A Sock on the Needles

 At last, I have a sock on the needles! I can see all the stitches once more - as long as I have good light. I found a bag in the bottom of one of my baskets with several balls of my favorite KROY sock yarn. I couldn't help myself & cast-on for a new sock. It's like crack, you know, socks just do it for me. They're small, easy - I have the formula in my head - and they're done before I get bored. My only problem with them is the formula in my head, it interferes with other patterns & styles when I try to vary my method, so, most of the time I don't. I just buy wild sock yarn instead! At one time, I had 26 pairs of the craziest socks in my basket & all of them from the same pattern in MY size. And I wore them all because it was cold in my basement with cement floors! And I wore them every day. 

So I cast-on using one of my favorite yarns too - Patons KROY. I'm using the 3ply in an orangey/brown/purple which knits up into a sock that's reminiscent of Mexico & the desert. Kroy wears like iron & I get years of wear before I have to darn them. I haven't decided whether this pair will go into my drawer or into the gift basket but I'll decide later. When I get my hands back in practice, I have some gloves to tackle. I printed off the pattern from Knitty a while back & really want to make a pair for myself. Gloves on the bias with no yarn breaks, who could resist that?

Point of View

My buddy Mike thinks I should sell the Shack - because it's truly a shack complete with tripping hazards & a crappy interior - and move to a nice clean apartment with conveniences, close to shopping, accessible & have parking close by. 

My other buddy Ron was over talking about tearing out the entire kitchen & redesigning it for my comfort. No cupboards - all lower drawers, a dishwasher, new counters, a big sink & some upper open shelving. And a chair on wheels so I can move around in comfort.

I'd like a kitchen without cabinets & full of drawers. I could get to all the stuff in the back really easily. I hate doing dishes with a single, small sink - that's a lie, I hate doing dishes, period - & I've never had a dishwasher .  .  .  

Mike thinks I should sell & move soon but Ron says improve what you have while you're here. I know, I know - if I sell, maybe I can rent a nice place if I could find one! And if I do, it would take my whole monthly pension & someone else decides when I have to move again. If I stay here, I have no rent or mortgage to pay but some extensive changes need to be made. Decisions, decisions .  .  .  

It also looks like the boys are getting together to move all my stuff out of the storage locker & into the back bedroom. I will be able to access all my stuff again & find all my kitchen toys. And speaking of toys, all my yarn will be with me once more. I have bins of sock yarns & bags of sock yarn leftovers for scrappy socks!! Woohoo - I can't wait.

Sometimes it's just better to think about fibre. I am able to knit again. Today I dug out the glove pattern I wanted to make over a year ago - was it really that long ago??? Good Grief! I decided to knit a couple of pairs of socks first to get my fingers back in shape - the pal who took me for my two cataract surgeries & Specialist appointments loves handmade socks. His wife loves them even more so I decided to knit them for her - his mom sends him handmade socks three times a year so he's covered!!! I don't think I've knit her any socks in years, so it's her turn. She also loves scrappy socks so that makes it even better.

Nearly Normal

Clouds & coolness today - at last!! I can do with some coolness, that's for sure. I developed quite a painful, swollen, upper arm by the second day after my second jab which was quite unexpected! Tylenol Arthritis & cold packs helped a lot & it cleared up over a couple of days. The worst part of the whole thing was recovering from all that walking & standing on cement to get the jab. My right knee was extremely sore & I was unable to get down the ramp to the garbage for a couple of days. But, all is well & I'm mobile again. Mike showed up with another recliner in the back of his truck too. This one is smaller, cloth covered & electric. It reclines & pulls up the foot rest with a button!! The best part of the whole thing is that it rises up & tilts to help you get out .  .  .  I love it. No more pillow under me & behind my back so I can sit comfortably & still get out. I don't sweat buckets when seated in it & I can actually put my feet up without hanging halfway out of the chair to reach the lever. I thought I needed the biggest chair for my fat behind but I was wrong. Mike can take the leather one home with him.

The final check from my Ex's estate arrived in the mail on Friday & I managed to get it into the bank. It's a comfort to have more money than you need but is it a problem when there's nothing you want to spend it on??? 

Seriously hoping the really high heat is gone but it was still warm enough when I went for my second jab on July 01! What a Zoo! The signage was not the best & I'd never been there before so I went early. Good thing because the Handicapped parking sure was a LONG way from the door. Halfway to that door, a security guard stopped me & told me to drive all the way around the block to the back door where the clinic was actually being held so I could park close to the door. So I trudged back to the car & drove around. How come they don't tell you these things when you ask for directions??? 

The clinic was very busy, lined up outside the door & we all had to stand. I was quite wobbly by the time I got to the document stations where I finally got to sit down. There were no provisions made for anyone who was unsteady on their feet - I wasn't the only one barely creeping along - but I made it to the benches outside the action room for a long rest. All the chairs were inside the gym with screened off cubicles for every one attending. VERY different from the last clinic I attended where masked people sanitized & stood in line doing paperwork before being directed to one of several seats for the jab & then off to a waiting area before going home. This one seated everyone in organized cubicles in rows where we filled out paperwork, gathered documents & waited for our chat & jab. I had another long rest before my jab. Good thing because then I had the hike to my car .  .  .  after my jab a nice lady asked if I needed a wheelchair ride to my car. I can't imagine what I must've looked like at that point.

Got myself home via Starbucks. It's amazing how fast you recover with some banana bread & a giant Passion Tea Lemonade on board! I made it home, had a sandwich & went for a nap. I woke up 41/2 hours later!