Work, Knit, Study

I'm Knitting Again

2012-02-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

I'm knitting again, I haven't been knitting very much. Working and going to class, Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday is cutting into my knitting time. I took advantage of my newly acquired Kindle and uploaded some knitting patterns. I have nice little sock started. The yarn is Pagewood Farms Hand Dyed Sock Yarn Yukon. The color way is Maple Leaf. I don't get Maple Leaf when I knit this. I reminds me more of a beach with it's blue and sandy colors. I'll get better pictures soon. I snapped this one quickly before work.

School has been pretty challenging this semester. I am one of those people that school is easy for. I am not used to working really hard at it. My SQL class that meets on Tuesday and Thursday is a pain in the rears. There are two big issues in that class.

1) There should have been a prerequisite for that class, but there isn't. The instructor is assuming a lot of us know way more than we do.

2) The second problem is the instructor is too scattered. She jumps from one thing to the other. This is the first year for this particular text book and software, so the instructor has not worked out the kinks. We already found errors in the textbook. Then, the notes have tons of typos. Normally, I can deal with typos, but when you are dealing with strings of code, that messes everything up. I spent several hours this weekend reading the textbook, the notes, and completing my homework. Last week's lesson is making more sense. This semester is a difficult one.

P.S. I love (big hearts) my Kindle!

The Bad and the Good News

2012-01-30T11:28:00.002-07:00

The Bad News:

The yarn I am using to make my sweater is no longer being made, and I don't have enough to finish the sweater. I love the pattern though, so I will have to find another yarn that I pretty much know won't be discontinued. Two good options are Wool of the Andes Tweed Yarn and Cascade 220 Tweed. All that work I've already put into it, and now I have to start all over. Sigh! Oh well, it happens. Lesson learned.

The Good News:

Since a lot of people have started buying Kindle Fire, Nook Color, or Nook Tablets, because of their ability to watch movies, there are lot of the black and white older versions of Kindle and Nook hitting Craigslist. I have requested an e-reader for my birthday later in February. I don't want a color tablet. I just want a simple reader. I am hoping to snag one at a good price very soon. I already emailed the owner of this Kindle to see if they still have this one. Looks like I will be the owner of one soon!

That Doesn't Look Good

2012-01-24T10:46:00.001-07:00

I'm much better since last week's fall and radial head fracture. A week later, it looks like my deep bruise has decided to surface. Looks yucky. It really doesn't hurt. It just looks bad.

I haven't attempted knitting yet, but I haven't really had time. I have class all this week. I decided to stick with the computer class I complained about last week. Once I actually started in with the course work, it made much more sense.

I hope to have some knitting to show you this weekend. Until then, I'm still reading everyone's blogs, although I haven't left comments on all of them.

While on Knitting Hiatus

2012-01-19T11:19:00.000-07:00

Since I am not knitting this week due to my I-fought-the-kitchen-floor-and-the-kitchen-floor-won incident, I thought I would show you a picture of my sweater in progress. I wish I would have taken some close-ups to show off the detail, but I'm a little one armed bandit right now. It's really gorgeous though.

I started classes Tuesday. One class is an advanced level class. I think that it might be a little too advanced. We did a big install Tuesday and that teacher was bouncing around so badly. I was confused and completely lost. I was the last person to finish my install, and I had to get the guy next to me to help me. I felt like an idiot. I hope that since the install is done, the rest of the class will go better. Part of me wants to drop the class and re-take it when I have more computer classes under my belt, but the other part of me sees this as a challenge that I must conquer. February 1st is the last drop date. I have a few classes before making my decision.

My arm is feeling a lot better, and I am able to do most tasks as before. Working the mouse on my computer makes my shoulder sore. The twisting action of turning the key in my car ignition is a little tender. I just started being able to touch my face again, so range of motion is coming back. I'm trying not to overdo everything, but that's easier said than done when it comes to being a mom.

Big Ouchy!!

2012-01-16T13:49:00.002-07:00

I won't be knitting this week. Last night, I was going between the kitchen and the living room. The red carpet for the Golden Globes was on, and I was cooking dinner. I can't miss a great red carpet dress. Well, I was walking back into the kitchen. There must have been a tiny bit of water on the floor. I hit that spot going full speed. I fell so fast, I didn't get a chance to brace. All my weight fell directly on my right elbow.

I was stunned! Hubs was right there to help me up. My elbow hurt, but I thought I just hit the "funny bone" nerve really hard. As the night progressed, the pain got worse. I couldn't bend or straighten my arm. I debated going to the Emergency Room, but I thought I would wait to see if the swelling would go down.

Hubs was a huge help and took care of the baby, because there was no way I could lift him. I had a terrible nights sleep and just got a few hours. Being the dedicated employee, I went to work. The alternate motivation for going to work is that I work in a hospital. Hubs drove me to work, because I couldn't use my right arm.

I went to the ER, and got an X-Ray. I have a hairline fracture at the very top of the radial head. The fracture is tiny, so why does it hurt so dang bad. The good news is that I only need a sling. I don't have to do any chores! Hubby is going to take care of the baby.

The bad news is I can type with this fracture, but I can't knit with it. It will probably be about a week before I can pick up the needles again. :o( Sigh!

Handsome Alert

2012-01-13T13:55:00.003-07:00

Ladies get your smelling salts. Mr. Cutie will make you swoon.

Sweater progress pics coming soon.

First Completed Object of 2012

2012-01-02T12:30:00.001-07:00

It's done! Finally! How about that cable work? Isn't it lovely. I did this as a test knit for a designer. She's extremely patient with my slowness. There's just a little something funky about the right side sleeve. I did too many stitches on the ribbing. I think I also didn't decrease enough on that side. Those two things are easily fixed. Lydie decided to model, but didn't give it back. I guess she's decided to claim it for herself. Here's the details.

Test Knit Vest
Yarn: Lilly Sugar n' Cream 100% cotton yarn
Needle size: US 7
2 1/2 skiens

Finished Object of 2011

2012-01-01T06:39:00.000-07:00

This year I have 4 (one I didn't photograph).

Have a Happy New Year.

Disappointed

2011-12-31T10:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I went in for my interview with for the Help Desk position. The interview went well. I was offered the job at 3 PM the same day. I knew the position was for 72 hrs per pay period, but I thought the position would pay more to make up for the difference. I found out that the position would pay the same amount that I currently make. That would mean I would be missing 8 hours per pay check. For me, that's huge!

Sigh! The job search continues. Hopefully, 2012 will mean more opportunities.

Picking Up Stitches

2011-12-30T07:32:00.000-07:00

Ugh! I still haven't gotten this project done, but I'm so close. Between working and Ben ~~needing~~ demanding my undivided attention, I have had no knitting time. This picture shows stitches I've picked up along the right armhole. For my non-knitter friends, that means I go in with a crochet needle and create stitches by pulling the yarn through the stitches along the edge of the armhole and put them on my knitting needle.

I have an interview at 10 AM. I am a bundle of nerves. Oh my gosh! I need a chill pill. I'm so fidgety! I'll let you know something as soon as I get word.

Here We Go Again!

2011-12-28T15:53:00.000-07:00

I've got another interview scheduled for Friday. This time it's for the Computer Help Desk. The sucky part will be that I will be working weekends, but I will be able to go to school during the week. I was hesitant to even try for this position, but then I worked Monday...

OMG! Monday was bulls....t. I work at a hospital switchboard, and these geniuses in senior management thought it would be a good idea for us to start taking answering service calls. My previous job was in answering service, and I can tell you we are not in any way equipped or staffed to handle answering service calls, plus the switchboard. Our protests fell on deaf ears. They have since piled, and piled, and piled them on us, and there's more to come starting next Tuesday. Monday, most doctor's offices were closed, and we were slammed. I mean it was a zoo in here! People were really rude to us and wanted to know why we couldn't make appointments for them. I left work that day so exhausted and pissed off.

I made my decision right then and there I am going to find another job. I am only here on this Earth for a limited time, and I'm not spending it doing a job the I now hate.

Wish me luck. Of course, I will keep you posted.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T11:32:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a great Christmas (or Hanukkah)! We did!

Baby Ben still doesn't get the whole opening presents thing. He looked at his gift and got distracted 20 times. He had no interest in tearing them open. Next year it will be more exciting for him.

Lydie got some great loot!! She got clothes, Wii games, Nancy Drew books, and all kinds of nice stuff from Santa.

Almost Done!

2011-12-17T13:42:00.000-07:00

I've almost completed my test knit pattern. I'm sewing up the side seams, and need to knit the finishing edges for the sleeves and neck line. The finishing stage is always tedious, but the results are nice. You just have to muscle through it.

I job shadowed the computer help desk job that was offered to me. I know that I could do that job once I am trained, but I really, really want the receptionist job, because I don't want that long commute anymore.

The bummer news is that my interview for the receptionist position on Friday got canceled, because she had an emergency meeting somewhere. I hope that doesn't mean she's blowing me off. Of course, I'll keep you posted.

My Christmas tree is up (finally). I went shopping for gifts. Aside from wrapping gifts, I'm all set.

If I don't get a chance to chat in the upcoming week...

Merry Christmas!!

I Had an Interesting Friday

2011-12-12T14:53:00.000-07:00

I had Friday off, because of Hubs employee Christmas party. I took the day off, because I would have a heck of a time trying to go to work, then get off, pick up kids, get them dropped off at sitter, get ready, and then be there by 5:30p. It wouldn't have happened.

Okay, to get to my point. I've been posting about really wanting to leave my current positions. I heard Thursday that we're supposed to get 8 more accounts. We can't handle the ones we've got!! We have the same supervisor for my department, the I.T. techs, and the I.T. Help Desk. My supervisor asked me if I was interested in a job posting they had for computer help desk on the weekends. I had seen the posting before, but wasn't enthusiastic about working every weekend. I told her the reason that I didn't apply was, because the position was for every weekend. She said they were having trouble filling the position. I told her that I would talk to the Hubs about it, and let her know. I did talk to him, and we agreed this might be a good thing while I'm in school, so that I can take classes during the day. I still have to interview for the position, but it sounds like that supervisor has me in mind for the position. I'm not excited about the position, but at least I will be doing something different that's more in line with my career goals.

Then, I had an interesting development...

For two years, I have been trying to get a job with a clinic that's owned by our hospital that's 10 minutes away from my house. I've gotten at least 10 reject letters. Persistence has paid off. I am scheduled for an interview for a receptionist position!

Yes, I have two interviews scheduled!

At first, I was a little torn on what to do, but, now, I am hopeful that I get the receptionist position. No more night, weekends, and holidays. No more long commute!

Keep your fingers and toes crossed for me, and I promise to keep you posted. You'll know when I know.

Baby It's Cold Outside

2011-12-08T10:54:00.001-07:00

It's not that cold today, but this was the view inside my car on Monday. Yup, that's a negative number. BRRRR!!

My finals are done! I am off of school for a month. Oh, and I am now a Girl Scout Co-Leader! Hooray!

It's been a rough week at work. They have started hiring temps instead of going through our company's long hiring process. The downside is we don't know who we're getting. The up side of it, we can let people go without notice. Two temps started on Monday. Both of them are a noooo-go. The one I am training was falling asleep. Some people are not able to sit still for 8 hours. It happens. The other person could care less about being here. She's text messaging when she is supposed to be listening to her trainer, not taking notes, and basically wasting out time. Sigh!

The hubs needs another vehicle, because his (my old SUV) is not passing inspection, and blowing smoke. It's not worth fixing. I have a year on my car to be paid off, but his vehicle isn't legal to drive. We're going to have to suck it up and get him a vehicle. I'm so broke. I told him to find a cheap truck (like 1-2 thousand dollars). That's seriously all we can afford. ARGH!

I'll check in with you tomorrow with some knitting pictures.

Wish I Were Knitting Right Now

2011-12-01T14:03:00.001-07:00

I wish I were knitting right now, but instead I will watch Lydie knit. I've still got one more week of school, and then, I will knit to my heart's content on Winter Break.

Procrastination is my Middle Name

2011-11-29T08:13:00.001-07:00

Last week with the craziness of being sick and having sick kids, and, working midnight shift, and Thanksgiving, I didn't do any of my homework. This week I have a ton of assignments due. One was due yesterday. Yikes! It had to do with Adobe Photoshop animation features. So off to the school's computer lab I went.

I've often gone to the computer lab on my days off while the kids are at school and the hubs is at work. It's a mad house. There's all these scary looking people screwing around on Facebook, texting, listening to ipods. They are just taking up space on mom and dad's dime.

I got to the lab at 7 PM, and it was a complete 360 from my previous experience. There was hardly anyone there, and they were all old people like me! Yup, theses are people that work during the day, and are actually there doing school work.

I've got two more weeks of school, and then it will be winter break. I can't wait. This school work is cutting into my knitting time.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T03:18:00.001-07:00

It's been quite a crazy few days. I wrote about the family being sick last weekend. Everyone is better now. I went back to work on Tuesday. I worked the whole day and went to bed. Then, at 12:30 AM, I woke up to the phone ringing. The midnight shift person had not come in. Like a dummy, I said I would come in. The plan was to get off at 6 AM, drop off the baby at the babysitter's, and go home to bed, so I could work the midnight shift tonight.

Well.... that's how it was supposed to go. I put the baby in the car to drop him off at the sitter's house, when hubs walked out saying she called to say that she had the nasty stomach bug we all had. Ugh! The hubs was getting ready to go to work, and I had not had a full night's sleep in over 24 hours. Hubs called his sister, and asked if she would watch the baby for a few hours. She didn't sound enthusiastic and said I would need to get him by noon. Okay, forget it. I'm not going to twist her arm. I said to Hubs, "Go to work, and I'll have to sleep when you get back."

I hated to have to get Lydie's help, but I was pretty desperate. We corralled the baby into the living room. I said to Lydie, "I may fall asleep, but can you make sure he doesn't put anything in his mouth or get into anything?" I dozed a little on the sofa, and he would go by bop me on the head occasionally. I was able to get a little sleep that way.

When Hubs got home, he took the kids to go out to eat with his mom and his visiting brother, so I could get a little more sleep. By then, my sleep cycle was so messed up, I was able to sleep a little, but had a hard time staying asleep.

I'm back working the midnight shift tonight with very little sleep. Here you see me now plugging away at my knitting. I'm working on the v-neck collar now.

I will be getting off of work at 7 AM, and Thanksgiving plans are left a little uncertain. Apparently, what happened last night when hubs and the kids went to dinner, is that my mother-in-law was making comments that my son was the one that got everyone sick, so she had him sitting at the far end of the table at dinner. Hubs took offense and said it was food poisoning from her cooking Saturday night. Then, she said not to come to Thanksgiving dinner. Then, he said he's not surprised she would abandon her children like that. Oh, boy! Tis the season for family drama.

I do hope they patch things up by tomorrow, but I told the Hubs that I support him 100%. Any one of us could have been a carrier of the stomach bug. We all got sick 24 hours after gathering at her house. Plus, I would not doubt if we did get food poisoning. It's too big a coincidence how every single one of us there got sick a the exact same time. How dare she blame my son that way. Anyway...I told him that I support whatever decision he makes. Sometimes, you just have to make your own traditions.

Sunday with Sick People

2011-11-22T09:26:00.001-07:00

Zombie Zone

Disclaimer: This post includes descriptions of bodily functions which may disturbing to some readers.

My weekend could have gone better, but instead I cleaned up vomit and/or poo from every member of the household (including myself).

The weekend started with us getting a family pictures taken Saturday morning. Baby Ben was a hammy ham! We get the pics back in 2 weeks. Yes, I'll post them.

After taking family pictures, we went over to my mother-in-law's house to wait for Hub's brother to fly in from out of state. On the way, Ben sprayed the back of my passenger seat with milky vomit. It's not a lovely smell in my car. Luckily, we were going to Grandma's and could use her washing machine to clean his clothes.

The next day, Sunday, the Hubs went off to spend the day with his brother, and they weren't going to be back until night time. Baby Ben was making stinky diapers. Talk about yuck! Then, my tummy was doing some turns, and I was the next to have bathroom problems (I don't really want to say the D word). In between going to the bathroom and changing toxic diapers, I managed to get to the grocery store and take the kids to the library.

We got home from the library and Lydie said she didn't feel well, so she went to lay down in my room to watch TV. A little bit later she comes out of the room and said she threw up on my floor. Yay! Spaghetti O vomit on my floor. Thank goodness for my Bissell carpet cleaner. The poor girl couldn't even keep water down.

By now, I have figured out that we've been infected with something. I sent the hubs a message that we were all sick. I was home alone taking care of two kids that were puking and pooing, and being sick myself. Timing is a B*^ch, but that wasn't Hubs fault? He comes home around 7 pm and says he doesn't feel well. In the next hour, the three of us are throwing up and only two bathrooms. Old buckets work great!

Monday, we were not throwing up anymore, but we were pretty worn out. Lydie and Hubs stayed home. I was only able to work half a day. I found out that my mother-in-law and her husband were sick, too. Did we get food poisoning or stomach bug? It's hard to say. With the kids going to school and daycare, plus me working in a hospital, any one of us could have picked it up.

Today, we're not 100%, but we are back to home and school. I will be working midnight shift Wednesday and Thursday, so you will see more of my midnight shift postings, and I should have a finished vest to show off.

Long Overdue Pics

2011-11-17T07:59:00.001-07:00

Lydie was Medusa for Halloween. That required sewing snakes into a hat that she wore. Creepy.

My mother-in-law was forcibly retired from her job, she had to downsize. Here's some pics of the baby visiting her new home. It's a lot smaller than her previous house, but it's perfect for her.

Meanwhile at work...

Same B.S., different day. One of our people on day shift is moving from full-time to part-time and mainly working nights and weekends. Great! She deserves to take it easy. She's semi-retired from a company where she worked for 20 years, so I don't blame her, and in fact, I'm very jealous. Great! I have a person trained that can take her place. But wait...that would make too much sense. No, we are going from 4 people on shift to 3 people on shift with no replacement. **headslap**

It's a Monday!

2011-11-14T08:46:00.001-07:00

This Monday is shaping up to it's reputation. Yup! I'm ready for a margarita and it's not even 9 AM. Can you say, "Crazy call volume!"?

I just wanted to share a quick cell phone picture of the sweater I'm making for hubs. The ribbing has a neat twist to it. There's no way this is going to be done for Christmas, but still it's nice to give it a go. It'll probably be more like around his birthday.

I've managed to work my schedule to where I work midnight shift the Wednesday and Thursday of Thanksgiving week. That way I am still getting holiday pay, but can actually be with the family. Plus, I'll be able to work on my knitting during the middle of the night. It's a win, win for me.

Alright, back to grindstone.

Break Time!

2011-11-09T12:22:00.002-07:00

For my lunch break, I hid away in the conference room and knitted a couple stitches. It's looking adorable. I missed out on knitting last night, because I had an assignment due. I don't have too much farther to go before starting my sleeve openings.

Back to Work

2011-11-08T11:13:00.003-07:00

Dang! I wish I would have taken another week off. My employer has given us so much work, but not more staff. Two of us were working this weekend, and it was a chore trying to even go to the bathroom. The bosses got complaints, of course, because our phone lines were slammed the whole time. It's a classic example of how much workload can you put on the minimum amount of staff. I hear tell it's only going to get worse. Sigh!

On a bright note, I went to my monthly knitting night last night, and got some really good progress done. I'll post pics later.

On Vacation!

2011-11-01T15:01:00.004-06:00

My baby sitter is off this week, so I decided rather than finding a backup baby sitter, I would just request days off. That means no work this week. If you could see me dancing right now, you would put it on youtube. Yup! I need some time off. Sheesh! So me and the little man are hanging out.

I stayed home while Lydie and the hubs went trick-or-treating last night. I was knitting cables, taking care of the baby, and handing out candy. SUPERMOM!

Tonight, we are supposed to get more snow. There's supposed to be less than six inches. That's what they said last week, but we got 13 inches, trees were damaged, and school was canceled. Here's what my back yard looked like. If it's going to snow, it will be nice that I don't have to go to work.

More Midnight Shift Knitting

2011-10-23T01:22:00.003-06:00

It's the middle of the night, and I'm at work. I kind of wish that I had not agreed to work this shift, but I did it as a favor for my co-worker's 40th birthday. I am going to miss out on a football party at my mother-in-law's tomorrow, and my son is not feeling well. He was throwing a major fit when I had to leave for work. Sigh! That's the life of a shift worker.

I'm working on my test knit. As you can see, it looks lovely!

I'm going to have to put it away in a few minutes, because I have to work on school work. It was midterm week, and I got everything turned in. I thought, that's it. I'm done. Unfortunately, I didn't read instructions (typical me). In my Adobe Photoshop class, I have to turn in critiques for ALL of my classmates. I thought I had to only turn in one. I was off on Thursday and Friday for Lydie's school furlough days (yup, our schools have had major budget cuts). I should have done school work then, but I hung out with Lydie.

I had to make yet another career decision. There was a position posted for an IT position, but the shift required working EVERY Saturday and Sunday. I'm sorry, but I have two small children. It's not fair to the hubs and to my children to not have me there EVERY weekend. Sigh! Someday, there will be the job out there for me.

I'm going to get my classwork done!

Works In Progress

2011-10-14T14:05:00.006-06:00

I'm off today, and I'm supposed to be working on my midterms, but I want to show you what I have been working on lately.

I am starting a nice cable chart on my test knitting. It's looking good!

Then, I started a sweater for hubs. I had started the Cheesy Poofs sweater, but I really wanted something that was more of a challenge. I did a little Ravelry search and found a the Reflections Aran Pullover by Norah Gaughan. The charts are crazy, look like hyroglyphs, but still, I really want to challenge myself.

Alright, I better get back to my assignments.

Midnight Shift Knitting

2011-10-06T03:33:00.002-06:00

It's 3:30 AM, and I'm at work. Oh my goodness. This girl is tired. I'm keeping myself occupied with homework and knitting. I had to do my homework first, boo! It's done, so tomorrow's midnight shift is all knitting. This is the test knit vest I've been working on. I'm just about done with the back. I've done my sleeve decreases, and now I just have a few more inches before it's complete. Then, I can move on to the front. I can't wait to do something besides stockinette stitch. The front is going to be very cool.

Let me get back to knitting. I would like to finish the back of this vest tonight.

A New Series for Me to Love

2011-10-02T09:30:00.004-06:00

I love my mystery stories, and especially if they are from the U.K. I started listening to the Hamish Macbeth series during my commutes to work. I love it. He's such an sweet character, and the supporting characters are adorable as well.

I've had time to think about not getting the job I wanted. I'm okay with it now. I know there's a cosmic plan for me that I'm not privy to. All I can do is keep going to school, and there will be the opportunity that I'm looking for. Lydie was sweet and said, "You were over-qualified for it." Aww! So nice.

In knitting news:
I finished the first skein on my vest test knit. I have two inches before I start the armholes. I work the midnight shift two nights this weeks, so be prepared for my late night postings.

I Didn't Get The Job

2011-09-30T08:50:00.005-06:00

I can't help it. I'm really disappointed. I thought for sure I had this job. I kept waiting to hear back about my interview. I didn't get the standard "reject" email, so I decided to log on to my company website to check the status of my application. That's when I got the news:

Thank you for your interest in ---. Although you were not selected for this position, we wish you every success in your job search.

It's a big let down after I thought I had it in the bag. I even started planning how I would write my resignation letter.

I'm trying to be in better spirits. After all, I do have a good paying job, when there are so many who don't. I wish I were off today. I need some shopping therapy. Unfortunately, I'm not off until Monday. Sigh!!

The Waiting Game

2011-09-27T13:34:00.002-06:00

Oh my goodness! I am so fidgety today. I am waiting for a call back on my interview. I think I did well. I dressed very nicely. I believe I gave great answers. They were not at all concerned that I couldn't be in until 7:30am due to the babysitter hours. Now, I just have to wait for the other candidates to get interviewed. I know I probably won't find out anything today, but still, I'm not cannot sit still. Okay, I'm going to go to the store and do some chores. I am bouncing off the walls here. I'll post as soon as I find something out.

Test Knit Progress

2011-09-26T08:28:00.006-06:00

I've been doing some test knitting for the Test Knit Pool group on Ravelry. The designer has given me permission to post pictures on my blog. It will be great experience for me when I design something. I am making a boy's vest. The picture is of the back of the vest. This won't fit Ben right now, but he's growing fast, so it won't be too long. The back of the vest is looking good, but the front of the vest is going to be fabulous. I can't wait for you to see it.

I have my interview tomorrow! I'm a little nervous, but I hope I do well. Not working holidays would be really nice.

Guernsey Blanket

2011-09-21T08:00:00.003-06:00

I've been plugging away at the Guy's Guernsey Blanket. It's an easy enough pattern. The size is written for a twin size blanket, but I wanted a double size, so I adjusted the pattern. That means I added on about 46 stitches. The total is 228 stitches per row. That makes for some really long rows. Still, I'm not on any deadline here, so I'm enjoying it.

P.S. I have less than a week until my interview.

Your Advice Wanted!!

2011-09-17T08:36:00.002-06:00

Okay, so I am stuck with a little dillema. I have a bit of a mental conflict. I have an interview in about two weeks for a secretary position. Now, the advertised schedule says 7am to 3:30pm. My problem is that the babysitter opens at 6:30am sharp. I can't get to work until 7:30am. I know there is already a secretary in that department that comes in at 7am. One of my co-workers said to not say anything in the interview until I'm offered the position.

Here's where I need our input, would you let them know up front or when offered the position?

Surviving Midnight Shift!

2011-09-16T00:38:00.004-06:00

It's day two of midnight shift. Last day before going back to the normal shift. There was a going-away party earlier for one of my co-workers. There's leftovers in the fridge! Hooray! For a midnight shift worker that can't go anywhere and has slim pickens on food, it's like Christmas.

I'm sitting here with some lemonade, a turkey wrap, fruit, America's Got Talent, and my knitting. I'm good for the night. I am doing a test knit for a designer. She has given me permission to post pictures of progress. I'm using the same cotton yarn as my blanket that I'm also currently knitting.

After this shift, I get to nap for a few hours. Then, I have parent/teacher conference (I know, already?). Then, Baby Ben has his one year appointments and shots :o(

Good News

I landed an interview for the secretary of the maintenance department. That's the position I have really wanted to land. Yes, I will still be working here in the hospital, but doing a completely different job. I know everyone that works in that office, so I'm hoping that will work in my favor.

The only thing I can see working against me is that the posted shift is from 7:00am to 3:30 pm. I drop off baby boy at 6:30am sharp, because that's when she opens, and can't get here until around 7:15 to 7:30. I know there is a lady in that office that comes in at 7am, so it's not like that office is without a person that early. If they say I can't come in at 7:30, then oh well, I still have my other job. Hopefully, they will be willing to work with me.

He's on the Move!

2011-09-13T12:40:00.003-06:00

Ben's been tottering around for a few weeks, but he seems to have it down now. I call it the drunken chicken walk. He likes to catch the corners of the furniture and usually has a bruise on the forehead. If I could wrap him in foam and bubble wrap, we'll be alright

I'm going to be working two midnight shifts this week, so you'll be seeing postings from the wee hours of the morning.

Preserving the Past

2011-09-11T09:59:00.004-06:00

My father-in-law gave hubs a giant stack of his childhood photos. Being the scrapbooker and family historian, I was ecstatic to have them. We moved over 5 years ago, and I have yet to find all the cords for my scanner, so I took my big package of photos over to my college computer lab, and scanned the whole bunch. Wow! There were 60 photos! My back was hurting by the end of it. Well, then, the new scanners they have at the school don't have a preview screen before scanning, so I ended up with some pics that had a bunch of white space. I had to go through crop photos to save on jpeg space. That's pretty much my day on Friday (besides the obligatory cooking and cleaning), but it was great fun.

Many of the photos are from the 1940's. It's amazing to see how everyone is dressed so nicely. I hope my children will enjoy these photos in the future.

A Special Day for a Special Boy

2011-09-08T06:00:00.000-06:00

A year ago today, I gave birth to my little Ben. I had a cervicle cerclage placed at 14 weeks and gestational diabetes. My doctor was a drill sergeant (well, she was an army doctor at one point). I was able to carry my miracle baby to 36 weeks. As you see, he likes his cake.

Happy Birthday Big Boy!

This Blanket Has to Go!

2011-09-07T16:15:00.006-06:00

When we moved into our house 5 years ago, we got this yellow blanket from someone. It is some un-Godly synthetic fiber. I always had the intention of replacing it, but had not done it yet. There is a little chill in the air today and it's overcast. It's the perfect weather to make a cotton blanket to replace it.

The green cotton blanket is going to look so much better than this old yellow junky thing.

P.S. I wanted to post a pic of my Shroom hat, but hubs already took it to work to the charity auction. Darn!

Congratulations!

2011-09-07T00:02:00.002-06:00

When I lost my tiny Emma, I found a lot of support on online forums and blogs for incompetent cervice and pregnancy loss. I don't know how I would have gotten through those days of grief without my online friends to vent to. I am happy to report one of my blog friends has a cerclage miracle baby. Congratulations! He's just an adorable little nugget! You can see her blog here:

http://hopefulmomma.blogspot.com/

In knitting news:

The Shroom hat is complete, but I haven't taken a photo yet. I will post that tomorrow. I worked from 7:30am to 4pm, and now I'm back for midnight shift. I'm going to be a tired puppy later.

Give the Girl a Medal

2011-09-02T10:38:00.003-06:00

Today, I made a decision I feel good about. Yesterday, I told you that I landed an interview. I felt unsure about the position. I'm actually surprised I got the interview. It weighed heavy on my mind that maybe I didn't want the position, and was I wasting their time.

Today, I read the position a little more clearly, and decided, firmly, that this isn't the job for me. For example:

Coordinates scheduling and planning of meetings and events, including catering and audio/visual equipment as needed.

No, not me, I'm not even planning my son's birthday party.

Coordinates appointments, interviews and travel arrangements

Anytime I have every made travel arrangements, it's been a complete disaster. There were a few other things in the description that made me think this is more of an Executive assistant position, and I know I'm not qualified as an executive assistant.

So with a heavy heart, I wrote a nice email to the woman who set up the appointment, and stated at this time, I would like to stay with my current position. I appreciated them considering me for the position. Ugh! I hate giving up the chance to change jobs, but I know my abilities, and I knew that I would not be comfortable trying for a position that I knew that I wasn't completely confident that I was qualified to do.

Shroom Progress and a Dilemma

2011-09-01T15:21:00.003-06:00

The Shroom Hat is progressing nicely. I love it!! Nice big stitches for my tired eyes. I hope to have it completed this weekend.

I have finally landed an interview at the hospital that is closer to my house. It's a 25-30 minute drive rather than 45 minutes that I drive now. The position is for a secretary of the nurse staffing office. That sounds good and all, but I'm not sure how it fits into my long term goals or if I even want this job. Here's my thoughts:

I take advantage of a shorter commute while going to school.

I hear them out and maybe I will like the job.

If I don't burn my bridges, I can get my old job back.

I'm facing a dilemma here, because I still want to be an I.S. major, but this job is in a completely different area. Ugh! Why the decisions!!

Some Thoughts

2011-08-30T14:50:00.005-06:00

I'm thinking about a sweater pattern that I want to create. It doesn't look like this picture, but I was messing around with my draw feature. My question is to anyone who has created a pattern, do you use knitting software for the schematics drawings? I prefer not to (because I'm cheap...err...I mean frugal). I thought maybe I could use either Microsoft Draw or Photoshop.

I switched from my Blackberry to my old phone to save on the data charge. Now my old phone isn't holding a charge, so I have to go to the cell store and get another free phone. I usually try to get a picture on my cell phone for my postings, so hopefully, I can get a phone tonight.

We started menu planning in my house, and it's going very well. Saturday, we sat down and figured out our meals for the week, and purchased groceries appropriately. I love it! We don't get home and debate for an hour about what's for dinner. Plus, it's big grocery savings.

I started the Shroom hat. It's knitting up so fast in comparison to those slooooooww socks. I'm in love! I was able to get about 3 inches of the brim done last night between Ben climbing on me, grabbing my yarn, eating my yarn, and generally, needing my undivided attention. If I didn't have the attention hound, this probably could get done in one day.

In closing thoughts, why do all my favorite shows have to be on when I'm going to school?

I Believe I Can Fly!

2011-08-26T07:51:00.003-06:00

In fact, Ben, you cannot fly. A nosedive off the sofa probably is not going to end well. So why do you keep trying to do it?

Absolutely no knitting has gotten done this week. Very little school work has gotten done as well. I am waiting on my textbooks that I ordered to come in. Guess I should have been more on the ball on that one. I don't have any assignments due until next Thursday though. I'm off this weekend, and I'm glad. It's been on of those weeks with the combination of Diet Coke withdrawls. I'm slowly getting over it, but I still feel a little grumpy.

Lydie has a birthday party that I'm taking her to on Saturday, but other than that, not much else going on. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Withdrawls!

2011-08-22T12:43:00.005-06:00

Disclaimer: I would never tell anyone how to live their lives. I'm just writing about changes I am making in my own life.

With August's family budget blown, I've been evaluating what we really spend money on. Sunday morning, I wrote that I have given up my Blackberry. Can I tell you that I don't miss it. I was constantly checking for new messages, new text, new emails, checking Facebook. I kept it on vibrate, and then run over to my purse to check my phone to see if I got anything. My naps were many times interrupted by buzzing that would turn out to be junk email. It was a huge distraction from my children and family, and I think I'm better not having it. I now have $30 back in the budget. (P.S. I don't miss my Sirius Satellite Radio that's been gone for 8 months, either.) I feel like I am returning to a simpler way of life here.

I have known for a long time that I have a major Diet Coke addiction. It's scary how much of it I drink. I did a rough calculation. I conservatively estimate that I spent $135 last month on Diet Coke. That can't be good for me. I'm overweight, so it's obviously not helping me lose any weight. I've been reading the reports of the long-term effects on the body of drinking diet soda. I have been having problems with concentration (a new baby doesn't help), fatigue, weight gain (yes, it makes you gain weight despite being diet), and I've recently noticed problems with anxiety and heart racing. Okay, so I said, enough, and I stopped. I'm on day two, and I am now starting to notice the withdrawal symptoms. I am really sleepy and have a slight headache. I've heard these symptoms go away after a few days. I am drinking a lot of water to counteract some of the symptoms. I kind of wish I was off work today, because I could nap. I'll keep you posted on my progress, but I'm hoping this will really help my health.

Finished Object--Whickerware Sock (Finally!!)

2011-08-21T03:44:00.003-06:00

It's done! The Wickerware Socks are no longer a work in progress.

Project Details

Pattern: Wickerware Socks

Yarn: Lonesome Stone Alpaca Mountain Feet Aztec Mountain Colorway

Needles: Size US 1 and US 2

Made for: My brother-in-law

Notes: I really should have used size 0 and 1 needles for this project. The pattern is easy to follow and memorize. The yarn is a little pricey at $25 a skein, but well worth it. I had enough yarn to fish both socks which ran mid-calf. There is probably enough left over yarn for a pair of baby sock.

These will be getting shipped off for my brother-in-law's birthday in September. I wish I could keep them for myself.

Just About Done!

2011-08-21T01:17:00.004-06:00

I realize it's been a week since I last posted, but there has been so much going on. First off, Lydie went back to school Thursday. We had to get supplies and school clothes. Needless to say, like most parents in my situation, I'm really broke until pay day.

We found out that Lydie's bus route was canceled. We found that out the DAY she went for her first day of school. A little notice would have been nice. In a mad scramble, I was able to get Ben's babysitter to agree to allow Lydie to come to her house after school. She literally lives right behind the school. She's only going to charge me $25 a week for Lydie's after school care. If anyone knows the expense of childcare, this is VERY cheap. The other service I had before charged $65 just for after school!!

My financial aid was FINALLY processed Friday. Woohoo! Says the broke mom. I was sweating it. The first day of class is Monday, and I have to go get textbooks.

Ohhhh, and I got rid of my Blackberry. Given that the budget is tight around my house, I cannot justify having a $30/month data plan. I sit in front of a computer all day anyway. I'm not going to miss anything important. Plus, I got tired of constantly checking new messages on the phone just to find out it was emails that can wait for the next time I'm in front of the computer. I went 30 something years without it. I think I'll survive.

Now, to the above picture. I'm working midnight shift, and of course, I'm fighting the urge to lay down. Ugh, 5 1/2 hours left!! I am working the toe decrease now. I've got a few more rows to go, then I'm done!! I'll make sure to get some finished object photos for you.

I hope everyone is sleeping will, and I hope this midnight shift flies by. Bye for now!

I Bought a Book Yesterday!

2011-08-14T09:44:00.003-06:00

I never buy books. I either borrow them, get them for free in a book exchange, or most often, borrow from the library. (I love the library!!) I am a regular on the site GoodReads, and I saw people talking about the book Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. The book combines a creepy story, with creepy kids, and creepy old photography. Old photographs and creepy in the same sentence sounds like a book for me! I was going to wait until the library has it in stock, but there's already 16 people in queue wanting it when it comes in. I thought, why not buy it? It's a cheap gift to myself. I found the book in a used book store, so I didn't pay full price anyway....SCORE!!

I haven't started the book just yet, but I'm off tomorrow, so I plan to start it then. According to the book jacket, a young boy learns about a mysterious island with an abandoned orphanage, and finds out there's just something not right about these kids. I will let you know what I think.

In school news, we're going to buy Lydie's school supplies tomorrow. She's eager to return to school Thursday. As for me, my financial aid is finally being processed, so I hope to know something in a few days. I'm registered for 9 credits this semester. The most I have ever taken is 6. I'm very nervous about that, but I will do my best.

It's a Good Time for Picnics

2011-08-11T13:01:00.003-06:00

Ben looks great in a Hawaiian shirt.

Friday, we went to hubs work picnic, and yesterday was my work picnic. We are just making the social rounds. There was a lot of food and bounce castles, so Lydie had a good time.

I got my grades back from my Interpersonal Communications class. I got a perfect score on my essay!! I got an A as my overall grade. Hooray!!

I'm working on the foot part of the 2nd sock. The heel and gussett are done. I hope to complete the sock this weekend.

Major Progress!!

2011-08-07T20:45:00.002-06:00

I've made really good progress on the sock this weekend. The end is in sight! I'm am working on the heel flap now. After that, heel shaping, then it's all downhill from there. I can't wait!

I have a new project already in my sights. The hubs says there is going to be a charity raffle for the suicide prevention program. The hubs works for a non-profit, and that's just one of their many programs. I have a month and a half. There is no way I am making a big project for it. I was thinking one of those cute slouch hats make with bulky yarn. It should be quick. I saw this pattern on Knitty. I know that slouch hats with bulky yarns are pretty trendy, and probably would be really sought after in a raffle. Now, to get that sock done and get started on the hat!!

Tired and Grumpy

2011-08-04T08:21:00.006-06:00

Snippets from my sleepy head:

Baby boy decided to wake up in the middle of the night and stay up.

I'm a little grumpy and sleepy.

I need to consume more caffeine.

I have a quick cell photo of sock progress.

If I don't finish that sock soon, I'm going to go nuts!

I'm off tomorrow, so will try to catch up on mountains of laundry and cleaning.

Grrr! Trying not to let people get on my nerves today.

Hubs the Sailor Man

2011-08-02T14:48:00.002-06:00

Hubs was in the Navy, but that's not why he looks like Popeye today. He was working in an electrical box, and he got stung by a wasp. Poor guy! When I got home, his arm was completely swollen and so was his hand. He said he didn't feel well. I got him to take some Benedryl. The rest of the night he was running fever and aches. The hubs has been stung lots of times. He got stung in the thumb by a wasp a few weeks ago. He even worked at a bee farm. He's never had a reaction like this. I have no idea why he had such a bad reaction.

Well, I finished my final paper (18 pages!!), and I was happy to celebrate by going to my monthy stitch-n-bitch. However, I was really worried. Hubs was going to watch the baby while Lydie and I went. I thought he really needs medical attention. I said, "Are you SURE you want me to go?" I had my cell phone, and we were only going to be gone for 1 1/2 hrs. I could be home pretty quickly. He slept pretty good when we got home.

This morning, he went to work, and since it was condsidered a work-related injury, he made sure to report it. I'm not sure if he went to the clinic, because I haven't spoken to him this afternoon. I feel so bad for him.

I asked hubs if I could take a picture of his swollen arm. He said, no. Come on! It would make great blog material. Oh well.

Okay, so the good news is that my final is turned in, and I am done!!! At least for a few weeks. I have got to get that stinkin' sock done. It's driving me batty. I managed to get a bit done at stitch-n-bitch last night. I have about 2-3 inches before the heel. I'll get some progress pics loaded in the next few days.

Book Review: The Glass Castle

2011-08-01T13:06:00.001-06:00

href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=">http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7445.The_Glass_Castle">The Glass Castle by href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=">http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3275.Jeannette_Walls">Jeannette Walls
My rating: href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/147070696">5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book and have recommended it to my friends. I loved how her various stories were in short snippets where I could stop at any point in the story and come back. Jeannette Walls tells the story in a way that is not a pitty-party. It's obvious that she loves her family. You can't pick your family either. She had the courage to get out of her situation and break the cycle. Absolutely, enjoyed this book!

Rut-Roh!

2011-07-29T09:03:00.003-06:00

I was dropping off some penpal letters at the post office this morning, and I saw this. Someone, apparently, hit the gas instead of the brake. I'm glad they didn't go through the front of the post office.

I'm Still Here!

2011-07-27T10:31:00.002-06:00

I've been pretty quiet this week. I'm writing my final paper for my Interpersonal Communications class. The clock is ticking down, and I'm still reading through my research material. I actually need to get all this text typed out, before I go nuts! It's due in less than a week.

I'll see you guys in a few days when I get this paper turned in.

A Good Mail Day

2011-07-19T09:58:00.004-06:00

I got three letters all within a few days of each other. Yay! I love getting something besides ugly bills. I wanted to write back on my day off, but I had a nasty cold yesterday. I took about a three hour nap while Ben was at the babysitters. I am feeling much better today, but I still have a little cough. I should be back to my old self soon.

P.S. For my penpals: I have photoshopped your name and address out of the above picture to protect your information.

Lydie's Finished Object

2011-07-17T14:07:00.005-06:00

Very nice! The yarn she used is from Hobby Lobby, but I totally forgot the name of it. It's a huge guage. I love the results. Progress on the sock is still steady. Can't wait to finish.

I watched the movie Hereafter with Matt Damon. It is so depressing! I felt so bummed after watching the movie. It wasn't at all what I was expecting.

On the job hunting front, there are two other positions that I applied for at the clinic that's closer to my house. I hope that I don't get two more rejection letters. Either way, I'm going to make them sick of seeing my resume, because I'm not giving up.

Supporting a Local Artist

2011-07-14T10:41:00.004-06:00

As you know, I love penpalling. I have been writing to penpals for over 10 years. Probably more like 12 years. I used to have lots of them, but now I have a about 3 that I regularly write to. That's okay with me, since baby boy is so little.

Anyway, when I see nice stationary, I can't resist looking. We occassionally have vendors at various functions in the hospital. I saw cards from Happily Every Annie. She's a local cardmaker, so I thought I would take a look. She hand-painted all her designs. I quickly snatched up a pack of cards to use for writing my pals. Pink is usually not my favorite colors, but I really loved the castle. Annie has a website, so feel free to check her out.

Rejection Letters

2011-07-11T14:03:00.004-06:00

This is how my Monday is going. I got two rejection letters today for two different positions I applied for at the company where I work. These two positions are located at a clinic that a 10 minute drive from my house. Sigh! I just want to work closer to home. I am going to keep plugging away at it, and something will, eventually, come up in the future. My hope is that these two jobs went to people that have been out of work for a while.

July 11 , 2011
Re: Receptionist Scheduled hours/pay period: Monday-Friday/8am-5pm

Dear ---,

Thank you for your interest in the recent opening for the Receptionist, requisition number 15309, -------General department. After careful review of the information provided by all applicants, a candidate has been chosen. Although you were not selected for this position, we wish you every success in your job search. We would also like to encourage you to continue to apply for positions that you qualify for in the ----...

We appreciate your time and interest in------.

Sincerely,

My Time is Precious

2011-07-10T15:29:00.002-06:00

I picked this book up at the library for my research paper. Catchy title!

As a new mom who is working and going to school, there is not a whole lot of time for the hobbies I love (knitting, letter writing, scrapbooking). My co-worker and his wife are moving into their first home. Being the giving person I am, I thought, "I'm going to make him a housewarming gift." I found a pattern for a washcloth and found some scrap yarn. Then, clarity hit me. I am not that close to this person even though I spend eight hours a day with him. Given that knitting time is precious, why would I spend it knitting for him? Cruel? I think not. Not over-exerting myself? Very smart girl.

Happy 4th of July!!

2011-07-04T10:17:00.005-06:00

Ben is wearing his July 4th flair!

I am working today, but I get off at 3pm, so no biggie. I get some holiday pay and BBQ later.

Ben fell asleep at 6pm last night, and I just let him sleep through. Big mistake. He was raring to go at 1:30 AM. Your bloggy friend is mucho sleepy today. That's what I get. Oh well!

Saturday afternoon, hubs was spraying for ants. He went under our sink and found that our faucet had been leaking for some time. The wood at the bottom of that cabinet was rotten. Unfortunately, I had to go to work during the middle of this. Talk about piss-poor timing. He asked his sister to come watch the kids while he got another faucet. It was the original faucet, and the house was built in the 80's. It was just worn out. I should send hubs to get these things more often. He got me a really nice Moen faucet with a retractable sprayer neck. Nice!!

Sock Progress

2011-07-01T15:26:00.004-06:00

I have been working little by little on the 2nd sock. The cuff is almost complete. Progress is slow. I've only been doing a few rows at night. I'll get there though. I'm going to finish this eventually.

Thanks for the comments in my previous post about uploading photos from my camera and not using the Kodak software included with my camera. I am able to upload photos just like a plug-and-play. I completely deleted Kodak's software from my computer, and it was a HUGE file. So now you have photos to feast your eyes on. For instance...look at Ben's new teeth!! He has a total of 5 teeth now.

I took Ben for his 9-month appointment. Of course, the doctor said he's perfect. I knew that.

Hope everyone has a great 4 of July weekend. I'm working that day (of course). I'll get more photos on here since, I now know I can upload photos.

In Better Spirits

2011-06-28T08:33:00.002-06:00

Thanks for the supportive messages last week when I was having a bad few days. I'm feeling better now. I just needed a weekend off. I haven't had a weekend off in months. I've had to split up my days off to help take care of Lydie who is out of school. Now, my m-i-l is not working and is able to help out with her. Ben is in full-time daycare, because the m-i-l is not in the best of health and can't lift and chase a baby. Lydie takes care of herself for the most part, so it's good for m-i-l to have the company during the day.

As you can see, Ben is quite the eater. He loves to eat anything and everything. You have to watch it around paper. He's a baby goat. Tomorrow, I take him to his 9 month appointment. Yes, 9 months already!!

Knitting progress is going well with the 2nd sock. I've finished the cuff and will start the body of the sock. Tomorrow, I am off, so I will get some good photos posted. This pic of the baby was taken with my cell phone.

Moody Here

2011-06-24T15:04:00.002-06:00

It's been one of those weeks. You know what I'm talking about. Works pissing you off, spouse pissing you off, kids wearing you out. Work wants us to do more work with less people. It feels like a dead end job. At home, I've been working some weekends, but I come home and the house is an utter disaster zone. I wanted to vent to the hubs yesterday about big changes going on at work. He kept minimizing my concerns. Then hubs spouted off yesterday, "Well, I don't work in an air conditioned office all day." Oh yeah, you want to play that card? We're barely on speaking term. As you can see, I'm hosed at work and at home. My attitude sucks today.

Father's Day

2011-06-19T09:31:00.005-06:00

Happy Father's Day to the Hubs!

This is Hub's first Father's Day with a new baby. I'm sitting here at work, so he's home with the kiddos. We're hoping to have a really good dinner tonight. I haven't gotten him a gift yet. Yikes! I want to get him a game for the Wii after work, but not sure which one. I've been browsing them. I guess I'll make a decision once I get to the store.

I've got a terrible case of 2nd sock syndrome. I need a prescription. I worked on the sock during the stitch n' bitch at the library at the first of this month, but haven't touched them sense. Ugh! I just need to get them done and out of here.

I have been working on the Cheesy Puffs sweater. The pattern is really simple, and easy to remember. The fact that the yarn is bulky and the needles are a US size 10 makes it pretty quick. That's a bonus.

My class is going well. There's just an awful lot of reading. It cuts into my knitting time. I have one more chapter to read before Wednesday, but so far, I'm doing really well.

I hope everyone is having a great Father's Day!

Every Super Mom Needs a Stylish Personal Assistant

2011-06-10T12:40:00.004-06:00

My home computer is still offline. It works, but not very well. I still haven't gotten the memory that I bought at Best Buy exchanged yet. I don't think I will do that until Wednesday, which is my next day off during the week when everyone is gone. In the mean time, I taught Lydie how to work the typewriter. No, you can't push the delete button. The bell means that you need to go to the next line. Hey! No taking personal calls on the job!

I work midnight shift tomorrow. This gives me quality knitting time, so I will try to get some photos posted. Since I don't have my home computer available to upload my pics, I may have to use my cell phone to upload progress pics. I apologize in advanced if it is poor quality.

Since my readers are so smart, do you know if I can upload photos from a camera to another computer even if the camera's software is not on that computer? I'm thinking something like a plug-and-play or a flash drive?

Crabby Today

2011-06-08T09:49:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, I was off, but my day didn't go quite as I had liked. I need to upgrade the memory on my computer. It's 9 years old after all, so it's time. I wanted to get the memory changed out while no one was home. It's hubs computer from before we were married, and I didn't want him peering over my shoulder trying to see what I was doing. Now, I'm an Information Services major, but I haven't quite gotten into that aspect of my schooling. However, since I technically work in the I.S. department, I asked one of my co-workers to show me how to do it. It's easy peasy. The trick is finding the correct memory to put into the computer.

I did what anyone in my situation would do, I went to Best Buy. I talked to the guy at the door and told him I needed computer memory. He points me to that aisle. I'm looking at this huge wall of computer memory. I have no clue which one to choose. I asked the guy who was stocking shelves on the same aisle as me if he knew what memory would be compatible. He tells me to ask the guy behind the desk. I asked the guy behind the desk. I told him what computer I have and what operating system. He tells me to get the one that says "DDR", but not "DDR2". What the difference is, I have no idea. Okay, so a lot of choices that say DDR, so I said, "This one looks good." and just picked one. I go home to install, and nothing. So I took it out. I do a little Google search. My computer won't take high density memory, which is what I bought. Ugh! You just can't get good help. Now, I have to take the memory back to the store, and go through this all over again!! Oh, and then I need a matched pair of memory. Did they fail to mention that to me? Come on guys! You could have sold me two, but you just let me just wander around and pick out one. I mean, it was just such poor service. Oh, well, I'm learning this, so hopefully, when I go back, I will have my act together. Should I have just taken the computer to a professional? Probably, but I'm bound and determined to do this myself. I'm just really disappointed with Best Buy. They have always been really helpful, but this time they really left me out to dry.

I Really Am Working on the Second Sock

2011-06-04T20:53:00.002-06:00

My evening shift has flown by. I did get a few rows done on the 2nd sock. Hooray! I thought would show you the proof. No, this isn't a picture of the first sock that I hijacked. I promise. It's almost time for me to go home, so forgive my drive-by posting.

Do You See a Tooth?

2011-06-03T12:30:00.003-06:00

Looks closely! Do you see a tooth? It's teeny tiny on the bottom.

I'm only working one day this weekend, which means I will get a whole day with the entire family. Hooray! It's been a long time since that's happened.

Saturday, I work evening shift, which means I should be able to get some of my reading assignment done. I'm taking Interpersonal Communication. I have to write a 500 word essay about self-awareness, stoicism, wisdom is interconnected, and blah, blah. I kind of read the material, but it a bunch of gibberish. Oh, well, I'll get it done this weekend. Then, I will be ahead class, because it's not due until June 14th.

Maybe (hopefully), I can get some knitting done. After weeks of 2nd sock syndrome, I finally cast on the second sock. Yay!

I hope everyone has a good weekend!

My New Cutie!

2011-06-02T13:23:00.002-06:00

I know I just bought a typewriter, but here me out. The other one is cutting off the top of letters, and it writes in cursive. What's a girl to do, but go shopping for another one. I got this Olivetti Lettera 36. Isn't it adorable. It works great, but I may need to get another ribbon. The print is a little faint. Okay, where can I stash this before hubs gets home...LOL!

How the Store Paid ME!

2011-05-30T08:00:00.003-06:00

I've become a little obsessed with the show Extreme Couponing. I would not do some of the crazy things they do on that show, but I have learned a lot of tips. For instance, health and beauty items can yeild some of the best deals. Buying the smallest item you can get can sometimes fetch the item for free or close to free.

I had to go get milk yesterday, and thought I would take a look at the deoderant, because I knew I had a pretty good coupon for it. Much to my suprise this was on sale AND I had a coupon. PLUS, the store has a website where you can load eCoupons to your loyalty card. This is an easy way to get coupons with no clipping.

Here's the breakdown on my receipt.

Sale price: $1.06

Coupon: -75 cents

Store doubles up to $1: -25 cents

Store loyalty card eCoupon: -50 cent

The store paid me: 44 cents

I'm super excited about this buy. I made money to be able to buy the milk I was originally intending to buy. Grocery shopping, which is a very tedious task, has now become a game. I let you know if I come accross any more great deals. Patting myself on the back for this one.

Trying A Different Pattern

2011-05-26T11:32:00.005-06:00

Hello everyone! I had an issue with the guage of a sweater I was trying to knit for hubs. The pattern I had chosen was Mr. Darcy which was on the Knitty website. It was just coming out huge. It was my fault for not making a guage swatch. I took a closer look at my label. My label indicates 12 stitches = 4 inches. The pattern shows 15 stitches = 4 inches.

As you can see, my yarn is bigger than what is called for in the pattern. This can be remedied by doing math and adjusting needle sizes and the number of stitches cast on. Yeah, yeah. My brain doesn't want to do that much work. Instead, I pulled up my handy dandy Ravelry search and looked for a men's sweater pattern that would match my guage. Bingo! I found Cheesy Puffs also on the Knitty.com website. I've cast this on, and it's looking much better.

At home, I've been working a lot of weekends to avoid paying double childcare since Lydie is out of school. We got to eat lunch together at Olive Garden yesterday. Since I pay full-time daycare for Benny, I take him either way. I get to spend the days off during the week with just Lydie. I get a lot of cleaning dones, errands, and just about anything I want. Hubs, on the other hand, is having to take care of both kids on the weekend. I'm getting the better situation by far. Sorry, Dear!

My baby chimpanzee is doing well. Growing very quickly, of course. He now has a tiny tooth on the bottom that just came through the gum. So cute!

My class officially starts on Monday. I already know the first assignments, so I will try to get a jump on the reading. I'm not sure how studying is going to go with having the little one, but working weekends should help significantly.

My work computer is being very buggy about blogs. I can read everyone's blog on my Google Reader, but I can't post comments to certain ones. I have no idea why. If you see a late comments from me, you know why.

Darn You, Gauge Gods!

2011-05-21T14:17:00.004-06:00

No, I didn't check my gauge when I casted on this sweater for hubs. Yes, I know better, and have had to frog ump-teen projects, because I didn't check gauge. Still and yet, I thought I could wing this one. The pattern states 49 inches for chest measurement. I don't have this one fully stretched out, but I think it's something like 55. Sigh! Guess if I would have made that swatch, I could have saved myself from casting on 186 stitches. Alright, fine. Back to the drawing board.

As far as sock progress. I've got second sock syndrome badly, but I'll do it, just not today.

Bingo Night

2011-05-17T11:21:00.002-06:00

I went to play Bingo last night. I can see where I could get hooked on it again. It was so much fun. I didn't win though. Darn! Oh, well.

Tonight is my friend's last night here. I am hoping we can take it easy tonight. This hosting a houseguest thing is hard work! I drive to the airport tomorrow. Although, it's nice to have visitors, it's nice when life gets back to normal.

Hopefully, knitting related content to return again soon.

Score!!

2011-05-16T10:24:00.003-06:00

My friend is still in town until Wednesday, so I haven't been on the blogs for several days. I just wanted to do a quick post about our thrift store shopping trip on Saturday. The goal was to get Ben and Lydie some summer clothes. Lydie has been wanting a typewriter for some time. Her requests are never that bad, and she's a good kid, so I try to accomodate where I can. I kept telling her that we just need to keep searching garage sales and thrift stores, and the right typewriter will come along. We knew we didn't want something brand new. I didn't want to go really old like the 1940's machines, and I knew that I was looking for a compact typewriter. I thought that would be better for her hands. Personally, I had been wanting a typewriter, too, to compose my penpal letters and journaling boxes for my scrapbooking.

I checked the area of the store where the typewriters can usually be found. Most of the time I find the 1980's or 90's word processing type of typewriters or the huge beasts that sat on the school secretary's desk. For some reason, the thrift store had about 10 machines which is highly unusual. I proceded to start checking inside of the typewriter cases to see what the machines looked like. I found the little cuttie pictured above. It's the Smith Corona Coronet. I'm not entirely sure of the model number, but I will find out when I get a chance to really look at it. Isn't it darling? It's electric and came with a case. I paid $7.99. What do you think of that find? I haven't gotten a picture of mine yet, so I borrowed a picture from another site. Here is the source of this photo.

I'm thoroughly excited to play with the new typewriter, but it will have to wait until my friend leaves on Wednesday. I'm trying to be a good host. Tonight, we are going to play Bingo. I haven't gone in probably 7 years. I've been dying to go again, but haven't found someone to go with me. My friend is here, so I get my Bingo fix, and I entertain her at the same time. Win, win.

I owe hubs big time for watching Ben while us girls have been running around. Especially since Ben is trying to cut his two bottom teeth. I can feel one is higher than the other, but they haven't come through the gums yet. Ben is not very happy, and his diaper fumes are likely to kill us off.

I promise to get some more photos of the weekend posted later this week when things slow down.

I'm Tired Today!

2011-05-12T12:25:00.000-06:00

Patiently waiting at the airport with a good book and a Nintendo DS.

My friend came into the airport last night. Lydie and I went to get her. We have a storm system in our area that's dumping tons of rain. We had an hour drive to the airport, and it rain on us the whole way. Still we managed to get there about 30 minutes early. At least, we thought it was going to be a 30 minute wait. The flight was supposed to come in at 7:10pm, then it said 7:36pm, then 7:40. The flight didn't land until 7:53pm.

By the time we got her up and got out to the car, it was well after 8pm and a blizzard. Yup, you heard that right. There was a blizzard outside the airport in May. The snow looked like napkins. It was very dense, heavy, and slushy. I paid for my short-term parking. I couldn't see the sign for which lane to be in. I ended up circling completely around the airport before getting out. Keep in mind, the snow was deep, and I had no lane recognition. I said a few prayers and drove very slow. We managed to get on the toll-way where it was well plowed and treated.

By the time we all got settled in, it was after 11pm. I, of course, did Ben's nighttime feedings. Ben decided to be up and alert at 5am. Yeah, I can't hang on very little sleep like I did in my 20's.

Ugh! I have to work, so she's just chillin' with my dog Sammy right now. Not sure what we are doing tonight, but I'm most certainly going to bed early.

A Visitor

2011-05-10T10:10:00.003-06:00

My friend is coming to visit me tomorrow from the East Coast. Hooray!! She's my Earth Mama, soul sister. We call her Freya. I met her 10 years ago when I lived on the East Coast. Since I moved here 5 years ago, we have kept in touch. She's been dying to come visit to see our little Benny.

I think what makes us good friends is that we have a lot in common. Sure, she may be about 20-30 years older than me (I never have asked her age). We learned to scrapbook together. We like history, historical reenactment, crafting. She loves to read.

I think the most important thing that makes her my friend is that I can call her about anything, and I often take advantage of that a lot. I called her in the middle of the night to let her know I had lost my baby girl. She lost a baby girl as well. I could call her anytime I needed to cry or vent or both. That's true friendship there.

Unfortunately, I have to work during the time she is here. She'll have to occupy herself during day. Ugh! Someone here at work is already on vacation. Oh, well, we'll get something figured out. This weekend, though, I have a few things planned. She doesn't get around very well, so nothing requiring a lot of walking. We're hitting up the thrift store first thing Saturday morning. Saturday night, we have a scrapbooking night (crop). Then, Sunday, Lydie is bridging from a Brownie Girl Scout to a Junior. That will be nice. Other than that, we're going to have to make it up as we go. I don't want to exhaust her while she's supposed to be on vacation.

If you don't see me on here in the next few days, you know what I'm up to.

Book Review - The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

2011-05-09T08:01:00.002-06:00

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2429135.The_Girl_with_the_Dragon_Tattoo">The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/706255.Stieg_Larsson">Stieg Larsson
My rating: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/161866093">4 of 5 stars

Usually, when a book gets a lot of hype, I am resistant to read it. It's just the rebel in me. My co-worker let borrow this book. I was a little confused by the history and family tree, but I eventually got it.

The violence towards women described in the books is very disturbing. This is not a book for young people.

I like the fact that the characters seemed like "real" people. They had faults, hangups, indescretions, and fears like everyone else.

I didn't care for the length of the epilogue. I think this could have been summed up much sooner.

I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Knitting Night

2011-05-03T15:06:00.003-06:00

Our monthly knitting is the only mother/daughter time Lydie and I get given that we have a new baby. Lydie's project for the night was binding off a blanket for her baby brother. She's a fast knitter. Geez! I like the color.

I spent my whole time casting on a sweater for hubs. It's bulky yarn, so I hope progress goes pretty quickly. Still, I casted on 186 stitches, so tedious. I thought it would never end. Now, I am on the first row of the bottom hem. It's knit in the round (my favorite method). Stay tuned for progress pics.

I haven't started casting on the second sock from the Wickerware pattern. I've gotta do it before I start getting second sock syndrome.

Baby Ben starts with his new babysitter on Monday! Hooray!

One Sock Down!

2011-05-01T16:08:00.002-06:00

Okay, friends! I finally finished the first sock. Now onto the second sock. I hope I got the fit right. If not, it fits me kinda nice, tee-hee. I just love the color pattern created by the yarn. The yarn is from a local company called Lonesome Stone. They have some gorgeous fibers. The color is Aztec Mountain. It reminds me of a tree with lichen. Tonight is my monthly stitch-n-bitch at the library. I plan on casting on the second sock, and I have a bulky sweater that I hope is a quick knit for hubs. Should I dare hope to have it done by Father's day. Hmmmm? That's a pretty tall order, but at least it's something to work towards.

I was able to talk to the Admissions department of the college about getting into Summer Semester classes. At first, I thought I would start fresh in the Fall, but I have got to get going while I still have the motivation. That's just the way my mind works. I am starting off slowly by taking one class, but I have a lot of catching up to do. I hate to even think about how many credits I have left until my degree, or how many years it's going to take. I just have to keep plugging away.

We met with our potential new babysitter. She's close to our house, has good references, a really clean and organized house. I think we may have a winner.

Hey, look! It's me at the Employee of the Year awards banquet. I didn't win, but it was nice to get night out.

I Got Sucked In!

2011-04-29T09:10:00.006-06:00

Since Benjamin was up anyway, I watched the Royal Wedding. Yes, it was 3 AM, and now I'm oh so tired. Okay, let's be honest. I would have woken up anyway. Ah, so romantic!! Loved the dress! Simple, but elegant, and beautiful. It gives me the warm fuzzies inside.

Hubs was awake, too. After the vows, I said, "Hey! Why didn't they kiss?" He said, "They don't kiss until the balcony, you novice." Say now, mister. I was very young during Diana's wedding. I didn't remember that part.

Looks like most of my co-workers watched it, too. We're walking around like zombies today.

I am registered for classes starting in the Fall! Hooray! I signed up to re-take one of my Networking classes that I failed during my pregnancy-can't-stay-awake-for-anything days, and one of the pre-requisite communications classes. My admission isn't approved until Fall, so I couldn't sign up for Summer classes. I want to take a summer class now that I have the momentum going. I will give the Admissions Office a call. If I can't get into the Summer schedule, it will give me the summer to try to get some reading and knitting done.

On the agenda for the weekend, I am meeting with a potential babysitter Saturday morning. I'm crossing my finger, because the sitters house is within 5 minutes of my house. I promise to have some knitting relate pictures to share. That first sock is almost complete.

Changes Start with Me

2011-04-27T09:21:00.004-06:00

Do hubs and Lydie look alike or what? Geez!

As I am getting into my thirties, I am reflecting a bit today. I am very fortunate to have the lovely family that I do. With the blessing of my little baby, I feel I have some unfinished business I need to take care of. I am a terrible procrastinator, and I don't like to deal with unpleasantness. However, to make the changes I want, I am going to have to suck it up and deal with it head on. Okay, so here is a list of my personal checklist.

1) Get a new babysitter. I have this process already started. I have a visit with one person tomorrow. Her granddaughter was born the same day as Ben. The baby was mentioned in the blog post from my birthday. This is a temporary arrangement for the summer, but I still need to find someone permanent. Our local United Way (just so happens my sis-in-law works there) has a babysitter listing service. I was able to pull up some names. Now, comes the tedious task of calling around and finding out who will take an infant.

2) Go back to school. Hubs was asking me Monday when I was going to go back to school. The way work is going with us taking on more answering services without more pay, I would like to change jobs. I have been out of school for over a year, so now I have had to reapply to school, and I have been in contact with the admissions office about ensuring that my credits are still there. Now, I just need to get all my admissions taken care of, get my school website login, and get registered. I told hubs I would go back in the Fall, but if I can get everything worked out, I will at least take one class during the Summer while I am highly motivated.

3) Eat better. I would love to be vegetarian. What happens to animals in factory farms and rendering plants makes me want to throw up. I absolutely cannot think about where my food comes from, but being that the rest of the family isn't vegetarian makes it a little difficult to go completely vegetarian. Instead, I have started replacing a few meals with vegetarian meals. Hardcore vegetarians might scoff at that, but I feel like something is better nothing.

4) Be more frugal. Benjamin has really helped me out with this one. Having a new baby means more childcare expenses, bottles, formula, and diapers. Wow! We've taken a hit there. I have been very vigilant of reading the ads and shopping with coupons. I'm quite proud of my grocery savings lately. Now, my area of improvement is brown bagging my lunch. The hospital cafeteria is right here, so it's so easy to just grab lunch. It's quick, but it ads up.

5) Cutting ties. This is going to be the hardest one. There are two people in my life that I am going to have to let go. I've talked to hubs about this, and he's not so sure of my decision, but he will support me. In my twenties I was really stupid and lied to them. Now, I have to suck it up and tell them the truth, and let them go. I'm sorry to be so cryptic, but it's really a personal issue. The truth hurts, but it's going to set me free.

Alright, I know I have put a lot out there to think about, but that's what's been rattling around in my little brain lately. I'm glad I have a blog to be able to at least get it "put on paper", so to speak. Now, I just need to get to work!

Easter Weekend

2011-04-25T11:00:00.005-06:00

Hello! I should be doing about a million things right now, but I'm posting, uploading photos, and doing everything, but what I'm supposed to be doing. I have the Employee of the Year party tonight. I haven't even gotten into the shower yet.

I dropped Benjamin off at the babysitter this morning. I let her know that I have childcare arranged, but I will need more than two weeks before the sitter can start. I was hearing a completely different tune from her. She said, "I don't want him to go." She gave me a two weeks notice, people! I am still going to look for someone else, but maybe, I can buy a little time to find the right person.

Last night we went to grandma's house for dinner. She had ham, green bean casserole, pecan pie, and all kinds of yummy! I'm so glad that dress is a little loose!

Benjamin is starting to make this cute expression where he scrunches his face up. It's adorable. Okay, I gotta go. I will post pictures of the dinner tomorrow.

Life Throwing Curve Balls Again

2011-04-23T11:18:00.009-06:00

I've made a little more progress on the sock!

Truly, I want to be a good knitting blogger. It's just been one of those few days. My babysitter decided to give me a two-week notice. We've been going round and round for months about his spitting-up issues. Please see this post from December and this posting, too. To sum it up, he apparently spits up a lot at her house enough to have her concerned. I have taken him to the doctor for it. He has a prescription. I can tell you now, he absolutely does not spit up at my house. Maybe a tiny bit on occassion, but nothing out of the ordinary. According to her, she is only able to feed him 3 ounces, and he spits up all of it. No wonder he won't nap, he's freekin' starving. She didn't absolutely give me the heave-ho, but she said if we couldn't get it resolved that his last day would be in two weeks. Here's why I have decided to go ahead and take her up on her notice:

I provided him Vent Air bottles to use at her house, yet I pick him up, and she's feeding him from a regular bottle.

He needs rice cereal in his formula, or his formula is too thin. Then, he wolfs it down and gets air. She has not told me that he's out of rice cereal which indicates to me that she's not even using it.

Summer is about to start, and I think she's try to get rid of the more difficult baby for more room for easier elementary school kids.

She already has one infant and can't handle two.

Last night, I came home pretty upset. The hubs gets home, and rather than being the calming voice, he just gets pissed off. Crying me and pissed off hubs don't get a long well. I told him, "You are not helping. You are making the situation worse." As any person who has been married for a while knows, that was time to go to our separate corners until cooler heads prevailed. Don't worry, we have made up.

Fortunately, Monday, I am off, and I will begin the process (for the third time) of finding a daycare provider. I know my bubbies isn't a difficult child. I am just having a heck of a time finding the right provider.

The Way I Find Things out These Days

2011-04-19T10:10:00.006-06:00

I was sitting here at work yesterday when my cell phone starts buzzing. As you know, I work on a switchboard, and I can't answer my phone while I'm working. I go to check my messages. It was my aunt. She wanted me to call her. Nothing further. I've been living away from my hometown for over a decade, and I know the tone of that message. Someone is dead or dying. That call came in at 1:40pm. Due to being short-handed and relief showing up late, I wasn't able to call back until 3:45pm. There was no answer, so I left her a message that I get off in 15 minutes, and to call me. Okay, 15 minutes later, I called her again and left a message to tell her that I am off now.

I still had no idea what was going on. Then, a bulb went off in my head. If someone is dead, then one of my younger relatives will post something on Facebook. I pulled out my phone and pulled up Facebook. Here's what I found:

Cousin Tiffany's FB Page: R.I.P. Michael . I love you
cousin!

Cousin Rocky's FB Page: so as i was setting with my fam at funeral for
my moms sec cousin this morning the cops were trying to call and let us know my
first cousin had hung himself sometime last night or this morning..
so...............What is on my mind???? " L I V I N ' "

What? Is this how I am going to find out about this? Okay, yes, I asked for it checking Facebook, but goodness! Let me give you a little history about Michael. He's not just a first cousin. We grew up like brother and sister. My sister and I were adopted by my aunt when I was 7 years old. My aunt never married or had children of her own. Michael came along when I was 11 years old, my sister was 13. His mother, another sister, there were six sisters, she was very young and found out after a few days that she couldn't handle caring for a baby. He came to live with us. My aunt worked very hard to raise us on a housekeepers salary with no government assistance. For that reason, she worked a lot, so he was cared for by my sister and I a good amount of the time until we moved moved out when we grew up. He considers my aunt his mom, because he lived with her until he reached adulthood himself. He was 22 when he died yesterday.

I said to myself, "This better not have been about a some dumb girl." Sure enough. He had a fight with his live-in girlfriend and decided to end his life. Now, this got me thinking. I've been through some really bad breakups. I divorced when I was around his age. I would have never thought during that time of taking my life. Yes, my life sucked at that time. I had pretty low self-esteem, but suicide, no. There had to be another way.

I don't plan on going back for the funeral. I have an infant. The drive is over 14 hours. Gas is filthy expensive. I have a week off I have already scheduled for the first week in June. My priority is to taking care of my children and husband. I'm focused on living my life. I can't help him with his.

So this got hubs and I into the discussion of I have made a lot of mistakes in my life. I do not want my children to know about them. He said, "How are they supposed to learn about life." I said, "They find out on their own. They don't pick up where I left off."

So here is something I just read from iparenting.com:

Teenagers are ruled by their emotions. Telling stories of risky behaviors and indiscretions of your youth could end up giving your teens a reason to justify their own behavior ("Mom and Dad survived doing this, so I will, too.") instead of discouraging it. After all, children even teenagers consider their parents to be role models. If their role model decided it was all right to drink as long as they didn't drive while in high school, then it must be all right for them to do it as well.

I value your opinion on this topic. I know some of you have grown children. How did you handle this subject?

Toilet Seater

2011-04-15T09:39:00.003-06:00

At work, we define "toilet seater" as someone who uses your work station and doesn't put it back the way they found it. That's the life of shift work. Someone comes in right behind me and fills my spot.

That brings me to, Who the freak ate all the caps to my pens? How is it possible that all these caps magically disappeared? This is one of my pet peeves. If a pen is supposed to have a cap, then it has to have it. If it's a clicky pen, that's okay too, but a pen with a cap needs to have the cap with it, or for some strange, psychotic reason, I can't find the ability to write with it. It's just one of my weird hangups. For this reason, I bring my own pens to work with me, then take them home with me at the end of the day.

I know I'm not the only person that's weird like that...hopefully?

Wickerware Sock Progress

2011-04-13T09:00:00.004-06:00

Sock progress hasn't been going as well as I would have hoped, because the Bubbies is still sick. He's has these allergies or a cold for a week. Sunday, he started running a little warm and developed this awful cough, so Monday I made him a doctor's appointment. He sounds terrible! I found out that he has bronchitis, and he was put on antibiotics. He can't lay flat without hacking. I've basically spent the last three days with him laying on my chest or propped up on my arm. He's asleep in his carseat right now. I was hoping he would be better today, but he's still a little sickie. I have to call the doctor back and let them know. Ugh! I just want him better instantly. Impatient mommy!

It's interesting holding a sleeping baby and knitting. Yup! It can be done. That's how I have made a little progress these last few days. I was able to get the heel flap knitted, and now I am working on the gusset.

I asked hubs, "What's your brother's shoe size?" He said, "I don't know. Probably the same as mine. Um, hubs has a size 13 foots. He might want to ask his brother for sure, or he's going to have a pair of giant socks.

Speaking of hubs, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HUBS!

For Me??...Keep Dreaming!

2011-04-06T14:47:00.005-06:00

One of the perks of having a giant corporate account is that we get to demo the latest and greatest tech gadgets. This the Samsung Galaxy Tab. I got to hold it (for 5 seconds), and it's like holding a giant I-Phone. I don't know, I would rather have a laptop. My Blackberry seems to do the stuff this big ole thing does. Still, we get to demo this thing for 90 days. Now, do you think they would hand it to me and say, "Hey, demo this thing and tell me what you think,"? Nope, it went to my director. Alright, fine!

Baby Ben is starting to feel better. He woke up with less gunk in his eyes. He still has his runny nose. We had the humidifier going last night, and he woke up in better spirits. I took him to daycare, and we didn't have any calls.

I still can't get over this guy's cuteness.

I knitted two rows on my sock heel last night before Ben needed my attention. Tonight is my TV night. My favorite shows are all on one day. American Idol, Survivor, and Ghost Hunters. Can't we spread out the love? Anyway, it should make for some prime knitting time, unless Mr. "Can't Put Me Down" needs some attention.

Sock Progress

2011-04-05T08:04:00.003-06:00

Alright, I'm ready to turn the heel. I got some pretty good progress done on my sock. I couldn't stay long, because Baby Ben was at home sick and waiting for him mom to return. I am ready to turn the heal, which I hoped to do last night, but oh well.

Knitting circle was a little bitter-sweet. The person that is the unofficial lead for the group, she works at the library, was knitting baby bereavement gowns for the hospital. She said how sad it made her to think of parents loosing their baby. I felt I should let her know that what she is doing is very appreciated by grieving parents. Now, everyone in my group knows that I have lost a child, and I am okay with that. I think I have a little more healing to do before I start knitting bereavement gowns, but I know that's something that I want to do.

Lydie is the youngest is our group, by far. The next youngest is 18. Everyone always asks her how old she is and praises her for her knitting ability for being so young and that she has the patience to sit and knit with a bunch of adults. Pat on mom's back. I've got a pretty smart kid there. Truth be told, she's always been very mature.

Baby Ben stayed home from daycare today. He woke up with little crusty eyes, and he's kind of miserable. Lydie and Hubs are home due to Spring Break. I didn't have to take a day off from work. Still I would have liked to be home with him, because a sick baby boy needs his mommy. Hopefully, this day goes pretty quickly so I can hurry home to him.

Sicky Baby

2011-04-04T11:06:00.004-06:00

I've been absent for a few days. The end of the month always has a lot of data entry. At home, Ben has been teething or so I thought. Now, I think he either has allergies or a cold. His eyes look terrible. He has a runny nose. He kept me up Saturday night until 2:30 AM. The bulb syringe is not his friend. I think he wants to trade me in for a new mom for using that thing. I didn't get much knitting, sleeping, laundry, or anything else done this weekend.

There is a huge fire up in the mountains, and the hospital smells like smoke. At first, I thought someone was smoking too close to the air intakes. That does happen even though we are supposed to be a smoke-free campus. The smell is giving me a little headache.

Tonight is the knitting circle. Hooray! I can get some uninterrupted knitting time. I will be turning the heel of my Wickerware Sock, so I will do my best to get some knitting related pictures on here.

I'm Nominated 2nd Year

2011-03-30T14:45:00.002-06:00

Out of 6,000 employees, I'm nominated for Employee of the Year again. Hooray! Last year, I didn't win, but I got a free meal out of it. This year we shall see. I could be the Susan Lucci of the Employee of the Year world. Either way, it'll be a fun night out. Now what will I wear??

Please Release Me...Let me go!

2011-03-29T11:02:00.003-06:00

Today is the dreaded staff meeting at work. Oh, if I could have been whisked away by the aliens. That would have been nice. I know it’s going to be a lot of bitchin’ (pardon my French) and complaining, plenty of finger pointing, more work, and no real solutions. When the supervisor says, “This is unacceptable! We’ll discuss this in the meeting. Attendance is mandatory,” you’re setting people up to not want to go to this meeting. It’s certainly not going to be a kumbaya meeting. Too bad this isn’t an episode of Mad Men. I would have a 4 cocktail lunch. I would sleep through the meeting then.

Oh, I see it’s Knitting Blog Week. Great. I missed it yesterday.

Topic was favorite yarn, least favorite yarn.

Favorite yarn: Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. I used it for Lydie's hoodie. It’s a decent price. It’s an 80/20 mix of cotton and wool. It’s soft, tight weave, nice color selection.

Least favorite yarn: Cascade Pastaza (pictured left). It's 50/50 llama and wool. While blocking this, it smelled like a kennel in my house. It shedded, was stinky stinky, and very itchy. I couldn’t wear it.

The topic for today: The skill that I have learned in the past year is to do colorwork. I hope to learn to do some pattern writing next year or at least do a better job of modifying to fit better.

UFO Lights in Colorado

2011-03-28T11:14:00.000-06:00

I love the guys talking in this video. They are so excited. I just hear "Dude!" "OMG!" That's the excitement that's been going on around here. I have to admit that I'm a bit of a UFO documentary junkie. It's the closet geek in me. I didn't see the lights, but maybe I should start looking outside more often. Usually, this time of night, I'm out cold.

Keeping Busy on the Midnight Shift

2011-03-26T23:33:00.006-06:00

Last night was the first night of two midnight shifts. It was pretty bad when I came into work already tired. Then, I get here to work Friday night, and open my email. There were 60 emails. Yeah, seems like there was a series of cluster f*&^s going on while I was off Thursday and Friday. That's called taking on too many duties, too many hands in the pot, and not a uniform way of doing things. Tuesday is the mandatory staff meeting. I'm sure there going to be plenty of whine with no cheese. I really need to get myself back in school.

Meanwhile, I did some scrapbooking to keep myself occupied on my midnight shift. I did a two-page layout and a one-page layout. Click on the picture to see a closeup. I love scrapbooking, but there's just so much supplies, materials, and tools that are involved. The setup and cleanup take some time. Tonight, I think that I would like to knit instead. I did pretty well last night until 5am. I hit the brick wall then. I slept today, but I am still tired. Don't get me wrong. I love and prefer midnight shift. The money is good, but flip-flopping shifts is a little hard on the body.

My Favorite Guest Contributor

2011-03-24T09:28:00.004-06:00

I'm off today, hooray! The kids are at daycare and school. Hubs is at work. I am running around like mad to take advantage of the time. I'm working midnight shift this Friday and Saturday night. Love midnight shift. At some point I have to nap today, so I can stay up late tonight to prepare for Friday night.

I don't have any progress pics yet, so I'll post some of Lydie's finished projects. She's a dang fast knitter, unlike me. Of course, if you are a member of Ravelry, and want to post a comment to her Ravelry page, she would love it. Lydie's Rav Link

Six Month Appointment

2011-03-23T11:33:00.004-06:00

He looks like me in this picture, don't you think?

Can you believe Ben's 6 months already? He had his appointment where he checked out just fine. He weighs 20 pounds, 11 ounces. Biggin' boy! The better to cuddle with.

Book Review - One for the Money

2011-03-22T10:52:00.000-06:00

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was recommended to me by my co-worker. I needed some new authors to read. I got this book on CD from my library for my commute to work.

Stephanie Plum is single, laid-off, had her phone cut off, furniture has been sold, fridge is empty, car repoed, and basicly flat busted. She needs cash quickly, and goes to work for her bail bondsman cousin. Her first case is a very big case, but she has no experience what-so-ever.

What follows is a hilarious mix of anything that can go wrong does go wrong. The supporting characters are loveable. Stephanie's grandmother is a little wacky. Her mother wants her to get married. Her father is just floating through the day.

I have book two Two for the Dough on reserve ready to be picked up at the library. I can't wait.

View all my reviews

Wickerware Sock - Progress Pics

2011-03-20T20:54:00.004-06:00

I've taken an updated progress picture of the Wickerware Sock. I got better light this time. The photo doesn't look so blue. I didn't get very much progress done over the weekend, because Ben had his shots, and he's teething. That translated into major cuddle time. He didn't even want me to hand him off. He just loves his mommy!!

I have to work two midnight shifts Friday and Saturday night. I should be able to get more done then.

I plan to bring my scrapbooking stuff to work as well. I've had some scrapper's block. I think mostly, because I am coming to the point in my scrapbooking where we lost our Emma. Visibly, in those photos, you can see that I'm putting on a brave front, but I'm sad. I think I am ready to scrap them now. I won't include pictures of her, because that's private to me and hubs, but I will memorialize that time in some way. I'm glad I will be working by myself that night, because I may need to have a little cry.

I don't want to bum everyone out. If that didn't happen, I wouldn't have my happy, healthy baby boy today, so I have made peace with that. Okay, so smiles everyone! Hope you are having a less-than-crazy Monday.

Fun With Photoshop

2011-03-20T11:40:00.004-06:00

Ben decided he wanted to be held all weekend, so I edited photos while holding him sleeping. I couldn't put him down. Oh well. So here is a little playing I did.

This one looks okay, but he's drueling and it's fuzzy.

This looks much better. I got rid of the spit, brightened the image, blurred the background, brightened his eyes, made a slight lighting effect and he just looks like an angel.

Happy St. Patricks Day!

2011-03-17T13:03:00.006-06:00

Yes, I am wearing my green shirt today. I don't care if I'm Mexican, I'm a "When in Rome" type of girl. My department had a Pot o' Gold Chilli Cookoff. After sampling 15 different chillis, my stomach is about to burst and my mouth is on FIRE! Fuego, fuego!

Tonight, there will be corned-beef and cabbage at my mother-in-law's house. I'll be sure to take pictures. My little guy loves to visit his grandma. Did I mention he's the only grandson out of eight grandchildren? My mother-in-law is not old fashioned in her thinking. I mean, there's no family fortune that goes to the first male heir. He's just special. Given what we went through to have him, he holds a special place in the family.

Oh goodness, I can barely stay awake. Might have to make a caffeine run in a few minutes. Hope you having some great food and fun today.

Sock Progress

2011-03-15T08:45:00.006-06:00

Goodmorning everyone! I got a little more sleep last night. Still not completely adjusted to this time change, but doing better. This is the progress I have made on my Wickerware Sock. I bought this yarn at a trunk show around Christmas. It's Lonesomestone Mountain Feet in the Aztec Mountain Colorway. It's a local company, but it's a little spendy at about $25 a skein. Still I like to support my local yarn makers. I wasn't too sure about the color, but now that I see it knitted up, I really like it. The picture looks blue-ish, the color is actually green. I'll have to take the next picture in natural light. Hmmm! These socks are for my brother-in-law, but they may look nice on me. He better be nice to me between now until I complete them.

I haven't been able to knit much at home these past few days, because the baby is teething. I felt his gums last night, and I can feel the edge of his tooth in the front right of his mouth. It's making his nose run, and he's a little miserable. In times like that, a babe just wants his mommy.

Last Friday, I went to a sale sponsored by our local parents of multiples group. It was just a huge sale with baby items, baby and kids clothes, carseats, strollers, cribs, and just about everything for babies and children. The trick is to get in and get out as fast as you can. By the time, I got to the checkout, the checkout line was starting to wrap around the convention center. I didn't find the baby gates I was searching for, but the garage sales have started popping up, so I should find them soon. I did get some luxury items that I couldn't justify buying at the time the baby was born. I got him a wipes warmer and a bottle warmer. Love the bottle warmer. I also got some safety latches. That's going to be a necessity in a few months as he's getting more mobile. I got all this for $17. Not bad for a day's catch.