trashy romance, fuzzy socks & more

I did it. Woohoo. I did not do it the full duration of each interval but I came close on the first four (I think I stopped at 75-80 seconds) and attempted the last two, even though I really wanted to quit.

Other things on the agenda tonight/this week: adjusting to DH’s new old job. I really don’t like his 5pm-1am schedule, and I’ve gotten used to having him home in the evenings to have dinner with, but I lived with it before and I’ll live with it again. The up side is I’ll have my evening writing time back. The down side is I’ll have to do lots of planning ahead in order to make sure I’m eating dinner before 10:30/11 pm after I get off work.

I don’t have to deal with dinners this week ’cause he’s working days the first half but after that, it’ll be back to dinner on my own.

But again, up side: writing time. I had a hard time writing regularly while he was working days because I need silence and he needs Comedy Central.

I really hoped the most-recent job would work out, though, and I wish the head chef’s wife hadn’t made it sound so awesome and promising. I feel guilty about the year of work-related misery that dh went through because I pushed him.

Lucky me, he’s more forgiving than I am.

It’s March. It’s snowing. I started running yesterday. I am a bad blogger.

I’m not mentally ready for it. Last weekend was great, sunny and active, lots of fresh air and tasks accomplished. This week was more of a typical winter weekend, holed up inside watching the grey world out the window, trying (and failing) to recover from some work stress.

Making some progress on my wristwarmers! They’re going to take a while, tho, because the yarn is thin and the needles are small. Oh well. 100% merino wool. Should be worth it in the end.

Let’s not discuss how I finished today with vodka & sprite, and instead let’s talk about the wrist warmers I want to make.

I have two skeins of lovely soft wool, varigated in pink-grey-black-white shades. They’re too small to make socks but I love the colors and the so-soft texture so today, while rubbing my hands as if I were trying to start a fire, I decided that I deserve hand warmers. Because the temp in my “office”? Totally not the 67 degrees the thermostat claims.

What do I want for my 30th birthday? DH has “new thermos” on his list for me since I ruined mine somehow and can’t cleanse it of the sour milk smell. Hmm. Must think and think fast.

Have I mentioned yay weekend?

Didn’t gain any weight over the holidays. Enjoyed a week with my mom. Presents, presents, presents, and lots of time off work. Dh and I hosted our first party, which was smallish and tame but we had a great time seeing old friends and getting to know new ones better. I went to bed before midnight 12/31, proving that I am getting old (I blame the fact I started drinking at 7 pm).

In general, things are going well, and I am still a slacker of a blogger. But I’m not a slacker of a dieter/exerciser this week, or of a writer. Cool news: awesome new cover art for a short story coming out later this month, as well as cover art for an anthology I’m part of. And an acceptance for the Thumbelina story, which I <3.

I”ve also made it to round three in a “first line contest”, and am now anxiously awaiting the cut for round four. Will I make it? Will my third sentence prove too boring? Can’t wait for Monday to find out!

28 years in the making.

Pretty, isn’t it?

It doesn’t snow much in Maryland, so no flakes floating around outside, but my apartment smells like fresh-baked cranberry orange scones and I’m still in my pajamas. Waiting for my husband to get out of bed so we can run some errands, of course!

The Christmas tree (white) is hovering in the corner, brightly wrapped packages are resting beneath it (foil wrap, the stuff I always wanted as a kid but never convinced my mom to buy) and Mr. wants to make out Christmas cards this afternoon. Maybe I should unearth the Barenaked Ladies Christmas CD.

Hooray December!

Click the pretty graphic for details on how to enter.

I’m using a contest to replace a “real” post because I’m still caught up in the historigothanormal I’ve been working on for NaNoWriMo. I do have other things to share – a short story sale, a lovely quilt acquisition (with pictures), a couple of grouchy opinions of Stephenie Meyer’s NEW MOON, a couple of yee-haw opinions of Crystal Jordan’s CARNAL DESIRES. But those might not be coming up soon.

In the meantime – enter the contest! You could win an Amazon Kindle, books, a Vera Bradley handbag (and not one of the grocery store knock-offs!)…what’s not to want?

Remember – click the graphic for details. Or just click here.

I didn’t go to the play. I did clean my apartment and knit a wrist warmer. But first:

Squiddle the Bad, Bad Piggle

Breakfast on the dirty kitchen floor!

Also discovered while uploading knitting pix – me at RenFaire 2008, a day after I had my hair dyed purple.

Do I look stoned to you, too?

And the main event: a wristwarmer!

This one's for Haven but she doesn't know it yet.

Materials:

1 skein bulky weight yarn (this is 75% acrylic, 25% wool)

four #8 dpns

Pattern:

Cast on 31 stitches. Divide onto three needles. Work in the round k3, p2 all the way around. k2together last stitch of third needle and first stitch of first needle, then continue k3/p2 until desired length from thumb hole (how long you want it to go up your arm).

Thumb hole: k3,p2 until last five stitches on needle #3. Working in pattern, bind off those 5 stitches. Continue working in round until you reach the last stitch on needle #3. Cast on 5 stitches using a crochet hook. Continue working in round another 2 inches. Bind off in pattern. Weave in ends.

I'll turn the rest of the skein into wristwarmer #2 next weekend.