its the little things that make me laugh

As seen at tonight's local KnitNight (which happens to meet at the back area of a sports cafe)....
the posted scores of the last game of darts:

 Brohemoth v Brofessor 

hahahaha

i love the winter sky

This is the time of year that I step outside late at night (when I should be sleeping *ahem*) to take a peek at what will soon become the winter sky.  It's my favorite time of year for stargazing and spotting familiar constellations.

I think this year I should try to identify a few new ones.

a little more knitting

I finally finished knitting up some socks that had fallen by the wayside.

They're for TheMostImportantGuy. I picked a very classic-ish pattern and yarn, as he is in need of dress socks to go with his new fancy business clothes.

Of course, being the very rare Sunday with zero commitments (?!), the only modeled shot I could get was one of him wearing them....

...in his pj's  ;-)
It'll do!

Knitterly details here.

snapless saturday

Ok, I know that this totally lands in the TMI category, but deal with it.

That bad landing on my bum on Thursday?? It is now a good 8 or 9 inch square bruise on my arse that is black. I think TheMostImportantGuy is worried a chunk of my rear end might die and fall off.

While he worries, I however, I have taken to constantly remarking about how my butt-ocks hurt, and since I can't write inflection here very well, know that I am saying butt-ocks ala Forest Gump.





And don't tell me "you'd kinda like to see that," either...because I'd probably show you.

busy! knitting!

Needles a clickin'.  Working on finishing up some long languishing projects.
And watching Shakespeare on PBS.
And leaning on my right bummcheek, cuz the left one looks and feels like it might fall off!

lopsided.

Well, I done diddit.  For the first time ever, I fell getting out of the shower tonight, while trying to do a quick rinse before dashing to dance class.  I put the bathmat in a different place than usual (because I thought I was so damn smart), and as soon as I set my wet foot down on the floor, it came right out from underneath me.  My arse came crashing down, and my left bumm-cheek crashed down on the shower threshold.  You  know, the thing with the metal door jamb?

Lovely.

After flopping around like a wet seal trying to get up off the floor for a few, I got myself dressed and out the door to dance class, and that's when it finally hit me:  I could barely sit.  I'm sure being mildly in shock explains why I didnt think to grab an ice pack or some muscle rub. I did a bummcheck in the mirror in the studio, and it's already a multi-colored extravaganza.

I am soooo glad I didn't slip further before landing and hit my sacrum or low back.  No bones involved....I landed squarely on my more than adequately padded backside.   It's a bit of bummer it didnt happen on the other buttcheek though. I dont use my right leg, it aint even there!! But my left leg (ie my only leg) is attached to that buttcheek and OhMyGosh it's already hurting every time I stand. 

I'm back home and on ice.  Nothing like an icy bumm at bedtime...woot!

my morning entertainment

My favorite funny moment from today:

MyFavoriteKid asked me for a ride to school this morning, and as I was dropping him off, walking in front of our car was a gal wearing black and white striped skinny jeans (sort of wide even stripes, like a court jester)....and a blouse with a floral print that sort of resembled your grandma's tablecloth or something....and some really weird looking sort of moccasin boots....

and I said, "Oh. My. Gawd. Will you look at what she is wearing?! Someone needs to do an intervention, the poor dear...."

and MyFK says. "Oh. Ha! It's Spirit Week for Homecoming this week, and today is 'Fashion Disaster Day' ".



He doesn't know this, but after MyFK got out of the car and walked away, I pulled over into the lot and watched more kids come. Heh ;-)

the little train (ok, knitting) that could

I feel pretty ridiculous posting that I have finished knitting something when it's only a silly little seed-stich cotton washcloth, but hey....

it's a bit of a big deal.
Why?  Well:

a) it is an accessory that was knit to commemorate the completion of our new bathroom, and it looks perfect in my new little bath caddy
and...
b) I was only able to knit this because the numbness in the fingers of my right hand has decreased!

It's not gone, but it's decreased.  I believe that all kudos go to my new ScarDoc/Myofascial Release Wizard who has been digging into my scars, and even more importantly I believe, digging into some restrictions in my neck. This week my fingers felt like they were "waking up" after having been asleep like Rumplestilskin.  There has been some tingling and itching, but it's all feeling like a really good sign to me.

I'm still in the process of getting the MRI decoded (I do have a copy of the comments from the department that performed it, and I only have that copy in my hot little hands because I forced the issue).  My primary Kaiser doc is putz...she still hasn't called me to discuss the MRI with me, but instead, with no discussion whatsoever, I have been scheduled for another appointment with yet a another specialist. This time it's a neurologist...but again, my doctor, who ordered the referral hasn't told me why.

I just made arrangements this morning to switch to a new primary care physician at Kaiser. I've had it with this one.

But back to the happy!!! Back to the happy!!! Kaiser aside....YAY for alternative treatments!  I have another appointment with the ScarDoc today (outside of regular insurance...kachink$!$! *sigh*), and if she builds on what was done last week, I have high hopes for improvement.

Washcloth completed, I am now finishing a lingering sock project, and I am planning on casting on for something new this evening! :-)

 

retired

Sorry for the delay in getting this post up and running! I wrote it and thought I hit publish, but I guess I actually hit save and sent it to the drafts file. Duh! 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today was not so great.  It was one of those "everything that can go wrong, will" sort of days, and by early evening I had just resigned myself to that fact and laughed every time one more thing went wrong (mercury retrograde, anyone?!)

The morning started with MyFavoriteKid slamming drawers and getting frustrated because his "dresser: has basically burst open and exploded everywhere.  His clothing storage system is basically a tower of wire basket drawers that are built into his closet.  It normally works fabulously.  But lately he's run into that dilemma where he has more clothes than space.

We took a few minutes this evening and sorted through everything, got rid of the old and tattered, and it was a shock to both of us how much stuff there was that was ancient.  He's a junior in high school and we found a few t-shirts with the middle school logo on them!!

We know how this happened. MyFK and I used to have this plan: we used to purge his clothing twice a  year. Once in June, right after his birthday...and once again near Christmas.  He almost always received new clothes on those holidays, and he was always on a break for school, so there was always time to do it.  Until High School started. Then all the school breaks filled up with band rehearsal stuff, and we stopped the ritual!!

Two big bags are now in my car for Goodwill, and MyFK can actually see what he's got (and no more exploding baskets of clothes).   Sorting was easy. He's not the type to hold onto sentimental clothing.  Except he got stuck with these:

He didn't know what to do about the socks I knit for him years back, which you can see are clearly way too small (he wears a men's 12-1/2 now!!).  He hemmed and hawed about whether to keep them tucked away in the back of the drawer or to donate them or pass them along to one of the families we know with young kids....and he finally asked me to get down his "box of sentimental things" that I've been adding to over the years and put them in there ;-) 

tardy

Ok, I'm going to have to owe you one.

I hosted a really fabulous party at TheNewDiggs today...a "Crafternoon" Potluck.  What a great time.  Lots of really good food savory food and an outrageous amount of desserts and beverages. I actually got some knitting done, the house totally put back in place, and then I watched the Emmy's.  The next thing I know, I'm passed out on the couch.

I dont remember the last time I've been exhausted from having a GOOD TIME.




I could get used to this.

snaps on saturday

sssnore

I'm not quite sure how I made it to 11pm, and running pretty hard I might add, when I only had 3-1/2 hours of sleep last night!

Last night sucked.  It was one of those where I got the jumpy stabbing pains in my shorty leg.  I finally took something, and then I wasn't hurting, but my head was spinning a bit from the meds every time I closed my eyes, so I couldn't nod off.   And then there it was, the sun coming up. The kid to get off to school, and a whole day ahead of me.

Knock on wood that this was a one-night thing, like it usually is.  I don't think I can manage two of those days together!

a beautiful moon

Ahhh, it's been a really good full moon.

Because I drop MyFavoriteKid off at school so early (for band practice before first period), I got to see the moon setting this morning as the sun was coming up. It was stunning.

And then I saw the moon again tonight on the way to dance class and on the way home, too....and tonight we circle danced together to honor the fall equinox. It was great. We often extend the invitation to former members of the troupe, so we full house, and dancing felt juicy good :-)

I'm really looking forward to fall...after all of the running around of summer, it feels like it's due time to "tuck in" to a slower season.

things like this tickle me pink

I have a friend who is coming for a visit this weekend. She just recently had leg surgery and is using a wheelchair and/or other mobility devices. In an email to me today she wrote:

Would it be possible to me to come in the back via the ramp?  Thought of asking you if your house was wheelchair accessible, then gave myself a dope slap.  Shows I don't think of you as disabled, just another good friend.



:-D

fun with machines

I got the MRI today, trying to sort out why I have two numb fingers on my dominant hand. Results in 2-3 days.

I don't know why some people are so freaked out by having an MRI. Quite frankly, I find it relaxing.  In fact, I'd describe it like being in a vibrating/massaging tanning bed while listening to techno music. 

I know. I'm weird.
Even the technician said he'd never heard that.  ;-)

travel fatigue

I guess that what you call it. Travel fatigue. Or something. It can't be "jet lag" because I never changed time zones. 

Whatever it is, I'm weary from two days of flying, driving in rental cars, crying, and shoring myself up around family issues.  Whacked, I tell ya'.  I fell asleep on the couch around 7:30, got up to feed the pups, and now I'm off to bed, for realz.

G'night y'all. More soon. *mwah*

here's to long journeys, all the way around

This post appeared earlier today on facebook, and I am sorry for being such a slacker of a blogger by posting the same thing here as well...
but the last two days have been long and hard and there hasn't been much sleep for me, either. 
I'm just out of energy. 

My boobyprize at the airport (gifted to me BY me) for surviving a fairly sucktastic weekend, INCLUDING missing my flight due to a 4hr full freeway closure.

I was in WA with my beloved Grammy when she crossed over yesterday. She was super special to me and loved by an unusually large number of people (huge extended family!)

This has been hard. I love all of you, my family of choice, for posting and emailing and calling and sending vibes and supporting me. I have felt you with me. XXO

snaps on Saturday

My Grammy Faye (left), circa 1980-something, I'm guessing...with her sister. Depending on who you ask, my Grammy crossed over either 2 minutes before I arrived, or 2 minutes after. I'm in the 2 minutes after camp. I felt her chest moving underneath my hand and when I played her audio messages recorded just for her that were from my Mom, Dad, MyFavoriteKid, and TheMostImportantGuy, I asked her if she could hear them and she made a swallowing noise...and when I asked her again, she swallowed again. Maybe she was 6 inches outside her body, who knows. I am here withh family through tomorrow late morning. In a bit of a state. More to process.

over the river and through the woods...

...to grandmother's house we go.


I'm on my way to see my grammy up in Bellingham first thing in the morning. She's 98 and fully prepared for her final crossing.  I might not make it before she goes.  But I also know she knows I am coming, and I have a hunch she is waiting for me to get there.

Only time will tell.

I have to go to sleep now because I have a very early flight. I'll be blogging from the road with the ipad, so forgive me if words are short as I only have a touch screen keypad on that device and two numb fingertips! 

uhhh....

...it's 11:35pm and I just got home from dance class followed by a quick trip to the market and the ATM machine.

I think I need to be writing blogposts earlier in the day, because this late at night isn't working for me!  Especially when I have to be up at the buttcrack o' dawn to get the kiddo off to marching band practice. Oy! 

I owe ya' one.

bzzzzt!

I've been dealing with a few physical issues lately, one being the fact that two fingers on my right (dominant) hand....the middle and the ring finger....have gone numb.  The tips of them just beyond the knuckle just feel like they're asleep.  It's been freaking me out.  Knitting feels not-so-good, and neither does most things I might do in the kitchen, like slicing and dicing.

This right arm is the same arm that was trashed during the car accident and is full of interesting metal components. I've ruled out a bunch of stuff the regular MD and a host of lab work, plus some work with a physical therapist. Today was the day for a "nerve conduction study".

NOT a fun time.

Basically 45 minutes of being electrocuted (ok, I exaggerate. 45 minutes of being "zapped").  It's quite uncomfortable (putting it mildly) and it included having needles inserted in the nerves and having the current run into them. Like I said, fun times.  At least the doc has been brushing up on his stand-up comedy routine, so he kept things light, but it still sucked.

I had to do this a few months after the car accident.  I didn't like it then, either.


No big answers.  A little puzzling information on the radial nerve between the elbow and the wrist, but he actually thinks the probably might be coming from the neck.  So now off I go for an MRI on the neck. 

At least in there I can lay down and enjoy the whirring  LOL.

my little find

Yesterday I was on the fly in the East Bay and grabbed myself a sandwich to go at Whole Foods while picking up a few hard to find groceries for the week.   The sandwich was kind of "meh".  It was a bunch of caprese ingredients on a baguette, so fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil. There wasn't a bit of seasoning nor any balsamic vinegar, and because the sandwich was in the pre-pack "to go" area, the bread was very dense and chewy.

I was driving to my next thing, chewing away at this mass of should-be-better but aint-so-good, when I found my mind wandering to Paris.  I will never forget all the little sandwich displays on the sidewalks out front of restaurants, and how you could grab any one of them and you were guaranteed a winner. Oh, the bread. OhMyGawd, the bread in Paris.  *sigh!*

Well!  Today I had a physical therapy appointment, and when I headed for my car I went a different direction than I normally travel, I found myself right on the little patio of La Fable.  All I wanted was a little fo' real french jamon (ham) sandwich, and holy crap.  For 12 bucks I got that annnnnd...

....lobster bisque and a tuna sandwich, too!!

Oh man, it was SO. GOOD.  I ate the soup and the jamon parisienne, and I just dusted off the tuna for dinner.   I am soooo going back there. Like, ASAP.
  
Why on earth would anyone eat fast crap food?!!!

harping

I don't mean to keep harping about how great my kid is (quite frankly, it's not a quality I fully appreciate in other parents)...but what am I to do?

Oddly enough, the only thing that is really going smoothly in my life right now is my relationship with MyFavoriteKid.  Being that he's a teenager, I find that rather shocking, but I am every so appreciative.

Many other relationships in my life right now are strained or distant, mostly my own doing, I am sure. But this is one relationship that is going well, and I am so glad to not have the added stress of being at odds with a person I live with and am (on some levels) responsible for helping through life.


I just need it to be noted that I am grateful.

a waste of a day

Dang, it just drives me nuts when I lose a day to a migraine.  I woke up with a headache, and by the early afternoon I was full blown migraine status.  I'd swear on my grave that it was caused by some roadside fruitstand snacks we picked up yesterday on the way to Sacramento.  As I sat here today with my head splitting open and feeling super-duper thirsty, I realized that those little asian peanuts and wasabi-everythings were probably loaded with msg (even though the label didn't indicate msg or even any "natural flavorings").

After a ton of water and bit of rest, I was able to get myself out of migraine mode and down to just a plain ol' headache.  I went out and got some fresh air by around 5pm by way of taking the dogs to the dog park.

Even with the migraine, I did manage to clean up the dishes stacked up in the kitchen (which is good because I was dangerously close to having the health department show up LOL), and I was able to do a couple of loads of laundry and vacuum the house.   All in all, not so bad.

I'm hoping that is my medical issue for the week, right there.  I need to have a smooth sailing week this week! I have a crap-ton of stuff going on every day this week, including a few extra appointments and quite a bit of driving.  There will be no time for feelin' bad!!

nighty-night....

snaps on saturday

Scene from niece's 18th birthday party :-)

tomorrow...the beginning of the end

I'm just exhausted.  This 5:30am wake-up thing to get MyFavoriteKid off to Zero-Period band practice (before school) is really a challenge for me, especially on Fridays because I have dance class so late on Thursday nights.  I'm just wiped!   

Last night was extra special.  It's been so hot here at YeOldeHaus I've needed to sleep with the windows open, and since I'm basically butted up against a field here, that means the nighttime critters are audible.  Last night there was a skunk in the yard, which I first heard, and then smelled...in the middle of the night...and then the dog went nuts barking out the window at him/her for a bit.  My six hours of sleep was reduced substantially.

I'm hoping to get a bit more rest tonight.  I get to "sleep in" (?!) until a luxurious 7am tomorrow, but at 8am I have to meet the painter over at TheNewDiggs to settle up on THE FINAL PHASE OF REMODELING there.  Next week the hallway and all its many doors and closets gets painted out, as well as the stairwell and railings, and the newly sanded and stained stairs will get a few final coats of sealer. 

And then, my friends...we are DONE.  

There may be a few more tasks we do ourselves, and we may have our handyman friend friend in for a little bit of this and that as things turn up, but once the paint dries next week, we are officially done with contractors for a mighty long while.

Now I just need to decide how to celebrate.  After 2 years of remodeling, this really truly does need to be commemorated!!


(pardon typos and errors if there are any. it's 11pm and I'm going straight to bed without even proofing I'm so beat. hope it made some sense! LOL)

da band

Because I am exhausted, I'm skipping the writing and posting another pic of MyFavoriteKid.

that's him dead center

Okay, okay.

I'm not just posting this pic because I'm tired.

I'm also posting it because I am proud :-)

 

busy day, busy night!

Bright and early, another friggin' doctor's appointment (there have been a lot lately).  Today's was just a check in my regular MD, but that was followed by a visit to the lab and then the injection clinic to boost my tetanus. 

Finished that and did a bunch of running around to a couple of big box hardware stores, then straight from there over the high school because it was the first open meeting of the campus knitting club!

They did a presentation about upcoming projects where they knit for charity, they were all prepared with hand outs and yarn, and earlier in the day the sold headbands as a fundraiser. Cool, right?? (that grey one mighta came home with me LOL)

Then back home for just a quick pitstop, then on to a City Council meeting....where I spoke at the little podium! 

I dont think I've ever done that before!!  It was a meeting about a new business going in on the corner near TheNewDiggs. The best I can tell from the corporate website, it going to be sort of a glorified Dollar Store or mini-Walmart-ish type of thing, with mosty processed and packaged and frozen foods and very little of anything fresh.  Oh, and the big deal is that they want a license to sell beer and wine, even though our neighborhood has already been deemed over-saturated with liquor licenses. 

It all passed, it's going in...but it was really nice to hear the planning commission peeps recognize our concerns about garbage and traffic, etc. And it was nice to make our faces known to the guy who is in charge of rolling out new stores ('cuz now he knows I'll be bringing any garbage I find in my yard to his manager).

It's sad we aren't getting a real little mom and pop grocery store in there (that's what used to be there in the 50's and 60's), but such is life.  At least I'll be able to buy a roll of emergency toilet paper without getting in the car, I suppose.  And at least the corner will have a little landscaping and wont be a target for graffiti anymore!


I'm super whooped. Off to bed! 5:30am wake up times in BandMomMode are sorta ruling my nightlife! 

while you were out....

While we wait for proper bathroom pics, I probably have enough blog fodder saved up from "the long dry summer" to keep us all busy here for awhile.

One big deal that happened while I was gone was that MyFavoriteKid finally got his learner's permit. Somewhere there is a pic of me in the backseat of the Driver's Training Vehicle crapping my pants (the instructor insists parents ride along for the first one so you can see how he teaches, and then hopefully become a better teacher yourself).

I cant find that pic, but in its place, here's a pic of MyFK on registration day and then on the first day of school.

I can hardly believe he's 16 and a high school junior this year.
YIKES!!! 
Where. Does. The time go?!!

He's a really good kid. A couple of weeks ago when the bathroom remodel was spinning out of control, he came in the house and said, "Do you need anything? Just a hug, maybe? "  I said, "I don't even know what I need anymore."  He said, "Well, I think you need a hug and you don't even know it. Here. I'll give you one. I'm worried about you."

Dang! Compassionate, smart, funny...and ten times less impulsive then his mother, often opting to sleep on something and reassess things in the morning.  I don't know where he gets that from, but it sure 'aint from me...and his dad says it 'aint from him either.   I think it might come from being in drumline?? (a very disciplined practice)

Anyhow, I love him bunches.
And 16 feels a lot closer to 18 than 15 was.

a little detour

I totally forgot to take more bathroom shots today. Why? Because I spent the day with my new best friend:

ohhh, how I love thee (let me count the ways!)

I bought this baby a couple of weekends ago.  I've been looking at something like this for years.  It's a gas grill on one side, charcoal on the other, and there is a smoker attached that can also be used like a mini sized grill, like a hibachi or something.  Normally barbeques like this that I have seen are just gargantuan....and quite a chunk of change to boot. Being that I had just built the kitchen of my dreams, it seemed silly to be spending so much money on something that would take me out of my beloved kitchen after all that effort.

But a month or so ago, I ran into this little number. It's smaller than the other ones like it I'd had my eye on.  It didn't have the gas side burner off to the side (just a little flip up tray table instead), making it less expensive, and that was just fine by me, because most people have told me they rarely use their side burners anyhow.  Still, I resisted and walked away from it. Then a couple of weeks ago, it went on sale.  They'd knocked fifty bucks off.  And then they also allowed me to use a 20% off coupon towards the sale price...woohoo!  It went from $300 to $200 just like that, and I could no longer resist.
 I love grilling. Love LOVE  LOVE grilling.  I love using charcoal whenever I have the time, but I also loves me the speed of a gas grill when I don't the time (easy clean up! yay!).

So this morning I woke up, got on the ipad and picked out a few recipes I'd seen on a cooking show recently.  I dashed out of bed. I didn't even make a cup of coffee. I went straight to the store (coffee shop next door), bright and early before the crowds could get in there. Then I texted and called people to see who was available last minute to come over and join us.  And then I started cooking (forgetting all about the bathroom).

I made:
Apricot Mint Gin Sours (huge hit...made it just as is, but then we added fizzy water to it)
Honey Glazed Grilled Fig Salad (subbed arugula for the mizuna), and...
Grilled Pizza with Shaved Asparagus

 me 'n mom in the kitchen...photo compliments of Kimberly

The pizza recipe, I tweaked a bit. First, I didn't bother making my own dough. I love to cook, but I'm still a slacker. I bought the pizza dough.  I used truffle salt on the pizza dough instead of kosher salt.  I blanched the asparagus tips and used them as a topping in addition to the asparagus shavings. I couldn't find the cheeses called for so I tried the "featured cheese of the month" at Trader Joes called an "Elderflower Tomme", and I used parmeseano reggiano instead of romano.  I shredded the cheeses rather than using slices.  I tossed the parsely and the lemon zest together so the zest would spread would distribute more evenly, and I sprinkled that mixture on after grilling along with the asparagus shavings. Let me tell ya'...the lemon was an amazing addition (my new favorite thing on a veggie pizza) not nearly as odd as it sounds.

these two pics are also compliments of Kimberly

the first is the crust being grilled getting ready for toppings...

the second is the crust topped with the asparagus tips and cheeses on a sheet pan in the barbeque getting all nice and metly!  It was then pulled off the heat and topped with the asparagus shavings, parsely, and lemon zest

Oh, and then I grilled a NY strip for MyFavoriteKid to have alongside a caeser salad, as there is no way in hell he's an adventurous of an eater to eat figs, arugula, or pizza without red sauce ;-)

Kimberly and Sandy came over, as well as my parents.  We stuffed ourselves, then we sat with our cocktails and let our legs dangling in the pool. Pretty great day :-)


Except that in all the hubbub I forgot bathroom photos!!  Gah.  I'm not sure what day this week I'm back over there again, but they will indeed be coming soon!

if it looks like a bathroom....

and it smells like a bathroom (ewww! LOL).....

well....
then it's probably a new bathroom!!!

FINALLY. 
Today, after 14 weeks of mess and stress, we have finally achieved a completed bathroom!!!  The crowing elements when on today...the mirror, the towel rings, etc. It's stunning. I wish you all could come see it.

More pictures tomorrow in the light of day, but as for tonight, I am relishing in my first ever soak in my vintage cast-iron tub (it's original to the house, and in the most amazing condition).  Special thanks to TheMostImportantGuy who washed the last contractor's bootprints out the tub for me so I can enjoy this tonight!

Calgon.....take me away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

a public announcement (so that it sticks)

I hereby proclaim that I will be back and blogging daily, come rain come shine, come highs come lows, come suckass contractors come beautiful bathroom (but please oh please, let it be a beautiful bathroom, already...sheesh!)....

Sunday September 1st.


You can hold me to it ;-)

something like an update

Long time, no blog...eh?

Hello, friends (and hello, blog! I almost forgot how to log in. Sheesh!)

I left rather unceremoniously, didn't I.  Sorry about that. I really didn't mean to freak anyone out.  I stopped due to problems with the blogging service, and then I kept away day after day for different reasons at different times. The list is long.

Over the last week or so I'd been thinking I'd start back up again Aug 1, but to be honest, I'm still not quite there yet.  I have a couple more weeks left of a hectic summer before MyFavoriteKid goes back to school, and I have a couple more weeks left of this danged bathroom renovation at TheNewDiggs.   The damn thing was supposed to be a 4-weeks-or-so project (maybe a bit longer as our sub-contractors have been on summer schedule with their families) but this is now week 10, and it will probably be 12 weeks in total before we're done.  Quite frankly, there's been so much drama and stress around this renovation at times, I even get sick of hearing myself even thinking about it, let alone talking about it, and there is no way I have wanted to reinforce my angst by typing it up.  And you can thank me for sparing you. Truly.

A couple more weeks. I'm giving myself that. It's a good thing. For all of us.
Look for me mid month or so ;-)

X's & O's to all of you, and thanks so much for the notes checking in on me. Love you guys :-)

snaps on Saturday

Crappy camera phone shot at the end of the day, once realizing I didn't take a pic of anything else. Sheesh!

That is Teeny pestering poor Riley to death right before bedtime. She does it every night.
Mi fiesta en la noche!

testing...testing..,.

Let's see if this sticks, shall we??

Freshly planted Dahlias...

poolside, NewDiggs

Now to hit publish and then visit my own blog to see if it's working!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Very nice day today. A few friends over at TheNewDiggs for mimosas, pan au chocolate, coffee, etc....

Lots of chit chat, lots of knitting, then a litttle "nacho bar" for lunch (really good chips from the mexican market, and various toppings).

One of the nicest things I've heard in awhile was when Kimberly came in and said, "Every time I come here, the place just makes me so happy!"

:-) yay :-)

not exactly how i prefer to spend independence day

Seven hours spent driving in 103F degree valley heat to bring MyFavoriteKid to his friend's grandparents farm.

Almost five hours spent doing a deep cleaning the house I don't even live in full time (TheNewDiggs), which hasn't been cleaned in weeks because I'm having a hard time finding a way to stay there with no accessible bathroom.... right?  And all that construction dust? Lordy!

One missed invitation to join potential new friends at a fireworks watching party because I wasn't advised there was even an invitation until 8:30 (dusk).

Maybe twelve seconds of fireworks which I saw from the car as I drove between the two houses. 

An hour or so trying to calm the dogs down (going hysterical over fireworks).

Another good hour trying to roll the garbage can down the steep driveway on crutches (resulting in tipping it over and dumping all of its contents into the street), at YeOldeHouse, because I forgot to make sure it was done when help might have been available earlier in the day, and by this point, I was alone.

And then a good chunk of time building a "dog house" (not literally, and not for the dogs, if you catch my drift).

~ ~ ~


For some reason it's been a number of years since I have spent the 4th of July actually celebrating.  I miss the barbeques and the hanging for the day with friends or family and the ice cold beer and the laughter. I miss watching a real fireworks show and perhaps lighting a few sparklers.

For some reason, it's important to me.
There aren't too many holidays I'm into, but the 4th is one of them, as is Halloween, as are birthdays.

The only real 4th of July-ish thing I did today was to hear the Declaration of Independence read on NPR by a mixed bag of folks while on the seven hour drive. It was very very cool, I have to admit...definitely a "reason for the season" sort of thing....but it was not enough for me to have felt like I had enjoyed a national holiday.

Note to self:
Next year. A proper celebration!!

when all else fails, time for bullets

Blogger/blogspot is having issues with uploading photos. I thought it was user error (as it usually is), but it aint.  And I have photo heavy posts holding up the train over here. 

Meanwhile, so I dont shoot Blogger, here's the bullets:

* One post in the wings is about the synchronized swimming national competition I went to while killing time in Riverside. Freakin' awesome.

* The other photo heavy post in waiting (so heavy it might need to be multiple posts) is the trip I took to Big Bear on one of the Riverside days while MyFavoriteKid had a 13 hour camp day.  Going to Big Bear was not just a little day trip, no.  Why? I grew up there! Toootal trip down memory lane. Lots o' pics of old haunts.

* Bathroom remodel is going sloooow.  Our crew is amazing, but they are all guys with kids, and all are working short days due to childcare or are taking summer trips.  This is gonna take foreverrrr. And it's going to be lovely :-)

* MyFK lectured me today about not knowing how to handle stress, and perhaps he could teach me how to breathe through things. (hmm)

* I didn't realize until today that it was Day 5 of Le Tour de France. I never miss it. How did I miss it?!!

* I am knitting a bit again, hands are hurting less.

* But I lost one of my Signature Needle Arts dpn's (for the non-knitter, that translates into: ~kachink!!~)

* The peaches on my tree went from super firm to super soft over the few days we were gone and the temps were in the hundreds.  I have to get busy canning!

* MyFK was supposed to go up to his friend's grandparent's farm on Tuesday, but there was a call for early season high school drumline rehearsals Tuesday and Wednesday. Damn, they are starting early, and damn this means I have to drive him up to the farm (3 hours each way) tomorrow, on the fourth of July holiday. Gah.

* I am out of bullets now, I think.

* Good, right?

 

all is ok

Problem with blogger and publishing photo heavy posts. Might need to divide all the pics from my trip into chunks.
Here. Ok. Working on a fix!

my one liner

Committing to posting every day starts to get really stupid when you are too travel-weary to write anything of substance!

last night.

Just back at the hotel, it's 11:45 and MyFavoriteKid passed out within within two minutes of his head hitting the pillow. It's been a very long few days for him...and so exciting.  He has so much to talk about. What an experience!

I am actually going to miss cute little Riverside. It's an odd little place, the rock formations and all...I sort of feel like I am on the moon.  Downtown has been charming, and there was lots of really cool architecture here. I feel like I could have spent a bit more time rolling around here.

Sorry to have missed you, Pickyknitter.
Lorena....my sweet...I luvs you for vouching for me :-)  You're the best. Skype-y lunch date! Soon!!


Nighty-night, all. 
Tomorrow is a travel day. We go early in an attempt to beat the 106 degree heat through the mountain pass heading home.

a very thin post

I have a TON of stories and photos to share. I had a very adventurous day out on my own while the kid was in camp. But once again, we are just getting back to the hotel, it's 11:25, and we have to be up again at the buttcrack o' dawn.

I promise photo essays soon...but probably not until I get home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Personal note for Pickyknitter!!!!  If I truly am only 3 miles away from you, and if it doesn't freak you out too much to meet strange one legged knitters off the internet, let me say what said a few days ago:
contact me!!
Blogger is not providing me with your email addy, so you have to get in touch with me. 
RavelryID for a PM: AmpuTeeHee,
or email here through the blog at AmpuTeeHee{at}hotomail{dot}com

I'm only free tomorrow, Saturday, from 10am to 1pm (coffee! tea! plain ol water! knitting! visiting!).  After 1pm  I collect the kiddo and we head over to see the really big drum competition at MtSanAntonio College in Walnut (where I will be sitting all by myself...the kids are in a different section). 
Sunday we head home, but I could do coffee in the morning ;-)

scorcher

When I dropped MyFavoriteKid off at the snare drum camp this morning, the Blue Devils were practicing on the field.

It wasn't even the hottest part of the day and it was already 95 degrees.
When I went back to pick MyFavoriteKid up, they were still at it! 

A little breeze and 78 degrees.

I have lots more photos, but thanks to a freeway closure between the filed and our lovely hotel, it's 11:30pm and we have to be back there again at 10am, so I have to tuck in.

Tidbits for now. More soon, or it perhaps it will trickle in for a few days once I get home!

travel-ish

Hello! This post was written Wed Jun 26th (and therefore dated as such), but it didn't go live until the 27th. We're traveling, and I had issues with the hotel's wireless.  I finally figured out today that there is one more reason to be in love with my iPhone:  it's a mobile hotspot. Woot!  So here we are, connected again :-)

Today was a travel day. Something like an 8 hour drive, with the stop for lunch and all that. Only two hours into the trip and MyFavoriteKid was already whining, "are we there yet?"  (this behavior never ends, I guess).  We're staying down in the Riverside area for MyFavoriteKid's snare drum camp with the Blue Devils and we checked into our hotel room at about 4:30. 
Let me say a bit about our accommodations :-)  <---that cuz="" did="" i="" me="" s="" smilin="">goood
).  
The Blue Devils informed us with the registration packet that there was a hotel to be had a 1/2 mile away from the camp, and that they were getting a group reduced rate.  I immediately booked our room. That was a couple of months ago.

About a week or so ago, I started googl-ing and yelp-ing around to see what I could possibly do with myself for 12 hours a day while he is at this drum thing (it's not an overnighter camp, it's a "commuter" or day camp).  I put in the address of the group rate hotel, and then clicked for "nearby" things like food and entertainment.  Guess what.  A Carl's Jr, a plumbing supply store, and a strip club. (??!!)  Oy vey.  So then I searched for movie theaters. Nothin'.  Then shopping.  A K-Mart and a Walmart. Hrmph. 

Then I decided I better look at the reviews for this suggested hotel.   One guy wrote, "If I could give this place a zero, I would....but you have to give at least one star to be allowed to write a review. Trains ran right past the hotel every 30 minutes all night long, and people were partying in the hot tub until 7am."  There were a pile of reviews like that.

So I chose a different hotel.  Not at a group rate sadly, but hey. You get what you pay for, right?  I'm at the Hyatt Downtown Riverside, and it is lovely. Their internet has been crashing on and off, and they have apologized, but who cares!  The place is lovely, and quiet, clean...and I got a queen-gueen accessible room that has a little livingroom area to spread out into.  The hotel is absolutely packed with teenage girls right now, though...but it's cool (I think MyFK might even like it a little LOL).  It turns out that the girl/teen Nationals in Synchronized Swimming Finals are here in town. I actually might go check it out today!

So after we got settled into the room this afternoon, we went and checked out the 'hood. Lots of cute shops and restaurants for me to explore tomorrow! Several quirky antique-y looking shops, too. We ate dinner in the more casual bistro of the uber-fancy Mission Inn next door, and then after that we discovered THE (and I do mean THE, cupcake place).

Couldn't pass it up.  The place had won Cupcake Wars 2011!!  And I have to tell you. It was honest to goodness the best cupcake I have ever eaten.  It was something about the frosting.  It was like it had a little marshmallow mixed in or something. I don't know, but it was amazing.  Not overly sweet, just overly amazing.   I might have to try another flavor tomorrow. LOL



Okay, we're off to bed. Huge day tomorrow for MyFK, and who knows what's in store for me. Adventures!  They are calling for a heat wave down here for the next 72 hours (official alerts included), so whatever I do, I hope it will include air conditioning. Not so for MyFK though!  A good portion of his day will be spent out in the sun. Gah!  He'll probably be quite wilted by day's end.

and since i am packing...

...and cleaning...and doing laundry....
you get a guest blogger tonight!  TheMostImportantGuy!

(but before I turn it over to him:  Pickyknitter! I am staying IN Riverside!! Are you in Riverside?? If you are, send me a PM on Ravelry!!  I'm AmpuTeeHee on Rav, too! Wanna knit?? heehee!!)

Ok. Without further adieu....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, a bit of adieu... Ms. AmpuTeeHee just started washing dishes and cut her finger on a cat food can lid. (Dry food's good enough!) Now it's wrapped up, and the adieu seems to be at a minimum. Speaking of dry food, I just bought 3 big bags (get 1 free!) for the feral / abandoned cats that have started showing up around TheNewDigs recently.  One in particular is really trying hard to get adopted by us (me). I think I'll be trying to capture her (or others) and get her checked / fixed at the vet soon. Stay tuned for more cat-related hijinks!

so much for packing

I didn't get quite as much done tonight as I had hoped, packing for the trip, that it is.

I got seriously sucked into a PBS/POV program called "Homegoing" about a Harlem funeral director, and it just hooked me right from the get go.

Between the work I do at convalescent hospitals, practicing at the zen center (and pondering impermanence), and some of the modern dance work I have done exploring death and what happens to the body when we go....well, watching this program just drew me right in.  I was so touched by this man, and families he has served, and the work he does.  Filmmaker gets my kudos.

I looks like you'll be able to stream it for a month or two (at the link above), and I hereby proclaim you should check it out ;-)

sunday sunday

Oops! This is going up late. Hung up in the system!



It's evolving.
 

 

The ceiling is up on the shower, and now the walls are going up, too.  I am so glad I sprung a little extra to put in a niche that has an arch, because it add so much character, and it matches the arch over the tub that is part of the original architecture. Squeeee!!   I am also so glad I punched out a big fat hole in the wall on the right there between the shower and the tub, because a glass block window is going there, and it is totally going to reduce the claustrophobia factor ten-fold.

*exhaaaaale* (not the same a *sigh*)
I am feeling a bit better about things.

Today was good. We woke early, had breakfast at the greasy spoon, and did a bunch of work around TheNewDiggs. Wiped up a layer of construction dust and did a little, but not enough, yard work, because it sprinkled a bit here today! Went back to YeOlHouse and took a bit of a rest (rest?!? what is rest??! hahaha) and then went over to Sandy's where she entertained us with a gourmet dinner!  Artisanal cheese and cracker board, our favorite beers (good eye!), zucchini soup with a red pepper coulis, a roasted vegetable tart, and the best lemon berry dessert thing I have ever eaten (gotta get that recipe).

She wouldn't let us lift a finger. I haven't sat back like that and been spoiled in ages, and it was the best time ever. We loved it. Thank you Sandy!! We even brought the dogs with us. A dry run for her watching them while we are out of town (fun for her, apparently...and cheaper than a kennel for me!).

So.

Yes.

Out of town.

The next two days are full of preparations to depart on Wednesday for Southern California, where MyFavoriteKid goes to Blue Devils Snare Drum Camp...a birthday gift to him from my folks. Woot!

Should be a really good time, actually. I have plans to do some exploring and some WholeLottaNothing while MyFK does three days of drumming.  

My only concern is trying to manage the renovations remotely that will still be going on for the 5 days I am gone (3 drumming, 2 traveling).  Hope I dont come back to a nightmare or nothing being done!

 

snaps on saturday

Ok, so now I am going to marching band competitions without MyFavoriteKid either in the band, or joining me in attendance. Today was a big competition at Stanford.  Being that it was MyFK's birthday weekend, when they went on sale (5 months early). I asked him if he might want to go as a birthday present and bring a friend or two.  He was so very excited, so I bought 4 tix. Then his father, TheEX (and this is why he is TheEx) bought tickets for a rock concert on the very same night, also thinking that MyFK might want to go.   MyFK had a big decision to make, and he opted for the rock concert (even though he committed to the marching band event months earlier), and I didn't feel like I could refuse, because it's his birthday (had it been other time, I'd have told his dad to go screw himself).  And here I was tonight with tickets (even though MyFK tried real hard to sell them off to drumline buddies).  So I went. TheMostImportantGuy came, too....and I sold the other 2 tickets at at deep discount at the gate.  And we actually had a great time.  I went as a Blue Devils fan, and they won by a couple of points tonight...but I have to say it: The Carolina Crown was so good my eyes tear up more than once. the audience went nuts over them, were on their feet several times throughout their show, and booed when they came in 2nd.  Me thinks the Blue Devils might have a run for the money this year as they work up towards finals!  Go Go Blue Devils!

this post is totally for my own entertainment

Now that demo is done, we've rounded a very important corner, and that is:

every day the bathroom looks a little bit more like a bathroom 

than it did the day before

16 years ago today...

...MyFavoriteKid made an entrance :-)
SIXTEEN YEARS AGO!  (gah! time! it flies!!)

He asked to bring 3 buddies to Waterworld, then back to our house for pizza and cake with family, then same buddies spend the night.

Mom got smart and sprung for a cabana for this one. Guaranteed good seating, shade, and it came with "room service" so they delivered our lunch (and mom's margarita..heh heh).

Friends!  MyFK 2nd from the right ;-)

I swear he really does look a year older today. 
(might be because he got a haircut yesterday though LOL)

Getting silly while waiting for all the family cameras to snap a pic.

And making some wishes. :-)

because it's prettier

Strange cloud pattern and a rainbow colored ring around the sun (taken yesterday).

Because it is prettier than my bathroom.

That wood is what was underneath a layer of circa 1932 tile, a good half inch of float, and two inches of a thick layer of gravel mixed with concrete.  In other words, there was a several hundred pound concrete sub-floor in my bathroom, and these old boards nailed in between the joists were holding the whole three inch thick floor up somehow. It showed no signs of wear (well, the tile was worn, but not what was underneath it). I guess they built them to last back then? Or at least it was built by someone who didn't put any foresight into what it would take to get it out??

A real subfloor goes in next week, and meanwhile TheTileGuy is starting to work on the waterproofing for the shower (orange stuff on the left, the shower pan and curb).

By the time this is done I will know way more about bathrooms than I ever wanted to. LOL

tides-a-turnin'

Nothing bad happened today. Actually, even a few good things happened today.
Annnnnd... I got so much stuff done, I sort of scared myself. 

(hyperbole and a half, I love you) 

 

 

 
 Stick a gold star on my forehead, will ya'??

a wee little shift

Fewer remarkably odd and craptastic things are happening.  (*raise the roof!*)

Now I'm just trying to play one heavy duty game of catch-up.  The list of things that need to get done is very very long, and the time available to get them done is shorter than the list. Today ran me ragged, and tomorrow will be no different.  One of the many things on tomorrow's list is to go pick up the tile order for TheTileGuy.  He made an offer that if I went to pick up the tile, he'd kick us his contractor discount. Sort of hard to refuse.

And I have already spent part of the savings on this:

Timing could not have been better....they emailed me a 20% off coupon yesterday :-)
See?  Things are lining up more positively again!


Lordy, I cannot wait to take my first soak in that tub!

like father like son

It's not "like father like son" in every way (and forgive me for being crappy and saying "thank goodness")....but they do indeed have music in common....

MyFavoriteKid on drums, his dad on bass guitar

...and that is good :-)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy Father's Day!

snaps on saturday

An evening at Blue Devils Family Night.  
WOW, they have an amazing show this year!!

i do realize there is such a thing as an internal battery, however...

...I still find that any device that an taunt me with it's evil blinking "eyes" while completely unplugged is...

...terrifying!!

(and curse you comcast for wasting so many  hours of time yesterday and still the problem is not completely resolved!! grrrrr!!!)

dear universe (it's me again)

Actually, I cannot bear to write another letter to The Universe.  How many have I already written here on the blog in the past few weeks?? Three? Four? 

Nothing has changed. Crazy bizarre things continue to happen to me. 

The new things on the list of strange things happening to me?? For just last night and today??
~ A cracked tooth. 
~ A huge problem with internet/phone service at YeOldHouse resulting in a preliminary four hours on the phone, a trip to the storefront for an exchange, another then another couple of hours on the phone, upon returning home....and it's still not fixed (I have internet again finally, but still no phone).
~ And the plumber working over at TheNewDiggs did something with the water main that ended up blowing out the last working toilet, and it was so strong it also blew out the city owned backflow thingamajiggy in the front yard, so water was squirting out in the yarn for hours and hours.



I am beginning to think that all of this might not be TheUniverse's doing.

I am beginning to think that I have pissed someone off, and that someone has made a little AmpuTeeHee voodoo doll and is throwing weird things at it (it=me).  I cant figure out how else I could possibly have this many odd things go wrong (what are we up to now, 12? 16? I have lost count) in what...4 weeks time?

Oddly enough, I am still laughing about it all. 

Except that my laughter is starting to turn into crazy giggly laughter. 
I heard it coming out of myself a couple of times today, and I did not even sound like myself, and I was strangely detached enough from myself that I was able to see myself and hear my own laughter as if I was one foot outside of my own body.
It sort of sounded like the like the maniacal laughter one might hear emanating from a padded room. 

Not good. 

remodeling makes me cranky!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Like, really really cranky!!!!!!

And grumpy, too!!

HRMPH!!

bucket o' bath

Say hello (wellll, perhaps goodbye??) to the old bathroom at TheNewDiggs.

This is about one-fifth of the debris piled up outside in the yard, and demolition still aint done yet. We're about a week in, and we're already several days behind schedule. 
Why??
Because we have epicamounts of tile, a 2" thick concrete sub-floor, a lead shower pan, and a few other surprises....and none of it is budging without a whole lotta muscle.

Circa 1932...built to last!