My Happy Holidays

My surgery has occurred. It took longer than anticipated due to my uncompromising nose. Dr. ENT informed my waiting friend, Rain, that there "had been a complication." I just know that she turned all shades of white at hearing that phrase. Dr. ENT and Rain had a 15 minute conversation about the complication and its impact on my recovery. Rain shared about 5 minutes of it with me.
She claimed that she did not want to upset me. A portion of the conversation dealt with treating complications from the treatment of the complication. She felt no need to bother me with those gory details. It was strange knowing that she knew more about this "complication" than I did.
Dr. ENT placed these torture implements into my nose. Click here to see them after use. Don't judge. You clicked the link. There was discomfort when he removed them. Not sure that I would describe it as painpain. Hmm. Maybe a pain of 2 for 2 seconds. I had these splints removed about five days after the surgery.
They created a lot of discomfort for me. A lot of snot. A lot of fears that I would stop breathing in my sleep and my nose would be clogged. Unfounded fears it seemed. The splints remained clog free.
The first five days were horrible but not awful. I had pain in my throat and nose. I could not talk for longer than a few minutes without my throat seizing. The next five days have been uncomfortable. I have drainage and heartburn. My throat is still sore. I keep hitting my nose. That hurts.
I bet you never really thought about the number of times you rub against your nose in one day, have you? I have quite a few times since the surgery. I expect the next five days to be more the same. I still can't open my mouth wide.
(you are nasty)
I can't blow my nose. I have sour stomach because of the drainage and I have a horrible, gross taste in my mouth
(you are so nasty)
I am going to stay at home and limit activity with the sour tummy and the whole leaking nose issue.
I have been working on several projects. The ruana is almost complete. Just a few more rows! Will post pictures. I have no batteries in my camera. I am hoping to pick some up tomorrow when I seek out half priced holiday and winter cards. 
I do not like to purchase strictly Christmas cards because they must be mailed by a certain date. I have missed that date a few times. Holiday cards and winter themed cards can be mailed as late as the first of the new year. I am so clever.

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Remember the clown pants?
Here is a brief history:

I bought this baby yarn. I made a blanket out of it and began a pair of pants. The doctor determined that the baby would be male and my friends informed that gender rules preclude all baby clothing with any amount of pink. I continued to work on the pants. More babies were conceived, more males. I then learned from my sister that the blanket I made for her out of the yarn had felted. It was a 70/30 blend of wool and acrylic. I didn't  know.......I unraveled the clown pants.

Finally another friend announced she would be having a daughter. I pulled out this yarn and decided to make for her a felted bag. Voila!
Cute isn't it. The straps refused to felt to the exact same length. Very frustrating but I worked with it.

I have also been reading. I completed the latest:
Argeneau Vampire series by Lynsay Sands
Esther Diamond series by Laura Resnick
Amanda Feral series by Mark Henry
I wrote a review of the first book of the series here 
I am reading my first Cal Leandros novel by Rob Thurman after Amazon's repeated recommendations.
I will start my next Parasol protectorate novel by Gail Carriger. I was turned on to this author by a swap partner in my Vampire Valentine group on Ravelry.
and Crimson Moon novel before I go back to work.
I would like to say, I really like unapologetic monster characters. I also love strong female characters that kick vampire butt.
I am still waiting for those new releases from Kelsey Cole and Karen Marie Moning.

Oh
Thank you to all who wished me a speedy recovery and
Happy Holidays!

Candy Canes!

Spangler Candy Co. earns its stripes with candy canes

Archives: Minors

I wrote this in 2006. I had had a busy year in babysitting. I hadn't realized that I had been writing about Lil' T and Trey for so long until I unearthed this entry. Year in Review: Minors

Dec 31, '06 11:26 PM

I have written quite a bit this year about some of my younger relatives. I love being around other people’s children except when damage occurs.


I know that God has a sense of humor. I know each time I meet a child.


Babysitting

Babysitting toddlers/preschoolers is a challenge as I am sure you are aware. Toddlers want to explore everything. Usually with their mouths but by themselves. You don’t have to play with a toddler but you must watch the toddler play.

Preschoolers want you to play with them using their rules. The game could be anything. Perhaps the game is “let’s see what the kitty is doing?” or “Smash the Play-doh into the rug.” My favorite preschooler Lil T has very little patience for her toddler brother Trey. She bullies him and he torments her. Trey just wants to put things in his mouth, pull on hanging table cloths or follow his sister around. Lil T wants to pull out all of her toys and present from Christmas and “show and Tell.” Silly girl. Her game of Show and Tell is an open invitation to her brother to turn into Descructo-the Avenging Toddler. Descructo sees a perfectly good toy; probably one of his sisters, one that he must know is not his and will tear it apart.


You should have seen him disassemble the plastic microphone stand for Lil T’s guitar/microphone set. When he was done it resembled the thunder sticks that fans have at the football games. You know – hollow tubes that you bang together to make noise, which is what he was doing when Lil T started screaming at him.
No worries, while her attention was directed at putting together the microphone stand, Destructo had found the microphone. Wanting to be helpful, I plugged it in for him so that he could use the amplifier and express himself as Destructo. Of course, he tried to swallow the microphone while making the most interesting sounds and dancing. By now, Lil T is in a tizzy; she has reassembled the mic stand and is trying to retrieve the microphone from Desctructo. Silly girl, at that point Destructo had moved onto the guitar. Running his knuckles hands across the strings while Lil T is trying to figure out why the amplifier is no longer working. She didn’t know that I had turned it off when she wasn’t looking. By now the completely irritated Lil T has noticed Destructo is trying to pull out the guitar strings on her guitar. She quickly leaves to find his toddler appropriate guitar. At this point I am laughing my ass off. She returned 10 seconds later to find that Trey has moved onto her Dora the Explorer books. I guess she values her future as a singer with a guitar more than reading because she finally ignores him- just as he had been ignoring her for the last 30 minutes.

Pure Joy.


Teenagers that have only recently left their Tween years are very funny

One does not babysit a Teenageror a Tween. Tweens are merely observed from afar. Unfortunately, this hands-off approach always leads to property damage.

Girls leaving their Tween years and approaching adolescence have their own lives that are filled with Brats dolls, Hello Kitty and a love hate relationship with the color pink.


She wonders – shall I continue to embrace the Pink or do I move on without Pink.

She laments - Oh, how Pink comforted me in my youth but now I am a Tween. I must ready myself for adolescence

She ponders – Can I be me without being Pink?

She considers – I am Tween and Tween is Pink but teenagers are not pink

She reconciles – The inner me will always be Pink.

She declares – My new favorite color is (random color – not pink)





Then the little Princes asks her mother for a pink Hello Kitty cell phone.

Tween boys stop talking in order to avoid ridicule from their changing voices.


Younger kids want you to be involved in every sound, game or chore when you are watching them and they will tell on you or tell everything you did or said to their parents. Tweens want you to buy them things when you are babysitting and will report on you to their parents. New teenagers tell just look at you, download crap onto your computer and roll their eyes at you when you ask “whatcha playing?” You never really know what they are saying to their parents and you don’t really care. You just want to know how to remove the damn spyware that is now cemented into your harddrive.


I adore older teens they are easy. They will not destroy your home by playing with power tools left on the table. They will not explore goofy websites that install pervasive cookies on your computer. Teens are motivated by coolness and money. Juicy lip gloss and video games. Name belts and designer caps. They don’t want to be embarrassed when they are hanging out with you unless you are paying well. They gather gossip and tell funny stories about you to their parents. They might let you meet their friends.

Unfortunately, they listen to you when you are on the phone with the customer service agents while you are slowly losing your cool moving into Black Woman Vexed mode. The silly agent tried to defend the quality of the satellite dish receiver by informing me that the dish works perfectly at her house. LIKE I FREAKING CARE THAT THE SATELLITE DISH WORKS AT HER HOUSE WHEN IT DOESN’T WORK AT MINE. As if it would break the company to place a phone order for the pay-per-view movies that the Teens want to watch and waive the absolutely stupid fee for not doing it through the satellite receiver box. THE BOX THAT DOESN’T WORK CORRECTLY AT MY HOUSE BUT APPARENTLY WORKS JUST FINE AT HERS. Then the wench tells me that the reason is doesn’t work at my house is because my lines are faulty. I told her that keep her crazy ideas to herself and transfer me to the technical support so that I can have the Singapore made receiver box replaced for a Japanese model.

Teens think that stuff is incredibly funny and they seem to appreciate you better after watching you in Black Woman Vexed Mode. Hmm, i wonder if she was taking notes or was she frightened?

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Lil' T is now 8 and her brother is now five. Both have not changed much. I will post an entry about my most recent babysitting adventure with them latter this month.The Tween mentioned in this post is my niece. She is now 17 years old and graduating from High School the upcoming Spring. The teen featured in this story is the other niece, in her fourth year of college. The tween who drilled a hole in my wall, is now 18 and admitted to me at Thanksgiving that he is interested in a career in construction. He told me that I got him interested in it. 

This is how it ends

Done!

I have a new shawl/scarf, hood. I am excited. It is warm.
Now, I wait patiently for my surgery next week.
I can't believe that I started a baby blanket. Someone stop me.
I do have good news. I have turned the corner on the left flap of the ruana. Yeah me!

 

From the Archives: My Frizzy Notions

Originally published November 26, 2007. For some reason, I decided to count off some of my beliefs. 

Rule by Fools: Kakistroacy

First, I Think Text Felicitations Are Dumb I am, of course, referring to people who send text messages of "Happy - Insert Holiday-". Seriously, for the Love of a Simple Cellular Phone Plan stop it. I have to pay for out of network text messages after 50 and greetings are not worth an additional fee each month. Maybe you think that I am overreacting. So.... Send a card. Spend your money instead. Especially if you are not in my network. Or call me after 9 oçlock. << 2010 edit, I finally upgraded my cell plan to included unlimited texting. Despite this, I still think text felicitations are dumb >>  Two, Hallmark is still the best place to go for the perfect card or gift. If you have resorted to buying your cards from Wal-mart or Kroger's, remember that you can do better than that. I love visiting Hallmark during holiday seasons. There is always something worth buying or someone worth surprising. It is a lot more thoughtful than a text message. ETA 2010: I have found that Hallmarks are difficult to find anymore. I still prefer Hallmark but anyplace will do Three, this is a great time to catch up on movies that you missed at the theater. Allow me to recommend one for you. Imagine if you will that the Writer's Guild strike continues indefinitely. Reality TV shows flood the airwaves. Clown court TV shows and CS-Sci-Fi replace real justice. Law and Order begins to resemble Reno 911. Entertainment news and biased talk shows replace investigative report and the whole story. Imagine if the greatest economic, legal, political, military, scientific, academic and humanitarian minds stop having children or have less children. Just imagine another 500 years later. I am not talking about a future influenced by wars and planetary expansion like that portrayed in Serenity and Star Trek. Nor a future shaped by viruses and conflict like Aeon Flux or Ultraviolet. Not a world dominated by a totalitarian government as in V is for Vendetta. No that that at all. I am referring to a world ruled by idiots. A movie by Mike Judge and well worth a movie rental. Good satire and a scary future. It is called Idiocracy and feature Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph and Mike Judge. This is a presidential parade of the future. Hmmmm ETA 2010:  Eh, skip the movies. Just upgrade your cable package and watch TV ;   Four, buy a lap desk. These big wooden desks are great. I can put my laptop in the middle, a book to the left and still have room for a writing tablet. I can use it while surfing the Internet on my PC, too. I love this little lap table. You should get one, too. Think of the possibilities. ETA 2010:  Hmm, I love my lap desk. Still use it when I am actually sitting down and reading/surfing the Net   Five, Try new bread. I must admit. Hazelnut, poppyseed wheat bread is the best bread on Earth. Just try it once. You will be hooked ETA 2010:  Pull out some of that apple butter you purchased last month. It is amazing on this bread    Okay, seriously I was just having fun. The real point of this blog was to get you to rent Idiocracy available right now at your local video store. Funniest movie of 2006 that noone saw! ETA 2010:  Rent The Hangover. I still can't believe how funny that movie was.  Another gem of a movie from 2009 is Pontypool Surprisingly good movie. Just watch it. You will agree My original blog had a lot of my favorite secrets but that one is gone. Isn't it? My night went from irritation to worse, too. After losing my blog entry, I went to bed. Around 4:30 am I found myself losing my dinner. I have been under the weather all day. And you know what? It would really be great if someone sent to me a text message that said, "I hope you are feeling better." Just kidding........

Gonna be warm this winter

Here I am picking up the ruana. Not sure why Jim took this picture. He knew the batteries were charged on the camera. This is my office. That is me. I am so sexy. Those slacks did not fit me last month. I guess this dieting is finally working.

d

After some work, I stretched the ruana over the table. As you can see, I completed the one right tail. I know you think that I should have written the left tail. No. It will be the tailflap over my right side. The left side requires attention. I am so tired of this project. I want to chuck it out the window. I started it last year while I visited my sister for her birthday in Georgia. I cast on the project while riding in the car on December 26, 2009. The ruana hibernated during the late spring and summer. I picked it back up in late fall. And here it is.
The gals at the knitting group have watched it grow into this massive creation. The jokes have begun.

In my next post, I will upload a copy of the template/design that I created for this project.

Fattie Cat, the tuxedo long hair, likes to lie in the huge project bag that stores this WIP.
Bastard. I haven't worn it yet and it is covered in cat hair.

World AIDS Day