Dear Writers of Lost:

For a short week, this has been a rough one. In the last three days, I've worked at the office for a total of 36 hours. I was gearing up for a very rough Friday, and in this amazing time of wondrous technology, there was no reason for me to watch the two-hour season finale live last night.

And yet I did.

I was sucked in full-force, and by Hour Two I was in for the long haul. Sleep deprevation be damned. I grow weak in the knees at good story-telling, and you did not disappoint.

Thank you for making television watchable again. For keeping me alert during every godforsaken commercial as I waited for the show to resume. For allowing me to chew on every detail like a luxuriously long and delicious dinner. For giving me characters to love (or love to hate) and not taking the lazy way out with their stories. For teasing me and tempting me and giving me little bits to covet and guard and dissect to my heart's content.

And now, I must have coffee.

Long Weekend Recap

Because I don't have the time (or willingness) to download pictures off the camera, here is this wonderful long weekend in a nutshell:

Thursday:
- left work
- knit, had wine, watched sappy movies

Friday:
- woke up a little foggy
- went to doc appt
- marveled at my cholesterol improvement
- got scolded for falling off the WW wagon. Again.
- picked up Joe at airport, took him to lunch
- drove over to Linens-n-Things for wedding and shower gifts
- stopped off by local village shop to get stuff for my Ravelry Fiberflix swap pal
- ordered pizza, knit, watched Eddie Izzard onBBC America

Saturday:
- wrapped shower present
- packed for weekend upstate
- got to "surprise" shower
- could only stay one hour due to other commitments
- guest of honor didn't arrive within that hour
- left shower
- raced home, packed car, left for upstate
- arrived upstate
- saw friends
- drank
- ate
- (repeated the above two steps until, oh, about 2:30am)

Sunday:
- woke up feeling like total and complete poop
- ran to Dunkin Donuts for hangover food run
- ate. drank coffee. napped.
- left upstate, came home
- Joe bought stuff for bbq
- knit. a lot.

Monday:
- got up, played on Ravelry
- decluttered and cleaned
- put winter clothes away, finally
- got sides ready for bbq
- watched My Cousin Vinny
- got swap pal package all ready
- waiting for Joe to finish the damned pork
- watched Trading Places
- waiting for Joe to finish the damned pork
- watching Back to the Future
- waiting for Joe to finish the damned pork

...and that's just about it. Let's hope Joe kicks his buddies out of here and finishes the bbq, now that the sides have been sitting around for two hours and I'm about to gnaw off my hand.

I Love Me Some Happy Pet Stories

Like this one...

Lost Parrot tells veterinarian his address

I Just Can't Get Enough...

First of all, a big THANK YOU to all of you who responded - here and on Ravelry - concerning sweet Cosmo. It's been a tough week, but hopefully that's behind us. Now I just have to keep Dobby and Otis from killing each other until we get a new little brother for them (Dobby likes to play, Otis doesn't. Dobby needs a distraction). I understand the Humane Society has some new foster kitties, so you never know what might end up at the Weismann Home for Wayward Kitties.

Secondly, I've found a new addiction. Something that will probably get me in trouble at work one of these days. We all know and love lolcats. Now, I give you - Pundit Kitchen!


see more politics and fun!

So. Yeah. That's been making me smile a bit. That, and knitting. And cuddling with the kitties. And Joe.

Cosmo, 1996-2008

This afternoon, while having his ears scritched by his mom, Sweet Cosmo finally found peace after years of fighting his numerous respiratory issues and infections. He was just too tired to fight anymore, the sweet boy.

He came to us the year we got married, the son of a stray. From the beginning, he had the markings of royalty. Our Georgia vet swore he had some Abyssinian in him.

The first night he stayed with us, he cried. And cried. For years he was known around vet offices as "the talker." He was named for Cosmo Kramer for the way he entered a room.

Early on, we knew he was clever. He would jimmy the dresser drawers open and steal socks, hiding them all over the apartment.

During the move from GA to NY, he cried the whole night in the hotel room. THE WHOLE NIGHT. Even Otis was tired of it. It was Coz's way of saying "This ain't right!"

There is nothing he loved more than a nap in a sunbeam.

Or a snuggle with his Daddy.

Did I mention he loved sunbeams? And Dobby. He loved Dobby. They played, they play-fought, and they snuggled.

Of course, you can't forget his hobby of playing in the water bowl.

It was this particular habit that made me realize he wasn't doing so well. When I stopped seeing the splashes of water around the bowl, I knew he wasn't himself. And he knew it long before I did.

My poor, sweet boy. He'd been reduced to five pounds (in his prime he'd been close to ten), and his temperature was eight degrees below normal. He was just tired of fighting.

This is the last picture I took of my sweet boy, minutes before we went to the vet this afternoon. I have to thank the wonderful doctor who whispered sweet nothings to him as he passed away. It's not often that you get that kind of love when you pass from this world.

I like to think that Milo is introducing him to all kinds of new friends. And that he has plenty of catnip toys. And a never-ending, cool and clear waterfall.

I miss you already, Sweet Cosmo. You were a gem, and you were mine. And I was totally and completely yours.

Fun News and Sad News

First, the fun stuff. Because I need me some fun...

Over the weekend, we finally were able to start putting bunches of stuff back in the newly-painted bedrooms. Joe's been on the road a bit, and we needed to get the heavy stuff moved first (as well as the things that needed tools he won't let me play with). So here's the guest bedroom in progress...

Complete with beachy kitch. Nevermind the stash - it's not in its permanent home yet.

And so the newly-named Happy Room is now a state-of-the-art workout room, complete with TV!

We'd had the treadmill and weight machine in the smaller room, but it didn't work out well. Then when my mom and her friends came to visit, we really needed the space. The weight machine went into the attic for a couple of years, and now we have the space again. Bigger room, more space to move, and even space for an air mattress when needed.

It'll also be home to other odds and ends - I just haven't gotten them all organized yet.

I also got some good work done on my Newburgh Knits shawl. Still a far piece from finishing.

Doesn't look like much, because I didn't have an extra set of hands to stretch it out. Plus, I can't find my blocking pins right now.

Now for the sad news that makes me very sad: sweet Cosmo isn't doing so well. He hasn't been the same since his bronchial issues of 2006, and lately he's been showing the signs that every pet parent dreads: lack of appetite, lethargy (well, moreso than normal), incontinence...so I'm hoping I can just make him comfortable until his vet visit later this week. Keep him in your thoughts and just hope he sleeps a lot and doesn't have any pain until then.

Meanwhile, his little brother Dobby is doing a lot to comfort and look after him.

Hug your doggies and kitties tonight and send Coz lots of love...

They're Off My Back!

The Monkeys, I mean...

Yay! Only 1.25 months late!

I *love* this yarn, courtesy of the dear Celena (I've never met her, but her colors rock, and her kids are too cute for words). I wasn't too fond of the pattern (particularly the heel), but I wanted to learn something new, and I did. I learned if I have a gut feeling about a pattern (and if some knitting-rock-star-friend has issues as well), then I should go with what I know and substitute a better heel. Lesson learned. The socks are tough to put on, but they fit perfectly once they're on.

Now - on to finishing up a shawl for a dear friend's wedding, and starting some socks for Joe in a Colorway-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named. I kid you not. From last year's Harry Potter sock club, from a totally delightful person.

And now, alas, I must get back to knitting. And washing sheets, because a certain ill kitty just isn't able to control all bodily functions these days. It doesn't happen often, but if you know cat pee, you know it's pretty vile. Yay, me...!

Okay, I'll Join In...

From both Eric's and Pammy's blogs...

Here are the rules for this one:

1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people, and acknowledge who tagged you.

Well, the only books I have near me at work contain financial statements or bids for our uniform service. SO, I'm reaching in my magazine drawer and come up with an old issue of Body + Soul:

Web sites such as hemi-sync.com or appliedmusic.com offer relazation-inducing binaural-beat recordings. For a study released by the University of New Mexico last year, stressed-out nurses took hour-and-a-half breaks from work to paint, bead, make gift cards, or create collages - in addition to receiving 10-minute massages and listening to music. The nurses reportd feeling far less tense after each session.

Glad you tuned in to THIS blog today, eh? ;P

It Must Be Spring...

...Joe & Russ are making beer - outside!

...things are turning green!

...the tulips are going "wheeeeeeee!"

...and our neighbor's yard is filled with happy flowers!

A happy spring day to you all. May you have plenty of beer and flowers!