Stella, Ginger and Maud

Happy New Year everyone! I trust everyone had a good Christmas and that Santa Yarn was generous this year?

Here's to a happy, safe and prosperous 2012! I have only good vibes about this upcoming year. After all, 2011 won't be going down in the books as my most stellar year...2012 can only be better and brighter!!!

"Are we going to wish everyone a happy 2012?"

"Gandalf's in my spot."

"Yeah, well Malcolm's in mine."

"I'm just trying to exit gracefully...boys are such dweebs..."

"...they be hatin'..."

I actually made it to midnight this year. Probably because I had company.

Ms. Sasha!

And Little Miss Bella!

Mr. Gandalf was a rather ungracious host. Hissing at poor Bella...

"What? I can't come on too strong with Bella just yet."

Malcolm kind of growled at her, but when she'd get closer to investigate, he'd take off and hide. Mae was completely disinterested. Too many people, too many animals, and the girl needed her beauty sleep. Atticus couldn't have cared less, as long as the young whippersnapper didn't play with his tail, call him Mr. Poppin' Fresh (which Sasha's Dad did...hee hee), or otherwise be too loud and excitable.

So! As the title suggests, I have a few introductions to make!

(No. Not a kitten. Why do I always feel I have to include that statement? Oh right. My past history with homeless kittens.)

First of all, meet Stella!

Stella is my second hand "Leclerc Bergere" hybrid loom! Yay! I bought her second hand off of Kijiji. I've been wanting to learn how to weave for a long, long time now. I was actually looking for a second hand sewing machine when I came across Stella. It's missing one or two accessories - nothing too costly - but all of the main parts are there. The woman who owned it before tweaked the original Bergere loom to suit her needs, but it works perfectly. It suits my needs - I'm not going to be weaving reproductions of 12th century tapestries after all.

I now understand and better appreciate anyone who takes up knitting or any other craft, and how daunting it must be when faced with a slew of new terms, charts and equipment. I did pick up a good book on learning to weave, and just reading the section on loom terms gave me a headache. I haven't been able to sit down and put some of the basics into practice yet (like threading the warp...don't ask), but now that the holidays are over, I should be able to soon! I'm so excited!

And meet Ginger!

Ginger is my new cane! Sad? NO! It's actually making my life much easier. My right hip/groin/lower back area were always aching because of my limping and hobbling. Using the cane has pretty much eliminated those pains, and my right arthritic knee isn't as sore by the end of the day. I found out from the Orthopedic Surgeon that most of that secondary pain is due to my leg not being able to straighten out properly because of the arthritis in the knee. In effect, my whole right side is shorter than the left. Limping made it worse. I never realized that my leg no longer straightened out while standing to the same degree as my left one until he explained it to me.

I'm guessing this was clincher in his decision to perform TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERY ON MY RIGHT KNEE!!!! (Yes, I'm yelling! Because this makes me so happy!!!!!) Finally. Some GOOD news. I saw him just before Christmas. My x-rays showed more growths and that my knee cap was just floating in a mass of messy ick, and that it had shifted over to the left and had somehow managed to turn itself almost completely on its side. Fun!

Can you tell how happy this makes me?!! Sure. They're going to saw my bones apart, stuff screws and glue in my leg bones, leave me with an 8" scar, and I'll be using a walker/crutches/then a cane for weeks afterwards, but I don't care! I'm just so stoked at the prospect of being pain-free, and getting my mobility (and life) back. It was the perfect Christmas present.

As for the when, I don't know yet. The office is closed until later this week, so I should find out soon. I'm also going to put myself on the cancellation list, so if someone cancels their surgery, I could get in sooner.

*wiping away tears of joy*

With all of these going-ons of late, I'm amazed I've been able to concentrate long enough to knit anything! But, since finding out that I will be having the surgery, a big weight has been lifted off of my shoulders, and I'm finding that my ability to focus has returned.

Meet Maud!

Maud is one of the newest designs offered by my beloved Virtual Yarns. I've started the cowl, and once that has been completed, I'll move on to the gloves. Which should be interesting for a few reasons:

1. Although I've knit quite a few pairs of mittens in my time, I've never knit gloves.
2. Gloves + Canadian Winter = Stupid
3. ((((2 colours + small DP needles) x 5 per glove) + (Brigitte + low patience)) x 4 curious cats) x 2 = Should be really interesting...

Maybe I'll just move on to the hat once the cowl's been completed.

That I get any knitting done some days is pretty amazing. Good thing I have another comfortable chair in the living room...

Winthrop and Bella

Malcolm sure does love his box.

Dozens of soft, comfy places around the apartment, yet he gravitates towards his Grocery Gateway delivery box, that sits on a hard table. I tried putting in a liner from one of the cat beds? He was having none of it, and was seriously offended. I removed it, and he resumed napping in his happy place.

I knit precious little over the summer. As you can well imagine. Most of what I did consisted of small, mindless projects. To be honest with you, I don't think anything I may have started during that time survived the wrecking ball. Either too ambitious, or not ambitious enough... Everything was in fits and starts.

I'd decided to do a little yarn stash re-org, which was very therapeutic. I thrive on organizing, reorganizing, and making things look organized. I'm weird that way. I figure it's a bit like Christmas, rediscovering yarn you'd forgotten about, and neglected projects you'd hidden away. A few of those neglected projects found their way back into my WIP bin. I was quickly reminded why I'd hidden them away in the first place. *sigh*

One of the forgotten yarn stashes I'd found was a bunch of "Felted Tweed Aran" from Rowan. Nice stuff - soft enough, good colours, and just enough of a wool content to keep my inner yarn snob satisfied. Of course - no clue why I'd purchased it in the first place. May have even been a gift, who knows?

So, I made this!

Cute, huh?! A pretty simple and easy knit, it's call "Winthrop". Interesting construction, knit in one piece from the bottom up. The sleeves are knit separately, then attached as you reach the underarm. From there, decreases are made at regular intervals by simple k2tog's until you reach the neckline. It makes a lovely A-line, swing jacket that fits very nicely! The neckline's a bit large for my liking, so I'll be adding a button or two up top to keep it from riding down my shoulders. It was a quick knit, I think I'd whipped it up in a couple weeks, give or take.

But that Felted Tweed Aran? One slippery yarn, let me tell you. Probably because of all of the (*gasp*!) viscose in it. Oh. And the other, uh, issue I have with this yarn? The 25-freakin' % angora. God love the little bunnies, but man oh man - never will I use a yarn with angora in it again, unless it's a yarn that has pictures of angora bunnies hopping around on the label. Sheds ridiculously.

But yay for a finished piece of knitting!

It's been exciting these past few weeks! Sasha, my neighbour Brian's dog, has a new baby sister!

Her name is Bella.

"Hi Bella, well aren't you just the cutest little ki..."

"STRANGER DANGER!! STRANGER DANGER!!"

"No Bella, I'm your Auntie Brigitte!"

"I need an adult!"

"Don't mind her, she's a bit...um...high-strung. And slow. No Bella, this is our Auntie Brigitte! She comes over in the evenings when Dad's at work to let me outside."


"Really?"

"Yes, really. Now say hello, and be nice."



"OK, Sasha. Hi Nice Lady! Don't mind the mess around here, Daddy's renovating!"



"Much better Bella. Now, Auntie Brigitte and I are going outside for a bit."



"You don't want to use my box, Sasha?"

"No. No...I'm good, kid."

"She's right behind me, isn't she? Going after my tail? Can we go now?"



"...eeeeeeeeheehee...!"

Now that she's used to me, she's a little cuddle-muffin, that Bella. She'll run up to the door when I come down in the evenings, and purr like a machine. She's so cute! And she'll

"Hey! Remember us?? HEY!! Mom! MOM! Dammit... Hey Brigitte!!"

Sasha, who had a few litters of puppies at a puppy-mill before being rescued, is very patient and gentle with Bella. And Bella? She sure loves her some Sasha! Sleeps with her, follows her around, plays with her tail. And Sasha just lets her. Once she gets tired of it, she'll put her in her place, much like she would have with her puppies. It's really something to see.

"I for one would like to meet this Bella. She sounds cute."

"You're not helping, Gandalf!"

"So, can I come up and hang out with you and the dudes for awhile, Auntie Brigitte? You know...at least until Bella's finished running around and falls asleep?"

I have some major cleaning to do today. Brian ripped out some walls yesterday, and I now have a fine layer of dust in my kitchen and living room. Ugh. Time to bring out Mr. Scary (the vacuum), and Mrs. Less-Scary-But-Not-By-Much (the steam mop). The guys are gonna love that.

Have a great Sunday everyone!

What Do Lawyers, Seizures, and Streakers Have in Common?

They've all been part of my summer so far.

"Do you think they missed us?"

WOW. Where to start?

Lawyers. Or, lawyer, to be precise.

Here's a rundown of what's been going on. I think most of you are aware of the condition of my right knee - extensive arthritis, and needing a knee replacement. Sometime in late April, I went to my doctor for my yearly checkup, and she was a tad concerned. My blood pressure was very high, I was in a lot of pain, I'd gained a lot of weight from the previous year; really, I wasn't doing too well. I had just started going into the office 3 days a week per my manager's request, and it was taking a toll on me (normally I work full-time at home). Because of the location of my arthritis, I have a hard time sitting for any length of time with my knee bent. So, the simple act of sitting on the streetcar to go into the office was difficult. Then add in sitting at a desk with my knee bent (I have a pretty sweet setup here at home to elevate my knee), coming home on the streetcar, and then having to do it all over again the next day? It wasn't long before I was exhausted, in constant pain, and stressed beyond normal limits.

So, my doctor sent me home, armed with a prescription for Naproxen (an anti-inflammatory), a referral for physiotherapy and a strict warning about my blood pressure.

"Should we wake him up and tell him he looks like an upside down pineapple cake lying like that? And that Mom's taking his picture??"

"Shhh Mae! Why?"

I booked my first appointment for physiotherapy, and started taking the Naproxen (an anti-inflammatory) to help with my arthritis pain. And I still continued going into the office downtown 3 days a week. And finding it very hard.

At what point did this all go down the toilet? Around this time. I developed an allergy to the Naproxen, leaving me with no form of pain control for my arthritis. I'd started the physio (which was a good thing), but found it very hard coupled with work. So I made the decision to take a Short Term Disability leave of absence from work. That way I could concentrate on my health for a bit, and try to at least learn how to better live with my arthritis through the physio. Doing both (work and physio) was almost counter-productive.

To say my manager was none too pleased about me going off for 4 months is an understatement. Once he'd found out, he made it his mission in life to make my life miserable. In the space of 5 days, he made things so difficult for me that I had to go on my short-term disability 2 weeks early.

I was a mess.

Things didn't go quite as planned with the short-term disability; I'll spare you the details. Once I'd decided to come back, I figured I'd be able to at least return back to the way things were - working full-time at home. I would not be able to continue physiotherapy, but at least working at home would save me from the pain of having to commute. I could still do some physio exercises at home. But, my manager had other ideas.

He decided that nope, he would not honour my Teleworking Agreement. He still insisted that once I returned to work, I should come into the office 3 days a week. I reached out to our Human Resources department to have them intervene and help out with this, but. They were no help at all. Despite knowing my history, and the fact I had a signed agreement to work at home, they still sided with my manager. I felt backed into a corner. How could I possibly go back to working downtown for 3 days a week, when doing so previously made me sicker than ever?? I would not be able to work at that pace, and I'd probably end up having to quit. I had no one on my side.

So, I hired someone. I decided to engage a lawyer. I explained the situation, and that I felt I was being forced out of a job because I had a disability. And he agreed. For once, I didn't feel like an idiot, wondering if it was just me who was feeling as though I was being singled out, or even if I was overblowing the whole situation. Not only was he on my side, so was the law.

I do have to mention one thing here. Did my manager do everything he could to wield his over-blown sense of power over me, and make my life miserable? Well. I couldn't help but wonder why, of the 4 or so other Teleworkers that report to him, he chose to single me out for this treatment. I was the only one who had a medical reason for teleworking. I do believe he relished kicking me when I was down. I guess he never expected me to kick back.

I have to skip through the details, but what I can say is that my company will need to agree to terms of my employment severance, or we will commence litigation in the courts against them.

To say it's been a difficult summer for me... I'm constantly stressed, I had to quit physiotherapy, I'm not sleeping well, and I'm broke. And I cannot wrap my head around how a loyal employee of 18 years with an excellent work record can be so backed into a corner and forced out of her job by a new manager who'd not even been with the company 5 minutes. How does that happen? I still can't fully grasp that one. Call me naive. But I really thought loyalty counted for something.

"I for one love that Mom's here ALL THE TIME!! (Oh, and am I pretty, or what?!)"

All I can do is take it one day at a time. Some days are good, others not so much. I still wonder at how things can go from bad, to worse, to the shit-pile (pardon my french) in such a short period of time. I'm fortunate to have good friends who are there for me, help however they can, and listen to me yammer on about the good, and the bad. And that will help see me through this, right to the end and after. The end is in site - the deadline for my company's final offer is this week. If they miss the deadline, or if it's not acceptable, then we proceed with litigation.

Oy. My head hurts.

And as if that weren't enough stress and drama.

A month or so ago, I was in the kitchen when I heard someone heaving in the living room. I went to have a look at who it was, and thought - I'll let them finish, then clean up the inevitable mess. It was Gandalf. I went back into the kitchen, and heard a bang as he somehow rammed himself into the bathroom door (scaring the bejeesus out of poor Malcolm). Just as I went over to see what was going on, he got up, stumbled a few feet, and fell onto his side.

He then lay there for at least 30 seconds - his head bobbing, his legs flopping around, and drooling. Before I could react, he got up, and somehow managed to make his way through the kitchen, to the back door. I say "somehow" because he could barely walk - his back legs were giving out, and he was wobbly. Once there, he plopped down next to the door, drooling and hissing and growling.

Gandalf. Growling.

I knew something was seriously wrong. I had to close the kitchen door leading to the back door entrance; I was afraid he'd lash out at one of the Mr. Curious' that were hanging around, or me. I checked on him every minute or so, and each time I did he'd hiss and growl, and he was still puffed up and drooling. This went on for about 10 minutes. I was about to look up what to do in this situation when I peeked in again, and saw a perfectly normal, laid back Gandalf, looking a me and meowing. I cleaned him up, gave him a drink of water, and he went on his merry way as though nothing had just happened.

I spoke to the Emergency Veterinary Clinic (this happened on Sunday), and they told me that it sounded like Gandalf had had a seizure. I took him to see his vet the next week, and she said the same thing. Without further testing (which I couldn't afford due to this whole legal mess with my workplace), she couldn't tell if there was anything physically causing the epilepsy. They did take blood and urine (he LOVED that, let me tell you), both of which came back normal, and her physical exam didn't reveal anything. If he should have another grand mal episode, to just let him be, keep the other guys away from him, and monitor him afterwards. Fortunately, there hasn't been another one.

Gandalf is the most laid-back and loving of all the guys. And to see this happen to him was heart-breaking and very scary. Poor little man...

"My brain misfired."

"...there's an understatement..."

"What was that, Atticus?"

"Nothin', nothin'. Just saying that yeah, it was your brain. Overloaded. Like Malcolm gets when he sees too many squirrels at once outside the window."

"No! It wasn't like that! Malcolm's a weenie. I am NOT a weenie. I have a condition. So you must be nice to me at all times. Or I'll tell Mom."

"Uh huh. I see your mouth move but I'll I'm hearing is wah wah wah. Let me sleep."

"I am not a weenie! MOM!!"

Enough with the drama! All I want is a calm, peaceful day without the burden of the looming possibility of a long, drawn out court case, or worrying about not having any money coming in, or sick cats, or the ever-present pain of arthritis, and the lying awake at night thinking about my future. How 18 years with a company has been flushed down the toilet.

I would say to myself - you know, things could be much worse. And there are people who have to deal with a day to day reality that sucks even more than yours does right now. But you know what? This is my reality. And it's the only one I have to deal with. And it does suck.

Let me end on a lighter note.

A couple of weeks ago, I went out onto my deck to check on my laundry drying, when I heard a bit of shouting in the distance. I looked over, just in time to see a guy running through our backyard - naked. I watched as he sprinted across the yard, hop the fence to my neighbour's backyard, run through theirs, hop the next fence, and so on. My neighbour Rhonda, who had just come home from work, was standing by her car with the same confused look on her face that I must have had. (She would have been about 2 minutes away from letting Leika, their German Shepherd, outside. Had she been in the yard, it would have been game over for this guy. In so.many.ways.). I went down to ask her if she'd just seen what I'd seen, and as we were talking, 2 police officers and a man came running up the drive asking if we'd seen the naked runner. We pointed them off in his direction.

We later heard what had happened. Apparently, this guy broke into his girlfriend's house, to uh, wait for her to come home. Only the father came home first. They eventually caught up with him an hour or so later.

Whoops. Now there's someone you want to bring home to meet Mom and Dad.

Believe me when I tell you that this summer? Less than stellar for me.

Before I go, I'd like to introduce you to someone.

This is Minou (which is french for "Kitty"). She's my neighbour Diane's cat (Diane moved into my old apartment). Minou, an indoor cat, had the bad habit of bolting out the door every time it opened, and roaming the backyard. She'd put up such a fuss about wanting to be outside (she has the cutest little mew!), that Diane decided to buy her a little harness, and a leash.

And she's as happy as a clam. She's so funny, batting at the bugs, sniffing everything, and whacking Sasha on the nose if she gets to close.

I try to imagine trying to put any of my guys in a harness and on a leash. I doubt it would end well for me. They're content to be out on the deck with me when I brush them, and that's about it.

So my friends, there you have it. A long post explaining what I did with my summer vacation. I've learned that I'm much more resilient and stronger than I ever thought I was. And that counts for something.

Unfortunately, my knitting has taken a bit of a hit during all of this. My concentration has been lacking, and I haven't managed as much as you'd think. But! There are things to show, and I will get back to showing it off next time around.

In the meantime - thanks for reading!

So It's Really Been Awhile...Whoops

I really had no intention of letting my blogging go for as long as I have.

What can I say? I've been having a tough time focusing lately. There's been a lot on my plate, and a lot I've had to deal with. Sometimes I find myself a bit overwhelmed by it all, and I shut down. Which means to say I keep to myself, mopping and being unproductive and anti-social. Probably not the best way of dealing with things, but it doesn't happen often. It's not a state of depression, it's more that my brain can't cope with the overload, and decides that instead of playing 52-pickup, it's going to just work it out in time. Like unraveling a tangled skein of yarn.

I think what triggered it was my visit to an Orthopedic Surgeon in late January. I have developed extensive inflammatory osteoarthritis in my knees, and it's particularly bad in my right one. So bad in fact I need to have knee replacement surgery. The surgeon was very surprised to see such extensive wear and tear on someone as young as I am. But there are 2 problems.

Firstly - because I'm only 42, they're reluctant to perform the surgery. I'm too young, and the replacement joint will only wear out and need replacing in x-amount of years. OK. So, how bad does it have to be before my age is no longer an issue, I asked.

"So bad that your quality of life is impacted to the point you have difficulty or cannot perform everyday tasks."

REALLY??? And right now, my life is so hoppin' that I can barely keep up??? I left, shaking my head thinking - wow, this is nuts. I face not being able to do the things I love to do in the summer - long walks, cycling - because as it is now, I'm not in enough pain to justify surgery??

I have to say, that did not make me happy. Enter brain, not being able to wrap itself around this.

And secondly? All that doesn't matter because of my polycythemia. The lovely bone marrow disorder I have that wreaks havoc on everything. Because I'm at an increased risk of hemorrhage, and my hematocrit is too high, I'm not a candidate for surgery anyway.


Win-win.

Brain mush.

So, needless to say, this put me in somewhat of a funk. I absolutely hated the feeling of having no control over my life. It just didn't make any sense to me. Yes, it could be a lot worse. But for the first time in my life, that thought meant nothing to me.

"Mom was bummed."

But, little by little I worked it out as best I could. Enter my GP doctor to the rescue. She's sending me to a sports medicine clinic, and to physiotherapy. At least I can try and get some mobility. At least I'm doing something. The damage to my knee is irreversible, but I can at least try to make it easier to live with.

And, to help my health along - I did do something good! (See? It's not all bad!)

Lookie!

Wow Brigitte, fruits and vegetables?

No sillies! They're the raw ingredients for my new toy.

My Omega Juicer, the Cadillac of juicers. Mmmm...green juice...

I was having a hard time with my appetite, and as a result, I wasn't eating properly. Some days, my stomach wants nothing to do with solid food. So, I scraped together my pennies, and bought this lovely model. And it is without a doubt some of the best money I've ever spent (next to yarn, of course). It's quick, quiet, and easy to clean. And - it gives me the nutrients I need.

This morning? I had an apple, pear, carrot, swiss chard, collard greens and parsley cocktail.

Mmmmm...appetizing green juice...

It may not look all that appealing, but trust me - once you've tried it, you'll love the difference it makes.

And that's a good thing!

So, did I knit while I was contemplating the meaning of life these last few months? I made some hats for my neighbours who both work for Canada Post. And I plugged away on Fulmar (I know! Can you believe it??!), socks, and other stuff that got started and then frogged. Lots of that stuff... And I made this too -

Oooo, pretty lace scarf! It's a pattern from Fiddlesticks Knitting, one of the 3 Necks-to-You designs. I used 2 balls of Fiddlesticks Knitting Silken Merino in Twilight.

And something else as well, which I'll show you next time.

Good things always come in the mail.

Meet Mavis the Monster, knit just for me by the wonderful Michele. She's a hit with the Little Dudes, although I think they're running her ragged.

"So anyway, I was all - you do that Gandalf and I'm gonna tell Mom! - and he just turned his back on me! ME! It kinda made me sad that he'd diss me that way, but being that I have hopes of one day being a Manly Dude like Atticus, I didn't let my emotions show. But it's hard you know. Is it OK for a boy kitty to cry? Mavis? Are you listening to me?"

"Oh yeah...the ladies always come over to Gan... Whoa, getting a little fresh there, Mavis."

"Let me tell you, it's sooo nice having another girl around here. We can gossip and play with Mom's makeup, and do each other's hair, and...hey, I hope you're not my friend just 'cause of my brothers!"

"Wow Mavis, I'm flattered! It's been awhile since a young lady has asked me out on a date. So...do we hold hands? I think I should ask my Mom first though."

Thanks for listening everyone. And rest assured I'm dealing with things now. Not to say I won't have my funky days, but I now believe that in time, it will get better, and things will work themselves out.

So It's Been Awhile...

And I'll be back soon!

Promise.

Just working some stuff out.

I would have posted today, but I learned this morning that you need batteries in the camera in order to upload the contents to your computer.

Who knew?

On Saying No

Happy Day After Christmas! Did everyone have a good holiday? I did, spending it with my neighbour Brian, his Mom, her dog Rainey, and of course, Sasha.

"Really Sasha."

"Oh, look at this. Honest Atticus, I didn't mean to do it! I just get so relaxed and comfortable here..."

She loves coming over, and the guys are getting used to her being around. Although they draw the line at her scarfing back their food.

It was a good time yesterday. We watched movies ("Red", and "Hot Tub Time-Machine", which despite the name was a very funny movie and a great blast from the past for those of us who were in high school in the '80's), played board games, and ate a lot. Brian deep-fried the turkey, which - gross as it may sound - was outstanding. It took 45 minutes (yes, you read that right) to cook an 9lbs turkey. The scalloped potatoes took longer. Deep-frying the turkey leaves it moist on the inside, and as long as you're not eating the skin, it's not greasy at all. I was so.good. So yeah, I didn't say no to seconds.

I donate monthly to the Toronto Humane Society. Every year around this time, they send me a little package, asking for donations, or to increase my monthly donation amount.

Now, I ask you. If you received this envelope in the mail, as I did, would you not increase your monthly donation amount? The only surprise here is that I didn't sign away my entire paycheck. The THS sure know how to make the most of their marketing dollars. Again I fail at saying no.

Who else has issues with "no"?

"What? 17.8lbs? No, that's not right! I mean, I can't be...really? 17.8lbs?? That's just me on a bad day! Retaining water or something. I mean, c'mon. It's not that I...really? 17.8lbs. Huh."

Yup. Little wee baby Malcolm is now a whopping 17.8lbs. I about fell over at the vet's office when she told me the weight. It's not easy putting one of four cats on a "diet", so I'm trying to do it in such a way that I reduce the amount they're eating, without compromising the weight of the others. Although Atticus could stand to lose a pound or two.

"I beg to differ."

They all get a mix of the old food and the low-calorie one, and a bit less of it too. Some days it's gobbled up, other days they leave some in their dish. So, little by little, I suppose. Unlike Atticus, Malcolm doesn't get crabby when you mess with his food. He may be a bit of drama-queen, but he's pretty easy going.

But. The most monumental example of not being able to say "no" of the last couple of weeks?

No. I didn't get another cat.

No. I didn't get another job.

No. I didn't start spinning (unlike another knitter, who I shall just call Labrain...)

Instead. I decided to swap apartments! AGAIN!

I KNOW!

Yay me!

Yes, that's right. I'm moving, well, swapping apartments really (sounds so much less work), within the next week. This time, it's the upper apartment of the other section of the house. It's an add-on to the original farmhouse which I live in now (which was built in 1892), and was built around 1912. It'll be my second time living in that apartment - I was there from 2003 until late 2005, before I moved into the apartment directly upstairs from where I am now.

Confused?! Don't worry chickens. I am too...

See, here's why. Firstly - it's $100 cheaper a month. Secondly - I loved that apartment while I was there. Of the 3 out of 4 units I've lived in here, it is my favourite. I moved out because of the renovations. Which brings me to the third reason - new bathroom, new kitchen, new mud room leading out to the deck, which is also new. There was no deck when I lived there. And the bathtub? The original, old claw-foot bathtub with one of those nifty rain shower heads. I'm actually not sure what enticed me more - the cheaper rent, or the bathtub.

It has the same square footage as this one does, however the layout of the rooms is different. Here, my office is smaller than my bedroom, at the new place it's the reverse. I don't need such a large bedroom, however I do need a larger office/stash room.

So, have I started packing yet? Not so much as a shred of paper. I have the next couple of weeks to move in slowly, and if I've learned anything from my past 3 apartment swaps, it's that I don't need to pack everything up. And even what will end up going in boxes will not need to be wrapped and ready to go. I want to be in there by next weekend. Mainly because my main moving help will either be away the week after (Brian), or back in school (neighbour James).

As happy as I am, the guys could care less.

These two lumps have lived in that apartment before.

"You like this moving thing, don't you? I guess this way we'll be able to find all of those missing crinkly balls Auntie Chris brought us last year when she came for a visit."

I'm bracing myself - as I move stuff out of here, I'm sure to find not only the missing crinkly balls, but also a quantity of pooplets that Malcolm has batted in spots I wouldn't have suspected.

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

After 6 months or so of me thinking he'd grown out of that most annoying of habits, he has started up with digging pooplets out of the litter box again, and playing with them like it's the World Cup.

I'll have a lot of help so that I don't wear myself down. Wish me luck! And next time around, I'll post some pictures of the new digs, and let you see for yourself why I just love that apartment.

Oh! And knitting too!

Always Learning Something New

"Um, yeah hi. Uh, is this where the Crazy Cat Lady lives? I was uh, talking to Mimi? Anyway, she said I could come here and crash, maybe get some grub..."

"What?? NO! Go.Away. You can't just show up here like that. Crazy Cat Lady, pffft. She's no Lady! She's Mom. Shoo!"

You know, at first I thought that was Mae outside the door. And later on that day? I came pretty close to getting another picture of a handsome tuxedo cat sniffing at the door. It would seem word has gotten out - here be the neighbourhood kitty flop house! LOL. I guess...

It's been a few weeks of new things around here!

A new desk! Well, I actually bought it from my neighbours next door. And I LOVE it. It's got all sorts of neat nooks and crannies to organize things, and it takes up a lot less room. I also get to indulge in another secret love - reorganizing stuff! It's like unpacking after a move, without the move! Yes! I'm weird!!

The other new tidbit I learned? Well, I wouldn't call it a tidbit, because I was so fascinated. See that lavender blob on the desk? It was the start of an outdoor coat I was making - "Tenley", from the latest issue of the Twist Collective. The awesome neato of this pattern? It uses tubular cast on for the ribbing.

Which has to be the coolest cast on. Ever.

I was so enthralled by the process and the seamless results, that even though I ended up frogging it (only because I wasn't too keen on the stitch pattern), I had to photograph it. Only the picture came out blurry, so I'll have to work on getting another.

Regardless. Yeah, it takes a bit longer to do. But it is worth it! Amazing, beautiful results, and well worth the effort.

Who are these people who figure these things out?! Well, who ever did? Really, really awesome job.

What else is new - Atticus?

"Hi, I'm Atticus. I'm a Gemini, and I'm 12 years old. I'm big-boned, not fat; and my likes are long walks to the litter box, curry and tandoori."

And Mae? How about you?

"Hi, I'm Mae. I'm an Aries, and I'm 11 years old. I snore and act out in my sleep; my likes are yogourt and pulling tablecloths off of tables."

Gandalf?

"Hi, I'm Gandalf. I'm a Taurus, and I'm 4 years old. I'm a lover, not a fighter, baby. My likes are kisses and and my Snuggi Bear."

"Oh, and I'm also king. But you knew that already. Again - I'm big-boned, not fat."

He's a mellow man now, our Gandalf. Not the hellion he once was.

What about you Malcolm? What new stuff can we learn about you?

"Hi, I'm Malcolm. I'm a Leo, and I'm 1 year old! I'm awfully cute; and my likes are my Mom, eating and jumping really high in the air for no reason. Oh! And I'm a drama queen."

See? Something new all the time!

"Yeah, forget it. You guys are weird. One of you eats tandoori BBQ, and another one is probably gonna paw me in my sleep and get fresh. I'll take my chances out here. Man, that Mimi is such a liar..."

And next time?! Something else new that I couldn't really properly photograph, but that will be shown off... Ooooo, mysterious...