The things I do for love...

So this past Thursday was my first, full, honest to goodness, day back to work. All 9 hours, I was here. :) Friday, I expected a repeat of the day before.

Nope. I was wrong.

Eric instant messaged me telling me that he was ill. Uh-oh. He was still in the middle of a trip with two days to go and he'd been up all night, throwing up along with other fun stuff. The old "both ends at once" dance. :( So of course, he said he was going to come home early. I didn't have a problem with this at all, of course, I'd prefer him home then out flying when he's sick. All I could think of was him trying to do his safety announcements and then having to grab and air sick bag. ... those poor passengers... *shivers at the thought*

But him coming home early also brought up a problem. His Jeep was in Charlotte. If he flew home to the Raleigh airport and I picked him up, his Jeep would still be in Charlotte and then I'd have to drive him to Charlotte on Tuesday. And then drive back!

What to do... what to do?

Well since he's a flight attendant, I can fly for free so I decided to fly to Charlotte in the middle of the day, pick him up and then drive the two to two and a half hours home. I'm so glad my boss didn't give me any grief over it. She's so awesome!

I still think that wins me something though. I reminded him... how many spouses would leave work early... head to the airport... deal with security... sit for an hour and a half to fly 40 minutes and then wait for another half hour for his plane to get in and then drive two and a half hours home? Not many. So yeah, I should get something for that. *laugh* Not sure what but something that's for sure. Maybe it's time to browse Knitpicks. :) He suggested something truly naughty for when he was feeling better. I was hoping for yarn! :P (But I'll still take the naughty stuff) ;)

Of course, the time I spent in the airport and the time on the plane gave me a lot of time to knit. Sadly, I'm at work and forgot my camera or I'd take a pic of how far my second, super, long sock has gotten. I'll probably turn the heel tonight. This is some really nice yarn and it feels great too. :) But it looks like the striping pattern will be off. At first, I was a bit upset but then I thought... that just makes them that much funkier and I was totally going for funky with knitting these socks!

In response to comments:

Jennifer said: Wow! I bet she was p*$#@d! Heehee!

Oh boy I bet she was... I bet she was and I have no idea why... *innocent look*

Zib said: Karma MUWAHAHAHAHA you SO rock! Neat a back hoe, did they leave it over night?

No they didn't leave it over night. I would have had the urge to climb on it if they did.

Zib also said: What no yarrrrrrnpr0n on it? Sheesh!

Dammit! I didn't even think of that! *smacks forehead* I need more schooling from you lady! Or I just need to learn to flash more pr0n more often. ;)

Margot said: Ugh! So sorry about the sewer issues. Hope it doesn't end up too spendy on your part.

Yeah me too. The first quote we've gotten so far is $1800!

Margot also said: Huffing? Jeez lady, just do your freakin' job.

See... that's what I said! :P

Ragan said: Yeah, KARMA is a well...you know!!

LOL! Damn right it is. And I'm queen bitch of Karma baby! ;)

Well back to work I go.

Karma. The good. The bad. The torn up front lawn.

Karma seems to be on the move to equalize lately. Which actually is a good thing. I've been a relatively good girl lately so karma has been kind to repay me in kind. :)

So on to the Good: I read this story in the UNC Gazette and couldn't help but smile. No, I don't know this man. But I did read the report of his attack. I remember thinking, "Damn that sucks" and throwing away the paper like I'm sure most of my colleagues did. I was glad to know that not all my colleagues on campus did the same thing I did. :) What has karma taught me here? That no matter where you turn, there are still good, honest people in this world.

So on to the Bad: So I have had a knitting project sitting in a bag for only who knows how long. So what does this mean for me? I have forgotten where I was in the pattern, my gauge is now all off I'm sure and I'm hoping I will not need to rip it back at all. What has karma taught me here? I need to finish what I start.

So on to the Torn Up Front Lawn: Yes, that is exactly what I mean. Over the weekend, Eric and I noticed that there was water seeping up from the side of the house and pouring down our neighbor's driveway. I remember thinking "That's not good." So I called the City Public Works office and got my neighbor. Yes, my neighbor works for the City. This happens to be the same neighbor that complained about how tall my grass was (two years ago) not to myself or Eric but to her boss who promptly sent a citation via the Police department to our door. How nice. And she did this three times. How does that phrase go? 'Choke the snot out of thy neighbor?'

So anyhoo, I called and after much huffing from her (yes huffing!) I got her to send out a crew to check our sewer connections. (And was she huffy!) So, they weren't sure as to what the problem was and told Eric that they would have to come back on Tuesday. And come back they did. With this:



Yes ladies and gentlemen, a back hoe. Here's another angle:



They tore up my front lawn and found that part of the problem was theirs and part of the problem is mine. Well that's good to know. They proceeded to tear up a good portion of her lawn as well (accidentally with the treads of aforementioned back hoe) and left dirt and rocks all over her driveway. They also had her driveway completely blocked with trucks and equipment so when she came home for lunch, she had a hard time getting in and out of her driveway. My driveway was clear. So what has karma taught us here? Don't fuck with Lisa. Don't get huffy with me. Don't get pissy with me. Just do your job and send a crew over when a homeowner calls with a problem about her sewer connection.

*struts* Oh yes. I rock. And no, I'm not modest. :P

Considering there were eleven men on my lawn all damn day, pounding and jack hammering, and digging, the cats seemed to take it pretty well:



Heck, they barely moved all day.

In response to comments:

Jennifer said: Wow! A man who'll scrub your kitchen floor. He's a keeper.

Yeah and he can get things off high shelves too! That's a bonus in my book. :)

Isela said: awesome, the socks and the hubby scrubbing the floor. Now, he is really a man after your heart.

Thanks! I cast on the other toe last night. Yeah he is... he's always after my tooshie too. ;)

Helen said: a white russian with milk?!?! ugh. always use half and half. mmmmm, mmmm good.

Most bars I know of use milk even though the recipe calls for half and half. I guess they are trying to save some cash that way.

Ragan said: Hey...HELP ME!!! I need a couple patterns for my new yarn...HELP HELP!!!

Keep an eye on your mail box. I sent some to you. :)

LaBean said: Think I can get a June Bug up here, or is that only a Southern thing?

You know I have no idea. I've never even heard of one until I went to the Lantern.

Well I should get back to work... after all, my break ended about a half hour ago. ;)

In the mood for love... and long socks.

Of course we all know that Valentine's Day just passed. Eric was out of town so I sat home, snuggled on the futon with the kitties and ate some ice cream. Ah yes, the romance.

So last night, Eric and I decided to go out and have dinner. The restaurant we wanted to go to called Kanki had an hour to an hour and a half wait at 6:30. Screw that! I mean, I love the place but I just don't think I'm going to sit around for an hour to an hour and a half, smelling that really good food cooking and listening to my stomach growl along with the other twenty people sitting there. But of course, we had the dilemma of it was a Saturday night and every restaurant was going to be packed. What to do? As we were driving toward our third choice, Eric had the brilliant idea to head to the Lantern. It's actually a restaurant with a bar in the back. We always go sit in the bar. If you are -ever- on Chapel Hill, I can not recommend this bar/restaurant enough. Oh yes, you will pay a bit more but the drinks are fabulous, the bar staff extremely knowledgeable and friendly and the food... oh it's to die for. If you do want a good drink you can't find anywhere else (at least I haven't been able to) have the bar manager, Kristen, make you a June Bug. I'm not sure what all the ingredients are but I do know that she adds ginger, and fresh cucumber. Very, very refreshing!

From there we went to Ham's for some more drinks and some dessert. Not that the Lantern doesn't have good desserts but when you are in the mood for some apple crisp, you can't deny that mood. :) Also, I can honestly say that the best white russian I've ever had (besides Eric's) can be had at Ham's in Chapel Hill. (They use half and half instead of milk.)

It was a great night!

So of course, when I woke up this morning, I decided that I needed to grab my needles since I didn't do any knitting yesterday. Here's how I've been doing:



and another angle:



They look great right? Yup... that means that I want them to look even better! (Cuz I can't do a damn thing easily.) So after I had already bound off the end and very nearly finished weaving in the end, I decided to unweave the end and unbind the edge. And yes, I decided to do this at about midnight this past Thursday (because no insane knitting decisions are ever made when you should be asleep.) So about 45 minutes later, I get this:



I've added about a half inch so far and I plan to add about another inch to an inch and a half since then, essentially making the socks come to right beneath the knee. Yup... I can't do -anything- easily. :)

In the Interesting Schtuff I've seen this week, I want to share this with you...:



Yes, this is Eric. On his hands and knees. Scrubbing the kitchen floor. With a bucket and a hand brush.

*blink*

I didn't ask for this. I got woken up to this. And I am not complaining. Oh no this is not me complaining! He decided that the floor needing scrubbing and as he said, the kitchen is his balliwick, it was up to him to do it.

*blink*

I promptly got out of his way so he could finish. ;) And it looks great too!

D'oh, I nearly forgot!

I missed two things. So I guess that means I need a time out. *goes and sits in the corner for a second*

Okay I'm back. What did I miss? My blogiversary. I can't believe it. I have been blogging for over a year now. My first post was 1 Jan 05.

And what else did I forget? Why I forgot to show you my socka-pal-twoza socks. :)

I had a sock pal.

:)

And she ditched me.

:(

Then I got a sock savior.

:)

And then she ditched me too.

:(

Then I got a sock savior for my sock savior.

:)

And this is what she sent me:



and these:



Aren't they great socks? They fit perfect too!



Thanks sock pal, savior, savior!

Here's a sneaky pic of Eric while he works on his lap top (he doesn't like to have his picture taken):



Tee hee!

On a different note. Actually more on the "What The Heck Is That?" scale, I was at a friend's house and while she was out, her husband showed me a book that her secret pal sent her. Check this out:



It's called "Knitting Techniques and Projects: A Sunset Book". With a cover like that, it seems harmless enough right? Oh was I wrong! Check out the first pattern I happened to turn to:



That's about when she walked through the door and bust out laughing at the look on my face. "The bikini?" she asks. I just nodded. How horrifying is that?! And the rest of this book is just like that. If anything, that is one of the tamest patterns to knit. It was like a train wreck. I couldn't take my eyes off it. I just wanted to keep looking, with the belief that if I turned the page back, it would be better. There was no way that pattern would be there and then I would turn the page. And there was that same pattern. *shiver* I almost want to buy a copy of this book just to stare at it in disbelief. *Goes to browse Amazon and eBay.*

Okay, I've figured it out.

Sort of.

It seems the consensus is to go with this yarn for my sock pal:



And I've decided to go with the Falling Leaves pattern on Knitty. That is if she doesn't email me by this weekend. :P If she doesn't, then that's what I'm casting on, by gum!

But in the interim, I'm itching to make some socks! (I am a monster that can not be stopped.) So I've decided to make myself some. Lass gave me some sock yarn that I just love! See:



Isn't it funky? So I thought... I have three skeins of the same colorway. I gotta make myself some long socks! I've decided to go with the Very Tall pattern on Knitty. Obviously, I'm not going to change colors but I love the idea of outrageously long socks. :)

So 'a casting on I go.

Of course through all of this, I have other projects to finish. I don't know if you remember but some time ago, I had a poll up as to what I should finish. I Do was the number one choice. But did I pay attention to my loyal readers? Oh no. :P So I've decided to finish it at the same time too. I picked it back up last night and got cooking right along on it. :) But you know how it is... the socks keep calling to me. O_o So I'll make those my travel project since I'm back to work now.

Well sort of. Again. I woke up this morning and there was no way I was going into the office today. I must have rolled over again. Grr. How the hell can people handle getting a nose job? This is killing me some days! So Eric told me that I should prop myself up again on some pillows and also use the big pillows on the couch to kind of wedge myself in the bed so I'm less likely to roll over when he's not home. I'll try that tonight.

But my needles call! *goes and flops on the futon and pulls out the needles*

Well that's one way to make toast...

Do you drink coffee? Need a little caffeine in the morning? I don't drink coffee. But there are plenty of times that I need a boost in the morning. This past Sunday I found out what can do that better than ginseng, Vivarin, coffee or Jolt Cola. Know what it is? Set your toaster oven on fire. That'll wake your ass up.

O_O

Yup... I put some nice cinnamon raisin bread in the toaster oven and turned around to play with my kitties. After about a minute or two I sniffed the air (cuz I can! Ain't it neat!?) and realized... I smelled smoke. At first I thought it was just something outside and kept playing with the kitties. After rolling Fang onto her back and giving her some tummy love (which she hates!) I kind of glanced over my shoulder and then nearly launched off the kitchen floor. There was a distinct flame rising from the bottom of the toaster oven.

Thankfully, it never got very big and I was able to put it out. After having Eric laugh at me over the phone when I told him what happened, I realized that he was right when he next said, "I'm shocked it hasn't happened sooner. Grandma gave us that toaster oven. It's like 12 or thirteen years old." And you know, he's right. It's been moved cross country twice and had who knows how many mini pizzas and pieces of bread and bagels in it. I really am shocked it hasn't caught on fire sooner.

So once I let it cool off, I opened it up and realized it was a piece of cheese that had been leaning on the filament that had caught on fire. Thankfully, there was almost no damage. I cleaned the filament off completely and it works perfectly fine. My next batch of toast just smelled a lot like burnt cheese. ;)

So on to knitting news. I've joined Sockapaloooza. I got my sock pal info and of course, now I have no idea what to do for her. :) She's not picky so that makes my life harder! :P *laugh* So I plowed through my stash to see what wool sock yarn I have since she doesn't like acrylic yarn. Here's what I got:



So what do you think? Should I get something else? She didn't specify a colorway. She didn't specify if she likes or dislikes stripes. Really all she said was "no acrylic." Or should I just go get something else? I just don't know. I sent her an email asking for more details but she hasn't responded yet. I'm itching to knit though! I hope she responds soon. :P

In response to comments:

LaBean said: Keeps bleeding?? Where's the blood coming FROM? I'm just really curious about that. Always wondered why and where from nosebleeds occur.

Well when I went in to the clinic again this past Friday, I had a resident do the endoscopy. He said he couldn't find the source of the bleeding. When I was leaving the clinic, I saw my physician who stopped by to ask me what was up (he'd been in surgery and that's why he couldn't see me) and when I told him that it keeps bleeding, he informed me that it's probably scabs falling away. Also combined with that, there are so many capillaries so close to the surface of the skin that it's easy for one to breach and bleed. He said that if it keeps up, like really keeps up, to come right back into the clinic. He's a great doctor. :)

Well off I go to search for sock patterns!

Back to work and the meme's

Yes I'm back to work. Sort of. Last Thursday was my first official day back. It went well. I was there for most of the day. Friday I ended up leaving early and this past Monday, I didn't go in at all. But today was a mostly full day again. The reason I left work early on Friday and missed Monday was because my nose kept bleeding. A lot. For like ten minutes at a time. I was really scared! But I went into the clinic on Friday and was told things were okay. But should it keep bleeding to head back in to see my doctor.

So now it's back to blogging and knitting as well. Yes, yes, I know. I have been leaving you hanging and I know that makes me a horrible person. But hey... I had an excuse! ;)

Some time back, Ragan tagged me with a meme. I guess I should really reply...

So here goes.

4 jobs you have had in your life

1. Asst Office Manager at a Ford dealership
2. Office Manager at a used car dealership
3. Car sales rep at an Isuzu/Suzuki Kia dealership
4. Wireless cellular phone sales rep

4 movies you could watch over and over

1. Ghostbusters
2. Rock N' Rule
3. Aliens
4. Ghost in the Shell

4 places you have lived

1. Plattsburgh, NY
2. Witchita Falls, TX
3. Roy, UT
3. Hillsborough, NC

4 TV shows you love to watch

1. The First 48
2. Animal Cops/Precinct (all of them)
3. The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy
4. Cold Case Files/ New Detectives

4 places you have been on vacation

1. Las Vegas, NV
2. Montreal, QC
3. San Antonio, TX
4. Indianapolis, IN

4 websites you visit daily

1. The Forge
2. Story Games Forum
3. Knittyboard
4. Fark

4 of your favorite foods

1. Pasta
2. Anything made by a Keebler Elf
3. Sushi
4. Fruit

4 places you would rather be right now

1. The Bahamas
2. Wandering through ancient ruins
3. With Eric (wherever he is in the air right now)
4. Las Vegas

4 bloggers you are tagging

Waaaaah! I can't do anyone. Most everyone has been tagged. *pout*

Oh well, I'll get them on the next round. ;)

Okies so now that I'm back for good... I guess I should get knitting so I have some pics to post! :)