself hanging around the natural food stores or if you're lucky - a real chinese grocery store. It's because you suddenly know the difference between seitan and tempeh, that you need edamae beans for that cold quinoa salad you want to make for a protein overload. I have popped into pretty much all the organic and natural places - and have found them not only lacking, but way overpriced. I was a little shocked to see the aduki beans I buy in Wegmans for $1.69 marked up to almost $4 a can - the organic place around the corner - EIGHT DOLLARS FOR A PINT OF ORGANIC BLUEBERRIES!! I actually think that all blueberries are organic and if I buy the General Kind down the road they are $2 a pint. There is a chinese grocery in Scranton but since I no longer drive those roads I am out of luck on that. I miss the one in West Virginia in the back parking lot with the big grey security door. What they lacked in atmosphere they more than made up in price and freshness - I miss eating baby bok choy, taro root, red bean paste rolls. I haven't seen fresh tofu in so long I don't know if I'd recognize it if I saw it. I am still enjoying the BBQ - we use it every night that I'm not horsing down the raisin bran - I have no idea why I love that so much but I do. We are busy busy at work, my new co-worker spent the day up at Stroudsburg and hopefully he'll soon be a full time up there.

Grilling Between The Raindrops

This has to be the most dismal summer ever - yesterday started off rainy but cleared up and was finally warm, almost hot really. But last night the clouds moved in again and Pearl and I spent part of the morning under the deck like the trolls we are. Yesterday was quiet, I finally got a few things done around here, we had more dust than a crypt and the bathroom got a good swamping out. David bought a used riding mower and sold the Gravely, we always seem to be horse trading in mowers. We have bee using the grill quite a bit, we sat outside at the picnic table for the first time this summer, with the new fence we don't have to watch Pearl every second (she likes to hang out on the side of the road). It was nice. I'm not sure what I'm doing today, we have to hit the grocery store AGAIN - we have two lists a week, one is the one we shop off of and the other is all the things we forgot the first time around. But we've been good lately and have been spending about $70 less a week by only going twice a week and keeping a list - and sticking to it. More or less. Yesterday was less. We went to Wegmans and I cannot be responsible for what happens there. My diet is moving along, I am only losing a pound a week now, it sucks that as you get smaller you also have to eat less and you lose less. But at least it's coming off and I didn't put it on in a week so I suppose it won't all come off in a week. The shawl I'm knitting is coming along slowly but it's a good pattern because you don't have to pay a lot of attention to it and you don't have to keep checking the pattern and it goes pretty much everywhere. I went to the gynocologist this week too so I am having a bone density test because I am an Old Lady AND a mammogram AND a sonogram because they found a lump (big surprise there, when don't they find a lump??) and we need to look at it just in case. But it's movable so it's not a big concern at the moment, just as long as they leave where they found it - due to all the surgeries I've had so far my retirement career as an Exotic Dancer will never happen so I'll have to think of something else.