I've started working nights again. After working days at Mills-Peninsula and contintuously having my nursing "groove" interrupted by physical therapy, family members, speech therapy, physician rounds, telephone calls from family members, questions from family members who are present, etc. I'm very happy to be back on nights. It's a bit less friendly to my own personal sleeping and waking cycle, but I'm truly enjoying working a shift where the flow of the day fits better with my personal philosphy of nursing: Keep people's pain under control and let them get enough sleep to allow the body to heal.
I'm working at a local hospital, which thank God turns out to be the only one in the five-hospital constortium that offers 12 hour shifts. "Twelves" are rough on the nights I'm working, but leaves me with a lot more free time during the week with Brian and the Mimi than eight hour shifts do.
Mimi, by the way, is teething. She's got a visible tooth coming up on her lower jaw. She was much happier than usual this morning, and then turned into a complete Screaming Mimi this evening. I interpreted this evening's fussing as "I bit my tongue! And since I have absolutely no frame of reference for this event, I think it deserves a full-out four-alarm panic! WAAAAAAA!"
Friday, November 21, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Glad I borrowed a drum carder!
Last month, thinking I wanted to blend some of the wool I got from Carol's shop with some other fibers, I borrowed Pop's drum carder. (I'm too lazy to run upstairs and snap pics of the batts of Cotswold/soy silk/tussah silk I blended.)
Then, last weekend, we went to the Albany Oregon Natural Fun and Fiber Festival. (At least I think that's what it's called. I got distracted by the yarn before I had a chance to process the sign.)
I got to meet more spinners, and there's a spinning group on Mondays at the local senior center! I'll be working nights as of Sunday, so I might have a chance of going to the group meetings now and again.
Shirley was great at the festival. She babbled and cooed at everyone, and several of the ladies said how much they wanted to take her home with them. (I resisted the urge to blurt out "Please, take her!") Then, having exhausted all of her reserves of diplomacy, she turned into a Screaming Mimi and was a fussy irrational Mimi for the remaineder of the day.
I'm glad she's well behaved in public, but it'd be nice if she was on "good behavior" at home occasionally!
I picked up some amazing dyed Romney locks
from the local farm Iron Water Ranch, which I'm plying with this "leftover batt" 
from Superior Fibers. (Charlotte says she calls them that because they're composed of bits of fibers from her commercial fiber processing and "I'm not sure what exactly's in there. I know there's some Shetland and alpaca and all kinds of stuff." Spins like a dream!) I'm not sure how it'll look when it's all done, but it's so much fun to work with!
Then, last weekend, we went to the Albany Oregon Natural Fun and Fiber Festival. (At least I think that's what it's called. I got distracted by the yarn before I had a chance to process the sign.)
I got to meet more spinners, and there's a spinning group on Mondays at the local senior center! I'll be working nights as of Sunday, so I might have a chance of going to the group meetings now and again.
Shirley was great at the festival. She babbled and cooed at everyone, and several of the ladies said how much they wanted to take her home with them. (I resisted the urge to blurt out "Please, take her!") Then, having exhausted all of her reserves of diplomacy, she turned into a Screaming Mimi and was a fussy irrational Mimi for the remaineder of the day.
I'm glad she's well behaved in public, but it'd be nice if she was on "good behavior" at home occasionally!
I picked up some amazing dyed Romney locks
from the local farm Iron Water Ranch, which I'm plying with this "leftover batt" from Superior Fibers. (Charlotte says she calls them that because they're composed of bits of fibers from her commercial fiber processing and "I'm not sure what exactly's in there. I know there's some Shetland and alpaca and all kinds of stuff." Spins like a dream!) I'm not sure how it'll look when it's all done, but it's so much fun to work with!Sunday, November 2, 2008
Be afraid...
Very afraid. I just found this news story about a local girl who apparently has great difficulty maintaining a safe speed while driving. (Bonus: her defense to the state trooper who arrested her was that she "had trouble seeing while talking on her cell phone.")
Just when I was starting to get excited about not having to deal with San Francisco traffic...
Just when I was starting to get excited about not having to deal with San Francisco traffic...
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Vote, dammit!
While I shamelessly use my blog as a platform to yak about whatever is bouncing through my head, I try to avoid mentioning the sorry state of American politics. (I haven't even brought up Dolores!)
But this last month has convinced me of two things: First, while I believe our American system is "fundamentally sound," it's got a lot of issues. But most importantly, it's convinced me that disengaging and whining is not going to make those issues go away.
These last eight years of the Bush administration have made me alternately very proud to be an American (all those heroic pictures from September Eleventh are quite moving) and equally ashamed to admit I'm American (Guantanamo Bay, need I say more?) But on Tuesday, we have a chance to do something about this crazy mess we call a democracy. We get to vote for someone else to be President.
I'll leave all the fancy words about "civic duty" and such to the poor saps who actually want to run this country. But if you aren't satisfied with how the country is doing and you don't bother to vote, don't bother whining.
But this last month has convinced me of two things: First, while I believe our American system is "fundamentally sound," it's got a lot of issues. But most importantly, it's convinced me that disengaging and whining is not going to make those issues go away.
These last eight years of the Bush administration have made me alternately very proud to be an American (all those heroic pictures from September Eleventh are quite moving) and equally ashamed to admit I'm American (Guantanamo Bay, need I say more?) But on Tuesday, we have a chance to do something about this crazy mess we call a democracy. We get to vote for someone else to be President.
I'll leave all the fancy words about "civic duty" and such to the poor saps who actually want to run this country. But if you aren't satisfied with how the country is doing and you don't bother to vote, don't bother whining.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Sick
Ever been too sick to knit? We caught a nasty cold at our house last week, and I'm still recovering. I've started knitting again, but am posponing new projects until I'm confident I can count reliably.
As befitting one lacking in fine motor skills, the Mimi does not knit. (I'm postponing teaching her until I'm certain the danger of her poking out her own eye with a knitting needle is past.) At this stage of development, her major form of entertainment consists of chewing on objects. If these objects are ones which her parents have told her are "no-nos" and will bodily remove her from, so much the better. (It's a challenge!)
Now that she's started crawling, picking her up and placing her on the other side of the room from the "attractive nuisance" only seems to encourage her to crawl right back to it. Perhaps she thinks it's a new game...
As befitting one lacking in fine motor skills, the Mimi does not knit. (I'm postponing teaching her until I'm certain the danger of her poking out her own eye with a knitting needle is past.) At this stage of development, her major form of entertainment consists of chewing on objects. If these objects are ones which her parents have told her are "no-nos" and will bodily remove her from, so much the better. (It's a challenge!)
Now that she's started crawling, picking her up and placing her on the other side of the room from the "attractive nuisance" only seems to encourage her to crawl right back to it. Perhaps she thinks it's a new game...
Here is a picture of her chewing on the blinds at the new house. While we have since rearranged our furniture to block off most of the blinds, she's still fascinated by them. She's also attracted to electrical cords, waste paper baskets, and (perhaps most disturbing of all) Brian's elderly slippers. I felt lunch coming up when I caught her gnawing on them!
Mom's old adage is proving true: "Your children will eat disgusting things that won't make them sick in the slightest--but you'll feel mighty queasy watching them!"
Monday, October 13, 2008
Boxes!
The movers broke contract several times, charged us outrageously, and were several days later than they'd originally told us they would be, but our stuff is here! Most of it, at any rate. Given that the movers tried to give us several boxes from another family, I have my doubts as to whether or not all of our boxes reached us.... Still, the important thing is, my fiber is here!
I have a job lined up, but it doesn't start until November. That, combined with the amazing economic gyrations the world markets have been doing over the last several weeks, has caused me to view my yarn and fiber stash in a completely different light.
Anyone interested in doing a fiber or yarn swap? It's just like shopping online, but cheaper, as all you have to worry about is postage.
I have a job lined up, but it doesn't start until November. That, combined with the amazing economic gyrations the world markets have been doing over the last several weeks, has caused me to view my yarn and fiber stash in a completely different light.
Anyone interested in doing a fiber or yarn swap? It's just like shopping online, but cheaper, as all you have to worry about is postage.
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