Monday, January 29, 2007

Another scarf done


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Originally uploaded by queenmaxine.
I just posted a few pictures of some newly finished objects, mostly scarves and a pair of mittens which aren't actually finished. I still need to sew the cuffs on them and might just do that tonight. Or maybe not.

But maybe.

More pics on the flickr stream to the right and down a little.

Monday, January 22, 2007

Hearing Neil Young

I can't say I hve ever owned a Neil Young recording. I would not consider myself a fan. But I do usually know Neil Young when I hear him. Lately, I have been hearing him all over the place.

In my dreams, I have been hearing music which I could not describe either lyrically or tunewise, but in my dream, I am very clear that I am hearing Neil Young. This has been happening a lot. It could be disturbing if I let it. I am finding that when I drift off into a daydream I am hearing Neil Young as well.

I think it might be time to go to B and N tomorrow and take a listen to what they have available in the audio section.

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Customization

I finally finished updating to the new Blogger system. I am not sure if it is a big deal change or not, but I like the one click customization ability and the one click post. It is not something I couldn't live without, but once I figured it out it's not so bad.

I am currently finalizing some plans for the Mindful Knitting Retreat in Varmont in March. So far I have the retreat deposit done, and the airfare. I am working with my eldest son to see if a deal is to be offered at the Hilton in Lake Placid for the extended phase of my stay. I am not terribly hopeful as it is still ski season then, and rooms might not be readily available. I will check a few other places as well, and in the end, it will be all good. A rental car will need to be procured as well, and them I am set. For the cold. BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR...Yes, I am in no denial that it is going to be terribly fucking cold in the mountains in March.

It still cracks me up that skiing and snowshoeing are listed as leisure time activities at the lodge during the retreat. umm, no thanks, I'll take the fireside knitting. It is, afterall, a knitting retreat.

Monday, January 15, 2007

and we're home...

Actually, we were home last night at 1130. Whew. eb drove straight through from Memphis. We stopped at Kmart in Texarkana and got pillows, and I managed to hang until about 930 before kicking the seat back and claiming one of the pillows for snoozing.

I am very excited about the Mindful Knitting Retreat in Vermont at Highland Lodge. I have two books by Tara Jon Manning which I got for xmas, Mindful Knitting, and Compassionate Knitting, so I have been exploring this a little on my own. I think the retreat is going to be something very special in a knitting/meditation/yoga all coming together sort of way.

I am still a little wary about going north in the winter, but it will be all good. Right? Yes, it will. I am going to tack on a few days after and visit my oldest and my parents. My mm is currently somewhere south with her sisters and it is quite possible she will not be home by then, but I can visit my dad and son at any rate and likely piss off my mother in the process.

It will be almost 20 years to the day since I have been home in winter. I moved to Virginia in March of 1987. It doesn't feel like that long ago in some ways, and in some ways it is so very far off my radar. When I left, I swore off ever going back in winter, and somehow, 20 years seems an appropriate ammount of time. Since the retreat is rather costly, I am going to ask my son if I can stay with him a few days to keep the balance of the trip on the cheap. Alternately, I will have him see how much a room is with his discount at the Hilton. He is a chef there.

Preparations must now be made. I have socks to buy at the very minimum.

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Rita loves me...

While on vacation this weekend, I got the email from the retreat center. A spot has opened up and it is all for me if I am still able to atend. EB, goddess that she is, insiste dthat if I really want to do it, I should do it. So I sent the reply email scarfing up said spot. It is mine, all mine. I refuse to think today about winter in the northeast. The retreat is early March and there is plenty of time for that reality to sink in.

Friday, January 12, 2007

Pick up the pen and write it yourself...

Bill moyers said..."Freedom begins the moment you realize someone else has been writing your story..."
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Of course I am paraphrasing, and Bill Moyers might have been quoting someone else when he said that, but him saying it spoke to the writer in me. It made me think I have some kind of contribution to make, though I am not sure there is a conection to media reform, but this post is proof that I am here and that I am indeed blogging the convention. My obligation has been met.

Bill Moyers was introduced by Danny GLover. Glover wants us to critically embrace diversity. He was very passionate in his brief intro speech about freedom of expression. It requires access to knowledge, a capacity toward deliberate choice expressed in decision, and a responsibility to respond when questioned about your decisions.

That is the most sense I can make of the notes I made in the dark this morning. Imagine how much less aense they will make to me after I am home.

Anyway, Deborah is here now, yippee!! So time to do some more meeting and greeting...

Monday, January 08, 2007

Avoiding the day

That's what I find myself thinking about at the moment. Not that there will be anything to avoid. With the trip on Wednesday and me having to do a client before work tomorrow and then tomorrow working til 9, there is just a lot that could be done today that since I have to work 10-6, might not get done. A big part of that would involve behaving in a sluglike manner while doing other stuff.

I was weird sick all weekend. Not anything contagious, I really think just a progressive part of my Crohn's disease, but still, I felt like crap. On Friday I was in major denial about it. I got feverish at 6 pm on Thursday evening, and getting so at this time, has been quite common over the last few months. It usually passes in an hour or two, and if I get a headache with it, I take some Tylenol and it passes without further incident. This time, however, I was feverish all night. Night sweats feverish. Eww.

So on Friday, I though I could work at least half my shift which prevents me having an absence. I am not sure why I care about that much, but it does give me a better overall rating and as a potential management candidate, that could matter. Anyway, I though I could work til 2 when I would normally go to lunch. I was fine while I was sitting, but if I had to stand for more than a couple of minutes, I got something close to dizzy. This was accompanied by waves of slight nausea. It really was lovely all around.

I made it til 11:30.

On Saturday I was feeling about 50% and as it was Saturday and I am a responsible gal, I went into work. I definitely felt better than the day before, but that good old denial was still working overtime. At some point on Friday, I realized I was paid 13 hours on Monday for the holiday which was going to throw me into serious overtime. It was actually a good thing I went home. Saturday, I was supposed to work 9-6 and when the second receptionist came in at 2, I left the building.

Sunday came and I felt recovered for the most part, but I did find myself tiring easier than normal. I had to work 3-7. I only ever work Sundays if I am taking time off during the week to not burn too much PTO, or rather, to more fully utilize it to its potential. I will be off Wednesday through Monday and am only taking one PTO day. It really is a thing of beauty.

Other things required of me today? I need to do some laundry, and I need to make a list of potential yarn shops for the trip. Our route is slightly different than originally planned, so I need to consult the map for towns along the way.

And I would still like to find my old glasses, though I know they wont show up until after my new ones arrive.

Monday, January 01, 2007

Starting the year wuth a bun(dt) in the oven

Actually, we started the year this morning at the airport at 5 am. I knew what I was doing when I booked my son's flight but we never do anything late on new year's eve, but still, getting up at 330 in the morning for anything...sucks. So my youngest is off, actually, already safely home in Virginia.

Then, around 6 am dear sweet elizabeth and I were home and back in bed for the sleep we missed getting up so damn early. At some point, around 9, I think, Lilli Munster jumped off the bed, either rested, bored, or needing to go outside. I always wager on needing to go out, so I followed her. After opening the door for her, I went back for my glasses. They had fallen on the floor at some point. I was blindly feeling around for them on the bedside table when I heard the crack. It was quick and precise. I said fuck.

My glasses are now in two pieces, unsalvagable as there was a nice clean break in the middle of the bridge over the nose. Two perfect halves. I have had a new scrip for a few months now and luckily, had some contacts to try again which I ended up deciding against. I have put off getting new glasses and the time is not unavoidably here. Tomorrow morning I will be at costco trying to find some fantastic new frames. Yippee.

Back to the bundt in the oven. A few weeks ago I was going to make a sour cream pound cake for the White Trash Xmas Buffet. We had a cake and cream puffs for dessert, so the homemade cake was not going to be missed, but I am learning to scale down so it was an important exercise.

All my ingredients were assembled on the counter, and I went to get the pan. It was MIA. mother Fucker. After looking everywhere it could be, I consulted with she who is not only dear *and* sweet, but orderly in a sometimes compulsive way. she looked in all the places it might be but to no avail. It is simply gone.

At Cost Plus picking up some wine, eb came across a replacement pan and bought it for me. A marble sour cream pound cake is about half done and smelling damn good.