Unfurnished Brooklyn

Say no to drugs

Especially the icky-tasting ones. Blecch.

This morning, after dropping Cheb off at school, I staggered to the nearest pharmacy and spent at least 15 minutes trying to find the right cold medicine. Not something you should have to decide when you're sick and your brain isn't functioning. There was a woman there also choosing medicine and we both just stood there, feverish and swaying slightly, overwhelmed by the choices. I just tried to pick what was a) affordable and b) the least vile. A few years ago I bought some supposedly honey flavored medicine- which I noticed is no longer on the shelves- and man, was that stuff horrible. The memory of it is making me ill.

When Cheb is ill, I doctor up her medicine with juice and honey. I took mine straight. Gaaahhh! Vile. Absolutely horrid. But as today was the second day of barely being able to breath, I figured I'd better take the drugs. I feel kinda high right now. I guess that's the medicine company's idea: we can't cure the cold, so why not distract them?

Yesterday I felt totally craptacular, so it was very nice to get my Secret Pal gift in the mail. Stickers for Cheb, ginger bath gel from Philosophy for me (yum!), a cool fiber sampler (which was stolen by Cheb- she wants to put them on her jeans), and some very lovely sock yarn from Spunky Eclectic. Love the color. Thanks, Secret Pal!

I'd start on them today, only my circs are in use. Guess I'll have to wait a day or two. But check it out (colors kinda nearly accurate):

(I'd take a pic of the whole package, but it's only through the magic of drugs that I'm up and posting this. Let's be happy I got the pic of the yarn up, 'kay?)

It's funny: yesterday I was thinking that I should sell off most of the yarn in my stash and use it to buy more sock yarn. I finished a pair of boot socks in Artful Yarn's Jazz, and I'm almost done with a pair in Socks That Rock (the Nodding Violet colorway). All I wanna do is knit socks now. I guess seeing all my sweaters stacked up the other day made me realize I need to branch out a bit. Well, with my new sock yarn, I've got a head start. 

Knittiot Savant

I don't know what's wrong with me. I can memorize cable patterns and do them on the subway or at the playground, I can knock out socks and hats and even sweaters like it warn't nuthin', but in other ways... well, some days I'm surprised I can even dress myself.

Last night I was putting away clothes as Cheb did her homework. I thought it was kind of chilly, and thought about asking the super to turn on the heat- and then realized that she's on vacation. For about ten minutes I was shivering, but continued what I was doing. It finally dawned on me that maybe I should put on one of the many, many, many sweaters I have lying around. It shouldn't have taken me that long to figure it out. Especially as I was folding sweaters at the time. Sigh.

(Okay, to be fair to myself, I have a lot on my mind. Including an upcoming interview for a job with good hours and great benefits. Here's hoping I smarten up by then.)

Anyway- here's the latest finished project. The Shedir* cap from Knitty, in red Rowan Calmer:

I made it for Cheb. She tried it on. It fits. I asked if she liked it. "Yeah. I guess. It's not pink, but it's okay." I think that's her motto: if it ain't pink, it stinks. I'm going to frog an old Noro hat and rework it as a Fake Isle hat. The Noro Kureyon is pink. That should make her happy. Brat.

In other news, I've started spinning the silk caps I bought at Rhinebeck. Eh. Not bad for a self-taught beginner, I guess. Maybe I could use a little spinning help from someone. Maybe someone in Brooklyn. Who lives along the same subway line as I do... hint, hint.

*I'm glad this hat is done. Maybe now I can stop singing She bang! She bang! in my head all the time.

I want a beer

Not now... tonight. I want a beer. Probably Bass Ale. That's the best they sell around here (and it's pretty good). Most stores here sell the Russian beer (of varying strengths) that you drink when you just wanna get crocked. And I tell you, that stuff will speed you on your way.

Funny thing is, if I do get a beer I won't finish it. I'll sit in front of the tv, set up my knitting (I'm nearly done on a Shedir cap for Cheb), get halfway through the Bass and nod out. I can put away a few margaritas at a party, but half a beer at home is my limit.

What got me started on that? What I really want to know is this: what can I do with 10 skeins of white Lopi? I bought it 2 (3?) years ago during a Smiley's Yarn Freakout and later realized that white yarn and Cheb don't mix. I want to dye it- am I just asking for trouble? Should I unwind it and dye the skeins? Should I dye the finished garment? Should I give the yarn to someone who isn't going to fuck it up? Help me out, people.

And for your amusement:

Peony: "Dude. Primo catnip. I am so baked."

Hmm.

I'm feeling very odd right now. I just finished watching Munich while weaving in the many, many ends on a colorful mitten. I don't know how to react to that movie. Maybe that's the point.

It doesn't help that it is rainy and dreary outside. So here's a bit of mirth:

Northern Lights mitten from KnitPicks. Knit on 2 #1 circulars. Will I ever use dpn's again? Probably not.

Opal Rainforest Tiger socks in my usual toe-up-from-the-floor-up pattern. I made these about an inch longer than I usually do- I'm so paranoid about running out of yarn, it was a struggle for me to keep knitting the leg. I have much more left. Cheb is getting her own pair, that's how much I have left. Yardage of doom. And dang, I love this yarn.

Yes, after watching an intense movie on a rainy day while waiting for a plumber who never showed, wouldn't you mess with your cats too? They're just lying there... make'em model finished products.

I have an hour to kill. I'm going to get NaNoWrimo'ing. And use some of this weirdness left over from the movie.

And hokey smokes, people! I'm listening to the news and Rummy Rumsfeld is resigning! Don't let the doorknob hit ya ass on the way out....

Apartment insurance is sounding like a good thing...

Yesterday, when I took Cheb to school, we noticed a burning smell. Like, burnt toast or something. Cheb, still nervous about last year's fire, wondered if there was another. I told her someone probably burned their breakfast, and all was fine. I dropped her off, and headed back, and conked out in my bed.

Two hours later, a neighbor rang my bell and asked if I was burning anything. The smell in the hall had gotten stronger. She was knocking on everyone's door, and only one person did not respond. We went to the super, and someone decided to call the fire department. They arrived and found that the elderly woman in the apartment that adjoins mine had left something on the stove. Her apartment was filled with smoke (which did not come into my apartment, but stunk up the hall).

I hung out in the hall with the neighbors (damn, a lot of us are home during the day!), and of course checked out the firefighters. I also looked into her apartment- turns out she's a packrat. Floor-to-ceiling junk. The firefighters had a time getting around in there (they didn't break the door, but went in through another neighbor's fire escape). They aired out the apartment, and locked the door (I offered to take her cat, but it could not be found).

This is what worries me: the other neighbors and the super told me she finds stuff in the street and brings it home. I peeked in and saw a ridiculous amount of crap in the front hall- who knows what's in the rest of the place? This worries me. What if there's a real fire? That place is going to go poof! Which means the wall we share is going to go poof! too. I wonder what can be done about her apartment; I haven't seen her son in months, or I'd talk to him about it. It isn't safe for her or the neighbors. (She also has health problems, and I really did expect them to find her laying on the floor in there.)

In the meantime, I need to check out insurance options. Despite the fire last year, I didn't really think about possibly losing everything. Denial. Also- I'm not telling Cheb what happened. She's worried enough. But we do have our fire plan in place.

It's on and popping

We'll see how far I get this year. I signed on two years ago and fizzled out after a week or two. I haven't been writing at all lately, so I could use a jumpstart.

Anyone else?