Tuesday Love

I love Mark. Today, for no reason at all other than I've been having a rough time lately, Mark had this delivered to my office:Now, as check email and Ravelry and write this blog entry, Mark is making supper:
I think I need to do something nice for Mark, which is why I bought some University of Michigan inspired sock yarn to knit him a pair of socks:
(For your own sports team inspired sock yarn, go visit Yarn Magnet's Etsy shop.)

Better Late than Never?

That last post should have been posted Thursday and apparently wasn't. Oops.

We went home to Toledo this weekend, so I had quite a bit of knitting time with the car ride and the sitting around and such. I'm now almost finished with the 8th row repeat. I have 12 to do.

The reason we were going home this weekend was because Mark's uncle was getting married. Then Thursday night we received a call that the wedding was postponed because he was in ICU. We decided to go home anyway, and then Saturday we found out that Mark's uncle took a turn for the worse and so the weekend was rather stressful and a bit scary too. I don't want to discuss details here, but it hasn't been a relaxing weekend, that is for sure!

Also, today we made it from Toledo back here in record time- 4 hours! This was due in large part to no backups at the toll booths, but still, we stopped twice along the way. We also only had one driver try to kill us on 94/294 today, this is better than most days. I wish people would pay more attention when they drive. For example, try to make sure no one there before switching lanes. Just a suggestion.

And the answer is...

I have a sinus infection.

So Mark's doctor (my doctor is off this week) prescribed antibiotics, a decongestant, and a nasal spray and then I have an appointment to come back in 10 days so that he can see what to do about the whole allergy thing that is probably causing all the sinus issues. Anyway, this explains a lot. I'm hoping all this will help and I'll be feeling better soon so I can quit writing about boring health complaints.

For the record, I find going to these doctors (Mark's and mine share a family practice) a lot less scary than going to the doctor was in Wooster. This may be because those doctors were in a clinic which is generally less comforting than an office suite with TVs and cute vintage ads for first aid products on the walls.

I really wish I had more exciting things to talk about, but I don't.

A bit of Wednesday whining

I can actually type again (I had no problem on Monday either) but I'm not really in much of a writing mood this week. Truthfully, I'm not in much of a knitting mood either.

I'm more about discussing social and political issues with Mark over dinner and a glass of wine and I'm afraid that the writing does suffer as a result. (The wine of the last night and tonight is a 2005 Argiolas Perdera which is an Italian red wine from Monica grapes. I'm pretty sure this was a wine club selection. I like it, but it is gone now.)

I had a dentist appointment today for my troublesome tooth. I knew it wasn't going to be good news and of course it wasn't. I am now deciding on a plan of action that will result in the end of said tooth. It is that or a very expensive root canal and crown (Very expensive even with dental insurance that is, incredibly expensive without) and since it is a back molar, I think I'm going to let the tooth go. That will probably be expensive too, but all things in consideration, I think I'll do it. Tomorrow I have a doctor's appointment about the troublesome sinus problem, while I'm not sure there will be much of a solution, I at least don't expect such bad news.

Work was frustrating today too for various reasons. I've blocked it out since I've been home so I really don't feel like thinking about it right now and rehashing.

I've knit a little here and there, but honestly not much lately. I still am keeping my finger taped up a little and the tape snags on the yarn so I get annoyed easily. (The finger was the apple pie injury in case that isn't clear.) I'm a little afraid I'm falling apart at 24, but I don't really think I am.

I think a bird might have just hit my wind chimes. They got really loud all of a sudden and now nothing again.

Yeah so things are ok here really, I'm just complaining because sometimes I need to. Oh, and today one of my favorite shirts developed a hole in the right elbow. This happens to a lot of my shirts, it is because I rest my elbows on my desk and apparently I have sharp elbows.

Knitting Survey Time

I hurt myself today while making apple pie and my left index finger is bandaged up so typing is not very easy today. It makes me wonder how tomorrow at work will be, but I think a standard keyboard is generally easier than a laptop keyboard. My weekend has been pretty quiet anyway, so I am going to complete a survey I saw on Emilee Knits:

I’ve done it

I want to do it

Very Little/No interest

I don't know what it is so I can't comment (I added this category)

• Afghan
• I-cord
• Garter stitch
• Knitting with metal wire
• Shawl
• Stockinette stitch
• Socks: top-down
• Socks: toe-up
• Knitting with camel yarn (it isn't the idea, it is the price)
• Mittens: Cuff-up
• Mittens: Tip-down
• Hat
• Knitting with silk
• Moebius band knitting
• Participating in a KAL
• Sweater
• Drop stitch patterns
• Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
• Slip stitch patterns
• Knitting with banana fiber yarn
• Domino knitting
• Twisted stitch patterns
• Knitting with bamboo yarn
• Two end knitting
• Charity knitting
• Knitting with soy yarn
• Cardigan
• Toy/doll clothing
• Knitting with circular needles
• Baby items
• Knitting with your own handspun
• Slippers
• Graffiti knitting
• Continental knitting
• Designing knitted garments
• Cable stitch patterns
• Lace patterns
• Publishing a knitting book
• Scarf
• Teaching a child to knit
• American/English knitting
• Knitting to make money
• Buttonholes
• Knitting with alpaca
• Fair Isle knitting
• Norwegian knitting
• Dying with plant colors
• Knitting items for a wedding
• Household items
• Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
• Olympic knitting
• Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
• Knitting with dpns
• Holiday-related knitting
• Teaching a male how to knit
• Bobbles
• Knitting for a living
• Knitting with cotton
• Knitting smocking
• Dying yarn
• Steeks
• Knitting art
• Fulling/felting
• Knitting with wool (virtually all the time)
• Textured knitting
• Kitchener BO
• Purses/bags
• Knitting with beads
• Swatching
• Long Tail CO
• Entrelac
• Knitting and purling backwards
• Machine knitting
• Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegating yarn
• Stuffed toys
• Knitting with cashmere
• Darning
• Jewelry
• Knitting with synthetic yarn
• Writing a pattern
• Gloves
• Intarsia
• Knitting with linen
• Knitting for preemies
• Tubular CO
• Freeform knitting
• Short rows
• Cuffs/fingerless mitts/armwarmers
• Pillows
• Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
• Rug
• Knitting on a loom
• Thrummed knitting
• Knitting a gift
• Knitting for pets
• Shrug/bolero/poncho
• Knitting with dog/cat hair
• Hair accessories
• Knitting in public

Does anyone else think this is inappropriate?

There are a lot of ways I could preface this post. I could explain what I've explained in a post in late July about the status of where I am on the "ready to have a baby" scale. I could explain that I've known for years that once you are married these questions will come no matter how unwelcome. I could explain that the question didn't even offend me until about 5 seconds after I answered. No, I was not knitting baby items or anything else when I was asked this.

So here is the story:

I am walking down the hall today as one of the customer relations women is approaching from the opposite direction. This is hallway with 8-10 offices or cubes in immediate hearing range. Said woman asks how it is going, I say things are fine, and she then asks

"Are you and your husband trying to start a family yet?"

My immediate response (because it is a canned one) is "No, not until Mark graduates." Since this is the truth, and we'll be married for only 3 months on Sunday, and I have no knowledge of whether it will be difficult for me to conceive or not, and I'm only 24 so I don't feel like I need to be in a hurry, this response is easy for me to give. I feel it is ridiculous for anyone to expect us to make that an immediate goal so I dismiss these questions with a laugh usually.

Then it hit. I got mad. While I try to be friendly with a lot of people, I am not close with this woman and to my recollections have never had a really personal conversation with her that it is even appropriate for her to ask me in the first place. Then, she asks me in such a casual but public way (as I said before, probably in the hearing range of at least 10 people). Sure, I could give her that answer back just as casually, but what if I couldn't? What if I wanted children very badly and knew I couldn't have them? What if I didn't want children at all? (Why are we assuming all people, especially married people, want children? Not everyone does, and I think if you don't, you shouldn't.) What if the night before my husband and I had just had an argument over when to "start trying?"

The point is whether or not to have children and when to have them is a very personal decision and therefore asking about that decision is a very personal question. If my sister asks me about that, fine. If a friend asks me about that, fine. If we are having those type of discussions at SNB, fine. It is not fine for a random co-worker to loudly ask that as we pass in a hallway. The way it was phrased bugged me too, because it was such an assumption that we want children and then that we would want them so soon. Even if we will be ready within a few years, the way that questions was asked almost crosses a line from lifestyle choice question to sex life question.

I know I'm ranting, but the more I thought about it, the more annoyed I became. So now it is off my chest, and I will go back to finishing another row on "Tuscany."

Lace Progress

Here is a look at my progress on the Tuscany shawl. I'm almost done with the 5th row repeat (the instruction say to do 12). The funny thing is of course that I'm not almost half-way done. So it goes with triangular shawls though.

I'm still feeling under the weather, enough so that I called in sick and spent today in bed. It is one of those things where as long as I'm laying around I feel mostly all right, but as soon as I get up and start walking around I feel bad and remember why I was in bed in the first place.

Since my day has consisted of laying around, knitting a little, and watching movies I just don't have much to blog about, but I wanted to show some pictures.

No electricity? No problem- I have a sock in my purse!

This may be one of those weeks. Nothing I take will make my headache go away- but that is enough whining for one day.

I came back from lunch and the electricity was out again. Not that I minded at all, as it gave me an excuse to continue knitting (the KPPPM sock #2) for another 1o minutes. It is times like those that I really love having knitting. While everyone else sits around wishing they had something to occupy themselves with I do.

Then at 3 o'clock we had a baby shower for this guy who works in a different department and his wife. They are having a boy, and it reminded me that I should think a little more seriously about what to knit my future niece or nephew. Oh yes, I am going to be an aunt- I don't think I announced that here. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law are expecting a baby due towards the end of April. For whatever reason, everyone thinks it will be a boy, but of course it is too early to tell. I thought about getting started on some bibs or something equally gender neutral but still cute. I've always wanted to knit a teddy bear. I think this might be the perfect time. I have 7 months, I guess I'm not feeling to much pressure yet.

Right now I am still focusing most of my effort on the Tuscany shawl. I had to rip back about 16 rows last night because I realized that I wasn't quite as ready to be off the book as I thought I was the other night. I was knitting the first 8 rows of the repeat just fine but the second 8 I was decreasing then doing the yarn overs (like you do on the first rows) instead of yarn overs then decreasing. So I ripped and finished the second repeat of the rows again and I'm back on track.

I really hate this place.

I have had more sinus issues since moving here than ever before. If you look at at weather map you can understand why. There are always different pressure systems swinging through west of Lake Michigan.

Also, apparently I really pissed some guy off on the way home from work today. I stopped at two red lights instead of running them. To be fair, he was also mad because I kept going instead of letting him run that stop sign (he had a stop, I did not) in the parking lot when I was leaving work.

The begining of something

All right, it might not look like much yet, but this will be "Tuscany" from No Sheep For You. The yarn is Briar Rose "Grace" I purchased at the Great Lakes Fiber Show in May. The skein is 900 yards and I think that means it is destined for a simple lace shawl (simple because of the color variation in the yarn). One of my complaints about the "Handsome Triangle" is the number of yarn ends I had to weave in. They were hard to hide and when I wear it they still sometimes poke out and I have to try and hide them again.

Honestly I think I caught the lace bug. I love my "Handsome Triangle" so much and I really enjoyed knitting "Foliage" too. I needed another lace project. This pattern is so well written (Amy Singer answered the questions that I came up as I started to knit in her introductory paragraphs.) The lace pattern and chart is straightforward and I think I'll have it down by the end of this row repeat (I'm on the second one).

No worries, I'll still keep the second socks that need finishing going at lunch time and during SNB, and they will stay in my purse for all those other times I need easy knitting. But I really like having a big complicated project like lace going for when Mark is studying and I have some time to sit down beside him and do some knitting.

Fall Foliage

On Thursday night I wanted to check my email/websites quickly before heading up to Geneva to return my unused skein of yarn from the "Tomato" a.k.a. "Plum" I knit at Wool & Company. I was thrilled to discover the new Knitty was up, and was even happier to discover that there were some really great hat patterns in this time. I made a mental note of what yarns the patterns were knit from. I returned the skein of yarn for store credit and picked up a skein of Noro that could match a couple different skeins of Cascade I have in my stash to make "Pecan Pie" and I found a beautiful red-orange skein of Malabrigo worsted for the "Foliage" hat.

I am happy to show my completed "Foliage" hat today. I really enjoyed this pattern once I got past the first couple rounds. It is knit crown-down, which was a first for me in my hat knitting. I never like starting a project on DPNs, so this was my least favorite part of the pattern, but once I got into the lace pattern it was a lot of fun to knit. The charts were easy to follow and the pattern is written clearly. I think I may make this pattern again, maybe in the chunky weight version next time.

Conspiracy Theory and a Five-County Saturday

Several times a week out internet goes out. The cable is fine, but the internet does not function for a couple hours. Although I have no idea if this ever happens during the day Monday-Friday because I am at work, I do know it is happening far to frequently during evening and weekend hours. This would explain why last night I just posted pictures and there was no typing. By the time the internet came back I was too tired to actually write.

A few weeks ago Mark and I saw Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room. Remember those rolling blackouts in California? Those were artificial shortages caused by Enron in an effort to make millions of dollars profit. It was absolutely disgusting. We have this theory that Comcast is doing the same sort of thing- taking us (and other people) off the internet so they aren't expending any money on the resources it takes to be an ISP yet continuing to charge us the full price. Mark estimates that this month alone we have not had internet service for at least 10 hours. We have been having this problem since July. Are we seeing a refund of that time on our bill? No. Comcast reported record profits last quarter. Do you see why we are suspicious?

Anyway, as you can see from yesterday's post, we were out and about picking apples and having a picnic. I needed to get renew my plates and get new stickers and be charged an additional $65 for changing my last name due to marriage on the title of my car (grrrr so unfair, I'm not transferring the title just updating my name) so we went out to DeKalb because their Drivers Services facility is infinitely easier to deal with than the Naperville one. That took maybe 15 minutes and we were on our way to the Jonamac Orchard in Malta.

We were there last year for their corn maze and then we went and picked apples the next morning. I was really looking forward to going back. The pumpkins aren't ready for another couple weeks, but we will go back again for that too. We had such a good time last year and it was great again this year. The apples are beautiful and delicious! They also have a little bakery/store where we got some hot cider and donuts before heading out into the orchard. I think we will go do the corn maze again when we pick out our pumpkins in a few weeks.

Before we left yesterday morning, Mark had the foresight to pack us a picnic lunch and look up a Forest Preserve in DeKalb County (Prairie Preserve would be a more appropriate name, but we'll let that slide). It was wonderful- practically no one was there. We had a picnic and took a walk, and I took tons of pictures of the wildflowers/weeds. I suffered for that later and am now taking a daily dose of Claritin, but I think it was worth it.

It was a bit of a drive to the Forest Preserve and I was teasing Mark that he was actually taking me to The Fold. After our picnic we were trying to make some order in the truck and I found my notebook behind his seat that had directions to there, so we decided to stay in the rural theme of the day and head up there. Mark was disappointed because the sheep weren't out for him to watch, but I was thrilled because I bought myself a yarn meter. I will post more about that later this week if I think of it.

Before leaving Marengo we stopped downtown at the Marengo Cafe where they make the best milkshakes ever. I'm not kidding. We rounded out the day by impulsively stopping for a game of mini-golf in Sycamore on the way home.

Thus ends the post that goes with the pictures from last night.

My Saturday in Pictures

What is it now, 9 or 10 months?

The blogging has suffered the past two days not because I have nothing to say, but because it has all been said to Mark, and really, that is where most of it belonged anyway. Although yesterday I had a ton of post ideas while I was at work and of course now I have either forgotten them or feel uninspired by them.

Over the last few weeks I've struggled with discontent about being here. I don't like Chicago. Every time I go home it just is so hard to come back to this place. We need to do this- Mark needs to finish law school here, I need to stay at the job where I have a reliable income and benefits we need while that happens. We have less than a year before we can make a change, and while knowing that a year from now we can be "home" can be just what I need to get through the day sometimes, it is also what makes me feel restless sometimes. I guess restlessness is better than hopelessness, so whatever, but I'll admit I feel sort of unsettled sometimes.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but this year I really miss the Wayne County Fair. I miss the 4-H stuff, I miss the displays of things people have done with their hands- the garments, the furniture, the art work, the cake. I miss the gigantic vegetables, the smell of hay and the general "barn" smell. I really want to show Mark all this stuff too.

We don't plan on moving to Wayne County, but I miss the proximity to it. These days even Toledo seems like it was really just a stone throw away. Anything that doesn't involve Chicago traffic to get home seems like a breeze though.

I know on some level that all my Chicagoland bashing is unfair. After all, I really enjoy the women in my knitting group and they are here (although many of them are not from here, hmmm) and there are some good people at work too. It is really the proportion of people out here who don't give a damn about anybody but themselves and anything but money/expensive material possessions, and having whatever they want the hell with you that bother me. Just drive out here for a week and you will see, they will run you over without athought. The lack of consideration just pains me sometimes. Last week Mark and I want to Friday's for dinner, and I was shocked because the girls leaving the restaurant actually held the door open for us as we walked out. Then I saw them get into the car with an Ohio license plate for county 48 (that would be Lucas, you know, where Toledo is).

It may just be because I didn't grow up here so I see the contrast between this and what I am used to so sharply. I don't suffer from idealizing "home" either, trust me, I read my hometown newspaper enough that I never forget what drives me crazy there too. (i.e. If you want the most convoluted and factually inaccurate idea of American history and politics, look no further than Mr. Kratzer's Letters to the Editor. He isn't the only one, I'm just picking on him today I guess because he had another letter this morning that left me shaking my head.)

So today I will leave you with some lyrics that stuck out to me as I typed this entry:

I don't want what you want
I don't feel what you feel
See I'm stuck in a city
But I belong in a field

- The Strokes - "Heart in a Cage" from First Impressions of Earth

Of Second Socks

Productive night at SNB! I finished a pair of socks for my mom I had been ignoring for a couple months. Now only two socks that need mates are left- the microfiber socks for my mom and my Koigu socks. I really would like to finish the microfiber socks first, so I think I'll find the second ball of yarn, wind it up, and cast on tonight so I have something to knit tomorrow at lunch.

On Ravelry a group was just started called "Knit a Second Sock September." The idea, as you might guess, is to finish a second sock during September. I guess I have already done that technically, but I was already almost done and ripped back to fix a mistake. I still have those two second socks that need cast on, so I will use this group as motivation for that instead.

Ok, Comcast has been incredibly inconsistent tonight. The internet already went out once tonight before I left for SNB, and apparently wasn't fixed until 15 minutes before I got home. Now it is out again. I guess I will have to post this in the morning instead. Don't be surprised when this shows up at 7:15 a.m. It should have been posted at 9:45 p.m. Monday night. Sheesh.

All right, the internet came back half an hour after I finished this post. In the meantime I was not able to find the ball of yarn for the microfiber socks, but I did find the skein of KPPPM so instead I have wound that up and will be casting on before I go to bed. Which will be soon. Goodnight!

It was a good day at work. I went in with that extra dread Monday mornings can posses when the previous week ended badly (I felt so sick and was so bored I spent most of my lunch hour crying about it to Mark and then I had to go to a very bad general staff meeting where our CEO announced that there would be no layoffs (uh huh) and one of the other founders of the company told an awful sexist joke.) Anyway, I was busy all day today. I thought I'd make note of it.

Look what I finished!

I just finished knitting this. It is time to eat, but after dinner I will weave in the ends and block it. Since there is colorwork I think it would benefit from a bath, but I may steam block it first. I've tried it on and think I will love it. Of course, that is easier to be sure of once I don't have 10 strings hanging off of it. I tucked the loose ends in for the photo, but trust me, they are still there.

For the record- this took me 9 days. I knit the 35 1/2" size, but my gauge was a little off. I got 17 sts = 4 in instead of the 18 stitches you are supposed to have with the recommended US size 7 needles- but this was ok. I had a choice of 35 1/2" or 40" and really wanted something right in the middle. I did the math and realized that at 17 sts = 4" the bust would be 37.647" which was just about what I wanted anyway so I was happy and didn't change needle size. The 35 1/2" size calls for 5 skeins of the MC, and I used just short of 4 full skeins (Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton in color 603 "Thistle.") I would say I used about 1/3 (50 yd) of the CC skein (Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton in color 614 "Drift." These skeins are 150 yd and 100 g.)

The only alterations I made were very slight and sort of accidental. I missed the part about using the US size 6 needles on the ribbing for the sleeves. My gauge isn't not vastly different between size 6 and 7 so whatever, and then my sleeves actually contain more stitches than the pattern dictates because I didn't decrease as many. I don't like tight sleeves and I don't have skinny arms so I wasn't sure I wanted to decrease as much. Now I see I could have, but whatever. If it ever really bugs me I could re-knit them, but I don't think it will be a problem.

Sunday Knitting

I have given myself permission to sit around and knit all day today if I feel like it. This is because I spent pretty much all day yesterday cleaning the apartment. I washed windows, cleared off the balcony somewhat, mopped floor, cleaned the bathroom (including really scrubbing the shower), did dishes (by hand and I ran the dishwasher twice), cleaned out the fridge and freezer, vacuumed, dusted, changed sheets, and did 6 loads of laundry. I also finally washed and blocked the Handsome Triangle. When I have a day like that I am allowed to do whatever I want the next day.

This morning I did still finally do our wedding write-up to submit to the paper. I know my mom has been wanting me to do that for the last month, but I just couldn't feel inspired to do it. The Daily Record just always screws up stuff for me. They cropped our engagement announcement picture in some weird way that only showed my head and not even my shoulders so I look really fat and disproportionate. When I was Teen of the Month my senior year the picture was all blurry and out of focus. It is just what they do to our family for some reason. A few months ago there was this article about the Athletic Director change at my high school and apparently, the 5 years that my Dad was the AD didn't exist. When my sister was Teen of the Month her senior year they barely interviewed her at all and just wrote about the other Teen of the Month and his girlfriend. It goes on, and on, and on... I guess I know they will do something strange or upsetting with it, and I've been procrastinating on it because I just dread finding out what it will be this time.

I really haven't been sitting around all day though. It is really too beautiful for that. Mark and I went to the Forest Preserve for a walk. Unfortunately, that lasted less that 10 minutes because the mosquitoes were so bad we had to leave. Mosquitoes typically don't bother me much, but since we got so much rain in the last month they are really prevalent and even I have to admit they are a problem. This is extremely annoying. I am sitting outside on the balcony now and they occasionally come up here too. I wish our spider hadn't left us or died or whatever. All I know is that she isn't here anymore and there isn't a big web protecting us from any annoying flying biting insects that would try to visit. It does make it easier to sit out here with her gone though.

So what am I knitting? The same thing as yesterday of course. I am almost done! I finished the ribbing on the bottom, I've finished off both sleeves and I am almost halfway done with the collar. No more pictures until I actually finish though. Which I will do if I go back to knitting instead of blogging.

Pictures at Last

Here is my knitting project of the week. It was going pretty fast but I haven't had a lot of knitting time this week so the progress slowed a bit. I am now in the middle of the waist shaping increases. Part of me wants to put that stuff on hold and just finish off the sleeves now so I can try it on. (I know I could put the stitches on waste yarn instead of stitch holders, but I hate picking up stitches from waste yarn.)


I am also adding pictures of the finished Handsome Triangle. I still haven't bothered blocking it because I think the lace shows up pretty good anyway. It needs a good wash anyway though so I guess that will happen soon enough. I wore it to work a couple times this week and got a lot of compliments and the standard "you could sell that" comment. I was talking to Mark about the comment about selling it. I always take it as a compliment, but I do have to wonder why that is such an automatic reaction. I make something beautiful that I am proud of and took a lot of time and effort, and the first thing I should do is get rid of it in exchange for money? Ha! My usual answer is that most people wouldn't be able to afford what I would have to charge for it.

Anyway, I really do like the shawl. I used KnitPicks Shine I had in my stash. I've come to realize I enjoy lace a lot more and have more patience for it if I use a thicker yarn.

The rest of my day is not nearly so interesting but I look forward to it none the less. I get to clean! The apartment is a mess and it has been driving me crazy. I never have enough energy or interest in cleaning at night, but during the morning I have a different attitude. Mark is in the city for a meeting, and for whatever reason I have an easier time cleaning when he isn't here. I can't explain it really. So that is what is on the agenda for today.

A Change of Plans or How to Lose Business in One Easy Step

Remember a couple weeks ago when I posted that I was getting a new computer?

When I ordered from Dell, the estimated ship date they gave me was today. The first time I ordered from Dell, the computer arrived before the estimated ship date, so I was a little disappointed when that didn't happen, but school did just start, so I can understand it is a busy time right now.

I got home from work and was hoping to find an email saying it shipped today. Instead, I found an email saying shipping was delayed. When I went to the order status webpage, the estimated ship date was pushed back to October 4!

That is completely unacceptable. Which is precisely what Mark told Dell when he promptly called and cancelled the order.

I am now typing this blog entry on my new HP laptop I just bought at Best Buy.

Knit Blog Acronyms and Accompanying Gripes

I am actually member of the SKC. I have never completed a KAL because apparently they have the effect of anti-motivation for me (that is another blog post entirely), but I'm still there because I can't figure out how to remove myself and I still subscribe to it in bloglines even if I never intent to participate. Mostly I still read it because during pattern nomination time I like to see what people put out there in hopes of finding some pattern I just have to knit.

Pattern nomination time is also when the alluded to gripe surfaces. For the last few nomination periods, there are people who keep submitting patterns that have already been SKC KALs. Do some research please! It isn't as if it has a 10 year history. I don't know why this bothers me so much, but it really does bug me.

Three down, One cast on

Apparently the car and travel is good for knitting this week.

I just finished the Handsome Triangle this morning! Finished is a relative term, I still have end to weave in and blocking to do. It is off the needles now.

Also off the needles- the project that shall not be named and the so bright it hurts my eyes dishcloth. I finished the dishcloth Thursday night at a pub in Geneva. Mark and I headed up there after work and I went to Wool and Company where I bought yarn to knit "Tomato" from No Sheep For You.

Since I chose purple yarn instead of the "Tomato" colorway, I am referring to the pattern as "Plum." The colorway is actually name "Thistle." I cast on after lunch. I would like to work on this exclusively since it is a top down raglan and those can go pretty fast for me. The hardest part will be getting the yarn from skein to ball, since I am away from home and without my swift or ball winder. I brought the yarn with me just in case, but hadn't had time to wind it up. I tried to use Mark as a swift, but he complained too much and move too much. I will either use the dining room chairs or my knees.

I am excited about this project though. I love the Blue Sky Alpaca Dyed Cotton. I am excited to have some minor colorwork, and most of all I love that this is short sleeved.

Yesterday afternoon Becky and I also stopped in at Sew Crazy. It just so happens that that carry Rowan Calmer, so I started looking though the bin for 6 balls of the same color for Fifi. The most I could find was 5, so when one of the woman working asked if I needed help, I explained what I was looking for and she went back and looking in the stock room to see if they had 6 of anything. They did have that many of a Magenta color, and I decided that I could wear that color, so I bought them for $9 a ball. I was pretty excited about that really, especially because a few of them had been marked down to $9 and were priced at $11 and they gave them all to me for the lower price. This is why I like to stop there when I'm home.

Restless Knitting Syndrome

I have an inability to knit very long right now. I'm bored. This is a very strange thing for me, because I find myself still very interested in knitting things (last night I did one of those total reorganizations of my knitting tools) but not much actual knitting is happening.
I think it may be because I have to many projects on the needles. I'm constantly switching the status of my projects on Ravelry from "In Progress" to "Hibernating" and back again.

For example, a couple weeks ago I pulled out my brown cabled sweater again and finished the front and started the neck. It is back to hibernating again. I picked up A Handsome Triangle and it has been laying over the arm of my couch for a good week without me working on it (which is crazy really since I only have 8 more rows and then I can do the crochet bind-off border and be done with it). I picked up Mark's sweater again. I've knit about three rows on each sleeve (I have them going at the same time on a long circular needle) I got confused about where I was since I was reading message boards while knitting again and I set them down. Knowing me lately, I'm not sure when I'll pick them up again.
Then I randomly start small projects. Like the project that shall not be discussed because it is a Christmas present and the so bright it hurts my eyes dishcloth. Why? I don't know. I need small projects now and then. I think that maybe it is that a majority of my projects are really kind of simple knits that I'm bored. Then I should be working on Clessidra, but I don't really feel like it right now.

I can actually explain the bright dishcloth. It is getting to be fall so I feel drawn to browns, reds, and grays. I honestly think I needed the hot pink, neon yellow, and bright orange to counteract what had become rather dreary knitting colors. I suppose I could also cast on the second Koigu sock, that is a pretty pink and purple, and maybe I will next but I needed another dishcloth. I guess I needed some flat knitting on circular needles and not another sock. It is strange how that works- different things appeal at different times.

I have also talked Mark into going to Geneva tomorrow night so I can go to Wool & Company. I can't really explain it, but I feel the need to visit a yarn store. I don't even know what I would want to buy, but I want to go. One of two things is going to happen- I'll either walk out of there with nothing or I'll walk out of there with a sweater's worth of yarn. Just watch. I also thought maybe Becky and I could go to Sew Krazy (a knitting and quilting store) when I am home this weekend.

Speaking of home, I am really looking forward to being home and not having to do anything wedding related. College football starts this weekend too, so I'm sure my Dad and Mark will be watching and discussing and debating (Dad- OSU fan, Mark- U of M fan, you probably won't really understand the depth of this clash unless you've lived in northern Ohio). I'm excited about it starting too, I like college football and I pay no attention to the NFL. I've always liked college football because to me it just feels like fall. I don't pay much attention to the actual games honestly, it is sort of comforting background noise, but I do care about who wins and loses and I like to follow it. I know some woman complain about their significant other's attachment to sports, but I don't mind it. It is guilt-free knitting time as far as I'm concerned.

Maybe I'll go back to knitting now.

Our resilient balcony resident

This is our resident spider. Mark doesn't like her very much, but I won't let him kill her. It isn't like she is inside the apartment, she is in her natural habitat. Plus, this time of year there gets to be plenty of bugs around because of the pond. She is preventing them from getting to us. There was a really impressive web earlier this week, but the storm Thursday night did it in. This web has been constructed in the last three days.

Anyway, I tried to take pictures before but the spiderweb never shows up in the daylight. I went outside and could see the web perfectly in the light of the almost-full moon (creepy huh?) and thought maybe this time, with the flash, it would work. Obviously, it did (although you can't really see the moon.)

Overrated or overcritical?

While Mark is watching a movie that I decided I have no interest in seeing the end of, I've been playing around on Ravelry.

One of the things that happens and I think is funny, is that the same threads get started on practically every knitting board. I used to look through the Knitter's Review message boards a lot and I've visited some others from time to time, and it was no surprise to me to see a discussion thread on Ravelry about "overrated yarns."

Now most knitters are going to have yarns they like and yarns they dislike and there are going to be various reasons for that. I'm not sure just personally disliking a yarn makes it "overrated" though.

I noticed a lot of comments that were down on yarn because they weren't soft. I think it is kind of silly to expect all yarns to be soft. Some people have pointed it out already, but you really have to match the yarn to the project. Would I knit a sweater I wanted to wear next to my skin with Lopi, Noro Kuryeon, Manos, or Lamb's Pride? Not likely- the mohair content in Lamb's Pride would certainly make me itch and the other 3 are not soft enough wools for my taste. Lopi is especially meant for outerwear. I made mittens with Lopi and while they are not soft, they are fine for their purpose. All along I figured that if they were too itchy for me I'd make a pair of liner pair of mittens out of Classic Elite Lush (I haven't felt the need so far). Lamb's Pride and Kuryeon are great for felting and Lamb's Pride can be beautiful for non-garments - like the Christmas Stockings I knit last year. I love Manos, but it is not evenly spun and it is a little scratchy. It is perfect for a scarf that is going to be worn over a jacket instead of next to skin. Once again, knowing that it has its irregularities, I wouldn't choose it for certain projects.

That said I think the complaint about the number of knots in Noro and some other yarns is legitimate. When you buy a skein of yarn that is meant to have these long color repeats, it really throws your project off when 2/3 the way through you run into a knot and the yarn attached is in the middle of a completely different color. I did not appreciate that when it happened to me and most other people don't either.

I think complaints about the way yarn holds dye or the way it wears are also legitimate. I think some yarns can be overrated for certain purposes too- for example, a yarn that may be hailed as a terrific sock yarn may make only mediocre socks but may be excellent for lace.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and I guess my opinion is that it is unreasonable to expect all yarn to handle the way you envisioned it. Some yarn is going to have little pieces of straw or tiny burrs or whatever in it. You can usually tell this before you buy it, and if you know you don't have the patience for a yarn that rustic, then don't buy it, and certainly don't expect that you are going to get a soft cuddly sweater out of it. If you buy handpainted yarn, you have to be prepared that it might pool and it might stripe and might do any number of things you don't like. Sometimes you just have to play with it until you find what really shows off those colors in a way that is pleasing to you. I sort of feel like you need to understand that before you buy it, and if you don't have the patience, buy something else.

Oh, and if you are allergic to a certain fiber in a yarn, it is really unfair to say it is overrated and complain about the yarn as if it is its fault. Don't buy a yarn you are allergic to.

Knitting Status Update

I don't have pictures quite yet, I hope to add them later this weekend.

I realized that as much as I've been typing the past couple days, none of it has been about knitting, so here is the update:

I finished the Malabrigo scarf. It ended up being slightly over 5 feet. I thought it would be longer and would have liked it to be, but is still an acceptable length and it matches one of my favorite hats, so all is good.

After I posted about the Clessidra sock a couple weeks ago I realized I was going to have to rip it. Fortunately, I only had to rip as far as the ribbing, but still, that wasn't exactly fun. It turns out that if you want seed stitch you have to alternate your knit and purl stitches else you will end up with ribbing. I don't know what I was thinking, obviously I wasn't. To be fair, I very rarely knit seed stitch because I find incredibly tedious and I knit it the round even more infrequently, so I guess it isn't surprising that when I went into autopilot on the knitting in those sections it failed. Anyway, after a few days I picked it back up and started again and I'm further than I was before now. Third time's the charm, right? (The first time was in May when I was going to make it larger than the pattern called for to be sure it accommodated my, um, shapely, calves. Then I got confused about where to put the extra stitches in the pattern so I ripped it out after Kate convinced me the pattern as is would probably be fine. Now that I've got it going I see how I would make it larger if I had wanted to.)

I've also resumed some of the projects that were "hibernating" for awhile. I finished the cable panel and the rest of the front on the sweater I started (and stopped) back in May. I've now picked up stitches around the neck and am knitting the mock turtle.

I also picked up the "Handsome Triangle" again. This is good knitting when Mark is reading law in the evening, and since he was back to school this week the shawl has reappeared. I was about 2/3 the way through the third (of four) section repeat when I put it down. When I was photographing it awhile back for Ravelry I noticed it was getting pretty big. After doing some research on other Handsome Triangles, I decided that my idea to stop knitting after the end of the third section was probably a good one. This means that I now have only 8 more rows to go (although those rows have 300+ stitches) and then a crochet border to do.

I have another project I am working on, but it is a Christmas present so I can't write about it in detail. Part 1 is done and I have begun part 2. We will leave it at that.

I also knit a quick pair of mittens two Sundays ago. They are child sized and I will send them for the Dulaan Project.

Unwind

I am so incredibly glad that it is the weekend. I don't know why, but the last two days have just dragged. My co-worker Amanda turned around this morning and expressed amazement that it was only 10 a.m. She thought it was at least 12:30 and was ready to ask me why I hadn't left for lunch yet. Yes, it was one of those days. Another co-worker had 2 inches of water in her basement and the sump pump wasn't working because they lost power. I heard her call her husband and tell him ComEd had a recorded message on their phone that it will be 2 days before power is restored. I also heard her call everyone else she knows to tell them about the situation after she had gone around to tell each one of us in the office individually about it. This may have been a factor in it being one of those days.

It had some bright spots too. Mark was on his way to work this morning (he does not have Friday classes so he is continuing his internship of Fridays) and the traffic was all backed up because every traffic light was out on the road he needs to be on. Then he gets to the courthouse and security is out front directing everyone away because the power is out there too. This meant that Mark could meet me for lunch and not be rushed. He could also do some errands, like running to Target and getting some Kleenex. I had asked him to pick up an extra box for me to bring to work and he offered to drop it off for me (Target is just down the street). I accepted and then he showed up with the Kleenex and a Caramel Macchiato. I have a very sweet and thoughtful husband. (Right now he's picking up Chinese take-out for dinner too.)

Things just feel so weird right now. I haven't been affected by the storms too much. Work and home and the path between has escaped without much damage. I still had to hold up towels and a bucket to the living room window last night because water was coming in AGAIN. It was leaking in by the sliding door too. This is at least the fourth time this has happened, and we notify maintenance and all they ever say is that it is happening because the water is coming straight down the side of the building because the gutters are jammed up and they can't do anything about it except clean out the gutters the next day. Well first of all, if the gutters are such a problem maybe they should clean them out more often. Second of all, this doesn't happen at the bedroom window, and unless every other apartment is having the same problem there must also be a problem with the way the living room window and the sliding door are sealed. They are not interested in fixing that at all. I keep complaining because, as I said last time, as long as I'm there and know what is happening I can do something about it to minimize the damage, but what happens when we get a storm like that and I'm at work? Or what happens if it rains like that in the middle of the night and I don't wake up? I'm going to have two gallons of water in the carpet causing all sorts of damage to my apartment, my things, and very likely to the apartment below me. Apparently, I overreact.

Speaking of overreacting, I obviously am once again more concerned about safety than some people at work. It is customary to put extra food or goodies on the counter in the kitchen for people to help themselves too. One of the things that has always bugged me is that they will serve food for some event (usually organized by marketing) and then they will bring leftover sandwiches and meat upstairs and leave it on the counter. I have no idea how long that has been out, but I usually figure that it is probably already been almost 2 hours. Today that happened again. I noticed the food when I came back from lunch a little after 1 p.m. I went in the kitchen at 3 p.m. and there was still a little food left and it was still sitting out. I threw it away because no one should be eating Skirt Stake or Lemon Chicken that has been sitting out for at least 3 hours. Geeesh.

Don't worry, that siren is just an inconvient background noise

Shortly after 2:30 p.m. today I receive a phone call at work. It is from Mark telling me that they [everyone in the law school] have been sent to the basement because of a Tornado Warning. Everything is fine, but being that whatever is in DeKalb county will surely arrive in DuPage soon after, I started monitoring the weather situation.

About twenty minutes later I stopped by a friend's office to peak out her window at the sky. That is when I realize the tornado sirens are sounding (the building is oddly soundproof I guess). I rush back to my desk and inform my co-workers that the tornado sirens are going off. This shouldn't come as a huge surprise because I've already shared what is going on with Mark. No one believes me or seems very alarmed by the whole thing. I work on the third floor in the center of the building. While the center is rather isolated from the outside, I'm thinking that if the roof gets torn off this won't be a good thing. I decided that this would be an opportune time to return the investor file I have at my desk to the file room in the basement and I announce as much. I grab my cell phone and the folder and head downstairs.

The UPS truck is loading up on the distribution center dock, and after I return the folder I peaked outside. The clouds were churning around and the sky was getting to be a nasty color. Just about that time everyone else came downstairs too. The senior vice president had insisted everyone go. I found it incredibly interesting though that NO OTHER company in the building thought it was necessary to take precautionary shelter. What were they waiting for? To actually see a funnel cloud? It isn't like we are in an open area where you can see miles and miles of sky in all directions. I just don't get it. I have often thought that there is a disturbingly large chunk of the population here in Chicagoland that has no concern over the life or death or themselves or anyone else. This conclusion is most easily reached by driving here for awhile, but there are other clues. Obviously, this is one of them.

Solutions

The computer really is mine tonight.

Last night opened up the floodgates to issues I've had for the past year with not having a reliable working computer. It probably sounds ridiculous, but it affects a lot. I haven't been able to blog, and I really need to be able to write, it bugs me that I can't necessarily write when I want to. It annoys me to no end that I can take all these pictures and then it takes 5 hours if I want to edit them (and just simple editing like cropping and adjusting the light levels). My scrapbooking has completely dropped off, and while I can't deny the knitting has been a guilty party in its demise, if I can't get my pictures the way I want them I don't get them printed. If I don't have pictures, I don't scrapbook. It drives me up a wall that I can only update my iPod every two months when my laptop stays on long enough to download all the new podcasts and then actually update the iPod. This is important because I listen to podcasts at work when I have particularly dull tasks at hand or need to block out all the stupid noise around me. Listening to knitting talk or classic literature reminds me that I am alive. (I mentioned last night that I am feeling a little down, right?)

Anyway, the computer thing isn't just about having a computer. It is about being able to keep up my creative, intellectual side too. Mark thought it was important that we get me a new computer now. I've done some pricing now and then over the past year, I've looked at what was available, but I always decided it was an expense I didn't need. Since we have combined a lot of expenses now that we are married and live in one apartment instead of two, I agree that now is the time.

I initially thought I wouldn't want another laptop. I'm not a student, why would I necessarily need that? They are easier to physically damage. After the last eight months of having my old desktop back, I changed my mind. I feel isolated sitting at the desk, and the words never flow as easily. I spend 8 hours a day at a desk, I need to be able to sit on the couch when I check my email. I need to be able to sit next to Mark and blog while he does his law school reading. Although this time I got a 3 year warranty.

Today marks the two year anniversary of being in the full-time working world instead of in school. My first job was so terrible I try not to think about it too much. Well, except for those days I really hate my current job. I have to remind myself that it could be much worse- I could still work at that first job.

Tomorrow it will be two months that Mark and I have been married. I am very happy to say that all thank-you notes have been written and mailed before the deadline imposed by The Knot. (Which, by the way, they have wedding dates on file, so could they please quit emailing me offers for "30% off Bridal party gifts!" and other such things that are completely useless to me now?) Here is my helpful hint for Thank You notes: leave the house with them. It wasn't easy for us to write them with both of us working full time this summer and the apartment a bit cramped for space. We ended up packing up the gift list, pens, and several boxes of notes and heading off to Starbucks where we could actually concentrate on writing. This worked great because then there were no distractions, we had plenty of room to write and we could sit a surface that was the right height for writing. Also, it was easy to say that we could go home when one of the following happened:

1. We finished writing notes for everyone on the list
2. We ran out of blank Thank You notes
   
3. The store closed
4. It was bedtime

The first night we actually ran out of cards (I brought 3+ boxes). The second time we finished.

Now that I've written and feel better, I am going to go knit. I am working on A Handsome Triangle again and have about 10 rows before I'm going to cast-off. There is still a crochet border so it might be a month until I am done anyway.

Rain rain go away

It seems like it has been raining constantly for the past week. Looking ahead in the forecast I see more rain/thunderstorm icons. I could really use some sunshine again, I feel like my energy is being drained.

OK nevermind.

I don't get to make a blog post because someone wants his computer back.

I could really use the creative outlet, I really want to write, and I don't get to.

Fine.

Thirty-one days hath September?

Growing up, the local newspaper was often referred to as "The Daily Mistake," and not just by my family. (It is really The Daily Record.)

This morning I was reading the paper online, and like always, I was checking out the vital statistics to see who I know (remember, small town and small school) that got sentenced for what. (I also like to see who takes out marriage licenses because they don't always put announcements in for their Engagements and Weddings.)

Today, we have this (names and addresses removed):

***** was fined $100 for criminal trespass and placed on two years probation. He must perform 20 hours of community service by Sept. 31, screen for mental health court and stay off victim's property.

***** was fined $250 for prohibitions and $100 for possession of drug paraphernalia. He was placed on 18 months probation, must perform 40 hours of community service before Sept. 31, complete an alcohol assessment and obtain and maintain gainful employment.

I'm wondering if this means they never have to complete their community service because September 31 is really never going to come. I doubt that, but I have to ask anyway.

On an unrelated note, MB asked:

Do you have a swift, or is Mark your swift?

I do have a swift. I bought one very early in my knitting career soon after I discovered the type of yarns that you need a swift for. I pretty much ruined one skein of yarn trying to wind it into a ball, I successfully wound another (but not without trouble) and that was enough for me. I figured that if I was spending that much money on the yarn I couldn't afford to have it end up in a big tangled mess. I also didn't really know any experienced knitters yet and podcasts were limited to KnitCast, so I had no one to show me or tell me that you can use your knees or you can put two dining room chairs back to back or you can just make someone hold the yarn for you while you wind it up. I don't regret the purchase though, it has got a lot of use (and those other methods have come in handy when I'm away from home and the swift). Since the picture of my swift is holding the yarn I used for Clapotis , I will share a startling discovery I made. I bought these mini pink calla lilies for my desk at work, and suddenly on Friday afternoon (after they were on my desk for two weeks) it struck me- they are the same color of Clapotis!In the summer I keep Clapotis draped over my desk chair. The AC gets a bit chilly sometimes. I found the calla lilies at Whole Foods. I had no idea they would last so long.

On to current knitting:

I've been doing a lot more cleaning and cooking than knitting so far this weekend, but here is the Malabrigo scarf I've been working on. When I took that picture it was about 2 feet long. Last I checked, it was up to 3 feet. It is the fourth time I've knit this pattern, but it can look so pretty in variegated yarn. There are only two rows to remember so while it is mostly mindless once you get started, it is still more interesting than just doing garter stitch or ribbing. I've come to accept that I like most of my projects to be mindless. It helps me relax and multi-task. That doesn't mean I don't like my cables and lace and colorwork. I do enjoy the finished object and sometimes I prefer to be more occupied with what I'm knitting. Sometimes I just like the challenge. I think I need a little more time for those projects I need to pay attention to. Mark starts classes again next week, so when he's studying in the evening I will probably pick up those more complicated things again.

Brown Clessidras

I'm feeling much better today. Want to see what I started yesterday afternoon? I learned that VH-1 countdowns are great to knit to.

It is Clessidra in Regia silk. I love the brown, it is so quitessentially fall to me. This may be because I went to a high school whose colors were brown & gold and that makes me think of football, and that makes me think of fall...

It could also be because brown always makes an appearance in fall fashion. Which brings me to another reason why today is good- I got my bonus check for last quarter! This means I can actually go buy some new things for my work wardrope. I really want a pair of much cuter brown shoes than I currently have. I think I may need to start on some sweaters again soon too.

My thoughts are a little jumbled. It is because I know I need to take care of some stuff. For example, I need to send the wedding picture proofs to my mom. I know why I've procrastinated. I hate to give them up. I will get them back eventually and then eventually I'll get the nice big album too, but right now these are what I have and I don't feel like giving them up. I'm actually looking through them one last time as I type this entry. Sad, huh?

All right, I've got to go do this.

Yarn winder follow-up

I've been resting and the second dose of Benadryl is working, so here is the post about the yarn winder.

As you can see, I now own one. After my unsuccessful search a couple weekends ago, I decided to just order one from Knit Picks. It actually arrived Thursday, but because our mailman hates us, instead of leaving the package at the Apartment office liked he has always done in the past, the mailman took the box to the post office where I had to have Mark pick it. I still got it Friday before we left for Toledo. I may also have wound up 3 skeins of yarn to test it out before leaving. It is fast! I used to think that I would want an electronic one because it would be tedious to keep cranking the winder- not so! The one I have is very smooth and fast without a lot of effort. I was also a little concerned about the capacity, but I was able to wind up a 900 yard skein of yarn (light weight) without too much trouble. I even wound a 450+ yd skein of bulky yarn (although that took a little more effort near the end).

I've become a little obsessed with converting balls of yarn into cakes. A small sampling is visible on the left. They actually are much neater and fit nicer in storage.

See the brown yarn that is front and center? That is the Regia Silk that I have cast on again (there was a failed attempt in May) for Clessidra. I bought the yarn awhile back from The Loopy Ewe and I've been meaning to make them, but I was originally going to make them larger (I have curvy calves) and I had a lot of trouble figuring out where the extra stitches would belong in the pattern. I'm going to try again without the adjustment and hope they fit. If they don't, I have someone in mind I could give them too.

I've had that attitude a lot lately, the "I it doesn't fit I'll find someone who wants it and can wear it" attitude. It may be due to the inability to close drawers, closets, etc. because every inch of storage in our apartment is in use. I can't wait for that day when I have a house.

I've also been stuck in that "I don't want to knit on anything I have cast on already, so I'm going to start something new" phase. I think the term is "Startitis." Anyway, it is bad. At least with Ravelry I don't forget about them so much.

It sort of feels like it is going to storm again. My head does not appreciate that.

Ick

Is it a little sad that I have to be sick before I have time to blog? Perhaps. It is all about priorities, and as much as I want to write sometimes there are other things demanding my attention.

I'm having some sort of sinus attack. I've felt it coming for the last couple days, and if I'd been able to nurse it a little more yesterday I probably would have been okay today. (Maybe not though, because I went to bed at 8:30 last night and still woke up feeling awful.)
Instead, when I came into work yesterday, this is what I saw. That pond is flooding because of a water main break. Which meant that we had no water in my building. Without water, I could not make tea, which would have helped me (I was really stuffy and had a scratchy throat), and I couldn't really stay hydrated because you had to go to another building to use the restroom, and I didn't need to be doing that 10 times throughout the day. It isn't such a big deal when it is just down the hall, when it is in another building it is. Lovely, huh? FYI that water color is not the sky. They put some weird chemical in the pond a few weeks ago to kill the algae and the pond became the color of toilet bowl cleaner. With the mud that was picked up from the water main break, it was just beautiful. I nearly gagged every time I walked by it.
It isn't just that though, the weather has really been doing weird things lately and all the pressure must be getting to me. We were in Toledo last weekend too, and more often than not I get sick with sinus/allergies while I'm there. I managed to escape without it this time, but you see what I'm doing now. I am staying on the couch with cup after cup of my favorite tea (Egyptian Licorice Mint by Yogi). I took some Benadryl too, and I think that may be kicking in because I am starting to feel sleepy. I'm going to lay down again and if I feel better later I will write all about my new yarn winder.