I almost forgot

Kittie Pictures! So cute, don't you want to take one home? In this picture we have Smudge, who is acting as the kittie pillow - that's his big fluffy tail. From left to right - Jill, Shygirl, Smudge, Jack and Midnight. Don't ya love how midnight is all "I'm just gonna hang out here for a while." And Smudge, he's just resigned himself to the whole ordeal. Right after I snapped this, he tried to move to the lower seat cushion, only to be followed by the younguns. For the record, Smudge is the older bro to these bitty kitties.

And then we have this cutie pie pic. This is Miss. Jill, all snuggled up on a towel, which E left atop my knitting bag and her backback. I love how cats can just find the oddest places to have a nice little lie down. Too cute!

And Now for Something Completely Different

I give you… Strange Brew. Alright, so it isn’t really super fancy or anything, but give a girl some credit, okay? I am not exactly the most computer savvy of girls – as my boyfriend will gladly attest. I was going for a lovely Autumnal feel – hence the oranges with a touch of brown, and a little red for good measure. Notice that I’ve also added some new lists – a listing of Works in Progress, and a list of the books I’ve read for each month, starting with October, cause I know ya'll have just been dying to know what I’m reading, right? And eventually I may add a list of books I really want to read, but for one reason or another haven’t.
In other news, I made it through the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk yesterday. I’m really proud of myself for doing this, especially since I didn’t train or anything. So, I made it, and this morning I am paying for it. If I could find the inventor of Advil, I would kiss their feet – it truly is my best friend right now. And special thanks to all of you who donated.
This afternoon I have an interview and I am super nervous. Wish me luck! Peace, S

Swap

KTTW X-mas Swap Questions
What is your favorite yarn? Is there a yarn/fiber you really hate?
I really really love Noro yarns. I can’t stand cheap acrylic yarn.

What do you use to store you needles, projects, gadgets in?
I store my circs in a fabulous Ashland Sky Knitsack, and my DPNs in a pretty fold up case from the House of Trek. I store my straights in an old canister.

Do you have an Amazon wish list?
Why yes, yes I do.

Do you like candies and sweets? Specifically…
Definitely! I am a big fan of the shaped Reese cups, like the pumpkin and the X-mas tree.

Do you practice any other crafty habits?
Not really. I’ve tried some, but nothing sticks like the knitting!

What type of music do you like? Hate? Are you MP3 compatible?
I love girly music. Like Sarah McLachlan, Norah Jones, the Indigo Girls. And my all time favorite band is U2. I don’t like rap so much. And I think I’m MP3 compatible.

What is your favorite color? Is there a color you don’t like so much?
Purple, pink and turquoise. I’m not into earth tones.

Do you like hats, mittens, scarves, ponchos?
I like gloves and scarves, I’m neutral on hats, and I really don’t like ponchos.

Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
But of course!

What is your needle preference?
I am a big fan of Clover Bamboo, and Addi Turbos. I like straights and circs, and even on occasion DPNs.

Is there anything you collect?
Anything with turtles or goats.

Are there any books, magazines or patterns you are currently coveting?
I really like sock patterns, especially Mountain Colors. I also like basic technique books. I think they are handy to have around, and it seems like there isn’t one that has everything.

What size are your feet?
I wear a women’s size 7 ½ shoe.

Let’s see, last week R didn’t see E at all, not even on Wednesday, b/c he had so much work to do at the shop, he was just killing himself trying to catch up. And now his WIFE is picking E up from school and, while he’ll take her Saturday, he thinks she “needs a little break” from staying the night at his house, since last time she kept waking up every couple of hours. I wanted to scream and yell and throw a great big ol' hissy fit. But I didn’t. Because you can’t get blood from a stone. I am out of ideas. How can I make him see that what E really needs is to spend more time with him, not less? Any suggestions, other than running him over with my car and collecting SSI, would be greatly appreciated.
In other news, I am so looking forward to knitting tonight. I had to miss last week because R was an ass, and E had conferences. I am happy to say that she is doing fabulous.
Why is it that sitting in front of a teacher makes me feel like I’m in school again? I swear, I was so worried that she was going to tell me what a horrible parent I was, and how my 6 year old keeps saying things like, “my mommy says its stupid women can’t be priests”, and “my mommy told me that boys have penises and sometimes they call them wieners.” But, thank god, all her teacher had to say was that E was doing well, she just needs to learn to listen a little more and not talk so much ( guess that apple fell pretty close to this tree, eh?)
And this week has been crazy! SC is on vacation this week, and so it is just me, myself and I. They’ve managed to scare up some help for me, but I feel like I’m just slacking off when I let someone else do the work. I’m all like, “I can handle anything. I am super employee!” I swear I have no idea where this work ethic comes from. You’d think I would have been “unionized” by now.
Yesterday I got to go to Triad’s Senior Day Out, and it was fun, fun, fun. I love doing stuff like this. I think it is so great to get out and meet other people who work with seniors, and who I can get ideas from. It was also fun to see some of my patrons out. Most of them recognized me, but it took a minute to process how they knew me. Guess I look pretty different when I’m not ensconced in a big moving bus.
The fun-est and funniest part happened early in the day. These two older men, who spoke very little English, came back around the booth while I was on potty break, and they took these two clipboards I had, complete with LC apps. I wouldn’t have known it was them, but the nice lady from Practical Care Solutions across from me let me know. And later on, a lady took one of the TBL tapes I had on display. I found out she had it when she sent her friend over to get one! I had to explain that they weren’t a give-away, just for display. The lady who took it didn’t even have a player! And I still can’t figure what those men wanted with the clipboards. I’ll tell ya what, old folks + freebies = madness.
Today I took a Merit Exam for a job I applied for in Frankfort. Keep your fingers crossed kiddies, I’m hoping I at least get an interview. And lucky me gets to take another exam on Friday for a different position. Joy. Did I mention that both tests take place at 8 am, and that I got the notices on Saturday? And that I am the only one in my department this week? Good times, good times. Peace.

Soap-box

After reading L’s post about her arch-nemesis, her step-kids mom, I feel like I must respond. Please know that not all of us moms are like this!! Ms. Money-hungry gives us all a bad name. I swear we aren’t all like that. I wish that E’s dad was as committed to her as T is to his two kids. This mom should just be thrilled that she gets support from him, both emotionally and monetarily. Every time I talk to R I have to remind him that he needs to pay child-support. And I can’t remember how many times we’ve been to court over it!
To be fair, he’s really not a bad dad. I honestly think he does the best he can with what he has. It isn’t his fault that he was born with such a tiny brain. I’m sure it’s hard to remember to do things like pay your child support and pick your kid up from school on time when your brain is only about the size of an ostrich’s.
But I digress. To all the shrew ex-wives out there, I just want to say, STOP! You are destroying your children emotionally! They will hate you for putting them in the middle of your fight. Be glad that you have an ex who cares about the kids. Be glad that you have a person who you can rely on to pick the kids up from school, and help with homework. Be grateful that you have an ex who attends sports, or choir practice or dance recitals. Because there are too many of us out here who would kill to be in your shoes. Your anger and spitefulness will burn a hole in your kid’s sense of self-worth. They are your most valuable asset, not the size of the child support check you receive. Remember that, or you will regret it when they are older and can see you from a distance.
Whew, okay, I'm going to step off my soap-box now. Peace.