Knit, Knit, Knit.......

Tomorrow I fly out to California for a few days of non-stop knitting.  I've signed up for 9 classes running from intriguing, Knitting with Wire! to the tricky tricky of using Japanese Stitch Dictionaries.


Way, way....WAY back in the day, I was on an extended visit with my maternal Grandmother Rose.  While there are many things we had in common, there were a few that was hard for my grandmother to deal with.
1. loads of energy
2. chatterbox
3. couldnt sit still
4. nonstop talking
5. nonstop asking of questions
6-infinity. I think you get the picture

In an effort to hush me up and make me sit still Grandmother used a number of interesting techniques, some more successful than others.  At long last she hit upon a winning combo, if my mind was fully engaged in learning/mastering something, the movement and chatter ceased, the trick was to make it interesting enough for me to stick to it.  Making bread was one of them.  Shelling peas, those tricky little bastards, rolling over the kitchen floor, gah! I'll get you in the bowl yet!

Then one day, grandmother sat me down and told me she was going to teach me how to knit!

                       Knit????

I had no clue as to what she was talking about.  She sat down in her rocker, pulled the wee stool in front of her, patted the top and I began watching her knit.  After a bit, she pulled it all out, it was just like magic how it unraveled.  I was amazed at the stitches unzipping.  She cast a few stitches back onto the needles, handed it to me, and said, "There you go."

 I struggled and fought with those needles!  Grrrr! That stupid yarn!  Now I was, ahem a wee bit on the stubborn side, and refused to give up.  Grandmother had to keep pulling it out and starting me over again, once she had to take the scissors to the wool, it was in such a muddle.

However, I sat still.  Unless things got into an extreme muddle, no words fell from my mouth.  I was addicted to figuring out how to make this "knitting" thing work.  The weekend came, and friday was always cake day.  Due to her uncertain oven, it had wobbly feet, and my tendency to jump, hop and leap about, once the cake hit the oven I was banished to the yard.  Usually I ran around the yard yelling like banshees were out and about with intent to kill.  Not this friday, my knitting came with me to the picnic table under the apple tree.  I sat cross legged on the table and fought with the yarn and needles.

Papa came home from the train yard, and came over to see if I was ok.  "Are you ok baby girl?  You're awful quiet there."
"Yeah Papa, I'm working on this knitting."

When grandmother passed away, she had only taught me the knit stitch.  My Uncle Choo-Choo taught me the purl stitch, and my struggle with the needles and yarn continued.  High school arrived and I forgot all about knitting, other things had filled my view, like BOYS and SEX!

Then I moved to Alaska, and there was nothing to do.  No tv to watch, a library that had a very limited selection, I began to slowly go crazy.  Until an older lady in the town told me I needed a hobby or I would go bat shit nuts in the long dark months of winter.  I began to knit again, not always very successfully, but happily none the less.

My skills remained that of a beginner, until I found the most marvelous place to find knitting videos, youtube.  And my skills improved like greased lightening, as did my love  of knitting.  I cant wait to get there and get knitting.

Ladies and Gentlemen, start your needles!  And their...........off!

that is all, breckenridge.

leaping hearts

After talking to TH this morning while he was on his way home from work, I sat down to answer a few emails.  Sitting there typing away, I heard the air conditioner next door kick on, and for a brief shining moment......................................I thought it was the garage door opening up and my heart leaped up!

TH is home!!!  
                         TH is HOME!!!
                                                     TH IS HOME!!!!

only to then remember where the fuck i am.





damn do i miss him



damn

George, Knitting and the Art of Volunteering

Sorry about neglecting to mention George's pedigree in my last post. George is a Chevy Sonic 2012, 5 speed manual, and totally without a shred of posh. Hand crank windows, no bluetooth abilities, manual seats. From my description it sounds as if I dont love George, oh but I do! Sure who wouldnt want leather seats, bluetooth, etc? But George fit well within our budget and he's fun as hellz to drive.

This summer was so full of TH's health drama, the endless packing and moving that my knitting needles grew dusty and lonely. After a week here, I dug out my needles and an am again knitting. A co-worker of TH's has 5, count em 5! adopted children between the ages of 3 and 9, all of them are relatives children they had to give up due to many family issues. For a xmas gift I'm knitting them all hats and scarves, a useful gift for Alaskan families. If I dont run out of time, elephants and kitties and bunnies will be sent along as well.

In just a few days, I head out to San Mateo to a knitting lab for 4 fantastical wonderful days of non-stop knitting....so damned happy. I have signed up for 9 classes: knitting with wire, to learning how to sew a zipper into a knitted item, using Japanese stitch dictionaries, etc. The zipper one, came with homework that I promptly forgot the moment I finalized my class list wayyy back in May. I was supposed to have a project ready to put the zipper into. Well, when I read that two nights ago I totally freaked! Then I calmed down and decided to do the second option, of bringing knitted swatches to sew a zip into, a totally doable option. I will still learn how to install a zip, so its all good.

Today I have an orientation for volunteers at main branch of the library, about 4 miles away. The list of options for volunteering are wide and exciting, I'm excited to get back into a library again, I miss my job at the community library in Hell Town. When i get back from my knitting binge, I have a meeting set up for the outreach program for street kids, my role is tutoring them on the non-math portion of the GED. Their main objective is to find a way to get these kids off the street permanently. These kids can come in and take showers, wash their clothing, have a hot meal, and have the use of one rough tote to place in a locked closet to keep their belongs safe. They work with them to get a GED if they ran before graduation, and then to get them into a training program, that leads to a job.

Also after the hours for these two volunteer are nailed down, I'm also thinking of volunteering for to work under a guardian ad litum, who is a court appointed lawyer who looks after the children's interest, not the parents, but helps the court decide what the kids truly want and need. The position is visiting the kids on my list several times a month to check up on them, and see how they are doing in their foster homes, at school, etc. These are all children who have been removed from their parents homes for various reasons. I wont have to appear in court, or do paperwork, but check in with the GAL after each visitation.

I need something to do, to help with the loneliness, and I think the best way to fill up ones time besides hobbies to help our fellow travelers.

Super Sonic George

When I was a wee sprout, I lived for Saturdays.  Why?  Because of all the wonderful, fabulous, fantastic cartoons, I watched them all.  Some were more beloved than others, but without a doubt my all time favorite was Looney Tunes.  I'm not really sure what it is about the catalog of Looney Tunes characters that attracted me quite so strongly.  

Getting up early, running down the stairs, sitting on the carpet close in to the tv, not really moving around much until they were over again for the week.  As I grew up, Saturday cartoons never really left my routine, I was still watching them in high school....ok, ok, yes, I still watch and adore cartoons, animated movies, and anime.  I own more animated movies than live action ones.

I snapped a few pics of my new car and was working on the first text to the offspring, when I added this to the text, "I will pet him, and squeeze him, and hug him. And call him George."  The boys all thought it was hysterical, and just like that! my new car was christened George.  

Say Hi George!

If you adore Looney Tunes as much as I do, enjoy this trip down memory lane.

Carpet Capers

Ok, the last time you heard from me I was furious about being jerked around for 4 days.  I arrived at the office primed and ready for a fight to get my deposit funds back.  Umm, this will be easier with some names, so today's office worker will be called, Jemma.  Jemma was still getting the office open when I arrived.  Jemma unlocked the door and let me in, my anger must have shown on my face, because she said, "the office manager is gone, lets see what we can do, ok?"  Pulling the anger right on out of me, I don't honestly hold a mad well or long.  She fired up the computer, and took a look at what was going on and came out with, "I dont know why Angela wont let you do the paper version of the lease, but she's not here now, and thats what I am going to do."  She pulled a file from the computer, had me tell her TH's web addy and fired off the packet.

When TH got up I had him print the lease off and fax it back before the apartment office closed.  It put a real crimp on his "morning" but he ran right off to our bank so they could fax it for him.  The lease arrived in the fax machine before the close of their day, and then it was my time to sign!  TA-DAH!  I was now the proud owner of a place to live.!!   I quickly called the movers and scheduled for my furniture to be shifted from the storage unit to the apartment the next morning.

Why was I so vested in this apartment complex?  Its in a super convenient location, right in the middle of my target area, its a great price, and felt homey when I did the original walk thru.  Alaskan's are a light deprived people, the last trip here I chose a south facing apartment, "oh!  the light just floods in here!"  Stupidly forgetting that the sun in Arizona carries one wee thing....HEAT!  And due to my lack of melanin I burn way way before I tan, so the balcony could only be used in short spurts, I do so hate getting burnt.  This balcony however, faces north!  w00t!  Meaning that anytime I wish to sit out and enjoy the day, I can without fear of burning.  There is also this wonderful turtle and koi pond right outside my balcony.  Wanna see?

Sweet yeah?

OMFG

Greetings from the anger zone,

Just so your forewarned, this is nothing but a fist shaking, foot stomping rant. M'kay?

So Wednesday I found an apartment that I liked. The people at the office wanted me to do an online application. No, I don't know why not a paper one. So, I started out following their directions, which led me to a dead end. Repeat this step 3 times. Until one of the office ladies told me to just do TH's online, do mine on paper and she would merge em later. The pay stubs I carried with, turned out to not be the last two. Called TH, he had no idea what he had done with em, they are STILL missing. So, I had to wait to finish the paperwork until he could get HR to send me the info.  By the time TH got to work, HR was closed for the day.  Thursday he goes and stands inline at HR for 20 minutes before it was his turn. This is at 8am. For what ever fucking reason, they can't/won't get the info locally, it has to come from the main office, in Reno.  HR Alaska didn't send the email until 3pm, after HR in Reno was shut for the day!  W.T.F?  And, to make matters worse?  The Reno HR dept is closed on Friday!!!!!!  

So, what I had to do, is print off three months of bank statements. Which didn't make me the least bit happy.   But they ok'd the application, and told me they would send the link to TH so he could sign it electronically.  Except the fucking link didn't work, at all. I went to the apartment office, and sat with 3 different workers for 4 hours, each of them trying something different, and failing each time!  And guess what?  Yeah, they never got it to work. So they emailed the paperwork for TH to fill out, and fax back. Turns out the paperwork they emailed him was the fucking application!!!!  GAH!

Tomorrow, I'm going in, getting my deposit back, and going to find a new place. This is beyond stupid. It might be a nice place to live, but this is beyond the pale for a business. 

Sent from my iPhone

Breaking Camp

This year I'm breaking camp early and heading outside to Arizona tonight.  The kicker is that I'll be going alone, which is kinda a big deal.  Im cool with getting an apartment alone, thats easy.  Ive gotten a few quotes from moving companies to shift my stuff from the storage unit to the new place.  What is freaking me quite a bit, is having to purchase a car alone.  That is something I've never done before, new day, new task I suppose.

I know what I want, but am having issues finding one loaded as I wish.  The Chevy Sonic turbo is one hot little car.  After being seriously under engined with my wee Aveo, this time I wanted something that could keep up with the hyper speedy traffic in Phoenix, and this car has loads of horses under its hood.  TH fits in it well, I can see out, which isnt the easiest thing to find in one car.  Either I can see well, or he's comfortable, but rarely is it both.  There is 12 inches diff in our heights, which makes finding cars, sofas, chairs etc, a task that is tricky. 

Last time I was there, I spent a lot of time learning to drive again in heavy traffic.  Figured out how to live without TH or the boys.  By the time my time ran out I was being brave and going around and doing quite a bit.  What was hard to deal with was a nearly total lack of company.  This time I plan to work on making some friends.  If you dont work or attend church, its quite hard to make friends.  I had people I could chat with, but no one to go and do stuff with.  Even though I'm not a joiner, I'm thinking of joining a few groups, as I figure that would be the best way to make some friends.  Or at the least give me a few nights where I have company. 

My choices are a bowling league, and a movie club.  Giving serious thoughts to joining a gay bowling league and movie club.  Why?  Well, the deal is that I dont have much in the common with women, and after a while they all seem to pick up the fact that there is something "different" about me, and after a period of them acting odd around me, they dump me.  What I'm wondering now, is if they perceive the difference as me being a lesbian, and it makes them uncomfortable.  Its tricky being friends with a female shell with straight guys, as they think I want more than just being friends.  So, am going to call the guys in charge of both groups and ask if they would allow a no hormone, no op transmen.  The worst they can say is no.  If it does come down on the side of a no from them, I'll keep looking. 

Total time there will be 8 months, broken up with several trips.  In November a trip to Cali for 4 days of non-stop knitting,  to St. Paul to meet up with TH and 2nd son and his wife for Turkey Day.  Then up to Alaska for a week for Christmas.  April will see TH and I in Antigua watching youngest son marry his long, long time girl friend.  They met when youngest was a senior in HS, and he just turned 25 this year.

Ok still loads to pack... see ya on the other side!