Brand New Day*

Knitting goals for the year:

-fornicating reindeer hat for coworker's brother-in-law
-fornicating ______ hat for coworker's husband - thinking horny toads?  Not sure, may need to chart this
-socks for Tina
-socks for my sister
-socks for HWIA
-wrist warmers for ME, ALL MINE.
-wrist warmers for TSD
-sweater for me
-baby stuff galore!
-cowl for boss
-wrist warmers for A2
-socks for me
-repair all dying, holey socks on dresser

*Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along-Blog

You Told A Lie

I've had the itch to write lately, but not a lot of topics that demand expression through this particular outlet.  At lot of it seems to be short bursts of mental activity, well-suited for twitter as a result.  Such as my theory that cats have some sort of homing-device to find full bladders.

Of course, I've not explored the reasons why cats might want to find full bladders, what sort of reasoning(s) they have for happily walking all over the bladders in question.

Which is now reminding me of an article I read on the death of the footnote - the purpose behind such a skill could be observed in a footnote.  After all, the purpose is yet unknown, but the skill has been fairly well established, yes?  Since we're just academically stretching our muscles and making observations, further musing could take place in the form of footnotes, rather than paragraphs of tangential thinking.

In other news,  I'm tired and avoiding bed because I have to do night check first.  My hair is still wet and pulling out the blow drier in order to top off hay and water seems a bit much to me.  Maybe I'll just break out the cover-alls for the first time this fall/winter.  October 9th - not too early, yes?  Given that my winter hat has seen regular use already, I'd almost argue I'm behind schedule.

I've been knitting, but mostly a little bit on this, a little bit on that.  I did finish a pair of socks, but have sleeves and button bands left on a baby sweater, half a sock, etc. etc. etc.

I would not be surprised to find that I have a touch of ADD/ADHD.  I've found that my mind works in such leaps and bounds that even I have trouble keeping up.  I can sit and read for hours still, so I'm not too worried.  But unless there's something good on the radio, I get bored at red lights.  I don't have the attention span for IM anymore - if they don't respond right away, what's the point? and off I go to something else and get irritated when I'm drawn away from that back to the IM conversation only to have it pause for the mere seconds required for someone to type out a reply.

I've recently been reading Les Mis while listening to the musical.  Gotta say, loving all the (plot-moving) parts of the novel that were, by necessity, left out of the musical.  Also, wishing to discuss the novel.  Need to find a read-along or something.

And because every post ought to have a picture:

Man, when I decide to forget about something, I manage to forget about it.

In other news, I recently spent some $3,000.00 on a three year old cat.  The correlation between the two numbers has not been lost on me, and I fear what his old age will cost me.  However, he's rather cute and lovable and snuggly and I suppose I can forgive him for his stupidity.

(This is not the injured party, though she would like to get some share of his reward for pain and suffering for her life was also disrupted and that is Clearly Not Allowed.)

For, you see, he injured himself jumping off the kitchen counter.  Well, falling off, if I am to be honest.  He made a mad scramble to jump off because he knew he was about to be scolded for being where he KNOWS he does not belong, and chose a piece of paper on the corner of the counter as his launching pad.  It failed to provide the support he required and evidently cats need at least four feet vertical distance to get their feet back under them.

The more you know, I guess?



In other news, I have finished my father's Christmas Socks.  I still need to weave the ends in, but that shouldn't take too long.  I've also purchased my mother's yearly calendar (www.despair.com - love their stuff, as does my mother.) and a welcome mat for their new home.  Three Christmas gifts done, way too many to go.

I have, however, started figuring out my Christmas Knitting.  In theory, it would be a good idea to do that a bit earlier in the year, but I work best under pressure.  Or something.

I have to say, the iPhone 4 takes some very nice pictures.  I'm very interested in what the iPhone 5 will be capable of managing.

Other random observations:
- Beer is a wonderful, wonderful thing.
- Good friends are worth everything they ask or require.
- Friends who can't be bothered to call or text more than once  a year?  I am done with you.
- My mind continues to be as weird and random as ever.

Midnight Coward*

No, I really have no idea why I'm still awake at this hour, but take comfort in the knowledge that I don't have to work tomorrow.

There's been a radio commercial I've heard a few times that creeps me out.  Ehrlich Pest Control has re-written a few well-known nursery rhymes to better follow the company's goals and purpose.

The first two, involving Little Miss Muffet sitting next to a dead spider and a mouse never running up a clock because the Ehrlich man killed him, are sung by adults.

The last one, Three Blind Mice, is sung by young girls.

Three blind mice, three blind mice,
See how they run, see how they run,
They all ran away from the Erlich-man
Who left them dead in the back of his van
Three blind mice... 

The music fades and the girls begin laughing.  That's the part I find most creepy - the kids aren't laughing from genuine amusement, but because they were told?  asked? to do so.  As a result, the laughter sounds forced, false, really fucking creepy.

I'm waiting for an internet news story to appear about a parent suing Ehrlich because darling Junior was just completely traumatized by the new endings to his favorite nursery rhymes.  Surely it won't be too long, right?  Yet, brief research shows me blog postings dating from 2009 about the commercial.  Has our sue-happy society failed me?

Also, the problem with staying up this late, minus the complete fuckage of my sleep cycle, is that I end up starving and unable to sleep until I nom on something.  Oops.

*Stars

Madman*

Lately, I've been seaming.  Lots and lots of seaming.  I don't mind seaming - it is fairly mindless work, all things considered, and goes fairly quickly.  Much faster than knitting, at least.  I did finish season 6 of The West Wing, though, so I'm now waiting for the final season to arrive in the mailbox.



Somehow, I managed to sprain/strain my ankle while sitting on a horse.  As a result, I had to take the last week off from running.  I'm afraid to go run tomorrow - afraid of how much I'll have lost in a week, afraid how much effort it will take to re-build this habit, to get back to the point where I don't have to talk myself into heading out, where I'm not counting the seconds until the damned run is over.  It would be much easier to remain at home, curl up on the couch with a cat or two and a book.

Of course, the past week's lack of running seems to have screwed with the sleep cycle I finally had managed to wrestle into some sort of submission.  Since I wasn't heading out in the early evenings, I was falling asleep on the couch, waking up in time to do night check and realize that I wasn't going to get more than 5 hours of sleep before the alarm in the morning.



I have a lot of socks on the needles at the moment.  That makes me happy.  However, I've been reading a lot more lately, and I've never found a good way to read a novel and knit.  Textbooks, sure, as they tend to hold themselves open and have more text per page, requiring fewer pauses to turn the page.



The kitten has not messed with the Once Missing Sock since I spend a few hours untangling it.  I'm tempted to put it in one of the failed hiding spots, to see if I can tempt him.  I'm not quite sure I'm ok with the idea of him growing up and no longer messing with stuff.  After all, I still call him the kitten, even if he did have the nerve to grow up and become a fairly decent-sized monster, though still under 10lbs.



He fell asleep on me the other day, curled up with his head resting on my shoulder as I myself was curled up on the couch.  I glanced down and disrupted his peaceful slumber by bursting into laughter as he was sound asleep with his mouth hanging open.  I'll admit to being happy that he doesn't snore.



I have a black light for various reasons, most of them being cause it is fun to play with from time to time.  I used it the other day after taking a shower and discovered a number of spots on my arms and hands that were glowing bright yellow.  Upon reflection, I realized that those spots were where some doxy had fallen after I attempted to squirt the powder contained in some 50 50mg capsules, mixed with water, down a horse's throat.  Still, that's a bit scary - that those spots would glow hours past a shower.



*Charlotte Martin

If I Had More Time*

Last summer, I attended the wedding of a CPaAGer.  Some time in June, I think.  Shortly after the wedding, I put a sock-in-progress in a Very Safe Place, as the kitten had been finding it in the various hiding spots.  Hiding spots such as on top of the fridge (he's not supposed to be up there..) and behind the microwave (he's not supposed to be on the kitchen counters.)

Evidently, it truly was a Very Safe Place, as I have since looked in places such as the bread machine, the freezer, all kitchen cabinets, all closets, the oven, etc.  No dice.



Wednesday, I was cleaning and dusting and vacuuming and filing and other boring, adult like things that I should probably do a bit more often, and found the sock-in-progress.  In a lunch box.

Incidentally, that lunch box was borrowed from a friend and used to transport some freshly fallen snow to TheUrmily during THON our senior year when she danced and was upset that she couldn't see the fresh snow.  I have no idea who lent me the lunch box, no one has claimed it, and uh... that was three years ago.  I guess they don't need it back any time soon.

Anyway, that sock was supposed to be a finished ahead of time giftmoose gift for my sister.  (She got wristwarmers instead.  She was very happy with them.)  Wednesday was her birthday.  Odd, that.



I started an eye of partridge heel and ... yeah, I hate heel flaps.  I really do.  I ought to spend more time with Cat Bordhi's books and memorize the various different ways to knit heels on cuff-down socks.  Or just continue to be happy with my short-row heels.

In other knitting news:  Finished dad's first sock.  Had enough yarn AND it fits him.  (he did ask if I could make the leg longer.  I flat-out refused.)  Happily for me, the sock ALSO fits HWIA, so that will make it a bit easier to knit socks for him, as I'll have some idea of the insane number of stitches needed.



The kitten is lucky I love him because I ended up spending more than 2.5 hours on Wednesday evening untangling the yarn of my sister's sock.  I ended up cutting the yarn and just winding little balls from each end of the original ball of yarn.  I put them on Sharpies and would work a bit on one end and then slip the yarn under the clip of the cap when I went to work on the other end.  Worked very well.

*Tarkio

Brainy*

My father has very large feet.  At least, compared to the people for whom I normally knit socks, he has large feet.  Plus, he has trouble bending over to REACH his feet, meaning all of his current socks (none handknit, thankfully) are all stretched out and resemble tube socks.



I feel like I've been knitting socks for him for ever and ever and ever and ever, but it can't have been that long.  Ravelry tells me I started January 6th and I'm on the toe of the first sock.  I texted my mother - there is something so very weird about that statement - to ask the length of dad's feet, in inches.  I have decided not to think about the fact that she had an answer for me in under two minutes.  If nothing else, I knew that dad was nearby to offer up a foot for measurement.



I'm a bit concerned, though, as I am only a quarter of the way through the toe, and ... well, see?



6 grams.  I do have two extra skeins of yarn, if needed, but HWIA also requested socks and he also has large feet (oh, be quite, 12 year old male who lives in my head).  He approved of this yarn and I was kinda hoping to make socks for him with the same yarn.  Because that wouldn't be weird at all.

Also? I don't recommend pulling a sock on for a photo shoot and then suddenly realizing that you didn't put the memory card in the camera.  And then hobbling over to get the card and hobbling back.  At least, not if you love to knit socks on DPNs.

Much better to just get the card in the first place OR remove the sock while retrieving the card.

*The National

King of Anything

I have been having a lot of fun with a photo app lately. It is making me wonder if there's a pin-hole camera app out there yet.



I've also been trying to run again. Motivation is difficult to come by, after a day at the barn. But I've been borrowing my neighbor's dog and my best friend's husband and between the two, I manage to get out at least twice a week, if not three times. I hate running during a run, but I love it afterwards. My shins continue to hate me afterwards, but I think they'll eventually shut up.



I've been knitting more. It is weird to realize that I keep thinking I need to watch more tv, but that means more knitting time. I left the tv on the other night when I went to do night check and when I came back inside and open the door, I froze for a second at the sound of voices upstairs.



Rumor has it that we're in spring. I'm not convinced, given the number of days I've spent cold. But things are blooming and the world looks pretty again. Plus, it keeps raining rather than snowing, so there's that.

Random thought: how many people actually scrub their ears when they bathe? I remember reading about mothers nagging their children to scrub their ears (and behind their ears) when they took their weekly bath... but I don't know if I have ever actually scrubbed behind my ears.

I'll have to start doing so lest I feel dirty.

Lit Up

Dear horses,

You're turned out during the day so you can be supervised. As a result, I'd suggest NOT doing anything stupid as I am then forced to bring you in and shove you back in your stall. If you want to be out, then be sensible. Also? Stop growing so much hair. I'm starting to get really worried about how nasty this winter is going to be, based on how hairy you all are.

resigned,
the bringer of nomms, wrangler of hoses, and mover of horses.

Dear body,

Yes, I know - winter is coming. But please to be ignoring that little fact and stop with the random aches and pains that seem to serve no more point than to tell me that it is raining. Or below 40. I already know that and don't need a reminder. When you can predict weather rather than just telling me the obvious, I'll reconsider.

yours with ibuprofen,
me.

Dear cats,

You have water. And food. Drink that and eat that, rather than licking the bottom of the bath tub. And yelling at me every time I move towards the kitchen. Guess what - the kitchen is in the center of the apartment. 50% of my movements are thus towards the kitchen and yet, not destined for the kitchen.

love,
the one who cleans the litter boxes.

Dear sock that went missing,

Please come back. I promise to pet you and love you and I have even found the missing DPN to make sure that my gauge will be spot-on. It is hard to give you the attention you deserve when you are in hiding.

love,
the one who needs to finish up Christmas knitting.

Dear apartment,

Please clean yourself. Or at least, spit out all the hay and straw. That's half the cleaning battle. I doubt that the cats can be persuaded to stop shedding, so we're just going to have to deal with that.

love,
the one who lives here.

Dear HWIA,

Thanks for living up to your name. Please continue to do so. But if you want to stop making me snort beer out my nose, that'd be cool too.

love,
me.

Dear you,

You continue to defy my ability to describe/summarize you. I think I like that. I know I like you. Please call me soon, ok?

love,
me.

Gotta Stay Postive

I evidently very much fail at this whole "keeping a blog" thing. I think I'm supposed to actually post on a regular basis. Much like I'm supposed to actually water my plants. Instead, I seem to carrying out a not-very-well-regulated experiment on how many times one can bring basil back from the brink of death.

Life ... continues. I work, I eat, I shower, I knit, I read, I waste hours online, I go to bed way too late. Lather, rinse, repeat. (How many people actually do repeat?)

I have two scratches caused by a cat chasing another cat.

I am evidently a grown-up in that I want a vacuum cleaner attachment for my birthday.

I have now played laser tag while wearing a suit twice. Some of my friends are crazy enough to not only indulge me with such hair-brained ideas, but to do so twice. And to eat dinner at strange places such as a pub located inside a grocery store. In suits.

My family spends way too much time at IKEA. I realized this when a few of us randomly decided to go tonight ... and ran into two more. Either that, or we're all part of a hive mind and should start to wear tin-foil hats.

My best friend is getting married in October. I am maid of honor. This means that one: YAY! Wedding! and that two: I have to plan a bridal shower and a bachelorette party. I think I have a better handle on the bachelorette party. Alcohol, a penis-shaped object or five, make t-shirts before heading out. Bridal shower, however, will require invitations and a location and a date and and and. Blargh. I'd say good thing I love her, but she's helped me move many, many times. Even helped me get a couch stuck halfway in and halfway out of my apartment. (And thankfully, unstuck once we sawed off 1/2" of a corner...) I guess I owe her. And hey, excuse to wear a awesome dress! And maybe even some pearls.

I need to start taking pictures again.