finally got a yarn winder!

I just paid my rent and my car insurance ... so why not do a little online shopping?

I finally bought myself a yarn ball winder! I found an online coupon for 40 percent off a single item, so I saved about $13 on my order. I don't have a swift yet, and I don't know how long I can put off the $50+ purchase. I'm hopeful I can use a back of a chair or enlist help from Lauren or Josh in the meantime.

But yay! I can wind my own yarn (in 4-8 business days, that is).

The July 7 wrap is almost done:


I've got, oh, maybe one and a half more color go-throughs, and then it should be long enough. I'm nowhere near running out of yarn, thank goodness.

I'm itching to start something new - specifically, a blanket for Lori and JJ, who moved in together on Sunday. A bunch of us helped them move. It was really hot out, but fun. I saw the colors in their apartment, so I got some honey gold and navy blue yarn for a throw.

spice up your life!

I can't believe I'm admitting this in a public forum. I just registered for a chance to buy tickets to a Spice Girls concert. My favorite mid-1990s girl band is reuniting for an 11-city world tour.

(And yes, I didn't register to win tickets. I'm in the running for a chance to buy tickets. Apparently there will be hot demand for these shows.)

Did you and your friends decide on who was each Spice Girl? I was generally Sporty or Scary (default with curly hair).

How will they decide who gets a shot at buying the tickets? Will they see that I was a 12-year-old at the height of their success? Will Baby Spice laugh mercilessly, seeing that a now-24-year-old has signed up for a chance at tickets? Will it actually work in my favor? Who knows.

I got my Ravelry invite. Needless to say, I'm mesmerized. Being the obsessive-compulsive person I am, I am so happy I have recently started to be good about cataloging my yarns on Flickr. (And now I must rephotograph all my other yarns ... hmm...) Tonight, though, I'm pretty tired. So it will wait for another time.

What else have I been up to?
I got sunburned at the Outer Banks. I'm peeling on my chest and foreheat. Yeowch. Other than the sunburn, it was a nice, relaxing time. Pictures are here.
I've made substantial progress on the July 7 Wrap (it is about four feet longer than it is in this picture):


I showed it to its recipient today, who is a big fan. And I feel so assured about making it in time that I didn't work on it at all today. No, I went to the gym (25 minutes elliptical, 20 minutes racquetball), went to work, and came home to play on Ravelry. Now I should get going, because I had a take-home assignment from work I've put off a day now.

off to the beach

I'm headed to the Outer Banks for two and a half days of fun in the sun (well, today might be spent mostly indoors because it's supposed to rain). I'm going with my roommate and a few other friends from work. Unlike my trip of 950 miles to Pittsburgh this weekend, heading to Kitty Hawk is a hop, skip and a jump from where I live. I'm bringing magazine, a book and of course a crochet project or two. =) I finally started the shawl for a co-worker and I am in love with it! Pictures will come after my trip ...

Last night was my first night acting as wire editor at work - I've done a similar thing for the business section, but that is on a much smaller scale (compiling a few briefs packages and the occasional story). I nervously pitched stories for the front page on a busy, busy news day (two would make it on A1), I had a temporary freak-out when I realized the massive amount of news I'd have to try to get in, but I think it mostly worked out in the end. I really, really liked it and can't wait to do it again!

what a whirlwind.

Oh my goodness. I can't believe I'm back from Pittsburgh already. What a great, great weekend, even if we left Pittsburgh 21 hours after we arrived. Yesterday was a looooong day, since we got 3 and a half hours of sleep. But a little nap helped us get through the party without nodding off. The best part of the day was laughing and talking with everyone as if we had seen each other yesterday, not a year ago, and introducing everyone to Josh, aka Texas Josh/Texas George/Fred. I was afraid my family would overwhelm him ...


but I don't think that happened. He earned brownie points for taking the above picture with about six cameras. (Oh, and my entire family isn't even in this picture ... we were missing three of my grandparents' 10 kids, their spouses and their respective six kids, not to mention assorted other spouses and cousins who couldn't make it.)

We sat around my cousin's backyard as the sun went down. It felt like we were back at my grandma and pap's house in Wilkinsburg, playing ball and sitting on the swing after Sunday dinner. So much laughing and fun.

Here are some other pictures:

Can you believe my grandma is turning 85 on July 7? She is just so beautiful.


And here's my favorite. Josh and Josh had their arms around me, and on their own, each started tickling me, so I'm trying not to crack up.

In yarn news, I finished one project (this guy) but still haven't started on the shawl ... I tried to but I am completely bewildered on how to switch colors with each row. The clock is ticking ...

whee!

It's my weekend!
I have laundry in the washer!
My dog is groomed and adorable!
I'm about to take a nap!

Best of all, I realized I did the wrong math on the time we need to leave for Pittsburgh.

5 a.m. + 7 hours = 12 p.m. Not 2 p.m.
So we can leave later (and sleep longer). Whee!

grrr

Today sucked. I hate never being able to say no.

Because of that, tomorrow I have to find time to do the following between working a day shift:
put air in tires, fill up gas tank, and oh yeah - get/print directions for my trip
find cards for my future sister-in-law (graduation) and dad (Father's Day). Not to mention gifts. EDIT: I found some cards in a drawer that, in a pinch, will work. EDIT 2: Now what the hell did I do with my brother's graduation card that I picked up months ago?
take my dog to the groomer's and not forget to pick her up
pack for Pittsburgh (luckily, the laundry's done)
maaaaybe get my car washed

It's not as if I've been dawdling on any of these things. Yesterday I woke up early to squeeze in a trip to the yarn store for a project that needs to be expedited. Then I worked 12 hours. Today I managed to drive out to Virginia Beach for a ton of errands: yarn store again (ball-winding), Kohl's and Michael's and still make it to work by 11 a.m. I stayed there for a good 13 hours, except for a quick break to walk the dog.

At least tomorrow isn't a back-t0-back shift. I requested it off months ago. And the light at the end of tomorrow's tunnel is happy hour with friends (God willing I don't pass out in my bed first.) And the super-bright light at the end of the tunnel is surprising family in Pittsburgh (God willing I don't oversleep my 4 a.m. alarm Saturday).

weekend review

This has been a really good weekend.

It all started with Friday - although it was unbearably, miserably stickily (is that even a word?) hot out, my friends and I walked from work to Town Point Park to see the Parade of Sail. Easily one of the coolest things I've ever done. I've been on a tall ship before but this was my first time to see a bunch with their sails up/out (I'm not up with my sailing lingo, sorry). We even saw people hanging from the masts, a-way up high!




It wore me down. I spent the rest of the day watching Sex and the City and working on the white ripple baby blanket. Lovely and lazy.

Saturday, I celebrated Knit in Public Day with sassenach! We met up at one of my favorite yarn stores (I bought my first pair of circulars!) and headed to Barnes and Noble. It was so much fun to talk yarny things! I made a ton of progress on the baby blanket and finished it at my cousin's dance recital later that day. Some friends came over after they finished up at work, and we played Wii forever. Before Stephanie arrived, Bethany and I decided to make a Mii for her - it is seriously paper dolls for twentysomethings. I also started a new baby blanket, with Moda Dea Cherish that I hope makes a lovely blanket, also in the Golden Glow pattern from Jan Eaton's ripple masterpiece. I love that pattern.

Today Josh and I saw "Knocked Up." I loved it! Super, super funny, and it featured a ton of my favorites from "Freaks & Geeks." Now I'm off to defrost some hamburger buns and figure out how to roast some potatoes with the burgs. =)

eep!

Work has gobbled up my life the past few days, but in a very good way. I know I'm in the right career when I wake up at 6 a.m. to walk Gracie and instead of stumbling back to bed, I sit at the kitchen table, excited to look at every page of the paper. It's an exciting time for sure, but I'd be lying if I said I weren't looking forward to three days off work (starting tomorrow). I'm just hoping I can decompress and stop dreaming about fonts.

But about this weekend ... I've got a lot of plans ... Friday is the parade of sail for Sail Virginia (and it will be a scorcher of a day) ... yet I will also be baking in this crazy heat. Saturday is Knit in Public Day, which I'm doing with sassenach (yay! Flickr pal meet-up!), my cousin's dance recital, dinner at my aunt's house (the destination for my aforementioned baked goods) and maybe a game night with work friends. Sunday is an encore trip to Sail Virginia and, I'm hoping, some time to relax.

I' m still working on my baby ripple blanket - it's much bigger than it is in this picture.

But for now I'm going to rest my eyes, as my grandma would say.