First of all, thanks to my Defeat the Winter Doldrums Dishcloth Swap pal Elizabeth S. for a fabulous package!! She sent a TON of goodies - including every different kind of Snickers bar she could find. How cool is that? There is one called Charged that has caffeine in it!! She also dyed some Knitpicks yarn in my favorite colors, sent coffee, tea, and cocoa... oh and also a really pretty washcloth and cucumber soap.

I finished the January Rockin' Sock Club socks... I did not continue the lace pattern down the foot... mostly because I am lazy and really just wanted to knit rows and rows of stockinette. These were completed in the 2-at-a-time method... and I must say the short-row heel is SO much easier when knitting 2 at a time. I will be teaching the short row heel when I teach the 2 at a time class. I know! I am such a heel flap girl, it's weird to suddenly have a new favorite heel.
Of course, I cast on for some new socks...










But I also cast on for something that is decidedly NOT socks! This is the beginnings of the Oblique sweater. I'm using Eco Wool and I really (really) love it. It is so soft and nice to work with.





At home:
Bartleby is still firmly in residence.
Bean's headache was finally gone this morning.
I am going out with Andie and The Fabulous Michelle tonight.

Dads, Migraines and Bartleby

He hasn't signed anything yet. I keep leaving pens around the house just in case... different colors and types. But so far nothing.

Sally's husband (Mr. Sally) has started calling him Bartleby. Because Mr. Sally is smarter than the rest of us, and also very funny. (I had to look it up, too, so don't feel bad if you have to click on the link!)
Bartleby has been in a much better mood lately, and says that he is glad I took the step to get the papers together and that he'll be out by the end of next week. Of course, how often has he said one thing and then decided that he would "rather not" do that thing when it's time?

My daddy (for one has to say "daddy" when one's daddy is offering a large sum of money to make everything better) is refinancing the house for me. I'll be paying the house payment as usual, but on my own it wouldn't happen. It sort of makes me feel like one of those girls who calls her daddy whenever she gets into trouble and daddy throws money at it. I think that the reason my daddy is willing to throw money at this situation is because I am not typically that girl.

Speaking of girls... Bean has started getting my migraines. It's hereditary, so I knew it was just a matter of time. She's not in school today. I brought her to work with me and she's drinking a lot of water and taking ibuprofen and resting (under my desk). I told her she could get on the computer if she felt like it, but before she could "play" she had to go to Web MD and research migraines, migraine triggers and migraine treatments. Staying home every time you have a migraine isn't an option if you get them as often as I do... and she needs to figure out what methods of coping will work for her.

In knitting news, I finished my February STR socks and cast on for a new pair last night... but my head was hurting too and I cast on backwards (don't ask, it's a 2 at a time thing). I couldn't face casting on again so I just shoved everything in my bag and knitted on my ballband dish towel for awhile. When in doubt, knit simple.

I may also have accidentally placed a large order at The Loopy Ewe. Even though I have YET to finish a sweater, I am now in two sweater KAL's. One at Twist and now one with TLE. When will I learn?!? Want to hear my justification? TLE offered a 20% discount on Dream in Color Classic if you bought it for the KAL. There. That's why.

It's a sickness.

Please just sign the papers. Please.

I delivered the papers to the (soon to be ex-) husband. He was actually pleased that I had taken care of it, and was in a much more rational frame of mind to discuss it than he was last night. Thank God. He wants to take a few days to read them over and he wants to have a lawyer look them over, but he said he would be out of there sometime next week.

I hope he follows through on that.

Legally I can't make him leave on Friday and I'm just going to have to deal with that. Bean and her dad and I talked about it, and we're going to try to bring her home tomorrow. If things start to escalate we'll just leave. (The funny thing? He's offended that anyone thinks she shouldn't be around him. Seriously). I had dinner with her tonight and she is really fine - she just wants him to go, too. She said, "Well at least now he wants to go as much as we want him to go. That's a step, right?" Right-o, kid.

I don't have the words to fully express how much the support of all of my friends (cyber and otherwise) means to me. I know that I am making the right decision for me and for Bean (and honestly for him too)... But knowing that and getting this kind of outpouring of support really makes me feel good. If every person had this kind of supportive circle we would not have a lot of the social problems facing this nation.

It takes a village to raise a child, but it also takes a village full of people who know you (and love you anyway) to travel through this life.

I will be having a divorce party as soon as it's final. You're ALL invited, and if you actually come here from out of town I will find places for you to crash during your stay.

I love you all.

With a Little Help

I should not have posted yesterday. I jinxed it apparently.
Last night he told me there was no way he was going to leave on Friday. He would go, but on his own time. He was back in the anger zone - luckily Bean was with her dad... and there she'll stay until this is over. Whenever that is.

I have a meeting with my lawyer this afternoon and with any luck they'll tell me that I have a right to kick him out as soon as the papers are filed. Which is today. I'm considering a PFA - he's not violent at all, but yelling and name-calling is a form of abuse, even if he has a right to be angry. Even if his yelling isn't making me feel the way he wants me to. Even if I don't care what he says about me or how he feels.

I called Bean's dad and asked if she could stay there. She doesn't need to be anywhere near him right now (or ever again). Of course he said yes, and then he asked me if I was ok. I started crying and tried to assure him that I was, but how believable is it when someone sobs, "I'm ok." And I AM ok. I am just so frustrated by the whole thing. The one thing I've been holding onto this whole time is that he will be gone on at the end of February. I can't even think about it taking longer. I talked to the fabulous Michelle right after that and she came over and picked me up (in my pajamas). We got coffee at Starbucks and then went back to her house.

It's good to know that I have friends who will step in when I need them to.

He was asleep whan we got back to the house and he was still asleep when I left this morning.

I'm going to see Bean after school and then she'll go back to her dad's...
Hopefully I'll have better news tomorrow.

Registering my Needles as Lethal Weapons...

I have joined the next round of Sock Wars!!!

You should join too... unless my mad ninja knitting skills are too terrifying.
Which I would totally understand. I'm awesome.

I'm also just a few days away from freedom!! I have an appointment with my lawyer tomorrow to get the paperwork in order. I was going to wait awhile and file later, but he said that he wanted papers to sign before he left. Ask and you shall receive.
I also decided on a last name. I was going to go back to my maiden name, but that name doesn't really hold any strong ties for me. My father has been more or less absent more or less all the time. I have much stronger ties to my step-father... so I'm taking his name.

Every decision, every step, every minute is getting me that much closer to a place where I can breathe.

Quiet Sunday

We got snow yesterday, picture-book snow. We sat at Twist, warm and knitting, watching these big, fluffy flakes fall. It was lovely. Then Lara and I walked to a fabulous Mexican restaurant about eight feet from Twist to get dinner.
I fell, of course. Poor Lara. I warned her, but she apparently thought I was kidding. One second I'm walking next to her and the next second I'm on the ground.
I always fall. Always.
I didn't really hurt anything - though I was stiff later. I am apparently too old to be as graceless as I am. I took some ibuprofen and a sleeping pill and woke up feeling great.

I'm at work now and we have no clients (YAY!!) so I'm in for an evening of knitting and reading and maybe a little Oscar action. (And I'm getting paid for this).

Speaking of crazy, things at home are actually pretty calm. He is acting like we never had that conversation. Or, you know, any conversation. I am acting as though we are on the same page and we all are aware of what's going on. We'll see who breaks first.
Someone yestarday asked how I was going to get him out of the house if he refused to go. I have this image in my head of the opening credits from The Beverly Hillbillies... just strap him into one of his recliners and put him in the back of the truck!
Seriously though, that's a good question.
One I will be asking my lawyer.

So tonight I have socks on the needles (of course) and I'm also starting a ballband dish towel. I had so much fun knitting the dishcloth for my swap pal and they're so fast that I thought my new boy-less kitchen needed some new dishtowels. I am feeling really guilty about the swap. I was supposed to ship last Monday and I didn't so I thought I would do it Friday. Then I didn't. I suck. I am going to the UPS store tomorrow come hell or high water!!

What's that flowing through the living room?!?

It's DENIAL!!

Holy shit, y'all.
I have been so clear you can practically see through my entire body. So clear that I transmit light and have considered cleaning myself with vinegar and newspaper to avoid streaks. So clear that BIRDS HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO FLY STRAIGHT INTO ME AND STUN THEMSELVES.

I have actually said these words out loud and everything:
"You can stay until the end of February and then you have to go. But sooner is better."
"I just don't want to be married to you anymore."
"I see no evidence that there is any hope for our relationship."
"I don't think we should sleep in the same bed anymore... maybe we could take turns on the couch."
"At this point I don't even think marriage counseling is an option for us."
"Get out of my house."

Yet somehow, he missed it.

We have discussed these things:
Who gets the house. (Me).
How long I will cover him on my insurance. (Until the end of the year).
What portion of the tax return he will get. (A third).
What we will do about our cell phone contracts. (I will continue to pay it unless he starts making expensive calls).
Whether he will get an apartment or move in with his mom.

Yet somehow, when I asked him if he wanted me to bring boxes home he was... well... caught off guard. Upset. Dare I say, "surprised."

HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?!?

Are any of you confused about when he is supposed to move out?
Are any of you confused about how I feel about him?

He is.
He tried the guilt card, "I guess I just feel things for you that you don't feel for me."
Ya think? I had no idea. And also? Guilt doesn't work on me. It's the damnedest thing.
He said, "I just didn't think that you'd do this."
I can't imagine why you would think that. I have only been talking about it CONSTANTLY since DECEMBER.

I finally asked, "Do you not remember ANY of the conversations we have had on this subject?" He said, "Of course I remember the conversations. I just thought you were mad."

SERIOUSLY.
Here's some insight into my personality... Even when I am mad I try really hard to only say things I actually mean. Especially things like, "I don't want to be married to you anymore and I would like you to leave my house."

I think I need some vodka.
And a hammer.

Friday

I am feeling better... I'm tired and achy, but let's face it - that's not all that unusual for me.

I ordered some postcards from Moo.com using the cool vintage book covers from yesterday's post. What a cool find. I love the internets. I have not found anything worthy of a Moo order until now. I do have some photos that I want to turn into mini-cards, but I can't decide what to put on the back of them! Indecisive much? This is why I don't have a tattoo. I want one. I have wanted one since I was 16, I just can't decide what to get... and you kind of have to be sure.

For those of you keeping track: 7 more days. I know, right? I really want to know if he's thought about it at all.. or if he has any, you know, PLANS for where to go and stuff, but things have been so peaceful that I don't want to bring it up. And it's really none of my business. And I sort of know the answer. No. He doesn't. He hasn't even really thought about it. In fact, every time that thought pops into his head he chases it away with some kind of chemical and then he sleeps some more.

I am looking forward to that first night. Bean will be with her dad and the entire house will belong to me (and the cats). I won't have to hide out in my room hoping that he'll just sleep and not bother me. I can set the thermostat at 68 and not find it at 80 the next morning. I can run around naked all evening if I want to (though I should probably re-think that thermostat thing if I decide to go that route). I won't have to buy "boy" groceries anymore. I won't have to share my car with anyone (for at least another 5 years).

Tonight Andie and I are embracing our decadence. We are going to see Vantage Point and Charlie Bartlett. We are going to eat bad food in the dark. We are going to be completely non-productive and sedentary.
I love Fridays.

Look At This Coolness!!!!

Scans of vintage books... You can find it here.

Lara sent me this link. Apparently Lara holds stock in the companies that make Mod Podge and the colored ink for my printer.

Thanks Lara, for a solution to all of my free time!

Socks stalled...

On account of flu. I would have finished them days ago, but I haven't felt good enough to pick up the needles.

I did figure out a way to keep everything from tangling up in the bag, though... maybe you all already do this: I tuck the ball of yarn inside the unfinished sock to which it belongs. Not so handy when you start the sock, but I'm past the heel and on the foot, so the individual balls of yarn sit nicely and without tangling inside their respective socks.

I am at work again today... no sick days for me. To be fair, Andie called this morning and asked if I wanted her to come in and I really did feel better so I said no. Of course, I hadn't been out of bed yet at that point. It's amazing how getting dressed and driving to work can drain the energy right out of a girl. If I didn't have class tonight I would probably call her and see if she would work the second half of the shift... but it will do me no good at all to go home if I just have to get back up and go to class.

I don't know that I have the energy to drive home at this point anyway.

The bright side is that I am not coughing or sneezing (yet) today and my throat feels better.
I'm. Just. So. Tired.

We also have a layer of ice on the city today and more in the forecast.
We are not amused. We are ready for spring already.

I have a lunch date on Saturday, though!! Sally and I are going to get lunch and then head over to Twist for knitting and fiber fellowship. It's a Twist Tryst. It's a great way to spend the day.

I am determined to feel better by Saturday.

What I Want

At some point I'm going to have to think about life as a single gal. Up until now I have been concentrating on getting him out and getting this over with... but once he's gone, then what?

I am not interested in some kind of "capital-R" Relationship... I would rather wash my hair with Clorox than open myself up to the possibility of another disastrous relationship like this one. There were warning signs, and I missed them all. I am apparently not at all good at "capital-R" Relationships.

But eventually I am going to want... something.
I always feel better with a list (or plan of attack, whatever).

So here's what I'm thinking.
I want someone:
to adore me but not need me (you know, in the bad way)
who is past all of the marriage/kids thing
who does not want to live with me
who will pay for stuff - not all the time, but often enough
to travel with
who likes me just the way I am (thank you Mr. Darcy)
who is willing to be my "plus one"
who can cook
with a sense of humor
who likes movies
who is willing to wear handknits (duh)
who can kiss. Really well. Really. Well.

Or I can just be alone. Except for the kissing part I have all of that and more already with my group of friends.

Groovy Weekend

I have finished the heels of my Socks That Rock... it is a short row heel which I generally do not like. I am partial to the heel flap because that is how I learned and everything else just seems wrong. But this heel was nice... and also, since I'm knitting them 2 at a time I got avoid the dreaded awkward picking up of stitches.

Andie's daughter was in town with some friends and since Andie is a good mother she got a Wii for her birthday. So Mr. Andie made some fabulous pizza crust and we all made our own pizzas and then Andie and I settled onto the couch for some serious knitting time and the amusement of watching a group of 20-somethings play with the Wii. We basked in the Wii-ness. (Heh heh, Wii-ness).

I also bought some new shampoo... which I realize hardly seems interesting enough to mention, except that I am a HUGE hair-product snob. The consequence of working most of my life in salons. Shampoo and yarn are the two things that I will drop serious cash on, even if we're eating Ramen Noodles for dinner. I bought some Burt's Bees shampoo and conditioner... it's really nice. And my hair smells sort of like raspberries and it is oh so shiny.

I was supposed to be mailing out my dishcloth today... my pal lives in another country. Instead, I'm starting it today. Those damn socks have kept me hooked!! I'm knitting a ballband dishcloth and I forgot how much I love these little suckers! I'm going to be knitting a few more once my swap package gets sent out!!

What a Great Valentine's Day!!

I felt very loved all day.




Andie brought me a bag full of chocolate and gummy worms (eaten before I could take the picture).
The Adorable Matt (aka Mr. Shelly) gave me chocolate and a little vase of yellow roses - which I of course forgot to photograph before I left this morning...


My Ravelry Valentine Swap Pal Eliza sent me a fabulous package that included a little skein of handspun softy-soft yarn, a beautiful cowl and HOMEMADE OREOS. I know, right? They are so much better than actual Oreos... and they won't kill you. (Look, I love Oreos as much as the next gal, but they will KILL you).

Today my Valentine's gifts to myself showed up...



Yarn Lust sock yarn (Heartbreaker) and some heart stitch markers and from The Loopy Ewe I got Regia Bamboo sock yarn. Oh Happiness, thy name is sock yarn.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I got these from my friend Emilie. She said she knew that this year sucked so she wanted to brighten my day.

And she did.

Even more than the news that the writer's strike is over... which is actually sort of loosely connected to Emilie but that's another story entirely.

When the husband found out that I got flowers he said, "Must be from S----." (An old flame). I laughed and said, "Not likely!" Though it is actually more likely that S---- would send me roses than the husband. Which is really, really sad.

I am glad they were from Emilie. I'm pretty sure that sending me roses doesn't make Emilie feel entitled to any sexual favors. And also she wasn't apologizing for anything. I have found over the years that my girlfriends are more reliable, more forgiving, more nurturing and more rewarding emotionally than any boy I've ever met.

So Happy Valentine's Day to all of my friends. Your support and love and humor and snarkiness have helped me more times than any of you know. I am so lucky that all of you are out there.

DONE DONE DONE!!!

I thought I would have these done by Wednesday and then I got caught in the black hole of knitting and thought I would NEVER finish...

But they're done!

Now I'm casting on for my Socks That Rock!!

I'm a sock-knitting fool!

TUNA IS OK!!!

I just heard on The Diane Rehm Show that canned light tuna is NOT the tuna they're talking about when they talk about mercury poisoning. It's ok to eat more than a can of tuna a week!!
Bean and I could eat tunafish sandwiches every day. My favorite low fat tunafish recipe:

1 can of tuna in water, drained
half a cucumber, seeded, peeled and chopped into small bits
1 boiled egg
1 stalk of celery chopped fine
mustard to taste
a weensy little bit of mayo or Miracle Whip (my favorite) if needed for moisture

This is great in a pita or wrap with lettuce and tomato.

My favorite High Fat tunafish recipe:

1 can of tuna in water, drained
1 box Kraft Mac and cheese, prepared
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can cream of celery soup plus 1 can of water
1 cup frozen peas
Mis all together, top with crushed Ritz crackers and bake for 45 minutes or so.

Bean is in school today, and so far I haven't heard from her. A good sign. She ran out of her pain pills last night and had a moment of panic, "What do I do if the pain gets really really bad?"
You take your ibuprofen and put some ice on it and try to rest. The worst of it is over. I promise. They only gave you twenty for a reason.
"Mom? Is this how addicts feel?"
No, sweetie, that's much, much worse.
"I don't ever want to be addicted to anything."
Good plan, kid.

Speaking of addiction... remember how I'm trying to give up ordering yarn online? Um... I am weak. Yarn Lust is just my favorite indie dyer ever and she has these cute stitch markers, too. I figured that since I was already firmly behind the wagon I might as well check out The Loopy Ewe too.
Sigh.

Best Intentions

The intention was for Bean to return to school today.
Didn't happen. She was in pain this morning and I am a sucker. She was crying and sad and I am powerless to resist. She is fine now, by the way... I think the pain is worse in the morning and then it gets better as the day goes on. I told her to remember this tomorrow and power through. She can always come home early if it's too much for her.

I went to work for a bit and then Andie let me come home to her.

When I got to work this morning my hands were full and I had this horrible feeling that I locked my keys in my car. I didn't. But on the way home to Bean I stopped at Walgreens to get her a Beanie Baby and I did, um, lock my keys in my car. The locksmith was fast. When the husband leaves I am going to use his key as a backup and keep it in my wallet. I should probably get a copy made for my desk at work. And also maybe one for Kerri.

I intended to have the February On Your Toes socks done by tomorrow... thanks to Chocolatier (and Xanax and naps related to Xanax... it's been a weird week) I have not been knitting as much as I thought I would. They should (at this point) be done by Friday. Or Saturday.

I intended to send out my Valentine Swap package Monday. And didn't. I was going to stop after work but then I realized that I forgot to write down her address... so it will get into the mail tomorrow. I suck.

In good news, I love my new bank!! I got my debit card activated and started using it... every debit purchase I make gets rounded up to the nearest dollar and the extra gets deposited in savings. The way I use my debit card I will be independently wealthy in NO time. I have to remind myself not to automatically say "credit" though... but in less than an hour I "deposited" almost two dollars!! Love that. I used to save my change in a jar and then take that in, but I so rarely have or use cash that this is SUCH a great thing. Also? I ordered checks and they came today... there is a line above the signature line that says, "Knit Happens." How cool is that?

In my Addictions class we are supposed to think of something that would be really hard to give up... and then give it up for the rest of the semester and keep a journal about the struggle. I chose buying yarn online (but not at Twist). It is more difficult than I thought. For example, my favorite Etsy yarn shop Yarn Lust just sent me an email requesting that I sign up for a newsletter about new yarns and stuff.

Breathe through the pain.
Breathe through the pain.

I'm going to have to stop by Twist for a fix soon.

Back to Life

Socks ahoy!

There are some serious mistakes in these little buggers... but I was a little distracted through some of the knitting. There is an entire section during the gusset decreases where I was totally off on the whole pattern on one sock... and I did not decrease evenly on both socks. But they're almost done.

I didn't knit as much as I thought I would... I ended up sleeping a lot. I don't know why that surprises me so much!!

Tomorrow Bean and I return to our normal lives. After four days of lounging around, napping and eating baby-type food and playing Chocolatier we have to get up and be productive. We do have a backup plan just in case Bean can't hack it all day, though. The stepmother will be in town in the afternoon and if Bean is too tired or having too much pain to finish her day she will go and pick her up. We held back on her pain pills today - we're shooting for morning and night only. She's puffy and still sore, but I think she'll be fine.

Me on the other hand... I don't know if I can make it through the day without my post-luncheon rice pudding and nap.

Bean Before and After

I don't usually post family pictures here, but this is Bean on Friday morning before the surgery...




And this is Bean this morning...

She is actually smiling. A little.

There is very little bruising, but a lot of swelling (obviously).


She is actually feeling pretty good. We have been eating a LOT of soft foods. She ate all of the celery soup I made yesterday so I'm making a double batch tomorrow.

We spent all of today lounging around in bed watching '80's movies... 16 Candles was a favorite. She had never seen the entire movie before. ("Oh sexy girlfriend!!")

I got no knitting at all done today, because the Fabulous Michelle told me about a game called Chocolatier. IT IS SO MUCH FUN!!! It's a cross between Lemonade Stand and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego... only with chocolate.

I am on the gusset decreases on the On Your Toes socks and I predict that they will be done by Wednesday.

All is well...

Bean was out of surgery in 45 minutes and has been a real trooper all day. Having ten (yes, ten) teeth pulled was more difficult than she thought it would be. The stepmother was a great help as well.

We had several visitors and her dad came after work and stayed for three hours just talking to her - which was really great.

I'll write more later when I'm not so tired!!

Thanks to everyone who expressed support and concern.

The Truth

There was a commercial on a few minutes ago. The cold medicine one with the little frog ("I've got a me in my throat"). In the commercial the mommy frog knows exactly what to do and the little frog feels better in an instant.

I know that tomorrow is going to be fine. I know that the surgery is routine and the doctor knows what he's doing and she is going to be fine.

But I also know how miserable I was when I had my wisdom teeth removed... and I know she is going to feel something fairly similar. I can give her pain meds and ibuprofen and Jello and soup, but what if she is hurting and I really can't help? What if I give her all of that and she is still miserable?

Logically I know that there are going to be times in her life when she feels bad and I can't fix it... but what defense is logic to a mother?!?

The truth is:
I am scared and sad.
I would take on all of the pain for her if I could and never think twice about it.
I am already angry at the doctor who said we should do this and at the doctor who is going to do it.
I wish I could pack up and throw her in the car and just drive and drive and drive. Away from surgeries and crazy step-parents and hurt and disappointment and sadness.
I feel powerless that I can't.
I feel pathetic that a stupid froggy cold medicine commercial has reduced me to tears.
I know that I am going to be emotional tomorrow when they call her back and I can't go with her and I hate that the stepmother is going to be there to see it.
I wish it was all already over.

Deep breath.

Puffy-cheeked pictures and socks tomorrow!

Crap Day

So let's focus on the good things, shall we?

I am working the heel flap of my socks. This 2 socks thing kicks total one-sock ass. Seriously. (And I am teaching a class on this magic goodness at Twist in March. You should come and learn to do it too).

Except, not if you are using a reinforcing thread in the heel of the sock. Because then suddenly you have two needles and a cable, two balls of yarn and two spools of thread. Not good. Unless you are willing to sit completely still and finish the heel in one sitting. Which I am not. Because the heel flap is boring. I would much rather be turning that heel and moving on down the foot. After every row of heel flap I knit I think, "Am I done, can I turn it now? No? Fifteen more times? Damn." So every time take my socks out of the bag I have to untangle everything. No more reinforced heels for me. I only did it because the nice producers of Jawoll are kind enough to include the thread in the skein of yarn. It seemed like something I should do since they went to all of that trouble and all.

I am going to try to swing by Twist to divide my newest shipment from Blue moon into two equal balls... much better to knit two of you at once, my dear!! (Shelly has a handy scale for ensuring an equal divide). I am hoping that I will have a lot of knitting time during Bean's convalescence.

Also good today? Jack Johnson's new album. I love that guy. Also recently downloaded into my iPod: the new Sheryl Crow.
Wow.
Get thee to iTunes and download some folksy goodness.

We had some serious weather last night. When I got to the station last night (for Super Tuesday coverage) it was sort of rainy. When I left a few hours later my car was covered and the streets were slick. It wasn't too bad, as long as you didn't have to stop or turn. Forward worked pretty well. Though my truck tends to get a little dramatic when it comes to moving forward from a complete stop on ice. I call it Automotive Jazz Hands. The rear of the truck is all about moving sideways and the front of the truck prefers to remain still... the result is a gyrating shimmy. The rear of the truck also gets a little overzealous when it is time to turn.
I got home safe and I didn't fall down anywhere... so that was good.

I know it's only February, but I finally took my Christmas tree down. I know. But if I were an organized person who did everything in a timely way I wouldn't NEED the magic of the 2-at-a-time sock, now would I?

See, there is a reason for everything.

Oh... and celery is not from the devil. Anything that tastes good with either Ranch dressing, cream cheese or peanut butter can't be evil.

Deloused

I think we have done it.
Bean has been obsessively going through her hair with the combs and we have washed everything in hot water... and then washed her bedding again after last night. She still had some icky eggs this morning, so I did not take her to school. As of about 6pm she was egg free and good to go.

Fingers crossed for school tomorrow.

In knitting news...

Look at me knitting 2 at once!!

These are the February socks for Twist's On Your Toes sock club... I am enchanted by the pattern, Charade, by Sandra Park. Of course, in the picture you can't see how charming the pattern is because my camera (and camera skills) are crap... but trust me, the stitches are lovely. The yarn is Jawoll, and while it is a bit scratchy at first, it softens as you work with it and it is great for this pattern.

I also have received some Noro sock yarn... le sigh, le pant, le heave.

More on that later.

Things at home are good-ish. 24 days to go and we're more or less staying out of each other's way. He has made a couple of shitty comments here and there, but I figure he's entitled to some shittiness right now. As long as Bean isn't exposed to it I'm fine.

I am making a huge surgery shopping list... Popsicles, soup ingredients, bananas, frozen peas (for use as ice packs). I'm making two kinds of soup initially-potato soup and this really good celery soup that we love. It is easy to make and can easily become vegetarian or vegan...

Celery Soup
Clean and chop one bunch of celery (including the leaves)
In a large-ish pot boil the celery in chicken broth with a little bit of mild curry
Once the celery is very tender puree with 8 oz. of cream cheese
Can be served hot or cold

I love this soup. And more importantly, Bean loves this soup and there is no chewing involved.

So is everyone's weather screwy right now or is it just here? Yesterday temperatures were in the upper 60's. Last night there was a HUGE thunderstorm, complete with serious lighting and hail. This morning was foggy and now it's snowing and we're supposed to get 3 - 4 inches by tomorrow night.

The weather needs Cymbalta. And Xanax, apparently.

Itchy

This was going to be a post with lots of pictures of my first pair of 2-at-a-time socks.
This was going to be a post with lots of funny stories about my fantastic weekend of massage and friends and knitting.
This was going to be a post about anything except what it's actually about.

Bean spent the weekend with my parents. My mom brought her home at 7 this morning and she took a shower. Then she came in and woke me up, saying that she thought she had lice.

Oh yes ma'am. Lice.

I have never had lice (and I don't now, thank you very much). My sister had lice dozens of times and I never did. So we're thinking that my nephew had it and brought it to my mom's house and then Bean picked it up.

I ran right on over to Walgreens and bought a kit and extra combs. She shampooed with the anti-lice shampoo and then we used this gel stuff to comb through and then she rinsed that out. Meanwhile I stripped her bed, sprayed it down and put new sheets on it. Now we're running everything through the washing machine. I'm going to spray the couches and stuff just in case... but I think we have it under control

I checked my entire head and found nothing... but I'm still itchy. I called Kerri to let her know I wouldn't be at work today and she was itchy over the phone. If you're itchy now, too I'm sorry.

In knitting news...
I did finish my first pair of 2-at-a-time socks. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this method. They are short socks (the cuff is about an inch and a half long), but they only took me a week. I have started the February "On Your Toes" socks from Twist using the same method and they are fairly addictive.