So, what've I been up to? Well, I finished reading the Geisha book - what a great read! Then I zoomed through a book about a lady who falls in love with an Amish man and she becomes Plain. Haven't we all thought about doing that? If you live a fast-paced life you dream of having it a little simpler. Maybe not that much but hey. I read that book in a day and then tried starting on The Prophetess but I'm tired of reading about Milennium stuff and also tired of reading about people trying to find the meaning of life and this was one big combo of the two. Now I'm reading Jane Eyre ----- a classic that I never had the pleasure of reading. I found it and Wuthering Heights at a g. sale on Saturday.

Today is the day my friend from work, Niki, tells them that she is taking a job in Houston. I'm so envious that she's outta here - hopefully I'll be outta here soon. Keep it all crossed for me.

Cleaned a lot of my office ----- got the bookshelves organized and I'm loving it. It'll be so much easier to find what I'm looking for. I also cleaned up a lot of the desktop and filed crap that has been hanging out. I need to empty the 2004 files since they're stuffed and it is almost end of year. The office still has some areas needing attention but it should be a lot easier now that I'm making headway.

As you see in the picture, this is what I was able to uncover when I cleaned the office. This is what I looked like yesterday. Well, kinda. If you can picture me with my hair in a topknot and sitting there in my sweats. Oh and I look nothing like this lady. I watched most of the video and followed along. It was surprisingly easy. When I tried before, without watching the video, I hit a bunch of problems so the machine got set aside. I decided to use it or sell it. Once uncovered and set up, not so bad. Now I'm going to add ribbing to the knitting I have accomplished so it is a matter of getting back to it. Figured I'd do this practice piece and then I could incorporate the machine into projects. I'm excited about having this working. DH was super excited when he woke up Sunday morn and saw the piece hanging there. He was the one who first watched the video and got it working. I should've just watched the video but I was in the middle of school at the time....time was not plentiful.

I finally found this month's Marth Stewart Living mag - I bought last month's because I read it while at the emergency vet...and bought if for the Onion Soup recipe. I've always liked her, enjoyed her shows, projects, etc.....and have purchased some of her mags in the past. I don't subscribe to mags - seems that I jinx them and then not enjoy plus really haven't found a publication I care to read every month plus don't have the time plus all it does is add to my list of things I want to get done. What kinda sentence is that? Anyway, I knew I'd want this one since I read somewhere that the mag had a knitting pattern for Xmas stockings. Love the pattern and glad I finally found this issue. I've looked in several stores and think I found the last existing issue in town.

Gonna try and keep the weight down with the no smoking - gonna keep a diary of what Fatgirl eats. I don't want to balloon up again. That was disgusting and one of the reasons I started smoking again. Gonna try and not substitute on a negative level. Maybe I'll substitute dusting instead of eating....since I hate dusting and it seems there is always dust available to work with.

Finished lengthening my socks. I wore them around the house in shoes after that - to see if they were going to slide down my foot like they used to. Success! They stayed up and fit perfect.

I cleaned off the bookshelves in the office...pulled down all my knitting, crocheting, cross-stitch, etc. books and sorted them by topic. I also pulled out all the mags and put them in mag holders. Today I will finish cleaning off the knitting machine table and hopefully practice on that. I had mags and books pouring onto the table and couldn't even think about using the machine. I've decided to either use it or sell it. Getting to it was the first problem.

When I hit the g. sales yesterday, I came across a baby quilt that someone handmade for a little one. Exactly why would you put it in g. sale for $1? It makes me angry to see this when I know that someone went to a lot of trouble. I brought it home and washed it. I plan on finding it a loving home. It'll be in a better place but I think it is mean when I see this. I also buy up the baby afghans when I see them, too. A little butt could be using them to stay warm - find it a good home, don't sell if for a dollar! In my world - another inanimate thing that has feelings.

I found a cute jester stocking pattern that I may use if I get some time. I have plenty of fabric and the stocking is just adorable. I think it'd be fun to stuff little goodies or monies in and give as a gift.

The second pic represents a pair of socks I made a few years ago. They're mine and just a tad too short. I think they were my first pair and I didn't have a clue when to start the toe decrease which is why these were too short. All last year I kept telling myself to redo the toe. They are finally going onto the needles so that I can better enjoy these socks. With the way I file FO pictures - plastic sleeve, picture on one side and pattern on the other - easy to grab the pattern and get with it.

What else? I worked on updating the checkbook so they don't take me to jail. I enjoy doing it once I sit down but I procrastinate about it worse than anything. While sitting at the puter working on it, I checked out the site of Cousin Chrissy's place of employment and they have an opening here! I turned in my app after calling her to find out what to put down as a referral. She told me her mom, Aunt Char, was there visiting her. What fun - sure wish I was there to enjoy. Maybe after I land this job and start raking in some real cash.

I made Turkey Tortilla Soup for the troops and DH grilled Ham/Cheese Sammiches. Yummy. Trying to eat up all the leftovers.

Is that it? Well, heading out g. saling today. I haven't hit them in a long while so hoping I find some goodies.

Knitting Well, I've put Margot's shawl on an unintentional temporary hold but I decided today that I am going to frog the edging and redo it. It put me in a funk when I realized that I knit a row that I should've purled = the ends won't match. Being the typical Virgo that I am....I can't leave it. Which is why it is not finished and been lying in the basket begging for my attention.

Thanksgiving was good - too many leftovers as usual but hey, that is the plan - isn't it? I always make Turkey Tortilla Soup with some of the leftovers and DH & DS make what they call Chicken Fish. It is like a tuna salad but using Turkey. They adore it. We also had ham since HEB had a special of buy the ham and get a free turkey up to 14 pounds or sumpin'. We like the ham (not near as much as GB) but we really like the white beans made with the bone. We had 15 people over for Thanksgiving and it went really smooth. I had everything finished by 2:30 so we only had to wait on DH to finish frying the turkey. I even had me a mixed drink and 2 glasses of red. The disasterous pecan pie was easily replaced with the 2nd disastrous pecan pie. Not sure what was up with my pecan pies. I guess my DFIL thought it was the first I ever made...he is sitting next to my around the outside fire and telling me the pie turned out well but he's not really fond of runny pie and he's sure I can ask an old timer how to fix this. Well....I guess I could do that or maybe it just wasn't my year for this type pie? Yeah, yeah.

I plan on elastisizing the purple shorts for DS so I'll have another FO. They've been languishing while I conveniently forget to size them on DS every time he comes out to the house. I did go through a stack of yarn that I have in one of the cubbies on the entertainment center in my office. I found a project purchased at a yarn sale that hubby found. Someone was trying to learn to crochet and gave up, selling their partly made afghan. I am frogging this even as we speak. They were using two strands so not very easy to frog but I'm getting there.

I guess I'm going to have a little trouble with one of the people who works for me. They have to work through the 14th of December and she e-mails me to say she is outta here on the 11th. Excuse me? I'm afraid what she's going to do is just not show. Since she's a grad student - I'm not sure if she is to work in the spring or not. I suppose we could fire her if she pulls this and is supposed to work in the spring. I didn't sign up for being a supervisor and I have never aspired to be one. I didn't like kindergarten when I went through it and I certainly don't like running one. People have issues and when you're managing people = you have issues. Unh unh. I just want to work on my own issues.

So, you're wondering what I did with my weekend? Well, GB came over Friday evening and kept us up with some sort of throwing up flu. I felt so bad for him being so sick. DH took care of him and it was an every half hour episode. He finally quit throwing up around 4 a.m. We ended up having him until yesterday afternoon because he wanted to stay. I'm sure his Mom enjoyed the down time.

What else? Well, I helped DS with his Spanish studying for his test today. I hope he's ready. He didn't have the practice test that the teacher hands out. Yeah, it would've been more helpful but that is the way it goes. I went over all that I could think of and quizzed him backwards and forwards on his vocabulary words.

Knitting? Yep, I didn't finish but I am down to like the last inch of the border.

Shopping? DH, GB & I got the Thanksgiving shopping finished yesterday. We headed out very early yesterday morning and got it knocked out. I hope I didn't forget anything.

Cleaned house - nope.

Had a few drinks - yep. Had planned on going out Friday evening with Seester so I started out with a couple Sky Vodka/Sunny D....good enough to make sleeping easier but then we ended up with the Puke Monster in our bed. Good thing I didn't end up going out.

Other than that - nada. Guess I'll have to come up with something fun when I'm at home prepping for the holiday. Yeah right.

I stole the questions from WoolieMama's blog....my answers:

do you...
smoke? Hint: My nickname: Smokahontas
do drugs? Nope.
pray? oh yeah and I think he's angry with me.
have a job? Is that what that shithole is called?
attend church? I would like to.

have you ever...
been in love? Once....still there.
had a medical emergency? No.
had surgery? Yep.
swam in the dark? Yes. Trespassing all the while.
been to a bonfire? oh yeah, I love Seester's bonfires. Also been to the now extinct Texas A&M bonfire.
got drunk? More than is healthy.
ran away from home? Nope but moved across country at 18. When I do something, I do it big or not at all.
played strip poker? Yeah but not really. I don't need to lose to get naked.
gotten beat up? Not really.
beaten someone up? Do siblings count?
been onstage? Yes.
pulled an all nighter? Oh yeah, that man that I live with can testify.
been on radio or tv? both.
been in a mosh pit? Who is that?
do you have any gay or lesbian friends? Yes.

describe your...
first kiss? Door kisses with Bob Murphy - nerd ass.
wallet? one for checkbook - remains under car seat.
coffee? a cup or 3.
shoes? Sandals in summer, tennies a lot and boots, loafers in winter.
cologne? Musk for Men.

in the last 24 hours have you...
cried? Nope.
bought anything? Groceries for T-Giving.
gotten sick? Nope but dealt with a sick 4 year old.
sang? Nope.
been kissed? Yep.
felt stupid? Nope.
talked to an ex? Yep.
talked to someone you have a crush on? Crush on? If I'm getting my "crush on" I ain't talking, I'm screamin'.
missed someone? I always miss my Mommie.
hugged someone? Sweet Baby Man

I'm getting excited about the upcoming Thanksgiving Day at home. I only have to work on Monday and then I'm off the rest of the week. This will be the first time I've ever had time off to get ready and we've been having it at our house for years. As you know....by Thursday, the house starts looking a little unkempt so this will give me time to keep it cleaned up...or as sister says "red up."

On my way to meet up with DH for a few drinks for Date Night....I called Baby Ruthie. I just love talking to her. She's more spastic than I am. I caught her down in the basement and she was telling me that her DH tells her "you go to do 1 thing and end up doing 12." This is so me with the exception of me having roller coaster moods and she is always on the constant high. I love when I'm on the high and keeping everything clean, organized and taken care of. When I'm on a low - I do very little and I don't like anything. I think her and I were cut from a similar mold - there are a lot of things we have in common. I'll be shipping a box of things out to her soon ---- I rescued some large balls of #10 thread and a large spool of dishcloth cotton from an estate sale. All unopened. She'll turn all this into some beauties and the yarn will be loved.

Hmmm....anything else? Oh yeah ~ the Margot shawl is only 4.5" from being finished so I plan on knocking this out over the weekend. Will put up a FO photo for you to enjoy and for me to put into my Binder of Finished Objects.

Enjoy your Friday!

I called to check on my dear Mommie the other day on the way home from work and she was over at my oldest brother's house. Her DH told me he would tell her I called and see if she suggests calling me. When she came in the door he asked her to guess who called her.....BEAM :-) she immediately guessed me and then I hear her sweet voice in my ear. Good evening for me.

Monday night my sweet baby boy came over for Spanish help. Was pretty entertaining....me telling him how I remembered certain words. Learning another language is like trying to memorize a dictionary. La piscina = pool.....in my mind? Piss in the pool. DS was cracking up. I am really glad that I had to take the 4 semesters of Spanish even though I nearly hurt myself in the process. I was reading some Italian the other day and was able to know some of the words! Damn....I'm so smart now.

Speaking of smart now....got a call from Cousin Chrissy and now I'm hoping to land a job like hers. She's gonna do what she can to bring me in....cross your fingers (or whatever) for me.

Guess what?! You're not gonna believe it. But, I'm being honest here. Baby Ruthie is now out of the Dark Ages. Quit laughing, I'm being serious. For real.....got me an e-mail from her to prove it.

Knitting/Crocheting or anything? Just a little. I have about another 11" to do on Margot's shawl and I've only had time to work on during smoke breaks at work = not much. On the fulled bags...I'm gonna look through my buttons, etc. to see if I can jazz up the bags...just a little.

So, what did I do all day yesterday? Well, I had GB from Friday night so in between fetching things to satisfy him....I did most of the laundry, cleaned the kitchen after DH cooked breakfast, knit on Margot's blanket and cooked. DH, DGB & I hit the store with list of ingredients in hand and he made a chili recipe he cut out of the paper and I made a cheesy/potato soup and a macaroni/cheese casserole. The winner of these three was the mac/chz casserole but I still should've baked it a little longer. The other two were "OK" - DH plans on coursely mashing up a few more potatoes and adding them to the soup with more salt. I plan on baking a cream cheese pecan pie from the recipe vault. I've already cleaned up the kitchen (mostly) and have to continue the housekeeping mission along with finishing the laundry. Hosting T-Giving day so the list is never-ending. Luckily I have off the two days prior to the day. Wonder if I'll sit and knit or clean up the sty? Stay tuned.

Yucky weather but still enjoyable. We've had a fire in the fireplace for the last two nights. Alexandra has stretched out in front of it like the queen she is. It was too warm in here last night but we kept the logs on the fire. It is rainy this a.m. which caused me to haul in the clothes I had on the line. I think they were wetter coming in than they were going out.