MMMmmmmmm fajitas!

Heaven, thy name is grilled steak stufft burrito from Taco Bell....mmmmmmmm

Ran & got the needles, and only ONE extra skein of splash furry yarn to crank out another quick scarf xmas present. HEY, that was pretty good for me.

Sent an email to the big bosses stating I have to go down to 32 hours/week....haven't heard back anything. I think their idea of "we'll work with you and pay you on an hourly basis" meant if I hit 39 hrs one week of the month, not 32 hrs each week, but we'll see. Kids just are in school & aftercare too freaking long and it's wearing out Joey and stressing out Beth. Some parts of single-momma-dom do suck, but there's a lot of highlights.

Please be nice Mr. Bush

OK, Mr. Bush, enjoy your trip to Canada. Please, please, please, PLEASE BE NICE. Do not piss off one of the few countries that don't want to blow us up. PLEASE. We like Canada. Canada tolerates us. Good enough.

Martha's coming back to TV! Woo hoo! OK, the bit about a survivor-style/apprentice thing scares me a bit, but I miss my MSL daily fix!
Martha Stewart Eyeing Return to TV

Knitting, couldn't get anything done last night as I finished the nanowrimo baby. woo hoo.

Need to get some BIG double-pointed needles for the bernat boa I picked up yesterday. I may be running to Knit Wits for lunch today, but I'm also STARVING TO DEATH...so I'd have to do it FAST. Good thing I'm about broke and my little pennies & nickels won't buy any more yarn....

I did start another Schaeffer yarn scarf for another Xmas present, but those take a LONG time, and I want to be cranking out the little novelty yarn one-skein one-night puppies....

a little dungeon ranting

If I don't rant a bit, I might just explode, which BTW would NOT be a pretty sight what with the tummy troubles combined with the crap I've been inhaling lately.

Dungeon-bathroom update...I gave up on trying to get Miss Hateful who gets PAID for cleaning the bathroom to actually clean something...the mold, the stains, the ick, I just don't look and wash my hands VERY well...even though we've all been sick, hmmmmm I wonder wonder wonder why....OK, back to the update: My daughter came to work with me Friday and the first time we went in for a break, she said, "Mom, what's all the green stuff on the floor around the toilet?" OMG I don't keep the world's cleanest home by ANY means, and have been known to lightly swipe the bathroom with a baby wipe and call it good, but CRIPES, for a 8 year old girl to notice the green mold??? ick. OH and funny thing was someone higher-up was saying how if Miss Hateful (ok she used the witch's actual name there) was doing well, the first thing to go would be her after-hours cleaning job. I thought, yeah, right, the witch gets paid to do NOTHING.

Xmas decorations update...I know we're a bit tight down here, but for the love of all that is holy, can't we at least re-wrap a couple of the SAME freaking envelope & letterhead boxes that are ALL wrapped with the SAME 1982 greyed-green discount roll of wrapping paper that have been pulled out of storage each year to put under the tree complete with the SAME 1982 decorations that keep coming back like Chucky in those horror movies????? SOME ugly santas and satanic-looking elves really SHOULD be put to rest instead of brought out JUST BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE THEM.

Almost done, don't worry

my main rant, I can't bring myself to type, I keep erasing it and let's just say "ADAPTATION IS NOT ALWAYS A GOOD THING." and let it go at that. period.

DRIVING RANT-->
In not necessarily a bad mood, just kind of mellow, driving at lunch to get some bernat boa yarn from Michael's and get stuck behind this guy in a pretty little suv thing with a black bumper-sticker on it with a pretty W. I don't pay too much attention until I almost rear-end the idiot as he's one of those who like to hit the gas, talk on the phone, and slam on the brakes, repeat, repeat. After the 2nd time of getting too close to his butt-end, I read the sticker and it's some crap about "W, STILL the president." What the hell? I get a bit miffed and change lanes before I hit him on purpose for his combo of bad driving skills, non ability to talk and drive and his smugness of JUST IN CASE I was not aware, oh yeah, Mr. Bush is still the Pres. I decided I really didn't want to buy him a new vehicle so I change lanes and get behind Bubba. Not bubba as in ex-pres Clinton, nope this is Bubba as in he can't remember his real name. TWO, yes TWO gun racks because one is never enough, on his old pickup truck with rope & ducktape holding the tail-gate of his truck on and a HOME-MADE camouflage paint job. Nothing says "scary milia-man" like a homemade camo paint job. Decided not to hit this guy in the rear end either as I wanted to live another day.

Got to Michaels and found they have Bernat Boa on sale for $3.99/skein. I'm going to try to knit an icord boa/scarf with one skein, but think I might need 2 knitted together for the right weight, we'll see. Got the idea on Just One More Row.

Have good hair today and no where to go, walked to the corner store and got a KING SIZED 3 muskateers and haven't eaten it yet, trying to only eat half, we'll see.

49,562 words on nanowrimo

SO, I cheated a LOT, I'm still getting the dang thing done and having a record of my ramblings. My nanowrimo is the write-a-50,000-word-novel-in-30-days crap I tried this Nov. (not enough to do in my life, you know). I was going to do an extended blog, chic-lit kind of thing with extra details of strange kharma crap that happens in this single momma 36yr old chic's life (aka mine). Added a few stories/essays whatever from memories like "pilates makes you poop", "the worst blind-date EVER, I even won a radio contest because of it", "how to know when you're dating a terrorist" and other fun little things to add to the blog entries I was writing here. The cheatering came as I got closer to Nov. and had less time, I added October's entries in too. As it's only to see if you can do it, I have no moral probs with adding my own writings just not from the 30 day period, so I've now got 438 words to write today and send them off. I'm actually glad I did it.

FINISHED OBJECT ALERT!!!!
OK, I actually have 2, but I can only officially call one "finished". The "2 hour" scarf I tried to find, but the only colors in splash were these obnoxious yellow/baby poop green/orange things that JUST weren't quite what I was looking for in a good Xmas present...so I substituted some other hairy/eyelash thing that was pretty close in a rich brown to go with this cool brown mix of squiggle. It actually took me more like 3 1/2 to 4 hrs, but it's DONE. Crappy pic, sorry, I was trying to hold the new doggie and Dad got only part of the pic in there. It's actually about 9 feet long and maybe 5" wide and CUTE.



FO almost....no pics...Bound off the boob tube, all pleased with myself, so excited, then noticed it was a bit of a tight bind-off row, thought oh well, put it on and COULDN'T MOVE MY ARMS! I tried to take a pic of myself, you know, hold the camera out in front of me, but I couldn't raise my elbows from being crammed in against the ribcage.......and of COURSE this was SATAN's KNOT THREAD, so no hope of frogging the bind-off....tried, but cussed and stomped and threw it across the room and think I may take it to Knit Wits to see if they take pity on me and one of their guru's can rip the dang thing out...otherwise, I'm just going to make cuts in the bottom row about every 10 stitches and wear the damn thing ANYWAY, it's not like it will unravel or anything.....UGH.

3rd piece of news, we have a new doggie! Miles the dog is a shitzu and 2 1/2 yrs old and was given to the kids & I from Uncle Will, who's now living down in Florida. It about tore him up, but he thought since he's working long hours, has NO yard (sand & palm trees & cement) and the kids & I were starting to look for a dog, Miles would enjoy living with us. I think Will called 3 times to check on Miles since Sat. night. This is quite possibly the sweetest already trained dog I've ever met in my life and we LOVE him. Now Uncle Will has an even better reason to visit KC more often!

Happy Turkey Day!

Happy Thanksgiving from Super Turkey!

Let it snow! & Free 2 hour scarf pattern

We woke up to the first snow of the season, about 4-6" of pure winter wonderland outside! Since I was given exactly 24 hours to recover from bronchitis, I wasn't due at work until noon so we had time to play! Meet snowman Fred:

Birthday girls each wearing our scarves, aren't we fashionistas? DON'T look at the hair, as I'd been rained on at least 3 times that day.



And we can't forget Joe Cool himself:




And, just in case we forgot this was a knitting blog, here's what's going on:
Boob Tube only has about 2 inches left and pic of the fabric is below right with the UFO's in side column. Knit along tank is going very well, pic is down below on right as well. Since I have about 4 more scarves to make for Xmas presents and NOT enough time to do them, I found another COOL free pattern that's supposed to be a 2hr project....

Splash + Squiggle 2 hour scarf from Crystal Yarns free patterns. It's supposed to only use one ball of each yarn, knit together on sz 17 needles, so I thought I'd give it a try as it looks CUTE! Click the pic to get to the pattern:




I really need to update more free links on the free knitting patterns page, but for now, here's about a MILLION free patterns from the crystal yarns site, there's some really cute stuff in there!

Crystal Yarns Free Patterns

sickie

Well, I finally got the crap that's been recycled in our bad air in the dungeon for the last month. I've actually been coughing at night for a few weeks now, but never really felt bad until today. I've been tired, but I thought it was just due to being up a lot at night. Right after the bigbosses said "we'll work with you as long as we can" on my missing work & making up time, etc. You guessed it, I'm pushing the stinking envelope. I started feeling worse and worse and NOT EVEN HUNGRY...that's usually a MAJOR sign for me (I'm even hungry when I'm hurling with the flu)...my lungs started burning when I breathed and it felt like a 300 lb man was standing on my chest, so I took myself to the walk-in clinic for oh, let's see...2 1/2 hours...and found that I got myself a case of bronchitis that is dangerously close to turning to walking pneumonia. Got some antibiotics and a coughn syrup with narcotics in it to help me sleep (cool, narcotic cough syrup sounds so bad-ass) and I was told that the three owners had a meeting about it and decided I could have the 24 hours until I was no longer contaigous to recover. I'm to be back at work tomorrow at noon. wow.

It's a good thing I'm knitting now or all these stinking dr. office visits could get kind of boring. I cranked out some more of the boob tube and the ball of satan knot thread is getting much smaller. I might be able to finish it today. Didn't make it to Knit Wits to seam my tank, but hope to next week. Worked a bit tonight on the knitalong tank and I'm starting to really like it.

OH, the most exciting part of my day...sitting knitting with said satans knots and it somehow was captivating the prettiest, funniest little baby girl. She had to be about 8 months old, just able to start getting around but her mom had a death grip on her to keep her from touching anything in the waiting room. She was just cooing and giggling and watching that yarn move around as I pulled it from the ball...the mom & grandma turned away from this strange guy that kept making faces at her and was kind of creeping me out. She just kept giggling at me and we'd smile and all that. The mom & grandma gave me their smile of approval and then I got a FREAKING splinter in the tip of my pointer finger from the dang split tip of the needle and it HURT. I'm afraid a "son of a BXXCH" escaped from me quite distinctly and the gasps were combined with looks of horror and the momma putting her hands over the baby's ears, I swear to God. I apologized and kind of chuckled. I thought it was funny, I mean, she's not even talking yet, but still I said I was sorry and I AM a very good momma figure myself. Well, the baby kept trying to squirm to look at the yarn & me trying to pull a splinter out of said finger and the mom would not even let the kid look in my direction. It was a major wreslting match and the pouty kid was winning. When they called my name the grandma said under her breath "Thank God she's gone". Jeez, I'm a threat to grandmas now???

sorry, lame story but I'm tired & sipped my narcotics & am going to bed so I can complete the healing process in my determined 24 hours on schedule.

Girl's Night Out

Thanks to the Fabulous Miss Amanda for arranging our girls' night out! I got to meet the famous Liz which was fun too! We saw the new Bridget Jones movie and I have to admit I laughed, I cried a tear or two and then laughed again. I do have to say DAMN those happily ever movies with rich, gorgeous men who love their women enough to fight for them....you KNEW how it would turn out, but I still absolutely loved it. I figured my life isn't much different, except that I don't live in an unbelieably cool flat in London, I've got 2 kids, I don't have a job that lets me travel over the world, or have two gorgeous, stinking rich brittish men fighting over me, but I do have a fabulously gay friend or four and a few other obnoxious girlfriends that give me lots of life advice and drink with me occasionally, and I journal and I'm clumsy and a bit inappropriate. Yup, two peas in a pod. Anyway, I highly recommend the movie for a fun feel-good flick.

KNITTING-->Knitting away on the boob tube, ignoring the tank-along, and I'm taking the summer in the city tank front & back to Knit Wits tomorrow.

WORK-->YES! I totally skated out of any big meetings other than the regular Monday Morning Meeting official thing which was NOT a lot of fun. You know, I can't help but like the big boss lady. It's a strange place to work, our little dungeon, but I can't say it's boring by any means. I actually did a little "I'm not in the conference room.....I'm not in the conference room..." dance this afternoon. Lots of meetings and lots of decisions and lots of stress, and I very wisely kept OUT of the majority of it. Even though I believe the local bossman is getting a bit tired of me, the big lady still likes me, so now apparently they'll work with me and let me work as much as I can and will "work with me as long as possible" and it was like no big whoop. AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN, minus the "little talk" crap threatened and never followed through on last week. That makes no sense, but it does in dungeon-speak.

MAN, old Belly-Boy here in KC Chiefs land is nasty. That big ol hairy belly painted up and boucing around while belly boy is cheering & dancing in the COLD on Monday Night Football. Poor chiefs. I'm afraid I would have given up and put on a damn coat if I were him. He's either a very loyal fan or had too much alcohol to mind. No way could I go buck nekkid in the KC cold at night...

Gotta get typing on the old nanowrimo. I cheated a bit by including some older writing, but really not too much, and now I'm getting serious. GONNA do it. It's gotten personal here. me against the dang words.

SSSHHHHH be very very quiet....

It's day one of the big bosses in town. I NEED to learn to keep my BIG MOUTH SHUT sometime. I was just offering all kinds of opinions in our big Monday meeting today. stupid stupid stupid

I need to learn by example from the wise one and keep my mouth shut, stay under the radar and go back to my little corner and maybe no one will notice me. As she put it when I finally did NOT do something stupid.......said "Ah, very wise, grasshopper"

KNITTING update--> I was CRANKING out some serious knitting this weekend! I forced myself to try to battle the clutter that is drowning me in the house, but only got my bedroom done. I considered moving on to another room, then saw my tank top calling me .... knit me .... you're almost done ... just a few more rows.... and I caved. I got the front & back DONE on the summer in the city tank done and now have to sew the sides and crochet the straps and armholes, neckholes and bottom. Nothing like finishing a SUMMER tank top made of WOOL in NOVEMBER. Ah well, why should my life start making sense now? Don't exactly know how to do the stitching, am going to take it over lunch to Knit Wits tomorrow over lunch and see if one of the customers sitting around the table will take pity on me. (that's how I learn all my tricks)

Also got about 3 feet done on another aunt's scarf for xmas and did NONE of my ribbon knitalong, will work on it later.

I FOUND ANOTHER LYS! ok, apparently it's BEEN there, but I didn't know until yesterday. The Studio, on the west end of the plaza, 316 W 47th Street, looks TASTY. I didn't let myself actually open the door. I walked by and drooled in the windows. I can't afford to spend another penny on yarn until I start eBay-ing again. A lady knitting on her scarf at the McDonald's tubes said she got her yarn there and I had to do a drive-by.

KIP-->This weekend I ran into THREE different ladies all knitting in public or KIP. I often KIP and this weekend NEVER had any of my works in progress along this time, but it was still fun! There's something neat about being able to talk with a total stranger and suddenly it's like the 50's and you're neighbors talking over the backyard fence. I don't know how to describe it, but knitting has added a lot to my life. I've made friends through the internet, through yarn shops and total strangers, it makes you all warm & fuzzy and hopeful for the future. OK, I know, I know, TOO MUCH TOUCHY FEELY CRAP. Anyway, Nicholas's mom (one of my son's friends) was working on a scarf at Chuck E. Cheese's during a bday party, an older lady was working on a lacy shawl at Half-Price Books and a mother was working on her hubby's scarf at McDonalds while her son and my children ran around screaming and giggling and going crazy.

Damn Jazzercise Chics

DANG those jazzercise chics can move it! I got invited along to Miss T's birthday celebration at Raul's Velvet Room and shook my booty to all the good ones like ... she's a brick.....house..... and ......what I like about you....you really know how to dance..... and that song from the queen movie dancing queen? or something....it was the song in the movie where the 2 girls dressed up like guys dressing up like women to hide from the mob, can't remember the name, but the whole bar stood up and rose it's arms to the sky and sang.....dance with me.....can't remember, dangit.

ANYWAY, thanks to Miss T, I'm SO going to have to start jazzercising. Those chics were all at least 10-15 yrs older than me an FULL of freaking energy and cute as buttons. We had a BLAST!

ALSO a funny side, one of the girls was very proud of her cleavage and I thought it was a bit strange, but hey, if I had cleavage, I'd be happy too, so I kept my mouth shut. Then she said she BOUGHT her boobies. I have the "curves" or some such crap from victoria's secret that never stay put in your bra and so I never wear them, but these are sticky no strap boobies that stick to you and give you cleavage and are a trip! I bought me some boobies tonight. $24.95 from www.hsn.com.

see my new boobies

HAH, now I really need to finish my sexy tank & the city tank & the knitalong tank...cripes.

Golden Dog, and my bright exercise/knitting idea

First, "Golden Dog" aka Joey, did great in his Thanksgiving production at the preschool. WHAT a trip! Those 4 & 5 yr olds worked so hard at making native american decorations & costumes and turkeys and all the good stuff. They sang Thanksgiving songs (yes, they DO exist) and said poems and my fave was the 5 Fat Turkeys...

Five Fat Turkeys, sitting on the fence
The first one said, "I'm so immense."
The second one said, "I can gobble at you."
The third one said, "Well, I can gobble too."
The fourth one said, "I can spread my tail."
The fifth one said, "Don't catch it on a nail."
Along came a farmer with something to say,
"Turkeys are the best on Thanksgiving Day"

There was something else about being a little Cherokee and having a bow & arrow and at the end they scream at the top of their lungs, "Bears and buffalos you'd better watch out."

Now, these and about 10 other songs were "sung" by the little ones...in other words, shouted at us to the point that you only knew the songs were over when it got quiet.

The truly entertaining thing was the parents & grandparents in the audience. I mean, I think my kid's cute and I enjoy it but HOLY CRAP PEOPLE, they're just kids. Video cameras, digitals, disposables, UNREAL. Then there was overhearing all the moms bragging about their kids' "work" in their acting classes, gymastics, etc. preparing them for success in the "real world". I figured I'd shelter my munchkins from the "real world" as long as humanly possible and allow them to be KIDS that just hang out and play in the dirt, swing, and be bored. Did you notice NO children are allowed to be bored anymore? to have to come up with their own imaginative ways to entertain themselves??? My poor kids. They have that opportunity more than they would like, but it's really amazing the games they can come up with if I just turn off the damn tv and leave them alone once in a while.

Ran home, put the kids to bed, and mom & dad VERY nicely offered to listen for them so I could run out and meet Alison at her goodbye last night in kc. Sad, but fun too and now I have another reason to take a trip to Denver! She'll wipe that city out of expensive tiny sized shoes in no time.

When I got home, I realized I didn't have time to exercise AND knit before bed. I got this great idea last night...why not COMBINE the knitting I love with the exercise I don't particularly care for??? I could get my knitting projects done while getting all fit & trim....(Did I mention I'm extremely NOT graceful)

So, first I thought I'd try the treadmill. How hard could it be? I normally multitask and do 4-10 things at once, so no biggie, right??? Am I the only idiot or has anyone else done this??? After realizing I had to time my steps with the stitches, it was almost do-able, but I about had a heart attack and then later almost impaled myself on the ONE pair of beautiful rosewood needles I have and decided to try something else. I had quite the setup, though. A kid's plastic bucket hanging from a hook on the treadmill kept the yarn, and I was only trying to work on another straight garter stitch scarf, but it was a no go.

Next I thought I could do the stationary bike. That wasn't too bad, used the same bucket to hold yarn off one of the handles, but again the timing had to be just right for me to stitch and pedal and not get all caddywampus. I actually fell off the stinking bike. ONTO the ground. Too much work.

Decided to sit on my butt on the couch AS GOD INTENDED while knitting and compromised by doing lunges & pushups whenever commercials came on. Then I got lazy and just sat there knitting away.

Ended up almost finished with my boob tube, only have about two inches left, hope to get it done tomorrow. Back to rewarding myself by sitting & knitting AFTER the time on the treadmill...crap.



Taking the kids to see spongebob this weekend, should be fun! Is it 5:00 yet?????? Hoping Amanda is enjoying her day off from the dungeon, what am I thinking, of COURSE she is! Knock em dead at your sing thing!

I'm actually going OUT tonight. Woo hoo. Going to head out to meet a few girls at Raul's velvet club to dance to the disco band and then trying to get Russell to go out too (if we can drag Mark out of the house, otherwise I might just kidnap Russell anyway!).

Letter to Dubbya

OK, I know the election's over, and I shouldn't be concerned that the new "family values" movement that is taking over the country shouldn't scare me into investigating living conditions in Canada, but part of me still likes to THINK and LAUGH and debate a bit. Even though the current trend is frighteningly similar to how Hitler's army of young SS teens began....using the Bible as literal translations, anyone with a differing view is a traitor, etc.....

You might have seen this already in email form, but I got a kick out the post on Homegrown Daisy's entry today. I have to admit I'm a bit too silly today to function in the normal world, and in my head this voice like a combo of old Beavis & Butthead and southpark characters was saying..."smite them....smite them all...he he he..." I blame the stinking new diet/exercise plan I began...serious chocolate withdrawal is not a pretty thing.....smite them....smite them all!

Letter to Dubbya

I promise to get back to work, try to act normal and my next entry will be official knitting updates & life updates and all that.

I also need to apologize to my Christian friends. I'm a good ol Catholic girl, so I am not ever really sure if I qualify as a "Christian". I do believe in God and the Bible has some good stuff in it, but when people get preachy and literal on pointing out how OTHERS are sinning and must be ostracized, I get a pit pissy.

Stephanie's Turkey

HA! Here's Stephanie's Happy Turkey Day Photo....she was the one who got me hooked on the ol blogging world.

Is she creative or what? CRACKED me up, so I thought I'd steal her pic and share. :)

more pics

Here's more goodies. Pics from Huyen's baby shower last Sat. Adam caught me at my best, chowing down.... although it was a good hair day, and I'm wearing the wild stuff mix/max skinny scarf....


Here's Adam & Phuong


Alison & Rich


Huyen (mommy to be) and Phuong


Phuong holding Lili's daughter Trinity


and did I mention we not only eat a lot at our get-togethers, but we DRINK as well?
Alison & Phuong modeling baby clothes, yes those are baby undies on Phuong's head.


These are the girls who've taken me into their circle of friendship and I just love them to pieces. I have exactly 4 weeks to get my sexy tank done and lose some weight so I don't look like the token beached whale at the Asian Refugee Annual Christmas Party this year!

Normally when I go out, I'm the Mary and am with a few Rhodas....but with these damn skinny, pretty chics, I'm the BIG OL RHODA! Damn. Ah well, it keeps me humble.

One of my other friends sent me the portrait she made when she filled in answers to questions for me...

Did anyone else notice I was FREAKING EATING in it too??? She can't find the website she made it, so I might go mosey around google and see if I can find it...paybacks are a bitch!

It's Picture Time!

Still don't like the look of the blog, don't really have the time to care. For now, it'll just have to be boring. get over it.

PICTURE TIME! Woo Hoo!

Here's the beautiful boob tube I'm going to make out of the Alchemy Flake. I can't call it yarn, I'll call it satan's knots. Since I've half-knit the dang thing twice now, I'm thinking I can whip it out in the next couple of days.


Here's what was waiting for me on my desk from Amanda on my birthday! It says "Twinkle, twinkle, you're a star" and is sassy and I LOVE it! Thank you doll!

These are the two books I picked up for myself with some of the bday $$ from the folks:

I can't wait to make the yoga mat bag....guess that means I have to go buy a yoga mat, huh?

My daughter got this among her plethora of goodies and I can't WAIT to help her learn this stuff, mostly because I think the little bracelets you can make are COOL too! Poor thing, she had no choice but to grow up crafty!


Here's the start of the ribbon tank knitalong I've started:


And I just thought these women oooooozzed coolness:

a feminine feminist

KNITTING--> decided NOT to throw the ribbon tank out into the backyard, though I was severely tempted. I've started this stinking thing 3 times now. I gave up on getting anything closely resembling the gauge and am now making it on 13's. We'll see how big it turns out. It should either turn out lovely or XXXL. I'm getting VERY good at tearing the damn thing out and starting over. Can I fake it if I started the knitalong?

KNIT SHOPPING--> Found they carry clover bamboo needles at Joann Etc. and are pretty cheap there. woo hoo!

WORK--> never got my "talk" from the local bossman. Not too concerned any more. Packed up the last few pieces of my crap yesterday during the tantrum and then today was all pissed because I mean EVERYTHING was gone from the office except my plant from Susie. I had to go out to the car to even get a piece of stinking gum this afternoon. Decided to be proactive and sent a second email around to the bigwigs and cc the "management team" aka me & two others with my suggestion for my work plan and if they have different ideas or they need to let me go to let me know. Next week should be interesting with the big bosses in town. If they're going to get rid of me, get it over with, if not, let me know.

LIFE PLAN--> still working to get to school in Jan. YES I'll be the old creepy woman in class with the young grad students, but I'm going to be there one way or another.

ETC--> Damn, the daily show cracks me up. Jon Stuart does the best Condoleeza Rice impersonation I've ever seen. cracked me up.

ETC 2--> I was called a "damned feminine feminist" last night by one of the old crazies I ran into at the bowl Monday night. YES I have dated men that were NOT bowlers, but this was a freaky REALLY bad blind-date-turned-stalker-after-one-date I went on as a pity date for the best friend of a center manager. CREEP. I thanked him kindly for noticing and smiled sweetly. I find it confuses and pisses off the extremely creepy if you smile.

My weekend fun (LONG LONG version, sorry!)

WARNING-->this is quite possibly the longest post I've ever written, it goes on FOREVER and has no real point...hey, this is now another entry in my nano with a few modifications....read only if you have a lot of time to kill and nothing to do!

Since it's been so long since I had a weekend that had more social activities for myself than for my kids, I thought I'd share! OK, it wasn't a wild weekend on any other measurement scale, but I'm going to take what I can get and I really had a good time!

Friday, 5:01, hit the road, picked up my son & was on the way to get my daughter at about 5:20. Got a phone call that at 5:10, my little girl "beat up one of the boys in after-care". (I'm not one of those parents who think their children are angels and can do no wrong, but she's absolutely the last person in the world who would hit someone.) When I asked for details the girl said she "pushed him, kicked him in the head and he ended up with a large bump and will have to go to the doctor's and she LIED about it." I made sure it was MY daughter and the boy she supposedly beat the crap out of was a lot bigger than her and one of her friends, so it totally did not make sense. Apparently they thought she was lying because when they said "Why did you kick him in the head and beat him up?" and she said "I didn't beat him up, I just pushed him off me." When I got there it seemed the after-care program director and both of her assistant helpers had all left at 5pm and the only ones left were the two high school girls who are pretty much incompetent. After talking with my daughter and calling the mother of the little boy it turned out that the kids were all crowded in together on the mats watching a movie and they bumped each other, another boy shoved this one onto her, Beth got hit in the shins and had a few little bruises, so she pushed the boy off her and he stood up, tripped and fell backwards over another kid, hitting his head on the ground. The mom said he didn't even have a bump or anything and not to worry about it. SO my daughter was the FIRST one suspended out of the program and I had to get creative about getting her to & from school. Man, that's a phone call I didn't ever think I'd have to make...."sorry my daughter beat up your son...." HAH. OK, I have to admit, a little part of me was like "YEAH!" because she is just learning to stand up for herself if someone picks on her or her friends.

After we got everyone all calm and happy at home and called the mom and such, Friday night was pretty much ready for bath & snacks & bed for kiddos and I knitted this new satanic yarn I bought from the LYS on my bday. I am making a modified funky boob tube, and it's the most HORRIBLE stuff to start on circular needles, but once it gets going, it's not too bad. I knitted, frogged, knitted, frogged, said the HELL with this BIRTHDAY yarn crap and got a glass of wine. It called to me....."I'll be nice, knit me, please, knit me" So after another glass of wine and laughing on the phone about my daugher aka "bruiser" decided to give it another go. I was cruising on the boob tube, had about 8" done, it's such a simple pattern and really moves.....realized I screwed up and was supposed to do plain ol stockinette for the first 8" and not start the increase pattern until AFTER the first 8" were done....YUP, I'd been just increasing my little heart out and it was not fixable....so the whole damn thing was frogged again. I was actually trying to get it done to wear out on Sat. night, but that didn't quite work. So, got myself a diet coke (I know, it was after midnight and I'm popping caffiene before bed) typed about 1300 words on the never-going-to-get-to-50,000 nanowrimo thing and went to bed.

Sat. I had about 4 people I hadn't talked with in months call to say hello and catch up. Man, the best friends are those you can talk to while cleaning toilets! I got the kids to help clean the house as it was getting a bit frightening! We went garage-saling in the am and had fun, found a few treasures (aka CRAP) that the kids couldn't live without and mostly wandered around in the cold air. I loved watching the munchkins decide on their purchases...they have to take their own quarters & when they're out, they're out. Joey's a monster when it comes to wheeling & dealing....he goes up with a toy marked $2 and ends up using his big-eyes-looking-sad bit and comes back after spending a quarter. The kid's got talent. Beth uses him now. She'll send him up with a girly thing and he'll say "I really want to buy this for my sister, can I use this?", hand her a couple quarters and if that doesn't work, he HUGS them. What little old lady can resist a spiky-headed-boy that hugs? MAN I have to act really interested in some piece of crap on the lawn to observe and not look like I'm pimping my kids.

Went to Huyen's baby shower while mom watched the kids. There's nothing more fun than hanging out with about 50 asians! My wild little group is starting to mellow out. My friend Alison got me adopted into this big international group and I've gone from being that "tall white chic" (I'm actually only 5 foot 7", but most of my friends are barely 5 foot, so I'm like a giant-woman) they brought along for fun, kind of a fringe-friend, to being invited into these women's and their friends' lives. It's wierd. When you are a kid, you make new friends all the time. When we go to college, we make life-friends and then we grow up and just end up with aquaintances. I made a resolution to live more of my life and be open to making friends a few years ago and I ended up meeting Russell & Alison right about then. Since then I've added other special people to my life and it's really amazing....

OK, enough touchy-feely-crap, back to the story....ANYWAY, Huyen was one of the girls I went to chicago with over July 4th weekend (pictures on my links). She's about the cutest little preggo girl! I was cracking up because there were about 4 white people, a few Indians and a ton of asians. I've never seen so many freaking cameras in my life, it was like the biggest stereotype of all, but I SWEAR I'm in about 45 pics and I wasn't the momma-to-be! She must be in over 100. I was cracking up. They also EAT very well and DRINK a bit too. I was a good girl and just ate veggies & fruit and no drinks. The group's parties seem to start in the afternoon and usually end up around 2am. They wanted me to go out for my bday that night, but I had a hot date, so couldn't. They said to not make lunch plans for the next day. I can't explain it, but it's so amazing to just be pulled into this neat group of women! It makes me all happy & gushy inside. OH, and of course there's one old white guy (the daddy-to-be's father) who comes to ask for my # before I leave....WHAT IS THIS FREAKY OLD GUY MOJO I'M WORKING NOW?????????? He's rich as snot, about 60 and a slight alcoholic. woo. baby. At least he didn't resemble Kenny Rogers, that's a plus as most of the men I attact are dead ringers for the country star.

TIRED OF READING YET???

Sat afternoon I ran home, got the kids, went to get dvd's for the new dvd/vcr player I got from mom & dad and got the kids set for my super-sitter, Michael. Michael's one of my hundreds of cousins (I'm catholic, what can I say?) His big sister was one of my best friends when we were growing up and she ended up dying of cervical cancer in her early 20's. Michael's kind of an adopted baby brother who looks like a linebacker. He's in KC now going to college at DeVry. He comes over about every other weekend and the kids love him. I feed him and pay him and we hang out and catch up and I pick on him like Erin would have done. It's a good setup for all as he's kind but also big & tough and a good male role model for Joey too. He got there and I hit the ROAD. Wore a black scoop-neck top w/jeans and heels and my cool wild-mix skinny scarf wrapped around my neck about 5 times, GREAT hair, NO zits and I was a little hotty. Headed out to Argosy casino and met my old friend Bill there. He found out it was my bday weekend from another friend and decided we'd live it up. Bill could well have been my "bob" (my wild aunt Dot from CA has a gentleman friend who is my goal for what I want in a life partner. He's amazing, sweet, funny, cute and has his own damn life and his own damn job and own damn house and comes over when she wants him to and goes away when she wants too...it works for both of them. I've decided I'm not getting married again, but my goal is to find a friend/lover/partner when I'm in my 50's or 60's and if not that's ok too) He's moving to Hilton Head, SC to run a bowling center, he's now a district manager for about 18 centers in the area. We decided we like to hang out, there's an attraction, (NO HE'S NOT A BOWLER, so NONE OF MY OLD FRIENDS GIVE ME ANY CRAP HERE--My ex-hubby was a professional bowler and the 2nd hubby that only lasted 6 months after marriage because he was a crazy M.F. was also a bowler and I swore a blood oath that I would not marry any more bowlers) SORRY, back to the LONG-ASS version of my life....

DAMN I'm getting tired of typing!

So, we go in and wander past the restaurants and decide on the Journey, this really nice (and expensive) steak restaurant. I ate EVERYTHING and almost barfed. I'm not one of those dainty little pick at a salad on a date kind of chics. If there's food, and it's good and especially if it's expensive, I'm EATING it baby. So, we both get salads, bread, steak, mashed potatoes that were like HEAVEN and green beans that were amazing....and there was NOTHING left on my plate....how scary is that? We also downed a bottle of shiraz wine and were just talking and telling stories, he's lived the most amazing life. I am trying to get him to start a blog just recording different things he's done as a record. He decides since it's my bday, we've got to get dessert. I very daintilly (is that a word?) say I may barf on the table if I force any further food into my body....and he says just take a taste of mine....and he orders this chocolate fudge cake satanic godiva chocolately thing that I could have DIED it was so freaking good AND a piece of strawberry/raspberry/cheesecake divine thing....of course I packed in about half of those as well. After we finished the wine, I rolled myself out of the restaurant and we wandered over to the craps table.

Bill gave me a $100 bill to use, and I said "I'm not using your stinking money" and he said whatever we make we'll spend. So, since my fingers are getting tired here, I'll just say I lived on that $100 all night long. The only time I'd tried craps I'd lost all my $$ in about 15 minutes and didn't have a clue why. THIS time I was QUEEN of the table. It was a blast. The funny part was Bill threw down at least 4 more $100 bills. I kept saying "you want some of my money?" but you can't share chips at the table and he wouldn't hear of it. (He's also loaded and has no kids and no real demands so I figured he's a big boy). At one point I had the two trays in front of me FILLED with chips...counted $680-something at one point...but we kept playing. After about 2 1/2 hours there we moved on to roulette. I left the table with $450 or so and he got up to $300 in chips, so overall we were a bit up. I hate roulette, but we had a blast. We sat next to the funniest girl. She was with this tough biker-guy. She talked like a cartoon character from the 30's...that high pitched baby doll voice, and had BIG ol boobies sticking out of this top that had one little button hanging on between them. She also jumped up & down whenever she did anything good or bad, so it was quite a sight. Then she looks down at her boobies and says to me, "Do you like them? They're new!" And I say, they're lovely. Bill elbows me and whispers "Are you seriously out at a casino talking about a woman's new breasts?" The other guys are cracking up at the table. Then I see she's talking about the brooch or pin things she's got on the top just below the one button that's straining to keep these little basketballs in place. I laughed until I snorted.

So, we end up telling stories, laughing, having fun until I figure I'd better get home and we go out to the valet around 2am. I get a very nice kiss goodnight and head off into the night, listening to my Violent Femmes cd loud with all the windows down and the butt-heater in my seat on high and in a very nice mood.

The kiddo's wake up at about 6:30 am, so momma's moving a little slow...they run & I stagger downstairs and get breakfast, then lay on the couch while the munchkins entertain themselves by building an obstacle course of blocks, chairs, giant spongebob pillow, sleeping bags and the like. Make my way to the shower and Phuong and Huyen call about lunch. We get moving and head to the Elephant Bar (very good food) and meet up for lunch for my bday! The kids shared a meal and I ate until I was going to pop AGAIN, inhaled this wonderful chicken chinese thing. And they gave me PRESENTS! I was just so touched that these new friends remembered my bday, and then that they scheduled a big lunch for me and PRESENTS! I got some yummy perfume (with comments that they're tired of my old-lady Elizabeth Arden Red Door that I've worn for years), 3 silver picture frames and a cute necklace & earrings set that looks like me! We ate a bunch, talked a lot and of course many more photos were taken! (I don't even bring a camera anymore to anything as I know these girls will have it covered!)

Then we run to Joey's friend's bday party. It was a dress-up princess party with about 25 girls and 4 boys. They stuck a note on Joey's card that he could dress like a prince or a king if he wanted to. We don't have a whole lot of king-material, so we did the batman cape and a paper crown. We got to princess alley and saw a crowd of cinderellas, snow whites, sleeping beauties and tinkerbells (when did she become a princess?) and Joey and the other little guys with their capes. Joey got rid of the paper crown and put up the batman hood w/eyes and pointy ears and was running around the room with his arms out like he was flying....chaos. But they had a blast, ended up getting both kids' faces painted and I very politely said no thanks on the bday cake as I could not possibly put any more food into my body.

Sunday evening I got my presents from the kids. Beth had made a beautiful drawing of she & I & Joey playing on the swings and Joey made me a heart and wrote his name in it.

My life was all stressful and kind of getting to me and I wasn't planning on doing anything for my bday. I ended up having the nicest weekend in a long time. Friday I'm going out with some other friends for a belated bday party and am going to try to drag Russell along too! I got nice emails & thoughts from my new blogger friends and I'm just a happy little camper. I think I'll plan on not celebrating again next year and see if I can do all this again!

My tantrum's over now

Well, I'm feeling better now. I've got Nachos Bell Grande and am so hungry I might just lick the nacho cheese off the lid too.

Sorry about the old ranting & raving here about the dungeon. I hate when people complain over & over and don't do anything to change the situation. I'm working on changes, but it's taking a bit longer than anticipated. Now I'm just trying to walk & talk like a normal adult person and not go crazy. Who needs a therapist when you have a blog? It's my sanity-saver.

fyi still no talk, bring it on. I'm ready.

Taking bets on whether I lose my job today

It's a good thing I had a damn good weekend, because this am is not too whoopy. Actually, I'm not even upset. It's getting personal. After my last "talk" with the local boss I was told he knows it's not really my fault that I'm a single mother and that I have a sick child and they sympathize... Good thing I know it's not my fault I've got no morals and a few gay friends and GASP democratic-views.....

ANYWAY, the whole circle of secrecy thing where no one ever gives 2 weeks or gets 2 weeks' notice here in the dungeon is starting up again..whispers, shocked looks, etc. You're gone at 4:45pm the last day of the pay period so they don't have to cut a partial check for a 1/2 day or 2 days or something. Well, this afternoon's the last day of this pay period (we don't get paid until the day AFTER the 15th and the day AFTER the last day of the month). I have to take a half-day Wednesday am to get trained on Joey's new fangled VEST thing that's his air clearance/shake the crap out of him/new plan to help him get the congestion out of his sinuses & lungs. I have to be trained by the company's representative or blue cross won't pay for the $16,000 cost of the machine. I recently sent a very appropriate, professional email to the owners & cc: the management team (me, my buddy & the controller) about how I'm trying to minimize any time lost and I appreciate that they are running a business and to let me know if they would consider me working part time or whatever I can during this time that my son is ill or if not, let me know and I would be happy to train any replacement they deem necessary. I have not heard word one in response to my email, no acknowledgement whatsoever.

My father took Joey to work Friday so I didn't have to miss any time, etc. I said this am in the big Monday Meeting that my daughter isn't able to go to the after-care program today so I have to pick her up at 3:00. I could either take my lunch then, bring her back to the office for one hour between 4 and 5 or I could leave early. Last time I had to bring a child to the office for an hour it caused a stink because Miss Hateful complained about me getting "special preferential treatment". (I know, it's redundant, but she's not that bright.) The last time ended up with a "little talk" from the local boss explaining how I needed to try harder to act just like everyone else and the fact that I was salary and management and required to work more than 40 hours ANYWAY didn't matter. I just had to "avoid the appearance of special, preferential treatment." So, instead of saying take the afternoon off or bring her in, he looked at me with the patented fatherly "I'm disappointed in you" look and said "we'll discuss it later, just you and I in my office" and kind of did this sigh thing. I'm telling you, I'm 36 freaking years old and not putting up with this crap. There's no FMLA (family medical leave act) applicable here as we're too small of a company. Basically the rules of government agencies and any other normalcy do not apply. I'm surprised we haven't started floating around in the air and that the law of gravity still works down here.

SO, my original thought was they would keep me until the old analyst/computer guru could come in and train someone else. He's now teaching school, so the plan was probably wait until summer originally, then I've had to miss a few half-days and had 3 sick days in the last month, so it was probably pushed to Xmas vacation. NOW, scandal of scandals, I'm planning on taking a few hours off. You know, THIS is why I explained to the big bosses in person last time they were here AND in email 2 weeks ago that though we were hoping for better times, I could well need more time off here and there. I am making sacrifices where I can and my family is helping as well, but that's all I've got buster.

Haven't heard word one about our "talk" yet. It's about lunch time. I'm leaving at 2:30 to get Beth and if I haven't had a talk before then, tough. Any bets that my "talk" will end up with me hitting the road? I think the newest plan was the big bosses having a "talk" next week when they get here and basically giving me an ultimatum of not missing any more work or I'm gone, but now I'm thinking it could be today. We'll see. Might have a lot more time on my hands. Any bets?

OK, two and a half hours later update --> It sounds like the big bosses are wanting to work with me, it's just the local one I'm upsetting. Guess I'll be down here for a while longer... Still haven't had my talk yet, but the gossip highway is like being back in high school. I was pretty good at keeping up with who liked who and who didn't and all that, so those skills are coming in handy years later. Who would've thought the 2 things I'd use most that I learned in high school would be algebra and the gossip grapevine?

I will write later about my great weekend and how I'm going mary-kate-anorexic for a couple of days to make up for all the food my friends fed me! I may be pissy, but I'm also pretty lucky to have good people in my life.

Happy Birthday to Me

"Few people know how to be old."
--La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680)

I think I've got a pretty good idea. 36 years today. I have now crossed over to the next color in the button stage, you know the one where you have to give your age range, now I'm a 36-50 woman. The day started with a card full of $$ from mom & dad. They always know just my size! Thank God for parents that love me. Had to go get my drivers license renewed, $22 for a piece of paper and a guy to point at signs posted along the counter telling me they'll mail my new license in 2-4 weeks. He apparently was tired of having to actually talk to people, so he'd point. I said "hi" and he just looked at me. He pointed at the paper saying to stand in front of the blue sheet, never said "smile" or anything. I smiled for the pic, paid my $22, said "thanks, have a great afternoon" and he pointed to the taped paper stating I was now completed with my experience at the DMV. How did they ever get the reputation of being unfriendly??? hmmm

BUT guess what's a few doors down from the DMV????? You guessed it, KNIT WITS and I had my bday $$ burning a hole in my pocket next to the paper version of my license so I went in JUST FOR A LOOK-SEE....and got some goodies!!! I'll add pics later, but I made myself leave the bag in the car because I know I'd be tempted to sit here reading & dreaming & petting my new yarn instead of getting any work done around here. Going to make a modified version of the boob tube out of this strange new yarn and I'm gonna be a hottie still even without making that damn sexy tank I gave up on....maybe after my knit-along-ribbon tank I'm starting Monday, I can give that tank a try again.

One good point of the day--> Joey was feeling better today, but still coughing like an 80 yr old smoker, so Grandpa Joe took him to work with him for the day. I don't know who was more excited, big Joe or little Joe. My dad had his laptop bag and Joey had his bob-the-builder backpack walking hand in hand. Wish I would've got a picture of that.

2nd good point of the day --> I had FABULOUS hair today and was all sad because even though I'm sure Amanda appreciates good hair days, sharing it with my fellow dungeon-mates is not really a good use of those RARE fabulouso days! I'm heading out on the town tomorrow night with an old friend and I'll probably look like a damned hobochic, but I took quite possibly my best ever driver's license picture (even with crooked glasses).

STRANGE note of the day--> What is it about a woman's 36th birthday that brings out the crazies??? Are we exceptionally vulnerable now or something?? I got calls from all the nutjobs that were trying to be my lover-boi...Kenny Rogers' twin sent a card and $20, wierd, but hey, I'm poor I'll take it....(I'm already going to hell anyway and Mark said I can share his & Russell's handbasket to Heck on the trip).....the Italian Stallion called to see if I wanted dinner at Cascone's, a movie and then drinks at the Cigar Box downtown (he was a pleasant diversion, but kind of strange so I said maybe in a week or two, hey I eat GREAT with him, have fun, he's a great dancer and is SO working that Italian/power/sexy/whatever it is that it's easy to ignore the fact that he's NOT good boyfriend material, but is a LOT of fun to hang out with--made sure he's ok with the just-dating-for-fun thing so I figure it's ok)....creepy Sprint executive/old mentor guy called saying he missed me and wanted to get together and needed advice on his sexual harrassment hearing in the company (ICK...nope)....Young Boi (25 yrs) is a friend I've flirted with off & on for a few years and we have one of those strange FWP relationships called to see if I had plans (hadn't heard from him in about 3 months)....and an old friend called and I said OK to going out on the town with him. (he's moving to Hilton Head, SC in a few weeks so I've got a really nice place to plan a weekend away in the future!) I think it's strange that single men remember your bday but as soon as you marry a guy he forgets it. wierd.

The Chubby Chronicles

"Well-behaved women rarely make history."
--Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

The world needs a few more quotes, ok, maybe just I do. ANYWAY, blog is now BORING, so 0ne of my new goals is snazzing things up, adding better and more recent pics and all that. I'll be working on that this weekend.

Knitting update-->completed Auntie's scarf! Woo Hoo, get to wrap it up for xmas....I love wrapping gifts almost as much as I love ripping them open! My daughter loved the soft & fuzzy red/orange scarf I gave her for part of her bday present. I made one for her school's auction to go with a gift certificate to the LYS and she was begging for one.

Writing update, I FINALLY have a few words, but what was I thinking???? 50,000 words???? It's supposed to be fiction, and it pretty much has become a chick-lit kind of thing posed as an extended blog with the main character a 36 yr old red headed single momma of 2 redheaded kiddos who tries to use these new addictions of knitting & blogging to figure out who she is, where she fits into the world, and bitch about people who piss her off like crazies in the dungeon....IT IS TOO FICTION, I added a few details here & there. The sad thing is that I was most inspired last night on the chapter called The Chubby Chronicles.

The gist of the chub chrons is my getting tired of being chubby tirade. It started with my diet of yesterday....breakfast was a green&white hot tea (healthy) followed by 2 homemade chocolate chip cookies (hey, my buddie got a new stand mixer and it would have been rude to resist, ok, they were GREAT and I wanted them in my tummy and was doing good to only have 2), lunch was 2 peanut-butter chocolate chip granola bars & a diet coke, dinner a few bites of some spicy nasty expensive dinner at the Cheesecake Factory and you guessed what the evening snack was, CHEESECAKE and I mean good CHEESECAKE with strawberries and oozing stuff.... Yup, the day started with grand illusions of healthiness and slimness and was just shot to hell. Well, the combination of those closet ghosts shrinking all my pants and my lovely diet and no-exercise plan have worked that even the duck walk isn't working on the jeans any more. I found myself knitting on the couch with my pants unzipped. WHAT IS THAT??? Al Bundy knitting? I might as well buy myself a trailer, wear the so-tight-jeans-we're-scared-they're-gonna-bust look that is only completed by a torn concert tshirt and a butterfly ankle bracelet (except my damn ankles are too tight for that part of white trash crap anyway) and date an unemployed guy named Trevor.

I FORCED myself back onto the treadmill...the one that not too long ago I was cranking out 3 miles jogging/day and was only 5 pounds from the "ideal weight" for my body type....then was drastically derailed by all things chocolate and sitting on my butt... Made it walking fast for 1 mile, was all inspired and pissed off and stalked around the basement doing 50 walking lunges (actually 100, but you don't get to count each leg individually as that apparently pisses off the slim thigh goddesses and they add extra cellulite when you try that). I lived through 25 counter pushups (I'm a wimp, standing up and leaning against the kitchen sink is as good as this chic gets so far--regular pushups I can do 2). As a reward I allowed myself to knit for one hour and then sat to type and type and type about the "new plan" for the "new body". We'll see.

My biggest accomplishment of the day was walking by the chocolate zingers package in the QuickTrip that was calling my name.....it even had the extra free zinger in the bonus package, but I said NO.

Some people strive for world peace, some for world domination, I strive to walk past a bag of zingers. I think it takes about the same amount of effort.

I know the election's over, but I couldn't help myself

This one was just too good. I am really over the election, really. I am just still pissed. Found this one on a blog that I think found it on Queer Joe's Blog.



Apparently the new plan for the next 4 years is to screw the environment. I KNEW there were issues for the big election, we just didn't SEE any but our lack of morals and "gotta have a Texan bad-ass to protect us".

Republicans all excited about drilling for oil in Alaska's last few preserves.

You know, I used to be a nice little Johnson County republican girl...then I went to college and learned a few things...then I became an independent. I liked Reagan, I like Elizabeth Dole, Alf Landon (can't remember if he was a democrat or not but I liked him), but you know, I've had about enough. I've been pushed over the edge and have become a right-wing liberal and am a bit proud of it. scary what it can all do to you, isn't it?

CUTE free felted purse pattern from KnitChic

Found the CUTEST new free purse pattern on Knit Chic's blog: Trapezoid Clutch. DOING this one with the rest of the noro kureyon yarn I've got and am making myself finish a few things BEFORE starting it!

Knitting Update--> I am a true knitress. I swear it's almost scary when you have a few hours to kill and have to sit around in waiting rooms. I have the boring tank almost DONE now. I can't WAIT to start our cool Knit Along Tank! I completed the back last week and was all proud of myself, yesterday I have the front done up to the point of decreasing for the armhole shaping. woo hoo. I still think it's ugly and plain, but it's my first official garmet I'm knitting so I'm wearing it ANYWAY. Auntie's scarf is almost done and I sewed the handles to the 2 party purses and they're ready to felt. I'm a knitting MACHINE baby! Next is the FUN new trapezoid clutch purse and then my knit along tank!

Happy Birthday to my now 8 year old daughter! Seen in her new poncho to the right. She went to school wearing a new dress and feeling all sassy! We didn't make it to the nail shop for matching "sessy toes" yet, so hope to do that this weekend. Does it ever frighten anyone else when they see their kids turning out a LOT like them? I don't know if the world can handle my two little ones...We'll see. She was all excited also because she got to do her first big report for school. We now know ALL about the state of Louisiana and have a big-ass thick poster board stand full of state goodies. She was like "MOM, can you BELIEVE it? I got to do my first book report last month and NOW I get to do a REAL state report!" I'm thinking, girl, enjoy this enthusiasm while you can...I can see a few years down the road...Me-"have you got your report done yet?" Beth-"MOOOOOOMMMMMM, give it a rest, wontya?" Ah well it's just fun now!

Joey update--> First, thanks for all the prayers & "you go girl" and other support! We had a very productive day at the CF clinic yesterday. Still don't exactly know what will make my little guy feel better, but at least now we have a PLAN of some kind. I got an apology from the cf coordinator about the treatment at the ER last Friday night. I still get pissed when I think about it..."Bring him back if you get concerned"....Don't you think I was a bit freaking CONCERNED in the first place??? ALSO, why are all the best children's hospitals in the WORST neighborhoods??? I was so scared I'd get mugged trying to get the little guy back out to the car. Apparently the doctor covering the CF calls last weekend is the same one I've had conflicts with in the past. She is no longer part of Joey's cf team. Don't mess with momma! This doctor chic is a pulmonologist, but mostly works with infectious diseases and helps cover after-hours for the CF team. I asked what do we do the next time we're in the ER and she's the covering dr? and they put a note on the computer records that they're to call one of a list of people in the CF team instead. YEAH.

They did lots of tests & things and he's on a few more med's to help cut down on the amount of crud in his sinuses and now we're starting the Vest. In a nutshell, it's $16,000 (yes, the price of a freaking CAR) but should hopefully get covered by insurance or a foundation that helps people that get denied. Basically, it costs as much as a car to combine a bunch of velcro, two air tubes and an air pump (ok I'm sure there are some research and FDA approval fees in there somewhere, but come on, $16 freaking thousand???). Officially it's a pulmonology clearance tool that uses pulses of air to break up the crud in the kids' lungs & bodies. It basically hooks two air vents into a vest that shakes the crap out of the kid. Joey tried it in the clinic and tried to sing "bob the builder...can we fix it...bob the builder...yes we can" while his little voice was shaking so badly it was freaky. I was cracking up. I know it's serious but GDangit it was kind of funny too. We'll see. He's feeling a little better, and still in preschool, just coughs a lot and doesn't eat much.

more examples of how knitting = smut

OK, I gotta admit it, I love these dang retro pics!

Don't they look good? Hopefully they're not waiting for 3 three guys:


and the knitting smut for the day: (This one looks like a bad day in the wardrobe-room for the porn shoot)


OK, life updates..

My son Joey's been off all antibiotics for a week and a half and isn't feeling too whoopy. (Joey's got Cystic Fibrosis--a lung & digestion disease with chronic sinus problems too.) After he's been not eating well, coughing till he barfs up gross stuff and basically looking like a sick little kid instead of the normal hyper-active obnoxious 4 1/2 year old boy he should be and no one seemed particularly worried. "Bring him back if you get concerned" was what the ER at Children's Mercy told me last Friday night. Call me crazy, but I was a bit freaking "concerned" which is why we were THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Good thing for knitting. I grabbed my aunt's scarf and got about another 8" done. It's almost ready to wrap up for xmas. It also kept me from hitting a young dr in training that was explaining how my son really might not be sick...it could all be in my mind since I wasn't a trained medical doctor like her (and she looked like a damn barbie all cute & skinny too!)...of course, I did think of using one of the sz 9 needles as a weapon, but figured, hey they were my only pair of rosewood needles and I liked them so all in all they kept me out of trouble. Apparently once I got the CF team to admit the basic policy now seemed to be wait until the kid is so sick he can't function and THEN we might do something, that wasn't really in his best interest, and we're going in tomorrow morning for a workup on blood, xrays, PFT's (pulmunary function tests) and other fun stuff.

I really have the utmost respect for the medical establishment and am very lucky to have Children's Mercy here in KC, but lately it's gone from "here's our healthiest little CF kid, let's do everything in our power to keep him that way" to "go away until he's sicker and then we'll talk". Momma's a little too tough to get pushed off so easily...

On the upside, since I was home this weekend and not out catting about, I got some serious knitting done. I finished the back of my tank I started a LONG time ago from the Yarn Girls' Guide to Knitting, and was so proud of this pretty little thing I walked around the house with it hanging on my shirt to see what it looks like. Yup, I'm a dork. I'm bringing Angie's scarf along tomorrow for all the waiting around and hope to get it DONE, ready to do my fun knitalong tank with Nyxxie!

Retro Knitting Pics TOO FUNNY!

As I was browsing my collection of blogs I keep up with, I stumbled on Justinland's entry about these amazing retro knitting pics that are a SCREAM! I'm planning on sticking a few in with the next few posts. They're called "Hand Knits for Young Moderns" and I swear I had too much fun looking at these instead of getting work done!

First, here's my aunt's scarf I'm working on and the not yet felted smaller version of the party bag in a more muted burgandy/black mix of Noro Kureon. I've just finished 2 of them, but still have to sew the handles on and felt.




I think they used smut to sell knitting patterns in the 60's...check out the grilled hot dogs and this chic's little mouth expression...scary!

more knitting smut...

I'm better now

Sorry about the bitchy last post! Got it out of my system and am feeling much better. Last night I ran out to apply for some stupid life insurance thing where I had to pee in a cup & give a TON of blood for them to make sure I'm not about to die yet. Too much fun. Did get some reading done, I'd picked up a few magazines at Borders earlier in the week and hadn't had a chance to sit & read yet...Vogue knitting Holiday issue...Knitting (from England) LOTS of cool articles, barely started this one yet and LOVE it...Creative Knitting Nov. 2004. seems to have lots of kids' patterns that don't look too tough.

Got home and was feeling much more at peace with the world, put the kiddos to bed, sat and finished all the i-cords on the 2 party purses I'm going to felt that I stitched out of Noro Kureyon yarn (my new favorite), wasn't feeling up to weaving in ends & sewing straps, etc, so picked up the scarf I'm making for my aunt and got about 6 more inches done on it. Went to bed kind of early, pretty peaceful evening overall.

Back in the dungeon, same people, same problems, but really don't care any more.

A catty little post today

SO, Miss Hateful has almost gotten her wish, no not her REAL wish of me dropping dead after begging the powers-that-be to give her MY job...no, but she did FINALLY piss me off today. I am usually able to laugh at her petty little stomping, cussing, lying, whining etc. crap that I deal with, but for some reason I just couldn't take it any more. After a particularly frustrating exchange where I actually said her name, and asked her a question politely in a matter a CLIENT needed resolved(because I, being a member of the human race, am able to communicate in a professional manner at work) and the stupid chic looked at me blankly across the room, ignored the fact that I existed and went back to staring at the stupid fax machine without any comment whatsoever. I know, I know, I'm above it. I normally smile sweetly at her because it seems to drive her nuts, but I'd had it. I calmly left, went back to my parner-in-crime, said "I need a diet coke RIGHT NOW" and left without pulling out any of my hair. After venting and standing in the freezing rain, I was able to make it back down to the dungeon to deal with the crazies... When I said I was feeling like all I wanted to do was walk across that room and hit the witch upside the head, we laughed because we realized she would kick the crap out of both of us. Growing up in a world where people are polite, communicate their frustration with WORDS is a whole different world than growing up head tramp of the trailer park. ooch was that a little catty? meow.

One positive note, Amanda completed her first-ever knitting at lunch! She now has about 3 rows of a very cute scarf started and I'm so excited for her!! Woo Hoo Girl!

well CRAP

Short note today. Caught a "case of the barfs" as my daughter put it on Monday afternoon, went home with a headache at noon thinking I'd have a peaceful nap that afternoon and ended up losing about 4 pounds NOT the good way. ick. Tues I felt better, but figured I'd better not bring the sick germs in (even though I now think it was something I ate as I felt immediately better and no chills/aches or other stuff that goes with the flu.) SO I went out to the LYS for 2 hours, had a ball, ran a bunch of errands, took a nap, read a book, thoroughly enjoyed myself. Did NO blogging or anything else. Catching up soon.

Knit-Along tank top will start on Nov 15th! Woo hoo! Email me or leave a comment here to sign up. I'll have more details soon. Click the "free patterns" link in the side column to see a pic of the tank. Easy, fun, yeah!

My one political note: CRAP. Ah well, at least my boss is now happy...giddy, actually.