It's a sh**ty job..

So here's the news for today. Amber, the dog, is better. She is really better! I nearly spent over $1000 to get a vet to do what nature did for free. We still aren't sure what was wrong but my baby is back! She greeted me at the door with some random piece of clothing in her mouth, as she is wont to do. It is this little habit that had me suspicious that she had eaten something that didn't want to make a graceful exit out the other end. So, being the curious sort that I am, I picked up her first poop and dissected it. Oh, yes I did! I wore gloves of course. Which I promptly disposed of after this exercise. No amount of bleach would satisfy me that they were clean after the thoroughly disgusting job I did CSIing her poop. And what did I find? A piece of corn cob about a half an inch long. Ick! Did she eat the whole thing? Was it just this little bit that didn't want to move through the miles of intestinal track? Who knows. But my baby is back! Only a mother could dissect poop out of mere curiousity. Perhaps I am overstating it. Perhaps I am the only woman on earth who would dissect dog poop to solve a mystery. I seriously should sign up for that forensic accounting course I have been considering. I have a curious mind that must be satisfied. Now I have to go knit so I can write about what interesting knitting I am doing with my thoroughly clean hands.

A yarn about disappointment

So....S had big plans. But like I said, he doesn't "do" surprises. He suddenly looks at me yesterday and says, "We're going to Seattle on Saturday". To which I say, "What's the point of going on Saturday, the Yarn Harlot is going to be there on Friday!". So a quick series of phone calls and e-mails and now we're going to Seattle on Friday. I was so excited! I've been seriously wondering how I could orchestrate my life to get down to Seattle on Friday to hear, see, meet the Yarn Harlot...the rockstar of knitters (I have my cell phone and the requisite panties to throw). And now my husband, the dear man, had worked it out that someone would watch the kids, the dog, the cat, the student, the house all so he could drive me to some bookstore in Seattle to listen to someone who he is convinced has me hypnotized to do her bidding. (If she says knit it, I run to the nearest LYS to buy the yarn, credit card flapping.)

But wait, there's more...this is, of course, when all hell broke loose. The dog (as I mentioned) is still sick. She got worse. She ended up at the vet and $400 later we still don't know what's wrong with her and she still won't eat. Then, and I'm not making this up, the water drainage in the house started doing something weird resulting in a leak in the basement ceiling. No quote on that repair. Then Boy1 needed orthotics, and I had to go pay the deposit. They are about $400. And on Monday we are meeting the Orthodontist about Boy1's dental requirements (somewhere in the neighbourhood of $3500). And I said, enough! I can't afford to go running off to Seattle right now! The credit card is going to get declined. Yes, Blue Cross will cover some of this, but not up front. Also, I just can't leave the sick dog, who won't eat, in the care of my little brother who really has an adverse reaction to vomit. If the dog starts vomiting again, R is likely to just drive away, leaving behind the dog, the cat, the student, the house (the kids were supposed to be with S's sister who, btw, is moving so she is busy packing)...No that will never do. This is the guy, who upon taking his nephew (Boy1) on a plane ride, hears me tell Boy1 to behave and listen to Uncle, and interjects, "I don't care whether or not you behave, just don't puke." He has issues, serious issues with all bodily fluid. Just wait till he has kids. So now we are back to staying at home with a sick dog, two kids with soccer games, the cat, the student, the house. No trip to Seattle. Sorry Yarn Harlot. I will have to hear, see and meet you another time. I am sure you will miss me, your most dedicated lurker.

S still gets points for trying and he gets to keep his title as the world's worst surpriser. If he hadn't told me, we would have ended up in Seattle one day too late and that would have been an even bigger disappointment than realizing that I have too many responsibilities to just drop everything and take a time out.

It's a start...

I'm on my way from misery to happiness today...uh huh uh huh uh huh..

OTN...Just Bamboo by Sirdar (pattern 8874) A simple vest with a frill on the front. Just wanted to test the yarn and after the toe up, magic loop, lace pattern socks I just needed something easy. It took me 4 months to knit those!

Happiness is a decision not an event. I had the thought today that I need to decide to let my life give me happiness. Nothing or no-one in my life will give me happiness as a gift, wrapped up to open and enjoy. It is a gift I have to choose to give myself. There are so many things in my life that I am letting get me down. I am easily disappointed and discouraged. I have made a decision to let myself be happy and let go of the disappointment that I allow to entangle me when life isn't easy.


On a lighter note, S is up to something. I am a bit afraid to get excited about it but he kept getting phone calls from his sister, who he never talks to, "about her move". But S is a man who never does anything without checking with me (drives me bonkers, make a decision man!) but last night he kept leaving the room to talk to his sister and you've never seen him jump up so fast to answer the phone. Bizarre behaviour like this can only mean one thing: he's got a plan. Now I have been married to this man for 13 years and he does not "do" surprises. Not once. It might have something to do with the fact that last year at this time he FORGOT our anniversary. Completely. And it wasn't the first time. So, I am not going to get too excited because for a man who has NEVER done ANYTHING like this (and I am not exaggerating), to execute a surprise trip to Starbucks sans kids would be a feat. So I am going to expect something of that nature. I will keep my camera in my purse and post pictures. This could be fun.

Also, my dog is sick. I am a bit scared about this. She is really lethargic, won't eat, won't poop...it's a problem. May go to the vet tomorrow if she is not better. I just gave her a dose of castor oil. Hope this helps. Problem is that she likes (!) to eat my socks. She's probably having trouble passing one. Luckily she doesn't have a preference for wool socks...mostly the silky, synthetic type socks.

Still trying to screw up enough courage to start the Kauni.

...entangled