unseasonable...

It still needs to be blocked, but my shawl is done!

(Ravelry link for details)

I even started a new sweater:

Yes, it's almost the end of May and I'm knitting in 100% wool.

(Ravelry link for details)

There's been entirely too much work in my world since last Fall and not nearly enough knitting. That's going to change! I'm taking back control over my time... expect more knitting! =)

Hope you had a very merry Christmas!

 I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! =)

It was another week of working a lot and knitting very little. I did cast on for a hat this week for a knit-a-long and I'm nearly finished:

Could have been done days ago, but after work, I've been choosing my pillow over the needles. Hard to believe that I was working 14-hr days on a regular basis this time last year with two full-time jobs. Guess I'm getting old... lol
(project details on Ravelry)

Oh! I did finish the pair of slippers for my friend in time for Christmas:

Not sure they went over that well, but they were done in time at least. I'm determined to finish up these skeins of acrylic if it kills me. lol
(project details on Ravelry)

I did take Christmas off and spent the day with my friend's family. We opened gifts in the morning then headed to her husband's parents place in northern Idaho for the afternoon/evening. I wish I could say it was drama-free, but it was much more like being with my own crazy family than I'd have preferred. The holidays seem to bring out the best and, sadly, the worst in people. At least this wasn't my family drama and Reilly got to have some fun!

This was just before he let loose with a barrage of barks letting those deer know he was in charge... or at least thought he was. heh Not sure what he would've done had there not been a window in between him and those 10 deer! These were young... maybe most will be pulling Santa's sleigh next year? =)

little time for yarny fun

You're expecting a lot, aren't you? I know I was! After the past couple weeks, I expected at least a couple finished objects, but that was not to be. Why? One word... overtime. Yes, it's that time of year. It seems to always hit around the holidays and it hit hard this week. I'm thankful for the opportunity to earn a bigger paycheck especially with the slow time of year quickly approaching, but 12-hr work days sure do cut into the knitting time! =)

I stayed up late last night and I did finish this:

That's the last hat that needed to go into the mail for Christmas! =) I finally settled on a pattern for this hat. I've made this pattern once before and really liked it the first time around. I really like it in this less-contrasting color combo as well and can definitely see knitting this up again in the future. This one turned out a bit large. I'm usually a tight knitter, but apparently I knit more loosely in acrylic... no time to reknit it so I'll just include a note for him to let me know if it's too big and I'll make another out of the leftovers.

(pattern and yarn details on my Ravelry project page)

I started this:

a few days ago, then switched to the hat since it had to go in the mail. This should be a wide headband by now... but it's not. The original pattern is written for bulky yarn, but it came out super wide in that and I switched to fingering weight yarn held double - much better! I don't really like how the increases look on the right though. Yes, this part will be under her hair, but still. With all the OT, I'm doubtful this will be finished for Christmas anyway, so I'm thinking of frogging it and starting over. Good thing I have something else for this kid! =)
(yarn and pattern details on my Ravelry project page)

I've spent a lot of time working the past several days, but I did take a break Friday night for a Christmas party. I can't believe Christmas is so close! Everything is going in the mail tomorrow, but I still have a project in the beginning stages that I haven't had a chance to work on much and still need to make something for my friend who's letting me park in her yard... the same friend who decided I needed to finish up one of her intended Christmas presents and finally handed it to me as I walked out the door yesterday so now it's in my rv. *sigh* I can't say I have any urge to work on it though. I'd rather rip it out and start fresh rather than try to fix what's already done, but as long as the OT holds out, I'll barely have time to mess with it at all if I want to finish my own projects.

I think she'd maybe be more understanding if she had a job, but she seems to think everyone has as much down time as she does. She might just be getting a ball of yarn and an IOU for her gift this year so I can finish that blanket for her. lol

my oh my

Hmm, it's been awhile, huh? Sorry for the radio silence since I got the rv. What's been going on the last month or so? A lot! Let me tell you...

I'd had this great plan of selling my mobile home, moving into the rv and hanging out in Spokane while I worked on selling my Jeep. That didn't happen. Work, as usual, had other plans. lol The day I brought the rv home, a manager called asking if I could go to Oregon for a project. Why yes, that actually was a possibility! So, a little over 3 weeks ago, I handed over the keys to my mobile home (good riddance!), pared down my belongings to what I thought I couldn't live without (I need less than I thought, it turns out), packed the rest into storage, put my Jeep in storage and headed south in the rv.

Reilly rode very well in the rv. I put his bed between the front seats and he slept through most of the trip.

Still in Washington here, but Oregon is right across the river!

Dinner time in the rv. =^..^=

It's been a blast! I'm so glad things worked out they way they did, even if they did create a detour in my plan. I pulled myself off the road a year ago when I moved back to Spokane so adjusting to going to an office again every day was certainly a big adjustment. Ugh! The alarm clock is not my friend. lol But adjust, I did. And it was certainly worth the adjustment. There ended up being only five of us here including a lead who was here to train us on inpatient coding. It was such an amazing group. We all worked the same hospital the first week and I've never laughed so much at a job ever! The 2nd week, we split up to do reviews at smaller hospitals, but since we all had internet access, we all kept in touch throughout the day. Yes, this was an unusual group! It turned out to be only 2 and a half weeks of work and now everyone has flown home, leaving me alone here in Oregon. I can honestly say I've never been so sad to see a project come to an end.

We were all staying about an hour from the coast and took day trips out both weekends. If you're ever near Corvallis, OR, be sure to check out Depoe Bay. It's a beautiful drive from Corvallis and a lovely little town. We hit the beach and walked through town, checking out plenty of the little shops along the way. A couple of the others took a whale-watching boat ride. I stayed on dry land with the rest of the group since I had the munchkin pup with me. Yes, Reilly got to see the ocean! He had a ball on the beach checking out the driftwood and piles of kelp washed up on shore. He's not a fan of getting wet so he stayed out of the water, but he came home a tired out pup. =)

 

It's been a busy few weeks between work, fun and more work. I managed to put in some overtime along with having a ton of fun. The rv has been an adjustment too, of course... for all of us. I learned not to crank the a/c all day (it freezes over!) and the critters worked out an issue the first day I was gone all day (the cats won, evidenced by the bloody spot on Reilly's muzzle). Leaving the a/c on low and playing a radio helped, but Reilly is definitely happier now that I'm back working remotely again. He has a blanket on the seat next to me to curl up in and of course he insists on lots of breaks throughout the day to go sniff among the oak trees just outside our door. Corvallis is a beautiful place and the people seem very nice. While not as busy as Portland, there are still plenty of things to do as long as you're not expecting a big city. Along with our trips to the coast, we also went blueberry picking! And I discovered I'm less into the sweeter berries and prefer the ones with a bit more kick - Liberties rock! I haven't yet made it to the alpaca farm a few miles away or any of the local yarn shops. I brought yarn with me, but have been too busy to even pull it out. lol Now that things have slowed down, I expect I'll be starting a new project soon.

With everyone gone, I finally had some time this weekend to really clean and start organizing things better in my rig. It's so much better now that it's not so cluttered. My first rv adventure has not been entirely without issues. I did discover (with some help from the park host) that my black water tank has TWO valves that must be opened in order to be drained - something the tech at the dealership didn't know apparently. And I have a cracked battery cable connection that needs to be fixed. Thankfully I discovered that when I had to move this weekend to make room for the football fans. Started up fine... then dead when I tried to start it again. The neighbor found the problem and temporarily fixed it with some tin foil. Really glad that didn't happen on the road somewhere. I do have roadside assistance, but really, this was a much better way to find out.=)

So how is rv life? I love it so far! It was a pleasant change having my own space while working on the road. The others may have had more space, but I had a full kitchen and my furry kids. =) I love the flexibility this set of wheels brings me. I haven't yet decided where I'm headed next. So many possibilities... =)

back out of hibernation

Wow, so much has changed since I last posted to the blog. The biggest news? I finally moved back to Washington! I'm back in the Spokane area for now, though it's definitely not going to stick. I'm looking to move a bit farther west in the coming year. Last week, I was chatting with a friend in CA, each of us talking about our future plans and she called me a rolling stone. haha She's right. I don't really put down roots and settle in for the long-term. I'm always looking for what else is out there, what I'm missing. I do have a plan that will play into my gypsy urges. More on that later.

Since my move at the end of July, I've been super busy. I took a second full-time job not long after getting out here and switched to working remote only for my main job (yay, no more last minute trips across the country!) so I was working both jobs in my pjs at home. =) It was great for the bank account, but working 80-100 hrs a week doesn't leave much time for socializing (or crafting). Yeah, think zero. Last month, I finally got completely burned out and quit the second job. I'm SO much happier now. My remaining job has down time every Spring (they both would have, same job/different companies) and this week has been light on work... a welcome change from the past several months! I've been working on seriously decluttering and have been making at least weekly trips to Goodwill (donating, not shopping!) the past couple months and even sold a good amount of yarn last month! The mobile home I bought here (a huge mistake!) is a few hundred square feet larger than the one I had before moving to the Midwest and I could have made things fit with just a little decluttering... but I'm so glad I didn't. My home feels so much... lighter. I smile every time I open a cabinet that's half empty or walk into my newly-organized craft room. That room's been my focus the past few days that I've had off work. I still have a ways to go to get to where I want to be, but the large bulk of it's done and I can now take things slower... and maybe even pick up my knitting/crochet again! I actually started another blog about a month and a half ago and am posting daily what's leaving my house. It keeps me motivated to find at least one thing each day to get rid of. Some days it's a pile or a whole box full, other days just the one item. =)

I do have sad news as well. Feel free to skip this next part. It doesn't have a happy ending.

Two weeks before our drive across the country, my 14yo cat Sebastian was diagnosed with hypertension and put on meds. He'd responded well, but two weeks after the move, he started hemorrhaging into one eye. I didn't even have a vet here yet and of course, it was a Sunday. We headed to the emergency vet. The next morning, we saw an ophthalmologist and then headed to what has become my regular vet here where he ended up having surgery for what the vet guessed was a large collection of cerumen from the ear canal where there was no opening. They were amazed he'd never had a problem before now. He seemed to come through surgery well, but developed complications that evening. Unfortunately, the emergency vet nor my vet could fix what happened and I had to make the decision to let him go. I've doubted myself several times on whether I should have let them do that surgery when they did. Maybe if we'd waited? I wish I'd spent the evening near him rather than letting him sleep on the bed in the other room. Maybe I would have caught the problem sooner? Sebastian had congenital issues (that missing ear) and apparently had something else going on we didn't know about. I'm just so glad to have found this vet clinic. They are the most wonderful, caring group of people and the best clinic I've ever been to. It's so hard to lose a pet when you're not expecting it, but they made it just a little easier.

Unfortunately, the pet-related stress didn't end there. Two weeks after Sebastian passed, I had to make the same decision for my 14yo lab mix, Mugsy. He'd been gradually slowing down the past year or so but at 14, neither I, nor my vet in IN, thought too much of it. Blood work came back fine. He was just getting older. 14 is pretty good for a dog his size. A couple days before that fateful day, Mugsy started losing control of bodily functions and just had no energy at all. A trip to the vet and tests done, he had an issue with his kidneys. Meds and an IV didn't perk him up like they expected so an x-ray was done the following day. He had a growth on his heart causing fluid build-up. Apparently this type of growth is fairly common in labs. I knew I probably didn't have much time left with him at his age, but I wasn't expecting to lose him just two weeks to the day after Sebastian, though when I thought about it, it didn't really surprise me that they went so close together as they were always so close.

Really, I think Mugsy just held on long enough for us all to get out of a very stressful situation. It was almost like he knew I was in a better place and could let go. If there was anything I could have done, I wouldn't have cared what the cost was for either of them. I know in both cases, I made the right decision for them. It doesn't make it easier though. I just pray it's many, many years before I'm in that situation again. 

Sorry for being such a downer. I think that first month here clinched it for me. Aside from the fact that this mobile home has turned out to be a money pit, I have no desire to stay in Spokane. I think even this crappy house was part of a bigger plan. If I had gotten a place I ended up loving or even one I could grow to love, I'd have a much harder time moving on and I really don't believe this is where I belong. As it is, I can't wait to be rid of this place. I'm biding my time for Spring to come and in the meantime, I'm lightening my load to expand my options. I am glad I moved though. I don't think I could have dealt with all that stress and my mother too. Switching to remote work meant I was here for both of them too so they didn't suffer longer than necessary. All that working means my savings is healthy once again even with the unexpected house and vet bills...  though I have to say, I'll never again choose to work two full-time jobs!

Now that my house is less cluttered and I'm not working all the freaking time, I'm actually getting the urge to play with yarn again. And sew. And bake. And maybe even take my good camera out of the bag it's been in since I moved. Yeah, since I moved. Anyone who knows me knows how unusual that is. I've been using my little point-and-shoot for snapshots here and there, but the good one? Hibernating in it's bag. I'm just glad 2011 is over. I can't wait to see what's around the next corner. It's gotta be better... I know this blog's mostly been about crafty stuff and cooking/baking, but sometimes, life throws you a curve ball or tow and gets in the way.

I have a confession

I bought yarn. One ball... it was on sale... and organic. lol



Hmm, and a cute little tape measure too. =) I visited a new (to me) yarn shop this weekend, one I'll not likely return to. Why? Because it's near here:

Yep, I'm back on the road!

I got an email at 1p Monday asking if I could travel. By 1:30, I had a ticket to San Francisco... at 6p. Crazy? Yes! But I got a shower, got packed and hit the road for the airport in an hour and a half. Amazingly, I only forgot to pack a few minor things. lol

It's been over 6 months since I've been on a plane. With the change of time zones, late arrival and not having had to be up, dressed and in an office by 8a in months, I'm exhausted. Didn't stop us from heading out this weekend for some sightseeing though! Another coder wants me to teach her to knit after seeing my sweater in progress (I almost have both sleeves finished!), so we headed to ImagiKnits Saturday morning for some yarn and needles for her. She picked out some beautiful yarn for a scarf and a pair of bamboo needles. I tried, but didn't leave empty-handed. Surprise! haha At least it was only the one ball. I'm thinking it'll make a nice cowl.

We then headed to Fisherman's Wharf and Ghirardelli Square.

It's no longer a chocolate factory, but it is a great shopping center... and yes, we came away with chocolate. =)

And a little something-something for the pooch. =) The dog on the bag? She's the Yap shop dog and is the sweetest little thing. If my dog were a girl, I would have been tempted to buy an adorable set of pink bunny socks... but alas, Reilly is a boy and will not be wearing pink bunny socks. heh While looking for an image online to share, I found these:

So freaking cute! And totally pointless. lol

After a little shopping (and spending way too much money, but I got a couple birthday gifts taken care of), we took a city tour on one of the motorized trolleys that went over Golden Gate Bridge. We had a great tour guide and had a lot of fun, getting to see a good chunk of the city without dealing with the crazy traffic.

They weren't kidding about the hills here. I can't imagine anyone here doesn't have buns of steel!



I really like this city. It's seems so dog-friendly and the people have been so nice. If I weren't already set on moving to Vancouver, I might very well be tempted...

But I'd definitely sell my car...

Busy. Shopping. And a lack of yarny fun.

Hey, strangers! It's been awhile, huh? I've been busy lately. Busy. That's such a relative term. The past few weeks have been much, much busier than normal, but I finally took an entire day off this week... and it. was. awesome. A much-needed break. I hadn't actually had a full day off work in over 3 weeks and I was definitely feeling the burn(out). Two almost-full-time jobs'll do that to ya. It's only temporary though and for a very good cause (moving!) and it'll all be worth it in the end. =) Things have lightened up with job #1 too so I'm feeling a bit less over-committed this week (and more thankful for job #2 too!) and it looks like the next couple weeks will be more of the same. Ahhhh. Much better.

With the new time commitments (combined with being an hr away from any decent stores), I decided I needed an alternative to running all over buying gifts this holiday season. Enter: online shopping! Yeah, yeah, I've done it before of course, but this year, I pretty much did it all online and took better advantage of some of the great sales. Packages have been showing up and so far, only one shipping snafu. I received a package with a packing slip that didn't match the contents of the box. Good thing the missing item wasn't for a gift! Yeah, I got myself a couple of Christmas/birthday presents too. =) Hey, at least I know I'll like what I got me. heh

There has also been a definite lack of yarny relaxation time. I did pull out one of Reilly's sweaters and re-knit (this is twice now) the neck. A certain little dog can't be trusted in knitwear unsupervised - he tries to undress himself in the only way he knows how... with teeth. I've pulled out yarn to make him a new sweater. Alpaca and wool - perfect for a little dog with basically no natural coat and scrawny little legs and single-digit temps. I've learned a lot since making his other sweaters so I'm confident this one will fit even better... if I ever find the time to work on it. My camera's also been collecting dust. I can't wait until I'm moved and settled back in the NW and can start really living my life again... Limbo kinda sucks. Just a few more months... =)

5 days... what a difference!

I spend 5 days a week in front of my computer for work. Toward the end of every week, I am tired, I am bored, I am yearning for it to end.

I spent the past 5 days sitting in front of my computer watching a live photography workshop broadcast from Seattle. At the end? I didn't want it to end and was yearning for more. This is the fourth workshop I've been able to watch online this year and I just. can't. get. enough.

There's a big lesson there.

I'm working on a 6-month plan with a LOT of changes in the works. I'm excited. =)

Ohio: Part 2 (Krohn Conservatory Cont.)

A few parting shots of the conservatory.

 

One of the fairy houses just before exiting...

Ohio: Part 1 (Krohn Conservatory)

Yeah, so, I'm incredibly behind. These are from about a month ago when I was working briefly in the Cincinnati area. My sister (that's her up there) and I went to the Krohn Conservatory for their Japanese Butterfly exhibit. We started out in the desert room - actually it was called something about bugs, but the desert plants are beautiful.

Next up, the orchids! Gorgeous!

Then, finally, the butterflies!

They had cocoons set up (on the other side of a very dirty window) so patrons could watch the butterflies emerge. Further on, a room full of butterflies flitting around (mostly dodging unruly little kids chasing them with fake flowers). Not the most-photo-friendly atmosphere, but I did mange to fend off kids (and some overzealous parents) long enough to get a few shots.

I love butterflies, but this exhibit was a bit on the disappointing side due to the set-up and lack of number and variety of butterflies. I had a much better time shooting at The Butterfly House in St. Louis a couple years ago. It's not a shock that their area was set up better though, since butterflies are what they're all about. Being more "in" the exhibit lended itself to better photographic opportunities. I recommend anyone in/near St. Louis in the summer to check them out!

Color test your career

I always like taking these test just to see how accurate they are. This one's actually pretty good! Take the Color Career Test... quick and easy. See if your "best" occupation is what you're already doing.


Best Occupational Category

You're an ORGANIZER

Keywords:
Self-Control, Practical, Self-Contained, Orderly, Systematic, Precise, and Accurate

These conservative appearing, plotting-types enjoy organizing, data systems, accounting, detail, and accuracy. They often enjoy mathematics and data management activities such as accounting and investment management. Persistence and patience allows them to do detailed paperwork, operate office machines, write business reports, and make charts and graphs.

ORGANIZER CAREERS
Suggested careers are Administrator, Secretary, Printer, Paralegal, Building Inspector, Bank Cashier, Private Secretary, Statistician, Operations Manager, Financial Analyst, Bookkeeper, Medical Records Technician, Developer of Business or Computer Systems, Clerical Worker, Proofreader, Accountant, Administrative Assistant, Banker, Certified Public Accountant, Credit Manager, Store Salesperson, Actuary, Dental Assistant, Business Education Teacher, Food Service Manager, IRS Agent, Budget Analyst, and Underwriter.

ORGANIZER WORKPLACES

Your very careful, conscientious, conservative nature gives others the confidence to trust you with handling money and material possessions. Structured organizations that have well-ordered chains of command work best for you.

Suggested Organizer workplaces are large corporations, business offices, financial lending institutions, banks, insurance companies, accounting firms, and quality control and inspection departments.


2nd Best Occupational Category

You're a CREATOR

Keywords:
Nonconforming, Impulsive, Expressive, Romantic, Intuitive, Sensitive, and Emotional

These original types place a high value on aesthetic qualities and have a great need for self-expression. They enjoy working independently, being creative, using their imagination, and constantly learning something new. Fields of interest are art, drama, music, and writing or whether they can express, assemble, or implement creative ideas.

I've been a bookkeeper and am now a medical coder (very detail-oriented) and used to proofread a lot of friends' papers. And anyone who has seen my kitchen cabinets (when I have my own place) could easily guess that disorganization annoys me... though my hotel rooms don't always appear so organized. I usually know exactly where everything is though. I do have a creative side too and I think sometimes these two sides fight against each other. heh So, I guess they hit the nail on the head...

A beautiful end to a long week

Just happy it's finally Friday.

How could I forget

our quest to try a good veggie restaurant in Portland?! Trying to be prepared, I went to VegPortland.com and printed a list of veg-friendly restaurants, nicely organized by region, and off we went, planning to pick a restaurant depending on where we were when lunchtime rolled around. We first decided to try the Blue Moose Cafe since it sounded like it had a wide enough variety to please me as well as the omnivores I was dining with. We got there only to discover it was closed up and apparently being remodeled into a different restaurant. Dang. So then, we picked a pizza place, Dove Vivi, and discovered they didn't open until 4p - it was Sunday... and only 1-2p. Running out of nearby options, we decided to check out LaurelThirst Public House since it said they served breakfast 9-3 daily. It had to be open! It was! One of the three of us voiced reservations about going in - it's next to a tattoo shop. She referred to it as a "biker bar." heh Okay, it was super dark inside and the staff was a bit, well, odd... and not so good at math... but the food was great! I got the vegan breakfast burrito. It came with these yummy potatoes and was easily enough for two meals. That and a drink for under $10! I left happy... even if it was so dark in there I could barely read the menu... =)

OR and SoCal Revisited

Yeah, I finally uploaded the rest of my pics from January so there are several new pics from Oregon and a few from SoCal on my flickr pages (the links will take you there). =) Here are few highlights...

My last weekend in Portland, we not only hit the falls that I posted previously, but we also went off in search of Pittock Mansion which we'd heard provided a gorgeous view of downtown PDX and Mt Hood. We were not disappointed...

even if there was a pesky cloud hovering over Mt Hood. haha Being winter, the grounds were not at their best, but I can't wait to see this place in the Spring/Summer! It promises to be absolutely beautiful.

Even in winter though, I love the PNW. I love how everything is covered in a blanket of cushy, vibrant moss and ivy, making everything seem so soft and inviting.

I really can't wait until I can call this are "home" permanently. It's just a matter of time...

With the pouring rain nearly every day the first week I was there, I didn't do a lot of shooting in SoCal. It figures I'd get there just in time for the ONE rainy week of the whole year! heh Though, when it wasn't pouring down rain with solid grey skies, the passing storms did make for dramatic skies.

It was a week before I knew these snow-capped mountains were even there!

What a nice surprise! It really is a pretty area, but definitely not somewhere I could live.

At times, I take for granted the places I get to go, the things I get to see with my current job. I feel my time on the road is coming to an end. I'm not sure I'm truly ready to put down firm roots anywhere quite yet (will I ever grow up?), but having a bit more control over where I am is sounding better and better lately. Having a life/friends I see on a regular basis. It all sounds so good. And I feel a pull toward school again. It's time to move forward...