Friday, September 28, 2012

Hm

I had something I wanted to say.  But I realized that what I wanted to say would wind up causing more trouble than I'm willing to accept.  Because even though this has a limited readership, there is always the possibility that the person I wanted to say something about will find out.  It isn't worth it.  So I erased it.

Instead of writing about that, I will say I went to the library this morning.  To find out that it didn't open for another 3/4 of an hour.  So I stood by the edge of the lake for a while, until I got too cold from the breeze.  Then I sat in the car and knit, listening to the Canada geese that had taken over the high school soccer field in front of me.  And it was good.

There was a young child waiting to go to the library.  He WANTED in there!  11 came and I headed toward the entrance.  As I got to the door I heard, "Is it finally open?  Is the library open NOW?"  He was so excited to be IN THE LIBRARY!  I hope he keeps that love for the rest of his life!

Because I was there so early, I found that I can park my car somewhere else for free on the times I go to the library, instead of paying the parking meters.  That was nice too!  Next Wednesday I may go up early, sit by the lake, watch the waves roll in and just let go for a while.  Sounds good, doesn't it?!

Thursday, September 27, 2012

New to me

Today my brother took me to the horse races.  Something I've never done before.  He had a great time trying to explain betting theories and such.  We were outside, the clouds alternately covered and uncovered the sun.  I think I may have a mild sunburn.  But for late September, it was a glorious day.

The most fun was the race where he had chosen 2 horses that finished in a photo finish.  I had more fun watching him than the horses!  Since I didn't have any money riding on the race, I didn't have any emotional ties to the races.

People there were very nice.  We were at the senior days, so most of the spectators were our age or older.  Would I do it again?  Probably not, unless he is visiting again and wants to go.

AND I almost finished a hat while I was there!  WINNER!

Monday, September 24, 2012

Libraries

I love libraries.  All of that knowledge, all of those BOOKS!  I ran in today to pick up 2 I had on reserve.  "I'll just glance at one area, I really don't need to check any more out!"  15 minutes later my backpack was so full I had to carry 2 of the books in my hand, they didn't fit!

What is it about the library?  The possibilities?  It isn't as if those books are going to go away.  But I have always wanted to take a lot of books home.

When I was in elementary/junior high school, my sister and I would ride our bikes to the library.  We got really creative on stacking the books in our bike baskets, because we'd tend to take more than we could easily fit in there.  But we always got them home, and got them back to the library too.  There is a joy in a new-to-me book.  "Will I like this one so much that I'll want to buy it so I can read it over and over and over?" 

Friday, September 21, 2012

Phone - again

Sigh, just got a phone call that the prior owner of the phone number has a prescription ready.  I guess she doesn't need it in a hurry.

I am trying really hard to work on a test knit. Then on to afghan squares for friends, which will be fun.  I really want to get to socks for me, a cardigan for me and the shorts for a friend's daughter.  Goodness, for someone who only knits on one-three things at a time I'm getting quite a few things going! 

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Phones

Last fall we got new cell phones.  We decided to go with the pay as you go, because we really didn't need more than a few calls a month and a few texts. 

I had never realized that there is such a problem with people getting a cell phone, then dropping the coverage but still giving out that number!

I've had school principals call, expecting to speak with a parent.  I've had LOTS of collection agency calls.  I've had friends call.  Just recently I got a Text Message from someone who wanted the former owner of the number to come to the texter's civil ceremony.  The person must have had some sort of business, I've had businesses calling because the number is on the invoice she still gives out!!!!!!!

Howard has been getting calls for a guy, some are collection, most are friends who want to stay in touch.

Supposedly the rules are that the phone company waits 6 months before handing out a phone number again.  It has been 11 months that we've had these numbers.  I understand the time that it takes to make changes, but don't you think these people have had enough time????!!!!!  17 months for you to remember that it isn't your phone any more? 

I feel sorry for the other people involved.  The principal muttered that he had been talking with the former owner of the # just prior, but had to finish another call so the mom handed my phone # out for him to call her back.  Whatever was needed for that child didn't happen THAT day.  After the third time that it happened for that school, there was a note placed in the file that the # the mom gave out wasn't correct.  Poor kid!  How about the friends expecting her to come to their ceremony?  Nope, isn't going to happen. 

On another note, I washed and hung the socks out yesterday.  The wind came up and blew some of them around.  I'm beginning to think they are going to have to dry inside the rest of this year!

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Oh Bother!

Yesterday morning and early afternoon were lovely, warm and dry enough that the landlord was out mowing the grass.

I wash socks (and bras) by hand and hang them on a wooden drying rack.  Because it was so nice, they were outside drying.      

Weather started moving in.  I forgot about the clean clothes!   I unplugged the power bars  -- yes, I know they protect from surges, but Serena's house in Colorado lost power and then lightening struck nearby, sending a surge through the house, killing her tv.  We were told and have noticed ourselves that this place tends to lose power during storms.  So I unplug the computers.  But I forgot about the drying (probably dry by then) clothes.

Anyway, I was reading and knitting when the storm hit with a whoosh!  One of those downpours that limit visibility.  THAT is when I remembered the clean clothes.  I ran outside (I may have been saying something like "oh s**t, s**t, s**t!" fairly loudly...)  and grabbed the dry rack.  More than half of the socks had blown to the ground, picking up dirt and pieces of grass.  It was hailing, I was soaked from the first moments of stepping outside.  The dry rack and the first load of wet clothes came in and the rack was set up in the bathroom.  Ran back outside for what I could see, came back in and rinsed all of the socks and hung them up again.  Later, after the storm I remembered that there had been a bra on the rack. Back outside, it had blown under the car.  It too needed a fresh wash. 

Now all of the socks and that bra are in the bathroom, still drying.  I need to go through and pick out all of the grass they collected and then probably wash again, to make sure all of the grit is washed away.

BOTHER!

Monday, September 17, 2012

Weekends are nice.  They can accomplish a lot.  Sometimes you work and work and nothing happens.

Yesterday I went to a new friend's house.  I think we will become good friends.  We had a lot of fun trying to warp a loom.  We went up and down the stairs, trying to find things to make it work.  A lot of talking, not just about weaving or knitting, but life.

In the end, we decided that the loom isn't really a loom.  It tried, but no.  The person who designed it wasn't a weaver.  We couldn't, no matter how hard we tried, get it to make a good shed.  So, the almost 4 hours of work that we put into it were for naught.  But, at the same time, those 4 hours helped forge a friendship.  Priceless!

Thursday, September 13, 2012

A lot of changes in the last year+!  TWO new grandbabies (one of each kind Serena and Justin had a girl, Nathan and Kim had a boy), Serena and family have moved to Guam, we are living in Wisconsin, Mom is living in Las Vegas...

I need to see if I can keep this blog going.

I knit up a Freddie Platypus for Justin.  I know there are times I really miss being able to hug him.  So each stitch was a way of showing him love, hoping that he will hug it when he needs a hug from me!  The coat is a mish-mash of the coat pattern for Phoebe Mouse and what I needed to fit the platypus.  I bought buttons today -- hopefully they will make the outfit. 

Crud!  I remembered while in Joann's that I needed to pick up jingle bells.  I was in the wrong section, told myself to go there as soon as I was done picking out the item I needed in that aisle.  By the time I did that, jingle bells had escaped my mind until just now.  Blast! 

My frustration level is pretty high these days, yesterday I was on hold for 40 (yes, 4-0!) minutes then talked with someone for a while.  The documents that I had faxed a week ago were not associated with my information, so I should fax again.  Oh, and by the way, faxing again means they have another 10 business days to process my documents.  Drove over to fax them and was told "don't bother, we have another week to process them, they just haven't been looked at yet."  Got home and there was a form letter, they will be processed by 9/27.  (10 business days from 9/5 is 9/27?)  Then to cap it off, there is a note at the bottom, "Please be prepared to fax your verification at that time."