AMEX, for I have sinned. It has been 90 minutes since my last purchase.

Today was a big day for donating. I packed up a bag of clothing and a large box of books, and I headed over to Goodwill. After donating, I decided to peek in the store for recyclable sweaters/yarn. In spite of the fact that the retail world is firmly planted in Fall Fashion, it is bloody hot out, and fondling sweaters was making me hotter. This little cutie cooled me right off.


I know that I am supposed to be sewing, and not buying skirts, but the sewing machine went back. I was operating on two lines of logic: 1) I am broke at the moment, 2) the machine sat for 3 weeks in my trunk and for another week (plus) in the computer room. If I am broke and providing only temporary housing for the sewing machine, why keep it? I can always buy another one later -- when there is appropriate space for it.

Even if I had kept the machine and sewed a few summer skirts, there is no way that I could create this

for less than $18.00. Sewing is like knitting, it is not about saving money. It is about making something. And sometimes, it is easier to buy than to make. Which really answers my question about dinner tonight.

Yes, this is one of those ho-hum-what-the-hell-am-I-doing posts. A seriously crappy week at work has left me pondering the immediate future. Aside from my personal sales diving into the toilet, there has been more drama and negativity at work than I care to repeat.

My team is doing well, and my counter is doing well, but I am not doing well. I was hammered about this during a lunch where each bite was already coming back up before I had even finished the process of chewing and swallowing. I can be somewhat sensitive when I am not performing to a certain standard, but I am not afraid of constructive criticism. Talking badly about other managers to me is not constructive. Comparing me to unfavorable managers is not constructive. Belittling me in front of a subordinate is not constructive. Whispering snide comments about a person as they are speaking is not constructive.

At first, this situation had me fretting and fussing about the pettiness and politics of my current job. I have been exposed to office pettiness and politics in my other jobs, but this is elevated to a level that is nearly comical -- if I were reading it crafted by the hand of Evelyn Waugh or Noel Coward, rather than living it.

As a diversion, I cast on for a knitted book cover. This will hug my current reading. I have never been a fan of self-help books, but I dig the spiritual. Rather than the never-let-them-see-you-sweat approach, I am embracing the do-not-sweat-it approach. Why should someone else have the power to destroy my day? Although, I could always stick a needle in their eye.

I feel like Charlie Brown when that wench Lucy moves the football. A visit from my coordinator left me with that sinking feeling. Sales at the counter are up, and we have an excellent chance of making our month. I took a personal beating, however, as my individual sales have been tanking. I have lost my love of selling cosmetics -- at least in this venue.

Knitting has become the ultimate escape for me. I read several blogs, and I am delighted when I see a completed project, read a funny story, or discover another pretty yarn. Hours are spent in front of my computer reasearching patterns, yarns, and yarn shops that I can visit when I travel. I should put this much effort into actually knitting, looking for a new job, or spending time with Joe.

The humour was sucked out of me today, but I received a small gift this evening. A woman gave me a scented tealight and holder. The holder says "Embrace life". And I shall.

But first, I am going to embrace my sweetie.

Correct me if I am wrong, but Sunday is the Lord's day of rest, no? I might be speaking out of turn, but Saturday is the Sabbath, no? Then can someone explain to me the reason and/or logic of a business not operating on a Monday?

It has been ages since I have encountered an establishment (except for a yarn shop) that is closed on a Monday. However, today, I encountered several!

My dismay started last evening as I sat -- with great hunger -- awaiting the return of Joe and the kids. One full hour later, the three of them rolled in, needing to cleam up before heading out for a Japanese meal. Three men and a shower? I can take a bath and shave my legs in less time than it takes one of them to shower.

Three showers and sixty minutes later, we were sushi-bound. Alas, it is the country life, where restaurants close at 9:00pm or earlier. Forty-five minutes later, we were home, boiling pasta.

This morning, I vowed that I would make the most of my day off and reward myself with an Indian food buffet. There is an Indian restaurant near work that is neighboring a Barnes & Noble, a Michael's, and a Joann Fabrics. I was all set. Except that the restaurant is closed Mondays.

Fine.

I drove 15 minutes south to another Indian buffet (please note: the fact that there are two Indian restaurants with 10 miles of each other is astounding). While this restaurant has the good sense to serve food on Monday, they practise the annoying habit of "broken hours". 11:00am-2:00pm is lunch. 5:00pm-10:00pm is dinner. With nothing but Dunkin' Donuts iced coffee in my belly, I arrived to the second restaurant at 2:35pm.

Clearly all of this is Joe's fault. I muttered curses and vowed -- not so silently -- that I am leaving him and Cowtown before I lose my mind and starve to death.

Since my local yarn shop is also closed on Monday, I'm at a loss for what to do with this:

270 yards of Louet's Euroflax Linen. I was originally sold on the idea of a shawl, but after three aborted attempts at knitting two rows of YO, K2TOG with this splitty grass, I figured that there had to be something out there (patternwise) that would make me happy to knit with the Euroflax. Sadly, I think it will be a shopping bag. How boring.

In case you wondered, the family made a second attempt at a Japanese meal tonight. Three guesses:

CLOSED ON MONDAY.

Yep, it was my first day back at the store after a delightful six days away. This small break allowed me the freedom to wear my "own" clothing, rather than the uniform. Having spent my college years exploring the realms of goth and psuedo-punk, there is little allure to wearing all black for me these days. I have embraced the power of color, and the power of not wearing a uniform.

Not only did I cast on the Paris Loop during the hottest day of the Summer, I also managed to finish it during the most humid week NYC has experienced thus far.


I managed to fit in a bit of yarn fun by meeting Michelle at School Products. We ambled over to KnitNY for a caffine buzz and to drool over her issue of Rowan Knitting Magazine #36


Other than spending time with old friends and meeting a new friend, my week was uneventful. Sometimes, that is a pleasure, and this was one of those times. Speaking of simple pleasures, I arrived home to find all sorts of goodies in the mail: swaps, magazines, Dragonfly Blue samples, and an eBay win.

The sweet little mess of ribbon is slated for the Zen Belt, courtesy of Berroco's free pattern site.

No one in my house can understand the joy I feel when I check the mail. As an internet shopper and super swapper, there are often interesting items filling the mailbox. Prior to finding employment in the area, I often spent hours posting and arranging swaps through Makeupalley.

My swapping and internet buying as slowed greatly since then, and as a result, the mail just is not as exciting as it once was. Along comes the Knitty Coffeeshop Secret Pal II to save the day!

The pals have been assigned, and I am anxious to begin the processing of sending and receiving treats and trinkets of all sorts via post. In an effort to supply my pal with more information about me, I am going to ramble on just a bit.
Books
Bella Tuscany (Frances Mayes), Knit Wit, Knitter's Handbook (Readers Digest)

Music
Baroque music, Chamber music, World music -- emphasis on Middle Eastern, Egyptian, Indian, etc., and (I am almost ashamed to admit this) Shakira's No Laundry.

Misc
cable needle(s), stitch markers, cooking herbs (basil, etc), essential oils (for diffuser), easy vegetarian and/or ethnic recipes, scent samples from Black Phoenix Alchemy Labs (Kali, Zombi, Old Paris)

Speaking of Paris. I just discovered that I made a huge mistake, and I'm in the third section of the Paris Loop. I've been using #11 needles when I should have been using #13. I scribbled down the pattern in two places, and obviously, I scribbled wrong on one of them. It's too much to unknit, and the texture of the yarn will make ripping it back a real nightmare. Should I just soldier on? Decisions.

Yes, I was outted. Not in the sexual preference sense. Joe found the sewing machine in my trunk.

Sundays are typically the day Joe brings our trash and recyclables to the dump station, and it is generally his car that is used. But today, we had decided that we would visit a car dealership and head to New Paltz, to sell some books after the dump. Since the garbage was already loaded in his car and the books were loaded in mine, Joe decided to transfer the garbage to my trunk, reasoning that we could leave for New Paltz directly from the dump.

I panicked, but before I could protest this insane idea of his, he had popped my trunk. Even though I was a few feet away, I could see it: the look on his face. I could hear it: the wheels in his brain turning..."What the...?". As he tilted his head from side to side in disbelief, I started laughing. Joe peered further in the trunk (checking for a body?), and proclaimed, "It's a good thing that you've only recently started driving, otherwise, you would have needed a box van by now".

And to think, I was worried about his reaction!

What a lazy day! I slept (which is often an amazing thing for me in general) until 8:40. This pretty much set the tone for the day. I did precious little other than read blogs; contemplate future knitting projects for me; and contemplate wedding and Christmas gifts that I could knit, felt, or bead. Again, the slow cooker was my best friend, allowing me to make a delicous lentil soup while I did all of the above, as well as mail some packages and a library return.

I love the library, and while our library system is a bit lacking in knitting books, it is an inter-connected system. Thus, I can borrow from one library, but return at another. This is convenient for me based upon whether my library run is closer to home or closer to work. Today, I picked up one of those little Vogue pattern books: Vintage Knits, as well as a vintage clothing book. I am on the hunt for knitting and/or sewing ideas. In a moment of silliness, I decided to borrow a language tape -- Farsi. I have no idea what prompted this, other than I once had a Persian roommate, and I now work with a Persian woman. She was born in Atlanta, so her Farsi may be only as good as mine.

Speaking of work, many of the cosmetics counters have begun to display their Fall items and Fall colors. None are more compelling than Chanel. My lips and eyes crave these:



I am a sucker for packaging!

Eight One Eighty-One

This day alway reminds me of a Penn State student film about a paranoid man too heavily engrossed in MTv. The film was made by Andy Walker, who has gone on to enjoy a lucrative career as a screenwriter. My alma mater is best known for it's football team, however, PSU has more to offer than tailgates and Nittany Lions. For instance, Penn State turfgrass is used on 90% of all golf courses worldwide. AccuWeather was founded by two PSU Meteorology grads.

And it was the weather that undermined my today's plans for some wooly fun with fellow-Penn Stater, Alyssa.

I managed to have a bit of wooly fun on my own this weekend with a trip to Yarn Central (my LYS) for a bit more sale yarn. During my Wednesday visit, I noticed a sale bin of Gedifra Ciccio , and I thought it might be the yarn required for the Paris Loop. Since I cannot afford (financially or spatially) to be wrong about these things, I decided to check the pattern before buying the yarn. Success! On one of the most humid days of the Summer of 2004, I cast on for a wooly poncho...