There is a blog out in the blogosphere that is promoting turning off your air conditioner for the summer, or at least not turning the temp below 78 F. I've gotta admire all the people who can do this, but I am not one of them and here's why:
1. We live in Houston. It's already over 100 F and with an extremely high humidity.
2. I am peri-menopausal and prone to hot flashes.
3. Did I mention we live in hot, humid Houston???
But, both my husband and I drive hybrids- a Prius for me and a Saturn for him. We love our cars and thumbing our noses at all the H2 and H3 drivers here in Houston. But I cannot live without my AC. Now, if we ever move north to colder climates, I promise to try and be a greener person.
Did I mention we live in hot, humid Houston??
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
All's Quiet, Sorta
My DS is visiting the grands in Illinois right now, and DD is taking a bath. The cat has disappeared and the dog is resting after his "circumcision." Yup, Sparticus had THE surgery and is no longer humping everything and everyone. It's quite nice, actually, because I don't have to explain to DD what the dog is doing to her toys that she has left lying around. Note to daughter: Pick up your toys so the dog doesn't chew on them!!
My knitting mojo has flown the coop. The knitting group I belonged to has had some petty in-fighting and I resigned in disgust. It was so bad that there were calls for audits of the books and people actually read the by-laws. Hmmm, guys, it's a knitting group. It's about the knitting not the petty jealousise and hang-ups of others. If I wanted to be involved in this much dissent, I'd actually attend PTA meetings.
So, what have I been doing? I have been recreating the Kit Kitteredge hat from the new American Girl (AG) movie for my DD. I had already made a rolled brim hat from Lily's Sugar and Cream's latest book, "More Girl Talk." I used the same pattern for the hat portion using Lion Brand's Cotton-Ease in Almond. All I have to do is crochet the hat band. For that I am using LB's C-E Lime. If you look closely at the movie pics or have been to the movie (Yup, DD and her AGD have been), the hat in the movie has a crocheted band. The hat at the AGD store- a ribbon. I also bought some flowery material to make her a dress similar to Kit's, with plans to make one for her AGD, too.
And as for the movie, if you are a crafty person, check out all those fab knitted and crocheted poeces in the Kit Kitteredge movie. To die for... I want to crochet that housecoat Mrs. K wears in a few scenes. And Kit has a beautiful lacy sweater that I would love to recreate for my DD. Guess I better get my knitting mojo back soon!!
My knitting mojo has flown the coop. The knitting group I belonged to has had some petty in-fighting and I resigned in disgust. It was so bad that there were calls for audits of the books and people actually read the by-laws. Hmmm, guys, it's a knitting group. It's about the knitting not the petty jealousise and hang-ups of others. If I wanted to be involved in this much dissent, I'd actually attend PTA meetings.
So, what have I been doing? I have been recreating the Kit Kitteredge hat from the new American Girl (AG) movie for my DD. I had already made a rolled brim hat from Lily's Sugar and Cream's latest book, "More Girl Talk." I used the same pattern for the hat portion using Lion Brand's Cotton-Ease in Almond. All I have to do is crochet the hat band. For that I am using LB's C-E Lime. If you look closely at the movie pics or have been to the movie (Yup, DD and her AGD have been), the hat in the movie has a crocheted band. The hat at the AGD store- a ribbon. I also bought some flowery material to make her a dress similar to Kit's, with plans to make one for her AGD, too.
And as for the movie, if you are a crafty person, check out all those fab knitted and crocheted poeces in the Kit Kitteredge movie. To die for... I want to crochet that housecoat Mrs. K wears in a few scenes. And Kit has a beautiful lacy sweater that I would love to recreate for my DD. Guess I better get my knitting mojo back soon!!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
New Family Member
A lot has happened since my last post. I officially became the mom of a teenager. My DS is now 13 and is showing all the signs of puberty and the teenage years. But, he is trying to show some maturity. He has offered to babysit his 6 year old sister- if we pay him! He would do a much better job of babysitting if his sister didn't tell him "You're not the boss of me!" Um, Baby Girl, yes he is when he's babysitting you.
My birthday came and went, too. Yup, I'm 42 now and loving it. I hear about all these moms who are having babies at this age, and I want to ask "WHY??!!!???" Are they nuts? My kids are (almost) self-sufficient and can entertain themselves. They are fully potty-trained and sleep through the night for the most part. Do I really want to do it all over again?? Nooooooo!
But, that being said, my big announcement- we have a new puppy. He is a Chihuahua- Shih Tzu mix. He weighs about 2.9 lbs, and tries to take on the much larger (12 lb) cat. His name is Sparticus. Big name, little-bitty dog. And spoiled. More spoiled than some of those celeb dogs. I don't think Paris Hilton knit a sweater for Tinkerbell. Sparticus has 2, hand-knit by me. He has toys all over the house and I even crocheted the pup an afghan for his kennel. And the really nice thing- the kids have poop patrol. It's their dog, they have to clean up after him if has an accident in the house. They are responsible for feeding and other things.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
A Little Ranting
I missed my annual holiday rant- too drugged from the ol' hamstring episode- and I really didn't have much to rant about. I do now, so hang on...
I have a very sweet 6 yo daughter (DD). She is your typical kiddo- loves all things girly, is into Hannah Montana, and her room is decorated with butterflies. She still has the toddler pudge- a tummy- but she is no way obese. She has absolutely no curves, either. Where do the clothing manufacturers get off making tight fitting clothing for theses girls??? My mom bought her a shirt this weekend. I was with her and knew from experience that a size 7/8 would be tight around the tummy, so I've been buying size 9/10's to give her a looser fit. The shirt was made for someone with curves!! I kid you not- it curved in at her waist and she hated it. It's a beautiful shirt, but totally unwearable.
Listen up, clothing manufacturers- my child is 6 years old and I am not going to dress her as a skank, prostitute or a Britney Spears' wannabe. My daughter is not out to attract a boy. She is supposed to play and laugh and have fun. Boys should have cooties right now and I want that to last until she is 21!! I want cute, frilly, MODEST dresses. It doesn't have to be longed sleeved, high-necked, old-fashioned. It can be modern looking, but not scream "SLUT!" Most girls her age look like boards, anyway. None of them have curves- at least not the ones in her class or in our neighborhood. I am not a prude by any means, but kids should be kids, not mini-adults.
Lastly, dear clothing manufacturers, I have a sewing machine and I am using it to make her clothes. I am not going to buy any more pre-made clothes until you start making something less skanky looking. Honestly, my DD doesn't need to highlight her assets. SHE DOESN'T HAVE ANY "ASSETS!" Her only assets are her bubbly personality and her innocence. Can you please lay off those for awhile??
I have a very sweet 6 yo daughter (DD). She is your typical kiddo- loves all things girly, is into Hannah Montana, and her room is decorated with butterflies. She still has the toddler pudge- a tummy- but she is no way obese. She has absolutely no curves, either. Where do the clothing manufacturers get off making tight fitting clothing for theses girls??? My mom bought her a shirt this weekend. I was with her and knew from experience that a size 7/8 would be tight around the tummy, so I've been buying size 9/10's to give her a looser fit. The shirt was made for someone with curves!! I kid you not- it curved in at her waist and she hated it. It's a beautiful shirt, but totally unwearable.
Listen up, clothing manufacturers- my child is 6 years old and I am not going to dress her as a skank, prostitute or a Britney Spears' wannabe. My daughter is not out to attract a boy. She is supposed to play and laugh and have fun. Boys should have cooties right now and I want that to last until she is 21!! I want cute, frilly, MODEST dresses. It doesn't have to be longed sleeved, high-necked, old-fashioned. It can be modern looking, but not scream "SLUT!" Most girls her age look like boards, anyway. None of them have curves- at least not the ones in her class or in our neighborhood. I am not a prude by any means, but kids should be kids, not mini-adults.
Lastly, dear clothing manufacturers, I have a sewing machine and I am using it to make her clothes. I am not going to buy any more pre-made clothes until you start making something less skanky looking. Honestly, my DD doesn't need to highlight her assets. SHE DOESN'T HAVE ANY "ASSETS!" Her only assets are her bubbly personality and her innocence. Can you please lay off those for awhile??
Monday, April 7, 2008
Ah... April in Texas
And the ragweed and pollen counts are as high as an elephant's eye. Both kids are suffering and I'm just trying to get them to wash their hands after they blow their noses. I would say something about sleeves, but it's 88 F here and they are wearing short sleeves.
On to knitting- DD got a pink bunny from Build-A-Bear and I made the cutest sweater for it. It's the sherbet colorway from RH Kid's Yarn. I like how it turned out so much that I may make a matching sweater for DD.
Since it is getting so hot out, I'm scaling back to small projects- socks to be exact. I've got tons of sock yarn and lots of great patterns. It's time I'm lacking. A few more hours in the day would be helpful. But, I still wouldn't get everything done.
And, I did survive the Hannah Montana concert. The earplugs helped. Billy Ray Cyrus came out between HM's and Miley's sets and sang 2 songs. Yep, he sang that classic "Achy-Breaky Heart." I didn't like it then, I still don't like it now. I do, however, like the duet he sings with Miley- "Ready, Set, Don't Go." Makes me cry every time. Shoulda brought tissues, too.
On to knitting- DD got a pink bunny from Build-A-Bear and I made the cutest sweater for it. It's the sherbet colorway from RH Kid's Yarn. I like how it turned out so much that I may make a matching sweater for DD.
Since it is getting so hot out, I'm scaling back to small projects- socks to be exact. I've got tons of sock yarn and lots of great patterns. It's time I'm lacking. A few more hours in the day would be helpful. But, I still wouldn't get everything done.
And, I did survive the Hannah Montana concert. The earplugs helped. Billy Ray Cyrus came out between HM's and Miley's sets and sang 2 songs. Yep, he sang that classic "Achy-Breaky Heart." I didn't like it then, I still don't like it now. I do, however, like the duet he sings with Miley- "Ready, Set, Don't Go." Makes me cry every time. Shoulda brought tissues, too.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Score!!!
Well, the fates have decreed that my darling daughter should go see Hannah Montana on Sunday at the Houston Rodeo. Yup, I scored tickets at their original price and not the outrageous sum demanded by greedy scalpers. Hubby is happy he didn't have to shell out big bucks, DS is happy I could only get 2, and you can understand DD's excitement. As for me, I am going to splurge on a pair of earplugs between now and Sunday.
As for the scalpers- I know we live in a free market society and such, but I think if the performers realized how much profit they were being cheated out of, there would be more outrage, and stricter laws. Say the seats to the concert go for $100 and in the contract, the performer gets 10% of each seats' sale- $10. For every 100 seats, they get $1,000. So, the scalper goes in and buys 100 tickets. Because the performer is very popular, the scalper can sell the tickets for $1,000 apiece. His profit for every seat is $900. $900 x 100 seats= $90,000. The performer still only gets $1,000- $89,000 less than what the scalper gets. The scalper points and clicks. The performer has to get up there in front of the crowds and do all the work. It's easy to say "So what, they're rich." But is it truly fair to the performer who has worked so hard to get the point where everyone wants to see them perform?? Discuss....
As for the scalpers- I know we live in a free market society and such, but I think if the performers realized how much profit they were being cheated out of, there would be more outrage, and stricter laws. Say the seats to the concert go for $100 and in the contract, the performer gets 10% of each seats' sale- $10. For every 100 seats, they get $1,000. So, the scalper goes in and buys 100 tickets. Because the performer is very popular, the scalper can sell the tickets for $1,000 apiece. His profit for every seat is $900. $900 x 100 seats= $90,000. The performer still only gets $1,000- $89,000 less than what the scalper gets. The scalper points and clicks. The performer has to get up there in front of the crowds and do all the work. It's easy to say "So what, they're rich." But is it truly fair to the performer who has worked so hard to get the point where everyone wants to see them perform?? Discuss....
Monday, March 3, 2008
It's been awhile
Well, folks, life just seems to be getting better and better- if only you could hear the sarcasm in my voice. Remember that whole hamstring incident back in October? We are still having fallout over that. It seems some moron over at the local hospital skimmed my driver's license and went on a shopping spree in Santa Rosa, California. They spent over $1,200 at Victoria's Secret alone. Just how many pairs of panties is that anyway???? We are trying to get it all cleaned up- lawyers, police, credit bureaus, FTC (useless, by the way, they only collect the info for data purposes!).
Then, two weeks ago, one of my aunts passed away. She wasn't my favorite aunt. I haven't seen her in years. She was, though, my mom's younger sister. That fact hit a nerve. And I am beginning to believe that my mom's whole family is completely insane. Uncle #1 made her sign over everything to him just for the $$$$. Uncle #2 hung up when his ex called to tell him that his sis had died. Nobody knows how to contact the twin aunts. And aunt #3 drove my mom so completely batty, that mom payed the extra money to fly home early. Hubby got a good laugh until he realized my mom is the only sane one in the bunch, and then started to worry about me and the kids. I had to remind him that I wasn't swimming in that particular gene pool because I'm adopted.
Knitting like crazy. I've been knitting chunky weight socks. I found 2 patterns for them, and combined what I thought was the best of both- length of the leg, heel, heel turn, etc. They knit up quickly and are very cozy, especially on the tile floor.
Not much else going on in my little part of the world. Gonna go knit some more now.
Then, two weeks ago, one of my aunts passed away. She wasn't my favorite aunt. I haven't seen her in years. She was, though, my mom's younger sister. That fact hit a nerve. And I am beginning to believe that my mom's whole family is completely insane. Uncle #1 made her sign over everything to him just for the $$$$. Uncle #2 hung up when his ex called to tell him that his sis had died. Nobody knows how to contact the twin aunts. And aunt #3 drove my mom so completely batty, that mom payed the extra money to fly home early. Hubby got a good laugh until he realized my mom is the only sane one in the bunch, and then started to worry about me and the kids. I had to remind him that I wasn't swimming in that particular gene pool because I'm adopted.
Knitting like crazy. I've been knitting chunky weight socks. I found 2 patterns for them, and combined what I thought was the best of both- length of the leg, heel, heel turn, etc. They knit up quickly and are very cozy, especially on the tile floor.
Not much else going on in my little part of the world. Gonna go knit some more now.
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