Ahh, Thanksgiving weekend... It's my favorite time of year. The weather is colder, meaning more knitting and less bugs; and the holiday season has arrived. Our little Thanksgiving dinner went off without a hitch, although we had a bit of a scare Wednesday night- we had to take little Spencer to the emergency vet when he developed an earache.

The poor little guy started shaking his head nonstop, pacing back and forth, and would yelp suddenly once in a while as if somebody pinched him. Plus his little, curly tail had been droopy all evening. We didn't want to wait until Friday to take him to the vet, so off we went to the emergency vet. Two hours later, we were sent home with ear cleaner, ear drops and an oral antibiotic in case it was an inner ear infection. Apparently, there is so much crap in his left ear that the vet couldn't really see very far in, and so couldn't tell us for sure what was going on. If the cleaner doesn't work, we'll have to bring him to the regular vet and knock him out to really clean down in there and find out.

A little back story: Spencer has had a couple ear infections over the past few years. Much like his feet and face, he doesn't want anyone going near his ears. Past attempts to clean out his ears have not gone too well, and it always took two of us- one to hold his squirmy ass down, and one to do the cleaning. It was always a fight and never seemed to really work. It doesn't help that he is small, and therefore has small ears which are hard to wipe out.

So when the vet sent us on our way, I was pretty sure this we were going to end up having to knock him out when their plan didn't work. The next morning, I figured I would try to clean his ears on my own, because I really don't want to have to wake Scott up all next week to help me clean the dog's ears before I go to work. Miraculously, Spencer was pretty good about it! I had to sort of half-sit on him- not enough to squish him, but just so he couldn't get up. Maybe he sensed that I'm not screwing around, maybe he's getting old, or maybe he just really hated the last brand of ear cleaner... whatever the reason, he sat reasonably still and let me clean out his ears. And again today- ears cleaned with minimal drama. This leaves me with some hope that we won't have to knock him out after all.

Oh, and during yesterday's cleaning, I could swear a fly flew out of his ear afterwards. It could have just been a weird coincidence/illusion, but as I was wiping the excess cleaner away, Spencer shook his head and out came a fly. It was the strangest thing, and I don't really even trust my own eyes because it is just so ridiculous. But I will also note that ever since then, he has barely been shaking his head. Who knows.

Other than Spencer's little escapade, it was a pretty uneventful Thanksgiving. Scott and I lounged around in our jammies most of the day, watching documentaries on Netflix. We showered up mid-afternoon, and began cooking our typical Thanksgiving feast. For the past 5 years, it's been just the two of us, and we've gotten quite good at it. Our dinner consists of the following: one boneless turkey breast roast with gravy, jellied cranberry sauce, stuffing, corn, mashed sweet potatoes, and rolls. A day or two ahead, I make pumpkin bread (which is lucky to make it to Thanksgiving Day); and I make a pumpkin pie the night before or morning of. Almost everything comes out of a box or can- it's fast and low-stress. It's also perfect for two, and gives us just enough leftovers for dinner the next night.

After dinner, we lounged around some more, watched more movies, and eventually ate some pie. We talked to our families on the phone for a bit, and everyone seems to be doing well. It was a perfect day. As for being thankful... well, aside from the usual (husband, family, friends, health, etc.), I am thankful that Abraham Lincoln stuck Thanksgiving on a Thursday, leading to a four day weekend for millions across the country. And I'm thankful that I'm one of those millions, and that I get to spend three days knitting and watching Christmas movies.

I hope that whoever reads this also had a great Thanksgiving this year, and that your holiday season is off to a great start!

If Spencer Could Talk

Me: Ok, Spencer. It's time to go outside.

Spencer: I don't wanna. You have your raincoat on. I think this means it's raining outside.

Me: Let's go buddy.

Spencer: No.

Me: [picks Spencer up, carries him down the stairs]

Spencer: Don't put me down! It's all wet! Nooooo!

Me: [puts Spencer down]

Spencer: I hate you.

Me: Hurry up! The sooner you go, the sooner we can get back inside, and the less wet we both get!

Spencer: I don't understand this concept. I'm going to glare at you and sulk because you made me come out in the rain.

Me: [half-drags Spencer into the grass]

Spencer: Nooooo! Not the grass! That's even worse! I hate wet grass so much!!

Me: Go potty.

Spencer: Fine. Whatever. You suck. Here, see? I'm going.

Me: Good boy!

Spencer: Now let me back in! Let me in! Let me in!

Me: Okay, okay, we're going...

Spencer: Oh, thank god. We're back inside where it's nice and warm. I'm going to snuggle with you on the couch!

Me: No, get down!

Spencer: But I'm all wet!

Me: Exactly- you're all wet. And you're a dog. No couch for you, come back when you've dried off.

Spencer: [gives sad puppy face, waits ten seconds, tries to jump on couch again]

Me: I said no wet dogs on the couch! Go sit in your little you-sized bed.

Spencer: I don't like it anymore, as is evidenced by my constantly trying to destroy it.

Me: Where's your hippo!? Go find your hippo!

Spencer: Hippo? Hippo!! I know what that is! Where is hippo!? I must find Hippo!! [locates hippo]

Me: Good job!

Spencer: [humps hippo and nibbles it's ear for several minutes] ...Hey.

Me: ...

Spencer: HEY!

Me: Whatcha need?

Spencer: I gotta go poo!

Me: We were just out there! Why didn't you poo then?!

Spencer: Because it was wet. I didn't want to be wet.

Me: We need a fenced yard.

Spencer: You say that a lot.

Whoosh!

Did you hear that? That was the sound of 2009. I can't believe the year is almost over. It really hit me at my office's Thanksgiving luncheon- this is the beginning of the end. Tomorrow I will pick up everything for Thanksgiving dinner, which reminds me- quick detour:

I am told (albeit by an unreliable source) that pumpkin crops didn't do too hot this year, and so there might be some sort of shortage during the holidays. I picked up my 2 cans of canned pumpkin already... you might want to hoard yours too, just in case. Back on topic:

Then Friday marks the official beginning of the Christmas season for many people, and from there the rest of the year slips by like a runaway train headed downhill on a greased track. Of course, the commercial world of modern retail has been shoving Christmas down our throats for almost a month now- which is a rant for another day, but- I would like to point out how warped it seems to me to see Christmas displays when it's 70 degrees outside. Stupid South... it makes me want to move to Alaska.

On the bright side, I have completed 12 of 14 knitted Christmas gifts. The last two are on the needles, one of which is about halfway done (I think I can get that one done this week). Mostly I have my job to thank for that feat. It's been incredibly slow, and I think at least a third of all that knitting was done at work. Maybe half. Netflix gets an honorable mention, too- a few projects were turned out while streaming bad horror movies on the laptop.

After Christmas shenanigans have come to an end, we arrive at the New Year. I seem to remember making some sort of resolution last year, regarding yarn consumption and finishing some projects. Well, as far as the unfinished projects go, I think I succeeded. The Clapotis did get frogged, which might be cheating, but everything else got finished so I call that a win. But on the yarn front... that was more of a fail. Maybe even an epic fail. I have accumulated a lot of yarn this year. There was the birthday haul, the Sheep and Wool Festival, a big sale at Eleganza, a big purchase during an exploratory visit to a not-quite-local yarn shop, and several other smaller purchases. To be fair, I do think that I knit more this year than during any other year, which might make up for some of that. But the whole goal was to at least knit down the stash a little, and that did not happen. I still have more yarn than will fit in my stash cabinet. But maybe if I try again... oh, who am I kidding? I'm just going to say "fuck it" and go with the excuse that I'm saving for retirement. It's not like wool has an expiration date.

For next year, I think my resolutions will be project-oriented only. That seemed to work out pretty well, and will help keep the stash manageable. And I'd really like to knit up some of the sweaters I had planned in my head. That's my biggest stash problem- several sweaters' worth of yarn and no sweaters getting made.

On an unrelated note, it seems my fascination with journals has been rekindled by Etsy. There is something about a blank book that just makes me feel all fuzzy inside. Maybe it's the endless possibilities, I don't know. I just love it. I don't even write in a journal of any kind- I don't want to ruin the lovely blank pages. But I like having them. Anyway, these are pretty awesome, and so are these. These are cool too, although some are a little too "Ren Fair" for my taste. I feel a new obsession coming on, better start saving my pennies.

Speaking of saving pennies, let me tell you how I saved approximately $10,950... I quit smoking 5 years ago! Well, about 5 years ago anyway- it was somewhere between Thanksgiving and Christmas. So yay me! And that doesn't include the money I saved by not having several sinus infections each year, prolonged colds and the such (and avoiding infections and the antibiotics that come with them saves a lot of money when you're allergic to penicillin and have to take fancy-pants designer antibiotics). While knitting did sort of replace smoking, I'm pretty sure I don't spend anywhere near $2,000 on knitting stuff per year- even if you add in all the extras like needles, books, magazines, Advil, etc. I rewarded myself by buying more yarn.

Well, I better get to work on those last two Christmas gifts. We recently got an Xbox Live Gold account, so now we can stream Netflix to the TV- which is pretty great. Yesterday I knit while watching Ghostbusters for the first time in at least a decade, and let me tell you- it was just as awesome as the first time I saw it in 2nd grade.

It's Not Very Novembery Out...

I could not be a more beautiful day today. The sun is shining, it's about 70 deg outside, and there is a light breeze- just enough to move a little air through the house without blowing papers all over the place. Perfect. It is a little odd to shop in stores decked out for Christmas- it just feels wrong to be staring at Christmas crap when it's so warm out. But anyway, it was nice enough to drive around with the windows off the Jeep! Wheee!

I wonder if there is going to be a big cold snap soon. Our first year in MD, there was a week or so of temps in the 20s during November. And I remember freezing my ass off the next year, standing in line on Black Friday (I claim temporary insanity, and won't be doing that ever again)(unless some retail genius includes warm breakfast)(for free). Then again, last year I don't think we turned on the heat until December... So who knows. In any case, I just hope the rain backs off for a while- there's nothing more miserable than cold rain.

Last week Scott bought me a backpack for the Jeep, because if the windows are out or if the top is down, you can't leave anything in it. It definitely came in handy today as I ran errands, plus I can put my knitting in it! It's a Timbuk2 Q, which will probably last forever. It's got a crapload of pockets, and I loves me some pockets! I forgot how much I love using a backpack instead of a purse. That husband of mine sure knows how to treat a girl right.

As for knitting, I've finished all but two Christmas gifts. And yes, that is pretty awesome. The last two are the most time-consuming, but I have nearly a month left so it shouldn't be a problem. And I ordered a small amount of yarn to make myself a Jeep hat, and possibly also some matching mittens. Now if only the cold weather would get here so that the holiday season will feel a little more normal, and so we can all enjoy our knitwear!

Jeeeeeep!

Let me preface this by stating that Scott and I have, on more than one occasion, made fun of all those car commercials that show a husband buying his wife a car for Christmas. "Oh how romantic! A vehicle!" ...Yeah. Also, no matter how financially well off one is, it doesn't seem like a prudent idea to spend tens of thousands of dollars without consulting one's spouse. So when Scott came to me a couple months ago and said that he wanted to buy me a new car for our anniversary, I thought it was sort of hilarious, in an ironic way. But also very sweet, because (as I am the queen of qualifiers and justifications) our situation is different- making it okay for us, but still ridiculous in those car commercials.

First of all, we did need to get another car of some sort. We didn't NEED a shiny new one, but we needed something for the winter because Scott can't ride a motorcycle on snow or ice. There is a practical reason in there.

Second, he consulted me. He said, "This is what I'd like to do for you, what do you think?" which is good because a new car is a bit more of an investment than, say, an awesome stand mixer or oodles of yarn. Also, this brings me into the decision process. I wonder how many people secretly don't like the car given to them. Steering 2000 lbs of metal and glass at high speeds is something that should only be done in a vehicle you're comfortable with. And you can't really trick someone into test driving a car without them getting suspicious of your motives.

And third, the reason this is a good gift is that I never got to have a fun car. My first car was a '89 Camry- the family sedan. I totalled it in 2001, leading to my next car, a '99 Corolla- a smaller family sedan. Then in '03, I bought my first new car, another Camry. I chose the Camry because, well, it was a good car for the money, and at the time Scott and I assumed we'd eventually have kids. Little did I know that over the next couple years, we would decide that kids just aren't for us the whole idea of owning a family sedan would be moot. Scott's gift to me is about learning to let go of practicality, and getting something fun.

First we test drove the Volvo C30, and at first that's the car I thought I wanted. It was the right price, and size, and had a turbocharger for a little extra kick. But Scott insisted (wisely) that I try more cars out. Second we drove the Mini Cooper. I hated it. I hated driving it so much that I wonder what the hell is wrong with people who claim to like it. Weirdos. Then we drove a Subaru Impreza, which was okay. Not awesome, not sucky. A little on the too small side, but I don't really need a lot of space anyway. Last, I drove the Jeep Wrangler, and fell in love with it right away...

I had to drive a Sahara, instead of the Sport I planned on getting, because it was all they had on the lot. The sales guy said the drive would be the same- the differences were all cosmetic, so off we went. We drove around some back roads to get a feel for the handling, and came back through town during rush hour. It was the most fun I ever had in a car. Ever. I got home and told Scott that I had made my decision. I wanted the Wrangler.

It was hard to find one that came with the options I wanted, but they found one just outside Philadelphia. Once we settled on price, they drove it down the next day. And now she's mine!




That's my 2010 Wrangler Sport with the Preferred Package, which gives it fog lights, 17" wheels, AC, and a few other amenities. It's also got a soft top, half doors, and SIRIUS radio. I'm hoping it warms up a little bit today so I can try taking out the windows. It's funny that this is the first car I've owned without power windows and locks.

I've woken up early every day since getting it, anxious to drive to work. On the way home yesterday I drove through a stream! It was about 10 feet wide and a foot or so deep- definitely not manageable in a car! So awesome. I drove down some gravely roads too, so I could try out the 4WD. The only thing that sucks is the timing- it's too chilly to put the top down, so that will have to wait until Spring. But I love everything about the Jeep. I love driving it, and look for excuses to do so. Although, I do sort of hope that wears off a little bit, or else I'll spend a fortune in gas, and feel like a wasteful douche.

Thank you, husband, for a wonderful anniversary gift. My 7-8 hours of commuting each week will be so much more enjoyable over the coming years. I don't know that I can get you an equally amazing gift, but I promise to knit you a cozy hat and sweater to wear while I drive you around in my new Jeep. I love you.

Sick Day

Last night a wave of ickiness hit me at about 8pm, and by the time my alarm went off this morning, it was still there. So I called in sick, took a loooong shower, and made a quick trip to Giant to get some cider and blueberry muffins- which I am eating right now (warm cider can cure anything). And little Spencer has been doing his best to comfort me by sitting on me as much as possible.

As much as I loathe feeling like crap, I could use the extra knitting time. I've been doing a lot of thinking about what I knit, and who I knit for, and have come to some conclusions. I've been knitting since 2000, but admittedly I didn't really get going until 2005. In the past four years I have knit the following for myself: a few dishrags, one scarf, one short-sleeved top, one sweater, three pairs of socks, a shawl, a hat, and few other small items (trinket-type bags/cozies/etc.). I think the ratio of items knit for myself to items knit for others is something like 1:3, which sort of bums me out. So this is my plan- I am doing Christmas knitting this year. Small things only- no sweaters! And then that's it. 2010 will be the year of knitting for me (and Scott- he gets neglected knit-wise).

So I've been really cracking down and working on the knit goods. So far I'm on schedule (about halfway done) and this feels infinitely better than the last time I tried Christmas knitting- which ended with IOUs and some people getting shafted a bit. Those that got shafted last time are getting priority this year. Kids will also get a small gift card, which is what we usually send them, because I don't want to be the crazy aunt that sends Ralphie a pink bunny suit. Unfortunately, since some of the knitting recipients read this blog, that means that there won't be many knit-related posts in the next month or so. Or if there are, they will be super vague, and definitely no pictures.

That's all for now, I should get back to knitting. Wish me luck- I might need it!