A Whale of a Dream

I’m so very proud to report that I did indeed exercise last night. I warmed up on my treadmill for a quarter mile. I then popped in my new Prenatal Yoga DVD (finally) and found that, not only am I still pretty limber, but also when I jokingly called it “Downwind Farting Dog” pose, I was being prophetic.  That being said, that particular stretch actually really helped with my tailbone- by extending the stretch and pushing my derriere even farther into the air like a stink beetle actually did help. Huh.  Who knew? 

I finished off my workout by walking an additional mile. So, I walked a total of 30 minutes plus 30 minutes of yoga stretching- SOOOOO proud of myself!

Now, I don’t know if it was the exercise that triggered my weird dreams, or if it’s just the fact that I have a wild imagination anyway and it is now hopped up on dangerous levels of progesterone and estrogen, but man-oh-man did I wake up this morning with my heart a-thumpin’.

I have always had pretty vivid dreams and usually always let my Mister know what crazy adventures I’ve had during the night. I’m much more of a chipper morning person than he is and will very easily take advantage of his morning groggies and download my crazies on him.  He will then heavily sigh, sleepily moan, “Urrrgh…notagain…you’recrazy,” and then try to get away from my incessant chattering.

This morning I decided to keep him captive in our morning snuggle since my dream had to do with him and I trying to get away from killer whales in the Caribbean after being gifted with a mama and baby seal.  Yeah.  I don’t know, either.

Some lady I’ve never met in real life but looked like a mix of Susan Clark’s “Ma’am” from Webster and Carol Burnett as Mrs. Hannigan from Annie, was taking us for a surprise trip in the middle of the ocean and happily gave us the seals. I was enjoying the private boat ride and was watching them play when the lady told me, “Why haven’t you gone in yet? It’s weird to not enjoy playing with your new toys.” Yes- she implied I was weird and then called the seals toys.

I, feeling foolish for not knowing I was weird, hastily started putting on my scuba gear and jumped in before putting on my fins and ensuring my O-ring was dry and sealed. My Mister and I do scuba dive in real life and I was starting to panic for reals at this point in the dream because I was rushing to get into the water but was worried that I wasn’t really prepared.  The familiar sensation of being in the water and rapid breathing through my regulator had me quickly and shallowly breathing in my sleep and I started feeling my heart race. I knew I was dreaming but was still not able to come out of the dream.

As I was pulling on my fins, my Mister, who was in the boat which was now about 30 feet away from me, jumped into the water but without his scuba gear. He was just going to swim. We seemed to be by some huge trees/a grove of some sort (how it switched to that from being in the middle of the ocean, I have no idea) and there was a large WW2 boat that was wrecked nearby. The strange thing (because everything up to now has been perfectly normal) was that the trees were kinda just floating there. It wasn’t an island- their roots just dangled in the water.

 I was still at the surface as he jumped in and I smiled at him- or at least as well as I could with my goggles and regulator on. Then I started panicking.  As he was swimming, I noticed a large black shadow coming closer and closer to him. I tried warning him and Ma’am Hannigan but, with my regulator on it just came out like a muffled, “mmmrrrrgghRRRhgmm.”  At first it looked like a blue whale face getting closer to the surface but it seemed too small and I think my semi conscious brain kicked in and said, “Blue whales are much larger than that and, besides, they wouldn’t be in the Caribbean.” So, naturally it turned into a killer whale. “Much more realistic,” said my brain.  Then more shadows started showing up as his family decided to come around, too.

We started trying to swim away and thought we could escape in the trees since the whales would get tangled up and wouldn’t be able to get to us. The mama and baby seal were around the WW2 boat somewhere and my Mister and I were slapping at the water as the whales kept surfacing by us for air, blowing a watery PUFFFFT in our direction, and slowly slinking back into the water while eyeing us- watching and waiting. 

I didn’t want to find out what they were waiting and watching us for. I could feel that I was breathing rapidly and my heart was thumping hard in my chest and my mind was screaming, “WAKE UP BEFORE THEY EAT YOU!” so I forced myself awake and tried slowing down my respiration and calm my palpitations.  It was about 6:45am and I turned around and held my Mister in a, “Don’t ever leave me to get eaten by killer whales” death grip. His alarm goes off at 7:00, he hits snooze like normal and we have our normal 7 minutes of snuggle time before he gets up. However, I kept him a little longer since I was still trying to keep him safe from Willy. 

He ended up running late for work this morning, so he skipped breakfast which makes him grumpy.

Mister: “Urrgh...We snuggled too long and now I don’t get to have my cereal.” 

Me: “But you were almost eaten by a killer whale and there were seals and I love you!”

Mister:  “Urrrgh…notagain…you’recrazy.”

On the Next Episode of GegeCrochet....

I have a lot to share about this past week- lots of blog posts that have been simmering in my brain all week- and yet no time to get them out. Blerg.  I'm overworked, undersleeped (it's a word- look it up), over committed, and under medicated right now. I have lots of pictures to share (DC Cherry Blossoms! And maybe a bump pic or two. Teehee!) but no time to go through them. I'm frazzled and stressed and wondering how much more my belly and boobs can stretch. (Answer: apparently lots more for my belly- it's not too terribly big right now but great googly moogly! Am I going to be feeding an army with these suckers or what??)

I've got some food posts (wasn't done with my fruit education for y'all just yet), some crochet posts (have another Ask Gege video segment coming down the pike- this time on felting!), and there's a very good chance for some more random ramblings of a hormonal and gassy pregnant woman (100% chance of it happening tonight). But for now.....I sleep.  And hopefully poop. Hopefully not at the same time.

Laters, y'all.

How Do You Spell Relief? S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G

Online shopping, that is.  Come on- I had to relax and recoup from an insane couple of weeks. Do you honestly think that going into a store would help me with that?  I *hate* shopping.  (Yarn, book, and grocery shopping are the only exceptions.) Granted, I did have to go into an actual store this weekend since I am woefully low on clothes that fit my ever expanding body.  Let's just say my "girls" spell relief: n-o-m-o-r-e-q-u-a-d-r-o-b-o-o-b.

I've finally been able to rest up and put the craziness of Children's Day at the Mall behind me. Well, almost. As I told Tracy and Kuddles in the comments from last post, I could always use some more sleep. Especially since I may have been a leeeetle eensy weensy bit crankier than normal recently. Lack of sleep, stress, raging pregnancy hormones...not a pretty picture.  I was feeling like Hallmark's Maxine and was just hoping for a neighbor kid to wander onto my yard so I could shake my fist and yell, "Hey! Get off the lawn! *muttering* Crazy kids these days have no respect...  And pick up that dog turd!"  I also seem to use a New York accent when I tell them that. With a gravelly old lady smoker voice. (No- I wasn't testing out my gravelly old lady voice just now. Shut up.)

Something else has been really bothering me a lot lately- a huge pain in my butt.  Literally. My tailbone has been killing me for some time and my lower back has also been acting up from all the standing from the fruit preparation/cooking I've been doing. I was hoping to find a donut pillow at Target or something but no such luck. I did order a coccyx pillow (online!) and am anxiously awaiting it- hopefully tomorrow or Thursday.  I also think I'll crochet a pillow cover for it so that when people see me lugging it around everywhere I go, instead of thinking, "I wonder what's wrong with her butt?" they'll think, "That's cute! And the pillow ain't bad, either." Teehee! (I'm serious about the pillow cover- I have one in mind that's making me giggle and I hope it'll look as good in real life as it does in my head. Teehee, again!)

In other shopping news:

My blocking wires arrived but I've not yet had time to utilize them for my Squooshy project. Hopefully Finish Friday will remedy that little problem.  Granted, I still need to find "wool wash" to soak it in so I can block it correctly.  Argh. Now I know why I've never blocked anything. I hate shopping. And, I'm too lazy.

I had also ordered a few books- I start feeling overwhelmed and I start sneaking back into my ultimate escape zone. With crochet designing you have to think and plot and calculate and frog and curse. Books let you escape everything in real life and let you live vicariously through someone else's, whether real or imaginary. Thus, I read Drunk, Divorced, and Covered in Cat Hair by Crazy Aunt Purl. She was a person I was recommended to follow on Twitter, so I did. I did not know at the time that she ran an insanely successful blog and was also an author. I just thought she was a funny lady who would tweet back to me after I responded to her tweets. I checked out her blog and that's where I found out about her book and, since I was in a money spending mood and Amazon just happened to be opened on my computer, I ordered her book. I then read it in one sitting. I laughed. I cried. It moved me, Bob.  I heart her. 

I also ordered two crochet books. One I've been wanting for a while- it's Kim Guzman's Learn to Do Tunisian Lace Stitches and it also comes with a DVD that shows step by step how to do the stitches. Like my own personal Kim Guzman Youtube channel.  I lurves it!  As some of you may know, I'm pretty good with Tunisian crochet color work. However, I've only ever used Tunisian simple stitch and really wanted to try my hand at other Tunisian stitches. I can't wait to start on some of these stitch patterns! (Btw: she's working on a new book (or two?) but may have just been inspired by my little Geekling to create Tunisian Baby Clothes. SQUEE!! Those will be awesome, indeed. Need to start practicing those new stitches! You too! Buy the book!)

The other crochet book is Crochet So Fine by Kristin Omdahl.  There are so many gorgeous patterns in this book; however, I bought it primarily for the Shimmer Beaded Lace Cape.

Yes, it's another wrap, but I can actually picture myself wearing this one. I may have also pictured myself wearing huge Jackie-O glasses with a Holly Golightly cigarette holder casually held in the air. Note to self: start smoking. All the cool kids are doing it.  (Don't judge me. How else am I supposed to get my gravelly old lady voice?? Have you heard my voice? An admin assistant at my Mister's work thought I was 12. When I get riled up, I start speaking at 400 words per minute and my pitch keeps getting higher and higher. When the dogs start howling, I know it's in the Minnie Mouse on helium range. Although, if I start smoking, I may die of lung cancer or emphysema or, even worse, get premature wrinkles. *shudder* Maybe Minnie Mouse isn't so bad.)

I also bought a prenatal yoga DVD and am going to try it for the first time tonight and am hoping the stretching will help out with my tailbone/back pain. Ok...actually I'm not going to try it tonight. I've been typing too much while sitting on my butt and now it's time to go to bed. Argh.  Oh well- Downwind Farting Dog pose will just have to wait till tomorrow.

Get off my lawn!

Busy, Busy, Busy

Just a quick check-in: 

1) This Finish Friday!!! was a success- although, technically it was a successful Sewing Saturday since I finished the Watermelon Tote for the auction at my church at 3am. I had to take it to my church by 8:30am Saturday.  My church is 35 minutes away from my house, so I had 4 hours of sleep and am still trying to catch up on my missed slumber. (BTW- it was the most sought after purse and brought in beaucoup bucks at the auction- more than I sell it for in my etsy shop. EEEP! So extremely proud!!)

2) Also on Friday, I was able to make 2 lasagnas for my friend who is recovering from surgery, which is part of the reason I had to sew into the wee hours of the morning. Another part is the whole, "I need clean underwear NOW" thing again. And, finally, the other part has to do with my multiple trips to the grocery store due to my incompetence in reading food labels. FYI: sour cream is NOT cottage cheese and, though some may be able to go rogue and substitute it in a lasagna recipe, I do not mess with my recipe. Ever heard of "Engagement Chicken?"  Well, this is my Engagement Lasagna.  I believe it is the main reason my Mister married me. He may love it more than he loves me. People ask me for the recipe all the time and I politely decline.  This is extremely potent stuff and I take my superpowers seriously. I can't be responsible for duping some poor sap into proposing to his harpie girlfriend. I already duped my poor sap Mister- let them find their own superpower.

3) My Squooshy was long enough! I stubbornly pressed on (and on...and on...) and proved those voices wrong- HA! In your face!! Don't mess with me- I've got superpowers!

4) I'm waiting for some blocking wires I ordered from Amazon so I can block it and then finish what I have in mind for it. Pictures to follow. (The voices are telling me that I've never blocked anything before so what makes me think I'll actually finish this project.  Their kryptonite is strong, but my mule-headedness is stronger.  I hope....)

5) I'm finally almost to the color work portion of my Geekling's blanket! WOOT! I love it! Unfortunately, so does my cat. My Mister found our darling little girl sleeping on it when he got home from work today. Unfortunately, we haven't cut her nails in a couple weeks.  SNAG-O-RAMA.  I resisted the urge to scream and cuss at our little ball of fur (took all my superstrength- may need wool infusion very soon!) and instead figured I should make her something so she can leave my stuff alone. This is a pic of her on a different project from a couple weeks ago:

You want it back? You feel lucky, punk?

6) I've been very busy with work stuff. Every year we participate in the Children's Day at the Mall and it is coming up this Saturday. This is the second year that I'm in charge of the food demonstrations. Last year the theme was the Rainforest (or something like that) so I made the Wild Wraps. This year the theme is Space Buddy Blast (or something like that) so I'm making Astronaut Fruit Leathers. Basically fruit roll ups made in a dehydrator.  Soooo good. Soooo easy to make.  Soooo difficult to keep my Mister away from them. I think it's residual effects from my Engagement Lasagna- makes him want to devour anything and everything that I make.  I told you- powerful stuff.

7) Until after Saturday, I'm going to be pretty busy this week so I don't anticipate much crocheting. I'm going to have major overtime which is good on my wallet but bad for....well just about everything else.  I really can't wait until Sunday.

I'm checking out early tonight. I'm really exhausted, y'all. Superpowers fading....send wool reinforcements.......must....eat......lasagna......

The Road Goes Ever On and On...and On...and On....

I'm feeling a little like Bilbo right now.  I've even shaved my feet, but that didn't seem to help.  (Although it did help my Mister not cower in fear anymore when I take off my socks.) I've been working on my variegated project to just git-r-done, but it's a pretty monotonous two-row repeat ripple all done in dc and chain stitches. Since the yarn is sock weight, the length just doesn't seem like it's getting long enough fast enough for the number of stitches in it. I don't even think blocking is going to get the length I was envisioning for it, which means....I really should listen to the voices in my head, just this once, and frog the sucker so I can start all over again. Granted, I'm just obsessive stubborn  dedicated enough to finish it off to see if maybe, just maybe, it will be long enough.  And just to prove those voices wrong so I can laugh in their faces with my sweet, sweet triumph. Victory will be mine, witches! Muahahahahaha!

Ahem.

My other project- my Geekling's blanket- is something I'm very excited about and I can't wait to see it completed.  However, for far too many rows of the blanket, it's a pretty boring length of Tunisian simple stitch.  It will all be worth it (the voices keep telling me) but for now it's a mite bit repetitive.  I can't wait til I start on the color work, which is what is fueling my obsession right now.  "I'm another row closer....another row closer... another row...great googly moogly!  How many stinking rows are there??!?"

So, hopefully sometime soon I'll be able to show you what I've been working on- either a finished variegated project, or a newly rewound ball of Squooshy that I'll auction off on Ebay after stomping on it like a petulant child.  Geekling's blanket will take a little longer, but that one will definitely get finished.

I am already planning for this Finish Friday- I do need to line my Watermelon Tote since the auction is Saturday. I don't think I'll be able to do much more than that since a dear friend of mine has just had emergency surgery and I've volunteered to take her family a couple lasagnas for dinner. (She's married with 4 boys- 3 of them teenagers. Prayers for her are greatly appreciated.  Also for her recovery.)

Take it away, Bilbo.

Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea;
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone,
And under mountains in the moon.
                       J.R.R. Tolkien

Stitches go ever ever on,
Over hook and under me,
By couches where never vacuum has gone,
By cats that always seem to see;
Over projects my hands have done
And through the woolly messes strewn,
Over pillows and my hun,
And under tables all afternoon
                         GegeCrochet

March is Here!

The bestest month of the year is finally here! I'm so excited, my Spidey senses are beginning to tingle- either that or I may need to consult with my OB again....  Either way, I am so happy to know that spring is right around the corner!  NatCroMo and NatNutMo, I am ready for you to work your amazing fibrous magic on me!

I really could use some March Magic.  This cold has really kicked my butt big time. I finally went back to work today but am wondering if I pushed myself too hard since I'm still hacking up a lung if I talk too much (not too conducive for counseling others) or laugh too hard (as I found out tonight watching Raising Hope.  Hi-freaking-larious show!)

However, even being so sick I sounded like I gargled with glass was no match for how I felt when I got home, parked my car, and checked my mailbox.

OPEN LETTER TO MY NEIGHBORS (or anyone who walks their dog in a neighborhood):

Hello to all the wonderful dog people in this neighborhood!

I'm sure your lovely dog, Cujo, is just a ginormous, lovable, slobbering ball of fur who loves to go on his afternoon walkies.  However, when your Mr. Ed sized dog leaves a chihuahua sized turd right in front of your neighbor's mailbox, the polite, neighborly, and non-vomit inducing thing to do is to PICK THE FREAKING THING UP AND THROW IT AWAY!  In YOUR trashcan!  I know you saw it- heck, even Chekov on the International Space Station could see it.  Most importantly, I could see it!  And smell it through my congestion impaired red nose! I do not dump my cat liter in your front yard but if I ever find out which one of you lovely dog people allowed your precious Sweetums to leave me this present, you bet your patootie I am going to return the favor. Pooper Scoopers are not just funny sounding mythical objects- they are real and were invented for a reason.  If you can afford food for The Beast, you can afford a $10 device that will spread peace and goodwill in your neighborhood rather than parvo and Hepatitis A.  If you are not willing to clean up after your dog, get a cat.  They come potty trained.

Sincerely,
Your Neighbor Who Put the Crazy in Crazy Cat Lady.
Cats rule! Dogs drool!

Another Round of Vapo Rub on the House!

Ugh.  I really hate being sick. Especially when I sound like death and can't take the meds I'm used to taking to knock me out for the night so I don't constantly wake up trying to stifle a cough.  However, I was able to rest a lot today and actually got excited about a project.  Just what the doctor ordered!

I started yarn doodling today and am pretty excited- hasn't happened in a while!  Let's just hope I can keep this enthusiasm up so I can start finishing things, as well. Encouragement is greatly appreciated. Time management is not my strong suit, so any helpful tips you may have are also greatly appreciated.  Seriously.  I'll share your tips online- both so I can have a record I can go back to, and also to share them with others who may suffer the same "I-don't-know-what-to-start-first-so-I-better-get-the-nap-out-of-the-way" time management method that I seem to favor.

I think I'm getting into that "nesting" phase of pregnancy.  Also the "OMG I only have 4 months before a helpless bundle of love and poop comes and will occupy all my time and I have so much to do before he gets here" panic mode of pregnancy.  (Also, I'm still getting used to the fact that I actually am pregnant, much less the fact that there is a little boy inside of me. Too.weird.) Hopefully all my enthusiasm and resolve is not solely the result of fever induced delirium and I'll have something to show off in the next couple weeks.  Crossing my fingers, y'all!

Snow, snow, go away....

I think I'm getting a little cabin feverish right now. It's snowing.  Let me rephrase that: IT.IS.SNOWING. We are expecting 8-10 inches by midnight so, by the accuracy of our weather folks last year, we'll most likely get a foot and a half. I must admit I'm a little upset and worried and bored and not happy right now. 

To make matters worse, my Mister left work an hour and a half later than he said he would- well after the heavy snow started- and is now going to have to spend the night at a friend's house (my BFF and fellow Canadian tourist, lyteyz). So, I'm stuck, in a blizzard, all alone. And pregnant. By myself. ARGH.

My Mister is now safe at lyteyz's house and let me know that I'll probably have to pick him up tomorrow since he won't be able to get out.  Since her husband was still battling the storm and not yet home, my Mister started shoveling off her driveway as soon as he arrived. He's such a gentleman. When lyteyz told me this, the true gravity of the situation occurred to me. Not only am I home alone in a blizzard, but I am also going to have to shovel all that freakin' snow off our driveway tomorrow by my lonely pregnant self if I ever want to see my Mister again.  What the what?!?

Last year at this time, this was not a problem.  I even posted a pic of me shoveling snow after our humongous, record breaking storms- I do not mind the hard work.  Or at least I didn't last year when I was working side-by-side with my Mister.  This year is another ball of wax.  Not only am I by myself and not able to fit in my snow pants anymore, but it is also sleet mixed with snow which means it's going to be super heavy and/or icy tomorrow morning.  Oh, and I AM PREGNANT.

On the one hand, this is a prime opportunity to start racking up the mom-guilt stories for my unborn babe. (Not only was I in labor for 30 hours with you, but I also had to shovel heavy, icy snow for hours while I was carrying your unborn keister just to be able to walk 4 miles uphill both ways to get to the one-room schoolhouse so don't you dare talk to me about needing a potty break! Get back to work- my toenails do not cut themselves, you know!)

On the other hand, as much as I would love to think I'm Wonder Woman (I truly do look like her when I wear my blue contacts- true story), I must grudgingly admit that some things are not as easy for me to accomplish as they were just 4 months ago.  Like, going just 1 hour without burping, farting or wishing I was.

Like I said- Argh.

Of course you know that I'm going to go with what's on the third hand- putting my SUV in 4 wheel drive and muscling my way out. Yeehaw! Snow- you have met your match! Wonder Woman? Nah- Tim Allen is more my speed. (Cue grunts now).

New Year, Old Me

I did not even try to make up a New Year’s Resolution list this year because, let’s face it, what’s the point of starting out a New Year with a list that will highlight and predict all of your future failures?  Instead, I made (and constantly revise/add/delete) a New Year’s Wish List for this year.  Want to know what’s on my list?  I just knew you did!

1) I wish my taste buds would allow me to enjoy the healthy foods (heck, even the unhealthy ones) that I once enjoyed without telling my brain they taste like a mixture of poo and bile.  I’ve heard of the wondrous and somewhat mythical sounding “pregnancy cravings” and am starting to think they exist in the North Pole with Santa and the Easter Bunny.  Food aversions are really making it difficult to be a “practice what I preach” nutritionist and I’m really hoping my poor little Geekling isn’t going to be born with a pre-disposition for picky eating.  That and ugliness.  I really hope it isn’t ugly.  (What?  Oh come on- you can’t tell me you hoped for an ugly baby!)

2) I wish I wasn’t so dang tired at the end of a normal work day and subsequently fall asleep in odd positions on the couch every evening.  Two hour naps right before bedtime does not allow me to do much else except drool on my couch pillows and groggily drag myself upstairs to finish that weird dream where my coworker was pregnant with sextuplets and was casually giving birth to them, popping them out and leaving them where they landed as she was walking down the side of the road and then walking back up the road to pick them up and dust them off.  (She laughed when I told this to her the next day, but as a mother of 5, she truly thought it was a nightmare….for her.)

3) I wish I did not increase my work hours.  I know this sounds horrible, especially in light of the current economy.  While I am very thankful for my job and for the larger paycheck more hours bring, I truly do miss having my crochet days!  How can I run a blog called “Gege Crochet” if I am not able to crochet anymore??  I’m also feeling my rear end expanding by the hour and I am pretty darn sure that my uterus is NOT next to my gluteus maximus, so it’s not “all baby”.  Granted, if I wasn’t sleeping for 12 hours a day, I’d most likely have the time to both crochet AND exercise like I had planned out in my “pregnancy is going to be a piece of cake because I counsel pregnant women all the time and I know exactly what to do to be healthy and not gain too much weight and bounce right back into shape once the little peanut is finally here” plan.  Ok- this sounds like an addendum to Wish #2 above (and quite possibly also the result of some crazyass pregnancy hormones), so I get another Wish #3.

3) I wish that I was dedicated enough to keep my craft zone as organized as it currently is.  While I am looking forward to the day my energy magically returns, which in turn will release the whirlwind of creative frenzy that has been pent up for the last few months, I’m also extremely fearful of said frenzy and how it will transform my precious wool stash into weapons of mass destruction on my house.  It’s currently sitting there, all innocent and precious, just biding its time when it will leap out of its plastic prison and claim my living room in the name of All Things Sheepy, fighting off my vain attempts to control it with their sharpened crochet hooks that look suspiciously like knitting needles.  *shudder*  I think I just developed my new weird dream for the night….

4) I wish I had fallen asleep when my Mister told me to instead of writing this blog post, even though it made me giggle but now has definitely guaranteed a 3 hour after-work nap tomorrow.

Good night, y’all.

Checking in

Hey y'all- so, I don't have pics of FO to post (no fully finished FO to photo- need to get cranking on that sewing machine!), but just wanted to give a quick check in.

My trip back "home" was quite intense- hospitals, funerals, and lawyers are never fun.  It was great seeing my friends and family- especially my brother.  But, I must admit, I was very eager to get back to my Mister and our home.  So, here's just a run-down of what's been going on:

1) I was given a Versatile Blogger Award by the fabulous Libby a couple weeks ago and haven't had the time to pass on the love- hopefully this weekend.  I need to pass it on to other bloggers who are also "versatile."  I've come to the realization that I need to be better at bookmarking places I've been to- I've come across some great and interesting blogs and now have to do some googling to find them again!  I may end up going through folks who have commented here and linking back to them.  Or to others that have linked back to me since they've used my patterns.  So, I've got to some investigating to do......nonetheless, Thank you, Libby!!

2) I've been battling...something...since I left NM.  I don't have allergies, but that's what I thought it could be at first.  I tried a Neti Pot type thing- flushing out mucus from your sinuses is soooo fun- and instead of making me feel better, I ended up feeling worse the next day.  And water logged.  Now I'm coughing and just plain old tired.  Tired, snotty, sick, and cranky.  And impatient.  And cranky.  Argh.

3) I've been working feverishly on 2 patterns- one's the Coco Bag- it came out just like I imagined it would and I can't wait to find the right accessories to finish it so I can show it off.  And, I'm almost done with the second one so the pattern is almost complete.  Yay!  The other is the Flower Bag- I NEED to finish this one by next weekend (I need it for a wedding next weekend), so this one takes priority.  And it's beautiful.  I just hope those color catcher things work when I felt it this weekend.  Because I'm cranky and that won't make things better.

4) Yesterday I visited one of my LYS- Never Enough Yarn in Winchester, VA- and I was carrying my Chocolate Strawberry Tote.  The ladies were ooohing and ahhhing over it and were astounded that I not only designed it but I crocheted it. HA!  So, I showed them some pics of my work.  They said I should write patterns.  They said I should teach a class. They said I should have my own TV show.  Yeah- that store is filled with the smartest women in the whole world. So, next month, I will be teaching my first Tunisian Crochet Class!  WOOT!!  If you are in the Winchester area and are interested in learning Tunisian Crochet, come on by!  Dates to be confirmed in the very near future.

Ok, I think that's it.  Back to being a cranky crocheter who needs to finish her laundry and clean her house before her Mister comes home and sees it messy and then he becomes cranky, too.  Argh.

PS: here's something that makes me smile amidst my crankiness.  A pic of my sis and me when we were kids- one bright spot in my trip home was being able to get copies of old photos. :)

Why is the room upside down?

News From the Road.....Again......

Well, I'm out of town, yet again.  Although this time, there was a family emergency, so I'm back in the Southwest taking care of family business rather than emptying the Great White North out of all it's woolen wares.  And, as tempting as it is to visit all of the yarn stores I've been able to locate within a 10 mile radius, I'm now officially on a yarn diet, so.......only small purchases now, right honey? Honey?

I'm staying with one of my BFF's from college who also happens to be a crocheter.  The first night here, her husband had taken the kiddos camping, so she and I had the freedom to party hardy and were encouraged to go out dancing, or watch late night movies, or just generally be girls behaving badly.  Man- we totally took advantage of that freedom and partied hardcore!!!  It was intense, I tell you.  That's right- we stayed up til 3am being wild and crazy girls.....crocheting until our eyes couldn't stay open anymore. 

I love my friends. :)

So, with the crocheting I completed on the trip out (I even made a new knitting friend while on layover in Dallas!  Yarn- the universal friend maker), and the intense 3am and 1am crocheting sessions the last two nights, I've finally been able to finish and felt my Coco bag (AKA- the Cat Boobie Bag), and will most likely be able to finish the Flower Bag I told you about last time.  I'm hoping I can line at least one of them while I'm here since I'm staying with my mom the rest of the week and am totally taking advantage of her awesome sewing prowess.  (My mom is a very gifted artisan in many different mediums- she's truly amazing.  Actually, I think I'll teach her to crochet while I'm here- another yarn monster in the making.)

I won't have much internet access while I'm out here (AAAAAGHHHH!!!).  It's already been an intense couple of days so far and I know it's going to be pretty intense the rest of the week, so I asked my Mister to send me a couple more skeins of yarn to work on a second Coco Bag to de-stress when I can.  Thankfully it's already arrived at my mom's house, so I have something to look forward to tomorrow.  (Why are you looking at me like that?  I'm not crazy.  If anything, my Mister is crazy for actually sending them.  Then again, he probably figured it'd be cheaper to send them than letting me loose in a yarn store again looking for them.)

Hopefully I'll have some FO pics for y'all when I get back home.  Also, I'm testing out the Coco Bag pattern, so it should be ready around the same time.  *crossing fingers* 

Ok, that's all the time I have to update today.  Until next time, Zoobaroos.

Count Your Blessings

Hello all!

Thank you Libby and Tracy for your kind words (and for those who contacted me via email or Ravmail).  I appreciate your concerns and encouragement.  (And to the recent commenters on my Mario blanket- To Anonymous- Hi back to ya!  and to Generic Viagra- I'm glad you like my blanket. Thanks for keeping it...real.)

I'm a naturally cheerful and optimistic person (some may say annoyingly so- but they are idiots) so I'm happy to report that things have been looking up for me here in Chez GegeCrochet.

First of all, as I reported last post, I've been crocheting again.  It feels good, my friends. I started one project and then was lured into starting another one.  The second one is the Andalusia Blanket from Berroco yarns- very pretty in all solids:

 but when I saw it, I saw it in black and red.

1 of 2 made....22 more to go

I'm loving it!  I'm crocheting it out of Naturally Caron Country yarn- LOOOVE this yarn!  I got it on clearance at AC Moore- it was marked $3 (clearance) and then marked down an additional 50% off.  Huge score!!  And makes for a very affordable blanket. :) I just hope I have enough of it....I think I do, but we'll see.

Second of all, I've got a shoot tomorrow.  I've not done anything on the acting front since December, so this really makes me happy.  I've missed being on set.  I actually don't know if it's a commercial or an industrial (I was so jazzed at booking it that I forgot to clarify.....oops) but it's going to be fun.  I'm really looking forward to it. :)

Third of all, I survived yet another Summer Camp a couple weeks ago.  I had so much fun and have the bruises and skinned knees to show for it. (Yes, still.  They are going to have to use a lot of cover up on me tomorrow if I wear a skirt....).  I bought 600+ water balloons and spent one morning filling them up with some fellow conspirators counselors and then we drove around in a golf cart and pelted the unsuspecting children.  Muahahahahahaha! (Since I was the most veteran of the Strike Force, I was awarded the blame......and earned every bit of it.)

Fourth of all, my birthday is coming up soon and my Mister is planning something for me.  I have no idea what- he keeps things under wraps and loves the big reveal at the end.  He's such a big kid sometimes....but I love that about him.  I'm looking forward to his surprise, but I can't say that I'm looking forward to marking another year down the tubes.  However, a very bright spot in my aging process is that I got carded at a casino this weekend.  Yep.  I had to prove that I was at least 18.  Best.Birthday.Gift.Ever.

Fifth of all, I've started exercising again.  I've been on an exercising sabbatical for 6+ months, so it's not been that easy getting back into the swing of things.  However, it was easier than I thought it would be.  Muscle memory is real, yo.  (Now, if only my fat had a memory of not existing, I'd be golden.  Or at least fit.  Spanx are on my wardrobe list for tomorrow....)

So, things truly have been looking up for me.  For real.  I'm feeling....alive again, and that feels good.  You know what else feels good? Naturally Caron Country yarn.  Go to a store and pet it- you'll thank me later.

As for me, I've got to go downstairs and have it out with that darn treadmill.  Ugh.  I'm trying to convince myself that feeling sore feels good, too.  Yeah......I'd rather pet the yarn instead.  But, that muffin top in the mirror kinda wins the argument.  Yep.  I'm going to forget the treadmill and use the yarn to make bigger pants.  Win. Win.

A Balancing Act

Getting Your Life Back In Order 101
Professor: Gege Crochet

Hello Class!  At the end of this class, you will be able to:

* Find peace and balance and an over all Feng Shui for everything you ever dreamed about in your life

To accomplish this totally attainable and realistic goal, you will:

* Work all week at your money making job, taking on extra hours whenever possible to prove you are a dependable and good worker and to make up for hours taken while your family visited in the past couple weeks.

* Be an ever adoring and supportive wife to your husband who worked insanely crazy hours in the past two months and who truly does deserve an awesome home cooked meal most nights of the week, as well as some clean clothes sometime this month.

* Let your creative juices flow and bring to life the many projects that float around in your ADHD brain.

* Find time to exercise and lose those pesky 5 (or so) pounds you gained while not exercising in the last few months and eating desserts you would not normally eat while your in-laws were here to prove to them that you truly are an awesome cook and to make up for the time you smoked up their entire house trying to impress them by making Green Chile Enchiladas and Sopapillas during your first trip to meet them in a scene that would truly rival anything seen in "Meet the Parents."  (True story......*huge inhale*)

* Find time to exercise and lose those pesky 5 (or so) pounds you recently gained before going to the New Hope Film Festival at the end of the month to represent the film you made nearly 2 years ago.

* Find time to pick your jaw off the floor when you find you have been nominated for a Best Actress award for said film in the World Music and Independent Film Festival AND finding that your competition for said award include other "nobodies" like say, oh I don't know.... Dana Delany.  (!!!!)

* Party like it's 1999 when you find out you actually WON an Award of Excellence for Best Actress in a Feature Film at IndieFest. (EEEEP!!)

* Blog regularly like a good blogging blogger

* Sleep a solid 8 hours and always manage to look your best and never have to put your hair in a messy ponytail and do your makeup in the car on your way to work since your life is totally in order and completely full of Feng Shui.

* Understand and define "Feng Shui" and use it whenever possible in every aspect of your life to thoroughly impress blog readers. (I knew you were impressed!)

********************

I hope you enjoy this class this semester!  When you finally are able to keep your life in balance, and are able to Feng Shui the heck out of everything you ever do, please drop me a line!

No, really. Let me know how you did it.  I'll let you audit the class.  And maybe give you some candy.

Testing....Testing.....Is This Thing On?

Ok, Ok...so I pulled another 2 month disappearing act.  Honestly- I did not intend for this to happen.  I wrote a mock-up blog post 1 week after my last post explaining what happened (I wrote another one about 3 weeks ago as a "short" check-in, as well.....).  However, I wrote it at work (during my lunch break---- for reals) and then just never got to re-typing my extremely long post once I got home.  Then, one week turned into two...turned into 4.......turned into 2 months.  Just like a "short" hiatus from exercising tends to exponentially multiply after the first missed workout, so did my blog life.  And I got the obligatory 5 pounds on my butt, as well.  Perhaps it has something to do with a 2 month hiatus from the rest of my life, as well.

It started out one week after my last post with a surprise visit from my dad, one of his brothers and their friend.  They decided to do a 3 week drive across America to see all the sites (sights??), including DC which meant a 1-week's head's up that they were coming and wanted some homemade Green Chile Enchiladas when they got here.  (If you're from New Mexico, you understand.  If not, then I feel sorry for you.)

Well, as I told you oh.....2 months ago- my in-laws were coming in June and I had a mountain of cleaning up to get through.  Well, their trip has come and- as of this morning- has now gone.  It was a great trip and I'm truly sad to see them go.  We were able to get through *most* of the reorganization needed to get our house in tip-top shape.  Actually, I'm extremely proud of the amount of transformation our house went through.  I did need a blogging break to get through this since, well...blogging takes a heck of a lot of time!  This monumental transformation began over a month ago with my sister moving from our basement into an apartment with 2 of her friends.  Man- that was hard.  We had just celebrated her birthday (no Marilyn surprise from me this time....moving is hard work!) It was difficult leaving my baby sister many moons ago when I got married, but it was even harder to have her now move out into her own place.  I'll always be her older, overprotective sister and I truly do miss her.  She's only 30 minutes away and lives 5 minutes from our church, so I get to see her every week.....however, seeing her only once a week doesn't quite compare to every day of living with my best friend (second only to my Mister). 

In addition to this, one of my dad's brothers passed away and we were *thiiiiiiis* close to also losing his mother (my sole surviving grandparent) at the same time.  It was a tough month in Chez GegeCrochet.  To top all this off, I was dealing with some medical issues and was on a medication that made me a walking zombie.  Seriously- I had no motivation to do anything!  I haven't crocheted in over ONE MONTH!  WHAT??!?!?!  I KNOW!!!!!!  That's insane! That's how much this stupid medication impacted my life.  I was serious when I said I took a hiatus from life.  I'm happy to say that I am no longer on this medication (with physician approval) and am now looking forward to getting my life back into order.  I'm afraid my fingers are going to forget how to hold my beloved crochet hooks when I finally pick them up tomorrow.  (Yes- tomorrow......not tonight.  I'm posting and then am going to watch the new Alice in Wonderland with my Mister.  I saw it in the theater with my sister and absolutely L.O.V.E.D it!)

On the crocheting front, I finished one purse that had been ordered in March.  I started it in March and finished it 2 weeks ago.  I HATE this stupid medication.

Sadly, I have not finished my Cat Booby Bag- I have about 30 minutes of work left to finish it off and have been carrying it around in my purse for 2 months and have not had the motivation to finish it.  I FREAKIN' HATE this mediation.

My Mister and I also celebrated our anniversary in May which can be summed up with 2 days worth of shopping at Ikea.  I live near-ish 2 different Ikeas- one in Woodbridge, VA and one in College Park, MD.  We visited them both.  In 2 different days.  I don't know if I've ever mentioned this but, I do not like to go shopping.  Unless it is a craft/yarn store, a book store, or a grocery store, I really do NOT enjoy shopping.  I was raised doing drywall with my dad during my formative teen years rather than learning the fine art of shopping with my mom and sister.  I do not enjoy it, Sam I Am.....  However, my Mister and I were able to find some great deals on some furniture for our guest room just in time for his parent's visit.  It was also nice to spend time with my Mister who has been working crazy hours during the months of April and May.  I missed him.  Granted, we got to spend some quality time together for our anniversary when we received our copy of Mario Galaxy 2 for the Wii......look up awesome in the dictionary....you will find this game.  AWE-SOME.

Soooo.....to sum it all up.  April and May pretty much sucked.  However, there were a couple of bright spots and things are looking up.  My in-law's visit marked a turning point in this year.  I have a newly cleaned and semi-organized house in which I'll be able to start getting my life back in order.  My Mister is no longer working crazy hours and we now have our house all to our lonesome, which, even though I truly do miss my sister, I must admit is quite.....ummm.....enjoyable.  Teehee!

I am really looking forward to getting my hooks-on.  I have a couple of new projects brewing and can't wait to bring them to life!  That is good news indeed- it means that this STUPID MEDICATION is now out of my system. 

I'm back.  That means more frequent updates- I missed y'all!  Heck, I missed me!  I'm really hoping to actually finish some projects (heck....even starting some projects!!) and I can't wait to share them with you. :)  I hope your spring has gone a heck of a lot better than mine!  Thank the Lord it's summer!! :)

Until next time.....and I promise it won't be in August. ;)

I Didn't Know You Could Milk A Cat

We had a lot of animals growing up.  Most of them found us rather than we finding them.  One of these animals was a black calico cat with a white star on her forehead we named Isis. She was a tiny little thing- not malnourished (plenty o-mice in the barn), but just a very small, dainty cat.  She lived in our barn and, for whatever reason, not only was she not afraid of humans, she actually liked them.  From the day we met her, she would let us not only approach her, but also pet and pick her up. However, she only liked us humans on her terms and on her turf...in the barn.  We tried bringing her to our porch where we kept the cat food for our own cat- a tom named Tasha (short for Taj Mahal- based on the size of the presents he left in his litter box). She would let us pick her up and carry her anywhere, but she would run like the wind back to the barn every time we brought her to the porch. 

Well, eventually Isis figured out that if she wanted to be lazy pampered and, instead of hunting for those stupid mice, eat the food given by the strange human masseuses that visited her in her barn, then she should deign to allow them to carry her in her litter (ha! punny!) and feed her on the porch of their her new house.  Tasha was not pleased.  He started out as an indoor cat but, due to his love of the outdoors, eventually became an outdoor cat.  However, since he knew he was an aristocratic "indoor" cat, he would wait patiently for his food to be served at meal times.  He would not knock the lid off of the food and just dig right in like other barn-raised lowlifes he could name.  The prince would wait for his human slaves to serve him in his ever so proper pie pan like the regal feline he was.  Isis would see him eat and try to join in, but he would growl at her and would block her at every turn until he was done.  When he was done, he, being the master of the house, would then knock the pie pan over and bury any food that he did not eat.  He sure showed her!  Eh.  Why wait for the slaves when she knew where the food was stored?  Off the lid for the food would go and in Isis would jump to eat to her heart's content. 

We were sad that our sweet little Tasha (ok, truth be told, only I found him sweet- I'm some sort of cat whisperer- they love me) would never like the newest addition to our household.  Everybody loved Isis.  She was the type of cat that would let you pick her up and fold her up and play her like an accordion.  She didn't care- she was just so chill.  Well, we soon found out Tasha did indeed like Isis....during certain times of the month....

A few weeks after Tasha succumbed to Isis' charms, we noticed she started getting....plumper.  Since she was such a small cat, her swollen pregnant belly was a very comical sight to behold as it would swing from side to side as she sauntered around the yard.  A few weeks later, we were able to observe firsthand the miracle of birth.  First came out a black kitten, just like Tasha.  Then another black kitten.  Then...2 orange and 2 white kittens.  That slut. 

We saw as she raised and nurtured those adorable mewling little balls of fur with the closed eyes and minuscule ears. We also noticed how they would nurse- kneading their mother's milk filled teats- and would cringe at thought of how painful it must have been.  She would still swing from side to side when she sauntered, but it was no longer a pregnant belly that was carried with the momentum.  (There may have been mention of a Feline Miracle Nursing Bra once or twice, but I can't be sure.) However, she would just purr in contentment as she raised her family.  Ahhh....the miracle of life. 

I was reminded of Isis and her brood today as I was working on a new design.  No, not the bag that made me giggle and blush from two days ago- I mean, I am working on that one, too, but this one ninja kicked that one out of the queue tonight while I was watching a movie- Coco Avant Chanel.  I'm not done watching it yet- my Mister is on the phone with his sister, so it's paused.  Gave me enough time to grab some wool and my hook and away I go!

Anywho...I'm loving this design and it's making me entirely too happy.  It'll be the first time I've worked with bobbles, thus the first time I'll felt bobbles.  I'm starting out with a swatch to see if I even have the concept down correctly.

Yay me!  I am loving the spacing of the bobbles and can picture the texture they'll make once felted.

See? Nice and texture-y and bobble-y.  Hopefully it will make a beautiful finished bag.  I'm really excited about it and showed it to my sis.  She saw.....this:

  Ah.....the miracle of the deranged mind.  Just don't let Gaylord Focker near him, sis.




(ETA:  It's later in the evening and I'm re-reading my post. My Mister is no longer on the phone and is now ready for bed.

My Mister:  Honey!!! Hurry up and come to bed!!
Me:  Hold on!  I'm re-reading to make sure I don't look stoopid with any misspellings or grammatical errors.
Mister:  What?!?  You are the one who just put boobies on a cat- what do you think you look like?!?

I laughed and laughed and laughed.

Argh.  He has a point....)

Yesterday, Love Was Such an Easy Game to Play

Yesterday was awesome.  I had an all-hands meeting at work, which in and of itself usually would not have the word "awesome" associated with it.  However, I attacked something at this meeting that I've only slowly crept upon at our last all-hands meeting in January.  I crocheted during.the.meeting.  EEEEP!  Last meeting I only crocheted during the breaks, but this time I thought, All right, I'll go in there for Dorothy. Wicked Witch or no Wicked Witch, guards or no guards, I'll tear them apart. I may not come out alive, but I'm going in there.  And in there I went.  And I still have my job!!  Whoo Hoo!  The planets have aligned for me this month- I'm telling you, NatCroMo and NatNutMo have created some sort of cosmic all encompassing Gege Force Field and I can do no wrong.  It.was.awesome.

In my meeting, I was working on a Chocolate Strawberry Tote for an order I received Wednesday.  That in and of itself does have the word "awesome" associated with it.  Making it even more awesome is the fact that I decided to write down the pattern while I was working on it.  Oh yes, my friends.  The recipe for the Gege bags that started it all is coming! I received confirmation that this was the right thing to do when I received an etsy mail yesterday from a person requesting said patterns.  I told you- planets aligned.

When I came home, I had the house to myself since my Mister was working late and my sis was going to a friend's house. On the way home I was thinking of all the wonderful things I could do with this free time.  Usually free time and I don't mix well.  I always come up with way too many options for my poor ADD brain to process and I end up deciding to get the nap out of the way first.  Mmmmmm...naps.

After going around in circles trying to make a priority list that a rational person would make, I decided to forgo the moldy laundry still in the washer from last week (I wish I was exaggerating) and instead take pictures of my stole (still unblocked, but I needed something to show the glorious green in all it's splendor.). I ran outside with my camera and set it up on my mailbox to try to capture myself mid-transformation into a L.A.D.Y.  Transformation is only complete once I weave in the ends and I block it.  I may never be transformed.  After quite a few shots of myself in different poses (some of which I was trying my "sexy" face. I don't know why I try- I just cannot nail the "sexy".  I always end up looking constipated and that is so NOT sexy.  I don't know what my neighbors were thinking of me.  "Is that crazy girl trying to take a crapper in her front yard again?  Oh, wait. Never mind. She's obviously a L.A.D.Y. doing her sexy face.  Dang- her husband is the luckiest guy in the world.") I managed to get one that wasn't total crap.  But, being the genius photographer that I am, the stole is in shadow and you can't see the green.  

So, here's a pic of the green. 

Isn't it gorgeous??  (That is in full sunlight- no flash.) I actually started this pattern with Cascade 220 superwash in colorway 867. I thought it was oh so pretty in the store and thought that, since this project was for me, I'd splurge on myself with $10 per ball yarn.  I wanted a color that would go well with either brown or black and thought this one would suffice.  It truly is pretty wound up in a ball; however, when crocheted into my stole, it looked like this:

This pic is a good representation of the true color.  Up close you do see some pretty turquoise and yellow in it, which is what drew me to it in the first place.  However, it didn't have the sheen that I was envisioning for this shawl and looked just......off. I couldn't put my finger on it and just continued anyway telling myself that I would love it in time.  I was getting that feeling in my stomach that I get when I decide to put off a project until I figure out what's bothering me with it.  Well, trust my Mister to nail it on one.  He said, "That looks like old moldy yarn."  Bingo.  That's what was bothering me!  I just was not feeling this color because I didn't want to look like a moldy, constipated L.A.D.Y.  So, I spent 30 bucks on some yarn that only looks good in a ball.  LYS trip fail.

Thank goodness I had the Moda Dea yarn in my stash.  I started over and that feeling in my stomach began to recede.  But, not completely.  I mentioned that this was the Feather and Fan pattern I found on Ravelry.  It truly is very pretty, but I was just not satisfied with it.  It had a very obvious front and back and I didn't like that Sam I Am- not one bit.

You have to sc in back loop only every other row which creates that ridge in between the rows.  It leaves the back looking like this:

I was getting more and more frustrated with it as I continued- I don't know why I try tricking myself to like something when my instincts have their sirens blaring and lights flashing telling me to stop.  Had I stopped, I wouldn't have had to frog an entire skein of yarn when the very easy solution of BLO one row, FLO one row dawned on me.  Now, my stole doesn't have such an obvious front/back and I'm free to wear it with flare.  I truly need to trust my instincts more.

Now, if you do buy this yarn, I do want to caution you that, even though it is only 45% wool and 55% rayon (who else didn't know that rayon came from bamboo?), it can and does felt.  It felts very well, actually, as my sis found out the hard way.  This is the first Pinky LaRue scarf that I made next to the one I'm making for me:

Doh.  I didn't think it would felt since the wool content was so low so I didn't caution her about washing it by hand.  Next time I won't be distracted by the pretty yarn and will actually read the wrapper:

Double Doh.  Oh well. Live and learn.  (And cry and scream and tell sis that she'll just have to suffer without a pretty scarf since there's no way I'm giving her mine. Nope. It's mine. I am resolute and cannot be shaken! I have my cosmic Force Field up!  Wait...what? You'll buy me yarn?  Well........maybe.  Resolutely maybe.)