Wednesday, April 30, 2008

How to Survive A Riot

Today when I opened IE to my Google homepage I saw " gas hits...Record High" and right under it in the how to section: "how to survive a riot". Coincidence? maybe, but at 3.60 a gallon not for long. I may be the only one rioting but, Sweet jesus on a surfboard man! It's not like I go out to eat, buy new clothes or jewelry. I can barley afford the pick five for $20 meat special at the butcher. If we didn't have PG's job supported retirement thingy we'd not have anything by the time we're his parents age. What happened to 1.30 per gallon milk being"too high" and bread at 60c a loaf? I am sick of this war, sick of this recession that"isn't a recession", and I'm sick and damn tired of relying on oil for everything. I'm not just blaming Bush Either. We've ben kissing ass in the mid east for decades Knowing our sustenance relies on their oily whims. WHen we finally as a country get a clue, it's still going to take years and $$$ to make any sort of renewable alternative work and to get the oil giants here in the states to allow it to be mass distributed. Not to mention the $$$ and time for it to trickel down to the lower classes being able to afford a new car that runs on the stuff. It's not like I am looking for a way to get a Porsche, and Gucci shoes for a pittance, I just want to be able to buy my kid a freaking pack of undies without having to eat beans and rice for three nights to afford them.
Some people may question why I have internet if I am broke? Well it came with my phone package TYVM, and It's really the only way to talk to my mum and brother when a phonecall to austrialia costs about $20 for an hour. All my family is long distance, so I can send picturesvia the internet without having to pay more for gas, and $$ to go to the shop and get them developed. then $30 more to ship them overseas only to be LOST on the cargo ship for 2 months again. I'm trying to get a garden going to offset some of the grocery costs, but when It costs so much to get the supplies some days I just want to scream. Ecspecially when half of what I plant dies before fruition.
I'm tired people. tired. And it's only getting worse.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Oopses

Have you ever done something that you know you probably shouldn't have, but done it anyway? I'm sure you have. I planted an avacodo seed. I hav a baby avocado tree. It was near my front porch because it looked really pretty in my small flower patch. I hypothetically asked hubby just how big the get? He said "big enough probably I wouldn't want one in the yard. I got paraniod that these massive avacodoes would come pounding down on the house to elimitate anyone else buying the place after I get sick of it. I transplanted it near the big garden (closer to my neighbours yard:D) In a small planter. I think though that I should get a big planter for it instead so I can move it at lesuire when it gets really big.
Also in the realm of things I shouldn't have but did any ways I moved my 30 inch tv( not flatscreen), have been doing squats to combat cornish hens on bamboo skewer bathing suit issues and the final clencher carrying a 70 pound young'n through the house all in three days and pulled something in my ass. Then to make matters worse I had to go grocery shopping unles I sent PG who would end up buying nothing but doritoes and chicken noodle soup. Ah yes the pain. And with the new meds he's on he was like sleeping in the same bed with a giant sweaty legion of octopi.At one point I was sorely tempted to sleep out on the porch with the salamanders.
Why did I move the Tv to set of this chain of pain? I went shopping:



You can't see it well under all the stuff, but I got a new tv centre, Which is FAR better then the crap we had up since 6 years ago when we moved in AKA: two plastic shelves and a tv caddy. eww. those shelves were bowing BADLY. And yes, In case you're wondering, that big red row under the TV is the intire Friday The 13th seires.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Passion

It comes in many forms, subtle ones like a good latte, and more obsessive ones like the passion my father had for my mother.
He loved her alot, I know it because I heard it spoken much when I was little. He wrote it alot as well in the letter he sent her every time she ran away from him and the beatings. And allways with those letter I knew she would go back to him, Her passion for him burning just as strongly.We never stayed in One place for more than two years when I was with my parents. After leaving the Army my father could never stay in one job for long, and that often led to the biggest fights. Often they started over him going to a bar, of Not coming home all night. We used to wait up for him to come in. Piss drunk and stumbling up the stoop we'd stand at the door reall quiett and hold the locks so even if he got the right key INTO the lock it never opened. I thought it was a game.
Sometimes He would bring home flowers, those lily ones that look like ears of corn. They were their wedding flowers, and I thought it was romantic. It truly was a bribe against the brusies and such that had sent her to sleep in my bed the nights before. Sometimes when it was really bad, we'd leave him. Only to go back after one of those letters.
I never noticed most of the bad things that happened to my mother over the years, But I wish I had. Maybe it would have helped me understand her better. I wish I knew the father who came before the one I remember, maybe it would help me understand why she kept going back to him. Passion can be good, or bad. Perhaps that's where it crosses the line to adddiction, or obsession.
My mother was an addict, and my father was obsessed. ANd I forgive them. But I should never forget. Life is a process like a pattern on a pair of needles. An error can be a mistake that ruins a work, or turned into an integral part of a new, great work. I Am trying, to keep it as integral, and not let my past botch my life. I have moments like now when I want to reflect, to try and learn from things I used to not understand. Or maybe just to talk it through and let it go. Sometimes I write these things and I delete them instead. Perhaps I should do that with this one too. but for now, I'll leave it up.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Finally

I have finished the bikini form hell, and the poncho. the poncho tends to want to be square instead of diamond shaped, but It is perfectly long. I had to seam in some linen to the inside of the bikini so I don't flash the other beachgoers, but that is OK. I'm now onto a pair of socks for kiddo. I hope they wear well, they're wool, but I'm doing them on 2.5 mm so yeah the yarn is teensy, which worries me because Girly is VERY hard on a pair of socks. The cotton ones seem to be holding up to her wear alright. Every day they look like they've melted but I hand wash them and they pop right back. I am leery of using my new Good sock yarn on her though. They say it can withstand Hiking boots, but I wonder if they tested it on an ADD child with a cup of sugar in them. THEN I would not be so scared to use it.
Physics Guy is seeing his doctor today about his back. His meds aren't working as well as they should. We've been discussing the possibility of medical retirement since it's pretty bad and can only get worse. There are Guys at work with LESS severe injuries who are already getting out on it so it's not really IS he that bad off, but IS he ready to admit it.Which is very difficult for him to do. He's a very proud Guy, and he's one of those who Needs to work and be busy to be happy. Plus the idea of milling about the house and being given menial tasks by me doesn't sound like much fun :D And we wait, I don't know what his Doc will say, and that is the most difficult thing for me. Not knowing eats at me. I am somewhat of a control freak and I NEED to know what, where and how. I can't plan for what I don't know, and that really stresses me out. I hope that in the next 10 years the great minds can think of some way to fix him, but honestly it's a tossup. All the plans we made to see the shores of Ireland, and the midwestern town where I'm from, the beauty of the mountains, and the lights of New York, may well never come to light. But I can't give up the hope that it might happen, who knows. keep dreaming, and maybe one day it will be possible.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

5 days



Wow I can't belive I haven't blogged in FIVE days! O course this coincides with PG being home with his back. I have gotten alot of knitting done though. I made a pair of short socks for Girly with strict orders of NO heels and NO toe seam. They look like something my Mum would use for her prosthetic leg. Only with fancy boucle cuffs. She loves them though. I bought some more cotton to dye for A few projects, mostly more socks for her and possibly a tank for me. I'm almost through with the bikini from hell. I have 10 rounds left on the leg. and then I may not like the length and add a few more. AND I am a 60 R by 80 sts. away from my poncho. I am considering casting on for the WISP shawl I saw on Knitty.com after that with some nice alpaca/mohair stuff in my Auntie stash. Or I may finish the Aran by the sea socks I discarded for the summer project list. I am just FILLED with possibilities at this point.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

cuddly cuties

My doggo Loves kitties. Last night Puss was moving the kittens to a new area, And was COMPLETELY freaking out. She moved them into the living room with us and snuggled them up on the couch. But she was Still Panting loudly, and terribly nervous. Champ decided this was the best way to calm her down... It did. He crashed out too for a little while of inhaling kitten smell.
We moved them into our bathroom after we went to bed. PG was worried they might fall off the couch or into the crack and suffocate. She likes it back there and it's closer to the Cat potty.
We've been taking them all out into the living room today to help Puss keep from panicking again. She doesn't like being alone.
She also helped me finish half my poncho

Monday, April 14, 2008

Zombies

How to know when you've had too much wine the night before: you dream Christian Zombies are after you trying to pray you into one of them. No joke. Think: Night of the Living Dead and Benny Hinn had a baby. That would be my dream last night. That was one of the oddest scary dreams I've ever had. I've had some odd ones, and I've had some scarry ones. But this was a supercombo of nightmarishness.
yeesh. That's what I get for talking politics, religion and old movies with Physics guy, over cabernet, before bed. I know have a sudden craving to watch Bruce Campbell movies. That chainsaw arm was pretty handy. Tee hee. Handy. Sorry.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

From the beach


The beach was lovely, we got there about 730 Am. It was still a bit too cool for swimming in the ocean part, but there was a nice stream before a sandbar, before the tide that had reasonably warm water. I had the brilliant Idea to park my stuff on the sandbar sandwiched in between said current and the ocean proper...It was lovely until about 1030 when the tide started coming in and almost swept everything away. Fortunately my stash and camera were in my waterproof bag. I'm sure the other early beach goers got a kick out of seeing a screeching banshee woman scrambling for her three bags and blanket" My yarn ! my yarn!" Girly didn't get swept under This time, which was a bonus. Though she did venture a bit father than I'd like down the shore and I momentarily lost her. I bought her some goggles and she was scuba-ing in the current And so I couldn't see her. Plus there were NO bathrooms. At 745 no one is open. Fortunately where we stopped there was an FD(Fire dept.) And there's not a fireman I know who would turn away a little kid. So thank you to the Probie who let us in. WE also went to the beach shop around 11oo when It opened. I took a picture of the owner,Isn't she pretty!
but I chickened out on asking her to do a knitting picture. I'm not quite as ballsy as SmcP But I did take a picture of my seaside sock with a seagull who was rather fond of my boiled eggs.
The object of getting there so early was A: to get there before all the good spots were taken. However all the "good spots were further down the shore...near the bathrooms. And B: getting some good seashells before the tide swept them out. Which failed as there were NOT any to be had. So we got alot of abalone and some broken pieces for a wind chime, and whatever abstract project GIrly had in mind when she got these Which were carefully picked with schoolmaster like scrutiny.
And we saw the beautiful car of my dreams As we were leaving: the Saturn Sky. I am so jealous of Bossy. Getting to ride around in one of these for her road trip. It gets the BEST gas mileage for a sports car. I've also heard rumours there is a hybrid model. That would be a GREAT Mothers day present.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Just Beachy

It must be a beach week. Carolyn went to Jekell And I'm taking Girly to the Fernidina beach tomorrow. It's soo nice out down here it is hard to not want to be near the water. I don't know for sure if we're going to be IN the water or not as Carolyn says it's terribly cold still. Maybe just toes. Plus I kinda have a fear of Girly and water. Mainly because she has a tendency to try to down in the current. At 6 months old I took her out in her floaty baby trolley off the shores of Jekell's main beach. the waves were tame, the water was warm. all of a sudden out of nowhere a gaint of a wave swooshed over Girly knocking her into the undertow. She thought it was a riot. I very nearly passed out screaming from panic. PG just calmly dove down, grabbed a leg and yanked her up. Repaet this 4 years later with arm floaties(we didn't go back to the beach before then, we stayed in nice safe pools with clear water) that the wave from hades swept OFF her arms. When they say NOT a life saving device they really mean it. I am seriously contemplating In Icord saftey cord for my leg to her kinda surf board style to prevent this from happening this year. I myself did not learn to swim until I was 10 years old. There's no real need for swimming in the midwestern Ghetto. I mean really WHO drowns in a sprinkler? Anything bigger than and often times even the kiddie pools were stolen so no one I knew had a big pool. the time I did spend in the south was filled with floaties in 4 ft maximum pools and sticking to the tideline. So yeah I have no real lifesaving capabilities when it comes to water, unless of course you become a floater. I do have AED and CPR training. It's nice to have family in EMS servicies to teach you handy stuff like that.
I have the beach bag prepared already so we can just get up and go. I included extra camera batteries so I can get some good pictures. Adn mapQuest so I don't get lost like last time and wind up in a shipyard. Though the locals are Royally nice about giving the wayward traveler directions. Just don't look at them in your rear view, they WILL be laughing at you. My favortie spot on the beach it right by an Italian restaruant. They have live music playing and the widows are open so if you sit in the right area you get A nice serenade, and Oh the lovely smells of basil and garlic coming off the kitchen. It's a great beachgoing experince. So look for pictures some time tomorrow. If I'm feeling adveturous I may wonder around to find old cottages and things. I will be bringing my sock Ala Harlot so expect sock traveling pictures as well.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Skinny Bitch

Just who, I would like to know, has a 20 inch waist?! Maybe it was the yarn, maybe it wasn't, seeing as they used a cotton yarn themselves. My Gosh, I had to frog the whole bikini bottom. The. Whole. Thing. I got to the part where the leg attaches to the OTHER leg, and thought' I should hold this up to me and see how well it will fit.' Even with the add on of the drawstring waist, it MAY fit Girly. I was a bit worried when I saw the teen sporting it in the pattern, but I'm not a really big person myself. But even with my daily jog there's no way my 34 inch butt is going to fit in this thing. And there is no way I am dieting to get into it. I like my "lady lumps" I work hard to keep my butt in a nice moderate size. 20 inches went out the window about the time Girly came out that window down below. Not to mention the fact that everytime I have been on a dieted regemine before I lost ALOT of boobage, and I DONT have much to spare. Now I have to make a whole new one from scratch. I think I'll do it in the round to make it a bit easier. Crud

UFO's

For some reason I cannot seem to get finished with my bikini bottom. Mainly because I cannot wrap my mind around how the pattern is supposed to make this tiny scrap fit over my rather round ass. Am about halfway through it, and that is: to the part where I am supposed to connect(i think) the legs/bum together and round them I want to add a few rows to be sure it fits. Then again I don't want it to be too large and make my ass look bigger and lumpier. Also the poncho I am making to go over said bikini is giving me trouble. Since I am making it from scratch I kinda forgot where I was going with it and fubar'd the half I already made, BUT I can't just unseam it because once i figured out that was all I'd have to do I also realized it is too short. It would be OK for a regular poncho @ 60 sts on 8mm, but I want it knee length so I can just wear IT over the suit and be appropriate if I see a Starbucks near-by. I just cannot do the teen girl walking in in flops and a teensy biki thing I see around here during the summer months. I mean REALLY who goes grocery shopping in a bikini top and daisy dukes?! IMO that's kinda skanktified. 'specially when one has a kiddo with them. I digress

I re-started the poncho on 9mm with (x4)80 st x 80R squares which hopefully will be enough. By gauge it should anyway. and then I'm BO about 10 sts at the top left (x2) and right(x2). Once I run out of skein yarn I'll frogg the failed one. because I really don;t want to deal with ripping and winding while amidst the projects and house stuff if at all possible.
I also got some more potting mix for topsoil to bribe some lettuce and tomato seeds with. I potted the tomato seeds, and the romaine I just put in the garden along the border of the collards I have already planted for the Guinea pigs. No one(human) in my house likes collards but me , and I only like them in my salad. We do however like lettuce. The caladium are sprouting root buds, so I haven't killed them yet. Basil, Oh my gosh, the basil on my porch. I have PLENTY of basil And something else in another pot, but I can't remember if it's the lavendar or chamomile, as I planted them both in it. I did the lavendar in early march, but when It didn't sprout I added some cham, because it ALLWAYS grows good for me. I usually can get at the minimum enough for a few pots of tea before the summer dries it all up.
other than that, the only news is Me trying to talk PG and Girly out of keeping a kitten. They want the cali, I want them ALL gone. Frankly I've had cats all my life, I am pretty much catted out. The thrill of the litter box has gone, along with the hope of ever taking a shower without the cat also wanting to take a stinky Poo at the same time. Oh and the small fact that I am allergic... But yes I suck it up, and take antihistamines...And hack...and do eye drops. PG on the other hand seems to (while I appreciate his thinking I am super mom)believe I can muster the energy to keep up with him, Girly, AND umpteen pets. Because we all know I will inevitably be the keeper of the litter and designated vet driver. No freakin way.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Kitten pictures


Aww aren't they cute. they all seem to have some sort of tortie markings, though Thing One is mostly blue and white, thing two is mainly white wih blue cow spots and a few licks of caramel, number three( name pending, though I rather like Gertrude Mc fuzz, keeping with the Dr. suess theme) is completely undeniably tortie and white.


Momma Puss is doing just fine. Thing two had a bit of a rough time with coming out of the sac and expelling fluid, We ended up having to help out and rub him up a bit. We though we might have to with Gertie too, but Puss finally came around to the job. CHamp is loving the Kittens, Puss surprisingly enjoys everyone being in there with her even him, she lets him lick the kittens, and lay around"guarding her". If I don't go in there she comes looking for me and calling me to come back.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Ladies and gentlemen

we have kittens!!!
Kitten number one was born three minutes ago!Pussikins had him on Physics guy's lap! fortunalty we had the forethought to bring the nesting box in and poke her in it before the little guy popped out. We're thinking one-two more are coming soon. Poor hubby.


Update** kitten two was born about 11:30 and number three at 11:50. lets hope there are no more.... they're so cute.

Friday, April 4, 2008

do wah diddy

When I was little my movie was not Princess bride, or Gone with the wind. No those came much later. My movie, was My Girl. I loved that movie, I cryed every time Thomas died, no matter how many times I saw it. I was the bookworm nerdy girl who loved poetry and was a bit odd. I could relate to Vada, and I loved the linen top with the blue smocking she wore when Shelly taught her to wear makeup. I wanted one so bad. I never got that top....But Now I found one, I'm too old to wear it properly of course, so I got it for Girly. And since she has a hatred of jeans I got her some nice denim blue bike shorts to wear with it. She hasn't seen the movie yet. I don't think she's old enough to handle Thomas' death, she would be much too inconsoleable, trust me, she cries for the crickets the tarantula eats. But she will eventually. But we won't see My girl 2, that was just yuk, nowhere near as good as the first.Soo she's going to be realy cute. I was going to get a linen dress with great embrodery for the summer, but when I tried it on it looked just horrible. the Elastic "waist band" was UNDER the ass part. not CUPPING, not ABOVE where you would THINK a waistline should be. no. Even when I stretched it to see what it would look like if I bought it anyway and disected the elastic out(hey it was a great colour) it just looked crap. Fortunatly I tried them on before I bought it in various sizes just to be sure. I went from small to large, still it looked like I had an underwire bra for my butt. WHO would wear this? A few inches lower would have made a nice mermaid thing, and a few inches Up and It would look, well, Normal. Oh well shorts for now, until I find something better. Oh also I'm making a knitten bikini with boy shorts this week. I'm goimg to embroider some tiny red poppies on it to make sure the nipplage doesn't show through the seams. I hope it is as great as It is in my head. Will show pictures once the results come in. So far I've only got one and a quarter cup(s) done, and the i-cord is kicking my butt.
In random fact news, Champ the dog is gloating over his new treasure he found on our walk. what is this priceless artifact? some kid's apple he left on the sidewalk near the bus stop. Poor little Jimmy won't get snack today:(( Champ isn't so much eating it as licking the peel.Probably enjoying the kid smell/taste. He's kinda obsessed with little kids. He thinks they're all his and he is thiers, and they will be licked. I don't know if he will actually eat it, he's more fond of pears. He carried it home in his mouth "roorooroo"ing at everyone he saw to show it off. Oh yes He is proud of his find.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Mawiage

Often people think that with marriage comes a "happily ever after" filled with snuggles, prosperity and endless joys. These people are usually single.
When you get married, there are the happy dilightful parts. Like someone to warm you on a cold night, to share joys and tears. Watching a scary movie together under a hand knit afghan(had to slip in the knitting)
The Least wanted to think about is the fact that with the happily also comes the miserably ever afters. The key is to work through the miserably and wait patiently for the happily to come around again. the smashed through tube of toothpaste, the Picky etaers, and the stinky disagreements. Sometimes even illness. Some days I can't stand my husband. Any married woman can tell you the same( and the husbands too I'm sure). BUt unless you're married to a really rotten guy there's no reason to let a few irritations ruin an otherwise good thing.Little girls see the happily ever afters in movies and stories every day, and Nievly think that THE GUY will be a perfect agreeable man clone. Not gonna happen. Alot of marragies get messed up over sweating the small stuff. Sure we like to gripe about the stinky socks in the floor, and the mystirious inability to wash a load of laundry, but We all are irritating to some level. I for example like to kick my husband in my sleep, and sometimes forget to wash his pants:D which sucks. But we also like to hang out and watch old movies, and talk about world news and sciency stuff. We order Pizza and have mudfights in the yard. Not allways, but enough to remember them during the crap days when the laundry is loafing on the couch and he's forgotten to put away his dishes and I want to throw a kettle at him for being a pain. marriage is a job, like it or not. Things don't always fit like puzzle peices, sometimes we have to cut off parts and hammer them in to make things fit right. The efforts we put into it make the results much more valuable.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

shoes

Dear Leli Kelli,
How do I put this nicely... You kinda suck. the sugary sweet commercials with the preppy uppper east side kids. You insinuate that my Kid is not cool becasue she does not have your glitter spackeled K.E.D.S. knock offs. And brazenly say the way to be "Cool" Is to have them. Then, when I finally get sick of hearing the sad pleas, and cheesy commercials, I watch for a web addres, or something of the sort. And you have NOTHING. Npt a phone number, email, jack diddly. So in effect adn retort I now will make my own sparkle shoes for my kid. the same way I madew mine when I was small. Good old Elmers glitter glue, And a pair of durable yet cheap K.E.D.S. Maybe someday when you get a ticket on the clue train, and a proper website or retial chian, I may stop in.. Just to see what a better job I did. have a great day sucking. -SG

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

After Party

Bus rides are scary. I have only ridden on/in(?) a school bus one other time. I was about Girly's age. I don't recall much, but I definitely DON"T remember the bumpy spine jarring off the railroad tracks, or almost falling out of the seat (quite a few times) like I did today. Girly didn't budge. Must be an acquired thing. Horton was good. I fell asleep a few times in the middle, but I got the begining, the gist of the middle and the whole end. My sugar was high, my caffeine was low, yes I fell asleep like an old person at the movies. And a note to any future parents: DO NOT buy popcorn unless you are willing to share with an intire class. There is nothing worse than 15 kindergardeners begging for "poppy". Fortunatly I was saved by a more experinced mom who DID buy enough for the whole class and had the forethought to bring individual cups. now if you'll excuse me I need a pot of joe. BADLY

Tuesday Morning

I got my order of yarn in yesterday about 1:30 pm. Isn't it pretty:) I Love the susan bates cable stitch holder too. I like how it's more fish hook shaped than the more bowed in dpn look of the regular ones. It keeps the stitches on better. I'll post more later as I'm off to watch "Horton Hears A Who" with the Kindergarten class. Oi