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Sunday, June 29, 2008

To SnB, or Not To SnB

Every Sunday morning, my SnB in Durham meets at a local coffee house. Actually, it should be renamed Stitch-n-Laugh-Our-Asses-Off because that's REALLY what goes on. HA!

Unfortunately, due to my work schedule (which may change, depending how you look at it. Another post.), I haven't been able to make it because I've been too tired to get MY ass out of the apartment to go have some people time.

I happened to have had the week off so I'm rested but yesterday was bad because my stomach was acting up again. I have a sensitive system that likes to inform me at the last minute possible what's acceptable to consume, and what isn't. Yesterday, it was 2 cups of coffee (oh, the irony...). So when I wasn't lying down or trying to read a book I was getting rid of coffee (which through hindsight I think now were actually blood clots) and half a small bottle of extra strength bismuth (aka the "pink" stuff).

My body is still feeling a bit "don't leave the apartment JUST in case" residual feeling. So I'm still debating whether or not to make the 30 minute trip.

Maybe not. I haven't picked up the sweater in a month. I'm not sure I remember where I left off and I have no backup project to take with me either.

But I do need people time. I don't get enough of it outside of work. We'll see.

I'll keep you posted. :)

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Breaking Dawn

I haven't even read the first three books yet and I'm already waiting for the last (WTF?!?!) one AND the movie.

Because Robert Pattinson is TOTALLY yummy.

Never-you-mind he's probably too young for me. I'm entitled to my fantasies too.

So BITE ME EDWARD :-)

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Friday, June 27, 2008

My Weasley Sweater aka The Infinite Project

I need a bit of a diversion from the "week from hell" I've been having between work, the fridge and disturbing badness towards animals I've been reading about on the Internets so I'll focus on something new. Or, in this case, something old (a year or so): my Weasley Sweater project.

Knitting is something I really love and I'm pretty new at it. I don't take enough time to knit as I should because there are times when I have the attention span of a flea and just don't focus. That's why this is kind of an old project. I've been at it a year. But I love it and I think the end product will be very gratifying every time I get to wear it. Whenever THAT may be - HA!

I found the pattern on Alison Hansel's The Blue Blog. Luckily, my LYS had the exact yarn I needed, Rowan Felted Tweed, so I was able to get started right away. But the pattern also called for Size 3 needles, which are TINY. It took me a little getting used to because I usually knitted using Size 9s and 10s but I actually enjoy the smaller size too.

I should have seen the warning sign in front of me saying "this-may-take-you-a-while-because-you-still-don't-know-
what-you-are-doing-yet" in the fact that getting gauge took FOREVER. Did like 4 gauge swatches. And a gal that used to be in one of my SnB groups, who is a PHENOMENAL knitter, tried to help me with it and was herself STUMPED. But she figured it out and steered me in the right direction. Yay!

Starting it was easy enough. It's mostly stockinette stitch. Knit one row then purl one row, repeat until you get the measurement you need for your desired size. Which was great. Easy and straightforward. I can do that. Now that I've done both the front and back, I have to work on the neckline and the impending sleeve areas along the sides. This is where I'm kinda stuck. When I started out by doing the first panel, I tried to size it along myself and I felt it was maybe a little snug. So an SnB friend recommended making the other panel a little bigger so I wouldn't have to frog ALL THAT WORK but I'm not that an experienced a knitter to figure out what to do with regard to the next steps. And I STILL have to learn intarsia for the "H". Oh oh...

Oh well. I will prevail - I am determined! I'm not in any hurry, anyway.






Thursday, June 26, 2008

Online Activism

One of my FAVORITE things to do online is participating in online activism.

I have memberships at Care2, Change.org, thepetitionsite and Alley Cat Allies to name a few. The best thing about them is that I can sign petitions and participate in making some kind of difference. I wish I could donate to everybody but the problem is $$$.

Unfortunately, I chose my profession for the LOVE, not the MONEY. Veterinary technicians just don't make enough, more often than not. If the profession were better regulated (it's getting there, it's just not there YET...) things would be different. But I digress. Whole other post entirely...

Anyhoo...

A Plurk peep of mine posted info about this horrific story of a local TV STATION bulldozing and killing off a local feral cat colony. OK, now that just PISSES ME OFF.

Feral or not, you don't f*** with cats while I still draw breath. Period.

So I created a petition on The Petition Site, sponsored by Care2, and an action under the Feral and Homeless Cats header of Change.org. I've never created a petition before so this should be a good learning experience.

So, without further ado, here's the link so you can go and sign. Pretty please. With kittens on top!

http://www.tinyurl.com/5ajxyp1

And buy ORGANIC products whenever you can. They're superior products that are better for you anyway. Not to mention, it's gonna PISS OFF their advertisers which is a MAJOR BONUS. HA!!!

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

The Good, the Bad and the UGLY

The good news is I just got a brand-new fridge. Brand spanking new. Just out of the box. Yipee Skippee. :-)

The bad news is something BAD happened to me at work this morning.

The DOWNRIGHT UGLY news is something REALLY BAD happened to me at work this morning.

Can't write about it just now. The way my luck is going, I'm bound to jinx myself and make it worse.

But I just needed to see something in writing, no matter how little I am writing about it.

And I need some alcohol. LOTS OF IT. Like NOW. :-(

Monday, June 23, 2008

Death of a Refrigerator

Well, I thought it was weird last night when I noticed that the fridge was making these intermittent sounds every 15 - 20 minutes or so lasting around 30 seconds and then being quiet but being that I'm gone most nights, I didn't think anything of it.

Until this morning.

Milk wasn't that cold. Check freezer, cool air not really a-blowin'. Picked up box of frozen spinach, dripping wet and mushy. FRAK.

Called up the front office to tell them and they were nice about it. Not too long ago, the light bulb for the stove top underhanging of the nuker blew and with it the circuit so I let them know about that too. I had played with the circuit before but I guess I just don't have "the touch" so I've been without food nukage for a while until this morning.

So apparently I can get reimbursed for anything that is unopened. They asked me to take photos and make an inventory so I just finished that. Most of the freezer stuff has been there a little while so I'm probably gonna have to track them down on the next few grocery trips. Not bad, considering I shop at either Whole Foods or The Fresh Market. Recently I've been patronizing Earth Fare, but that's only recently.

At least the fridge itself was almost empty. The irony it this whole thing was that I was too lazy to get off my keister to go food shopping yesterday. Know I know it was all for a higher purpose. (OK. But it makes me feel better when I secretly tell myself that....)

Alright. Now it's about 6:45pm and the office closes at 5pm daily. This better mean I'm getting a NEW not RECYCLED fridge. Especially now that I'll have to leave the apartment to feed myself. Because pasta ain't gonna do it. I'll be hungry again later. I just know it. And I have no potato chips. :(

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Intro

Just writing a quick intro tonight since it's late and I'm pooped. Been a baaaaaad girl and spent the whole day on the computer playing with all my new Social Networks, mainly Twitter and Plurk, and the new Flock Eco browser (which I'm a HUGE fan of BTW....). :-)

I work as an Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) in Raleigh moving down here from NY about 2 years ago with my 3 kittehs: Matty (Himalayan), Mindy (Grey Tabby) and Nicky (Russian Blue). So my blogs will be primarily about their adventures and my MISadventures. Among other things.

Oh yeah, I also knit and scrapbook photos. I'm crafty that way. ;-)

OK. Without further ado, here are the kids:



As you can see, guarding my bed (yeah, I KNOW it's unmade...) is a very important job.

Lazy. Just like their mother. Heh. ;-)