Almost

For the past month or so my dryer has been picking and choosing when it wanted to work. Most of the time it doesn't and I run and run and run it only to still have wet clothes tumbling inside at the end of the day. Sometimes you get lucky and it works. Usually that time is when I think to call the repair guy.....then it works and I forget about calling, but the next day it's back to not working. The air is not circulating and the lint is building up on the door of the dryer instead of being passed and trapped by the lint filter. The guy came today and removed a huge bird's nest from the vent. It was huge. I think they were installing condominiums. Once finished it was working fine and I got a load dried and I was happy. Then I threw in the next load and guess what? It didn't work. And the air wasn't flowing because I went outside and checked to see if the vent door was open (which happens if the sir is flowing) and it was as closed as it could be. Then I saw that there was an egg on the ground. It was broken and there was a little bird fetus inside of it the size of a gummy bear. Now I have guilt. I went out a little later and it was gone. Probably food for the many lizards.
Progress on the silk sweater is still clipping along. I had to go back and add another cable repeat to the body because it didn't seem like it was going to be long enough. Boobs take extra fabric and most patterns don't account for D's....or C's....or even B's for that matter ( are the majority of women a B cup or less? Wish I was). I was a B cup once......when I was about 12. I don't understand women that want anything more then a C cup because it becomes a hinderance. Anyways I finished with the first arm and finished adding to the body and have attached the first arm to the piece. I'm about an inch and a half into the second sleeve and can't wait until I can join that as well and start working on the yoke. Right now the sweater is my all consuming project. I dare it not to fit once I get it done! It probably won't because I suck at math and probably didn't cast on enough stitches.
Oh well, if not I can send it to mum. It's silk so I can't throw it in the wash and have been wondering if knitting with this yarn was a wise decision or not. It's so soft though. Really soft. I have a cone of a cotton linen blend that I'm thinking of shaping into a hoodie because I really like hoodies, but it's a shade of tan and seems too boring. I have recently discovered color as a favorite and would love to have a comfy hoodie that can be worn on days when I need something a little more fashionable then my heather grey Tink hoodie that I got at Disney.
It's really raining today. We usually get a shower or two during the day, but today it's been raining off and on. It just started again and was raining earlier. I thought this was the dry season? Hmmm, I'll have to check on info. I thought winter for the states is the wet season and summer for the states is the dry season, but maybe I have it backwards. We've been having some nice days though because of the rain. Every once and awhile it gets humid, but when the clouds block the sun for a little while it cools down and feels like spring. I've been opening my window so I can get the smell of the outdoors.....something I remember from when I was a kid and mom would open the windows when the air would start to turn warm. It smells like the first few days of spring everyday. Sometimes after it rains it smells like wet dog here. I haven't figured out why that is. Probably acid rain from Asia. Why do we get Asia's pollution? We don't make enough of our own here so they have to import it I suppose. That is a downside because you have some days when it's really hazy and you can't go outside. You can, but you can't breathe too well once you're out there.

Cars and Geeks

The part for the car came today. Once I get it dropped off we'll have our car back in one to two days. We might get some money back which would be really great because on the 27th Sean P is coming to the Top o' the Mar. Rumor is that it's Sean Paul and I would like to go there and see him. Top o' the Mar used to be the Officer's Club and the concert is free, but you can get dinner. They have a great Mongolian barbeque and you're on top of the hill so you can see out. In fact I have a picture that has a similar view as the Top o' the Mar does. I'm not getting my hopes up too much. I'm used to having things fall out and not being able to do things at the last minute so being able to go would just be a bonus to life.
I finally finished the body to my silk sweater and have been working on a sleeve. So diligently that my index and middle finger on my left hand have gone numb and the inside of my arm from shoulder to elbow and then around the outside of my elbow to outside of my wrist is in pain. My eyes are also doing something funny with my vision and my head feels like I've been sporting a too tight pony tail. Probably from working too long on something that's right in front of my face. You have trouble focusing on things far away right after looking up from a project. But I'm addicted so I can't stop, except to take some Tylenol and keep stitching along. I'm so close to the end that I'm working faster and faster the farther along I go. I just have to finish this sleeve, work the other one, join it all to the body and work the yoke and then I'll be all done!!!!! It seems like a lot but the body was the longest and hardest part of the whole thing and now that's done so it's just a hop, skip and jump to the end and then I'll have my first piece of knitting that I made for myself!!!! Okay not true because I did finish a pair of socks for myself ( that turned out fabulously if I might say so myself.....and I think I will), but this is the first....... larger wardrobe item. I rarely knit something for myself and have just done so recently with the socks. Everything else has been for my kids or scarves for other people. By the way , how did those scarves work for you this winter, Mom. Post comments and let me know.
I'm planning on going to Fleet Family and Support to help look for a job. Hopefully they have something in photography so I can add to my experience. Plus earning money is a bonus. Even if you're married it is nice to have your own stash of money. Although I get the feeling that I'll get stuck paying the bills while hubby uses his money on whatever he wants to spend it on. Which I probably shouldn't complain because he's more likely to buy for his kids and me then himself, but I wish he could be more money savvy. He has gotten better the longer that we've been married (which will be six years at the end of June [ I can't remember the day....go figure....hubby knows it though :-) ])
My XBox seems on the fritz which really stinks because I don't have cable right now. When you turn it on the little thing slides out to accept the CD. You put it in and push the button and it slides back in, whirs for a second and then spits it back out. It won't stay closed. Maybe it just needs to be cleaned....I hope. I miss being an asian martial artist with the power to save the Empire....yes I can be a geek at times. I embrace the geek in me! The geek in me loves Pirates of the Carribbean for the fact that it's a good story line and not just because Johnny Depp looks hot as Jack Sparrow. The geek in me loves Harry Potter and secretly wishes that world was real because I know some people at the DMV that I'd love to put a Bat Bogey Hex on. The geek in me becomes really proud when I resist the dark side and am kind to people who don't even exist and save the Empire (whether in Knights of the Old Republic or Jade Empire). Everyone has an inner geek. You know you do.

Crazy Waves

It's been rainy for the past few days and we've been stuck inside. It's even....should I dare say it......cold. Most people, okay probably everyone will scoff at this comment since it's the first week of March and it's in the lower 80's to upper 70's here, but when you're used to upper 80's and a very close, hot sun then it can feel downright chilly when it's overcast and 10 degrees cooler then normal. The ocean has been fabulously rough and my friend, Amanda, and I stopped after our weekly latte and watched the waves crashing in. We stopped at Asan Beach and watched as these huge waves with beautiful aqua colored pipes rolled and then crashed into one of the many rock formations, tiny islands, that sit right off the coast. The foam would splash about 100 feet into the air, no lie. We were also in the back part of the parking lot which they had cornered off with tiny cones because it was obvious the water had come up that far at one point. I'll have to get pictures as soon as I can find my camera, which hopefully will be in the next few days before the rough surf disappears. It is a marvelously scary sight to behold. We ventured into the marked off area for a few minutes, but quickly retreated as even bigger waves came in causing waves in the normally waveless cove. LARGE WAVES in the normally waveless cove. The water came up over the beach and towards us. It didn't quite reach but we knew enough to get the heck out of there.
My silk/cotton sweater has been put on hold momentarily as I have been knitting with the colorful Lumpy for the past few days. I've been fashioning it into a throw. I know this will take more then the two skeins that I presently have, but I have to do this a little at time. The Lumpy is more expensive then I would normally pay per skein, but the colors were so fabulous that I couldn't resist. I have been toying with the idea of buying some Koigu to make some socks (especialy with the cooler weather) which costs the same per skein as the Lumpy Bumpy, but you get a pair of socks with two skeins and that's all you need. Whereas with the Lumpy it's going to take several more to get a good sized throw and I'm not even going to try to caluculate how much it will cost me in the end. This is probably some sort of knitting sacrelige, but I have yet to knit a pair of socks. Most knitter's I know of usually have a pair working on some dpn's at all times. I have trouble working with dpn's and prefer the magic loop, but I had to learn how to use it in a sock pattern first so my intro into socks were delayed. I have knit a sock with dpn's (that's how I know I have a problem with dpn's....it's like wrestling with a porcupine!), but it was a small sock. It wasn't supposed to be, but somehow it became small. Instead of fitting me it fit Lola, who was three at the time. She loves that sock and has on more then one occassion been seen walking around with one barefoot and the other foot sporting the lone sock. It's about time I knit her a pair and Koigu has so many colors that it would be a shame not to. I'm usually a neutral kind of girl, but have been experiencing an explosion in interest for intense hand dyed colors. They are so pretty.

Lot's of Thoughts

I have a cone of a linen/cotton blend sport weight ribbon and I'm trying to figure out what I want to do with it. I have started knitting a shawl with it....several times, then frogged it each time. Now I still just have a cone of yarn and no clue what to do with it. I did have an idea today of making a raglan, lacy sweater for the beach. The neckline would fall off the shoulders, like a Bridget Bardot kind of sweater. I thought it would be fabulous, but I wonder how far I will get before changing my mind and wind up frogging it again.
Always, I always, always, always am thinking about a better way of rearranging my furniture and I'm never happy with the way my house is decorated. I feel once it is done I will know it and wll be able to sit in a room without thinking about what else I could do with it. My mind has been racing since we moved here. It began racing even more once we got rid of our old furniture and bought a new sofa. I'm a cozy kind of person. I like rolled arms, cozy fabrics, textures and muted colors. Because I have kids I also like the worn look on wood furniture and love dark woods. We got rid of a HUGE white cotton sofa and chair in favor for a square armed leather manhattan style sofa. Very modern. I like modern, but it does have a cold feeling. You can like a style, but be unable to live in it. At first I though that was going to be the case with this sofa, but I have found that I can mix styles to cozy it up AND the sofa redeemed itself by being a comfotable place for a nap. It also can be cleaned with a wet sponge AND all the pillows and cushions are sewn together and down so nothing can fall inbetween the cushions and my kids can never take the cushions off (unless they rip my couch). Anyone with kids will tell you that this is the perfect couch. I am happier now after living with it for awhile and just have to find a way to warm everything up so that I can love the space and not just the sofa. What kind of chair do you pair with this? I don't want another leather piece and I don't want things to look too matchy matchy. Makes me wish that my mom was here because she always could be counted on to hit the thrift stores and I knew she would look for the same kinds of things that I wanted. I need a coffee table and a rug. I have tile floor and really want a soft rug that is easy to clean. Something that I could throw into the wash would be great and I have seriously thought about knitting something. It would take a lot of time and a lot of money. What to use though? I need a fiber that will last and something that can be thrown into the washing machine about once every two weeks. Anyone have any ideas let me know. I can always stick a rug pad underneath and..... woohoo!.....instant rug!
Being creative I've also been wanting to whip out my sewing machine. It's really old and I got it when my mom bought a new one because she couldn't get it to work. After reading up on machines I think she may have just had the tension wrong, but then I can't remember what it was doing wrong. If I can get it to work I would love to learn how to quilt. I think that and knitting are the best two crafts because you are making things that your family can wear and use and can pass down for generations (and sell for thousands after finding out it's worth on Antiques Roadshow).
I HATE PEACH! Sorry I had to say that just because I saw someone making pillows in a peach fabric on HGTV. Peach reminds me of the eightiesand i have yet to see anyones house in a decorating magazine in 80's retro. Maybe as a before picture, but definitely not as an after. My bathrooms are tiled in peach and it seriously ticks me off. I can't do anything about it because it's the tile! ARGHHHHHHHH! I just don't like peach :-P
Still clicking away on the sweater for myself. This is the original in the magazine: Vogue Spring/Summer 2006 (don't have the picture right now due to missing camera, but hope it is soon on the way). Of course the model looks fabulous in it. I have modified it a bit. I have decided to add increases. The original just decreases so that the bust is smaller then the bottom . That may be okay for some but my hip and bust measurements are the same so I'm decreasing for the waist and then increasing for my boobs........because I have them. I think most patterns are made with model proportions in mind and they have little boobs. That's great.....sometimes I wish I had little boobs........jogging would be more comfortable, they wouldn't get in my way when I reach for things, spills and drops wouldn't hit my "shelf" while eating, and gravity wouldn't seem like such a cruel law.......but most times I wish designers would include big boobies. That's the great thing about knitting though....you can modify to fit and it's not that difficult. That's not something that I can say about clothes that I buy in the store. I always have to have the waist taken in and finding button up shirts is a nightmare!!! Bathing suits....even worse!!! Thank you knitting! I can make it the way I want it and it will look fabulous on me and not just a model. Sweet!!

Needing Haze under hazy skies

I have finished my drawings for my create along and only need to knit up a gauge swatch for the lace.....as soon as I decide what kind of lace to use......and get some Kidsilk (sigh).
I did get to the next stage in my sweater venture and have begun the decreases. I did venture from the pattern as I am knitting in the round. In the original pattern the front and back are knit seperately. I also plan to knit the sleeves and the body together instead of knitting and then joining the sleeves. I hope that it works just as well. We shall see. I can't see where it can't be modified to knit in the round and not have any seams to sew. It comes along slowly though because of this. I can't wait to be able to wear it!
Today we had very hazy skies covering the island and the surf was strangely high. I thought maybe it was just a pollution things, but we are on an island and don't get the same pollution as Las Angeles. That and it was pretty darn thick. Aparantly there is a volcano to the north of here (Anahatan) that periodically messes up the air here. It seems to be thicker tonight and I wonder if it's going to be worse tomorrow. The kids weren't allowed outside because of the poor air quality. I'm sure breathing in sulfuric acid could be bad for your lungs. I found it intriguing because it's a new experience, but I'm sure if it continues it will become a severe nuisance.
The neighborhood playground was dismantled last week so there is no place for the kids to play anyway. They tore it down about two weeks ago and the boxes with the new equipment has been sitting there since then. I'm beginning to wonder if they are going to put it together or if they want us to be content with staring at it through the plastic wrapping. I'm sure if we got together the mother's of the neighborhood we could have it put together before Friday.
Oh well, until then I'll just have to keep G and W occupied with other things. By the by, because of G I will be refering to G as Lola and W as Charlie. They are on a Charlie and Lola kick and requested that I call them by those names all day today. I like it better then just typing G or W anyways so I will yeild to the demand. I think it will make it a little easier on the readers as well.
I like the cartoon as well. I like British TV in general and I miss it greatly. They have a BBC channel here and PBS, but no British comedies. It's sacreligious! And no Travel Channel either (Anthony Bourdain.......I love you!!!!!). I do like watching the Korean channel and the Chinese channel. The Korean channel has subtitles and very dramatic programing. All the pop song videos are about a guy and a girl and one or both of them dies. The other day I watched a movie where the wife was bawling like her life was over because her husband was working as a ............housekeeper (GASP!). You would have thought he told her that he was gay and a crossdresser and she being a strict Catholic unable to accept his lifestyle choice. It was interesting. While the Chinese channel has no subtitles they do have this show (game show or talk show? or both?) and it is hilarious. I can't understand a word of it, but it keeps me laughing :-D