WIP Wednesday

Sorry Nicole, I'm late this week.  (My daughter)  I was just too exhausted last night to post when I usually do. It's been a busy week.

I misplaced the baby sweater when the boarder moved in.  Just found it last week while I was rearranging the living room for the cat's chair.  I need to get this and other baby things finished pretty quick as my daughter will be having c-section on October 7th.  It's really nerve wracking being so far away, when she goes into the hospital.  I wasn't able to get to do anything with beads this weekend.  

Finally, I was able to order the sw bfl/nylon batts from Cupcake Fibers, that I've been wanting since before Duane went into the hospital.  Joan is super fast to send out.  I ordered it on Saturday morning and it was sitting in my mailbox on Monday morning.  I spun a bit of it on my third spindle for reporting purposes.  I would say it spins like butter, that is if one could spin butter.  Don't try spinning butter it will make a mess, get some lovely batts from Joan instead. 

 I need to finish up K's lama this week, so hopefully she can make a trip down from Phoenix. Meet Duane and visit with Dammit.  Less than ounce left, I've should have finished it long ago, but again, the confusion in the house with the boarder.  So glad he's out and life will get back some from of normal. 

Duane made his famous chili on Monday.  Tuesday, my daughter called saying her father lost the recipe for the chili.  There's the link Nicole.  Tell your father, I suggest he uses one can each of light and dark red kidney beans and one can black beans, plus a can of chopped tomatoes and don't forget the frozen corn.  Duane also adds cumin and that's not listed on the recipe.  I'm sure he put a comment on the blog when he reads this, so check back on the comments.  Tell your Dad also, I'll set aside the money for his bus fare down.  Anytime after Christmas, he wants to come down to get away from the nuthouse and cold, just let us know and we'll get him the bus ticket.  He'll have fun cooking and baking with Duane. 

Here's a little video I took of what our living room sounds like.  It's hard to hear the tv most of the time.  We turn the tv up and they turn their little amps up.  Attempted conversation has a lot of "wut?!"  Any day now, I expect the birds to shout, "Wut?!"

In the back, Junior is bugging Mama Myrtle for food.  He has no business doing this as he took a flight on Saturday.  Duane was taking the babies out of the box and Junior shot right out the door.  Just like Mr. Herbie did to me once.  Luckily, the cats were all sleeping when Junior flew into the dining room and tried to get out the window.  Myrtle and I think he's big enough to feed himself now.  I need to take a picture of the two youngest, our third set of identical twins.

Yesterday, was my first time posting consistently for a year, in all the years I've had this blog.  I should have posted something, but well, I suck.  What can I say? There is so much to post about, but I'll save it for tomorrow.

WIP Wednesday

It's another gone by and it feels like a month.  Sadly, not much has been added to my shawl.

A few repeats were added to the border.  I should have more to show you next week. (crosses fingers)

No cross stitch this week.  PBS is having their telethon, so no Saturday night British Shows.  It's for three weeks.  I would be more apt to give them money if they left my British shows on and said, "Hey you, sitting in that rocking chair cross stitching."

I would look up.

"Yes, you. Is that a Mirabilia?"

I look around for the hidden camera.

"If you want to keep watching more of  these British shows every week, then send us some money."

Instead, they put on stuff I have no interest in and say, "If you want to see more programming like this, then send us money."  That's the only time they show that stuff is when they want money, and no I don't want to watch more of them.

I ordered Netflix.  Just have to figure out how to balance the laptop, pattern and stitching all on my lap.

After last weeks events, Duane and I sort of became a couple of vegetables.  The tremendous weights lifted, we were both exhausted.  I hate rollercoasters.  Only three times have I rode them and each time a frightening experience which it was said I could be heard screaming in terror all through the park.  That's what it feels like, I just stepped off the worst rollercoaster ride ever, and have been just staggering around in a daze.

This is the oldest baby bird.  Duane named him Yertle (hope I spelled it right) because his body is the deepest green blue.

At first this one was named Whitey.  Then his soft powder blue feathers came in.  He's looking more like his Dad, Mr. Bird.  Now, we call him Jr.

Until this evening, this baby was known as #3.  Tonight, Duane named him Normal or Norm for short.  Norma if it turns out to be a girl.

Number 4 looks like it's going to be yellow for the most part.  It has like two light green feathers in it's tail.  This one was named Tweety.

Number 5 doesn't have an official name yet.  I call it Baby.  Maybe that will be it's name, as it is the last one.

It was suggested I might sell some.  Not so much.  For one thing, I see parakeets for sale on Craigslist all the time, here.  I don't think they are big sellers.  Two, I had a bad experience when I had a ton of kittens I needed to find homes for.  One allowed their toddler to abuse the kitten and it died.  They tried to say I gave them a defective kitten and wanted another one.  I was just No. NO!! You don't let a two year treat a tiny kitten like a stuffed animal.  Another couple took two of my kittens and when the kittens grew up, they dropped them off at the pound.  A few other incidents happened.  Anyway, I'm a firm believer when a person takes on a pet it's for the life of the pet, unless circumstances happen beyond anyone's control.

So, I'll just remove the house when Baby is big enough.  I'll be the weirdo with 18 parakeets.  I can live with that.

Lastly.  SQUEEEEEEEEEE!!!!  I got a job!!! A real job!!  It was the one I couldn't say too much about, lest I jinx it.  The call came in today.  It's the same company Duane worked for.  Except he was with the department for a major internet provider.  They are putting me in with a national drugstore chain and will be paying for me to get my pharmacy tech licence.  I start at the end of September.

I pm'd a few people on FB.  I just didn't want to put it to my status just then and announce to the world.

The only thing that could top this week is if I take Duane up to the Shell station to get that lottery ticket, (We still haven't done that.) and he wins the Mega Million jackpot.  You know since he's faced odds that were greater than being struck by lightening this year.  Then he would have to come here and post, "I'm sorry but Denise can't come to the blog right now.  She fainted and I'm still trying to revive her."

Thanks for stopping by.

I have to add my celebration video for when I'm headed in the right direction. I wore this out when I graduated nursing school.

WIP Wednesday

It's just 10:30 pm Tuesday night here in the desert SW and suddenly I'm very tired.

I started the edging for Dayflower Dreaming today, just as I hoped.  Started it on the wrong needle and had the front of the edging facing the back of the shawl.  Luckily, I noticed this just ten rows in.  After a few more false starts, I finally have it going in the correct direction.

I took all the baby parakeets out of the nest to clean it.

This little one decided to be by himself.  I think it's around two weeks old.

The green one on the right, is three weeks and three days. The white one is just three weeks and be darned if I can remember how old any of the others are.  Especially, the littlest one.  So, with these five babies that will make 18 parakeets total.  We are done, finished, caput with letting them hatch anymore.  Poor Emily, even if she does decide upon a mate, she won't have a chance at adding to the bunch.

Duane made homemade cream of asparagus soup for dinner.

Monday night, I hinted at storms brewing and job possibilities. The storms:

 Last Wednesday, I received a shut off notice for the electric a few weeks earlier than I expected.  I called and was able to get them to hold off until September 20 at the most.

Then Friday night, the boarder came home early from his job all upset.  Told Duane he was going to take off back to the little podunk town from whence he came.  Just great, five days notice and he knew we really needed his share of the rent to stay here.  He left for his brother's this afternoon.

My neighbor said that the call center she worked at was hiring and to go this past Monday at 2pm and they will probably start me the next day. It's just a hole in the wall type place. As I said Monday night, I went out in 106F and walked a good half mile from the bus stop and around the office park til I finally found the place.  I was wearing a heavy linen, navy blue skirt, satin shirt and heals.  No pantyhose, thank goodness.  I figured this is Tucson, in August, who in their right mind would wear pantyhose?

I get there and it's a hole in the wall type place.  Old fashioned cubicles with phones and computers.  I don't know why, but it reminded me of the old hole in the wall bowling alley my mom bowled at, back in the 70's.  I half expected them to all have ashtrays and the place be thick with smoke.

The woman told me she wouldn't be hiring for a few weeks, that she's currently over-booked with the people had.  Then she walked out front and lit a cigarette.  I followed her out and said, "May I please fill out an application, since I came all this way."  I wanted cry then and there, but I just went back inside and sat in a chair near the door.  She had some girl come in and bring me an application.  Which I sat trying to fill out using my little purse for a desk.  It was so hot walking around out there, that's when I started dripping sweat all on the application.

References, crap, I forgot to grab the paper with my references phone numbers.  I brought it back to her and apologized that I forgot to grab that information, but I could bring it when she called me for an interview.  She said, "Oh don't worry about it.  I never call them.  I just want to know if you have any felony charges of stealing a hat.  Then I just want to hear the story."  "I'll probably call you sooner, rather than later."  Then I went home in the heat.   Duane and I discussed what we were going to do about the landlord and the electric bill.  The tiny bit I get from the state doesn't even cover the rent.

Today, a call came for Duane.  Blessed be, he was approved for his disability, finally.  In a few weeks he will get a deposit with just enough to cover the rent and electric.  Now, he can relax, not having to worry about us getting evicted, and going back to the nursing home. He is slowly getting better, trying to take daily walks.  The heat does make it hard for him to get out and about very much with his breathing.

I still need to find a job, but not as desperately. As in I don't have to throw myself on the mercy of some convenience store manager, begging for a job.  Which was my next idea.    Hopefully, I will hear from another company this week that will be starting training in the middle of September.  I'm not allowed to say too much about it, lest I jinx myself.

Here ends hopefully the last chapter of this terrible saga that has just gone on way too long.  Thank you to all of you who have hung in there with me and helped me get through this.  I don't think I could have made it without you.  There were days you were holding me together when I didn't think I could do it myself.

Weekend Stitching Report

Not much was added to Villa Mirabilia this week for various reasons.  I did manage to add the light purple and teal to the ribbon.  Next week, I plan to try to fill in the pink bow.

Sunday morning, I made homemade date nut bread, using this recipe, with a thick slathering of cream cheese.

It looks like we have five little birds.  Two are going to be yellow and green like Myrtle and it looks like one might be all white.




Video I took a week ago.

I have a couple things going on that have potential for a job soon.  Duane says I shouldn't say much and jinx myself.  Just please keep us in your thoughts that good things happen soon.  There are a couple storms on the horizon coming for September, I'm pretty certain we can weather them.

Thanks for stopping by.  More on WIP Wednesday, I'm pretty beat today.  I was out walking around in 106F degree heat dressed in business clothes for awhile today.

WIP Wednesday

I tried to get to the edging on Dayflower Dreaming.  Sadly, there is five more rows to go.

Even though there is about ten more rows added, it looks the same so no new picture.  The problem with letting a WIP languish too long, I forgot why I was making this.  I have no idea what to do with it once I'm finished, other than block it, fold it up and put it someplace safe.  I think I might have wanted to use it on one of those small round decorator tables, however that no longer interests me.  Too far into this to rip it out and re-use the yarn.

Same progress on Villa Mirabilia as I posted on Saturday.  This was started before the above project and I still have the same plan to frame it and hang in the living room.

After I posted on Sunday, Duane went in to assemble his pizza.  I wasn't able to get into the kitchen until around eight that night and by that time I was too tired to mess with the cake like I said I was going to. Monday, I felt fluish with body and head aches.

That's ok, his pizza was delicious.  The crust was so buttery and yummy it could have just had melted cheese on it and it would have been wonderful.  The beef brisket was tender and tangy with his homemade sauce.

I made the Black Forest cake tonight while watching Fried Green Tomatoes for the third time in a week.  It was the only thing on tv those nights.  My kitchen is about as big as a postage stamp.  The top layer of the cake broke in three pieces when I placed it on top.  Chocolate ganache then a layer of cherries.

Heavy whipping cream was on sale, so I got that.  While whipping it up, I thought how did they whip cream before electricity.  Those women must have had one heck of an arm.  I just put a few dollaps on the cake because there wouldn't be any room for the cake in the dollhouse sized refrigerator.  Postage stamp kitchen, dollhouse refrigerator and an oven the size of an Easy Bake. (sigh)

It didn't matter to Duane that my sad cake looked so pathetic.  He said it tasted better than the Sara Lee version.  He even sat in here and watched some of Fried Green Tomatoes with me while he ate it.  It was the part where Idgy and Ruth get into a food fight.  I was thinking about that scene while I was whipping cream and thought about coming in the bedroom and tossing a spoonful at someone.  Just to be funny.  He said, that would be better than a glass of water.

Speaking of Duane, he wrote two new posts on his blog.  One is his progress and the other is his cheesecake recipe that I posted a picture here.  Stop over and ask him for that great pizza crust recipe.  I can't rave enough about that crust.



It's late Tuesday night here, and no call back about the job. I had a feeling the lady before me would get the job as she knew other people in the facility.  I'm feeling a bit depressed and disappointed.  Every morning I still continue to fill out at least 5 applications a day. Today, I spent eight or more hours sending resumes and applications.  I'm down to grocery stores, fast-food restaurants, housekeeping, laundry and convenience stores. I don't care what it is, as long as it's something I can do.  I just need a job.  I know there's nothing you can do unless you know an employer in Tucson and call them up say give that lady a job and send positive thoughts.  It's just so disheartening.

We made a decision last month. It will be awhile, but we plan on moving to Fresno, Ca.  I've made a few really good friends here, but I'm just not happy with Arizona. If you have first hand experince of Fresno, give me a shout.  I've been doing a ton of research online.  There seem to be more jobs listings in Fresno and I was attempted to apply to some, except I have no way to get there.  Until then I will dream of the day I can ramble on.

Saturday Stitching On Sunday

Sometimes you need to take a day off to just stitch and relax.

This week's progress on Villa Mirabilia. I added some more to the pink rosette in the ribbon. Then I was tired of stitching in pink, purples and teal (how did that happen) and started on the gold and brown check of her dress.

A close up of the stitching.  I love to look at close up pictures of other people's stitching.  I don't know why, really.  Another thing I love to do, is run my hand over large areas of stitching.  There's something about the texture of the stitches against the cotton evenweave fabric.

Birdie update:

The one on the right is two weeks old now and the one the left is about 10 or 12 days old.  I think the alien looking one on the bottom might be just about a week old.  Duane poked around a bit and there seems to be about five babies in all so far.  We shall see when they get big enough to start emerging from the nest.

The oldest one should start growing his permanent feathers this week and soon we'll see what color he/she will be.  It's looking like blue same as the Dad but maybe darker.  Mr. Bird is a powder blue with light grey lines.

If they all survive, and they should, we will have 18 total.  I'm trying to take a video of them when they are all chirping.  It sounds like the bird room in a pet store here.  Except, every time they see me point the camera at them they all shut up.

Thank you to all of you who are sending up the positive vibes for my job interview, please continue to do so. I will post as soon as I know something.  I'm making sure everyone is keeping their paws and wings crossed over here.  The crew is rather annoyed with this as it makes it hard to get around and fly about.

I've been watching a discussion on Ravelry Needlework News this weekend.  It appears a freelance writer wrote as her first blog post on Hufpost about how women aren't tough anymore.  This is really getting old.  It seems it's getting around the media that if you want lots of hits, comments and attention just insult the knitters.  I remember an article from some journalist complaining about knitters on a plane, then there was one about knitter's aren't tech savvy, there was also a British music journalist and of course (MoRocca who got a sweater out of it). (I wouldn't waste my time or the Red Heart to knit any of them so much as hat.)

I can't tell if this writer was being serious or a pitiful attempt at being funny, tongue in cheek sort.  If she was trying to be funny, it didn't work as nobody seemed to get the joke.  I think this is a hack writer's attempt at generating lots of hits and comments her first time out, since she went to so far as to insult everything that is considered domestic qualities of woman.  I wonder if she'll write a follow up like some of the writer's in the past about how if you piss off the knitter's they'll get stabby.

In the paid blogosphere world it's considered successful if your post generates lots of hits and comments which generate ad revenue.  Except you need more than one popular post to keep being successful.  Which makes me slightly wonder what her next dog and pony show will be.

Yawn.

I simply don't care what some journalist/writer on the web thinks about my hobbies.  It's not going to change who I am and what I like to do.  I remember the feminazis of the 80's corporate world that used to yell at me in the lunchroom when I pulled out my knitting.  I was taking women's rights all the way back to the dark ages.  Which I would give them a wide eyed stare and reply "Really, I thought I was just knitting a sweater for (intended recipient)."

"Knitting is for when you're an old lady sitting in a rocking chair." They would sometimes say.

"Oh my, I think (intended recipient) will have outgrown this by then."

To me feminism is freedom of choice.  I'm glad that some women who are able and want to can be firefighters ,police officers and construction workers.  Really dating myself here, but I remember looking for through the want ads in the 70's and seeing the employment section listed with "Jobs For Men" and then "Job's For Women".  I wasn't old enough to work, just really bored.

If I really want to be outraged about something, I just have to think about all the homeless people we have in this country, how many are going hungry, that there are more people than jobs available for them, the uninsured and underinsured needing medical care and the callous ways our politicians are handling the situation.

I like to do "girly things" and prefer to wear dresses.  Those of you who have been reading my blog this year wouldn't put to question my strength.  Strong women aren't afraid to do what they like, handle day to day life, are there in a crisis then keep on going and not giving it a second thought.

In other news:  Some pictures of the dinners Duane made this week.

Grilled chicken with barbeque sauce, dilled potatoes and fresh asparagus.  The asparagus was on sale really cheap this week and I bought a ton of it.  He makes a great asparagus soup.

Then there was German style spare ribs with homemade German potato salad, horseradish sweet pickles and a special mustard sauce for dipping.  The mustard sauce was so good that even the border ate it and he says he hates mustard.

Last night we were talking about cake our favorite cakes.  Duane has always told me his favorite is German chocolate cake, but last night his favorite was Sara Lee's Black Forest Cake.  Today, when I took the bus up to the store, I picked up the ingredients for Black Forest Cake.

 On the way back, the shaded bus stand was full and I had to sit on the outside bench in the sun.  It was ok, as today started out cloudy.  The homeless people sit in the shaded bus stands to get out of the heat (I can tell who they are as they are there every time I take bus).  Then the clouds broke up and the sun was beating down. (The Tucson sun is no joke.)  One homeless man gave up his seat, came out and insisted I come out of the sun and helped me to bring my heavy bags to the shaded area.

I'm off to bake cake for my man (such a softie, I am).  Pictures will be posted later.  Duane is making his beef brisket pizza for supper.  Then I will sit in my rocking chair, in my night gown (it's more girly than pajamas) with my knitting and eat cake.   Too bad it's so hot and dry here in the desert, I really would like to grow some Heirloom tomatoes.

WIP Wednesday

It's been a quiet week here.  Shhh, don't let the dark forces know I noticed.

I'm half way through the last repeat of Dayflower Dreaming, then I will start the knitted on edging.  I haven't made anything with a knitted on edging so this will be a new experience.  For a re-cap, I'm using some of my first handspun laceweight from 2006 and I believe this was started around that time.

Summer is usually when I work on cross stitch, piecing quilt tops and seed beading projects. Even with the AC set to 75F there are days my hands sweat and itch when I work with yarn.  I pulled Villa Mirabilia  out of the box and put several more stitches on her.  This was also started sometime around 2005 era.  There is still quite a ways to go on this.

I'm pulling out old projects to cure my terrible case of the wants, as we all have at times.  I'm still drooling over Cupcake Fibers SW BFL/nylon batts.  Duane was going to buy one for me for a late Valentine's Day but just couldn't manage it from the ICU.  I've been eyeing Crown Mountain Farm BFL Walpurgis for quite awhile now.  What are some things that have been giving you a case of the wants?

As promised on Friday, here's my picture of bright spots a midst chaos.  I think the doily goes well with my Venetian Lady cross stitch.

An update picture on our last batch of parakeet babies. The darker one next to Mama Myrtle is one week and two days old.  They start getting down feathers at about a week. We are very curious what the colors will be.  Mama is green and yellow with a bit of teal and the Daddy is a powder blue.  An egg has hatched about every other day.  We are up to four babies and I think there are two or three more eggs.  Am I a bad bird mama for hoping the other eggs don't hatch?  I will post updates more often since this is the last batch of babies for quite a long while.

The rehab center called and rescheduled my interview for Friday morning.  Paws crossed I get the job.  They are the only one out of the hundreds of applications I've been filling out to call for an interview.  I'm down to applying to convenience stores and fast food restaurants.  I'm almost as sick of filling out applications as I am the oppressive heat.

WIP Wednesday

I know on Monday, I said I would post on Tuesday about the birds.  When I came back with Duane from the SSD Dr. I was both tired and stressed.  So, since it's now Wednesday on the east coast, I'll just write a two for one.

Even though I've put an additional 30 rows onto Dayflower Daydreaming, the progress really can't be seen, so no new picture.  I am determined to get this very old wip finished so I can use the needles for the project I really wanted to work on. I'm using some of my very first handspun lace weight merino from 2006, which is when I started this.

Dammit is being very naughty in the closet with the carpet.  One way to dissuade him is to put a throw rug over the area.  For some reason, he doesn't have an appetite for throw rugs.  I'd remembered in the 90's it was the rage to crochet doilies out of heavy yarn for throw rugs.  Looking at it, I'm afraid he'll probably catch a paw in one the holes.  I guess this one will end up in front of the kitchen sink or beside my tub.  I'm using Simply Soft acrylic Dark Teal.  I think for Dammit's rug, I'll afghan stitch a rectangle (boring) and maybe cross stitch a design on it.

The pattern (free) is one of the first doilies I ever crocheted.  It was a favorite of my late ex-MIL's.  We made tons of these which she gave many sets as presents.  Except to me, because I could make my own damn set if I really wanted one.  They were always size 30 white cotton with the final round in a variegated colored border.  Her favorite being DMC's variegated golds.  When DMC stopped making size 30 in variegated colors was when I figured out how to dye my own thread.  I could never get an exact match to the gold that would satisfy a certain person.

The birds. We are up to 13 fully feathered birds.  Some of you may remember, when the first four babies hatched on Christmas and New Years.  January was the most hits ever as many came to watch the progress pictures of the babies. Then Meanie hatched on that awful Saturday.  Shortly after Duane came home from the nursing home, another three were hatched.  Can't remember if I posted about them, as I was a bit distracted.

Last month, I talked the next door neighbor into letting me borrow the cage that the boarder found in the garbage awhile back.  He wants a cockatiel, but isn't in the position to take care of one.  We are borrowing the tall cage until I can afford to buy a bigger one.

Poor Myrtle has been wanting a family so bad, these long months while waiting for Ladybird to be finished with the house. Myrtle is the green and yellow bird in the left side cage.  This last batch, we told Ladybird and Huey they were finished and snatched the house out before they could repopulate it with eggs.  Myrtle now has the house.

One of the last three birds, has a bum leg.  His left leg sticks straight out to the side.  He has to hop around on the one good leg.  What were we to do?  Duane said he couldn't see putting a little bird down just because it has a bad leg.  So, we named him Cassidy.  He's the dark blue one, holding onto the bars with his bum leg. Meanie is in the back.  Meanie turned out to be such a sweet little bird.  He loved helping to take care of his younger siblings.  We decided that since Meanie helps Cassidy, we would keep them together and put them in with Mr. Bird and Myrtle.

There on the right is Cassidy's two brothers.  Duane named them Pete and Repeat.  They like to argue over the swing, knocking the other off.  I say, "Pete and Repeat sitting in the swing. Pete fell off. Who was left?"  Duane says, "I'm not falling for the joke that never ends."

Myrtle, oh my, that little lady.  It's like she knew this was her only chance.  There are two babies there, one hatched on Saturday, the other on Monday.  You'll notice there are still five, yes five, more eggs unhatched. *heavy sigh*  If they all hatch and survive, that'll be...... You do the math.  The house will be coming up missing, just as soon as these are ready to leave the nest.

Monday's grocery shopping trip, Duane was able to get something he's been wanting for over a year.  A beef brisket.  He roasted it that afternoon in the oven.  He has planned barbeque brisket sandwiches and a deep dish barbeque brisket pizza.  Oh and his famous chilli.

The appointment went ok today.  The Dr. was a very old Jewish man.  I answered most of the questions in the beginning, as Duane doesn't have much recollection of the ICU and what happened.  Then the Dr. checked his hands and ankles, listened to his lungs and heart.  Shuffled some papers, looked at a couple medical journals and asked when was the last time someone really listened to his lungs.  I couldn't remember if the Dr. did when we saw him in June or not.  He then said, he highly suggested we have someone listen to his lungs, a chest x-ray and have him checked out by a pulmonologist.  He said, he heard something and he's not sure if it's old or something new.  He is concerned about that with the recent joint pain Duane has. He said, he wasn't allowed to advise, but it was hard to break old habits.  I'm hopeful that the Dr's report will be on our side, but now I'm worried.  Luckily, I already have a follow-up appointment scheduled for this Friday with his Dr.

It was just last night as I was going to sleep, I was thinking about cooler temps coming in a few months. I'm quite sick of high 90's and 100's in temps.  Then I thought, come winter, comes the FLU!!!  I had a panic attack at the thought of the flu season coming.  After this past February, I think anyone in my shoes would.

Oh well, as with everything else going on in my life, we shall wait and see what comes next. I'm also quite tired of this waiting and uncertainty about the future.   

 Thank you for stopping by.

For other probably more interesting WIP's click on the button below.

WIP Wednesday

It's hard to believe five Wednesdays, a whole month since I called the ambulance.  I was able to finish the body of the sweater by this evening and am starting on the sleeves.

You've seen lots of bathroom pictures, but how many have you seen taken in an ICU bathroom?  Atleast, I'm not yet homeless knitter taking pictures in a gas station bathroom.  That would really suck.

Details:  merino/angora/silk that I dyed and spun to a three ply light fingering weight.  The sweater is top down, that I'm making up as I go along, because that's how I roll.

From the rear pose.

Other side rear.  I wonder if I can get a modeling job and be my own photographer for more pay?

It comes just to the bottom of my bottom pre-blocking.  The sleeves will be short because this is the desert.

Hopefully should be finished and blocked by next Friday.

This is little Meanie.  I named him/her myself.  Because I've been away so much I haven't had time for this one like I did the previous babies.  He has his Mommy's sunny disposition and yells at me when I come near the cage.  I came home last night to find him out of the nest.  I picked him up and he bit me.  I kissed his beak and he bit my lip.  He looks a lot like our sweet little Herbie,  only the evil twin version.  Herbie still lets me pet him.

I need this in an actual button to pin on my purse, a t-shirt, magnet and coffee cup.

If your my FB friend you saw this with a message that his lung collapsed on Tuesday morning and they were putting in a chest-tube.  It's a good thing I packed a lunch because I stayed the day and was up there for  12 hours.

They placed a perma-cath for dialysis that afternoon.  The renal dr.'s think he'll be having dialysis for quite awhile longer.  They make their decision about life long renal failure after three months from the day they stopped functioning.

This morning, I got a call before I even left the house.  The first chest-tube clotted off and his lung re-colapsed.  The dr. needed to put a second bigger one in the space above the first.  I gave permission, hung up and had myself a good screaming, cussing fit, because I was home and could do that.  Poor guy has two tubes in his side.

I'm told there a third larger size they could go up to if necessary.  The size of a garden hose. I told them if they call me tomorrow before I leave and say his lung collapsed yet again, I won't hang up the phone before I start on a cussing tantrum.  Very rare, they would have to use that.  Yeah, everything that has happened has been very rare so far.  Telling me very rare, isn't comforting.

The attending wants him off the damn vent now.  That's how she put it in rounds.  She read everyone the riot act, including nurses and techs.  You can turn his O2 up if he needs it, but don't leave it up just to leave it up.  I love this attending, fiesty little lady much like me.  Tomorrow (today when you read this) is her last day.  Then another takes over for a week and she said she comes back for a week and he better not still be on the vent when she gets back.  I begged her not to go.

That's all I'm able to type tonight.  Pretty damn exhausted doesn't begin to explain it.  Excuse any missing words or typos.  Just too damn tired to proof read.

How many of you are old enough to remember this one?  It was posted on FB Ultimate 70's Fan Page tonight.  I love this song and so do my birds, they are singing along.