More Adventures

So, Monday I went to work.  Things were progressing as usual with my boss attempting once again to be as abusive and rude as possible.  I got back from lunch and discovered I had been "terminated".  Interesting.  I have come to the conclusion, as I have pondered the entire situation, that my boss has been unrealistically difficult to work for since I let his "little buddy" go this past winter--actually in February.  He is difficult to work for normally but it has been TERRIBLE since February.  I began thinking along those lines because not more than an hour after I was escorted out his "little buddy" was back......and in my position.

As a result of being suddenly unemployed I find myself under alot less stress, if you can believe it, than I was while I was working for "The Tyrant".  There are several options available that have been lurking in the background of my life since last year and I can't really decide which way to go. School? Self employment? Moving back to Colorado?

The past year has been insane between Sean and I separating, work, moving, buying a house, Sean dieing, The Daughter deciding she needed to get married at 17, PB moving back in with all of his prejudices firmly in place that his dad put there, etc.  Now my job of just over two years that I thought was secure and what I would be doing for a good long time is gone.

I could go back to school and finish.  That would, for the most part require moving.  Not really in the mood to move since I've decided I like it here--all the snow and wildlife and outdoor stuff to do.  I have a couple of online businesses. None of which are doing real great--unfortunately.  I could alway get another job, but quite frankly I'm really tired of working really hard so someone else can make the big bucks. 

What I've kind of decided is that I'm going to apply for unemployment right now and see what happens next.  I believe there has to be a reason for me leaving Pyro City.  Something else needs done.  I don't know what it is so until it reveals itself I think I will just "drift" along looking for it.  Really don't know what else to do.  I have a million projects, knitting, home, etc that all need my attention so in the mean time I will pursue those and try to get ahead.

What a year! 

A Little Lost, But Not Gone

I've tried to blog several times over the past few months, but nothing would come out.  Things are moving along.  I've started some other hobbies/business in an effort to get some money coming in.  HB left us with nothing.  I do get some social security money to help me take care of the kids, but that's it.  Definately not easy.

I finally got moved into a new house.  I love it.  There is a very peaceful feeling in the house that makes living there very nice.  I haven't had much time to unpack though.  I wish I could wave a magic wand and just have everything put itself away lol.  Between working full time at the fireworks store and my new ventures I don't have much free time....actually I have no free time.  I think I am trying to bury myself in projects so there is no down time.  Down time means time to think about things and I don't want to.

My oldest son just turned 22 years old.  (Can't believe it!!!! There's no way I am old enough to have a child that age.  After all I am only 29 lol, pretty sure)  We went to Colorado to celebrate with him.  We took Sunday to go up to Ouray Colorado to play in the hot springs.  I forget that Ouray is the most beautiful place in the world.  Since most of the world has never been there I thought I would post a few pictures.

This is Box Canyon Falls Ice Park.  Notice the tiny person on the lower right :)

This is looking North West from Box Canyon.

More ice climbers and the mountains to the South West.

I love Ouray.  It is absolutely breath taking.  We spent the whole day there--most of it soaking in the hot springs.  I miss living in Colorado so close to Ouray.

So, if you are curious as to what my new ventures are check out The Hemp Hippie and A Cozy Corner.  I am working away at filling the two stores with stuff so keep checking back to see the new stuff.  I am really having fun with the new ideas and products.  I hope they take off--mostly because I need the money lol, but also because I am enjoying making all this new stuff :)

I will try to get back to blogging again.  One step at a time.

BRrrrrrr!

It has been so cold here for the last two weeks!!  I keep thinking that the temperature is going to rise and we are going to warm back up a little bit since, techically, it's still Autumn--winter doesn't officially start until December 21st.  But, so far, no chance.  The thermometer in my car hasn't registered a number over 3 degrees Farenheit for days and that is the HIGH!  It has been below zero every night and if you add in the wind chill we have seen temperatures as low as 35 below zero.  THAT'S COLD PEOPLE!!!  You don't just run outside real quick to grab something out of the car or a piece of wood without putting on the entire abominable snowman outfit--we are talking serious "keep you warm" fibers here; angora/cashmere/camel down/buffalo down scarf, hat, double layer mittens, and serious Antartica approved coat.  At least we haven't been as bad as the other side of the state.  Laramie, Cheyenne, and Casper have seen 45 below zero.  Trust me, all temperatures once you get below zero ARE NOT the same, as I mistakenly thought before experiencing 20 below zero temperatures.

It hasn't really snowed much.  Mostly because the wind blew all of the snow that was falling here all the way to Colorado--where they got 8 to 12 inches in my hometown (which is in the desert and rarely sees any snow at all during the winter).  My brother, who still lives there, said he would rather have all the snow than the extreme cold.  I am used to the roads melting off during the day, but I guess that regardless of how bright the sunshine is, if it's below zero nothing is going to melt.

So, I am currently experiencing the "two weeks til Christmas knitting frenzy".  In fact, it is so bad today that I can't seem to get going on my knitting because I don't know which project is the priority.  I have PB complaining that he still doesn't have any gloves or mittens and his hands are freezing at the bus stop every morning.  The Daughter thinks I am secretly working on the hat/scarf set she pointed out she would really appreciate having.  I gave up on knitted stuff for my brother, and in-laws completely last night.  And I guess HB will just get the socks I finished last week that I was making for someone else. 

What happened?  I thought I had it all covered.  I had seven pairs of socks finished and all of my yarn and patterns for everything in place.  The only thing I can think of is I moved and started designing patterns for Sockamania.  Moving is so time consuming (wasting!).  There's all that packing and then unpacking.  Trying to find the right box to put things in and then the right place to put it away.  All that cleaning, loading, and unloading.  Of course, when the day is done you are so tired and it is usually so late that you barely have the energy to undress so you can go to bed.  Sockamania hasn't been too time consuming itself.  If I'd quit changing my mind about the pattern or the yarn or the needles and making the sock over and over again it wouldn't take me but a week to have the entire thing ready to go.

Anyway, I hope everyone isn't too disappointed with their gifts this year.  I better get busy on those mittens for PB or he may end up with frost bite and then I will feel really bad.

Fun Stuff!

I didn't think it would ever happen, but just as you cannot stop the sun from rising--I "turned" 40 years old. ( I am using the phrasing from George Carlin who goes through the various significant birthdays and labels them. "Turned" was like something going bad or rotten.) I am still not sure how I feel about it. HB says, "You don't LOOK 40 so who cares." He is so sweet. I don't FEEL 40.

I had a great birthday though. It lasted the entire weekend. Saturday we went shopping all day. HB took me to the yarn store and said to buy whatever I want--my favorite present!!! I bought yarn to make the Icelandic sweater I have been drooling over for months (it's 1/3 of the way done already!) Then we went to lunch at one of my most favorite restaurants. For desert I had this AMAZING chocolate cake. It is flourless, super chocolatey, with almond and chocolate crunchies for a crust---oh man! Definately my favorite desert!!! It's like chocolate mousse but better--if you can imagine that. The kids spent Sunday cooking for me, giving me a manicure, entertaining me, etc, etc. It was so much fun! I have the best kids ever, make no mistake.

I have really been wanting to make a sweater fo the last few months. This is not a usual craving for me. I couldn't wait to get started on the Icelandic sweater! I spent most of Sunday knitting on it. The yarn isn't Lopi, but similar. I couldn't find any Lopi anywhere except online so I bought this Mauch brand. The fiber looks a lot like the Icelandic sheep fiber. Most people use Brown Sheep Co.'s Lambs Pride as a substitute, but I HATE mohair! Yes, yes I realize that it is a little odd for a fiberaholic like me to hate any fiber, but I can't stand mohair. Baby, ultra fine mohair is OK, but the mohair used in Lambs Pride is icky! I only use it for felt projects that I want to make appear furry. Anyway, this yarn is a little thinner than Lopi so if you use it as a substitute be sure to check your guage. My row count is right on but the stitch count is really short! As a result I went up a size on the sweater pattern, perhaps could have went up two sizes but I wanted a snug fit to the sweater rather than a "roomy" fit. I always have to make the sleeves 4 to 6 inches longer so I hope I have enough yarn. I bought extra just in case. I figure if I don't need it for the sweater I can make a GREAT hat with the leftovers.

Sorry I don't have any pictures. I took them last night and haven't had a chance to get them onto the computer. I will post pictures of the sweater and the socks I finished earlier this week hopefully tomorrow.

OK! Now for the really big news! WE ARE MOVING BACK TO COLORADO! Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I decided to go ahead and finish my degree. So I will be going back to school this Fall (like in a week). Between the ridiculous doctor situation that HB has had to deal with since moving, the lies that the motel owner told us to get us to take the job managing his motel, the AWFUL schools in this town, (Need I go on? If you want to know how awful it has been read the posts for the last year!) etc, etc, etc, we have simply HAD IT! We are going to go find a house next week. Then we will pack up and be out of here! I really am excited and can't wait.

The only one not happy is The Daughter. She has a point. She does have the best boyfriend on the planet. He is a member of our church, he has a good job working for the county, he is polite, respectful, a perfect gentleman, he works out and exercises really hard, he is drop dead gorgeous! and he has his future all planned out--College, religion, everything. Too bad they are both still teenagers or we would be making wedding plans! You just don't find a guy like him everyday. He is a one in a million--no more fish in the sea like that one! I hope they can keep it together even though we don't live here anymore. She deserves someone as wonderful as she is.

Anyway, so I don't know how often I will be posting in the next few weeks. I will try to post at least one more time before things get to chaotic so that you can see my sweater!

Yeah for Colorado! I am going home!

(SNORT!) Huh! What? zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I am so tired today! Whatever day "today" is. Working 7 days a week is starting to really take it's toll on me. It could be Saturday and I wouldn't know it. It is difficult to tell what day it is when you do exactly the same thing day in, day out. I do know that I have no motivation this afternoon--it doesn't help that it is about 80 degrees in my office either. If I could find a comfy place to lay my head on my desk I would love to take a nap. Unfortunately, the desk is covered with a computer, printer, signs, pens, papers, pamphlets, etc. I should be creating next weeks schedule but right now my brain can't think that far ahead.

On top of that I am so homesick for Colorado!! I made the serious mistake of going to the city newspaper for the place we moved from and reading all the local news. Then I went and looked through the "Best Photo's of 2008" for the area. Beautiful views of Colorado National Monument, the Uncompaghre plateau, Grand Mesa, the valley.........I just sat here swallowing hard and fighting back the tears.

It is so hard to look back and say, "We REALLY should have thought this decision through better." I had such high hopes that moving here would be good for us and instead I don't think that a worse decision could have been made. HoneyBunny's health problems have increased to the point that I am at a loss as to what to do. So, the main reason for moving here--to get him better--is the most obvious mistake in the decision. I feel like I am living in a nightmare.

Of course the more tired I am the worse EVERYTHING is, the more depressed I get, the more hopeless I feel, the more irritable I am, the more unhappy I am, etc. In fact, I am quickly approaching the "I don't recommend talking to/bothering her" stage.

I talked to my friend in Colorado over the weekend and she thinks that my biggest problem is that I haven't had time to do ANY knitting. She said that once the 4th of July is over and I can quit working 60-70 hour weeks I will be able to do some knitting again. That will help me feel much better.

It does sound like a lovely idea.....that last sock project I started puts me right into heaven. A beautiful shifting shade of green and some absolutely divine needles from Lanturn Moon. There is something really special about those needles! They are the ebony wooden needles. I am not a fan of wooden needles, never have been, because they are so slow and the yarn sticks to them. Not these! They are smooth as glass with amazingly sharp point tips. And the feel.......wow! I don't WANT to knit fast. Knitting with these needles is like eating really good chocolate mousse--you want to eat tiny spoonfuls and smooth it around in your mouth really slow so that you can enjoy every single moment of every single bite. It's a euphoric moment that you don't want to end------ever.

Ok, I realize that sounds incredibly silly, but I am really tired, chocolate mousse sounds really good, and I really miss my knitting.