Went to a funeral home on Saturday to show support for the co-worker whose father had just passed. The first traditional Chinese one I have attended in years.
Discovered that the doctor I need to take my Mom to is in between office locations.
Visited the street I had grown up on and boy has it changed!
Trendy shops, cafes, and storefront portions of the apartment buildings renovated. I am sure that the apartments are about the same but the landlords are getting premium high rents for the same lack of services. Go figure!
Sunday was the KNIT OUT in Union Square Park in Manhattan.
I had promised to help with the Warm-UP America areas. It was a hot day with some shade over the area where volunteers were joining squares to make the blankets. We finished about 5:30pm with the cleanup and my friend gave me a ride to Queens. Needless to say the quick ride became alot longer than if I had taken the train. Ah Well!
Monday my Mom got a touch of a stomach virus. I ate the same things and was fine. I checked with her nurse who had recommended the caution of contacting her doctor. Since we had not seen him in awhile I know he would automatically want to see her. However, I was scheduled for a medical appointment that I could not reschedule. Since Mom's health aide was with her for the day and Mom was feeling a little better I figured I would check after my test. She was feeling alot better just tired. I got some sports drinks for her which she had that night and if she was not feeling alot better by the morning I was going to take her to the doctor. Did not seem an emergency situation. In the morning she was pretty much recovered but we gave her more sports drinks to help recover the electrolytes she had lost and continue to rehydrate.
Thursday I had dental gum surgery scheduled. While in the waiting room I finished the Pink Scarf for the Breast Cancer charity drive (see the link on the left side of the page). This dental work was intense both on work done and to my pocketbook. I was on a pulse monitor with drip anesthesia and out like a light for the procedures.
My dentist told me to stay home on Friday and rest. I did but was not able to rest as much as I had wished. My Mom's nurse came for her monthly check that morning. After that later in the morning my Mom's health aide got an emergency call that her daughter was ill and she had to leave a little after noon to go pick her up.
But at least she had assisted Mom with what she normally does on Fridays and changed her bed linens. So I just needed to check on her periodically and give her some tea.
This morning was another adventure. Mom had an upset stomach which meant more cleanup. To top it off I still look like a chimp with this swollen front of my mouth. My mouth is sore but I am not really in pain. I just wished I would stop looking like a chimp!
A mixed bag week.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Woo Hoo New Cellphone
Caved in and ordered a new phone. Not a chocolate or Razr phone. An LG CU500 black flip phone with rotating camera. I was converting fully over from AT&T to Cingular Wireless. I had checked after ATT Wireless became Cingular if the plans had changed or if there was a conversion but saw nothing. Never noticed any messages on the billing statements either. So I forgot about it.
This month is my 2 year anniversary of the plan I was on so I checked to see what was available. The company I work for does have a discount agreement with Cingular so I checked those out. Not too bad and there was a selection to convert from ATT to Cingular for former customers. Go figure!
Fed Ex found my building this time and the phone arrived before I left for work yesterday. I did not get a chance to look everything over since I was already late. I should have since I had to charge the battery for 8 hours. I had a meeting and a departmental party to attend that evening so I did not get home until late.
I charged the battery and it actually was fully charged in a few hours. So I played with setting it up. I could not tell if it had activated so I figured I would wait until this morning. Of course I forgot that my old phone was still on. But the new phone did not activate. Not too unexpected since I was converting my service.
Very nice customer service woman got my phone activated and confirmed my plan selections. Oddly the multimedia option I had selected did not show up so she added it. She tested calling the phone and all was well after a couple of tries. So I hung up and blithely thought all was working. Until I tried to access my voicemail and it rang busy. Calling my personal cell did not go to voice mail just the message that the person being called was not available. Oh no, another call to Customer Service.
Somehow this basic service was not connected so after a couple of tries it finally was working and I could access the initial setup of the voicemail box. Ta Dah!
I took a pic of my cat lounging on the bed and made it the wallpaper on the external display. It is her imitation of a dog - on her back with her legs spread out.
The memory card that I had ordered was delivered by UPS but left with my downstairs neighbor. Now the hard part, finding them at home and getting it. *sigh*
Of course I also need to get a USB cable from Cingular to really use the card for music or anything. Maybe I can get one today or order one.
And I have a slight headache from the party last night.
This month is my 2 year anniversary of the plan I was on so I checked to see what was available. The company I work for does have a discount agreement with Cingular so I checked those out. Not too bad and there was a selection to convert from ATT to Cingular for former customers. Go figure!
Fed Ex found my building this time and the phone arrived before I left for work yesterday. I did not get a chance to look everything over since I was already late. I should have since I had to charge the battery for 8 hours. I had a meeting and a departmental party to attend that evening so I did not get home until late.
I charged the battery and it actually was fully charged in a few hours. So I played with setting it up. I could not tell if it had activated so I figured I would wait until this morning. Of course I forgot that my old phone was still on. But the new phone did not activate. Not too unexpected since I was converting my service.
Very nice customer service woman got my phone activated and confirmed my plan selections. Oddly the multimedia option I had selected did not show up so she added it. She tested calling the phone and all was well after a couple of tries. So I hung up and blithely thought all was working. Until I tried to access my voicemail and it rang busy. Calling my personal cell did not go to voice mail just the message that the person being called was not available. Oh no, another call to Customer Service.
Somehow this basic service was not connected so after a couple of tries it finally was working and I could access the initial setup of the voicemail box. Ta Dah!
I took a pic of my cat lounging on the bed and made it the wallpaper on the external display. It is her imitation of a dog - on her back with her legs spread out.
The memory card that I had ordered was delivered by UPS but left with my downstairs neighbor. Now the hard part, finding them at home and getting it. *sigh*
Of course I also need to get a USB cable from Cingular to really use the card for music or anything. Maybe I can get one today or order one.
And I have a slight headache from the party last night.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Vanishing Knitting Supplies
You see a pattern that you want to try, you have the yarn but where are the right size needles? I have so many Unfinished Projects that the needles are usually on one of those. In addition I am running out of places to put those unfinished projects. Not uncommon, you work on a project and get bored or something catches your eye and you put your project aside to try another.
Besides the common YARN STASH addiction, there is the common UFO problem. At least that is what I have seen Unfinished Projects called UFOs in various blogs/podcasts so I guess that is for UnFinished Objects?
Nothing is ever simple.
Besides the common YARN STASH addiction, there is the common UFO problem. At least that is what I have seen Unfinished Projects called UFOs in various blogs/podcasts so I guess that is for UnFinished Objects?
Nothing is ever simple.
September 11 Anniversary
Yesterday was the fifth anniversary of the September 11th attacks. It was hard seeing everything that has been shown around and on the anniversary date.
They announced the names of the fallen at the World Trade Center site again and I was waiting to hear the name of a former colleague, Jennie Maffeo. She had not worked in the Trade Towers, she was waiting for a shuttle outside. She got drenched with burning jet fuel and was badly burned. She survived for quite awhile but her injuries were too servere. She was always a kind, patient and caring person. Someone needed in this world. She is sorely missed.
After hearing her name announced, I went to work - not what I did that original day. I was at home when it happened and when I was almost able to go to work it was announced that the transit system was unavailable.
There seemed to be a little less people on the transit system.
On September 11th it is hard not to be nervous since there have been all those incidents involving transit systems and terrorism around the world. You expect some other "statement" to be made. I had some knitting with me that kept me calm. This project was on metal needles so the added benefit was I had a "weapon" that I could use if ever necessary.
Everyone was at the office as usual and we had the news on the conference room monitor. A sad day but we got through it. Hard to believe it has been five years already.
They announced the names of the fallen at the World Trade Center site again and I was waiting to hear the name of a former colleague, Jennie Maffeo. She had not worked in the Trade Towers, she was waiting for a shuttle outside. She got drenched with burning jet fuel and was badly burned. She survived for quite awhile but her injuries were too servere. She was always a kind, patient and caring person. Someone needed in this world. She is sorely missed.
After hearing her name announced, I went to work - not what I did that original day. I was at home when it happened and when I was almost able to go to work it was announced that the transit system was unavailable.
There seemed to be a little less people on the transit system.
On September 11th it is hard not to be nervous since there have been all those incidents involving transit systems and terrorism around the world. You expect some other "statement" to be made. I had some knitting with me that kept me calm. This project was on metal needles so the added benefit was I had a "weapon" that I could use if ever necessary.
Everyone was at the office as usual and we had the news on the conference room monitor. A sad day but we got through it. Hard to believe it has been five years already.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Never Enough Time
This was Labor Day weekend here in the U.S.A. so we had the Monday off from work. Unfortunately we also had part of a tropical storm hit my area. I had thought that Saturday's weather was going to bad all day so I decided to do some knitting and crocheting at home. This put off any errands of course for later in the weekend.
I was trying to make a knitted pattern for a small drawstring bag that I could attempt to felt. I had picked up some discounted 100 % wool yarn to try before leaving Manhattan on Friday just for this.
I also made some of the pieces of the amigurumi dragon in my last post.
When Sunday arrived the weather was expected to be alot worse than Saturday had been. Bad choice of errand days. I had to do my errands as quickly as possible and the most critical ones first. I tired myself out and still had alot still to get done.
In contrast, Monday arrived with cleared skies and some sun! I did my house hold errands and met a friend for a trip to a craft store for supplies. She picked up a pattern booklet and I had two bags full of yarn and stuffing for prospective amigurumi. We treated ourselves to a stop at Starbucks for refreshments before traveling back.
I arrived home only to face a laundry bag and preparations for dinner. I went off to do the laundry and discovered later that I had missed another bag of laundry in my bedroom. So of course it looks like I did nothing.
This morning I dosed the bathroom sink drain with clog remover and it is running a bit better. But I still have a list of undone items to tackle yet another day.
Ever notice that no matter how long the weekend is, there is never enough time?
I was trying to make a knitted pattern for a small drawstring bag that I could attempt to felt. I had picked up some discounted 100 % wool yarn to try before leaving Manhattan on Friday just for this.
I also made some of the pieces of the amigurumi dragon in my last post.
When Sunday arrived the weather was expected to be alot worse than Saturday had been. Bad choice of errand days. I had to do my errands as quickly as possible and the most critical ones first. I tired myself out and still had alot still to get done.
In contrast, Monday arrived with cleared skies and some sun! I did my house hold errands and met a friend for a trip to a craft store for supplies. She picked up a pattern booklet and I had two bags full of yarn and stuffing for prospective amigurumi. We treated ourselves to a stop at Starbucks for refreshments before traveling back.
I arrived home only to face a laundry bag and preparations for dinner. I went off to do the laundry and discovered later that I had missed another bag of laundry in my bedroom. So of course it looks like I did nothing.
This morning I dosed the bathroom sink drain with clog remover and it is running a bit better. But I still have a list of undone items to tackle yet another day.
Ever notice that no matter how long the weekend is, there is never enough time?
Amigurumi Bug
Okay, so I have alot of outstanding projects in progress. Otherwise known as UFOs (UnFinished Objects?)
But I got bit by the amigurumi bug - those crocheted stuffed animal toys that have been a craze in Japan and became a craze over here. There are some really cool ones that people have designed and some pretty strange ones too.
A search of "Amigurumi pattern" or something like that on Google or on Blog hosts or ETSY.COM show quite alot. There are alot of photos on FLICKR.
Anyway, I started making my first one. I chose a dragon pattern. The smaller image is of the parts I have made so far. The back with tail attached partially to the breastplate, at the top is the two halves of the head and at the sides of the body are the two arms. In the second pic is the body stuffed with fiberfill. I obviously needed to use a smaller hook or needed to make the single crochets tighter since you can see the stuffing in the tail. *sigh*
Not horrible so far as a first attempt.
I do find it extremely hard to keep track of the repeats in the pattern, since I am new to crocheting and loose my spot easily. Then since some of this is in rounds I don't always know how to tell what round I am on.
I am sure if I do this pattern again I will be better at it. (said with crossed fingers).
But I got bit by the amigurumi bug - those crocheted stuffed animal toys that have been a craze in Japan and became a craze over here. There are some really cool ones that people have designed and some pretty strange ones too.
A search of "Amigurumi pattern" or something like that on Google or on Blog hosts or ETSY.COM show quite alot. There are alot of photos on FLICKR.
Anyway, I started making my first one. I chose a dragon pattern. The smaller image is of the parts I have made so far. The back with tail attached partially to the breastplate, at the top is the two halves of the head and at the sides of the body are the two arms. In the second pic is the body stuffed with fiberfill. I obviously needed to use a smaller hook or needed to make the single crochets tighter since you can see the stuffing in the tail. *sigh*
Not horrible so far as a first attempt.
I do find it extremely hard to keep track of the repeats in the pattern, since I am new to crocheting and loose my spot easily. Then since some of this is in rounds I don't always know how to tell what round I am on.
I am sure if I do this pattern again I will be better at it. (said with crossed fingers).
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