Things are looking up

It was another day that started early and was full of stuff to do.  I got up early after little sleep and took Tom to work so I had the truck.  After a cup of coffee I went to the dealership and got the sales papers.  While filling them out the owner told me that when I called to tell him the credit union had approved the loan, there was a man sitting in the chair across from him wanting to buy the minivan.  He had to tell him that we got there first, but had I not called, he would have had to let him have it since we were only a "maybe" up until that point.  Always, always keep in touch with people you're dealing with.  The fact that I followed through and did the paperwork today gave us more credibility.

And we got the release papers in the mail for the truck today, too.  They no longer hold the lien on it!

Tom has the logistics worked out about the car.  We're going to tow it home unless it's completely a waste, at which point we will either give the car to the garage or call a salvage yard.  I don't want to spend anymore money on it, but if Tom can fix it on his own, then towing it home so he can work on it at his leisure makes sense.  It won't cost us a penny to sit in our driveway all winter.  As long as we can get all the vehicles in the driveway we'll be good.  Can't park on the streets overnight after Monday night.

Although we're betting our neighbor will.  Tom says if he can get by with parking in front of a fire hydrant for months on end, he'll get by with parking on the street during the winter.  There is a couple living there with him, I think, plus his girlfriend so that's 4 cars.  His problem though.  I'm not going to interfere.

I picked up my prescriptions at the store and did as little weekly shopping as possible, getting only bare essentials and it still cost more than I wanted it to.  The pesky prescriptions, even with the co-pay ran $40.  I tried to get a flu shot but the insurance company won't pay.  Well, they "will" but they will charge me more for a co-pay than the shot costs.  I just don't have the money for flu shots right now.  If they have them later, I will.

Although I'll end up with the flu anyway.  I always get it once a year even with the shot.  In fact there seems to be no difference.

I washed a load of clothes but didn't get them out on the line because I had to go pick Tom up at work and by the time I got home, I was wiped out.  Not as tired as he was, but for me, my energy was at an end.  I might hang them out tomorrow.  I need to start putting plastic up.  It was 52F this morning in the house.  I won't use the furnace until the house is winterized and besides, we were busy all day so it wasn't uncomfortable.  But I told Tom to shut his windows on Monday because after the first of November, it's a crap shoot when I'll need to use it.  I try to get close to Thanksgiving but I won't let us freeze to death over a goal.  This winter looks like it's coming early and hard.  I need to be prepared for it. 

It will be nice to be in a car that sits higher off the ground.  The Concorde sat so low to the ground that I would hit pavement on dips, not to mention what it was like driving in snow.  I'm a fairly decent snow-driver if I have a car that handles it well.  The Concorde was a front wheel drive so it handled very well in the snow.  I made sure the Town and Country is fwd, too.  Plus it has new tires on it.

I started a new sock last night with the worsted.  The pattern called for 56 stitches which is way too big for me so I went down to size 2 needles and it looks like it will fit perfectly.  It's cabled so it will draw in a bit anyway.  I love the density of the sock with size 2s so I might make all my socks with that size from now on.  I still have to decide on the fingering weight sock yarn.  I found a pattern and if it works, I'll link to it tomorrow.  Same with the pattern I'm trying with the worsted weight.  Then I really need to get back to the sweaters.  We're going to need them.

Zach has decided to postpone college for now.  Especially since the guidance counselor still hasn't called him back.  Getting back in touch with people at the college was a huge problem before.  It ended up costing us an extra $400 and no internship because his adviser would never answer his emails.  Plus he's talked to an accountant who said that an associate's in accounting from a tech school is practically worthless and he'll be in the same position he was before.  So he's going back to his original plan to volunteer at the library here in town.  He can walk there and back, make connections, get references and hopefully after the first of the year have additional stuff to add to his resume and re-apply at the jobs he's been applying at, and update at all the employment agencies.  Then he can decide if he wants to pursue his real goal of studying sociology.  He's wanted to do that for a few years but figured it was out of reach.  He can also look into online colleges that are reputable and accredited.  It might cost more and take longer but it might be the only way he can get what he wants without accruing a mountain of debt.

And now it's time to make up the bed and crash for the night with my socks.  I haven't slept much since Wednesday night and I'm really tired.  Although I did walk Professor around the parking lot while waiting for Tom (he loves to ride so I take him with me once in a while) and my hip never hurt once, so maybe just moving around, exercising is helping it.  Now to get the excess weight off of it.

Hopefully I'll have excellent news on Monday with pictures of socks, more socks, sweaters and a car.

TTFN

By Monday the minivan will be mine

The loan is approved and tomorrow I pick up the paperwork to take to the Credit Union first thing Monday morning.  We also have to put the car on our insurance and swap the plates from the junked car.  I expected to hear from the mechanics today but they never called.  I'm okay with that as we don't have to do anything with the car until next week now.  Free storage all weekend.

Of course that means getting up very early to take Tom to work and picking him up later.  And calling the insurance agent this weekend so we've got the car insured before we pick it up.  It's not the law here anymore but I won't drive a car that's not insured.  My luck doesn't run that well, after all.

I frogged my dad's sock last night because I didn't like it after all and knowing my dad, I don't think he would wear teal socks anyway.  So I'm looking for a pattern for me to wear.  I think I'm going to be a bit selfish this year with my knitting.  I rarely ever make stuff for me.  I'll focus on the socks for me and Zach and finish up the two sweaters and then dig into the stash for the rest of winter knitting.  I've got plenty of stuff to work with and I need a new hat now that I lost my really good winter one.  Although I might replace that with a lumberjack hat.  I've wanted one for years.

I haven't done much today besides straightening up the kitchen.  Supper tonight might just be soup and grilled cheese because I'm so sore and moving so slowly that I don't want to do much of anything tonight.  Besides, we haven't had grilled cheese in ages.  And who doesn't love tomato soup?

Well, off to crash on the couch until time to cook supper.  We had a late lunch so I'm not ready to start cooking just yet.

TTFN

I'm taking today off

Yesterday was the day from hell.  No, make that The Day From Hell.  No question.

After waiting in vain all day for the guidance counselor to call Zach about re-registering for college, we had to go to the store and library, but first stopped at McSnacky's for two 99 cent beverage and a chance to sort out his growing confusion on what to do about college.  We couldn't get the car in park, so we decided to just go home only to find the car locked in L.  Locked solid with no hope of getting it into neutral at all.

And, the phone I thought was in my purse with the charger was minus the phone.  My phone was dead which I couldn't figure out since I hadn't used it.  So we went next door to Shopko to find a charger but as the 3 year old phone is now an antique, there were no chargers that fit my phone.  They didn't have universal chargers but I knew that StuffMart did...way across town.  So we grabbed a bite to eat because at this stage I was shaking so bad that I knew I had to eat or pass out.

After a meal we headed out to StuffMart, a good (or shall we say bad) 4-5 miles away.  It took us over 2 hours to get there because I have a dodgy hip and had to stop every 20 feet or so, and had to stop and sit down at least 5 times.  And while we found the charger, apparently my phone was damaged by trying different plugs and now will no longer work with my charger.  So...needless to say we couldn't call Tom.  But StuffMart had a pay phone, the only one I know of in town, so we called a taxi after writing a check for $20 over.  It took over a half hour for the taxi to get there and it cost the whole $20 to get home. 

I was so sore, I was barely able to talk, and it took me until around 4:30 a.m. to get to sleep, but we woke up around 8:40 (because I forgot to set the alarm) and headed off to town where Tom determined he can't get it to work.  We stopped at the mechanic's and set up a tow truck for later in the evening so as not to disrupt the traffic flow at McSnacky's and they will take it to the shop where we probably will not fix it.  We're going to have to junk it.

We stopped at the mechanic's on the way home because getting them to call back could take hours and we were able to give them the remote for the car (since it was locked with the key in the ignition) and got the ball rolling much more quickly. 

On the way home, we passed by the used car lot where Tom found his truck and sitting there were two minivans.  Now, I had been hankering to get a minivan to replace the car because we had one over 20 years ago and I loved it, but didn't think we could afford even a used one.  We took it for a test drive and most likely will be calling the credit union tomorrow to see if we can get the financing.  Which we probably will as we just made the last payment on the truck last week.  We checked it out online and it's a good, reliable vehicle and feel good about the owner of the lot since we got a very good deal with the truck.  Plus the price is about a $1000 under the lowest list price for vehicles of that year.  This guy always seems to underprice his cars.

I need a car and soon because Zach is trying to get the process going for re-registering for college so we don't have time to wait for weeks to find a newer car.  We have days.

I called McSnacky's after we got home to update them on the car.  I had told a crewmember last night and it looked like she told the manager but I can't be sure.  But as the car was still there and not ticketed (I called the police department as well) I'm guessing she did.  So I thanked them for their patience and let them know the tow truck would be there later in the evening when their traffic slowed down a bit and they took the license plate number and thanked me for letting them know and for waiting until the slowdown.

So the lesson is to let people know what's going on so they don't make assumptions and call a tow truck and you end up paying outrageous fees.

Did I mention it was around midnight before we got home last night?  And we stopped at McSnacky's at precisely 6:38 p.m.  It took over five hours to get home.

Oh, and I lost my winter hat on the walk across town.  Damn!

And I really, really had to go to the bathroom about halfway there but by the time we got to KFC, they were closed.  By the time we got to Wendy's, they were closed and I had to wait until I got to StuffMart.  And by the time we got there, I could barely move so there was no racing to the bathroom.

I never want to go through that again. 

And so, of course, I got no knitting done last night.  But Hannibal decided that sleeping in my knitting bag was cozy so I have cat hair all over both sweaters.  And I don't even care.

Except we're still out of milk.

TTFN

Sleep does a body good

Today was a pretty good day.  I forced myself to stay in bed and sleep until I thought I'd had about 7 hours of sleep, in spite of getting up twice with Professor and waking up to the quiet tv in the dining room.  I got back to sleep each time pretty easily so I wasn't tossing and turning.

I started the day (after making up the couch and straightening up the kitchen) with reading and coffee until Tom left for work.  Then I got the bread machine out and made some whole wheat dough with soy milk instead of powdered milk.  It's resting on the stove waiting to rise enough to bake.  I've been pecking away at the kitchen getting it clean although I'm not attacking it.  If it takes me two days, it takes me two days.  I'm not going to have another day on the couch like last week.

Supper is cooking in the toaster oven.  Baked chicken thighs for the menfolk.  I'm just having a meat-free meal, trying to get my health under control.  I'll fix chicken broth rice for them, but I'm having butternut squash with a bit of cinnamon.  I'll miss the butter on it, but I'm going to try to go as dairy free as I can for a while to see if that helps with the energy levels and the stomach problems after I eat.

I'll stick it out as long as it lasts but I'm not putting myself under pressure to make this work forever.  I just want to feel better and if this does the trick, then maybe that will be the impetus to continue with it.  If the anxiety over eating milk and meat makes me miserable then I'm not feeling better and won't continue with it.  I refuse to be dogmatic about it.

I make progress on Zach's socks last night.  Nearly ready for the toe.  I'm also plugging away at my dad's socks, although at a much slower pace.  It's dark in my bedroom at night and the yarn, while teal blue, is still a bit hard to see and with tiny needles...well, not the easiest thing to do.  But I adjusted the pattern a bit to make it plainer.  My dad isn't a fancy guy with his clothes.  The teal blue will probably be too much for him.

I'm not knitting as much as I would like, but when the weather turns and I've got the winterizing done and the kitchen where I want it and I'm settling into a cooking routine, then I plan on knitting more and spending time online less.  I did give up the games on facebook but right now I'm doing some research on some other things and that's taking up a bit of time.  Mostly tightwad stuff with some vegetarian cooking sites as well.

I still need to put plastic on the windows.  I pulled up a few stakes out of the garden but most of them will have to have the twine cut off from the stalks first.  Then the tobacco needs to be pulled up as well.  And I have three curtains to find and wash and put on the windows.  I'm pretty sure they're either in my closet or in the basement.

I didn't move around as much today but I did get the bird seed out in the feeders.  I thought it would take them a while to find it, but apparently they were waiting in the bushes because by the time I got back into the house and looked out the window, the feeders were full of birds.  They are my winter entertainment.

Well, time to start fixing the side dishes and a salad for myself.  So far today I've barely eaten, just a bowl of oatmeal and I'm still not hungry.  I won't let myself get too hungry though.  The first day is always the easiest.  by tomorrow I'll probably be eating everything in the house.

TTFN

I want off this merry-go-roller-coaster

I paid dearly for my burst of energy and cleaning binge.  Saturday I spent on the couch, wrapped up in the blanket waiting for my next pain pill and lecturing myself on moderation.  Again.  By Saturday night I was feeling better so I headed to the store because we were out of bread.  Apparently the last loaf in the freezer got used without anyone mentioning it, or writing it on the blackboard.  I was moving slowly, but I was moving so I wasn't going to complain about it.

Until I got in bed and laid there until nearly dawn waiting for sleep to come.  My nocturnal-ness is messed up with my diurnal-ness and I'm sleeping until around 1 p.m. now.  But I'm sleeping so I'm not going to complain.  Okay, I'm complaining because it's not uninterrupted sleep.  Between the dog needing to go out three times a night and Tom getting up and making noise in the kitchen and turning the tv on in the dining room, I'm not getting uninterrupted sleep.  I can't tell the dog to hold it and I can't tell Tom not to get up in the mornings so I'll have to figure something else out.

I've not got a lot of knitting done.  Or reading.  I keep trying but my brain won't cooperate.  Nor will my hands.  I just get tired so easily.  So...I'm going to try once again to change my eating and exercise habits and hope I can find some energy in there to work harder on getting healthy.  I've got to stop being so self-destructive and start caring about myself.

I did work a bit on a necklace for my crystals.  It's just a little lace pouch with an I-cord chain.  Working on the I-cord now.  Zach wants a bigger bag for his crystals so that's another project added to my lengthy list.  I need to work on my dad's socks so they'll get to him before New Year's.  Christmas would be nice but I'm not kidding myself.

And I have Bowser to get back to, the two sweaters and Zach's pair of socks.  I'm just ready to turn the heel on the second sock so making progress there.

Plus I got out all my Tightwad Gazette books to motivate me to save more money and be more frugal.  Not to mention the books on spirituality and my journals.  And the library books.  The book about the African vet looks really good but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Oh, and did I mention that depression sucks?  Chronic pain really kicks in the clinical depression so it's hard to sort out your life when you're dealing with a neverending cycle.

The heck with it.  Tom's pizza is in the oven on the timer.  I'm going to bed.

TTFN

The curtains are up

It's been a busy day today, starting at 9 a.m. when I got up.  I didn't hit the floor running but I did a lot of straightening up before anyone else got up, hoping to have a cup of coffee and read a while before that happened but it didn't.  I didn't want to read while Tom had the tv blaring so I watched some tv in the living room.  I do this with the closed captioning on.  Not ideal but it works.  I was going to knit but I was a bit restless so I didn't.  I was waiting for him to leave so I could tackle the living and dining rooms.  They're so cluttered.

I had to move the bookcase out of the foyer because it's under the coat rack so I just stacked most of the books on the stairs to take up later this week.  And put my overflow dvds in there.  It's behind the tv, making a separation of sorts between the living and dining rooms.  It will be hidden behind the curtains when I go to bed at night but that's not a big deal.

Then I took a nap because I couldn't keep my eyes open.  Must have snoozed for an hour, which is not something I do a lot of.  Then off to get the laundry out of the dryer.  I had washed and dried the new curtains to soften them up a bit as they are exactly like the curtains I already had up, only a different color.  The beige works much better than the red.  The dining room looks much bigger now.

I've nearly got the clutter done away with in the dining room but I have two loads of laundry left to do and supper to fix.  And vacuuming and putting away of said laundry.  All that before I can sit down to knit.  Or go to bed, whichever is the more important option when the time comes.

It was sunnier today so the house felt a bit warmer, but it was 55F this morning when I woke up.  Tom had left the upstairs door open and he has his windows open up there.  I've asked a few times for him to keep it shut because he smokes up there and it really nauseates me to smell it, but...well...for whatever reason, he chooses not to all the time.  I did make a point of not wanting to heat the upstairs this winter so maybe the nickels and dimes will work where the consideration factor didn't.

But now it's time to fix supper and get another load out of the dryer and put up the curtains shutting off the foyer.  I won't put curtains on the door just yet.  It's not quite cold enough for that.

TTFN

Winterizing

I had to drag myself out of bed at 12:30 p.m. this afternoon but I did manage to get the storm windows on.  Although I broke the screen on one window trying to get it out.  It can be fixed but I wish we could afford a new window.

I had to stay up and wait for Tom last night because his brother called to tell me to tell him that a good friend of his had died in Germany, where the friend had been living for the past...oh, 20 years or so.  I hated to hit him with that when he got home.  How do you ease into something like that?  He's taking it okay but he said he always thought he would see J.C. again.

I bought a space heater for Zach's room this winter.  His room is the coldest in the house, aside from the upstairs which is just a redone attic.  And not very well done at that.  There is one heating vent up there but it doesn't go into the bedroom so the room upstairs stays pretty cold.  Tom has a oil-filled radiator that he uses to get the chill off the room before he goes to bed, but then he turns it off after he crawls under the covers.

It was around 55F in the house this morning when I got up but I'm not ready to turn the furnace on yet.  I still have to put plastic on the windows and put the winter curtains on.  I bought new curtains for the dining room because the ones I've got on there have foam backing and they're so stiff they don't straighten out enough to cover the window.  Plus I got shorter ones so I don't have to pin them up to keep the heating vent open.

I've got to move the bookcase from the foyer so the coats will hang straight from the coat rack.  I'll do that tomorrow and hopefully get some windows done.  Baby steps.  I just can't get it all done at once. 

I also have to find my snakes to put in the windows to keep the condensation to a minimum.

But tonight I'm just going to make up the bed and crawl in it.  I'll work on socks for a bit but I do need to get back to sweaters.  And Bowser.  And reading.  And dyeing my singles so I can ply them.  And scouring my Shetland fleece so I can card it and spin it.  I have plenty to do so I hope I'm not on the road much this winter and can stay home and do it.

Off to make up the bed.  Professor has been nagging me since we got back from the store.  When it gets dark, he wants the bed made up because he gets to snuggle in my wolf blanket.  I kind of like it myself.

TTFN

Twilight...no, not the movie or the books

I've not been sleeping well the past two nights and have spent the past two days just dragging.  I've gotten a bit of laundry done and tried to keep up with the kitchen but beyond that, not even any knitting.  I'm not sure if I'm coming down with something or if it's just the insomnia.  I cycle in and out of twilight sleep, never getting into deep, REM sleep.  So my sleep is light enough that every move from the pets or Tom or Zach is waking me up.  I'm exhausted.  I hope I sleep better tonight.  I bought some cold meds because I don't think it's allergies right now.  I think it's a cold.

I would like to be knitting but even that exhausts me so I've done a bit of reading, napping and laundry with some dishwashing mixed in there.  I took a nap today because I had to make a library run as I had two books in.  I still need to go to DMV and clear the title on the car but that might wait until next week.  And sometime soon we need to find a newer car.

So I stayed offline until evening hoping I could use that energy to get other things done but it didn't work.  I still plan on limiting time online though because it does cut into the time I want to spend doing other things.  Like putting the storm windows on and plastic on the windows.  And getting ready for winter.

In the meantime, I'm fixing Tom some pot pies and then I'm making up the bed and turning the light off. If I go to sleep before 9 p.m., I'm not going to complain.  I just hope I can get 8 hours of sleep out of it.  Eight hours of deep sleep, not this twilight stuff.

TTFN

Giving it up

I woke up this morning thinking it was afternoon and Tom had left for work, which put me in a panic as Zach and I had errands to run.  Only to discover that a 1 was hidden on my clock, making it 11:28 instead of 1:28.  And Tom had gone to put gas in the truck (which I had done yesterday but he didn't know that) so it wasn't as dire as I thought it was.

We ended up not running all the errands though because I forgot the paperwork to clear the title on the car.  That's the third time I've forgotten everything.  Instead we hit the library, which was a feat in itself as the parking lot entrance is being torn up so you have to walk all the way around to the front on a very narrow road to get in.  They are providing roadside service for disabled patrons.  As inconvenient as it was, I do love this library and the people there.  I got all my books and then some and headed back to the car.

Next was the credit union so Zach could deposit his birthday money (yesterday was the big 23) and his loan money so he can send his payment off tomorrow.  Then to the store where I bought a new phone because we're down to one that works and it's in the dining room where I trip over everything in the night when it rings.  Or in the morning.  I don't think it rings at all when I'm awake.  I've been putting it off for ages but I decided to get it over with before they went up in price. 

Mostly, though, we just got healthy foods.  We're going to give up beef and switch to turkey, fish and chicken.  And eat less of it all, focusing more on veg and grains.  But I'm not going to diet because I always binge when I do that and end up gaining even more weight.  Just like this past summer when I gained.  I'm not sure how much because I refuse to get on the scale and put myself under that pressure, but we're going to focus on health and being able to be more active than how much we weight.

So we didn't make it to the library here in our bitty town so Zach can sign up to volunteer and we didn't make it to the DMV so we'll do that on Thursday so I've got a couple of days at home to work on winterizing and getting the garden ready for winter.  And laundry.  And cooking.

And hopefully I'll start putting pictures up on my blog again.  I'm giving up my Sims game on facebook because it's sucking the life out of me.  It slows the computer down to a crawl and takes up so much time.  When the game gets to be a burden instead of a joy, it's time to quit.  Plus there are so many books to read and so many projects to be done, including art, knitting and spinning.  I really need to dye my singles and get my fleece ready to spin.  And the enjoyment factor out of those projects are much more than playing a computer game.

But for now I've got supper to fix and a hot shower for my achy joints and muscles and then bed...early.  With knitting and reading to follow.

TTFN

Mischief managed

Finally got the right size toilet seat (and cushioned, which is what Zach pleaded for), installed it (Zach) and tested it.  No I'm not saying who tested it.  It's nice not to have to precariously perch on the toilet anymore though.

I bought a bin for more yarn as it's lying around the living room in bags and I'm stumbling over them.  My corners are now full of bins of yarn.  I...must...not...buy...anymore...yarn!

So I am working with what I've got and will avoid the yarn aisle...with deliberate vengence.  I do have plenty to work on for the winter.  I'm going to space the socks out so I've got them to work on throughout the winter.  Except the pair that is for my dad.  That one I'll need to finish up soon. I send a care package to my parents every year in lieu of Christmas presents and I try to pick out things they wouldn't buy for themselves, things that are consumable or wearable.  They don't need more "stuff."  I always send a restaurant gift card as they do enjoy eating out once in a while.  Maybe a Walmart card so they can buy something they need or even groceries.  People on fixed incomes sometimes do appreciate having that extra to buy something instead of giving them stuff that clutters up their homes and doesn't help them out any.

I'm turning the heel on the second sock (never put the second sock off or you'll never get it done) and am nearly ready to knit the armholes of Zach's sweater.  I should work on my fair isle sweater tonight since I haven't done it for a while.  I forget where I am if I leave it too long.  I don't plan on starting anything new until something is done.  I've still got too many projects lying about in various bags awaiting my knitting attention.  Some I will have to frog because I have no idea where I am.  Others I can figure it out but it will take a while.  If I'm still interested enough to figure it out.  The black cardigan, I'm pretty sure I'll work on figuring it out as I really want a black cardigan this year.

Zach and I split a meal at Wendy's today because that's all the money I had and it worked out perfectly.  I did get my own soda but we cut the sandwich in half and split the fries.  I'm going to carry a plastic knife with me from now on so we can do that in other places should we need to stop.  But we're going to slow down on trips to town which will help us save money.  I didn't make it to the library today because they were re-surfacing their parking lot (in the rain!) and the overflow parking lot was full.  Not to mention pouring down rain.  I'll have to make another trip.

Which I might do tomorrow as Tom and I are going out early to look at cars.  It's nearly impossible to drive the car anymore and parking it has to be on flat surfaces as the parking brake won't hold anymore.  I just hate having to make payments when we're just making it on what we've got now.  Next month we will no longer have the truck payment so that's a relief.  I don't expect we'll find the car first trip out but we'll keep looking until we do.  I don't want to settle for something because we're desperate.  But we can't wait long either.

Well, time to curl up in front of the tv and knit a spell.  I'm hoping I get sleepy soon enough so I can get up sooner tomorrow.

TTFN

Brighter days

Riding out the fatigue seems to be working.  In tiny measures, but there is still improvement.  I had to go to town today because the toilet seat broke last night and Tom couldn't fix it.  I took measurements with me but none of the seats were exactly the same so I bought one that is only an inch too long.  Width is exactly right though.  But, with the amazing luck we have, one of the plastic bolts is stripped and won't come off.  We've been working on it in shifts for a couple of hours and just can't get it off.  I'll have to find the hacksaw tomorrow and cut it off, I guess.  Unless Tom's manly muscles can budge it.

But I did get some things done today because I felt like it and not with that sense of working underwater that I usually feel.  I haven't knitted yet, but I'm getting ready to go in there now.  Supper was pizza and since that's done, I'm going to get ready for bed. 

I was going to knit on Zach's sweater but I couldn't find the other knitting needle.  I looked all over but it wasn't to be found so I worked on the second sock.  I'm nearly to the heel flap on it.  When I made up the couch today, there was the needle...under the mattress pad and foam sheet, in the center of the couch.  Good that I didn't feel it.  I guess I'm not a princess after all (re:  Princess and the Pea.)

So, tonight will be spent working on Zach's sweater.  Hopefully I'll get to work on his Bowser tomorrow.  I'm woefully behind on it.  It won't be done in time for his birthday.  Neither will his sweater, but he's okay with that.  I'll take him out to eat and let him buy a cheap game for his Wii.

Next week he's going to go to the library here in our bitty town and see about volunteering there.  He's still putting applications in but no call backs or interviews at all.  He's decided to go back to school in January and get a second degree in a field he can get a job in.  Back to Moraine Park, with all it's faults, but at least he won't be starting from scratch.  He has all his core subjects, his electives and many of the office skills needed for a degree in accounting so it won't take him all that long to get another degree.  This time, all the subjects are in Beaver Dam so we won't have to drive in the snow to Fond du Lac.  Plus he knows what to do about making connections this time that he didn't know when he was there before.

His student loan will almost be paid off by then so he can just extend it and hope to get a grant or scholarship in the spring.

I'm working on better organization here and hopefully I can find the closets and basement and get the clutter hidden so my environment is more conducive to being productive.  Maybe I'll figure out how to earn money from home.

In the meantime, I'm just riding out the fatigue storm and waiting for the other end.  Feeling brighter today made a huge difference in my emotional state though.  Just hoping tomorrow is as bright as today was.

TTFN

Riding out the fatigue

It didn't feel cooler today but we did have overcast skies and some rain just a short bit ago.  The breeze felt so good while it was raining.

I'm nearly finished with one sock.  I'm making this one narrower than the ones I used to knit because they tend to "grow" a bit and after wearing them for a couple of hours, the socks are too big for me.  This pattern fits me snugly, which should also help them wear longer as they won't be slipping around inside my shoes.  Well, I say pattern, but I really don't work off of one. Well, a standard sock pattern, very basic and just adjust it to my needs. But for some reason, I had trouble getting the length right.  I'm on my fourth attempt on knitting the toes.  I hope this one fits.  I don't want them too short because my toenails will wear a hole very quickly.

I haven't knitted much today.  Haven't done much of anything today.  I'm trying to ride out the fatigue, just doing what I feel I can handle.  But I will knit some more tonight before bedtime.  Probably on the sock and Zach's sweater.  Neither requires me to concentrate too much.

I pulled up about 8 tobacco plants but quit because of the bees.  There is something grainy all over the plants.  Might be seeds, but whatever it was, the bees loved it so I left them to it.  I'll get more tomorrow. Besides, I need to leave room in the garbage bin for the rest of the trash.  I'll never use these seeds again, but I am planning on planting the seeds from last year's crop.  At least those turned out well.  Still, I'm not planting much.  Next year the garden will be for veg.

I'm fixing supper right now.  I didn't realize how late it was.  Sloppy Joes, mashed potatoes and corn.  It's one of Tom's favorite meals and since I haven't cooked much lately, I thought I owed him.  Plus I'm trying to clean the kitchen while I cook.

Well, off to work some more on cleaning the kitchen while I cook.

TTFN

Socks...at last!

This might be one of the last summer days of the year although it will still be pleasant the rest of the week.  It's time to start moving on winterizing the house.  Maybe I'll start on that Friday, but the rest of the week will be catching up on cleaning.  I started scrubbing the bathroom today and pulled up some of the tobacco and threw it away.  I thought it was because the soil was depleted but the new area didn't grow any better so I think it was just the brand of tobacco.  I talked to Tom and we're not going to grow any next year.  I'm sticking to vegetables from now on.

Besides, he still has the tobacco from last year to process.

I'm knitting socks at long last.  My heart and my hands are happy!  I'm making them a bit shorter because I can get a pair out of each skein if I do that.  And it occurred to me that I could knit leg warmers out of some of my spare acrylic so I could keep my lower legs warm without extending the cuff of the sock.  I know in all circles except knitters, leg warmers get laughed at but in my own home, I'm going to wear them.

I'm still working on Zach's sweater, my fair isle sweater and Bowser but not on everything every single day.  I'm alternating a bit so I don't get bored.  Progress is a bit slower, but I'm a process knitter anyway so it's no big deal.

I didn't cook tonight because I didn't get the kitchen as cleaned up as I intended.  But I made progress and have a can of beef stew for Tom's supper so he should be okay. I still struggle against the fatigue to the point when I know I should just ride it out.  I just don't listen to my body enough.

But tonight I am going to bed and hopefully sleep very soon.  I'm getting around 7 hours of sleep but it's not restful.  I'm not sure how to make sleep more restful.  Maybe I should just practice more. :)

TTFN

Gorgeous weather

It's hard to believe it's Autumn here but I'm not complaining in the least.  The weather is absolutely beautiful and I'm going to get Zach to show me how to use the camera so I can start taking pictures.  Except our trees still haven't turned yet.  And there isn't much color around here aside from brown and yellow.  But it's still beautiful.

I got the yarn to make Bowser today.  Zach is very excited but the pattern isn't as clear as I would like so I might have to do some creative crocheting to get it right.  He says the colors are wrong according to his games so I made changes in the yarn I'm going to use.  Otherwise he loves the pattern.  I ended up working on the fair isle sweater for a while last night since I woke up after an hour of sleep and was wide awake.  This is what happens when I go to bed too early.

But aside from Professor barking at Rowdy running loose outside (the Rottweiler from two doors down) I slept well and got up at a reasonable time with a miniscule amount of energy.  I managed to get a few things done and plan to do more later, but I'm not pushing it.  I'm going to ride out the fatigue cycle and hope it doesn't take too long to find some energy again.

I do have to do a load of clothes today but I can limit myself to one load a day and still get it done without any problems.  If the washer and dryer were on this floor I wouldn't have a problem but there are down steep basement steps with wobbly railings and my arthritic knees don't like it at all.  Otherwise I would be hanging clothes outside, but carrying a load of wet clothes up those stairs is more than I can manage right now.

I do have dreams that by next spring I will weigh less and have more energy and stamina.  And be able to get more done...including fun things.

I planted some grass for the pets for this winter in two little pots for now and it's coming up nicely,  They don't get to use it yet because the grass is still green outdoors.  I'll stagger the planting so I've always got grass available to them, especially Hannibal.  He still has tummy problems although not as much and his coat is nice and shiny now and not nearly as skinny as he was.  Still eating salmon and chicken with oats mixed in and thriving on it.  It's actually cheaper than cat food.

I should get busy while I have the energy and ambition to get things done.  I'm fixing chili for Tom's supper tonight.  He gets home around 4:30 p.m. and is exhausted so I try to have supper ready for him.  Then he goes to bed and wakes up around 10 p.m. and wants to eat again so chili will serve for both meals.  I'll probably have a small bowl myself, later.  I'm not eating as much lately.  Don't know why, just not as hungry.  I hope that lasts.  I ended up throwing away some candy Tom brought downstairs.  He didn't want it and offered it to me, but I threw it out because I'm trying to get my blood sugar under control.

Tomorrow will be a day of knitting and crocheting and catching up on dvr stuff so I won't be online much at all.  In fact, I'm working at limiting my online time to an hour or so a day because I'm spending way too much time here.  I might actually accomplish things if I stay offline. 

Off to do laundry.

TTFN

Sleep might not be the answer

I made sure I got 8 hours of sleep last night but I woke up just as tired and dragging as I usually do. So I don't know what the answer is except to just stop fighting it and do what I can when I can do it.

I ordered my sock yarn last night and got to the checkout and found out that Lion Brand has free shipping over $35 for the month of October.  And as my order was well over that amount...  I ended up getting Wool Ease after all because the wool yarn just cost too much.  I know in the long run it would be a better investment but you have to have the money to invest in the long run and I didn't.  But as these socks will last us a couple of winters, it will be okay.  Maybe next time.

I haven't started on Bowser yet.  I don't have all the yarn and I'm too distracted to figure out the pattern right now.  Hopefully I'll be able to soon.  In the meantime, I'm working on sweaters...mine and Zach's.  I only knit a couple of rows on mine because I got sleepy, so I put it all up and fell asleep.  But I woke up when Tom got home so it was around 4 a.m. before I got back to sleep.

I had a book in at the library so I went ahead and picked it up today but I was so proud of myself for not eating out.  I did pick up some hamburger and am making burgers and fries tonight.  Much cheaper.  Then I'm making up the bed and heading there.  I've been so sleepy all day today but I know as soon as I stretch out on the bed, my eyes will pop open and I'll be wide awake.

Well, supper is nearly ready so I'm off to finish it up.

TTFN

Same old, same old

I'm still here...just still not doing anything.  So I decided instead of posting what I'm not doing every day, I'll just wait until I do something to post.  I decided to post anyway.

I did run errands today.  Got Zach out of the house for a bit and made a library run.  Nothing was due, but I was done with the books and I hate to keep them out when someone else could be reading them.  Picked up some milk and a sympathy card for one of Tom's guys on his shift who lost a loved one. I have to tackle the kitchen because I got behind the past couple of days and the kitchen is a disaster.  Actually, I just need to load the dishwasher and I'm up to speed.

I bought a new rug for the living room.  The old one was so threadbare that the threads were being sucked up the vacuum and stopping it every time I tried to vacuum.  I just laid the new one on top of the old one because I had no place to put it for one, and two, it gives me more cushion with two layers.  But...the new one is more square than the old one so there are bits peeping out from under.  Not enough to make me care though.  I'm just thrilled to have a carpet that I can vacuum.  It's a light blue so it's easier to move around at night, too.  Dark green carpet hid all the obstacles that I tripped over every night.

It was one of those cheap rugs at StuffMart so I didn't spend a lot.

Still working mostly on Zach's sweater so I'll have it done before his birthday.  I found a pattern for a stuffed toy that he loves and wants for his birthday.  Not sure if I can finish it in time but I'll give it a go.  It's Bowser, from all the Mario games.  I have some of the colors already and can pick up the rest next time I go to the store.  I've already got the fiberfill, too, so it won't be a huge expense.

I also need to order the wool for socks, too.   And soon, before I need them and don't have them done.  Zach wants a couple of pair, too.  I'm thinking of ordering some sock yarn so I can make my dad some socks, too.  I had made him a pair a couple of winters ago but my sister talked me into them for her fiancee (now husband).  I'd like to get them done this winter...preferably before Christmas.  My mom has several pairs so it's time I knitted my dad some.

Well, time to finish up the laundry I started yesterday and get the kitchen done.

TTFN

The end to a boring vacation

Today ended up being the best day of my vacation, although it was the last day of it.  I got good sleep last night, set the alarm so I could get early enough to spend time with Zach, who is shifting his circadian rhythms and presently it sleeping from about 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.  Then we went to McSnacky's for breakfast, shopped for a couple of hoodies for him for winter and came home.  I wasn't bouncing off the walls, but I had energy to actually do stuff today.  I'm planning on setting the alarm again tomorrow regardless of how much sleep I get because it occurred to me that my circadian rhythms might be off as well.  I seem to do better when I get up early enough to enjoy the day instead of waking up at noon and feeling like the day is over already.

Tom got home today, too, safely.  I always worry when he's out on the road like this because of idiot drivers who pay more attention to their cell phones than the road in front of them. Or those Sunday drinkers who never think they are over the limit.  But he got home safe, albeit very tired from his vacation.

We sat down and made a list of requirements for the newer car which we plan on looking for sometime this week.  I'm just too nervous to drive the car anymore than I have to.  Of course, we must go into super-tightwad mode from now on.  It won't be easy to get back on that train again, but get on it we must.

I completely frogged the frolicking deer hat because it was going to be too long.  I never managed to get the gauge right.  If it was sport yarn, I could do it but not with worsted, which is what the pattern called for.  No way can that be right.  I'll get the yarn for next year and knit him one then.  Just can't swing it this year.  I'm wondering if I might make it on 3 pair of winter socks this year instead of spending money on new yarn.  Maybe I can pick up some yarn at the thrift store.  I doubt it.  Most of what they have there is Wintuk yarn from the 80s. 

I am working on a sweater out of the deer hat yarn.  Had to buy more but I loved the fair isle look so I'm working on a Red Heart pattern.  Unfortunately this time my gauge is under so it's going to be a bit smaller.  I'll just have to lose some weight before it's done.  The length gauge is spot on though.  I never manage to get both width and length gauge right.  So I worked on it a bit and then worked on Zach's sweater a bit more.  His is fairly easy with 4 row striping so I knit on that while watching something that requires me looking at the tv.  The fair isle is for when I can just mostly listen to the tv.

I found a new show on BBCA called Bedlam and I love it.  It's definitely a keeper.  Also a show about the ER in King's Hospital in London.  Another keeper.  The latter one is a reality based show.  I really needed to add two more shows to my lineup.  Although I'm thinking of dropping Ghost Adventures.  I'm just not as enthused about the boys this year.  They're taking themselves too seriously as if they are experts in demonology (yes, everything is a demon these days) and I'm having trouble stomaching Zak this season.  I'm also thinking of dropping the show that comes on after about a psychic and a detective.  The first show wasn't bad but the second one was boring beyond belief.  Life is too short to watch boring shows.

Well, time to make up the bed and knit while watching some more tv.  I'm hoping to get to sleep by about midnight or so.  I'm going to drink some tea before bed to see if that helps.  Something hot might make me sleepy.  I got more Earl Grey (decaf) today at the store.

Tomorrow I've got to pick up a prescription, hit the library and put some money into savings.  I hope to do that before Tom leaves for work so I can take the truck.  It would be so nice to be able to start the car up in park and get the key out without jiggling the gearshift.

TTFN