With a little help from a friend

We had a rocking New Years! Okay, not really. It was lovely, though. And productive. My good friend Anita came on the afternoon of the Eve, to hang out, help me clean my craft room, spend the night and ring in the new year. It was fab! We got to celebrate without worrying about being on the road at the same time other revelers were doing the same. We actually had booze in the house, but totally forgot about it. We didn't even ring in the new year. We were exhausted and the clicking over of the calendar happened while we were preparing for bed. (Poor Anita. Some day, we'll have a guest bed of some kind. (She was prepared and brought an inflatable mattress.))

What we did was spend a bit of time in the craft room, then return to the living room to watch something. Then back to the craft room. Anita got to watch the first few episodes of Firefly (I knew she'd like it). We also watched an early MST3K episode: The Crawling Hand. (Next morning, while John slept, we broke out Unconditional Love, best viewed under those circumstances. It's terrible and wonderful, and I was glad to get to watch it with her.)

Have I gone on about the diet here yet? Well, doesn't matter. It's boring. Effective (for lowering blood pressure and losing weight), but boring. So, for holidays, we allow ourselves a treat. Like a regular meal, the kind that other people eat. John made a superb roast beef pie, with onions, potatoes, corn, carrots and a bit of salt pork. Swoon. We also had popcorn, for the first time in months. After a tiny slice of the pie for breakfast on the 1st, we were back to the regular way of eating.

While we haven't painted anything yet, we have gotten most parts of the house organized. The exceptions have been the entry room (large room with no purpose yet, so stuff kind of accumulates) and the craft room. The latter because our basement kitty, Lily (Cass & Charlie's mom), selected that as her hiding place and freaked out if we went in the room too often. So, I didn't use it much -- just dashed in when I needed something -- and left her on her own. She passed away a few weeks ago, and I decided to get the place cleaned up and organized.

I don't have pics of the whole room yet. It's not going to be an impressive room for a long time, if ever. Right now, there are boxes, totes and baskets on two large sets of utility shelves. It gets the job done. But we did get the yarn area reorganized and it's acceptable for viewing. (Click on the image to see notes for all the cubbies.)

Up on the top shelf is large basket that is now full of projects waiting in the wings: yarn and pattern, bundled together. As mentioned in my last post, I'm determined to knit more for me. The last project on the needles (that isn't just a random scarf project-in-progress) is a pair of large, very warm (thrummed) mittens for John. I expect to finish those this weekend. (They match a hat that I'll show in a bit.)

After that, I'm going to knit up a pair of mittens for me, and line them with some felted cashmere. Then, a cowl or scarf (haven't decided, but probably the former, since it's COLD and I would like a matching set (the yarn choice unifies, regardless of pattern)). Then, on to the project basket:

• My nephew got me some yarn for Christmas that he picked out all by himself. It's a lovely olive color. I'm probably going to make these Ballet-Style slippers. (Got a second ball, in case I don't have enough yarn.)
• Baby gift (obviously not for me): Right now, Baby Sophisticate is the front-runner.
  
• Using some recycled cotton/cashmere yarn, Mitts of the Dystopian Future (Rav link) are destined to be mine.
  
• These Delovely cabled fingerless mitts are intended for a gift. I've earmarked my two skeins of Silky Cashmere (actually picked out the yarn first, then had to find something that would do).
• More slippers: I was recently shocked to discover that I love Mary Jane-style shoes and slippers. These Mary Jane slippers are in the queue, but with a closure like these (I can't crochet, or I'd just make these). The more I think of it, the more I'm inclined to using this pattern for my "nephew yarn.")
• Socks for John and me are also on the list.

I also put together a couple of emergency sock-knitting kits, one for each car. Pictured here is one kit; the other is on Flickr. Each contains a ball of yarn, appropriate circular needle (for Magic Loop), corresponding pattern for the combo, and accessories like stitch markers, yarn cutter or scissors and darning needles.

Finally, a brief knitting update. Still some Giftmas presents that haven't been received, so here are a couple of hats that I did for John. One is a replacement Jayne hat, and the other was part of his Christmas gift (as are the thrummed mittens I'm almost done with). Detail will be with the image, on Flickr:

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Oh, so many things

I've had many things to blog about, but not so much the energy or time. So a few short blurbs (light and funner stuff first):

Crafty & Stuff

• If you get the joke, you may want one of these stitch markers: Glass Swans. They are not truly suited for practical use, but are truly fun to have and giggle at. Available in my shop.
  
• A new online knitter's magazine just launched (as in last night or this morning): Petite Purls. Focus is on adorable patterns for small children; the first issue has a knitted lobster toy that either gender would enjoy.
• I'm about a third of the way finished with the second sock of the pair I'm knitting for John. Sock #1 fit perfectly (woot!) and I believe I'll meet my goal of having these done by Friday. As soon as the pair is done, I've promised something for a charity as part of knitalong on Ravelry. Then, maybe a pair for me again.

Fast & Furious
I've had the 'flu for past couple of days. Woke up Saturday, around 4 AM with what may have been a "regular" migraine, but it could also have been a precursor to the illness. As the day dragged on, I felt less and less okay; until, by mid-afternoon, I was quite ill. Sunday was a day of many naps and lots of DVD-watching and knitting. Today, I'm not at work, because I still have very little energy and my fever kept coming back last night and I hate people that show up to work with fevers (frequently means contagious). I'm pretty confident that I'll be fever-free tomorrow and able to walk the two blocks from my parking lot to my building!

Crisis Averted
We have had a small leak in the basement from the floor above for some time. At first, we thought it was just condensation from the air conditioner; however, once we had a dehumidifier running non-stop, it didn't get any better. So John contacted the home warranty company, and they had a plumber out the next day. There was a crack in the hot water main! Not covered, sadly, for convoluted reasons, but cheap to fix considering the alternative (if it broke wide open)! That wouldn't have been covered either.

So Confused (and this won't help a lot)
You may have noticed that I edited the two posts related to the ad debacle. Well, the ads are staying down, but things have gotten, shall we say interesting(?), and I've had to contact a lawyer. What's frustrating is that I thought everything was resolved, and several days later got a series of emails from official channels, opening up an ever bigger can of worms. People really need to get the whole, up-to-date story before they try to dive in and "help." You know?

Next: Back to Sheena's. It would be a way-too-long post (again) if I included that.

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Organizing & Stuff

Before.
I'm organizing my craft room. Without actual fixtures to sort things into, I didn't get much done for the first month we lived here. And, since things always cost more than you expect, they're out of the budget for awhile. (Plus, the room really needs painting. It looks like an Easter basket threw up in there.) Then John got the bright idea to take the milk crates he collected in college (and has moved with over & over) and zip-tie them together.

After (click any pic to see bigger).
It still needs to be organized better, but now everything is out of boxes. There are some tools to find and some books still to bring over from the old house, but it's so much better than a stack of totes!

I'm identifying yarn that I can give away, and some that I think I can sell. A bag of thrifted yarn is already set aside for SIL C, since she has a greater use for it than I do. (It's enough for a baby blanket, which she can crochet pretty quickly; I've promised myself to never knit a blanket of any size!)

I've also managed to empty and sort out several other boxes. I have one little unit with plastic drawers; one is set aside for tools and one for punches. Now I'm going to see exactly how many hole punches I actually have!

Finally, a little knitting action. I'm still working on Christmas socks, but my goddaughter, Sarah, walks to work every night and asked for a hat, so I think the sock recipients will understand why I stopped to attempt the "slouchy beret" she asked for. Her head is much smaller than mine, so I couldn't tell if it achieved the right amount of slouch. It's in the mail today and we'll just have to see.

Sarah: don't forget - if it fits, I want pictures!

Details
Yarn: Paton's Classic Merino in "That's Pink," held doubled.
Pattern: Laurie Perry's Super-simple fast and easy chunky hand-knit beret!
Needles: 11 & 13 (I'm pretty sure)

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Christmas Morning

I'm probably lucky that my brother doesn't read my blog...

So, Christmas is here. At this second, I'm not in the mood, but that's because I took something to help me sleep and now feel that sluggish/hungover thing that OTC sleep aids leave behind. But in a few minutes, the smell of the traditional Christmas strata should begin to fill the air, and in 45 minutes, it will come out of the oven; around which time we will need to decide if we'll be able to make it down the driveway toward my brother's house. (Rained all day yesterday, now it's below freezing and snowing.)

I did a kind of photo essay for the making of the strata, which I'll post in the next day or two, mostly to show off my new bowl. It's missing a shot of the finished product, but I left my camera on the kitchen counter so I wouldn't forget. I only make this once a year, for going on about twenty years now, so if I don't get the picture, there won't be another opportunity (until next Christmas).

My brother's family came here yesterday afternoon for an early Christmas Eve celebration (we usually do it in the evening, but distance and weather are bigger factors now). They brought take-out chicken, so I only had to worry about beverages and desserts. (We had s'mores, cookies and a chocolate-peppermint (store bought) cake that was rather yummy.) I think everyone had fun. We played a few rounds of Dutch Blitz before they left; that was a blast from the past! (Back when I was at a certain college, playing cards were not allowed; only games like Uno and Dutch Blitz were. SIL's (stricter) school had similar rules.)

Ooh. Off to open stockings! (Only gifts we're exchanging this year.)

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Crackle

On Thursday night, we broke in our fire place. I don't know about John, but this is my first home with a fire place. We had a wood-burning stove, but I've never been a fan*. It was just lovely.

John picked up some kiln-dried oak, which burned great and smelled so good. I picked up marshmallows, chocolate bars and graham crackers, and we enjoyed s'mores, sitting in our desk chairs in front of the fire. (We don't have all the furniture we need -- it will be a slow process.)

*When I was around 8 or 9, while chasing my little brother, I fell onto my grandparent's wood-burning stove, burning the left side of my face, my left arm and left hand. My dad packed me in snow and drove the hour or so to the hospital.After weeks in bandages, I emerged with no scars. The only scar I have on my face is a shallow one - what the plastic surgeon couldn't fix after I tried to shave when I was 3.

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Snow Day

We kind of had a lot of snow dumped on us (along with a good portion of the country) today. Luckily, we were somewhat prepared. We ran out late last night to get a few emergency items (I keep thinking of the ice storm in the late 70s that had us all trapped in our homes for a week. I was a kid, so it was great, iceskating on the road, but it was still frustrating), and planned to just hang out all day (it's my work-at-home day).

The worst thing that happened was our internet went out for a few hours (cable too, but it's limited basic, so we didn't miss much). Turns out the snow is really heavy and too deep for our snowblower, so I joked that maybe someone would come by with a plow and offer to dig us out for a reasonable price. Doncha know, round about 7 PM, there's a knock on the door: it's a young boy who wants to know if his stepdad can plow our driveway for $20-or-so. I said, "$20? Do it." It would have taken us hours, and we would have been in a lot of pain. The guy did a great job too. Good thing, because the plow that went by earlier had piled a 4' drift across our entire driveway.

We had fun watching some cardinals go after the red berries on this bush. I don't know what it is, but they like it, so we'll keep it. I was hoping for some close-ups, but a certain monkey/cat leaped onto the divider and knocked a bunch of stuff over. They heard enogh and took off. John spotted blue jays in the back yard earlier in the week.

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Okay, I'm all decorated for Christmas

Maybe not. If we can get the boxes out of the attic at the old house, I would sincerely like to put up at least a small tree. If that plan fails, I have at least put up some decoration, more than I've done for many years. (Sometimes I hang stockings... that's it.)

A Christmas Story was my dad's favorite Christmas movie (it was his era), and probably one of his favorites overall, so for several years, I got him themed gifts. One year was a Red Ryder BB gun (which, sadly, disappeared from his house) and another year, I found this desk lamp. I couldn't afford the full-size version, but he got a big kick out of it just the same. (After Christmas, it will go on my computer table.)

Here's a small image of it from the outside. (Click to see bigger.) It's not my all-time favorite Christmas movie, but I usually watch it once a year. It makes me feel close to Dad, for one thing, but I get a kick out of it regardless. Watching this movie has also helped me vow to never become "that aunt," the one that doesn't know what age her niece & nephew are, who sends wildly inappropriate/stupid gifts.

I like that they enjoy hand-made gifts, but I'm watching for the time when it just won't do. Actually, this year, my niece is getting a stack of used books (Trixie Belden, most of which are out of print in any form) and a scarf. My nephew, J, is getting one of the toys or games he wants and a snowman nightlight - nothing hand-made. The boy loves snowmen and he loves Christmas. Someday, he might want this lamp. And I'll consider giving it to him (no promises).

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Home, again

It doesn't feel right, having a post about the move without pictures, but what can you do? It didn't cross my mind once to get out the camera during the process. Saturday night, after everyone was gone and everything was dark, John called me back to the living room and bade me sit on the couch and look out the window. We could see all the stars! That was the first time I thought about a camera, but was too tired and sore to go get it.

How about a recap, of sorts?
Things went as smoothly as they could for a Michigan day with snow showers and low temps (in the 20s, not counting the wind chill factor). Several people came to help, which was great. They all couldn't make it for the unloading portion of the day, so that half was a little tougher, but we persevered. John and I were still sick. We filled U-haul’s biggest truck, front-to-back and top-to-bottom, plus a few carloads and had to leave a lot of stuff behind. It’s about a 90-minute drive each way, so we won’t be making daily trips to get the rest of the stuff, but maybe a couple a week. (We have a lot of books and DVDs!)

HerdingMoving Cats
I got some confirmation from Steph that my original plan was pretty good, and used a couple of her suggestions as well. JDub had offered to transport all the cats, so when it was time to start packing the bedroom (where most of them were hiding (it would have been better to trap them all in one room, but that wasn't possible)), we grabbed carriers and, eventually, found the six regular residents. We already knew that getting Lily, aka Basement Cat, was going to have to be done separately.

We set up the master bath as the cat room, with litter boxes, water, food, baskets, blankets and cat nip, then let them out to wander while we unpacked the truck. A couple of them were traumatized by both the capture and the 90-minute trip and didn’t want to get out of the carriers for awhile, but I didn't rush them. After everyone was gone, I made the bed and tossed a couple of our blankets over it (the ones the kitties sleep on a lot), shut the bedroom door and opened the bathroom door so they had two rooms to explore.

None of the cats like traveling, but Sheldon, who is the oldest, has had more experience. When he first came to live with me (about sixteen years ago), we visited my parents' house pretty frequently; plus he's moved once and gone on a couple of road trips. He was rarin’ to go, wanting to explore, immediately, but we were resolute (plus, there were some complications that required the bedroom door to stay closed -- more on that later). On Sunday morning, after we caught up on some sleep, we opened the door and let them explore the main floor (none of them are getting into the basement until it's been swept clean).

Each at their own pace, they've been roaming and exploring, and, in some cases, ripping up and down the entire length of the house. (Our old house was much smaller.) Neo, who has been with John since she was a couple of days old, isn’t exploring, but she’s ecstatic because she gets to sleep with him again.

One little hitch (of course there's a hitch)
The furnace wouldn’t stay on, so it didn’t get above 60F degrees all of Saturday. At first, we thought it was because the door was constantly open. Finally, around midnight, we got dressed and took the long drive to Meijer to get a space heater. (Why the bedroom door had to stay closed.)

Thankfully, due to a couple of issues, our real estate agent had purchased a home warranty for us (we would have done it if he hadn’t), so there was a repair truck in the driveway by late Sunday afternoon. Took him five minutes to fix it! (We couldn’t have done it, and it turns out the previous owner, who thought he knew what he was doing, had been repeatedly replacing the wrong part! (Condensation line was clogged.))

Basement Cat
John went back to the old house Saturday night after he returned the truck, and Lily wasn’t in the trap we'd set for her (humane trap, of course). We went last night, and it was still empty, so we went on a little hunt. We cornered her twice, and almost had her, but she got away. The third time, I got a sheet over her and got her wrapped up quickly. Not before she bit me, but she didn’t break the skin (she got the nail, so it felt like I’d jammed my finger in a drawer).

She’s set up in the guest bath, now that we have the master bath back. She’ll have to stay there for several days so they all get used to each others’ scent, and she calms down. We’re going to try to keep the basement blocked off, hoping she’ll consider staying up with the family. (The two youngest cats are hers - we couldn’t find a home for her, and didn’t want to put her back on the street after living with us for a few months, so she became the basement cat.)

Technicalities
Our stove won’t work in this house*, so we’re stuck with microwave, Foreman grill and crock pot until we can buy a new one (already ordered, due Wednesday). I have my first ever crock pot meal going right now, and SIL C. is providing recipes for future use. We couldn't bring our washer/dryer with us, and can't quite afford new ones right now, so I'll be going to a laundromat for the first time in my life (not counting the machines in the dorm at college). Should be interesting.

Next
I have to make curtains and continue unpacking. Kitchen first! I love my kitchen. Even without a stove.


*Silly me. I knew there was a gas outlet, so I assumed we could have either gas or electric (this is only my second move - I’m not “up” on appliances). We couldn’t afford new appliances right away, so we brought our old PoS appliances with us, including our electric stove. There isn’t an adequate outlet for the stove. Oops.

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