The New Hard Drive

The hard drive is here! The hard drive is here! I felt like Paul Revere as I ran through the house announcing its arrival. I called Dell and they were able to walk me through the process of removing the old drive, installing the new one, and reloading Windows. The tech was amusing because he kept telling me that I was doing very well. He said many people have trouble following directions. I didn't find it all that hard. I can follow directions...when I choose and I was completely motivated to do so here. It took most of the afternoon to get it all of the software back on, drivers installed, etc. I gave my computer a big hug and told it how much I missed it. Computer...please don't leave me like this again!

My First Attempt at Felting

Robyn has felted a couple of items and I like the way they came out. I decided I needed a felted bag to put my current knitting projects in. I wanted something a little bigger than the bag I was using, but I didn't want a big bag where I would lose stuff in the corners. The solution was to make my own. I have a love/hate relationship with the sewing machine. I would love to be able to machine sew, but the bobbin hates me. A felted bag would do the trick for me. I could make it completely my own design. I knit until the sides looked long enough and then started another side. The same with the handles.

I really had a great time making something to keep for a change.

The picture above shows the bag before the felting process. I am curious how big it will finally be.

The LYS

Since my computer was kaput (and you probably know where I am going with this), I did a little knitting. A yarn shop opened up last September about 20 minutes away and I felt the need to make a visit. You will be impressed that it was my first visit there. I was afraid to go, because I knew I would fall in love with a ton of yarn and you know I don't NEED any more yarn. Want it, but don't need it. Today I did need a certain color. My trusty chauffeur took the wheel and off we went. I spent a lot of time drooling over the yarn. I picked up a bunch, but I made myself put it down. I was proud of myself, because I only bought the one skein I needed. Robyn on the other hand was the big purchaser. At first she wanted me to drive home so she could admire her purchases, but the lure of being able to drive was stronger and she decided to let her poor mother do the admiring for her.

LYS= Local Yarn Store

Waterproofing the Deck

Phillip decided this was the weekend to seal the deck. I wonder why he chooses to do this in the summer, and not only that...he waits until mid day to do it. He doesn't feel the heat like I do, but I think this time he did. I question why he doesn't get up early to do work outside. He tells me he will do things on his time. OK...it is just painful to watch him outside working in the heat when the heat index is around 110 degrees.

He did stop long enough to come in to get some water and to tell me to come and take his picture for the blog.

Round #2 of the Birthday Sleepovers

Round number two of the birthday sleepovers featured Haley. Haley is another friend Cara wanted to have over. Cara and Haley spend a lot of time online checking out various sites and discussing characters they have created. Sleepover time with Haley will be similar to the time spend with Tessa as they will swim some and spend the rest of their time on the computer. I don't think they will be able to stay up as late as Cara and Tessa did, because their Girl Scout troop is going horseback riding in the afternoon and they can't sleep in as long as they would like.

Birthdays are best spent in the company of those you share things with. Cara was able to have two great sleepovers with two friends who make her happy.

National Champs!

Yaa Hooo! I am so thrilled. Our boys pulled it out. I had been glued to the TV for the past 3 nights awaiting the outcome of this series. It ended the way I wanted it to. I had to get a picture of the front page of today's paper.

I remember when we first moved to Louisiana. It was 1970. Our next door neighbors were die hard LSU fans. On home game Saturdays, Mr. Benefield would open all of his windows and crank up "Hey Fighting Tigers, "Tiger Rag", and any other songs played by the Golden Band from Tigerland. He would then proceed to get ready to leave for the game. Getting ready seemed to involve filling his trunk with cases of beer. He always wore his LSU football game attire of a purple shirt, gold pants, white belt and shoes, and freshly manicured flat top. We had just moved to Louisiana from New Mexico and I thought he was crazy. I made a vow to never go to a school where the fans and alumni were nuts. Fast forward 3 moves and 8 years later, I am graduating from high school. The funny thing about saying you are never doing something is that sometimes you do exactly what you said you would never do. Yes, I attended LSU and received my B.S. and M.A. from there. I love the place! I am not as nutty as Mr. Benefield was, but I love me some LSU. Needless to say, there was some hooting and hollering last night when my beloved Tigers won the College World Series. Go Fighting Tigers. Go all the way...

Added on 7/2/09...I had forgotten to post this one when I was updating the blog after the great hard drive mishap. How could I have forgotten?

RIP Hard Dirve

Due to the untimely demise of my hard drive, I will not be able to post until the new one is installed. I will continue to take pitures each day and will update the blog with these as soon as I can.

Creative Advertising

As I was being chauffeured around by my oldest, we noticed this car while stopped at a light in downtown Covington. Since I started this blog, each member of the family (well the human ones anyway) has pointed out certain things that would make great pictures of the day. This was no exception. Robyn told me to grab my camera, but I was not as fast as the light. We made a trip around the block, so I could capture this bad boy. I could not get the whole car and still get the license plate, but you can probably figure out how the rest of the car looks. I still laugh when I think about the license plate. It is definitely memorable. I may not remember Troy's phone number, but I will remember his car.

Birthday Sleepover

Cara's birthday was this past week and she wanted to have friends sleepover. Unfortunately neither of her buddies were available for her actual birthday, so she compromised by having them over one at a time to hang and be silly. Tonight was Tessa's night. She and Tessa have a great friendship. They are both very funny, dramatic and compliment each other well. They spent the evening swimming and "working" on the computer. Plans are that we will go to IHOP in the morning for breakfast. I have a feeling there will be little sleeping tonight for these two.

Yes, Virginia, There is Another Hat

While I was in Tampa, I kinda went on a minor yarn shopping spree. I hit the Jo Ann's for their sale and came away with some excellent yarn. One of my purchases was a skein of Jo Ann's brand yarn called Sensations. It is this huge skein of multi-colors acrylic that I thought would look great as a hat. So I started a knittin' and here is the result. I really liked the yarn. It is soft and I like how it felt in my hands. Robyn is a big fan of the striping.

Sympathy?

Skittles has not been herself today. She is kinda mopey and wants to lie very close. The only thing that seemed to cheer her up was a ride in the car. Yes, I did drive her around the neighborhood to make her happy. She has spent some time today lying at my feet under the computer desk. Usually, that is Pretty's place of business. One might say that Pretty is not the friendliest of cats. She pretty much likes just me. I am sitting on the computer goofing around, with Skittles at my feet, using my foot to scratch her tummy. All of a sudden I get a swat on the other side of my leg. Pretty has come and is sitting in close proximity of Skittles. To say that Pretty hates the dogs is putting it very mildly. I wonder if she sees that Skittles is not herself and is giving her a break from her usual surliness. Maybe she thinks my foot is bothering Skittles. Pretty and sympathy...who would have thought?

The Intruder

We get some pretty bold squirrels in the yard. They mooch off of the various bird feeders and chase the birds away who were there first. Skittles and Jasmine love to race out the back door to go on "Squirrel Patrol". They never catch the squirrels. They just stand under the trees and bark at them. Jasmine usually gives up pretty quickly, but Skittles will continue to search for the squirrel in the tree for a while. I doubt they would know what to do with a squirrel if they caught one...maybe bring it in the house like the turtle.

This guy was quite content munching away while I walked out back to take his picture. I had to walk around a bit to get a decent camera shot because the sun was behind him. He did not budge a bit while I was out there. He just looked me in the eye and kept eating.

You Know You Are Exhausted When...

You are too tired to unpack your suitcase. You just open it up in front of your bedroom door and go from there. I am not calling out which one of my babies did this, but if you are a loyal reader, you will see a pattern by looking at the state of the room. She was not too tired to do several things around the house last night and she was able to get up and go to work this morning. She really cracks me up, that girl.

The Cherry on the Cake

Just like the day we went to see the Devil Rays, today's Picture of the Day had some discussion. This trip had a lot of funny moments from Phillip getting so excited about free orange juice at the Florida Welcome Center, that he took the weigh station exit instead, to what happened this morning. We are a family of night owls. We hit our stride from 11:00 pm on, so getting up early to leave for home is accompanied by some complaining and some slow thinking. Someone (no one is claiming it) caused the toilet to overflow. For a brief time, the girls and I were not wake enough to do anything other than stare. Thankfully, Phillip, AKA Mr. Fix-It, was there to save the day and turn the water off. The females in this family were truly pitiful at this time. Of course, I took a picture and everyone wanted me to put that picture up as today's picture. Since this is my blog, I vetoed that, but put a portion of the picture up. It is to remind us of the great time we had, all of the laughter we shared, and how we love each other so much.

On my own

In Tarpon Springs, Cara bribed Robyn with stuff so she would go to Busch Gardens and ride the coasters with her. I still didn't want to go so they took the hotel shuttle and off they went. As for me...I was going shopping. I googled up directions to several stores and had me a fine time. As I was driving, I noticed the temperature. That number says it all. It was too hot to be at an amusement park. I sweat at the drop of a hat (thank for that gene, Dad) and the day of being a wet puddle didn't appeal to me in the least. I had a phone call from the girls about how miserable they were in the heat and how they wanted to leave. I made the right call for me.

Tarpon Springs

The original plan was to hit Busch Gardens today. I decided I really didn't want to go and Robyn said the same. Cara was upset because she wanted a roller coaster buddy. Instead, we decided to drive up to Tarpon Springs to see the sponge docks. It was interesting. All of the shops on the water sold every kind of sponge imaginable. I didn't know there was so many different kinds. Tarpon Springs has a large Greek community. There were lots of opportunities to eat Greek food and to buy items imported from Greece.

On the way back to Tampa, we again headed for the beach. We found a nice one in Honeymoon Island State Park. Phillip and Robyn were in heaven and Cara and I grumbled about being in the sun. While driving around the park, we saw a huge (24" x 16") box turtle on the side of the road. Since I was driving, I had Phillip jump out and get his picture. I didn't know turtles could move so fast. He took off for a hole in the side of a hill. It was pretty cool to watch him dig in to hide himself. There is no way Skittles could have brought this one in the house like she did here.

Ringling and the Beach

This morning we had an appointment for a tour of Ringling College of Art and Design and with a admissions counselor following. Wow, the classrooms are impressive. One of the first stops was the Animation Department. Robyn's eyes popped when she entered the room with all of the animation desks (donated by Disney). She has wanted one of those desks since the first time she used one several years ago. In the hallway, they have plaques of some of the companies who employ Ringling graduates. It was like the Who's Who of companies who use animators. I got an annoying nose bleed, so I went back to the admissions office. Robyn and gang said the rest of the tour was just as great. She also loved the illustration department, the other major she is considering.

The college counselor was very informative and gave Robyn great input about her portfolio. I enjoyed hearing that he thought we work was as special as we do. His words have given Robyn a lot of think about and helps in her decision on where to visit next.

After Ringling, we drove around Sarasota a bit and then found a beach. I abhor the beach and Cara is not too thrilled either. Phillip and Robyn ran out to the water, Cara walked a little and I took a picture and went back to the air conditioned car to knit. I know; I am a pill. Cara and I had great discussions about why we hate the beach while Phillip and Robyn were having fun.

I Love Me Some Baseball

We don't get the opportunity to watch major league baseball too often. Phillip jumps on any chance to do so. I love baseball too, but the girls are not so thrilled. We went to see the Devil Rays play the Washington Nationals. Our seats were pretty good and the game was great. Robyn started to get into the game and asked a lot of questions. By the end, she said she was starting to like baseball. Cara mostly read her book like she did last summer when we saw the Mets play.

The girls both enjoyed the vast opportunities for people watching. One of the most interesting was this guy with the major dreadlocks. I think those are the longest I have ever seen. Another favorite was a fan who would wave around a broom. This was the final game in a 3 game series with the Nationals, so fans were hoping for a sweep.

World Wide Knit in Public Day

Today is World Wide Knit in Public Day. I bet you didn't know that. We are on our way to Tampa and a visit to Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota. Since Robyn and I can't attend a local public knitting event, we planned to knit in the hotel lobby. She chickened out on me, but I still did it. Phillip graciously agreed to take my picture downstairs and there you have it.

To Camp

When we go out of town, the puppies go to "camp". They love camp because they get to see lots of other dogs and do the dog thing. Skittles especially loves camp because she gets extra portions of food. She gobbles her food up and heads over to Jasmine's. Jasmine is so passive that she gets nosed out of her bowl. The house is so quiet tonight with them gone. I miss not having their silliness and puppy kisses around.

UP (exclaimation point- since Blogger will not let me use the character)

I took Cara and a friend to see UP! I love animated movies The stories are usually fun and I enjoy looking at how the characters are drawn. The movie was very good and we all enjoyed it. This one had several comments in the movie that young kids would not get. I like that they try to expand it's appeal to a wide range of ages.

The Signature Move

Tonight, I met a couple of friends for dinner. I enjoy spending time with friends, but I also enjoy coming home to see what kind of mischief Phillip and the girls have gotten into. He can usually get the girls to do all kinds of silly stuff to show me when I get home. Tonight, Phillip and Cara had a little dance step they called "The Signature Move". They had a great time showing their move, cracking each other up and being goofy. They tried to get Robyn to join in, but she was interested in standing by me and watching the show. It was like getting a calorie free dessert when I got home...sweet and fulfilling.

Where's the Kitty?

Having a cat (or if you are luckier...cats) can bring a multitude of joys and laughter. I love reading about the cat escapades from bloggers such as Lin of Duck and Wheel with String, or from the cats themselves, Daisy and Harley of Daisy the Curly Cat. Cats are the original comics and they will have you smiling in no time. Lin sometimes does a little feature called "Where's the Kitty?". It is usually a post about some silly place Hobbes has gone. I am hitching a ride on Lin's coat tails and doing a "Where's the Kitty" segment too.

Robyn spent the weekend cleaning her room. When she cleans, she usually has one administrative assistant (Whiskers) in the room "helping". This time Pretty felt the need to come and put in her 2 cents on what needed to be done. I went into Robyn's room to ask her a question, and at first all I saw was her bed covered with her stuffed wolf collection. Then, I looked closer and noticed 2 orange ears moving. Pretty was taking a much needed break by sitting in the warm sun by the window. It was the perfect spot. She was able to blend in and not be noticed by the dogs and it was warm and cozy.

Yes, Gary...It's Another Hat...

My brother-in-law, Gary, reads my blog. He commented that I have a lot of knitting posts. I guess I do lately cause that is pretty much all that I seem to do that is remotely interesting. My life is not all that exciting so there is not too much to take pictures of.

I finished this hat today. Loyal readers will notice that it is a little bit different than the others. It is the same old standby, the rolled brim, but this one has a tri-peak top. This hat is so cute. I knit it for a little boy who I wanted to send a Spirit Jump to, but it might be too big. I am not good about checking my gauge on a new pattern and I did do some things a little different than the pattern called for. If it measures too big, I will find someone who could use this hat.

Did the Circus Come to Town?

I know this is not the best of pictures, but I wanted to post it anyway so I'll remember how funny this was. Robyn and I were heading down to the lakefront and we stopped so I could get a coke. These 2 guys come riding up on these crazy bikes. They are 2 bike frames welded on top of each other. They were tooling around on these things like everyone did it too. I went into the store and made Robyn wait to leave until I got a picture of them on the bike. Since I was in stealth mode, I didn't roll down the window and blatantly take the picture. I should have tho. Who knows when I will see this again?

Another hat...

Here is another hat I finished in the wee hours this morning. I really love this hat. It is so so soft. I wish I liked wearing hats more. I would love to have one like this.

Today's Post is Brought to You by the Number 3

When I looked behind me tonight, I saw the dogs lying next to each other like this. The first thing that came to mind was those cool dog photos "Sesame Street" used to have of the Weimaraners. They would put the dogs in all of these great positions to show the alphabet and numbers from 0-9. I loved those silly dogs. Jas and Skit often come and lie on the floor behind me while I am on the computer. I enjoy having them near me. They are my goofy girls.

Morning Rain

I woke up around 6:30 to the sound of thunder. I jumped up to let the dogs out before the rain started and to get a picture of my latest baby hat. We were not back inside for 2 minutes before it started to pour. Jasmine refuses to go out in the rain and neither are fans of thunder. I like morning rain. It starts the day off with a nice fresh slate. Now, it is different when I have kids to get off to school, have to drive in it, or need to do something outdoors. But this morning, none of those things were happening, so I could sit and look out the window and watch the rain.

I Love Breakfast...

Food. I have always loved breakfast food. Bacon, eggs, sausage patties, pancakes, waffles, muffins, pizza, donuts...I love it all. Breakfast for Dinner is my go to dinner plan when I forget to plan. This is what we had tonight for dinner. I don't know how thrilled the rest of the family was about it, but as for me, it was all good.

Did Someone Mention Cake?

Let me introduce you to my new best friend, my yarn ball winder. I love, love this contraption. I have been using 2 strands of yarn to knit my hats for chemo patients. I was winding the yarn into a ball and then rolling that into 2 smaller, equal balls (Yes, I know there was probably an easier way, but my dad was an Aggie...nuf said. It's in the DNA). My ball winder winds my yarn into beautiful cakes of yarn that don't roll off of my lap when knitting. I can then pull the yarn from the center and from the outside at the same time. It is so much fun to wind the yarn. The girls think I am nuts having so much fun using this thing, but they don't get it. I am making a yarn cake and cake in ANY form is wonderful. I just love cake. Don't you?

Awwww...

I saw a post on Ravelry about knitting preemie and newborn hats. City Year Louisiana, a member of Americorps, has organized several service events in Baton Rouge and New Orleans as part of a 100 Hours of Power. I have been on the hat making kick, so I thought I would give baby hats a try. I broke out of my box and found a new pattern to try. Yes, it is still a rolled brim hat like the others, but it does have a different type of finishing the crown of the hat. Ok, I moved from one box to another box, but it is a sweet hat. When I look at it, I just think "Awww...it is so cute." It knit up pretty fast and I am ready to start another one. Robyn started one, but she is letting me finish it up so she can make her famous bunnies.

I don't know why I like making hats. I just do. Someday I'll be known around town as the crazy cat lady who makes hats.