weekend successes & failures

A couple big hits this weekend. And one giant flop.

In the hit side of the score box....


Red pepper-potato dip with crudites. I can't find a link for to recipe for you because it's from the brand spankin' new Sunset Magazine (Oct 2011). Super yummy. The first time we ate it, it was still warm, because the potatoes were still warm from boiling. The second time we ate it, it was chilled. Loved it both ways. My only adjustment would be to use less garlic. I believe the recipe was spot on, but my garlic cloves were huge, and I didn't adjust down to the average sized clove. I kind of figured why not though. TheMostImportantGuy was battling a cold, so I figured the more garlic the better...partially because it's good for you, and partially because he was so stuffed up, he could barely taste things!

Next super yummy thing I whipped up was Grilled Herbed Tofu with Avocado Cream, and hey look...there's even a link to it.

If you ever need to make something for a vegetarian, this was super delicious and fast. If you aren't vegetarian, make the sauce anyhow. It would be awesome on fish or chicken, or even as a dip.
The leftovers even held up well overnight (which is what you are seeing in the photo, actually). The trick with storing an avocado sauce overnight is to make sure no air gets to it. I just threw the tofu into a container, spooned the sauce on top, but instead of topping it with a lid, I used plastic wrap pressed into the container, right on top of the sauce. A bit of the sauce sticks to the wrap when you remove it, but whatever...that sauce stays green.

***By the way, thanks to all who are posting or emailing me links to websites that can help me with the food stuff! I am so thankful!!! Keep 'em coming! Please!

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Now for the big fail this weekend.

I haven't been knitting much, but this weekend I pulled out my fall sweater project...because I'd really like to wear it while it is fall, for crying out loud.

I got it out, refreshed myself as to where I was in the pattern, and between Saturday and Sunday (and all the cooking, laundry, and helping out sick Boyfriend)....the sweater doubled in length.



And I was getting so excited, and then I saw a big fat mistake (which actually ended up being two mistakes, upon closer inspection).

And all my progress became this:



*sigh*

Well, I'm going to get back to it and see if I can catch myself up to where I was.

snapless saturday

MyFavoriteKid is off with his dad for the weekend.

TheMostImportantGuy has been in bed with a horrible cold all day.

I went to the zen center this morning.
Then I spent the rest of the day in the kitchen cooking up some awesome goodness so I could stuff my fridge with yummy foods that I can eat right now. I made some amazing rock star goodies, and...

I didn't take a pic of anything I plated, because I was so excited that I tasted everything before I thought to grab a camera! DUH


Wellp, I made enough of everything to last a couple of days, so I will try again tomorrow.

ohhh, but that aint the half of it!

In addition to kicking the caffeine, I also am not eating wheat, dairy, or sugar.



Which basically has me eating AIR.



More on all this soon. Right now I just have to go de-crabbify my attitude. LOL
aye aye aye

because i'm just to tired today

All I have worth sharing. There it is.

I went sans caffeine today, and I'm exhausted.
And a little crabby.

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Sent from my iPad

the kind of clean no one else sees

With all the work going on at the new house, the existing house (where I still happen to live most the time) has suffered.

I am doing a spring cleaning. In fall.

The kind of cleaning that you work at real hard, but no one else sees. Like going into cupboards and getting rid of all the expired foods or medicines. Or getting rid of those undies with the not-so-elastic-elastic. Or tossing out that shampoo that I didn't really like, but couldn't seem to toss out the day I decided I didn't like it (stupid LOL).

So it's the sort of cleaning you can spend all day doing, and you get a real sense of accomplishment, but then you close the doors to the cupboards and it doesn't look like you've done a damn thing, or like you've spent the day lounging on the couch eating bonbons or something.

I guess I could just go running around the house opening and closing things to make myself feel better!!

many parts a-smilin'

I'm not sure which part of me finds this video so pleasing...
the dancer in me?
the renovating/remodeling chick in me?
or is it that it touches the gal in me that sees herself growing old with her guy...?

Whatever.
It really tickles my fancy :-)



(sometimes blogger in certain browsers cuts off a portion of the screen, so here's a link to the video instead)

the blog is 6

Hard to believe....


....that I've been blah-blah-blah-ing for 6 years!

done done and done

We had one last box o' magnet. MyFK wanted to replace it with a desk. He wanted to be able to sit at an actual desk, in his own bedroom, rather than going into the den to study.

Fair enough.

And easy enough....because even though I helped with the classic IKEA cartoon directions, MyFK did most of the handiwork required for the assembly. He even played around with my power screwdriver/drill tool.

But.
With all of the IKEA cabinets I had put together at the new house, I have now officially had it with assembling IKEA furniture. For awhile, anyhow.

Probably a good long while, though!

snaps on saturday

Dressing the windows in the craftroom.











The old cotton & lace curtains were a find online.
The glass panels were made by a lady who turns old glass dishes into "stained glass". What's cool about them is that because they are dishes, they aren't flat. They have depth to them, too.
LOVE!

another football game

This time I remembered my knitting (and I got I spent time before going to the game figuring out where I'd left of the last time I set it down).

Except it's really hard to shake pom-poms and knit.

First sings of fall....




First signs of warm soup....



Was totally winging it, and also using up stuff from the fridge.
(all organic--woohoo!) Olive Oil ~ Yellow onion ~ Leeks ~ Celery ~ Carrot ~ Thyme ~ Garlic ~ Vegetable Broth ~ Water ~ San Marzano Tomatoes/Crushed ~ Butternut Squash ~ Northern White Beans ~ Broccolini ~ Lacinato Kale ~ S & P....topped with a smidge of parmesean cheese.

Mmmmmmmmm.

layers, baby...layers

Ok, so here's a revisit of what the bedroom at the new house looked like the last time I showed you.

We're still not done...there's a different lamp going on the other side of the bedroom that is still in it's box, and I am just throwing the finishing stitches on a green throw pillow for the bed made out of a sweater I felted, too.
But we've added a couple of touches, and here it is, as of today...


Here's a close-up of that old lamp I found. I love it because the base lights up separately (or together) with the actual lamp itself.

I dragged it with me to the store in all it's rickety glory, and I tried shade after shade on it. The very last shade in the store is the one I ended up liking. It's a chocolate brown with some gold streaks on it, and it looked ridiculously gawdy on the shelf. It looks great, and even better when it's lit.

And I love the texture on the glass of the lamp....which is somewhat mirrored in the bedding.

I wanted the bed to look like a business suit, but with some "girly" to it. Sort of like when a chick wears her man's business shirt around the house like nightshirt the next morning.
That feeling ;-)

With the shape of the lamp and the stitching on the white bedding, I was really trying to bring in some round curvy details to contrast against the squareness of the bed, not to mention the pinstripes on the navy duvet cover. Same idea with the wall mirror, which has a round beveled detail on it.

Here's the green glass I've been collecting for the other side of the room. It's on dresser that came from TheMostImportantGuy's family.

We actually are the type of folks that light candles and burn incense in the bedroom, so this isn't just a decoration for us. It's all functional. I think I might change out the sand I put inside of the glasses, though. There were lots of shades of sand to choose from at the big box craft store, and I went with the white...but I think it might need something darker. The white is kinda taking away from the glass, I think. The craft store also sold bags full of little green chips of tumbled glass. I might go that route instead.

That little dresser scarf there we actually found for $5 at Walgreens. It's an actual scarf. For around your neck. Not for your dresser. But whatever. Hahaha.




The nightstand was a splurge, but I adore it. It's sturdy as all get out and should last a lifetime. It's a modern spin on an old travel trunk, but they really focused on the details. The trim on the trunk is leather and wood and they used really nice upholstery tacks. The drawers are lined with some sort of fabric, and they open and close whisper quiet. Even though the thing is new, it just feels timeless to me, and that's why I don't mind dropping a wad on something like this. I also feel like it could work in other places around the house if we ever felt like mixing things up.

The flowers on it are fake, believe it or not. I prefer real flowers, but being that I'm only at this house on the weekends at this point, I couldn't be bothered....and how sad to always come for the weekend and arrive to last week's dead flowers?! Besides, these look deceptively real! They were also on the clearance rack ;-) Under six bucks.

The little books on the nightstand are actually fake little boxes that look like books, and they are there so that I have a place to toss my rings and watch into at night. Also scored at 60% off at the same big box craft store.

The chair was another splurge and not only do I have a mad hot crush on that chair, but I also have a funny story that goes with it...so I'll do another post about that sometime soon. The throw on it was also a sale find (I think ten bucks?)....and I love that it also has some round shapes to it, not to mention it is very soft and cozy. It will be used as a blanket, not just as decor.

So mission accomplished so far....we saved on some things so we could splurge on others, we've mixed old and new, mixed businessman with girly-girl...and so far it's feeling like a calming sexy little corner of the house.


There's a few more things going on in the room....like the whole other side of it, for example, but that's still "under construction".
One wall at a time!! LOL.

f student

Ya' know, I went and saw that new doc that I'm so excited about working with on August 30th, and I booked the follow-up to see him 3 weeks later (Sep 20) to discuss the results of that "very special" lab test kit he sent me home with.

If you recall, the test involved taking samples of things created when performing "very special" bodily functions. The test was set up to involve taking samples for 3 days, and then shipping it off to the lab in a pre-paid Fed-Ex box. The instructions said that the kit had to be returned within 4 days of the last sample.

Simple. No???

No.

I was given the kit on that Tuesday (in the afternoon, and my ship had already sailed that day, if ya' know what I mean). I suppose I could have done the test Wed-Thu-Fri...but I wasn't entirely sure if Fed-Ex would do a pick up Saturday, and then there was the Labor Day weekend involved, and well....there's yer 4-days. By my math, if I did Wed-Thu-Fri, that meant that I would have done the last sample on a Friday, Fed-Ex would pick up on Tuesday, and if all went well, it's 4-days....but if there is any delay with the package or Fed-Ex, it's a waste (pardon the pun)....and I'd have to the whole test over again.

So I decide to the the test Sun-Mon-Tue to go out Wed and get to the lab on Thu. Makes sense. Simple. No???

No.


I do the test on Sunday, but on Monday, I open up my little zip lockbaggy o' hazardous goodies for the day, including that lovely little paper french-fry boat, and everything in the bag is soaked. Apparently, the lid on the vial where I was supposed to deposit my "very special" bodily goop had not been seated properly, and the vial was leaking.

The kit's included instructions state that if any amount of liquid from the vial is spilled, discontinue the test immediately---the results will be incorrect. It says to call the 800 number for the company who makes the kits and they will send out another vial.

I call. They are closed. Of course they are. It's Monday, and it's Labor Day weekend. I leave a message, they of course, they do not return my call Tuesday morning....because they are probably dealing with an extra day's worth of backed up samples (another pun). I call the lab a second time Tuesday afternoon and they tell me it would be faster if I just went back to the doctor's office. Which I do. Even though it's a 45 minute drive. Each direction.

I get the kit home, and look it over so I can be prepared for the next day's events (I'd already missed Tuesday's boat entirely)....and that is when I realize that I have the wrong kit. This new kit comes with extra special things like medicine droppers and instructions to take the medicine I was prescribed (?) on the morning of the first test.

I call the doctor's office, but now it's so late in the day, they are closed. They call me back Wednesday morning, but only after I have now missed Wednesday's ship as well.

*sigh*

The MistressOfTheKits at the doctor's office says I can use the kit I was given, because it actually IS the correct one...THAT THEY HAD GIVEN ME THE WRONG KIT IN THE FIRST PLACE (??!!!) because it was all they had on hand. This new kit is does more extensive testing, but this new kit involves taking a laxative on the first day (yay me), which of course, I don't have AND...

...with all of these delays....the test results will now not be back in time for my follow-up appointment! My appointment is now moved out to October 4th.

*sigh* (again)

On Thursday, I go buy the laxative crap (I know, I'm so punny), after Thursday's ship has now sailed, of course. I decide I dont want to do a test involving a laxative on Friday because I'm going to be at a football game, nor do I want to do it on Saturday when I will be driving an hour and a half each way to get to the niece's birthday party. I'm already having to bump the damn follow-up appointment out anyhow, so I decide to take the test Sun-Mon-Tue (ie today) and I have Fed-Ex pick it up upon completion.

Which I do.
*phew*

Meanwhile, the stupid rash is driving me nuts because I had to stop the medication I normally take to tame the symptoms, because they couldn't be in my system for the test or they would skew results.
AND...I've also been reading all of the material the doctor sent me home with, and I have so many questions (that I can't really ask until October now), that it's making me a little jumpy.


The point of this story, is that I managed to get an F on my poo test.
Incomplete. Late. Poor work habits. All that.
And bad citizenship, too.

Leave it to me to pull that off LOLOL

hitchhiker

I stopped by an art gallery this morning to pick up the prints that we ordered at that show we went to a few weeks ago. The show ended yesterday, so all three artists were there this morning collecting their wares, including our friend (and handyman) who makes the wooden robot sculptures.

He sent me home with one as a housewarming gift :-)

saturation.

I've watched a little bit too much tv this afternoon....

...all 9/11 10th year stuff, and primarily a couple of shows on the history channel that were either compilations of amateur video taken that day, or shows focused on listening to audio files of first responders or phone calls made by people that were trapped in the towers that had left on voicemail messages on answering machines.

Really amazing to watch.
Wasn't exactly tummy settling tv viewing either, though.

So I'm capping off my evening by watching/listening to the Mahler/Symphony No.2 Resurrection concert being broadcast tonight on PBS...

....also in honor of 9/11. But on a more digestible note.

snaps on saturday

Niece's birthday party today...

where the hell did the week go???!

Wait a minute, wait a minute.

Didn't we just do this???



Game number two. Very exciting. Right down to the end. Nail-biter.
But we lost :-(

The jumping jack lady was there, though!


I did bring a hat and a blanket, and I did have a warmer jacket this time (I bought a team hoodie).

I did bring my knitting this time, too....except I brought the sweater I haven't touched in 3+ weeks, and I couldn't figure out where the hell I was in the pattern, so I ate a hot dog instead.

Another home game next Friday, so I'm going to need to get back on track by then and get jamming on this thing. It's a fall sweater. And I should probably try to finish the damn thing before spring!

things i find funny

Found on the greeting card aisle....

vintage me.

Have I shown this one yet??


I do believe this is a photo of me earning my way into (or proving my worth within) the "Whole Lobster Club" (a family tradition).

I definitely know how to handle a whole lobster ;-)
I remember in culinary school watching my classmates struggle to get the meat out in one piece in order to make a fancy presentation, and I was like, "noooooooooo problemmmmm. I have me some madz lobstah skillz."
;-)

I'm not entirely sure that I am correct on this, but I believe this photo was taken on a trip to visit my mom's family on the east coast (Boston area), and I think we might even be sitting on an outdoor patio of one my mom's favorite restaurants.

the green glass cometh

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have been on the hunt for a few more pieces made of green glass to put into the bedroom at the new house. This one arrived in today's mail.


(not it's final resting place....that's my bathroom at the current house)

I'm not entirely sure this thing was intended to hold a candle. It sort of seems like it would make an awesome presentation for a giant shrimp cocktail or somethign LOL.....but at our house, it will be a candle holder. Until we get bored and do something else with it. For now it will go on the family dresser that TheMostImportantGuy inherited a couple of weekends ago. I have also scored a lovely tall green glass vase and a short little green glass dansko jar that is sort of in the shape of an ink-well. Next time I get over there and artfully arrange things I will take a nice photo.

Because our weekends have been so busy working on the house, I haven't had as much time to go to flea markets or garage sales as I would like to for these sorts of things. I have been popping into the occasional thrift shop and have also stopped a few times at a local consignment shop that has some rockbottom deals, but this particular piece you see above (as well as several others I have scored recently), I found trolling while trolling etsy.....one of my favorite, and most dangerous, places on the internet ;-)

best and worst

worst: not finishing up all of our painting projects at the new house this weekend

best: we didn't finish because we took a break from all the hard work to finally go see a movie (it's been months. months and months. (so long, actually, that TheMostImportantGuy have put our heads together and we still can't even remember what it was was we last saw LOL)



We did get quite a bit of stuff done around the new house this weekend, though....and it's feeling more "lived in" and cozy.

What did you do this weekend?

before and after

Not the best shots, but it's late, and I was just heading off to bed when I realized I hadn't posted yet tonight. I hope I haven't shown these before, because it seems like I may have!

Here's a before and after shot of "the carriage house" (the in-law apartment upstairs from the detached garage behind the hew house). They aren't taken from the same perspective, unfortunately. The "before" was taken from about where the kitchen is, looking towards the entry...while the "after" was taken from the entry looking into the apartment.

The floors are the original wood, refinished...amazing.

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Sent from my iPad

snaps on saturday

progress in the craftroom (smelllllll the possibilities!)

Pardon the black splotch in the bottom right corner. seems I need a new camera :-(

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Sent from my iPad

Even though I'm a baseball fan, I've never been much into football. That's probably going to have to shift some, as tonight was the first (of what will be many, I suppose) High School Football games for me.
Not because MyFavoriteKid plays football.
Because he's in the marching band.



By the way....first home game of the season, and our team won 72-0 ( wha?!!!)

My favorite part of the night (besides MyFK in the half-time band thang, of course) was what happened every time the home team scored. There was this sprite older lady (70's? 80's?), who was a volunteer for the team, providing water and supplies for the team. Every time the team scored, she we go over to the cheerleading squad and make them participate with her in doing jumping jacks to match the score. She had no problem doing round after round after round, and even the cheerleaders were having a hard time keeping up with her. The audience participated (myself included....seated, though...arms only), and my arms will probably hurt tomorrow.

I learned a few things about football tonight (none of them having to do with the actual rules of the game, though LOL):

* don't forget a jacket next time.
* maybe even a blanket.
* don't forget the knitting next time, either.
* bring a thermos of hot liquid while yer at it, ding-dong

performing tonight

I'm doing a little dance performance tonight at the studio. We are wrapping up a 10 week series of classes that were designed to be "an incubator" or sorts so that each of us that make up class (students and teachers both) could create solos.

And of course, here we are, at the end of the 10 week series and I am just now blogging about it...
because I am just that sort of blogger. LOL *sigh*

Here's what I've been up to:

Several years ago, when I was working with Dandelion Dancetheater, Eric Kupers, the director and choreographer, created this very long movement phrase that he wanted us all to learn as he believed it was to be inserted into an evening long piece somewhere. He choreographed for a very specific piece of music by Sweet Honey And The Rock, and that's what we listed to when we learned it, but as rehearsal progressed, every week he'd spring new music on us. Sometimes it worked for me, a lot of times it didn't....and he actually preferred the more abstract music where, to me, the music didn't seem to match the movements. I often had to tune out the music to just keep the movement phrase moving.

And it drove me nuts.

At the time.

(it also never ended up in that show, after all that work...hahahaha)


As the years have gone by however, I've become enchanted with the idea of experimenting with this again. I don't remember all of the movement phrase, but I've cobbled together enough of what I do remember to make it work.....and then I have danced.....as an experiment only....and these are just a few of the many questions that have come up for me:

* When I am supposed to be doing something (in this case, repeating a movement phrase...but in life....say, folding the laundry or paying the bills) what pulls me off center?
* How do I do what I am supposed to do while the background and scenery change?
* How much do I let external forces shape or shift what it is I am supposed to be focused on doing?

It's been quite a fun experiment. What I've done, over the last couple of months of class, is to show up every week with different music that I have never danced to before, and then apply the movement phrase to it. I've done everything from TheSmiths and Smashing Pumpkins, to Diana Krall and KD Lang. I've danced to chanting from the zen center and to music I have never even heard at all because it came off of a free cd I picked up in a coffee shop.

A few unexpected things came up as I watched myself play with this, the big one being how interesting I can get embellishing things when I get bored with something repetitive. Even if I try real hard to keep it simple and basic and just doing what I'm supposed to be doing, once I get bored I want to fluff things up LOL. It's also interesting to note that the only times I have every gotten lost in the phrase and forgotten what came next (it's about 2 minutes long), it's always been to the music I would have expected to be the easiest to work with.

edited to add: One of the other things I discovered to be true for myself at this time (who knows, it might shift as I work long), is that one of the reasons its hard for me to do the repetitive "thing I am supposed to be doing" without allowing the outside influences to affect me, is because it sort of seems ridiculous to me to NOT to be allowed it to be affected. I feel like maybe the lesson learned here is that I can still do whatever it is that I am supposed to be doing without denying the reality the world is perhaps dancing to a different drummer ;-) And that it would be somewhat robotic and even outright ignorant to not allow my surroundings to affect how I am doing something.

Tonight, we are having an open house, and I am "performing" this in front of whoever shows up, but it's still not quite a performance. Once again, I will be dancing to music tonight that I've never worked with before this way (although it's music I love: Paranoid Android by Radiohead--I chose it for tonight because I really only have time for one track and it has a lot of radical shifts of mood to it). Some day I'd like to perform this again with an ipod full of who knows what and let the audience shuffle it around on me, and then see what happens LOL.

I'm totally not done exploring this.
I am pretty sure this is only phase one of...I dont know what....

In regards to some previous posts and comments:

* I dont mind that the ladies are all choosing to knit with the pom-pom yarn (although I do think it's a bit weird that they're all jumpin' on the train together at the same time).
They are excited, and as their their teacher, I am excited that they are excited. I always tell them that I support them in whatever they want to try (and I mean it)....even if it's not something I'm totally into....or something I don't even know how to do yet (because I'd be happy to go learn the new skill and then teach them, or direct us both to someone who could show us).
No, I'd probably never wear a hat or scarf out of the pom-pom yarn myself, but it would be something most kids would go bananas for and I would happily knit one if there was a person in my life that wanted one. I also have to admit that this yarn would make one rad mod-looking throw pillow, and I wouldn't mind having one on the couch that will be coming for my new office/craftrooom.
My real issue with the yarn isn't that I mind them choosing it, it's that it's a bit harder for me to teach with it. I wouldn't say it's the best choice as an early knitting project (and several of my gals are just learning to knit). There's a skill to casting on with it, you have to work with the yarn differently because you are knitting using only the thread between each pom-pom, and the stuff is a bitch to tink or frog, and forget about trying to pick up a dropped stitch.

* I am not at anti-BigBoxMedicine place. Most of the practitioners are fabulous, it's just that the system doesn't seem to allow them to give the kind of personalized care they seem to want to give. I have received some of the best and most personalized care from the physical therapy departments, and my dad might not be here if it weren't for the very same BigBox's hospital's ICU docs taking a huge interest in finding the root of his issues.

* I had to laugh at Pickyknitter's suggestion of using the aid of a paper plate in my *cough cough* collection of samples, because the kit they gave me includes several red and white paper trays....like the kind of french-fry boats you'd get a burger joint. hahahaha

well, that was refreshing

I honestly do not recall how long it has been since I have been to a private practice doctor. I've been enrolled in the "big-box" sytle of medicine that is Kaiser for a very long time. Going to see this doc today reminded me of going to the doc when I was a kid. Or maybe this isn't what it was like when I was a kid, and it is just how imagine things should, and I've imagined them so hard for so long that I've tricked my mind a bit LOL.

I wasn't taken back by a medical assistant who took all my vitals, directed me to a plain ol' exam room that is used by the doc on duty of the day, and then tossed into a paper gown. Nope. The doc himself came out into the waiting area himself and greeted me and brought me back to his office, which was personal to him and full of who he was, and then we sat and talked for what felt like a long time, and by "talked" I mean, he listened. It wasn't until after all the talking that he examined me, including taking my vitals himself.

I have had this skin problem coming and going for almost 10 years now, I've been watching it very closely for the last couple of years, and I could swear that it is somehow related to what I am eating or how my digestive system is processing things. Every BigBoxDoc has slapped a tube of ointment or an oral med in my direction, and all of them have thought I was nuts when I told them I wondered if it was some sort of allergy.

Today this doc looked at the whole big picture, including all of those kajillions of history forms I downloaded off his website, filled out for him and brought with me....and when I got the part where I was about to tell him that I thought it was food or something related to my gut, he said, "I was just about to tell you the same thing. hat's exactly what I think it wrong. I even think I can take a guess at what you're allergic to, but we're going to test to be sure. Your skin is an organ that works from the inside out. I agree with you 100% that there is a link to your digestive system."

He's took some blood and is running an allergy panel and I have been sent home with a little lab kit so I can send in some samples of this and that (*ahem*), and then I'll go back in 3 weeks to meet with him again and we'll look it all over.

Even if I weren't to go back, I swear, just being heard was worth the out of pocket price of admission.

the strangest of timesucks

I have other stuff I want to blog about. Seriously. Presents in the mail, dances I am working on, more house photos....some cool stuff!!

But I got caught up tonight filling out the longest patient profile forms ever for a doctor's appointment I have tomorrow.

I have this crazy rash. I have had it on and off for years, and Kaiser keeps throwing meds at it every once in awhile, and then re-diagnosing it as entirely something different from time to time and then throwing more meds at it.

I'm sick of it. I am finally so sick of it that I am paying out of pocket to see a specialist...one who practices integrative medicine and will listen to me when I tell him that I swear this whole rash thing is a bi-product of something greater going on with my digestive track. Like an allergy. Or (eep!) a parasite or something. All I know is that it changes when I tinker with my diet, but I can't quite figure out exactly what the issue is because without a proper diagnosis, I am just throwing food-darts and the thang.

So tonight I spent hours filling out his health questionaire to bring with me tomorrow, and I also spent a chunk of time printing out the lab results from the last physical I had from Kaiser a couple of months ago.

Fun times. And I have all sorts of feelings about going to this appointment tomorrow....from being excited, to being scared, to being pleased with myself that I finally decided to seek out alternative care, to wanting to thwack myself for not going sooner.

I hope he doesn't tell me I'm allergic to chocolate.
(that's the scared part! LOL)

chipping away at it. like a sculpture.

Here's a shot of the bedroom at the new house as of today.


Just a progress shot.

No art is up yet, we also have a gorgeous mirror that still needs to be hung, I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a good deal on a rug that looks cool but wont get caught up in a wheelchair, there will definitely more of that beer-bottle green color entering the room by way of throw pillows and plants maybe a vase or something, that white torchiere lamp is going to be replaced with an architectural looking task lamp on the nightstand, and.....I am still on the hunt for just the right night stands, too ('cuz the TV trays we are using now are not exactly what I had in mind LOL).

I need to take some close-up shots, because some of my favorite things about what's going on so far aren't even showing up in this photo. The base of the vintage green glass lamp has a very groovy texture to it (not to mention the base lights up like a little mood lamp), the duvet cover is actually a navy pinstripe material kinda like a man's business suit, and the white throw on the end of the bed is matelasse, so it has a bunch of quilted swirly textures on it that somehow magically relate back to the lamp.

I'm having fun. It's slow, but fun.
And sleeping there this weekend was quite nice, too :-)

snapless saturday

Long day today. We rented a U-Haul and picked up that family furniture of TheMostImportantGuy's that I mentioned a couple of weeks ago.

Tonight is my first night sleeping at the new house since the new bed frame and mattress have arrived.

Tomorrow phase two of three in the Ikea bookcase assembly saga :-)

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Sent from my iPad

sooo tired, that all i have is a cute doggy photo

Teeny spends most of her day chasing the streaks of sunlight around the house and basking in them. Unless she is sitting in a pile of warm laundry fresh out of the dryer.


The moment the machine stops spinning she starts chasing me around the house until I plop the clothes down wherever I am sitting down for the folding session.

why why...why?!!

Why is it that all of the ladies of the senior center knitting group I am leading are all knitting with this crazy ass pom pom yarn??!!


(and why, might I add, is the yarn getting rated 5 out of 5 stars, for crying out loud)

Most of these ladies are beginning knitters, and while I fully support people knitting what they want to....just consider what it takes to teach knitting and to teach people that they can only knit between each pompom!

It's crazypants, I tell you!!!!!

so tired the day was a little blurry

Suuuuper tired today.

Was up all night because one of the cats, MrDufus...oh, whoops, I mean MrDarcy...didn't come in by bedtime. It's been very warm here, so I slept with all the windows open, and I was woken up on several occasions by the sounds of cats screeching and fighting. He finally made it in around 4am, but that was only after he'd woken me up at 1, 2:30, and 3.
Ass cat.

Then I climbed Mt Laundry (I will never understand how everyone's individual hamper fills up at exactly the same time as all the towels need to be run).

And then I spent quite a bit of time at the hardware store, a place I am apparently visiting a bit too often, because the staff is now recognizing me and our renovation projects.



Not much time knitting lately, which saddens me....but hopefully a bit tomorrow at least when I lead the knitting group at the senior center.

narrow it down

I feel like there is so much going on (mostly in my brain, not in reality---fun times), that I don't even know where to start tonight, so I'm going to narrow it down to just one topic.

Today I went and visited James at the convalescent hospital. It had been a looooong time, thanks to everything that blew up over the summer around here, but we'd be chatting by phone. Nice visit.

However.

When I pulled up into the parking lot, I heard someone banging on the window of their room. I looked up and realized it was Martha (click here and scroll down to see who I'm referring to). She was talking to me through the glass and waving that there shawl at me, and I had no friggin' idea what she was saying.

I stopped by her room on the way to bring James his lunch and visit, and she said, "Not only am I moving away, I am getting married!"

Maybe I should mention that I've known Martha for about 5 years now, and every once in awhile she says she is well enough to move out to a senior apartment and be on her own. But she never goes anywhere.

The first time she told me she was moving, I thought it made total sense. She really isn't all that ill, from what I can see. She seems more like the type of lady that needs a little bit of help bathing and running errands but maybe doesn't have family around to do that. She's always on top of current events and politics, and she has very interesting stories to tell about life in the area her in the good ol' days.

But like I said, she never moved. And then came some complaints that someone had taken all of her money out of her accounts and she couldn't move out (which, considering that James has had money stolen out of his room that resulted in police activity, it was hard to not wonder if she was telling the truth). But then came the day where she started saying the devil was in her room (which, well....have you ever been in an icky convalescent hospital at night?? who knows what she could be seeing, honestly).

But today she said she was getting married. She wanted to give me back the shawl so it wouldn't get lost in the move, but I showed her that I had knit another pink shawl recently so I was okay on that front. She had folded up all of her personal blankets into a neat stack and had a fully packed travel bag next to them on the bed. The staff came in to bring her lunch and she refused it because her fiance was going to take her out once he got her.

I asked Martha if I could go deliver James the lunch I had brought him while it was still hot and come back, and she said she might be gone by then.

I half believed her.
As usual.

When I came back, she was eating her lunch off a tray, and was angry because her fiance hadn't come to get her and she thought she knew him so well, but apparently she had not been a good judge of character. I was almost speechless. But I made sure she had my contact info in her address book so she could call me if she moved, so I'd know where to find her.

I once asked the staff if they could fill me in a bit about Martha's condition, but of course they cant tell me a thing with confidentiality laws and all that, so who knows. Maybe the only reason Martha is really there is due to dementia. When times are good, I only see her for a short visit once a week....maybe this stuff is happening all the time and I'm just not there for it.

*sigh*

On the way out to my car, I stopped and had a long, very one-sided chat about it with my good friend who IS completely coherent but can only say, "No," or "I know." I've written about her before, and I have no idea where the post is to link to it, but she sits outside smoking cigarettes most of the day just watching the world go by....and she says (by way of twenty questions) that Martha only gets the one visitor...and elderly female friend that takes her to the post office every two weeks or so. That's it. No family. And definitely no fiance. I actually thought MyLadyOfTheNo-I-Knows was going to pass out from laughing when I told her that Martha said she was leaving today and said she was getting married. You could tell she was dying to pass that gossip along and would never be able to LOL.

Anyhow.
It has me a bit curious about how best to support Martha.

I don't know much about dementia (if that's even what's going on).

Time to research.

i think what i do is send back the bill

I went and saw my physical therapist today, the one that specializes in scars and fascia and all that I have on my bod that is so torn up. Nothing was wrong, but I just felt like I needed a "tune up" as things were pulling here and there and getting kinda tight.

At one point he did something to my neck that he'd never done before, where I was lying on my back and he kinda did some sort of traction maneuver, where he pulled my neck real long, and in a very unpleasant jerky way. When he let it go, I had screeching pain. I couldn't turn my head to the left or put my left ear to my left shoulder without feeling like I was being stabbed (or wanted to stab someone).

And I pay for this. Bah humbug!!

He felt horrible, and he put me on ice, and put some sort of rub on me, and did a little more work to try to fix it.....and it's not quite so screechy....but it still hurts and I'm still icing at home, and all I feel like doing is not moving. And I have a list of things to do that only seems to get longer lately. And I am a Crabby McCrabberson!!!

*sigh*

and a few more building days still to come!

Another trip to IKEA, and more bookcases to assemble for the office/craftroom.

This is gonna take awhile.

snaps on saturday

Spotted at the mall today:


And I think this shirt is totally hilarious (and awesome).
If you are a Giants fan, I don't need to tell you that this is Tim Lincecum.
If you are not a Giant's fan, here...let me see if this helps explain why I find this shirt so hilarious:


Hmmmm. I bet if I would have went inside there would have been a Brain Wilson version.


The mall is a place we rarely ever go....but today we had go there to throw loads of money at the Sears Appliance Salesman. The carriage house/in-law unit construction is now complete, and it has had final inspections. We did a final walk-through last night with the contractor just to note a couple tiny punch-list items that we'd like to see tweaked or touched up....but construction is done! All that is left is for us to shop for and install window coverings, and the appliances, which we took care of today, to be delivered in 2 weeks.

Tomorrow I will try to take some decent photos in the light of day and then see what I can do to show you a before and after post.


Hope y'all are having a good weekend!

the highlight of my day...

Let me set the scene:

It's 6:55am and I've only had a haylf a cup o' joe. I am driving MyFavoriteKid to school for his 7am pre-school marching band practice. We are rolling up to the curb when MyFk announces:

"I've been talking to MyBestBud, and we've decided that instead of going to a "regular" college, we are just going to go to a community college. It will save you money! So you're okay, with that mom...right??! Okay! Bye!!"

The car door is now open and he has one foot out the door.

*ahem*

To which I of course shout after him, "Let's talk about this later, when we have more time, ok?!"


Now, I'm not against community college guys. In fact I myself went to a community college. But it was because I didn't have the grades or the financial means to go elsewhere. In my 30's I even made use of a trade school (culinary), but that was a career choice-- a career change, actually.

My concern, with a child that is only just beginning high school this year, is that he set his going target a little low. I know that some of this is due to the fact that MyBestBud's dad is presently out of work and that his friend is setting his own target low because of that, because he is recognizing financial despair....but I actually come from the camp that MyBestBud should therefore be setting his target even higher and striving for a scholarship.

I come from the camp that if MyFK wants to go a community college that it should be his choice, not his only option, and that his next four years of high school should be spent aiming to set himself towards the place of being able to make the choice. To have options. I'm not the type of parent to push my kid in a direction he doesn't want to go.....but I'm not about to let him spend the next four years aiming for the low target, either.


I'm thrilled to report that TheMostImportantGuy is willing to sit down and be part of this conversation with MyFK tonight, because MyFK doesn't really view TheMIG as a parental figure. He views him as just a really cool older guy who has his shit together and has a good job and also still does fun stuff on the side. But one of the things TheMIG does is a whoooole lot of hiring and firing, and he regularly screens piles and piles of resumes, so I feel he can give a completely different perspective, and hopefully one that MyFK can hear.

So now over chinese food tonight, I get to have the talk.
The first of a kajillion, I am sure LOL.

vintage me.

Me and dad cruising (what I believe to be) a marketplace in Mexico, which would put me at about age 13, I think.

Maybe they'll correct me if I'm wrong.

wait, when did *that* happen?!

I cannot believe I am the mother of a kid going to high school.

in between

In between everything else (including my glorious morning of "Coffee With The Principal," while MyFavoriteKid was at his freshman orientation), I have been tinkering with felting thrift-store wool sweaters I've had laying around and matching them up with vintage buttons from my stash:




Soon to become throw pillows for the new digs ;-)

explanationologies

Hoooboy, I feel like I have been quite busy! I haven't had a chance to check in with friends, or return phone calls...plus I have several tasks long overdue.

What happened is that I returned home from the Sock Summit trip on a Sunday evening, and the very next morning, MyFavoriteKid basically started school. Now, the first day of school "proper" is the day after tomorrow---Wednesday. But two weeks ago, "band camp" (marching band camp, that is) began, and so we've already had two weeks here of morning alarms, big breakfasts, and box lunches.

And I'm way out of shape. It's almost like I have forgotten how to do it all.
It might just be that I'm doing it in addition to all the special dog preparations and feedings.
Whatever. It's just taxing!

In addition to the school stuff starting up for the last two weeks, MyFK has also needed a physical, a bit of back to school shopping, plus there was the registration day, a now tomorrow an orientation day.....and then there were those out of town visitors and the house full of teenagers....and two more trips to the vet...and the trip up to TheMostImportantGuy's mom's to look at the furniture and clean out some of his dad's old stuff...oh and the day (yes, the entire day) it took us to assemble just some of the ikea furniture at the new house.

It's just been kinda crazy! Not bad....just....crazy!

So if I owe you a call or an email or a conversation, I betcha ten bucks I have thought about it quite a few times in the last two weeks (lots of time in the car running around for all of these things). I haven't forgotten you, and I'm not far...and you should always feel free to contact me if it's taking too long.

xo

see? remarkable.

The vintage furniture being passed down to TheMostImportantGuy from his family:



And the vintage furniture being passed down to me from my family:




See what I mean?

I still think it's remarkable.

snaps on saturday

Details on some furniture that TheMostImportantGuy's family has saved for handing down to him.


What's odd is that the woodwork and the hardware bare a ridiculously similar resemblance to the furniture my own family is handing down to me one day.

I don't have a photo of it, but I will get one soon and post them side by side.
It's remarkable.

no wonder i have i migraine today.

(and those are just a few of the people in front of us!)
(and we arrived early!!)

Today was freshman registration day at the High School (I still cannot believe MyFavoriteKid is going into High School sometimes...sheesh!

Turning in forms, proving residency, getting the schedule, paying fees (which were shockingly large...can you say, "public school"??), picking up textbooks and PE uniforms, and having photos taken for the yearbook and for the school identification card.

They suggested the whole process would take about an hour.

It took us two hours and forty-five minutes.


No wonder I have a migraine.

vintage me.

Vintage me at 21.

Interesting tidbit: I am wearing a hot pink t-shirt that says FOOL on it in really big letters, and I made it myself. LOL
(and 23 years later, and I still wear make and wear t-shirts that say silly shit!)

coney baloney

The good news:
Riley got his cone off today!!!!


The bad news:
Teeny noticed this change immediately, and she promptly decided that this means all bets are off, and it is now party time. She is back to her favorite shennanigans. She nibbles at him, jumps on him, and sometimes shoves her entire head in his mouth like they're playing Lion And Tamer. She also chases him around until he will play with her (which looks a little bit like he is stepping on her and flattening her sometimes).

And Teeny is not supposed to be playing or doing anything crazy with her legs as she is still recovering from her own surgery.


Teeny is a Nuisance ;-)

knittin' pimpin' shoppin'

Knittin'...
A good day in the knitting department! I ripped and re-knit the off track shawl that was missing some increases. Here it is after Clue #2, sitting and waiting for the release of Clue #3:


That one above right there is v.1, the smaller version.
I also caught up on v.2, the larger version.

Sorry for the craptastic photo that doesn't even show the true colors.
Chalk it up to my feeling like I must photograph my knitting and show it to you, even if it is in the dark. Silly.

Edited to add better/in-the-light-of-day photo:



I'm really liking how this is turning out so far, although I'm a bit concerned about how the rest of the variegated yarn is going to play out in the next clue. So far we only have a wee little patch of it. I hope it doesn't disappear entirely. I probably should have chosen something with a bit more contrast.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pimpin'............

Do you guys know about the Fiber Beat Podcast??
I'm a huge fan.

Of course I must be honest and admit that the only reason I am finally announcing my fan-ness on the blog today is because WonderMike (the host extraordinaire) has a contest going....but seriously....I've been listening to this podcast since it's inception. Many an interesting interview has already taken place (I mean, how often do you get to hear from Kaffe Fasset??!), but if you are Ravelry fan, do take note that a new episode was released today featuring Jess & Casey....it's so new, I haven't even listened to it yet. But I did listen to the last episode, which was all about the Bohus knitting tradition....and I loved it. I'm a big fan of learning about historical knitting and cultural knitting traditions.

If you want to check out Fiber Beat, you can click on the link above, or here's an iTunes link, oh and hey...there's also a Ravelry Group.

Pimp complete ;-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shoppin'...........

I was finally able to get to IKEA today and pick up two of the several bookcases that will go into the craftroom at the new house. Woot! It's been a long wait.

Here's how things were supposed to go. Floors were refinished and painting was complete at the end of June. TheMostImportantGuy moved out of his loft and into the house by July 1st, but he (very graciously) stayed at my place for a few days, and waited to spend the first night there until we could stay there together. The 4th of July weekend was our first weekend there, and that following week I had a date with the handyman to meet me at IKEA with his big Sprinter van to pick up the furniture for my office/craftroom.

Well, the 4th of July was when the dog was attacked, and.....well, I have nothing more to say on that if you are behind on the dog situation. Just scroll back. It's all I've written about for a month LOL.

Point is, I never got furniture, and that room is empty. And really, I haven't been at the new house for more than an hour or two the entire month. TheMIG however, has moved in. And the few times that I've gone into the new house, it has felt like.....well....it's felt like I am intruding. There is so much of him there, and none of me there, and it's no fault of his, it's just that I haven't had any time there....but it's been really hard on me to feel like I'm sneaking around his house or something.

So going to IKEA today to pick up a couple of bookcases? Yay!

Of course now I have to assemble them.
But still.
It's a start.

tinker.

Frustrated knitter, here.
The sweater had a goof, and then Clue #2 of the Mystery Shawl that I'm workng on came out last night, so I knit and knit, and I goofed that up, too.
Busy tonight tinking, frogging, and re-knitting.

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Sent from my iPad

vintage me.