Saturday, March 15, 2008

No way....

No way has almost a month gone by with no new blog posts by me. Yikes!

Just goes to show us how fast a day and then a few more days and then a few weeks can fly by while you are keeping yourself busy with all kinds of things like job hunting, improving your word and excel skills, getting hooked on swap-bot.com with all kinds of knitting, crafting and creative writing projects. Then there's that whole reading actual books while trying to avoid the lure of the brain drain to occupy my time.

Other websites to be aware of for the time absorbing capabilities:
  • Pogo.Com
  • Digg.Com
  • Youtube.Com
  • Monster.Com
  • Careerbuilder.com
  • Yahoo Answers
  • Yelp.Com
  • Any blog related to knitting
  • Weightwatchers.Com

So now this list reminds me that I've got some painting to do, learn another new knitting technique, get a job so I can buy some stuff to make soap and candles to sell on Etsy and use in my swap packages. Oh yeah, add Etsy to the list.

I've got to get back to using my daytimer even with the not working yet thing. Using that on a regular basis during my corporate days was such a huge help in showing me that I did have productive days despite the feeling of lost and something left behind at the end of difficult day. I'm trying to get my loving absent minded programmer to consider using one of these now that he's moving up in his field. Its such a fine line with suggestions to a loved one versus you're old days of coaching folks to improve themselves like I used to do in my old call center days. I'm hoping to find a job more Office/Admin related and less strict in bound customer service. I've come across a few interesting opportunities in Craig's List that I'm going to go for so to speak. Some of my skills are a bit rusty but I can get back on the job bandwagon. Eager to learn, mature individual comfortable in high paced environments with internal and external clients of all levels...

Until we meet again....

Friday, February 22, 2008

Contest Alert: KNITTINGGAL: One thousand approaching!

KNITTINGGAL: One thousand approaching!

Wow! Donna's already had over one thousand hits by the time I found her contest. Stop by and leave a congrats and you'll be entered to win one of two books - Lace Style and Top Dog Knits. She's got some really beautiful art pictures and funny knitting related cartoons throughout her blog. Good Luck!

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Testing New Camera Skillz


Well here we go. I DID THIS! With Brion's help of course coaching me through the process. Going to have to work on the setting and lighting but for a first time not so bad eh?
This is the Football Dishcloth from the Monthly Dishcloth KAL January '08. Now I need to get if over on the other blog and take a zillion more pictures and get them up and running here and on Flicker.
Ta Ta For Now!

SO much to talk about...

There are so many things going on in my head right now that I'm first going to make a list. Then I'll post them as different ones to keep them seperate and not have a huge long one.

Here's the list, not necessarily in the order they will be posted:

Visit from my Sisters
My MiniCity (Not a POST link yet, this link goes to my actual mini city at the moment - more later)
Me and Brion
Why I miss Brady
Knitting Projects
Yarn Stash
"Reality TV" on Bravo
Netflix, the Addiction
Knitting Swaps and how to find them?
Family Pictures
Collecting Stuff
What to do w/ my Cross Stitch Stuff
Painting the Bedroom and Kitchen
How to fix the chilly bathroom
Stitch Pattern Experiments
Pay It Forward Status
Hanging Pictures
Another Book Shelf needed
My Baby Blanket Project

Now I have no excuses about not having anything to say. LOL

Saturday, February 16, 2008

300 Contest Post and some Knitting Tips

I have to come to terms with the fact that I'm addicted to Contests, Sweeps and Freebies. I haven't brought much of those obessions here, yet, well, I do post knitting related contests and here is yet another one.

Brought to us by Nancy @ the Jersey Shore on her Days go By blog. Enter at this link with a posted comment and be sure to holler that Marti sent ya!

As suggested for another entry into the contest here are a few of my favorite knitting tips.

1. Don't knit complicated lacey/pattern projects at your chatty knit groups, especially when martini's are involved. Keep to the simple ones, unless you're getting some help of course.

2. When doing picture/lace dishcloths COUNT YOUR STITCHES on the pattern row before you do your knit/purl only row. DOH!

3. Deathgrip at cast on? Try casting on with a larger needle then knit with the pattern size needles. Don't forget to cast off using the same size larger needle.

4. When doing a picture dishcloth try knitting with smaller size needles - if they call for a 7 try a 5 or 6, yes, the cloth might come out a little smaller - add a few stitches to your border sides and an extra 2 rows for your border top/bottom. The smaller needles will make for a tighter knit and help your picture POP out more.

5. Found a great FREE pattern that you're going to save to your favorites to knit "later". Print it out!! The site might change and the link lost to limbo.

Friday, February 15, 2008

Where o Where Has Marti Been?

Did you ever get the feeling that you were being tested bysomething/someone out there in the universe? Tweaked just enoughhere and there to make you wonder if you were running some gauntletin life?

This has certainly been a time of trial and tribulation and joy andsuccess in overcoming and a testament to how much Brion loves andcares for me.

Where am I going?

You might want to fasten yourself in for this particular ride folks.

As many of you already know on 3/31/07 I fell in love with Brion andhe with me. It was truly an angel choir of awe moment at theRenaissance faire when a mutual friend introduced us. A moment Ithought would never ever happen to me and one in which I scoffed atin Romance novels and movies. By the end of May we were truly acouple, by the end of June we moved in together and in November wehad to make a decision of moving together to San Francisco. We did ascouting trip and found the PERFECT place. He popped the officialquestion. End of November I quit my job and started packing. On12/15/07 we moved to San Francisco with two cats and a some clothes.The rest of our stuff arrived around the 22nd of December in time forChristmas. We unpacked, explored our new city and then it was off tostart job hunting for me. On 1/17/08 on my way to a job fair I fellas awkward as an ice skater wearing cement skates on a crack in thesidewalk and broke my foot just shy of needing surgery. Stay off thefoot for a few weeks says the Doctor. Great.. more time to Knit!!!(Stash related story another time). But wait.. there's more! That'sright, more. So around 2/8/08 I thought I was getting a chest cold,feverish, taking longer to catch my breath after hobbling around oncrutches, by the 10th in the middle of the day I realized I wasconstantly trying to catch my breath just sitting in a chair. Then IHAD TO GO to the bathroom and on my way there I told myself "Self,its getting dark, you're going to pass...." I woke up on the floorno longer really needing to go to the bathroom other than to cleanup. So, there I was, in the bathroom, trying to catch my breath,dripping sweat and Brion gets home finds me on the toilet unable toget up (glamorous huh?) and according to him, paler than our nearestto white bathroom towel. As he's helping clean me up and trying tocall 911 I pass out again. He's freaking out because apparentlywe're in the worst cell phone reception area in the state ofCalifornia and the call keeps dropping. I'm trying my best to get onsome clean underwear before the paramedics get there and calm himdown. Finally, they arrive, 2 paramedics and an ambulance because ofsome confusion with our address and the numerous calls that weredropped. Quite the scene on our street. Oxygen being force feedthrough a nose thing and a mask. The ambulance has to take a detouraround a movie/docudrama about a local gay activist from the 70'sthey are filming on the major street where the hospital is located.I would have tossed cookies if I had any. (LOL) Believe it or not,in the ER its quiet, hardly anything going on, the DR on call is alung/heart specialist and after telling the story of my broken foodand inactivity for the 20th time that nite he knows right off I'mhaving a pulmonary embolism due to a blood clot or clots having movedfrom my foot to my lungs over the past few days when I startedgetting more active. Lots of tests, blood drawn, more questions,some scan thing and a few hours later I'm more comfortable, breathinga little better, some pink back in my cheeks and off to a criticalcare unit for the next two days. Then to a regular care room for thenext two days. Saturday afternoon, my oxygen is back to normal, onblood thinners and hobbling around, they need my room for a more inneed of attention patient so they move me again. To the roomfurthest from the Nurses station, but its a private room. In fact,its the private room where very high end patients recover fromplastic surgery. That's right. It was like a hotel suite. By thistime all the nurses were doing was giving me my meds and watching megive myself a shot. They even fed Brion and let him stay the night.On Sunday I was released and sent home with orders for lightexercise, shots for the rest of the week and I'll be on a bloodthinner for the next few months. It was quite an experience. I'vebroken my kneecap before (twice in fact in the late 80's but that'sanother story) and had surgery 4x then, even more couch/chair boundand didn't have a problem. Apparently according to the Doctors itwas like an alignment of the planets that only happens once in agreat while to a very "Special" few. I'll have to got to a specialclinic weekly for awhile to check my blood and see my new primarycare physician monthly until the foot and the blood situation is overand done with.

Phew...

Brion was a solid steady rock during this storm. Of incrediblepatience and quick on the draw with his iPhone to make lists ofthings to get and do. He has a wonderful family that has beenemailing, calling, sending cards and flowers. He talked to mysisters who are flying in from Chicago tonite to spend the weekendwith me. He's hung up pictures, gotten rid of empty boxes and madesure I had nice boxes for my stash (26 files boxes oh my!). His office has been wonderfully patient with my recent situations andfortunately he can do most of his stuff from home. He has a BIGmeeting with Sun Microsystems to see if they will work with WikimediaFoundation on some projects. I proudly brag that Brion is the CTO(Chief Technology Officer) of Wikipedia. Valentines was quiet justthe way we wanted actually. He made my favorite breakfast scrambledeggs with salsa and some turkey bacon then he had to go off to work.He came home with a beautiful rose, a wonderful card and cooked ourfavorite dinner and dessert. He's a great cook! Since I couldn'tget out and get anything for him I made up this little notes on postits. Some with just "I love you" others turn this in for somethingspecial and hid them all over the apartment and in his cloths andsocks. So far he's only found a few of them.I have been truly blessed with being fortunate to have this man in mylife, my new family to come, my sisters and my internet communities.

Please take care of yourselves, physically and spiritually and alwaysremember that when you hold out your hand to give, it is then open toreceive.

--Blessed Be and Merry Knitting
-=*§*~Marti~*§*=-

Monday, January 28, 2008

Monday Musings..

It's pretty amazing how quickly the time is actually going during the days of my confinement. I've been keeping very busy with knitting, dragging myself around the apartment, waiting for the mail man, keeping up with my mail and blogs.

I was going to upload a picture of us taken last spring but blogger isn't cooperating at the moment. Hopefully later tonite.
Speaking of tonite... B promised that he would start helping with taking more pictures for my blog of my stash and completed projects. Of course I'll have to remind him after dinner and he's had a few to unwind from his wikiworld.
Foot says time to get it back up and in my knitting chair. More later, hopefully with pictures.