Thanx Evan

Good-Bye Paul

Since I was a child I've loved Paul Newmen. From Butch Casidy and the Sundance kid, to the Sting. But when I worked at the Health Food Store in Bellevue as a teen it was then I learned how special he was, all the money he and his daughter gave to charity through his product line. So today go out and buy something, cookies or chips and dip (the organic oreo's are great or the black bean dip) anything but go buy something in his memory. Good bye Paul Newmen.

I saw the silliest thing today

While we were in Nash-vegas today tooling around the big-ass fancy mall I saw two of the silliest things I've laid eyes on in fashion in sometime. Both in the men's department at Macy's. They have these new more life like models like at Victoria's Secret, and there amid the men's overly priced jeans was a plastic guy with a half sleeve tattoo! WTF! The best part was that to get him in to his lounging possition they had to turn his wrist and it messed up the tattoo. Oh and one of these plastic dudes also had what I could only describe as dreds but they looked more cat sucked then anything. The other strangeness was a lovely pair of dress pants with phesents all over them. Little flying, walking, rousting upland game birds all over your ass! Nothing says I have too much money like fowl on your rump.

New Converts and New Projects

Normally at work I knit. Knit at morning break, lunch, afternoon break, the sheer boredom of the new pay chart has kicked in and the once thrilling buzz of a busy fall turns into us out in fields shoot cows just so we can have something to do (ok this would never happen. Only cows that die of unknown causes come to see us and because we love animals that's why we are underpaid and treated like cow pies). All this knitting has going some of my scrap-booking co-workers to at least be more interested in the dark side than before. One friend went online and printed some directs then came to work holding up what looked a little like a cat sucked blue hair ball. The cat had gotten a hold of the ball of yarn, but attached to the hair ball was a wee little knitted square! So the BVC is starting to breed knitters and not just I have yarn show me how to make this into something knitters, they are I can do this myself kind but what is gods name did I do here could you fix it please knitters.
I stuck my head into the lab one afternoon, while I was busy out and about somewhere's else and waiting for me was our building's big guy in maintenece, fearing that one of my incubators had gone down or worse the air handler had shut off and I'd have to spent the rest of the afternoon in a 80 degree oven. Nope. The building is frightfully old and painted with a color most closely resembling fuzzy silly putty, hang on I'm getting somewhere, so they are repainting. They want a mural, and they want me to paint it. WOW! Um I'm kinda shocked and very flattered. Plus I'm helping Alissa make her Halloween costume. Right now I feel so very crafty, and needed.
Plus I've got some new projects to tackle in the not so distant future.
Yarn for the Hemlock Ring, It will be a little small.


Yarn for a baby sweater.


Yarn to make a Sheldon, which I started and about took an eye out with my DP's so I will come back to the little guy one day after I get better with those silly things.

When do people grow up?

We all say, "when I grow up." as little kidos. That we might be something, or do something or just get to sit on our butts while watching TV because we can. The funny thing is that it seems that fewer and fewer people are actually growing up. While they get bigger and get jobs they still act like sullen twit children when told they have "to do" something. They get pissy, they get rude and do silly immature things. Take a co-workers half-ass comment, as we were leaving work. LEAVING WORK, all day to say this, all day to just say, "hey why didn't this get done?" or all day to reflect on the fact that it totally her job too and she never once lifted a finger to work on it. "If someone had just done this in her down time it would have gotten done". You gotta say it all snarky in you're head too. You know that making microbiologist mad isn't really a top shelf idea. Whatever, is all I have to say. I admit I kinda dropped the ball, I kinda didn't tell anyone that I was working on the computer system at a snails pace but shit people it's not just my job its all y'alls. Plus I'm not a "senior lab tech" soooooo ergo NOT JUST MY JOB. So everyone out there today, take the high road, do something mature and good. Tell someone they look good, they did a good job and then get back to work. Then apply for a job at Books A Million!

Home Sweet Home

Home! Seattle home is good, clarksville home.... the best since its my bed, my stuff and my house. Budgie lives here too and I miss the little guy. Got some good pictures, some good stuff (no yarn or fabric) and well some good treats for the neighbors. Gotta get up and go to work in the morning so I should call it a night.

Long weekend

Ahhh I love a nice long weekend. I love them even more when they aren't because I took a day off. This means there isn't extra work for me to un-f@#k when I get back. I took full advantage of my extra off day by getting crafty. I'm stilling working hard on my Basic Black Sweater. I've finished the two fonts and the back. I will cast on for a sleeve tonight.
See I'm going to Seattle for a few days. I plan on eating and eating, and getting in some Seattle-y-ish-ness. Its a long flight so me and my iTouch are planning on a few things. The First season of Mad Men for one thing, at twenty bucks this is steal for some 13 hours of tv watching. Of course I will be knitting the whole time. Sleeves, just knitting sleeves. I didn't knit much over the long weekend but I did indulge my other crafty habits.

The Big Bag, with the trip coming oh so close I actually got cracking on this. I was a little put off by the instructions and the use of interfacing, but once I got started it went really fast.


Bad lightly I know, but it was like 10 at night.

I also got out the beads...

Made a few necklaces, which this one will be featured in The Big Seattle trip.

I promise to write while I'm in the emerald city (yes that's what its called) while drinking lots of good coffee, nibbling on fried clam strips and crab cakes. The D40 is going with, so lots of pictures! A little yarn, some fabric and seafood what more could a girl want for her 4 year anniversary. Oh that's right HER HUSBAND! Oh well the Hub should be in the states and in my possession for our 5 year!

No good reason.

I admit it, I have had no good reason not to blog. No major events, no trips to Europe, no pressing projects that required every second of spare time I could find. Nope just me being lazy and one two hour phone after another. It seems like every night for the last 2 weeks and been me fielding calls or running around like a recently beheaded poultry. My eye appointment (which thankfully was a big NO CHANGE, because I have currently have 3 pairs of glasses and a pair of Rx sunglasses) took well over an hour. I had veg to round up since it was a veg thursday, and right as I undid my pants to finally change into some comfy clothes, PHONE! Turns out that some times its ok, since it was the Hub.
I have been knitting, still on the basic black and the storks nest lace. I've been cooking, mac and cheese for work, chicken for neighbors. I've been burning myself on the bbq and cutting fingers while making pasta salad. We hit Nashville yesterday for some new furniture and a little clothes shopping, funny how boys are worse then girls when they actually get into the shopping groove.
Besides all this silly stuff I also caught some pictures of the Humming Birds. I was super busy last week and didn't get to fill the feeder ONE DAY, just one. When I finally filled it up it didn't empty I found out why..

I have a watch-bird. He sits, he waits, he drinks, but don't try anything this feeder is only his.

MINE!

Sundays

Ah Sundays... Since I didn't get a move-on until noon I felt I should make up for it. I cleaned out the old veg bin. Since we've (Jen, Blue-Bird, and I) have been getting our bi-monthly organic veg bin I've been struggling to eat all of it. Its just me here these days and I'm lucky if I make dinner let alone prepare a veg to go with it. So I rooted around in the cupboards and in the crisper, pull out everything that looked like it was still half alive and cut it up.

Then it all went into a pot with the some chicken stock....

BOOM, soup is born. I hope it turns out ok. Besides soup I've been knitting too.

OUCH!

I think I just fell off the wagon. The great big diet adventure (GBDA) only really lasted a good week before a stood up and the fell off. Lots of reasons none of them good enough to justify my lack of mental fortitude that I've been exhibiting. I lost about 2 pounds and forgot to post. So here we go again, I've flagged down the wagon and am climbing back on.
I've also been really lazy. I find that I the less time I actually have the more I get done. The more time I have the less I get done. This reversal of the norm stems from my high school years when I was at school and working and volunteering and seeing the boy (the hub before he was the hubby) and cleaning houses and, and, and. I can manage 20 minutes but not 6 hours. So I find myself making lists just to make lists and feel like I got some where. So now its time to buckle down and work my butt off. Both with my workouts and with my work.
keep you posted!

Projects and Progress

I'm a little house bound this morning, waiting on the neighbors cable guy while he takes his fam to lunch plus the impending visiting of a friend. So I figured I would just clean up a little and show you what I've been up to. For starters it was veg week for us half box CSA people, and we got WATERMELON...

After I consumed most of that I had some knitting to do. I might be moving slowing on it but I can't wear it for a few more months any way, I finished the back of Basic Black.

Of course this is just the shoulder shaping.
I've kinda lost my knitting mojo these since the summer has arrived. I've been trying to stay away from the tv and when I do watch I'm at home so my knitting has suffered. I figured I could do with something more engaging then basic black for my evening knitting. The sweater will be my "take to work" knitting.

So I rummaged through the stash, and pulled out some magazine. The Stork's Nest Scarf from Piecework was perfect. Plus I had yarn!

Tomorrow after I clean the bathroom, I'll start some sewing.

Thanx Jeff

While my Mom visited when got manicures and pedicures from the great ladies over at Gist. One of the ladies is a TN/KY boarder native and gave us the skinny on some of the stranger and cooler things around this parts. One of these strange things is a huge ass monument to the one and only confederate President.

So we drove out, I took some pic's and we went to Hoptown for lunch at a kickin' little place called Lic's.

Well this all comes back to Jefferson Davis because today while I was cruising along highway 41A after drinking a whole soda and having frozen groceries in my boot (trunk for non-mini drivers). I came to a full stop. All of us where forced to turn around. I was dangerously low on gas and was forced to return to Hoptown. Now I'm stuck, the little highways were full up with big ass trucks and mini vans. MMMM Wait! The monument! I just drove back there and then home. If I had never ventured out to see the old guy I would have spent an hour in first gear. Instead I zipped home with the windows down and the AC off listening to my music very loud.
Thanx

Great Big Diet Adventure!

Hi everyone out there in blog land! Tomorrow begins day 1 of my great big diet adventure. I'll weigh in and measure up tomorrow and then we'll get this thing started. I've got to get down to about 135lbs. So you're all going to help to keep me honest. We'll start this in the morning for now its bed time.

Welcome New Friend

I've always loved odd old things. 1963 Chevy Nova's, single stitch Singer Sewing Machines, Sets of vintage red bakelite kitchen canisters. While out on a mission to find a new pressure cooker sealing ring (long story that has nothing to do with me) and while on company time I found this.....

A 1935/36 Royal Touch Control, in its original case. Still works too,

No idea what I'm going to do with it other than type poorly, but it'll be fun. Plus its very photogenic. Smile!

'Maters

Yumskie....

I couldn't wait any longer so off the little guy came, and into the house.


I chopped it up with some fresh basil and popped it into my pasta dinner.


I've got plenty more on the way.

In other news, I finished a little project..

Un-tagged MEME

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?
OOOO thats a good one. I was like two weeks out of my sophomore year of high school. My best friend had just graduated and I had met the man (then teenager) that would become my husband. More importantly than all that I was recovering. I was 16 and had just had a breast reduction. I had given up buy new bra and started wearing two, a sports bra and a regular one. This might be the strangest and bravest things I've ever undertaken. I've had the new ones longer than the old ones, but I still have some back problems. I can say that I've inspired more than one friend or family member to follow suite.
2) What are 5 things on my To Do list today?
-Make Brownies, for the ice cream fun extravaganza at afternoon break tomorrow.
-Pick up Veggies from the CSA! Yummmers
-Water the plants, basil, tomatoes, egg plant, pepper and the budgie plant
-Run the dishwasher, yuck its stinky, it takes a lot of dishes and its just me
-Mildlessly read my book on the back porch, which leads me to wonder why the neighbors lawn furniture has moved.

3)Snacks that I enjoy
- Chips (kettle chips), sugar snap peas, cookies, cheese and crackers, cheese and apples

4)Things I would do if I was a billionaire
Pay off the college loans, the house, and the cars
Pay for the cousins to go to college
Quit
Start my own yarn/art/fabric store
Spend the next year traveling
Buy my parents a place on the beach and in the mountains

5)Places I've lived
Baton Rouge, LA
Bellevue, WA
Moscow, ID
Lawton, OK
Clarksville, Tn

6)Jobs I've had
House Cleaner
Clerk @ Nature's Pantry, a health food store
Office Girl/ Yard Manger - neighbor's Repo Lot (best ans crazy job I've ever had)
Waitress Lefty's Cafe (started as a short order cook, and moved to waitress, my boss said I was "bubbly"
Sub Teacher in Lawton OK
Office Worker for the Red Cross
Waitress at the now closed Cafe 541
Medical Technologist (lab girl) Horizon Hospital
Microbiologist Breathitt Vet Center

There you've learned something about me

oops!

Well sorry about that. I have been here this whole time but a combination of busy, nice weather and friends have prevented me from sitting down for more than like 10 minutes. In fact on Monday I was taking out my garbage and before I new what was happening I was at Cheese Burger Charlie's and going to see the new Adam Sandler movie. When did I go back to college?
So now then, The Budgies who live in my plants has two babies! I bought fabric and a purse pattern. One tomato is quite red and very salmonella free. I finished up and started some projects. Had a great weekend and plan on having another.
Here are some pictures of the fleece project that Bluebird and I worked on two weeks ago.

Pre-wash (and kinda out of focus)


Mid wash


Final wash


All done out in the sun

I was amazed at how little work it was to wash the wool but we have a ton of it and its going to take a while. Sunday afternoon might be carding day.

Happy Blog

So I was ready a rather well known blogger who just celebrated her 3 blog-birthday. Which got me to thinking, I've had this blog for 3 years too. And I'm not near as cool. I did take a huge chunk of time off to spend with my vox. Oh well kept trying then shall we.
Happy blogging. and happy fridays!!
ps Beer, friends and a nice evening are a great combo.

Down the Rabbit Hole

At 2:55 this morning I rolled over, opened one eye and looked at my super large digit'ed clock. "ahh good, he got a ride home and I can sleep out the last few hours in peace" as soon as I rolled back over and found the cool side of the pillow my phone rang. DRAT! Even if you know that a mid-night phone call is coming it still scares the piss out of you, and you can never not sound like you're stuck in a watery cave. The Hub and I make a rule of making sure friends never have to go to post by themselves or return from the international date line alone. So up I was at the ass crack of dawn. This was were while driving in the dark I slipped down the rabbit hole. I didn't notice it had happened until the morning light.
All seemed normal, but as I was driving in to work happily drinking my french press coffee a guy starts waving at me from his jeep. WAVE WAVE WAVE, window down. Mmmmmm this is worth the laugh lets see. After a brief stop light conversation with a man who thought "he knew me" and wasn't sure "I was from around here" both answers were NO! The light changed and I nearly wet my pants laughing. All was going well at work until my mid-sixties bossman came into the lab and stood there by my bench and stated for all those who could here (he talks very low) "I need my ears swabbed" WHHHHHAT, "Claire does that human stuff" was the boss lady's reply. So there I was swabbing my bosses old man ears. The man is a PhD is Micro I sure as shit hope he knows how to collect a sample on his own. It only went down hill from there. The bursting out in laughter for no reason from lack of sleep and strange events. The fact that we ran clean out of usable blood plates, followed by my clinching of the May Quality Star award.
My advise to anyone is, take the beer. When someone offers you a beer at 4am take it. Say "work sucks, I'm calling in sick" and drink the beer and maybe another one. Go home get back into bed and tried to start the day all over again much latter. Because if something as strange as beer before breakfast is offered you know its not going to be a normal day.

Fiber Fair (not Prunes)

When asked last week, "soooo Claire what are you doing this weekend?", "Fiber Fair" I say. By bench-mate goes back to her work "Really?", "yeah". Streak a few more e.coli. "Fiber, like, fiber?" , "yeah fiber, like alpaca, and sheep". BUSTS OUT LAUGHING. My dear bench-mate was a little confused. She was thinking prunes and dates, not wool and sheep. Now I can't stop a giggle when I say "fiber fair". I see a bunch of little old ladies trying out the newest in prune ice cream. But enough stories about peristaltic action, PICTURES









We followed the fiber with plants and a quick trip to Boobies Diner in Charlotte.