Sleepy Bee 3 

Sleepy Bee 2 

Sleepy Bees

Yesterday evening I decided to cut some flowers to bring inside. After all this 70 to 80 degree weather in OCTOBER isn't going to last forever.

As I cut I suddenly noticed something inside the flowers and immediately thought of some kind of yucky bugs. But on closer examination I found sleeping bees! So I have taken some pictures of them - I am thinking that the cooler evenngs are making them sleepy and as they are bumble bees they don't have a big hive to go home to, so they just sleep where they are. The poor things are going to die with the frosts any way, so I suppose this also saves them flying time in the morning from the queen's home where she will hibernate the winter with the store of food they have helped her build up.

oh dear

Well - we have been ever so busy.

The Old lady's shunt surgery is coming up next week, there is tons of fall clean up stuff to do and the house is a mess. And I don't feel like doing a thing.

I DID put away a big pile of clothing that was obscuring one of the guest beds. And I plan ( HA!) this weekend to do some more.

The Apple Festival is also on this weekend and I am going to give them a few hours on Saturday. Then Sunday I am going to come into work for a number of hours - we'll have to see how energetic I feel.

Banned Books Week

"Censorship is telling a man he can't have a steak just because a baby can't chew it." ~~ Mark Twain

Hey - I just realized it is Banned Books Week September 24–October 1. The American Library Association has bracelets by Carolyn Forsman in Adult and children sizes to commemorate the week. You can get one of each for $25 which isn't bad at all - and they are pretty cool bracelets too! Click on the picture for a link to more info and to order a bracelet.


Banned Book Bracelets 

Check out this cool thing - OrganicHTML. Enter a website and see what kind of plant grows - This is mine.

Red Cross not allowed in New Orleans by Homeland Security

I read this Diary on DailyKo last night and woke up this morning with it on my mind. It is unbelieveable but go there and read all the comments.

Red Cross NEVER allowed into New Orleans. by SteveRose

And now do a search through Google News for Red Cross and find this:
Homeland Security won't let Red Cross deliver food from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

and this from the Peoria Journal Star:
Red Cross helps out despite setbacks, Relief teams not allowed into New Orleans

and here is the FAQ about it from the Red Cross site itself:
Hurricane Katrina: Why is the Red Cross not in New Orleans

and couple that with the story about Homeland security not allowing Canadian aid into the country in the first couple of days of the husrricane and you have to say WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON! (Can't find story right now will post link when I find)

This story needs to spread and spread and spread - So if you stumble on this and have a blog of your own - please post about it - Just a title with some links to these stories is helpful. And send the story onto your local paper - Lets raise the outrage here.

Thank you.

Please Donate to New Orleans

CLick the picture to donate. Please, they are desperate!

Donate to Hurricane Relief 

Nero

It occurred to me last night that Bush was like Nero - playing while a city died. And then this morning I see this picture of Bush playing a guitar yesterday after his visit to Naval Base Coronado. Could it get anymore obvious that this man cares about nothing but his own pleasure? and that the word decorum is not in his vocabulary.


Bush Fiddles while New Orleans drowns 

Strange dreams

I had a dream last night that my sister was insistent about having a baby and that the reason she hadn't was infertility - so in order to have one she had become Born Again so that god would make her fertile and was trying to convert me too. At the same time she had also started to smoke Crack and was trying to make me do it too. She passed me a pipe and I was trying to throw it away when I woke up. Pretty strange, eh?

In reality though - she is a Step-Grandmother : wha ha ha! Old lady.

Look where we're going tomorrow!

Yup, that's right the Saratoga Races.

Racing 

I think it is going to be fun. I never particularly wanted to go myself but the old lady did - so now I am taking her just to make her depressed and Ken is coming along too. I have been perusing their web site I think it will be more fun than I thought. With 8 or 9 races and a dollar a bet you can have a little excitement too.

The drive from Vermont looks lovely along the Battenkill most of the way. The weather is supposed to be great and this will mean a three day weekend!

Too bad we can't stay the night because look at the cool stuff going on tomorrow because it is the Traver Stakes Festival:

FRIDAY, Aug. 26

The Travers Wine Tasting. The National Museum of Racing, Saratoga Springs. Wine and food tasting of 200 upscale wines and food provided by five area restaurants. Live auction and jazz band. Proceeds benefit the Senior Services of Albany Foundation. Must be 21 or older to participate in the wine tasting. 7 p.m. - 10 p.m., tickets $100 per person. Contact: 388-9240.

8th Annual Battle of the Brews. Saratoga Race Course. 12 Noon - 5 p.m. Microbrew Festival with sampling available to those 21 and older. Tickets $20. Proceeds benefit the American Red Cross Adirondack Saratoga Chapter. Contact: 745-7345.

Upbeat on the Roof. Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery roof-top, Saratoga Springs. Doc Scanlon's Rhythm Boys. Come on up for some swing music and dance the night away! Free. 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Contact: 580-8080.

More Bird Flu

There are a couple of reasons I am interested in the Bird Flu - one is that I have an elderly mother who I would really not like ot see die of something that should be preventable or lessened by proper planning. The second reason is that I raise chickens for fun - I was actually thinking about the fact that maybe I will need to have them put down. So I started to look at what prevention methods other countries are taking and I saw that Germany or Holland (sorry lost the article now) was requiring all chickens be kept indoors to cut down on the risk of infection from sick wild birds.

So I started to look and see if there are any drugs for chickens that might be given ahead of time to protect a flock and I found this: Bird Flu Drug Rendered Useless, Chinese Chickens Given Medication Made for Humans That's right - "China's use of the drug amantadine, which violated international livestock guidelines, was widespread years before China acknowledged any infection of its poultry, according to pharmaceutical company executives and veterinarians." So " International researchers now conclude that this is why the drug will no longer protect people in case of a worldwide bird flu epidemic."
Excellent eh?

This means more than ever prevention is necessary. So people, if you stumble by here take the threat seriously and get ready. I am.

and lest you think I am a nut go and read this Bird flu: we're all going to die

Bird FLu

I admit it - I started this blog as a way to keep track of my knitting and daily life. Well (I say along with you) HA! What knitting - what daily life. I don't know - everything happens to me so quickly that by the time I am ready to write something the event I want to write about is weeks over - I mean look - I never finished my post on the fair even though I have been thinking about it - and suddenly we are 4 weeks away from the fair and it seems ridiculous now to even bother. And knitting - what knitting? I can't even finish the one pair of socks I started as a test case - just to see how this pattern came out and what my guage was like. I am pathetic.

On the other hand I am trying to use my little corner of the Internets to pass on things I think are important and this is a case in point --
The Bird Flu. There is a fine line between preparedness and paranoia - and I think that this line when it comes to the Bird Flu is far off from what most of us are doing and thinking.

So I encourage everyone to check out the FluWiki and seriously start thinking about those people in your family at risk. The old, the young, the infirm. Those of us who have jobs that take us into contact with many people.

While the Health headlines in the US seem to be focusing on Stem Cells and drug company news take a look at what is going on in the rest of the world:

Germany acts to prevent spread of bird flu

GPs to get drill for bird flu pandemic (UK)

Stockpiling of drug urged in fight against bird flu (Asia)

Good heavens! The Bahama Journal has a huge two part series about Bird Flu- The Next Pandemic

Anyway - if you happen by - take a look at the FLuWiki - think about how your community is going to be able to handle an outbreak and do what you can to bring this subject to a more prominent position.

CIndy Sheehan

This woman really moves me. Can you imagine the courage that it take to keep following Bush and standing out in the hot sun day after day. Just to get a simple answer from the man. You go, Cindy!

In a few days my friend's son leaves for Iraq - it is going to be so hard for her. So what can we all do? Well - how about going to Cindy's site and downloading and printing out the large size of the picture above? CLick on the picture for a link. Put it in your car window and show your support for the troops and your lack of support for the war that way.

Remember - Peace is Patriotic!

New Fire pit ready to go... 

Sweet Email

Look what my little sugar pie emailed me this morning:

I had a great weekend, it was relaxing and interesting too
Cleaning things is always fun
A nice lunch out w/drive
2 Dead Like Me episodes
Steak dinner w/ potato salad
Leftover pizza from Rick’s
Napping w/you too
Even channel surfing on the couch

Thanks baby…you are the best

It was a lovely quiet weekend!

I accomplished three out of my five self assigned tasks:
*Clean Kitchen to make it easy for new florr to be installed - DONE!
* Buy stuff for the old lady's orchids and plant the orchid cactus cuttings we got at the Spiral Shop - DONE!
*Build a Fire Pit - DONE! (pictures to follow)
*Pick out pictures of me, poopyface and the old lady to have printed - not done
*Pull together and organize all my Fair stuff to make it easy to pass along - not done

The Big Gig

Whoo hoo- I have been waiting for this for weeks! We are going to the Big Gig in Westminster West this afternoon and listening to music and watching people and just relaxing.

http://www.westwestfest.info/

I just realized that you can use Hello to post text to your blog. Interesting and easy!

Latoyia Figueroa, non-white woman missing

August 20th : Update You probably know now that Latoyia Figueroa was found dead. Poor woman - just another vitim of men's foolish desire to get rid of their own children.


From South Philly:

Twenty-four-year-old Latoyia Figueroa is 5 months pregnant. She was last seen one week ago, at a doctor's appointment. Police told Action News on Monday afternoon that they have not received any tips in the case, and that Figueroa's bank cards and cell phone have not been used.

If you've seen Latoyia Figueroa- please call Philadelphia Police at 215-686-3183.

Pregnant Woman Still Missing

Philadelphia Woman Still Missing...Where Is CNN's Round The Clock Coverage?

Missing Pregnant 25 YO Mother Alert (Non-White Division)

Google Latoyia Figueroa

Fair Day 2

Didn't have time to post yesterday morning and last night I was too exhausted to write. So here we are at Day 2, 5:08 a.m.

Not bad yesterday - although it had it's morning. I won't be unhappy never to see those Fair Queen people again, I'll say that.

The Entertainment was all great. Dan Grady and his puppets. Girl Howdy too.

We got done pretty early considering.

Anyway I have to get going so perhaps - although not likely I will write tonight. Only about 15 hours to go including clena up!

Dirty

Well I am covered with dust and dirt from the field. Karen and I got the parking all lined out and then used the big tractor to put out the garbage barrels. I got to drive the BIG tractor with the front end loader for that. Which was fun but after the 5th load of barrels, the need to muscle the damned things around counteracted the fun of driving the tractor.

Anyhow I am home to shower the dirt off - my feet are black, but the polish is still looking fine! Then it is wait for Ken to get out of work and then back up to the field.


Dirty feet! 

Friday Morning

9:15 am

I am off on my day - heading to the fair grounds - after I get a coffee and the NY times for the old lady.

Moe nervous that yesterday. But still OK. I think we are going to have plenty of people for the gates and to park cars - so that worry is over.

Will check back in late to update myself :)

Slightly nervous but not too bad

Thursday
July 21st
9:21 am

3 days and 6 hours and 37 minutes to go.

Still feeling pretty OK. Slight knots in my stomach as I think ahead - so I am trying not to think ahead.

Have to to take the old lady up to the neurologists this afternoon so that will take my mind off things for a while. Her MRI last night was OK, although she looked so wiped out when she came out of there - She said they don't provide music up at Dartmouth like they do other places and that makes a big difference. She was really white as a sheet. But we sat a while and she recovered. The strange thing was she was walking really well! Don't know how this all works but it is strange.

I took her to dinner at Murphy's and that was good and we stopped at the bookstore and she got herself a book about Wendell Wilkie so that was good too! SO all in all it wasn't a bad evening. She needed to get out and see something different.

I am trying to see if we can get her up to the fair - maybe around the time to listen to the band. I think she will like them and it will amuse her to be up there. We'll have to play it by ear.

Fair Days

Don't get me wrong - I really do love the fair - on the day of. I love getting up at 4:30 (really) and heading up to the grounds by 5:30. Stopping for coffee and ice. Driving up Highland Road on the back way to the fair and looking out across Vermont - so beautiful in the dawn light. One year I saw a mother fox and her kits playing on someone's lawn both mornings.

Being the very first one there and hearing the turkey in the petting zoo gobbling incessantly. As I set up my stuff I can hear the lower field starting to life - antique tractors being fired up. Cow lowing for their morning feed. The turkey. Trucks starting up the road to the entrance. The turkey.

And all kinds of other stuff - running around and getting things done in my inimitable style! Just being happy to be there - doing a little extra for someone like the old woman last year who had trouble walking.

And I loved having Ken with me last year - he was such a help and a great emotional support. I had the best time I have ever had last year.

All that stuff I really like. Oh well I will make the most of this year and I will not let anyone bother me. And I will not get into any "interpersonal" type problems and it will all be beautiful.

Wednesday July 20th, 2005

4 days , 5 hours and 53 minutes to go! and the fair will be done.

Deb who sits across the aisle from me at work has promised that next week when I say "Well that wasn't so bad. I think I will do the fair again next year." that she will smack me as hard as she can in the head.

I have asked for it - because otherwise I will go through this whole gut churning anxiety again - like an idiot.


Oh and look in the time it took me to type this 4 more minutes have gone by! so it's only 4 days , 5 hours and 49 minutes to go!

No Time to Blog

Just checking in to say - not time to spend on the blog lately. - Sick mother, sick dog, Ag fair this weekend and not enough volunteers. Really wanted to post pictures from a variety of things that have gone on ( good thing). But it takes longer than you think it would.

Plus work is so very busy - and the summer sales meeting is coming up with all it's inherent running around.

Anyway just letting everyone know I am alive - and yes I know that everyone is mostly me :)

Knitting wise I did finish a felted bag for the old lady and it isn't exactly what I wanted but still I think it is good for a first try. AND I finished a sock last night - only took about 5 tries to get the Japanese Short-row technique looking good on it. The heel is kind of screwy still but the toe looks great! Now all I have to do is another one.

New babies ! and look at all the others that have pipped! 

Disgusting

Via DC Media Girl and Steve Gilliard the following reprehensible quote from a "College Republican":

Generation Chickenhawk from The Nation

At a table by the buffet was Justin Palmer, vice chairman of the Georgia Association of College Republicans, America's largest chapter of College Republicans. In 1984 the group gained prominence in conservative circles when its chairman, Ralph Reed, formed a political action committee credited with helping to re-elect Senator Jesse Helms. Palmer's future as a right-wing operative looked bright; he batted away my question about his decision to avoid fighting the war he supported with the closest thing I heard to a talking point all afternoon. "The country is like a body," Palmer explained, "and each part of the body has a different function. Certain people do certain things better than others." He said his "function" was planning a "Support Our Troops" day on campus this year in which students honored military recruiters from all four branches of the service.

This just tips me over the edge - I have been doing well not melting down about the war. However, the attitude of the college students in this article and their embodiment of the Republican disregard for anyone they think is beneath themselves is just beyond belief. Oh yes - I get the message here very well - Mr. Palmer thinks of himself as the "brain" of the country - and we don't want to get out brains shot out do we? No - let's send the hands and the feet to be destroyed. The idea that because of your class or your supposed "intelligence" you are better than another is so hateful. This young man thinks that he is better; more deserving of life and happiness and the chance to grow old at peace than all these people:

Erik Anders Halvorsen
Kyle C. Gilbert
Alan N. Bean Jr.
Mark Asher Evnin
William J. Normandy
Jeffery Scott Holmes
Jesse W. Strong
Solomon C. "Kelly" Bangayan
Kevin F. Sheehan
Jamie A. Gray
Pierre E. Piche

Who are they? The 11 Vermonter's killed in Iraq so far.

Just a bit about Kyle Gilbert:

When high school senior Kyle Gilbert couldn't get into the military because of occasional headaches, he turned to Vermont's Sen. James Jeffords.

"I was used to people asking me to help them get out of the military, not the other way around," Jeffords said.

Pvt. Gilbert, 20, was killed Aug. 6, 2003, when their unit was fired on from a passing vehicle in Baghdad.

If you are going to say you support this war then you have better stop hiding behind false rationalization about why you personally can't go and fight. You better stop deluding yourself that you are some how more important than other human beings. Just because you have money does not make you more important, more intelligent or more worthwhile than anyone else - and that is what this is all about - money and class and the idea that certain people are born into certain echelons which determine their "function" in the country. If you are willing to let someone else go and fight and die for YOUR cause as if they were your servants and that is their place - their function - their "fate", then I wonder how you view democracy?

The dehumanization of others is a clear sign of the lack of humanity of the dehumanizer.

EDIT-- and we're not even talking about the thousands of innocents killed in Iraq - the babies , the children, the ordinary grocery clerk, teacher, nurse, mother or father.

whew

Well that was an action packed weekend. Picked the sister up at Manchester airport and brought her home to surprise the Old Lady for the birthday. Worked out really well.

Worked half a day Friday. Went out to dinner at the Garden Cafe Friday night so Ken could come along. Pictures on Saturday morning( once we hooked up with the photographer). All the while it was too too hot.

Sunday - what did we do - can't even remember the day - but Ken made dinner and Liv made a WONDERFUL cake with strawberry jello and whipped cream etc. Gave the old lady her presents. Then went down and swam in the river - very lovely.

I worked yesterday and afterwards we flew up to the Killarney for a margarita (or two if you were someone with an obvious drinking problem). This morning I did everything I put off for the rest of the days - felted the bag for the Old Lady. Had Liv assist me in giving the chick his/her Marek's shot and opened up that damn chicken with the bulgie crop again. THEN drove Liv to the airport and came home.

I should be cleaning up and getting ready for work tomorrow but I just don't feel like it. I should reknit the bottom edge of the W top that I frogged as it was too damned big once I was it - but I am not.

Still haven't heard if Liv is home yet - she is going to be tired and cranky.

Before I started off to the Manchester airport to pick up Poopy Face (aka my sister) yesterday. I glanced out the back window and then just had to run out and take a few pictures.

The sun was tipping the tops of the grasses in the fields while the lower portion was still in shadow. Since the morning was so cool (42 degrees when I first got up) the river in the distance was throwing clouds of steam into the air. And this is why I live in Vermont.


Misty Morning 

5:50 a.m.

Getting ready to go you know where and pick up you know who!

Haven't slept since 4 a.m. - should just have gotten up then and knitted. Oh well, gotta jump in the shower.

Workin' Hard? Or Hardly Workin'?

Last night I worked till 7:15 - the whole last hour I struggled to figure out why year to date sales on a report were lower than when I ran the report Monday - Suddenly realized it was because someone had asked me to reimport ECommerce data and certain fields don't get updated till a process runs over night - so that was a wasted effort and made me all crazy to boot. Once I figured out the problem I got out of there. Of course I wanted to work late anyway so that I only have to work 4 hours on Friday.

Anyway - decide on the way home that the evening was too nice not to do something Vermonty - so I packed the old lady and the old dog up and drove them out on Cambridgeport Road that runs from Rockingham to the road between Grafton and Saxton's River. There is a little piece of state land out there - the Dorland State Forest - although you can't find it listed anywhere - and I got the two of them out of the car and we took a little walk up the dirt road. Wore the two of them out and then we continued on to Route 35 and then up through Grafton and home. Saw one doe cross the road in front of us and that was the most exciting thing that happened - but it was a lovely evening and nice to take a ride.

Now I am back at work and pluggin along through a bunch of stuff. Although the day started out a bit noisy they children have all quieted down. I don't think I have heard any of those secret whispered conversations today which drive me so INSANE! Of course now that I mention it we will probably have one.

OH! and the little chick was so cute last night - I took him (?) out and put him on a towel on my bed while I read before going to sleep and he snuggledd right up - I put a fold of the towel over him and he was as happy as can be. I felt bad having to put him back in his box after that. I need to get pictures of him as he changes hourly - the wing and tail feathers grow so fast you can almost see it.

Here we go again

Got 36 assorted eggs - probably all mutts from Frank Bruce through Karen. Just washed out the incubator and disinfected it. These will really all be for them if they hatch.

The bantams are for Frank Bruce and anybody else will be Karen's. I could keep a couple but I won't even really have a lot of room to brood these - so I warned her that if most of these hatch she is going to have to take them.



Lotsa eggs 



Nice dark agg and a couple of bantam eggs 

What is this? A Finished Object?

Yuppy - here it is the W top from the Spring Knitty.

It took me about 2 weeks to get the final edge around the bottom picked up and knit. I loved the pattern - it was easy and fun to knit as the short rows made things more interesting that simple back and forth knitting. I used the Japanese Short Row method which I really liked. You can learn about them and get great instructions at NonaKnits as well as learning about some of her other short row experiments.

Anyhow I knit the medium size of this which came out perfect (nice stretchy pattern which from my bust size I certainly needed). I used Plymouth Yarns Encore ColorSpun in Raspberry Twist (75% acrylic 25% wool). I had hoped that the vertical stripes created by the varigated yarn would help slim my bust down - but I don't think it worked. I do think I will make this top again - in a solid color and maybe a better yarn.

SO here are a couple of pictures - prewashing (yarn is machine washable which is nice) and pre blocking.



W top 


W top 2 

Gratuitous Sappiness

Warning - the following post may make you gag.

****************
Ken is away tonight in Mass and I miss his sweet little bum and I will be missing snuggling up to him tomorrow morning.

And lest youthink it's all about the physical I also miss talking to him and having him make me laugh.
****************

There - you may now continue reading if you like.

This is a CHICKEN house!

My poor long suffering grandmother when she came to live with us long long ago was wont to say "This is a DOG house!" whenever the dogs made a particular mess and no one else seemed to care.

So I can only imagine how she would feel about a chicken in the bedroom!

But here she is - I felt bad having her in the basement and I want her as far from possible Marek's disease contamination as possible - which leaves the upstairs. And that leaves the guest room as the place with the most room for it. Oh - and that is Lawrence Welk on the TV in the background - just to keep her company when I am not there.

Chicken in the bedroom 

In other events I got enough done on the hopefully soon to be felted bag for my mother's birthday. It is larger than I meant but I refuse to go back far enough to change it. It will say "The Old Lady" in a script font when I am done (hopefully you'll be able to read it).

The bag 

Hopefully when it felts it will shrink more than my test swatch which I think came out pretty well. I like how the colors are much more muted when felted.

The swatch 

Day two of life

The chick is doing well but I feel bad that he or she is all alone. Also since I want to keep her as far away from infection of Marek's as possible I have it set up in the basement. So there is just so much time I can spend with her down there. I think I will pick up a mirror today to make her feel a little less lonely. And maybe if I do an extra good cleaning I can move her up to the living room?

Checked the mail today and no damned vacinne came. I hate to speak badly of people with a small family business but I think that Tolbert's Supply is not someone I will ever use again. I am going to order from another company and hope that a vacinnation at 7 or 8 days old is going to help.

Anyhow - I have to get going - over slept and now have to run to get to Karen's to help with her yard sale.

The new baby 

Day 22 of incubation

7:00 a.m. The little one made it through the night OK. I have moved her/him into a brooder box and as soon as the feed store opens will run up and get some starter feed.

No signs at all on the other two eggs. I did a quick candling this morning when I took the chick out and I see no movement - but who knows I am going to let them go until tomorrow which will be day 23. Then should I open them? I will make the decision later - I know there are chicks in there but at what stage?

not much change

The one egg that has pipped has changed just a little in the past 11 hours - the crack now has a bit out out it and the cracks to the side are a bit longer. No signs of anything on the other two eggs.

I am getting the brooder (aka card board box) set up with the best of hopes for the outcome.

7:00 pm update - chick has made some progess - about another 1/2 inch or so has been chipped and I just heard it peep! No sign of anything on the other two eggs and I am resisting the terrible temptation to take them out and see if I can see anything with a closer look - or if I can feel any movement.

7:20 update - Heard wild peeping and she or he is born- I am a bit worried as it seems like the yol has not been completely absorbed - I read about people "pushing it into the abdomen - but I can't even see how I would be able to do that. I am just going to have to let it go and see how it does. I am leaving it in the incubator where the humidity is high to help out.

Pipping and other stuff

One of the eggs (only three left out of 24) is pipping this morning - Looked like just the first crack and I saw it at 7:30. I will have to go home at lunch to check on it. I am not ready at all for these babies - need to clean up the heat lamp and I am hoping that the Marek's vaccine arrives today or it will be useless.

Also I am almost done with the W top - just need to pick up and knit the bottom border. And I am working on a felted bag project for the old lady for her birthday which I have have finished the handles on and just barely started the bag part. I still have to finish the Clapotis although I have been leaving that to fill in when I have nothing else to do - HA!

Ole 

T-minus 21 days and counting

Friday May 27 12:00 noon
The eggs are in the incubator - 12 Jaerhons and 11 Black Sex Links (one broke in shipping).

It's anybody's guess how many we'll end up with but I am hoping for half. We're going to be extra specially careful.

And now I am off with Ken on a yard-sale expedition. With luck I will come upon some fantastic yarn/needles and/or yarn recycling treasure.

A New Hope

Well, the eggs are here and I will put them in the incubator this evening. And poor Ole will be gone tomorrow, Frank is coming to put an end to him. Poor boy I will miss him - but I tried and hoped and he is not getting any better - as a matter of fact he has gotten worse in the past couple of days. He is hardly moving from place to place in the cage at all and seems happiest when he is propped up in the corner.

In the same theme Ken and the old lady and I saw Revenge of the Sith last night. Although I liked it I think I still prefer the earlier ( or later depending upon your point of view) trilogy. Probably because it made such a big impact on me - and because in this set you knew what was going to happen - it was just a matter of how bad the events would be. And I think they were pretty bad. Depressing actually. I think I prefer stories with and upbeat ending - and so I will need to watch the first three movies again soon - to make myself feel better.

And of course we have a long weekend! Yay Four entire days off - sleeping late, napping, relaxing and not working! That should help me, I think.

whoo

Lookie - I put up links and figured out how to put up the links for the knit-alongs.
<--------------
Still need to add more - but I am getting there.

Rain Rain Rain Rain Rain

Well it is raining again for the what ...14th day in a row? Something like that. Wait I exagerate - I think it was sunny on the morning of May 14th - so that is only 11 days.

So they are painting the walls in our building to spruce them up and what lovely color have they chosen? Well when the lights are off it looks just like the color of the rain clouds! and the lights are on you can see that they are actually a lovely grey-green - kind of like lizard skin.

And you know what I hate? - The people in the office who whisper long conversations to each other - so all you can hear is sssppps ppsssp sssppss - for hours. It drives me INSANE! PLease people - if you have secrets to tell each other go the fuck outside.

Finally I have a picture of Cleaves. This is it - not exactly the way I envisioned it - but I like it a lot. I don't think I would use this yarn again - it was Pronto by SandesGarn. I wore Cleaves out on Saturday night and found that it got caught on everything - my rings, my fingernail, a rough spot on the bar. I actually ended up with a huge pull about 2 feet long of just one ply and had to tuck it into the inside of the sleeve.

Oh well it was a learning experience and I think I will use this one as an everyday Cleaves. It does work nicely for the cool spring weather - giving just enough warmth without making me too hot.

And although you can't see it too well here - I got all my hair cut off on Saturday - couldn't take it any longer.


Cleaves and new hairdo 

Nothing kind of a day...

Well hatching eggs are ordered - 1 dozen Jaerhons for me and 1 dozen Black Sex Links for Spanky - We are starting our incubation project all over again. I hope we actually get something out of this so he can get his animal science badge for boy scouts.

Need to bleach out the incubator and get the egg turner set up - The other one had stopped working after a week or so and I got a replacement really quickly from the company I ordered from Eggcartons.com - I would recommend them to anyone their customer service over the web is excellent and they take care of problems so quickly.

What else is going on -? I wove in the ends on Cleaves and can get a picture tonight - I have not gotten more than one row into W - and I have no idea why - I don't know what the hell I do in the evening but before I know it - it is time for bed.

Anyway - so that is my nothing kind of a day.

Looking forward to the weekend in Mass and also looking forward to the FOUR DAY WEEKEND next weekend! I am going to get some serious sleeping done then.

Death

I am trying to come to terms with the fact that I am going to have to put Ole down. The problem of course stems from the fact that although his legs are bad - the rest of him seems fine. He is eating and drinking and even crowing. And of course he is such a good rooster. If there was a prize for roosters he would get it. He is good to his girls (well not Ripple - but even with her he isn't totally terrible); he crows in the morning but not excessively; he is not aggressive. and he is beautiful too.


Ole and the girls 

I had him out on the lawn last night near his girls and he was very happy - trying to scratch and giving them his "I've got something good to eat!" clucks. Other than not being able to walk he seems so good. He can get going and actually run when he flaps his wings - so I am tempted to see what we can do with chicken physical therapy - basically get him out every evening and let him move around - see if he can build up strength again. How long I should do that before I give up - I don't know.

I am trying to figure out if I am being too selfish here in my hesitation to put him down - but there is that element of uncertainty - he might get better and then it would be a shame to put him down. As far as I can tell he isn't hurting and he doesn't seem mentally miserable either. Next Tuesday will be 2 weeks. I think I will give him till then.

In the meantime I am going to order some hatching eggs from Ideal and get those started. Was trying to hatch eggs anyway to see if I could get a son out of him - he just has the best disposition. Unfortunately none of them were fertile.

Look how wonderful! - Ken got me a subscription to Bitch magazine.


logo 

And I got the spring issue - the "Masculinity Issue" - that I have been looking for all over, today in the mail. With a lovely card that says "Happy Early Birthday to my favorite Bitch. That's right woman, get on the back of my motorcycle NOW!"

Really there has never been anyone so perfect for me.

Thanks, Kenneth!

Saturday Night - Movie Night

Just got back from seeing Hitchhiker's Guide and I did really love it. I was worried from all the reviews I read that it wasn't going to live up to the books - but I have to say I think they captured the tone of Douglas Adams' books very well. I decided to go by myself 1) because I am still kind of crabby and 2) because the Hitchhiker books mean so much to me that I didn't want someone along who would break the mood for me. And it was nice to get done with the movie and be able to drive home in silence and just be able to think.

Ken went down to Mass this morning. Next weekend the is Green Street Music Series #7 at the Lucky Dog and they are having practice tomorrow. The show is "a celebration of the music of Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, and ACDC." Should be a hoot. We're both going down next weekend for the show and I think I will be using my electric guitar sling purse. Ever so fashionable!

Guitar Purse 

Might even wear my Cleaves which I need to get a picture of too.

Anyhow - time to sleep I did some yard work this morning - but never got as much done as I really wanted although I have some nice blisters and many sratches to show for it. If the rain holds off I would like to get a good bit more done tomorrow.

Friday Night Party Night

Got the old lady drunk tonight - Ken and I took her to the Killarney Pub and we had some margaritas ( Ken had a black & tan) and then we had to get some potato skins so that she wouldn't be too drunk.

That was a fun time and then we got burritos from Tacos Tacos. Just go home and ate them.

The old lady is going to fall asleep and Ken and I are going to his house to "hang out" - He has Harold and Kumar so we can watch that. Tomorrow he is off to Mass.

Unfortunately the whole weekend is supposed to be crappy and rainy - so the yard work I wanted to do is probably out - but we'll see. - If it is too rainy I can get some serious knitting done.

Urg

OK - admittedly I am stressing a lot lately. Sick chickens and the old lady's walking problem are beginning to take a toll. I am hoping that I can relax this weekend - do some work outdoors and that will help. I have that growing feeling like things are getting out of control - my car is past inspection. The lawn needs to be mowed and I haven't even gotten the mower in for a tune up. The guys are coming to start the new windows next week and I have to reclean up as (of course) I didn't keep it clean from the last big effort.

It doesn't seem like much when I write it out but when I look around I start feeling the pressure building. And of course there is so much to do at work. Too much really - so that sometimes I feel paralyzed and don't know what to tackle next.

Anyway I did get my Cleaves blocked last night and should be able to unpin it tonight - or maybe tomorrow morning just to make sure it is totally dry. And then I will have finished two projects! I took Clapotis with me when we went to Boston to the doctor's on Wednesday and did get a little over one repeat done. It helped pass the time. It was an exhausting day and I was disappointed in the primary care doctor who seemed to pass off the old lady's walking problem as "timidity". I looked at her like she was crazy and said yes - we would like to see a neuro. So I had an appointment for the neuro for June 3rd but now they called and said that was a mistake - and the first available appt is June 22nd. Damn - I hate putting things off for so long. I hate not knowing what the problem is.

I would like to start the W top this weekend - but haven't even finished the swatch yet - maybe I can at least get that done. And I really want to see Hitchhikers Guide too - I am going to be pissed off if that leaves the theatres and I have missed it.

But thank the gods it is the weekend and this is a pay week. That helps a little bit.

Are you a Republican?

I am: -4% Republican.

"You're a damn Commie!  Where's Tailgunner Joe when we need him?"

Are You A Republican?

How old am I?

You Are 26 Years Old

26 Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

Weekend Wrap up

Ken and I had a nice time In NY this weekend.

Took Friday off and headed out around 12:30. As usual it took me longer to get ready than I thought as I wait to the last minute to do everything. So between getting the chickens, the dog , the old lady and the eggs ready, writing notes for Karen so that she knew what to do with everyone and packing I just barely got it together.

Anyway we drove down and stopped in Bennington first - it was a beautiful day and we took our time. I was starving by the time we got there so we looked for a place to eat first . Right on Main Street we found the Madison Brewing Company. Unfortunately they don't seem to have a pulled together website - I found the frame of one online - but there isn't much there. Anyway I am not really an ale drinker - but I thought their sandwiches were excellent and the ambiance is good. I would certainly stop again. I had a French Dip Sandwich with real au jus and a horseradish sauce as well. And their home made potato chips were great. I would have bought one of their glasses if they had had one for their Crow Town Ale as I liked the picture - but sadly they didn't have one.

After lunch I went into The Naked Sheep yarn shop also on Main Street right across from the Brew Pub. Nice store - nothing too overwhelming though - I picked up some yarn to make the W Top from the newest Knitty in.

It is a bit lighter in weight I think than the yarn in the pattern but I am going to be a very good girl and swatch and wash before I start to make sure it comes out OK, especially since the top is knit side to side. Stopped in a coffee cafe after that to get a mug for the ride - although the place was cool I was a bit disappointed in my mocha latte - I couldn't taste any coffee in it - I guess I am getting too used to Mocha Joe's strong stuff.

So we continued on and although it got a bit cloudy it never rained like it was predicted to. Friday night I went with Maureen to Debbie P's house for "ladies night" a group of 6 women from the neighborhood who get together once a month. An eye opening event - makes me glad that I don't have kids and that I live in Vermont now. Sometimes I feel like I have less and less in common with people down there. Got home from there about 2 a.m. and got to sleep with Ken in Bridget's single bed. Two nights in a row! Very comfy (ha).

Saturday we went to see Keely's soccer game - in the rain. Luckily she scored a goal and her team won. Sat night Maureen had a bunch of people over Chip and Kimberly, Leslie and Charlie, Sue and John, Mike and Debbie, and Eileen, and Frank, as well as assorted numerous children. A good time was had by all although I was very tired from the late night the night before and having to sleep balanced on my side on the edge of the bed.

Sunday - Maureen was up early as Bridget had a talent show to get to. So Ken and I were up early too. Left NY around 9:30 I think. Had a little stop at the Northshire Bookstore in Manchester - looking for Bitch Magazine but couldn't find it. So I bought the new Interweave Knits and "The Salmon of Doubt" by Douglas Adams.

Came home - napped , got up around 6 and knitted like a crazy person to get Cleaves done.

Finished about 11 p.m. - bound off , tried it on , and it fell down around my waist. Good thing I have a sense of humor. Thought I had compensated enough for the difference in yarn thickness - but apparently not. Anyway - I then called it a weekend and went to sleep.

OH! and I did also win the EBay auction for the pocketbook I wanted - am getting it for $23.49 plus $7.50 shipping - not too bad $30.99 total when I have seen it listed variously for $35 plus shipping and $49 plus shipping and even $65 plus shipping!