Summer Vacation

10 things I learned on my summer vacation

1. Driving 65 is more economical than 75 0r erm 85

2. Never stay at a motel that offers weekly rates!

3. Bring your own smokes! They were 8 bucks a pack in Rapid City!

4. The Badlands are still just as majestic as when I was 9.

5. South Dakota has the most beautiful rest areas I have ever been in.

6. Mt Rushmore is still pretty darn cool!

7. And 9 year olds don't care when each state ascended to the Union.

8. Minnesota is the greenest state I have ever been to.

9. Driving 2000 miles is too much for just one person.

10. And most importantly....Book your room before you go to Mt Rushmore, because after the show, there isn't any vacancies for 150 miles!!

I live by Murphy's Law

What ever can go wrong will go wrong...or just when you think you have it all planned out...I was never so happy to be done with something as I was my closing. What a pain in the arse. But finally I am here in my new abode, nearly unpacked and enjoying the peace and tranquility...sort of.

This is the view from the front window, if you look really hard you can see the "long and winding road" in front of my place. A fun road, a fast road! Across the street are protected wetlands. When I was a kid we called them swamps. Next to me also are more wetlands, so I don't have to worry about more new construction.

My front yard, such as it is.

As you can see, I still have a ways to go with the unpacking chore. Would have been nice had I closed when I was supposed to I would have had four whole days to do nothing but unpack. As it is I had to work a 12 the day after my closing, and have been working ever since.

This is bedroom #2, Oh boy, have I got some kinda mess happening here!

My loft...where I shall do all that bill paying crap...oh and maybe some work too.

This is where my " you really need to work out room" is, along with Brodies night time kennel. Ever since the boy came and installed my garage door opener I come in through the garage, grab Brodie and out the door we go for his morning constitutional. (Today he is supposed to come and hang the rest of my curtain rods so I am not living like a transient.)

Living room

Kitchen

Breakfast area...like I do that breakfast thing.

Goodies from Knit Picks, my Happy New Home to Me prezzie from myself.

And Viola! Kait's brite lite socks are finally finished and dutifully displayed on my new sock blockers. Slowly but surely I am getting there. And did I mention I had no internet for a flippin week??? Not being able to play Mafia Wars has been a real drag. 

Sad puppy eyes

Poor little Brodie, He knew something was up when his momma packed his living room bed. Not that he is shy about laying on the couch or anything but you would have thought his little world was turned upside down when I packed his little bed and blankie. Not that he still doesn't have another bed and two blankies in his kennel, and he is hardly neglected. But he is sad about it and has been nine miles up my butt ever since!

I tried to tell him how he was going to have a much bigger place to run around in, and stairs to run up and down, and a really long sidewalk to take his walks on, but he is not having any of that. Poor guy, moving will be tough on him, no Abby and Jeebs right next door anymore.

I on the other hand am very excited! 4 more days and counting! I have everything packed but 1 cup, 1 glass, 1 cereal bowl and the coffee pot!

Sarah and Raine came over Saturday and helped me with the last of packing.  Seriously, you would have thought I was the child they way she kept scolding me! "Mom...how many hair brushes do you need?? "" Mom...how much hair product is really necessary! Mom...are you going to use this hair dryer over the next couple of days? (I never dry my hair, but now that it is packed I want to)." "Mom I am packing your curling iron and straightener (but I might need that)" Mom...why do you have so much make up? you never wear make up!" and on and on it went.
                                                           (Kaitlyn's Sock)

I still manage to knit some, even though I had one of those nasty EMG tests on my arms, you know the kind where they stick the lightening rod in your muscle and turn on the electricity? Then they go, " yup you have a pinched nerve"...duh "in C6." Just flippin' Wonderful!

And I got a whole 4 squares done on my mitered afghan, and Raine's leg warmers are complete...Oh, she needs wool leg warmers in 80 degree weather!

We had a really big blow on Friday? I think. I thought for sure we were going to have a tornado. I was outside taking pictures of course. You can kinda see how fast the clouds were moving. For a while there we seemed to be in the eye of the storm, and I tried to get a picture of the tail that was starting to form but I had my damn camera settings wrong. 

Then just as the down pour started I turned to go inside and walked right through my patio door! Owwww, who would have thought a screen door would hurt so much, like my arms didn't hurt enough from the torture doctor as it was. Now of course I have to take it in to get it fixed before I move....In Four Days! 

Elbow Grease? Where Can I buy That?

Many years ago I had a friend that, well isn't the sharpest tack in the box. I'll just call her Dee (changing the name to protect the ditzy).  I can't even tell you exactly what we were talking about because her question blew me away. I had said something about using good old fashioned elbow grease (obviously talking about some sort of manual labor) and Dee says to me " Elbow grease??? Where can I buy that?"  Nope she wasn't kidding either. 

 Today Mr. Fix it stopped by and we were having a good laugh at my attempt to redo my furniture and the mess I had made on the wall with the stain. Oops! So he grabs the magic sponge and starts scrubbing the wall. I told him, no I will have to paint that because it is stain.  "Nope" he says, "just some good ole fashioned elbow grease is all I need" Then he starts laughing..."Where can I buy that??" Now of course he remembered the conversation and that it was one of my dingy friends that said it. 

Oh there begins reminiscing ..."Remember the time Dee thought it hurt to push your roots back"....LOL  "And remember that time she got lost...." " Dee... Can you see the Sears Tower ....Yes (bawling) Then turn around and drive way from the Sears Tower-Dee Move away from the light...hehe"  

Sometimes ya just gotta have one of those friends that can make you pee your pants without even trying.  

So here begins my latest brain storm. I wanted new bedroom furniture. 7 years ago when Mark and I moved into the farm house I bought this set of bedroom furniture that was a kinda washed out green laminate crap. I liked it for .. oh about 3 weeks. Short lived honeymoon. I decided I want to stain it and without any clear plan I run to the store and buy some poly stain...ah, yah, no...  First attempt...rather disastrous, it wouldn't stick and  the pukey green looked better.  Then I remembered ceramic antiquing 101. Duh... sand the furniture, paint it then stain.

Here is the recipe for my dresser (lightly sand it first of course), I then painted two coats of Reddened Earth ...sounds purty doesn't it, then one coat of Walnut stain, wipe off and voîla, New furniture! 

Even just the two coats of paint was an improvement over the pukey green...and no I have no idea what I was thinking when I bought it. 

Here it is with the stain nearly completed. I have this piece finished and I am waiting til I can brush on the poly coat. I just put the first coat on the night stand tonite.  (note: Objects may appear darker in person) Actually, with the stain dried it is close enough to make the bed look like it belongs to a set. 

I have a third piece, a long dresser which I am not going to paint until I move. I decided it is just too darn heavy to move around and I really have no where to put it so it is out of the way while I work on it. 
If I don't like it when I move I can always shove it in bedroom number two. 14 more days and counting...Movers and groomer appointments are set!

Well...there we have it.

You know what they say about best laid plans of mice and wo-men.  I was all set and ready to move but I must have peed in someones Cheerios because the builder farted around getting my signed contract back to me...resulting in, you know it, a later closing date! So now it is the 24th and I want to move, like yesterday! Grrrr....I really gotta stop wearing pink on Wednesday's (Mean Girls)

At least until I move, this is all about bad karma I'm sure because I have been a little more than sassy about a certain supervisor at work. 

On the up side, I found this fantastic yarn artisan on Etsy...and now she is my Rav buddy too! 

Twilight Knits made me a special order neon self striping yarn that has turned out so fab!  When I was in Tennessee, I promised my cousin Robbies girls that I would make them each a pair of socks. Kaitlyn had specific colors she wanted, to which I said "I can get anything you want honey" ! And so I did...I just love the fiber world!!

Little Hannah liked the pair I was working on so I decided to make them in her size. These are my "Twice Liked Stripes"...Why twice liked you ask? Well you ever like a yarn so much you liked it twice? That is what happened here. I was surfing Knit Picks and had one of those impulse moments... you know the "oooh I really like that colorway" , Martinique...I keep reminding myself now because when it came in the mail, I realized I already had a pair of socks in this color! Go figure! Lucky Hannah like them ;)

Project Scoop

Pattern: My Own Socks

Yarn: Knit Picks Felici Martinique

Needles : Size 2

Because I have two thirds of my life packed I am starting to get a little bit bored,  and I was waiting for Kaitlyn's yarn to arrive, I dove into a box with yarn and pulled out two colors of who knows why I bought it in the first place yarn, and started a pair of leg-warmies for Raine. One down and one to go.

Another washcloth off the needles. This one in a reverse miter. 

I had another moment of Knit Picks yarn porn weakness and bought 12 skiens of Swish to make a mitered throw for my new place. 

Moving day cannot come soon enough!

Hey I Have a Closing Date!!

My days have been filled with, trying to recoup from my trip and the slam of overtime I have had...Not to mention, all the meetings I have had regarding the purchase of MY NEW HOUSE! Yup...I finally got off the stick and made a damn decision. Brandy New townhome, end unit next to protected wetlands to boot. What a gorgeous view I have, in fact it is in the area that I wanted in the first place (except for that one that was down the street from my brother...that would have been my top pick)

My closing isn't until the 12th and I want to move so badly that I can taste it.

Currently, this is what the inside of my apartment looks like... YUK! It is driving me crazy, (yah yah.. I know, a short putt) but it is all for a good cause. I have to pack when I can since I don't have an abundance of functional free time. And I have been doing a ton of pitching stuff, either via trash or Freecycle.

So while I was visiting my cousins, maybe I mentioned that Robbie and I went out to the back 40 ( and the near 40) to do a little target practice. This is the little baby he sent me home with, I think he probably felt it was all I can handle, and for now, I will concede that he is right. I told my brother there is a place near our homes where we can go for target practice, but I think it is a private gun club. I haven't yet had time to check it out yet but I think it will be a good time for some sibling bonding. Nothing like being able to go out on into your back yard, so to speak and fire off a few rounds at a bucket tho.

I was too tired to check my mail box for damn near a week, and when I finally did I discovered this package waiting for me.  A little contest surprise from Jant's Art!

With so much other stuff going on I completely forgot about it so it was like having Christmas all over again :-P

Of course, I can't play with it yet- and immediately packed it so I will not be tempted to unpack my swift and ball winder.

Aside from all of the Dispatcher and Policey stuff that I have been teaching New Girl, I also taught her to knit. The girl is a quick study lemme tell you! This is her very first project, also my house warming gift for my new place. I am so very proud of her!! She has made two more dish cloths since I taught her to knit, and those are patterned ones, and well as starting a scarf in seed stitch. I even talked her into joining my "cult" as she puts it, Ravelry!!  I think she is hooked!!

This one was supposed to be Open Star but somehow I made a boo boo in the pattern stitch,probably due to that not paying attention thing I do. I knitted 2 instead of 3 before I PSSO'd - I am not unhappy with how it turned out however. This one has made it into the bathroom. I decided I needed all new stuff for my new house, but I actually cheated and started using it right away.

Project Scoop

Pattern: Open Star Dishcloth

Yarn: Peaches & Creme

Needle: size 7

Last night I whipped up a reverse miter cloth in pinks. No pic yet, next time. 

It has me thinking I need an afghan in miter squares tho, I even considered unpacking that sweater I was working on and frogging it to start one. 

Hmmm, well....maybe not.

Going Home Again

I know, I know, I have been MIA again. But I was on a trip home to Tennessee, Sorry Dawn, I was going to call you and let you know I was in the area but time got away from me. 

I was going to post before I went, I swear, but again, time got away from me. 

Here is what I have been up to, I have half hearted-ly been working on a drop stitch scarf out of some yarn I got for Christmas. This is a crinkly cotton/linen blend which quite frankly I have not been digging working with. Hence the half hearted effort. It just plain isn't pleasant on the hands when you knit so I only work on it a couple of rows at a time, then I have to put it down. I have quite a bit of it and don't know what else to make out of it. 

I finished my purpley socks that I have had on the needles for ever- and even worn them once already ;)

Projects Scoop:

Pattern: Basic ribbed sock pattern

Yarn SWTC Bamboo 

Needles Size 2 DPNS

I have been on a dish cloth kick, easy take along projects. I adore the Darrell Waltrip Pattern! This is my new favorite pattern!! So easy to do and the difference in the designs is astonishing to me. All three of these cloths have been done in the same pattern. Same Peaches N Creme yarn, but look at how different the designs came out!!  The difference is from the length of the variegation of the colors themselves.

I have come to love watching the cloths take shape from this pattern. I even went out to buy a few more skeins of yarn just to make more with- so prepare yourselves for the pictures of "yet another Darrell Waltrip Dishcloth"...LOL

Project Scoop:

Pattern: Darrell Waltrip Dishcloth

Yarn: Peaches & Creme Variegated

Needles:Size 7 (Harmonys)

Now on to my trip home- I think I mentioned to you about my younger cousin who was diagnosed with cancer. I was going to put off going to see him until I have my life here settled...yah when the heck is that ever going to happen. So as an almost last minute decision, I felt I should go now rather than later. Robbie feels good now and I wanted to spend time with him while he still does. 

I left on Wednesday almost immediately from working. After packing up the truck with mine and Brodie's paraphernalia, I met with my realtor to look at 3 Model Homes before hitting the road, then straight to Peter's house who not only babysat for me but let me use his little Ford Focus for the trip (32 mpg versus 15). So by 9 am I was on the road home! 

Normally I would make the trip in one day, but having been up since 4pm the previous day I decided to stop in Frankfort Kentucky for the night. It Freakin' monsoon rained through the entire state of Indiana, then the blasted rain found me again in Kentucky after a brief ray of sunshine! 

One of my more quirky traveling habits is to take pictures out the window as I am driving. I often times get lots of pictures like this one... which I keep because they tickle my funny bone.

Then there are the beautiful shots like this one near my cousin's home.
...and the more quirky- missed the boat altogether ones like this!

I naturally had to take a picture of the rape of the hillside behind my Auntie's farm. I was none to happy to see the trees wiped away like that. But change is inevitable when when a farm changes hands I suppose.  But this is the only place I know of that basically stays the same. I could feel the stress that I didn't even know I had slide away from me the closer I got. 

Even though I was born in Illinois, I call this going home. My parents and my brothers and sister, were born in Tennessee. There is a certain level of comfort there for me, and I am always welcomed with open arms. I can remember playing with my cousins on the farm, and getting my butt whooped for bad behavior. I also lived in Crossville when I was in 3rd grade with my brother and uncle, and have some fond memories of my great aunt's home churned butter and some not so great memories of her mean ole rooster chasing me around the house.

I definitely need a GPS to find my way back from roaming the hills! Every time I try to find my way to the cemetery where my Dad, brother and sister are, I get discombobulated and well, just plain lost! I had a good time visiting people I was semi related to, shooting up old buckets and frying pans with Robbie in the mountains, and generally driving around looking at the gorgeous and sometimes unusual scenery.

I can see why my brother is fixin' to move back when he retires...maybe I will join him there.