Friday, March 28, 2008

Late March Snowy Friday

It's March 28th and I woke up to this:


6+" of heart attack snow. Known in our house as snowball fight snow.

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This is one of the children who was concerned with getting snow in his sneakers. Wha? Since when? When I suggested wearing boots the children looked at me like I had 6 heads. I do not.

I find it distressing that the photos look like there is very little snow. It looks like there is much more in person. Especially while sinking up to your mid-calf trying to walk through it or brushing off a minivan. It is very heavy. Very sticky. I wish I had gotten a photo of the van with lumps of snow sticking out from the sides of it. Not all uniform like usual but giant clumps stuck here and there. Very odd looking and very difficult to get off the van. Read: time consuming - hence the dearth of photos. As to why I did not park in the garage last night? The sun that has been shining lately has caused the children to play outside. This has resulted in them to leaving toys all over the garage. Add to that the denial I was in over the impending snow and my innate laziness. Hence, the inability to fit the van into the garage without driving over several balls, bikes, scooters and other various paraphernalia.

In related news: The apocalypse has arrived. There was no snowball fight while waiting for the bus. Just standing around, talking and laughing. The end must be near.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Linky Love

'Tis Love Thursday in blogland and I'm expressing my love through links to some of my favorite bloggers.

First, we have Cursingmama's How Green Are You?
As you can see, my green IQ is 63. I have no idea how this stacks up against anyone else except for what the site below tells me - not too bad.
My GreenIQ is 63

The next blogger you should definitely check out, if you haven't already, is Sharon Lyn over at s.m.ART. She got me addicted to FreeRice. I'm loving this site!

My highest vocab level is 42 and I've donated thousands of grains of rice since I discovered this site last night. I'm getting pissed though because I can't get past level 42. I have learned a few new words though. I've also repeatedly gotten a couple wrong. So I suppose I can be taught but I can also be especially dimwitted.

My favorite word I came across was omphaloskepsis. Do you know what this means? No? I didn't but I should. I've linked to the answer. Now tell me the truth... did you know what it means?

I must sign off now because the power keeps going out here at work and I must actually do some work while I still can.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Yarn and Dreams

I have been researching local yarn shops. They are not easy to come by in this area and they seem to be open only during regular business hours (for the most part) and Saturdays. This means I can't get to them! But I think I shall scoot out a itty bit early today (slow day, boss away) and go to the closest one.

I'm trying really hard to find some variegated cotton yarn for a scarf project I saw but it is impossible to locate the type of yarn I want for it. The discovery that variegated cotton yarn in a worsted weight is so difficult to come by led me to think of learning to dye my own.

Who knew that was so difficult and kind of dangerous? I've read talk of burning holes in things and protective garments. Have I mentioned I'm a bit seriously clumsy? Well, I am so this gives me serious pause. Also, I would need someplace to do this type of work. And time to do it. So it is not looking good at the moment (or more likely, ever). Besides all that there is so much to learn before I even begin. Time people. Time I don't have right now. And when I look to the future I see no time there either.

But! The fact I found a scarf pattern I might actually complete has me smiling. Also, I ordered a bunch of needles today. Nice wood circulars and interchangeable circulars - YAY! Can't wait to get them. I may learn this sock knitting thing after all. Or not. We'll see.

I have a new, totally never going to happen, dream. I'd like to open a yarn shop (I know the perfect spot.) that carries everything but wool. I'm allergic to wool so no wool in my shop! I could have some cutesy name all kinds of fiber alternatives to wool. I would have a place to hand dye yarn and some comfy furniture for people to hang and knit on. Maybe a coffee corner with some yummy dessert type foods. Yarn every where that I could use!

As I said though, never going to happen. I have no business sense and I'm far too lazy. I would have to deal with banks and loans and real estate and learning how one buys things as a retailer. GAH! And tax things. I would actually need an accountant! And I would end up going out of business because I could pretty much guarantee my area couldn't support something like that. I'm betting the majority of knitters where I live (I know they must be out there) are buying their yarn at walmart. Not likely to spend the kind of money required at a shop like I described.

So bankruptcy and destitution would be the result of that dream. Still, the dream makes me happy.

What's making you smile this Wednesday?

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

In The My News

Regarding the angst and crying: I'm thinking it may be PMS.

Regarding work: I have decided to go forward and power through the busy work, do as much as I'm allowed to do to get this place ready for going paperless and hope they will finally listen to me and take the paperless plunge. And check the job listings here every day.

Regarding the children: I am making more of an effort to keep on top of the school papers and schedules. Also, trying to focus more on them and stop what I'm doing when they talk to me. Mornings still suck.

Regarding the body: Ignoring it.

Regarding the husband: No idea. He's out of town but will be back tonight. Suppose I'll just keep going on and see what happens.

Regarding my house: It is taking a beating. All the extra effort with the kids has reduced the already limited time I have to clean with it. It is scaring me. I may make an effort to clean a bathroom before bed tonight. Or I may collapse into bed with a glass of wine. Anyone want to make a bet on what I'll end up doing?

Monday, March 24, 2008

Connect-the-dots

Why yes I just posted. Do you want to make something of it?

I'm trying to not cry at work. I'm not sure why. Things that may shed a light on the situation:

  1. My husband is gone until about 9 tomorrow night.

  2. I miss him. I have for weeks now. He's been here the whole time.

  3. The children and I are having dinner at my mother's tonight (must put on a happy face).

  4. I am healthy! Nothing is wrong! Except the pain in my abdomen that can even wake me in the middle of the night.

  5. My job is boring me out of my skull. Busy work, oh how I hate you.

  6. I miss my kids. Except when I'm trying to get them to do something.

  7. All I want is to curl up with a chick flick, box of tissues and vat of wine. Alone.

  8. I have absolutely no time to do this.

Results

Heard from the doctor's office today. All is fine. Nothing is wrong. So why did I cry? I am a complete hypochondriac. That is all.

Spring! Is Here! But Not.

I know Spring is here. There is evidence of Spring:

  • Birds singing in the morning for the last week or so.

  • Sun! and Blue Skies! for more than 1 day in a row. (I think we may be up to 4 days strung together like shiny beads all in a row.)

  • My mother's crocuses started BLOOMING yesterday. On the extra wtf-early Easter.

  • The calendar says so.

Okay, so that last one means nothing in this part of the world. But the others DO mean something. The one thing missing? The occasional warm day. Really. We usually have a warm day here and there to let us know that yes, Spring is really here. But no. We've had ONE warm day - weeks and weeks ago. So I appreciate the sun and the blue skies but I would like to be able to go out and enjoy them for more than 5 minutes without frostbite. Also? Snow is forecast for every day this week.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Food Makes Me Smile

So I'm suppose to tell you what's making me smile. Why? Because Cursingmama said so and I'm nothing if not a rule follower. Wait, didn't I just do a post about not being a rule follower? Still, I have a lifetime of rule following under my belt and it doesn't just disappear because I break a few knitting patterns or recipes. Actually, I don't actually break rules I just don't follow directions. So I guess all this is to say I AM a rule follower. Gah! Way to talk in circles.

Where was I? Smile Wednesday. What's making me smile...

  • My fuzzy brain isn't as fuzzy today.

  • I have a little bit of time to blog.

  • It is raining rather than snowing which means it's warmer today.

  • I went grocery shopping last night.

  • I made homemade granola last night - YUM!

  • I managed to get into my new savings account online (it was giving me trouble). An account that is MINE. Where I can save for emergencies. YAY me.

Ok, that's enough. What's making you smile? Either link to your own post or write it right in the comments.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Slacking Again

Look at me here at my new place and failing to post yet again. My only defense is life has been getting away from me. Very far away. Away enough that the children offered to hitchhike home and make dinner themselves if I would just, for the love of God, go grocery shopping already.

Part of the problem is all the doctor's visits. I'm so tired of the doctor's visits. Seems to me it no longer matters what the problem is. Just leave me alone already. The good news is we are close to finding it is just a skeletal/muscular issue. That is good because it means I can ignore it and when it's too painful to ignore I can just pop an Advil and all will be well. The only bad part is making my doctor happy with actually proving that is the issue. Once we do that - ALL IS WELL.

Another issue here is... wait for the cliche... Easter. Who told Easter it could come this early? Hm? I need to speak to that person right away. Not. Happy. Not only am I completely not ready. Which I'm not. But we usually have school break at Easter time. That means no (Jewish) Sunday School. That means Easter egg hunts at my house. (Do not question the Easter bunny visiting the Jews. It happens.) This year however, Sunday school, on Easter, so I must work. Because yes, although I've gotten myself a full time job, I have not divested myself of my 5 hour a week job. This may lend to the life getting away from me issue. 1 day weekends are not long enough!

The last issue which is messing with me greatly is the tiredness of it all. I am tired. I am discombobulated. I am fuzzy in the brain. I do not like it Sam I am. It's not the lack of B12. Got that shot last night and thought it would solve all my ills. Or at least the tired. Seems... no. It could be the fact that I am figuring out I despise my job. Which leads to me not wanting to go. Which leads to me not getting up on time. Which leads to chaos and tension in the mornings. Heh, tension. I lie. Leads to me yelling and screaming like a freaking banshee in the mornings. Yes, I'm fun to be around. The children love to get up in our house. Why do you ask?

Now I have to admit, the job isn't really a horrible job. The people are nice enough. The job isn't hard. I have had BAD jobs before and technically this does not qualify. But blech. Not challenging at all. Not stimulating. And it is making me lazy. I suppose it's the same reason a bored child will fail a class. Can't say I understand it but it's happening. RIGHT. NOW.

That coupled with the fact that I've recently been told my children miss me. My children need me. And realizing I feel the same way. Not working for me.

So, to close this up so I can go grocery shopping, I am tired. I don't know what to write so I haven't been writing. The end.

Friday, March 14, 2008

Crappy Cell Phone Photos Friday


Couples should never wear sweaters with the same width stripe at the same time. No, really. In fact, I might say, they should never wear yellow and white striped sweaters - EVER. This couple had an almost mesmerizing effect on myself and my brother-in-law. It was just so, so wrong.


*Please excuse crappy photo. It was taken with my cell phone in the dark. Even still, I HAD to take it and I HAD to post it.



The other thing that mesmerized me was the building. This was in a good way though. I wished so much that I had my camera. It was killing me. I did take this shot of the ceiling with my cell and I'm hoping to go back and photograph more of the building. I'm not sure if it was the live music or the building that inspired me so much and got my creative attention but I was itching to create. Seems I need to go to more live shows.


Thursday, March 13, 2008

Me Loves A Date Night

Especially one I don't have to plan.

My husband has planned a date night and to say I am excited would be like saying I am mildly glad my children are past the "Mommy, I need you to wipe my butt" phase.

  • First dinner. Where? Who knows and who cares. I believe he's chosen an actual restaurant. Not the type of place we attend with the children. (I think it might be here though. Which if it is? Yeessss!)

  • He has also secured care of the children.

  • He has won. Yes, won as in not paid for *whoot!* tickets to see Mike Doughty at the German House.

  • All I must do is show up.

The only downside?

I am old. And I forgot my earplugs at home.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Love of Words, Love of Writers & Illustrators

I really love some words. Words that fit a situation so perfectly that no other will do. Today's word is not one I've ever used before and I'm not sure I ever will, but I like it.

Today's Merriam-Webster's word of the day:

Pleiad: a group of usually seven illustrious or brilliant persons or things

In honor of this word I'm going to link to a pleiad of children's writers and illustrators that I love and know personally.

  1. Cynthia Lord - author of Newbery Honor book Rules

  2. Tamra Wight - author of The Three Grumpies

  3. Jennifer Ward - author of many, many books

  4. Val Giogas - author of In My Backyard

  5. Mona Pease - author of articles in Babybug, Ladybug & Appleseeds Magazines

  6. Denise Ortakaes - author AND illustrator of a bunch of books

  7. Donna Farrell - Illustrator of Here's to Our Childfirst Day

The only problem is I have one more children's author I love. But that makes eight. And pleiad means a group of seven. What's a girl to do? Okay, pleiad plus one:

  1. Candice Ransom - author of about a billion books. Instead of linking to some of them, I will link to her amazon page.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

6 Word Memoir & One Word

I've seen it a bunch of places now and I can't really remember where. (Sorry to whomever I'm neglecting to link to.)

I've been having a bit of fun with it yesterday & today, although reading through the results makes it sound like I've been very depressed. I assure you, I'm not. Still, kind of sad.

Some of the results:

  • Four sons, one husband, male dog

  • big dreams, always trying, never succeeding

  • missing, needing, craving, searching for passion

  • Discomfort in skin, want to shine

  • enjoys many things, passion for none

  • midlife, who am I? Not sure.

  • Much potential, achieved mediocrity, missing passion

  • Paradoxical, loves life but missing passion

  • mother, wife, daughter, photographer, knitter, provider

  • Can't do it all. No, really.

I think I prefer the concept of having one word. I recently read Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Fabulous book btw. And after reading it I thought about my word. The one word that is my essence. I found it. Paradox. A noun, I'm definitely a noun, not a verb. And the word is... me.

Making Me Smile

This new blog design I downloaded for free from www.freecsstemplates.org is totally making me smile today. The hardest part is that the code is in a foreign language. Spanish maybe? And I'm a total linguistical failure. I did manage to change a couple of the headers into English. And maybe this will keep me from the time suck of modifying the design.

Also, being back at Blogger makes me smile. I'm not sure why I like it so much, but I do.

What's making you smile?

*disclaimer: The whole Wednesday smile thing was stolen from Cursingmama. I'm no original. Go check out what's making her smile.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Bullets


  • Yesterday's weather was like a lover's caress, a warm breath wrapping around my skin like the softest blanket ever imagined. My skin felt free when I took off my socks. Socks, those things that have been constantly on my feet 24/7 for the last several months. It was beautiful and it made me feel beautiful.

  • Today it is cold and icy. Yuck.

  • I'm trying to talk myself out of ordering a bunch of books from Amazon for the kids. MUST. STOP. BUYING. THINGS. (We live down the street from a LIBRARY)

  • Trying to get up the courage to call HR about a maybe, potential, new, new job.

  • I do not have enough to do at work today. Which would be fine except everyone in the office can see when I'm not working. Looks bad. And this place is all about looks.

  • Wish I could be knitting instead.

  • Finally starting to get my Raverly account up and going.

  • Must really get to work - some just came in! Or I'll wait till the boss man comes back from lunch.

Monday, March 3, 2008

Question for the Internet

It is slow here at work today. The college kids are off this week and it is s.i.l.e.n.t. around here. Very strange.

In other news, it is warm. As in almost 60 degrees warm. It is suppose to go below freezing again tomorrow but for right now it is luscious. Yes, luscious. Warm and springy and just the most wonderful weather I've experienced in months and months and months. I'm definitely looking forward to Spring. However, I do need to find my sunglasses. I'm not exactly sure how long they have been missing as the sun has been in hiding for weeks but I do know they along with my favorite pair of gloves and a bunch of those cloth bags the stores are all selling instead of plastic are missing. I'm guessing they all jumped into one of the bags and went into hiding. Or on a field trip to someplace sunny. Hmmmm.

One last thing, I know I've scared away all my meager readers with long absences. So maybe, if anyone does still read here, you could post this question to your readers and leave a link for me here in comments so I can check out the replies.

Question:
I've only been at my job for 2 months. And I know that it is in bad form to want to apply for another position within the organization. But, it's a position that is perfect for me. Less hours but full time (35 hrs/wk), more money, and it's doing what I did at my last job which I LOVED but was only part time. Right now I file things. Ok, I do other things that I enjoy but 60% of my time is spent filing. I DESPISE filing. The position I have now is not challenging at all. I took the job thinking I could do it for a year or more until something better came along. I did not expect MY job to come along and certainly not this soon. I wouldn't have even known about it except the organization sends out new job postings every couple weeks and it was listed. To be truthful, I didn't even think a position like this existed here. In fact, the research I've done makes it look like the position was just created.

So, I am still trying to find out if there is a minimum waiting period for switching jobs here. No one is answering my calls (break week). But what say the grand internets? YAY or just forget about it already - Bad Form.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

I've Become One of Those People

I used to be a person who followed directions religiously. Seriously. To. The. Letter. Who knew what would happen if I veered off the straight and narrow. I might *gasp* do it wrong. And wrong was bad. Wrong was unacceptable.

But now, now I'm a rebel. Now I can't seem to follow directions without changing things up.

It started with recipes. I'd substitute this thing here or that thing there. Usually because I didn't have exactly what I needed or couldn't find it at the store. Then I started knitting and apparently I bore easily. So I'd make the handle on a purse different or make a different brim or add the beginning of a thumb to my fingerless gloves.

And now? Now I can't stop. Now I can't follow any direction without changing things mid cook or mid knit. It's a sickness. I start out trying to stick with the pattern or recipe and then all of a sudden I throw caution to the wind and change it up. Usually it turns out okay. Sometimes it works out wonderfully. Sometimes not so much.

Somehow it's like I let my inner rebel out and now she won't go back.