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Knitting Update

2011-05-29T15:33:00.007-04:00

I've finished a few projects lately, finally done all planned baby projects for now!! Finished recently:
Baby blanket for Cobble Cobble's sweet little girl, quilting pattern inspired.
Hooded jacket for a friend's little boy.
And no picture update w/ both socks, but I FINALLY finished my mom's Christmas present pair of socks! Only about 5+ months late. I basically knit the whole sock while on the trip to Alaska. Everyone says socks are good travel projects b/c they are small and portable, and they are right! After doing this first pair of socks I am super inspired to knit a pair or two for myself. I have have at least four skeins of sock yarn in the stash waiting for projects. I got some of the new yarn from a cute new yarn shop in Juneau, hand dyed in Juneau.

But, first I have to get back to a project all for me. My "Cherry Cardigan." I probably put the needles down for this over 8 months ago when baby season reared its head again. I'm excited to get back to it. Took me a good bit to remember where I was in the pattern, but I am ready to go. Maybe I'll even get it done in time to wear it in the proper season!

Off to a bbq. I'll post pics of Alaska soon, they are on the other computer...

The Last Frontier

2011-05-11T22:41:00.000-04:00

In about 10 hours we leave from National Airport via Alaskan Airlines for Juneau AK. A very long stop in Seattle, WA for our layover, then finally we hit AK at like 2 am Eastern time. Tomorrow's gonna be loooooooooooooooog.

But...Alaska should be awesome! Don't worry, I'll take tons of pictures and be sure to share when I get home. Byeeeeeeee!

Awesome Saturday

2011-05-10T20:23:00.011-04:00

So this past Saturday I was brave and ventured to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival all by myself. I had heard about this kind of festival before, or more, the knitting part and I really wanted to see what it was all about. Well, it was clearly popular, b/c when I was approaching like 2 hours after it opened I got stuck in traffic on the access road for like 15 mins just trying to park. But it was totally worth it! It was held at the Howard County fairgrounds, and a major part of the event is agricultural and basically farmers that have sheep and produce wood/lamb meat and whatnot showing off their animals and having demonstrations on sheep herding, sheep shearing, and other animaly things. I was there for the yarn! Another huge part of festivals like this is not actually the yarn, but the wool from the sheep that people use to spin their own yarn. Spinning is a major pastime for tons of people, and like knitting or other crafts/arts, those who spin, are seriously serious about it. There were auctions for spinning wheels and lots of spinning accessories for sale.
This woman was just camped out spinning her own yarn. She was also wearing socks she knitted!

I'm not into that aspect yet. I did see a pin that made me laugh though, it said, "I spin...because knitting is not weird enough!" I bought pins that said "Will knit for wine," and "Friends don't let friends knit drunk" b/c I thought they were hilarious. I saw a women w/ a t-shirt that said, "will knit for beer." Knitting really is a community with deep bonds and people who truly enjoy knitting for the sake of knitting and making things for themselves and other people. Just this week I was working on an older project and realized, knitting makes me relax.

So...I saw lots of cool things while walking around the stalls of vendors and outside. It really did have a festival feel. There were musicians, food vendors, and tons and tons of shops selling yarn, fiber [to make yarn] knitting accessories, books, knitted objects. There were classes all weekend long, and I passed a tent full of little kids all sitting in chairs knitting and I basically stopped to stare it was so cute. There were people just set up places spinning or knitting for the fun of it, AND there were cute animals to pet. I pet some Angora goats, which I found out, make "mohair". Angora sheep make "angora."
These little guys are Angora Goats. I pet a few, they were soft!

Finally, i got some awesome yarns for future projects. Part of me wished I had come with projects/patterns in mind b/c buying yarn for the heck of it is dangerous. 1- you don't know what you will use it for, so it might go to waste, 2- what if you find the perfect use, but don't have enough! So I tried to buy w/ a pattern from the vendor, or enough for small project.

The white yarn is the softest yarn I've ever touched. I HAD to buy it. From the point when I touched it, and then went to talk to the husband on the phone about something and went back there were only two skeins left, so I snatched them up! Luckily they are just enough to make this soft, flowy hooded sweater for me! The pinky yarn is for socks, as is the ball of black/blue yarn. I'm finishing up a pair of socks for my mom and I really want to make the next pair for me. The spirally [hank] of yarn is super soft and variegated and I got a free pattern for a neat scarf, and finally the other ball of multicolored yarn was just a spontaneous purchase! I could easily make a gift scarf or something from it, and hey, it was on sale [or at least they said it was.] I easily spent $100 on these yarns, and I had to make myself walk away from so many more that were awesome, but were like $40 for just one skein/hank/ball. Which, at this point in time, I cannot justify. Yarn at stores like JoAnn's and others is ok, but you don't really make long lasting quality things from it, so I know really good yarn is going to be expensive, but...I couldn't justify that. The best part is, at least half of these were actually made in Maryland, from MD sheep and crafts people that spun and dyed the yarn themselves. So I can feel good about buying local! I can't wait to go to this next year and will see if anyone else wants to go. It's free and was so much fun, even all by myself!

Royal Wedding

2011-04-29T15:32:00.002-04:00

Yes, ok ok, I watched the royal wedding. Not at 4 am, I'm not THAT crazy! I have off work today so I was sound asleep till 10ish :-D I watched the reruns of it this afternoon and I have to say I enjoyed it. Her dress was beautiful, but actually not that much fancier than some of my friends' dresses. The whole time I was watching I was thinking to myself, wow, what is going through her mind? She is my age [give or take some months] and she is now part of the royal family! The pomp and circumstance of this day is just the beginning of her new life!!! She looked like she was taking it all pretty well, she didn't look that overwhelmed. There were some great moments where they just looked happy and in their own special moment. Being the sappy girl I can be sometimes...it made me think of my wedding day and of course that made me happy. Did you watch the wedding?

2 posts in like 6 hours!!!!

2011-04-10T02:07:00.002-04:00

I'm on a blogging roll!!!!!!!!!!

So...all this baking recently has made me wish it were cookie season, which I guess is Christmas season. When everyone has those cookie exchange parties. Or you can bake cookies for the church bazaar. I'm loving baking and trying new recipes right now, but who needs dozens of awesome cookies laying around? Right? Sooo....who out there wants to share with me? Or have a baking party. We can bake just one type/batch of cookies and share, or try several recipes together? Like actually bake together rather than bring the already cooked things to the party? I think it would be fun to pick some baking/cooking things to try as a team???? Who is with me!!!???

Also, baking all these things makes me think it would be fun to have a 'brunch party.' What do you think? Cookies, cakes, quiche, mimosas...all things delicious. Again, who is with me?

Ok, maybe I'm just up way too late, but I'm excited about all of this. Ladies, gents- lets plan something :-D

Cookie experiment

2011-04-09T22:21:00.005-04:00

Have you ever tried to recreate something you ate at a restaurant? I've been dying to find a recipe for Italian almond cookies like the ones at Vaccaro's Italian Bakery in Little Italy, Baltimore. They are amazing. Chewy, super almondy, and just delicious! I've looked at all the recipes in my books at home and never found anything that sounded right. Andrew found this recipe and I've given it a try. The super almond flavor is from almond paste, which is a little pricey, but definitely has the right flavor.

I halved the recipe but actually had about 2 oz. less of the paste than I needed. I'm hoping that is not a terminal loss. The cookies are turning out ok, much flatter than the originals though. I'm not sure that is because of the missing paste though. What makes a cookie flat vs. rounder and puffy? Anyone know? Is it flour? Eggs? Type of sugar?

So, they taste perfect, but since they are flat, there's not as much chewiness available. Still happy though! Now I need some will power to keep from eating a dozen of them tonight!

The Vaccaro's cookie is in the middle, see it's shape?
Here are mine cooking on the sheet:

Awesome Happy Hour

2011-04-02T12:53:00.003-04:00

Yesterday Beeps and her husband met my husband and me at Talara in the Harbor East neighborhood of Baltimore. We had been there before and have been itching to take Beeps and husband there because they have all kinds of great Latin American dishes and drinks, they even have caipirinhas!

Well we took full advantage of their great happy hour deals. We had mojitos, caipirinhas, and seviche! One of the dishes we had was this Salmon Asian Tartar:

It was yummy. Who knew raw fish was so tasty. I've had sushi/seviche several times now and it's always good. The whole raw fish thing is interesting in that, the texture is so very different than cooked fish. And it can take on the taste of the sauces and other ingredients. This dish was seasoned with soy sauce, scallions, sesame oil and capers, served on sushi rice and nori rolls with white truffle oil wasabi mayonnaise,Tobiko caviar and fried lotus root. I would totally recommend it.

And if you go, make sure you try the Key Lime Mojito...fabulous! [I had four :-D ]

Lofty Saturday

2011-03-13T17:31:00.008-04:00

Yesterday Andrew and I went with both our sets of parents to the National Cathedral in DC. Dad, Andrew and I went on a special tour where you get to climb pretty high up in the crossing tower [the big one in the middle of the church, not the two at the west/front end]. This is the tower with the two sets of bells. Apparently this is not a normal tour. The weather was pretty good, little windy though and cold when you were up in the parts of the tower that are basically open air.

There were two sets of bells, one which are rung mechanically w/ a hammer type thing, but where the 'tune' is played by someone sitting at what resembles an organ. So someone is actually pounding at the keys to make the bells ring.

The second type are huge bells that have long ropes attached that people pull in different ways to make music. Apparently this type of ringing is centuries old. We got to hear both which was kinda neat. I would have enjoyed a little more of an 'architectural' tour that taught us about the tower construction and the building, and where we would have gotten to go higher [we really only went about half way up the tower] but it was still a cool tour.

My dad has a former student that works there that is going to set up a tour for us kinda behind the scenes, where we got to go through special doors and up stairs that regular people don't- now this is my type of tour! Looking forward to when that happens. This place is full of cool carved doors that are locked and carved spiral stone stairs that look like they go to cool places....

Afterward we all went to lunch in Georgetown which was nice too. It was great to see each of our parents all at once. We are amazingly lucky that we each have parents we totally get along with, and that our spouse gets along with too.

Cookie Success!

2011-02-19T13:18:00.011-05:00

So the new mixer got a workout this weekend. Yesterday I made a batch of buttery shortbread cookies and today I made a ton of ginger snaps. The ginger snaps turned out awesome. You mix all the ingredients together, including butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, vinegar, ground ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and molasses [which I was skeptical about b/c it didn't smell all that great] then roll the cookies into little balls and bake on the sheet. I used the Joy of Cooking recipe, but took a cue from another recipe and dipped the cookie ball in granulated sugar before putting it on the cookie sheet and baking. That turned out to be a great idea, as the cookies bake and flatten they get that awesome characteristic cracked surface and the sugar makes them sparkle and adds just a little extra sweetness. The cookies are crisp but still a tiny bit chewy at the center. I'd say this was a success!

These are the shortbread cookies all cut up into squares. You bake them in a jelly pan [cookie sheet w/raised sides] and just press the dough in then cut into pieces when done. Very easy.

Early Birthday Gift!

2011-02-17T10:45:00.004-05:00

So, the big 3-0- is coming up in a month, and I already get to play with my gift! I told my husband I wanted the Kitchenaid stand mixer we registered for from the wedding but never got. Over the years I've kept an eye on the price via amazon.com and figured we'd buy it asap when a good price showed up on the onyx black one we wanted. Well $207 came around, and voila! New pretty mixer to play with. It's kinda a gift for both of us, but I've been wanting it for a while and couldn't justify just buying it.

So...what do I make first!!!!!!!! I've been dying to make shortbread cookies w/ jelly in the middle and I think that will be my first recipe. What else? Any suggestions? I know there have been things I've tried to make in the past or wanted to but knew the little hand mixer I had just wouldn't cut it. So now I've got all the power and glory of this bad boy to make it happen! I think husband will attempt some bread recipes too, he's got a pretty awesome dutch oven bread already. With time I assume we'll buy the pasta attachment and maybe some others. I figure lets master the simple stuff first and then we can move on.

So, now the important question...where do I keep this thing? It's pretty big, and we have limited counter space. Already hogging space are, toaster oven, bread box, knife block, utensil holders, and griddler...all very important things. Guess we'll just have to cram one more thing on the counter. Maybe we should clear up the recycling stash and other little things....

Oh, and in other news, I don't have to go back into work for a week!
Today- telework
Friday- flex day
Saturday
Sunday
Monday- fed holiday!!!
Tuesday- telework

Wednesday, ugh, back at work :-(

Ok, back to getting some work done at home :-D

Knitting Fun- Socks and Mittens

2011-01-22T16:04:00.008-05:00

So, it's been a while since my last knitting update. I was busy for the holidays. First I tried to make these cute little mitten Christmas ornaments for my family, they are relatively easy and took about 1.5-2 hours each. I am going to try to stock pile them this year for next Christmas and the church bazaar, apparently they were popular there. I used a self patterning sock yarn and size 1 and 2 needles.

I wanted to find something special to knit my mom for Christmas. She's not really a scarf person, and there certainly wasn't time for a sweater or anything, so I figured socks might be a good idea. This was my first attempt at knitting a sock and I must say it was kinda fun. They look complicated, but probably aren't' as bad as they look. I had a great pattern from the magazine Knit Simple and did a little research on Ravelry.com first to see what others thought of the pattern. It sounded like a good place to start. Here's the yarn I chose, Lion Brand Sock Ease, w/ aloe to sooth the hands while knitting
You start this pattern at the cuff of the sock and knit down the length of the leg. To knit the sock as a tube, you use 5 tiny needles and spread the stitches among them. This is also how you would knit a sleeves to a sweater or finger on a glove if you did not want to have a seam down the whole thing. It's a little tricky to get going, but easy once you get the hang of it. After the cuff is the desired length, then you knit the "heal flap" the part of the sock that extends down over the back of your heal, then you "turn the heal" where you make the knitting cup up so that it fits tight to the rounded heal of your foot.

Here you can see the heal flap knitting as a separate piece from the rest of the leg of the sock.

Next you pick up stitches from the portion of the leg you left on the needles, and then heal and knit the "gusset" which is the triangular space next to the heal on either side of your foot. Every other round you make decreases by knitting two stitches together, this makes this part of the sock narrow so that it will fit the flatter part of your foot. Then you just knit the top and bottom of the sock for the rest of the length of the foot until you hit the toe area. Finally you do another round of decreases specially designed to make a perfect point in the shape of the toe and, you are done!

So, I've made exactly one sock. Gave it to my mom for Christmas with the promise of its matching pair. I've got a few baby projects to get done before I can finish the second sock but hopefully it won't be too long. I see more socks in my future, they aren't as hard as I expected, and the pattern choices are endless. I think I might make the next pair for myself :-D

The weekend

2011-01-16T17:48:00.002-05:00

Exciting things this weekend has brought, or has yet to bring:
-relaxing with my husband unexpectedly
-making awesome teriyaki steak dinner last night
-gym, trip to BJs to stock up, then more relaxing
-break in the relaxing to clean clean clean
-husband set up our new reading lamps! [guess who is going to bed early to read!]
Tomorrow:
Thrift store w/ Beeps. Then lunch and watching the season premiere of the final season of Big Love. Then more relaxing on my lovely federal holiday. Thank you very much.

How are you all doing?

Busy Season

2010-12-14T19:54:00.002-05:00

During this busy Christmas season I'd much rather be sitting at home knitting some last minute gifts and getting the house in order than working 9 hours a day. I've got a few knitting projects going [secret b/c of Christmas] and I REALLY wish I had more time to get them done. Of course I didn't plan ahead and knit things in advance, but who is that prepared!?!

I'm also drawing a blank for gifts for some people...like my parents. Parents have everything they need, what do you buy for them? We have a few things for each of them, but I wish I had some more cool gifts. I love giving gifts, especially well thought out ones, but I just can't think of cool stuff. Any ideas out there? Extended family can be hard too. We've got lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins, and I wish we would just pick names already, but each year I try to get us to do it and no one wants to. So now we're stuck trying to figure out gifts for way too many people. It ends up feeling like exchanging money, we should just not exchange gifts.

Alright, back to the knitting and cleaning! Hope the season is treating you all well.

More Knitting Fun!

2010-10-26T16:59:00.007-04:00

Two baby showers in one weekend made for a busy knitting fall season. I love the little sweater I made for one friend, it was super easy but so cute. The cable detail is fun and I can't wait to see it and the hat on this little girl. I will probably make this sweater again in a different color, it was just so easy and fun. Now if only I could knit myself a sweater so fast.

The baby booties were made with some yarn my mom had as extra in her stash. They only took a few hours total and were really easy. I will definitely be making these again in various sizes for all the girls that are being born this year.

It's just way too early

2010-09-21T19:01:00.004-04:00

Now, I went to Home Depot today to get some fly paper [we have a fly issue...it's icky] and when I was there I noticed that they have Christmas trees, lights, and ornaments out already. ALREADY!!!! It's September 21st, over three months till Christmas, it's not even October, Halloween or Thanksgiving yet. Now, I don't like to see Christmas stuff really until after Halloween, or even Thanksgiving all that much. This is just insane.

Later in my errands I had to go to BJs to get bulk everything. One thing was 2, 42lbs bags of cat litter. I can barely lift these things over the edge of the cart to get them in, let alone, back out of the cart, into the car, out of the car, and into the house...but the first bag I picked up apparently had a big hole in it. As I heave it up towards my cart, a huge stream of litter pours out...right into my shoe.... Super. Sadly, these bags don't last that long. I would have bought more but it's just not in me to lift 42lbs repeatedly.

Those kitties had better catch a bunch of flies and earn their keep!

J/k. They both gave me super cuddles while I worked today.

2 things

2010-09-11T15:23:00.002-04:00

So I tried that Chobani greek yogurt everyone is raving about. 1- when I checked the expiration date right before I was going to eat it [b/c once Giant sold me expired yogurt :-( ] the date was October 10th or so, and I was like- wow, this is some super long lasting yogurt! October! Then I realized that was basically just a month away. Where did summer go?

2- this stuff tastes like eating straight up sour cream. Seriously, it's soooo thick. I got one w/ pineapple on the bottom, but the sweet pineapple didn't do much to help the yogurt. It was good, but I don't really think of it as yogurt. And it so was so thick, I couldn't even eat it all, it was too much! I have another one I haven't eaten yet, it's a honey flavored one, I'll give it a try, maybe it's better.

Ok, still on the food track, so maybe "3 things"- I'm making a Bolognese sauce today. It takes like 4.5 hours...so far it's been 20 mins. I'm browning a puree of onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Then you add meat, brown, tomato paste, brown, red wine, brown, water, water, water water, brown it, brown it....you get the idea. It's apparently a labor of love, we'll see if we love it when it's done. Andrew is going to make home made ricotta gnocci. I'm excited! Pictures to follow :-)

My First Raven's Game

2010-09-07T18:22:00.004-04:00

Andrew got tickets to a pre-season game through work and asked if I'd like to go, usually with the big games he and some friends go, so it was really nice of him to ask. I've never been to a Raven's game so I thought it would be fun. I'm not a big football fan but I know it can be a lot of fun to go to games. I bought myself a cute t-shirt for the occasion and all! The weather was great and I ended up having a really nice time. I did find myself letting my eyes wander around the stadium during the game and then I'd miss whatever play was going on...but it was still fun.

I'm not sure when the season starts, but I really want to attend some Capitals games this year. Last year was the first year I really watched games and it was a great year to start. I think I would enjoy watching in person too. Hopefully we can get tickets to some games this fall.

What is your favorite sport to watch in person? On TV?

Beach Trip Highlights

2010-08-25T20:37:00.010-04:00

We had a great week of relaxing, drinking, eating, beaching, pooling, cooking, reading...good times. Here are some pictures of the fun:

Here is our beach fort, it was pretty great, plenty of shade, which I took full advantage of. Also used my beach umbrella bag which worked great!

Me, under the umbrella, big floppy hat, sunglasses and SPF 50! I'm not getting burnt!

Best beach game ever, "Kubb". Google it. You set up wooden blocks and have to knock them down w/ wooden dowels. Everyone that walked by stopped to watch for a while, since most people have never seen this game before.
Pool pong. Harder than you would think. Andrew improvised a speed version which worked out pretty well. Having a pool was actually really cool. You would think it is superfluous, but we really enjoyed having another place to relax and cool off. The ocean was a little rough the first part of the week then filled w/ jellyfish the last few days.
Artsy photo!
Would love to be able to go back to the beach w/ friends and family asap, but will have to wait till next year :-(

beach trip #2

2010-08-16T09:24:00.003-04:00

4:45 wakeup
5:30 depart
11:00 arrive in Duck
2:00 beach
4:00 check into house
5:00 poolside
10:00 bed

That was day 1. Down in the Outer Banks again, this time with friends. We rented one of those houses w/ 8 bed rooms. So far it's been pretty great. Haven't seen what the beach is like near our house yet, but the pool in the back yard is pretty awesome. This place has three refrigerators! Pictures and updates to come. Gonna test out that umbrella carrying thingy!

Ready for the beach!

2010-08-07T12:35:00.005-04:00

I just finished my first independent sewing project, a beach umbrella bag! We are headed back down to the Outer Banks in a week with 4 other couples. When I was down a few weeks ago I had our only umbrella, which had no carrying case and was kind of a pain to carry. I also bought another umbrella knowing when we were both on the beach we would both want our own shade. To solve the problem of carrying two umbrellas I figured I could made some sort of bag. I looked up patterns for yoga mat bags and based my project after them. I wanted a draw string top and a round bottom and a strap. I sort of fudged the pattern and just did my best. The hardest part was sewing the round bottom into the tube, I didn't really know how to do this and it's got some kinks and wrinkles. So if I were to make something more refined I would have to learn how to do this correctly. But as a first project, I'm pretty proud of the result! It fits both umbrellas and looks cute :-) I'll be sure to take some pictures at the beach too!

Two Down

2010-07-28T22:41:00.005-04:00

Finished New Moon today on the beach. These books really are easy reads, and the story keeps you interested and wanting to keep reading. Despite that, I am going to take a quick break and read something else before moving on to Eclipse. That is, if I don't miss the characters and story line too much. H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds is next on my list. I always love heading to the "classics" or "summer reading" sections of the library. There are always soooo many books that I know are going to be good or have at least stood the test of time. Tons of books I feel like I should have read in school but never did. I've read Dracula, Rebecca, Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Three Musketeers...and so on. It's also funny to see some of the stuff that makes it onto that list these days too. I've really come to enjoy the library system the past few years. What could be better than free books and movies???

Oh, and since I was going to be in the car for 8+ hours I decided to try a book on CD. I got A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseni. I should be about half way through, its at least 11 cds. It is very interesting so far. Easy book to listen to and pay attention even while driving. The fact that the drive is really easy helps I'm sure. Who knows if the book would be the same if you were reading it yourself. But so far I'd recommend it. The few minutes I was in the car today to get bread from the store I turned it on again, and sort of wanted to sit in the car back at the house to finish the short chapter...but I'll have plenty of time on Sunday.

One Book Down

2010-07-26T20:01:00.005-04:00

I finished Twilight last night. At about 3 am to be exact. Not that I stayed up late to read, I went to bed at 10 or something lame, but a thunderstorm woke me up so much I knew I couldn't fall back asleep so I just read. I got so close to the end I couldn't just stop with a few pages left so I finished it all. I think I started it on Wednesday or something. Pretty quick read. On to the next one.

Twilight was good, not obsessively good, but I can see how they are appealing [and I'm still reading aren't I]. Even though I'm not the target audience, which is probably 12 year old girls, not 29 yr old women...the romance is still interesting. It has all the usual vampire stuff, along with some characteristics the author made up [different from standard vamp lore] so that the storyline could work. At times that was a little annoying but it works well so far. The most interesting parts were the back stories, or creation stories, how the characters became what they are. This is my favorite part of other vampire stories, Interview With the Vampire, True Blood...I wish there was more of this, maybe there is? I'm about 1/5 or so through New Moon, I'm sure I'll finish it before I leave on Sunday. Thanks to the library and C, I have all the books so I won't be left waiting for more. Definitely good beach reads.

I'm here

2010-07-25T09:10:00.004-04:00

Left Elkridge yesterday at about 7:30. Stopped in LaPlata to help the parents finish packing and then we headed south. This is the first time I've driven any distance by myself. The trip was supposed to be about 8.5 hours and we got to Avon at about 4:30 I think. I followed my parents advice and steered clear of 95 and the usual beach routes. So even though it took a little longer it was a nice scenic route. Driving by myself was easier than I thought, though the familiar route helped.

I'm off to suntan lotion up and head to the beach. It's sunny and a little windy and though it's warm, it's much cooler than back home.

It's Official

2010-07-22T10:15:00.002-04:00

I've broken down and am reading Twilight! Shhhhh, don't tell my husband, he might just disown me :-) Actually, HE'S seen the movie...but only so he could trash it and be well informed. I figured plenty of other adults have read them and liked the books so why not. I need a good beach read for next week anyway. [more on that to come].

Have a great weekend!

Next Project

2010-07-14T21:25:00.008-04:00

So, it's time for a new knitting project, and this time for me! There's a lull in the due dates of pregnant friends so I've picked the "Cherry" cardigan. It has a cute little cable pattern and is a kind of retro fitted sweater. I picked the yarn on the above. It's somewhere between moss and lime green.

Oh, and here's a cute picture of the Betty:

Just doing my part

2010-06-29T20:19:00.003-04:00

The husband and I are planning to get healthy this summer, hopefully get a little more fit by beach time. And I just took the first step, ate a bowl of ice cream. He has mandated that we can't have any sweets or unhealthy snacks in the house, but that we are allowed to finish what's here. So, in an effort to clear out all that unhealthy stuff I had a yummy dish of Andes Mint ice cream. Mmmmm.

Eventually we will eat all the good stuff and the next step will be much harder, but the point is to be doing it together, which I guess will make it easier. My problem is I'm a snacker and I also like to have treats every once in a while, rewards for doing well...I'll just have to enjoy all my rewards in advance :-( Hopefully we can stick w/ this and eat better and work out more over the next month or so and see some results. Here goes!

Project Updates!

2010-06-27T19:06:00.006-04:00

Two projects done in one week! Finished the scarf for my friend Sara's bridal shower on Friday [only took one week!] and finally broke out my sewing machine for its first test drive to finish the Snow Mum Pillow.

First things first, Penobscot Scarf: my first attempt at lace, pretty happy with how it turned out. I had to block it after I was done b/c it wanted to curl at the ends and throughout the length and after I was done it looked so good. I hope it keeps its shape. This was pretty easy to make in a week w/ some serious knitting time.

The next project is like 6 months in the making. The NWC got together to make this back in the winter and I bailed early b/c of the snow [which amounted to nothing]. I finally got my own sewing machine [thanks Grandma!] and set about to finish it this weekend. Now, this is a pretty forgiving project, the wool felt hides my crooked sewing and it still looks ok. The hardest part was sewing the petals on since my presser foot didn't really get up high enough. I learned that I don't know a lot about sewing and need to work on my technique...like remembering to put the presser foot down before sewing...but it's done!

I love the way it looks on our new-ish bedding. I have our summer chenille spread on w/ the shams from our duvet cover and the mum matches perfectly. I love the look. Now we just have to work on making the bed up more often so we get to see the full effect.

Now I just have to find my next project :-) Any suggestions...?

Baby Sweater Machine

2010-06-22T12:01:00.007-04:00

Tomorrow I'm headed to my cousin's baby shower. She's having twin girls in September. She's the sixth friend/relative I have that either is having or had a baby this year. So I've been pretty busy knitting, which is actually pretty fun. Baby clothes are way easier than adult size and you can try out different yarns and patterns. I stuck w/ the same baby shrug for the twins as for another friend's girl since it was easy and I needed to get two of them done asap. Looking forward to the next project...but I need to know the sex of the December baby first. I'll pick a new pattern this time to try something new and hopefully perfect some skills. So, here are the baby shrugs I've made recently:
I've also started another knitting project for a friend. It's the wrong season for a scarf, but the name of the scarf reminds me of this person and I thought it would be a special gift. It's the first time I've done a lace pattern but so far its easy. I need to finish by Sunday though...so I'm on overdrive. I think I can do it though! I'll post the final when I'm done. Now I'm off for a knitting break!

I've joined the land of the sewing!

2010-06-15T20:53:00.006-04:00

I'm back! And I'm gonna learn to sew :-) My mom dropped of my grandma's sewing machine today. It's a 13 year old Singer and it's basic but just what I need. Mom taught me how to thread it and we took it on a test run. Works fine, I just need to get some thread and get sewing. I'll finally get to finish my Snow Mum Pillow...at last. I won't have to borrow other New Wives machines and we can all sew together :-)

I'm looking forward to the project Beeps has proposed, a zippered clutch w/ a wrist-let. Can't wait. Now I have to start amassing large quantities of fabric and queue up some projects.

The only bad thing is now I have to choose between sewing and knitting, between the two the possibilities are endless!

Big Week

2010-05-17T20:14:00.002-04:00

So, tomorrow I have a presentation to give at a conference, I'm a little nervous but finally to the point where I almost don't care, and if I could just give my presentation right now at like 8:30 at night I would. Then Thursday and Friday I head to anther conference out in Easton, MD. I have a presentation that ends at 3:45 Friday afternoon. At 4 pm I hope to be in my car and headed to Ocean City with some friends. I'm not quite done preparing the second presentation and it will need some practice- but I can hardly wait till I'm done and can finally relax. The past month or so has been pretty busy w/ a big work meeting and then preparing for these two presentations. I can't wait till work is back to normal for me.

So, just four more days of work, two presentations, and some stressing out, and I'm at the beach for three days! Don't even care if it's not that warm, I just want to relax, read a book, and have some drinks with friends.

One more craft to obsess over!

2010-05-11T16:54:00.003-04:00

So, I'm falling to the pressures, I'm getting a sewing machine! My grandmother is graciously giving me hers. It's not quite as old as Beeps' machine though. My mom will have to re-teach me all I learned in middle school home economics class, but hopefully I'll be on my way sewing up a storm soon! I can finally finish my Snow Mum Pillow project...it's been sitting in a corner waiting for months. Then I'll have to look to my buddies [Beepsnrays, My Better Half, and cobble cobble] for some project ideas.

I'll be posting the recent fruits of my knitting labors soon [as soon as I finish]. A cute baby shrug for a friend who is due in July. Just found out another friend is expecting and due in December, and my cousin is having twins in October...so there are plenty of options for fun projects.

Kitty Post

2010-04-20T14:56:00.007-04:00

This is what happens when I tried to put the clothes away the other day. First Betty settles in, then Meatball. They stayed there for hours. So cute.

Whenever I'm working at the computer Betty likes to sit between me and the computer. No matter how much room there is she squeezes in. She sits there at first and kinda lets me hug her. Then she eventually settles down and lays on my arm...making it a little hard to work. I usually just let her stay there though because she's so dang cute! She'll sit there till I move her or get up. Usually my arm falls asleep. While she was there today I had a little one armed photo shoot.

Newest Addition

2010-04-06T17:45:00.007-04:00

So, our dryer broke back in February and we've [hah] been just air drying the clothes since then. Which, while very green, is not very fun. Takes too long and all my clothes feel crunchy afterward. And did I mention I HATE ironing? So, we finally decided to get a new set of washer/dryer a week ago b/c the washer finally crapped out too. Well, sort of. Months ago my husband 'fixed' the washer-the little switch that flips when you close the lid, so that the tub will stop spinning if you open the lid, broke and the wash would always get to the same spot in the cycle and just stop. So, in ultimate frustration we went and bought these:

So far so good, the clean and dry my clothes in a reasonable time, and that's all I can ask. We didn't shell out the $ for super efficient or front loading types, figuring it just wasn't worth the $. Now if I could just find someone else to do all the laundry....

Um...I thought I said 'seat save'

2010-03-26T13:12:00.000-04:00

Trellis Baby Sweater- Complete!

2010-03-22T19:57:00.007-04:00

So my friend's baby shower was this past Saturday and I finished knitting the last part of the sweater on Friday and mom and Aunt Jane helped me sew on the buttons Saturday before the shower. I'm super happy about how it turned out. I modified the pattern some according to advice on some websites and I'm happy about how it turned out. I think I made it easier to knit than the pattern was originally written. I didn't have to do much 'finishing' like sewing up seams and whatnot. There are things I wish were a little better but overall I'm happy with the finished product. It was well received by the mom-to-be which made me really happy. I can't wait to see it on the new baby boy.

5 years later

2010-03-18T09:09:00.002-04:00

And I still miss you, think about you often and hope to see you one day again.

Freezer Mystery

2010-03-16T10:56:00.004-04:00

I am working from home. I made ice this morning for my tea. Went back to get fresh ice and saw this:

Someone please explain how this happens to me, because it is a mystery.

Back to work.

Shopping Win

2010-03-12T15:22:00.005-05:00

Last week I spend the whole weekend with my parents. It was nice to be home and just relax. Saturday Mom and I were on Kent Island for a meeting she had so we hit the outlets on the way home. Boy did we win big. First stop LLBean. Mom got me some early birthday presents, a Wool Blazer and Wood Pea Coat. The blazer was originally $149 and she got it for less than $25, the Pea Coat was $189 and she got it also for $25!

I also got this cute little lunch bag and a summer white chenille bedspread. Pretty good haul.

Trip Highlights

2010-03-07T21:04:00.006-05:00

Husband and I went on a trip a few weeks ago to Tampa FL for a friend's wedding. The weather was a little cold but the wedding was nice. We stayed an extra night and then left the next day for a five night Caribbean cruise with Carnival. As our first cruise we were pretty excited. I'd say that it was a good time and I would go on a cruise again, but a longer one for sure. Also, even knowing this going in, having to pay for your drinks is rough. The last trip we went on like this was an all inclusive resort, and that spoils you. Now if they would make an all inclusive cruise...

So, here are some picture highlights for your viewing pleasure:

Us on the beach before the wedding [kinda cold out...even for FL]; the married couple, so cute and happy :-)

Our boat- Carnival Inspiration- our room was allllllllll they way on the end, lowest deck of rooms, very comfy and nice. Bathroom was pretty ok- except it is virtually impossible to shave your legs in a shower the size of a linen closet. Different towel animal towel animal every night, seal, dog, elephant, bunny, and sting ray.
The town of Hell in Grand Cayman, we visited the town post office, you could send mail from Hell which was very cool. The rest of these pics are from Cozumel, Mexico. Very pretty, don't need to go back. Shopping isn't all that, and they hound you so much [in a nice way...] but it really puts you off to actually shopping- too much pressure. We did enjoy a mile or so walk down the road, stopping for increasingly expensive beers as we got closer to our ship. $1.50, $2, then $3, still cheaper than the boat.

Good trip, hard to come back to reality. Still felt like I was on a boat for a few days, especially when getting out of bed for some reason.

Housewife?

2010-02-17T19:23:00.001-05:00

I'm starting to miss my short foray last week into being purely a housewife. This working stuff is no fun, especially when you have 5 million emails to catch up on b/c you were out for a week. But... I think my dreams of sitting at home watching daytime reruns of Law and Order, NCIS, Gilmore Girls, and Bones while knitting and constantly checking Facebook updates are not quite going to pan out. This life can only be supported by a double income...my part would be sorely missed...maybe we should all ban together to start selling our knitting, baking, quilting, sewing, artistic creations to somehow support ourselves so we can run away from these other jobs...any takers?

Going to a wedding this Saturday followed by a 5 night cruise of the Caribbean...totally not going to help my desire to not have to work...oh well, that's what vacations are for right, to unwind, relax and make work seem possible again.

Next Project- Trellis Sweater

2010-02-06T18:58:00.011-05:00

The thing about craft and home projects, is as soon as you are done one [or even before completion] you are ready to start a new one. So the next project is the Trellis baby sweater found here:
http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring05/PATTtrellis.html

And no, this is not my veiled way to tell you all I am pregnant, we're friends, I would at least tell you on facebook :-) No, I've got two friends who are expecting this year, and baby sweaters are fun to knit and go quick! I think this is going to be really cute and I hope it comes out right. I'm not too good w/ the 'gauge' which is where you make sure you are making it the right size by doing a test swatch of the pattern and switch needle size if it is too big/small. I did it twice and just decided to go w/ what I've got. So, hey, if it's too big, kids grow right? It will fit some time...

So, I'm even trying to make some changes to the pattern to make it easier to knit. I joined this cool knitting/crocheting web group where people post projects and pictures and tips and stuff called https://www.ravelry.com/account/login It's great b/c you can browse all kinds of projects and get ideas of what to work on next.

This website also helped me realize that I didn't know how to read graphic charts for knitting. I worked on the project for a few days and it just didn't look right and while looking over someone else's comments realized that I was doing it all wrong...so I had to start over which is never fun, but now it looks great and much better so I'm happy. I'm hoping to make some major progress on this while snowed in...for the sixth day! I had a flex day Friday so I didn't work and now we are going on 3 snow days...I'm not totally bored or cabin crazy yet. It helps that we were able to make a path to the neighbor's house to go have some drinks and enjoy some company. We even made it over there for the SuperBowl- a snow blog post to come soon!

Alright, back to the knitting for a while. Good luck to all you other bloggers/readers out there w/ your snow projects and enjoy the time off.

Finished Projects!

2010-02-06T10:54:00.007-05:00

So here are the final "final" pictures of my sweater. I got buttons from JoAnn's that match really well though you can't see it that well in the pictures. I took the pictures w/o the flash b/c it comes out better but then you can't see the colors as well. Now it's all ready for me to wear out! I'm excited.

Next I finally completed this afghan I started at least 4ish years ago. It's the first real complicated thing I started but it wasn't that hard to make. The hardest part was seaming all 15 squares together, ugh. I've probably taken a year to do that, but now it's finally done. It's technically a baby blanket, my mom made one for me before I was born. I thought it would be fun to make b/c each square is a different pattern and you get experience trying out 15 different patterns and the squares are small enough you don't really get bored. I'm glad it is finally done and I think I'll go cuddle under it on the couch and watch our snow hit at least 2 feet by noon!

house envy

2010-02-05T13:10:00.002-05:00

I love visiting other people's houses. I love to see how people decorate and what their tastes are like. And I inevitably go home wanting to do something with my own house. Whether its feeling like, ugh, I realllly need to get new carpet/kitchen/bathroom/deck/ you name it, or wanting to try some new decorating ideas, I always feel inspired to improve. The other night we went to dinner at our neighbor's house. It was really nice. They are another young couple, and have a 2 year old boy. The little one was put to bed as we got there and we had a nice dinner. It was really nice to be able to hang out w/ our neighbors. I've lived next door to them going on 4 years [!] and I'm glad to get to know them better. We all realized we live in a good neighborhood, nice neighbors overall, kid friendly, safe feeling. It's nice to interact more than the wave and hello when you pass in the yard. I hope we continue to spend time with them.

So, it was fun to see their house b/c it's kind of the slightly larger carbon copy of our own. It is laid slightly different but overall they are similar. So, on top of the list of home decorating improvements is put up wedding pictures!!!!! It's now been over a year and we don't have any pictures printed and hung up. I'm so indecisive that I know it will take me forever to decide which ones to print and then how to arrange...I just need to dive in.

So, on this snowy [?] weekend, I think I'm going to work on completing my afghan that I started long ago and just tidy up the house. That's an achievable goal I think. Beyond that, anything I get done is bonus.

Have fun in the snow!

Workout Update

2010-02-01T21:55:00.002-05:00

I finally [like 5 days later] made it to the gym. And I ran 1.5 miles!! Now my legs feel like jelly, the good kind, not the kind you feel like when you are nervous or something. Hopefully this is me finally getting back on track and getting to the gym more often. Only tomorrow will tell :-)

High Hopes

2010-01-28T09:04:00.002-05:00

Why is it that I'm super motivated to go work out in the middle of the day, thinking, 'oh man, today is going to be great, I'm going to work out once I get home, I'm excited, and it will be great for me....' and when I actually get home after a 1.5 hour commute and usually an unsatisfying nap on the train [that only leaves me more tired] I just can't get the motivation to get to the gym. I'm sure part of it is that it's winter, and I've been out of the habit of going to the gym for months. But, man, I just can't seem to drag myself there anymore. And really, I just want to get in better shape, tone a few squishy bits and not get winded walking up the 5 flights of stairs to my office every day. I mean seriously, I get winded EVERY DAY. That's sad, but maybe I'll never get used to it...? Maybe I need to use the stair machine at the gym.

Alright, so the plan is to go to the gym w/ the husband tonight...lets see if we make it :-)

Fun with Picnik

2010-01-23T16:05:00.007-05:00

So, I finally played around w/ www.pinnik.com to make some collages here are the results. All pics taken w/ my new camera Christmas present. I haven't totally learned how to use all the bells and whistles but it's been fun playing with it and taking tons of pictures of Meatball and Betty. They are constant subjects of my photographic experiments. And they are always doing cute stuff that I just NEED to take pictures of. So, as a round up of the last month:
This is the anniversary dinner VAP and I made for ourselves. Big ole steaks, huge shrimp [which we had to devein, ewwwwwwwwww] and some yummy mushrooms and onions go on top.

Meatball likes to get inside bags. He just crawled into that target bag and decided to sit a while. Betty can come off as a little aloof, but she's a cuddler at heart.
My dad made these AWESOME Cats Meow type things for Christmas. He made the house I grew up in, where VAP and I live now, and the church I grew up in. He took photographs and spray glued them to wood then cut them out w/ a band saw and then sanded and painted it. They look really professional, all they need is the little black cat in all the pictures. I was really impressed with the 'secret project' he was working on. I had to send him a picture of the house, I figured he was doing some sort of collage or something, this was way cooler.

it gets worse before it gets better

2010-01-19T21:07:00.003-05:00

So, new heat pump and all that business today. The guys who installed it got it done in about 4.5 hours which impressed me. The poor kitties about jumped out of their skin the the ductwork from the old system was being cut out and banged up. The both ran under our bed and looked shell shocked for a few hours. They are all calm and snoozing now though :-) The new system works great! I'm not wearing 17 layers finally and my nose and fingers are a normal temperature.

So, to allow the mechanical guys to do their job we had to clean up the 'utility room' aka little box around the inside unit that we shove stuff we don't know what to do with. So, VAP emptied this out this morning---all over the basement. I finally went down after the final install and it looks like we are bums that have a hording problem. Wreathes for all seasons, Halloween costumes, pillows, blankets, spare winter coats, a safe, air mattress, sleeping bag, extra comforters, various grilling accessories, a HUGE box of cables and video games including old original Nintendo games, extra Mary Kay stock [want some?] and so forth. So, since the HVAC unit is bigger, and we reallllly don't need all that crap anyway we tried to sort it out. Most stuff is just ended up in the attic, or as I like to call it, 'where stuff goes to get lost till we move.' But I don't want to just stash stuff there b/c I don't know what to do with it. So much stuff though! UGH.

Well, at least some point soon I'll try to schedule the clothing exchange again, get rid of some closet stuff. I'm planning on spreading a bunch of stuff out on the dining room table and saying- please take it off my hands! Free to whoever wants it. I feel a huge yard sale coming on once this weather stabilizes, I just need to have less stuff or I'm gonna go nuts.

Ok, that's it, I'm done. It's just so hard to keep a clean house when you start cleaning and realize all of the sudden it's worse then when you started. Makes you not even want to try.

testing a new look

2010-01-18T14:03:00.002-05:00

just playing around with some free backgrounds for now. Trying some out. Not quite getting everything to look the same yet. Hopefully I'll have it all figured out soon. Check back for the updated look!

Girl Time

2010-01-15T23:00:00.007-05:00

So I was reminded tonight why it is important to make time with your girlfriends. Making time apart from work, from your spouse, from just regular old relaxing at home-because only your girlfriends know exactly what you are going through and can make you feel like you are not the only one who experiences something and that however crazy parts of your life feel, someone else is going through the same stuff.

You need your girlfriends, to make you feel sane and remind you that guys are fundamentally different when it comes to some things, and that only a fellow lady can commiserate.

I went and took a look at some of the "marriage" advice I was given by the church ladies at the bridal shower they threw for me. Some of these are real gems and really stand out:

"It's very important to develop your relationship with your husband, but keep your female relationships strong too! Women friends are essential."

"Learn to work around him so he always thinks he's right- even when you know he isn't"

"Remember to be open with your communication. Use kind words. Think before you say anything out of anger. Be patient."

"Read the book 'Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus.' I wish I'd read it years before I did."

"Enjoy activities that you can do with your husband but do some ventures on your own too! Keep your girlfriends, and be sure to spend time with them."

"A little advice that was given to me many years ago- If you have a little 'spat' or misunderstanding with your husband, always make up before you go to bed"

"Always give in when you need to."

"Remember to say 'I'm sorry.'"

"Have lots of fun- do things that make you laugh. It's all a roller coaster ride, when it goes flying down, it starts back up again."

"Enjoy each and every day together. There will always be peaks and valleys but that is what makes your lives grow. Spend lots of time in the 'kitchen' and other rooms too! Save time for yourself. Talk to each other."

So, I haven't read these in over a year and I'm amazed at how wonderful the pieces of advice are. And the fact that these came from mostly older women who have been in relationships for years and whose experience really means something. I know why I saved them and why I will keep them always. They make me smile and remind me how important it is to have women in your life.

To all the ladies out there, lets hang out soon!

burrrr-cicles

2010-01-12T11:12:00.003-05:00

So it's freaking freezing in our house, ok, so it's only 60, but when it's 30 outside and feels like 12, 60 inside isn't really that comfortable. So I've got on, sports bra [I'm thinking these are warmer than reg] top and bottom long johns, t-shirt, hoodie, sweatpants, puffy vest, warm socks, and awesome slippers, and I'm still cold! I've got a Betty-cat currently in the spot between me and the laptop, providing some warmth, but this needs to change. And hopefully it will soon. VAP had some mechanical contractors he works with come over and tell us that our heat pump or the compressor or whatever is broken, kaput. BGE is coming Thursday for a free estimate to find out how much it would cost to replace it all. And the other guys are doing the same. So, even though we have a emergency fund just for things like this...I really hate to actually spend that money. It makes me feel like I have more money if I pretend I never have to spend it on anything.

So, hopefully it doesn't cost too many thousands of dollars and we end up with a system that is actually more efficient and makes our monthly bills less. *optimistic*

good and bad

2010-01-06T20:53:00.003-05:00

So on my way home today I was kinda proud of myself, thinking I had a relatively productive day. At the end of the work day I realized I didn't really check out all my usual websites I look at to take a break, or pass the time if I feel bored. I was actually busy enough to get some things done without really having much time to slack. A pretty good day. I got in to work a little later than usual b/c one of our cars is in the shop so VAP dropped me off at the MARC train station and was going to pick me up at night. I ended up taking the train right after my usual one so I could make up some time from the morning. As our train stopped at Riversdale, College Park, and then Greenbelt things were going fine until it stopped a minute or so after leaving Greenbelt. Turns out there was an accident up ahead that damaged the tracks and we couldn't go forward. Well, we couldn't go backwards either b/c there were trains behind us, so we had to wait where we were till the traffic controllers could coordinate a massive redirect of all the Camden line trains. No one could come south and no one could go north past this spot till they determined the damage. Our train finally got the go ahead to head back three stops to Riversdale where there was a cross over and then all trains were going to have to single-track between there and some point north where there was also a cross over. Well, that means all the regular trains doing the N/S commute had to take turns on this 10 mile or so stretch one at a time. By this time we are already 40 or so mins late. Once we started back tracking they let us off at Greenbelt if we wanted to get off and find alternate transportation. After a few frantic moments of not being able to get VAP on the phone I finally got him and told him to head to Greenbelt ASAP. I wasn't about the get off the warm train and wait essentially outdoors at Greenbelt w/o knowing if he was able to come get me. Lucky for me [and him] he was. He picked me up about 7:15 and we decided to get some Thai food in Greenbelt. Finally got home about 8:45. From what I can tell, the train I was on should have finally rolled through my station about 8:30, about 2.5 hours past the normal time. Still proud of my semi-productive day at work, but it stinks that something always happens to mess up your good mood. It's just like when you get the day started early and you are all proud of yourself and have plans for an awesome day and then the bus is late and you are late to work- sometimes you just can't win.

At least tomorrow is my "Friday"! Hope everyone is having a good week, despite any things that try to get in the way.

2009 Christmas Tree

2009-12-21T09:06:00.017-05:00

Some pics of the Christmas tree. [and Betty in the foreground]

[ps. someone needs to teach me how to make the cool online collages so I don't post a long line of pics...any suggestions?]

Sweater Updates

2009-12-20T12:07:00.006-05:00

So, I'll show a few pics of the sweater, since I've been lazy about updating.
This is from a week ago after the class. The top is the collar, but I haven't started the actual collar yet [check out the link a in the post where I show the pattern link]. So that will be added later. The yellow yarn on the left and right is holding the stitches for the sleeves. I just finished the part where you put the sleeve stitches on 'waste yarn' and hold them till you wan to finish them separately later. The only stitches left on the needles are for the body.
This my current progress. Hopefully you can see how it's going to look a little now. It's a cardigan so the two cables in the center are the front. I got excited when it got to the point it actually started looking like a real sweater not just a loop of yarn on the needles.

Alright, back to the knitting while I still have some time on my hands. Hope everyone is enjoying the snow. Here's what my back deck looked like this morning.

Sweater Update

2009-12-07T18:17:00.005-05:00

So, I'm super excited for my new sweater I started Sunday. The woman who teaches the class is really nice and helpful and more than happy to answer all my questions and make my insecure knitter self feel better. So it doesn't look like much yet and is all curled up but I'm started! The yarn I chose is an acrylic/wood blend so its easier to care for and it was cheaper, nice yarn is expensive!

So there's no color name, it's something like color "0670" so I'm calling it "dusty green with flecks of pink." It doesn't look as green in the pics as in real life, but here are some pics:

It's knit "in the round" which means its one large needle which looks like two needles with a string in between. It helps you knit larger things and things that are shaped like a tube. So, I've hit a problem with the pattern, the number of stitches it says I should have when I get to a certain point is not what I have, so I have an email in to the teacher. I don't want to be put on hold for a week since I need to make progress for the next class Sunday. I feel like pushing my work and the rest of my life out of the way so I can just work on this sweater but stupid work keeps me away from the shop during the hours it's open...maybe I can take a break tomorrow when working from home....

Ok, enough on that. I'm taking VAP to the oral surgeon Wednesday to get his wisdom teeth out. He's a little nervous about being put under but I'm trying to tell him he's gonna be fine. I myself had a horrible dry socket or infection thing that put me out of commission for several days and helped me lose like 7 lbs [not a bad side effect]. But that's not common. We're not all that excited about how much it costs, over $1,000, thank you crappy insurance! I wish he had all of his and I had the rest of mine [2 left] done when we both had our parent's insurance and parents to pay for it. But oh well, we're adults I guess. boooooo. Why do we have wisdom teeth anyway? If almost everyone has problems with them what has evolution done that we don't need them now but we have them?

Knitting Fun

2009-12-05T18:20:00.008-05:00

So, even though I was sick for a while, I had some joy in that I got to wear my newly finished cabled hat that I knit!

I actually made this same hat in a different yarn a few years ago but didn't check my 'gauge' [the process that makes sure the size of the needles is appropriate so that your garment fits correctly] and the hat was barely big enough for a baby :-( This time I checked my needle size correctly and it fit! Now I'm making another one for a Christmas gift.

Today I'm starting a class at a local yarn shop. The class is for 4, 2-hour sessions where I will learn how to make this sweater, the Mondo Cable Cardi. I'm super excited b/c I really want to start making things I can wear, not just hats, scarfs, and blankets. But I'm also nervous b/c it's obviously harder to make a sweater than a big square or rectangle...but that's what I'm paying for the class for I guess right? So, I'll post my progress this afternoon if it's worth it.

Now it's time to get some cleaning and decorating done!

cough cough

2009-11-19T13:16:00.002-05:00

I'm home sick today, little bit of a cough, no real sore throat just cough that makes the rest of me hurt :-( I debated going to work today but at 5 am who really feels good enough to go to work? So, I'm home and I'm glad. However, I feel guilty about using a day of sick leave. I have LOTS of sick leave, over 5 weeks, but all I think about is that I have to save that up in case...one day...I decide to have kids. Contrary to what I would ever believe, the US Federal govt. does NOT give you maternity leave, nada. You have to use your own sick leave or take leave without pay. So here I am sick, should probably not be at work, and I feel bad for trying to get better because I'm stealing a day from myself that years from now I might need...crazy. There's plans to pass a new law that allows parental leave, something like 4 weeks for maternity leave, but who knows when that will happen. Until then I feel the need to hoard my sick leave for the future possibility of kids.

I'm going to sit on the couch and relax and try to at least enjoy not being at work :-)

it doesn't take much...

2009-11-17T21:21:00.002-05:00

...to make my day sometimes. Monday when I was leaving work I walked past the valet parking office of my building and waved goodbye to the security guards and the parking gentlemen that I see most days. This one gentleman in particular always says hello, calls me young lady and asks how I'm going. Yesterday he asked if I was going to watch football that night. I said probably not but my husband was. He gave me this look like, "you are married!?" Then he said something about thinking I wasn't old enough, saying I couldn't be that far out of high school. Now, I am not one of those women that feels like I look old or needs to be told I look good for my age or something, but there was something about the way this man said it, that was sweet and very complimentary. I see him most days and he always has a smile on his face and asks how I am and really means it. I honestly do not even know his name. After walking by every day and starting to say hi, good morning and the usual pleasantries we started to have a little hello/goodbye relationship going on. There is one other gentleman that is in the booth every morning. If he sees me walking by he gets this big smile and waves really big and mimes good morning. Again, don't even know this guys name but I make sure to look for him every morning because if I see him and he waves hello, there's just something so nice about that gesture that it makes me smile every time. I think they have a job where most people don't stop to say hi and wait to listen about how their day is going, so when someone does, they really appreciate it. And even though I work in an office all day where I see people and we talk and know a little about each other's lives, it's not the same-these guys are just sweet, kind people. It's the little things sometimes that can make your day.

shopping!

2009-11-11T18:27:00.005-05:00

So, taking advantage of my day off today [thank you Federal govt] I went shopping. First to the Value Village thrift store to look for jean clothing. Added bonus, all Federal holidays are 1/2 price day at these thrift stores. VAP and are attending a "Jarty" aka, Jean Party after Thanksgiving. The premise is that you wear all denim. VAP does not own any jeans, so I had to buy him a whole outfit- jean pants, denim shirt, and sweet denim jacket. He's going to have the whole "Canadian tuxedo" going on. I just got myself a jean jacket. Not sure if I'd wear it anywhere but this party, but hey, it was only $2.50.

I wanted to buy myself another pair of jeans- new, not at the thrift store, so I headed to Arundel Mills. You could tell it was a holiday b/c the parking lot was pretty full. I don't want to think about what that place is going to look like when the holidays get closer. I can't really complain though because I pretty much always go shopping the day after Thanksgiving. While on the hunt for jeans I got distracted and started trying on just about anything. I think I experience the whole range of shopping emotions- happy to sad/depressed. How is it that the size you wear in one store is so completely different than another store? One store can make you feel good about yourself and then another can totally crush that. Besides the size issue, why is it so hard to find a pair of pants that fit right? Even in the same store trying on the exact same jeans I literally wore into the store that I've had for a few years- the new pair I tried on, didn't fit the same. Ugh. I feel the same way about bathing suits. Why can't I find a bathing suit bottom that fits as well as my underwear. No butt cheeks hanging out, not super low cut, just comfortable and covers all the right stuff.

All complaining aside, I did find a pair of jeans I could live with, and for $30! And...I found a new suit for work. I'm super happy about that, I haven't bought a suit since 2005 and I needed a new one. This one is actually separates that all match and are interchangeable which is sweet. I have a jacket and then either a skirt, or a dress. And it all looks flattering on me :-) Now I just need some place to wear it...

need to vent

2009-10-20T21:19:00.002-04:00

so, at work I have been working over the past year to become somewhat of an expert in a certain field. Coworker A started working on this field a few years ago and was ahead of the crowd. In the past few years, I have worked hard to learn about this field, become professionally certified as an accredited professional and have been doing my own research, reading professional journals, and trying to give presentations to different organizations about this topic. Coworker B has also been doing this and we work together often. Recently, coworker A has been giving presentations on the subject, but has not really kept up her knowledge base over the years, hasn't gotten professionally accredited, and does not read journal articles. Coworker B and I have edited some of her papers and presentations and tried to kindly suggest she keep up her knowledge b/c we are constantly correcting her information. Part of me would like to let her fail and be recognized as not knowing her stuff, but when she goes out and makes presentations I feel that it reflects poorly on the office if she looks uninformed and stupid. So I'm torn, she's constantly asking coworker B and I about things that she should know, and should take initiative to learn and I feel like I can't confront her. I want to tell her off and tell her to stop taking credit for our knowledge- she'll take the info we give her and then go off and act like she discovered it herself and she's such an expert, when in reality she doesn't even understand the basics. It's so frustrating. I don't know how to solve the problem without being rude and refusing to help her, but at the same time I feel like I am going to explode and yell at her one day for being so selfish and rude. She always has the have the last word and look like the expert in the room, when often, she isn't and I feel like I may not get the respect I deserve for the work I've done. Ugh. It makes me super mad when I think about it, but I have no idea what to do. Tell the boss when I have my performance review next month? Then I feel like I'm acting like a cry baby. Otherwise I have no idea how to talk to her personally about it without ruining the professional relationship we have going now. Any suggestions?

sweet dreams

2009-10-15T12:19:00.002-04:00

I had a great dream last night. I don't even really remember what the dream involved except that a good friend I haven't seen in years and sadly don't get to see anymore was there. Even in the dream I knew it was special that he was with me. I have to wonder if we get these special glimpses of people when they are thinking of us on the other side. All I know is that I woke up happy to have had that extra time with him, even if it was only in my dreams :-)

Quick Project

2009-10-12T21:09:00.006-04:00

The other day while checking out cute stuff on www.etsy.com I found these patterns: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=32429275 All kinds of cute knitted toys/stuff animals. VAP's favorite animal is the rhino. So, I realllly wanted to make the rhino for him. Not that he really wants a stuffed rhino, but because I though it would be cute. I started the project this afternoon and after looking up some knitting tips and instructions for things I was apparently doing wrong, I finished it a little while ago. It really is a quick project. You can make legs for these little guys too if you want, the pattern comes with 3 different choices. But I'm pooped for now. VAP left early this morning for Alabama for a work project. He comes back tomorrow night. I leave tomorrow morning for Nashville until Saturday for a conference for work. I haven't really packed yet [eeek] but I really haven't felt like it all day. I really wanted to see how far I could get with this project and I'm really happy I got as far as I did. I'll leave the little rhino on his pillow for him to find when he gets home. I'm bummed I'll miss him as our planes fly by each other. 5 days is a good while to be away, but at least I'll be busy with work. My major presentation is Friday so hopefully I won't be freaking out all week until it's over. Sad thing is I have another presentation at another conference next Friday too. Phew, I can't wait to be done with all this. I'll have been at 3 conferences in 5 weeks. Alright, I guess it's time to get packing!

shower update

2009-10-10T11:31:00.003-04:00

[see previous blog]
So, my shower yesterday was awesome, I literally did a little dance when I stepped in b/c it was super hot and I didn't even have the knob at the all-the-way-hot side...and it lasted for my whole shower! I forgot how calming a nice hot shower can be. I really do enjoy them. Especially this time of year when it's getting cold outside and the bathroom steams up and the warm water and air inside the shower envelopes you for a little while making you feel safe and warm.

I might just go take another shower!

dreaming of a steamy shower...

2009-10-08T19:49:00.003-04:00

Just took my last luke warm shower with the old water heater. Some time in June our water heater stopped working well. I think one of the two heating elements went out, so it took forever to get hot water and then it didn't last long. I'll be honest, I like to take HOT showers. My skin is pink when I get out. I like the almost scalding feeling, kinda like the hot tub, but during my whole shower. And I like long showers, I like to just stand under the shower head and let the water beat on my neck and back. So I noticed right away when the shower wasn't getting as hot. Andrew sort of noticed, but he likes his showers must less hot than I do. When we've been in the shower, um... at the same time...we have to keep changing the temperature so he's not getting 'burned' and I'm not getting goose bumps.

So, after like 4 months we are getting a new one tomorrow, and I am going to take the hottest, longest, best shower ever! watch out hot water heater, I'm gonna put you to the test!

OMG babies!

2009-10-04T13:21:00.002-04:00

So VAP and I attended a birthday party for a friend yesterday. This friend is our age and is married and has two kids. So, the party was family friendly and anyone w/ kids was able to bring them. So, VAP and I ended up being the ONLY people at this party without children. EVERYONE else had kids and brought them. They were all nice cute kids, babies to toddlers, and the moms and dads were nice too, but I couldn't help feeling out of place or odd. No one really made us feel that way on purpose, but when conversation inevitably steers towards..."she's really not sleeping well lately, and she won't go down for naps...what kind of breast pump do you like best..." it's kind of hard not to feel a little out of place when you don't have kids, aren't sure if you ever will, but are sure you won't have any kids any time soon.

The thing is, after having gone to about 15 weddings in the past 24 months, including our own, we are about to be thrust into this lifestyle. Where your friends who have kids start getting new friends with kids and then they all hang out with each other and those kids, and where does that leave the childless couples? Now I know a lot of groups of friends go through this with married vs. unmarried couples and some people fall off the face of the earth once they get married or only hang out with the other married couples, but I think we have done ok staying social and seeing everyone when we can. I'm just a little interested [maybe worried] about seeing how this new thing [babies] could affect our group of friends.

At least one friend is expecting and that is really exciting too. This will be the first close friend who will be having a baby and I'm excited to give little baby gifts and hear all about the process and see her go through it. All rambling above aside, I think it will be cool and eye opening to see someone go through this first hand. I'm sure VAP and I will figure more out about what we think we want in the kids department as we see other people experience it. And I know that you will never be ready for such a big change in your life so you can't go around waiting until you feel ready. Still...I'm not ready!

Alright, enough of that, time to relax for the last bit of the weekend. :-D

Knitting Meet Up!

2009-09-30T21:16:00.005-04:00

After hitting the gym tonight I went to Panera in Columbia to sit and knit w/ a bunch of other women [and one man]. I found this group on the website www.meetup.com and it looked pretty cool. It's all people who like to knit, or learn and get together every Wednesday evenings and some other mornings and just sit together and knit. They talk about projects, help each other, and just enjoy the company while knitting. I was a little worried about showing up by myself and when I got there it was pretty crowded already, so I felt weird just going up to a table. But I found a seat w/ two women, both named Karen [easy to remember] and it was really nice. They were both really friendly and we chatted about knitting and random stuff. I was glad I met some nice people and hopefully next week I can meet a few more. A lot of the women there seem to know each other and enjoy catching up. I'm hoping I can be friendly and meet some more people.

I am currently making a shawl, specifically a 'prayer shawl' for my old church. There is a group that meets during Sunday school and knits shawls for people. When I visited a few weeks ago w/ my mom they said I was welcome to take some yarn from the stash and make one. It sounded fun and it's always nice to have a new project. So I think I'm not too far off from being done, but it just resembles a huge triangle at the moment. I won't really know how it looks till it's done and off the needles. Here are some pictures so far:

I'll be sure to post some pictures when I'm done too, so you can see the finished product. I'll model it and everything! :-)

home

2009-09-20T21:54:00.002-04:00

So I went home for the weekend to visit w/ my parents. Ever since I moved away for good, some time in college, I get the urge to visit home for a long weekend every once in a while. Now that I'm married I know I really can't drag the husband back to my parents house just to sit around all weekend. But I like just being home with no real plans. It can be relaxing just being back in the house I grew up in. Whenever I visit home these days, I always find myself 'exploring' the house. When I'm back in my bedroom getting ready for bed, I end up looking over my bookshelves, opening drawers and digging around and just -looking- at everything. That room really hasn't been my bedroom since I moved away to college that first year and it's like I'm in someone else's room when I go visit. But once I start looking around and remembering certain things I feel like I've been gone for so long. I found one of my old stuffed animals from when I was a toddler and it felt like a momentous discovery. I found old letters and emails printed out from middle school and high school [lots from CEBN], and I was glad I saved them because they provide so much enjoyment when I remember those times. I always end up getting in to bed later than I wanted because I get so distracted by my own stuff. There are so many things I think "I really need to save this and not get rid of it..." but then, it's not like I have room for more stuff in my new place. Hopefully the parents won't want to redecorate my room any time soon...

Crazy Fruits and Veggies!

2009-09-13T13:20:00.007-04:00

So, it only took 3 years, but I finally finished my embroidered kitchen curtain!

I found these cute iron on patterns from Sublime Stitching they have tons of cute and cool stuff. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. Now I just need to finish the afghan I started around the same time and I can move on to new projects...

Happy Sunny Sunday!

My Husband is a Super Engineer!

2009-09-08T20:19:00.004-04:00

So, all last week we had out AC off b/c it was really nice outside and we just kept the windows open. Saturday it got a little hot in the house so on our way out to a bbq we turned the AC on to cool the house down a bit. When we got home at like 10:30 that night it was still 83 in the house-when the AC was set to 75. Not good. At least it was still going to be nice for a few days and we could survive w/ open windows and fans. So, VAP, being a mechanical engineer, who designs large scale HVAC systems every day, talked to his work buddies about what might be wrong, came home w/ some gadget, fiddled w/ the AC for 15 mins [talked about hopefully not electrocuting himself] and soon enough had fixed our AC!!!! [far as we can tell- it's now cooling :-) ]

So, it pays to have a handy engineer around the house. He also fixed our washing machine a few months ago when the kill switch that keeps bad things from happening when you open the top when the cylinder is spinning broke. He just hard wired it so it doesn't stop when you open it-but now it will finish a cycle. Ahh the joys of inheriting old appliances.

So, I'm going to relax for another half hour before I have to go into 'bed mode' and wind down for the day. Looking forward to a ridiculously chilled house and snuggling under the covers!!!!!

Huzzah!

2009-08-30T21:24:00.006-04:00

So, even though I was a little hung over by 8:30, the day at the RennFest was awesome. I got to see two of my best friends who go all the way back to middle school and hang out w/ all our respective husbands. I even think the men had fun together. It makes me happy when my husband can get along so well with my friends and their significant others. So between the Dragon's Blood, Black and Blue, and all the good food, I can say I had a pretty good day. The weather held out and even though it was hot and steamy, at least it wasn't raining. Here are some pictures for fun.

The ladies with our Dragon Blood.
The men conferring.
Shielding ourselves from the sun at the jousting arena.

Back in town!

2009-08-23T19:35:00.013-04:00

Just some random pics from our trip, more to come soon!

View from the beach on the Penobscot in Passadumkaeg, ME.

Our sleeping quarters in the cabin.
Brewery #1.
Brewery #2
Brewery #3
Brewery #4!

Trip through VT and NH to Burlington.Random waterfall.
We're in Montreal! And eating poutine!
Streets of Old Montreal.
Drinks at the fancy "Wonderbar" at the W hotel.

bon voyage

2009-08-14T18:42:00.002-04:00

VAP and I are off on a week long trip to the north. We're flying out w/a friend in about 20 mins to Maine. While there we're going to take a few day trip to Burlington, VT then to Montreal Canada. I've never been to either. Once back in Maine we'll head to Boston for the final day/night then fly out next Saturday. We're going to visit a lakeside camp for a few days and have a clam and lobster bake, go kayaking, go to brewery tours, a Ben and Jerry's tour, wander around a foreign city, and do whatever we please. I'm not usually ok w/ such a spontaneous plan, but I'm excited to wander and relax with friends. I'll try to take lots of fun pictures and reflect once I'm back. Hope you all have a great week!

I could have been arrested....?

2009-08-09T21:41:00.005-04:00

So, while on vacation a few weeks ago down in Avon, NC, VAP and I went shopping. We headed for a shop I've gone to most years, though usually I just window shop. Walking up to the store, VAP asks, what's a nips? I look up and the sign on the door says, "No NPS Allowed." I think this is kind of funny and wonder, what letters could have fallen off to spell "NPS" [ie. National Park Service]. Upon closer inspection, we learn by reading the many posters, newspaper clippings and random rantings that are posted up outside this woman's business that she is VERY unhappy about the state of things on the Outer Banks and blames the Dept. of Interior, and specifically the NPS. I really couldn't tell you what her problem was, b/c unfortunately for her, she is not skilled at writing a reasoned argument. I really have no idea why she is so mad at the NPS but she had plenty to say. So, VAP and I thought it would be funny to get my picture [as an NPS employee] from inside the store. More for our own entertainment than anything else. I had visions of walking in and asking her if she worked for commission and telling her "Big Mistake, Huge" a-la, Pretty Woman, but eh, he store was filled w/ cheap crap I wouldn't have bought anyway.

So...I skirted being arrested [one poster said she'd call the police if you were caught on her property], and came away with this fun picture I will post up on my cubicle at work for everyone's entertainment.

"I know when I look into your eyes...

2009-08-05T20:58:00.002-04:00

that a man can just drown in there." That is what the older gentleman at the circulation counter of the library said to me today. Not creepy, just sweet. What a cute old man. I told VAP he'd better watch out, I have an admirer.

super proud

2009-07-03T21:48:00.003-04:00

SO, VAP and I went running today, around one of the lakes in Columbia. And I'm happy to say we made it around the whole lake without stopping, it's like 2 miles. We've never run that far together without stopping. Lately we've been running 3-4 four times a week either around the track at the gym or in our neighborhood. We started a few months ago and we've definitely improved, which is awesome. I don't totally love running, but I feel very happy with myself after I've done it, and I like being able to track my progress. I'm very proud of VAP. When we started he couldn't really run a mile w/o stopping or looking pretty pooped, and now we've doubled that. I'd like to be able to run 3 miles as my next goal, but that might take a while. I'm gonna work on making 2 miles my standard run for a while and get used to that.

So, hopefully tomorrow morning we head back out to run again. Then it's off to a family bbq/pool party, then later to a Jaws themed party in Frederick! Pretty good day lined up.

My Moral Dilema

2009-06-29T22:02:00.009-04:00

So Sunday I had to choose between going to church and shooting guns. I've been trying to find a church up here that I would like to go to regularly, and I haven't been in a while, so I was figuring I'd try one again Sunday. Then VAP told me that he and a bunch of friends were going to a friend's parent's house to target shoot. I've never shot a gun before, and I don't really like the idea of having them at home, but the idea of shooting at a target and attempting to be accurate intrigues me. I was a 7th and 8th grade archery champion [as was BeepsNRays!]...so I've always wondered if I'd be good at target shooting.

So, guns won this Sunday. I have to say, it was pretty fun. I shot a 9mm and a AR15 [I believe]. There were other guns that I did not attempt to shoot. And to make everyone feel better, we were supervised by a cop who taught me how to shoot it and stood by me while I did it. So I felt pretty safe. Again, I have no desire to have a gun in my home, and I worry about other people that do, but I wouldn't mind going to a range and trying my hand again. We didn't really check the targets after each person for accuracy, so I don't even know if I hit what I was aiming for, or anything at all for that matter.

So, here are some pictures of me looking super tough!
Now for the super big gun...

'Garden' Update

2009-06-24T22:03:00.004-04:00

So it's been a few weeks, here's an update on the 'garden'.
More tomatoes have sprouted, and some are even starting to look edible!
The peppers look awesome- these will eventually be red peppers [though, I did think they all come from the same plant and are just different ripenesses...]
Here's a new addition from my friend Sara. Her neighbor had lots of succulents and gave her some, so she shared. And, put this awesome plant art in, a ceramic 'stake' type thing w/ a cute flying heart. She makes lots of other ones w/ stuff on it like 'herbs,' 'basil,' and just pretty pictures. You can see them on her page here: http://www.kissmycraftsbysara.com/

So hopefully I don't kill these succulents like the last ones. Who, by the way, after I ignored them for a few weeks, pretty much assuming they were dead, actually are still alive [2 of the four]. We'll see if my new found attention kills them for good.

You know you are in WV if...

2009-06-15T14:29:00.006-04:00

You know you are in West Virginia if your GPS has to ask you if you want a route that avoids unpaved roads...and you wonder- Can I get to where I'm headed without driving on unpaved roads? VAP and I drove to Alpine Lake Resort in Terra Alta, WV this weekend for a friend's mother's 50th birthday party. At one point we were on this road and the GPS clearly didn't know where we were b/c it kept trying to get us to turn off the road where no road existed, just trees.
This is the view from our car...we thought we might never see civilization again...

Once we finally got there it was time to relax and drink and eat. A rousing game of ladder ball and some BS card games. Then off to a WV style party. It was actually pretty fun, karaoke and bbq. I think I was in bed by midnight-sad but we did start partying about 12 hours before that.
AM and I taking a break from ladder ball. You can see the cabin we stayed in behind us.

the beauty after the storm

2009-06-09T21:26:00.004-04:00

So, after actually "hiding" down in the basement w/ the kitties watching the news/weather at about 5 pm today, the skies cleared and looked like this by sunset.
and a few minutes later...

I want to be the kitty...

2009-06-08T19:15:00.009-04:00

That's a MUTTS comic I found a while ago. MUTTS is awesome for anyone who has had a cat or dog, the author seems to know how to think in *cat* and *dog* and get all their intricacies-and it's super cute.

So, having two cute kitties around the house, I often come across adorable situations like this one the other day. Meatball and Betty like to sit on this chest that's in front of a window and stare outside, especially when the window is open and they can smell and hear the real world. Half the time they end up falling asleep like this. It's times like this where, I want to be the kitty. I want to be able to stare, thoughtless out the window and watch the neighborhood. I want to find a soft spot in the sun and sleep for hours, next to my best friend who likes to cuddle. I want to play by myself for hours, just by batting a bottle cap around...and when it stops moving, bat at it again just to keep going...you get the idea.

So, beyond wanting the lazy life of a kitty sometimes...sometimes I wonder if I wouldn't rather have a job at Walmart or something, where I don't care about my job when I leave, and I don't have to worry about doing a good job, and I don't have to commute 3 hours a day. But, then I realize I sort of like my job, or at least I like doing something I think is meaningful and well, dang, it pays waayyyyyyyy better than Walmart!

Veggies!

2009-06-02T18:51:00.006-04:00

Our plants are producing babies! The herbs and tomato and pepper plants we planted a few weeks ago have finally started producing veggies. I'm so proud! I've never grown anything before, so this is lamely exciting for me...and if these keep going well, I think I'll actually be sad to eat them once they're ready. More updates to come while they get bigger :-)

Peppers:
Tomatoes:

I'm a building hugger

2009-05-31T12:43:00.007-04:00

I spent Thursday and Friday at a conference in Baltimore on historic preservation. There were talks about tax credits, "green" building and sustainability, and tours of local historic landmarks. Sometimes conferences are lame and a bore, this one wasn't spectacular, but it was great to be among other people who are as nerdy as I am when it comes to buildings. Most people don't understand why I love old buildings and that sometimes seeing a building being neglected or demolished almost makes me want to cry. Or that I can stare at a building for hours just trying to figure out why it looks the way it does, who built it and how it is a product of it's time, built a certain way for a specific purpose, and that they just don't put the effort into style these days- at least not in everyday buildings. When I dream about what my next house will look like- it will be historic and it will have character, and it will be almost like another person in the family. I can't wait to live in an older house again, I miss the quirks and personality an old building has. I like my home now but we're the same age and it's just not the same living in a duplex from the 1980's as opposed to a bungalow from the 1920's or Victorian from the 1890's or...who knows where we'll end up.

So, the conference was fun and it was great to be around like minds who don't think you are strange for staring at a replacement window in a building and wondering how the owner could have put that aluminum window with sandwich muntins in a building with historic double hung, wood windows and true divided lights! [:-D]

Here's some pictures from the tours I went on. This is the American Brewery in East Baltimore, rehabilitated by the Humanum company. Really an awesome place.

Running in the Rain

2009-05-25T17:18:00.002-04:00

If you ever want to feel tough and awesome, go running in the rain. I did that today sort of by accident. I went running on purpose- it just wasn't raining when I started. Towards the end it started drizzling, then raining a little harder. Then finally when I was cooling down it started pouring, so I decided to just start running again towards home. When the lightning started and it looked like it was right behind my house, I decided it was time to run harder. Once I got home it really let loose. Lets just say between the rain and sweat I was one wet looking woman. I felt awesome though, like if it didn't look like I was gonna get hit by lightning I could have run much longer. Either way, I'm happy I went out and got some exercise, I was feeling meh earlier and now I feel much better b/c at least I did something good today!

new car!

2009-05-20T21:54:00.001-04:00

What started yesterday as a harmless, "lets go test drive cars for fun..." turned into, "ooooh, this car is really nice..." to, "ooh, you'll sell it to me for how much?"...to, "well, we really aren't ready to buy today," to, " really, it only costs that much?!" to "ok, well let me go get my old car to be appraised for trade in" to, "Wow, thanks for selling me my new Nissan Rogue!."

So, yeah, totally went to test drive, came home 8 hours later w/ a new car! Still trying to convince ourselves it wasn't tooooooo compulsive. But we really got an awesome car for a great price, pretty much couldn't pass it up- but that's how they get you right?

Best part was, they were only going to give us $500 for my old 1998 Buick Regal w/o seeing it. On our way to take it to the dealership for an in person appraisal, we decided to stop by Carmax to see what they would buy it for, and good thing we did, they would buy it from us for $2000!!!!!!!!! When we went back to Nissan we didn't say anything about Carmax right away, and Nissan said, " oh, well it looks pretty good, we could go as high as $750!" BAH! We all but laughed in their faces. Told them we could go across the street and be right back w/ a check for $2000. So, they made it work out to sell it to them and we left w/ a new car :-)

So, I've never had a new car before, "new to me" yes, but not brand new. So this is exciting, and scary. Drive it off the lot and it goes down in value immediately right? I have to keep telling myself, that's just the way it is unfortunately. Cars are not the investment real estate is, which somehow made it more stressful for me to buy the car. At some point I had to remind myself I bought a house, all by myself! And I didn't feel as scared as I did at some points yesterday and this morning about a new car. But, A just finished paying off his car loan, and I didn't have one- and this new loan is actually less than A's previous loan- so we figure we're still in pretty good shape. I don't think I'm ever ready to part w/ my savings, no matter what it's for- wedding, car, home improvements. It's just too fun to see the $ pile up in ing.com that I hate to take it back out again. Oh well. Gonna go cruising tonight so I have a chance to get used to the new car :-) yay.

joys of kitteh parenting

2009-05-18T22:36:00.000-04:00

So, I woke up at 2:45 am this morning to find Betty hacking up something on the carpet/blanket on the floor in our room. Poor thing, she has more than her fair share of kitty puke. I just wish she'd keep it to the hard wood floors or bathroom tile. It's just not making our 12 year old powder blue carpet look any better.

So, after that pleasant mental picture of Miss Betty, I'll give you a cuter one:

A is holding Betty and I've got mama's boy, Meatball. They are brother and sister, and about 2 years old now. Usually super cute and cuddly. Unless it's 10pm and I'm going to bed and then it's "crazy kitty time."

bummer

2009-05-14T21:26:00.000-04:00

I just washed and dried a tube of Chapstick with my laundry. It left little dark spots on a bunch of things. I'm hoping it washes out with a second washing. I guess it's better than a marker or Hershey's kiss or something. Still a bummer. I hate messing up my clothes.

I always feel good when I get all the loads of laundry done, and put away [which sometimes takes a few days]. But then it starts all over again :-( A clean house feels so good, but sometimes I'm so depressed at having a messy house I just don't want to clean. Kind of a catch-22.

Cow Farts

2009-05-12T15:44:00.001-04:00

I read an article yesterday at work that discussed the leading causes of pollution and greenhouse-gas emissions. Do you know what causes 18% of greenhouse-gas emissions????? Cow farts! Seriously- the primary gas released by livestock is methane. And where does this methane come from? "Flatus" and manure. Cow farts cause more greenhouse-gas emissions than cars and airplanes. I found this both funny and very interesting. What about people, how much greenhouse-gas do we emit? Do we need to get a super supply of Bean-o for the farms?

Sorry, I just found this article, in a serious journal about sustainable design, kinda hilarious.

Mother's Day

2009-05-10T19:51:00.001-04:00

My husband and I had his parents over for Mother's day, which happens to also be his mom's birthday this year. Her favorite food is lobster, so we tried making it for the first time. Tasted pretty good- though melted butter makes everything good :-)

We had a nice little spread going for the table, which let us use some of the wedding gifts we've gotten. We don't have nice dinners at the dining room table often so it's nice to have an excuse to use our nice new things.

Herb Garden * Update

2009-05-06T20:59:00.000-04:00

So my plants are actually still alive, and doing quite well. Not enough to make pesto or eat a tomato yet, but still very exciting! I guess all the rain is helping [I can't forget to water them]. I hope they keep up the good pace.

Check out the progress from the post a week ago! It's amazing :-)

Can't follow directions

2009-05-06T20:49:00.000-04:00

So, my husband and I got married this January. For several months before that we had packages streaming in. A less-than-honorable citizen stole a gift off of our porch on Christmas Eve [!] and ever since then we notified FedEx and UPS to please NOT leave packages on the porch, and we put up a note just in case- saying the same thing.

So today, a package that was supposed to be delivered, was actually left on the porch, and FedEx put the delivery slip- notifying us that it was delivered, right next to the note expressly asking them not to leave packages. Call me crazy, but the directions were pretty clear. See for yourself.

Yardwork

2009-05-01T22:02:00.000-04:00

So, I hate yard work- mowing, weed whacking, weeding, raking, all those things. But, you get such a good feeling after you've done all that work and your yard looks good. At least for a day until the dandelions comeback. "A" and I spent an hour or so this afternoon getting new edging blocks for our planting beds. The old ones were those wooden logs that basically were becoming mulch where they sat. He pulled those up and installed these concrete ones which look pretty good. Once I get around to mulching and prettying it up I'll post a picture. Should have taken a "before" but I didn't think of that.

I went around the whole front yard with a special tool pulling up all the dandelions, that I could see anyway. It's amazing, I filled a whole bucket with them, and you know that just as many will appear tomorrow. We also bought a spreader and some special weed killer, but we have to wait until it's done raining for a few days to put it down. Our goal is for our yard to look as good as our neighbors. They always get to their weeds sooner and mow sooner and we always feel bad when our dandelion seeds blow into their yard.

A few weeks ago we planted a mini herb/veggie garden- and it's all still alive! One tomato plant, two red bell peppers, rosemary, thyme, and three basil plants. Here's what it looked like after planting. I'll post an update soon, things are getting bigger by the day. I'll be surprised if we actually get a tomato or pepper out of it, but the herbs will be fun. One day A would like to have a plot in the yard to grow veggies. I think that would be cool, but also a lot of work.

So I hate when you are not allowed to do your job

2009-04-30T19:20:00.000-04:00

I have to go in to work tomorrow [my day off] just to sit around and wait for my boss's boss's, boss to tell me whether or not I'm allowed to tell this developer that no, he can't get $1,400,000 in a tax credit for "preserving" one of his buildings while tearing down another and gutting a third. The oldest building in this manufacturing complex was torn down and now they want to get a federal subsidy for the rest of their work. And I'm not allowed to tell them no yet, b/c my boss's boss's.... is too worried about what developers think and now a Senator's office has gotten involved. Like it matters what they say. It should only matter if they are doing good preservation- which doesn't include demolition! Ok, enough elitist architectural rambling. I'm just bitter I have to go to work tomorrow :-( and will have to wait all day to be told to do something I could have done today.

Wedding Season

2009-04-29T19:16:00.000-04:00

My husband "A" and I went to at least 13 weddings in the past year and a half, not including our own. I have to say, it's been a great way to spend a weekend almost once a month. We had three in September 2007! Thought weddings can be expensive, bridal shower, wedding gifts, new clothes, after parties- they are tons of fun. It's so nice to be able to get together with your closest friends and family and just party. We went to the last wedding of our wedding season this past weekend. No more weddings until November. Including the drinks before the wedding at the bar nearby and drinks back at our house after the 'after party,' I think we partied for almost 12 hours. It was a great way to spend the weekend. I'm almost sad that there aren't any more weddings any time soon. It just means we have to find an excuse to get together to eat, drink, and dance. I'll leave you with some pictures from the wedding. Enjoy!

hello out there......

2009-04-29T19:10:00.000-04:00

So, after being convinced by my friend C, I've decided to start my own blog. At least I know I'll have one reader. A more interesting entry to come...once I figure out what anyone might want to know about my life :-)