Drywall Patch Girl Update

So, yesterday I fearlessly took on patching some holes solo. No mentor to tutor me in person (which helps A LOT!), just me, my noggin and a good drywall book for reference I screwed in wood supports for four smallish holes. Measured, cut and screwed in pieces of drywall to fit and finally spread a first coat of compound.

Each hole presented its own challenge and I kept at it until I was satisfied. I must admit that they won't be absolutely perfect, but I did it ALL BY MYSELF! At the half way point I rewarded myself with a nice Italian beer - good for me!

You may have noticed that I am writing this in the wee hours of the morning. Couldn't sleep. Can't sleep. I woke up worrying about a work related thing [sic client]. When I can't sleep I try to remember to get out of bed and distract myself enough to get my brain to relax into slumber. So, here I am. I've check my work email and have figured out that my biggest worry is likely not true. I read a couple of blogs and now I am writing.

New problem: my tummy just doesn't feel right to me. I have a bad, bad feeling I have a touch of a tummy bug. I have NO TIME for a tummy bug! No time at all!

Good news: my wonderful friend, Tanya, came by last night and we did a marathon pack of the kitchen! That felt great! It is so much easier to pack when someone who knows you well plugs along and makes decisions for you.

Hubby and I move on March 23rd. I feel the countdown has begun.

Ok. Time for a couple of games of Ingenious and then try again for slumber. Fingers crossed for no tummy bug throw ups.

Four years

Hubby and I have been together for four years this week. Our first date anniversary was on Sunday and neither of us remembered until we were walking to our apartment from our house in the cold and dark. I remarked on the date and Hubby said, 'Gee, I hope you like those safety goggles I bought you today. Happy four years anniversary, Honey!' We giggled. (I do love my goggles. They have elastic to hold them tight against my face and go over my glasses. This 2D girl has to protect her one good eye, don't ya know!)

As an aside, I thank the goddess for nature's goggles - the eyebrow. Before I got my anniversary gift goggles, my good eye was saved when my eyebrow caught a big puff of ancient dust that fell on me when I pulled down an old plaster ceiling in the hallway. I still had to scramble to the wash out my eye a bit, but it would have been a real emergency had it not been for my eyebrow. Thank you, Eyebrow.

Well, four years and goggles. I really, really love my life. This relationship is the longest relationship I've ever had. I love Hubby with a ferociousness I didn't know I had in me. He makes me laugh everyday. He makes me breakfast everyday (it's true!). He is my best friend and favourite person to hang out with. I just love him to bits!

house gerbil in her wheel... running, running...

Here's a rambling entry:

Hubby and I are low on reno knowledge. Everyone has told us that we will learn as we go, but our learning curve has been a wee bit emotional. There's been tears, some stomping around and even a couple of self-degrading comments. We are lucky to have some friends and family who really know their way around a tool box and have time to coach us here and there.

Along with low reno know-how, we don't own a car. Under normal life circumstances we happily get around on our bikes, our feet and the TTC. A couple of times we've done the Rona/Home Depot run on the streetcar with our backpacks. Today we rented the Rona van to bring drywall & a pedestal sink home. Not owning a car has really put a kink in our plan to try to buy as much as possible from the Habitat ReStore. You really have to browse the store a few times a week to scoop the good products. We are considering renting a car for a month or 'leasing' a few days a week from a friend.

Right now the house is a reno mess. Dust and grit everywhere. Wires old and new exposed. Our porch is Toronto's new dump. Sometimes when I am at the house I get a little bit down. I can see in my mind's eye how it will be when we are moved in and cleaned up, but I know how much elbow grease has to go into the place to get it that way.

I've slacked recently on the packing. Hubby thinks I am crazy for having started so early, but I knew this pause would happen, that regular life would distract me and I would get lazy. It is hard to start packing again once I pause.

This week I think we will finally pick out kitchen cupboards for the basement apartment. Ikea? Home Depot? Rona? If you have experience with the options, please leave a comment.

Sigh. I know everything will work out. Sometime in the summer we will be sipping wine on our porch and look back on this time and smile. Can't we just skip all the elbow grease stuff and get to the wine sipping time?

Drywall Patch Girl!

I did my first ever drywall repairs today! Drywall repairs on our very own house. As I waited for my friend to measure, cut and insert drywall pieces, I walked around the house with my premixed mud and putty knife patching up little scrapes and nail holes. I'm addicted!

(I even prepped some holes and screwed in some screws!)

An absence

Our dear, dear friend died last week. He was a force, an adventurer, a loyal friend. He was generous and protective. He was creative, fun, and easy to be with. He was opinionated and unapologetic.

When I had a rough day at work this past week, I felt the familiar urge to dial his number and bend his ear.

No more complainy, commiserating calls. No more southern Ontario road trips to browse antiques and pottery and used books. No more sharing of Hubby's delicious pre-pottery class meals.

We miss him very much.

There is an absence in our life that cannot be filled.

little house update

House, house, house... our life is about the house. The house that now has multiple holes in the walls and ceilings. Ah, well, at least we won't fry ourselves on the hidden knob & tube on the top floor.

Next up: deal with heating duct problems on the same floor. I can't even describe it.

I love our new house and can't wait to move in late in March! I have so much packing to do.

I've snuck in a little crocheting. I've finished a gauge swatch for some wrist warmers using left over Fable Alpaca from the Skinny Minnie Scarf! Yeah! So, I shall start on one wrist warmer and see how far I get without having to buy more yarn - all money is dedicated to the house currently. I've actually stopped buying timmie's coffee on my work breaks, too. I figure if I don't buy coffee for 3 weeks, I can spend $12 on yarn.

Off to bed to read predictable easy read novel that is good for distraction, but not for promoting deep thoughts.

night, night

Crochet, house, crochet, house

I finally started a second leg warmer this afternoon. I've sometimes worn the single that I made weeks ago around the apartment with its ends all dangling out. I can't buy any new yarn for a long, long time (because we get possession of our house in 2 DAYS), so I decided I had better concentrate on finishing up a few small projects that I had put aside.

Crochet projects I can work on:

second leg warmer
market bags (never hurts to have a few around for hostess gifts)
baby booties (I have old acrylic stash for this)
I have some hemp. I could make something with that.
hot water bottle cover
attach retro buttons to green double knit baby top

Hubby says I will be too busy knocking down walls and cleaning our new kitchen to crochet anything. He is probably right.

We pick up the keys on MONDAY!

I found some large, but tacky cushions in our storage locker today. I thought of sending them off to the Goodwill, but then it occurred to me that I could crochet new covers for them. I think I can check out a few patterns, adjust/enlarge and make something I really like.

I packed three boxes today.

I checked our lottery ticket today. We didn't win.

The BIG Announcement!

Hubby and I raced to our Realtor's office this afternoon and at 1:27 p.m. signed off on the final papers for the house!!! Hubby immediately went into an anxiety spin and I started grinning from ear to ear.

Unless the Universe takes a few devious twists and turns in the next week, Hubby and I will be happy homeowners on January 15!

I am SO looking forward to having a house, a home of our own. We are really lucky to have found a house in our neighbourhood - we love it here! I can still walk to work. We'll be even closer to our grocery store and favourite happy butcher. TTC a 5 minute walk. Three bedrooms, enough room for guests and the ever coveted office space for Hubby who works from home quite a bit. A large kitchen that needs some TLC, but we are looking forward to designing something we'll love. A fairly good sized yard by Toronto standards that is just waiting for some loving landscaping.

Sooooo many things racing through my head tonight... after a good night's sleep I hope I can slow down a bit and get a little more focused.

Limbo morning

We may find out today that our offer has been accepted and that we are now home owners. If that call comes there will be more signatures and initials, faxing tons of papers to the mortgage broker and the lawyer, and general excited running around and calls to make.

I don't know what to do with myself while waiting for the news. There is laundry to be done, but I imagine sitting in the laundry mat with our clothes in mid-wash cycle when the call comes. AAAGGGHHHH! Wet clothes, signatures, calls, and faxes! I could possibly go a tiny bit crazy (no comments from the peanut gallery, please!).

Hmmm... I could do a few errands in our neighbourhood: buy mouse traps, buy stamps, mail letters. I could read my new book. I could read this week's Maclean's.

Waiting...

Waiting...

Waiting...

Excitement, excitement!

Ummmm... Hubby and I may be homeowners tomorrow!

Wow!

Stay tuned!

Grammar final - part II

Forgot to write about getting my final exam back - 36/40.

I made three stupid mistakes on that test, but overall I think I got an A in the course.

Next semester: Copy Editing

Memory Lane

My father gave me a wonderful gift yesterday: 2 CDs with thousands of family photos.

I am a very romantic and nostalgic person. I've spent the better part of two hours laughing and crying looking at the first four hundred pictures. My parents as a young couple. My sister as a sweet toddler. Me waving and grinning after my first bike ride. My grandparents in the kitchen of their farm house.

Here are a few...










My parents (late 50s early 60s?)










Camping











2D Girl and Mommy

ramble, ramble

Sorry about being interrupted by Little Women. I just had to watch the young Katharine Hepburn as Jo. When Laurie proposed to Jo and she turned him down because her love for him is platonic, my heart wrenched and soared all at once. Is she brave? Is she honest? Is she stubborn? Will she regret this? Is she a lesbian in the 1800s?

Hubby came home about 2/3rds through the movie and he went for the remote immediately. He impatiently asked if I was actually watching the movie and quickly discerned that channel changing would equal pain.

More about Christmas spirit:

I sent only 3 or 4 cards this year, 2 of which came back because I forgot to put addresses on the envelopes! I intuited this about 4 hours after mailing them. Thank goodness for return address labels.

House hunting:

We've officially started! It is exciting and scary. I don't think we will find our house very quickly. I'm feeling patient and looking forward to seeing a lot of properties. Stay tuned for more hype when THE house is viewed.

Today:

Wrapping gifts.
Winding a skein of yarn at Knitomatic.
Enjoying pea soup I made last night.
Picking up fancy beer from the LCBO.
Hanging with Hubby who has been working a lot lately.
Maybe a movie.
A drink with friends may happen, too.

Yarn yearning:

I think a fibre addiction is taking hold of me. I noticed yesterday, before leaving Knitomatic, I couldn't help but poke around a tiny bit at the beautiful yarns. I spotted something I like (I don't know the name) and immediately riffled through a crochet pattern book to see what I could make with it. In that moment I realized how stashes begin. I don't need to know now what project I will use it for. I just need to buy it and wait for the right project to come along.

I know that I will eye it every time I go in the store. It is a blend of fibres in pink and fuschia tones with a thread of black shot through. I think it is a medium weight. Perhaps it would make a lovely shawl.

long time no blog

I'm surprised that my last blog was 2 weeks ago! It's not that I haven't had things to share. I can't recall what I've been doing instead of blogging. Likely I've been crocheting.

Crocheting seems like a good place to start now. Here's what's up with my yarn:

I've made two more corrective hats. I made an infant sized hat in soft two tone with left over yarn from the Skinny Minnie scarf. It is sweet beyond belief! The second hat (toddler sized) is in turquoise and green. Sorry, no pictures. I'm much too lazy tonight.

I've started some leg warmers and I'm half way through another market bag. I've been making the market bags since late summer and they've made fantastic holiday gifts for our friends.

Christmas spirit report:

2 weeks ago I was surprised to discover that my Christmas spirit was lulling close to zero. This is not what I am used to. In my own way I get excited about the holidays. Even though I have never been one for decorations, I love baking cookies, planning a holiday brunch, buying gifts, etc, etc.

About every 5 days my spirit got a little perk, but just yesterday I was still getting by at only 25%. I had made half assed attempts at baking cookies - mixing batter on Tuesday and not baking until Saturday. I forced myself to make tamari almonds; these are always a crowd pleaser, so it is worth it.

Today I ventured out to Kensington Market with my own two market bags. I would be the biggest grinch if I left Kensington without my Christmas spirit getting a boost. The music, the bustle, the holiday greetings - I really got into it! (Too bad Hubby had to work and miss our Kensington rituals). I'm not at 100%, but I dare say that the spirit is coasting at 65%.

Tomorrow I have a few prezzies to wrap for some kiddies in my life. I might get a little boost from that, too.

Kensington Market rituals:

Latte from Ideal
Cheese and olives from Global Cheese (we love their enthusiasm)
Bagels from Market Bakery
Dark chocolate covered almonds from Casa Acoreana (just a handful, enough to eat while strolling around the Market)


Ummmm... enough blogging for now. Little Women (1933) is on cable right now and I'm just too into it to write more.

Crochet - 1 Xbox - 0

Once in awhile Hubby sees an Xbox commercial and says that we should invite my nephews (9 & 6 yrs old) for a sleep over and rent the Xbox for them. Sure, sure, the Xbox would be for the nephews... sure.

Since the beginning of December, the video game commercials have been in high gear and Hubby's shtick has gone up a few notches. He has this cute little boy thing going on and even though he is mostly joking about wanting Xbox, there is a part of him that really wants this big boy toy. He likes to see how far he can push the joking around; he's watching for the first signs that I'm breaking, wearing down under his charming little boy routine.

About a week ago Hubby said something that made me think that he's really getting serious about buying an Xbox. My blood started to boil a wee bit. I turned to him and said, "The only way you are getting an Xbox is if you go on a weekly chore schedule! I am not going to be the one keeping this place together while you are sitting around playing Xbox!" Hubby laughed so hard that I started laughing.

(Looking back, I am a little scared at how quickly my internal nag came out to play. I don't want to become that kind of wife).

Last night Hubby was taking note of a few groceries that we need, bread being one of them. I said that I had planned on making bread (in the bread machine), but I got distracted putting fringe on scarves.

Hubby turns to me, cocks his eyebrow, and says, "Ummm, excuse me, is your crochet like an Xbox?"

For about a millisecond I thought, "Shit! He's got me!".

But then my logical mind kicked in.

"Uh, no. My crochet is not like an Xbox, because today I did laundry, dishes, and errands for us. I took the recycling out, cleaned the bathroom and tidied up! I got all those things done before I even started on the fringe."

So there.

Crochet - 1 Xbox - 0

Promised photos

Here are a couple of pics of the phthalo turquoise corrective hat:














Isn't it cute?! I love it!



















And...


Ta-da! Here is Skinny Minnie! She still needs her full fringe added (that's a project for Saturday morning), but I couldn't wait to show you!















It is a bit skinnier than I thought it would be. The picture in the pattern book seems to look a bit wider, but there are only 17 rows; this Skinny Minnie is also 17 rows.

I think this is going to look F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S on Cousin! It is soft, soft, soft, crocheted with Fable yarns (and one VIP); Cousin's neck will surely feel pampered.


Here is a detail shot:















I think I'll have to make another one for me!

Next project: Mama needs some legwarmers to wear with her pjs/comfy clothes around house! Me calves are chilly!

I've also been day dreaming about making my own pattern for a felted hot water bottle cover. When I have cramps and need to take my hot water bottle out in public I want to look fashionable, not frumpy.

Can't sleep

I'm awake. I've been awake since 3am. I can't sleep. I want so much to sleep, but it evades me. Instead, my mind obsesses over things I could have said, should have said. I am my own worst enemy.

Obsessing over these details is a waste of time and sleeping hours. I know this, yet my mind will not turn itself off. I also know this is part of my PMS. I love being a woman, but this PMS thing is wearing me out.

I want to stay in bed today. I want to have the luxury of embracing sleep when it graces me with its presence. 2D Girl + PMS + sleeplessness + work = bad news.

Please, oh, please, I just want to sleep. Sleeeeeeep. Sleeeeeeeeeeeep. Pleeeeaaasse, let me sleeeeeeeeeep.

Great hubby handles PMS like a pro!

Before I cuddle up to my Hubby in bed, I want to tell you again how great he is.

Tonight I met up with Hubby at Smokeless Joe's on John Street, after I had my fill at Body Blitz. Usually Body Blitz cures all that ails me, but tonight it just didn't. It wasn't that the soothing Blitz waters were lacking. My PMS neediness arrived today, started hanging around and wouldn't take the hint to SHOVE OFF. I am thankful that I could identify this and explain to Hubby. He pulled my bar chair right next to his, put his manly man arm around me and the world started to seem right again.

Sigh. I'm lucky.

Corrective hat experience

Remember the hat that gave me so much grief? Well, the other night during a break from the Skinny Minnie scarf, I whipped up another version of the hat in just over 4 hours! I followed the pattern as is, and it seems the perfect size for a toddler. I used a lovely turquoise Baby Alpaca.

I'm too lazy to take a picture now. Watch for a photo later this week. I will likely have pics of the finished scarf exchange special and the finished Skinny Minnie - oooooohhhh, it is lovely!

Well the hat that almost drove me crazy will be hand-delivered tomorrow night to my dear friend, SH. I hope it feels super soft and comfy on his noggin. I think he will look great in it and will wear it a lot, even though my mom says that crocheted hats aren't warm enough. Pshaw! Pshaw, I say! It is a gorgeous, luxurious hat and his head will mew when he slips it on.

The corrective hat, in turquoise (I think a phthalo turquoise - my FAV!), is cute beyond belief and I just want to make a hundred of them!

Confession

I just got home from work. I poured myself a cocktail, over rocks with a lemon, and sat down on the couch. I will soon get up to serve myself a bowl of homemade (by Hubby) soup. I will sit back down on the couch and not move all night. My ass is staying on this couch and not moving.