It's a beautiful morning!

Beautiful!  The air is clear, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and between the houses I can see the ocean sparkling a couple of blocks away. . .






And I have an ear infection.  I may or may not have CAUSED IT MYSELF by pulling on my itchy ear last night like a foolish fussy baby.  Since then I have been mainly deaf (it sounds like I'm underwater in an aluminum can), and in a stupid amount of pain.

And I just burned my only full-hand oven mitt to A CRISP by turning on the wrong burner.  What am I, a hundred?  Do I need to be put in a home?  How do people USE these ovens that don't have flame?  How am I supposed to KNOW which burner is on when nothing burns?!

On the plus side, my inability to function like a normal human no matter how much I really, really, really want to (CAN I GO FOR A WALK YET?) has been beneficial to the craft department. 

• I have been spinning some, when I get too antsy for bed (thanks, Sudafed) but can't actually exercise.  It's like a low impact, low effort stationary bicycle.  I also may or may not have had a tax-return related Fiber Ordering Accident, based on the beautiful colors at Crown Mountain Farms.  Plus, you can get a pound of undyed wool there for less than $30.  That's like. . . half a sweater.  Purrfect.

• I also cast on a scarlet Ice Queen with bronze beads for my darling friend who should have something lacy and beautiful in her life - she's been having a rough time the last couple months, although she is very brave and strong <3

• I cast on the Juneberry Triangle out of Cascade's gorgeously shiny Ultra Pima cotton.  The yarn was going to be a tank top originally, but I can get tank tops at Target (unless they continue to, as it seems, have anti-gay political leanings.  SERIOUSLY, TARGET?  GROW THE EFF UP.  And do you hear me, rest of the country who hasn't caught on yet?  What do you think, this is the dark ages and this kind of bullsh*t discrimination is even vaguely socially/morally/ethically acceptable?).   Anyway, I need a prayer shawl much more urgently.  Deep breaths.  Cultivate my Zen mind and all that.

• I made a wee tiny ribbed arm cuff for my mum, whose medication makes her skin quite sensitive to scratches and things.  I used a tiny bit of the lovely dove gray extra Baby Cashmerino that I used for Karen's Mitts lo, those weeks ago.  I've only made one so far because I need her to try it on!

• I cast off the Emily capelet and am bereft without it.  It came out beautifully, and I should block it today while the air is clear and dry.  The buttons are perfect, and I'm SO excited about it.  Also, Madelinetosh DK yarn?  Not a single complaint.  Except that it would be excessive of me to swear of knitting with nothing else forever and ever amen.  As soon as the credit from my Eat.Sleep.Knit lotto tickets registers, I shall have to order more Madelinetosh and begin the Great Sweatering.  Which will probably be the Vine Yoke cardigan by Ysolda Teague (who I love).

• I cast off (did I post this already?) Chris' Beer Gloves, which are now drying.  The fingers are uneven - so sue me, I can't count consecutive purl rows, ok?  But it's Malabrigo, so it blocks however I darn well tell it to block. The fingers look even now, and that's what counts.

And now, I am getting back in bed where things are not quite as flammable as they appear to be in the kitchen.  Louie, it turns out, goes all rabbit-loaf big-eyes when the house is full of smoke.  Who knew?  She's fine now.  Just a regular rabbit loaf, sans the terror.

On Having the Flu: Part 2

10.  Spend Friday dosed with ibuprofen and benadryl, sleep hazily.  Text your sister back non-nonsensical things.  Watch everything some more.  Do not want to eat, but do it anyway.  Eat the Tamiflu, sleep.

11. Saturday - Happy Weekend!  This day will be like every other.  Perhaps lose hope and cry hysterically while on the phone with your mother.  Mothers are very brave about this.

12. Sunday - yet a (nother) day of rest.  Keep resting.  Knit some, because your hands don't hurt as much as they did.  Become ambitious and try to sit in a chair while watching a show with your spouse.  End up watching from kitchen floor, because chairs are too something and you feel dizzy.  A half hour show is better in this case than a full hour.

13. Monday you should call out sick from work again.  I know you think you should go, but honey - you can't sit in a chair.  Monday you shower standing up without a hint of fainting, and feel triumphant.

14. Tuesday you go back to work.  Everyone yells welcome back.  You feel hung over, and wonder how you spent the last week sleeping but feel quite un-rested.  If you are lucky, your workplace is a loud one, because you are still coughing up a lot of goo.  Get rid of it.

I forgot to mention this step, from the early days of being sick.  Don't forget it, because it is important.  Decide you are sad and lonely and need a hug.  Hug your dog.  Or, if you are dumb, take your rabbit out of her crate for a good old fashioned snuggle-fest and then flop her feebly back into her cage when she bites your armpit and breaks the skin.  Rabbits are not fully domesticated. . . do not forget this.  On pain of painful armpit puncture.

In other news, have made new discovery.  Yarn store is between office of therapist and home.  I did need buttons.  I may not have needed all this new yarn, but here it is. 

In other other news, super secret very late birthday present is complete.  I. . . may have overreached.  It seems to me a bit in the way of a macaroni valentine, but. . . I will report on my findings.