A Blog a Day...

Time to thrill you with another post featuring... no knitting pictures! I have been doing some knitting, however. I managed to finish the heel, join the leg, and start the pattern of the second blue cabled sock. I am only managing a couple rows per day, but it is better than nothing and the pattern is easily memorized. From here I just do 13 repeats of the cable pattern, add some ribbing and bind off. Then I can switch to the rainbow-sherbet colored yarn and finish the 2nd sock of that pair.

Had a good day today - worked in the late morning, drove to meet a friend for "tea" and pie, then fondled some wool and drove home. I nearly got my hands on the runaway kitty tonight... but not quite. She meows like she wants to come home but still runs away! I left her some chow on the porch. Downloaded a couple free (FREE) books to my e reader and now it is time for some (more) tea and a lttle World of Warcraft. I wish beer came in a hot version... or that I knew how to heat up some mulled wine. I wonder where my little crock pot is?

Next week starts the month-end portion of my work schedule... yay for craziness and for overtime pay!

Driven to Distraction

My poor car has been falling apart all year and I got another $530 blow this afternoon. This is just one thing to fix before finding out the actual bill for the exhaust system will be. Needless to say I don't have $500 just lying around in ready cash. I found someone who will do the same work for $260 but not until Jan 2nd.

I don't want to buy another car. I love my car! I just want it to freaking WORK. I have poured money into it this year and am still admiring the shine of the paint on my brand new rear end. It is just the right size, has all the right gadgets, and every inch of if has a memory of some kind. The trunk? Full of memories of faires gone by. The back seats? Visions of hauling stock to soap shows for 4 years. The passenger seat? Dozer's perfect perch. The driver's seat? Memories of 110,000 miles traveling in CA, AZ and NV over the last 7 years.

On the other hand, the window doesn't roll up, the sunroof doesn't work right, the front axle needs to be replaced, the entire exhaust system is shot, I have never replaced any of the mysterious belts and now the intanke manifold has two leaky gaskets. I can't fix things before something else goes down.

I just want to burst into tears. I don't want a car payment, don't want to feel crap about my credit score, don't want to feel like I am being taken advantage of at the car dealership OR the mechanic. If only there was a train between home and work, I would switch to commuting! But it takes a bus (or two), a train, another bus and some walking to get from here to there, and takes about 4 hours each way.

Peaceful

Not much happening this weekend. The weather has been fine and I have enjoyed sitting at the desk with the window and door open and letting the 80 degree air flow in. Gardening day was for whacking and harvesting - the oranges are ready and the guinea pigs & birds received the gift of parsley today. Yesterday I tried makinga rosemary wreath but ended up with a rosemary diamond - I need to find a round form to tie the boughs to.

The baby cockatiels are still endlessly entertaining - I put the #4 and #1 (Peaseblossom) in their own digs which leaves Billy and Mustardseed in the front room. MS promptly started to whistle and chatter now that she doesn't have competition! I have been turning over names for that little birdy in my mind, but nothing seems to fit. "Oberon" seems a heavy name for such a little bird to bear, but would keep in the "Midsummer Night's Dream" theme. I considered him to be a her for so long that no manly names seem to fit. Beaker has been making a sweet chirping noise lately - I think the nickname "Cricket" is in order. Violet and Hamlet are sitting on eggs again - and they have only been living on their own for 3 days!

The missing cat is still missing - she comes to the door and meows but as soon as I open it she scampers off. The neighbor even saw her clawing at the screen to come in the other night. What a doofus. I imagine she will get hungry and lonely eventually (yes there is kibble on the porch for her).

Still no knitting this weekend, but have been playing WoW. Now that I am in a new guild I am having a much more pleasant time. It's either that or because I restocked the beer supply this weekend.

On the Level

I am having a nice stay-cation, playing WoW and snuggling the parrots. Beaker (and later, the cockatiels) got a spray bottle bath yesterday and found it very agreeable.Today's treat was half of a pomegranate - he eats every little bit of it. He even passed up some banana! The cockatiels are babbling up a storm and are endless entertainment.

I am enjoying the new WoW expansion very much. It was a long wait but the graphics are amazing and the quest lines entertaining. It is always better when I can play with friends and I have some good ones.

No knitting to report, but I did go out for family dinner tonight and we made cookies afterward. Good times. Everything is better after a full bottle of wine!

Back to work in the morning, then I think the spinning meeting on Saturday if the car will make it.

Interlude

I have a couple scheduled days off this week and have no end of ideas to fill the time. Playing Cataclysm is the top of the list, of course. I am also (finally) starting to get engrossed in _Pride and Prejudice_ and downloaded _Anna Karenina_ to re-read next. The dogs could use a bath and the parrots won't say "no" to some snuggles. My cold head is longing for a new cap and my cold fingers and hands for new knitted gloves & wristlets. The loom is, well, looming over there in the corner and the record player could use some revving up. I want to look up all my daytime knitting friends for knitting and tea, and have dinner and cookies with the yoga crowd.

This is my recharge time before the crush of month-end and holiday pressure and full schedules. Walking the dog (even just to the store) almost every evening is a help, as is keeping some of the birdies in the bedroom for constant chatter and snuggles. The cockatiel (cleverly named #4-1975) baby that I brought back home last week is definitely a male, s...he whistles, chatters and displays to no end.

I seem to be rambling, so off to find some dinner and see if my beer is cold yet!

Charming

Well, there has not been any knitting yet this weekend but it has been pleasant all the same. I am in love with my new e-reader and zipping along through _Pride & Prejudice_. The story so far: some people like other people, and some people think they don't like other people, but they really do. I can check my email, update FB, play number place, listen to music, and READ on the little contraption. The adventure of the evening is to install iTunes and see what free items they offer.

Today was cool but nice during our morning gardening time; the expected rain held off until it was time for our ice cream date. But it wasn't too cold even then, and not the least bit windy, so I call that a win. Dozer is soaking wet now, but lying on a nice dry mat to make up for it. Until I get up and do it, I forget how nice it is to walk. Made a stop at the pet store for a flashy new dog lead and some bird food. That should keep us happy for a while.

The returned baby cockatiel is surely going to be a male - he is strutting, whistling and chattering all sorts of nonsense. Interestingly, much of the chatter was learned from the father bird before s.. er HE left for his new home. I suppose that shouldn't be so shocking... but I am glad he didn't forget us. Little Mustardseed (their very first baby, hatched in April) is still very sweet and snuggly. She wants to be with only me and will never get enough head-scratching; definitely a throwback to her grandmother Dante (my first 'tiel).

Sounds like it is time to shift the laundry and I will refresh my tea. I will log in to WoW and say hi to all my chese nips - I love my nook so well that I haven't even thought about Azeroth this weekend.

Splurge!

I swear I only slowed down at the bookstore to breathe in the atmosphere and this hopped in the car. But no matter the case, I am blowing off our work party in favor of cuddling up with some tea and "Pride & Prejudice"

Won't Martha be proud?

Friday Night's All Right

Another week nearly over! Tomorrow I have to get up at OHMYGODITISEARLY and go to work for the morning, but thn the day is free until the Holiday party (bowling!). There is a rumor that there will be an IPad raffled off, and that we get a drinks budget, so I had better go check it out. The other goal for this weekend is to start some gloves / fingerless gloves and maybe catch the escapee kitty. Again.

Today was my year and a day anniversary at work, and also turned out to be the day of Meeting With Every Employee for the boss. It was nice to get some one on one time and I was pleasantly surprised to get an end of the year bonus. Most of it is going toward fixing the car, but there should be enough left for an e-reader if I find one I like.

Just getting in a little compy time, a little lasagna, a little Monty Python and then tottering off to bed.

Out and About

I have managed to get out an about this fall - yay! I went to the Las Vegas Renaissance Faire in October to work and found time to see the parrot show... Sadly there were no pionus but they do have an Eclectus. We descended upon the Sons of Norway and gave a demonstration on spinning... It was quite a good time & it felt good to get some wool between my fingers again. We met lots of knitters and I think I freaked out the guy who was asking a ton of questions by pointing out that he must be an engineer... which he was.

I made it down to Hermosa beach for a craft fair a couple weeks ago and enjoyed a nice warm hour on the beach with the seagulls and sand pipers. I was glad I went when the next weekend the weather turned cool and windy.

A Bird's Life

On the way home from work tonight I made a detour to pick up one of the baby cockatiels (born this summer), as she was not working out in her new home. I never work out either, so we are meant to be together, I am sure. It is nice to have her back home. The family who had her also took in her brother and he is a much better fit. She is temporarily installed with Mustardseed (her older sister) and Billy Birdy (the 20 year old cockatiel I took in this fall) while I spruce up the spare cage. Billy seems to like all the girly bird company as I saw him doing unspeakably sensual things to his food dish this evening. Uh oh.

They are all chilling out in the bedroom, Beaker is stuffing himself with pistachios here with me (I keep a nutcracker right by the computer now), and the other birdies are enjoying a late night dinner too.