Sunday, September 30, 2012

Apples



 Today was a great day.  Boo, Amma and I got to go apple picking with Lissa and the Piglet!  (Gak was going to join us, but he was having an out of sorts say and didn't really feel up for company... which I totally understand.)

Anyhow, I'm going to let the pictures speak for themselves.  We had a lot of fun picking apples and just hanging out and catching up.  Boo and Piglet had fun playing together, as they usually do.  Mom, Lissa and I got to catch up.  And there will be much applesauce to be enjoyed by all for a long time.  We went to Freecon Farms right outside of Boyertown.  It's a nice easy drive for us, and not too bad of a drive for Lissa.  Hopefully we'll be getting together again sooner as opposed to later.  Living 2 hours or so apart is tough for getting together, but it is always so worth it when we do.






Monday, September 24, 2012

Crafty Girl

Well, looks like September is going to be a sparsely written month.  Anyhow, I've rounded up pictures of most of my crochet projects over the last few months.  There are a few that are in the works and a few more that I haven't photographed and have already gifted...  Anyhow, in no real order....

Here is the second pair of socks I made this summer.  I don't have pictures of the first ones.  The other pattern was nice, but I'm not sure I'll make it again, they get a little sloppy around the ankles when you wear them.  This pattern is an adaptation of a "basic sock pattern" that I've done before.  But, instead of all single crochets, I decided to use a "crunch stitch" pattern of alternating single and double crochets.  I love the texture it creates, even if figuring out the heel gusset was a little challenging.  Of course, I also love the purple color.

This is a ripple wave blanket I've been working on for the better part of a year now.  It's mostly a stash buster using yarn purchased for two other projects that I either chose other yarn for or scrapped entirely.  This is only part of it.  I'm not sure if I'm crocheting in lengthwise or width-wise.  It all depends on how much yarn I have... Either way, it'll be warm and snuggly when I finish it.  It was originally going to be for some friends, but I'm pretty sure it's going to be mine instead.  (I found a different pattern I want to make my friends... and since it's a surprise it doesn't matter what the finished blanket is, so long as I think they'll like it...)




These two projects also use stash yarn.   The top one is a "chain loop scarf" that someone posted on G+ and I figured I wanted to play with the pattern  It took almost an entire skein of Deborah Norville Serenity Bulky.  It's long enough to double up and be warm and snuggly.  It looks a little silly single.  I'm not sure if I'm keeping it or gifting it.  The bottom one is an octagon blanket that I started with what was left of the first skein.  There's another skein and a half in there and I've got another skein and a half to go.  Again, not sure who this is for, but I have some ideas.



This is the round blankie that I'm making for my cousins Rae and Kami.  Rae is expecting a baby boy around Christmas time.  This is the second blanket I've made with this pattern.  I really enjoy it, but since it uses sport weight yarn and a small hook, the outer rounds take forever.  This one is made from Knit Picks Brava in grass, the first one I made this spring for the baby of a friend of Gak's was in peapod, a much brighter green.  I think this one looks like a lily pad, which is part of the point, since Kami loves frogs.


Here are two shrugs that I've made.  The bottom one I made this spring.  It's a stitch pattern I found on the Lion Brand website and fell in love with a while ago, but didn't have anything to make with it.  The yarn is a fingering weight or so 100% cotton yarn from Katia.  It's quite yummy and the long color repeats give very nice stripes.  This one is a little shorter.
The top one I just finished.  It's for a September CAL hosted on Google+.  I kinda got roped into it when I was admiring someone else's progress.  This is another stash buster.  The original pattern called for fingering weight and to be a stole (hence the pattern name of "Mist Stole").  I don't wear wraps, but I do like shrugs.  So, I found some sport-ish weight yarn in my stash that is a riot of rainbow colors.  I think it looks like someone spilled a bag of Spree or M&Ms.  It worked up nice and quick.  The yarn is a cotton/wool blend and is soft and has a little bit of spring to it.  The sleeves come just to my elbows and is a wonderful length.


Here is a circle scarf that I did back in July.  I used Knit Picks Chroma fingering in the Galapagos colorway. It's quite beautiful and was a joy to make.  Unfortunately, the yarn is 100% wool and while nice on the hands to work with, just made me itch when I tried to wear it.  Therefore, I gifted it to Mary.  I made one using Knit Picks Comfy in a bright burgandy in the fingering weight for me.  It's really cool all in one color and I can't wait to wear it.  I have decided I really enjoy scarves and shrugs at work because they can dress up a Tee or a tank or any shirt and add just a smidge of warmth.

Anyhow, that's all the crafty girl photos I can find.  I need to get a picture of yesterday's project.  There's a new comic and gaming store down near work that just opened up.  So, for Gaks' birthday (which is tomorrow!) we went down there and I got him a new Warhammer 40K model.  I managed to get it assembled and painted yesterday and last night.  It looks pretty good.  It's not the best paint job ever, but it is good enough for a first attempt.   Thankfully Necrons are mostly black with a bit of bright green.

Anyhow, I've got off today and the boy-o and I are going to the Zoo with Amma this afternoon after we drop Gak off at work.  I promise to update the random adventures we've had soon.  And hopefully October will be a bit better for updates...

Peace to all and may you be able to indulge your crafty side.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Ack!

Ack!  Where has the week gone?  It's Wednesday already and I have no idea where the week has gone.
Oh, that's right, I've been struck by the first head cold of the season... and hopefully my only one.  Thanks Boo!  I really do love you for this, really.  (Boo was sniffly all weekend, and still is a bit, and I just thought it was seasonal allergy type sniffles.  Nope, Gak and I are both hit with varying degrees of head cold...)

OK, so the important stuff all happened this weekend.

Saturday morning we went to bowling, only to find out that bumper league isn't starting until the end of the month.  That's OK, we got to hang out with the big kids and watch them bowl.  Boo and I also bowled one game.  I got a 134, but that was mostly dumb luck and slightly assisted by bumpers.  (Most of my spares and one of my two strikes were legit, most of the time if I bounced off the bumper I missed anyhow...)  Boo managed a 71.  According to him, he won because 7 is bigger than 1... Guess we have to work on math a bit...
After bowling was lunch and then home for nap time.  After nap time it was time to pick up Daddy and we went to BJ's to pick up some drinks and stuff for the picnic Sunday and some stuff for the house.  Then it was home for dinner and Dr. Who.  All I have to say is: Dinosaurs!  On a spaceship!  Great episode.

Sunday was filled with all kinds of errands and running around.  There was breakfast to be eaten, groceries to be shopped for and laundry to be done.  Then there was some other odd and end things that needed doing all in getting ready for the picnic.

The Girl Scout picnic went great.  I made up 20 folders with registration information in i, I came home with three, and there were a few girls missing that I know will be coming.  So, yeah, it looks like 17 or so will actually be in my troop.  Unfortunately, I didn't get as much time talking with the girls as I'd hoped, but they all had plenty of time to hang out and play at the playground together and get to know each other.  Several already know one or more girls in the troop, but this way they got a chance to hang with everyone without too much leader interference, which is important.  I've got lots of parents ready and willing to help, I just need to tell them what I need.  I can do that.

This week has been kinda ugh.  That's the best way I can put it.  I started feeling icky Monday afternoon and by yesterday morning I was in full fledged ick mode.  Today was a bit better, but I didn't feel up to riding my bike this afternoon, which really stinks.  The weather has been so beautiful this week that it would be perfect for riding.  Oh well, maybe Friday.

Tomorrow is my company picnic and Boo's school pictures.  Oh boy!  It's also my first leader meeting of the year.  Ugh.  I have a love/hate relationship with them.  Love them because I'm actually involved with Scouts, hate them because... well... I've attended less painful meetings at work.  And most of those are pretty painful.  Hopefully I won't fall asleep or anything silly.

This weekend is going to be a good one.  I actually get to see three friends of mine from college who I haven't seen in ages.  And we're going to AC overnight.  Yep, I'm going away overnight again without my boy-o.  Or his daddy.  (Gak and I have got to get an overnight away just the two of us, we're trying to make it happen in November...)

I know, I know, I promise (or maybe that's threatened) a crafty girl post a while back.  I haven't sorted through the photos and I haven't taken photos of a lot of things... so it'll have to wait.  That and I can't seem to stop starting new things... I just started yet another project tonight.  At least that one should be quick and easy.  And one of my other projects should be wrapped up in another 10 rounds or so... but of course, that means each round will take longer than the last as it keeps getting bigger.  Oh well.  At least I have plenty to keep my occupied!

I'm off to stand in the shower and dope myself into a Benedryl induced haze...

Peace to all and may your sinuses be clear and your weeks good.

Friday, September 07, 2012

There and Back Again, but Not as Exciting

Ok, Ok, so it's been more than a week, almost two since I last posted.  When last I updated I was about to head out on my first business trip in just about 3 years.  I was both looking forward to it and dreading it for several reasons.

I wasn't dreading it because I was dreading leaving my son home alone with his daddy for a couple of days.  Leaving Boo with his daddy is never, ever the problem.  I'm so thankful to have a partner in this who is just as capable as I am at this whole parenting gig.  Actually, I don't think we'd have a kiddo if I didn't think Gak would be the awesome daddy he is.  This whole parenting thing isn't one I'd want to do alone if I didn't have to, and well, I don't have to.  I've got an amazing hubby.

Sorry, not sure where that bit of ramble came from... maybe I've been reading too many "mommie's rock, daddies suck" kind of articles.  That's far from the truth in my corner of the world.  Just about all the dads I know (there will always be exceptions to every rule) take parenting just as seriously and work just as hard at it as the moms... sometimes more so.

No, I was looking forward to it because it meant I was going to be out of the office.  It meant I was going to be able to focus on one problem, and one problem only, for the entire day.  It meant I was finally going to meet with people face to face that I'd been talking over the phone with for almost 12 years now.  Guiltily, it also meant I was going to have two whole evenings of not having to be Momma.  Now, don't get me wrong, being Momma is the best title in the world to me, but there are days when it is nice to just be Addey.  When I don't have to be employee Addey, or wife Addey or Momma Addey.  When I can go out to eat and not worry about wrangling a kiddo into his seat every 30 seconds or trying to get a little elbow room at the table or all the other fun adventures of eating out with a four-year-old.  When I can watch what I want on TV or not and not feel guilty about ignoring the world and playing with yarn.  Everyone needs some moments like that, kids or not.

I was also dreading it because the work I was heading out to do isn't fun.  It has to do with state regulations and reporting and well... this state is just plain wacky and very painful when it comes to that.  Much more painful than just about any other state out there that I can think of.  I was also dreading it a bit because I was only half looking forward to the site visit I had planned for the drive home.  I was only half looking forward to driving 3/4 of the way across the state and back.  (It can be a nice drive, but you can also get stuck on some of these roads that turn it from an enjoyable drive to slow moving torture...)  I was also not really looking forward to Velcro-boy over the next couple of days after I got home.  I get attacked by Velcro-boy often enough when he's had a full week of full-day daycare or Wednesday evenings after Girl Scouts start up that I knew being gone two whole nights would mean I'd have my arms full of a boy-o who didn't want to leave his Momma's sight for a couple of days.

The trip went well over all.  The drive on Tuesday got maddeningly slow only in one or two places.  The work Wednesday was long, mentally rough and time consuming.  I don't want to think about how long it would have taken me if I'd tried to do it remotely over a modem.  It wasn't difficult, but it involves a lot of data entry and a bit of math.  And when you're dealing with 10 sets of reports, it just takes time, pure and simple.  The lunch we had planned with two other sites nearby (who use our software and are all friends) didn't happen because of various other things coming up.  I did have a nice lunch with the guy at the site I was at.
But, I'm also very glad that I did make the site visit I was half dreading on the way home.  I was just wanting to pop in, say hi, just sort of check in for a few and be on my way.  I was figuring I'd be there an hour tops.  I was there almost two whole hours!  It was all very good conversation and let me bring a lot of good information about the plant and happenings to the office.  They were glad I stopped in and gave me lots of information to take back with me and I was able to answer a couple of questions.  So, yeah, I'm glad I stopped, even if it meant I put in a 12 hour day all told.  (4 hours at the site I was working at, 2 hours at the other site and about 6 hours driving time all told with stops for food and gas...)

So, the end of last week was fairly productive.
I wish I could say the same about this week.  My low level exhaustion has dropped my energy level from about a normal 4 out of 10 to about a 3 out of 10 I think this week.  And actually, it's not so much my raw energy level that's been the problem, but the lack of focus that goes along with it.  My mind has been all over the place other than on what I'm supposed to be working on.  I've got to fix that today and salvage something good this week!

But that's all work.  I'll tell you, getting home last Thursday was nice.  Boo and Gak were over at Kat's house because I wasn't going to get home until about 7:00.  Actually, Gak had just gotten there a few minutes before I had.  Steph had picked Boo up, and Boo and Zoe were playing in the back yard when I got home.  They actually didn't even notice my car pulling up.  I stuck my head out the back door and just yelled "Boo!" and you'd have thought I'd promised free ice cream for life the way they both came running.  (What can I say, Zoe loves me too...)  The funny part was I got a quick hug and then Boo was off and running again with Zoe.  That was fine by me as I had a headache and wanted to catch up with Steph and Kat a bit before rounding up a boy-o to then go return the rental car and go home.

The weekend was nice.  I did have Velcro-boy a bit at night, but that's been happening frequently these days.  It's become part of the bedtime routine in a way.

We spent Saturday doing laundry and running some errands.  Sunday morning was cleaning, a few more errands and some blob time.  Sunday night Gak and I went to our friend Scott's surprise 40th birthday party.  Kat did an awesome job planning it.  We had a lot of fun and enjoyed a nice evening out with friends and not having to be Momma and Daddy.  Monday was rainy and icky.  Boo and I went down to Amma's around lunch time.  We even went over next door to play with Henry and Lia for a little bit.  Boo was being a bit clingy and shy and Velcro-boy so it didn't last long, much to Henry's disappointment I think.  But, over all it was a good day.

Like I said earlier, this week at work's been tough, even though it is a short week.  I'll get over it and move on.  I get the feeling I need a followup before October though on this whole exhaustion thing...

This weekend should be fun.  Tomorrow Boo starts in his bumper bowling league while the bigger kids continue to bowl in their league.  Sunday we're having a family pot-luck and meeting for Girl Scouts.  I'll be having a brief meeting in the first part to go over registration and goals for the year and stuff and then it'll be relax and get to know everyone time.  You see, I've gone from 5 or 6 girls to probably 17 or 18.  Yep, my troop has tripled in size.  I'm actually looking forward to meeting all the new girls.  A lot already know each other because there are a couple of troops that have dissolved over the past year and some are girls from the Junior troop some of my girls last year came from.  It should be a lot of fun.

I've now got 5 minutes to snuggle an awake boy, get dressed and get out the door.  Wish me luck.

Peace to all and may your travel adventures be good, and your focus remain strong.