I’ve been knitting along with my Himalayan wool/silk, and I’m almost finished with my first skein of yarn. Yay! But I can’t help wondering what a Clapotis would be like with various other yarns. Like, say, bamboo. Specifically, bamboo yarn that I saw marked down 25 percent.
Maybe I need an assortment of Clapotises (Clapoti?).
Yes, I’m much better. And I’ve been working on my Clapotis – I just started the straight section, and in eight rows I’ll be able to drop my first stitch. *joy*
I had a business meeting with my spiritual buddies yesterday. Theresa and I are going to be revamping a web site together. We have so many ideas, and we pretty much finish each other’s sentences. It’s going to rock. Oh, and the weather has been absolutely astonishing lately. The drive was fabulous.
Speaking of astonishing, I am completely addicted to American Idol this season. Who would have guessed? I read all the news coverage and recaps, and I even visit the discussion boards at the AI site. After Constantine’s performance on Tuesday, Moon has developed a sudden interest in Queen. Which is cool, because I was a huge fan back in the day. I do think Con did Freddie justice, although I was delighted with Bo’s “Freebird” performance as well. I’d be happy to give my opinions about all the finalists, but I don’t want to reveal the full extent of my geekiness.
Only a few more weeks before our gym membership expires. I’m going to become an outdoor exerciser after that, but in the meantime I guess I’d better go hit the machines.
Moon, her friend Nicole and I spent the weekend at Aurora University in Williams Bay, attending the Everyday Goddess Conference. And it was pretty wonderful. Some of the highlights:
Consider me uplifted.
I’m almost midway through Banff (my first sweater), and I’ve started another wristband for Moon. I finished my first sock (no pictures yet, but I’ve tried it on and ohhhhh it’s comfy) but I need to buy more yarn before I can make its companion.
And the bobble-y pillow has been set aside for now. I actually might put off doing the Banff sleeves for a while, since I don’t have an urgent need for a big, bulky sweater. The yarn for Tempting is sitting in my closet. And it is tempting… I could actually wear it in this weather.
But there’s more. I’ve been looking for the right yarn for Clapotis, and I found it. Now if only I could stop looking at Knitty patterns… but wait! They just posted a new issue!
Yeah, it was a beautiful weekend. I’m glad I was of a mind to enjoy it. (There are other pictures too.)
Well, I’m already much better. I have also had a few reassuring talks with people who’ve been down the short-term steroid road. One of my neighbors told me that her energy level improved a lot the first day or two taking them. I can vouch for that.
Last night we all went to a Game Night at our church. It was awesome fun. And good for my busy busy mind.
This morning I took Moon to the area strings festival. Peter opted out, which was fine. Originally, we were planning to skip it completely and head up to the Dells for the day. We ended up deciding to just go for the afternoon — which meant the festival was an option again.
The Dells trip took place because Sisters #2-4 were there at a resort with their families. We hung out with them in the hotel room and went out to dinner. We also watched Nephew #2b so that the rest of the gang could go frolic in the waterpark without having to worry about a three-month old who wasn’t keen on going in the water.
It’s been a good weekend so far.
Yesterday, after the 100th person came in to my office to comment on my hacking cough, I finally called my doctor. And got the nurse, who listened to my symptoms and wheezing, and said that the doctor would most likely recommend short-term steroid treatment. I’m not that sick, just coughing my guts out to the point where I can barely catch my breath. An infection is unlikely, yada yada. I already use an inhaler during the winter, for cold-induced asthma symptoms.
Of course, I immediately turned to my old friend the internet to read up on steroids. Appetite increase, check. Insomnia, check. Mood swings… uh, oh.
I freaked out, because I’ve been having enough mood swings on my own since discontinuing the OCD med. Not that I’d really acknowledged that fact, or let anyone else know that I was having any trouble. Basically my thought was: I don’t want it to get any worse. It was a big giant wake up call.
Long story short, I called my shrink doc and now I’m back on the OCD stuff along with the steroids. Today I’m 100% better than I was yesterday. I even had lunch with Carrie, and I sorely needed the girlfriend time. So it’s all good.
By the way, the steroids… it’s a 6-day course, starting with 6 pills the first day, 5 the second, etc. The little case they come in reminds me of birth control pills, for some reason. Huh.
Yippee, I’m able to work again. Woo hoo. I went in early today (7:30!) so I could help out with Monday morning new-class stuff, and I ended up just staying the rest of the day. Yes, until 6 p.m.
The main souvenir from last week’s illness is a deep and lingering cough. It’s one of those coughs that sometimes goes completely out of control, so that I end up wheezing and gasping for breath. This isn’t ideal for making phone calls or leaving voice mail. It was also pretty inconvenient during Easter Vigil — I went in and out of church so many times, the usher offered to make me a nice cup of tea and gave me a roll of Breath Savers.
Yesterday we all spent the day at the in-laws’, but my cough kept me indoors while Pete ran around with all the little ones. Tomorrow it’s supposed to hit 70 degrees, so perhaps my virus will evaporate out of my body and leave me alone.
Hey, at lunchtime I was hungry for the first time in days. Days! So I had a brilliant idea… brunch at the Pancake Cafe, where I indulged in pecan Belgian waffles. Which is exactly what I’d craved.
Now I’m urpy. I went to the supermarket with Pete, and I almost didn’t make it through the store. The sight of food (even crackers) made me feel all queasy.
After a few phantom heaves, I had a frozen lemonade pop and I’m surviving. Did I ever show you the sweater piece I finished last week? I didn’t? Okay, look. I’m most of the way through the ribbing for the front piece now. (This is the back.) Guess what? It’s supposed to hit 60 degrees this week.
Today Pete did an extremely difficult thing. After almost 30 years of being a church musician, he’s stepping down. Those of you who read my ramblings here know that he and I share some fairly unorthodox beliefs. He is far better read and more cerebral than I am in the area of spirituality/philosophy, and of course a lifelong Catholic. He’s drifted further and further away from the beliefs he held in his youth.
The music — and the friendship he shares with his fellow musicians — has kept him in the church until now. Leaving is tremendously hard for him, but staying has been detrimental to his health. So, ironically (because it’s Holy Week and all), he was asked about renewing his contract to continue directing the choir he helped found at his current parish, and he told the truth. And today he told the whole choir, not just the church staff.
Last night I dragged myself to Maundy Thursday services, and I’m so glad I did. Part of the homily focused on how the act of footwashing was a sharing of vulnerability and godliness, and it totally reminded me of how “the Buddha in me recognizes the Buddha in you.” Yes, I totally connected Christianity and Buddhism right there.
So is it a coincidence that it’s a time of death/rebirth … renewal?
Lordy, this virus has had me down. The last few days are a blur. I do remember that I took Moon to her bass lesson, because Pete had class and somebody had to drive her. She brought her entourage (Nicole and Nicole’s boyfriend) and I brought Peter. So it was a full car. Instead of going inside the store, Peter and I went in search of a mythical Starbucks drink that I’d had a few years ago. My appetite was completely gone, but I remembered the orangey Tazo goodness and deeply desired to drink of it.
Alas, the Tazo cooler is no more, although the barista at the drive-through said that I was the second person to ask for one that day. (Hear that, Starbucks? Bring it back!) I settled for a Strawberries ‘n Cream Frappucino. Kind of like a smoothie, but less fruit and more cream. Whatever.
Yesterday I was just really sad and helpless. I think this whole experience is reminding me to just be happy with my regular, healthy body, and not beat myself up so much over not being cute and perfect.
Today my sense of humor is returning, but I stayed home from work anyway. The truth of the matter is that I tend to run back to the routine as soon as I feel halfway normal again. Maybe I’ll benefit from laying low one more day. I spend an awful lot of time on the phone, and it’s probably unsettling when I go into hacking convulsions in the middle of a conversation.
In a related matter, it’s Holy Week, which means fun times for church choirs everywhere. I made it through Palm Sunday, and the rest of the festivities begin tonight. The music means a lot to me, and I really hate to miss anything. Maybe I’ll have control of my vocal chords by evening.
Now for another graceful segue. Speaking of singing, we have become totally entranced with American Idol this season. The only thing I await more eagerly than the episodes themselves is the witty recaps posted by the Jaded Journalist. Tragically, Tuesday’s recap isn’t even up yet, and I’m guessing it’s because of the phone number snafu.
Who do you think is going down tonight? I think it’s gonna be Mikalah.
Scratchy throat. Incessant coughing. Runny nose.
Last night, I had the chills, so Pete covered me with about a hundred blankets. (Okay, only three, but one of them was wool.) Shiver, shiver. At 1:30 I braved the elements in order to visit the bathroom. Two hours later, I awoke in a sweat. Hot! Hot! Hot! The blankets were dashed to the floor, and I attempted further sleep.
At 9, I decided to get up and take a shower. Might as well go to work, I figured. I might not last the day, but here I am.
Yay, it’s spring.
I guess the snow we had this weekend officially counted as a blizzard, because more than 9 inches fell in a 24-hour period. Or something like that. Maybe it was 48 hours, I don’t know.
What I do know is that Pete skidded just a tad when he was out Thursday evening, and the front passenger wheel nudged a curb. It didn’t look like much, but prior experience has taught us that it’s good to have these things checked out. Sure enough, the wheel is bent enough that it’ll screw up the car’s alignment and cause the tire to go flat.
“The wheel’s too expensive a part for us to keep in stock,” the repair guy explained. (Yay, that’s what I like to hear.) So it’s been ordered, and I should be able to drop the car off tomorrow.
I’d never just run off and spend nearly $400 on whatever, but this kind of thing always makes me think about what else we could have bought that would have been way more fun than a car part.
I actually thought Possum had died yesterday, because she was curled up in the corner of her cage and didn’t respond to my nudges. But when I carried her cage out to the kitchen, she suddenly sucked in a huge breath. It was as if she inflated, then deflated. After a minute or two, she inflated again.
So I knew her time was near. Today she was still and cold, and definitely not breathing anymore. She looked pretty peaceful, actually, as if she had gone to sleep. Peter took her passing pretty well. I wrapped her body and placed it in a box, because the foot of snow on the ground isn’t conducive to a burial right now. Her cage and toys have been cleaned. The untouched bowl of food has been discarded.
She was a good little critter, and I’ll miss her.
I had an email today from Strawberry Waffle, who turned out to be Moon’s friend Nicole. Now that’s a cute name.
Note to self: Food-related nicknames are cute. Waffles are especially cute, but waffle-imprinted thighs are not cute, so if you’re going to sit at the computer first thing in the morning, be sure you’re wearing pants. Or at least try not to catch your own reflection when you prance around the house after pantsless computer sitting.
It’s Jodi’s favorite president’s birthday. Since he’s also the namesake of my favorite town, I thought I’d give a shout out.
I know I haven’t posted any new knitting pictures lately, but it’s not for a lack of projects. I’m working on – count ‘em! – three projects right now. The pink tweedy Banff sweater. My first socks. And a bobble pillow out of nasty Jiffy acrylic.
The socks are a great portable project. I should call them my socks-in-waiting, because I’ve done a few rows while waiting for a movie to begin, waiting for Moon to finish her bass lesson, waiting in the dentist’s office…
Speaking of which, Moon had a dentist appointment yesterday, and our favorite hygienist ran out to the waiting room, note pad in hand, to talk knitting with me. She’s been trying to teach herself, and was excited to hear that I was self-taught through the power of the written word. I recommended Knit Wit and told her about Stitch ‘n Bitch and knitty.com.
Apparently Moon was asked if I was still into my dolls, and answered, “Now she’s all about the knitting.” Yikes! I guess I need to brush some plastic hair and change some teenytiny clothing. Wouldn’t want to be neglectful.
I have a new bag to covet. Just a little smaller than my current Timbuk2 bag, and fewer extraneous straps. Hmmm.
Okay, I found one on eBay, and I’ve put in a bid. *fingers crossed*
Speaking of eBay, I now have $220 with which to buy some sort of business software. The copy of QuickBooks for PC that I had won is now on its way to Florida. I was planning on buying QuickBooks for Mac, but I’ve read a few negative online reviews. So, anyone familiar with QuickBooks for Mac? Or MYOB?
Better yet, got one you can sell to me … cheap?
Before Pete and I went to the symphony last night (which makes us sound really classy, doesn’t it?), we had dinner at Bluephies. It was our first time there together, and whoa. Good stuff.
Today we took the kids to see Robots, which was pretty entertaining. Almost as entertaining was our trip to Circuit City, where we shopped for (1) a headset-ready phone and (2) a portable CD player for Moon. We also investigated Vonage, the newfangled phone service which uses a broadband connection. Only $24.95 per month, with unlimited calls nationwide. Pete spends a lot of time on the phone these days with his coaching — so we went for it. (Now we have to set up the router and everything.)
After we left the store, we found out why Moon was so very patient and attentive as we shopped. She thought the guy helping us out was hot, hot, hot.
Peter, we placated with sugar.
I always mean to write something every day, but obviously it doesn’t happen. And then I end up like this, musing over the weekend’s events and trying to create some sort of flow. So here goes:
So Moon calls me the other day when I’m at work, and tells me, “Guess what? I’m wearing makeup.” I’d bought her some eyeliner and eyeshadow (at her request), so I assumed, okay, she’s getting interested in girly things.
“I took a few pictures of myself with the digital camera,” she said.
She was over at her friend’s house when I came home, so I peeked at the camera’s preview window.
Huh. Not so inspired by Marilyn Monroe. More like Marilyn Manson. That’s my girl.
