I'm amused

I've been going through the prove-you-don't-need-money-so-you-can-borrow-money process of refinancing my house.

Wells Fargo had the original mortgage.

The refinance process is complete, and the original mortgage has been paid off by the new mortgage company...

Wells Fargo.

I'm sure this is logical in some cosmic sense but, in the meantime, I'll just be quietly amused. (And ahead on my mortgage, thankyouverymuch!)

Silly...

It's a silly thing I miss from my old, married life.

MAJOR qualifier: I love my current life. I am truly blessed. Last weekend, I was at Madrona with Tracy, who wrote one of the nicest Valentines I've ever received. This weekend, I was at Cannon Beach, listening to one of the most inspirational speakers I've heard in a long while.

But life - and laundry - goes on, y'know? I've been home for a couple of hours. It's back to work tomorrow morning. I'm tired and my muscles ache. What do I miss from my old, married life? Not something in the relationship. It's something from the house:

My decadent (for me) bathtub.

Nothing fancy -- no spritzing jets, no whirls or vortexes -- just a "garden" tub long/deep enough that I (!) could stretch out enough that my knees and shoulders could be under water at the same time.

I think I'll go take a vertical bath.

p.s. Olympic knitting? Exactly where it was a week ago...

Knitting Olympics

WHAT, pray tell, was I thinking?!?

When Steph decided that she was actually, factually going to organize the 2010 Knitting Olympics, I thought, "Heck, YEAH, I'm in!"

I had the perfect project in mind: a beaded lace shawl, Sivia Harding's Diamond Lace Fantasy. A stretch, but doable. I anticipated pure pleasure knitting this in amazingly wonderful BMFA Seduction. Even better, (here's the sneaky bit) a class at Madrona last Sunday, by Sivia, about this specific shawl.

I mean, y'gotta love a plan!

I knew I had two evening meetings this week (I can knit and look interested at the same time), an all-day workshop (ditto), and an all-day event with downtime (ditto). And that's just week one! It's still a stretch (I can't actually talk and knit lace, but I can listen...) but I'll be okay.

Except...

Except I forgot about the "bead" part.

It's one thing to quietly make hand motions under the table. It's another thing to break out a box of beads, a crochet hook, a pattern, AND try to knit quietly under the table.

In Olympic terms, I may not make it past the quarter finals.

What was I thinking?!?

Ma-dro-na! Ma-dro-na!

Arrived in Tacoma with TracyBird last night (late enough, after we'd both worked all day, that we were a bit crispy fried), found hotel, slept...

And today. Class all day with Evelyn Clark (Icelandic Lace Knitting). Friends met and hugged. Projects pet and ogled. Acquaintances renewed.

Brain very, very full...

Rogue, complete

Speaking of knitting, it was a relief to finish this one!

My sister asked for a Rogue sweater. Can do.
But, maybe, a cardigan instead of a pullover? Okay, can do.
Not too fond of the thick hems, though... Okay, there's help for that, too.
Now, about the color... It took five months (and swatches from several mail-order companies) before she made a decision.
I bought yarn, swatched, got approval, and (because *I* wasn't entirely happy with the feel of the fabric), knit the sleeves first for Sis's approval.

She liked 'em.

On I knit, through tidy (thin!) hems, cables, pockets, back and forth, until I got to the armpits... and then the entire thing went into a box so I could move across the country and back to the Pacific North West.

On occasion, my sister would delicately clear her throat and murmur something about how nice it would be to have a green sweater. "Haven't come across the box it's in." "It's July. Too hot to knit a wool sweater." "Erm, yeah." My excuses got weaker.

So, in October, I dragged it out, figured out where I was (rarely have I been so glad that I write notes to myself on patterns!), and carried on.

And now it's done. And my sister is, well, happy.

Good intentions, lousy execution...

(I suspect that I may have said that before...)

I'm hoping that, by posting something (ANYthing!), I'll get past the "there's too much to tell" bump I hit a couple of whiles ago.

Long story, short: Knitting has occurred. Job has been maintained. Holidays have been celebrated. And, five days after my last post, I had a complete hysterectomy for (and I quote) adenoendometrial carcinoma. So far, things are okay (aside from "granulated tissue" that made my oncologist frown - but the biopsy says "normal" and "healthy"), but I'm still a bit twitchy about the whole "cancer" thing.

Some dear friends have kept me sane: my sis (who spent a week holding my hand in person and continues to do so long-distance), Tracy (who listens when I need to grump and doesn't go weird on me), Tina, the Barn Gals, and the Sockateers (who expect me to just show up and be helpful - and that's a good thing when I'm overthinking too much), a sympathetic and supportive Chief and colleagues at Portland Fire & Rescue, and a bunch of folks who held me in their thoughts and prayed for me.

And now I'm going to hit "publish" so that I can get back to documenting knitting projects!

How to ignore a sprained ankle:

Spend a good chunk of the day on a yarn crawl with Tracybird!

Friday, I was at Providence doing pre-op stuff and somehow managed to ignore (crossed legs, complex cable pattern) that my left foot went to asleep. When my name was called, I leaped up, gathered knitting and paperwork, took a step, another step, and then realized that my foot wasn't working and the floor was getting close.

Y'know, if you crumple in a hospital waiting room, you're suddenly surrounded by a LOT of people...

I tried to collect my knitting, paperwork, and dignity (managed the first two!), and carried on. (Spent the evening with my ankle wrapped and elevated, though.)

Saturday, Tracy and I met at The Knitting Bee. She'd made a Sideways Spencer out of BMFA's LLS, and wondered about the fit. (Fit was fine, and the yarn -- and Tracy's knitting! -- is gorgeous).

I'd been intending to stop by the Knitting Bee to pick up the yarn for a Hive Hat for my niece, so it was a good place to meet. And somehow, yarn for a scarf for said niece also found its way into my hands...

But apparently not enough. Tracy and I tromped off to see Cindy at All About Yarn where I bought the IK Weekend mag -- which I hadn't intended to, but dang!, there are some fun patterns.

Lunch, a wander through Powell's, and I realized (reluctantly) that my ankle had had enough and it was time to quit.

It may have been Tracy's charming company, it may have been yarn fumes, but it was a fun day, in spite of the ouchy ankle!

Thanks, Tracy!