Tired, Tired Little Blogger....

I can tell you that I have not been spending nearly enough time here...I did get two patterns written earlier in the week and a third started. Technically I am ahead of schedule, but still pushing it in terms of The Grand Plan.
So, basically, here's the bullet...
MelissaKnits and Mr. Wonderful bought a house 2.5 years ago for family members to live in. They moved out. The house was not in great shape when they left. So MelissaKnits and Mr. Wonderful have spent a lot of time transforming this:









into this!(Applause, confetti falls from ceiling, large balloon drop, champagne corks popping....):














There's other exciting scenes. There's a reason why I'll look vacant and confused for the next couple of weeks.
And we spent some time trying to figure out what to do with these...also left behind...who are on a waiting list for the Dakin Animal Shelter.(Click, learn, and donate your little heart out. It's a worthy gift you'd be giving.) Very sweet and friendly. They're living in my basement bathroom for now - not as bad as it sounds, it's huge and has everything they could possibly desire, including frequent visitors. If I did not have Hannah-bal to consider I would keep the little black one. She is needy and affectionate, and seems to believe I am her personal savior. Also skittish and nervous, which makes me fear for her future as she's a flight risk on paws. The grey one, Ratana, is a little more aloof. She wants it her way, all the time. She is very busy with her personal task list. She is very detail oriented when it comes to something that interests her, and will ignore all else in her environment until her goals are accomplished. She is, in short, a True Cat. Lil on the other hand is here (on lap, in lap, crossing lap, rubbing lap, demanding lap) most of the time you're with her. After a quick greeting and acknowledgement of your presence, Rat runs off to do things like this - cahse balls, chase string, find trouble, knock down entire bathroom's worth of counter stuff, etc.She's much more secure than Lil, and very, very busy. They're both great cats. Initially they were confused about food and ate excessively until they threw up, then ate more. This stems from a lack of security about when they'd be fed again. They also drank like small dromedaries. They're relaxing into security now; they begin to believe that the box will be clean, the food will be present and the water will not run dry. They seem grateful.
Before MelissaKnits became obsessive about knitting, she bought herself this, a little friend to ease the boredom, to help with small tasks like putting a floor in the living room of the "Investment Property" (this designation has caused me great humor over the last 2.5 years.). This may be one of the smarter things I ever did. It's a DeWalt(before Black and Decker took them over) compound miter saw, 'the small one' (MelissaKnits has small hands, remember). I bouight it with tag sale money, and was eternally glad I did. I used it a lot, to install a click lock laminate floor all by my lonesome, to chop up pieces for hen house, etc. and Mr Wonderful has also used it - although she's a sensitive machine, not tolerant of man-handling...it is coming in handy again, for trim work at the I.P. currently. Yesterday I installed a new bathroom floor and caulked it. I took up the old floor the other day with a heat gun, gloveless, and burned my little fingers in the process (very wise - knitter without gloves doing handyman work?? Great Choice!) Gloves make my feel klutzy. I got myself good and sick on melting glue fumes, and earlier in the week tried to kill myself with a combination of bleach and lethal germs. It's been fun. I am missing probably a few thousand brain cells now, but who's counting?? I can still walk and talk. And knit. I also ripped down some sheetrock and removed some fiberglass insulation. Ancient Mouse Poo and Fiberglass Combo makes Mr. Wonderful require benedryl. I prefer to handle fiberglass when he's not around as a result. The last time was enough to make the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, he was florid and gasping after a very brief exposure. Not again, thank you very much. I painted the basement steps, waited for the Carpet Guys, knitted from my Break Corner, ate a wonderful chicken ceasar salad, and cut templates for fill-ins for the laminate. Yes, I know, filthy floor. We don't mop floors till the very last, only sweep often during construction. I learned my lesson the hard way. A freshly mopped floor in a house you're working on is an invitation to mud and grunge. And, basically, floors are not a priority right now. I do feel sorry for this as well. It sits above my Break Corner, and amuses me with it's fresh green self (I gave it a bath when I first saw it dusty and sad). I have considered bringing it home, but Mr Wonderful reminded me that my track record with plants is not great. I have in my posession three Christmas Cacti and one unusual and unkillable thing I can't remember the name of that requires very little water. I generally kill plants. They have to be hardy suckers to survive my benign neglect. How my kids ever ate is beyond me. "Wha?? Supper? WHY?? You JUST ATE six hours ago!?!"
Oh, knitting, yeah. SO here's Mountain Colors Clap, a day ago - she's being descreased now and I hope to have her done by this evening. It really moved along yesterday while the carpet guys were at the IP - not much for me to do during that time but sit and knit while they did the big stuff. Nice break, since it was 5pm and I'd been there working since 8am.



Also started this sock for Gail to show off her hand-dyed stretchy possible sock yarn. It's an inch or so longer now, this pic was taken yesterday also. It was also taken without a flash - when it's done we'll get a good look at the colors. Very springy turquoise and lavender in person.
Now I am going to go rest and work on my Clap. I need to go in early today to Pix-stitute. I am not even close to a true Pix and never shall be, but I try to fill the void just a little.