I watched a sad, sad show last night - "Telling Nicholas." It was about a dad having to tell his 6 year old son that his mom died in the 9/11 attack and that she isn't lost in New Jersey, as the son kept telling everyone. It took me a half hour to get over my crying and sadness. It touches me so deeply when it involves a dear, innocent child. I love babies and children and to me it is really tough to think of all the warnings we have to teach them about the evils of the world in order to give them the knowledge they need to protect themselves! I think the world should be like they see it - when we leave somewhere, everyone gets a hug. Everyone is your friend - they will love you, protect you and only want the best for you. Where is that magic lamp and where is my genie!?!?!?!?!

I accomplished a lot yesterday ~ was home sick - cough cough. The day before, hubby was working on installing a new video card into my computer. He kept freaking me out by stepping around the pictures I needed to hang on the walls. I told myself "I must get those on the wall or something is going to get damaged and it won't be his fault. Only yours." I grabbed the divided compartment of nails that I keep in the laundry room for gurly nailing....and promptly had it slide out of my hand and tilt most of its contents onto the floor. Nope, I didn't take it as a hint - I cleaned up the mess with the hopes of getting them all so no one has to wear them around in their heels.....and continued on through to the back of the house. Most of it is off the floor and on the walls. I recently took over a bigger bedroom of the house for my office and booted the spare room into the old office space. Grandbaby uses it for his toys, video watching, etc. Even when I move into a house, I have to let things sit for a while so I can feel out my space and what would look good in what room. Yeah, that is my excuse. Plus, I also cleaned off the desk yesterday. I keep it in such a state of mess plus the additional hands that seem to come in and move things around....nope, didn't sit down and pay bills. Figured I'd done enough crap cleaning that I deserved to push it off for a few more days. Hope my creditors agree.

Tonight is youngest's football game so will be a late and tiring night for me. He's always so proud to have a crowd cheering him on so it keeps Mama on the hard, wooden bleacher.

Got some information about the knitting machine - someone emailed me with the information that the USM has some sort of issue with its plates and that I can file them down *yikes* or see if the company will replace them for me. Hmmm......sounds like a no-brainer to me. I'm still going to try some of the troubleshooting information they post on their website - plus going to try a more level table and see if that doesn't clear up my issues. Yeah, I know - that would never get close to all the issues I have in my own little world.

I get itchy for so many projects. Next Wednesday is my knit meetup and they are going to tackle some sort of fluffy house socks on 10 1/2 straights and you know I want to try. Yeah, I have to go buy the yarn and yeah, I don't need another project on my plates. I guess I can just watch and snag a copy of the pattern if I feel a need to make these. I've also wanted to make those felted slippers but no time so I bought me a great pair of sheepskin slippers while I was in Pennsylvania. My brother, Donnie, asked me if I wanted to go to this crafts festival called "Shakerwoods" - uh, yeah! It was one of the best things I've been too. Lucky for us, we had his wife Missy along as travel guide. She had been there the weekend before and had a clue about repeating and not seeing it all so she grabbed the brochure and marked off as we went. Was one of the coolest things I'd never thought about. The slippers will be "oh, so heavenly" when I get to wear them over the winter. I am a slipper hog - love them, love them! I don't like going barefoot cuz I feel all the crap the vacuum missed PLUS I cannot stand for me feet to feel dry. I usually have two pair of in use slippers - one for the get the mail, do chores, run out in the rain pair and the second pair that I keep much cleaner and wear around the house only after I've had my daily scrubbing. Both of these are on the point of gasping and dying so they will soon have to retire. I did buy a white pair of cheapos at Walmart the other day so now I have the white after shower slippers and my winter slippers. Not sure what role they're going to play once the weather hits - will probably use the whites for the scrounging. Either way, I'm happy with my purchase and if they end up being as comfy as they feel on my hands ~ I will invest in another pair.

Ok, guess I rambled about shit no one cares about. You've had your "Marlana slipper" lecture ~ class dismissed. Everyone gets an A for not snoring too much and getting this far into my reading.

On the hook - plugging away on the halloween 'ghan I'm making for DGS. I worked on it at the Friday night football game which DS (15) was playing...I think I may have messed up an area and didn't include the foot of the witch... I didn't have the energy, with all the timeouts from injured players, to look it over and take it apart so it went back in the bag and into the truck. It sat in the living room all weekend. I get overwhelmed some times and have to rest my hands and brain. With work, school and the frustration of hobby problems ~ kicked back and did housework. Yukky but necessary.

Yes! I won the bid for a Bond Knitting Machine - with all the extras!!!! I was so thrilled when I logged in this a.m. and found the auction over and I won by a penny! It has the extended row.....the intarsia plate and some other thing that I can't remember right now. I'm excited to get it in my grubby hands. I'm thinking that I'll start with a scarf - we'll see. Maybe I should get on eBay and get some Cotton Chenille and knock out some dishcloths for Christmas gifts - while learning how to run this new fangled jobby!

Either way - going to crochet this 'ghan for Brendan since I think it might be better for me to play with the knitting machine before jumping out there converting a pattern to knit and then turning around and adapting it to the machine. I never take things in stride - always wanting to jump out there.

I did sew a blankie and pillow case for Nikki's (DD) babysitter's baby....Madison (DGS calls her Medicine) ---- guess Misty was all hatin' cuz Brendan has all these blankies from his Granny. I don't care for Misty - high school friend of DD - but I don't want Baby Medicine to not have a blankie.... so, I found a cut I bought at the JoAnn's sale. Raggedy Ann and Andy for the front and the case....and blue fleece for the back that I got in the remnants bin at WalMart in Ohio. I think it turned out cute and I hope Baby Medicine enjoys the snuggly fun of a blankie.

I'm having a craving for the hot ranch wings that I had up north....gosh, they were good! Maybe hubby and I will try to make these over the weekend! If I can nail that recipe.....yummmmmmm.

Guess that is all.....didn't think I had this much to write. Surprised myself!

Back from Pennsylvania and I didn't accomplish anything with my knitting. I started a sock but didn't get anywhere cuz I didn't understand the instructions ~ and really was wishing that I'd had a project started so I could just plug away. It made me jealous to watch a lady in the Cleveland airport just blatantly sit there and knit....knowing I didn't have anything I could work on during the down time. I ended up being too brain dead on the way home anyway so I guess it was just as well instead of having to frog any accomplishments I thought I'd made.

I finished the Donnie afghan and it arrived while I was up there visiting. He seemed to like it and was impressed with its weight. One project down and many to go.

A little bummed school-wise....boss told me I had to drop back a class cuz he needs me here. Had to drop my Spanish IV class which I desperately wanted to take at ACC - now I'm gonna have to take it at UT and push it off until next semester OR take a harder teacher at night IF I can get into the darned class that is full. I could just cry! I sat in his office with eyes full of tears and I really hate when something upsets me enough to cry. Oh well. Some things in life just happen this way and that is the only way I can look at it - since I don't think I can bully him into it. I did try the begging - he originally wanted me to drop all of my MWF classes so I guess I got somewhere. It still hurts my feelings. Plus, ain't liking my job right now since we had a big stir up with the executive assistant leaving and the grad advisor stepping in and bossing us around. I keep telling myself - "grit your teeth, get the diploma and then you can move ahead." I try to remind myself that they can have this as soon as I suck out of it what I want - looks like I'm going to have to eat a shit sandwich in the process though.

I need to get some time to dig out a project. I hate the lull between projects - where you have a list but nothing speaks to you. You start one and it doesn't want to come together...so you try another....same thing. Who knows what I'll end up with.

Started working on the edging to Donnie's afghan - I'm doing one of the short edges and have no idea how I'm going to get all of the long edge stitches on my circular needle! May have to use a straight and a circular at the same time....yikes! Hope to be posting a finished object notice on that one soon!

Vacation knitting ~ thinking of dragging the Patons Cotton and a summer top pattern. Not sure....guess I need to look at my to-do list and see what would be reasonable. I may take a sock pattern and yarn ~ but since I'm learning socks thinking it would not be wise to learn and gab at the same time. Who knows....? Don't have a clue what I'm taking with me at this point.

Busy weekend ahead ~ have to pick up grandbaby tonight so DD can work until 8....have to haul ass to a 7 pm birthday party for my friend and her son......Saturday have to keep grandbaby again so DD can work 8-2 - have to go to my son's football scrimmage game, get back to Georgetown and pick up my friend's baby so she can go to a wedding that her and her hubby are in.....may end up with her son for the night. Tis ok tho....my hubby will help and then I'll have Sunday and Monday off....

At least summer school is over! Worked on a project all day yesterday and took a test this a.m......been hell taking 15 hours this summer. Where did I put that bullet?

I received the 10 skeins of Patons cotton top I bought off eBay ~ thinking of taking that for my traveling project and recreating the tank top that came out of the Knitter's Stash book ---gonna add a cable to the front though. I need to look and make sure I'll have enough yarn though.

Other than that, just letting the ideas run through my head and hoping to knock out some old projects that are waiting for their finishing touches. With school, work, exchanging the rooms ~ and all the other things life throws at me - not checking off a lot of things but just the important things.

Settled with the IRS ~ now that is a big PHEW!