Harley, my wee Ragdoll shadow, has a very not nice habit. He has not been peeing in the litterboxes. He poops there, no prob. But there are no pee clumps in the box when I clean them. The girls have been using the great outdoors, so this is how I know who has been doing or not doing what.
I cannot find where he is peing either. I have been seeking out hidden corners and sniffing around but he has hidden his spot from me thus far. It ends today.
Today, Harley will be locked in the main floor bathroom with a litter box, food, water, and a sleeping basket. This retrainibg method is going to hurt me worse than him because I know he will be crying and I will want to let him out so we can cuddle. He is a most excellent cuddle cat. So, as bad as it is for him to be locked in the bathroom....my nerves and composure will be suffering as well. Send me strength!!!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
New week
It is the beginning of the new week and I thought maybe I'd lay down a blurt or two here to take the edge off a misty moisty Monday morning.
Hman returned home safe and sound on Saturday although about 2 hours earlier than expected, thus all the house tidyings were not done. Note to anyone who arrives anywhere early: Don't bitch if things aren't ready for you! Not that he bitched...he just sighed and shook his head and started tidying things which drives me crazy.
He arrived home without my present because he couldn't find a Gullah basket and everywhere he tried told him he'd have to go to Charleston, which he didn't have time for. I hate tourist websites that recommend stuff that is out of date. Its ok though because I got extra Rhinebeck money. He asked how much I needed I said LOTS. He said Lots isn't a number so I said MORE THAN LAST YEAR! It seems to have worked...Oh and then there was the moment when the amount ended in a 13 so I said it was unlucky, gimme another 50. And he did. Rhinebeck...were are going to enjoy ourselves this year. I will be buying a sweater's worth of something for sure.
Cameron has been very congested for about a week. The kid is always congested!!! He has a mould allergy and the Nasonex only helps a little and only if you are the allergist and looking up his nose and saying "Oh yes...much better!" Other than that he's still the walking talking snot bucklet he always is until it either gets worse or he has a cold. Then its almost impossible to understand a word he says, between his lisp and his refusal to enunciate and then add the nasal accents.
Whatever was bugging him was passed on to me but seems to have left after two days.
I am tired. Was awake much of the night. I get smooshed between Harley and Hman and cannot get comfy. I wish the cat would get in the middle..That'd be better for me. When I went to the sofa, Harley tagged along and pinned down my legs for his sleeping comfort...remind me why I wanted a fur baby again? Also, he won't pee in the litter box. I have been trying to find out where he's doing that but have not yet detected his spot(s). Then this morning, right in front of me, he pee'd on the laundry pile that had fallen to the floor from the hamper in the laundry room. WTF? I don't get it. The boxes are clean! We have two of them! He poops there, why won't he pee there??? UGH...so gross.
Thrummed Mitten: Am displeased. Its too short and the decreases look like shit because they made the mitten kinda pointy. Have to rip it back about 2 1/2 inches to where the decreases were started and knit it again, but differently and about an inch longer. This time I am planning radical decreases in the last rows starting with a K1, K2tog...thats 15 stitches decreased in the first row, 10 in the second decreas row, and then I will just K2tog for the 3rd. Bam.
Liesl: Still waiting for new needle tips. Am beginning to think I won't have it ready for Rhinebeck. More like I'm pretty sure I won't, at this point.
Hman's Socks: Husband man says the first sock is perfect but I think its about 3-5 rows too short...the end goes UNDER his toes just a smidge. After sock 2 is done I will rip out the toe of sock one to match the slightly longer foot length I will put on Sock 2. Its bugging me.
Want to knit the new Spilly Jane pattern Quo Vadis . Lord knows I have enough single and partial balls of worsted weight yarns to make a few pair of these lovely unisex mittens. Unfortunately my printer is sucking badly these days and the copy I printed off is somewhat illegible. Grr. I think the pattern would also make lovely fingerless mitts...and flip top mitts. sigh. Stupid printer and pile of WIPs already draining my will to live....
I missed out on last weeks two knit nights so tonight I'm going to go hang out with my friend Veronik at her place in the city. I'm starting to feel hermit like and curmudgeonly so I gotta get out.
PS: the cute adorable bra and panty set that I got for my mother, based on HER measurements is too small. I knew shouldn't have trusted her measuring skills.
Hman returned home safe and sound on Saturday although about 2 hours earlier than expected, thus all the house tidyings were not done. Note to anyone who arrives anywhere early: Don't bitch if things aren't ready for you! Not that he bitched...he just sighed and shook his head and started tidying things which drives me crazy.
He arrived home without my present because he couldn't find a Gullah basket and everywhere he tried told him he'd have to go to Charleston, which he didn't have time for. I hate tourist websites that recommend stuff that is out of date. Its ok though because I got extra Rhinebeck money. He asked how much I needed I said LOTS. He said Lots isn't a number so I said MORE THAN LAST YEAR! It seems to have worked...Oh and then there was the moment when the amount ended in a 13 so I said it was unlucky, gimme another 50. And he did. Rhinebeck...were are going to enjoy ourselves this year. I will be buying a sweater's worth of something for sure.
Cameron has been very congested for about a week. The kid is always congested!!! He has a mould allergy and the Nasonex only helps a little and only if you are the allergist and looking up his nose and saying "Oh yes...much better!" Other than that he's still the walking talking snot bucklet he always is until it either gets worse or he has a cold. Then its almost impossible to understand a word he says, between his lisp and his refusal to enunciate and then add the nasal accents.
Whatever was bugging him was passed on to me but seems to have left after two days.
I am tired. Was awake much of the night. I get smooshed between Harley and Hman and cannot get comfy. I wish the cat would get in the middle..That'd be better for me. When I went to the sofa, Harley tagged along and pinned down my legs for his sleeping comfort...remind me why I wanted a fur baby again? Also, he won't pee in the litter box. I have been trying to find out where he's doing that but have not yet detected his spot(s). Then this morning, right in front of me, he pee'd on the laundry pile that had fallen to the floor from the hamper in the laundry room. WTF? I don't get it. The boxes are clean! We have two of them! He poops there, why won't he pee there??? UGH...so gross.
Thrummed Mitten: Am displeased. Its too short and the decreases look like shit because they made the mitten kinda pointy. Have to rip it back about 2 1/2 inches to where the decreases were started and knit it again, but differently and about an inch longer. This time I am planning radical decreases in the last rows starting with a K1, K2tog...thats 15 stitches decreased in the first row, 10 in the second decreas row, and then I will just K2tog for the 3rd. Bam.
Liesl: Still waiting for new needle tips. Am beginning to think I won't have it ready for Rhinebeck. More like I'm pretty sure I won't, at this point.
Hman's Socks: Husband man says the first sock is perfect but I think its about 3-5 rows too short...the end goes UNDER his toes just a smidge. After sock 2 is done I will rip out the toe of sock one to match the slightly longer foot length I will put on Sock 2. Its bugging me.
Want to knit the new Spilly Jane pattern Quo Vadis . Lord knows I have enough single and partial balls of worsted weight yarns to make a few pair of these lovely unisex mittens. Unfortunately my printer is sucking badly these days and the copy I printed off is somewhat illegible. Grr. I think the pattern would also make lovely fingerless mitts...and flip top mitts. sigh. Stupid printer and pile of WIPs already draining my will to live....
I missed out on last weeks two knit nights so tonight I'm going to go hang out with my friend Veronik at her place in the city. I'm starting to feel hermit like and curmudgeonly so I gotta get out.
PS: the cute adorable bra and panty set that I got for my mother, based on HER measurements is too small. I knew shouldn't have trusted her measuring skills.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Chchchchanges...
Amy Singer of Knitty.com models her Liesl sweater. Will mine look anywhere near as nice?Changed Liesl over to the Warani yarn and to 9mm needles.. YES! NINE mm needles. So far so good and better than the Yarn Treehouse Merino Classic on 8 mm. Unfortunately, there is a snag. One of my 9mm needle tips has a chip in it (being made of a laminate wood product) and I have had to call for replacements. While still functional, its a little painful (sharp scratchy edges). I am on row 10...will row 11 see the right number of stitches??? It didn't yesterday..hence the ripping out...but I feel good about today's progress. Much happier with the project on the whole actually.
Now that the Merino Classic is free its tempting me...I LOVE the colour. It makes me think of chicory blossoms on the roadsides in late June which I adore the colour of. I'll call it Cornflower. Anyways...now what will I do with only 970 yards? I scratched my head and then wondered if maybe I could knit Veronik's Cap Sleeved Henly with it...Using my questionable math skills and a calculator I figured that if I knit it at 5 stitches to the inch, the closest stitch count for MY size would be the medium. This calls for 1050 yds of sportweight yarn...will 970 (ish) of worsted do? This I do not know because I haven't got yardage calculation skills like that.
I finished shopping for my Mom's birthday present today and got it into the mail. I spent more than I planned but I think its a nice parcel of girly stuffs. I don't see her very often so a half decent present is called for I think. (Just hope Hman doesn't look at the bank account too hard.) She's at the doctor's today and should be recieving some test results.
My new DPN needles arrived today in sizes 7mm and 5.5 mm! YAY! Time for more Instant Mitten knitting because winter will be here before I get any normal mitts knit, and the 7 mms are for Fuzzy Feet felted slippers. My old 7mms were too short and with sucky points. Not nice to knit with at all, specially in the round.
After two nights of crap sleep, last night I crashed out around 10 and slept like a baby!!!!! Today I feel great! And NO NAP. I even made pancakes for the kids this morning. I wish I felt this good and energetic everyday.
Oh NPH...how I love theee!
The uber talented Neil Patrick Harris hosted another YES another awards show last night. This time the Emmys. Of course being an idiot I forgot to watch BUT thanks to the wonder that is the innernetses, I got to watch the Dr Horrible hijacking of the show over and over and over...and over....
LOVE Dr Horrible. Love the Sing Along Blog! Wish I had it on Dvd so I could watch it over...and over...and over... and not just because I has the lust for Nathan Fillion. OH...don't forget Castle premiers tonight!!!! tee hee heee...
Saturday, September 19, 2009
What's new, Pussycat?
I went to knit night last night and it was so incredibly quiet. there was just me, Cindy, and Ginette and sometimes the silence was broken only by one of us talking to ourself as we counted stitches or talked through a pattern repeat...LOL This is almost unheard of at Effiloche but I guess everyone was tired or busy. I wanted to be there because I had two booklets on hold ( Lopi 28 amd Berroco Blackstone Tweed ) full of inspiration for future projects. Audrey (The Devil) is making noises about a Briggs and Little order and I have a queue of sweaters that would benefit for having a yarn to knit them in...temptation ...always so much yarny temptation...)
As we chatted and caught up, I really had nothing new or exciting to relay to my friends. Nothing was new. Nothing was very different. Hman has left for South Carolina for a week of golfing fun with clients. I guess thats new, but he goes on trips or conferences a couple times a year so its not really new. Plus if the boys and I are moving home Nova Scotia I will need to get used to a semi single parent life, so I am not complaining or bitching but I miss him when he's not around, the big lug.
Truth is that for the last few weeks I have been adjusting to school schedule with the boys, and I'm not doing that great. The napping has returned with a vengeance. Almost all summer I didn't nap. It was great! Some day I was even up by 9 or 9;30 (and y'all know what an "up at the crack of noon" girl I truly am) and able to function for the whole day! Gasp! Shock! Awe!! I think it was the simple blessing of those two extra hours of sleep without the alarm going off. That and sunlight exposure. Now the alarm goes off at 7 and I am trying to drag my ass out of the bed by 20 after or so and motivate the kids to get ready for school with much pleading or threatening or cajoling, depending on the day and the kid and how late we are running because I fell asleep again after the clock radio came on. The truth is that I suck at mornings. I wish I didn't but I do and always have done.
So, after the kids go to school I have two options...guzzle coffee and get moving or go back to bed. Some days I do indeed go back to bed. Most days I do coffee and get things going but by 1 pm amd crashing hard on the sofa until the kids return from school. Its sad and pathetic and doesn't always have anything to do with what time I get to bed at night. Also, I have noticed that I am NOT sleeping well at night between Harley crowding me from the edge of the bed on my left and Hman sleeping the other side. This week may be a blessing in disguise for sleep quality.
So, as you see, there is nothing new OR exciting going on here at all. Is a SSDD situation now that school is back in session.
On the knitting front: I finished the shrug and its too tight across the back of my neck. I should have extended the back by at least an inch or three for comfort. Disappointed I am. If I continue to lose weight it might fit next year.
Hman's socks are coming along beautifully. I finished sock one last night but worry that I may have ended it a few rows too short even after having tried it on him, said I would knit a few more rows and then decrease, did so, and am still wondering if they'll be a few rows too short. Sock two will get on the needles ASAP and I await a 3rd ball of the yarn that I had to order because of the skeins being short (only 166 yds rather than the almost 200 I'd assumed, so one ball does NOT equal one good sized sock). The shipping on one little ball of Kroy from Ontario doubled the price of the frigging yarn. Kroy has an excellent price point unless you have to order it in. Grrr. But they will be lovely.
TUESDAY is the official start to the Effiloche Thrum Along. Some of the girls want to make thrummed mittens etc so a knit along was proposed and the Autumn Equinox as a start date. I have the yarn and some roving and 3 pair of mittens to be made. May need more roving since my supply is now heavy on the pink side and two of these pairs are for the boys. Ginette has some gorgeous multicoloured Louet pencil rovings in stock that would look gorgeous in thrummed projects with a coordinating or contrasting yarn. I have visions of a certain green yarn paired with the purples of the "Grape Jelly" rovings....puuuurrrr. Then again...I have more knitting visions than I can execute myself. I need a clone or two.
As we chatted and caught up, I really had nothing new or exciting to relay to my friends. Nothing was new. Nothing was very different. Hman has left for South Carolina for a week of golfing fun with clients. I guess thats new, but he goes on trips or conferences a couple times a year so its not really new. Plus if the boys and I are moving home Nova Scotia I will need to get used to a semi single parent life, so I am not complaining or bitching but I miss him when he's not around, the big lug.
Truth is that for the last few weeks I have been adjusting to school schedule with the boys, and I'm not doing that great. The napping has returned with a vengeance. Almost all summer I didn't nap. It was great! Some day I was even up by 9 or 9;30 (and y'all know what an "up at the crack of noon" girl I truly am) and able to function for the whole day! Gasp! Shock! Awe!! I think it was the simple blessing of those two extra hours of sleep without the alarm going off. That and sunlight exposure. Now the alarm goes off at 7 and I am trying to drag my ass out of the bed by 20 after or so and motivate the kids to get ready for school with much pleading or threatening or cajoling, depending on the day and the kid and how late we are running because I fell asleep again after the clock radio came on. The truth is that I suck at mornings. I wish I didn't but I do and always have done.
So, after the kids go to school I have two options...guzzle coffee and get moving or go back to bed. Some days I do indeed go back to bed. Most days I do coffee and get things going but by 1 pm amd crashing hard on the sofa until the kids return from school. Its sad and pathetic and doesn't always have anything to do with what time I get to bed at night. Also, I have noticed that I am NOT sleeping well at night between Harley crowding me from the edge of the bed on my left and Hman sleeping the other side. This week may be a blessing in disguise for sleep quality.
So, as you see, there is nothing new OR exciting going on here at all. Is a SSDD situation now that school is back in session.
On the knitting front: I finished the shrug and its too tight across the back of my neck. I should have extended the back by at least an inch or three for comfort. Disappointed I am. If I continue to lose weight it might fit next year.
Hman's socks are coming along beautifully. I finished sock one last night but worry that I may have ended it a few rows too short even after having tried it on him, said I would knit a few more rows and then decrease, did so, and am still wondering if they'll be a few rows too short. Sock two will get on the needles ASAP and I await a 3rd ball of the yarn that I had to order because of the skeins being short (only 166 yds rather than the almost 200 I'd assumed, so one ball does NOT equal one good sized sock). The shipping on one little ball of Kroy from Ontario doubled the price of the frigging yarn. Kroy has an excellent price point unless you have to order it in. Grrr. But they will be lovely.
TUESDAY is the official start to the Effiloche Thrum Along. Some of the girls want to make thrummed mittens etc so a knit along was proposed and the Autumn Equinox as a start date. I have the yarn and some roving and 3 pair of mittens to be made. May need more roving since my supply is now heavy on the pink side and two of these pairs are for the boys. Ginette has some gorgeous multicoloured Louet pencil rovings in stock that would look gorgeous in thrummed projects with a coordinating or contrasting yarn. I have visions of a certain green yarn paired with the purples of the "Grape Jelly" rovings....puuuurrrr. Then again...I have more knitting visions than I can execute myself. I need a clone or two.
Monday, September 14, 2009
We all wanted a Johnny
I remember when Dirty Dancing came out and every woman I knew would have loved to have been Baby. Patrick Swayze was THE man the way Brad Pitt or George Clooney are now. Its hard to believe its been over 20 years since I first saw him in movies like Red Dawn and Tiger Warsaw. Now he's gone. I am sad.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Accomplishment...I has some.
Yesterday I finished my silk and wool blend shrug in all its glorious colours of purple, blue, and sand. I had bound off the night before BUT the bind off was too tight and the garment was rendered useless. I found an uber stretchy bind off yesterday and it rocked. Many thanks to the blog Slip Slip Knit for that. It is wearable but I could have used an inch or more ease through the back, but I wanted it close fitting. I will know better next time to go for more ease.
On the ride to Henry and Louise's house in Ile Perrot for supper I turned the heel and started the gusset decreases on Sock 1 of the Paton's Kroy Sock F/X socks I am knitting for a certain husband I have. It is what I owe him after F*&^ing up a beach day on vacation by returning too late for said beach outing. My penance is another pair of socks so here I am with almost half a pair done. I am loving this yarn despite its somewhat splitty nature. The colour gradiant is so pretty but not all girly or wild. The colourway I am using has the odd name of Clover Colours and it looks nothing like clover! 'Sup with that? Looks like an autumn landscape to me in it colours. ( I tried to use a picture of it from the web but it wouldn't work.) I am using 2.75 mm needles for a dense knit rather than the 3 or 3.25mm(?) recommended on the label. A tighter knit with socks makes them warmer and theory has it they last better.
Last of all, I weighed in yesterday. It was a happier weigh in than earlier in the week when it had appeared I'd gone up (damn water retention). Yesterday I was a satisfying 200.6 which means I've lost another 2 plus pounds. Since mid June I am almost 14 pounds off. .6 to go for that goal...LOL I was aiming for 10 pounds off by Labour day and I made it in August. I was aiming for 15 off by Rhinebeck and I am almost there (1.6 pounds away!). After that I will make another short term goal. I am feeling rather accomplished today!
On the ride to Henry and Louise's house in Ile Perrot for supper I turned the heel and started the gusset decreases on Sock 1 of the Paton's Kroy Sock F/X socks I am knitting for a certain husband I have. It is what I owe him after F*&^ing up a beach day on vacation by returning too late for said beach outing. My penance is another pair of socks so here I am with almost half a pair done. I am loving this yarn despite its somewhat splitty nature. The colour gradiant is so pretty but not all girly or wild. The colourway I am using has the odd name of Clover Colours and it looks nothing like clover! 'Sup with that? Looks like an autumn landscape to me in it colours. ( I tried to use a picture of it from the web but it wouldn't work.) I am using 2.75 mm needles for a dense knit rather than the 3 or 3.25mm(?) recommended on the label. A tighter knit with socks makes them warmer and theory has it they last better.
Last of all, I weighed in yesterday. It was a happier weigh in than earlier in the week when it had appeared I'd gone up (damn water retention). Yesterday I was a satisfying 200.6 which means I've lost another 2 plus pounds. Since mid June I am almost 14 pounds off. .6 to go for that goal...LOL I was aiming for 10 pounds off by Labour day and I made it in August. I was aiming for 15 off by Rhinebeck and I am almost there (1.6 pounds away!). After that I will make another short term goal. I am feeling rather accomplished today!
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Saturday, September 05, 2009
NOT FOR CHILDREN
You will also want to put the music on my playlist on pause if you choose to watch this video.
My friend Janet knows I am a big Nathan Fillion fan: Firefly, Serenity, Slither, Castle...I love him in almost everything he does. He is especially good at comic timing...ad libbing funny stuffs into his work. Also, he a good ol' Canadian boy. Did I mention handsome?
Anyways, Janet sent me the link to James Gunn's PG Pron. Its HILARIOUS!!!! Everything you love about pron without the sex. Its like anti-pron (yes I know I spelled it wrong...I don't want freaks showing up here looking for pron...except yarn pron...or kitty pron...and by freaks I don't mean you guys).
So this is the episode of PG Pron entitled Nailing Your Wife. Enjoy responsibly...my coffee shot out my nose.
My friend Janet knows I am a big Nathan Fillion fan: Firefly, Serenity, Slither, Castle...I love him in almost everything he does. He is especially good at comic timing...ad libbing funny stuffs into his work. Also, he a good ol' Canadian boy. Did I mention handsome?
Anyways, Janet sent me the link to James Gunn's PG Pron. Its HILARIOUS!!!! Everything you love about pron without the sex. Its like anti-pron (yes I know I spelled it wrong...I don't want freaks showing up here looking for pron...except yarn pron...or kitty pron...and by freaks I don't mean you guys).
So this is the episode of PG Pron entitled Nailing Your Wife. Enjoy responsibly...my coffee shot out my nose.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
I think I can I think I can...
I think I can finish sleeve one of my shrug tonight if I really try. I will try to sit still and work on it. I have a couple inches of ribbing left to do and then its cast off. Then I get to pick up from the provisional cast on and work the other half of the back and the other sleeve.
The yarn is very pretty...soft purples, blues, and taupes. The slubby bits make for a lot of texture to jkeep the stockingette from being blah. I actually have yarn left over from the sleeve (or I should say, I WILL) but I know that to finish I will still need a coordinating yarn for the collar bands.
I'd like to take a line or two and thank everyone for the kind words regarding Cooper. It really helped. Thanks a lot, folks.
The yarn is very pretty...soft purples, blues, and taupes. The slubby bits make for a lot of texture to jkeep the stockingette from being blah. I actually have yarn left over from the sleeve (or I should say, I WILL) but I know that to finish I will still need a coordinating yarn for the collar bands.
I'd like to take a line or two and thank everyone for the kind words regarding Cooper. It really helped. Thanks a lot, folks.
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Puppy Mill Video
A lot of pet store throughout Canada get their puppy's from Quebec puppy mills. If you want a purebred dog go to a reputable breeder, NOT a pet store. If they stop making money they will stop having puppy mills and abusing these poor creatures.
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Hard Call
I've been trying to stay pretty positive about Cooper's prognosis. I've been hopeful. Unfortunately all the care in the world ain't a cure and the poor bugger was not improving beyond his eye and nasal discharges were no longer green.
He's been sleeping a lot and cuddling up looking for heat and comfort. On anti inflammatories he is a pinch more active but nothing like a healthy kitten and also, thats not a cure . He still had a fever today, back up to 40 degrees and now he's losing weight. He's not a big cat so a 1/2 pound loss in a week is a lot. He's been getting a smelly again (cat pee smell) and I noticed that the big blue sofa has the smell where he tends to curl up. I am washing the cushion covers and have Febreezed everything but never was anything wet...I think it just rubbed off (or maybe he was getting dribbly?)Basically, He's plain old getting worse. So today while at the vet we discussed his health, his lack of progress beyond the eye and boogers, how often he would have to come back to the vet if we kept trying to help him. Since the vet is positive in her mind that he has FIP, there would be no actually "getting well", just managing his illness and frankly if its anything like that last 3 weeks has been, we just can't afford several hundred dollars a month in vet bills. All of that added to todays examination meant I had to make the tough call and so Cooper did not come home with me.
Its cold to think of it as cutting our losses but the fact is that if it was FIP, he was just going to get worse and worse. He was obviously not well, and sometimes I could see he was uncomfortable or maybe even in pain. Watching him walk fron his sleeping spot to his food dish was like watching an elderly cat. There was not spring, no litheness to his walk, and he was even somewhat unsteady sometimes. The longer we kept trying to hold out hope or manage his symptoms, the more attached we were going to get and I was getting pretty attached already, what with his wanting to sleep curled up with me as often as possible. What he had with us, albeit too brief, was a family that wanted to love him. A family that gave his last weeks comfort and affection. At least he had that.
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