Knitting Kitties

Happy New Year & Year Review

2012-01-02T21:13:00.000-05:00

I hope 2012 is treating everyone right so far. Me, I have had a great first two days. Got to leave work early both days. Last night we feasted on a side of prime rib roast beast. Today, sunny and 75F, I met Duane at my connecting bus stop to have dinner out. Back home forty-five minutes before I was scheduled to leave to work.

Last year started off pretty well. Looking back I noticed I posted on the 2nd then. Last year, we had a clutch of new baby birds and I was nervous about them surviving. Thirteen babies later, I can laugh at that.

Then starting on the 8th of January things started going down hill when Gabby Giffords was shot. I remained optimistic until Valentine's Day when we were both sick. Then I had to call an ambulance and send Duane to the hospital. Those who read and kept me grounded back then will remember things were pretty touch and go for a while. Some of you called me Super Woman, though my cape was torn, my tights had a run and I think I broke a heel. Who knew you could bring bunnies to the ICU?

After forty-five days, we moved on to the nursing home/rehab center which brought many more challenges. Finally, after three months, he came home. More challenges over the summer. We almost lost our Dammit Bunny (world's smallest Led Zeppelin fan.) He's back to his old spunky ways, by the way.

In August, trying to be thankful ad-mist chaos, I wrote a post and got some advice to freeze my curse. After which, things quickly got worse and immediately turned around for the better. Working full-time for the first time in almost twelve years has came with it's own set of challenges. (that last post gets many Google hits from some weird people)

Babies were born, twice. A very tense Christmas. It was tiring year right to the very end. My late ex-MIL used to say whatever your doing on midnight New Years is what you'll be mostly doing the rest of the year. I was sleeping. As tiring as last year was, I could use a year of mostly sleeping. I won't wish for it though. If you've read this blog for very long, you know what a peculiar sense of humor the Universe has when it comes to me and wishing things.

Through it all some knitting was finished.

Some spinning too.

The birds got a mansion to live in.

Lessons learned this year were lessons I had learned long ago, but are now more deeply ingrained. Treasure good friends. New friends that come along at the right time, old friends and friends who you have never met in person but are just as special. I would not have made it through this year without friends. Be happy for the day you have, especially if you have what you need for that day. Even if the it looks like your world might come crashing down tomorrow. Very often, tomorrow will take care of itself.

Finally, I'll leave you with a couple sappy videos. I'm going back to my knitting. I'm making myself a pair of socks. Would you believe I don't have a pair of hand knit socks for myself?

Have to have the Zep for Dammit.

They're Safe

2011-12-27T21:34:00.000-05:00

They're safe finally. My daughter and the baby are with an old friend from the old neighborhood. More on that later. My oldest granddaughter is with her father until Wednesday afternoon and he will bring her back to my daughter.

Saturday morning, I sat here with my coffee thinking about what to do next. I searched out the National Abuse Hotline. Called and told them the situation. They gave me the number for her local shelter. I gave it to her.

She wasn't able to call them until Sunday night. The mother called her over when dinner was ready. Had her make a plate and go back to the cold trailer by herself. That's when I got her to call. The shelter called the police to go get her. The police refused to take her. First because she didn't have a car seat for the 7 yr old. Then the excuse was because CPS was involved and told her to call her caseworker.

They made the boyfriend turn the furnace on and told him to get food in the place. Of course, he turned it back off the next morning.

CPS didn't open until this morning. Her worker told her that they couldn't do anything until that woman gave her a written eviction notice. This is the message I got on FB from my daughter as I was walking in the door to work. We both were flipping out.

On my first break, something told me to just call her and not bother with FB. My daughter told me our old friend from the old neighborhood was there and they were waiting for the police to get the baby for them. The friend lived across from us for years when both our kids were little. I hadn't spoken to her in 14 years until Friday night. She lives near my daughter.

They had to go directly to court. The judge granted my daughter temporary custody of the baby until January 3rd when they go back to court. I highly doubt anything will be decided then. He also told the boyfriend's mother she could file for custody of the baby.

That woman, who claims to care so much for that baby, gave my daughter only a couple outfits, a few diapers and one can of formula. Claims she doesn't know where the WIC checks are to get more.

Everything is back at the two trailers and my daughter doubts she will get any of their stuff back. She thinks they are probably destroying her things and throwing them out, as I type this.

She used the $75.00 in three gift certificates I sent them for Christmas, for necessities to get through the next couple days. I told her I would put some more money on the Wal-mart gift cards Friday morning when I get paid again.

Even though I know she's safe and my friend won't let anything happen to her. I don't feel safe. I feel like I'm still waiting for something to happen. Overwhelmed with what all that is going to be needed.

This has certainly been an annus horribilis for us. Would you think I'm crazy if I told you I have panic attacks as I leave for work every morning, worrying about what might happen to any of us? There is still four days left to this year.

Meanwhile On The Other Side

2011-12-26T20:49:00.000-05:00

I've been so stressed with broken fridges, work and my daughter I forgot to tell you, my youngest son's wife had a son on December 14th. All he had that morning was a disposable camera and no money to get the pictures developed. For Christmas, I sent them a digital camera.

Jacob Jr is the spitting image of his Dad when he was born.

Jake Sr. with Jake Jr.

Mom & Jake Jr.

Uncle Avery (my oldest son) & Jake Jr.

Grandpa & Jake Jr.

Yet another of Jake Jr.

Oh my goodness. Can you stand the cute or what? I wish I was in NY right now for many reasons.

Thanks for stopping and your comments on my past few posts. Next update, how a great planned failed. But for now, just enjoy the cute.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T00:29:00.001-05:00

I hope you all are having a very Merry Christmas.

This Christmas, I have new story about my life in Crazy Town. If you're on FB, you read the brief story and know how it ends.

This morning I got up, chatted with my daughter on FB and knitted on my mother's socks. Then I took the bus to the grocery store, which I thought would be a mad house. The bus arrived on time. It being a Saturday and Christmas Eve made that a bit strange. Not many people at the grocery and I got into an empty cashier line. Or rather no line. As I'm unloading my groceries, a man asks me if I would use his Fry's card so he could get the points to buy gas. No big deal, I don't have a car, not going to use the points. So I swipe his store card instead of my own. Wish him a Merry Christmas.

I had too much to carry back on the bus. So, I called the Yellow Cab. It's only a mile and a half cab ride, usually. Queue the creepy music. Things had been going too smoothly. First call, I realize I had given the dispatch the wrong number to my cell. So, I call them back to give them the right number. They say, they have cab #1601 on it's way. I make a mental note of the number.

Cab shows up. I pull the grocery cart up to the back. He just pops the trunk, but doesn't get out to help me put my groceries in the back. I thought it a bit strange, but ok. I check the number on the cab, #1601. Put my stuff in the trunk and get into the car. He asks me the address and takes off.

I look up at the meter and it was $4.50. The flag drop is supposed to be $2.50. I question this. He said he started the fare when he popped the trunk. That's not right. The cab drivers have never done that to me. I pull out my cell phone and call the company right there.

While I'm on the phone with the cab company, we get close to my address. I tell him to slow down he's at my address. He steps on the gas and floors it. He drives another two miles, with me in the back of cab on the phone with dispatch. "Your driver just flew by my house and didn't stop. He's not even turning around to go back. Oh my God, what is he doing trying to kidnap me?"

For all I knew he was going to take me to Mexico. We were headed south. It wasn't until I got back and in the apartment that I remembered that I had my tazer in my pocket the whole time. Hell, I could have finally tested the thing. (Just joking. I would have if he had kept going.)

After two miles, he finally turns around and heads back. Dispatch says, "I don't know what the hell he's doing. Look it's only a mile or two from the grocery store to your home, don't pay him more than $6.00. He's obviously just driving around trying to run up the fare."

I only have a ten and one. I call Duane to see if he has a five. He almost drives by the place a second time. Duane doesn't have a five but meets me in the parking lot. I ask the driver if he has ones because there is no way I'm paying any more than $6.00 for that bit of BS. He has the meter racked up to over $12.00. He tells me to keep it and pops the trunk.

I'm so anxious to get away from that crazy cabbie, I just grab the bags that I see. I didn't notice that the bag with the Jaegger gift box had slid to the back of the trunk. I get in the house and go through the stuff. Where's the Jaegger? Damn, I must have left it in the trunk.

Duane tells me to call the cab company and report it. They try to call him on the radio and he won't respond. They take my number and say they will call me back. We wait over a half hour. I call them back. They say he's still not responding to the radio and they don't have his number to call him. I tell them, we're calling the police.

I'm still shook up by the whole experience, so Duane calls and talks to the police. We wait an hour. I'm chatting with my daughter, trying to keep her spirits up, clean the litter box. We are out of litter. Duane is trying to put up the cat tree. You know an ordinary evening here in crazy town. We wonder aloud when the police will come. I put my coat to head out to the CVS for cat litter. Just as I step out the door, the lady officer is standing there.

I recant my story to her. She tells me they have another officer headed to the cab driver's house to get my stuff. She asks was he trying to steal my stuff. I said, no, I don't think he knows it's back there. She asked if he didn't understand English. I said, "He knew enough English to say, "I dropped the flag when I popped the trunk and that is your fare."

Well, she goes out and talks on her radio. Comes back in and asks me to wait to go to the CVS for a bit. She's going back to her car and will wait to hear from her partner. Duane has me try to help him put the cat tree up. My head is pounding. (It's a cheap piece of you know what and is still lying in pieces in the middle of the floor. Duane will nail the thing together tomorrow.) I check outside every once in a while to make sure she is still in the parking lot.

Then the knock comes at the door. She is standing there with a male officer holding my bag with Jaegger. The male officer said the cabbie tried to tell him he's usually an airport cab and that is how they do things at the airport. Both of the officers thought he was full of you know what. They said I need to write a written complaint to the company. Hope I don't run into anymore crazy cabbies in the future.

While I start to write this post, I step outside for a breath of um, fresh air for a minute. I came back in, sat down and phone rang. It was my friend that had taken me back and forth to the hospital and nursing home, takes us shopping every two weeks. Last Sunday, I bought her a gift certificate for Grandmother's Spinning Wheel for a Christmas present. She bought me a big ball of merino spinning fiber and hung the bag on my door knob outside. She must have saw me out there. She was in a rush, headed to Cali to see her father.

Regarding my daughter. It breaks my heart knowing she's in that trailer in NY with no heat, no food. She's getting sick. She told me the CPS supervisor called her after I had talked to the supervisor, yesterday. The supervisor told her she wished her the best of luck and that she would let the case worker know what was going on when she came back from vacation. Can you believe that crap?? (Read yesterday's post if you haven't yet.)

I'm not saying there aren't any good social workers out there. Lest someone flame me that they're sister-in-law is a social worker and goes out of the way to help people. I'm sure there must be a few good ones somewhere. It's just I've yet to meet one. It would be kinda like spotting a unicorn.

Anyway, I have a plan. It's a good plan. Duane says it's a good plan. I can't say what it is. We don't need the wrong people to get wind of the plan. I will tell you once everyone is safe.

Finally, everyone's favorite World's Smallest Zeppelin Fan, Mr. Dammit Bunny Chewer (formerly of the Rochester Chewers).

"Merry Zepmas, everyone!"

What Merry Christmas??

2011-12-23T20:18:00.000-05:00

I sincerely hope everyone is having Merry Christmas. Sincerely, I really do.

I was having one until today. In so much, that I got the packages out to my kids in time for Christmas and that was about all the Christmas spirit Duane and I could drum. We were ok with that. We even made a joke of it. Every time we thought about putting up our mini tree, Duane would think meh, and I would think bleh. So we called ourselves the anti-Christmas elves Meh and Bleh.

I worked all last week, with Sunday off, then I was supposed to work another 5 days straight. Thursday, I got up and could barely move. I really need two days off to re cooperate with this fibro and back problem. So, I called in and went back to bed, which was all I could physically do.

When I got up, there was a nasty message on FB for me from my daughter's boyfriend's mother. Accusing my daughter of not cooking or cleaning and she was having her son kick my daughter out on Christmas at midnight. She also posted this crap all over her FB page. Which I copied and kept a file of.

The boyfriend does not provide food or cleaning supplies. I've had to send money for diapers for the baby on a few occasions. The furnace has been broken since October and he hasn't bothered to fix it. It's his excuse to keep the baby with his mom.

I called my daughter to see what was going on. She basically said, that the boyfriend was going along with Mom. Mom also has the 9 week old baby at her trailer and won't let my daughter see her own baby.

Up all night, I have to call in to work again. I start calling CPS in NY. My 7yr old granddaughter has a open CPS case from where she was attacked back in October while living with her father. Her father dropped her off at my daughter's last month and abandoned her. She can't get in contact with him to get the little girls things.

She's trying to get full-custody, but lives in trailer park with no transportation. She tried to get food stamps for my 7yr granddaughter but DSS said since she's still on the Dad's case he needs to have her removed first. So he's food stamp fraud and they won't do anything. *rolls eyes*

In the meantime, I send a sheriff over there for a welfare check on them. Basically, they said the baby is good condition with the grandmother, mother is aware. They tell me it's illegal to send my daughter and oldest granddaughter to the curb. That if they do that my daughter needs to go somewhere and call 911 and heads will roll. She lives in a trailer park out in the middle of no where, with no transportation.

Well, I get my daughter to agree to move down here with me. The manager at my complex tells me, just go get them and we'll set her up in one of the vacant apartments. Furniture? We'll figure it out. Don't worry. I was going to take a bus to NY. My mother said, she would pick me up and that we would go to the sheriff for an escort, get them out. Then we head back to Tucson on the bus.

The CPS caseworker won't let me bring them down here, while there are open criminal charges regarding the 7 year old. They need her to testify, I guess. I don't know why they can't do a teleconference at one of the courts here.

I spoke with a good friend this afternoon, who had met the grandmother of the baby and she said the woman gave her the creeps. That she was over possessive of the baby. My friend invited my daughter over for the afternoon on Saturday. My daughter said, that the baby couldn't go, because the grandmother won't let the baby out of her sight.

My friend said, she would help provide my daughter a safe haven, but she has to grow a back bone. Stand up to this woman and file kidnapping charges.

I'm going to be writing to the state legislatures over the weekend. If I have to I'll write to the governor.

So, here I sit just before Christmas, worried about my daughter and grandchildren. I have a freezer full of food and feel really bad my daughter has nothing. She needs to get out of that situation. She'll read this and maybe get angry with me. Duane told me I should blog what is going on.

WIP Wednesday

2011-12-14T22:30:00.001-05:00

I'm still here. This weeks WIP offerings are sparse.

The lacy cowl turned snood is now at 14 inches. About a weeks worth of bus rides left to go.

I just have a few rows to go on my mom's sock and I turn the heels. It should go pretty quick after the heel turns, I hope. These need to be ready to mail out by next Tuesday.

I sometimes wonder if people stop by to see what bad luck will befall me next. It certainly can't be my mad knitting and spinning skills, lately.

1. Tuesday sucked. It rained all day and night. Rained while I walked the two miles to work, then the two miles back to the bus stop, plus the 30 minutes I had to wait for the connecting bus.

2. Knitting with sparklie mohair is not a good idea on a damp bus ride.

3. When drink Coffee Mate non-dairy creamer, you can't tell that stuff has went bad until you are very sick. Yes, I'm very sick. Let your imagination work for you. I'll spare the TMI.

4. Refrigerator still isn't fixed, and now everything in the fridge part is spoiled.

I've spent almost enough for a down payment for a car in the past three months from this refrigerator breaking down.

5. Yes, I'm still going to work while sick.

6. The learning curve on making candy in the desert verses back home in NY is pretty steep. I thought the fact that it was raining and high humidity would help. It did not and the fudge is dry. Back to the drawing board sometime between now and next Tuesday.

7. Duane thinks Not Quite Nigella is a genius for coming up with bacon, honey, maple caramels. That was one thing that turned out right. Plus, the apple pie.

It's just another week in the life of probably the unluckiest person you'll ever know. Those of you have been who have been reading for the past year, just think... That's just one year of forty-five that I've been living this. I've reached the point where I have been many times in my life where I sit back and just wait for what's next with unamused interest.

This seems a good theme song for me right now.

In the clearing stands a boxer
And a fighter by his trade
And he carries the reminders
Of ev'ry glove that layed him down
Or cut him till he cried out
In his anger and his shame
"I am leaving, I am leaving"
But the fighter still remains

We'll get the Christmas spirit going here eventually between now and Christmas. Life just has us a bit derailed at the moment. But what else is new.

After three days of no sun, it finally shined during my last break today and I ran out to the parking lot to stand in it. I figure ten minutes of sunlight should be worth 10mg Paxil. Then I got sick and had to run back inside. Sorry, I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself these past few days. Will try better in the next post.

Tomorrow's horoscope = hopeful.

Approaching events will push to the limit during this somewhat testing period. Be confident and trust in your abilities. Don't let the opinions of others dissuade you from your convictions; instead use any confrontation to build up and solidify the arguments for your own position. You may well discover one or two opportunities for improvement.

For more WIPS by people who actually work on them go to <a href="http://tamisamis.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Tami's Amis.</a>

Monday, Monday

2011-12-12T22:27:00.000-05:00

Just can't trust that day. In which we all stop by to see what happened this week.

Last week, I told Monday it needs to stop dropping by every week. This morning, I woke up and stepped in a great big ole pile of it. Monday. The good thing about it was I was off. Restraining orders against Monday are in the process.

It was cold and rainy today. A good day stay home and mess around in the kitchen. I finally made that apple pie, I kept saying I was going to make but didn't.

Then I noticed, the refrigerator is on the fritz, yet again. It's turned up to nine and just barely keeping things cool. The repair man kept saying he was coming. Until the manager called him again at 6pm and he said, tomorrow. The manager said, and in the meantime their food is going bad.

My yarn I ordered on October 21st arrived. It wasn't exactly was I was expecting compared to the picture I saw on the website. I will review it in another post.

Then I made bacon honey maple caramels for Duane. He and I got to bickering and I forgot I had the pan on the stove. The sugar scorched the bottom of the pain and I thought it was ruined. I tasted a bit of it on a spoon and it was ok, just looked funny. So I carried on. Duane says he likes it and that's all that matters. I'll have to make another pan next week while I'm sleeping or something.

I found a new fudge recipe that is easy, in the microwave. I'm going to make one recipe of my time trusted Never Fail Fudge and one recipe of the new easier stuff. Then compare.

Next two weeks are going to be interesting. I work the next five days, Sunday off, then five days and Christmas eve off. Not too much time to get things done. Christmas Eve will be spent in kitchen making Duane his kolaches and Dutch speculaas koekjas for me.

Back to sock knitting and fudge making.

When Is Weird Too Weird

2011-12-10T19:44:00.001-05:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, I believe our normal would be weird any where else. So the question is, when is weird, too weird for a Suntran bus driver? I found out Tuesday morning. It was a crisp 27F when I left for work. As we know I knit on the bus commute to be productive and well, to ignore the weird.

I was roused from my knitting when I heard yelling outside the bus and the driver came to a screeching halt. Outside, at the bus stop were three people wearing their bedding. Yes, they were wearing their bedding. Two men in their pajamas wrapped up in blankets and a woman in her nightgown wrapped up in a quilt.

The bus driver told them the bus was full to capacity, slammed the door and took off. I looked around and there was maybe ten people on the bus. I guess looking like your already for a long nap, is just too weird for a Suntran bus driver.

I should have read my horoscope before I left the house this morning.

Today's Horoscope

Lots of things aren't going as well as they might. You encounter obstacles wherever you look. Try to deal these apparently adverse conditions in a laid back manner and see them as a challenge. If something isn't going the way you planned it can still have positive outcomes and all the obstacles on the way just serve to make the journey more interesting.

This morning my bus was 45 minutes late. When it was twenty minutes late, I called Suntran. After being on hold for about 15 minutes, they tell me the bus ran out of gas. How does that happen on the first run of the morning? Aren't they supposed to check that before they leave the station?

Half way through my ride, a woman gets on the bus and starts cussing at the driver for being late. As she stomps to the back of the bus, she yells, "She's lucky this isn't the southside. Her ass would be grass for this." Because you know, you can get there so much faster, if you beat the bus driver half to death. Glad I ride through the milder barrio.

I arrived to work 30 minutes late. The weekend scheduler fixed it for me. They were giving pre-VGH yesterday for today, I booked to VGP (go home with pay early) for three o'clock. It was so slow, and a Saturday (no admin wandering around) I pulled out my knitting to work on between calls. At one point, I was able to complete a whole row on my snood and I call hadn't came through. I checked my phone to make sure I was still connected.

Back to the scheduling desk. I said, you know my day isn't going so well, with the whole run out gas first thing. If you need people to leave earlier. I'm willing to go say either at one or two. It just needs to be at the top of the hour so I can walk to the bus stop. I could be home getting a start on my holiday baking and fudge making. By the way, do you like homemade fudge?

He said, I'm a fudge fiend.

Well, next Saturday, there will be a container of fudge for you.

Him: As long as it's a Saturday, so the weekday people don't eat it all on me.

Me; Yes, of course, it will be Saturday.

The younger guy: What about me?

Me: It will be a good size container and you two can share. Consider it a thank you gift for past favors. Not a bribe for future favors or anything. Future favors however could make more thank you fudge to arrive in the future, though. (chuckles)

At 1:30, I'm outside on lunch and the older guy comes out.

Him: You still want to leave at two?

Me: Yes, I do.

Him: Come bug me again when you get back from lunch. I'll get you out of here.

Me: Ok, thanks.

Him: Are you going to bring your own gas?

Me: I probably should stop by the Circle K to get a can and fill up with gas. Just to be safe.

Of course, my connecting bus home was over twenty minutes late. I was tempted to call the station and ask if yet another bus ran out of gas.

Happy Saturday everyone. It's my Friday. Obviously, I have to make sure to make fudge on my two days off.

WIP Wednesday

2011-12-07T22:57:00.000-05:00

It's sad, I came home from work and almost too tired to pull out the camera. But, pull it out I did. Somebody give me a cookie.

I'm up to eleven inches on my lacy cowl turned snood. Another nine inches to go. I'm averaging about over an inch a day on my bus rides and I'm thinking I'll have this finished in time for the weather to warm back up. Hard to take a good picture at night. It's actually a bright sky blue with sparkles. I'm thinking about putting this away to finish the next project first.

Over the weekend I started a pair of two at time toe-up socks in Wendy Knits' pattern Seaweed. I'm getting addicted to these toe-up sock patterns lately. Using Pagewood Farms Yukon in Navajo colorway. I know I said I wasn't doing giftmas knitting this year, but I make my mother something knitted every Christmas.

In 2007, when I got my Workman's Comp settlement, I bought her an embroidery sewing machine for her birthday that she wanted so very much. She took the classes, but has yet to use it. I've knitted her two pairs of socks, a pair of leg warmers and cowl since then and she uses those every winter. Therefore, I make sure her gifts are all of the knitted kind from now on.

I've put a few more inches on my Bellevue cardi since last Wednesday. Work on this has since been suspended due to the above.

Back on October 21, I ordered a skein of yarn from a dyer that was having special edition colorways. When I didn't hear anything within two weeks, other than order confirmation, I went back to the site. I didn't read when I ordered that it would take 3-4 weeks for the yarn to be dyed. Ok, delayed gratification.

November 21 came and went, but I waited until last Monday the 28th to send an e-mail inquiring whether the yarn had been mailed yet. I got a reply within a few hours stating they got an overwhelming response for the yarn. That my yarn would be mailed the next day and that if I didn't get it in a few days to e-mail again and they would send a tracking number. I thought hmm, but ok. Well, you know this past week, I had been sick.

Last night, still no yarn had arrived. I sent off another e-mail inquiring whether it had been sent yet before I went to bed. I came home tonight to a reply stating that my yarn had been sent out but was returned to them that the bar code had been damaged. They re-sent it out today with a new bar code. I'm a bit suspicious about this.

Anyway, Duane says I should blog about the company when I finally, if ever get the yarn. But I've read in places not to give a bad review as that is someone's lively hood. What to do?

Thank you all for you sympathetic comments to my health miseries this week. I was able to heal most it with whooping doses of Vit C and gallons of water. Now, I'm just feeling really run down. I bought some Vit B complex when I bought the C on Monday. Just waiting for that to kick in. The bottle claims it's supposed to boost energy, immunity and metabolism. I'm making Duane take one every night too. At the end of the month we will assess if it helped any.

Have a great week, everyone. For more WIPS by people who actually work on them go to Tami's Amis.

Me and Mondays

2011-12-05T19:58:00.000-05:00

Dear Monday,

As a day of the week, we're just not working out. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to X you out of my calender. It was bad enough the morning you poured the rain on me and I had to pay a fortune for a cab to go a few miles. Then last week, with the crud and the cold sore that ate my mouth and caused me to miss two days of work.

Today, however is the final straw. Waking up at 5am on my day off with severe in pain in my back and right side from a kidney stone, was beyond necessary. This is it you have to go. It's just not working out and quite frankly I'm wondering if you're out to kill me.

Sincerely yours,
The Monday Hater

I took off Thursday and Friday to get over the crud. It was no ordinary cold sore, it took up the entire right half of my upper lip. It was like a second degree burn. I could barely eat or drink without pain. A series of rinses with 50% peroxide and water, then baking soda water, followed by 50% Maalox healed it within two days. Duane was so sweet. Thursday night he made me a ham salad sandwich and cut it up into sixteen tiny pieces for me.

Then today, yeah, kidney stone. I haven't had one for over a decade, but that is a pain you don't forget. I'm consuming large doses of Vit C and drinking gallons of water, in hopes I'm better by tomorrow morning. The State cut off my health insurance as soon as I started this job. If I have to take tomorrow off, I will need to go to the emergency room to get a Dr. note. Just pay them what I can every week. I have to wait until open enrollment next fall to get insurance through my job.

Yesterday, while grocery shopping I found that blue poinsettia (first picture above) and this Christmas cactus on sale. Never saw a blue poinsettia before, so it had to come home with me. Our little Christmas tree is blue and silver. My mother had a Christmas cactus when I was little. Her's was a bright pink. They had plenty of those, but only one of this white and pale pink. It was different, so it came along too. That is the extent of my Christmas decorating.

I finished my Tucson socks on Friday afternoon. You'll have to wait til this Friday to see them. I started some socks for my mother for Christmas. You'll have to wait for WIPW for those.

What's up with our weather down here? When did Tucson pick up and move to New York state while I was sleeping? I swear on Saturday, it was snowing in the valley when I walked from work to the bus home. It didn't stick or accumulate. It sure felt like snowflakes hitting my face.

This morning at 5am, the temperature in Tucson was 31.5F. The temperature back home in Rochester, NY was 48.6F. There is something seriously wrong here. I brought all my potted plants inside and covered the ones in the planter with a sheet.

Bootsie says, "This cold stuff sucks."

Bootsie and Duane trying to keep each other warm.

I can't find my angora hat. Saturday night I started this cowl, expanding it into a snood. I added three repeats of the pattern to make it a bit wider. Even though I've been knitting like a mad woman all day between drinking gallons of water and making a million trips to the bathroom, it's only about 8 inches right now. I measured from my forehead, across the top of my head and down the back and it needs to be about 20 inches. It looks like my angora headband will have to suffice in the morning.

My mother called me this morning, just to see how I'm doing. That threw me for a loop. I'm the one who makes the calls. I've been so busy and tired with work. Thanksgiving is when I started not feeling well. By the time I thought about calling, I knew she would be at my brother's house for dinner.

I found this SAL Wipocalypse 2012 through a blog and I'm going to sign up. The rules are pretty liberal, so I'm hoping this is one I can follow through. Goodness knows with all my cross stitch wips, I could use some encouragement. Would you believe over the weekend I found another tote in my closet with even more cross stitch WIPS? I shuttered and just quietly walked away, pretending I didn't see anything. Nope, I don't have a problem. Not me.

That's my update. Thanks for stopping by.

Last NaBloPoMo Post

2011-11-30T22:07:00.000-05:00

I made it posting every day for November. Every time I do this, I realize it's easy if you happen to post every day, something different when you plan to do it. I made it and didn't lose any followers, amazing.

It's been a weird month, hasn't it? I had hoped to end on high note. Instead, I'm wounded soldier. The cold sore is much worse. The last hour of my shift today, I was in tears from the pain. I brought my team leader up in a private chat and told her I needed to leave but it was too busy to VGH. She told me to go ahead and go it would just be a 1/4 point. Then I told her, I'm taking the next couple days off to try to get better. She told me to do what I needed to do.

I'm going to stay home, get plenty of rest and drink lots of water and hope to flush what ever this is out of my system. No need to push myself and have Duane come on here and say I'm in the hospital.

I'll probably continue to post more often when I have something to write about, just not every day. There were several nights when writing a post what the last thing I wanted to do. However, I made a commitment and succeeded.

Thanks to all of you who kept up with me this month.

WIP Wednesday

2011-11-29T23:45:00.024-05:00

WIP Wednesday on Tuesday, which is really Wednesday when most of you will read this.

I finished the heel gusset on my second Tucson sock and am half way through turning the heel. I thought I might have this done by Friday, but I'm not so sure.

I finished the third lace repeat on my Bellevue sweater and am now on the stockinette stitch of the body. I love the color of this yarn.

The past two months, I've getting up before the alarm. This morning when it went off, I lay there wondering what that awful noise was. That canker decided to form it's own galaxy of smaller blisters on the under side of my lip. My glands are swollen, head achey and still I went to work. The shift went by rather smoothly even though I felt like crap.

Had my bi-weekly meeting with my team leader. I'm ranking 49 out of 250, in less than two months on the floor.

Before I left this morning, I brought my rose bush inside and stuck it in Duane's office for him to enjoy. He said that the cats kept coming in and trying to eat it while he was in there with the door open. I said, I would rather the cats eat it, than have some teenage snot steal it. Yes, I'm an old grump.

For more WIPS by people who actually work on them go to Tami's Amis.

Great Customer Service

2011-11-28T22:57:00.000-05:00

I heard back from Joan at Cupcake Fibers this morning. She searched her stock to see if she might have some Pool in the SW BFL. Sadly, she couldn't find any and is out of SW BFL until sometime next week. She offered to try to duplicate the color in the fibers she did have in stock.

I'm starting on a long five day stretch of work and walking, so I told her to just wait until the SW BFL came in. As it's not like I'll get to my wheel any time soon anyway. She even offered to replace it for free. I told her I didn't expect to cover our mishap.

Mondays are Mondays even when they are a day off. I've been wondering why I've been so tired and cranky lately. (More than usual, that is.) This morning I woke up with a huge canker sore on my gum, under my right nostril. I'm treating it with peroxide rinses and dabbing powder alum on it. An old emergency room told me about the powder alum a very long time ago. It healed it within a couple days.

I have that achey, head achey yuck feeling one has just as the crud is coming on. Unfortunately, I'm on the later shift this week. Which sucks because I'm walking to the bus in the dark, then have a 30 minute wait for my connecting bus home.

I'm on the heel gusset of the second sock. (Old picture of the first sock, because I'm lazy) It looks like I might have a finished pair by the weekend. I know, I'm amazed too.

My other long stem tea rose is starting to bloom. I'm going to bring it inside before I leave for work in the morning. The flower thieves can go rub salt if they have plans on this next one.

Hope you have a great Tuesday.

Sunday Snit

2011-11-27T23:50:00.004-05:00

I'm in a bit of snit today. I woke up at 1 am with sinuses all agitated and was up til 4:30 am reading. It was ok, being this is my day off. Woke up again at 8 am, knit and read some blogs for awhile. Duane got up and after that I cleaned the bird cage and vacuumed the living room.

My plan was to clean the bedroom and do all the laundry. Duane had cabin fever and wanted to go out. I had planned to take him to Luke's on Monday, but we went today. For several years, he's been craving an Italian Combo sandwich like he used to get in Chicago. I was told by an old Chicago guy at work, that Luke's came pretty close.

A combo sandwich is a half pound of thinly sliced Italian beef, with an Italian sausage on a French roll dipped in Au Jus with hot and sweet peppers. He said, Old Chicago guy was right and it was pretty close. A little too much black pepper in the beef.

Back when we lived in Rochester, there was a pizza and sub place right around the corner. They had steak subs and Italian sausage subs with a real link of Italian sausage. Not those little bullet things that get put on the pizza like most shops back there used. He called them and asked them to stick an Italian sausage on his steak sub to make his combo sandwich. They refused to do it, because they couldn't figure out how to price it. I never would order from that place again. You might have noticed, but I don't suffer fools or idiots very well.

(Honey, don't read any further. Hit the back button.)

We came home, I gave up on the cleaning idea as I was tired from the walking. So, I pulled out my spinning wheel. I finished most of the ounce I had started back in September. When I went to get the box with the rest of the fiber, it was gone. I searched the few spots it could possibly be. I'll search a little deeper tomorrow, but I'm not holding out any hope.

It's been thrown out. I threw a fit. Someone (not me) mistaken it for a empty shipping box and took it out to the garbage, sometime since the beginning of November when I last saw it. I threw a fit.

It's the first time in nine years that anything of mine has been accidentally thrown out. However, it brought back memories of The Jerk and my step-father who just throw out other people's things accidentally on purpose. I think that's what pissed me off the most, is bringing back those memories.

I have since sent a message to Joan at Cupcake Fiber to see if she could come up with something close. I guess I'll just Navajo ply this ounce and come up with something for it. Maybe knit a minion to guard the next batch of fiber.

I think the manager should have left the meth addict in the apartment above me. At least she would eventually run out of meth and crash for a few days, and there would be quiet. The women upstairs and her kids continue to sound like a herd of crazed St. Bernard's wearing Dutch wooden shoes holding wrestling matches. I have went up there and said something, I have pounded on the ceiling with a broom. They are just inconsiderate, final opinion. It's 10:30 pm and they are still romping.

No sense in complaining to the manager. He won't do anything unless someone is disturbing him personally. He has himself well insulated with the snowbird above him and quiet people on either side. (Us for one) It takes forever to get anything fixed. The toilet has been constantly running for two months now. I've told him about it twice. The only thing this place is good for is when people have a hard time paying their rent.

I'm done, finished with this place. After the holidays, I will work on getting a car. So I can work overtime, and save for the first month's rent and deposit for a single family house. They have been putting up notices at work daily that they need people to stay for overtime from 4-8. I usually get out between 5 and 6 so staying a couple extra hours wouldn't be a problem, except for walking in the dark, two miles to the bus stop through the barrio.

My horoscope for Monday: Owing to the unfavourable influence of the stars, you will be confronted today with situations which will easily stretch you to the max. Don't doubt your abilities. It is within your power to change these circumstances. If you are also faced with problems at work, try to make the best of it. Problems are ultimately placed before us so that we will learn from them. You can use these difficult times to improve your skills.

(rolls eyes)

I need to do something and I'm on a mission.

This Pot Has A Story

2011-11-26T22:20:00.000-05:00

This pot came to our complex last fall. A lady who had moved in with the woman above me, brought this as far as the parking lot and left it. Another new resident asked the manager if she could have it. Not knowing or caring whose it was he gave it to her. It had a nice palm like plant in it. That tenant let it die and left out of here abandoning most of her stuff when Duane was in the hospital.

Then someone moved into the apartment across from me over the summer. Somehow, she was given the pot. Planted something in it. Let it die and abandoned her apartment last month. We lay claim to this pot. This is where it's story will end.

My friend, who takes me shopping might take me to the nursery Sunday or Monday. I want to get a mini citrus tree for it. I found such a plant on Amazon, but they won't ship to the citrus states. So, I'm hoping to find one at the plant nursery.

I woke up this morning and it was 42F with 98% humidity. When did I wake up in back in NY? How did that happen? It was so tempting to just call in. However, that would give me two points for the month and I would lose any bonus, I've been working so hard for. Plus a days pay. Plus it affects my two week average they use to calculate my holiday pay. I stood to lose a good chunk of change. So, I dragged my butt to work. Seriously, I pulled out the tow change and dragged it kicking and screaming all the way there. I did VGH three hours early when they asked if I wanted to go home.

Just as I was about to take a picture of the unopened box of chocolates, Duane picked it up and ripped the plastic off. So much for that bit of suspense. The thing is huge. As wide as Duane's recliner.

Believe it or not, I only had one piece. A maple fudge. I don't eat much refined sugar since my acupuncturist told me refined sugars exacerbates chronic pain. Since, I'm not feeling well with our high humidity and cooler temps, I don't want to add to it.

Have a happy Sunday. I know I will, since I will be at home. Just hope I don't wake up earlier than if I had to work.

Fiber Arts and FO Friday

2011-11-25T22:39:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday! Or is it Sunday? This is my second of two days off, then I go back tomorrow, Saturday and have Sunday and Monday off. So, is Saturday my Monday or Friday? I don't know. I'm sooo confused.

Let's talk about socks. I can have an intelligent conversation about socks. I think. Um, maybe. I'll give it a shot.

I finished one sock, so I'm throwing it in the ring for a finish. This is toe up, using Wendy Knits' pattern Waterfall Socks. (It's free.) I'm using Alpaca Peds yarn in the Kaleidosock colorway. It comes with a smaller skein for the toes and heels but I did toes and cuff. I'm calling it my Tucson colored sock. The colors remind of the color accents on the sand colored buildings here. Terra Cotta, purple and turquoise.

I like the short row toe better than Judy's magic cast on for toe up socks. I'm tried both so far. For the heel, I found I liked Fleegle's heel better than the short row heel. It didn't seem to look right using a different color for the heel without a proper flap.

I used Jenny's Stretchy Bind Off for the cuff. I first used it when I knit a cowl last year and that is what prompted me to try toe up socks. Previously, I had been worried about the bind off not being stretchy enough. I think this past year of experimenting, I'm converted to toe-up socks. Now, I want to get a bunch of 0 and 1 cable needles and give two at once a second try.

Yesterday, I worked on my Bellevue Cardigan in Knit One Crochet Too, teals. I completed the second repeat of the pattern stitches then dozed off in my chair during a Roseanne episode last night.

Last Friday, I bought myself a Crazy Zauberball for some socks. I stared at it in the bag until Tuesday night, when I came home in that foul mood. So, I cast on a cuff down basic sock. Too sooth myself, I took it for my bus knitting on Wednesday. It was a fun knit for two hours when the phone system went down and all was chaos for awhile.

Did you go out in the madness today? I stayed home. I slept in to all of 6am today. It was a high of 56 and cloudy here by noon. We had rain overnight. I woke this morning to my left shoulder blade, back and left hip hurting really bad. Needless to say, I didn't spend any time with my spinning wheel. Spent the day finishing the above finished sock and starting the second one. That was about all the ambition I had. Then I took a two and half hour nap at 1:30. It seems like forever since I took an afternoon nap.

Last week, Frys had a New York Strip roast on sale. We had not heard of a cut of roast like that before. It was a $55.00 dollar roast for $17.00. Yeah, you know you would have carted that thing home too. Duane noticed there was a little whole in the plastic wrap a couple days ago. Not wanting a roast like that to get freezer burnt, he took it out of the freezer to thaw. That was what we had for dinner tonight.

My plate. Yes, I sucked the whole thing up. I need sustenance for my long walk and shift tomorrow.

Can you believe it has been over 24 hours that this box of chocolates has been in the house and we haven't ripped into yet? We just sit here and admire the size of it. Temptation will win over one of these days soon. I guess it can be a bit of blog suspense. How many days will those two stare at that box of chocolates before they finally give in and open it?

Thanks for stopping by. Click the following links for more FO's and Fiber Arts.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T22:09:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving for those who are celebrating.

I had the day off and yet I still got up at 5:30am. UGH!! I'm thankful to be home and not taking calls for Drugs R Us, I can tell you that.

I needed to walk up to the CVS for evaporated milk to make the pumpkin pie. Duane went with me and we shopped. Our eyes lit up when we saw the biggest Whitman's Sampler box, ever.

It is about over 2 feet by 1 foot. It's huge!! Amazingly we didn't tear into when came home. It's still sitting here in the plastic wrap. The pie will probably wait til tomorrow's breakfast too. (Note to self. Put the pies away so Bright Eyes doesn't help herself.)

I'm thankful we're all still here together, though some of us are carrying scars from the year. That we could afford to buy more food than 2 people, 4 cats, 3 rabbits and 18 birds could possibly eat.

My daughter called with good news. Tuesday, the judge gave her immediate temporary full custody of Faith. Until they have a formal hearing. Which the father said he's not going to even show up for. That will bite him in the butt someday. Nicole said, Duane and I can Faith for the summer.

After the holidays, I need to save up for a down payment on a car. Then I was researching house rentals and found some 3 bedroom with 2 baths for just a couple hundred a month more than what we are paying. After that, the plane money to fly up get Faith and come back. Plus, pick up a puppy in Pennsylvania. I've found the puppy I've been wanting for five years. I've researched this breed and it seems like it will fit in with our menagerie.

(Picture from Greenfield Puppies)

I told Duane this summer, I will fly up north and come back with a child and a puppy. He rolled his eyes, thanks ever so much.

Me: She's not three anymore. She's seven. Old enough that she can be of help to you.

Him: Ok, Faith, go entertain the puppy.

We're excited to have her for the summer. Seven should be the right age which will have lasting memories of coming to visit Mama and Pappa for the summer. Thirty years from now she'll remember waking up to Mama's flock of birds chirping away in the living room.

I have tomorrow off too. No, I won't be participating in the Black Friday madness. I work Saturday, then have Sunday and Monday off. Maybe, I can actually get some spinning done during that time.

Stay safe if you're going out to face that madness that will be in the stores.

I Got Nothing

2011-11-23T23:13:00.003-05:00

Nothing much for WIPW.

How was your day? Probably better than the owner of this Cadillac. I'm sitting at the picnic bench waiting to start my shift when the repo man comes and takes this guys Caddy. I don't know which is worse having your car repoed at work, or having all your co-workers come out to watch.

I didn't post my Wednesday post Tuesday night because I came home in a bad mood and exhausted. The snowbirds were horrible, calling in to fill their prescriptions. I kept hearing about how much they hated our system down here at Drugs-R-Us compared to their Drugs-R-Us back home. One actually said, "I hate you call center people."

The cranky old lady in my head wanted to say, "Yeah, well hop on your broom and fly yourself back home. Cool your arse in a snowbank for awhile."

About 45 minutes before my shift ended, I went to the bathroom, to prepare for my 20 minute run to the bus stop. The scheduler guy looked at me as I walked past his desk on the way back. (He'll learn not to make eye contact with me, one of these days.) So I said, "Just putting it out there. If you need someone to leave at 5:45, I'm volunteering. If not, that's ok. I'll just keep my butt in the chair until I'm scheduled to leave at 6."

The head of scheduling was sitting there. (The one who gave me the coat.) She burst out laughing. "I never heard it put like that."

Me: "I'm just putting it out there and trying to be reasonable."

Her: "You're always totally reasonable."

Him to me: "I'll keep that in mind."

He let me go at 5:40. Which was good because I don't think my body could have made that walk in 20 minutes.

This is where I lost it. When I got off the first bus, the connecting bus almost pulled up beside me a few feet from the stop. I waved my arm and shouted. He looked right at me and took off. You'll can just imagine what the cranky old lady in my head said to that.

When I finally did get home, the TV was blaring with politics and the birds were trying to out shout the politics. I felt like Duane wasn't listening to me. It just wasn't a good night. My day was still better than the guy who got his car repoed.

Today, the customers were actually nice. It seemed to be mostly locals already starting with the holiday cheer. About an hour after I started, the phones started going down. The people coming on couldn't log in. I said in chat, I was jealous, I could be knitting.

Then one minute before lunch, I was on the phone with a customer, when screen went down, but the customer was still on the phone. I told her to hang up and call back, that my screen went down. She said, just type in my name.

Me: "Mam, I can't type in your name, because my screen went down and there's nothing to type your name into. You need to hang up and call back."

Her: "What do you mean? Just type in my name."

Rinse and repeat the above about four times. She finally says, "You want me to hang up and call back?"

Duh!!!

Because it was the client's software, we had to stay since they could continue to bill the client. So, I knit for about two hours. They were going around one by one having people try to log back in. If they couldn't, they went home. If they could, obviously they went back to work. About an hour before I was to leave, they got to me. Don't you know, I was able to log back in.

Duane and I went out for pizza at a new place. We finally found a place close by with decent pizza, good prices and they deliver.

Half my meatball sub and the last slice of his pizza. I decided to take a picture before we ate it all.

I'm taking my very exhausted butt to bed. Will post knitting or some fiber stuff on Friday.

By the way, I got a 22lb turkey for the six of us, tomorrow. It's Duane, the four cats and I. Of course, I fix the cats plates. You wouldn't expect anything different from me would you?

Have a Happy Thanksgiving to all my US readers.

Guess What!?!

2011-11-22T00:00:00.001-05:00

That's what my granddaughter says when I talk to her on the phone. Guess what!?! Such enthusiasm she has.

No real purpose picture.

This morning I'm sitting at the desk, taking calls from stupid people. It felt like a repeat from the day before. They ask a question, I give the answer. They don't like my answer, so they repeat the question. I give the same answer. They still don't like my answer, so they repeat the question. I repeat the same answer. Rinse and repeat several times til they give up and go away, raising my handle time with them. I often wonder if these are same people that pestered their parents until they changed their answer.

I feel a group of people gathered around my chair behind me. One of the floor team leaders moves into my peripheral vision. I think, oh crap, time for a pop quiz. They did this last month and I failed because the policy was vague, so I gave a wrong answer. Pointed out the policy was vague.

It's my Wednesday on a Monday. It's cold and slightly rainy. I'm really not in the mood for this. I finish the call and turn around. The group of team leaders and administration shout and cheer at me. What the hell is this? Apparently, I got a 100% quality for the week. Which is really hard to do. Especially, this past week dealing with cranky and stupid people. The snowbirds are here is full force and calling the pharmacy. Demanding people. Somehow, I managed it.

My prize? My choice between a package of peanutbutter crackers or microwave popcorn. I can't eat popcorn, so I took the crackers. No picture, I at them for lunch.

One of the team leaders said, "We'll be back next week. Since you can do it, you can do it every week." Really??? Ok, I guess we'll go with that. *cough*

Strange place I work at.

One the long walk to my first bus stop, I noticed a double rainbow in the sky. I tried to take a picture, but there wasn't anyway of doing so without having the street sign involved. There are too many sickos out there to give away my location. It's enough to know I'm Tucson, a kinda big city. Don't want to let out just exactly where and what time. Yeah, I could have photo shopped it, but I'm tired and lazy.

Have a great Tuesday. Just two days of the crankies left then I'm home for two days.

For Your Monday Amusement

2011-11-21T00:00:00.001-05:00

I'm slowly climbing up the leg of my Tucson sock these past two evenings of knitting. Or maybe it's Bootsie doing all the work. Duane told me today while I was on lunch that Bootsie is pulling yarn out of my knitting bag. He puts it back, leaves the room, comes back in to find yet something else laying in the middle of the room.

I'm adding increases in the center solid section on the back of the calf. What I don't like about this pattern is that the curls around while I'm knitting. It looks like I'm knitting on the back of the calf when I'm actually knitting the front portion. I'll try to get a picture in the daylight either Thursday or Friday when I'm off.

Just eight more posts to NaBloPoMo. I think I can consider at this point I've made it. My second try I succeeded in 2008, though I have to say it was pretty hard. I was home all the time watching my granddaughter 14 hours a day. It was hard to think of things to post about. Going out everyday, Tucson never fails to provide more amusement.

(This picture serves no real purpose other than something to look at)

This soul sucking, un-creative job has my mind just jumping with imagination once I'm unshackled from the phone. I officially dislike working Sundays. Not so much, the fact that it's Sunday, it's that I've officially dubbed it Stupid People Sunday. I get some of the dumbest people calling on Sunday.

For your amusement, I will tell you about the worst part of my Sunday. It's the bus ride home. The past three weeks, it's been the same fat, obstreperous, jerk of a bus driver. He glares at me when I ask for a transfer. Then he waits til I put in my very last dime and heaves his beefy arm over to push the button. He makes such a display of inconvenience in this act of moving his arm six inches to push a button.

(This one too.)

Even though it was 73F outside, today he had the heat running full blast. Besides making the temperature extremely uncomfortable, the bus smelled like a combination of a U-Haul full of unwashed Mexicans and urine. Halfway through the ride, a guy came on and sat down next to me reeking of cheap cologne. You know the kind, the $2.00 cheap spritzers they buy by the caseload at the Family Dollar. At that point, I actually considered getting off and walking the seven miles to my next stop. Just for some fresh air. Except, if I had, I would have missed the guy getting on at the next stop.

I have to say, most of the normal folk that get on the busses would be weirdos in other cities. In two years, I've gotten used to them and barely raise an eyebrow anymore. Full body tattoos, body piercings and enough metal to supply ammunition for a small war.

Riding the bus, I have my earbuds in with music blaring and only look up from my knitting long enough to figure how much longer til my stop. The guy that got on was enough for me to look up from my knitting with rapt attention. He looked normal enough with a t-shirt and shorts. Too clean to be a homeless guy. He carried three large duffle bags, two back packs, a brief case and what really caught my attention was what looked like a nylon rifle case.

He sat down and proceeded to arrange the overstuffed bags on the seats and floor around them. Then he laid what looked like a rifle bag across his lap. This really didn't seem too odd, as this is the conceal and carry state. It's said, they issue side arms as you cross the boarder into the state. What concerned me was when he began to unzip it and pull a wooden item that at seemed at first, to be shaped like a rifle.

Well crap, I thought, this guy sitting directly across from me is about to open fire on the bus. There certainly wouldn't be any help coming from the bus driver who had a hard time moving his beefy arm six inches and push a button.

It ended up being a small square body mandolin. It appeared to be homemade. The man then proceeded to pull out a tuner, tune it then carefully polish it. Relieved, I returned to my knitting.

Duane got to watch his Bears win on the TeeVee, this put him in a good mood. He asked me to take a picture of him in his Bears gear next to the grill. For those interested, he made barbequed buffalo ribs, barbequed pork roast, homemade German potato salad and applesauce.

This my Wednesday on a Monday. It doesn't bode well. The weatherman is calling for rain.

Try to have a good day, even if it is a Monday.

I'll Never Look At Broccoli The Same Way Again

2011-11-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

Some of you may have realized from my previous posts that I live in a mental asylum. I wasn't aware of this when we first moved in. It looked rather like a late 40's early 50's style motel. Lots of inmates have come and gone in the year and half that I've been here. My first realization this was the nuthouse was when I met Ravioli Lady and her Psycho son. I should have been keeping my blog back then, they would have provided lots of blog fodder. There has been dozens of other cast of characters which I may use to write about at some point as the mood suits me.

Today, I will write about the strange man that lives upstairs and across the way. It's ok, I'm the only one in this place he will talk to. It's not like my two neighbors who are on my FB will tell him. He moved in while Duane was in the hospital this past winter. I first noticed him when I came home late at night. He had his window open with his head stuck out looking up and down the cat walk like he was afraid someone might be coming for him at any moment. When he saw me or anyone, he ducked back inside and slammed the window.

Weird guy looks and walks just like Michael Stivic on All In The Family. If Mike did way too many drugs in the 60's and fried his brains out.

One night, after Duane came back home, I was standing out on my patio. The guy comes out and asks me if I have the time. I said, I needed to go in and look at the clock. He said, I'll come down. I wonder why he needed to come down for me to tell him the time. When I came back out he was standing on my patio. I told him the time.

Him: "I just wanted to make sure the time was right on my new phone."

Me. "Ok" (meaning I gave you the time, now go away.)

Him "I moved here a few months ago."

Me "Yes, I know."

Him "My old lady kicked me out." He moved closer and I could smell the booze on his breath.

Me: "I'm sorry."

Him "Your real nice."

Me "I need to go inside and do something for my husband now."

A couple weeks later, we had the boarder staying us. He went outside to smoke a cigarette. I went out on the patio and saw he and the weird guy sitting next to each other on my planter having a conversation. I thought they made a great pair. Not wanting another encounter, I made an excuse and went back inside. A few minutes later the boarder comes in.

Him: "Denise, you should have told me he was weird."

Me "You two seemed to be getting along."

Him "He was really weird. Next time warn me about something like that."

Me "What am I supposed to do? Say back away from the weirdo while your right next to him having a conversation."

Him "Next time warn me. Say something like, Broccoli! Broccoli!"

Me "Broccoli is the code word for weirdo. Check..... Hey Duane. Broccoli! Broccoli!"

Boarder didn't think that was funny. He's a sensitive guy and can't laugh at himself. I regularly poke him for my amusement. I'm not really a nice lady, it's just a costume I wear to fool people.

One day Duane and I are sitting on the patio when weird guys walks down the cat walk to his apartment. He was wearing a green sweatsuit.

I say, "That's broccoli."

Duane says, "Yes, I can see that. He even dresses like broccoli."

I just can't look at broccoli on my plate the same way ever again.

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Saturday Catnip

2011-11-19T00:00:00.001-05:00

Feeling pretty tired from my two days off. Yet, I go back to work for another five day run of 5 mile walks and answering 350 calls a day. I have Thanksgiving and Black Friday off. I put in for PTO for those two days hoping I would have either Tuesday and Wednesday or Saturday and Sunday as my regular days and thus four days in a row off. No such luck. I just get the two.

Today, I give you pictures of the cats with the catnip I bought them last month. The problem was, I couldn't let it grow inside, because the following happened. If I took it outside, the same would happen with the neighbors' cats.

Bootsie, what do you have there?

Catnip!!!

You don't lick it, you bite it like this.

Hey, what do you two have there?

Happy Saturday everyone. Think of me sitting in the call center today.

Fiber Arts and Foto Friday

2011-11-18T10:09:00.000-05:00

A certain feline took offence to me calling them lazy in Wednesday's post, so this is what I woke up to this morning. Out of my work bag. No that is not the culprit. That is the tattle tale.

This is our culprit. Ms. Bootsie Bitey, formerly of the Scottsville Biteys, aka Yarn Hoarder with a refined taste in only the best yarns. Silk and cashmere needs to be kept under lock, key.....

with an armed guard.

Yesterday, I cleaned the living room area in the morning. The refrigerator guy came and fixed the fridge. He and the manager tried to blame us, that we didn't know how to use a refrigerator. It was some Freon thingie that was faulty. Duane knows what it is. But yeah, we are 45 and 50 years and don't know how to use a refrigerator. I never had one break down on me until we moved here. I've lived in apartments for ten years at a stretch and never a problem. We will be looking for a new place to live, probably after the holidays. I wanted to wait until we had enough for a down payment on a house, but this place is becoming undo-able.

His new case manager came to meet us and do the the three month evaluation. He's on a new medical plan and this one has a Dr. that does house visits. A Dr. who make house calls, that's pretty cool. We didn't like the new Dr. he was seeing at the clinic, so we agreed to change. Because she is new to us, she's keeping everything else the same. I'm still his caregiver.

Remember the sweater I showed you on Wednesday? It now looks like this. I'll give you all a moment to get over the cringing.

I measured it yesterday and it was two inches wider than I wanted. Since, I was afraid of running out of yarn, I decided to rip it out and restart the smaller size. Hopefully, I won't have to spin more yarn doing this. I really don't have time to spin more, when you consider I'm away from the house twelve hours a day. Exhausted from all the walking. Plus, most of the housework, running errands on my days off. I will re-cast-on tonight in time for the bus in the morning.

Last night, I worked on the first pattern repeat of the Bellevue Cardigan. I'm using Knit One Crochet Too, merino/silk fingering in teal. Once I get past the pattern stitches and into the stockinette, I can add that to the bus knitting rotation.

Foto of the week: My rose bush must have felt bad about Sunday. Yesterday I noticed this little bud had shot out the side at the bottom. I hadn't noticed it there before. Then again, I've been tres busy lately. I'm hoping when my friend comes to take us to do our errands she will stop at Lowes so I can get supplies to make a sign for my planter. "Keep your damn hands off MY plants!"

My day includes, running all the errands, the weeks laundry and vacuuming the bedroom. If I can muster the energy, I might spin for a bit tonight.

Happy Friday for you. This is my Sunday and tomorrow is my Monday on a Saturday.

Going All Splodey In The Mental Asylum

2011-11-17T00:00:00.014-05:00

I made it, six straight days of work and mostly walking four to five miles a day. I'm so exhausted, I'm just a bundle of nerves. It's like being hyped up on the world's strongest expresso. Luckily, my co-worker gave me a ride to the bus stop tonight since we were getting out at the same time.

Everything in the refrigerator is spoiled. The freezer thankfully is working. Duane contacted the manager twice and still hadn't heard anything by the time I got home at 7pm. I marched over there and exploded about everything. Including my flowers, and how it's crap, that I'm trying to make the place look better. However, the trash he rents to destroys it. He said he will send out notices to the tenants to leave the stuff on people's patios alone.

Duane still isn't feeling well, even with the new air condenser. I'm really getting concerned. Anyway, I went up and got McDonald's for dinner. I walked the quarter mile up and then back again so fast, he thought I ran.

We got rid of the meth addicts above us last month. This month, I believe we have a herd of St. Bernards wearing Dutch wooden shoes, up there. The constant stomping over head is beyond annoying. Duane was saying he was about to go up there and say something. Without saying a word, I jumped up and stomped to the upstairs apartment. Being it was the first time, I was rather nice to the mother. She said, it's their first time in an apartment and she'd been trying to tell the children.

When I walked back to my apartment, I noticed a child's face peering out from between the blinds, looking down at me. I gave him my "you better cut the crap" glare. The one my daughter will tell you can put the fear of me, in people.

I walked back in the door, looked at Duane and said, "Is there anyone else you would like to sic me on, while I'm still up?"

"Damn woman, your like a guided missile tonight."

"I'm so stressed, I just want to go all splodey on someone. Point me in the direction of someone you don't like."

Really blurry action shot.

That's when I noticed Ms. Bootsie Bitey, formerly of the Scottsville Biteys, stretched across the back of my rocking chair with her "this sucks" expression on. (Please note, I realized I should have said, formerly of Rochester, Scottsville and Syracuse since we moved to Tucson. Forgive me, I'm just a bit tired.)

"What do you say, Ms. Bootsie Bitey, formerly of the Scottsville Biteys, if you and me go out and go all splodey on someone. I'll even let you use the tazer."

D: "Wow, that's quite an honor Bootsie. Mom's going to let you use the tazer."

"Well, yeah. Imagine the guy we encounter when he talks to the cops. 'You won't believe this officer. It was a little lady, with long grey hair, walking her cat. All of sudden, the cat pulled out a tazer and tazed me."

D: "Officer, it was Pink! Plus, the cat pulled the tazer out of her butt. Not only was I tazed by a cat, but I have cat butt all over me."

It's especially funny when you think about the drunk thugs we have wandering the neighborhood late at night.

Mom wears this expression too.

I have the next two days off and a ton of stuff to do, so it's not like I'm going to get to rest or anything like that. The saving grace is that I won't have to answer 350 calls a day. Imagine saying, "This is pharmacy technician Denise. How may I help you?" or some variation of one of the four different questions I have to use depending on what the computer tells me that the call is about, 350 times in an 8 hour period. Sometimes, I get so over-stimulated my brain farts, then my tongue trips over itself and I say a combination of all four questions at once. Which makes absolutely no sense. About a third of those calls are angry people screaming at me.

I just noticed that Ms. Bootsie has put on her cat prowling suit. It's time to go. We'll let you know of our exploits when we get back. If there is someone you don't like, send them my way. Ask them if they're feeling lucky.

Happy Thursday everyone.

WIP Wednesday

2011-11-16T04:43:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday!!! It might be Wednesday for you, it's a much deserved Friday for me. This week, I'm sorry but I haven't been pretending to knit very much. I don't know what the cats have been doing, but sure isn't knitting.

Wow, this picture looks like more progress was made than it does in real life. I'm halfway through the waist decreases and half-way through the first ball of yarn. I'm rather concerned I might not have enough yarn and will have to order some more bfl/silk to spin for the sleeves. When I'll get around to spinning that, who knows.

I tried teaching the cats how to spin last year, but it all ended in a hot mess.

A little progress was made on the granny ripple last night. After a row or two, I started dozing off in my chair, even with all eighteen tweeters going all at once. I went to bed and the cats took to do whatever it is they do while I'm sleeping.

Duane slept through most of the night finally. He woke at 4:30 am and Ms. Bright Eyes decided I needed to up as well. Instead of holding road races with her cohorts, she sat next to my head and patted me on the shoulder every ten minutes. Until, I finally gave up and got up fifteen minutes before the alarm went off.

Pearl offered to send Liza Bean Bitey (of the Minneapolis Biteys), over to have a talk with my unruly kitties. After seeing this post about Liza Bean Bitey, I think she and Bright Eyes might head out to the patio to share a pack Virginia Slims and a Gin and Tonic. Which would be ok, as long as Liza Bean keeps her occupied between four and six am so I can get some sleep.

There is an uncanny similarity between Liza Bean and Ms. Bright Eyes.

Now, for a cute story to distract you from the lack of knitting content this week. (Damn lazy cats.) A few nights ago, I was perusing Pearl's cat posts while waiting for my pictures to upload. Afterward, I went into the office to find Ms. Bootsie, (the tuxedo cat in the above picture) had attached herself to Duane's arm with her mouth.

D: "I was just petting her and she became over-excited and started biting me."

Me: "I think she may be a Bitey. Probably not any relation to the Minneapolis Biteys, though.."

That's when I sat there and came up with names for everyone. Bootsie Bitey, of the Scottsville Biteys. She and her sister Tennessee Bitey, also of the Scottsville Biteys, came to us via the manager of the pizza shop, I worked at. Their mother, big and pregnant, had been dropped in his driveway early one morning.

Butterscotch "Bubba" Stinky, (of the Rochester Stinkys) was born in my closet on a hot Memorial Day, when the AC had broken down.

His daughter, my familiar, is Bright Eyes Demanding, (of the Rochester Demandings) born in the middle of my living room one hot fourth of July. The AC was working that day. She has made herself spokeswoman of the group.

We have Dammit "Bunny" Chewer, of the Rochester Chewers. He came to us via the Pet Saver, family owned pet shop. As we all know, he has a love of Led Zeppelin and will chew on the carpet to get his way.

Nippit "The furious" Disapproving, of the Syracuse Disapprovings. She comes from a long line of award champion Dissaprovings.

Betty Timid, of the Rochester Timids. She came to us from another family owned pet store under false pretenses. They said she was a purebred Netherland Dwarf and charged us twenty dollars more for the purebred. After a few weeks, it was quite obvious she is a mixed breed and verified as such by our bunny vet. We still love her anyway.

Finally, we the Tweeters, of the Rochester Tweeters. The five came to us from various pet stores around Rochester, NY. (Do I have to name them all?) Anyway, after relocating to Tucson, they decided to open their own Chapter of Tucson Tweeters, hatching 13 more to the group. Until somebody got smart and took the breeding house away.

Finally, we have Henry the Hateful Hummingbird, of the Tucson Hateful Hummingbirds. Who came to us from who knows where. One has to be careful when out on the patio, as he may put an eye out. Where was he when my flowers were stolen? Henry has been up to more antics which I will post about soon.

My reputation with animals is getting around town. This little sparrow took up residence under the picnic bench at work on this past rainy Sunday. He was out there today. I fed him a bit of my stale danish, which a brown crow stole from him. So, I gave him a couple more pieces.

Our refrigerator is going on the fritz. Yes, the newest refurbished one. It was freezing the refrigerator stuff. The freezer is still freezing, but now the refrigerator part is very warm. While writing this post the internet went out and I'm sitting here waiting for it come back up. Must be a large outage because when I called to report it, the recording said they didn't have time to take my call.

It never ends around here does it? Excuse me, Life, I don't need so much new material to blog about. I have plenty of old stuff I could write about. Like how I live in a mental asylum. Surely, you were figuring as much.

For more WIPS by people who actually work on them go to Tami's Amis.