I started my first sock today! It is so much fun to work with socks. To make them, you use four double pointed needles (DPNs), and I love it!! Here are some pics:

Hello from the land of Blah

For the past few days I haven't had anything going on, really. Which is actually a good thing, because I've been working on my HOLIDAY KNITTING!!! There are many much surprises in store for a select few of you, so nothing will be listed or photographed, just know that it's all good!

Why oh why does it have to be me?

Yesterday Blair left for Cunningham to lay lanolium in his parents kitchen...he'll be gone for 5 days, leaving me, once again, alone with the boys. So last night after choir I came home and did some knitting (yay for knitting!) and refereed. Here are the rest of the evening's events in no particular order. I popped my other pinky toe out of place (and yes the other still hurts like beep!) I shot hot wax all over my face, arms, chest, and cream colored carpet (the wax was blue). I gave my carpet a haircut. I spent 15 minutes trying to get Stinky Pete to poop (that is his official name now). I went to bed after 12:30 because it took the dogs that long to calm down enough to go to bed. On a much nicer note, I got one whole leg done on my current project (actually, it's like one of three or four current projects because I have start-itis, but who's counting).

Can I start today over please?

Every Friday morning I go to the library to assist with the crafts for the Christian Wee Learn group. This morning I got up just a few minutes late, so I was hoping to have a little bit of quiet time before starting the madness that is the school age group. I had to take Petey out first (Murray was left upstairs with Blair to ensure maximum quietness). Petey is a sissy dog and doesn't like to get his feet wet. Unfortunately for him, it rained last night. It took him a good ten minutes to get over this and find an appropriate place to lift his leg. I glanced up at the apartment and noticed Murray looking out the window feeling very left out. We went back in so I could make my tea and have breakfast. As I was pouring milk on my cereal, Blair released the beast named Murray, who immediately came charging down the stairs. Of course he wanted out. I, however, was not going to waste a perfectly good bowl of cereal on him. I made him wait. After many much whimpering on his part, I finished my cereal and took him out. He peed as soon as he hit the ground. (Petey, you need to take note of this.) I took him back in and grabbed my cereal bowl and headed out with it to dump my milk (because consuming the milk that the cereal was sitting in is quite repulsive). On my way out I shut the screen door pretty hard to ensure that Petey would not make a run for it, as he likes to do, because as I discovered a few days ago, it is not fun to chase him down the yard with no shoes and no bra. After dumping my milk (which I have to do outside and not in the sink because then there's left over cereal in the sink that I have to take out and put in the trash, and that's almost as repulsive as drinking the left over milk), I tried to enter the house. Now introducing problem one of my morning: the door was jammed. I pulled and tugged and grunted with all my might (which is more than you might think at first glance), but it was all to no avail. The door absolutely would not budge. I glanced around and started trudging around the apartment to the front door. Fortunately for me, we live on the end of the building and not in the middle, which would have been quite unfortunate, seeing as to how I was wearing no shoes. I began ringing the doorbell and knocking. This, as I am sure you can imagine, got Murray all riled up. He started going crazy. I was thinking, "Excellent! The more noise, the better. It will wake up Blair." Blair was still upstairs in the bedroom asleep, probably thinking, "Rachel is awake and downstairs. She'll get the door." After about a minute or so of knocking, he came down, thinking it was the neighbors complaining about the dogs. He was rather surprised to see me. I told him it was a good thing it wasn't someone important at the door, since his shirt was inside out and backwards. I called around and got the number of the children's librarian, Sabrina, to let her know I would be a little late, and then went upstairs to get ready. I took my cell phone with me. I quickly pulled on a pair of jeans, catching my toe in a hole at the bottom, nearly toppling. Blair was back in bed at this point, staring at me with a look that seemed to say, "Please be careful." I shoved my phone into my back pocket so I wouldn't forget it when I left. Keep this little detail in the back of your mind as you continue to read. I quickly found a shirt that was clean, threw on a little make-up, and went to brush my teeth. Now, in all of the excitement of the morning, I had forgotten to pee, so after I brushed my teeth, I decided to pee before I left the house. Remember that detail about the phone I told you to remember, how I had shoved it into my back pocket so I wouldn't forget it? Well, I forgot about it. It proceeded to fall into the toilet. Yup, you guessed it, my phone died. I ran into the bedroom without peeing and looked rather sheepishly at Blair and said, "This fell in the toilet. Can you fix it while I'm gone?" Blair looked at me like I had two heads. "You're kidding, right?" No. No kidding taking place here. So I finally got to pee and rushed out the door, barely making it to the library on time. So, can I please go back to bed and start over?

Last night

I spent the night with my friend, Azhar, last night. She taught me how to cook a couple of Saudi dishes. She did my eyebrows, she did my nails....basically, I got pampered. We watched a couple of movies, Premonition being one of them. We really had a good time. I really enjoyed getting to know her and her culture better.

On a much different note, we got a plastic "collar" for Petey. This is supposed to make him quit inflicting and aggravating wounds on his own body. Before I put it on him, I needed to make sure it would fit. So I put it on myself. And then had issues with getting off of my neck. Anyway, just a little peek into my world of craziness.

Could it get better?

I really don't think there's anything better than a good, hot cup of strong tea. Really. That added to the fact that my two goofy-goof dogs just locked themselves in my bathroom and when I released them, Petey's ears were both inside out, has made for a rather relaxing and enjoyable past 30 minutes.

Queen of the Clutzes

You've got to be kdding me. Yesterday I made it through a perfectly good day (spent with Azhar and then a spa treatment) with no injuries. Today I got to make up for it. The dogs seem to think that's it's particularly cute to play under my feet at awkward and dangerous times and places, such as the top of the stairs or as I'm trying to go out the door. Today they caught me in the door frame, or rather, they caught my foot in the door frame as I went plumeting head-first towards the fast-approaching floor. My foot, however, slowed my demise, and as it did so, my ever-so-cute little pinkey toe made contact, and I mean, REALLY made contact. As I went to grab my now aching foot, I noticed it didn't look all together normal...in any way, form, or fashion. My once cute pinkey toe was no longer pointing north. It seemed to think I needed direction in getting east, because there it was pointing off to the side. Long story short, I grabbed it, it popped back into it's normal position, but now hurts like...well, you know.

Sushi Rice Goodness

I made sushi rice tonight with avocado and marinated tofu (like Karen made the other night). It was really good. While I was eating I had an epiphany...This would be really good if you laid down a wheat wrap with lettuce on top. Then put down the tofu and avocado with the rice on top of that and then rolled it up!! I am a brilliant genius...really...I am.
My masterpiece:

Real Sushi-licious

So I went to Jackson with some friends tonight to Sakura for sushi. We had a blast! What really made the evening, though, was being with Sachie. She's from Japan and was able to tell us everything we wanted to know about anything on the menu. She was unable to order in Japanese, however, due to the fact that all the workers were Mexican. After sitting in the restaurant for quite a while I I had seaweed salad and tofu steak), we trooped over to Target, where we proceeded to continue in all the fun. Sachie and I kinda split off and started looking at tea stuff. We looked at some really cool teakettles and finally settled on tea diffusers that are about and inch-and-a-half long. We looked at tea (loose leaf) and she bought some that we are going to experiment with. Exciting exciting. Lexie and I bought some Chai red tea, which is also exciting exciting!! I can't wait to try it!

My bowl

It turned out ok. I just finished felting it and have it stretched across a jar to block and shape it. I'm pretty well pleased...
The Before:


The After:

Whew!

Blair left at 9:30 this morning for California. He had a 2:00 flight that left at 4:30. But he got there with a safe and uneventful flight and is ready to enjoy himself.

I did my first knitted felting project today! I was so excited. It's supposed to be a bowl, but I got a little carried away and it has kinda turned into a bottle cozy. It's still cute, though.

I started on a new bowl that I won't be making quite so tall. I still have some wool that hasn't come in yet. I'm planning on making socks with that (if its as soft as the seller claims), but first I need to get some size two double pointed needles (dpn's).

I got stuff tonight to make the yummy avocado/tofu sushi that we all liked so much. I'm thinking lunch tomorrow...I also got some yummy drink stuff that is soooooo goooooood!!!

Sushi-rama

Oh My Goodness!! M and K made sushi tonight (sans seaweed) and it was so good!! Blair and I practically gorged ourselves on it, it was so good. Then we went to Subway and ate again with Dee. But nothing tops the sushi...nothing...

Yarn Addict

My very fun wool yarn came in yesterday...I so cannot wait to play with it! I have already carefully taken all four hanks and wound them tightly into balls...sigh...bliss...I have decided not to make the slippers out of this yarn because it is slightly too thin. Instead I will make a trip to a very wonderful yarn store in Nashville and hand-select my wool from there. I'm thinking either a very amazing felted scarf or throw will come from this yarn with which I have just been entrusted. I do believe I shall sit down with a cup of tea and begin the process of creating. On a side note, I think I should investigate spinning and dying my own wool...hmm...I am predicting another time-consuming hobby looming in the distance...

Softball Summer

Blair, Matt, Karen, and I all went swimming again this morning for about an hour-and-a-half. Many much volleyball was played. We once again had the place to ourselves...very nice. Today was Dad's birthday, so we quit early so we could all shower. Blair and I cooked for Dad as his gift...we made fried rice and Blair grilled chicken and shrimp. He also did the corn on the grill, which was really good. After a very yummy supper and dessert, Karen and I wandered around the yard taking pictures while Matt and Blair took part in their new favorite activity--catch. Eventually the four of us wound up playing an odd form of softball for a long time. The mosquitoes finally told us it was time to go in. After all the catch and softball we've been playing, I've really started to wish I was good at it...I'm not...I really stink at it, quite frankly. But I'm not going to give up. When we get paid, I'm going to buy a glove and ball and really get to practicing so that I won't be the player everyone wishes was somewhere else...

I am so relaxed!

Blair and I just got back from swimming and then being in the hot tub. It was so nice. There was no one else there, so once again we had the place to ourselves. Earlier we went and played catch with Matt and Karen (I really stink at that, by the way) and then stayed and watched part of the Cardinals game. I tried to make rice balls this evening, and they turned out ok, they were just really bland. I think I'm going to do something different with them next time, like season the rice first. I really need to go to Paducah and get some seaweed to wrap them in.

I didn't do much knitting today, but I started a practice set of the slippers with some cheap yarn just to make sure they would turn out ok before I tried them with the wool. Obviously what I'm using now won't felt because its acrylic, but it's still good to practice the stitches. I only worked on my tank top a little. I didn't feel very well today. I woke up at about 2 this morning extremely dizzy...again. This happened Monday, too. I'm thinking it has something to do with the tea I drank before going to bed. It has bergamot in it, and I did some Google-ing, and it would appear that I'm allergic to bergamot. Either way, I'm not drinking it again. I'm drinking a Tazo tea I've had before, so if I wake up dizzy I'll know its something other than the tea.

So that's that.

Tea

So, I'm on a really big tea kick right now, and I've decided that I really really really need an awesome-face tea pot. I have a kettle to do the water in, but I need something pretty and fun and chic and hip to do the brewing in. Any suggestions?

I've also been knitting alot lately. I made a case for my digi camera today and started on a cotton tank top for finishing out the summer. I ordered some fabulous hand spun hand dyed wool yarn that I'm going to use for felting. I have a really cute pattern for felted slippers, and if they turn out as cute as I hope, I'm going to make a pair for all my favorite ladies, i.e. Mom and Karen and a few others maybe. Here's hoping!

Another fun day

Blair and I had a very fun day today for the most part. We played soccer at 1:00 and then jumped in the outdoor pool at the clubhouse. We were there a long time, but not long enough for Blair's torso to get any sun.
The only un-fun part of the day happened at about 3, when Jason, the maintenance guy, showed up at our apartment to look at our kitchen floor finally. He actually had the audacity to say, "Wish you'd told us sooner." I could have killed (or at least caused serious bodily harm). In a couple of weeks they're going to come replace the entire kitchen floor, which means we have to move everything out of the kitchen including the washer, dryer, and fridge. It'll take them a week to complete, which means Blair and I are going to spend the week with his family, wishing we were deaf, blind, and mentally insane (which we probably will be when we come home).
I cooked breakfast for supper (always a favorite) and then we set back off for the clubhouse to play mini golf. My first experience with golf EVER. It rained a little, but it was so much fun!! After a while (and much cheating on my part) Blair quit trying to teach me how to play and just laughed at me instead. The final score was 30 to 21....ONLY JUST KIDDING!! It was really 51 to 70 (guess which number belongs to which person). I definitely think we will be going back, probably with Matt and Karen.

What a fourth!!!

Today was pretty much the best July 4th EVER!! We all had lunch at Mama's, and after we ate Blair, Matt, Karen, and I all played Wii. We bowled several games after an unsuccessful attempt at tennis (on my part). Then we played Karen's card game, Oh Phooey. Karen won, of course. Then the "real" fun started. While Karen was making pasta salad for our get together tonight, Matt and I played catch with Karen's gloves and softball. He managed to throw the softball at my foot, and amazingly that was the only injury sustained. We had a little trouble playing, because Solomon, Mama's black lab, kept making off with the ball. During all this, Blair had gone into town to buy a really cool-looking soccer ball. When he came back we started kicking the ball around and realized that it is really hard to play soccer in flip-flops and Crocs. Matt was the only one wearing tennis shoes. It took about five minutes for us to realize we all tennis shoes there. After much searching around for socks (sounds like a children's book...or a new edition of Stick Karen) we all headed back out. I dubbed our team "Blair's Groupies" because he's the only one of us who can actually play. He grew up playing soccer and played for his school teams. He's sooooooo good. He tried to teach us, but I don't think much of it actually sunk in. I took a break to cut Mama's hair, Karen climbed a tree, and then we all went in. Karen and Blair played Wii golf, and Matt and I played Oh Phooey again. He won, but just barely. We had planned earlier in the week to go to a 4th party with some friends and decided this afternoon to go swimming afterwards instead of watching fireworks. We had a great time at Amanda's house. Several people were there, including my international friends Azhar, Areej, and Sachie who were celebrating their first Independence Day. After too much food and an interesting water balloon fight, Matt, Karen, Blair, and I left to go swimming. We went to the indoor pool at our apartment's "Clubhouse." We swam for a while and then sat in the hot tub. It felt so great! Blair caught two tree frogs, which Karen contained and took home. Matt and Blair played a little air hockey and then we called it a night. Blair and I walked back to the apartment since it was so nice outside. It was just a really fantastic day. I'm so glad we can have fun with Matt and Karen. We have to do it again SOON!!!!!

Here are some pics from today:

Anyone want a dog?

Just kidding, kinda...Today Blair put Murray in the bedroom as usual when he left to go to Wal-Mart. While he was gone, Murray did this to our door...




Yes, that IS a gigantic hole in the door! I called the landlord to tell them about it, and they said, "I guess you'll have to pay for it since you didn't make a pet deposit." WHAT??? I sure did make a pet deposit!! And I have the check image online at my bank to prove it!! They said, "I guess we better look again to make sure. We'll let you know." I also asked about the hole in my kitchen floor (which I've been calling about and leaving messages about for more than a week now). They said they had forgotten about it and would try to get to it soon. Grrr....

The Knit Wit

Not that I intend to turn this into a knitting blog (however much fun that would be), I would like to say that I have done more knitting recently than I know what to do with. I'm so bad about it though. I have about 8 projects going. I finished one yesterday; a "sleeve" for my iPod. I'm just tickled pink about how it turned out.



Then I started knitting something else, and I don't know yet what it is. I'm thinking either bag or really big scarf. There are several things I would like to be working on, but I don't have the needles I need, and I'd have to drive 45 minutes to anywhere to get some. We need a yarn store. I'm thinking I need to start an SnB group, but I don't anyone else who knits that's my age! Maybe I should just sit somewhere random and start knitting. If you knit, they will come...does it work like that?