Morning workouts are the BEST!

Now that I'm actually feeling great I wonder why in the world I ever gave up the morning workout routine?  I feel fantastic this morning!  And that's after a really bad night with Tink barking and loud people in the plaza.  I rolled out of bed and with only a slight detour to take Tink for a quick pee, I was on that treadmill at 6 am and had a great, hard workout.  Then I had a cool shower but it was not cool enough.  I could NOT stop sweating!  My hair is wet still.  I had to finally just give up trying to get it dry and put it in a bun.  I will need to change my routine a bit, at least while it is summer and warm.  Monday I'll try getting up 10 minutes earlier, then after my workout instead of hopping right into the shower I'll take Tink for a nice walk.  By the time that's done I'll be cooled down enough so I'll be able to get dressed and put my make up on without it sliding right off my face!

We are heading for a heatwave but it wasn't so bad last night and I didn't want to do anything too strenuous -- although my blocking mats did arrive.  But blocking that Indian Feathers shawl would require cleaning the kitchen floor and I just wasn't into it.  So I knit for a couple of hours on the Mobius Cowl with the super yummy Noro Shiraito.  These aren't typically my colors but I know I'll use this cowl.  Here's a start. 
It is perfect TV knitting because it's garter stitch with a simple two row pattern.  You do have to pay attention for the crossing row, but otherwise it's mindless.  Since it is cashmere and angora I have to have dry hands, so probably won't be doing much of this when the heat gets turned up this weekend.  Even with a fan blowing on me.

So I'm going for a first tomorrow -- a helicopter ride.  I've never even considered riding in a helicopter and I'm not all that keen on heights so .... we'll see how it goes.  Just cross your fingers I don't loose my breakfast. 

Take 2

I guess it's just one of those years.  Since March 17th I have had walking pneumonia, a sinus infection, a back spasm and on Monday I got the stomach flu!  I made it in to work only to turn around two hours later and head home.  I thought a cup of tea would settle my stomach, but it did not.  Nor did a cup of peppermint tea.  I barely made it home.  What misery!  Headache!  Body ache!  And all the rest of the stomach flu gang.  Ergh.  I tried again yesterday morning to get myself together to get in to work but while I was walking Tink it was quite apparent it was not to be.  But today?  Tip top!  I feel great.  And tons lighter because I haven't been able to eat much of anything.  You've got to look for the sliver lining.

My Noro Shiraito finally showed up and it is utterly gorgeous and so soft!  Well how could it not be?  Cashmere and Angora?  Yummmmmy!  It's not a colorway I would normally choose for myself - turquoise and light blue with some orange-y bits and black.  But it does me good to add some different colors to my accessories wardrobe.  I got the skeins rolled and started the cowl.  It is perfect TV knitting.  Unfortunately we're due for some exceptionally hot weather coming up this week, as in the 90s by next Monday.  (Oooo!  Do you think that means we'll have a nice 4th?  Hmmmm)  One can't knit when it's that hot.  My hands get wet and the yarn doesn't move.  It's annoying.

I finished a book last night, but it took a while to get to sleep. Probably because I'd been sleeping pretty much 24 hours a day since Monday.  But I did manage it finally and, as I said, I feel great today.  So let's get on with it!

What luck!

The weather could not have been better this past weekend at the ocean.  It was sunny and warm and not windy.  Just gorgeous!  What a perfect way to start the summer.  There was lots of good food and walks on the beach.  Tink had a wonderful time too.  She loves the beach and got plenty of beach time.  I actually had to come back to the house early on Sunday because I was getting too much sun and nobody had brought an umbrella or canopy down to the beach.  I can't take that direct sun.  And Tink was pretty hot.  Oh and dirty! 

Sunday it clouded up and started raining and it is really coming down today.  I got up and was on the treadmill by 6 am this morning.  I wasn't feeling great but I can't let myself think too much.  I just get on the treadmill and run.  But my stomach is not in very good shape this morning.  I don't know how long I'm going to be able to stay here.  I thought I was going to be sick on the bus coming in!  Not a very comfortable spot to be in.

I was very disappointed that my yarn splurge hadn't been delivered.  I was looking forward to starting a new project while I wait for the blocking pads to block that Indian Feathers shawl.  But even though I signed the form to have the mailman re-deliver the package they did not do it.  So I got on line last night and scheduled it for today and asked them to leave it with the office.  Let's hope they do.  I want that yummy yarn!

Fasting days this week are Tuesday and Thursday.  I think I will leave those as the days unless I find it too difficult to run on Wednesday and Friday.  I'll need a couple of weeks to get a real feel for it.  I was surprised last week that I wasn't hungrier on the fasting days.  The carrots helped.  They're filling and I could have something crunchy between  "meals".

Well ... I'd better dig in and see if I can get some work done.  Maybe I'll start feeling better when I get this tea in me.

Indian Feathers finished

At noon knitting yesterday I started adding the gold border at the neckline and I finished binding off last night, using JSSBO (Jen's Super Stretchy Bind Off).  Next step, of course, is to block it.  But the only two places where I can fully stretch this thing out the way I want to is either my bed (seen here) or the kitchen floor.  Since I wanted to sleep in my bed, that was out.  And since I don't have enough blocking mats for the kitchen floor, that was out too.  I bought blocking mats from KnitPicks - 9 12x12 mats for $24.99, which is ridiculous.  I got onto Amazon and found a baby play mat made from the same material, 24 12x12 pieces for $14.99.  However, when you add in the shipping it comes to $27, but still that's a bargain compared to what one would pay for only nine of them at KnitPicks, so I ordered them.  They should be here early next week and since I'm going out of town tonight, it's not a big deal.  I am going to get the beads for the fringe this afternoon before my hair appointment.  This is going to be a super awesome scarf/shawl when I'm done.  The yarn is silk and so as you can imagine, the drape is out of this world.  I don't think I would have had enough of the cream color to finish off the last few rows AND do fringe, so I used the gold and then I'll put gold and cream fringe on it with gold beads.  Stay tuned.  I am super happy with this project.

This morning I tried out my new work out routine - up early for 30 minutes on the treadmill.  I am most definitely NOT a morning person, but I used to work out in the morning while I was rehabbing my knee so I could run again.  I did step aerobics for about an hour, showered and biked to work and I felt great plus had the work out finished and the rest of the day was mine.  Today I got right up when the alarm went off, put my clothes on and was on the treadmill spot on 6 am.  Running on a treadmill is different than running on the streets but I think I can get used to it.  I did forget to take my inhaler puffs before I set out so I was wheezing a bit by the end, but not as much as I would have been had I run outside.  My doctor has been bugging me to run inside anyway, especially during allergy season.  So, we'll see how this goes.  The key, for me, is to not even think about it.  I have all the clothes and shoes set out in the bathroom, get up when the alarm goes off and just get moving.  I wake up while I'm running. 

Today is my Friday.  I am looking forward to a weekend at the beach, Ocean Shores, but the weather is not going to be terrific.  I don't care.  As I said, as long as it's not pouring rain it'll be fun.

Seasonal weather

Unfortunately, seasonal weather for us in June is cloudy and cool.   The wind picked up yesterday (which could be the reason my allergies also kicked in) and blew the clouds in along with some cooler temperatures.  I don't think it's going to be very nice at the ocean this weekend but it doesn't really matter.  It should be fun if it doesn't pour down rain.  Tink will love her time on the beach and I plan on renting a scooter and driving around.  Maybe take a boat to Westport.  It does all depend on the weather, unfortunately.  More unfortunate for the people competing in the sand castle competition, I would imagine.

I am slogging through the stockinette portion of the Indian Feathers, trying to correct the disparity in number of stitches left at the end.  I figured out what the problem was -- I must have gone the wrong way a couple of times when I left the project in the middle of a row.  As I said, it's not going to be obvious but my main problem at this point is that I thought I would have enough to finish the project with one color but the closer I get to bind off the less likely it seems.  I might have to take it out and start the short rows over again.  I don't relish that.  What would be worse -- having fringe in a different color or having the last couple of rows in a different color?  That's what I have to figure out now.

Today is the last noon knitting with the group as it is now, because two of our members are moving to a satellite location.  Boo.  I'll still knit on Wednesday and hope that the others of us left will join me, but it will never be the same.

I am so weak!

I don't buy yarn very often.  Mostly because I don't have a place to store it, but also because I haven't been doing as much knitting ..... although now that I have finally gotten my little corner set up to where I'm comfy I have been doing a lot more.  Anyway, I have a few yarn websites that I cruise through every morning, just in case I see something I can't resist.  One of those cruise spots is Jimmy Bean's Wool Watcher where you will find limited quantities of one yarn or an accessory that they offer for 2 hours and then onto something else.  And the yarns are deeply discounted - I forgot, that's the most important part!  Yesterday they were offering 5 skeins of Noro Shiraito, which is a new yarn that is made of 45% cashmere, 45% angora and 10% wool.   Yummy!  I first saw it in the inaugural issue of the Noro Magazine.  They showed a beautiful cowl made from four skeins of this yarn.  Well at $30 a skein, that's a pretty darned expensive cowl.  However, at half price I couldn't resist.  Oh .... I cannot wait for that yarn to arrive!!

Yesterday was my first fast day, and it was surprisingly not too bad.  I even wanted to run and I had been afraid I wouldn't have the energy.  That wasn't the problem.  What I didn't have was my running bra, so there was no running for me, but a nice long walk instead.  It was so beautiful outside.  Not too hot, not too windy.  It would have been a perfect day to run.  Today is just as nice, and I remembered the bra! 

I have been seriously considering changing my workout routine.  We have such an incredible gym at my apartment and it is just a few steps from the elevator in my building.  I used to do my workouts in the morning and I found it a wonderful way to start the day.  But that was when I had my little house in Ravenna and I was literally 12 minutes by bike from my door to the bike rack.  So I could get up at 6, do an hour step routine, shower, do my hair and dress and still make it to work before 8.  These days I have to factor in a walk with the Tink-ster and a 25 minute bus ride.  Obviously I cannot factor in a full blow-dry of my hair every day without getting up WAY too early.  But if I do my hair a couple times a week after work, then I figure I can roll out of bed just before 6, throw on my workout clothes and do 30 minutes on the treadmill.  That would bring me back upstairs by 6:30.  I know I can do a quick run through the shower, makeup and dress and be out with Tink to walk by 7 because that's what I do already.  The key point is to make sure I know what I'm going to put on when I get out of the shower, because I can dither in front of the closet (even my teeny-tiny version) for much too long.  The reason I am considering this is because I am so freaking uncomfortable when I come back from my run at lunchtime and it is warm outside.  I am pouring sweat and it takes ages to dry.  No, there is no shower here and that's the problem.  I could join the IMA again and shower there, but why pay to re-join the IMA when I have a better gym at home?  And running at lunchtime is a hassle when September rolls around because of classes.  I know I am most definitely NOT a morning person, but I believe I've talked myself into at least giving this a try.  What I loved most about it when I did it before is that the workout is taken care of first thing.  The rest of the day is mine.  I can take a nice walk at lunch or just veg and I don't have to worry about dressing and undressing and fixing my makeup, etc. etc.  Okay -- so next week we will give it a try.

I am still working my way through the short rows of the Indian Feathers.  And yes, I did manage to screw them up and one side has more stitches than the other.  I'll fix it or maybe I'll leave it lopsided.  A design element.  I'll see how it looks when I finish eating up that short side.  Just a couple more rows.  I am so excited about picking out the beads.  I was going to go up there yesterday but they're closed on Monday.  Today I must run, so it'll have to wait until Thursday.  That might be perfect timing if I can get it finished and blocked tonight or tomorrow.

Wildlife in the city

I really love living at Thornton Creek.  Now that it's nearly summer the creek is even more beautiful with all the flowers and beautiful plants.  And also wild creatures.  I thought only ducks - there are two pair at the creek area around the buildings.  Saturday evening I saw a family looking into the water.  They called me over to take a look.  It was a beaver!  Here's a picture of it.   It was taken with my iPhone and then cropped and enlarged so it's a bit fizzy.  But you can clearly see that famous tail!  What a treat.  I had no idea there were beavers in the creek.  This is just a very tiny portion of it, of course, but still.  This is city.  And then on Sunday I was walking there again and took a look just in case but instead found two ducklings.  I haven't seen the parents for quite a while and the banks are quite overgrown.  The parents weren't around so that means the ducklings were old enough to be on their own.  Cute and fuzzy and yellow.

I had a pretty great weekend.  Friday was quiet and I got to knit on my Indian Feathers and watch the Mariners win.  Saturday I had breakfast out, then a fun trip to the mall - I finally got the perfect maxi-dress and a couple of cute tops.  I got myself to my manicure by bus.  I tried to use the salon at Northgate but they messed my nails up to thoroughly.  I don't mind going out of my way to get back to Diva salon.  And then Saturday night was a birthday party.  The venue was new to me, but Andre's (the birthday boy) favorite hang out.  The food was superb, as usual.  I made a very tasty cucumber salad but my favorite thing there was Monika's watermelon with lime and basil.  Wow.  Such an awesome mix of flavors.

I am getting very close to finishing the shawl except somehow or other it looks like the short rows are off.  I can't see how that could have happened but I'll make it work somehow.  Then I block it and for the finishing touch, a beaded fringe.  I still need to get the beads and maybe I'll do that at lunchtime today.  I've started a new diet regime.  It is next to impossible to do my regular calorie counting because I have been much more social.  I'm always going out and it is no fun trying to count up restaurant food or not having a cocktail or some wine while I'm out.  So I'm going to try to 5:2 diet.  That is fasting (well, not really but they call it fasting.  It's 500 calories) for two days out of the week and eating regularly the other days.  If you want it to work you can't go crazy on the other 5 days and I pretty much know what to eat.  So no drinking during the week and being moderate on the weekend and two "fasting" days.  I am not in any hurry.  I have until January before I have to be bathing suit ready.  But I would like to get rid of about 10 pounds that I always seem to put on during the winter.  I was going to fast on Tuesday and Thursday, but since I'm going out of town Friday I know I'll want to get the party started Thursday night, so this week only I'm fasting today and Wednesday.  I am undecided about running.  I think I'll walk part way to the bead store or part way back -- it's quite far but I can get an hour or so walk in there.  It's a pretty day for a walk.

Oh yes .... Friday

Last week was extra long because I had to work Saturday morning.   I kept thinking all day yesterday that it was Friday.  Alas, it was not but I do have a short week to look forward to coming up.   I did another 35 minute run at lunchtime yesterday, thankfully NOT in the pouring rain.  I was a little low energy, perhaps because I hadn't had a very big dinner the night before and perhaps just because of who knows (that is most likely).   But I have decided that I will increase 5 minutes every other week because I want to be strong at 35 minutes before I up it again.  My knees were just very slightly aching and that is my biggest concern.  So, slow and steady.

We have been starting out cloudy in the morning but by the afternoon it is sunny, but not all that warm which suits me fine.  I gave Tink a nice long walk after I got home yesterday, then did a few chores and settled in to knit on the Indian Feathers.  Unfortunately I hadn't paid strict attention and missed the row for making it a little deeper.  It's fine.  This way I won't have to use another color of yarn.  I will have enough of the one color to make the entire scarf/wrap and have left overs for the fringe.  Now I am quite excited to buy the beads.  I have such a busy weekend coming up that I seriously doubt I'll be able to get to the bead store.  However, it is right next door to the hair salon and I have an appointment there Thursday late afternoon so maybe I can cut out a little early and stop by there if I can't get there this weekend.  Then I'll be able to play with the fringe while on my long weekend.  As I said, I'm not all that keen on Ocean Shores so I am guessing I'll have a little time to just veg and read and/or fiddle with my knitting.

Tomorrow I've got two things going, not counting my regular errands and a trip to the nail salon.  In the morning a helicopter ride.  Thank goodness it's a short one.  I am not all that good with heights but when do you get a chance to ride in a helicopter?  Not very often.  I was assured we wouldn't be going over any volcanoes so bring it on.  Then in the evening a birthday party.  It starts early so I don't suppose it'll be a long night.

Last night was the opening of the Superman movie at the cinema outside my windows.  It was a midnight showing because June 14 is the opening date.  The apartment complex had arranged the midnight showing and I was sure that I would be awakened at 2am with the people leaving the theatre.  Thankfully not!  I guess because it was a Thornton Place event someone was keeping the people quiet.  I did hear them when they were lining up to get in at 11:45 or so, and I also heard some shushing.  In any case I had kept the slider closed and a pillow ready to go over my head.  I didn't even need it and had a great sleep.

Bus drivers

It is now the beginning of summer schedule, even though summer is another week away, and the bus drivers have done their quarterly shift.  That means that my morning and evening bus drivers are different.  My morning guy is giving me whiplash because he doesn't know the stops, and therefore must slam on the brakes when he comes up to one with people waiting.  The bigger change is the afternoon bus driver.  So far I prefer him to the last one.  He drives much more sedately and hasn't yet been early to the stop, although he has been a little late.  I much prefer that.

Noon knitting was delayed a bit yesterday while we all had some pizza and salad - a special little bonus we hadn't been expecting.  It was delicious!  Then the rest of the hour knitting on the Indian Feathers.  In the evening I watched the Mariners lose and finished up all of the lace border and purled back.  Now I have to get back on Ravelry and find the instructions for making the crescent shape a little bigger.  Not longer, but just fuller I guess you would say.  I'd like to have this be more of a shawl than a scarf, just because it will be more dramatic and stunning once I get the fringe and beads on it.  I absolutely LOVE the drape of this yarn - the Ella Rae Shibu - which has been discontinued for years.  It is a silk, but raw rather than shiny and slick.  There are little tiny bits of viscose or rayon to give a subtle sheen.  Just a gorgeous yarn.  I sure would love to find something that is being manufactured now that has its same properties.

Work is busy but thankfully I'm not having any trouble sleeping.  I gave Tink an extra long walk at 7-ish so she made it through the night.   I am trying to move that walk to a bit later in the evening but she has quite a good inner clock. 

I made my plane reservations for Mexico yesterday.  Seven months away.  Ah well ... something really good to look forward to!

Late spring showers

The window from my office opens into a courtyard.  When I looked out yesterday when I was getting ready to change for my run the pavement looked a bit wet but since I didn't see any raindrops I didn't think any more about it.  When I came out of the building it was raining.  Not sprinkling.  Raining big fat drops.  I hadn't put a hat on because nor did I have a waterproof jacket, but I knew if I went back downstairs to my office I would talk myself out of going and I am quite determined to keep to my running schedule of 4 times a week, so off I went in the rain.  It didn't stop until I had hit mile 2 and by that time I was soaked to the bone and my hair was soaked as well.  I was quite proud of myself for having made the entire 35 minutes feeling pretty strong.  Maybe I will not add another 5 minutes every week but wait for every second week.  I'd like to be able to do a 10K in September.

In the afternoon I had to proctor an exam, which is quite boring but I was listening to my audiobook so not that boring.  I am listening to Stone's Fall - an historic  novel.  It's rather business-y but interesting.  I like the author but I can't remember off the top of my head what was the book or book(s) I have read. 

I did a row and a half on my Indian Feathers and have brought it in to work for noon knitting today.  I wanted to do a little reading last night so went to bed a little early but ended up just reading the news for an hour and then I couldn't keep my eyes open.  Luckily Tink did not have to go out to pee in the middle of the night.  I had made double sure she had gone plenty at 7:15.  She sure was ready to get out this morning though.

Today first thing I am going to make my plane reservations for Mexico in January.  I know it is WAY far out there, but the friends I am going with say the plane fills up rapidly because it is the only direct flight from Seattle to Ixtapa, where we get the car to drive to Troncones.  So -- a long ways away but I will have my flight buttoned up.

YES Energy MIS-management

I have learned these past few years while living in apartment buildings that there is a very complex system in place for assessing each unit's portion of the building's water, sewer and garbage bill.  It is so complex in fact that there are companies that do just that.  Ours, oddly enough, is based in Florida.  There is a long lead time as well, something like two or three months.  I haven't written a check for a bill in ages and ages and instead use the electronic bill pay services of my credit union.  This is safe and easy and you always know when the payment will be received by the company.  I pay my bills on the due date or, if it's on a Saturday, the day before.  Twice now I've received delinquent notices from YES Energy Management sent on the day the payment is due!!  The last payment was due June 4th, and the delinquent notice I received yesterday was dated June 4th!  That is outrageous and just makes me crazy.  I called this morning and the woman in customer service told me I should make sure my payments were there a day before they are due.  I tried to explain to her that it was illogical but either I wasn't particularly clear or she was stupid, so I left it and went to my bank's web site to ascertain that the payment was delivered electronically on the due date.  It was.  So I called back and got someone not quite so stupid who is deleting the $10 late fee from my account.  Logical or not, I will in the future make sure that payment is there a day before it is supposedly due. 

I had my favorite kind of Monday evening, lazy and quiet.  I got to knit on the Indian Feathers, and ate left overs for dinner.  I held off giving Tink her second walk until after 7 but she was quite keen to get out there.  I was on the phone with my sister and didn't notice if she actually did her business though.  And then at 1:30 she started whining and I had to take her out.  This messes with my sleep something awful and I couldn't get back to sleep until hours later, then I turned off my alarm and fell back to sleep for 30 minutes. I don't feel so bad though.

Yesterday I increased my noon run to 35 minutes.  It was hard but I made it with only two short walking bits -- maybe 30 seconds each.  I will keep it at 35 for this week.  If, by the end of the week, I am strong on 35 I'll up it to 40 next week.  Otherwise I'll keep it at 35 for another week.  As long as I keep feeling good. 

This afternoon I have to proctor another exam.  This one in a huge hall.  It's the undergraduate anatomy course and it's got over 300 students.  It's boring but I've got my book to listen to, or there's always sports podcasts too.  I just have to walk around and make sure they know someone is looking at them so they won't cheat.  hah

Weekend? What weekend?

When you have to be at work early on Saturday it doesn't feel much like a weekend.  We had another meeting Saturday morning and I was on the bus at 7:15 to make it early so I could let the food services into the meeting room.  This wasn't something I was aware I had to do, but I was the contact person and my phone rang at 7:25 while I was on the bus.  It was someone from the caterers asking how they could get in?  As luck would have it the chairman had gotten there just before I did so all was well.  The meeting was good - productive.  Friday's was also productive but ran long. 

I was out of there at noon and picked up and off I went, only to change and do yard work.  Oh my goodness, is there anything in the world I hate more?  Well ...... sure, probably.  But can you imagine, it was about the last thing in the world I wanted to do.  I was exhausted  but managed to put in a hour and a half before I threw in the towel.  Then a shower and off to meet friends for drinks and food.

At least I got to sleep in on Sunday, because Saturday night was an extremely tough night.  Tinkerbell had gotten hold of something or other and her stomach was growling and gurgling and she was very uncomfortable.  She got me up at 11:30 to walk and eat greenery.  Then again at 1:45 and then AGAIN at 4:30!!  Oh my goodness I was SO tired.  But there's nothing for it.  If she's sick she had to go out and I can't just open the door and let her roam.  She did finally get sicker and throw up and I don't even know when that was, but probably around 5:30 or six.  I slept until 9:30 and I really needed it. 

After a little breakfast it was more yard work.  I tried not to complain.  It is important to help people out, especially ones who have helped you.  So I manned up and raked until I started getting blisters.  Then got cleaned up and got groceries and did chores in my tweensie little place.  It's amazing - 660 sq feet, but it seems to demand as much time keeping it tidy as any other place I've lived, big or small.  That and laundry ate up a good part of the day, but I got some knitting done as well.  I now only have 7 more rows of the lace pattern to go.  I'm hoping I can get at least a couple more rows done tonight and maybe even three.  Well that's probably a bit optimistic.  We are talking over 400 stitches in a row still at this point.  I'll do my best.

I didn't get to run on Friday but I'll be out there today.  I'm not sore and my allergies haven't shown up this year (fingers crossed they will stay away).  I'm going to extend my time by 5 minutes each week now until I get up to 45.  I am considering training for a 10K for this September or October.  It will depend on my my knees fare, so that's why I'm just going to add 5 minutes a week.

I have SO much work to do I hardly know where to start.  But stopping this for now is one way to go, isn't it?

Meetings and meetings

The next couple of days - mornings really - will be meetings.  I have a little presentation this morning but I expect I should be done with my part of the meeting before noon.  Then I'm going to have a run, a little lunch, and if all goes well I should be able to scoot out of here around 2 o'clock, only to return tomorrow morning (yes, Saturday) at 8.  Oh well ... the weather has gotten more seasonable so I don't mind.

The June Gloom .... those low clouds that park themselves around here in June have returned.  It was sprinkling when I was walking Tink this morning before catching the bus.  It was quite warm yesterday and I even pulled the fan out at bedtime.  During my run yesterday I was finding the patches of shade even though I started out at 11:30.  So I'm not unhappy that the clouds are back for a while. 

I indulged myself with some Wii time last night and didn't even tough the Indian Feathers.  I am hoping to get done with the lace portion this weekend.  Saturday is busy but I don't have much of anything for Sunday so maybe I can carve out a few hours of quiet time. 

Sometimes you just have a bad day

That was yesterday.  Frustration on top of frustration.  I had a pleasant hour knitting at noon but frankly I would have been much better off if I had gone for a run instead.  But it's water under the bridge now and I am determined that this day is going to be MUCH better.

I will get to run at lunchtime and that always helps my state of mind.  It's going to be warmer today than it has this week so far so getting out early is going to be key.  I'll shoot for 11:30.  I've been giving myself a little more time to cool down after the run rather than coming right back into the building.   That does make my afternoon more comfortable because my body temperature goes back to normal much quicker.

I did a row and a half at noon knitting on my Indian Feathers but didn't even look at it when I got home.  I was in a state.  But an excellent bottle of wine, delivered on ice by a very kind soul got me to a relaxed state and I managed to calm down a bit.  I wasn't into cooking though, so I took advantage of the great Thai restaurant right outside my door.  Perfect.

Tink's eye is looking very good.  She is healing well and not messing with it at all!  I am delighted but wish I hadn't purchased that collar.  She hasn't worn it except for perhaps five minutes.  I kept the receipt.  Maybe they will let me return it.

I have a busy day ahead of me and hopefully stress free as well.  I've got a big meeting tomorrow morning and (horrors) Saturday morning at 8 am!!!  Maybe I'll scoot out a little early tomorrow to compensate myself for the Saturday morning. 

The crack of dawn

This morning I woke up at 5 o'clock and could not get back to sleep.  I just hate it when that happens!  Especially now when it's so light.  I guess I could have used my sleep mask at that point but my head started going around about work and that was all it took.  Oh, I gave it a good try.  I stayed in there to the bitter end - the alarm at 6:30.  I don't feel bad, so maybe I just had had enough sleep.  I went to bed around 10 and fell right to sleep.  Well, I'll be in bed early tonight I imagine.

Yesterday I signed up for a trial of Amazon Prime.  Netflix lost its contract with Viacom and Amazon picked it up, plus Netflix doesn't have a very good selection of movies for streaming.  It looks like the streaming video movies offered free with the Prime subscription are often changed so you keep getting fresh movies.  Not first run, but you also have the option of renting movies and the price is right.  I have been wanting to see an episode of "Justified" which has been suggested to me before, so I watched the pilot last night.  I liked it okay - a modern cowboy thing.  It's on its fourth season, so I guess it's popular.

I got another couple of rows done on the Indian Feathers and brought it in to noon knitting.  It's going to be nearly 80 today.  There is no way I wanted to have a pile of wool in my lap so it looks like Mariah is going to take a little rest for a while.

My run yesterday was another good one and I am barely sore, which is very good.  No running today, but I am determined to keep on my schedule now that I'm feeling great again.  And no allergies!!  It seems that the little bit of rain we had has knocked the cottonwood fluff down.  I haven't had much of anything going on allergy-wise, which is fantastic!  I still haven't found a race.  There is one in Buckley on the 15th, but I can't do that one because I am going on a helicopter ride, plus I'm not ready for a race.  July would be ideal.  I'll keep looking.

How lucky we are

Another day of gorgeous weather to look forward to and it's not even summer yet.  Add to that the beautiful week or so we had in May and this is shaping up to be a spectacular summer!  I believe it was last year when we had terrible weather until August and then it didn't rain for a record amount of time.   Right now it's perfect weather and temperature -- a comfortable mid-70s and low enough at night to keep the apartment relatively cool.  I know I'll have to get the fan out.  I did use it a couple of nights in May when it was hot for a few days in a row and it did keep the sleeping alcove cool and comfortable.  Plus the white noise is a bonus, covering up some of the ambient noise from outside and the hallway. 

I was up before the alarm this morning and I hate that, but Tink HAD to go outside, so I threw on some clothes and took her down for a quick piddle.  She got a nice long walk after I got dressed because I was a little ahead of schedule.  It would have been annoying in the rain, but it is so glorious this morning I hardly minded.  The plants along the path are now all growing in and starting to bloom.  I should take some pictures tonight.  The area is all planted with drought resistant native plants and many are already in bloom.  I don't know what half of them are, actually.  I recognize the wild roses and the iris, both purple and gold.  There is some Queen Anne's Lace and different types of clover.  Other than that .... I don't know.  It is just so lush and beautiful.  The creek is nearly covered up with vegetation in spots.  It wasn't that pretty in the winter but is coming into its own now.

I had a distressing day yesterday and while I walked into the apartment full of plans for the evening, I put them aside and simply had some wine and knit, trying to get rid of the stress.  The laundry can always wait for another day.  The best part of my day yesterday was my run, which was quite awesome considering I had taken another week off for my back tweak.  Now that I am healthy there should be no more excuses.  I will be doing 10 miles a week at least.  I was thinking last night that I'd like to start upping my time from 30 minutes to 40 or 45.   I think that will help with my 5K times.  I should put that on my list -- find a race for this summer.  NOT the Fremont 5K this weekend and not the Firecracker, which is a midnight run in July.  Well, I just don't like evening races.  I'll find something.

I've got another stressful day ahead.  I am working on some programming problem and it's driving me crazy but I must dig in.  The run at lunchtime will be most welcome.

Success

Friday was a pretty nerve wracking day.  Thursday night I had wrestled the dog crate out from under a pile of other rather heavy crates in the storage closet.  You have to have your pet in a crate when using a Zipcar.  The rest of the evening I relaxed and did some good knitting on the Indian Feathers shawl/scarf.   Then we were up at the normal time to get Tink to the vet by 8 o'clock.  The Zipcar is just a few blocks away so I incorporated our walk to getting to the car.  It's no problem getting Tink into the crate since she was crate trained and it still retains some of her puppy smell as well as some of Chloe's, her doggie buddy at the time.

After I dropped her off I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone and stop by the grocery store to do a little shopping and pick up my prescription.  Ah ... but the pharmacy doesn't open until 9 and I had to get the car back, so that was put off for later in the day.  It is a nice walk to the store so I don't mind, especially when the weather is as lovely as it has been - and will be the rest of the week.  Imagine my surprise when the vet called before noon to say she was ready to come home!  The surgery was quick and Tink came right out of her anesthesia.  But my Zipcar reservation wasn't until 3:30 and someone else had the car until then.  There is another car  in a lot another block further, but that too was reserved.  Two Zipcars for the entire area!  It's ridiculous!  There isn't another Zipcar lot for almost two miles in one direction and infinity in the other.  It seems very odd to me, since part of the deal about living where I do is that you don't need a car and are in fact encouraged to give them up.  I think I will suggest that we need more Zipcars.

She was quite perky when I picked her up finally, but fell asleep almost right away once we got home.  Here she is on my knee.  The vet suggested I get a cone for her and so I bought a soft one but she would NOT have anything to do with it.  I had it on her here after giving her a pain pill and putting cream on her stitches.  But this did not last.  Luckily she doesn't fuss with the eye except right after I put the antiseptic cream on the area so I have just been keeping an eye on her and leaving it off.  She is healing amazingly well and was chasing the ball on Saturday.  She was still a little off on Saturday but by Sunday was quite back to her old self.  Her eye looks perfect.  I am very pleased with how it went.


The weather was glorious all weekend.  Some little running around on Saturday, lunch outside at Duke's at Greenlake.  And Sunday lunch with friends and the finalizing of plans for a trip to Troncones, Mexico in January -- yes, 8 months away.  Ginny is a planner and I don't mind at all having something fun to look forward to.  A vacation in the sun in January will be just what the doctor ordered.  You know me.  I always need something to look forward to - long ways away and short term.  Short term is my long weekend at Ocean Shores in three weeks.  I'm not crazy about Ocean Shores per se, but Tinkerbell loves the beach and it's a weekend away.  Fingers crossed for good weather on the first weekend of summer.

I ended up finishing the 12th row of lace on the scarf and, coincidentally, the second ball of yarn. Since I am using a different yarn and needles than called for in the pattern I believe it's going to be huge.  But that's fine.  And I have several ball of this Shibu in other colors that will coordinate so it'll be fantastic, I'm sure.  The Indian Feathers pattern calls for either nupps or beads, but I am doing neither.  I am going to bead the fringe and I thought nupps would be overkill -- besides being a bit fiddle-y.  Hopefully I can get a few more rows done tonight.