29 February, 2016

Oh what a Friday!

On Friday I worked from home.  I had a 2 o'clock dental appointment so I did my early morning meeting at home.  Then the weather was pretty nice, so I took Tinkerbell to the park, which she just loves!  After I quick little lunch I took off for the dentist, stopping at the Sephora at Northgate for my eyeliner and I found an awesome lipstick too.  Bonus.

I got the dentist a little early, so cooled my heels in the waiting room until my appointment.  And then .... oh my goodness.  How I hate hate hate getting a new crown.  I was in the chair for two hours.  Thank goodness I had my book to listen to - which, by the way, is an EXCELLENT book called "A Little Life".  Highly recommended.  I ended up asking for more Novocaine part way through and at the end asked for pain meds.  It was terrible.  Thank goodness that's all the bad part plus, bonus, I got that horrible filling gone and I don't have that ridge in my head anymore.  Now in a couple of weeks I get my new, permanent crown.  Hooray for me.

It will be a short week for me.  I am leaving at noon-ish on Friday to drive down to pick Ben up in Portland and then a long weekend in Astroria.  It will be awesome.

25 February, 2016

Sunglasses!

Wow.  It is so clear and sunny this morning that I had to put my sunglasses on when I got to the parking garage!  We are having another early spring.  I know it's going to cloud up and be raining for the next couple of weeks, but when we do get a clear and cloudless day it's actually not freezing.  I should enjoy these mornings because we'll be turning the clocks and then it'll be dark again.  It's awfully nice for now though.  I like starting off the day in a good mood.

Yesterday was another busy day.  Today only one meeting at 9, and then a Travel Fair at the HUB, which I'm going to check out before I go up to get Tink's food.  The afternoon should be pretty quiet.  I'm going to request to work from home tomorrow since I've got my early meeting at 8AM and then a dentist appointment in the early afternoon.  It's the first of two appointments.  The filling that got botched a couple of months ago is going to be turned into a crown.  Woohoo ... not.  But at least I'll get rid of this horrible gap once and for all.  And, at least I've got insurance so it's expensive but not as expensive as it could be.  I just know that I'm going to be feeling terrible after that ordeal.  I do not want to be on the bus tomorrow.  First of all because I'll have to get the early bus in order to do my meeting and second of all because I'll be feeling like hell after the appointment and I'll want to go straight home, not take two bus rides and then drive home.  So - hopefully I'll get permission.  And just think about it ... in six months that will be a moot point, won't it.

I do think about that a lot.  Like yesterday thinking .... next year I will not have to drive to the transit center in the morning in February.  Or ever, hopefully.

I always watch the sales at DBNY and usually when they start discounting, today it's 40%, all of the Noro yarn is gone.  Ah, but today there were 10 skeins of Shiro in a good colorway for 40% off their price, which means I got them all plus shipping for $82!  Now to figure out what I'm going to make with it.  I wonder if it'll be enough for a blanket.  Maybe a little one.

24 February, 2016

I truly need a vacation

Oh good heavens .... yesterday was SO frustrating.  We are getting ready for a big meeting today and I spent all of the morning wrestling with an Excel spreadsheet.  And then I had two late meetings starting at 4 o'clock, so I had to be out of here around 1:30.  On the plus side, it was a gorgeous gorgeous day.  Sunshine aplenty.  And, also on the plus side, the meeting today should take the pressure off for a while.  I keep telling myself, I just have to make it through another few months.  Another few months with a nice trip to Europe to break it up.  And then it will be truly spring and ... well, I can't get too far ahead of myself or I'll go crazy.

I think I am just simply burned out.  I can't whip up any enthusiasm for anything here at work and I have a hard time taking anything seriously.  Deadlines?  pah!  I am trying to NOT be a complete asshole about it.  Frankly, it is pretty difficult since I consider most of the issues to be complete idiocy.  Here's a tidbit -- some student complained to a faculty member that he wasn't being gender sensitive when he said, about an x-ray, that one had to be sure to look for the shadows of both breasts.  Seriously?  It's that kind of crap that makes it so very very difficult for me to even take the students seriously.  How can they learn when they are all on the lookout for any perceived slight?  It is crazy and I have to stop thinking about it.

Noon knitting!  I did get a couple of rows done yesterday while listening in to meeting number 1.  My hand felt okay so full speed ahead.  I already have another project in the queue.

23 February, 2016

No flashlight needed

This morning is so clear (and cold) that I didn't even need the flashlight when I took Tink for her 6:30am potty walk.  Of course, this is going to change soon when we turn the clocks forward, but more light in the evening is okay with me as well.  Last night I wanted to go to bed as soon as it got dark, which is not good considering it's full dark at 6:30.  I had a very very busy day yesterday.  Three meetings and in between lots and lots of work.  So by the time I got home I was not in the mood to do anything at all.  I gave Tinkerbell her walk, had my shower, put in a load of towels and watched a movie.  In the middle of the movie I heated up some of that gorgeous soup I had made last week - the leek and cauliflower soup and we ate it on the couch, drinking it out of mugs as we watched "Who Framed Roger Rabbit".  Here's hoping I can stay up a little later tonight, eh?

I've got meetings starting at 4, so I'm out of here today at 1:30 or so and I've got plenty between now and then to get done.  We're having a lock down meeting for the MBB block, which starts the Tuesday after my retirement date.  Yeah.  I'll keep that information to myself for a little while longer. 

22 February, 2016

Nine weeks

It was a happy weekend.  Rather busy but there was a lot of good knitting done as well.  In fact, I had to stop knitting last night and just cuddle down for a movie because my right hand was tingling.  That is because this project I am doing has a long (double) row of purling.  My hand is still sore this morning.  This is unfortunate because I have 17 more 20 row repeats to go.  I need to toughen up!

We had a party Saturday night and it was quite fun.  I had a full day of beauty -- hair and nails -- so that took up the majority of the day.  The party was held in a party room at the local distillery and I had given myself permission to have some of their whiskey.  The first alcohol in four weeks!  It tasted gorgeous but I did have a bit of a headache the next morning. 

Sunday we had a family get together and it was a long day.  I had laundry going and so we got home a little after five and I did get most of my laundry done.  Tonight I'll get the rest done.  And I watched a movie until nearly 10 when I had to shut if off to get to bed, since today is one of my early mornings.  Eight o'clock meetings are a drag but there ya go. 

It's a meeting kind of week.  And the week ends with a 2 o'clock dental appointment to take care of the botched filling I got earlier.  It's going to be a crown.  Yuk.  But it needs to be done so Friday is the day.  Think of me and give me strength. 

18 February, 2016

NOT Friday

That's my new name for Thursday.  I know this is a short week, but dang it, I definitely felt like yesterday should have at least been Thursday.  But it was only Wednesday, albeit Noon Knitting Wednesday, so I had that at least.  Otherwise, it was just a boring kind of day with a meeting stuck into the middle of it.  Today I've got a 9 o'clock meeting, and then I do have a rather detailed chore to take care of.  Hopefully the day will shoot by.

I was out of sorts yesterday, is the thing.  I can't say why exactly.  Just blah.  I didn't feel like knitting when I got home.  Didn't feel like much of anything, although I did have to get my food ready for today and get my dinner squared away.  I'm ready for my trip.  I'm ready for Paris and lovely wine and walking about.  I'm ready for vacation and we've got nine more weeks.  Nine. Whole. Weeks.  Nothing for it.  I've got to gut it through and try to find fun things to keep my mind busy. 

Here's the deal though -- I'm happy.  That's worth a lot, isn't it?

17 February, 2016

Again with the birds

I really heard them this morning.  They're cranking up.  Pretty soon they'll be so loud in the morning that I'll have to put the pillow over my head to sleep.  And oh I can see so many bushes and trees starting to bud and bloom.  Springtime!  It makes me happy.

Yesterday was my early day because of my 5 o'clock meeting.  But I got out of here even earlier because the nasty smell started at 1 o'clock and I wasn't going to just sit here and take it.  Especially since I had nothing pressing to do and I would much rather be on the way home.  So I took off, got a good connecting bus, stopped at the store for a couple of things and headed home.  Tink and I immediately headed to bed for a much needed nap, considering I had had a bad night Monday night.  The meeting didn't go much over 6 and I was done with dinner by 7.  I felt like watching some Firefly so that's what I did and knit some on the lace front cardigan.  I'm well over half way of the 2nd of 20 lace pattern repeats.  It goes quite quickly.  I had a much better night last night.  Oh, and I love love love my lavender eye pillow.  It really helps me drop off to sleep.  I had a nasty headache and when I warm it up it helps sooth that as well.

It's Wednesday already and noon knitting today.  A meeting at 2.  That's pretty much it.  Oh lordy I am so ready to be quit of this place. 

16 February, 2016

Did we all have a nice Valentines Day?

You know me ... Valentines Day is my special day.  I reflect.  I remember.  I heave a sigh or two.  I still wrestle with the cake thing -- If you had a slice of the best cake in the world in front of you, the only one in the world, would you eat it and know what you were missing for the rest of your life?  Or would you pass on it, not wanting the pain of missing it to be with you all of your life?    Not quite Schrodinger's Cat but still a philosophical question to ponder.  Okay okay -- don't nitpick.  Schrodinger's Cat is not a philosophical question - more of a paradox.  But you get the gist.  And love is eternal.  And timeless.

And here's another thing on the subject of love -- I believe it's not the people who love you, but the people you have to love that makes a good life.  I have lots of people to love and for that I am very very grateful.

So -- the weekend was, you guessed it, relaxing.  The weather was crap.  Rain rain rain rain and more rain.  Saturday we took Tink up to the groomer and then went for an early Valentines breakfast at The Commons.  I love that place and it wasn't packed, as it usually is.  Then off to do errands and shopping.  We picked Tink up around 1:30 and that was it.  A few chores, a movie or two, some knitting.  Sunday also was pretty crappy, but it was only sprinkling so we walked Tink in a new park we found a couple of weeks ago over by the Brickhouse Brewery.  It was nice.  Then another whole day of reading and knitting and relaxing.  I guess this is the time of year for it, because once the weekends get better the yard needs some attention!

I had Monday off and I slept in, intending to head up to Shane Company to get my jewelry cleaned and checked.  But then I thought it might be a bad idea, considering that Sunday was Valentines Day.  How many people got engaged and would be flocking to the store to get their rings sized or pick out rings.  So I skipped that and packed Tink into the truck and, after I got gas, we took a walk around Cottage Lake.  It was misting heavily so by the time we were done my jacket was wet through.  That was it for our outside time.  I spent the rest of the day doing laundry and cleaning and cooking soup. 

Therefore, a short week.  Hooray.  Next week is going to be a bitch.  This week isn't looking too bad.  It's short day for me too, because I've got a 5 o'clock meeting.

12 February, 2016

Bam!!

I nearly jumped out of my skin last night.  Tink and I were sitting serenely on the couch, watching Shrek and knitting.  Well, I was watching Shrek and knitting and Tink was snoozing.  All of a sudden half of the insides of the stove hood crashed down onto the stove!  I had cooked dinner earlier and I did have the fan on, but I swear I did not touch the insides of the hood when I turned it on.  Just bam, down it came.  Poor little Tink.

Other than that, it was a pretty quiet day and evening.  Work was slow and except for the ammonia fumes that keep showing up every few days, nothing going on.  We do have a long weekend this weekend.  Errands on Monday.  Tink gets groomed on Saturday.  Valentine's Day on Sunday.  If its not raining this weekend I'd like to get outside and rake the old leaves off the lawn. 

I finished up the body of the lace cardigan and now I've got to steel myself and pick up the stitches for the lace fronts.  I need some time and an empty table.  I hope to get it done on Sunday but maybe on Monday when I'm alone.

11 February, 2016

It looks and sounds like spring

Last Sunday I noticed the frogs croaking - the first I've heard.  And then I notice birdsong in the morning and it's light enough to see the stairs when I leave the house.  And then today, I saw my first daffodil blooming in a pot as I passed into the Health Sciences Building.  The weather is mild and wet and I think we've just gone another year without a real winter.  No matter, the mountains got snow and I hear that the skiing is good, so there will be no drought this summer.  I had just wished for some snow.  Ah well.

At noon knitting yesterday I noticed a disturbing thing.  Seems that the yarn I am using for the lace front cardigan comes from at least two dye lots.  Bummer.  I got twelve skeins and when I was winding them I fleetingly thought about checking the dye lots but alas, I did not.  And so we have a cardigan with at least one odd stripe.  It isn't at all even noticeable when I'm knitting at home, but get it into bright light, like MaryEllin's conference room, and it shows up.  I won't take it out.  Not my style. 

I don't have much to do today.  I was busy yesterday but I have no meetings today and I'm just sitting and waiting for input on a couple of projects.  I wish I could just stay home on days like today.  What is the point?  I tell you, if I had my laptop with me at home, I would have stayed there today.  But as it is, I left it here because I didn't have a bag.  Tomorrow I've got to come in because I've got an 8 o'clock meeting and Monday is a holiday.  Not good form to work from home on the Friday before a long weekend.  Pretty soon though .... not an issue.

10 February, 2016

Clumsy

Because of all of the Zoom meetings I am attending these days, I take my MacBook back and forth quite frequently.  Several days a week, actually.  Today is one of those days.  I was unloading myself in the break room when I got in this morning and as I pulled my laptop bag over my head and put it on the table it slipped off and when it fell the plastic clasp and plastic circle that the handle goes into broke!   Just shattered.  Well, as the woman I asked to re-order the bag told me, it only cost $19.99 so .... not totally out of the question that it would be a bit flimsy.  So, I got a good two years, maybe more, out of it.  And I'll have a new one tomorrow.  I'll just not take it home with me tonight. 

Yesterday was a fun day.  I took the day off - personal day - and went to the retirement seminar again, this time looking at it with fresh eyes and with eyes that will be out of here in a little over six months.  I felt a sense of urgency and the good thing is there are things to do at six months and three months, etc.  You can nibble at it.  Can you see me smiling?

It was one of those freakish days we get in February sometimes, into the 60s and sunny.  We walked down ... up .... the Ave to find a place for lunch, then went to Costco to pick up a few things and then home to take Tink to the park.  Ben had some work to do, so I left him to it and Tink and I had a nice walk.  There was a woman there walking her pig.  Really.   Then it was knitting time.  I put the lace front cardigan together - back and two sleeves - a couple of evenings ago and now I'm just working on the raglan decreases.  Perfect TV knitting.  Or just silent knitting.  You know me, I don't mind.

Ben is gone to Spokane this afternoon for a couple of days, so I've got two evenings to knit and knit and knit.  Maybe have a fire tool.  I'll be lonely but get lots of work done.

08 February, 2016

Super Bowl weekend

So, it's not so much fun when your team is not playing in the Super Bowl.  We had a party to go to on Sunday so we did all of our errands on Saturday.  I got laundry done and got lots and lots of good knitting done as well.  The sleeves are finished and I not only got the back cast on, but finished the back yesterday before we had to leave for the game.  Tonight I'm going to get the sleeves and back hooked up together and start on the raglan decreases.  This sweater is moving right along.  So Saturday -- two movies, which is why I had plenty of knitting time.  That's it for Saturday.

Sunday morning was just a lazy day. Tink got walkies and I got to chat with my sister and then we headed out for the party.  We didn't really have to bring anything to cook, which was nice.  I brought sock to knit on so I wouldn't be so completely bored.  Oh, but it was great actually because the Broncos put a whippin' on the Pathers and for that I am grateful!!  Ha ha Cam Newton.

It's going to be a busy week.  Tomorrow I'm taking a personal day to do a retirement seminar.   And then, like last week, I actually have work to do which makes the days scoot by.  Oh, and the weather?  Awesome and freakishly warm.  Nicccce

05 February, 2016

What a klutz!

I always have my headphones on when I'm on the bus, or out walking to or from the bus, etc.  The headphones I have are not the Apple ones, but full headphones and the cord is super long.  It is always getting caught on things, especially seat armrests on the bus.  Last night as I was getting off the bus it caught on the armrest.  I didn't realize it until I got off the bus and people were pointing at me to let me know that I was dangling.  My phone was still on the bus!  The good news is that my bus terminates at the transit center so I was able to run across the street and get my phone back.  What an oblivious klutz though.

Tink and I had another quiet evening.  She always wants to head into bed at 8 o'clock.  That's her thing.  Sometimes I just put her in there and continue knitting but last night I went in with her and snuggled and read.  Then at 9 I headed up my new lavender eye pillow and relaxed.  I just love it!  The only thing I don't like is that it came with an eye shade but you can't put it on under the eye shade so it doesn't stay put when you roll over.  I am going to have to look for an answer to this problem.  Otherwise it is so relaxing and I swear I drop right off. 

I am working like blazes on the sleeves.  I would really like to get them done before Sunday so I could bring some easy stockinette work to the Super Bowl party.  If not I can bring socks since I am just doing 2x2 ribbing on those right now.  Perfect TV knitting as well.

The Thello site was working seamlessly yesterday and I got my first ticket canceled with only a 38 Euro penalty.  And I got our new tickets purchased.  Yahoo!  Now the waiting ....

04 February, 2016

Took a little break

Honestly, I just couldn't face another hour of computer frustration so I didn't even try the Thello site.  I think I am sufficiently rested to give it a try today.  If I can't get it to recognize my ticket number I'll send an email.  I don't know what else to do since Emma wasn't able to find another number for me to call and, as I said, the phone just says to cancel it on line.  I just don't want to be frustrated again but I HAVE to do it.

It was a busy day yesterday and I like that.  Noon knitting was fun and the afternoon flew by.  Tink and I are alone for a couple of nights so it was pretty quiet at home.  She got her two walkies, I got my food ready for today and my dinner ready, then we watched stupid TV and I knit on the sleeves.  This yarn is a joy to work with and has a lovely halo.  Tink was ready for bed at 8 but I managed to get her to stay up a little bit longer.  Then we went in and I read for a while and dropped off around 9 or so.  It is SO quiet when I'm alone there.  I slept like a rock, except for the time I woke myself up snoring, or snorting or something.  Maybe it was Tink. 

I do have another rather busy day - again, I am super happy about that because the day goes by so much quicker.  I have a 1 o'clock meeting and I did want to go to Trader Joe's.  I guess I'll go at 11 and take the bus rather than walk.  I have no idea how long this meeting is going to go and I'll need to eat my lunch before so I don't really have time for a super long walk.  Ah well.  Tomorrow.

03 February, 2016

No joy

First thing yesterday I called the Thello number but still didn't get a live person.  At the very end of the automatic thing I got an option to push O for operator, but the person who came on the line did not speak English any better than I speak French and maybe even worse.  I believe she was Italian.  She told me the Thello site was not working and I should go to the TrainItalia site but, oh by the way, that wasn't working either.  I asked Emma to see if she could find a live English person for me to call, but she did not have any luck.  Everywhere it says I must cancel on the web site and re-book.  I don't have a problem with that.  I understand I will lose some portion of the original reservation.  My problem is that the web site does not recognize my reservation number!!  Well, I will try the web site again this morning and if I can't get it to work, I'll send another email to them.  I did get a response saying I needed to use the web site ..... see the round and round?  I'd LOVE to use the web site if I could get it to work!!!

Yesterday was late meeting day so I ate my lunch at my desk and left at 2:30.  I stopped at the store for more eggs and got the quiche into the oven and that didn't leave me any time to walk Tinkerbell.  She had spent more than an hour outside in the front and the back, but she really really wanted to go out about half way through the meeting.  What luck.  But Ben got home around 6 and took her out, so she didn't have to suffer much.

I got a good hour in on the sleeves and today I will work on them some more at noon knitting.  Then I've got two evenings alone while Ben is in Portland and I can knit and knit and knit to my heart's content.

02 February, 2016

One down one to go

Well I was not 100% successful yesterday.  I tried doing my changing train reservations on line and that was a disaster.  The Thello site didn't even recognize my reservation number.  And the RailEurope was just as bad.  So I found a number for RailEurope and called them and got that portion handled - Paris to Beaune moved from the 30th to the 23rd.  And that guy was very very helpful but he couldn't change my Thello reservation for me.  Actually the Thello is not exchangeable so I have to cancel my original reservation and lose I don't know what at this point, and then re-book.  I called the office but they close at 7 pm their time, so I just missed them.  It's first on my list this morning.  And then I'm going to double and triple check all of my other reservations!!

All of my free time yesterday evening was spent knitting on the sleeves for the cardigan I started.  It's slow going - two sleeves at the same time so I'm not seeing a lot of progress.  I'm about half way through my initial increases - two stitches every five rows ten times.  That's really the way to go though because if a mistake is made, it's made on both of the sleeves.

It is so cold in the mornings, but it is getting almost up to 50 in the daytime.  I wanted snow.  I guess we're not going to get winter again this year.  Oh -- today is Groundhog Day so we'll surely find out.  If you believe it of course.  And since they do it on the east coast it really never has much to do with us.

Onward

01 February, 2016

Hubris or haste?

Sunday morning I rolled over and picked up my iPhone, blearily going through my phone messages and I see a message from my friend in France.  I had sent her a message Friday after I made all of my train reservations, telling her when we would be arriving in Beaune.  Alas .... she pointed out to me that I had the wrong date!  Now let me tell you a little something about how I organize a trip.  I have a spreadsheet and I meticulously check and re-check my dates and reservations.  However.  However after checking it seems that I not only reserved the wrong dates for that train but also the NIGHT TRAIN!  Oh my god.  The night train from Dijon to Milan which costs a fortune.  I have reserved the wrong date.  *sigh*  Well I just couldn't face it on Sunday plus I have all of my records here on my desktop so today after I get a couple of fires put out I've got to dig in and fix this mess. AND double check all of my other reservations.  I don't know what was wrong with me?  Where did I go wrong?  I didn't double check before I clicked the button is where I went wrong.  And why?  Because I am SO sure I'm doing it right.  I never make mistakes.  Hah!  I made a doozy this time and it could end up costing me quite a bit - money and pride.

It was a relatively quiet and relaxing weekend.  Saturday we went back to the outlet mall in North Bend so Ben could exchange his brief case/messenger bag and I had my little income tax refund I was keen on spending.  He got his bag and I?  I found a most beautiful and gorgeous and irresistible bag at the Coach store.  Not a made for the factory store bag, but one that came from the retail outlet.  50% off and I couldn't resist.  So I bought it.  Love love love.

The stole was finished Saturday night and I decided that I would start the lace front cardigan which is a free pattern from Cascade that Monika made last year.  I bought yarn specifically for it, although not the cotton blend but a cashmere blend.  Same weight but much more beautiful.  I wound the balls and cast on and started while the ProBowl was on yesterday.  I'm well into the sleeve increases.  I haven't made a garment in a long while so I'm quite excited about this.

And so the week begins.  Thirty-one weeks until I retire.