I'm Free!!

My final paper is submitted for my grad level project management class! I'm so happy to be done I want to scrapbook for joy! Er, jump for joy!

What a great day today was. Deuce cut his first two teeth that have been driving him crazy - one Sunday night and one Monday morning. He's in a great mood now that the pain is over and he slept through the night. We got to vote in a special state senate election today (I love to vote, plus the ads will be off the air). Now the paper is done and I can move on to what I really want to spend time doing.

So many ideas...

D is for... Deuce! (What else?)

Easiest letter of the alphabet. And that is one cute baby...

The Afghan

I've been alluding to The Afghan, but I've actually been working on it instead of just talking about it. But I want to give some history here.

Ok, the original plan was to make February/Amethyst out of Leisure Arts' "Birthstone Afghans" book. I bought 85 oz of Red Heart Super Saver in Orchid. I was going to try to splurge on nice yarn, but there is no LYS within 80 miles of my house, and RHSS Orchid was the closest to Amethyst I could get.

So I start out without doing a swatch because I'm lazy. Not to put too fine of a point on it. I did one pattern repeat and the SOB is 8 feet long. Did I mention I'm also a little loose?

I go down a size to my trusty aluminum H hook, and manage this much

It's 66" wide and 12" long. This is not going to happen.

The backup plan came to me in the yarn aisle of Super Wal-Mart in the form of a free pattern sheet

In 13 hours I had a finished product, which I failed to take a picture of. But it was finished and wrapped before we left our house, so this is a success story in my book!

Redo!

Just to preface this - yes I'm procrastinating. Sue Me.

I was trying to work at work today (it'll never catch on, I know) and I got sidetracked with all the new year's resolutions and other stuff I started and then stopped when Deuce got sick. The list is long, and includes, but is not limited to, such worthwhile activities as
housekeeping
C25K
crochet swap
scrapping baby pictures
getting a haircut

I'm glad we're all better and in the scheme of things we did a really good job during the survival period. My mom was here this past weekend and didn't die of shock when she saw the house. This is a good thing.

But I'm unsatisfied. As soon as I get this paper submitted I feel like my life is mine again. I'm being very overdramatic about the whole thing. But I miss my regular life. I would love to take just 1 hour to put together a pot of soup, or drink a beer without falling asleep (I blame you, Bookwoman!)

Ok, crying baby, enough whining...

On the Streets

My grandma's birthday was this weekend - The Afghan recipient. It was a hit, she loved it. I took pictures with my dad's camera, which aren't online yet, but I'll post one. The whole afghan thing is a long story which I will tell sometime next week most likely b/c I still have to write a paper for my project management class.

Anyhow...

Grandma was admire the afghan and asked me where I learned to crochet, to which my aunt promptly answered "on the streets." Total deadpan. It was hysterical. I hadn't laughed that hard in a while and it was good.

Second place honors for crochet jokes this weekend go to DeuceDad who, when I passed up buying any yarn in AC Moore because I "have enough yarn," finished the thought with "to make an afghan for Earth."

C is for Contageous Disease

Glassy eyes? Check!
Dark circles and bags? Check!
Flat hair from napping? Check!

Contageous disease does not become me. Or Deuce, who looks a little rough around the edges.

Since the beginning of the year, DeuceFamily has had
1 stomach flu
1 regular flu
3 RSV
2 ear infections
1 croup
1 possible case of strep (I have spots on my tonsils yesterday and today)

I think we've had enough.

DeuceFamily 1, RSV 0

Not that I want to jinx it. Deuce goes back for his checkup this morning. I'm optimistic though. His fever has subsided and his breathing is slower and less rattly. DeuceDad is more optimistic - he's considering taking him to DCP after his appt if all is well.

Oh good, he's waking up and wants to eat! More later...

"Here comes your 19th nervous breakdown"

I have this habit of hearing phrases and then getting songs stuck in my head. Today, someone at work was suggesting that I "break down" a software design diagram and then use "your breakdown" to illustrate blah, blah, blah (this is where I stopped listening and starting daydreaming in Rolling Stones.

I'm not on the verge of a breakdown either. But it's a catchy tune.

So my crochet swap buddy Kim and I just finally connected. She's having computer problems, I'm having procrastination problems. We have yet to decide what we're swapping, but she sounds really interesting, and I'm game for anything.

"You better stop

Look around

Here it comes, here it comes, here it comes, here it comes

Here comes your nine-teenth nervous breakdown..."

Ugh, I need to go find that CD so I can just get it out of my head.

Da Da Da Da Da

Over the past few days, Deuce has taken to babbling "da da da da da." He has the cutest voice and DeuceDad is so excited (although we both know he's babbling, it's still so close to actually saying a word!). I'm not too jealous yet, but he hasn't called DeuceDad DaDa yet, so we'll see how I feel if/when Mama isn't the first word.

The Afghan has been put on hold in favor of a way easier, smaller, faster pattern I grabbed free from the yarn section of Walmart. Oh, you read that right. I'm not proud - I'm pressed for time. The Afghan, the thick cuddly masterpiece of crocheted cables that was meant to increase my street cred as an "intermediate" crocheter is now in the bottom of my bag. The new one is nice, treble crochet shells alternating with whatever a trcl is. It's 2 tr, ch3 2 tr, ch3, 2 tr. I'm sure there's a name for that. Anyhow, I've done 9/26 pattern repeats and have 2 weeks left until Gram's birthday.

Oh and 3 weeks, 1 paper and a final exam left of my class.