Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Zzzzzzzz... finally

  Last night I had a total Princess and the Pea moment! It's a little chilly in our bedroom (I like it that way - better sleeping!). I was all snuggled in, the middle spoon between my two guys. No, not what you think. Karl on one side and the cat on the other. It's amazing how much heat that 16 pound furball puts out - especially when he's under the covers with me! It was cozy, but I still just couldn't get comfortable. Much to the cat's dismay, I turned over a couple of times, then braved the cold and put my arms up over my head (yeah, it's weird, that's my most comfortable sleeping position - arms in the "stick 'em up" position) and found the source of the problem. There was a wadded up kleenex under my pillow. Just lumpy enough to be "wrong." I had put it there the night before in case I had nose issues during the night. I didn't, so it was still there. Once I moved it out from under my pillow, all was right, and I was able to drift off... until Katrina got up to tell me she couldn't fall asleep.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Life and stuff

  I realized yesterday that a year has passed since my initial surgery. The actual anniversary date slipped by me, but I'm not really the type of person who "celebrates" those kinds of things. I'm much more interested in the things going on right now: guinea pigs, knitting, snow, jobs, etc. 
  

The guinea pig is doing well, no obvious signs of babies, but I'm taking her for an ultrasound soon so we'll know for sure.


I've finished several smaller knitting projects in the last week: a scarf and mitten set and a toddler hat; just 2 thumbs remaining on some mittens that will get felted, and I also started Katrina's birthday socks.






We finally got significant snowfall, and now today it's rainy and melty (yuk!). 





  Work is deathly slow, inventory went by quickly with not too many errors; I got called to work the Valentine's Day rush at the flower place (yay! I love working there!). So all you men in Chicagoland, buy your special lady some flowers at CVS, BP, or Walgreens - make sure they're from Exclusively Roses! There's a chance I was the one who arranged them with loving care. 

  Today I applied for a second part time job. I hope I get it, but I'm sure there are a bajillion other applicants. A friend did a tarot reading for me, and it said I need to be calm and wait, so I'm trying really hard not to get excited about that one. But it's hard not to get excited about a job for the Trek Travel company!

  We've also finalized plans for Katrina's birthday trip. We decided a few years ago that since she has PLENTY of stuff, we'd give her "experiences" for her birthday instead. Up until now, she's chosen a day trip to a museum in Chicago. Last year she brought a friend. This year, she decided she wanted something different. We're going overnight to the Kalahari Resort and Waterpark in the Wisconsin Dells. I think I'm just as excited as she is. I'm going surfing!

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Photos!

  So I finally have a chance to sit down and play with my new scanner. I grabbed a random box, went to town, and uncovered some gems!

We call this "Karl, the Auschwitz Years"

Lee Ann is extremely proud of her new slippers!

Yeah, I was a cutie!

Karl showed talent for the piano very early!
You didn't think I was going to embarrass myself, did you? I'm sure that will come later. 

In other news, we have a new foster beast - a possibly pregnant guinea pig. She was surrendered with her male friend, so we have her until 1) she has babies or 2) she is here longer than the gestation period for a guinea pig (63 days). She's pretty cute, well socialized, and not stinky. No, we're not going to keep her. The cage is huge, and is sitting on my puzzle table. I'll have to wait until she leaves before I can do my new jigsaw puzzle.

Please - let me know what you think of the quality of the photos. Leave a comment or email me directly (I think Google Chrome has issues with the comments, so if you're not sure, just email me)

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Money well spent

  Every year for my birthday, my in-laws give me a check. They don't shop, they just write out a check. They don't want to put out any effort. But, I've gotten used to their quirks, and so I look forward to taking advantage of the after-Christmas sales and choosing my own gift. Sometimes I plan ahead. Like this year. I was really torn between a photo scanner and a Garmin GPS for the car. I'd been thinking of those two items for a long time. I even hinted that I'd like either one as a gift.
  Then my Mom and Dad did a wonderful thing. They rounded out my gift pile with a nice Visa gift card. Not a huge amount, but enough. Those after-Christmas sales did their magic and I was able to get both the scanner and the Garmin. The scanner arrived on Tuesday, and the Garmin came today (and is currently downloading). You are going to be seeing some crazy old photos as I start going through all my boxes! And I am stoked that Dave Zabriskie will be giving me directions when I go places.
  Unfortunately, the next four days are booked solid, so I won't get to play with my scanner until next week. But when I do get around to starting, I'll certainly be getting my money's worth out of this new peripheral. The Garmin? I'll start enjoying that tomorrow, on my way to the race.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

I did it!

  It's January 1. I survived another holiday season with my sanity (relatively) intact. I celebrated my birthday on Christmas Eve with a nice barbecue dinner at Famous Dave's. Katrina gave me Dr Seuss feet pajamas for Christmas. I had a pleasant Christmas day with Karl's family. I finished all my Christmas knitting projects (starting in August really helps). I got a cute new haircut. And now I'm ready to move on to 2012.

  I'm knitting like a fiend to get a nice warm hat finished in four days. I need a nice warm hat for the weekend because I'll be volunteering and then spectating at a bike race. Yes, I said a bike race. In January. In Wisconsin. It's the USA National Championships for Cyclocross. I am super excited, as this is one of my favorite types of bike racing to watch because you get to see so much of the course from one place. The crowds are fun and loud, it's just a fun atmosphere. I don't yet know what my volunteering assignment is, so I'll have to be ready for anything from crossing guard to parking attendant. Whatever it is, it will be outside and it's going to be chilly! (I just wish we had some snow!).

  It's also inventory time at work, which is not my favorite thing. Counting merchandise for 8 hours really turns your brain to mush! Hopefully, we'll get though it quickly, with few mistakes (which are mainly made be me).

  It's time to get back to my knitting - only about 7 inches to go!