Saturday, August 25, 2007

Knit, Perl...

I've signed up for a knitting class, to begin next Tuesday. This should be entertaining for all. The store is called "Weavers Webb" and I'm afraid it is going to be terribly appropriate 'cause I can totally see myself getting so snarled into yarn that I require assistance to escape.

My best friend's mom tried to teach me to crochet. Yeah, not so much. I may or may not have mentioned this before, but I'm just a touch (okay, pretty much completely) OCD. This is especially true, as it turns out, when I'm trying to get all those stiches the same size. After several weeks of effort, I had a strip of yarn about the size of an average bookmark - but every stitch exactly matched the ones before. So I kinda gave that up as a lost cause. Can you even imagine how many years an afgan would take me?!? Hopefully, knitting will be a bit more of something I can do without losing my mind.

In other news, my company finally came through with the washer and dryer that I was promised in April. Holy crap. The washer spins at 1200 rpms. I live in an OLD house, and my laundry room is directly above my kitchen. For the first load, by the time it hit spin, I was making dinner. I thought I was being attacked by helicopters. OMG. The whole house was shaking. Things were kind of jumping around on the counters. And this is a well-balanced machine! My clothes will be clean, but my house may not survive.

Ooh, speaking of well-balanced machines, I need to go to the store and pick up the stuff to make an apple pie. That was one guy's price for hauling the units in and installing them for me. I totally got the better end of that deal, 'cause the washer in particular is HEAVY. They had to get it up the steps to the porch, into the house, up the stairs (with a landing and a 90 degree turn in the middle) then down a hallway, left turn, down another hallway, right turn into the laundry room. Then getting it level on my hilly floors - which required specially made coasters. The other guy hasn't told me what he wants yet. I'm afraid that I may be making a specialty cake for his brand-new granddaughter. Well, at least I'll actually use all that cool stuff from the Wilton Tent Sale...

Speaking of my weakness in shopping... I went to an auction with a friend the other day. I was really good, really. But... *hangs head* I bought another table. It's a sickness. It's so pretty! It's solid cherry. (Why am I never attracted to light weight things? Why must they always be really freaking heavy??) And it's a drop leaf or butterfly or something or other table. The two sides go nearly to the floor, and when you put them up, there are legs that fold out to stabilize them. Very cool. But, I now have like five dining room sized tables. *sigh* Uh oh, my half an hour is over. More adventures from the auction and the other things I've been into later.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Still Here...

Really. *sigh* I miss thee, internet! But, only 6.5 months to go before the indentured servitude is over and I can flee.

Of course, if I get myself fired, I don't owe back relocation. This has possibilities.

So, here's something I whipped together the other night when the heat index hit 115 and the thought of cooking was just too much to bear.

2 handfulls egg noodles
1 t butter
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t onion powder
~1/2 c chopped fresh mozzerilla (the marinated kind)
~1/2 c sugar sweet grape tomatoes, halved

Cook eggs noodles on the stove and drain. Toss in butter, garlic powder and onion powder. Stir well. Put chopped cheese and tomatoes into a pasta bowl. Drop cooked noodles over it, and toss/stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.

And if you need a cocktail to take the edge off...

Fill a tall glass with ice. Fill about 1/4 of the glass with pineapple rum, about 2/3 of the remaining space with orange juice and then top with cranberry juice. Stir and enjoy.

Happy summer, everyone!