I love my family!

So, I told my dad via e-mail about the Fred situation, and how he (the ex) still seems to want to meet up to exchange stuff...here's my Dad's response. "And, while we are on the subject of bastards, tell Fred to put all the stuff in the mail. Don't give in - what kind of a person would walk away from you???? Make him suffer."

I just gotta say - I love my Dad! And Mom's response was that Fred doesn't know anything about relationships, as he keeps on with this "let's meet up theme."

And now, because I really have nothing else to say...here's a cute quiz I took the other day...I like this one!


discover what candy you are @ quiz me

It's only Tuesday?

Knitting goodness

I mentioned that I went to a beginner's knitting class last Friday night, when things finally started falling into place and making sense for me (well, knitting related...the life stuff is still all crazy, as usual). Here's a shot of my scarf in progress as of a couple of nights ago. The yarn is pretty awesome - though I can't remember the name of it (the label is at home right now, and I am not). It's a wool/microfiber blend. It makes me think of summer sherbet. My basic pattern (though there really isn't one, and I'm not really counting rows) is a few rows of knit stitch, then a few rows of stockinette (knit 1 row, purl 1 row, repeat). I've only had minor disasters so far, in which I have no clue what happened, but ended up with extra stitches or holes...and then ripped out a row or two and re-stitched it up...) Sorry - my couch (though not as hideous as the old one) is not really the best background for a good shot.


Happy Happy Secret Pal Stuff!

The other day I got this cute card in the mail from my secret pal. For no reason but to say hi. :) It brightened my day! Thank you Secret Pal!! I should be doing that for my pal too...
More Random Stuff

Yesterday I was in a quandary of whether or not to call the ex to get my stuff back. I decided to just email him asking him to mail me my CDs. So, I did. And I didn't say anything else. The ball is in his court...I just want my CDs back. I don't care about the rest of the stuff - whatever it is (I know he has my Snow White costume, but it's too big for me anyway). If he wants his crap, he can contact me. This has taken way too long. And it kills me that he admitted (last month when he called me) that he'd been listening to my birthday present CD! - 2 of my college friends made a 30 song compilation for me for my 30th birthday - all songs with college memories attached (yes, we used to roam the campus belting out Billy Joel and were told to hush up by the roaming CSA while crooning to Celine Dion...). There were 2 cds, and the ex has one in his car!! I want my birthday gift back! (Kerri is up in arms about this - making the CDs took a lot of work, and she downloaded all the songs - it was an AWESOME gift.)

Funny...I just got a read receipt on that e-mail I sent him...and he said he only checks his personal email every couple of weeks. We'll see how long it takes him to respond, or for me to get a package...

Gratuitous Cat Photos

Isn't this a great shot of Gracie? I love the black markings around her eyes.

Another Non-Motivated Monday

It seems to be the trend these days... I have too much to do here at work, and no desire to do it. I guess that's my procrastination coming out. At least that's nothing new.

I took a knitting class on Friday night with a couple of friends. And finally, someone helped me make sense out of casting on! Woo hoo! And, as if that wasn't enough, the instructor also taught me how to purl - successfully. So, I've made sure to practice a bit each day since then so I don't forget. Hopefully I can keep it up.

After the knitting class, we went out for pizza and then saw "Click." I really liked the movie. It was better than I had expected, and yes, sap that I am, I cried. Yes, I cried at an Adam Sandler movie...(and it's not the first time either...I cried during Big Daddy too).

Saturday I hit the library and got out the 3rd Ya-Ya book by Rebecca Wells. Seems I just can't get enough of those fiesty Southern women. So far it's good too.

Hmm...spent some time out on my balcony reading and then addressing invitations for a bridal shower. (I am not prepared for this bridal shower either...but I have a month to work it out. The plan is to keep it simple, because the bride is not into the traditional stuff.) More of the same on Sunday, plus a couple of loads of laundry.

I seriously contemplated calling the ex this weekend. No, not out of desperation. I just want to exchange our stuff and get it over with. But, I don't really want to talk to him, so I chickened out. I might e-mail him and tell him to mail my cd's back. I don't know what he wants from me (aside from his crap that's sitting in a box in my house). I don't want to be his buddy. I haven't talked to him since Mother's Day. Everything is still confusing, and probably always will be. Argh...

Today, I get the permanent crowns on my front teeth. Finally!! I so miss being able to bite into things! Wish me luck that all goes well at the appointment! (I'm not expecting any mishaps.)

I'm Back!!

Well, all in all, it was a good vacation. I'm glad I went, and I had a good time with my family. It was one of those always on the go vacations though (not any down time).

The flight(s) back were bizarre, in that my first flight had 3 (count 'em - 3!!) stops. When I booked it, it looked like a direct flight. Same deal for 3 other women sitting in my row that were on that flight from Buffalo to Denver (stopping in Chicago, then Dallas, then Denver). They said they actually called the airline and were told that when the flight number doesn't change, it can appear to be a direct flight. Have you ever heard of such a thing? So, I ended up taking 5 mini flights of approximately 2 hours each. And I hope never to have to do it again... The landings in Dallas and Denver were killers. Turbulent and anxiety provoking. I felt sick on both (not bad enough to puke or anything, but landing in Denver I was this close to fainting...one of my usual panic reactions - NOT FUN!).

On the last leg of my marathon trip home, I witnessed a nice random act of kindness. I was sitting in the exit row at the entrance to the plane, next to a couple heading home from Mexico. Our seats were the ones directly across from the flight attendents' seats. The flight attendants were mentioning (to each other) that there were a bunch of seats empty in first class. The guy in my row asks her about it, and I totally thought that he was trying to get himself and his wife bumped up there. Nope - he'd noticed a guy in a khaki jumpsuit talking to someone else while entering the plane (we had front row seats) about how he was back from duty in Iraq. So, he asked the flight attendant if she could move the soldier to first class. She said she didn't have the authority, but he asked her to ask the pilot or someone. She did, and the purser okayed it. Of course by then we were ready to take off...But, they did go back and move the guy into first class after we leveled off. Turns out he was on a 2 week leave visiting his family, and would be heading back afterwards. But, I thought that was pretty cool of the guy in my row to even think of it. Kudos to him!

And thankfully, the landing in Sacramento was as smooth as silk, I got home around 8:45pm, and the cat was happy to see me. She must have been, because for the first time ever, she actually slept next to me up by my shoulder. Normally she's on the corner of the other side of the bed, at the bottom, and I can't tell she's there. Last night she had me pinned into the narrowest portion of my bed...and I didn't have the heart to push her away.

And now I'm watching My Date with Drew on UPN. It's really cute - I'd recommend it.

Upstate Update

I don't have too much to say today. It was a pretty busy day with my aunt. I slept in until 11:15am (which is only 8:15 for me anyway, so really not like sleeping in at all), and then Aunt Fran took me to her office for their quarterly healthy potluck. She belongs to the Fit Club at her office, and didn't want to miss the meeting/potluck. It was fun, and the food was good.

Then we did some last minute shopping to prepare for the trip to Altoona, PA tomorrow. She is taking a bunch of cookies for the reception and wanted to get a nice plate to arrange some on for the bride and groom, and a cake box to put it in. (The rest of the cookies are going on a tray for public consumption.) I also looked for shoes to go with the dress I brought. I didn't find any, but we decided I could borrow a cute pair of sandals that she already has. That works for me! It's a plus sharing the same shoe size!

Then we came back and had dinner before making 2 more kinds of cookies (there are six total). We actually finished a lot earlier than expected. She's not used to having any help in the kitchen, which speeds things up.

That was today in a nutshell. (An appropriate receptacle, as Joie would say.) And tomorrow - 4 hours in a car and a rehearsal dinner. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. (Does jet-lag cause delirium? Or is that just my personality?)

And Dagny - I'm reading Northern Lights by Nora Roberts. It's a romance/mystery novel. I really like Nora Roberts, and usually love her books. But, this isn't the best of hers that I've read. It's entertaining though, and I'll finish it out.

The Eagle Has Landed...

And here I am across the country. I managed to haul myself out of bed on time this morning, and was even able to stop at the post office to finally mail my secret pal's first skein of yarn (I am a BAD secret pal!! I was really hoping to have it out much earlier in the month). But, I used the self-service shipping kiosk for the first time, and it was really cool. Actually, I panicked a little when I got to the post office at a little past 8am, and they weren't open yet. I could have sworn they opened at 8am, but maybe those are just their holiday hours...I don't get to the post office all that often...Anyway, I followed the neon arrows on the floor (they're just decals) to the kiosk, and now I'm thinking it's the only way to ship. No hassle, no line. But anyway...

I made it to the airport in plenty of time, and didn't get even a little lost. I don't know why I worry myself about that stuff. Plus, I think the signage to the airport has improved over the past 5 years. Or, maybe I just got more attentive. Either way, I got there with no problems. Check in was fine and the first flight was a breeze. Okay, mostly a breeze. We boarded and were all waiting to start moving, when the captain comes on the intercom and says they noticed an oil leak in the 2nd engine, so were having it looked at. They got it checked out and fixed (I assume, since we took off...) and the flight was only delayed a half hour. There was a small patch of terrible turbulence, but it was only about a minute long, so no worries. (Only worry was that it was right after I'd finished my breakfast! Bad timing.) And then as we disembarked, a woman sneezed on me! All right, fine, not directly ON me, but in my vicinity. And I got sprayed a bit (disgusting, I know!).

2nd flight was a bit more of a hassle to get on. There was a problem with the pressurization of the plane we were scheduled to be on, so they had mechanics tinkering with it for a couple of hours. Literally. 2 hours. But I'm really okay with that, since I'd prefer not to fly in a plane that can't pressurize the cabin... And it was the last leg of my flight. Anyway, they changed gates and got us on another plane, and that flight was really smooth with a good landing. But the internet didn't have the correct arrival time, so my aunt was late picking me up. It wasn't her fault, though she kept apologizing. I didn't mind anyway, I got to read more of my book while waiting. (I had called her to see where she was, and she only lives 15 or so minutes from the airport, so I wasn't upset by it - Thank God for cellphones, right?)

So, now I'm at her house in Buffalo. She's asleep and it's only 10:25pm PST...so here I am. Though I am tired. Why does air travel make me tired? Actually, driving long distance makes me tired too. Funny that cruise travel doesn't do that to me. Guess I need to take more cruises! (Ah, that would be nice. I guess really, I just need to win the lottery!)

So, bottom line - I got in safely, but I did get sneezed on! Eew!! I'm off to go wash my arm.

Jitters

Ack - I am flying out tomorrow morning! I'm a little nervous already. Not that I'm not excited to see that side of my family, or expect to have a bad trip, but I'm always a bit nervous before I fly. I still need to finish packing and throw stuff together to amuse myself on the plane (books and yarn...and books about yarn, seriously!).

I'm driving myself to the airport and don't need to be there until 10:55am, so I don't have to get up extra early or anything, as long as I finish the packing tonight. So, because I'm paranoid, I'm worried that I'll miss the exit for the airport and end up halfway across the state. Don't laugh, I've done it! (Okay, didn't end up halfway across the state...but did drive about 20+ minutes past my exit...and I was driving my aunt out there to catch a flight on my way to work, so I was also 40 minutes late to work! And I think my co-workers were okay with it, since they got to make fun of me for my lack of sense of direction.)

I also don't fly alone that often, which makes me a little more nervous. I've done it more than a few times over the years and have dealt with all obstacles fine, so I don't know why it still makes me worry. I'm a nutjob.

Anyway...wish me luck! (I think I may have asked for that yesterday too...oh well, I can use all the luck I can get, right?)

She's Packing

I hate packing. Well, I hate unpacking even more, but packing is still pretty annoying. I'm off of work for a week - leaving Wednesday to fly to Buffalo and spend some time with my Aunt. We're driving down to PA for my cousin's wedding, and then back up to Buffalo. No, I'm not shuffling off... Anyway, I've gotten a pretty good start on the packing so far, which is progress for me, since it's still two days away. I am definitely a last minute packer. Not at all like my mother, who starts a week before her trip. (She's a little nuts...)

Anyway, I know I will forget at least one thing...it's kind of my trademark. Usually pajamas. But, pajama pants are already in the suitcase, so...hmm... Anyway, I should get back to it, instead of just rambling here. I hope the cat's okay while I'm gone. I have a friend coming in to feed her and scoop out the litter box while I'm out.

I went back into the dentist today because he wanted to be sure the temporary crowns were doing okay before I left. He polished them up pretty nicely, and is making me a temporary night guard for while I'm gone. (My fear is that I will grind my teeth while I sleep and pop those suckers out of my mouth. Though I'm sure it would be more of a gradual thing. Anyway, he had that concern too, only more that the temps would loosen, and less that they'd fall out.) So, I go back in tomorrow to pick up the guard. I lead such an exciting life...

Anyway...that's all for now.

Scary

Okay, I am fascinated with TV shows about possible hauntings and ghostly activity. Which is weird to my friends, since I refuse to watch horror movies...(I'm really quite wimpy!!) But, I dig those creepy shows, as long as they're not gory. The History Channel has a few good ones, like Haunted History, Weird Travels, etc. So, tonight there was this show on SciFi about Waverly, an old TB hospital that was turned into a convalescent home and then shut down by the state in the '80s. It's probably a good thing that I only caught the last half-hour...though I'm sure it'll be replayed plenty in the next month. It was quite creepy, but cool too.

So, why does this stuff fascinate me when I am so very easily spooked? Does this make sense to anyone else? Any other weirdos out there like me? I believe that hauntings are possible, though I can't say I've definitively ever witnessed any. But you never know. And believing that spirits can make contact with the living scares the crap out of me!! And, I've heard plenty of firsthand accounts from friends that I completely trust. I've even witnessed some creepy things, that are inexplicable... (One example - The curtain fluttering inside an abandoned home in a ghost town on a dry, hot, windless day...and then the first few drops of rain hitting as soon as we entered the cemetary in the same ghost town.)

Anyway, I feel like I'm not expressing myself really well tonight. But, now that I caught the last 1/2 hour of the creepy show on hauntings, I'm afraid I'm going to have nightmares! I hope not. Of course, I go in for the crown prep tomorrow on the two front teeth, which could also cause nightmares....

Monday Stuff...

It totally did not feel like a Monday today. Felt more like a Tuesday or Wednesday. I don't know why...

I think I may try my hand at Drew's pattern for Chic on the Halfshell purse. Either that, or I will make the attempt to convert the clutch you'll never leave at home to crochet. I got some good tips from Lady Wy of The Fiber Underground on how to convert the knitting pattern into crochet. (If you're interested, it's the third comment in the last post.) Then again...I might try my hand at both patterns, and see which ones comes out the best. Wish me luck!

Anyway, I decided to get both front teeth crowned so they'll match...I made the appointment for this Thursday, to get the prep work done. I will be poor forever...such is my fate. But at least the two front teeth will match... A friend of mine said everyone she knows that only had one of the two front ones done (including her husband) always regretted it, and the color difference really shows up in photos. Well, and I'm not all that photogenic now, so why make it worse? Okay, that's not the real reason... I'm sure it's a good investment. And since I think the abscess may have been caused by an old cavity between those two front teeth, and the other one has a permanent hole/indentation in the middle as well, it's also preventive care to make sure an abscess doesn't form on that one. In any case, I feel like I am living at the dentist's office these days...

When in Rome...

You Belong in Rome

You're a big city girl with a small town heart Which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand And gorgeous Italian men - could life get any better?

What City Do You Belong In?

Yet another weekend come and gone. I'm finally getting my appetite back and feeling more energetic. I'm hopeful that the abscess was the root (no pun intended) of the problem. Of course, now I need to get a crown on that tooth...which is another nice chunk of $$...lovely, huh? The endodontist was trying to talk me into getting crowns on both of my front teeth, so my smile would look nicer. He says it's hard to match color of just one tooth. So...why would it be easier to match 2? They're the 2 in the very front of my mouth, and so what if they match each other - if they don't match the rest of my teeth? They endodontist was an ass. (And that's not the only reason I think so.) I think I'm just going for the one crown, to make it easier on my pocket. And I figure if they don't match the color exactly, I'm not any worse off than I am now, since the dead tooth is already darker than the rest. At least my regular dentist will do it and not the endodontist.

I finished the Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood today. It made me cry. More than I expected. But it was really good. Now, I should probably plan to see the movie, so I can compare notes. (No, I didn't actually take notes...)

I need to figure out what to make for the One Skein finished project to send to my secret pal. Any ideas? The few crochet projects in the book don't really excite me all that much. I am thinking of doing the felted clutch in crochet, but will have to figure out how to modify the pattern... Any thoughts or ideas?