Contest

Go over and check out Megan... she's celebrating her 100th post...tell her I sent ya.

Ravelry

I finally took the time to set myself up on Ravelry. I am "alaina".

I know you all have posted your names on your blogs as you signed up...and I could go back and search all of your blogs...and I will...if I must...

Or...You could all be darlings and just leave a post with your Ravely name...

Please...pretty please?

I hate migraines...

I am home today with a pounding migraine. I have taken all the medication (prescribed and not) that I can possibly take...I am now playing the waiting game....

I am moving very slowly...like my brain has to 'catch' up to my head movement....must be the drugs....For whatever reason, the pounding lessens when I am sitting upright....I have been dealing with this in the horizontal position for the last 5 hours...we'll try the vertical for a while.

I called to refill my prescription and of course they need to call the doctor's office for verification...so, I am hording those little suckers...planning for the next few days....

I am such a whiner when I am sick....

One sick little puppy...

Wednesday evening I came home to Max limping on his hind leg....He had tangled with some burrs...Nathan and I cut out the burrs and I figured I would take a "wait and see" attitude...

Thursday morning...I let him out...he can't walk at all....I pick him up (all 38 pounds of hair) and walk him out to the lawn...gently lower him to the gound...he collapses...

I call in sick (don't give the secretary a reason...figure I'll plead my case with the principal, later)...call the vet....can bring him in at 9 am

Carried his big, heavy, hairy body to the car...all the way to the vet...I'm trying to prepare myself...If I have to have him "put down"....how am I going to handle this...decided we would do it as a family...would have to include Chris and Nathan....

Carry him into the vet...wrestle 38 pounds of hair,...struggle to open doors...purse swinging off of my arm... repeatedly....

Have I mentioned how I am not really much of a "dog" person????? I love Max...would do anything for him...but I am a "cat" person...(sorry...please don't send hate mail)

He's running a fever...they do blood work...he has Lyme Disease...

Due to the warm weather this pass summer...we have an overabundance of "deer ticks" in our area...

Fully treatable...antibiotics for 3 weeks...Treatable but not curable...

Carried his big, hairy butt back out to the car....

Am happy to report that by last night (Saturday) he was bouncing around..almost normal....

Ok...maybe I am becoming more of a "dog" person.....

TOPIC OF THE WEEK- Fall into Autumn Swap

Now that it is getting cooler here, it makes me think of apple picking and hay rides. Are you the type that likes to go to participate in all the fall festivities like apple picking, pumpkins, decorating for the fall, hay rides, baking fall goodies, etc. or do you just sit and count the days till Thanksgiving/Christmas/Hanukkah?

I start thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas...I am not much into Fall activities...seems like every Fall gets busier and busier...it becomes more about getting it (all the outside stuff) done before the snow flies and buries everything outside and maintaining some kind of balance with school starting...lesson plans, football, pepband, confirmation, etc....

I do enjoy the Fall...the enthusiasm of a new school year...the freshness in the air...a little chill at night...football games wrapped in sleeping bags...it's all good.

It's Saturday!!

Busy, busy week as usual....

Short week at school...MEA weekend...for all you out-of-staters...that means "MN Education Association" ...always has their Fall conference this weekend...which means a four day wekend every Fall... (I did not attend MEA Workshops)

I went to Winona to visit Andy...Did an overnighter...It's beautiful in that corner of Minnesota (Southeast)..the leaves are just starting to turn...the bluffs along the Mississippi River are breathtaking. Andy seems to be doing well...it's comforting to see him have his niche in the big campus world. (His dorm room could have used some attention...)

Chris is in Chicago. He was invited to attend with a group of Exchange students and chaperones from the school. What an opportunity...They took the Amtrak out of Minneapolis/St Paul early Thursday morning. Saw the Broadway play "Wicked" Thursday night, Science Museum on friday, and today...Navy Pier and a Bulls vs. Pacers game tonight...Shopping tomorrow and the train ride back...how fun! Wish I could have gone along....Could have gotten tons of knitting done on the 8 hour train ride...think of the possibilities...

Speaking of knitting...I am working on dishcloths for my Fall into Autumn Swap partner...I just happened to be in the LYS this morning and picked up some more yarn for socks...am just itching to try the two socks on two cirs...I bought the book...just need the time.

I stopped at a used book store in the cities on my way through...didn't buy any books, but did buy 6 albums...yes, the real thing...vinyl!!! I bought a wide range of music: AC/DC Back in Black, Neil Diamond, Tommy James and the Shondells, Star Wars Soundtrack, Tanya Tucker (early, early years), Barry Manilow, and the Best of Buddy Holly...how's that for variety?

I have a lot of music on vinyl...I am going to buy the converter...takes your vinyl and converts it to mp format...puts the music onto your computer so you can then burn CDs. I have heard good things about it...comes with software to clean up some of the background "noise" normally associated with records...stay tuned for further updates...

"He" and I had our picture taken this morning...the Credit Union is offering a Free 8x10...of, course other sizes may also be purchased...so we got all "dolled up" and went and had our picture taken....we'll see how they turn out. It was his idea..which was kinda cool...

Not much else is new here...too much of writing lesson plans and grading papers and not enough of the knitting....makes me crabby.

I contributed...

I contributed to the numbers of knitters in the world this weekend...I taught my 18 year old niece Courtney to knit on Saturday....

She is working away on a scarf...using size 11 needles and a skein of chunky wool-ease I happened to have in my stash...

Last seen doing very well....

Technology...love it or hate it

I bought a new computer last Sunday...I really needed one...got it all set up - transfered all my documents and pictures...it was all good...then, suddenly on Monday afternoon...the modem won't connect....What the Hell?

I called "Geek Squad"...they told me they would come out to the house and check it out...in two or three days for $160.00...What the Hell?

Today...I spent three (long, frustrating, aggrevating, and did I mention...frustrating) hours at Best Buy...

I have a new modem.

I've been spoiled

I arrived home on Friday to find a package waiting for me...

Kaylee was my swap pal for the Fall into Autumn Dishcloth Swap. She truely went "above and beyond" the call of duty.....

Gather around as I show off my goods....



First off...the star of the show...She made me a gorgeous yellow dishcloth using a pattern from the Dishrag Boutique...Check it out...she used Feather and Fan I just love the color - so bright...it reminds me of all the yellow leaves I see around me.

And...what other goodies did I find?



What's a package without some chocolate and good smelling stuff? She sent a package of Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Hot chocolate mix. Woo Hoo!! Gonna hide that from my children. She also tucked in a set of a nummy smelling candle and body mist spray...scented warm vanilla sugar by BTB. Lean close...can you smell it? Trust me...it's awesome...

And in this cute little package...a bar of softly scented soap...I love it.



And...yes, there is more...Check out the yarn...not one, not two, not three, but...four skeins of the softest yarn I've had the pleasure to touch in a while...



I e-mailed Kaylee to thank her for the package and ask if she had a particular project in mind when she picked out the yarn for me....here is what she said, "I picked the yarn specifically because you mentioned that a wool blend with angora would match your personality- "strong, stable, down home...weathers well...wool but with a soft heart and mushy side...angora"- and it was so deliciously soft and warm. I thought it might make a lovely tam and wristwarmers, or perhaps a cabled scarf... just something soft and snuggly for the winters there."

How thoughtful is that!!!



Thank you Kaylee for the awesome package. I can tell a lot of thought and care went into the gifts you chose for me and your timing was perfect...I really needed a "pick-me-upper".

Is it just at my house?

As previously stated...I've been sick for the last week and a half...

Apparently...NOBODY else in this house knows how to

1. Run the dishwasher...Hello???? this involves pushing a button...
2. Wash dishes the old fashion way...soap? water?
3. Sweep the kitchen floor...hello??? broom!!!
4. Vacumn...it's electrical...that should appeal to some part of their maleness...
5. Pick up their own belongings...no, the football gear does not need to be in the middle of my living room for all to trip over...

Is it just me?

Are you still there?

I'm still here...

I've missed you...yes, you. and you. and you. and even...you.

I've been busy with school stuff...lesson plans and calculus...way too busy....I feel like I have given and given to everyone around me..and I have had no time for me.

It's been a really rough couple of weeks at school...makes me question if this is really what I want to be doing with me life....don't get me wrong...I really enjoy the kids...even, the Senior High kids, which I have not had to teach before...it's the politics of it all...the community/parent shit that is just so hard to deal with....

For all parents out there (who are not teachers)...Please, please...if you have questions about what is happening in your sons' or daughters' classroom...Ask the teacher!!! Don't talk about the teacher around town.... don't spread rumors around town...don't go to the administration and complain....JUST ASK.

Besides all that....I have also had a really nasty, nasty cold. You know the kind...Where you blow gallons of snot out of your head over a period of several days and your body continues to produce gallons more...enough said about that.

Did I mention how much I have missed each of you.

Occasionally at work, I sneak peeks at your blogs...read a bit...grin to myself as I am taking attendance...then, I have to go teach...thanks for those smiles...

Family news...

Andy came home from Winona last weekend. He and I spent the day shopping for shoes for him in Duluth...hard task when said feet are size 14 (sorry, Andy for announcing that to the world...my bra size is only a 34A...there, Andy...now I have something to be embarrassed about...are we even?) We finally found shoes and celebrated by eating at the Zen House - Duluth's only Japanese Restaurant....(I know you're jealous Kim...thought of you as I was munching sushi) It was a fine way to spend a day....appreciating my son...

Similarly, Chris and I spent the previous Saturday shopping for jeans in Duluth. We ate at the Ground Round...had a very nice lunch and awesome conversation....I must say...I have some fine young men that I can call my own....

Nathan is starting and playing center on the football team....I got a hug from him last night after the game (which we won)...I am 5'8" and I was under his shoulder pads....and he's only 15. Again...good things.....

Life goes on....the bad stuff happens and the good stuff carries us through it.

Hugs to all and thanks for listening....