Reconnected...

I had a nearly-hour-long conversation with my friend "N" yesterday. 

I hadn't spoken to her in almost a year (I mean in person or on the phone). She had this job. It was a soul-sucking, time-consuming, all-encompassing job. Such that just about every month, she traveled 50% of the time. And when she was in town, she worked 14-hour days.

Which isn't remarkable as such, since so many people do that today - just to keep employed. 

But what she did was remarkable. She quit. She resigned after dealing with an entirely toxic department, a supervisor who shoveled crap on top of her and then chastised her repeatedly for "not performing to expectations" under conditions which can be considered "hostile" to say the least. After giving directions to an assistant who wouldn't do her job, and then being told that she was being given a "job improvement notice" because she couldn't manage. After writing up the assistant and the assistant complaining to HR about her. I just shake my head at that kind of garbage. 

And she did it the right way. She submitted a resignation note, cleaned out her office without fanfare and left. 

It takes guts to do that. She told me about it while I was in the midst of a therapy visit with Tippi, so I had to wait to call her back. And then during our conversation, she said something which made me stop. "You were the first one I thought about. And I knew that, unlike so many people, you wouldn't have tried to talk me out of walking out."

She's right. I have left soul-sucking jobs. I have done the "travel every month" thing, while trying to raise 2 kids. I would have helped her draft her resignation note. 

We discussed what she wanted to do, what her immediate goals were, and yes, we made plans to get together soon. 

I had missed her. We e-mailed; I tried to network to find her a new place; but she was always on a plane. She was unable to sustain friendships, was having trouble with stress, and was missing out on so much of her family life. 

Was quitting the best response? She's lucky enough to be able to do it. And yes, for her, it was the absolute right thing to do. Yes, the economy is still recovering. And yes, she's at the top of her field and will likely not find another job like that. Which may be a good thing. She's being tagged by the corporate world as "too expensive" -- they can hire 25-year-olds for about 1/3 of her salary. 

And she's ok with that. I have been in her shoes and I have been lucky enough to be able to shed a job that wasn't doing me any good. I look forward to seeing N accomplish her goals: to be a present parent; to concentrate on HERSELF; to learn to knit. Those are things that will matter. Not the job. 

The Turkey...

Lola

So I wrote a check for the turkey yesterday. And about had a heart attack -- this bird had better be good!! Three Maples Farm is a lovely spot; we got to pet the horses and cows. This is Lola. She likes peppermint candies and is shy. 

Hubby about had a fit, too, with the price of Mr. Turkey. But we agreed (sort of) to try something more organic. So we shall see. Right now, Mr. Turkey is in the fridge at work. It'll take him 5 days to thaw, so while I'm at work Saturday (we're having our Thanksgiving early, remember), Hubby will come by and get him. If needed, he'll be getting a cool-water thaw. 

Lola will eventually be hamburger. The woman who runs the farm was telling us that she's been involving her kids in the farm. They understand about "raising what you eat" and the concept of attachment. All her animals have names, and all of them, for the most part, end up on a table somewhere. So the next time we go there, it may very well be that Lola's in the freezer. But if you want to make sure your food is not injected with garbage or fed GMO grain, you go to a local farmer. And you ask. 

The dogs, of course, had a sniff-fest when I came home. They recognized "horse" since I have come home smelling like that. But "cow" was entirely different. They loved it. It's a shame I didn't get to pet the goats or the pig... Three Maples also sells hand-made goat's milk soap. That's on my agenda for gifts. Support the local farmer. 

Various papers

The Storms...

The Shorewood Police Department is acting as a collection spot for storm debris blown up north-east by the horrible storms. Here are some pics of what Hubby collected. He and the dogs were written up in the Chicago Tribune. The Facebook pages coordinating the storm damage "let's return their stuff" efforts are very busy, and I'm so glad social media is working for something good instead of "this is what I ate for dinner" trivialities. 

Some storm debris

Imagine, if you will, losing everything. And then potentially having your identity stolen. Seriously - Hubby found checks, bank statements, a car title, school transcripts, an adoption order. This is tremendously sensitive stuff. If you're in the area of the tornado damage and you have found stuff, please pick it up and bring it to the local police department -- you could be saving someone a lot of heartache. Along with the good folks who pitch in to help - there are also scummy people who'd steal an identity in a heartbeat. 

Sorry about the sideways shots. You get the idea...

Knittting...

The sock comes along. I did nothing on the afghan yesterday. It seems like between the turkey and the Tuesdays with Tippi, I was running all day. 

Migraine News...

Well, I'm having a few more migraines. I'm sure it's because "things are changing." My mom said it gets worse just before you stop having them.

On a good note, though, I just read about a "home remedy" for migraines: the self-induced brain-freeze. In the Chicago Trib's "Health" section, there's a column about various medicines/medical issues. This doctor wrote in, saying that he (or she) suffered from migraines and was caught short without the prescription meds.

So his (or her) friend had him sip ice water and then "gobble down" a bowl of chocolate ice cream. The resulting "brain-freeze" stopped the migraine in its tracks. 

Wow... and I bet there was no Rx hangover!! Hubby said, "Well, I guess I go get some chocolate ice cream!" I can get behind that. My health insurance recently switched me to the generic of my migraine Rx. And it works, but the "hangover" is more significant than with the brand-name. But I won't be able to appeal it on that basis. The basic fact is -- the generic works in this instance, so I'm stuck with it. And the day-long "fuzz" I have afterwards. But at least it stops the migraine. 

However, that "chocolate ice cream" thing...it's tempting!

Dr. Who...

Yay!!! I found a YouTube channel that will simulcast the premier of the Dr. Who 50th Anniversary episode. I have to work. I want to see it. In case you're interested, it's going to be simulcast at www.youtube.com/bbcamerica -- I can't wait. 

I'm a come-lately Whovian. A novice, if you will. My first Doctor was Christopher Eccleston. I've been on a Dr. Who gorge ever since BBC has had their "takeover week" this week. 

I seriously want to knit a Dr. Who scarf. In all the specials, that Doctor said that the director at that time gave "a batch of wool" to a lady and said he wanted a scarf. The woman (I can't remember her name) was given no further direction, so she knit all the wool. That's how that 12-foot scarf came to be. I know - I'm what? 5' 4" if that... a 12-foot scarf knit entirely in garter is crazy-talk. But I want one. What can I say??

Christmas...

I'm done shopping. Sorry - I do a lot online and I am usually early. Well, I have one more thing to get: a chain for Kid #1's girlfriend. I'm giving her an amber charm, and I want to have a chain for it. 

We still have no idea of when we'll actually do the Christmas Eve dinner. It's too early to figure that out yet. I know I'll be doing Midnight Mass and we still have to figure out how to wire my guitar. 

Just about all the online stuff has come in. Hubby teased that he'd "already wrapped" my presents. I will be doing that this weekend; just because once I finish the afghan, I can reclaim my dining room table and we can put up our small tree.

We will probably use the big tree again once our canary goes to Canary Heaven. Right now, his table is in front of the picture window, and our room is small. I have no place to put a big tree - that the dogs won't knock over! I haven't gotten presents for the dogs. I did get Larry the grand-cat a couple of gifts. I figure since I'm baking, it's easy to just bake them some treats, and I wouldn't put those under the tree anyway. 

Politics...

What's wrong with this picture? First, the Bishop in Springfield, IL holds an "exorcism" for Governor Pat Quinn because Quinn's signing a gay marriage bill. Now, this: a Methodist pastor has 30 days to renounce his own gay children. Renounce. His. Own. Children. Classy, right? Just click on the word "renounce" here and see what he says. I admire his stance. 

Gay marriage is not a threat to society. Just like interracial marriage didn't collapse the whole universe. If you don't like gay marriage, don't marry someone of your own sex. Is that a "simple" answer? Well yeah. Because nobody's forcing you to do that. So don't. 

We need to solve unemployment. We need to solve the poverty gap in our country. We are simultaneously the richest and poorest country in the industrialized world. Shame on us. Education needs help (not reform necessarily and certainly not reform by CORPORATIONS because kids aren't widgets). We need to dismantle the "too big to fail" banks back to their original sizes.

And all you want to carp about is gay marriage? Get a grip.

Also, happy birthday to Vice President Joe Biden!! 

Random Picture...

Shades of Blue by Sonda

Digging back in the picture archives. This is a hank of my friend Sonda's hand-dyed yarn. I made a hat out of this. I still have some left. I will probably do something with it, but I'm not sure what. I did also use some to make a bag for my mala beads, but I have at least 100 yards left. 

Sonda started dying her own yarns and then she got sick. I'm not saying that the two are connected. It was just horrible circumstance that she had a malignant melanoma. And they didn't find it till it reached her brain and her lungs; she died at age 55 and I still have trouble believing she's gone. She was a talented knitter and designer, having patterns in several "One Skein" books published. My knitting friend D and I had purchased this yarn, and we gave full hanks back to Sonda's mom. She's using it to knit shawls for Sonda's nieces for Christmas. I had that yellow - it was a tangled mess, and I took it home and spent a weekend unwinding it. I gave it back to her - and it's where it should be. 

I don't have enough of the blue to make an impact so I'm keeping that. 

Time to dive back into the real world. I need a stretch break. 

Catching Up....

It was a blog-fest for the travel topic, and now it's time to just get back to real life. 

Blimp rides on race weekend

We're back down to earth now; though everyone's still stunned that I walked off an Alp... 

The picture at right is a crummy one... The new Nokia is coming, people. Be patient. Anyway, this is the blimp floating around. We're near enough to the Chicagoland Speedway (located in Joliet, but hey - money buys names, right?) and we had the Big Race -- I don't know which one. I don't follow racing.

So I was driving home from work that Saturday and I saw this. They were giving rides on the blimp. Would be cool, I think! But not cool enough that I'd go anywhere NEAR that racetrack on a race weekend. Not a fan. 

I know the farmers are getting paid handsomely for renting out spots for campers, but I have no desire. 

The Garden

CARROTS!

Well. Tomatoes are ok; not scarce but not overly plentiful. At least this year they have some taste to them.

Pickling cucumbers ARE COMING OUT MY EARS. We have 6 more, and then I think they're finally done. So I get to make MORE pickles this year. I might do a garlic-onion-pickle thingie just to shake it up. 

Carrots are coming in; lovely!! Roasted for Thanksgiving and juiced. Nothing like the plastic orange things you buy in the cellophane bag at Jewel. Oh, and one radish we forgot about... Wowza, I haven't even cut into it but I bet it's gonna be hot!

Of course, I could make Carrot Preserves. That could be interesting. It would go along with my Basil Jelly and Rosemary Jelly. 

I need to do something with preserves, but we haven't had time to turn around, much less grab berries or apples to do anything with. Fingers crossed (again, where am I finding 26 hours in a 24-hour day???) that I can maybe get something done in that line for Christmas. 

The Politics

Will everyone Get. Over. It. The Affordable Care Act is NOT mandatory health care. It's not "socialized medicine." It's a fairly limp effort at INSURANCE REFORM. And you know what? It's going to SAVE you money. 

I have news for people: when someone without insurance shows up at your local ER with a stomach bug, yeah, they get care. And guess what happens to YOUR insurance premiums and YOUR hospital costs??? They go UP. Sooooooooo - let's give EVERYONE a shot at getting decent insurance for a do-able cost. Betcha they don't clog up the ER... 

Holding the government hostage so that Republicans can "score points" against President Obama (because, after all, it was THEIR healthcare plan before HE adopted it - what's with the schizo behavior??) -- well, that's what the FOUNDERS didn't want. The Founders - those guys who are always shoved in our faces by the uber-conservative folks -- they didn't even want political PARTIES because they thought that it would lead to division. Hmpfh. Go figure... 

It's ridiculous. We have wars to worry about. We have kids and elders going hungry. Our "First World" country treats its most vulnerable citizens as bad as, if not worse than, a Third World country, and yet we can bleat in total ignorance that we are "The Greatest Country." 

Nope. Not till everyone has at least the means to get a decent standard of living. And that encompasses a job that pays a living wage; health care; availability of food... The $8.25 minimum wage isn't cutting it anymore. We have no jobs bill because the toadies have spent their time trying to repeal the ACA. There are too many neighborhoods where there's not even a decent grocery store. 

We have lots to do before we can, in good conscience, call ourselves "The Greatest Country" again. 

The Knitting

Fluffy scarf #1

So what possessed me to think that I could do seven (SEVEN) fluffy scarves for our choir gals??? I have no idea. But I'm plugging away. I've brought them to work, and will do them at work on my lunch break. They're mindless, but a tad frustrating because the yarn is roapy. No, this time, I didn't iron it. But I'm afraid I'll have to do it for subsequent scarves just to save my head when I pound it on the wall...

Oh, and our Zonta Club president asked us knitters to knit another one of these things as a possible door prize or auction item for our club. So of course I said yes... (sigh)

Seaming

The baby sweaters are done. They still fit!!!! Yay!!! And I learned a cool seaming technique that results in no bumps. I may do these again, (a) because it's such a simple pattern; and (b) because I have some of the Encore left over and I can go wild with stripes. No baby looks ugly in a tiny little sweater, right?? Even if the colors are "out there" somewhere... And it's a good stash-buster. Any wool super-wash will do. 

I like the wool super-wash because it's warm; it's crisp when you knit it, and it holds the buttons nicely. And the pattern couldn't be easier - you can add length, you can leave the sleeves so that perhaps 1" or so is not seamed, to make a cuff. I have enough of the yellow and orange to make the front and sleeves (like, maybe down just past the buttonholes) one color and then switch so that the bottom half is another. I can stripe. I can do whatever I want! 

Avery Sweater

And the wool superwash is good because moms can just toss it in the laundry and it won't get felted or shrink. You don't even need to block this pattern. I think it's much easier than the Elizabeth Zimmerman Baby Surprise Jacket. 

I'm sorry that the completed picture is upside-down. Just squint a bit. The babies look adorable in the sweaters. I'm happy that they're able to wear them. Girl Baby will wear both soon because Boy Baby is a TANK. Looks just like his dad.


The Nephew Afghan... So I forgot that my nephew is getting married. Give me a break, please, there's been a lot going on... I got out the "8-hour Afghan" book and am doing a simple-ish tweedy thing. The colors don't look great, but remember, it's the Nokia phone and it's not the new whiz-bang camera... He will like it. The taupe is the approximate color of his living room, and the navy-ish color is at least the office, I can't remember. But anyway, he's got 2 black labs. I wasn't about to do a white afghan!! Encore again. Great stuff, washable and it holds a stitch pattern nicely. Big needles, so it goes fast. I have till about February, I figure...if it's going to be in time for a shower. 

Nephew Afghan

The Charity Afghan...This was supposed to be my "sweater year" and I have yet to cast on a sweater for myself. The charity afghan is moving along. I have it mostly laid out, and I'm completing the last 4 squares. This was a round robin project; some crochet, some Tunisian Crochet, and some knitted. I'm going to assemble it, using crochet. We don't want to interfere with Howl-O-Ween anyway, so this is decent timing. 

Socks, scarves, etc... The Teal Socks are set aside for now. The Chandelier Lace scarf is my Sunday Knitting project. I'm just breaking it down to "what do I knit each day of the week" at this point. The lace scarf may or may not make it for Christmas, depending on what else goes on.

Stash-busting: I'm going to go through the totes in the basement and be ruthless with the acrylic. Lord knows I'll not be knitting with it anytime soon. Will be a donation toward our Prayer Shawl project at the church. I'm sure it'll come in handy, and I've been sitting on it for a couple years now. Time to make room -- either just room in the basement, or (go figure) more room for yarn.

The Estate

YAY, good news! We got an offer on the house. It looks solid, but I've seen closings fall apart the week of, so I'm not jinxing this one! It's below our appraisal, but not too bad. I think it's just better to get on with it. I don't want it to sit over the winter, and I don't want to have to pay out of my own pocket for vacant property insurance and the utilities. It becomes an "attractive nuisance" and we're too far away. I don't want a 2 a.m. phone call telling me the cops are there because someone tried to ransack the place. 

Charity afghan

Fingers crossed. The lawyer also said he is going to negotiate with the IRS. It will still wash out, and mostly still probably be "upside-down" but he feels like he should make the effort. Hope to get them to 50-cents on the dollar. We won't have an "estate" to distribute to the heirs, but I can't help that. Can't get blood out of a turnip. 

The Reading

I'm still plowing through the Jane Austen collection. I'm on "Emma" now. Emma gives me a pain. 

I read J.K. Rowling's "Casual Vacancy" which I think I mentioned. She needs to work on her adult fiction. 

I have "The Portable Faulkner" and I've started it. I've also started (twice!) "Sanctuary." Yikes, I'd rather re-read "Absalom, Absalom" -- I have a cheat-sheet for Sanctuary because I can't figure out who's who. 

I'm going to order some more Pearl S. Buck for my Kindle. I love her way with words. 

The Yoga

I'm almost done with training. Yay! One more weekend for the formal classes. A few more workshops, a thesis and I'm done. 200 hours is a LOT of work. 

I'm no longer teaching Yin; my own teacher wants the class back, and that's fine with me. I will be a happy student again. I will still be teaching on Mondays and subbing where I can, but that's fine. I already have a full-time job; I'd be happy with a light yoga schedule.

The Weight

Well, I put on 10 lbs. since my brother died. I have recommitted myself to getting my act together. It's stress eating, and coupled with (yay, FINALLY) what looks like menopause, my body's not reacting like it used to do. Used to be, stress eating and I didn't gain weight.

Not anymore!! Yikes... I can really feel that 10 lbs. and I don't like it. So, off we go again. 

The Holidays

Again, we are doing Thanksgiving the Sunday before. That's nice, because it just seems so much less hectic. We're going organic this year, and getting our bird from Three Maples Farm in Oswego. Check here to see what they do. I'm excited. Yeah, expensive, but I sent an e-mail to all working family: time to chip in, folks. For years, Hubby and I have been buying the bird, which is fine; we're not broke. But an ORGANIC turkey is lots more expensive and we've been doing the cooking for years now, too. It's time for the kids to pitch in - most of them are working and $10 won't kill any of them. 

Also, we can take the older great-nephew (not the one getting married --- the 3-year-old) to visit the farm and pet the goats. He'll love it. 

Most of the family does pitch in with the side dishes, but if I may be allowed a little vent, I have some relatives who find that the holidays are the occasion at my mom's house to sit on their butts and watch Hubby and I run like chickens. I have one relative in particular who thinks her only contribution is to come in, plop rolls on the counter and go sit down. Lately, that's not sitting well with me.

My MOM doesn't have to do anything. She provides the place, and frankly, she's slowing down even though she won't admit it. She's earned the right, as long as we are capable, to just have the opportunity to visit and not work like a slave. 

We cook because we like to, of course, and to blow our own horns: we're good at it. That gene, I inherited from my Dad. Our kids do the potatoes (3 ways, thank you) and my one nephew (the dad of the 3 kids) does a great job cooking, too. He's really good. My sister is improving, but she's not much of a cook. And one of the kids bakes, so that's cool. But otherwise, coming up with a salad and dressing isn't much of a challenge, if I may say so. 

Last year, it was kind of funny. Kid #1 and Kid #2 got in a huff...They see that we're doing all this prior to the event, and we're also Clean-Up Crew... So THEY get the nephews. They're all: "Hey, you - grab these dishes and bring them up. You, grab the garbage can. You, start stacking the chairs."

And amazingly (not really - who am I kidding?), they all just hopped to it. Well, you get a teacher and a welder taking charge, and everyone just falls in line. If they griped about it, they didn't do it within hearing range of our kids, because they'd have been told to "suck it up and deal with it. You ate, you help." 

OK, I think we're caught up. I know it was an overload of knitting pictures, but next time, I hope to have something more scenic to show you.