Whirlwind of a Week

First order of business: A confession.

I am a winter creature.  I love the snow, my body temperature adjusts swiftly, and I love to actually feel cold enough to snuggle in under a quilt.  I love the way snow looks, I love to eat it with maple syrup, I love to build forts, and watch dogs cavort in a winter wonderland.
The confession: I am so done with this.  It's been weeks and weeks since we've had clear ground, which would be fine if the snow was nice.  But it's solid ice for at least a quarter of an inch everywhere, whether on the road or the sidewalk or covering what used to be nice fluffy snow.

So now that that is out of the way, here are things that happened during my whirlwind of a week!

In chronological order, here are the events!


Friday night I had my spinning lesson.  Sheryl is the sweetest lady, and a wonderful teacher.  Her dog is a big snuggle, and her family is fun.  I learned how to ply and asked all my questions.  She said I was a natural (awww shucks!).

Saturday: I went car shopping with my Papa.  And fell in love, unfortunately, with the genus of car, rather than the species.  That is to say that I tried all of the Subarus, and could not make up my mind.  Practical and well-built Forester (high clearance, lots of space) or Sexy Impreza.

My car, from its listing.

Ladies and gentlemen, on Sunday I bought the sexy standard transmission critter.  I still wake up in the night terrified that I made the wrong choice.  The Forester is built like a brick, drives fantastically, and is well-within my comfort zone.   But all embarrassing red-light stalls aside, I've quite enjoyed practicing this new, well, hobby.  Skill.  And I've always loved the feel of riding in a manual transmission car.  It's one of the few acceleration/deceleration sensations that my stomach does get along with.  Also, it's pretty practical.  It's smaller but the trunk is not very small. And it's all AWD all the time, so as a winter-driving sedan, it's about as good as it gets.  I saw one towing a trailer during the (most recent) snow storm the other day. And it has good crash-test ratings, but for the love of cupcakes do not watch the video on youtube.  A good rating does not necessarily make for a reassuring video (THE DUMMIE'S HEAD ALWAYS COMES OFF?) and may or may not have led me to call my dad at 4 in the morning panicked, the night after I signed the papers.  Luckily, he's good for emergencies and has a very calming doctor voice.

Monday we picked up the car, and brought it home to my parents house!  Just before we left, Sheryl of Spin A Bit called to tell me the mail carrier couldn't get up the driveway to drop off the wheel, but it was ready to be picked up from the Post Office!

Tuesday: Snow Storm Again.  Christopher and I had a lovely evening sitting around together, and I made homemade sloppy joes.  I pout about not having my wheel, and drink red wine.  I bought the wine as a conciliatory offering to myself, since I didn't have my wheel.  But once the bottle is open I realized I'm going to have to work hard on it.  I'm not a good drinker, and if it stayed tasty for two weeks, that's how long it might take me to drink a whole bottle of wine.  And Chris doesn't drink, so I can't hardly expect him to save me!

Wednesday the roads were still crap, it was sleeting, and I left work early so my aunt could work on my back.  She does many various therapies, including some cranio-sacral.  She tells me I mustn't knit.  I try to be strong.  I drink more wine, while not knitting.  I read instead, and watch Coffee Prince.
I ice my back.

Thursday the roads are finally clear(ish).  My dad (who is awesome) takes my car to get inspected: crack in the mirror means no good!  Chris and I drive my new car (with it's rejection sticker) to pick up the spinning wheel!  It's all wrapped up in New Zealand newspaper pages.  I get some beautiful fiber as a bonus, because Sheryl is delightful (and I think that's her policy).  We bring home wheel, fiber, and niddy noddy.  I squeal excessively the whole ride back, clapping my hands like a fool, and fog the windows - also because it is 16 degrees outside.  Brrr.

Lou is prepared to supervise.  Also, the polar bears on that blanket.

After dropping off my car at my parents house (where it was being fostered briefly) we come home and set it up while watching an episode of Lie to Me.  My hands get tired and Christopher screws in the tiny screws for me because he is the best.  Louie tries to drag the instructions inside her crate like the raptor from the opening of Jurassic Park (but way cuter!)  I spin for a few minutes, and then realize it's 11:30 and I have work in the morning.  To bed!

This very morning, my mom (who is wonderful) takes my car to have its mirror fixed, and gets it re-inspected.  It's good to go, and now I just have to send in various thingies by mail and have pictures taken for the insurance.  Oh, and learn to drive it.  After work, I go to the dollar store and buy what seems to be an unfinished basket for Lou to gnaw.  After arriving home, I bite it and find that it tastes like it's been bleached.  It has our keys in it instead.

Liz comes over, and is very brave going out driving with me.  She's a very calm friend.  Just right for embarrassing repetitive stalls at intersections.  We drive around.  I come home with my car (Izzy is her name) and here I am.  Drinking red wine, eating a sloppy joe, and supervising romp-time for Louie.  I spun a bit on my wheel first, of course.  I ice my back.  Speaking of, I must sign off because this position is rough on the sore shoulder.

Wish me luck roasting barley.  I am craving some barley tea, and must roast my own due to tragic lack of Asian grocery.

More pictures will be forthcoming, with more spinning wheel details!  But right now. . . I'm gonna go make some tea and spin ;D