Ten on Tuesday: 10 Best Moments of the Year

1. Getting married to the love of my life
2. Moving into our new house.
3. Getting The Puppy, aka Molly
4. Vacationing in Havasupai, AZ
5. Seeing Weezer for the ump-teenth time - I want to say 7.
6. Halloween 08 and my awesome dead creepy bunny costume.
7. Cookie Party 08 - the first of many
8. Making the house more ours than theirs - meaning the previous owners
9. Knitnight planning and actually making it w Nixmusic
10. Learning Xbox better and getting hooked on Beautiful Katamari.


This was actually harder than I thought. Some of course were blatantly easier.

Yay for powercords

Our powercord decided to short out after it met the puppy so I was computer minimalistic the last few days. I figured it was best to just check/pay what was needed and then go from there. Luckily a friends cord works on the laptop so I can be on it a little more til he goes back home on Friday. I'll take it figuring that the new replacement can be shipped since we did get the warranty. (I was apprehensive at first but not having a computer that can be dropped was the reason at the time. I now understand.)

I've picked up the latest knit.1 mag and loving some of the bulkier stuff. I have some yarn that is leftovers from an overbuy that should work. I might have to modify though since I dont have 11 circulars, or rather I want to say no. I know I have an 8 bc that I've been using more so lately.

The Hawks scarf need the last red band and the edging then the knitting part is done. The fringe won't be a problem with the hardest part being deciding the length. I'm planning to have it done by the end of the week so I can work on more WIPs. I'm rethinking the baby blanket that knitted too narrow. I have some pale pastel yarn that I may knit it w the rose and yellow to get a nice color mix + then I can do a faster knit without it losing the cuteness.

10 New Years Resolutions

I found the Ten on Tuesday dealie on some other blogs and thought, with a day off, it'd be a good day to start them. Fitting too since I had planned to blog this anyways.

10 New Years Resolutions

1. Try something new that is out of my comfort zone, but not dangerously so.
Last year I hiked 11 miles in the Arizona desert (not all flat areas) - Havasupai (Grand Canyon area)

2. Get more organized.
Organized clutter isn't as great as it used to be esp when you have to share stuff with another person now.

3. Continue working on a healthier life.
I work out at my stability ball class once a week, try to do something at home at least once a week, walk more, and balance junk food with better food (not giving up junk food though - no way!)

4. Make sure I make time for me.
It helps keep mental health, social health, and marriage health. Also correlates with the next two.

5. Get the library card reinstated and read more.

6. Finish WIPs and try to keep no more than two on the needles.

7. Travel w The Husband on an us only trip even if it's a short weekend one.

8. Try new reciepes - cooking and baking.

9. Teach Molly a new trick.
She will be 1 this January! EEK!

10. Take more pictures include doing a 365 project.

The guy on the radio said what???

Negative FIFTEEN with windchill. Yes, -15 degrees today. I had last minute stuff to get done and with no blowing snow or insane wind I warmed up the car, pleased with the driveway to not slide into the gate which would not open all the way, and ventured out. I had on my down coat of course.

So the last of the Christmas presents, more so additional parts, are done. I need to wrap and I'm set. The cards are sitting next to me and look like they will be sent next year instead.

I'll be baking most likely all of tomorrow morning - happily though I must say. The double chocolate cookie receipe I have down and so it'll be fast, fun, and sprinkled. I even picked up some white chocolate chips for them as well. I do plan to have the mint chocolate drizzled on some of them but thought to mix it up since we have three family related holiday celebrations.

Right now I'm thinking a large bowl of the hodgepodge chili I made - pound of ground beef, 1/4 of an onion, 1/2 red pepper, 1/2 yellow pepper, can of assorted beans, can of stewed tomatoes w celery and green pepper, can of Hormel chili w beans, and my salsa mix I made before - diced tomatoes, frozen corn, canned sliced jalapenos, can of black beans with cayenne pepper, chili powder, and the black/red pepper shaker combo. It has an actual name but I can't remember it - hot shot maybe. So it's been sitting on the stove stewing.

I want to work on some of my knitting tonight. I've been doing well of the Blackhawks scarf. I'd just need to find something to watch on tv to veg out to, something holiday related most likely. I know those movies are so predictable but they are still cute.

Baby, it's cold outside...as in the Christmas song and the weather.

Mother Nature decided to taunt us as was the case for most of the midwest(... U.S.... North America.) Thursday I lucked out in that the snow didn't come until after my stability ball class. I had initially thought it'd be too bad outside so I'd just work out at home but it surprised me. Friday we got it though, and quite bad. The brickwork on the back of the house was iced. I wish I could have gotten a pic but with the big camera sans battery I know my usual everyday one wouldn't get the full deal. It was like recessed bricks mortared in ice and snow - very whimsy. The dogs were and still are amused with the snow. I do plan to get at least one pic of the both of them all snowy snouted.

Luckily this year there was no holiday knitting. I have the few WIPs that I've been working on but nothing that needs to be done in 4 days. I do need to get one more present (tomorrow?) but I have an idea and it's a reason to go to Target again. Wrapping is the next plot as well as deciding whether or not to send more than a few cards this year. I had meant to before this week but never found my intended time to start them minus the signature via The Husband. Realistically, I could sign both of our names and he wouldn't care. Even with the lackluster card-ing this year, I'm really excited about Christmas. This being my first "official" year in the house and the first year with lights on the house it makes me smile.

One more thing smile inducing is how Q101 (www.q101.com)is doing 16 years in 1 days. Basically they are playing the top 101 songs of the last 16 years one year/day at a time. It makes me really happy to be hearing some great 90s musics. Millenium - Killing Joke being one I always smile when I hear on the radio. (I made a lil list of songs I wanted to include and the teeny tiny post-it is now missing. I know I'll find it stuck to something in the next few days/weeks. )Nixmusic and I have been traveling memory lane and getting a good laugh about some of the songs and times associated with them.

Chicago wind-cast

Tonight: Windy with rain early...then a light wintry mix of precipitation overnight. Low 17F. Winds WSW at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of precip 90%.


One corner of my house thinks it's a wind tunnel when the weather get blustery. Good thing we took care of the leaves last month. Ditto w the window insulation, aka giant plastic shrinkwrap. I'd hate to hear it esp upstairs. Train noise doesn't bother me one bit mostly since I grew up not too far from railroad tracks. It's one of those feels like home sounds and fitting since I am near them once again.

Potato soup after all

An idea I've had to awhile was to make some sort of potato soup. It's getting colder, or rather down right cold as I can hear the wind whirring past the corner of the house, and soup is always cold weather food. I found a receipe on The Food Network's website that looked both yum inducing and easy. I made it last nite and after adding more mashed potatoes after pureeing it and more cheese than in the recipe I thought it turned out quite well. It's not too photogenic though last nite it did look good in our red bowls. I was just in the "eat now" mindset then getting out the camera.

The whirry weather, as expected in a Midwest winter, is keeping me inside today. Rather that is the plan, to finish up some laundry and knit. The Hawks scarf continues to grow and I think I have the final idea for the WIP baby blanket. She-who-has-not-been-named will be here next month so the holiday time I'm hoping will be some quality knitting time.

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Originally uploaded by mustbuymoreyarn

I find myself more and more into the holiday spirit the past few years. Perhaps it's being w the love of my life that has added that warm fuzzy holiday feeling even more than normal. He has wanted a retro silver aluminum tree for a long time. We had only seen smaller ones in the stores and our idea of a second tree was a larger one. Our first tree was a tabletop one bought so that we'd have a tree since we couldn't not have one for Christmas. There were trees we looked at in the stores but none made me say "YES that is the one!" and now I'm glad. The tree is true vintage. You can tell from the box,. There were also instructions, and newspapers inside the box dated 1959.

Now the question is how to decorate it. I'd love to somehow make yarn pompons or something fun but I know anything ball shaped made of yarn will just lure Little Cat into climbing the tree. He is already interested it in.

You know your have played too much Xbox when...

I've gotten a chance to play more Beautiful Katamari lately. I took some time, parked my comfy clothes clad butt in the chair, and listened to the odd somewhat chirping cats as they got rolled up. Then I dreamt of being part of some sort of pinball testing group. I actually do like pinball too so that's works even if I'm asleep. Today while out and about I see a piece of an orange at the edge of the sidewalk. While it is not normal in the general sense, random bits of food strewn here and there don't surprise me that much anymore. The odd, well in the normal sense, part was I immediately thought MANDARIN and there was a lil katamari in my head rolling it up. Sad, yes. Amusing to other players of the game, most likely.

This is MY box. Go away!

Penguins and cookies

I love Target. I have always loved Target. I love Target even more when the holiday cuteness runs rampant. I love fun mugs and this penguin one is the latest to my collection. I did see more fun stuff included w the theme but I smushed the urge to load up on the cuteness. I'm planning to wait and see with upcoming sales since there is a platter included that'd be cute for our now annual Cookie Party.

This year's party, the first of many, turned out so well that we're already planned another for next year. (The details, of course, to be set up much later though to set a date in stone now would be a smart idea. Getting ten, well eight in final attendance, ladies to find a day in their busy schedules is often difficult but in the end a great time. ) The mulled wine receipe ended up delicious and will definitely be made again. A night of laughter, cookies, wine, with friends is definitely a great way to start the holiday season.

Dusting off the blog

I took a blogging hiatus, or at least the intention to blog was put on hiatus, so I could focus on my knitting. It was a noble effort, to say the least.

I got hit by Murphy's law of knitting which I can say beforehand I had not dealt with of this magnitude. The baby hooded wrap that I worked like mad on ended up too narrow - it's currently in reconstruction/replotting stage since what was done turned out really well. I lost a WIP with circular bamboo knitting needles - sob. The man scarf for The Husband ended up too ruffle and not enough ribbing. When the knitting gets wacked out, the tough take a break and start again. I try not to knit aggrivated since I find that my gauge ends up all wonky.

So things are much better in knitting land. A Blackhawks inspired scarf for the husband is the latest addition to my WIPs. It's a basic ribbed scarf but with a red band at each ends and the fringe inspired by the logo colors. The baby blanket is on hold but I have some cute ideas including using her initials somehow. The other scarf is coming along but slowly. I don't know why it's taking extra time though maybe the three alternating stripe colors is the cause.

I ended up totally by chance finding 9 skeins of Lion Brand Incredible Yarn in Autumn Leaves at one of the dollar/discount stores. All the same color lot for $9 was such a great deal I took it as a sign. It'd be a nice wrap idea.