No Socks Yet

But I did get the coolest card from my sock pal... who has apparently just moved from Germany. If there is a better excuse for not finishing socks on time I would like to hear it!! When we moved last year it was less than a mile away and it turned our lives inside out. I can't imagine a transatlantic move. Wow.
It was cool to hear from her (I think it's a her anyway). I was starting to worry just a bit.

I did get my sock pal's package sent and she should get it tomorrow... yay! As soon as she has it I'll post pictures of what I sent. I wanted to send chocolate but, 107 degrees and chocolate don't work very well together!

I can't wait for sockapalooza 5!

Dear Elvis

(I sent The Yarn Harlot an email. About Twist and offering to show her around when she comes. As though she's going to write back and say "Sure possible stalker, I'd love to spend hours I could be sleeping or knitting or writing with you and your weird knitter friends." Um... I don't think it is the MOST delusional thing I've ever done. Close, though).

Here's the thing: I think that the bookstore owner, wonderful as she is, does not understand the needs of a traveling knitter. When Shelly talked to her about offering to help with the planning for the reading she apparently hedged a bit on whether they should have a reception at the yarn shop. I can totally understand that we don't want to make any assumptions about what She will or won't want to do other than the reading... but surely She would want to know about the LYS... or maybe not... But probably, right?

I just don't want Her to end up at the other store... the, um, decidedly less friendly one. And also there are some really good restaurants with vegetarian options that are so great... It's just that sometimes in this city you can look at it and only see McDonalds and Walmart. If you know where to look though, there are some really neat places to go.

I have to get over this.

Speaking of Twist, I had a fantastic time at the SNB last night. I have almost two whole inches on my sweater now. I might get it done before winter. Maybe. I also bought some more yarn (gasps all around, I know).

Movie tonight... and a very busy weekend ahead!

Not Sleeping...

And since there are no internets at my house I am at the office. At 4 am. I know.
I didn't just come up here to play online, I was almost asleep (for the tenth time) and then I remembered something I didn't do. Or... I thought there might have been something that I forgot to do but since I haven't been sleeping at all well I couldn't remember if I actually did it or just tried to remind myself to do it by not sleeping.
Or something like that.

It was actually done. There was officially no reason in the world for me to be here. At 4 am.

Soooooo. Not sleeping. That's not like me at all. It's more like me to sleep through the day into the next day. And the not sleeping has made my short-term memory act more like a sieve than a computer. Luckily, Bean and I went to the office supply store today (um, I guess, yesterday) and bought lots of pens and a new planner so I can write down everything I might forget. Unless I forget to. Or something like that. If you need me to do something it might be wise to watch me write it down. If I just nod at you - regardless of how enthusiastic I might seem - I will probably forget it, and maybe you, the minute you are out of my line of sight. And I keep double-booking myself. Not good.

Also yesterday (heat index 107 - fucking hell) Andie's husband fixed the air conditioning in my truck so now I can not pass out and melt to the steering wheel when I am supposed to be driving. He is my hero. After months of panting and sweating and trying not to die of heat stroke Bean actually accused me of trying to freeze her in the back seat. Yay!

We did get a nice thunderstorm last night. That's probably part of my non-sleeping problem. I would get comfortable and start to relax and then there would be another round of house-shaking thunder and the cats would fight (on me) over who got to try to climb under the covers with me. I voted for neither of them, but they were convinced that one of them should attach herself to me. It's funny though, neither of them usually even notices when we have storms. Strange.

I have a full day today... at least it's full of the things I remembered to write down... it includes babysitting for D, work, and a knit-and-dinner date with some friends. If I was supposed to do something for you and it's not on the list you might call me and remind me.

First day!

So my new job went well... there was me and my two co-workers and the security guard... oh, and the suicidal psychotic guy, the two city police officers, the sheriff's officer and the two EMS workers. Yup, it was a quiet night.
It was, actually. I got to knit and I got to know my new co-workers (and they like me, they really like me). I got invited to Bunco on Saturday... I think that's a good thing... and honestly, except for being suicidal and, you know, crazy and everything, the client was very nice as well. I still don't know exactly what I'm supposed to be doing, but I'm sure that will become clear in time.

My supervisor came in at one point (I was knitting) and said, "Oh! I crochet!" We spoke in the secret language of fibers, I made her touch my Berroco Comfort and I took the opportunity to tell her all about Twist. She was suitably impressed by Comfort and Twist. I have found people who understand me.

Bean and I start school next week and we are both excited. I'm excited to take the classes I've signed up for and she is excited about being the oldest class in the school. I'll be taking a class on diversity and the DSM-IV class. I will be able to diagnose all of the crazy people around me! Finally! The diversity class actually is bothering me a little bit because I looked at the syllabus and we have to talk about our "culture of origin." I don't have one of those. I don't know where my "people" came from - neither side of my family passed down any of those stories. From last names alone I can guess German and English, but I don't have any idea how long ago they showed up and I don't think that has influenced my life. We don't have "family recipes." I am seriously "just" an American. The meals that my grandmothers made all came from Betty Crocker, and hot dogs and burgers were our staples. And Jell-o. With Dream Whip.

What is it with Saturdays?!?

Here's how yesterday was supposed to go:

-Sleep in until 10
-Shower and dress
-Go to Twist for Grand Opening Celebration, win fabulous door prize, knit sweater
-Come home, make dinner, eat, clean kitchen
-Watch new Netflix (Eddie Izzard Definite Article and Lost, season 1, disc 1)
-Go to sleep early in preparation for day of working on Sunday

Here's how yesterday actually went:

-Get home at 12:30 am from Bourne Ultimatum feeling motion sick due to DP's apparent conviction that camera stabilizers are for pussies
-Wake at 11, feeling hung over from motion sickness
-Unload dishwasher in desperate search for clean glasses
-Discover that all glasses in house are dirty and distributed between Bean's room and the Man Den
-Load dishwasher
-Drink water from bowl out of desperation and great thirst
-Ignore odd looks from cats
-Shower and dress
-Fight with husband about antidepressants
-Decide that The Outside World is just better without me in it for today
-Cook and eat entire box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese
-Hide in dark bedroom (with Netflix)
-Fall asleep during third episode of Lost and dream about being trapped on an island stocked with bottled water

I had Chinese food again today. I did not get a fortune cookie. I was afraid it would say something like, "Hey moron! What do we have to do, smack you with a frozen squid to get you to figure out we're talking to you? Leave the idiot and move the hell on!"

He took his new anti-depressant today. I'm trying not to get too hopeful. Just because he took it today does not mean he will take it tomorrow. Does not mean he will come back to me. Does not mean things will be better.

He also came to be with me last night and didn't have anything to drink last night. He also watched Office Space with me. Again with the not wanting to get too hopeful... but I think he is taking my edict seriously.

In better news...
I finished my Sockapalooza socks and am almost ready to mail... I'd like to put a few more goodies in the mix. Alli, I really hope you like the socks. I had my friend try one on - she has the same size feet as you do - there is a lot of stretch to them and you can wash them. I'll be mailing them tomorrow whether I can run enough errands to get more stuff or not.
It seems so strange to me to be done with this after having it in the back of my head for so long. It was something I really looked forward to - but now I have Kerri's wedding shower and bachelorette party and wedding to prepare for. So there is always something.

School starts soon - Bean and I are both really looking forward to the new year. I feel refreshed after my summer of slug... ready to be organized and learn. Much different than I felt at the beginning of last year and quite the surprise after this summer. Despite my summer of slug, it has also been a serious summer of stress. I think that having so many of my friends in marital flux has helped - it's not just me.

Bean is going into 5th grade and is looking forward to being the oldest class. Last year I let her have very subtle highlights... this year I think we're both going to get a little funky. I still haven't given up my need for purple hair - and today's Talk of the Nation is about tattoos and I'm giving that some thought as well. I know, I know. You should never get bangs, a tattoo, or any kind of elective surgery while you're going through some king of mental or emotional distress. I know. I've wanted a tattoo since I was 16, I just can't decide on a design or placement. It's a big commitment. The only other thing I have ever given that much real commitment to is motherhood.

Tonight is the second S'n'B at my new, lovely LYS!! I'm going to be working on my Katie the intern socks as she is going back to school as well and her last day will be Saturday. I finally did the maths and started the heel flap, then there will be the rows and rows of stockinette for her teeny, tiny socks. I'm going to miss her. Anything more than competent makes me a little misty and she is absolutely more than competent. I told Andie today that we need to be sending her care packages at school so that when she graduates she'll want to join our news staff as her first job. She's meant for bigger markets than ours, but everyone has to have that "get your feet wet" first real job.

That's how much we love her.

So... I'll be posting pictures of my sock pal package, but only after I get the email from her that she got it. No sense in spoiling the surprise for her! (Hi Alli!)

Knit on!

Um... Fortune Cookies ARE Random, Right?

Here was my fortune last night:

"Your loyalty is a virtue, but not when it's wedded to blind stubbornness."

Anyone else have the little hairs on the back of their neck stand up? Just me? OK.