Quick Thoughts

For Halloween this year, I am going as myself. I will do boring things like payday errands and hole up in my recliner with a book, some yarn and maybe even some candy.

I am almost done with skein one of the Barrington shawl. I re-read Twilight this week and now I am reading A Lion Among Men - the third Wicked Book. I really love it. I am not disappointed at all. Gregory Maguire definitely ranks high on my list of favorite authors.

It has been a long week and I am just glad that tomorrow is Friday and Jeans Day and Pay-Day all rolled into one. I also need to work on my swap packages this weekend. I am going to attempt to be creative with them. We will see.

Crap Weekend

Well, it all went downhill Saturday afternoon. Mom got the call from Aunt D that her Yorkie Molly had passed away so that was very very sad. I am comforted that Molly is no longer in pain but I feel for my Aunt D because Molly was her companion and she got Molly the summer her middle daughter died which was 12 years. My aunt D says she is going to get another dog but they are waiting until next summer so that she can train the dog when it is warmer out (aunt D lives in Northern Iowa which equals cold).

Sunday night my sister called with the news that she had fried her wireless router so she was all worked up about that and I had to arise from my peaceful slumber at 11:43 PM ET to find my old wireless router manual with the tech support number so that she could call and find out if it was really fried. Did I mention that this was our third wirelss router? First one died in a thunderstorm. The second one was stolen in the robbery. The third one was fried this weekend. My sister is cursed with electronics.

I finished the Tudor shawl and started one with the Barrington Homespun and I crocheted so hard this weekend that I finished the Barrington shawl Sunday afternoon. I only have one bag of homespun left from my Mom. Oops. I should have let her give me more because I thought four sets of homespun (3 skeins each) would last me until Thanksgiving. Oops.

I also finished my library books (I only checked out 2 books and a cookbook). I also finished the last Sookie Stackhouse book that I had purchased at Borders. I ended up staying up late Friday and Saturday night just because I could.

I love Saturdays

Apparently it rained last night or something because my car was all wet when I walked out to it this morning to go to the library. that could explain why I have been sneezing all morning.
So I am having much more success at the library today. I found three new books that I actually have been wanting to read and I have discovered their free wi-fi. BYOM (bring your own Mac). I am really also stoked about Apple the company's donation to the anti-Proposition 8 campaign in California.
I don't really have any exciting plans for the weekend. Reading and crochet, my two most favorite past times. I started skein 2 on the Tudor shawl this morning. I had started it once I had finished the Ocean shawl earlier this week. I also picked out my yarn for the Knit Your Bit Campaign (sponsored by the National WW II Museum in New Orleans). I participated the first year and didn't realize that it was annual so I missed last year but I am going to participate this year. The people in charge of this program are really cool and the scarves are given to veterans, so it's a win-win situation.
I have been doing an intense amount of reading lately. October=read lots of vampire books month. Borders was having a special sale buy 2 get 1 free on certain books, so I picked up three more Sookie Stackhouse books which are highly addicting. I am also re-reading Twilight in anticipation for the new movie in December. I will basically read anything I can get my hands on to a certain extent. i am also reading a lot of Anne Rice books too. 28 years and still a bookworm. It's fun though. I even have an unofficial book club at work, so I have been passing around books from the stash. I still need to just break down and buy another bookcase, like one of those shorter three shelf ones. I definitely would have the space because I have not acquired any actual furniture since I moved out here.

Good Things

1. The free Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks via a customer survey I received on Monday
2. Charlaine Harris. She wrote the Sookie Stackhouse books which spawned the True Blood series on HBO. I am currently entralled by both. She has such a good sense of humor in her writing and I just love her vampire books and honestly, when I finish those, I will start reading all of her other books because I just enjoy her writing so much.
3. My dad's DVD-R that he had saved the True Blood episodes on that I watched this weekend since my apartment doesn't have a tv.
4. My Mom's yarn closet. She sent me home with 9 skeins of Homespun so I could make more charity shawls. I actually love doing this. It is how my brain calms down and I can focus and not fidget and worry about things not in my control.
5. My Mac. even though she gave me the evil "your hardrive is almost full, quit downloading tv shows!" message this weekend, she is a loyal computer that has never let me down.
6. My little Yorkies. I got to play with them all weekend at my parent's house. I really really really want a dog. Sniff sniff.
7. Trader Joes. I love their frozen food aisle and their employees that don't mind helping me pick out what to eat.
8. Cher. I made a mix cd with my favorite songs and it really peps me up in the car when I am sitting in gridlock traffic.

I had a lot of fun at my parent's house. The only thing that I dislike about going there is that the traffic BLOWS. There are always people not paying attention and getting into wrecks or getting pulled over for speeding and just too many people on the interstate, but one of my co-workers told me about the road less traveled so I am going to try that way when I go down for Thanksgiving. My mom made me spaghetti this weekend so that was really awesome and we got to go to the Pizza Hut buffet on Sunday because that is my dad's idea of cooking and I also had a cherry vanilla bagel at Panera's. I am honestly not that hard to please, I just like specific things.

Sunny with a Side of Cool

The sun ended up coming out on Saturday but it was a chilly 48 degrees this morning when I went on my bagel run at the Panera by my parent's house. I also had the joy of filling up for $2.81 a gallon. In comparison, i filled up at home on Thursday for 3.28 and thought that was a bargain.

Since I had recently purchased Anne Rice's new book Called Out of Darkness, I decided to purchase her first book about Jesus because I have only read her vampire books and her Sleeping Beauty series. I just really like all the detail and imagery in her books.

I was also bad and bought more magazines this weekend. Rolling Stone has changed their format so now they are shiny slick magazine style but I like the new format because it seems like they have more comment. Plus this issue has some really good articles in it. I also bought the new issue of Real Simple. It has a recipe for pumpkin cheesecake in it that I think I could actually make! Maybe. I am really on a pumpkin kick right now but I think that is because it is distinctly a fall flavor.

I have started another shawl out of some Homespun Ocean. I found three skeins of this when I went to the Wal-Mart across from Whole Foods out of boredom a few weeks ago. There was only three skeins left and I haven't seen this color in any of the other local craft stores so I hope I don't run out.

This weekend was a lounge weekend. Mom and I went to Target, Michaels, and Linens N Things. Linens N Things is going out of business but they don't have stuff marked very low yet. All the sheets and towels and Fiestaware were only marked down to 10% off so I didn't really see the point of buying anything yet.

Rain and Mist

So there was three or four car wrecks that slowed down my drive to Charlotte tonight. Apparently people can not drive in rain, fog or mist and darkness. It was just so frustrating because all of these wrecks were less than an hour from my parent's house. I was just glad that I finally made it there in the pouring rain just a tad bit before 9 PM ET.

All this bad weather is still driving my allergies crazy. there is all this extended family drama going on too that somehow manages to find us on the East Coast. It has just been one of those weeks where you are really glad when Friday finally rolls around (except for the long drive part).

I was glad that I had bought the new Ben Folds Five cd the other night because it gave me something nice to listen to during those parts where I was only going 5 mph.

I have been quite the bookworm this week too. I brought the new Gregory Maguire book to read. I also finished reading Anne Rice's book about faith.

VENT(I)

Apparently, I worked out extra-hard today on the elliptical machine because I ended up with this really hawt heat rash. My other allergies are bothering me and I ran out of allergy medicine yesterday, so since today was pay day, I forced myself out of the recliner and drove over to Target to get some more. I was very bad. They had season two of Dawson’s Creek for $14.99 and they had a temporary price cut on the Colin Firth Pride and Prejudice so I bought myself another copy since I ended up “giving” my first copy to my mom that I bought earlier this summer. I had made a trip to BN earlier in the day after work to buy my copy of Gregory Maguire’s new book about the Cowardly Lion and the new Jon and Kate Plus 8 book and the holiday Vogue Knitting. I had coupons and daddy’s membership discount so I ended up buying a copy of Up the Down Staircase which I had been wanting to read since I think Sunshine told me about it and it sounded good and it’s a book my sister would read too.
I stopped at Wal-greens and finally found the Tide To-Go Minis! They are like the Tide To-Go stick only smaller and about the size of a tube of lipstick. I let out a teeny tiny squeal when I saw them because I have looked everywhere for them and none of the other stores I frequent had them yet. I feel so old!
We found out that my Aunt D’s dog, Molly is dying. She is a Yorkie and is Haley’s real dog-cousin, their mothers were from the same litter and we bought them the summer that my cousin died. They are 12 years old and Molly has never left my Aunt D’s side and so she is not taking this news very well because the vet says that Molly only has a few days left. I think my Aunt has called my Mom up in tears almost every day this week. It makes me very sad because then I worry about Haley getting old too although she doesn’t have all the health problems that Molly has. It is another reminder that we are not immortal.
I am working on making squares for my Simple Modern Squares afghan, which uses my Homespun scraps and orphan skeins. I started it up because I needed a break from the knitted shawl from HELL. Knitting that shawl is like watching grass grow so I am not very motivated to work on it right now.
Since I am having a gloom and doom day, I decided to make a Cher mixed cd to listen to on my way to my parent’s house this weekend and my crappy errands that I have left for tomorrow. It has just been one of those weeks when everything just becomes an event.
I get to register my Subaru and don’t even get me started on the STUPID TAG FEES which ARE WAY HIGHER THAN ANY STATE I EVER LIVED IN! Let’s just say I could have bought another Coach purse at the outlet mall for the same price.
I think the diet pop is making me crankier. Is that possible to go through a sugar withdrawl? I am going to put that on my list of things to ask my health coach about. She loves it when I have questions for her (honestly, she does!).

Library Fun

So I got my library card for the local library today. It's part of a branch system, but it is THE TINIEST LIBRARY! Seriously, there is no way this library is going to fulfill my demand for large amounts of books but I did find a couple to check out and the librarians there are really friendly and they have free internet so it's not a total disappointment. I guess I am just shocked because I live in a town 3-4 times larger than any of the towns I ever lived in and those towns all had huge libraries.

I came home from the library and like ten minutes later there was a knock on my door and I was really surprised. I opened the door and it's three chicks working the Obama campaign! What a pleasant surprise! Anyways, the cool part is that apparently I can early-vote at the mall. How genius is that!

I also ventured out to Trader Joes this afternoon. I bought some more of their frozen penne pasta with the spicy sauce and some of their peach flavored juice. I have become more adventurous with my food and drink choices since moving out here.

Other than that, not much is going on. i am still working on the knitted shawl from hell. I did vacuum and organize a little bit today. I am also working on reading my little stack of books.

I also got to talk to Sunshine this week! Yay! It is always a pleasure to talk with someone who can carry on an adult conversation and doesn't have kids screaming in the background.

It's Official

So I am officially a resident now. I got my NC Driver's license today and registered to vote in NC just in time to meet the deadline. It was gloomy all day but it didn't rain until I got in the car this evening and halfway to Starbucks it just started raining cats and dogs, and I was like crap!!! because i just had flip flops on. I ended up doing my waddle walk into Starbucks so that I didn't slide across the tile because these flip flops are hella old and don't have much traction left on them. The DL photo by the way, is not too bad. I am having a bad hair day but it looks more appealing than I expected.

My plans this weekend are to hole up with my yarn pile and crochet until my hook snaps. Well, maybe not quite but close. Hopefully it doesn't rain all weekend because I really don't need more problems with allergies.

Spinny

I feel like this whole week has been spinny. Work has been crazy. There is a hint of fall in the air, finally. I have actually worked out twice this week so far at the work gym (it's a miracle). I have also discovered a radio station that plays music and it plays music i like and a good range too!

Since I finished the pink poodle shawl, I decided to unearth the shawl i'm knitting. I have made a lot of progress on it this week. I made it to skein number two and I think I am at least halfway finished.

I would like to say that I have exciting plans for this weekend, but I don't. I am waiting until the weekend after this one to go to my parent's house. That way it will be more spaced out because i probably won't go again until the big holiday-palooza known as Thanksgiving.

Saturday is for Shopping

Saturday’s big event was knitting group but before I could go to knitting group I had to go to the post office and mail the Nicholas Sparks books back to my sister. I also mailed off the scarves my mom and I had made for the Red Scarf Project and I mailed a couple of paperbacks to A. She finished the Harry Potter series last week and she is having a lot of drama right now.

I am also excited because I found out that there is a new book in the Wicked series by Gregory Maguire coming out. I think it comes out on the 14th because there is a couple of other books that are coming out then too that I want to read.

I ended up buying some Halloween hot cocoa at Crate and Barrel. There is some throw pillows that I really like there but they are like $36 each and I don’t have a couch so I resisted buying them. I also resisted some of the kitchen gadgets because I just don’t cook enough to justify the cost. I went to Sephora and bought a really nice lipstick and some black nail polish by OPI, which only took two coats and it has a nice shine to it. I think I was in a girly mood when I walked into that store or something. After I got back from group I went to Old Navy and bought two new t-shirts because they were having a 14.92 sale and these shirts were 2 for 14.92. They are regularly $15.00 a piece, which seems insane to me because these were plain long sleeved t-shirts. I looked around at AC Moore and Michaels but I just didn’t find anything I wanted to use my coupon on.

I made a lot of progress on the Pink Poodle shawl at group. I will probably finish today after my morning Starbucks. Knitting group was so much fun. We always have lots of laughs and all of us have our areas of expertise so it’s nice knowing that if you were stuck on a project you could have some one to help you out.

So Sunday has been a lazy day. I'm not really sure where the day has gone. I did go see a movie. I saw Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist and I LOVE IT... Omg. There was so many things in that movie that reminded me of my upper high school and college years. I found out afterwards that it is based on a book, so I will have to get a copy of that. I think I am two rows away now from finishing the Pink Poodle shawl which is good because I am getting sick of looking at this yarn. LOL.

Books are my Bliss

Last night I finally meet one of my all time favorite authors, Nicholas Sparks. He is one of the only authors that my sister and I both read and like. He also is a local author and my sister has met him twice on tour in Tulsa and she told me to show up two or three hours early. So I left work 30 minutes early and went straight over to BN. I almost didn’t find a parking spot. Apparently, people from all over the state drive to see him in whichever town he goes to in North Carolina. One of the booksellers told me that people started coming in at 10 am for a 7pm advertised reading.
So what is a NY Times best-selling author like? He’s very nice. He posed for countless pictures and signed thousands of books. He just sat there smiling and chatting and sipping Mountain Dew. When it was finally my turn, I approached his table and I seriously thought I was going to melt like the Wicked Witch when I shook his hand and told him how great his books were. I am convinced that he is a literary rock star and the people’s writer. He is really smiley too and it’s a real smile, not a fake one.
Even though I spent three hours in line, and I was tired and hungry, it was all worth it. I had Saffron my itouch with me, so I could surf the web and look up his books when my new found friends in the line and I couldn’t remember a certain plot point or wondered which book came out first. There were moms and daughters and grandmas and even a few guys. I had so much fun. I would definitely go to another one of his signings again.

Meeting authors and poets is one of my favorite things. I love to meet the person behind the page and find out what inspired them.

Beyond books, I am still working on the Pink Poodle shawl and I have no clue what I am going to take with me to knitting group. I think I am just going to end up hauling the Pink Poodle to the mall with me. I made a new cozy for Saffron out of the Red Heart Eco Cotton in Denim. This time I made it a little smaller so it fits her nice and snug and she won’t slide out of it like she did with the other one.

I discovered a new show this week too. It’s called Spain On the Road Again and it follows Mario Batali and Gwyneth Paltrow and friends on a culinary road trip through Spain. It is so fun. The first episode features the windmills in la Mancha and cheesemaking and all kinds of local cuisine. Mario and Gwyneth have a really good banter and watching it is like being a road trip with your friends. It makes me wish I had a Mercedes Benz convertible because that’s what they drive in the show. I keep hoping that they will play some Coldplay on the show.

Peeking Out of My Cubicle

After practically living in my cubicle all week, month-end hell is over with, so yay! How did I celebrate-- with a skinny latte and a shiny new Nine West purse (i got one of the new ones 50% off!!!!) The purse is big and teal and I love love love it. It is a statement bag and it goes well nicely with my collection of black shirts.

I joined the Starbucks and Yarn swap on Ravelry this week so I am excited about it because it involves two of my very favorite things.

Last night I bought the new Nicholas Sparks book The Lucky One and stayed up late reading it (I can't stop in the middle of his books). It was really good and he will be at my beloved Barnes and Noble on Friday so I can't wait to see him because my sister has met him twice.

I am on skein number two on the pink poodle shawl. I have also made three coffee cup cozies this week too.

I'm excited because it's October and that brings Halloween and the potential for cooler weather. LOL. This weekend is also knitting group at the mall weekend so that will be a lot of fun. I always like seeing what everyone else is knitting or crocheting. Plus, my new purse is so big I could stick a tiny project in it!

P.S. Sunshine, I miss you!