Wednesday, May 31, 2006
One more thing...
My father, packrat king, fit all of my boxes into the truck, and then promptly started stuffing in most of the remaining items I wanted to give away free. Now, some of them, like the hangers, are useful... but the t-shirts that didn't fit? They *really* could have stayed! ;)
Norton
I'm apparently in Norton, Virginia. We didn't get far today... but we did actually leave.
Hmmm... the Ram Wools sidewalk sale is *this* Saturday! I hope I'm back in time!!! ;)
Dad said I was in charge of taking photos, so I took a bunch out the window. ;) However, you'll have to wait until tomorrow... it's been a *very* long day today. (Was it really only this morning I was loading the truck?) Hopefully I'll get them posted in the morning before we leave. (I *love* free wireless at motels!)
Um, what sort of things to blog about today....
It didn't seem real, that I was moving away from NC for good. I saw a sign on my way out... it said something like "welcome to Orange County, visit once, love it forever." (Or something vaguely along those lines.) Although there were many good things in my time in NC, I wouldn't say I love the county. Perhaps because I never "visited" it... merely occupied it.
Shoneys food sucks. Dad liked his liver and onions, but my "fish dinner" tasted fishy (fish isn't supposed to), the mashed potatoes were from a box, and the bun and rice were a bit scary. I'm clearly spoiled by my own cooking. They took my meal off the bill, and I ate two biscuits (which were good, although not as good as Cracker Barrel's). They wanted to serve me something else (of my choice), but I didn't feel up to experimenting with a second meal. (And no, I *don't* like liver and onions, so I certainly wasn't trying that one.)
The section of Virginia we've driven through seems pretty scenic... and the houses are fancier than in NC. In NC, they're mostly single- and double-wide trailers. In Virginia, they're actually real houses, some of them quite cute. (I saw a really neat Victorian-style old one, but didn't whip my camera out in time.) NC was kind of funny... in the last little bit before the Blue Ridge Parkway, every second "store" along the highway was a fruit stand, and the remainder were, um, "junk stores." They sold "antiques," complete with quaint rust. The fruit stands looked tempting, but the junk stands looked like someone had rooted through all the hillbilly trash dumps. There was a lot of clutter to distract from the rust. ;)
Hmmm... what else. We saw a neat cloud, and a neat mountain, and lots of scenery.
I think I should just go to bed, and post photos in the morning.
Hmmm... the Ram Wools sidewalk sale is *this* Saturday! I hope I'm back in time!!! ;)
Dad said I was in charge of taking photos, so I took a bunch out the window. ;) However, you'll have to wait until tomorrow... it's been a *very* long day today. (Was it really only this morning I was loading the truck?) Hopefully I'll get them posted in the morning before we leave. (I *love* free wireless at motels!)
Um, what sort of things to blog about today....
It didn't seem real, that I was moving away from NC for good. I saw a sign on my way out... it said something like "welcome to Orange County, visit once, love it forever." (Or something vaguely along those lines.) Although there were many good things in my time in NC, I wouldn't say I love the county. Perhaps because I never "visited" it... merely occupied it.
Shoneys food sucks. Dad liked his liver and onions, but my "fish dinner" tasted fishy (fish isn't supposed to), the mashed potatoes were from a box, and the bun and rice were a bit scary. I'm clearly spoiled by my own cooking. They took my meal off the bill, and I ate two biscuits (which were good, although not as good as Cracker Barrel's). They wanted to serve me something else (of my choice), but I didn't feel up to experimenting with a second meal. (And no, I *don't* like liver and onions, so I certainly wasn't trying that one.)
The section of Virginia we've driven through seems pretty scenic... and the houses are fancier than in NC. In NC, they're mostly single- and double-wide trailers. In Virginia, they're actually real houses, some of them quite cute. (I saw a really neat Victorian-style old one, but didn't whip my camera out in time.) NC was kind of funny... in the last little bit before the Blue Ridge Parkway, every second "store" along the highway was a fruit stand, and the remainder were, um, "junk stores." They sold "antiques," complete with quaint rust. The fruit stands looked tempting, but the junk stands looked like someone had rooted through all the hillbilly trash dumps. There was a lot of clutter to distract from the rust. ;)
Hmmm... what else. We saw a neat cloud, and a neat mountain, and lots of scenery.
I think I should just go to bed, and post photos in the morning.
Packed
We're basically all packed. Pretty much everything is loaded, and we're just doing one last load of laundry with the shower curtains and towels. (We left showering until *after* the truck was packed.)
I've discovered some little-used muscles on the backs of my thighs. Ow. My back is a bit sore too, and I have a few bruises and scrapes. On the whole, I appear to have survived this packing experience. Now for the looooong drive.
Well, I think I'll do a bit of blog reading while I'm waiting for the laundry.
I've discovered some little-used muscles on the backs of my thighs. Ow. My back is a bit sore too, and I have a few bruises and scrapes. On the whole, I appear to have survived this packing experience. Now for the looooong drive.
Well, I think I'll do a bit of blog reading while I'm waiting for the laundry.
Moving
Well, the rain got quite heavy for a bit, but didn't last super long. We've had about an hour let-up, and now it's drizzling again. I have a few things left in the office to toss in boxes, so I'll do that now.
Curses!
We were just about to carry the first items to the car... when it started raining! However, it looks like it might end soon.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Gah!
Stressed! However, I think the packing is *finally* almost done. Just a bit left. I should be able to make it to SNB tonight... I'll *need* it!!!
Monday, May 29, 2006
Documenting Me
Gah... swollen tongue. Was it the ice cream?
Other things eaten today: cheerios with prosobee (as usual), string cheese, caramel popcorn with pecans (unusual, but early in the day), stew (leftovers from the freezer, should be safe), ice cream.
I don't recall having this problem last fall. Perhaps it was the combination with the nuts from earlier in the day? Or the sample of ginger ice cream? I did pack my sweaters this evening, but my suspect red sweater was in a plastic zipper bag. I doubt that it would have caused significant contamination on any of the other sweaters. Plus I only had minimal contact with them.
Maybe it's from some of the dust I stirred up.
Other things eaten today: cheerios with prosobee (as usual), string cheese, caramel popcorn with pecans (unusual, but early in the day), stew (leftovers from the freezer, should be safe), ice cream.
I don't recall having this problem last fall. Perhaps it was the combination with the nuts from earlier in the day? Or the sample of ginger ice cream? I did pack my sweaters this evening, but my suspect red sweater was in a plastic zipper bag. I doubt that it would have caused significant contamination on any of the other sweaters. Plus I only had minimal contact with them.
Maybe it's from some of the dust I stirred up.
Regia Seashore Socks
Regia Seashore Socks
I took a break from packing to finish these up while B and K were here.
No, I'm not done packing. However, on the up side, I think I may be able to go to SNB one last (last!) time before I leave.
Bethany in Picovoli
Bethany in Picovoli
Bethany is almost done her Picovoli! It's looks awesome in Hempathy with the seed stitch border, but Hempathy requires pretty small needles! (I think Bethany wants some big needle knitting next.)
Baby's First Heel!
Sock
Okay, she's not a baby, but it sure wasn't long ago that I taught her to crochet. We went for ice cream to celebrate:
(Or maybe because we felt like ice cream, and Dad and B hadn't had Maple View Farms ice cream yet.)
Bagpiper
Bagpiper
I didn't sleep at all Friday night. Saturday morning we had the yard sale. Saturday afternoon I showered then napped. Saturday evening Dad, B and I went out for pizza at Brixx. We were talking for a while, so I said we had to walk or I'd fall asleep. We saw a bagpiper on our walk.
Sheesh, I'm exhausted again. (The mosquito bites made it hard to sleep last night.) I need to go to bed! (After another post or two....)
Random
I didn't sleep well last night... my mosquito bites kept me up. I eventually took half an Ambien, and that helped. Given how late I stayed up, I didn't actually sleep that late this morning.
NC stealth mosquitos are one of the things I *won't* miss about here.
For the trip I'm leaving out three pairs of socks (two of which are already in progress) and my Forest Fringe tank for crochet/knitting to do in the truck. Dad will be driving most of the way. It's a monster truck! Hopefully that'll be enough. The rest is acting as packing material, and will be *really* hard to get to. I suppose, in an emergency, I can always seek out a LYS. (But last night's sock yarn purchase will make me feel guilty.)
NC stealth mosquitos are one of the things I *won't* miss about here.
For the trip I'm leaving out three pairs of socks (two of which are already in progress) and my Forest Fringe tank for crochet/knitting to do in the truck. Dad will be driving most of the way. It's a monster truck! Hopefully that'll be enough. The rest is acting as packing material, and will be *really* hard to get to. I suppose, in an emergency, I can always seek out a LYS. (But last night's sock yarn purchase will make me feel guilty.)
Cheater?
I suspect this fellow is trying to cheat on his homework:
madam,Just in case he is really seeking help in understanding something, I've asked him to e-mail specific questions with what he's having problems with.
I am engineering student in a university in india.
My name is [name removed].I have a few doubts in computer graphics. I'am confused with the bezier curves .I woulld like to know about bezier cuves. I'am expecting your help ,that would be a great help for me
yours faithfully
[name removed]
Scammer
I posted my moving sale to CraigsList.org. Voila, a person trying to scam me sent me an e-mail:
Hello seller of this item, i want to buy for use privately.However, i will not be completing this deal as i will be travelling soon,so i have employed the service of a buying agents to complete the deal.I will sign out a cashiers check to you as the original seller of the item.The check to be sent you will contain some excess which is meant for the payment of the agents commission and the shipping fee of the item.If anyone is interested in messing with him, his e-mail address is: freddyriddick3000@yahoo.com
So what you will for me is simple,you will provide me with your name,address and phone number to mail the cashiers check to you,after you receive it, you cash it ,remove you quota and send the rest to my agent to arrange the shipping.
Provide me the infos i asked for to mail out the check to you ASAP.Any question can be directed at me.
Thanks
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Dang.
Do you ever have one of those days when you fall and accidentally swipe your credit card? Simply Sock Yarn Company is evil, I tell you. Horrible. The sales are absolutely despicable.
In my defence, they're all cotton-wool blends, and my summer sock inventory isn't as big as my winter sock inventory.
Maybe I can blame the stress of the move? Or a rebound effect of resisting the lovely sock yarn on Elann? Or simply the fantastic prices?
*sigh* Probably not.
Please don't visit SSYC... you may regret it. Or, at least, your bank account might.
In my defence, they're all cotton-wool blends, and my summer sock inventory isn't as big as my winter sock inventory.
Maybe I can blame the stress of the move? Or a rebound effect of resisting the lovely sock yarn on Elann? Or simply the fantastic prices?
*sigh* Probably not.
Please don't visit SSYC... you may regret it. Or, at least, your bank account might.
Rambling
Hmmm... maybe this is why I do some of my best work at H's... we take frequent chocolate breaks. ;)
I don't want to dis the design or designer, but personally, I really don't want this accentuating my ass.
Dad came to SNB last Tuesday night. Turns out I didn't need to worry about him being bored. However, I should have worried about him finding out that I blog. Now he asks if I'm blogging whenever I go online, but he hasn't yet asked for the blog address.
S's daughter is learning to knit, has a blog, and loves comments. She asked me yesterday if I would comment on her blog. I was thinking it would be fun if some of my readers would be willing to comment on her blog too. Please go say hi to Zoe.
My living room is now pretty much empty, but my bedroom and office are both disaster zones. Today will be spent on packing, and moving some items over to K's. (She bought two bookshelves, and is also going to try to sell my dishwasher and dehumidifier, which didn't sell yesterday.)
The yard sale went well yesterday. We even managed to sell three out of two couches. ;) One couple who bought one of my couches draggede theirs out, and asked us if we could try to get $10 for it, since they didn't have room for it and the one they bought from me. I said sure. To make sure people wouldn't haggle below $10, we put a $20 sticker on it. It sold for $15. The couple let us keep the extra $5. :) Around 12:30 we freecycled most of what was left, which wasn't much. I brought in my coffee table... I'm going to see if it'll fit in the truck if we pack the legs full of boxes. If it doesn't, it'll go to K, who likes it.
I still need to clear off my desk so the neighbours can take it. I was too tired yesterday, after not getting any sleep Friday night.
Yesterday, after the yard sale, I had a shower and a nap, and then B, dad, and I went to Brixx for dinner. (I tried to call K to join us, but that didn't work out.) After dinner I read blogs for a bit, and then went to bed. Although I was tired, I had trouble falling asleep, so I took an Ambien.
This morning I'm getting up rather leasurely. I haven't had breakfast or a shower yet. Dad's off at church.
Yesterday I was so tired I didn't even knit or crochet when I was sitting doing nothing.
I'm not fully awake today either... you may have guessed that from my rambly blog entry. ;)
Interesting observation at the yard sale yesterday: it seems that the Chinese really haggled, even on already low prices. However, whites, blacks, and hispanics tended to pay full price, or not haggle all that hard. My friends were very generous, and my dad kept wanting to keep stuff we were supposed to be getting rid of.
Main observation from yesterday: I could not make a living as a used car salesman.
I have mosquito bites today. I'm not sure when I got them. The stealth mosquitoes around here are really annoying.
Well, I'm going to do a bit more blog reading, then have breakfast and get to work.
I don't want to dis the design or designer, but personally, I really don't want this accentuating my ass.
Dad came to SNB last Tuesday night. Turns out I didn't need to worry about him being bored. However, I should have worried about him finding out that I blog. Now he asks if I'm blogging whenever I go online, but he hasn't yet asked for the blog address.
S's daughter is learning to knit, has a blog, and loves comments. She asked me yesterday if I would comment on her blog. I was thinking it would be fun if some of my readers would be willing to comment on her blog too. Please go say hi to Zoe.
My living room is now pretty much empty, but my bedroom and office are both disaster zones. Today will be spent on packing, and moving some items over to K's. (She bought two bookshelves, and is also going to try to sell my dishwasher and dehumidifier, which didn't sell yesterday.)
The yard sale went well yesterday. We even managed to sell three out of two couches. ;) One couple who bought one of my couches draggede theirs out, and asked us if we could try to get $10 for it, since they didn't have room for it and the one they bought from me. I said sure. To make sure people wouldn't haggle below $10, we put a $20 sticker on it. It sold for $15. The couple let us keep the extra $5. :) Around 12:30 we freecycled most of what was left, which wasn't much. I brought in my coffee table... I'm going to see if it'll fit in the truck if we pack the legs full of boxes. If it doesn't, it'll go to K, who likes it.
I still need to clear off my desk so the neighbours can take it. I was too tired yesterday, after not getting any sleep Friday night.
Yesterday, after the yard sale, I had a shower and a nap, and then B, dad, and I went to Brixx for dinner. (I tried to call K to join us, but that didn't work out.) After dinner I read blogs for a bit, and then went to bed. Although I was tired, I had trouble falling asleep, so I took an Ambien.
This morning I'm getting up rather leasurely. I haven't had breakfast or a shower yet. Dad's off at church.
Yesterday I was so tired I didn't even knit or crochet when I was sitting doing nothing.
I'm not fully awake today either... you may have guessed that from my rambly blog entry. ;)
Interesting observation at the yard sale yesterday: it seems that the Chinese really haggled, even on already low prices. However, whites, blacks, and hispanics tended to pay full price, or not haggle all that hard. My friends were very generous, and my dad kept wanting to keep stuff we were supposed to be getting rid of.
Main observation from yesterday: I could not make a living as a used car salesman.
I have mosquito bites today. I'm not sure when I got them. The stealth mosquitoes around here are really annoying.
Well, I'm going to do a bit more blog reading, then have breakfast and get to work.
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Argh.
Guess what sucks even more than having to be up at 6 am for a yard sale. Answer: not being able to fall asleep when you have to be up at 6 am for a yard sale.
I think I'll catch up on some blog reading.
I think I'll catch up on some blog reading.
Friday, May 26, 2006
Wreckage
Moving Sale Stuff
K and B came over tonight to help me prepare for the moving sale tomorrow. K and B put prices on stuff, while I dug out more stuff for the sale. K brought sustenance:
I may kidnap K, and bring her up to Canada with me. Possibly B too. I wonder if I'll have room in the truck?
Well, off to bed now. Yard sales start way too darn early here. (I'm starting at 7 am, which is about an average start time.)
Miscellany
Yesterday was crazy. Good, but crazy. I started off by packing several boxes. When I felt like a change, dad and I went to get some milk and brown sugar so that I could convert a bunch of pantry stash into cupcakes and pudding. While the cupcakes were in the oven and the pudding was on the stove, neigbours came over to check what I had for sale. I turned the pudding down, and asked dad to stir it. (When the chocolate melted, he turned it off.) I pulled the cupcakes out of the oven, and offered one to the neighbour's kid once they had a chance to cool. (Neighbour didn't want one.) Neighbours left, I returned to the pudding. Once I got the pudding going, S arrived. She apologized for also being increadibly busy today, while I apologized for not being able to leave the pudding. Then my neighbour, H, arrived, wanting to double check when it was I'd be leaving. *Then*, while talking to both S and H and worrying about the pudding, B called to say when she would be over. H left while I was on the phone. S and I returned to stand in front of the pudding, where she explained she had to go to deal with other stuff. I saw her out, then returned to my pudding which was on the verge of boiling over. I reduced the heat, added the corn starch mixture, and stirred for five more minutes. Then I realized I had forgotten the little bit of salt, so added a pinch before divvying it up and putting it in the fridge.
At this point, I collapsed on the couch. (And ate several cupcakes.)
Then B arrived, and we took a crafting break. K called to say when she'd be over. A little while later, the three of us were crafting happily.
Then my neighbours came back to actually purchase several items of furniture. K offered to buy two bookshelves and the TV.
Another knock on the door: neighbour's friends came to buy stuff. They left with my box fan.
K and I worked on posts for Craig's List, and got distracted by yarn. Around midnight everyone headed home.
I really enjoyed the chance to spend time with my friends, but it would have been nicer had it been more relaxing time. (Oh, and I think my dad's girlfriend called somewhere in there.) Being the type that rarely gets visitors or phone calls, it was rather disconcerting having so many at once.
Other stuff I've been meaning to blog on:
1. It turns out the fire was actually last Sunday, it just took us a while to notice.
2. Dad came to SNB on Tuesday... it turns out I didn't need to worry about him being bored, but I *should* have worried about him finding out about my blog. Oops.
3. My meeting over at Duke on Wednesday went well.
I can't remember anything else of what I was going to say... maybe this was it. I'm feeling kind of frazzled. I took an Ambien to help me get to sleep last night. There's an Orkin man outside my window now, treating the undersides and outsides of buildings for bugs.
At this point, I collapsed on the couch. (And ate several cupcakes.)
Then B arrived, and we took a crafting break. K called to say when she'd be over. A little while later, the three of us were crafting happily.
Then my neighbours came back to actually purchase several items of furniture. K offered to buy two bookshelves and the TV.
Another knock on the door: neighbour's friends came to buy stuff. They left with my box fan.
K and I worked on posts for Craig's List, and got distracted by yarn. Around midnight everyone headed home.
I really enjoyed the chance to spend time with my friends, but it would have been nicer had it been more relaxing time. (Oh, and I think my dad's girlfriend called somewhere in there.) Being the type that rarely gets visitors or phone calls, it was rather disconcerting having so many at once.
Other stuff I've been meaning to blog on:
1. It turns out the fire was actually last Sunday, it just took us a while to notice.
2. Dad came to SNB on Tuesday... it turns out I didn't need to worry about him being bored, but I *should* have worried about him finding out about my blog. Oops.
3. My meeting over at Duke on Wednesday went well.
I can't remember anything else of what I was going to say... maybe this was it. I'm feeling kind of frazzled. I took an Ambien to help me get to sleep last night. There's an Orkin man outside my window now, treating the undersides and outsides of buildings for bugs.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Not My Apartment
I slept *really* well last night. So well, I didn't even notice the fire two doors down in the next building. Luckily, no one was hurt, and the fire didn't spread to neighbouring apartments. Anyway, here's this morning's blog fodder:
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Not Late After All
Or, rather, D's previous meeting is running even later than me. I'm sitting here in D's office, stealing his ethernet connection. Hopefully he'll be done soon, so that I can meet with him. I think I'll take this time to relax and compose myself.
Wah!
I don't want to be leaving my friends down here! I'm on my way over to Duke to meet with a professor there, but missed the bus. So now I'm going to be at least 36 minutes late, plus more for walking time. The stress of that, and not being able to print my travel expense form (stupid MS Excel!) seems to have added enough that now I feel like crying that I'll be leaving so many good friends. However, I don't think a relatively major bus stop is the place to break down into tears. So far I'm managing to stay dry eyed, but it won't take much to push me over the edge at this point. :P
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
I've been tagged by Lori.
A) Name six of life's simple pleasures that you like most. Try to be original and creative and not to use things that someone else has already used.
1. Lying on the dock in the sun, then jumping in the water to cool off. Swimming in the water, then lying in the sun on the dock to warm up.
2. Watching the rain fall while sipping hot cocoa.
3. Shovelling the light, fluffy snow. (Not the heavy, wet stuff.)
4. Walking in a quiet, well-treed area (neighbourhood, park, or woods). (But not when it's hot and sticky out.)
5. Savouring a good quality dark or milk chocolate.
6. Reading a good book.
B) Write a list with 6 facts about yourself.
1. I have blonde hair and big bones.
2. I enjoy most arts and crafts.
3. I have trouble thinking of six interesting facts about myself.
4. I have a BCSc Hons Co-op, a MS, but no PhD (yet).
5. I procrastinate and blog instead of packing.
6. I need to get back to packing for my move.
C) Choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. I tag:
Kelly (who may be wishing I didn't have such a long memory)
...and anyone else who'd like to be tagged... I should be packing, and need to get back to it!
A) Name six of life's simple pleasures that you like most. Try to be original and creative and not to use things that someone else has already used.
1. Lying on the dock in the sun, then jumping in the water to cool off. Swimming in the water, then lying in the sun on the dock to warm up.
2. Watching the rain fall while sipping hot cocoa.
3. Shovelling the light, fluffy snow. (Not the heavy, wet stuff.)
4. Walking in a quiet, well-treed area (neighbourhood, park, or woods). (But not when it's hot and sticky out.)
5. Savouring a good quality dark or milk chocolate.
6. Reading a good book.
B) Write a list with 6 facts about yourself.
1. I have blonde hair and big bones.
2. I enjoy most arts and crafts.
3. I have trouble thinking of six interesting facts about myself.
4. I have a BCSc Hons Co-op, a MS, but no PhD (yet).
5. I procrastinate and blog instead of packing.
6. I need to get back to packing for my move.
C) Choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. I tag:
Kelly (who may be wishing I didn't have such a long memory)
...and anyone else who'd like to be tagged... I should be packing, and need to get back to it!
NC BBQ
I was curious, so did a search for NC barbecue sauce recipes. Turns out there's a bunch out there. Here's a few of the links I found:
http://barbeque.allrecipes.com/az/strnNrthCrlinBrbqSc.asp
http://barbeque.allrecipes.com/az/strnNrthCrlinBBQSc.asp
http://bbq.about.com/od/barbecuesauce/a/aa070498.htm
http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1826,152175-238193,00.html
http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1826,153174-239193,00.html
http://bbq.about.com/od/pulledporkrecipes/r/bl70726c.htm
http://bbq.about.com/od/pulledporkrecipes/r/bl80905b.htm
Note: I haven't tried any of them yet. While living down here, I simply bought my favourite sauce at the grocery store.
http://barbeque.allrecipes.com/az/strnNrthCrlinBrbqSc.asp
http://barbeque.allrecipes.com/az/strnNrthCrlinBBQSc.asp
http://bbq.about.com/od/barbecuesauce/a/aa070498.htm
http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1826,152175-238193,00.html
http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1826,153174-239193,00.html
http://bbq.about.com/od/pulledporkrecipes/r/bl70726c.htm
http://bbq.about.com/od/pulledporkrecipes/r/bl80905b.htm
Note: I haven't tried any of them yet. While living down here, I simply bought my favourite sauce at the grocery store.
Monday, May 22, 2006
Short Post
Stuff I forgot in the last post:
1. I got a cute little stitch marker from Katie! :) (Photo later.)
2. The waiter at the restaurant was *very* nice to look at. Cute; buff, but with that bit of "I'm not a nut-job exerciser" softness; tanned (natural, rather than nut-job-tanning-booth-tanner); that gorgeous, thick hair in a short ponytail that women would kill for; friendly smile; did I mention cute? If I wasn't leaving in a week, and sitting across from my father, I might have given flirting a try. ;) (I think my dad was more of a damper than my imminent departure.)
3. Lori got her Canadianization package. :) (I forgot to take photos, so I'll have to steal one from her later.)
1. I got a cute little stitch marker from Katie! :) (Photo later.)
2. The waiter at the restaurant was *very* nice to look at. Cute; buff, but with that bit of "I'm not a nut-job exerciser" softness; tanned (natural, rather than nut-job-tanning-booth-tanner); that gorgeous, thick hair in a short ponytail that women would kill for; friendly smile; did I mention cute? If I wasn't leaving in a week, and sitting across from my father, I might have given flirting a try. ;) (I think my dad was more of a damper than my imminent departure.)
3. Lori got her Canadianization package. :) (I forgot to take photos, so I'll have to steal one from her later.)
Boxes Have Left The Building
C-HL's boxes are now *gone*! Gone! Gone! Gone! Gone! Gone! Gone! No more! They have left the building, and are no longer my reponsibility!
This morning after my shower I went outside to play with the neighbour's dog. Shortly after I went out, my dad called to say I had a phone call. It was C-HL. She told me the name of the shipping company, and it's phone number, and I also got her phone number "just in case."
Immediately after talking to her, I call the shipping company. They want me to fill out a form from their web page. I have a look at the form, then e-mail C-HL to ask her some of the questions. Meanwhile, dad calls to see if it would be cheaper for us to drop the boxes off, or if we could get a small shipping container to put the stuff in instead of repacking some of it. (C-HL asked me to remove some of the items her friends had packed... like the maxi pads.) Dad finds out that there aren't any small shipping containers (unless you consider a semi truck small... I think they may have had more square footage than my apartment). I've already started repacking the items.
Not only did her friends pack a gazillion maxi pads, they also had *no* clue about how to pack boxes. Many of them were ony half full. I managed to reduce 18 boxes down to 13 (if only I had done this earlier), and now have four boxes to pack some of my stuff in. :)
We printed off some mailing labels, the shipper's form, and headed out. (Oh... and I also stopped at the bank to deposit my tax refund... the tax refund I had asked to have sent to Canada....) We dropped the maxi pads off at a women's shelter on the way. (I use a different type, and don't need that many right now anyway.)
We reached Hillsborough shortly after four, I think, and was told by the gardener that the guy had just stepped out to go to the post office. We got to sit and relax in the truck for about half an hour, while our stomachs started growling. (I had had a late breakfast, but no lunch.) I worked a bit on my socks, but not much... packing and moving C-HL's boxes left me kind of wiped out. (And to think... I still have all my stuff to go!)
The story gets kind of long and boring at this point. Basically the guy talked to C-HL on the phone, and my dad and I moved the boxes (with help from the gardener) into the house/office, and then measured them. Summary: C-HL still isn't sure if she wants the boxes sent to her, or if she wants them in storage. She has until 1 pm tomorrow to decide, at which point they start their travels. (For some reason, the guy didn't want them in his office either. Gee. Curious.) However, if C-HL decides she *does* want them stored, some of her *other* friends will deal with them. Yay! No more C-HL boxes for me. :))
Dad and I were wiped by the time we left (about 5:40), so we decided to go out to eat. I treated him to some Carolina BBQ (an early birthday present), and then we used a buy-one-get-one-free coupon and Ben & Jerry's. Mmmmm. I felt much better at that point. :)
Tonight? I might to a wee bit of packing. I think I'll also bake cupcakes to use up some more ingredients. Mostly, though, I think I'll recover from today's efforts.
Tomorrow I think I'll see if I can get more boxes from the department (C said they might get more today or tomorrow), finish up the travel expense form, and drop off K's book. Then I really need to do some serious packing of my own stuff!
This morning after my shower I went outside to play with the neighbour's dog. Shortly after I went out, my dad called to say I had a phone call. It was C-HL. She told me the name of the shipping company, and it's phone number, and I also got her phone number "just in case."
Immediately after talking to her, I call the shipping company. They want me to fill out a form from their web page. I have a look at the form, then e-mail C-HL to ask her some of the questions. Meanwhile, dad calls to see if it would be cheaper for us to drop the boxes off, or if we could get a small shipping container to put the stuff in instead of repacking some of it. (C-HL asked me to remove some of the items her friends had packed... like the maxi pads.) Dad finds out that there aren't any small shipping containers (unless you consider a semi truck small... I think they may have had more square footage than my apartment). I've already started repacking the items.
Not only did her friends pack a gazillion maxi pads, they also had *no* clue about how to pack boxes. Many of them were ony half full. I managed to reduce 18 boxes down to 13 (if only I had done this earlier), and now have four boxes to pack some of my stuff in. :)
We printed off some mailing labels, the shipper's form, and headed out. (Oh... and I also stopped at the bank to deposit my tax refund... the tax refund I had asked to have sent to Canada....) We dropped the maxi pads off at a women's shelter on the way. (I use a different type, and don't need that many right now anyway.)
We reached Hillsborough shortly after four, I think, and was told by the gardener that the guy had just stepped out to go to the post office. We got to sit and relax in the truck for about half an hour, while our stomachs started growling. (I had had a late breakfast, but no lunch.) I worked a bit on my socks, but not much... packing and moving C-HL's boxes left me kind of wiped out. (And to think... I still have all my stuff to go!)
The story gets kind of long and boring at this point. Basically the guy talked to C-HL on the phone, and my dad and I moved the boxes (with help from the gardener) into the house/office, and then measured them. Summary: C-HL still isn't sure if she wants the boxes sent to her, or if she wants them in storage. She has until 1 pm tomorrow to decide, at which point they start their travels. (For some reason, the guy didn't want them in his office either. Gee. Curious.) However, if C-HL decides she *does* want them stored, some of her *other* friends will deal with them. Yay! No more C-HL boxes for me. :))
Dad and I were wiped by the time we left (about 5:40), so we decided to go out to eat. I treated him to some Carolina BBQ (an early birthday present), and then we used a buy-one-get-one-free coupon and Ben & Jerry's. Mmmmm. I felt much better at that point. :)
Tonight? I might to a wee bit of packing. I think I'll also bake cupcakes to use up some more ingredients. Mostly, though, I think I'll recover from today's efforts.
Tomorrow I think I'll see if I can get more boxes from the department (C said they might get more today or tomorrow), finish up the travel expense form, and drop off K's book. Then I really need to do some serious packing of my own stuff!
Sunday, May 21, 2006
AC Update
Fun with the AC tonight.
First, sometime between 9 and 10 pm, the thermostat finally read 80F. I immediately called maintenance. This time he said he couldn't do anything because they aren't allowed to work on high voltage stuff after dark. Plus, it wasn't 80F outside, and we should open the windows.
I explain I can't open the windows because of my allergies.
"Oh," he says. "If I had known that, I would have come out yesterday. But we're not allowed to work on high voltage stuff after dark."
But I called yesterday when it was light out!!! Gah! Why couldn't I think of the pollen allergy thing yesterday!
He offers to bring out a fan.
Fat lot of good that'll do, given that the one we currently have isn't doing much.
He asks if I have any suggestions of what he can do. I ask if the guest cottage is available... since it's supposed to be made available to residents when there are problems with their residence. He says he'll check to see if it's available.
*wait*
He calls back: R doesn't know if it's booked right now. K is 35 minutes away, should he drive in to see if the key is in the office?
Yes. I'm sweating here.
*wait*
He calls back: the key isn't there, thus the unit is occupied. Should he come over and see if there's anything he can do from the inside?
YES!!! Please!!!
*short wait,* knock at the door. I let K in (still in my racer bra and shorts, dad just in shorts), "my, it's hot in here."
Gee, ya think?
K tries to reset the thermostat, but it doesn't work. He tries several times, just to make sure.
He goes out and takes off the panel to see what he can see out there.
As he's out there... COOL AIR!!!! I rush out to let K know he's fixed it!
K has no idea what he did, or what was wrong. He'll come back in the morning, just to make sure it's all okay then. Whatever... I'm just glad it's working now! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
So, anyway, I'm a much happier camper than I was a half hour ago! Mmmmm... cool, dry air!
First, sometime between 9 and 10 pm, the thermostat finally read 80F. I immediately called maintenance. This time he said he couldn't do anything because they aren't allowed to work on high voltage stuff after dark. Plus, it wasn't 80F outside, and we should open the windows.
I explain I can't open the windows because of my allergies.
"Oh," he says. "If I had known that, I would have come out yesterday. But we're not allowed to work on high voltage stuff after dark."
But I called yesterday when it was light out!!! Gah! Why couldn't I think of the pollen allergy thing yesterday!
He offers to bring out a fan.
Fat lot of good that'll do, given that the one we currently have isn't doing much.
He asks if I have any suggestions of what he can do. I ask if the guest cottage is available... since it's supposed to be made available to residents when there are problems with their residence. He says he'll check to see if it's available.
*wait*
He calls back: R doesn't know if it's booked right now. K is 35 minutes away, should he drive in to see if the key is in the office?
Yes. I'm sweating here.
*wait*
He calls back: the key isn't there, thus the unit is occupied. Should he come over and see if there's anything he can do from the inside?
YES!!! Please!!!
*short wait,* knock at the door. I let K in (still in my racer bra and shorts, dad just in shorts), "my, it's hot in here."
Gee, ya think?
K tries to reset the thermostat, but it doesn't work. He tries several times, just to make sure.
He goes out and takes off the panel to see what he can see out there.
As he's out there... COOL AIR!!!! I rush out to let K know he's fixed it!
K has no idea what he did, or what was wrong. He'll come back in the morning, just to make sure it's all okay then. Whatever... I'm just glad it's working now! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
So, anyway, I'm a much happier camper than I was a half hour ago! Mmmmm... cool, dry air!
Ribbon Vest
Ribbon Vest
The vest is basically done now. I may add frogs (closures) later, but for now it's off my WIP list. It's a little silly, but a lot of fun. ;)
Oh... I'll do a modelled shot when I have AC again... and am thus wearing more than a sports bra and shorts. ;) (Temp is sitting at 79F... one more degree and we can call maintenance. I tried breathing on the thermostat. That didn't seem to help any.)
Oh... and the shorts? Only because my dad is here.
Strange
I'm sitting down by the back entrance to Sitterson, watching my stuff while my dad fetches the truck. It feels very strange, checking my office for missed items, like I would in a hotel room I'm leaving. Long ago I learned that I'm not someone who enjoys change. I'm in the process of a large change. I know what comes after will be better, but this still stresses me out somewhat.
The office is now in two carefully packed boxes of hanging file folders, two carefully packed boxes of texts and proceedings, and six boxes of "stuff that needs sorting and/or better packing."
The office is now in two carefully packed boxes of hanging file folders, two carefully packed boxes of texts and proceedings, and six boxes of "stuff that needs sorting and/or better packing."
Frustration
Grrr. I'm annoyed on several counts this morning.
1. The indoor temperature topped out at 78F, which means miserable me, but no AC repair. I have trouble sleeping when the thermostat is over 72F. This morning the thermostat is saying 74F already, so I'm guessing we may hit the 80F mark today.
2. Remember all those boxes I'm storing for a friend? Those boxes that were supposed to have left back in January? Well, they're still here. My friend was supposed to call yesterday to let me know what I can do with them. Dad and I waited around the (hot) house all day, with very little internet connection time (I have dial-up), and no phone call. No e-mail either. I wasted all day yesterday, and am not any further ahead. Now I have to do all my office packing today, instead of having a friend over for our weekly get-together. And I still don't know what to do with her stuff!
3. To top it all off, this morning I woke up congested and with a headache and sore neck/back.
Grrr.
1. The indoor temperature topped out at 78F, which means miserable me, but no AC repair. I have trouble sleeping when the thermostat is over 72F. This morning the thermostat is saying 74F already, so I'm guessing we may hit the 80F mark today.
2. Remember all those boxes I'm storing for a friend? Those boxes that were supposed to have left back in January? Well, they're still here. My friend was supposed to call yesterday to let me know what I can do with them. Dad and I waited around the (hot) house all day, with very little internet connection time (I have dial-up), and no phone call. No e-mail either. I wasted all day yesterday, and am not any further ahead. Now I have to do all my office packing today, instead of having a friend over for our weekly get-together. And I still don't know what to do with her stuff!
3. To top it all off, this morning I woke up congested and with a headache and sore neck/back.
Grrr.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Curses!
Argh! It was getting warm in here, so I decided to turn the AC on. A little while later, I realize it's still warm in here. I can hear the AC running, but there's no air coming out of the vents! I call the emergency maintenance line, and they contact a maintenance person. That person then calls me, and asks what my thermostat says. 75F. No go... he's only paid to come out on weekends if it's over 80F. Damn! (As I learned in Tempe, 75F isn't so bad if it's dry... but it's not dry here!) Grrr.
Friday, May 19, 2006
Sporadic Blogging
Chapel Hill Chorus
Just to let you know, my blogging for the next week or two is going to be rather sporadic. Dad was here and waiting when I arrived back from Tempe (flight was fine), so now I'm busy both with packing and making sure he's taken care of. Not that he needs a lot of taking care of (or that I'd be successful in those areas that he does), but I feel bad surfing the net when he's in the next room. I'm not sure why, but I do. And anyway, I've got tons of packing to do. I'll catch you up a bit tonight, but I'm not sure how frequently I'll be around the next few days. (I certainly wasn't around much the past few days.)
Anyway, tonight we had a great evening! K gave us a pair of tickets to see her chorus sing (thanks K!), and they sang wonderfully. I knew K, and dad's religious, so we both enjoyed all the songs. ;)
I was a bit annoyed by a lady (or ladies) near us wearing perfume. I got a headache, my eyes itched, and I think my tongue may be swollen again.
However, the evening listening to K sing was marvelous!
Silly Sign
Silly Sign
When I saw this sign earlier today, all I could think was, did they used to be called French Electric? ;)
Mail!!!
I had mail waiting for me when I got back from Tempe... including *two* packages. :))
Package number one contained my original sockapalooza socks, which Alison offered to fix for me back before I knew how to knit, but didn't end up having time:
Since I seem to have a pretty good handle on this knitting thing now, I asked her to send them back. Most of the yarn is the spare yarn to make my socks longer, but she also included some of her hand-dyed sock yarn! (She even knit up a bit to illustrate what it will look like!) Mmmmm! Sock yarn! Thanks Alison!!! :)
The other package was from a friend who's moved back to Taiwan:
Look at all those fun froggies! (She knows I'm fond of frogs.) I love the little frog reading a book... and the frog puppet... and the frog CD case...
Hmmm... and what mail will be waiting for me in Winnipeg? I ♥ mail!
Package number one contained my original sockapalooza socks, which Alison offered to fix for me back before I knew how to knit, but didn't end up having time:
Since I seem to have a pretty good handle on this knitting thing now, I asked her to send them back. Most of the yarn is the spare yarn to make my socks longer, but she also included some of her hand-dyed sock yarn! (She even knit up a bit to illustrate what it will look like!) Mmmmm! Sock yarn! Thanks Alison!!! :)
The other package was from a friend who's moved back to Taiwan:
Look at all those fun froggies! (She knows I'm fond of frogs.) I love the little frog reading a book... and the frog puppet... and the frog CD case...
Hmmm... and what mail will be waiting for me in Winnipeg? I ♥ mail!
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Tempe Knitting
Tonight I finallly met Pam! She took me to a lovely new yarn store, Tempe Yarn & Fiber. I got to pet lots of yarn, meet the silkworms, and, of course, knit! I also met Melanie, another knitblogger.
Gah. I'm dead tired, and can't continue this post right now. So here's the short form.
Melanie, me, Pam, and shop owner (brain can't dredge up name, so sorry!):
Melanie and Pam (I'm behind the camera) at Cracker barrel for dinner:
I may have bought something at the yarn store:
(Cascade 220 to match some fabric I think I forgot to blog, free magazine, and a lovely batt in Wild Blueberry by a local knitblogger.)
Will try to be more coherent & verbose tomorrow. Or the next day. Or, at least, by a week or two after I arrive back in Winnipeg.
g'night!
Gah. I'm dead tired, and can't continue this post right now. So here's the short form.
Melanie, me, Pam, and shop owner (brain can't dredge up name, so sorry!):
Melanie and Pam (I'm behind the camera) at Cracker barrel for dinner:
I may have bought something at the yarn store:
(Cascade 220 to match some fabric I think I forgot to blog, free magazine, and a lovely batt in Wild Blueberry by a local knitblogger.)
Will try to be more coherent & verbose tomorrow. Or the next day. Or, at least, by a week or two after I arrive back in Winnipeg.
g'night!
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Desert Botanical Gardens
Cactus
Today was a morning of sunburn, heat stroke, and really neat cacti, lizards, and other desert wildlife. With liberal application of sunscreen and water, I managed to minimize the sunburn and heat stroke. We would have been able to fit in more cacti and the rest had the bus driver not gotten lost several times on the way there. ;)
I've uploaded a few of my gazillion photos, and will post them one at a time from flickr. Enjoy!
Crochet Socks WIP
Crochet Socks WIP
I started these this morning after getting as far as I could on the sunshine socks. (Regia Cotton, why do you enjoy frustrating me so much? This is the third time you've messed with me... on only my second pair of socks with you!)
This Regia from Heather should go much better. ;) (Especially since I'm not doing self striping, and it comes as two balls which I can work at the same time.)
Houston, We Have A Problem
Crochet Socks WIP
Can you see it? See how one sock is shorter than the other? See how there's lots of light and dark blue yarn left? See how there's *no* yellow?
Oops.
My options, as I see them:
1. Deviate from the pattern to finish these off. (Not going to happen: I like the pattern too much.)
2. Make the heels a bit slimmer. (This *may* give me enough to finish, but will mean re-knitting everything from the heel up. This is not a terribly attractive option.)
3. Buy a second ball of yellow, and add whatever is leftover to stash.
4. Buy a second ball of yellow, plus a coordinating colour, and make another pair of socks out of the yellow and other colour. (But plan better this time.)
5. Appeal to my readers, asking if they have a leftover bit of yellow Regia Cotton, and were willing to trade for something I can send them. (Depends on one of my readers having previously used the same yarn.)
I think I like option #4 the best, although it also happens to cost the most. (Unless one of you actually has a bit of yellow left over?) If I go for this option, what do you think I should choose as a coordinating colour? (From those at theknitter.com.) I don't want to do #29, since that will make a nearly identical pair of socks to some I already own.
You know, this is one of those times an accurate (yarn) scale would have been nice. (The analog food scale I have right now is really hard to get accurate readings on, the way it's designed. Especially when it's in Chapel Hill, and I'm in Tempe. ;) )
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Busy!
Gah! Too busy to post. I have a bit of coffee break left, so I'll write a short post.
I wanted to let you know that this workshop isn't all socks and swimming. There's also cookies, lemonade, and video games:Well, the cookies and lemonade are only during our brief coffee breaks, and the video games happen to illustrate some models that people have then applied to proteins and stuff. I've also been networking: I talked to a student who is doing some research that I can use for a step in my dissertation work. I talked to other people too, but that's been the most useful to me personally.
Well, I should stop again... I suspect coffee break will be over soon. (I'm not sure when it is, because they forgot to schedule a coffee break this afternoon.)
I wanted to let you know that this workshop isn't all socks and swimming. There's also cookies, lemonade, and video games:Well, the cookies and lemonade are only during our brief coffee breaks, and the video games happen to illustrate some models that people have then applied to proteins and stuff. I've also been networking: I talked to a student who is doing some research that I can use for a step in my dissertation work. I talked to other people too, but that's been the most useful to me personally.
Well, I should stop again... I suspect coffee break will be over soon. (I'm not sure when it is, because they forgot to schedule a coffee break this afternoon.)
Monday, May 15, 2006
Crochet Socks
Crochet Socks WIP
This is how far I got yesterday. I think I've brought sufficient sock yarn. :)
Ugh... second nosebleed so far this morning... and I even got it on my shirt! (Dang, I didn't pack any spares.) I'm off to find some vaseline.
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