Christmas Wishes

Crap.  It's September, already.  I hope no one is expecting a handmade Christmas present this year.  Remember that post about being "plenty employed"?  Two of the nurses are taking over-lapping 3 week vacations (2 weeks overlapping).  Then K and I are going on our "official" honeymoon in November for 7+ days.  Not a lot of time left for sock knitting.  Maybe sock crocheting? Or scarves.  Scarves are pretty easy...  One can never have too many scarves, right?  Or maybe I should scrounge through all the stuff I've made myself over the past year (except the wedding dress).  Goodness knows I don't need both of the (almost identical) hats I just finished, on top of the 4 I made last winter.  I also have 2 beautiful shawls I can't bear to part with.  But have I ever worn a shawl?  Nope. 

Any takers? 

Then again, maybe I'll wear them this year...

My New Favorite Quote

"We are all a little weird, and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness, and call it love."  -Dr. Seuss

Best wedding wishes ever.

Thank you Doug and Arwen, sorry it's a bit belated.

Beer!

While rummaging through boxes a few weeks ago, looking for a blank book, I found a stack of my old journals from high school/early 20's.  In the back cover of the one I wrote in 2001, I put a list of goals.  One list for 2003, one list for 2008 (reunion year), and one for lifetime goals.  I was surprised at how many I have managed to accomplish, and which ones those were.  Here it is;

2003- try surfing- nope
          go on a week long backpacking trek- check, several times over
          make a good friend- check and uncheck, but I did reunite with one
          finish my quilt- nope
          learn to rock climb- check, but in 2005
          swim a mile- check
          wear a size 12- check and uncheck, i got down to an 8 at one point

2008- own a motorcycle- I do now
           go to Mardi Gras- nope, damn you Katrina!
           finish my degree- check, twice
           climb a mountain- nope, I meant 14-er
           pay off my credit cards- check, and my car, which sadly is gone too
           take a NOLS course- check
           visit another country- check

Lifetime- happy marriage- check, so far so good
              financial security- eh...
              good career- check, but I'm having second thoughts
              physically fit- it could be worse
              visit all 50 states- not yet

So as far as my deadlined goals, I did pretty good.  The lifetime ones, I still have some time to work on them.

When I came across this list, I felt there should have been one more thing.  But at 21 I didn't drink beer yet.

We tested our very first home brew last night, and it was surprisingly good.  I can't remember if I mentioned we got a homebrew kit as a wedding present.  I'm sure K mentioned it.  Five weeks ago we stunk up the house with boiling hops, barley and malt, then poured it into a bucket that sat in the basement for 4 weeks.  At first the air lock was bubbling like crazy.  Go yeast!  But after a few days it had stopped.  And we waited.  Last Sunday we bottled.  We decided we didn't need to buy bottles, because we could recycle enough ourselves, but apparently we don't drink 48 beers in 4 weeks.  So K went trick-or-treating at the neighbors houses.  We ended up with 44 bottles.  One broke when we capped it.  It was sad to pour the rest down the drain. "No soldiers left behind."

Yesterday I put 2 in the fridge to chill.  Last night we tasted the fruits of our efforts, and it was good.  Very little sludge left in the bottom.  It may have made us over confident.  We ordered 2 more extract kits and another fermentation bucket.  Now if we can figure out how to get an accurate specific gravity reading, so we can figure out how drunk it'll get us.  I'm thinking at least 5+%, based on how I felt after imbibing.

We haven't decided on a name yet, but I vote for "Dog Drool" in honor of Bayram, who sprawled in the middle of the kitchen floor during the entire process.

Little Green Scoot-Scoot (AKA The Motorpickle)

I'm sure everyone is looking here wondering where the heck the wedding photos are.

They are not here.  K is in charge of screening and editing them until they are presentable and I don't get frustrated every time I look at them.

I will, however, post pictures of my new ride.  A 2009 Genuine Buddy 125cc scooter.  Sure, I wanted the bigger one, but we just couldn't complain about the deal we got.  It's brand-new.  It was 25% off.  It had 0.7 miles on it when it was delivered to the house.  It goes highway speeds and get 70+ mpg.

Now, if it would just stop raining.

Plenty Employed. For Now.

If you've seen my blog before, you will notice that I removed my profile description.  I am no longer under-employed.  As a matter of fact, I'm scheduled to work 5 days a week for the foreseeable future.  Still haven't been told I'm officially 'permanent', but I've been told to put in my vacation requests for October.  On my birthday they had a cake, and when I blew out the candles I wished for a more permanent job.  That afternoon one of the other nurses texted me to tell me she was quitting.  Not quite how I wanted my wish to turn out, but then again, I wasn't very specific.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm grateful to have a job, I just didn't want to work 5 days a week.  When am I supposed to go grocery shopping and do laundry?  One of the other girls was surprised that I didn't want to work as much.  "But don't you want more money?"  Not really.  I'd rather sleep.  I wasn't surprised by her question, though, since she has taken on a second job.

Part of me would still like to open my own store.  A craft store.  We don't have any awesome ones this far from the district.  Sure it's only 15 miles, but that can be over an hour at the right time of day.  I'm hoping to find a knitting circle to join, and see what the community wants as far as a shop.  But don't hold your breath waiting for it.  I don't usually follow through with these types of ideas.

I could possibly pull off a B and B.

Right now, I'm just hoping Karl's pants arrive before the wedding.  And that the flowers don't wilt, since we have to pick them up 3 days early.  And that it doesn't rain.  And that I can survive 3 more days of work, without causing too much damage. 

Don't forget! Wednesday is International Towel Day!  Always know where your towel is.

As I was saying, the weather is just ridiculous.

Yesterday it was 80+ until well into the night.  Today I turned the heater back on when I got home from work.

Go figure.

April Fools!!!

Remember as a kid we were told "March came in like a lion and out like a lamb"?  We even made paper plate and cottonball lions and lambs.  Maybe that was in Sunday school.  I can't remember.  Well, several weeks ago (the Ides of March perhaps?) the weather was so nice we went rock climbing.  That day wasn't as warm as a few days previous, but it wasn't enough to keep us off the cliffs.  That was a Sunday.  The temperature has since steadily dipped down into the 30's and has threatened snow several times.  Actually, now that I think about it, it did snow one night, but had melted before I got out of bed for good. 

Yesterday was the opening of baseball season.  One patient was wearing a Washington Nationals jersey, because he was on his way to the game.  "It's better than working" he said.  I'm not so sure.  I don't like baseball, so I can't imagine that sitting in a drizzle for several hours (watching your team lose) would be better than work.  I guess it depends on what kind of job you have.  And how much you are a sucker for punishment.

Today the sun keeps poking out of the clouds.  I haven't looked at a weather map yet, it's been too depressing lately.  I was told Virginia was much warmer than New Hampshire, but so far not so.  Sure it was hot in September, but so was NH.  And once it started getting cold, it got cold fast.  I lived in NoCal for too long.  Even though I didn't like the rain all the time, you get used to the 50-60 degree temps year-round.  Lately I've only enjoyed a month or so in the fall, and a month or so in the spring, when the temperature resembles NoCal. 

I'm well aware that I'll soon be complaining that it is 'too hot'.  Deal with it.

Special Thanks to Etsy and Ravelry

I still have a few days before the month is over.

I suppose a lot has been going on, but it still doesn't feel like it.  I go to work.  Everyday feels like a Monday.  Just when I think I've got things figured out, I'm told I've forgotten something else. 

I feel guilty because I work at an allergy clinic and I can't wait for things to start blooming.  Which, they are!  Not that a little 70 degree weather hurt any.  There were little purple flowers in the neighbors lawn.  I'm sure she can't wait to mow them down, but I think they're pretty.  The first hint of spring.  Of course it's supposed to snow 4-6 inches tonight.  Hopefully a warm, wet snow, that helps things bloom even faster.

I've been trying to plan a wedding.  So far Karl is the only one whose accomplished any of that.  He got a church, and an officiant.  I've got 15 different swatches of yarn, designating the many attempts to find a yarn to make a dress.  Every time I think I've found 'the one' I find it has been discontinued.  At least the color I want.  To add insult to injury, the pattern I chose is also particularly difficult due to poor writing.  I'm tempted to re-write the whole thing before I begin.  At least I'm not the first person to make it.  People on Ravelry have very helpful ideas on how to fix the pattern, so the dress actually fits.  So I ordered purple yarn, which was approved by both Mom and Karl.  When it arrived, I almost choked.  It was bright fuchsia.  Not quite 'wedding dress' as 'tropical island getaway'.  Or maybe Vegas wedding dress.  But we gave up the Vegas idea.  Now I'm onto silver.  I only hope they ship it before it goes out of stock forever, too.

I did make invitations. It cost more to make 7 invitations than it would have cost to buy 100.  But they're super cute.  If you know you're already invited, they should be sent out Wednesday, just as soon as I buy cuter stamps.  Not that I don't like American flags and pine cones...  Oh, and I found rings.  We resorted to the internet to find something more unique than the average jewelry store.  I know Karl is skeptical, but everyone I know (including his jewelry making friend) has had good success with Etsy.  The seller was super fast, and accommodating to all my questions.  I'm sure we'll love them.

Like the title says, without Etsy and Ravelry I'd be a lot further behind in this wedding thing than I already am. 

An Arbitrary Reference of Time

We made it safely into the new year.  Well, except for a touch of the flu/stomach bug I got on New Year's Eve.  I'm a party-pooper.  I know it.  I think my brother held it against me the rest of the night, when really he should have just spent the night with our sister and brother-in-law, he would have had more fun than hanging out with Mom and Dad (and me and Karl).  Oh well, too late now.

It was definitely a whirl-wind trip.  We spent 5 days visiting people, and 3 days flying.  Every single flight we were on was at least an hour delayed.  Every one!  And the weather was great.  Sunny, calm, still cold, but beggars can't be choosers.  With the addition of a 4th suitcase we were able to bring all our presents home in one trip.  Don't take that to mean we had a ton of stuff, because my 2 suitcases are tiny, since the big ones have been destroyed by baggage handlers over the years.  And we needed 1 hard sided case to transport a bottle of wine.  Which I'm happy to say survived the trip.  Enjoy A & E!

But we did get a climbing rope.  As soon as the weather warms up, we'll be hitting the rock.

It was nice to see everyone, of course.  I wish we could have stayed longer, or preferably, they could come visit us for a change.  I like sleeping in my king-sized bed. 

I have not made any resolutions yet.  I haven't in years.  Of course I want to exercise more, and eat healthier, but I always want to do that.  Now that I have a job (for awhile) I can afford a gym membership.  I wanted to take a ballet class, but I forgot to sign up before we left.  The community center does have a pool though.  If only I still fit my swimsuit.  I guess I'll have to go to the fitness center first.  Then again, I do have a pound cake baking in the oven... I'm a sucker for sweet.