FO--Angel's Rest Socks

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

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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.

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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

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....

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

(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

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

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

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!

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