Lost and Nowhere To Be Found

Up until recently I was not a fan of oatmeal. I can't say I'm really a fan now, but it doesn't seem to taste as icky as I use to think it did. During Passover, it became an alternative breakfast since my usual bagel was out of the question. Even though I have since broken my no bread run, I'm not back to eating bagels in the mornings and I find myself still partaking in yogurt and oatmeal instead. Yesterday morning, I must have heated my serving a tad too much because once I was finished stirring it I found my plastic spoon was. . . well. . . bent.

As mentioned above, I broke my no bread run about a week ago. I finally caved and had the deep dish pizza. There was only one problem - it was just OK. A few days later I was at Panera and had soup in a bread bowl (another favorite of mine). That didn't do it for me either. So, it appears that my addiction to bread has been curved. I have to say I'm kind of glad about this. I've tried for years to give it up, but without success. I have even acquired some more healthy habits in the process as well - like snacking on baby carrots instead of sweets. Who knew all this would come out of the Passover holiday.

I've started a new version of Project 365. It was inspired by two of my friends. The first was talking about how they are going to try to take a picture a day of their children so they can document how they change since they are so little. The other came from a friend who made a joke regarding my new addy. What morphed from those two conversation was the idea to take a picture a day of my new view. It will be interesting to see how the environment around me changes (if at all) over the next year. I'm not sure yet were I'll be posting these pictures. The obvious choice is to post them on my Flickr account, but I think I may try a new audience. At this rate, next thing you know I may be going with the true spirit of Project 365 and start taking a picture day of me. Stay tuned!

Last night marked the start of what I suspect will be many runs to Home Depot. After this trip I was all set to hang pictures as it's my goal to actually decorate this place. However, when I went to go get my hammer I discovered it's M.I.A. Now, the search is on for my hammer. I'm sure it's around - somewhere. Where is just the question.

Speaking of M.I.A. -- Somewhere in the process of bringing the Wee Tiny Sock to work and going to the post office I lost the sock - ugh! This is the second thing I'm now looking for right now. Guess I will be making another one.

... Since I'm a child of the 80's and absolutely LOVE Fraggle Rock I thought I'd end this entry with Fragalicious entertainment:



Until later . . .

Here Comes The Sun . . . No, Rain. . .Wait! Wait!

The past weekend was once again a whirlwind. Unlike last weekend, not as much fun was had - oh well, you can't win 'em all. I will say the bipolar weather did add a unpredictable and interesting twist to things. It literally typified the saying "Wait 5 minutes; it will change."

Rain really doesn't phase me anymore. Somewhere between living in Portland, OR and getting caught in one of two torrential down-pours over the years seems to have made me more immune to the idea of getting soaked. I don't mind my hair getting wet because it drys curly and as long as I have a coat to absorb the rain or find an immediate way to eventually dry off I'm good. A few years back I was walking with a friend of mine and it started to rain (heavily) and hail (lightly). We weren't very far from my place, but far enough that we got soaked - quickly. At one point during our sprint back, a car pulled over and asked if we wanted to lift. It was a nice gesture, but we figured it was better to be drenched to the core than get into some dude's car and have them take us G-d knows where... Yes, strange danger at work! Also, at that point there was only a matter of a few hundred feet that kept us from dry land so not taking the ride wasn't a big deal. We had already passed the point of no return when it came to getting wet. After all was said and done, we dried off and laughed about it for many days to come. I recall this story every time I'm caught in the rain unprepared. It makes me laugh about the situation at hand and also makes me realize I don't really care about getting wet because getting wet isn't the end of the world. Uncomfortable, maybe a bit, but not the end of the world.

The moving check list is coming along . . . I'll have that gold star in no time! I e-mailed my family and friends my new addy and have also changed it with a few other places. My mail still isn't forwarded and my newspaper as well. I think that's on today's "to do" list. Especially the mail forwarding since I have to go to the post office at some point to mail this off:






It's for the Wee Tiny Sock Swap. Recognize the yarn? It's my leftover Lorna's Laces DK Swirl in the colorway Circus. Yes, the same yarn used for the Britney socks. The wee tiny sock should have been in the mail yesterday, but I didn't realize it needed to get out by then until Sunday. I justify my tardiness due to my busy weekend and my swap partner is local so it will get there overnight regardless. I started working on it at 11 PM Sunday night, but my exhaustion kicked in and any hope of completing it in one sitting was gone. I actually know the person this wee tiny sock is for and I was tempted to see if they just wanted me to give it to them the next time we saw each other. Then I realized part of the fun of a swap is getting the package in the mail.

I will say, knitting this wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. However, there was one point where I thought I would be stalled because I didn't have a crochet hook to pick up the gusset stitches. However, I remedied that . . .



As you will see, I reshaped a green paperclip (on the left) and used it as a crochet hook.

I think everyone should have a wee tiny sock. They are so freakin cute! I will surely be making more of these soon.

I got Misti Alpaca this weekend. It's my first time buying Alpaca. It's so soft! I got a purple, blue and black colorway (shocker!).

Actually I was originally going to get another colorway altogether, but the friend who was with me at the yarn shop swayed me toward this as my final purchase. My intent for this yarn is a pair of knee high socks, but all everyone keeps telling me about the yarn is that it will make a lovely shawl. I'm starting to think it would be perfect for the cedar chest overlay however, it's not the right color. I "think" I'm leaning towards a shade of blue on that - I'm still not sure.

I'm hoping once things settle down I'll have more time to knit than I've had over the past weeks. It's an odd feeling not to have a project going.

As an end this post I'll share this recent discovery. A friend of mine recommended I check it out... the link I'm posting is about 45 minutes long, but Hulu does have it available in 15 minute blurbs as well. Hope you enjoy "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" as much as I did. Best put it's stupid, funny, silly and entertaining in so many different ways.



Until later. . .

The Moving Check List

I don't feel like I'm moving.

Ok, my place is in disarray and there are obvious signs that I'm moving - like piles of items lining the walls all with a specific destinations. Outside of that, I don't feel like I'm moving. Since this is the case, I've had to work extra hard to keep myself on task getting ready. Though this move will be a much easier than others in the past, there are still the normal moving check list to be tended to.

This list is as follows:

• ComEd account transfer (Check)
  
  
• Cable and Internet transfer (Check)
  
  
• Newspaper service transfer
  
  
• Submit mail forwarding (Do I get a check for attempting this?)
  
  
• Update mailing address with everyone under the sun (Partial check)
  
  
• Gather/Buy the "superstition" items along with any missing cleaning supplies
  
  
• E-mail family and friends with new contact information
  
  

. . . And those are the things I can remember.

Now that I'm looking at the list I can tell what has taken top priority. I guess as long as I have electricity, cable and internet I'm all set. I did try submitting a mail forwarding request online the other day. Apparently it costs a $1 to do this online as they want to verify your identity. I can completely respect this, but unless the dollar ensures they won't screw up my mail service then I'll be happy to stroll over to my local USPS and submit it the old fashion way.

I also have a question regarding the superstition items. As I've been told by my mom and aunt (aka - my second mom) the "superstition items" are a list of items you are suppose to bring into your new home before anything else.

They are:

• Bread - so you never go hungry.
  
  
• Sugar/Jam - for a sweet life
  
  
• Salt - to keep away the evil spirits (according to my mom) and so you have no tears (according to my aunt)
  
  
• Broom - to sweep away the past and start anew
  

Now, I'm fine with the bread, sugar/jam and salt. However, I need my broom for cleanup in the old place and I don't want to buy a new one. Maybe I'll just haul the broom over to the new place for the symbolic gesture and then bring it back to the old place for cleanup. It just seems like a lot of unnecessary schlepping.

I have to admit, even with a small move, it's still a move and it's still a life change. Or, as some have said to me, "the next chapter" of my life. I think that's a little too deep for me, but it is true to a degree.

The past 9 months of my life have been exactly what I had anticipated them to be in a few ways, but mostly a lot different than I thought it would be. I'm actually thankful for that because the journey has been more interesting that way. At the end of the day what I'm most in awe of is how quickly time has passed. Especially since I no longer plan out every single detail of my life months in advance and have learned to stop and "smell the roses." I think it's something everyone should do at some point!

It's time for me to get back to the moving check list. I can't give myself a gold star until I complete it.

Until later . . .

What I See Through My Sunglasses

I haven't had much luck with sunglasses over the past several years. Something always seems to happen to them.

Back in 2006 I got my first pair of polarized sunglasses. They cost me about $90. (Yes, I splurged.) They were the most I had ever spent on a pair of sunglasses. I loved them! They were a darker red frame with a stripe of yellow on each stem. They had rose colored lenses. After I got them, a coworker commented on the lens color. I told them I literally did see the world through rose colored glasses. I lost those sunglasses about a year and a half after I got them at a company happy hour gathering. Maybe I should have put them in my bag and not hooked one of the stems to the strap of the bag. All I know was that I was bummed when I realized I had lost them. Not because of the money (Ok, a small part had to do with how much they cost), but it mainly had to do with the fact that they were fun.

My next pair were darker red frames with rose colored lenses once again. Just a different style frame, and brand. Still as fun as the others. I did look at a pair of purple frames with purple lenses, but I was still drawn to the red ones. I loved seeing life though rose colored glasses. Those cost me about me $45. (Half the cost of the others - woohoo!) After having those for about 6/7 months they fell victim to an unfortunate vacuuming accident. The damage was only a hairline fracture that could have been repaired without being noticed. Unfortunately, fate was not on their side and they met an eminent death after being broken in half during unfortunate circumstances.

The pair I have now have been in my possession a year this month. I do adore my current pair as well. However, this time they are not rose colored lenses; instead they are a basic tortie shade. A shade I consider to be one of the average lens color for sunglasses.

On the random side of this ramble I found my sunglasses this morning sitting on the top shelf of my closet. I don't know why I felt that was the best place for them as I have a very nice case for them and that's usually were I put them. I've since been wondering why I did that.

But, that's not the only reason I'm bringing this up. . .

From time-to-time I think about my "seeing life through rose color glasses" comment to my former coworker. I chuckle inside when looking back on that because I wonder if I really did see life with such rosy shading. Maybe it's my life experiences since then that have changed the shading and though I see the roses (and want to see the roses because that is who I am at my core) I realize that seeing life through "normal" shading may be the better bet. I guess I'm not 100% sure yet and only time will tell.

What I DO know is that seeing life through polarized lenses is fantastic! It's like when you cut out the bullshit of a situation -- once you do that it's amazing what you find in the world around you.

Until later . . . .

I Was So Busy

Going on about my weekend and exhaustion that I never mentioned what's going on with my no bread thing. . . .

This past weekend I did have rice and pasta, but still no bread. I've even had a Guinness which does have yeast in it. So technically, I have broken Passover, but I still insist on NOT having bread. I've thought about it, but haven't actually gone to make that deep dish pizza as of current. Instead, I'm still only eating no fat, no sugar yogurt, fruit, veggies, soup, chicken, meat . . . well, you get the idea. I do wish I had stocked up on matzoh while it was still around.

Again, I don't know how much, if any, weight I've lost from all this. I would figure it would be something however I don't have a numeric value to it. Furthermore, that isn't my driving force towards doing this. Honestly, I don't think my bread protest will last a long period of time, but it will be interesting to see how long it goes.

That's all for now. Until later . . .

Sweet Dreams

Wow! What a weekend. . .

I failed miserably at balancing fun and responsibility this weekend. I spent more time having fun than being responsible. I was to some degree responsible, but not as much as I had planned on. I trace my downfall to Friday evening. Had I not strayed from the original plans for the evening then I wouldn't have been exhausted Saturday. Had I not been exhausted Saturday I would have followed through on accomplishing the things I needed to that day. Personally, I think the 1 AM trip to the towing company to retrieve my friend's car was the icing on the cake. (Hey, it provided just another great story.) All things considered, I still find myself smiling about my whirlwind weekend so I'll consider it a success.

After close to 34 hours of the weekend having passed, my exhaustion really started to catch up with me. So, I ended up sleeping a good portion of Sunday away. The other part of the day was spent reading the newspaper, watching a movie and clipping coupons, or as Ron White calls them "coupins.".

I love that word! It's now my new way of saying "coupon" because nobody is going to debate with me the pronunciation of "coupin." Yes, they will laugh at me, but there will be no long, drawn-out discussions about it. The word "coupon," now that's another story . . .


The closest I've gotten to knitting these days is surfing the Rav forums and signing up for the Wee Tiny Sock Swap. Other than that, I'm a goner. I do however need to pay a visit to a local yarn shop soon so I can get some yarn for my knee high socks so I can join in on April's sock down challenge - oh and make another pair of socks.


Even though I know I have more to say (when don't I?) I will be stopping her for now. Sweet dreams to all. . . Until later . . .

Twelve Hours -- Plus

I had a plan . . .

Exactly at sundown I was going to partake in a piece of deep dish pizza. I determined how long it would take to cook so I would have it ready at exactly 7:31PM (sunset). Then my plans changed and I decided to meet up with a friend for dinner. No worries, surely I would find some bread item to indulge in . . . Yeeeaaahhh, not so much. I had fish.


So here I am, twelve plus hours after sunset and the end of Passover has passed and still not one crumb of bread has touched my mouth. I was actually thinking this morning as I was having my yogurt for breakfast that I can't see myself going back to my regular morning bagel. Not to mention I passed on the bagels and Dunkin Donuts sitting around the office. (First sign that I'm ill) Both seem like such a heavy start to the day. Then I thought back to yesterday at lunch when it seemed like everyone had decided that was the day to get McDonald's, but the thought (and the smell) no longer appealed to me. (Another sign -- maybe I should go see a doctor). So, no bagels, Dunkin Donuts or McDonald's. To add insult to injury, I find myself not missing bread even though I've been freed from the no bread aspect of Passover. (My appointment to see the doc has been scheduled!) : P

In all seriousness, I have even considered seeing how long I can go without eating bread. This is not me at all. Last year when I kept passover I allowed myself some liberal parameters just to make the process easier. This year, I didn't use any of those "fall-back" parameter. I didn't even deem myself sephardic for the week so I could justify eating rice. No bread; no rice. Instead, lots of yogurt, soup, chicken, fruit, veggies and eggs. Can I be turning over a new leaf? Several people have asked me how much weight I've lost from my bread-free week . . . The thought to weigh myself didn't even crossed my mind (just like when I went off HFCS in November). Hell, the thought that I would loose weight from not eating bread didn't even cross my mind. That wasn't the point of doing it. I guess in the end time will tell when I indulge again in bread products.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Life Theme Songs

A friend of mine e-mailed me this week with their new life "theme song." I could see how it fit what's going on with them.

At any given time I think there are several songs that speak to how I'm feeling about things going on in my life. Last weekend I found a new one that I can't stop listening too. Literally can't stop listening too -- in a matter of half an hour after discovering it I knew the words and probably listened to it 7 or 8 times. It's got things pegged to a tee.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Starting the Weekend Off with a Smile

I know this is old news by now, but I have to put it out there... I must have watched this over a hundred times by now and I smile each time --

Britian's Got Talent - Susan Boyle

This weekend will be a balancing act of getting out and enjoying the nice weather while being a responsible adult (the move is fast approaching!).

Hope you have a lovely weekend!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Because I feel forgiveness is so important I will end this post with this quote:

"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." - Mohandas Gandhi

Until later . . .

Happy Tax Day!

Deep in our hearts we all know it means to "do the right thing." However, that doesn't mean someone always does "the right thing" in all instances. It's all part of making decisions. I mention this because of a conversation I had with a friend this weekend. This friend was encouraging me to not do the right thing. They aren't trying to turn me into a deviant, lead me astray or have me act in a way that is illegal or immoral. Actually they are looking out for my well-being if you can believe that. They just believe that I have some intentions (should I follow through on them) that would degrade my self worth and put me in a weaker position of sorts because I was not treated with the same consideration in the past. I get where they are coming from, but I have to say the look on my face had to have mirrored the expression, "WTF!?" The only response I had to their comments went something to the effect of, "I don't understand why you say that, but this is the course of action I've decided on because I feel, and know, it's the right things to do."

I think the pic at the bottom of Crazy Aunt Purl's blog entry today is perfect for this section of this entry...

Blind

... And that concludes the "deep thoughts" portion of this entry.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Six days into Passover and I've managed to avoid eating bread. WooHoo!

The other day, I met up with a friend at a local Panera -- Yes, I realize I was just asking for trouble and I had no right to even complain a small bit about the fact that they don't have many menu items that don't have some sort of bread product involved -- but I did complain (just a little bit). Actually, I can't say it was really complaining. I believe I my comments were more general observation like. At the end of the day I brought some fruit with me from home anyhow so it wasn't a big deal. And yes, I brought fruit with me to Panera -- I'm a dork!

Yesterday afternoon a coworker of mine stopped by my office and asked how much longer I had. At the time it was something like 52 hours. They then proceeded to ask me what I was going to eat for dinner Thursday night. Without hesitation I answered their question. One small problem now. . . that's ALL I can think about now. I've tried forgetting about it, but it's still in the back of my mind. Oy! I told you it was all psychological.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Have you ever looked at someone and you knew they looked like someone else you knew, but you couldn't figure out exactly who so you just brush it aside and didn't think twice about it? Months, maybe even years in some cases, can go by and all of the sudden it hits you like a ton of bricks who that person reminds you of! That is what happened to me the other day. It wasn't years -- more like months. I always knew there was "something" about this person and I just couldn't put my finger on it. I'm not sure what sparked the connection, but it was a random connection. It's not necessarily a bad thing and it at least takes away the nagging feeling I've been having when I see this person.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Moving... Not fun at all!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

New Theories:

* How often you arrive at work late is relative to how far from work you live. The closer you are the more likely you are to be running behind - often. The farther you live the more likely you are to be on time or even earlier than expected.

* The amount of time spent in the morning pondering whether or not you are going to call in sick is relative to how sick you really are.

* We're told to forget the past and move forward; however, we are also told to learn from our mistakes which means we never really forget the past and thus never really move forward.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

I haven't been knitting this week. I think Sunday was the last day I actually knit something - I started a pair of Baby Knee High Socks. On Sunday I also determined I need to frog M's first sock and knit it again. It's just off in so many ways. I could just give them to M and be done with it as I'm sure M wouldn't notice the difference, but the knitter in me knows there is several problems with that particular sock and I refuse to give someone something that is not 100% perfect (or at least 99% perfect).

Until later . . .

The Post That Isn't A Post

Once again, I am posting just to say I know I haven't posted. I actually do have an entry in my "drafts" waiting to get finished. However real life activity has kept me from finishing it.

So this post is to say there is a real post coming. I guess with all the moving madness and lack of sleep I've been experiencing my slackin' ways are understandable.

More to come soon!

Three Hundred Sixty-Five

My intention was to post an entry after I got home from all the happenings last night because yesterday was such a news worthy day (more world news than personal, but I had some personal things in mind as well). Then I got home -- really late. Or, at least late enough for someone who hasn't slept well lately and knew they had work the next day. Though that didn't keep me from knitting a bit before I went to sleep of course. I always seem to have to wind-down a bit when I get home regardless of how tired I am. The good news with that is M's second socks. (More on that a little later). WooHoo!


Ok, back to world news. . . First things first. . .

Pirates!

This is CRAZY, but very interesting.

Birkat HaHammah

My explanation of this holiday would not be a good one so I will just refer you to the link below. What I can say is that this is an event that takes place every 28 years and has only fallen on Erev Passover three times in over 5700 years.

Birkat HaHammah


Project 365

A year ago yesterday I started Project 365. This was my first picture:

I always said I wanted to make a coffee table book out of my Project 365 pictures for every year I completed the project. However, I'm not sure I'm going to do so with the pictures from April 2008 thru April 2009. Mainly because my CDO... I mean OCD tendencies would like the coffee table book to be a full calendar year (January thru December) of pictures vs. 12 months of pictures.
I told you I have OCD -- and this is just the beginning.

Pass(ed)over

Last night Passover began. It's been over 24 hours since the first night Seder I attended and my rejection of bread, and other leavened food products, has begun. The Seder I attended was interesting. If I had to sum it up I'd say it was brief and ADD-ish. Too bad it was after the fact that I found a post titled "The Two Minute Hagadah." Short, simple and to the point!

As planned my morning breakfast consisted of Pomegranate fat free yogurt (and sugar free!) soup for lunch and a tasty omelet for dinner. Oh yeah, I forgot the chocolate covered matzoh for dessert! So far so good! Only 6 days and 19 hours (163 hours total), but no one is counting.

I find the whole idea of altering my diet an interesting one. Mainly because a lot of it is psychological. I realized this back in October when I fasted for Yom Kippur and later reinforced when I avoided High Fructose Corn Syrup in November. After all is said and done I guess it will be figuring out afterward if I want to makes this a more permanant change, or if this is a onetime shot.


One of my friends posted this on Facebook and I found it interesting enough to post here. It's segment on the health benefits of knitting. I would have to say I concur with what the clip has to say. I didn't take up knitting as a regular hobby for this reason. Actually, as I've mentioned before I did so because I enjoy making things. I guess the health benefits are just an added bonus!

Kntting Is Good For Your Health

As I mentioned above, M's socks are finished! Yay! They've been hand washed and drying at the moment. Once they're dry I'll block 'em and take some pictures. I should probably take some gauge measurement since I plan to write this pattern up. I'm really excite to give them to M. I gave my mom her second pair of socks last night and heard back that they fit her very nicely! WooHoo! Another success!

I actually enjoy knitting for other people more than I like knitting for myself. It's nice to see the enjoyment the recipients get from the items I make. I know this is a selfish feeling, but I think it's a good selfish feeling. (Did that make sense?)

I've done nothing all night to get my place ready for this upcoming move. I believe this to be a result of my exhaustion which has become more and more apparent to me. Yes, another crappy nights sleep. I seem to be going through some sort of bad sleep cycle and I can't figure out why. I'm guessing because of the upcoming move, but I'm sure there are other things keeping me from sleeping well.

Ok, my brain is officially shot for the evening. I guess I have to save whatever else is on my mind for later.

Until later my friends. . .

The Moral of this Story. . .

Watch how much you text message!

BAM!

It was beshret (translated - Yiddish for "meant to be"). The way it all played out could not have been any more perfect. . as if it was scripted and the climax moment was like a huge wreck on the Kennedy expressway.

Yesterday afternoon, it was nearing the end of the day and it was apparent all my attempts to jump-start my body into waking up had been in vain. I even admitted to my boss that I couldn't seem to get properly caffeinated that day. So there I was, dragging myself around the office trying to get work accomplished and happy to see the end of the day was nearing. Then it happened. As I was walking out of my office and turned to the left to go to another office a coworker, who was in the office to the right of mine, was making their way out of the that office and turned right - at the same exact angle that has us perfectly setup to crashed into each other. And, YES, we crashed into each other. After the shock quickly wore off, I busted out laughing. Seriously folks! I couldn't stop laughing for several minutes. Everyone who witnessed the event asked me if I was ok, but all I could do was laugh. I had been feeling so craptastic all day long that this was "that" event that finally made some sort of impact in my day (for better or worse). When I finally got over my laughing spell and settled down a bit I went to see how my coworker was doing and apologize for crashing into them. They asked me how I was as well and if I was ok.

I have since mentioned to our facilities person (who was present to witness the event) that I'd like some sort of flashing yellow light outside my office that I can activate when I'm about to leave my office. They got a good laugh from the request, but something tells me I'm not going to be getting that anytime soon.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tonight I got some Passover grocery shopping accomplished. Thanks to mom for helping me with the list of "approved" foods to get through the week. I think I have a good start.

• Salad
• Fruit
• Veggies
  
• Yogurt
• Oatmeal
  
• Potatoes
• Matzoh (it wouldn't be Passover without it!)
  
• Eggs
• Soup
  

Just to name a few things. Breakfast is always the hardest meal for me. Why wouldn't it be -- I usually have a bagel or cereal. Maybe I'll have to knit more over the next week to get my mind off not eating bread.

Actually, speaking of using knitting as a way to keep yourself occupied during bad times, this article was brought to my attention by a fellow knitter. It's about the death toll from the earthquake in Italy. The last paragraph on the first page is what we all found amazing... Italy Earthquake. Wow! That's all I can say about that.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So my moving preparation has been placed on hold for tonight and tomorrow as I get ready for Passover to begin. I may have found a floor lamp, but it's from Overstock.com and I'm a bit concerned about the return policy. I'm the queen of buying someone online and then when I get it deciding it's not what I wanted. So, when I do buy online I try to make sure return policies are as return friendly as possible.

I believe that is all for now. Trust me when I say there is so much more that is on my mind that I will eventually get too... especially "ghosts."

Until later. . .

Sloppy Joes. Cornbread. Champagne. Oh, and don't forget the Mountain Dew!

My break from moving chores was short lived.

If I wasn't actually at home organizing stuff and house mousing, then I was running around all over trying to find things I need for the new place. My main mission is to find a new lamp for my living room. The one I currently have has been dragged around four places in the past seven years I've had it. When I took it with me this last time I knew that it was broken (I literally can turn the switch for what seems like 100 times without it actually turning on). However, I stubbornly insisted it be schlepped to my new place mainly because I didn't want to hunt for a new lamp. At one point a friend of mine was going to replace the switch, but that never happened. So, I think it's time I lay the lamp to rest. That is of coarse AFTER I find its replacement which may not be as easy as I once thought it would be. These were recommended by a friend - Unique Lamps. I believe they were joking, but I'm kind of diggin' the Yo Yo and Milk lamps.

This weekend's house mousing was surely interesting. I came across more pictures than I ever thought I had. A lot of them took me down memory lane. I'm gonna have to find a scanner so I can upload them to Flickr. Others were a shock to me because I didn't expect to have these particular pictures in my possession. It's all good though - that's what the "other" box is for. (See, the other box does come in handy and has a purpose.)

It snowed last night and it's so beautiful out. It was actually kind of cool to see the way the weather transitioned. I literally watched it go from raining to sleet to snow -- all in a matter of seconds. I'm hoping the coat of snow will stay the way it is until I get home this evening. If that is the case I think I'm gonna have to hit the local trails for some pictures. I'm sure a lot of people are taking similar pics, but I don't care. There is this one tree along the path I walk regularly that I've always wanted to take a picture of because of the way it's shaped (the trunk doesn't stand up straight as it should). Taking a pic of it snow covered would be amazing!

M's socks are coming along nicely. I'm at the part of the second sock that in my mind takes the longest - knitting the length of the foot. Not to worry, tonight is Dancing with the Stars so I'm guaranteed at least an hour or two of productive knitting time! javascript:void(0)

On a knitting humor note, I thought the below links were funny...

Garfield

Just another use for duck tape...

I believe that is all for now...

Until later...

Prelude to the Weekend

My office at work has a east exposure. On days when the sun is out in all its glory, my office is very bright in the morning -- and a tad on the warmer side. Since I prefer natural sunlight to my florescent office lighting I don't mind keeping the blinds open during this period of the day. However, this does have a down side. Known to me as computer screen glare. I would wear my sunglasses until the glare has passed and move on with my day if I didn't think I would get some very strange looks from my coworkers, so I don't. Instead, I go through the same ritual...

• Morning:
  
  After arriving at the office and booting up my computer I climb onto the back portion of my desk to reach the blind rod (I'm too short to reach it otherwise) and proceed to close the half of the blinds that causes the computer glare. This prevents the culperate from preventing me from seeing what is on my screen. Then I reach for my desk fan and turn that on because my office is enviably warmer than it should be due to said prior sun exposure.
  

• Early Afternoon:
  
  My first clue that I've passed the worst of the sun exposure is my reaction to grab my sweater since I start feeling chilly. At that point it's time to reverse the actions of the morning. Fan gets turned off and I climb back onto the back of my desk to open of the previously closed blind.
  
  I'm not sure why I mention all of this, I just found myself getting a laugh out of it all yesterday - maybe because I always feel like a clumsy fool every time I have to climb on my desk. This is not the first employer I've had to do this at (I've always been too short to these blinds otherwise), but after so many years I guess it starts getting entertaining. (And, don't get me wrong, I am thankful to have an office with a window!)
  

This weekend is shaping up to be a lot different than I had first anticipated which is not necessarily a bad thing, but more interesting if at all anything. I guess you can equate this observation to life, but that means I would be getting deep and I believe that is something I don't wish to do right now.

Every morning I get the New York Times headlines e-mailed to me. Today, this is one the stories that stood out - "No Laughing Matter at the Office. It appears that the EEOC (the government agency that regulates federal discrimination laws) has a few employment practice problem of their own.


I had what I call a "360 Degree" life experience recently . . . It's the kind of experienece that takes you from your adult life back to your childhood and back to adulthood. Periodically, I will listen Top 40 songs and think "My goodness! I can't believe young kids are being exposed to such sexually suggestive lyrics." (Yes, I realize this makes me sound old and clearly I realize this has been going on for decades, but I don't always remember this in the moment.) Recently, I heard a song by Martika who was popular when I was in Jr. High. One of her popular songs is "If You're Tarzan I'm Jane." I, like many of my peers, spent countless hours dancing and singing to the song, but honestly had NO clue what it was all about. So, there I was the other day dancing and singing to the song as I had done as a kid when all the sudden it hit me like a brick. OMG! Yes, I was actually listening to the lyrics. Ok, so it's not as provocative and suggestive as lyrics today, but still. (Or, at least I don't think so.) Maybe I was just more innocent than other kids my age, but as a 30-something I get it and can't believe my mother was cool with my listening to this music. I guess parents just have to take some of it with a grain of salt and realize they can only do so much when it comes to their kids exposure to certain lyrics. I don't know... I'm not a parent. In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy Martika's music.

M's socks are coming along nicely and I anticipate their completion sometime next week. The next project on my agenda was suppose to be a cropped sweater to wear with my sun dresses this summer, but that is most likely getting placed on the back burner for a pair of knee high socks. Yes! Another pair of socks. The inspiration to knit knee highs came from a Rav group I belong to and I couldn't resist - what a great way to freshen up some old outfits! Now I will say upfront I don't think I have the best calves in the world and pulling off a pair of knee high socks may be a stretch, but I'm approaching this with a mind set that attitude is have the battle so if I think they will look great on me then they will! I am debating on which pattern to make. I "think" I've narrowed it down to four patterns:

Pattern #1: Los Pequenos Relojes de Arena by Erssie Major

Pattern #2: Bellocq by Marnie MacLean

Pattern #3: Anna Socks by Rowan

Pattern #4: Ann Marie Stockings by Erssie Major

I was leaning towards "Bellocq," but then I saw the Ann Marie Stockings (I could alter them into knee highs - right!? : D. Who knows, maybe I'll find something else that will catch my attention. Apparently I have ADD on this project.


Three Good Things

Months back, I talked about how I use to belong to this professional social networking site and we'd always have a "Three Good Things" for the week on Fridays and that with the state of the world in a mess sometimes you just need sit down and list out the good things. Here's mine for the week ending - today:

• My mom got unbelievable news this week. So good that it will make a world of difference in her life. (I can't put into words how happy I am for her.)

• I stumped "Tier 2" tech support for a system I use often. My question was so good that even the support dude I was talking to congratulated me on stumping them.

• Not only did I get my vacation time approved this week, but I may have found a traveling companion to accompany me on part of adventure. (This gives me even more motivation to make my plans happen.)

Until later . . .

Mid-Day News Break

What a Guy!

The Forced Post

I'm forcing myself to post as regularly as possible. I don't want this sun, moon, stars misalignment to get the best of me.

So, it was April Fool's Day. Honestly I don't get the appeal of pranks. I've never be into them. There were no memorable pranks today however I do remember the prank that got me last April Fool's Day. There were lots of layoffs going on in the radio industry at the time and one of my favorite radio stations had let go one of their production people for their morning show (which just happened to be my favorite morning show). This was all around the time I was commuting to work at the crack-ass of dawn so I was sometimes in the car well before the 6AM hour. As I pulled into the train station parking lot I anticipated getting to hear at least the first 15 minutes of this morning show. However, a DJ from another station came on and announced that even though the show beat out its competitor station by a landslide the show was canceled. OMG! I was devastated. All I could think is "How could they do this!?" Of course I had to stop listen because I had a train to catch. As soon as I got to my office and booted up my computer I searched for any news story I could find on this. I could find NOTHING on this. I later found out it was an April Fool's joke. Ugh! Not funny guys!

After work I decided that since it had been a balmy 55 degrees out that I would slip on my flip flops before I went out and about this evening. As far as I am concerned - it's spring time. Actually my feet are not flip flop ready. I don't go for manicures or pedicures on a regular basis, but I'm at the point where my nails could use a good clean-up.

The most moving related action there was tonight dealt with relocating some charity
yarn I had been storing here. It was time I shared the pleasure of storing the charity yarn with others. : P Hey, as they say sharing is caring.... right!?

On top of everything else, I've been starting to write short, short stories. I have a few thing in the works and will hopefully have sometthing to share with all at a later date in time.

Well, it's getting late and I think I'll stop here. There is a lot more I can, but I can't seem avoid the heaviness my eyes are feeling.

Until later . ..