Thumbs Up
Remember when I used to knit stuff, and then blog about it? Yeah, that was cool, back then. Thought I'd try a little of that today, just to see if I could remember how. Turns out I do. Here is a little mitten I busted out, whilst schizophrenically (that's a word - my husband the English teacher said so) dodging back and forth between the Knot Garden, the Frog Prince, an Elizabeth Zimmerman percentage experiment, and some socks.
I call them Queen Of Hearts, because they make me think of playing cards. Not to wreck my perfect average, they, too, are unfinished.
Notably lacking in the thumb department. I should probably figure out how to make that next. Calls for a wee chart, which will hopefully be the last thing I do before packing up the laptop for tomorrow's big pilgrimage.
The only thing wrong with traveling is the traveling. It will take all of tomorrow for me to fly between the west coast and the east coast. Fortunately there will be a couple of times where I get off the plane and stretch my legs (run?) between terminals, so hopefully the atrophy won't completely set in.
Besides chart-drawing (doesn't everybody have to finish designing a mitten so they can get on a plane?), my other last-minute preparations include the following:
1. Where are the directions to the bed-and-and-breakfast that my publicist sent to me (subject heading: "Put this somewhere Safe because I will Loose it)?
2. What knitting am I taking, anyway? There's a strong chance that I could finish the mitten on that long a flight, and then what? Aside from the obvious 2nd mitten. I'm thinking EZ % sweater, but it is kinda big and sweater-y. I'll take the socks, hoping that steel DPNs don't anger the TSA Gods, but I find I can only work on socks for so long before they start to bore me. Then of course there is the writing I'm supposed to do, but I never can tell if inspiration and/or lap space may be at too high a premium...
3. Did I charge my mobile? Thinking of small and irritating personal electronics, where in the !#$^%^* is the camera?
The Camera.
I think I left it on my desk at the office when I last reported there (way back before the Pig-Headed Flu) and oh-my-gosh-do-I-really-have-to-drive 40 MILES to and fro to retrieve the F)@!@W Camera?
Yes. Yes I do. It's Leaf-Peeping time, and I have to blog, and there is no way I'm not taking a picture of my first-ever Rhinebeck and Book Signing. Camera Fetch unavoidable.
.25 miles from home I nearly engage the ABS in my car when I remember trying the camera in the new laptop bag to see it it was going to fit...
At least I didn't get all the way to my office before I remembered. Lucky Break Caught. Brain cramp clearly emerging from the Ass-Chasery of my day. I telecommuted today, which meant conference call-staff meeting, working online on a pre-colubian artifact of a laptop which processed so slowly that I was actually doing laps around my living room between databases, several breaks to feed/comfort/sedate my convalescent child, back to the demon databases, dash off to the post office-bank-pharmacy and back in time to receive the second non-convalescing child home from school, respond to all the AM e-mails from the hospital, button up as much pending *#)$&@^ as possible before being absent from the day job for 4 days, and make dinner for the smallies. Phillip at grad school tonight so single-parenting it for the evening. No sweat. Just another day in paradise.
I think I could invade a small nation with fewer mental gymnastics than my days here in paradise, never mind pack for a trip Experienced road-warriors I have asked tell me that it gets easier with practice. Let's Hope. See you on the other side (of the continent).