Domestic Geek

Marcus bought me a Kindle for Christmas this year. I absolutely love it and it has brought back the passion for reading that I once had (when I was young, my nose was always in a book). I've read more books in the first part of this year than I have in the last 5 years combined. It's sad how I've let reading slip, but I totally see how it happened. Being laid off and relatively poor for a while meant cutting books out of the budget, then my recent desire to downsize my life and my clutter left me not wanting physical books around. My obsessive game-playing on Facebook squandered valuable reading time. Then there was my new obsession with knitting. I know that there is the public library, but I really have a moral opposition to them (except for reference material). Authors make their livelihood by selling books and I feel really guilty borrowing novels from living authors there.

Right now, I'm reading a book by Wendy McClure called The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie. To say I'm disappointed would be an understatement. I'm not going to go into why, as those thoughts are better kept to myself. It has rekindled my desire to know more about Laura Ingalls Wilder, though. I've visited the Little House site in Independence, Kansas and the Wilder Home in Mansfield, Missouri. I've got plans to go to some of the other sites.

I think I've always been fascinated by Laura Ingalls because she represents a simpler way of life. I'm well aware that "the old days" was not an ideal existence, yet I yearn to get out of the big city. Marcus and I have dreams of one day living on land in South Dakota. I want to raise my own chickens and grow my own food. When I was younger, I loved sewing on my mother's antique Singer because that's how it used to be done (don't get me wrong - I love my computerized sewing and embroidery machines now), but I always felt connected to the past in some small way when I used it. Weird, I know. Sometimes I wish that old machine was close by so I could run it, but it resides with my sister out in California. If Marcus and I ever do get settled someplace permanent, I'd love to find one of those old machines.

*sigh* Well, I'd better wrap this up because it's almost time to head off to work.

We had a really cool spring storm start up the night before last. Marcus and I both really love it when it is raining or snowing, so when we heard the rain start up again, we headed for the front door.

Now, I think I've written here before about our trials with raccoons around here. When Marcus opened the front door, one of those damned critters was on our front porch. It took off, so Marcus opened the screen door and I poked my head around him so I could see out. Suddenly, I was in terrible pain. The raccoon had come charging back and Marcus had quickly slammed the door closed; unfortunately, my head and the door could not take up the same physical space. I think I'm OK, I just have had a doozy of a headache the last couple of days. Part of that is probably the weather change and it being spring, too. If I wasn't already taking time off later this month, I'd would have called in sick yesterday . I was so not in the mood to deal with THE STUPID at work (and the people at work didn't disappoint).

On a brighter note, the watermelon self-striping sock yarn I pre-ordered from knitpurlgurl on etsy arrived! I've been wanting watermelon sock yarn forever. I've been stalking one seller, but I always miss when she puts stuff up for sale. My friend, Ruth, told me about knitpurlgurl and that she also sells a watermelon yarn from time to time. I was clicking through my etsy favorites one day and saw that she was taking pre-orders for it, so I finally purchased one. Yay!



I didn't realize when I ordered it that knitpurlgurl was from Colorado Springs (saw the return address on the package when Marcus got it out of the mail box). Also, I love the little touches added: the watermelon jolly rancher and the little watermelon wedge stitch marker. Very clever!

Now, if only I didn't have to work so I could stay home and start knitting it up.

...the weekend after next.

I've known for quite a while that my glasses perscription needed to be updated. I broke one pair last year up in South Dakota and the lenses on my current pair are scratched and hazy. I have to break out the magnifying glass to read instructions and have been increasing the font size on my computer. Yesterday morning at work, my supervisor handed me a xerox printout to read and I couldn't. Granted, the copy was faint, but I just couldn't make it out. I was ridiculed. Lame.

I made an eye appointment after I went back to my office. I still had the paper in my purse from when I talked to human resources about our vision provider three months ago. Fortunately, I found a place close to my house that offers Saturday appointments.

I realized that my current perscription is almost 5 years old. These are the glasses I got between getting laid off the last time and getting my current job.

The lamest part? It's not that I couldn't afford it. I have insurance that will cover most of it. It's that I've been a big, lazy procrastinator.

It is time.

I've really got to stop posting my life events only on Facebook or Twitter. I've used my blog in the past as a tool to chronicle my life and recall important milestones, yet in the last year I've made a grand total of 34 posts (and some of that was fluff). It saddens me that I neglect this poor old blog. I used to spend countless hours tweaking her code and making her pretty. I keep my Facebook page private (for good reason), but it's not like anything that is going on in my life is a big secret. So, I decided this weekend that I'm going to resurrect this poor thing and start giving it the attention it deserves.

I'm making a commitment (notice I didn't say effort) to blog at least weekly. I'm going to start by posting about some of the important stuff that has happened in the last year or so that I really should have blogged about, but didn't. Between going back through my Facebook posts and Marcus' blog, I should be able to determine what should have been written. Then I'll tackle what's going on now and my plans for the future.

This isn't going to be the Blog of Woe (as Marcus coined it in the past). I have some really good feelings that some awesome changes are on the horizon. My creative energy is finally back. I've been reading again (never a good sign when I don't read). I've changed what I eat (more on that in a later post). I've reached a point in my life where I don't want more stuff - I'm trying to simplify my life.

Tonight, though, I've got to go to bed early as I've drawn the Jury Duty Summons short straw yet again. Tomorrow morning I get to make the almost hour-long rush-hour trek up to Broomfield to be at the Adams County Courthouse at the ridiculous hour of 8 am. Lame.

I was cruising my blogroll (haven't done that in a while) and came across this little meme on Amy's Blog. What the heck, I haven't done a meme in FOREVER!

(A)ge: 44

(B)ed size: King

(C)hore you dislike: all of them. Cleaning showers/tubs with soap scum and our hard water is the worst, though.

(D)ogs: Love them! I haven't had one since Skippy passed and I'm really wanting another one.

(E)ssential start to your day: tea

(F)avorite color: Green (preferable Kelly or Emerald)

(G)old or silver: neither

(H)eight: 5??5"

(I)nstruments you play(ed): I started with clarinet in elementary school, then picked up saxophone, viola and bassoon in high school. I even played bass drum in the marching band my senior year. I eventually majored in bassoon at college and picked up basic rudimentary skills in all the instruments so I could teach music, but ended up not because I hate our school system. Sadly, I haven't touched an instrument since 1994, I think. One day I'm going to play again.

(J)ob title: Mail Data Processor (for about a month, but hopefully not for the long-term)

(K)ids: None, thankfully

(L)ive: Aurora, Colorado (but I hate it here)

(M)om??s name: Shirley

(N)icknames: don't have any that I know of

(O)vernight hospital stays: Spent almost a week to have my gall bladder out

(P)et peeve: stupid people

(Q)uote from a movie: ??Do or do not. There is no try.?? -Yoda

(R)ighty or Lefty: Righty

(S)iblings: one sister

(T)ime you wake up: 6:30 on weekdays, whenever I feel like it on weekends

(U)nderwear: Yes, but what kind is not for public discussion

(V)egetables you don??t like: I don't think there is one

(W)hat makes you run late: my passive-aggressive anti-authority personality

(X)-Rays you??ve had: too many too mention it seems

(Y)ummy food you make: Cheesecake!

(Z)oo animal favorite: Penguins, zebras, giraffes