It's not far. Just a mouse click away. Knelley Knits is moving to a new home. Click on the link and you're on your way to see it. Blogger has been very good to me, but this new place might be a little bit better. Don't be afraid. Everything you've seen here is already settled in the new place. No unpacking required.
If I'm lucky enough to be in your favorites, your bookmarks, your Bloglines, or your Google Reader, please update the web address.
See you there!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Girlie Girl?
I could be one after all - in the sense of being a pampered, fancy-pants girlie girl.
Yesterday, for the first time ever, I had a pedicure.
I'm headed to Cape Cod this weekend for a wedding and a couple of my friends talked me into going for a mani-pedi with them. I had no worries about the manicure part of the deal. I've had a few manicures in my life and even once dipped my toes into the pond that is acrylic nails. (Not me. I couldn't function and was afraid I'd scratch my eyes out in my sleep.) It was the pedicure part I worried about.
My feet shouldn't be touched. Really. There are a few reasons for this. First, I'm extremely ticklish. I giggle and squirm when I touch my own feet. I couldn't imagine how I'd handle having someone else touch my feet. Second, my feet are just gross. I have wonky toes that turn sideways. I have callouses on the soles that one of my friends calls my tap shoes. My toesnails are bumpy and lumpy. They're just not nice feet. I imagined that the ladies who worked at the nail salon would get together for dinner that night and one would say, You would not have believed the feet on that broad! I should have taken pictures!
When we arrived at the nail place, we first picked our colors. I wanted blue for my toes - of course. But then I saw the green. My dress for the wedding is green. I needed green toes. I picked a pretty shade of pink for my fingernails. Then the pedis were first. We sat in a row of fancy chairs, complete with massage functions, reclining abilities, and People magazines. My two friends were taken care of first, which was good. I was able to watch and gear up for what was coming my way.
I got a little nervous when one of the girls started to wince and mouth, That hurts!. She, however, already had a boo-boo on her big toe that was being poked a little. I had no boo-boos, so I figured I'd be fine. I watched as they were trimmed, smoothed, snipped, scrubbed, lotioned, massaged and polished. Looked okay to me.
My turn. Jenny took care of me. She was adorable. She quickly realized that it was my first time and said, You ticklish, even though I was being a grown-up about it. When my foot would involuntarily twitch, she'd laugh and say, You sensitive. Yup. Me sensitive all right. I got through it fine - and even enjoyed it. There were a few times that I had to put my hand in my mouth and bite down to stifle the giggles and stop myself from squirming. This was especially hard when Jenny was weaving a paper towel-type thing between my toes to separate them. The best part, though, was the hot paraffin wax. It was put in a little plastic baggie, then place over the heel and tied around the ankle. Felt so good. After I was polished, I headed to the manicure chair and was pinkified. My nails are short and stumpy, but Jenny shaped them so nicely and the polish made them look so much better.
All this for $25. What a deal. My fingernails look pretty, but my feet . . . they're lovely. My feet have never looked so good. Clean. Not that they were dirty, but they feel and look clean. And neat. And new. And soft. And I like them. And I want to keep them like this.
When we were done and Jenny called out, Goodbye today!, we walked over to Chili's for drinks. I had to remember to respect the manicure as I opened doors and flipped through the menu. I ordered a Blue Pacific Margarita. It came in a glass big enough to swim in. Potent stuff, too. Yikes. You'll be happy to know (Mom) that I didn't finish it. I couldn't have. I would have been ill. I was trying to maintain my new image as a fancy, dainty, pampered lady.
I could get used to that.
So don't you want to see?
Here are my green toes with my green dress:
They're addictive.
Yesterday, for the first time ever, I had a pedicure.
I'm headed to Cape Cod this weekend for a wedding and a couple of my friends talked me into going for a mani-pedi with them. I had no worries about the manicure part of the deal. I've had a few manicures in my life and even once dipped my toes into the pond that is acrylic nails. (Not me. I couldn't function and was afraid I'd scratch my eyes out in my sleep.) It was the pedicure part I worried about.
My feet shouldn't be touched. Really. There are a few reasons for this. First, I'm extremely ticklish. I giggle and squirm when I touch my own feet. I couldn't imagine how I'd handle having someone else touch my feet. Second, my feet are just gross. I have wonky toes that turn sideways. I have callouses on the soles that one of my friends calls my tap shoes. My toesnails are bumpy and lumpy. They're just not nice feet. I imagined that the ladies who worked at the nail salon would get together for dinner that night and one would say, You would not have believed the feet on that broad! I should have taken pictures!
When we arrived at the nail place, we first picked our colors. I wanted blue for my toes - of course. But then I saw the green. My dress for the wedding is green. I needed green toes. I picked a pretty shade of pink for my fingernails. Then the pedis were first. We sat in a row of fancy chairs, complete with massage functions, reclining abilities, and People magazines. My two friends were taken care of first, which was good. I was able to watch and gear up for what was coming my way.
I got a little nervous when one of the girls started to wince and mouth, That hurts!. She, however, already had a boo-boo on her big toe that was being poked a little. I had no boo-boos, so I figured I'd be fine. I watched as they were trimmed, smoothed, snipped, scrubbed, lotioned, massaged and polished. Looked okay to me.
My turn. Jenny took care of me. She was adorable. She quickly realized that it was my first time and said, You ticklish, even though I was being a grown-up about it. When my foot would involuntarily twitch, she'd laugh and say, You sensitive. Yup. Me sensitive all right. I got through it fine - and even enjoyed it. There were a few times that I had to put my hand in my mouth and bite down to stifle the giggles and stop myself from squirming. This was especially hard when Jenny was weaving a paper towel-type thing between my toes to separate them. The best part, though, was the hot paraffin wax. It was put in a little plastic baggie, then place over the heel and tied around the ankle. Felt so good. After I was polished, I headed to the manicure chair and was pinkified. My nails are short and stumpy, but Jenny shaped them so nicely and the polish made them look so much better.
All this for $25. What a deal. My fingernails look pretty, but my feet . . . they're lovely. My feet have never looked so good. Clean. Not that they were dirty, but they feel and look clean. And neat. And new. And soft. And I like them. And I want to keep them like this.
When we were done and Jenny called out, Goodbye today!, we walked over to Chili's for drinks. I had to remember to respect the manicure as I opened doors and flipped through the menu. I ordered a Blue Pacific Margarita. It came in a glass big enough to swim in. Potent stuff, too. Yikes. You'll be happy to know (Mom) that I didn't finish it. I couldn't have. I would have been ill. I was trying to maintain my new image as a fancy, dainty, pampered lady.
I could get used to that.
So don't you want to see?
Here are my green toes with my green dress:
Pretty good match.
Here are my feet in all their newfound glory.
Here's my dress. Very Greenwich-garden-party if you ask me. I'm not the Greenwich-garden-party type, but I lreally ike this dress. Good for a summer wedding. Good for $29.99 at Marshall's.
In other news . . . I had a blind date the other night. A blind knitting date. Not a date with a blind knitter, but a first time get-together with a knitter I met on Ravelry. We connected on the site and decided to meet up to knit.
I was a little nervous. What if she doesn't like me? What if she's scary? What if she's really a crazed murderer and I end up in a dumpster?
Worried for nothing. Delightful girl! (with a blog) She even invited a few others (one with a blog) and the four of us had a really good time knitting and talking. We're going to do it again. It's great to make new friends.
I've been working on these:
They're addictive.Monday, July 14, 2008
I Heart Summer
Guess what this is.
I know it's a keychain.
Don't be a wiseguy.
Do you know what it is - what its purpose is?
It's a chapstick holder. Okay, let's get this right. It's a lip balm holder. Isn't it cute?
I know it's a keychain. Don't be a wiseguy.
Do you know what it is - what its purpose is?
It's a chapstick holder. Okay, let's get this right. It's a lip balm holder. Isn't it cute?It was an easy little knit. Piece of cake. Mmmmm . . . cake. I used US 3 needles and Sugar'n Cream cotton, knitting it magic loop style, K2P2 rib over 12 stitches. Just made it long enough to fit the tube and then did a 3-needle bind off. Cuteness.
So I made a second one . . .
I knit this pink one from the bottom up using the magic cast on for toe-up socks (not that I've ever knit toe-up socks, but I figured it would work for a toe-up chap . . . ahem . . . lip balm holder.) This way, the bound-off end is the open end, so it's a lot more rigid and sturdy. (I think those words kind of mean the same thing, but they help me make my point.) I like it better this way.
I'm planning to knit a bunch of these and sell them at our team booth at the American Cancer Society Relay for Life in Milford in September. Our team is geared around breast cancer (Woohoo! Breast cancer!), so I figure that I'll knit them in different shades of pink. Pinkity pink pink. Hopefully, they'll sell for a few bucks each and all of the proceeds go to the ACS. Good stuff.
Have I ever told you how much I love summer? I hate the heat and I can't stand the hot sun, but I love love love the knitting time. It's a wonderful thing when my real life doesn't get in the way of my knitting.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Issues! Issues! Who's Got the Issues?
I do.
Over the course of the last few days, I've been doing some cleaning, organizing, and decluttering. As I went through my bathroom cabinet, I found quite a collection of hair products.
I have hair product issues.
I've always had semi-wavy hair. In the past, some days it was really wavy and on other days some parts were wavy, but others were straight. Wacky. Since my hair grew back after chemo, it's been different. When it first came back, it was really curly. (I remember my mother telling me about a friend of hers whose hair grew back super curly and she told me, "It was so cute - just like Little Orphan Annie." Ugh. I didn't want to look like Little Orphan Annie.) It's relaxed quite a bit over time, but it's always wavy/curly - very curly on humid days, wavy on dry days.
I have yet to find the perfect hair product to help style my hair in a way that will make me happy every day. I always air dry my hair part way and then blow dry while scrunching with my fingers. I've tried gels, mousses, pomades, waxes, creams, and pastes. I still haven't found one that I love love love. I keep buying. I keep trying. Some days my hair comes out nicely, but most days it's wonky. One side is frizzy and one side is smooth. One side flips out and one side flips in. The whole head is flat. The whole head is poofy. Never happy.
Maybe it's not hair product issues . . . it's hair issues.
I don't, however, have knitting issues.
Unless it's an issue to always knit more than one of most projects I choose.
Yesterday, I started another Wild Clover Mini Clutch. I needed another one.
This time, I used two strands of Cascade 220 held together and knit with US 6 needles. I wanted this one to be larger and sturdier so that I can use it as a make-up bag. I used another glass bead as a button.
Over the course of the last few days, I've been doing some cleaning, organizing, and decluttering. As I went through my bathroom cabinet, I found quite a collection of hair products.
I have hair product issues.
I've always had semi-wavy hair. In the past, some days it was really wavy and on other days some parts were wavy, but others were straight. Wacky. Since my hair grew back after chemo, it's been different. When it first came back, it was really curly. (I remember my mother telling me about a friend of hers whose hair grew back super curly and she told me, "It was so cute - just like Little Orphan Annie." Ugh. I didn't want to look like Little Orphan Annie.) It's relaxed quite a bit over time, but it's always wavy/curly - very curly on humid days, wavy on dry days.
I have yet to find the perfect hair product to help style my hair in a way that will make me happy every day. I always air dry my hair part way and then blow dry while scrunching with my fingers. I've tried gels, mousses, pomades, waxes, creams, and pastes. I still haven't found one that I love love love. I keep buying. I keep trying. Some days my hair comes out nicely, but most days it's wonky. One side is frizzy and one side is smooth. One side flips out and one side flips in. The whole head is flat. The whole head is poofy. Never happy.
Maybe it's not hair product issues . . . it's hair issues.
I don't, however, have knitting issues.
Unless it's an issue to always knit more than one of most projects I choose.
Yesterday, I started another Wild Clover Mini Clutch. I needed another one.
This time, I used two strands of Cascade 220 held together and knit with US 6 needles. I wanted this one to be larger and sturdier so that I can use it as a make-up bag. I used another glass bead as a button.
I think I'm done with this pattern for now. I'll probably knit more in the future - they'd be great as gifts, but I'm going to move on to something else.
I just finished reading this yesterday:
I think my swollen, puffy eyes have finally gone back to normal. It was such a good story, but it devastated me. I cried my way through the last chunk of the book. I'm not giving anything away to those of you who haven't read it - there were happy parts mixed in with sad parts. It's just that the sad parts really got to me. It was heartbreaking to read about the conditions that women in Afghanistan had to endure - and many still have to endure.
I'd read this author's first book, The Kite Runner, and I loved it. I'd received it as a gift from a friend, but originally had no interest in reading it. It just didn't appeal to me. One day when I was stuck with nothing to read, I picked it up and couldn't put it down. A Thousand Splendid Suns wouldn't have appealed to me either, had I not already read the first book. I'd knew I'd probably like it. I was right.
If you haven't read it, you should. But make sure you have a box of tissues and a bottle of Tylenol next to you. And maybe even a place to take a nap when you're done. I was exhausted.
Off to find some mindless, happy, light reading.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Decisions . . . Decisions . . .
In a brief episode of Knitter's A.D.D., I knit myself a little drawstring bag. I was pulled off the black sweater path when I poked through my stash and spotted a few little balls (balls!) of leftover Farmhouse Yarns Fat Sheep. The colors were so pretty - variegated blues, greens, pinks, and purples. Looking at the yarn made me think of the Monet Bag that I knit long ago and gave to my sister. Maybe I could knit another one - ish. It wouldn't look the same, but it might be pretty.
I knit up this little ditty holding two strands of yarn together - each in a different colorway. I randomly dropped one strand and replaced it with a different colorway. I knit until I didn't have much left and bound off. I knit a 5-stitch i-cord strap using some leftover Cascade 220. Voila!
I reallly like it.
Then I looked inside. Ooh. That's pretty, too.
So I flipped it inside-out. Hmmmm. I really like that.
I can't decide which way I want to use it. I've always been partial to stockinette stitch, but the reverse stockinette really shows off all of the colors. Whaddayathink?
In mothering news, my boy ate eggs today! I know, I know - call the newspapers. It's the story of the century. But really - this is a BIG deal. It is. I have been raising hotdog-mac'n cheese-chicken nugget-pizza-french toast-pancake-waffle-grilled cheese-boy for fourteen and a half years. He's never eaten eggs. Wouldn't touch them. Tonight as I was making french toast (with cinnamon and vanilla in the eggs - yum!), I had leftover egg mixture. When the french toast was done, I poured the eggs into the pan, scrambled them, and . . . ahem . . . strongly encouraged my boy to try them.
No way. I hate eggs. They're all over your french toast. Eat them. Yuck. I can't. I know what eggs are like. You do not. Just try them. No, no, no, don't put them on my plate and ruin my french toast experience! Okay, get me a little plate. Try them while they're hot or you really won't like them. Maybe when I'm done. No. While they're hot. They get cold fast.
I put a piece of eggy goodness into my mouth to show the boy how delicious they were. He rolled his eyes, took both of the plates (good sign!) and walked away.
You're right. They're pretty good. They taste just like french toast.
Doy.
I knit up this little ditty holding two strands of yarn together - each in a different colorway. I randomly dropped one strand and replaced it with a different colorway. I knit until I didn't have much left and bound off. I knit a 5-stitch i-cord strap using some leftover Cascade 220. Voila!
I reallly like it.
Then I looked inside. Ooh. That's pretty, too.
So I flipped it inside-out. Hmmmm. I really like that.
I can't decide which way I want to use it. I've always been partial to stockinette stitch, but the reverse stockinette really shows off all of the colors. Whaddayathink?In mothering news, my boy ate eggs today! I know, I know - call the newspapers. It's the story of the century. But really - this is a BIG deal. It is. I have been raising hotdog-mac'n cheese-chicken nugget-pizza-french toast-pancake-waffle-grilled cheese-boy for fourteen and a half years. He's never eaten eggs. Wouldn't touch them. Tonight as I was making french toast (with cinnamon and vanilla in the eggs - yum!), I had leftover egg mixture. When the french toast was done, I poured the eggs into the pan, scrambled them, and . . . ahem . . . strongly encouraged my boy to try them.
No way. I hate eggs. They're all over your french toast. Eat them. Yuck. I can't. I know what eggs are like. You do not. Just try them. No, no, no, don't put them on my plate and ruin my french toast experience! Okay, get me a little plate. Try them while they're hot or you really won't like them. Maybe when I'm done. No. While they're hot. They get cold fast.
I put a piece of eggy goodness into my mouth to show the boy how delicious they were. He rolled his eyes, took both of the plates (good sign!) and walked away.
You're right. They're pretty good. They taste just like french toast.
Doy.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Love the Pup Doggies
A friend emailed me a link to this video and it's required watching if you haven't smiled and said, "Awwwww" in a while. Be sure to have the sound turned up.
Enjoy.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Since Knelley Really Does Knit . . .
I figured I'd show you some knitting today. No tooth talk. (Even though my mouth is still kind of sore and my jaw hurts when I open my mouth wide. I know, I know. Don't open your mouth wide then.)
Yesterday I went to my sister's house for a 4th of July/Graduation get-together with my family. While I was there, I knit this little ditty. It's with Wild Clover Mini Clutch from Webs. It's exactly the right size to hold a driver's license and credit card - exactly. The button isn't really a button. It's a glass bead that I sewed on loosely to act as my button. It works.
The pattern comes in two sizes, so I'll probably knit a maxi version next to hold my big girl stuff.I've been meaning to show you my second Anthroplogie-Inspired Capelet-ish cardigan. This one is a six dollar sweater. 3 skeins of Bernat Softee Chunkee that were $1.98 each. I'm using my Leslie Wind sweater pin as the closure. Like it.
Emmie thinks that I've knit another fine resting place.
I'm good like that.
I've also been working on my black garter stitch version of the Anthropologie. It's . . . BO-RING. I like it and I know I'll wear it happily, but the knitting is a big ZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz. I need to work on other things to break this one up. I'm determined to finish but . . . yawn.
When I was at my sister Kim's house yesterday, she tried on her Anthropologie - the one that's just like my first one. (Yes, I'll knit a different sweater pattern soon. I feel like I could knit this one blindfolded and upside down while wearing a straight jacket underwater.) She's happy with it and likes the fit, but I just need to lengthen the sleeves few inches to make her completely love it. I'll work on that today.
By the way, Kim is the sister who knits and who doesn't come to Thursday SnB, but really should. I told her yesterday that the SnB girls who were there last Thursday said I need to make her join us, but Kim insisted that I've never invited her. Wrong. I asked her to come after I first started going and knew I loved it. She says that didn't happen. It did. My mother and sister Kathy backed me up.
So . . . . Kim . . .
You are hereby cordially
invited to join a wildly fun
group of knitters at
Stitch'n Bitch
Thursdays 7:00 PM
Panera Bread in NH
Please come.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Did It
I didn't get an ice cream cone. I deserved one, but I didn't get one. I couldn't. It would have been too messy.
As I told you the other day, I really did go to my dental appointment to have a 3/4 crown put on one of my molars. I was a good girl.
I arrived on time (which is amazing in and of itself), drank a final cup of water (which was dumb because when I get nervous I have to pee like a puppy), and waited for my name to be called. I waited for . . . about 8 seconds. I assured the girl that I wasn't in a rush and if she had other things to take care of, I'd be more than happy to wait. She wasn't buying it.
I got myself settled into the chair and began to go through my mental checklist of all of the things I'd need to ensure my comfort. 1) Lots of novocaine - enough for two people. I made sure the dentist understand that I was completely willing to drool for 3 days following the procedure just to be sure I was truly numb. 2) The noise-cancelling headphones and iPod that I was promised. 3) Gas. Nitrous Oxide. I'd never had it before, but I was looking forward to any help I could get to make myself leave the room while they worked on my mouth.
Check. Check. Check.
We were good.
The iPod I was given was amazing. Eighty bajillion artists and songs were loaded onto this thing. I started myself off with some Dave Matthews Band, which I felt would go along nicely with the drug-induced haze I'd be in from the nitrous. The nose mask was put onto my face (I made the assistant swear that no photographs would be taken), and I was reminded to breathe through my nose. No small feat for a mouth-breather. The dentist did the novocaine thing (Crap! That hurt!) in three places. I took some seriously deep nose-breaths, which made the nose mask grip onto my face with major suction - and we all know how I feel about suction, and I immediately knew that I would not be treating myself to an ice cream cone when I was done. Wine. It would be wine.
The dentist started to do whatever it is that dentists do and I continued to nose-breathe. The headphones worked really well and although I could hear voices, I couldn't really make out what was being said. I do remember that the dental assistant began to sound like a valley girl with lots of Oh my Gods and likes. I know I had to stifle a few giggles because I heard her rambling on and only heard the dentist saying ah-ha and hmmmm.
Then . . . the drama. I started to become more aware of what was going on. My nitrous had been slowed and I wasn't in lala-land anymore. I opened my eyes and saw the dentist looking at me and thought he was going to tell me I was done. Nope. He said something like, I'm going to have to leave now. Huh? I'm not feeling well. I'm having trouble with my vision and I'm going to the emergency room. Huh? Dr. Blahblahblah is going to take over for me and finish the procedure. Huh? He's a great dentist and you'll be fine with him. Huh? I'm almost done with the drilling, so he'll finish that and then make the crown. What?
And then he was gone. The nitrous cranked up and I quickly sucked that nose-mask to my face until I was pretty sure it would leave a permanent impression. Then I realized that my poor dentist needed someone to drive him to the hospital. I attempted to say this to the assistant, telling her that he couldn't drive himself. Someone had to drive him. After a few tries, she understood me and took off to tell someone, while I was wondering why it took a drugged person to think about another person's safety. I switched the iPod over to Fleetwood Mac and nose-breathed again.
I was vaguely aware of a new man next to me and he continued the job. I floated and flittered and I remember thinking about blogging the experience and giggled a little. I thought about wine, too.
I opened my eyes and my original dentist was standing next to me. Huh? He took the nitrous off me and told me that he was fine. He thought he was having a major eye emergency, like a detaching retina, or maybe even a stroke. Ends up it was an ocular migraine, which he'd never had before. Never had the flashing lights or the aura. (Welcome to my world, Doctor.) He was fine and was going to complete the job.
Whatever.
I switched to Steely Dan and was reminded of my childhood, when my dad would play Steely Dan albums on the stereo on Sunday afternoons. Lots of old favorites, but I was giggling at Throw back the little ones, and pan fry the big ones. Fish are funny.
Then I was done. Done done done. Stick a fork and all that good stuff. Two and a half hours after I'd started, I could finally get out of that chair. I was told to rinse out my mouth with some special swamp-water-looking mouth rinse. How was I supposed to do that when the right side of my face was sliding off? I tried. It was messy.
No ice cream for me. Wasn't possible. No wine either. I couldn't imagine myself going into a liquor store and asking for a bottle of Barefoot Chardonnay. Pfffffffttttt Swwwwddddnnyy. I don't think they would have sold it to me.
I went home and tried to drink using the left side of my mouth. Nope. Tried a straw. Not so good either. I waited. About four hours. Then my face finally woke up.
I did it! I'm proud of myself. I'm such a good girl.
Want to see another good girl?
She's sound asleep. Notice her little pink tongue sticking out. Cuteness.
As I told you the other day, I really did go to my dental appointment to have a 3/4 crown put on one of my molars. I was a good girl.
I arrived on time (which is amazing in and of itself), drank a final cup of water (which was dumb because when I get nervous I have to pee like a puppy), and waited for my name to be called. I waited for . . . about 8 seconds. I assured the girl that I wasn't in a rush and if she had other things to take care of, I'd be more than happy to wait. She wasn't buying it.
I got myself settled into the chair and began to go through my mental checklist of all of the things I'd need to ensure my comfort. 1) Lots of novocaine - enough for two people. I made sure the dentist understand that I was completely willing to drool for 3 days following the procedure just to be sure I was truly numb. 2) The noise-cancelling headphones and iPod that I was promised. 3) Gas. Nitrous Oxide. I'd never had it before, but I was looking forward to any help I could get to make myself leave the room while they worked on my mouth.
Check. Check. Check.
We were good.
The iPod I was given was amazing. Eighty bajillion artists and songs were loaded onto this thing. I started myself off with some Dave Matthews Band, which I felt would go along nicely with the drug-induced haze I'd be in from the nitrous. The nose mask was put onto my face (I made the assistant swear that no photographs would be taken), and I was reminded to breathe through my nose. No small feat for a mouth-breather. The dentist did the novocaine thing (Crap! That hurt!) in three places. I took some seriously deep nose-breaths, which made the nose mask grip onto my face with major suction - and we all know how I feel about suction, and I immediately knew that I would not be treating myself to an ice cream cone when I was done. Wine. It would be wine.
The dentist started to do whatever it is that dentists do and I continued to nose-breathe. The headphones worked really well and although I could hear voices, I couldn't really make out what was being said. I do remember that the dental assistant began to sound like a valley girl with lots of Oh my Gods and likes. I know I had to stifle a few giggles because I heard her rambling on and only heard the dentist saying ah-ha and hmmmm.
Then . . . the drama. I started to become more aware of what was going on. My nitrous had been slowed and I wasn't in lala-land anymore. I opened my eyes and saw the dentist looking at me and thought he was going to tell me I was done. Nope. He said something like, I'm going to have to leave now. Huh? I'm not feeling well. I'm having trouble with my vision and I'm going to the emergency room. Huh? Dr. Blahblahblah is going to take over for me and finish the procedure. Huh? He's a great dentist and you'll be fine with him. Huh? I'm almost done with the drilling, so he'll finish that and then make the crown. What?
And then he was gone. The nitrous cranked up and I quickly sucked that nose-mask to my face until I was pretty sure it would leave a permanent impression. Then I realized that my poor dentist needed someone to drive him to the hospital. I attempted to say this to the assistant, telling her that he couldn't drive himself. Someone had to drive him. After a few tries, she understood me and took off to tell someone, while I was wondering why it took a drugged person to think about another person's safety. I switched the iPod over to Fleetwood Mac and nose-breathed again.
I was vaguely aware of a new man next to me and he continued the job. I floated and flittered and I remember thinking about blogging the experience and giggled a little. I thought about wine, too.
I opened my eyes and my original dentist was standing next to me. Huh? He took the nitrous off me and told me that he was fine. He thought he was having a major eye emergency, like a detaching retina, or maybe even a stroke. Ends up it was an ocular migraine, which he'd never had before. Never had the flashing lights or the aura. (Welcome to my world, Doctor.) He was fine and was going to complete the job.
Whatever.
I switched to Steely Dan and was reminded of my childhood, when my dad would play Steely Dan albums on the stereo on Sunday afternoons. Lots of old favorites, but I was giggling at Throw back the little ones, and pan fry the big ones. Fish are funny.
Then I was done. Done done done. Stick a fork and all that good stuff. Two and a half hours after I'd started, I could finally get out of that chair. I was told to rinse out my mouth with some special swamp-water-looking mouth rinse. How was I supposed to do that when the right side of my face was sliding off? I tried. It was messy.
No ice cream for me. Wasn't possible. No wine either. I couldn't imagine myself going into a liquor store and asking for a bottle of Barefoot Chardonnay. Pfffffffttttt Swwwwddddnnyy. I don't think they would have sold it to me.
I went home and tried to drink using the left side of my mouth. Nope. Tried a straw. Not so good either. I waited. About four hours. Then my face finally woke up.
I did it! I'm proud of myself. I'm such a good girl.
Want to see another good girl?
She's sound asleep. Notice her little pink tongue sticking out. Cuteness.Want to see a bad girl?
She stole a package of Kleenex out of my bag.
Snagged.
Want to see a cute girl?
She thinks she's good a hiding.
I know what day it is! It's Thursday! I'm going to SnB tonight! (I don't even need those day-of-the-week undies.)
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
I'm Expecting a Medal . . .
. . . or at least an ice cream cone.
I'm going to the dentist today. That alone is a big deal. The bigger deal? I'm getting a 3/4 crown on one of my molars. I'm a little scared, but I'm going. (Yes, Mom and Dad, I'm going and I'll call you when I'm done. Really. No, you don't have to come with me. Yes, yes, I'll be fine. Yes, of course I'm really going. I'm not going to cancel out at the last minute. I promise. Really.)
I've had a little problem with the dentist - just the idea of the dentist. There were years that I allowed to quietly pass without going to the dentist. Years. I'll admit now that I was being a big baby, but I felt I had good reason.
The Samurai Orthodonist.
It's all his fault. He was mean. He hurt me. He yelled at kids. He made his own dental assistants and hygienists cry. He even made some of them become meanies themselves.
Once I was done with my braces (I think I had them on for eleventy seven years), I raised my middle finger of defiance toward all teeth practitioners. I hated them all and tried to act tough, but I was hiding because I was afraid of them. All of them.
It took me a while to start going to the dentist again. When I became an adult and I was in charge of my own oral health, I figured I'd just brush and floss like a mad woman and I'd be fine. Even when an old filling fell out and left a little hole in one of my molars, I ignored it. It didn't hurt. If it doesn't hurt, let it be. A fine way to live, right? Besides, it was fun to poke my tongue at. Gave me something to do when I was bored.
I don't know what finally pushed me to make an appointment at a new dentist's office. I grew up? Nah. I overcame my fears? Nah. I was jealous of all the friends I had who had beautiful teeth? Probably.
I went for my appointment (now this was years back . . . really) and I loved loved loved my new dentist. She was wonderful. She understood my fear and she understood my very strong hatred of the suckie thing. I loathe suction of any kind. The feel of it. The sound. My skin crawls. She limited her use of the suckie thing as she replaced old fillings for me. She shot me up with enough novocaine to sink a ship. She gave me a STOP signal that I could give her if I got nervous or if something hurt. (No, it wasn't the middle finger.) She fixed me. Loved her.
She moved away.
I retreated again to my dental care-free lifestyle. I let a few years go by again. (I'm not proud of this. I brushed real good, though!)
I started going to another new dental office and they've won me over. The hygienist is a doll. She turned me on the the Sonicare toothbrush and she now tells me that my gums are gorgeous and that I couldn't possibly be brushing any better.
But, of course, a piece of an old filling just started to crumble - a piece of a much larger filling. I need a 3/4 crown. Never had me one of them before.
It'll all be done in one sitting. This office is a state-of-the-art, high tech, computerized, digitized, laserized, bells and whistles kind of place. They'll pull my tooth apart, have the computer figure out what needs to be made to put it back together, a machine will make the -art like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle, and the dentist will stick in on what's left of my tooth. I'll have novocaine. I'll have gas. (Oops, the good kind!) I'll have noise-cancelling headphones.
Still, this is a big deal. For going through this, I feel that I deserve some kind of acknowledgement - no - some kind of award for enduring this stressful tooth reconstruction. A trophy. A medal.
An ice cream cone.
I'm going to the dentist today. That alone is a big deal. The bigger deal? I'm getting a 3/4 crown on one of my molars. I'm a little scared, but I'm going. (Yes, Mom and Dad, I'm going and I'll call you when I'm done. Really. No, you don't have to come with me. Yes, yes, I'll be fine. Yes, of course I'm really going. I'm not going to cancel out at the last minute. I promise. Really.)
I've had a little problem with the dentist - just the idea of the dentist. There were years that I allowed to quietly pass without going to the dentist. Years. I'll admit now that I was being a big baby, but I felt I had good reason.
The Samurai Orthodonist.
It's all his fault. He was mean. He hurt me. He yelled at kids. He made his own dental assistants and hygienists cry. He even made some of them become meanies themselves.
Once I was done with my braces (I think I had them on for eleventy seven years), I raised my middle finger of defiance toward all teeth practitioners. I hated them all and tried to act tough, but I was hiding because I was afraid of them. All of them.
It took me a while to start going to the dentist again. When I became an adult and I was in charge of my own oral health, I figured I'd just brush and floss like a mad woman and I'd be fine. Even when an old filling fell out and left a little hole in one of my molars, I ignored it. It didn't hurt. If it doesn't hurt, let it be. A fine way to live, right? Besides, it was fun to poke my tongue at. Gave me something to do when I was bored.
I don't know what finally pushed me to make an appointment at a new dentist's office. I grew up? Nah. I overcame my fears? Nah. I was jealous of all the friends I had who had beautiful teeth? Probably.
I went for my appointment (now this was years back . . . really) and I loved loved loved my new dentist. She was wonderful. She understood my fear and she understood my very strong hatred of the suckie thing. I loathe suction of any kind. The feel of it. The sound. My skin crawls. She limited her use of the suckie thing as she replaced old fillings for me. She shot me up with enough novocaine to sink a ship. She gave me a STOP signal that I could give her if I got nervous or if something hurt. (No, it wasn't the middle finger.) She fixed me. Loved her.
She moved away.
I retreated again to my dental care-free lifestyle. I let a few years go by again. (I'm not proud of this. I brushed real good, though!)
I started going to another new dental office and they've won me over. The hygienist is a doll. She turned me on the the Sonicare toothbrush and she now tells me that my gums are gorgeous and that I couldn't possibly be brushing any better.
But, of course, a piece of an old filling just started to crumble - a piece of a much larger filling. I need a 3/4 crown. Never had me one of them before.
It'll all be done in one sitting. This office is a state-of-the-art, high tech, computerized, digitized, laserized, bells and whistles kind of place. They'll pull my tooth apart, have the computer figure out what needs to be made to put it back together, a machine will make the -art like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle, and the dentist will stick in on what's left of my tooth. I'll have novocaine. I'll have gas. (Oops, the good kind!) I'll have noise-cancelling headphones.
Still, this is a big deal. For going through this, I feel that I deserve some kind of acknowledgement - no - some kind of award for enduring this stressful tooth reconstruction. A trophy. A medal.
An ice cream cone.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
What Day Is It Anyway?
Nobody told me it was Thursday. Nobody. I missed SnB! Thanks to the girls for thinking of me, wondering where I was, and calling me. So sad I missed it. I was sitting on the couch knitting this. Does it look familiar? De ja vu?
Can't wait to get into bed tonight and flip through the books.
It's another, identical Anthropologie. My sister, Kim, wanted one just like mine. And no, Boy, she wasn't just humoring me. She really likes it and wants one of her very own. So there. Go clean your room. I could have been knitting this at Panera surrounded by friends and enjoying a bowl of Summer Corn Chowder. Crappity crap crap.
School is out and no longer do I remember to pay attention to the calendar. Our last day was Monday and it already feels like it was so long ago. So strange. I've been back to school twice since then to get my classroom organized. One or two more days and I'll be done for the summer. I think I have a hard time letting go at the end of the year. I like cleaning and organizing the room. Too bad I can't transfer that energy to cleaning and organizing my home. Home is for couch-sitting and sweater-knitting.
It's also for reading. I stopped at the library on the way home and grabbed these:
Can't wait to get into bed tonight and flip through the books.As I was going through papers near the end of school, I re-read a story written by my little tough guy/class clown.
Don't know if you can read it, but it really gave me a chuckle. (You can click to embiggen the photo.)
One day I had a football game against Fairfield. I was a left tackle. "Hit," the QB said. Someone tried to blitz. Then a DB ran at me and nailed me big time. But I took the hit like a man.
Nothing better than a 3rd grader who can take it like a man.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Adoption is a Beautiful Thing
My just-friends sweater has a new home!
My sister Kathy has adopted her! I had a feeling that since this sweater looked small on me, it would probably fit my teeny tiny sister. I was right. It looks really cute on her and even though the sleeves are large for her, I think they look good that way. Stylish.
Kathy, being the kind soul that she is, didn't want to adopt this sweater at first, only because she felt guilty about taking it away from me. It took some convincing and many statements about how the sweater would spend its life folded on a shelf and how that's no life for a sweater. She took it. Yay! I'm so happy that this sweater has a good home where it will be loved and cared for, fed and watered, worn and washed. Makes me all warm and fuzzy.
On our way home from Kathy's house, my boy asked me if I thought she might just be humoring me. Just being nice? (And no . . . I didn't smack him.) Look how happy she looks!
She loves it!
Right? She does . . . doesn't she? Right? Kath?
This Kathy-and-my-handknit photo reminded me of another photo that I keep forgetting to post. Remember I knit a Swiffer cover for my sister? Well, she loves that, too. She said it works perfectly on her new hardwood floors.
Here's the proof.
Ew. It really works.
My sister Kathy has adopted her! I had a feeling that since this sweater looked small on me, it would probably fit my teeny tiny sister. I was right. It looks really cute on her and even though the sleeves are large for her, I think they look good that way. Stylish.
Kathy, being the kind soul that she is, didn't want to adopt this sweater at first, only because she felt guilty about taking it away from me. It took some convincing and many statements about how the sweater would spend its life folded on a shelf and how that's no life for a sweater. She took it. Yay! I'm so happy that this sweater has a good home where it will be loved and cared for, fed and watered, worn and washed. Makes me all warm and fuzzy.
On our way home from Kathy's house, my boy asked me if I thought she might just be humoring me. Just being nice? (And no . . . I didn't smack him.) Look how happy she looks!
She loves it!
Right? She does . . . doesn't she? Right? Kath?
This Kathy-and-my-handknit photo reminded me of another photo that I keep forgetting to post. Remember I knit a Swiffer cover for my sister? Well, she loves that, too. She said it works perfectly on her new hardwood floors.
Here's the proof.
Ew. It really works.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Anthropologie, The Sequel
My new favorite pattern. Couldn't wait to make another.
I'm knitting with a blue and white twist in the same yarn I used for the Sunkist Cardi (the one that I just want to be friends with - maybe, as commenter Emily suggested, we'lll just have coffee). I like this yarn so much better on larger size 11 needles (rather than the 10s I used before). I'm going to make this one a longer cardigan, rather than cropped like my first one, with elbow-length sleeves. I also made the two front panels a bit wider so I won't show so much boobage. (I sure have been saying boobage a lot lately.) It's so much fun to sit inside in air-conditioned comfort, knitting a sweater while the world melts outside. I should be knitting a bikini. Okay . . . a one-piece.
Yesterday, one of my little darlins' told me she'd written a song and wanted to sing it to me. In the 95+ degree heat, she belted out her tune with pride:
I'm knitting with a blue and white twist in the same yarn I used for the Sunkist Cardi (the one that I just want to be friends with - maybe, as commenter Emily suggested, we'lll just have coffee). I like this yarn so much better on larger size 11 needles (rather than the 10s I used before). I'm going to make this one a longer cardigan, rather than cropped like my first one, with elbow-length sleeves. I also made the two front panels a bit wider so I won't show so much boobage. (I sure have been saying boobage a lot lately.) It's so much fun to sit inside in air-conditioned comfort, knitting a sweater while the world melts outside. I should be knitting a bikini. Okay . . . a one-piece.Yesterday, one of my little darlins' told me she'd written a song and wanted to sing it to me. In the 95+ degree heat, she belted out her tune with pride:
All right, now.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Not Feelin' It
Cardigan, cardigan, how do I dislike thee? Let me count the ways . . .
1. Your sleeve length is just plain wrong. Bunching around my elbows. Not good.
2. Your top front area above my boobage is not laying flat. I know you're supposed to have a tie front, but if I give you one, I'd have to put the tie up higher than I'd like it, which would make your neck opening smaller, which will make me feel like I'm choking even though I know it's not that tight because I just have a neck thing. (See? I'm out of breath just thinking about it. I think someone must have tried to strangle me in a previous life.)
3. You make me look . . . um . . . dumpy. You do. Don't even try to deny it. (Okay, I could possibly be slouching in the picture because I wasn't feeling the love, but you'd make me look dumpy even if I stood all perky and proud. You would. You know you would.)
You don't look bad when you're resting on the couch. Maybe you could just do that? Or maybe I could hang you on the wall. You could be art.
1. Your sleeve length is just plain wrong. Bunching around my elbows. Not good.
2. Your top front area above my boobage is not laying flat. I know you're supposed to have a tie front, but if I give you one, I'd have to put the tie up higher than I'd like it, which would make your neck opening smaller, which will make me feel like I'm choking even though I know it's not that tight because I just have a neck thing. (See? I'm out of breath just thinking about it. I think someone must have tried to strangle me in a previous life.)
3. You make me look . . . um . . . dumpy. You do. Don't even try to deny it. (Okay, I could possibly be slouching in the picture because I wasn't feeling the love, but you'd make me look dumpy even if I stood all perky and proud. You would. You know you would.)
You don't look bad when you're resting on the couch. Maybe you could just do that? Or maybe I could hang you on the wall. You could be art. Maybe I can just wear you while I'm blogging, like I am right now. You're kind of comfortable, except that I'm really feeling you under my arms. And that bunchiness around my elbows . . . Not good.
Maybe we can just be friends.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Stick a Fork In It
It's done! And I love it. Love love love.
My version of the Anthropologie-Inspired Capelet. I'm so much happier with the longer sleeves.
I wore it to school today and all my Knitting Club groupies went gaga over it. So sweet. The grown-ups were impressed with it, too. The first big girl sweater that I've finished and worn.
While my kids were at their art class, I went into my friend's classroom to drop something off. She told her class that I'd made my sweater myself, so I started walking like a model on the catwalk, posing and making a fool of myself. The kids got a kick out of it. Then I went to pick up my class. As the little darlings were lining up, one of my knitting girls said to one of the boys, "She knit her sweater, you know." As he took a closer look, I started to do the posing thing again, vogue-ing like Madonna. I stopped after about five poses, holding the last one. Then the boy said looked back at the girl and said, "That was awkward." That kid is the king of the nudges, but he is a riot.
Now I'm ready to finish my Sunkist Cardi, and then I think I'll knit another Anthropologie. I love it.
I'll leave you with a glimpse into my excellent teaching this year - a few words from one of my girl's spelling sentences. She spelled all of this week's spelling words correctly, but also gave me this:
I really thinked that I maked shure that I teached that this year.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Monday, June 2, 2008
Waiting to Feel the Love
I've made lots of progress on my Sunkist Cardi. Just have to finish the sleeve and it's done. Not sure yet if I love it or not. We'll see . . .
Since you heard from me last, I knit this:
It's the Anthropolgie-Inspired Capelet. I got side-tracked after seeing it on Ravelry and couldn't wait another second to make one. I knit on it like crazy, adding some length to the body to accommodate the boobage, and got it finished pretty quickly. Then I tried it on.
Not feeling the love. Yet. But I'm going to try to love it. Really. Tonight, I've ripped back the sleeves a bit so that I can knit them longer. They're too short. I think. It seems to me that this cropped little ditty needs either tiny little cap sleeves (which will call all kinds of unwanted attention to the jiggliest parts of my upper arms) or elbowish-length sleeves. Elbows, here I come. Stay tuned.
I opened the refrigerator door this afternoon, felt a little thud, and heard a little mewing sound. I hadn't seen her, but Emmie was laying inside the kitchen curtain, enjoying the sun, and I clunked the poor thing with the door. Look at the spot she found for herself.
Cuteness.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
If My Toes Are Blue . . .
. . . it must be the start of summer.
While I would never paint my fingernails blue, I'm happy to add my favorite color to my toenails. I tried to pick a teal shade this year after reading about Teal Toes, an organization that works to raise ovarian cancer awareness.
The color of the polish looks more teal in this photo than it does in real life, but I still love it. Thanks for tolerating this picture of my ugly feet with my wacky little sideways toes.
Here's the progress on my Grown-Up sweater. As I planned yesterday, I finished the body and started the first sleeve. (Please don't ask about the other things on my to do list. I didn't even watch Juno yet.)
While I would never paint my fingernails blue, I'm happy to add my favorite color to my toenails. I tried to pick a teal shade this year after reading about Teal Toes, an organization that works to raise ovarian cancer awareness.
The color of the polish looks more teal in this photo than it does in real life, but I still love it. Thanks for tolerating this picture of my ugly feet with my wacky little sideways toes. Here's the progress on my Grown-Up sweater. As I planned yesterday, I finished the body and started the first sleeve. (Please don't ask about the other things on my to do list. I didn't even watch Juno yet.)
I'm nervous. I'm really intimidated by the idea of picking up stitches around the front and the neckline. The pattern tells me to use a smaller needle and pick up 2 out of every 3 stitches and knit, then knit a 2 by 2 rib for an inch. I'm so afraid that I won't be able to make it look neat. I'm thinking of putting the sleeve-knitting on hold and attempting the big pick-up. Face my fears.
I've decided to keep my Smock-a-Ruche Scarf as it is, allowing it to remain in its natural, un-dyed state. Although 54% of voters encouraged me to dye it, the voices of the 46% who told me to leave it alone or didn't want to get involved were a little louder. Okay. I'm a chicken. Too worried that I'll ruin it. If I really want a bluish-purple Smock-a-Ruche, I'll have to knit one with pre-dyed yarn. I've put it on my list.
Do any of you have the same problem that I'm having lately? It's hard for me to admit, but it's been said that coming to terms with the fact that you have a problem is half the battle in overcoming it, right?
I've become . . . um . . . addicted to this:
It's embarrassing and humiliating, but I'm afraid that one day soon you're going to see me sitting on the curb outside of Stop & Shop eating this stuff out of the can with a plastic spoon. What's wrong with me?
This Chef Boyardee thing started within the last few weeks. I saw it on the grocery store shelf and before I knew what I was doing, I'd put two cans in my cart. When I checked out, I stared at the cans, wondering how they'd gotten there, but I allowed them to be scanned and paid for. When I got home, my fingers found themselves pulling the lid off the can and dumping the mushy contents into a bowl. (Thank goodness I remembered to throw a napkin over the top of the bowl before I microwaved it. Major splatter issues.) I ate it all within minutes. And I liked it.
Now I buy it every time I go to the store. Any store. Wal-Mart. Target. Any store. I look for it. I know I can't be the only person who eats this. There must be others. Any advice for me? Any recovering canned pasta addicts?
Even Emmie likes it.
That's her egging me on to open another can.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Tagged
Nutmeg Knitter tagged me for a meme. (I got to meet her in real-life at SnB after being a reader of her blog!) Could you possibly stand knowing a few more things about ME?
Good answer.
The rules: Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.
1) What was I doing ten years ago? Hmmm . . . May of 1998. I was being a mommy to my 4 1/2 year old boy, sticking it out in an unhappy marriage (hey, just being honest), playing around with polymer clay and jewelry-making, and working on a ridiculous Y2K-disaster-preventing new computer program team at Warnaco (see #6 below). I was also plotting my escape - figuring out how I could go back to school to become a teacher.
2) Five (non-work) things on my to-do list for today:
Finish knitting the body of my grown-up sweater and start on the sleeves, go to the store to get cookie-baking ingredients for a memorial day picnic, watch Juno, try the self-tanner thing again without ending up with either white or orange feet like last time, and clean out my closet. The last thing is on the list, but that doesn't mean I'm really going to do it.
3) Snacks I enjoy:
Microwave kettle corn popcorn, Friendly's watermelon sherbet, ice cream, Tootsie Pops, dark chocolate M&Ms, and a ton of other things that could keep me sitting here typing all day. There's that to-do list, you know.
4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
Buy a really nice house and hire people to clean it and take care of it for me, send my boy to a fancypants college for lazy kids who just want to play XBox 360, give my parents and my sisters lots of my money, fund cancer research, and start a program/summer camp to help young girls build their self-esteem. Oh, and I'd buy lots and lots of yarn.
5) Places I have lived:
Connecticut, Connecticut, Connecticut, and more Connecticut. I've lived in North Haven, Fairfield (for college), West Haven, and Milford. I'm a home-state girl and I don't think I'll ever decide to retire to Florida, Arizona or New Mexico. My family and all of my favorite people are right here, so unless everyone would come with me, I'm pretty sure I'm here to stay.
6) Jobs I have had:
I was a brown-and-orange-polyester-uniform-wearing Burger King employee, a cashier/did-whatever-they-told-me-to girl at Inside Outlet - a paint, wallpaper, and flooring store, a babysitter, a returned-dirty-tuxedo unpacker for a tuxedo rental place (for ONE horrible day), a stock girl at Mammoth Mart (for ONE horrible week), an office girl for a auto finance company, a mortgage company, and an attorney, a customer service rep for a company that makes those annoying beeping timer machines for fast food restaurants, a moved-through-the-ranks-doing-many-different-jobs person for Warnaco - the company that makes Warner's and Olga bras, a waitress, a substitute teacher, a tutor, and finally - my favorite job - a 3rd grade teacher. Now wasn't that a sweet little walk down memory lane . . .
7) Peeps I want to know more about:
Yankee Lagniappe
CostumeChick
WifeMomKnitter
Jennsquared
Passimenterie
Good answer.
The rules: Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5-6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.
1) What was I doing ten years ago? Hmmm . . . May of 1998. I was being a mommy to my 4 1/2 year old boy, sticking it out in an unhappy marriage (hey, just being honest), playing around with polymer clay and jewelry-making, and working on a ridiculous Y2K-disaster-preventing new computer program team at Warnaco (see #6 below). I was also plotting my escape - figuring out how I could go back to school to become a teacher.
2) Five (non-work) things on my to-do list for today:
Finish knitting the body of my grown-up sweater and start on the sleeves, go to the store to get cookie-baking ingredients for a memorial day picnic, watch Juno, try the self-tanner thing again without ending up with either white or orange feet like last time, and clean out my closet. The last thing is on the list, but that doesn't mean I'm really going to do it.
3) Snacks I enjoy:
Microwave kettle corn popcorn, Friendly's watermelon sherbet, ice cream, Tootsie Pops, dark chocolate M&Ms, and a ton of other things that could keep me sitting here typing all day. There's that to-do list, you know.
4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
Buy a really nice house and hire people to clean it and take care of it for me, send my boy to a fancypants college for lazy kids who just want to play XBox 360, give my parents and my sisters lots of my money, fund cancer research, and start a program/summer camp to help young girls build their self-esteem. Oh, and I'd buy lots and lots of yarn.
5) Places I have lived:
Connecticut, Connecticut, Connecticut, and more Connecticut. I've lived in North Haven, Fairfield (for college), West Haven, and Milford. I'm a home-state girl and I don't think I'll ever decide to retire to Florida, Arizona or New Mexico. My family and all of my favorite people are right here, so unless everyone would come with me, I'm pretty sure I'm here to stay.
6) Jobs I have had:
I was a brown-and-orange-polyester-uniform-wearing Burger King employee, a cashier/did-whatever-they-told-me-to girl at Inside Outlet - a paint, wallpaper, and flooring store, a babysitter, a returned-dirty-tuxedo unpacker for a tuxedo rental place (for ONE horrible day), a stock girl at Mammoth Mart (for ONE horrible week), an office girl for a auto finance company, a mortgage company, and an attorney, a customer service rep for a company that makes those annoying beeping timer machines for fast food restaurants, a moved-through-the-ranks-doing-many-different-jobs person for Warnaco - the company that makes Warner's and Olga bras, a waitress, a substitute teacher, a tutor, and finally - my favorite job - a 3rd grade teacher. Now wasn't that a sweet little walk down memory lane . . .
7) Peeps I want to know more about:
Yankee Lagniappe
CostumeChick
WifeMomKnitter
Jennsquared
Passimenterie
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Chills
Yes, I'll admit it. I'm a goober. A goober who got chills when I just tried this on:
It fits! My Sunkist Cardi fits me. It fits my very own body. I'll be able to actually wear this sweater one day in the not too distant future. (Please don't say anything about what month we're in right now and what months are coming next and what the temperatures will likely be. I will wear this even if it makes me pass out.) When I came to the point in knitting where the pattern told me it was time to divide for the sleeves and the body, I got a little nervous. I thought the armholes would be too tight. I hemmed and hawed and sweated a little while I tried to decide what to do. Then I just kept knitting. I thought I'd better give my arms some extra room. Then, I divided. I'm so glad I did. I think it's perfect. Woohoo! Now I can't knit fast enough. So I won't be writing much more in this post. Gotta knit.
Before I leave you, I'll share a funny from my 3rd grade girls. The Bikini Girls and their friends have now channeled their energy into performing a play of the life of Helen Keller. Their idea! We just read the biography of Helen Keller, as we do every year in 3rd grade, and the kids loved it. This book is the only one that I have to read with the class each year that I actually look forward to and love. I get goosebumps at the end of Chapter 5 and again at the end of Chapter 8 (when Helen reaches some very exciting and important milestones- it's delightful!). After we finished the book, we watched the remake of the movie, "The Miracle Worker," with Hallie Kate Eisenberg (from the Pepsi commercials) as Helen.
The girls were so into the book and the movie that they decided to put on a play. They assigned roles, planned costumes, and decided on the scenes they'd perform. The next day, each of the girls came in carrying a bag of their costumes and props. Since then, every day right before recess they run to the girls lav to change into their costumes for their never-ending dress rehearsals. Dresses, hats, books, and even a porcelain-faced doll (whose entire scalp pulled away from her head, leaving a gaping hole that makes the play look more like a Chucky movie.)
Since yesterday was rainy, we stayed indoors for recess. The girls practiced their play, with Helen taking a doll from Annie Sullivan's suitcase and Annie trying to get Helen to spell D-O-L-L in her hand before she'd let her play with the doll. They practiced the scene where the entire family is in the dining room eating breakfast and Helen goes around the table, sniffing and feeling for her beloved sausages on other people's plates. This scene became exciting when Annie and Helen get into a big pinch-slap fight over Annie's sausage. One of my Bikini Girls, playing the part of Annie, said, "Mr. and Mrs. Keller, if you want Helen to learn, you must leave her alone with me. You can't keeping giving her her way all the time. You've spoiled her."
I just kept biting my lip, trying not to laugh at the unbelievable cuteness I was seeing. I took a few pictures that I so wish I could share with you - but I can't. I can, however, show you this. I didn't even read it until after the recess/dress rehearsal was over. Apparently, it's not a play they're making. It's a movie.
Stand behind desk please
injures can happen
Don't get in front
of camras OR
! Actors!
! oreles !
Whoops. Got a little too caught up in this. Must knit now.
It fits! My Sunkist Cardi fits me. It fits my very own body. I'll be able to actually wear this sweater one day in the not too distant future. (Please don't say anything about what month we're in right now and what months are coming next and what the temperatures will likely be. I will wear this even if it makes me pass out.) When I came to the point in knitting where the pattern told me it was time to divide for the sleeves and the body, I got a little nervous. I thought the armholes would be too tight. I hemmed and hawed and sweated a little while I tried to decide what to do. Then I just kept knitting. I thought I'd better give my arms some extra room. Then, I divided. I'm so glad I did. I think it's perfect. Woohoo! Now I can't knit fast enough. So I won't be writing much more in this post. Gotta knit.Before I leave you, I'll share a funny from my 3rd grade girls. The Bikini Girls and their friends have now channeled their energy into performing a play of the life of Helen Keller. Their idea! We just read the biography of Helen Keller, as we do every year in 3rd grade, and the kids loved it. This book is the only one that I have to read with the class each year that I actually look forward to and love. I get goosebumps at the end of Chapter 5 and again at the end of Chapter 8 (when Helen reaches some very exciting and important milestones- it's delightful!). After we finished the book, we watched the remake of the movie, "The Miracle Worker," with Hallie Kate Eisenberg (from the Pepsi commercials) as Helen.
The girls were so into the book and the movie that they decided to put on a play. They assigned roles, planned costumes, and decided on the scenes they'd perform. The next day, each of the girls came in carrying a bag of their costumes and props. Since then, every day right before recess they run to the girls lav to change into their costumes for their never-ending dress rehearsals. Dresses, hats, books, and even a porcelain-faced doll (whose entire scalp pulled away from her head, leaving a gaping hole that makes the play look more like a Chucky movie.)
Since yesterday was rainy, we stayed indoors for recess. The girls practiced their play, with Helen taking a doll from Annie Sullivan's suitcase and Annie trying to get Helen to spell D-O-L-L in her hand before she'd let her play with the doll. They practiced the scene where the entire family is in the dining room eating breakfast and Helen goes around the table, sniffing and feeling for her beloved sausages on other people's plates. This scene became exciting when Annie and Helen get into a big pinch-slap fight over Annie's sausage. One of my Bikini Girls, playing the part of Annie, said, "Mr. and Mrs. Keller, if you want Helen to learn, you must leave her alone with me. You can't keeping giving her her way all the time. You've spoiled her."
I just kept biting my lip, trying not to laugh at the unbelievable cuteness I was seeing. I took a few pictures that I so wish I could share with you - but I can't. I can, however, show you this. I didn't even read it until after the recess/dress rehearsal was over. Apparently, it's not a play they're making. It's a movie.
Stand behind desk please
injures can happen
Don't get in front
of camras OR
! Actors!
! oreles !
Whoops. Got a little too caught up in this. Must knit now.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Thanks, Mom!
Last week was Teacher Appreciation Week. It was celebrated by our PTA with a week-long food fest. Each day we found new goodies in the Teachers' Room. I was lucky enough to find some goodies in my classroom, too.
One of my goodies made this goodie for me:
Cuteness! So cute that I'm not letting my blood pressure rise over the use of the wrong your. We've been working on the your/you're thing all year. Think we need a little more work on that, but hey . . . KNITTER is spelled correctly and that's what really matters.
I also found this ginormous cup & saucer planter. Love it! It was a gift from two of my boys whose mothers are best friends. They wrote on the other side, "Thanks for helping us grow." Adorable.
Yesterday, there was another goodie in the mailbox. It was a little gift to myself, but I'd forgotten that I'd ordered it. Here's the envelope:
A close-up of the stamp that made me chuckle:
And the treat I found inside:
One of my goodies made this goodie for me:
Cuteness! So cute that I'm not letting my blood pressure rise over the use of the wrong your. We've been working on the your/you're thing all year. Think we need a little more work on that, but hey . . . KNITTER is spelled correctly and that's what really matters.
I also found this ginormous cup & saucer planter. Love it! It was a gift from two of my boys whose mothers are best friends. They wrote on the other side, "Thanks for helping us grow." Adorable.
Yesterday, there was another goodie in the mailbox. It was a little gift to myself, but I'd forgotten that I'd ordered it. Here's the envelope:
A close-up of the stamp that made me chuckle:And the treat I found inside:
I ordered this little guys from Holly's Designs on Etsy and was planning to use the beads as stitch markers. I might have to wear them as earrings for a while first.
And finally, I already broke my promise-to-self that I would finish my WIPs before I started something new. While I was reading blogs yesterday, I came across a free pattern that called out to me, the Sunkist Cardi, by Kirsten Kapur. It's a top-down raglan cardigan, knit all in one piece with chunky yarn and with very little finishing. Perfect first grown-up sweater.
I'm all excited. Because it's my first sweater-for-me, I was honest with myself about my commitment issues, so I didn't splurge on fancypants yarn. I went to Michaels and bought Bernat Softee Chunky for $1.99 a skein. An $8.00 sweater. Sounds about right!
If I'm successful with this one, I might treat myself to some fancypants yarn some day, but then again, I might just put some gas in my car. YaknowwhatImean?
Before I go, some thoughts on Mother's Day.
A conversation with my boy yesterday:
Him: What are you doing this weekend?
Me: Some shopping and laundry today. Tomorrow we're going to K&J's for Mother's Day and birthdays.
Him: When's Mother's Day?
Me: Um . . . tomorrow.
Him: Really?
Me: Really.
Him: They don't really talk about Mother's Day in high school.
Since I knew that my boy would not have a little gift or even a handmade card for me, I've let him off the hook by asking him to simply cut his fingernails. That's a gift to me.
Tomorrow, I'll probably be vacuuming fingernail clippings on the bathroom floor.
TO MY MOM, a poem:
I'm a lucky daughter,
a lucky girl.
Thanks for teaching me
to knit and purl!
I love you, Mommy.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Imagine That . . .
. . . I actually finished something. I have way too many stops and starts going on right now, so I was determined to stick to my Smock-a-Ruche scarf and get it done. It's done - just in time to . . . um . . . put it away until the fall? Crap. I need to work on my timing.
Here it is:
Now I'm trying to decide if I should leave it as it is, or dye it with Kool-Aid. I'm torn. I like it as it is, but I'd also like it to be a purplish-blue. I'm afraid of ruining it! Help me out here. What should I do? 
Then she realized that she was on the side of the laptop where the fan blows out the warm air.
Zzzzzz . . . .
Here it is:
Now I'm trying to decide if I should leave it as it is, or dye it with Kool-Aid. I'm torn. I like it as it is, but I'd also like it to be a purplish-blue. I'm afraid of ruining it! Help me out here. What should I do? 
Then she realized that she was on the side of the laptop where the fan blows out the warm air.
Zzzzzz . . . .
Monday, April 28, 2008
Twisting
Unable to stand the wait, I unwound my newly spun yarn from the drop spindle onto the legs of a stool.
The yarn was trying so hard to untwist itself and return to its original state and I had to work hard to show it who was boss. There it is before soaking to start the set-the-twist process. (I'm learning stuff.)
The yarn was trying so hard to untwist itself and return to its original state and I had to work hard to show it who was boss. There it is before soaking to start the set-the-twist process. (I'm learning stuff.)
There it is again, soaking in warm water.
Hanging from a doorknob in all its glorious imperfection.
Weighted by my keys.
Dry and wound into a ball-ish type bundle of joy. And I'm already spinning more!
I'm so proud!
The boy said, "Um . . . you really didn't make much. Whaddayagonna do with it?"
Maybe I'll use this yarn to stitch his lips together.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Fiber Festival Fun and Frolic
Today was a great day for a knitter. I went to the CT Sheep Breeders Association Sheep, Wool and Fiber Festival in Vernon/Rockville with WifeMomKnitter, Mad Knitter, CostumeChick, Yankee Lagniappe, and Blog-free Pat. It was my first time there and although I knew it would be much smaller than Rhinebeck, it was bigger and better than I'd imagined.
As one would expect, there were sheep.
There were alpacas.
There were angora rabbits:
There were spinning wheels. (That's an antique that reminds me of the one in my parents' living room. No one ever actually used it for spinning because no one knew how. When I was a kid, I would stand at it in front of the window and pretend it was a ship's wheel and I was the captain. Or it was a steering wheel and I was the bus driver.)
There were spinners in pajamas. (I didn't actually expect there to be spinners wearing their pajamas, but I figured there'd be spinners.)
Then there were other things I really didn't expect.
There was an extremely kind spinner who let Yankee give her spinning wheel a . . . well . . . spin.
She even let her take the yarn she made with her. Look how proud she is!
And there were cute kids in funny t-shirts. Yes, it says mama is a yarn ho.
Best of all, there were friends.
I wish I'd gotten a picture with Pat in it, but she must have been busy shopping.
Here's my haul for the day. First, three pins made by two delightful little girls who had a little table set up at their mom's booth. I was happy to support the young fiber lovers.
Two lampwork glass bead stitch markers from Glastonbury Glassworks.
A beautiful sterling silver shawl pin/eyeglass holder from Leslie Wind.
Tiny - and I mean tiny sock earrings from Things by Jeanne.
And my favorite purchase . . . a drop spindle and fiber!
I bought the Kundert Spindle from The Wheel Thing from a fine young man who the girls and I lovingly refer to as Spinning Boy. When I was shopping for a drop spindle I went to The Wheel Thing's booth and asked about the difference between various types of spindles. This appeared-to-be-about-16 -year-old kid very enthusiastically explained what I wanted to know - and he knew this from his own spinning experience. He told us that he got into spinning after going to a spinning guild meeting with his mother. How can anyone not have a little crush on this kid? We were all gaga over him. Spinning Boy.
After a quick lesson from Mad Knitter and CostumeChick, I was off and spinning. Look what I spun so far!
I did that during the ride home. It's so much fun! I don't know if I'll ever spin enough to knit anything with, but even if I don't, the fiber is beautiful and it will look great just sitting on a shelf.
Now if someone tells me to go sit and spin, I will.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
The Benefits Outweigh The . . .
. . . pain.
That's me. At Knitting Club yesterday. Frazzled. This picture was NOT posed. It's the real me. My friend snapped it on her cell phone yesterday and I didn't event know she did until she emailed it to me. The girls were wild. The girls wanted lots of individual help. I wanted some Advil.
For as much pain as I endure, I get tons of benefits. The girls are so proud of themselves and thrilled with every dropped-stitch ridden, mistaken-yarn-overed thing they knit.
Another gift has come my way. Here's a lovely bracelet:
I also got a bonus:
This was made by the kindergartener-sister of one of my girls! She's been coming to Knitting Club with her mom, who is one of the two angels who come in to provide me with much-needed support. Last week, this little girl watched a movie on a portable DVD player while we knit, but since this week is Turn Off the TV week, I knew she'd need something to keep herself busy. I bought a Wonder Knitter at Michael's - a tool for knitting cord, and gave her a quick lesson to show her how to use it. With her mom's help, she took to it right away. I told her she could take it home with her and she was so happy she hugged me.
This morning she brought me a necklace.
That's me. At Knitting Club yesterday. Frazzled. This picture was NOT posed. It's the real me. My friend snapped it on her cell phone yesterday and I didn't event know she did until she emailed it to me. The girls were wild. The girls wanted lots of individual help. I wanted some Advil.For as much pain as I endure, I get tons of benefits. The girls are so proud of themselves and thrilled with every dropped-stitch ridden, mistaken-yarn-overed thing they knit.
Another gift has come my way. Here's a lovely bracelet:
I also got a bonus:This was made by the kindergartener-sister of one of my girls! She's been coming to Knitting Club with her mom, who is one of the two angels who come in to provide me with much-needed support. Last week, this little girl watched a movie on a portable DVD player while we knit, but since this week is Turn Off the TV week, I knew she'd need something to keep herself busy. I bought a Wonder Knitter at Michael's - a tool for knitting cord, and gave her a quick lesson to show her how to use it. With her mom's help, she took to it right away. I told her she could take it home with her and she was so happy she hugged me. This morning she brought me a necklace.
I looked so fancy today in my basic black with a beautiful handmade necklace in my favorite colors! What a sweet gift. This little peanut was so proud of herself and it gave me a serious case of the Warm Fuzzies.
In other news, there's another baby girl in this world who is wearing a Baby Cuteness Cardigan. More Warm Fuzzies for me. This is the pink cardigan I knit for a friend, who then gave it as a gift for the new baby girl who is the newest addition to a family of boys.
That mom is in the pink now and I'm happy to have been a distant part of bringing some girlie delight into her life.
Some schoolwork cuteness:
This is the spelling homework of a delightful girl (who is also one of the knitters). This kid is so funny without even trying. Check out sentence #2, showcasing the word wrapping:
Exactly as written: "There's a word that sounds like wrapping, rapping and it's what the people do with there boxers showing."
Love that kid.
(You might also note sentence #1 for the word stopped. She just got back from an island vacation. Don'tbe alarmed. I'm sure they were virgin pina coladas. I know her mother.)
In belated honor of Earth Day yesterday, I bought reusable grocery bags at Trader Joe's today.
Emmie approves.
But now she's wondering what Mommy is going to use when she cleans the litter box.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Time for a Little Variety
They're done! My hand is cramped into a knotty little claw, but the boy is happy. I finished the Beatles jeans at about 11:15 PM last night. What a good mommy I am. I may not cook him any decent meals, but I can write on pants like nobody else.
He wore them to school today (!) with his green peace sign t-shirt. He thought he looked like a hippie and . . . well . . . he did.
I worried all day. My boy and I both thought the jeans were cool, as did many of you out there, but how would high schoolers react? I was afraid the boy would be 9th grade road kill. Happy to report there was no need to worry. Although some kids thought they looked like pajama pants, most thought they were cool and some thought they looked like he'd bought them at a store.
Now I want to write up a pair for myself - in much bigger print, but I need to take a little break. The Sharpie fumes are making me loopy.
In other news, we had the second meeting of our 3rd grade knitting group. Last week, the girls were calm and relaxed, chatting with me as we knit. This week - not so much. Wild children. We did get some knitting done and I even taught three girls to purl. They're SO impressed with stockinette stitch. It seems to look real to them, "like a sweater."
I even got a gift today from one of the girls:
He wore them to school today (!) with his green peace sign t-shirt. He thought he looked like a hippie and . . . well . . . he did. I worried all day. My boy and I both thought the jeans were cool, as did many of you out there, but how would high schoolers react? I was afraid the boy would be 9th grade road kill. Happy to report there was no need to worry. Although some kids thought they looked like pajama pants, most thought they were cool and some thought they looked like he'd bought them at a store.
Now I want to write up a pair for myself - in much bigger print, but I need to take a little break. The Sharpie fumes are making me loopy.
In other news, we had the second meeting of our 3rd grade knitting group. Last week, the girls were calm and relaxed, chatting with me as we knit. This week - not so much. Wild children. We did get some knitting done and I even taught three girls to purl. They're SO impressed with stockinette stitch. It seems to look real to them, "like a sweater."
I even got a gift today from one of the girls:
Let's call it a neckwarmer. She intended to knit me a scarf, but greatly underestimated the amount of yarn it would take her. She just had one little ball of this thick puple yarn. I'm making this neckwarmer look good.
Really.
It's all me.
Look below.
You'll see what I mean.
Go ahead.
Look.
This knitter had started with 5 stitches on her needles and ended up with lots more. We're working on that little problem.
I, on the other hand, have not underestimated the amount of yarn I'd need for a scarf. My Smock-a-Ruche is coming along nicely. I'm into my second skein of Knitpicks Bare (220 yds. each), so it's not a one-skein project for me. But that's okay. I'm happy!
Look what I got in the mail. Arbitron, the company that measures radio station audiences, called me randomly and asked me to participate in a one time radio survey. I'm such a pushover. To thank me for my weakn - I mean willingness to take part, they sent me a crisp dollar bill. Sweet.
And finally, I leave you with a peek at my new eyeglasses. Just got them today. I'm never happy. I have such a hard time picking glasses. I like them when I choose them, but when I go to pick them up . . . yuck. I'm hoping these will grow on me.
I want to have cool glasses like other people. Sadly, cool glasses look dorky on me.
At least I'll have these to give my eyes a break from the contact lenses I wear for weeks at a time. (Don't worry, Mom. These contacts are specifically meant to wear them for up to 30 days straight. Really. And the eye doctor did an eye exam and pronounced my eyes healthy. I'm not lying. No, I won't mess with my eyes. I know they're the only eyes I'll ever have. Yes, I'm taking care of them. Respect the eyes. I know, I know.)
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Pants Progressing Perfectly
I've made some serious progress on the Beatles Lyrics Jeans (The BLJs? - um . . . nope. Don't like the sound of that.) I've finished the whole back side of the jeans and I asked my boy to try them on so I could get a sense of what they look like. I still think they're totally cool . . . but what is up with that baggy-ass look? The boy loves to wear his pants like that. The waistband is at his hips. It's a waistband - not a hipband. And he could double the size of his butt and he still wouldn't fill up the rear-end of those pants.
But anyway - the writing is pretty snazzy.
When my boy was little and wanted to pick out his own outfits, I was encouraged to allow him his freedom of expression. There were days I would shudder at his color and pattern combinations, but I let him go off to kindergarten. I remember wanting to make him wear a note pinned to his shirt that said, I dressed myself today. Now I want to pin a note to the back of his pants: The fit of these pants is in no way endorsed by nor supported by my mother.
But anyway - the writing is pretty snazzy.
When my boy was little and wanted to pick out his own outfits, I was encouraged to allow him his freedom of expression. There were days I would shudder at his color and pattern combinations, but I let him go off to kindergarten. I remember wanting to make him wear a note pinned to his shirt that said, I dressed myself today. Now I want to pin a note to the back of his pants: The fit of these pants is in no way endorsed by nor supported by my mother.I sure hope my boy doesn't read my blog.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Chicken and Jeans
My April vacation has flown by. It's been a good week, with beautiful weather and a happy, pain-free back. (An MRI showed that I have two bulging lumbar disks. Yuck. Let's just not talk about it.) On Tuesday, I knit these babies during a train ride to NYC.
We went to see Bodies - The Exhibition at South Street Seaport. It was an amazing thing to see. Although some of the exhibits gave me goosebumps and made me put my hand over my mouth as I slowly tiptoed closer to get a better look, I'm so glad I went. It was so interesting to see all of the bones, muscles, blood vessels, nerves, and organs that make up the human body and even though I know I shouldn't say this, I'm going to. . . . . . Human muscles look like chicken. Sorry, but they do. I think chicken has been ruined for me. I've never been a big meat eater, ever since that day in high school when I came home to a pork chop dinner after dissecting a pig in biology. Still, I've always eaten seafood, fish, and chicken. I went out for dinner on Wednesday and ordered a pasta, broccoli and chicken dish. The chicken ended up getting pushed around on the plate as I ate the pasta and the broccoli. After seeing what I saw on Tuesday, I think my list of protein sources has gotten shorter again.
I've made some good progress on my smock-a-ruche scarf this week, but I've been sidetracked by a new project. May I present the fancy pants:
We went to see Bodies - The Exhibition at South Street Seaport. It was an amazing thing to see. Although some of the exhibits gave me goosebumps and made me put my hand over my mouth as I slowly tiptoed closer to get a better look, I'm so glad I went. It was so interesting to see all of the bones, muscles, blood vessels, nerves, and organs that make up the human body and even though I know I shouldn't say this, I'm going to. . . . . . Human muscles look like chicken. Sorry, but they do. I think chicken has been ruined for me. I've never been a big meat eater, ever since that day in high school when I came home to a pork chop dinner after dissecting a pig in biology. Still, I've always eaten seafood, fish, and chicken. I went out for dinner on Wednesday and ordered a pasta, broccoli and chicken dish. The chicken ended up getting pushed around on the plate as I ate the pasta and the broccoli. After seeing what I saw on Tuesday, I think my list of protein sources has gotten shorter again.I've made some good progress on my smock-a-ruche scarf this week, but I've been sidetracked by a new project. May I present the fancy pants:
I had an idea the other night that it might be fun to doodle on a pair of jeans with a Sharpie. I pulled an outgrown pair of my boy's jeans out of a pile in the garage and started to play. Fun! I liked just writing on the jeans, rather than drawing. (I'm so not an artist.) I thought about poetry, but unless I were to fill up the fabric with some of my silly and not-so-appropriate limericks, I didn't know what I'd write. Then I thought of song lyrics. I started to write the lyrics to different Beatles songs, just to see what it would look like. My boy thought it looked so cool. So today, I went out and bought him a new pair of jeans and spent a few hours writing the lyrics to a bunch of Beatles songs, like A Day in the Life, Because, Across the Universe, Here Comes the Sun, All You Need is Love, Nowhere Man, Hey Jude, and The Fool on the Hill. I've only finished the back side of the left pant leg. Lots more to go.
The boy wants me to finish them this weekend so he can wear them on Monday. "I don't care if people think they're weird. I think they're awesome."
I guess this makes up for all of the things he hasn't let me knit for him.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
I Have Some Ideas
Last week, when I knocked my back out (actually, my back knocked itself out), the kids in my class got a little nervous. Some of them could see the pain in my face and just kept staring at me. I told them that I was okay, but that my back was hurting me. One of the girls said to another, "Oh, she's just having back spasms. That happens to my grandmother all the time."
I laid down on the rug and pulled my knees up, trying to stretch out my back. Another girl leaned over me and asked, "Do you want me to walk on your back? I do that for my dad a lot." Um . . . no thanks. Yet another delightful young person squatted down next to me and said, "It's so funny that you can even do that because you're . . . " I'm what? ". . . an adult." (Nice save.)
I curled up in a ball on the floor while many of the kids stood around me in disbelief (and delight) and several other kids ran amok. When I was brave enough to attempt a standing position again, I shuffled to my desk chair and slowly sat myself down. Ouch.
Here's a fine example of my excellent spelling instruction:
This next wiseguy must have been hanging around with my father. My dad used to tell me to do things like this when I was little. Give yourself a new pain to take your mind off the old one. Great plan.
This next illustration is perhaps the most alarming in the pile. This picture shows me on the floor with my son on my back. Nothing more needs to be said. (Except that when I showed my boy, he said, "What am I? A monkey?")
This last letter and illustration is my favorite. I know I shouldn't pick a favorite, but this child knows how to win me over. Look at #2.
Number 3 isn't bad either.
I feel better now.
I laid down on the rug and pulled my knees up, trying to stretch out my back. Another girl leaned over me and asked, "Do you want me to walk on your back? I do that for my dad a lot." Um . . . no thanks. Yet another delightful young person squatted down next to me and said, "It's so funny that you can even do that because you're . . . " I'm what? ". . . an adult." (Nice save.)
I curled up in a ball on the floor while many of the kids stood around me in disbelief (and delight) and several other kids ran amok. When I was brave enough to attempt a standing position again, I shuffled to my desk chair and slowly sat myself down. Ouch.
One of my co-workers, the one who loves to be my at-school mother, came into the classroom and saw that I was in distress. She took charge of my life, told the principal that I had to leave, arranged a substitute, and sent me on my way.
While I was out, the kids wrote letters to me offering suggestions of how I could make my back feel better. Some even included illustrations. Let's take a look. Shall we?Here's a fine example of my excellent spelling instruction:
And that's me laying on the rug. I need to do a better job of rubbing in my blush. Oh wait, I don't wear blush.
Here's another letter by a student who had a little more to say. She drew a picture, too (below her letter). I think she and the first girl worked together. Oh - and I'd better keep an eye on her. She might be plotting a takeover.
This student thinks I should get off the floor and do some exercises.
This next wiseguy must have been hanging around with my father. My dad used to tell me to do things like this when I was little. Give yourself a new pain to take your mind off the old one. Great plan.
This next illustration is perhaps the most alarming in the pile. This picture shows me on the floor with my son on my back. Nothing more needs to be said. (Except that when I showed my boy, he said, "What am I? A monkey?")
This last letter and illustration is my favorite. I know I shouldn't pick a favorite, but this child knows how to win me over. Look at #2.
Number 3 isn't bad either. 
I feel better now.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Coming Up for Air
Ahhhhhh. I can breathe again. After a rather nasty episode of bad-backness, a busy weekend, and 19 third marking period report cards, I'm officially back to my regularly scheduled life. My back is still a little wacky, but I'm upright and that's good enough for me. Our April vacation starts on Friday afternoon and I intend to enjoy this one. No flu. No bad-backness. I will be peppy and perky - and I will leave the house. So there.
I love to open my mailbox and find something good. I found something good the other day - a wee tiny sock from the Wee Tiny Sock Swap 2008 sent to me all the way from Denver, Colorado. It was knit toe up with SWTC Tofutsies on size 0 needles. I love it! I had been thinking that I'd love to knit some tiny pink socks and make keychains and ornaments to sell at our school's Relay for Life table in September. Now I have a beautiful tiny pink sock to serve as a reminder of what I need to do this summer. It'll also be a lovely reminder of my very first, very simple and easy (just the way I like it) swap. Thanks, Sue!
Inspired by my friend Anphoe, I've started to knit the Smock-a-Ruche scarf from 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders. 
It's the coolest pattern. I'm using my Knit Picks Bare worsted weight yarn, mainly because it was the only appropriate yarn I already owned that I knew I'd have enough of. (Sorry for ending my sentence with a preposition, but it is what it is.)
I love to open my mailbox and find something good. I found something good the other day - a wee tiny sock from the Wee Tiny Sock Swap 2008 sent to me all the way from Denver, Colorado. It was knit toe up with SWTC Tofutsies on size 0 needles. I love it! I had been thinking that I'd love to knit some tiny pink socks and make keychains and ornaments to sell at our school's Relay for Life table in September. Now I have a beautiful tiny pink sock to serve as a reminder of what I need to do this summer. It'll also be a lovely reminder of my very first, very simple and easy (just the way I like it) swap. Thanks, Sue!
Inspired by my friend Anphoe, I've started to knit the Smock-a-Ruche scarf from 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders. 
It's the coolest pattern. I'm using my Knit Picks Bare worsted weight yarn, mainly because it was the only appropriate yarn I already owned that I knew I'd have enough of. (Sorry for ending my sentence with a preposition, but it is what it is.) 
If I'm brave, I might dye the finished scarf with Kook-Aid. I was too impatient to dye the yarn first. I wanted to get right to the knitting - never mind that I already have a bajillion other projects on the needles, probably giving me the finger from their shelves on the yarn wall.
I'm off now to enjoy some knitting time while catching up on a bunch of DVRed TV shows I've missed. I might correct a few papers from the 3 inch pile of my kids' work. Or I might not. I have some chuckle worthy kid stuff to share with you when I get it together. Watch for it!
Monday, March 31, 2008
A One Act Play
Sister is on the left. Brother is on the right.
Sister: What's wrong, Brother?
Brother: You know what's wrong, Sister.
Sister: No, really, I don't. What's bothering you?
Brother: Just leave me alone and let me sulk in silence.
Sister: Geez. Come on. Just tell me.
Brother: The sweater I'm wearing . . . It's yours.
Sister: What?
Brother: I said it's yours.
Sister: What are you talking about?
Brother: You're wearing my sweater. The boy sweater. Blue, green, yellow. Get it?
Sister: I think this sweater looks lovely on me. The colors are beautiful.
Brother: But the one I'm wearing has the purple and . . . gag . . . pink in it. It's supposed to be for you.
Sister: Oh. Right. But still - I look great! You need to be more secure in your baby boyhood.
Brother: Bite me.
Sister: What's wrong, Brother?Brother: You know what's wrong, Sister.
Sister: No, really, I don't. What's bothering you?
Brother: Just leave me alone and let me sulk in silence.
Sister: Geez. Come on. Just tell me.
Brother: The sweater I'm wearing . . . It's yours.
Sister: What?
Brother: I said it's yours.
Sister: What are you talking about?
Brother: You're wearing my sweater. The boy sweater. Blue, green, yellow. Get it?
Sister: I think this sweater looks lovely on me. The colors are beautiful.
Brother: But the one I'm wearing has the purple and . . . gag . . . pink in it. It's supposed to be for you.
Sister: Oh. Right. But still - I look great! You need to be more secure in your baby boyhood.
Brother: Bite me.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Endless Entertainment
Another one of my girls has made some serious knitting progress. She brought her project to me and asked me if I could end it for her. You know . . . "make it done." I showed her how I was binding it off, pulling on the yarn when I finished to show her it was "done" and it wouldn't unravel.
"Cool!" she said. "Can I take it home today?"
"Of course you can," I told her.
"Great!" she said with excitement. "I'm going to use it as a . . .
"Cool!" she said. "Can I take it home today?"
"Of course you can," I told her.
"Great!" she said with excitement. "I'm going to use it as a . . .
. . . bookmark!"
"What kind of book will you use it for?" I asked while digging my fingernails into my palms to stop me from laughing."
"Just a normal book. I'll probably have to fold it."
And now we move on to the dress designing talents of the former Bikini Girls.
During an indoor recess, two of the designers decided to have a contest. They each created a dress for a 16-year-old princess, complete with accessories. They worked on opposite sides of a white board so they couldn't see each other's designs, and their outfits would be judged by a third, impartial designer.
Here's Design A:
Notice the beaded embellishments. Notice the ring. Notice the earrings. Notice the bag.
And don't miss the tiara.
Now let's take a look at Design B:
Notice we have a strapless dress with floral embellishments.
Notice the necklace. Notice the earrings.
And please, please don't miss the pockabook.
The judge chose Design B. I'm happy that I didn't have to judge, because it would have been impossible to choose.
I'll leave you with this . . .
I spotted this in a friend's classroom. While she was tutoring a 3rd grade boy, the boy's 1st grade sister wrote on the white board. As most kids do, she played teacher, writing a version of the morning message her teacher writes to the class each morning.
A FLIED TRIP! We love flied trips.
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