Burlington MA

Hey all....
Anyone want to meet up before the YarnHarlot signing at Borders in Burlington this week? Drop me a line at kskaare (at) gmail (dot) com. It starts around 7, but since I work down the street, I was thinking of heading over early and grabbing some coffee/dinner pre-harlot. :)

:) Mini

Mind over Matter

So, it's my gallbladder. Nothing to take out, worry about, etc... just yet. I have to eat a more controlled diet and keep an eye out for more symptoms. Did you know it can totally mirror a heart attack???

Thanks for all the well wishes... they helped. I spent Monday sleeping, Tuesday at my personal physician and today... i'm off to Good Harbor with PC for a little R&R ( this was a scheduled day off). I even saw Juliette Lewis and her band open for Chris Cornell last night in Boston. PC is a HUGE Chris Cornell fan (man-crush, I say) and we've had the tix forever. I sat through most of it, but he rocked... he always does. Give some props to PC for taking such good care of me these past few days... he truly is a great man.

Be back with some knitting soon... maid-of-honor dresses, tennis lessons, long-lost friends in town.... oh, and a family reunion and a wedding this weekend... VERY. BUSY. MINI.

:)

Happy Thoughts Wanted Here!

I'm here. I'm on the couch... with Harry Potter and PC's gray sweater. I am chillin' out for the day b/c of an "episode" last night....it involved me in the ER for 4 hours and chest pain and hyperventilating.

A panic attack?
Maybe.
A heart attack?
No.
Lung problems?
No.

Diagnosis: chest wall pain.
I'm taking Motrin and sleeping. The hyperventilating caused a migraine and that was the death of me last night. So, I am here, at home... it's dreary out... and I just want to knit and sleep.

More tomorrow when I have more energy. I get sharp pains when I even pick up the cat...

:)Kate

NSV! NSV!

Last night I did something I have never done before:

I watched someone turn into a bride.

Stunning, breathtaking, amazing....

On the knitting front: you all know a LOT about short row heels! I am taking all your advice as a I start a heel tonight. Here are the last pair I made--- Skeintily Clad yarn. Honestly, this yarn looked better in the skein. I usually don't mind pooling,but these are pretty well-pooled. But, the other skein (current socks in progress) were ugly in the skein and are turning out lovely. Go figure.

Speaking of my figure, I had what Weight Watchers calls a few non-scale victories:

1. current pants fall down

2. current underwear follows pants

3., skirt that didn't fit in January, is part of a very nice outfit today!

Houston, We have a problem

Yeah... I'm working short row heels for the socks I am working on now and I am having a problem:
holes.

I have googled and followed directions. Oh, and the sewn bind off--- looks like ass. All wobbly. I am doing the socks toe-up b/c they are for my mom (she picked out the yarn--- it's from Skeintily Clad) and I want her to have super yummy warm socks.

Anyone have a drop-dead-perfect-no-holes-short-row-heel and a stretchy bind off that might help me?

Photos tomorrow, I hope... tonight is a fun night: best friend #1 ( i have two, they are BOTH getting married, and I am the Maid-of-Honor in BOTH weddings) is trying on wedding gowns tonight. I have a digital camera, notebook and knitting with me. :) It could be a long night.

:) MINI
PS_ anyone heading up to SPA this winter?? I'm going to start calling around on Saturday for a hotel... anyone from the Boston area want to carpool in February?

When Life Gives You Lemons...

The knitting community really knows how to make lemonade! In fact, it knows a lot of recipes. All of the suggestions and words of encouragement have been great... thank you. Also, one of you tried to kill PC.... time for a baby, eh? Ha ha ha. Yes, the clock's ticking, but we are successfully "snoozing" until the next big alarm (post-wedding someday).

(just like on CNN!)

How about some vacation photos?

Pandas Sleep. That's it. they sleep. this is the Baby!

DC United Fans SING ALOT! Even in the bathroom....

Retirement plan: make enough money to retire in Georgetown.

Pumpkin is trying to stow-away for the next trip!

Actual knitting photos tomorrow.

Woot.

Woot. Yeah, that’s my complete level of emotion right now. I am stressed and tired and cranky and aren’t you glad PC lives with me and not you?

Thought so.

PC is dealing with something even more turbulent than the oh-my-god-it’s-summer Mini (summer, especially July, throws off my inner clock and I need more sleep, less “stuff” in my life and a little more space. I am very very frustrating in July): it’s mid-life crisis Mini. I’m in my chosen field, doing a nice job for good money and I am miserable. I hate walking through that door each day. Every morning, I sit for just a little bit longer in my car, with it running, wondering… what if I just didn’t. “Didn’t” what? Didn’t go in? Didn’t sit down? Didn’t log on? My chosen profession is a remarkable profession for Type A personalities (not one!) who have real focus and drive. They are married to their jobs, sacrifice relationships, families and social lives for the “goal.” Me? I run out the door at 4pm. Every.Day. I do my work as fast and as well as possible. I sit here all day, wondering what it would be like to have a job I loved. I think a huge part of it is that the mystery of my field is gone.

Some big changes have occurred around me: a friend left a similar field and went to teach. Another friend cross country did the same. Other friends and colleagues are moving up the corporate ladder and settling down with new homes and families.

Me? I’m still struggling to figure it all out. Kids? Love them. Want them. Terrified of being a horrible mom. Terrified of trying to figure out how to pay for daycare. Work? Hate it. Want to change. Love the idea of an academic schedule, but see myself with college kids, not high school level. Not sure if I want to teach… but like the idea of working with students. On top of it all? Worried about money. My current field pays well… can we really live without it? Worried about making the wrong move to the wrong profession (again).

Any ideas for someone who is:

Friendly

Social

Organized

Technical

Intelligent

Creative

Engaging

Inquisitive

Any and all advice considered.
Now you know why I am knitting socks. My brain just can’t handle anything else right now. ;)

Call me Venus (or Serena!)

Holy Moley! Has it really been this long since I posted? And even this post is a drive by... Summer bloggin' disease, me thinks. :) To assuage any concerns:
1. I have been knitting, but in Boston... it's been muggy and well, muggy hands and any sort of fiber past time-- not always a great idea.
2. I have a new love. Yup. Sorry. I am completely and 100% hooked and PC approves. Of course, two nights a week, I blow through the door, toss something in the oven and run out to meet my "other love", but he's learning to deal with our newly open relationship. :) Open, like the French Open, the US Open... here's my newest love:
















yes, I have put down the needles ever so slightly to get my huge ass onto a tennis court two nights a week. Now, a few things about me playing tennis: 1) I am not a "small" or "athletically" built individual. I have talked about my weight issues in the past. You know. So, this is the FIRST time I have enjoyed playing a sport. #2, Dude... I kill the ball. The whole game makes sense. The movement, the footwork. I sweat buckets, but if it's 99 deg F and 100% humidity, I am out there, swinging away and working as hard as I can to beat the pants off our instructors. PC is LOVING my tennis addiction ( even though he doesn't play)--- b/c I am challenging myself and starting to have something new in my life: competition. I used to be all "everyone is great, just a friendly game...." NO.More. Miss-Nice-Guy.

Why tennis? It made sense... I played in high school (we were required) and I liked the idea of it. And, I wanted to get more active. I hate the gym... something about being a so gerbil-like on those machines... I always join and quit. My nutritionist told me that if you aren't a gym-rat by the time you are 30, you are much less likely to ever really be one. She encouraged me to find a sport... and find one I did! And, playing 2-3 times per week has boosted my losses at WW also. 9 lbs in 3 weeks. A lot more to go, but instead of looking at it that way, I have small, 20lb goals. :) So, my local Park Dept runs a program and I signed up. Now, sit down. I have been keeping something from you. I have been playing since late April. Yeah. All those late nights? Sorry--- I was swinging away instead of casting on.

There is also another love in my life:




Viva la Revolution!










PC is 200% excited about this... he LOVES soccer and I am finally enjoying being a spectator at a sporting event! I don't even knit during the games! No, I scream and holler and yell at referees. I own 1 Revs t-shirt and 1 Revs sweatshirt. I yell "Ole, Ole..." and "goal!" and say things like "nice tackle" and "good save" and know terms like "corner kick" and "forming a wall". I know! Can you believe it?

So, that' s what I have been doing instead of knitting this summer. Oh, there has been knitting... PC and I have two air conditioned rooms, after all. Socks, socks and more socks. Photos this week... and of course, we'll be back to our regularly scheduled blogging soon enough also. :)