I’ve been running around doing all-sorts this week. I’ve been at C House a few times, at the library (hi Henry!), at the gym (!!!), to KnitJam, and I’ve had a visitor this weekend – my friend Charlotte. Whew! And now I’m starting all over again.
I’m going to the gym with the bro and also sometimes with my upstairs neighbour. It’s definitely a good plan to have gym buddies. We’re planning to go to pilates, too. Should be fun!
In knitting news, I’ve finished my first project for 2011: the Snapdragon Tam for my sister-in-law:
Pattern:Snapdragon Tam by Ysolda Teague [Ravlink] Yarn: Elle Family Favourites DK in Gold. Needles: 4mm metal circulars.
I am pleased with it, and it was fun to knit, too :-)
Today has been a day of variety, which has been nice! I started out by going up to the Christmas fair for Mum’s church – I got there quite late on, so I helped clear up and carry the remaining stuff back up to the church. I got a few nice cards and nick knacks for gifts, so that was a worthwhile trip. Then I walked with Mum back to her house for a drink and then a lift home.
On the way up to Mum’s place, I stopped off and did a geocache that was en route. It took me a bit longer than I’d planned due to me being disorganised with my stuff, but it was still a speedy one. Not a micro one this time, but a still small one. So not big enough to put the travelling monkey into, yet. Poor monkey! I’ll move him on soon, by hook or by crook!
After visiting at Mum’s for a while, we came back here and had dinner – stir fry followed by cupcakes! Then Mum went home and I’ve been knitting and watching Strictly Come Dancing. I’m still working on the Travelling Woman, but hopefully I’ll be done soon. Maybe tonight? Maybe tomorrow.
And then I’ve been playing with Blip.fm – I’ve put a widget linking to my account there in the sidebar, and I think it’s possible to play some tracks directly from here? I’m not sure, I’m still figuring it out. That’s not what I’m using it for, anyway. Mostly I’m listening to the songs my friends have playlisted. Is that even a word? Probably not, but I know what I mean, and I’m sure you do too. Anyway, I thought I’d put the widget up here because in the first place I can, and also because I’m trying to get all my web stuff better linked together. Integrate my web presence. Oh how pretentious. ;-)
Alright, so I said I’d make sure I was doing at least one necessary thing and one thing for fun every day… how’ve I been doing so far?
Monday: Cleaned the bathroom and kitchen thoroughly; knitted and listened to podcasts.
Tuesday: Did my library volunteering (this doesn’t really count as a chore, but it’s a commitment, so I’ll count it!); went out to lunch and then round the Old Town with my Mum and visiting aunt and uncle.
Wednesday: Made a whole slew of necessary phone calls; went out for the day to Rye with Mum, aunt and uncle, and later to KnitJam.
Thursday: Waited in for a parcel and did housework; went to knit & natter at C House, took it easy in front of the telly (and caught up on Holby).
Friday: Did housework, sorted some paperwork; watched TV and knitted.
Saturday: Went to the vet, the chemist, the cash machine, the local shop and the post office (whew!); went geocaching along the seafront and found six caches, watched SCD then had a massively early night!
Sunday (today): Filled out a health cost help form (must remember to book my eye-test when/if that comes back), cleaned the kitchen; done a bit of knitting and listening to podcasts, and might pop out to do a geocache in a mo.
Although I’m a couple of days late in starting, I’ve decided to have a crack at NaBloPoMo this month. The theme is art, and I reckon that one way or another I’ve got plenty to say about various arts and crafts, so let’s go for it. Tomorrow, for example, I’m going up to London to watch a couple of Proms. I don’t know if we’ll have time to take in any other arty culture, but there will certainly be knitting done along the way!
IComLeavWe has rolled around again, so hi to anyone who drops by from that :-) I’m going to be a little late in starting this month, because I’m going to be out for most of tomorrow (technically today already, eek), and I might be sleeeeeepy when I get home. In fact, I should be in bed and sleeping now, so I’d better get going. I may get a chance to jump online when I get in tomorrow, but if not, it’ll have to wait until Sunday. I can do double then.
Wow, and there goes another month – I did so well blogging all through June, started out in July…. and then Real Life took over! What a shock to the system that’s been ;-) Seriously though, it really has been a pretty good summer. The “busy day” to come that I mentioned about two posts / six weeks ago way back on 5th July was the day that I had an interview for a volunteering “job”, and I’ve been doing that ever since. Not every day, I mean. Just once a week. I’m really enjoying it! (I’d better not go into specifics just yet. I’ll check with them first if they mind me blogging about it a bit. I’ve been almost-burned with that before, when a manager at my job up north told me I should remove all references to work. And none of that was specific stuff about the company at all, if I remember rightly, and certainly didn’t name anything or anyone. Just occasional anecdotes about colleagues and work life. So, double-check first, blog later!)
Other than that, I’ve been going to the Bipolar Course, which is nearly over now. That’s also been really good. I hadn’t been going to choir for a while because I’d been ill, but I’ll be going again when rehearsals start back up in September so I’m looking forward to that. And I’ve also taken up Geocaching! What-y What-ing? Well, in case you haven’t heard of it, it’s a sort of a cross between orienteering and treasure hunting, done with GPS. In my case, I use the GPS thingy in my phone rather than a dedicated device, and it’s been spot on every time so far. It’s getting me out and about and giving me a reason to go for walks, and it was surprising the first few times how much glee and satisfaction I felt when I found the caches.
Right, I must be getting on. I’ll try to remember to blog more about geocaching, update my knitting and spinning stuff… um…. oh, and talk about Pirate Day, Promming, and how much I liked the BBC’s new “Sherlock” adaptation! I think that’s about it. Probably.
I did lots today, and even managed to get in a nap this afternoon. Well, I’d worn myself out! Of course, when I say “lots”, that’s “lots for me”, but still. I’ve been to see the Flower Festival at Mum’s church with her. Technically it’s over, but she has the church keys and all the displays are still there. Then I went to the dentist (everything fine; see you in 6 months), did tiny a bit of shopping, came home and cleaned up a storm. Whew! And since I’ve also got some spinning and knitting done, I’m feeling quite accomplished.
Tomorrow is another busy day, so I’m off to bed now. I’m expecting to sleep well!
I’ll be starting some voluntary work at a local library soon, helping people on the computers and internet. I’ve got to go in for a sort of induction day and an interview, but as I understand it, they’re trialling a tutorial programme to help people who aren’t used to computers, and my role would be to support them using that, and then provide refresher info and help afterwards. Sounds like fun! (No, I’m not being sarcastic, it does.) I’m looking forward to it, and it’ll be good to have something else regular in my schedule.
This evening I’ve been working on my Clapotis [Ravlink] while watching the Glastonbury coverage, and I’ve now tinked back so that I have one repeat of the straight section less, and therefore hopefully enough yarn left now to finish the project. I’d better have, because I’ve started on the decrease section again! Actually, I haven’t got very far into that… maybe I should pop a lifeline in just in case? Better safe than sorry.
I spent most of today on the beach, which was marvellous – the weather is warm and sunny, but with enough of a breeze to keep it comfortable. I sat and knitted, listened to music for some of the time, the sounds of the seaside for the rest of it, and generally enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine. I went and got one of those folding chairs that come in the carry bags, but I actually only ended up using it (still in the bag!) as a lower back rest.
On the beach, Hastings, 23-06-2010
It was really nice being down there. I really must go more often while the weather is good. I don’t have a garden, but with the beach only 5-10 mins away… well. Silly not to go.
I was working on my Clapotis [Ravlink] and got very near to the end… when I realised that I wasn’t going to have enough yarn after all. Argh! So I’ve ripped back again and I’ll start the decrease rows one repeat earlier. That is, I’ll have one repeat less of the “straight” section. It’ll still be a good length. I should still have it finished this week, too, since the decrease section obviously gets faster as you go.
One thing that had completely passed me by until I got into town and heard all the people in the pubs was that it was the England v (er, someone) World Cup match. We won, didn’t get sent home, and there was much rejoicing. Including a group of blokes parading along the seafront singing the national anthem and then other assorted songs (Mysterious Girl? What?).
Oh, and although I was in the sun all day long, I’m still not tanned at all. Or not enough to notice. Being v pale, I slapped on the Factor 25 – I forgot once last year and got really bad sunburn, so I’m not going there again. Still, if I keep going out to the beach, and the weather obliges, I expect I’ll gain some colour before the end of summer. Even if it will only be noticeable by comparison with my watch mark!
So, today was World Wide Knit in Public Day (or at least, the start of WWKIP week) for 2010. We had a little meet up and knit in Princes Park in Eastbourne to mark the event – there were just four of us there in the end, but we had a good time. Or I did, anyway. I hope everyone else did!
We were there from 11am to 3pm, and as well as getting on with knitting and crochet of our own, the heel section of BigSock was cast on! A mere 500 stitches at its narrowest point, should be a doddle. Hah!
Of course, I didn’t get any of my jumper done… and what I did get knitted of my clapotis is probably going to have to be ripped back because I seem to have gained (or lost) a stitch somewhere! I’m out one, anyway. Oh well.
Which three things sum up my day fairly well, really. My whole weekend, in fact. Like I said, we went to see Ally and family yesterday and out into the park where I saw several people I’d been at school with and their kids. I think I must be the only one who has no offspring! It was a lovely sunny day for it, and today was lovely as well although there was lots of rain and thunder last night.
Charlotte has gone now, but we went over to my brother and sister-in-law’s place for Sunday dinner today. Mmm, Sunday roast! I’m feeling pretty wiped out (but full!) so I can’t think of much else to blog about, so I’ll go and check out the prompts for some inspiration:
What’s the first thing that pops into your head when you think of your father?
His smile; a feeling of safety; and woolly bobble hats! Dad liked to keep his head warm, and embarrassed me horribly (as parents will!) when I was in my mid-teens by taking my into town still wearing his slippers (moccasins, so I’m sure no-one knew but me) and a woolly hat. Later on, of course, it became a lovable eccentricity, and when I learned to knit, one of the very first things I made was a hat for Dad:
… my dear Watson. Which basically means that Charlotte is here and we’re watching movies! Sherlock Holmes, some of Return of the King, and… whatever else will depend on what time we have. We’ve watched Doctor Who as well, of course. Earlier today we went and saw Ally, and went over to the park where they were having some kind of… something. With music and some stalls set up and all that. It was fun, which is what matters!
Now it’s back to the movie watching. Robert Downey Jnr, yay!
Yesterday, I went Christmas shopping with the family in Canterbury. I had some kind of idea in my head that I’d blitz through and buy presents for everyone. Uh, no. I managed to buy cards, wrapping paper… and a new dressing gown and slippers for myself, since my old ones had pretty much died. However, I think I do now know what I’m going to get for everyone. I’m just going to buy it online!
We did see some reindeer, though, in a pen outside BHS. Okey-dokey! They seemed quite happy with all the attention, though, and two of them kept pushing their noses though the fence and getting their heads rubbed by the people who’d come to see them (anti-septic hand gel was provided to use afterwards, probably because of that thing with kids catching E.coli after stroking farm animals). I just took a couple of photos:
Hopefully I’ll be off to Battle Bonfire tonight with the family – I have to ring my Mum and brother to confirm if they’re all going, but at least according to the Beeb Weather, it’s going to be a clear night for it. I was a bit worried yesterday, but so far November seems to be alternating rainy and bright days.
I wish I’d got those gloves finished (I have one!) but I am working on them again now at least. Maybe I’ll actually get them done in time before spring this year. I think second glove syndrome is even worse than second sock syndrome, even if it isn’t as nicely alliterative. I do have some nice thick armwarmers / fingerless mitts to wear for tonight, anyhow, and I’ll be warmly wrapped up otherwise. Um, is it weird that one of my favourite things about bonfire night is being out in the cold but all wrapped up warm against it? Well, that and the procession and effigy exploding. Ahem.
Happy Guy Fawkes Night, everyone! There are fireworks exploding all over tonight, and the Xandermog has the hump with me because I won’t let him out. Silly beast.
I’m still a bit under the weather, but getting better, so yay! I’ve been out today, over to C. House for lunch and catching up with friends. I signed up as being interested in a creative writing course while I was there, too. Also, note to self: there’s a walking group on Wednesday afternoons. After I’d been there I went down to the shops to top up my gas and electricity keys, and bumped into my neighbour, so we walked back up together and had a bit of a catch up. It’s been just like a normal day! Heh.
I’m hoping now that I’ll be feeling fine for Saturday, which is when Battle Bonfire is on – last I heard, there are plans for going with the family. I imagine it partly depends on whether Mum is verger-ing on Sunday morning. I must remember to ask her tomorrow.
