Yay for Wednesday

Noon knitting day - although not the same without Peggy, of course.  We're all planning on taking an old fashioned field trip down to her new place in the next couple of weeks.  There are shuttles that run regularly.  We'll have to expand our lunch hour just a bit but it'll be fun.  Maybe when we all get together we can plan another knitting brunch, a finishing party or frogging party.  Those types of chores are much better done in a group.

Clouds moved in and it's cooler this morning, almost misty.  The clouds are low.  I had a great run on the treadmill this morning and took Tink for a nice walk to cool off, but it's still rather warm and definitely muggy so it didn't do much good.  A cool shower was of more help but I still had to re-dry my hair.  Still -- it's totally worth it.  I feel so good!

I am getting quite anxious for my little mini-vacation and visit to my sister.  Today is the last day of July and I can hardly believe it!  This has been, and continues to be, an awesome summer.  I am hoping for an awesome football season as well,  but the news was out yesterday that our newest acquisition, Percy Harvin, will be out until Thanksgiving with hip surgery and the rehab.  That's not great news but the team is still quite deep so we're not cooked yet.

Speaking of cooked --- it's breakfast time!!

Tinkerbell the model

On Sunday in the square at my apartment complex there was another themed party.  This one was "Afternoon in Paris" or something along those lines.  There was a jazz combo playing Cole Porter tunes, a food truck serving crepes and a caricature artist doing drawings.  I was busy and didn't get out there but Tinkerbell got a stroll through the square and I got this adorable picture!  I just love it!  I walked up to the Ave yesterday and bought a mat and a frame for it.  Now to find the perfect place on the wall.

Most of the dogs in the complex are good - or rather, their owners are good.  But always there are idiots with dogs they should not have.  There are three BIG huskies or malamutes ... I am not sure ... owned by three small Asian students.  Those dogs are out of control and every time they see Tink they lunge and come for her.  Monday night one of them got away from its petite owner and ran straight for us.  We were on the stairs and the big dog came to us and pinned Tink to the side of the stairs.  The dog's owner was right behind it and I yelled at the girl to keep control of her dog!  The other two dogs were straining at the lead and their owners could barely keep them from joining us on the steps.  It was scary.  Again last night I ran into one of them and the dog, again, was doing its best to break away from the owner to charge at us.   I don't know if complaining to the management would do any good.  What can they do?  So I will just have to avoid them whenever I can.  It is a disaster waiting to happen though.  And I am sure those dogs aren't only going after Tinkerbell. 

I need a weekend to recover from the weekend!

That pretty much says it all.  I am worn out - although I did get up and do my 30 minutes on the treadmill this morning.  Friday and Saturday and a little bit of Sunday as well were spent getting every last thing out of Ben's house in preparation for the remodel, which is starting this morning.  I packed last minute bits and bobs into boxes.  I moved boxes which had been previously stored in a shed - the remodel was supposed to start in April - up to the storage pod.  The men loaded all of the furniture into the pod and then the boxes.  What an ordeal.  But it was a gorgeous day so after a little rest Tinkerbell got a bath and I cleaned up and off we went to roam around Edmonds and have some drinks and snacks.  Needless to say I slept like a log Saturday night.

All I wanted to do Sunday was curl up and relax and do some knitting.  Ah but that was not to be.  We had to finish up the last little bits and somehow shoe horn Ben's things that he'll need for the next 8 weeks into my teensie weensie apartment.  Thank goodness it is summer, is all I can say.  It's going to be an interesting two months.  I am used to being alone.  I like being alone.  It is very difficult to be alone in a 660 square foot studio apartment where the only door is on the bathroom. 

McG finally got back to me about his party, which is now 3 weeks away and I don't even know if he's invited anyone!  I refused to pick up the phone last night so I've got to give him a call today and we'll see what he has in mind.  Oh how I wish this was my birthday week because I SO need a vacation.  Eleven more days. 

One of those horrible nights

Thankfully it doesn't happen very often, but last night was terrible.  My evening was lovely.  I made a nice dinner, did some knitting and got an episode and a half of "Necessary Roughness" done.  I had purchased a new book - something to replace "Telegraph Hill" and I wanted to read but I was so tired and ready to sleep before 10.  But that didn't last long.  I woke up around 11:30 and I wasn't able to get back to sleep until after 3:30!!  My mind just wouldn't shut down!  I was thinking about work and of those millions of fiddly details I've got to handle.  Not worry as much as just details flooding my mind.  I tossed and turned and got up for water and put Tink on the bed and off the bed and on the bed ..... I read the news and email.  It was so frustrating.  I did drift off somewhere after 3:30 so as you may imagine when the alarm went off at 5:45 I was none to happy and re-set it for  6:30.  I can go without my run but I knew I'd never make it if I got up then.

At this point I'm tired but I think I'll be okay.  I'm guzzling my first cup of tea now and it should get me going.  I am hungry.  I just need to make it to 1 o'clock and then I'm out of here for the weekend. 

I have nearly two skeins left to go on the Mobius Cowl and already I'm thinking of my next project.  You know what I should do?  I should finish a couple of things I've got laying around!!!!  It's just sewing.  That's a perfect thing to do when it's so hot.  I'm going to place that idea in the forefront of my brain.  It would feel great to finish the blouse I made a couple of years ago - Chipotletan ... something like that.  All it needs is sewing together and it would be a good garment for transition.  And then there's the Cloisonne Jacket that only needs the facings sewn down.  I should do that, shouldn't I?

Am I spoiled?

I don't really think so.  We all have priorities.  Travel is one of my priorities.  Unfortunately I must work in order to travel.  It's a vicious circle, isn't it?  I was switching out purses last weekend and opened a zip pocket in a purse that I must have used on my last trip to Europe, which was last November.  I dumped out into my hand a variety of coins - euros and pounds - and I then realized that I won't be going this fall.  I won't be seeing my friends and that's the hardest part.  The trade off is that I'm going to spend a week in a fabulous villa in Mexico in January.  That's not a bad thing!  Plus I get an entire week off at Thanksgiving to just laze around and cook turkey dinner. And then I'll still have vacation time to take from Christmas through New Years off, where I'll be doing a lot more lazing around.  And then I'll have Mexico to look forward to when it's just nasty and cold here.  And I'm going to see my sister in Santa Monica for my birthday.  I have nothing at all to complain about and yet ... and yet I have this one little part of myself that is pouting in the corner because I can't go to Europe this fall.  Maybe I can make something happen for spring of 2014.

The heat continues and yesterday evening I was melting, even with the fans going.  I couldn't even touch my knitting so thankfully I got a few rows done at lunchtime.  I am enjoying my last few days before I get a roommate for the duration of the remodel project, which will start on Monday.  Two people in 660 square feet is going to be a challenge.  Thank goodness for headphones and Wi-Fi.  So I took advantage and sprawled on the couch, watched stupid TV and played video games.  Tink is very slow when it's hot outside.  She doesn't do much playing until it gets cooler in the evening.  Sometimes I hear her late at night chewing on a bone and tossing it around.  Poor little thing.  She needs a haircut but I don't have a spare Saturday until mid-August!

It is supposed to cool down a bit tomorrow.  We're look at 80 plus again today though.  Ah well .... no complaining!  I think back on all those times we don't get a summer at all!  This is wonderful.

A lucky day

What a great start to the day!  I popped out of bed at 5:45 and was on the treadmill at 5:59 and I have to say I had the best run yet.  Friday I'm going to turn it up a little faster.  I'm not going to have too many weekend days to run outside before my September 8 race so I need to push myself a little bit more.  After the run I took Tink out for a nice long morning walk and on the way back into the building I found money on the street.  Only $2 but still ..... that's a cup of coffee at the bus stop.  It's going to be hot and sunny again today.  No complaints there.  AND it's Wednesday, which is noon knitting.  I managed a few rows last night but it was awfully hot.  The air conditioner is sitting there, but not hooked up because the manual has not yet made it to my house.  Hopefully this weekend.  It's GOT to be this weekend.

I tried to read last night but I just can't get into this book.  It's called "Telegraph Hill" and it was highly recommended.  The author is prolific but ... I don't know.  Maybe it's because I've only read it before going to sleep and I don't read big enough bites.  But no - I think I just don't like his style.  I should probably just give it up and start something else.  I've got one on my bedside table and one on my iPad - both new and tonight might be the night I crack one of them open and see if I can get into one or the other.

Football is coming soon but in these dark times I've taken to watching a little baseball from time to time.  Mostly because I listen to the sports podcasts and the local one talks about our team.  The Mariners are doing quite well for a change - they have an 8 game winning streak going.  It's fun to watch when they're winning, isn't it?  But football is just around the corner.  Training camp is starting up this week.  Woohoo!

Knitting mojo

It disappears in the summer sometimes.  It's not just me that it happens to either.  I think I've done better this year about not letting it really take hold.  Last night though I didn't even look at my project bag.  I was wiped out from a bad night Sunday and even though I had great plans for doing some housework and prepping some berries, I actually did nothing more than laze around on the couch. 

And there's nothing wrong with that!  I did get an awesome dress - one I saw in a catalog and just HAD to have.  The good news is that it's just as cute or even cuter than the picture!  The bad news is that it's too cool to wear to the luau/BBQ I'm going to on August 3rd.  I want to save it for my trip to California and my birthday party down there.  So now I'm going to have to find something else to wear to the party.  It's not that it's too dressy.  But this is going to be a BBQ which equals sauce and I am notorious for getting food on my clothes.  I would hate to ruin it before I get to California. I love the color and those ruffles! 

It's supposed to be hot today and tomorrow - in the 80s again.  I don't mind.  It's better than Phoenix, which is crazy hot!  My poor friend McG has had to work from 4 am until noon because it's too hot for his crew to be out working.  I don't know how they stand that.  I suspect there's not much knitting being done.

Brake happy bus driver

I had quite a load to carry in to work today.  Not only my milk for my tea this week and my oatmeal, plus fruit and yogurt and a big box of Splenda packets.  Yes, that's right.  Splenda packets because the department does not pay for coffee, tea, or anything like that.  It's supposed to be self-sustaining but people do not pay for their coffee or tea or popcorn or ... whatever.  They just take it and the coffee fund has been shrinking and now there's no more money.  I bring my own tea and now I'm bringing my own sweetener as well.    But I digress .... so I'm on the bus, playing on my iPhone and with my purse and tote bag full of food on the seat beside me.  The bus driver slams on the brakes for the billionth time that morning and over goes my bag!  Frozen meals and my apple as well as several packets of oatmeal all slid out of the bag and under seats.  It was very annoying, especially for the woman across from me who had to get my apple from under her seat.

On Friday I went straight to the nail salon after work and then to an early dinner outside at Red Robin.  It's one of the few places close to me where I can take Tink.  Twigs, which is a place I really love and that has a great happy hour menu, isn't a place I can take her because their outdoor dining space has a solid wall rather than a fence.  I need a fence so she can lay by the table while I eat.  She's a good dog and her eye is looking great.

Saturday was a visit to the hair salon, and then out to a BBQ.  The sun finally came out and it was hot!  But it cooled down later and I was able to sit and knit and watch the Mariners (who are on a streak right now).  The Seahawks single game tickets go on sale today at 10 and I am charged with going on line and trying to buy a couple.  I don't have much hope of getting anything but I'll try.  They are going to sell out fast.  It's only three weeks until my birthday and the first preseason game.  I can't wait!!!  My nephew sent out the invitation to the fantasy league Friday and I am getting excited for that.  I am going to be better this year.  Maybe I can even win it!

My morning started out with a great run on the treadmill.  Let's hope the rest of the day goes as well as it started. 

Doing the Friday happy dance

I shouldn't have said that yesterday - about things being slow.  The day spun out after that - madness at every turn.  At a meeting I had in the afternoon I had to come face to face with absurd political correctness.  Absurd.  Where does it stop?  I can't go into details because, however unlikely it is that someone here would read it and take offense, I can't take that chance.  Let us just say that I think things are out of control when it comes to that type of thing.  I can understand and embrace diversity and being sensitive to people and their differences.  But somewhere there has to be a bottom line.    Oh well, don't get me on that soapbox.  It's crazy though.

The madness continued after I left.  I was sent a message that I had a FedEx package waiting for me at the apartment office, however they could not find it.  Frustrating.  I wasn't expecting anything from FedEx so I suspect it was a typo on their part, but frustrating nonetheless.  But then I got to give Tink a nice long walk and just relax for the rest of the evening.  It was a fasting day, so dinner wasn't an issue, although going to sleep with such a hunger raging in my tummy was a bit of an issue.  I did lots of work on the Mobius Cowl -- two more skeins to go.

I had a great night and got right up and was on treadmill by 6.  I turned it up to 5.2 and it was a bit more challenging but I made it, although cooling off was a challenge.  It was over 60 degrees when I went out and even with a cool shower afterwards it took some time.  I feel great now after a yummy skinny vanilla latte.  So on with the day.   Here's hoping for a relatively relaxing weekend.  Only one party this weekend.  yay!

Waiting for the other shoe to drop

I know it is going to get very busy at work but right now it's not so busy and I am having a hard time self-starting.  It's another morning with low clouds and plenty of humidity and frankly I'd rather be in bed catching a few more winks.  But .... I'm not. 

Yesterday was this way as well.  Even Tink was low energy.  Tuesday night she had me playing ball for a long time but last night she wasn't interested in doing anything.  Her normal walks, of course, she is always up for that.   Otherwise she was just snoozing on the floor while I made dinner and did a little knitting.  I was going to try to catch up on "Necessary Roughness" but I wasn't in the mood.  I made a lovely dinner of Trader Joe's crab cakes and some roasted asparagus.  I was SO looking forward to a nice, crisp Cameo apple for dessert but it was mushy!!  I HATE mushy apples.  I cannot eat them.  I put the other two in the refrigerator to slow them down a bit but I think I just got some bad ones again.  I haven't been having much luck with apples lately.

I have been very spoiled with the sunshine.  Please come back soon!!

Midnight madness

All day yesterday the clouds moved in and sat.  It was very humid and very hot.   It sure looked like thunderstorms to me and sure enough, during the night it did thunder and rain.  Tink heard the thunder first and woke me with a little bark.  But she was under the bed -- I didn't understand why she was barking.  I couldn't hear the thunder at that point and there had been no lightening I could see.  Finally, faintly, I heard it and by that time I had coaxed her out from under the bed and she spent the rest of the night on the bed, even though it was so hot.  It is a little cooler today but by the weekend it's supposed to be in the high 80s.  I should have that thing hooked up by Friday night, Saturday at the latest.

I continue to be pleasantly surprised by my great treadmill runs in the early early morning.  I can only assume it's going to be less pleasant when the mornings are dark and cold, but for now it's lovely and I don't have any trouble with energy.  I love my leisurely cool down walk, as does Tinkerbell.  Her eye is looking really good, but I am going to keep her away from that other dog anyway.  I'm going to a party there on Saturday and Tink is NOT going.  Peaches may be small but she packs a wallop!

Noon knitting without Peggy today.  Today we're going to the 4th floor.  Switching it up.  I got some more good work done on the Mobius Cowl last night.  I wish I liked the colors more but I love love love that yarn!

Good dog!

Sometimes Tink surprises me in a good way, like she did in the middle of the night.  I had been working on my Mobius Cowl.  I have the yarn in a bag on the floor and the project on my lap so that the working yarn is out there between the floor and the couch.  During the evening Tink got wound up in the yarn when she went around the ottoman.   She stood still and let me unwind her without snagging the yarn.  When I went to bed instead of putting my project into the bag with the yarn I put it on the ottoman, leaving the working yarn hanging out in space.  In the middle of the night I heard Tink do a little bark.  It was not like her "I am out of water" bark and she was too far away for it to be an "I want on the bed" bark, so I got up and turned on the light.  There she was, laying patiently waiting for me to come unwind the yarn from her back foot.  Rather than go crazy and pull at my work, which didn't have point protectors on, by the way.  It could have been a disaster!  What a good good dog.

It is hot hot hot and getting hotter today.  The air conditioner is in my apartment and set under the window, but it is not connected.  I will have to wait until the weekend.  I am fine with the fan - mostly comfortable and it's only going to be really hot today.  It'll cool down a bit for the rest of the week - only in the mid-80s.

I've been working on getting a party together for McG's big birthday in August.  I come to find out that his daughter is getting married so he's coming up here August 1 through 14 and then going back to Arizona!  His birthday is the 25th so we were going to have the party on the 24th but, and rightly so, he doesn't want to turn around and come up for the weekend.  So now the plan is for him to extend his stay through the weekend and have the party on the 17th.  This is kind of defeating the purpose because he says the reason he wants to have a party is that he doesn't want to be alone on his birthday.  If he has the party on the 17th ......  Nothing is ever easy with this guy!

Paper on the windows!

For several months now I have been eagerly awaiting some sign that the work was starting on the new pub at the south end of the complex.  Finally yesterday evening I noticed that several of the windows were covered.  Oddly, another storefront on the north side of the most southerly building is also seeing some action.  Maybe we're getting two new businesses.  The pub will be most welcome, especially if they can get it done before football starts.  As for the other business .... I think a grocery store of some kind would be awesome but because the rents are so high there I doubt that is what it will be.  A dry cleaner would also be welcome but again - I doubt it.  I only know about the high cost of the retail spaces because the woman who owns the nail spa on Lake City Way has been talking to me about it. She wanted to open a spot there, but the rent is outrageous!  So we will just have to wait and see.  But it's exciting!

It was cooler yesterday and it was a welcome change.  It is going to start getting warmer and warmer beginning tomorrow but for today it's going to stay in the mid-70s.  I'm going to the Mariner game tonight.  I was hoping for a little bit warmer experience but it's going to be loads of fun no matter what.  Now I just have to decide if I'm going to get peanuts or garlic fries!

I had a dull evening with no knitting last night.  I wanted to knit but I didn't get my dinner until 7, then it was a dog walk and a few phone calls and I was beat!  I had to get up for my run this morning and I was out like a light at 10.  Unfortunately I woke up at 5 and couldn't get back to sleep!  Arghghgh!  I hate when that happens.  Nevertheless I had a super awesome run on the treadmill.  I remembered my inhaler and that helps a lot.  I am quite wheezy lately - allergies I suspect.  I was able to do the entire 30 minutes on 5.  My goal is to get it up to 6 before my race in September.  Plenty of time.  Maybe even 6.5??

The story of the air conditioner

Here's how to get a free air conditioner -- get lucky.  So many things in life are luck, aren't they.  This air conditioner was a floor model sold at a discount but still rather steep because it's a good one.  When we opened the box so we could roll it to the elevator to get it upstairs it was quite obvious that it had been damaged in shipping.  Most likely crushed because the plastic case was broken at the bottom.  Pictures were snapped and this morning full credit was given for the machine!  Woohoo!  Way to go Ben!!  I'll do my best to fix it so that it doesn't show.  But really, as long as it works I am thrilled.  Not that we need it today.  The clouds have rolled in again and it's almost misty outside.  It's supposed to start getting hot again on Sunday.

I got to knit at noon yesterday.  It was a small group and I was the only one with knitting!  We miss Peggy!  That was all the knitting I was able to do.  I cooked a little dinner and watched a movie and then it was bedtime.  I needed it.  Tomorrow is going to be a busy day and night starting at 5:45 am when the alarm goes off and ending with the Mariner's game.  I sure hope it's not a long game.  Poor Tink it going to get the worst of it.  She'll get a walk from 6:30 until 7 when I'm cooling off, then a short one before I get on the bus at 4:15 to go downtown for the game.  We're meeting up at 5 for a couple of beers and a bite to eat.  I'll be lucky to get home before 11.  I'll have to make it up to her this weekend.

The fringiest!

I am SO in love with this scarf/shawl .... wrap ... whatever you want to call it.  The silk yarn drapes perfectly and the beaded fringe tinkles!  I used little brass beads and they act like bells.  The unfortunate part is that the fringe tends to get tangled up with each other but it's a small price to pay for such hippy goodness.  It will be a challenge to wear on the bus.  In hindsight perhaps I shouldn't have made the fringe so long but it just looks so cool!  If it is really unwearable as it is then I can easily shorten the fringe but I'm going to try it as is.  When?  I don't know.  For now it lives on my evil twin (AKA my dress form) along with the other beautiful shawls that I cannot bear to shove into the closet.

Tinkerbell's eye is looking good one day and not so good the next.  She was rubbing it last night and it looks like she opened the scab again!  But it's not infected and the reason she was rubbing it was because it was gooey near the inner eye.  Not bad, but it had hardened and that was causing the hair to pull.  So I cleaned it up in the evening and she was looking quite good this morning.  I would like to avoid taking her to the vet again.

I closed the slider last night and put on a fan to blow into the bedroom.  I couldn't face another night of noise and sleeplessness.  The fan works great but tonight .... tonight I get my portable air conditioner!  I probably won't need it tonight since it's not going to be hot today, but at the end of the week we're supposed to be in the 80s again so it will be quite handy.  But even though I had quiet and I was tired I couldn't drop off.  It was nearly 11 before I fell asleep and my alarm goes off at 5:45 on workout mornings!  I was feeling just fine and jumped right up and was running by 6.   Thankfully I remembered to take a couple puffs from my inhaler.   I am hoping the treadmill running will help me increase my pace.  I am slowly increasing it  and even though I know treadmill running doesn't translate precisely into street or path running, my legs are still moving faster.  It's worth a try.

Noon knitting today but it's not the same without Peggy.  We will soldier on.

Tomorrow ....

I know I promised a picture of the finished (and fringe-y) shawl but that is the one thing I didn't get around to last night.  By the time I finished chores and phone and hair I just wanted to crash in front of the TV and watch something mindless.  I am working my way through the backed up episodes of the few programs I do record.  "Necessary Roughness" is the one I'm working on now.  Since it hasn't gotten very far into the season yet I am only now one episode behind.

I did manage to get a few more rows knit on my Mobius Cowl.  It was warm but not too warm to knit and it is such a perfect TV knitting project.  I am not yet done with the first of four skeins and the temperature is on the rise again so I may have to put it away and find myself a project with non-fuzzy yarn.  I am getting my portable air conditioner tomorrow and that should do much to keep the apartment knit friendly.

The air conditioner is going to help me to sleep, not only by keeping the place cooler but allowing me to close my large slider which effectively opens up almost half of the wall space at the end of the apartment, which is right above the plaza and the fountain.   And with that slider open the noise from the movie theatre and the trucks that park out there and unload food for the restaurants is much louder because it echoes off the wall.  I will be keeping that window closed and it will be so much better.  I was losing my mind last night.  I must have been awakened three times at least by people either coming out of the theatre or laughing and talking in the square.  There is a large plastic chess set on the plaza.  The pieces should be put away before 10 but sometimes they are not so there are either noisy games going on or people playing (kicking mostly) the plastic pieces around.  It is very annoying, as you can imagine.  Especially when you're tired and want to sleep.  Well I'm exhausted today so hopefully I will drop right off tonight and stay that way.  Maybe I'll close that window and turn on the fan.  Wednesday is one of my early (5:45 am) mornings.

My sis is all moved into her new apartment in Santa Monica so yesterday I made a reservation to go down to visit with her in August for a long weekend.  I'll be here for my birthday, then on Friday the 9th fly out in the morning and come back Tuesday night.  That way I'll be here with my football buddies to watch the first pre-season Seahawks game.  How thoughtful of them to have it on my birthday this year.

It is supposed to get over 80 degrees today but it is comfortable now.  I should work while I can.

A long weekend, a little scare and plenty of sunshine

It was like a little vacation in the country.  It's amazing how much of a rest one can get in just four days, isn't it?  I did take off a little early on Wednesday.  The office closed early and I headed out for a much needed manicure and pedicure and then headed out to Cottage Lake.  It was mostly a quiet evening except somewhere in earshot someone was blowing up fireworks a day early and Tink was going crazy.  She finally settled down but it took nearly an hour, poor little thing. 

Thursday was the 4th and a picnic.  The day started out cloudy - typical for Seattle - but atypically the clouds cleared up and it was gorgeous and warm.  There were quite a few people there and three dogs.  They were all getting along perfectly fine, even playing.  Then there was a scuffle.  A girl, contrary to her father's advice, put a bowl of food out for her dog, Peaches.  Tink went over to get a drink of water from the bowl next to the food and dared to sniff the food.  Peaches went crazy and attached Tinkerbell and opened up her surgery site and her eye was bleeding.  Needless to say I was NOT happy.  And very scared for Tinkerbell so that was it - the party was over for me and off we went in search of an emergency vet.  The good news is that it was just the scab that was disturbed and she seems fine.  I got some antibiotics for her and, bonus, some sedatives which did the trick for the night of the 4th and good thing too, because there were fireworks going off for a long time right outside the bedroom window.  On and on and on and on.  Obviously someone's parents weren't home.  What a mess in the street.

The rest of the weekend was lovely and warm and sunny.  Friday I got to spend time beading my shawl fringe and I finished it up on Saturday right before people came over for a BBQ.  Perfect timing.  And oh do I ever love love love this shawl!  The brass beads make a musical tinkling.  I didn't get around to taking a picture of the finished shawl last night but will do so for sure tonight.  I can't wait for an occasion to wear it.  It's too hot now.  I know I'm going to have some trouble with the fringe getting tangled up but it's totally worth it.

Since my friend McG is not having his birthday party in Las Vegas this year (and I am very happy about that) and he is instead coming to Seattle for his birthday, I am going to extend my birthday and go down to visit my sister and see her new place in Santa Monica.  I'll make reservations tomorrow - leave here on the morning of the 9th and spend the weekend and come back home on the Tuesday.  That way I'll still have a few days to play with and have my time at Thanksgiving and Christmas plus my 5 days in January in Mexico.  Yes - I'm a planner.   But who likes to run out of vacation time?  Not me.

Relief

I had a wonderful night's sleep last night.  It cooled down a bit and I was able to turn the fan off around midnight.  It was also quiet for a change and I woke up when the alarm went off at 5:50 and got myself downstairs and on the treadmill by 6.  And now I just get through a short day and I have a four day weekend!  Woohoo!  And sunshine for the whole time.  Ahhh .....

One of the (million) chores I did last night was soak and block the Indian Feathers shawl on my kitchen floor with my new blocking mats.  Now I have more than enough blocking mats for any project.  I used every single blocking pin I own to pin this.  Hopefully this weekend I can get the fringe on and start stringing beads.  I got some metal ones and some glass ones.   You can see the small band of cold color at the neck and this same yarn will be used for fringe along with the cream color.  It should be pretty cool.  I am excited to get it done.


I am looking forward to having lots of time and plenty of nothing to do.  I've got books to read and magazines, the fringe to put on this and a BBQ or two.  It should be a wonderful weekend.  McG has decided to have his birthday up here rather than Las Vegas, which is okay by me.  I don't have a place to host a party to it's going to be on somebody else.  And now I can plan a few days to visit my sister in Santa Monica and see her new apartment.  Sometime in August.

Happy Independence Day!  Keep cool.

A real summer

What a treat to actually have the beginning of July be so nice and sunny and warm!  Well, hot actually but who's complaining?  Since I had my workout in the early morning yesterday I took advantage of the gorgeous weather and took a stroll around the campus at lunchtime.  The medicinal herb gardens are in full glory as are the roses around the fountain.  It was just perfect yesterday and I am SO so so so happy that I have gotten back into the morning running and don't have to get all hot and sweaty at lunchtime any more.  Yesterday I did finally get the hang of running on the treadmill and didn't use the hand rails.  That gives the experience a little more reality although I will have to go out and run on a path for a few times before I actually do another race.  It is a quite different experience.  Yes your legs are doing a running movement but on the dirt or path or pavement it isn't moving as well. 

I had a long list of chores and things I wanted to accomplish when I got home, number one being soaking and pinning out the Indian Feathers shawl.  But oh my was it ever hot in the apartment and after walking Tinkerbell all I wanted to do was recline and let the fan blow cool air on me.  Plus I had a load of dishes to run and dinner to make and it didn't seem like such a good idea to have the wet shawl on the floor while I was trying to do other things.  So tonight, since today is a fast day and dinner will be only a cup of soup, I will get that pinned out.  Surely it will dry over night in this heat.  I also need to pack up what few things I need for the long weekend, but that shouldn't take long.

Knitting was on my list last night but the heat made it not such a good idea.  At least not this project with the Shiraito.  Even with a fan blowing directly on my hands I wouldn't have been comfortable with that little bit of wool in my lap.  So I was idle and watched some TV, trying to catch up on the programs on my DVR.  The new season of Necessary Roughness has started so I got one episode done before I had to head to bed. 

It seems that the one fan in the kitchen blowing through is the best way to stay cool.  I had the tower fan blowing from the other direction onto the bed but it is noisy and finally woke me up when it started to squeal.  It has been getting a workout.  Tonight I'll just stick with the one and see how I do.  And then from Wednesday on I'll be in the country and it'll be only birdsong to keep me awake rather than food delivery trucks and garbage trucks.  Ahhhh ......

A weekend of firsts

I am scared of heights.  I can't stand near a railing or walk over a tall bridge without being extremely uncomfortable.  So the idea of riding in a helicopter was kind of a love/hate thing.  Saturday morning I got into a small helicopter and I had to sit in the front because I was the smallest - it is a weight distribution thing.  It was a four seater, the driver (on the right side) had taken his door off because of the heat and it's all glass - or plexiglass or whatever the heck.  It's clear.  I got strapped in and told myself that if I got scared I'd just pretend it was a ride at Disneyland or Universal Studios.  But I have to say it was the most AWESOME thing!  I wasn't uncomfortable for a second, even when the pilot did steep banking turns.  We got to fly over the new Husky Stadium, and see Seattle in a way that is so much better than flying over in a passenger jet.  The entire trip was extremely relaxing and I would do it again in a heartbeat!  I loved it.

We had to escape the heat.  The entire country, or at least the west coast, is broiling in a heatwave and my apartment, my teensie weensie apartment, has no air conditioning and southern exposure.  It is hot.  So we headed out to the house that should have been remodeled by now, but won't be started until July 29.  Most of everything is packed up awaiting the construction but it's liveable and much much cooler.  It was even cool enough for me to do a few more repeats on the Mobius Cowl while watching the Mariners.  And then I made mussels for the first time and they were just delicious.  I got some tarragon and cooked them in white wine then made a sauce with the wine and butter and tarragon.  Simple and utterly gorgeous.  Ahhh .....  And there you go - two firsts in one day!

A little yard work in the morning while it was relatively cool is the only way to go.  By noon it was hot and by 1 unbearable.   That was fine.  Believe me, I hate yard work.  Thirty minutes is enough for me.  There was no knitting.  The temperature was even hotter than Saturday and I was not looking forward to going back to my oven, but there was nothing for it.  I got sushi for dinner - the only thing I could imagine eating besides the yummy watermelon salad I had made Saturday.  And even with two fans blowing I didn't get much sleep.

I was awake before 5:30 and headed down to the workout room right before six and had a super great run on the treadmill.  I'm getting used to running on it and didn't even use the handles after I got warmed up.  I also had remembered to take my inhaler.  It was great.  Then I took a full 30 minutes walking with Tink to cool down so I wouldn't have the same problem I had Friday.  That was just a little too long though.  I ended up JUST making my bus.  Wednesday I'll cut her walk a bit.  She was happy for the 30 minutes and frankly I bet she won't be all that excited about walking when I get home in the 90+ degrees.  I hope they let us out early today.   There's no air conditioning in my office.