Aug 31, 2007

Woman Issues

For the past two days I have felt like a raving monster. Nothing would be better than a tap of Guinness permanently hooked up to my kitchen faucet and a 25 pound of chocolate that is only for me!

I've been insanely busy and not inclined to post to a blog no one reads or comments on. Not even outraged comments at the (I quote my mother) the disgusting pictures of Jamey's ear wax. My new website is nearly finished--yea!! I am so freakin' scared I can't even articulate it

I have spent so much time on this blog and the products therein--and what if no one visits...really just like this blog. I have spent 7 years on the blog and on this website: 840 dollars of hosting fees alone...not to mention countless hours of cosing and writing. It feels like such a waste sometimes. It just proves that I am not as cool or interesting as I thought I was. But really in the end I write this blog for two reasons: an outlet and a way to communicate with friends and family.

But sometimes it's hard to be "positive" when I read all these wonderful blogs with readership...actual readership with comments and everything.

Whiny--yes. But I am on the rag and vile hormones are coursing though my body making me crazy and aggravated.

Labels: blog, daily rant, whine

9:51:00 PM -- Email -- Link -- 4 Comments

Aug 26, 2007

Lace Surgery

Most lace knitters are smart they put "life lines" every pattern repeat so when they make a mistake or drop stitches they have a life line to go back to. Since I am Birdwell and have an ego, I don't use line lifes...so when I drop a stitch then it's time for lace surgery.

First step, after the panic is to immediately put all the stitches back onto the needle, so no more stitch run away. If you look closely I did miss a few--put those on safety pins. Once all the stitches are back on the needle--take a breath. You don't need to fix it right then--the important thing is that the mess doesn't get any worse. Wait until you have some quiet and time. I actually waited till the next evening when the kids were passed out.

Next get out your tools. A pillow, pins, a few double pointed needles, a small crochet hook, patience, perservence, and the PATTERN. Pin the lace to the pillow where the trouble spot is.

Slip the affected area onto a double pointed needle. Spread the lace out and look at it. Compare it to the pattern find out where you are and what was dropped. You can put SSK and K2tog back by pulling a ladder through the two loops (left wise for k2tog and rightwise for ssk) using a crochet hook. You can also re-create YO from the ladders as well, by slipping the ladder over the needle like a YO.

The arrows show you ladders hiding behind a stitch. Use your crochet hook and pull the ladders through the knit stitches (slipping crochet hook through the front of the stitch and pulling the ladder through). You might need to use multiple double pointed needles to attack different sections of the knitted piece.

After you think you are done, put the stitches back onto one double point needle. Make sure all the stitches are picked up, comparing it to the pattern and looking for yarn stranded behind stitches.

Slip the stitches make onto the regular needle and continue knitting.

All fixed and you can't tell where I dropped all those stitches.

On the otherside: I realise that I should have taken pictures of me reconstructing k2togs...well next time--I will keep them in mind...because there will always be a next time.

Labels: knitting

6:16:00 PM -- Email -- Link -- 2 Comments

Monkeys!

One of the things that makes Jamey and my relation ship is our mutual enjoyment of playing "monkey". He enjoys being "groomed" and I enjoy "grooming." (Yes this includes pimple pooping, hair plucking, and the like.)

In this case "in the like" refers to me cleaning our his ears with my pinky fingernail. I have skinny fingers and I keep my pinky nail around a quarter of an inch long just for this purpose. Jamey has weird ear wax that is not waxy...mostly is powdery or chunky and usually requires help coming out. It gets so bad his ears will clog limiting his ability to hear. (NO it's not because I stick my finger in his ear)

Jamey's been sick so he's been on various medicines including musenix and I believe that has a great deal do with the amount of wax I pulled out of his years a few nights ago.

Sorry for the blurriness.

It did come out of both ears and no it's not clumped together. I have seen this before when we had his ears cleaned out by the nurses aid. Which reminds me I totally want a ear flashlight and a scooper of my own for Christmas. And this is actually rarely what it looks like--mostly its golden not dark brown.

Labels: cleaning, family

5:42:00 PM -- Email -- Link -- 0 Comments

Aug 22, 2007

Weird Sleep Thing

For the past three nights Micci got out of his bed and laid down in our bedroom doorway right in front of the fan (helps blow the cool air into our room). Not sure why--his room has A/C and is cooler. But still every night like clockwork he's in our door way. On the first morning Jamey almost stepped on him.

Labels: Kid Antics

9:28:00 PM -- Email -- Link -- 0 Comments

Hello??

I am trying not to be lonely and reach for the phone. I am a big girl and I should enjoy a quiet night (for once) by my self. Jamey is in Houston on a business trip. Both kids are already asleep (hopefully for the night). I also feel kinda sick. I'm waiting for Jamey's sinus infection to hit me--it sorta did, but I just feel queasy most of the time. Not enough to actually put me to bed, but enough to be annoying and ruin a perfectly good meal.

We all trooped out of the house first thing this morning (to drop Jamey off to catch the bus with all the other HEB SA region Deli managers) and we didn't get home till 3.30. We ran all sorts of errands and about 2 hours after we came home both kids crashed. Funny last night the kids didn't crash till 11.30--so I guess the secret is to run run run them around town.

I had broken a sock needle last night--so I took the opportunity to go to Yarn Barn and pick up a brand new spankin' new set, and a great new sock book, New Pathways For Sock Knitters by Cat Bordhi. Then off we went to the Library (hours of fun and trying to get the kids from running and shouting), then to McDonald's for lunch (oh we went there for breakfast too) more hours of fun. Finally off to the craft store for t-shirts for their ABC Club thingy and HEB for some food.

Yeah, now that I wrote all that down, I am not surprised that the kids are so tired.

Tomorrow: we are staying home.

Labels: Kid Antics, knitting

8:35:00 PM -- Email -- Link -- 1 Comments

Aug 20, 2007

They've got our children

"I am so excited!! Yo Gabba Gabba comes on at 10.30!!!"

Sayeth my 5 year old a mere five minutes ago. The kids have also been dancing around after meal times chanting, "There's a party in my tummy!!"

Oh joy.

I also have the beginnings of a knarly sore throat--I think I am going to OD on Chamomile tea. Ick. If I am getting what Jamey has--god I am going to be as sick as a dog...perfect timeing too--since Jamey is going out of town this week.

Labels: Kid Antics, whine

8:28:00 AM -- Email -- Link -- 0 Comments

Aug 15, 2007

Back to Normal

My house is mine again. My house is clean--so I can relax, a bit. I had house guests in the form of my brother, SIL, and my mother. They arrive early early Thursday morning. They arrived in typical mother and sister in law stormy fashion. The storm was so fierce it was decided my mother wouldn't continue helping my brother and SIL move to Arizona. My brother and his wife left Saturday morning (car problems prevented them from leaving on Friday) and my mom was privileged to take an extra bit of vacation and relax with her favourite daughter (if I can say so....lol) and her only grandchildren (not quite sure she saw it this way).

We did some yarn crawling...(I finally had a positive experience at Yarnivore), went to the library and Jamey and I took advantage of her presence to go on a date. I had to nail my mom to the couch so she wouldn't help do my chores. I hope she enjoyed her stay.

School starts next week--so I thought it would be a good time to officially start home school. In our trip to the library yesterday I found that the library has a some fun home school programmes for the kids this fall, the ABC club and ABC science. It'll be fun for Mic and a place to meet other kids.

Labels: daily rant, family

8:57:00 AM -- Email -- Link -- 0 Comments

Aug 10, 2007

Guessing Game

Scene: Micci running up and down the hall way, his arms slightly bend out in front of him

Mic: Guess what dinosaur I am?

Parents: Um A Raptor?

Mic: No!

Parents: A 'Compy?

Mic: No!! (More running) Guess Again!

Parents: Do YOU know what you are?

Mic: No. (More running)

Labels: Kid Antics

8:43:00 PM -- Email -- Link -- 1 Comments

Aug 8, 2007

Emotional

I wonder if other people my age, who watched the space shuttle Challenger explode 21 years ago, had their hearts in their throats and tears in their eyes when they watched the Shuttle Endeavor blast off with the teacher that was Christa McAuliffe's back up all those years ago.

God be with them.

Labels: daily rant, sky

5:40:00 PM -- Email -- Link -- 0 Comments

Aug 6, 2007

Bloggers to Unionise?

In a surprising turn of events Birdwell is actually blogging in the traditional sense. Bloggers Want To Unionize popped out at me as I was scanning my local news. WTF--why--and how. It's not like bloggers work for any one--it's a hobby! Yes, some bloggers make a difference--they are important grassroots members. BUT it is a choice many make because it's something they enjoy or it's a cause they believe in. Why would it need to be unionised? Why would I want to restrict my speech and my design and my choice to use ads?

I goggled it and found an an interesting article from Forbes. It pretty much expounds on the news link found--but I am still puzzled. It makes no sense. You want health care--dude it's called private insurance. If it's too expensive well then get a paying job WITH health care.

Susie Madrak was quoted as saying "Blogging is very intense - physically, mentally," she said. "You're constantly scanning for news. You're constantly trying to come up with information that you think will mobilize your readers. In the meantime, you're sitting at a computer and your ass is getting wider and your arm and neck and shoulder are wearing out because you're constantly using a mouse."

I think "serious"* bloggers decry the use of hobby when it describes what they do. Sorry to have to say it but I don't think they understand what the word actually means.

Hobby- an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation.

If used as a derogatory term--well then the someone (imaginary someone) has an issue in themselves and down deep feel that perhaps their blog ISN'T worth maintaining. Not saying it is of course--but one can only be offended if one has a sensitivity to the offense.

A very few get paid enough for their blogging to be able to support themselves--these people generation millions of hits because they are very talented writers, designers, and have their fingers on the pulse of what people want to read. Their income comes from two places: Ads or subscribers. Now if you blog for a company--I am not sure if you are a blogger--more like a content manager for said company. (But that's just me) If you want to be able to quit your job to blog--well you better start working on building a readership. Professional blogging (i.e. ads or subscriber-ship) is American entrepreneur-ship at it's best. Personally I would prefer Unions to keep their self interested noses out of it.

If it's legal protection that is desired--there are other ways (less restrictive ways) to go about it.

* Personally I think "Serious" blogger take themselves too seriously and are elitists. Does a political blogger think knitting bloggers are not serious--because they don't get any information from it--but a knitter would. Furthermore what is a serious blogger--does serious mean designing your own website? Spending x amount of hours blogging? Is it content? Is it the amount of daily hits?

Let's talk about it...

Labels: blog, daily rant, politics

12:05:00 PM -- Email -- Link -- 4 Comments

Buckle Up on the School Bus

Funny how things don't get covered in the local news. At the end of this legislative session, Texas is now one of the states that will required seat belts on school buses. Apparently after Sept 1, 2010 Texas will be buying new buses with 3 point and shoulder harnesses and after 2014 all school buses must have seat belts.

I wonder if they'll be buying enough buses? What happens if the bus gets overcrowded? Will excess children have to find other means of transportation? If not, be forced to stand? How long will it take the buses driver to get the 4 and 5 year-olds buckled into a seat? How long to make sure every one is properly secured? How are they going to make sure they are all proper adjusted. Highschoolers are MUCH bigger than elementary students and vice versa.

I remember riding the bus in high school (previous schools were in walking distance) here in San Antonio--most times it was so crowded high schoolers were stuffed 4 to a seat and had to stand--this went on for the entire school year. No more buses were added--I think parents just started taking their kids to school because they didn't think school buses were sausages.

I am not against seat belts in a school bus. In fact, I have always wondered why school buses didn't have seat belts. As a parent of small children--it's difficult to get the kids fastened (and unfastened, btw)into their seat belts. Seat belts are often (esp. when designed by the state) confusing and hard to use for little children. The buttons themselves are tricky--esp., when used at least 6 times a day 5 days a week.

Given, the fact that I homeschool--doesn't matter...other kids ride the bus--will it be safe, comfortable, and efficient?

Labels: daily rant, homeschooling, politics, Texans

10:23:00 AM -- Email -- Link -- 1 Comments

Aug 5, 2007

So what if I am dull

I've been feeling ambivalent toward my blog lately. I've been blogging for so long and sometimes I wonder if I should give up already. I haven't grown my readership much...but I do have a small but loyal readership--so what if it's never over 20 a day. But they're my friends and family and until they me I am boring and need to close up shop; I'll blog inanely to the end.

Lorelei was in underwear all day yesterday and all night last night! We were at the Silver Stars game (we are now officially a playoff contender no matter what happens here after!!) and she stayed dry and even tinkled on a big grown up potty. I happened to just buy a mega pack of diapers for her too--here's hoping I just wasted 15 bucks!!

On the knitting front I finished clue #3 on my Mystery Stole 3. The theme has been revealed as Swan Lake. Melanie had recommended using White or Black or some other comparable color...I started gathering supplies late...so white, black, cream, gold was nowhere to be seen...so I bought the Sea Foam--it's a greyish blue...I think the color will work excellently. I am dreading the long slog that is clue 4--an expanse of the same knit motif...but clue 5 has short rows and FEATHERS.

Speaking of which the short row heels on my socks are no longer kicking my butt. I expect no more road bumps to my finishing of the second sock of the never-ending sock!

Labels: daily rant, Kid Antics, knitting

10:38:00 AM -- Email -- Link -- 2 Comments