Proto-Swarf and Punctures

So, I'm working on a pattern for a shawl. Have been for a couple of months now. Anyway, I've managed to get my butt in gear a little bit and actually knit up the charts that I made forever ago. A couple of you know what this thing could look like when I can make what's in my hands resemble something like what's in my head. At the right (no, your other right) is a photo of not-quite-half of the proto-swarf. How the heck did it get that name? you ask. Well, I'm glad you asked. It started out as a swatch. Then it became the tapestry swatch. (Which got frogged due to multiple circumstances that I won't go into here.) Then I made a Luna Moth Shawl that turns out to be for a Christmas gift. And, after that, I thought I'd make another LMS for myself, only in this pretty, rusty color. Well, the yarn didn't want to be a LMS. It didn't want to be a Forget-Me-Not Shawl, either. I know. I tried. Twice.

So, after some deliberation, pleading, and threats with a flamethrower, the pretty, rusty-colored yarn became The Swatch. Which, in one of our laundry-soap-induced fits, Ames and I re-christened it The Swatch Scarf. And, well, you know me. I like to shorten words. A lot. So it was re-re-christened The Swarf.

Earlier tonight, while I was working the kinks out of my hands (from the knitting, you gutter-minds. Yeah, you know who you are. Don't make me point you out to the rest of the class!), I showed it to OH, who asked me what the hell a swatch is. After I explained, he responded with 'Oh, a prototype. Why didn't you just say that instead?'

After bandaging my forehead and repairing the dents in the desktop, I have hopefully settled with calling it The Proto-Swarf.

And, yes, I intentionally left it rolled around and not showing really anything of the pattern. Hey, I'm hoping to make it into a Mystery KAL one day....

In other news, Lil Miss Mo has apparently decided that I'm one of her new scratching posts or something. I'm finding cat scratches (no fever) in some odd places. Like on my stomach. And shoulderblades. Just to name a few. Oh, and I'm the proud new owner of a puncture wound on one of my thighs. Good thing she's so darn cute!

Ahahahaha!

Happy Halloween, pink blobs!

This photo so needs a caption, don'tcha think?

1996

Thieved from Si.

The rules:
A.) Go to Music Outfitters
B.) Enter the year you graduated from high school in the search function and get the list of 100 most popular songs of that year
C.) Bold the songs you like, strike through the ones you hate and underline your favorite. Do nothing to the ones you don’t remember (or don’t care about)


1. Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix), Los Del Rio
2. One Sweet Day, Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men
3. Because You Loved Me, Celine Dion
4. Nobody Knows, Tony Rich Project
5. Always Be My Baby, Mariah Carey
6. Give Me One Reason, Tracy Chapman
7. Tha Crossroads, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
8. I Love You Always Forever, Donna Lewis
9. You're Makin' Me High/Let It Flow, Toni Braxton
10. Twisted, Keith Sweat
11. C'mon N' Ride It (The Train), Quad City Dj's
12. Missing, Everything But The Girl
13. Ironic, Alanis Morissette
14. Exhale (Shoop Shoop), Whitney Houston
15. Follow You Down/Til I Hear It From You, Gin Blossoms
16. Sittin' Up In My Room, Brandy
17. How Do U Want It/California Love, 2Pac
18. It's All Coming Back To Me Now, Celine Dion
19. Change The World, Eric Clapton
20. Hey Lover, LL Cool J
21. Loungin, LL Cool J
22. Insensitive, Jann Arden
23. Be My Lover, La Bouche
24. Name, Goo Goo Dolls
25. Who Will Save Your Soul, Jewel
26. Where Do You Go, No Mercy
27. I Can't Sleep Baby (If I), R. Kelly
28. Counting Blue Cars, Dishwalla
29. You Learn/You Oughta Know, Alanis Morissette
30. One Of Us, Joan Osborne
31. Wonder, Natalie Merchant
32. Not Gon' Cry, Mary J. Blige
33. Gangsta's Paradise, Coolio
34. Only You, 112 Featuring The Notorious B.I.G.
35. Down Low (Nobody Has To Know), R. Kelly
36. You're The One, SWV
37. Sweet Dreams, La Bouche
38. Before You Walk Out Of My Life/Like This And Like That, Monica
39. Breakfast At Tiffany's, Deep Blue Something
40. 1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New), Coolio
41. The World I Know, Collective Soul
42. No Diggity, BLACKstreet (Featuring Dr. Dre)
43. Anything, 3t
44. 1979, The Smashing Pumpkins
45. Diggin' On You, TLC
46. Why I Love You So Much/Ain't Nobody, Monica
47. Kissin' You, Total
48. Count On Me, Whitney Houston and Cece Winans
49. Fantasy, Mariah Carey
50. Time, Hootie and The Blowfish
51. You'll See, Madonna
52. Last Night, Az Yet
53. Mouth, Merril Bainbridge
54. The Earth, The Sun, The Rain, Color Me Badd
55. All The Things (Your Man Won't Do), Joe
56. Wonderwall, Oasis
57. Woo-hah!! Got You All In Check/Everything Remains Raw, Busta Rhymes
58. Tell Me, Groove Theory
59. Elevators (Me and You), Outkast
60. Hook, Blues Traveler
61. Doin It, LL Cool J
62. Fastlove, George Michael
63. Touch Me Tease Me, Case Featuring Foxxy Brown
64. Tonite's Tha Night, Kris Kross
65. Children, Robert Miles
66. Theme From Mission: Impossible, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen
67. Closer To Free, Bodeans
68. Just A Girl, No Doubt
69. If Your Girl Only Knew, Aaliyah
70. Lady, D'angelo
71. Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First), John Mellencamp
72. Pony, Ginuwine
73. Nobody, Keith Sweat
74. Old Man and Me (When I Get To Heaven), Hootie and The Blowfish
75. If It Makes You Happy, Sheryl Crow
76. As I Lay Me Down, Sophie B. Hawkins
77. Keep On, Keepin' On, Mc Lyte
78. Jealousy, Natalie Merchant
79. I Want To Come Over, Melissa Etheridge
80. Who Do U Love, Deborah Cox
81. Un-Break My Heart, Toni Braxton
82. This Is Your Night, Amber
83. You Remind Me Of Something, R. Kelly
84. Runaway, Janet Jackson
85. Set U Free, Planet Soul
86. Hit Me Off, New Edition
87. No One Else, Total
88. My Boo, Ghost Town Dj's
89. Get Money, Junior M.A.F.I.A.
90. That Girl, Maxi Priest Featuring Shaggy
91. Po Pimp, Do Or Die
92. Until It Sleeps, Metallica
93. Hay, Crucial Conflict
94. Beautiful Life, Ace Of Base
95. Back For Good, Take That
96. I Got Id/Long Road, Pearl Jam
97. Soon As I Get Home, Faith Evans
98. Macarena, Los Del Rio
99. Only Wanna Be With You, Hootie and The Blowfish
100. Don't Cry, Seal


Hmm, a lot of the stuff I like/liked aren't on this list...

Twenty-one

Thieved from Ames...

What were you doing when you were 21? Let's relive shall we????

Here we go....

!. In what year did you turn 21? 1999.

2. How many years ago was that? 9

3. What if anything was memorable in how you looked? Um...I had long hair? I think.

4. What was your favorite outfit? Same as now. Jeans and a t-shirt.

5. What kind of car did you drive? A Chevy Corsica 5-speed.

6. Did you have a job? Yep!

7. Did you like your job? It was/is a job.

8. Did you have a boyfriend/girlfriend? I had a husband...

9. What can you remember about them? He was an ass and I wish I could blame the marriage on a drug haze. But, I learned from it at least.

10. Did you have any close friends? Not so much

11. Do you still stay in touch with them? See #11

12.Did you do anything special on your 21st birthday? See #8 & #9

13.What was the most memorable moment of the year of 21? I got divorced!

Now it's your turn! Repost this with your answers on your blog!

Warning! Funny ahead...

I remembered this from a friend's myspace blog. Thought it would make my three readers chuckle (and possibly snort with laughter). I can't claim the originality for this, but I sure wish I could.

For your own safety and that of your computer, do not drink (any liquids) while reading the rest of this post! You've been duly warned.

"How to give a cat a pill"

1. Pick up the cat and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while sliding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow...

2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from under chair. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.

3. Retrieve cat from bedroom and throw soggy pill away.

4. Take a new pill from foil wrap. Cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.

5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse in from garden.

6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between the knees. Holding front and rear paws ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold cat's head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.

7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make a note to buy a new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines from hearth and set aside for gluing later.

8. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with its head just visible from beneath spouse's armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force cat's mouth open with pencil and blow down straw.

9. Check label to make sure that pill is not harmful to humans. Drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply band-aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.

10. Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with spoon, flick pill down throat with elastic band.

11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for last tetanus shot. Throw t-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.

12. Call the fire department to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil wrap.

13. Tie cat's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining room table. Find heavy duty pruning gloves from garage. Force cat's mouth open with small trowel. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet steak. Hold head vertically and pour ½ pint of water down throat to wash pill down.

14. Get spouse to drive you to emergency room. Sit quietly while doctor stitches finger and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Stop by furniture store on the way home and order a new table.

15. Arrange for vet to make house call.

KITTY!!!!!

I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of my little cave. Mo, say hi to everyone... Mo... Mo? What do you have...Where are you going with that??... Get back here, you little shit!

Well, she's not being real sociable at the moment so you'll have to make do with some photos, I guess.

We adopted her Saturday and brought her home. OH and I had every intention of opening her carrier and leaving her alone to explore and get used to everything. Yeah, that worked well. I would guess that we looked like two new parents hovering over their newborn child. Luckily, this will be the only type of children we plan on having. (That being the four legs and furry kind.)

While we really want to have 2 kitties, our current living situation only allows for one. But that's okay. It's been a really really long time since either of us had a furball, so one will be plenty.

We got kind of worried about her yesterday, though. Where Saturday, she was all hyped up on adrenaline, yesterday she just kind of laid there and didn't really move much. So, we took her to the vet today to get everything checked out. She weighs 4 pounds exactly and is roughly 4 months old. And healthy. Except for a touch of a kitty cold. Luckily, there are no pills to give her. Just some liquid antibiotic and goo to put in her eyes. Guess who gets the joy of doing that twice a day for the next ten days? Yep.

Oh, and we named her 'Mo' because her motor (ha) runs almost all the time. It got narrowed down to Mo, River, or Jayne and Mo just kind of stuck. So, if this kitty has more than one name, I'd guess she'll be 'River Mo'.








Ain't she adorable?

I'm having a MOMENT, here...

I have to re-evaluate my life. Luckily, there are only a few areas I feel the need to re-evaluate. Like my wardrobe. And whether or not I want to dye my hair.

Where did this come from? Why do I feel the need to do this? Well, let me tell you....

I found my first grey hair this week. Ack!

Yes, I know. It's not a big deal, you say. There'll be plenty more where that came from. You'll get used to it. Blah blah blah-de-blah. I know!

The thing is ... well ... the thing is ... um ... you see ... *sigh* It's physical proof that I'm a grown-up. And I just don't think I can handle that yet. I mean, I've only got 3 decades under my belt. I don't want to be a grown-up yet!

So, let me have my moment of panic, okay.