Upgrading

I haven't vacuumed my basement in a couple of years. I've made do with a Swiffer, a Swiffer duster & a broom - got one of those nifty dustpans on a long handle that swivel too - but it's come to the point where the dust bunnies breed in the night & I just can't keep up. I hate stirring up the dust with the vacuum because I can't take a deep breath for a couple of days after I use the damn thing.  So, I investigated all the Big Names in vacuuming & talked to people who have them. I heard a lot of good & bad along the way. Repairmen say that the older machines were built better, operate longer & clean better. The old ones don't have all the bells & whistles but maybe I really don't need that self cleaning dirt cup that needs to be emptied all the time. The swivel ball is nice but do I really need to pay $400 more to get one??? I need a machine that can get dirt & dust off floors, dust bunnies & cobwebs high up in the corners, dust my books & not cost a fortune or weigh too much. After a lot of looking & talking I decided to just upgrade my old Hoover. I got it second hand with a power head for carpets but there's no other tools. Today I dug it out, dusted it off & checked it out. The hose is good, suction is excellent & the power head works just fine. And Al's Vacuums in Whalley found me an entire set of new-to-me tools including an extra wand & even threw in a package of bags. I just have to dust off the old girl, insert a new yellow bag & go forth dusting .   .   .   . 

On the Needles - finished re-knitting the holey socks!! I really must take a photo before they wind up on my feet!!
Lara's Pabaigh is back in my hands & I managed to add about an inch to it tonight before bed. It's knit in one piece from the bottom up then split for front & back shaping so there won't be any seams to sew when I'm done!! Lara will be really glad to get this since she says it's impossible to keep a scarf on when she's bending over & shoveling out the barn. Basically the Pabaigh is a vest with a cowl attached.
Next I will be pulling out all the UFOs in the pile next to my old TV watching chair & figure out which one will be finished for ME since my ratty old office sweater needs to go into the trash before it falls apart on my back.

Let There Be Heat

Yesterday, the heat came on!! I try not to be a pussy but it was getting to be really, really cold in my cement basement! The butter won't even spread. The landlord & I usually have our contest every year until one of us says "HEAT" but this year, I just didn't know. Anyway, the Son knocked on my door & asked me if I know how to check the pilot light because he tried turning on the thermostat & nothing happened. We checked it all out but other than taking off parts & replacing the filter, we were both boobs. He even checked his Smart Phone. I checked the Reader's Digest 'Repairs' book but it turned out we were still boobs. Just by accident, he noticed the light switch on the outside of the electrical room. What's that for he asked? Dunno, I said, your dad told me to never touch it. He flipped it & the furnace came on. Oh oh he said, I think I might've turned that off when I checked out the filter last time I was here .   .   .   .   thought it was a light switch. Damn kid!!!

The furnace ran for over an hour until it shut off! And I had to take two quilts off the bed in the middle of the night  .   .   .   . 

Now that I have heat again, I have to crank up my ass & get back to work. I have three projects on my desk to get finished before the end of the month because I have another year coming - with several employees - to do ASAP. It never rains but it pours!! At least my fingers will be warm enough to work. And it's time to get the stew pot simmering with winter soups & stews once more. Maybe this year I'll learn to make 'no knead' bread to go with them.

Audiobooks - Listening to Ann Cleeves' Shetland series once more. And she added a new book this year! Jimmy Perez, our local police Inspector, is working once more with Willow Reeves from the mainland as they unravel local legend, gossip & search for another murderer. Also listening to an old favorite, Anne McCaffrey & her Pern series. I'm listening to "Moreta, Dragonlady of Pern". This one is new to me but I enjoy all of the original books by Anne, I quit buying them once her son Todd took over .  .  .  .

On the Needles - sock repairs continue. I am replacing several toes instead of darning them. Yeah, I could double stitch too but sometimes it's just as easy to put on a new toe in a wild color, especially if the sock has shrunk a little in the wash over time. When the last two pairs of socks are finished, I have Lara's vest to finish & one of my sweaters-on-the-go to finish for me. Still thinking of just making it a cap sleeve vest to wear over my long sleeved tee shirts for winter.

Remembering

Alf Zirk 

WW1 volunteer out of Regina, Sask in 1914. With his excellent memory, sharp eye for detail & farm background, he spent the early part of the war looking after war horses. He was later recruited as a Mapper. His job was to crawl through the mud on the frontier at night, cut the barbed wire barricades & map the area for the advancing troops. He also carried messages & ran phone lines as he went. Miraculously he survived the war & died in his sleep in 1990, two months shy of his 102nd birthday.

I Can Afford a Coffee

My dentistry is all finished for this year!! I now have TWO gold teeth. Well, mostly gold teeth because all the healthy tooth parts are still there with gold filling all the missing or filled portions. It's cheaper & lasts longer says my Dentist who likes to work with gold. It also costs LESS that porcelain & works better for clenchers & grinders like me. My kind usually don't get ulcers, we destroy our teeth & give ourselves painful necks, shoulders & jaws instead. And the bill??? It was horrendous but turned out to be about a third LESS than the quote. With any luck, I can pay it off just about the time I'm due back for the next cleaning .    .    .    .   

It's a beautiful day outside!! Time to drink a coffee in the sunshine & work on my second scrappy torn back sock for an hour. This pair is really interesting. Only the cuffs to the start of the heels match - the only part that sticks out of the shoe - because I tore out all the purple in both of them. And I guess I'll be fixing a couple more pairs as well. While going through the socks this morning, I found two more socks with toe holes. At least these are old socks. I remember buying the yarn from Red Bird Knits on-line at least 10 years ago before we had yarn stores everywhere!!! It might even be longer than that because Gail & I were knitting at Esquires - now a liquor store - in Fleetwood.  And instead of darning the toes, I think I'll just knit new toes in some contrasting yarn since the holes are so close to the end of the foot.

Coffin Crisp is all Mine

Hallowe'en was a NO SHOW in my neighborhood. I didn't see one single child on the street going door to door!! I admit I AM in an ethnic neighborhood with fewer & fewer young children every year, most are teens & twenty somethings going to school or work but still living at home. So, I wasn't surprised that no one came to my door but I didn't see anyone anywhere!! No one was interested in treats, only fireworks. The young men in the neighborhood usually spend an hour or so on every major holiday blowing off bombs, even in the pouring rain!! So, I guess that's it except for Diwali, tonight!! The skies are supposed to clear so it should be a fireworks lover's perfect weather. It should be quiet out there, except for Diwali, until New Years .   .   .   .

I totally missed the 'Turning Back' of the clocks last night too. I don't bother with TV any more, quit reading the paper when it turned into mush & only have the radio on in the car these days .   .   .   .   man, I'll probably miss the end of the world at this rate! I guess I gotta get out more often. LOL  What do I listen to??? Audio books quite often, especially when I work doing data entry. And I've been on YouTube a lot watching old British series like "TIME TEAM" - an archaeology group given 3 days to dig sensitive sites all over Europe but mostly in Britain. I really enjoyed the dig at Windsor castle!! And another old series, "Under the Hammer" where often old, derelict or run down buildings - mostly flats & row houses - are auctioned off. The show follows the 
buyers & buildings - just what do you do with an old public toilet with no parking - as they're brought up to modern standards. I really like British TV. Lots of educational programs & gritty detectives on the loose too.

On The Needles - one re-knit sock finished - I tore it back to the heel & one still on the needles - I had to tear the second one back to the heel but lost a stitch & ended up tearing back the entire heel as well. Oh well, I have the cuff intact .    .    .    .  Frankly, if I'd torn back this one first, I'd've tossed the pair out!! But I didn't & have one sock finished so - sigh - back to knitting.

Nothing else on the go at the moment - I'm in the middle of a data entry job with a new, very small keyboard - I hate this keyboard!!!! I can't spell & miss all the punctuation!! I think I'm going back to the store with this one & getting a bigger one. I prefer the big, split keyboard & think it's easier on sore hands & wrists. This thing crowds me all the time.

No Treats This Week

The great molar repair started early this week. Due to a cancellation, it got started on Wednesday instead of Friday as planned. Who turns down a cancellation?? Not I. I prefer to get it over with. Dentistry is tough with breathing problems, if I'm not wheezing & coughing then I'm choking on all that water they use when drilling. Gah, I feel sorry for my Dentist but I guess he gets even when it's time to pay!!  I'll be knitting another pair of socks for his new Assistant who saved me 1500 or so bucks on this last visit too!! While he was prepping my new tooth for the gold 'onlay' she noticed my old one on the next tooth was funny. Turned out that it was loose & had food under it!! Horrors! It cost me $700 about 8 years ago when I was on my company dental plan & we had to fight tooth & nail for it at the time. I don't even want to think about what it would cost me THIS time around if I'd lost or swallowed it. I only know I'd be using a Pottie & a strainer until I found it!!!

Luckily for my blood pressure & pocket book, she spotted it, he was able to reattach it & prep for the new one all at the same time. Damn good thing I took the cancellation mid-afternoon - there was no one after me - because my one hour appointment turned into 3.5 hours with my mouth open!!! The freezing wouldn't take thanks to my medication. They choked me nicely a couple of times with the water they needed to cool the drill & the new assistant shot a perfect cold stream straight under my bib, through my cleavage & into my belly button when I coughed. We all needed a drink when it was over, lemmie tell ya. I went straight home, took two Extra Strength Tylenols & went to bed. My jaws, neck & shoulders are still tender on Saturday so I haven't even been out for a coffee. And I used to be a white knuckle patient until I got this Dentist. Hahaha

Knitting - The second pair of Goth Kitty short summer socks are finished & on my feet.  I love them. The pink scrappy socks with the holes are on the needles now. I tore them back to the heel shaping - no purple yarn there, only in the foot, thank gawd! I decided to tear them both out so that I get rid of the purple totally - just a precaution in the second sock but I don't want to have to repair it again. The next pair will be Felici again - probably one of the nice blue colorways, I think there's one called Lakeview or something like that that I really liked.
Now I'm sure I ordered about a dozen balls of Felici during the last clearance sale at Knit Picks when it first went on sale but I'm damned if I can find them. I remember filling my basket full of all the tropical colors especially in blues. But I can't find it. It's not like I NEED more sock yarn because I have tons of it but I may be having a Senior moment. Either it came & I put it away somewhere or I changed my mind & didn't order it at all & have forgotten. Or maybe I did order it & it went to Gail's house or Molly got it. Do the yarn trolls come when you go to bed??? or the Mice?? Is this how Dementia starts??? How can you lose sock yarn???

Wasn't That a Party???

Yesterday was such a lovely day that I had the door wide open while I noshed on TWO Egg Mcmuffins & an extra large coffee on my patio around 2:30 in the afternoon. I had plans to go knitting with the Girls for a change - I wanted to show off the Goth Kitty socks, my Vest-in-progress & and yakk my face off for a change. I've been cranky & unfriendly lately so that I haven't even wanted to drive anywhere to see anyone. Not sure what this is all about because once I get there I have a good time .   .   .   but I'd rather spend my days in my sweats, in a comfy chair, with a good book or listening to a good British Murder Mystery while I knit. Oh Gawd, has IT bit me??? Have I become an old Fart??? Maybe. I'm so exciting these days that adventure is the race between the tea pot & the toilet. It's a vicious circle.
But, as I was saying, yesterday I was out on the patio soaking up the rays when an old buddy dropped by with a six pack of cider. Sparkling Cherry cider. One of my favorites, in fact. So much for my daily coffee .   .   .   we popped open a cider instead! It had been ages since I'd had a cider that tasted so good so I had to have another .   .   .   .   yup, there I was, drunk in the mid afternoon. On two ciders. Not quite as bad as my friend who gets drunk on half a cider but close. I had to go to bed. And that was the end of my evening plans. Thanks Neil.  

On the Needles - a couple of pictures of my sock problem. It seems to be a failure of the purple merino. Some of the many plies in the yarn have broken, thinning & weakening the yarn. In some places the yarn just shredded.

I really loved these socks too - I made two pairs of short, summer socks using Deb's Spiral Sock (Cabin Fever) method to make stripey socks out of leftovers. I'm fairly sure I can fix the sock on the right with a crochet hook & darning needle. There's only one hole in the pair. But the purple socks on the left have been frogged back to the heel because there's several holes in both feet so I'll be re-knitting both of them to make sure I've caught all the weak spots. I guess sometimes you just don't have any other choice but to re-knit or toss.

After Thanksgiving

One more family holiday over & gone. Thanksgiving used to be such a big celebration in my family when I was growing up!! My mother always cooked a huge dinner - we had 6 kids by the way - & often invited people to share. We usually had a big ham or pork roast - one year we had pork & moose. Turkey was usually saved for Christmas.
With nothing else to do, I went to the Starbucks at Safeway on Thanksgiving Monday to see what was On Sale. And found the Mother Lode of dismembered turkey. I do love turkey. And turkey gravy too. But it's the dark meat I love the best & it's hard to get unless you cook a whole turkey. This week I lucked out & found turkey thighs on sale at Safeway. Turkey Thighs!! I haven't seen one in a very long time so I bought 4 of them. YESSSSS

Monday night, I roasted one of my thighs with some baby carrots & little potatoes. I made turkey gravy from the drippings. And thought I'd died & gone to heaven.

On the Needles - I washed some socks last week & found two pairs with big holes that had partially unraveled in several spots!! It looks like broken threads & seems like the same purple yarn in all the socks. The yarn is 100% merino sock yarn while most of the other yarn is the usual 85% wool & 15% nylon yarn. I've never had this problem before although I've heard of it. One pair is a real favorite & while I think I can fix one sock with a crochet hook, the other one has such big holes that I'm just going to tear it back to mid foot & reknit a third of the sock. I wonder why that purple yarn has failed??? If I had moths, other yarns should be affected but it only seems to be that purple. And I bought it with a batch of other solid colors for heels & toes from a local shop. Yarn failure??
My Sweater - my hands have been really sore this past week - thumbs & forefingers especially. Have no idea what this is all about except that it's painful to knit with larger needles & chunkier yarn right now. So, no progress other than I'm past the armholes & moving down the body. This is just a top-down raglan cardigan from Cabin Fever to keep me warm in the office while I work. I'm using Briggs & Little Heritage yarn which softens up with handling. I love the feel & weight of it & I think it will be very cozy as I work.
Discovered a whole lot of acrylic in one of the tubs - it's light grey with red in it & about a sport weight. I think I'll make it the next project for myself & do the same top-down cardi. Nothing fancy, just a round neck raglan with three quarter sleeves & a couple of buttons. I just want it for a little warmth in my cold, cold basement.

Crowned in Gold

It's Spooky the way money disappears when you go to the Dentist!!  The broken tooth morphed  .   .   .   .   . My Dentist moaned, groaned, Oh No'd & made clicking noises with his tongue while peering around in my mouth. I could hear the cash register ringing! He muttered to himself!! And answered. I couldn't say a thing until he pulled out his hands & all the hardware, of course. My response was "Crown??" Didn't even ask about a filling after all the moaning. I already had a partial gold crown in there snuggled right next to the broken tooth. And I guess I should've known what was coming. Another of his 'experimental' crowns. I'm a clencher & a tooth grinder. And THIS is the third tooth I've broken off. Since I clench, gold is better for me. It flexes a bit. And it doesn't cost as much as porcelain!! My dentist doesn't grind the whole tooth down to a nub either. He keeps as much of the original tooth as possible & caps only what is necessary. So I guess my new crown will cover the original old filling & the inside corner I knocked off while leaving the whole white front of the tooth. But, I had to promise I wouldn't eat any more Wasa Sourdough or Rye breads.

So the Dentist wiped out my savings. No more yarn for me till after this bill is paid off, that's for sure!!  I was thinking about new glasses for computer work but they will have to wait cause I need winter boots. Someone in the weather department suggested a record snow-fall year ahead. I hope not but snow has been falling already about 4 hours east of here. Good thing I already have my snow tires on.

Remember This??

 Soup weather is definitely here! Good thing my freezer is full to the brim. I ran into a big sale at the beginning of the summer & bought 40 pounds of chicken bones for soup. These are breast bones mainly & there's tons of meat left on them after the breast meat has been removed. I fill medium zip locks with them - just enough for my big dutch oven to simmer into soup with garlic & pepper!! Usually, I get about 4 cups of meat off the bones which goes back into the pot with everything from noodles, carrots & celery to sweet potatoes, curry & chopped greens. I love soup & it sure does keep a body warm in a cold basement!!

On the Needles - Blue socks for a new dental assistant! She loves blues & greens & I just happened to find a bag of sock yarn hanging up under a couple of fleece jackets behind my door. I don't even remember when I bought it or hung it there but there's a good dozen or more balls of sock yarn in the bag & several balls are blues. Hmmmm  TWO of them will be a pair of medium socks for her. You know when you have too much yarn, don't you??? CAN you have too much sock yarn????

Indian Summer

This is the part of the year that I love the best - unless it includes broken teeth & mice!!! It's warm outside during the day - shorts weather -  but cold enough at night that you can burrow under a flannel covered quilt with the window open!!! There's a hundred different apples at the Farmer's Market next to all the salad greens & root veggies. It's time to blow the dust off the Slow Cooker & make soup. I have to confess that I bought FOUR packages of Pot Barley at Safeway yesterday when I dropped in for milk, my favorite chopped greens & any meat markdowns I could find. I got lucky & found several packages of chicken, a whole pork loin AND the big long package of unsliced Kraft Havarti cheese at half price!!! Not on the shopping list but the start of many meals to come since I love to stir fry everything.

This is the time of year when my house plants really grow like stink before setting buds. The cacti are covered with tiny new segments - sometimes it appears as if they do nothing all summer but get greener & greener then suddenly, when the nights get cool, they burst into growth & buds. My Snake plant has been producing a new leaf a week in the office lately. It just got too big & heavy to go outside this year but it seems to really like the spot in the west facing office window so I guess it's found it's permanent place. Now if we can only keep the shorts weather going for a while .   .   . 

My last pair of Goth Kitty short socks are just about finished. The heels are turned & I'm racing for the toes because it's just about time to bring out all the LONG winter socks  .   .   .   not quite yet, but it's coming. I intend to WEAR these not-quite-finished socks at least once before I put them away for the winter!!!

Dug out a top down simple sweater I was working on last winter - one of several in the UFO pile. Too many sweaters & not enough hands! I chose the one with the least left to do. This sweater is finished to the armholes so most of the work is already done - should get completed faster right???? Well, I'll just hook up the TV again I guess, that'll do it. I will knit while I watch those British Detective shows!!! And I really, really need something warm & new this year. I even bought some RED Briggs & Little to make myself a simple garter cardi for the office which I can't start without the needles stuck in the half done one. So, my work is chosen & I'm not even counting the wristers & the hat I'll need because I cut off all my hair - eeeek.

Unsociable Me

I've been a bit of an unsociable hermit lately. Other than going out for coffee - mostly on my own  with my ebook reader - I haven't felt like being nice to anyone. Is this what Old Age is really like??? Am I becoming a Curmudgeon?? Or is this just 'Seasonal' behavior???

Wednesday I broke a whole corner off one of my molars eating cheese on crackers & it left a hellova hole. I ended up knitting socks in the Dentist's office while waiting to get a temporary filling in place after the last patient was done for the day. I have to go back next week for something more permanent! This is also the week that I have to renew my Orange puffer. Between the two of them, they will just about clean out my emergency fund. That's unless the Dentist announces that a CROWN must replace that tooth  .   .   .   I shudder to think about it.

Of course, all of this happened AFTER I ordered more sock yarn at the Knit Picks Felici sale. I bought Goth Kitty & Hopscotch at the last clearance sale & knit 3 pairs of summer socks for myself. Goth Kitty has not been dropped - to my surprise - it's the pinks/purples/greys which I love but this time around, I bought BLUES/greys  -  happy blues!

I thought I got all my mice but there's one little shit left. When I'm in my office, he's there. When I go to bed, he follows me into the bedroom. When I cook, I see him run across the room out of the corner of my eye. Guess he's been here so long he thinks he's a pet. Time to re-arm the sticky traps. All of them. Here mousey  mousey  mousey   .   .   .   .   .

Sticky Traps Work

I got em all!! At least I think I did. No more mouse sounds & no more mouse sitings out of the corner of my eye. Got three mice in one week & one a couple of weeks ago. And I think I got them all. I hope I got  them all .   .   .   .

A couple of months ago, I got a bill with a credit from Telus for a Mike phone that I haven't owned in at least 10 years. I loved my Mike phone. It was the one with the walkie-talkie feature that was introduced at the PNE & only available to business customers. My buddy signed us up somehow at the PNE. So, even though we weren't a 'business' we got a half price 'deal' on two of them because of the PNE special. All our friends were jealous!! The Mike network was amazing! We could add people to our 'Group' & talk to them anywhere in North America with no roaming charges. But the company was bought by Telus & everything changed before the phone was discontinued.
I've been with Fido ever since. Today, I finally got someone at Telus who thinks he can get my old Mike business credit transferred to my home phone/fax account. Amazing .   .   .   .

I was a little horrified to get two emails today - telling me it was 100 days to Christmas!!!  One included links to all the "most asked for" toys for kids. I've hardly ever seen any of them. Who's asking for them ???? I guess not watching TV for a year is a bonus. Since there's less than 100 days until Christmas, I guess it's time I got back to the needles since I'll be soon needing a hat - I cut all my hair off, wristers - who knows where they go in the summer, Lara's vest & a sweater for myself before it gets too cold out there!

One More Mouse

Had enough, bought sticky pads to get my mice. Got the cheeky mouse that kept running behind my desk & burrowing into my big plant pot! I didn't want to do it, I tried to avoid the sticky trap but I saw no other way to get rid of them. One down & one to go .   .   .   .

Now that Fall is almost here - don't mind it  but have realized I have no winter clothes other than two thick hoodies & three pairs of sweat pants - I really have to get the new-to-me sewing machine set up & working.  I love my hoodies but I really need a zip or button front hoodie to wear over tee shirts because it's too warm to wear the hoodies over a shirt & too cold to wear the shirt alone. Last year's fleece - is actually 6 years old - is looking very tatty! I have been thinking seriously of slashing the fronts of my hoodies & putting in a big coat zip that opens at the bottom. Should be fairly easy but I think my only option is a white zip for the screaming melt-your-eyeballs PINK one. The other one is dark Purple so a black zip would work but I prefer to wear the Pink one. Or sew a jacket in thick fleece. I know I have an old 'ET' type rain jacket pattern from 30 years ago that's very cozy. I spent a lot of hours sitting outside Starbucks drinking coffee in one! Or pull out all the top down sweaters I've started & pick one to finish!!! Fast.

Renewal

It's so much fun when old pals show up out of the blue on the doorstep!! One I thought was gone forever, happily married & renovating a house with a new family, turned up a couple of weeks ago. He's single once more, broke & up to his eyeballs in debt but working on an idea for his next million. He's the smartest man I've ever met & we laughed & laughed when I asked for his autograph before he becomes famous. We used to have such fun in a gang working on ideas over coffee on Sunday afternoons .  .  .  .

My buddy Steve worked over my office several months ago - I've tried to keep it uncluttered - & he stuffed a lot of things into the closet. Well, I haven't used one single thing he stuffed in there so I think it's time to dump most of it. I will keep the tapestry loom & the good fleece in the vacuum bag but all the stacking file trays, plastic bins & other crap will go. I have an old scanner in a box that's never been opened, a really old Mita photocopier & a box full of cables, cords & hardware that I've collected over the years that will follow. It's time. It's amazing how you collect small electronics like keyboards, mice, cassette players, fans, clocks & small radios simply because it's a pain in the butt to drive across town to get rid of them. I think Steve stuffed it all into my closet & left the door off because he knew I'd get tired of looking at it & haul it away on my own instead of fighting about it. So I guess that's my job this coming week. At least two boxes of old electronics to the recycle joint & one of old office accessories to the Hospital Thrift Store.

The Second Goth Kitty Short Sock is ON the needles. Turning a heel while trying to yak over coffee in a cafe is tough so I cast on the second sock instead. It's so much easier to make ribbing or straight knit instead of working colored elastic markers & short rows in public. People like to stand around & ask silly questions while you're trying not to drop a stitch or elastic. I suppose I should learn to knit two socks at the same time on the same needles to simplify the process but I had a hard enough time learning THIS heel on the first two pairs of socks! I have the sort of brain that stays scrambled until the lemons line up & BING, it all drops into place. Sometimes my brain sorts the mess right away & sometimes it takes several lessons until the light comes on. I drove a couple of math teachers crazy because I have to understand what I'm doing before I can do it.

Pabaigh - The yarn has been wound into cakes & has been set out as my new TV project. Yes, I now have a new TV box. The knitting itself is all plain with nothing fancy at all. The body is almost straight with cap sleeves so it shouldn't take much work once it's on the needles. I suspect the worst part has been getting gauge & casting on since it's worked in one piece. Just give me a weekend of good dramas on Public TV or Knowledge & I'll be well on the way!

A Taste of Winter

Brrrrrrr - the weekend was positively freezing in my basement!! I ended up wearing the heavy duty hoodie I bought last winter in my office!! And then pulled out the big soup pot to make a winter batch of soup to warm up!! I was thrilled to run out & sit in my hot car yesterday when I saw the return of all that blue sky. It made me so happy I went off to Mcdonald's to have a chicken wrap & extra large coffee for lunch in my hot car too. I often sit in the corner of the parking lot in the shade & read while I drink my coffee, just to get away from the basement office. Today was not one of those relaxing lunches. Just as I got settled in with my coffee & ebook, the Gardeners arrived with gas powered trimmers & blowers & proceeded to manicure the bushes right next to my car which totally filled it with fumes .  .  .  .

Did I mention my new to me Janome sewing machine??? I've already rooted out all my old sewing patterns & peeped into my bins of fabric. I found three tunic tops all cut out & half finished. But it's the tropical raspberry rayon print fabric that really turns me on! And the 5 yards of equally wild hot pink/blue patterned rip-stop nylon that I bought for shopping bags!! I am seriously thinking of making small produce bags since I have plenty of big bags for heavy duty shopping. It's so exciting!! My poor old spinner will get forgotten again .  .  .

And back on the needles - finished one more pair of short summer socks that look just like the last pair. I used three balls of Knit Picks Felici sock to make two pairs of short socks in my favorite colorway, Goth Kitty. I do love that one!!! These are all mine, mine, mine. They don't disappear into the shoe when worn but show an inch of ribbing & two inches of plain knit above the heel so there's a little wild color showing above a grimy summer sneaker. The next pair - yes, I DO have two more balls of Goth Kitty - will be the standard sock of winter.

Pabaigh for Lara - well, it's still in the bottom of my bag. With Fall rapidly approaching, I'd better get it back on the needles!! It's been so damned hot that I couldn't knit outside on the west facing patio & good old Briggs & Little throws little 'bits' of debris into the air as I knit so I can't knit inside. Gawd, where did my normal lungs go???? So Pabaigh has languished in the bag all summer instead of being made .  .  .  .  But I have been shmoozing on the Starbucks patios with my favorite Techie boys lately - women are gone from their lives once more - so I can work on it while I admire their latest inventions  .   .   .

Is That Fall Outside??

My Winter Warmer

The last couple of days have been positively COLD for this time of year in the Vancouver burbs! I'm sitting in my WEST facing office with the blinds wide open & feeling a little too cool. I felt this way yesterday as well & actually dug out my old sweats!! Is summer over??? Or is this the result of all that smoke waaaay up in the stratosphere? I, personally, don't mind a little cool weather!! I'm still in love with this cowl from Knitter's!!!
 I have two lots of yarn spun up that could be used to make it. One lot was custom dyed for me in reds, pinks & blues which ended up a lot lighter than the pictured yarns but is still pretty nice. The other lot is in neon pink & lime green which I spun for a Stephen West shawl. Both of them would work up nicely with the custom dyed lot being pretty &  subdued while the pink & lime is right in your face! If it's cooler, then it's time to KNIT.

It's been a tough summer for me. Between the smoke. the pollution & the heat, I've found it hard to breathe. And if you can't breathe, you can't do much of anything!! Tuesday morning I went out early to do several errands while it was cool - I didn't get to finish all of them because it was much smokier than I realized. I was short of breath, started to cough, realized my puffer was in the knitting bag on my desk & had to go home. I coughed so much it made my ribs sore again & I thought I'd be sick in the car - thank gawd for icy air conditioning. And it's amazing how exhausted you feel after a bout of extreme coughing .  .  .  I slept like the dead for 3 hours!!

And if that wasn't enough, my favorite cafe is closed till the day after Labor Day!! Ack!! 

A Cooling Breeze

As everyone knows in the western part of North America, it's been too hot to move. I've pitied those who've had to move, especially those moving house in the Vancouver burbs where there's nowhere but the parks to move to. It was even too hot to breathe there for a while. With my newly acquired bad lungs, I stayed in the shade when I could , in air conditioning - the car is a wonder - when I had to go out & slept away the really bad late afternoons with the oscillating fan blowing on my lightly clad body.
It was even too hot to eat, knit or spin. So, I drank iced coffee & read the whole Anne of Green Gables series of books on my Kobo instead. It was nice sitting outside in the dark, late at night, reading & laughing about Anne's adventures. Megan Followes is the Anne that I remember from the series that ran on CBC & I couldn't help but see her face everywhere. Even though she's now a grandmother, she will always be Anne Shirley to me.

I successfully murdered my mice or it got too hot for them and they left the building. I really think the Rodenticide Pellets soaked in Sockeye salmon juices did the trick in the end. I mean what mouse in it's right mind could ignore SALMON juice??? Really???? Better than peanut butter or cheese!!!
                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Goth Kitty summer socks

The Rescue Fuchsia not only bushed out all over but is now flowering it's little head off. I thought it might be dead when I brought it home & it surely looked dead when I cut it all back before soaking it but it started sprouting within a day. It's now flowering once again & seems very happy at the back of the patio. Amazing what a little water will do for a flowering basket! I just wish I'd taken the other one as well when I had the chance .  .  .  . 

And speaking of rescue, I am now the proud owner of an old  Janome  sewing machine. It was a top-of-the-line machine when it's elderly owner bought it & has a lot of built in decorative as well as stretch stitches. All of the sewing 'feet' are in the machine as well as a zipper & button foot!! My only complaint is that it weighs a ton but that won't matter once I get it up onto my built-in sewing shelf in the bedroom. I already own a Janome serger which I bought back in the 80s when I took Stretch & Sew classes - my gawd, it sounds like a long time ago. But it seems that things were made to last back then - they certainly cost a lot more. But you weren't replacing them every 15 years like you do now! I may even get into some sewing projects this winter!!

Just a final picture of the latest Goth Kitty short socks. I really love this Knit Picks colorway & bought several balls. Most of my wardrobe consists of Pink/Purple with a little Red & Turquoise, it seemed the right combo to wear with almost everything.

Blazing Patios

I think this has been the hottest summer I can ever remember! Well, there was that summer in the mid 70s when I worked as a Home Support Worker when it was so hot the boss told us to take off the uniforms & wear sundresses & sandals. We had seniors fainting on sidewalks in New West. And I think I spent the whole summer doing laundry in hot, steamy Senior apartment buildings.

Usually, we get two or three weeks in August every year that bakes your socks off but THIS year has been baking since June!! It's been tough on ME especially this year since I'm still having breathing problems. I am better when I stay inside or inside my air-conditioned car during the hottest part  of the day but the cooler evenings after dark are the best. I think I sit outside in the dark reading for a couple of hours. I am soooo glad I bought a Kobo Aura so I can do that!  And don't laugh, I've been reading the Anne of Green Gables series. I think I was 10 when I read it last!! But, I got a Daily Deal notice from Kobo one day for the whole series for $1.99, so I bought it. Sure makes a nice change from British Detectives or Thrillers.

It's too hot to knit. I haven't finished anything. I haven't started anything. I have been washing all my knits & drying them outdoors on the rack on the patio instead. They smell so good when they dry outside, even with the air pollution & the neighbor next door who still burns all her garbage at night! But I am wishing for a good sea breeze move the air a bit!

This weekend Mars is the closest to Earth that it's been since 2003!! Apparently Mars will be the brightest 'star' in the sky this weekend & will be only about 36 million miles away!! And there's that Blood Moon to see as well. You can see it all on 'Night Sky' or 'SkyView' aps.

The local Safeway sure is popular in this heat wave. I've often said how nice it is to go down there & have lunch when you live in an apartment. There's a large seating area - they don't clean it much so bring your own wet ones & napkins - but the deli has added scads of new salads, the store has lots of sandwiches pre-made in the cooler, lots of finger foods ready to go too as well as cut fruit & Starbucks standing by with big, cold drinks! I must be getting really old, but it's a great place to cool off, have a cheap lunch & shop - all at the same time. Especially good if you just want to be cool for a while when the apartment is too hot!!

Just a Dawg

I haven't had a lot of interesting things going on in the last couple of weeks  -  my life has become rather dull. There's nothing much to report other than my 80 year old - next month - Ex gets to keep his license for two more years!  He was so stressed out about losing it since he lives in a corner of the town with nothing within walking distance & poor bus service. But, he's safe for two more years!!!

My efforts to KILL my mice continue! There's a lot of good stuff in the back of my cupboards apparently - like packages of pop corn - that seem to be more interesting than my poisoned peanut butter. So I concocted a new poisonous package with cheese. I bought some Swiss cheese slices & they were tasteless to me but apparently not to mice. The package has vanished!!

It's been so hot this week that I've been doing laundry so I can hang it outside to dry. Since I have a teeny washer & only one rack, the process has been lengthy. But, oh my, how GOOD towels smell when they dry in the sunshine!!! Yesterday was sooooo hot that TWO heavy bath-towels dried in 20 minutes on my patio. I've pulled all the winter socks out. And today, a winter quilt. If I'm going to swelter in the heat, then I'll get some use out of it. On days like this, I wish I had a solar cooker so I could make dinner while the towels dry!!

My rescued fuchsia is leafing out all over. I cut it back, soaked it really good & tucked it into the very back of my patio where the big box of ferns used to be. Apparently it loves the spot & is already setting tiny buds! I should get my ass in gear & re-pot a couple of other things too. Like that poor spider plant that's lived in a plastic drinking glass for 10 years .  .  .  .  And the Jade plant the mouse was living in!

Haven't taken my Indian spinner outside for a spin this summer but I really must. I've been sitting outside in the cool evenings with my knitting instead, making short summer socks. But, I now have 5 or 6 pairs & should be fine for the summer.
Must get that vest done for my niece before it gets cold too since I really need to knit it outside with all the 'bits' it throws off as I work with it. I bought the same B&G Tuffy yarn in RED for myself. I have a 'jacket' pattern that's really a poncho with arms for myself for the winter. I wanted something warm but not too warm that was easy to wear. I don't want to have to take it on & off all the time but I need something when getting from the house to the car & back.

I've been listening to the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear. Maisie starts out in life as a poor girl around 1900 who goes into service as a maid at 12. Her employers notice how smart she is & send her to school where she wins a place at the University.  WWI breaks out & Maisie trains as a nurse & goes to France. She survives the war to eventually become an 'investigator' who does 'Discrete' investigations. The series is very well written & as true to the period as possible. I think I'm now up to the mid 30's.

A Mouse Did It

It's been a tough week this week. Even though it's been a short week, it's still been tough. I started off by moving stuff that hasn't been moved in eons only to find my one little mouse has become generations of mice nicely homed in an old fleece in a basket. I suspect they've been coming & going thru the office window which opens onto the back stairs. One damn mouse made a home in my very large Jade plant by burrowing deep under the roots - the plant is so heavy that I don't really move it anymore!! So, I've been waging war on mice with Rat Pellets & Peanut Butter. Oh, how they love the mixture!!

I was moving things to find the bin/s of combed & dyed spinning fibre. Yes, spinning fibre. I now understand that I'll be working a lot longer than I planned & spinning a lot less as a result. I also like to knit & the two don't always go together very well in my world. I seem to have long periods of one or the other .   .   .    so while I have friendly spinners around, I want to sell off some of the stuff I know I'll never get to. I bought way more than I ever needed - it was investment buying!! hahahaha  Trust me, the Passionate Purple, Magenta & tropical Paua are NOT being sold off!! But I have subscription offerings & individual packages which ARE being sold. I very carefully stored them all away in giant Rubber Maid tubs which are NOT labeled or transparent. Stupid me.

I decided I'd rather spin fleeces, which are easier on hands that hurt & yield amounts that can make a vest or sweater. I always liked spinning from the fleece. Probably because that's how I learned to spin back in the 70s! We didn't have dyed, combed anything available to us. We had mostly white fleeces from Australia & local fleeces that almost no one wanted! If you wanted color, you dyed your own! Occasionally, a grey or brown fleece appeared but mostly the only choice was white. I ended up being seduced by all the color available 30 years later!! I love color. But, funny as it sounds, when all is said & done, I prefer lighter greys for spinning because I can wear the yarn on it's own, combine it with colored yarns or over-dye it if I want. I can't wear white at all!

But, I am NOT moving anything today. Today I'm just stiff & sore & recovering from yesterday! Yesterday I had a WCB Audit. What an adventure!! There was only ONE handicap parking spot & not available to me. It was probably the hottest day of the year to be hobbling across a half acre of blacktop parking lot with a heavy bag & a cane. By the time I got to the main door - Reception was at the other end of the building - I had to sit down, take a pee & use my puffer in any order! No bench, no washroom for the public on the main floor at all & a trickling water feature greeted me. By the time I got myself together, used the elevator, found a washroom & located Reception, I was 10 minutes late & listening to my phone ringing in my bag. Thank gawd  the building was air conditioned!!!  The young  man doing my audit was very nice & finished in about 20 minutes!  I told him I was really shocked at how unfriendly WCB is about handicap access. One would think that a place who's Claim to Fame is to look after injured workers would be totally accessible!! ONE parking spot!! No ramp to get on/off the sidewalk to the parking. No sitting place at the door - not even a ledge - to rest. It's tough work hobbling across a parking lot with a cane & a bag of documents!! No accessible washroom & no directions to a washroom in the lobby. Just a sign that said - "Please check in with Reception when you arrive".  I couldn't FIND Reception.  

Happy Holiday Monday

Since the TV died last fall, I often don't know what day it is. So I missed the Official Canada Day celebration. I was home, doing laundry & lounging outside to watch it dry in the afternoon sun.

While guarding the laundry on it's drying rack, I listened to Heinlein's "Door into Summer" for the umteenth time - I love Pete & Danny - & worked on my Goth Kitty short summer socks. Finished the first & turned the heel on the second one. I really like this Goth Kitty colorway from Knit Picks! Grey, Pink & Purple - most of my favorite colors all in one sock!! And one ball made one & a half short socks. I bought four balls!!!

Haven't done much new book reading so far this summer but I have been re-reading  'Raven Black' book 1 in Ann Cleeves' Shetland series on my Kobo ebook reader. I take that reader with me everywhere I go. Even if I only go thru the drive-thru for a coffee, I take it with me. I have the back-lit version with e-ink so there's no glare on the screen if I read it out in the sun & the screen is evenly lit in the dark. None of that flashlight effect you get with a book light!! Although I love audio books when I work, I love to curl up & read too. Some books are just better when you read them yourself!!!

Not much progress on the farming niece's vest. I've been having a bad Spring with all the pollution, mould & pollen floating around & have avoided knitting with anything that throws off 'bits' when it's worked with. Good old Briggs & Little yarns make me wheeze. I have contemplated soaking the skeins in conditioner & 'beating' them on the post outside to tame the 'fly-aways' because they DO wear like iron & soften with use. Now that the weather is warmer, I am hoping to get it finished as I lounge out on the patio watching the laundry dry!

Can This be Saved???

The boys at my favorite cafe in the Industrial Park not only cook up a good meal but they try very hard to make the place nice for the grubby clientele. The majority are truck drivers, mechanics & city workers in muddy/dirty boots & unwashed hands most of the year. The boys decided to hang a couple of big baskets of flowers on either side of the door this year so we can bang out heads on one or the other while coming & going from the cafe. But, they're only pretty as long as someone waters them. While visiting on Friday, I took pity on the Fuchsia basket & took it down. It was covered with buds but cooked to a crisp. The staff said it wasn't their job to water it. It's now sitting on my patio table resting in the shade soaking up H2O. I thought I'd give it a day or two to revive before I give it a good clip & see if it will sprout again. I know, it's a hellova way to get flowers!!

I managed to take a shot of the finished Hopscotch socks!! They are pretty & I sort of wish I'd've bought another couple of balls since they would make very nice short summer socks. But, there is some left over out of each ball that will go nicely with other leftovers so I may get another pair of scrappy shorties. And the heel is turned - I'm actually half way down the foot - on the first of my Goth Kitty short socks. Hopefully it will be finished this weekend & the second sock on the needles by Monday. I can use them NOW.

Heat Wave

Goth Kitty

It's summertime & the living is easy  .  .  .   thank gawd for bagged salads, rotisserie chicken & cold cider!!  We are finally in the middle of a heat wave in my part of the world & I have no intention of cooking, even for myself, every day. The basement is deliciously cool & I intend to keep it that way! I indulged in a big bag of Ancient Grains cereal, blue berries & a gallon of milk along with bags of broccoli & cabbage slaw, mixed greens, snap peas, baby veg & hummus to go with the rotisserie chicken & meat pies. I can cook when it's cold outside!

I thought I'd peruse the BC Liquor website & see what kind of cider they have. I'm not a big drinker but I like a cold one once in a while like everyone else. I also like a shot of sumpin sumpin in my tea occasionally too. And I won't turn my nose up at a tall, frosty cocktail neither.
Have you ever really looked at the government liquor website??? I was quite shocked at some of the offerings. I did expect the imported single malt whiskies to be pricey but $41,000 a bottle??? There's even one in a Lalique bottle & a Russian vodka in enamel. Cognac was anywhere from $250 to $25,000 a bottle. Who drinks this stuff???
Obviously there must be a market - can you see it all now??? Lunching ladies talk about Father's Day the week after - " Well daaaarling, I bought Himself a 22k gold & jade money clip while  the children picked up a 50 year old bottle of single malt from some backwater island in Scotland for $25,000".

Hopscotch 

On the knitting front - finished my Hopscotch Socks at last. I took pity on them, brought them in from the car & just did it. I just wasn't working on them at all. The Ex's last two eye appointments were so short, I barely got the ticket purchased!!!
I've cast-on a pair of short socks in Goth Kitty. I loved that colorway so much I bought FOUR balls.
And I've finally figured out the gauge for the cowled vest I'm making for my niece - I hate it but I'm knitting worsted yarn on a 3.25 mm needle. It's a little hard on the hands to knit so firmly but I'm making the small size so it won't be too long of a knit over all. I will just have to knit it outside since the Briggs & Little yarn throws 'bits' into the air as I work with it & it makes me wheeze.

Summer Daze

Here I am & suddenly it's JUNE!! I'm getting older by the minute. Not a helluva lot going on in my life these days except bookkeeping work that I thought I was leaving behind. But, I promised myself I would work until I had my credit card balance paid off & it's rapidly reducing - I really look forward to that monthly statement these days!!!

I was taken out for a Chinese dinner yesterday by a friend I don't see very often. He was actually on his way to Costa Rica for 10 days - leaving on the Red Eye - his first trip out of North America!!! He was so excited. He's a single dad who stayed home & raised his kid until she left home last fall so everyone's been pushing him to get out & see the sights - and meet some nice women too - before he gets too old. He promised pictures!

Meanwhile, back at the Basement - I'm finding it hard to get excited about plants in pots this year. I found it hard last year too. Maybe it's time to shift most of the pots into the recycling, put up a curtain or two & spend the summer with one or two glorious baskets of Succulents & a wind chime instead. The back yard got overrun with that damn Morning Glory last year & I was too short of breath to hack it back. It came back with a vengeance this year in the middle of allergy season & I was short of breath when I went outside. It's been reduced by a couple of hot days & a lot of yanking but I don't want to water out there for fear of helping it come back once more. I do miss the ferns though .   .   .   .

Pabaigh has been frogged. It's just not normal to knit worsted yarn on a 3mm needle!! It's hard on
the hands & wrists!! But, knitting on the 5mm needle that I'd normally use made it 5 sizes too big. And it's already designed to have 12 inches of ease. My biggest problem is getting gauge in the round - I tend to relax, so it will grow - but I don't like working with the smaller needle. I may have to do some math & recalculate everything in MY gauge. It's a pretty simple design so that may be what I do in the end .  .  .  .   One more try on the smaller needles though - I'll knit a big swatch in the round & see how I feel.

Ahhhhh . . . feel GOOD

I don't know what's going on in the outside world so much but I am amazed at what's going on in mine. Yesterday I realized that nothing hurt when I got up. I'm not saying that I jumped out of bed, bounced to the bathroom & yodeled, 'Hello World' at the top of my lungs while I tap danced into the shower, but considering how I've been feeling for a very long time, it was close!!  Nothing hurts!  I didn't make 'Old Woman' noises as I got out of bed & I can breathe like a normal person!!  I'm not coughing!!  I can honestly say that I haven't felt this good since I had my throat surgery & was able to talk again.

Haven't really changed my diet although I've switched to 2% milk, eat High Fibre whenever possible & pretty much stopped eating anything fried. I try to add more greens to everything but still have days when I don't have any. Drink?? I don't really drink other than water, tea & a coffee - if I go out.

One thing I have done is adjust my head about medication. I hate taking it  & have had a hard time believing I am now on drugs for life. I haven't been good about taking them over the long haul.  Instead of taking them every day to PREVENT attacks, I quit when I'm feeling better. Which brings on another attack .  .  .   The fact is - I no longer function without it. The Zombies will get me after the Apocalypse because I'll be struggling to breathe. I'm really counting on knitting & spinning to save me from them in the end.

And talking about Knitting - I am in the process of casting-on PABAIGH from Kate Davies. This is a tee shirt style vest with a cowl attached. It's knit in one piece from the bottom to the funnel shaped cowl. It caught my fancy because it's a simple layering piece that can be adjusted easily. My favorite niece doesn't want shawls or bits of kit that fall off, get laid down somewhere, need adjusting or are precious because most of her time is spent working outside on her 'farm'. She complains about hats & scarves that fall off when she bends over to shovel poop, mittens that are useless when she has to untie rope or twine or sweaters that pull up in the back when she bends over.  A lot of today's accessories are not good for her. 

This cap sleeved sweater/vest solves a couple of problems as I see it, it can be made longer, wider or narrower as desired, it knits up quickly, it can be worn over a lighter shirt for extra warmth when you don't really need a jacket, it can be worn over a heavy shirt or under a jacket when you need a little extra without too much bulk & the cowl will never fall off. I was thinking about making this first one a little boxier than a sweater. I'm using good old Briggs & Little 'Tuffy' in 'DENIM' which is 80% wool & 20% nylon in a 2 ply medium or worsted yarn. It's certainly NOT next-to-skin soft but it will wear like IRON in the barnyard. It won't care if it gets poop or slobber on it & will soften up with handling & wear but still retains it's shape. There's nothing like a new project to get your juices flowing!!!

August in May

After 3 lovely hot days reminiscent of late August, the basement has warmed up noticeably & the cold cement floors feel divine underfoot. Even the mouse in my closet is enjoying the warm days!! And speaking of that mouse, after buying something called 'Rat & Mouse killer' last month, I have discovered that I need a 'feeding device' to dispense the stuff. Stupid me just tucked the little plastic bags along the route the mouse likes to take & wondered why the damned mouse was still alive. I have never intentionally killed a mouse in my life so I guess I can be forgiven one mistake!! Watch out Mouse, I have now opened the bags & put the contents into 'feeding' stations. Your days are numbered .   .   .   .

I'm down to three projects & MY tax return!! Hopefully, they will all be finished by the end of the month & I can spin the summer away on my patio. I have several knitting projects I want to tackle as well - maybe even finish up one I started for myself last year. My poor old house sweater needs to be trashed - it's 17 years old & ratty in the current incarnation. Some is cat damage & some is just plain old age - I bought this yarn in the 70s & it's been knit & reknit at least 3 times since then.


The other night, in a fit of midnight on-line shopping, I bought 10 balls of RED Briggs & Little "Tuffy" & 5 balls of BLUE JEANS at 40% off. I should freeze my credit card!!! But, it was a good deal, will wash & wear very well & knit up quickly. I confess to craving some RED Briggs & Little for ages & bought a pattern months ago. The Blue Jeans will be knit into a vest with a cowl for the Bee Queen as a layering piece. She actually looks her best in Jewel colors but keeps buying the GREENS her mother loved. I thought the blue cowled vest would ease her gently into better color.

The Bee Queen (my niece) is dividing her hives up the Valley & says she's imported some new California queen bees to expand her brood. With the shortage of bees around the world, she's really excited about increasing her hives. She originally thought it would be fun to have a hive or two out in the field to make sure her fruit trees got pollinated. Then she discovered her first home grown honey & was smitten! She took the Bee course & is now raising her own bees. All of hers survived the winter & she's now creating new hives from the old. She tells me there's far more money in growing Bee Hives than in honey & thinks this will be a great retirement income project. Okay kid. She's talking about retiring early when she has her 25 years in, selling the farm to developers & buying a Hippy Dippy place on one of the Gulf Islands to grow chickens & bees & learn how to spin. She plans on taking her old aunty with her. I told her it was fine with me as long as I have an indoor toilet.

Happy Mother's Day Weekend

The Ex called this morning to ask me out for Chinese - we try to go out once a week to keep in touch &  we have a favorite little spot that I introduced him to before we got married 30 years ago.  It continues to be a favorite. The food is well prepared & generous, lots of oriental dishes are on the menu as well as the 'North American' version of what Chinese oughta be. I found this place when I was in my 20's  - lucky me - as relief from the Rickshaw in downtown Surrey where my Dad & all his waterfront cronies ate what they called 'Chinese Food' on Saturday nights. My Dad couldn't understand that tomato fried rice, chow mein & chop suey were not Chinese & the Rickshaw didn't serve the kind of food I was used to eating downtown in Chinatown.

What has this to do with Mother's Day, you ask??? Well, the one thing you could count on with my Dad is that he loved parties, loved gifts & hated to shop. Once he found somewhere or something that worked for him, he never varied from it unless forced. I have inherited a little too much of that from him!! Good old Dad. When he was told that Whalley Hardware brought in non-hardware gifts for important holidays, wrapped them & stayed open late for men only on Thursdays, he never shopped anywhere else. All my gifts from age 11 on came from the Hardware!! You could count on him to order up the FOOD for any celebration too! Yup. The Rickshaw would deliver. If he wanted to go out - the Rickshaw had private party space as well as the dining room.

One year, when I was a student living on my own, I decided I'd had enough & I would bring the food for Mother's Day myself. Mom could always count on a gift from the  Hardware from Dad, cards & chocolates from the kids & the Rickshaw's Chinese for dinner. But that year, I brought the food from MY little place. I practically had to hand feed Dad for a while but he got over it when he found the deep fried wontons & sweet & sour dipping sauce. Mom never even got a taste.

So, did my little place change Dad?? Not as far as Chinese food went, I think he really liked the fluorescent sauces & over salted dishes at the Rickshaw. Maybe it was the company over there, too. But one thing I did notice, Dad was eating steak at Jim's Hideaway on Father's Day.

After Tax

Hello Blog - I guess it's just about time to get off my ass & do some updating! The problem with updating is that you need something interesting to update about. Working for a living isn't all that exciting but it sure gives you a lot more grist for the mill because retirement is mighty short of interesting things to talk about on a day to day basis.

Just finished the most tiring tax year I can remember in ages. Everyone had a problem. People moved. People bought & sold homes. People married. People died. And two new little ones came into the world. No one thought to check the tax implications before they did what they did & a few sure were surprised. But life goes on & I think it's time to file my own tax .  .  .  .

On my desk I have four balls of yarn to make the MKAL - the Yarnmaid's Tale from Jimmy Beans!!! Since I already have two clues, I have to get in gear!!! The original color choices were Scarlet - for the Maid & Black - called Under His Eye but this is for my niece Lara & she's into everything GREEN. So I chose a dark Asphalt & Tarragon, a greyed green for her. Just a little something to get me back into the swing of things!!  I read the Handmaid's Tale many years ago when it was included in a huge reading list for a Canadian lit course along with The Stone Angel & The Book of Eve. All the novels were by & about Women & everyone of us thought the Handmaid was waaay out there - we are talking about the 70s here now kiddies. Take a close look at today's world. A slight Political shift to the left, a little less separation of church & state & a repeal or two of some rights & we're on the way .   .   .   .

Another Year Older . . . .

Yesterday was my birthday. Not a great day as days go these days. It was grey & drizzly & I groaned as I got out of bed once more. You'd think things could be different on a birthday, that you could leap out with renewed vigor & excitement even if it's only for a few hours, but that didn't happen yesterday. But, there were a few bright spots to make the day better. Starbucks had a FREE GOODIE for me on my birthday - food or drink - it was my choice & I bounced between a very large Mocha or a slice of banana bread in my head. I also took myself off for lunch  - my favorite lightly dressed Ceasar salad & a chicken wrap - before picking up the last two tax returns from my shut-ins.

After lunch, with the car idling while I chatted with my elderly friend, the fan came on with a roar & a bang. Smoke blew out the front & back with a terrible stink!! I thought I'd blown the head gasket. But, the car kept running. No emergency lights came on on the dash. No Check Engine light flashed. No liquids poured out. Just smoke & stink. I thought maybe the heater core went but I had heat & no cloud of vapor INSIDE the car. So I hopped in, put it in gear & took myself across town to my machine shop mechanic to find out what happened.

I got Dave out of bed to check my car. Poor Dave had worked all night on a truck. But he got dressed & soon figured out what happened. Turns out I have two radiators in the car. One cools the transmission & one cools the motor. Somehow the bracket holding the smaller transmission rad broke off on the bottom corner - pot holes???? Are you reading this City of Surrey??? which left it loose & swinging in the breeze. While idling, the temp went up, the fan came on & the small rad blew into the big rad with a bang. Nice hit. The contents of the big rad sprayed directly onto the hot engine causing the stink & the smoke.

Lucky me. Lordco had my rad in stock & put a RUSH delivery on it. I had my MasterCard with me, remembered my PIN & got my mechanic's 30% discount in the process!! Three & a half hours later everything was installed, cleaned up & ready to go. Yessssssssssss  And off to Starbucks I ran. Lights  were still on, raced to the drive-thru & found only the cleaners on site. It was a quiet night so Elvis left the building early  .   .   .   .