In an effort to post more frequently, here I am!
An update to the many wonderful water issues: the roof has stopped leaking, the flood damage next door has remained next door, and the hot water tank is full and functioning. I am still baffled that someone thought it was a good idea to remove the water shut off valve, but I will get over that one day. I must admit I am nervously listening to the repairs happening next door...it looks like he is replacing the ruined laminate flooring with tile...could that be he worried about further flooding?????
The Vancouver rain has finally stopped ( it's a good thing, I am about done with water) and the sun is out and HOT! This is shaping up to be a great weekend! ( I might even break out the Barbeque tomorrow!)

Be careful what you wish for....

Ok....so last week I spent much of the week moaning about how I had no water...yes, that's right. I went from Monday to Friday with no water. Not fun, but it was an adventure and I survived by hauling pails of water from the townhouse common water faucet. (and now I am convinced I need a more effecient toilet...2 pailfuls to flush it..what a waste!) By saturday morning, all was well, I had a (very long) hot shower, and felt good about the world...until I stepped into the spare room (while catching up on laundry) and looked up..to discover a lovely water stain on the ceiling....Apparently I have a roof leak. That too can be dealt with, and life goes on. Until Sunday. I spent much of the day cleaning, washing the floor, putting a general sense of order to the house. I sat down on the couch to watch some TV and hang with the two Z's, when all of a sudden the next door neighbors elderly mother was bursting into my living room. She doesn't speak a word of english, but her frantic gesturing led me to follow her out the door. I didn't get far before I realized what the problem was...water gushing out her front door...no exaggeration, there was waterfall. (given our shared wall I started to panic) I sent Zane to turn off all electricity, and waded through their living room, to find her son standing at the main water shut off...with the valve in his hand. For whatever reason he decided it would be a good idea to remove it. Needless to say the rest of my evening was spent mopping up and dealing with an access of water. Perhaps the real comedy was 4 of us in the living room, past our ankles in water, using kitchen mops to sop it up.
Today is a new day, and a new week, and I intend to have a better one. The restoration company has reported my unit dry and safe. (although my poor neighbor did not fair so well). My house desperatly needs a clean again...full of mud that was tracked through yesterday...but that's what next weekend is for. For this week, I will enjoy my hot showers, I will enjoy when I can turn the water OFF, and I will feel safe in the knowledge that I now know where EVERY water shut off valve in the entire complex is located.
And none of the knitting was injured. (I did have the good sense to put the knitting basket up high very early on in the crisis.)
I will post some knitting pics....soon!

It doesn't get any better

Ok, my last post was all about being thankful for what I've got- today it's just about bitching. I got a traffic ticket this afternoon, went back to the office and got a parking ticket (for 2 years I have parked in the same spot, and only once before had a ticket...right, I should know better then to park there.) I then came home to a broken hot water tank- complicated to the point that I now have no water. Perspective tells me to be grateful I have a car, and really it was my own fault for the parking ticket. (the traffic ticket is another story and just plain makes me mad) . I survived a month in Africa with no shower, and I can sneak over to the neighbors (who are away) to shower. It's just plain inconvenient.
I should have stayed in bed today.

p.s. look Randi...could it be that I am posting regularily?

p.p.s I cast on Zane's sweater, boyfriend curse be damed. It feels good to have something on the needles again.

Just a quick one right now.

Go here: HOME.

I was in the grocery store the other day and was upset because they were out of eggs. Out of eggs...that's a basic staple! With all the news about gas and food prices rising, and the coming demise of our economy, it's easy to forget that it's really not that bad. I can drive to another store to get eggs. I have a roof over my head, and a basic education. I have a career that I enjoy and I can (usually) pay my bills. I have a life that allows me to accumulate bills!

We should all be so lucky.

Has it really been since February that I last blogged? Seriously, I thought about it several times, but just didn't have anything to say, or didn't have photos uploaded from the camera, or the dog was requiring extra attention. I still don't have much to say, the photos are still on the camera, and the dog is still requiring extra attention...but here I am.

The knitting is still going, and I can't believe how much I have completed since the last blog. Finished includes:
1. yellow baby blanket: gifted and well recieved
2. baby surprise jacket for 3 year old...it's sooooo cute!
3. baby surprise jacket for baby. It turned out smaller then expected, so it won't go to who I originally thought of. I will find someone.
4. socks- basic pattern. I promised these to one of my managers if she made budget.
5.Hemlock ring blanket. I haven't blocked this yet, but I have time. It's for my soon to me neice/nephew, not due until the end of September. The last baby blanket took me months to complete, so I anticipated the same...this one took me a week!
6. Chris' sweater. It looked great. I use the past tense because I had the great idea to improve it. I can't yet talk about it yet, too painful! (let's just say that my 4 year old friend might just be getting a great sweater!)...that's a post for another day. (maybe with pictures)
7. felted clogs...just waiting for felting.
I think that's it...pretty impressive for 2 months of knitting though.
On the needles right now....NOTHING! I can't remember any time in the last 5 years (at least) that there hasn't been something on the needles. It's not for lack of inspiration, more for lack of inspiration on what to start next.
I'm really looking forward to summer. This rainy weather is starting to get to me. Snow, in April, in Vancouver??? What's up with that! A glimmer of sunshine today saw myself, 3 dogs and 3 young kids all vying for space in the courtyard today. Not sure if it was more comical or chaotic, but there were no fist fights.
More sun tomorrow please?

thankful for.....

Ok, so yeah I'm slow about posting these days. Get over it.

Anyways, a post on my friend Randi's blog today inspired me to post. She wrote about being thankful for neighbors. I have to say, I have the most amazing neighbors! Our little townhouse complex has developed into such a wonderful community. It is so great to have the opportunity to read stories with 3 year olds, and make goofy faces with babies. It is not uncommon for invitations to join family meal times, or in the summer for inpromptu courtyard parties. I've tasted the baking of the resident 10 year old (she always saves a slice for me), there is always someone to borrow tools from, and I have never had a problem finding an extra set of hands when I needed one. Since living here, I've had opportunity to celebrate with my new friends (I've lost count of how many babies we've welcomed, and quite frankly it makes me afraid to drink the water...now they appear to be coming in twos!) and have also had the chance to cry with them. My favorite "knit night" developed out of a friendship with a neighbor, and I can 'go out' to a party and not worry about a taxi home. I have been inspired by the renos and decorations of these neighbors (yes, that resulted in the removal of the stairway wall....). I am so pleased that the weather is getting warmer, and there will be more activity centered around the courtyard. I bought this place almost 3 years ago because I wanted more space....little did I know that my space would exist so far beyond my walls!

Happy Chinese New Year

So, I'm not doing so great with this keeping up with the blog thing, but I'm trying, I'm really trying. I took today off, and it's wonderful to be sitting in my sweats on the sofa at noon. I could really stay like this all day, but there is no food (or toilet paper for that matter) in the house, and I will have to face the world at some point.
Firstly, Randi tagged me with a meme...wow, what alot of thinking, I promise I will get to it, but part of the rules of my self declared "all couch day" is no thinking...at all!

Wow have you seen the snow we've had this year? Yes, all my Canadian friends can stop laughing, but seriously, we don't know how to deal with this stuff. Look.....









That's it, I have nothing to update...well, tons of knitting, but I haven't taken any photos yet, so that will have to wait.


Happy couch day!

Playing with Food

Ok, how cool is this?

Happy New Year

Yes, this is officially my Happy New Year post. Yes, I do realize it's already the middle of January. I feel, however, this is quite timely. No really...I have not yet mailed my Christmas cards...from 2006. (seriously, I found them in a closet today)
So what have I been up to? Well, had Christmas in Saskatoon...complete with a real fireplace! See:









Zeke also discovered how to jump on the coffee table...ok he was taught, by this guy:









And of course I have been doing tons of knitting. I hit the post holiday sale at my LYS, and stocked up. Way up. My trunk overfloweth up. I now must knit continually for the next 5 years in order to make room for the yarn that surrounds me. ( or buy a bigger house...that too would be a good idea.....a whole room for knitting. Ok yes, that's obsessive.) Anyways, I managed to turn this:
into this: 2 pair infact. I will post pics later as they are still on my camera. I slightly altered the pattern for the 2nd pair, and I like them alot better. I have taken to wearing them constantly, because they feel so good. Is that weird? I have some more of this yarn, and so I am going to try another pair, only this time I will try my own pattern.
I am also trying to turn this:

...into something scarf like. Also acquired at said Yarn sale...and I love the colours.
The most exciting thing is that people are actually offering me money to knit. I know, I will never get what my time is worth, but, I am constantly looking for new projects, and if someone else is willing to buy the yarn (with a little extra left over) then I'm all for it. I really like having something to keep my hands busy, and the alternative would be spending my time drinking, smoking and surfing the net. Wait, I do all that...but I knit while I'm doing it. (and I've never spilt my merlot on my knitting. Merlot is essential to knitting!)
Ok, and finally the puppy. He is big. See:

I know, it's not a great picture, but he actually sat still for 1/2 a second!

First Snow

Wow did we have snow! Ok, it's Vancouver, and I understand that's relative, but WOW! The best part was watching Zeke's reaction to all the funny white stuff. At night, when the snowflakes were falling, he was quite comical: chasing them around and trying to catch them.

How cute is he with snow on him!!!!!

Of course, because this is Vancouver, the snow is all gone, and we are faced with extra water EVERYWHERE!

I've also been busy with some photography projects. I did a great session yesterday, here are some of my favorites:

I also heard from a friend in Africa, Esther is doing great in school, finished 2nd in her class, and has been promoted to the next grade. This girl amazes me: when I met her she was being kicked out of school for not paying fees. She was orphaned at 4, has been on her own since she was 10, and also cares for 2 younger children. She wants to be a doctor: Go Esther!!

the puppy is crazy

Ok, I sort of fell off the blog writing thing, but it's ok..I have and excuse. I have been totally knocked on my ass by bronchitis, and barely moved for a week. (the extra crappy thing of it was, the worst was over a weekend...a long weekend at that...I only missed a 1/2 day of work!) I did get lots of knitting done though, but I can't talk about it. I will, one day, but not today.
Suddenly yesterday, I felt fully recovered. Zane was not around, (yes, these things are contagious) so with my regained energy I went in to full on crazy mode. I finally primed the wall under the window: the window that was installed almost 2 years ago: with the primer I bought almost 1 1/2 years ago...maybe next year I'll actually paint it. I wasn't finished there though...oh no, I decided to stain the wool trunk: the unfinished wool trunk I bought 7 years ago: the one I intended on staining the day I brought it home. Are we sensing a pattern here? Today I did a second coat on the trunk, then washed, no sorry scoured all the floors, vacuumed insane amounts of cat and dog hair off the furniture and carpets, then rearranged the furniture. When I was done the dog chased the cat through the house, around the backyard, through the garden and back through the house. I then put all the furniture back to where it was in the first place, cause I liked it better that way. (did I mention that, in order the stain the trunk I had to take all the wool out of it, and pile it on the floor in the corner. Both the dog and the cat were somewhat amused by this...I was not!)I am happy to report that the wool is now up high, the furniture back in place, the floor has been mopped again, and I resisted the urge to start pulling the kitchen cabinets off the wall; next time I'm recovering from illness I'm leaving town until the urge to get things done passes.(I'm still staring at the kitchen cabinets...I want to cut holes in the wall, but I can't do that until the cabinets are off the wall, and I can't order new cabinets until I know how big of a whole I can cut without completly rearranging the plumbing....I could live awhile without cupboards couldn't I?)
Knitting updates: I have done nothing on the baby blanket...the baby is not yet born and the shower is not until next week, so I should be ok. The aforementioned secret knitting project has been taking priority for now. The
Annetrelac socks are 1/2 finished (ok one is) and Berkely's sweater has not been touched...all because of the secret knitting project. (people read this blog you know!) That's it, that's all the knitting. I refuse to start anything else! Oh yeah, Kelly, my new to knitting friend, rocks big time. Check this out: scroll down to Fearless KnitterHow freakín' cool is that!
The dog is finally quiet!!!! This is the first today...I swear he is going through the terrible twos....(do dogs do that?) He is insane, that's all there is to it. Next time he stops long enough, I will take pictures and post. He is taller then the coffee table now.(which is quite funny, and I shouldn't laugh, but when he steals my shoes, he tends to run under the table where I can't get him, only now he just runs into it...)

Oh yeah, and I saw snow this morning.

Tons o'knitting

Totally fun girlie night tonight! Kelly came over with knitting, and Kelly, Nicole and myself sat around knitting and being girlie. It was way cool, something we really haven't done in awhile. I see Kelly practically every day, and yet we don't often get to just sit and hang! I am so impressed with the knitting theat she is doing...it was only a couple of months ago that I taught her how to cast on, and now she is designing her own projects. (well, truth be told, she doesn't feel she is ready to follow a pattern...that is a natural if I've ever seen one!)

We had a great time, and I finally pulled out the basket of unfinished projects, (the basket where I throw everything that needs minor finishes, such as weaving in ends...I hate that part!) I actually finished everything in that basket, and it will haunt me no more!

I also worked a few rows on the baby blanket. It's about 3/4 done now. (this picture was taken a couple of days ago...not the best lighting, but the best I could do with a puppy jumping around, thinking he should either be in the picture, or eat the camera.)

I worked a little on the Annetrelac sock from the Interweave knits holiday issue...I love this pattern! (no pictures yet...will get some soon).

I cast on Berkley's Sweater...this will be really fun to knit. I am using some great cotton/linen yarn I got at a yarn store close out the other day. (we won't talk about what else I got...let's just say it's getting a bit out of control).

We also played with the shrug, and decided if I can find more of the yarn on ebay, I am going to reknit the body and turn it into a sweater.

Yes, I spend a ridiculous amount of time on the needles, yes there are still holes in the walls where I haven't "gotten around" to gyprocking...perhaps I will just start shoving extra yarn and unfinished projects into my open walls, and no one will ever know quite how bad it is?

weekend news

A very uneventful weekend around here...those are the best kind. I did survive a babysitting job yesterday...call me nuts, but I friend needed help, and I offered. 6 kids between 5 months and 4 years...including 2 year old twins. I'm not completly insane: I took my roommate with me. It was actually kind of fun, although coming home to a hyper active puppy was relaxing! ( I asked Z if he wanted to come with me, and he looked at me like I had lost my mind... he hung out with the puppy instead, and no doubt spent time teaching him the finer points of soccer.)

The puppy is great, and aside from the fact that he figured out how to climb up on the coffee table, he is mostly staying out of mischief. ( I can't actually see him right now, nor can I hear him, which could mean trouble...let's make this quick!) I don't have any updated photos either...he doesn't stop long enough for photos.

An update on the knitting front:I did finish the shrug, after frogging it 3 times.(reminder to self, lace knitting and bottles of wine do not mix! I swear though, the wine was to recover from my fall down the stairs, which was NOT wine induced, honestly!)Its made with 6 skeins of Noro Cash Iroho. I bought it on clearance sale, and wish I'd bought more because I love it! As soon as I finished the shrug, I had the bright idea to alter the pattern into a full sweater, went running off to LYS, only to discover they had none left. It figures! The pattern is shimmer. (thanks Ivan for the explanation on adding links....it makes sense now!)Anyways, I'm hoping to find some equally luxurious yarn to create the sweater I now have in my head. (the sleeves are really cool) This picture doesn't really do it justice...not worried about lighting etc. when I have a puppy yapping at me and trying to eat the camera!

It's not blocked yet, and I will hopefully get that done this week.'

Ok, time to go find the puppy...he's still too quite!

Puppy Pics

Ok, here are some of the puppy pics I have promised:

About 10 weeks old, and getting used to the camera...

Is this a pose?

I'm really not this scarey looking...just a little weirded out that this kid laughs at me each time I bark at him!

After my first party!

walking with my buddy!

bad blogger

Ok, I'm trying to be a good blogger, really I am....and those of you who know me well would be surprised to read that, well, sometimes I just have nothing to say. Ok, stop laughing.
I have tons of puppy photos to share, and will get them uploaded soon. The dog share thing is absolutely the right way to go...I actually got a full nights sleep last night! Zeke has figured out his 2 homes, and for the most part goes back and forth quite easily. That is, of course, with the exception of the biting and pooping. You see, at W's house, Zeke is brilliant, knows only to poo outside, but bites and chews everything in sight.....not fun and his furniture is taking a beating. At my house however, my furniture is just fine. Zeke apparently does not like the taste of my furniture. This is a good thing. Unfortunately, my living room rug is somewhat akin to a large patch of grass. Really, it's not, but tell that to an 11 week old puppy. I do not understand how I can spend 45 minutes walking around the yard, saying "Zeke, go poo poo, come on Zeke, go poo poo."...nothing. Come in the house, and suddenly the carpet is enticing. That, and my neighbors think I'm nuts. (something about standing in the back yard saying "go poo poo" over and over again for 45 minutes)
Spending more time at home with the puppy has led to another benefit...I have accomplished (ok, started, not finished) alot of knitting. In typical me fashion, there are lots of starts...a sweater for a friend at work, several dozen washcloths (wait, I think I did actually finish a few), a great shrug that I was to wear to a work function last night (note the "was to wear"...I still have about 2 inches left to go on the sleeve) It's a great pattern from KNITTY, and if I could figure out how to post a link, I would. I have done 5 pairs of felted slippers...yup, knitted and felted(see, I can actually finish stuff) and started a few more pair. I even managed to pick out the pattern for Z's sweater...now to find the wool in the very specific color he asked for. (hint, never offer to knit a sweater in whatever color your partner wants if his job involves precise color correction...I did just hear about a place in Vancouver that will do custom dyes, so I might be saved)
Ok, that's it for now. I will, at some point, post some super cute puppy photos, and perhaps some of the knitting as well!
Later!

New Puppy

Yesterday we brought home the new puppy. He is a 7 week old Golden Retriever named Zeke (Ezikial). So far life has been about getting comfortable in the new crate, and not peeing on the floor. As with my last dog, this is a dog share, so he will only spend part of the week at my house. We picked him up in Kamloops yesterday, and despite being worried about the 5 hour drive home, he did great. There was no whining, crying or peeing in the car. He sat on my lap or played in the back the entire time. He then got to spend about 1 hour at my house, getting to know my neighbors, and running through the courtyard. He also discovered Fred the cat. Zeke didn't seem to notice or care about Fred,however Fred seemed thoroughly unimpressed that this creature was in the home Fred himself had only just gotten used to.

After completing all the paperwork and contracts, Zeke seemed quite anxious to hit the road and discover his new home in the city....he picked up the papers, and off he went!

Zeke discovers some of the little neighbors.....

Unfortunatly he didn't have such a great night at Warren's home. He is having a hard time adjusting to the crate, and made sure Warren didn't get any sleep at all last night. Of course Warren was less then impressed that I showed up for relief duty, and Zeke promptly fell asleep in his crate...well for half an hour anyways~!

Zeke has already discovered yarn, and that chewing knitting needles gets a prompt no! (unfortunatly he's also discovered that he must compete with my knitting for lap time, or risk getting poked in the butt!)

What I did last weekend

Ok, time to revive the blog (thanks Randi for the inspiration!) and what better occasion to start with then the little sis' wedding!~


three sisters






the whole family






the bride and groom (ok, that one was obvious!)


It was a great time, and we wish them many happy years (and some chubby cheeked nieces and nephews!)

and 'we're off

Ok, short post today. The bags are packed, the boarding pass printed...I think we are ready to go!

See you in Africa!

2 days in

Ok, so I don't want to be the pessimist. Really, I like to think I'm pretty optimistic about things, but 2007 has started out mean. Not just mean but down right nasty. I should have known when the stupid flu kept me in bed to ring in the new year...I couldn't even drink my champagne. (I don't ever turn down champagne) It got worse....way worse. Yet another storm brought flooding to my front door, a good friend was in a nasty car accident(she's ok, has some pretty stitches in the side of her head, but at least she has a nice shaped head! Maybe she'll let me post pictures.) And it still got worse, way worse. I will talk about it later....maybe. Does this mean that a years worth of crapiness is used up in the first week , cause really, I don't want to do this for an entire year.
2007, smarten up!
Now I go knit socks.

What I did on my Christmas Vacation...

...I found snow. Lot's of it!
...I knit socks. On friday night, young cousin declares he wants socks, and socks he shall have! Saturday morning was off to the LYS (in the snow), Saturday afternoon was casting on.....

and Sunday night was for modelling socks......

socks my own pattern, using Regia sock yarn.

What else did I do?
Knit socks.....


Broadripple pattern from Knitty.com knit with Lorna's Laces
Exactly how vacations in the snow should be spent.

Happy New Year!