You are currently browsing the monthly archive for January, 2009.
I was doing my daily blogsurf and came upon this website: FailBlog and I have been laughing ever since. It is merely a collection of video and photographs which readers have voted as a FAIL. There are logistics fails, sign fails, headline fails, you get the idea. This Jumping Jack Fail cracks me up!
You can spend hours looking at all the pages of FAILS. Also, for a pick-me-up go and check out CakeWrecks for a hefty dose of humor.
On the cuteness factor, a friend on the train told me about the kitty cam that everyone at her workplace is watching. It is here. Check it out!
Speaking of cute…
That’s Nacho at 9 months. S.O. S.W.E.E.T!
This weekend, DH is taking me out to celebrate my birthday. We are going to watch Slumdog Millionare, one of the Oscar Best Picture Nominees. It’s supposed to be really good.
Update:
Ty’s doctor finally called yesterday. He told me that the MRI only shows a partial tear. We will still have to wait for a re-evaluation in a couple of weeks to determine the course of action. I’ll keep you posted.
Have a great weekend!
-L
My 2 yo little girl loves, LOVES to dress up. Like any other little girl, I’m sure. I have caught her many, many times changing her clothes, in one afternoon, to various “looks” that she comes up with. I don’t know how she decides what to put together, but apparently, colors and textures do not matter. I can say, though, that she prefers dresses, the more flowy and frilly the better. She also likes panties, or anything that resembles one.
Exhibit A:
Note the swimsuit bottom she is wearing over her pajama. And the huge, proud smile she is donning. Also, she LOVES those shoes. I think it is the clickety-clack sound they make. I would also like to tell you that she is wearing five tops. 3 long-sleeved shirts, a hoodie, and a cardigan. See what I mean about colors and textures?
To further illustrate the frequency of outfit changes this little girl goes through, here’s a photo of her just 30 minutes before the first photo:
Yes, indeed.
Children are so fascinating, aren’t they?
Oh, on a side note, I asked her the other day if I could take her picture and she smiled and said yes. Here’s the pose she wanted for her picture:
And another:
What am I to do with her?
-L
As you know Ty plays football. Last Thursday, I picked him up from school/football practice and he was limping. The football trainer assessed his knee and told him that his ACL is torn.
We prayed over his knee and hoped for the best.
I took the day off today to accompany Ty and DH to Ty’s appointment with the specialist. He ordered an MRI giving the same diagnosis as the trainer. We have not heard back from the doctor, but if it is a torn ACL, surgery is required. Not only that, he will be unable to participate in football for at least five months. Ty is devastated. It broke my heart to see the frustration and pain in his face as the doctor explained all this. I felt so helpless.
So, now this is what Ty looks like…
I’ll keep you posted.
-L
Today is my birthday. It’s sort of a milestone for me. 35. Not quite old, not quite young. Just right. I find myself in a good place, contemplating my life and where I’ve been, mentally and physically. It’s been a rollercoaster ride. I can’t believe how quickly my life has gone by although I admit I have been truly blessed in so many ways. I have a terrific husband who loves me very much and we have 4 children who make me laugh, cry, hope and despair on a daily basis. I really had a wonderful childhood with parents who always tried to do the best for my brothers, sister and me and for that I am grateful.
This last year has been amazing spending it with my wonderful husband, Danny. It’s a blessing to be with someone who cares about me so much, and although the daily grind of life can sometimes get in the way, we both know that we have something special together. Watching our kids grow up is amazing. Once in a while, I witness a little bit of the adult they will or might become. Every fleeting glimpse brings a little lump in my throat and a little tear to my eyes.
So, here’s to 35! I am older-some parts of the body don’t function as well as they used to, particularly the eyes and the ears. But I am very grateful for all the blessings I have received so far and look forward to what the next ten years may hold.
On my 1st birthday many moons ago….
-L
I found my memory card reader…
And my current projects:
Another SYTYC Hat in a wool/silk blend
Socks for DH.
That’s all. I’m not feeling very wordy today. Forgive me.
Have a great weekend! I plan to.
-L
It’s been hectic ’round here. We’re still trying to get back into our schedules.
MLK weekend was spent with Mark and his oldest son, Philip. They showed up on our doorstep on Saturday. We hung out with them til they left Monday afternoon. It was a nice visit, as always. The boys really enjoyed hanging out. So did the big boys (DH and Mark).
Gordon’s back from Seattle. His trip is documented on his blog.
It’s been cold here. Our water pipes bursted on Friday evening when we got home. We have never been in the habit of leaving the water dripping in freezing temperatures, but we do now. Thankfully, I knew someone who knew someone that was a plumber and we were able to get it fixed for a lot less. It’s fixed now, we still need to get the insulation back in and the drywall back up, but the pipes are sealed and hopefully strong enough to withstand the rest of the season…
Work has been busy for me. It’s starting to die down, so I will be back to blogging regularly. I’ve missed posting.
I’ll be back with pictures.
-L
The basketweave pattern was the first pattern I tried when I learned how to do the purl stitch. In fact, I still have that scarf hidden in my closet because 1. It is too ugly to give/show anyone. 2. I think as a knitter one should keep their first project to remind oneself of whence they came…. The scarf I made 4+ years ago is an orangey red in some scratchy acrylic I found at a yard sale. I have never worn the thing because it is so darn scartchy and butt-ugly. I look at the thing with awe as I have come so far since then.
I wanted to knit my friend Chris a red scarf for Christmas and I needed a pattern that was reversible and lays flat. So, I went to my roots (so-t0-speak) and brought back my old friend “basketweave”.
I enjoyed knitting this. So I wrote up the pattern to post for you today.
Enjoy!
Chris’ Basketweave Infinity Scarf
Materials:
Yarn: Any worsted or aran weight yarn
Needles: US 10 straights or circs.
Gauge: doesn’t really matter.
Pattern:
CO 33 sts.
Knit 4 rows in garter stitch.
Begin basketweave pattern:
Row 1: K4, * K5, P5* to last 4 sts, K4
Row 2: K4, *P5, K5* to last 4 sts, K4
Rep rows 1 & 2 six more times (you should have 7 “ridges” on the purl side)
Row 3: K4, *P5, K5* to last 4 sts, K4
Row 4: K4, *K5, P5* to last 4 sts, K4
Repeat Rows 3 & 4 six more times (7 “ridges” on the purl side)
Repeat basketweave pattern until scarf measures 60 inches (more if you’d like a longer drape).
Knit 4 rows in garter and BO.
Sew ends together making sure there is a twist in the scarf.
Of course you can just bind off and attach fringe or whatever you like. Personally, I made this a moebius style scarf because I do not like the way traditional scarfs just dangle and hang there flapping in the wind. They get caught in things, and is an accident waiting to happen (it is wrapped around your neck after all). You could potentially hang yourself with those dangly things.
With the moebius style you can loop it around your neck once, twice or even three times if it is long enough. It is so snuggly looped around your neck.
Exhibit A:
B
This is Chris modeling her scarf. She’s shy 
It looks great on her. Just a little red to brighten her days.
-L
August 1993
New Year’s Eve 2008
15 years (4 kids and 13 homes) between the two pictures above. It doesn’t seem that long. I guess that means that the those years have been good times, and that is a great thing. DH and I will be celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary in May.
Wow.
Baby girl had her check-up yesterday. I felt so bad ruining a perfectly good day for her. She was in a great mood prior to getting her shots. “Why, mommy, why?” was the look she gave me.
Bad mommy.
I gave her some cookies when we got home. I guess this is why we were programmed to not remember much from our baby years. Or maybe the trauma caused the memory loss. Either way…
Four shots. Five smiley bandaids. A slight fever. Sore thighs. A good night’s rest. A new day.
She’s fine now. All’s well.
-L
Have some time to kill?
Here’s an online memory game using images from Flickr. Type in any words you want and your puzzle will feature images with those tags.
Tomorrow I GET MY GLASSES!
-L
Today I had to drive to work. It has been months since I had to do that. MONTHS. July? June? I can’t remember. All I know is: Driving sucks. HARD. It took me 45 minutes to get to work. On the train? 20. Poo! I missed the train this morning because there was traffic on the main road from Ty’s school to the train station. I don’t know what the hold-up was exactly, but we woke up to a lot of ice this morning (24 degrees!) and when there’s ice on the roads, there’s traffic. ugh.
Anyway, I came by to share a blogthing with you today. I plugged in my name and this is what it gave me:
|
You Are Peaceful and Content |
 You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don’t get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. You are a very lucky person. Things just always seem to go your way. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless – and you have a lot of questions about life. |
I think a lot of this is true. Except for the “flaky and irresponsible” part. I think my mom would agree on that one, though.
This past weekend was nice and relaxing. We stayed home for most of it. I got to visit with Chris yesterday when I stopped by to drop off a present for her. We even took some pics (coming soon).
After visiting with Chris, I took lunch to Mom, grocery-shopped, then home to make dinner (loco-moco). The rest of the night was spent watching the tube and knitting.
Gordo will be going to Seattle Wednesday. I am jealous.
Tonight the forecast says SNOW. Thursday’s supposed to be a high of 23. Yikes! I wonder if I have any sick days left? hmmmm. Sounds like a knitting day, huh?
These have already been completed and gifted to Gordon, so he can have some comfy handknitted socks for Seattle.
Here’s to a great Tuesday!
-L
It’s a cataract.
Yeah. That’s what I said.
I either had it since birth or had eye trauma. I had to think real hard, but I don’t remember ever getting hit in the eye. And I told her that I first noticed it in high school. Most likely I was born with it. The doctor was amazed. I guess she had never seen one like mine. She kept looking at it with her different instruments. She says that I don’t NEED surgery, unless it really bothers me. Whew. Sharp objects near my eyeball freaks me out. No, thank you.
And I need glasses. My vision’s 20/50. I tried a few on. I looked like a nerd. But, that’s ok, I AM a nerd.
That’s the update. I thought I’d come by and let you all know.
We’re watching football staying warm and dry at home. Well, I’m knitting while the guys watch.
I hope you’re doing what you love today. I am.
-L
Lai-lai sporting a sweater I knit for her. Jan 2007 (I just noticed, but that’s LOST in the background hehe)
DH has HAIR! Look at my little Ty. It seems like yesterday he was this age. He was such a sweet little boy.
Senior year. This was our “photo shoot” with my dad. Alice, Carly, Teuila, and Marsh (not pictured) came over to our house to take pictures. We even had 2 outfit changes (matching outfits). Dorks. I remember having fun though.
Anyway, the weekend is finally here. This week dragged on. It was a hard one for me. Tomorrow I have my first ever eye exam. I’m dreading it a little. I might need glasses.
Have I ever told you about the white dot in my eye?
Do you see it? It’s been there for years. It wasn’t until this year that I have noticed it getting bigger and my vision out of that eye is very blurry. Do you have any idea what this is? I guess I’ll find out tomorrow.
I have new projects on the needles and I’m getting through them pretty quick.
Knee highs for Kara. I’m doing the heel and toe in pink.
Clapotis #3. I still have #1 and #2 on the needles in my UFO basket. I lost interest. This one’s a mini-clap so I think I’ll finish this. AND the yarn is the $37 Schaefer yarn I got for FREE! It’s so soft and shimmery. I can’t wait to wear this….
Ty’s back to practicing everyday, I’m picking him up after I get off the train in the afternoons. Bubba had a hard time this week, like the rest of us. But I think he’ll be fine next week. Nacho and Lai are home with Daddy during the day. I’ll be glad when today is over. I need a nap.
Have a great weekend!
-L
I’ve been thinking about these guys today.
I even went to her myspace and looked at all of her eleventy-million pictures. AND left comments.
I don’t know why. Maybe they’re coming back to the south.
I have been really missing them today. I’m such a sap.
That little one Sose is holding is now 9 months old. Walking? I’m missing out. Daniel is now 5′11″ and sporting a full-on-mustache. He’s turning 13 this month. Beautiful Beth is a freshman. Riah, sweet Riah, oh how I miss Riah. And Mel? My Melo-smelo. Every time I saw her, I always wanted to squeeze her cheeks. Now that I think of it, I don’t think I ever did. I’ll have to remember to do that when I see her again. I don’t care if that’s years from now and she’s an adult. She’s gonna get it. That’s a threat, missy, AND a promise.
Come home now. Alaska’s not for you.
Love you guys!
-L
I have mentioned to you before that I ventured into sewing, right? Well, for Christmas, I made a list of things I would make for my train friends, Chris, Kris, Annie, and Sara. I wanted to give them something handmade and personal since I didn’t have much money to spend. So, I came up with a short list: a scarf (too much time), socks (again, not enough time), knit bracelets (this worried me because I didn’t know if they would wear it and it wasn’t practical), make bead stitch-markers (practical, maybe?), sew them a knitting pouch (hmm).
Well, the knitting pouch won out because 1. It is practical. 2. It would be prettier than the ziploc bags we all use to tote our knitting projects around in. 3. It would be easy to make.
I underestimated number 3. I mean, how hard would it be to cut 1 piece of fabric, sew the sides together and sew a casing for a drawstring? Apparently, a little hard. Ok, a lot hard. For me.
A little history: My mom is a sew-er (is there another word for that?). She has been sewing for most of her life. All my life, she’s sewn all my hems and tears, and rips for me and eventually for my DH and kids. So with this kind of background, one (me) would think that I would have a natural “talent” for sewing, right?
Wrong. I started with a pretty lavalava (a couple of yards of fabric with an island design on it, worn as a “skirt” by the Samoan people). I cut out a piece of fabric to my guesstimated measurements (12″ x 24″ roughly). Folded the “top” edge down to make a 1-inch casing for the drawstring then folded the long side in half and seamed the 2 rough/cut sides together inside-out. Sounds easy right? That first piece (the prototype) was lopsided. Reallly lopsided. I don’t know if it was me or the machine, but when Mom instructed me on how to use that foot pedal, I swear my foot was made of lead because every time I pressed down on that thing, as “lightly” as I tried, that stinkin’ needle would just zoom along. Then, that would cause me to “freak out” and get the line all crooked and crap. Ugh. I’m surprised I didn’t sew my finger into the thing.
That prototype ended up with the casing completely sewn shut and I had to pick the stitches out so I could lace the drawstring through it. And that seam? It’s ugly. No, fugly. Seriously.
Anyway, I spent 4 hours at Mom’s sewing the rest of the bags. They ended up ok. I was proud of the end products and gave them all to their recepients around Christmastime and they seemed to like them.
And, the prototype? It’s mine.
Here is an extra pouch I made (not the prototype):
With a project inside:
For size reference:
It’s kinda cute.
They’re all made with this material. AND, I have spotted Chris and Annie with theirs on the train. Is it dorky that this knitting group on the train have matching knitting pouches? Kinda. Do we seem more like a clique now with matchy matchy things? Sorta. Do I care what people think? Nah.
I know you want one now. I can make you one for a small fee. They can also be used for other things, if you are a non-knitter (what is wrong with these people?)
My email is on the sidebar. Or you can leave me a comment (click “Comment” on the top of this post”).
I’ll even let you pick a color.
-L
Have you ever felt like you were going a million miles an hour only to look around and see that you haven’t moved an inch?
Well, that’s how I feel today. Overwhelmed. Hungover from too much sleep and holiday feasting. It’s been hard this week to get back in the grove….
But, I digress.
Happy Hump Day!
I found the memory card reader AND the USB cord!
Got up REALLY late this morning. Apparently I slept through 45 minutes of the alarm going off. I think I need a new alarm clock. One with a new sound. Ty and I got ready in a record 10 minutes. Everyone made it on time. We did good.
Anyway, here are some pics:
Dinner with mom last Wednesday.
Mom with the socks I knitted for her.
Happy and ready to eat.
That thing was HUGE. So much in fact that he could barely finish half that. This is the boy with an endless pit in his stomach…
Mom’s birthday cake. The “Volcano”. It was Yummy!
Christmas Day with Folole and Family.
New Year’s get-together at Charley and Kara’s for the Charger game:
Happy little Ocean.
Pretty Kara modeling the red hat I knitted for Jess.
And guess who finally came for a visit?
That’s all.
It’s raining today. And will be tomorrow, too.
ugh.
I’d rather be home.
-L
