Spring has sprung

Or as what often happens in Chicago in spring, we went from freezing our asses off to the mid 80's. Why do we all keep putting up with this? =)

I am so full of blog-fail of late. I haven't blogged since freaking October for pete's sake. I. Am. Lame.

But it's okay...'cuz I haz boyfriend now! A very fun boyfriend. Who is sweet and adorable and who would seem to think the same of me. Wow. How did that happen? My dating life, not usually much to report. But the real question is how do I feel about living on a boat? This keeps coming up. Because that's his dream. It's not the solitude of it that makes me hesitate, but the being-in-the-middle-of-the-ocean-with-no-land-in-sight part of it.

I have all kinds of fun and exciting sewing projects going on. Which of course I will not put posting picture of. Because that's too much work and I never manage to put them in the right place. Dur.

I am re-covering the cushions for a chair. That is done now. Cushion jobs are a lot of fun. There is something oddly satisfying about zipping a pretty, fresh, new cover onto a old, ratty looking cushion.

Pants. I am trading pants for my February Lady Sweater. I got the yoke of the sweater done and realized that having not knit lace before, the rest of the sweater was not going to go as smoothly as I would have liked. One of my friends had just finished her's and having heard her mention that she has trouble finding pants that fit, I offered a trade. They are soooooo close! But I now see why she has trouble buying pants. I think it would have been better just draft a pattern rather than tinkering with one I have. They are just too big. Every fitting has been a case of taking in some here, taking in some there. I feel like I have been slacking. She had my sweater done ages ago. I do love, love, love the sweater!!!

I am also doing a wedding outfit. I say outfit because it is a corset and skirt, not a dress. That's gonna be a lot of fun to make! I love making corsets.

Plus, my birthday is on Tuesday. Boyfriend has all kinds of fun ideas. We are going to dinner and Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind on Saturday. Sunday we were going to just bum around downtown, but then I remembered that Memorial Day Weekend = IML!!! So we are going to the leather market at IML on Sunday instead. Mmmm, leather men..... did I mention that boyfriend is a leather worker? Heh. And I don't know what all else he has planned, but it was suggested to me that I take the day after my birthday off. So I did.

Blog #43 or, According to Blogspot, This is My #43 Post.

I don't know how I got so mixed up with my numbers. Maybe I should come up with a different system. It could be a little bit tedious when I get up to a bajilliondy blog posts. As if.


There is a skunk in my neighborhood. And yes, I'm talking about a for reals skunk. Not the ward alderman. I could smell it this morning. I have heard no other talk of any kind about skunks in the city. Someone at work asked me if I was sure it wasn't pot. Um. Ew. If people are now smoking pot that smells like skunk, dude, then I really do not understand the kids today. And yes, I have smelt both and I do know the difference. I did large chunks of summers as a kid on a farm. I know me some skunk when I smells it. Besides, I saw a skunk-shaped being waddle across Morse Ave while I was waiting for the train. I wonder if he's on Daley's payroll.....ouch! I wouldn't be making that crack if the CTA wasn't talking about raising fares again. Stupid old people and their free rides. Pfffbbbbt!!! Bite me. And no, I am not giving up my seat for someone who didn't actually pay to get on the bus/train. So there. Yes, I will fake being asleep behind my big, black sunglasses.

And since I am talking about our fine city. I used to read the Tribune every day that I was at work. No more. I just really hate the new layout. I realize how stupid that sounds. But it seems like less paper and when I'm done, I don't feel like I've read the paper at all. So I have been reading the Sun-Times. Maybe I should just read the New York Times and be done with it. At least they talk about fashion and shit.

And speaking of fashion. I still haven't watched more than the very first episode of the most recent Project Runway. Sad, but true.

Blog #39, or Dude, There Is Nothing Scarier Than

hearing the guys outside your apartment who are removing a big-ass tree, yelling, "NO!NO!NO!!! YOUR ROPE! YOUR ROPE MAN! NO! NO! NO! STOP!"

The tree, is(was) taller than the two story building that I live in, and, should it fall, it would mostly fall into my apartment. Especially since now it is almost gone and much shorter.

#38, or Has It Really Been So Very, Very Long Since We Were Together?

Apparently, yes it has.

I have been working at the Goodman Theatre, on a musical. I am in the craft room, which is great fun. We are making hundreds, nay, thousands of ribbon flowers. Okay, maybe it is really just hundreds. Some big, new musical thing. Directed by Tommy Tune. Jeff Daniels and Rachel York are in it. Yeah, that Jeff Daniels. No, I haven't. I have never seen so many people in the sewing room before. It's crazy. I have seen this many in the craft room though, when I got to help make the crazy-ass wigs for "The Dreams of Sarah Breedlove". This whole thing involves days and days of opening at the Starbucks, and then going to the theatre. And for this show, we get to stay late if we want. So I have been leaving the house at 4:30 am, and getting home at almost 7 pee-em. I's sleepy. And Alex is giving me the cold shoulder. Booger-kittie.

I have been getting lots of odds and ends of knitting done though. The do-over on the front of my Looking Glass Sweater is done. I just have to block it. And I am making splendid progress on, er, ah, well, let's just say that some Christmas Knitting is getting done and leave it at that. Ha.

I bought a bunch of new roving off of etsy. Ooooo, the one seller has yummy-yummy colors! I bought a lot from her. I also bought myself some new earrings. A girl needs some new baubles from time to time.

I have been doing really well with finally getting gobs and gobs of project and stash pictures taken and downloaded so that I can get them onto Ravelry.

Stinkiecat is prancing about the desk, me thinks it is his way of telling me I need to get my hiney off of the computer and pay attention to him. He wins.

Blog #37, A For Reals #37 This Time

So really, this post is about one thing and one thing only.

I did my gauge swatch for my February Lady Sweater. I have no idea what size needle I used, it is an Addi whose numbers have worn off, but. I have achieved gauge. Exactly. On the first try.

And, I am wishing I had enough of the Lorna's Laces in red to do it in red. It's a great red. I might need a sweater out of it.

The planets must be in perfect alignment or something.

Blog #36, In Which Bettie Realizes That She Can't Count, aka Sequence Numbers, Properly

No. Please. No fainting. I know, two posts in less than 24 hours, whassupwiththat? Good question. I have no clue. But it's almost 4 am and I am wide awake. Actually I was wide awake about 2 hours ago. I only just got out of the bed. And upon exiting the bedroom, door left slighly ajar, almost tripped over Mr. Fluffiepants. Like he forgot how to push doors open or something. I don't understand this. He knows how to open doors, I've seen him do it. Maybe he was being thoughtful and considerate. Yeah, right.

So I am participating in the Ravelympics. In which we cast on during the opening ceremonies of the Olympics and attempt to have said project finished by the end of closing ceremonies. I am doing the February Lady Sweater. I forget who did the pattern and am too lazy to leave the 'puter and find out. But it is based, or perhaps I should say 'unvented' from Elizabeth Zimmerman's February Baby Sweater. But sized for 'a grown-ass woman', as it says on the pattern. It's a free pattern off of Ravelry. I am using some of the Lorna's Laces green yarn that I got at the warehouse sale. I have done the math about 6 times now. And considered and re-considered which size, how much ease or negative ease I want and all of that good stuff. The yarn is pink. Very pink. I loves it. I believe I will be swatching today at knit group. Swatching is what we do for training. Will there be pictures? I can guarantee that they will taken, whether or not I actually decide to apply myself and post here remains to be seen. Heh. I am tres lame.

Oh crap. I almost forgot. Bernie is dead. I turn him on and I don't even get the mechanical-whining-motor-trying-to-go-kind of noise. He's not even trying anymore. I turn him on and hit the gas, and...... nothing. Just flat-out, straight-up, dead quiet. I am planning on giving him a little rest, and then trying again, but man, it don't look good. Anyone wanna gimme a thousand bucks or so for my Tacsew?

Blog #37, I Think. But Really? I've Lost Track.

So today? My mail carrier? Or are we still using mail man? Though if you think about it, that's a little redundant. But I digress. It is now 4:49 pee em. On Saturday. Waaaaaaaay later than when the mail is supposed to arrive. The mail should be waiting for me when I get home. Who cares? You might ask. Well I do and I will tell you why. In he/she's little mail cart thingey, they carry not just the neighborhoods' mail, but, and this would be the most important bit, discs #5 and #6 of season 2 of the NEW DR. WHO. Yes, I'm yelling. Deal. I was all psyched up to watch another 3 or more episodes tonight. Netflix promised! And now, the mail carrier had to get up all in the way and not bring me my mail. Asshat. What the heck am I supposed to do after dinner now? Sheeesh.

And lest we think that this post is nothing but me kvetching about the mail carrier, I would like to mention the vast amounts of garter stitch projects I have been finishing during the whole process. Which may, or may not eventually be posted here. Since figuring out how to post pictures, I have found it to be a bit of a pain in the ass and don't do it much.