Thursday, November 24, 2005

Goodnight, Gracie



It was a year a go on Thanksgiving that we had to put my Gracie girl to sleep.

I had just come up to my parents' house after working the late shift at Burger King when my parents told me that something was wrong with Gracie. She couldn't move her back legs; she just dragged them behind her. I checked for nerve response by pinching the skin between her toes and she didn't even look. She was happy to see me, though. She was always happy to see me. My parents said that they would make her a veterinary appointment as soon as possible the day after Thanksgiving.

I had only been asleep a few hours, when my father woke me up. "We can't wait. She needs a vet. We thought you might want to go."

I got up and anxiously helped my dad carry Gracie out to the car, wrapped in a blanket. We went to an emergency vet clinic, where they sent out a stretcher to cart my Rottie into the building.

We were ushered into an exam room. I watched as a woman about my age came in with her parents, all dressed up for the holiday. The woman carried a blanket that held her precious pet. They were sent to the exam room a little down the hall from ours. A few moments later, they reemerged, this time the woman weeping over the blanket as her parents tried to console her.

They brought Gracie into our exam room on a stretcher. The vet came in and told us we had a few options. She said they could do surgery, they could do a CAT scan, or they could put her to sleep. She mentioned that givne the age of Gracie (she was 10) and the severity of her condition, that we might only be determining the exact cause for putting her to sleep. I didn't want her to suffer any more, so I asked for them to put her to sleep. They asked if I wanted to be with her in her final moments. I said absolutely.

They wheeled her out and brought her back in with an IV in her front paw. The doctor gave us a few moments to say goodbye. I hugged her and told her what a good girl she was and how much I was going to miss her. The docotr administered the syringe full of medication to stop her heart and in a few moments, my Gracie girl was gone. I bawled, but I also remembered what a great dog she was and we reminisced about Gracie during Thanksgiving dinner.

God, I still miss her!

Saturday, November 19, 2005

Sockos


Here's the very first pair of knitted socks. I finally have pictures! I knew they didn't match, but I didn't care; I wore them anyway.
Then I made the chocolate-colored one a twin, so the wheat-colored one is the third wheel. More accurately, he's the not-quite-large-enough-wheat-colored third wheel. I can't believe how warm they are and how cheap! Wool-ease is available at my friendly neighborhood Pat Catan's for about $2 a skein and I can make a pair of ankle socks to fit my size 11 1/2 feet with one skein. [doing a little happy dance] I can't buy socks that fit in the stores that cheap! So, once Christmas gifts are done, I'll be knitting myself a herd of hand-knit socks!

On a different note, I found a new KAL and I just about died when I saw how gorgeous one of the
proposed patterns is. Upon completion (which is tentatively set for next Halloween) I will be able to become The Mad Tatter. I plan on utilizing every string-craft in my repertoire to create this costume and I hope by announcing it here that I will actually follow through. I am so excited!!!!

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Snow is a four-letter "S" word

So I just went outside to chase after Jaws who had forgotten the bounds of the "yard," when I noticed white stuff on the fallen leaves outside. Could it be? Yes folks, we have our first official snow of the season here in Kent, Ohio. You know what that means, don't you? Neither do I, but it was rather surprising this morning since all week the temperature has been hovering near 60 or better.

Now for the bad news: my mood has been less than healthy lately and I'm not sure what to do about it. I ran on my treadmill last night, hoping the endorphin boost might help, but all it did was get me sweaty and inspire me to start on a quilting project which was abandoned 15 minutes later, leaving me with a flurry of fabric scraps on the floor.

When things get bad, I do not contemplate suicide, I contemplate relocation. I calculate how far I could get on the contents of my bank account and what I would take with me. How I would move somewhere and start a new life where no one knew me, preferably somewhere small and New England-y or somewhere out West, like Montana. When things get really bad, I find a nice rock to hide under and wait for someone to notice. However, since most of my interaction with humans takes place on the phone, no one really notices. Fortunately, I am going home this weekend. Unfortunately, that means I will get no schoolwork or housework done, furthering my overwhelmed-ness. But at least I get to knit and eat home-cooked meals.

Friday, November 11, 2005

Knitting "muffins"

A few years ago, I was employed by a grad student to watch her 2 children while she went to class. She had a daughter (5) and a son (9). I started working with them in October, so the weather was fast approaching cold. I picked up the girl from daycare one day and she was all bundled up in her winter coat, her hat and mittens. I put her in the back seat of my car and on the way home she asked "Lisa, can I take off my muffins?"
Trying not to giggle too loudly, I asked "What, sweetie?"
"Can I take off my muffins...mittens? I know they're called 'mittens,' I just like calling them 'muffins.'"
"I like that too! Of course you can take off your muffins."

Aubrey, this pair is for you!

I cast on a pair of the Inner Child muffins from the
Hip to Knit book. Since I am a very, very poor college student, I opted for the 2 straight needle pair (since I can't afford more DPNs at this time, although they are on my Christmas list) and I am knitting in Caron Simply Soft yarn (in Grey Heather), which is available at my local Wal*Mart for $2 a skein. In spite of the fact that it is pure acrylic, it is very soft and easy to work with.

I will post pictures of my WsIP next weekend when I go to visit my parents; they have a digital camera. :)

Saturday, November 05, 2005

Not sure I require an opulent lifestyle...

Your Birthdate: July 8
Watch out Donald Trump! You've got a head for business and money.You'll make it rich some day, even if you haven't figured out how yet.A supreme individualist, you shouldn't get stuck in a corporate job.Instead, make your own way - so that you can be the boss.
Your strength: Your undying determination
Your weakness: You require an opulent lifestyle
Your power color: Plum
Your power symbol: Dollar sign
Your power month: August
What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

Goodwill Hunting

God, I love Goodwill! It's the only place I know where I can spend $30 and walk away with a whole new wardrobe of designer clothes! My most recent reason to go to Goodwill is to find knit sweaters to recycle. Which brings me to my story:

I went to my LYS today to pick up the
Fiber Trends Felt Clog pattern because I could not justify doubling the price of the pattern with shipping and waiting days for it to arrive, when I could drive a few minutes (or 1/2 an hour) out of my way and pick it up myself. Then I looked at how much yarn I would need. about 800 yards. Okay...average skein of yummy Reynolds Lopi = 100 yards. I would need at least 8 of those, at $6 a skein= way too much to pay for a pair of clogs. Soooooo...I am going to go through the sweaters I have snagged from Goodwill. At $3.50 a piece, and sometimes 1/2 price, I figure this is a much more economical way to experiment, as I am a felting virgin. [blush] I will let you know how this little experiment of mine goes. I plan on starting the clogs as soon as I can frog the victims...I mean, uh, sweaters.

I am also DESPERATE for a digital camera. I won what essentially amounts to a $100 gift card to Best Buy in the McDonald's Monopoly game and I'm thinking I may give that to my parents so they can get me a decent digital camera for Christmas. 'Cause they don't sell yarn at Best Buy and I already own as much of Neverwinter Nights as I care to right now. Than I can actually have pictures! Not only in my blog, but in my life! [I have a terrible habit of taking pictures and never having them developed. I know I at least have 3 rolls from a vacation to New York City that are almost 10 years old. Hell, I probably still have undeveloped film from high school, and I graduated...sheesh! 12 years ago! Maybe I should ask for that for Christmas...