With Apologies to the Commodores

Yesterday I did simple tasks - went to the feed store for cat food, picked up some sandwiches for lunch, did some laundry, watched Fellowship of the Ring while knitting and napping with my kitties...then we joined some wonderful friends for dinner at Skytop. This morning, I woke up at 4am, scolded myself for opening my eyelids so early, then went back to sleep until almost 7. I got up to feed the cats and saw this:

This tells me it's a good day to just be. I have some bills to pay, more laundry to do, definitely more knitting to do, but I just look out the window and sigh. Of course, the weather changed a bit after the sun rose...

Kind of heavy flakes, but no real accumulation. A perfect snow to just watch and then snuggle deeper under your blanket on the couch.

I can feel the tension release my shoulders. 'Cuz this is going to be one easy Sunday morning...

Still Here...

The bad thing about "surprise" knitting for other people is that you can't blog about your progress. Much like Pam's baby's blanket, my current WIP is on Double Secret Probation. So...nothing.

Cats are fine, knitting is fine, weather has been not-really-winter-but-still-fine.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I have something Creole happenin' in the crock pot that needs my attention soon...

Multi-Platinum YAYS!!!

I just got a phone call from a dear friend with some AWESOME news!

Remember where we're going this summer? With my mom and her friends? Well, the Newby clan is coming too! WHOOOOOOOOT! OMGPONIESANDBBQ!!!!1! They live in France now, and they'll be able to skip on down to Tuscany for a week of R&R with us crazies.

This is Kristin and Peter, back in 1993, when I was living with Peter (totally platonic - he was the best roommate ever).

Kristin and I met back at OU our freshman year (yes, *GASP*, 18 years ago). This is the first photo in my photo album, folks, and it was the day of our 21st birthday bash - Peter and I had birthdays close to each other, and we went all-out for a mutual par-tay. I have such fond memories of that place - the corn plant with Christmas tinsle, the rednecks wrestling downstairs, the yard sale furniture I brought to the place, the wobbly table with the freaky leg...

It was this fateful birthday party night that I first started dating a certain someone...

Yes, ladies and gentlemen - I married the boy who passed out at my 21st birthday party. You never know what the future holds, folks. ;)

Kristin & Peter - we are so very excited to be able to spend time with you and your kids. It's sad how life gets us so busy that we haven't seen each other in years, but to get together during a week in paradise will be simply perfect.

AnNYnoying

I'm not a native New Yorker. In fact, I'm not even a New Yorker. I reside in New York. I love it here, but I'm not a fan some of the people.

Or any of their sports teams.

Having attended college in Atlanta during the Braves' first major wins in the 90's, it's hard for me to root for anyone but them. Between Joe and me, we could be rooting for a number of college teams: Florida, Georgia Tech, Georgia, and most SEC schools. Too bad Oglethorpe hasn't had a football team since the 1930's. I've never been much of a pro-football fan, but I supported the Falcons when they went to the Super Bowl that one year - that year that half of Atlanta's power was wiped out for about an hour before the game.

Here, there aren't that many college teams. Comparatively speaking. I mean, a ninety-minute drive could take you between two major football powerhouse college towns in Georgia (Athens and Atlanta) - here, not so much. There doesn't seem to be a lot of community support for college sports (well, maybe West Point, but who can't beat Army most seasons?).

But ooooooooh, the pro sports. Yankees, Mets, Giants, oh my. All kinds of Jersey teams get mixed in as well. And there is nothing - NOTHING - more annoying and aggressive than the fans. I've been told that I'm in New York now - I have to cheer for the right teams. Have to. For every win that the Yankees have, the Mets fans at work get hassled. Vice versa for a Mets win. Even if it's the first game of the season. Everyone is IN YO FACE about their team - the best team EVAH.

So it just about pushed me over the edge yesterday while I was at the grocery store - Giants fans EVERYWHERE stocking up for the parties they would have tonight. I hate crowds anyway, and crowds at the grocery store just make me cranky. There was not one single aisle that I went down where I didn't have to wait while two people and carts, blocking both "lanes" of travel, stood, debated, talked on cell phones, and made crucial decisions about which onion dip or paper plates to buy. Then, at checkout, I got to hear a very irritated (and loud) older woman tell her friend about this coupon:
It's fifty-noin cents a pahhnd for tha Purdue roaster. Have ya husband pick it up - I don't need any. Why didn't they put this in the moaaning papah? I coulda used it. But fifty-noin cents a paaahnd - you'd be stoopid not to pick it up. Yadda yadda yadda, ad nauseum.

Mornings like that make me very bitter about living here and make me want to move upstate where not so many formerly-city-folks have migrated. They talk like normal people (as opposed to Rosie Perez or Joan Rivers), they help others, and they're just plain nice. If we have kids and raise them here, I'm going to give them speech lessons every day of their lives in order to not have a New York accent. It's like nails on a chalkboard to me. I really love living here, but there are some things I just haven't gotten used to.

That's why I cheer for the Boston Red Sox and, tonight, the New England Patriots. Because nothing pisses off NY fans more than a Boston/New England win. :)

Okay - rant over - look at the pretty groundhog!

This is Homer, who lives under our house. This is NOT a picture from yesterday, where it was icy and overcast. Homer didn't see his shadow yesterday, because I doubt he even came out of his den. He's no fool.

Yay!

Well, the secret's out - Pam's bambina blankie arrived. Woohoo!!!

I've been working on this since November, but I couldn't say anything, well, because, it was a surprise.

To Pam - ever since I learned of Nipper #3, I wanted to give you everything that meant love. And sunshine. And comfort. I hope that you will wrap your sweet baby girl in this blanket and feel comforted by the love that went into making it. Every stitch is a hug meant for you, Justin, Duncan, and this sweet baby girl. I love you with all my heart.

I'm Baaaaaaaack!

Once again, Frontier has impressed the heck out of me. I called on Saturday, and a very pleasant (on the eyes, too) service guy arrived with a new modem on Sunday. Sunday!!! I was still in my pajamas when he called. We have the internets again! Hooray!

Let's see...what have we been up to...

Friday was pizza and Jack Daniels (Joe and I are nothing if not classy), and we watched 3:10 to Yuma. We both really, really enjoyed this movie. It reminded me a lot of Unforgiven - mainly because it had heart and drama, in addition to the typical shoot-em-up bad-guy stuff. And for me, at least, it was Russell Crowe's best role to date. Just my $0.02.

Yesterday I started cleaning out the office. We have lots of wonderful shelves and cabinets that are filled with crap. So now that crap is on my dining room table, awaiting final judgment. I never get stuff like this done quickly, because it often takes me down Memory Lane...

Here is my treasured TI-35 (plus!). I bought it back in middle school or high school - can't remember which - for some math class that required we all go out and buy a scientific calculator. I used it throughout school, through college, and for balancing my checkbook most of my adult life. Alas, however, it is no more and only has weird dots on the display when you turn it on. All of the sin/cosin buttons have rubbed off, as have the add/subtract buttons. You were a good calculator - rest well, old friend.

In other news, I had to snap this the other night...

...they were just too damn cute.

Have a lovely day, one and all!

I Can't Believe I Won Something...

Back before Christmas, I heard a radio contest for tickets to a Broadway show. I went online, filled out a few questions about a great movie, then didn't think anything of it.

Imagine my surprise when - not one, but TWO - coworkers came up to me saying they'd heard my name on the radio.

Lo and behold, I won two tickets to Young Frankenstein the Musical. Not a show I'd stand in line and spend $200 to see, but wow - free seats. Free GOOD seats. And a good excuse to leave work early and hit the city.

Take THAT, you stupid modem. Something went right today...

I Haz Teh Gigglz...

moar funny pictures


ETA: Anyone know how to make the pic not so wonky? :(

Modemless

A few weeks ago, we lost our phone line. DSL was working fine, but no dial tone on the phone line. Tested the phones, made sure it wasn't a cordless phone issue - nope. Just no phones.

But hey - we have cell phones, and we have DSL. So no big whoop. We waited almost a week before calling the phone company, and they actually sent out a guy on a Saturday to fix the problem (connection on side of house was wonky - we'd had a bunch of windy days). I was very impressed with the phone company (that does not happen often), and it was pretty much a non-issue. Actually, it was kind of nice not getting sales calls and such.

But Wednesday night, I discovered something horrible. One lone, steady red light on the modem, no multiple green blinky lights - I was beginning to get a baaaad feeling about it. After a few tests with the lines and such, it seems our modem has died.

Oh, my, what to do? I had grand weekend plans of blogging and pictures and seeking help from Ravelry friends and resorting my queue after my deadline knitting is done and finally buying our airline tickets for Italy and making car reservations and paying some bills online and looking at funny cat pictures and cute cat pictures and cute coyote pictures and cute everything else pictures...

*pout*

Bourbon, Honey, and Lemon Juice

I have a cough.

It started off as dry, hacking, ick, but it has now progressed to There's Something Clinging To The Back Of My Throat, And If I Could, I'd Stick A Coathanger Down There To Fish It Out.

Ahem.

So I've resorted to Mom's cough remedy. Equal parts bourbon and honey, dash of lemon juice. Anyone who knows me, knows that I loves me some bourbon. But when you combine it with honey and lemon juice...?

Think of the worst, barfiest cough medicine you had as a child. That's what it tastes like.

But the shit works.

I spoke with my mom today, who laughed when I mentioned I'd gone to "the remedy." She recalls giving it to my older brother several times a day for a while...before she realized he only had allergies.

Moms of the 70's knew their shit. They were all about knocking us out and stopping the damn coughing.

While I hack away and go have another icky toddy, please enjoy some Dobby pictures. He's been by my side the whole time, only giving me halfway pissed-off glances when my coughing jostles his peace.

Yes, I Had No Life...

You paid attention during 91% of high school!

85-100% You must be an autodidact, because American high schools don't get scores that high! Good show, old chap!

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IT'S DONE!!!

...well, mostly...

Our master bath is, for all intents and purposes, fully functional. There are just a few nit-picky items remaining, and we'll probably be taking our time with those things. Because we're poor. And tired. And poor.

First, the sink...TA-DAAAAAAAH!

The plumbers came by yesterday and hooked up the connections to the sink. This is the vanity we fell in love with almost a year ago, and it's finally complete! The only thing is that we can't use the sink stopper thingy - the basins are extra deep (and lovely, oh-so-lovely), but the doohickies that connect the stopper thingies to the pull-stop-doodads is for a standard basin. So we have to find longer doohickies. No matter. The sinks are perfect, and made even more complete with our Snarky Soap! Also, we decided to nix the backsplash - not only was it the exact height of the molding (and looked weird), but it emphasized the unevenness of the wall. No worries - no backsplash needed! Now if anyone needs a weird strip of granite, give us a call...

A view from the toilet area - please don't mind the laundry on the bed or the salt container on the sink. I'm a phlegm machine this morning, and I've been gargling with the stuff pretty much all day. Oh, yum.

Here you can really see the difference between the refinished floor and the old floor (in the bedroom). The old floors still have the 100+ years of layers upon layers of polyurethane (or whatever they used) - and in some instances they didn't even bother sweeping before they coated the floor. So it's darker, rougher, and kind of orange. We're eventually going to redo all the floors. Just not all at once. Of course, we still need to paint the door, too. NOT a priority.


View from the doorway. We still need to box in that ductwork above the toilet, but it's just cosmetic. We also want a glass enclosure for the shower, but we've got some thinking to do about that - as well as some savings too.

Linen cabinet and new hamper. We're still undecided about what kind of window covering. In the daytime, we really don't need anything. But when I shower in the morning it's still dark out, and I fear I would give the kids going to the bus stop the shock of their poor little lives.

And a shot with all the lights on. The flyover/task lighting on the vanity is really nice. All other lights are CFL and, while they take a while to warm up, are perfect for the area.

A far cry from this, eh?

Hooray to Joe - he did 90% of this all by himself. I'm a lucky, lucky gal. :)

Dear Mister Almost Roadkill...

At 5:30 this evening, after the sun vanished for the night (winter afternoons are dark in NY), and while the non-accumulating-or-so-they-say snow was dandruffing my windshield, I observed the following actions by you, the pedestrian:
- You were walking on the right side of the road, with your back to traffic.
- You had ample - albeit slightly sloped - shoulder upon which to tread, yet you chose to stay on the road.
- You were wearing a dark sweatshirt and camouflage pants - what, did you go hunting? Or, I'm sorry - were you attending your middle school dance FROM NINETEEN EIGHTY THREE???

Even though I was traveling a mere 30 mph (the posted speed limit), I had to swerve into oncoming traffic to avoid hitting you. While I can attest to the fact that I would not have killed you (or seriously have maimed you, for that matter), I do resent the threat you posed to my little Hyundai. You would have dented my beater car, and you would have sued me. You probably would have won - what was I to say - because of the camo pants I thought you were a tree???

And while one of my self-promises is to do no harm, I can certainly WISH you harm. May you get bumped off the road - just enough for a big bruise or maybe even a sprain. Because you are truly stupid.

Thank you for giving me a panic attack when I was on my way home towards a Happy Place of knitting and DVRd movies. You suck. Like a great big sucking thing that sucks a lot. And not just a lot of sucking, but sucking...a lot of the time.

Promises

It's 2008. One of those years - or so we thought when we were in elementary school - that would bring butler-robots and flying cars. But here we are - I don't have an AI unit working for me, poverty still exists, and who wooda thunk that U2's frontman would be such an icon for world peace.

Huh.

Of course we don't take "resolutions" seriously. Who would? As a frequent diet-get-healthy-stop-starving-ite, it's easy to push thing off until Monday or next month or next year.

But this year? 2008? When I turn the dreaded three-six?*

I promise, first, to do no harm.

I promise, also, to express my love.

Lastly, I promise myself to not get so wrapped up in other things as to ignore taking care of myself.

And as a side-note, I promise to knit wonderful things for myself! :)


*please note that it's not 36 that's a bad thing, but the fact that certain things were to be accomplished by the age of 36 - children, wholeness, overall grownupedness....

Help From My Friends...?

Okay, folks - knitters and non-knitters alike. I need your help...

Last year, I received the most wonderful birthday present from Lorena - this beautiful sock yarn. I was in love from the moment I saw it. Pictures do not do it justice. Deep reds, flaming orange and yellow...everything I'd expect from a sunset or a violent lava flow. Just beautiful.

I was very attracted to a pattern from Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles - Columbine Peak. I had grand illusions of the mountains of Hades or something similar - just great, kickass socks. I swatched, I cast on, and the pooling of the deep red was AWESOME. I loved it. I totally knew this pattern was perfect for this colorway.

And then I realized my swatch lied. I needed a bit more if it was going to fit my foot. Unfortunately, the pattern is a 12-stitch repeat. So I had to up it by 12. This is what I got...



Please note that these pictures do not tell the truth. It's not purple - it's the deepest blood red. Regardless - because of the difference in stitches, I now have Ronald McDonald striping socks.

My gut instinct is to rip these out and wait for another great pattern to showcase this beautimous yarn. But I just wanted to get a little input from the peeps...what do you think I should do...?

Not Much...

Sorry for not posting much, but here's the excitement of the last week...

- Joe & I had a burger at Sweeney's. I haven't had a burger in a loooong time. We discussed local politics and Britney Spears. Mostly talked about our gargantuan debt, though.

- Just got a new hamper for the bathroom (we've never had a hamper before...not one that we actually used). It's cool, it's large, and it's somewhat good for the planet. However, it smells. Seagrass smells funky.

- Got a nice thank you card from Mailman Ralph. That's how he signed it - Mailman Ralph. He and Mail Carrier Jill rock our world. If you ever tried to walk up our sidewalk in the ice, you'd know.

- Our pothole got filled! YAAAAY!!!

- Tomorrow is Pammy's birthday!!! One of the few I remember!!!

- I have this weird pain in my legs. Don't know if I should be concerned or not.

- I worked enough Mon-Thurs (45 hrs) to be able to bang in on Friday, right? RIGHT????

So, yeah. That's my exciting life.

On another, totally different note, at the risk of sounding preachy, please love the ones you're with tonight. I don't know why, but this story really shook me. Maybe it's because it happened in my hometown backyard. Maybe because we've all gone for short hikes without thinking anything of it. Maybe because we were all 20-something and totally in love with our dogs and life and believed that everything was good and okay. It makes me really, really sad. My heart goes out to all family and friends, Ella included.

When Snow Brings the Pretty

Christmas in Florida

Okay - now that the jig is up, I can talk about our Christmas vacation.

Over the weekend before Christmas, I finally blocked the shawl for Joe's mom. It turned out rather groovy.


Early Christmas morning we took an early flight down to Florida to see Joe's family. We were there by mid-afternoon, just in time for present-opening and dinner-eating. We had a blast, but it was so dang hot!

Joe with his family.

We tacked on a little road trip to Gainesville in order to visit the best yarn store ever. Many thanks go to Sharon, who helped us surprise the heck out of Lorena when we walked in the door to the shop.

This really is the best store ever. I wish we were closer so we could just drop by and knit like so many lucky Gainesvillians do.

Lorena posted an excellent recap here, and we have more shop pictures and family photos here.

And what did I get from Hanks, you ask...?

Lots of yummy sock yarn! Some Rocket Yarn, some Mind's Eye, and I couldn't resist the Cherry Tree Hill and Lorna's Laces.

Because we had surprised Lorena (who had just been to the post office mere hours before), the day after we returned, we were treated to this lovely package in the mail!!!

Her world-renowned Chex mix, some margarita mix, three of her beautiful (and useful!) soaps, and a lovely skein of her Holiday 2007 sock yarn. Could this week get any better?

Here's what we did on Saturday - Joe had finished up the floors, so now it's time to get the bathroom finished! We hauled this beast up the stairs (wood is heavy) and started putting stuff in it.

Today we brought up the sink vanity. The counter top is way too heavy for just the two of us, so we'll wait until the plumbers get here for the hookups. I honestly don't know what we'll do with all this storage space - we haven't stored anything (except maybe tools) in our bathroom in almost a year.

What a week of perfection. Now just two more business days of being off before we head back to the holiday-and-vacation desert that is The Beginning Of The Year. May you all have a lovely New Year's Eve - stay away from crazy people, and be careful on the roads!

Underpants Gnomes

Today was many things...

Shopping (which we normally loathe on 12/26), and shopping at Walmart (which we normally loathe, period), but it wasn't half bad. The day was filled with what I like to call karmic okayness. We tackled a lot of tasks that weren't half as bad as they were years ago, and we actually felt good about it. Family sometimes brings out the worst, but this year it's brought about a kind of enlightenment that has been rather pleasant.

And so tonight, we relax...with underpants gnomes. And booze.

Random Quotes...

- Nothing says Christmas like a lunch at Hardee's. Teeth optional.

- How many u-turns can Joe make in one square mile?

- We have a view of a Trailer Park!!!

- Walgreen's, why hast thou forsaken me?!?!?!?!?

- I am locking my door very quickly. Don't make eye contact with the crazy truck guy.

- Oh, please dear god, don't let those kids sit behind us.

- Uh, Beth...? The elevator is right in front of you.

- Is everything going to be okay? Yes. Is everything going to be okay? Yes. Is everything going to be okay? Yes.

- They have happy hour. With alcohol. Quick, take a bottle! Run! Run!!!

At Long Last, the H-Ahhhhh-lidays...

Did you hear that?

That's the sound of my blood pressure dropping. The sound of knitting needles hard at work. The sound of cozy socks on a hardwood floor. The sound of a happy kitty sleeping on a lap. The sound of fresh-baked bread with just a smidge of butter for breakfast.

Ah, yes. The holidays are here, and I will savor every last morsel. Time to reboot the soul.

Tagged Again!

I got tagged by Miss Lynda (yes, I need to change your link on the sidebar), so here goes...

1. What was the best Christmas present you got as a kid? In high school I got some really kickass black cowboy boots.
   
2. What was the best Christmas present you got as an adult? I have to go with this year's present - a new furnace and heating system that rocks.
   
3. What’s your favorite Christmas carol? John Denver and Rowlf singing Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas is my all-time favorite. I heart the Muppets and John Denver.
   
4. How long can you stand to listen to Christmas music before you break? A remarkably long time. I have over 350 Christmas songs on my ipod and get new CDs each year. I'm a Christmas music whore. Everything from South Park's Merry F*&%in' Christmas to Bing Crosby's White Christmas, Lena Horne's What Are You Doing New Year's Eve to Pete Yorn's Do They Know It's Christmas - I love Christmas music, and I'm not too proud to admit it.
   
5. How many Christmas albums do you own? About 20
   
6. Did you ever go caroling as a kid? No - we lived in the boonies. We didn't even trick or treat.
   
7. Would you willingly eat fruitcake? It's actually not bad toasted with butter, but I haven't had it in years.
   
8. Do you own any Christmas sweaters? Nope.
9. Do you own any Christmas jewelry? What? I used to have a Santa pin, but I'm a slob and can't find it anymore.
   
10. Did your family have any Christmas traditions? Like what? Christmas Eve we'd have eggnog and read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and the Bible Christmas passage (Luke something-or-nother) with our parents in front of the fireplace. Very Norman Rockwellish, and I loved it (except the whole Bible part about being great with child - that always gave me the heeby-jeebies). On Christmas morning, we were allowed to open our stockings, but the tree and presents were shut off in another room. We had to wait for our tired parents to get up, finish our breakfast, and march into the living room youngest-to-oldest to see what Santa brought. And Santa never wrapped (with four kids, would you?), so we each had a section under the tree that was all ours. That was awesome.
    
11. Do you buy Christmas presents for your pets? I made stockings for the cats, but we never put anything in them.
    
12. What’s your favorite Christmas cookie? Yes.
    
13. What’s your favorite Christmas candy? I do enjoy those peppermints that dissolve really quickly...not like candy canes, but kind of powdery...?
    
14. What’s your stocking look like? My mom knitted this when I was a wee one. All the kids have them. It hold lots of stuff, and it has jingle bells near the top. Santa's beard used to have a kind of silky fluff to it, but that's faded over the years. I love this stocking.
    
    
    
    
15. How do you feel about the “Steal from Your Neighbor” Christmas present game (the one where people pick gifts from a pile, but others get to steal it)? I'm not fond of any reindeer games.
    
16. What is the oldest ornament on your tree? I have some from my grandmother - small porcelain elves and old-fashioned lights that are shaped as fruit. I don't really put them on the tree anymore, since I have cats.
    
17. Real or artificial? Artificial is not an option. Sometimes we don't have a tree, though, like this year - just depends on how much we put into decorating.
    
18. How do you feel about Christmas letters? They're a great way to keep in touch. I'm not fond of the "I lost my job, our dog died, and grandma has an incurable disease. Merry Christmas!" kind.
19. Do you have Christmas decorations or lights outside your house? What are they? Pretty much just white lights on the house, wreaths and bows. As seen here. And we won a prize!
    
20. How far would you drive to see Christmas lights? It's not a priority.
    
21. Are you a fan of tasteful or tacky? I think they both balance out the universe.
    

23. Annie added this one: Do you have any Christmas collections? Certain ornaments...our favorite potter comes out with a new one each year, and my mom has given us one as a present every year since we got married. Also, a local business commissions a new ornament around an historic Montgomery building each year - so now, no matter where we end up, we can take our beloved village with us.

24. Do you travel to celebrate Christmas? Sometimes, since our family is all far away. But I prefer staying home.

Keepin' in Touch

Well, I'm winding down after a rough Monday and thought I'd babble a bit.

Thursday night, after The Storm, Joe and I found a surprise on the porch from my brother and sister-in-law: a gift pack from Boudin Bakery in San Francisco. So after being exhausted from white-knuckled driving and shoveling, we settled down with some brews and some yummy sandwiches on hot bread. Awesome. Thanks, Becky & Brantley!

Friday was an uneventful drive into work - our DPWs are pretty good about clearing the snow after it stops. I had a half day in the office, since Joe's company Christmas party was in CT that night. Last year...well, let's just say there were stories about me at the after-party trying to pet Joe's boss's bird that kept biting me. I still have scars. This year I promised myself not to be "that person."

It was once again at The Mill on the River, and we had a lovely time. When asked to go back to Joe's boss's house, we opted not to. He has a newborn, and he's also very liberal with the drinks. I didn't fancy a night on his floor. A bunch of folks from other offices were staying in the same hotel, so we decided to have a house party ourselves. After about four hours of drinking games that ended with another spouse taking off his pants, we decided it was time to go to our room and sleep it off.

Travel back was uneventful, although Joe wasn't feeling too great. At least he kept his pants on, though. We stocked up on snow food (pizza rolls, taquitos, beer) and prepared to weather another storm. Sunday was crappy, crappy weather. Snow turned to sleet turned to rain turned to snow. The vehicles were completely under a couple of inches of snow, topped off with another inch of ice. Joe put his snowblower to good use, and I finished some WIPs.

Joe, playing with his new toy. It would be fun if he weren't being pelted by painful specks of frozen rain.

An FO, being put in the mail to a deserving family member who doesn't read this blog. Much.

Another FO, blocking. Remind me never to knit lace-ish stuff again unless I have wires or something. Those pins suck.

So tonight I finished with a 2-hour meeting of the Master Plan Committee - we're rounding third and heading for home with a nice Comprehensive Plan for our Village. This place means a lot to me, and I intend to do what I can to take care of it. I grew up in the country, and I loved it. I went to school in a major metropolitan area, and I loved it. We now live in a small, urban area a thousand miles away from anything I've ever known. And it's exactly where I belong.

Oh - and we won First Place in the house decorating contest (for "Traditional"). We've had the same decorations on our house (more or less) for the last six Christmases. We've gotta go to the Village Board tomorrow night to claim our prize. We might be in the paper and everything. ;)

Sleep well!

Twelve Miles: Home Safe

Yeah, yeah...I know...I'm a total wuss. But the first big snow of the season always has me a little white-knuckled - mainly because so many stupid people forget how to drive in the stuff. Me and my kickass truck - we do just fine. Took about an hour, including scraping and brushing six inches of snow off the vehicle in the work parking lot. Yes, I'm that wacko in the four-wheel-drive who does about 25mph. Pass me if that bugs you. I'll wave to you in the ditch.

On to more pleasant topics, look at the pretty snow...


Don't get me wrong. I love snow. LOVE IT. I don't even mind shoveling it. What I *DO* mind is having to go to work in it. In my opinion, everyone should have a snow day every once in a while.

What's even funnier is that I'm usually the ONLY one in my department who makes it to work on time when it's snowing...and I'm from Georgia! Others come in hours later, due to "harsh road conditions."

If ever I wanted to play my "but I'm just a sweet, helpless Southern gal" card, this would be it. But I don't. Because I kick ass. Me and my truck.

Twelve Miles

That's my one-way commute to work. Just twelve miles. Thanks to the new airport interchange, it's now no longer curvy and narrow.

But twelve miles is still a long way in this crap.

The schools are closed, and the snow just started. I'm in for a lovely day and a wonderful drive home.

Grumble.

Oh. Mah. Gahd.

Indoor heat is the best thing evah.

I'm sure Joe will take you through the technical aspects, but here are the general highlights...

Our house now looks like a cruise ship. I'm half-expecting it to start moving down the block, a la the Crimson Permanent Assurance skit.

This is the steam being released from the boiler thingy. Technical term.

And here is our new boiler setup in the basement. Boiler on the left, water tank on the right, and air handler suspended in the rafters. Way cool.

If you'd ever been down in our basement before (icky, spidery, dirty, dark - one must assume a dead body is buried down there), you'd know that this was a vast improvement.

Our attic now looks like it's been invaded by the Planet Aluminum Foil.

Those are our new ducts. They used to be on the floor (trip hazards, the whole lot of them) and uninsulated (brrrrrrr).

Of course, there were some tiny concessions to be made for staying warm. We have some slight cosmetic work to do in the almost-done-new-bathroom. I can totally work with that, though.

That duct snaking above the master toilet now supplies the guest bathroom with warm air. Before, it had come from the basement, close to an exterior wall, then barely leaked out a lukewarm breeze by the time it made it to that bathroom. Makes for a cold toilet seat.

So, yes. We're loving life. All weekend long we've been startled by warm air coming out of vents all over the house. The cats are happy that we finally stopped torturing them with the cold air, and we're happy to be able to sit at the computer for more than ten minutes without our fingers turning blue.

And yes, Joe and I are nothing if not classy with a capital K. We toasted our first warm night with champagne. In beer glasses.



We had a lovely weekend of attending the grand opening of our new senior center, doing a bunch of local shopping, and watching Superbad. That movie seriously had me snarfing my beer out of my nose. I heart Seth Rogen.

I'm getting tired, my buzz is wearing off, and I have to get up early in the morning. And so now I leave you with happy snow pictures. Cuz now we're warm! :)

This is the Last...Freezing Evening...That We'll Have to Spend...

...and yes, I'm sure I just jinxed the whole thing.

We're on Day Four of Extreme Makeover: Furnace Edition, and all is looking well. Air handler and ducts in basement? Check. Air handler and ducts in attic? Check. New vents in all 2nd floor rooms and back hallway? Check. New boiler, hot water heater, and humidifier being installed today? Check. And you think we spent a lot on the bathroom makeover...yeesh...

I came home to check on the guys as they're finishing up for the day, and all I know is there's a lot of sawing and hammering going on between the outside and the inside (basement area).

Wish us luck tomorrow as we "flip the switch!"

Milo, 1993-2007

This morning, after a long weekend spent staying warm in front of the stove with his buddy Coz, Sweet Milo succumbed to whatever disease he had been secretly battling and passed away in the vet’s office.

During his last few months, while not in perfect health, he enjoyed many affectionate visitors who loved having him warm their laps.

In a household of three other cats, Milo certainly didn’t get a lot of attention, but he was never one to complain. He was forever looking forward to his best buddy Bill returning to scratch his neck once again.

Milo (along with Otis) was adopted by Joe and Eric while in college. Please give them both an extra hug today.

You were a good boy, Milo.

28 Degrees Outside...

45 degrees inside.

Furnace replacement starts Monday.

Can't freakin' wait.