stormy weather

We have some friends (I know, get out!) who have two dogs. Ahi's birthday was Friday and his wife, Michelle, threw him a party on Saturday. It'd been a while since I saw their dogs and I was excited to see both of them.

There is little Vegas, the chihuahua. He's a riot! He does not have little dog syndrome at all. He is a big dog in a little dog body and loves loves loves people! No nipping and growling like most little rat dogs. He's even cuter in a hoodie (normally not a fan of dogs in clothes, but chihuahuas have really thin skin and it's cold here).

Then there is Storm. She is a rescue. She's a mix of wolf and we're not sure what else. Although I see her looking more like a small white shepherd than a wolf. She had a hard life prior to living with Michelle and Ahimsa. The first time I "met" her was through a window and that even had her darting under their deck when she saw me. I had high hopes that she'd be doing better since it'd been a long time since we'd been to their house. I walked in and was surprised to see Storm walking around the house that was full of people, rowdy people. She was walking cautiously, not really letting anyone near. I ignored her. Hardest thing for me to do!!! I would catch her watching me and following every so often. I refused eye contact or touch. MAN! I just wanted to sit down on the floor and snuggle (which would have been too much for her).

So after this dance we did, she came up and sniffed my hand. The sign I was waiting for. I reached down and scritched her ears. The next thing I knew I was sitting on the floor and she was rolled over on her back letting me rub her belly. I would stop and she would lick my hand!!! I paused and she nudged me to continue. My heart melted Saturday night.

Now here we are on Monday morning and I have even more news and words to write about Storm.

I got a text message yesterday (Sunday) from Michelle asking if we would want to come over again since we didn't have much of a time to chat and visit Saturday. Kev and I said yes, but after the KU game...heart stopping game.

Storm was under the coffee table when we arrived and I ignored her. She stayed there for the first 10-15 minutes we were there and then I think she realized who was at the house. By the end of the night, while the boys were playing Rock Band and Michelle and I were watching silly tv, Storm was sitting on the couch, draped over my lap. My hands, neck and face were damp from all her kisses. I swear, next time I'm taking the camera!!!

in which i have a memory

I was reading through an old message from Plaza Jen at Ravelry (siren of a site). She'd been asking about "Diggity J" and how she was doing. First my thoughts were, wow! I have a great friend back in the midwest who is wonderful, warm and truly amazing (so glad we met!!). Then I realized I'd not shared the latest and greatest of dear Diggity J.

She has not had a seizure (knock on wood) since she started the Phenobarbital. However, we opted to decrease her to one pill a day (given after supper) to see if that helped decrease (or eliminate) her leaking. She has not leaked since the night I got home from Vegas (right around the time we had started her on one pill a day). She's not drinking as much (YEA). She's normal and nutty. The other great thing (again with the knocking of wood) she's not had a break through seizure, either!

We are hoping she continues and is a one Phenobarbital dog. Dr. H says that she has a few patients who are, and even though the levels, when looking at their lab results, indicate they are not in the "safety zone" they are not having seizures. So we decided to see if she could possibly be one of those dogs. For all the crap she's gone through, we're hoping she really, truly is.

Thank you for all the support and kind words and queries. It really makes me feel good.

gone knitting

I swear, sometimes just reading through directions for knitted things to someone who knits makes everything click. Jenn, thanks!

I went to my dear friend's house last night for an impromptu night of dinner, knitting and a movie. The dinner was amazing, thrown together on the fly. Sauteed chicken, penne pasta with homemade pesto (best I've ever had), and steamed broccoli. In two words: so good!

After we chatted and ate we retired to the family room and started knitting away. She was working on her amazing socks (knitting both at the same time) while I made tassels for a certain someone's hat (I swear Zoe, it will be sent out soon!). I then decided that since I was with an incredible knitting friend I should pull out the sweater and dive in. It was great, it all made sense (well at least the little bit of the pattern that had me stumped).

So I have more than half of the back piece done. Then I have the left and right fronts and both arms...man, shouldn't have listed out all that I have left on the sweater because it's not really anywhere near completion. LOL

Today's plan?

Go to Close Knit for some fun things for a friend's baby shower.

Come home and work on laundry.

Knit.

Watch KU basketball this evening.

Nice. day. off.

the sound of one dog peeping

The time is 4:00 am, the Digs starts walking to the back door. I get up to let her out. She loves going out in the early morning (she does, me not so much) and sniffing around the backyard. She takes her own sweet time, making sure she finds THE place to go peep. She starts to wander towards the back left corner of our lot.

JOSIE! I say in a soft yet forceful voice.

Nothing.

*snap snap snap*

She perks her head and turns towards me before walking back up to her spot.

Finally I hear the sound that you can only really hear at that time of morning. Yep, she's going. Thank goodness the birds had yet to start chirping, otherwise I'd have to have gone on faith that when she came to the stairs she'd really done her business and not want to turn around and be let out again (hey, it's happened).

Man, today could potentially feel like many many days all strewn together to create one really long day.

whirlwind of orts

• Working at the kids store yesterday was exhausting. Fun, but very tiring. The ladies I worked with are so amazing and fabulous. We had a great time and worked well together. I look forward to next Saturday (the final day of the big spring sale) although one of the ladies won't be there and instead the part timer will be. It will change the dynamic completely, but we'll make it through.

• Okay, knitting question for all my knittahs! I'm getting ready to decrease for the arms on the back of this sweater. It tells me all decreases are done on the RS. Does this mean on the left arm hole I will have to cut the yarn? I am not able to visualize this and it's driving me crazy. Go look at the pattern and tell me what you think of the decrease directions (PlazaJen, I'm looking at you!). :)

• I just got off the phone with my parents. My Grandma Sam has leukemia. She is not going to have treatment. This is her way of controlling the way she dies. I must say, I respect that because of who she was the entire time I was growing up. I love her dearly, but am always conscious of loving those around me and letting them know I do. Don't get me wrong, she has always told me she loves me, but...

• We are having friends over to see the house. We've not seen them in a really long time. This means I have to clean the house. I mean, WE have to clean the house. I think I am going to start with the lounge...you know, get it JUST right. So this means? I'm done here...

Hoppy Keister everybody!

mimosas and college basketball

The NCAA tournament starts today! Actually, it's already started. We're watching our Alma Mater, the University of Kansas, play against Portland State right now. We have NO problem cheering on KU while living here!

This is KU's year. It is. There will be six games. Thankfully my dear co-manager at work offered to work the floor today at the store I was supposed to work 10-1 at so I could stay home and watch the game. I love Charles.

So yeah, some knitting has happened (I've got about 12 inches done so far of the back piece) and more training at work has happened.

Now, some basketball and mimosas are happening, so I am out!

ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK!!! KU

knitting?

I have started knitting my second sweater. It's going to be beautiful AND it's going to look good on me. My first sweater, not so much. It was a sad thing. I followed the directions, instead of listening to that ever pesky inner guide and making it longer, and it's too short. It's also not the right neck line for me and makes me look even chestier (if that is possible). So it has become my winter cycling sweater. I still love the yarn, which is why I went with an alpaca for the second sweater (it was what it called for, really).

I have only about an inch of the back made. It's pretty darned exciting for me, though. I'm off work today and besides laundry, I am planning on knitting. If it were going to be sunnier out, I'd also work in a bit of gardening. We've turned under the first bed of crimson clover (green mulch) and got quite the workout yesterday. But it's cold, rainy, and just plain glum outside. So I will make a pot of french press coffee, a bagel, and I will sit and knit.

Pictures to come shortly (camera is upstairs, knitting down).

UPDATED: Obviously you see two images have been uploaded. The second, the skein of yarn with Ben, is more accurate of the color. The first is just how far I've gotten as of this very minute.

oh yeah

When I rule the world, people will NOT be allowed to bathe in their perfume/cologne before getting on a plane. This little woman who wore Elizabeth Taylor's *White Diamonds sat right next to me, knocking into my arm...which was NOT using the mutual arm rest, but was tucked next to my side.




*My very first roommate in college wore this perfume. Now, in my opinion, it is a perfume that was made for a more mature woman, not a young 18 year old. Waking for an entire year to a cloud of this, along with the sound of her ripping a brush through her wet hair, made me ill. Whenever I smell that smell, I throw up a little bit.

oh baby i'm so tired

Wow, even though I am only having to work 3-6 on the floor today (I did start in the office) I am exhausted. I feel as though the wind has just been removed from my sails.

Our travel yesterday was fine. Nothing too crazy, although note to self: remember to take more than one small knitting project on next plane ride. We did crosswords together in a book that has both hard and medium puzzles, but we never know which we are starting because they aren't in any kind of order. We worked well together. Each knowing most of what the other didn't.

We had a blast with Kev's dad and step-mom. Too many desserts, though! Must eat like a rabbit this weekend.

We had our friends pick us up at the airport and we took them out to dinner after dropping our stuff at the house. They had gone and gotten Josie at the vet's office, too (where we boarded her). She was thrilled to A. see us and B. be back in her home. I think the next trip we take together, we'll have a friend come stay at the house. Especially since she hasn't been leaking for quite some time now. My friend has already said she'd be down with the idea.

I only have an hour and a half left at work, but it might as well be two days. I will have Sunday off, before working the floor for five days. It will be fine, though. None are 8 hour shifts.

So yeah, we were off in a sunny place visiting people we love and eating too many sweets.

why so quiet?

Well, the reason for the silence is we are visiting Kev's father and step-mother. We flew in on Monday and are flying home tomorrow. Quick visit. It's been lovely to see them, and Kev's sister.

There is so much going on back home, though. I just learned that a friend of mine (she was my rep from Ellington) has decided to stop treatment for her aggressive cancer (her doctors told her that it was the most aggressive he'd ever seen). This will mean later today, I expect to receive and update that she has passed. She was an amazing woman. Vibrant, full of life. I adored working with her. I loved her the first time I met her. I have posted to her guestbook, where I am sure her family will read the posts to her, and told her how much I loved her.

My Grandma Sam is showing more signs of a dementia we never knew was looming (well, I never knew). Dad put a post up at his site...I'd link to it, but just go to my sidebar and click on One Man's View from Lansing, Kansas. The computer here is a bit slow.

If I've learned anything from these two amazing women, it is this:

Live life to the fullest. Don't take anything for granted. Don't hold grudges. Be joyful.

saying goodbye

How do you say goodbye to a person you haven't seen in more years than you can remember? How do you make it so you don't feel the guilt of not going to visit?

My Grandma Sam is going through some major life changes. She is a woman who does not take to change very well. She lives to be in control of her own life. She is about to have to give up that control because her body is tapping out, saying it's done. Dad and Keith take her to a nursing home on Monday. I never thought I'd see the day. She's going rather willingly at this point. Who knows what Monday will hold.

the power of pie

The past few days have been beautiful. And luckily for me I got to get out of work a bit earlier yesterday and enjoy some of it.

I love when it starts to get warm again. Even if we know it will be a little burst of beauty before heading down the drain to the world of cold soon again (we get about two weeks of teaser weather before it plummets into cold and rain again for another month). The neighborhood starts to come to life. Not only in the pretty daffodils and crocuses that are blooming, but the humans come out, too.

Anyway, yesterday I was out chatting with my neighbor Brett while he was out cleaning up his yard. Ian, his tenant, was helping with his chainsaw. Seriously what is it about chainsaws?! Anyway, Brett tells me I should ask Ian to give me a quote on taking out four (what turned out to be five) red thorn bushes. Ian has his own landscape business. He's rarely home before dark.

Ian walks over and takes a look at them. He looks up and asks, "Do you ever bake cookies?" I tell him not only do I bake cookies, but I bake pies. His eyebrows raise as he says, "I like pies." I ask him what kind he would like and he said, "any." So for the price of an apple pie, those bushes were removed.

kicky summer doo

I know it's not summer yet, but I'm ready for it!!!