OMG - Look What I Just Drove!!!

It's so not a good idea to tell the guy across the street about the car you really like - because he handles all the used ones that come through his Chevy dealer (the same guy that is currently driving a Dodge truck with a Viper engine in it - wth?). So, tonight, after driving my 112th mile for the day (to & from work, to & from practice), I pulled onto my street to see this sitting in his drive:

I WANTZZZZZ ONE!!!!

And then the idiot handed me the key....

And since it's been over 5 years since I drove anything with a clutch, and a lot longer than that since I had one you couldn't just dump into whatever gear, I umm, *cough*cough*stalled*cough* at the corner.

But then I barked the tires at the other corner up onto the main road!!

I think I used all of the 6 gears - don't know I do know it's a good thing there weren't any cops between here & where I turned around It has lots & lots of go-fast


Damn, I make this look good!


That is really cool - but wow, so not looking for another car payment. And I really hope my poor Mazda didn't see me driving the pretty red car.


I guess I'll hold out for the Boxster or '64 GTO :) Or the GREY R/T with the flat black markings :)

Lilies - An Update

Yep, lilies everywhere, and it's too early. Which means, about July, I'm going to have lotsa dead sticks sticking out of the ground :) Because I don't go outside during smog & fire ant season :) :)


We have a long weekend coming up, Memorial Day for those not in the US. I get to spend the whole weekend driving back and forth from the State Cup tourney, which is being played in Columbus, GA - 150 miles from my house. So, who else is driving 1000 miles and not leaving their state?? Anybody? WooHoo - I hate it. But Sunday & Monday's games are afternoon, so even staying in a hotel doesn't make sense - if you check out at 10 or 11 and the game's at 5, what do you do to entertain yourself in between? I don't understand why the State Cup has to be way the hell over there, when 97% of the teams are from Atlanta - other than they have a nice big facility, and all the other tourneys over Memorial Day are using up the fields in ATL.

I won't go into details about the play in game we had Saturday that allowed us to advance to the actual Cup. It was 3 hours of torture from the parent perspective. The team we played beat us in regular season 9-0 - they didn't have a single goal against them from ANYONE (clearly they did some massive recruiting last summer and stacked their team - uh, you can only go up one more division, boys). Well, we had them beat 1-0 when a fight broke out with 2 1/2 minutes to go - they were getting desperate, not believing they were losing, and with their home ref, on their $30K turf field giving them EVERY advantage, so a fight. It shoulda been called then, but no, after throwing 4 red cards, the ref made them finish. And because every one was hot and we were down 2 players to their one (one of their reds came off the bench), they scored at the very last, tying it up. So two 15-minute OTs, still tied, though they got their third Red (2nd caution), and we were again even at 9 players each. PKs - and our keep did an outstanding job blocking, so we advance! 5 Reds, 7-8 Yellows, including one for my kid (you know, Captain Obvious) - ummm, hey Ref, are you aware of what happens when a bunch of 17 year old boys get their testosterone up? Did it ever occur to you that MAYBE YOU ought to get it under control PRIOR to fists flying???? Stupid f&*%. I hope they paid him well - too bad they LOST. Yes, I am a poor sport - so? I hate playing against rich kids - they are AWFUL. The coach was shitty to our boys, too, as they were walking off the filed, saying "Have fun getting slaughtered by XXXX [one of those big teams we're playing in the Cup)". Wow, and you're supposed to be the adult??? GREAT EXAMPLE, Nancy (no offense, Nancy :D).
Hey, you like how I didn't go into any detail there? My stomach is still upset from the whole thing - not to mention the cleat marks the kid has all up his leg & knee. Rich little punk-ass kids...


So anywho - as for stitching, it would seem that I am still in slump. This is getting ridiculous. Though, I guess I haven't really had one in 4-5 years, so maybe it's all catching up to me? Anyway, I took Starry Nights to the stitch in at The Stitch Store on Monday. Can I just say that the two-layer chart is confusing as hell? I thought I had a HUGE mistake that I was going to have to frog - but it turns out I had it right - but it took some serious study to make sure. I am taking it with me tonight, too, in honor of Lori, since it's her chart I have, and I didn't find time for it yesterday, when I should have (No, didn't work on Noah yesterday, either). Here is where I am now:


My main piece for the week was MTM, and I didn't even complete a building - albeit that middle building. Which I had started last month. I really hate that building. And I think it is mostly due to the fact that the Waterlilies Caramel (?) and Pearl are so close in color, that I wonder why I'm bothering to pick each one out? At any rate, I think when I move to the 4th side, I'm starting with that horrid middle building and getting it DONE. I'm wondering if working upside down is hurting my brain? I could flip it, I guess - but it didn't bother me when I started this side. I think my brain just hurts, period. We'll see if next times goes better....


A detail shot is here.

This week, I'm supposed to get EGS out again - but still not feeling it, at all. I don't know. Maybe the dragon will come out again, maybe EGS, maybe something else entirely. I just wish my weekend was totally consumed with being in the car - and I am sure it will be too hot to take anything with me to work on. Good thing I have a nice fat book on the go - The Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand. Great read so far - Atlas Shrugged is right behind it - unless Gabaldon's Echo in the Bone intercedes :) So... check back next week and see if I manage to stitch at all! For those of you NOT slumping, happy stitching this week!

The First Lily

About 3 weeks too early, we have lilies blooming:

My asiatics will be open maybe tomorrow. Wow - too early; it's going to be a long summer, I think. Glad I have new A/C....

A Minor May Update

Well, the last week of school has arrived, and I think I am more ready than the boys are - I am tired of getting them up in the morning!

As for stitching, last week was pretty much a complete washout. I had the bright idea to chart up the Bard's Sonnet 18, and pulled fabric & thread for that as soon as I got home on Monday, and worked on that Monday & Tuesday, at lunch and at the stitch in at the Stitch Store. I have it about 1/3 done, as I haven't touched it since Tuesday.

I also noticed, Wednesday, I think, that I made a mistake on Paula's RR, so spent Wednesday and Thursday nights taking out about 1/2 of what I had overzealously finished the week before :( :( :( I don't quite have it all back in yet, but almost - have to get that line of verse and the herringbone row below it back in. Sorry, no picture of anti-progress - you'll have to use your imagination.
My main piece for the week was supposed to be Lady & Unicorn. I got 4 stitches into it. Yep, 4 whole stitches. I actually think I put it up with the needle dangling from it - I'll have to check that out when I get home... Again, no picture of anti-progress.

So basically, let the Slump ensue!!
This week, I may or may not work on MTM. I'm going to the stitch in tonight (it has been moved to Mondays), but I think I'm taking Starry Nights. Don't know. Not really in the mood for anything, new or already in progress. Maybe I just need a break for a week or two? Anyway, check back next week to see if I am still slumping :)

NOT PICTURED: The 4' Black Snake that DumbChuck killed Saturday (after flinging it up in the air over his head). Ummmm, he chases birds, snakes, butterflies. What part of Coonhound is he not getting? Other than I don't think he's seen a coon yet, not counting the Maine Coon Cat that gets picked on frequently...
ALSO NOT PICTURED: The Brown Water Snake that Lucy stomped on as it was sunning itself on a rock at Elachee Nature Center later on Saturday... at least, I'm pretty sure it was a Brown - I didn't hear a rattle as it slid off into the creek!
It's going to be one of those summers...

A Sunny May Update

We went back to spring over the weekend, from the temps in the 90s during the week that cooked all of my irises, and which have caused all of my day lilies to bud already - I bet I'll have blooms this week, which is very early for them. 2 weeks of school left for the boys - I'm tired of getting them up every morning. And their to-do lists are getting pretty big - all the stuff they didn't do over Christmas break and spring break - yep, still on the list. And one of 'em better be coming up with a job....

On to the stitching. This week was supposed to be Samplar 4 Saisons, but I got Paula's RR piece out Monday, a Drawn Thread piece - An Open Heart, and I couldn't put it down!!I really love working on this piece, and did 2 of the big bands and all of the dividing bands between. The next bands have cut threads and reweaving, so I look forward to those. I don't do hearts and I don't do pink - but this is a really great design :)
The overall of this is here.

Finally, on Saturday, I made myself put the RR away and get out Samplar 4 Saisons - though I was also fighting a serious case of startitis (because the two new starts 2 weeks in a row didn't fix that, I guess). I didn't get a lot done, just a few motifs in about 3 hours over the two days. And still didn't get down to that tree :)

Other than that, nothing else accomplished last week. This week is Lady & Unicorn again, and I plan to go to the stitch in tomorrow night, but not sure what I'm taking with. I'm just ready to be done with school - so I can start getting ready for the new year in August, my Big Kid's senior year. And getting senior pictures taken over the summer, when he can schedule time off from the job he'd better have :) That's the news - happy stitching, everyone!!

It Was a Dark and Stormy Update...

Rain Saturday, rain last night, more tomorrow. At least we're getting those April showers finally. And I think the worst of the pollen is finally over - tired of hearing a kid sniffle.


Well, last week was busy, though it's hard to say exactly what made it so busy. We had our last high school soccer last week - they didn't make it to the playoffs, losing a couple of key regional games and winning a couple of non-regional games back at the beginning. We're all glad that's over for another year; too much stress! We also picked out our first tux - the Big Kid has his first prom this Friday. His girlfriend made her dress; I can't wait to see them both dressed up, and you know I'm taking a zillion pictures, so check back this weekend for those :)

As for stitching, I did a little of this and a little of that - and most of it wasn't the plan for the week. On Monday, I worked on Mary Wigham. I just wasn't up to getting EGS out and tackling confetti. So I didn't, deciding I'd get it out Wednesday (Tuesday being at the stitch in). I got one small motif done Monday. And then I decided to take Mary along to my monthly gathering of PINS (Purple Iris Needlearts Society), just to see if I could work on it in the less-than-great light we have where we meet. And after a little bit, my eyes did adjust, and I was able to work on it! I started a big motif that I only got about half-done - it's hard to stitch when you talk with your hands :)
Tuesday, I took my RR piece, Lyne's AAFG, to the stitch in at the Stitch Store, wanting to get as much done as I could, so it could go out this week. Well, I worked on it, but wow, that is a hard project to work on when you can't really spread out. But I did more of the vine around the verse, and several of the smaller motifs there. I thought I'd get it out again over the weekend sometime, but then, didn't. It is currently packaged up, waiting to go to the PO.

And after Tuesday's stitch in, where Jackie continued to work on her PA Summer Dragon, I felt compelled to start my PA Autumn Dragon :) The linen, the recommended color, is really not great; it's Wichelt, and feels like sail cloth, but I'll keep on, and hope it loosens up as I go. This won't be in the regular rotation, but another (yes, ANOTHER) side project. So far, the leaves I've gotten done weren't nearly as troublesome as those on TW's Fall Carousel horse - these are all single color :) And yes, I did backstitch the corner medallion already.

I did NOT work on EGS at all during the week - just not feeling it at the moment. I need to get past that fountain scene, I think, get on with the different parts. I was even going to work on the border this time, to get away from that fountain - but it just didn't happen...
This week, back to Knotgarden. I hope to get a big chunk of that top section done this time - but my plans haven't exactly been falling into place lately, so maybe, maybe not. Check back next week to see what gets worked on - I'll probably be as surprised as you..

Down Comes the Rain...

...and out comes the Green Creeper! We got 2" of rain yesterday, on those storms that caused the tornadoes in Alabama - nothing nearly so bad here, thankfully.


As I was taking the dummies out this morning, I saw the kudzu popping up through the pine straw - it wasn't there yesterday.


And those thick twisted vines there in the background - old kudzu. HATE this stuff...
But with the new rain, it looks like I am going to have a bumper crop of irises, probably this week :)

My neighbor already has lots - too bad she hasn't been in the house for over a year....

All these photos - and more - can be found in Outside Stuff 2010 #2.

April 12 - Do You Know Where Your Taxes Are?

You know, having to replace the A/C & furnace the same week we have to pay taxes is just adding insult to injury :( But this time next week, the pain will be all gone, and we'll be cool. Sure was looking forward to new furniture & carpet, though :(

In other news, the English Schools' Football Association under-18 team was here last week, and put a whooping on the Georgia All Stars XI (as predicted). What a neat thing to see - those boys from England were so very talented; they made us look pretty bad. Their goalie was just a monster, and they had one kid - don't know if he was a striker or a mid - who was just wicked fast. It might have helped if my big kid had been asked to play (being a defensive specialist), but we knew it wasn't going to be pretty; ended 7-1. At least we got one in :) And DH & Little Kid got to be the pre-game show, when DH's team and the U14 Lanier Sharks all got together and threw a scrimmage. And at half time, all the U13 & 14s went out and took PKs on the EFSA's staff :) I of course took some pictures - my camera isn't any good for dusk, so I stopped about 1/2 way through the first half.


I also got a chance to meet Paula yesterday, as she was laying over at the Atlanta airport for a bit, on her way home from some DMAT training in Alabama. I had a couple of things to take for show & tell, but with all the benedryl in my system, I totally walked out without it and my camera :( So you'll just have to take my word for it :) It was good to hang out, listen to the other members of the team talk about their week, and to know that there are people out there making a difference!

On to the stitching - most of which was Lyne's...

Firstly, I did a good bit on Lyne's wedding sampler, getting 90% of the 2nd dove completed. Once I get the dove completed, I can jump on the bells, and then about 800 more of those roses, and it'll be done!
I also did a little bit on my RR, which is also Lyne's. I have 2 more weeks to work on this, then on it goes to Jodie. It's a fun piece to work on, but wow what a pile of floss to pick through :) Lucy really hates when I feel the need to spread out in her spot.

My main piece of the week was Lady & Unicorn - which I did actually take to the day stitch in at The Stitch Store on Tuesday.I knew I had left nothing but confetti when I stopped last month - but holy crap, I didn't grasp the full extent of what I'd left myself! I worked & worked, and worked some more, and couldn't get it all filled in! Though, to be honest, I was looking for each symbol over the entire page; if I had just concentrated on filling in the blanks and leaving the bottom part of the page for later, I could have gotten the holes filled - but then I'd have to dig all those colors out again later, so... I did get several hundred stitches in, but they are all over the place, so you'd really have to look at last month's and this months pics to see.

The overall (scrolled up) is here.

And this week, back to MTM!!!! As soon as I get a bit more haus frau stuff done, I can get it out! And Mary Wigham is whimpering from her bag, as is Chat Noir. So as usual, who knows what I will actually work on this week, other than MTM - it really is hard to drag myself away from that one. Happy Stitching to everyone this week!

An April Update

Well, let the chocolate coma begin! The Easter Bunny was here yesterday, and though he didn't bring as much as in years past, he brought enough! And a couple of DVDs, Sherlock Holmes (which wasn't as good as I was hoping) and Where the Wild Things Are :) I have today & tomorrow off (YAY me!), and have the stitch in tomorrow during the day, 10-5 (or whenever I get up to go)! I should have taken Wednesday, too - I have all kinds of time saved....


On to the stitching. I only worked on two pieces this week, 6 Bats & A Witches Hat, and Samplar 4 Saisons. I want to get 6 Bats done - it should have been done last fall, except for that huge frog attack I had in it. It's actually a pretty quick project, don't know why it isn't done, really. But aside from the outside border, I almost have Page 1 done - it's the only full page. I just need to do a few blocks a week and get it done!


And on 4 Saisons, I didn't do any tree - I need to work down to get to it, so I worked on Summer instead, in HDF Ex. Milligrubs. The more of it I stitched, the more I liked the color, and like the tree/border color even more (Ex. Wattle N Daub) - I was afraid it might be too subtle, but I think it's going to be just fine. I got a good bit of Summer done - late nights on my extended weekend :) Especially considering I didn't touch it until Thursday night.



This week, I need to work on both of Lyne's pieces - her sampler and her RR; the RR goes back out on the 26th.And Lady & Unicorn is up this week. I am tempted to haul my floor stand to the stitch in tomorrow - she usually only has 1-2 during the day one, so I shouldn't crowd anyone - but how awesome would it be to have L&U in that corner of the store that is all windows, and work on it for 6 hours straight in bright daylight??? I just don't know if I want to try to haul all of this stuff with me - the floor stand has been modified so much that it definitely isn't compact now, and L&U has the scroll frame, the bobbin box, and the bag with bags & chart & journal in it - it'd take me 20 minutes to get it all drug in and set up :) I don't know, we'll see :) It would be great to get the current page done this week...


In a soccer note, we have a U18 English Boys' Team visiting this week, playing an exhibition match against the GA All Stars. They are playing at our high school on Friday - and DH & Little Kid and their team get to provide the pre-game entertainment, and take shots against he English keeper during half time. And they are throwing a cookout Wednesday night to meet the team. This is going to be fun, though our coach is pretty sure his All Star team is going to get trounced :( I will probably have lots of pictures next weekend :)

More Spring photos here photos here.

End of March, Already??? An Update

Well, another month flown by. The boys are on spring break next week, and I am, too, on Monday & Tuesday - I can't wait!! Birthdays are over, until fall. Now, if I can just get the taxes done & paid, we could concentrate on other things - like how much we are going to have to lay out for the Kid to go to Prom :( He seriously needs a job - I don't know how he'd fit it in, but he's going to have to.... Oh, and school stuff, like getting in to take the ACT and things like that.Booger's birthday would have been Thursday. I was around the side of the house on Friday with Lucy, where we have all the critters buried. When we buried Booger last year, I put a violet on him. Friday, I was surprised to see this huge plant, all in bloom, over Booger - it's the only violet we have like that right now - way too early for the rest of them. I plan to pull a couple of blooms off of Booger's violet and press them, to keep.


As Tuesday was the 23rd, when I would have been working on something in memory of Lori (like Noah's Sub), I was at the stitch in. So I decided to wait until this weekend to do that, and then Booger's birthday went past, so instead of Noah, I decided to work on Chat Noir Saturday and Sunday. I got a few hundred stitches in, almost all yellow, so you can't really see a lot of difference - except there's now another whisker started :)


I also worked a little bit on Lyne's AAFG, but it was only a couple of small bits, so not really picture-worthy. That was on Monday, after I got done running the Birthday kid to the bookstore to buy his presents, and doing the cake & dinner. At Tuesday's stitch in, I worked on Winter Gingham, and worked on during the week at lunch and Friday night after the game - and finished it at 12:30 Friday night!!! I was a little hyped up from the game - we beat the crap out of the other team, but the reffing was absolutely horrible, and they gave them 2 PKs that they shouldn't have (as well as handing out yellow cards like they were Ritalin), causing us to lose on the scoreboard. It was awful - but the Kid played great; they all did, and should have won 5-1, instead of losing 1-3. Just awful. But I was awake enough to want to stay up and finish the snowman, so I did :)

I need to locate a couple more of these Gingham pieces - I love Autumn Gingham and Pumpkin Gingham (of course I do). I probably even have Carrie's silks to sub in for those, too :) It was a fun little project. Now, to frame it, make a flat fold, or something else???

Well, with all this already done, needless to say, I didn't get a lot done on Knotgarden, which was supposed to be the main focus for the week. I put Chat away last night so I could do a little more, but I could easily have kept on with Chat. Maybe a bit more this week - we'll see. Anyway, I literally did very little on Knotgarden - finished the two topiary that needed finishing from last time, and got a start on the black gate.

Definitely not the banner week I'd been hoping for. I can't believe I might get MTM done before this one! Secret Victorian & Tuscany are literally screaming at me every time I get near the file cabinet! Oh well, ought to have less going on the next time this comes out :)

Lastly, we had our monthly meeting of PINS, the local stitching group. I was going to take some pictures, but it was too crowded to get up and move around, so I didn't. I didn't know what to take, so I just went with what's been hanging out in the travel bag, JE Imagine & DD Purrfect Summer Day. Imagine was already in the Qs, so that's what I worked on. It's close to being done, too. If I do any at lunch this week, I might be beading by Friday.


This week, I get out AD Samplar 4 Saisons, and work on tree, enough to work over to the next color, for Summer, I hope. I also need to work on Lyne's pieces. I don't know if I am going to go to the stitch in tomorrow - away game, but one we have gone to before; but since I have next Tuesday off, I'm going to the day one that day, maybe the night one, too, if I think I can stand more stitching :) That's the news from here. Happy stitching this week to everyone, and keep an eye for that bunny rabbit bearing chocolate :)

A Birthday, A Stitch-In, and the Sun Rising on Bradford Pears

Photos from the week, beginning with a Kid's birthday on Monday night - though his birthday was Tuesday, but as he had an away game, we didn't think he was going to be home at all until late. And then the boys' and girls' games got switched, so he 1) couldn't go to his filed trip to see the Bodies exhibit, and 2) was home early, after I'd already reserved my spot at the stitch in. Anyway, pictures from Monday were him trying to get the candles blown out before I could get the picture taken. Snotty kid:


Happy 17th, you brat :) That's his girlfriend, btw, who was as cooperative with the pictures as everyone else around here....

Then, the stitch-in, which went on while The Kid was winning his game (scoring the first goal, a header, making him the leading defensive scorer). Donna always takes pictures, so I thought I'd jump in, too, though neither of us did it until after Judy & Michelle had already left for the night. But since Joey was MIA Saturday when I was in there getting the MBT pics, I got him when I walked in Tuesday - he was laying in wait by the door, waiting for an unsuspecting stitcher to let him slide out....


This is Scooter's Dad...

We had a full house Tuesday:


That's Terrie there on the end at the right, and Donna with her back to us in the pink. Jill is there in the purple - she has a daughter due in July. In the green with her back to us, with the blue jacket on the chair, is Jackie, and she was working on one of the Patricia Allison dragons, Summer. I didn't catch the name of the lady here on this end. Across the table in the turquoise is Karen (I'm the Other Karen); she is getting married in June. Michelle, who left earlier, is her mom. Down on the end is Allison, who was a member of TheSamplerLife group, and is the one that hooked me up with the local stitching group, PINS. Also, she is a librarian at my branch :) Not pictured: Kristine, who was sick - hopefully not the same crud I had, and hopefully better for our PINS get together tomorrow :)

And lastly, I was early this morning (a.k.a. on time for a change), and got into the parking lot at work as the sun was peaking over the horizon, but under the thick clouds that were supposed to BE GONE. The sun lit up the Bradford pears that line the street, my view as I walk out to my car in the spring :)