Tuesday, July 31st

I was out sick on Monday. Today, I made it in, but my head doesn't like being here under the bright Florissant lighting. On the plus side, the day is mostly over. Mostly.

The Youngest and I went to the 200 dollar store and spent (brace yourselves) 40 bucks. We picked up 12 pounds of Gummi Bears - the good ones! They were divided up into one cup baggies. She took her six pounds and went home, hours later and after knitting. I hope she was able to hide them from the roommates. No, we didn't just spend 40 bucks on Gummi Bears. We also brought 40 pounds of briquettes.

No sock class this weekend. Advanced sock class, will be as needed. I'm okay with that. Basic sock class, her daughter is (was?) in the hospital. She wanted a refund. M was telling her, you'll need to come in and we'll talk. I said I'd be willing to work with her schedule, so who knows how it will turn out.

I've completed about four inches since joining the new ball of yarn, on the shawl. It's growing. I'm still having nightmares about not having enough on hand to finish. I've been looking at other people's shawls and reading their amounts used. I should read the pattern and see how much it's called for. (Yeah, like it's really that easy...) I already know I'll need to purchase about two more skeins for the second shawl.

I've been knitting pretty much every night, for the past week. My wrist is killing me. I haven't been doing my powerball. Guess it's time to get back into that routine, otherwise I won't be able to knit much longer.

Friday, July 27th

Wednesday coffee was only BFF C and I. There was another lady knitting on the other side of the building, but neither of us wanted to invite her to our PMS party. I did manage to get three rows of the shawl completed. I still have a long way to go.

Beth has finished her Hyrna Herborgar shawl. It's not even dressed (blocked) and it's breathe taking. The inner child in me is screaming for one. I even have the color (copper) I would want it in and it's cashmere! I'd better get into gear and get Alberta finished. BFF C, did have the other two skeins of blue, so I've got them now.

Last night was dreadful. Grilltech had a sleep study, so he wasn't home. It was hot and I could.not.get.to.sleep. Today, I'm whiny. 'nuff said.

Today the database is crawling, which makes me want to pull my hair out.

Something for those Harry Potter Fans.

Wednesday, July 25th

I'm a day behind. I thought it was Wednesday, alas, it was only Tuesday. Oh well, nothing better than living the same day over. I managed to get three repeats on the shawl completed. Not sure how many stitches I'm up to, but it's spreading out nicely. I also had to do a row below fix. I haven't put in a life line, because I like living on the edge. (Or I'm a dumbass, but jury is still out on that one.)

Cube mates was saying it was raining this morning. Rain is good. Too bad it will be gone by the time I get off work.

I've finished the heel on my sock, and should have the gusset finished on Thursday.

Tonight is coffee.

Tuesday, July 24th

It's been a while since I last posted. There are only so many ways one can say. Nope haven't knit a thing, time to talk about something else. I have started knitting again. Set up the fan to blow across me is the only way to knit in the arid, hot place we live. I've got two sock classes going. A basic sock student, who knows how to knit but is intimidated by heels. She’ll be working heels in no time. And an advanced sock student who wanted to know how to design socks. Our conversation went something like this:

Me: You know the number of stitches you need to knit a sock, pick a pattern and make it fit.

Her: That's it?

Me: Yep. Pick a pattern and we'll talk a bit more.

Easy money. Gotta love that.

The Alberta shawl is coming along very nicely. Pattern is easy to remember. I've only fragged up twice. Did the below row fix and called it good. Main worry: I won't have enough yarn to finish the thing. I picked up the yarn on E-bay and made a sweater out of several of the skeins. Gave three of them to BFF C, because I wasn't going to use them. Took one back and decided it would be perfect to make a shawl. Now I'm trying to get a hold of her to see if she still has them and will part with them. Other wise, I'm back to E-bay and instead of having a dark blue shawl, it will be bright pink. Oh well, I'll get something figured out.

Monday, July 16th

Saturday was the second annual birthday* trip to Jackpot. It's a three hour drive, and we take two cars, men in one and women in the other. We do a lot of talking, what else is there to do? I was driving so there was no knitting going on and the other two are muggles. We passed a truck, I tried to get BFF K to flash him. (Didn't happen.) We passed the guys, I tried again. (Didn't happen.) We stopped to get drinks, I told Grilltech the running joke. He told the rest of his car. So when ever we passed them or they passed us, her husband was watching to see if she would. (Didn't happen.) It was commented that our car looked to be having more fun then the men's. I asked Grilltech, he said they had been talking and joking also.

We made it to Jackpot about 1800. First thing we did was eat dinner, a full stomach is better to drink on. I found a great table of 21. When I got there, it was two women (including me) and three guys. G3 was on a winning streak, so hot when he left the W2 moved into his spot to capitalize on the residual luck. It was power hot and it took a while before the waitress came by. BFF K will confirm how crabby I was while having to wait for drinks. On the other hand, I was tipping** well, because as the dealer put it: "Its hard to find people who want to wear the outfit and work for minimum wage." Part of the troop stood and watched me for a while. Others would wander by and ask how it was going. S would say, she's doing very well.

About an hour later, BFF K showed up because she didn't want to gamble alone. Grilltech and two others went to the casino across the street because the roulette table was packed. We stayed at the table, winning and making the rest of the table laugh. One of the "hot" guys was cashing up his red chips when ever he made enough for a black one. I realized, that was bleeping brilliant. So I started doing the same thing. By the end of the evening, I must have pocketed five black chips.

I went back to the tables Sunday morning, I lost 2.5 black chips. When we decided to leave, I go to cash out, low and behold, I still had four black in my pocket!! SWEET!! I wasn't sure if we had enough to purchase a roto-tiller or not, so I gave Grilltech enough to take the certification test. Plus extra for "whatever", he'll most likely buy stuff to make beer.

We made it home in time to go see the 1550 showing of Transformers. WOW! It grabs you and doesn't let go. By the end, I was a bit tired and ready to go home.

I didn't get any knitting done. Yes, I'm a bad knitter. But it was so worth it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

* Yes, it's a month late. We waited because one of the friends had a full schedule.

** It must have made an impression because when we moved to slots, she remembered what I had been drinking. It was a Saturday night, she was busy as hell.

Thursday, July 12th

It's hot. I'm sure you've heard me whine about the heat before, and will again before the summer is over. Right now, I'm waiting for the air conditioning to make the house cooler. Then I can knit. I knit last night, four rows on the shawl. Hope to get four or more done tonight.

Went to the dentist today. I have to go back next month. Blah. They want to replace a older filling. I'm hoping to only have to work half a day tomorrow. It all depends on the overtime mandate. (Grilltech forget you saw that.)

Stay cool everyone.

Wednesday, July 11th

I could lie and say I had a wonderful post written out for Tuesday, and blogger wouldn't let me post it. I didn't - well it wasn't wonderful - we all know the karma cost for lying isn't much. But I used most of my karma yesterday and need to build up more.

After work, we had to run to the doctor for Grilltech's follow up. After we left he commented on how much he liked the new doctor. Mind you, I had to practically hog tie him to make him go. Its a woman, I'm not to comfortable with a woman doctor... I'm a sexists at times. How can he be sexist "at times?" (insert eye roll here) He has to go back next month to have two more moles removed.

MIL, you might want to skip the next two paragraphs...

We went out to dinner afterwards. It was one of the places from the Brew Festival. Grilltech had a dark stout and I have a hoppy raspberry wheat with dinner. Food wasn't bad, but the beer was good. We tipped well and left. Made it about 50 feet down the street when Grilltech said he couldn't find the phone. I whipped around and pulled back into the parking lot and booted him out. The waiter was coming out the door as Grilltech was heading around the car. Nice guy, we'll be back.

Afterwards we went to the Co-op and wandered around. I found a pair of glass earrings I wanted to look at. I went to pick them up, they fell, smacking the concrete floor and one broke. We looked at each other and he picked up the broken parts and I hauled them around the store. Because, I broke it, I bought it. He found the huckleberry beer he wanted. I picked out a dark cherry lambic. We went to pay and the cashier held up the earrings said it's broken. I explained what happened. He said, we don't make people pay for accidents. Wow... good deal. We may join, they have a ton of stuff we could buy.

From there we went over Eyes of the World. I found a lovely moonstone pendant, reasonably priced. I could have wandered more, but Grilltech went out to the car and I didn't want to leave him in the heat. We made it home about 1900. The lawn was still being watered. I missed how it happened, because I was emptying the car. I went out to see what he was doing and the connecting tube from the pump had came off spewing water everywhere and all over him. I pulled the plug, so he could fix it. He came in and changed clothes then took off to the game store.

It was still to hot to knit. Maybe I should have turned on the air conditioning last night, so I could knit.

And now for something completely different: (from Judy at Persistent Illusion)


The sorting hat says that I belong in Ravenclaw!





Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose intelligence is surest."


Ravenclaw students tend to be clever, witty, intelligent, and knowledgeable.
Notable residents include Cho Chang and Padma Patil (objects of Harry and Ron's affections), and Luna Lovegood (daughter of The Quibbler magazine's editor).




Take the most scientific Harry Potter Quiz ever created.

Get Sorted Now!



I could have been a Gryffindor, three points shy.

Monday, July 9th

Things are back to normal around here. The child is married and MIL has gone home. Sabrina (the pigrat) is missing MIL something terrible. She came and laid on Grilltech's pillow Sunday afternoon. Then she laid on the arm of the chair while, he played on the computer.

Saturday, I took the MIL to the LYS. She wandered around and thought a skein of sock yarn was a bit pricy. I had to laugh, because junkies don't think sixteen bucks is bad. I won't tell her about the skein of Anne Schaffer I purchased. That was pricy.

Grilltech had a good time chatting. I don't think the TV was turned on once while she was there. (I wonder if she'd like to move in. Oh wait, that means yard work would have to be done, never mind.)

The Day After, July 7th


The wedding is over and whose idea was it to have it on the hottest day of the year?! 109 made it miserable. Mother Nature towards the end of the evening provided cloud cover and cool breezes. The Youngest and Husband looked very cute. I looked very hot and Grilltech was uncomfortable in the black outfit.

Grill’s Mom came on Thursday morning. We picked her and took her to breakfast. I’m not hungry, was before we arrived at the restaurant. She ate, after we got there. The Youngest went off with one of the Maid of Honor and went swimming.

Friday morning at 0830, Youngest and I went out to breakfast. Swung by the cellular store, but they weren’t open. Went to her hair appointment at 1000, the lady doing her hair was uhh, that’s a lot of hair! Youngest and I made it home by noon. At 1300, I started making the Greek salad. By 1400, I made the Youngest help, because she’s bored.

At 1530, we’re getting ready to go, loading the car and changing clothes. At 1615, we’re off and running to Nampa. Youngest and I are in the air conditioned car. Grilltech and his mom in Youngest’s car. We’re half way there and I realize, we don’t have the marriage license. I take the next freeway exit and have her call Grilltech to let him know what’s going on. It takes us 20 minutes to get home, and two minutes to change into the wedding dress. We’re back into the car, and driving to the park. We get there about 1730.

Planning? There wasn’t much. The picture person showed up at 1800, pictures were supposed to start at 1730. After a ton of pictures, we’re ready to get started. Which is a good thing, because most of the wedding guests are there waiting for the celebration to begin. It’s so hot, everyone can hardly breathe.

After the wedding, I go change into my street clothes. Finish setting up the food. I've taken the Bride her clothes to change into, which she does. Then it was time to do the cake. She had to change back into the the top at least. (Okay, so I didn't think that through.)

By the time we’re getting ready to leave, there is one bowl of salad left. (I sent it home with the Eldest.) Everything else is gone or not enough to eat, better put that back. We’ve helped breakdown the reception area. Help load cars and then I’m ready to leave.

They didn’t open presents. Well, they did open one card, the one from us and his mom. We chipped in and paid for the night at the Anniversary Inn.

It’s Saturday morning and my feet still hurt. I’m glad it’s over!

Tuesday, July 3rd

Missing: My Knitting Mojo. Last seen at LYS or possibly on the living room couch. It may have been wearing a blue lace shawl, a single opal sock, and a mitten with 1.5 inches left to be knit of the thumb. It's owner misses it terribly and is offering a reward for it's safe return. No questions asked.

It's Friday and I'm so sleepy. Grilltech was smoking the briskets last night and had to get up every two hours. I slept through two of them, but the last two woke me up. On the plus side, today is my Friday. T-2 for MIL and T-3 for the wedding. I wonder if there will be anymore melt downs between now and then.

On the way home tonight I'll need to pick up the wedding dress from the cleaners. I still haven't picked out what I'll be wearing. I may go with a red dress, because red is for passion.

Grilltech took the day off, hence the reason why he was up all night smoking. He said he was going to get the house straightened up. (Washing the top of the fridge? MIL is only 4'11" at best, she can't see the top of the fridge.)