Must've Been the Sushi...

Oy, what a rotten few days it's been. 

Well, not totally rotten, but darned close. 

The good news is WE HAVE A PRIEST and she's starting on August 1st. So she's moved into the Vicarage and is getting settled in. 

The other news is that we've moved the office space into another building, and that's taken up --- oh, about 6 months of my life so far. But on Tuesday, I spent quite literally 10 hours at the office, finalizing the packing and helping with the movers. 

On my way in to the office, I ran into the Jewel and the Big Lots. Well, Big Lots for a large box of K-cups (yeah, I know all the pros and cons, but this one box ought to last 2 years...) and a set of shower curtain rings. Jewel for lunch. I found a sandwich (breakfast) and a small package of sushi. Don't judge me - I was in a hurry, and it was better than junk food. 

Or maybe not...

Anyway, we were running like chickens. I ate the sushi about 1-ish, and by the way, the wasabi sucked. I love wasabi. But this was some sort of processed crap. I should never have put it on the sushi in the first place. It was California roll - I'm not all that adventurous (though I suppose buying sushi at the Jewel would be adventure enough). 

When our organist came by to supervise the moving of 2 pianos, Hubby started moving over the empty file cabinets, and I was finishing packing up office supplies. Movers came. We worked more. One of the parishioners was staffing the other building and so we had a tag-team going on. 

Then, we were all "hangry" -- and ended up at Merichka's, a local old restaurant where we go once a year. I ordered what I always order: a poorboy sandwich with American cheese, a salad and a double-baked potato. I usually eat half of it and bring the rest home, which I did. 

Came home, relaxed, went to bed. 

Till 3 a.m. Tummy was rumbling in that "way" where you know there's going to be trouble, so I staggered up and did what needed to be done. Went back to sleep only to have the same tune being played at 4 a.m. Mind you, I hadn't gotten to sleep till midnight, because my entire body felt like it had been run over by a moving truck!

At 5-ish, Hubby wakes me up, and all I can say to him is, "I want to die." My head was full of snot, my bowels were going nuts, and my stomach was turning. The nose, I think, was moving dust. Can't quite pinpoint what the tummy/bowel thing was. 

Did my a.m. routine, but didn't feel even like drinking my tea. I drank about half, hoisted myself to the shower, and got dressed. Brushed my teeth, got ready to leave, then BOLTED back to the bathroom, over Tippi, to get rid of whatever was left in my stomach. 

That's not how you want your Wednesday to start. I was a bit sick all morning, but some chicken soup at work, and I feel a bit better. Still dicey tummy, but I think everything will stay where it's supposed to stay...Lord willing. 

Over-Knitting Is a Thing...

Tonight, I started to work on the gusset of the Green Sock. I had been avoiding knitting for a few days because with all the packing and such, my hands were killing me. 

They still are. I think I over-knitted. As in, not that I knitted for hours straight, but I've been knitting a lot and my hands weren't used to it. 

Over-knitting can be remedied easily: stop knitting for a while. And I wear a Tommy Copper hand glove that provides some compression. Sometimes, you have to resort to aspirin or another NSAID, but usually, stopping the knitting works the best. 

And of course, that also means, for me, no guitar -- not that I've had time to practice a lot lately. 

But I was on a roll with not only the scarf (sausage roll) but the socks, so "not knitting" is a sorry option. If I want to complete my other projects, including perhaps some Christmas knitting, I need to take care of the hand now. Otherwise, it's going to get worse. 

But it is what it is, and if I can take care of my hands now, it'll be better in the long run. 

Crimes Against Potica...

So when I was in the Jewel (see above), I saw this on the counter. This -- this piece of muck thing purports to be potica (pronounced po-TEETZ-ah), the nut roll of my people. Baked by an Italian bakery. 

Sorry if this sounds offensive, and it is: Italians can't do potica. Never could. They do things like fill it with raisins and chocolate. That is not potica. Germans can't do it either. Yellow raisins are not appropriate filling. Nor is "flavored" potica. I used to get into quite a discussion with this woman who insisted that she was making "raspberry" or "blueberry" or "prune" potica. 

Hold the phone, lady...You're making danish or strudel. Not potica. It doesn't do fruit flavors. 

Of course, there are several different recipes. Each family has their own and they're not famous for sharing. In fact, I won't share mine. You have to "marry in" to get the recipe. 

And I don't compete with others' grannies' recipes. My granny gave me my recipe and I respect that your granny may have given you yours. 

Just that mine is the best. That's all. 

I actually have certifiable evidence that this is so. My guitar teacher is of Polish descent, and I gave him some for Christmas. I knew he made or had family who made it, so it was kind of a risk. But -- as he tasted it, he said, "It's almost as good as my grandma's."

You have to understand Potica Wars. That is actually a great compliment. And I was tickled. 

And here's the other thing. It's July, right? 

Even my guitar teacher agrees: Potica is a holiday thing. Christmas and Easter. Thanksgiving only if you're lucky. The only other time would be for a wedding. 

This made me chuckle and feel sorry for those who don't have access to home-baked potica. 

Random Picture...

A while ago, I was invited to do a "black & white challenge" on FB. Mind you, I'd love to do another - especially with all the sturm und drang on FB lately! 

This is one of my favorites. My old birdbath, when the solar bubbler worked. It was a gorgeous color picture, and I think the B & W made it look even more interesting. 

I would love to have another bubbler, because I think it's better for the birdbaths, and also keeps the mosquitoes down. But we have a large maple tree and it lets fly with the little whirly birds and there's tree fluff and all kinds of trash - which clogged the bubbler. The solar panel also didn't work well when the sun turned and we lost light (obviously, right?) so we may need to look into some sort of electric apparatus. 

I love the sound of water. I'm still working on getting a fountain in the front yard somehow. I'm a little irritated at the place I was going to get it from: I'd done a "Yoga in the Garden" program for them for 3 years, and they up and replaced me - without letting me know, and after I'd called them to get dates for this year. 

Turns out it was probably a good idea what with all the church stuff, but still...Loyalty, anyone? I'd have been just fine if they'd said, "Hey, we're going to go in another direction." But they just never called. A student of mine saw it in their newsletter and got all excited, thinking I'd managed to get in touch with them. That sort of thing is just uncool. 

Anyway, now my hand is objecting to typing, so it's off to bed for me. Hopefully, to sleep and not to dream... or run to the bathroom in the wee hours!

It's Meant to be a Scarf...

...not a sausage roll. 

Hmmmm. Gotta figure out what's going on with this. I'm kind of a tight knitter, so I'm wondering if I'm pulling in my K3 border too much. I mean, I'm going to block it, but I hope it holds the blocking. It is superwash...

It was fine last night. But lately, all it wants to do is curl up as I add rows. I've only seen that on scarves where I really wanted the curl. This is just really, really odd. 

But I'll keep on. It's to the point where I'm sailing through the 12-row repeat and it's easy enough to work with. For the 28-stitch scarf, you really only do 2 repeats per row. And the purl row kind of sails by at this width. 

I thought it was going to be more chunky, but it seems like this may be a very long scarf. Which works for me. I like to swirl them around my neck and drape them down. I prefer not to knot if I don't have to. 

WRONG!

Oh, and I fixed a heel that I'd screwed up. Sitting and knitting at Hubby's colonoscopy - I thought something was wrong, and yep. 

It was. 

Fixed and Turned

Somehow, my brain, on overdrive, or lack of sleep, or stress  -  or all three -- completely forgot how to turn a heel on a sock that's essentially a woman's large: 72 stitches cast on. I forgot that you end on a RS row, and then you have to purl the next one. My instructions said "knit." Not so... 

I hated picking this out. But I got it as close as I could do it. They're for me, so I don't care if the heel is a bit wonky. However, it's not, really. The knitting fairies were good to me this time. 

I was tempted to keep on going with the sock, but I'm really torn between these two projects. Tomorrow, I think, I'm going to block the Close to You Shawl. 

It's all progress!!

Prison Clean-Up, Round Two...

Today, in spite of the rain, we went out to the prison again and I took a number of shots. I was very fortunate to get a personal tour of the "guts" of the prison - one of the cell blocks I hadn't been in. We talked about the upcoming "Great Prison Break-In" and how the tours were going to go. 

Yes, it's still my intention to give tours one day. 

I'll spare you the 200+ pictures I took. Suffice to say that we got into some spaces that are definitely not ready for prime time! 

And I met the feral kittens, Joliet Jake and Elwood. I also managed to find, completely by accident, where Mamma Kitty is. She wasn't thrilled with me, as I was poking around the far cell block, and she'd taken refuge under a concrete slab and staircase. 

This picture is one of the cells in the basement. They were different; they weren't barred doors, but solid metal doors. But with bunks in them? They can't be "solitary" but in the basement, they're certainly the worst of the worst. 

Look at the placement of the bunks and the layout of the rest of the cell. The "mirror" is a stainless steel plate, the commode/sink are screwed to the wall, and the "desk" and chair are not able to be moved either. 

There's a window in the door. But there's also a steel plate that you could slam shut over the window. I can't even think of it. 

I can't even imagine. If you were attempting to "rehab" a person, you certainly wouldn't use this space in which to keep them for hours on end. 

You'll be proud of me. This time, I wore a mask when I was in the buildings. I figured that  it did look dorky, but I'd escape "Prison Crud" this time around. 

This is one of the original fireplaces. Vandals, unfortunately, have trashed most of them. I can't imagine how this one and one other actually escaped, but I'm grateful that they did. Of course, this would have had a mirror up on top there. If they weren't broken, then the volunteers and museum folks took them down. 

The other intact fireplace has marble pillars alongside the hearth. 

The prison is kind of unique in many respects. Not only did I walk through the cells, but these fireplaces are in the "living quarters." 

You definitely get a sense of a family energy in these spaces. Yes, you understand the bars on the windows, but a family lived there. Kids played in some of those rooms. I saw the quarters where the cook lived, and saw a kitchen.

I also saw some rooms which we totally didn't understand. I mean, it was like they took a large room and made random spaces with drywall. No idea how that came about, and no idea what they could've been used for. 

In other spaces, you saw chalkboards and classroom paraphernalia, but in these? Nothing but carpeting and walls. Not a hint - no furniture, no items left that might give us a hint. Kind of a cool mystery. 

I got a better shot of the stairway leading up to the cell blocks. This is all iron work. With wood on top, obviously. 

A couple of the stairwells are not in great shape, and they've taped them off. That's what I mean by the tours being mainly a "quick overview" and sidewalks for the most part. Many of the spaces are just too hazardous for people to be in. 

We went to take a staircase up another floor, and I had to stop my guide, because 3 steps up, and the step was bowing under his weight. Not that he's huge, but the risers (the flat part that goes between each step) are rotted in a lot of the places, and you really can't see the rot for the crud. 

In fact, in one spot, they call it "The Collapse" and I was urged to "not get too close to the edge"... Seems that there was a leaking water pipe, and the city offered to go in and fix it. 

The state, in its not-so-infinite wisdom? Declined. And a whole whack of building fell in on itself. 

So now, the state has allowed the city to buy and rehab the building - after a good 2/3 of it is in ruins. Go figure. 

Random Picture...

This is one of my favorite Colorado pictures. It was taken at the Red Rock Open Space, and I happened to look back and see it as we were leaving. 

I still want to fiddle with this in PhotoShop - I think I can push up the contrast a bit, and maybe change it to sepia or black & white for added drama. 

It was just a great shot, even with my crummy cell phone camera. 

I still think about that trip. "Of course," you'll say. "It was your vacation!" But it was more than that. I think that visiting The Kid and seeing him doing what he needs to do has helped. I still worry; he's a craftsman - they don't usually have great retirement plans! But that's my path, not his. I have to let it go and I have to let him go and do his thing. 

I'm a mom. I worry. That's the way of it, and that's the way it'll always be. 

Nothing will ever change that, I suppose. 

So This Jumped On the Needles...

I cast on a lovely bit of something. Using Rembrandt Yarns "Precious Metals" in a worsted weight - 100% superwash Merino, to be exact. I got this "by mistake" and Sandy at Rembrandt was gracious enough to let me keep it when she sent me the yarn I'd ordered - same color, but in sock weight. 

The sock weight is destined for a shawlette. And this? I wasn't sure what to do with it, but I found this lovely "grapevine lace" pattern (free on Ravelry) and there it was!! It takes about 100 grams, which is what I have. And if I need to cut it short, it's a nice enough scarf pattern that it doesn't matter if I don't finish the repeats. 

I can't wait to see how it blocks out. You would have to block this - I've pulled on it and it's a beautiful lace. It'll really pop in this yarn once I've blocked it a bit. 


They look like cables, don't they? Nope. Not a single cable. Just a 12-row repeat of a lace pattern that "wanders" a bit. If you're not freaked out about not always having the same amount of stitches on the needles, you'll be fine. And I don't roll that way. 

Read the pattern. Knit the pattern. Don't freak out. There you go. The pattern appears to be well-written, and the designer is very careful to tell you: "Don't. Freak. Out." All will be well if you just sit and follow her directions. 

I made this in the narrowest width because I do only have the one hank. I wasn't risking "yarn chicken" one more time. 

I figure that I'll try this again with another yarn, maybe more drapey - and perhaps look at making it a stole for a priest. 

Wouldn't that be stunning? I think so. 

Or maybe, if I have a couple balls of something lovely, I'd make a wider scarf. If I can knock this one out kind of quickly, this might make a fantastic Christmas gift for J - Kid #1's girlfriend. I may have to fiddle around to see what's in the stash. 

I know I have a lot of "onesies" -- and that's kind of a problem. If I don't know directly what I'm knitting, I'll buy one - figuring a shawlette is always a good choice. But if I want to do something more substantial? I'll need at least 2. 

I'm thinking about something else... Maybe beads? Maybe a solid so that the colors pop. Or something with a sheen to it? That metallic yarn that I saw in the Joann's would be nice. Just enough sparkle to give it some zing, but also washable. 

Of course, with this being superwash, it's not a problem to wash it. But for those folks who are "knit-worthy with qualifications" I'm always cognizant. And the "qualification" is (a) how closely they're related to me; (b) will they appreciate it; and (c) can they care for it? 

I remember my friend MaryEllen - she knitted a layette for her first grandchild out of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino - a blend of cashmere and merino, which, by the way, is exquisite!

And her DIL, for whatever reason, WASHED it. Yup. Washed it. Whether or not it was to spite her or out of ignorance, I'm not sure. But MaryEllen usually included a "care card" in everything she knitted, so I can't believe it was ignorance. 

That's what I mean by "knit-worthy." 

How My Garden Grows...

We have garden bounty, so to speak, and caterpillars survived the spraying. Did I tell you that I plucked three caterpillars and brought them into the house overnight? Unfortunately, the smallest one didn't survive. But two biggish ones did, and Hubby released them into the dill after the city sprayed for mosquitoes. I saw another small one on what's left of the parsley, and I hope it makes it to the dill. 

If we cross our fingers, we may have swallowtails later on in the summer. I'm not sure if they'll be the yellow ones or the black ones. I had a black one fluttering around for a couple of days - may have been the mom, laying the eggs. 

We have lots of the cherry tomatoes on the vines; these are the first 3 that ripened. Yes, they were delicious!

The lettuce needs to be plucked again. We gave a big batch to my brother. I still have a bunch left. I hope that the nubs grow back. The guy at East Side Garden Center said they would. 

The radishes may need a re-plant. We'll take care of those this weekend and see what we have. The strawberries are taking their time; they're also small-ish. Tangy and delicious, but small. 

I think we planted judiciously this year. We won't waste anything, and we'll enjoy the carrots when they ripen in the fall. 

And Then There Was One...

The Keppra Chronicles will end. Tonight is my last one. After over 20 years on this medication, I'm finally weaned off it. 

Today, I woke up with a slight migraine, but other conditions have brought this on. I seem to have a "hitch in my git-along" on the left side. My chiro says it's muscular, though he confesses, "Wow - for someone to pull their IT band? That's different." 

So I haven't been sleeping well. Which is probably why I had a slight headache this morning. Popped an Excedrin Migraine and it was ok. 

If only, now, my tummy would behave itself! Had some icky tummy over the past few days - bad enough to cancel my two yoga classes. Which you know is a big deal... 

Hopefully, it'll be over with shortly - it's like I'm having "sympathy pangs" with Hubby's colonoscopy prep. Heaven forbid!!!

I'm now down to 2 prescriptions, and I'm hoping to knock one down in dosage a bit - we'll see what the cardiologist says. 

I'm not anti-medication. By all means, prescription medications have their place. But look - if I hadn't talked to my neurologist, then this Keppra -- this VERY expensive medication - would've been in my system for another decade at least. At $2500 per refill? We would end up not being able to afford that. And that's after we've met our deductible. The insurance company makes us pay a "premium" since I can't take the generic. Which isn't my fault - the generic didn't work for me. So even though we pay insanely high premiums, we had to pay a "bonus" payment for this. 

I'm glad it helped with my migraines. But I'm glad I'm done with it. 

High Crimes & Misdemeanors...

You know this phrase, but you may not know what it means. It was behavior last ascribed to Bill Clinton. The infamous Lewinsky matter... 

But now? It should be applied to the current administration(?) for its repeated abuse of power and collusion with Russia. 

Initially, the phrase was "treason or bribery," but it was changed in the Constitution by George Mason - funny enough because Mr. Mason wouldn't sign the document! Anyway, Mr. Mason was the reason that the phrase reads: "treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors" because Mr. Mason didn't think "treason and bribery" covered it. Mr. Mason was worried that "treason or bribery" weren't enough for removing a president who began to display dictatorial tendencies. 

So let's list them: Crying "fake news" at every turn, saying everyone is out to get him, saying that he wishes "his people" would treat him like Kim Jong Un's "people" treat him. Cashing in on various investments he should have divested himself of (come on - we pay BILLIONS for those golf outings in Florida and he's there virtually every weekend). We can skip the tendency to lie on each inhale and exhale. That's unfortunately his personality. 

Let's go to trashing our allies. That's a good one. I don't mind if a person's a boor. That happens. But to stir up racism, xenophobia, hatred...to stir people into violence is just not presidential behavior. 

Unfortunately, according to some experts, perjury and obstruction of justice aren't impeachable offenses, as they don't rise to "high crimes and misdemeanors." 

It remains to be seen how all of this will play out. But something's gotta give. We as a country can't take much more of the deliberate destruction of our culture and our infrastructure. 

Random Picture...

From my class on Monday - just a sliver of moon. The moon and Venus have been dancing. The sunset was gorgeous; I'd pulled in to the cemetery to see if I could get a picture of one of the cloud formations. Unfortunately, there was a dip down, and I couldn't get the clouds. But as I was leaving, I could catch this bit of sunset. 

I think the colors are from the smoke pollution from the continued wildfires. It's a shame that such destruction is happening. And a trick of Mother Nature that it also brings such beauty elsewhere. 

A lot of us who live in Illinois often bemoan the state. If you're in a larger "citified" county, you don't really see the natural beauty. Heck, I'd love to see an eclipse, but the light pollution around where we live is horrible. We're lucky to get sunsets. 

And the super moons? Haven't seen one yet. It's either cloudy, or as in the case of the one that's coming, up, too far south for us (which, of course, we can't help). 

There are certainly beautiful areas in our state. You may have to travel a bit to see them, but if you look, you'll find them. Even in our area: we have hawks, wildflowers, many species of songbirds, rivers, and occasionally, unobstructed views of the beautiful skies. 

Beauty is at home, and sometimes, you don't see it till you've been elsewhere. 

I'm a Granny!!!

OK, pick yourself up off the floor... It's ok. Let me explain while you catch your breath...

Remember my big pot of parsley? The one I took a picture of and boasted to you about, regarding how lush it was and how beautiful and what I'd planned to do with it?

Well. Mother Nature had other plans.

The other day, I looked outside and thought, "What the heck? Did Hubby pluck the parsley?" Well, no, he didn't. I went and checked the pot and about had a heart attack. 

At first, I thought I had a flock of monarch caterpillars. Unfortunately, no. 

But I do have swallowtails!! Nine of them. Note: Checking after our morning thunderstorm, I have EIGHT... Wonder if one wandered or was dinner??? 

And the little buggers have decimated my parsley. There were even two of them fighting...if you can call it fighting, because they each wanted the same sprig. 

It was kind of cool to watch, and I filmed a little bit of "lunchtime."  (see below)

If they all survive (and the survival rate is pretty dismal given the number of birds who like caterpillars), we will have beautiful swallowtail butterflies. 

Hopefully, after they've finished the parsley, they'll move to the dill where they were a few years ago. This is the first time that we've had parsley in a tub, not in the netted trug. 

Who knew that they loved parsley? Apparently, they eat it, rue, and a number of other things. Including carrot tops, too. Maybe I can convince Hubby to move them to the back with the carrots? Hmmmmmm. 

Our town will be spraying for mosquitoes; it's the second time, and frankly, I'm stunned that I have these guys - because they sprayed  about a week ago, and I had no idea that the eggs were there. I guess that's why you have to wash your herbs before you eat them?? Urgh. Just the idea of eating butterfly eggs...

Ahem. Anyway. They're spraying so I have to get Hubby to move the pot to the tool shed, cover it anyway, and then cover the existing milkweed and dill. With tarps. Even if I could get them to stop spraying, the drift from other yards would impact what I have already in the garden. 

Lunchtime video

I wish I could actually cover the entire garden -- I've got a huge patch of Brown-eyed Susan, phlox, butterfly bush, two kinds of bee balm - and they're scattered through the front yard. I'd literally have to cover the entire lawn area... I'm pretty sure that won't go over well with Hubby, even if we had the tarps to do it. 

I'm not one of those who'll actually take the caterpillars inside and raise them. I'm not sure that's always a good idea, and we don't have the room anyway. I know, the butterflies are in trouble. But I'm already providing a garden for them. At some point, I have to acknowledge the stats and survival rate. Besides which, I honestly don't have time to learn how to successfully raise them. 

On the Monarch group I participate in, they're really going whole-hog. They have enclosures, they have rooms set aside to raise them, and they are - to me - obsessed. And that's cool. Monarchs ARE having trouble. But I can't do that. I really don't think it's in me to do it, and at this point, I certainly don't think I have the time/money and even milkweed stock to invest in this kind of venture. And I don't think I want to anyway. 

Not my picture...Mature swallowtail

I do sound a bit like, "Well, I have a black friend..." don't I? I don't really mean to sound that way - like I'm rationalizing spurious behavior and excusing myself. I am trying to be more realistic about what I can and can't do. I've had some trouble with boundaries, and I have an awful time with the word "No." As a complete sentence, I mean. 

I'm trying to rectify that. It's not easy. And unfortunately, the swallowtails will have to be the first to "go." I mean, if they all make it - WOW! I have a reasonable expectation that at least one or two will. So that's what it is. 

Knitting Goes On...

I'm on the heel flap of the Green Sock. Trying to move along, and it's going ok. I'm going to push myself to actually complete the pair. 

Then work on the Sole to Sole, which I found in my office. I frogged that one, if you remember. I have Sock #1 - just need to finish that one. As I go on, I'm going to try to get the "singletons" wedged in between other projects. I've really got to get them under control; there are only 2 singletons, but if I keep on that way, I'll have more singles than pairs. Defeats the purpose of wearing my own socks, doesn't it?

I've been trolling Ravelry for a few new ideas, and I have a bunch of stuff in my library: socks, shawls, shawlettes, and hats mainly. 

I think I want to finish the February Lady Sweater first to see if I ever want to do another sweater. I'd also like to do a simple tee - whether it's as a layer or as the thing I'd wear with a skirt or a pair of pants. I haven't decided; but mainly, I haven't found a simple one that doesn't look like it would bore me to tears half way up the body!

What I found last night, to use with this lovely Rembrandt Yarns "Precious Metals" worsted weight is the ultimate in simplicity. But maybe not. It's a pattern called "Grapevine Lace Scarf." 

Yep. A scarf. This is a limited edition color of 218 yards. (Thanks, I've learned that lesson from the Close to You Shawl...) I chose a pattern specifically for under 218 yards - looks like the scarf pattern takes 210 or so. That gives me 8 yards to either cast off, or squish in a few more rows, if I can do it. 

I also have this in sock yarn, which WILL be a shawlette - but I have more yardage in that one. Actually, Rembrandt Yarns was what I used for my first Close to You, so while I love it, and while it seems to look different in every yarn it's made with, I'm going to do something different with this colorway. Not sure what, yet. But it'll happen. 

If you're interested in this yarn, Sandy's at the Indiana State Fair in August, so she's gearing up for that. But check her out on Facebook and if you're in the area, go see her! 

Random Picture...

"Honey, someone broke the elkhound again..." 

Quinn, while still terrified of the fireworks that people continue to blow off (enough, already - it's half-way through July and we're all over it), does have her moments when she's her lovable goofball self. 

I missed the part of this when her rear end was actually closer to Hubby's elbow, as she managed to worm her way down sideways for a belly rub. 

I'm hoping that she calms down; I'm hoping her backside heals from the latest cyst/hotspot. I want her out of her thundershirt and back to being a smiling cuddle-bug doofus. 

Prison Crud & It's Done...

So I've got a touch of "prison crud" going and I'm hoping it resolves itself soon. 

Let me explain...

Old Collins St. Prison

We have an old prison in town; it's been shut down for over a decade, and deteriorating like crazy. Squatters, vandals, the odd kids out for a thrill...the place is a wreck. I was in there about 8 years ago for a special tour. 

Promptly got sick and landed in the hospital. Prison crud. 

Coughing, scratchy throat and eyes. Feeling of "crud" in your chest. And blowing your nose like crazy. At least that's my version of "prison crud." 

So the city bought it from the state and is turning it into a museum. It's been used in "The Blues Brothers," and in the series, "Prison Break" so there's a lot of modern recognition. 

Cellblock 

And in spite of "prison crud," I'm going back as a volunteer to help clean it up. The release form would (or should) scare the crap out of you because you're basically letting the city and state off if you contract anything from rodents, radon, spiders, poisons, asbestos, fiberglass, rust, falling debris, and "any and all" other crappy things that can happen. Or as the supervisor last week said, "Pretty much anything in here will kill you - or at least severely hurt you." 

No joke. Between the poison ivy, the buildings decimated by fire, the mold, the asbestos, the (probably) lead-based paint peeling off the walls...add in some structural instability in parts? Yep, it's an adventure. Oh, and don't forget broken glass all over the place. And razor wire. And the fact that, if you're stupid enough (and people have been) and think you're being funny, you go into a cell (which may or may not have been occupied by a vagrant -- at least it was mostly dry and secure), and slam the door. And you're locked in. Just wait for someone to come, with a bolt cutter, to get you out. 

It's going to be a great museum, once it's done. But it'll be done in stages. Unless some money-fairy barfs a big wad of $$$ on us! Which won't happen. But the buzz is out there, and if they open building by building, it'll keep it in the news. 

Razor wire

I was able to take pictures, which the Historical Society may want to use; either in an exhibit or as documentation of what was and how it will have changed. Then, I got to really work; I ended up in the front garden to do clean-up and spent about 3 hours there. Then we moved to the back to one of the buildings, the Commissary, to clean up for the street sweepers to come through. 

In the front, they asked us to "weed around and clean up." Well - there was razor wire. Galore! We were obviously not going to get very far there, and they're eventually going to get some of the folks in the trades to take care of this kind of thing. Volunteers are enthusiastic, but we're not equipped to do some of this stuff. 

I felt kind of bad removing the thistle plants. I know that butterflies and bees love them, but really - the vegetation is out of control. We tossed a bunch of stuff into a vacant spot and called it "The Compost Heap." Historically, the spot we chose WAS a garden in the way-back time. It just seemed more logical than to fill up trash bags and cans with stuff that really could "recycle" itself. We did sweep up glass and bits of stray metal, but that's understandable. 

Double occupancy

This is a double cell. If you notice the slight brown markings along the white tile, this would be where a set of bunk beds would be. Most of the cells in the cellblock we were in were "doubles." I was in one building with "singles," but for the most part, they doubled them up. In one part of the cellblock, there was evidence that someone had been sleeping there. It makes you think that someone has to be incredibly desperate to want to sleep in a decrepit old prison building, risking getting arrested for trespass, notwithstanding the health issues... 

As you may be able to visualize, the commode is actually partially blocked by where the beds would be - just enough for a modicum of privacy, but still visible. As the prisoners would have looked out, they wouldn't have seen another block of cells. This particular catwalk had cells only on one side. 

Commode

No, I wasn't tempted to step inside that double cell. I'm terribly claustrophobic, and even though I knew the guy with me wouldn't shut me in there, it wasn't something I felt comfortable doing. On the last tour I was on, the guard did suggest I step in. I politely declined - it was a solitary confinement cell - with a solid door with only a peep hole in there. Yeah, that cell was "larger," but still... Nope. 

In one of the single cells, I got a close-up of the commode assembly. You know, it looks kind of like something an airline would use in the bathrooms, given a slightly different configuration. 

I found it particularly poignant to see the carton of milk (didn't pick it up to see if it was full or not) and the books there. You kind of had to wonder about who left it like that. 

Was it a worker? Was it from the final inmate to occupy the cell? 

I mean, literally when they shut this place down, it was like everyone finished their shift and walked away. Never to return. 

Door in Warden's Quarters

Or, if you like the space-invader storyline, like everyone was lifted from their spot and just disappeared. Very creepy. 

The architecture was very much "of the time" for the older buildings. There are some slightly modern ones, but for the main building (photo up top there), it's clearly a gothic thing. When I showed them to someone unfamiliar to the building, he commented that it was "pretty fancy" for a prison. 

Yes, it would have been. The craftsmen hired to build the place, with limestone quarried on-site, would have been expert masons, stone-cutters, plasterers, etc. They were artisans and these jobs fed their families. 

So the very fancy doors, the cove moldings, the fireplace surrounds, the walnut balusters? They were very much the fine craftsmanship of the age. 

Workroom in Machine Shop

The more modern buildings inside the wall were a combination of cinderblock and brick. Still quite substantial, of course, but much more plain and utilitarian. Not that they were trying to show off with the front building - I expect that the front was the first building, and the others came later. 

And yes, in case you're curious, I desperately want to be a docent and give tours! I'm a prison geek, I suppose. 

I took several shots in the Machine Shop. The equipment, files and office furniture are still, for the most part, there. Tools are all gone, as you can imagine. Either taken when the place closed or scavenged over the years. I'm not sure how much of this will be restored, but it will eventually all be cleaned out. 

I tried to not breathe too much, if you know what I mean. Because while some of the places didn't have exposed fixtures, over the course of weathering and time, there was a lot of mold. 

And I'm allergic to mold. Of course. 

Burned out office space

At least 3 buildings were badly burned. One of them was the records room, and it was left with just the shell of the walls. Another one had offices in it, but I wasn't able to discern what the rest of the building had in it. Maybe classrooms or places where the inmates worked. It's hard to tell, and I have to brush up on my prison lore... 

The place has stories to tell. The town is legitimately a prison town, in spite of the fact that the town, for decades, wanted to downplay it. 

Guys, you gotta go with what you have. Joliet Jake and all that... But still, there are 3 prisons in close proximity. Let's just face the fact that it's a prison town. 

While we were there, cleaning up, people were POURING in. It's on Historic Rt. 66, after all. And they weren't coming inside; there are signs all around the parking lot talking about the place. People were snapping pictures and really taking it all in. It will be cool to see how it develops. 

And the next time I volunteer, two things: I will wear a mask, I promise. And one of the supervisors will take me up into one of the turrets to get a set of panoramic shots. I just have to be careful where I step...there's a "safe" way and a way that'll make a quick exit to the bottom...

It's Done...

I got the "help me" hank of Stone Tulips, and I thank my "knitting angel" who came to the rescue. I caked it up today and finished the Close to You Shawl. I think I might've gotten into a bind with the addition of the next ball of yarn, but I hope I can block it out.**

Now, I have to figure out what to do with approximately 390-ish yards of yarn. Actually, I have 4 oz. of it, which doesn't sound like much, but think about it - yarn doesn't weigh much! I figure if I "guesstimate" about 390 yards, I'm safe. I looked for patterns for 350 yards, just to be sure. 

I did find a ruffled shawlette that I could make. I really don't want to do socks with it. The yarn has such a definite twist to it that, quite honestly, I don't think it would be comfortable on the feet. 


Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. But it's a strong feeling I have, so I'm going with it. 

I have to block it out yet, and I have to do a fairly strong blocking to make the picots stand out. When I did this shawl last time, the yarn wasn't quite as thick. It was still sock yarn, but it wasn't as dense as this.

We'll see how it takes to a blocking. I think this one will be bigger, and I think it was about 405 yards. It's kind of hard to tell. 

Usually sock yarns have a put-up (how they're sold) of about 420 yards. Ish. I've seen it at around 410 sometimes, but usually it's a tad more than 400. 

This was 400 on the nose. And I used (I really should have measured this) about maybe a yard or two? Hard to tell with a picot bind-off, because it wasn't the whole length. But I'm going to fudge it and say that I have about 390 yards left, just to be on the safe side. 

Even unblocked, I can see that this is much more substantial than the one I made. I hope the recipient likes it. Not only for the color but for the fact that it should be nice and cozy. 

It's not really a "shawl" that you'd wrap yourself in to read a book, or to keep incredibly warm on a cold day. 

This is more like a foulard or a neck-warmer. You wear it with the point down, and wrap the "wings" back and then in front. 

When I get it blocked, I'll model it for you. Or get someone to model it for me so I can take pictures. I really stink at selfies. 

After spending an inordinate amount of time on Ravelry looking for the next phase of this yarn's life, I went back to the Green Traveling Socks. 

I'm about 2 rows from the 7" leg, and I think I'll get to the heel at lunch tomorrow. It's going to be another scorcher, so I'm planning on staying in for lunch. 

Yes, we were on a kick for walking, but honestly, in the heat? It's not cool to come back to work an afternoon shift when you can't really clean up. I love my Young Living Essential Oils Seedlings baby wipes, but they only go so far. And I can tell you that even with a sun-proof umbrella, my hair is a mess after a walk in the upper-80-degree heat. 

Not worth it. 

But back to knitting... I'm still really loving this green now. Don't even ask me why. But I love it. 

**"I can block this out" is a total fallacy. I'm going to have to do some fancy stepping to make that work. Pray to the Knitting Gods and Goddesses that it DOES work. But don't be surprised if it doesn't. 


 

Lunch Tomorrow...

I actually prepped lunch. Sort of. And no, this isn't my picture but a Google of "tuna salad" that mostly resembles mine. I use celery and I love the crunch. Hubby uses straight Miracle Whip and celery. 

Mine is as follows (at least how I made it tonight): 

2 cans Starkist Tuna in water, drained
1 large rib of celery, diced
1 T. brown mustard
1/4 t. ground horseradish
Salt & pepper to taste
2 heaping tablespoons mayo (real mayo)
1 heaping teaspoon DILL relish (not sweet relish)

Mash the tuna, mix it all together. Adjust seasonings as needed. 

I like this basic recipe because you can add hard boiled eggs. You can add garbanzo beans. You can add pimiento if you want. Dill. Parsley. Spring onions. 

The possibilities are endless. 

This will go on my salad tomorrow, with fresh radishes. Yum!! 

Random Picture...

From the floor in the SAC building. Solitary confinement for the most part. A bit of "prison wisdom" that was included whenever you walked inside. 


I apologize for the hi-res pictures. These were taken with the "big camera" because I wanted the shots to be useful for several purposes. 

When I go back, I'll try to get a picture of the floor from the "Prison Break" opener. I saw it the last time I was here. 

This says, in case you can't read it, "It's never too late to mend."

Truer words were never spoken, whether you're talking about life in prison or life, right now, in the US. 

We're broken. I don't think we're beaten. But we're definitely broken. From the inside. That's the saddest part. The life we had is done; we have to rebuild. But first, we have to excise the cancer that's eating us from the inside out. 

We will all have to work for this cure. Otherwise, it won't work. And Heaven only knows what we'll be left with. 

I don't want to even think about it.