Happy New Year!

I'm not sure what was going on with me last night.  I'd gone to bed at 9:30, and was woken up around 11:30ish when the fireworks started.  I was laying there and thought to myself, "Self, might as well visit the reading room while you're awake."

I reached for my Kindle because I knew I was going to have to sit and think a minute, and when I picked it up I felt something strange and not belonging to my Kindle.  When I got to the bathroom and turned the light on, I saw that it was my Down Syndrome Awareness wristband. 

 I don't know what I'd done to tear it in half like that, or how my hair elastic had gotten pulled out, but there it was.  

My coworker whose son has Down Syndrome had given me that about three or so years ago, so I was heartsick that it was broken.  Since the fireworks were still going off, I hopped onto Amazon and ordered some more.  I found a five pack and got that, figuring if I break another one, I'd have spares.   

In other news, being that it's New Year's Day, almost everyone will be reviewing their goals from last year, and setting new ones.  My biggest goal for 2023, I think I did pretty well.  Just to refresh your memory, 

Keep scrolling. 

That's it.  Just keep scrolling.  

When I see you getting bamboozled by a hoax you didn't bother to research...I'm going to just keep scrolling.

When I see you posting an obviously photoshopped picture that you didn't bother to verify...I'm going to just keep scrolling.

When I see you passing on manipulated data that you didn't confirm...I'm just going to keep scrolling.

The memes you took at face value, the altered videos, the internet rumors with absolutely no basis in fact, the flat out lies...I'm just going to keep scrolling.

Yep, I'm just going to sit here and let you "upgrade the system" and "kill the ads" by coping and pasting a status, while I just....I'm just going to keep on scrolling.

But don't think for one minute I haven't fact checked you in my mind...

It's meant I've been mighty quiet on Facebook over the year, but I think I've met that goal.   I mean, it wouldn't do any good anyway.  People are determined to believe what they want to believe, no matter how hard you slap them upside the head with facts. 

Not only that, they'll call you with your sourced and verified facts a sheeple, while they just mindlessly bleat off after that Rumble video from a completely unknown dude out in a field, telling them what their itching ears want to hear.  

I was thinking about this very thing as I lay in bed listening to fireworks, mentally analyzing that video of the controversial call in the Cowboys game, and...well, I won't go into it all here, but here's a hint:  you have to analyze referee Brad Allen's body language.  Another hint:  You have to actually watch the video in real time, not the single frame screen shot that is being posted all over the internet. 

For those of you unfamiliar with the controversy, referee Brad Allen said Detroit Lions player #68 didn't report as an eligible receiver.  Detroit coach Dan Campbell says he did.  Allen said #70 reported as eligible.  Campbell says he didn't.  Naturally, everyone is claiming the coach is right, and the ref is wrong.   It's been a rough year for officiating at both the collegiate and NFL levels.  Lots of controversial calls.  Lots of missed calls.  Lots of Madden players who think they're football experts...and that's all I'm going to say about that. 

My other goal for the year was to spend more time reading, rather than playing games on my Kindle.  That one didn't work out so well.  I did read a bit more at home, but not by a significant amount. I'm going to keep on working on that one.  

That was about it for last year's goals.  This year, I'm going to keep on keeping on scrolling, and work on reading more.  I'm also going to try to finish my Alfred's Level Two piano book.  That one shouldn't be too hard, because I'm already halfway through.  Also, providing we get some overtime at work this year, I'm going to get those fences replaced.  But as I said, that one is dependent on how much overtime I get.  

In more mundane news, I got the tree taken down and put away.  I'm sure you'll all be pleased to know it did fit into that new storage box I'd bought.  I had to squish it down pretty hard, but the whole tree fit.  It makes me wonder how they'd fit it into the original cardboard box in the first place.  I never could get the whole thing back in there, and would have to put the top section into a different storage box. 

I guess that's it for today.  I'm going to watch the Rose Bowl and enjoy the last few hours of my vacation before I have to go back to work tomorrow.  

It's amazing how fast 2 1/2 weeks goes by when you're actually enjoying life.  

Starting The New Year Right

It is at this time of year that most people set for themselves resolutions for the coming annum.  Me, I haven't made New Year's Resolutions in quite some time, but this year I'm going to make an exception.  I'm actually going to make one.  A resolution, that is.  

So, what is this big resolution I'm making, you ask?  Well, I'll tell you.  

Keep scrolling. 

That's it.  Just keep scrolling.  

When I see you getting bamboozled by a hoax you didn't bother to research...I'm going to just keep scrolling.

When I see you posting an obviously photoshopped picture that you didn't bother to verify...I'm going to just keep scrolling.

When I see you passing on manipulated data that you didn't confirm...I'm just going to keep scrolling.

The memes you took at face value, the altered videos, the internet rumors with absolutely no basis in fact, the flat out lies...I'm just going to keep scrolling.

Yep, I'm just going to sit here and let you "upgrade the system" and "kill the ads" by coping and pasting a status, while I just....I'm just going to keep on scrolling.

But don't think for one minute I haven't fact checked you in my mind...

 In other goals, I'm going to try to spend more time reading and less playing games on my Kindle.  In fact, just this weekend, I've deleted five of my games.  I used to be an avid reader, but have kind of gotten away from that.  For some reason, I've take it into my head that I can only read when I'm on my lunch break at work.  I've stopped reading at home, pretty much completely. I'm going to try to get back to that, and maybe watch less TV.  That might even help my blogging some. Maybe reading more will wake my brain back up.

With that in mind, here are the two books I'm reading right now. 

Sold On A Monday, by Kristina McMorris

2 CHILDREN FOR SALE. The sign is a last resort. It sits on a farmhouse porch in 1931, but could be found anywhere in an era of breadlines, bank runs and broken dreams. It could have been written by any mother facing impossible choices.

For struggling reporter Ellis Reed, the gut-wrenching scene evokes memories of his family's dark past. He snaps a photograph of the children, not meant for publication. But when it leads to his big break, the consequences are more devastating than he ever imagined.

Inspired by an actual newspaper photograph that stunned the nation, Sold on a Monday has celebrated five months on the New York Times bestsellers list and continues to especially captivate fans of Lisa Wingate's Before We Were Yours and Kristin Hannah's The Four Winds.

Eh, it's an OK, book so far.  I'm not even halfway through, but it seems to be more about the reporter than the children.  Maybe they'll get back to the kids further into the book.  I'll let you know. 

Keeper Of Enchanted Rooms, by Charlie N. Holmburg

Rhode Island, 1846. Estranged from his family, writer Merritt Fernsby is surprised when he inherits a remote estate in the Narragansett Bay. Though the property has been uninhabited for more than a century, Merritt is ready to call it home—until he realizes he has no choice. With its doors slamming shut and locking behind him, Whimbrel House is not about to let Merritt leave. Ever.

Hulda Larkin of the Boston Institute for the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms has been trained in taming such structures in order to preserve their historical and magical significance. She understands the dangers of bespelled homes given to tantrums. She advises that it’s in Merritt’s best interest to make Whimbrel House their ally. To do that, she’ll need to move in, too.

Prepared as she is with augury, a set of magic tools, and a new staff trained in the uncanny, Hulda’s work still proves unexpectedly difficult. She and Merritt grow closer as the investigation progresses, but the house’s secrets run deeper than they anticipated. And the sentient walls aren’t their only concern—something outside is coming for the enchantments of Whimbrel House, and it could be more dangerous than what rattles within.

I literally just started this one this morning, and have only read the prologue so far.  I'll have to let you know. 

In more mundane news, you will all be pleased to know I got my bookshelves arranged the way I want them.  

I had to move a few things off to make room for all I want, so no more autographed Allen West photo or Bill Whittle CD.  I'll put them into my office area -- if I ever get it put together the way I want.  Right now, that room is being taken up by my seemingly immortal snakes.  When they finally go into that great beyond, I have lots of plans for the room.  But I won't go into that here.  I'm sure you're all already bored enough with this post.  

Well, one good thing about last week's super duper deep freeze is that it killed all the weeds in my back yard.

They'll come back in the spring, though.  I was looking up that Scott's Turf Builder Southern formula that I used last year, but wow, it has gotten so expensive -- just like everything else.  I'll keep checking and see if someone puts it on sale before I need it.  If not, I'll have to bite the bullet and pay the higher price.  

I guess that's about it for today.  It's almost time for the ball games to start, and I'm going to need my computer to stream at least one of them, so I'll see you later. 

Oh, and I just realized I completely forgot about the Rose parade, so now I really need both devices!

À bientôt!

Happy New Year!

Last night, we bade farewell to 2016, and pretty much all of us said good riddance to it.  It was a year that was plagued by one celebrity death after another.  I don't know, maybe it was the presence of social media, but it just seemed like an awful lot of my childhood icons passed away, from Carol Brady to Princess Leia, to Shepherd Book, to Father Mulcahy.  Now, I'm normally not one to get wound up over celebrities -- just a quick, "Oh, how sad" and I move on.  There were two that really tore me up, though.  Two that actually wrenched tears from these usually dry eyes.  One was Alan Rickman.  The other was Mike VI.

They will be missed.

Well, since I last posted, I took another road trip.  This time I headed north to meet up with these lovely ladies in what has become an annual tradition.

We talked, we ate delicious food, we knit, we laughed until we cried, then all too soon it was time to go, and many bitter tears were shed at our parting.  We promised to get together next year, and we all made it home safely.

The good news is, I still haven't found any knots in this yarn. 

The sock is coming along nicely, too. 

I finally settled on a simple basket weave pattern.  It's one I've knit before, and I still had the pattern in a binder.   

Yesterday it rained all day long.  I took a bit of time to sort through some boxes I'd put in the snake/craft/computer room -- stuff that'd been waiting to be sorted since I moved into this house.  In one the boxes, I found a booklet that has the hat and scarf pattern I've been hunting for forever.  OK, maybe not forever, but for a long time.  Let's just say, I'd knit the set for my soon to be 17 year old nephew when he was three, and have been looking for the booklet ever since.  You'll be hearing more about that in the days to come.

Now to start your year with some humor.  One of the dogs left a few bits of dog food in the kitchen floor.  I was in there tidying up, and saw it laying there.  Briefly, I wondered how in the world a rabbit got inside the house and pooped in my kitchen. 

I've long since given up trying to find an explanation for such things.

Just roll with it.  It's what I do.  

Happy New Year

It's a new year.  Time for new beginnings.  New goals.  New dreams.  A time to reflect on the past year and set goals for the year to come.

My goals for this past year were pretty simple:  To pay down my debt, and to not buy new yarn. 

How did I do?  I think I did pretty well.  I managed to pay down a pretty good chunk of my debt, but I still have a long way to go.  I only bought three skeins of yarn all year, and I wouldn't have bought those if one of my kin hadn't requested a scarf in a specific color.  So, yeah, I'd say I did pretty well meeting my goals last year.

What are my goals for the new year?  Same as the ones for last year.  I will continue to pay down my debt, though it may be more difficult this year, since I will have to buy a new vehicle sometime in the coming year.   I will continue to knit/weave from stash and won't buy new yarn.  I'll allow the same provision as last year, though.  I can buy yarn if I need something specific for a gift, but it must be used for that gift, and not just added to stash. 

Also, I'm going to try to drink fewer cokes and more tea.  Speaking of cokes, I've been a Dr Pepper drinker for as long as I can remember.  These last couple of weeks, however, I've found myself drinking more Cokes than Dr Peppers. 

I've been seriously thinking of cutting my cable off completely.  I've really enjoyed having the Inspiration channel, and watching The Walking Dead live instead of the day after, but as my son so wisely pointed out, everything you want to watch, you can find online somewhere.  Amazon, Hulu Plus, Netflix, and even the network sites offer most shows.  We'll just have to see how the budget goes once I have to start making car payments. 

Happy New Year!

January 1

A new day.  A new year.  A time to reflect and set goals for yourself. 

I know a lot of people say that's silly.  "What's so special about January 1?  Why can't you set goals on any day?" I think these people are ridiculous.  Of course you can review and set goals any day. But the first day of the year is a logical time to do this.  New year, new goals.  So that's when I do it. 

I looked back through the blog, and didn't post my last year's goals, so I don't really know if I met them or not, since I don't remember what they were.  Good goals, huh?

I'm pretty sure they are the same goals I'm going to set for this year-- knit from stash and pay down my debts.  The first one ought to be a lot easier now that Hank has closed her yarn shop.  And I'm still peeved at Knit Picks, so they are a no go, too.  What I really need to do is a yarn inventory, since I don't really even know how much yarn I have.  That ought to be an exciting project for these cold winter days. 

Speaking of winter, the one thing Cody actually requested for Christmas was a new coat.  So, that's what his mama got him.

He looks like he's headed out for an arctic expedition, but he was just trying it on for size.  He didn't actually go outside.

Then he took his coat off and made himself a cup of Tea Earl Gray Hot.

Looks like I raised him right after all. 

Resolutions

I've never been one for making resolutions. I don't believe in them. I do, however, believe in setting goals for myself, and beginnings are a good time to do that, whether it's the beginning of the week, of the month, or of the year. Yesterday, I looked back at my blog for last Jan 1 to see what goals I'd set for myself and how well I'd done in meeting them. I was going to write a whole big, long post about them, but once I got there, I discovered I hadn't recorded any of them!


I do remember posting a list of goals on a drawing forum I used to hang out on, but someone hacked the server back in May, and all posts before then were lost. After the board came back up, most of the older members quit posting, and the board has been completely changed by newer members. It has changed so much that I don't even go there anymore. Before you tell me I should just give it a chance, I did stay for several months. But, somehow, it had just lost its appeal.


But I digress...


So what are my goals for 2007? I've already posted one of them--complete the Stashalong. That pretty much covers my knitting goals. I'm also determined to learn to knit socks.


My martial arts goals are as follows:

• Return to class
• Finish learning what I need to know for ni-dan (second degree black belt)
• Continue to improve on what I have already learned

My goals as an artist:

• Begin doing my sketches again, after all that was the whole reason I started this blog. I won't try doing a daily sketch. I loved the sketching part, but coming up with something fresh and exciting every day--and finding an appropriate reference photo--got a bit tedious. I will try to do one at least once a week.
• Continue working through the lessons in Drawing for Dummies, and on Drawspace.

My goals as a person:

• To spend less time on the computer, and more time living
• To resume my walks
• To reduce my credit card debt
• To deliberately seek instances in which I can show kindness and generosity to others

That's about it.

Cody and I watched the Tournament of Roses parade, but hardly watched any football. We spent most of the day watching M*A*S*H on DVD.

And being the first of the month, it was time to start on the new

My guess is that this one will have something to do with snow since she specified white or cream colored yarn, but I've been wrong before.

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