Yarnz!!! And A Hat

A few days ago, my buddy Sue offered up this hank of yarn for swap. Since I'd never tried Wollmeise, I took her up on the offer, and sent her a hank of my Cherry Tree Hill Sockittome Select in exchange. Well, it arrived today!

Thanks Sue! I'm slowly accumulating more solid color sock yarn, because I have so many patterns I want to knit that really need solid yarns. I guess I'd better get to knitting.

I'm feeling like my brain is slowly waking up after my two month long ordeal with my *ahem* girl problems. I decided to keep my doctor's appointment, though, since I still feel that something just isn't right in there. I'm still having significant cramping, and some localized pain.

Um, I didn't mean to get off on that tangent...How did I get there anyway? Oh, yeah, I was going to say that while my brain was in its semi-dull state, I'd somewhat lost interest in doing most things, including knitting. Now that my brain seems to be waking back up, I'm back to knitting.

Which segues nicely into this:

I finished my hat. This is it in its pre-blocked state.  Charlotte was kind enough to model it for you, even though it's a tad large for her head.  It's a simple basket weave pattern in baby blue Cascade 220 Superwash. It may go into the Navy box, or it may end up being a Christmas present. You just never know.

Squeaky says, "My mousie needs a hat, too."

We got off early from work today.  I came home, ate a bite of lunch, then headed to Wal-mart to get my shopping done before everyone else got off work.  After I finished that, I tried to call and make an appointment for my root canal, only to discover that the Endodontic office had closed at noon.  Oh, well.  I programmed the number into my cell phone, and I'll try to sneak out and make the appointment Monday. 

Work Woes

I got into it with a co-worker today.  Now, just for the record, I've been biting my tongue for a long time with this guy, because he's clearly not right in the head.  And I'm not saying that to be facetious.  There is seriously something wrong with this guy.

I first noticed it a long time ago, when I was still working on line 1.  We'd had some people out sick and they sent him over to help out on that line.  Well, first thing he does is to take his jacket off and toss it over my brazing stand.  I mean, seriously dude!  That is my work area!  He didn't even ask.  He just threw it over there. 

I was nice and moved it, but in retrospect, I wish I hadn't.  I should have just dumped some filthy, greasy headers on it. 

Next thing he does is to borrow someone else's brazing tip and bend it all out of shape.  Now, for those of you who don't braze, you might not understand this, but a brazing tip is very personal thing.  You conform it to your hands and brazing style. Every brazer likes his tip the way he likes it, and every brazer is different.

My friend Lou might think of it this way:  someone comes over and borrows your favorite paint brush.  You get it back and they've cut half of the bristles and bent the handle into a circle.  You just don't do that to someone else's property. 

Before that day is out, he leaves a styrofoam cup and a half empty soft drink bottle on my stand.  I mean, he leaves for the day and goes off and leaves them.  I had to call him over there the next day and make him throw them away. 

This supposedly is a grown man, mind you.

Well, I got moved over to line 2 last November; that is the line he works on.  It's the same old thing.  He is always putting his drink bottles or cups on my table.  Doesn't ask.  He just does it.  I've told him and told him that they are in my way.  That that is my work area, not his personal storage shelf.  And the worst part is that at the end of the day, he doesn't throw them away.  He just goes off and leaves them there.  Earlier this week, I finally made him throw away a barely drank Dr Pepper that had been sitting on my brazing stand for two weeks.  TWO weeks. 

One day last week, he brought some ribs and stuff he'd grilled.  At the end of the day, he just left them there on the table.  I mean  LEFT THE PLANT and left this meat on the table.  He has done the same thing with chicken bones from a fast food place, and other various bits of food and dirty dishes.  He just leaves them.  Goes home for the day and leaves them.

In the mornings, he line brazes, but in the afternoons, he works on the test tank.  That's where we dunk the coils under water and pressurize them to see if they have any leaks.  He'll often pull his nasty, wet gloves off and drop them onto my table--onto my paperwork.  My schedule, my pick tickets, my work orders, whatever. Suddenly have these wet gloves on them. 

Yesterday, I had gotten my bin off the table and took them over to my buggy to get some more headers.  He pulled his nasty, wet gloves off and just tossed them onto my table, right where I set my bin of work.  Now, he's got to know that that is where I put my work.  He's GOT to know.  Nobody could be that stupid.

Or could they? 

Nah, it's not about being stupid.  It's about being selfish, arrogant, and extremely inconsiderate of those around him.  Then he's going to wonder why nobody seems to like him.  He's always cussing out our supervisors, claiming that they gang up on him and try to write him up and stuff.  I so badly want to ask him if it never occurred to him that maybe he deserves it.

Well, today, I'd had enough.  He came back from lunch and put a styrofoam cup AND a Dr Pepper bottle on my already too small work table, where it was in my way.  I called him out on it.  I said, "Come on, this is my work area!"  He said, "Well, I didn't know it was in the way." 

I've told him several times in the past that him putting his stuff there was in my way, but he doesn't care.  He's going to do what he wants to do and doesn't care flip if it inconveniences or hurts anyone else. 

So, he moved the styrofoam cup, but left the Dr. Pepper bottle.  Duh...

I accidentally knocked it off of my table trying to find room for my work (fancy that, putting MY work on MY table) and what does he do?  He picks it up an puts it BACK on my table.  Seriously, he did. 

That was just too much.  I went off on him.  And I mean, I went off.  I told him that was my work area, not his garbage can, called him a nasty pig and said I was tired of him leaving his garbage everywhere.  And he has the nerve to get mad at me. 

My group leader Greg witnessed the whole thing and told this guy not to be putting his stuff in my work area any more.  Then he leans across to the other sub brazer and said, "Watch,  Jeff is mad at Becky now.  He's going to write about 4 leaks down on her this afternoon." 

That just tells me that Greg knows what is going on.

Sure enough, the guy writes down 4 leaks on me.  The thing about that is, he ONLY wrote down my leaks.   Didn't write down any of the leaks from the other brazers.  Just mine. 

The other test tank operators will do that to me, too.  They'll get mad at me and write down a bunch of leaks, but won't write down the leaks of their buddies.  Of course, they are mad at me for a different reason.  They are mad because I won't have sex with them.* 

What they don't know is that I'm documenting all of this.  I'm writing it all down, and trying to sneak photos with my cell phone camera.  (We aren't supposed to have cameras in the plant.)  If I can get photos of them repairing line braze leaks, then a photo of the chart showing that none of them were written down, then I can back up my story. 

Then one day, soon, all hell is going to break loose in that plant. 

*Yes, I know that is harassment, but what can I do about it?   Our human resources department is pretty darn worthless when it comes to things like that.  The last time I turned a guy in, the HR guy's "investigation" consisted of asking the man if he was doing this to me.  Of course, the guy denied it, so HR closed the case, called me a liar, and sent me back out to just put up with it. You learn pretty quick that you're on your own out there.

Yippee...

Well, it's official.  I gotta have another root canal.  But honestly, it's not so bad.  Not much more than getting a filling these days.  The most painful part is paying for it.

The good news is, it's an excuse to take a day off work and go shopping in Jackson.  Yes, there is a yarn store down there.  No, I don't need any more yarn. 

Wait, what?  Did I just say that?



Ummm, moving right along...



Jesse was naughty this afternoon.  He'd been so good, but today I caught him in the middle of my bed, chewing on a sock.  I made him get off, and fussed at him a bit.  He hasn't tried to get back on, so we'll see. 

I've almost got another hat finished.  I'll post pictures soon.  Right now, I need to finish yesterday's post, so I can retro date it and get it up.  Yeah, I know that's cheating, but that's how I roll. 

What Hurts?

"What hurts?", they asked him after the game.

"What doesn't?", He replied.

Yet he overcame.  They overcame.

Bad snaps.

Receivers running wrong routes.

Half the team playing hurt, the half that was able to play, that is.

Yet they overcame.

They fought.

And they won.

This team..

This team has something that last year's team didn't.  This team has something that this team hasn't had in a long time-- not even the year they went 13-3.  A lot of fluky stuff happened that year.  Stuff that just happened to go the Cowboy's way.  Stuff that hasn't happened since.

But this team has something those teams didn't have.

Call it what you will.

Grit.  Determination.  Backbone.  Toughness.  Dogs in the fight.

HEART.

Call it what you will.

This team has it.



"What hurts?" they asked him after the game.

"What doesn't?" he replied.

That notch in the W column sure doesn't hurt.  Doesn't hurt a bit.

A Few Bits Of Good News

1.  Jesse has behaved himself so well in the house that I decided to leave him out of his kennel when I went to work today.  I shut him in my bedroom, since that seems to be the room he prefers.  No poop on the floor, no pee anywhere, and nothing chewed up.  If he does this for a week or so, then I'll start leaving the door open.  I still don't trust him outside off the leash, though.

2.  I got my antibiotic from the dentist today, so my tooth should start feeling better soon.  My regular appointment is Wednesday, so I'll get him to check it then.

3.  I have not bled for 24 hours.  If you have never bled for two months straight, you have no idea what a relief this is.  I'll wait a couple of days to make sure it's done for good, then I'll call the gyno to see if he still wants me to come in. 

4.  I have cake.  Chocolate cake with cream cheese icing.  This weekend, I discovered how easy cream cheese icing is to make.  One stick of butter, one block of cream cheese, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and three cups powdered sugar.  That's it. 

Sundries on Sunday

The dogs woke me up at my usual time this morning, between 6:30 and 7:00 AM.  I let them out, even ate a little breakfast.  Maybe 7:15 I decided I'd go lay back down for just a minute, before I got into the shower.  I didn't even turn my bedroom light off, since I was only going to be laying down for just a minute.

Next thing I knew, I was waking up and it was 11:00.  I guess I needed that sleep.

My abscessed tooth is feeling a little better.  One of my Facebook Friends suggested that I rinse my mouth with a 50/50 solution of hydrogen peroxide and water, and that did help.  I was looking online to find things to do about it, just to hold me over until I could call the dentist.  One site suggested putting a clove of garlic on the tooth, to help relieve the pain.  That didn't work out so well.  I think it was because I kept eating the garlic.

Did I ever mention that I love garlic?

So that one didn't work out, but I'll be calling the dentist in the morning to get some antibiotics.  Wednesday is my regular appointment, so I'll get him to check it then.  I've had enough abscesses, though, to recognize the symptoms.  That means, root canal.

And that means, shopping in Jackson after I'm done.  They have a pretty nice mall down there, and at least one yarn store.  And the root canals themselves aren't so bad.  I go to a specialist.  Root canals are all he does, so he's kind of got them down pat.  It doesn't take much longer than getting a regular filling. 

Speaking of, I finished two more hats.

This is the one I was doing out of sock yarn:

That yarn is Cherry Tree Hill Supersocke in Cherry Blossom. This color always makes me think of ice cream. Charlotte was kind enough to model it for me.

Oh, and I started another one:

This is just a simple basket weave pattern in Cascade 220 Superwash, blue.

Well, I've got a storm rolling in, so I'd probably better get off of here.  Even though I slept so late, I already feel like I'm ready for bed.

And with that, I'll bid you goodnight.

As If

everything else I've been going through wasn't enough, I think I just had a tooth abscess.    I'll get my dentist to check it out Wednesday when I go in for my regular appointment, but I'll call him first thing Monday morning, so I can get some antibiotics.  Still, that means yet another root canal, and yet another bill I can't really afford to pay. 

And my throat has that scratchy, slightly swollen feeling that usually means I've got a cold coming on.  I forgot to buy bacon, and I found some ice cream in the freezer that I could have been eating, if I'd remembered that I bought it. 

Sigh, what else can go wrong?

So, let me give you the TMI warning before I go any further...

WARNING!  TMI AHEAD!!!

.
..
.
.
.
.
OK, now on to the grody news.  After two rounds of the Provera, I'm still bleeding.  The doctor wants me to come back in and see him, but the first available appointment he has isn't until October third.  Great.  That's a whole nother week I get to bleed.

I'm telling you, this is really draining.  Not just physically, but emotionally, too.  Sometimes I just break down and cry because I'm so tired of it.  I don't know what the doctor will suggest, but at this point, I'm ready to skip straight to the hysterectomy. 

The only problem with that is, I'll have to miss at least 6 weeks of work.  And sick pay is only $150 per week.  Who can make ends meet like that?  

Pray for me.  I really need it.

ADULT TRUTHS

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the heck are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on #5 - I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

7. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died

8. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

9. Bad decisions make good stories.

10. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

11. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

12. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

13. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

14. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

15. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

16. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

17. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

18. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

19. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

20. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

21. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time.

22. People who forward e- mail without deleting the tons of previous recipients should be shot and then tarred and feathered.

23. The first testicular guard, the "Cup," was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important. (Ladies, quit laughing!)

Bleh

Ever have one of those days when whatever could go wrong did?  Yeah, that was today.

I'd planned on bringing you a Wednesday WIP post, but after the day I had, I'm just going to go curl up with the Kindle and a big ol' glass of chocolate milk.

But only because I don't have any bacon in the house.

Goodnight.

A Smashing Good Time

Yes, it was time to get the ol' boobies smashed again.  I went in for my annual mammogram, which I haven't had done in about 4 or 5 years.  You'd think I'd be more diligent about that, what with my mother having had breast cancer, but I've said it before and I'll say it again.

My phone issues run deep.

Once I got there, the actual mammo didn't take but about 5 minutes.  They have new computerized thing where the pictures show up right there on the screen.  The tech used to have to run down the hall and develop the film to make sure they were good before you could leave.  Now she can check them in an instant, right there in the same room.

She even let me see mine.  How cool is that? 

My day started off with a bit of a jolt.  See, Jesse has decided he likes my bedroom, so I let him sleep in there with me.  Rylea and Squeaky don't even get that privilege.  Anyway, along about 5 AM, Jesse heard Rylea moving in the kitchen and started barking. 

Loudly.

I like to came out that bed.  It really got my heart going, I'll tell you.  But now, I'm kind of nervous about letting him sleep in there with me tonight.  You know, the once bitten twice shy kind of thing. 

Well, he'll learn.  I just hope he doesn't give me a heart attack first. 

P.S.  One of these days, I'm going to get around to telling you how Jesse got his name. 

Eating Crow

All week long, Tony Romo has had to deal with the harsh words of his critics--media and fans alike.

Can't win the big one.  Can't win in the fourth quarter.  Folds like a cheap lawn chair.

No focus.  No heart.  No grit. 

Gives up too easily.

A quitter. 

At first, it appeared that Romo would prove the critics right.  It didn't seem that his head was in the game.  Passes falling short, or sailing wide.  Making people wonder just exactly who he was throwing the ball to.   Looking confused, clueless, Romo blundered through the first half as if he'd never played the game before.

Halftime X-rays revealed the broken rib.  A Monday morning CT scan revealed the punctured lung.

A pneumothorax it's called--a collapsed lung.

It was later revealed that the injury occurred on the third play of the game.  The man played the entire first half of the game with a broken rib and a collapsed lung.

He couldn't take a deep breath.  And it hurt.  Breathing hurt.  Shouting plays hurt.  Throwing the ball was sheer torture.  Getting hit by a defensive lineman was indescribable agony.  It is reported that at one point,  the pain was so great he was puking on the sidelines.

Yet he played on.

He ran late onto the field after halftime, and was quickly corralled by medical personnel.  They took him back to the locker room-- frustration evident on the quarterback's face.  With 37 seconds left in the third quarter,  Romo once again trotted out from the locker room. He was going to play, and no one would be able to stop him.

The medical personnel hid his helmet from him.

He found it.

Head coach and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett physically restrained him.

Romo shoved him aside.

This was his team.  This was his game.  This was his Titanic.  If the ship was going down, the captain was going down with it.

Determined to finish the game, Romo headed out onto the field.  Down by two scores midway through the 4th quarter, Romo threw a strike to Miles Austin, who made an almost superhuman leap into the endzone.

 A Dan Bailey field goal with 4 seconds left in regulation play tied the score, and sent the game into overtime, where another Dan Bailey field goal sealed the victory.

Yes, it was an amazing comeback under the best of circumstances.  That Tony Romo did it with a punctured lung made it nothing short of miraculous.

Now, no one can question his heart.

No one can question his determination to win.

No one can question his dedication to the team--and to the game.

No one can question his toughness.

At least not until he loses again.  Then he will go back to being the worst to ever play the game.

Because that's what it means to be the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys.

Gideons

Today in church, we had a guest speaker from Gideon International.  You know The Gideons.  They're the ones responsible for putting Bibles in hotels, and giving them out in schools and such.  Anyway, every year they come and speak, and every year I plan this blog post, and every year, I end up not posting it.

Well, this year I am.


I was headed out to Navy Basic Training.  There were five of us flying out of Houston, TX, headed to Orlando, FL.  One of the guys with us was absolutely petrified of flying.  Nervously pacing the airport, in the midst of his nonsensical ramblings, he suddenly blurted out, "I need a Bible.  Somebody get me a Bible."

So the five of us headed on over to the USO, and sure enough, on a table there in the lobby, there were two stacks of Bibles, placed there by the Gideons.  I picked one up and handed it to him.  Immediately he began protesting, "I can't steal a Bible!" 

Having grown up in church, and being familiar with the Gideons, I assured him that it wasn't stealing.  They put those Bibles there for you to take.  They want you to get one. 

But no matter how I tried to reassure him, he left the USO without taking a Bible.  After he had gone, I picked up one of the New Testaments and hid it away in my pocket.  Once we were on the plane, I gave it to him.  Again, he protested that he couldn't steal a Bible. 

"You didn't steal it.  I did.  I'm the one who'll have to answer for it, so take it."

He did.  Later that night, we arrived safely in Orlando.  He went to his company, and I went to mine.  I lost track of him after Basic Training, but I often think of him.  I wonder where he, and that little Testament, ended up.  The Bible says if God's word goes forth, it will not return void.  I hope that little Bible was able to make a difference in someone's life.

I hope one day I do have to answer for it.

For stealing that Bible.

New Yarnz!!

Tuesday is my friend Vanessa's birthday. For several weeks now, she's been talking about wanting to go to the zoo. Well, if you've known me for any length of time, you'll know I was all over that. So today, I took her to the Memphis Zoo for her birthday.  And you know I had to stop at Hank of Yarn on the way there. 

I'd gone in to Wal-mart earlier in the week and bought a new P&S camera, but oddly enough I didn't take all that many photos. I'll post the ones I did take tomorrow. But for today, I'll treat you to these:

YARNZ!!!!

OK, well this isn't yarn. It's a wool wash.

But this is yarn!   Only it didn't come from Hank's.  It came from Knit Picks.  What we hae here is Gloss Lace in black.  Yes, I've been told I'm not right in the head.

And here we see Stroll Sport sock yarn.  Upon initial observation it seems to have a tighter twist than the old Essential, so maybe it won't fuzz as much.  I got these to makes some sleepin' socks.  My feet get so cold at night.

That is Stream Heather on the left, and Buckskin on the right.  And this is Pumpkin.

It looks brighter in this photo than in real life.  Flash effect, I suppose.  Anyway, it's an almost perfect University of Texas burnt orange. I think I'll make a hat and scarf set out of it.

And now, we finally get to the yarn I got at Hank's.  My sister in law Paula had requested a baby blue wool hat for Christmas, so I got this. 

It is Cascade 220 Superwash.

Hank is clearancing all the Plymouth Encore, and this color really jumped out at me. 

It didn't have a name, just a number.  That number is 1405. They only had one ball left, but I figure it's enough to make a couple of hats for a couple of nephews.  Or maybe a brother or two...

Speaking of hats, I bought the right size needles to transfer this hat to a circular.

Maybe now, I'll make more progress on it.  See, no matter how much I adjusted the stitches, the SSK always seemed to land right between two DPNs.  I'd have to slip the first one from one needle, and the second one from another needle.  That was such a pain in the patootey. 

I got home in time to watch the last three quarters of the Texas UCLA game.  The McCoy-Shipley magic has returned to the Longhorns!  Only this time, it isn't Colt and Jordan. It's Case and Jaxon. 

Somehow, it only seems fitting that I should post

A Gratuitous Case McCoy photo.

Autumn Haiku

Trees of vibrant hues
Brown Leaves crackling underfoot
First frost on the glass.

(OK, so I realize it's technically not fall yet, but it sure felt like it today.)

Hats For Sailors

I received this in my inbox a day or two ago.  I did this last year, and it was great seeing photos of all the sailors wearing our hats.  While it's fun knitting hats for soldiers and airmen, sailors hold a special place in my heart.  It might have something to do with being ex-Navy myself.  






Greetings everyone,

It's that time of year again.  Last year at about this time I launched a project to provide a hat for each of the sailor's on my daughter's ship, the USS Decatur.  It was an amazing success in that we provided not only a hat for each of the Decatur's sailors, but also for three Coast Guard Cutters guarding Iraq's only remaining oil terminal, and the international troops that staffed that terminal ... British, Australian AND Iraqi military personnel.  Talk about extending a friendly hand.  Last year's hat project brought hats from all over the country, and from England and Singapore.

This year one of our knitters, Sandra Berglund, took on the project and created a Ravelry group called Hats for Sailors.  We were hoping to collect enough hats over the year to cover the heads of at least one more ship.  So far we've collected only 64 hats and will need a lot more to meet our goal.  Soooooo, I'm coming back to the tried and true knitters from last year ... asking you once again to warm up your knitting needles and start making hats for sailors once again.

The requirements are the same.  All hats must be 100% washable wool ... no synthetics due to the fire danger.  You can use any pattern you want, any color you want ... we encourage you to be creative.  You can go to the Ravelry's Hats for Sailors group for free patterns.  If you haven't registered, do so ... it's free and easy.  When you are ready to send your hats, contact Sandra for mailing information.  Please remember to attach a little note of encouragement to each of the hats you send.

I am hoping that those of you who have blogs of your own will forward this on to your readers and encourage them to participate in this year's efforts to bring love and warmth to our wonderful sailors.

Thank you all, in advance, for your efforts for this year ... we even have a few fun prizes for some of our knitters.

Lynne

Another One

I took the day off work today so I could go get my annual physical.  I always try to schedule mine as early in the morning as I can get, because your bloodwork is more accurate when you've fasted for 12 hours.  I have co-workers who will schedule their doctor appointments for 4 in the afternoon, but I can't do that.  I can't go all day long with nothing to eat or drink.  And to spend all day at work like that, uh...no.  So I go as early in the day as I can.  Then I go get a sausage biscuit at Burger King.  Boy, do I love their sausage biscuits.

Anyway, the doc says I'm going to live.  For someone who was so sickly as a child, I've been blessed with amazingly good health as an adult.  I talked to him about the spells of lightheadedness I've been having lately.  My blood pressure is good, so he says it's that I'm mildly dehydrated.  So I've got to be sure to drink more, especially on the weekends.  I do pretty good at work, but I'm bad about not drinking much on Saturdays.

I got my allergy medicines refilled, except the Allegra, which is OTC now.  He said he'd write me a prescription if I thought my insurance would help me pay for it, but they won't.  I tried that a while back with some Claritin.  The pharmacist said that if I tried to file it on my insurance, I'd have to pay the full prescription price for it, because it was available OTC.  So, I'll just pay the $25 for a 45 day supply off the shelf and leave it at that.

The good news is, my Nasacort is available in a generic form now, so that'll save me a ton of money.  Epi-pens are still over $100, though.  I guess they don't have generics of those.

After that, I came home and spent most of the day piddling around the house and thinking it was Saturday.   I wanted to take a nap, but was afraid if I did that, I wouldn't sleep tonight, and I really need to sleep tonight.  So I knit instead.  I've added a few squares to my sock yarn blankie-- well to one of them anyway.  And I cast on a new scarf.

There is no pattern.  I just cast on 70 stitches and am working it in linen stitch.  If you don't know what that is, it is:

Row 1:   *K1 SL 1 wyif*  repeat to end.
Row 2:  *P1 SL 1 wyib* repeat to end.

That's it.  Just do that over and over and over and over and over and over and over....well, until you run out of yarn or to stark raving mad and have to be committed to a mental institution.

In retrospect, I probably should have used a cable cast on, but I'm not ripping it out now.

I also got another repeat done on my Traveling Roses scarf.

The pattern calls for 13 repeats, but I'm thinking I'll have enough yarn to make mine a bit longer.  This picture is after 6 repeats, and I've still got plenty of yarn left on the first ball.   I'm not quite sure how long I'm going to make it.  We'll see when we get there.  I'm not afraid to wing it.

I've discovered one thing about Jesse.  He's terrified of lights.  Any kind of light, even the flashlight app I had on my phone.

That includes the camera flash, which is why I haven't been able to get a decent picture of him lately.  He really is a sweetheart, though.  I've been leaving him out of the kennel at night, and he's done really well.   I think he must have been housebroken at one time.  I'm still afraid to let him outside off leash, especially after he wandered off that one time.  Then he thought I was chasing him and ran away.  But all I wanted was to get him back. 

He's really not as shy as he looks in that picture.  He was just dreading the flash.

OK,  here is your TMI warning....


TMI!!!!!  Girl Talk Ahead!!!!!
.
.
.
.
I'm back on the Provera again.  See, what was supposed to happen the first time I took it didn't happen.  It was supposed to stop the bleeding, then two weeks later, my periods were supposed to start again, and resume a normal schedule.  What really happened in my case was that the bleeding stopped for about a day.  Then, the next day, which was the day after I'd taken the last of the meds, it started again.  I called the Dr. and he said to give it a few more days and see if it would stop.  Monday afternoon, it looked like it was going to taper off, so when the Dr. (Actually it's his nurse I've been talking to) called to check on me, I said I wanted to give it one more day to see if it would stop.

But later that night, it really picked back up again.  I ended up going home from work at lunch Tuesday because there was just so much blood gushing out of me.  I mean, it's already hot in there, and you're sticky, and stinky, and miserable.  Then to have that kind of a gusher going on...add to that I hadn't slept the night before, because I kept having to get up and change pads.  I ended up soaking the sheets anyway, so when I did come home, I couldn't just lay down.  I had to wash sheets first.  But I tried to stick it out.  I just couldn't do it and ended up coming home at lunch. 

I'll tell you what I did do, though.  I went and bought some Depends underwear for people with incontinence problems.   Not the diaper kind.  I got the kind that's more like a Pull-Up.  That's what I wore last night, and though I still woke up several times, I didn't have to wash sheets or my nightgown again. 

One of the feminine products companies tried to market those for menstrual protection, but they didn't go over too well.  I think the problem was that they way overpriced them.  They were something like $25 for a 4 pack.  I paid $5 for a 6 pack of the Depends.  They worked. 

So I'm going to pray the Provera works this time.  Except for that one day, I've been bleeding non-stop since August 4th.  Seriously, I don't know how that woman in the Bible stood it for 12 years!  I have a whole new respect for her now.

If it doesn't work, we'll probably have to do a D & C, and I just don't want to go there.

The "Green Thing"...

This one has been making the rounds lately.  I thought I'd post it here for those of you who might not have seen it, or just want to read it again.


In the line at the store, the cashier told an older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment.

The woman apologized to her and explained, “We didn’t have the green thing back in my day.”
 
The clerk responded, “That’s our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment.”

He was right — our generation didn’t have the “green thing” in its day.

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.

But we didn’t have the “green thing” back in our day.

We walked up stairs, because we didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.

But she was right. We didn’t have the “green thing” in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby’s diapers because we didn’t have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts — wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. 

But that old lady is right; we didn’t have the “green thing” back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house — not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana.

In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric machines to do everything for us.

When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, we didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she’s right; we didn’t have the “green thing” back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water.

We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But we didn’t have the “green thing” back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service.

We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn’t it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn’t have the “green thing” back then?

All Romo's Fault

Before the ink was even dry on the Cowboys' 27-24 loss to the New York Jets, the Romo bashing had already begun in earnest.  Very simple minded fans like to blame Romo for everything that goes wrong.  Because he isn't focused.  Because he smiles too much.  Because he got married.  Because he plays golf (conveniently ignoring the fact that defending Super Bowl Champion Aaron Rogers and two time Super Bowl Champion Ben Rothlisberger are also avid golfers.)  Whatever the reason, the Cowboys just can't win as long as they have Tony Romo as quarterback.

After all, it was Romo who fumbled on the 1 yard line, and even though the Jets didn't score any points off of that turnover, that play cost them the game.  So, yes, it was all Romo's fault.

Because apparently it was Romo who wasn't where he was supposed to be on a comeback route, leading to an interception, which lead to the game winning field goal by Nick Folk.  And apparently it was Romo who decided to cut Folk in the first place, because you know, it's all Romo's fault.

And it was Romo who broke to the inside, instead of the outside like he was supposed to, and so didn't catch what would have been a touchdown.

And it was Romo who snapped the ball too early.

And it was Romo who snapped the ball too late.

And it was Romo who false started, twice.

And it was Romo who let the Jets block the punt which led to the game tying touchdown.

And it was Romo who couldn't stop the Jets' pass rush to save his soul.  And it was Romo who couldn't open holes to get the running game going.  And it was Romo who couldn't rush for more than 2.6 yards per carry.  And it was Romo who couldn't punch it in from the 1 yard line, leading to the third down play in which he fumbled in the first place. 

And it was Romo who can't seem to draft a cornerback who can stay healthy.  And it's Romo who stubbornly insists on hanging on to a cornerback who has spent half his career standing injured on the sidelines.

And it was Romo who had the idea of using John Phillips as a kick returner.  (Seriously?  He's a great tight end, but as a kick returner?  Seriously?)

And it was Romo who singlehandedly gave up 17 4th quarter points.

So of course, it's all Romo's fault. Because for the simple minded fans out there, it's just easier to blame the quarterback.

We Are

They thought they'd break us, that day back in 2001.

They thought they'd break us.

They thought we'd roll over, give up, submit as so much of Europe has done. 

They thought they'd break us, that day back in 2001.

But they forgot one thing.  We are not Europe.  We are America.

We are the land of Don't Tread On Me.  Of Come And Take It.

Of Patrick Henry.  Of John Paul Jones.  Of Remember The Alamo.  Of the Minutemen.  Of the Tuskegee Airmen.  Of Jesse Owens and the US. Track & Field team.

Of gun totin' rednecks.  Country boys and Swamp People.  Of "Give me liberty or give me death" and "Choot em!"

We are America. The land where rights come from God, all men are created equal, and governments that can be altered or abolished.   

America was not always there, like Europe has been.  America came screaming into the world in a violent and bloody birth, under the light of the rockets' red glare, to the lullaby of bombs bursting in air.  They will not break us.

For we are strong.

We will pause this day.  We will remember.  We will bow our heads and mourn those who were lost.  We will pray for the ones who lost them.  We will give thanks for those who rushed into burning buildings when everyone else was rushing out.  And for those who stepped forward and answered freedom's call. 

But we will not break.  We will not bow down.  We will not submit.

Then, in one great Nationwide act of defiance, we will go on living our lives.  We will go to church.  We will go to work.  We will barbecue.  We will tailgate.  We will watch football.

And the Star Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave

and we will be free.  Because we are

America.

Dear Brach's

I have noticed that in the nutrition information section of your candy corn packaging, you have listed the serving size to be "about 19 pieces".  I believe this to be in error.

It should read Half a Bag. 

Please correct this at your earliest convenience. 

Thank you. 

*BURP* 

To The Obnoxious Jerk

who sat behind me at tonight's football game,  just a few things I'd like to say to you.

First of all, these are just kids.  They are here to play a game and enjoy themselves.  It's just for fun.  Although you appear to be about to give yourself an apoplexy, let me assure you that the world will not end if they miss a tackle, allow a touchdown, or --Heaven forbid-- lose the game.  But if you are still going to insist on being so harshly critical of these children, first you will need to make sure you have your own facts straight.  Here, let me help you...

There are no 20 yard penalties in football.

The opposing team did not just sack your running back.

A fumbled lateral is still a live ball, and can be recovered by the opposing team even though it is already on the ground.

It is not a penalty for the opposing team to sack your quarterback-- not even if two players tackle him at the same time.

Taunting is a penalty.  A 15 yarder at that.

So is fighting. 

So is jumping across the line of scrimmage and laying out the opposing quarterback before the ball is even snapped.  Twice.  The refs aren't just picking on your team.  Seriously.

All referees are humans, and occasionally make mistakes.   These refs did a pretty good job of calling this game.  They are not horrible, and do not need to be replaced.  Your team really did commit that many penalties.  Yes, there were a couple of calls that could be considered questionable, but for the most part, they were spot on. 

Delaying the snap until the end of the quarter does not mean your quarterback isn't paying attention, nor is he stupid.  It's a strategic move.  It gets you a free timeout.  It's pretty clever, actually. 

Finally, as I mentioned above, these are just kids.  They are just learning how to play the game of football.  They need our support and encouragement.  They do not need you or anyone else shrieking at them like a drunken banshee suffering from PMS.  So don't do it.

Next time, enjoy the game, but let the rest of us enjoy it, too, even if that means you have to leave your mouth at home.

Thank you.

That is all.

Ice Queen

It is finished!

It was actually finished a couple of days ago, but I'm just now getting around to posting the photo. I'll get around to blocking it eventually. 

And look! A blankie sighting!

It has been so nice and cool here these last two days that the blankie just needed to be knit. And hot chocolate needed to be drank. Drunk. Drinked. Whatever...

Well, I'm missing my little Jesse-Boo.  I dropped him off yesterday afternoon to get neutered.  And I felt that same slight melancholy that I do every time I get one of the girl dogs spayed.  Jesse is -- oddly enough-- only the second male dog I've had in the last 20 years.  (Not counting the two puppies who died of parvo long before they were old enough to worry about neutering them.)  I had my big Chessie Dakota, but I didn't get him neutered.  I'd planned on eventually breeding him, him being a pure breed and registered at that.  But I never got to the point I felt I could get that going, so I didn't. 

Anyway, I called to check on Jesse, and they said he's doing fine, and will be able to come home tomorrow.  I've only had him 3 weeks, but suddenly the house seems empty without him.  I've come to love that little fuzzball. 

That's about it for today.  I stayed up too late last night finishing a book on my Kindle, and my eyes are already drooping.  So, I think I'll head on to bed now, and ...um... start another book. 

Yeah. 

Is Health Care a Right or a Privilege?

No doubt you've heard the story of 24 year old Kyle Willis, the Cincinnatti man who died of a tooth infection this week.  The much ballyhooed claim is that the health care system failed him.  The health care system did not fail him.  When a dentist told Mr. Willis the tooth needed to be pulled, he chose not to have it done. 

Later on, when his face began to swell, Mr. Willis went to the local emergency room, where he was seen by a doctor.  Of course, emergency rooms are required to see everyone, whether they can (or want to) pay or not.  This is one reason health care costs are so high.   Nothing is free, so those who are willing to pay are forced to foot the bill for those who choose not to pay.

So, Mr. Willis was seen by a doctor and given prescriptions for pain killers and antibiotics.  The total cost for both-- a whopping $30.  The pain killer was $3, and the antibiotic was $27.  Mr. Willis chose not to get the antibiotic filled.  Claimed he couldn't afford it, yet Wal-mart offers the generic of that very same antibiotic for $4.  Yes, that's right.  Four Dollars--  bringing the grand total of his medications to --yes, you added right-- $7.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess -- I don't know because I don't have it-- that cable/ satellite TV costs way more than that.  We won't even mention internet access and cell phones.  

Yet, this incident brings to the forefront the same old question that is often asked by the left these days: 

Is health care a right or a privilege?

The question itself is a bit misleading, because everyone in this country already has the right to access the finest health care system in the world.  If you want to see a doctor, just pick up the phone and schedule an appointment.  You need surgery, just schedule it with your doctor.  You need medicine, talk to your doctor, then just go to the pharmacist and get your prescription filled.  No waiting lists, no government committees, no one weighing whether it would be more cost effective to treat you or to let you die.  You just go.  You do have that right. 

But you see, when the left claims that something should be a right, what they really mean is that they don't want to pay for it.  Like spoiled children, they want to spend their own money on their toys:  iPhones, Satellite TV, the latest gaming system, fancy cars, or whatever.  But when they get sick, they want someone else to take care of them.

So to answer the question whether health care is a right or a privilege, the correct answer is neither.  It is a RESPONSIBILITY. And it is your responsibility to provide the means to pay for your own health care, and that's the crux of the matter. If you want high quality health care, then you have to pay for it. By insisting that someone else pay your medical expenses, you are denying them their right to keep the dollars they worked so hard for. Why then should your "rights" take precedence over other people's rights?  Why should they give up their right to keep what they have earned, to give you what you did not earn? 

As for the follow up question then, "who then is entitled to receive health care if it is a privilege?" the answer is, those who are willing to take the responsibility to see that they have the means to pay for their health care. Those who forgo the satellite TV, x-boxes, 3G networks, expensive clothes and jewelry, and high speed internet if necessary, and buy themselves some insurance.

And that's it in a nutshell.



I do recognize that there are some people who truly cannot afford health care.  There are those rare individuals who don't have cable, internet, cell phones, and still can't afford it.  They are still not without resources.  Private charities and local churches will usually provide assistance to those who truly need it.  Many churches provide free or low cost clinics in their communities, where donations by the congregation support the costs of providing medical care to those in need.  The issue I have is with those who can afford health care, but are just looking for a free ride.

Houston, We Have A Problem, Part II

Like I really needed another one.

Those of you who have been keeping up with my *ahem* personal problem will be pleased to know that I am no longer impersonating a stuck pig.

And I have a whole new sympathy for that woman in the Bible.  You know the one I'm talking about.  It was driving me to tears after only 5 weeks.  I can only imagine having to deal with it for 12 years.  Yeah, I'd have probably broken every law in the books to get healed, too.

As it is, I'll just be thankful for modern medicine, and the free market health care system that we used to have that allowed the research to develop what I needed to help me.  Because, you know, it's not the government that funds that research.  It's the pharmaceutical companies.   Those people who want them to give that stuff away are completely shutting down research. 

Jesse is having his first experience with regular season football.  He he he.  I guess he'll get used to the sudden shouts and cheers.  He'll kind of have to. 


I'm going to go hunker down and wait on Lee, now.  He's supposed to arrive sometime during the night. 

Friday Funnies

Duckface Edition

And what is the Duckface, you may ask? It is this idiotic expression that all the teenagers and young people seem to think is what passes for sexy these days.  Given the duckface and Justin Bieber's hair, apparently the modern definition of sexy translates to "stupid looking".

Don't believe me?  Behold, the Duckface: 

A week or so ago, some of us got silly on Facebook and posted our best Duckfaces. But when I posted this one,

 

it was all over.   Best Duckface Ever.

Anyway, for your Friday Funnies this week, I thought it would give you some giggles to see some of the duckfaces that didn't quite make the cut.  My gag reel, if you will.

This was my very first ever attempt at a duckface:

This one almost made it, but the expression on Jesse's face in the other one gave it the clear advantage:

These two were complicated by a dog that was trying to escape.

But really, can you blame him?

I was going for a freshly showered duckface look with these two.

No, I was not naked. Don't get excited.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed  these photos, and got a few giggles out of it.  Just for the record, it's surprisingly hard to photograph your own duckface on a cell phone. 

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. 

Bad, Good, and Bad

 
The bad news is, Jesse ran away.

The good news is, I ran after him and got him back. 

The bad news is, I'm plumb tuckered. 

The good news is, he seemed really glad to be back.  Even though he seemed afraid when I was chasing him, once I got him home, and he realized I wasn't angry, just glad to have him back, he loved on me a bit.  Almost as if to say he was sorry.

The bad news is, I found the dog shampoo.  Well, that's bad news for Jesse.

The good news is, he won't stink any more.