Is it Friday already?

OMG- thank goodness Friday is here! I've had a rough week - sleep wise. My neck has been killing me. I keep buying new pillows but it doesn't seem to help. Last night I couldn't even lie on it. I had to sit up and read until the Tylenol kicked in!

Well I know I'm supposed to be working on the sweater, but I picked up a crochet magazine yesterday and decided to make a felted bowl. I've been wanted to felt something for a long time. I wanted a small quickie project to satisfy my curiousity. So this is what I'm making:

First you crochet the whole thing and then since it's made out of wool, you put it in your washing machine with hot water and lots of agitation until it shrinks and shrinks and shrinks. It has to be a bit big when you start because of the shrinking. When I started it last night I thought it was a one night thing, but I only completed the bottom before my hands hurt and it was bedtime.

Maxx gets his stitches out today. He's done super well, but I'll still be glad when it's all completely healed and I don't have to panic and worry about his chest and tummy everytime he sprints across the yard or when Jazz wants to play fight.

All finished!

Yay me! I finished the project that needed to get in the mail - it's 7:15, so I didn't make the post office, but I should still be okay tomorrow. That's the absolute drop dead deadline.

I completed the project for my brother, wrapped my s-i-l's birthday presents (plus some extras, but don't tell my brother, ssshhh) and then boxed it all up! The parcel is taped and labled and ready to go. What a great feeling.

I've tidied all the supplies that go with it. Cleaned the kitchen. Just waiting for JP and pizza to come home then I can relax...................and go back to knitting my mum's piano sweater.

Pictures to follow when the parcel arrives, cuz I don't want to ruin the surprises.

Where have I been? Well basically after work, I'm trying to get a project done. I wanted it to get in the mail today, but that's not going to happen. I may get the project done, but by the time I package it up and all, it won't make the post office. The other bad thing is that I've had about a year to make it but I always put all sorts of projects first

Also, it seems that when I just send a parcel to someone it can be there in two days, but when I anxiously await it's arrival for a certain date, it's 4 or 5! I know I shouldn't complain because 5 days for a parcel in another province isn't so bad. But it's when you're waiting for it..

So I'd better hustle to see if I can finish and package and make the PO all in time.

Maxx is doing awesome. He stopped wearing his t-shirt yesterday - mainly because he's stretched it out so much he could walk out of it and it was barely on him half the time anyway - despite the medical tape used to cinch it up.

Photos will come when the package is delivered for an October 4th birthday.

Post-op

Maxx is doing really well. The vet said he'd be really sore and to just let him be a couch potato, but he wants to walk (and run). And yesterday when I took him for a brief walk, he wanted to go faster than I wanted him to go! Now I'm just worried about the itchyness that starts a couple days after surgery. Luckily the vet cut his toenails so they're super short and he wears a t-shirt to protect his wounds (which are in both armpits and two on his chest/ribcage). I thought it humorous that he is wearing a shirt with a cat on it. The cat's holding a plant and it says "Harry Potter". My brother gave it to me for Christmas and I let Maxx borrow it.
And mostly he just moves his eyeballs, so this is what I see:

It's a sunny Friday and I have great hopes for today.

Also, it's my mum's 72nd birthday - yay mom! My parcel arrived at her house yesterday and she opened all the presents last night. It's too bad she lives so far away, otherwise I'd be visiting her today. I can't find the photos I took of the hat and dishcloths I made for her - I'm hoping she'll send me some. She said she'll use the dishcloths as potholders.

Sad Maxx

Maxx had a lumpectomy today. Poor guy. They were in his armpits. The vet said things went really well, he's just going to be really sore for a few days. No walks for a week. He's super groggy and not wanting to move right now, this is how he's looked for the past 1/2 hour:

If he does move, there's not much variation from this.

I'll be knitting on the piano sweater. Watching my old boy moan and groan.

Sunday we did some thrifting, in Maple Ridge, Burquitlam and Coquitlam. JP found a wonderful wool sweater for me and he found an oil popcorn popper which he tried almost immediately after we got home. The popcorn was absolutely yummy and I can't wait to wear the new wool sweater, but I'll take 3 days just to dry, especially now that it's raining and so humid (49%)

Knitting: I was doing great on the plain black back of my mum's piano sweater when two things happened: 1) I came to the end of my skein and had to tie a knot for the new yarn and 2) I had the thought that things were going well. I even looked at the rows to see how good it was. I don't know why I do that. The moment I think things are going well and are mistake free, BOOM! I think God (or the cosmos, or my brain) must remind me that I am a fallible human being. I had to pull out 4 rows which was painful. Then I had to purl one whole row just to staighten and pick up everything, but there's still a glitch so now I'm tinking, because frogging is so tough for me to put the stitching back on the needle. I think I'll have to tink 2 rows. And of course I work today, so I have to put it down so I can get to business.

It's a rainy Monday, which always makes it busy for me at work. And lucky JP gets the next two days off. He already feel asleep before me, and is still sleeping while I go to work.

Saturday's Chores

Well, we bagged the box with the wasps and sealed it shut. JP hung up a new 'floating' gate latch and installed a new motion-sensor yard light for the back yard. Oh it's so nice to have the light out there. And it lights up the yard so well, I had forgotten. I think it's been about 2 months since the old one died. Since then I'd been using a string of Christmas lights that go to and wrap around the pergola but they don't provide much light.

I finished all the laundry and even started on a new project that needs to be mailed by next week. I think I can do it in a week - which is why I've procrastinated until now.

Once that is done, I'll go back to my mom's sweater and then I must concentrate on it to get it finished.

JP brought home 2 magazines for me on Friday, Marie Claire and a Bust. Sadly he had already bought me the Bust magazine when it came out late July. Oh poor guy! Nice try though, it's the thought that counts, right?

My wasp bite is still there and itchy, looks like a bruise but getting better. Nothing to show you a picture of until some parcels arrive.

WASPS!

The other night I went to my carport to put stuff in the garbage and I heard a chewing sound. I looked around and couldn't find it. I poked some boxes. Nothing. The chewing sound didn't stop - like a mouse would. I called JP to help me look. He came out, and poked a box. A wasp flew out of a box and then he went inside. "Yup, found the problem", he said. "Hey thanks", I replied. One was on my sweater when I was in the house, and I did panic (a little bit) looking for that tennis racquet thing that zaps them. He says I over-reacted. I say he would do the same if he had one on him. The next day JP brought home some Wasp Spray and this morning when it was cooler and dark, I sprayed the box. See the carnage? All the little bodies, even some larva...The one mistake I made was picking up the box to move it where it was accessible, that's probably when I got stung; even though I was wearing jeans, a heavy jacket and boots, one stung/bit me on my thigh - this spot is much redder now, it's raised too - about 2" x 2 1/2" inches! The little monster!

I took some Dristan around noon and ended up napping for 20 minutes this afternoon, good thing I was working from home today!

Poor little fellas, I feel bad for them. I don't do nature, but I know that if I left the problem it would only get worse and would hate for JP or the kid to get stung/bit.

I packed up a box today for my mom's birthday, but didn't make the post office, so it will go tomorrow. It's gotta get there by Friday and I'm crossing my fingers that it makes it.

Chef Hebert

Remember the little bear of my brother's that I was knitting the little sweater's for? Well, here's a chef's coat, with a chef's hat for him. I also made a little cupcake to go with the Chef and found a little cookbook:

I named him "Chef Hebert" because when it's pronounced in French it would be "Chef A-bear"... get it? I embroidered a "C H" on his sweater but forgot to take a photo of the last addition.

I finished it a while ago but didn't want to post it until my brother received it in the mail, which just happend.

What is it?

I received this item in a mixed bag from the thrift store. It was mixed in with knitting tools, but I'm not sure it has anything to do with knitting. Printed on it is "Eaton's Silver Shop". Is it a silver cleaner of some sort? What is it? Does it have a purpose? Is it part of anything?

Any ideas? Let me know! Thanks!

Blak

Coca Cola Blak. Well I like this drink. Apparently others do not and it's going off the market soon (that's the rumour anyway). It's about $2 a bottle. You should try it, because I like it.

I can see why they called it that, but to me, the name is too close to "blech" or other vomit-y sounding words.

What do you think?

Okay, like many others, I don't like crocs footwear either, and I don't like most of their styles, however, they've now come up with the ballet-inspired prima . I still don't think I'd wear them, but at least these are much more attractive than the other styles.

On a recent shopping excursion, JP came home with two key chains for me. The first is a little character I have seen and know he has a name, but haven't found him yet:

Do you know his name?

And the second one, if I showed this one to my mum, she'd probably say that the little girl looks like I did when I was little (but she'd never dress me in yellow and red at the same time):

He seems to really dig key chains. I have always been one to have just the essentials on my key ring - and I still never loose them! I'll have to make these zipper pulls then.

So Long, Mate

By now everyone's surely aware of the untimely death of Steve Irwin, Crocodile Hunter. I find it interesting that his sad news seems to have struck people more than other TV personalities. Was it his charisma? The fact that he seemed so full of life? The passion he showed for his work (conservation & education), or his love of the animals? Reports now and before stated that Steve was always kind and gracious to everyone he worked with, from the cameraman to the caterer. That he treated his wife and childrens well. That he loved and adored his parents.

Perhaps it's the irony of his death? That all the poisonous snakes and powerful crocs he came in contact with didn't prevent him from his life goals but a stingray that is usually considered docile sealed his fate.

Farewell Steve.

Here's our collection of little Steve dolls, I mean action figures, complete with sound chips so we can forever hear him say "Crikey", "What a ripper!" and "Isn't she just darling?" :

Labour Day Weekend

Well I decided to treat the weekend like a vacation, so I haven't done much of anything. Saturday I actually slept in until almost 9am! That's a big sleep in - I'm usually up between 5:30 and 6:15. But then I couldn't sleep until 1am Sunday. Sunday morning I was up around 6:30 so I guess things all balanced out. Took the dogs for a walk, watered the garden, that kind of stuff.

I finished two projects, but can't show you yet (one knit, one crochet). One's all packed up to go in the mail on Tuesday, the other will be send in a little while. Still working on the back of the black piano sweater. I'm at row 42. I have to go to row 86 before I mark for the sleeves. The good news is I am starting to be able to knit without looking at the project.

I've been reading the biography of Anna Wintour, Front Row by Jerry Oppenheimer. There are so many names that come into her life sometimes it's hard to keep straight. And, after a while, it just seems like she treats everyone like crap and it's the same thing over and over. But I just got to the part where she became editor of Vogue, so I'll read/skim a bit more and see if anything good happens.

Today it's cooler, so I 'll probably mow the lawn, but otherwise will still take it easy. Why not? That's my vacation.