Thursday Already...

The older I get, the faster time seems to fly. I swear it was just Monday. Yesterday. 

Chicago is in shock because Charlie Trotter died unexpectedly. 

Photo from Google

Well, too soon, at least. He was 54. His son said that he had a brain aneurysm and was aware of it. He was warned not to fly anywhere and he flew to Jackson Hole to speak at a conference. His son came home, Charlie was on the couch, and when his son awoke the next morning, Charlie was still on the couch, unresponsive. 

So sad. No, I couldn't afford to eat at his place. And you'll see all kinds of memorials, I'm sure. Some will excoriate his temperament. Some will mourn because they had good experiences with him and they will feel his loss. Some will mourn simply because Charlie lifted Chicago from the "beer and pizza" town everyone thought they knew, to become somewhat of a foodie mecca. 

I mourn the early loss of genius, and I wonder if, when he unexpectedly closed his restaurant, he had a premonition. The picture is from Google. You'll see a lot of them in his somewhat iconic pose, but I kind of like this one where he's actually doing what made him famous, and what - I hope - made him happy.

Politics...

This has been going around Facebook for a while, and it's still worth a look-see. Bill Maher stops a panelist in his tracks, after the panelist insists that the Affordable Care Act is a ginormous "one size fits all" thing that can't possibly - cannot POSSIBLY work. Check it out here. 

And in more ACA news, Reuters reports that people are warming up to the website and sign-up despite the glitches. I have to wonder what Social Security would've looked like had it been web-based... I can tell you that Kid #2 got his explanation of benefits from his employer, and he said, "Oh wow -- I can have a pre-existing condition!" Which, being 25 and healthy as a horse, he doesn't...but his employer clearly spelled out what was coming, and it's good. He's in that coveted segment of young healthy folks. It's all good from here, I think. 

And in Chicago politics, the city is issuing bonds for buildings that have no hope in heck of ever being habitable. Somehow, this one generates a big "yawwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnn" -- someone knows someone. 

In Illinois, good news for the gay community. We trot into the 21st century by passing the gay marriage bill. Click here for a CBS report. Of course, the Council of Catholic Bishops is really upset. So are a boat-load of conservatives.

And there was the typical article in today's Trib saying, "Well, what if a vendor doesn't want to serve the gay couple? The law ONLY protects the clergy."

Okey-dokey. Here's where we need a huge scoop of common sense. Really, in this economy, you'd turn down business? Well, that's certainly your right. But you know what? You don't have to rub your religious objections in anyone's nose. If I came to you and asked you to provide a cake, a video, a dress, flowers - whatever it was, and told you it was for a gay wedding, all you have to say, truly -- just being polite and civil maybe -- would be, "I'm sorry, I can't provide that for you." And I don't mean I have to be blatant about the telling... It'd come up in the normal course of placing an order. "Bride's name: Jennifer; Groom's name: Susan." Well, there ya go....

You don't have to whack me on the head with your Bible. And I have the perfect right to go somewhere else. To someone who wants to take my money... Truly the most simple solution. 

Illinois needs the business. Aside from the human rights issue, we need the money. It's a whole new marketplace for us. Good for the government for finally getting something right. 

Knitting...

Finished one more Fluffy Scarf and cast on the next one. The yarn, Starbella, is not exactly as nice as it used to be. Perhaps they're going the "Homespun" route. Homespun, by Lion Brand Yarn, used to be the go-to yarn. It was good quality, had gorgeous colors, and hey - even Martha Stewart used it to make her "prison poncho." 

Then, there started to be quality issues. The nylon filament would untwist; the colors weren't consistent from hank to hank. And you'd be midway through a project and get this huge whack of "blank" -- as if about a yard or so would've missed the dye pot entirely. 

This last hank of Starbella had some real issues in terms of the gold braid at the bottom; one chunk was missing. The hank came apart on me mid-stream (it looked as if they ran out of one segment and just lumped another beginning string onto it) so I had to double up for a row or two to hook it back together. Not happy. I've marked that scarf and I'll use that one for myself. I don't want to have another choir member use it and think "Oh, I got the crappy one." 

I'm working this weekend, but I still hope to finish that charity afghan. I want my dining room table back, and Hubby wants to move the Ott light back where it belongs! 

Food...

I've got a lovely smoothie for lunch today. The weight loss stuff is back on track. Funny - it works really well when you're not mindlessly munching all day long. Hmmmmmmm. 

I'm going to begin working with my small hula hoops - you put them on your arms and do arm circles. It's quite a workout actually. I think that starting out slowly will help re-build my upper body strength. Yoga helps, of course, but anything you can do as well...it won't hurt.

Music...

Working on the Silent Night for Christmas. I have to figure out how to hook the guitar up to the sound system. If Hubby does go visit his mom for the holiday, I'm on my own. The church is really old. I mean, so old that they don't even have plumbing in the sacristy. We will look at it this weekend and hope to figure out something I can do on my own. It's not usually a big deal; at our other church, we had a sound board and I knew which buttons to push. Here, though - not so easy. 

I rather wish they'd let me play another one, but I'm biding my time. It'll come. Or it won't and that's fine. I play because I enjoy it, and if I can do it publicly, fine. If not, ok. Recently, at our university, they've started using guitarists, so maybe I can do it there. That might be better anyway, because I'd be one of several and not just by myself. 

Random Picture...

This is a picture of one of my knitting notebooks. It may seem silly, but what I like to do is write everything down, regardless of the written pattern I may have. 

Knitting Knotebook

It's this way: You may have a printed pattern, and unless you're built exactly to the specification of a pattern, you will have alterations. Or you may be hit with a brilliant idea which you think that the designer might've thought about (or not) and you want to incorporate it. Well, obviously, in a sweater, you want to document that so that, say, both sleeves are alike. I know there's this whole genre of "asymmetrical knitting" but honestly - I'd just look like I was wearing something I screwed up.


This one happens to be of a prayer shawl I knitted for a friend of mine, who happens to be an organist (hence the "Organ Pipes" pattern). I knitted it for her because her son died, and because we have been friends for so long. 

So I have them all over; I try to use each one till full, but sometimes (who am I kidding --- ALWAYS) I have multiple WIPs (works in progress) and I need notebooks for most of them. I like to even keep track of how many rows of a scarf or something like that. 

This way, you can re-use your printed pattern (the shawl pattern actually came from one of those "stitch-a-day" calendars, so it wasn't even a shawl till I did that). You don't have notes all over, and if you happen to knit something for two people, like when I did the hats for my kids, I was able to note the colors and the order in which I used them for each hat. 

Heck, even the Yarn Harlot loves it when people bring her their knitting notebooks to sign. It's a piece of history and maybe one day, a future knitter in my family will dig through my notebooks and be inspired to try something of his or her own, using my notes. 

Who Knew?

I'm sorry I was gone for a while. I had a couple of intense workshops back-to-back, and while I've just seen another which is tempting, I'm kind of "workshopped-out" and not only that, my budget needs a break.

So. Who knew? I'm not a big fan of George Carlin, but here is something I really should have known because I do know that most comics are extremely intelligent. You can't be stupid and do good comedy. Sure, he's mostly known for his "7 Words" schtick, but here, he nails EXACTLY what has happened to society and how we've become even more inhumane toward others. Watch the clip here, and I apologize for the poop commercial. Just skip that one. George had nothing to do with that, though I'm sure he'd have seen the humor in it...

Knitting...

Frogged Teal Sock #2 because somehow, the 3 knitted row start to the cuff ended up on the wrong side. I want the knit side to show, not the purl side. Luckily, I only had the cuff and a few rows of the leg done. So I frogged it and now it's sitting wound up waiting for the yarn to relax. 

I will not be knitting tonight, likely - I'm teaching the Yin class. 

I will probably start another pair of socks. I normally don't do that till I have a pair, but I do want to make some headway. I will also likely bring the Fluffy Scarf stuff home today; maybe THAT is all I'll want to knit tonight after yoga. I've got to get those rolling; I'm about 50% done with the project.

Politics...

See George Carlin above... 

Also, I have a beef. (Well, one among many.) I truly, truly, TRULY despise Freaky Freddie and his Westboro Whackos. However. The Supreme Court has upheld his right to speak. 

The reason I even mention his name is that, in Monday's Chicago Trib, someone has decided to sue their local public library. Because of porn. Well, it's not even her LOCAL library. The quote that got me was this one:

"Who do they think they are?"

Let's look at that, shall we? THEY are the PUBLIC library. The one that all of us pay for in our tax bills. The place where the censors should not enter. 

They've been sued over this issue before. The plaintiffs didn't win. The Chicago-based American Library Association even backs this particular library. As does current case law, specifically because there is no precise legal definition of pornography. The "I'll know it when I see it" thing doesn't work here. It can't. Because I might find a picture of a woman in a bikini "offensive" when it's a shot of Frankie and Annette (look it up if you don't know who I'm talking about) back in the '50s in "Beach Blanket Bingo." 

There's a case in Virginia where the court found that Internet filters on all public library computers were unconstitutional. And let's look at removing "Satanic" books... There was a 1982 case where the SCOTUS said it was unconstitutional to remove books after the public had access to them. 

That darned Constitution. 

This woman's complaint is that the last time she was in there, she saw 3 different men at 3 different computers viewing porn. According to the library, the adult section is not near the kid's section. Children under 18 can't log onto the computers in the adult lab, and the library has privacy screens on the computers, so passers-by can't see what anyone else is doing. I've seen those kinds of screens, and you mostly have to be standing directly behind someone, looking straight-on at the screen. There are also filters in the kids' area which prevent them from looking up inappropriate stuff. 

However... I think that perhaps this library could put partitions up to more fully enclose the adult area. It seems that it's more open than maybe it should be. 

I don't like porn. I think it's degrading to women. And I feel like I know it when I see it, but I recognize that that concept won't hold water. And yes, whether I like it or not, if you want to view porn on the library computer, you have that right.

Just like I have the right to NOT view porn if I want. Because we both pay taxes for our library district. 

At the end of the article, the woman said, "If they had (apologized) to me, they would not be in this position right now." 

Really? Something's not sitting right. You're offended so long as you get a big strong library district to apologize. Then what? The issue is pretty much a done deal; people will look at things you will find offensive. It sounds as if this library district might make some small tweaks to the location of their adult computer lab, but let's be realistic in this day and age of smaller and smaller budgets. 

The complaining woman has to get over it and move on to the kids' section, where she says she was headed anyway.

I will tell you that I once complained to my HR director about a screen saver one of our salesmen had on his computer. It was a "Sports Illustrated Swimsuits" screensaver, and while it wasn't explicitly pornographic, my issue was more that the "bullpen" where our sales staff sat was directly in view of visitors and current and/or potential customers. The last thing you want to do is lose a customer -- and that's a valid reason for prohibiting that kind of thing where it's "open and notorious" to use a legal turn of phrase.

Food...

Losing several pounds, thankfully. I think that the darkness has something to do with it. You almost have this primitive need to "pack on pounds" because of some latent "caveman" thing where you maybe won't eat for the next several weeks... I can do without that impulse, thanks! 

Losing the Halloween candy helped... 

Haven't finalized the Thanksgiving menu yet, but since we hold ours the Sunday before, I know I have to get on it. It's going to be ham and a turkey, with mostly the usual sides. Just a matter of who's doing what. 

Random Picture...

Shower Cake

There will be two of them today. One is the shower cake I made for my great-nephew's arrival several years ago. Yes, I went nuts; yes, those were his nursery colors. And yes, since I found that my nephew and his wife loved Jelly Bellys - I bought them in those colors for table favors. In case you want to know, yes, you can get Jelly Bellys in TONS of flavors and colors. These were chocolate, coconut, pear and tangerine. 

You make perfect circles by using an old pill-jar from the pharmacy. And you freehand the monkey off her "wish list" and hope for the best! 

It was a fun shower, even including "Pin the Sperm On the Egg." You had to be there. My sister is a nurse. They are all weird...

The other is my Tippi and her Gallatin Bear. She was taking a nap and wanted a pillow. You can obtain your very own Gallatin Bear from Fun Time Dog Shop and 100% of the profits from the sale will go toward a rescue agency you get to pick at checkout. 

Tippi naps

Hey - Christmas is for pets, too. And FTDS deserves a shameless plug. They have lots of things for pets and people, and Sarah, the proprietor, sources things that are good for your dogs. You won't find melamine-laced stuff here... Nosirree - she makes sure that the toys are as sturdy as she can find and that the treats are exceptionally good for your pets. 

I have a large-ish selection of leashes for Tippi for her therapy gigs. The kids love them and I like knowing that I'm not supporting some nameless, faceless corporate giant. I'm supporting rescue. My favorite breed.

On a grey day like this, a grey dog having a nap is a warm fuzzy. 

I have a spare Bear in her Therapy Bag. Lucky for me, (a) it's dark brown; and (b) it's washable. She gets to play with it in between visits. The cream one is at home. It's not indestructible, but it's lasted quite a while. I think they like it more as a pillow than a toy!

"Was That Thunder?" Well, No...

First of all, Happy Halloween (or Samhain, if you prefer) to everyone!

We did NOT get a "treat" last night. What we got were pretty steady rains. And they're continuing through today, which ought to make trick-or-treating interesting.

Last night, about 11:30, I heard what I thought was thunder, but didn't recall seeing the flash...I didn't think much of it; it was, after all, pouring rain. Quinn high-tailed it out of our room and went to hide under my desk, as she likes to do during thunderstorms.

But I didn't hear anything else the rest of the night. 

Here's why: 

Dead Tree In Shed

That would be the middle of my neighbor's three trees. Two of them are dead. We knew that. We just didn't know WHEN they would keel over. 


The damage doesn't look bad, till you get really close up. The roof of our ratty shed is crumpled, and the back wall is split. Luckily, it only dinged the kennel fence there, and didn't fall either (a) toward the house; or (b) onto my truck...

Our neighbor is not going to be happy, but he's not going to give us any trouble. We've been good friends since we've lived there, and we had talked to him about the trees 3 years ago.

The problem is, during that time, he had lost his wife, had been sick himself, and just a week ago, his daughter told Hubby that she was "really concerned" about her dad... He's apparently quite depressed and we mentioned to her that we hadn't seen him outside like we usually do. She said that's because he's refusing to go anywhere. Lately, too, he's not driving, which I know can be devastating to an elder. 

I'm very sad about that; he's a genial fellow and a model neighbor. Hubby will call him later to tell him about the tree. Hubby also called two tree-removal companies. One said they weren't doing any work today because the weather is going to continue to be dangerous for that kind of work (heavy rains), but the other said they'd come out. He wants them to take down that tree to the right, too -- it's next, and it'll whack into Kid #2's car or my truck with no problem.

Oh well. I wanted to replace the shed anyway. I guess this is as good a time as any. Unfortunately, it's likely too late in the year to put in a garage. We had kept the shed around because we were "at some point" going to put in a garage. We have alley access, and so placing the garage would be tricky. 

Not sure what we'll do, but Hubby concurs that the damage is worse than he thought it was at 5 a.m. 

Halloween...

Pencils for everyone!

Tonight we have Evensong service at church, and I'm looking forward to it. I'm working today so Hubby is in charge of treats. And this is what we're giving out. And no, our house has never been egged or TP'd.  The kids like the pencils. And so do the parents! 

Of course, Hubby also has chocolate... But we don't buy as much as we used to. I can get these pencils for a couple of bucks per dozen, and that's just easier and different. We also have given out stickers and erasers. 

I like being different. I'm also wearing my troll earrings. Seriously, I am... I got them at a conference, along with a full-sized troll dressed as Dracula. I can't find Dracula, but I have worn the earrings every year. 

I'm not sure how many of our students are going to come dressed up; but I know my assistant said something about coming as the guy from Breaking Bad. Luckily, we have adult students! 

We didn't get a real pumpkin this year; I haven't gotten one for a while, but I probably should pick up a small one, a pie pumpkin. Those are good for soups. 

There's nothing more comforting than pumpkin or squash soup; it's just nice and warm, tasty and not heavy. 

Politics...

So now there's this.  Seems that every time someone goes ballistic about how the ACA is "screwing" them, the story falls apart. Every time. 

Yes, there are likely to be people who don't benefit as much as some others. Remember, again -- this is not SOCIALIZED medicine. Heck, it's not even HEALTH CARE.

It's INSURANCE REFORM. And amazingly, insurance reform WRITTEN BY insurance companies. So why are we so surprised that they will continue to maximize their own profits at our expense? 

Let's not be naive. Let's use the brains we were given and do our research. 

Phone...

I should probably figure out how to load Sirius XM on my phone. Or add some music. Or just ignore it all and use it as a phone...

In several of our yoga classes, the teachers are using the regular i-devices, but a few of them have been using their iPads to play music. I'm a Luddite and still use CDs. 

Of course, there's the whole question of even whether to use music during a yoga class... However, getting back to my topic, I was thinking about how to load some music on it particularly for the class, but then I realized that the CD player has the i-stuff hook-ups, so I'd have to buy my own speakers.

I think I'll stick with CDs. In the spring, we can update our phones, so maybe I'll just continue to use it as (surprise) a phone. 

Random Picture...

This can't be comfortable...

This is Tippi, all 53 lbs. of her playing "lap dog" in the truest sense of the word. Who knew elkhounds were flexy-bendy dogs? 

Interesting enough, when they stand on their hind legs, those legs hinge so that they're standing straight up. My huskies had a tilt to them. But these critters can stand right up like a human. 

And apparently, they can also pretzel themselves into a ball of grey fuzz.

She'll do anything for a belly rub. 

It's Not Me -- It's the Dog...

"I can't wait to see you!"

"You make my day!"

"I just love it when you visit."

"Thanks so much for being here; I needed to talk to you."

"The best part of my day is when I can sit here with you."

Yes, I heard all of those comments. And I appreciated them. 

But they weren't for me. They were for Tippi - more exactly, Tippi Un Sigrid, CGC, TDI... you know - the Elkhound who occasionally takes over this blog, though she's been so overwhelmed with her celebrity that lately, she just wants to nap. 

We were at our usual "Tuesdays With Tippi" gig at Lewis University, and I heard those comments and more. Tippi is what I like to call the University's "Furry Flyer" (the school mascot is an aviator). Below is a picture of her in this year's Halloween costume - as a witch. Yes, she really wore the hat most of the visit. Check out her pictures on Facebook... here. You should be able to view her pictures. 

We had lots of visitors yesterday, and she was invited to at least 3 departmental meetings and was asked to "just run around the first floor of the LRC to calm everyone down." Ha - it's a great gig if you can get it. I took lots of pictures, and she really had a good time. Several people (including myself) indicated that when they grew up, they wanted to be Tippi. 

Tippi the Good Witch

Not bad for a rescue dog who had 4 homes prior to her 3rd birthday...And who has become one of my very special "heart dogs." You know the dog. You may have had dogs growing up, and you had dogs in your adult years. And all dogs are lovable. But sometimes, there's this one special dog. The dog IS you. She (in my case, mostly females) sees into your heart, and in spite of the crap you have inside, the way your day has gone, the madness in the world around you -- in spite of all of that, she crawls her furry little self into your heart. You feel like the Grinch after his transformation. You can feel your heart grow and grow and grow.

I am lucky enough to say that in my life, I have had THREE of those dogs. I can't believe how outstandingly fortunate I have been. Tippi didn't replace Topaz or River. She came alongside them. She showed me her soul and asked me for not one thing. Not. One. Thing. She simply is, and somehow, no matter how much garbage she came through, and no matter how horrible I may be feeling, she just is, and because of her, I'm a better person. 

Though I really, REALLY wish she wouldn't bash her butt up against my knitting chair when I'm working on very sharp double-pointed needles! Ouch! She's actually moved my chair an inch or two, depending on how much she wanted my attention.

Purses...

I decided to change my purse. Good idea, bad execution. I went from a messenger-sized bag to the style known as a "doctor's bag" purse. And of course, there's too much stuff in it. But I managed to cram everything but my phone and keys in there. I'll switch to another one when I get home. Problem is, it needs to be a purse that closes, since we're in a more crummy time of the year. I have a couple very nice purses that only have a flap to close them or they're just a cinch bag. I need something that'll zip closed firmly to keep the wet out. 

It's supposed to bucket rain today, and from the sky out there, it's pretty close. I'll be a drowned rat on my way to the truck.

I should pull out my wool Booga Bag... it's nice and wool is fairly waterproof. Please be nice and follow the request: pattern is for PERSONAL use only... please don't go making these up and selling them. It's not nice and knitting karma will come back and bite you in the circulars...

Yarn & Knitting...

Speaking of Booga Bags, I am so happy to find the pattern!! I have stash yarn somewhere in the closet for this. It's so much fun to knit then felt. Amazing how it turns out. And honestly? Making 5 FEET of I-cord is quite meditative.

I really should be working on the Fluffy Scarf today. I'll get to it. Last night I finally picked up #2 Teal Sock, finished the cuff, and started on the leg. Elizabeth Zimmerman was right: "knit your ribbing till you're sick of it, and that's enough." I was just about over it at the 12th row, which was convenient, since that's what the pattern called for. 

I know; I don't have to follow the pattern. Except this is #2 of a pair. They should be somewhat similar...

I'm wearing the Robin's Egg socks today. Nice and toasty feet. I'm hoping the MadTosh wears well; I heard from my knitting friend D that they don't usually wear as well as a sock yarn like Opal, or something with at least 10% nylon in it. Oh well. Socks wear out. One needs to get over it. 

Politics...

So now everyone's miffed because "Obama lied" (yawn...) - apparently his comment, which he probably should've confirmed first, about being able to keep your own insurance was premature. 

Let's face one big fat fact: that legislation (a) is NOT health-care reform; (b) IS a very basic run at HEALTH INSURANCE reform; and (c) was probably written in collusion with insurance companies and lobbyists. 

Therefore, you know the insurance companies (who are NOT non-profits, just look at their CEO pay...) will wring every last dollar out of each of us. For example, the CEO of United HealthCare, my provider, made $13.9 MILLION in 2012. 

Let me repeat that. THIRTEEN POINT NINE MILLION dollars. Ok, mind you, only something like $1.3 million of that was ACTUAL money. The rest is stock options.

So, dust off your econ books, and let's look at this. The guy gets paid a certain amount of actual "salary" on the books. But the rest is tied to performance-based bonuses. This means "How well do we treat our STOCKHOLDERS?" This does NOT mean "how well do we treat our INSURED CUSTOMERS?" basically because we cost them money. He gets paid a bigger bonus if WE get less services. 

So. I take a medication for seizures. There is a generic. The insurance company (NOT my doctor!!) changed to a generic for me, because "generic is equivalent." Well. It wasn't. I need the "real" drug. Honestly, do you really want to mess with seizure medicine?? It didn't work. And there's science to back up both issues. Yes, sometimes (most of the time) generics are just fine. But in a certain percentage of people, the generic Does. Not. Work. It's part of my permanent record. 

Well, I have to have my doctor write, each and every year, an appeal. Because the generic is something like $270 per month (so $810 for a 3 month Rx), and the brand name is $1,600 for a 3-month supply. This is certainly sticker shock, but it does get somewhat better.

As you can imagine, it's a whack at our $2,500 deductible...so in January, I usually pay the whole $1,600 for the refill. After that, for the next several refills, I pay only about $400 per 3-month supply. 

Obviously, let's look at the math. United HealthCare would much rather pay $810 for 3 months of meds. They'd much rather have that money go to their shareholders...they're a BUSINESS. Fact of life, folks. Rule #1 is "Your Insurance Company Does Not Care About Your Health." Keep repeating that. Oh, and they usually get nice fat tax breaks that we civilians won't ever, ever, EVER see. Corporations are people, too, my friend. 

I'm very lucky. My health care is not being cancelled. Some insurance providers ARE cancelling policies and honestly, that stinks. But it's about the money, people. It's not about the ACA - well, not all about the ACA. Look at your premiums and pay attention. I don't know about you, but MY premiums have risen every year. Every. Year. My premiums rose in double-digits. My paycheck only rose in single-digits. 

This article in the Washington Post kind of explains why it seems like it's a no-win argument. It's confusing between the fact that you may be covered, or eligible for Medicare...or you may be covered under your employer's policy. Or you may have to go out into the marketplace.

In my own very humble opinion, employers who kick their employees off their policies are not playing fair with their employees. The company AND the employees should work together to find a good solution. Screwing your employees is just a bad business decision. 

Again, luckily, Hubby's company covers us, and they put out an excellent graphic detailing the options we had and where we needed to go. And Kid #1 figured out that he will spend nearly $200 LESS for insurance on the marketplace instead of taking his company's plan. And Kid #2 has great insurance and doesn't need to change. 

Estate Stuff...

Friday is the closing on the house. I also return my brother's work stuff to his last place of employment. We already gave the car to the one kid (against all advice to the contrary...but it's not my problem any longer). So now, we just wait out the remainder of the claim period, file the Final Accounting, and then we can move to close the Estate. 

It's fast. But the attorney we're using said up-front that he "didn't like them hanging around" and neither do I. I want this done and over with. I've done the bulk of the work, so I've saved some $$$ on attorney fees, I think. 

My mother has made the difficult yet necessary decision to un-invite the 2 kids. Let me explain...

The two kids, half-brother/sister to each other, are not speaking. The girl is living with her grandmother, since her mother had also died a number of years ago. The boy, removed from our family by my brother's X (who said WE were nuts and bad influences) only recently came back after age 18 to "look us up." He has caused nothing but trouble, and while we usually want to take the high road, we are at our wit's end right now. 

The boy is bipolar and schizophrenic. The girl is just a moody 17-year-old. The boy likes to stir things up when he's ON his meds. But we also know that at least twice since my brother's death, he has gone OFF those meds. And his mother, in a fantastical burst of "magical thinking" has told him that "at age 25, your metabolism changes, so you'll no longer need those meds." She heard it on TV.

Anyone with an Internet connection and two brain cells will be able to find out that, particularly in young me, bipolar and schizophrenic behavior tends to blossom at age 25 for whatever reason. BLOSSOM - as in "gets incrementally WORSE." But this kid thinks that on the morning of his 25th birthday, he'll awaken all "normal" and he can go get a gun; he can apply to the police academy; he can get off his meds....

My mother is scared of him. And so, with a heavy heart, she decided that she really didn't want either of them there. She doesn't want or need the drama, and frankly - she knows the rest of us would (a) escort the brats out the door; and (b) then leave. We don't want the drama either. 

Random Picture...

Avon 2-Day Pedometer

This an "oldie but a goodie." From my Bucket List, a desire to walk in the Avon 2-Day Walk for Breast Cancer. I like it better than Komen because the vast majority of the funds stay in the community in which the walk is held. As far as I was able to find out, Komen funds don't necessarily go where I'd like to see them go (treatment of poor patients, under-served areas, etc.) and I like the "local" aspect. I was able, thanks to many kind donations, to meet the fundraising goals, and I walked. 

Mind you, I did not complete it. Right before the walk, I was diagnosed with A-fib. After trying several different meds, 3 emergency stays in the hospital and finally finding a Rx we thought worked, my cardiologist said, "Go ahead, but don't be stupid." I also had a heart monitor on. 

This was only Day One. It was a Saturday. That Sunday, my walking partner S woke up with a screaming migraine, so we went home. And that Monday, I was back in the hospital. 

No, I wasn't stupid. The new Rx wasn't the right one. (sigh) 

Anyway, I do count this as a bucket-list item because I did the walk. I would like to have finished it, but I did what I could. And in life, as long as you've tried and your intention was good, you've succeeded.

Things That go "Snort" in the Night...

My dog snores. Snorts. Sometimes so loudly that she wakes herself up. It's amusing in a way, but when her own DAUGHTER leaves the room in a huff, you gotta wonder...

It was really funny last night. I couldn't figure out if she was having a dream OR snoring, or perhaps having a dream AND snorting. 

Either way, she eventually woke herself up and toddled out to the living room. 

If reincarnation really does exist, as many people believe... I want to come back as my dogs.

Therapy Gig...

Today is another Tuesdays with Tippi day, and for this festive season, she's dressing as a witch. This is an "extra" since October has 5 Tuesdays. Normally, we go the first and third Tuesdays, but I figured this special one was worth it. 

Lucky for us, the rain is holding off. Tomorrow is supposed to be a "buckety" kind of day, and Madame does not get wet. She's very grumpy when wet. Not to mention sorta smelly...

Yarns...

She's still enjoying it, so we keep doing it. She's not exactly jazzed at the costumes, but she gets salmon treats. It's all in how you look at it, right?

Yarn...

So, yarn pics as promised. And the lovely bag from LMR Knittery. Love the quote on it, "Get they to a knittery." Shakespeare made a bunch of references to knitting anyway, so this is just catchy.

Top to bottom: Madelaine Tosh sock weight, specially dyed for Le Mouton Rouge Knittery; Opal sock; Cascade Paints. The MadTosh specialty dye even impressed Hubby. I know this one and the Cascade Paints look similar, but they're destined for two different things. MadTosh is going for a lovely cowl. I haven't figured out where the Paints is going, but I will. 

Knittery Bag

And of course, the Opal will be socks. Pretty basic ones, though, because the yarn speaks for itself, and often, knitting can get in the way of what you're doing. I mean, yes, I could do a lacy leaf-ish pattern. I actually have that pattern. But then, I could also do a Simple Sock and the yarn would shine. All in what you're aiming for, and I think that sometimes "brainless" is better. For both the knitter AND the yarn.

The Fluffy Scarf project is temporarily stalled while I work on the assembly of the Charity Afghan. That's rolling along nicely. I have 15 squares done, 9 more to go. That includes on-the-fly filler of single crochet, and then a border. 

Good thing my family stopped procreating. I can knit on other stuff. But I'm still holding onto the idea of starting a sweater for myself really, REALLY soon. Maybe in that lovely merino + silk in that pretty lilac color. 

Politics...

So now Mr. Graham is having his own hissy fit. Lordy, Lordy - what's up with these Bible Belt Conservatives? Is "Benghazi" the new "Nazi" word?? Love Rocky Mountain Mike's take on it here. Of course, anyone who can parody so quickly is a total genius. 

Clinton nails it. Do y'all remember Medicare Part D? Yes. Do you remember the pillorying that the Democrats gave the Republicans when the computers crashed during Part D's implementation?

Of course not. Because there wasn't any. Look, Democrats are hardly squeaky-clean. But in the case of Medicare Part D, they just rolled up their sleeves and got the thing rolling, without so much drama as we see today. 

I mean, my God. You'd think that the ACA was the ONLY social program to have ever had a computer problem. Darrell (Witch-Hunt) Issa is now calling for Secretary Sebelius' head. 

Grant you, I'm thinking they should've done more testing prior. And used an American developer. Right-on there. But obviously, nobody in the Republican party will ever admit to having been through a roll-out of a software program that has galumphed right into massive potholes. I don't like it, but it's fixable. Without throwing anyone under the bus. 

Fall...

Back yard tree, late afternoon

So the cold snap everyone was complaining about here? Lookee... This is what happens. Our back yard tree is coming into its color finally, and the front yard one is also moving right along. The back yard tree is a Norwegian Maple. And the front yard is what's called a "Lipstick Red" color when it's all decked out. It's a Flame Maple, I think. All I know is that, when they're in full color, our house in the middle of the block is actually visible at either END of the block because of the brightness of the trees. 

Yoga...

So I got hurt in Therapeutic Yoga training! Well, not hurt badly. Just yanked around a bit. I was having an adjustment in Ardha Candrasana II involving a strap at my standing leg's hip crease and ending on my raised leg's foot. As I opened up, the instructor increased the traction, which felt really good. 

Till I got in the car to drive home. By the time I reached my driveway, in a relatively swift drive of about 45 minutes, I was not happy. It's eased up now. 

I have the 3-day Sanskrit training this coming weekend, so by that time, I ought to be pain-free. It was a little interesting teaching my Monday night beginners, but I told them I got hurt, and used it as a teaching moment to underscore the fact that yoga is a great thing, but as with anything involving the physical body, you have to be aware of your own self. 

Fall Sky

Random Picture...

The other day, the sky looked so lovely outside my office. I took a picture of it. I love the "painting" of the clouds on the blue sky. I often bemoan the fact that there aren't a lot of trees in the area of my building, so the parking lot can get really hot. But on the other hand, I have such a lovely view of the sky. 

Trade-offs. I'll take the sky. I love the way I can see incoming storms, the "Michigan Mountains" (storm clouds building over Lake Michigan), all the air activity because we're so close to the airport without it being obnoxious, and all the birds. We have owls, hawks, geese, crows...Just a great area to remember that along with the humans and "civilization" we also have a good chunk of Mother Nature here. I couldn't work or function in a concrete jungle.

Food...

This is my new favorite salad blend. It's just a treat in a salad raw, and then you can also saute it or use it in smoothies. 

Great salad mix!

And as you are all aware, of course, you still have to wash it, even though it says "triple washed." Don't believe them. Wash it anyway.

And if you're eating it cold, use a basic vinaigrette dressing. It'll help to soften up the chard and kale. While baby kale won't knock you across the room, it's still best with O & V and not a creamy dressing. 

I would also use this in addition to a regular lettuce blend, just to share with people who "don't eat greens." Because the flavors are that subtle and enjoyable. 

I'm glad I decided to try this. I've never eaten chard and I always wondered. 

Friday Nights...

It's Friday night. I'm at work. It's a 2-day seminar on Pain Management for some of our advanced nursing students.

Twisted mess of Fluffy Scarf Yarn

Tomorrow, I start a 2-day training on the art of teaching yoga therapeutics. That will be interesting. In the meantime, I'm sitting here, knitting on the Fluffy Scarf and muttering under my breath because it looks like this. It's knotting up and about every 4 rows, I have to twist and turn to get it straightened out and pulled apart a little bit.

Yeesh. I hope the next couple of balls are better than this.

Knitting...

Went to Le Mouton Rouge Knittery again. And yes, I bought more yarn. Sock yarn, to be specific, though one hank will be set aside for a shawlette. It's Madelaine Tosh, and it was specially dyed for LMR in her colorway. She said she was extremely happy she got it, because when she described it, she wasn't certain they'd give her the tones she wanted. It looks fantastic and I can't wait to knit it up.

It's a fantastic shop and I always, ALWAYS find something I want there. Unfortunately, right??

This weekend, after the yoga training, I continue on with the assembly of the Charity Afghan. I've got about 1/4 of it done. It's coming along ok. I just hope it looks ok when I get it done. It's certainly giving me lots of practice in weaving (not sewing) different pieces of needlework together. Some are knitted; some crocheted; some Tunisian crochet. All of them are different, and there are the crocheted inserts. I'll take a picture of what I've got done; plus, of course, the yarn I've purchased; and I'll get them in this blog somewhere. 

I consider that I achieved a victory today. When we were at LMR, my friend J saw me grab the MadTosh special-dyed and she just drooled. And she bought the worsted weight. She has no idea what she'll knit with it. She NEVER buys "stash" yarn. Except for sock yarn, but everyone knows that's not strictly stash because if you know how to knit socks, you've usually got at least one pair on the needles.

Then she bought several hanks of Cascade Superwash for baby jackets. She has my pattern for those simple ones I did for the twins, and she wants to do some to set aside. Her grandkids are growing up and she said she'd like to have something "stashed" for them in the event they marry and have kids of their own. She's my mom's age, and she said she wonders if she'll be knitting in 20 years, and wants her kids to have something of hers. Good plan. 

...Speaking of "having something" in an heirloom, though I loved Baby Prince George's christening gown, didn't they even receive a hand-knitted shawl for this baby??? Just sayin'...


Random Irony...

White Powerade - what's wrong with that?

On our kitchen table, it's a mess. Just a mess. Like it's a major dumping ground. So Kid #2 has a couple of bottles of power-drink stuff. He uses it when it's summertime because there's no A/C and he doesn't want to keel over when it's nearly 100* outside. Imagine. Well, I asked him if he'd put the stuff in the pantry, and then we got to talking about something else. I noticed that this bottle was sitting on the table still and I made a comment about it. He said, "Oh, I'm not drinking that. I bought it because of the irony."

What irony?

He said, "Who markets a drink called "white power ade"???"  I don't know - my sense of the absurd was tickled. I think perhaps their focus group might have thought about that one - or at least someone in marketing should have been paying attention. Or maybe they should hire unemployed English majors so that these things can be caught before they hit the stores...

Politics...Or "MORE" Random Irony...

So now, Ted (Canadian/Cuban) Cruz is speaking out against the 1%. Yes, please pick up your jaw. Read it here. Yup. Of course he's in Iowa "just because it's there." Right? 

So Mr. "I get MY health insurance through Goldman Sachs" Cruz is now saying that there's a divide in the haves and have-nots. Hang on - I have to see if there's a SECOND full moon this month. 

Food...

Hubby made a lovely chicken and rice soup the other night. Yes, I did heat up my pre-frozen potato soup. And no, it wasn't prepackaged...I had made it last year and we put several of the containers in the freezer. It was very good. Nice and comforting. 

I slept like a rock. 

Tomorrow, what with the yoga training, it'll either be an apple and a cheese stick or a smoothie. I just can't eat when I practice yoga - it's very uncomfortable to me. 

Note to self: Get back on the cleaner diet, and stop drinking pumpkin spiced chai latte!!!

Random Picture...

Snowmen

I know. They're snowmen. I have all 12 months. This is a selection of the first 3 - well, December, January and February. I have March ready to stitch, but it's a matter of when. Maybe during my Christmas holiday? You never know. I have to dig out the floss, though. I've taken to quilting them instead of framing them. They're cute. And the patterns are all out of print now, so I'm kind of on a mission to do those. They're done by Curtis Boehringer, and done in Flower Thread, which is not DMC 6-strand floss. You can do them in the floss, but the flower thread is more delicate. I've usually added beads or buttons or something just to make them my own creation. The December one has metallic floss in his hat. January has buttons on the quilting and regular buttons down her front, and February has beaded hearts. 

And my mother's angel. That's a whole post in itself, and I should probably take a picture of THAT and get myself going.

Hubby, being his ever-helpful self, pointed out to me, in front of my mother, of course, that if I did 60 stitches a night on it for a solid 365 days, I could have it done. Nice. He's right, which makes it more infuriating. 

But it's a Lavender and Lace angel, and there's about 200 colors in it. And I'd have to put it in the frame and LEAVE it up. So I need to put it in one spot. Not sure how that'll happen in the current configuration of my living room, but I really have to do it. 

I take comfort from the fact that if I ever retired early or lost my job, I have plenty of stash yarn and stash projects to complete...