Up For Air

Just coming up for air, and to let you know I'm still alive.  I said blogging would be a bit sparse for a while, and I wasn't wrong about that.  I'm telling you, though, it's been nice not having that one more thing hanging over my head every day.  The upside is I got some good piano practices in this week.  Well, except for yesterday, but then things are always a bit hectic on Fridays what with running pay day errands and all.  Even so, I got a short practice in before the day was over -- mostly working on one of my Christmas songs I'm trying to memorize.  I've almost got it, but still have to check the music from time to time. 

I keep thinking I need to memorize more music, but by the time I get home from work, I'm just so tired.  

See, I knew you'd missed me complaining about how tired I am all the time, so I had to slip that one in.  On that same note, one of my coworkers  out of the blue walked over and asked me, "Doesn't anything on your body hurt?"  I replied, "There is nothing on my body that doesn't hurt!"  I mean, what good does complaining do anyway?  There are enough sour, bitter old hags out there without me becoming another one.  I prefer to look on the bright side of life. 

Speaking of bright, I finished the hat I was working on, and it is definitely...vibrant.  

I wish the yarn striped better, so the stripes weren't thick on one side and thin on the other. 

I have enough yarn for one more hat, and I'm thinking about casting on a child size next time, to see if the stripes end up more even.

On a similar note, my friend Leann was having an odd skein sale at her yarn shop, Forbidden Fiber.  She has some of the most gorgeous colors, so do check her yarn out.  She also has cross stitch kits and supplies for sale, but I can't see well enough to cross stitch any more, so I've left those alone.  Anyway, she'd had a bunch of colors where she only had one or two skeins left, and she put them on clearance.  I managed to pick up these two beauties for half price:

I'm thinking I might make a matching hat and scarf set with this.  I just need to go peruse patterns and find the right one. 

Abrupt change of subject, did anyone score any good Prime Day deals this time around?  I wasn't too thrilled with the offerings, but I did pick up this beauty:

It's one of those mini chain-saw pruner/trimmer things.  I've been wanting one for a while, and when I saw them on sale, I couldn't resist. 

It came with two fully charged batteries, plus a charger,  

an extra chain and screwdriver, 

and even gloves and safety glasses.

It all came in a fancy carrying case, which I can't quite figure out how to fit it all into.

I was going to wait until after work today to try it out, but I couldn't wait.  Eagerly, I ran outside and chopped down this privet that has been plaguing me ever since I moved into this house. 

Let me tell you, it was so much better than hacking away at it with a hand saw.  I got this far

and decided to stop for a while, because I kept hitting that fence pole.  I didn't want to mess up my new blade, so I chopped up some fallen limbs that had been laying around waiting to be cut into firewood.

Maybe I can get out in the morning before it gets too hot and chop some more stuff down.  As for now, I'm trying to wait until the heat index is below triple digits so I can get out and mow.  

The never ending story, eh?  

And finally, as if I didn't already have enough on my plate, I started the Spanish course on Duolingo.  I'd taken two years of it in high school, so this will be just a refresher for a while.  French is still the main language I'm working on, with Italian and Latin on the side.  

I must be a glutton for punishment.  

Or just flat out crazy, one.  

Don't answer that.  I'm not sure I want to know.