NeonApple

Knitting Olympics 2010

2010-02-18T20:19:00.000-08:00

Four years ago I knitted my very first child's cable sweater for the 2006 Knitting Olympics. Two years ago during the Summer 2008 Olympics, I knitted my first teddy bear, which we named "Oly" the Olympic Bear for my son to qualify for the 2010 Knitting Olympics.

Well the time has arrived!! And I cast-on my first lace project, during the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics Opening Ceremonies. I'll be making the Fountain Lace Scarf in Valley Yarn's Florence color #34394 (Sage Green). The yarn is a blend of 50% Fine Merino Wool, 35% Acrylic, and 15%Kid Mohair.

Now I really feel like a returning Knitting Olympian. Since my last Olympic competition, I've suffered thumb and wrist injuries . . . carpel tunnel from breastfeeding my son in 2007 and tendinitis recently from shoveling snow these last two weeks. I guess when you really want something you'll compete even with injury like Skier, Lindsey Vonn. By the way I am totally ogling her Olympic Ring knitted hat - I know I can make that!

Let the knitting begin!!

Fountain Lace Scarf

Lindsey Vonn's Knitted Olympic Ring Hat

Goodbye

2009-05-20T00:49:00.000-07:00

My Memories of Carl Cohen

Shana has been my best girlfriend, since we were in 4th grade. We survived elementary and middle school together and then proceeded in to high school and college together. And through this whole time Carl was always a constant that you could count on. He was always at every important milestone in Shana's life and thus he was always at mine as well.

I can't even count how many sleepovers and family meals I always felt welcomed to. Susan and Carl are the my parents of my heart and Shana is my chosen sister.

Carl was always fun to be around and always had a smile and hug for all of Shana's friends. He always fed us more than any of us could possibly eat.

It was Carl that I saw as a father figure as I grew up with Shana - he was what I always imagined what I would want a father to be like in my life.

Between going on camping trips with Carl's colorful attempts to put up a leaky tent and Carl's attempts to fix an aquarium, to swimming in the backyard pool - I will always remember Carl's wit and klutziness, which is legendary.

Carl advised me on buying my first car and made me feel like more than just a family friend but a daughter as well.

There are many of Shana's friends that had the benefit of experiencing Carl as a father vicariously through Shana and I know that Dennis and I are only two of many, who looked to Carl as a father.

He was the best father and will always live on in so many hearts - I count myself as blessed to be just one of the many lives he touched and made a difference in.

Thank you Carl.

I love you and will miss you.

Carl Cohen

When are you old?

2009-04-17T19:41:00.001-07:00

I remember when I was in my 20's and I could never imagine being 30, being married, having a child and a mortgage. Now I am going to turn 34 at the end of the month! I don't feel old. I don't want to be old. Being old is a state of mind right! My mom and grandmother are old in their 60's and 80's.

But I am just stunned that I have worked with people who were born in the 1980's after Empire Strikes Back came out. Come on people! These are kids that never got to see Star Wars on the big screen, until the Special Edition came out!

In fact, I first started being online way back in 1994 (when you could only get online via AOL or Apple's eWorld), then the internet was something that only really big geeks knew about! That was 15 years ago for God's sake! I was only 19!

Sheesh!

Stalker Crazy or Normal Crazy

2009-04-09T10:55:00.000-07:00

It has been forever since I have written here. I have started writing my fiction again. Yes after 5 years I started writing my short stories again. I need to dust off my 25 chapters of my book and see if I can salvage it.

So I am supposed to be writing om my story sight now but I am procrastinating by basically writing everything else. I wrote a letter, I paid bills online, and now here I sit blogging instead of writing on my story. Yes I am hiding.

I have an addiction to the Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga , which has totally gotten me hooked on the actor, Robert Pattinson.

Ok yes, I am a crazy 33 year old married mother of a 2 year old son, who is crushing on a famous guy that is 11 years younger than I am. I haven't escalated myself to stalker stage yet. I just have listened to his music, both published and unpublished on You Tube, his movies. Most of which yes I did order from the UK, because they aren't available here. Ok I am strange. I have declared to my husband that Rob is on my "Laminated Freebie List". You know the list of famous people you could have an affair with and your spouse would have to be ok with it. As if the guy would even take a second look at me, ugh. I feel like I am 13 years old.

This gets worse. I actually bought the April issue of GQ because he did an interview for them. Ok I am off the deep end. So much so that my sister probably will hate Twilight now and she got me to see it the first time! Oh did I mention that I actually wrote a fan letter like a silly tween girl would!

Ugh! It makes me want to hate myself but it got me writing again, so maybe it isn't so bad.

Also I think this is my escapism from real life. I don't want to think about being unemployed, losing our health insurance, worring about paying our bills, being able to keep our house or our car, paying for Montessori School for my son this Fall, doing the house improvements we would like to do and would have done if we hadn't gotten laid off, getting signed up for food stamps or state medical care for my son. All that is just depressing, can you blame me?

I'd rather stay in "Crazy Town" for now.

Hope For the Future

2008-11-05T06:14:00.000-08:00

Last night I watched NBC & MSNBC, as I saw the dominoes fall left and right - blue and red and I cried with all the hope and pride and inspiration that I feel for the Unites of America.

I am proud to have been just one person in Obama's army of volunteers and workers across the nation who helped to spread hope and change across the state of Ohio and across the country. I am thankful to my family who took up the reins at home, so I could make phone calls and knock on doors for Obama.

My favorite quote comes to my mind this morning:

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed
citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only
thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead

We all make a difference. Everyone's vote counts! And last night proved it - to pave the way for our First African American President of the United States of America.

"...this victory belongs to you. It belongs to you."
Barack Obama
November 5th, 2008
Grant Park, Chicago IL.

Please Vote!

2008-10-30T07:38:00.000-07:00

No matter what party you are for GO VOTE! Vote early or do it this Tuesday Nov. 4th. JUST DO IT! We all make a difference and YOU can make a difference with your vote!

Get educated on the issues!

You can find out how much of a tax cut you would get under each of the candidates here:
Tax Cut Facts

You can print your FREE Obama/Biden signs here:
FREE Printable Obama Signs!

Ashamed to be Republicans??

2008-09-04T18:17:00.000-07:00

The comment was made on TV today that at the GOP convention the actual word "REPUBLICAN" is almost nowhere to be seen on the convention floor except for in very small print on the individual state signs. The argument could be made that they are actually ashamed to be republicans - either that or they have a very poor branding and marketing staff - not even to mention the canned and bland power point show they have constantly going on in the background.

On top of all this the GOP is so embarrassed by their own Republican President that Bush did not even attend the convention but only made appearance by satellite. The GOP says they want to "take back" Washington - they have had it for the last 8 years and look what they have done with it! We are in not one war but two - one against Bin Ladin (which is often on the back burner) and the much larger war for OIL in Iraq. Plus our economy is in shambles and everyday Americans are having trouble just paying for the basic necessities of life like groceries and fuel for their vehicles.

It seems like the Republicans just want a stop gap measure to DRILL our way into more oil dependence by drilling on our own coastlines, ruining our environment and putting coastal vacation destinations who rely in tourism for their economy to be marred by offshore oil Riggs.

The Republican Convention and McCain-Palin also in very poor taste used the fear and suffering of 9/11 to prop up their international stand on terrorism. This election is not about 9/11 and political use of the lives of families devastated by that event is a travesty! Someone may have forgotten to tell them but that was the 2004 election.

By the way have you noticed the subtle use of the "Dallas" theme song being used through out the Republican Convention - can you say "BIG OIL"!?

IPhone Blogging Test

2008-08-31T14:29:00.001-07:00

Test blog from iPhone

Former Beauty Queen Palin as McCain's VP Canidate

2008-08-31T07:40:00.000-07:00

Alaska on McCain choosing Palin as his running mate:
Palin "... has never publicly demonstrated the kind of interest, much less the expertise, in federal issues and foreign affairs that should mark a candidate for the second-highest office in the land. . . . Most people would acknowledge that regardless of her charm and good intentions Palin is not ready for the top job. . . . It is clear that McCain picked Palin for reasons of image, not substance." - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Palin views on YOUR body as a woman:
Sarah Palin opposes abortion even in cases of rape and incest. She opposes abortion in all cases and opposes the use of birth control pills and condoms even among married couples! If McCain-Palin get elected and install more Pro-Life Supreme Court justices, then U.S. women are going to flock in droves to Canada, Mexico, and unsafe and unclean backrooms off back alleyways in America to have the right to make decisions over their own reproductive health. Talk about going backwards politically!

Palin on Energy and the Environment:
“A changing environment will affect Alaska more than any other state, because of our location. I'm not one though who would attribute [global warming] to being man-made.” - Sarah Palin

“I beg to disagree with any candidate who would say we can't drill our way out of our (energy) problem . . . " - Sarah Palin

"Palin is generally considered a champion of the oil and gas industry. To some degree, that comes with the territory in Alaska politics, where oil and gas resources account for a lot of jobs and a big slice of state revenue. One of those jobs belongs to Palin’s husband, Todd, a longtime BP (formerly British Petroleum) oil field employee." Larry West, About.com

Talk about being in the pocket of BIG OIL!

Palin is the new Dan Quayle !!

2008-08-29T23:25:00.000-07:00

Don't get me wrong, I am all for women ascending into qualified roles in our government but Palin? Give me a break! " ... Palin is a Dan Quayle choice for a running mate..." - MSNBC

I would have voted for Hillary had she won the Democratic ticket but not because she is a woman because she stood for the ideals in which I believe. If McCain thinks he can win over female voters just because Palin is a woman he is sadly mistaken. WE have more sense than that!

Palin is all for turning over a woman's right to choose her own reproductive rights! Plus she is all for drilling MORE in her home state of Alaska to further enable the United States' dependency on oil and "natural" gas as our primary dirty energy source.

This is just one more ploy by the GOP to cater to BIG OIL!

McCain-Palin will be all for continuing useless and bloody wars for oil in the Middle East and for destroying the United States' own natural resources along our coast lines and in Alaska.

2008 Knitting Olympic Trials Come to a Close

2008-08-26T17:11:00.000-07:00

Well I succeeded in finishing the Bobbi Bear! I put the finishing touches and last arm on on Friday, Aug. 22, 2008. I knew I had to finish before the Beijing Closing Ceremonies because I had to help Logoann move into her new digs.

In retrospect, I wish I had done the bear in a different yarn. The organic cotton sometimes would break while I was sewing duplicate stitches etc. I also had some comments that the head looked a little big but I just said that the bear was really smart. I embroidered the face with brown Alpaca yarn, which I absolutely love. (BTW I still have the Princess Leia hat on the needles, which is where the brown Alpaca came from for the bear's face. I swear I will finish the Princess Leia hat for Halloween this year I really do. One year for a hat to be on the needles is just way too long.)

Comments on the pattern:
I would finish the top of the head last, so that you could pick up the arm stitches easier and stuff the bear's body easier. Picking up stitches in a stuffed 3 dimensional object had me using colorful language, that I am glad Little Man did not hear, since most of the knitting happens when he is either napping or in bed for the night.

We named the bear "Oly" in honor or the Olympics and Little Man was happy to finally get his little hands on Oly for a hug. Little Man wanted Oly while he still had no face and arms but I had to hold strong so that stuffing would not be strewn all over the living room.

Logoann says that she is going to come up with a pic for the 2008 Knitting Olympic Trials, which I will proudly add to my blog page with my 2006 Knitting Olympic Gold Medal.

More on the Olympic Trials Knitting Project

2008-08-10T11:52:00.000-07:00

By request here some more info on my 2008 Knitting Olympics project. The pattern is by Blue Sky Alpaca yarns and is called Baby Bobbi Bear. Apparently there have been revisions to the pattern so I hope I can finish it by Closing Ceremonies.

I still don't know why I would choose a hobby that uses so much mathematical calculation and visualization, I am really not the best at either. Logoann can attest to that. I think that the knitting must feed into my need for order and perfection the the world . . . but I digress.

I am using the Organic Cotton by Blue Sky Alpaca in the Sand #81 color. So hopefully it will look like the middle bear in the pic below.

Little Man's favorite lovey is his little Steiff teddy bear, so I am hoping that Little Man will like this one too.

FYI:
Apparently this year is officially the Knitting Olympic Trials, since we last competed in during the Winter 2006 games. So the Knitting Olympics is apparently considered a Winter sport. Never the less I will be competing to qualify for the 2010 Knitting Olympics.

Ready ... Set ... KNIT!

2008-08-09T19:53:00.000-07:00

It's officially here! The Olympics started yesterday, so you know what that means... As the opening ceremony began I had my knitting needles poised and ready to begin my 2008 Knitting Olympics project, the Blue Sky Alpaca teddy bear. I am doing mine in organic cotton. Unfortunately I am competing with tendinitis, so I hope I can finish by Closing Ceremonies.

Go USA!

2008 Knitting Olympics ??

2008-07-21T17:16:00.000-07:00

I just realized this week that the 2008 Summer Olympics will start on
08/08/2008, and I got all excited and told the husband that he is going to
have to pitch in some baby watching time so I could participate in the
Knitting Olympics again.

I have a project all picked out since I already have the yarn in the stash
for an organic cotton teddy bear for the Little Man. But I can't find anything
about the 2008 Knitting Olympics online. Is it still on? In
any event I plan on knitting the Organic Teddy bear for the Olympics.

Knit on!

The Sock Monster

2008-07-14T08:07:00.001-07:00

I know it has been way way too long since I wrote but, what can I say Little Man keeps e BUSY!

Have you ever been folding your laundry and realize you are missing a sock. Well the missing sock problem got so bad for us that I actually started a whole drawer just for lonely socks seeking mates to be found at a later date.

Well I have cought the culprit red handed with sock in hand! You guessed it - the actual "Sock Monster"! There is actually such a being and I now have photographic proof. I am thinking about contacting Ripey's Believe it or Not and Inside Edition. After all if someone will pay for a picture of Big Foot or the even scarier Paris Hilton then maybe I can make some bucks here.

Yes . . . it's Little Man. He is my personal "Sock Monster". I find socks (clean ones mind you - stolen from the laundry basket) everywhere. The toy bins, under the sofa, behind tables, in book shelves - yes the socks somehow find there way to these normally sockless areas of my home.

So if you are missing socks, I suggest looking in Little Man's hiding places - You never know where the Sock Monster will hid your favorite footies.

Sock Monster Nabbing a Sock with a quick get-a-way!

The Force is With Me

2007-09-27T17:27:00.000-07:00

I finally finished the husband's R2D2 hat. The pattern is courtesy of Meg from Mega(k)nits. This was supposed to be a Christmas present for the husband but he found the pattern when I printed it and he was so excited I just couldn't be mean and not let him have it especially since he can wear it for Halloween.

After knitting this hat, I really understand why inartesia simply does not work while knitting in the round. Usually I can knock out a hat in a few hours but this one took considerably longer since I got frustrated with the color changing and it took a while to get used to duplicate stitch. Plus this was the first grid pattern that I have worked with so a little bit of counting was involved.

Now that I have done one I could probably knock another out much faster but I think I would have to charge for it. Watch next the Husband's Star Wars Club want them! I hope that the Princess Leia Bun Hat is fun because that will be next.

R2D2 Hat

Good Deed of the Day

2007-09-21T18:11:00.000-07:00

Why am I such a sucker for cats? Mt mother and her boyfriend have been feeding a stray calico cat for about a year now. Last year I told her that when you feed a cat everyday, she is yours and you should get her fixed. Otherwise you are going to end up with a litter of kittens. So, my mother the queen of procrastination, didn't get the calico spayed and now of course she has a litter of kittens.

The boyfriend caught all the kittens and is planning on taking them to a shelter that will fix the whole lot for a reduced fee but they won't of course take the litter because they have no room. No one we know wants kittens - but if you do PLEASE PLEASE let me know ASAP.

I am visiting my mother this week and I got to see the litter for the first time. I felt so horrible for them they were covered in fleas. I couldn't leave them like that of course. So I gave my mom a crash course in kittens and keeping them in a cage. Then I gave the whole lot flea baths and a month's dose of flea and tick medicine.

I am so very tired. The cats took the bathing quite well. I was surprised! Now I have a bunch of scratches on my arms but the peace of mind knowing that I am leaving the cat family much much better than the way I found them. I am trying to convince my mother to keep the calico kitten called "Sundae". She is a very good tempered kitten. They all are really but I just like her the best of the lot I guess. The huband would absolutely kill me if I brought her home though.

Female Kitten
"Sundae"

The Rest of the Family
(By the Food Bowls) Adult Female Calico - "Mama"
(In the litter box) Male Orange/White - "Creamsicle"
(In the Bed) Female Tortoiseshell with Tan Nose - "Tanny"
(In the Bed) Female Tortoiseshell with Orange on left of Face - "Lefty"
(In the Bed) Female Tortoiseshell with Orange Right Rear Paw - "Boot"

I am totally a Pot Head!

2007-09-13T06:44:00.000-07:00

I can't beleive that I have plowed throught the Harry Potter books so quickly! I just finished Book 6 and now I am holding Book 7 with reverance and awe. I don't want the Harry Potteress to ever end!

Will he go back to Hogwarts? Will he become a auror? Will Harry have to kill? Who will die next? I am full of questions the MUST be answered! How can there ONLY be one more book?! I want to know more about adult Harry Potter - I personally think he should be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. And will he get back together with Ginny?

Logoann has suggested a break before starting Book 7 - to digest and ponder . . .

Oh by the way - no spoiler comments on Harry please for those of you who have already read Book 7. THe Husband has already real all the spoiler stuff and I have a heard enough time keeping him from blabbing.

Out of Commission

2007-09-04T17:30:00.000-07:00

Well I have been out of commission this past weekend. I threw my back out last Wednesday evening and I haven't been right since. It was the silliest thing - I was giving the kitten a bath in the bathroom sink. So I was leaning into the sink which is what did it because the next thing I knew I felt the vertebrae move and then my legs crumpled under me. Luckily I was wedged between the sink and the toilet other wise I would have fallen then and there holding a squirming wet kitten.

The pain was so intense that we contemplated going to the emergency room. I couldn't walk, sit, stand, twist, turn, basically I was immobile. So Thursday, Friday and today the chiropractor put my L4 & L5 vertebrae back into their correct place, which has helped immensely, and went to the regular doctor to get some good meds to help ease the pain. Now it's just the surrounding muscles that are all tight and constricted. At least now I can walk a bit and have a little more range of motion.

Logoann and the husband really picked up the ball though because I couldn't lift, hold, or play with Little Man at all and they completely took over. I won't lie it was a bit (ok more than a bit) difficult to let everyone else do the things I normally do with Little Man and around the house. For a control freak - letting go is hard but I soon got over it since I was hardly in a position to do things the way I would normally do them. They really saved the day though, so all praise the Husband and Lgoann even though Logoann did at one point have to tell me to "shut up" with my backseat mothering! A control freak can't go cold turkey I guess.

So here I am laying on the sofa, with everything I need close at hand, the computer, my Harry Potter book (I just started Book 6), pain meds, muscle relaxer meds, water, the TV remotes, and of course my trusty cold compress pack. What more could I need except movement without pain? Today I transitioned into normal life again - but only for about 1/2 of a day since the Husband watched Little Man for a while so I could go to the Chiropractor again.

By the way I am close to being done with the R2D2 hat. The hat itself is done but I now need to add the duplicate stitch to make it look like R2D2's head and not just a striped hat.

Knitting Finally!

2007-08-26T17:15:00.000-07:00

So it only took me about a year, ugh, to finish the infamous Birth Socks. If you can remember back that far I started these I bit before I got pregnant with Little Man and they became the Birth Socks, wich were supposed to come to the hospital with us . . . but Little Man came 1 month early and the socks did come to the hospital but alas still on the needles. Since then it has been a bit difficult to find time to knit with the Little Man and now the Kitten too but I have finally finished them! It is a lot earier to knit a bit with Little man sleeping through the night!

Now on the needles: The R2D2 Hat!

The Finished Birth Socks

Kitten Playing with the
Newly Finished Birth Socks

Sleepy Kitten Snuggling Up with
Little Man's Cloth Diaper (a clean one of course)

An Evening With The Boys

2007-08-03T14:26:00.000-07:00

So we are all getting used to the Kitten being a boy. It really explains a lot, like why the kitten is so big! Even though I am now again the only female in the house, I take comfort in knowing that the testosterone level is still even with the kitten being neutered.

My evenings have been spent lately with my men, the husband, little man, the kitten, and now with Harry too. Ever since the last Harry Potter book came out I have been inducted into Harrymania as well.

To get ready for the book launch the husband and I watched all 4 movies, then we saw Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at the movies. On the day of the book launch we went to a Harry Potter Street Fair. Embarrassingly enough though, I had never read the Harry Potter books - yes I know how can I possibly call myself a full fledged nerd?! I was totally a poser at the fair!

The husband suggested that I read Year 6 so I could just get on to Year 7. But how could I do that?! I had to start at the beginning of course. So last week I borrowed Year 1 and 2 from Logoann. Then the husband bought the Year 1-6 box set, so I could continue with Year 3. I am now halfway through Year 3.

So now my evenings are spent with my men. I put the Little Man to bed around 7pm-8pm. Cuddle with the kitten and hang out with the husband and then I spend a couple of hours before bed reading with Harry. I never know I would have so many men in my life!

Shock of the Day!!

2007-07-25T06:42:00.000-07:00

Oh my Gosh! We have had quite the shock this morning! We took the kitten in to the vet last night since she was spposed to be spayed this morning. Then I got a call from the vet saying there was an issue with the kitten but everything is ok.

The kitten however does not need to be spayed but instead needs to be neutered! Kitten is in fact a boy!!! Now keep in mind that we went to the humane society just so this wouldn't happen because they are pros right. So the humane society vet missed it. Now the kitten has also been to our own vet not once but 3 times to get the rest of the necessary vaccination shots. So there is 3 more times kitten was seen by a vet and it was missed again.

So 4 times vets and vet techs have been working with and handling kitten and now that we get to the point fo actually surgically cutting the kitten open we find out oops yeah we made a mistake. Now keep in mind that kitten has a very girlie name that doesn't go both ways.

The husband was shocked and declared we have a transvestite kitty! Interestingly enough the husband is in Wyoming working on a ranch for a work retreat and they are castrating bulls today - the same procedure we now have to do on the kitten.

We specifically didn't want a boy cat. We didn't want to deal with spraying and biting etc. But now we have bonded with the kitten . . . what to do - what do do ?

So the vet is going to neuter the kitten free of charge, since she feels so badly that thay missed his package not once but 3 times. And he will also be front declawed. So on the good side this is going to be much much cheaper then we had thought.

Now we just have to get used to having another little boy in the house. so now I have two little men!

Our little Turncoat
But we still love him!

Geekin' Out

2007-06-24T18:41:00.000-07:00

Ok so you all know that the husband and I are huge Sci Fi fans. On Saturday the husband had his Star Wars collecting friends over (the Ohio Star Wars Collectors Club a.k.a. OSWCC). We had our first BBQ with the new grill. One of the OSWCC members taught the husband how to use his new grill, so he didn't end up charring the burgers too badly. We all had a very good time and we watched all three episodes of the original Star Wars trillogy, the Robot Chicken Star Wars, and our Star Wars Celebration IV photos.

So if you ever wondered what happens when nerds and sci fi geeks get together and drink, this is what happens . . . you atart making Star Wars costumes out of household appliances!

OSWCC Meeting

Out of This World

2007-06-17T19:28:00.000-07:00

We are visiting Grandpa and Great Grandpa for Father's Day this weekend. Of course Little Man and the Kitten came too. Grandpa is really into NASA and we stayed up the other night to see the space station as it orbited the Earth. We were able to see it with the naked eye and it moved pretty quickly through the sky. Of course the husband had his tripod set up and took pictures.

The space station actually looked like a really bright star moving fairly quickly through the sky. What you are seeing in the picture is actually the movement of the space station. That's why it looks like a streak of light.

The Space Station

Kitten Has a Name

2007-06-06T19:04:00.000-07:00

After very much debate Kitten has a name. Finally! Here is the list of names that got shot down.

Obi
Casey
Pixel
Arley

So what name did we pick? You will jsut need to come to Logoann's graduation to find out!

End of an Era Brings New Beginnings

2007-06-05T15:26:00.000-07:00

Our Last Picture Together with the Kitty
12 Years Together
January 21, 1995 - May 27, 2007

Isn't this such a great photo! This is the Kitty's last picture with us. While we are on vacation in L.A. we found out that the Kitty had a lymphoma mass that was taking up the space of her chest cavity. Although there was no way we would have been able to feel the mass to know that it was there, we still wish we could have done more for her. Luckily Logoann was able to spend time with her while we are on vacation and be with the Kitty when she passed. In the end it might have been a good thing that I wasn't there but she will always be with me.

The husband and I discussed adopting another furry baby . . . there are so many that need good homes. After we layed the Kitty to rest I was able to feel closure and start thinking about letting another furball into my life. Although no one would take the Kitty's place, we decided we have enough love to share with a new little one.

We talked about older kitties and decided upon a kitten - God help us now we have 2 babies! Here is a pic of the Kitten - we will definately be changing her name. This is the pic from the humane society web page that we found her on.

The New Kitten
8 Weeks Old

She Did It! She Did it!

2007-06-01T08:56:00.000-07:00

Woo Hoo! Congratulations Logoann! She finished all her papers and finals and now we get to go see her graduate on June 10! We are so very proud of her. Now if we could just figure out what kind of cake or dessert to get for her party we would be all set!

We are having a party at my house for Logoann On June 10 after the comencement, so come on over to celebrate.

Hiatus

2007-03-30T02:16:00.000-07:00

Well just days after my last posting the baby arrived (5 weeks early). For the full scoop pleace check out my other blog!

It's suffice to say that my life will mostly consist of baby news until things start to settle down. I am looking forward to nights when the husband and I can sleep through the night and I can work on knitting again.

So please check the baby blog for the latest info on what we are up to whether it is a 3am feeding or the discovery of fingers and toes. When I am more rested I'll go back to writing on both blogs, since I still want to believe that I will have a life even with the baby.

Those evil Girl Scouts!

2007-03-13T21:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, well maybe the Girl Scouts themselves aren't exactly evil but those Girl Scout Cookies sure are! We got our order today and the husband was so excited! By far the Samoas are my favorite evil little indulgence. Thank goodness these things are only around nce a year. I think it would completely ruin me, if these things were available at the grocery store any time I wanted them!

Pitiful Kitty Cat

2007-03-03T08:19:00.000-08:00

My poor kitty had her surgery yesterday to remove her Mast Cell Tumor on her ear. I got to pick her up last night. She practically screamed bloody murder when the vet tech was handling her in the mystery back room of the vet's office.

When she got home she was happy to be home and went right to her food and water bowls to eat and drink. So I guess that is a good sign. Her walking gait was very unsteady and wobbly like she was a bit drunk. She has to wear an Elizabethan collar to protect her ear stitches for about 10-14 days until they come out. So she doesn't quite understand why this horrible collar is on her and why she can't reach her head or bathe like normal. The vet said she would have trouble judging distances and I can tell that when she jumps up, down, or goes down the stairs - but that seems to be improving as the general anesthesia wears off. She gets some pretty good pain meds for the next few days but she more than anything seems unhappy with her situation.

I would be unhappy too if half my head and paw were shaved, my ear hurt, I couldn't rub my head, bathe like normal, or had to maneuver carefully to go to the bathroom, eat, and walk around since a big collar was around my head for furniture to bump into. She seems most happy just to sit with me and have me pet her and carefully rub her head where I am allowed to. She even seems happy for me to groom her since she can't. Poor baby.

Surgery This Week

2007-02-25T15:45:00.000-08:00

We had to take our kitty to the vet this past week. I noticed that she didn't want me to rub her left ear, chich she normally loves. Her ear had a lumpy mass that seemed swollen and was warm to the touch. Attentive pet mommy that I am (some would say overprotective though but she's not their baby), I quickly made a vet appt for the kitty.

Later that day the husband and I took the kitty to the vet, where she got her yearly blood work done (which she needed anyways since she had a kidney infection about 1 1/2 years ago). The vet also did a needle aspirate to see what type of cells made up the mass.

I just got the test results back from the vet on the phone - the kitty's blood work was just fine, so no worres with her kidneys etc. However, her ear mass turned out to be a "Mast Cell Tumor", which I guess is pretty serious for dogs but is usually benign for felines. The vet will however have to remove the tumor and have a biopsy for the tumor to make sure it is benign and that it hasn't spread to her Liver, Spleen, or Gastrointestinal tract, where it can be very serious.

So the kitty goes under the knife this coming Friday. Even though the prognosis is very promising and is supposed to be very routine, I of course am a very worried pet mommy. She won't have to spend the night at the vet or anything, in fact she will be home in the evening the same day. She will more than likely have to wear an elizabethan collar so she won't try to rub her ear - she will just look pitiful I am sure since she will be all groggy and in pain. Luckily she will have some pain meds that I will be able to give to her.

Ugh - If I feel this way about my kitty being sick, I can only imagine what I will feel like when the human baby is sick! I guess even being a kitty mommy is stressful sometimes but I would do anything for my kitty, she will always be my furry baby.

Video Relay Service

2007-02-21T09:19:00.000-08:00

I just had a wonderful conversation with my Aunt, who happens to be deaf. Sometimes it can be a bit difficult to talk with her via phone or even in person since sign language doesn't easily translate into regular correct / proper english with all the phonics rules we use everyday and take for granted. Unfortunately sometimes written or typed out conversations between the hearing and deaf sound a bit unclear when read and can sometimes cause some miscommunications.

Anyways my uncle told me about this Video Relay Service by a company called Sorenson VRS. The company is similar to public local phone services like the Ohio Relay Service, where the hearing person calls a 1-800 number and the relay person types the conversation via a Text Telephone (TTY) to the deaf individual who types back.

With the VRS, I called a toll free number and talked just like a regular conversation, the relay service person physically signed what I said to my aunt via a video camera on a computer and my aunt signed back via computer. There was no miscommunication via the language translation and it was more like a regular phone conversation. It was so wonderful!

It's so great that with all the new technology out there that we can make communication with the deaf community more seemless!

Valentines, Bunnies, & Snow Emergencies

2007-02-15T11:58:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a very lovey Valentine's Day! The husband got me a card and a gift certificate. I think his plan is to get me out of the house by going shopping with my gift certificate but his plans will be thwarted unless the plows come to dig us out.

My Valentine morning was spent having blood work done in the level 2 Snow Emergency.
The husband only got stuck in the snow once after he dropped me off at the lab. It seems like everything has been closed. Even the hospital canceled our hospital maternity ward tour yesterday! Yoga was cancelled this week and my prenatal massage was even postponed until next week. So much for my busy week! Talk about cabin fever here!

I think the only animals I have even seen evidence of outside have been the bunnies. We found their tracks yesterday along with little small care packages on top of the ice encrusted snow - yuck but oh well.

To make matters worse our development's streets haven't even been plowed yet!! It is almost like taking your life into your own hands getting out of the driveway! The level 2 Snow Emergency was lifted this morning but we are still snowed in due to the lack
snow plows in our neighborhood. Occasionally you will find a patch of road that some good samaritan has personally plowed - but that was probably just so they could get out of their own driveway.

Overall though the snow really isn't that bad. I remember much worse winters, when I was younger. It is nice not to have to drive out to work though and the husband's commute down the hallway isn't that bad either even in the snow emergency. The downside though, the husband doesn't get a snow day - oh well.

Snow Day!

2007-02-13T07:22:00.000-08:00

I feel a bit at loose ends this morning. I got up right when my alarm went off and took a shower to get ready to go to my Prenatal yoga class. Then I looked outside and saw the masses of snow that is being dumped on us. Then I noticed I hadn't heard any school busses. It turns out that ALL the area schools are closed as well as a ton of businesses and Govt. offices. Plus all the surrounding counties have a Level 1 - 2 snow emergency! I called the yoga studio and wouldn't ya know it - they also cancelled classes! So now I am all ready to go out and I am snowed in. I guess I will have to clean instead. That will make the husband happy at least!

Romantic Valentine Evening

2007-02-12T11:31:00.000-08:00

Well I am afraid that the husband and I will have a very low key Valentine's Day this year for financial and practical reasons, which will probably set the tone for many to come. We are scheduled for our hospital tour for the baby's birth in the evening on Valentine's Day. Romantic huh! Oh well I guess it's all about the baby now - as it should be. We should start to get used to it!

Who knows maybe I'll get a red carnation but I won't hold my breath. I actually asked the husband for A flower a few weeks ago and he thought I was being silly. I don't think that guys understand that sometimes you need a little pretty just because. After all it's not like I asked for 2ct diamond earrings set in platinum 'just because' - just a carnation for a couple of bucks.

Obviously we need some more husband training. Don't get me wrong most of the time the husband is on top of stuff like that. I actually think husbands should have refresher training classes every once in a while anyways.

Projects, projects, more projects!

2007-02-05T19:40:00.000-08:00

I have this ever growing list of house projects that I mention once in a while to the husband. A lot of them he has already tackled but I think sometimes my list stresses him out. After all I have always been the handy one not him. I am hopeful that the husband will keep growing his mechanical skill points and someday he'll even want his own drill or something.

Some of the house projects on the ever growing list include:

Painting the upstairs hallway, bathrooms, master bedroom, and the living room / kitchen / dining area.
Building the deck
Landscaping and mulching the yard
Installing the peep hole in the door so I can see out
Installing the new light fixture in the dining room
Finish the basement
Install wood laminate in the entryway, kitchen, dining area
Install ceiling fans in the living room and master bedroom

Actually now that I look at the list - it does seem a bit daunting. Maybe we can just start out the the dining room light, which we already have. Then we can work on the list little by little. I guess I just have to be patient.

More Mechanical Points!

2007-01-29T11:24:00.000-08:00

Well the husband has been quite the little handyman this week yet again! Yesterday he built not only the crib but also the baby's dresser. I only heard some minor grumbles from the room (Probably because it was all for the baby and not for me). I think the dresser was by far the most tedious piece with all the drawers. The husband has decided that we will never again have a dresser that comes form a box - only real furniture from here on out. So someday maybe I'll actually get some nice furniture for our master bedroom.

Showing off the husband's
furniture kit building skills

Earning Mechanical Points

2007-01-25T17:01:00.000-08:00

The husband has officially earned a mass of mechanical points this past week. For a few weeks now our garbage disposal has been on the fritz, since a glass broke in the sink. After the sink backed up and I started to refuse to do dishes the husband finally broke out his tool box.

He was so cute. He walked into the kitchen with his red toolbox ready to do battle with the pipes and garbage disposal. Never mind the fact that he has never worked on plumbing before. He did go in knowing that there was a reset switch, thanks to Logoann but it turned out to be more complicated than that. I think his general plan was just to take it all apart and maybe it would magically work.

After about 1/2 hour he walked out dejected and claimed that we would need to call a plumber. Knowing that timeliness was of the essence (I had to keep him interested in fixing it before all hope was lost) I suggested looking up fixing garbage disposals on Google. (Funny it never occurred to the husband to look up the issue on the internet, even though he is on the web all day.) I showed him a web site on fixing a blocked disposal and he bravely went back into battle.

After hearing some very strange and at times scary noises in the kitchen, the husband triumphed over the evil disposal and won the day and I now have a working disposal again! Woo hoo! The joys of home ownership!

Happy New Year!

2007-01-03T15:09:00.001-08:00

What an exciting new year! The husband and I brought in the new year with Logoann and her husband with some sparkling apple cider after which we immediately sought out our pillows.

This new year is really exciting because this is the year that our baby will be born! I still can't believe it but I am constantly reminded when the baby kicks and pokes me each day.

The house is taking shape as well. The end of 2006 saw the hanging of the first pictures and curtains in our new house. In the coming weeks of 2007 we will be actually decorating the babies room. Painting the nursery is scheduled for next week thanks to Logoann's offer to help. She is my official decorator :-) And we are expecting the nursery furniture to arrive any day now!

I can't wait to set up the baby's room!

Happy Holidays!

2006-12-28T16:32:00.000-08:00

Sorry it's been so long since I have blogged. Being sick really took the wind right out of me! I am feeling much better but the husband is still a bit sick this I think is week 5 or 6 for his illness. I am convinced he has had several colds back to back.

The husband and I had a very wonderful holiday this year. It was very low key and relaxing, which we very much enjoyed, since next year will probably be crazy with baby's first christmas and all the family wanting to take part in that event. by far I think the baby made out with the giftage this year. It's amazing how much stuff you can justify buying when "it's for the baby" but in reality lets face it a lot of it is really for the parents.

This weekend we will visit the parental units a bit for the husband's birthday and for an extended family Christmas.

Our Outdoor Holiday Lights

Our Christmas Tree
(That ball of gray fur is the cat playing with her catnip toy from her stocking)

Sickness and Computer Woes

2006-12-06T16:03:00.000-08:00

Well I am about 1 week into my battle with a nasty cold virus. Oh such fun while expecting. So if you don't hear from me in a while that is probably why. When I am not coughing up a lung, I am just trying to breathe, rest, and keep the house a decent humidity to help both the husband and myself feel better.

On other fronts we are battling with home cooked meal deficiency. Since I am in no shape to either go grocery shopping or cook you can imagine that meals in this sick household are kind of sketchy. LogoAnn did come over the other day and helped to harass me into drinking a decent amount of OJ and water. Now I just need to convince her to come over and harass me more often while I am sick, especially since the husband will be going on work travel next week.

The computer front: My laptop is deciding more and more to be unreliable and just plain nasty, so my online presence may be a bit sketchy for a while, so please bear with me until I get the technical difficulties straightened out.

Please send out healthy antibody vibes! I can't wait to feel better soon!

Happy Turkey Day!

2006-11-22T08:46:00.000-08:00

Or if you are a vegetarian, Happy Tofurkey Day! In any event I expect that we will all eat way too much. We also get to see family that we maybe haven't seen in a while and for some people once a year is just fine.

This Thanksgiving I have been awarded the task of bringing Pecan Pies. Now most of you know I absolutely love to cook. In fact before I moved to CA it was my job to bring the pumpkin pies. However, apparently my pumpkin pies were replaced by someone else's, so I didn't get that honor back upon my return to OH. So I am making the pecan ones. I hope they turn out ok. I have never made pecan pies but I did do a lot of Betty Crocker and church cookbook research before I put my baking hat on.

Hopefully they will be a big hit! The husband's grandma used to make homemade pecan pies that were always the "to do" of the Thanksgiving feast. But now that she doesn't bake as much anymore they have had to make due with store bought. I hope that my pies can play in the big leagues with grandma's!

Back to Knitting

2006-11-21T14:13:00.000-08:00

I finally finished the baby's first newborn sweater. This was a project that I started with Phatfrog but didn't get to finish until last week. The pattern came from a book of "easy" knit baby patterns and the yarn is a Cashmerino blend from Debbie Bliss. I added the stripe at the ends of the garment, the pattern called for just one color. I am convinced that people think that "easy" means not knitting in the round, which I think is much easier than flat "back and forth" knitting and then seaming it all up. Don't get me wrong seaming can be fun and amazing when it all matches up but if your gauge changed at any point during the project you can basically get screwed or end up giving yourself a huge headache. All in all, I am happy with the end result but I hope my next sweater project is in the round or has more shaping. Also please note the neutral color of the garment both boy -or- girl friendly!

"Easy" Newborn Baby Sweater

Ohio State Michigan Football Fever

2006-11-16T18:08:00.000-08:00

People in Columbus are absolutely crazy over this football game! You'd think the #1 and #2 teams in the country were playing - oh wait they are. Ok I guess it is a big thing. I have seen a few Michigan fans this week and they are causing quite a ruckus. Like it is almost unamerican to be a Michigan fan in Buckeye country.

I am not a huge footbal fan but of course we will have the game on in the HD along with all the necessary football munchies and LogoAnn and Vormech are supposed to make an appearance, so I guess we are having a bit of a party.

Go Bucks!

Sims Saddness

2006-11-13T06:42:00.000-08:00

Well you may not know this about me but I am a complete control freak. Ok well maybe most of you already know that. It is becasue of this however that I love to play The Sims. What could be better for a control freak but to control not only the live of individual "Sims" (simulated game people) but the whole Sim town and neighborhood!

Well becasue of our little impending bundle of joy, I anticipate only being able to play my game before the baby arrives. Because once he/she joins us, let's face it my gaming priorities will more than likely change.

In the move I misplaced my Sims game disc so LogoAnn who is an expansion pack ahead of me is letting me borrow hers in the mean time. This weekend I was all excited and sat down to finally play and . . . I remembered why I had to stop playing when the Nightlife expansion pack came out for the Sims - my computer freezes and crashes every single time I try to play. Either my laptop's graphics card is maxed out or the RAM is. Right now I am hoping that it is RAM becasue that is way cheaper to remedy than a whole new laptop, since the graphics cards of laptops are actually part of the whole motherboard unlike desktop PCs where you can just upgrade the graphics card.

So currently my Sims are trapped in my computer where I can't play with them - so sad.

To Decorate or Not to Decorate

2006-11-11T16:09:00.000-08:00

Tis the season to start thinking about decorating for the holidays! Already people in our neighborhood have put up holiday lights outside and it isn't even Thanksgiving yet!

I'd love to put out holiday lights on the front of the house but right now I just can't justify the cost and the husband doesn't want to go up too far on the ladder to hang them. I even found a company that puts up and tears down holiday lights but it is too expensive for us this year. In fact I don't even know if we are really going to be able to have a Christmas. Oh we'll have a tree and decorate inside the house but I don't think there will be much in the way of presents. I guess our present this year is the new house - kind of hard to wrap!

No More Boxes!

2006-11-06T18:09:00.000-08:00

Well all the moving boxes that were left in the living room are finally gone! To be fair there are still more hiding upstairs in the extra bedroom, however.

Well maybe instead of gone - relocated is more accurate - banished to the basement. We had several lingering boxes of living room paraphanalia that just hadn't yet found a home. Since we had the camera crew here this morning, we of course went through a whirlwind of cleaning and straightening up. We couldn't have all of America seeing the lingering after effects of our move from California!

It's interesting how we all have little places like a "junk drawer", closet, or the basement, to stash the junk you just aren't ready to deal with or get rid of.

To read more or see the behind the scenes pics of my on camera interview, check out my other blog!

Our First Halloween in the New House & Exciting News

2006-11-02T07:12:00.000-08:00

Well we survived Trick-or-Treat in the new house. Our neighbor told us to be prepared for a hoard of kids, so I purchased enough for 200 Trick-or-Treaters. We gave out 1oz. containers of Play Doh and LifeSavers candy for the older kids.

We had rave kid reviews for the Play Doh! Numerous times groups of kids would run away from the house yelling "We got Play Doh - We got Play Doh!" Even some parents commented that it was a unique idea. I just didn't want to give away as much candy to the little kids. I figured that Play Doh would be a fun and safe treat without the sugar rush.

LogoAnn ended up coming over to help is handle the crowds of costumed kids. We even had scary Halloween music playing outside which I think may have scared a couple of kids.

All in all I figure we had about 125 kids. All the Play Doh was gone by the end of the night and most of the candy too (aside from the candy we actually ate - ok and the few containers of Play Doh we saved for ourselves). So all in all I'd say for a rainy Halloween we had a pretty successful Trick-or-Treat. I can't wait to decorate for Halloween next year!

NEWS!

Oh by the way - you may have noticed the official linking of my two blogs "NeonApple" and "NeonApple Baby Makin' ". If you haven't yet please check out the other site - the link is listed on the right of your screen. Exciting things are on the way there. First of all YES we are expecting and we are officially telling anyone and everyone at this point. Second - the baby may have a prenatal moment of fame. And Third - We find out in 2 weeks who is in there a boy or a girl. So stay posted and check each web blog often. I want to keep the info separate since I'd like to think I have more of a life than than just being pregnant. Not that expecting isn't enough already. I'd just like to think it doesn't consume every fiber of my being even if it actually does.

Deja Vu Update & Photo Boom

2006-10-27T17:45:00.000-07:00

Well he finally saw the light and made the changes I requested to my contract. I still don't know why I am doing it but I guess it's a few bucks in my pocket. Also I may be going out to San Francisco, for a couple of days if he decides to have me train my replacement in person. Which in my opinion would probably be most effective and helpful for her.

On other fronts - the husband's photography business has been booming in the last couple of weeks. On a lark a few weeks ago I saved a local newspaper that has a sports section for the husband. I thought maybe he could shoot for them once in a while like he did for the Examiner and Independant newspapers in the San Francisco area. Well in the past week he has been out on 4 shoots and has more scheduled. If this keeps up, I'll never see him! But he is having fun and he loves his photography. Who am I to stop a hobby that actually makes us some extra money in the process?!

Deja Vu

2006-10-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

Because I must be a glutton for punishment I suppose, I offered to train my Operations replacement at my former employer. Becasue I don't want the organization to set her up to fail and becasue I don't want all my hard work to go down the tubes.

Sigh - why I care I can't explain. I guess I just love torture or something.

So my old boss presented a contract to me that didn't provide any contract guidelines asside from stating the fact that I would be a contractor, not an employee, and that I would be responsible for taxes for any pay I would receive.

If couse I wanted a more comprehensive contract and provided comments for changes to my former boss. The next thing I know I receive a contract via mail requesting my signature (not another draft that I had requested). I of course wanted to see a final draft before the paper one was mailed to me.

In the presented contract a whole new paragraph was inserted, to which I had not agreed might I add, stating that I would be "on call" for any emergency Operational issues as the arrise! Hello - if I agreed to that I would have to be glued to my phone and computer everyday during San Francisco business hours (12pm-8pm in my current time zone)!

This is simply not acceptable! Does he want me to train her or does he really want me to keep solving the organization's operational issues even though I am not there?!

Obviously I didn't sign the contract - I really hope my old boss can see reason not only so that the organization can provide a comprehensive training for my replacement and not set her up to fail but also becasue I would hate to burn a bridge with the organization. I truly believe in what I helped to build there.

Damn idealism!

My Second Date with James Blunt

2006-10-19T16:29:00.000-07:00

Well to be completely honest the date was really with the husband at a James Blunt concert - but a girl can dream right! My absolutely wonderful husband took off work for the afternoon yesterday and this morning to drive me from Columbus, OH all the way to Cleveland, OH (about 3 hours) just to see James Blunt! We even stayed overnight at the Wyndham Hotel in Playhouse Square, making it very convenient to go to the concert. Logoann thought it was a waste to see him in concert again only on a different leg of the same tour (I saw JB in concert at the Warfield in San Francisco this past April. Check out the April, 2006 archive of my blog to see pics from the SF concert as well.)- but you can NEVER get enough James Blunt as far as I am concerned.

The concert was at the State Theater at Cleveland's Playhouse Square downtown. Boy the culture shock from San Francisco to Cleveland was almost indescribable but that is for another blog entry. The venue was great but not as intimate as the Warfield.

Opening for JB was Starsailor, who was pretty good. Unfortunately when they took the stage, no one was manning the sound board, so the house music wasn't turned off until Starsailor's second song and no one could hear a word the lead singer was saying on the mic until it was fixed.

Luckily all was fixed by the time James was ready to play. At first I was a little baffled by the stage set up for JB - there was only a keyboard and a couple of mics. I was getting prepared for the cheaper version of the concert with prerecorded tracks but I soon realized I would not be disappointed and that the regular band set up was just behind the curtain.

"Star" is "Annie", "Girlfriend" is the Supertramp cover, "Breakfast In America".

There were of course new sets, visual effects, and lighting for the show which started out looking like the inside of a circus "big top" tent. There were a few new songs as well in addition to the regular tracks from the Back to Bedlam album, and the few cover songs. I counted at least 3 new songs the first I thought was called Star, but I have since found out is really titled Annie, which reminded me of JB's former girlfriend before Petra. The second new song was When I Can't Hear the Music, which in some parts reminded me of a song I heard JB sing before by a different name, so maybe it was a reworked song. The last new song was 1973. There was also a cover of a Supertramp song, Breakfast In America which I had never heard JB perform. I especially liked the new songs because the audience can't sing along and you could actually get to hear JB better.

The band was of course in great form as always and JB even at one point jumped off the stage into the crowd causing quite a commotion! I thought that the venue made them sound a bit less edgy then they had sounded at the Warfield in San Francisco but it also could have been because our seats were located under the lip of the balcony.

There was also a noticeably different type of crowd in Cleveland than in San Francisco. I was surprised at how many older audience members and young children were present. Also of course there was no aroma of weed that was present at the San Francisco concert.

The crowd was really worked up by the end of the concert! I think that they would have stayed longer if the band had only kept playing - but I imagine that they were all very tired from performing and they had a long bus overnight bus ride to Detroit to look forward to!

The husband was of course again my official James Blunt photographer - did I mention how wonderful the husband was by the way!

Here is a sneak peek of the pics and a link to all of my concert pics from last night. Enjoy!

James Blunt in Concert
State Theater in Cleveland, OH
October 18, 2006

More pics from the 10/18/06 James Blunt Concert at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, OH!

Sump Pump Insanity

2006-10-12T19:50:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like finding water in the basement of your brand new home! When we moved in the backup sump pump alarm was activated. So after dealing with the insurance company, who sent out a repair tech, they replaced the main sump pump. Not even a week later during a thunderstorm the backup sump pump arm goes off . . .again.

So we go through the whole process all over again with the insurance company. But this time we find out that there is a hole in one of the sump pump pipes that was spraying water out of the pit and then the water is only circulating in the pit and not being pumped out. Solution - new check valve for the backup pump. Hopefully the alarm won't go off again!

Ahh the pleasures of home ownership - priceless!

We Made It!

2006-10-04T15:12:00.001-07:00

Sorry for not posting sooner but setting up house is taking longer than I had anticiapted. So we have slid from PHASE 4 of unloading the truck on Saturday Sept. 23 and have kind of gotten stuck in PHASE 5 unpacking the boxes. In reality only the kitchen is totally done, which is good - at least we can feed ourselves! The next priority was setting up the husband's office, so he could get down to work.

However the thing that has kept me from blogging at least that first week was the fact that we didn't even have any cable or internet access for about 10 days after we moved in.

It is completely amazing how many house projects creep up on you even when you move into a so called "move-in ready" house. I am convinced that the husband will run away from home of I even mention another trip to Lowes or Home Depot! So far on the homefront we have had to replace our sump pump, re-key the locks, have a brand new cable line installed (we are still waiting for them to come and burry the line in the backyard), moved the cable line in the living room, new phone line, switched over all the utilities, fixed the water lines to the dishwasher and the fridge, changed a light fixture, installed a dimmer switch, put up vertical blinds for the patio door, build new furniture . . .it feels like the list will never end! But I am sure we will get through it all.

The kitty has been the ultimate trooper during this whole move! She hid for a couple of hours in the new house but has totally taken charge of household security rounds and has found every room in the house where she can lay in a patch of sunshine.

By far I think my biggest transition has to be my career change. I have been so busy around the house that I have rarely been on the computer at all some days. A very big change for me since I was on the computer for almost 8-12 hours each day while I was working in the office and then after work as well. It's been very different working Operations in my house rather than for an office full of staff members. Sometimes I think the office was easier but I do enjoy working for myself much much more. It feels very rewarding. We'll see how this transition goes - I hope the culture shock doesn't last too long!

Ohio or Bust!

2006-09-19T03:46:00.000-07:00

After very little sleep, we are now officially in PHASE 2 of moving to Ohio. PHASE 1 is now complete - all of my worldly possessions except my kitty and a few changes of clothes are now packed into 16 linear feet of a semi truck bound for Ohio! It really puts your life into perspective to see it all compacted into such a small space.

Right now I am using the hotel Wi Fi - gotta love technology while on the road. The husband, the kitty, and I are just fine if not a bit tired - ok a lot tired and sore. I think the kitty was most upset because first we put her in her pet carrier during the move, then all of her favorite furniture was gone in the apartment, and then we took her to a strange hotel room that she is still thoroughly investigating. Such drama, but she handled it like a pro - this is after all her 6th move I think in the last 11 years of her life. Now she just needs to tackle the airplane flight.

Yesterday Monday morning the truck arrived early at 7:30 AM (we expected him around 8 AM). Much to my neighbors dismay the truck blocked part of the entrance to our apartment complex. The moving crew was supposed to arrive between 8 AM - 9 AM but because of an accident on the highway didn't arrive until 10:30 AM. Their tardiness gave us the last bit of time we needed to finish last minute packing, so I guess it all worked out well in the end. The moving crew was very speedy and we were all loaded and packed onto the truck in less than 4 hours.

Interestingly enough our truck driver is a huge Sci Fi and Star Trek fan, so he was just wild about talking Trek with the husband while he packed the truck. We have entrusted our worldly possessions to Nolen the Star Trek fan, so hopefully our shared interest in Sci Fi along with the $$ we paid him will help ensure a safe arrival of our stuff to Ohio.

In the morning we begin PHASE 3 of the move - Clean Up. We still need to clean out the bathroom, kitchen, remove the wallpaper border in the kitchen, and do a final vacuuming of the apartment. The question is can we do all that and wash a load of laundry before 2:30 PM tomorrow? I sure hope so because I have a massage scheduled in the afternoon - I figure that I deserve that little bit of luxury before we move into PHASE 4 of unloading the truck and slide into PHASE 5 of unpacking the boxes. I must say though of all the phases I am really looking forward to the last phase the most, so I can nest in the new house. The only down side of that part is that you of course have to listen to all the advise from well meaning family members on what should go where. In this arena I truly only trust in Logoann's opinion, since she really knows me, knows what I'll end up liking, and knows what will actually work.

Logoann has been by the way the best friend and sister one could ever hope for during all this moving stuff. From the search of the house to checking on said house and collecting my mail - she is by far a superstar!

Since I am talking about superstars - my very good friend Pennifer, who I used to work with at my office, was my absolute hero last week. She called me and announced that she was coming to help me pack and when should she come? So Sunday before last Pennifer actually packed my whole kitchen! She was totally amazing and I could not have done this whole move without her! She is a true friend and totally rocks!

So this is ending up being a very long post, but I guess I had to make up for not being able to blog this past week with the packing and all so I don't feel so badly. I may not be able to post again for a while until we have our cable installed in the new house but I'll keep you updated.

Let's Make a Deal - Going, Going, GONE!

2006-09-06T22:24:00.000-07:00

Well after my wonderful husband had the car detailed yesterday, we actually did it -we sold my car. We decided the car wasn't worth the cost to have it towed cross-country, last night I watched the best car I have ever owned being driven away by its new owner.

We listed it on Craigslist.org around 7:30pm and within 3 hours we had 4 phone inquiries 1 email and 2 appointments with potential buyers. By midnight the car was sold! I was amazed that it went to fast but for cash on the spot - how could you say no?!

Here are the last pics of my beloved 1995 Dodge Neon that my Daddad helped me purchase while I was in college.

Countdown to Friday 8/25 @ 3pm

2006-08-23T13:49:00.000-07:00

We are all set to close on the house this Friday Aug. 25 at 3 pm. One of the hugest events of our life as a married couple and I don't even get to be there or sign anything! We actually get the keys that day too and the in-laws will be coming to visit and see the house on Saturday. At least I don't have to worry about cleaning the house for the Mother-in-Law's first visit! Right now the house is probably cleaner than it ever will be with us living in it!

I don't know how I am going to deal with the MIL telling me how she thinks I should set up house. I just hope I don't burst into tears or yell back or something!

Our Neighborhood!

2006-08-17T14:32:00.000-07:00

As if you haven't seen enough . . . here are more pics from our neighborhood. Now no one is going to want to come see us - you all will have seen enouugh pics to last a lifetime of visits! Just wait till fall and we have leaves changing colors in the neighborhood - lucky for you all our trees are on the tiny side so there will be less leaves to photograph! Then again I could always take pics this winter featuring our first snowfall as homeowners. By then we will have to clean up the snow becasue we won't want to look like the neighborhood slackers.

View From Our Front Yard

View From Front Yard Looking to the Right

View from Front Yard Looking to the Left

Our Backyard

Closeup of my Kitchen Counters

More House Pics

2006-08-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

Our House Listing on Realtor.Com

The Entrance to our Subdivision - Galloway Ridge

Our House

The 4th Bedroom - Jim's Future Office

Dining Room (Standing in Living Room) - Looking to the Kitchon on the Lift and the Back Yard where we will build our deck

The Front Door

The Second Bathroom (aka Future Kids'/Guest Bath)

Welcome Home!

2006-08-14T13:36:00.000-07:00

Holy crap - we actually did it we became adults this week! We bought a house! So here's how it all went down:

Friday Aug. 4th I flew to Ohio at 12am. I had just enough time to freshen up before our first appointment with our realtor at 11am the next Day on Saturday. We looked at several houses - one of which literally stunk. We also looked at some new-build homes. By the end of the day we saw the house we liked. It is a 4 bedroom that is about 1500 sq. ft. built in 2002. It has new flooring and was freshly painted, so it is move-in ready! On Sunday - we went to see the house again and that's when we made our decision after visiting the house at various times of the morning, afternoon, and evening. We even got to talk with one of the next-door neighbors, who mentioned that the only problem with the neighborhood is that it is too quiet. Which I fail to see as a negative aspect. The neighborhood is really cute with sidewalks and has a park as well as the local middle school within walking distance!

So the rest of the week went like a whirlwind! We signed loads of papers and are supposed to close by August 31!! WOW - I can't believe we did it. It freaks me out a bit that I have paid for homeowners insurance on a property that technically isn't even ours quite yet!

More drama happened today with the house - the owners who technically are the builders of the house - don't want to let us close with a title company in CA! So now we have to get legal paperwork drawn up making Jim my temporary power-of-attorney or we need to close over the phone which is not ideal and really limits our rights as a buyer.

It will all work out. So I guess you all want pics . . . .

Here's our new house!

Teeming Millions

2006-07-31T15:25:00.000-07:00

Dear Teeming Millions of Neonapple Blog Fans:

I am officially announcing that I am going to be on blog writing hiatus Fri Aug. 4 - Sun. Aug. 13. When I come back I will be sure to tell you the wonderful developments that I'll need to catch you all up on.

However - my select mini teeming millions crew can be sure to check out the secret blog for up to the minute developments.

Knitting fans - never fear my goal is to come back from the hiatus with one finished Watercolor sock.

Have a great weeks guys,
Neonapple

Portable Knitting

2006-07-28T12:59:00.000-07:00

I am now a huge fan of the portable knitting project. I have followed the "Yarn Harlot" and now have a traveling sock. This pair will be simalar to the ones I did for LogoAnn. She assures me that she will post a pic of herself sporting the Birthday Socks but I have yet to see proof of this on LogoAnn's Blog: blogin' it. Maybe she will post a pic since she has officially pledged to blog 4 time a week. A lofty goal but doable non-the-less. Good luck on that one LogoAnn. I however, will be the first to admit that I am too much of a pansy to set such high expectations for myself.

The new socks are actually for myself - I know I am being selfish but I think I deserve at least one pair of socks that I knit myself. The yarn is a yummy one from Lorna's Laces Shephard Sock in Watercolor.

Lorna's Laces - Watercolor

Spic & Span

2006-07-16T21:33:00.000-07:00

It only took me one week but I finished the socks for my Ohio Grandma. The yarn was Muench's Tessin (Blue Color #808 & Yellow Color #839), which is a superwash wool, acrylic, cotton mix. So it will be easy to throw them in the washer on a gentle cool wash and line dry. I love easy care fibers! Now all they have to do is dry, since I washed them, then I can send them off to Ohio.

Grandma's Socks

On other fronts, the husband comes back from Texas today. He has been gone since last Thursday, so last night I went on a late night cleaning ramage through our apartment. My neighbors must hate me running the dishwasher not once but twice, which I guess either means that I have a monstrous appetite or that I am a pig. Take your pick I would venture that both are equally true sometimes. Not only that but I was also sweeping the house at midnight! I really am surprised that someone didn't knock on my door and tell me to keep the noise down. Then since I was on such a good roll I actually mopped my kitchen & bathrooms. Now at that point, I venture to say I was just plain crazy. So by 2am I finally went to bed. Bedtime? What bedtime?

"Masculine" Socks

2006-07-10T14:13:00.000-07:00

I finished the husband's socks this past week. He has been happily sporting them around the house. I don't think he has ever has any fun colored socks other than the basic white or black. What is it with men sticking to the standard "masculine colors"? From what I can tell the universal "masculine colors" seem to be black, brown, dark blue (can't be too bright), gray, green. The husband picked the yarn for his slipper socks and look at what colors they are - the exact color palate for the "masculine" man! What about teal, lime green, red, dark purple? I think these colors look great on guys and they need more man time.

Sexy Husband Feet

Adventures in Felting

2006-07-05T11:34:00.000-07:00

Well the husband finally finished my latest knitting pics. I have been getting a lot of inquiries on the Booga Bag. I also received a verbal comment on the Booga Bag picture that I posted the other week stating that the reader felt sorry that my Booga Bag didn't at all resemble the finished picture on the pattern . . . well LogoAnn (insert deep inspirational voice here). . . TAAAAA . . . DAAAAA! Behold the miracle of felting! You'll notice the unshapely knitted bag - then the blocking stage where the washed and damp wool gets stretched over a box form - and then amazingly enough a stiffer and shapely Booga Bag results. It actually will stand up on it's own.

Bag - from knitted to felted

I am very happy with my first foray into felting! See it does look almost exactly like the example bag! I even used the same yarn color. I think my handles are a bit shorter though - I think That's just becasue I was anxious to finish so my iCord was shorter.

Example Bag

End of childish "I told you so" moment of the week.

Oh Here is a pic of the much anticipated Birthday Socks I knit for LogoAnn. She has now received them so I can post the pic now. I am still awaiting a pic of her wearing them - hint hint.

Birthday Socks

Passed the Class

2006-06-22T11:11:00.000-07:00

So I finished the sweater class last night. If grades were passed out I would give myself a B+. Here's a pic of the FO (finished object). Last week I was so frustrated with it that I feared it would become an UFO (unfinished object) but I did it!

You'll notice that the neck doesn't go straight up like a funnel neck but is actually a crew neck that is higher in the back than the front. Much confusion and frustration was endured during that step of the sweater but I was rewarded when I finished. Of course it isn't perfect and I can see each and every stitch that I think I could have done a little better.

Finished Class Sweater

Tonight's agenda includes more felting for the Booga Bag, which after one washing has yet to actually felt. Also more work on the husband's socks.

I knitter's job is never done . . .

When You Should Just Stay Home

2006-06-20T16:51:00.000-07:00

So today was one of those days when everything just screams that you should have just stayed home. I went to BART on time only to wait for my train and find that there were delays because of a problem north of where I was at Daly City. BART had shut down all service on the peninsula. So I called up the husband, who was getting ready to go to work, and he said he would just take me with him to Daly City or Balboa Park so I could catch BART there. Minutes later the BART attendant says that NO trains are going into SF at all! So nothing is going north into the city!

Ok plan C goes into effect - I'll take the Caltrain. I go to the San Bruno Caltrain station and it is closed/gone. I don't knwo if they moved it or if there isn't a San Bruno Stop or what.

Ok off to plan D - I went home and the husband drives me into the city because there is basically no affordable parking in the financial district for me to drive my car.

So the wonderful husband drives me into the city and then 15 minutes later calls me - the car's engine is heating up - the temp light is on - and smoke/steam is pouring out of the engine. He thinks it's the radiator and is going to try to make it to the repair shop. - He didn't make it. He ended up having to tow the car to the repair shop and fenangled a ride home from a guy at the repair shop, so he could then pick up my car and drive to work.

So I didn't get to the office until about 10:45am and the husband I bet didn't make it to his office till about noon. We should have just called off the whole day and stayed in bed!

Anthing but Work

2006-06-19T11:36:00.000-07:00

I have one more day until my boss comes back from China and my mind is totally not on work today. I came into the city prepared to start knitting a pair of slipper socks for the husband. I have been promising to start them and he keeps asking about them so I had better get them done. The husband's slipper socks are the first project made possible by the Neonapple Knitting Fund, which has a very exclusive membership so far. So the husband has Phatfrog to thank for his slipper socks. When the socks are done, I'll have to make sure that the husband wears them at Phatfrog's house, when we go to visit.

So today I am avoiding work and I am secretly rolling the husband's sock yarn into balls underneath my desk. It will be harder to secretly knit the swatch under my desk so I can figure out his pattern. Whoever though that I would be the 007 of knitters?!

Becasue every project has to be perfect of course - last night I reknit a portion of a mystery project for someone who actually reads this blog, so I can't show the pic of that project until next week. Hmm I wonder who that person is? Anyways I will post a pic of that project next week when I can get a pic of the un-named recipient with said project.

The Husband's sock Yarn
Noro Kureyon 100% wool color # 150

Knitting to Save My Sanity

2006-06-18T12:45:00.000-07:00

Since I was so frusterated with the sweater class I worked on the Booga Bag to save my sanity. It is in 100% wool Noro Kureyon color #95. It's all done and just needs to be felted in the washing machine and blocked, then I can attach the iCord handle.

Booga Bag Before Felting

As promised here is the class sweater in progress. I still have to rip back the collar one more row and finish the collar for my homework. Also the armpits need to be kitchner stitched together. I am still avoiding this homework from being so upset about class this past week. One more class and then it will be complete.

Class Sweater in the Round - Mid Progress

Sweater Anxiety

2006-06-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

Last night I was sitting in my sweater class and I was all proud that I had my homework all done ready to finish my collar and my teacher tells me that since she made a mistake on last week's class handout she had made another one to go over again and by the way the homework I did went too far.

So I had been all proud of myself only to find out that I now had to rip out and unknit 10 rows! I couldn't just rip it out willy nilly neither though since there are stitch markers involved and decrease points so one by one I unknitted each stitch. It took me the whole class to undo the homework that I did! No one else had actually finished their homework so they ended up being ok. I was so upset that I was basically wasting a class to unkit plus she went over last week's class over again with her "new and improved". I was so upset and anxious that I actually couldn't wait till class was over and I kept looking at my cell phone to check the time. Ok it probably didn't help that I hadn't actually eaten much of anything the whole day and it was 9pm at the time. So not only was I upset and anxious but I felt like I was going to pass out from not eating or drinking anything all day.

I have to keep reminding myself that I took this class for fun! In the end the husband ended up taking me out to Denny's to eat before he took me home after class so I could eat. He was so sweet - he picked me up in his PJ's and sandals and didnt' complain one bit that we went out with him looking like that and I was so upset that I didnt' care - it was only Denny's after all. He is so wonderful! Unfortunately the dinner was less than spectacuar and the service wasn't even close to average but that is for another rant.

I ended the evening with a Tylenol and 5mg of Valium so I could calm down. A class that I took for fun really should not require valium to survive it! On the up side I am still very mellow this morning thanks to the valium.

New Knitting Class

2006-06-14T16:22:00.000-07:00

I am currently taking a "Round & Round Sweater" knitting class. I thought the class would be a neck down all in the round sweater but no it started from the bottom up and just made 3 tubes and connected them. So it isn't as earth-shattering for my knitting world as I was hoping. Oh well.

The good news is that I only have 2 more classes - tonight and next Wed. and I'll have yet another toddler sweater! I'll post pics later this week I promise. It is in Berroco Air which is like knitting with cotton candy.

I really have no need for a toddler sweater and I don't want to give it away. My original plan was to make an adult version but my plans were thwarted. My first class I went in with my bag full of sweater yarn that I have been saving in my stash - the first weeks' homework was to knit the body from the bottom to the armpits on #8 needles (keep in mind my the mother was visiting the same week). After horribly twisting my cast-ons for what felt like about a million times I cut the beginnign of the adult sweater up the side and threw it away! - You can imagine how pissed I was to do that. I decided that smaller is better and changed to a chunkier yarn and decided to make it kid size so that I could stay sane for the duration of this class. Needless to say I never want to work with the green yarn that I origianlly picked for the adult version of the sweater.

I am now doubting that I'll ever actually get to wear a sweater from my own needles - I don't think I am going to ever be toddler size again . . .

Makeover Day

2006-05-27T19:45:00.000-07:00

We have officially made it through 3 days together and I haven't even thought about killing Mom . . . but I do admit to rolling my eyes quite a bit.

Thursday I put Mom on a San Francisco bus tour and then to the Asian Art Museum, where we throughly wore ourselves out. I won't go into detail about everything we saw becasue if you know Mom she will take care of that when you see her. Suffice to say she has pictures to document each part of ther trip so far.

Yesterday on Friday, we bummed around, relaxed, and topped the day off with a chiropractic adjustment and massage therapy for both Mom and me. I really wanted Mom to to something to pamper and take care of herself and a massage seemed to fit that bill quite nicely. She was so relaxed that she looked like she had had a few glasses of wine!

Today, Saturday, we both had our hair done. Mom mentioned that she should color her hair so I made her an appointment. I don't think she expected to have her hair done but I thought she definately needed to do it! Her hair has been the same for 20+ years - it was time for a change. After all it was a golden opportinuty for the sister and I to update Mom's hair! No more blonde!

We gave her hair a bite more of a pixi look taking away the round look her hair had around the sides. We also darkened it to a dark blonde - what we call caffe au lait. She has also gotten instruction on how to FINGER brush her hair and "mess" it up correctly - no more combing to the side. It should be wasier for her to take care of. She always wanted to have her hair look good even if it got windblown - so now she has it.

Now what should the next step of the makover be? I don't think that I could get her to shop for clothes anywhere other than Goodwill - we may need to call in proffessional help for that step. We should call that show "What Not to Wear".

Before---------------------After

Before---------------------After

End of the World

2006-05-19T15:07:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had one of those days at work where everything seems to be falling down around your ears? My office feels like that right now. I have a staff member who has handed in a resignation because our boss is so horrible to work with because of his passive aggressive tendencies. The boss on the other hand is in denial of her resignation and refused to accept her verbal resignation and doesn't want to inform the board.

This particular staff member is a great employee, has described her job as her "dream job" and is a huge asset to the organization. It is a true shame that they are leaving because my boss needs intense psychological therapy so he can deal rationally and cordially with his staff. It is a true testimony of his lack of management style that after many attempts of communication this staff member felt the only way to deal with him was to leave the organization. Granted the organization will move on and staff members can be replaced - one person does not a program make but still!

To make matters worse our boss is having constant arguments with another staff member over the hiring of a new staff member. It is suffice to say that everyone is walking around with scared looks on their faces. It is almost like we are kids hearing the parents fighting and don't know what to do or how to act.

On top of all this wonderfulness - I am working early tomorrow in Oakland for a Board Meeting where I have to play hostess for breakfast & lunch and then take the meeting minutes - on a Saturday no less!

I need a massage - thank god I have one scheduled next week when mom is here - I will be super crazy by then with all this positive atmosphere going on around me!

7 Days of Sanity Left

2006-05-16T14:34:00.000-07:00

So I have 7 more days of sanity left until my mother decends upon me - or rather visits me.

I think I will send her on a SF grayline tour on Thursday morning or deposit her at the SF Library I until I get off of work at noon on Thursday. Then maybe some Chinatown, Alcatraz, or Pier 39.

Museums have been suggested - we'll see about that.

I am scheduling a massage for her on Friday. Partly so she can relax and enjoy her vacation - partly so I can have an hour to myself! She can't say no becasue I am having one too. So that's 2.5 hours to myself. Woo hoo!

Aside from that I am really not sure what I am going to do with her.

Glutton for Punishment

2006-05-05T11:07:00.000-07:00

You all may need to send the men in the little white coats to take me off to a rubber room somewhere in BFE at the end of the month. Don't ask me why - but I invited my mother to come and visit in CA Memorial Day weekend and she is actually coming. Usually she just ho's and hum's about doing it but the ticket is actually purchased and the dates are set. I even asked for a whopping 1.5 days of vacation time off with a minimum of grumbling from the boss, who doesn't believe in families or vacation time.

So what will I do with the mother for 5 days? At least it's not a week and only a long weekend. I don't think I could have taken that.

Oh my I will have to start planning a few mom friendly activities. Unfortunately these type of activities are not usually the ones I would normally do but this is supposed to be quality time . . . God help me I see historic Spanish missions in my near future!

More Guilty Pleasures

2006-05-04T16:04:00.000-07:00

Ok I have found the Spring & Summer danger zone of everyday splurges. So for Winter and Fall Starbucks is the indispouteed winner but I declare Jamba Juice (fruit smoothies) to rule the warmer months.

I just found a Jamba Juice within walking distance from my office I ironically have to pass not one but two Starbucks to get there.

All these everyday splurges - I don't even want to know how much money I could have saved in my lifetime if I just put the $4/day into a savings account rather than going to Starbucks or Jamba Juice

In the Drink

2006-04-27T14:29:00.000-07:00

Well I am so bummed! I just dropped my iPod in water by accident. I am talking it was completely submerged! Not just a little sprinkle of water! Don't ask me how. I was trying to be careful but I was wearing it at work and walking around the office in my own little iPod world until the fateful accident. Now my iPod is drying out on my desk but my hope is wearing thin. I think I may be out the iPod completely, which means I can't sell it towards getting a new iPod. The worst thing is that if we get a new one the husband has decreed that he will take the hew video iPod and I will get his hand-me-down which has a smaller HD than my soaked iPod. What a wonderful additon to my birthday :-(

More than half my life

2006-04-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

I have now officially "been with" the husband more than one half of my entire life. So I am not sure if it is all downhill from here or what? I met the husband when I was the ripe old age of 14 - gulp! Although we have only been married for 5 years this Saturday, April 29, 2006 will be our 15th anniversary of being "together" along with my 31st birthday! I think I like the 15 year mile marker better than the 31 year marker.

What what do I have planned for the 3rd decade of of my life? I don't know but I am sure it will be better than the 1st decade of my life! As a present to my self I am taking the day off from work tomorrow and having a massage.

Also the husband returns from Las Vegas tomorrow, after being gone almost a week for a huge convention that he had to work. Can you believe I turned down going to Vegas for my birthday to save on $$?! Oh well it was fun last year when I went. When airfare from CA to Las Vegas costs more than $300 it just isn't worth it, when it used to be only $79! Damn gas prices!

Anyways Happy Birthday to me!

,

Big Yellow Banana

2006-04-26T15:57:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been walking down the street and wondered what everyone was walking to or rushing for? I often wonder this while I walk through the morning rush of walkers in the Financial District. Sometimes I make up little names for people like the Spikey (the business man) who is always on my train and rushes to his office with his spikey product filled hair. Today - there was the Banana Guy - no joke the guy was wearing a full head to toe yellow banana suit and carrying a bag as if he was rushing off to an office job. I make up stories for the people who are wearing casts on arms or legs. However my biggest nemisis on my morning commute is the Patch Lady (who wears a black eye patch), who always takes my seat on BART if she gets in line before I get there.

I lost the will to blog this past week - Slice of America

2006-04-25T13:44:00.000-07:00

I am sorry but I just had no will this past week to write. I thought of little amusing topics throughout the week every now and again but I didn't write them down so they are now gone but I assure you there were witty amusing things roaming around in my head last week. They just didn't make it onto the computer.

Last week I did however go to the main branch of the San Francisco Public Library. The new building - which ironically is right next to the old building. Get this the old building was too small for all the books and so they spent millions on the new state fo the art library but the design only has the about the exact same amount of usable square feet as the old library had. How funny is that!

The library is a very interesting place to people watch. It's almost like a Starbucks without the coffee. People with laptops as far as the eye can see. In fact every since place to sit at a table had an ethernet connection! I was impressed. The interesting thing was that everyone was on the computers and hardly anyone was roaming the stacks of books. The only people who weren't on computers and were sitting down were the indigent population - they weren't even reading - they just kind of looked lost.

This bahemoth of a library has an enormous amount of elevators - it was interesting to be in an elevator with someone who was obviously a student toting a backpack and ipod, a snooty rich lady toting her Fendi bag and her toddler, me, and the indigent guy all crammed into an elevator together. Quite an interesting slice of America.

Would anyone notice if I killed my boss?

2006-04-13T10:18:00.000-07:00

I absolutely hate my boss's snarky rude comments. He says he want's me to be "more in touch with our remote offices". Well I talk to them all frequently and I can't help them when they don't tell me anything!

Today my China consultant mentions the need for a new computer in our Beijing office. Before I even get to respond to his email - my boss send me an email saying:

"This request from ______ is the thing I was talking about when asking you to be more in touch with our remote offices to make sure their office needs are being met.
Cheers"

What a complete jerk! I don't even think he realizes how snarky he is being he actually thinks he is giving me helpful constructive criticism!

So maybe he will disappear someday and I won't have to listen to his attitude or maybe I will dissapear. Either way one of us will have to disappear becasue otherwise I am going to have to do something drastic like hire a hit man or quit. I guess quitting would be better than the hit man . . .

BTW: I actually created a new email folder named "My Boss Being An Ass" just for this email.

The Lure of Starbucks

2006-04-11T10:45:00.000-07:00

Starbucks is so evil! Why do I want yummy pastries and cocoa or caramel apple cider from there anyways? I'll tell you why it feels like a little affordable indulgence. I don't buy diamonds for myself everyday but I can justify a cocoa with whipped cream on top and maybe feel extra special with a peppermint shot too. Or I can feel decadent with an apple fritter or both decadent and health conscious with a piece of low-fat blueberry bread. Evil - pure evil! I wish the powdered Nestle's cocoa that I brought to work in my tupperware felt so decadent!

1 Year 2 Months

2006-04-10T12:29:00.000-07:00

I finally finished my very first scarf! Ok to be more precise I finally finished my first scarf that I re-knit.

History of the Purple Scarf
This was the first yarn that I ever bought when my friend was teaching me to knit in January, 2005. It is (Merino and Cashmere) Adrienne Vittadini's Trina in color 110. I worked really hard on it and felt great accomplishment at my first ever knitted project . . . until I tried it on. It was 2 times wider than it should have been which made it about half as long as it should have been. Granted I knew nothing about gauge or about measuring stitches per inch. I never wore it and for a brief while the husband took ownership of it but never wore it. Then the scarf had a brief stint at a furniture warmer and was draped over the back of our sofa until I decided that the yarn was too good to be trapped in a horrible first scarf turned bad, so I unraveled it. The whole thing looked like ramen noodles all over my sofa while I wound it into balls again. Then I had aspirations of making a matching hat and mittens so I bought a few more skeins of the yarn.

So now my first scarf is finally done and I even wore it to work today for it's first outing! It's such yummy yarn I can't wait to make the matching hat and mittens!

James Blunt was in San Francisco with Me!

2006-04-07T09:32:00.000-07:00

Last night I was with James Blunt at his concert at the Warfield. So maybe I wasn't exactly "with" him unless you consider a couple thousand people venue as being an intimate rondevouz. Ok - I was only there for the concert with the teeming masses and I was with the husband but a girl can dream can't she?

The husband was my official photographer of the event. He was great. It was too dark and far away for flash protography to be effective, plus that was prohibited, so he had to do super long exposures and try to keep the camera steady, which was not an easy task to accomplish in an estrogen filled room of dancing and swaying women along with the guys they dragged along to the show.

The opening acts, Sierra Swan and Boy Least Likely To were pretty cool and their music is on iTunes if you are interested.

James Blunt wonderful! The program was well rehearsed. The lighting was live and not pre-programmed. JB played at least 5 or 6 songs that aren't on the album and I am going to go crazy until I find out all the names of the new songs! I remember at least one new song name, Same As Day. The music and singing were live - no lip syncing - thank you very much. And the music had a harder edge to it than the Back to Bedlam album has - I really enjoyed that. It just shows how different the songs can be when performed live and also the difference between studio musicians whose playing has been homogenized by editing versus the energy of a live performance by the tour band.

JB did ask the audience to refrain from screaming and making noise during No Bravery and Goodbye My Lover" and for the most part the audience was. He also did jump on top of the speaker during one of the songs.

All in all - the JB concert was one of the best Birthday/Anniversay presents the husband has ever given me! We even got to have seats, since we were in the balcony! Other teeming masses were crammed onto the floor below. Oh I almost forgot to mention the husband and I ate at Original Joe's prior to the concert and while we were walking we found JB's tour bus! I fished out one of my business cards and wrote a note on the back of it and put it under the windshield wiper of the bus. Who knows if he'll ever get the note but it was fun never-the-less!

There were only 2 downsides of the whole evening: I know that artists only really make money off their touring, since the record companies take most of the money from the album sales unless the artist also has written the music, then they get some $$ from the album. All the tickets for the concert were a face value of $25 and I know that most of the people there had to buy them from second market vendors or off of eBay for much higher like we did. Our 2 tickets cost us $150 and I know that tickets in the lower sections of the balcony were going for $299+ per seat! Crazy! It's such a shame that JB won't see any of that $$ from the second market ticket scalpers. The other downside was that as we were leaving the theater, I totally missed the bottom 2 stairs and strained my ankle pertty badly. So now I am stuck with propping it up and icing it today.

I am, however, so glad we went to the concert! I didn't get to bed till 1am and the husband stayed up even later to clean up the pics but it was worth it!

More pics from the 04/06/06 James Blunt Concert at the Warfield in San Francisco!

New Knitting Book

2006-04-05T10:47:00.000-07:00

My knitting hero, The Yarn Harlot came out with a new book this week! I was so excited that I couldn't' wait to rip open the Amazon.com box because I had preordered it of course. Doesn't everyone preorder knitting books?

Yarn Rules contains more knitting humor that any fiber art crafter could appreciate but it also had some useful info in it too. Don't let the useful knitting info scare you away from the book though if you are a non-knitter.

The Yarn Harlot

non-knitters
knitters
Knitters (note the capital "K")

I fall into the category of knitter, since I havent' ventured into really difficult projects yet. But I have Knitting aspirations. The types of knitters can further be broken down into categories.

Yarn Harlot knitting Categories

Missionary
Sensei (I fall between Sensei and Scientist)
Scientist
Organic
Pretender

I feel the Sensei/Scientist is a knitter who is willing to teach but will not "spread the knitting word" to those who aren't interested and willing and will also rip back and unravel large amounts of her work in order to achieve "perfection" or at least a state as close to "perfection" as possible. The Scientist apparently has a hard time living with mistakes and like things a certain way. Hmm - yup sounds like me.

I absolutely love The Yarn Harlot's writing. It reminds me a little bit of me with the knitting obsession but a lot of my sister mixed in for the humor part.

Who knew that knitting and yarn could be so entertaining on so many different levels?!

Autopilot

2006-03-31T10:37:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been driving to work and then not remember how you got there? I realized this morning as I was driving to work I couldn't even remember, if the light I just passed through had actually been green. I mean it must have been right?

Anyways I was wondering, if we kept track how much time during our lives we actually spend in our lives on Autopilot - would it outweigh the time that we sleep? I would imagine that it is quite a lot. It's scary to think that for a chunk of our lifetimes we aren't even aware what we are doing when we are awake!

I believe I may be on Autopilot a lot especially at work.

All Hail Breakfast!

2006-03-30T09:51:00.000-08:00

For some people breakfast is cereal and milk, or bacon and eggs, or pancakes, or even dare I venture into the realm of college breakfast known as leftover cold pizza. Last night I made quiche, so I can have quiche for breakfast or lunch this week. But then I also ate it for dinner. It caught me as a strange thing that one meal could be all three meals of the day so easily.

Then I also thought of all the times when I have had cereal for dinner or made an omelet for dinner, when the husband was on travel. It makes me think that there are no such thing as breakfast foods, since we eat them at any time so often.

Reasons why breakfast is so great:

Cheap
Fast
Easy to make
Can satisfy a sweet tooth
Can tame a savory craving

Competing priorities

2006-03-28T11:07:00.000-08:00

I find myself looking forward to going out this evening to knitting Tuesday at the local Starbucks. However, I now have a dilemma. The husband who has been on travel for work this past week arrived home ten hours earlier than I had anticipated. So now I must choose either knitting with friends or being with the husband.

I guess I could always knit with the husband. Or I could just tie the husband up with the yarn - umm maybe I should stop writing now . . .

Merry Belated Christmas!

2006-03-27T10:01:00.000-08:00

I finally finished the kitty's Christmas present! I know only a tiny bit late . . . but I ran out of yarn so I had a valid reason. It felt like the project would never end. I believe I used about 12 skeins of Valley Yarn's Sugarloaf Merino/ Acrylic Microfibre color #29012. I still have to measure it but I would estimate is being about 33 inches x 28 inches. It is almost large enough to be a lap blanket!

I was so happy that I rewarded myself by playing with new sock yarn. It really doesn't take to much to make me happy.

The Best Birthday Present!

2006-03-24T09:45:00.000-08:00

I am so excited! I have been absolutely beside myself when I found out that James Blunt is going to be in playing San Francisco on his tour in April! But then I was completely bummed to find out that the tickets had completely sold out!

I vary rarely ever go to concerts - in fact the last concert I paid to see was I think Phil Collins back in the beginning of the 90's - go ahead and laugh. Plus I never really get into a band or a singer overly much and I don't even usually buy whole CD's or albums even on iTunes . . . until recently when I got into James Blunt.

I have been totally enthralled with the whole album, I have it on my iPod, I have purchased the iPod videos (even though I don't have a video iPod - I watch on the computer). I even have James Blunt as my background picture on my computer. I am like a crazed 13 year old.

When I searched out tickets from the scalpers on eBay the good tickets were going for about $300 for 2 tickets! Needless to say - that is a little pricey for a ticket that originally cost $25! What a rip off!

Last night though I found an auction on eBay for 2 tickets for $130 - I have been so excited to tell the husband today but then got shot down when I asked if he thought we could do it. Oh well.

Then 5 minutes later through husband calls me back and tells me to get the tickets for my birthday present! I am so stunned! Is he not the most fabulous husband in the whole world! I told him it will be such a great date that I can absolutely guarantee he gets lucky! What a great birthday! I can't wait!

YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL (James Blunt)

Video Code provided by VideoCodeZone.Com

More for less

2006-03-23T09:43:00.000-08:00

Well today I had my yearly evaluation. It all went well except my boss was pissed that I had strep throat earlier this year and missed some work becasue of being sick. He also said that he is concerned about my ability to be "even-handed" with the staff HR issues becasue I am friends with several staff members in my personal time out of the office.

All this is total bull since that's why we have sick time and vacation time - I even offered to take time unpaid. Plus his concern about me being "even-handed" was with a staff member who left more than 6-months ago - if he had issues with me he should have voiced them then and not wait till now. However I would argue that I am fair with everyone. Last year he told me that I had to say no more often. So this year I did that and he feels that people don't like that so he feels I am not being as fair. I wish he would decide what he actually wants! Be personable but don't be friends with anyone - Say no but I guess do it universally so no one feels slighted?

On top of all this he wants me to "take more of a leadership role" and do additional financial reporting workwith foundations. So he is adding job duties but then turning around and not giving me a raise for the ton of extra work this involves.

Isn't that just like "the man" - always wanting more for less!

Rubberbands

2006-03-21T16:51:00.000-08:00

Do you think my boss would mind if I spent the rest of the day making a rubberband ball? Technically I feel it is work related. Since we are an environmental organization we save and reuse everything from paperclips to rubberbands.

Each day I get a new set of rubberbands fom our mail carrier. It is suffice to say that I now have ammased a drawer full of rubberbands. Since we are a small org and need to save on storage space - it only makes sense to make a ball out of the mail rubberbands. Thus the reason for this being a work activity. Plus If I really stretch my reasoning I could argue that the activity could help to relieve repetative stress typing injuries but that one is on thin ice.

Also I just plain don't want to work today anymore.

Memories are expensive

2006-03-21T15:26:00.000-08:00

I have been watching an eBay auction listing for a blanket that is exactly like my "Blankie" from when I was a kid. It had some satin edging issues but I figured I could ship it off to The Sister to help me out with her spiffy new sewing machine.

So I waited until there was 2 minutes left and I bid an absurd amount $200.01 figuring it would never go that high. Who else could have my same exact memory and be so very adamant about replacing it? Well with seconds left the bidding got heated and against my better jusgement I upped my bid to - [holding my breath] over $250. Keep in mind this is someone else's slightly rattie looking "Blankie".

I ended up losing the auction - the blanket went for $257.20!
Here is the auction

I guess memories aren't as unique as some may believe. There actually was another 30 something year old who wanted that blanket as much as me. Well I guess I didn't want it enough, since I lost by only $5.

EBay is great for purchasing back your memories but it sure can be expensive! My advise is to keep your childhood stuff nice you can keep your memories intact and not have to buy them back later.

For the record I do have my original Blankie but he is fragile and probably wouldn't survive a machine washing very well anymore.

Ahh . . memories . . .

I'm a user . . . Anyone up for an intervention?

2006-03-20T12:38:00.000-08:00

I guess the first step is supposed to be admitting you have a problem. So ok I admit it I am a user. My drug of choice - food. Today it is McDonald's.

Reasons why food is a great drug

It is legal
It can be cheap
It is a socially acceptable fix
Necessary to live so you HAVE to do it
Readily available everywhere
Many varities, tastes, and textures
It fills you up both your stomach and the psychological hole
Adds to the negative feelings you had before eating - so you don't have to waste time and money being happy

Ok so maybe I am not quite ready for an intervention. After all I am not yet stalking Ronald McDonald, the little red headed Wendy's girl, or the freaky Burger King man, who I am convinced needs his own intervention the perv peeper that he is. I may occasionally hide out in the White Castle but since we don't have those around here I guess I can't make my home there. I also don't case the Ronald McDonald House anymore ever since I found out that it wasn't food related and actually had a great mission. I later went to my nearest Mickey-D's and had a "Giving Meal" so I could contribute to the Ronald McDonald House.

So do I need help? Maybe mental help. But since I already had that, I guess I will have to keep working on my own.

PS: I am going to go enjoy my McDonald's sundae now - I don't think anyone can argue against hot fudge, so I won't even try.

Still Burning

2006-03-10T12:45:00.000-08:00

SF Chronicle: SF BART passengers evacuated after fire

San Francisco BART FIRE: I had to evacuate a train!

2006-03-09T11:31:00.000-08:00

So at I was on a BART train this morning at about 9:15 AM (Bay Area Rapid Transit) on my way to work. It was a 9 or 10 car train and I was in the second car. I was almost to my destination, Embarcadero station, when the train had to stop in the tunnel because of a fire on the tracks ahead of our train.

The lights went out and the train operator said he was going to leave the train to try to extinguish the fire on the tracks. I guess he couldn't extinguish it because he then walked through the train to get to the back car. He said we were going to turn back and go to the last station, Montgomery. I then called my boss on my cell to tell him I would be late and I gave a quick call the the husband to let him know I was ok for the moment. The next thing I know some panicky crazy person did not follow the emergency directions and pried the doors of the car they were in open.

By this time - people from the first car evacuated onto our second car. The smoke was starting to fill the first two cars of the train. Because the doors were pried open on one of the cars farther back we all had to evacuate the train because once the doors are pried open the train won't move.

In single file we all walked to the back of the train through all 9 or so cars, which is now the front of the train. I had to jump onto a 3 foot wide platform from the doors and hold onto a rusty dirty pipe because the tracks and third rail were about 5-8 feet below the ledge that we had to walk on.

So single file in a pitch black smoky tunnel holding onto a grimy pipe I walked back to Montgomery station. No one told us where to go once we got into Montgomery station.

No one asked if we were ok or anything. I walked up a few sets of stairs and finally made it to the street level. By this time fire fighters are now rushing past me going into the station. The police blocked off all the streets in a 4 block radius around from Montgomery Station to Embarcadero Station.

I was absolutely filthy from the grime and smoke and I am still finding dirty patches. But I did get to work by about 10am.

Now I actually have to work - I just want to go home now. Don't you think that would be ok?

San Jose Mercury News Article on the BART Fire

Olympic Fever Lives On!

2006-03-06T12:11:00.000-08:00

Apparently Olympics fever is not limited to our planet!

The plant of Hoth, made famous in George Lucas' Star Wars: V Empire Strikes Back, is currently lobbying the IOC to host the 2014 winter games!

2014 Winter Olympics on Hoth

I hope NBC's travel budget can get them to Hoth and back!

Am I a nerd or what?!

Desk dancin'

2006-03-01T14:16:00.000-08:00

So today I am at work listening to a block of The Strokes and Nirvana on KNDD Seattle. [I listen to an the KNDD Seattle Alternative Seattle radio stream via the web since my local station changed format to Latin Love Songs "La Romantica" but that is a rant for another blog.]

So anyways - I am really getting into it and typing away. Then I notice that I find myself desk dancing. Not like crazily swiveling around in my chair. I do have a little restraint. There may have been some slight head nodding, foot tapping, and shoulder action going on but nothing insane or anything.

Everyone does this right? You type a little faster and you do some little desk dancin' moves . . . maybe it's just me and I am a little crazy. But I figure this type of craziness is allowed at work since I am crazy enough to work here.

Damn Democracy!

2006-02-28T11:27:00.000-08:00

Grumble grumble.

Ok I will finish the two already started projects. I put the kitty's blanket back on the needles last night. She has been happily sleeping it on unfinished and having fun tearing out the stitches with the yarn ball that was still attached. Now that I have the yarn to finish it, that I got a Stitches West, it won't take too long to complete. The only problem is that since the kitty already knows this blanket in progress is hers, she feels more than comfortable to sleep on the blanket in progress while I knit it on my lap. Oh well. It is hers. She might as well enjoy it and get love, while I finish it.

As for the polartec blanket. It just feels daunting since it is so huge! What was I thinking making such a huge afgan. It started out as 200 stitches and then I ripped it out and started over again at 100 stitches wide on size 13 needles. So you would think would go fast but no such luck the pattern helps to slow me down. Ironically it is the same pattern as the kittty's blanket, so I guess I can persevere this knitting hell that has become my life. [Reminding meself that this IS a hobby and I DO like it - I DO I DO - THIS IS FUN!]

All that yummy self striping sock yarn out in the world that could be mine and you guys want square blankets - ok ok - I am all for keeping my teeming millions happy but when the blog entries start to sound really strange from my insanity of making blocks for cat blankets and abnormally large afgans - it will all be on your heads!

Damn democracy!

Lost & Adrift

2006-02-27T13:54:00.000-08:00

So I feel a bit lost today. The Winter Olympics & the Knitting Olympics are over. No more ice skating, skiing, or curling. My Olympic project is done and packed away in its little plastic zippy bag. Now I know I have about a zillion projects to work on including:

Finishing the kitty's Christmas Blanket - way overdue but I needed more yarn that I now have.
Finishing the human size polartec afgan - which is just plain huge and not very portable
3 Pairs of Socks - Need needles and to roll the sock yarn into skeins
Adult Version of the Olympic Sweater - not sure of the color yarn I picked
Re-doing my first purple scarf of which I reclaimed the yarn because I can now do better - mindless knitting
Hat and mittens to match the purple reclaimed yarn scarf
Mittens to match my vaudeville scarf & hat - but I need 2 more skeins
3 Baby blankets - my friends keep getting pregnant - need more yarn
Baby Booties - for above mentioned friends - need yarn
then of course I can begin the holiday knitting - yes I need to start now!

You can tell my enthusiasm in these projects - but I need to work on this stuff so my yarn stash can get smaller then I can of course get more yarn. It doesn't help that I keep eying the yarn at Webs! I am an official yarn junkie! My greatist wish is for some skeins of cashmere or angora. Yum! I would even make due with some alpaca - I am not that picky!

In my solace I am reading Yarn Harlot. I have decided this little joy is going to be my train book. I am only allowed to enjoy this on the train rides home because otherwise I will plow right through this hilarious book and I want to lenthenout the enjoyment as much as possible. I admit that giggling to myself on the train while reading may look strange but I don't care. There are way more crazy and strange people in San Francisco than the strange woman laughing at the yarn book on BART.

So I am going to take a huge leap of faith here . . . I am going to let my teeming millions of fans (the 3-4 of you who actually read this blog) comment and choose the project that I am going to embark upon full force with so much zealous that it will rival the Olympic sweater.

Ok - well maybe that is a little exaggerated but I will leave it up to you all to help me choose the next project.

Until then I am going to sit on BART and read the Yarn Harlot and work on the mindless knitting of the purple reclaimed yard scarf.

Day 14 UPDATE - Knitting Olympics Golden Finish

2006-02-24T10:15:00.000-08:00

As I was waiting for the women's ice skating long program last night I finished the neck on the Olympic Sweater. At this point it was almost 8pm and I just couldn't see myself crossing the finish line on Thursday night. I know -- I know --I threw it down and predicted a Thursday evening finish.

Well I grumbled and I moaned and then I paced our living room floor. I was dreading the seaming. I fully admit that maybe I whined a little too much. But then I saw the first skater for the long program. The Italian woman who was just happy to be there skating her long program even with no hopes of being in medal contention.

It was then that I had a brief moment of Olympic clarity. I can do this - I am after all an Olympian! I made a bargain with myself - I will only knit during the commercials. The mattress stitch really wasn't that bad and once I got going there was no stopping me. Then I decided that I could keep stitching during the non-medal skating competitors and still watch. I am a talented multi tasker after all. By the time the Americans came up for their skate I had to put the Olympic Sweater down. How could I not watch Emily or Kimmie or Sasha? So then I decided I would only work on the seams during non-American skaters. This blew up in my face big time because I really wasn't paying as much attention to the Japanese skater who eventually won the gold. But in my solace I take heart in the fact that in my Olympics we won not just one Silver medal for Sasha's performance but also a Gold FOR ME! That's right I did it. I pranced around the living room and proudly showcased my work to both the husband and the cat, who were both in awe I might add.

So I am an official Gold Medal winning Knitting Olympian! I want my Gold Medal! Oh Yarn Harlot queen of the Knitting Olympics send that Gold Medal picture for my blog site, so I can proudly display it for all time.

You can all say you knew me when I was a nobody -- just a nameless faceless knitter among millions -- becasue now you can say you officially know a Gold Medal Winning Olympian!

Olympic Sweater finished at 11:59pm on
Thursday, February 23, 2006

Top: Finished Olympic Sweater
Top Middle: Cable Detailing
Bottom Middle: Kitty couldn't wait to have her Olympic moment too
Bottom: My brilliant mattress seaming