An Unexpected Day Off

I was there at work, just a working away, when Group Leader Fernando called everyone to the end of the line.

Long story short, seems the plant had run out of some vitally important oil, without which they could not run some vitally important machines, and they were sending everyone home.  They are calling around to some of the other local plants to see if they have some of this vitally important oil they could lend us.  If no one has any, we'll be off tomorrow, too.  They want us to call in the morning to see if we're working or not.  

I know you're on the edge of your seat wondering what I did with my unexpected day off, so I'll tell you.  Since I was up and dressed, I decided to go into town and run some vitally important errands I'd been putting off all week.  I paid my dentist bill, ran to the post office, went to the hardware store (and finally bought a replacement doorknob), then to Wal-Mart for my shopping.

Look, I found some whole bean coffee! 

This is the only brand I saw there.  I've never tried it, so I don't know if it's any good or not.  I didn't buy it, because it'll be a bit before my coffee mill gets here anyway.  At least I know that they have some when the time comes.  I haven't checked any of the other local stores to see what they have.

As I was wandering through the store -- discovering that Thursday morning is a very good time to shop-- I happened upon one, lonely copy of this:

I'd had it in VHS, but since my VCR crapped out a couple of years ago, I hadn't been able to watch it.  Sometimes I manage to catch it when it comes on TV, but other years, I miss it completely.  Now, I don't have to miss it at all! 

I was not pleased to see this mug.

America's war on boys continues.  Just imagine the outcry if it had said girls are dumb, yet this is supposed to be OK?  Needless to say, I did not buy it.

Once I'd gotten my business in town taken care of, I came back home and settled in for an afternoon of knitting and Netflix.  I was getting to the end of my yarn, so I started to wind another hank.  I got so aggravated.   The yarn was all kinds of tangled up, and in pieces! 

I thought maybe moths had gotten to it, but I saw no evidence of them.  Moths wouldn't have caused the tangles anyway.  It's like they took all their ends and scraps and wound them together.  Since it's been five years since I bought the yarn, I imagine it's too late to return it.  Good thing I know how to spit splice. 

I started to splice all the bits of yarn together, but then I just said forget it.  I got another hank out and it was fine.  

And thus, the knitting continues.  Thirty six more rounds and I will move to the fifth and final section -- which if I remember right, is the border.  After five long years, this beautiful, awful, wonderful shawl will be done! 

It's about time.