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2008-02-08
Maybe I am to blame for *some* of my iPhone problems. Well, one of them. The home button dying, well I'm blameless for that one. There's just some shitty soldering or something causing that. I do have to take some blame for the Aunt Pat problem. Stephen took my iPhone to the Apple Store today while I was working -- sweetness, yes I know -- because of the once again dead home button. He also told them about the problem with the headphones not always disengaging correctly. Turns out the switch that detects whether or not your headphones are plugged in is a simple but mechanical (not electronic) switch. Sometimes a hair or some dirt can make it malfunction, so if you're having this problem just blow some canned air in there to clean it out. Unless you're me. If you're me, you have not a hair or some dirt but a giant and compact hot pink ball of fluff shoved down in the speaker jack... from my covet-worthy iPhone cozy. Guess I'll keep an eye on that with the new one they gave Stephen. That was nice, by the way. Both times I've had problems with the phone they've just replaced it immediately, not put me through the bullshit rental program. I appreciate that.
2008-01-11
I love my iPhone. I love it. Still, it's hardly been a trouble-free device. Once again - as I was trying to call Aunt Pat, yet again - it has stopped working through the earpiece on the phone. The headphone/mic work fine. The speaker works fine. I'm annoyed it's b0rked on me the exact same way yet again. Unclear what will happen when I go to the Apple Store to get it fixed, but I'll betcha that they take it away for fixing and try to get me to rent another phone for the duration. Bah.
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2007-05-23
Wow. I have fallen off the face of the earth! I'm adding in my twitter feed on the left here for Aunt Pat, who seems to have a twitter phobia.Labels: family
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2006-08-05
It's a good thing you get (officially) a year to give a wedding present. Adam and Julie's blanket is nearly finished. I'm doing a bit of finishing crochet along the edges, then we'll add some tassels... just as soon as I find the yarn I want to tie them off with. We're still FAR from unpacked around here.
Not having a TV makes it a bit harder for me to sit still and work on the blanket though. I get antsy and wander off, so this might take a little longer than I wanted it to.
After this, I'll finish Alex's other sock. THEN, I'll try to finish that Ribby Cardi that's been languishing. The ferry seems like it might be good knitting time.
Comments:I used to love knitting on the ferry. The only downside was that as a brand new knitter and learning to knit in the round and pretty out of it in the mornings anyway, I had a pretty well-established routine whereby I'd knit on the ferry on the way to work, have a latte at pete's in the ferry building, realize half-way through my latte that i'd been knitting the hat inside out, and then have to frog all my work. Still they were good times....Post a Comment
2006-05-12
Back from the wedding, back in the office. Back back back. Been back for a few days. No, I don't have any pictures, except for ONE that I got from my father-in-law's cell phone.Labels: family
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2006-04-11
Lessons learned after 4 weeks at the new gig:Time for dinner, so that is all!
- It is possible for even me to get tired of the rain. If I didn't have to slog around The City in it, maybe my romance with water that falls from the sky would be rekindled. Until then... I'm over it.
- I am not over those parrots that I walk by on the way from the train to work and back again. Yesterday, I walked through a different kind of rain -- a rain of pink blossoms from the parrots tearing them from the trees above. Very picturesque.
- Aforementioned parrots are loud. I knew that already, though.
- I have a hard time reading on the train sometimes. I think I may be susceptible to some motion ickiness. Not quite sickness. Ickiness.
- I'm not really knitting on the train either. I'm kinda waiting for the rain to go away so I can carry my messenger bag instead of the waterproof backback.
- The afghan isn't finished yet. Neither is my latest (longer, bigger, won't be inadvertently felted) Ribby Cardi.
- The socks I was making are too small. They'll be gifted when I get around to making the second one.
- Being in the colo facility feels like being on an airplane. It's loud with fans and somehow it dehydrates.
- Maybe the colo visit contributed to today's train ickiness?
- My aunt who recently was diagnosed with breast cancer caught it SO early that she's probably going to get to skip chemo. FAB-o-roonie!
- Some of the boss battles in Kingdom Hearts II are really really hard.
- Losing boss battles makes me throw the PS2 controller. I'm so mature.
- Somewhere along the way, this list devolved from being about work. Ah, well. I think that's probably a good thing.
- Getting alterations done tomorrow for the bridesmaid's dress.
- Tomorrow is also Stevie's birthday.
- I'm really not at all impressed with a single pattern in the new Knitty. The new MagKnits, however, has a few good ones in there. Not the loopy hat, Nezumi and the cute wrist warmers that actually make me consider trying some color work. Well, that and Karrie's amazing progress on the Eunny vest.
Comments:I thought all the patterns this time around were fairly blah too. I'm moderately interested in the scarf, but nothing else.
I completely forgot about the socks. I dug the socks, yellow/black scarf and nautiloids from knitty.Post a Comment
Glad to hear about your aunt!
2006-02-23
Check it out: my sister's a rising star!Labels: family
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2006-02-21
I am so far behind. Let's start with the things that I decided were important enough to photograph, but not to blog. Yet. Heh.
First, I made another set of gauntlets from Elann Baby Silk, a silk and alpaca blend. Oh. My. God. Soft! Nice! I have enough to make the cardigan they have on the website, and I'm definitely going to make sure that's on my to-do list.
The week of 20 January, I remembered to do the Cthulhu annual offering.
Then, the boy gave me some cool bugs from The Bone Room for my birthday. Did I say that here already? They are super-nifty.
The day after my birthday, we went to Adam and Julie's wedding. Best. Wedding. Ever. Seriously. I mean, check out the table setting:
We had the best table, too, IMO. The pic I took of Karen and James didn't turn out - bah! - but the one Karen took of the Stephen, me, Tim, and Dave is okay.
I will continue to drown in the lovely afghan we're making for Adam and Julie's wedding present for awhile yet. It's slow going, but worth every bit of it.
That's probably enough for this post. I'll do SW next.
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2006-01-29
I'm feeling kinda clever (and kinda hung over). Hung over because of the many MANY beverages I consumed at our friend's wedding last night. Kinda clever because I finally have solved a problem I've been wrestling with for a long time: how to rinse the shower. We have a separate tub and shower arrangement, and after scrubbing the tiles you have to rinse of the cleanser. Unfortunately, it's impossible to direct the water from the shower to most all of the tile surfaces. My newest must-have accessory for the weekly shower-scrub? A super soaker I found in the basement. I used WAY less water and the process was both tidier and less annoying.Labels: family
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2006-01-15
Sitting at IAH, waiting to go back home. It was a really beautiful wedding, though it seemed really long -- particularly to Jake. Jennifer was radiant, and the couple gave all appearances of being over-the-top happy. Amazing carrot cake. I accidentally left the wedding present at the motel (doh!), but MoMo's going to ship it to them this week. I could pay for wi-fi here at the airport, but screw that. That's what TextEdit is for, right?
So, what happened this weekend? Dad gave Jacob a beautiful telescope for his 8th birthday -- what a geezer! And we both Jake and I got the Mommy-look (a.k.a. the "evil eye") from MoMo when we were getting too rowdy at the reception.
Jake also got to experience my serious snoring firsthand. Lucky kid, right? Of course, I got to listen to him snore (probably much less aggressively, albeit) this morning.
Completely in reverse order, I spent Friday with Pat and Liz, which was really nice, and then there was a surprisingly large dinner Friday night with Doreen's friends and family. Saying "it was really nice" sounds trite, but it really was. No, really. I hadn't seen many of them since I visited last year, so it was a good reunion.
I got a few more repeats done on the Samus cable. Two more to go (I think) which will probably tide me over on the plane. For now, I'm just decompressing with a decaf soy latte.
I do so love spending time with my grandparents. They are so open with me, and we talk much more easily than we used to. I think that the visit this summer helped that, too.Labels: family
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2006-01-07
New camera has arrived, so this will be a picture-heavy post. Lots of FO's and a WIP. First, I made a pair of gauntlets/wrist warmers for Molly. They match the socks she got for Christmas. She sent me a few pix:
They're basically the same ones from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts, with very slight modifications. They worked out so well that when I heard MoMo's office is freezing, I whipped up a pair for her from the tea-cozy leftovers.
I still have one more pair to work out, though, and that's using the Great Adirondack Seabreeze yarn, a.k.a. the worst yarn detangling nightmare I've ever lived through. Stephen really earned the husband points fixing that mess. At any rate, Karen has a skein of (hopefully) NOT tangled Seabreeze, and I promised her a pattern. Have to prototype it first, though.
I also finished a simple scarf using Twisted Sisters Voodoo. Oh. My. God. That yarn is SO soft and SO wonderful to work with. Highly recommended.
And I can't forget the Bee Sox - Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Bee Stripe:
I finished a cashmere cap over the holidays, too. I got the kit some time ago at Jimmy Beans Wool. It turned out okay, and it was very simple so good sick-knitting.
That's about all I've finished recently. I'll touch on the new project in another post.
Comments:It's approximately the same as the crossover scarf they showed on Knitty Gritty. The pattern is here.Post a Comment
~~b
2005-12-29
My digital camera has died. Sniff! But I did manage to get a pic before it died of the Christmas socks I made for MoMo and Molly:
Blue for MoMo, of course, and the orange-stripey ones for Mol. They seemed to like them.
I can't show you the hat I made, though, or the bee socks, or the Voodoo scarf. Not until I get a replacement camera...Labels: family
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2005-12-20
Gifts given can be blogged. Gifts not yet given can not. So let's do a few gifts given, shall we? I finally finished the Molly sweater:
That means I offically have NO sweaters currently on the needles. I want to do some repairs on Big Red over the next few weeks, and then I think I'll try to make a Samus from some microfiber ribbon I have. Should be interesting.
Stephen and I also made these for Karen:
They're earrings made from a pair of 20-sided dice. Our first foray into beading went pretty well, considering that Stephen discovered that the Dremel is not the best tool for drilling these guys. They melt. Karen loved 'em.Labels: family
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2005-12-05
Answer to my previous question. I can, in fact, do both. And I am. That's two trips to Texas in as many months. I'll be at Molly's graduation this weekend, and then back for Jennifer's wedding in January. Yee-haw!Labels: family
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2005-11-29
Jeebus, Molly. I'm Jean-Luc!
And I don't even believe in Jeebus.Labels: family
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Decisions, decisions... Cousin's wedding or best friend's graduation. Graduation or wedding? Graduation or wedding?
Ugh. Can't I do both? I have to see about the fundage. They're only a month apart, and the flights are pricey.Labels: family
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2005-09-23
News, news. First, all family seems to be safe and accounted for and out of Houston. Second, Stevie got a job working as an apprentice carpenter this week. In many ways, it seems like an ideal job for him. We'll see how it works out, but I will miss having a house-husband. However, the extra fundage will be a boon. What else, what else? Work has been busy and crazy, and I took the afternoon for errands and mental health today. Oh, and a little blogging, too. Does that count as an errand or mental health? No links to that article about blogging as therapy are necessary...
MIL liked the tea cozy, so that went over well.
I'm working on Christmas knitting now, which isn't terribly engaging, unfortunately. I'm thinking about making Samus from the new Knitty, but maybe in black microfiber ribbon? I have some from Tess's Designer Yarns I picked up at the fiber fair a few months ago, and I think it should show the cables really well. So, that's on the "maybe" list. As is the Elann Cables and Lace cardigan. I guess I'm not sure if I'm willing to embark on a black sweater (which both would be) when I still have the Molly Lopi sweater floating around unfinished.
What else, what else? Oh, we're going to The City to check out all the ships during Fleet Weekend. That should make the boy happy. And if I can get it together, I might even blog about it. <grin>
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2005-09-15
Probably too "emo" for my cousin. And not in the "emo" I know. So, Matt, on the off-chance you're reading this, you should really just close the window and move on. I mean it. Skip this post.
Now, some family crap.
It seems that my estranged mother (EM) has come back onto the scene, and is pissed that she wasn't notified when my dear aunt, her sister, passed away. Apparently, EM called my uncle (her brother) and tore him a new one over it. I don't know how precisely she discovered that this had all occurred, and frankly I really don't care. However, during the time I spent in Houston, in Doreen's final weeks, I did talk to her about this very topic. Specifically, I remember the day after I got in town, I told Doreen that the last time she had been gravely ill, and we weren't sure how long she had left, MoMo and I had talked about (a) whether or not we should contact EM; and (b) if so, which one of us should do it. We decided after some agony that it was not appropriate for us to bring her into it, and that we would do nothing. But in the end, it was a non-issue. Doreen recovered, again, for the nth time, and we all breathed a sigh of relief and went about our lives. At any rate, I related it all to Doreen when I was visiting her.
She said, "No, you did the right thing."
I said, "You know, if it comes up again, we can do it. We can call her."
And she took my hand and said, "No. I have everything I need right here."
The next day, or maybe that evening (hard to be sure), Doreen had a stroke that limited her movement and she took to bed. Though several people asked me (and MoMo, at different times) whether or not we had/should contact our mother, we politely declined. It would have been against Doreen's wishes. Doreen passed away surrounded by people who loved her and spent their time thinking about how to make her comfortable, undistracted by the drama queen factor introducing EM would have certainly caused.
Now that EM is screaming and having a fit (again, based on third-party reports) about her exclusion from Doreen's final days, I don't really understand what ground she thinks she has to stand on. Stop blaming everyone else and take some damn responsibility, fer chrissakes! And I'm not the first person to say this:
Date: Wed, 17 Nov 2004 13:58:17 -0800 (PST)Email posted with permission of family who received it as a forward from Doreen. I wouldn't have posted it if I thought she would object.
From: Doreen
Subject: WHY
To: email address omitted
you know anne when you called i did not hesitate to give you joe's correct phone number. i did not dream you would want to start up more crap. abviously joe does not remember taking the picture of jacob and sending it to you, i had him sign a note stating he would take full responsibility for it and he only did it because you were so upset. he thought that would help you not make you angry. and who gets the crapy e-mail - ME, telling me how i am an vindictive little bitch who never forgave you for oprah. i don't give a shit about oprah. if you felt that was the truth than whatever....... i am just sorry you blame me for all of your problems with your daughters. you acted no better than our own mother to them and if you wanted to be part of their life you could have but you can't take the blame for anything. it was always someone else's problem. i seem to have taken the time to get to know them, no matter what horrible things you said about me and i happy to say that i speak to them at least once a month. you have to give a little to get a little. you forget how you used them as pawns against pat & i when ever we did not play your games.
i'm over all of that no matter what you think. you did not even ask or care to see how i have been these last few years. i know you don't care and that is the sad thing, i am the only one that actually cares about you and wonders how you and dave are, i know he was having heart problems and i hope that he is better. i want you to be happy but not at the expense of doging me. i tried my best to keep up with you but you see black and i see white when it comes to life.
doreen
I don't know why precisely I'm so torqued about the rant EM gave to my uncle. I wasn't at all surprised. I guess it boils down to the fact that even when Doug lost his wife, and the boys lost their mother, and Doreen lost the chance to see them grow fully into men, all I can hear EM screaming about is "how could you do this to ME?" It's all I've ever heard from her, and I can't imagine that this situation was any different.Labels: family
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2005-08-29
655, baby! Yeah-huh. That's right. My katamari was 655 meters. That's a ginormous katamari. I got a thunder god to go with my Jumboman.
It's the little things.
The big work project that's been taking up most of my work time is now, finally, signed off and completed. There will be some tidying up, making sure everyone's happy, but the time I'll need to dedicate to this project should go from a lot to nil effectively starting today. Ah....
And I felted this weekend. Pix to follow. I took the "before", but I'm waiting for the bag to dry to do the "after".
I heard from Iggy the other day. That was nice. I was glad to know he's doing well.
Let's see, what other little things are going on... I'm off to Dallas on Wednesday, then Molly and I will go shopping for a poofy white dress while I'm there. DMB on Saturday, then back home on Sunday. Just in time for Rome. Did anyone else watch Rome? It was killing us who played Octavian until Stephen finally remembered Master and Commander (a.k.a. "the turtle movie"). Cool credit sequence, too. My guess it's the same group that did the Carnivale credits, but I could be wrong.
So, I'm now only working on an alpaca hat for a coworker. Oh, and the Molly sweater that has languished unloved lo these many months. I just have a hard time going to sleeve island, but I'll do it. Really. By the time it's cold(ish), you'll have that sweater, Mol. I swear. And I have a few gifts that need to be shipped - the tea cozy, for example. Then, I'll really get into the few Christmas knits I'll be working on this season. And after that, depending on the selected dress, maybe a wedding shawl. We'll see...
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2005-08-22
Not much to say, except... WTF is wrong with ISPs that they think that indiscriminately blocking SMTP is a GOOD idea? I can handle an outside mail server, dumbasses....
I'm making a French Market Bag from Knitty. Damn. It is taking FORever. I don't think I'll ever have the love of felting that some others do. It just seems like a lot of stitches for not much reward.
So, knitting... blah, blah. I have some things I do need to get on with, like fix the neck on the cozy Big Sack -- I just don't like how it lays, though it is a dangerously comfy sweater. Or beginning Christmas presents. Or continuing to research the Molly Wedding Shawl. Or maybe just making something else for me, like the cashmere watchcap I've had tucked away or the Hourglass Sweater which was the inspiration for my recent buy of Noro. I made another Shedir, this one much smaller (I took out a few repeats) to make it more of a hat and less of a chemo cap. I really like the designer of that pattern. Her newest, Eris, calls to me. I just have to finish the 10 or so projects in front of it.
Leda REALLY likes harassing me when I'm on the PowerBook. Maybe it's all the heat this little machine can generate.
Enough drivel. G'night!Labels: beasts, family, knitting
2005-07-06
Happy 9th Anniversary to me and the boy. I sent him a smooch:
And a care package of LoGH DVDs, though that probably won't show up until Friday or so.
Also, Happy Birthday, Molly! Hope it was fabulous, and there's a little present in the mail for ya!Labels: family
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2005-07-03
Well, beginning Week Three of boylessness. And he's not coming home at all now for the entire six weeks. AND he's going to a party at the home of a famous author who I really really like. This means I'm concurrently sad and jealous, not an easy combination to pull off.
G&G have been here since Friday and they leave tomorrow morning. It's been really great having them here, and I've fed them very well. <grin> They're headed up to a wedding and I hope the trip is relatively uneventful.
Now, off to sleep. I'm wiped out!Labels: family
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2005-06-25
Hey, I found the camera! Oddly enough, it was stuck in with the sock yarn. I wonder if that's a subliminal message to myself to make more socks?
Behold! The completed Audrey!!
Some detail on the shaping:
A closeup on the neck lace... including a stray cat hair. Just ignore that.
And, so long as we're here, let's look into the face of the contributor of that stray hair:
She has some sort of gyroscope problem where she spends a lot of her time upside-down. This is Leda's natural state.
I cast on for the second half of the Molly sweater last night. I really don't enjoy working with that Lopi. It's so easy to split with the D'Needles.
Comments:*bashfully kicks at the ground with my toe*Post a Comment
I too ran across your blog via Yahoo's non-standard hair color thingy...But I stuck it in my favorites folder because you and I both (drum roll please...) knit! You are quite cool, I like your site, and your sweater is realy nice. Cute cat too. Mine's a siamese.
Keep knitting, and keep those fingers away from the stove.
*hugs*
Marlene
onecatpurring.blogspot.com
PS. ever heard of knitty.com ?
2005-06-19
Audrey is really really REALLY almost done. Really. I have finished the lace and now have it pinned onto the body of the sweater. An evening (or two) in front of the TV and it should be all finished. Of course, without the boy here to take care of me in the manner to which I have become accustomed, I'm having to work my ass off to keep everything going here at home. I might have a bit of time tomorrow night, then Tuesday (Cheryl's farewell Knitting Night @ the Mel-O-Dee) and Wednesday (movie night at Jamie's -- knitting, but almost definitely no seaming) are booked. Thursday looks good for working on the sweater thus far. If I can get it all seamed up and finished this week, I'll ask Danielle to model it for me. Even though it will probably be a tad bigger on her than it will be on MoMo (the sister is a bit more buxom than the coworker), it will give me an idea of how it fits the slender and petite. Pic if I get Danielle to model.
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2005-06-17
Gone gone gone. My boy is gone. I've been ranging between crying hysterically and just working like nothing's wrong. We'll see how I do after this weekend. My plan: live the glamorous life of a workaholic during these six weeks. Oh, and figure out if there's any way to get him home for a weekend. We won't know much about his schedule until he does it for a few weeks, though.
I'm working from home this afternoon, because while I'm technically on vacation today, I have a lot to do and it gives me something to think about. Also, I can't very well go into the office when I'm crying at the drop of a hat. OMG -- a hat? Wwwaaaahhhh!
I'm almost done with the Audrey sweater. It's all assembled, and just waiting for the lace at the top. I'm not sure what I might work on next. I still have the Molly sweater, and I'd like to get that done by this winter. I have enough Calmer for another Audrey, and enough Peruvian Highland Wool to make another Ribby Cardi. I admit, I could use another cardigan. That might be a winner. Only not the all-ribby version this time. We'll see.Labels: family
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2005-06-01
No wonder MoMo has so many cases on her desk.According to RealtyTrac Inc. the Dallas-Fort Worth area has the dubious distinction of leading the nation in foreclosures with one foreclosure for every 319 households. This is more than 5.5 times the national average.
Hmm... could this be the beginning of housing prices going down? A downturn in DFW that might be in full swing, say, a year from now? Oh, don't mind me... Just thinking out loud...Labels: family
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2005-04-28
Molly, tell me you read this. Seriously. It's like that unnamed ex-coworker from Colorado who told me that I had "no fundamental understanding of how networking actually operates."Labels: family
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2005-04-18
This morning, Doreen finally passed away. I got the call around 1AM (3AM in Houston). It's hard to think that she's gone... but at the same time I am comforted that she will not be in any more pain. Her pain tolerance was simply astounding. But, there it is. And I'll miss her awful.Labels: family
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2005-04-17
Dammit, I almost forgot this pic I took when I was in Houston. The quality is crap because all I had was my cameraphone when visiting the Target, but here:
On the off chance that Karrie missed this, there's a whole line of "learn to knit" kits at Target under the brand "Knit This.". I laughed out loud, and then had to explain the whole thing to Doreen. I think it missed something in the translation. I mean... I thought it was amusing, even if no one else does.
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2005-04-15
She's still hanging in there. She's an amazing fighter, my aunt.Labels: family
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2005-04-14
No surprise there. I guess my emotions are even closer to the surface than usual, since WWdN just made me tear up. To Wil's credit, though, it's a beautiful little piece.Labels: family
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So I didn't sleep for 24 hours straight. More like 10. And I'm still working with the church on the services, though she hasn't passed yet. I told her husband, "I can still help make things happen even if I'm not there with y'all." Did I mention how glad I am that I stayed? Seriously. I don't know that I would have regretted it if I had left, but I'm also glad I stayed. Very glad.Labels: family
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2005-04-13
Hospice care must cause good karma. I have the exit row all to myself - on the plane, heading home now (around 8:45 PM CST Wednesday night - I'll re-date this post appropriately). I'm having a beer in Doreen's honor. It was really... I don't know how to say. I mean, I'm sincerely grateful for the opportunity to be there with her during her last days. I helped to feed her, bathe her, tend to her. And seeing her so sweet and vulnerable and doted on by so many people who love her.... It was probably one of the most touching and fulfilling times of my life. I wouldn't give it up for anything. I'm very glad I stayed. Very.
I had dinner with Doreen's sister last night. It was good to have some time to check in with her. She's... well, she's coping. She's coping in the very best ways she can, which is all anyone can ask of her. She's not in the room -- she wants to always remember Doreen strong and vibrant.
On a completely unrelated note - the woman in front of me is having her ear chatted off by the woman from across the aisle who has invaded her row. The across-the-aisle invader is reading a book called "Coping with your Borderline Personality Disorder." Yes, I suppose it's possible that she is a counselor or psychiatric nurse or something... but it's more fun to suppose that the book is hers for self-help reasons. I understand you needed reading material, ma'am, but maybe something that doesn't have "COPING WITH YOUR BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER" in 128 point type on the cover would make your fellow passengers feel more at ease, hmm?
Well, long post so far. I guess that trapping me on the plane with more of the World's Most Boring Socks - the Stevie Socks - isn't really inspiring me to knit. I intended to do a lot of things while I was gone, including some product design projects, but none of that worked out save knitting. I finished the black and white variegated cotton/elastic socks and am probably half-way through the second Stevie sock. I want to make 10 pairs this year, and so I'm catching up. How many have I made so far? <counting...> Three? Striped, black-and-white, and Jamie's? So now I have to finish the Stevie socks by end-of-month to make it an even pair-per-month. I like hyphens and slashes today, apparently. Hmm... Oh, yes, and the gift Audrey is still waiting for me to be worked on as well. Those size 8 needles will feel HUGE after a solid week of socks.
Wow, after a week of being basically unattended, I bet my Bloglines is out of control. Something to look forward to.
I don't know if I'm going to work on Friday. I'm physically and emotionally exhausted. I think I'll sleep for two days straight. Did I mention I helped write the obituary and am organizing the programs for the service? I'm not going to attend the service, since I'm going to be so far away, but I sure will help with it however I can from afar. There will be a bit of photo retouching and I've already built the template.
One hour into the 4 hour flight. How long will the plane blog be? Only time will tell...
Two hours in now. The BPD woman seems to be doing okay with her victim. I guess. I have the iPod cranking. Still can't sleep - I tried - and I'm not yet to the heel on that damn sock. That's my goal. To make the heel by touchdown. Can she do it? Stay tuned... OTOH... Does Karen have any good games on this thing? Maybe I'll play some Shanghai... MoMo used to LOVE that game!
Three and a half hours in on our 4:15 flight. I just got the heel into that sock. Damn, my boy has some big ol' feet! I'm putting in afterthought heels because I swear he has spurs on his heels -- he wears out the heels of his store-bought socks pretty quick, so I want to be able to replace these easily. Now I just have an interminable amount of ribbing to add in. Flight is getting choppy now. I'll write another post tomorrow when I get this one added in.
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2005-04-12
Today is my husband's birthday. I am far away. I just want to hold him. I feel so tired... and I'm not even pulling much of the load. I really think I'm ready to go home tonight. Is that too soon? To leave tonight? She's still hanging in there, but she has such a group of friends around her caring for her... Am I a bad person for thinking about going home so soon? I just talked to my sister, and I don't think I'm staying for services. MoMo's going, though, so that will be good.Labels: family
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2005-04-11
Today? Tomorrow? It's hard to wait, but she's not in any pain now. She's on the good pain medication. Now we wait and see.Labels: family
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2005-04-10
A turn for the worse. On Tuesday, Doreen seemed pretty good. Fragile, but not as fragile as I had expected. On Wednesday and Thursday we went shopping for a few hours each day. My biggest accomplishment of this trip is backing their Expedition out of the garage and down the driveway without incident. On Friday, she wanted to go get pedicures after lunch... and she took her standard after-lunch nap and never got back up. We thought she might be in a coma, but she did eventually wake up after many many hours asleep. Her doting husband called Hospice, and nurses have been here ever since. She's sleeping comfortably most of the time, and this morning her father made pancakes for breakfast. She tore into them. I think it might be one of her favorites. Yesterday (Saturday), she didn't want anything. Nothing to eat. Nothing to drink. Then we made her a margarita and she downed that fast enough to get brain freeze. She's been eating fairly well since then.
MoMo and Molly are here. They came in Friday night, which is a very good thing since I might have completely lost if if they hadn't... and that's before she really went downhill. It's just difficult to maintain being upbeat for so long, especially for me since I'm not a very upbeat person. But I did it. I did okay, I think. At any rate, they're leaving today and heading back to Dallas.
Now the Hospice nurses say it could be a day or a week or two weeks until she passes, and though she's intermittently awake, I am feeling very out-of-place. I'm not afraid to be here when she dies, exactly. I just feel like an interloper, invading this family when they are so vulnerable and have gone through so much. No one here is making me feel like that. Everyone is being very welcoming and kind. I'm torn. Do I leave and give them their space? Or do I stay in case she wants me? I guess I'll decide tonight.Labels: family
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2005-04-06
One more note about Houston. Sharing a bathroom with two high-school boys means everything that enters that bathroom now smells like Polo. Yes, it seems Polo is still the scent that says "high school". And it has a weird transportive quality to it. AND it's all over my t-shirt now since I set it on the counter while I took a shower. I smell like the hallway near the boys locker room. It's weird.Labels: family
Comments:Ack, POLO!!Post a Comment
It evokes in some Pavlovian urge to crawl in to the back seat. I'll try to restrain myself. ;)
Things in Houston are going along pretty well. She's physically frail, but not as physically frail as I expected. I have network access -- big plus. I'm having a hard time finding time to work -- not such a big plus. But not a huge minus, either. <grin>Labels: family
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2005-03-29
My aunt called. I have to go to Houston. This is not good.Labels: family
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2005-03-02
Given Molly's love affair with Depressories, I think she might just like these as well. Also, I've probably mentioned before that despair.com is from Richardson. Coincidence? I think not.Labels: family
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2005-02-16
First post-Stitches project is now complete. A drop-stitch scarf from one skein of this. It's probably 8 feet long with the fringe -- maybe I went a bit overboard on that one. Possibly a pic later, but I still owe a Ribby pic, and a stash pic, and probably some other pics. I finished two pairs of socks last weekend - the green ones for Jamie's birthday (he's wearing them today and seems to be absolutely in love with them) and those red/grey/blue maxi-ringel's I've been working on for me. My WIPs are just running out. I still have the Molly sweater... Ah, the Molly sweater. Yes, it will be lovely. And very warm -- like, you'll only wear it when it's pretty darn cold. And bulky. Just clear out a drawer now, chica. But it is also possibly the most boring thing I have done in some time. More boring than the Ribby, and that takes some work.
Well, time for lunch. Maybe pix after I get a USB hub. The new iPod Shuffle is now taking up the port where the camera once plugged in.
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2005-02-09
I'm perplexed by Molly's Weather Pixie. She always seems ruefully underdressed for the temperature.Labels: family
Comments:I've noticed it as well. I just figured that Tamsin has a different idea of temperature appropriate garb than I do. =)Post a Comment
2005-01-27
So many things. First, Happy Birthday to Me! Yay! I've taken the day off and we're leaving in half an hour to go visit Sheila in Monterey. Then we'll come back for a lovely dinner and just chill out. Maybe watch The Official Birthday Movie (a la MST3K, of course) -- or maybe do that tomorrow. We'll see.
Second, I did finish my Ribby Cardi a few weeks ago. It's in the wash now, so no pix today. I'll post soon, though. It's the first FO of 2005! Still working - birthday socks, socks for me, and a big soft brown sweater for Molly. I ordered enough darker green yarn to make a Ribby for MoMo as well, but that will come AFTER those other projects.
Third -- I really do love going to Tuesday Night Knitting. Karrie's tale of the French Onion incident had me laughing so hard my tummy hurt afterward. And Karrie and I are off to visit Cheryl's fledgling SnB on the "godforsaken island" on Monday. It's going to be a very knitty week.
Well, Sheila awaits.
2005-01-14
Hey, Molly! Think we should get one of these for Jake? It think he'd be horrified... which in and of itself isn't much of a deterrent.Labels: family
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2005-01-13
Presents. For my upcoming birthday, I am buying myself some presents. I know, I do this all the time and it makes it a bitch to buy me anything, but it makes me happy! So, first of all, since I have enough leftover yarn to do the sleeves on another (small) Ribby Cardi, I think I will make one for MoMo. The sleeves would be the lighter green, and the body the darker green.
Any thoughts?
Also, I am in LOVE with those new iPod Shuffles. It would be perfect for me when I work out, so I'll probably get one of those as a "happy birthday to me" present as well.
So help me, I already have a ton of sock yarn, yet I have such a difficult time resisting its charms. When I get the yarn for the MoMo Cardi, I will almost definitely pick up some grey sock yarn to make some more Stevie socks. I just can't help myself.
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Yup, I'm definitely not a Republican. And it wasn't Kimmy's tongue-in-cheek Christmas present that brought that to my attention -- though I did hiss and drop the package when I unwrapped it. Heh. No, as another reminder, we have this story on NPR, about the inaugural festivities, including a quote that made me wake up pissed off. I'm paraphrasing from memory, so I highly recommend following the link to listen to the story, but this pro-Bush organization representative said (as best I can remember):Organizations like ANSWER and Code Pink have allied themselves with the terrorists and Saddam Hussein.WTF? Jeebus, is there no end to this shit? And, not to steal your thunder, Molly, but I know that back home this is exactly the kind of shit you have to listen to all the time. [insert sound of my teeth grinding here]Labels: family
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2005-01-10
Yeah, if you're not from Dallas it sounds like crap. It's Dallas's spin on a very old ghost story... If you've never heard it before, trust me -- Randy's not making that one up. Between the Lady of the Lake and -- don't be drinking anything when you read this, Molly -- Tabitha, we had some reasonably spooky things to drag out late at night.
Interestingly enough, there is nothing on Tabitha out there. Nothing on Google got a hit. I'm surprised.
On a less spooky note, I'm done knitting the body and sleeves of my Ribby Cardi. Now I need to block and assemble.
Comments:Unfortunately, I read faster than I drink. Tabitha got me. OMG, I have not heard the Lady of Lake one in a while. Of course, in the one I remember she's supposed to be in a prom dress cause her CAR crashed in to the lake on PROM night, etc. I suppose that made it scarier for Planoites. oooooh!Post a Comment
2004-12-28
I admit it. It makes me want to move home. Especially this pic:
Molly's the redhead on the left (of course), then clockwise is Bob, JohnRoss, Melissa, and Jake. I've never even BEEN to Molly and JR's new place, but from the pics I can tell that it is worlds better than the apartment where they were before. OH, and Molly conveniently supplied a FO pic (since I didn't take one before I shipped it):
So, that's that. Finished the left front of the Ribby Cardi yesterday. I'm getting concerned that it's just going to be too damn small... but maybe after I block the crap out of it (to quote from the Ribby Cardi knit-along)...
Comments:cute xmas pic!Post a Comment
I am hot on your heels with the ribby catdi. i have the back and left front finished too. i think i did the neck decreases incorrectly though. i used a tubular cast on and ended up with enough stitches to do one size larger than i had planned, so i just went with it, and now i am glad. it seems a little small....
2004-11-11
I have not written much at all lately, and especially not about knitting. So here's my story. One: I have made some very cute socks. I now have three pairs of socks I have made for myself. Two: I am making that schmancy cabled chemo-cap from the Knitty Fall Surprise. It's hard. But Doreen is absolutely worth it. Hopefully, I can get it finished by Thanksgiving in a few weeks... but again, it's pretty hard. We'll see.
That's about it on the knitting front.
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2004-11-04
It's a long load, but DAMN it is SO worth it. Go here. But not when my nephew's around. Or MoMo will kill ya.Labels: family
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It's not just blogging I'm skipping out on right now. It's Tuesday night knitting, catching up with email and friends, basically just about everything. And I don't see it getting much easier until after Thanksgiving. Just too damn busy at work and a wee bit sick to boot, which is honing in on that working time I'm supposed to be busily utilizing.
Hopefully, I'll get to go knit on Tuesday night. I have a red hat to make for Doreen before I see her at Thanksgiving.
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2004-10-14
A very happy memory. On August 21st of this year -- a few months ago -- I went to Houston to see DMB with my aunts and Kimmy. Here's a pic from that night:That's Aunt Pat on the left, then me, Kimmy, and Aunt Doreen. They're my mother's sisters, but don't hold that against them. We drank and sang and basically had a great time at the show.
I just heard that Doreen, who has been fighting breast cancer for many many years -- maybe 10 years? -- has gotten some bad news. Sad news. And I will probably be going to Houston within the week to go see her while I can. I'll probably also be a wreck at that point, but right now, I'm still calm.Labels: family
Comments:Doreen's news is sad. Lots of thoughts and love to you and Doreen.Post a Comment
This is a great picture of y'all. I'm glad you have had the chance in recent years to make lots of happy memories with both your Aunts. =)
2004-10-07
Oh, how I love Molly Ivins. My favorite quote her most recent column:"Sometimes I get the feeling the whole country is being run by Paris Hilton."Labels: family
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2004-10-04
Knittery update. Despite working both days this weekend, I managed to complete both socks for my class tonight. Now, just to pop in the heels! After that, I'm going to start on another pair. See, the first socks I made, though I love them, are just too damn big for me. They've gone into the Christmas present pile - possibly for an uncle. And now I'm trying to make a matching (smaller) pair for his wife. Those two are just goofy enough to wear matching stripey socks. I'll take a pic this week -- maybe Wednesday -- of all the socks. Other than that, even though I have full confidence that I know how to finish my cardigan, I haven't bought buttons yet which is keeping me from working the button-holed side. So, one more side, then finishing on that. Also -- great news! MoMo found the denim baby bootie pattern I left in Dallas. She's popping it in the mail, and I'm back in business for the bootie-along.
I'm feeling much more confident about my knitting lately. Though I'm not yet doing a lot with color, I think I can handle basic stitch patterns and follow written instructions. I can knit in the round now and make socks two different ways. I can assemble finished pieces. Yes, indeed my confidence is up some now.
Jamie and I are thinking about going in together on a blocking board. Any suggestions out there? Should I just have Stevie make one out of insulation board?
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2004-08-30
Oddly enough, I came up with a way different list than Molly did, but still topped by SF. Weird.
b's top 20 places to live:
Huh. Maybe I am in the right place after all.
- San Francisco, CA
- Boston, MA-NH-ME
- Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA
- Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA
- Long Island, NY
- Oakland, CA
- San Diego, CA
- Washington, DC-MD-VA-WV
- San Jose, CA
- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
- New York, NY
- Orange County, CA
- Honolulu, HI
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Monmouth-Ocean, NJ
- Dallas, TX
- Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc, CA
- Chicago, IL
- Nashua, NH
Labels: family
2004-08-26
Grr... Sometimes, I read other people's knitting blogs. It's interesting to see what other people are working on, their FOs, etc... but at times it makes me feel all icky, too. First, I'm a competitive person (though probably not as competitive as MoMo, based upon my "teach the sister to knit" experience!) and to see people who can do such amazing things both inspires me and makes me feel sad and lame at the same time. See, I want to do cool stuff like that! I will someday, I know, but it's going to take time for me to gain more experience. Then, there's the fact that they say "I made this in a size small..." So of COURSE they can finish it much faster than I could. I'm making something like 75% more material! And, no, I'm not bashing the thin... No, I am not. Thin people -- good for you! You get a lovely shortcut in this regard, and I'm not disparaging you for it. I'm disparaging ME for it, which is completely different. <rimshot> Seriously, though. If I made a sweater for me, then the identical sweater for my sister, it would take something like two-thirds the time at most to complete hers. Feh. I guess I just feel like wallowing in self-pity today or something. That's what happens when I catch a glimpse of myself on the iSight.
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2004-08-09
I'm afraid that I was a megabitch last week. I just couldn't picture a beer cozie for the life of me, and it just came off all wrong. But now that I see the pix... Genius! Absolute genius! I cannot wait to tell their creator what genius it is! Also, if there's a pattern, maybe I can make one for Aunt Beth? I need to learn about double-points sometime...
AND I finished the baby blanket. Finished it. Completely. I have a small ball of yarn left over, so I'll have to ask Claire if she's interested in any practice yarn.
So I'm down to the lacy mohair scarf I'm working on for Shirley, my beautiful cardigan that I will finish someday (the baby blanket has given me inspiration), some baby booties for the booty-along, and I have all the yarn together for my Audrey. Unfortunately, my boobs are too big to make the Audrey yet... I need to take a little off the top before I can fit into it comfortably. Either that, or it will be so tight I'll look like a fifties movie starlet without the bombshell hair and wasp waist. So, just from a boob standpoint.
Wanna see Audrey?
I'm on the fence about whether or not to do the Audrey Knit-A-Long, though. Maybe I should. Seems there's a lot of support out there for the Audrey knitting community. <grin>
Okay, I'm starving. That's enough for tonight.
Comments:It sounds like fun!Post a Comment
Oh, if you're taking orders, those beer cozies are fantasic! Not that we'd use them for beer. But soda cans & glasses in Texas sure could use them. hint, hint. :)
You keep this up & I'm going to have to learn to knit!
2004-07-28
Oh, the horror! There's no way we can go to JR's graduation in December. It's a week earlier than we originally thought, and we can't be gone for an EXTRA week like that. I'm very very disappointed. Now, whether or not we come home for Xmas is back up in the air...
Hey, Mol! Wanna come out to the Bay Area for Xmas? I promise to be more organized this time. <nudge> I'm going to ask MoMo, too.Labels: family
Comments:It IS a lot earlier than I thought it would be. Weren't y'all planning to visit Shirley? hmmmm. We'll come up with something. I'd like to take JR on a little vacay for graduating, maybe we could meet up somewhere....course it would have to be el cheapo! =) It's something we can think about.Post a Comment
2004-07-27
Busted. I was talking with MoMo the other night about some of my WIP, and if I made something for her it would DEFINITELY be "spew-cycle" worthy, not some delicate thing. It's just her personality. MoMo is not someone who babies her things... ANY of them. I also added, "But if I made you a sweater, would you take care of it?"
MoMo: "Well, what kind of sweater?"
<silence>
MoMo: "I mean... Yes."
Damn, I was laughing about that for hours. I guess you just have to know her to think it's funny, though.Labels: family
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2004-06-24
Also I got some nifty pics of MoMo's pool this evening. Hoo-ray! Next cheap flight to DFW, I am so there.Labels: family
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2004-06-14
MoMo got the job!Labels: family
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2004-05-11
Crap. I almost forgot my father's birthday because it's been so crazy. Well, that and MoMo didn't call to remind me. I forget it every year...Labels: family
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2004-04-26
I may have to bust my ass every night this week... But I will be taking those days off when Molly gets in town!Labels: family
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2004-04-24
ALSO... MoMo did some spying for me and found out that Doreen did in fact have a hell of a time getting anyone to take her seriously when she was certain there was something wrong in her boob. So that reinforces the case that I need someone else to check my films. <sigh> I guess I'll do that in a few weeks. I can't think about it right now. I'll put it in iCal to remind me to do that in May.Labels: family
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2004-04-14
Also, I'm glad I didn't say anything to Doreen... Because she called me this morning to tell me that she's been in the hospital (ICU) for the last week! Her blood pressure dropped to nothing, high fever, the works. I felt so SO bad....Labels: family
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2004-01-16
Kimmy sent me a picture of Molly and JR from her party. I think JR and I now have the same haircut...Labels: family
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2003-12-31
Well, how did I do on my resolutions this past year? Let's see:So, on the whole, not too shabby. Not amazing, but not too shabby.
- Get money stuff taken care of. On this, I think we did okay. We don't have an improved net worth this past year, but I did buy a bassoon and get our finances all back and orderly in Quicken. The 30% debt reduction -- with moving to a more expensive place, getting our stuff shipped out, and all the other big-ticket items this year -- just didn't happen. But there's always next year.
- Get health stuff taken care of. By the end of the year, I was exercising at least three times a week -- mostly DDR, but that still counts, right? I haven't lost any weight, but I haven't really been trying, either. I have increased my fruits and veggies, thanks mostly to our Planet Organics deliveries. I took a tap class or two, but never made it to swim class. The hair never would have tolerated it.
- Enjoy what I have, and stop concentrating so much on what I don't have. You know, I think for the first time I did okay on this one. I cooked more new recipes, DID use many of the yummy bath products I've had floating around, AND got a few pedicures. I definitely played more this year than any year past, possibly ever.
- Learn some new things. Though I didn't do a single one of the "new things" that I intended to, I did learn to knit and play DDR. That's pretty good for me.
- Spend more time (even if only phone and email) with the people (and beasts) that I love. Maybe I didn't call home as much as I should have, but IM has been a boon to communication with the family. Well, with Molly anyway. I did better with the turtles, though it could still improve. And the kitties are just as rotten as ever, so that should count for something.
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2003-12-15
Something about Gingerbread Sharks just says "Christmas" to me... When we were cutting them out, I kept singing, "Buffalo Sharks, won't you come out tonight?"
Just puts me in the holiday spirit. That, and the only unshipped present is for MoMo and Jake...Labels: family
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2003-11-14
Dammit, Molly! Now I'm singing that damn song. And what's more -- I remember most of it:Trojan WomenAt least, that's how I mostly remember it. Now, what could I be doing with those brain cells if not remembering a high school project song?
They conquered Greece.
Trojan Women
They wanted peace.
Trojan Women
They wander aimlessly along the shores.
They're gonna be a bunch of whores.
Mercy!
Trojan Women
Talthybios came...
Trojan Women
... with one evil aim.
Trojan Women
<I forgot these two lines...>
Cassandra goes to Agamemnon,
'cause she interprets messages from the sun,
but she says that we're all gonna die...
We don't believe her 'cause she's insane.
<I forgot this line.> Wait a minute, here comes Andromache...
with Astyanax,
her little boy,
that we're gonna throw
off the walls of Troy.
Whoa, oh...
Trojan Women.
Labels: family
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2003-11-05
See this? It says that MoMo passed the Bar. Lemme say that again:
MoMo passed the Bar Exam!!
I am so proud.Labels: family
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2003-10-30
I spoke to my aunt Doreen this morning. She was writing up a list of who to contact in the event that something bad happens to her, and she needed my new address and home phone. She told me originally that it was for her Christmas cards, but I knew that wasn't it.Labels: family
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2003-10-08
MoMo got a house! Insurance went through, so she'll be a bonafide homeowner within a month.Labels: family
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2003-09-09
Yawn! Not much going on this evening. I ate beets. I'd never had beets before. Roasted beets, with a little butter on them. Tasted kind of like sweet corn, only without the little bits in your teeth afterwards. I recommend 'em! The Joy of Cooking is an amazing book. Plus, we used some of the lovely saffron that Molly and JR brought back for us from Spain... mmm... saffron rice...Labels: family
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2003-09-05
The friday five:
- What housekeeping chore(s) do you hate doing the most?
Cleaning the shower. It takes forever and is stinky.- Are there any that you like or don't mind doing?
Hmm... Honestly, Stevie does almost all of the cleaning these days.- Do you have a routine throughout the week or just clean as it's needed?
On the whole, we do it a little at at time. I guess our routine is the "Oh, hell! Someone's coming over! Clean up the house NOW!" routine.- Do you have any odd cleaning/housekeeping quirks or rules?
Like JR with the dishes? I don't know... I don't think so. I bet Molly knows of some quirks I have that I don't notice.- What was the last thing you cleaned?
I wiped the toothpaste residue out of the sink this morning. Does that count?Labels: family
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2003-08-05
They're staying for another day. He apologized. He asked if they could stay another day. I said, "I don't know. Are you going to be a total asshole anymore?" He promised he wouldn't. "Are you going to apologize for being such a monumental prick?" He said he had apologized. "You know, starting a sentence with the words 'I'm sorry, but...' is not an apology."
So I got my apology.
And I told him that he had never been such an asshole to me my entire life. And that he certainly had better not get the idea that it was okay to do it now. And that if he ever did it again, it could well be a relationship-ending conversation. If there was ever any question that I am MoMo's sister, it all completely disappeared that night. I could have killed him. And I told him that next time, I will not use any restraint.
He seemed to understand that (a) he had fucked up bigtime; and (b) that I meant business about him never doing it again ever.
Ironically, his stepkid went to bat for me, told him that he had completely misconstrued the circumstances that had set him off. So, not only was he an asshole, but he was an asshole for absolutely no good reason. Not that there was ever an excuse, but the one he tried to use was worthless as well.
Further, I told him that if he throws tantrums like that on any sort of regular basis, that he is damn lucky that his wife is putting up with it. That she deserves better than to have to tolerate that kind of crap. And that he is one lucky bastard that she hasn't walked away from him yet. That kind of behavior is inexcusable from a grown man.
"She's trying really hard, Michael. Don't you fuck it up."Labels: family
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2003-08-04
I've heard people say that they have two families. Their old family -- the biological one that you get stuck with -- and their new family -- the people you love and surround yourself with. Sometimes, there are intersections between these two sets, but not necessarily. I'm lucky -- I have my "new" family, which happens to include my biological sister, my aunts, my grandparents. But more even fortunately, it also includes Molly, who is as much my sister as MoMo. So, where am I going with this? The thing is, you're supposed to be stuck with the bio family, throughout it all, blood is thicker than water, all that crap. But it turns out that you're not stuck with them after all. If you love them, or have guilt or some other driving force locking you into it, and you choose to continue a relationship with them -- it's your option. No one is actually making you do it, short of the omnipresent guilt that comes with deciding that relationships -- long LONG term relationships -- should sometimes end.
I'm not saying that I'm not going to speak to them anymore; it's not that. But I'm not going to put out any effort in that direction anymore, either.
See, I love my sister(s), my nephew, my aunts, my grandparents... They love me, too. They treat me with respect, as though I am valued by them. Why should I continue to pursue relationships that are almost wholly defined by their absence of respect, support, and affection? What if they are only recently transformed into that sort of "relationship"? Do you hang on for old time's sake? I don't think I can. I'm not going to push anyone away, but in the case I'm referring to right now -- clearly NOT anyone mentioned thusfar in this post -- I'm not going to put out any more effort, either. I don't have the desire to waste my energy that way. I can put it to better use. Like "Dance, Dance, Revolution"!!Labels: family
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2003-08-01
Bar Exam Update! MoMo thinks she did okay on the test overall. The first day she did well, the third day she did well, the second day she "crashed and burned". But maybe not. It's difficult to say. We'll see how it turned out in November.Labels: family
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2003-07-30
Amazing sense of timing on that one. She called my father -- some sort of "family emergency." Well, we've called everyone in the family -- Doreen, Analine and Virginia -- and they're all fine. So, we're running out of family for that "family emergency".
On a far more pleasant note, the "Rhea and Ti-Fred's Soup KitchenTM" was splendid. What a fun time -- and what a mountain of dishes that James and Stephen worked through. Those boys are so good.Labels: family
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2003-07-28
Soup of the evening... Beautiful soup! Tomorrow, we're hosting an official "Rhea and Ti-Fred's Soup KitchenTM" at Stately Blount Manor. Jenna came over tonight and we made tomorrow's dessert and one of the soups. The menu? Tomato-lentil soup, pasta e fagioli (yummy!), and Vichyssois courtesy of Adam and Jamie. While Jenna came over here to help me out, those two were drinking Mint Juleps and cooking potatoes and leeks.
I have to admit, the spirit of cooperation is a damn fine thing.
At any rate, I am now pooped! Not too heart-fatiguey, though, which I will take as a good thing.
Speaking of being tired, my father with family in tow is enroute at this very moment... well, perhaps not. Their itinerary says they're actually in Vegas right now. The crisis at hand? My beloved Volvo station wagon -- which was so good to me -- must hate them or something. It has caused them nothing but trouble for a year. Now, there's another transmission problem that has surfaced, and they're looking to put the car in the shop while staying here. Did I mention that they're arriving on Friday and are staying until Tuesday? That's a long visit, and I'm sure we'll all be good and sick of each other by the time it's over. On top of that, I need to practice my bassoon while they're here: my next lesson is the Tuesday that they leave. Ahhh... an excuse to retire to the basement?
To be fair, I don't think it's going to be that bad. My father's stepson -- who he intermittently refuses to refer to as his stepson, though I like to remind him that he made a commitment to the kid, and that MoMo and I dragged my ass cross-country to watch him do it -- may be so tired of being around the two of them that he's a holy terror... or, he might be on his best behavior. Maybe. I'm definitely keeping my fingers crossed for "good behavior".Labels: family
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2003-07-24
Stats on the blogs are pretty damn funny. For example, last night someone Googled for "bethanye molly", and came up with one of my old blogs. Someone else Googled "kindergarden roundup" and came up with this from Molly's archives. Another avid Googler got this from "snake holding breath under water". And that's just in the last week!Labels: family
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2003-07-21
People shake their heads in disbelief... I actually had someone point at me at the airport yesterday. WTF was up with that? HELL-OOO, loser-man! I can SEE you doing that!
It is nice to be back in the land where they aircondition outside, I have to admit that. Also, I think that Kla-Zaa puts barbituates in their cheese, because Molly and I were tranq'ed after pigging out there. Ahh, Kla-Zaa....Labels: family
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2003-07-12
Thanks to the mention in Molly's blog, I found this, which at this exact moment contains the story that Chuck submitted to the McKinney paper. I'm pretty sure he's contracting -- which is why it says "special to the courier-gazette" in his byline.
And now, before I scurry away to catch the new zombie movie, I have to fess up about something. It's about the "dinner party" Stevie and I hosted Thursday night... See, I drank a lot of wine at this party. Adam guesses that I had about an entire bottle to myself. This, given my low tolerance for alcohol, is not a good thing. After everyone left (except Jenna, who crashed on the couch), I threw up. And I didn't quite make it to the bathroom. Stevie said that if he didn't know what had happened, he would have thought I was shot in the head. OUCH!! It reminded me of the dinner party we had years and years ago -- at the old apartment -- where Mol yakked up after she got home and thought she was bleeding from her stomach. Just the red wine. <shudder> I don't think I'm going to do that again for a LONG time. I had to take Friday off from work I was so sick. It was bad. Stevie brought me jello and water and by 5 or 6 last night I was finally up and around again. It was freaking terrible. I have no intention of getting that trashed ever again... Of course, I didn't set out to get that messed up on Thursday.
Technicolor yawns aside, it was really nice. The only thing missing was Molly. Maybe that's why I got so fucked up? Naahhh... I got so fucked up because I wasn't paying attention to how much I drank. I guess we all have to do that occasionally so we remember why we practice moderation in the first place.
Off to the movie. Maybe I'll post a review later.Labels: family
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2003-07-06
Happy birthday, Molly! And happy 7th anniversary to us!Labels: family
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2003-06-28
Oh, my dear $deity. This is probably the worst headline I have ever read in my life. No, I'm not trolling the soccer pages, but it was sent to me.
On a MUCH brighter side, I heard from the former landlord this morning and she has managed to get a tenant for JULY! That means we get our last month's rent AND our deposit (~ one month's rent) back in a few weeks. That will far more than offset the cost of my little DMB trip to Dallas in July -- even with buying tickets for everyone to the concert. Plus, I might be able to swing the hotel for the aunts. Wouldn't that be nice?Labels: family
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2003-06-15
First off: Since Molly referenced the "Speed Racer" dream in her blog, the ads are now showing car racing schools at the top. I should just spring for the $10 to get rid of those ads... In other news, I had the "ohmygodi'mbackinhighschoolandit'sfinalsandidon'tknowmyschedule" dream. Again. I have it something like once or twice a month. This one was full of appearances by former classmates: AJ, LarryJames, Lan, Heather Fitzgerald, Amy Mayo... Lots of them. Kind of crazy how much detail there was. And, of course, I not only didn't know my schedule but I also had managed to skip the class for all but maybe the first week of the semester. My chances of passing the class were not good. But on I went, looking for the class, taking the test. I usually wake up about the time the tests are passed out. I guess it's the equivalent of hitting bottom in a falling dream.Labels: family
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2003-05-29
I had to get this dream down before I go to work. This morning -- between 6 and 7:30 AM -- I had another way freaky dream. This one, Chuck decided to try to make amends to Molly by organizing a surprise birthday party for her... in San Francisco. In the Haight (which I've not been to yet, so I'm sure it has no resemblence to the dream). At any rate, everyone shows up in this parking lot, except we didn't get called to go until 5 minutes before we had to go: "Molly needs you right now. Go to this address in SF." So I have my PJ's on, no bra, no shoes, and we head off. When we get there, there's 30 or so people in this parking lot, then Molly and JR show up and Molly's all weepy and happy that everyone's there. Then, it comes out that like everything that Chuck organizes, he never planned anything for all those people to actually do or anywhere for them to go. This makes for a somewhat antsy crowd after hugs all around. I was starving, so I convinced Stephen to take me to McDonald's (??) to get some breakfast, and many of the group including Molly came along. I went upstairs (?? I guess that's a SF McDonald's for you.) to tell Stevie what I wanted, and the counter lady started giving me shit about not wearing any shoes before she kicked me out. I went downstairs to the seating area where everyone else was, and Dale Dawson (late for the party) walked in. Hugs and greetings, then he showed me the "invitation" he had received. It was two "print-out" pages, including the large map that took up half of one page, explaining that it was Molly's birthday blah blah blah... I took Dale over to meet everyone, then I woke up.
Freaky, eh?Labels: family
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2003-05-21
Didn't make it to the musical, but it's been an eventful trip nonetheless... I'm sitting on Molly and JR's couch, finishing off a fudgcicle -- YUM! -- and uploading pictures to my iDisk. It crashed my PB once, so we'll see how it goes this time. Big plans this evening consist of a second viewing of Matrix Reloaded and a trip to the airport, where we'll stay in a hotel this evening. Then the return trip tomorrow around noon, barring any major terrorist or weather delays.Labels: family
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2003-04-21
At least it's "righteous" debt. We can't get a house right now because I cosigned MoMo's student loans, and it won't fall off my credit for 2.5-3 years. So, we wait.Labels: family
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2003-03-26
Red is getting everywhere... It's on my hands, for example, and I don't remember touching my hair. I'm bringing a pillowcase and towel on our trip, so that I don't ruin any of Molly and JR's stuff. Maybe I should bring a pillow, too...Labels: family
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2003-03-22
A few things:
1 - I just tried Safari, and I think it sucks ass. On our iMac, it was very slow. So, it's back to Camino for me!
2 - Stevie's all puny. He's resting.
3 - Talked to Doreen, and she sounds good. A little stoned, probably from the pain medication, but good overall. Amazing, isn't it? She had brain surgery on Tuesday, and went home on Friday. Modern medicine sure is something...Labels: family
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2003-03-17
Tomorrow morning, my aunt has brain surgery. I don't know how dangerous it is, because no one's given me odds. She's very upbeat, and in good spirits.
But I'm scared.Labels: family
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2003-03-07
Updates! I'm no longer sick, though I was a tad puny yesterday. Karen and James's car was recovered yesterday morning, unscathed. I gotta get that girl a "Club". The new iMac came earlier this week, and Stevie likes it a lot. He's applied to school at a local community college, but no word back on that. My tax return is a WEEK LATE, and I'm hoping that I didn't do anything wrong on it. They were complicated this year, no doubt. I'm not worried about being told that we owe them money, because we had such a huge refund coming, but I am wondering when we'll get that money from them. I was planning to use some of it to pay for our trip home in May. PLUS, I might need some of it to visit Doreen after her surgery on 17 March.Labels: family
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2003-03-04
Home sick today. I think I'm much better now. I was all snotty (in a sinus-y way, not a personality way) last night, so I decided to take some decongestant. Big mistake. I just can't tolerate the pseudoephedrine in the normal "take-as-directed" dosage. Not only did I wake up (well, I kind of woke up) with a very sore throat, I was totally convinced it was strep. Then, I drifted back into some of the most fucked-up dreams I have had in a long time. Including one where Karen, Molly, and I were at this big coliseum filled with people, and we were there for literally hundreds of years. OH, and Molly only spoke Portuguese, which made things more difficult on the two of us. We had these fabulous big flowy clothes, too, in rich satins. Iridescent and very theatrical, but we were in the audience, so far from the stage in the center we couldn't tell what was going on. The audience changed over time - peasants, wealthy, middlin'. By a few hundred years in, with people coming and going, we were totally on each others' nerves, Portuguese and all. THEN, for some reason, it was the end of the world. Not in a Revelations way, just the end. And we just died there, still bickering, not afraid at all.Labels: family
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2003-02-18
Do you think that some people only have a finite amount of love in them? And that those people can only love (or really like, or even just enjoy) only so many things simultaneously? If someone like that hears a new song that they enjoy, does another get popped off the "like" stack?
I'd hate to be like that.
On a completely unrelated note, I bought tickets for me and Stevie to go home in May for MoMo's graduation. We'll be there for a week-ish, and then there's the lovely Memorial Day weekend to recover upon return. Whew!
On a slightly related note, I found some old pictures last night, including one of me at Matt C's wedding. I looked pretty good. Not skinny, but certainly a healthy weight. I think I'll make that my goal weight. It's not outrageous, like wanting to be the same size I was in high school.Labels: family
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2003-01-28
Sigh. So my father did finally call last night...
<beat>
... to ask me when my birthday was!
He also asked about MoMo and Jake, which is when I told him that he had fucked up bad. Not yelling at him -- though I wanted to, I know that MoMo wouldn't have wanted that. Just that he asked when Jake's birthday is, and I said, "Oh, you just missed your only grandson's birthday. It was the 12th." I tried not to be too venomous, but it was just indefensible. And he didn't even apologize -- just made excuses. They're probably absolutely reasonable excuses, too. He's been working like crazy, for example. But I just want to smack him upside the head.
You don't have a relationship with someone -- anyone -- because you think you do. It doesn't just happen. It requires consideration and a little bit of effort. By saying, "Oh, well, I had to work." without even an apology suggests that such a slight is completely fine. It isn't. He's already missed most of our lives because he's a workaholic. Now he's missing Jacob's, too, and I just don't find that acceptable.Labels: family
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2003-01-27
Well wishers everywhere! Emails from many Xinetians, yummy cake, more emails from dear friends, Bill and Dale's rendition of "Happy Birthday" on speakerphone, plus calls from Marianna and MoMo (and Jake). And all of that before 3:30. Tonight is the ritual watching of Teenagers from Outer Space and a homey meal. Then the glorious guilty pleasure of Joe Millionaire. Heh-heh.Labels: family
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2003-01-22
Oh, hell! I'm almost thirty! I'll have to come up with something else to put in the sidebar after next week!
My doting (read:"sucks at relationships") father seems to have forgotten Jacob's birthday. Yup, that's right. His only grandchild. Well, MoMo called me earlier and in fact Jake got a card from him today. That's right, just today. TEN days late. He could have walked the damn thing over - it's just a few miles away. I want to find a way that this isn't a total screw up on his part, and I just can't. This is a major fuck-up.
On a related note, I did get a present from father+wife the other day. Some pretty glass pieces, can't complain about them. What I CAN complain about is the fact that my own father didn't even find the time to sign my damn card. Brenda did very well by me on the gift, but you'd think that he'd have a moment to sign the card!! I'm annoyed by this as well. He's too busy for his grandson - who lives just down the way. He's too busy to sign the card for me... What does this say to his kids? I'll tell you what is says to his kids! (ha-ha) It says, "You're still not particularly important to me compared to my work, and especially compared to my new life." I know he would object, and say "Oh, that's completely not true." But the way you show that you care for and enjoy being around someone (or something, like say a hobby) is by spending TIME with them. He didn't have any for us, then he had some for me for a few years, and now he doesn't have it again. He's going to have to get it together if he wants a relationship with Jake. MoMo's nothing like Anne -- she won't estrange them. But if he doesn't get with it and develop a bond with Jake, eventually it will be too late. There's no good reason for it to drag out like this. In the end, it will occur to my father one day that he has no real closeness to either his children or his grandchild(ren), and that maybe that's mostly his doing. No reason for it to come to that if he'll just spend some time with the people he purports to care so much about.
Enough of that rant. I will admit that I'm glad to be so far away from it.
Another joyous birthday announcement - not mine - has be good and riled up, too, but I'll have to go into that another time.Labels: family
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2003-01-05
Better late than never. I'm thinking about my "resolutions" for the year. Usually, I don't do these until my birthday, and this year is no exception. I'm formulating them, but I probably won't put any effort into them for a few weeks yet. That said, here goes:
-- Get money stuff taken care of.
We've pretty well slacked off in the Quicken department since we got here. Gotta get that back in shape and get things back in order. Among priorities in this department: reduce ALL debt by at least 30% (including the car), increase savings at least 300%, take at least one Motley Fool money seminar, read at least one book in the personal finance department.
-- Get health stuff taken care of.
This includes: exercise at least three times weekly; consume more fruits and veggies, preferably minimally (if at all) processed; take a swim class at the Y to improve my swimming (which is pretty pathetic now).
-- Enjoy what I have, and stop concentrating so much on what I don't have.
Listen to music more frequently; cook new recipes a couple times weekly; use all of those fabulous bath products that I have and am "saving"; pedicures!; concentrate on work the way I used to - it's just a different kind of challenging (I've had a hard time becoming self-motivated as opposed to "it's-on-fire"-motivated.); take more pictures; update this lame-ass blog frequently, just to have some indulgent narcissism; attend at least one film a month.
-- Learn some new things.
Take a math class; take a Spanish class; learn C (maybe even objective C); get my motorcycle license; try rock climbing at the climbing gym near work.
-- Spend more time (even if only phone and email) with the people (and beasts) that I love.
Call my sisters (MoMo and Molly) at least once a week each; email or call my distant friends and family -- Kimmy, Marianna, Doreen and Pat, my grandparents -- more often; be a better "mommy" to the turtles and cats - brushing the cats and giving vitamins to the turtles regularly.
WHEW! If I hit half of these, I think I'm doing great.Labels: family
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2002-12-18
Been a long time. Read Molly's blog earlier and it cracked me up, so here I am again. New hair - very red this time. Need to get a pic of it. Molly and JR are coming in less than a week - HOO-RAY!! Two Towers came out today, but we won't go to see it until tomorrow evening. The big company holiday party starts at noon on Friday, and if history serves, it will run all night. So, we decided to go on Thursday evening since we won't get anything done on Friday, anyway. I should go shopping for some dress-up accessories for the party - it's themed like crazy, and I'm not sure what is appropriate attire anymore. Maybe I'll just goth out and say it's the late 80's. Is that time-appropriate? I thought that goth was 80's and just never really died. And that's an easy one. I'll just be all gothy. Got to go shopping tonight, then!Labels: family
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2002-12-05
Stayed home sick today. Miserable headache and sore throat have now subsided, which is a relief. Mostly, I've been lying in bed, laptop on knees, trying to get some work done. I am an ultimate fan of wireless networking. Absolutely. Can't live without it now, and I wonder how I did before?
I miss home, though. I miss our friends, our house, shopping for presents with Molly and then going for coffee... I even miss the cold weather. Go figure - you'd think I would be thrilled to not have it. It's supposed to start pouring down rain (and stay pouring down rain) tonight and tomorrow into the rest of the winter. Maybe some weather will perk me up some.Labels: family
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