F is for Food

Picture this...

You're plate arrives with your order - warm and smelling good. There's 3 good sized scallops, grilled. You cut them into about 12 bite-sized pieces and mix them with what else is on your plate. Let's see... some lightly sauteed spinach and sliced fennel bulb, some really thinly sliced - what is that? pear? green apple?. Some walnuts. Sitting in this lovely, thin balsamic vinegar sauce.

Oh. My....

Oh and the business meeting I had while eating this went really well, too.

You ever had food like that? I was trying really hard to concentrate on what this man who I'm buying lunch for is saying. This new client I've acquired. But really all I want to say is, "shh, shh, shhhhhhh. Don't speak. Eating."

My friend Elizabeth, who is an excellent cook, used to call that Foodgasm.

This Foodgasm brought to you by the fantastic people at The California Cafe in Lone Tree, CO. Who knew chain food could be so amazing?

Planning my next lunch there, Ruth!

E is for Embarrassing

I recently entered a blog contest where you're supposed to tell your most embarrassing moment. I had to think long and hard about it. I don't embarrass easily. It's hard to embarrass someone who has no shame.

The only thing I could think of was this...

When I was enormously, obviously pregnant (we're talking 8 or 9 or 10 months along, here), my husband used to like to play this joke. It started when we went to a movie and I was about 8 months pregnant with our first boy.

The young kid selling the tickets looked at me and his eyes lit up! "Wow! You look great! When are you due?", he asked me.

Without missing a beat (he never does), Dave asked him, "What do you mean??? Did you just call my wife fat?!"

That poor kid was mortified! And, I agree, unless you see the child crowning, you really should never ask someone that, because what if you are wrong! After seeing the kid's face (and after we stopped laughing at the expression he had on it), we told him Dave was just kidding.

It was somewhat embarrassing for me but it was also damn funny. It quickly became Dave's favorite joke! He used it often, and again during our second pregnancy.

The blogger who's contest I left the story on, emailed to say Dave has a bent sense of humor. I emailed her back and explained, "You have no idea."

Luvin that man, Ruth!

D is for Delivery

Or lack thereof.

My Post Office is ridiculously inept. Last month, I had one of those slips of paper that say to come claim your package at the desk. I stood in line for 15 minutes then gave the post woman my slip. She went in to the back. For 20 minutes. I was about to call for help, thinking she'd been crushed under an avalanche of packages and couldn't cry out, when she reappeared.

With 12 packages for me! That's not a typo. Twelve. When I get a package too big for my tiny PO Box, they put a red key in and I go to bigger boxes and use the red key. Well, someone had put 2 red keys for me.... into the wrong POB. Thankfully the wrong POB was unoccupied. The woman with my mountain of packages explained how they were just about to send them all back as "Abandoned". Some had been in there over 2 weeks! Can you imagine?

Oh, but it gets better.

I've been doing really well with this new business we bought for me to run. I've made 4 placements already and 2 are with new companies that I've acquired business from! (That means, I'm being successful with the company the business already works with and am growing the business by adding more companies. Bonus!)

Well, the original company the business already works with got invoiced at the end of December for the 2 placements I made. I still haven't received a check, so I finally called them today. I talked to 3 different people and was told the check was mailed on January 14th or 15th. She said they normally wait 2 weeks before they cancel a check and issue a new one. I told her that was fine and if it didn't show up by Friday, I'd call Monday - no sweat.

But, of course, big sweat because WTF?? Where'd the check go??

Well, that woman called me back about 5 minutes later and told me someone in her office just delivered the check to her and it was marked by my post office as being undeliverable - no such address. They had the correct address on it and it's a freakin' P.O. Box people!

That means a $14,000 check has been floating around the postal system for 2 weeks now. More importantly, it's my $14K check.

I'm going to the post office to kick some ass tomorrow.

Gearing up my military voice, Ruth!

C is for Confusion

C is also for Conversation. And CRAAAAAAAP!!!!

I went to the lovely sit-n-knit at Purls of Wisdom yesterday. I took my equally lovely Bed Jacket/Gown from Romantic Knits. I've been loving this project and the yarn I'm using (Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece). I did the back which starts on the bottom goes up the back and grows the arms with a bunch of cast-on increases. Then you do the fronts. I started with the right front which (like the left front) has that wicked, evil "at the same time" instructions. I am undaunted. I chart the shenanigans out and plow ahead. I finish all the increases and decreases at the same time and am very happy! Now the instructions say to keep knitting in pattern until the front matches the back. I do so.

Then I reread it. No - not til it matches the back. Until it matches the last of the shaping (increases to create the arms) for the back. hmmmm. Wish they'd've told me that ahead of time - I would've marked that particular spot on the back. I ask Jen (the shop owner) for her opinion of these cryptic instructions. She still can't visualize what I'm even doing so I lay it on the floor and show her how it's supposed to be. Then a hush falls over the room of knitters as we all see it.

The front of the sleeve is about 3" shorter then the back of the sleeve.

We try to finagle it to work but there is no such luck. We had to pull out about 6" (or roughly a week's worth of knitting on this thing)! Jen was kind enough to put it back on the needles for me. I didn't want to have to tink back that far but didn't feel confident I could rip and return to the needles with all the stitches where they're supposed to be since there's a stitch pattern.

The stupid thing about the pattern is that the stitch pattern repeats are left to right but the construction of the piece is bottom to top. And the cruel thing about the pattern is that for the back, they tell you how many increases to make and then you should have [X] number of stitches, then you should knit in pattern for [Y] number of rows. For the left and right fronts - you're just on your own! "Knit the increases and at the same time the decreases on the neck edge - when you're done with that, keep knitting in pattern until the front matches the beginning of the back shaping" WTF?? What happened to the stitch count? Where'd the row count go??? Did the deadline for this pattern sneak up on the designer and she just threw us under the bus so she could finish it? We hates her right now.

The Bed Jacket is in time out.

I need a drink, Ruth!

B is for Bra

I recently went for a bra fitting at a bra store (appropriately, if oddly, named Bosom Buddies). I've been fitted in the past by the children who work at Victoria Secret in Tucson. I thought they were nuts when they told me I was a 40 D. Before kids, I was barely a B! (I really miss those days. Wearing a bra only when I felt like it, which was rare.) I tried on a few of their D cup bras and while the band around the body part fit well, I didn't have enough stuff up front to fill the damn thing. After trying several different styles, I walked out.

At this other place, a much older woman, fitted me and pronounced, "38B". She asked what kind of bra I was looking for and brought me several. I didn't want the giant cup granny bras, I refuse to wear underwire (seriously, bras aren't uncomfortable enough, we need to stick metal in them?) and I'm trying to get away from sports bras. I want a nice, feminine, not itchy bra. Another thing I refuse to have, along with underwire, is that stupid seam that goes right across the nipple. WTF? Hate that.

Anyway, I was trying different styles and again, after about 12 different ones, I had to leave. They were all, too.... bra-ish. I won't wear shaped ones, or fiber-filled ones (are they bras or stuffed animals?). I've found some decent ones at Target that I like but they only come in white or beige. A girl wants comfort and color!

By the way, when I was at the bra store trying stuff out, there was another customer trying stuff out across the little dressing area. (They have this hallway sectioned off with curtains.) The other lady was very, very pregnant and trying out nursing bras (which this place seemed to specialize in). She was struggling to latch the bras behind her back. I always thought that was odd.

I once had a client at the spa who was in her 70's and after her massage, she asked if I could help her latch her bra for her as she couldn't reach behind her anymore. I asked why she needed to reach behind her, I've never put on my bras that way. I put the hooks under the goods in the front and hook them, then I slide the hooks to the back and put my arms through the straps. I told this older woman that and it was like a light when on! She'd been having her husband help her with her bra for over 10 years!

How do you guys do it?

OH! Almost forgot - I got this meme from Romi.

I am to open a book I am currently reading to page 161 and copy the fifth sentence on the page.

"The mansion's phones really were out."

Not real inspiring but it's a decent read otherwise! It's Body of Evidence by Patricia Cornwell. I've never read any of her stuff before and I'm about half way through this. It's pretty good. Entertaining but not blowing me away. Yet.

Now for my 5 tag-ees: Rachel H., Quail Hill Knits, Sophanne, NoMoreSweaters, and Kelly

B is also for books, Ruth!

A is for Apathy

I got the boys up about 45 minutes early today so we could get D2 signed up for Kindergarten. I wanted to make absolutely goddamn sure he didn't get Ms. A.

T had Ms. A. Apparently, the A stands for Apathy. She was the most laid back teacher I've ever seen. So laid back, it came across as just plain lazy. Her class was a completely out of control at all times and she'd just float from table to table - la, la la. I know first hand, as I was volunteering once or twice a week. A friend of mine told me that when she volunteered, a very bad kid spit in Ms. A's face and she didn't do a thing about it. At the very least, she should have taken him aside and explained how that was inappropriate or sent him to the Principal's office! Or beat his little ass. (See. That's why I couldn't be a teacher!)

It made it extra hard for T's 1st grade teacher, who also happens to be a first year teacher so it's hard enough already! It took several months for the children to understand that class is not supposed to be a free for all. It's been really hard on Mrs. M getting control of the class enough so that it can actually become a learning environment.

Kindergarten in Colorado, strangely enough, is optional. I don't want to keep D2 out of it, but if he gets stuck with Ms. A, I might have to consider some other options!

Considering home schooling, Ruth!

Feline Update

So on Saturday, Dave and I were chillin' upstairs in our room and the boys were downstairs. The kitten comes flying into our room and leaps onto Dave. Then it goes spinning off into the hallway.

Me: He's too crazy to be called Jedi. Aren't Jedi's mellow? Or angry?
Dave: Yea. We should name him something like Midnight or Ebony.
Me: But he's not all black. He's black and white, like an Oreo cookie.

We looked at each other and laughed. Of course! So we told the boys we were naming him Oreo instead of Jedi. They were playing video games and so, mindlessly, agreed.

About 10p that night, with the boys sleeping blissfully in their rooms, we were watching a movie. Resident Evil - Extinction. The cat came to pounce/lay on us as usual and I noticed some stuff in the fur around his bum.

Me: Dave, I keep seeing this stuff around his butt. At first, I thought it was kitty litter, but now I'm not so sure. Do you think he has worms?
D: Didn't they check that at his free vet visit?
Me: You'd think they would, but I'm not so sure. Come look at his butt. [D shutting off the computer]

D comes over and lifts his tail and there's this white thing wiggling out of his anus.
D: Um, yeah - I'd say he has worms.

Dave turns computer back on and after a little research and a call to the 24 hour vet, we confirm that Oreo has tapeworms. That is so nasty!!

We watched the last hour of the movie and discussed our options. We could take him to the vet on Tuesday (because today's a holiday, remember), we could take him back to the pound on Sunday and hope there's a vet there, or we could spend way too much and take him to the 24 hour vet now!

Well in that last hour of movie, the worms were coming out of him like gangbusters, so it was really a no-brainer. I mean, I've never seen anything like it - we were seeing live white wiggly worms coming out of our cat every 15 seconds! And riddle me this - why do the worms come out? I mean, they're in the body getting a free meal - why leave?

I packed him up and took him in to the 24 hr people. As we're putting him into the box, Dave says, "Who knew the creamy center of an Oreo was really just tapeworms?" Then he says, "Hey! You should take the leftover rice [from our Chinese food dinner] and tell the vet, 'Yea, just look at all the stuff we got out of him!'"

Dave's a funny guy.

We were sooooo grossed out! We were both super itchy all night. I have long hair and I had to go tie it up because every time it brushed against me, I'd freak out. The only reason that sweet little cat is still here at all is because tapeworms are one of the few wormy parasites that is very hard (nearly impossible) to transfer to humans.

No. That's not the only reason it's still here. But, seriously - ewwwwww! I wanted to hose down the whole house! I wanted to wake the kids and hose them down, too. I've washed every piece of bedding we own and I won't let Trevor clean out the cat box for a few days until the dead worms have all passed (as per vet's instructions). (By the way, Trev's been cleaning out the cat box, nearly every day without being asked! He's a good kid. We have a separate small, lidded and lined trash can that we keep in the garage. It's specifically for litter box cleaning. And I make him wash his hands for a full 60 seconds after he cleans the box.)

The vet gave the cat a pill and said he'd be fine in a few days. Before that, whenever we tried to give Oreo belly rubs, he'd attack our hands. We were a little sad, because our old cat used to love belly rubs! Now, since he's been treated, Oreo likes belly rubs too. Poor little guy!

Sunday, when we were having dinner with the in-laws, we told them how we'd renamed the cat Oreo. Dave leaned over to me and whispered, "We should've named him Pez."

Still itchy, Ruth!

A Measure Of Restraint

I've been remarkably well-contained this week. At least for me, that is.

Monday, I had a lunch meeting with a manager I'm finding candidates for. It was on the other side of Denver and I had the foresight to get an audio book from the library. The drive didn't take as long as I'd anticipated so now I'm halfway through a book on tape and the only tape player is in the minivan! It's a thriller, so I can't listen to it when the kids are in the car. sigh.

Since I was out that way, I stopped at the ever-popular Showers of Flowers yarn shop. Shop. hmm. Warehouse! It doesn't look anything like a warehouse inside or out but it's just. That. Big. The place is well known for it's size, selection and perfectly beehive-coiffed older women who run it. I didn't buy a thing! They didn't have anything that really jumped out and grabbed me and the stuff I thought about buying, I realized I can get in Parker. There was some very tempting, dark green Karabella 8, but I resisted.

I volunteer in my 1st-grader's class every other Tues. from 9-10:30a. And he's not even in the class at that time - he gets sent over to the 2nd grade class for reading time then. I don't know how the teachers do it. There are several kids who.... well, they could certainly use a little discipline in their lives. It was all I could do to keep from smacking one of them! He was so disrespectful to the teacher and his fellow classmates. And he's not the only one. I don't know how she does it. I already said that but it bears repeating. Teachers are saints.

On Wednesday, I'm upstairs working when my 4 yr old runs into my room making a weird whining noise. I look and he's got a big, green boogie in his nose. I get a tissue for him and help him out. I tell him, "You know, you're going to be 5 soon. You can get your own tissues!"
Him: I know. I just wanted to show you.
Me: Gee. Thanks.

Thursday, the little one took a 2 and 1/2 hour nap! And the new kitty slept on top of him the whole time. I kept checking on them and every time, D2 was in a new position and the cat was still on top of him. I wanted to get a pic but whenever I checked on them, the cat would look at me sleepily and I knew if I went downstairs for the camera, kitty would follow.

Today, I had another lunch meeting - this time with a candidate. It was at P.F. Chang's in downtown Denver. MapQuest is a big fat liar! It took me forever to find the joint and even longer to find Strawberry Tree Yarn Shop after lunch.

There's these other bloggers who had the fantastic idea to go to all the yarn stores in Colorado they've never been to and buy a skein from each and make a Colorado blanket. F'n brilliant! I am playing along on a much smaller scale and I think it's a great idea for everyone. Make your own state blanket! Mine's going to be greens and blues with some browns thrown in. It'll be strictly sock yarn. I got a skein of Lonesome Stone sock yarn in Mountain Pine color and a skein of Dale of Norway Harlequin in a tweed blue. (The Harlequin is just in case I decide to go with worsted instead of sock yarn. I'm thinking this may be the case, as it'll open up my options. We'll see.)

I may have had a stumble down the stash stairs today on Etsy. Bollocks!

Yarn diets are so boring, Ruth!

Sheep Tails

My four year old boy loooooves those soft, furry, little sheep tails. He tells us about them all the time. Anytime we ask/tell him to do something, he just wants to talk about sheep.

Us: D2, did you brush your teeth yet?
D2: Wool, butt...

Us: D2, it's time for bed.
D2: Wool, butt....

Us: D2, finish your peas, honey.
D2: Wool, butt...

Sometimes, just for fun he talks about their beautiful, sweet, brown eyes.

Us: D2, where's your socks?
D2: Wool, eye...

It's actually kind of nice to have at least one other person in the house that appreciates a sheep's sacrifice as much as I do.

Sigh, Ruth!

2008 Wish List

These are things I'll be saving up for this year...

Home Theater Speaker System - the kind with little speakers to replace the behemoths currently residing on top of our entertainment center. I hope to have these by my husband's birthday in August - should make a nice present for him.

Bike Helmet - we got this really nice bike off Craig's List for me. It only cost $40 and I haven't ridden it yet because A) bikes scare me and B) no helmet.

Chest For Bedroom - the kind we can put at the end of our bed. The kind where we can sit and put our shoes on. The kind where I can put my grandma's linens. Or yarn. Probably yarn.

Rec Center Membership - $600/year for the whole family. Probably do-able. I'm going to ask Dave for this for my birthday in April. I'll even pay for it!

Phone Headset - for my office. I spend a good portion of the day on the phone with candidates and managers. My neck's starting to hurt!

Computer Speakers - also for my office. I'd love to be able to hear things through the computer I use the most.

That's it. Not too much, I think.

Wishing on a star, Ruth!

The. END!!

The NeverEnding Blanket has finally come to an end!

It only took 11 skeins of Lion Brand Homespun and about a year! That's 2,035 yards of bulky, more or less. As you can see from the middle, it started out as a Moderne Blanket from the Mason-Dixon book. But my husband kept saying it needed to be bigger, so it would cover all four of us on the couch. (He kept asking me, "Isn't it finished yet?? and I'd tell him, "As far as I'm concerned, it was finished 3 or 4 skeins ago!")

It's final measurements are roughly 60" X 67". I was weaving in ends as I went along and only had about 6 more ends to weave in when I finished it yesterday. No sweat. I don't actually consider something an FO until all ends are woven in and seams are seamed - but that's just for my own stuff.

For the edging, I used the last skein I had and crocheted a slip stitch all the way around then the next round I single crocheted through the front loop only, then kept single crocheting (through both loops) around and around until I ran out (stopping at a corner).

It's not as misshapen as it looks but when a six year old offers to help you straighten it out, you can't really expect actually straightness.

It's super warm and ways easily 10 pounds! And it's nice and stretchy, too! And the boys like it.

Feeling toasty, Ruth!

New Year WIP'ing

Here's the knitting plans for 2008...

Tubey - love the construction on this one!

Cashmerino Vest - that I'm designing

Earth Scarf - that I'm designing

1 pair of finished socks - just to start dipping into the sock yarn stash I accumulated last year

Blue socks - a gift for a friend, should they ever be finished

3 current WIP's -
Bed Jacket - 2/3 done
Unseamly Sweater - 2/3 done (from Happy Hooker, couldn't find a pic link)
Jade Sapphire Top - 2/3 done - my own design
(Apparently, I get almost done and must move on to something new.)

Prosperous Tank - swatched already

Thermal or Henley Perfected - haven't decided which yet

Wicked - love this pattern and the yarn I have for it!

Slippers for me - haven't decided which pattern yet

That should keep me occupied for awhile!

Linkety, link, link - link, link, Ruth!

Literacy 2008

Here's my list of books I want to read this year...

January - Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister - Gregory Maguire
February - She's Come Undone - Wally Lamb
March - The Shivered Sky - Matt Dinniman
April - The Bonesetter's Daughter - Amy Tan
May - Tom Jones - Tom Fielding
June - Beloved - Toni Morrison
July - The Saving Graces - Patricia Gaffney
August - Where The Heart Is - Billie Letts
September - The Book of Ruth - Jane Hamilton
October - Shadow Man - Cody McFayden
November - Lord of the Dead - Tom Holland
December - Roots - Alex Haley

Plus other assorted goodies...

Couldn't Keep It To Myself - Wally Lamb (editor)
Cast-Off - The Yarn Harlot
48 Laws of Power - Robert Greene

I'm already cheating on this as I was about 15 pages in to Confessions and Rachel told me about this really fast-paced thriller written by one of my favorites (James Patterson and some other guy). It's called Quickie and Rachel was right - super fast! I'll probably have it finished by Monday and then I'll go and finish Confessions. I'm also reading Grimm's Fairy Tales - 210 plus 40 never before released in English. Dig it!

All linked out, Ruth!

Pitter Patter of Little Feet

4 of them!

We have a new family member. His name is Jedi and he is about 4 months old. Here's how it happened...

A few months ago, my husband started mentioning how the boys might need a kitten. I was pretty shocked considering Dave doesn't particularly like cats (or so he says). My old cat, Oscar, died a couple of years ago - he was 13 and I'd had him for 10 years. He was super cool. He thought he was a dog! He'd wrestle with my husband like a dog and he'd growl when strangers came to the door. Dave said he didn't like cats but Oscar was cool.

Dave was making noises about getting the boys a kitten for Xmas. I said it wasn't a great idea because think of the logistics of it! Where would we hide the thing until Xmas morning? In the basement? No, the boys would hear it meowing. Rachel's house? No, her daughter would be heartbroken when it had to leave their house.

So we waited until after Xmas and we took the boys to the Dumb Friends League. Amazing place! It's Denver's version of an animal shelter but it seems like a giant pet store! It's very clean, they have viewing rooms and a pet shop where you can buy toys, food, leashes, etc. We looked at all the cats and kittens and small animals (rabbits, hamsters, etc.) and all the dogs. (My favorite dog was an ugly little beastie. He had the head, ears, and bulgy eyes of a chihuahua, but was about twice the size of a big chihuahua. His coloring was that of an Australian cattle dog and he was missing one of his back legs. His name was Splinter! I would've named him Tripod.) I gotta say, they grow 'em BIG out here when it comes to cats and rabbits. There were so many enormous cats and rabbits! Not just fat, either - I'm talking 2 feet tall, softball head things. Must be all that mountain air.

We couldn't find anything that really spoke to Dave and I was leaving the choosing up to him. So we went home and the next day (Sunday, Dec. 30) we went to the Dumb Friends League in Castle Rock. We looked at 3 kittens there - the first was a brown tabby and he was sort of timid and went you picked him up, he'd rag doll and if you sat him in your lap, he'd stay there until you moved him. I looked at Dave and said, "I don't think he'd survive the boys."

So the next one was an all-black male and he was a nut job. He kept attacking my legs when the boys were playing with him!

Then the third one came - he was right in between the other two. Playful but willing to sit and be petted as well. He's black and white and the shelter had named him Roger (for the Jolly Roger?) but we renamed him Jedi (the boys are really into the Lego Star Wars Xbox game). He's got these really beautiful eyes. They're blue around the pupil, going to green, going to yellow at the edges.

Well, turns out he's a little crazier then we thought. He will come rocketing across the room, leap onto your body, fly up your chest and head butt you! He loves to rub his head against your face and lick and nibble at you! We should've named him Ricochet.

He also thinks he's a parrot...

It's nice to have a pet again, Ruth!

Knit Night

So last night was the first official Knit Night get-together at the new yarn store - Purls of Wisdom. Kelly was there first, then me, then Leslie and Rachel showed up for a little while to show off her new knitting!

Yes, Rachel has crossed over from crochet to knitting and she. Is. Rocking it! I brought my camera to take pictures of the festivities but was having such a good time, I forgot to take any pic's. I'm a geek.

I brought my Never-Ending Blanket to work on. This will be the first FO of the year (not counting a coupla scarves I already cranked out). I already promised Dave that it'd be finished by the end of this month. I'm done with all the knitting, now I'm just using the last skein of yarn to go 'round and 'round the edges. I did a crochet slip stitch around the whole beast and now I'll be single crocheting around until the last skein is used up. Should be done by Sunday!

When it's finished I'll measure it, take pictures and share with everyone the wondrous warmth that is Lion Brand's Homespun.

Never using Homespun again, Ruth!

Shuffle

The iPod meme.

itunes_2 src="http://kmkat.typepad.com/kmkat_and_her_kneedles/images/2007/12/15/071215_itunes_2.jpg" width=500 border=0>

How it works:

1. Open your library (iTunes, winamp, media player, iPod)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every section, type the song that’s playing
5. Next section — press the next button
6. Don’t lie and try to pretend you’re cool

Okay, here is the sound track for my life as determined by the iTunes God of Shuffle:

Opening credits:

• Hallelujah, I Love Her So - Ray Charles

Waking up:

• Looking for Clues - Robert Palmer [Usually!]

First day at school:

• Black Bob - Kid Rock

Falling in love:

• Solidify - Cheryl Crow [Well, we have been married over 7 years now!]

Breaking up:

• Whiplash - The Untouchables [how appropriate]

Prom:

• Don't Tell Me That Story - Judy Garland [how sad]

Life’s okay:

• Good Times - Chic [These are good times]

Mental breakdown:

• Joy To The World - Three Dog Night [this world could use a little more Joy and a little less breakdown, that's for sure]

Driving:

• Wild Thing - Tone-Loc [OK, now this is just getting embarrassing]

Flashback:

• Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me - Mac Davis [now that is a flashback!]

Getting back together:

• Wrapped Around Your Finger - The Police [another very appropriate one]

Wedding:

• Behind the Groove - Teena Marie [yea. I don't know either.]

Birth of child:

• Time Warp - Brad Paisley [I wish I could go back to those new baby days sometimes]

Final battle:

• All You Need is Love - The Beatles [LOL]

Death scene:

• Whatcha Gonna Do With A Cowboy - Chris Ledoux and Garth Brooks [I've seen both of them in concert -separately. Survived.]

End credits:

• Sleepwalk - Brian Setzer Orchestra [Now that's the way I wanna go - swing-dance/boogie-'in into the sunset]

* * * * *
Tag, you're next!

Got this from KMKat and Her Needles!

Cause it don't mean a thing if you ain't got that swing, Ruth!

Resolute

Every year, I make New Year's Resolutions. Here's my list for this year...

1. Exercise 4 days a week - So far, so good. FitTV has my favorite exercise show (Namaste Yoga) right before a new show called Shimmy. Shimmy is belly dancing and it's so much fun!

2. Blog 4 days a week - OK, so usually, it takes me a few days to decide on my resolutions and I start implementing them in the 2nd week of the year. Last night, I had a dream that there was this huge party at some guy's house. He was showing Dave and I the house and it kept going on and on and on. Room after room, sauna's, hot tubs, all kinds of rooms. Then everyone at the party got all excited and went outside. We went, too, to see what was the big deal. On the back lawn was this HUGE military helicopter and this actor that always plays a marine came out of the 'copter in dress greens. I love this actor, he's so cool! I was introduced to him and a bit star struck, I named about 10 movies he'd been in that I liked - said 'em like he didn't know what they were! Then I said, "I am SO blogging about this!" He said, "You have a blog?"
Me: Yea, I'm a geek.
Him: What's the name of it?
Me: 5elementknitr
Him: You're 5elementknitr? I read you all the time.
Then he blew my mind by recalling some recent entries. He said, "You've been slacking off lately."
Me: Yea, I know. I've been super-busy with this new business we have.
We talked a bit more and then, as he was leaving, he said, "Blog more often, now, y'hear?"

Sorry, my dreams have a big ego!

3. Stash Only - I tried this last year with the Stash-Out 2007. They gave an out of sock yarn and then I discovered hand-dyed sock yarn. sigh. Why didn't y'all warn me?? I have about 20 different skeins and I'm still not even sure how to knit socks, yet! This year for sure. I have 2 pre-planned outs and if anyone wants to get me this stuff, then I think I'll be safe!

4. Read A Book Per Month - I've made my list. You'll see it sometime soon, I'm sure.

5. Control Sweets - I'm usually not this vague with my resolutions but I've been doing OK with it. I've been trying to cut it down to one sweet a day. So far, so good.

6. Maintain Chore List - I'm tired of my house looking like a pig-sty. I used to have a chore list that I made for myself and it gave me a definite plan to follow. I've made a new list and so far, so good.

7. Organize 1 hour a week - See #6.

8. No face-picking - I have this bad compulsion where if I think there's a blemish, I'll pick at it until it is a big red spot! I'm 37 - I'm probably old enough to start taking better care of my skin.

9. Floss more - I always say this one. Since I bought those Reach Flossers 2 years ago, I've been doing it more and more.

10. Grow My New Business 20% - So far, so good with this one, too. I have 2 new companies that are working with me and I've already made a placement with one of them!

I'll be posting quite a few lists over the next few days. I make lots of new lists every January.

Love the New Year, Ruth!

2008

Well, another year has started. Rather auspiciously for me, as I was given a JenLa award! If you're visiting from there - Welcome!

How was your holidays? I got some rockin' snow boots and Rachel H. gave me 4 skeins of some beautiful yarn. I also got a gift card to Kohl's so I can buy some much-needed new jeans.

The boys liked their new hats that I knit...

All in all a happy holiday season.

So - what'd you get?

Happy New Year, Ruth!