Stitchers' Five and a Happy Dance

First, must start with the Stitchers' Five:

1. Do you keep a wishlist?

Oh yes! A couple, in fact.

2. If so how many items are on it?

My Amazon Wish List currently has 85 items - a mix of books, DVDs and a couple other odd items.

My Stitching Wish list lives in two places - and they are *pretty* similar. The one on The Wagon is updated whenever I receive/buy stash or spot something online to add to the list. It's much more fluid than the one kept on the Secret Stitchers BB. That one also gets updated, if necessary, when something is received or when a new round is about to start.

There are a dozen specific charts/kits and general designer/fabric/thread wishes on these.

3. Name three of those items

Brightneedle - Can You Spy?
Bleu de Chine - Halloween (heart-shaped design)
Lanarte - Lady with Lilacs

4. Do you let other people see it?

Absolutely :)

5. How often do you add to it?

As often as necessary!

---

And now for the Happy Dance... behold the completed Two Hearts Unite by Enchanting Lair:



Fabric is white opalescent cashel, threads used were Waterlillies Midnight and Stormy Skies and Kreinik 060 (a dark blue...). Beads are 40479 (small pearl white) and 374 (? - the blue/purple/green/gold iridescent ones). I made a few changes to the chart - didn't use the honkin' big heart treasure at the top (two rows of beads instead) and took out rows of eyelets under the names & date (looked too busy).

It went to the framers on Saturday - no glass, no mats (not needed with the sparkly fabric), "puff" stretch over some dark material (really brings out the sparkle) and a simple navy frame (1.5" wide).

I'm looking forward to presenting it to the groom - I've worked with him for about 2 years now and he's a great fellow (the bride ain't so bad either...they are lucky to have found one another!)

Warm Fuzzies

Here is today's "Daydreaming on Paper" question:

What gives you the warm fuzzies?

Attending my daughter's band concerts...

A sleepy "Good Morning" kiss from my son...

When something finally "clicks" at work and I recognize "I get it!"

Finishing a stitching project...

A sexy smile from my hubby...*any* time of day or night!

Obligation Stitching

I really dislike obligation stitching.

There, I admit it. I won't say I 'hate' it, because if that was the case, I'd somehow manage to avoid it altogether...and some is *far* worse than others.

I classify obligation stitching in 3 categories:

Something for me with a deadline
Something for someone else (may or may not have a deadline)
Something for someone else, that *they* selected

Something for me with a deadline
Round Robins go in the first category. I know that two is the limit for my personal tolerance at any one time. I'm currently in....two. I know, big surprise..LOL. The first, based on the Wee Beasties designs of Terry Nolan (Dimples Designs) has a wonderful loooong window and as long as I choose wisely, I don't feel a lot of pressure when the mail date is looming. First piece - I chose not-so-wisely and the pressure was mounting (I finished in good time, though, and Thyridia looked good). For the current piece, I have made a better choice I'm not telling though...you'll just have to wait!

My second RR is a little different in that everything I stitch (Christmas ornaments in this case), stays home with me. We're mailing supplies only. I'm *really* liking this! If I don't finish in the allotted time, I just have to spend the $$ to get the supplies myself.

Something for someone else (may or may not have a deadline)

I've got a couple things here. The wedding sampler that lacks only beading (hope to finish this evening, if not, Friday for sure) and some baby-related items for a new baby or two that's due in the next few months. One afghan was started yesterday and I procured supplies for a second one. As both babies are due later this year, I'm just trying to get going early.

Not sure if I'm going to stitch for any of the expected little ones. If I do, I'm sticking with the "by the first birthday" deadline!

Now, yes, I do have a few WIPs that are designated for my children/husband. But those don't really count as "obligations" as I figure the deadline is "before they move out" and I've got a few years to play with (at least with the kids..LOL)

Something for someone else, that *they* selected

This is the category I avoid as much as humanly possible. I actually have one kit that my mother asked me to stitch a few years ago....now that she's stitching I should probably turn it back (and free the guilt!). I did do a Footprints design for my brother that my mother had selected (on 25-ct Dublin Sand linen - I will *never* stitch on that stuff again...waaay too open weave!)

Heaven knows I've got enough to stitch for me that I certainly don't need to add anymore guilt or deadlines to the fray!

Stitchers' Five for May 10

A quick post this morning...more later!

1. Which type of beads do you prefer Mill Hill, Delica or other brand?

If I get to choose, Delicas.

2. Why?

The size and shape make them *ideal* for stitching. You can use a regular #28 needle to stitch them on due to their cylinder shape. Now if I could just fine a comprehensive chart for subbing them...I go by eye now :)

3. What do you use to stitch beads on with?

Usually white Nymo thread, but I'll pull out white or ecru floss if it's handy. I try to match the fabric color, but if it's solidly stitched, it doesn't show anyway...

4. When to bead..as you go or at the end?

Nine times out of ten, at the end. On the rare occasion when I bead as I go, I regret it when the beads start catching the floss! LOL

5. Do you bead only with cross stitch or do you use them on their own?

I love doing peyote and brick stitch beadwork. Also been dabbling with bead crochet thanks to my last Secret Stitcher.

Goodbye Friday Five....Hello Daydreaming on Paper

The Friday Five is no more...isn't that always the way things work for me? Find something fun...get in a habit...*poof* it's gone!

However, thanks to the "Memes List" (link on the left there) I've found a suitable replacement in Daydreaming on Paper. It's not specific to Friday, so depending on the question, may make the odd "guest" appearance during the week.

Today's Random Inspiration: What role does technology play in your life?

Ha! It might be easier to describe the few aspects of my life that technology does *not* play a role! This blog - perfect example! I've never been much of a journaler - I have numerous blank books with only the first few pages of writing. Yet I've managed to keep this going for several months...granted not always posting multiple times per week, but then I never committed to a daily entry...

Technology has fueled my stitching habit by granting me easy access to new designers, old favorites and supplies. Just this week I ordered fabric from halfway around the world....and in an instant thanks to the handy online shopping cart.

My job is technology. Effective next week I have a new title here at work: Technical Analyst III. The description matches much more closely what my job actually is and the long-term plan is to grow my skills and swap to Database Analyst. As long as my job title has "Analyst" in it somewhere, I'm a happy camper...lol

The biggest impact of technology, though? I found my wonderful husband. Ten years ago I was in a horrible mess of a life and now I'm happier than I ever dreamed possible

"Music hath charms....

...to soothe a savage breast, To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak." (William Congreve)

That's always been one of my favorite quotes.

Lately I've been listening to a very eclectic combination of music. The regular sources : car radio, CD's playing in my laptop at work, CD's on my home PC, music soundtracks (movie and tv show) have been joined by two new sources: a new under cabinet radio/cd player in the kitchen (my birthday present from DH) and a new record player in the living room.

Yes, a record player. Something my 14-yr-old DD had never seen. Made by Denon, record players have *ahem* slightly increased in price. This one cost us $150 and it was the *only* one available at our favorite electronics store. Thankfully, it was the "correct" brand (all our audio stuff is Denon).

Personally, I owned only a half-dozen records growing up. I know they are in our storage unit so their current condition is questionable at best. DH, however, ever the audiophile, had "trimmed" his collection down to 2 boxes before moving to Arizona, around 100 albums by my estimation. These lived in storage as well, and surprisingly, after seven years of upwards of 120 degree temperatures, most have lived to be played again. In the last two weeks I've listened to Men at Work, Disneyland (songs from all the Disney rides, circa 1980), Journey, Lionel Ritchie, Star Wars, and various other artists that I can't recall offhand. He has quite an eclectic collection...sadly most of the classical stuff didn't survive the Arizona summers.

There's not much better than a good clean vinyl LP and a sharp needle. There's no static, no skips, just a full rich sound - fuller than anything I've heard on CD either. There's rumor that Mick Jagger will be releasing his next album on vinyl. That would be awesome!

**steering back to the original topic**

Music selections...yes...one might think that having satellite radio in the car would encourage one to listen to a different station everyday. Not in my case. I stick with the favorites! On the way to work it's a local station's morning show. Not much music there. On the way home it's "When Radio Was" - a mix of old-time radio classics like The Shadow, Green Hornet, Richard Diamond - Private Eye, Burns & Allen, Abbott & Costello and many many more. No music there either. On the weekends it's one of the "decade" stations - 50's, 60's or 80's (I skip the 70's - can't stand disco).

Now, I do surf thru my channels on occasion (I never dreamed I'd use the remote that came with the radio, but it is handy while driving). I hit the "Broadway Hits" channel and listened happily for about 10 minutes...then a song from an unheard of show came on with the subject of...well...something I would NOT have wanted my kids hearing (if you're really curious, email me...I'm warning you, though, it's bad) and I doubt I'll be surfing back any time soon. I love the various Jazz stations and the Big Band music, skip thru the country stuff and anything labelled "Hip Hop." Sorry, I just don't get it!

My work CD pile is another interesting grouping: Marc Cohn, Journey, Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack, Jimmy Buffet (essential Friday afternoon music), Kenny Rogers, Elvis, Craig Chaquico, and the BeeGees. Very handy for reviewing documentation, cleaning up email (on tomorrow's to-do list), writing reports or digging thru databases. The recently acquired Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean soundtracks made "guest" appearances but went back home for evening listening...

Music is one of those things that I take for granted, yet I can't imagine my life without it.

The Wedding Sampler Saga continues...

As the happy couple are off on their honeymoon, I do feel just a bit of pressure to finish off the sampler prior to their return. Or at least prior to my coworkers return to work on May 17th. I usually give the framers about two weeks, which would make my "end of May" deadline feasible.

So last night I worked a bit more, taking the time to rechart "surrounds" and finishing two complete lines of verse:

When souls eclipse
and love surrounds

Next line - the bride & groom names. I borrowed DD's pencil and drew out the names using the backstitch alphabet included in the chart. I'll be recharting with a different alphabet Wednesday night..... I'm not sure if I'm going to mention any of this to the designer. I love Laura and will be seeing her in a couple weeks at Santa Clara. I'd hate to walk up to her and say "I stitched the wedding sampler...with some rather significant modifications...."

Tonight is week 4 of my current class.....tomorrow I'll be down to 8 weeks left!

Stitchers' Five

1.)Which is your favourite brand of speciality thread?

For silk - ThreadGatherer's Silk 'n' Colors. Cotton - Needle Necessities. Metallics - Rainbow Gallery

2.)Why?

SilknColors has a satisfying "crunch" when handled. The colors range from soft pastels to bright combinations and I have yet to be disappointed in their effect stitched vs. on the skein.

Needle Necessities can't be beat on quality, color or cost. I've never had trouble with fuzzing, breakage or "thin" strands (unlike some of the other specialty cotton threads), their color range is spectacular and the cost per skein is one of the lowest out there. I will say Dinky Dyes and Six Strand Sweets are close competition in my stash ;)

Rainbow Gallery has a metallic for virtually every application. Their other lines are nothing to dismiss either. I will use Petite Treasure Braid every time I can over Kreinik.

3)How many other brands of thread do you have in your stash?

Let me preface these lists - they are all from memory!

Silks - Vikki Clayton, Caron Waterlillies, Stef Francis, Dinky Dyes, Needlepoint Silks, Silk Mori, Silk Serica, Au Ver au Soie, Soie Crystale, Madeira Gumnuts, Leon Conrad, Rainbow Gallery (Splendor, Grandeur, etc)....

Cottons - Gentle Arts Sampler Threads, Caron Watercoulours, Caron Wildflowers, Weeks Dye Works, Dinky Dyes, Six Strand Sweets, Candy Floss (Sugar Maple), Stranded by the Sea

Metallics - Needle Necessities, Glissengloss, Madeira & Vikki Clayton along with the standard Kreinik and Rainbow Gallery

Various and sundry other RG fibers - Wisper, Fuzzy Stuff, Tiara, etc.

4.) How do you store your threads?

Anything other than DMC is in either a true Flossaway bag or a reasonable facsimile. I have a few plastic drawer units (hold mostly cottons, metallics and a few silks) and photo boxes (hold most of the silks)

5.) How confident do you feel at substituting between thread types and colours compared to what the chart calls for?

Fairly confident. For a wedding sampler I started this weekend I'm changing all the threads to better represent the colors of the wedding. Instead of Dinky Dyes and Six Strand Sweets cottons I'm using two colors of Caron Waterlillies and I've not made the final choice between a Kreinik metallic or a Rainbow Gallery. I have no trouble doing that kind of "wholesale" change to better match my final project vision.

But I'll do some other not-so-creative subbing as well. A thorough search in my stash would not turn up a bobbin of 452 for a small RR piece - so I used a blend of 451 & 453 instead. I've subbed other colors (using my DMC color card) when I needed it *right now* and didn't want to make a special trip to Michael's!

Speaking of that wedding sampler.....

I did finish my Ornament for the RR starting today and got everything packaged to mail out to New Zealand. This meant I successfully marked off 2 of the 3 prerequisites for my upcoming "finishing frenzy" (last week's blog entries) and was ready to get the third one under way.

I pulled the chart, candidate fibers (for substitution) and fabric out Sunday late morning. Decided on how I was using the silks and put off the metallic decision until I had more complete (right now the Kreinik is winning). Counted in 4" from the corner and started the simple outer border. No problem.....when I came all the way around it matched up perfectly! I was feeling rather proud and counted in to the first word of the phrasing "When..."

At this point I perused the other areas of the chart and noticed a couple things. First, the names are backstitched on a row of modified eyelets. In the model, none of the letters used have a "tail" - you know, like "y" or "g" or "j" that would extend below those eyelets. I have a "Y" to account for in the bride's name *and* they were married on May 1.....another tail. The key, I think, is lining up the tail between the eyelets....or using another stitch....bother.

However the big "gotcha" and the one that's going to take some serious modification to correct - there's a spelling error in the chart. "Surronds" - in *my* dictionary, there's a "U" in there - "Surrounds"

It may be time to break down and buy some charting software....my "simple but elegant" wedding sampler is going to take way more time than I thought :

Friday Five

Whew! I am *so* glad it's Friday! It has been an absolutely crazy week with last minute dance rehearsals for DD, extra school group meetings for DH and me trying to keep everyone's schedule straight. Tonight was the first time we sat down for a family dinner all week...and usually the only nights we don't eat together are when DH or I have school (9 weeks left, by the way...did I mention that recently?).

Kids presented me with belated birthday gifts tonight in the form of two CD's. The Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack and the Haunted Mansion's Haunted Hits (which includes one of my favorite songs... "Dead Man's Party" by Oingo Boingo).

Additionally I've had a few stash additions this week from my Secret Stitcher. She sent a wonderful zipper mesh bag with the last edition of Stitcher's World, some lovely ivory Murano and floss for 2 of the SW designs - Dragon Knots and a Celtic Knot piece. She roped in a co-conspirator for the remaining threads which arrived today. Her surprises weren't done though...two Anagram charts from European Cross Stitch arrived as well! The Four Seasons Sampler (which is simply amazing....) and Crystals designs. I can't say thank you enough!!

And now for another Friday Five from the archive (borrowed from WhizGidget as the archive site is actually in bandwidth-recovery mode):

1. What is your favorite restaurant and why?

Favorite uber-fancy restaurant - Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. I've only eaten there once, but it was a memorable meal (and I didn't even eat steak)!

Favorite "family" restaurant - Macaroni Grill. I can't get enough of their Ensalata Blu and Pasta Milano. I order the same thing every time we eat there (which is about once per month...)

2. What fast food restaurant are you partial to?

It would be easier to answer what fast food restaurant I'm *not* partial to (Carl's Jr out here...LOL).

McDonald's fries are the best, but for burgers I'll head to In-and-Out (thankfully in Arizona now) or Wendy's in a moment of desparation. Nachos? Taco Bell, of course! (I grew up in the midwest....for the first 12 years of life, Taco Bell was the only "mexican" food I knew).

3. What are your standards and rules for tipping?

I don't recall ever *not* leaving a tip. I *have* gotten up and left a time or two due to horrendous waits (even when there was *no one* else waiting....I kid you not!). But I have yet to experience service so bad without acknowledgement by the management. I've had my share of free desserts and discounted bills, but after working in a restaurant (as a cashier, not as a server) I can't bear not to leave at least 10%. If I do leave a minimum, I also leave a note as to why.

For good service, 15% easy - usually closer to 20%. If I'm dining alone and the service is good, I'll bump it up to 25%.

4. Do you usually order an appetizer or dessert?

DH and I have a goal to try every version of onion ring/blossom found at local restaurants. We rarely order dessert.

5. What do you usually order to drink at a restaurant?

If they serve Coke, that's what I order. If the answer is "Is Pepsi OK?" The answer is "No, I'll have tea." or "No, I'll have water with lime, please." They rarely get the lime right, usually bringing the more common lemon! ;)

Me and the TWBB

**as ezboard is down for maintenance until later this morning, this seemed the best way to get my BB fix **

In October of 2000, I spotted a design on ebay that simply sang to me. I had only recently begun stitching again, having visited a local shop in August and starting JustNan's Hummingbead Heaven for my Granny for Christmas. Considering I *started* stitching because I wanted a Granny Christmas present, it was nice to have the same goal revitalize my interest.

The design was Stroke of Midnight by Teresa Wentzler. I paid all of $8 for the full kit ($11 with shipping) and when it arrived in the mail I was simply fascinated by the intricacy of the design. I didn't make the connection with the Fantasy Sampler and The Castle leaflets already stowed away in my meager stash (one small Rubbermaid container) until I did some online searching and found her website TW Designworks. It was like Christmas when the catalogs start arriving in the mail! My "want-to-do" list immediately increased exponentially and I was back on ebay searching out the charts.

I also visited the TWBB for the first time. I was experienced with online chat (having met my husband in an AOL chatroom..LOL) but had not participated in a message board. What an amazing community! I don't remember if my first post was that day or if I lurked for a bit, but I know by the end of the year I was well over 500 posts and Stretch was my work project.

I remember quite well the move to the "new" board on the ezboard network and as I'd found Cross Stitch Corner along the same time as the TWBB, I already had my login created and was ready to rebuild that post count. A few months later I became the moderator of the Tea Scene forum (which I promptly started) and when Egyptian Sampler came out, I immediately started working on it. At this point being a "one-at-a-time" stitcher had long fallen by the wayside!

After about 18 months on the BB, I finally made my first visit to CATS (Dallas) and met my first BB'ers. Then came Riverside that same year and I was well and truly hooked. I've managed at least two CATS shows for the last 2 years and have 2 scheduled for this year as well (Santa Clara and Hershey).

In 2003 I had a simple goal: meet Teresa. I missed her at the Riverside show by one year and she only attended the Hershey CATS show in 2002 (Dallas & Riverside for me). Hershey CATS was the most likely place and plans began in late 2002 for Mom and I to make the trip.

I was incredibly nervous, I must admit, to meet Teresa! As luck would have it, I ran into Fiona (another BB'er high on my "gotta meet" list) first who then proceeded to literally *drag* me to the Fantasy Crafts booth! I have a couple pictures from that moment and I must say that my nerves definitely show...I'm smiling *way* too big! LOL

I had a secret to keep after leaving Hershey, but luckily only for a few days when Teresa announced that Kay and I were the new admins. I feel incredibly lucky to have found the BB and to have earned the trust of both Teresa and the membership to be readily accepted as an admin. Life is good for me on the TWBB!

....now if ezboard would just bring it back up!!!!

Stitchers' Five

For Monday, April 26th:

1. Which do you prefer, Kits or Charts?

Charts!

2. Why?

Freedom to substitute materials and if I run out of something I don't have to worry about matching dye lots or even colors.

3. How do you organise your materials before you stitch

Depends on the piece. If it's very small, I just gather all my bobbined floss in a small recloseable bag and toss everything into a big recloseable plastic bag (Ziploc-type). Medium-sized pieces I use a small bobbin box for floss and such and then toss it all into a zipper or recloseable bag. For some of my larger WIPs I dabbled in flossaway bags and they are all organized into either a plastic shoe box or photo box. Some of the older, larger WIPs have their own full-size floss box and a fabric project bag (Granny-made).

4. Do you do anything to the sides of your fabric before starting?

I usually zigzag the edges. On small pieces I'll leave them "au natural" ;)

5. What do you do with the leftovers when your done?

Kit leftovers - cotton floss is usually pitched out. Really I only save specialty floss - and then only if there's a decent amount leftover or I don't have any already in my stash.

Thyridia Finished!

Finished late Saturday night! Here's Dimples Designs Thyridia for Nicole's Wee Beasties RR:

The Friday Five

A set from the Archives again this week - originally posted 12/19/2003:

1. List your five favorite beverages.

Coke
Vanilla Coke
Vanilla Tea
Hot Chocolate
IBC Root Beer

2. List your five favorite websites.

The TWBB, of course
Ezboard for all the rest of my many BB's
Atlanta Braves Baseball
Zone at MSN.com Zuma! Mozaki Blocks!
Blogger.com :)

3. List your five favorite snack foods.

Popcorn (with butter, garlic salt and parmesan)
KC Masterpiece Lays Potato Chips
Sunchips (original only!)
Banana with *crunchy* peanut butter
..any variety of chocolate...LOL

4. List your five favorite board and/or card games.

Clue
Sorry!
Pinochle (card game)
Uno
Backgammon

5. List your five favorite computer and/or game system games.

Pandora's Box (the best computer game *ever*)
Populous (old Electronic Arts game system version - computer version isn't as fun)
The Sims
Black & White
Puzz 3-D

The Plan

Let me express my thanks to the members of the Rotation BB who've helped form The Plan over the last few days..... Thanks!!

This goes into effect once three criteria have been met -

1 - Finish Wee Beasties RR (down to 2 colors and b/s)
2 - Finish Ornament RR piece
3 - Finish "Two Hearts Unite" for May 1 wedding (won't finish the design by then - but soon after!)

Goal #1 - Reduce overall number of WIPs to below 30

Given the number of small pieces with less than 20 hours to finish, this won't be too difficult. Here are the candidates for the "Finishing Frenzy" or as Angela dubbed it: May Management Month (though with the amount of stitching time I'm getting, it'll take a good chunk of June as well).

JustNan's Witch Way (15-20 hours to finish)
March VS Needleroll (less than 10 hours)
Snowman Bag (less than 10 hours)
Textile Heritage Bookmark (less than 10 hours)
Apple Cloisonne Ornament (30 hours max)
Chatelaine Mini Mandala #3 (30 hours max)
TW's Castles by the Sea (30-40 hours)
Chatelaine Mini Mystery E (considering that by this time the final installment would *probably* be released - it's due out June 1)

At this point I'll be down to 29 (providing no new starts - always a risk!) Also I'll have another round of RRs to complete.

Once I'm at a more reasonable "less than 30" it'll be time to start pulling the bigger pieces back in - probably a 5 "slot" rotation schema. Whether I switch by hours or weeks will depend on how much stitching time I'm getting. I anticipate an increase once school ends (June 29th!!!) but you just never know.....

I'll define what lives in each slot when we get a bit closer - for now it's Finish! Finish! Finish!

The List

I can remember when I had only two pieces in progress. I can remember when there were eight...and I can clearly remember two years ago when there were a whopping 20 going.

Those were the days! (Progress pics for most of the pieces can be seen here: Annette's Acre)

Without further ado....here's my list:

Pannini's Picture Gallery**
TW's Magical Night
TW's Storyteller
TW's Dragon Ride
TW's Tradewinds
TW's Celestial Dragon
TW's Noah's Ark
TW's Fortunate Traveler
TW's Enchanter
TW's Stroke of Midnight
TW's English Garden Welcome
TW's Under the Evergreen **
TW's Unicorn
TW's Castles by the Sea
TW's Apple Cloisonné ornament

Ok, I knew I had a *ton* of TW's started, but didn't realize how many others!

Mirabilia's Lady of the Flag
Mirabilia's Autumn Queen
Mirabilia's Christmas Elegance
Noah's Sub
Victoria Sampler Butterfly Lace
Dimples' Le Epoch Nouveau
Dracolair's Midnight Hunting
Dutch Treat's Santa's Midnight Ride
Silver Lining's Peace
Silver Lining's Edith Wolford
Conrad's Medieval Majesty
Chatelaine's Mini Mandala #3
Chatelaine's Mini Mystery E
Chatelaine's Misty Morning Vineyard (Mystery IV)
Chatelaine's Mystery VI
Chatelaine's Christmas Mystery
Chatelaine's Quilt Mystery
Textile Heritage Garden Bookmark
Just Nan's Witch Way

Obligation stuff:
Wee Beasties RR - into next year
Ornament RR - thru this year

In the drawer at work:
VS March Needleroll
Mill Hill Bead & Button kit - Honeybees
Stitchworks Snowman Bag

39!!!

**Candidates for "WIP Cleansing Day" on May 1st. The Pannini is just too darned big - maybe when I retire. The fabric is so stiff and awkward that I can't hardly stand more than an hour or two at a time. Under the Evergreen is simply not my style. Not sure if I have enough done to put it up for "adoption." What do you think: Under the Evergreen Pic?

That will still leave me 37 and not including the wedding piece that must be done (after the two RR's are finished for this month) and the wonderful birthday stash received. Of course the fact that my stitching time has been greatly reduced for the last 3 months has taken its toll and I'm not sure I'll see any great improvement for another 10 weeks - when I finally finish school and can "reclaim" my Tuesday nights and weekend mornings (traditionally homework time).

Tomorrow - the final chapter in the "State of the Stitching"

**edited as I forgot one! Witch Way is about half complete - I wonder what else is lurking in my stash that my brain hasn't keyed on yet!

I *can* finish something!

Reading Finishes, New Starts and current books:

Last night I finally finished "Eragon" by Christopher Paolini. I have to say I didn't enjoy it as much as I expected to based on several friends' enthusiastic recommendations. It was good, but it was very easy to put down (thus why it took weeks to read a 500 page book - I can usually do that in 5 days or less) and I have no desire to read the next book.

This isn't to say it isn't good fantasy. It's a fantastic beginning for Mr. Paolini (he started at age 15) and I'm sure his writing style and plot development will mature the more he writes. I've simply read too many other wonderful books lately for this to make the top 10.

Next up is an old friend - Evil Under the Sun with Hercule Poirot (Agatha Christie). This was a birthday gift from a dear friend and one of my favorite Christie stories. I still have Glen Cooks' Garrett Files going (I'm between the second and third book there) and Weis/Hickman's Dragons of a Lost Sun (received the next two in this trilogy recently, so now I can finish the first one).

Stitching....stuff

First, a birthday stash report:

In additon to the Convent Herb Garden kit and Michael Powell Tuscan Gardens III kit ordered/received for my birthday, a couple surprises found their way into the mail box. Nostalgic Needle's Pinball arrived and a chart and kit from Paw Printings: Blueberry Basket Sampler and Blackwork Beginnings: Acorns kit (chart is on its way). Additionally the appropriate "Stitcher at Work" lapel pin - someone knows me well - was in that box! Another day brought Bleu de Chine's Mer with fabric that I've had my eye on for awhile.

A huge thank you to those that sent these amazing birthday surprises!

Next, a WIP update:

Not much to report. I'm down to the last 4 colors of stitching for the Wee Beasties RR. After that only the backstitching (including bug name and my name) remains. It's going to be lovely when finished, but I will be OH SO GLAD to have it done! This bug has taken *way* longer than anticipated!

Next will be finishing off my ornament for the inaugural Ornament RR starting on May 3rd.

I'll save future plans for the "State of the Stitching*" post to be covered later this week.

Rotation BB Doings

A couple recent developments on the Rotation BB will be impacting my stitching plans in the near future. Thought I'd share them here to see if we can snare some new folks.

First Annual WIP Cleansing Day - May 1

Junette's the instigator on this one! She discovered that there was a design in her rotation that she really didn't like working on - bad instructions, kit contents and just general "blahs" for this WIP. So she pitched it. In fact, she danced on it (and we had pictures!) and tossed it in the bin, never to be worked again! Several members were so inspired by Junette's stellar example that we've declared May 1st as "WIP Cleansing Day" and plan to pitch the most un-loved piece in the WIP box. I actually have 2 candidates - and you'll have to wait to see what they are....

Heather's StRIP Club

A new side of Heather (hankj99) came out this week with the founding of the StRIP Club - "Stash Reduction Implementation Plan." Club motto: "After all, the point of StRIPping now is to allow for more S.E.X. in the future."

Essentially, the goal is to have fewer WIPs January 2005 than one has today. I can buy into this one!

The first step in the process is a full and complete WIP listing...that's going to be tomorrow's entry! It's taken a few days to recover the shock....


*"State of the Stitching" is admittedly stolen from Ann. All credit for the phrase goes to her!

Stitchers' Five for April 19th

Specialty stitches:

1. Do you like to use specialty stitches when you stitch?

For the most part, yes. They have to enhance the design, though, not just be there for their own sake!

2. Can you do a perfect french knot?

Yup :) I was taught young! I'm one of the few that *like* french knots.

3. What is your favourite stitch?

Any of the "Rhodes" shapes - heart, butterfly, etc.

4. Are you currently working on any projects with specialty stitches and if so which ones?

Various Chatelaines, Victoria Sampler's Butterfly Lace, a few TW's - lots of specialty stitches!

5. Name a specialty stitch you would most love to learn how to do.

Buillion knots. The couple attempts I've made have been less-than-presentable. I'm hoping to get some tips at Santa Clara CATS from Martha Schmidt. I'm taking her "Second Sampler of Unpublished Insertion Stitches" class there.

Next posts will be some recent happenings on the Rotation Stitchers' BB, a full and complete WIP list (I was shocked!) and some thoughts on where I go from here....

Who me? Addicted?

Are you Addicted to the Internet? 69% Hardcore Junkie (61% - 80%) While you do get a bit of sleep every night and sometimes leave the house, you spend as much time as you can online. You usually have a browser, chat clients, server consoles, and your email on auto check open at all times. Phone? What's that? You plan your social events by contacting your friends online. Just be careful you don't get a repetitive wrist injury... The Are you Addicted to the Internet? Quiz at Quiz Me!

"A" Friday Five

The Friday Five site owner is evidently up to his/her "rear" in alligators as the site essentially says that April is busy and use an older Friday's Five...LOL

So here's what I chose for today:

Jan 23, 2004

At this moment, what is your favorite...

1. ...song?

True Companion by Marc Cohn (I'm feeling romantic today and this reminds me of my Dear Husband)

2. ...food?

Cold Stone Creamery's Cake Batter Ice Cream with chocolate chips and macadamias mixed in

3. ...tv show?

Monster Garage on Discovery

4. ...scent?

Lilacs (and thanks to my Mom, I have some at work for my birthday)

5. ...quote?

"A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become well known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized." - Fred Allen

Happy Birthday....

First, happy birthday to my 4/14 compatriots: Terry and Suz. Here's hoping we all have a marvelous day!

Notable events on this day:

1828 - first edition of Webster's "American Dictionary of English Language" published
1865 - Abraham Lincoln mortally wounded (note: he didn't die until 4/15)
1902 - JC Penney opened his first store in Wyoming
1912 - The Titanic hit the iceberg (note: it didn't sink until 4/15)

Today's *other* birthdays:

Loretta Lynn
Julie Christie
Pete Rose
John Gielgud
Sarah Michelle Gellar

Happy Birthday to me!

Stitchers' Five - 4/12/04

Favourite Themes:

1. What is your favourite theme to stitch (i.e. primitive, fantasy, samplers, etc)

Fantasy - though color seems to be the biggest draw. I like good color composition.

2. Has this always been your favourite theme (i.e as your tastes change)?

Pretty much. That's always what drew me in, though in recent months my tastes have grown more eclectic and even a few samplers have wormed their way into my stitching.

3. How many WIPs/UFOS do you have currently in this theme?

11, though if you count the Chatelaine Gardens (what garden grows in a square? That's fantasy, right?) 15

4. And how many finished?

3 large and uncounted small pieces

5. Name three favourite designs in your overall favourite theme.

TW's The Fortunate Traveler
TW's The Stroke of Midnight
Mirabilia's Autumn Queen

The Friday Five

I know, I'm late, but I just found this! I'll do better in the future...

1. What do you do for a living?

My official title is Senior IS Project Analyst. However, this is a holdover from my original job here at APS. I transferred out of that department almost 2 years ago and into a brand new position...which has yet to be officially created. In the meantime I get to pick my own title - officially: Data Warehouse Administrator. Unofficially: Warehouse Goddess

Essentially I support the two primary applications associated with our five data warehouse projects. The tool to get the data from the source systems to the warehouse (Sagent) and the tool for the end users to get the data out of the warehouse and into a usable and useful format (MicroStrategy).

2. What do you like most about your job?

I make other peoples' jobs easier using technology.

3. What do you like least about your job?

Explaining that while each project team thinks *their* project should be my highest priority, the fact is that they all have to share the common environment - me included!

4. When you have a bad day at work it's usually because _____...

...I've found a significant bug in one of the applications. I then spend time trying to minimize the affects on the users while poking the vendor for a fix.

5. What other career(s) are you interested in?

I've recently been approached about learning some SQL database administration functions which sounds interesting (and will be *great* for the résumé). I love working with data, so any associated career is within my area of interest - database modeling, data analysis, etc.

Now if I could start from scratch again - I'd go into engineering or architecture :)

And it begins....

...the shopping that is.

I've officially ordered Convent Herbal Garden and Alhambra Garden along with beads for Taj Mahal. I also went for a Michael Powell kit (Tuscan Gardens III) rather than the VS. I'll probably wait on those for a bit.

Book-wise I've ordered Dragons of a Lost Star and Dragons of a Vanished Moon, Seeing a Large Cat (Elizabeth Peters - forgot I didn't have that one yet) and Fortress Draconis.

I'm also getting the usual jitters about the upcoming birthday. 39 is a milestone I'm not sure I'm ready to reach. I remember taking stock at 35 and cataloguing the items that were "missing" (degree, stable job [I was contracting] and a level of comfort with my life). This time I have the degree (12 weeks from my MBA, actually), have had my current job for over two years (a record for me) and I'm definitely content in most areas of my life. Adore my husband, my kids are doing well in school and aren't *too* much trouble at home, and while my "hobby life" is chaotic right now (too much "obligation" stitching!), I should have it under control soon.

What's not quite there is the self-confidence right now. Too much going on that my usual anchors feel loose. Dear online friend is having a rough patch. I hope I'm providing enough support and bolstering her confidence. Connections with other online friends have been slack and I apologize....I've retreated some lately and I sincerely hope I can get past that soon. Just have patience with me, it's just my normal "confidence cycle" hitting a low point....

I'm hoping I can leave these periods of doubt behind as I get ready for my last year as a "thirtysomething"!

Last week's Stitchers' Five

Since I didn't answer these last week...and there aren't new ones for this week....well...it seemed logical to me!

1. When did you first start stitching?

My mother did crewel embroidery when I was growing up. I remember stitching a small piece (crewel) for my Granny when I was 12 (a golf bag - she and Grandad were big golfers after they retired in 1977).

I started cross-stitching in 1987 when I was once again on the hunt for a gift for my Granny!

2. How long have you been stitching?

Cross Stitching - 17 years in August
Any kind of needlework (crochet, crewel, etc) - maybe 30 years? I remember Granny teaching me to crochet quite young.

3. Did someone teach you or did you teach yourself?

Self taught all the way! Including hardanger and drawn thread work.

4. Describe your first project (if you can remember!).

My first cross stitch project was a carousel horse design. I was looking for a Christmas present for my Granny (in August, I was planning ahead) and knew that a handmade gift would be the most appreciated. I found a local needlework shop in San Diego and stopped in after work one day to see what I could find. The chart had about 30 colors (no blends), very few fractionals and just a small amount of b/s. I couldn't have chosen a better first project! Bought the fabric (16-ct ivory aida), the chart and all the floss for under $30. I did finish it for Christmas that year and it still hangs in my Granny's house :) You can see a picture here: Douglas Designs Carousel Fantasy

5. When did you first realise that stitching was for you?

When I returned to that same LNS and bought TW's Fantasy Sampler and The Castle! It started a hobby that I continue to enjoy more and more each year....

Help me with my Shopping List!

Traditionally on my birthday I do a bit of a spree on stash and books. This year I have considerably more cash to work with than usual, so I'm already working on the list. Here's what I've got so far as primary contenders:

Stash

Chatelaine's Alhambra Garden (full kit)
Chatelaine's Taj Mahal (beads only, I have the rest)
Chatelaine Mini Mystery F (chart and kit)
Chatelaine Convent Herb Garden (full kit)
Victoria Sampler Heirloom Family Sampler (chart and acc pack)
Victoria Sampler Seaside Garden Sampler (chart and acc pack)

Books

Margaret Weis/Tracy Hickman - Dragons of a Lost Star (#2 in a series started recently)
Weis/Hickman - Dragons of a Vanished Moon (#3 in the series)
Janet Evanovich - Ten Big Ones (preorder for new Stephanie Plum)
Elizabeth Peters - Amelia Peabody's Egypt
Peters - The Ape Who Guards the Balance & The Falcon at the Portal (Amelia Peabody Mysteries)
Simon Hawke - Much Ado About Murder
Michael A Stackpole - Fortress Draconis

Comments? Suggestions?

No Joke! A New Entry!

If anyone is left out there, I greatly appreciate your patience!

What a whirlwind two weeks! I spend a wonderful week in Washington, DC for work. Well, the work part wasn't wonderful, but the time spent with friends certainly made the trip a hit! I must express my sincere gratitude to Jenni & Sue who took time out of their busy schedules several times that week to fetch me from the airport and allow me to spend an evening stitching with them during my trip. Also to the DC BB'ers who joined me for a delicious dinner: Jenni, Carol, Katie, Debbie, Nicole and Tom! I love getting to put faces to online friends....

During the trip I did manage to finish a replacement Round Robin square for Jenny (in MA). Strength was completed and shipped out during the trip (thus no picture as I didn't take my camera!). I spent some time on the third Chatelaine Quilt Square and TW's Myrtle Beach piece as well. No stitching on the plane, though, no elbow room and some decent movies being shown in each direction (School of Rock on the eastbound flight and Something's Gotta Give on westbound).

I also started and finished The DaVinci Code (Dan Brown) during the trip. Wow! What a wonderful book! I couldn't put it down and snuck it into class one day (we were covering parts of the application I'd been working on for almost 2 years - a little surreptitious reading in the back of the class wasn't noticed by many ;)). Like many before me, I'm on the hunt for a good picture of DaVinci's Last Supper to test a few things mentioned! LOL

Once back home I started on the first installment of the Wee Beasties RR I'm participating in and chose to stitch Thyridia for Nicole. About halfway thru and I'll make the April 26 mailing date with ease! After that I'll need to get going on a wedding sampler for a coworker (wedding is May 1). I've chosen Enchanting Lair's Two Hearts Unite but with a color change to deep blue to match the wedding colors. It'll probably be a bit late due to framing time, but I'm sure the couple won't mind.

Otherwise this has been a hectic week both work and home! Daughter Kylie is now 14 and we've got multiple birthday celebrations planned thru the weekend. She's added to her own book stash (well, I've added to her book stash...lol) receiving the first three Anne MacCaffrey Dragonriders of Pern books and Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman's first three Dragonlance books. That should hold her partway thru the summer when I'm sure I'll have to pick up the next books in each series! She certainly takes after her mother in her voracious reading habit!

That's it for now - enjoy the day!

Life and death...

It seems I'm surrounded these days.

In the last 4 months, my husband has lost a grandfather, my former boss a father, two other managers have lost parents, and two of my co-workers were unexpectedly taken from their families. One a car accident, the other an inoperable brain tumor that was just found in January (he died in late February).

At the same time, I know more pregnant women right now than at any other time in my life! Two women in my class at school (one in my learning team), two here at work (with at least two more "trying") and the veritable explosion of pregnancies on the TWBB.

Personally, I plan to stay right in the middle. I have enough children and I obviously prefer not to lose anyone!

Stitchers Five for the week of 15 March 04

Stitchers Five!

1. What is your favourite fabric to use? (e.g. aida, evenweave, linen etc)

Evenweave but only by just the smallest margin over linen.

2. What is your favourite count (e.g. 14, 28, 32 etc)

I'll use 28 every chance I can but 32 if size is a consideration.

3. Do you collect fabric "just to have" or do you buy it with a design in mind?

Based on the number of containers of fabric in my stash...."Just to have"

4. What is your favourite colour for fabric?

Antique white - though it's not the one I use the most

5. If you were heading for a desert island, and you only had one choice of fabric to take with you, what would you take?

28-ct antique white Jobelan

I'm out right now...if you see me, can you point me back home?

With all the hubbub of the last couple months, I'm feeling a bit lost now that several of the "big" events are passed.

I bought a house. I moved. I sold a house. Kids changed schools. I travelled to Myrtle Beach (that trip was in the planning stages for 7 months). I'm within weeks of finishing my MBA.

I've turned my comfortable life upside-down and now that all the pieces are starting shake out, it seems there are some missing.

Since I quit riding the bus (due to moving), my reading time dropped dramatically. Seeing that I was on a book-binge late last year, I'm left with piles of tempting novels and not enough reading time...lol.

Since I moved, my schedule is all out of whack - more to do at home means less stitching time. Less stitching time means more associated "WIP-guilt" as I think on all the things I *am* stitching on and all the things I want to work on . Right now I'm just taking it one piece at a time and bearing in mind that I've pretty much finished the "obligation" stuff (only 1 RR and 1 wedding sampler left in that pile). More guilt means less shopping....probably a good thing ;)

There are so many unfinished items in my brain. I want to redesign my website but am waiting on graphics. I want to help a friend get hers up and running but can't manage to get all the info in one place (she's patient - thank heaven). Remembering to come here and try to siphon off just a bit of creativity - doesn't happen near as often as I'd like, I'm afraid! Work projects to make my job easier - handy but without a deadline hard to schedule amidst all the "real" work.

I'm not much of a list-maker usually, maybe that would help keep some focus? I've usually got so many things percolating in my brain at any one time that I get my "thinking" out of the way while I'm doing something else. Right now I don't seem to be making much progress...hmmm...a "reflecting" rotation?

Maybe it's the upcoming birthday throwing the wrench in the works.....heaven help me for the next month!

The Stitchers' Five

Many thanks to Jen for creating a "five" that caught my eye!

The Stitcher's Five - for the week of 8 March 04

1. Who is your favourite designer (just one sorry!).

Teresa Wentzler (probably not surprising to many)

2. How many of their designs have you stitched?

Hold on - let me count....15 completed and 14 in progress

3. What makes them your favourite designer?

The intricacy of the designs - the use of color - the subject matter - all play a role.

4. What would you like to see them next design?

An illuminated manuscript page or an intricate map

5. Would you collect all their patterns just to have them all?

Considering that I now own all "readily available" and a large chunk of those not-so-readily-available, I'd have to say yes! There are a couple that I won't go into debt for (Mimi comes to mind) but if they do happen to come to me, then I'll take them to complete the collection.

Coincidentally I'm stitching on a recent TW acquisition right now - the class piece from the Myrtle Beach retreat. I managed only an hour of stitching time over the weekend due to way too many plans in too few days, but it's progressing at a good rate.

Martha...Martha...Martha.....

Well, Martha Stewart was found guilty of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and two counts of false statements.

Does this surprise me? Nope.

I read a biography last year of Ms. Stewart and while I was never a member of her devoted fan club, I did have some respect for a women that made a career out of making napkin rings and baking.

I read Just Desserts: The Unauthorized Biography by Jerry Oppenheimer and if only 50% of it is correct, Ms. Stewart is one royal b*&ch!

According to the author, Martha not only has not written *a single word* in any of her books, but she's actually stolen a good chunk of it from other people that called her a "friend" (until they found out more about her). She was a stockbroker for awhile, so I'm pretty sure she followed the law on the actual *sale* of the stock. She was a stockbroker when anyone could make a buck on the market - she had too quick of a temper and not much aptitude or perseverence to make a go of it long term.

So, I think Martha was a victim of bad timing. She set a strike price and it just happened to hit when she'd gotten the call from her broker.....it was Martha's arrogance and belief that she is above the "common person's" law that got her into trouble. She backpedalled. She covered. She fibbed. And lo and behold...she got caught. And she couldn't buy her way out...or name drop her way out....

Martha was sued for copyright infringement at least once in her past - those pesky books again. She also got into a scrape when she used a photographer friend's pictures without purchasing the rights. That settled out of court.....and she never admitted any wrongdoing (at least according to the book).

She about killed KMart. Demanding enormous sums to have her name put on sheets and kitchen gadgets. Refusing to make public appearances or even acknowledge the products in interviews. But still cashing those checks....

Ah well. Martha....I think "Just Desserts" is the perfect name for what's going on lately. And yes, if it survives appeal, it'll be "a good thing."

One more thing - found on another blog:

I Am A: Lawful Good Human Mage


Alignment:
Lawful Good characters are the epitome of all that is just and good. They believe in order and governments that work for the benefit of all, and generally do not mind doing direct work to further their beliefs.


Race:
Humans are the 'average' race. They have the shortest life spans, and because of this, they tend to avoid the racial prejudices that other races are known for. They are also very curious and tend to live 'for the moment'.


Primary Class:
Mages harness the magical energies for their own use. Spells, spell books, and long hours in the library are their loves. While often not physically strong, their mental talents can make up for this.


Secondary Class:
Monks are strange and generally not understood by the world at large. They live apart from people, and follow strict codes that restrain their behavior and lifestyle. They have an exceptionally calm outlook on life, and generally do not resort to violence unless absolutely necessary. Even when they do, their code of conduct forbids the use of all weapons - except their hands. As such, monks are extremely skilled at hand-to-hand combat, and no other style.


Deity:
Mystra is the Neutral Good goddess of magic. She is also known as the Lady of Mysteries. Followers of Mystra wear armor and carry shields with her symbol on them. Mystra's symbol is a ring of stars.


Find out What D&D Character Are You?, courtesy ofNeppyMan (e-mail)

It's over!

As of today, officially, we are owners of a new house.

Say it with me! "Hallelujah!"

As of late yesterday, we were officially mortgage-less as the sale of our old house was finished late yesterday afternoon. It took an extra day to get the new house closed.

The roller coaster ran until the very end. On Friday the buyer called that he "wasn't going to make it in today." Hello? Considering that our extension ran out today and it took a minimum of 24-36 hours after he signed to get the paperwork done, that simply wasn't acceptable. Title company yelled......our realtor yelled.....buyer came in at noon to sign. Without ID.

How does one function in the world without proper ID? Buyer was told to return at 3 *with* ID. He showed up at 3:30 with a Mexican ID and a Green Card. Hey, whatever works......he signed, lender released the funds very late yesterday and all was right in the world.

I'd like to also report that the MBA class I finished last week "Project Management for Technology Projects" rated me an "A." Considering that I had more experience in managing Technology Projects (hardware & software) than the instructor, it was deserved. Instructor came from the world of defense contracting - you know, those big multi-year projects that have things like feasibility studies and prototypes? When's the last time a software project had a fully-funded feasibility study done prior to requirements gathering? I want to work for *that* company! Multi-year software implementation? You'd be laughed out of a conference room! Even with 90 day implementations the software is out-of-date at installation.

Ah well, tonight we look at "Managing R&D and Innovative Technology" I'm packing my solitaire game just in case.....

Book Quiz

You're The Hobbit!

by J.R.R. Tolkien

All you wanted was a nice cup of tea when some haggard crazy old man
came into your life and told you it was time to do something with yourself. Now you're
all conflicted about whether to stick with your stay-at-home lifestyle or follow this
crazy person into the wild. While you're very short and a little furry, you seem to be
surrounded by an even greater quantity of short folks lately. Try not to lose your ring,
but keep its value in perspective!


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

March? Did someone say March?!?

I'm finding that the more stress and activity going on in my "real" life, the less I find myself posting here. One would think the opposite would be the fact....maybe I'm not yet in the mindset that blogging is a place to sort thoughts out rather than posting semi-entertaining and partially interesting drivel.

Minor cosmetic change on the blogface here....that curly font was getting pretty darn annoying - especially when the old posts pitched it, so a nice clean Arial is the current font. Hope you like it as much as I do.

I survived my Myrtle Beach trip. More than survived actually, I had a marvelous time! Meeting BB'ers and spending time with other stitchers is really one of my favorite things to do. This trip I was able to "re-meet" a few familiar faces and match up a few more names/faces on the TWBB. Also found a lurker that I think our friendly group has turned into a new poster. :D

The flight to and from had a few excitements....changing planes in the Atlanta airport is a scary thing. You never know if you have enough time or not! Thankfully while I was out-of-breath each way, I managed to make my connection (the flight out on Thursday was late or it would've been *much* closer). On the way home Sunday morning I had the experience of sitting in a plane while its wings were "de-iced" due to a very heavy frost. Not something one would expect in South Carolina....

I was rather reserved in my stash purchases on this trip. I think moving the multiple boxes that are my stash had some serious impact on the old stash enhancement urge. Here's the list:

TW's new 12 Days of Christmas Ornaments
Dragon Dreams Runekeeper Saga
Dragon Dreams Dragon Tea Party
Dragon Dreams Dragon Virtues Afghan
Lizzie*Kate's March, April & May Flip-Its
JustNan's Tuscan Sunrise

I also brought home 3 class projects, one each from Teresa Wentzler, Jennifer Aikman-Smith (Dragon Dreams) and Karen Weaver (Black Swan) that are all simply wonderful. The designs will be released (according to the designers) "in a year or so."

Lastly, the house sale/purchase is finally finishing up today. A few last minute excitements pushed the final closing date (money actually changing hands) to today which made for quite a few extra cel phone calls while in class in MB on Friday.....not that I could *do* anything, but all involved parties thought I could I suppose (I got calls from husband, mother and realtor).

Now if someone could help me clean out the garage........

Moving Tip #72

"It's OK to curse at heavy furniture."

*Spotted on a Budget Rental truck on the way to work this morning*

Another week gone...

I simply cannot believe how time is flying this year!

A week from today I'll be in Myrtle Beach, SC.
3 weeks after that I'll be in Washington, D.C. for work
2 months after that is my first CATS trip for the year to Santa Clara

I know May will be here before I know it!

Still working on the house transactions. The sale requires only some last minute cleaning scheduled for this weekend and the purchase has a few paperwork items to clear up. All winding slowly to a finish.

The mailman (or was it the UPS man?) brought me a much anticipated book today: Laurell Hamilton's Seduced by Moonlight. I've already packed it for my trip :D I also have Dragon Dreams Strength Virtue ready for plane stitching and am bringing along the Chatelaine Quilt Mystery (I finished square #2 last night...watch for a picture this weekend). It's tempting to take more, but seeing that I'm going for classes with some wonderful designers, somehow I think I'll be working on class projects rather than my own WIPs.

The TWBB has been hopping with activity, but the most recent discussions have remained fairly well-focused. Let's hope we survive this political year with relatively little turmoil! LOL Healthy interactive discussion is good...but we can be an opinionated bunch that tend to type before we read ;)

Where did the week go?

I simply cannot believe it's been six days since I posted anything here! Where has the week gone? Of course it's even worse as I *know* on two days this week on the drive in I came up with wonderful blog topics that never made it out of the brain and onto a keyboard near you.

And of course, they are long gone to the dust bin in my brain...LOL

It has been a hectic week - school as usual, working at home on clearing boxes and organizing and Kylie's first band concert at her new school (she did fine, but whereas at the old school we could leave when her section was complete, this one she's required to stay until the end. Makes for a significantly longer evening.)

I did finish one book - Jim Butcher's Summer Knight. Started Eragon by Christopher Paolini as it was the most interesting thing in the one book box I was able to locate in the garage.

I did stitch a bit. Finished a small piece that will remain a secret for a couple more weeks ;) Close to finishing Chatelaine's Quilt A second square and the third square will be started directly afterward.

I'm in absolute screaming mode with my stitching. I'm ignoring the guilt-inspiring whispers from Storyteller and simply working on small things. The house sale(s) are moving along, but still a lot to do before it's all over on February 26th. Thankfully that's the day I wing my way to Myrtle Beach for a stitching retreat with Teresa Wentzler (TW Designworks), Jennifer Aiken-Smith (Dragon Dreams) & Karen Weaver (Black Swan) along with a *host* of other online friends. I desperately need the vacation! LOL

Also looking forward to March 1st for Chatelaine's Taj Mahal design. I'd ordered the silks back in December (when I had money...LOL) and this week received a fabric gift perfect for the piece (Silkweaver's Lemon Zest). My sincerest thanks to my benefactor...you know who you are ;)

Here's to a calmer week ahead!

The Final Pill

Tonight is a small milestone in my life.

I'll be taking the final pill in a six-month prescription.....

It took a little over six months to actually take all the pills due to forgetting them during a vacation last October, but the day has finally arrived when I can take the last one at 7:00 this evening and be free of this obligation!

It started back in August. I was briefly hospitalized due to a blood clot in my leg. The doctor placed me on blood thinners for six months. If I did not have a recurrence, I could stop taking them after six months....

I have not had a recurrence. I will stop taking them!

I can eat broccoli! I can eat spinach! (both natural blood thinners and dangerous to anyone on medication)

I can take Ibuprofen! I can take Advil! (again, not a good mix with prescription thinners)

I am busted down to a baby aspirin a day and while I certainly pray that I will never go thru this again, it's probably only a matter of 3-5 years before I'll end up back in the hospital for another clot (this was my third and the most serious).

See, they still can't say what's causing them.....

Then there will be no last pill - I'll be on the medication for the rest of my life.....

....and we're back!

Well, what a difference a week makes!

I'm coming to you *live* from my new office space in the new house. No more watching TV or even peeking into the kitchen while at the computer! DH have our own office to house our desks and computer stuff and books and just whatever else we need in here :)

Kids have successfully started their new schools. Zacha has gone to afternoon kindergarten forcing a rather dramatic change in his and DH's schedule! They both can sleep a little later in the morning ;)

Kylie's school is over twice the size of her old school. She did have to change one class as it isn't offered at the new school and she's not happy with that. I have a hard time relating to a child that *likes* to do gymnastics - PE was always my most hated class!

Otherwise the garage looks like a box bomb went off and there are still items left in the old house. But the sale is progressing relatively smoothly and we have until February 26th to get it all cleaned out. I think we can handle it.....

Personally, I can feel the load lightening as this major event is now behind us. Even work is easing up a bit.....soon I'll be able to get back to my stitching. I've snuck in a few hours this week but I'm nowhere near my usual amount and won't be for at least a few more days.

One thing I've learned in this move of a mere 7 miles. I've got too much stuff! But if you asked me what I would part with, I'd have a very very hard time coming up with any significant amount.... While I usually pride myself on my familial devotion and well-ordered priorities, so many of my memories are grounded in all this stuff around me I'd have a very hard time parting with any of it.

Ah well....since I won't be moving again, I guess it really doesn't matter!

Just so you know....

There will be a significant break between entries for the next several days.

You see, I'm moving.

I still have packing to do. Still have a refrigerator to buy (should take care of that tonight). Still have to switch the children's schools.

It's going to be hectic.

I know, I'm a master of understatement.....LOL

See you from a new address next week!

Hmmm....

I seem to be missing an entry...let's see if this brings it back...

Sold the house!

Yes, it's official! We've sold the house just a few days before we're moving in to our new one.

What a huge relief! Of course there are still things that can go wrong, but the biggest step has been taken.

The unexpected twist - they want our refrigerator included so I'll have to buy a new one after we move....and with all the other expenses right now and the new mortgage "in-process" it'll have to wait until the tax refund comes in...LOL. We'll be using a mini-frig for a couple weeks!

Also, the last Halloween Round Robin arrived in today's mail. Even though I packed up the majority of stash yesterday (it's enough to keep me from buying any more for a bit) I still have access to my DMC boxes and I've already pulled the few floss colors I need to finish this piece and return it to its owner.

Off to stitch a black cat!

Another ride on the roller coaster...

Day didn't start well. The tooth that's been bothering me had me in tears from pain on the way to work. So back home I went in search of a dentist.

I absolutely *hate* going to the dentist.

I have horror stories that would bring even a dentist down.

I always ask a potential new dentist's office "How do you handle people that HATE going to the dentist?" If they assure me that I'll *love* them, I politely go on the next one. That's what they're supposed to say....I want a bit more honesty.

Dr. Kathy Jacobsen's office answered differently. "Roughly 30% of our clients come in with that attitude. Then they come back for another visit...and another. We have developed some techniques for handling pain and anxiety and our patients say they work."

Ok. I'll give them a try.

I go in at 9 and I have never seen a more obvious woman-oriented dentist office. From the magazines on the rack ("Working Mother" and "US") to the cushy black leather sofas and chatty office manager (we compare charm bracelets), I just get a feeling that estrogen is indeed the predominant hormone. They x-ray the offending tooth. Dr. Jacobsen says I have two choices - extraction or root canal. Extraction is complicated due to my blood thinner meds. A root canal was my last dental horror story.

She has a highly recommended specialist for the root canal. She doesn't do them herself! This is definitely new territory! She asks if a "regular" dentist did my last one and I affirm. "We can't do everything well as much as some would like to think!"

My specialist appointment was at 3 and Dr. Jacobsen had supplied me with a single "happy patient pill" (valium) to help with my horrible nerves. I can honestly say it was the best dental visit I've had and I *just* might be on the road to conquering this fear.... Second visit is Thursday to finish the root canal, but for now, I'm absolutely *thrilled* that the pain is gone! And no, that's not the valium talking! LOL

I did take time to finish off my Bent Creek piece this afternoon in an attempt to defuse my pre-visit jitters:



He's on light sand Belfast and done in DMC.

Where's the Stitching?

Some may have noticed that my blog has rather lapsed into the ordinary everyday stuff and away from its intended subjects.

I'm sorry...it's just that the everyday stuff has taken over.

I haven't picked up a needle in 2 days - no wait - 3 days.

I've managed to read a little (finished "Cutwork" and started "Under the Tuscan Sun") but nothing earth-shakingly interesting.

I'm surrounded by stuff that I need to pack. Movers come next Friday afternoon and it's tough to make much packing headway when you've got to keep a house clean for showings to potential buyers.

I'm doomed, I tell ya, doomed!

But I did have a fabulous lunch today with a certain Gidget of the Whiz persuasion and her DH :) Oooh'ed and aaah'ed over a couple of WIPs she brought along. That's related, right? Right?

Stitching Friday....or I may just implode from stress!!

Lost Keys and Ham Sandwiches

That pretty much sums up my day.

First for the lost keys - evidently as I was juggling laptop, purse, badge, empty soda can and my keys this morning in the parking garage, I dropped my keys when I dropped the soda can into the trash. I didn't notice this until 4:15 when it was time to leave work. Thankfully the keys were found and turned in to the parking garage people who then left a note on my car that they had my keys.

It took me roughly 40 minutes to get from "Where are my keys?!?!" to actually leaving retracing steps in the garage and checking the car of my co-worker that I'd gone to lunch with. I didn't even SEE the note on my car and it wasn't until after I'd retrieved the keys from the office that I wondered how on earth they knew what car to leave the note on in the first place.... Methinks someone was pushing my remote buttons on the 5th floor of the parking garage!

The ham sandwich part of my day was not lunch....it was my performance review.

Every January we receive our reviews and increases. I had relatively modest expectations based on my quarterly reviews with my now-former boss. And I was fairly close....but a couple areas just were odd. It's like ordering a ham & swiss on rye at the deli and getting whole wheat bread instead. It's still good, but just not *quite* what you were expecting for that first bite. My increase was a little bit short due to "budget issues and expected job reclassification" and one of my review areas was "successful, but with a few negative comments." Hey, you try to keep 5 project teams happy at the same time when they are sharing a production environment!

Ah well....there's always next year....

Saturday by the numbers...

Saturday was incredibly busy. How busy you ask? Here's a quick "numeric" summary....

Hours out of the house: 10
House showings: 5
Furniture stores visited: 7
Stops at McDonald's for sustenance: 2
Dining room chairs ordered: 6
Dining room tables ordered: 1 (don't really need more than that...LOL)
Bedroom sets ordered: 0
Bedroom sets still being considered: 2

Yes, we did find a dining room set that we *both* liked. Ordered the table and 6 chairs as they gave us the sale price from December (and without really asking...lol). There is also a matching buffet-cabinet thing and another bar/chair set that DH wants to add later. Table is iron and "fruitwood" - really quite cool.

The bedroom furniture is another story. We want cherry. DH insists on "solid" construction (not surprising - hey, we aren't small people!) and my inner-pickiness has come out as we visited store after store. Still 2 under consideration...we'll see.

Stitching-wise - I finished the first installment of Victoria Sampler's Butterfly Lace Cyberclass. It's my first online stitching class and kind of fun, I must admit. I love Thea's designs, so not a *real* stretch to think I wouldn't like this as well.

Also finished another 10 hours on Teresa Wentzler's Dragon Ride: link here. Yes, the border has some rather significant changes (Needle Necessities Coronation and Fool's Gold). I stitched the tail during this round.

Last, I started a Bent Creek Snapper (January) from my Secret Stitcher tonight. Shouldn't take long to work up :)

Monday's plans: Packing. (Notice the lack of a "boxes packed" statistic up top...should have one of those Monday evening as I'm off for MLK day).

Less than two weeks until the big move! ACK!

One would think....

...that when uncertainty is rampant in one's life, any opportunity for order and method would be welcome, yes?

Uncertainty is running rampant for me. New boss at work makes the immediate future rather unknown. Old boss and I made some fairly significant plans for my "career development" that I'm not exactly confident will be followed thru. I'm hoping to know more next week, but until then a fog is covering my career crystal ball.

While my imminent move is getting closer, details are *still* clouded. We have an "estimated" moving date. We have no definite buyer for our current house (we lowered the price a bit yesterday - hopefully that will stir some interest). It's tough to compete with all the new window-filled home developments with our 25-yr-old established neighborhood. If this was summertime they might understand that all those windows mean a higher electric bill (not a small consideration here in the Arizona desert) but as we're in the cool winter all they see is a lack of "light" in the house! (Not true...we have plenty of light!) We have a few major purchases still to work out...new bed... new dining room table...I hate furniture shopping. My husband and I have champagne tastes on a sparkling wine budget....

So for all of this uncertainty one would think I'd be clinging firmly to my well-ordered rotation. Such is not the case. While I am making good progress on Storyteller (that entry on the left is a link even if it doesn't look like one), there are a few other projects whispering seductively in my ear. I received a generous gift from my Secret Stitcher and I'd like to stitch an item or two (they're small). My Silver Lining pieces are crooning from their bags. A new quilt square was released today by Chatelaine and the colors are so soft and lovely. The regal Autumn Queen is practically demanding additional time (which she'll get at least on the 25th during the Mira SAL day).

My resolve is weakening....

My goals are not in jeopardy, however. I have no desire to start a *big* piece, just work on what I have already going and finish a few smaller items. Storyteller is moving along quite nicely and I see no reason why that won't continue at his current rate.

So I suppose I'll finish off this 10 hour Dragon Ride block and put away the stopwatch for awhile. At least until after we move and I have some time to "settle." By then it'll be getting close to my first stitching trip of the year (Myrtle Beach, SC retreat at the end of February) and that always gets the needle flying.....

Forgive me BlogSpeak....

I've gone to a new comment provider.

I grieve for my lost comments - especially as I didn't get to read the last couple!

The house is quiet....

I'm all alone this evening.

This is a very rare occurrence.

I'm rather enjoying being home with only the dogs for company!

Where's the family, you ask? Well, DD is off to a church retreat and won't be back until Sunday evening. She left before I even got home tonight... :(

DH and DS are off to my parents, delivering Mom's computer as it needed a "tuneup" this week after spontaneously restarting a few times (power supply issues). So they're off and I'm here all by my lonesome....

This has been a horrendous week. The only *bad* thing is that I have a new boss as of Monday. The old one has been reassigned to the current black-hole-IT-project (can anyone spell E-R-P? I knew ya could...) so we've been given an "Acting Manager" that just happens to be one of the DBA's in our group. No experience. Not the warmest relationships with other group members. Ah well. I sincerely wish him well and hope we help him grow to be a darn good manager.

I haven't been sleeping worth a *&^% this week. Not sure why. Of course I haven't been reading much (though I did finish Judgment in Death finally) and my stitching has been all of 2 hours since the Quilt Square finish. Hmmm...could it be related?

Much activity on the book acquisition front, though! DH has started re-reading the Robert Jordan Wheel of Time series (I'm behind, still haven't read Winter's Heart) and our paperbacks of the first 6 books were starting to fall apart (considering that I don't even *crack the spines* on my paperbacks, this is very surprising). A trip to Borders netted him the first two and he ordered the remaining 4 on Amazon. It'll be like reading them for the very first time! I love the feel of a good heavy hardback (and these babies are indeed heavy!). I also picked up The DaVinci Code on an impromptu Barnes & Noble trip, so as usual I've got waaaay more books to read than I have time! LOL

Stash-wise I haven't been slouching either. Stitching Bits & Bobs (link left) has Mirabilia and Silver Lining on sale, so of course I had to get just a couple. Prima Ballerina and the new Poinsettia (The Most Wonderful Reds of the Year) from SL are on the way along with Crescent Dreams and Garden Verses from Mirabilia. There are a couple babies on the horizon this year (one at work and a couple more expected this year) and CD is my favorite baby-themed pattern. Additionally I've signed up for Chatelaine's Mini-E (no, I've still not signed up for Taj Mahal - I'm strong, I tell ya!) and requested a "surprise box" from an online friends' LNS going-out-of-business stash.

No more stash until February, though - really - I mean it.

Meanwhile, I think I'll take advantage of the quiet and put a few hours in on Storyteller :) I should have a new pic up this weekend....

They're back!

Amazing what happens when you follow directions....

Hmm...close

I've lost my comments! Ack!

Otherwise I think I'm looking pretty good :)

..a bit of refurbishing

Yes, like many of you, I've discovered the Blogskins website! Next test is if I can actually implement the skin I've fallen for....

Stay tuned....

First Finish of 2004

This evening I put the final beads on the first square from Chatelaine's Mystery Quilt (A)



Only took about 12 hours and it's much lovelier in person than on the picture!

Next up: another 10 hours on Storyteller...but not until Wednesday as I have to go back to school tomorrow night :(

Back to the grind tomorrow..

I must say that this 4 day weekend was *so* much more relaxing than the previous one! There was just too much going on for a real rejuvenating few days.

Stitching-wise, I've done pretty well. I finished off the first part of Chatelaine's Mystery VI in a mere 13.5 hours (compared to well over 20 for Mystery IV!), finished the first 10 hour stint on my focus piece, Storyteller and started the first square of Chatelaine's Quilt Mystery. Depending on how the day goes, I may actually finish it today...we'll see. Nothing on the immediate horizon but movies and stitching, but as we all know...best laid plans....

I wasn't nearly as prolific with my reading. I'm still plugging away on Judgment in Death (JD Robb) and I did start The Murder of Tutankhamen by Bob Brier (a Christmas gift). Most everything else has been packed, so I suppose I'm trying to get these to last a bit longer than usual.

The house has also had 2 showings in the last 3 days. As much as I want the sale done, the calls of "Can we show your house in 30 minutes?" is getting rather old.... Thankfully we got over an hour's notice on both days and we were planning to be out anyway.

So tomorrow it's back to work and Tuesday back to school. I will say that my plate is considerably less crowded, though and for that I am truly grateful!

2004 Stitching

First, as always, this is subject to my ever changing whims and the tendency of designers to release beautiful new "must have" designs just when I think I've got enough to work on....

So...next year's plans.

Really rather simple. I want to finish some of my larger TW pieces and refrain from starting any new "big" pieces. I classify "big" as anything that takes more than 50 hours of work.

The TW's that I feel have the best chance of getting finished: Storyteller, Dragon Ride, Noah's Ark and if I'm very very industrious, Stroke of Midnight.

With this in mind, as of tomorrow, January 1st, Storyteller becomes my focus piece and will get more hours than any other WIP in the pile. I'll work on him in 10-hr chunks alternating him with a few other WIPs, specifically the various Chatelaine Mysteries (Christmas Mystery, Mystery VI and the newly started Quilt Mystery), a Silver Lining or two (Edith Wolford and Peace) and some other odds and ends of WIPs (You can see the full list here).

Am I going to work in a specific order? Nope. Am I going to work on *everything* before going back to work on a piece again? Probably not. I'm going to take it a month at a time to start. January is going to be hectic with moving, so I'm not going to put too many restrictions on what little stitching time I'm going to have....that's a recipe for disaster! February will be the annual Cloisonné Ornament SAL (Apples for Fiona), but that'll count as a small piece ;)

So, there it is....my plans for next year....as of today ;)

Happy New Year to you and yours! I'll see you all next year......

Still With Me?

I realized as I went trolling thru various blogs that while I have been horribly remiss about posting (bad Annette! bad!), I'm not the only one that's been overwhelmed by the month of December.

I forgive myself and pledge to make a better effort to what's left of my faithful readers....

...as for the rest of you falling behind..you're on your own!

So...let's recap, shall we?

For the last 3 weeks, I managed to finish 2 books (Ceremony in Death and Witness in Death by JD Robb).

While I didn't finish any stitching, I did start 3 pieces (Witch Way by Just Nan, Mystery VI and Christmas Mystery, both by Chatelaine). This sets up 2004 to be a "TW Year" and puts me in pretty good stead for not starting any new "large" projects, working on all the current ones while adding the odd small piece here and there. And yes, that includes starting TW's new 12 Days of Christmas Ornaments due out late February. Individually they are "small" projects, right?

What? Did I hear you asking about Chatelaine's Taj Mahal Garden? Shh...It's already whispering to me and I've successfully ignored it's pleas for now :lol

There is one more large piece that I might sneak in late tomorrow night...but we'll have to see.

Tomorrow - a discussion on the stitching plans for 2004 :)

Is it Friday yet?

I know, it's only Wednesday, but a girl can hope......

First, the very best thing of the day - a package from my Secret Stitcher with supplies to learn bead crochet and the absolute *coolest* bead storage containers! If you happen to read this, dear, you truly made my day :)

Reading update:

Finished "The Invisible Ring" by Anne Bishop. I can't believe it took me this long to find this author! Loved it (not as much as her Black Jewels Trilogy, but enough).

Started "Kushiel's Avatar" by Jacqueline Carey. Another recent discovery that I'm really enjoying.

Stitching update:

Did I mention I finished my Anne Bishop book?

Weekend Learnings

I learned two things on Sunday:

1 - The "Green Bean Curse" is still strong in me.

2 - Rainbow Gallery's Gold Rush 18 makes great ornament hangers.

Green Bean Curse

You must understand, I really dislike green beans. I was forced to eat them as a child (along with meatloaf...another yuck for me) and as soon as I came "of age" swore off them. I've found I can tolerate fresh, raw green beans in salads, but otherwise I won't touch them.

My husband, on the other hand, *loves* them and it's one of the few vegetables he will eat. Such is the irony of marriage....

As a good wife, I occasionally will purchase fresh beans to cook. About once every third time I manage to do this without either a minor scorch or serious burn on the stove. See, he likes them cooked "to death" and based on my mother's and grandmother's method of stovetop cooking, this requires careful monitoring of the water level in the pan on the stove. Invariably I get distracted (the things cook for an hour, after all) and 30% of the time I scorch them, catching them *just* in the nick of time to save the batch, 30% of the time I get it right and the remaining 40% I burn them and we eat out. That was Sunday - we ate out. The curse is strong in me still.....

Gold Rush 18 = Easy Ornament Hangers

On Sunday we put up our Christmas tree. Every year my mother-in-law sends a pair of ornaments to the kids to hang on the tree, usually of the Hallmark variety. Every year I put the new ornaments away for the next year. Every year I dig thru my ornament tin to find hangers for the new ornaments that will fit the tiny little screw eyes on the top of the ornament. This year I had a brain storm.....gold braid! I'm a stitcher after all, I've got *tons* of the stuff! A quick dive into my stash turned up the referenced RG Gold Rush. Use about a 3-4" length to get a loop long enough for the tree ;)

Where did the afternoon go?

Today I had lunch plans with one of my Software Account Managers. She takes me to lunch quarterly and we discuss what's expected for the next few months for one of the applications I'm responsible for. Next year is easy. Our budget is small so if she wants to make any kind of sale, she's going to have to get creative on the licensing LOL.

Thanks to my influence, said Account Manager has recently taken up needlepoint again (the real kind with painted canvases and everything). Our lunch was extended to visit a local shop. She was *supposed* to be picking out a Christmas Stocking for her nephew to work, but she'd gotten a little excited and actually went in last weekend and bought it already..LOL. So instead, we looked at her progress and I suggested a couple tips and tools to make things easier for her. As for me, I found remaining braids and beads for Autumn Queen...

In my opinion, this was a great way to spend an afternoon off. Next stop was home where I could take the energy from the shop and actually stitch on something for me. Did I get to do that? Ummm...no. I checked email and found our recent visitor on the TWBB had been stirring more trouble. I spent the remainder of the afternoon tracking down who was responsible...and I did find them. Technology is an amazing thing.

The question remains, though... why would someone put that much time and energy into disrupting the relative peace of the BB? I simply don't understand the motivation. We post guidelines that the majority of the membership has had input into. We understand that as the membership changes, the guidelines will be reviewed and revised to reflect logical progressions and changes. Why harp on issues that were resolved months ago?

Ah well, all will be resolved soon....here's hoping we can all look forward to a few more months of peace for our community. Right now I'm just off to stitch a bit since I lost my afternoon! Oh Mr. Depp...I'm ready for you now....."Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a pirate's life for me...."

A Stitching and Reading entry...

First, how about my first WIP pic for my new Mirabilia? DH chose Autumn Queen as the next in the series and here she is at 10 hours:



Not bad...still need to pick up a couple braid colors which I'll do at the LNS on Friday. One of my software account managers needlepoints, so we're going stash shopping...LOL. Must combine business and pleasure whenever possible...

Next, I finished my second reading of Queen of Darkness by Anne Bishop. I love this series! Can't believe it took me this long to find it! I wonder what other gems are waiting to be uncovered? Of course, if it weren't for the TWBB Readers BB I'd still not have discovered Daemon, Lucivar and Saetan....thank you!

Some may know that I'm one of the administrators on the TWBB. This week has seen a bit of "off-board" residuals from last week's political hubbub. I take my responsibility of admin quite seriously when it comes to maintaining a level of harmony and maturity on the BB. I expect our members to conduct themselves as adults and not indulge in petty tricks or play hurtful games. The members aren't used to having "active" admins and I sincerely hope that they never know about some of the "behind the scenes" communications that I've had to handle recently....not pleasant but sadly, not all-together unexpected.

Am I sorry I took on the job? Absolutely not. I'm here for the long run :)

Testing the nerd limits....

So, I wonder what the limits of nerdiness really are? I think my darling audiophile husband and I have pushed the envelope after this past weekend's adventure.

It started really on Friday. After we had shared a quiet dinner for two to celebrate our sixth anniversary, He suggested we stop by the local electronics store to visit our TV. Yes, visit our TV...see, we're moving in January to a new house with a much larger living room. This practically demanded a larger tv and we'd been looking at some rather nice plasma models for a few months. In September the price looked pretty darned good so we processed the purchase....though arranging for later delivery. So we visited our tv....

...and found the price dropped to below what we paid.

Well! A few minutes chat with our salesman and he was off to "adjust" our sale price :D as we had not taken delivery! Woohoo!

Nerd item #2 was on Sunday. Husband decided to put a new alarm in his 1990 Jeep Wrangler as its currently living outside while we fill the garage with packed boxes (slowly, but surely). Audio/Security store also sells Satellite radio. Husband has been eyeing this for a few weeks........

Both Jeeps now are equipped with satellite radio and brand new Kenwood stereos that play the radio, CD's and MP3s. Ah yes.....I love my new stereo!