Unappreciative Children

Before I left work today, my friend Edna introduced her son to me.  She said, "His name is Cody, too.  When you write your blog post tonight, mention something about unappreciative children."

I'm going to find that difficult, because I don't have any perspective on the topic.  Take, for example, last Thanksgiving, when my Cody was home from college.  I asked him what he wanted for Christmas.  His response was, "Nothing."

I said, "Oh, surely there's something you want."

He said, "Mom, I saw how much you had to pay for my college this semester.  You've done enough."
*Snifffff*

He's always been that way, even when we were going through the difficult teenage years.  He made me a Mother's Day card.  Let me rephrase that.  He hand drew me a Mother's Day card and on the inside wrote:  Even though I don't say it, I love you and appreciate everything you do for me.

*Snifffffffff*

He's a better person that I am, I tell ya.  (Not sure where he got it.  The Grace of God is the only thing I can come up with.)

So, yeah, I don't think I'm going to be able to cover that topic too well.

Let's move on to something I can cover.

Now that the Olympics are over  -- not that I got to see much of them thanks to NBC's usual sucktastic coverage-- I can get back to my needlework.  Oh, I got to see plenty of heats and prelims, but very few medal events.  I'd hoped that since they took place in the same hemisphere, NBC would do a better job of showing medal rounds, but no....

Enough about that.  Back to the needlework.  I got one more Dinosaurnament finished.

That makes two.

I made some progress on the latest hat, too.

Just another inch and I'll be ready to do the decrease rounds.  I've made this hat pattern before, and for some reason, I always mess up doing the decreases.  It's not noticeable or anything, but I know it's there.

This is the Hurricane Hat pattern, just in case you were wondering.

Ooo Da Lolly

Golly what a day.

I get to work and discover that second shift has left me over 100 headers.  I'm thinking I've got it made today, yeah!  Alas, sometime between when they left Saturday night and I got there this morning, someone decided to move a bunch of orders around.  Sigh...

All those headers that were sitting there ready and waiting weren't what the line needed.  I'm scrambling around trying to get the right orders ready before the line got there -- only the parts I needed weren't even ready.  It was frustrating, but I persevere, and get the work ready, just in time for the line to come in.

Turns out, I needn't have rushed.  Somehow, water had gotten into the air compressor, so there wasn't any high pressure air.  Not only that, water was in the air lines, and was spraying out of the connectors and things.  I won't go into all the gory details, but what it means is that the assembly line couldn't run.  It took nearly two hours to get that fixed.  We ran for about 45 minutes, and another machine at the end of the line broke down.  That took nearly an hour to get fixed, and then the power went out.  Not the whole plant.  Just some outlets on our line, but still the line couldn't run.

At this point, I began to wonder if I'd gotten my days mixed up and it was Thor's Day, but no.  It was Monday sure enough.  Eventually, we got the line up and running, and make it through the day, even though we didn't do but maybe 25% of what we would normally run in a work day.

How about a bit of good news?  You remember I said I needed new printer cartridges?  I found a color cartridge in the computer room, still sealed up and everything.  That means I can start taking cartoons to work again.  I know my coworkers will enjoy that.

In knitting news, I finished this hat this afternoon.

I still can't find my size 7 DPNs, so for the decreases, I switched to size 8.  You really can't tell the difference, though.  I really need to get that room organized.

Finally, I got one of my dinosaurnaments completely finished over the weekend while watching Olympics.

Only nine more to go.

Cartoons

Back a couple of years ago, I started taking cartoons to work and posting them at my work station.  Lots of people commented on how much they enjoyed them, and how much they needed that little pick-me-up.   After a while, I kind of quit doing it, for a few reasons -- one being that printer cartridges aren't cheap.

Here lately, though, I've been wanting to start that back up.  I mentioned it to some coworkers, and they were supportive -- enthusiastic, even.  The problem is, where I work now, there really isn't a good place to hang them up.  I brought one a week or so ago and posted it on the line's information board that nobody looks at, and, well, nobody saw it because nobody looks at that board.

Today, I decided to try a different place and see if anyone would see it there.  This is the cartoon I took in:

That is exactly how I feel.  It's August already?  The kids start school tomorrow, the sweet gum trees are starting to turn, training camp is well underway, and football season is just around the corner.  Now, I'm just waiting for some of that cooler weather.

Anyway, a few people saw it where I put it, so I think I might have just found a new posting spot.  I'm sure once the word gets out, more people will look, too.  The downside is, I have to spring for new printer cartridges.

Speaking of work, I found out today that they put my coworker's child back into the hospital. Like I said the other day, don't stop praying for the little feller just yet.

Dinosaurnament update:

All the stitching is done.  I'm ready to start the details.

I guess I'm going to have to spring for a new card reader, too, or you'll never get good pictures on the blog again.

It's always something...

Not Yet

I got to work Saturday, expecting to see my coworker back.  Alas, Friday night, the little boy started running fever again.  I was hoping it was something relatively minor, but she still wasn't back today. I don't know what is going on with the child now.  Basically, don't stop praying for the little guy just yet.

More bad news. Well, bad for me.  They're going to start up a third shift on my line soon.  That means, no more overtime for me.  I'm bummed.  I need that money, too.  Sigh, I guess I'll have to start eating up all that pasta I bought.

When I got home from work Saturday, I looked at my front yard and thought, "You know, I really ought to mow."  Now, I hadn't mowed last week when my air was broken.  I didn't want to get out and get all hot with no way to cool off.  I didn't figure it would hurt to skip a week.

Yeah.  That's how high my grass grew in just two weeks.

I thought about just leaving it, and claiming I was trying to let it go to seed, but nah, I mowed anyway.   I was going to do the part behind the fence, too, but alas, I ran out of gas.  I went to put some more in the mower, and my little gas can was empty.  Heck, that's a good enough excuse for me.

Speaking of gas, I stopped by the gas station on the way home to air up my tires.  I put my 6 quarters in the machine, and looked at the sidewall of the nearest tire to see what the PSI was supposed to be. I aired them all up to the recommended PSI of 35, but they still looked low.  I thought maybe they were supposed to look like that, so I drove on home.  When I was emptying out my pockets, I found I still had my valve stem caps in them.  I went back out to put them back on my tires.  That's when I saw it.  I'd looked at the wrong number.  They are supposed to be aired to 51 PSI.  (That seems high, but it's what the tire says.)  I guess tomorrow, I'll feed more quarters into the machine and get them aired up -- this time to the correct PSI.

I'm seriously considering buying one of those compact air compressors to keep at home.  Eventually, it'll pay for itself, especially as the price of using the gas station air keeps going up.  Anyone else remember when air was free?

A few weeks ago, I saw an ad on Facebook for a place that sells horseshoe nail cross necklaces with military and police type charms on them.  I thought it was really cool, but a little high in price.  I wrestled with myself over buying one for a while, but eventually decided that since a portion of the proceeds is donated to various charities supporting military and law enforcement, I'd bite the bullet and get one.   However, when I started to check out, turns out the guy wanted $15 more for shipping charges.  Fifteen dollars!!  For shipping!!!

Dude!  I got a lawnmower shipped to my house for free!  I wasn't going to pay $15 to ship a little bitty necklace.  Naturally, I did what any independent minded, red-blooded American would do.  I googled a source, ordered the components, and made one myself.

Since the charms came in a package of 12, I bought some earring thingys at Wal-mart and made a matching set of earrings.

Total cost for both: less than what dude wanted for shipping alone.  I think I'll use the money I saved to buy my boys some coffee.

Finally, the little dinosaurnaments are almost done.

I've got two more I've got to do the black stitching, then it'll be down to the backstitching and details.  Maybe -- just maybe -- they'll be done by Christmas after all.    

Catching Up

It's no secret I've been a bit tuckered lately.  Take last night, for example.  I got out of the bath, and gathered up my dirty clothes to put them into the laundry hamper....aaaand tossed them into the kitchen sink.

Even in my advanced state of poopedness, there has been knitting.

The pickle juice hat is almost to the point I can start the decreases.  I just need to find my measuring tape.  I took it to the bedroom to measure my window for my A/C unit, and I can't remember where I put it.  I've knit enough hats that I can guess pretty closely how long it is, and I know this one is about 4  1/2 to 5 inches.   I usually knit 6 1/2 inches before starting my decreases, so we're not there yet.

My little dinosaurnaments are close to being done.

I've just been too tired to work much on them.  The knitting is so much more mindless, and easier to do in my sleep deprived brain state.

It Sure Is Monday

And it's been a rough one.  The other sub brazer hasn't been there because her child has been sick. That means that for the last three days, I've had to braze by myself.  For some reason, they can't ever seem to find a back up brazer for my line.  So, I'm over there doing two people's work.

My regular group leader is on vacation, so today the back up group leader said, "I don't see how you braze by yourself.  Don't you ever get tired?"  Uh, yeah.  Of course I get tired.  That's why I'm hollering at everyone by the end of the day.

It's also why no Pokemon have been found lately.  I'm almost out of Pokeballs, and I'm too tired to drive down to the Pokespots.

But digress...this has been going on since Friday morning -- when the other brazer got the phone call and had to leave.  Needless to say, I've been tuckered.  Yesterday, I didn't do anything but sit.  I worked on my Dinosaurnaments a little bit, but my head was pounding too much for that much concentration.

So, naturally, I cast on another hat.

This is Knit Picks Brights and the color is Pickle Juice.  It's just a plain stockinette stitch hat pattern with an 80 stitch cast on and 1 1/2 " of  K2P2 ribbing.

I'm not sure why I felt the need to tell you that.  I guess I'm desperately trying to make this blog post more interesting, but frankly, it ain't happening.

That being said, I'm going to sign off now.  I'm sure you have better things to do.

It's Not Monday

It's not Monday, but it sure feels like it.  The first day back at work after a holiday is always hard.  It's even harder when you get up at 3:30, after being able to sleep until 6:00 the last couple of days.

I had a quiet holiday.  Cody had to work, so was unable to come home.  The good news is, I got my flag up!  I haven't been able to hang my flag for far too many years.  See, when I bought my trailer house, I knew I was going to eventually have to sell it.  For this reason, I didn't want to put any holes in the walls, or door frame, or anything.  So, I didn't hang my flag.

Then my beloved son decided to hang his gun rack in his bedroom.  With screws and drywall anchors.  Yeah...

But the rest of the house was hole free.

When I bought my new house, I was so excited that I could finally hang my flag again.  However, the first time I tried to put up my hanger -- so my flag would be up for Memorial Day-- I discovered that I didn't have the right size screws.  I kept checking at Wal-mart, and they never had the right size.  The ones that fit the holes in my hanger were too short.  I wanted at least 1 1/2" screws, because my flag is big.  It's a 4' x 6', and I was afraid shorter screws wouldn't hold it up.

The next goal was for Flag Day, but alas, still no screws.  Finally, they got some of the right size screws in just in time for Independence Day.  So, yay, the flag is up.

That first day, I kept going to my front window, just to watch it wave.  It's a beautiful sight.  All these people saying they're offended by the American flag, well I suggest they move to a country that doesn't fly it.

Interesting bit of trivia, when I first came to look at this house before I bought it, there were four American flags flying on the road.  Four -- in less than half a mile.  And it wasn't even a holiday. I stood in my front yard and thought, "All these flags flying...this looks like a neighborhood I want to be a part of."  That was a big factor in my buying this house.

Yesterday, as I was looking out at my flag, I noticed it had gotten wrapped around the pole.  I went out to unwrap it, and heard my neighbor Norma call my name.  "Do you like tomatoes?"  Oh, yeah, I love tomatoes.  They give me terrible heartburn, but I eat them anyway.  "I'll bring you some."

Because this is America, and that's how we roll.

She told me she and her husband had gone to visit their younger son in Arkansas, and stopped at some Farmer's market type of place and bought a bunch of tomatoes.  They were giving some to all the neighbors.  After thanking her profusely, I promptly went back inside and made myself a tomato sandwich.

I'd never eaten a tomato sandwich until I moved to Mississippi.  Boy was I missing out.

I spent the rest of the weekend watching patriotic movies and working on my needlepoint dinosaurnaments.  That's what it says on the package.  Dinosaurnaments.  Clever, huh?

I also knit a little bit on the hat, but I didn't take a picture.  I did take a picture of one of my lavender crepe myrtles.

They're really starting to come on now, and are going to be so pretty.

I think tomorrow after work, I'm going to run to the store and see if they have those American flag paper plates on clearance.  If they do, I'm stocking up.

Because 'Murica.

I Decline To Answer

I thought I'd come home this evening and work on the little dinosaur Christmas ornaments that I found yesterday.  They were almost done, so it shouldn't take too much to finish them, right?

Unfortunately, when I pulled them out, the needle was smashed beyond use.  I got a needle out of one of my cross stitch kits, but its eye was too small.  These call for using six strands of floss, and I couldn't even fit them into the needle.  No problem.  I'd get a needle from the other plastic canvas ornaments I'd started a couple of years ago.

But their needles were the same size as the other, since they only use two strands of floss, too.  BTW, the one on the left is supposed to be a snowman holding presents.  Yes, that's as far as I've gotten.  The one on the right is almost finished.  I just have to do a bazillion French knot snowflakes.

Digging deeper, I found this needlepoint kit that my Daddy had given me years and years ago.  About 30 years ago, to be exact.

Its needle had gotten lost somewhere along the way.  Yes, that is as far as I got.   Then I found these two, the one on the right having never even been opened.

And this one.  All three of these were bought when I was in the Navy.  I got out in 1994, and that's all I have to say about that.

And this nativity scene tissue box cover, also probably 20 years old.

And this one that has also never been opened.

At this point, I'm actually starting to doubt my own existence, not to mention my sanity.  So, why did I order five more kits last month?

We won't even talk about my yarn stash.

I'm pleading the fifth.

The good news is my little knitting bag is now filled back up -- with needlepoint and cross stitch kits.