Remembering June

This month I didn't draft my post a little at a time... so now I'm racking my brain to remember what I read, knitted, did...

Hmm... books I read...
The final two out in this series by Eoin Colfer. I believe the 7th book comes out this August.
Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony
Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox
Then I downloaded a few free books to the Kindle and read Miss Match by Lauren Holbrook. It was okay although I think I really just wanted to be watching the tv show by the same name that starred Alicia Silverstone. The show wasn't based on this book though. I thought about downloading the next book since it's a series... but it wasn't free and I didn't like it that much.
I started to read Sushi for One by Camy Tang, also a free book on my Kindle, but it didn't keep my interest for long. Strange since I usually feel like if I start a book, I have to finish it.
I moved on to a book I had purchased at Borders, The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart. It was a fun book (although I admit it is for kiddos... but I seem to be reading a lot of those lately) and there are two more that I may have to get as well!
Now I'm reading A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff. I just started it last night but I read way more than I should have before hitting the sack and I didn't want to stop after lunch either. I thought that it would be a good book to read on my trip to NYC (!!) this weekend but I may be done before then! : )

I knitted a pumpkin hat. I originally started it with the intention of giving it to Chris' brother's upcoming baby. He is joining us in October so I thought it would be a cute baby hat! It turned out too big. So then, as I continued to knit, I thought I might give it to my sister since her baby is due any moment now and will be bigger than a newborn by fall... still too big. Then I decided I would give it to Kristen who has a baby that will be one in October. Perfect since Kristen loves orange and pumpkins! Yeah, too big.
Chris' brother saw me working on the hat (the same brother who I thought I would give it to originally) and he said HE wanted the hat and promised he would wear it. So it's finally done now and I guess the big winner will be Chris' brother David!
I promise to get a photo of it asap.

I'm off to Brooklyn Heights for the weekend! I'm super excited!!!
I hope all of you have a wonderful 4th of July! : )

Knee-ectomy

Today is a bad knee day.

Some of you may know that I've been having knee issues lately; I think I probably mentioned it in another post or something.

It first started in the second week of May, in the 14th week of the circuit training I had been doing through the amenity center where I live. It was really bad at first - swollen and painful. Since I see my chiropractor pretty regularly (although most of my appointments lately are with the massage therapist!), he took a look at it for me. He poked and prodded and wiggled it around... but nothing hurt... until he pushed on my IT band. Ooooweeee! That was some serious ouchie!
For those who are curious, I found this wikipedia article about iliotibial band syndrome.

So I stayed off my leg, iced it a lot, and kept it elevated. I made several visits to the chiropractor for therapy with those little circles they attach to your muscles and send electric currents through your leg... not sure what it's called exactly. The swelling went away and it was feeling better MOST of the time. But it would just randomly have sharp pains shoot through. Sometimes just when I was walking or going to sit down. Weird.

The other doctor in the office took a look at it and came to the conclusion that perhaps my ACL was loose. My kneecap was moving around and certain pressure would hurt. The thought was then that I would need to do special exercises to strengthen the muscles around my knee.

I think at this point I was getting a little frustrated because I had FINALLY been working out but now I couldn't... and the pain was bad enough (although not regular) that it made me a bit wary of doing much at all. Off I went to Mayo Clinic. I got an appointment for x-ray and a visit with the orthopedic surgeon.

What did I find out? Well, my x-rays were fine. He even said there were no signs of arthritis (wow... that's amazing with how creaky my used up knees are!) and my ACL was fine. He basically says my kneecap is loose and when it moves, it causes me pain. I now have a prescription for physical therapy. Hopefully I'll be able to set something up soon.

However, today my knee is KILLING me. The pain is usually NOT constant... however, that is not the case today. I don't even want to move. I want to crawl into bed. But Chris is working and we have not only our four dogs waiting at home for me but also a fifth dog who belongs to his brother. They are gone for a month so we are taking care of her for them. Oh... she's adorable! I'll definitely share some photos soon!

Anyway... I just needed to whine a minute. Stupid knee. Can't I just have a new one? *sigh*

Knitting photos

Oh dear... I just realized that I didn't get a shot of my mom's camera bag that I knitted before I gave it to her this weekend. Oh well...
However, I did get a few photos of other knitting projects!

Bibs... I seem to make these for all the babies:




And hats! You'll have to excuse the elongated shape of them... I put them on a camera lens to take the photos so they wouldn't just be flat...
The Who Hat is just like mine only much smaller!



This little ribbed hat can be found here and was super easy and quick to make!



I still need to take pictures of my purple button hat... and I'm still working on a baby blanket. Blankets seem to take forever!!
: )

Weeeeee!!!! And May a bit early.

I'm going to NYC! For the FIRST time EVER! For the 4th of July weekend!!
And I get to see my friend Susan whom I haven't seen in 10 years! For the occasion, she is going to arrange for fireworks over the city! ; )

This summer is looking to be filled with mini vacays. I'm going to Fort Myers (SW Florida for those not familiar) this weekend... my parents are down there all week staying in the condo (I used to live there and we bought it then but I moved so the 'rents kept it and actually plan to retire there eventually). And in August I am planning a trip to the Kansas City suburbs to visit my new niece. She'll be joining the outside world sometime in mid-July (Joni's due date is July 12th)!

Books... I've been a slacker this month:
Artemis Fowl
Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident
Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code
Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception
All by Eoin Colfer. There are two more books in the series so far and I have them both checked out from the library and sitting on my shelf at home. I finished The Opal Deception at lunch today. : )

Circuit training classes are now over - the last class was last week. I spent that week only doing arms though because I injured my knee via my IT band, which apparently is a muscle that runs up the outside of one's thigh. The instuctor didn't have us properly stretching after class and although I was doing it on my own, I guess I wasn't getting that muscle. So it tightened up and screwed with my knee. I've been going to therapy for it and I'm no longer limping. Whew.

Aqua aerobics start this week. I haven't completely decided if I'm going to do it. Someone told me it's all in the deep end of the pool and I don't really see myself treading water AND working out for an hour. I might drown! However, they are offering a free trial class because the signups were low so I'll check it out before I sign up. It's twice the cost that circuit training was so I'm not willing to spend the money just to find out that I don't like it.

I have some knitting to share finally but I need to take pictures first. Maybe I'll do that tonight!

Oh... and I almost forgot! Chris and I will be married for two years on May 31st!

Chester!

Chester's story is up on Furrie Fotographie!

April News

Books I read in April:
Flyte
Physik
Queste
Syren
All by Angie Sage... all in the Septimus Heap series, which I actually started with Magyk last month. LOVED them. And I can't wait for the 6th book, Darke, to come out. I seem to be unable to find a release date for it though...
I know there are fewer books than usual but it has been a busy month. Silly me didn't write this post in draft as the month went on though so who knows what I will remember.

I signed up for yet another 5 weeks of circuit training. I haven't lost any weight but I'm maintaining (yet I think I'm eating a bit more too) and I'm definitely stronger.

I'm still knitting... and still unable to show you any of it. I made another baby item and I also made a camera cozy for my mom for Mother's Day. I can say that because even if she happens to read this, she knows it's coming because she asked for it. Last year I made her one for her GPS so now she wants one for the camera too. My sister said that while our mom was staying with her, she (mom) used the GPS cozy for her camera all the time. So anyway, I won't post a photo (yet) because even though she knows what it is, she doesn't know what it looks like!
I just started a hat with my beautiful Violet Manos del Uruguay. I haven't taken any photos but this is a picture I took of the yarn:


We got another dog. Yes, a 4th dog has been added to the furrie family. I need to post photos and his story on my pet photography blog. I hope to do that this weekend and so you'll have to check there for more info. I'll tell you this though... I discovered yesterday that if I scratch his back back by his tail, his mouth opens and closes and his tongue flaps around. It's hilarious! And speaking of the pet photography, I am currently editing two shoots and have two more sessions this weekend! Keeping busy for sure!!

I also started a "new" job. Some of you may know I worked for the National Park Service for fours years until last Fabruary when I got a promotion and moved over to US Fish and Wildlife. I liked it there but I missed the park so when I got the call from my old supervisor letting me know they were advertising, I jumped at the chance to return. It's another promotion for me and now I'm also in a "real" office with a door AND a window! Yay! I love being back and they are happy to have me! : D

And the biggest news of all... I got a new car!! My very first new car EVER!
I've been driving my 1997 Honda Accord since 2002 (and before that I drove a 1987 Honda Civic that had been my dad's until I turned 16 in 1991 and took it from him). The Accord was quite cute in her day... two doors, spoiler, sun roof, manual... but over time the paint was splotchy and faded; the cloth ceilings were coming down around me; the tinted windows were bubbling; and the worst part since I'm in Florida, the a/c didn't like to work when it was really hot out. Oddly, it was fine and blew nice cold air as long as it wasn't over 75-ish outside...
Anyway, she had over 165,000 miles on her and even though I probably could have driven her a bit longer I decided it was time to start looking around. I did my research and hemmed and hawed for more than a month... and I found something that I really like!
I went to the dealership yesterday and test drove... and bought... a Mazda 3 i Touring in Silver. Manual transmission... and I'm having a spoiler put on!
They didn't have one on the lot so right now I'm driving the same car but automatic and without the spoiler. They are getting my car from another dealer today and should get the spoiler in tomorrow. I'll be able to pick it up either tomorrow or Monday! Weeeeee!!!
You know I'll be taking photos as soon as I get it!!!

That's it for now. I might have to update before the end of May... : )

March

I can't believe March has already come and gone!!

Books:
Stoneheart - Charlie Fletcher
Ironhand - Charlie Fletcher
Silvertongue - Charlie Fletcher
Gods Behaving Badly - Marie Phillips
Forest of Hands and Teeth - Carrie Ryan
Magyk - Angie Sage

Knitting:
I'm afraid I can't share any of my finished or current projects (other than the sock which I haven't gotten any further on since last month) because they are all baby related and I don't want my sister to see them before I actually give them to her. So you'll have to wait in suspense or stalk my Ravelry page (although I don't even have photos there just yet) if you happen to be a member.

Misc:
I am continuing with the circuit training at my amenity center. I finished the first 5 weeks and signed up for another. I'm not losing any weight... and at one point I thought I was even gaining... but I'm definitely getting stronger! Maybe my body likes being around 130-ish even if I want it to be around 125-ish. Oh well.

I have also been to the doctor twice this month. I am having terrible (and unsual for me) allergies this year. I have been on two different antibiotics for sinus infections. I sounded like a dying frog for about a week. And now I'm also on a prescription strength antihistamine. Bleh.

I went to an art show... although it was technically in April but I'm a little late getting this post up. We bought some artwork by both Ed King and Phil Fung. Here's one of Phil's prints that we purchased called Bodhi Tree:


Oh! And one last mention... if you haven't already seen it. I was interviewed by a producer from our local PBS affiliate back in January for a show called 9 to 5 which features people with unusual/interesting jobs. He recently let me know that I could view the piece on his YouTube page... so if you would like to see it too, it's here.

Now I'm off to crawl back into bed and relax. Hope you all had a wonderful March!! : )

February Books

In order of completion:
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - Alan Bradley
Powerless - Matthew Cody
Gregor the Overlander - Suzanne Collins
I Love You, Beth Cooper - Larry Doyle (The beginning of each chapter has a drawing of Denis Coverman as the night goes on... they cracked me up! Not sure I have any interest in seeing the movie though.)
I'm With Stupid - Elaine Szewczyk (Yeah... got it super cheap for my Kindle... and it was... stupid.)
Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane - Suzanne Collins
Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods - Suzanne Collins
Gregor and the Marks of Secret - Suzanne Collins
Gregor and the Code of Claw - Suzanne Collins
Conversations with the Fat Girl - Liza Palmer (also another cheap Kindle book... but enjoyed it unlike the previously mentioned cheap Kindle book!)
Knitting Under the Influence - Claire Scovell LaZebnik (same as above!)

All the Gregor books were part of The Underland Chronicles. I found them in the teen section at the library and I enjoyed them immensely!! I really wish there were more than five!
I must mention that the reason I was in the teen section in the first place was because my husband wanted to read Powerless so I checked it out for him... and that's where it was too! : )

We also went to see Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief (I read the whole series in December). I actually liked the movie despite the differences from the book. Chris was pretty grumpy about all the changes. Oh well... it happens. Sometimes I'm okay with it and other times not so much...

The circuit training is going well. After the first week, my calves were killing me. It felt like the muscles were too short for my legs! But it's all good now and I think my abs are getting stronger! Yay! I missed one class due to a terrible cold but have made the rest of the thrice weekly meetings.

My Who Hat is finished!! If you are a knitter and would like to make one, the pattern can be found HERE.
LOVE the finished hat! The original plan was to put different colored button eyes on each owl but I'm really liking it plain too so I can't really decide what to do...
More photos (there were a couple in my January book post)
Almost at the end... learning to use double pointed needles! Came close to poking my eye out a couple times! : )


The top of my hat. Decreases are purty!


The owls on my head!


Happy me in my hat. Need to get a photo outside... the flash kinda washed out the details of the hat...


I'm also working on the Hat Heel Sock. They will be my first pair of socks ever! I haven't gotten very far yet so no photos. I'll get some soon!

Hopefully this post makes sense... I wrote it at various times during February instead of trying to remember everything at the end of the month. hee hee...

Lent and shopping...

Every year I give up something for Lent.

My husband makes fun of me because I so rarely go to mass... and other people probably disagree with me because they think I should give rather than give up. But I give something up anyway.

For some reason I've noticed that my trend tends to be something edible... chocolate, pizza, ice cream, fast food, desserts. And they've all been very hard for me so : p. But this year I decided to give up

(insert drum roll here)

SHOPPING!

And no... it doesn't include things like groceries or contact solution.
But it does include clothes, books, YARN. And my jaunts about Target.
*sigh*

This might be the hardest thing I've ever given up. It doesn't help that I get sale emails all the time... or that one of the girls in my knitting group is getting an order together for Malabrigo. I'm avoiding Target... and the library and free Kindle books are my friends. Free Kindle books don't count as shopping, right?? They are FREE!

I do have to get an external CD drive for my computer tonight... but I consider it a business expense for Furrie Fotographie PLUS my internal drive isn't working so I haven't been able to do my taxes because it won't read the Turbo Tax disc. My mom said she didn't think the IRS would consider that a valid excuse. Darn. I'm definitely not looking forward to doing my taxes this year. We bought the house and I didn't do as well with tracking my business stuff this year as last year. At least I've learned my lesson and have already started several spreadsheets in Excel for 2010!

Anyone else give up something for Lent?

Anyway, that's it for now. I've already started my post for February's books and knitting so you'll see that next week!

Who Hat and January Books

Yet another resolution being worked upon... knitting in the round!
The first time I cast on for my Who Hat I managed to twist the stitches. I had to pull it all out and start over. See?


But now I'm coming right along and even though working with the cable needle was a bit fiddly at first, I'm starting to get the hang of it!
Here it was a few days ago:


Pardon the cell phone photos.
Soon I'll have to start decreasing at which point I'll learn to use DPN's. Double pointed needles for those of you who don't know knitting lingo. This has been an excellent learning pattern! : )

And now on to the...
January Reading List:
Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment - James Patterson
Maximum Ride: School's Out-Forever - James Patterson
Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports - James Patterson
Maximum Ride: The Final Warning - James Patterson
(There is one more book out and one due out in a few months. I, unfortunately, did not enjoy the 4th book as much as the others. I read the first three in three days, probably mostly because I was sick in bed with nothing else to do. So, hopefully, I'll feel up to reading the 5th and 6th books soon.)

The Adventures of Sally - P. G. Wodehouse
(Free Kindle Book)

The Book of Lies - Brad Meltzer

Checked out (from the library) and started reading A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole for a book club that I am thinking of attending in February. Having a hard time getting into it. Put it down last night to start another library book, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. I suppose I should have waited to post this as maybe I'll finish it by Sunday... but most likely not since I have a ton of work to do for Furrie Fotographie this weekend. We'll see. : )

PS!! I signed up for a 5 week circuit training class. It's three days a week - Monday, Tuesday, and Thurday... which means it won't interfere with Wednesday night knitting! Look at me working on all my resolutions!

Another scarf

Simple rib stitch scarf made from Colinette Prism for Hannah's birthday. She requested I knit something for her so I hope she likes it! : )

Lace Scarf

This is the Strangling Vine scarf that I worked like crazy on so I could finish it in time for Christmas!


Doesn't it look nice on my mom?!!?


I'm going to try to be better about posting photos of my knitted objects here... I'm also going to be better about posting them on Ravelry (you can find me as filmgirlie if you are on there too!) although I'm not too bad about that one now. : )

ps. I saw the Princess and the Frog on Friday. It was cute! And made me cry... but animated movies usually do for some reason!

December's Reading List

Books I read last month... this is the first installment of my 2010 resolution to keep track of the books I read!

Pirate Latitudes - Michael Crichton

The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan
Sea of Monsters - Rick Riordan
The Titan's Curse - Rick Riordan
The Battle of the Labyrinth - Rick Riordan
The Last Olympian - Rick Riordan

Murder Takes the Cake - Gayle Trent (Kindle book!!)

Will write more later... must go back to bed. Icky stomach bug...