The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

I found this over at Suzie's Blog (of Stitches Midwest 2007 fame) and thought it was cute. HEY SUZIE! *cheese* She's the one that got me hooked on CHOCOCAT! ME LOVE HE!

You Are Bert

Extremely serious and a little eccentric, people find you loveable - even if you don't love them! You are usually feeling: Logical - you rarely let your emotions rule you You are famous for: Being smart, a total neat freak, and maybe just a little evil How you life your life: With passion, even if your odd passions (like bottle caps and pigeons) are baffling to others

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

7 More Random Things About Me

I've been tagged by Laura aka KnittinKitties

Here are the rules:

* Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves.
* Those tagged need to write in their blogs the 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game.
* You need to tag 7 others and list their names on your blog.
* You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog.

1. I have a tiny black mole on the bridge of my nose squarely between my eyes that is reminiscent of the East Indian "bindi". The red bindi is worn by a newly married bride as a show of commitment and a black dot placed on the chin or behind the ear is used to ward off evil, so I guess my "evil eye" is front and center. Wikipedia says, "The area between the eyebrows (where the bindi is placed) is said to be the sixth chakra, ajna, the seat of "concealed wisdom". According to followers of Tantrism, this chakra is the exit point for kundalini energy. The bindi is said to retain energy and strengthen concentration. [1]. It is also said to protect against demons or bad luck."
2. My knees creak, especially my right one which was injured when I was 12 when my cousin kicked it out of place while we were rough housing.
3. My second toe is slightly longer (couple of millimeters) than my big toe.
4. I have two chicken pox scars on my nose. One of either side.
5. I'm prone to sinus infections and bronchitis and am allergic to mold.
6. I'm anemic and take daily iron supplements.
7. I have a faint football shaped scar on my left index finger. I burned my left index finger when I was 6 years old trying to iron a washcloth AFTER my mom explicitly told me NOT TO TOUCH THE IRON.

I'm tagging:

Whoever wants to play

BLOGSTALKING: ASSIGNMENT 6 - A DAY IN THE LIFE

*NOTE: I'm a salaried on-call mobile employee, so that means I have the tools to work from anywhere at any time.* YEAH!

Let's start where a typical day ends...

1:10 AM
Finally, I can collapse. I drag myself upstairs to go to bed. *gets ready for bed* *packs clean workout clothes in gym bag and deposits dirty clothes into hamper*
1:15 AM
*makes sure Kitty is downstairs* *ehem* Excuse me while I spend some QUALITY time with Pr0n and B.O.B. *grin*
1:25 AM
*grrrr* B.O.B you always make me feel GRRRREAT! *evil grin* *opens bedroom door so Kitty won't whine all night*
1:30 AM - 7:30 AM
*dreams* *thoughts* *half sleep* *toss turn* *grit and grind* *Kitty hops up on the bed and decides to sleep in the middle of my back* *toss turn* *sleep* *pee* *thoughts* *grit and grind*
7:30 AM
*alarm goes off* *half asleep I turn the alarm off and flop back into bed*
8:30 AM
*wakes up* SH!T *lays in bed dreading the day*
9:00 AM
*jolts out of bed in a flurry* *checks the day's schedule on my Motorola Q* D@MM!T! I forgot I have an in-person meeting at the office at 10:00 AM!
9:01 AM
*riffles through heaps of clean clothes stacked up on chair and ottoman* *finds an outfit that isn't too wrinkled and sets it aside* *Kitty starts her morning routine as well*
9:03 AM
*riffles through underwear and sock drawer for clean undies and trouser socks* *Kitty meows and gives me a few leg swipes*
9:05 AM - 9:15 AM
*typical personal hygiene routine* *shower* *teeth* *face* *hair* *steps over Kitty grooming herself on the shower rug*
9:16 AM - 9:20 AM
*puts on clothes, socks, shoes* *grabs phone & gym bag* *quick glance around the room* *heads downstairs with Kitty in tow*
9:21 AM - 9:24 AM
*grabs purse, knitting bag, gym bag & laptop backpack* *rushes into kitchen where Kitty is anxiously awaiting her daily portion of kitty gruel* *drops all bags onto the floor* *scoops up Kitty's food bowl from floor quickly walks over to her food bin, scoops up some kitty morsels into her bowl, plops food bowl back in it's usual place, scoops up her water dish, dumps out old water, swish clean, refill, plunk water bowl back in its usual spot* *grabs all the bags and heaps 'em on my shoulders and back like a pack mule* *digs in purse for work badge and keys* *quick glance around kitchen* BYE! BYE! KITTY! Mama's gotta go to work! LOVE YOU! *unlock the back door and peers out to garage to see if I left the garage door up again* *garage door is down, open it* *close back door to set alarm* *closes back door behind me making sure its locked* *bounds down the back stairs to garage* *loads all bags into car*
*hops in and off we go* *phew*
9:25 AM - 9:45 AM
*late for meeting already* *morning commute takes AT LEAST 20 minutes* *connects iPod to car stereo system* *house music playing* *driving* *thinking* *driving* *sigh*
9:45 AM - 9:55 AM
*arrives at the corporate campus and parks in usual parking garage* *gathers purse, laptop backpack and at least one knitting project bag* *begins schlep to building where the meeting is taking place*
9:55 AM - 10:00 AM
*arrives at the meeting site just in time for the meeting to begin. Unpacks laptop and proceeds to log onto the network*
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
* meeting* *blah* *blah* *technology* *need it now* *blah* *blah* *blah* *reading emails* *working tickets* *blah* *blah*
11:01 AM - 11:15 AM
*starving* *packs up backpack and heads back to my building* *stops by the J@va City for yet another Turkey Sub, chips and Diet Coke to take back with me to my desk*
11:15 AM - 5:30 PM
*more work related insanity ensues*
5:35 PM
*packs up laptop, grabs purse and heads out the door* *gotta head over to the gym for my personal training session at 6:00 PM*
5:45 PM - 5:55 PM
*arrive at gym* *grabs gym bag from back seat* *grabs purse and puts it in the trunk making sure I have my car keys in my hand before I shut the trunk lid* *scurries across parking lot and enters gym in a flurry* *greets front desk* *waves everyone* *sails through the main lobby and back to the women's locker room to get changed*
5:55 PM - 6:55 PM
*heads upstairs with trainer for 5 minute cardio warmup on the elliptical trainer* *back downstairs for 40 minute torture session* *back upstairs for 10 minutes on the rowing machine* *back downstairs for after session paperwork and wrap up*
6:55 PM - 7:30 PM
*more cardio*
7:30 PM - 7:45 PM
*back to locker room to grab gym bag* *stop in main lobby for gym social networking and chit chat*
7:45 PM - 8:30 PM
*begin commute back home* *stop for food* *stop for gas* *run errands*
8:30 PM - 1:10 AM
*arrive back at home* *grabs purse, food, laptop backpack, gym bag, etc and schleps up driveway to the house* *unlocks back door* *Kitty is waiting* *slams door behind me* *de-activates alarm* *disperses bags in their usual places* *sit down in front of tv in living room and places meal on favorite tv tray* *shuffles through tv channels until I find a channel I'm interested in watching* *watches tv and eats* *deep sigh* *brain cells begin to die* *ugh* *exhausted* *fires up laptop* *time to check blog, log onto Ravelry, check email, chat on Yahoo!* *nothing much going on online* *closes laptop* *remembers those birthday cards I've got to make* *snaps a few yarn pr0n photos* *makes a couple batches of stitch markers* *need to sew project bags* *need to make new business cards* *need to update Etsy store* *need to put down carpet tiles in attic* *throws a load of laundry in the washer* *cleans out Kitty's litterbox* *plays with Kitty for a while* *need to brush Kitty* *need to refill prescription* *need new batteries for the smoke detectors* *need to finish that EZ February Sweater since she had the baby 3 weeks ago* *need to finish that baby hat since they had the baby 6 weeks ago* *sets garbage out on the corner ready for pickup tomorrow* *what about that stuff I need to get rid of...starts sorting things out and packaging it up for donation* *phone rings* *I let it go to voicemail* *text messages from my brother* *writes list of things not to forget to do* *need to pay bills* *need to shred old bills* *need to get laid* *text message to booty call* *nevermind* *too tired* *need to go to sleep* *no time for sleep* *time to go to sleep anyway so I can do it all over again tomorrow...I mean today* D@MMIT!

NOTE: That doesn't even include when I leave straight from the gym to go to my knit nights. GOOD LAWD! I don't even know how I do it anymore.

Another Piece of Humble Pie, Please!

This story begins where the Missouri Yarn Crawl ended on Saturday.

After some pretty sh!tty events happened on Saturday afternoon, I came home pissed off with a headache.

I left MisKnits earlier than I had planned. I needed to come home and unvent.

On my way home, I stopped by Taco B3ll for my new favorite comfort foods (a bean tostada and spicy chicken soft taco), came home and took a couple Tylenol, sank into the sofa and enjoyed my Mexican comfort. My other soothing comfort is to peruse Ravelry for hours on end. That night, while checking out the new yarnies and old slight was brought to light again. I'll be the first one to admit that, at times, I am fast to fly into a fury over a perceived injustice. Those close to me know the sorted story of my Etsy experience and why I closed my successful Etsy store back in May 2006. I was still quite furious and disgusted about the whole experience.

To make a long story short, I saw that the seller that was the cruxt of my Etsy demise was now on Ravelry and all those sour feelings floated to the surface again...to be grotesque...kinda like that floaty turd that won't flush. The gist of the story is that I BELIEVED (past tense) fiercely in protecting one's intellectual property and I perceived that this other seller had been "borrowing" inspiration from my brand and product designs. Like Don Quixote, I was ready to fight the good fight again and had my sights set to protect what was mine. I contacted the seller inquiring about some items in their shop that were protected by a patent I have pending. After a long sleepless night, I came to the realization that "...sh!t happens." H3ll, everything has already been done at some point anyway. *shrug* I decided to ease up and just put the whole freakin' mess behind me. The next morning, the seller responded basically asking me to send them a "cease and desist" letter and inquiring if I'd be sending "cease and desist" letters to EVERYONE offering the patent pending alpha/numeric markers, i.e. the C@t B0rdh! makers. *hangs head* *lightbulb* The effort required to go after the world would consume me entirely. They had a point. I just want to make the products that I love and move forward. Patent be damned. The night before, I had already decided to take the high road and eat a huge piece of humble pie. I extended an olive branch to the other party in my Etsy debacle offering an apology and an opportunity for us to even be strategic partners and help each other succeed. The seller responded this morning with their side of the story and after reading it I felt like such an @ss! They hadn't intentionally done anything wrong and it was by sheer coincidence that our stores were even remotely similar. *headdesk* Who wouldn't have known such a thing was possible right? I certainly didn't. Hadn't even crossed my mind. *sigh* Like I said before everything has been done by someone at least once already. So, I just wrote probably my last email to the seller explaining my regret at the situation and apologizing yet again for the misunderstanding. They have graciously accepted my apology and I have made peace within myself. I've thrown the chunk of dirt on top of the casket laying the past to rest and am looking ahead with great aspirations and inspiration.

This morning, I took a deep breath, crouched way down and took a HUGE leap forward.

I contacted Etsy asking if they'd re-activate my account. Thankfully and without incident, they graciously re-activated my account and I can happily announce my re-emergence as an Etsy seller.

Gracias A Dios! Like a phoenix from the flames. I am GirleyPurls at Etsy again.

GirleyPurls.etsy.com

The SKG Missouri Yarn Crawl

Saturday, October 20, 2007

I started my day off rather sprite and full of vigor. Ready for the day's adventures.
After leisurely getting ready, I ran a couple of errands and high tailed it over to MisKnits to set up camp in preparation for the deluge of knitters who'd be stopping by for the Yarn Crawl. I was so excited to be a part of the frenzy. Beaming with anticipation, I bounded into the shop...red camp chair tucked under my arm; knitting bag and accoutrement in tow. The shop had barely been opened by the time I arrived and I found later that there were customers already waiting at the door beforehand. Already, the shop was a twitter with activity. Seth was hard at work collating the myriad of patterns into stacks, the copy service had mucked up their order :( and and Amber was a vision of grace under pressure as she hurried to prepare things amidst the customers that had been patiently waiting for the shop to open. After a few minutes...OK...seconds, I grumbled that I was hungry (imagine that big ole plant from Lil Shop of Horrors that says "FEED ME SEYMOUR!") and just like that Amber handed me a menu to Minsky's Pizza Shop conveniently located literally around the corner from the shop. So, I ordered a mini pizza and a Coke for pickup by yours truly, Carmen. *blah blah blah people come in people leave* PRESTO! Time to pick up the peeetza. *swish swish swish around the corner* *looking up at the signs* I see the Minsky's sign and I'm trying to figure out which door to enter when I hear from inside "HEY CARMEN!" *smile* *another quick glance down the block and I see the sign for WINK not two doors down* *mental note* Entering the restaurant, I see 2 guys behind the counter. One young, the other decidedly OLDER. The older guy's name is Bob. I call him, MEESTER BOB, now. *cheese* He's worked behind that counter for over 20 years, I think. He was complaining about a hangover and I was blathering on about this potion we sell over at the gym that purportedly cures hangovers. I like this place. Good banter, good pizza. Who could ask for more. *smile* Pizza and can of Coke in hand, I saunter out of the restaurant and out of sheer curiosity and the fact that I have money to burn head over to Wink to check out the shop. Standing outside the shop door, I'm greeted by the lovely Katie who directs to come on in and take a look around. *shrug* What the heck! I don't know if I should be proud or ashamed to admit this, but uh...I already own 90% of the merchandise they sell. LOL! *ehem* I was rather intrigued with 2 items. One sexy purple number by J1mmy J@ne called the "F0rm 6" that is rechargeable, portable, water resistant AND submersible. The other a clear, soft silicone v@gin@l sleeve for HIS pleasure. *ponders* I know just who to get one of those of for...*smirk*
OK! Time to get back to the yarn shop so I could eat my pizza already. Not five minutes after I sat down at the table to eat, in strolls the little girl, Johanna in her "Diva" sunglasses. As she sauntered in, she was grumbling about how they had messed up her order over at McDonalds. She asked for a small fries and a large soda and they gave her a large fries and a small soda. I said, "Now, why in the hell would they put a small fries in that big @ss bag?" She hadn't bothered to mention she had a double cheeseburger in there, too. *sigh* So, we sat and ate and more people came in. ANYWHO! At some point during the meal, I was compelled to text message my trainer, Jason to taunt him...yeah, he's a cougar hunter on the prowl. *ehem* More about him later. So I say, "I found the perfect play toy for u @ wink today. ;)". *evil grin* LOL! Jason responded, "What's wink". *loud giggle* I couldn't help it. I called him. He said, "Now, what's this about wink? It's one of them sex shops ain't it?" Me, "NO! *snicker*" Him, "Yeah, Huh! It's one of them boobie stores!" Me, "Nuh Uh!...besides it's for me to know and you to find out. You know you need to get out and explore the city. See what else is out there besides Overland Park and Westport." *argh* He was kinda grumpy sounding so I let him go after a couple minutes of random chit chat...I think that's about the time I hollered over to Johanna to pick me out some Dream in Color Smooshy sock yarn cause I always like the colorways she picks out and I'm usually pouting because she has something I want. ALWAYS! DAMM!T. *ehem* I think this is when I ran out of Coke (REGULAR COKE which I haven't had in MONTHS... did I mention I had FOUR chocolate chip cookies, too...can someone say SUGAR BUZZ) and decided to hoof it back around the corner to Minsky's. Meester Bob is behind the bar now talking with a regular patron when I sash shay up to the bar, plink down my empty Coke can and ask for another one. Bob was all too eager to come around and refill my cup. I paid the man and sash shayed on back to the yarn shop. I think that's about the same time that Teri and Vicki (Cranky) came back from their lunch over at Chipotle. So, there we all were.
We had loosely planned to meet up at MisKnits, so that we could caravan over to Stitch Knitch and Florilegium respectively, do our shopping and get back to MisKnits to knit some more.

As has become the norm, Teri graciously chauffeured me, Johanna and Vicki. *smooches* THANK YOU TERI!

During the drive over to Stitch Knitch, I decided to frog back my Trekking XXL Degrade #66 Twisted Tweed socks and just do plain stockinette. So, I was hard at work frogging and putting the stitches back on the needles on the way over.

During my stint in the NewVenture program, I had heard tale that the present proprietors of Stitch Knitch were NewVenture alumni, so I brought along some of my stitch markers to showcase during our visit. I know. I know, but it was just a cursory thing...as teaser of sorts to gauge their level of interest. Once inside, the shop we were greeted by the owners Terri and Karen who gave us all a really cool sockblocker keychain kit with a sample of the KraftyKat yarn and by "Addi the Cat with the Circular Tail". LOVE HER! I must say the shop is quite lovely and quaint and expertly laid out. At some point during our visit, I was able to speak with Karen about our NewVenture connection and as soon as she asked what my business was, I showcased some of my wares and we exchanged business cards. Now, it was time to shop! Teri unearthed some KraftyKat yarn in a really cool purple, black and white colorway. Johanna and I were completely blown away and overwhelmed to say the least. As it turns out, Stitch Knitch has a HUGE selection of Rowan books, magazines and yarn. I LOVE ROWAN! In a back corner, I spied some Rowan I had never seen before. Rowan Damask in Molasses. It was lust at first pet. I had to have it. I keep staring at it wondering what I could do with it. After a while, I didn't care if I didn't have a pattern in mind, I just wanted the d@mn yarn. I bought every last ball they had left...13 to be exact. *shrug* *eh* It was 40% off.

Next, we were off to Parksville to see Floreligium. Driving through downtown Parksville, I remember Johanna saying that she wanted to move there NOW! Talk about QUAINT! I have to admit that I, too, love Parksville. It's just so freakin' cute. Arriving at Floreligium, as I am apt to do, I took a photo of the outside of the shop and proceeded to snap a couple of shots of the interior when an employee rather curtly said, "No Photos". *grumble* I apologized and assured the employee that I would delete the 3 photos I had taken and walked around to where Teri, Johanna and Vicki were gushing over some yarn. I was nonplussed to say the least and decided to simply leave the shop and go explore the neighboring stores. There wasn't much in the way of shopping at this particular strip mall type area where we were, but I did stumble across a soap shop. I could smell from across the parking lot. I was drawn like a bee to a flower. *ahhh* After perusing the shop for a couple minutes, I settled on a bar of Lemon Sugar soap and some matching hand lotion. They made me up a fresh batch right then and there in their tiny soap/lotion factory behind the front counter. So, now it was time to hoof it back up the parking lot to the yarn shop. Fortunately, Johanna, Teri and Vicki were all at the register checking out. PERFECT TIMING! You see, ME NO FEEL GOOD NOW! I guess I was crashing from all that d@mn sugar I had earlier, but I felt like cr@p. My head hurt and I was kinda dizzy plus I was not happy about how the yarn shop employee had handled me earlier. In the car on the way back to MisKnits, Vicki commented that sometimes businesses don't want you to take photos thinking you might be spying on them, but that wasn't my intent. I guess I just take it for granted that I can just snap photos whereever whenever, but business have rights, too. *sigh* I know. I know. I should ALWAYS ask first. *mental note* *shrug* oh well. No harm, no foul. Johanna and Teri were simply beaming after leaving Floreligium, so they had a really great experience and got a coupon for 10% off their next visit.

Back at MisKnits, I hadn't plopped down on the sofa a good 5 minutes when Carol, our guild's treasurer mentioned to Teri, our guild's president, in full ear shot that maybe she should bring in all the donated charity yarn from Monday night since some of it was not appropriate for charity knitting. She mentioned that she had some of it still in the trunk of her car and I inquired if I could reclaim my mohair since I wasn't quite sure if they'd be able to use it or not. That's when Carol told me, quite matter of factly, that someone or some members had already snapped up my Sunbeam Paris mohair and that she thought she might have the rest of my Patons Divine in the trunk of her car. *scratches head* I remember Laura telling me that I should keep my yarn and knit it up and THEN donate the knitted item, but I figured maybe they donate yarn to charities too. I wasn't quite sure how the whole charity knitting thing is done, so I just left it at that Monday night. The way that the information was conveyed and the way that I interpreted it lead me to believe that they had snatched it up like it was free and they could put it in their own stash. Surely, no one in our guild would do that. Surely, no one would take my charitable donation! Surely they were not loathsome enough to take advantage of my generosity instead of paying me the meager $1.00 or 2.00 a ball I was asking for at the yarn sale. Surely not. Teri sat looking somewhat confused and somewhat embarrassed. The more I thought about it, the more angry I became. Finally, I had to leave. I had had enough.

Close Encounters of the Fiberly Kind - The Fiber Mating Ritual

Quoting from the famous UFO movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", "Close Encounter of the First Kind - Sighting of a UFO. Close Encounter of the Second Kind - Physical Evidence. Close Encounter of the Third Kind - Contact. WE ARE NOT ALONE!"

As for knitters/crocheters, I'd say, "Close Encounters of the First Kind - Sighting Ball of Yarn. Close Encounter of the Second Kind - Heavy Petting of Ball. Close Encounter of the Third Kind - Sniff Ball. BACK OFF! MINE!"

During last night's Yarn Shop & Swap, I witnessed what I reckon can most closely be called a "fiberly mating ritual".

The fiber mating ritual goes something like this...

We shall refer to the knitter/crocheter as "Croknitia" and the fiber as "Hank". ;0

Hank captures Croknitia's attention from across a crowded yarn shop. A longing gaze from Croknitia and she is entranced by Hank. She is helpless. Croknitia floats effortlessly towards her fiber woer. Intense wooing ensues as Croknitia eagerly pets Hank's soft underbelly rejoicing in his plush yet firm girth. Intrinsically, Croknitia drew Hank to her bosom. Now in the throws of passion, Croknitia and Hank share a long, passionate embrace. Soon, Croknitia gingerly swiped Hank across her cheek so as to feel his warm, softness against her face followed by a deep inhale of his sweet fiber. Croknitia was smitten. She couldn't imagine life without Hank. They must be united forever. It was then, clutching Hank tight, Croknitia made her way to the register to complete their union. And so it was with a swipe of the credit card, Croknitia and Hank were pronounced stash partners for life. Oh-Man. Sha-Ma-Llama-Ding-Dong. The End.

SKG Yarn Shop & Swap

Many thanks to everyone who participated in tonight's Sunflower Knitters Guild Yarn Shop & Swap.

As usual, I went WAY OVERBOARD with the preparations for the event!

*phew* Talk about burning the midnight oil getting ready for the sale. All day today, I dug through my stash, priced and collated all my "for sale or trade" yarn. GOOD LAWD! I have WAY TOO MUCH Lion Brand Kool Wool. I have no idea what possessed me, but I went nuts last year buying bags and bags of black, navy, khaki and olive. Fortunately, someone else went nuts and bought bags and bags of my bags last night. THANK YOU! *muah* Less for me to carry back home. I left behind Patons Divine, Patons Katrina and Sunbeam Paris for charity. As soon as I got home, I thought, "DAGNABIT! I could have kept the mohair and made some afghans with it and THEN donated it." *shrug* oh well. After everything was said and done, I had to crate everything up and schlep it back home like a pack mule. Why did I bring my portable fan, a powerstrip, a money till and an adding machine? I had bins full of yarn stacked up on the table, magazines sprawled out everywhere and all manor of do dads and frip fraps for sale.

*ugh* I'm so sick of stuff right now. Fortunately, I'm in the home stretch of clearing out the crap from my basement and garage. I'm ready to take my crafty donations to Goodwill and the recycling items to Bridging the Gap this Saturday. Then, the following Saturday, I'll drag all the big stuff to the corner for Bulk Pickup Day. YAH!

I'm so glad it's over! I breathed a sigh of relief on my way home last night because the pressure was off. I had done it. I sold 3 sets of stitch markers, a couple knitting magazines and a few balls of yarn.

BLOGSTALKING: ASSIGNMENT 5 - AN INTERESTING STATUE

I took these pictures during my niece Kayla's last day at summer camp at Pembroke Hill back in 2006.
These statues stand in one of the courtyards at Pembroke Hill.
This one reminds me of sisters or best friends. *awwww* How cute!

I love this statue of the little girl holding her violin. It must be a bronze statue because of the beautiful patina.



And, of course, you gotta take a picture with the famous Kansas City Cow statues.
We found this one in the lobby of Union Station.

MORE BIRTHDAY GOODNESS!

This truly has been a wonderful day!

On my way out the door for work today, I found a package on my front porch from my Ravelry Libra Knitters Birthday Gift Exchange Pal, Karen (MorseCode).
Of course, I was running late and didn't have time to open it right then, but as soon as I got home I carefully opened my berfday package to reveal!!!

CHOCOCAT!!!!

Sufficed to say I completely flipped out.
I was so happy that I hollered and scared Kitty. LOL! Listen for yourself.
Click My "I GOT ME A CHOCOCAT PICTURE".

Look at the rest of my package. Karen really did a FABULOUS job of noting all my VERY VERY FAVORITE STUFF! ALPACA! LOOK! I LOVE ALPACA! There's the rich, luxurious Limited Edition Blue Sky Alpaca and Hillary Handspun Alpaca. I love Ghirardelli Chocolate! Especially, the new Dark Chocolate with Caramel and of course, my Haribo Gummi Bears AND she even sent me some US1 Hiya Hiya 5" and 6" Bamboo Double Points AND a Buffalo, NY bumper sticker and magnet.

In other news, Ab3 took me to J. Alexander for my birthday lunch today. YUM! Nothing romantic going on there, just friends. It was nice to just sit and talk like pals again.

*cheese* Yeah, baby! Today was a VERY good day!

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY...

The picture says it all! *cheese*

MANY, MANY THANKS TO:
Amber, Christine, Gwen, Joanna, Johanna, Stacey, Teri
for the spectacular birthday "love" celebration that they worked so hard to plan, prepare and host during our Tuesday Knit Night. I love all of these ladies like they are my sisters. *sniffle* It's so nice knowing that there are others out there that care for you as much as you care for them. Friends you can count on to remember the little things who are there for the good times and the bad.

Notice that really cool, very colorful gift card.
It's the VERY FIRST ever sold MisKnits Gift Card.

YES! YARN! YARN! YARN!
The girls were nice enough to get me a gift card to my one and only local yarn shop. My most favorite yarn shop ever! M I S K N I T S! I can't wait to spend it. *drool*

My favorite little girl, Johanna made the most delicious, moist, scrumptious German Chocolate Cupcakes with German Chocolate Icing.


GEEZ! My boobs look really huge in this picture.
GOOD LAWD!
*gah*



You'll, also, notice that I'm holding a lovely gift bag labeled "WINK".
Here's what was inside that lovely purple bag.
Chocolate delicacies from "The Sweet Guy".
*sigh* Alas, this may be the closest I get to a "Sweet Guy" for a LONG time. *eyeroll*



Then, there was this mysterious envelope simply labeled "WINK!".
Yes, the "I" is really what you think it is. LOL! *ehem* Yep, that's a B. O. B. alright!



To quote Joanna, "What do you get the woman who has it all?"
Apparently, a gift certificate to the local "adult" toy store.
*ehem* It does go right along with being a "Genghis Khunt" don't it?

I have never been to WINK and I can't wait to peruse their wares.
It's somewhere near MisKnits in our charming Volker district. There seem to be a number of boutiques that I simply must make time to visit in the Volker district. I hear tell that they have a "toy" that has a rechargeable base like a cordless toothbrush. *pondering* I wonder if it's a "sexual" toothbrush with a nightstand power station? Yeah... *ehem*

Teri brought these Natural Antioxidant Chocolates for us to share.



Anybody notice a theme here?
Lots of chocolate and sex toys?
I wonder if they are bluntly hinting that I need to get laid? LMAO!

My OK!Cupid Online Dating Persona Test

Genghis Khunt
Random Brutal Sex Master (RBSM)



We almost called you Brutus the Uterus and attached this picture:


But we figured you wouldn't understand, and rightly so. We don't understand either.

So you are Genghis Khunt: master of man, bringer of pain--riding your way to conquest after conquest.

Your sexual avarice is legendary. You've already had an unusually high amount of experience, and, still you look for more. You intimidate many. You make no apologies.
Personality-wise, you're carefree and relatively easy-going.
You don't plan things out ahead of time; you tend to live in the moment.
Of course, this can cause some damage when the moment happens to include a screaming orgasm with his younger brother.
Hence the 'brutal' tag we've given you.
But you know what, take five seconds to lock the doors, and you'll be fine.
There's nothing wrong with a little sex, or a whole lot.

Link: The Online Dating Persona Test @ OkCupid - free online dating.

New Fangled Artsy Fartsy Lightbox

I have been struggling for some time to contrive some kind of lightbox so that I can continue snapping my hot, nasty yarn pr0n. Last weekend, while I was dredging up stuff from the basement, I had an epiphany. You see, a few years ago, back in 2002 I think, I went through a painting phase. I took a painting class that summer at the local community center and bought a crap ton of painting supplies. Anywho, I found some 18 x 24" el cheapo canvases laying around collecting dust in the basement and then it hit me! LIGHTBOX! Presto chango! All I had to do was build it. So, yesterday I used some extra brain juice and contrived a way to connect the canvases. The beautiful thing is that not only is it a cheap construction, it's convertible. I can easily disconnect the canvases and put them away when I need to hide my yarn pr0n corner AND I can re-configure the canvases to is it lengthwise or widthwise. I used small .5" philips head screws and .22 gauge wire that I got at the dollar store a few years ago. The great thing about using a canvas is that they are easy to clean and can be gesso'd over for a fresh look when it gets dingy. Notice the figure 8 wrap around the strategically placed screwheads. Oh! ...and another bonus. I can stack yarn on the top as I shoot.

Voila.

World Card Making Day

Celebrate
World Card Making Day
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Get Together with Your Crafty Friends and Celebrate World Card Making Day Together.

BLOGSTALKING: ASSIGNMENT 4 - Three Things I Love and Three Things I Hate!

Three Things I Hate!!!

1. Curry


2. Raw Onions


3. Hairy Man Boobs


Three Things I Love!!!

1. Haribo Gummi Bears


2. Chococat


3. Popcorn

EARLY BIRTHDAY SURPRISES!

Look what came in the mail today! See what Gwenie Gwen and My Mommy sent me for my birthday already! I love jammies and I love Hello Kitty!

Gwenie Gwen sent me these jammie bottoms and socks from Torrid.com


My Mommy sent me these jammies! She knows I love to hunker down in the fall/winter in my jammies and hybernate.


AND I got my FIRST Libra Knitters Birthday Card today! Thank You, Tammy!

The Which Lolcat Are You? Test

Your Score: Lion Warning Cat

67% Affectionate, 60% Excitable, 35% Hungry

You are the good Samaritan of the lolcat world. Protecting others from danger by shouting observations and guidance in cases of imminent threat, you believe in the well-being of everyone.

To see all possible results, checka dis.

Link: The Which Lolcat Are You? Test written by GumOtaku on OkCupid, home of the The Dating Persona Test

WIP Wednesday

*runs around in circles gnawing at tail like a dog with worms*

I HAVE TOO MANY PROJECTS GOING AT ONCE AND ITS DRIVING ME CRAZY!

*growl* *snipe* *yip* *growl* *flops down on floor looking pitiful with the big puppy dog eyes* *whimper*

Let's see...*inhales*
I have to finish 2 baby cards and 10 birthday cards. 4 of which have to be done by this Saturday. This friday night I'm going out with my posse' to celebrate my birthday at a local pub/bar/nightclub called The Brooksider. So, between now and Friday afternoon, I need to get a pedicure and my eyebrows done. Go shoppping for a cute long sleeve t-shirt that I can decorate with a cool iron-on. So after a night of partying, on Saturday morning I've got to wait for the man to come pick up the computer armoire he won on my eBay auction last week, then I have to run to my co-worker's 50th birthday party, then come home and pass out for a while, get back up and start working on stitch markers and project bags, then on Sunday mix the floor leveler and put it down on the attic floor to get it ready to be carpeted. Then, start the big dredge from the basement to get everything ready for pickup on Monday. *phew* Sometime during next week I have to find time to go shop for 2 baby gift bags full of baby stuff. I had the brilliant idea to decorate my own baby bag with cute die cuts and make handmade baby cards. Then, I'll have to go to Target because we're boycotting Wal-Mart, right? and get baby junk and throw those in the bag. Then, that weekend I have ANOTHER 50th birthday party, a work golf tournament and then off to Lawrence for the first baby party. *phew* I didn't even mention my work schedule at both jobs and the fact that I workout 5 times a week. Did I? Yeah! *grumble*

In the midst of all this drama, I'm T R Y I N G to knit! the Sandnes Garn No.2 Chocolate and Turquiose Set I was trying to complete before this weekend, but that's out the door, so I settled on the socks and the hat from the set. I just finished the toes on the baby socks yesterday afternoon. Then, there's Alyvia's EZ February Baby Sweater. *sigh* Whoafully stalled. Then, there's the Marsan Hat that I want to make for my brother. The Luxe Neckwarmer for myself and my Mommy. The Parrotfish Topper for my Nanny. *headdesk* Oh and, of course, another of socks for myself. This time it'll be something simple. Just a 3 x 1 rib using my Trekking XXL Ombre #66. I need to make a new fangled light box, so I can finish doing my yarn pr0n and upload into Raverly. I have to make some project bags and stitch markers to replenish my eBay store stock. Then, there's all the minutia involved with preparing for the yarn shop & swap. Sorting and pricing the yarn, figuring out portable display options, blah blah blah. I need to finish the floor upstairs in my newly renovated this time last year used to be attic now craft room/bedroom. *pause* WHAT ELSE!? *grumble* I don't care...*sigh* *rarrr* Fortunately, I'm almost done with my latest bout of "git rid of sh!t". Ozanam is coming to get my charitable donation of stuff (way too many picture frames, linens, clothes, shoes, other housewares) on Monday! YES! BYE! BYE! STUFF! *heaving sigh of relief*

It's Official...

You are The Devil

Materiality. Material Force. Material temptation; sometimes obsession

The Devil is often a great card for business success; hard work and ambition.

Perhaps the most misunderstood of all the major arcana, the Devil is not really "Satan" at all, but Pan the half-goat nature god and/or Dionysius. These are gods of pleasure and abandon, of wild behavior and unbridled desires. This is a card about ambitions; it is also synonymous with temptation and addiction. On the flip side, however, the card can be a warning to someone who is too restrained, someone who never allows themselves to get passionate or messy or wild - or ambitious. This, too, is a form of enslavement. As a person, the Devil can stand for a man of money or erotic power, aggressive, controlling, or just persuasive. This is not to say a bad man, but certainly a powerful man who is hard to resist. The important thing is to remember that any chain is freely worn. In most cases, you are enslaved only because you allow it.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

4Q UPDATE: 2007 Well Intended Intentions Report

Career/Education
* Complete Entrepreneurship course and begin acting on business plan.
- Yeah Uh. I started the program and crapped out halfway through. This was way more intense than I was ready to deal with at the time. I didn't complete my business plan, but I do have the tools for when I'm really ready to do one in the future.

Financial
* Pay Down Debt
- Yeah Uh. This one is a bust right now. You forget to pay one frickin' payment and they raise your interest rate to 1,000,000 %. Limey bastards. I blame this squarely on our Prostitute Leaders. *grumble* Frickin' W. No wonder everyone is going bankrupt!!!

* Increase liquid cash and ROTH IRA savings.
- I got this one in the bag. I auto-deposit $100 to two IRA accounts and $100 to my ING Orange.

Health/Fitness
* Continue to workout incorporating more cardio than strength training.
- I'm a part-time employee over at 24 H@ur F!tness now. Working the front desk has inspired me to be more diligent about my fitness. You see, folks have always quietly kept track of my progress since I've been a member for the past 3 years, but I never really cared since it was my dime and I'll do what I want with it, but now that I'm an official part of the staff AND I work the front desk, I have accepted the following: a) that others will look to me for inspiration/motivation b) I'm a reflection of the 24 H@ur F!tness brand, therefore it wouldn't be good business or reflect well on my trainer if I, actually, GAINED weight while working there. c) I hold myself more accountable because of A + B. Plus, why not take advantage of the FREE MEMBERSHIP and awesome employee discount? I just purchased 56 session with the Jason and a b0dybugg. I love my b0dybugg. This thing is amazing. It tracks your activity to the minute and tells you how many calories you ACTUALLY burned provided you wear the armband faithfully. I'm pretty much a fixture at the gym now. I'm at the gym as much as I am at my regular job. I go in all on my own and do my cardio during the week. I need to motivate myself to get to the gym on the weekends now. Hmmm...yeah. Maybe next month. LOL! Jason and I are working out 3 times a week soon to be 4 times a week. My clothes are starting to loosen up and I've lost about 10 lbs in the past 1.5 mos and I really haven't changed my eating habits too drastically. My portion sizes are smaller than before and I tend to eat more frequently which is good because it keeps my metabolism cranking.

* Get a baseline mammogram.
- Nope, not yet. Maybe when I go see my ob/gyn in January.

* Continue semi-annual bloodwork and HIV tests.
- Done. All clean. :)
* Eat more vegetables and drink more water.
- Yeah, I'm doing ok with this one.
* Begin martial arts class.
- Gotta lose about 50 lbs before I even think about this, but when I do it'll be aikido and/or krav maga.

Personal/Love Interests
* Continue search for long term partner.
- *pffft* I give up. If it happens, it happens.
* Continue communication with close friends and family.
- Not doing so well in this regard. I get so wrapped up in my day to day minutia that I don't take the time to call folks like I should. By the time, I get home at night all I want to do is go brain dead for a while then go nite nite.
* Invite family & friends to visit me here in KC instead of traveling to visit them.
- I brought my mommy here to visit for Mother's Day.

Hobbies/Social

* Destash! Destash! Destash!

- Yet another major destash happening Monday, October 15 at our Sunflower Knitters Guild Yarn Shop & Swap event. I'm going all out for this one.

-I got rid of almost all of my fun fur and novelty yarn on eBay earlier this year.

* Host regular monthly social events at my house.

- I've had a few events at my house this year. Most recently, Gwenie Gwen's going away. *sniffle* DAGNABIT!

* No store bought sweaters, socks or dishclothes.

- Yeah Uh. Takes too long to knit plus size sweaters and my A.D.D won't allow for it, so I'm gonna be buying most of my sweaters.

* Master toe up 2 socks on 2 circular sock knitting.

- Not quite there yet. I can cast on and do the increases for the toe, but I still have to refer to the book for the heel.

* Knit in Public. Knit Outside.

- Not so much knitting outside this year since it was either blazes or torential downpour, but me and my homies knit at Dunn Bros. and MisKnits quite frequently.

THE BIG PURGE!

*pulls at hair*
*silent scream*
*shakes fists at air*
*grumble*
*plops on sofa*
*slumps; gazing blankly at laptop screen*
*blink*

OK! Can you tell I'm frustrated? Yeah. I'm sick and tired of C L U T T E R. I hate it when stuff is just laying around my house taking up space and gathering dust. Now anyone who has been inside my house knows that it is not even close to what a normal person would consider messy or cluttered, BUT in my own mind it feels like everything is closing in around me. I suspect its the same mentality as when a 98lb anorexic says they are fat. Actually, I think I get like this EVERY FALL. Like clockwork, I reached my boiling point and have started ferreting out stuff from every knook and cubbie of my house. I've even started dredging up stuff from the basement! Yes, B A S E M E N T. It's like the resurrection when you reach down into the depths of the basement and bring forth items you left to rot ages ago to the light of day. I've got items up for sale on eBay, I had a mini scrapbook rummage sale this morning to be continued as needed until most of it is gone, I'm preparing my items for the knitting guild's upcoming Shop & Swap sale, a heap of clothing and housewares to go to the Ozanam charity in about a week AND a pile of broken electronics and other recyclables to go to the recycling center. *phew* My entire house is like one of those shifting puzzles where you move the numbered tiles around until they are in sequential order. I've got these heaps and piles laying in wait...waiting to clear one pile to make room for another pile until I can make space to properly put something else away. *ugh* A large portion of stuff is waiting until I can get the floor put down upstairs in my craft room. I have been procrastinating about the flooring since last October. I can't properly put my yarn, knitting books, etc. away until the floor is put in so I can setup the cubbies and shelves to store the yarn and books. *silent scream again* *composes self* *ehem* I'll get there...just not soon enough at this juncture. *grumble* Now, I'm off to pack away the scrapbooking stuff that didn't' sell today and drag it back down to the dark recesses of the basement until time to sell again. Back to work! Andiamo! Ciao!