Such a lemming...

books
So, a few days ago I read on Maria's blog that she was joining the Grey's Anatomy KAL. And it sounded like fun. Except I don't watch Grey's Anatomy. I know--I'm probably the only woman in America who doesn't watch it, but Thursday nights are bad for me (I have a choir rehearsal), and, truth be told, I'm watching less regular programming as it airs and instead opting for more series once they hit DVD. The Beloved and I are currently making our way through Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The X-Files.

Anyway. Yesterday Libby wrote about joining the Grey's KAL. And it sounded like so much fun and I was so jealous. So I went KAL Shopping. And found this one: The Romantic Hand Knits-Along. This, actually, turns out to be perfect for me. Last week, The Beloved being as wonderful as he can sometimes be, gave me this fabulous book for my birthday.

I can't tell you how beautiful it is. My only problem? I want to make one of everything. Joining the KAL will (hopefully) force me to choose something and purchase the requisite materials in time for the November 1 start date. My favorite pattern is probably "The Bishop's Wife," which is a 1930s shirtwaist-style dress. However, I'm too chicken to knit myself a dress right now for oh-so-many reasons. Instead, I'm looking at tops. And I just love oh-so-many of them. Do you have any opinions? Any thoughts? If you've seen the book or pictures of the projects, give me a shout with your thoughts. If you haven't seen the book, get thee to a bookstore or your LYS right quick so you can check it out. You'll be glad you made the trip.

What happened to fall?

Polly
So, it's supposed to be close to 90 degrees today. September 25. Never mind the fact that I don't like it when the temperature tops 80 in the summer. It's fall now. I want the leaves to change and I want to wear sweaters. I do not want to be sweating like a water buffalo during my interview this afternoon.

Yes, apparently EBSCO works fast. I'll be interviewing with them at 3:00 this afternoon. According to the Humanities Abstracting manager, I'll fill out paperwork when I get there (application, references, background check--all very standard). Then I'll meet with her and whoever else is on the interviewing team. Then, after the interview, I'll have an abstracting test and a proofing test. Needless to say, sleep was elusive last night. I feel like I'm going to a final exam for which I failed to study. Not that the process doesn't make perfect sense--I'm applying to be an Abstractor. They need to know if I can do it or not. It's just created the greatest opportunity for my social anxiety and my inner grade pig to become fast friends. The Beloved will be glad when this is over. And, quite frankly, so will I.

Whining out of the way, I hope this goes well. I mean, I can always stay where I am, but I'm tired of working two low-paying jobs without benefits 45-60 minutes away from my house. And I'm tired of waiting for the college to step up and "do the right thing" by either paying me a decent hourly wage or by giving me enough hours so that I qualify for benefits. It's like they think librarianship is a form of masochism. Which maybe it is. It all just makes me so very tired. Which makes me feel whiny. So I'll stop. Really.

Thank you for your comments about Polly and getting a second opinion. It makes me feel a little less mental. We saw yet another vet yesterday (the third we've seen at this practice), and no mention of Kitty Diet Food was made. They wanted to do an ultrasound, but she's not currently holding enough in her bladder to make that possible, so we're back to an extended round of antibiotics (2 weeks instead of 10 days). I may let them do the ultrasound after this round of drugs, just to make sure they haven't missed anything. The other option is for her to get a referral to Internal Medicine, which doesn't thrill me at all. However, none of us really want to go through this for a third time if we can help it. In the meantime, I'm trying to see if there's anyone in the area who specializes in large breed cats so that I've got someone in place for a second opinion if necessary.

If I'm this bad about my cat, does it mean I'll be absolutely psychotic if we ever have kids?

FO--Angel's Rest Socks

finished objects
Holy crap--a complete pair of socks! Yes, you are in the right place.

FO_AngelsRest6.JPG

Angel's Rest Socks
Yarn: Yarn Pirate Merino Sock Yarn in Rum Runner from the Yarn Pirate Booty Club
Needles: Susan Bates US size 1/2.25 mm (5 7-inch DPNs)

I finished these babies up on Friday and am wearing them today because I really needed a pick-me-up.

FO_AngelsRest4.JPG

Pretty, aren't they? If I was a little more diligent, knit faster, and had more money to spend on stash, I'd look at having only hand-knit socks in my drawer. Alas, that'll take a while...


Sorry for the craptastic quality of the pictures. Now that The Beloved and I are actually blogging about wine, I'm working on getting a better camera and a light tent. I may end up making my own light tent, but the camera just isn't doing what I need it to, hence the desire for an upgrade.

In other news, this week will be busy. On Friday I got two calls for job interviews--one for a Young Adult/Reference position at a public library a couple of towns over from mine (20 minute commute--yay!); the other with *gasp* EBSCO, home of the uber library database. The EBSCO job is in the editorial department as a Humanities Abstractor. Two very different opportunities, but both are full-time, which the current job(s) is(are) not. Imagine--health insurance and retirement plans again....it seems almost too good to be true.

And it might be, after all, these are only interviews. But it is nice to dream. And to make the first cut. So far, one appointment is scheduled for next Thursday and I'm still waiting to hear on the other. I'm hoping they can see me on Tuesday afternoon--otherwise, it looks like I'll probably have to wait 'till next week because this week is overflowing with crazy-insanity.

Which, naturally, means it's time for more fun with cats. (Warning: discussion of cat urinary health to follow.)

Polly had been doing so well. We've changed their food to a urinary tract health formula (one you can buy in the grocery store--not prescription), and the little demons seem to love it. The bowl has been empty within a half-hour of feeding time. So, when she started whining more, I assumed it was EBS (Empty Bowl Syndrome) and didn't pay it much mind. Until yesterday when I went into the bathroom and it looked like we were performing ritual sacrifices in our bathtub. Seriously--if CSI comes over and luminols the bathroom, we'll have some explaining to do.

Since it appears the infection has recurred, I called the vet this morning and will have to leave work early to get her to the one afternoon appointment they had. Le sigh. This means I will have to forgo new shoes for my interview. Oh well. I'm wondering if any of you have ever brought an animal to a different vet for a second opinion or if that officially makes me a crazy cat lady?

Here's my problem: Our vet is convinced that we need to put Polly on Prescription Weight Loss cat food. And I won't argue that she's overweight. However, I've been reading more postings from people who own large breed cats (I joined the Maine Coon Cat Lovers group on Ravelry--we were told Polly was a Norwegian Forest/Maine Coon cross at the shelter, though she really looks more the Forest Cat, she's got behavioral traits peculiar to both breeds), and it seems to me that while Polly could lose her "udder" (flabby lower abdomen), she's really not all that far outside of the norm for her breed(s). Her last weigh-in was 17.5 lbs, which reflects half a pound lost since February. I'm just not convinced she needs to be a 14 pound cat.

Anyway--I'll put her on Prescription Urinary Health cat food if that's what her body requires. It will be expensive, but it will beat hell out of taking her to the vet every two weeks and having to hogtie and drug her three times a day. I need a little more convincing about the Kitty Weight Watchers stuff, though. (The Beloved is a bit of a conspiracy theorist, and the fact that we can only buy this special diet food from the vet makes him very, very wary.) And if that's all I get from the vet today, I'm seriously considering taking her for a second opinion--preferably with a vet who specializes, or at least has decent experience with large breed cats, if such a thing exists. Am I nuts?

Ravelry

Knitting
Oh. My. God. You know how sometimes you hear so many wonderful things about a book, a movie, an online networking community, only to be grossly underwhelmed when you finally get on board? So not the case here. It's like I've died and gone to some sort of online fiber arts heaven. If you're still in the queue, keep the faith my friends. It will be worth the wait. And the hours that will be sucked from your life. The Beloved has already asked if there's some sort of Ravelry Widows group, akin to the WoW Widows group I joined this winter when his playing reached epic proportions. Look for that in the future...

In other news, the Angel's Rest socks will be done today. I'm on the toe. They should have been finished last night, but, well, you know, Ravelry showed up. For whatever reason I just had a devil of a time with the second sock. There was much ripping and much swearing, which means there was also much putting on hold. No matter--they'll be done by the end of the evening. Which makes it a nice way to end the Summer of Socks. I didn't knit many pairs, but I really enjoyed seeing what everyone else did and so now I've got all sorts of thoughts and plans for my own sock-knitting journey. Which is good, because I just got the latest Yarn Pirate Booty shipment. While not a colorway I would have ever chosen for myself, I think it's very pretty and should knit up nicely. The merino/tencel blend is also some of the softest stuff I've ever encountered. The colorway is masculine enough that I could probably knit socks for The Beloved, but the yarn is so silky and shiny that we all know these will me for me. I really should get around to knitting that poor man something someday. That's what my queue is for, yeah?

One final Ravelry note before I attempt productivity. Or at least go in search of more coffee. They have impeccable timing. The invite has got to be the best birthday present I could imagine.

And the vet says....

Polly
She's good! But still too fat. And two more days of antibiotic.

But still exceptionally cute, dontcha think?

The vet thinks so, too.

Workstudy question of the day

work
(A note: Library workstudies provide clerical and general circulation assistance)

WS: Hey, Saisquoi. The phone at the circulation desk was ringing. What should I do?

Me: Um, you should answer it.

WS: Oh.... really?

It's the little things that'll drive you to drink...

Polly -- an update

Polly
Thank you all for your kind thoughts about my Polly-cat. They seem to be helping--well, the kind thoughts along with the antibiotic. Polly prefers the kind thoughts. As do I--do you know how much fun it is to try and give a 17.5 pound polydactyl cat a 3.5 ML dose of strawberry-flavored suspension three times a day? Kind thoughts are much nicer...

She's eating and drinking normally, her litterbox skills have improved dramatically (as has the state of my house), and she's even playing. Polly is a very sophisticated cat and she has never been much for playing. It can be so undignified. But this week, she's gotten into my kitchen cotton more than once (she now has her very own ball), and I caught her playing with a catnip-infused fish yesterday.

We go to the vet this afternoon for a follow-up, so fingers are crossed that everything is better and the vet can return to harping about the cat's weight.

Women who rock

friends
Months ago, Marianne surprised me by granting this:

Needless to say, I am most honored. And I will pass it along to 5 other Rockin' Girl Bloggers (or women, if you prefer). So, without further ado:

  1. LauraJ -- While I am certain that you are above all the accolades and praise I could bestow, I'd just like everyone else to know how much you rock. And that you're a huge part of the reason I'm not currently in jail for killing someone. Yet. You also taught me how to spin, for which I am eternally grateful and The Beloved is perhaps not so much. His loss.
  2. Maria -- Applying to grad school sucks. But I just know you're handling it with style, grace and aplomb. Life as a gaijin can also suck. But you're handling that magnificently as well. Add to that wedding planning across thousands of miles? Can there be any doubt how much you rock?
  3. KelInCal -- Not only do you have the cutest dog in the world, but your knitting is fabulous. And you have the uncanny ability to distract me from whatever project I may have at hand.
  4. M -- Reading, knitting, third place in Dishrag Tag, a big guy, a little guy, and a new guy (or gal) on the way! Haven't heard as much from you lately (understandable, but still sad), but you rock as much as ever.
  5. Libby -- You know, I realized the other day that I have now known you more of my life than I haven't known you. How weird is that? Only 8 months, 1 week and 5 days (or something like that) 'till graduation, then... who knows? No matter what the future may hold, I know that you and your Dear D, Devil Dog and the cats are all up for the challenge!
Ladies, you all most certainly rock. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. And keep writing, knitting, cooking, and doing all of the excellent things that you do!

4 Things Meme

meme
Maria over at in the middle of somewhere tagged me for this. So, here goes!

Four things that make me happy:

1. The Beloved
2. Dinner out at a really nice restaurant
3. Snuggling with Polly
4. Having all of my friends and/or my family around--preferably with lots of food

Four movies I would watch over and over:

1. It's a Wonderful Life
2. The African Queen
3. Pirates of the Caribbean
4. Harvey

Four websites I check daily:

1. Gmail
2. Bloglines
3. Yahoo
4. Ravelry (even though I'm still on the wait-list)

Four favorite drinks:

1. Polar seltzer--ruby red flavor
2. Pomegranate juice and ginger ale
3. A nice red wine
4. The Beloved's Margarita (although the one's from Margaritas aren't bad, either)

Four places I have lived:

1. New Hampshire
2. Barksdale, AFB (Louisiana)
3. London
4. Yokota, AFB (Tokyo, Japan)

Four TV Shows that I watch:

1. Law and Order (any incarnation--I've stopped being particular)
2. Smallville
3. Heroes
4. Almost anything on the Food Network

Four favorite colors:

1. Yellow (almost any kind of yellow except neon)
2. Coral or salmon (orangey pink)
3. Blue (any kind of blue)
4. Deep red

Four places I have been on vacation:

1. Whitby (North Yorkshire, England)
2. Montreal and Quebec City (Quebec, Canada)
3. Chicago (Illinois, USA)
4. New York City (USA)

Four things on my floor right now:

1. Knitting baskets and yarn that needs to be put away
2. Cat cube with Winston tucked inside
3. Polly's pillow with Polly lounging on top
4. Unfinished Sunday School lesson

Four blogs I read regularly:

2. HypKNITized
3. Tales from the "Liberry" 2.0
4. The Annoyed Librarian

Four of my favorite foods:

1. Chicken corn soup and eggrolls
2. Red cabbage and kielbasa
3. Enchiladas
4. Lobsters and steamers

Four places I would rather be right now:

1. At home with the cats and my knitting
2. Driving up Route 1 in Maine with The Beloved
3. At the spa having {insert favorite beauty treatment here} done
4. The British Museum

Conventional wisdom says I should now tag 4 people (this being a 4 things meme and all), but I'm gonna let y'all decide on your own. Yes, it's a cop-out. But, if you want to do this, consider yourself tagged!

Smorgasboard

books
It's been my cooking philosophy this week as I desperately try to use up leftover party food before it spoils, so why not reflect the same principle in my blogging style? OK--I've been too scattered lately to put together a coherent...well...anything... so here's a little sampling of everything instead.

Cooking

I did a lot of it last weekend. The good part? I haven't had to cook all week. We've been reheating leftovers like it's going out of style. It's been great, because, honestly--it's been the week from hell.

I made a lasagna on Sunday that was to die for. My Italian Mother-in-Law has granted me honorary Italian status. I'd post the recipe--which is my own--if I bothered to remember to take measurements. Whoops. I've been making my own pasta sauce for years now, and so I make it by taste. It's a handful of this and some of that and then you taste it and see what it needs. If anyone is interested, I'll take notes the next time I make one, which will likely be soon since I've got an extra tub of ricotta in my refrigerator that needs using.

On Monday, we ate Mediterranean-style stuff. I made Souvlaki, Tzatziki, and a Greek Caponata. I can give you recipes for those...

Souvlaki
You'll need:
  • 1 lb. lamb shoulder meat
  • 1/4 cup olive oil (preferably Greek olive oil)2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tsp. dried Greek oregano
  • 1 tsp. minced garlic or garlic puree
What you'll do:
  • Cut the lamb into cubes approx. 1 inch in size.
  • Combine other ingredients to form a marinade.
  • Put lamb and marinade into a ziploc bag and shake well.
  • Put bag in refrigerator and let marinate for approximately 4 hours. You don't really want to let this marinate all day, because the lamb is already pretty tender and you don't want the marinade to overpower the flavor of the meat.
  • Start up the grill. While grill is heating up, thread lamb onto skewers.
  • When grill is nice and toasty, pop skewers on and grill away! Mine cooked for about 8-10 minutes/side or 16-20 minutes total. You don't want to over cook them.
  • Serve hot with Tzatziki Sauce.
Tzatziki Sauce
You'll need:
  • 3 cups Greek Yogurt
  • Juice of one lemon (about 3 T)
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 2 medium cucumbers, seeded and diced (or 1 large European cucumber with very few seeds)
  • About 1 T kosher salt for salting cucumbers
  • 1 T finely chopped fresh dill
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
What you'll do:
  • Peel cucumbers, then cut in half lengthwise and take a small spoon and scrape out seeds. Discard seeds. (If you use the small seedless or European cucumbers with few seeds, you can skip this step.)
  • Dice cucumbers, then put in a colander, sprinkle on 1 T salt, and let stand for 30 minutes to draw out water.
  • Drain well and wipe dry with paper towel.
  • In food processor with steel blade, add cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, dill, and a few grinds of black pepper. Process until well blended, then stir this mixture into the yogurt.
  • Taste before adding any extra salt, then salt if needed. (I didn't need any more salt)
  • Place in refrigerator for at least two hours before serving so flavors can blend. (This resting time is very important.)
The Greek Caponata was something I saw Giada De Laurentiis make on the Food Network a few weeks ago and sparked idea for the Mediterranean theme. You can find the recipe for that right here, and I highly recommend it, particularly if you find yourself in possession of massive amounts of summer squash, zucchini and tomatoes. It's very easy and very tasty. It also reheats nicely if you're like me and make way too much of it.

Reading

Yeah. I've started doing this again. You know, it's kind of fun! I'm currently reading Fluke by Christopher Moore, which is funny and good reading, but is not grabbing me the way You Suck or The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove did. It still has interesting chapter titles (Heinous Fuckery Most Foul is my favorite thus far) and phrases (I don't think I've ever read another book that mentions "poop chute technology"). Perhaps I'll have to order it for work. Christopher Moore was on the cover of Writer's Digest or something like that earlier this year....

I'm also reading 1215: The Year of Magna Carta by Danny Danziger and John Gillingham. It's interesting, but very different from the Christopher Moore book.

Cats

(Warning: This is a TMI sort of post. If you don't want to read about cat urinary health, move along to the next heading. Don't say I didn't warn you.)

Polly has been sick of late. She seems to have some urinary tract unhealthiness going on. The poor baby was a little under the weather at the end of last week and into the weekend. By Monday, she was miserable. Unfortunately, it was a) Labor Day and b) The Beloved's surprise party. So, we kept an eye on her, cleaned up the puddles that appeared around the house, and hoped for the best. When everyone left, I called the vet's office thinking she had kitty diarrhea again--the puddles were watery, oily, and brown...what was I supposed to think? Anyway. They couldn't see her that night, but made an appointment for the next morning at 8:00. So, we kept an eye on her and then found some obviously bloody puddles on the floor. I called the Emergency Vet Clinic, they suggested I bring her in, and an X-Ray and $200 later, they determined she probably had a bladder infection. So they sent us home with some antibiotics and the X-Rays and told us to check in with our regular vet. Which we did the next morning at 8:00.

The regular vet was grouchy because they couldn't get an accurate urine sample since I had started her on an antibiotic. But then they couldn't find her heartbeat because Polly decided to start purring and wouldn't stop. Not for running water. Not when the vet tech held a piece of gauze saturated in alcohol under her nose. So, they took her back and took some blood and tried for some urine. They apparently couldn't find her bladder, either. Even with an ultrasound. The vet did, however, express concern about a lump on Polly's shoulder. Now, I asked about the lump six months ago when we last came to the vet (same clinic, btw), and the vet we saw then--the director of the clinic--told us not to worry about it. Apparently, I should have been worrying. They took samples and have sent them out to be analyzed. Then, they decided to put her on a different antibiotic than the one prescribed at the EVC. So, $400 later, we went home.

I'm happy to report there were fewer bloody puddles around the house this morning and that Polly is at least trying to use her litterbox. Unfortunately, she still isn't really eliminating properly. I called the vet this morning to reschedule a follow-up appointment and asked when I should start to worry. The vet says, "Do you want to bring her in?" Uh...not really...we're already going to be eating Kraft dinner for the next month since I spent all my money on the previous bill.... So, we're keeping our fingers crossed that she's doing even better (ie: peeing) by the time I get home from work today. I'm hopeful. She was eating and drinking last night and this morning and seemed a bit perkier than yesterday morning. And, if she's not doing better I'll suck it up and take her to the vet. I wonder if The Beloved will notice if I pawn my engagement ring.

And she needed a haircut.

PollyBall.JPG


Poor baby.

Hair

About a month ago I decided to try the no-shampoo lifestyle. This does not mean I've stopped bathing and/or grown dreads. What happened was this: I read Wendy's post about her "poo-free" lifestyle and was intrigued. Unfortunately, the WEN products are a little too rich for my blood. I'd probably have to give up knitting in order to wash my hair with the cleansing conditioner, and that would be absolutely unacceptable. But, like I said, I was intrigued by the idea of shampoo free. So, I put my librarian skills to work and did some research to see if there was an acceptable (less expensive) alternative. And I discovered sites about people washing their hair with baking soda and apple cider vinegar. After I got over the, ew, yuck, that's weird factor, I decided to give it a go. And I am pleased to report that my hair looks and feels great. I wash it every three days now (as opposed to every day with traditional shampoo) with a solution of 1 T baking soda to 8 oz. water. And I use a rinse of 2 T lemon juice mixed with 8 oz. water. My hair is shiny and soft, it has a bit of curl (who knew?!), my scalp feels great (no more dandruff or icky waxy nastiness) and I'm putting fewer chemicals on my body and into the environment. The only things I miss about traditional shampoo are the bubbles and the detangling agent--my hair is on the long side, and combing it out after a wash can be a bit trying.

Even in this crappy picture, my hair still looks fabulous!

If the Baking Soda and Apple Cider Vinegar route is pressing your buttons, check out this site. It was very helpful for me starting out.

Knitting

Yes, I still knit. I even knit socks. But the Angel's Rest socks still aren't finished. Sigh. I'm working on the foot. But I got distracted. I need more dishcloths for a housewarming party later this month and I was possessed by the overwhelming desire to knit this:

This is Luigi. The Beloved has named him. I actually made him for a friend (well, for the small child of a friend), but since The Beloved has named the damned thing, I don't know that I can give it up. Well, that, and it's a really pathetic excuse for a stuffed toy. I'm not good at seaming and I'll need to practice sewing arms and legs on to make it better next time. Because I'm sure there will be a next time. I used the Knitted Cuddlies pattern that's available free if you're registered with Knitting Daily. It was really easy to do, and though I'll probably make a few modifications next time--including finding a better way to sew the limbs onto the body--the end product is cute enough that I think I'll probably be making several of these. Best of all? I don't have to worry about lead paint from China when I give these to small children or to their parents!

That about sums it up for now. This weekend will be busy--that saying about no rest for the wicked is really starting to ring true. I'm going to Belmont for Godly Play reaccreditation training. I know you're all jealous. It should be fine, and possibly even fun, but I am just so darned tired that the prospect of a day-and-a-half-long storytelling workshop really isn't working for me. Maybe if they had beer...or at least naptime to break up the storytelling...

Happy 40th Birthday...

family
chris_artinst.JPG

...to my handsome man. I love you, sweetie pie!

We celebrated in grand style this weekend. And, accordingly, I forgot to photograph any of it. Whoops! We still ate very well and had a wonderful time with family (on Sunday) and friends (on Monday).

Thank you all for coming and recognizing the end of The Beloved's carefree youth with us :)

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