The Scarf

Okay, first I have to start with the car.  Oh, poor Roxy.  She was more of a mess than I thought.  I'd hoped the noise she was making was because the bushings were going bad.  But upon examination by a qualified mechanic, whom I trust, it turns out there was much more wrong with her than that.  So she got new ball joints and control arms and new wheel bearings and new transmission lines.  And I am out a small fortune that I'll be paying off for six months or more.  Which is less than fun but I will deal.

Second I have to say that I ended up getting sent home from work today.  It's actually pretty cool when you have a headache bad enough that your boss notices and tells you to get out and go home and get better.  Now, granted, she needs me to come in tomorrow so she'd rather I went rested so that I didn't have to cal in tomorrow, but still.  There's a lot of things that are crappy about my job, but the people, and the family atmosphere in our little office, isn't one of them.  

But after pain relievers and a good long nap, I woke up feeling 95% better and that was awesome.  I was able to eat, and that helped even more.  And then, I sat down and finished the scarf I'd been working on. I'm keeping it and I love it a lot.

So, I adore it.  And it's actually brighter than what is usual for me.  I honestly didn't expect to like it as much as I do.  But because I do, I have no qualms about keeping it, even though I usually feel guilty about making stuff for myself.

It was super easy too.  I only had to frog it twice before I figured out that a simple basket weave pattern would both show off the yarn and give it texture and excitement.  It's color change yarn, and it happened to work out that the number of stitches I used meant it self-stripped.  Which, I think, is awesome.  

Pattern time!  In case anyone cares to give this a go.
I used Hikoo by skacel Simplicity for the yarn.  It's a DK weight, but I used size US 8 needles (5 mm).  It gives the yarn a bit more stretch.

CO 50 (or any multiple of five)

Row 1: K 5, P 5 to end
Row 2: P 5, K 5 to end
Row 3: rep row 1
Row 4: rep row 2
Row 5: rep row 1
Row 6: P 5, K 5 to end
Row 7: K 5, P 5 to end
Row 8: rep row 6
Row 9: rep row 7
Row 10: rep row 6

And yep, that's it.  Repeat these 10 rows till desired length, bind off, and you'll have alternating blocks of stockinette and reverse stockinette that are 5 stitches wide and 5 rows tall.  It means that this scarf is basically reversible, because whichever side is showing is the right side.  I love that in scarves.  

Okay, yeah, super easy pattern right?  Sometimes, simple is better.  Not always, but in this case, I definitely let the yarn do the work and I didn't want to muck it up with complicated stitches.  Besides, reversible! :D

Poor Sis

Sis is sick.  Way sicker than she's been in a long time.  It started with the sniffles, and then of course, got worse.  She started throwing up, and everything was bad.  The doctor diagnosed her with bronchitis and sinusitis.  But unfortunately, she was also still throwing up.  Because she couldn't keep anything down, she got really dehydrated.  With the sickness, and the dehydration, and the throwing up, there came a migraine.  But she couldn't do anything to combat the migraine because of all the other things.  

We ended up in the emergency room Thursday night because the pain was so very bad.

After an insanely long wait, during which she was crying and begging me to take her home, she was finally seen by the doctor.  Two hours, a half a liter of saline, some anti-nausea meds, and something for the pain later, and it was like she was a brand new person.  The pain was gone, and she was tired, but acting like herself again.  

She's getting better every day.  Still very sick, but she's better than she was two days ago. 

Which is why the relatives are still arriving today instead of cancelling their trip.  

So yes, house is going to be invaded again.  But with Sis sick, it's going to fall to me to pick up the Sis slack.  So, you know, socializing.  But fortunately, everyone is pretty able to entertain themselves so I don't have to chase after anyone or keep them occupied.  

It's still too cold, but I'm dealing as best I can.  

Knitting on a scarf right now, because now that the interesting part of the hat is done, it's sort of boring.  I'm trying to decide if I want to put some sort of patterning in or not.  Until I decide, it's sitting on the table and waiting.  When I get my new needles (I ordered a very exciting set of interchangeable needles from Addi and I can't freaking wait to get them!) it'll be the thing I work on.  One of the needles I have on the hat right now I don't like, so that, and trying to decide on pattern, is my excuse for leaving it as it is.  Since the needles may be arriving as early as next week, I'll have to make some decisions soon.  Until then, it can sit and I can work on the scarf.

It's not anything complicated, just a simple basket weave pattern, but the yarn changes color and that's always fun.  As I go along, I keep thinking, oh, I'll just do it until the next color comes up.   But at least it gives it a little flavor.  lol.  I didn't buy enough yarn, sadly.  But I just today got an email from my LYS saying that their big birthday sale is going on tomorrow, so I figure I'll pop over there and get some more, and 20% off to boot!  That's a good thing.

Here's wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!

Too Cold and Other Stuff

I thought I was pretty inured to the cold.  I've lived here my entire life, it's always been like this, I thought I was used to it.  But this below zero weather?  Yeah, I've had enough. It's too dang cold.  Can I have my 20s back please?  

Brub is being sworn in today, and he'll officially be a lawyer.  I have to go to work, so sadly I won't get to watch, but Tato and Mum are going and Tato agreed to take pictures if he could.  It's a big deal, and I'm proud of Brub.  

I've implemented a time budget!  Can you believe it?  Finally!  lol.  Okay, so it's still a little, shall we say, flexible.  I think it needs to be because you know what happens when I make plans.  But I've got all the important things in there, the things I need and want to do.  And largely it consists of: when I get home from work I do X on a certain day.  It's been working for a few days.  So I'm going to keep at it.  Today, being Wednesday, means that when I get home, I write.  

Now the computer is near the window, and that makes things a big chilly, but I will deal.  I have my fingerless mitts, slippers, and a wrap.  So I think I'll be able to work.  As long as my brain doesn't freeze, that is.

Mondays means writing or reading, depending on what needs to get done.  Tuesdays are reserved for reading/reviewing.  Wednesdays I write.  Thursdays I yarn (and will be continuing work on my hat).  Fridays are more of a free day, in which I will do one of the three depending on either what needs to get done or what I feel like doing.  Saturdays there's sister time, but after that (or before) there is reading and/or writing.  And on Sundays is another free sort of day, where I read, write and/or yarn, again depending on what needs to get done and what I feel like.  So far, it's been working pretty well, though this past Saturday and Sunday got switched.  I'm going to try very hard to continue on this way.  

It works well in the regard that I can view it as rewards as well.  If I'm in the mood to yarn, but I need to read or write instead, then I tell myself, get through this, get your stuff done, and then you can yarn on this day.  I'm finding it to be a good motivation.  

So that's the report from my corner.  I'm freezing, but I'm doing okay.

How about you all?  Things going well with you?

Open Knitting Fail

So, I was ready right?  Nervous as hell, but I was ready.  I walked into the store, knitting bag in hand, and swallowed down the butterflies.

First thing I noticed?  The owner was not there, which she usually works on Saturdays, and someone else was behind the counter.  No one was sitting at the table knitting.  But it was just exactly one o'clock, so I thought other people might show up.  I went perusing the yarn.  Not that I actually needed more yarn, but I was looking for something particular for a special project.  So I wandered and contemplated, and picked up one and put it back, and picked up another, and put it back.  I finally settled on a third choice, which I got in hanks to the delight of being able to use my swift, and walked up to the counter.

Roughly 25 minutes had passed since I walked into the store.  And despite one other customer, who was very talkative and took forever to check out, it was just me in the store.  So yeah, after I bought the yarn, I left and came home again.  Because it was just weird.

I think if the owner had been working, I would have sat down and knitted, because Beth and I could have chatted.  But I didn't know the lady working at all, had never seen her before in fact, and it just felt all sorts of wrong.

But I went with intent, even though I was nervous, so I have to give myself points for that.

And hey, I got new yarn, and that is always a good thing.  

Open Knitting

Okay, so, yeah.  I haven't done so well with the posting.  *shakes head*  I'm going to try to be better.

Remember some number of months ago, when I said I bought yarn for me, to make a hat for me?  Well, I started the hat and then decided I hated the pattern, and it languished for quite a while, doing nothing.  Yesterday, I decided to pull the yarn out again and to start over.  I knew what I wanted, I knew I couldn't find a pattern that was exactly what I wanted, so with a little research, I decided to make up my own pattern.

Yeah, we know how that works for me.

But this time it's actually working!  

I've always made hats from the brim up.  You cast on a certain number of stitches, work the ribbing so it fits your head, then knit even until you get to a certain point, and start decreasing.  It's a tried and true method and it works really well.

Except I knew that wouldn't work so well for what I want.  Something slouchy and floppy, but fit to my head, and in the yarn that I have (which is a DK weight) and....I just couldn't find a pattern.  I was worried that if I started at the brim, I wouldn't have the right number of stitches or that, when I got to the decreases, I wouldn't know exactly how and when to decrease.  But, as usual, the internet is a glorious place.  

I thought it would be easy enough to knit it from the top down, start at the crown and increase to a certain point, and then knit even until I'm ready to do the brim. I figured at that point, I'd have to do some decreases and then work the ribbing.  

But I'm mathily challenged, and I was worried.  Fortunately, I found a (basically) no math hat that starts at the top.  It's just counting, and I'm good at counting.  So it doesn't matter what size yarn and needles you use.  You just count, and keep going until it reaches the size you want, and then you can just go on with the knitting.  This I can do.  So I started it this morning, and it's actually working like it's supposed to!

I used Judy's Magic Cast on to begin, so there's no hole at the top.  It's an awesome method, and I've used it before to make toe-up socks.  (Well, to start a few.  Never actually finished *blushes*) I started with eight stitches, and then increased the way the no math hat told me to. I haven't gotten very far yet, but it's going along wonderfully.  And I am very pleased.

Now, the title of this post?  Well, my LYS has open knitting on Saturday's from 1-3.  You just go and knit and have fun.  The only stipulation, and I think it's common courtesy, is that you're either knitting one of their projects or with yarn you bought there.  Since the yarn I'm using is some I did buy there....well, today, I think I'm going to go.  

I'm a huge introvert, and it's a scary prospect.  And honestly, I might chicken out when the times comes.  But I love the idea, just sitting and chatting and knitting with other knitters so...I'm going to try.  Because I think it would be fun.  

Wish me luck!

October

So it's October which is, overall, probably my least favorite month.  The only thing I like about it is that fall is well and truly here.  Though not quite in my area; it's still rather warm.  But it's getting there and that makes me happy.

Don't know why I dislike October as a whole.  There really isn't a reason for it.  Just do.  

Okay, so the CAL?  Yeah, I'm done.  This was week four, I still didn't get the clue despite several complaints.  I had to go to the website, and then wait for that to be updated.  And then when it was...another awful pattern stitch choice.  I thought perhaps it was just me, but nope.  I checked out the forum, which I hadn't been looking at, and several other people were all, these stitches don't go together!  They don't look good!  And it's true.  It doesn't work together.  It doesn't look good.  And even though I started the next one, about three rounds in I was just like, nope!  I just couldn't do another one.  Just couldn't.  So I've given up on the CAL because I can't, in good conscious, make something that I think is ugly.  I did it in the first place because of the donation from the sale of yarn, and for the fun "choose your own adventure" feel of it.  But it's awful, so I'm done.  I will continue to buy that yarn, and I will use the yarn I have to make a throw instead, because I have enough, especially if I frog what I've already done.  But I'm so over this CAL it's not even funny.

I had a really lovely two days off.  It was incredibly wonderful just to chill.  I treated myself to fast food breakfast one day.  I read.  I wrote.  I napped.  It was wonderful.  And in a couple of weeks, I get to do it again.  It'll be lovely.

And yes, I know it's silly, but the Bobs?  They still bring me great joy, they are growing like awesome with new leaves and new shoots emerging all the time.  I talk to them, and I swear they preen.  One of my great joys is walking 'round the room and giving everyone their drinks.  I check on them daily.  And I want more.  

So even though October makes me cringe, it's here and there's nothing I can do about about it.  It'll be over in 30 days, and I just have to wait it out.  And take joy in the little things while I'm at it.  

Bad News, Good News

So Sis and I have had sister time a lot lately.   Usually that involves a meal out and then hanging out together, yarning and watching TV, or maybe a little shopping.  We've only been doing it for a few months, since early summer, with any sort of regularity, but I've really come to rely on it.  

My sister time is getting usurped this weekend.  And though there's a very good reason, I find myself resentful.  I'm trying not to be, I really am, but I sort of can't help it.

The cousin and her girls are coming in, and the cousin is heading off to visiting with the ailing father of a friend, and leaving the girls with us.  Taking over my house, demanding attention, being...ridiculous.  And they'll be attached to Sis like barnacles.  

Now this last bit is good, because that means I can leave them to their own devices and just do my own thing.  This always makes me happy.  You know I like to be left alone.  But it's bad because I don't get my grounding sister time.  Or if we attempt sister time, then it's two sets of sisters, one of whom is 10 and well...she lives in her own world and while she's adorable, she's also irritating.  Mostly because she demands attention in a way that is more befitting a four year old.  

*heavy sigh*

Okay, I'm aware I'm totally being petulant and not at all acting my age myself.  I'm just disappointed and that makes me revert.  I just need to build a bridge and get over it.

But here's the good news!  I have a couple of days off from work, Monday and Tuesday, which means I have a long weekend and I'm looking forward to that immensely.  Now I'm leery of making any sort of plans.  But there's a couple of things I want to do: treat myself to breakfast from McDonald's.  Read a couple of books I haven't gotten to yet.  Write and yarn.  Drink coffee in my pajamas.  You know, the usual lazing around stuff.  

Everyone have a lovely weekend!

The Hole

So, fall is here.  Which is awesome.  I love this weather, I love this time of year.  It's just the perfect season.  I love the reprieve from the heat and humidity of the summer.  (Spring arriving after the cold of winter is a close second)  And as the days, and especially the nights, get chillier, it's time to break out the warmer wear.  That I especially love.

Last night, it was pretty dang chilly.  I had my fingerless mitts on.  I wore them when I ate dinner because it's too early to turn the heat on, even though it was about 40 degrees.  And then I noticed it.  A hole.  Near the edge of my right mitt.  

Oh No!!

At first, I thought the seam had come apart, which would have been good because I could have fixed that.  But nooooo.  Of course not.  It must have gotten caught on something, because one of the stitches broke.  And knitting, well, it unravels from top to bottom.  So the stitch above it was coming loose as well.  Dammit all to hell!  I wracked my brain, trying to remember if I had any of the yarn left in order to darn the hole closed.  But I couldn't remember, and I wanted it fixed quickly so that it didn't unravel anymore.

Enter Sis to save the day!

I don't sew.  I especially don't sew with a sewing machine.  But Sis?  Sis is a master at the sewing machine.  She took my mitt, and she stitched underneath and above the hole so that even though it's still there, a wee bit, it will not unravel.  It is secure.  And my mitts live longer.  And that makes me happy.  

Randoms

--Have you heard about the latest Facebook idiocy?  I used to have a FB account.  I used it a lot.  And then I didn't.  In fact, I haven't been there for more than browsing for probably about two years.  I was finding it kind of intrusive anyway.  But in light of the recent developments, I have disabled my FB account.  Authors, performers, and others (LGBT people in particular) using variations on their names, or fake names, to keep themselves safe are being suspended from using the site.  It's ludicrous to me.  And it seems they are doing it because they want to make money, because they want to sell things, and that is just beyond insane to me.  It's supposed to be a place to connect with friends and family.  I've long been over it, though I've considered going back.  Not going to happen now.  I won't be a party to that, or condone their behavior.  I'm done.

--I'm disappointed in the CAL.  After the mess up last week, it was supposed to be corrected and all is well.  Except I didn't get the email again this week, though I was able to get the next clue online.  I was disappointed in the choices for the next pattern, and I was disappointed in the way that the sections are connected.  If it's going to be like that the whole way, then I'm really going to be cranky.  For a few minutes there, I even considered abandoning the whole thing.  But now I'm kind of perversely determined to see it through.  I've emailed the company about the screw up with the emails again, but I hold no hope of it being resolved.  I'll put the pieces together each week, but I have a feeling it'll end up hanging on the wall instead of around my neck.

--The bobs are still doing wonderfully, and they still bring me a great big smile when I see them.  I think I might need some more.

--Works is...the hardest part of my day.  But I am persevering.

--My family is providing me with a great deal of joy lately.  In particular Sis.  We've been having a lot of sister time lately.  And it's been really, really nice.

--Hope everyone is having a good week and that all is well in your world!

CAL

So I signed up to do a online Crochet-a-long.

What happened was this:

I'm not sure how I got on the mailing list, but it was yarn stuff so even though I didn't care too much about the emails, and I just looked at them and deleted them, I didn't unsubcribe.  And I got one for the CAL/KAL a couple of times and ignored it.  But a couple of weeks ago, I actually clicked, just to see and well, it snagged my attention.  Because, you see, Caron is doing something very special with it's United line of yarns.  A part of the price of every skein goes to Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation and that right there tugged on my heartstrings.  How can that not be a worthy cause, right?  So I looked some more and I realized, it's a mystery CAL.  As in, I know it's a scarf, but I don't have the pattern.  In fact, the pattern comes piecemeal, with choices, every week, so the scarf will be truly unique.

Except...

Today was the first day of the CAL, and as I'm sitting here late Tuesday night writing this to go up Wednesday, I did not receive my first email with the first clue and the first piece of the pattern.  I checked out the forum, and a few other people seemed to have had the same problem.  I emailed the people to see what the problem was, but I haven't heard back yet.  So I'm a little upset, because I wanted to get started, and kind of aggravated as well.  

And speaking of the forum, that's the other thing.  I lurk, I'm a lurker, and I don't often get involved with things.  But it's part of my goal to actually engage in the forum in regards to this.  To ignore the shy, and to actually comment and be involved.  I even made a single post already there!  Go Me!  

I'm excited about this.  I'm excited about watching it take shape as I work on it in pieces, each choice each week, shaping the final product.  I'm even excited (and also nervous) about being involved online.  So I'm on the edge of my seat, waiting for that first email, so I can get started.  Hopefully, it'll get sorted out tomorrow (today) and I'll be able to work on it after dinner out with a friend.  

Yay!

**update 1000 hours--the issue has been sorted out and I have now received the first clue.  Next week there should be no issues.  After dinner out, I will be starting on the first part of the pattern.  Woo!**

The Scoop

I've been missing for a bit. 

There's been a lot going on. I feel like I'm in a vortex at work, and it's emotionally taxing.  I come home at the end of the day feeling very drained.  It's too complicated to get into, but I'm just trying to keep my head above water, improve, and do the best that I can.  I don't know how successful I'm being.  But when I walk out of the building at night, it's like a temporary reprieve until I have to go back and do it again.  Something has to give there, and I fear it might be me, but I'm slowly working on changing things.  We shall see how it all shakes out.

I wound all my hanks into balls.  I'm telling you, that swift was one of the best investments I've ever made.  I still love that blanket with the fiery passion of a thousand suns, and I love it even more now that I've started putting on the new stripe of color.  It's purple and white, and the purple is pretty dark.  So even though I already adored the stitches and pattern, being able to see it really well in the lighter color makes me even happier.  I still want to keep it.  But the BFF saw it--I can't keep secrets *blushes*--and she loves it a lot a lot too.  And it's for her.

I've been experiencing a lot of highs and lows this week.  One minute feeling elated, then next very sad.  Okay, not quite that extreme or that often.  But it has been a bit of a roller coaster.  Which doesn't help with my feeling tired at the end of the day.  I can pin point a lot of reasons for the feelings, so that's good.  Right now I just have to ride it out.  But it's making me fall into bed a lot earlier than normal.  And it's making me feel like not doing a whole lot when I get home.  I haven't done much this week but read some--and reread some favorites--and yarn a little bit.  Very little is holding my interest.  I know it will pass, though.  

Anyway, I'm a bit of a mess, but I'll get through it and it'll be good again.  Just keep plugging along, doing my best, and trying to make all my hours worth it.  

It doesn't hurt that there's a long weekend this weekend, and no plans in sight!

The Flat

So I'm driving to work this morning, cruising along and minding my own, and there's suddenly a weirdness going on.  I can tell it's my tire.  So I say a little prayer of "Please just get me to work."  But nope, there's a shake, there's a whumpa whumpa and I know that I can't get that far. I pull off into a parking lot, take deep breath, get out of the car, and the tire is flat.  Not just flat, but there's a blow out and it's separating from the rim.

Fuck.

I take a deep breath, despite the anger and adrenaline making my hands shake, and call my mom.  Because that's what you need to do, call mommy.  I tell her where I am, and she's on her way.  Then I call work, and my coworker laughs good-naturedly and says she'll be waiting for me to arrive.  Now I know how to change a flat, in theory, though I've never done it in practice, so I get out the spare tire, and the jack, and I set everything on the ground.  Except...

I can't get the lug nuts loose.  Now matter how hard I try, they just won't budge.  Now I'm getting really angry, because it shouldn't be this hard, and I'm not exactly a weakling.  But they won't budge.  

Double fuck.

So now I'm super angry, because I can't change the damn tire myself.  My tire iron is a piece of crap and I just don't have the leverage.  Mom arrives and calls Triple A.  Fortunately, we only have to wait about thirty minutes and there he is.  His name was Robert and he was a total teddy bear of a man, really sweet.  Fifteen minutes later, I'm back on the road.

Of course, I also now have to buy a new tire.  :(

Sorting Myself Out

I need to do that thing where I sort out my priorities and budget my time again.

I know, I know.  I've done it before and it's always helped, but somehow I can't manage to stick to it for any length of time. Which is all on me, of course.  It works well for me, I just need to work on my sticktoitiveness.

But with the reviews, and the writing, and the yarning, and all the little things in my life I need to get done, things are crashing in again and falling by the wayside, and I need a little structure.  Sis says I need someone to tell me what to do, and she's probably right, but I'm the one who has to tell me what to do, so I need to get on that.

So with my coffee this morning, I'm writing out all the things that I need/want to accomplish and then figuring out when they need to get done by, and sorting out my list.  Of course, I have to take into account how plans never go according to, well, plan, and I'll need a little cushion.  And one of the important things I need to remember to schedule is downtime.  Because without it, I go nuts.  There has to be some time in there when I do whatever I'm feeling like doing, or else I really go off the deep end.   

But I just might go there anyway if I don't get myself sorted out.

Hello July!

I'm honestly not sure at all where June went.  Seriously.  The year is half over.  How in the heck did that happen??

I've had a crazy couple of weeks, and I sort of still feel a bit...discombobulated.  But I'm working getting those things sorted out so that I can feel more settled.  I have plans to just relax and hang out on the Fourth and I am very much looking forward to that.  I need a little downtime and the BFF is going to help with that.

In other news, there's not much to reports.  I still love yarn and coffee and reading.  I'm still working on a bunch of different things.  I'm still writing.  I'm still me underneath all the crazy the world has thrown at me lately and that is a very good thing.

Oh but fun news!  The baby was born yesterday, and he sent me an email this morning thanking me very much for his blanket and to tell me he loves it very much.  :D  He's beautiful, and mama and baby are both doing well.  

Survival of the Fittest

I guess I'm pretty fit because I survived.

Roughly 36 hours after I walked out the door to my home, I walked back in.  I have never been happier to be home in my life.  It felt like I'd been gone a week.

The weekend was pretty much as bad as I expected it to be.  There were some serious moments of hurt.  There were moments when I couldn't understand what we were doing there in the first place.  

But despite the bad and the hurt, there were some really good moments too...fleeting though they were.  And those are the ones that I'm going to hold on to.  Those are the ones that I'm going to remember.  They didn't make it completely worth it, but they go a long way to remembering why I went.  And that's the important part.  

Thanks for all the good wishes and positive vibes y'all sent my way. I needed them, and they helped.  

On The Road...Almost

A couple of hours to go, and I'm off on my trip.

The day has not started well.

I woke up at about 4:30 AM with my head absolutely and completely killing me.  It hurt so baldly I would have gladly taken an ax to the neck to to stop the pain.  I took a few pills instead and crawled back into bed.  About an hour later, I had to get up again...to throw up.  Sometimes, when my head hurts that badly, I don't have a choice.  Only, I really, really hate vomiting, and I'll do just about anything to avoid it.  I couldn't avoid it this morning, but I fortunately only had a few mouthfuls of water in my stomach so it was over rather quickly.  I did start to feel a little better though (which also sometimes happens when I get the really bad headaches) so I was happy about that.  I went downstairs and got an ice pack.  Then I crawled back into bed with the ice at the back of my head. I managed to fall asleep again and now, two and half hours later, I'm feeling better.   My head barely hurts, just a wee tiny bit that I'm hoping some caffeine will fix, and my stomach has settled.

I'm only partially packed, so I need to finish that up.  And then I need to stop at the store and get a christening card and some travel shampoo/conditioner because my stuff is in huge bottles and I don't want to lug them.  And then I'll be all set to go.  Well, as ready as I can be, right?

On the good news front:  I finally remembered to bring the baby blanket to work, which is good, because the baby is due next week and my coworker was telling us that his wife is already starting to dilate. The baby will be showing up any day now.  He absolutely loved the blanket.  I mean, he actually gushed and he's not exactly a gushy guy.   He couldn't wait to take it home and show his wife.  I was well pleased.  

Anyway, soon I'll be off, and any good vibes you think to send my way will be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!  And have a good weekend!

Computer Update

Finally got the new computer at work.  Surprise!  I hate it!  Lol.  It's a better OS and it's faster, yes.  But I had to spend a stupid amount of time finagling it until it was how I wanted it.  I hate that game.  And then, if you remember, things had to actually be downgraded in order to make our programs run correctly.  So that means I have to do my web work on Internet Explorer.  Version 8.  Yes, I'm aware they are on like 12 now.  Only...I hate Internet Explorer.  It's a crap browser.  

I'm a Google girl. I like Chrome.  I'll even take Mozilla in a pinch.  But IE...just crap.  It makes me cranky.  I'll get used to it before too long, of course, but I'm unhappy.  

Am I glad not to be working with XP anymore?  Of course I am.  But still.  Yeah, I know I shouldn't complain.  But I can't seem to help myself :)

In other news, it's felt like Thursday all day yesterday.  And today feels like Friday.  But it's not.  And I hate it when that happens because it throws everything off and I'm out of whack.  I'm already messed up enough.  I don't need any help.

But the good thing is that there's an extra day before the trip, and I need that extra time to be mentally prepared.  

Happy not-Friday everyone!

Dreading...

There's a trip this upcoming weekend.  My nephew is getting christened and...I'm not looking forward to it.  At all.

Do I want to see my nephew?  Oh hells yes.  Of course I do.  He's too damn cute and has the best smile on the face of the planet.  Six months old, and he's got my heart.  It's true.  

But the travel?  The whole big party where I will know practically no one?  Yeah.  Don't want to do that.  

Y'all know I'm not a social creature.  I prefer being in solitude.  I actually get anxiety when there's too big of a crowd.  Even when it's people I know and love.  When it's not?  That's way worse.  

There are other issues, too, that I'm not going to hash out in public, because that's just not cool and I'm not that person.

Suffice it to say that it's going to be a hell of a weekend.  And I'm going to be on the raggedy edge of frayed nerves the whole time. All the good of the weekend is already being outweighed by the bad.  I keep trying to think positively, but honestly, there just isn't much positive about it.  It's going to be hard.  My routine will be upset, there will be crowds, my anxiety will be high.  

I already have a list of the things I will take, to help reduce the stress though.  I'll have my laptop to write and my kindle to read and my yarn to knit and hopefully, it'll help keep me sane.  

For my brother and my nephew, I will endure.  Even though I dread it with the fiery passion of a thousand suns.

Work Story

So, at work, we were still running Windows XP on our computers.  Yes, I'm serious.  I'll let you sit with that a minute so that can sink in.

Good to go?  Okay.

So our computers were seriously out of date and ran slower than molasses in January because the processors were big enough to handle our workload.  But we made do, right?  We plugged along and did what we had to do.  And even though I'd sort of shake my head every morning when I started up my computer at work, I'd deal.  

Now because of aforementioned processors,we couldn't just upgrade Windows.  Plus the computers themselves are a good ten years old.  So they bought new computers.  They actually arrived a couple of weeks ago, and our dude has been slowly and surely replacing everyone's computers with the new ones.  There is a lot of hassle because some parts actually have to get downgraded in order for the hospital systems to run (which is ridiculous to me...seems hospital systems, that hold radiology images and ALL THE PATIENT INFORMATION should be upgraded to the highest available browser and security, but what do I know?).  So it's taken him a while to get to everybody.

Everybody but me.

Which doesn't bother me so much, I can deal with waiting and whatever, except that I'm basically the only one in the office that knows what they are doing on a computer.  Yeah, the other girls can use the programs they know and maybe surf the web, but really, essentially they are computer illiterate.  Now, I'm not some great computer genius, I'm actually not that computer savvy, but I basically know what I'm doing and I can troubleshoot with the best of them.  So I don't have a new computer but I'm running around fixing everybody else's.

"Kris!  I can't print!" (Because she didn't have the default set right)

"Kris! Where did my program go!" (At the bottom, they are nested windows now)

"Kris!  I clicked something random and now I don't know what's going on!" (Yeah, don't do that.  Call me before you click stuff, okay?)

Windows is basically Windows, right?  I mean, yeah, 7 looks different than XP but really, it's all the same.  Common sense says that it's right where it should be.  But, really, you'd think we took PC users and sneak attack replaced their computers with Macs.  

I have to laugh because otherwise I'd cry.

I'm supposed to get my new computer next week, but he'd been telling me that for two weeks now.  I'll believe it when I see it.  And really, if it wasn't for all the finagling that needs to get done in order to make it compatible, I'd do it myself.  But I don't know all the bits that need to get installed, nor do I have access to do it, so I have to wait.  

I'm not even looking forward to it anymore.  Except I'll stop having that stupid pop up about how XP is no longer supported by Microsoft.  Yes, thank you, I know that.

But I'll certainly be glad when it's all settled.  

Feeling A Little Lost

It feels like there's been a lot going on in my life, but when I look back on it...well, not so much.  So I think that I'm going to have to chalk it up to feeling a little lost.  And now that I'm aware of it, I need to get it back on track, right?

Not this upcoming weekend, but the one after that, there's a road trip.  Nephew is finally getting christened.  And as much as I adore that adorable little bug--he really does have the best smile on the face of the planet--I'm not looking forward to that trip at all.  That's part of the unsettled feeling I'm having, I think.  Because, if I'm being starkly honest, I don't do well when my routine is upset.  Traveling, spending the night in a hotel, being surrounded by a fuckton of strangers...yeah, this is not ideal for me.

To combat the lost and the unsettled, I've come up with a list of things that I intend to work on:

--I need to get the yarn out again.  A few weeks ago, I put together the squares on that lapghan and I started working on the border, but now that it's all together, it's too hot on my lap to work on.  So that's siting on the back of my futon so I don't forget it, but it's not getting worked on right now.  Other than that, there is very little that I've done.  Yarning grounds me, and I need some grounding, so, there will be yarning in my near future.

--I have a short story brewing in my head, and I'd like to get it done in time to submit it for a sub call.  I very much intend to try.  But at the same time, I'm not getting myself all worked up about it if I don't.  There's not much time, and I haven't actually started it beyond a few sentences, but I think that I can do it.  

--I've been reading a lot, and some of it has been to review.  I'm really having a great time doing that.  It's a bit of a challenge, and sometimes I have to remind myself to be a bit more objective, but it's fun.  And the crew over at Joyfully Jay is pretty fantastic.  Plus, I'm not going to lie, free books are awesome.  That being said, I need to manage my time a little bit better there, so that's why this is on the list.  Manage my reading and reviewing time better.

All in all though, things have been pretty okay.  There are some dark days and some gray moment.  They are a little more frequent than they've been in the past.  Hence the feeling a little lost.  But now that I've recognized the issue, I can work on making it better for me.