"I'm all alooone, there's nobody here beside me..." I dropped hubby off at the airport last Thursday. I had so much on my plate with end of the year taxes for the biz, end of the year reports for the town, a new payroll system, software updates, etc. etc. etc. that I was looking forward to having time to get it all done!!
Right after I dropped him off I headed to the town where I spent five hours before I packed up and headed home to my office to work more. I was able to finish the main report by 7:00 that night! I was so excited.
The next morning as I was having some morning Dunkies I started to get a taste of the downside of one adult in the house. There was a dog next to me squeaking away, a bird in the other room squawking for food/love, and three cats staring at me... boring holes into me is more like it.
So I patted everyone, fed everyone and then locked myself away in the office for the morning. Later that I day I also received my late xmas present. An HP Mini Netbook. Add that setup to the list and off my afternoon runs... I got our final reconcile done and some reports pulled for end of year taxes. I finished the job I started days ago of filling the bulk bin for the boiler, and take out all the trash around the house and basement. I also made up a floor plan layout for the new shop. I was pretty excited about that... although I think a move in date of June 1 is going to be a BIG challenge! After the pressure tank failed (or froze) and flooded the shop side of the property we started cleaning it out and filling the dumpster.
In just two days we have it mostly cleared out. One more day to take the walls down then Wil will come in to run electrical. Then we start dry-walling.
I am so excited that we are moving though. To finally be in one location instead of wondering (or having to go see) if something is at the other building, not to mention less rent, utilities, gas, time... I digress.
I spent the evening knitting a scarf that I have had on my roster since last year. I also pulled out a pattern for a beginner's sweater that came in my new knitting magazine. This year I finished a hat and scarf for myself, a hat with ear flaps for hubby, and another hat for me. I started working on a sock project with my SIL, but am stuck at the heal. So that will have to wait until we can catch up with each other again. I got some great yarn when we were in Ireland this past summer for a sweater for Art. While he would love for me to jump right in and knit a sweater for him, I thought I should start with an easy sweater for me so I can work the bugs out and figure out what I am doing with local (coupon purchased) yarn from Michael's before I use the fancy Irish wool yarn.
Today is day three. Thalia kitten woke me up at five am. She stands on the headboard (on the other side of the bed of course) and scratches at the wall. Whatever. I spend fifteen minutes shooing her away, but in that time she wakes the dog. Fast forward the fifteen minutes and now two cats are tearing around the room chasing each other, and the dog is breathing on me and squeaking. My Blizzie was also awakened so she crawled out of the blanket nest she had made herself next to me and now just sits above me on the headboard with a disapproving look. So I get up, throw the dog out on his chain, feed the monsters (and my Blizz), then start coffee. I cleaned up a bit, started some laundry, cleaned the cat boxes, vacuumed upstairs, fed birds and chickens, and tidied papers. In about an hour I plan to head down the hill where I will go to Target to get some cutting boards since the old ones look like they were put in a blender, get more yarn for my sweater with my Michael's 40% off coupon, and head to the shop.
Since we fired the loser thief last month MJ has taken over service. I get to try to help decode the loser's system and figure out what he did/didn't do/needs to be redone. Then I get to do a long awaited (but will be hated anyway) software update. The database runs SO much faster and cleaner, but you lose all sales data from the past. Pick your battle. They want clean and fast so they are going to lose some...
It has been a ridiculously warm and dry January. The sun has been shining which has been lovely but the snow is sad. I think we had one maybe two storms that resulted in all of three inches of snow. At this point the ground is exposed on roads and paths. Of course, there is a storm coming in tonight and tomorrow that will dump 6-12 inches on us (which I would normally love!) just in time for me to have to drive to the airport to pick hubby up. Going to take it slow. I will make a stop in Milford to transfer some $$$ for the town, then stop in Bedford for gas, then depending on how I do I will try to make a run for the airport. Stressed out about it already!
It will be nice to have hubby home again. I am glad to have all this work behind me, and now we can really ramp up activity at the new shop, and plan for some upcoming trips! :-)
This last year I knit a couple of sets for myself, one neutral that would go with many of my coats, and one in Bruins colors so I could wear the team colors to the games :-) I also knit an ear flap hat but I think I need a different pattern because I couldn't keep the ear flaps from curling?? It looks cute though. I knit a few scarves and hats for gifts this year as well. I also knit a foot guard for our chaise on the couch. Simple but took longer than I thought it would.
Even though we live in a remote area there is a fabulous little yarn shop not ten minutes from my house. My SIL and I took a sock knitting class there last year. It was a cram two day course which extended to another Saturday to finish up but we did learn a great deal about socks. We did a two sock method where you complete both socks at the same rate on the same round needle. This was a little more complicated but we appreciated the logic behind getting both done at once. Yet I still prefer the little bamboo needles one at a time. I finished one pair and started on another. We did several X-mas stockings in the sock class. Most were packed up but here is one that Zdeno adopted.
I was feeling pretty ambitious over the winter and thought I would try to challenge myself with a sweater. I found what I thought was a pretty simple pattern and saved up my coupons for Michael's to get the yarn and off I knit. I went around and around and around. I was feeling good. I liked the ribbing at the bottom and the yarn was beautiful. Then as I started to get a little higher I noticed how far around I was going each time. I thought it must be me so I kept going. After about eight to ten inches up it was undeniable. I had made it extra large instead of medium. I don't know anyone this size and it would swim on me so I pulled the plug. I yanked the needle out but didn't have the heart to unravel it. I still have it intact as if I will have an epiphany about how to save it without losing all that work... At some point I will hopefully come to my senses, pull it out, and start again.
When we were in Ireland a few years ago we went to a woolery in the heart of the country. Art picked out some yarn and I was charged with making a sweater for him. No pressure. I spent the first year finding a pattern and picking out needles. I did start knitting last Thanksgiving but really haven't put much time into it. I generally get a few rows done at a time here and there. I am hoping to pick up speed soon so that Sue can help me when I get up to doing the arms. Thanksgiving is my goal for that.
My other ambition for this year is to add gloves to my repertoire. I have a pattern for fingerless gloves that looks like an easy place to start. I am sure I will need a hat and gloves to go with it as well so hopefully I will have a full set by spring or earlier!
