Sunday Morning

Where do the weekends go? It seems I wait all week for Friday afternoon, then suddenly it's Monday morning again! I find that as time marches on, I value my personal time more and more. I find myself getting downright GREEDY about it!

After work Friday evening, I did a couple of loads of laundry and a bit of my weekend household chores. Why this sudden burst of energy? Because I intended to devote some of my Saturday to some serious knitting. I'm working on a Christmas gift for a friend that's about 60% complete, and I feel the pressure to get it finished up soon. I really don't want to rush it up at the last minute and risk lousing it up! I'll post more about it when it's in the hands of it's intended recipient. Don't want to risk spoiling the surprise!

So yesterday (Saturday), I did manage to spend a good bit of time doing my gift knitting and watching Netflix things on TV. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday afternoon! This morning I've been finishing up my weekend stuff and will soon be going to visit Mom and Dad for a bit. I'll take my knitting along and hopefully get some more quality time with sticks and string. Daddy will most likely be watching a NASCAR race this afternoon, so that makes for good knittin' time. :-)

I can hardly believe that Halloween is a week from today. Trick-or-Treating is going to be a little scattered in my corner of the world this year. Some areas will be celebrating on Saturday, and some on Sunday. I've found that in my neighborhood, most of the parents are taking their children either to the mall or to "trunk-or-treating" at local churches. So I've not even purchased candy this year. I'll miss seeing little ones all dressed up in their little costumes, but I understand why parents choose to go to organized events instead of door-to-door trick-or-treating. It's just safer.

I'm off now to have a little lunch. Hope everyone's weekend is going well!

Zipping Through October

Where did October go?? Sheesh, seems like just yesterday was September! It's been a busy, busy month in my little corner of the world. Seems like things at the office just get busier all the time.

Last week, though, I was on my final full week of annual leave for 2010. Since it's a little chilly (especially at night), I didn't go camping. I figured that if it's so cool that I have to sit in the tent with a heater, I might as well just stay home! And so I spent a very quiet, relaxing week.

Unfortunately, I battled an allergy headache all week long. *phooey* In fact, on the last day of my vacation, the headache morphed into a migraine and I spent the entire day in the recliner. I did NOTHING but knit and watch Doctor Who! (See, Kris, you've turned me into a true addict. *LOL*)

The first Sunday of my time off was really good, though. Mom and Dad took Aunt Orpha out for the day, and I tagged along. We had a really great time! We enjoyed a leisurely drive over to Scott County. Our first stop was at Mann Farm's produce stand in Ft. Blackmore where I bought some beautiful yellow tomatoes and delicious ginger gold apples. I also bought two pints of corn relish and a quart of sourwood honey.

After that, we stopped to visit briefly with one of Daddy's cousins, John, who lives in the area. I had to actually write it out to figure out how they're related....they're second cousins. *LOL*
We then went up on High Knob, which was quite beautiful. The weather was clear and crisp...a perfect fall day! After driving past the site of the old Sweeney homeplace, we made our way to Norton. There we all enjoyed a delicious late lunch at Fish Tales. Since I have a seafood allergy, I had their pork barbeque which was very good. If you're ever there, I recommend it!

It was a very lovely day, and we all enjoyed it very much. The next morning, my allergies had kicked into high gear. (I suspect the dust and leaf litter up on the Knob probably didn't help me any!) So, for the next couple of days I really didn't do a lot. Just a bit of housework, some knitting, and some movies via Netflix.

On Wednesday I ran a few errands and went to visit Mom and Dad for a bit. I also went to cast my vote that day; we have early voting in my corner of the world. I love to vote early because the early voting location has much better parking that my regular voting location.

On Thursday I finally talked myself into dealing with my walk-in closet. I needed to deal with it because you couldn't walk into it anymore! *LOL* By Friday I had it in fairly presentable order with a stack of things to take to Goodwill. It's not perfect, mind you, but it's much better than it's been for awhile.

And that, friends, is the saga of my fall vacation. Thrilling, eh? *LOL* I still have some pictures on my camera that I took during the trip to High Knob. I'll try to get those downloaded to the computer soon so I can share them with you.

Hope you're all having a great week. If you're not, be of good cheer...the weekend's almost here!

Chainfree Bristol

I forgot to tell you something important in my earlier post! On Friday September 10 I participated in the National Day of Service by spending some time with a great organization in my hometown called Chainfree Bristol. This terrific grassroots organization supplies the necessary materials and organizes volunteers to build fenced areas for doggies to live in.

The highly dedicated Liza Conway was moved to action when she saw sweet doggies in our fair city who were living their lives restrained by chains.Her quest was not easy. She was faced with slammed doors, name calling, and was even chased down the street. When she approached owners of chained dogs, she offered to pay for fencing materials and gather volunteers to build a safe fenced area for the pet. All she asked in return was that the pet owner either be the owner of the property on which the fence would be built (or have the permission of the property owner), have their pet spayed or neutered, and agree that the pet would never again be chained. Sounds simple, right?

Unbelievably, some owners stuck on the requirement that the pet be spayed or neutered. These people would rather that their dog live out their life inhumanely chained. Weird.

Anyway, Liza finally found an appreciative pet owner who happily agreed to her requirements. She bought the necessary materials, rounded up some volunteers (some of which were from my place of employment, including me), and we spent that Friday afternoon building a safe fenced enclosure big enough for two adorable doggies, CiCi and Tippy. When we'd finished the fencing and moved their doghouses into the area, they romped happily, free from their chains, rolling in the grass and having a grand time.

I have to tell you, it was a wonderful feeling watching them enjoy their newfound freedom. If you have some free time to help or a few dollars you could donate for fencing materials, contact Liza at liza@chainfreebristol.org. It's a very worthy cause.

I'm Baaaaaaaack

I can't believe it's been a MONTH since I posted! It's been a pretty busy month, but that's no excuse. So, what have I been up to for the past month?

Well, I took my last camping trip of the season September 13 - 17 at ... you guessed it! ... Grindstone. *LOL* I love Grindstone, what can I say? Mom and Dad also camped that week, and it was a lovely, cool, restful week. I went up early on Monday morning in shorts and a t-shirt, expecting to get all hot and sweaty as I usually do when setting up camp. I was WRONG! It was crisp and cool and wonderful!

Mom and Dad arrived soon after I'd set up the tent and set up their trailer in short order. We spent most of the week around a campfire, which Daddy kept going all the way up until Thursday night. There were zillions of chipmunks playing all around the campsites, and we kept hearing turkey hens in the brush nearby. One afternoon I managed to get pretty close to one of them (from the sound of it), but a hiker's dog spotted me and began barking, sending the turkey into stealth mode. I really would have loved to had a look at the turkey, but no such luck.

I've really enjoyed camping season this year, and was sorry to see it end. By the time Friday rolled around, though, I have to admit that I was happy to be going home. We'd had very few camping neighbors during the week, but they were beginning to roll in on Thursday evening. I'm glad we were camping during the week when it was lovely and quiet.

Other than the camping trip, my time has been filled with working and knitting...and watching movies and a bit of Doctor Who. (Thanks to Kris, who has given me yet another addiction. *LOL*)

I'd been neglecting my Wii Fit, so last night I started back up again. I couldn't believe how much my stamina had dropped in that short a period. *kicks self* At least I hadn't gained any weight back, thank goodness.

I've got a lot of my Christmas knitting finished. Still a few little items and one pretty big one to finish, but I think I'll get it all done in time. I can't believe it's already time to be thinking about such things.

So, I guess that's about it...I'll try to be better about posting, honest. :-)

A Long-Awaited Luxury

Last night I did something I've hadn't done in over a year....I took a bath! No, no, don't misunderstand. I take showers daily (in fact, often twice a day during the summer), but because of the issue with my back last year I wasn't able to indulge in one of my favorite vices, a long, hot, relaxing bath.

For years I would fill the tub with steamy water and luxurious bath oils, soaking away the stress of the day. I finally had to ban myself from reading anything but inexpensive paperback books in my bath because I would occasionally fall asleep, allowing whatever I was reading to fall into the water.

But during the time I was dealing with my back problem and suffering terrible leg pain, I was unable to sit down in the tub. In fact, one evening I was in so much pain I decided that maybe a good soaking would give me some relief. I actually thought I was going to have to call someone to get help getting out of the tub!

So I resorted to quick hot showers....not as relaxing, but at least I could be clean without fear of being trapped in the tub by my bum leg! After surgery last November I was sent home with a shower chair, which became my new best friend. I could sit in the chair and enjoy a much longer shower without exhausting myself.

This has been a stressful week, and last night I decided that a long soak in a steamy tub just might be the thing to relax my tense muscles. I kept a portable phone within reach (just in case this turned out to be a really bad idea), washed my hair under the shower, and wrapped a towel around my head. I then filled the tub with hot water and moisturizing bath beads and spread a layer of cleansing oil on my face and neck (more about that later). I slipped into the tub, leaned back, and relaxed. I don't have words to describe how exquisite it felt to soak in that warm, lightly fragranced water!

The pain I feared might occur never came; I could feel the stress melting from my tense muscles. I soaked until the water cooled, steamed the cleansing oil from my face with a hot facecloth, then stepped from the tub and patted my refreshed skin dry with a fresh towel.

Though it was pretty early in the evening, I slipped into comfy pajamas and treated myself to some knitting time in the recliner before bedtime. What a wonderful spa-like retreat! So this morning I woke early, relaxed and refreshed. It's so great to be able to enjoy a long, hot soak in a tub again!

Now, about this cleansing oil I had on my face during my soak. I've thought for a long time that one of the terrible things about growing older is that women who are dealing with wrinkles should never have to deal with occasional skin break-outs. It's just NOT FAIR. Anyway, a week or so ago I had a blemish appear right on the end of my nose. *sheesh* I decided to do an internet search to see if there were any new home remedies I hadn't heard about.

My search revealed a website about the oil cleansing method, which I hadn't heard about. You can read about it by clicking here. The mixture used includes castor oil, which I didn't have on hand. Yesterday I had the opportunity to stop at Walgreens to pick up a few items, and I bought some castor oil while I was there. I mixed it as suggested on the website with extra virgin olive oil (I used that instead of sunflower seed oil, because I happened to have plenty of it on hand). I was amazed at how soothing it felt having the oil on my face, then steaming it away with a hot facecloth. Even more amazing was how wonderful my skin feels this morning. It feels clean and moisturized without the heavy feel of an overnight moisturizing cream. We'll see how this progresses; I'll keep you posted.

And so, it's early Saturday morning and I need to chase dust bunnies and do laundry today. First, however, I'm going to make myself a pot of coffee (the blend with chickory, I think) and snuggle up in the recliner to knit for an hour or so. What a terrific way to start a weekend!

Common Courtesy, or Lack Thereof

If you've been reading my blog very long, you probably know that I'm a knitter, and that I often knit in public. So, I'm long accustomed to people saying the following:

1. "My grandmother used to crochet." In my head I reply, "This is knitting, not crochet." Out loud I say, "Mine, too. Isn't it great how elaborate some of their patterns were?"
2. "I'd never have the patience for that." In my head I reply, "I don't knit because I'm patient, I'm patient because I knit." Out loud I say, "Oh, I thought the same thing, but knitting is a good patience-building exercise."
3. "Sure wish I had the time for that." In my head I reply, "We're both sitting here waiting for our appointment. I'm being productive, and you're being annoying." Out loud I say, "It really helps pass time while you're waiting like we are now."

And so on....it's amazing what people will say, trying to be friendly. I ran across a lady this morning, though, who came treacherously close to crossing the line of common courtesy. She started by asking what I was knitting. I told her that I was knitting a pair of socks. This led to her telling me that her grandmother used to knit really beautiful things, socks, hats, scarves. Now mind you, it wasn't that she said that her grandmother used to knit that bugged me. It was the snide inference that my knitting didn't come up to her grandmother's quality.

To be fair, maybe it doesn't, but that's not the kind of thing that you say to a total stranger in a waiting room, right? I just smiled and continued to knit, saying that knitting is a good thing to do in waiting rooms to help pass the time. I further commented that I knit while watching television. This resulted in another snide look and a comment that SHE didn't watch television, that you could find HER doing just about anything except watching television.

To quote Steve Martin, "Well, excuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuse me!" Sheesh. Okay, maybe there are people who DON'T watch television, but why should they feel the need to make the rest of us feel like dimbulbs because we enjoy watching tv??

After that, I'll admit that I felt the need to jerk her down a notch or two and told her that last year I was dealing with a back problem and spent most of the time between February and November in a recliner. I added that if it hadn't been for having knitting and television to help distract me, I don't know what I would have done. That slowed her up a little; luckily they called me back to have my blood test run at that time.

When I finished and was leaving, that same lady was still sitting in the waiting area and said, "Boy that was quick. It takes me longer. They have to draw about 8 tubes of blood for me." What I WANTED to say was, "Okay, this isn't a contest, but if it was, YOU WIN. Cripes." What I actually said, smiling, was "That's a shame. Hope it goes well for you."

Like I said before, I don't knit because I'm patient, I'm patient because I knit.

I have to admit, though, it still amazes me that people will be snooty to a woman holding pointy sticks. :-)

On Turning 56

Yesterday was my birthday; I would've posted yesterday, but I got home much later than usual and didn't get a chance. I wondered if turning another year older would bother me, but I had a really terrific day!

It didn't start out terrific....my little Saturn had started making a dreadful noise that Daddy suspected was a brake problem. So, I'd made arrangements to drop it off at a repair shop, where Mom and Dad met me and drove me to work. The good news is that I learned later in the day that it was, indeed, a brake problem and a relatively inexpensive repair. *WHEW*

I received lovely cards and gifts from my friends at work, then Mom cooked me a terrific birthday dinner complete with cake for dessert. Cake always helps take the sting out of turning a year older. *LOL*

We got torrential rain yesterday, just AWFUL! In fact I heard on the news that a teenager drowned over in Scott County. Such a terrible shame! It was still raining pretty hard when I left Mom and Dad's, but I ran out of it just before I got home.

It's been raining again today....sure would have been a good day for a nap. *sigh*

Camping....and Why It's Good

Why Camping Is Good:

1. It gets me out in the fresh air, away from air conditioned air and fluorescent lighting.
2. It gets me away from the television set.
3. It gets me away from the computer.
4. I can't get a cell phone signal in the campground. This is a good thing.
5. It gives me a LOT of uninterrupted knitting time.
6. I meet lots of interesting, nice folks from many different areas.
7. I get to get snuggles from lots of sweet doggies owned by other campers.
8. I get to do activities there that I'd never get to do anywhere else....for instance, this weekend I attended a birthday party for Smokey the Bear. HONEST, I DID! *LOL*

Why Camping Is Bad:

1. Um.....I can't think of anything to put on this list.

I took off last Thursday and Friday and had another camping weekend. The weather was much nicer this trip, only one brief shower a little after 9:00 Friday evening which didn't bother a thing. The campground wasn't as crowded as it had been during my July trip, so that made things nicer, too.

Though it was awfully hot at home, the temperatures were really nice at the campground. If you stirred around much during the middle of the day it got pretty warm, but as long as you were lounging under the tall trees (which I did a lot of) it was cool and breezy and wonderful. I took most of my walks during the early morning hours before the heat kicked in, so it was very comfortable.

During my stay, I only left the campground once; on Friday, I made an ice run (no ice machine at the campground) and used that as an excuse to go get a hot, nutricious lunch. Yeah, right. Two Dip Dogs and a Diet Coke! :-) I swear those things are addictive! I guess it's a good thing I live too far from the Dip Dog stand to visit more often.

I'd seen a notice posted that they planned a birthday party for Smokey the Bear Saturday at 2:00 up in the playground, so I moseyed up that direction in time to watch lots of small children enjoying having their photo made with Smokey. (I wonder which park employee drew the short straw and had to wear that hot suit??) I wish I'd taken my camera, because I got a hug from Smokey. I'd like to have had that picture to go with my picture of getting a hug from "Rocky" at Rock City. Yes, I'm easily entertained. *LOL* They had a beautiful cake (I didn't have any, since I'd already treated myself to Dip Dogs the day before) and gave gift bags to the children that had junior ranger badges, Smokey the Bear coloring books, rulers and other neat little things. One of the park employees told the story of the real Smokey the Bear. I thought it was a very nice program.

On Sunday morning clouds began to gather, but I broke camp and got the car packed without anything getting rained on, thank goodness. When I got back home, the heat index was 100 degrees. Ick! I unpacked the car, did a couple of loads of laundry, took a refreshing shower, and hit the recliner. Yes, my living room is still full of camping gear, but I don't care. I'll get it put away eventually. :-)

Another terrific weekend in the woods!

Some Days It Just Doesn't Pay to Get Outta Bed

I have a classic example of a communications gap. I'll start by reminding you that I took Saturday as a "stay in" day, mixing housework with knitting and watching Doctor Who. I didn't leave the apartment until Sunday morning (I was invited to Mom & Dad's for lunch). When I left, I saw that a note from the management office of my apartment complex had been taped to my door. In defense of my apartment manager (who is an absolutely terrific lady), I'm sure the note had probably been there since Friday afternoon. But since I'd hibernated since mid-day Friday, I didn't see it.

The note said that the cable company was making some upgrades starting Tuesday and that they would need access to my walk-in closet. If you saw my walk-in closet, you'd understand why this gave me a moment of "ohhhhhhhhhh, man". I have a pretty big closet, but it was full, floor to ceiling, on both sides and the back wall. Cleaning it out is one of those projects I've been putting off for much too long. Needless to say, I had a huge job to finish, and I knew I'd be too tired to do it after work.

So, off I went to Mom & Dad's, ate a wonderful lunch (fresh veggies....*YUM*), washed the dishes, made my apologies for a short visit, and hurried back home to start the gargantuan task before me. I have a "guest bedroom" that I've always used for a home office/storage room, so I emptied the walk-in closet, stacking everything in the spare room. By the time I finished, I had storage totes and a portable clothes rack stacked all the way to the door. I was exhausted, but I'd done it! Whew.

On my way home yesterday, I stopped to see the apartment manager to be sure the cable company guys were still on schedule to start Tuesday. I told her that I'd had a busy Sunday afternoon because I hadn't found her note until Sunday morning. That's when I learned about the communications gap. I'd misinterpreted her note. The apartments on my floor didn't have to empty their walk-in closets. The cable guys would only need access to my living room, my master bedroom, and.....yes, you guessed it.....the GUEST ROOM. *AAAAAAAAAAAGH*

So, after a quickly eaten dinner, I proceeded to take all the things I'd moved into the spare room back to the walk-in closet. I finished up about 9:30, took a much-needed shower, and collapsed into bed.

I'd planned to do some serious sorting-out as I reassembled my closet, but didn't get to do that since I was in such a rush. Even so, I managed to find three big trash bags full of clothing that I can drop off at Goodwill. I didn't put any of the totes back onto the shelves in the closet, just stacking them on the closet floor for the time being. That way, I'll spend a little time each evening going through them and culling out some things. I know for a fact that I have a lot of Christmas decorations that I need to get rid of. I'll keep the keepsakes, of course, but I have a lot of things that have no sentimental value that I've not used in years. So....OUT THEY WILL GO. Maybe Goodwill can get enough money out of them to help a deserving person.

So, I guess the massive movement of stuff on Sunday and again last night was a blessing in disguise. But today I'm sooooooo tired. I actually planned to go to a meeting of a knitting guild at a local yarn shop this evening, but I'll have to wait to see how tired I am after work. Maybe after I eat my lunch I'll catch my "second wind". Speaking of lunch, I'll hush now and eat. *LOL*

Lovely Drizzly Saturday

It's 29 degrees cooler on my balcony than it was the last time I posted! Drizzy rain has set in this morning and the temperatures are much more bearable. Hope it lasts!

A drizzly gray Saturday is perfect for one of my favorite "lazy day" routines: Make a pot of good, strong coffee (my current favorite has chicory in it) and chill out in the recliner with my knitting and the remote control. Am I worried that (other than the progress I've made on my second Baby Surprise Jacket) it's been a fairly unproductive morning so far? Nope.

However, just in case guilt tries to slip in later, I plan to spend the rest of the day alternating a bit of household drudgery with my knitting and watching "Doctor Who". Mixing in a bit of fun stuff always helps make the housework a little easier to stand. :-)

Speaking of "Doctor Who", had I mentioned that my daughter got me started watching this? (Thanks, Kris!) Even though Doctor Who was first broadcast in 1963, I'd never seen it. I'm currently working my way through Season One of what I suppose you'd call the "rebirth" of Doctor Who. These episodes were filmed in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston as The Doctor. These scripts are entertaining and clever. And oh, how I do love clever writing!

I've nearly finished with Season One, then I move on to the shows that Kris really wanted me to see: the ones with David Tennant as The Doctor. I actually saw 3 of the Tennant episodes out of sequence a few weeks ago, because the SciFi channel happened to be running them. As much as I'm enjoying Christopher Eccleston, I have to say that David Tennant is excellent, too.

And so, I'm off to pour myself another cup of excellent coffee, have a bit of lunch, and get back to my housework/knitting/Doctor Who agenda.

Sometimes life is just great. :-)

100 Degrees

As I'm writing this, it's 100 degrees on my deck. Not that I'd know that from being OUT there, mind you. That's the reading on my indoor/outdoor thermometer that I can monitor from the comfort of the desk in my bedroom. I've not been outdoors all day today. During the morning I was too busy with household drudgery (and, yes, little knitting. *LOL*), and by the time I'd done my chores, it was just too hot outside to inflict it on myself.

I was out most of yesterday, though. I got my grocery shopping done and filled the car with gas and was back home before the heat got bad. (More about filling the car with gas later.) Mom and Dad and I had a little day trip planned, so I was down at their house by 9:00. During a recent visit to Mann Farms over in Scott County, Virginia, Mom had bought some delicious corn relish. It had been made by a company called the Relish Barn in Rose Hill, Virginia. Mom had said that she'd like to visit the Relish Barn one day, and I'd told them that if they decided to go on a day I happened to be off work, I'd like to ride along with them.

So yesterday we headed for Rose Hill. Though it was a hot, steamy day, we were comfortable in the air conditioned vehicle, so it was a nice trip. From their house to Rose Hill is about an hour and a half, so I got it some good sock-knitting time during the ride. When we arrived in Rose Hill, we made a pass through the small town but saw no signs indicating the location of the Relish Barn. We'd brought along their telephone number from the label on the jar of corn relish, but we didn't have cellular service in that location.

Daddy stopped at a convenience store, and I went in to ask directions. Unfortunately, they weren't very good directions, so I asked Daddy to stop again at a market, where a very helpful gentleman gave me excellent directions that took us directly to the Relish Barn.

We were sad to learn, though, that the Relish Barn didn't appear to have any retail sales location onsite at all. It was just a small processing plant....the delicious aroma coming from the plant led us to believe that they were making chowchow that day. We were disappointed that we weren't able to buy any of their wares. I guess we'll just have to find another place to buy them close by or wait until the next time the folks are in the vicinity of Mann Farms.

We drove on to Cumberland Gap; it was getting to be lunch time, so we went to a wonderful place on Colwyn Street called Webb's Country Kitchen. We happened to arrive just before noon, so we just beat the lunch rush! Daddy had an open-faced roast beef sandwich, and Mom and I each had a reuben. The food was just delicious, and very reasonably priced. Judging from the crowd that came in just after we received our meals, it must be a pretty popular place! If you happen to be in that area around mealtime, I highly recommend it!

A funny thing happened on the way out of the restaurant. They have lots of old photos hanging on the walls, and one of the photographs looked so much like one of my elementary school pictures that it was startling! The owner was running the cash register at checkout, and I asked if she knew who the little girl was in the photo....it was the owner! The funny thing is that except for the fact that she had brown eyes I think I could have passed that photo off as myself to anyone who'd known me at that age.

We toured around Cumberland Gap for a good while, visiting a couple of antique shops and the historic iron furnace. It's a really neat place to spend a day if you're ever looking for a day trip destination.

The day was awfully hot and sticky, so it was a relief to ride back home in air conditioned comfort. Though it was a fun day, I was pretty tired when I got home, so other than the required housework, today's been a quiet day. Other than chores, the only thing I've done today is do some knitting (trying to finish up a pair of baby socks I started this week) and I cooked myself a pot of cranberry beans. I hadn't cooked any in awhile, and I've been craving them. Of all the dried beans available in our area, I think cranberry beans are my favorite.

Ah, I see by the indoor/outdoor themometer that it's now cooled off to 99 degrees. **SHEESH** No knitting on the balcony tonight, THAT's for sure!

Find a cool place, friends, and enjoy the rest of the weekend. :-)

In the Summertime When the Weather is High

If you've read my blog in the past, you know how much I love to go camping. When the weather is hot and muggy like it's been here in my corner of the world lately, there's nothing quite like pulling a lounge chair out under a big ol' tree and stretching out with a cold glass of tea, knitting in your lap, and a new audiobook on the Zune (Microsoft's version of the iPod).

And that, friends, is how I spent last weekend. It was just wonderful! I arrived at the campground around 8:30 Thursday morning, set up my tent and got everything placed inside. After a refreshing shower I was ready to relax. The weather was much cooler than in town, and my campsite was well shaded with big beautiful trees.

On Friday morning Mom and Dad came to visit me and took me to lunch at a little family-owned restaurant about 5 miles from the campground. They had slow-cooked baby back ribs which looked wonderful, and I had a hamburger steak with onions and green peppers. After a little ride through the countryside (Daddy always has to take "the road less traveled"....*LOL*), we went back to the campsite to visit awhile and enjoy the cooler fresh mountain air.

Later that afternoon as I lounged and knitted, campers began to arrive. The peace and quiet of the campground soon was broken by the shrieks and whoops of LOTS of small children. I quickly realized that the campers across from me and beside me were apparently all camping together. As nearly as I could tell, it appeared that at least four (if not five) of the sites were all sharing their camping experience for the weekend. When I say LOTS of small children, that's what I mean....LOTS. It was a little like trying to count minnows in a pond, but there must have been at least eight small children and five pre-teeners.

And they were loud. Oh, man, were they ever loud. Though I'd been knitting and enjoying birdsong, I soon gave up and plugged my Zune earbuds in to try to drown out the racket. Late that night, as the grownups and kids gathered around the campfire next door, yelling and laughing loudly until very, very late that night I found myself hoping that the weatherman was right in forecasting RAIN for the next day. That way, at least the noisy campers might have to stay inside, muffling the noise. How many tent campers do you know that hope for rain? *LOL*

As it happened, I got the rain I'd hoped for. I sat in the shelter of my tent with the door unzipped, knitting and watching the rain. It was very soothing and made me feel dozey and lazy. For lunch, I treated myself to a trip to a local legend, the Dip Dog Stand. I'd heard about Dip Dogs for years but had never had the opportunity to try one. The two items I'd heard the most about were the Dip Dog and their onion rings. So, that's what I ordered, and it was very good. Next time I think I'll skip the onion rings; they were really good, but I don't eat fried food very often so that was a little too much for me. Instead I'll order two Dip Dogs. What's a Dip Dog, you ask? Imagine a corn dog, but instead of the corn bread-type wrapping there's a delicious flour batter, deep-fried. The dog is served with mustard. When you bite into it, there's a satisfying crunch from the fried batter and the tangy taste of the mustard. It makes my mouth water a little to think about it. Maybe it's good that I don't live near the Dip Dog Stand. :-)

By the time I got back to the campground, the rain had subsided and I was able to sit outside in my lounge and knit and listen to more of my audiobooks. I finished "Revenge of the Kudzu Debutantes" (a funny tale about three Southern belles seeking revenge against their cheating husbands) and started "The Lovely Bones". I know that movie took some criticism, but I actually liked it. I'm enjoying the book even more.

Though I usually retire very early while camping (or while not camping, for that matter), I didn't see any reason to go in until after dark, since the kids from the surrounding sites were out in force. As darkness fell and the other campers began to scatter to their respective sites, I went in the tent. On my way in, I ran my hand across the dry nylon and thought, "Oh good, everything's nice and dry, so I should be able to pack up pretty early tomorrow."

Wrong. Not fifteen minutes after I'd gone inside, I heard the distant rumble of thunder. The storm came quickly, bringing one of the worst lightning storms I've seen this season. Rain fell like water out of a bucket for awhile, then settled into a steady rainstorm that must have lasted a good while. I can't tell you when it stopped, because nothing lulls me to sleep quicker than the sound of rain on a tent. :-)

Sunday morning the trees were still dripping with the rain from the night before. The humidity level was really high, making it impossible to get the tent dried off enough to pack it up. Luckily, it didn't leak, so everything inside it (including me!) stayed nice and dry. As soon as I realized I wasn't going to be able to get the tent dry by the 2:00 pm checkout time, I packed the car, then rolled the tent and ground tarps up (wet....*ick*) into big trash bags so that I could haul them without having water puddle up in the car.

When I got everything into the car, I checked out and started home. When I got back to a cellphone signal (did I mention that cell phones do not get a signal in the campground? Just another bonus. *L*), I called Mom and Dad to ask if I could borrow a corner of their yard to pitch my tent to leave it up long enough to dry it out.

After I'd set it up and they put my ground tarps over their clothesline to dry, I made my way home, unpacked the rest of the things from the car, took a shower and collapsed into the recliner for the rest of the afternoon. As much as I love my camping weekends, it's always nice to get home again.

After work Monday I went to Mom and Dad's and retrieved my then-dry tent and tarps. As an apartment dweller, I'm especially grateful to them for allowing me to do that. It would be really difficult for me to get everything dried out by stretching it over shower rods and such!

And so ends another camping adventure. I finished knitting a pair of socks, listened to one whole audiobook and most of another one, met some really nice campers, tolerated some really noisy ones, and met lots of wonderful camper doggies. I enjoyed two relaxing thunderstorms, ate my first Dip Dog, and inadvertently fed a few mosquitoes.

All in all, a great weekend.

Mid-July??? ALREADY???

This month is just zipping right on by; seems just yesterday was the 4th of July. Or maybe it just seems that way because some people in my neighborhood celebrated with fireworks for DAYS after the holiday. *LOL*

We had some rain yesterday that cooled things off a bit, but today I drove to work in light fog and they're predicting mid-90's for this afternoon. *ICK* I hate to wish my summer away, but a nice, crisp fall day would be a lovely break from all this steamy heat. I keep telling myself, "Could be worse. You could be shoveling snow."

I miss being able to sit out on my balcony in the evenings after work. It's just too uncomfortable to sit out there right now. Instead I curl up in the recliner with knitting and the remote control and soak up air conditioning. I'm just not cut out for hot weather. Or cold weather. 70 degrees, that's my temperature! :-)

Work has been very, VERY busy, but that's job security, right? The good thing about really busy times at work is that it makes you look forward to the next break. Which I will spend in the woods again. *happy dance*

This will be a short entry because I'm writing during my lunch break, so if I don't get back to it beforehand, have a great weekend, everyone!

Long Weekends....and Paying For Them

I'm working a flex schedule this summer and am off on Fridays. So, this past weekend (because of Independence Day) was a 4-day weekend for me. Pretty neat, right?

And it WAS neat. I always enjoy having time away from the office. On Friday morning Daddy went to meet some old friends of his (in town for the holiday) at Hardee's over in Duffield. They met on the Friday before the 4th last year, too, and he really enjoyed it. So, since he was going to be away for a bit, Mom asked if I'd like to go shopping that morning.

We try to do that once while I'm off on Fridays during the summer. We go visit a few stores, have a "girlie" lunch, then head home. We used to "shop 'til we drop", but we drop quicker than we used to, so usually one morning is plenty for both of us. *LOL*

We hit a few stores, and when lunchtime rolled around I asked where she'd like to go. We go to places Daddy wouldn't normally care for, tearooms and the like. This time she asked to go to McAlister's Deli in Kingsport. The only time I'd been in there was to get a cold drink during an earlier shopping expedition, so I was happy to try their food. For ages I'd been craving a muffaletta, but didn't know of any place locally that made them. I was really happy to see that their lunch menu included a 1/4 muffaletta with a side for a very reasonable price. It....was...WONDERFUL! Not only was it a generous portion, but simply delectable! I chose a fruit salad for my side item which served as a dessert. The fruit was fresh, sweet, and delicious. Mom had a reuben which she said was wonderful as well. All in all a wonderful shopping/lunch trip!

Saturday I did a bit of household drudgery and rested up a bit from Friday's excursion. I didn't get much sleep that night. Seems that even though it's not legal to shoot fireworks in the city limits, several people were shooting them anyway. I don't begrudge anyone their fun, but DANG. You could knock it off after midnight, couldn't you?? (I am, admittedly, getting old and crabby. *LOL*)

Sunday I was invited to Mom and Dad's for a cookout. Yummy food and good company, as always. :-) That night there were still plenty of fireworks in the neighborhood, which went on until quite late. I guess I was really tired from losing sleep the night before, because it didn't keep me up too long.

Yesterday I knitted a bit (see my knitting blog), did a little laundry, and mostly just rested up for the return to the office today. *drudge, drudge* While knitting I watched most of "Band of Brothers". I've already seen it, but it's such a great series I wanted to watch again. I have it on my computer and need to burn it to DVD. Definitely a keeper!

Movies, movies....what have I seen lately? Mel Gibson's "Edge of Darkness"...dark, but good. "Amelia"...worth the time to watch it, but not as good as I'd hoped it would be. "The Road"...wow! Bleak (which I expected, since the writer also wrote "No Country for Old Men"), but what performances! Now I want to read the book.

I've been watching some Netflix stuff through the Wii unit, too. I've been rewatching the first season of Saturday Night Live and wishing there was anything on television now to compare. I watched a campy little thing about the 50 worst movies ever made. Happily I'd only seen one of them. *LOL* I saw an interesting little documentary from 1975 called "Grey Gardens". I'd heard about this years ago, but never got around to seeing it. I found it intriguing and a little unnerving.

And so this morning, I returned to work. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful that I have a good job, honestly. But boy oh boy did I have a rough day today. Our fiscal year ends on June 30, so there's all kinds of things that have to be done after July 1. That, mixed with the holiday, mixed with computer systems that apparently went bump in the night several times over the weekend, made for an interesting day.

I'm really glad to be home with a big ol' glass of iced tea. Hopefully it will be cool enough in a short while to sit out on the deck for awhile with my knitting.

Hope you all had a good weekend, too!

Hot and Muggy

Hoo boy, is it just me or is it awfully HOT for June? When I was growing up (back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth), we enjoyed four seasons. Winter would gradually give way to several weeks of cool nights and warm days when flowers poked their little heads up out of the ground and trees burst into bloom. We would enjoy several weeks of very temperate weather before the real heat of summer set in, chasing us into the shade of trees where we found relief by wriggling our bare toes into the shade-cooled grass.

Now it seems that we jump from frost warnings to high heat-indexes. We've been subjected to pop-up thundershowers and high humidity for the past few days. It's been much too hot for me to be able to enjoy the balcony. I've been soaking up air conditioning and looking longingly outside at brief interludes of sunshine. Oh well, it makes it easier to bear the thoughts of going to the office, at least. *LOL*

I've worked my way through a brief period of just feeling crummy thanks to a sinus infection, but am feeling much better now. I have so many things that I need to get done at home, but by the time I get there, I just want to curl up with knitting needles and the remote control until bedtime. I think I need to get back into my old habit of making a home work schedule for myself. Even if I don't adhere to it, it at least gives me a plan and a sense of direction. Yup, the more I think about it, the more I think that's what I should do...

...if it's not too hot when I get home. :-)

Adventures in Wal-Mart

There are two Wal-Mart stores in my town. From my home it's actually a little closer to the Wal-Mart #2. But the Wal-Mart #1 is on the way home from work, so it's been getting most of my business for years.

However, I think that's coming to an end. Why? Several reasons. One is that Wal-Mart #1 has one of the most dangerous parking lots I've ever encountered. There are several restaurants and other businesses (including a Sam's Club) sharing the entrances and exits, and it's a real nightmare. I don't think I've ever been in that parking lot without at least one close call.

Another reason is that very few "associates" in Wal-Mart #1 seem to care if you need help or not. Yesterday I stopped in to pick up a "Site-to-Store" order (Daddy's Father's Day gift). It was the first time I'd used this service, and it worked well. Until I got to the store to pick it up. I stopped in at Customer Service to find out where I needed to pick up the package. I actually did get courteous instructions from the young woman on where the Site-to-Store pickup area was located, and thanked her. However, when I arrived at the pickup area, no one seemed interested in helping me. As instructed, I pressed a screen at the register and received a message that an associate was on the way to assist me. Four associates walked right past me without so much as looking my direction. Another associate came to the register, smiled at me, took a notebook from under the counter and did something with it, replaced the notebook, smiled again and left. She never ONCE asked if I needed assistance. I pressed the screen again. Another associate came from another area and asked if anyone was helping me. When I told her that several people had walked past, but no one was helping, she was very nice about retrieving my package and making sure that I'd received the item I'd ordered. The next time I use Site-to-Store, it'll be shipped to the OTHER Wal-Mart.

One of the biggest reasons I'll be using the other Wal-Mart is that the temperature in Wal-Mart #1 is HOT. Year round. Summer, Spring, Winter or Fall, I come out of that store soaked in perspiration. Now I'll be the first to admit that I warm up easily, but I'm able to shop comfortably in all other retail stores in the area, so why do I melt down every time I go into that Wal-Mart? I've complained about the heat repeatedly and am always told that the temperature in their store is set in the home office. Maybe the home office should watch the Weather Channel once in awhile.

Oh well. Enough griping for one post. *LOL* At least Daddy's gift was what I ordered, and seems to work as I'd hoped.

Luck of the Draw

Yesterday I exchanged a few e-mails with a nice lady from work who's been dealing with an injury she suffered over a year ago. During the exchange I commented that I'm just unbelievably lucky. It's true...I'm lucky, and I know it.

Last June when my leg pain became completely unbearable, an Urgent Care doctor referred me to a specialist that I'd never heard of before. That specialist happened to be involved in a clinical trial that I'd never heard about. When surgery date rolled around in November there was a 1-in-3 chance that I'd be chosen as a test subject who would receive a spinal fusion instead of the stabilization device being tested, but I received the device. My recovery from the surgical procedure was so quick it was nearly miraculous, and the device continues to work even better than I'd ever hoped.

And two weeks ago today, I set up my Coleman tent on a beautiful campsite under tall trees in the fresh clean air for the first time in 18 months.

I am just so lucky.

My Life's Just Not That Fascinating

I've been a little lackadaisical about my blog posting in the last little bit. I actually HAVE been a little busy with the normal summer work-load increase at the office and getting ready for my most recent camping trip (more about that later) and getting some knitting done on some summer socks.

But the truth of the matter is, my life's just not fascinating enough to feel the need to post daily. I have a Twitter account, but honestly who has enough happening in their lives that they must share it on a minute-by-minute basis? I check in every once in awhile to read whatever Brad Paisley is posting because his posts are always amusing and often hilarious.

I have a Facebook account, but the only reason I go in there pretty often is to take turns in a few Scrabble games I have going there. Have I mentioned lately that I am a long-time Scrabble addict? I'm not good enough to play in tournaments, but I do love to play. How else would I know that "qi" is a word?

I have a MySpace page, too, but rarely post there either. The only places I post regularly are here and on my knitting blog. The only reason I keep two separate blogs is to keep from boring my non-knitting friends with my excitement over sticks and string. *LOL*

Now, on to the latest non-knitting news: I'm finally CAMPING again!! I spent last Thursday, Friday and Saturday at my all-time favorite campground, Grindstone. Mom and Dad were camping, too, and it was a lot of fun. I have to admit that I wondered how it would go, since this was my first camping trip since I had back surgery last November. Happily, I had no ill effects at all except a little soreness in my legs from using muscles I hadn't used in awhile. There were a few brief showers, but they occurred at times that didn't interfere with any camping fun.

Our friends, the Cooks, were there as well, complete with their four adorable Yorkies. I had a few nostalgic moments thinking of little Meg since it was my first camping trip without her. Another expected hurdle in the grieving process.

I really had a good time and thoroughly enjoyed listening to birdsong in the pre-dawn stillness while snuggled under my sleeping bag. I don't have words to properly express how relaxing I find that time away from all the electronics and stress of my daily life. I love that the most "high tech" thing in my camping gear is a set of circular knitting needles and self-striping sock yarn!

As soon as I came home Sunday afternoon I fired up the home computer and made reservations to go camping again next month. I could get used to this. *G*

It's Just Not Gonna Be The Same

Back in August 2005, our local Krispy Kreme doughnut shop closed. I have to be honest about this, it wasn't as devastating to me as it was to a lot of people in our town. I'd had to give up Krispy Kremes some time ago because I'm a Type II diabetic.

But even though I hadn't eaten a Krispy Kreme in a long time, I missed the shop. I had to drive by it each day on my way home from work, and the smell was just wonderful. A real treat was to happen to be driving by when their "Hot Doughnuts Now" sign was lit. The sweet aroma of sugar glazed yeast doughnuts hung in the air. I'd swear I could gain 5 pounds by simply inhaling.

And so, the building stood empty for nearly five years. It looked sad sitting there, with its parking lot looking grubbier each day.

Then the announcement was made on a local newscast: the property is going to be used for a Kroger Fuel Center. Oh good. Just what we needed on an already ridiculously busy street corner. A gas station. Sheesh.

Something tells me that the aroma from that location just isn't going to be the same. *sigh*

What a Week!

As much as I love having time away from the office, I always have to pay for it when I get back to work. Busy, busy, BUSY week! But that's okay, because Friday's finally here! *happy Friday dance*

Adding to my busy work week, I had three medical appointments this week. One was to have follow-up x-rays done for the doctor who did my back surgery last November. Another was to have blood drawn for lab work for the doctor who monitors my diabetes (that appointment will be next week). The third was the six-month follow-up visit with the back surgery folks.

All went well, but it just contributed to the general insanity of the week. But now that the end of the week is here I'm just glad that the busiest part of the week is behind me. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that today doesn't hold any unpleasant surprises for me. *LOL*

I've been dealing with a delicate tummy this week. I actually became quite ill for a short period of time on Monday evening and Tuesday evening. It could have been stress, because trust me, those were STRESSFUL days. I'd also been eating lots of salads, so that might have been a contributing factor. Sometimes having too many salads too close together can upset my system.

Oh well. Whatever caused it seems to be subsiding, so I'm going to just focus this weekend on getting the household drudgery out of the way as quickly as possible. Then I'll have some R&R time. The weather forecast looks breezy and cooler with a little rain, so you know what that means....good KNITTING weather! :-)

Happy Friday, everyone!