Sunday, January 25, 2009

Commuting fun

Saturday was a fun filled day of keeping up with a 9 year old. First we road the train into the city. I tried to annoyed Raine as much as possible by taking her picture every time she turned around. I let her take a few of her own too.





We went to the Museum of Science and Industry for her birthday and Raine got her first look at the U-505 Submarine. Unfortuantely the tickets to go inside were sold out and she did not get to see what it was really like inside. But there was plenty of gadgets for her to mess with.



She got to play on an old time trolley car.

And a Gianormous John Deere Tractor.


And play with trains. Of course after the over priced taxi ride back to the train station, waiting an hour for the train home, we were both bushed! Raine snoozed on the train ride home and I nearly snoozed. After eating dinner and dropping her off at home, I crashed and burned myself. 



I added this picture of Brodie just because he has been blog neglected, and just because he is so darn cute! And actually.. I'd say the blog itself has been neglected. 

I worked on my BBB course and have started swatch #4. I plan to do all my end weaving and blocking when I have finished the last swatch for this lesson. 

I have no clue how many lessons there are in this course since Adrena sends them to you one at a time with your swatch evaluations, but so far I would say it is worth the cost of the course. I can't wait til I can move onto the next level.



My Holly Berry cardi had to take a back seat since I was, A) too stupid and B) somehow managed to loose the only copy of the instructions. Ann at PW is great! I shot her an email telling her what an IDOT I was and she promptly sent me a new copy of the instructions at no charge.

Swatching has been about all I could handle right now anyway.  I am back on noons for the next couple weeks so I should be in a knit/blog routine again for a little while.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Pedi Break


Last week I took a much needed pedicure break! Even tho my appointment was really too early in the day for me, it was heaven! Heated massage chair, warm bubbly water, pampered feet and good friends sure made up for the lack of sleep I got.



I did manage to bring my head out of the fog long enough to get in another pattern set on my Tidal Wave socks without any mis-haps. (Not that you can see the waves in this picture, but it is finally turning out right)
A year ago (almost to the day) I decided to order the Basics knitting course from TKGA. My intention is to work my way up through the Masters course. Right after I got the course in the mail, I took that nasty fall in the driveway and was incapacitated for a while. Just long enough to lose my steam over the course. Good thing there is no time limit!
I had a couple of nights without my trainee this week so I dug out my course and finally started. I figured the lessons would be simple enough in this phase that my half brain could comprehend them.
Swatches...I can handle swatches this week.


Other than that, well... Internet house shopping and stupid Vampire Wars on Facebook is the only other thing I have had the energy to do.
Next week I switch back to days for 3 days for a class I am going to attend, then afternoons for two weeks to finish up training New Girl, then- just maybe I can settle into and comfortable routine on mids.


Saturday, January 10, 2009

I am a knitting Fool!

NOT!

Oh yah! I am going to get sooo much knitting done while I'm shift!! Yah Right! Between the switch from semi normal living to the lifestyle of a vampire, and the 12 hour shifts I have been bombarded with during the last two weeks I find that I have no higher brain function what so ever and can only manage the most basic tasks. Straight knitting in the round is the only thing that I can seem to manage at this particular time.

Hence...the only picture I have to show you is this one of my sleeve. And now that I am at the next phase of the sweater I find that I cannot comprehend the instructions and I am waiting for some nice person from Ravelry to explain it to me in words that my feeble mind can understand.






We have lots lots more snow, but no pictures because, this week, that too requires higher brain function.

Brodie seems to be adjusting to the change in schedule better than I am, but then he does have a dogs life. I think we are now at the stage where I can throw all of his toys into the bedroom and close the door and let him have at it while I sleep without any mischief.  That was not the case last week...there was all kind of mischief while momma slept. He seems to be over his little snit now, and when I work the 12's either his cousin Jay or Auntie Kelp and Uncle Twig will rescue him for a while to let him potty and play. 


How many days does it take to write a blog post? Well for me this week I think it was at least 3.

Two more nights and I can enter the real world again-at least for a couple of days.




Friday, January 02, 2009

I'm Walking in a fog!


Happy New Year!!

In with the New Year and In with a new shift! That's right, I am on a new shift. For the last four years I have been on the afternoon shift and I have just gotten bumped to midnights this year. In a way I dreaded it because I have never been able to get the hang of that daytime sleeping thing. But on the other hand, it will be nice to fly under the radar for a while. Maybe I will finally get caught up with my work.

So until I get myself and little Brod-man adjusted to the new schedule I am walking around in a fog. Worse, I actually feel intoxicated and am having a hellava time keeping these peepers open tonite! Today fairly sucked! I just came off my second midnight shift after having worked a 12 hour shift, I get home around 7 ish...had to wake Brodie up to go potty (turn about is fair play doncha think?). I let him play for a while then I could not keep my eyes open any longer and told him " lets go ni ni". Of course he looks at me like I am cracked. Finally, I convince him to go back to bed and I slept all the way to...10:30!!! Wow...was that ever refreshing! Yah...two whole hours! Boy this is going to be a fun adjustment. I did go back to sleep from about 2pm to 5:30 pm but it sure wasn't enough.

You know that panic feeling you get when you are so tired that you are afraid you are going to over sleep and be late for work? That was me today, waking up every half hour to watch the clock to make sure I would not over sleep. Catch-22!

Naturally I am way too bleary eyed to accomplish much knitting. Even so, I managed to make some headway on my Tidal Waves sock. I am using Tofutsies instead of the soysilk. Huge difference in size. I ripped it completely out about three times before I was satisfied with the way it looks. The pattern doesn't call for it but I finally figured out that I had to knit through the back of the yarn over to keep it from looking lacy. Of course since I have knit the same section over and over again that I have the pattern memorized already. (Note the cute little dice stitch marker courtesy of TN Dawn) And if you look closely you can actually see the waves this time!


Another ripped out project! You might remember a while back that I had bought a sweater kit from Philosophers Wool at Stitches Market and it did not come with the color schematics. Well I did start the sleeve but I did not like how it was looking with my own randomizing so I emailed them for the color pattern. What I got instead was a large picture file. Since they apparently do not track the way they use the colors, no two sweaters look alike. I am all about the free spirit thing but I really wanted mine to look like the one in the picture! I was able to blow the picture up and figure out to the best of my ability, in which order the colors were used. Close enough for government work I always say!

I am pleased with the way the sleeve is turning out so far... and thank goodness, I can do this mostly with my eyes closed or I would not have even this much done.

I did also manage to finish Sarah's socks so I can give those to her when ever I become conscious again. I actually have not knit in a couple of days at all. I was too afraid to puck up my projects. A couple of more days and I should be back in form.
I did get a little itchy in my fingers and bought myself a new sketchbook the other day. I have not picked up a graphite in several years so I was a little nervous and afraid I would draw like a kindergartner. It felt so good to be drawing again. By Jove I think I still have it! I am pretty pleased with how these impromptu drawings turned out, especially considering I haven't put pencil to paper in several years, I think they turned out pretty ok.

I have been seriously considering going back to school while I am on mids to study art - something I have always wanted to do since I was high school, but I took a detour into the Army instead of school.



I don't know if I am going to do that yet but it bears careful consideration. For right now, it just feels good to hold a pencil in my hand again.

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