cooan

So here is the entry I wrote on my ninth blogoversary. It turns out livejournal saved the draft for me. (I got my macbook back from the shop this week!)

Actually, what's really funny about having my mac back is that I've been reading my friends page ever since and wondering why no one was posting... oh, everyone is posting FRIENDS ONLY. I finally logged in last night.

Anyway, I will talk more about how disgusting I am.

This spring, I had the WORST scalp problems. I would wake up in the middle of the night, scratching my scalp until it bled. My shoulders were covered with dandruff all the time. The dandruff was even getting onto B's pillow.

Gross. Really.

(I was really upset about it getting on his pillow and I was constantly trying to hide it.)

I tried everything I could think of. Different shampoos, making sure all the shampoo was totally rinsed out (I would spend several minutes rinsing), making sure I wasn't rinsing with water that was too hot... and still, the itchy scalp persisted.

Then I discovered the "No 'Poo" movement. Which, surprisingly, means that you don't use shampoo and has nothing to do with poop. (If I stopped pooping, I'd have nothing to talk about. Although B would probably love it if I stopped discussing poop. Last week, I told him poop is almost as funny as farts and he totally disagreed and said poop was gross.)

The theory generally comes down to the fact that your body is completely capable of monitoring its oil production if you just let it be and stop using harsh chemicals that strip your skin and make it overproduce oil. (Read: Shampoo. Have you read the label? I have.)

I wasn't willing to go all the way with No 'Poo, so I used the other version I'd read about: baking soda. Just to try it out.

And it almost immediately solved my problem.

I haven't had an itch since.

My hair was so clean it squeaked and it's in the best shape it's been in years. Also, it's hella cheap.

I would actually recommend this to anyone who just wants to get rid of the product build-up from their hair once in a while. Gets rid of all the residue that commercial products leave.

I haven't looked back, and it's been well over six months now. I even get a pretty good lather going sometimes. (Lathering takes practice.)

This, unlike my lack of TP, is something that B seems to fully endorse. In fact, he's started using it. One day I looked at his hair and said, "Wow, your hair looks great today!"

He said: "Really? I used your baking soda shampoo."

My recipe: A little over one table spoon of baking soda to one cup of water. I put it in a squeeze jug, shake it up, and leave it in the shower. I use it every 2-3 days.

My hair is awesome.

So, today was the big nine year mark. I wrote a rather unrelated post because I have nothing all that special to say, but my macbook is acting up once again, so I can't post it! I'm posting this from my blackberry.

Anyway, happy 9th blogaversary to me! :)

So my mom recently asked me how the "No TP" thing was going. I don't think she really wanted to know. I think she really wanted me to say it was an interesting experiment but I have returned to the roll and embraced the love of dead trees.

Well... it was an interesting experiment... and I'm still not using TP!

For the most part.

I cheat.

You see, I use TP at work and at other people's abodes and restaurants. While I absolutely love the feel of soft cloth on my nether regions, I don't really feel comfortable carrying the cloths and ziploc baggies around.

Not so work appropriate. Or social gathering appropriate.

Also, I use TP for #2. So really, what I try to do is only have #2 at work. Because then I can remain TP-free at home. (This doesn't work on weekends, obviously.) (Yes, you did need to know about my #2 schedule, thank you for asking.)

The mankitten knows that I'm doing this, but I think he's skeeved out. He never responded to my original email about and he never brings it up. The cloths are on the back of the toilet, and there's a little sealed container text to the toilet with the used ones. He has to know.

Not that I care, really. As long as I still get cuddles, he can be as skeeved out as he wants.

But anyway, TP SUCKS!!! CLOTH WIPES FOR LIFE!!! Really, it's so much softer and more pleasant.

Also, my nine-year blogaversary is coming up later this week. NINE YEARS. I should do something to celebrate.

So, today Google Street View launched in Canada.

The funny part is, B was walking the dog in the park a block from our house a few months ago and saw the Google street view car drive past. We were talking about it later and he wondered if he'd show up on the site.

Lo and behold, here's B walking the dog, looking at the Google car and going "WTF?"

http://bit.ly/11imRz

He is amused and somewhat creeped out. I told him at least he's blurred out so no one can recognize him, although I totally recognize those shorts.

And that is clearly Hamlet to anyone who's met our dog!

So, I've mentioned a few times over the last several months that I've been considering a return to blogging. But I just feel like I don't have a lot to say. My life isn't as entertaining as it used to be (arrrggh settling down!), and I've found myself in a very serious headspace over the last year.

And let's face it. I was known for goofy blogging with a side of drama!

The only drama (that is not highly confidential as it belongs to others) I have in my life these days is over my distress regarding the state of society and the planet!

And you know what? People don't want to hear about that. Which is sad, because I think we need to make the world a better place. But I really don't blame them. Because, well, it's really depressing. The world is messed up. People are messed up. And no one likes to be reminded of the doom and gloom.

But since my thoughts revolve so much around these things, and people don't want to hear it, I don't feel I have a lot to share with you, my interwebz friends.

And not only that, I don't want to spout more negativity into the world. There's enough out there as it is. I feel enough of it in my own despair when I look around me. I really don't want to add to it.

SOOOooo...

I've been reading a lot. It is how I escape the downward spiral that my mind takes when I look at the world. And I love a lot of what I read. And based on a previous entry, wherein far too many people admitted their mad love for the teen fiction, I realised that is something I can share. Everyone likes to escape.

So that's something positive I could contribute.

Because most of the books I read? They're funny. Or they're feel good books. Or, in the odd circumstance where they make me cry, they're inspiring. Even the depressing books with unhappy endings.

And I'd say that all of them, in some way, remind me of what's good about humanity and the world. Even the depressing books with unhappy endings. Or the books that encourage all the things I strive against in my crunchy granola ways.



And you know what? I have read some of these book reviews on the internet. And they suck. Usually they sound like a grade 7 book report. Or they're adults coming off really condescending like they have to dumb it down. Which makes those adults sound like they're writing a grade 7 book report. WHATEVER, DUDE.



So, maybe, if I can stop being so insular, I'll make a big come back. And I will tell you all about fabulous books that make me laugh out loud. And even some books that make me cry.

And I'll tell you all about why humans are wonderful creatures, despite their flaws.

And maybe I'll even relate it to how it impacts my own day-to-day life.

And hopefully it won't sound like a grade 7 book report.

So that's what I've been thinking about for the last two months. Blogging about what I've been reading.

It's time for me to gross you all out with a little enviro-TMI.

I'm going to do the 2009 Cloth Wipe Challenge.

That's right. I'm giving up TP for #1. Probably before Sept 13 though, because we're on our last roll. (I will buy more TP for #2, but as I'm the only one in the house who wipes for #1, it will be interesting to see how I, personally, affect TP usage with #1.)

(And Sheila, don't worry. I know you're staying with me for part of that week, but I won't make you give up TP for #1... unless you want to! I'll provide the cloths. And I'll do all the laundry. ;))

I've been considering this for about a year now, but I keep chickening out. I didn't want to gross my mankitten out with my crunchiness, especially when we'd just moved in together. But, by this point, I think he's used to it. (And he's pretty crunchy too, it turns out. And he won't have to be involved since boys don't wipe for #1.)

I've used recycled TP forever, and recently I've started cutting down in my usage of sheets... but... it sucks. Really. I won't get into details, but 3 sheets is not as absorbant as 8. I'm just saying. So, I figured, this challange is the perfect time to jump off that bridge!

Also, I recently switched to the DivaCup. Finally. For the last few years I've been faithful to using sea sponges in place of tampons (completely reusable, natural and biodegradable and if you are on your moontime but still want business - the guy can't tell!), but they're expensive and hard to find.

Anyway, I love it! Another convert!

(I was going to go with the Keeper as it's natural rubber, but it's totally impossible to find in Canada. DivaCup, however, is all over the place.)

So, Sock Summit was an incredible experience for me. Incredible. The photos and videos are here. I'll get into the introspective revelations at the end, but I'll start with what all the knitters on my friends list REALLY want to know about....

The marketplace, maybe? The yarn? OMG!!!

Let's just say I got a fancy skein of yak sock yarn and showed it to B telling him it was the most expensive thing I bought. I guess he didn't know how much hand dyed sock yarn costs, because when he found a not-yak skein lying on the bathroom floor, he said to me, "If this skein cost $25, how much did the FANCY YARN cost?" Ohh.... ummm.... $65... ish?


HA HA HA. But really, I can't get this yarn in my local yarn shop! I can't! In fact, everything I bought is not locally available to me. And I thought it was way better to buy it all in one location than have it shipped to me from multiple locations. Kinda sorta reducing my carbon footprint-ish. So yeah. I think I spent like. A lot. But I remained debt free, and that's the important part.

Oh, and let's NOTTOTALLY get into the fact that I turned into one of those people whose jaw drops when they spot a "celebrity". I'm sorry, but I totally got starry-eyed and rubbernecked when I walked past various knitting celebs throughout the summit. Omg, Yarn Harlot several times a day! Cookie A! Amy from Knitty! Lucy Neatby! The Ravelry crew! ... oh my god, I can't even remember who else. There were soooo many. I got big saucer eyes like 30 times a day. O_O O_O O_O

And the CLASSES! The CLASSES, people!

Taking sock design from Anne Hanson? Totally awesome. Just listening to her talk about her design process in general was amazing. And I worked on a simple design for a pair of manly socks that I'm going to whip up for B and maybe even publish for free. Oh, and having her touch my yarn and play with my swatches and talk about the ribbing I was planning for the sock and help me work it out?

OMG ANNE HANSON HELPED ME WITH MY PATTERN AND TOUCHED MY YARN.

And I totally saw her smoking outside on the second day and wished I still smoked just so I could be like, Hey Anne, what's up, let's smoke cigarettes and talk lace.

And then spindle spinning basics from Abby Franquemont? Soooooo cool. And I learned, too! It was awesome! I spun yarn! On a drop spindle! I've never done either before! And Denny McMillan is AMAZING the way she works that spindle! Wow! And I love her clothes... just so funky! I love funky "different" people.

And Seismic Socks on my last day with Lorelei Beltman! Now, I wasn't sure what to think of this going in. I don't know this woman, but her bio says she owns a yarn store in Michigan. But I did colourwork for the FIRST TIME EVER. And not fair isle or intarsia or anything. VERTICAL colourwork. Ooooooh aaaahhhh. And actually, vertical colourwork is pretty cool. The class was awesome. I even learned some random not-colourwork techniques from her.

The classes in general were just AWESOME.

I can't remember who I was telling that if/when they do another one, I would probably stay home just so someone else could experience it... but when I really think about it? YEAH RIGHT! It was totally worth it and I would totally shove someone out of my way to go again! (Well, not in real life. But I would internet shove someone and totally crash the server all over again.)

Mostly because it renewed my love for knitting.

(Uhoh... here comes the introspective part of this summary.)

I was starting to burn out and get frustrated and sick of knitting. but it encouraged me to try new things and it helped me recapture what I first fell in love with. In fact, just today I signed up for a local fall class for doing fair isle mittens. I really need to explore my knitting again. It brought back that passion that I first had for it three years ago. And even up until a few months ago. I'm actually EXCITED by knitting again.

I also realised I'm a knitting loner. I was totally and completely on my own at Sock Summit and it was kind of... lonely. I like the freedom to be on my own and do what I want, but seeing all these other knitters hugging and giggling and knitting together? Thankfully a couple people befriended me at the Ravelry party when I was sitting by myself. I was totally just enjoying the energy at the party, but it was nice to have some people to chat to too.

And I sat next to some people in my classes that were super sweet. Also, the girl I sat with while setting the World Record was really sweet too. She didn't know anyone either.

I'm just not very social. I'm not. But I really need to get out and meet new people. New knitter people. And reconnect with some older people. Which is why I'm taking that mitten class. And why I went to a knitting meetup on my own last week. (That took guts!) I'm going to try and break out of my shell some more.

Anyway. That, my friends, was Sock Summit.

Oh right, I had an AWESOME time with lucasmo and his woman, Bonnie. I laughed, I cried (from laughing), and had deep talks with them. They were fabulous hosts and took me on hikes and to fabulous restaurants!! They totally showed me the wonders of Portland. I have so much to say about what a great time I had with them, but this entry is long enough. If it weren't for them, I don't think I would have fallen as madly in love with that city as I did.

I don't know if I could ever live in most of the places I've visited in America, but I would totally move to Portland. Because, dudes, seriously? Portland is like hippie mecca. And I'm a big hippie. It was amazing. Also, every restaurant had at least one veg*n option. In fact, they had SEVERAL. Except maybe that fish place we went. But it's a fish place.

And Powell's is AWESOME!!! Ok, I'm done talking now.

So I commute by bicycle. It is often a dangerous task in this city as many drivers don't quite understand the concept of "bike lane". And they don't like us cyclists either, as many cyclists don't understand the concept of "that car can kill you".

But this morning at one intersection, I'm waiting patiently for my light to turn green, and when it does, I start crossing the street. Because that's how it works, right? Green means go.

Some driver perpendicular to me (who obviously has a red light - as I have green) decides that this is her turn to GO, steps on the gas, and starts HONKING AT ME while she cruises through the red light. (I'm assuming it's because a row of cars were turning and she figured it was her turn as well.)

I pointed up at my GREEN LIGHT, and said, "LOOK AT THE LIGHT". She looked up, and then shamefully looked away while she continued to drive through the intersection, refusing to look at me. Which pissed me off even more. At least wave at me to say sorry. You could have killed me, rude woman.

And then the car behind her did the sweetest thing.

He started honking at her on my behalf.

Thanks, buddy! You totally made my day. :) Really.

Obviously, driver #1 thought I was just one of those asshole cyclists. But I'm not. I don't know why cyclists act like idiots anyway. Dude, that car is like a billion times your weight. You will LOSE the battle of wills! I promise!

I, personally, have an extreme fear of dying and therefore ride responsibly.

As I posted back in April, B re-landscaped the back yard with his time off this spring and planted us a lovely urban garden.

We've had beans coming out our bloody ears for the last month! We eat them with every meal, and are going to do some freezing and canning here pretty soon. I also need to buy a dehydrator. Or we need to build one to do sun-drying.

Anyway, today (or yesterday? hello, insomnia), we got home from being "off the grid" (or as close to it as I've ever been) for a few days. B dragged me out to look at our little farm and it was pretty amazing. I had to go grab my camera and get some shots. (I've only taken a few of the garden over the course of the summer.)

We're still waiting on those sunflowers to bloom, but the biggest one is probably 8 feet tall now! At least! We've eaten most of our carrots and beets (there's a second crop slowly growing in), but EmoBro left one massive beet for us all to enjoy now that we're back in town. It's the size of my cat's head!

Here's our urban farm as of July 31...

I turn 30 this year. In 8 days, actually. It's quite scary. All I really want to do is curl up in my closet, eat potato chips, and listen to Purple Rain on repeat. Seriously.

However, in his ultimate wisdom, B convinced me that I should indeed go through with having a birthday party. (I waffled back and forth for a long time.)

So we hosted a BBQ last night!

And I had a really, really nice time.

(Despite the fact that about 15 minutes before most people showed up, I turned on "Purple Rain" and started shoving potato chips in my mouth. True story.)

There weren't supposed to be any presents, but I didn't put that on the invite because I read somewhere recently that it's rude to mention gifts AT ALL, because if you say "no gifts" you're actually PRESUMING that people want to buy you gifts.

I don't know when I became so bloody interested in etiquette, given that I talk about my bowel movements to strangers on the internet (and in person at birthday BBQs).

Anyway, I think the best present of all was just being surrounded by people that make me smile. It was so lovely to hear people laughing and having a good times. I've been struggling with high levels of anxiety lately, and it made me forget about all of that for a few hours.

(Although, let me tell you, the two skeins of fingering weight yarn, money for Sock Summit shopping, and copy of The Happy Hooker were DEFINITELY appreciated. I'm kind of anxious to use them all. Not at once though. I don't think I should make my first mangled attempt at crochet on expensive yarns.)

So, there are a lot of things B doesn't know about me.

I recently had a week off of work and decided that I had two priorities for it: spend time with B, and read a lot of books. The thing is, I have a secret. Well, a secret from him. And given that I was going to be spending a week at home (and camping) with him, while reading books... it was time for him to know.

So, last week after I got home from the library, I sat him down.

I said, "I need to tell you something. It's very embarrassing and I've avoided telling you for a long time. But you need to know. I'm so sorry."

He gave me a funny look and I blurted out, "I LOVE TEEN FICTION."

He paused while it sunk in and then haha-ed a little, but I don't think he really understands my BURNING PASSION.

I mean, dudes. I've read the reviews. I know Twilight sucks. BUT I HAD TO READ IT ON VACATION. (And now that I have, I must read the sequels. No matter how much it sucked.)

It's just embarrassing. The guy only reads non-fiction. NOTHING ELSE. And here I am, totally emotionally involved in the Princess Diaries series.

(He did shake his head a little when I pulled out Twilight. But other than that, not a word.)

I know that didds hates Twitter, but I felt that this series from this afternoon would make a excellent blog composition.

These are the kinds of stories my livejournal has been missing.

So, I have this weird adventure coming up at the beginning of August. I'm going to Sock Summit.

It's the first, and possibly only, knitting convention of its kind. There's all sorts of fibre fests and conventions out there - but a convention dedicated entirely to sock knitting? WOW! And the names that will be teaching there. YIKES! Intimidation factor 10.

There was also some huge freaking drama with registration when 30,000 simultaneous connections crashed the server - all trying to register for 4,000 class slots. (Who the heck threatens a knitting convention organizer? ROFL.)

Anyway, I got lucky, so I can't judge. In the registration insanity, I got three classes. All my first or second choices too. (I actually got lost in the server crash that showed everything as sold out when it wasn't and was definitely disappointed. But then they had a server reboot. And I SCORED.)

I will be taking Sock Design with Anne Hanson, Seismic Socks (stranding colour vertically) with Lorilee Beltman, and Spindle Spinning Basics with Abby Franquemont and Denny McMillan.

And not only all of this...

But I'm staying with lucasmo for a few nights!! I haven't seen him for years and I'm really looking forward to it. Plus, I get to meet his new(ish) family. (Heavy on the "ish" as they've been together for years. But I haven't met them so they're new to me or something?!)

Oh, right, and I get to go to Portland! For the first time ever! Which is doubly exciting because I love going to new places (I seem to be repeating the same places over and over the last few years - I'm bored) AND because it's Portland and I've always wanted to go! HELLO Powell's books!

I wish I had more time. I'm really only going to have a few evenings free to spend with my buddy and do the touristy things as I'll be crazy busy being a GIANT NERD. But the truth is, I don't want to be away from my man too long because I'm a big suck. I will miss him. And I have a limited amount of time I can take off from work. And I'll miss my man.

But man... I am freaking PUMPED! I'm going to buy so much YARN! And so many BOOKS! And hang out with one of my favourite people in the UNIVERSE!

Watch out, Portland!!! You're about to have several thousand knitters descend on you!

(Big thanks to my mum who, for my upcoming birthday, bought one of my half-day classes and also half of my plane ticket.)

I'm in a really weird head space lately. It might have to do with the fact that I'm not sleeping well and I'm having frequent nightmares about the "end of the world".

B says I'm "obsessing". He's probably right. At this rate, with all my worry, I'll probably give myself a heart attack. But how to people NOT constantly ponder their mortality?

Doesn't everyone watch apocolypse movies and documentaries about how we're killing our planet??? And don't we all think about possible natural disasters when we're picking a city to live in??? Sure, maybe they don't do it every night like I do, but still...

It could also be that I'm turning 30 in just over a month, and while no one else seems to be having any issues with their increasing years on the planet, it's making me re-evaluate (obsess over) things.

I've been mulling over my past a lot, thinking about people and situations long gone. I don't know if they're regrets or not. In some situations, they're not. In others? Maybe.

I'm questioning some of my current circumstances, and where I plan on being in the future - be it a month from now or a decade.

I'm just not sure anymore.

The good news is, this constant anxiety and concern is definitely helping me to take better care of myself (aside from the constant tightness in my chest).

I mean, really, I'm in pretty good health already compared to a lot of people.

I don't smoke, drink, or drug and I bike 20km a day. I've recently made the full switch over to a pescetarian ("vegequarian") diet, still considering whether or not to go fully vegetarian. It's looking more likely than not right now. The fish thing is a bit of a moral dilemma for me that I seem to have problems solving. (I won't be going fully vegan, however.)

I'm also trying not to consume any chemicals in my food and make sure what I'm eating is as close to the earth as possible. Whenever I do the grocery shopping? I come home with mostly local and organic, no matter what the bill.

I'm on the hunt for a naturopath and I have my own nutritionist at home (I swear B knows way too much some days), so hopefully I can live for MANY MORE YEARS. Like, FOREVER.


Anyway. There's a lot of other changes I'm making as well. Mostly with regard to my actions, as opposed to my physical health. But I'll talk about them another time.

It's just an interesting head space.

So, I get waxed. I'm talkin full leg and Brazillian. Every four weeks, without fail.

B once asked me if I don't feel this contradicts my crunchy-granola-ness. I should be growing out my body hairs all long and flowing natural.

It probably does and I probably should, but I really enjoy the feeling of putting on a pair of underoos and pants immediately afterward. Mmm. So soft. And I enjoy the lack of upkeep and itchiness that shaving cause me.

Besides, as my sister and exes can attest, I am absolute crap at remembering to shave my armpits. Seriously. I may be bare as a newborn downstairs, but my armpits are a JUNGLE. Monkeys included at no extra charge!

Anyway, this really isn't the point.

I use PFB Vanish to avoid ingrown hairs. It's a product I would highly recommend.

Except when I'm rolling it on the business district and I get a drip in a particularly sensitive and important hub of transactions and the alcohol in it BUUUURRRRNNNS.



I ran into the living room a few minutes ago flapping the corner of my towel in front of my crotch, quickly explained the situation and then proceeded to whine, "It buuuuRRRRNNNNSSS!!!" over and over.

I don't know how I feel about B's smirking at the situation. :(

B says thank you to all for the well wishes! I informed him that a bunch of people he doesn't know were thinking of him and he was grateful.

He came home last night and is sore from the surgery but doing great.

I, on the other hand, am totally exhausted. I think it's from trying to stay in good spirits while staying with him, desperately trying to keep in contact with his family, and running back and forth to the hospital. I also think I was more worried than I thought I was.

I slept for 10 hours last night. (With a couple wake-ups for B when he needed something.)

But there's more good news than just B being home and safe!

Friday, on a break from the hospital, I picked up my Ashford 20" Knitter's Loom. Of course, karma kicked my selfish behaviour in the butt when I then had to wait or a bus in the sweltering heat for over 20 minutes to get home before heading back to the hospital.

I made a 2-3" wide headband today that looks like crap as I didn't beat it or weave it tight enough (and used a heavy fingering weight yarn instead of a DK or worsted), but I'm going to wear it with pride anyway! My first weave!

I'm now working on a scarf that's lookin' good.

Jesus, however, loves the loom more than I do. He actually crawled into it and under the yarn right after I warped it.



(This is the scarf I'm working on. The lighter green is Cascade 220, the darker is the Elsebeth Lavold Angora.)

Anyway. That's all for me tonight. I have work tomorrow, big assignments due Tuesday and Thursday, pilates on Wednesday and...

...damn, I need a holiday.

I woke up late this morning fully exasperated with life. I could sleep for a million years. I have Family Law twice a week, midterms and homework, working full-time in a stressful job, trying to keep in contact with friends, had a couple of family dinners over the span of a few days, B's friend came to stay for a week... it's neverending.

Whine, whine, etc.

I'm just burned out. I feel like I'm not getting any down time lately.

And being raised as an only child who then lived alone for several years... down time is crucial to my continuing existence.

Anyway.

B writes me an email around noon today declaring that he's "dying". He's thrown up all over himself in the shower and has been hugging the toilet with a fever and severe abdominal cramping. He thinks it's food poisoning, I think it's the flu. He starts to feel better later on and I am relieved.

He calls me around 5 while I'm waiting for my class to start, and he's thinking about calling 811 (to talk to a nurse before deciding to go to the hospital - useful service!) as things have deteriorated further. I tell him to get on it and I call mum to ask them to drive him.

Nurse says to go in, my step-dad picks him up and zooms him to VGH, I get my written assignment from my prof and head off to meet them.

Several hours later, it turns out it's probably his appendix. The CT scan wasn't definitive, but the lymph nodes are all swollen around it, so they're going to do surgery tomorrow and take it out anyway. If it's not the appendix, it'll give them a chance to poke around.

Gotta get up early tomorrow morning and call his Dad and then the hospital to see what's going on. Then I'll head down.

I am so, so tired.

Just when you think you can't handle one more thing, eh?!



That being said, the craziest part of this whole ordeal was being his "common-law partner" in the hospital records.

Ooooer, we have merged!

Also, for future reference, knitting is very useful in hospital environments when your loved one is sleeping because he's drugged up on morphine.

So, I've been MIA (again), but life's been really crazy. Good, but stressful, for sure. I just finished my evidence law class. Evidence is DEADLY. I had the major burnout. Plus, B got laid off in the 2nd or 3rd round of layoffs at EA a few months back. (I decided not to talk about it for a while.)

But I'm starting Doula training next weekend, I'm back on my bike commuting to work, and my legal classes are over until May. Also, B landscaped the backyard so we can have a vegequarian garden, and he's been working on a home business.

Life is really wonderful! The cats are good too. And the dog. And EmoBro.

Here is my early afternoon in pictures:

I learned a very valuable lesson last night.

B's desk was not meant to handle a human being sitting on it.

As I am not very tall, I slid up onto the desk to extend my reach and try and figure out where different cables were going to fix the internet.

Needless to say, within 60 seconds it all came crashing down!

The resulting headache is very, very bad.

I did fix the internet though.

EmoBro (who was listening to Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" last night) and I are off to meet B on the Island tonight and stay with their family for the weekend. Having just got back from Kelowna, I feel like such a fancy globetrotter.

Ooooer!

This is Jesus playing "Demon Kitty" where his head spins around on his neck because I'm paying more attention to my knitting (and taking pictures of it) than I am to him.

So, I kind of burned out on knitting socks. I made 5 pairs between Dec 22 and Feb 13. All for me. There's one sock left of pair 6 on the needles, but... I'm burned out. I have no interest in it.

I ended up giving mum one of the pairs because it just turned out to be too big on me. I'd handwash them, and throw them in the dryer, but within an hour of wearing they'd be sliding down my ankles.

So I'm working on a sweater vest for myself. I've wanted to make one for a while, but just kept putting it off.

The colours are so wacky and something I normally wouldn't pick... but I'm really loving it. Even though the colour scheme sort of reminds me of a blouse my gramma would wear.

I'm hoping to finish the back today and cast on for the front!