Monster Hospital

This is hard to write about. I mean come on, we all have it sofa king good here. How can a whinge from a person who never has to worry about where I'll sleep, if I can eat or if I will be safe count? By accident of birth, I live in the best country in the world*, where my standard of living is ridiculous compared to most everywhere else in world. Yet here it is, the incessant voice of pain, banging at my door. Some days are easier than others not to open that door, sometimes the damn door is already open by the time I get to it, and sometimes, I can't NOT open it. Know what? I've come to realise that my life is changed, forever marked differently than it was. Get over yourself Karen.

Things I love:
-cashmere yarn
-new tea mugs
-my husband who will sit up with me until all hours. And think it's awesome.
-dogs. all dogs but especially mine.
-video games. I'm looking at you Dragon Age. and um, Alistair.
-my kiddo who is one of the funniest people I know. Kind and sweet. He'll roll his eyes when he reads this. But you are, so there.
-my sheepskin on the couch. Why did I wait so long to get one of these? WHY?
-pink lady apples.
-my friends.
-especially well produced singles. music and yarns.

This list could go on to be gigantor, but I'll keep some things for another day. I keep them in a little chest in my mind and bring them out to turn around in my hands when I"m feeling like this. Hold fast, the ride can get bumpy!







* true fact

I'm a picture that I'm holding of someone who is cool..

Don't know where the time is going. This year is sliding by like crazy. Not being measured by happy moments this time, but things that leave a red mark on my heart. Hope they will fade, and with time and liberal applications of love, nail polish and puppies that they won't scar. Another friend from the olden days has died. Too young and tragic to forget, it makes me lay down and fall backwards into the past. It makes me sit up and take stock of what I got and know it's all good. Let the lovin' come back to me..

So what makes everything better? This. I try to explain that it's pain with a purpose, productive pain. Chris sees it too now. It's a moment frozen.

Sometimes all you want to do is shine, and now it will be that way forever. I love my tattoo artist. Rick. Fits us in like old friends and bangs out minimal ideas into full fledged art.

I said on Facebook that old friends know the best stories and they really do. I was lucky enough to get a flying visit with a friend and it felt like we were 15 still. With older more real life stuff, but still lying on the couch, it was 1984 again. Lou Reed says "You're going to reap just what you sow". I am trying to sow the seeds of a better year. Let the planting start.

The bed's too big without you...

My side of the bed when Chris is gone. Like now. He is on his way to West Virginia via Columbus Ohio. Usually I can think of heaps of things to do when I'm alone. The weather though, she sucks right now. Cold, snowy, blowy grossness. I dug out once and that was enough. I made sure I had provisions to keep me going (yogurt? check! lots of fizzy water? check! enough random stuff to keep me going? check! menus for good Thai delivery? check!) and snuggled down. I did manage to sneak in a haircut, and just like in the 80's wore a leather jacket that was completely inappropriate for the weather. So maybe that explained the hair? Sure. Let's go with that.

Rock on my bitches, rock on.

Time keeps on slipping into the future...

Sometimes I think I need to call my mom to tell her something. And I remember that I can't. It doesn't happens as much any more, but it comes out of the blue and leaves a strange metallic taste in my mouth. A feeling of unreality. My dad sent me a picture of her marker. In an email entitled FYI. Only he would do that. He is funny.

I'm slowly coming to realise that I am going to have to manage this stupid disorder* FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. I guess. I've forgotten to take my pills a few times now, and that my possums, is not a good thing. NOT AT ALL. Also, I am so disordered I can't take my vitamins unless I can chew them. Pills are good, but I am already tired of them. sigh. Oh, woe is me. Hardly. But calcium chews are pretty tasty. I now call them calci-yums!

I have started trying to brush the dogs teeth. Yeah, I know. But Max has the breath of a thousand corpses** and I've noticed Pickles getting a little bit if tartar on a couple of his teeth. I've been slacking on giving him the rawhide chews cause I don't want him to get fat(ter) but think his teeth are more important. It's way less fun than I thought, this dog tooth brushing. Ok, they actually aren't bad. But the next puppy I get? Starting this program EARLY.


I have been knitting, knitting, knitting. Anything to take my mind off my pain/annoyance at myself/shitty tv/general malaise. I even have pictures to prove it!



A lovely little scarfy thing called Laodice that was a bit of a slog to get through, but worth it in the end. Although that might be the Malabrigo talking...

This pattern was so much fun to knit, I'm actually knit another version of it in a different weight (and finished it last night) right after this one. It's called Whipped, but it was really whip it good.

I bought this yarn off of someone on Ravelry. I don't usually go for intense variegation anymore, but the colours of this just called to me I guess. The yarn was a joy to knit with, from an indie dyer called Ruby Sapphire. I LOVED it. Really gorgeous yarn, and I loved this pattern too.. so pretty,

My little green tree is still alive (better be) and it is called a Golden European Tree. I bought it at Safeway for 4$. It looks awesome on my desk..





*I had to go to Wikipedia to find out if it was a syndrome, disease or disorder. I think disorder sounds like the lesser of the three evils.
**maybe because he eats poo. I have tried everything. whatever. he doesn't have that long left, we'll deal. ugh. gross.

pocketful of pretty green...

My newest family member. The colour is closest to the last picture, especially with the late sun hitting it against my green wall. I hope I don't kill this too quickly.. it smells like lemon-lime! 

stay green...

History never repeats, I tell myself before I go to sleep...

I came across a blog of a person I used to be really good friends with. An enormous part of my life included her. We were inseparable for a good long time. Now? We don't speak. Not one thing was the impetus of the ending of our friendship, but many small things, and the realisation that a toxic person is toxic no matter how long you've known them. No matter how much history you've had with them. Reading her blog made me understand how important it is to remember the way things really were. Not some sort of bullshit revisionist history you create to romanticise yourself, or to make you look better to your audience. Warts and all, it's valuable to be able to look back and sort out why you did things, to ensure you don't make those same mistakes over and over. Lessons learned the hard way seem to be the ones that we should try to hold on to. To really implement into our lives. It made me a little bit sad to read her blog, but it also was a fabulous reminder of why she isn't in my life anymore. I'm better for it. Her, I don't so much care either way.

I used to be all about the Halloween. Dressing up, going out, decorating. It was my Christmas. Now, I'm ambivalent. I see things in the shops I would have gone mad for, gross awful things which I still squeeeeee about, but no longer want to buy it all and hang it up in my living room. Since when did the appropriation of all the horror movie stuff that shocked the normies get normal? Hmmm.....

 

Pickles went and hurt himself this week. we figure he went into the long dead grass in the backyard and got something in his eye. It never got bad enough to get him to the vet (but I did make an appointment for him next week that I canceled), but enough to worry the Dog-Mom in me. Jake and I were chatting about it, and I remarked that Max had never had to hit the vet for anything more than shots. Jake said "Max may be stupid*, but he sure is careful!" How true.

Happy Halloween little monsters!




*he is. he doesn't care. he really really is. we love him more for it.

A few of my favourite things...

A friend* introduced me to this ice cream. The best ice cream in the world she said. You won't believe how good it is, how amazing. Everyone who eats this ice cream becomes smarter, funnier, better looking and loses 15 pounds. Ok,, maybe I made some of that last bit up. But it may have well as been that superfluous when she extolled the virtues of it.

She was right.

So damn right.

It really is the best ice cream I have ever eaten. Chris agrees. Even Jake liked it, and he isn't one for the sweets. So um, yeah. I love you ice cream. LOVE YOU.

 
Poster in my kitchen. I love this poster, this movie, this time of year, all of it. But mostly the poster and the movie.

Jake and my Dad. The picture is a year or 2 old (and my Mom took it) but they are such cheeky buggers the pair of them.

Pills! Yay!

Lolcats! Everyday. Yup, cats on the internets is one of my fave things.

I wish I had a pic of my knitting bitches but I don't. They are definitely 2 of my favourite things. Love my gals.

happy weekend!


*or is she a friend? DEVIL WOMAN!

Why do I smile at people I'd much rather kick in the eye?

Welcome to October!!!! Time for lovely walks through the drifting, crunching leaves. The smell of decay and cool winds. Hallowe'en (that's for you Christine) and candy, costumes, spooky pumpkins. Or there's this...

I would be lying if I said I hate this. I don't. I kinda like snow. Maybe not in the dead of winter when we get 30 cm in a day, but now? It's nice. It makes me want to cook soup and knit more frantically. With heaps of horror movies to watch, what more can a gal want? It lets me put off the haircut that Pickles needs, it encourages snuggling. All good things.

Also it hides dog turds in the back yard. Pickles is entranced with it, Every year it's like he forgets and has to rediscover it. Usually it scares him a little bit at first.

He keeps standing in it, pushing it with his nose a bit to see if it will move, stick or melt. Max? He sees it and looks at me like "really? ugh. ok, let's get this over with. help me down the stairs." Poor doggie.

I've been making some rings* in my frenzy to appear fashionable. They are easy peasy and very glam I must say. See?

Swanky huh? I've given a few away, and have been thinking of re-opening my etsy shop. We'll have to see. It's a little sick that I'm matching my polish to them. Wow.

Other things I love about fall? All the Halloween decor! Behold the mug of DOOM.

Every morning this makes me just that much happier. Which is a good thing as we are tinkering with my Fibro meds right now. I'm in some weird place that is somewhat unsettling (and I've had some shitty things happening that has nothing to do with anything but plumbing. Of the real kind in the house, not MY plumbing! Those in know, know how awful this has been. :/) but I have faith that I'll get these meds sorted eventually. I'm not sure if I'm sleepy or in pain or just restless sometimes and it does come out in a blather. But I have good friends and an amazing family to help me through this. I'm seriously the luckiest girl I know.

Wow... that got real serious there. Now to completely change the subject, here's Pickles with his stupid raccoon (racon for Jake) Rocky. He ripped a huge hole in his head and won't let me fix it. Such a true character.Or jerk. Take your pick.

Knit fast, Die Warm!



*not for you Sauron, Bugger off.

Sanitarium.. just leave me alone...

I need to buy some winter type foot wear. All I wear are sneakers. No heels, no sandals, no boots. Sneakers. Oh and I have one pair of ballet flats I am crazy mad, mental insane in love with. Not practical for winter right? I used to wear all different kinds of shoes, clogs, heels, platforms, boots you name it. I have gotten so super lazy with my fashion sense, I guess it doesn't help that I dress like a 14 year old skater. I get so excited when I find something that is remotely *fashionable that I wear the shit out of it. And it is usually a fluke, like finding a sweater in the lingerie dept that I don't even know where to start looking for *normal* clothes. I'd love to find something to cover my feet that aren't sneakers, but everything feels so not sneaker like that I get frustrated. The joys of being a perpetual skater kid.

I haven't been acting like normal lately. I was a monogamous knitter for the longest time. It set me apart from other knitters as I would be finishing stuff all the time. Since I have discovered the joy of multiple projects it's like a whole new world opened up. BUT, I had nothing to post for ages. The bonus? When I finish stuff it seems to be all at once now!

This was a test knit for a gal on Ravelry. Gorgeous pattern (be. leaf.) and scrumptious yarn. Can you ask for anything more?

I love that this shawl was used by a group on Ravelry as a Supernatural KAL. One of my favourite shows EVER. The pattern is Gabriel's Wings, so I can see how it was close enough to Castiel for them to pick it. Great pattern and I love these shawlettes for fall. Winding them about my neck makes everything instantly warmer.

This took me FOREVER to finish and was the reason I started to cheat on my knitting in the first place. It is a gorgeous pattern called Laodice that I bought. It's gorgeous and soft and easy but DAMN. Did it ever take ages to finish! Totally worth it in the end.

I have been knitting all these shawlette/scarves and actually wearing them. This is the most productive, actively used knitting I have ever done. Selfish knitting mostly. I did knit one of these and sent it off to a pal in LA. I don't know if ever gets cold enough there for them, but I love her dearly and thought she should see it done out into something tangible. Besos Rhian.


The dogs have been practicing their sychronised sleeping! Aren't they getting good? Poor Max is back into his sweaters for the season. I shaved him down, but he really need it. He was smelly and shaggy. poor old goat.

Listening to Metallica in the morning is awesome. Great vacuuming music!


*not a t-shirt/jeans/hoodie.

Ain't that some shit?

I hate plumbing problems. HATE THEM. I have no idea how it works, and they are always so damn expensive! I keep telling Jake to learn to be a plumber, it's a license to print money I say! So when our hot water in the kitchen shut off for good* we were borked! Blergh. Chris pokes around at the faucet for a few minutes and tells me to phone the plumber in the morning.

So I phone the plumber in the morning. The same guys who did our dishwasher rough in and install. Some Russian/Eastern Block dude comes over turns the faucet on and proclaims it's the cartridge and he can't repair it because it's an IKEA faucet and their parts aren't standard, and the faucet is a piece of garbage and we really should get a new one as IKEA blows goats yadda yadda. He tries to sell me a 700$ (I blurted out HOLY SHIT NO WAY when he told me the price. then I started laughing) super fancy faucet. When I politely declined he said we could get a pretty good one at say Home Depot and get them to install it. I'm pretty pissed off at this point (I like having hot water in the kitchen. call me weird) so I tell him I'll talk to my husband about it. He left and to be fair, didn't charge me anything for coming out so yay for that.

I call IKEA to see if I can buy a replacement part. The dude tells me they don't carry them, and has no idea where I can get one. I was REALLY pissed of at this point and I cussed out the dude and hung up. I called Chris at work to tell him the bad news. He came home and we were getting ready to go buy a new faucet when he said "Lemme try something first!" Alrighty then! So he pulls some stuff apart, gets a big pot out and puts it behind the faucet (ok, writing faucet out so many times makes it look like a non word now!) fiddles around, pulls out some stuff and turns on some water, uses come compressed air and BAM! The faucet is FIXED. Turns out there was a blockage in the tube from the shut off to the tap. HURRAY!!!! A hearty thanks to the (now almost) handy man, and a big poke in the eye with a sharp stick to the SO CALLED professional.

The weather here has been so grey and rainy, I hate it. I don't mind that cold, but the grey? YUCK. I still don't know how you all on the Island can take it. It bums me out. I suppose getting used to these new meds I'm taking for the Fibromyalgia isn't helping either. I feel a little fuzzy, and disconnected from myself a little. I miss my Mom and I worry about my Dad. I am just a bundle of happiness, unicorns, wizards, rainbows and puppies aren't I?

I'm also doing slightly out of character things too. Nothing weird, just doing 3 knitting projects at the same time. Something most knitters do, but I've always been a fairly monogamous knitter. Not anymore. At least not now. I'm test knitting an awesome shawl for a gal on Ravelry and it is turning out GORGEOUS. I love me some red Malabrigo lace! The downside is I don't have any pictures for you. Not yet anyways.

AND... since my husband was such a good sport about his Slanket picture I reckon turnabout is fair play. This is totally what I look like most evenings. With less feigned joy. I have everything I need in my little corner. Water with a straw**? Check! Knitting? Check! Incense burning? Check! Bathrobe? Check! Small Dog? Check! Some sort of snack (usually still yogurt.. holy hell food jag much??)? Check! 

And what have you been doing?










*we've been having this problem for months and months but it has always resolved itself in 5 min or so. UNTIL NOW
**OMG I LOVE STRAWS.