Domestic Geek

Yeah, I haven't been in the mood for blogging lately. Can you tell?

I think of things I want to write about when I'm at work and can't. By the time I get home after a 12 or even 14 hour shift, I'm too freaking tired to do much more than check my email and read a few Ravelry forums while I veg in front of the television trying to unwind so I can sleep. On my days off, I'm either too brain dead to bother or I'm busy knitting/crocheting or hanging out with dad. Maybe one day I'll get back in the blogging groove. Until then, I guess it is what it is.

So what have I been up to?

Work. Sadly, that's taken up a lot of time. There are only two people in my department and when the other dude went on vacation the last week of August, I got to cover his shifts, too. Nothing like one day off in 10½ days to burn you out. I can't wait to see what the final overtime tally was when I get my paycheck on Friday. I do know that I'm going to be majorly pissed at how much of it is eaten up with taxes. I also hate my job now. It's not just the new position, but a lot of other crap, too. Also, the guy that used to have my job is such a control freak that he's trying to do his new job and mine, too. I'm so sick of it. Even the $1/hr raise I got yesterday doesn't even begin to make up for the lame crap I have to deal with everyday now. I have really got to figure out what the heck I want to do with my life and do it.

I seem to have recovered from the surgery. I still get pains around the scars, but I hear from others who had the procedure years ago that they still get pains. Whee! It's still hard to get comfortable in bed some nights, though. *sigh* I talked with the rep from our health insurance about how much it would cost to add the coverage that would pay a percentage of my salary if something like this ever happened again so I didn't rush going back to work. It would be about $70 a month and they wouldn't pay out for the first 14 days of missed work. Yeah, I didn't sign up. I would probably be better off just putting money into a savings plan or something.

I've been knitting and crocheting a lot, but haven't finished squat. I have got a case of startitis. I have tons of projects started, just can't seem to make myself finish anything. I also got myself a pattern for my birthday to make a quilted tote bag. I think I'll use the Debbie Mumm Creative Woman fabric I have stashed for it.

We're having raccoon trouble again. Stupid things have been hanging out by our front door. I hate those things.

Marcus got us a new DVR just in time for the new fall tv season.

Marcus and Mike did their annual Pikes Peak climb the weekend before last. Nina, Dave and I went down on Saturday to pick them up at the top. I got some really yummy plums, peaches and Colorado honey at the farmer's market. I got some good pictures with the camera Marcus got me. I'll have to get those posted in the gallery soon.

I had other things to write, but darned if I can remember any now. Like I said earlier, work makes me brain dead. Maybe after a night's sleep, I'll remember the rest.

OK, I've got lots of stuff churning around in the old brain, but none of it is worth its own post, so here's an all-in-one brain dump.

If you're reading this Dave W., Happy Belated Birthday! Hope you had fun 4-wheeling.

Marcus' Mom: Sorry you had to find out about my surgery through the blog. I told your son right after I was admitted to give you a call and let you know. He can be so darned stubborn sometimes!

I've lost almost 30 pounds from my highest weight ever. Wow, I couldn't believe it when I got on the old WiiFit today.Granted, gall bladder surgery and the resulting changes in my diet would not have been the way I would have wanted to lose weight, but I guess the universe wanted to give me a wake up call and I'm grateful. The WiiFit has made a major impact. Exercising with that thing is actually fun. Also, the new position at work has helped. I'm no longer a desk jockey and actually move around on my feet all day. It's murder on the feet, but it's good for the body. I am positive that this trend will continue since I will be able to start WiiFitting again in a couple of weeks.

Speaking of work, things in the printing industry are not going well. Magazines are folding, page counts are down and clients are looking for more economical ways to print or advertise. Rumors of impending layoffs are heard daily, it seems. One more reason I'm glad I took this new position. Not job security per se, but less of a chance of being let go that where I was before.

We were given hats at work yesterday. I'd show a picture, but our logo is all over it and I don't really want to mention where I work on this blog. It's so comfy, I might actually wear it on a regular basis (at work - not out in public).

One good thing about the surgery and the work change - Dad and I can spend more time together. Especially since he's addicted to Wii Bowling.

I found a recipe for crock pot Apple Butter that I want to try. Mom used to make Apple Butter and I've always wanted to make it myself.

Dad and I went to the Stitch N' Pitch Rockies event last Saturday night (photo in previous post). We sat with a women (and their husbands/sons) from my knitting group. Even though the Rockies lost to the San Diego Padres, we still had a good time. I wish we could go to more ball games (since Dad really seems to enjoy them), but damn! Tickets are expensive!

I want more time to knit. All of my knitting friends seem to always be finishing up this project or that - even big sweaters and the like. I've only got 3 main projects I'm concentrating on and can't seem to get anywhere close to finishing. Let's not even discuss things waiting in the wings that I have materials for and am waiting to start until I actually finish something.

I love Freecycle. I've gotten some craft supplies, two parakeets named Luke and Leia and a hamster (whom I need to rename, but nothing is coming to me). Marcus has threatened to block Freecycle. Meanie.

I am writing a post about my hospital stay. I'll publish it when it's complete. Hard to believe it's been a whole month since that happened.

Our Dish PVR died. We're trying to find one, but they're still really expensive. I am hoping we can find one at a reasonable price before the new fall TV season begins. If not, I'm going to be watching a lot of programs on the old computer.

I'm going to have to find a part-time job. Our neighborhood is turning into a Mexican ghetto (as evidenced by the increasing graffiti) and I'm no longer comfortable living here. I feel quite vulnerable and unsafe, actually. I never leave my door unlocked and only leave the bedroom window open at night with a board wedge in it to keep if from being opened from the outside.

Well, that's it for now. I've got to get ready for work. I hate working half days (even more when it's the 2nd half of the shift). Normally right now I've been working 7-1 on Wednesdays, but the other guy had an event of his daughter's that he needed to attend, so we swapped shifts. Going to work at 1pm is not as lame as going into wok at midnight like I was doing, but it's still kind of lame.

I've many times over thanked the universe for bringing Marcus into my life. I know he's my soul mate and when I come across stuff like this on the Internet, it just reinforces my belief that we were meant to be together.

Virgo Woman and Capricorn Man
Virgo woman and Capricorn man share a very good rapport amongst themselves. Both the individuals understand each other fully and will, more often than not, be able to know the other person's needs even before they are voiced. He will help her realize her dreams and she will support him on his way to the top. He will provide her with all the security and safety she ever desired. She will take the relationship just as seriously and will shower him with love and affection. This is one of the best matches of the zodiac!
[source]

Yeah, yeah...so that took a little longer than I expected.

Honestly, I'll admit that I was more than a little burned out with blogging (both doing and reading - I blame paid blogging). I've also been in a really bad place mentally and didn't want my new home to once again be the Continuous Blog of Woe® that Marcus had once dubbed my little cyber home. I've had the header and main layout done for months (it was actually almost finished when I closed down the old blog), but I just couldn't bring myself to fix the sidebars and get the rest of it running. Even now a lot of it is still jacked, plus I realized I never did fix the contact or archive pages of my old site. Whoops! The motivation to get the site fixed well before Blogathon came around again was shot to heck when I heard that they were taking this year off.

Well, I decided this weekend that it was finally time to come out of exile. Recently, I've decided it's time to stop wallowing in "someday" and "if only" and turn my life into what I want instead of allowing it to just happen. I need an outlet to post my thoughts and journal my existence. It's where my dad, Marcus' mom and my friends go to keep up with us. Big changes are going to be happening in the next couple of years (thanks to Saturn in my chart) and I need a place to share.

As for what have I been up to in the last four months? You guys get a little bulleted list:

• Work went to Hell in a Handbasket - post about what happened coming soon
• I met The Yarn Harlot twice
• I'm obsessed with knitting and spend most of my free time on Ravelry
• Marcus and I went to Tennessee on vacation via St. Louis and Indiana (was too short - should've taken more time off)
• Our water heater died
• Our lot rent went up $45/mo and our park is turning into a Mexican Ghetto
• We only have one rabbit left (Neo) - all the others have passed away
• I got two free parakeets on Freecycle
• We got a Wii and a WiiFit
• I got a free Nintendo DS - post to come
• I got back into reading - didn't realize how badly I missed it
• I got my first camera speeding ticket - City and County of Denver can bite me
• I decided I'm never doing Graphic Design for anybody (except for Marcus) ever again - clients suck much ass
• I met author Maggie Sefton at The Tattered Cover (she writes knitting mysteries set in Colorado)
• Marcus bought me a new camera
• I've become obsessed with Alpacas — I want to own some

I know there is more, but I can't think of anything at the moment.

So, I'm back and if you've read this far, thanks for visiting. I can't promise a blog free of Woe, but I'll do my best to eliminate it.

OK, just as a heads up, I'll no longer be putting new posts here and I've turned off commenting. I'm in the process of moving this all to my new domain and once I have the template done and fix all the little quirky things that are going on associated with the move, I'll update this post and direct you all to my new home. With any luck and little interference, this should happen by March 1st.