My Week So Far

... more court appearances than humans should be allowed to have.

... Judges who think, "I'll encourage these folks to settle, I'll schedule a trial for ALL DAY ON GOOD FRIDAY. That'll show them." (not the lawyers, of course. no)

... a punk-ass lawyer from the big city to the North threatening me with sanctions because my clients won't agree to visitation with his psycho-abusive clients, who have been formally declared psycho-abusive by a court appointed psychologist.

.. clients who cry in open court, cursing the system for mistakes they've made and for which they take no responsibility.

... clients cursing at me because I cannot get them out of their aforesaid mistakes.

... Judges who think, "I'll encourage these folks to settle, I'll schedule their cases for 9 A.M. THE MONDAY AFTER EASTER." (repeat above comment)

... a disgruntled ex-husband of a client threatening my partner in our parking lot, causing the police to be called.

The only positives I can think of are that my hockey boys won the top slot in the Eastern Conference (now if only Dominik Hasek pulls a groin muscle like he did when he was in Buffalo, we might win the League),

and, I'm successfully into the lace repeats on the Wool Peddler's Shawl.

Is it time for chocolate yet?

Why I Like Knitting Lace

even though it's frustrating. This is the Wool Peddler Shawl, in probress. I just got to the lace part, and it's driving me crazy. I certainly can't do it while watching hockey, or talking, or almost anything else.

So why do I do it? The same reason I climb mountains in the winter. When I'm trying to make it to the top of one of the Adirondack peaks in, say, mid-January, all I am thinking of for six hours is where to put my feet, and trying not to fall. One foot in front of the other. And when I'm done, hair plastered to my head, legs and feet aching, dying for a Sam Adams draft, I really feel like I've accomplished something. And ... I'm relaxed! One day of mountain hiking is like three days away.

Knitting lace is kind of like that. All I can do is follow the pattern, count, sometimes say it out loud, and I absolutely can't multi-task. No phone calls, no t.v., no chatting. It's a nice breather. I don't know if it's the job, our culture or my personality, but I'm always trying to do at least two things at once. Eat breakfast, read the paper. Talk on the phone, cruise the internet. Talk on the phone, drive. It doesn't seem that there's enough hours in the day to get everything done, but maybe it's just that I expect too much of myself (okay, and my clients and the courts) and keep taking on more and more.

So lace is slower. Prettier. And maybe some of that philosophy will rub off each time I wear the shawl.

My, I'm philosophical!

In the meantime, here's the Koigu sock in progress. I do love this yarn; Jessica was right! I like the "twistyness" of the ply, and the colors are fantastic. Lizzie wanted ankle socks, but I bought two skeins anyway, so there might be enough for me to have a pair too!

Well it's off to my Sunday knitting clan --- and I won't be bringing the lace!

Yarn from Philly

Of course, I couldn't visit a new city without going to at least one yarn store. It's Rosie's Yarn Cellar, and it was very nice. Lots and lots of yarn, a friendly salesclerk (who even called to find out if a lunch place was open for us two vegetarians), but a bit small. I took the plunge and bought this:

My first foray into Koigu. It's going to be socks for oldest daughter, who picked out the colorway. I've read so much on blogs about this yarn, and have wanted to try it out. The label says 7 sts to the inch on size 3 needles, so that's how I'll start out.

I also bought some boring ring markers, for the Wool Peddler's Shawl (I'm up to the lace), and some reinforcement yarn for socks. They had a wonderful selection of buttons and some lovely shawl pins, but as I blew my budget at the Tut Exhibit, I ignored them. *sigh*

Well it's off to fight for truth, justice and the Family Court way today. Thursdays are intake days, and I have 5 cases on this morning, 2 in the afternoon. Usually the sort of day I call home and say, "pour the wine, I'm approaching the driveway."

ps Sabres beat the Devils last night, but by the skin of their (mostly non-existent) teeth. I, for one, am ready for the play-offs.

Tut Mania!

What an exhibit! What fun! I loved every part of the exhibit -- especially when our "VIP" tickets (part of the hotel package) got us past the loooooong line of timed ticket holders and into the private lounge, then right into the first gallery. It was very well done, with a few rooms of artifacts from Tut's parents and grandparents, then those from the tomb itself.

It was amazing to see in real life what I've seen photos of in so many Egyptology books and magazines -- the crown, the dagger found on his mummy, a coffinette made of gold that contained his liver ... and lots lots more, including wonderful jewelry. Hard to believe, but I resisted buying a $5000 replica of the chest pectoral with a jeweled scarab in the center ... but I also resisted the Tut bobblehead, which, when my daughter saw that, she said ..."He gave his life, for bobbleheads."

Well, we're off to have more Philadelphia fun ... including yarn store visits! More later.

What I Have Learned ...

or observed, I should say, in the 8 days that I've been spouse-less.

1. The house stays cleaner. Big surprise, eh? Maybe it's that I feel less inclined to put my "stuff" away when his is laying around, or because he's generally working at home all day, and I'm not there to add to the clutter. Or -- because he's messier than me. Let's face. That's why I've really concluded!

2. I liked the peace and quiet for the first feew days. Then, not so much. When I started talking to the birds at the feeder, I knew I'd gone to far.

3. I don't drink coffee if Jack doesn't make it. What's that about? I'll just make tea instead.

4. Even though I'm alone, I stay on my side of the bed. And I leave his pillow alone. When we're together -- it's a different story. I steal the covers and his pillow.

5. The dog misses him. Not that she doesn't love it that I'm the one taking her for walks, or giving her treats, she's been mopey the last few days.

6. The cats couldn't care less. Big surprise there too, eh?

7. I don't cook. Dinners have been popcorn, peanut butter on crackers and cereal. I usually eat lunch out, and that's a decent meal. Or so I justify. So if he's messy, maybe I'm lazy!

8. It's not as much fun watching the Sabres on television if he's not there to see me yell at the screen. Besides, it scares Alice the dog when, out of total silence, I leap to my feet and whoop.

So he comes back Saturday afternoon, and I'll be gone, so he'll have a few days alone. I wonder if he'll have any of the same observations about me ....

Anyway, this is a long-planned weekend away with my oldest daughter, in Philadelphia to see the King Tut exhibit. I can't wait -- I've never been to that city, have already "googled" for yarn stores, and am looking forward to a 3 day respite from what seems like a flood of cranky clients. It also gives me a chance to stand before the exhibit and say .....

He gave his life, for tourism!!!
(credit to Steve Martin)

Wool Peddler Shawl and more!

Here it is -- The Wool Peddler Shawl in progress. I'm not sure the color came out right -- it's a dark red that I simply love, and a bit brighter than shown here. My only problem so far is that I tried to "spit splice" (say that 5 times fast) when joining a new skein, and it must be that my spit isn't sticky enough, because it came undone. I've carefully tied the ends into a square knot, and will try to split the strand and weave the plys in with a needle.

Almost done is what I'm calling Baby Sarah's sweater. My friend is due in mid-April, and she's already named the bambino. She picked the colors and I made up the design.

And, in honor of the first day of Spring, here is Elvis, trying to get the birds feeding on the deck.

Dream on, feline!

Why ....

... do cats always use the litterbox after you clean it?

(thanks to my little buddy Amanda for posing with Miss Kitty)

I'll Live ...

Finally, I'm feeling somewhat normal. I guess it took a few days for the antibiotics to kick in, but man o man, was this a nasty bug. I absolutely hate not having any energy. Today, I actually took a walk with Alice. Black dog, white snow. It was a picture.

Speaking of pictures, I left my camera at the office, so I can't show you the wonderful yarn a friend of mine brought me back from Peru! She took an empty suitcase, and promised several fellow knitters to bring back goodies. I got 10 skeins of a dark red baby alpaca, DK weight. I love it and immediately brought out Folk Shawls by Cheryl Oberle and turned to the "Wool Peddler's Shawl", and cast on. It's just the thing for when you're couch-bound. I'm still on the rows of garter stitch (with increases) and it's knitting up fast (size 8s -- KP Options). I'll bring it to work tomorrow, and post my progress.

I'm also in day 3 of spouse-less living. It's the annual go to South Carolina with a bunch of buddies and hunt wild boar week for Jack. He's also tacking on a few days to spend with his mother in Florida, so it's part-ee time for me and the pets! Big doin's -- popcorn for dinner, cats on the couch all the time, lots of knitting ... but I do miss the man.*

So it's back to the grind tomorrow, and I'm trying not to think about how much last week's sick time has set me back. One phone message at a time ...

* I had to share this story about the man. In the flurry of activity involved in getting ready for his trip, he was, of course, washing all his clothes in scent-free detergent, and packing all the special scent-block gear. As a joke, he said, "Why don't they make scent-block underwear?" I bit my tongue, thinking of all the possible uses (it's never wise to joke with a man packing camo-gear). So, they arrive in South Carolina, and head for the nearest Wal-Mart. Why, you ask? To see if they have any hunting gear not at the Wal-Mart up here. You guessed it -- scent-block underwear. And of course, he bought a pair. My comment (now that I'm safely out of range) was, "Well, now you boys can fart in the woods with wild abandon!" Can you believe it? I'm still laughing, and thinking of all the people and places that could benefit from these. Who knew?

Betrayed a Second Time

Yes, the virus morphed into a sinus/ear/chest infection. Complete with colorful snot. I know, TMI, but true.

I finally dragged myself to the doctor's and am on Day 2 of antibiotics. She also told me to take a few days off from work, but the boss (meaning me) won't let me. Too many court appearances; to many hassles to get adjournments.

I've been knitting on my friend's baby sweater and it's coming along. Picture next post, I promise!

... drowning in Kleenexes ....

I Have Arrived!

My own parking space. How cool is that?

Boogie Time!

It's the Boogie vest from knitty.com.

















Here's how it looks on:


I blocked it, but need to press out the armholes a bit. As I altered the pattern by adding ribbing on the neck and armholes, I probably should have made the shoulders narrower, but it doesn't bug me enough to frog.














Close up of neck and cool cabling:

Yarn: Purchased in Ireland in 2005, with no labels whatsoever. It was a quite a feat to find wool there, in spite of the thousands of sheep I saw grazing. I found this in a clothing store, by asking the salesclerk if she knew where I could buy some wool (when I said "yarn", she had no clue). She dug around in the back and came up with two hanks of this -- charcoal/brown, a tad scratchy, and heavy worsted weight. It knit up at 4 sts to 1" on size 10s.

Pattern: Boogie Vest, knitty archives.

Modifications: Ribbing on neck and armholes; knit on circulars in the round until armhole length -- then back and forth. For the first time I used EZ's "phoney seams" -- dropping a stitch down to the ribbing, gooking up 2 of every 3 stitches. I like it -- not just they way it looks, but it helps the vest fold.

Finishing: Because of the scratch factor, I soaked it for a bit in warm water with hair conditioner. Softened it up just fine.

And more ... This is a baby hat, from Cascade Superwash 220. My own pattern, and the precurser to a sweater. A lawyer-pal is having a girl in April, so the needles starting talkin'.













But, this is what is interesting: See the top section of yellow? I was knitting in the round, and decided to alternate colors, and purl all the yellow stitches. I kept the yarn in front (yellow in the right hand, pinkish in the left with that yarn in back) and got this cool pattern! Don't really know what it is, but I like it! I'm going to do a few rows on the body of the sweater. If anyone has a name for this, please let me know.








On another note -- just got a new desktop for work, which came with Windows Vista. Does it drive anyone else crazy? Why can't things that work perfectly well just stay the same? I don't want to have to learn something new each time I upgrade. Maybe it's a sign of aging, but it makes me mad. Arghh -- I guess that's my bitch for the day. Well, maybe the first bitching -- it's only 10:30. :)

E-Bay Goodness!

I love this yarn. This discontinued yarn. When my local LYS went out of business, I bought as much as I could afford. It's soft, non-pilling, and works up great for shawls and sweaters.

So I occasionally cruise ebay to see if there is any available and .... lo and behold ... a seller had 10 green skeins which I snagged for $35!

Plans are for a cardigan -- kelly green is TwinB's favorite color.


Here's a close-up:




It'd be great for St. Patrick's Day, but unless I give up sleep ... there's no way it will be finished.


But one sock is done! I finished this yesterday, in between sneezing fits. Stayed in my jammies all day, slugged down NyQuill, and feel marginally better today. And thanks to all those well-wishers who recommended soup ... and rum! I can deal with sore throat and cough, but that woozy feeling in your head is something else. So it's back at the desk today, with cups of tea loaded with honey and lemon, wishing I could add some rum!



This, by the way, is from Knitpicks Memories -- handpainted merino -- which works up extra soft. It's for one of my friends who insists she can't wear wool socks. I've been knitting it at lunch, telling her it's for me and she's been oohing and ahhing over the feel of the yarn. I'll show her!

Sock#2 has been started ... I've learned to cast on right away or the project sits and sits.

Who says old lawyers can't learn new tricks!

Betrayed

My body has betrayed me. Felled by a microscopic virus. Drowned in a river of snot. (sorry, but lack of sleep makes me grumpy). A waterfall of snot.

My throat is on fire. My eyes are watering. I am barely visible in the pile of crumpled tissues on the couch.

And worst of all, I don't even feel like knitting.

Call the paramedics. Call the knitting EMTs. Call the scientists who are too busy designing new erectile dysfunction drugs to be able to cure the common cold. I hope their penises fall off.

*cough cough*

Knitting Content

Thanks to all for their kind advice as to my knitting pains. I did a few things -- first, a deep tissue massage of the back and shoulders. Painful but the good kind of pain. Seems that I carry my stress (stress? what stress? she said between court appearances) in my upper back, and my muscles were more knotted than a skein of ribbon yarn wound around a cat. So the knots were broken up, and stretches suggested. Then, I did take a break from knitting for one whole day. Drove me nuts. Even the spouse said, "Uh oh, you'd better get that fixed," imagining me without my knitting. Then, I decided to knit this -- a sock on size 2 bamboos, of Knitpicks Memories handpaint. Nice light yarn, nice light needles, and it's going well. I've also been taking breaks every 20 minutes or so, and might get one of those elbow thingies. Bought a wrist support for the laptop, too.
I will prevail!


Here's an eye candy photo of one of my bird buddies on the deck window:

I love these guys! And so do the cats -- their own personal cat-tv. More snow this weekend; more knitting!

I Don't Play Tennis ...

but I have tennis elbow. Knitter's elbow. Aka an intense soreness in the outer muscle of my right forearm, with a knot of pain at the elbow.

I'm ready to go back to the city of my birth (Niagara Falls) and jump.

Everything I've read on the net says that the best treatment is to .... I can't type this .... I can't ....

stop knitting!

I don't think I can. I don't think anyone will want to be around me if I do.

My good friend Andrea (a non-knitting lawyer) who always seems to hit the nail right on the head describes knitting as my "comfort food" -- that each of us has an activity that helps us cope with the stresses of our lives -- the practice of law, worries about kids, petty annoyances of daily life -- and, as everytime she pops in my office she sees the basket of knitting on my desk -- mine is knitting.

What will I do? How will I cope? If I ignore the pain, or ice it and take lots and lots of anti-inflammatory drugs, can I still knit? What if I knit very very slowly?

I've tried knitting Continental style and that doesn't seem to make a difference, though learning how to do it has made my 2-color knitting alot easier.

I've tried a pillow under my arm.

I've tried cursing, lots.

Rats, the Falls is probably frozen over. I'd probably just slide down, and further hurt my elbow.

:(

*sniff*

What NOT to do in Below Zero Weather

Wear your I-pod up a 3700' mountain. Seriously. I thought, hey -- a little music will help me get motivated for the hike. Sure -- take my mind off the cold, the wind, block all thoughts of why I am crazy enough to hike up Hurricane Mountain in the Adirondacks in February. It isn't that I wasn't warm, or hadn't done hikes like this before, it was just that I thought tunes would be nice.

Not.

Well, yes, it was cool hiking up and up to Bob Marley, imagining Jamaica and palm trees. And it did get my mind off the brutal wind. But, later, much much later, I realized the evil result -- my ear canal froze! No shit. To spare you TMI, I started to get pains in my ear (only the left -- I had the other ear free to hear any cries for knitted I-Cord ropes from my friends). Followed by sinus pressure. Followed by (here's the gross part) blood oozing out of my ear onto my pillow.

A quick google search gave me comfort that my brains were not leaking out, but I still went to see the doc the next day. Swollen ear canal, with a tiny abrasion near the ear drum. From ... frozen I-pod earphones. Maybe I should email Bill Gates. No, wait! I'm a lawyer after all! I'll cut a deal with him to write the warning label on all future sales of I-gear: Warning! Do not use in temperatures below 20 degrees zero, and at altitudes above 3500 feet. Even if you love Bob Marley. And, if you do it anyway, you're f*&*&**g nuts and shouldn't be compensated, so don't bother to sue.

On a warmer note, I hit 2 yarn stores. Old Forge Hardware in Old Forge, NY, where there is so much more than hardware. And Adirondack Yarns in Lake Placid, where I blew twice my yarn budget on some sweater kits. My camera is still shivering, so no photos until next post, but both places were great -- lots of good fiber, books, and very friendly staff.

The forecast is calling for 18" + of snow for tonight in my backyard and I can't wait. I've cleared my calendar for tomorrow and am hoping for a snowday. Translation -- knitting day.

You know you're an addict when ...

you're up at 3:30 a.m. not because you haven't packed all your warm clothes, but because you're obsessing about which knitting projects to take on the trip. It can't be just one ... what if I get bored with it? Or snow-bound? Or trapped on the side of a mountain, and need enough yarn to knit us a giant I-Cord rope to rappel down the side to safety? Or tie up a bear or something?

You never know ...

Abra-Cadabra!

I haven’t vanished – just hibernated. It’s been frrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeezing here, and weather like this makes me want to plug in the electric blanket and huddle under the covers.

So between work (a “W” word I avoided in BarbP’s list!) and the weather, I’ve been basically – sleeping. Very little knitting, though I did finally finish these – thick socks from Lamb’s Pride Bulky for my son-in-law Kerry.

And I’m finishing these – more thick socks for Jack’s birthday (it was Monday, so I’m close!).

We’re going to the Adirondacks this weekend – the annual event for J’s birthday – it’s just not cold enough here to suit that Alabama-born boy. I plan to stop at the Old Forge Hardware Store which has a great selection of yarn and books, and Adirondack Yarns in Lake Placid. When we get back, I’m sure I’ll need a medical appointment to peel off my long underwear, since I won’t be taking it off the entire trip!

Why didn’t I marry a man who likes warm weather?

And ... at long last ... the Ribwarmer. Complete, edged ... after ripping apart when a kind fellow blogger looked at my photos and emailed me as follows:

"First, don't blame the messenger. Second, pour a glass of wine."

That's when I knew I was in trouble. I had sewn the fronts together instead of the back. Giant "duh"! (sound of forehead hitting desk) I've been knitting how many years? 41????????

But now it's done and I love it. Just the thing for throwing on over pjs or a flannel shirt, or under a coat in our frigid weather. Thank you, Elizabeth Zimmermann.

Well it's off to pick up Chinese take-out and to pack those long johns. Stay warm, knitting peeps!

Wild Wild W

Not Bush! No -- BarbP sent me a letter, and it was "W", not realizing that I'm a true blue Democrat. What a challenge! Here goes -- 10 things that start with the letter "W" that have impacted my life. Don't be mad about the first one ....


1. Wabbit: As in “wascally”, as in Bugs Bunny. Seriously. I love Looney Tunes, Bugs in particular. As a kid, it was my first exposure to classical music. Think “What’s Opera Doc?”. Think “The Rabbit of Seville”.

And his whacky sense of humor. My FOO (Family of Origin) is known (well, at least among ourselves) for a wicked sense of humor. Example: My Dad, who passed away 17 years ago, had surgery for a brain tumor. Upon regaining consciousness after the operation, he was greeted by his children singing, “If I Only Had a Brain”. He loved it.

2. Weddings: I’ve had more than my share. My brother calls me a “serial monogamist”. My friend says, “Just because you slept with him doesn’t mean you have to marry him.” But that’s in the past. Found the right one, the last one. In fact, I often tell him that “He’s my last first kiss.” (Okay, I can hear the retching sounds – I’ll stop.)

3. Water: I have a love/hate relationship with it. I love to: drink it, bathe in it, watch it as it roils and plummets over Niagara Falls. I hate: to be on top of it, because …. I can’t swim. Never learned. Every time I try to, I panic. Who knows, maybe I drowned in a previous life – say on the Titanic? Yes, that’s it. I was Mrs. Astor in a previous life! (More likely in Irish steerage, to tell the truth)

4. Whimsical: If it’s cute and funny, I love it. I’m a sucker for little doo-dads that line the edges of my bookcase, the ridge behind my kitchen sink, the shelf above the stove. Most recently -- two chicken salt and pepper shakers.

5. Warp Factor 2, Mr. Sulu: The only way I figure out how to get Star Trek in here. I’ve been addicted since it first aired. If I ever got a tattoo, it would be of the original ship, complete with “NCC-1701” on the saucer section. When I die, I hope heaven is the bridge and I’m Spock’s assistant.

6. Wizard of Oz: One of my favorite movies. See reference to “Brain” above. I could watch it over and over again.

7. Walter: My grandfather’s name – last, not first. He was a great reader, got me hooked on sci-fi, taught me how to play chess. A very quiet man, who could do the Sunday crossword puzzles in ink. I’m not there yet.

8. Wool: Need I say more?

9. Women: I have three daughters who are absolute gems, a sister who’s my best friend, and was blessed with a mother who I miss every single day. Two aunts whose size is not indicative of their strength of personality, and a grandmother who, quite frankly, was a bitch on wheels, but who lived through events I can only imagine. I hope I can live up to all of them.

10. And finally (dare I say ‘whew’?) … Wealth: No, not money. But the wealth of living in the woods, enjoying the sun rise everyday with someone I love, having good friends, a great dog, and a hockey team that’s top in the Eastern Conference!

A Lucy Moment

Learn from this -- when replacing a vaccuum cleaner bag, don't try to make the wrong size fit. Say, you bought size "J" instead of "U", but they're both for uprights, so who cares? And so it doesn't quite fit on the opening, but you get out your trusty scissors, and widen the opening on the bag and (snuggly or so you think) put it on, and vaccuum away.

Days pass. Days of successful vaccuuming.

Then, after dusting the entire living area, you plug in the trusty upright and begin the zen-like process of vaccuuming. (It's the white noise). All of a sudden,

POOF!

The bag pops, the vaccuum cleaner has a seizure, and there is dust EVERYWHERE, including your hair, the tip of your nose, the dog, the tip of the dog's nose, and there is no other vaccuum cleaner bag to be found in the house.

Oh, Looooocie!

I should have stuck to knitting instead of deciding to clean.