5 Weeks...

Wrist update...

I know, fun topic, but it's my blog, so there.

 

It's been 5 weeks, plus/minus a couple days, since I discovered my superpower:

Able to keep a mocha intact as she falls on her face! 

Of course I have not been flaunting my ability, as well as only been using my power for good.  The fact is I have stopped walking and doing ANYTHING at the same time, in case I "discover" more abilities that might land me in the hospital.   I am Damage Girl! 

I'll work on the costume later.  Maybe have a magic crutch or cane instead of a magic lasso or ring...I don't know if the world is ready for such a superhero though.

 

Anyhow, yes, I'm basking in the joy of being able to type out a blog entry without the need of my wrist brace.  It turns out, after the swelling went down, that I may have strained my thumb...at least that's what it feels like.  It's still all tendon related, that's the bottom line.  I can't wait until it doesn't feel as if my tendon is TOO SHORT for my thumb to say, oh, touch my pinkie.  As much as I think apes are cute and all, I am feeling all too well their lack of using a thumb in all it's opposable glory, you know?

 

This means of course I can finally finish up my xmas cards...yup, that's right xmas cards. 

Hmm, Looks Like I Waited Too Long...

So this is the new Blogger...hmm. I had no choice in the matter...I waited too long to upgrade... are others running into that now or am I just a "lucky" one?

Anyhow, I didn't come here to complain, I know, SHOCKING...instead, as I was cleaning up my desktop I ran across a button I thought I'd already posted about. Talk about short-term memory loss! Knitheimers? I dunno...

Anyhow, over at Random Meanderings, Bezzie's been cooking up a scheme to try to open our eyes to taking care of ourselves, so that we're there to take care of/knit for others. It's called the Kootchie Awareness Yarn Extravaganza. Really, go look! She's hoping it'll turn in to a Breck commercial, you know, I tell the two people who read my blog, they tell the 20 people who read theirs, they tell the 20 who read theirs....and so on and so on until we're all aware that we gotta take care of the "whole" us. We're good at sending our moms, dads, kids, and friends off to the doctor and/or giving them rides to get their check-ups, but we can't forgo our own. You know, that happy one we always look forward to. I just dealt with mine in November. Fun times! Join me in the extravaganza! I can't participate for another, what, 11 months? But maybe you can! Don't be shy! There's yarn involved!

Dramarama Dreams

So my allergies have been my constant companions these last few days. You know, the type of friend you'd like to throw off the nearest bridge? Yes, love them allergies IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER. My best friend, SUDAFED, works wonders for my sinuses, but like any friendship, has some negative bits I ignore because the love outweighs such trivialities....until the night they come to a head, of course.

So, do you all remember Dramarama?

The soundtrack of last night's nightmares could easily have been danced to the tune of "Anything." Seriously. At 4:30 AM I woke myself up crying. It was all so very bad. The kicker was the "Armageddon" dream. Maybe more end of the world...with mermaids walking on land (well, I think they were mermaids...definite fishy-ness about the loins, except they had legs and feet...but they were grayish with seaweed-y hair) and a leviathon breaking through the Senior Lawn of my high school and tromping about snapping at things (me) and quoting...scripture? Definite Old Testament litany. I'd recognize the Book of Revelations, having had a fascination beyond reason with it during my high school years, and this I had no clue about.

The crying? It came from the frustration of trying to get my mom to leave with me. In the dream I've gotten my dad, my niece (who was like 9), I think my nephew, an a slew of tiny itty bitty baby-looking things into my car, but my niece can't get my mom to leave! She tells me my mom won't leave Sister Charles (who has recently passed on). And I'm yelling and screaming at her to come with me and to get out of the convent's kitchen, and pointing out the window at the huge monster coming toward us...did I mention this dream was taking place at my old Alma Mater high school? She would not come with me! She kept saying there were things she had to do for Sr. Charles...

Can we say not a restful night?

Can we say it's rather disturbing?

Can we say my niece won't be 9 until 2012...you know, when the Mayan calendar ends?

Weirdness.

You're Here for the Pictures, Right?

FO #1, as I did finish this little guy before my mom's socks. I am a bad daughter, yes, but US 8 needles are SOOOOO much easier to maneuver when your wrist is incapacitated.

Let's call it:

Oops, I Did it Again Scarf--the Louis Armstrong version

(That's right, I am super ultra mega lame for not even knowing what the Britney Spears version sounds like, but I'm not crying my eyes out about it.)

Here's another view...with mom's socks waiting patiently for me to weave in all the scarf ends...yes, I wove in scarf ends before dealing with the socks...
Okay, can I find the link to the Yarn Harlot's post....Here it is: One Row (NOT) Handspun Scarf. I cast on 34 stitches to make it nice and wide. I am a convert, all scarves with be knit using this stitch pattern until I find another as entertaining. Seriously, 4 stitches, over and over and I don't get bored...US 8's! 3 skeins Cashsoft Aran (ON SALE at the LYS!!!) in um grey. It's going to Andy. He's taken to wearing this burnt sienna/orange shirt that he loves loves loves, but clashes horrendously with the green tweed scarf I knit him years ago, so yep, something had to be done about it.

Without further ado:
Before:

I have no excuse people. I even have a "Did It Myself" laminated card showing me step by step how to kitchener. I am just lazy...and maybe the thought of the working with the little needles didn't make my wrist feel any better...but I did it!

FO#2

OCD Striped Socks For Mom

Yes, fuzzy picture. After all that weaving and grafting my hands were not very steady. They still need a washing, so I might be able to take a better picture this weekend or something. But look at those stripes!!! I could not have planned it better! Well, the fact is I did plan it. I sat there and unwound nearly half the skein looking for enough matching colors to happen the way I needed them to. Self-striping sock yarn is not my friend, I need the pair to match, EXACTLY.

US2's to cast on (72 stitches) and start the 1X1 ribbing, then switching to metal US1s.
Ummm, it's a simple rib pattern, k3, p1, all the way down the to the toes.
I guess this is one I winged as I really didn't rely on any pattern but did use Knitting Rules! to make sure I was on the right path.

Hmm, two knits alluding to Ms. Pearl-McPhee...coincidence? I dunno, I'm using what works.

No anklet update, not much to show, besides my batteries ran out after I downloaded the fuzzy picture, and we all know how good I am at dealing with dead batteries. Happily these are my rechargeables, so guilt will win out and they'll at least be getting juiced up before bedtime. Speaking of which...g'night.

HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY MIJA!

Okay, I know, she doesn't read the blog, but she's /learning/ to read, and her dad does(both, read, and read the blog :)), so it counts, right?

 

HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY, ABBY!

 

Casa De Damage

You know I toyed with the idea of using my title as my blog's name. With such a name, though, either I'd find myself recounting far too many "accident" stories (i.e. I am clumsy and will some day get myself killed thanks to my lack of grace) or be stuck in the land of psychosis due to all the damage that was about me, mentally, when I first began this joyride of public journaling.

It's amazing how a title shapes your blog, eh? 's why this isn't called "Tactless Knits" either, tee hee....though I do, every chance I get...but actually posting about it? {{cricket}} {{cricket}}

Instead of finishing my mom's sock, I knit a scarf. Really. It's blocking upstairs right now. I also cast-on another pair of socks. I'm doing the pair 2 at a time, as the gods intended. They're for me, a revamping of the black/grey footies I'd started and started and started and just finished rewinding into center-pull balls this weekend. Apparently they want to be "anklets" now. Sure, why not. I'll go upstairs and document all of my progress right after this, promise.

Happy Tuesday!

Joining Up

Nope, the toe of my mom's sock is still unjoined.

But if you glance over at the sidebar, I've updated the Project Spectrum button (as well as some others). Yup, a sucker for color. Or maybe it's that "balance" thing. I'll be balancing out my use of color for the year. Yes, that's it. Sure, why not!

Besides, thanks to being a part of Yarn Aboard II, I've got colors that simply must be used! Otherwise my tendency to stick to grays and blacks becomes rather boring.

Again, the pictures are lacking...sorry. I'm just a bit tired after ripping half-started projects and winding up the balls, by hand you see. Winding yarn with the wrist brace was a hassle, to say the least, and maybe I over did it a little...so I'm keeping this update short and heading for the advil.

M-Words

From Aloha & Oreos:

Your Name: Mary

Rules: Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following...They MUST be real places, names, things...NOTHING made up! If you can't think of anything, skip it. Try to use different answers if the person in front of you had the same 1st initial. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

1. Actor: Marlon Brando ("Stella!")
2. 4 letter word: more!
3. Street name: Main St.
4. Color: Maroon
5. Gift/present: money? (oh, hee hee, how about) Malabrigo Yarn, anyone?
6. Vehicle: MUSTANG! '66, oh yeah.
7. Tropical Location: Maui
8. College Major: Medieval Folklore (I went to UCSC, we could make up our majors there...)
9. Dairy Product: (got) milk :)
10. Thing in a Souvenir Shop: magnet
11. Boy Name: Maurice
12. Girl Name: Molly
13. Movie Title: Monster's Inc.
14. Beer: Miller (Genuine Draft, cuz weeze high class here baybee)
15. Occupation: Mortician
16. Flower: Morning Glory
17. Celebrity: Marilyn Monroe
18. Magazine: Ms.
19. U.S. City: Martinez, CA

That was fun, you try!

Wrapping My Brain Around it All

Is that the idiom I'm looking for?
There are days when those three or so years of not knowing any English start catching up to me.

A work update.
Anything to avoid kitchnering, I guess, cuz that's all that's needed (aside from dreaded end-weaving-in stuff) to finish up my mom's socks, FINALLY. Slowly but surely, broken wrist and all...okay, strained muscle, ripped tendon, and all, little by little, I finally got 'em done. Almost. But you won't believe me until the picture is posted...so instead I'll update you on the "haps" at the big-time property leasing accounting thing I'm doing.

Cuz I am doing that now, not just assisting assistants or data-entry monkey business. I got a promotion. With little to no accounting experience (there was that bit of Accounts Receivable-A/R for Bookshop Santa Cruz back about a million years ago), I've been promoted to taking care of the invoice paying for a group of buildings. We're seeing about the wage increase bit, cuz right now I seem to be a rather underpaid accounting-type person. Until I'm paid more than the lady they just took on...more about her in a bit...I'll not be too happy a camper, you know?

Right, so I'm trying really hard to do that whole "benefit of the doubt" thing at work. Maybe I catch on faster than others in certain areas. Yes, that's it, because I can easily see where I am super slow to catch on in the more "social" aspects at work.

See, I'm not the "cool" person on the job. I'm not a former "anything exciting" like the other temps. Former school teacher? Former library page? Yep, life in the fast lane for me. I don't watch a zillion hours of TV that I can chit-chat about. I don't live in a cool neighborhood. I'm not in the midst of adopting a kid...so yeah, I'm not in that circle of 'peeps' at the office. I grow on people...you know, like a mold :). Hey, 7th graders thought I was the coolest...I'm not too sure that helps my reputation here...

But I am a very quick learner. So quick that in less than 4 weeks they moved me up from assistant paper pusher to Paper Pusher with Capital Letters... And they brought in a new person to do the filing and data entry and stuff. She is from the same agency as the others, who are from an accounting-based agency. They get paid accounting-type wages, because they supposedly already know what they're doing.

So she must be playing dumb. Really. Please? Because after this week one of the more competent people is going off to play dad and she's staying. It hurts. She failed a "monkey test" the other day. It's what the guy who trained me to do A/R called the more tedious but necessary parts of the job, like putting together a banker's box to store the older files in. She couldn't do just that. The instructions are ON the box...all the edges are LABELED...and yet, right. I had to stop what I was doing and show her how to do it, three times...and then gave up and made up four as she was still working on the first...and doing it backward. I am trying to let it all go, really, but it's hard. A list is accumulating that I'm hoping will iron itself out as she gets used to what she's doing.

We all have learning curves, right? Some are just more or less slopey than others? Yes? Please? Aaaauuuuummmmm....

I really should actually thank her. Maybe. I can't be too sure until they release the details. Thanks to taking time to help her out, I was late leaving work. I missed my bus. When I finally got one going my way, we were stuck in horrible traffic. There was an accident, involving a bus and a vehicle. They'd turned off the LED bus numbers, but it looked suspiciously like the one I took to get home yesterday (it had the same ads on the side I saw). It might just be a coincidence, but nonetheless it made me feel a bit weirded out, to say the least.

Shall We Talk About the Weather...

...Shall we talk about the government
-R.E.M. "Pop Song 89"

Hmmm, either topic of conversation isn't all that great right now. On a side note, about the time of this song's height of popularity? I hated R.E.M. due to the unbelievable amount airplay they were having in LA. Color me silly, but I tend to get sick of hearing overplayed radio songs. We were all INUNDATED with this one to the point of switching to the Muzak station, seriously. Ah memories.

So yesterday as I went along my blog-stalking way Beth asked us all what our word for the year was. It was almost like magic. As I read, but before the question really settled in, balanced came to mind.

I need to be more balanced this year in so many ways.
* Yes, eating a balanced diet is included.
* So is learning to be more balanced physically so I don't fall in the 3 NEW inches of snow we have outside (this is Seattle I moved to, right? 70 degrees in Boston and we're freezing our nether-regions off...not to mention the ice storm raging across the middle of the country...hmmm I guess I talked about the weather anyway.)
* Balancing work and play is big this year. My XMIL is helping in a HUGE way. I didn't want to say anything until the tickets were in my hands...I'm going on a trip to Southern Italy in the Spring (or maybe I should say April/May as who knows WHAT season we'll be experiencing then) with her. Yes, very excited. Yes, X MIL. WE didn't' divorce :).
* Checkbook? Check. I'm actually pretty on top of that one.
* A more balanced sense of self? That'd be nice. We'll see.

The list is unfinished, but more than started. Not so much a resolution, but definitely something to keep in mind and focus on. I'm not even hoping for achievement, just working toward it will be good enough for me, at least this round.

What Show Is That Quote From...

My brain is bleary this morning.
I think I'm on the winning edge of fighting off some sickness or another.

Aside from all the coughing, hacking, and sneezing everywhere I turn, (but not coming form me, mind) I'm told I flirt with infection daily by going out in 25 degree weather with wet hair. Really, didn't you know? When I told my mom I was feeling a little under the weather, her first response was that it's because I run out of the house with wet hair!!! It's one of the worst things I can do! Forget not taking vitamins! Forget not eating right or sleeping enough! It's all about th hair. Was it the Facts of Life where Mrs. Garret went off on the girls for going outside with wet hair?

Because wet hair is FULL of evil cold-causing cretins!

Or something.

Personally? I think maybe the fact that I work in a climate controlled office where someone is always sick. Just last week I thought one of the AA's was going to cough up a lung in her cube. I know she must have lost some brain matter with all the sneezing and the extended blowing of nose she was doing. I'm sorry, but if you're THAT sick? GO HOME. No one wants you sneezing or coughing on them. Stop touching things that I need to touch! Pull out the hospital-disinfecting lysol! Pull out the antibacterial Pure stuff! Pull out the flu masks!

Does it surprise me that the APC in the cube adjoining her was out for 3 days with a fever?

Should it then surprise me that I started feeling kinda weird on Friday myself?

I know, just what you all wanted to read about. This is why I've been lax on the writing. Foremost in my head is the fact that when I get kinda feverish, I should not be allowed to write anything down that others might be able to read. Seriously, I had this whole blog idea in my head on Friday (when I first realized I might be more than "just a little tired"), but upon reflection (and after a couple advil) felt it might be a) a Tangent Queen Original, as well as b) offensive to a great deal of people.

Then yesterday I had another brilliant idea! But it was an "angry" post. So instead when my poor, unsuspecting, hana'i mom called, I went off about it with her. I'm glad she loves me, cuz otherwise she'd have thought I was a little crazy.

This morning I am so thirsty I could drain Lake Tahoe. And I hate drinking water. I think it comes from growing up in LA. You try filling a glass from a tap in El Sereno and then I dare you to drink it. Yeah, that swirling white mess? It settles down to the bottom. If you let it sit for a bit it'll clear right up. Sure it's safe to drink! This isn't Mexico! Some days you can even SMELL it. YUM!

I really should delete the above paragraph, but it's a great example of my state of being right now. We'll keep it around for posterity's sake, or something.

Now, what I wanted to share this morning was that we have freezing fog out! It might as well be flesh eating fog. No one in their right minds should be out in it as the roads are ice rinks. 24 degrees and an "Air Stagnation" advisory.

I have been stuck in the house all weekend for fear of being run down/over/crashed into by the wonderful residents of Seattle who have no business driving out in this kind of weather. I'm especially looking in the direction of the dumb asses who INSIST on driving 40 MPH in the residential zones! We have about 2cms of snow and ice left...You know how they say children can drown in that much water? Well hello city-dwellers! You can easily die with that much ice on the road.

Tahoe taught me great snow/ice driving skills...but I readily admit to being rusty. I will also admit that as I've never driven my brand new car in this kind of weather, 2 payments in, is NOT the right time to go experimenting. Call me overly cautious. So along with the almost gone fever, I'm getting a bit of cabin fever.

What fun!
And tomorrow when most of you will have your day off...yup, no rest for the wicked...my office is open and in full swing. I feel like taking bets as to how many people will show up.

All Quiet on the Western Front

All of the lights were off when I got to work here this morning.

I have been at work for almost 1/2 hour. 

No one else in my department has shown up.

I was just told I might be the only one who does.

Joyous day, caloo calay...everyone gets to come bug me about their accounting woes...well, if THEY show up.

 

Right.  Snow.  It DEBILITATES Seattle to the Nth degree.

What did we get? 2, 3 inches?

 

Am I sounding a bit bitter this morning?  Yes.  Is it because I fell on some black ice on my way to the bus stop only to find out that the previous bus hadn't been seen, nor for that matter any buses going in any direction and had to stand there, ice and snow on my pants, leg throbbing, trying to fish out quarters with my braced up hand, as my "good" hand balanced my bag and held onto the slippery bus stop pole so I could take in all this news?  I'll let you guess that answer.

 

Auuuummmmmm.

The bus was late, but it got there, and it got me here.

I did not smash my knee this time, only the bone just below the knee.

Since I started writing this, people are starting to drift in.  Even (thank the gods of Cobal) someone from my department to whom I will happily defer any and all power of responsibility. 

And the sun is coming out!  (I'm trying to ignore the fact that anything the sun "melts" will freeze into ice tonight as freezing temperatures are being predicted. Aaauuuummmm.)

 

Happy Snow Day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Balmy 36 Degrees

Good morning...We shall not speak of the weather, except to say that it's probably going to freeze the African Violets I'm taking to work (if I'm going to be there 6 months, I'm gonna make it pretty).

This morning, before I go dope dose up on anti-inflammatories, I'd like to embarrass a couple folks:

Happy Birthday Phil!

Happy Birthday Jen!

Kisses to you both!

OF COURSE, your cards are in the mail...Really :). Or at least they will be later this morning :)

Two Days In a Row!?!

Hey all.

I know, I know, I should be finishing up my ummm, pre Valentine's Day Cards (sorry. Yes, they really are rather late now), icing my wrist, or knitting on mom's socks (yup, missed that deadline as well). Instead I wanted to tell you about a movie I saw today, Children of Men (just FYI the site has audio playing. in case you're not supposed to be surfing right now).

I've never read anything by P. D. James, but I'm going to have to look this one up...Children of Men, the movie, was based on the book by the same title.

So the premise is that in 20 years humans are infertile. What are all the implications to that one? Well, I'd recommend seeing the movie. I purposefully didn't link to a preview as I really think that they give too much away in any and all of those. It was very thought provoking, and I thought Michael Caine's performance marvelous. It's not at all a Rain Without Thunder or The Handmaid's Tail variant, which I could easily see it sliding into.


If the theme of a world with no future is too heavy for you, I also recommend Happy Feet. Except I'd wait for video as the chances of small children screaming all around you would be far less. Especially when the kids got a bit bored as it seemed a bit too long for them. Some of the topics were definitely adult-oriented. No, not in that way, get your mind out of the gutter, I'm talking about over-fishing and pollution here. I love Robbin Williams' character. It's what Antonio Banderas would be like if he were funny.

Okay, back to what I should be doing.

Feliz Noche Buena!/Dia De Los Reyes!

I think it was actually last night that the 3 Kings should have visited, but I was too tired and (yes, I'm about to say it again) my wrist hurt too much to deal with shoes (for the presents), hay or a bucket of water (for the camels, you know.) But I feel a bit more mobile today, so we're still in time for a "Rosca de Reyes" and some Mexican hot chocolate this evening.

Now I just have to dig out the recipe and hope that 10 years of NOT making it won't mar the occasion :). I do, at least, remember how to make hot chocolate.

Today the holiday season pretty much ends. I won't be baking a baby Jesus in the bread, as we don't do Candle Mass/Dia de los Innocentes on February 2nd. Yes, in Mexico it's still xmas through February.

Happy Saturday!

A Little Bit of Cleaning

No, my room is still rather messy. I am hoping to do a bit of clean-up and updating to my blog, though. Nothing fancy, just taking down some old links and updating others. This will be a S-L-O-W process as I seem to be typing at snail speed right now.

This is me being whiney(sp?):

My wrist hurts!

So, if you're someone who I'd linked to in the past (Richard, I'm thinking of you), you're not gone forever, I'm just in the middle of reorganizing.

In the good news corner:
My brother writes that with wear, his beanie is finally starting to cover his ears! He sent some pictures as proof that I do not have to make him a new one, yet. (I will post "hat modeling" pics at a time when the though of scanning and editing pictures for blog-readiness does not make me want to cry as such action will make my wrist hurt even more. Must learn to avoid using my thumb...)

Tactless: 1 Champagne Headache: 0

I am not a drinker, just ask anyone who tries to get me to have more than a couple ciders or a glass of wine, of late. (Now if it's an ooey-gooey-syrupy-raspberry-lemon-drop...lord help me.)

Apparently, moderately priced Champagne and I get along rather well. Expensive stuff even better. This is still good news for the measuring tape and pocket book as I am not about to run out and spend perfectly good yarn/travel money on booze. I do have my priorities! Sort of.

Andy, James, Laura, and I had a mini-Santa Cruz reunion for New Year's Eve and all went fabulously. We think Tim was in Canada, they have New Year's Eve there too, you know. I'm beginning to formulate a theory as to why Tim is always absent when James and Laura present... and yet he is always "just getting here" or present whenever Andy's real estate guy is around... Again with the odd coincidences. I think a goal for '07 is to get the whole of the "Santa Cruz Ex Pats" together in one room for a gathering. Not a resolution, mind, just a goal.

I don't do resolutions. I'm not sure why either. I do come to realizations a lot lately. Such as this mornings:
- This May will mark 10 years since I graduated from my last educational institution.
- This is the second January that is an "official" start of a new year for me. When you're a teacher? January is at most "mid-way" through your year. When you're sailing around unemployed? It's just another month. Every day is Tuesday when there are no deadlines or plans.

These realizations get thought about and considered. Maybe some decisions get made, but I don't go promising myself I'll do something about anything just because it's January. I do that daily/weekly/monthly if at all. I do hope I'm not obliterating anyone's resolution framework; I don't mean to at all. I'm just saying what I do. Really? I think it's a diction and a timing issue. I make resolutions all the time, in that sense, just not necessarily to start January 1st :). It seems too much like a "deadline" or "due date." I hate those.

As I'm not sleeping off a hang over today, I guess I should go enjoy the rest of the first day of the year.