Repeat after me: I am a death metal queen

I'm going to keep repeating that over and over until I believe it because...today Jason bought two tickets for the June Iron Maiden show in Denver. Yeah, you heard me. Bruce Dickenson. This girl. Iron. Maiden. I need more black to wear. And maybe some AquaNet. It will be a true adventure.

In other news the past few weeks have been a whirlwind.

Last week alone I made some fab chicken and dumplings in my awesome Le Creuset Christmas present from Jason.

I drove to Arkansas and back in a day for work. Gotta love the free-flowing sweet tea, nice people, and frequency of running across a Chick-fil-a at virtually every turn.

I flew to Colorado and back in two days for work where I slept in this bed after working what felt like the longest day ever (Down. Mattress. Pad. OMG comfy!),


...and woke up to this the next morning (hello, goorgeous!)


On the way back to the airport I sped through these,

...stopped in a cute area for a quick bite at the amazing La Baguette Bakery,

...saw a Cheeto likeness of Rachel Ray through a shop window,

...ran into the yarn shop next door and snagged some awesome hand-dyed, springish yellow sock yarn and new size 1 needles since I broke my last pair,


...and sped the rest of the way to the airport to catch my flight back home.

I also attended the amazing first annual (I'm hoping?) Laideth Night Clothing Swap-a-rama-lama-ding-dong courtesy of the ever fabulous Shannan and Amy, where I met lots of wonderful laideth, ate delicious food, and bagged some stellar loot in the form of new clothes, jewelery, and a purse.

I also cast on for a new pair of socks. It has become abundantly clear that though I am sure I grabbed the same kind of yarn, and I thought I grabbed the same dye lot, I surely did not, and will now be the proud owner of a pair of slightly different colored pink socks. Meh, what can you do?!

February Flop

I remember reading back through my archives a couple of weeks ago and thinking of my previous late February posts, "Wow, what was up with me last year?" I mean, yeah winter is long and kind of boring, but I sounded downright pitiful.

Welcome to the end of February. Once again I find myself tired, cranky, wanting to get some exercise, wanting to start some projects, wanting to deep clean my house, but having exactly a zero motivation to do so.

Wanna know what I do have motivation to do? Sit on my couch under a blanket, knit, and watch the Olympics. Watching their superhuman feats and streamlined muscles makes me feel slightly fitter by association. Until, that is, I scuff across the wood floors to grab another sliver of brownie from the kitchen, and immediately back to my preheated spot. My kryptonite? Add a purring cat climbing into my lap and I may as well settle in for a few hours.

Uggh. I'm so...blah.

Apparently everyone else is too because I've seen a rash of How to Be Happy type articles. Even though I'm not in New York I rather enjoyed the recent 50 Steps to Simple Happiness article in the Times. Some of the ideas, totally doable. Some of the others, not so much for this KC girl, but the thought of being fabulous in New York did perk me up a bit.

In other news, my February Lady Sweater is coming along. I'm trying to knit it for the Ravelympics, which means I've got from the Olympic opening ceremony to the closing (6 more days, YIKES!) to complete a project. Must. Keep. Knitting.

Beer for Bikes

Any KCers looking for something fun to do this Wednesday night, be sure to check out Beer for Bikes at Boulevard Brewing Co. $15 gets you delicious local brew, food, door prizes, and live music; and helps provide kids with physical disabilities therapeutic bikes. Win-win!

Welcome Home

Tonight I was welcomed home not only by outside kitty waiting for her dinner, but also a package. Inside this package was the best welcome home surprise... ...a wonderful loot of four, balled skeins of Cascade 220 in Plum. MMMM! When the BF and I were in Lawrence at the Yarn Barn two weeks ago I found this, but they didn't have enough, so they offered to mail me some, with no shipping (!), when it arrived at the store. I'd been waiting patiently, and finally, today was the day.

I am a complete yarn nerd. I know this because all I want to do is sit with it in my lap this evening, lookat the fabulous color, and every so often give it a squeeze. Yarn fondler...that's me.

I already know I'm going to make the February Lady Sweater with it. I've promised myself I won't start it yet though because I've got so many other projects going on.

I finally finished my Spring Ruffle Top, and I'm pretty happy with the results.

It took me about 5 days total, working on it after I got home from work. I'm not a super experienced seamstress, and this really didn't give me any problems to speak of. I really liked that there was no paper pattern to cut out (although sometimes those are nice too), and that it was totally customizable. Is that even a word? Anyway, the formulas in the tutorial worked perfectly. I did add the shaping on the sides and I brought the bottom in a bit too, just So it wasn't quite sooo flowy.

My fabrics are from Sarah's in Lawrence, and even though they aren't from the same designer, I think they went together really well.

The polka dots fabric is a little more greenish-brown than is showing up in the photo, and the pattern has a great mix of springy green and a greenish gold. Now I'm just waiting for warmer weather so I can wear it. Do you think anyone will ask if I made it? If they do, umm, is that a good thing or no? :)

I'm also STILL working on my Owls Sweater. I've got the body and two arms mostly done but it feels like it's going so slooow.

I also resolved to knit one pair of socks per month. Easier and less painful than diet and excercise in the new year, no? I started my "January Socks" which are actually the ever popular Jaywalker Socks. I'm using a crazy Paton's Kroy Sock Yarn in Fern Rose Jacquard, and it's been really fun seeing the stripes develop.

At this rate they may be March socks :). Actually, I'm flying to St. Louis and back for work tomorrow, and plane time = knitting time, so maybe they will actually be done within this month.

On that note, anyone else think it's weird that nail clippers are considered possible weapons on planes by the TSA but knitting needles aren't? Not arguing, and I'd obviously never even have to think about that if it weren't for all the crazy regulations...just sayin'. Come fly the fiber-friendly skies :).

A Visitor

Another week bites the dust! As for the "regular updating" --this week FLEW BY. I've been busy planning my Spring travels for work, trying to finish knitting my Owls Sweater, sewing Made by Rae's Spring Ruffle Top, and planning for Jamie's visit in April!! Couldn't be more excited!

For those of you who may not know, she and I were randomly paired as roommates in college, and it was one of the best things to happen in my life :). We were fast friends, and soon known as Roomie and Roomie Roomerson, as we were that unseperable. Since college, she's migrated back to Portland, Oregon; while I'm in Kansas City, MO. Ususally we're lucky to see one another once per year, but we're actually going to fit in two visits within a six month period. YESSSS!

A quick pictoral history of R&R, Inc. You're welcome :)

Freshman year dorm room roomies, circa 2001:

Toga Roomies, circa 2002ish:

Lake Trip Roomies, circa 2004:

Graduating Roomies, circa 2005:
St. Louis Meetup Roomies, circa 2006:

The Great Divide Roomies, circa 2007:

Matching Undies and a Meetup Roomies, circa 2008:

Birthday Celebration with Jesus Roomies, circa 2009 (the looks on our faces crack me up every time!):

Soon to be....2010!! Countdown. Is. On.

A little Friday love for all my Lovelies!

(via theheartrender)

Happy almost weekend. Hopefully you get a three-day like me! :)

Blog Love: Attic 24

Maybe it's the cold, dreary weather or the post-holiday time of year, or my obsession with pretty colors and yarn, but I could not have stumbled upon this cheery blog at a more perfect time.

Lucy, of Attic 24, is a stay at home mother of three (one brand new!) who lives in the English countryside and loves bright colors and crocheting among other things. Complete confession: prior to finding this blog I was not the biggest fan of afghans and I was definitely a knitting devotee. My mind has officially been changed by Lucy and her beautifully colored creations. That, and I'm always envious of her yummy looking breakfast sweets and fresh flowers!

Check out more of Lucy and her cozy life here.

(all photos via Attic 24)

I'm back...

...from a long and unexcusable hiatus. Things got crazy busy. My nasty heartburn got worse and I didn't feel like doing anything. My nasty heartburn got somewhat better, and then a lot better with the help of some new medication. Then I learned to live without coffee and could magically eat chocolate again without feeling like crap, and life was good.

I trained for and then ran in a 5K (If you read any of my previous posts I was training for a marathon relay, until 3 of my team of 5 bailed THE DAY BEFORE. Love you Jackie for still running with me!).

The BF and I took the great American Road trip and saw all kinds of cool stuff...

... and ate hamburgers with peanut butter.

Then the knitting started...

...and the knitting...

...and the Halloweening...

...and the knitting of the Christmas gifts...

...and the buying of the new couch on which to watch tv, and lounge, and knit (excuse the knitting notions on the floor beneath) ...

...and the sewing...

...and my first time preparing Thanksgiving dinner for the fam...

... and the Christmas Treeing (I love this picture of him).


I went to Portland, Oregon to visit Jamie for my birthday...

...where we ate blueberry Mancakes with Jesus...

...and bought matching rings.

Then came the Christmasing...

...and the doggy houseguests..

...and the snow. Oh the snow. It started on Christmas Eve, where we weren't quite sure we would make it home from Grandma's and might have to eat the stockpile of chocolate mints for survival. It kept up off and on until last week, at which point every school within a 50 mile radius was closed and we ended up with a cumulative foot or so on the ground.

Pair that with a recent week of temperatures at or below zero, and you've got some really nasty roads and a major case of cabin fever.

Today however, we are currently experiencing a balmy 28 degrees with predictions of a meltoff and sunny skies later in the week. Life is good, and I am ready to start new projects, reorganize, and hopefully experience the predicted Bachelor scandal with Jackie (because it's just more fun that way).

Onward and upward, and much more blogging to come in the near future.

Welcome 2010!

Nothing Like August

What is it about August that just makes it the guts of Summer? Maybe it's the feeling you got as a kid, knowing that school was just a few days away and you had to live it up while you could, asking your mom to stay outside just ten minutes more when she called you in at night. Maybe it's the balmy buzz of cicada filled trees, garden plants beginning to yellow after their fruit has been picked, and the way the sunlight seems to have a golden tint all day long.

Whatever it is, it's here right now, and I love it.

I'm sitting outside this evening, catching up on blogs. The little girl across the street is playing in her inflatable pool, spraying water from a garden hose and yelling things like "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!", "USA!" and "JESSE JAMES!". I'm not sure about the last one, but I remember that feeling. Walking outside is like being wrapped in a blanket, there are grass floaties in the water of your plastic pool, and you're just so unexplainably happy you feel like shouting it to the world. You want to hold on to every second of it you can because it won't be back for another nine months, which may as well be an eternity in kids years.

I was reminded of that feeling this weekend while working in the yard. As I sprayed months of grime off the side of the house, I smelled one of summer's unmistakable scents: hose water on hot concrete. That combination, to me, is the essence of August. Though it's exactly the same tap water I drink all year long, it somehow changes to something special in that scenario. The smell is metallic and earthy and humid. It's a respite for burning feet on hot pavement, it's a romp through the sprinkler or helping Dad wash the car in the driveway.

The days are already getting a bit shorter, and I really need to get the yard mowed tonight, but I think I'll just sit here and enjoy it... for ten more minutes.

(Photo courtesy tsuacctnt)

101 Salads from Mark Bittman

Ran across this article, 101 Simple Salads for the Season, by food writer and activist Mark Bittman in the NY Times.

They all sound AMAZING! Bring on the salad :)

(Photo via NY Times)

Maybe She Wanted a Cookie?

With all of the reflux nonsense going on, I haven't been sleeping well lately. I'm fairly lucky, as it doesn't often keep me up all night as some people experience, but I find myself waking up uncomfortable and shifting around several times per night. Last night I was up at 2am, tossed and turned for a bit, and eventually drifted off again.

At 3:30am I woke up again, but this time it was to the drum of running kitty feet. Ugggh. I was soooo comfy, and my usually quiet cat decided, out of the blue, that this night was good for playing. The dog was even startled awake, and jumped off the bed to go investigate. I settled in, and just as I started to doze, the racket began again. I coaxed the dog back into bed, and realized that he was shaking nervously. My goofy pup has been known to shake like this for no good reason, so I got him to lay back down, and tried to sleep...again.

Before I knew it, my cat had dragged one of her toys onto the bed and was alternately pouncing on it, and then kicking it with her back feet. (Actually just guessing on this, since it was pitch black, but this is her typical mode of attack). I sat up, rolled her onto her back, and as sternly as I could at 3:45am told her to "CUT IT OUT AND GO TO SLEEP!"

I can't lock her out of the room, because this only provokes the "cat paw under the door/door rattling" reaction, which is exponentially more noisy and annoying than "wild cat on the bed."

Mere minutes later we've started the whole cycle again, I'm going nuts, and the dog is still shaking. I decided that taking the toy away is the next best option, so I began blindly sweeping my hand back and forth across the duvet so I didn't have to turn the light on. I found the toy, and as I was lifting it off the bed realized that it was soooo soft...and....squishy. (*gulp*)

I dropped it faster than you can blink and sat there in the dark thinking, "Oh my gosh, please don't let that be what I think it is." Slowly I rolled in the opposite direction and flipped on the bedside lamp.

There, in the middle of my bed, surrounded by myself, the shaking dog, and the proud cat was A DEAD MOUSE!! No. Flipping. Way.

I've never seen a mouse, or even evidence of a mouse in my place. But there was definitely a (only minutes prior) healthy specimen laying on her back, dead as a doornail. No marks on her. I looked at the dog who seemed to say, "This is what I was TRYYYYING TO TEEEELL YOU." The cat sat across from us, calm as can be, looking like she was queen of the world.

I got up, cleaned everything up, scrubbed my hands like craaaaaaazzy, and the three of us FINALLY fell asleep for good.

(photo courtesy Natasha Sara )

Post-It Love

(via)

Skeeered!

Maybe I'm being a giant weenie, but I'm a little scared today. I went to the doctor this morning after having my second round of pretty nasty heartburn. The first time around it lasted about three months, and once I started Nexium it was gone in three days! Awesome, awesome stuff. Anyway, eventually I was able to go off, and stay off the meds for about four months. It came back a couple of months ago, and nothing is really getting rid of it this time.

My doctor told me today that...(gulp)...I need to get an upper GI endoscopy next week.

For those of you that (like me) don't really know what that means, let me tell you. While you are sedated and numbed up they put a tiny camera in a tube DOWN YOUR THROAT and all the way INTO YOUR STOMACH! Yikes!! Reportedly this doesn't hurt and you really don't remember anything afterward. Did I mention that I have to SWALLOW A CAMERA!!

Ok, ok, now I am being a weenie. Honestly, I think other than the unknown of what this will feel like (supposedly not uncomfortable) I think I am most scared of is the needles part.

Uuuugh. I get squirmy just thinking about it.

I suppose that unless I want to try this without sedation (no thanks) I'm going to have to get over it and be brave.

Anyway, think happy thoughts for me that they find the cause of all this and it's easily fixable. Oh yeah, and that I don't gag all over myself or have a total freak out. Eeeeeeeee..........

Leave me some love. Please?

(photo courtesy bredgur)

Back on the...sneakers?

I've been procrastinating for months. I know...I'm on a marathon relay team...my team is depending on me. Buuuuut...it's been really hot. I've been doing a lot of other stuff. I'm going to start later in the week. There's always later in the week.

Today is the day, though, to get back on the horse, or the running shoes. My marathon team is complete. There's no what ifs.

I even agreed to do a 5K with my Dad three weeks prior for some additional motivation. I emailed him about it today and he sounds really excited. Not going to lie, I'm pretty excited too. Doing something like this with my Dad, that's good for both of us, that we both have to work for, makes me feel really good.

That little extra push got me going. I started small, but I started. It's pretty steamy today, and I didn't get an opportunity until late, but I did it. First half-mile down, and many more to go.

(photo courtesy timtak)