Three Days Later

It's Thursday & everything is still okay. I haven't been cooking yet but I've managed to wash almost all the dishes that were left soaking in my clean kitchen sink. My friend Ron hauled most of the garbage, cleaned off the horizontal surfaces but got called away on a family emergency. I've washed up most of the dishes he left, got my own prescriptions from the drugstore & even made a quick trip to my favorite Oriental grocery for fruit over the last couple of days. Gawd how I wanted fresh fruit!! They don't feed you any fresh fruit in the hospital .   .   .   .

I've even finished up the last couple of tax returns on my desk & there's only MINE & one other to do. But I have to clean out the fridge. Most of it went bad during my stay in the hospital so I'm not looking forward to that. Maybe I can start on the mountain of laundry on the floor in my bedroom. I think almost everything I own is in that pile. Why?? Because I was too weak to pull out the washer & hook it up to the sink! I could've hung it all on the drying rack once it was washed but I just couldn't get that washer out. I thought about dropping it off at the laundry but it became too much effort. So, now there's a mountain. The good news is that I can pull that damned washer out & hook it up again without problems. The bad news is - will anything still fit me????

I have spoken to Darlene, the sister of a pal, who owns a moving company. Darlene came by today to help me figure out what to do about my situation. Since I rescued her little brother from  tax paperwork hell, she promised to rescue me for only the labor costs. She says we can pack, sort & move in two days to make it easy on me or one day if we push it. Then we can get a bin & toss all the rest in a couple of hours - anytime. She has a big job booked for the 10th & is busy for the rest of the month, OMG - I'm booked for June 05!!  Got my estimate & was told to shut up & let us handle the move. Shutting up Dar!

On the Needles - nothing new on the needles. Trying to finish the current sock before I move. The sock bin is NOT going into storage but will come with me to my new abode with all my sock needles intact. It's up to me to point out the yarn I'm taking & the yarn that goes into storage.

The Best Laid Plans . . . . .

Dear Diary - I meant to be prepared, got things organized to a point & then it all went to shit. I beat that April 30 deadline more or less - the folks who showed up at the last minute got less - and then got so sick I had to call 911 for a ride to the hospital. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't walk, was afraid if I went to bed I wouldn't be able to get back out. I waited until the last dawg was hung before calling for help. Yeah, I thought about driving myself but had some brains left since I remember thinking about where to park .  .  .  .  I thoughtfully sat outside after packing my essentials - ebooks, Audiobook player & phone with chargers. I even packed some knitting & my toothbrush but I never thought about clothes. I thought they'd ship me back after a few hours in Emergency.

 By the time help arrived, I couldn't get out of the chair. I was done. I remember waking up at a couple of points but mostly it's fuzzy for the first week. I do remember waking up & talking to a very young looking fellow sewing a central line into my neck & again to someone trying very hard to find veins to put IVs into - I have all the bruises to show for it too. All my vessels shrink & roll when someone points something sharp at them!!! I ended up waking in Intensive care with lines in my hands, arms, neck & a breathing machine bouncing up & down on my face. That stupid machine became the bane of my existence!! It honked like a goose, whistled out the side & periodically spewed a lot of fluid onto my lips, nose & face - yuck! The bouncing made all my facial & nasal bones sore - I think my nose was numb two weeks after they took it off, but I needed it to breathe for me. When they took it off & I went to sleep, I'd stop breathing. I heard I shocked a couple of friends who came to visit & thought I was dead in the bed.

My heart couldn't beat with all the fluid backing up into my body & was close to shutting down they said. Not only was it unable to push the fluid, but my lungs filled up & couldn't oxygenate my blood. They told me if I hadn't called when I did on May 03, that I would've died. They weren't that sure I'd survive when I arrived at the hospital said the doctor who sewed the central line in my neck. He told me he didn't expect me to wake up talking in the ICU either - they were talking about putting me on life support when I woke up complaining. One minute I was almost dead & the next I woke up hollering for a more comfortable bed & to get that horrible mask removed. He said I must be one tough old bird.
I came home yesterday. Suddenly. I was getting ready for release but they decided they wanted me to stay for a few more days just to be sure. I was bored. I grumbled. All hell was breaking loose - ER was full with beds in the hall, we had beds in the hall & the doctors were trying to figure out how to squeeze another bed in there. I heard that & said I could go home since I was doing all my own self care & helping my roomie as well. I could sleep in my own bed & order in if I had too. So they double checked my vitals & asked if I was sure I could manage at home. They talked about my medication & what to do if my weight fluctuated too much. They checked my referrals & information. And agreed that I could leave. Whew. 'Course, then it took 3 hours to check out. By then I could've cheerfully crawled back into the hospital bed I gave away.

But I made it!! Hooray!! I'm stuck with home oxygen & travel oxygen. The oxygen is to help my heart do it's work. Remarkably, I'm only on a cholesterol pill, a new blood pressure pill, a blood thinner & the water pill. And I have to go for a Sleep Study to see if I need that night time breathing machine or just the oxygen I'm on today. I have to say I had one of the best sleeps ever in my own lumpy bed with my own smelly sheets & 6 pillows with the window wide open & my favorite audio playing in the background.

I do get tired quickly. But I was able to drive my car - after I got all the equipment loaded - go to the drugstore today to get my meds & some quickie meals in a bag. I'm missing my bedside hospital meals!!! But I had a smoothie & a chicken wrap at Mcdonald's on my way home. I do love that chicken wrap. And I have to admit that I feel better today than I have in months, even though I'm tired. I may not have the stamina to go to Safeway yet but I wouldn't have been able to go to the drugstore the week before I went to hospital. And now I can. So, a little every day & one day at a time.

Knitting Stuff - Yes by gawd, I took a sock in progress to the hospital. Couldn't do a lot until most of my IVs came out but I finished the first sock & am almost to the heel with the other. You find out what's important in the hospital - good fibre, food & air to breath!!!

Will She Won't She

Tigger

I can't seem to get my shit together these days. I'm out of breath a lot & it's even worse when I go outside. Apparently all the evergreens are pollinating. I've always had problems in the spring but they've become worse with age!!  One of my buddies called this A.M. to see how it's going - he's the youngest child in a third generation family moving business & tells me horror stories all the time. Did you know that 50% of all moves are done between June 15 & August 31??? You can't rent a truck, find a box or hire a crew without an advance booking.

He told me I need a bin rental for the whole month NOW. Then I can toss whatever I want over this  month - everything - without running all over town trying to give it away. Gas is too expensive in Vancouver now. Then we can move what I want to keep next month - before the rush. He's using family connections to see if he can get me a cheaper storage unit too. He did suggest I think about buying a small trailer or big storage shed & store my craft bins in my own back yard. That's something I didn't think of!!!

I have to admit , it was a lot easier moving stuff in over 20 years than it is moving 20 years OUT in one month. And I HATE moving! If I ever move again - I'm going to point at what I'm taking & abandoning everything else. LOL At least Tax Season will be over, my birthday is over, BCAA renewal is over,the Easter Bug is almost over & I don't have to change my mailing address.

And there's three year ends on my desk in the middle of all this!! I am trying to get all the data entry that needs to be done - DONE- before the computer moves. Then I can seal the box, hand it back to it's owner & not worry about when the Internet will be hooked up to finish it. 

I am also gonna welcome at least three weeks of laying in a reclining chair with sock needles, blankey, gigantic tea mug, TV remote & goodies with the phone off   .    .    .     .

Progress Report

Good Gawd, it's the end of Month One of my Renoviction & what have I done? Well, er, nothing.  That's not totally true, by the way, but it's mostly true. Someone found an empty apartment a few miles away - a SMALL, one bedroom, empty apartment in the basement of a modern home with a landlady who is still in shock about her former tenant moving out on her. The lady wishes to think about whether she wants to rent right away or get over the trauma for a month or two first  .   .   .   .  I smell trouble there. Maybe there's more than just a boyfriend reason for the move!! I told my friend, who is a friend of the lady, that I don't have time to sit around & wait while she makes up her mind. Did I mention it's Tax Season as well???

So this next week I am checking out Storage. I need prices & sizes because I have to start moving bins. Even though I'm not taking any furnishings other than a lamp or two, a rustic coffee table & a purple dresser for my TV, the bins all need to fit into it - ALL of them. Maybe I'll just get one with heat & light & move in! I'm also checking out Boxes. I have books everywhere. I have a 200 lb, revolving, 5 layer, pocket book rack from a school library full of books. And there's VHF movies & some Audio Books on cassettes. It all must go. Since I got that book rack & all those books, I've gone electronic. It's so much easier to carry 3000 books around on my ebook reader & it doesn't inflame my thumbs to hold them open to read
.
I met a fellow in the check-out line at Safeway who has a son working at the Federal jail. He buys all the latest books, reads them & donates them via his son. I have his phone number somewhere & should pack up everything I don't want to move & send them on. I wonder if they take text books???  Note to self - A trip to IKEA for small boxes would help.

On the needles - you didn't think I'd give up knitting did you??? I've turned the heels on the latest car knitting - striped Kroy socks in light grey with dull blue, yellow, red & rust stripes. I am putting blood red toes on them to brighten them up a titch. I love them so far even though they're a little dull - I mean even dull socks can keep your toes warm, right????

Wow, wasn't yesterday great??? It sure was in my part of the country. Tee-shirt & leggings weather for sure. I binned another bag of recycling - all the plastic tubs I've been saving to freeze berries, put away freezer jam & leftovers. I'm rather embarrassed at how many margarine & ice cream containers I had. There's a huge box of cardboard to go next - yeah, I open all the box ends, fold them flat & stand them in another box so they don't take up much space.

While rooting around in the two third hand wall units - remember them?? Dark brown photographed wood grain paper over particle board, shelves on top & doors on bottom??? They were old when I got them. I found a whole layer of the old leatherette bound Reader's Digest condensed books. I started collecting them in my late TEENS. And moved them for years. But I'm not moving them again.

I also have a lead on a small basement apartment which never hits the market, friends of friends who like single women only. Don't know for sure about it yet but it's another option. And I picked up a load of roast pork & fruit at my favorite Chinese market to celebrate the great day. By the middle of the afternoon, I hit the wall & had to go for a nap! Hahahaha - Not used to all this running around, that's for sure.

I looked at several public storage places within a mile of me for a smallish container - all of my packed bins except the current projects & the sock yarn could go right now. I like the small IKEA boxes too - they have tops & handles & won't take too much weight when full. They would sit nicely on top of the plastic bins in storage too.

Talked to a couple of my old customers yesterday too - they both offered themselves & trucks. But we're all retired & not getting any younger so I suggested I find a storage unit first - If I'm going to the Ex's, I want it close to him & If I'm renting a basement again, I'll want it close to that!!!!  THEN  we take a truck load of bins a couple times a week. That way I clean out what I WANT & dump what I don't by hiring GOT JUNK or someone similar to take the rest. Moving when you're old & have mobility/breathing problems is a pain in the ass. Actually, moving any time is a pain in the ass .  .  .  .

Can't Time Stand Still??

I can't believe how fast the time flies when you don't want it to! It's been three weeks since my renoviction notice & I've done almost nothing. Oh, I've wished for a giant bin to fall from the sky - right outside my door - with enough room to park beside it. I've dreamed of throwing every damn thing I own, except the sock yarn of course, into that bin & walking away.

Well, I have to keep the Indian spinner & a couple of bins of fibre too - especially that sweet little New Zealand fleece. And those neon bags of Aurelia top in Paua & Magenta, the remainder of the  lovely Brown Sheep mohair/wool grab bag & that huge bag of yummy grey wool/alpaca. And that box of RED Briggs & Little Heritage yarn which goes with the 135 litre bin of blues & assorted leftover odd colors. Did I mention the bag of Knit Picks Palette?? It's only a small bag for two projects  -  summer projects!

Oh gawd, I need my sewing machine & serger too. And the patterns, the fabric, the bin of sale thread, zippers, buttons .   .   .   .   & a man to move it all since it won't fit in my car.

And I want my new Red pot that looks like an old fashioned coffee pot, my  old white Corning Ware soup mugs, the slow cooker & the Nutri-bullet with the HUGE To-Go cup. I would take the plant stands & the little spider plant in the plastic water glass as well as the big pot of grasses on the patio. My old Health Tec soup pot, the wok & the pressure cooker would also come as would my Chinese veggie cleaver - I cut everything with it & two 8 cup plastic measuring cups.
Even if I toss the furniture & all the junk I don't need, I still need a moving truck & a storage unit.

Is it time for a drink yet?? The sun must be over the yardarm somewhere!!! I can do this tomorrow  .   .   .   .   I'll just cast on another sock & do some more planning on paper first.

There's a Vacancy in Quesnel

With four months to move, the fun is already starting. I've had two 'helpful' male friends call & suggest ridiculous things. One spotted a listing in Quesnel - yup about a 9 hour drive north - cafe,  small apartment building, 5 cabins, two bay garage on the side of the highway. I could take my pick  & rent out the rest!!! as long as he gets the garage .  .  .  .   The other suggested I relocate to Sparwood - I think that's about 8 hours east through the mountains just above the US border. He could use a bookkeeper. Meanwhile, I haven't even glanced at a listing yet, at least not until I sort through some of the junk in my basement. Oh, did I mention it's Tax Time???

My Ex took me to lunch yesterday at our favorite Chinese cafe. He wants his taxes done too. He's been undergoing more tests since his red blood count is low again. The doctor suggested it may be a poor diet that's causing the problems since they can't find any other reasons for the fluctuation. He doesn't cook but makes do with a hot plate & microwave to warm stuff up. He said maybe I should move back & do the cooking  .   .   .   .  but  it's a pretty small house with stairs to get in, stairs to the bedroom & stairs out to the back where the clothes line & freezer is. The fridge & stove need hauling away & the dryer isn't hooked up. I'd still have to climb over a tub to shower & he turned the living room into a gym. Gee, maybe we both should move! I should get the 'Got JUNK' folks to haul away the big stuff for him anyway just to get it off his mind.

Back on the Needles - I cast on another sock!! Isn't that amazing?? Well, I found some Kroy in a muted rainbow. It matches how I feel these days. A muted Rainbow. I'm not depressed or elated or miserable & neither is my sock yarn. I guess you could say it's cautiously optimistic yarn. It's 4 ply but feels lighter .  .  .  .   Since most of my yarn/fibre is already in bins, I'm almost packed!!

I've Been Renovicted!

A year ago my landlord died suddenly & left his wife with no pension, no insurance, two kids in university & two kids still at home. At the time I wondered how she would survive. I helped with some paperwork, gave her the best advice I could & started to think about moving. I hate moving!!! I should've could've moved several times over the last years but was too comfortable in my spot. I've been in the basement suite for almost 20 years. I've watched the kids grow up, the neighbors move in & out. In all that time the furnace has never been serviced nor the ducts cleaned. I've had a stove replaced only when it became a fire hazard, bought my own fridge, had three major floods from failing pipes, installed my own kitchen hardware & made do. I've been cold in the winter, listened to screaming & fighting upstairs, been refuge & go-between in marital disputes & put up with her cheap & chintzy ways - she unscrews my patio light if I leave it on. But I could afford it, it's good most of the time, he didn't raise the rent for years, I had two bedrooms, I had my own drive & patio just outside my door, pretty convenient to buses, shopping, the hospital & three coffee shops!! But, times have changed & I've often wondered how she makes ends meet without his paycheck.

Two scared 20-something kids came to talk to me yesterday with papers that say I have 4 months to move. I wasn't surprised to see them. The kids told me that their mother refuses to sell the house but she's willing to use some of the equity to do some major repairs & upgrade the basement suite. We all know the plumbing & wiring was bad when I moved in. I suspect they talked about doing some work when I moved out but I never did. I had a very frank talk with the boy a couple of months ago about a lot of other problems in the suite that will need fixing as well. If they do gut it & do all the things they're supposed to, there should be no problem getting $2500 or more a month for it in the current Vancouver rental crunch. And that's totally out of my league.

I must be getting really old but I decided to stay home & let others enjoy the snow this year!! I didn't even go out to empty the GREEN recycling container. I had almost 9.5 inches of snow on my car hood by Monday evening & I decided I didn't really want to plow through the snowy side yard to dump a bucket. The landlord's kid shoveled my patio & a path to my car for me Monday morning but you could barely see it by Monday night. No one in my alley got out on Monday. After dark, the guy at the end of the alley snuck in his tandem tractor & made a path in & out which helped a couple of neighbors but mostly everyone stayed home & dug out drives on Tuesday. I think we were all waiting for the garbage trucks to come & mow down the snow but no one came. By Thursday some people were able to get out & today it rained all day dissolving some of it, washing some off the car & leaving huge puddles where drains might be .   .   .   .   

I don't shovel any more. My hands & wrists hurt too much to shovel so I gave my big shovel to the landlord's kid. He's 15 & healthy enough to keep his mom's drive & mine clean!!! And there's no place I have to go where I have to drive in the snow even though I have winter tires on. I don't worry much about getting out but more about getting back in since I have to back in over a hump & up a slope.
There's enough food in my cupboards to feed me for a couple of months since I still buy in bulk so I don't NEED anything except fresh milk, fruit & some veggies. Today I made a big pot of chicken & turkey soup - I found legs & a big thigh in the freezer! I peeled a butternut squash getting soft & tossed in celery, baby spuds, garlic & onions after browning the meat & let the whole thing simmer on very low for several hours. It was soooooo good. Perfect snowy day food. Since the rain has washed my car almost clean, I'll be heading out tomorrow to Hen Long to buy roast pork, sausages, fried bananas, egg tarts, baby bok choy, broccoli, dried noodles, fish balls, fish sauce, cherry tomatoes & fruit.

Yes, I do a lot of my shopping at the Chinese grocery store! They have the freshest fruits & veggies. And absolutely the best roast & BBQ pork. Milk is expensive but everything else is less than half the Safeway price.

On the needles - I am fixing the last pair of socks that I put my finger through trying to pull them on my right foot when my knee wouldn't bend. What a pain in the butt. A lot of them are old socks so I am thinking of making new ones - most of the old ones are more than 10 years old with partially felted feet & thinning everywhere else so I'm not losing much.
While rooting through my sock yarn bins - I had to buy another one & organize a little - I found I could knit myself another two dozen socks easily & still have yarn left over .  .  .  .   And while rooting around, I found several balls of Cascade Wool in neon colors.  There's not enough to make a sweater & I was warned that the stuff felts like crazy but it should be great for slippers & hats. Did I mention that I now freeze rather quickly with my new crew cut???? A hat is next on the list of things I need NOW.
By the way, to all you Sock Knitters out there - Yarn Canada is having a sale on sock yarns. There's Arne & Carlos, several OPAL lines, some Patons and a couple of others that I've forgotten already. I will admit I slipped & fell & bought a couple of OPAL Rainforest colorways .   .   .   .

Snow for Valentines Day

It seems we get winter in February nowadays. Usually just in time for Valentine's Day. And it  looks like this year won't be an exception. I remember working in West Vancouver years ago & spending 7 hours getting home to a new husband over 2 bridges & a freeway in the days BEFORE cell phones. There was no way to call for help or let anyone at home know what was going on. You just geared down & kept moving around all the abandoned cars. If they didn't close the bridges before you got there, you usually got home or shared a hotel room with several other stranded people. Luckily I don't have to travel to & from work when it snows anymore & get to watch it from my home office windows. I was actually on the phone to friends Sunday afternoon when it started to snow like crazy & we all opted to stay home instead of meeting for coffee. Even a couple of inches can close down the Vancouver burbs in a hurry & I'll bet we have between 4 & 6 inches out there as I type. Good thing I went out on Friday & picked up bread, TP & a latte. Should be some fun in the morning!!!

I haven't been too ambitious lately, I've barely knit anything, nor sewed a thing although I have been working on a top-down raglan garter sweater in Briggs & Little 'Hertiage'. It's just a simple top-down that will be garter to the top of the arm & then plain knit when I close the deep V front. Haven't decided to put sleeves on it or leave it as a simple Cap sleeve vest. It's for my niece who spends a lot of time shoveling on her hobby farm & must dress in layers. I'm thinking it may be more useful as a vest that she can wear under a jacket or over a long sleeve shirt when she's doing chores. Sometimes it's all you need to keep you warm when you're working hard. I thought about making myself one for the winter but most of my shirts are short sleeved. But, who knows, I may yet finish one for myself - maybe it's just the sleeves that keep me from finishing anything. Then I can go back to Paleontology. And spinning. And making good bread & tasty soups.

First up - I need to make myself a touque - got my hair all cut off again because of the eczema in my scalp - and my head is freezing!! Not a good time of the year to have hair a half inch long! haha  And I have the sweater in handspun to finish although I've just about finished - still have a ball or two left - that giant triangular blanket I knit in all those odd fall colored balls. It's huge & I wish I'd made a rectangular blanket instead!!! I've been spending too much time lost on YouTube watching the Fat Ladies Cook & The Time Team dig up Britain to finish anything. Time, I guess, to get my TV back in order so I have a comfortable place to sit & knit.

DUHHHHHH

The world is full of scams to trick the unaware so when I got a TEXT in December that said I had a credit of $655.19 & should log into a site to BLAH BLAH BLAH, I ignored it!! I was really annoyed that I was now getting scam TEXTs as well as the usual calls! I don't know about you, but I've been getting a daily call from a 1-855 number for weeks now  .    .    If I answer & yell WHAT???, it hangs up. If I don't answer, it goes to message & leaves me blank air. I regularly get messages reminding me of someone's medical appointments. I can't call back to tell them they have the wrong number & I can't reject it because no number shows up. And then there's the automated calls in a foreign language that I can't stop or change. And how about the scam that says it's the RCMP collecting money that's owed to the CRA tax??? Yeah, it used to be that cell phones were private!!

But, today I got another message about my CREDIT. Being in a mood, I decided to trace it down & toss a wrench in someone else's day. I thought I'd better check & see what my balance really was at the legitimate website. And found, to my surprise, a $655.19 credit!!! It wasn't a scam at all. But how could I possibly DO that???? It seems my bill is just a hair under $60 a month & I went paperless about three years ago. The bill never changed. Since I only print off the page with the explanation of charges, I never actually LOOKED at the bottom line - I didn't need to, I paid in full every month!! Somehow, one month, I hit the 9 instead of the 6 & overpaid by $30. And then copied what was on my print-out every month following for almost the last three years or so  .   .   .   .   I was advised not to bother paying my bill until Christmas.

On the Needles - I can't stand a begging man's tears!! Old Fat Ankles needs a couple of pairs of socks for his swollen feet so I've hauled out my ugliest Paton's 4 ply in greens/browns/yellowy tan & am rapidly manufacturing socks in an expanded size. Instead of my usual 72 sts for a man's sock, I went up to 76 & will add an extra couple of gusset increases as well. This should make a looser top & deeper heel for him.
Lara's Vest sits on my desk & I add a couple of rows here & there when I watch something on YouTube. My sweater is on HOLD until the socks are done.

Bring It On

Now that the Silly Season is over & the days are getting longer - at least I think they are but it's still dark at 7:45 AM - it's time to start thinking about the Year that's just started & leave last year behind. It's hard to believe that it's 2019 when the year 2000 seemed so far away when I was a school kid!! But it's here & we have to deal with it.
I don't do RESOLUTIONS. I find that most people who do set themselves up for failure, right off the bat. I think I'll leave my money in my pocket & do something positive that's easy & good for me. Like taking my own TAKE-OUT cup when I go for coffee. I have a RED Starbucks cup that I try to use every time but it's a little small if you want extra large. And I take my own bags to Safeway. Yup, doing my bit!! Still using paper towels but they get composted.

I had a dream the other night that the landlord found me dead in my bed & threw out all my bins of yarn, roving & fleece!!! She had no idea of it's worth. She sent all my knitting books to the local Thrift Store & tossed my Old Indian spinner on the bonfire! Eeeek.  Now, I have a huge stash of spinning & knitting fibre - yeah, &  a lot of patterns to go with most of it too. I end up knitting socks instead of all the bigger projects because they're fun, bright & fast. I'm such a procrastinator. I like starting but sadly, not finishing. I'm taking that dream as a warning - this year, I have vowed to make no new purchases unless it's to finish an old project. And I will get off my arse & finish a new sweater for myself!

I think I'll cook more for myself this year too. I do love soups & stir fried meals. Both are fast, simple & full of good stuff. Much as I like dashing down to Church's Chicken for Chicken Tenders so I don't have to do dishes, it's just healthier to eat at home. It was easier to do when I had another person to cook for but I'm just as important. Sounds like a resolution, doesn't it???

On the Needles - Lara's vest progresses slowly. Since I'm hauling the Ex to two eye appointments later this month, I will take it & work on it while I'm waiting.
MY Sweater - Yup - dug in the basket, chose the one that's the closest to being finished & pulled it out to work on it. I already bought the B&L yarn in RED to make another so I think I have to get serious about this.

Celebrations

I think I'd rather celebrate the Solstice than Christmas, which has been hijacked by Commercialism. And I'd rather decorate simply with Holly & Evergreen, dance around a bonfire or go Nude Swimming than spend my time hunting for the Right Tree, the most Ostentatious Decorations & buying the Right Gifts.

The whole Christmas thing isn't fun anymore. I get more letters begging for money every year than the year before. Someone heard I'm now printing my own, I guess.

So this year I hid out. I stayed home & listened to the latest book in Michael Connely's Harry Bosch series. It's actually the second in the new Ballard & Bosch series but number 20 something in the Bosch series .   .   .    they also connect with Harry's younger brother, Mickey Haller in The Lincoln Lawyer series as well. Anyway, I love the stuff. Harry's not a 'shoot-em-up' cop, he's a thinker, a researcher & a picker which makes the novels so good, IMHO. I was going to get the latest book in Craig Johnson's Longmire series as well but the reviews are awful so I got a couple of Star Trek books instead. I like to listen when I'm knitting or doing data entry but I seem to be doing less of both these days. The only other option is listening in bed when I can't sleep at night. LOL  I've become an official Old Fart. Three hours sleep & I'm ready to go. Five hours if I'm really tired. So I listen a lot in the winter when it's too cool to get up at 4:35AM.

I did go out for dinner on the Saturday before Christmas with my Ex for fun. Usually he goes with several friends to a couple of Christmas Dinners put on by local Churches but he decided he just doesn't want to be bothered driving this year. For a guy who sweated blood all summer worrying about losing his driver's license because he was turning 80, he sure doesn't drive anywhere to justify all the stress!!  I managed to get him out for lunch though & the cafe owner told him they would deliver any time. Normally, they're closed on Mondays & holidays but were open this year on Christmas Eve due to Customer requests, so I made sure to go back on Christmas Eve & order take-out for two days!! Why not?? Chicken & broccoli tastes good any time!! They were smiling a whole lot when I went in mid afternoon even though the cafe was empty because they'd just cooked up a take-out for 70 people!! I guess that single order paid for the trouble of opening. Now that's Christmas Dinner!!

I bought myself a pot for Christmas. It's actually a two litre pot with a handle on one side & a spout on the top of the other side with a domed glass lid. It's a Curtis Stone pot. The moment I saw it I wanted it! It's perfect for miso soup or a cooked pudding or gravy or anything else you want to heat & pourl! It will cook a dozen eggs at the same time for egg salad. Perfect for hot brine for making small batch pickles! I can think of a lot of uses - I love the handle & the spout means no more drips. I've wanted one of these for a long time but never saw a small one anywhere. I'm not big on pots. I have a dutch oven, a pressure cooker, a tiny pan for cooking two eggs & a stir fry pan. I gave everything else away because I just didn't use them. I don't cook a lot anymore since there's only me. I've even tossed the toaster because I didn't use it. I do like a coffee machine - I make tea in it because I like loose tea - but I've been making do with a coffee carafe on a trivet on the back burner. What I really need is a big Brown Betty tea pot instead. And if I didn't use the microwave to make my oatmeal, it would be gone too!

On the Needles - Just finished new ribbing on two pairs of my old socks - I put my thumb through the right hand ones pulling them on when my damn knee was acting up!! I really, really didn't want to have a darn in the middle of the ribbing .   .   .   .    so I cut off the ribbing on both socks & knit a new one. Piddly, fiddly work on dark days but I can wear the socks again. Knit new toes on another pair. All my old socks are getting toe holes. Most of them are 15+ years old so I guess it's about time since they've become thinner & thinner as the years've gone by.
Lara's vest/sweater is on my desk & I try to put a couple rows on it every day when I'm watching the Time Team or Art Investigators.

Counting Down in Darkness

I'm constantly amazed at how fast the time goes by when you're doing nothing in these dark, dreary, soggy days at the bottom of the year. You'd think all this darkness would  d-r-a-g out the actual day, if anything. But the darkness will start to recede on Solstice (Friday) when the days begin to get longer!!
This is the time of year when I especially miss the wood burning stove, the cats asleep under it, the recliners beside it & the dogs laying underfoot. I always had a tin of sweet spices simmering on top of the stove & the knitting needles in my hands. Now I just have the computer, a basement suite & a bottle of good scotch. And knitting needles of course!


On The Needles - not Lara's Pabaigh, that's for sure!! I put the pattern back in the binder & cast-on a simple, top down, raglan, in the Denim, Briggs & Little, Heritage yarn. It will have cap sleeves, a crew neck & a detachable cowl - when I figure out how to attach it, dunno whether it should be buttoned or laced or what. Yet. It might be attached. Who knows?? I have to get the damned vest finished because she needs to be wearing it NOW.

Finished re-knitting all my bad toes. I even made them a little longer while I was at it. Since I have trouble putting shoes & socks on the leg with the bad knee, I've put my finger through at least two of the older socks by tugging them. More repairs!! So, I'm figuring some of the toe damage is from pulling them on & getting them into a shoe. I may end up as one of the Socks & Sandals Set  yet because they're so much easier to put on.

I still have THREE sweaters on the go for me. One is light - I spun two small Alberta Shetland fleeces into wooly singles yarns & then knit them together. I wanted a rustic knit, not the smooth, store bought look .  .  .  and I've just about worn out the yarn knitting the sweater I think I want. It's half done, marinating, on the office wall where I can see it every day. I seriously think I've got what I want & intend on finishing it soon. Before I die. Or before the mice get it.

Sweater TWO & THREE are heavier & made with yarn somewhere between worsted & Aran in weight because I want to use them like a coat. The dark Plum with some red & navy in it is Briggs & Little Heritage. The other, a dark Navy, is from Custom Woolen Mills in Alberta. Both are knit Top Down using the Cabin Fever book, "Need a Plus Cardigan?"to get some shaping.
Cabin Fever shows some neat ways to make an upper sleeve narrower or wider without affecting the body & a little trick to add extra bust room without short rows. And I've always needed extra bust room!! Although, these days, I may be needing more belly room than bust.

I still use a simple fleece jacket in the winter since I spend most of my outside time dashing from car to house or house to garbage can! And I never liked to drive with a bulky jacket. When I used to sit outside at Starbucks all winter, I had a huge fleece ET jacket that kept me warm. But it's gone to a new home & I don't sit outside in the winter any more!!! I do notice the cold more & more as I age though, so a heavier knit is necessary. Hopefully, I'll have one before Spring.

I fell down the Rabbit Hole & made a last, before Christmas, sock yarn order  - just a few little goodies I thought I couldn't live without. And a small kit I've been eye-balling all year!!! I really shouldn't shop after 3:00AM  .  .  .  . 

No More Wednesday

I've decided to eliminate Wednesday from My week. Lately, everything goes bonkers for me on Wednesday. All that nasty, expensive dentistry took place on Wednesdays. Neil got me drunk on Wednesday. And last week, my mechanic friend detached a retina on Wednesday .  .  .  .  we rushed him to Emergency & he had his first surgery as soon as the Specialist could get there from New West. He ended up with two more by Thursday, this week. Hopefully, that will be the last one. I did all this running around last year for another friend who did the very same thing so I know where all the Eye Guys are in New West & Surrey & lucky for me, they all seem to be moving to the new buildings across from Surrey Memorial Hospital. And most of them take TWO hours to see a patient. I go well supplied with knitting & eBooks for the duration .  .  .  .  but I tell ya, those early mornings really kick the stuffing out of a night owl like me!

On the Needles - I never did take a picture of the latest repaired socks before they were on my feet. I'm finding that I really prefer the short socks so I'm always digging in the sock basket for the lighter, shorter ones. I'll have to make a couple more pairs I guess - time to get out the scrap bags.

Lara's Vest - I thought it was looking kind of big on the needles so I dropped it onto a string & measured it. Sigh. Not only was it too big but it was ginormous. I am beginning to understand that all Scottish knitting uses lace to fingering weight yarns even when they talk about chunky. And I really am useless at judging a bottom-up sweater when most of mine have been top-down ones that you can try on as you go. So I frogged it all once more. Pabaigh is simply a square with a funnel on top. There's no reason I can't knit it from the top down, with a cap sleeve & attach a funnel shaped cowl! Is there??? That's what I thought!  Or I could make a nice top down, cap sleeved vest with a shawl collar like one from Cabin Fever.
My Sweater - got three on the go - one in hand spun - I love the yarn & how it feels!!! One in Burgandy aran weight rustic yarn from Alberta. The yarn is like Briggs & Little only softer - you still have to pull out straw as you knit. And one in Blue bulky from Briggs & Little with straw bits which softens up as you work with it. All are sitting next to my TV chair waiting for me to turn the TV back on. I should do that, I suppose, it's easier on the butt than my office chair when I squint at the computer.

My Gawd, the sun is out, the sky is blue & I'm inside at the computer!!!

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.