I didn't want to ...

but I had to start another project. Bonnie wants a hat with no crown. And she mentioned it to me when we last gigged and I pretty much forgot about it until a couple days ago when I realized we were rehearsing last night and I should have that thing done! Then I forgot to start it so yesterday at lunchtime I cast on and worked a bit on it as I was scanning one of 80 (yes, eighty) images. Multitasking .. it's all about multitasking! And as I surmised, I was able to work on it a bit while we were getting set up for rehearsal. I have until April 11 to get it done. That's when I'll be seeing her next ... ooo, no just realized it may be before that. But still, plenty of time. One or two little TV sessions should do it.

So - let me rant a bit about rehearsal last night. What is it about keyboard players???!! [I know, weak start to a rant, isn't it?] This guy though - talented, sure. He plays the trumpet as well as teaches choir at a local high school and gigs around town almost every other night of the week. However, he refused to take the few minutes it takes to LEARN the freakin' songs!!!! This is not a jazz band. We are playing R&B and pop music and it's all about the hook. You know how it is when you're listening to a popular song, you sing along to the little do-do-do stuff. WE, the singers, get all of the background and harmonies. Why can't these guys just take a few minutes to learn, really learn, the breaks and hooks and the few bars of intro music that make the audience go "Oh, yeah. I lllove that song!". And to add insult to injury, the keyboard player demands he get paid more than the rest of us and because he has us over a barrel, he gets it. But this guy - Dwain has had it and he's got a call in to another guy. Fingers crossed.

Oooo, speaking of Dwain - the leader of our band who plays drums. He's friends with Marcus Trufant's parents, and plays around town with the father. Marcus is getting married this weekend and Dwain is playing at the reception!!! How cool is that?? I am so jealous.

The weather super sucks. It's cold and wet and snowing at 500 feet, maybe even lower. I have to go run in a couple hours and I'm not looking forward to it at all. The best part of it is going to be when I get back inside. [I'm not in a very good mood today - does it show?]

My Lava Lamp is SOOOO cool!!!

No, seriously. It is seriously cool. The blobs go up. The blobs go down. Mesmerizing.

I took a quick run up to the store last night and as I was listening to the rush hour traffic report I found out that it was snowing about an hour south of Seattle. Snow. In March. It has been cold, that's for sure. And sure enough, a few hours later it started snowing here! It didn't stick but it was nasty and cold and wet. It's not bad today. Still cold but at least not precipitating. I hope it warms up before my sister gets here - just a little bit anyway.

I had a decent run yesterday, although the cold air just burned my lungs terribly! I managed to run a bit further than Monday before I had to walk. My goal tomorrow it to run at least 15 minutes, half of my normal, before I take a break. I have learned the hard way that after a long break it is best to err on the side of caution when starting back up. I am counting on being able to race in April.

With best of intentions I picked up the SKB, but had left the instructions upstairs and since we were just starting a movie I said to heck with it and picked up that blankie square instead. Oh man, another stinky movie!! That's two in a row. This one was called "Enchanted" and it was just awful! I imagine that it appeals to a very narrow demographic - little girls under age 14. The previews were cute. I got sucked in. Don't risk it. It sucks.

I won!! I won!!

Last week on of my Knitting on Wednesday friends asked me if I wanted to go to upper campus and wander around the BizTech, which is an annual fair of sorts where groups from the University as well as outside vendors show what they have and give away lots of garbage. Plus there are snacks and little contests. At one of the booths they had a trivia challenge and if you answered the question correctly then you were eligible to enter a drawing, one of the prizes being a Lava Lamp. Oh baby ... lava lamp!!!! And I won it! Yesterday I want up to HR and picked up my trophy. It is now in my living room in a place of honor. [cue sitar music]

I am still a member of the Finish on the First Forum on Ravelry. At the end of last month I was too sick to even knit so there was no finishing. I see now that it's 5 days to the end of the month and so I must gird my loins to finish up my Isabella. She'll be a perfect top for Hawaii and all I need to do is finish sewing up the sides and add a few rows to the armholes. Easy. Although I am going to be busy this weekend I am going to put it at the top of my list.

Another thing I need to do is make Bonnie's hat. She mentioned it to me at our last gig and we're rehearsing tomorrow with our new 3rd girl singer so I'd better cast that sucker on tonight. It won't take long to make and I can bring it along to rehearsal so she can see I'm serious about doing it. I always end up with lots and lots of time to knit at rehearsal because Dwain calls them for 7, I arrive at 7 and everybody else swans in whenever they please - 7:30 ... 7:45. *sigh* Whatever.

I did indeed go dancing last night, after going out for sushi .. yummmm .... so there was no knitting. Tonight - I knit!! Want to get the lace part done on those sleeves so I can fly on down to the wrists.

Ah ... the promise of spring

Not to harp on and on about the weather but good heavens is it cold! Colder today than it was yesterday. When I got in my hands were numb just like in the winter! It was 35 degrees this morning. Hawaii is sounding better and better. Still nearly two months away but oh I can almost smell it.

I ran yesterday for the first time in nearly a month. It felt so good, even though my wind was not up to capacity and my legs got a little tired. I ran for a few minutes, walked for a few minutes, ran for a few minutes more, etc. My legs are sore today but not so I can't walk or anything. Just a nice soreness. Tomorrow I'll be able to go longer between walks and hopefully by next Monday I'll be back to form. I want to run a race in April. I think I should be able to do it.

No knitting last night. I have a friend visiting from Arizona so we went out for a nice dinner and then I just did a little reading when I got home and went to bed. I have tentative plans to go dancing tonight but if that falls through I can work on those sleeves. If I can get the lace finished up it'll be super fast from that point to finish. Can't wait!!

Progress

I finished the body of the Simple Knitted Bodice and transferred the sleeve stitches onto two circular needles and got to work on Saturday. Unfortunately my poor photography skills coupled with dark yarn adds up to a bad picture. I am almost half way through with the chevron lace pattern. It's moving right along. If I can keep it up this week I may be able to finish by the weekend! This picture makes it look like the yarn is gray but it is in fact black.

Had a lovely weekend. Friday night my BF took me to a really wonderful restaurant for a very special occasion. And then all Saturday, after errands and (whew) getting my hair cut, I had all afternoon and evening to knit. Yes ... oh yes, I should have mowed the lawn. But I didn't. I knit. And knit and knit some more. It was very nice.

After a nice brunch with some friends and some much needed house chores I set to knitting some more!! I tell you - it was a great knitterly weekend! But since this is a rather complicated procedure, knitting the sleeves on 2 circulars as well as having lace knitting, about 1/2 a glass into my pre-prandial glass of wine I decided that unless I wanted to look forward to ripping back a few inches of lace I should just put the project down and go for something simpler. So I worked on a blankie square as we watched just about the worst animated moving I have ever seen. I love animated movies! I could watch The Incredibles over and over again (and I have), or Monsters, Inc. or Toy Story. But Bee Movie? It was just bad. No wonder they were hyping the dickens out of it.

Mother Nature doesn't follow our calendar!

Oh heavens - yesterday was the first day of spring and today it's SO cold! Even with my headband to protect my ears they were still cold. Things don't really start warming up in Seattle until late May and when we have a little sun in March it's such a tease!! At least it's not raining. It's just glooooomy.

I am SO looking forward to this weekend. No, not because it's Easter. Because Saturday I'm getting my hair cut. You know how one day your hair is fine and then the next day it's completely obvious that you need to get your hair done. It's not so much that I have bad hair days as it is that I have good hair minutes. This is the magic of hairdressing -- I look at what she actually cuts off my hair and it's not that much at all. And yet it makes all the difference in the world between looking like a Yeti and looking like a woman with nice, curly long hair.

I watched "Lost" last night and didn't knit. It was too exciting. Unfortunately, because of the writer's strike, we have a one month hiatus. But it sure looks like they're going to get off the island and move the whole show to the mainland. Don't you just want to slap Ben's daughter??

I started my wedding blog. There's a link on the right. That's where I'll put pictures of the dress and stuff like that, talk about planning and ... well you know - all that stuff that's usually very boring to hear unless you're intimately involved. Or getting married yourself soon. Or just are a wedding junkie. It's just keeping me from yapping on about it here which is a good thing.

Whew! The day got away from me!

Oh! Happy first day of spring!! I was talking to a friend of mine who is living in Luxembourg and she was saying it was snowing there! Now it's not all that warm here but at least it's not snowing! Ick ick ick!!

I had someone come over this morning to start doing a little work around my house to begin getting it ready, so I didn't get in until late and I turned around twice and here it is after 4 already! One of those afternoons when I had a crazy computer software issue. That just eats up the time something fierce. I think I've got it fixed but I'm not going to get too cocky until I can get it published with all the links working.

Oh hey ... guess who actually did some knitting last night! Yeah! I am that close to finishing the body of the SKB. Just a couple more rows to go and then I can transfer the sleeve stitches and start on them. I don't have anything but dinner to make tonight so hopefully I'll get a good run at it.

Several people (no, not just you Nonnahs) have asked about the plans for that day which I promised NOT to speak about on this blog. So tomorrow I'm going to make a blog solely for that where I can post pictures and blather on about all the little details.

Oddly enough I have almost completely forgotten about our trip to Hawaii what with all this other excitement going on. But today I remembered when I was talking to Emma and now I'm all excited about that too! Oh really it'll be so relaxing.

And now .... I think I'll go home!

Let's try it again

Right! I'm back on the bike again. So far so good with just a little coughing. I wasn't uncomfortable or out of breath. I will take it slow as far as the running goes. I really really don't want to have another relapse.

I was noticing my lawn a couple days ago - that it's growing again. The new sod took hold quite well and weather the winter. The only place it's not perfect is in front of my bike shed and I suppose that's because all winter long while the grass was growing I was walking on it. My neighbor has a gardening service and they mowed her yard yesterday so there is now a stark contrast between her parking strip and mine. I sure hope my next house has much less garden than this one. I am SO through with gardening!

No knitting last night - again! I went shopping for my dress and it took quite a bit longer than I had anticipated so it was nearly 9 when I got home and all I wanted to do was read the paper and have a drinkie and something to eat. Tonight though - tonight after I take Tink for her annual exam I will knit! Yes!

We need some imagination people!!

I don't like to paint with such a big brush but why do Americans think that Sinead O'Connor and U2 are the only Irish bands out there?? Oh yeah ...... the Cors and the Cranberries too. Being as it was St. Patrick's day yesterday Irish music was the thing to play. But I swear EVERY time I got in my car yesterday and turned the radio on I heard Sinead O'Connor singing "Nothing Compares To You"! Arghghghghghgh!!!! That's 3 times!!! We all have a few songs that grab us by the throat, so to speak. Or turn us inside out. Or whisk us back in time. Or do all three and then some. I must admit I have a few too many. It's hard. I have managed to take a good many of them off my iPod but once in a while one will sneak up on me. I forget where I was last week .... I got blind sided and stopped right in my steps. Don't say it - I know. I need to get a grip.

The rain has stopped and today it's just ... oops spoke too soon. It's cloudy now. I had to drive in today but it is THE LAST DAY I will drive in. Tomorrow I'm biking in and I'm going to start back running. Slowly, obviously, since it's been since February 19 that I had my last real run. I remember because when I went to the doctor on the 21, so sick, I whined to him "But I even ran on Tuesday!". And I have those new shoes and running tights that I've only worn twice. Thank goodness I've been careful plus which my appetite was off for so many weeks - and I haven't gained back any of the weight that I had finally managed to banish. Cough is like 90% gone. Yay!

No knitting last night and it doesn't look like I'll have much time tonight either. I do so want to get the body of that SKB finished up and start on those sleeves. They'll go fast. I want to wear that thing!!

The cherry trees

I don't know why they much such a fuss about Washington, D.C. The cherry trees here in Seattle are just gorgeous. No no ... I know why they make a fuss but still. It is very very spring-like around here, even though it is rainy.

Busy busy weekend again. Thank goodness the inhaler is working and I'm now almost entirely cough free. I couple times Saturday night I had little coughing fits on stage but I think it was because it was so warm and my throat was getting dry. I felt good (except for getting ticked off at the keyboard player ....) but I was sure tired by the time I fell into bed.

That morning I had an appointment to try on some dresses, which was exhausting. Those things are heavy! My preferences are evolving. I want to be able to move and dance. I had some lunch and a nice long nap and that's what made Saturday night bearable. I really really wanted to be able to run the race Sunday but there was no way. There is another coming up in April and I will make that my goal. I also knit on the Simple Knitted Bodice after my nap and I have only 6 more rows of the body. Sunday after I got the laundry going and Tink walked I went to the LYS and I bought a couple more circular needles so I can do the sleeves like I do socks, 2 at a time on 2 circs. With the lace work I think it would be best so that I can make sure they're 100% the same. I had a meeting with my real estate agent on Friday evening to talk about what needs to be done to my house to get it ready to list and so I could have been starting on a few of the hundreds of chores I have but instead I took it easy. Tonight though I must go buy some plastic bins so I can start "de-cluttering" my house. Not something I am looking forward to. Do you know how many books I have around? Not to mention the yarn. Oh heavens - I wonder if the dresser is going to make me move my stash? erghgh

Now this is getting really ridiculous

I had to visit the doctor again on Wednesday because my cough was coming back and I was wheezing. During my bike ride in I was markedly short of breath. All bad things. I guess I jumped the gun a bit. I shouldn't have been riding my bike. I darn sure won't be running the race this weekend. I shouldn't be singing tomorrow night but since there are six other people counting on me, I will be there. The good news is that the inhaler he gave me is working. Plus I was advised to basically shut down. No breathing in cold air. No getting my heart rate elevated. And it seems to be working. Go figure, huh?

So I'm doing some work from home - I like web site designing so it's not too bad. I'm getting rest. I'm avoiding anything that looks like exercise. Also pretty tough for me. I had to get out yesterday for a couple hours - got the damp clothes dried at a laundromat and bought another dryer. I realized after reading the instructions that it was beyond me. I no longer own an ohm meter and even if I did I don't know how to use it.

Knitting in the evening exclusively on the Simple Knitted Bodice. I'm almost done with the body. Hope to start on the sleeves - maybe even both at the same time if I've got the needles - tonight or this weekend.

It would be funny if it weren't so freakin' annoying!!!!

My dryer broke yesterday evening. This is the third time in less than 2 years! I just cannot believe it! The first time I called a repairman and had him fix it. A friend of mine at work said that I should have just done it myself - it's very easy. Well, since it broke down only a few months after that and I couldn't afford to call the repairman I downloaded instructions from the web and with the help of my nephew we managed to fix it. And now AGAIN! The good news is that there are only 3 things that can be wrong with it that manifest in this particular symptom - no heat - and I've fixed two of them. So I should just be able to go straight to that third thing. Should. I couldn't face it last night. Maybe tonight. It's just ridiculous timing! I mean .... I'm going to be putting this house on the market in a few weeks. I don't want to be buying a new dryer for whomever is going to be buying the house. grrrrr

Knitting-wise I have hit a wall with that Mystery Jacket. I think if I loved the color, if I had gotten the color I originally ordered, I wouldn't be where I am now. But I don't really know if I'd wear the thing once it was finished and I am crazy in love with my Simple Knitted Bodice so that's the long way of saying I didn't work on Clue 4 last night but rather worked on the SKB. Oh well.

The clocks changed but not me

Oh boy -- what time did I get to work today, boys and girls? Uh ..... well, maybe a little later than I had hoped. It's that darned clock change!! It was darker. I was sleepy. It was raining and I biked in for the first time since I got sick ... oooo that's a long time ago. So yeah, I was a little late. Not too bad though. My bike ride was nice. It felt good to get back on that bicycle even though it was raining. My stamina was just fine and I was breathing okay but I did have a couple little teensie coughing jags. Again, not too bad. I feel g-g-g-good! I know I won't be able to run today but I think I'll tog up and walk/trot/jog just a bit.

Remember my Friday resolve? Yeah I remember it too. Here's what happened. I stopped at the grocery store on the way home and OMG didn't all of the new spring magazines just happen to come out that day and I bought [oh this is embarrassing] 4 bride magazines. With best intentions to just flip through maybe one of them and then get right to that knitting I ended up spending four hours reading magazines, putting sticky notes on "important" pages (oh I'm rolling my eyes ... yes I am) and talking on the phone. Saturday and Sunday were just as busy as I had predicted and the two hours I had "free" on Sunday I spent washing the dog and doing laundry and cleaning my wickedly messy house. Tonight I have rehearsal so there's no knitting tonight either and I am now officially one entire Clue behind my Mystery Jacket KAL! I have GOT to get caught up ASAP. I can start on Tuesday, I hope.

The gala Saturday night was just fabulous and I laughed myself to tears at Colin Ferguson. That guy is hilarious! The Sunday girlie evening was wonderful as well. At the purse silent auction I was bidding willy-nilly because ... well it's just fun and if you win one, well that's fun too. Unfortunately I won 3 on the first round!! Two Kate Spade bags (!!!) and one Coach. However [and I am really miffed about this] the Coach bag, upon closer inspection, is a fake. I hate to say what I paid for a fake Coach bag. Yes sure it was for a good cause but still, isn't that a bit creepy? I'll give it to my BF's daughter because she doesn't mind carrying knock-offs but still ...grrr. AND women were taking the silent auction slips for the really good bags and hiding them!! For cryin' out loud ladies (and I use the term loosely) WTF??!!

And that's all the ranting I'm going to do today.

Oh where's my resolve???

I vowed that yesterday I would get started on the Clue 4 part of Mystery Jacket. And in my defense I did start, but my eyes were tired and I goofed up at row 8 and so had to rip it out. And rather than start again, which I should have done, I worked more on the Simple Knitted Bodice, which I am now so in love with and can't wait to wear!!! But this evening the Clue 5 will be posted and I haven't even started Clue 4!!! So I MUST do it tonight. And the good news is that I don't have anything at all going on so when I get home I'll do the barest minimum house clean up and then put on some music and get a good run at that panel. I mustn't get behind and I just don't have a whole lot of time this weekend.

Saturday I'm taking my BF's daughter shopping (first round, obviously) to look at Bridesmaid dresses and then that evening I get to go stay at a fancy hotel downtown and attend an equally fancy and formal gala that my BF's company is doing. It is oh so wonderful because he's the boss so he doesn't really have to do the work and often times gets to just enjoy the event and I get to as well. Not all the time, but sometimes. And I do so dearly love to stay in fancy hotels, don't I? Plus this gala is having a national act after the dinner and auction, so that's pretty cool too.

Sunday I'm having a super girlie evening. A few girlfriends and I are attending a charity event at another of my favorite hotels, The W. It's called "Bags and Bottles" and it's a benefit for Gilda's Club. Pretty simple concept - women bring new or "gently used" high end handbags for a silent auction and about 30 wineries pour wine as you nibble goodies and shop for handbags. What's not to love?

Doesn't leave a whole lot of time for knitting and THAT is why I have to jump on Clue 4 tonight!!!

Have you noticed the birds?

That whole week and a half I spent sick and out of it -- well during that time it seems that Spring sneaked up! I wandered my front garden and saw that the Clematis my sister and I planted last spring and which ended up looking like dead sticks(!) is coming back to life! As are the weeds in the flower beds, of course. But there are daffodils blooming in my backyard and in the front as well. And it is noticeably lighter on both ends. AND the birdsong is different. It puts a spring in your step, doesn't it? Oh I wish that I felt good enough to ride my bike and run. Maybe tomorrow I'll take a long walk at ..... ah no, I just remembered we're looking at wedding venues today and tomorrow at lunch. [BTW - I have decided NO wedding talk on this blog. If I really feel the need to blather on about it I'll make a separate wedding blog so readers have a choice. And that's the LAST I'll mention it here. No. Really.] Well next week for sure I am going to start moving around. This cough surely must be on its way out.

Last night we had a rehearsal and a girl to audition for the 3rd spot. I really really liked her - such a nice girl and a good voice and she blended very well with Brenda and myself. I hope we hire her. I know she can't sing with us this coming Saturday because she's got another gig but then on the bright side we'd have another whole month to rehearse together. I must say, the sound of 3 part harmony is just thrilling to me! AND .. bonus .. we finally got to rehearse my new song - which is an older song but I love it - Put Your Records On. Now with 2 girls singing back-ups on that song it's really really cool.

I have been having a lot of fun knitting on my Simple Knitted Bodice but here it is Thursday already and I haven't even started on my fourth clue of my Mystery Jacket. So that's my chore for today - to start that sucker anyway. It's "Lost" tonight so I most probably won't be doing all that much hard knitting. That's the kind of show where if you're not JUST knitting or JUST purling you might as well put that project down because you know you're going to be ripping it out.

Oh! I almost forgot!! My friend Brenda, the other singer in the band, brought me TWO shopping bags filled with yarn and needles that someone had given her at her job. (She works in retirement homes as a nurse). Now I haven't really looked too far into them so I am betting they're most likely filled with mostly acrylic yarn but hey -- needles in there too! She wants me to make her a "hat with no top". She has fluffy hair - an afro - and she wants a knitted hat but she wants her hair to be able to come out the top. Cute idea. So that's my chore and it's an easy one. I can embellish it with simple cables and she'll think it's awesome. See? That's why KIP-ing is so important! You never know when somebody is going to come across a treasure trove like that and they'll think "Oh yeah, Shelley knits. Maybe she'd like it". Yeahhhhhhhhh baby.

A little WIP action

Finally today I can post a couple pictures of WIPs. I am having fun knitting my Simple Knitted Bodice but I must put it aside tonight and start on Clue 4 of the Mystery Jacket KAL. So here's where I am so far. I figure about another 4 to 6 rows of chevron lace for the waist detail before I do the second set of purl ridges. I an really liking the look of this black K1C2 Angora Soft. And the second picture I have is what I have so far on the body of the Cascading Cables. This thing is going to be large, no doubt about it. But pretty - very pretty and oh so soft. The picture doesn't do it justice.

All of the lace on the Simple Knitted Bodice is pretty much what I did yesterday evening. When I wasn't talking with my sister about wedding plans. I tell you - sisters are the best! Between the two of us we've almost got the whole thing planned. Meeting with the BF tonight but I'd say between Kel and I .... we've got it handled. ;-)

No I haven't fallen off the face of the earth ...

although there were a few days there where I certainly wanted to. I have been sick. Sick as in I didn't get out of bed for more than a week. As in the first course of antibiotics didn't do a thing and I'm on the second course and still ... yes still ... coughing although I'm at work today. I didn't ride my bike, that's for sure. I don't know where this thing came from but I woke up with a cough on Wednesday February 20th and saw the doctor the next day and I have been sick since then. Wow - 12 days.

And life just kept happening while I was laying around on the couch. Not even knitting until this weekend when I started being able to stay awake for more than a couple hours at a time. Tinkerbell was SUCH a good doggie. The BF would come over every couple days to make sure I had water and soup and to try to engage me in conversation. I was getting a little scared there, to tell you the truth. I kept getting calls from friends who had this relative and that relative go into the hospital with pneumonia and there I was still regularly hacking up my lungs. The doctor was nice enough not to make me come back into the office and prescribed more stuff for me and the cough is calming down some and I can concentrate and walk around and do things so yes I am for sure better. I don't know if I'm going to be able to make my St. Patrick's Day run on the 16th though. If I can be breathing normally by the end of the week and can go up and down my stairs without collapsing then MAYBE I'll be able to train for a week and do it. Well .. I'm not going to obsess about it. If I can do it I'll do it. If not - no big deal. There's another race in April.

So though - HUGE news here. I was right about the engagement ring. I am now officially engaged!!! Oooo now BF stands for Big Fiance. ;-) He wanted to ask me when we went to the ocean [which I did even though I was so sick that I spent the entire time either laying in bed or on the couch of the motel!] but it was not a very romantic setting so he ended up asking me Saturday morning. I guess he felt the need for the actually asking of the question and the answering of the question because he wanted to take me shopping for the ring. He had been tippy-toeing around it before but this time he wanted to be serious about it - lists of stores, etc. Oh it was SO MUCH FUN! I found the perfect ring at the second store we went to but we went to a third just to make sure. By that time I was exhausted so we went back yesterday and picked out the center stone and now I have to wait until the 21st of March to get it!! I snapped some pictures with my iPhone at the jewelery store when the guy had just plopped the stone in there for the look but it's so blurry. I can tell what it is but it just doesn't do it justice. So - more pictures later when I actually get it and can use my good camera.

And knitting news - no pictures today but I did a good bit on my Cascading Cables sweater and then got the first two purl ridges done on the Simple Knitted Bodice and I'm ready to start the waist lace detail. That is going to be a fabulous top.

And I guess that's all I'm sayin' today!!