I'm a slacker

I've been a big-time slacker face when it comes to blogging this month. Not as big a slacker as some people I might mention. *cough cough* KAREN *cough cough* MATT *cough cough*

Not much going on here, though. Just work and living.

Ode to Nostalgia

So, as fall draws near, I am getting nostalgic. I long for all things fall...Marching band, football games, new pencils and school supplies, movies with Lindsay. Today was the first day of class for UTM, and this has been the first fall since I was five that I don't have a first day of school. Sigh...however, one positive thing about not going back to school is plenty of free time. I spent the afternoon when I got off work with some of my international friends. They just got back from Saudi Arabia and brought me this:

I'm so excited about it and can't wait to use it!

Also, a little update as to What's on my Needles (that I can show you...):
A scarf for myself:


love the colors...very exciting. Not very fall-like, but I'm working on one of those next.

What's on my Needles (or, off, really)

I finished this yesterday:




That's all I have right now (that I can show anyway...the rest is for Christmas)

Total Devastation

While I was at church tonight, the apartment building four buildings down caught on fire. Everything is gone...completely lost. From what the neighbors tell me, the wind was blowing the fire towards our apartment and the owners were warning everyone to leave. Fortunately, the fire department was able to contain the fire and it only spread to one other apartment. I can't imagine what it feels like to lose everything. One of the renters is a college girl, just starting out. I don't want to know what it's like to be so young and have nothing. I just don't want to know...

This is ridiculous!

Yes, this is my thermostat, and yes it DOES say that it is 80 degrees in my apartment even thought air is set on 70. No, that is NOT the hottest it has been in here.

Bless it, Bless it

So, a week after my complete mental and nervous breakdown (unreported in my blog, sorry to say) concerning my lack of a purpose in life and having nothing to do in the first time in the history of ever, I now find myself overwhelmed (not really) with things to do. I'm working on holiday knitting still, but that was never really a concern, seeing as to how it's still AUGUST and I have plenty of time. I have ten piano students to entertain me and accost my ears weekly. I am working many much hours in the church nursery Sundays and Wednesdays. I'm signed up to substitute teach in the local schools. I'm in charge of International Noonday at the BCM, where I get to learn how to shop and cook for 25 people at a time. I'm going to be secretary at the BCM part-time (15 hours a week). I'm helping with Story Hour at the library on Tuesday mornings (fun stuff). So, apparently all I have to do is breakdown to find a purpose in life. Who knew it was so easy? If I had known that, I would have never earned a college degree.

On a knitting note, I'm getting ready to turn the heel on a sock for an anonymous person's Christmas gift. Finally. This sock is taking forever. Things keep taking away my attention. Sigh...

finished

Today is the day of the boring, humorless blog. I could tell you about how I waited 45 minutes to get my fingerprints done at the jail, only to get back there, sit in the chair, and be told that they had no ink (dumb). I could tell you about how I drove my dad to Jackson only to get there and find out he was scheduled for NEXT Monday (also, dumb). But instead, here is a bag that I finished today. I knitted the body out of wool, and I did the base out of Red Heart junk (it's all I had that was sturdy enough to give the bag shape).

I think Life is trying to banish me

It's been a CRAZY day. I was supposed to be at church early this morning to get the nursery ready. At 6:18 I looked at the clock and thought, "Good. I have a chance to snooze a little before it goes off at 6:30." So snooze I did. A little while later I rolled over and looked at the clock...and the power had gone out! I sat up straight and said, "Oh No!" Blair sat up and said, "What?" He then ran downstairs to see what time it was. Ten 'til 7, he informed me. Good grief. I rush around to get ready. It's way too hot to wear pants, so I pulled out a skirt. I later realized that I hadn't shaved my legs. I figured, though, that I'd be ok, since here in America we don't say hello by rubbing each other's legs. It wasn't too noticeable, anyway.

I swear my apartment eats things, like my travel cup and Bible, time, my sanity. It's probably bad that I'm least concerned about the sanity, but I really needed my travel cup this morning. I made my tea, and then realized that I had already brushed my teeth and it was almost 8. I grabbed a not-so-travel-friendly cup (due to the fact that it leaks), poured boiling hot tea into it, and ran out the door. After six hours at church, I went home and got a nap. Then I went to get ice cream. I opened the silverware drawer, reached in unsuspectingly to grab a spoon, and a brown recluse runs across my hand. IN MY SILVERWARE DRAWER! I mean, come on.

My First Dyed Yarn

I did the actual dyeing last night, and after FOUR HOURS of untangling today, I have a gorgeous skein of ooey-gooey purple-y goodness. Unfortunately, no matter what I do, my camera will not capture the true color of it, maddening maddening. So here's kinda what it looks like.

I Appear to Have the Ick

Ick...

Knitting, Knitting, Knitting

I had to take my dad to Jackson today for a doctor appointment, so I had a chance to do some knitting. I cast on another sock (in an un-named color for a Christmas gift for an un-named person). Very glad to have the cast on done. I'm almost at the point where I switch to the smaller dpn-s, so I think I'm going to go ahead and cast on the second sock, so I won't get the dreaded second sock syndrome.

What I've Been Up To

Here's where I am in my knitting:
First pair of socks: Done!!!
Christmas gift for Karen: done
Christmas gift for Dee: done
Christmas gift for Mom: in progress
Christmas gift for Lauran: in progress
List of gifts to be given: completed with the exception of one person