When did a Decade become so short????

My baby is 10 today. TEN people. As in Double Digits. A whole decade old. How did this happen????

I spent yesterday thinking about it all day. I remembered bringing him home. I remembered the labor and the birth. I remembered everything I did the day I went into labor. I remembered everything that happened throughout the pregnancy. I remembered the 2 miscarriages, the feeling that I would NEVER have a baby of my own, the endometrial biopsy, the hormone replacements, the spotting, the "miscarriage" scare, the borderline placenta previa, the uterine growth deficit (it just stopped growing at 36 weeks), all of it.

And I wouldn't change one bit of it.

I love my son. I love him more than I ever thought I could love anything. I hate how I have to be the disciplinarian. I hate how I lose my patience at times because in my heart of hearts I KNOW that should be a better mom. I hate that he's not a baby anymore. . . . . .

He is my joy, my heart and my life. I can't imagine what I would be if I did not have him in my life.

I've loved every moment, every laugh, every tear, every fear, every hug and every kiss.

I don't deserve to be his mom and I am thankful every day that I was blessed to have him.

Happy Birthday Sweetie.

May you have many, many more decades of joy and laughter.

Thank you for YOU!

Thanks Jennifer

Make your own here

Got slapped hard today

So, I was minding my own business today living my little suburban life not bothering a soul. Then I got SLAPPED down to reality and it stung. HARD. Let me explain.

First, I do not read the newspaper and I do not watch the news. I like to live in ignorant bliss. I lived in New Orleans for 3 years and had a nightly bet with DH on the number of murders in the city for that day (and we NEVER guessed "0"). Then we had a child and I came to the realization that we live in a somewhat sad, sad world. Having to deal with depression at times when things are going OK is hard enough let alone having to read or hear all of the horrors surrounding me daily. I just stopped reading the paper or watching the news. It's easier that way. DH fills me in on all the BIG stuff and I go on my day blissfully ignorant but functioning in my pseudo world.

So, what happened today you might ask? Well, like I said, I was busy being a regular suburban wife cleaning my really too big for a family of three house and then got into my gas guzzling really too big for ANYBODY to drive SUV to run a few errands. I stopped for lunch at a really too expensive for a FREAKIN' individual-sized pizza place and decided to grab a couple of (what I thought were entertainment news or community-based) papers to read while I ate my lunch alone. I happened to pick up a copy of Epoch Times which, it turns out, is a weekly paper on the happenings of the world. Their tag line is 'A fresh look at our changing world'. YIKES.

I thought to myself "this is a newspaper" but curiosity about Canada and China meeting got to me and I read the story. BRAKE FOR REALITY CHECK HERE.

"Organ Harvesting" is apparently going to be a hot topic of discussion when Prime Minister Harper meets with the Chinese. Idiotically, ignorant and naive lil' old me thought that this was about organ donation. UH - NO! Apparently, the Chinese have been rumored, reported to or just plain out right KNOWN to be executing prisoners to take organs for foreigners who pay a pretty penny for said organs. WHAT?!???!!!?!

HOLY CRAP Batman, is this for real??????!!!?!?!?!!!! Apparently so, to quote one of the articles

The recent acknowledgement by China's Deputy Minister of Health, Huang Jiefu, that the country has an organ harvesting "problem" has provoked differing reactions among the international community.

No Shit, really? Reactions? HECK yeah. Dude, they are 'harvesting' organs and not from brain dead patients who had previously declared their wishes or with permission from said brain dead patients' families. Oh no, the Chinese have been (it's almost to horrific to even type) executing prisoners and taking their organs regardless of their wishes for the transplant business that they have started there.

This IS 2006 right? We are not back in barbaric times where a human life means nothing except for what it can bring to you, right? Now, I'm not going to get into my or anyone else's opinion on Capital Punishment and/or Organ Donation. Suffice it to say that I am not one who would be standing outside the penitentiary with a candle in my hand, ok? Please let's not get into these topics in the comments as that is not the intention of this post and I will not be allowing them there.

What this post IS about is the ignorant, idiotic, naive bliss that I have been living in. How could I be so stupid as to allow myself to live my pampered, overly indulgent and yes 'princess' life so unaware of these horrors that are occuring throughout the world. How dare I complain about anything when I don't have to worry about where I'll sleep, if I'll eat, what to wear, or fear any sort of horrific acts on myself/family such as organ harvesting, bombings, police raids/murders/kidnappings, religious persecutions, etc., etc.

OH, yeah, THAT'S why I stopped reading the paper and watching the news. Because the horrors that mankind inflict on each other are way too much for me to bear. I just can't do it. I am weak. I am cowardly. I don't want to know because I can't know because I can't deal with thinking about these things without empathising with those poor souls sentenced to a life filled with all these horrors and more.

I wish I were stronger. I wish I were braver. I wish I were powerful. But I am not.

So, I can't know. I need to be ignorant for my own self-preservation.

To those in the world that are imprisoned by these ghastly acts. . . . .I am so sorry. I really am.

So, THIS is why making me angry is bad! tee hee

You are The Empress

Beauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation.

The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents,
beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home
decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful.

The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

BTW, do I misspell words often? I want to know because when I see words that are misspelled, it bugs me. Now, I don't ever claim to be a perfect speller but, I really don't want to be guilty of misspelling words often. Hmmmmmm, I need to get the wordcheck on blogger to work for me. How do you do it? I click on the "ABC checkmark" but nothing ever happens?????

I am Thankful . . . . .

1. For my DH and wonderful DS! How did I get to be so lucky?
2. For my wonderful puppy, Sunny. And all 5 (yep, they all made it) fish.
3. For being blessed with our new home
4. For DH's new job (he's so happy now)
5. For my family (immediate and in-laws) and all the support they provide us (Gracias Mami por TODO!)
6. For the health of all those that I love
7. For all my friends whom I dearly love, who held me (and HOLD me) together through out this recent change in our lives (you guys all ROCK!)
8. For all my online friends who keep reading this incredibly boring (and lately sporadic) blog of mine. I appreciate each and every one of you.
9. For the blessing of being able to move and still be employed (being a nurse is gratifying in SO many ways)
10. For everything that God has blessed me with, both spiritually and materially. It humbles me when I think of all that I have and how incredibly lucky I am.



HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I haven't done one in a while so here goes

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
Boston
The West
North Central
Philadelphia
The Northeast
The Inland North
The South
What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes

I think that's about right.

The painting is DONE!

I love all the colors. The living room is much nicer than I had anticipated. Let me explain: We picked the colors off the top of our heads during our last visit prior to the move and had no way of comparing to our furniture. Also, we had a bit of a difficult time deciding which way to go with it and went through 3 different color schemes. We finally decided on a navy from the chair rail down with a creamy yellow from the rail up. The baseboards, chair rails and crown moldings throughout the house are with with accent wood in a medium-light wood tone. Kind of golden honey??? So, the white really shows off the colors very well. Anyhow, the living room had valance type draperies that where a large paisley-type flowery print that we thought for SURE would have to go (we aren't flowery paisley people). The fabric was cream with burgundy and blues for the print and the back is a solid burgundy which shows slightly where the drapes folded back. Our furniture is a burgundy and blue large plaid with a cream base. Well, it all went beautifully together. The yellow and navy walls with the burgundy, navy and cream couches and the burgundy, blue and beige drapes. The painting contractor came out to check the work when the painters where done and commented "you would think that you had planned that all together". It really does look very nice and I was extremely pleased with how the room came together.

My kitchen is a wonderfully warm orangey-red color. It's awesome and warm and rich and I love it. LOVE IT! I need to find some Tuscan inspired pieces to give it that 'finished' look. I am thinking of getting this from my Southern Living at home consultant. Isn't it beautiful?



There are a couple of other pieces that they have that are the perfect colors. I'll have to slowly add here and there as I can but if anyone knows of any other places that have pieces in burnt reds, golds, greens, etc. please let me know!

Our masterbath is a soothing brown tone. It's the color of a really dark roast coffee with just a bit of cream in it. . . rich and soothing. All the tile, counter and the tub are in white so the feeling is very serene. Gotta go get some chocolate towels and accent pieces for there as well . . . .

Hummmmm, I guess I should get off this thing and go unpack some more. So much to do.

And I STILL have to call agencies for interviews so that I can begin to take some shifts. Although I am working harder here than I ever do at the hospital.

Or at least it feels like that when I hit the bed at night.

Will take pix and post when: a) I find the camera cord to upload pix and b) some more boxes are out of the way so that you can SEE what things look like.

C ya!

We're finally here

We made it into Cary last night about 10:30 pm. DS went straight into the shower and to bed. DH and I unloaded the truck including the fish. We wanted to set up the tank straight away in the new house but it was so late when we got here and the prior owners were still in until this am. Had we gotten in earlier we would have come over but it was a bit late to expect them to stay up. SO, we set the tank up in DH's corporate apartment and crossed our fingers.

We woke up this morning to 5 healthy and alive fish. Yeah! I'm still hesitant to call it completely OK since we still have to move them once again to the house either tomorrow or Monday.

We just got back from doing the final walk-through at the house with our realtor. Unfortunately, the painters are still there stripping paper and painting. OOPS. So, Monday is going to be extremely busy and hectic. We need to drop off the little guy at his new school. The movers are coming in with all our stuff (WAY too much stuff BTW) AND the painters are still going to be there stripping and painting. It's going to be madness I tell you. Sheer madness.

But this is all good. This is a good move for us, I know it. I am stressed and unsettled with all that there is to do but I feel in my bones that this is going to be good for us. Everyone here seems to be so nice. I know DH has been so much happier here so, hopefully DS and I will feel the same.


I am sad though. I miss my friends and the safety of the "known" back in OH. I still today was driving around thinking to myself, "well, I want to go to that restaurant before I go back to Cleveland" and then I remember, "huh, I am not going back to Cleveland anymore. THIS is home now." It's so weird, y'know?

Speaking of weird, y'know what else is weird? Walking around in 80 degree sunny weather a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving. Really. The high today was 80 degrees with blue, sunny skies. We spent the morning at the State Farmer's Market (how cool is that? It's just a 15 minute drive) and there was a craft fair this weekend. It was so odd to see the crafters selling all sorts of Xmas stuff with it being as hot and sunny as it was. I will definitely have to get used to the difference in the climate although tomorrow it is supposed to be cooler and overcast.

I took some pictures at the market but I can't find the camera cable to upload the pictures. I will post as soon as I can, kay?

Knitting wise I haven't picked anything up today but I plan on working on my pumpkin tonight and tomorrow. We'll see how much I actually get to work on it.

It's HERE!

Chez Knittingnurse is packed up and being loaded onto the moving truck as I type. I have asked (ok, begged) for the computer and TV to be done last (tomorrow am). My blogs/email and Grey's anatomy must continue until the very last possible moment. Hey, a girl's gotta have her priorities. With the move has come a resurgence (word?) in my desire to knit. I think I need the relaxation amongst all this change. So, I have taken up the size 11 socks again as well as the little leaf scarf. I've also started this. I know what you are all thinking "What the F***! Doesn't she have enough WIPs already??" Yes, you are all correct HOWEVER, I WANT to knit the pumpkin. I think it would be nice for my first Thanksgiving at my new house. So there.

Has anyone made it though? Do all the stitches look a bit "odd" pre-felting? I've ripped a good amount of it out and started again and it still looks "odd" at the increases. Will it matter? Is that right?? Let me know if you know, kay?

OK, so back to getting things straight (I have to have everything going in the truck with us ready to be loaded tomorrow). BTW, did I mention that we have to move a fish tank with 5 fish???

Sigh. Thank goodness for the internet. I did all the research yesterday on that. Wish me luck with the fish.

I'm going to miss every single one of them

My friends from my hospital took me out to dinner tonight. There were a total of 19 coworkers there in all. WOW! I was taken aback by the number of people that came to wish me well and good-bye. With each person's arrival, my heart was touched way beyond I can ever express in mere words. Thank you all for all the love, kindness and support that you have shown me throughout my time spent with you. Each of you hold a very special place in my heart that will never be taken by anyone else.

They showered me with gifts that were so absolutely wonderful and extremely generous of them. I'll need to photograph all of them but I got the knitting pattern a day calendar, silver and garnet (?) heart shaped earrings, a beatiful handmade afghan, a precious moments figurine and MORE!!!!! Like I said, I'll have to take pictures of it all. Thank you all so much for everything. Every single gift touched me and it was obvious how much thought and care went into picking each one.

The best though was that they put together a beautiful scrapbook for me. Pictures of all my friends, some absolutely lovely sayings and everyone wrote in beautiful words of friendship and encouragement. You all are such an extremely special group of people and it has been a pleasure and honor to work with each and every one of you.

Here are just a few pictures of the evening:







I am really gonna miss you all.

This feels so much better.

So, I was feeling pretty down after my last post but then Amy sent me a link to

The great thing about this is I truly think that many people live so unaware of how very little human contact they have in their lives. You see, I am a hugger. I hug everybody. Really. I hug my family, I hug my friends, I hug my coworkers, I hug my patients, I hug my patient's families. I hug everybody.

I hug everybody because it feels good. It feels good to hug someone and feel that moment when they relax against you and take it in. It feels good to have someone hug me and feel like "I matter" and this person is acknowledging that.

So, good for this young man. I know that he is 24 years old and from Australia. He was featured on Oprah and on local newscasts in Australia. He has been the inspiration for "Free Hugs" campaigns all over the world (LA, Tel Aviv, South America, Korea, etc.).

How long has it been since you have hugged someone other than your family? Would you take a moment to hug someone you have never hugged before? OK, not comfortable with a stranger, then how about a coworker, a neighbor, a fellow parent from your child's school?

Give out a hug today to someone who may not have expected it. See what happens. You might be surprised.

Once again, WHY?????

I know that I have written about this before but I can't help it, here we go again!

I got a message from a friend about a site that tears people's blogs apart. I am not even going to give them any traffic by disclosing the URL but, trust me, it's out there and it is horrible.

Here is a group of people that sit back and judge, criticize and ridicule others for their blogs and their LIVES. Their LIVES people! This group of individuals relish in pulling bloggers lives apart and mocking them over what they have posted ON THEIR PERSONAL BLOGS.

WHAT's WITH THAT???

I just don't understand how anyone can justify themselves when ridiculing and tearing others apart. They all comment on how sanctimonious and self-serving "these bloggers" are and yet, I ask, and that makes them different how????

Here's the difference: the difference is that anyone that posts on their personal blog about their own life and their life experiences are expressing themselves and are making themselves vulnerable in doing so. They are exercising their right to speak their minds. The BOZOs on this other site are cruel and horrific. They are actively choosing to be uncaring and callous. And mostly are a bunch of cowards since many use pseudonyms or post as "anonymous".


If you don't like someone's blog, what they are writing in their blogs or who they are (judged by what they are writing) then just DON'T READ THE FREAKIN' BLOG!

Let people be for heaven's sake.

It's horrible when I know bloggers who are thinking of or actually HAVE created 'anonymous' blogs because of the viscious commentary and personal attacks that result from their posts on their PERSONAL BLOGS!

What in the world have we all come to when we feel a need to attack someone because we don't agree with their lifestyle, their personal experiences or beliefs?

It is all so horribly sad.

Knitting on the big screen

How cool is this???


Yeah, I can't wait until it comes out.

Happy Halloween!

OK, so I tried to upload this picture on Halloween night but the witches and goulies must have been messing with blogger b/c it wouldn't let me do it. So, here it is now.

Pretty creepy huh? Not too shabby considering that as of 0700 on Halloween morning I had NO COSTUME and no intention of dressing up at all. Then the following conversation ensued:

DS: "So Mom, what are you going to dress up like tonight?"
Me: "I wasn't going to dress up."
DS: "But you ALWAYS dress up to pass out candy." (A true statement)
Me: "But I am not passing out candy this year remember? I'm going trick or treating with you since your Dad is in NC"
DS: "Oh, OK" (said with the saddest voice and look in his eyes EVER!)

So, off he went to the neighbors to go to school and I got in my car and drove to work. Now, the whole trip to work I was seeing his dejected little face and thought to myself "how many more halloweens do I have before dressing up TOTALLY embarrasses him and he acts as if I'm from outer space?"

So, what did I do? What any respectable mother would. I racked my brain on what last minute (and yet 9 year old 'cool') costume I could put together at the last minute.

Result?

ZOMBIE NURSE!

Funny thing was that when I picked him up from school I told him that I had figured out a costume so that I could dress up and that it would be a surprise for him. We went home, had dinner and started getting ready. I got dressed and did the whole she-bang in my bathroom, away from him. When I was done I called him to my room and walked out of the bathroom. His reaction? That nervous little hesistant laugh that kids get when they are scared but are trying to play it off. It was so cute and so sweet at the same time. I said "you know this is all just make-up and fake blood, right?" He said "MOOOOM, I KNOW that. Geez." and walked away.

Yeah, OK honey.


Tee hee.

We are getting close to the home stretch. . .

No pun intended with the title of this post but we are down to just 5 days until the closing! Woo hoo! Then, we will have just 7 days until the house here is packed up and taken away and we all (2 adults, 1 child, 1 dog and 5 fish) climb into the SUV and head on down to our new hometown. Speaking of SUV, have any of you heard this song? OK, deep down inside I KNOW that I should think of getting something other than an SUV however, who else is going to haul all my mulch, plants, appliances, furniture, etc. that we buy???? Do you know how often we haul stuff for other people as well??? I actually USE the SUV as a truck. Truly. (I must say though that I still feel guilty about it whenever I go to the gas pumps). Oh and by the way, I do NOT weigh 90 pounds. (Don't I wish I did though!) >wink<

So, back to my topic. 5 days people! Yeah! Of course, our house here has yet to sell (rats). I'm still prayin' that it will. We are blessed that DHs relocation package allows for our house to be "assumed" by the relo company but we will get a better deal if we sell it ourselves so, that's what we are still trying to do. My new mantra is "the buyer is coming this week", "the buyer is coming this week". Repeat with me as you see fit.

I actually HAVE been knitting (believe it or not). I've done a little on the little leaf scarf, a little on the twinsie socks (twins of my good friend Caroline) and a little on the Dave from Chub Creek size 11 (crapola) socks. I just haven't focused enough on any single project to finish one up. Too much distraction going on.

Speaking of which: y'know how you make choices and changes in your life and often times you wonder "Was that the right thing to do?" Sometimes, well, most of the time, that question is never answered and you just go on with your gut feeling that it was right (or at least with the thought - "hell, it's too late to turn back now") but. . . . . .everyone once in a great while, God, the cosmos, kismut, karma or whatever else you believe in jumps in and let's you know that YES this is the right thing to do. Well, we are having these moments about our relocation.

First, and most important, DH is SOOO much happier with this job. He is finally able to do his job and see the appreciation and get the accolades that he is deserving of. His boss and coworkers are great people and are truly interested in DH as a person and not just a body there to do their bidding. He has quite a bit of responsibility but he is being given his due respect and everyone is truly appreciative of the hard work that he is doing. That was the first true "sign" that we are making the right move.

Next, we found a house that meets pretty much all of our 'wants'. We wanted a certain square footage, number of rooms and layout/look to the home. Check. We wanted a home in a community with a pool. Check. We wanted a flat, fenced in usable back yard. Check. We wanted to be close to the schools. Check. I wanted to be close to the church. Check. So, that was our next sign.

NOW, I had a huge sign from God as well. This past Thursday, my hospital did some restructuring. 42 open positions were frozen and aren't being filled. 37 people were either let go or displaced to other positions in the hospital. Out of 9 hospital based Nurse Educators, they shaved that down to 5. Seniority-wise I would have been out of that group. Had I not been leaving already, I would have probably had to take the severance package and find another job. Whew. Now, it was kind of awkward on Friday b/c I know that had it not been for the fact that I was leaving on 11/7 anyway, I would not have had a job but, MAN was I ever glad that I was leaving. I would have been offered options on some of the open positions but the shifts would not have worked for us and I would have had to take severance and look for other work. I am so blessed to be going to NC right now. And God is making sure that I know it. Isn't it awesome when you DO get the answers to the doubts?

Thanks again for the reassurance God. You always let me know that things will be OK.

Where DOES the time go???

Sigh. More and more it seems like I have no time to do the things that I WANT to be doing right now.

I WANT to knit.

I WANT to plan decorating ideas for the new house.

I WANT to go out to dinner with friends before the move.

I WANT to be able to take a nice long bath.

I WANT to visit the chiropracter.

I WANT to catch up on all my CSI shows (haven't seen all of my Horatio's this season).


Sigh.

DS and I just got back from a longer weekend (Thursday night through Monday - today - morning). Since we have already found our new house, we didn't have to go househunting which left the weekend open for us to enjoy eachother. We did just that.

Friday morning we spent about 1 hour at the new house picking out paint colors and talking to a painting company. We are having them take down wall paper and painting quite a few of the rooms. After we purchased the house here in Ohio we told eachother that we would systematically go through it, taking down wallpaper and repainting it as we went through.

Well, after 5 years here there were still things that we hadn't even started to do when it came time to put this house on the market. . . . So, we decided that perhaps it would be better to just have what we wanted to do completed upfront and then move in.

Much better idea for both getting things done and avoiding "issues" between DH and myself! >wink<

We spent Friday exploring our new hometown and the surrounding areas. School registration for DS was completed and is now official. We had a great lunch at a locally owned cafe and then went to a couple of knit shops. One was a GREAT find. Lots of yarn - some that I had never seen in person in a shop before - spinning wheels (uh oh) and roving/fleece as well! The next shop (which took us about 2 hours to get too between horrible traffic and bad directions) was a BUST. Bleck! Limited yarn, very "cold" atmosphere and not so friendly staff. Needless to say, I won't be going back there anytime soon.

Sadly, the first shop I went to was great for yarns, needles, supplies, etc. . . but didn't have any room for any type of "sit 'n knit" group. Sooooo, I am STILL on the lookout for a local sit 'n knit group in Raleigh (specifically Cary) NC.

Anybody got any good leads? Let me know, kay?

We went to see the UM vs. Duke game on Saturday. We won but let's just say that it wasn't Miami's finest hour and we were EXTREMELY lucky to have won that game. 'nuf said - I'm moving on.

We had a FABULOUS Sweetest Day dinner that night at a new restaurant in Cary (Ah) - new world asian fusion cuisine. YUMMMYY!

Sunday was a lounging around kind of day. We drove around a little bit and checked out the Cary Skate park, dog park and one of it's many metroparks - Bond Park as well as one of the local branches of the Library system. All A++++ facilities.

We ate dinner at Carmen's Cuban Cafe and Lounge once more (we went there on our last visit) and actually met the owner this time. What a great guy! He and I spoke a little bit of spanish and talked about how each of us got to Cary, NC. He was kind enough to send over some of his freshly made chicken soup (awesome) and dessert (pudin de pan - bread pudding - for the boys and arroz con leche - rice pudding - for me). Both of them AMAZING!
If you are ever in the area, besides contacting me for a get together, try them. The food is fabulous and authentic. The atmosphere warm and inviting AND they have a dance club attached to it for the weekend nights. Woo hoo!

I'm looking forward to living in Cary. I am just not happy with all the prep to get there in the meantime, y'know? For example, I got in to Cleveland Hopkins Airport at 12:15 today (flight was delayed), I had to pick Sunny up on the way home and be home by 1:30. Luckily, picking her up was quick and there wasn't much traffic on the way home. This is the rest of my evening:

1:30 pm - Home inspector arrives (for the relocation company)
2:30 pm - Home pest inspector arrives (same reason)
3:50 pm - Home appraiser #2 (#1 came Thursday prior to use having to go to the airport) arrives
4:30 pm - Appliance repairman expected (broken microwave handle - built-in microwave)

At some point tonight I need to go out to get bread, lunchmeat and milk for the week.

Sigh.

Now you all can see why I don't have any spare time these days.

Thankfully we have a date for the move. Tee hee! My last day at work will be on election day, Tuesday, November 7th. Wednesday the 8th and Thursday the 9th the moving company will be here to pack everything up. The truck will be loaded on Friday the 10th. DH arrives late afternoon - early evening on the 10th. We all (DH, DS, the dog, 5 FISH and myself) pile into the Trailblazer for the 8-9 hour drive down (which will probably be longer b/c of the dog - more stops to make) on Saturday the 11th.

Sunday the 12th should (notice I say SHOULD) be a day of rest. Monday the 13th, the movers will be arriving and unloading everything into the house. BTW, Monday the 13th will be DS first day at his new school and DH will be back at work. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, DH will be unavailable all day/evening due to his company's annual employee 'retreat' and meeting (Thankfully it is at least held in Cary). So,

that leaves little ole' ME to unpack and sort out the new house as well as help the little guy with all his new school 'stuff' and homework as well as trying to get some calls in to some Nursing agencies to line up interviews, etc. . .

Whew, I'm tired just typing it out let alone living it. Boy, I can't wait until Thanksgiving. While I certainly have much to be thankful for and will be doing so all day long, I am equally looking forward to that day b/c we SHOULD be somewhat settled in by then. Should be. That would be the operative section of the sentence.

Sigh.

Sorry about the whining. I'm a little tired and stressed. It'll all be better in a few weeks, . . . . .


right??????

My Knitters Teaswap Pal was AMAZING!

So, I participated once again in the Knitters Tea Swap and WOW was I ever the luckiest participant. Just wait until you see what I got!












Ok, so I got carried away with the pictures and now blogger won't let me add anymore. As you can see, I was EXTREMELY spoiled. I had individual shots of everything I got but it was SO MUCH that I overloaded poor blogger. The picture on the bottom shows the whole loot all together. Individual shots missing were of 2 skeins of cottons for dishcloths for my new house (yeah); a box of shortbread (yummy)and the most precious tea cup ornament ever. BTW, can you BELIEVE how beautiful that teacup I got is???? All I kept saying as I opened it was, Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh my God! It truly is the most stunning tea cup I have ever seen and I OWN IT now!!!! I made myself a wonderful cup of Scottish Breakfast tea and just enjoyed every bit of the process: the brewing, the mixing (cream and sugar), the warmth in my hands, the smell of the tea and the tasting. Aaaah. Heaven. Absolutely heaven.

Thank you so much Sharon! You made me feel like a Queen!

Keep your fingers crossed!

So, unless hubby finds something really wrong in the contract or something goes bad on inspection, etc..... this is going to be our new home:



He's reading the contract right now after the buyer came back with a counter that we can live with.



BTW, does anyone know anyone who is looking to buy a house in a GREAT suburb of Cleveland, OH? Just aking.

A comma?

OK, I don't normally get all political and stuff but boy was this right on. I wish Jon would run for some sort of political office.

Anything would be good!

BTW, how many days left until we can finally be rid of "W"?

I am such a bad blogger. . . .

there is just so much going on over here. Let's see if I can even begin to catch you all up. So, last week's Grey's? WOWZA. I love, love, love this show and it gets harder and harder to wait the 7 days until the next episode with each passing week. I have worked on my malabrigo Grey's KAL scarf and it's coming along nicely (sorry no pix this time, maybe next?).

Speaking of Malabrigo, have you all tried this stuff???? OMG! It's like knitting with butter. It is so lusciously soft, I can't even begin to describe it. Truly. You all MUST get your hands on this stuff. And the colorways???? AMAZING!

So, with Malabrigo in mind, I started (yep, I did but this was for a good cause) ANOTHER project. This one has taken top priority and should be a quickie. Unfortunately the reason for this project is so almost unbearably sad. A little girl (10 years old) from DS grade was diagnosed with Cancer (forget the type - I'm blocking it out I think) close to the beginning of the year. She is finally up to coming back to school at times now. It's so hard though. First off, DS was talking about her being at the hospital a few weeks into the school year. Then he said she was STILL there. Finally a couple of weeks ago he came home and said that they had had an assembly for the 4th graders to talk about her coming back and the implications of it all. They were instructed that they would have to be extremely good about washing their hands, using kleenex, avoiding her if they had a cough, etc. b/c her immune system will be weakened by her chemotherapy.

They explained that she would be allowed to wear hats and bandanas b/c her hair might fall out (it's against dress code to wear them inside the building). They talked about having a "Wear a hat for *** day" at school. They talked about her tumor and they had 2 nurses from the pediatric ward of the local children's hospital there to answer questions and show them the infusaport. Now, mind you, remember what I do??? I am a nurse. So, DS is going on about all this and asks why the chemo makes you so sick and weak and affects the immune system. So I say "Well, the chemo is really strong and toxic so that it can kill the cancer as much as possible" to which DS said "***** has CANCER?!?"

It never dawned on me that the full implications of a "tumor" hadn't been processed by my sweet 9, almost 10 year old little boy. Everyone kept talking about her tumor but I guess the word "cancer" had never been used. I had to make it alright for him. It was so hard. I know this girl. She has been a close pal to my son since 2nd grade when he transferred into this school. I sat across a cafeteria table from her last year at the ice cream social while the 2 of them yakked away and were silly and acted the way 8 1/2 year olds should act. She is IN HIS GRADE (not in his class this year but she was in 2nd and 3rd grades).

So, after I got him settled, he started talking about how the school was putting together a tote bag full of stuff for her to keep busy during her treatments or at home if she is not up to coming to school. A letter was sent home encouraging anyone so inclined to donate whatever they thought she might like. . . .

I spoke with the counselor at open house. I asked her what **** fave colors are and asked her if she thought ***'s parents would mind me knitting her a cap. Her fave colors are pink and purple and YES she thought the cap was a grand idea. I also told her that DS and I had discussed me knitting her a cap AND including needles, yarn and instructions for learning how to knit. She loved the idea and thought *** and her parents would appreciate it. SO, I picked out Malabrigo in the Cuarzo colorway which is a purpley pink variegated to a dark purple. It's perfect.

So, I started a new project. A cap. A chemo cap. A chemo cap for a 10 year old little girl. A chemo cap for a 10 year old little girl from my son's school. A chemo cap for a 10 year old little girl from my son's school who I have met. . . . and had ice cream with.

I HAD to start it. How could I not?

Anywhooo, so, where can I find the most concise and easy to follow learn to knit instructions? Anyone?

Lastly, and on a much more upbeat note, I got this book recently and I LOVE IT. The patterns are very neat and 'doable'. The writing is charming and yet informative. It is a great addition to my evergrowing knitting library collection and I suggest you all check it out!

OK, gotta go shower and then work on the cap!

C ya! (with pix next time, kay?)

HOLY CRAP!!!!!

OMG! Can you believe who came out of the bathroom in Addison's hotel room????


AACK!

Just two more days. . . . .

until it begins. Yeah!

Sometimes,

Sometimes, OK many times, when I begin to feel sorry for myself or angry over something that is happening in my little world, God always finds a way to remind me just how truly blessed and lucky I am. Today was one of those days.

I was at work not happy with still being here and everything that needs done, not happy with work because I have lost the 'emotional investment' with the job, stressed over the thought of what the next couple of months means is going to mean to me.

And then I got this email at work:


Strongest Dad in the World
[From Sports Illustrated, By Rick Reilly]

I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay
for their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots. But compared
with Dick Hoyt, I suck.

Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in
marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a
wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and
pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day.

Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back
mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. on a bike.
Makes taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life.

This love story began in Winchester, Mass., 43 years ago, when Rick was
strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged
and unable to control his limbs.

"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;" Dick says doctors told
him and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. "Put him in an
institution."

But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes
followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to
the engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was
anything to help the boy communicate. "No way," Dick says he
was told. "There's nothing going on in his brain."

"Tell him a joke," Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a
lot was going on in his brain.

Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor by
touching a switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally
able to communicate. First words? "Go Bruins!" And after a high school
a classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the school organized
a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, "Dad, I want to do that."

Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described "porker" who never ran
more than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles?
Still, he tried. "Then it was me who was handicapped," Dick says. "I
was sore for two weeks."

That day changed Rick's life. "Dad," he typed, "when we were running,
it felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!"

And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with
giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such
hard-belly shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston
Marathon.

"No way," Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite
a single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For
a few years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway,
then they found a way to get into the race officially: In 1983 they
ran another marathon so fast they made the qualifying time for Boston
the following year.

Then somebody said, "Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?" How's a guy
who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he
was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon?
Still, Dick tried.

Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour
Ironmans in Hawaii. It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old
stud getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy,
don't you think?

Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? "No way," he says.
Dick does it purely for "the awesome feeling" he gets seeing Rick
with a cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston
Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their
best time'? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the
world record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things,
happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a
wheelchair at the time.

"No question about it," Rick types. "My dad is the Father of the
Century."

And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he
had a mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of
his arteries was 95% clogged. "If you hadn't been in such great
shape," one doctor told him, "you probably would've died 15 years
ago."

So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.

Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in
Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in
Holland, Mass., always find ways to be together. They give speeches
around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every
weekend,including this Father's Day.

That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really
wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.

"The thing I'd most like," Rick types, "is that my dad sit in the
chair and I push him once."


Here's the video....(make sure you have the tissues ready). And here's their story.


Now, that puts everything back into perspective doesn't it? So, I am going to go and do some more laundry, some cleaning, some dusting until I have to go get DS from his PSR lesson. Then, I am going to give him the biggest hug ever and kiss him while thanking God for all the grace that He has bestowed upon me.

BTW, I've joined the Grey's KAL. How cool is that? I can not WAIT until Thursday night. I'm knitting an irish moss stitch scarf from Malabrigo in the colorway amorosa. Let me tell you, this is the most amazingly soft wool EVER.

SERIOUSLY.

Oh my, it's a News Flash!

Wait a minute, that's not REALLY a news flash now is it?


Remember to Vote and vote DEMOCRAT in November!

OMG!

Ok, I SOOOOO HATE (yes hate, yes it's strong but believe me NOT STRONG ENOUGH) Bestbuy anymore.

Now, understand me, we bought (notice the past tense?) EVERYTHING we could from Best buy. Washers, dryers, computers, TVs, refrigerators, telephones, CDs, stereo equipment, etc, etc.

I can't even begin to tell you what a horrid night I have had. I literally spent all night dealing with these people. Customer service? ZERO. The customer is NOT right EVER it seems with Best buy.

DO NOT EVER PURCHASE FROM THEM. AGAIN. EVER. REALLY!


I am too angry to get into all the specifics right now. I will blog about it eventually but not now. But I did need to say,

BOYCOTT BEST BUY AT ALL COSTS!

pass this message on please to everyone you know or you will be visited by the "stupid" fairy and have all your patience, money and dignity stripped immediately from you while you stand there completely and utterly helpless. Oh yeah and, by the way, make sure you have a jar of lube ready because you will need it as well.

TRUST me!

I will never forget. . . . . .

how I felt 5 years ago as I stood in a patient's room, mouth agape, staring at the images of horror on the TV. I will never forget the look on Katie Couric or Matt Lauer's faces or the sound of Matt's voice as he reported the second plane hitting the second tower. I will never forget the chill that ran up my spine as I heard and saw the devastation at the Pentagon only minutes later. I will never forget the overwhelming sadness and yet pride upon hearing that Flight 93 had gone down in a field, pride born of an inner sense of "knowing" that those passengers had taken that plane down to prevent any further horror. I will never forget the tears that ran down my face as I heard the words that validated that inner sense of "knowing" and the heartfelt pride albeit hidden behind a shroud of sadness and grief. I will never forget how my heart raced for the entire day as I desperately wanted to be home with my family, all together, intact, whole. I will never forget the pain in my heart upon coming home to my husband and then 4 1/2 year old knowing that so many families would not be whole at the end of that day. I will never forget the anger that I felt for the senselessness of such an immense act of hatred and cruelty. I will never forget the feeling of uselessness and yes, hopelessness, that I felt for the world in which my little one was destined to grow up in. I will never forget the sense of grief over America's loss of innocence, the innocence of feeling "safe" within our borders. I will never forget "Let's Roll". I will never forget all the wives and families and their courage as they spoke and told of their last precious moments with their husbands, wives, sons, daughters and friends, even when those precious moments were just shared by way of a phone call.

I will never forget.

Ever.

Will you?

Can you?

Bad vs Good

BAD I severely sprained my back on Thursday doing CPR in a (failed) attempt to resucitate a patient.
GOOD I had some muscle relaxants that have allowed me to be able to get some rest and sleep.

BAD My back STILL is hurting and I was unable to help DH pack up the boxes in the garage to take to the storage unit today. I also didn't get very far in cleaning up more stuff around the house today.
GOOD DH had scheduled some local movers to move his office furniture out of his old firm office and into the storage unit. While driving back from downtown I called DH and suggested having the movers come out and get the boxes from the garage to take to the storage unit. They were done with them all in about 1 hour (it would have taken us ALLLL day and killed both our backs). Extra cost? $40.

BAD The handyman that is doing some work for our house in preparation of listing it for sale stood us up today and said he would not be back until Tuesday - he's now estimating the work will be done in another 2 weeks instead of next week!
GOOD I didn't cry until AFTER I got off the phone with him. Then I calmed down and I am trying VERY hard to remember that it will be worth it in the end. DH was EXTREMELY sweet and visibly as upset about the delay as I was and kept apologizing for picking this particular guy (I had a so-so feeling about him).

BAD Bestbuy stood us up AGAIN (6th appointment now) for our appointment to fix the freezer door of our refrigerator. I spent 1 1/2 hours talking to their consumer relations department as well as the inhome repairs department. The door broke at the end of June and today was the 6th appointment to repair the D)*&*& thing. This is the second appointment that they have cancelled b/c the "door was damaged upon delivery to the warehouse".
GOOD Well, the house repairs are behind so waiting for the D*&^&* Bestbuy people isn't completely holding us back. I informed each and every Bestbuy representative today that we would NEVER buy anything from them again. That felt good! I was actually able to speak without raising my voice and using foul language!

BTW, NEVER, EVER, EVER buy anything major from Bestbuy! Their follow-up service and policies are HORRIBLE! This thing started leaking in late June and it is STILL not fixed. The repairmen only work 8-3:30 M-F and then only 8-2 on EVERY OTHER Saturday (what about people who work fulltime??????). Getting through their automated phone system is horrific and you often get cut off after waiting 5-10 minutes or longer! I asked them twice to check the condition of the door prior to the appointment (it was delivered a week and a half ago but I couldn't get a Saturday appointment until today) and they said they would but then they didn't until today! They could have ordered the 3rd door and had it by today if they had just looked at the door when it arrived like they told me they would!

REPEAT - NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVVVVVEEEEEERRRR buy from Bestbuy!


BAD My sweetheart, love of my life DH is leaving at 0630 to drive to NC and away from us! :-(
GOOD Well, although I HATE him leaving and us being apart, he will be much happier in this new job and it will be better for our family in the end. Also, I will be flying down with DS in 2 weeks to visit and house hunt.

BAD The delay in repairs around the house is pushing back our timeline on when we can really bid on a house and DS and I have our tickets bought already.
GOOD DH thinks that there is still a good possibility that we will be down for good before Thanksgiving and is still promising that it will be no later than the beginning of December.


Sigh.




So, what's going on in your worlds?

Rockstar Supernova. . . .

So, did anyone else watching tonight really, really LOVE these two songs???

Storm's original


Toby's Original


And how can you NOT love ANY The Killers song? (cover or not it is still a great song).

I just voted a dozen times for both of them.

Such a sad, sad day.

First, my alma mater just lost the first game of the year to the 'noles. DAMN!

Sad thing is that I don't feel as BAD when they play well but end up losing. But, this game? Well, let's just say they didn't bring their "C" game let alone their "A" game. OUCH!

Sigh, DS and I are driving down to visit hubby in NC and watch them play against Duke. Geez, I hope they play better than they did tonight.

THEN, I got online and read the following post from Jennifer


non-knitting post - Very Important!
By Jennifer

Alert- product toxic to pets
I just read this from A Day In The Life Of Our Pugs and thought I should pass it along as well:

Cocoa Mulch lethal to dogs?

Verified by Snopes

VERIFIED ALSO BY GOOGLE

Yesterday one of our dog agility friends experienced a tragedy and wanted me to pass a special message along to all of my dog-loving friends and family. Please tell every dog owner you know.

Over the weekend the doting owner of two young lab mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch from Target(can be found at home depot) to use in their garden. They loved the way it smelled and it was advertised to keep cats away from their garden. Their dog Calypso, decided that the mulch smelled good enough to eat and devoured a large helping. She vomited a few times which was typical when she eats something new but wasn't acting
lethargic in any way. The next day, Mom woke up and took Calypso out for her morning walk. Halfway through the walk, she had a seizure and died instantly.

Although the mulch had NO warnings printed on the label, upon further investigation on the company's website, this product is HIGHLY toxic to dogs.

Cocoa Mulch is manufactured by Hershey's, and they claim that "It is true that studies have shown that 50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer
physical harm to a variety of degrees (depending on each individual dog). However, 98% of all dogs won't eat it."

True information about the mulch can be found here - http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoa.htm

This site gives the following information:

Cocoa Mulch, which is sold by Home Depot, Foreman's Garden Supply and other Garden supply stores, contains a lethal ingredient called "Theobromine".

It is lethal to dogs and cats. It smells like chocolate and it really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and die. Several deaths already occurred in the last 2-3 weeks. Just a word of caution, check what you are using in your gardens
and be aware of what your gardeners are using in your gardens.

Theobromine is the ingredient that is used to make all chocolate especially dark or baker's chocolate which is toxic to dogs.

Cocoa bean shells contain potentially toxic quantities of theobromine, a xanthine compound similar in effects to caffeine and theophylline. A dog that ingested a lethal quantity of garden mulch made from cacao bean shells developed severe
convulsions and died 17 hours later. Analysis of the stomach contents and the ingested cacao bean shells revealed the presence of lethal amounts of
theobromine.

Please email the manufacturer at michellemessick@hersheys.comand request that
accurate information about this product be posted on the packaging to avoid further tragedy.

PLEASE GIVE THIS WIDEST DISTRIBUTION !!

YIKES, I would DIE if I did something that lead to my sweetie pie getting ill or worse dying.

Be careful out there.

So, here is so more news from over in packing up land

AACHK! So much to pack. BTW, friends can be evil sometimes, y'know? For example, I have totally and absolutely LOST ALL CONTROL over my yarn purchasing. Truly. About 1 month or so ago I bought 26 skeins of Cotton-ease. 26 people! All at once. YIKES!

THEN, even though I have more sock yarn than any other human being alive, I succombed to the allure of STR and finally was able to get 2 skeins (Lucy and County Clare) colorways. I couldn't help it. I was sick at the thought of not owning any of it.

So, why are friends evil? Because AMY tempted and taunted me today with Vesper Striping Sock yarn and I succombed. I am now expecting a skein of the sweetwater colorway. Can you believe that? She KNOWS how much I have wanted vesper sock yarn and she also knows that I am NOT in any condition to resist yarn stash enhancement. How could she do that to me knowing that I just recently joined this self-help group?

Thanks babe (as if I needed any help whatsoever to buy yarn). Sheesh!

Anywhoooo, we are packing everything - well, almost everything - up in the house that won't be absolutely needed until our move down to NC.

So anyhow, I'm taking a break as I was truly hyperventilating over how much stuff we need to get through. How can 3 people accumulate so much "stuff", huh? The plan is to pack it up and get it to the storage unit so that the house will be ready for proper showing. During the time that we are waiting for it to sell I can then go through stuff in the storage unit and discard, sell, donate or keep things as necessary but now? Now it's pack it up regardless like movers do. The goal is to get the house empty and ready.

So, I'm taking a break for now. I'm uploading my I-pod with past episodes of Chub Creek, and Quirky Nomads, . I love these shows. Thanks Dave and Sage for some good stuff to pack to (you guys are keeping me as sane as possible).

And now what? More vacay pictures:

This is now my utmost FAVORITE picture of the boys. Let me explain the shot. We took DS to the Louisville slugger plant (very cool btw) knowing that you can order a personalized bat that is ready for you at the end of the tour. It's really cool b/c you can pick not only the length of the bat, but the finish as well. You can also have your signature laser engraved on it OR you can have them engrave your name with your choice of font. Actually, you can also have a professional ballplayers signature (if they have allowed it) as well. So, DH and I knew we were going to do this and decided we would surprise DS. I entertained him at the gift shop while his Dad "got us our tickets" and then we all went on the tour.

Now, during the tour, they mention the whole personalized bat thing. Like, THREE separate times. Ugh! We thought for SURE DS was going to ask for a bat. We finished the tour and went to the "museum". It is a collection of artifacts and of actual bats used by famous players (Babe Ruth, Lou Gehring, etc, etc.). Some where even autographed. They have a bat there autographed by Babe Ruth that is on loan from a family that found it in a closet of a parent's house that is autographed and dated with the date of the last game he ever played. How cool is THAT?

Anyhow, when we finished with the museum, I once again took DS to the gift shop while DH "went to the bathroom". I thought for sure DS would ask for a bat. He looked at me and said "Mom, do you think that we could buy something small with the Louisville Slugger logo on it? Maybe even just a sticker?" My heart melted. I was so proud of him for not going overboard and asking for the bat. With a bursting full of pride heart I said to him "Let's wait and see when Dad gets back".

Upon his return, DH motioned to me to bring DS to the lobby. He said to DS "Hey, while I was coming back, one of the employees thought you might want to take a swing with a real Louisville Slugger bat and gave me this one for you to try". DS took it and took a few swings. After a couple of swings, DH stopped him and said "why don't you look to see whose name is on it?". The picture above is of the moment just after her realized the bat was his and he looked up to his Dad to say thanks.

I am the luckiest Mom in the world.

Today's update.

So, work was hectic but not as bad however, I had a FREAKIN' miseable headache all day. I woke at 4:45 and was worrying about the move, DH leaving, selling the house, buying a house, etc., etc.

Needless to say, I was not at all surprised that I had a head/neck ache all day long. So, I got home and started taking some boxes that DH had put in the garage to the storage unit. Not alot of stuff but a start and hey, a start is a start right?

I went to the basement and gathered up anything and everything that had to do with Xmas decorations. They are going into the storage unit and will come out again in my new HOME! (positive thoughts, positive thoughts). I will take them out to the storage unit tomorrow evening.

I have some pictures to share from vacay (finally). First, it's the walk of the penguins. . . . . .
He won the stuffed penguin at the water gun race game in King's Island in Cincinnatti. I am so glad that there are still plenty of moments where he is still my "baby".

King's Island has NickToons themed items, rides and decorations. I LOVE AVATAR. They even have an Avatar ride! We had a good time there.






So, as this IS a knitting blog, let's get to knitting. Here is the top that I finished while on vacay and wore to last nights sit'n knit:
OK, you all have to look beyond the "no makeup and pajama bottoms" look. I was on vacation, so sue me! tee hee. I made this in a total of 5 days. Quickest knitted garment for me to date and I love it. I finished it after we had arrived to Hilton Head. It was so relaxing a knit while on the drive and in the evenings in the condo. I love the way it turned out.

I am guessing that blogger must be limiting posts to a total of 3 pictures each as I can't seem to get anymore on here so, because of that and the fact that it is now 10PM, you all will have to wait until tomorrow for more from vacay and packing/storage land.

I'm having a mojito and going to bed. C ya.

Sharing my roots as I am FREAKING OUT!

Ok so things are WAY crazy over here with getting as much done in the next 2 weeks before DH goes to NC. WAY, WAY, WAY too much to get done. I DID however make it to sit 'n knit tonight (a girl must have her priorities straight no?).

Anywhoooooo, I thought that I would share my Mojito recipe with you all as that is my FAVE drink to cool me down after working hard (and help me relax - a little rum will do that). My parents came from Cuba to the USA in 1961 when they were just 18 and 21 years old with a 3 month old son! No jobs, no english but lots of hopes and dreams of finding freedom in the USA. Thanks to Uncle Sam and their hardwork they afforded my brothers and I a very comfortable life. I can't think of any two people that I admire more.

Anyhow, I am very proud of my Cuban roots and try to hold on to as much of it as I can. I try to impart all the sacrifices and hardwork that my parents went through to afform me my freedom to my son. I expose him to my culture as much as possible.

In keeping my culture alive, I keep my Mojito recipe going. Yeah, ain't I altruistic? tee hee ;-)

So, anyhow, here it is and I hope it brings you as much refreshment, relaxation and enjoyment as it has me for years and years.

Traditional Cuban Mojito

1/2 cup of sugar
1 sprig of fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice
3/4 cup of white rum (cuban preferred)
Crushed ice
Seltzer water

1. Thoroughly crush the mint leaves into the sugar. The crushing releases the mint oils and adds to the flavor. Take your time on this step. It'll make a difference in your drink.

2. Add the lime juice and the rum. Mix until the sugar is mostly dissolved. This is your "drink base".

3. Fill a glass with crushed ice. Add your drink base about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way up the glass. Can change this to suit your taste. You'll need to experiment a bit with this.

4. Fill the glass up with the seltzer water.

5. mix thoroughly and enjoy!

Back from Vacay and LOTS to tell. . . . .

So, I've been MIA b/c of our vacation. We left on Friday the 18th and just got back into town tonight. Whew. In that time we: Went to King's Island Amusement park in Cincinnati; toured the Louisville Slugger factory in Louisville, KY; drove down to Hilton Head, SC for some much needed R&R AND drove up to NC for a "visit".

OK, so first off, I must THANK YOU ALL for all the positive vibes that you sent our way. I can now officially spill the beans. DH has been on the hunt for a new job for the last 9 months or so. The whole "firm" life was not what he (we) thought it would be. He worked hard, moved up through the ranks of the associates, made partner and then . . . WHAM! Reality kicked in. Partnership in a firm isn't all that one dreams it is going to be. There is no grand change in workloads and you are then a "self-employed" worker and deal with all the woes of THAT. So, needless to say, DH wanted to be able to enjoy his family more than he could (and we wanted him around more as well) so the search for an inhouse counsel position started.

He found a company that he liked where the company felt he was the right fit as well. We needed your vibes and prayers and thankfully, all the praying and positive thoughts paid off. He was extended the offer and accepted it right before we went on vacation. Whew, was that a load of stress off our shoulders for vacation. We TRULY were able to relax, enjoy and not even THINK of picking up a phone, newspaper, check in at the office, check email, etc., etc. NOTHING! We got to enjoy our time, just the 3 of us and DH and I truly were able to relax and enjoy eachother's company completely for the first time in quite a while.

So, thank you all for all your thoughts, prayers and good wishes. Everything is set into motion now. DH will start his new job in 2 weeks (9/11 - yikes) in NORTH CAROLINA!

Yep, knittingnurse and fam are moving. To North Carolina's Research Triangle area (Raleigh-Durham). THAT was what the detour to NC was for. An initial scope of housing and the area in general. Although DH had been down to the area twice during the interviewing process, DS and I had never been to the area.

We took off from Hilton Head on Friday morning and spent all day Friday and Saturday looking around the area (I'm going to have not only a Target but also a SUPER Target!) and scoping out houses. DH had already scoped out 2 knit shops in the area. We tried to go to 1 on Friday evening but got there after it had closed. Rats. However, we got a good sense of what is available and what we want for our house.

No bids on anything (although there were a couple of houses that I WOULD have bid on) as we need to clean up our current home and put it on the market. DS and I will stay behind initially (poo). We've already decided that DS and I will be down by Thanksgiving OR at the worse case scenario by mid-December (depending on when this house is listed). We may have to double mortgage for a month or two but that won't be too bad and it'll be worth being together for the holidays.


Geez, that's already a long post and there aren't any pix or any vacation/knitting talk. OK, quickies until the next post. Vacation ROCKED! I finished the new top done on the options needles, worked on a pair of socks and almost finished up a poncho for one of my neices. Will talk more of that next time and may post some pix. Gotta go unpack and get stuff ready for DS. He's off to school on Tuesday and tomorrow is going to be hectic with getting all his stuff ready.

Let me go get my roller skates. . . . . .

tee hee!

Pictures

So, let's see if blogger is going to be nice this time. Here is a picture of me with one of my newest "fave" t-shirts. It's a Chub Creek shirt. Can you believe that Dave actually changed the logo to the pink just because I asked him too? He is such a great guy and if you have means to listen, his podcast is hilarious. He is a sometimes contributor to Cast-on which is where I first found him and now I don't miss a single episode. Give him a listen, why don't you? You won't regret it.

Next we have the Options needle set: 9 sets of needle points, 4 cables in 2 sizes and a carrying case. They are just beautiful and I can now truly say that I like these BETTER than addi-turbos (which are still the next best thing). Sigh. I never thought that would be possible but it's true.




Here are a couple of pix from the ball game on Sunday: I've tried now to get a few more pix (including the one where I am actually throwing the ball) and I guess blogger has had enough. I'll try again tomorrow.



Hey, and last but not least, at sit 'n knit tonight, I just found out that one of the instructors from the shop designed and published a scarf that is named after ME! Jannett's scarf is a beautiful faux cabled scarf made from Malabrigo. Ooooh. This stuff is amazingly soft. sinfully soft. exquisitely soft. But it is also warm. Very, very warm. Perfect scarf wool. And the colors are too die for! Can't wait to get going on that with some stash stuff (present from a pal). Yeah! I'll have to scan the pix from the pattern and post it when I can get to a scanner, ok?

New top is now about 65% done. I'm booking with my option needles ladies. Watch out!

I am SOOOOO behind. . . . .

Geez, things have been so crazy over here. First things first. The day after my last post was my 17th wedding anniversary. It just blows me away that I have had the great fortune of being married to my all-time best friend for that long. AND, this December we will have been together for 20 years! Yeah for us!

I love you baby! I always have and I always will.

Next up, so, what does my absolutely fabulous and wonderful hubby do for me for the momentous occasion? Well, we went out to dinner that night and had a fabulous leisurely 3 1/2 hour dining experience. It was perfect. The food was amazing, the wine was great and the company? Well, you all know how the company was! :D

BUT, my anniversary gift I was told, was going to be "late". A week later it arrived. He got me the knitpicks options needle set. The whole starter set! (see? I told you he was fab) Let me tell you about these needles. . . . . .LOVE THEM! They are as sharp on the point as my lantern moons, as smooth, lightweight and FAST as my addis AND have the flexibility of denise needles. How can you go wrong? And for the PRICE? Pishaw! No comparison. I am a convert now, I freely admit it. There are a few things that I wish were available (smaller cable sizes - 16", 12", etc) but I am sure that Knitpick will pick up on that as they go along. . . . .

Next, well, let's see. . .OH, I got to throw out the first pitch at the Indians game this past Sunday. OMG, it was amazing. Only thing is that no one warned me that I would be interviewed. Before the pitch. On the field. On camera. On the Jumbotron. No one. Not a soul. Zip. Zilcho. Nada.

SOOOOOOOO,

I was a bit unprepared and VERY nervous. I stumbled through it visibly shaking with this elephant sized camera lens in my face. AND, there's reverb. I would speak and then hear myself a split second later. Very disconcerting. Very ANNOYING. I stumbled, I stopped, I shook. It was the longest 40 seconds or so of my entire life. EVER.

But, then I got escorted out onto the field. It was almost a relief after the whole camera thing. There were actually 3 ceremonial first pitches (why do they call them all "first pitches" when there are multiple? Shouldn't they just be "ceremonial pitches"?) I got to throw second. After a man. A big man. A big athletic man. Who can throw the ball. Well. Like, strike zone well. Sigh. The nerves where back.

Luckily, as soon as I got on the mound, I tunnel visioned the player catching (Franklin Gutierrez a sweetie pie just pulled up from triple A ball) and Slider (the mascot who stood behind Franklin) so I didn't really notice the 40,000 + people there, or the camera, or my DH and DS who were standing at the dugout area. Gutierrez just smiled and nodded at me. I made the sign of the cross and said a little prayer and then I threw. I don't remember what I did or how I did it but the ball went straight to Gutierrez and made it to the tip of home plate, hopped up and he caught it. He didn't even have to move, well, barely had to move. I was given my ball autographed by Franklin and we went on our merry way to our seats. My DS was so excited for me. It was so cute. I had been given 10 tickets to the game so I had family and friends there. 2 of my blue knitters were there. We all had knitting and got some done during the game.

The Indians won 13-0. (There were 2 homeruns. A grandslam by Travis Hafner and another by, guess who?, Franklin Gutierrez. It was his first major league homerun.) All in all, it was a good day.

So, I was going to post pix of me from the game but, guess what?

Yep, blogger doesn't want to.

sigh.

I'll add them later. Promise.


Oh and Knitting-wise? Well, I was bad. I HAD to use the new needles so I started a new top. DANG! I know, I know. I wasn't supposed to, but I couldn't help it. Hey, at least it was a project from my stash. That should count for something, right?

C ya all soon.

Promise. I'll have news on all the wonderful results of the positive vibes soon. Very soon.

Hey, I can post some pix now!

Before hair cut and curly.


After haircut and flat-ironed.


OK, now let me tell you about my most recent swap. I participated in the "flip flop swap" and I got Lolly as my swap partner! I was so thrilled to get her. I just got my swap a few days ago and here is what it was:


She packaged it so pretty and then everything inside was great! I got some Lorna's Laces sheperd's sock yarn in "sherbert". Oooooh. I got 3 different wool washes, some very pretty tissues, some "tropicana" novelty yarn, some very pretty bookplates, my pink flips (of course) and a hand-made wood bean bracelet in the same shade of pink! I loved it all. That was a really fun swap to participate in y'know?