Formal Ball and Basketball

I have not had a cold in I do not know how long, but of course this week has been super eventful, and it is my spring break, so THIS week, i caught a doozy of a cold.
Sunday morning the spouse and i woke up in a happy haze with the knowledge that our team, the UW Huskies, had made it to the Sweet Sixteen. Our happiness turned to elation when we realized they were going to be playing in the 'cuse!! We hoped online and bought our tickets as fast as we could. Great seats, and it was so awesome to see some purple in the usually Orange dominated Carrier Dome! The Husky Band was there, and they crack me up. If you are a band geek, that band is the band to end all bands. Love them. Dancing, and having the best time a band geek could ever hope to have! The Carrier Dome is not our house, but it was the next best thing to being at home in Hec Ed Pavilion. Well, except the fact that the Dawgs lost. boo.
Last night was our 3rd Brigade Ball. Despite the cold, and my low energy, it was one of the best balls i have been to in years!! So fun to see everyone all decked out. The ladies with their hairs all did, the gorgeous ball gowns...and some not so gorgeous, the guys all uniformed up. Poor husband, arm in a cast! Couldn't get his arm through the sleeve of his dress blues uniform. Oh well, i think he still looked hot!

Whew, that was some train ride!!

HAhaha, i have not been on here in a while!
Actually, i had forgotten my password. I was leaving a comment on someones blog earlier though, and BAM, there it was. It just flowed out of my brain and onto the keyboard.
So, small update. Henry had surgery two weeks ago, not to get too personal (he would be mortified), but he had his anal glands removed. Awful surgery, dirty, and rough recovery. BUT, he is recovered, and today we go and get the stitches out. This surgery followed months of trouble with his hiney, and when the vet felt a "density" inside one of the glands, the decision was made then and there to get the thing OUT of him. Whew, glad that is over with.

I am knitting away on a WONDERFUL sweater. I am using my Elsebeth Lavold Silky Tweed, finally. Have had this stuff since 2005, and it has almost become SEVERAL sweaters. I am knitting the neck down v-neck cardi from Knitting Pure and Simple. Love it! I am a little concerned i will not have enough yarn, so may need to crop the sleeves a bit, which is fine with me. I live in summer-sweater-country, so a cropped cardi will get plenty of use in this neck of the woods.

Speaking of summer...went to the Flower and Garden show...my garden gets to have some Dinnerplate dahlias this year...wooowhooo, and a pineapple lily or two. Cannot wait. But have to wait, until mid to late May to put them in the ground. Still snow on the ground here, but rain is on the way on friday!!

Train Ride

We took a train ride a few weeks ago with some good friends up in the Adirondacks. The train was supposed to give us a great view of the newly emerging fall color (now it is in full swing, possibly even past peak in a lot of areas), but kind of hard to do when the windows of the train were not air-tight, which resulted in foggy, ucky windows!!

The train was kind of neat though, and who does not like a little train ride every now and then?

Really though, it was a bit of a snoozer! Great idea, but they just are not quite there yet! I do hear that one region (the Utica train?) offers a dinner train tour. I think i could get on board with that idea.

Please send a good thought/prayer/white light or whatever it is that works for you to my good friend at Purlin' Goldens. Her heart dog is going through surgery this morning on what the vet fears may be the "C" word.

I hate when my dear friends go through any kind of stress with their pups. We finally have Miss G's Beau back onto the road to recovery, and now sweet Sunny is having problems. So hard when they are not perfect, they give us so much.

Some knitting, and Fred's Halloween costume

I guess Fred has decided what he wants to go as for Halloween! I walked into the living room the other day, and this is what greeted me. Such a clown hound! I told him to "stay", as i ran and grabbed the camera.

And look! Knitting!! I have had this Lornas Laces Black Watch Shepherd Sock yarn for ages now. I bought it when i thought i would like thick yarn socks. I knit one pair, and realized that i did not like the way the thicker yarn felt on my footsies. But it sure is great scarf yarn!! I have a knit a couple of scarves with this yarn, and it is uber soft. The multidirectional scarf is kind of vanilla, i know...but, i love the way the edges of it never curl. The pattern also is a great way to show off the multicolored yarn. I have knit up this pattern with Noro Kochoran, and Berroco something or other...i cannot remember the name of the yarn, and several others. In fact...Miss G has a scarf that i knit her in this pattern a loooong time ago! I guess this could be considered my go-to scarf pattern. Excellent car knitting, which i plan on doing this weekend as we head into the Adirondacks for a little fall color!

Know Your Boobs!!

Well, October came barreling in with some sad news for me. A life long family friend, and one of my favorite childhood babysitters, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Specifically, invasive lobular carcinoma. I am completely shocked, and saddened, but hopeful that she will become one of the survivors. I was talking with my dad on the phone last night, and crying a little, and he said "boy, it takes a strong woman to fight this, and she is one." I could not have said it better myself, because she really is a strong woman. She is a few years older than me, and someone that everyone looked up to in our neighborhood. Seriously, that girl who just was a ray of sunshine to be around, and could do ANYTHING. She was Homecoming Queen, and a cheerleader in high school, and is now a local news anchor/reporter in my home city.
Kind of fitting that i heard this news on the first day of October, which just so happens to be Breast Cancer Awareness Month. One thing that my friend said (in an article that is published on her news channels website) is to "know your boobs". Something that ALL women need to be reminded of. We all KNOW we are supposed to do our monthly self-exams, but how many of us actually do? I know i rarely even think about it. My friend did them so infrequently that she did not even feel her tumor...she SAW it. Scary. It had been there for long enough to be visible, before she ever even felt it.
So, the message this month is to spread the word. KNOW YOUR BOOBS. Save The Ta-Tas!!
Empower yourselves, and protect yourselves.

Help!! Need a shawl for a formal!!

Ok...this idea is kind of hijacked from Chan's post, and since i have TWO readers, :o), i probably will not get much advice here...but my two readers ARE wonderful...so i am betting they can steer me in the right direction.

We have a formal coming up in December, and i cannot find my trusty black pashmina shawl that I usually wear to the formals. Have turned the house practically upside down looking for this stinking thing, and all i can come up with is that it got left at a restaurant or movie theatre.

So, my dress is black. always black...i just do not deviate from that, as i have all the necessary accessories for black dresses. When you have three to four of these things to go to a year, you learn to economize!
The spouse is an Engineer, so that means Engineer RED. So...the shawl can be red, or black. Preferably black though. I live in a FRIGID climate, so it needs to be warm...but not crazy warm. They do heat the buildings here. And, it needs to be formal, so nothing too chunky.
Oh, and i have never knit lace before, but i am not scared to knit it either.

Mesmerized by the Spinning, among other things

A couple of weeks ago we went to the State Fair. As far as State Fairs go, in my humble opinion i do not think that ANY fair can beat the Western Washington Fair at Puyallup. Aside from the fact that MY MOTHERS Norwegian sweater that she knit for my niece won a BLUE RIBBON (yay Mom!!!) this year, the fair has EVERYTHING that a fair should have. Scones (my personal fave, and a necessity for a successful fair), rides, cows, cow pies (big cookies), hottubs, saunas, camping trailers, food (ribs, yum!), amazing flower, and vegetable displays...and i mean AMAZING. If you want to see some cool stuff done with veg, DO THE PUYALLUP!!
Ok, but back to the New York State Fair. It is the first fair that i have been to outside of my home state that can come close to being half as good. We try to visit all the state fairs, of the states that we have lived in, but they usually fall pretty miserably flat, and leave us deeply disappointed.
New York is big on dairy, and let me tell you, there were some CUTE cows at this fair. Guernseys are my personal fave, and these ones did not disappoint. There was a newborn calf that i just wanted to pick up and snug. So sweet.
Ok...on to the spinning. In one of the pioneer houses, i spotted a gal in the corner working away at the spinning wheel. Being a knitter, it was like a drug addict being drawn in by a crack display. So mesmerizing to just sit and watch her work. And i just love to talk to fellow knitters. She told me all about her little fiber farm, and her sheepies. One of my dreams for the far off future is to retire away to a little hobby fiber farm, and spend the day with my alpacas, sheep, and goats...and of course dogs!

Gotta Love It....

....when people come to my house, and then tell me how to properly train dogs, how dogs SHOULD behave, and how to feed them properly so that they do not beg.
We had a dinner party on Sunday, and two of my guests did just this. How sweet, no? And so totally helpful. i REALLY appreciated it!
I just smile and nod, and secretly laugh to myself. Funny how all the people who do this, do NOT, nor have they EVER....been owned by Vizlsas! usually...they own, or have owned a Labrador. You know...America's most popular, and pretty much most easily trainable dog. Well, aside from the need to eat anything not strapped down. Nothing against labs, i love them. Had two of them when i was younger, and they are wonderful. But they are not exactly brain-busters to train.
The thing about my dogs...i train them to the point that "I" want them trained. I do not mind when Fred jumps on me. I actually train him to do it. I like it, and it is a very "Vizsla" thing to do...and besides, if he did not jump on me, how else would he give chin nibbies? He learned that one from his mama, so it is pretty much in his blood!
My dogs got into a spat at one point when the first people (among them, the advice-givers) were arriving. Anyone who lives in a multiple dog household knows that SOMETIMES, despite their excellent behavior most of the time, dogs will act like, well....dogs. Animals, you know? Well, apparently, that is just not acceptable behavior, as my friend pointed out! It is NEVER ok for them to act like that.
Ok....smile and nod. Give him a glass of wine, and talk about the weather.
:o)

No knitting going on, which is beginning to bother me. It is in the air though....

Football

Well, the Husband is home this year, as opposed to being in a desert land, far far away...so, that means, Football will be ON in this house, four to five days per week. That is fine with me. I enjoy it for the most part, but it also allows me to sit on my tush and KNIT!! Best thing about football. Well, that and Peyton Manning! Yes, i am a shameless Peyton fan.
We had our fantasy football draft this year. I got my man. I picked 12th, so since all the first tier Running Backs were gone, i took the plunge and picked WR Larry Fitzgerald. I then had 1st choice for the second round, and since i knew my main football man would be picked up by someone, rather than get a solid RB, i picked Manning. It is just no fun for me to watch, if he is not my QB!!

No knitting happened this weekend, and no sewing...other than sewing up the ripped out tush of my jammies! pretty sad....but they are my FAVES...with margaritas, mojitas, and other delish drinks all over them. Had to fix them, rather than toss them!

Oh...i had a sappy moment this weekend. I was rolling into town just as the town fire alarm sounded. I was rounding the corner in front of the fire house, and the men were really moving into high gear. I pulled over, as all the volunteers started jetting down the hill towards the station. The road cleared, but i just stayed parked and watched them for a minute, it was so exciting to see them kick it into high gear. Then i just got real sappy, thinking about the bravery of them. Running towards the disasters, with the intent to HELP and SAVE. So selfless, i just think they are wonderful.
And they look pretty damn fine in their gear, too.

I did some sewing finally!

This is an old pic, but it is one of my favorites of the dogs. This was almost three years ago, in Yosemite, and Fred was too intrigued with the view, and the critters on the other side of the rock wall, to bother looking at the camera. Not Henry though!

Yesterday was so rainy here, i decided that it was time to get busy with sewing up the curtains for the main bath. We are having a fantasy football draft party here on Sunday, and i guess people kind of like privacy in a bathroom! Pics later...when i take some. I have a pattern for the curtains, but really...curtains are pretty darn basic, and patterns can be so boring and time consuming, i winged it. They turned out just fine. Not polished, but workable. They are lined, too.

It is chilly this morning, so i guess that means i can knit again!

Jam Packed Weekend

What a great weekend. We went into with just a few plans, and ended up having more to do than we could have hoped for.
Friday night found us out at the speedway, watching races. Something we never, ever do. Every time i go to the races (all two times), i really REALLY want to be a race car driver.
Saturday we went up to the 1000 Islands region, for a Craft Fair. Found a couple of really cool vendors, including one who makes bears and such out of wood with a chainsaw. I have wanted a chainsawed bear forEVER, and i think that The Husband is finally getting it, and maybe i will have a bear soon. Not until he commissions the guy to make a beaver though. Soon, we will have a giant, chainsawed beaver in our backyard. Something to look forward to, right?
Anywhoot...our friends texted us from their boat, and ended up cruising over to the restuarant that we were eating at, and picked us up for a little 3-hour tour of the region. Very fun! I was non-compliant boater though, with my jeans on. I rolled them up as high as i could. Got them past my knees, which likely caused a little DVT, but whatever.
Sunday found us up in the Adirondacks, on a little hike. Just a two mile hike, up the mountain and back down again, but i feel like i hiked 10! The view from the top was gorgeous, and the hounds had a blast. We will do this hike again on a less muggy day. It was not even hot, but with the muggy air, it felt like my face was going to burst into flames a few times. Not my favorite feeling.
I brought some knitting along, and it sat under the car seat for the entire trip. I think it is still there.

LYS didn't happen....

boo. I guess i understand though, it can get tiring to shop, and eat lunch, all while constantly chatting/texting, etc on your iPhone. Can i just say ANNOYING??? Who does that? I guess I have not been out with my friend in a while, and i had forgotten how OCD she is about that thing, but yesterday she was in rare form. I don't get it. I LOVE the moments when i can go radio silent, and pretend that i do not hear my cell phone ringing, that i can turn off my computer, and just unhook a little bit. I am SO not a gadget girl...probably why i like to play with yarn and do crossword puzzles. The Husband and i finally bought an iPod, and a fancy little docking station for it last spring. I think we have used it once. I sort of learned how to use it, and then promptly forgot i had the thing.
Anywhoot....my friend was too worn out after shopping yesterday to hit the LYS. I was actually ok with it at the time. It was hot and muggy out, and i was pretty beat, too. I would not have put up a fight though if she had still wanted to go! Oh well...i will likely make a side trip down there in the next couple of weeks.
Wondering though...am i alone on the iPhone thing? At one point we were at lunch and chatting, and i was in the middle of telling her a story, and she kept checking her phone. I just stopped talking, and she did not even notice! I was more amused than annoyed, and not really sure it is anything i will ever bring up to her, because I really think she would get the shakes if she could not check her phone! Just one of those little faults that makes someone human, i guess.
Funny sidenote though. I was watching the news the other day, and they had a report on that claimed that if you did not participate in social networking of some type, you run the risk of becoming obsolete and unimportant. REALLY? What happens when you become obsolete to someone sitting right in front of you because you cannot STOP social networking, and no longer know how to carry on a conversation with a LIVE person!?

knitting just sitting

That sort of seems an apporpriate title for right now! At least, concerning my sweater! it is TOO hot and steamy to have an alpaca/wool blend sitting on my lap right now! Summer has evidently arrived in my neck of the woods, and in the land of no AC...my knitting can sit and wait a bit for me!
I have done a washcloth though, so i have not been a total knitting loser! I have so much washcloth yarn, and i am in dire need of replacements, as the ones i have been using really just need to be replaced!

I am taking a trip south tomorrow for a little shopping excursion with a non-knitting friend. I wanted to suggest a side-trip to my CLOSEST LYS, which sadly is 50 miles away, but i did not think that the muggle would be up for it. Imagine my delight when she suggested that we swing by the shop? This shop...it is a stitcher and quilters delight. It is a combo yarn and quilt shop! The fabrics are FAB, too!! Oh....my heart is singing with excitement, knowing that i will be there tomorrow. It does not take much to make a knitter/quilter/sewer happy, does it? I am on a budget though, as The Husband has returned from the deployment (thank goodness), and that extra hazardous duty pay has dried up! We both get so used to that extra cash, it always is a bit of a shock the first few months after a deployment. Oh well...i DID vow to work from the stash this year...but really...what will a couple of skeins here and there hurt? They won't. They will not hurt at all. And neither will a pattern. or maybe two? And some notions? And maybe a few yards of a delish fabric? I am giddy with excitement!! squee!!!

I have bought a great hiking guide for the Adirondacks. We plan on getting the hounds out and getting some hiking in once the heat dissipates a bit. There are so many great trails out there, and we really need to take advantage of them while we are living in this region. We have a great trip planned to Lake Placid this fall, and i am sooooo excited about that!! With the houndies, of COURSE.

OK, so....one more go at it?

Remember when i wrote that i had given up on the Oat Couture cardigan? Wellllllll, i am back at it again. The Feb Lady Sweater was just not working out. I realized i made a big goof somewhere, but i have NO clue where. I had about a million extra stitches on the needles, and the pattern was getting all wonky. Then i tried it on, and did NOT like the way the neckline looked on my broadish shoulders. So....rip. I was pretty down on knitting for a few hours there. And then i remembered that i had NOT ripped out most of the Celtic Cardigan. I picked it up, did my best to pick up the live stitches at the top, and started on it again. I am PRETTY sure i know where i was in the pattern, but a few rows of the back of it will likely look a bit funkay. Good thing i have long hair, right? I feel kind of excited to be working on it again. Winters are long here, i will likely need something time consuming like this. I am just going to keep telling myself that!

Chores

Today we are sanding down the deck, and re-staining it. Cannot be put off any longer, or the boards will warp during next seasons deluge of snow. The dogs are helping.
Yesterday we went and saw that new Harry Potter, which was wonderful. I am actually reading the book this time. While we were on our extended road trip, we listened to Book Five in the series, and realized that you miss SO MUCH if you do not read the book.

My sweater is coming along nicely. I remembered how to the increases, and last night i did one more buttonhole (the last one for the sweater) and i did it correctly! SO hard to get back into the pattern after setting it down for months on end. I will try not to that again! yeah right!

OK...i am cardboard, and this update is putting me to sleep!

Poor Henry Hooty

Today Henry and i were swimming in the pool, and he got stung by a bee. He was so upset, he left his toy floating in the deep end, and swam over to me. He was shaking, and hurting. The bugger got him on his lower lip. I ran inside to get a benadryl, as he is allergic to bees. Looks like it is keeping the swelling down, and Henry is now resting comfortably, under the Husbands sweatshirt. Poor Henry, he is such a sensitive, sweet sweet dog. He runs (or paddles) over to me for comfort whenever he gets hurt. He just needs a quick reassuring hug, and a smooch on the snout, and off he goes...all better.

I picked up my Feb Lady Sweater today and started working on it. I think this is the first time i have touched it since March? Big mistake, as i totally forgot how i was making the increases. I think i have it figured out though, although it took a bit of work. I am sure it is going to look a bit wonky in a few places, but whatever...it is homemade, and not supposed to be perfect, right? We'll see how badly it bothers me, once i get a few more rows worked into it.
The yarn i am using is Ultra Alpaca, Pea Soup Mix. I bought this yarn a few years ago, with the intent of knitting it into the Celtic Cardigan by Oat Couture. I LOVE this sweater. My Aunt knit it, and i COVET it.....but wow, i hated working that pattern. It is all twists, and they take FOREVER to manipulate, and although i had the back of the thing almost done, i knew i would NEVER finish it, because i HATED working on it. It does not matter how much you will love the finished product, if it sits in your knitting bag for a one year untouched because you hate working it THAT MUCH, you should just rip the thing out, and find a new pattern. So i did. And then a little while ago i saw a pic of my aunt wearing her sweater, and i wanted to cry. I still have part of it unfrogged. One day i will get the nerve to frog the rest of it...probably soon, because the skein i am using is just about gone.

Ok G, i hear ya!!

That break lasted longer than i intended it to. Everyone says that though, and then we feel the urge to explain why the absence. Well, i am lazy. That is pretty much all there is to it. That, and The Husband came home from Iraq, so my computer time dwindled a bit, and school was REALLY REALLY hard spring quarter, and my brain was totally fried ALL the time.
Now we are back from our month-long drive cross country. Went to Seattle to see the whole fam, and to Colorado to see the rest of the fam, and then home.

Slowly but surely getting life back in order, and trying to keep the house from imploding, or exploding, or being completely consumed by cobwebs. It kind of started to happen (the cobwebs) when we were away for a month. Ewww.

The garden is intact again finally. The flower garden went totally feral while we were away. My poor flowers were just attacked by vermin and weeds. We have since cleared the weeds, and Fred is slowly but surely clearing the vermin.

We will have some veg any day now, and thanks to Fred and his vermin-clearing mission, i have fresh "cut" flowers on the table in the dining room. Pulled out from the root. How does a dog with no opposable thumbs manage that? He is good, let me tell you.

Have been watching repeats of Meerkat Manor in the house this past week. How did we miss it before? Oh yeah...that pesky war. Anyways, that and Le Tour have us glued to the tv in the evenings. We are LOVING having Lance in it again this year. It has just been a thrill to watch the machine in action, once again. He is kicking ass. Looks like Contador is going to win it all...and THAT is thrilling to watch, too!! The best part though? That 25 year olds biggest competition is 37 years old!! I freaking LOVE that!!!

I have been on a knitting hiaitus since The man returned home. Again, laziness/brainfry. Today i went in seach of my WIP (yeah right, like there is only ONE wip), Feb Lady Sweater, and pitched a complete FIT (thankfully husband was at work, but let me tell you, the Vizslas stayed clear the frick out of my way...poor things) when i could not find it ANYWHERE. Seriously, where the HECK did my husband stick my knitting? Doesn't he KNOW he is not allowed to TOUCH IT???? After tearing the house clean apart for the better part of an hour, i decided to look into last winters purse. There it was. WHY DID HE PUT IT IN THERE?????
Oh...maybe i did.
Whatevs.....

One of these days i will update a little!

I keep putting off writing on the blog, simply because i feel like i am in such a hurry to get off the computer all of a sudden! Why? Well, my soldier is home from the war!!!! WOOOOWHOOOOO! Let me tell you, there is NO better feeling than getting the one you love the most home, and out of a hot, sweaty, stinky, bomby, all-around sheisse-hole of a place.

J is slowly re-claiming the house a bit. Poor guy, he only lived in this house for four months before he shipped out. I do not have to tell you how nice it is to have my personal lawn mower home again. You can refer back to pics from last summer, of that beeeyotch of a lawn mower. yesterday we were at Ace, and i was eyeing the new beauties. The one that really caught my eye had a "key-start". last years pull-cord on the mower almost made me chuck the thing into the pool. but that would have gotten the water all oily and gassy.

Ok...time to skedaddle. I have a Basic Wireworking class today at the local bead shop.
Will try and post some pics soon, Miss G.

spring is here!

Well, the long winter is over. It is officially spring! I know, we will probably get more snow, but it is NO LONGER winter, and that makes me VERY happy! After living in southern regions of the US for the past 8 years, i had forgotten how much i enjoyed four seasons, and the anticipation of them all. Spring has always been a favorite of mine, and the only thing i find myself REALLY missing is having any crocus or other spring bulbs planted. I forgot to order mine last fall. that will not happen this year...i will get my catalog from Roozengaarde soon, and will place my order NOW! they will ship according to the planting schedule for my zone.

I just bought some new fabric for curtains, and will post pics as soon as i get them up. JoAnn's has some cute new stuff, and i was happy to see that all patterns were $1.99 over the weekend.

I am still not totally ok with the BSG ending. I thought i was, i was happy with how everyones storyline was tied up, but the more i think about the ending with Apollo and Starbuck, the more annoyed i get. it is like they could not think of anything, so they just went with a half-arsed easy ending.

I just finished an AMAZING book, Skeletons at the Feast, by Chris Bohjalian. The story of an aristocratic German family in the last days of WWII, and their journey to the west, along with a POW, and jewish man. I have not read a book this good in a VERY long time, and it was a welcome change from some of the mind-numbing reading i have subjected myself to lately!

Such a bad blogger!

Oh boy...the longer you go without posting, the harder it is to get back to it. And then there is the pressure that Miss G puts on me to post pics! well...i am going to be lazy and not post a pic for this post. But, i will try and get some downloaded tomorrow of all the SNOW GEESE that have been migrating north for the past two weeks. It has been awesome to see them. The best thing they signify? the passing of winter!

Tonite is the final episode of BSG. Boo Hoo! Hoping for a final, wonderful Apollo-Starbuck moment.