June 27, 2008

The Burning Hole in my Stash

I have to say, normally I'm able to control my startitis. In quilting, the one part I really dislike is "sandwiching" the quilts - lining up the quilt top, the batting, and the backing - then basting. I'm not sure why this is my least-favorite part but it is. I usually complete 3 or 4 tops and then spend a day sandwiching them all to quilt. That way I have several different projects in play if I want to do different quilting. Sometimes it takes awhile to figure out how to quilt it, sometimes I know before I even assemble the top.

My guidelines for knitting are similar to my quilting and are to finish something before I start something else, having 4-5 projects in process. Lately, there's been a lot of starting and no finishing whatsoever. I could probably blame it on the Sea Socks 08 cruise we went on, but I think I really just want to play with all the new yarns I bought. So, the heavier things, sweaters and such, have been relegated to the "on hold" status until fall rolls around. Maybe that will give me enough time to wrap up 3 or 4 of the smaller projects I'm currently working on, if I don't start any more (yeah, right). It seems like a couple of the current projects have been "troubled" and have had to be frogged almost completely back to nothing. I really just love re-knitting things because I did something stupid in the 3rd row and didn't catch it until 2 skeins later. NOT. So, new practice is to lifeline at each repeat and check my work. So far, so good. This is a habit I'd like to keep...practice makes perfect and also helps with some of the frustration.

June 12, 2008

Goldenrod? ME?!?

Normally I'm the first person to say NO to gold of any type, unless it's jewelry. (grin) But, most of this seems to fit. Go figure.

you are goldenrod
#DAA520

Your dominant hues are red and yellow... most of what you do is motivated by your need to change things and have a good time, but you've been known to settle down and think out a situation, too. You tend to surprise people just when they're starting to feel like they've got you down.

Your saturation level is high - you get into life and have a strong personality. Everyone you meet will either love you or hate you - either way, your goal is to get them to change the world with you. You are very hard working and don't have much patience for people without your initiative.

Your outlook on life is bright. You see good things in situations where others may not be able to, and it frustrates you to see them get down on everything.
the spacefem.com html color quiz

June 10, 2008

Strange Beds

The time had come. This is the story of how sleeping in strange beds on vacation resulted in better sleep than when I got back home to my very own favorite waterbed. I knew I was sleep-challenged before, but to sleep BETTER on vacation than home in your own bed? What's wrong with THAT picture? I do have to say the discontent started quite awhile before we went on vacation, I just hadn’t put 2 and 2 together yet. I always thought the problems were with me...the sleep apnea, the migraines, the always being tired. Funny, in the 10 days we were gone on vacation I didn’t have a migraine (even though quite a few triggers were present) and I was tired, but that was just because we did 10 bejillion things, not because I didn’t sleep well. In fact, I slept less and felt better than I have in a long time. So, once I actually looked at the problem, I discovered it could be that unhappy waterbed that I’ve been clinging to for sooo long. Much too long, really. So, I spent the Friday night of Memorial weekend sleeping around…trying every mattress in the store until I had narrowed it down to one. My new bed is soooooooo much more comfortable than the waterbed had been of late. But, more than that, the PILLOWS I got are amazing. They are the TempurPedic foam in the shape of a regular pillow (not the contoured ones) and have to be the best pillows I’ve ever slept on. I’m very happy to say I’m sleeping so much better and for less time than I used to. No migraines (so far, so good) and more energy. It’s simply amazing. Who’d've thunk it? That a bed could make that much difference in someone’s life? I surely didn’t, until now.

June 5, 2008

IT’S HERE! (finally)

"The new phone book's here! The new phone book's here! I'm Somebody now!"
Steve Martin from The Jerk

The last port of call on our amazing cruise through Alaska and Canada brought us to Victoria, BC. Not my first visit there, and certainly not my last. What an amazing and beautiful city. The modern and the historic manage to survive side by side in a way that can only compliment both.
Our ship was late into port from bucking 60 knot headwinds out of Juneau, Alaska. We finally arrived about 5pm…and headed straight for the Beehive Wool yarn store (they knew we were coming). After shopping to my hearts content, I just about suffered a heart attack when I saw the bill. That’s okay. I finally have all my yarney-goodness in my hands and can pet and play to my hearts content. Believe me when I tell you that when I opened the package I only remembered a couple of things that I had purchased. The rest is like Christmas in June.

A Little Less Than Pleased

Okay, I have to tell you. I'm just a little less than pleased with the whole shipping thing right now. More so, I'm not happy with myself for second guessing. In a spur-of-the-moment decision I went ahead and had the yarn from Beehive shipped to me by the store (note that it didn't actually ship until LAST FRIDAY - May 30th - TWO WEEKS after we got back). What should have been easy (I hear it was for most everyone else) ended up costing me more in the long run than if I had taken my stash back to the ship and mailed it the following day in Seattle and claimed it when we came back into the country - that's what we did with everything else that would make our bags overweight anyway. So, long story short, I need to stop being a sheep and second-guessing myself. I had everything straight in my mind...making notes for the next time. Oh, well.

June 4, 2008

IT'S HERE!!! (sort of)

My package from Beehive Wool Shop that I've been waiting for since before the cruise ended is finally here!!! Okay...sort of....well...it's in San Jose...at UPS. So, side trip after work today to go and retrieve the yarny-goodness package to wallow in. More news later.