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On Friday we are supposedly closing on the house! That's pretty exciting! I keep alternating between being thrilled and being terrified. We found an overstock and close out housing supply store nearby -- it's kind of like TJ Maxx except with flooring and toilets and doors and such and is pretty thrilling. We're going to have to do some things like painting and replacing the kitchen vinyl and the ugly living room carpet before we move in, but I like projects so right now I'm happy about that. Remind me of this in a few weeks when I am weeping and beating my head against the wall.
Our bikes were stolen last weekend and my first reaction was to get enraged and call the cops and canvass the neighborhood looking for them, but honestly, with everything else going on, work, homebuying, licensing exam coming up, I decided I really didn't have the energy to dedicate to that. I don't know. On the one hand, it seems like raising a ruckus is the ethical choice, advocating for the neighborhood and all that, but on the other hand, it seems like getting worked up isn't really a priority right now. We can always get new bikes. So I'm choosing to let it go.
The Health and Human Service budget cuts came through last week --- on the 30th DHHS slipped into the provider bulletin a little sentence mentioning maybe they should check out this web document -- which web document casually announced that effective October 1st there would be 10% cuts in the reimbursement rates in virtually all mental health services. So we all took paycuts (mine is not that huge because I happen to work in one of the 2 services that did not get a rate cut) and some people were laid off. I think I'm more upset about the lay-offs, I really liked both people who had to leave, and I wish we'd been able to do something for them, like a good-bye card or something. Even though I know that wouldn't really make things better, it still would have been a nice gesture. I'm also a little concerned about other agencies going under; as much as my company prepared for the upcoming cuts, the ones that went through were even worse than the worst-case scenarios they had predicted.
I am so fucking scared!!!! yet excited! Tulio already bought a hammock (and I had to confess to him that I also bought one last week because they were on clearance at Lowe's) and I'm already thinking about paint colors and flooring and PLANTS!
We've been driving by the house like creepy stalkers, and tomorrow I take a check to the seller's agent's house. YIPES!
Also, Wednesday I am leaving for Portland! I'm so excited! I get to see my friend Lisa and it'll be the first time I've gone to the West coast, too!
ETA: and I am making my husband absolutely insane. I'm going to get off the computer now and stop looking at houses.
In better news, today is my 5th anniversary! it's the longest relationship I've ever been in, but I guess that's kind of the point of marriage. We are going to celebrate this weekend.
Here is today's skein of yarn! I got a bit behind, not so much on spinning, more on actually finishing things and taking photos of them. I have several half-full bobbins hanging around.
He is so cute! Also, WE ARE DONE WITH OUR CREDIT CARD DEBT! Woo hoo! Now to get pre-approved for a mortgage.
Whoa, the news is on right now and things are INTENSE in Honduras. Right now they are showing a line of trucks blocking the runways at the airport to keep Zelaya from landing; it looks like civil war might be imminent. Selvin just said "un Hondureno mojado en Honduras." less than 2 weeks ago we were talking about going for a visit, but now Tulio is saying he doesn't know if we'll ever go back.
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Here's a teaser!
Finally, this is one of my favorite photos ever! look at the way the ears help keep her airborne!
I went over to Rebecca's and we put glitter on the unicorn. Then we tried to go for a walk but got distracted and so we went over to Lisa's and ate cookies instead.
I can't wait until the unicorn is done; it's going to be awesome.
2. That cats may have amazing healing powers: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=w
3. Slow Lorises are my favorite ( Prosimians )
Apparently I ordered something very strange...
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And then I came home and was murdered by a rabbit.
The end.
PS here's a link to Lisa's pictures in case you want to see more http://www.flickr.com/photos/lisaweisma
I have lots of crafty tutorials planned and photos to post but I haven't gotten it together enough to actually do so.
Also: Lemurs! lemurs lemurs lemurs. And dwarf lorises!
On a somewhat related note, on Friday I drove around town for 45 minutes trying to find a gas station that actually has gas. I did find some before my car ran out, but for crap's sake, I paid Premium price for Regular gas, and anyway, they announced at the beginning of the week that the pipeline was back at capacity, so what the hell is going on? and why is it only ghettotastic North Durham that's out of gas; downtown and South Durham seem to be just fine.
I AM CRABBY AND I WILL BE VERY ANGRY IF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE DUMB ENOUGH TO ELECT REPUBLICANS EVER AGAIN.
I was starting to get panicky, as I crawled around looking for gas, and worried about the collapse of Western Civilization. But then I cheered up, because if Western Civilization collapses me and Tulio will be just fine; between the 2 of us we can spin, knit, build fires, build adobe houses, boil water for drinking, identify edible wild plants, grow food crops, and chop things up with machetes. So we'll be OK.* But then I realized that Western Civilization won't collapse, it'll just deflate and limp along, pissing me off the whole while. so then I got irate again.
Apart from all this, I'm having a good weekend and the weather is lovely, and I ought to go out for a walk. I made some good art with my friend Rebecca yesterday and Tulio and I hung out today and did useful adult things, like paying bills and so forth. We went to TJ Maxx and found a fancy luxury sheet set for the same cost as a vastly inferior sheet set at Walmart, which was cheering.
My mother is frolicking in Europe and has apparently completely forgotten my sister and I!
*I was pretty cheerful about Y2K, too.
The other day I had a flat tire (not so hilarious, and a car a few spaces down also had the exact same tire flat, so I worried about tire-slashing vandals, but since it turned out to only be a teeny puncture in my tire, it is more likely that someone threw some nails around the entrance road to my apartment complex or something like that. ANYWAY). So I called AAA, because, while I am perfectly capable of changing a tire, what's the point of having AAA if I can't make someone else do that for me (come to think of it, what do I have a husband for?). so I call AAA, and a guy comes out to change the tire. Now I have to set up the scene. Tire guy has jacked the car up and is bent over removing the flat tire. I have the trunk open so I can take the spare out. But there's a lot of crap in my trunk and I can't even get to the spare! (Mind you, tire guy is bent over). And I exclaim "Whoa, there's a lot of junk in the trunk!" and tire guy says "excuse me?"
In other news: Center Fest was really successful and I made a decent amount of money (and bartered with another vendor for a beautiful basket). Malloy, owner of the Fiber Loft is selling the leftover stock at the store, and I already sold a hat there! I'll be teaching a needlefelting workshop there October 25th, and I should have a pattern or 2 for sale there pretty soon!
My sister spontaneously and for no apparent reason sent me an awesome shirt with an angry muffin (or it could be a cupcake, there is debate) saying "AH MUNNA EAT CHOO!".
My mom is leaving for France on Wednesday! Lucky mom!
Today we organized the closets ( we have a termite inspection tomorrow and had to empty the closets anyway), so I took the opportunity to organize my yarn stash/collection, which consisted of taking it out of the 3 storage boxes it lives in, throwing it around on the guest bed, and then tucking it back into the boxes in a more systematic way. Now, despite the fact that I removed a grocery bag full of yarns I intend to donate, and removed all the sock yarn to put in a little box by itsself, somehow the yarn that was left would. not. go back into the very same boxes that it came out of. I guess maybe it was compressed and then inflated when I removed it? I don't know, but it's very strange.
I had a truly revolting cold. It is mostly better now. But while I had it, the people upstairs had a leaky pipe AGAIN and water came through our ceiling AGAIN and the maintenance guy took forever to respond to the page and I was up late because of it all (the maintenance guy was super helpful when he did show up and came back the next day to paint over the water stains from the LAST leaking pipe). I had a staff meeting the next day and we had to say what we would like to be reincarnated as and I said "as a bear and I'd live in a cave in the woods with no pipes and no maintenance men and I'd sleep a lot and it would be great." It's kinda still true.
My husband is grouchy because there is some drama in his family of origin. He better get over it soon.
I've completely lost my cooking mojo and can't even remember what people eat other than sandwiches and mac and cheese. Any ideas?
In case you were wondering.
I haven't updated in a long time because a)I work pretty much constantly (that's what it feels like anyway) and b) when I'm not working at my real job, I knit things to sell at Centerfest . And when I'm not doing that, I worry about things like the large hadron collider and Sarah Palin (Hm, Firefox says that collider is not a word. I guess nobody told CERN. Also, has anyone been keeping up with Get Fuzzy and the confusion between Sarah Palin and Michael Palin? It's good stuff). So consequently I don't have much time, nor many interesting things to write about. But I have many fun ideas for things to document for my "Durham is weird" project! so be looking out for that. Also, I should photo all my Centerfest stuff. Except I already dropped it off at Juline's house. So nevermind. But it is all super cute, I promise. And now I can get back to, well, knitting things for myself.
Tulio and I went to fly a kite today! We weren't terribly succesful, but it was fun. For a while, until it got frustrating. you know.
And my friend Lisa brought me some amazing yarn from Michigan!
I was going to go swimming again but the weather has been very odd all day (it's raining and windy and cool -- in the South, in August? very unusual!). I designed a hat (for the Ravelympics) and I need some pattern testers (send me a pm with your email address if interested)
Here's a picture of the hat:
I learned something new about my husband, namely that he is very enthusiastic about the Olympic games. He went to bed last night at 12:30 and was up again at 4:00 to watch the games! OH! We just had our 4th wedding anniversary, go us.
my moonflower continues to rock the house and be difficult to photograph.
I guess I don't have much interesting to write about -- I've been invited to participate in an art and craft fair in September, so I've been crafting in all my free time so that I'll actually have some stock! I'm going to Georgia next weekend to see my mom and sister and dog, and I'm looking forward to that! :) I did take a homeless guy out to lunch today -- he told me he was a vegetarian but then he ordered chicken wings.
http://www.homesteadwoolandgiftfarm.c
While I'm posting photos of yarn, let me show y'all my most recent one; this was the only photo that turned out, but I plan to take more because I'm so pleased with it -- can anyone guess what movie inspired it?
And finally, here's my cute Tulio and I in the raging blizzard that paralyzed town a few weeks ago:
Yes, Tulio is wearing shorts in the snow. He is silly like that.
It is extremely windy today! there were trees down and power out all around town. I went to knitting group today, and then Lisa and I went to a FABULOUS thrift store to get sweaters to frog for yarn. I got a cute cabled gray one that I will actually wear, rather than frog, a cashmere beige sweater that I think I will turn into sock yarn (Cashmere socks! yays!), and a beige wool/acrylic/angora blend sweater that, when I washed it in the sink, unaccountably turned the water a hideous shade of green. Yuck! What lisa bought defies description, so I hope she posts photos on her blog so I can link to it.
Edited to add: Lisa did in fact post a photo of her...thing on her blog. Modeling it no less. Lisa is awesome!
http://www.sexysheep.net/knitting/B
