Home Sweet Home

I'm finally back in the blogging world! After a week of unpacking, discovering a brand new broken washing machine, trying to organize all of our crap and missing the cable guy, we are finally moved in and hooked up to the internet! It's good to be home! I have yet to get my knitting goods all organized and get my knitting spot all comfy but I hope to do that this weekend - along with a much deserved trip to the yarn store for a much deserved treat!
The other craziness of my month deals with my job - I got a new one! I'm so excited! Starting mid-April, I'm going to be a producer for a local channel! Can't wait! I'm hoping this will free up some of my nights for more knitting groups!

Dedicated felter

I am a dedicated felter. With less then 24 hours before movers show up to haul my crap to the new pad, instead of frantically packing/cleaning/swearing about the mess/level of crap....I was felting my grommit bag. I gave up a few precious hours of sleep last night to finish the damn thing. The bag felted lovely and is drying now. I haven't even started the strap, but I figured I'd rather risk felting a strap in my new front-loader washing machine than risk ruining the bag. Then I would have had to start all over and Carrie and Rebecca would never want to be in a knit-a-long with me again. Speed Knitter (Carrie) and Speed Picker (Rebecca) would continually laugh at Slow-Ass Knitter (me) at the mere thought to knitting another project together. I swear I'm almost done ladies!

My March Madness....

This month is one for the books. I feel like I've been whipped around in the winds that roar in like a lion. I'm waiting for the lamb to come and rescue me (and maybe give me some beautiful wool to boot!). Despite my wonderful, relaxing trip and my invigorating writing conference, other forces have been at work keeping my stress level high and knitting time low. There were times I had to choose between knitting and sleep. Sometimes I chose knitting, sometimes I chose sleep. In keeping with the March madness, I'm trying to pack like a mad-woman because we are moving on Saturday! While I'm thrilled with our new - much bigger - place, I'm overwhelmed with the amount of crap I have. I've been living in a one bedroom 700 sq. ft. apt. with a boy for over a year now. I have a lot of crap. It's amazing to me all the places I found to stash my crap in 700 sq. ft. apt. with another person. Basically as I pack, if I come across something I haven't used in the year-and-a-half I've lived here, it goes in the donation pile. Except yarn. That is certainly not crap. And I'll have much more space for my beautiful yarn in my new home.

Writing geek

I am a writing geek. But I love it. I'm a the Nationals Writers Workshop in Portland this weekend and I am just so inspired. I'm taking these great workshops with award winning writers and just am in awe. Our keynote speaker this morning was Jim Amoss, Editor of the Times-Picayuane in New Orleans. He talked about his experience, and his staff's experience of reporting in the days after Hurricane Katrina. The slides he presented, the stories he told of how his staff kissed their families good-bye and then they stayed behind. How they had to flee their office on newspaper delivery trucks with only what they could fit on their laps. He spoke of how reporters came upon a Wal-mart to get food and water, only to see cops and others looting. With no one to take their money, the reporters then became part of the story if they took food and water. So they left empty handed. I can't imagine how hard it would be to put down the bottle of water after 36 hours of surviving a storm to go back and do the story and not become the story. I don't know if I could have done that for a 99 cent bottle of water. I've met a writer and educator whom I admire greatly, Chip Scanlan. I tried to remain cool and calm as he autographed a book for me but I don't think I succeeded. I feel inspired and ready to get one of my 30 by 30 goals off the computer and into reality - start writing my book. Wish me luck!

Vacation bliss

After several days of frolicking on the beach, snorkeling and soaking up as much sun as SPF 50 allows you too, I have returned from the Cayman Islands...although I'm not sure why. No knitting was accomplished on this trip as it was hard to hold my cocktail and knitting on the beach, so a good magazine beat out the knitting. So as to not bore you will all of my vacation pics...here are some of my favorites!

My sister Lindsay and I at Rum Pointe holding our signature drinks of the trip, Cayman Lemonade. We sampled them from all over the island. The Rum Pointe concoction was the best.

This guy lives at Rum Pointe. I think he's cute.

My new happy place. This is the dock at Rum Pointe taken from my spot on the beach. I miss it. I need to go back there. We all do. Trust me.

These are the conch shells we went snorkeling for. If you look closely, they are still inhabited by the conch. Not any more. We ate them and are preserving the shells to keep! In case you are wondering, conch tastes like chicken!

You may have to squint for this one. Here are Lindsay, my mom, and our Cayman hostess with the mostess, our cousin's wife Nan swimming with the sting rays..those big black things next to them! They are fun to swim with and soft to touch! I only got back on the boat to take the pic and reapply the SPF 50!

Island knitting...

Why is it when you are getting ready to go on vacation, there is so much that needs to be done. Between working ahead so you don't have an overwhelming in box, laundry, taking care of the little things around the house (like remembering to pay your bills and clean out the fridge so you don't return a horrible stench in the dark)...you practically need a vacation before you go on vacation! That is what happened to me this week. And sadly, no knitting was accomplished. Not even to finish the gift that will be presented in pieces only to be taken back to finish up later. I'll try to knit while relaxing by the beach, but I'm not to sure about the combo of wool, sand, humidity and the fact that I will be consuming fruity, tropical drinks with umbrellas in them. But I'll take the knitting with me. I'm off to the Cayman Islands....a knitting/island report to come later!
P.S. I know you have no sympathy for my hectic week prior to my vacation. I understand. I'd loathe me too.

I love the 80's

I just returned home from the Bon Jovi concert! I love Bon Jovi - always have - always will. I don't care what people say. They just do not understand. It' like people who mock knitting. Why bother trying to change them. There is time better spent - like watching Jon Bon Jovi shake his fine ass on stage. That man can rock! They played for quite a while, mixing the new Bon Jovi in with the classics. The concert was sold out with 10,000 plus fans - the majority women - but I swear, there were a few moments where Jon Bon Jovi was singing just to me. It was a beautiful moment. Had I not been so excited about the concert, I might have remembered my camera. Oh well, I have the memories, and the hope that Jon and I will meet again someday.

*On a knitting note....Rebecca and Carrie have finished their bags. Mine is still far from done. Plus...check out Rebecca's Web site...she's making some header changes and they look good!

A new experience for me

Today I signed up to participate in the 2006 Danskin Triathalon. It's a mini-tri with a 1/2 mile swim, 13 mile bike ride and a 5K run. I have never done anything like this before in my life. I've never even considered myself athletic. I'm excited, nervous and a bit scared at this new adventure. I believe in myself and I'm training with a great group of women! Plus I've convinced my sister Lindsay to sign up too! This year I turned 30, and I think it's fitting that I'm trying something new like this in my 30th year!