Discharge never felt so good

They discharged her Wednesday and she was finally able to sleep. No she doesn't know I took these snapshots.



This is kinda gross, but they removed the bandage from her head to reveal very nice stitch work, I think there is also some super glue in there as well. She's been sleeping like a log which seems to keep the pain down. Except when the phone rings.



I leave you with this... it's a lawn ornament.

Day 2 a day late

She's got a few wounds from the eye tape. This upset her greatly. No one wants to look like crap when visitors come.



They fed her lots of mildly edible dinners. And she may be 100lbs, but look, she does eat.



She got up for the first time. then quickly back down. but if you want a catheter removed, you must learn to walk.



The healing power of tubes.



Peace out till tomorrow.

Drills and Brains (not a zombie movie)

Long story short, my sister had brain surgery this morning at around 7:30 am. This was for a cyst that was growing in her brain that "Could" be the culprit causing her chronic vertigo. This has been a problem for her since late 2005. and after a year and a half of specialists, this was her last resort.

Upon hearing that she was being opened, I proceeded to drive a million and 4 miles from Boston To Washington D.C. the unfortunate thing is that I have to do the drive again. The other thing is that I have taken this trip alone. Will is home with the animals and I can't tell you how much I miss them. But my sister is important and I had ot be here with her.

She is well, in a lot of pain, but her humor is still there.



Lindsey, waiting to be admitted. She has been on some drug to counteract the vertigo. The side affect is that she barely graces 100lbs, she is nothing but skin and bones. She could be Nicole Richie's twin.



I sat with her pre-op for a few hours while various doctors popped in to explain things and insert things.



This is where we parted ways when she went into the O.R.

The operation lasted a couple of hours, they drilled into her skull right behind the right ear and cut the cyst in half. removing would have been too risky, but the chance of it regrowing now is slim to none.

First images after leaving the O.R. and sent to recovery while waiting for a room in the ICU to open.







There were no complications and we hope her recovery is speady.

Back to school

PATTERN: Back to School U=neck vest from Fitted Knits
BY: Stephanie Japel
FIBER: Cascade Quatro Colour #5019

I kinda look like a re-re in this picture. My boyfriend was trying to get me to look "pretty"... um, I guess my "pretty" look needs some work. Oh, and it was crazy warm in Boston today, thus the short sleeves. Man I love New England.

The stash...

Impressed by the podcast "Stash and Burn" I have decided to try and work through the stash. After scouring the home for little yarn nests and chucking nasty acrylic yarn and plastic needles. I have consolidated my yarns and placed them in a visible place.

I didn't do too bad. I thought it would be worse. The sock yarn though... well that's a set back. As you can see, it has taken over the middle shelf... a lot.

V-Neck Jumper

PATTERN: Cozy- V-Neck Pullover with deep ribbing from Fitted Knits
BY: Stephanie Japel
FIBER: Cascade Pastazza #081

I'm sorry, you said WHAT??!!

I overheard someone today, I'm not saying who because that would be mean and something I would totally do. But he came out with the statement... "global warming does not exist" What? are you kidding me? Is this what they are telling people on Fox News these days? Saying that global warming does not exist is like saying that the Holocaust didn't happen, or that Margarine is better than butter, it's just stupid.

Disclaimer: this statement comes from someone who also believes that immigrants are the cause for his wife's inability to receive Social Security, and not because she never worked. So already his mind has clearly gone.

We are currently working to rectify this problem.

Happy Zombie Day!

Happy zombie day to everyone, it's the day the J-man rose from the dead and cried out for more brains. We're just hangin' here on the couch watching some bio-pics about the J-man's first days back from the dead. Movies like Dawn of the Dead, Shawn of the Dead, Resident Evil 1 and 2, 28 days later... you get the picture. Later I think we'll play some Gi-tar Hero, few know this, but the J-man is metal.



Throwing up the horns for zombie day, you go J-man.

What a bad ass.

Disclaimer: I'm an athiest, so deal with it

This in kinda cool

Down at the Government Center in downtown Boston, there is a Starbucks, with this above its door...



I love it, but I don't get it, I can only assume that this kettle was here long before the Starbucks, 1. because Starbucks is not that cool, and 2. I saw this sign off to the left and slightly hidden that suggests that this is a relic from Boston's history.

Gi-tar Hero

(it must be pronounced with a southern flavour, it make it that much better.)

Anyway, Will went out in Tuesday, right when the EB Games store opened to obtain Guitar Hero and two guitars. And the fun just keeps on coming.





This is us rocking out with our cocks out (really, what does that mean?) can you see I have a little bit of the devil in my eyes, I must be playing some of that rock-n-roll all of the kids are listening to.

I have one beef with this game, did they HAVE to put Freebird on the playlist? Really... I hate that song, one might say I hate it with a white hot hate, and that's like a lot!

Sunshine yarnaholic

As an aside. I met Dani of Sunshine Yarns, she and Lucy at Minds Eye are my primary dealers in my sock addiction. It just costs less than crack and doesn't make you ugly.

I'm a very shy person, and anyone who knows, me knows this. I always make bad first impressions, and metting Dani was no different, I was like "it's nice to meet you, I love your yarn" *weak smile slowly creeping onto my face*.

It was like meeting a celebrity. She really does dye some of the most beautiful sock yarns ever. Her last posting was of the Harry Potter flavor, I was only able to come away with her new "Phoenix" colour. (I had Hedwig and all of the dragons, now I'm kicking myself for not getting the "Dark Forest") it was yummy. But trying to get her Griffindor was much like trying to get... I have no analogy, but it was like trying to get something that is very hard to get.

So thank you Dani for meeting up with me. It was great, even if I am pretty lame.

Canyon socks DONE!

Okay, they've been done for about 2 weeks, but I'm really lazy on weekends.





My first socks with cables, this deserved a mango lassi. Next I tink I'll try a magic loop sock.

PATTERN: Cable Rib Socks from Interweave Knits Favorite Socks 25 Timeless Designs
BY: Erica Alexander
FIBER: hand died sock yarn from Minds Eye Yarn in "Canyon" I renamed it officially.

I think Miss Bronte feels left out

I'm been lavishing attention on Akira and leaving Mis B. out, I know she reads this blog while I'm at work and has remarked that I do not talk about her enough. What can I say, she's a cat, what do cats do? they lick themselves and occasionally do something of interest, like fall into the toilet (I hate when she does that). Miss Bronte, this is for you.



It was her glamour shot, cost me an arm and a leg at the mall, and she wouldn't even sit still... bitch.

My Dog, House MD

A little while ago our dog Akira hurt his leg, we can only suspect that it was during a 3am chasing of the kitty that he did this. He is fine by the way, nothing torn or costin us several thousand dollars to fix. But I think now he pulls out the gimpy limp to get attention when the big baby who is pampered 24/7 feels he needs just a little more attention than normal. Since this doesn't have video, here is an artist's rendition of how he walks.



Pretty sad huh? For a while I was afraid he was going to become hooked on Vicodin and have a sour disposition, but he would make for great TV viewing every Tuesday.

A face to melt your heart

Or at least the snow here in Boston.

Antelope Canyon Socks

7th sock? I lost count, whatever... the thing I love about this sock, is not the pattern (which is great) but the yarn. Knit up it looks like Antelope Canyon in Arizona.



Side by side comparison.

PATTERN: Cable Rib Socks from Interweave Knits Favorite Socks 25 Timeless Designs
BY: Erica Alexander
FIBER: hand died sock yarn from Minds Eye Yarn in "Red/B&rown/Pumpkin" but she seriously needs to rename it.

Hedwig

This one took me forever, again because I am so damn lazy.



PATTERN: Waving Lace socks from Interweave Knits Favorite Socks 25 Timeless Designs
BY: Evelyn A. Clark
FIBER: hand died sock yarn from Sunshine yarns in "Hedwig" from the Harry Potter series.

Hungarian Horntail Part 2

FINISHED! finished this at 2.30am a few weeks back and due to the fact that I am so damn lazy I never took a picture or posted, no one reads this damn blog anyway.



Detail, still with a lot of dog and cat hair, hey they live here so why not wear them too.



PATTERN: Eagle's Flight
BY: Megan Humphrey
FIBER: hand died sock yarn from Sunshine yarns in "Hungarian Horntail" One of the four Harry Potter Dragon colourways she created inspired from the fourth book in the HP series.

Dear Diary, today in gym class...

Do you ever get those flashbacks of elementary school when you're driving or sitting on the toilet? Of course you do, we all do. I dealt with my fair share of bullying from my peers, but oddly enough I had to deal with it from my teachers as well. Strange as that my be, I was just a kid who was not liked. But I stood up for myself once, and this is that story, it's just kinda lame.

But my flashback came to me while I was remembering a commercial, I don't know what it was about, candy or something, but a man was dressed up like a tin robot. And I get to thinking, the robot is the coolest dance move and I have never been able to really get the mechanics of it down. The herky jerky robotic movements of the arms, head, and legs were beyond my comprehension. And then I remember elementary school gym class where we learned the important cardiovascular benefits of the "Electric Slide" and "Square Dancing" but somewhere in between these very important party moves and trying to earn some kind of Presidential merit badge by doing 5 pull ups and running a mile without puking, we had to do the robot.

Maybe if I had a lesson or two before throwing me into the arena I could have really shown my gym teacher that I wasn't the loser she told me I was, doesn't mean that I can work the robot with the best of them. I knew I could do the robot, what could be so hard about it right? Well in true gym teacher fashion (code here for something-only-a-mega-bitch-would-do) she gets us all to form a line along the edge of some nasty blue plastic mat and one by one we were to walk like a robot along this cheap runway in front of everyone!

Fuck the robot!

My turn comes up and I'm at the edge of the mat, about to parade my poor excuse for a robot in front of all the kids who egged my parents house and make a complete ass out of myself. "Fuck it" I think, and I just walked calmly and cooly down the mat, as a normal person.

"Taylor! you didn't walk like a robot, the exercise is to walk like a robot" I'm sure this was followed by some lame threat like I won't get a star for today or some bullshit like that.

"I did," I said

The woman started getting angry with me, you could see the look in her eyes, you know the look only gym teachers have. Crazy, and pissed about teaching a bunch of kids how to dodge a big plastic red balls and dance in a square formation.

"That was not a robot, you just walked down the mat, I told you to walk like a robot!"

By that point I didn't care anymore, when my 3rd grade teacher wasn't singling me out as demon spawn, my music teacher was blaming me for the disruptions the boys made (now how fair is that?), my gym teacher was making me walk like a god damn robot.

So I sighed, and shrugged and said "I'm just really advanced."

and walked to the end of the line.

Just for giggles

I don't think I need to make a comment as this pretty much speak for themselves.

Hungarian horntail

Next sock in progress using the Eagle's Flight pattern by Megan Humphrey using hand died sock yarn from Sunshine yarns in "Hungarian Horntail" One of the four Harry Potter Dragon colourways she created inspired from the fourth book in the HP series.



The lace pattern will be visible when it is on my foot.

Rivulets

So I designed this sock, only to find that there is a pattern for it at Sock Bug. Well, it may have already been created, but the pattern was originally from my head before I found that bit out.



In a hand died sock yarn from Minds Eye Yarn in "Evening Sky"

Taos

my 3rd sock. Ta da.



The Jaywalkers by Grumperina. from MagKnits. In a hand died sock yarn from Sunshine yarns in "Taos"



Detail, plus some dog hair.

Jaywalkers

My second pair of completed socks. The Jaywalkers by Grumperina. from MagKnits. In a hand died sock yarn from Minds Eye Yarn in "Silver Sage"

Cat in a Box

This is Bronte redeeming herself. When she is not breaking glassware, she is doing her immitation of warm rising bread dough. She's a hit at parties.

My first sock

I spent my X-mas holiday in Maine and forgot my camera, but I made my very first sock. Now I have to make the other one.



This is called Monkey by Cookie A. from Knitty which is a webzine for knitters. They publish 4 times a year with a new season of totally free patterns to knit.

This was probably a rather daring first sock pattern to try, but it worked out well. Now I am walking around with one sock I love it too much to wait to wear both.

King Richard's Faire

I haven't posted in whet seems to be years, and granted we went to the Ren Faire in October and I'm only getting around to posting the images now, but I'm posting right?

Now neither one of us is into the whole Ren. Faire thing and the lasts time and the only time I went to one was as a Sophomore in High School. But there I had a friend working there this year and what friend would I be if I didn't go and see her in Ren. garb right? You never really know a person until you see then in a cloak that's what I always say.



Will entering the Faire (you have to spell it with an "E" because people in cloaks will hunt you down and "Hazah" you to death)



My Friend's husband who is a portrait artist set up a nice little booth to get patrons. It's his fault the family had to be exposed to chain mail.



My friend Anne of... and her daughter Michaela or Dr. Quinn Medicine woman. Apparently she was so into the Faire, that when it ended she was heart broken. I just hope she gets over it before High School.


Now for some random photos with no comments.









Our knight lost by the way.