Archive for the Hobby Category

Funday Friday #13

By on March 8, 2013

This was a weird week. I should have known it would be weird when I woke up Monday morning at 2am to a panic attack. For those who don’t know, panic attacks have been an issue for me off and on since I was about 6 or 7. For several years instead of panic attacks I would have just anxiety, and a full-on panic attack was drug-induced. This is why I tell doctors not to give me codeine. Anyway, I had them really bad for about 2.5 years after I got out of the Air Force, and that’s when I noticed a pattern. Panic attacks follow periods of high stress. Later on I noticed depression follows the panic attacks. But I am digressing. I woke up with chest pain, and before I could get all the way awake and reason the pain out, the panic set in with “I’M HAVING A HEART ATTACK!” That got me all the way awake, and I had to talk myself down with “No, it’s gas. Chill out.” I went right back to sleep, but the repeat was a couple hours later. This led to an all day fight Monday wondering if it was the panic or if I was sick because I just felt like crap all day.

Tuesday morning I got up as normal, feeling fine, and went to the bathroom like normal, only after I sat down it ceased to be normal. Didn’t even have warning cramps. Just exploded. At that point I knew that Mondays events were me getting/being sick. I called in Tuesday, felt bad for doubting Jamie saying she was sick on Sunday, and realized that James and Rick each had it also to varying degrees. James not as bad, Rick worse. Chad managed to escape the bug. And yes, it was a bug because we didn’t all eat the same things. Weakness and achyness lasted the last couple of days from the bug.

Monday night I finished Chad’s scarf (and I wove in the ends of the hanging yarn before I gave it to him).

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I was so sick of working on that thing, but I really didn’t appreciate how easy it was until I started on a scarf for Jamie that involves actually following a pattern. For Chad’s, I just did 1 stich and the rows were all 20 stiches wide, and I just knitted until I was satisfied it was long enough, which was about 5 1/2 feet. For Jamie, I decided to make a Slytherin scarf. Of the first 44 rows, I’ve done 4.

I wandered around yesterday on 3 hours sleep, plus the half hour nap I took at lunch. I was a complete wreck, and I don’t know how insomniacs manage to function.

I laughed so hard at this:

This entry is filed under Funday Friday, Hobby, Life, Photos, Ramble, Video. | 2 Comments

Tuesday randomness

By on February 5, 2013

1. I had the flu a couple of weeks ago. The last time I remember being that sick for that long was when I was 16 and had a ruptured appendix. It was the flu my parents used to get when I was a kid that would put them each down for a week while I managed to avoid it, or just have a 24 hour episode of it. The 4th day, I stood in the shower praying for death. Then I went back to bed, had a meltdown on the hubby, started coughing, and nearly puked on him. He ordered me to stay in bed the rest of the day, and I didn’t argue. And he made me potato soup for 2 days. He also twice picked up food from La Dolce Vita for me.

2. The weekend prior to getting the flu, I made a spontaneous decision to get the kids up and go to Wilmington for the weekend. Since Karyn and I are running the Bay Six Half Marathon, and are in training for it, I had a long run that was supposed to take place that weekend. 7 miles to be precise. So I got up that Sunday morning and headed down to the fitness room in the hotel confident that I could easily do 7 treadmill miles. I did about 4.25 miles and fast walked nearly another mile in a futile attempt to get the full 7 in. However, it was at least 200 degrees in that room. Celcius. That may be an exaggeration. 😉 Later I went back down and noted that the thermostat was turned off which explained why it got so flippin’ hot in there.

3. This past weekend, Karyn and I ran a 10k. It was 17 degrees (fahrenheit) when I left my house. It was 22F when we left Karyn’s house. After the race, and after we had gone into Fayetteville to get me a vanilla spice latte from Starbucks, the temp got up to 34F. Yeah, it was cold. I hadn’t run in 2 weeks, and I was done at mile 2. I don’t know how I kept going, and I sure don’t know how I managed to run the full 6.2 miles especially going up that last hill. But I did, and Karyn got to see me have an asthma attack from the finish line through the shuttle ride back to the high school where we parked. She says I am a machine for being able to run like that. I really cannot fathom how I am able to do a long run after not running at all for 2 weeks and the previous run being a DNF. I should not be able to do it. And Anderson Creek should be renamed Anderson Hills. Just sayin’. 😉

4. The hubby and his friends finally got the roof done, and all the broken out windows have been replaced/repaired. They are nearly done with Chad’s bedroom, and are working on the suite bathroom upstairs.

5. I am almost finished with the scarf I have been knitting for Chad. He may or may not ever wear it, but it’s the same shade of blue as his beloved hoodies.

6. I am going to try crocheting some doilies after Opal said she tackled round crochet before getting squares down. And anyway, doilies are what I want to crochet anyway.

7. I need to do another food detox. :sigh: I also have to accept that I have to give up cheese. :wail: And I got glutened again, probably while I had the flu and was too sick to do the dishes resulting in cross-contamination. But, it could also be the Harris Teeter sushi. So I have to lay off of that for a while because even though I get the ones that do not contain wheat on the label, I am sure cross-contamination still occurs.

8. Jamie is taking guitar this semester, and so she demanded an acoustic that doesn’t buzz. While I was sick she talked me into giving her mine. So I went and bought a new acoustic last week, which was no easy task for me to choose. However, I picked one with a cutaway rather than the one with the better tone, and then ended up regretting my decision all the way home. But then Jamie saw the new one and wanted it, so it was a win since I got my Alvarez back from her.

9. Somehow we ended up with a house full of teenage boys Sunday. It really wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Connor came home from church with us, and at some point Jamie was out of the house, and when she came back, Aaron and Alex were there and she started yelling, “Get out of my house!” Of course no one left. lol

10. Did not watch the Superbowl.

This entry is filed under Diet, Exercise, Family, Hobby, Life, LinkWhoring, Ramble, Running, Training Tuesday. | 2 Comments

Welcoming in the New Year

By on January 4, 2013

Molly told me I need to blog. Funny thing, I wrote 3 paragraphs yesterday, and deleted it because I just wasn’t really into it. I’m still not, but I will anyway. I suppose since I did an end of year post for 2012, I should do a beginning of the year post for 2013. That, of course, infers that I have resolutions, but I don’t. Goals, yes, but those started prior to the end of the year.

Goal 1: Learn to rest.

One wouldn’t think this would be difficult, but when you can’t remember how long you have been working 7 days a week, it is hard to take 1 day and not work at all. I tried last Sunday, and while it was not all that hard to stay off of email and Facebook, and 1 of the 2 times I got online was legitimate (auto insurance id cards), I had to make myself not do a load of laundry or watch a movie. I know, movies aren’t work, but there was a purpose. Part of the rest is “no screens.” But aside from having to pick up some groceries because I had no food (poor planning), and then cooking (because I had to eat), and cleaning the toilet in the master bath because it was just nasty and I couldn’t stand it, I did my best to just sit and relax. Did some reading, and attempted some crochet, but the latter was just pissing me off so I left it for another day.

Goal 2: 13 races in 2013

I saw this 13 in 2013 challenge and signed up for it because it is “easily” attainable. I mean there are 5ks all the time. I am signed up for this half-marathon, and have already said if it goes well, I want to do a full marathon.

Goal 3: Crochet

In a sense, I have already met this goal because I made an ugly dish cloth this week. The reason I call it ugly is that it was my first project so my stitching was inconsistent (and wrong) for the first few rows. Actually, I did the single stitches consistently wrong, but whatever. I started at least getting the stitch count right and the knack of the single stitch down by the last 4 rows. Below is my progress from the chain to first row of single stitch to half way to done.

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And really, the crochet will fall under the resting because I chill out when I am doing it. My mind doesn’t wander all around and everywhere when I have to concentrate on counting stitches and rows.

Goal 4: Pushups

This was a goal I had and failed last year. I haven’t been able to do even 1 pushup in at least 10 years. I want to be able to do at least 10 by the end of the year.

Goal 5: Make my marriage and family priority

I also started on this one before last year was over. We have issues, and those issues need to be worked on instead of ignored while focusing on other stuff. And that’s all I have to say about that.

Goal 6: Journal every day.

With the caveat not to obsess if I miss a day. But 3 days in, I have done ok with this one so far. Since there is some daily tracking involved with Goal 5 for now, it really shouldn’t be that much of a problem to do. Shouldn’t.

Goal 7: Eat healthy.

I’m already working/caving on this one, but I haven’t been to Starbucks all year. LOL!! Maybe they are done with the holiday beverages and I can leave off the pumpkin spice lattes. Yes, I know that you can actually get them year-round, but it isn’t as tempting when it’s not printed on the menu. Anyway, by healthy I mean less processed and less meats (especially red & pork), and more fruits and veggies. This was last weekend, btw…

That's a lot of meat!

That’s a lot of meat!

I guess that is all for now that I am not already working on and/or am willing to put out publicly. Maybe I should add blog at least once a week?

This entry is filed under Diet, Exercise, Family, Funday Friday, Hobby, Life, LinkWhoring, Photos, Running. | 10 Comments

Pajama randomness

By on November 11, 2011

1. What’s wrong with this picture?

Ok, that’s not really the right question exactly as the picture itself has nothing wrong with it other than the odd position I had to get into to attempt a straight-on photo that captured both door frames from top to bottom, and yes, I know I failed to get the very bottom, but whatever. So, anyway, if you haven’t noticed, check the dimensions. (That’s the numbers next to/in between the solid black lines.) Just as a side note, I seem to not be able to use Fireworks to do CAD. I know much of the non-squareness of this house has to do with its age and natural settling. Somehow I find it hard to believe that the differences in dimensions of those 2 doors – namely the distance between the facings at top and bottom – are from natural settling. All of that because the hubby suggested I build another bookcase between those 2 doors.

2. I ate toast today. First bread I’ve had in nearly 3 weeks. It was wonderful.

3. I cannot eat salad every day. Vegetables, yes. Salad, no.

4. I find it increasingly difficult to deal with people that I perceive are as full of themselves as I am of myself. Was that a dual confession?

5. I also find it increasingly difficult to deal with my teenage children’s infatuation with My Little Pony.

6. Am devastated when I find myself bitter over having to confess and repent of my sins that I ask God to reveal to me.

7. Ate a fried Spam sandwich about a month ago (pre-diet) to see if I still hated Spam, and thought it was good. That is unsettling as I imagine there are more “mystery parts” in Spam than hot dogs.

8. Needs to clean the bathroom. It’s nasty. So why don’t I want to?

9. What’s the deal with “pajama” in the title of the post? It’s 2:30 pm, and I am still in my pajamas, and might not change out of them all day.

10. Wants to sound-proof my office.

This entry is filed under Diet, Hobby, Life, Ramble. | 8 Comments

Why I won’t be able to move tomorrow

By on January 29, 2011

I saw a coffee table at Kmart a few weeks ago that I really liked, but not enough to pay that price knowing it was either pressed board, or plastic. So, I decided to make one like it.

The lumber:

The base frame:

The frame with slats:

Functionally finished:

It’s oak, so it is solid and heavy. Still have some final finishing work to do before turning it over to the hubby for sanding, sealing, and staining. I am already sore, so I can only imagine how bad I will be hurting tomorrow.

This entry is filed under Hobby. | 7 Comments