How NOT To Get Addicted to Gambling

 

I just spent a great ‘weekend-in-the-middle-of-the-week’ in Atlantic City with a friend. The entire time, we were steps away from slot machines and gaming tables, yet we spent not one gambling penny. Not even on the penny slots (which don’t really cost just a penny – been there, done that!). BUT, we both decided, we’d like to actually GET something for our money, other than time spent. I can spend time for FREE, why pour my money down a machine, or hand it over for chips that I will then hand to a dealer who will put my chip away with all the other losers’ chips, and it won’t even matter??? Well, maybe it matters to the casino owners, but not really!

When we first got in (actually the next morning), we walked around the casino floor and stopped to watch a woman playing at a bank of slot machines that were, apparently, linked somehow so that the people playing there were actually playing ‘with’ each other on a screen on the wall. Then we looked closer and noticed that there was a THREE-DIGIT-number in the corner of her screen. Three digits. We did not see her arrive at the machines – she was already there and comfy when we walked up, and the number at that time was $135.65. And it kept getting smaller and smaller.

My friend and I left and went to the outlet mall where I got a new Coach bag and some Aldo shoes. Two brand names I can always count on, that are never a gamble – good products, and for a discount since it was an outlet mall (and I had a coupon book)!.

The rest of the trip was just great. I hope we get to go back soon!

:O)

Knits In-Progress

I will begin this picture-less post by stating that I promise to post pictures SOON! I have to do that on my regular computer, though, and not my laptop, and I’m happy in my armchair right now!!

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

There is LOTS of knitting going on here at my house. There would be much much more if I wasn’t also smitten by my spinning wheel and the lure of raw fiber (or that pesky little thing called a JOB, right?). Here are a few things I’m knitting on. If there’s room and time, I’ll also talk about some UFOs that I hope to finish/get back to –

Yoga Instructor Socks: These are socks I’m knitting for – you guessed it – my yoga instructor. She always notices my socks and I know she’ll appreciate them. Also, she’s really helped me out so much these past few years with movements tailored to my stoopid back problems. The pattern is called **Primavera Socks** which have a stitch pattern that creates a very narrow, drawn-in sock fabric that’s just perfect for my instructors’ narrow feet. One sock is finished, the other is still on the cuff (the pattern has been started but just barely). These socks make me even more confounded by the fact that Spring has already arrived, and with a vengeance, to the DC area. Last week we had temperatures in the 70s all week, except for the day that it was 82. Not really wool sock weather. Maybe if I finish the socks, we’ll get a cold snap?

My other big knitting project is the **Effortless Cardigan** by Hannah Fettig. I really can’t wait to finish this knit – I just know I’m going to need it – even with the warm temperatures creeping up – because with warm temperatures comes air-conditioning, and I think that this is going to be my at-work knit that gets thrown on when the A/C has us all shivering in our seats during staff meetings or in-service days!

My one big problem with this cardigan is that I WAY under-estimated the amount of yarn I was gonna need. I am knitting the size 38.5 (but wanted it a bit longer), and I searched waaaayyyyyy into the files on Ravelry and saw person after person who knit their sizes with much less than the recommended yardage. So, I thought I was okay with my 9 skeins of
Debbie Bliss Cashmerino (120 X 9 = 1080 yards, approximately, since I’m doing a smash-version of converting meters to yards). On my version, I’ve used all but 3 skeins (720 yards) for the body, MINUS the 3″ ribbing that needs to be put on after the main knitting. I haven’t even started the sleeves yet. OY. My plan right now is to start the sleeves, hope and pray that each will be able to be completed with, at the most, one and a half skeins (all I have left), and then find a complimentary yarn to do the ribbing with. I think the sweater would be great with a contrasting ribbing (it goes around all edges and is the cuff to the sleeves). I’m wondering if maybe I can find a nice black yarn that has a bit of gold sparkle mixed in? Maybe I’ll have to blend and spin it . . .

And finally, I’m knitting scarf after scarf out of yarns called **Sashay** and **Starbella**. Some members of my knitting group had been bitten by this particular bug this past winter, and I resisted like a champ. Now, however, I am compelled to knit these. For my sister. They are a fund-raising project for her and her husband so that they can fund their impending adoption. They have been trying to start a family for some time now, and finally settled on adoption recently. They’ve been hit hard by how much money it will take to start growing their family. It’s astounding. They have been doing their homework and have finally decided on an agency, so at least now they have a definite number to strive for. These scarves will give her measurable increments, but she can’t knit them all herself. I’ve knit two so far, one is spoken for, and I got a directive for one more at knit group today. We also had two members pledge to knit up their overflowing stash of this yarn for her cause to help her meet the demand (and she’s got quite a demand so far!). She (and I – but whatev!) was very touched by the offers for buying AND knitting! Free knitting! Whoa!! Knitters are a very caring bunch!

Whew. Anyone else tired but me?

Pictures to come soon – promise!

Back to Blogging

I have been missing my blogging time lately. I miss the outlet. I miss checking on my tiny little list of bloggers. Once in a while I do a quick drive-by and check on everyone, but I really wanna get back to it.

Can I do it? Possibly. A co-worker wants to start a blog, so maybe we can inspire each other. . . Either way, I feel the need to vent/relate/tell lately, so hopefully you’ll see me here again more often, talking about the ‘knits’ (of course) and ‘things’ (which may vary from time to time).

For now, here’s a quick update!

Knits: I am currently knitting 50 BAZILLION things. Not really, just seems like. They would be 1) the Effortless Cardigan by Hannah Fettig (I think she’s the Clapotis designer as well, yes?). I’m knitting it in some black Debbie Bliss Cashmerino, and I LOVE!!! I’m on the widest/drapey part right now, and my hands don’t like the endless rows, so it’s VERY slow going, but still . . . LOVE! 2) Primavera socks for my yoga instructor. She always shows the appropriate appreciation for the socks I wear (and reluctantly take off before standing poses begin), and I found a great yarn that I think she’ll love, so she gets a pair. She’s been my instructor for the past few years (minus the extended hiatus for my old-lady back-and-hip problem), so she’s definitely earned them! I can be rough on a teacher. Educators are the worst students! 3) I have about 5 UFOs upstairs in different knitting bags. I am ashamed of how many there are, and there are at least 2 scarves, 2 sweaters, and a pair (or three) of socks. Oy.

Spinning: I NEED to spin more. I’m making it to the spinning meetings at Cloverhill Yarn shop a bit more these days, and with good reason. More than half my stash space is fiber waiting to be spun. Once it becomes yarn, it will be much more manageable, don’t you think? Me too.

Phat Fiber: I scored my first PF box this weekend. I figured I was due a Happy You-Gave-Birth-Day present. I missed the first one by totally overestimating just how quickly those things go. DO NOT try to sign in at one minute past the hour. The boxes will ALL be gone. I got in on the second/later offering, and expect a ‘mixed’ box to arrive any day now. Hopefully that will give me something to look forward to at Sheep and Wool. Not that I need an excuse to go to Sheep and Wool, or to be excited about it!! LOL

Things: The ‘boyfriend’ deal HAS worked out. Been seeing the same guy for about 8 months now. The only issue is – we are both single parents. If you think dating while you’re married and have kids is tough, try coordinating two DIFFERENT family schedules and work in a little dating time. We tell each other all the time “Dating with kids SUCKS.” And we mean it!

Diabetes: The boy has now been on an insulin pump for just over 1 year. We’ve been dealing with diabetes for almost 2 years. He is getting used to the idea of using his arms and legs for sites. Currently, he uses his midsection solely (he will, at least, go to the back side/love handles now), but he’s getting a bit of insulin resistance there, along with a ‘dent’ as we noticed the other day. We are contacting Animas this week to see if we can trade a box of our regular insets for the longer ones to allow for the alternate sites.

Work: This year I have a new boss/principal. We are all getting used to each other. I think we’re doing a good job. That is to say – the teachers are getting used to her and she’s relaxing a bit. I also am getting used to the fact that I have 30 (yes, thirty) first graders to corral this year. It’s very challenging, and I find the need to draw out every ounce of patience I have each and every day. Some days, there’s none left when I start. Oy

The Boy: Sunday, he turned 5. He had a sleepover. Four 10-year olds in the same house overnight is madness. Next year, I need reinforcements. Better yet, hopefully he’ll be at his dad’s house that night.

Health: Getting older is NOT for sissies. I’ll do a proper post on all that’s been going on later. Everything is fine, but, OY. I miss being 25.

:O)

Summ-er(ar)-y Things

WOW, it’s been a long time since I blogged. Things have been crazy here as usual. Here’s a rundown:

~The Boy LOVES his pump. Not so much the insertion sites, but we all see the ease with which the daily arm-wrestle that is Type 1 Diabetes goes down whilst pumping. Pump on!

~In May, the Vereen side of The Boy’s world, plus me – I think I still count, walked in the JDRF’s DC walk. The Team was The Boy’s Dad, Grandmother (Mom-Mom), Grandfather (Pop-Pop), an old family friend that lives in DC now, and myself. I was feelin’ all bad about not meeting my fundraiser goals since the rest of the team had. That is, till I looked and realized I’d set a higher goal than the rest. We ROCKED, and raised about a grand total. The DC walk raised buckets. Now we just need a cure.

The Boy - JDRF Walk at Nationals Park

~The Boy is now a 9 year-old fourth-grader. Oy. Howtheheckdidthathappen??

~To celebrate the above item, my mom, sister, and I took The Boy (notice the theme here – it’s all Boy, all the time) to . . . . . .. . . . WWE Capitol Punishment. I am torn as to which is best – live where you don’t have to hear the goofy announcers, but just pay attention to the action, or at home on the couch with some knitting where you get close-ups of Randy Horton’s . . . well, LOVELINESS!

~The best part of the night was torturing The Boy by not telling him where we were going. He HATES surprises, but seemed to like this one once he realized where we were. The jig was up when we turned in front of the Verizon center and saw the massive lines and all the wrestler’s trailers lined up along the road.

~I’m workin’ on gettin’ me a boyfriend. Possibly. Maybe. I’ll let you know. He’s brutiful (manly and beautiful). Cross your fingers. (No, it is not Randy Horton, but just as good-lookin’ if you ask me – smells good too).

~Took a trip to Colonial Williamsburg. There’s so much to see. We may go back next year, but with water park and historic triangle tickets to boot.

~Family Camp at Lions Camp Merrick is looming. I’m taking plenty of Lysol and hosing the place down. No stomach virus for me this year.

~I’ll be at family camp when the last Harry Potter movie premiers. I’m having issues with this. I am planning a rebellion. I’ll fill in the blog if it works!

~Summer is FLYING by. I tried to make my 2 week follow up appointment with my hairdresser, realized I’d be at family camp, then realized that the next 2 week time period would be – gulp – the end of July. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

~I’ll have a new boss when I return to school. I’m scurred. My old principal was unbelievably awesome. She’s gonna be hard to follow. Hopefully everything will be cool so I can stay there with The Boy till he runs off to middle school.

~I’m taking an online course this summer for my job. I feel old. Thank goodness I’ve already done my master’s, because this class is kicking my boo-tay!

~It’s Tour de Fleece time. I’m spinning a lovely Dragonfly Fibers merino/silk braid right now. It’s completely lovely. After that, I’ll be spinning more laceweight singles, Madelinetosh style, for a pi shawl. I’ll probably knit the Girasole pattern for it as a kind-of KAL with my sister, but I haven’t decided for certain.

~Tonight, I cast off for the Holden Shawlette. Might take me till morning – picot cast-off on the long edge of a shawl that’s 309 stitches wide. Fun times.

~I could go on and on, but I’ll stop here.

~I have company coming, and I need to do some classwork. Ugh.

:O)

Scent-Sations

Today was “Clean-the-Bathroom” day for me. I’m not a huge-mongous fan of housecleaning. I do what needs to be done when it absolutely has to be done. So, today was the day that the tub’s nether-regions got scrubbed, the commode was cleaned top to bottom (not just the bowl and bits that we sit on), the mirrors were washed and the ‘collections’ were moved, dusted/sanitized and then put back, all in the same morning. This meant that all my zillion (more like billion, but still) perfume bottles were given the once-over as well. I tossed a few, as I usually do on Clean-the-Bathroom day, but there’s this one. One that I RARELY use, but yet won’t throw out.

Seriously, I wear this scent maybe twice a year. I love the scent. I just don’t (can’t?) wear it. But I won’t throw it out.

The scent reminds me of a time in my life that I WISH was still active. I wore it a lot during a wonderfully romanitc time in my life. I loved that time in my life, and I wish it was still going. But it isn’t. And every time I wear the scent, I think about that time on and off all day long, until finally, I come home from work or wherever I’ve been and jump immediately in the shower to get rid of the offensive smell.

**Sigh**

I really like that scent.

I wish it didn’t remind me of that time. I think I keep it around hoping that the next time I put it on, my brain will have given up it’s stubborn fight and won’t keep ‘going there.’ My brain just doesn’t get the hint. Or maybe it’s my heart.

How about you? What scent does it for you? Is there a perfume/scent/smell that triggers that scent memory every single time you smell it? Does it bring back good memories or bad? How does it make you feel? Do you like to smell it, or does it make you feel some other emotion?

Longing.

That’s mine.

(And in case you’re curious, the scent is Ralph Lauren, Blue.)

:O}

Learning

On Wednesday The Boy, his dad, and I spent the morning at Children’s again. This time, for the saline start of his insulin pump!

The deliveries I mentioned in my last post also included the pump we chose! He went with the Animas Ping in the end, although he was starting to lean toward the Accu-Check Spirit at first. It finally came down to the more updated system and the COLORS! available with the Ping. He went with a nice blue that reminds me of our cute little car.

We are all very excited.

Since the pump arrived a couple weeks ago, we have been slowly reviewing things like the owner’s manual (bigger than the one for the above-mentioned car), and attempting to watch a video to learn about the pump features, but the hands-on practice at today’s mini class was what’s really got me feeling like I know what I’m doing a bit better.

Since visiting the hospital, we have been practicing by asking the pump to bolus for meals like we would if it was really up and running, even though it’s just loaded with saline. We go back early next week to actually put the ‘good stuff’ in. We will continue to fill the pump with saline each time it runs out or needs changing, practicing infusion sets/sites (where the pump attaches to his body to deliver insulin), and we are allowed to “play” with the settings as well, since he’s only getting saline and not “real” medicine.

Now that everything is finally underway (it seems like we’ve waited to get here forever, although I DO understand the reasons why), I am personally very excited that next week we can do something effective to stop all the high numbers in the middle of the night for my little guy. The nurse today even stated what I’ve been feeling – “You can’t fix that with injections.” I will dedicate a post to the whole nasty mess once we’ve successfully gotten rid of the late-night nonsense, but just know that I’m very anxious for all this to be over.

We look forward to no more shots. Our GOAL is no more shots. We hope and pray for NO. MORE. SHOTS!!

:O)

Mail Call!

Recently, the postman has been busy delivering things to my house. I entered the Survivor Pool on the knitting website Ravelry, and lo a behold, I won!! Since I enter tnis pool, as well as one for Dancing With the Stars each season they’re on, I think I was due, and boy, do I feel nice and fat and happy now!!

Here’s some of what the other players generously sent:

My sister was in the same group as me, and treated me to a “Yowsa” skein of Ms. Babs (in the French Marigold colorway). I plan to make a pair of fingerless mitts and some quick, warm socks with this monster skein, and I’ll almost bet I’ll have enough to treat someone to a cute little baby hat. All babies should wear orange, right?

MMMMMMalabrigo. Enough said. (?colorway “Solis”? I’m not a frequent flyer with the Mal – too many beautiful colors mean I can never make a decision, so not sure if Solis is the name of the yarn or the colorway).

More Ms. Babs, this time in yummy sock yarn. This is the colorway “Forever”, making me want to knit the sock pattern that I got from Ellen’s Half Pint for socks with hearts on it. The hearts, and the fact that I’ve been meaning to knit the pattern FOREVER just seems to fit all around.

I also got two (TWO!!) skeins of a Fiberphile sock yarn that’s superwash merino, CASHMERE, and nylon in a dreamy colorway called Willow. I think it may be my next Clapotis!!

I hope I got all the yarn contributions and didn’t forget anyone.

The rest of the knitters contributed to my online addictions, and sent gift certificates to my favorite – Crown Mountain Farms, where I purchased enough of their superwash merino roving in the colorway “Rise of the Phoenix” to blend with some Neighborhood Fiber Company reds that I already had, so that I can make a handknit/handspun sweater. This is a new found love of mine, one that I’m sure will be a post or two on it’s own soon!

I also got two gifties for The Loopy Ewe, where I was able to FINALLY get a Namaste bag. When I saw that their hipster style came in that durable nylon material, and in the blue/teal that I am so in love with lately, I jumped right on that! It’s now holding my current Cookie A sock, “Pointelle.” I also purchased three more sock patterns (one being Cookie A’s “Mingus”), as well as a skein of Trekking sock yarn in the Carribbean colorway.

I want to say thank you again to all the participants of my group for their generosity, as well as to the moderator, Natalie for helping out and running the show in general. I’ve had such a great experience with the pools, and winning this time around has just hooked me all over again!!

I am thoroughly and horribly spoiled, and I love it!

Pics soon. Enjoy the links for now!

:O)

Anticipation

Is there something you are really looking forward to? Often a question like this would have a fibery answer from me, but since I just experienced spoiling of the ‘Survivor Pool’ type, I am pretty much set as far as yarn and fiber for spinning goes.

No, what I anticipate most right now is the arrival and start-up of my son’s insulin pump. It is supposed to be delivered today (although time is running short. . .), after which I can call our CDE to set up his starting classes.

So, why am I looking forward to this so much? Well, there are many reasons and I am his Momma, so anything that he really wants and looks forward to is something I am going to try my best to give him. He has wanted a pump since the day he saw another little guy at camp this past summer with one (this was probably about 4 months past diagnosis), as he is most interested in not having to do multiple shots each day. I like this part, too, since I know how much he hates them!

He also seems to be coming out of his honeymoon, with spikes at night A LOT during growth spurts. Funny how theyLre called ‘spurts’, though, when they last for weeks at a time. . . So corrections at night should be much easier when I don’t have to go waking him up to roll over for easy access to his sleeper zipper. Cause that is always so much fun in the middle of the night.

And I also want my little guy to be more comfortable eating his meals whenever and wherever he needs to. Several times he has been offered meals out, but has turned them down because he doesn’t want to do a shot in front of strangers. Ugh. So anything that brings things a little closer to normal is good.

I’m sure there will be more posts later, once we get into pumping and actually know what we are doing. For now, though, I’m just waitin’ on the Fedex guy. . .

:O)

Midnight Rant

There is a reason that I read a good number of adult Type 1 blogs right along with the D-mom and dad blogs. I feel the need to see how people who are grown and/or have grown up with this disease deal with it all. I feel the overwhelming need, desire, pressure (not sure any of these is the right word right now) to make absolutely certain that when my boy is of the age where he’s taking charge of his diabetes on his own, that he won’t have a screwed up body already – courtesy of his stoopid mommy.

So, I read Kerri’s blog. I read Chris’s blog, and I surf around to the folks that they mention, because I want to know that people actually DO make it to the other side of this. I want to know that all this is working, and it’s not all useless and doomed. I want to know that my anger and frustration will pay off in the end.

‘Cause seriously? I’m sick and f%&$#?* tired of asking my son to check his blood sugar. I’m sick to death of telling him “no” to the extra snacks he would like to have – you know – because he’s eight and a growing kid!, and I am DEFINITELY sick and f$&%#?$ tired of giving my kid shots in his tummy in the middle of the night when he’s gone high.

This disease SUCKS.

BITE ME, DIABETES. BITE ME.

:/

Commitment to Posting

I’ve decided I want to blog more. Rather than just thinking about doing it, I’m starting right now. I will be posting on this blog at least once a week for all of 2011. Yes, I’ve already missed a week, but let’s start counting now, eh?

I know it won’t be easy, but it might be fun, inspiring, awesome and wonderful. Therefore I’m promising to make use of The DailyPost, and the community of other bloggers with similiar goals, to help me along the way.

I plan to continue to post about the successes, trials, and methods of fighting my son’s Type 1 diabetes like I have been recently, but I also want to get back to the fibery aspect of this blog. With all the stresses around diabetes these days, the fiber really keeps me sane, and deserves it’s just space. I miss the knitting blogs I used to peruse (now I peruse diabetes blogs and scan Ravelry for my fiber fixes here and there). I hope to reconnect with the knit-bloggers in this adventure as well.

If you already read my blog, I hope you’ll encourage me with comments and likes, and good will along the way.

:O)