Its all gone!

The snow that made the roads so very treacherous Tuesday morning is now just a memory. Well, there's just a tad left on the roof of the shed next door but that's about it. Now that's snow I can deal with . . . the only remains of our nasty White Christmas are piled along roadsides & in parking lots - in most Handicapped stalls - & will probably still be with us till Easter unless we get some really warm weather or a lot of rain. As long as the heater in my car works, I just don't care!

Speaking of my car, I have an Oil Light indicator with an audible DING. It rings constantly since the mechanic put the new thermostat in my car. Now heat is really good when there's ice & snow so I'm not willing to give up the thermostat but that damned DINGER is driving me crazy. If I crank up the Country music, it drowns out the Dinger but you sure can't have a conversation with a passenger. So yesterday, the mechanic made a House Call. Took him an hour & a half to take apart the dash in my car before he admitted he couldn't find the DINGER wire to snip it. Oh he could hear that damned thing but couldn't find the source. Oh, said I, do you want me to find the wiring diagram on the computer for you?? So I looked it up & printed it off. The COMPUTER in the car controls the DINGER. Shit. Took him an hour to put the dash back together & we have two screws left over.

I had a little meltdown the other day when my phone rang to tell me I had a message waiting. Now, my phone doesn't always TELL me right away when I have messages so I wondered who had called - I mean it's not like I can even hear it in the car. Turns out it was the message the BT left me just before Christmas that caused me to give us BOTH a Merry Christmas. Seems I hadn't erased it. It came calling again to boot me in the ass & I lost it.

So with the message, the dinger & the useless housecall, my week isn't shaping up really well. So I went out yesterday afternoon & bought the biggest bottle of Carolans I could find!! And had a nice shot of Irish Creme Liqueur in my tea to make it all better. Sigh, I need a NEW BT . . . .

Here we go again

The weatherman said "flurries"! Well, it wasn't flurries this morning when my ink cartridge ran out & left me with nothing but blank sheets & estimate forms to print. I had no choice in the matter, I had to go out into the snow & get my cartridges filled. The roads were NOT nice so when I slid into the Safeway, I moved my Dentist appointment from later this afternoon to tomorrow afternoon!! The weatherman promised rain by then!! And, by the time I got a few things, learned how to use the Automatic Checkout - Hey, no more line-ups!!! - & got back to my car, the temperature had gone up enough that the roads were all bare & wet!!! In one hour!! Hah!

I don't know what's going on anymore . . . . .


I've finished my new socks! I really like this yarn. It's a little thicker than my usual Confetti or Regia & feels really nice now that it's knitted up. I think I'll enjoy wearing them. Even if they're not my usual style.



And I've turned the heel on the first sock for the 'Someone Special' socks. The other one is in progress as I type & I've been contemplating toe colors. I may make them navy because I don't have any light blue or tan. I think I remember when Gail knitted this up for herself - she was looking all over town for the same tannish, rusty brown for toes for her socks. I think she ended up using the navy in the end too. We'll see how it goes when I get to the toes.

Today was definitely a soup day. I decided while in Safeway that it should be a Corn Chowder day. I found THREE bags of frozen corn in the freezer - yeah, more leftovers from my 'shopping for two' days. So Corn Chowder it is. I found some fresh Chorizo sausage, sometimes I use Mennonite smoked Turkey sausage & sometimes leftover ham. I bought red & yellow potatoes & a couple of yams too. I brown the sausage, throw in some chopped onion, 4 cups of chicken broth if I have it or water if I don't, the spuds & yams in small chunks, fresh ground pepper & let the whole thing simmer for a couple of hours. I put in a couple of cups of milk & enough instant mashed potato flakes to thicken it a little when the spuds are done. Put on the top & let it sit on warm. It goes down very nicely with any kind of crusty bread or even warm pitas & tastes even better the second day. Often I use the same basic recipe for seafood chowder but cook the spuds & yams in chicken broth with smoked fish first & then add the remainder of the cut up fish & prawns to cook in the hot liquid when I let it sit. Cheap, filling & tasty. Warms you up after shoveling snow, raking leaves or walking the pooch. I may even share some of it with my Ex who seems to be always underfoot these days . . . .

What happened???

So where'd the sunshine go?? The fog went with it. We're back to that steel grey sky again - does this mean we'll actually get those snow flurries today???? OMG.

The cat is curled up in a ball on her Christmas blankey with the paw prints on it on her shelf on the window ledge. She twitches & gives out with a moaning sigh every so often. I wonder what cats dream of? Chasing birds?? Mice?? Raccoons? Eating? I know mine chases everything out of the yard & likes eating cheese & chips. She'll take a chunk out of your leg if you don't give her a piece of shrimp chip!! Or she'll sneak a drink out of your glass of milk if you aren't looking . . . .

Boy is she gonna be pissed in April when I head off to the Spring Retreat. I've just found out I can still go & I decided on the fly to just pick up & go!!! With the window open, the toilet open, the big bowl full of crunchies & the litter box freshly cleaned, I think the cat will be okay for three days on her own. Yeah, she howls at nite but the kids upstairs scream, swear, stomp & fight at nite too, so what the hell . . . why should I care? I'm giving myself a birthday present this year. And I may even go to the Fall one too.

Is that Sunshine?

I woke up early this AM to more fog! Grrrrr - but Chinese New Year is almost here so I decided to go for BBQ pork, tea, fresh shrimp chips, noodles & greens!! The fog lifted while I was shopping & I came out to a glorious burst of sunshine!! I just knew that's why I packed my knitting bag with me this morning! Time to go sit & knit at Starbucks for an hour or so! Called Gail & got her to come & join me for some theraputic rays. Yessiree, one glorious, gorgeous day. The kind that makes you get up & yodel!!!
I'm looking forward to shorts, thongs & tees . . . .


So what's in the knitting bag, you ask?? Well, the obvious - socks! Remember the pink & blue ball I bought for myself?? Well, it knits into broad bands of color. I didn't expect this when I bought it but I'm growing fonder of it all the time. The girls keep laughing at me because my favorite tee shirt is broad horizontal lavender, pink & white stripes BUT, I keep reminding them that these socks are just a little girly for me.

I have a second pair on the needles in a color that I'm not so fond of but they're not for me so I guess it doesn't matter. Gail told me she knit herself a pair out of this very color a long time ago - I think this yarn has been aging in a stash for some time . . . I'm knitting these on my 2mm Brittany Birch needles so they work up a little denser than normal. I thought they might be a little warmer that way. And these socks will eventually go to a friend who has never had anyone knit a pair of socks for HER - boy is she gonna be surprised!!!


And then there's all that UGLY yarn. Well, I think it's ugly anyway. But, since it's for a man who doesn't care what color his socks are as long as they fit, well, I guess it doesn't matter. I don't have to wear them. As I said before though, ugly yarn takes longer to knit. There's nothing to look forward to but the end of the sock. I may be crazy but I think size 13 Frankensocks would knit a lot faster than size 13 Ugly socks. But that's just MY opinion.

Ahhhhhhhhhh . . . . . Sock yarn shopping!


I made the run to my local yarn shop on the way to work today to pick up some balls of the "UGLY" sock yarn on sale. Well, it's not really ugly I suppose but it's dark or muted colors - the guys really like most of it - but it sure isn't much to look at. It's the sort of yarn that knits slowly because there's no excitement about it. But, I suppose when you're knitting socks for a size 13 foot as wide as a house, there isn't going to be much excitement. Unless you count the thrill of actually finishing!!
So I blew the budget & bought 22 balls at half price. Why so many??? Well, it takes almost three balls to knit a pair of size 13 canal barge covers. Hey - I gotta pay for the spinning wheel.

On the way home, I stopped & got rid of the last 5 loaves of bread that needed a home. I got a warm welcome, a home brewed Cappuccino, a doggie kiss or two & a nice cuddle in a deeeeeep chair that I needed help to get out of. I love my friends.

What's with all this FOG??

First we get snow, then it rains too much & now it's FOG??? Whatinhell's going on with our weather?? I did NOT have a good time driving home last nite from across town through the dark & fog! One at a time is enough, thanx!!

So I took my Ex out for breakfast this morning. I bought a box of frozen chicken breasts on sale the other nite & couldn't get them in the freezer when I got home. I'd forgotten that I'd picked up 10 loaves of Healthy bread on sale for the BT a while back & intended to stuff them into the freezer of his fridge before he got home. Sort of like all the juice & canned stuff I bought on sale over the last three months which were supposed to go there too . . . . anyway - I had to take out the bread to get the chicken in - you know where MY priorities are!! So I have 8 loaves that need a home. I thought about abandoning them at the nearest shelter but a couple of phone calls later, I found homes for them. My Ex volunteered to adopt a couple of loaves to go with the Hamburger Soup I made - hence the breakfast meeting!
So, while at breakfast he asks me how I'm doing without my 'friend'. I told him I'm doing just fine. He's still doesn't quite believe that we've parted company permanently. And he doesn't want to upset me by badmouthing the guy, dancing on the table or cheering out loud - but I can tell he's thrilled. And, he's up to something. So, he asks about my future plans. Well, I mention that I should finish those last two courses that I haven't been able to afford. And that I want to get that new spinning wheel I've had on Lay-a-way since last spring but haven't been able to afford. And that I'm inquiring about a job in Bella Bella that pays a salary & offers free accommodation & moving expenses. I certainly wouldn't run into the BT in Bella Bella now, would I???
The Ex asks how much the spinning wheel costs. About $800 I say. Which is why it's still on Lay-a-way!!! He offers to pay the balance. Oh, & could he please have some socks too. Holy Crap.

A change is as good as a rest . . .


So Ginny is back on the needles - thank Goodness for the Denise 60" cord!!! I am once again, working this from the top down. Most of the purple & lavender yarn in this project is recycled from other sweaters I have owned. The yarn is probably 30 years old from Scheepsjwool - I hope I spelled it correctly!!! It's mostly wool, hand washable & I bought all of it in the Bargain Bin in an old yarn store in PoCo back in the late 70s when I worked over there. That shop had only European yarns, mostly German, in those days & I couldn't afford to knit with anything that wasn't in the Bargain Bin. I think I bought all the shades of purple she had & a teal too - I have a couple of teal balls left!! I've loved all the incarnations of this yarn - I used to knit sweaters with front detail like cables or lace panels in solid colors. But now, I'm branching out!

So, I decided I needed a new sock project - who doesn't??? I found this 100 gm ball of Garn Studios yarn in the prettiest colors - not my usual thing but I liked it. I did not expect the blocks of solid color that I'm getting with these socks but they're interesting. I decided to make them a little longer than my usual socks so I guess they'll be Winter Socks. I'm not sure if I'll wear them myself of whether they'll go into the sock basket. We'll see.
I talked to my mother on Christmas Day - she converted to the Jehovah's Witnesses when she married my step-father so I like to bug her a little now & then!! LOL She was complaining about being snowed in up in Vernon & having cold feet all the time . . . . oh, I feel a new sock wardrobe coming on . . . . Mom doesn't mind Frankensocks either!!!


And then there's that Marble. I just loved the color when I saw this yarn. Knitopia, in Langley, BC, carries only one kind of acrylic yarn & Marble is it. Lynne, the owner, says its a quality yarn & wears very well. I fondled it for a while before buying any. In my books, acrylic is for afghans & kids' stuff because both are constantly in the wash!! But this Marble yarn is sooooooo nice that I may just change my mind. I was experimenting with some swatches & I can get 5 stitches to the inch without it looking too loose or too tight & still have a very nice fabric. I'm debating. I bought a book of lacy patterns because of a sweater pattern that I just loved. Of course it's in a size that's half of what I need but, with bigger needles & the Marble & a little math . . . hmmmm. Time to swatch some more I think.

Free at last, free at last!!


Free in more ways than one! 2009 has given me back my life. The BT is gone, my stress is way down & I can finally get out of my driveway.
I'll try not to complain to much about the rain again! Well, not for month or two anyway. So much rain fell over the last couple of days that not only is my drive bare & wet, but even the undug sidewalk & the mostly impassible alley are all bare & wet!! Side streets are once more free to roam - only parking lots are not as bare since the mountains of white stuff piled there may stick around till spring! It's so nice to just get in the car & go out to pick up fresh oranges. I was able to go knitting with the Gang, TWICE this week!

I even managed to get out to have coffee with friends I haven't had time to see in months. I met their new pooch - a Leonburger hound. Some big, blonde, German fibre animal that will be just under 150 pounds when fully grown!!! A nice companion to the Black Lab/St Bernard cross they already have! Good thing they have 5 acres - they need it!!! I am to be the recipient of the next bag of pooch hair from the dogs - the owner would like a pair of Barn Socks to keep her feet warm when she goes out to feed & groom the horses. Okaaaaaaay . . I can do that. I think I'll just card wool, mohair & pooch to make them.

I'm madly working on Arvik again - I hauled Ginny out & was putting it on the 60" Denise cable when I spotted a PULL in the sweater!! A great big long pull!! It looks like the CAT, over Christmas when she couldn't go outside, started exploring & made a bed in the bag with Ginny. Apparently, she got a claw caught & pulled a big loop after her when she left . . . . I've had to frog Ginny all the way back to the YOKE!!! Sigh . . . . Good thing I tied the top of the bag that the Arvik sweater was in!! Damn Cat! So, I'm working on Arvik. By the time I finish, I probably won't need anything really warm anyway!

I have enough B&L left to knit myself a Wallaby. I bought shades-of-purple Marble yarn to knit myself a Wallaby & the B&L was for the BT. Oh, I also bought some lovely Eton in a Robin's Egg blue to knit a sweater for you know who, too. Is this a case of the Boyfriend Sweater curse??? I have all this yarn. And all the Raspberry Dalesman yarn I collected over the years to knit myself a couple of jackets! So I guess I'm going to be doing a lot of knitting this year. For ME.

Another Snowy Monday


So I woke up this morning at 5:38 to the sound of my neighbor spinning his wheels whilst trying to get out of his drive. He's the guy, with several other guys, who occupy the drive directly across the alley from me. Did they shovel over the weekend when we got even more snow? Yup. Their wives broke all the ice with hammers & shoveled everything halfway out into the alley to boot. And then it snowed again last nite. The guy with the spinning wheels spent almost three hours spinning, digging, cursing & banging out there before he got out. I see half of my driveway is now dug too. Guess I'll just stay home & work in the home office.

I finally finished the Carpenter Wallaby last nite. I think the garter stitch hood took as long to knit as the whole yoke!! I really grew much fonder of old Briggs & Little as I knit this sweater. Although there were some bits & prickly pieces to pick out of the yarn, it wasn't excessive. But, I noticed B&G puts out little particles into the air which make me cough when I frog. Notice to self - Don't Make Mistakes!!! The carpenter is also hoping for an earflap hat to go with his sweater - I was going to make him a balaclava - Knitty has a great one - but I think B&G is too scratchy for next-to-face wear!!

My biggest complaint with B&G is getting skeins into balls. The skeins don't seem to be too willing to co-operate unless you hand wind a ball first. Yes, I snapped that damned skein - many times - but it sticks together & always becomes tangled. So I unwind by hand into a ball which can be fed around, under & between errant strands & then rewind it into a nice centre pull ball.

The finished product is much softer than I expected from handling the skeins in the store! I might even knit myself a Wallaby - I certainly have enough yarn to do so now that I have no one else to knit for.

Ginny is already partially on the big 60" cable so I can finish the neck, fronts & bottom. I may just do seed stitch rather than garter but will decide when I actually sit down to do it. I need that sweater so whatever is fastest wins!!! So my work is cut out for me for the week!! I surely hope we get rain & not more snow . . . .

I Had a Day Out


I had a lovely day out yesterday. The sun eventually came out & I thought I'd shovel the drive once more. I did about half of it - only a couple of inches or so & thought, what the heck, why not just go??? So I did. I picked up two weeks of mail for a start & then called in at the Dollar Store for some goodies - the cat got two new Kitty blankets for a buck each & I got pens, post-its, foaming hand soap & red licorice. Then I went to the Chinese grocery store & got tea, KaiLan, long beans, BBQ pork, oranges & Curried Chicken buns - mmmmmm. I called in on a client & got signed up to open on Sunday morning & ended up at Starbucks for tea & my first newspaper in almost two weeks!! Wow. It was so great to yak it up with people I didn't even know!!! And then a friend came in to drink tea with me & we eventually went out to eat Indian food for dinner.

I had a wonderful day!! I came home energized & happy with no problems getting back into the drive!
I didn't knit a stitch all day although I took the knitting bag with me. I just had too much fun being with people again. And, I slept like a baby last nite.

I got up to more snow this morning. Oh, come oooooon . . . . . At 1:00, my client called me & canceled tomorrow morning. He's concerned about me getting in & out of the business with more snow. At 3:00, I called my client & let him know the Weather Channel has now issued a SNOW WARNING for the Lower Mainland for tonite & tomorrow - 10 to 20 more cms due . . . . he thinks he'll just call the morning customer & cancel or rebook him for today if he can & then go home early. Whatever happened to Global Warming???

No resolutions . . . .


So, the drive is still under the last layer of snow - I kept hoping for more rain but it never actually came. I see flurries of small flakes against the dark trees out there & just a hint of blue sky over in the west - could there be sunshine on the way???? Oh the cat will be pleased - she's just not happy with all that white stuff out there & quite frankly, I want it gone ASAP too. I think the longer I stay snowed in, the tougher the getting out will be. So I guess I have to go & shovel the new snow away & start up the van. The tires are probably frozen into shape by now!! The weather forecast is for lots of rain on the weekend - it's going to warm up to 7 degrees by Monday apparently. Yipee!!!! I will not complain about rain, I will not complain about rain, I will not . . . .

I heard via the Grapevine that the BT may be released from Rehab next week. His landlord called me to say the Social Worker was inspecting the apartment this coming week to see what equipment he'd need, how accessible it is etc. He thinks the BT will end up having to move because it's just not accessible- especially now, in the snow. I hope they persuade him to move, I'm not sure I can deal with the updates & gossip from my friend, the Landlord.

I finished the UGLY socks I've been meaning to knit for the fella who fished the keys out of my locked van!! I knit "manly" socks for him although I'm sure he'd wear anything handknit. He lives in overalls you see. LOL I got this yarn figuring it would co-ordinate with the tan overalls! Here they are looking much bluer than they actually are in reality! They're a much muddier greyish blue than this.

After some adjusting & fiddling, the hood on the Carpenter Wallaby is finally in progress!! The darned sweater is very heavy at this point & try as I may, I cannot get the whole thing in a photo!! I'll finish the hood, get the Carpenter to put it on & then take the picture!! It's very nice to knit a sweater all-in-one-piece but wow, does it place a lot of weight on the wrists & hands as you knit! I admit most of the sweater lies in my lap as I use circs, I'm constantly picking it up & untwisting the whole sweater after a couple of times around. But I think it's going to look lovely on the guy in the end!

So what's next?? Well, Ginny has to be finished. And then Arvik. I don't want to start on another project, other than socks, till they're finished & on my back! Oh, and there's another sweater in Raspberry wool that's partially done. I believe it's my fav ratty old sweater pattern done in wool this time. One front & the whole back is already done.
And then there's that huge afghan-in-progress in blues & greys. It got so big & heavy, I had to abandon it when my hands got too sore last spring. It was to have been the BTs new housewarming gift. I have to figure out what to do with it now because I don't think we'll ever be able to be friends again.
Finally, there's a big basket of squares waiting to be sewed together. The Wednesday Nite Nitters helped me knit them. We intended to make afghans for a local charity. Someone just gave me another big bag of acrylic yarn so I'm thinking about knitting more squares or even strips to add to the basket to make afghans. I just found a Shelter in Newton that houses people trying to put their lives back together. They're always looking for donations to help get their clients get back on their feet. Maybe I'll adopt the place . . . .

Have you ever had a Digging Party??


We're several days later & the drive still isn't dug. It seems to just lay there & look smug. So I started digging it out. Bloody awful job. 10 minutes & I'm out of breath. So I pour myself a cup of tea, sit outside, rest & dig some more. I did this for a couple of days until my right shoulder started to really give me hell. Both days I came in & took a couple of aspirin & a nap after all that work. Yesterday, my techie buddies Steve & Kelly called to see if I wanted to go for coffee at Starbucks. Yessiree I wanted to go - haven't been out in almost two weeks except the Tuesday before Christmas to go to work. But, the boys can't come & get me - they're in Kelly's Smart Car - 600 lbs in the 500 lb car!! Steve's truck is broken down & I can't get out. SOB. So I suggested we have a digging party the next day. They said SURE!! Gawd I love those boys!!!!
Yesterday, Kelly arrives with the shovel. Apparently there's only room in the Smart Car for Steve or the shovel. Kelly brought the shovel. Not much of a Smart Car in MY humble opinion . . . . .
So we dug out the remainder of the drive. And then we chipped away at the frozen ruts in the alley to free up the flood water forming the lake at the end of my drive. While resting with a hot tea after our exertions - the last of the Baileys in mine, a gale-force wind blew up with swirling, blinding snow!! Kelly grabbed his shovel & got his Smart Car out of here before he got stuck.

This morning I decided to check out the lake at the foot of the drive. It's now a frozen lake. And I still can't get out!

The Day After

To whom it may concern in the weather department, Christmas is OVER! Cut the white stuff already!!

There was no point in shoveling my drive other than to get the Van back in the other day because there's now 14 & a bit inches on it again. This time, instead of being light & fluffy, it's heavy & wet! And it's been snowing on & off for three days now. The neighbors across the alley keep shoveling their driveway but they can't get out of the alley!! And then they keep digging out their portion of the alley to get back in the drive again. Our side streets are so bad that no one's getting out tomorrow unless it rains a whole bunch tonite.

The cat is furious with me. She whines at the door to go out, finds the same white crap & whines to get back in. She sits in the window flipping the venetian blinds until I open it up & then refuses to go out when the first paw sinks into it. We repeat this performance several times a day till she curls up in my handspun, hand dyed, hand knit shawl for another nap. I really don't blame her. I'm getting a little stir-crazy myself.

Me?? Well, I've been cursing the Carpenter Wallaby again. I found another error in the garter trim for the neck opening. You can tell I'm slightly crazed by the stupid errors I'm making! Anyway, I decided I was NOT going to Frog that part of the yoke AGAIN. I mean it's only 10 crummy stitches after all, right??? So I picked out the stitches down many rows to change a knit into a purl & then alternate my way back up. Took an hour or so to correct & it crossed both my eyes in the process. The guy who's getting this thing would never have known there was a mistake. But I would. My eyes would go straight to that place every time I saw him in that sweater. And it would drive me nutz. So I fixed it.

So, I'm working on a year end & corporate tax return today & I find I've run out of paper!!! I can't believe it. I buy paper by the box!! I have two boxes of tractor paper for the old printer but no ribbons & extra cartridges for the Laser but no damned paper . . . so what's with this??? Am I getting a kick in the a** for fighting at Christmas???

So this is Christmas . .


There's nothing like starting out with a big knock em down, drag em out, teeth & bare knuckles fight with your long term bud for Christmas! We did & I did. And the ugly elephant has been acknowledged & flayed alive with even uglier words. This time I crossed the line & said things that can't be taken back. So how come I feel so rotten?? My gut's in a knot & I feel like hell. I suppose you have to go thru withdrawl before you cure the addiction. And it seems I've given the BT the boot . . . .


So, after everything else had turned to sh*t, I discovered I'd made a mistake in the yoke of the Carpenter sweater that I finished yesterday! I forgot I made the size medium sleeves on the size large body & the whole thing looked really short when I got to the end of the yoke decreases. I tossed it on the couch in disgust last nite & went to bed! And woke up in the middle of the nite with a possible solution!! Amazing what your brain does while you sleep, isn't it?? This morning, I worked out the mistake - I needed another 20 decrease stitches which would make the yoke at least 10 rows bigger!!! So I ripped out the whole yoke first thing & have spent most of the afternoon redoing the thing, adjusting for the missing 20 stitches. It's already looking a whole lot better & I'm just about ready to start the hood. Whew!! At least something worked out today. I didn't feel like being nice to anyone today so I watched the Star Trekalong on the Science Fiction Channel while more snow fell & knit instead.


I did hear from my favorite niece today, miracle of miracles, so I'm very glad I stayed home!! She's in the RCMP & last summer passed both her Corporal & Sergeant's exams in one week!! I was thrilled. After passing the exams, she figured she'd have to take a wilderness posting for a couple of years in order to get promoted but didn't want to leave her current project. She called to tell me she just had her 40th birthday & had been promoted to Corporal without the move! OMG - I can't believe it!! Good news!!! I still remember her as all knees & elbows, long hair & rollerskates!! I just can't believe the time went by so fast . . . .

More Snow


So I had to get out of my driveway to do payroll yesterday. I had a good look out there & it wasn't pretty. I had 15" in the driveway & two blocks down the alley & out to the main road which is clear, apparently. I rummaged around & found some old lace-up hiking boots & blew the cobwebs off the snow shovel & headed out to get it done. There was so much snow I had to shovel it twice! After about a third of it I thought it was too much damned work, so I just got in the van & drove out. I managed to get my work done, some groceries bought & head back home around 4:00. Well, none of the snow had melted at all, it was snowing again already & I couldn't get into the drive. I couldn't back up either so I headed farther down into the abyss figuring I'd just circle the block & DRIVE into the drive instead of backing in like I usually do. NOPE. Two nice men from warmer climes came to stand behind me & wave while I tried to rock the damned van back & forth to get it unstuck & up the slope out of the alley. The van don't rock. Older cars rock nicely. Trucks rock. Whats' with this van??? Eventually, I got it out, up the slight slope & around the block to find the guy I'd done the payroll for standing in my driveway with a snowshovel & a Christmas card. He parked the van in a pile of snow, cleared the drive & backed it into it's original spot. Whew . . . don'tja just love a guy from Nova Scotia???
When I looked out this morning, it's snowing like hell & you can't even tell the driveway was shoveled at all yesterday! I'm not coming out till its GONE!


Now Vancouver is a pretty large city that shuts down when it snows. The main streets get plowed mostly but the suburban streets get nothing unless they're on the bus route. And if the bus route is on a large hill - the bus doesn't run! Simon Fraser University closes down because the bus can't get up or down. I remember working close to UBC one year when we got a huge dump of snow so quickly that the buses just stopped running - too dangerous! I couldn't leave work for two hours because the main road, in front of where I worked, wasn't moving at all. UBC students were hiking miles to find rides. And people were abandoned at bus stops. Cars were picking up as many passengers as they could stuff in & somehow we all got home that day. A couple of other times, it took me over 7 hours to get from Vancouver to New Westminster down the Lougheed Hwy only to find the Patullo Bridge to Surrey had been closed! Lucky for me, I had a friend on the other side!! New Westminster doesn't even have snow removal equipment!! I don't think Surrey has much. So, a big dump of snow is pretty devastating around here. Mind you, it sure is pretty for Christmas & it may keep most of the drunks off the road for a change! And I sure hope it melts away quickly afterwards!!

So, since I'm stuck indoors for the duration, I'm knitting. I have the Carpenter Wallaby almost finished. The body & arms are attached & the yoke is almost finished - I'm a couple of rows from casting on more stitches for the hood. And I've downloaded & printed off the Winter06 ski mask for him as well. I hope to have both of them finished tomorrow. Then I'm onto another pair of Knitty's Spirogyra mitts for myself - I really need them right now!!! Oh, and Arvik is back in the bag - why?? It's too damned cold out there to wear it!! I need to finish GINNY. Or knit MYSELF a wool Wallaby . . . . .
P.S. I opened the Christmas Card after the Guy from Nova Scotia left & it was full of money!! Wooohooo . . . . and an invite for Christmas dinner!!
P.P.S. I just got off the phone with another invite for Christmas dinner!!

And it snowed some more


A nice dump of snow was had by all last nite!! I got another 11" of snow on top of the snow already in the drive this morning. Now, it's been the light, dry & kind of fun type of snow so I didn't shovel the 5" I already had on the drive . . . . I swept a path instead with my outdoor broom to the van & drove away the other day. I have a van, who needs to shovel??? Well, I guess I do now - I have to do a payroll tomorrow down in Langley. Oooops.

The cat whined & flipped the venetian blinds until I wanted to choke her this morning because she wanted ooooooooooooout!! So I let her out. She ran outside, jumped after a bird & got buried up to her neck & tail. And froze. The only thing sticking out was a head & tail!! I didn't have my camera handy darnit but I sure did laugh!! She came back thru the door twice as fast as she flew out. I just know She blames me for the situation - after all, I'm in charge of the weather. This is the view outside her window where she lays.


So what have I been doing whilst stuck inside?? Why, knitting of course! I finished the toes on the purple socks. They look great. You'd never know that they came from different balls of yarn unless you look for all the tucked in ends inside . . . .

And I've got the Carpenter Wallaby all on one circ now & decreasing towards the neckline. The first few rows after the arms & body are joined are awkward & stiff but once you knit a few rows, it all gets better! This fella has really long arms & body so I've got a lot more sweater on the needles than I would have normally but I'm thinking this will look great on the kid. He's also asked for an earflap hat to go with it & I may just make it a balaclava while I'm at it. I saw one on Knitty that covers all but the eyes - made for skiing - & it should make a Carpenter's life a little better outside!

Flu Season is Officially Here!


I'm sure glad I read the Yarn Harlot! With all the truly hilarious goings-on in HER house, it somehow makes mine feel normal.

The BT is really sick with this dreadful flu & is now hooked up to an oxygen tank. Although he's feeling a little better for the first time in a week & actually able to talk tonite, even he agreed that it's a GOOD thing he's in the hospital right now!! There's also no more debate about going home for Christmas, he'll be celebrating in hospital this year!! Apparently FIVE other patients are also down with this flu & it isn't pretty on the ward! Some of them, the BT included, are flirting with pneumonia. So,if you haven't had the time to get your flu shot - get it NOW. This one is nasty.

I started the week with sneezes, an occasional cough & runny eyes. I am now getting the headache, aching bones & sore throat, dammit! I thought I'd avoid all this & stayed away from everyone, including the hospital on purpose - but I guess it's now MY Turn. And NO, I didn't bother with a flu shot either!!

I did manage to get out yesterday fill up the car with Winter window washer, topped up the rad & swept the snow off the drive. I don't know why the neighbors bothered to SHOVEL - I swept mine with the stiff bristle broom that stays outside! It's hilarious to see the trail of white footsteps leading to the garbage can where I walked before I swept. I hope they freeze & stay all winter!!!

So, I'm getting lots of knitting done! I'm finishing off the toes to my purple Frankensocks. I found four little balls of purple patterned yarn in the leftover box & one of solid purple Sisu so I thought I'd knit it all up for fun. I like the purple socks so much that I've decided to knit some purple fingerless gloves!! I used the Knitty pattern, Spirogyra, to knit up some grey handspun fingerless gloves which I really liked. My EX is now wearing them!! He bought me breakfast one morning & complained about how cold it is doing things outside even when he wears gloves. So I had him try on the fingerless ones & he wore them home. Gives me the excuse to knit some new ones in that purple Merino & silk blend from Aurelia that I spun up a couple of years ago. There wasn't enough to make anything big & I'm not a scarf person but there certainly is enough to knit LONG fingerless Spirogyras!!!

Time to find the Bailey's & add it to a big, steaming mug of Tea & kick this bug into hell!!

Did I SAY that???


I think I cursed all the celebrations for Wednesday nite! I was supposed to go to a company Christmas dinner tonite & take the BT with me. He's sick as a dog with a flu bug & can barely breathe. I'm getting something nasty that's making me cough, wheeze & sneeze & we've had enough snow in 8 hours to create havoc all over the Lower Mainland!! Between the deep freeze temperatures & the dump of snow, even the cat won't go outside. Did I say Let it Snow??? Oooops.

One thing about being stuck inside all day is that I'm finishing off my purple Frankensocks. They're not for anyone in particular & may even wind up in MY sock drawer but it's always smart to have a couple of extra gifts on hand - Just in Case!

I took a couple of pictures around noon - my car was already covered in snow & it was just starting to really come down in very large flakes & the wind was starting to blow again. I'm so glad to be indoors with the cat, with a pot of chicken soup on the simmer & a big mug of tea in my hand. Now where did I leave the Bailey's . . . . .

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

I woke up yesterday to dinner plate sized snow flakes & that puffy grey sky that lets you know WINTER has arrived. And it was payroll day. Drat! I now had to spend my day running thru the snow flakes, frozen rain, slush puddles & roofline drips with papers in my hands. And I have no winter tires on my car . . . Now, last summer, the BT & I both bought new-to-us cars. We ended up swapping said cars but I kept the new winter mud & snow tires that were in the trunk of my original car. Lovely tires. I stashed them out at the mechanic's place & really didn't think another thing about them. Last Saturday I went out to change the thermostat & put on the tires. WRONG. Neither of us had bothered to check them . . . . . I needed 14" tires & they, sadly, are 15". And won't fit. How stupid can you get?? Pretty basic eh?? And I can't find a winter or snow tire in this town to fit my car. Apparently Quebec changed it's laws to make snow tires mandatory & the Province sucked up every snow tire that could be found in the country! My only compensation is that I know people with tow trucks & tire stores. They're all looking for some good used tires for me - hopefully I'll find some before spring. But, I'll take them anyway.

I've actually done some knitting on Arvik. Both arms are done to the elbow. I was going to make them three quarter sleeves but now I'm not sure. I'll knit them both to about three quarter sleeves, put the sleeves on the holders & finish the body before I decide. I do need a sweater for work & Arvik would sure fit the bill for a light throw on. Ginny, on the other hand, is a heavier sweater in a worsted weight washable wool. It's actually the one I SHOULD be finishing since it's all done but the trim! But first things first. I mostly need a light sweater that's not too warm for indoors or running to & from the car. So, I'm finishing Arvik first. I intend to spend my Christmas knitting, spinning & finishing up work that's been on the desk for months.

Speaking of all things Christmas - my Christmas cactus & the Crab cactus are blooming their little hearts out - see above - have been for two weeks now since I took pity on them & brought them indoors! Hint - they spend all late spring to late fall outside under the patio table!

And Back to Knitting . . .


I've finished the Christmas knitting - well, I've finished the Christmas SOCK knitting! The GIFT socks I'm mailing away are on the right. I enjoyed making Frankensocks for my Giftee this year. Frankensocks is a term created by Gail - one of the Wednesday Sock Knitters - to describe socks made up of all the leftovers from other socks!! I try to group my leftovers in 'color themes' so that they relate somehow. My Giftee loves bright colors & her fav is PINK so I took all the leftover yarns with pink in them & found a couple that went well with the solid Sisu pink & black I bought. Aren't they wild?? I hope she'll love them.

The BT's DAD's socks are also finished. He gets socks three times a year & has come to really appreciate them since his ankles started to swell. He's bothered by the elastic in regular socks now. I make sure to knit them on the 2.5mm needles so they're just a little bit looser than my regular ones on the 2.25mm needles to give him a little more room. These have that Norwegian flavor to them which will delight his heart.


And, I'll continue to knit washcloths for my male buddies - they get new ones every year & whine if they don't!! I make them extra large for the guys, you see. They're about twice the size of most knitted washcloths, I like them that way and so do the Boys apparently. Last year I made them in a nice thick cotton in a white & fresh green with just a touch of purple in it. Sounds girly?? Wasn't!! The combo was surprisingly fresh & attractive. This year, the color choices were dismal. I couldn't find any of the big balls of cotton in any colors that didn't knock your eyes out. And, of course, they always have the usual light oatmeal or white - very unappealing to me! So, I dug in the stash & found a couple of Big Balls in 'Jewels' - a purple & pink combo that I've used before. One of my Guys reported that the color runs enough to produce pink bubbles in the shower but doesn't dye underwear when washed . . . . Well, thank goodness for that!!

This week I have time to shop for my Annual Bum Bags. The BT & I got to know 5 or 6 people who band together with a shifting group of other homeless wanderers in an old shack at the back of a grubby industrial area. Ronn felt really sorry for them because they fall thru the cracks in our society. They're a sad little group with mental, physical & addiction problems who choose to live "in the rough" as the Brits say. And they ARE rough. They work hard to survive by picking cans, collecting junk, dumpster diving for food & working when they can for a few bucks. It's cold, wet & miserable in the winter where they are so I buy Mcdonald's coupons & socks, ponchos, tarps, gloves, candy, oranges & tea bags at the dollar store to fill the Christmas bags. They expect nothing so it's a hoot to see the surprise on their faces when they get a bag with their name on the tag!!


So, I've dug out Arvik. The cat's worn it more than I have since I started it!! Every chance she gets, she lays on it or curls up in it so I'll have to make sure I put it out of her reach when it's done!!! If she gets really lucky, I'll knit her a small blanket to cuddle up in . . . . So, I've opened the bag & pulled it out. Poor Arvik. I intend to get back to finishing it this week so I have a warm sweater to wear. I love the color & the softness of this yarn. I really must get back to spinning the rest of Arvik's fleeces. This is the year I intend to wear WOOL. For a change.