A Baby, a Migraine, and Sleeves...

Well. It was happening eventually, but it happened last night... The baby "Pumpkin" was born last night. Mamma went into labor early, and after what I think was an insanely long labor, he was delivered via emergency C-section. Apparently, he was "sunny-side up" and never turned around. 

Little stinker. No pics. Well, I have a pic. But I have a "thing." I don't like to post baby pics on the internet. And, of course, it's not mine to post. If Mamma and Dad want to post, then go for it. But I'm not. 

Suffice to say, he's a nice size, and has a full head of hair. His first picture has him looking slightly befuddled, as if to say, "How the heck did I get HERE??" And being a C-section baby, he's a beautiful boy. 

Because, of course, he wasn't a pot roast trying to push through a Cheerio... 

Anyway, we're happy he's here, Mamma's sore and sleepy, and life has just gotten incrementally more interesting. But we'll figure it all out. 

Migraine...

It was inevitable. It had been months, and then I ran out of my magnesium supplement. I woke up at 3 a.m. this morning with a migraine. I worked through the day, with a dose of Excedrin Migraine, which kept most of it at bay. But I decided to skip the charity dinner Hubby and I were to attend. 

I figured that if I went and it was loud (which it usually is), or someone was unfamiliar with the fact that you don't YELL into a microphone (which they do), I'd likely not be able to cut the headache off at the pass, and I may end up missing work - which I can't afford. 

So at work, I also used my Deep Relief roll-on. It's a great Young Living product that contains a nice blend of essential oils. I put it on the back of my neck several times, and it helped me function. 

And of course I left it at work... Tonight, though, I'm going the Rx route - I need to deal with these while I can and get them taken care of before they get out of control. So I'm home now, waiting on Hubby to get back, whipping through this before the Rx takes hold and I get all sleepy. 

Knitting...

So we have sleeves. I put those on last night; and again - I fiddled with the original pattern. I added 10 more stitches to each sleeve to account for the smaller gauge of the Universal super wash wool. I think it works out. 

I would show you a picture, but for some reason, my computer doesn't see my phone tonight. Maybe it's me. Or the migraine. 

And it's ok - it doesn't look like much yet. I have my mug of Honey Chamomile tea here, I'll knit a bit more, take the next dose of the Rx and be ready for bed soon. Pictures will come later, when it looks like sleeves and not a formless blob. 

Women's Day...

So today was International Women's Day and also "A Day Without Women." I didn't participate in the "without women" part. 

But I did wear red. The fundraiser was a "diamonds and denim" theme, so I did have on my jeans, a red sweater, a very obnoxiously gaudy pin and ... then I didn't go anyway.

I am pleased to see the increased activism. I think it's a good sign. More women than ever are running for office. More women are energized. Of course, there are problems because a good chunk of us are told we're supposed to "check our privilege." And I get it. 

Even though we're still paid less than men, I'm a white female who is college-educated. I'm a LOT better off than women of color, than gay or trans women, than immigrant women and indigenous women. 

But then again: still paid less. Still "graded" on how we look. Still in that "filter" that says even though I'm 59, I "should be" something or someone else. 

But I do get it. 

Women need to do a better job of lifting each other up. We don't do enough of that. We're still working on it. But we need to worker harder. Each of us has a unique gift to give. We need the space within which to give it. And we need to see it in each other. We don't - at least not very often. 

Random Picture...

Usually, I can dress Tippi up and she doesn't protest too much. She's gotten to be an expert at needing to "shake" and tossing whatever hat she has on. 

One year, I thought ears would be good. I'm pretty sure you can read her thoughts. 

She. Hated. These. 

H.A.T.E.D.

She gave me a stink eye, and it was translated in my brain as, "Human, you'd better be able to sleep with your eyes open." 

Needless to say, we didn't ever do these at a therapy visit. She wasn't having it at all. This picture still cracks me up, but I've also never put the ears back on her. 

I wouldn't dare. 

...And It's a Layette...

...well, MY style layette. No blankie. I gave 'em up after the last one. It took me FOR. EVER. And I decided that if I wanted to do a baby blanket, I'd do a fleece one, and tie it together like these in the link (click the word "these" to find the instructions, but come back and finish reading!).


So thankfully, I'm now done with baby knitting. I'm back with the watermelon socks (the Opal version, not Abi Grosso). And I bought sock yarn. 

Seamless rolled-brim baby hat

From Eat Knit Dye. A Van Gogh colorway, "The Starry Night." I couldn't help it. 

Don't lie to me. You'd have bought it, wouldn't you? Of course you would have. I have admittedly been on a "sock yarn diet" for a while. Since I started this job, actually, and haven't had as much time off. 

And my favorite yarn shop moved 50 miles away. And my other favorite yarn shop is about 45 miles in the other direction. 

Which does great for my budget, but not so awesome for my yarn addiction. Hubby's happy that no "mysterious" boxes have come in the mail. I've been so busy with the baby layette that I haven't done anything else. The only "socks" were these little bitty ones...Which still count, you know. But I was hankering after some "grown-up" knitting, so I'm happy to be back with the regular stuff. 

Not sure when we'll get these to Momma. Little Guy had a slight set-back, and had a hernia operation. He's doing well, though. Should be home this weekend - or at least during the week, if he continues to improve. 

I think I'll have to pick up the February Lady Sweater soon. It's staring at me. And Kid #2 - that afghan...though I dislike afghans in the summer, because they sit heavy in the lap. 

I need to make another list of WIPs. It will scare me. But it needs to be done. Just so I have a sense of what's what. 

As far as the socks go, I know I have 3 singles: the Opal Watermelon, the Bowties are Cool, and... The Dreaded Teal Sock. 

Opal Watermelon

Why is it that the leg of the sock takes forever? As does the last inch or so before the toe. 

As far as the Opal Watermelon, I'm still puzzled. I know what watermelon looks like. This yarn ain't it. It's cute. But it's not watermelon. It's watermelon-ish. And it patterns nicely. But it's no way shape or form a semblance of the actual "watermelon" that I love in the summer (with a little salt, please!). 

I mean seriously? Look at that. Tell me if you think it even vaguely looks like a watermelon? 

Garden 2016...

Well, the garden is loving the wet weather. As you can see, the veggies are doing well. We should have pick-able lettuce in about 2 weeks. I want to mark the rows. Hubby said, "You'll know what we have when it grows."

All I see is green stuff! Except for the kale and tomatoes, it all rather looks the same to me. So I'll see if I can mark the rows and get some sense to the garden. 

I can't say enough about the raised beds. We've been able to get a jump on the garden every year. They're at least 7 years old. The recycled black plastic keeps the dirt warm, and we're able to plant a few weeks early. 

Of course, global warming has helped. Our winters have been (far too) warm and we haven't had to worry about the deep freezes. I'm not happy about it, but it is what it is. I'm strongly in favor of measures to curb carbon emissions and I think we need to pay attention - far more than we have been. And I'm doing my part. 

But some days - I really feel like it's a drop in the ocean. That being said, I'm still going to do what I need to do. I'm working on Hubby's aversion to a compost heap. I think that would not only help the garden, but it would further reduce what we toss in the trash. 

Before Kid #1 moved to VA, he and the (now-X) fiancee had a compost heap. You'll forgive me if I say that I won't be donating to theirs. Or I should say, HERS. 

We haven't gotten all the flowers straightened out. This weekend, if Mother Nature cooperates, we'll get hanging plants and I'll get the main flower bed fixed up. The Seedles are sitting there and I can't wait to plant them. We need to cull out some stuff that needs trashing. We've lost 1 butterfly bush (maybe both - not sure yet...) and one batch of Bee Balm. 

Our neighbor's basswood tree is blooming. I love the scent. The branches are hanging low with the flower pods. I miss ours, but about 17 years ago, it was infested with some sort of ailment that caused it to rot from the inside out. It had to come down. 

Campanula

And - we noticed that our maples didn't have as many whirlybirds as we usually see. That's not cool. I mean, I'm not complaining (much), but it's weird. 

So you'll notice that our poppy is going nuts. The "dead" branches to the right are the branches of our only remaining(?) butterfly bush. 

The campanula is going crazy. I think a bunny must have tried to take a nap, because one side of the plant was sort of flattened. I had to tie it up. Hubby has a "turkey wire" contraption that he's going to put around it. They're so tall - it's difficult when it gets windy. 

But the hummingbirds love them. And the foxglove, which has made its biennial appearance - wasn't sure if it was coming back. 

Speaking of hummingbirds, we've got some bold ones! They were buzzing Hubby as he was putting up the feeder. Maybe I can actually get some pics, because as I was tying up these beauties, the most brazen of the bunch was flitting around. 

We also have a nice batch of garter snakes around the house. I don't mind - they eat the bugs. They camp out under the deck and the steps of the front porch. Hubby is ok with them - we just have to be vigilant because Quinn and Raisa are rather quick and they'll try to catch them. And they'll succeed...

We may end up just doing hanging baskets and skip the potted plants in the front this year. We'll put out at least 1 more hummingbird feeder, but we'll also plan to get hanging baskets the hummers can sip from. 



Random Picture...

From the Business of Yoga Bootcamp in Florida last year. A walk on the beach in the morning. Looking down. I see a heart. 

It's clearly a gift. Not sure from whom. Or maybe I should say "from Whom." 

But it's there. I take a picture. I pick it up. I take it home. 

It's in a glass in my office. Reminding me of where my heart is. 

What's in your heart? Where is your heart taking you? 

Are you listening? 

It's Been a Long While...

...so sorry... You have to love technology (no, not really). I had a phone glitch, then a computer glitch, and then just good old fashioned "schedule glitch" where it seemed that "the hurrier I go, the behinder I get."

But I'm back; tons of pictures, some progress, and some stories. 

Take Back the Night...

So in October, while the rest of the US is donning pink everything, I'm wearing purple through the month. Lost in the Breast Cancer Displays is the fact that October is also "Domestic Violence Awareness Month." Tippi and I were at the table with the Will County Children's Advocacy Center, and here's a small display of the portraits of those who are killed in our county by means of domestic violence. 

I wish I could say that it was a small list. Or that it had stopped growing. But neither is true. And I did get upset a few years back, because the organizers included two boys, and there were some women who went bananas. "Take Back the Night is for WOMEN." Really? Those kids were MURDERED. By a PARENT. If that's not "domestic violence," then I don't know what is. Shame on those women. 

Anyway, that was her first appearance; we took pics with people, I didn't have her cards with me, but I did get a lot of questions. We were in a very loud gym, and she handled the chaos like a pro! That's my girl!

Knitting...

May never end... I'm thinking that I will be sending on this part of the layette, and the blankie for Christmas. I just won't get it done by the baby's due date. Between the cotton really driving my hands nuts and my schedule driving me nuts, there's just not enough time in my days anymore. I have it with me today, but haven't knitted a stitch, having my day job to actually, well, I don't know - DO -- so knitting waits till a calm bit. Which doesn't seem to want to happen a lot lately. Sunday, I didn't knit at all, having church and then a trip to see Kid #2 and deliver the remainder of his stuff... Saturday, though, I did knit almost all day. And I paid for it. 

This is where I'm at with the blanket. At about 5.33" it's got a ways to go. I'm actually zipping along doing almost a repeat a night, though we can translate that into "12 rows a night" and I'm measuring at the end of each night's production. I have to knit 28" and then do the ruffle. The ruffle is knitted onto each side, but you then have to seam up the corners. It seems like it could be easier, but at this point, my energy is into just getting it done. I'll work out details later. I swear, I should have remembered I had the Ann Norling (see the sweater) and created that set. It would have been easier. 

Fall is Here...

And not only in the temperatures, but in the flora and fauna. This is a picture of the tree out back at home. The fall color has likely peaked, but it was lovely while it lasted. I've got a lot of shots of the trees. And when I was driving home from visiting Kid #2, I stopped at 3 very old cemeteries. Had lots of fun wandering and photographing. At some point, I should bring the large camera, but my phone didn't do too badly. I love the effects I was able to get with some of the buttons on the phone.  I'll keep experimenting, and will try to do some more PhotoShop, especially on some of the more ancient tombstones and compositions.

This picture is of the coral bells out back of the office. I love how the dew is on them. It's a beautiful plant that has survived last winter and I expect will survive this winter. Which, depending on the weather channel you happen to be listening to? Will either be "colder" or "warmer" than last. But everyone so far is saying that it'll be far less snowy. 

My dentist said he loves Hubbys pics "because he has an eye for composition." And he's right. We can take the same photograph and his will be a "photograph" -- while mine is a "picture." It has to do with his eye for pictures, for sure. Also, he can still use manual focus on the camera. With my bifocals, it's harder. However, the manual focus on the camera phone seems to work much better. Go figure. 

So Kid #2 is 99% settled. He still has a few clothes left behind, but I drove Hubby's Boat (the Explorer) so I could bring him the bike, the desk and a bunch of boxes. I kept a close eye on the bike, because last time we were out, my bike popped off the frame! I didn't want to have to get his bike run over. The drive up was via the back roads, so I had time to scope out the cemeteries. Creepy? Well. I guess. But  the older ones are really fascinating. This is, obviously, the front gate of St. Mary's Cemetery. It was the last one I stopped at. In the original, it's full color, but I used the "antique" button on the phone to get this. 

There was also this crypt... In one of the other ones (the cemetery down the block from The Kid), there was a crypt, but it had its glass boarded over. This one had the lovely brass patina with the metalwork on the door, but I was able to glance in (it was locked). This is what I saw, with a little help from the fancy details on my camera. Sadly, I didn't save this as a copy, but you get the idea. The bit of glare in the upper right is from the afternoon sun. I stuck the phone right up onto the glass. I did darken up the walls of the crypt and tried to get the stained glass to pop. Click on the picture to see the rosary left by someone. 

By the way, I don't know what's up with the pictures today... I'm getting some weird spacing issues. Bear with me. 

Ebola...

For the record, Ebola is not President Obama's fault. Look - it's really simple. Banning travel is an insanely stupid act. What if the person comes on a plane from London? Or Ontario? Or Mexico? Or China? You can take other routes to get here -- and I don't believe there's a "one-stop flight" from Liberia to the US. 

The temperature taking at the airports is only a panacea to comfort us. 

There are what? Almost 319,000 people in the U.S. How many have DIED from Ebola? Well, just one - and there appears to be some doubt as to whether he was a US citizen or not. Regardless. 

ONE PERSON.

It's really not an "epidemic" here, folks. If you're in Liberia, well, then, yeah. Otherwise, unless you're up close and personal with bodily fluids, including blood, vomit and semen, you're probably going to be ok. The virus is NOT airborne, so not even a sneeze or cough will be a problem. 

Stop listening to the hysteria. Take reasonable precautions just as you would with a virulent flu (Bird flu, anyone???) and just stop the panic. 

By the way, over 20,000 people died of AIDS before Reagan even decided it was a problem in this country. Over 20,000 AMERICANS, folks. 

So wake up, do your research, and turn off Fox News. 

Oh, and we wouldn't need a "czar" if the Republicans would stop piddling their pants every time the NRA wants something. Seems the NRA doesn't like the nominee for Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, because he said that "gun deaths are a public health problem."

Well, gosh-darn - can't have that kinda socialistic claptrap. So they've blocked his nomination. And now blame OBAMA because there's no Surgeon General. No. I'm not kidding. 

I wish it was just a joke. Well. It IS a joke. But not a good one. 

Tried...

Kombucha. My friend Kristy is brewing her own. It's full of probiotics and good bacteria, and it is a tasty beverage. But it's too fizzy for me. I know I could probably adjust the rate of fermentation if I had the time to brew my own. But I did end up trying a concoction from the local health food store. 

Didn't like it. 

Because I have such an active social life, the next thing coming up is a colonosocopy and endoscope to finally (a) rule out any possibility of bleeding in regard to the anemia diagnosis; and (b) catch up on diagnostic tests. It's been close to 10 years since I've had either and it's about time to get that over with. At least I'll lose 5 pounds in the prep and have a good nap that day. 

I'm also getting myself prepped for the iron infusions. Seems that the 6-session infusions will work better (less chance of side effects) than the one long 6-hour infusion. And November 1 is my "do-date." 

Yes, "DO" date. I'm getting my diet cleaned up in a more sensible fashion than just eliminating all the food groups and eating 6 crackers with 2 tablespoons of cream cheese for lunch. 

Between the diet clean-up and iron, I'm hoping to be fit as a fiddle soon. 

Job Update...

There isn't one. Seems a high-up muckety-muck told my boss that they didn't want to move me to the new building "because someone from the College will have her ordering their lunches and answering their phones."

What? My boss said it was all she could do to keep a straight face and say, "You don't know her very well, do you??"

So. There's supposed to be a Dean "contemplating" my resume. We shall see. I'm resigned to the fact that I'll likely have to find a new job, but I've already decided to stay here through the close-up of the building. 

At some point, I have to spend some serious time scanning websites and applying for jobs. I've applied here and there, but have had only 1 interview. I need to get the freelance stuff up and prepped, too, but I know that will take longer to get off the ground. 

This gives me some breathing room, at any rate. It just feels like it's coming at me too fast, though. Which is just about normal. 

Random Picture...

She's so not a lady! But this is one of Raisa in mid-nap. Couldn't resist the intertwined front legs. Such a yoga-dog. 

She's coming into her teen period, doing  a bit too much "husky resource guarding" and there have been some power grabs. Usually, we don't let it get too far along. She's tried it with both Tippi and Quinn. I don't think Tippi would get to "blood" stage, but I'm perfectly certain that Quinn would. 

Raisa needs to learn her place, and so far, it's up to us to make sure that it's all figured out. 

See what I mean about the pictures??? What is up with that, Blogspot?? Don't go changing the settings on me. I don't like my pictures all chunked together. 

72 - 64 =

8.

Eight. The Fluro sock is cast on at 72 stitches. All my other socks are at 64. It's absolutely amazing how much difference those 8 stitches make. I mean, this sock is taking for-freakin'-EVER!!!

Here it is; I've added about 3 rows since lunch, and I'm now pretty solidly in the neon yellow part. 

I think of how quickly my Little Prince socks worked up and I just can't figure it out. 

I should enjoy the process more, right?

I'm trying. But it seems like the process is what's taking forever.

I think that (sacrilege) I may need to work on something else for a bit. Perhaps Kid #2's afghan?

The Kid...

Particularly since he will be leaving in the next few weeks. School starts mid-August, and if we're planning all this right, he'll be leaving at least in time to move into his new spot by the middle of August, the week before he has to start teaching.

He looked -- well, actually WE looked all day yesterday, and he thinks he's found a house. Today, he went up to talk to the Realtor. He's not crazy; he's been saving for this for a while, and he's pretty level-headed. 

I mean, truly, both of the kids are geniuses. But -- Kid #1 is more "leap THEN look" where Kid #2 is more "let's over-think this to the point of an ulcer..." So he's being very deliberate about the process. 

I hope he gets what he wants. He's got a list of alternatives, if what he wants doesn't work out. 

I've gone ahead and gotten him some "hope chest" stuff: kitchen linens, a clock, etc. because (a) they'll work no matter where he goes; and (b) they're small enough to transport easily. I have a car-load of house plants from the campus that he can have, too - it'll fill in the blank spaces till he can furnish wherever he lands. 

So as part of our day, we went to lunch. This is how bad it gets. His theory is, "If a restaurant has a BLT on the menu, order it." But he was so keyed up that he couldn't eat it! Normally, neither kid eats much in the summer, but this was sheer "Oh My GOD" -- I could tell. 

Anyway, this is the restaurant we went to, on a tip from my friend K at the knittery. She told us it was good, and it was really nice. 

It's a place that Kid will go to again; it's close and looks like it has lots to offer to a single guy who's on his own for the first time. 

For the record, I stuck to my eating plan and had a Dixie Salad: a green salad with grilled chicken on it. It was plentiful and delicious. The menu looked really good, and Kid says that the beer selection was good, as well. It's right in town, and the Realtor he talked to said that it was a popular spot with not only the neighboring college kids, but with the folks who live there. 

I'm happy that he's settling in a place where he can be part of the community. 

Eating Plan...

Miracle Quiche

I'm back on the Metabolism B because it worked well. It's the first 3 or 4 days that's really a kicker. The first 8 weeks are fairly restrictive, only because you are essentially doing what I've needed to do for a long time:

A sugar detox. I can't believe how far off the wagon I leaped! 

Anyway, this time, I figured I'd be smarter and look in the book for recipes. Behold the Miracle Quiche - with my own alterations, because... Well, I can't leave well-enough alone. 

It's basically egg/custard base with veggies. I didn't have broccoli, so I used frozen shredded zucchini. And mushrooms + leeks. Oh, and some goat cheese. 

I've had it for breakfast the past few days, and I'll make it again - but likely with a mix of fake and real eggs. And I'll probably add some ricotta cheese or something. Anyway, it breaks up my "breakfast boredom" and in a pinch, it can serve as a lunch or dinner, with a salad. 

I'm actually OK with a certain amount of "food boredom" because the routine helps keep me focused. But I'm also thinking it's time to expand my horizons a bit. 

I took my measurements; I'm not going to fret the weight loss/gain for this next few weeks. I'm most particularly interested in getting things back under control since next week I have the pre-op tests and then the surgery the week of the 21st. I won't lose what I gained back, at least not right away, of course. But I'd like a good foundation because I could very well get the "mopes" after the procedure and be all-too-happy to dive into the ice cream...

Exercise is mainly biking and yoga. Logging both exercise and food is helping me keep tabs on it. I've taken to setting the Heart Phone timer for every 1/2 hour or so, just so I get off my rear end, particularly at work. 

Hey, with all this, perhaps the Fluro socks will get done quicker as I substitute snacking with knitting??

"Knit, not Knibble." There's a motto for you!!

Speaking of Knitting...

I'm in a Facebook group called "Addicted to Sock Knitting." Honestly, it's a very busy group. These people knit socks like I breathe, apparently. 

With all the hustle-and bustle of the group, I kind of want to know where they're finding the time to knit socks. Socks, socks, socks... An awesome bunch of folks and while I thought I was a "yarn snob," these people have shown me yarns I didn't even know existed!!

I think, like me, some of them actually do knit stuff other than socks. But this is a great place to find inspiration if you're in a sock-knitting rut. 

I just wish my job didn't interfere with my knitting. Oh, what we do to earn Yarn Money. 

My Overall Plan for World Domination...

Continues... So, I didn't get the advisor position. That's the Universe giving me a hint. At least I hope it's a hint, and not a house dropping on my head!

This is a blessing because I really, REALLY don't want to be an advisor. I really, REALLY want to operate my facility. And so now Boss Lady and I can fully focus on getting us over to the new facility. So far, a couple of important folks have bought into the plan, and the positions already exist, which makes this one layer LESS of paperwork and politics. 

In addition, I won't have to have that awkward conversation about, "Oh, yeah - I need a week off to recuperate from a surgery that I didn't disclose during the interview." That's not illegal, per Boss Lady, who's an HR expert. It's just positioning yourself. 

However, the dean who was to hire that position is one of the Three Important Folks who can make this other plan happen. So perhaps not getting that job is a step toward getting to do what I really want to do. 

We're now lining up faculty who'll say, "Of COURSE we want them there! We want them to do their jobs for us!" Fingers, toes, eyes... everything crossed so that this works out well.

My Laptop...

...is doing something funky. All of a sudden, it's going all kind of pale. I've fiddled with the contrast, but I can't seem to get it right. I'll have to look some more. If not, Hubby will work with it. 

It's not debilitation. Just annoying from the usually uber-reliable ThinkPad.

THE decision...

OK, still not naming The Store That Shall Not Be Named... but here's an excellent article about the decision and the way it can be reversed. 

Check it out. It's worth the read. 

Random Picture...

Bubbler

So I took this a while back. It was the few hours where our larger solar fountain got sun from under the big maple. Anyway, I tightened up on the bird bath and this is what I got.

Yes, again from the Nokia camera phone. Or phone with camera. Whatever you like. The trick, in spite of the whiz-bang commercials, is honestly to take the shot and then do the fancy stuff with it. 

It's a cool shot, and one of those where you look at it and say, "Wow - didn't realize I got THAT part!" 

As you might imagine, I was tickled to be able to just bring the phone on my recent trip to Florida. Even though, yes, in the actual convention center, the bigger camera would have been better for the most part. The scenery pics were really good with this phone/camera. 

Wednesday Wanderings...

I'm sitting here at work taking a bit of a break. I'm in a brown tweed-ish suit and heels. 

Yes, please pick yourself up off the floor. Heels. Our school president is coming, and it's not only "all hands on deck" but "best bib and tucker" too... Though I did tell my assistant that he didn't have to wear a tie. 

I happen to think turtlenecks and jackets are cool. And anyway, it's usually freezing in here - he should dress for the climate. 

The caterer is coming about 3:30 -- which usually means closer to FOUR thirty! I have my welcome sign, have my campus all lit up (will be making a point about the light fixtures that are not working, since our electrician's excuse is "he's busy") and have new potpourri in the big red serving bowl in my conference room. I just have to put away my lunch dishes; they're on the drying rack.

And tomorrow, I have to be here at 6 a.m. Urgh.

Knitting...

Working away at Sock #2. I have about 4 more rows for the cuff, then I switch to the leg and the k3, p1 ribbing. 

Call me crazy, but turning the heel still jazzes me. It's just like magic, and I don't have to do anything but what the instructions tell me! 

Politics...

OK, so the website doesn't work well for the ACA. But in some states it does. But in some places, like IL, it takes forever and it bumps you off. And yeah, we paid a gazillion dollars for this website. 

But it's not the LEGISLATION that's bad. It's the WEBSITE. We need to make it work, but we don't need to re-write everything from scratch. It is what it is and we have to live with it till something new evolves.

Quiz time: What legislation ever worked the first time out of the gate? 

Answer: None. Every bit of legislation has had its growing pains. Social Security did. Medicare did. All of it. The Americans with Disabilities Act did. 

Legislation is written by humans (if you want to call ALEC "human") and humans are not infallible, Pope notwithstanding. 

We've become a society with not only a nanosecond's worth of attention span, but ZERO patience. We want what we want. When we want it. And preferably BEFORE we even KNOW we want it. And we throw a tantrum when we don't get it. 

Over-aged toddlers.

Reading...

I want to know how J.K. Rowling did it. How did she hold herself back while writing the Potter books? Because both Casual Vacancy and Cuckoo's Calling are rife with the "F" bombs. 

Casual Vacancy was a slog. It wasn't truly engaging. It wasn't anything I'd read again - which is saying something. It seemed like a struggle to get myself into the story. And there wasn't really enough story to keep my attention. It was almost like something I'd write and I really stink at fiction.

Cuckoo -- I'm still working on that, and it seems slightly better. 

But still. I'm not sure that I'd wholeheartedly recommend either of them. I still think that everyone ought to re-read the books they read in high school. It's amazing what maturity does for your viewpoint about literature. 

Other stuff...

Wow - what happened to the afternoon? It clouded up like crazy, though there's nothing on the radar. 

I'm really enjoying the hand cream I have at work: Forest House Herbals has something they call Lavender Rosemary Shea Butter Cream. It's available at the Isabella catalog site. Click here to see the goodies they have. This is the catalog that I love to order from. 

This stuff is fantastic, even on my perpetually dry hands. And it smells yummy without being overpowering. 

I have a 2-day Yoga Therapeutics class this weekend. I have to ask about a student I've got; I don't know what to suggest for her, and I think this will help me answer her questions. I'm enjoying teaching and I have a nice sized class. I don't think I'd want more than the students I have - but we'll see how the class evolves.

Time to go pull out some tables and make a catering area. 

Random Picture...

Flirty Bug

It's a rather dreary day. How about some slug-bug cuteness? This was a car parked where I was having a meeting. I couldn't resist the eyelashes, and I believe she has the crystal eyeliner. 

If only I had that kind of panache for a 7 a.m. meeting! 

I told Hubby that I wanted to do that to my car and, let's just say...he didn't think it was a cool idea.