Birthdays are NOT Christmas

So it is the kid's birthday and we have warned him that there was a big present coming, but it would be like a month late, because of contracts and whatnot. We also are spending the day at Legoland. Now I get that living with an Aspie, means we hit some milestones a bit out of sync, but OMG! I think we hit like somewhere between 4-6 on the I'm getting presents emotional scale. Christmas was the one morning of the whole year he would sleep in when he was in preschool.

Some how part of the family thinks the birthday morning should commence with cards and presents, so the kid apparently decides this is the morning to awaken at 3:30AM. By a little after 4 he is dressed and creeping into our room to see if and when we will be joining him. He wakes up the dog, and me, but is sent back to bed. ...And he's back a half an hour later, which is when I tell him I don't want to see you again until 6.

Meanwhile all of this to-ing and fro-ing has the dog up, she's been out and back in again. She is wondering when her breakfast will be coming along, but her preliminary bed checks do not show the alphas up and about, so she decided to play with her green ball which has rolled under the dresser. So there is Y snoring, her nose is whistling a bit from allergies and every third breath is a Marge Simpson like whine/groan/whimper. Finally I surrender to the noisy dog and retrieve one green ball, and enough Clumber hair to make a puppy out from under the dresser. And head off to the kitchen to grieve over the lost sleep with some Trader Joe's Lemon Bars that are surprisingly good. Then another failed attempt to go back to bed.

But wait...there is a thud, I go to investigate, and as I open the bedroom door there is the kid...again. "It was almost 6 so I thought I'd check." We march into the kitchen. "Tell me what time it is?", I say.

"Oh...uh...5:20."
"Is that anywhere near 6?"
"Oh"
"We have a long day ahead of us. You need more than 6 hours of sleep. I definitely need more than 4! Go back to bed"

5:55 guess who is back. Y and I have started sniping at each other out of sleep deprivation. So we surrender. Fine open your presents, we don't care anymore. "Are they in the garage?" "What?!?" "Oh I know. Your closet" "Huh?!?" "No, no one hid your presents. They aren't in our room go find them", but we're staying here, because we can't believe how this morning is going down. When did birthdays get confused with Christmas (up at 3:30) and Easter (we're hiding things in the garage?!?)?

Eventually he finds them, because why would anybody ever look on the dining room table. The video game from Grandma E gets the Spongebob choir of angels noise. But he is also very pleased with the book of outdoor games that accompanies it. Then he tears back in to show us the t-shirt from Jinx.com. Some other presents were diverted, or are happening over the weekend, but he really liked everything even the clothes which can't always count on with the tweens. He didn't mind that there were only three things to open. But boy howdy...Christmas better not be like this.

Knitting Momentum Established

Yesterday morning I had a number of appointments, so I brought my other knitting book along and figured out the other casting on technique. One practice run and one proper cast on later, I had a foundation for the back of sweater one. This nicely set up the evening trip with the kid to observe a Tae Kwon Do class. I actually got some inches knit, I finally got past the first 4 rows of garter trim. Huzzah! The Tour de France is in the mountains, so there is five hours of coverage to knit along with.

Weekend Knitting a Bust

So the plan to knit to Monterey and back was a bust. I knitted the first 4-5 rows of the back about half a dozen times. One time I broke it while trying to loosen up the cast on. A couple of times I found a stitch had gotten away about half way back from where I stopped to check. So I'm going to use a different cast on, which I have used before, but need to look up to jog my memory how to do it. I'm hoping it will provide a bit more stretch that cotton chenille is not.

Deadline Project

The gage drama seems to have settled down. I think going up one needle size and trying to keep the stitches loose will do the trick.

There is a baby boom-let among my friends at the moment, but we're getting to that "it better happen now, if its gonna happen" age. Both babies are due the last week of September/first week of October that is the deadline. Added bonus that should have projects wrapping up about a month into the fall semester, which is when I will probably need to be buckling down.

The first sweater is a little cardigan in a 3 month size with a matching hat. October birthdays in Oregon means sweater weather right away. The car ride to and from Monterey will hopefully be very productive.

Nostalgia Tour 2009

We haven’t been to Monterey in a really long time. I think it was August 1993 for me, Y left later. It’s where we met, dated, got engaged; by the time we got married, he was in his last few months here. So 16 years later and one high school reunion invitation later here we are. He went to high school nearby. Many favorite things have change, some ironically, a few have not (Yay!).

So the reunion committee arranged a group rate for the out of town guests at the Portola Hotel and Spa. It was a good deal for summer in Monterey, seemed nice enough, well located in general and definitely for stumbling home drunk from the luau that was planned (planned luau, not planned drunk walk, but keeping my options open). We arrive and lo and behold we are staying at the Doubletree, although it is no longer the Doubletree. This was the scene of some of Y’s pre-dating stalking (and I mean that humorously). There was a bit of a campaign by Y and his friends to get me to date him to include rearrange name cards at banquet tables at a Ball! So of all the nice places to stay, we’re back at the Doubletree. It is kind of funny and sweet, but also a bit noisy we’re over the plaza. I suspect we might need to poke into The Clement, Spindrift Inn, Hotel Pacific and there might be one other for next time. And if this goes well I hear we’ll be back for the next one in two years (23rd year reunion, bah).

Random Purchase aka Cute Impractical Shoes

So it was power shopping week (see previous posts), and it was fairly discipline; only things to complete an outfit or for a particular event with a bonus for versatility. But I had a moment of weakness once I got to the shoe store.




So cute and yet unexpected for me. Normal and dress for me usually involves a kitten heel and a pointy toe, probably kind of delicate. I never buy shoes this tall, but for sheer cuteness I tried them on and they were comfy too. I ended up with very tall rounded toe slightly chunky mary janes in a rich yummy shade of red. I can barely wait for weather cold enough for pants, good for Monterey, then no more red shoes 'til nearly December. However that is why I bought two nicer pairs of flip flops.

Event Fashion Quest Mission #1 Continued

Introducing the replacement dress. The longer skirt will allow hiding insulating layers if necessary, I have a little black cardigan to go over top. I will be prepared to bust out the fashion roots. Fashion+Fleece usually an epic fail, but we are talking about the beach.

Plaid Sneaker Funeral

Obviously I love my plaid sneakers...however, a number of my favorites have broken down or are just getting too old to wear anymore. The pink and green Keds had the heel cup blow out, actually the polka dot Converse are in similar shape. I've been trying to keep the foundation sneakers of the collection going, but gently. The laces are broken, the fabric has splits in it near the souls, but they are still so comfy. Unfortunately, the kid needed closed toed shoes for fireworks on the beach for the 4th of July. He had to borrow my favorite original plaid sneaks. I think we may have to hold services. I will miss them.

The king is dead! Long live the king!!





Introducing the new plaid sneakers...

TdF Knitting Challenge Update

I finished the back of Y's sweater and the new yarn for the other projects has arrived. Now I am in gage hell. I'm looking for 4 stitches/1" and getting more. So now I'm playing with needle sizes, but aaarrrgh. Hopefully I'll have sorted by Friday morning, for the big drive that is quality knitting time. In fact, I should be knitting right now, not blogging. Off I go.

Event Fashion Quest Mission #1

So I'm going to break up the Tour de France Knitting Challenge with this summer's Fashion Quest. There are a number of events coming up, most immediately Y's High School reunion. They are the kind of events that require shopping; fashion requirements beyond my usual hang out with the kid and dog, around the house or school wardrobe. So on a mad morning mission I headed to the mall, well a mall, the local mall is rarely helpful. The assignment was a sundress appropriate for a luau on the bay front/beach in Monterey at night. So cocktail/party dress would be too fancy. It needs to be travel friendly, laundry friendly, sand will not be unexpected.

So this is what I found...it looks much better on. Then I came home and checked the weather for the weekend. I knew it would be cooler, I wasn't expecting a high in the upper 60s. I can use this for other things coming up this summer, but do I need to come up with more than a sweater? Am I just gonna freeze to death? The lows are expected in the mid-50's. We've been in the 100-ish territory so long I am having a hard time conceptualizing packing summer clothes for 50s and 60s.

Ironical Compliments

In yet another attempt to finish up my bachelor degree, I picked up a summer school class. Everytime I re-enroll in school they seem to have added yet another writing class. I attended a reasonable to above average public high school. I could write when I got there, not that I haven't learned things, but it is getting ridiculous. There is the added charm of writing being something I don't really enjoy, which is different than not being good at it. As a kid I HATED writing, in all that those capital imply. Even now, I don't write often. I've never been a journal keeper, although at times, it has seemed a good idea. Dabbling in blogger-dom is as close as I've come.

My writing was so conflicted in high school my teacher's made up grading systems just for me. I would get one (good) grade for content, or critical thinking...whatever you want to call it. I would get a separate (mediocre) grade for grammar and mechanics. Eventually Annie Kleinsasser (english teacher extraordinaire) fixed me, but it was rough going there for awhile. To this day I am a lousy proofreader. Poor Y must always pick up my comma slack, and the way I write makes his head hurt.

So today I get a lovely email from my professor. She suggests I consider an English minor (implied a writing minor), my peer reviews were very helpful and detailed and I could teach writing if I was so inclined. (Please see writing classes at University of Puget Sound, University of Oregon, College of the Canyons, and California State University Northridge, not counting studying two foreign languages and all the other classes just require papers or exams. Aaargh! I think I'm having a cranky old lady moment. On the other hand, I'm just tickled to even have a whiff of academic department recruitment, even if it is ripe with the irony.

TdF Knitting Challenge Day 3

It was a day of Tour de France Interuptus...I had to walk away with 25km to go. Places to be and if I pushed it any farther it would be to difficult to pause. Several inches of sweater added, need to measure. However the chenille for the new projects arrived...more on those items soon. Very exciting!

TdF Knitting Challenge Day 2

Knitting less productive today, just an inch or two. But the TTT was sooooo good. We were also expecting company for dinner so I was boiling potato and eggs for potato salad and making a carrot cake. Got it all done, but it was kind cramping the TdF style and definitely cramping the knitting style.

The food all got done in time and was tasty too. So hopefully I'll be able to be up early tomorrow and finish the back. If it goes really well, I'll cast on the front too.

TdF Knitting Challenge Day 1

Project: He'll Wear It Every Day sweater from The Yarn Girls Guide to Simple Knits for Y

I started it in January on vacation, but it has been much neglected during this busy year.

Today's progress: I am still working on the back, but finally passed the cursed inch (from 17-18" in length) which has been knit nearly half a dozen times. In fact 5 inches were accomplished, including all the arm hole decreases and I finished the skein.

Tomorrow: Winding a new skein, if I don't find time for that before morning and then the last 6 inches of the back. Yay!

Trying to rally

I've got a side blog on food. Having a plan there has helped keep the ball rolling, so perhaps I can establish myself a plaidsneaker plan.

July - Knitting
I have four knitting projects either underway or due soon. I will attempt to stay on track by challenging myself to a Tour de France knitting challenge. I will blog my projects and the challenge, starting tomorrow July 6th.

Luck.

Year End Quiz 2008

Courtesy of Linda at All & Sundry. Some of the questions are a bit silly, but it’s still kind of an interesting way to recap your year and compare to years past. (I just rediscovered this in the draft folder it is unfinished, I added a couple more answers, but I think I'm gonna post it anyway. Seems like a good tradition and you have to start somewhere.)

So you should embrace this thrilling ritual, because in the wake of the holidays I’m sure you have nothing better to do than answer some long-winded quiz, right? Here are the questions:

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?

Dim Sum

Dog Park

High School Reunion

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I don't do new year's resolutions, in fact we started a weight loss program the week of Christmas. It was time, and even just not gaining those couple of weeks early, is like losing extra.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

No new babies.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No deaths.

5. What countries did you visit?

It was my turn to hold down the fort for Y's international travel

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?

The house we started looking for in March.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

May 19th...the day the reports came in and our family officially became part of the Aspergers/Autism community.

8. What was your biggest achievement?

Obtaining placement into the right program by the school district

9. What was your biggest failure?

Having to withdraw from my university classes in the fall.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Nothing not worthy

11. What was the best thing you bought?

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

14. Where did most of your money go?

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
b) thinner or fatter?
c) richer or poorer?

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

20. How did you spend Christmas?

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?

22. What was your favorite TV program?

Chuck

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

24. What was the best book you read?

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

26. What did you want and get?

27. What did you want and not get?

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?

32. What kept you sane?

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

35. Who did you miss?

36. Who was the best new person you met?

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.