Heigh-oh! Three day weekend!

All I have to do is make it through the morning and then ..... I'm off!  Taking off early to start my long weekend with nothing but football (the Huskies have their season opener tomorrow) and sunshine and long walks and cocktails and a few mock drafts.  My fantasy draft is next Tuesday night and I haven't even started doing research.  But that's not work.  It's fun.

Did we ever get some rain yesterday!  Wow!  It was a deluge - well, I should say several deluges.  At one point in the evening I had to close the slider door because the rain was blowing into the dining room!  It cooled the air a bit but did absolutely nothing for the stifling humidity.  Tink's 7 o'clock walk was a joy in the damp, cool-ish air.

I watched most of the Seahawks game last night against the hapless Raiders, but lost interest after the first half when it was our number 3s against their number 2s.  The final roster cuts are coming and then REAL football!

After turning the air conditioner on I got comfy and got a few more rows done on the Mobius Cowl.  I dearly want to finish that thing so maybe this weekend I can carve out a few hours for a couple of days and put it to bed.  And then ... oh I should really, truly finish up my Cloisonne jacket.  All it needs is the facings sewn on!  That's it.  It was already blocked and sewn before the facings were knit.  *sigh*  Really, that's what I should do.  Keep tuned.  Will I?  J

Oh the humidity!

Honestly.  It is like being on the East coast!   And hot too - nearly 80 yesterday.  I had to put the air conditioner on again last night.  The Seahawks are playing their last pre-season game tonight, here at home, and I pity those players.  It's going to be nasty out there on the field.

It was a busy busy day yesterday, and it'll be another busy one today.  I've got a presentation to make at 10 am to the incoming class, then another TA meeting at noon.  Yesterday was noon knitting but I only got to go for a few minutes.  I was super stressed and I needed to wind down.  It was perfect.  I won't be able to go out for my noon walk - although if the my portion of the meeting is quick I guess I can still go!  Yeah, I'll do that.  If it's not pouring rain.

It was a quiet evening.  Chores and a nice curry for dinner and then an episode of Hard Knocks.  I think there's only one more left.  The fan allowed me a decent night's sleep.  Poor Tink.  She is not doing well with this heat.  She HATES to walk when it's hot and I have to make her go out when I get home.  Yesterday I was just dragging her around until she got all her business done.  I know when she is too hot on a walk because when I get into the elevator she immediately plops herself down on the cool tile.  And then at home, she makes a bee line for the air conditioner rather than her basket of toys.  She's a little better at the 7 o'clock walk, but not much.  The mornings are her favorite for now.

So - onward.  I just have to make it through today and half of tomorrow and then .... woohoo, long weekend!

Coping strategies

My favorite coping strategy ... coping with the stress caused by work this time of year ... is hard exercise and heavy doses of daydreaming about an upcoming trip.  But my next trip is so far in the future that it's hard to capture for stress release.   My next real time off is Thanksgiving week, which will be a stay-cation but a lovely long rest as well.  I know I have a little extra vacation and I'll probably end up using it in October after Histo gets going.  That'll have to do.

After Tink's walk yesterday when I got home, I quickly changed into some more comfy clothes -- it was blazing hot and muggy -- and took off for the QFC to pick up a partial prescription.  I had forgotten to call in a refill last week, called it in on the weekend only to find that there were no refills left and by yesterday afternoon my doctor's office still hadn't responded to the pharmacy.  They were kind enough to offer me a supply to get me through to the end of the week and now I'll have to call the doctor's office myself to find out what's going on.  My guess is they're short handed.  It is late August after all.

Then by the time I returned, showered and got my hair dried it was time for her 7 pm walk.  As a happy bonus I found a book on my Kindle that I had forgotten I had ordered!  One I was looking forward to reading and so I popped into bed with the fan on and had a good long, maybe too long, read.  When that alarm went off at 5:45 this morning ... yipes.  But I made it out of bed and down to the treadmill by 6 am and I'm feeling great.  Good thing too because it's going to be a big day today and tomorrow.  Hopefully I can get all of my ducks lined up Friday so I can take off early for a long weekend.

Noon knitting today.  I know where everyone will be.  No surprises today.

Oh this week ....

Every year it's the same.  At least I haven't had any nightmares yet, although I did have some pretty vivid dreams last night.  Dreaming means I was sleeping so that's good.  It was cooler last night and I sleep much better when I'm not gasping for breath. 

I was caught up in telephone calls and only got a little bit of knitting done.  I am now quite eager to get finished with the Mobius Cowl and start working again on the Mariah jacket.  It will be quite difficult to get re-started with it, I am sure.  On the sleeves there are three things to keep track of, hence three counters.  But once the sleeves are done it'll be smooth sailing.  But not for a few more weeks.  It is a hot project, for cool weather knitting.

I am feeling quite antsy, and I am so glad I've got a three day weekend to look forward to.  Hopefully the weather will be nice and not raining.  Wouldn't that be something if, after all this glorious summer we've been having, that the last weekend of summer (not literally but school-wise) would be rainy?  I cannot say how many times it's happened, but quite a few.

I need a vacation.  It is going to be weeks and weeks.

Last week before chaos

That was quick -- the weekend was gone in a minute.  Friday night I watched the Seahawks beat the Packers.  Only one more pre-season game to go.  This was the seventh pre-season game in a row they've won.  Pretty impressive, even though the games don't count.  It really speaks to their depth.  There were a couple more games on this weekend and I watched a bit.  I truly do have to start studying for my draft, which is taking place at the very absolutely last minute - Tuesday night before the first game, which is on Thursday, September 5th.  Tick tock

All I really wanted to do this weekend was rest.  Just do nothing.  It was almost what I got.  I did do a little running around on Saturday and got talked into going to Golden Gardens to walk the dog and have lunch.  Ah ... not such a good idea on a beautiful sunny day in August.  It was crazy down there and there wasn't a spot to be had in the parking lots.  There were people getting married at the end of the park and in between the marina and the end of the park about a million people having picnics and playing in the sand.  It would have made Tink crazy anyway so I thought the dog park might be a fine idea.  She was not at all interested in it.  Period.  She kept turning around and heading for the gate!  So I gave in and we left.  She was much happier laying under my feet at a little pub outside.  That's fine with me.  I heard some nice music and had a lovely beer. 

I very much wanted to knit but it was just too hot Saturday evening, even with the air conditioning.  Plus I needed some quiet time to get back on track with the project I started while I was in California using some Noro Taiyo I had stashed.  I decided to make another pair of convertible mitts with longer cuffs.  After a busy Sunday with dog walking and a visit to the nail salon and then some much needed cleaning I was able to sit down Sunday afternoon in the blissful quiet and just knit.  Ahhhh ....  It took me a while but I was finally able to get them going.  It is just fiddly trying to get two at a time on two circulars going, especially with this yarn which is very very fine.  It will be slow going but they will be well used.  By the time I get them done it'll be cold enough to need them.

It will be very busy this week in spurts with the two TA meetings and orientation to run.  I think this is my least favorite week of the year.  Running in the morning is a big help for my state of mind, I must say.  Fingers crossed I can keep it up.  My right ankle was a bit tweaky this morning, but I just got on the treadmill and started and a couple of minutes in it was all warmed up and no pain.  Let's keep it that way.

It feels like the whole world is on vacation!

It is so quiet around here!  So many people are on vacation and school is not in session.  Plus, it's Friday.  I hopped right out of bed and got on that treadmill.  And when I was done, took a lovely walk with Tink.  It's cooler this morning and a bit cloudy.  It will burn off by noon but thankfully is not supposed to be near as hot as yesterday.  I did notice as well that it's getting cooler at night.  Finally.

On my way in to work today 3 guys got on the bus at a stop by a dorm building.  They were football players, I'm sure of it.  Husky football starts in a little over a week!  They are playing in their new stadium, which is gorgeous!  I flew over it in the helicopter ride last month but I walk by it nearly every day.  The basic shape is the same, but it's modernized, the track is gone and there are more seats.  It's going to be really loud. 

I wasn't in the mood for TV last night even though there was a pre-season game on.  Two teams I am not really interested in, although I've got to step up my game here and pay attention.  I've got my fantasy draft in a couple of weeks.  Maybe I should do a few mock ones, ya think?  I knit a few rows and then retired to read but nothing really caught my attention.  I'm a little restless I guess.  I love the sunshine but I don't do very well with heat.  Plus I had a terrible sinus thing going on yesterday and so it was headache all day.  The only thing that helps in that situation - a muggy day - is something for my sinuses but Benadryl is not for the daytime. 

But hey!  It's Friday!!  The Seahawks are on the road, playing the Packers tonight in pre-season game 3, the dress rehearsal.  I think they'll have the number one players in for the entire first half.  I hope anyway.  And nothing going on this weekend but resting -- and housework and laundry and nails ... I want to dedicate a few hours to just quiet knitting time.  I shall.

My invisible suit

I actually didn't know I was wearing it yesterday, but apparently I was!  Since it was, I thought, only going to be two of us for noon knitting I decided it would be crazy to book the big (40 person) conference room and instead suggested that we meet downstairs in the Rotunda, which is the area outside of the cafeteria where there are tables and chairs.  When I got down there I couldn't see any of my knitting buddies and the one who was supposed to be meeting me had a meeting and said she'd be a little late.  So I sat down and took out my knitting and proceeded to knit alone and wait for my friend.  And she never came and never came.  I did spy her ex-boss having lunch and thought perhaps she had seen her and decided not to join me.  So at about 10 to 1, I decided she wasn't going to show and got up to go back to work.  That's when I spied them -- THREE of them -- sitting at a table behind me.  They all swore they looked for me and who am I to say they didn't.  But I was right there, with knitting on the table.  *sigh*  I felt like an idiot sitting there all alone.  Ah well, it won't happen again.  Next time we'll set an exact place to meet.

Being that it's so ridiculously hot in my apartment I put dinner in the slow cooker before I left for work yesterday so I came home to dinner already cooked.  That was nice because it was crazy hot in that apartment.  Too hot to knit, which makes me sad.  Hopefully I can get that Mobius Cowl finished this weekend.  I want to get going on a pair of convertible mitts for this fall.  I did start them in California but it's tricky starting two at once on circulars and my yarn got tangled.  Also I was drinking wine -- not smart when you're trying to do that.  So I just relaxed and watched Hard Knocks and some stupid TV.  My new favorite stupid show - Drunk History - is hilarious so I caught up on that as well. 

It's going to be another hot one today.  But at night it seems as if it's getting just a little cooler.   I just love that I'm working out in the mornings.  I really enjoy my noon walks around the campus.  Probably it won't be so enjoyable when it's nasty and cold outside, but for now it's glorious.  The roses are in full bloom in the gardens around the fountain and you can smell them.  Ahhh .... beautiful.

Who are they targeting?

I am continually surprised by the ridiculous spam emails that find their way through the filters - even on my work email.  Yesterday I was informed that the senders had donated 2 million British pounds to me.  Who believes this stuff?  Who actually sends their personal information?  I know that there are people every day new to the Internet, but by now the warnings are everywhere.  I am just astonished that this phenomenon hasn't disappeared yet.  A sucker born every minute - who said that?  It was a long time ago and still very true, apparently.

I had a strong run this morning.  I'm still amazed at how much energy I have after my 500 calorie days.  I really like this 5:2 diet.  Well any diet where there is little suffering has my approval, especially when I still have energy.  Sometimes when I'm counting calories I just run out of steam.  It hasn't happened with this one, although I must admit to some ridiculous hunger pangs at night sometimes. 

It seems to be getting just a little bit cooler at night, although today it's going to be even hotter than yesterday.  I didn't really feel like knitting last night.  I wanted to finish my book, which I did.  While I was in California my sister loaded me up with some books, so I have reading material.  But I really enjoy that particular author and her protagonist, Jackson Brodie.  This was one that I didn't even know existed - always nice.  Now though, I must find something in the stack she gave me.

Wednesday noon knitting is always dicey in the summer with all the vacations, etc.  Today just two of us and we're going to meet in the Rotunda since I didn't want to get a big meeting room just for the two of us.  We'll be back on schedule in a few weeks.  It's nice and cool down there and, hopefully, won't be too full since school is on break.

We are really getting spoiled!

Yes, another gorgeous summer day here in Seattle!   It is like living in California.  I predict a bunch of very unhappy people in October.  We are all going to miss this, but in the meantime I take every opportunity to enjoy it.  Yesterday at lunch I went for a stroll through campus, as I have been doing ever since I changed my run to 6 am rather than noon.  And that way it's a double good thing because I get to enjoy the park that is our campus.  It is very nice also when there are not so many students milling about.  Not that I don't like students ... I mean, I wouldn't have a job without them, would I?

While it was hot yesterday it was also breezy so that kept it relatively comfortable.  As I said, the air conditioner is way too noisy to run while trying to sleep and it doesn't really get to the bedroom (sleeping cove) anyway.  It was just that much cooler last night where the fan did the trick, with the help of the open slider, and I slept pretty well. 

I just read that Elmore Leonard has passed away.  He's one of my favorite authors.  A very prolific writer.  I'll miss his work.

Speaking of work -- it was too hot to cook so I made a gorgeous, delicious chicken salad for dinner and did manage to get a few more rows of the cowl done.  Oh I love love LOVE this yarn!  I wish I was just as in love with the colorway.  I will just have to keep my eyes open for sales.  I did get my Yarnbox subscription finally and I can't wait for that!  It's like Secret Pal except you pay for it.  I got a three month subscription and I'll see how good the yarn is.  It's not cheap, but the box previews I saw on Ravelry looked pretty good.

Just a little darker

This morning was the first morning in a little over a week that I was on the treadmill at 6 am.  It was a bit cloudy too, so I really noticed the change.  It was darker and the sun rose while I was running.  Well that's just the natural progression but we have been having such a gorgeous and glorious summer.  I am not going to want to say goodbye to that.  The heat?  I won't miss that too much.

I tried to have a quiet weekend and almost succeeded.  It wasn't too busy anyway and I got some good lounging around done yesterday between laundry.  Saturday I had an early hair appointment and then got my eyes opened at the frame shop.  Good heavens -- well, you get what you pay for and that picture is going to be stunning when it's all finished.  But it was an eye opener for sure.  I did get great customer service though - Lake City Frame is the best.

So to lessen the sticker shock I had a nice lunch al fresco.  I have fallen in love with a particular salad at, of all places, Red Robin.  But it's delicious -- grilled chicken breast on a bed of lettuce with grilled corn and beans and all sorts of other things.  I just order it without the tortilla strips and with the dressing on the side.  Perfection.  It's not the classiest place, sure, but it's close to home and I really like the patio because every table has an umbrella.  All day really was just marking time until the Seahawks game against the Broncos.  Sure it's preseason but I tell you, it didn't feel like it.  The firsts played nearly the entire half.  And the Seahawks won, which is always nice.

I turned the air conditioner a bit so that I could get more direct cool air and was able to do some good knitting during the game and again on Sunday for a movie.  I've started the last, fourth, skein on the Mobius Cowl.  I should be able to graft it in another week or so.  I am going to have to look into this, but it's garter stitch.  Is the Kitchner stitch different for garter than it is for stockinette?  I am guessing that it is.  I am tempted to just go ahead and instead of knit off, purl on, purl off, knit on, do all knits.  But I'll look it up first to make sure.

Work is going to be heating up this week.  I am glad I have my morning stress buster back in place.  Now if I could just find an effective way to cool down in the morning!  Even with a 20 minute post workout walk with Tink and a cool shower, I can't seem to get my core temp down and before I've even finished with my makeup I'm pouring again.  Wednesday I'll try a second fan in the bathroom.  The ceiling fan is doing no good.  Of course -- if I could get a cross breeze going it would be no problem.  I wonder if the neighbors would mind if I opened the hall door a crack.  heh ... joking.  But oh my, that would be wonderful and sure would do the trick!

Muggy muggy muggy

Wow ... is it every muggy!  I don't mind too much in the daytime but at night it's a little hard to sleep.  And impossible to cook.  Wednesday night dinner was a big shrimp salad.  Last night steamed mussels (they don't have to cook very long, thankfully) and another big salad.  Now that I know how to cook them I want to do it all the time.  What a delicious and easy dinner. 

It was a lovely night actually.  I got a new knitting magazine in the mail and there was pre-season football.  The Chargers - who the Seahawks beat last week - and the Bears.  It is so nice to have football back.

While I was going through my magazine I came across a new service called Yarnbox that is a yarn subscription service.  I am sorry I didn't sign up for it last night because the web site is now jammed up.  I didn't get myself a birthday present so I thought I'd give this a try.  Me and a million other people it seems.  I got right on the site last night but this morning I cannot.  I had the page saved on my iPad so I went there to sign up since I couldn't get on with my desktop, but now it's stuck at the registration page.  Everybody going through their Interweave Knits magazine trying to get on I suppose.  I'll keep trying but this does not bode well.

I am going to have a nice, lazy, do nothing much weekend.  I have a hair appointment and must get the mani/pedi done as well but nothing else is on my plate except cleaning and laundry.  I am SO looking forward to a quiet weekend.  Let's hope it stays that way.  Maybe I can even get a little knitting done!

Ridiculous lack of customer service at Brooklyn Frame Shop

I am still in shock over the treatment I got yesterday afternoon at the Brooklyn Frame Shop and I'm going to rant about it.  I did leave a Yelp review, but since it was unfavorable and that site already has some unfavorable reviews, it was filtered.  It still shows up when you go to filtered reviews (which I do quite a lot) so hopefully I can keep someone else from wasting their time. 

I bought a beautiful water color from an artist friend of my sister for a birthday present last April.  It was unframed at the time and my sister said she'd get it framed down there and have the framer ship it to me.  But one thing led to another and it ended up staying with her when she moved, so I picked it up when I went down there this week and put it into a tube and brought it home.  Ah, but now it still needs to be framed.  So yesterday afternoon I walked up to the Brooklyn Frame Shop to get an estimate. The artist suggested "floating" the piece, which after seeing several examples I agree is the best way to frame it.  I know the size of the piece of art.  I know the type of background I want.  I know the frame I want.  At that point yesterday I just wanted to get a quote that I could use as a starting point for shopping around.  I walked into the shop.  No customers and one man behind the counter who looked at me, but didn't even greet me.  Strike number 1.  No smile either.  So I said Hi and proceeded to tell him that I had a water color that I wanted to float on a textured background in this frame.  Could he give me a ballpark cost?  "You'll have to bring it in".   Well, I told him I knew exactly the dimensions of the work and the type of background I wanted ...... He didn't let me finish.  "No, we don't do that.  You have to bring it in". 
I was getting flustered at this point, and I said "This is a fine piece of art.  I don't want to be carrying it all over the city". 
"Is it framed"?
"No, it's not framed.  It was in a tube and I don't want to put it back in there". 
"We don't do that".  And he wrote his name down on a card and handed it to me.

I was flabbergasted!  I called my sister to get a reality check and she agreed with my conclusion, that framing can be a scam and they'll get as much from you as they possibly can because people don't get things framed very often.  So I am going to take my business to Lake City Framing where I had some work done about 8 or 9 years ago.  They've been in business for over 50 years.  I know it's going to be expensive but I refuse to be ripped off or, worse yet, treated like dirt.  What an ass.

That pretty much colored my day but I got over it and took Tink for a lovely walk in the rain(!) and made a gorgeous shrimp salad for dinner.  Tonight it's steamed mussels and salad.  It's still muggy and cloudy today too.  I don't mind.  Maybe I'll even set up my Apple TV tonight.

Do I really need another expensive hobby?

The answer, of course, is no.  But it is SO tempting.  One of the things I did with my sister when I was visiting these past few days was spend an afternoon and evening making jewelery.  I made a necklace a few years ago when I was down there but this time I got into a few more advanced techniques like wire wrapping.  It is so much fun and she has all the tools and tons and tons of beads and wire and jump rings and beads and beads and more crystals and just about anything you could think of.  I made a wonderful necklace - pictures to come later.  And a little pendant with some of the faceted stones I bought before I went down. 

I had such a wonderful time!  Santa Monica is a wonderful place to live and her apartment, while old and with no dishwasher or elevator, is located less than 2 miles from the beach.  We walked down there twice, running a gauntlet of adorable shops and restaurants.  We had a late birthday party Friday with my sister and nephew, for which I bought the most expensive cake around but also the best.  Saturday we had a birthday/housewarming party so there wasn't much lounging around done since we had to get the party ready Saturday and do the clean up on Sunday.  I did manage to get caught up on sleep and we had all of Monday to basically goof off (make jewelery) and I wasn't in any rush to get to the airport yesterday because I had a late afternoon flight.

The weather was surprisingly cooler than Seattle and that's the big news down there - that Seattle has been above 80 and LA below.  I slept well in the cooler air.  And I did start another knitting project, but it happened to be Sunday night when we were relaxing and having martinis so ... yeah, I didn't get much of a start at all. 

I got to the airport in plenty of time yesterday and even saw two of my favorite actors from Once Upon A Time (Snow and Charming) who seem to be a real life couple too.  It was quiet at the airport, not a madhouse like SeaTac was on Friday.  Of course what do you expect when you fly on a Friday in the summer.  Tuesday at LAX - a cakewalk.

I was so happy to get home but it was/is so hot still.  It is supposed to get back to normal soon. I will like that.  And now -- SO much work to do!

Birthday AND Football!!

Sometimes the stars are just aligned perfectly and today is one of those days.  I get to celebrate my birthday by watching the Seahawks in their first preseason game tonight!  Woohoo!!  Now that's not to say that I wouldn't love to spend my birthday at a fancy spa being pampered, but watching football is a close second. 

Last night was a pre-birthday celebration with cocktails at Twigs.  We were on the patio but the sun was blasting down and finally I wanted to go inside.  I had big plans to get my packing mostly done but a few martinis and the best I could do was throw a load of clothes into the washer.  So I'm taking off today around 2 to get home and get my packing done, clean up the mess I didn't clean up last night and make myself presentable.  Then I can go out and have a fun time and know that all I have to do in the morning is get up and throw the last few items into my cosmetic bag.  I have to be at the bus stop to catch a 6:13 bus in order to get to the airport light link stop by 7:15.  Then it's the looooong walk into the airport.  I do hope the lines aren't too bad and I can at least get a coffee before I have to board.  I hear that the security lines are horrendous.  And a Friday in August .... could be bad.  But I am happy and I'll just be cool and zen it out.

Santa Monica is cooler than here.  What a crazy thing, huh?  But I don't care.  I'm looking forward to seeing my sister and walking on the beach.  I haven't gotten a knitting project together yet either!  Yipes!  One more thing to get done this afternoon.

A different kind of noon knitting

Today a few of us are taking a field trip to South Lake Union to visit Peggy for our noon knitting.  I don't know how much knitting we'll actually do since we won't have the entire hour, but I brought mine in anyway.  I haven't been able to touch the Mobius Cowl at home because it's been so darned hot.   I have been toying with starting another project - a small one like mitts, as I said.  I need to divide the Dream in Color Starry OR ... or I could use the two skeins of Noro Seku.  Hmmmmm  But it does need to be portable so I can take it with me Friday.

The portable air conditioner has been wonderful for keeping a small area cool, but it doesn't do much for the rest of the apartment.  The fan is still needed at bedtime and even then it's pretty hot.   According to the Yahoo weather app, it's much cooler in Santa Monica.  But I don't know how accurate that is vis a vis my sister's area.  I don't think she's right on the beach.  I'd better check with her today.  I must get most of my packing done tonight because tomorrow evening I'm going out and then Friday morning I have to catch the bus for the airport at 6:15.  Yipes!

The birthday week feeling is kicking in now that I'm feeling back to 100%.   I had a wonderful quiet evening and watched the first episode of Hard Knocks on HBO.  It'd the Bengals this year.  Not a fabulous team but the show is always entertaining.  Then a little reading and a great night of sleep.  The fan does keep some of the noise out and I think that's why I've been getting such good sleep.

It doesn't look like this party for McG's birthday is going to be happening.  At least not this month.  He's not returning my calls.  I know he's busy but it was his idea!  That guy ....

The new worst bus driver

I got to the transit station about the same time as I normally do today but when I got on my bus the driver was different.  He took off before I had taken my seat and drove like a crazy person.  At the next stop I got up and asked if he was indeed the #67 and he was.  I then realized that he was running late and he was the earlier bus.  It hadn't been noted on the OneBusAway app.  So this guy was trying to make up time I guess.  He was racing through the stops and alternately slamming on the brakes and accelerating like a madman.  It made me quite sea sick.

I worked from home yesterday because I had one of those weekends.  The party on Saturday was a lot of fun.  The rain stopped and the sun came out and it was beautiful!  And then 4 o'clock Sunday morning I woke up and immediately knew what was up.  One of those lady things that can usually be taken care of with a lot of water and cranberry juice.  So I spent the next 3 hours drowning myself in juice and trying to flush it out.  By noon I was feeling okay and went out to the bead store to get some beads for my trip - Kelli and I are going to make jewelery.  Then stopped for a yummy Indian lunch.  But again in the late afternoon it started up and it was even worse!  Sleep was a futile effort.  From 8 o'clock on I was up every 15 to 30 minutes until 2 am, when I fell asleep for a couple of hours.  Insane!  I didn't want to go to the emergency room for something like this and I knew it would be hours before I got to see my own doctor so at 8 I went downstairs to the UW Neighborhood Clinic right across the square and by 8:30 I had seen the doctor and was on the way to pick up my prescription!  Whew!  It took a few hours to kick in but by the afternoon I was feeling nearly normal.  It was a hideous experience.

Things are heating up but I was able to keep up at home yesterday.  And it was not quite so horrible because the portable air conditioner was chugging away.  It keeps a portion of the apartment cool and you can't ask for more than that.  I wasn't up very late anyway, having had very little sleep in the last couple of days.  I was out like a light and slept great.

So now the birthday week can truly begin.  I wasn't feeling much in the birthday mood Sunday.  Nothing much is actually going on until my birthday proper when I'm going out to the Ram to watch the first pre-season Seahawks game.  Yay!!!  Then off to California on Friday morning.  In the meantime there is lots and lots of work to be done.

A little bit of mist!

This is unusual.  We have had a record breaking July, the dryest since 1951.  Today we are getting a little mist and yesterday actually I was a bit chilly!  Not to worry.  It is going to get hot hot hot again in a couple of days so this is actually a nice respite.

Because it was so chilly I wore my Aristida scarf today and remembered that I've got TONS of the Dream in Color Starry that I used for this.  I only used a few yards of the second skein and intended to make convertible mitts with the rest.  It is in one skein and I have to weigh it and then wind off half, so that's why I didn't do it immediately.  But it would make a good transition project with plenty of  TV knitting potential.  And portability - as in something to take with me next week to California.  So that's one more thing for my list of chores this weekend.

It was a quiet evening last night.  I have a new good book that I was anxious to get back to, so I retired early and read for almost two hours in bed.  On my "fasting" days, 500 calories doesn't give me much stamina or staying power.  I'm pretty much ready to recline almost as soon as I'm done with my evening's 200 calories.  It is odd to me that I've got so much energy the next morning and no hunger pangs.  I had another awesome run on the treadmill, this time the entire 30 minutes up another click.  My guilty secret?  My Pandora playlist of country work out tunes!  I know .... but it seems to work.  Unfortunately I can't use Pandora when I am also using the Nike app, so it only works for inside running.  I'll have to try to come up with a new playlist for my outdoor running.  I've been using the same one for over a year.  I hope to be able to carve out some time on Sunday to do a once around Green Lake in preparation for my September 8 race. 

The jury is still out on what the weather is going to bring for the party on Saturday.  I'm going to fix my new dress anyway.  If I have to pop on a little denim jacket, so be it.  I hear there's going to be a band, so maybe I'll heat up on the dance floor.

The summer knitting blahs

I love summer and I love love LOVE warm weather!  We don't often get a summer like this in Seattle so I am definitely not complaining.  It's just .... it's just not knitting weather!  Or maybe I should say it's not knitting weather with the yarn and projects I have going now.  I should probably be working on something silk or linen but I don't have anything in my stash right now and I'm determined to plug along with the Mobius Cowl, although I have to be very careful to keep the thing off my lap because it heats me up something fierce!  Elann has a 100% silk yarn coming up August 6th that looks a lot like the Ella Rae Shibu that I am so fond of, so I think I'm going to indulge myself and get some of it.  The color selection isn't great but it does come in that lovely green I love.   And there's a tunic pattern shown with it that I think is pretty cute too.  A little bit of lace but not too much to make it 100% non-TV knitting.  Well, I have to think of that.  Football season is almost here and pre-season is just around the corner!  woohoo! 

Ah!  And it's the first of August already.  I can hardly believe it.  This year seems to be just zipping by!  Unfortunately there's nothing you can do to slow time down, is there?  Maybe I should stop having so much fun.  heh

This weekend is a big outdoor party - a luau themed event.  I bought a maxi dress to wear but when it arrived I loved it so much that I didn't want to risk wearing it at a BBQ, but rather I want to wear it in Santa Monica for my birthday party.  So I bought another dress on line.  It was really discounted and I figured if it was cheap looking or didn't fit right I could just send it back.  In other words, worth the small risk.  It came last night and I have to say it is perfect!  Well, it will be perfect.  I can see now why it was marked down.  People were getting it and returning it right away because it doesn't have any shaping.  The fabric is beautiful, it's lined, it's very well made and the color is nice too.  But without shaping it is not very flattering.  I put it on and was standing there wondering how I could make it work, since it was so perfect in every other way.  A belt?  No.  Tucks!  I pinched the fabric to make bust darts and voila! That was what it needed.  Tonight or tomorrow I will make the little adjustment - it's going to be quite easy even without a sewing machine.  Doesn't anybody sew anymore?  Seriously, it's not going to take more than 10 minutes and I'll have a really nice dress.  I am happy.  Now if I spill BBQ sauce on it, I won't feel quite so bad.