Domestic Geek

Hey, guess what?

After a really long hiatus, Marcus is actually writing on his blog again!

I've been thinking about my mother a lot lately. It started (not surprisingly) while I was in the hospital. I admit that I've had a nagging fear in the back of my mind that I'll die early like mom did (she was in her early 50s). Even my grandmother was not that old when she passed. True, I don't smoke and am not diabetic, but still that fear. Being in the hospital was the wakeup call that I need to take better care of myself. It was embarrassing that two nurses had to help move me after surgery because I was too heavy. I'm turning 42 next month and I would like to have way more than a decade left to enjoy my life.

While Dad and I were walking back to the car after the Stitch N' Pitch ballgame Saturday, I got to thinking about my mother again and got a little sad.

My mother hated knitting, but she could crochet up a storm. She also was really starting to get into computers. She would have so dug going to yarn shops, attending knitting groups and surfing around on Ravelry. I wish she was still here so I could share all this stuff with her. Heck, with circular needles, maybe she would have even given knitting another go.

Heh, I've got my dad addicted to Wii Bowling.

A week ago, I was at the Parker SnB and the owner of Purls of Wisdom, Jen, was showing me how to do a stitch in the Fiber Trends felted clogs I was starting. As she's sitting there watching me, she suddenly shrieks, "She's on the tips!" She reaches down and pushes my stitches down further on the needles. Stunned, I asked if being on the tips is a bad thing...apparently, it is. I guess it's a big factor in the huge amount of stitches I drop. Who knew? I've been doing that since my very first knitting lesson and didn't know it was wrong. I thought maybe it was just the size 13 needles I was using, but I found myself doing it this morning while working on my dishcloth with the size 6 needles. So, I've been carefully watching what I do and am trying to break the habit of knitting with the tips.

Today is the first day of being on 2nd shift at work. I actually got 8 hours of sleep last night! I think this new arrangement is going to work well. I can put my effort into things I want to do early in the day while I'm fresh and then work gets what is left later in the day. I also know that being on my more natural internal rhythm is going to do wonders for my mental health.

I'm going to be able to take better pictures of my WIPs and FOs! Thanks to my most kind, generous, loving and amazing boyfriend, Marcus, I am the new owner of a Canon SX100IS digital camera. I was so heartbroken after having no pictures from The Yarn Harlot signing that I decided I was getting a new camera with the tax rebate check in May. I spent all day Saturday and part of Sunday researching cameras. I had about five different models that I was interested in and would make up my mind in the next month. Marcus suggested we stop into Sears after lunch so I could play with cameras and help make a decision. I narrowed my choices down to two Canon models — the SX100IS and the A720IS. The first had features I really liked, but was more expensive. I decided I would get the A720IS. Well, Marcus asks the clerks if either model was in stock. They were out of the A720IS and had one SX100IS. He says we'll take it. My jaw hit the floor. I protested. I told him I could wait. I told him it was cheaper on Amazon. It's sitting here on my desk as I write. He's too good to me.

Happy Birthday, Marcus!

Today was Marcus' birthday. As usual, I don't dare divulge his age for fear of the wrath I will bring down upon myself. I've never met a man so freaked out about birthdays and getting older, especially since no matter how many he has, I'll always be older. To hear him go on, you'd think he was on the verge of geezerhood!

Yesterday we celebrated out to dinner with Mike & Nina at Chili's, followed by Dairy Queen ice cream cake at our house. Mike & Nina got him the coolest calendar they made via iPhoto/Apple using Mike's mountain biking photos. It's really neat. This evening, Dad accompanied us to the Texas Roadhouse for yet another yummy birthday dinner.

Since his birthday is almost over and I'm really late in posting this, why don't you head over to his site and give him some belated birthday wishes.

Also, today would have been my mother's 63rd birthday. Happy Birthday, Mom.

Every Friday night Marcus and I have a standing dinner date and our eating establishment of choice is a well-known wing franchise. This place used to be on our boycott list because the service and food sucked when it first opened. I don't know if they're under a new owner or what, but we gave in and decided to give them one more chance and we're so glad we did! The place is most awesome now. I'd tell you the name and link them, but after you read the next part of my tale. you'll know why I'm choosing to leave that a little vague. What's kind of entertaining recently is that one of the employees there has a MAJOR CRUSH on Marcus. Fortunately, I'm very secure in our relationship and not the least bit threatened. In fact, there have been many women who threw themselves at him in our time together. It's understandable since he's darned cute, has a great personality and the most gorgeous eyes (yes, I first fell for those eyes!). He's usually clueless to these advances and flirting and doesn't notice it until I point it out to him. Pretty much if you're not a computer or a mountain bike, he's not interested. Anyway, this poor girl is flirting and fawning over him so badly that even Marcus noticed. Sometimes I can tell it makes him a little uncomfortable, but other aspects of dining there more than make up for it.

Even though Marcus and I are not "officially" married, we celebrate the anniversary of when we became a committed couple every 28th of October.

Today marked 15 years of togetherness.

I can honestly say I love him more today that I did 15 years ago. I'm the most blessed person in the entire world that I found him. I truly believe we are soul mates.

We celebrated this evening by consuming our traditional meal of Endless Shrimp at Red Lobster (the promotion always seems to be going on at the end of October). The cool thing about this year is we paid via gift cards that I got at work. I was just doing something that I felt was part of my job, but the CSR really appreciated my work and felt that I went above and beyond, so he requested to the powers that be that I was given this extra compensation. Yay!!! Works for me and the timing couldn't have been better.

There was a cute elderly couple sitting across the aisle from us. I was "enamored" with them (as Marcus called it). I so want to be like that couple when we're old. You could just tell that they enjoyed each other's company.

Anyway...

You didn't think it would actually happen, but Marcus actually updated his blog! Don't believe me? Go see for yourself!