Sorry to have been away awhile. Things have been hectic the past few weeks. I have had a fair amount of traveling and a home project that has disrupted my routines.
We've taken Trisha on a couple college visits. One weekend we took her to Ohio University (Ed's Alma Mater) and then University of Cincinnati the following week. She loved OU but wasn't as thrilled with UC. She has a couple more places on her list. Ed plans to take her on those this spring.
A couple weeks ago Ed decided it was time to rip out the carpeting from the dining room and put down hardwood. It was a noisy project. The air compressor was bad enough, but Ed's occasional swearing added to the festivities. This is the third room that he has redone. It did not go as smoothly as the first two because the walls are not straight. I have the job now of dusting the furniture and replacing all the nick-nacks. It may be time to declutter a bit.
One thing I learned from this project is that people will buy anything. I was floored when Ed told me he was posting the carpet on Craig's List. I told him that no one would buy that nasty carpet. In less than 24 hours I was proven wrong. A couple renting a town home bought it to put in the basement. They even took the padding. I'm happy it found a new home instead of going to the landfill, but I am still amazed.
When emptying the room in preparation for the flooring project, I found the remains of some roving I bought when I first got my drop spindle. I quickly spun it up on my wheel. It has been sitting for over a week now. This weekend I will wind it into a ball and then make 2-ply out of it.
This past week I had been in Denver for a conference. Both flights were direct, about 3 hours each. My plans were to finish the Taize shawl I started over 3 years ago. My grand plan was to finish it on the way out and then use it at the conference since convention centers are usually quite chilly. That didn't happen. I got a fair amount done on the flight out, but not enough to finish. Plan B was to work on it each night in my hotel room. That didn't happen either. I traveled with three men from work and each evening involved dinner plans for the group. By the time I got back to my hotel room, I was too tired to pull out the project. I just read a book instead until I fell asleep. I did manage about 8 rows while at the airport waiting for our return flight. Once on the plane, though, I couldn't knit because there wasn't enough light in the cabin.
The pattern is an easy to remember 8 row repeat. It creates a waffle texture. The picture above is a good representation of the color. It is now about 5 feet long with approximately 50 repeats of the pattern finished. The pattern calls for 60 repeats. I'll assess how much yarn I have left when I get to that point and how anxious I am to finish this project. If I have enough yarn and patience, I may add a few more repeats to use up the yarn.
Speaking of the flight home, it was very bumpy. While in Denver, a front moved through. On Monday it was 70 deg F. Monday night rain moved in, which quickly changed to snow. It was blizzard like while we walked back to our hotels from the pub where we went for dinner and to watch the NCAA basketball championship game. Walking to the convention center on Tuesday morning was an adventure. The sidewalks were covered with ice and snow. By Wednesday morning the sidewalks were clear, but Denver tied a record low that morning of 7 degrees. I remembered to pack gloves and a scarf, but one of the guys I was with only had his sport coat. The storm system that hit Denver moved east and it was what made our flight home an adventure. I've been on bumpier flights, but it is always disconcerting to me to be tossed around at 30,000 feet.
I'm taking the day off work today since the conference was Sunday through Thursday. Also, one of the men that had been with me is the CIO of the company. As we retrieved our luggage from baggage claim he said "See you all Monday!" If my boss says anything to me about not showing up on Friday, I'll just tell him I was following the chief's orders.
Coming home after a long trip is always nice. I walked into a quiet, dark house at 1:00 am. After dumping my luggage in the laundry room, I went up and gave the kids and Ed hugs and kisses. It was the best feeling in the world.
The front that moved across the country has done a number on my daffodils. They are definitely not as pretty this year as they have been in the past. Poor things are hanging their heads in the cold.
I still think they are a pretty sight. They are the promise at the start of spring.
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