My -How the time flies

Seriously, I had no idea! I know I tend to lose track of time on this un-natural shift but really!

I've not been idly losing time, oh no. I decided I needed to paint my living room. And well if I paint the living room then I need to paint the stairwell...three flights of stairwell....yahh right!

What started out as a simple paint job very quickly turned into an ordeal, then a major project. "Well if you're going to do it then do it right and paint the trim" Not really planning on that. and then, "Oh you should get six panel doors for in here" yah...didn't plan on that either. Plus I planned on hiring someone to do the stairs since the ceiling is like 25 high! "Oh no we can do this!" Well we did and it looks great, minus the fact that my hand rails aren't up yet and I have quite a bit of touch up to do around my new doors/frames. Painting, yah...not so much a fan...I now need a vacation from my vacation!

Brodie spends a lot of time doing this...

and he is looking at this little guy, who seems to like to graze right next to my deck!

I got this far on my jacket, ready to start the body on sleeve #two when I realized I was making something I will never wear, it is two big and....

Oops! It has a big boo boo on part #1 right at the begining of the body where I missed several stitches and had a big hole.

So I ripped out sleeve #2 and stashed the whole damn thing back into the closet.

Impluse knitting!

I made this hat and scarf in a twisted drop stitch pattern. In the time honored fashion of winging it without a written pattern.

Thanks for hanging in there with me.

How many times can you hit undo before it is cheating?

I hate Spider! Solitaire that is, well real spiders too but I refer to that blasted game that Bill Gates implanted on all PC's across the free world! A subtle form of mind control, indeed. 

I have this theory that all Spider games can be won! So, I have made it my personal quest to prove my theory correct. So I play game after bloody game of Spider (damned addictive game) to see if I am right. So far, I have yet to be able to prove this theory. I continue to undo, retry and restart to see if I can beat the computer. Ok, and it's not like I am playing a real difficult level here...just two suits. One must be able to beat the computer-right? Because if we can't then why would we play! Why do I still play? Because I can lose this game in 144 feakin moves! 

Thank god there is no Spider on a Mac! 

Rant over, Pretty Brodie picture up! Last week ( I think it was last week but I can't really be too sure) I took Brodie to the doggie beauty shop for his first do! He looks so sleek and purty now. Not to mention he smells better too...LOL.  He is not so fond of my truck as I am and I had to buy him a little doggie car harness to keep him out of my lap. Generally I take care of his grooming needs myself but he is also not so fond of the brush and barks at the hair dryer. I figured this would be a good experience for him and he could see that other doggies get the same treatment. Plus the groomer always seems to get the white fur way whiter than I can.

The groomer said he did very well but didn't care so much for the brush near his butt. Kinda my fault, he had something unmentionable stuck there and I tried to remove it but accidentally pulled his hair...Whoops...sorry! Didn't mean to do that. He has been a little skittish over that part of his anatomy since. I suppose he will get over that sooner or later.

We have been working on Sit Pretty lately, of course he is more interested in the treat in my hand than the actual trick.

Now that I have my Trio instructions again, I have made some headway. I have a bizillion stitches on holders and ready to start the second sleeve. The trick here will be to make it match. Once I started following the instructions without trying to understand them I went along swimmingly. 

Happy Valentines to my self! I indulged myself at Knit Picks again. I just received my package today in the mail (poor Mr. Mailman had to be greeted at the door by Ms Every Hair Standing on End). I was a wee bit surprised when I opened the package, I remembered ordering the Harmony's Interchangeables, and the 7 balls of cotton yarn, but I did not remember that I had ordered 5 different sizes of Harmony double points. I must have been thinking to replace the Brodie enhanced needles I had in my case. I love surprises...even if I ordered them myself!

The yarn I have ear marked for new dish towels and cloths, or maybe placemats to be put away for when I buy my new house. I did go out and look at houses last week but as of yet, I have not found the one.

Not to be left out, Mr. UPS Man brought me some goodies too! I got Wii and Wii Fit from him, and some very fine hair care products ;) but since I spent the last three days in bed (yuky feverish flu type symptoms) I haven't even hooked it up yet... Maybe tomorrow. 

Eastern Union Telegram?

"The Pony Express has no mail."

or

"Charlotte's Web has a hole in it"

or

"The eagle has flown the nest"

or

"The chicken did not cross the road"

or

"The fox is in the hen house"

or

"Pandora's box is open"

or 

"Danger Will Robinson"

0r 

" Dragonheart fears the sword"

or....

What the heck does all that mean you ask? Well sorry....I can't tell you ...it is all top secret code phases. And if I tell you, then I have to kill you...hehehe (evil laugh)

Ok Seriously, Eastern Union Telegram? is code for.... (you're not going to believe this) Did the Chief leave yet. Of course the officer that asks this way never can say "did the Chief leave yet?" in which case I would either type back yea or nay. Oh no! We have to go through this ridiculous dialog every time she works, because for some reason, she thinks it needs to be a secret question. 

Sometimes - I get a little carried away (no way!) and I type back a ridiculous response. I know...it is just beyond belief that I would play a silly game like that you're thinking, but yes, I do... sometimes I even fire back several different responses.  I guess that comes from working with people sillier that I am. Yah, Yah...that's it! I couldn't have got this way by myself!!

Ans seriously...that New Girl...she is always laughing at me! What Up!

And speaking of silly....OMG...Did you know that there are TONS of silly shiat on Facebook?? I can keep myself entertained for hours!  Oh yah...it is quiet pathetic!

I finally finished up the last of my BBB Lesson 1 swatches the other day. The last one (with the lace pattern) I ripped out about a dozen times before I was satisfied. Now they are washed and blocking as we speak, and I just have to type out my lesson questions and mail them off. I am getting alot out of this course so far and can't wait for lesson 2!!

Blocking...Hmmm... not my favorite chore. I decided to wait til I was finished with all five before I blocked them and I darn near ran out of pins. I think I kinda suck at blocking, which is probably why I probably avoid it like the plague. I'd better get over that if I am going to finish this course.

Here is the progress I made (or didn't, depending on you're own particular glass) on my Hollyberry Jacket. Not so very far, See all those needle tips? Can you see why I was so confusered?? Well I think I am doing it right, so we shall see what comes off the needles.

I think some simple -brainless-knitting is in order for today.

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.

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.