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

Knits Like A Dream

My new needles arrived!  Yay!

I was so excited to open them up.  I was like a kid at Christmas.  Really.  They're pretty and the cables are nice and it's just a really lovely set.  Of course, I couldn't wait to use them and I immediately set up the size 8's so that I could replace the circular needle on the scarf I'm working on.  

First thing is they connect really easily to the cable, and the join is really smooth.  Since they are, in fact, Addi turbos, the finish on the needles is really sleek.  The yarn just slides right along and really, it's wonderful.

I'm telling you, this was one of the best purchases I ever made.

I'm loving this scarf, and I've been convinced to keep it for myself.  I'm just over the 75% done mark, and I think I may finish it this week instead of doing other things I should because I really want to get it done.  Then I have my hat, so there's that.  And the BFF's afghan to finish as well.  Now that I have this stellar set of needles, things will be easier and I intend to get working on those two projects.

I'm also making a baby blanket, for a new baby that will arrive at the end of May, and I am absolutely loving that one as well.  The yarn is simply fantastic, and I can't wait to finish that and show off pictures. :)

In other yarning news, the BFF has decided she wants to give it a try again.  I'm super excited about that.  We tried knitting a few years ago, but she didn't really take to it.  We're going to try crocheting this time, and we'll have a wine and learning night in the near future.  I love sharing my yarn knowledge, and I love teaching people the art, so I can barely wait. I want her to love it, and nervous she won't, but I know she'll give it a good try.  And that, in and of itself, will be fun.

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!

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!

Happy New Year

I'm always a fan of the phrase, "Start the way you aim to go."  So we're starting this year off with a post.  And I'm going to try to be better about it than I have in the past few months!

Also with that idiom in mind, I'll be spending the day (once I finish this post) writing and cleaning, with maybe some yarning thrown in at the end.  

I got way too drunk way too fast last night.  It was supposed to be all of us doing that, but somehow I was the only one that ended up toasted.  Ah well.  I ended up in bed about 11, and for a little bit it was touch and go as to whether all the junk food I ate was going to play well with all the wine I drank.  Fortunately, it was all good, I fell asleep, and was dead to the world as the clock rolled over into a new year.  I wasn't upset about it.  New year was going to happen whether I was awake to see it or not.  

But I spent the evening with my family, and it was good.  We played some games and ate a lot of food and just generally had a fantastic time.  

So I rang in the new year completely asleep.  But I woke up this morning feeling good and focused and ready to work.  And that, right there, is a good place to be.

Fixing Mistakes

I'm human.  I make mistakes.  

When it's in writing, sometimes it's something as simple as correcting a typo and I can just fix it right there in the document.  Sometimes, though, an entire scene isn't working.  In this case, I have the awesome tool that I can view two documents side by side.  This is an awesome benefit of Windows 8.1.  I can just slide one document to the left, and it takes up half the screen.  Then I slide a new doc to the right to take up the other half.  I can read what's on the left, what I've already written, and write the new scene to fit in.  Then it's simply a case of cutting the old scene (and pasting it into the new doc just in cases) and then copying the new scene and pasting it into the doc I'm working on.  Ta da!  

It's sometimes hard for me to change my words.  Especially when something amuses me.  But if it only amuses me because of the inside jokes with myself, and in fact induces eye-glazing, then it needs to go. So this morning, an entire scene is getting rewritten.

If only it were that easy when the mistake shows up in the yarn.

Sometimes I can leave the mistake in the yarn.  No one will even know it's there except for me.  Sometimes there are easy fixes, techniques specially developed and lovingly learned by me so that I can correct what went wonky.  Sometimes the fixes are way more involved, but worth the time and patience, because the correct work looks so much nicer.  And sometimes, there's no help for it.  Sometimes the work needs to be frogged and restarted.  And even though it's frustrating as hell sometimes, that's worth it too, when I can have a good finished project instead of something that looks icky.

But whether it's yarning or writing, or life for that matter, it's all about recognizing mistakes and being willing to correct them.  It's not always easy, but it's always worth it.  

A Goal

Yesterday, on my day off, I woke up at pretty much the regular time.  Turned off my alarm and the dozed for a bit.  Woke up for real about a half an hour later, and then just kind of lazed in bed for a while.  That, right there, was glorious.

When I didn't have to make an effort to throw back the blankets, I got up and got coffee.  Then, with my coffee in hand, I sat at my computer. Two hours later, I'd had two cups of coffee and a cup of tea, and had written 2k words.  

I wish that was my every day.

It was wonderful to just stay in my jammies and still be productive.  

I wrote until about 11:30.  I had taken the day off so that I could go to Sis's doctor's appointment with her because she didn't want to go alone.  (There was a thing, she's fine, it was just a little nervous-making and she needed some support)  After the appointment, we went out to lunch.  Then I wrote a bit more, and took a wee nap (way shorter than usual).

Can I just say again I wish that was my every day?

Well, that's the dream anyway.  I don't know if I can make it an actual reality, but it's a goal.  I'd love not to have to cram the writing in on nights and weekends, around all the other stuff that I need to accomplish.  That would be awesome.  Make writing the daytime thing, yarn and errands around that.

Someday, eventually.  I'm working towards it.  

Being Me

So you may have noticed that I haven't been around in a bit.

I meant to post.  I really did.  But, you know, I didn't.  So there's no excuse for that, not really.  I just...haven't.

Anyway!  To fill you in on what's been going on...

Went to the BFF's new place last Friday, and I made her dinner and we also baked cookies. The oven was a little bit possessed and there was a bit of cookie burnage, but we managed to own that bitch and 96% of the cookies were full of awesome. It's just a cute little place, and it feels like her.  It's nice, and I fucking love her back door (get your mind out of the gutter, people!  lol)  Her kitty, Cersei, attacked the crap out of me.  It was so damn cute I don't even have words.  My hand was all chewed up, but I forgave her.  But it was awesome to have BFF time.  And I really loved giving her prezzies, one of which was her very own bob!

I had two days off this week and it was...not all it was cracked up to be.  Unfortunately.  Monday, I woke up with a migraine, and they suck donkey balls, and I was extra super pissed because it was a day I already had the day off of work.  At any rate, pills, and coffee, and unfortunately a little bit getting sick, took care of that, and the afternoon was mine. 

Tuesday I got bad news (and I was very sad), followed immediately by good news.  And also the Flash Fic Holiday Blog Hop sign up went live!  It's super exciting.  We've had quite a few sign ups so far, and I'm just thrilled about that.  And I really, really can't wait to see all the different stories that people come up with.  I think it's going to be so fun to see what's the same and what's different.  So Tuesday was just a roller coaster of emotion, and that made me tired.  It was mostly good, though.  

I've been yarning a bit.  I wanted to get the mitts done BEFORE I went to the BFF's but, yeah, that didn't happen.  But now I'm nearly done, so she really will have them in time for winter.  Her birthday present on the other hand?  Nowhere near done.  And since her birthday is like, in less than three weeks, well...let's put it this way.  I already told her it might be late.  She loves me so it'll be forgiven.  But I still really fucking love it, and she will too.  

And so, yeah, that's pretty much it.  Work is still work.  I've been writing, and reading, and yarning.  So basically, I've just been being me.  There were some low points, and I was really low, but mostly it was good.  

And  now it's Friday night, and I'm chilling and happy.  And I'm about to make tea.  And enjoy the holy hell out of my weekend.  

Two Things

So you know I gave up on the CAL because it was just bad. (And not getting any better, I checked out the next clue just for shits and giggles and holy god, did anyone actually try these stitches together??  Awful!)  But that means I have this yarn, right?  And i know it's enough for a throw.  But while I was at the craft store this past weekend, I picked up one more skein of each color.  

I've wanted to make myself another blanket for a while now, and I love these colors (there's blue going on, I love blue, I can't resist blue) so I thought it would be nice for me.  And with the weather cooling down, it won't even be too hot to work on it with it on my lap.  And I wanted to think of something good and interesting.  So it's round.  Yep.  Round.  Well, actually, it's kind of like a soft octagon without defined points.  But yeah, round.  I'm enjoying the hell out of it.  I know I won't when it gets really big and it takes forever to go all the way around, but still.  I'll be happy when it's done.  

The other things is that sometime at the end of the month, I'll get the first edits back for my novella which will probably release sometime at the end of January.  I'm equals parts excited and nervous.  It's going to be work, and it'll probably sting a bit right?  Because I love these guys and their story. But it's going to be fun too; working to make the story better, and getting my very own cover.  

So at any rate, I'm anxious and exited in equal measures.  And I hate waiting, so even though there's still twenty days or so to go before I get that first thing, it's a little bit wearing on me.  But I look forward to the end of the month doubly so now.

Hope everyone is doing well in their respective corners of the world!  

Update from the Attic

--My shoulder hurts.  Because I'm right handed, of course it's my right shoulder.  The funny thing is, I didn't do anything to it.  I really didn't.  Maybe I slept on it weird, but that's the only thing.  I'm stretching it, and sometimes it feels better than others, but I don't think I did any real damage to it or anything.  I'm hoping it heals up and is pain free soon.

--Disappointed in the CAL.  Disappointed in the choices for stitches, and in the forum.  Disappointed I'm still not getting the weekly emails I'm supposed to and I have to go looking for the clues each week.  It's not the experience I wanted it to be.  I'm finishing it, sort of out of spite now, but I can tell you that if this particular group does another CAL/KAL, i am not joining.

--I feel freer and lighter than I have in a while...and even though I got some bad news yesterday, it didn't get me too far down.  For a couple of minutes there, I needed some reassurance.  But a friend lifted me up, gave me the reassurance I needed, and I moved on.  No dizzying black spiral for me!

--My brain is in love with someone, which is why it thought of a rock awesome project for them.  So yes, that's added to the list.  I'm aiming for birthday as that gives me quite a few months.  It's sort of involved.  But yes, new project added to the pile.

--I've recently learned that collaborating with like-minded people is a fun and awesome experience.  It makes me grin and brings me joy.  Of course, with three minds, even though they are similar, there's a bit of confusion.  But half the fun is sorting out what people mean.  

--The bobs are still doing fantastically.  The Mase Cane has put out a new shoot, and I swear everyday it grows a little more.  This makes me so happy, and I love checking on it and all the other bobs, seeing them grow.  I also picked up an orchid this past weekend to add to the bob collection.  And a friend gave me a wee tiny bob (a plant of the African violet family).  Pretty soon, my space will be overrun with bobs.  I'm very much looking forward to it.

--You know that fall is my favorite season, and it's been wonderful weather the last couple of weeks.  Chilly at night and in the morning, warming up to almost 70 during the day.  I could do with a little cooler than 70, though, if I'm honest.  I love sweaters and hoodies.  And though they are predicting more of the same over about the next week, i know that before too long, it'll be cool all the time and I am really very much looking forward to that.

--Work is still stressful, but I'm doing better in the overall, and so that's helping me to deal with that.

Nice and Clean

I'm not a fan of cleaning.  I know that comes as a big surprise.  The people who actually like to clean are rare indeed.  I wonder if there's some sort of genetic marker for that?  Anyway, so no, cleaning is not fun.

But what I do like, no love, is the end result.  

I'm a bit of a pack rat.  It's probably why I have such a huge stash of yarn.  I make piles of stuff.  And it's only when I can get up the ambition that I go through the piles, sort out what I don't need and get rid of it, and put the other stuff away.  Sometimes, the piles get a bit unmanageable.  And then I get all cranky, and it takes me a long time to get through stuff and every time I swear I'm not going to let it get to that point again.  Which never works.

Admittedly, I've been better for the last year or so.  My stuff accumulates, sure.  But It hasn't got quite to the crazy hoarder stage in a long time.  (For the record, I'm not a hoarder.  I have no problem chucking stuff out.  I have no problem getting rid of stuff.  I'm just lazy.  I'll get to it later.)  So my space has been cluttered, but it's never really, truly messy.  And now, the bad times only require an hour or so to pick up, put away, dust, vacuum, mop the floor, and then I'm done.  

With fall descending quickly, I decided to take some time this morning and get uncluttered and clean.  It's nice now and that makes me happy.  And the stuff I use on the floor makes it smell all fresh and clean.  So now I can sit back and enjoy the clean.  And vow to myself I'll actually start putting stuff away, even though I won't.  

But it's really nice right now.    

Needy, But Not Needed

I first thought of the title of this post in relation to myself.  

I accept that I'm needy.  I am.  I need validation, and I need recognition.  Not in the grand scheme of things--I'd much rather go unnoticed there--but from the people who mean a great deal to me.  From those people, I need to know I matter, that I'm cared for, that they think of me. And I can get clingy, and sometimes paranoid, if I don't feel it from them often enough.  This is on me.  I know they have their own lives and worries and things that are going on and they can't be constantly reassuring me that we're solid, that I'm cared for, and that I'm worthy.  Logically, I know this.  I even accept it to some degree.  But when I get that indication, no matter how small, there's a huge sense of relief for me.  At least, until the cycle starts up all over again.

Needy.

It's also in my nature, and I think it's the other side of the same coin, to want to feed needed.  I need to know that those people that I care about the most need me back.  I want to help, to soothe, to laugh and cry along with them, be their support and offer them hugs and love and just be there for them.  I want them to turn to me when they are hurt, or upset, or so joyful they can't contain it.  

Needy about being needed.

It is something I'm working on.  At least, to the extent of not showing it so much.  What I don't want is to be a burden, or to drive people away with my cling, and it has happened in the past.  So I'm trying to rein it in.  And learn to be content in my own skin, take people at face value, and not jump to conclusions if I don't hear from someone for a few days.  Because their silence probably has nothing to do with me at all.  And if it does, well, I have to trust that they'll tell me that.

Right now, I feel very needy but not very needed.  And since I'd very much rather feel needed than needy, I'm working on it within myself.  

Longest Day Ever

Finally, finally, my trip to the Ren Faire is happening tomorrow.  Sis and I are pretty excited and Toby invited himself along.  Once I was sure that he understood that, I agree he could participate in our day.

I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but let me make this clear:  Sis and I are wanderers.  We meander.  We stop when we want to stop, look at what we want to look at.  There is no timetable, no desperate need to be anywhere.  And I've been looking forward to it so very much.  That means today is going to be the longest day ever.  

But I make it through today, and then work will be over.  And then I can get out my pretty dress, skirt, and top.  I can make sure there are no wrinkles and everything is nice.  I can make sure I have everything ready, and I know where my little satchel that Sis made me is.  (Which actually, I do, but it's probably needs to be dewrinkled too.)  

Neither Toby nor Sis is dressing up, so it'll be just me in costume.  That doesn't quite fit right anymore.  Sis gave it a thorough once over, but decided that trying to take in the seams or add darts would ruin the line of the dress, so I'm just going to have to stuff some parts.  

But I'm excited and it looks to be a pretty day.   Not too hot, and maybe a bit of chance of rain in the afternoon.  It won't be the first time I've gotten rained on there.  I'm hoping it holds off though, of course.

Recap on Sunday!

Waiting

I hate waiting.  I'm not good at it at all.  And I'm just waiting for Saturday, when I get to dress up and go to the Renaissance Festival with Sis.  I go to work and I come home.  I yarn and read and write.  

But I'm just waiting for Saturday and it sucks.  

In the meantime, the week is dragging by, and I can't believe it's only Wednesday.  It's that funny time thing again.  That thing time does by feeling like it's moving really slowly when you're looking forward to something.  I hate it.  And really, I swear, I suck at waiting.

But it'll get here, and I'll have a great time.  Take pictures and have plot bunnies and eat and revel and it'll be wonderful.  

I'm focusing on some other goals right now to try to take my mind off it.  We'l see if it works.  And I'll share the results.

But right now, I'm mostly just waiting.  

Weird Morning

It started after a rough night's sleep.  Just kept waking up for no reason.

The power went out for a couple of minutes---not sure why--and I only noticed because the sudden cessation of sound woke me up.  It only lasted a minute or two, and then everything whirred to life again.  When I finally got out of bed a little while later, the clocks, of course, were blinking.  Do you remember my clock that somehow got set in 24 hour time?  And I tried everything I could think of to get it to go back to regular time?  I even unplugged it, but no joy.  Except, apparently, after the power blinked out, it went back.  Only now I've gotten used to it, and when I look and it's NOT 24 hour time, I'm all confused.  And since I don't know how I did it in the first place, I can't make it go back.  *heavy sigh*

Then, I couldn't get out of the house.  I mean, of course I eventually did.  But the front door was...stuck.  It seemed like the latch was stuck, but even when I managed to get that popped open, the door still wouldn't open.  I triple and quadruple checked that it wasn't locked, but no matter what, I couldn't get it open.  Eventually, I didn't have time to mess with it anymore and went out the side door, letting my sister know there was an issue.  A little while later I got a text saying that she fixed it.  I glowered.  I guess it was just a bit swollen in the frame, or the frame was swollen around the door, or something, because she tugged, pushed, put on a little pressure, and now it works fine.  

Yes, after the weird morning, I seriously considered just crawling back into bed because the oddness of it has totally thrown me off my game.  Just hiding away until the day was over and then I could start fresh tomorrow.  But I'm up and out, and I'll make do.  

Hope your day is off to a better start than mine!

At Least I Tried

Saturday morning when I woke up, I was bitten by the need to clean bug.  But I had a book I needed to read and review, and I had a few other books I wanted to read, and I tried to ignore it.  I tried and failed.

So after coffee, I cleaned and then I moved furniture.  I moved a lot of furniture.  Because sometimes I get in this mood where I just can't stand the configuration as it is, and I need a change.  And after I moved the furniture around....I moved it all back.  Because I hated it.  So it's all back the way it way, and I'm sort of upset that there isn't a better arrangement to be had.  But at least I tried.

Of course, all I really got out of it were sore hamstrings.  

I did change the sheets on the bed and wash the blankets and let me tell you, there's nothing better than getting into bed at night with fresh sheets and sweet smelling blankets.  That was good.

But after the disaster that was the furniture moving, I settled down to read.  I read a lot this weekend.  Some new, some old.  I read until the battery on my Kindle died.  And then I wrote.  And then, when my Kindle was charged again, I read some more.  

All in all, it was a pretty damn good weekend.  

The Ding

I'm backing out of the driveway this morning, and I hear a ding.  I'm all "What was that??" I look at the dashboard.  No lights are on.  I have almost a full tank of gas.  There's nothing flashing, no warnings.  I'm sort of freaking out.  Either I'm having auditory hallucinations, or I missed whatever was wrong with the car and is it going to suddenly die on me??

It's driving fine, feels completely normal, so I keep driving toward work.  But in the back of my mind, I'm worrying about the ding.  Did it mean something?  Or really, did I imagine it?  About a mile and half from my destination, I hear a different sort of chime.  My face floods with embarrassment, even though there's no one to see.

The ding?  Email notification from my phone.  Yep.  I've heard it a thousand times and yet, somehow, in the confines of the car, in the dreary gray raining morning, I had no idea what it was.  

I know I've been MIA from the blogging lately.  I was in one of those slumps where I felt like I had nothing worthwhile to say. So I didn't say anything at all.  I'm going to try to be better about that.  If nothing else, it really helps me.  

Have a joyous weekend!

Green Eyed Monster

I'm a jealous person.  There I said it.

I need to get my jealousy under control.  Big things, little things, stupid things, important things...it doesn't seem to matter.  I get jealous over a lot of different things.  And it's really illogical, but that I can't help it.

I'm usually pretty good about keeping the jealousy on the inside, of not letting it show, but that doesn't mean it isn't there, just under the surface, simmering away.  I'm not proud of it.  But neither can I make it stop.

Spring Clean

I did a bit of Spring cleaning last night.  

While I'm not a fan of the actual process of cleaning, and admittedly often let it go too long, once it's all done?  Ah, that's a good feeling.  There's that sense of accomplishment that's just awesome.  And everything just looks better all neat and tidy.  

I'm a bit of a clutter-hound.  Everything just sort of piles up on surfaces.  I set things on the table when I'm done with them, or toss the wrapper or that extra bit of yarn there because I don't want to get up just yet, and then it stays there until eventually I get around to putting it away or tossing it in the trash.  Yeah, I'm one of those people.

But I went through and did a lot of picking up, and tossing, last night.  I dusted.  I vacuumed.  I even ran the wet mop over the floors.  And now everything is neat and tidy, and it looks good and feels good.  And I am happy.

Really shouldn't let it go as long next time.

We had some gorgeous weather earlier this week, and even though it's cold and a bit damp today (it rained all day yesterday and that's still lingering in the air) I have the windows open so the fresh breeze and blow through and freshen everything up.  And there's still a hint of rain on the air, and it smells good.  

All in all, I'm absolutely enjoying my morning.  Sitting in the nice clean house, with the windows open and a fresh breeze, and drinking my coffee.  Now all I need is a good book, and I'll be all set.

Hope everyone is set to enjoy the crap out of their weekends too!  May it be a good one for you!