Blushed Knits

Untrusting

2009-03-18T10:09:00.001-04:00

I have decided that I don't feel comfortable posting on this blog. Dan has already admitted to me that he has logged into my photobucket accounts to look for pictures of him and I don't doubt that he would come here to see what I am up to.

For that reason, I am relocating blogs. (again)
I will contact those who read it to let them know the new blog address when I make it.

Still here

2009-03-16T14:42:00.002-04:00

I am still around, I just havent had much time or energy to blog. Most of my apartment is packed up and ready for the move in 11 days. I haven't been able to knit since thats all packed in bins in the living room.

Mainly I have been getting my shit together and reading some "Twilight".

More to come after the move!

2009-03-03T08:29:00.000-05:00

Last week I posted about my marriage being over. Dan did arrive in Arkansas, and I requested information from a lawyer to file for divorce. For the most part, things were fine. I mean sure there was stress with him not working, but it was stress we could handle.

Let’s rewind a few weeks. I got off work, got in the car and he asked me to hold a book for him that he had lying on the passenger seat. It was called “How to Survive a Spiritually Mismatched Marriage”. I was shocked. For those that know me, I am not as active in my faith as I should be. However, I believe in God, I believe in the Bible and all that. I just don’t go to church on a regular basis, more of a special occasion deal. Dan was majorly into “worship” yet he never went to church. I was trying to explain to him that I had the same religious beliefs as him and didn’t understand where all that was coming from. He never really responded. The next day, at work, I was thinking about it some more. I talked to him on the phone and he said he felt that if he had known how I was before we got married, he didn’t know if he would have married me. Woah there, I am the exact same person I was the entire time. Nothing about me has changed, except I might have gained a bit more patience. So, I wrote him a letter, calmly explaining that, and it hurts me to know that as my husband he is judging me on how I practice my faith. I busted out a few bible verses, and gave him the letter.

After work, he read the letter, and rather than talking to me, he wrote back. He basically shot down everything I said, ignored the bible verses and to sum it up, he didn’t want to accept me for who I am. So, he packed his bags and was working on getting a bus ticket back to Arkansas. The only problem? He had a way back to Arkansas, but no way to the bus station. I refused to take him. He had no money. He called the taxi company and tried to pawn his wedding band for a ride. Thankfully they turned him down. We sat in separate rooms and I finally got up, went into the kitchen and started making something to eat. He came in, saying if I would hug him, he would stay. So, I hugged him. We agreed we would work on sharing our feelings more, I would be more willing to attempt to go to this church he wanted to try out, and he would work on accepting things I like as well.

That lasted for about 2 ½ weeks. Things were going great. We were looking at apartments together, we were about to take a second look at the apartment we both loved. I had talked to him on the phone from work, he was all excited. Couldn’t wait to start furniture shopping. Two hours later, he picks me up from work, and decides he no longer wants to be married.

We went to my mother’s (because they were going with us to look at the apartment). Rather than Dan joining us for the second look, we left him outside my apartment and went to look at it ourselves. My mom and stepdad lent me the money for the deposit, and I move in on March 28th. When I got back home, Dan was waiting. He walked over to us and struck a deal with my parents. If they gave him money for his bus ticket and a ride to the bus station, he wouldn’t go after me for half of the income tax. All he wanted was his clothes, his computer and his cell phone. They talked it over and agreed, so off he went.

We spoke over the weekend. He told me he’s sorry for being a jackass, but he feels he never truly loved me in that way. He partially came here for a place to live, and partially getting over his ex girlfriend.

Now I am left here, wondering for the rest of my life, why a person who doesn’t love another, would promise to spend the rest of their life with them in front of family, friends and God.

I am slowly dealing with it. I have days where I cry, and days where I can smile and laugh again. Ideally I would like to be his friend, in the distant future, I just can’t right now.

Funny Twist of Events

2009-02-26T09:41:00.000-05:00

I'll make this short and sweet.
My marriage is over.
He is on his way to Arkansas as I type this.

The End.

The Great Apartment Search

2009-02-24T18:36:00.002-05:00

Saturday Dan and I went to go look at an apartment down town. It had its good points and most definitely its bad points as well.

Good:

-The original woodwork, cabinets, hardwood floors from over a hundred years ago.
-A Terrace in the back of the apartment to relax on.
-French Doors

Bad:

-Bad neighborhood
-Landlady seems kinda....bitchy?
-Rooms are way too small
-No counters in the kitchen
-The only cabinets in the kitchen are way too tall, wouldnt be able to reach them
-Fire station right around the corner. (sirens at 3 am no ty)

Needless to say, the bad outweighed the good and we wont be taking that apartment.

After work today, we stopped by another place that's for rent. This one was on the south side of town. One bedroom, heat included. While the bedroom was still on the smaller side, our bed would fit so I'm fine with it. The living room is a decent size. The bathroom is HUGE, and the kitchen is decent as well. Plus, it also comes with the 3rd floor attic for storage. There is electricity up there, but no heat. Either way, we can finally have a place to put all of our things! We can even set aside a corner to stash my yarn!

All we have to do now is try to come up with the security deposit. I just paid rent for our current place and don't have enough to cover it at the moment. Here's hoping we come across some money so we can get a new place to live before the land lady kicks us out!

February Song

2009-02-19T16:33:00.002-05:00

I can't believe that February is already over halfway over. The weather has been tempermental. One day its cold and snowy, the next day its in the 50's and 60's. Right now we are back to the cold cycle with the occasional snowfall. What does this mean in the Lopez household? It means that I am forever wanting to just stay under the blankets with my favorite mug and sipping some hot tea or hot chocolate. I would much rather spend my days reading or knitting. Instead I have to suck it up and face reality. I have not won the lottery yet. I am not an heiress and I am not disgustingly wealthy. So, for now, I have to wake up each morning, drag myself to the bathroom to get ready for the work day. I get to work and immediately head straight to the soda machine so I can get caffeine in my system as soon as humanly possible. I sit at my desk for 8.5 hours a day. For about 4 of those hours I bust my butt and get my work done. The rest of the time is spent doing other people's work for them. I come home, either cook dinner or relax in the kitchen with Dan while he cooks dinner. We eat, clean up dishes and spend the next few hours watching tv or a movie, while I sit and knit up whatever project is on the needles at that time.

Dan is still out of work. He is spending a few hours a day filling out applications and trying to find any type of job he can get. At this point, he is even willing to work 3rd shift.

I keep trying to save money wherever I can but still allow myself to splurge on yarn once in awhile. We quit smoking, we quit playing Maple Story. I figure I can allow myself to buy a few skeins of the cheap yarn each pay and once in a verrrry great while let myself buy the real good yarn.

Tonight, I have to go to AC Moore to pick up some baby yarn. A co-worker approached me last week. A friend of hers recently found out she is having a baby and the co-worker would like me to knit a blanket. She's paying for the yarn and to reimburse me for my time, she will be getting me 1 skein of yarn for myself for every skein of yarn I use on the project. I basically got creative freedom. I was able to choose which pattern I want to use and I suppose I get to pick which yarn to knit it out of. I am thinking Red Heart Baby since she requested something Gender Friendly. She asked for something that had pink. blue, green and yellow all in one. AC Moore has Red Heart on sale this week, so after a few washes in fabric softener when its complete, we will have ourselves a winner!

Irish Hiking Hat Madness

2009-02-10T20:36:00.002-05:00

After making myself the Irish Hiking Scarf, I found a new love for cables. I wanted to knit myself a hat that would go with the scarf, but not the same color. Lately I have been into rich tones. Oranges, Purples, Reds. I knit myself this hat and love, love, love it. Since completing it, I noticed a co-worker's hat. It's black and severely worn and pilled. Friday I decided that I would surprise her and knit a new black hat for her. Again, the Irish Hiking Hat. I had it half way done, when Dan requested the same hat, same color. I don't mind knitting with black, but I was hoping for a bit of a change. No biggie, I told him I would be able to start it in a few days. Yesterday, I was on lunch at work, when Maryanne had asked me to knit her a hat. AGAIN with the Irish Hiking Hat, and AGAIN in black! Argh. Today I finished Angela's hat and cast on Dan's. From now on, if anyone requests the Irish Hiking Hat, I will notify them that I can do it, as long as it isn't black. I need colors!

Clean Lungs=Clean Apartment?

2009-02-09T19:37:00.002-05:00

Two weeks ago Dan and I decided it was time to quit smoking. We finished off our last pack, and stopped cold turkey. For the most part, we have been ok. We have random cravings, but they fade fast. I found for me, the best cure is knitting, rather than eating. So yay for not gaining weight when I quit smoking! Dan has also picked up his own little craft. He mentioned that he used to do latch hook when he was a kid, so the other night when we had to go on a yarn run, we picked him up a latch hook kit to work on. I joked with him saying when we find a new place, we need to find a place that has space for 2 craft corners now. (not that I mind)

With quitting smoking, comes the family being every shade of proud. The first phase with my mother when she heard we quit, was her inviting us over for dinner on a regular basis. Making sure to fill us up with her delicious cooking.

Saturday, she informed us of the next phase. Today, while I was at work....her and my stepdad came over and helped Dan clean the entire apartment. We are talking, baseboards, every teeny nook, ALL OF IT. Now please realize, I am not a princess. I don't expect my family to be responsible for our mess. With my horrid packrat ways, this place was in pretty bad shape. Six hours after they arrived, the place sparkles! I am eternally grateful to my mother for spending her Monday afternoon over here, making my life easier. It's so refreshing to come into the apartment and not smell the lingering stench of stale cigarette smoke.

Now, since Dan is home during the days, still struggling to find a job, I made a list of daily tasks to ensure that the apartment stays clutter free.

Eventually, I would like to replace the bedframe and get something that hurts less when bumping into it in the middle of the night. I also need to get some picture frames to hang up a few more posters I have. I also need to get rid of the loveseat and the chair in the living room and see if I can take advantage of some furniture stores in the area closing down.

Another mild problem area is in the kitchen. We have a lack of cabinet space and too many mugs to fit in them. Does anyone have any decent looking, low budget friendly storage solutions for coffee mugs?

January Goals

2009-02-04T21:58:00.002-05:00

January was a mixed month for the goal completion. While I did finish organizing the craft corner, the knitted hearts deadline failed me. I think rather than giving some to the entire department, I might just give the few I got done to my friends that I sit with at lunch.

However, let's take a look at the organized corner:

First up, I organized the book case that is above the built in desk. Now it contains all of my knitting books, rather than just random magazines and catalogs I never sorted through. The little gray box had originally came with my "Lovely" perfume set, but now it is the home for my stitch markers, tape measures and stitch holders. The top shelf holds random craft books and embroidery patterns.

Here we have the built in desk:

I have my toolbox filled with scrapbooking supplies, knitting needle holder, thread basket and my basket of WIP's. Underneath the built in desk is my yarn stash (not shown in a photo).

Just think, in a few months, all this will be packed up and re-arranged in a new place. :)

Thanks for having me back...

2009-02-04T21:49:00.003-05:00

The past week has been TORTURE! I never realized how much I depend on the internet until this past week. Luckily I was able to leech off of the occasional wireless connection in the neighborhood, however it was far from smooth sailing. Everytime it would connect, it would disconnect since the signal was too far away. It made it very difficult for looking up patterns in Ravelry.

So, what is a girl to do with no internet and no cable for a week? Knit of course! I knitted up a kitten for a girl's birthday at work (sadly, I didn't take any pictures). I also made a baby hat (again no picture) and then with the cold weather, Dan requested I knit him a hat.

So, I got that done and now I have been exploring with cables more. Right now I am about to cast on the Irish Hiking Hat. I was working on a sample one just to get myself familiar with the pattern, however I will be frogging it since its yarn I completely hate. (received as a gift one year)

Other than knitting, we have spent alot of time with my mother. We went over on Saturday and watched "Swing Vote". If you haven't seen it, it's a cute movie.

We also decided that while we do eventually want to move to Arkansas, with the economy in the shape it's in, we shouldn't plan on moving there at this time. Instead we will do our best to find another apartment in the area, save up for a year or two and THEN make the move. Now if the apartment search fails, that's a different story I guess. There was one apartment I found in center city. It's gorgeous on the inside, I just don't know how comfortable I feel living in that neighborhood. I guess it all comes down to how desperate I get, right?

Also on a momentary pause

2009-01-26T21:52:00.001-05:00

Like a fellow friend of mine, I too will be taking a week and a half of absence from the internet. Things should be back to normal in 2 weeks at the latest. Stay tuned c:

Lazy Days

2009-01-18T14:31:00.002-05:00

Sorry I haven't been blogging much. With the cold winter, I haven't done much of anything. I have about 3 weeks to go on the hearts project and I haven't even begun yet. I guess that's what Sundays are for :)

I have spent alot of my time playing around on the internet, finding new patterns that I want to eventually knit.

Meh, I will try to post more often. Lets hope things start to get interesting or I at least get some knitting done so I have something to post about :P

Goals

2009-01-03T18:59:00.002-05:00

Today started off rather dull. Hubby and I slept in, ate some breakfast and were just bumming around for the first half of the day. I decided since we were bored, it was the perfect day to work on my project for January. I wanted to clean/organize my craft area. After about 2 hours of cleaning, frogging projects I know I will never complete and moving all of my knitting books to the proper area, the Craft Corner now looks amazing! (will take pictures another day).

Next up on the goal list is to knit up some little somethings for the girls at work. Since I will only be there a few more months, I wanted to give them a little something for Valentine's Day. I have a month and a half to knit up 12 little hearts. It can easily be done.

Tonight's agenda? Catching up on reading some blogs, finishing off Calorimetry Number 2 and maybe watching some cute, corny movie. I'm thinking "Cinderella Story".

Welcome 2009!

2009-01-01T18:28:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a safe and wonderful New Years Eve!

Hubby and I didn't do much for the night. We went out for steak and shrimp at Applebee's then headed home for a quiet night in. We watched Kung Fu Panda and then watched the ball drop. Not exactly an eventful night, but it was perfect for us.

2008 was packed with all sorts of things going on. My cousin got married, then a few weeks later we got married. Hubby lost his job, I got a raise.

2009 should be different. Between moving halfway across the country and leaving my job in a few months, to adjusting to the move and challenging myself on knitting more than stockinette stitched projects.

Speaking of projects, I got the Irish Hiking Scarf completed yesterday. I measured yesterday at work and realized it was long enough, so I finished up to the 7th row in the pattern and voila! It's done! It was definitely a good scarf project and I believe I will knit more of these throughout the year. I modified it a bit since I was using bulky yarn. Instead of having the 3 cables like the original pattern, I went with just the 2 cables. Length wise, it goes to my waist, after being completely wrapped around my neck. Its so warm and soft!

Next up on the needles is Calorimetry. I have some worsted weight wool yarn that my mom and stepdad picked up for me in Alaska a few years ago. They only brought back one hank, 50 grams, 75 yards. Not enough for a full hat, and for a few years I have been trying to think of the perfect project to use it up. Once that's done, I can work on my gifts for next Christmas, along with a side surprise project for my co-workers.

Happy New Year everyone!

Another Christmas gone, another New Year about to begin...

2008-12-29T20:15:00.002-05:00

It's hard to believe Christmas is already over. It seems this month flew by entirely too fast. Christmas with my family was a bit odd this year. My brother flew to Germany with his boyfriend, so he wasn't here on Christmas. My cousin had to work the day after Christmas and lives about 4 hours away, so she wasn't here for Christmas either. The hubby and I got to sleep in on Christmas day, and didn't have to leave the house till 1 pm.

Now that Christmas is over, and New Years is a few days away, this is the time where I make all sorts of resolutions that I tend to forget a few days after New Years. This year, I intend to stick with my resolutions.

-Start my Christmas knitting in January.
-Cut back and eventually quit smoking.
-Keep the new apartment/house organized after we move.
-Be more patient and less irritable.

Now, to plan next year's knitted gifts.

Hubby declared his love for vests the other day. I must attempt to knit him a vest or 2.

The mother in-law and her partner. I am thinking scarves and hats.

My mother. Hmm. What to knit a fellow knitter who has far more talent than I do? I'm thinking lace photo frame matting. Hubby and I won't be close by around Christmas. I am hoping we will be able to save up enough money plus get vacation time from wherever we work to come back to Pennsylvania for the holidays, but still, it won't be the same. I think we will take our picture in front of the tree, put it in a frame, with the knitted matting.

The step dad. Another tricky one. I guess a cabled scarf would be nice.

What is everyone else's resolutions?

Update on the Move

2008-12-22T23:14:00.002-05:00

After talking with Dan and my family, we came up with a plan for the big move to Arkansas. Dan is going to try to find temp work here for about 2 months. All of his income will go towards savings to get a U-Haul, hotel costs, gas and food for when I move. Once we have enough money saved up, he will be taking a bus to Arkansas and stay with his mom. He will be getting a job there, saving up money for about a month. During that month, I will remain here, packing, working and spending as much time with my family as I can. Then, once he finds us an apartment, I will head on down.

I am not looking forward to being seperated from my hubby for a month. We haven't even been married a year yet, so it will be hard. However, it makes sense. I mean for us to both go down there with no job will be very hard. Sure, his mom said we could stay with her, but it would be easier on everyone for us to handle this responsibly. First off, she lives in a small trailer. Squeezing in an extra 2 people would be really hard. Second, neither of us feel comfortable with going there, with no income coming in, and unsure of how long it will take to find a job and a place to live.

At least its the modern age where we have free long distance and the internet to keep in touch, right?

Kate Gosselin

2008-12-19T12:27:00.002-05:00

Last night the hubby and I went to Hackman's to meet Kate Gosselin of Jon and Kate plus 8. She was signing her book, "Multiple Blessings" from 6:30-9pm. We knew there would be a crazy line, so I took the day off from work. We got there around 3:15 and the line was already fairly big. The lines were weaving around the aisles and we were in the 3rd aisle. I tried to knit while having to wait 3+ hours for Kate to arrive and start signing the books, but only got to knit a few rows.

She got there about 15 minutes late, and immediately went to signing books. We weren't allowed to take a picture with her due to the time limit, but we could take pictures in line. Hubby decided when it was my turn to get my book signed, he would stand back and take a picture of her signing it. When it was my turn, I went up to the lady in charge of handing Kate the books and asked if I could give Kate a small gift. We had gotten the family a small ornament. The lady said sure, and Kate looked up and was like "Yes! Thank you!" It was really sweet. She signed the book, and we left. The time we had of meeting her went by so fast, yet it was so worth it! She is really down to earth and I always wanted to meet her before moving to Arkansas.

Remodelling=Relocating

2008-12-17T18:10:00.002-05:00

Today we had a holiday luncheon at work. They had a caterer come in, give us free food and we got to relax for 2 hours and 45 min. During lunch, my dad came in (he works for the same company as I do). After I ate, I went back to my desk for some quiet knitting time. He approached me and told me he heard from my uncle. My uncle is friends with the guy that lives in the apartment above me. Apparantely my neighbor got news from my landlady that Hubby and I are being evicted in the spring since she wants to remodel our apartment. Now, under normal circumstances, we would have legal protection, but my landlady does not believe in leases. Therefor, there is no way I could legally fight it. When the guy that used to live in the first floor apartment had finally moved out, the landlady did renovations on his apartment. She refuses to hire a professional, and instead has her daughter help her fix the place up. That process took her a year and a half before it was back in living conditions. That would explain the eviction since she can't very well put us up in a hotel for that amount of time while she renovates.

Am I going to confront her on this news I heard? Nope. The main reason is, she tends to procrastinate. She hasn't told us that we will be moving out, so the longer I pretend I don't know, the more likely she is to put her little project off.

It irritates me that she chose to go blabbing about this to the neighbor before informing us, but in a way it's a good thing. She wasnt aware that he is friends with my uncle. So now we have a few extra months to plan what to do before move out day.

Hubby and I were planning on saving to move to Arkansas. We werent planning on it being anytime soon, especially since we are down to one income at the moment. However, after talking with his mom, when it is time for us to move out, we are packing up and moving to Arkansas. We will be staying with her until we get jobs, save enough to get our own place.

Its going to be hard leaving my family, but right now thats the only option. My apartment was really cheap. I cant find another apartment in this area that I can afford. Plus, since we wanted to eventually move to Arkansas, we may as well do it as soon as the opportunity arrives. At least we will have a roof over our heads while we try to find out what to do next.

Cabin Fever

2008-12-14T20:10:00.002-05:00

For the most part since the mother of all colds has been in our place, Hubby and I haven't left the apartment. (other than getting groceries since the cabinets were bare and the fridge was empty)

What is a girl to do when she can't leave the apartment? Can't knit in fear of getting her germs all over her precious knitting? She spends the weekend on Ravelry, adding patterns to her favorites. xD I wasn't going to do any holiday knitting this year. However, each year I give a little something to the girls in my department. Whether it be crafted or bought. This year, I have no idea what to gift them and since funds are tight, I will be knitting them Christmas Tree Ornaments. I have some left over Lamb's Pride in I believe kiwi, I have the polyfil stuffing, all I need are some star shaped buttons and I am good to go. They look like a quick knit which is exactly what I need right now since I have only a little over a week to knit 11 of them up for the girls.

Tell me readers, what are you knitting your friends/loved ones for the holidays?

2008-12-12T19:30:00.002-05:00

It was inevitable. Taking care of sick hubby caught up with me. Yesterday I woke up and my throat felt raw. After work, we ran to CVS so I could get some Tylenol Cold & Flu. It was a dual pack that had day and night meds in it. Took the night time around 7:00. I fell asleep around 8:30 and slept through the entire night.

I went to work today, packed my pills, brought cough drops, but didn't make it through the day. I left around lunch time and have been in bed all day.

No knitting for me while this cold is running through the house. First, the pills have me all dopey so I don't want to risk messing up my scarf. Second, I really don't want sick germs all over the scarf.

I hope everyone has a nice weekend!

Sounds like someone has a case of the Mondays

2008-12-08T20:37:00.002-05:00

Today was one of those days where I put up a fight with the alarm clock at 7 am and brutally lost. Last night, hubby and I stayed up pretty late watching "Pretty Woman". Combine that with hours of meeting new peoeple and re-connecting with old friends on Facebook and my sleep was lost. Last I remember looking at the clock, it was 2:40 AM.

I got to work, it was a typical Monday. The day itself went pretty fast. I was only mildly irritated about 3 times through out the day (thats a record for me lately). Tomorrow should be a bit chaotic. One of the ladies I work with pulled a muscle in her shoulder, so she is limited on what she can do. With having to pull files to mail to home office, I get to handle that while she is injured, plus do my own work. It's good for me though. Usually I get done with all of my work by 2 pm and am forced to sit there trying to find something to do until 4:30.

Hubby is sick right now. He has a sore throat and a fever. I am trying to take care of him, plus stay far enough away where I don't get sick as well. I decided since I have zero energy, tonight would be a lazy night. I showered and changed into my pj's right when I got home. Called Pizza Hut, ordered us a pizza and have been laying in bed all evening, knitting, watching CSI, and just relaxing.

The Irish Hiking Scarf is about 1/3 of the way done. I am about to finish up my first skein of yarn. I can't believe I waited so long to knit this scarf. It is the perfect balance of challenging, but not overly challenging for me. Something I can watch tv while knitting, but not be bored out of my skull.

Whats on the agenda for the rest of the night? More snuggling under the covers, drinking my hot chocolate, and watching some "Jon and Kate Plus 8". Hubby is already snoring away, and I think after my show, I will be doing the same. Have a good night everyone, and stay warm. ♥♥♥

It's a nice day for a drive

2008-12-06T22:17:00.002-05:00

Today, the hubby and I got sick of being cooped up in the apartment, so we decided to go out for a bit. I wanted to go to Starbucks, enjoy a drink and knit. He didn't want to end up sitting there bored to death while I was knitting away, so we stopped at Hackman's so he could get a book to read. While we were there, I got a Christmas gift for my Aunt Sue & Uncle Bill, along with a copy of "MULTIPLE BLES8INGS" by Kate Gosselin. She will be coming there on December 18th to sign the book, so I wanted to eliminate having to stand in line to purchase the book when I go to get it autographed.

After Hackman's, we did head over to Starbucks. While we were there, I saw those adorable yarn ball wreaths I have been hearing so much about! I read on Ravelry that one of the girls asked their local Starbucks manager if they could purchase one when the holidays were over, and the manager said he would give them to her free of charge. I will have to call mine to ask about getting one! :) After ordering my Peppermint Mocha Twist, I saw the new mugs they have as well. They have a cable knit texture to them and it reminds me of the Irish Hiking Scarf I'm in the middle of knitting, so of course I had to snag me one of them as well. We sat on the couches that were there. Hubby with his new book, and me with my knitting, just sipping on our drinks. Finally, we got a bit too chilly and decided to head home.

On the way home, I decided I wanted to stop and see the area that was big on the news the other week. A house about a mile from where we live had randomly exploded. There were 2 people inside the house when it happened, but they made it out with minor injuries and bruising. The explosion leveled their house and made the houses on either side of it be condemned due to structural damage. It left 17 people homeless. They are still trying to figure out what caused the explosion, but they did rule out any criminal activity. One of the people in the neighborhood that they interviewed had mentioned that he was on his way home right around when the explosion happened, but had a strange urge to pick up a bible before heading home. I just think its amazing that nobody was seriously injured.

After seeing the house, we went home, straightened up the bedroom. Re-arranged some furniture and just relaxed. I think tomorrow will be spent reading, knitting and cooking dinners for the week.

I hope everyone enjoys their weekend!

TGIF

2008-12-06T21:54:00.000-05:00

It's finally Friday! This week has been a week from hell. I worked late shift this week, so for the last hour of my day each week, I was getting paid to sit at my desk and play around with Ravelry. I still don't understand the point of late shift. Supposedly it's to provide extra phone coverage for the mass phone calls we get after 4:30. Hmm, how many calls did I get? 4. Not 4 a day--4 calls the entire week. Pointless, but at least I get some quiet time to play around.

Tonight the hubbie and I had to go to my mom's house for my step dads birthday dinner. Dinner was yummy as usual. They had linguini with shrimp and marinara sauce, while I had lasagna. xD For dessert, we had cheesecake with a chocolate hazlenut crust and blackberry sauce on top. After dinner, my mom and I got to sit around and talk a bit. With hubbie out of work right now, its getting stressful. We aren't totally broke. We can manage the bills, put food on the table and I can do the occasional splurge for yarn. However, I have to splurge at the chain stores, rather than treating myself to some gorgeous handspun yarns.

As we were about to leave my moms, I was walking downstairs, and I slipped. I fell (more like leaped) down a few stairs, and landed flat on my feet. I almost landed on a table with a burning candle on it, but luckily I landed a few inches away. My foot hurt for a little bit, but I got over it quick.

It's about 16 degrees outside tonight, and I expect it will be just as cold this weekend. It's a perfect weekend to stay in and work on my Irish Hiking Scarf!

I just cast on today, and since I am using bulky yarn, I went with the modified version with just the 2 cables. So far I AM LOVING IT! I have never knit cables before, so I was a bit hesitant. However this pattern is simple, so its perfect for beginners. xD

Funny, each year I tell myself that I will knit a bunch of gifts for Christmas, yet each year I start knitting way too late and don't get any knitted gifts out. This year, I didn't even attempt to knit gifts. This scarf is for me. However, for next year I WILL be handing out knitted gifts for Christmas if it kills me.

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Now playing: Tori Amos - Mother
via FoxyTunes

What to Expect

2008-12-06T21:52:00.001-05:00

With 2009 rapidly approaching, I felt it was time to get rid of my old blog and start anew.

For those that don't know me, I'm Jessica. 30 something female living on the East Coast (for the time being). I am happily married to my wonderful, yet opinionated husband. I work full time doing tedious data entry work. Not exactly my dream job, but it does pay the bills and fund my crafting.

Speaking of crafting, I am a knitter. I started knitting a few years ago as a way to calm my nerves. My brother/best friend had just passed away, and I holed myself up in my apartment, basically shutting myself out from the rest of the world. My brother's fiance' had taken up knitting right after he passed away. After seeing how it seemed to calm her, I felt I should learn too. I've been hooked ever since.

Along with knitting, I dab a bit in embroidery. It doesnt happen frequently, but when it does, I'm absorbed in it for a few weeks.

I love to read. My favorite authors are J.K. Rowling and Gregory Maguire.

Watching movies is my life. I am always looking for new, interesting things to watch. I prefer comedy or drama though. I can tolerate the occasional action film. (any Batman movie kinda owns in my opinion)

Music...I don't even know where to start. My musical taste varies so much. One minute I will be listening to Korn or Nine Inch Nails, and the next minute I put in a Josh Groban cd.

Now that you know a bit about me, here is what you will see being posted in this blog. I may ~~talk~~ bitch about work on a fairly regular basis. I will be talking about knitting, crafting, and cooking.

I will most likely talk about my personal life, however trust me, it's not exciting :P

I look forward to sharing my life with whoever is reading, and hope to meet some new people.

-Jess

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Now playing: Tori Amos - Leather
via FoxyTunes