Monster Hospital

I had a very weird experience or two last night.

Yesterday morning I wasn’t feeling well, but I had to take the kids to school and then I had to babysit the tree guys who were taking out our 3 Elms in the back. They were approximately 50 years old and dying, but it was still sad to see them taken out.

So later in the day I was looking forward to going to my knitting group, but I started to feel bad again. I looked up online the symptoms of a female heart attack and of course I had them – chest pains, back pains, nausea. I was going to drive to the urgent care of my doctor’s office, but that is 20 min away, and the hospital is 10-15 minutes away and I didn’t feel well enough to drive all the way to Palo Alto.

Of course it ended up being a busy night at the ER for some reason. I brought a book from the library, Jay Leno’s “Leading with my Chin” and by the time (actually, before that time) I had *finished* the 260- page book! (I had another in the car – too bad I had forgotten to bring that too!) So I’m up to 3 books read this year. And many, many infomercials at the ER, plus “The Hills” which really made me want to die.

While I was sitting in the lobby for 1 1/2 hours I started to feel better, of course. But then I had started and I didn’t really remember I have blood clotting issues so it was a good thing to stay, but I was not happy to be at the ER until 2:30 am! (I’m getting off track here.)

Anyway, I finished my entire book, then luckily I had some knitting I brought along. I am very close to the end of Safire but it is hard to knit with a blood pressure cuff and that oxygen thing on your finger! I didn’t end up finishing it last night, but now I’m done with the sleeves.

At some point after midnight, they decided to give me a CT scan. I haven’t had that before, but it wasn’t too bad.

Here’s the funny part. I’ve had some interesting experiences with what I would consider celebrity look-alikes. When I got my driver’s license years ago the guy who gave me driving test reminded me totally of Louis Gossett, Jr. (“An Officer and a Gentleman”). Especially when I failed the parallel parking and he said, in a Jamaican accent “you have knocked over my flag” (or would have hit a car if there was a car there).

Then when I got my wisdom teeth out I swear the endodontist was the spitting image of Andrew “Dice” Clay. You try to keep it together when you’re on laughing gas and Andrew “Dice” Clay is breaking your teeth. It’s an experience, definitely.

Which brings me to last night. The technician who did my CT really reminded me of Phillip Seymour Hoffman! It’s really funny to be in a big machine and be getting directions (“breathe”, “hold your breath”) from Phillip Seymour Hoffman! (Maybe I was a bit woozy from being up all night, I don’t know.)

All in all, they diagnosed me with chest pains of a non-specific something or other. Basically, they couldn’t tell what was wrong with me, but at least I felt okay, and they ruled out a heart attack and blood clot. And I finished a book!

“I read a book! 150 pages! (What was it about?) No idea. It took me 3 years” — Jim Gaffigan

You Look Mahvelous

Well, here it is, January 4th, and I’ve already read my first book of the year! Only 66 more to go to read the same as last year.

1. Absoutely Mahvelous – Billy Crystal

ETA more:

2. If you Lie About Your Age, The Terrorists Win – Carol Leifer
3. Leading with my Chin – Jay Leno
4. My Life as a 10 Year Old Boy – Nancy Cartwright
5. Punk Rock Dad – Jim Lindeberg
6. My First Five Husbands – Rue McClanahan

Let’s Start the New Year Right

I was inspired by Jody/Savannachik’s New Year’s post to post my own goals for the New Year.

1. Keep paring my stash down in 2010. I have somewhere around 710 balls of yarn (I’m not convinced I have it all on Ravelry, but it’s pretty close), and by knitting 12+ sweaters last year I did make quite a dent, but over 700 balls is WAY too much. I do hope to move sometime in my lifetime and do not want to carry 700+ balls of yarn with me!

2. Keep reading somewhere near as much as I did in 2009. I really got back into reading lately and want to stay involved. Trust me, I’m still watching WAY too much television, but I like to throw a book in there every so often.

3. Continue in my weight loss efforts. I joined Jenny Craig in November, and was at a way higher weight then I thought, so at that point I needed to lose 44 lbs. So far I’ve lost approximately 7 lbs. It’s not amazing, but I’m glad I at least started. I need to lose 37 more, and if I lose 3 lbs. a month, it’ll take me a year. I paid for a year, so that works for me. I hope I can keep it going.

4. Get some sort of job/volunteer opportunity. I’ve been working on this project for 3 years. Now I’m definitely at the end of my patience for job hunting. I can’t move locations, and have some schedule issues, but there’s got to be something.

What about you? I hope everyone has a great 2010 and accomplishes all you set your mind to!

New Year’s Day

Okay, kids, it’s that time again. Time to document everything I completed this year! I’m sorry to say I don’t have photos of everything, but I’ll do what I can.

First of all, believe it or not, I actually read 67 books this year! I far surpassed the library reading challenge that spurred me on and still have a pile of books from the library to work through. I read:

1. X Saves the World – Jeff Gordinier
2. I Killed – compiled by Ritch Shydner and Mark Schiff
3. Dead Until Dark – Charlaine Harris
4. Living Dead in Dallas – Charlaine Harris
5. Club Dead – Charlaine Harris
6. Dead to the World – Charlaine Harris
7. Dead as a Doornail – Charlaine Harris
8. Definitely Dead – Charlaine Harris
9. All Together Dead – Charlaine Harris
10. From Dead to Worse – Charlaine Harris
11. The Worlds 20 Worst Crimes – Kate Kray (should be titled “The World’s Worst Edited Book”!)
12. Lizard Music – D. Manus Pinkwater
13. 10 Strategies for Reentering the Workforce – Mary E. Ghilani
14. Dinosaur Bones – Bob Barner
15. No More Pumpkins! – Peter Catalanotto and Pamela Schembri
16. Wanted! One Good Mouser – Paulo Campos
17. Twilight – Stephenie Meyer (I’ve decided that ALL the humans in this series are annoying on my 2nd read of this book. Charlie being the best of them.)
18. The Education of Robert Nifkin – Daniel Pinkwater (very nice story. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Not too long, not too short.)
19. Extreme Animals – Nicola Davies
20. Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
21. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest – Ken Kesey
22. A Family Called Bronte – Paula Guzzetti
23. Sucker Bet – Erin McCarthy (I really enjoyed this one. I’d rather read a series about Gwenna and Nate solving crimes than more Sookie Stackhouse books.)
24. Body Movers 3: Three Men and a Body – Stephanie Bond
25. The Field Guide to North American Hauntings – W. Haden Blackman
26. Dead and Gone – Charlaine Harris
27. 20 Years of Alternative Music – Spin Magazine
28. The Dilbert Principle – Scott Adams
29. Comic Relief – ed. Todd Gold (pretty funny – a collection of comedy from the Comic Relief specials)
30. I Have Chosen to Stay and Fight – Margaret Cho (Why did I like her again?)
31: Body Movers – Stephanie Bond
32: Body Movers: 2 for the price of 1 – Stephanie Bond
33. Body Movers 4 – Stephanie Bond
34. High Stakes – Erin McCarthy
35. Bit the Jackpot – Erin McCarthy
36. Notes from a Small Island – Bill Bryson (I liked Walking in the Woods better.)
37. 5 Bodies to Die For – Stephanie Bond
38. 6 Killer Bodies – Stephanie Bond (good ending of the story arc so far)
39. Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs – Molly Harper (uninteresting – I couldn’t even finish it)
40. Carrie – Stephen King
41. I Only Have Fangs For You – Kathy Love
42. My Sister is a Werewolf – Kathy Love (2/4 of these books done – they’re racy, but good. Lots of “soul mate” talk.)
43. Jane Austen Book Club – Karen Joy Fowler (I liked the movie too.)
44. The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath
45. Fangs but no Fangs – Kathy Love
46. Party Crashers – Stephanie Bond
47. Fangs for the Memories – Kathy Love
48. Friday Night Knitting Club
49. Bled Dry – Erin McCarthy
50. Any Way You Want It – Kathy Love
51. I Want You to Want Me – Kathy Love
52. Losing It – Valerie Bertinelli
53. Traci Lords: Underneath it all – Traci Lords
54. You’ll Never Nanny in this Town Again – Suzanne Hansen
55. My Life in High Heels – Loni Anderson
56. Does Anybody Have a Problem with That? – Bill Maher
57. How to Lose your Ass and Regain your Life – Kirstie Alley (horrible!!!)
58. Here’s the Story – Maureen McCormick
59. Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse – Phyllis Diller
60. Stori Telling – Tori Spelling
61. I Feel Bad About my Neck – Nora Ephron
62. What Would Susie Say? – Susie Essman
63. Too Fat to Fish – Artie Lange
64. Prairie Tale – Melissa Gilbert
65. Bouncing Back – Joan Rivers
66a. (1/2) Finding It – Valerie Bertielli (really, really boring.)
66b. (1/2) Yes, You’re Pregnant, but What About Me? – Kevin Nealon (also boring)
67. Speedbumps – Teri Garr

I don’t know that I’ll be able to top that next year, but we’ll see.

This year I also turned 40, lost 3 “friends” (and the others that those 3 associate with), and met 4 new people that are far superior! I also reconnected with many old friends on Facebook, which has been so fun!

Knitting wise, I was very busy this year. I completed:

12 sweaters (I still hold out hope that I’ll finish Safire tonight …. and I started and frogged so many more this year):

1. Mr. Greenjeans, February 2009
2. Juliet, April 2009
3. Lollipop, June 2009
4. Malabrigo sweater, June 2009
5. Volare Bolero, July 2009
6. Rolled Collar Shrug, July 2009
7. Extra Easy, Extra Fabulous sweater, August 2009

8. Baccarat Player, August 2009

9. Fake Fair Isle sweater, September 2009

10. Diva, September 2009

11. Pink asymmetrical raglan, November, 2009

12. Mr. Greenjeans #2, December, 2009

4 scarves for a homeless donation drive

1 beret from the Crazy Aunt Purl pattern

a grey wrap that I made on my knitting machine

6 other miscellaneous scarves

a Clapotis by Machine for my friend Cathy’s birthday

a felted bag that was supposed to be a kid’s birthday present

a pair of socks for my friend ARM – he was very happy!

6 market bags

and last but not least:

4 scarves for the Red Scarf Project

Phew! I really can’t believe I did all that in one year! I guess being unemployed really gives you a lot of knitting time!

Currently I’m working on my Safire, a small rug for my living room, and I hope to in the next 2 mos. start and finish a baby blanket for my friend Sarah who made me the most amazing baby sweater for my youngest. I can’t compete to her knitting skills, so I’m going with fancy crochet, and am hoping to complete the Little Star Afghan that has been in my Ravelry queue for 2.5 years!

Happy, Happy New Year! Thanks for sharing it with me!

UHF

“For those of you who like to wait until the last minute … this is it, the last minute!” – Michael Richards in UHF.

I did it! Last night I wove in all the ends on my 12th sweater of the year, just barely still in 2009! I finished a second Mr. Greenjeans, in Knit Picks Shamrock yarn. I ran out of yarn awhile back and of course that colorway was on back order at Knit Picks so I decided to just finish the cables and edging in a black yarn. It didn’t turn out great, but it’s done!

I am pretty much done with sweaters, especially since I’ve only worn 2 of them, but I have so much yarn left that I will probably make a few this year.

Happy New Year, a bit early!

Happy Holidays!

I’m not sure how much more I’ll be blogging, frankly. My camera works, but now the computer doesn’t recognize it, and I don’t have the money to get a new one. And I feel like I learned years ago that you need pictures to blog.

I am on Twitter and Facebook, though, often, and since they don’t require pictures I’ll be on there more as well. I have the Twitter feed set up here, but it won’t recognize through Bloglines as a “new post” so you’d just have to check back often!

I have been knitting, though. I think I am going to fail my 12 sweater goal this year. I have 11 done and 2 in the works, but I’ve gotten some competing projects taking time away from finishing one of them, and believe it or not I actually created a *mobius* on the sleeve of my most recent sweater so I had almost finished, then I had to rip it back to where you separate for the sleeves. That was heartwrenching.

I’ll probably be back on New Year’s (Eve?) to post all that I knitted this year. It’s a huge list – I don’t know how I finished so much! I also started quite a few things, and have frogged most of them. But look forward to that.

In the meantime, have a Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy New Year and hope you had a nice Hanukkah!

Anticipation

Happy Thanksgiving! I’m just waiting until it’s time to take the looooong trek up the hill (~2 miles) to my MIL’s house!

Today I’m thankful for inspiration!

In late August I started a sweater in an attempt to finish NaKniSweMoDo (this is sweater #11!) and to destash. I started with a mystery yarn that I will swear to my grave was labeled Cascade 220, but it is definitely cotton. Anywho, I got as far as I could before I ran out of yarn, and decided to finish up with black cotton yarn that I have in abundance. I worked on it slowly and was really daunted by the ribbed sleeves.

Then on Tuesday I got together with Jocelyn and Marina, and decided to just finish the sleeves. I don’t know what possessed me to try it on, but I did, and I decided I hated the sleeve I was working on. I decided to rip it back and just make short sleeves. At that point I had one done, and the second was only 18 more rows and I was done with it later on Tuesday. I was SO happy to be done!

Later on Tuesday I was sewing in the last of the ends and telling Beth and Elizabeth that I was done – when I realized that I *wasn’t done*!!! I had totally forgotten that I had planned on creating a ribbed edging so there wasn’t an edge to the stockinette. Damn! I so didn’t want to do any more knitting on that project!

Wednesday morning I decided to go to Jo-Ann to buy some clasps or frog closures, and I had a brainstorm – *zippers*! So, after watching Glee last night I had a finished sweater! I’m so excited, and accomplished to be almost done with NaKniSweMoDo!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Two out of Three Ain’t Bad

Well, it took me 4, 6 iterations, but I finally got my bag a manageable size! I “completed” my most recent market bag twice – handle and everything, and then realize it was WAY too big! Well, this week, I finally finished two different ones, at acceptable sizes. Okay, my oldest was giving me a complex about how big the red one was, but I’m DONE!

From this:

to this:

and finally completed:

Well, I need to weave in ends, but the rest is done. I don’t know if they’ll be for Christmas or Mother’s Day gifts, but I’m leaning towards a birthday gift for my aunt in a couple of weeks.

Speaking of resolution, look what happened last night:

One was still wide awake, I’ll take 2 out of 3!

Go Shopping

Well, I’ve definitely been busy in the last 2 weeks. I’ve noticed that NaNeBloMo… something has started – blog once a day for 30 days, I think. Well, I used to do that. In the beginning, back in 2004, I used to write something every day. But then since then I noticed that the bloggers that people read don’t just write – they have photos. Every day! So that was the end of that.

Thank God for Twitter, which I put on the sidebar here, and Facebook, so I can use my one-liners and keep up with blogging when I have photos to share.

Well, I sort of do. I’ve actually completed 6, I think, market bags, and put aside one sweater project, deciding there is very little chance I’ll get from 10 sweaters to 12 for NaKniSweMoDo this year. Oh well. I started the previous “sweater a month” KAL and got nowhere near 10 then, so I’m happy in this case. And I do also have a distinct lack of WIPs. Just a few more hanging around, that I hope to deal with after I finish my market bag project. I hope to finish 22 for Christmas, or by Mother’s Day at least.

I already showed you my second market bag that I made for my friend Laura. Well, I finally found a picture of the first one:

and my most recent *failure* – I knitted up a giant squid! It ended up being 3 feet long, I think! So I’ve ripped it back and am re-knitting it smaller. But here it is in it’s natural habitat:

I hope to have more bags to show you soon!

Candydiosis

Besides BR here aging another year and celebrating our 10th anniversary at the House of Prime Rib, I was busy this weekend!

First, I was motivated by Ree’s chocolate truffle recipe and made my own Peet’s Coffee Truffles:

And my friend Laura and her “partner” are celebrating their 20th anniversary this weekend, so I decided to make them some market bags. I’ve completed 2 so far, and am finishing up a third. Unfortunately I only have one photo:

I wasn’t too fond of this pattern (the bottom really leaves a lot to be desired) and I ran out of yarn, so I had to make the handle in a different yarn, but I’m down 2.5 skeins of my over 750 balls of yarn! (Poor Kimberly told me she has 1500 balls! I can’t believe it – I’m drowning in 750!)

And finally on Sunday morning I took the kids to the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival. I think this is the current largest pumpkin of the year: