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A View From the Field |
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May 2016 May 31 Well, there goes May. Geez.
I was reading last night, so I was late, and I didn't sleep very well. I guess it was because I knew I was going to have to call the car people today and I didn't want to. So I got up around 8:45 and came down to the studio as soon as I hit the bathroom.
It turned out fine, except that I still have to get the car to Houghton. My appointment is tomorrow at 2:00, and I warned them that I think it was something they did or failed to do. However, then I started my surfing, and the day ended up all backward. I spent the late afternoon reading again. I'm reading Osara, and I like that story.
Of course, sometime in the middle of the afternoon I had to reboot the computer about four times. Something strange started happening this morning, and every so often I would hear a hum from the speakers, like an overdriven amp, so I decided to reboot. In the first two reboots, Explorer didn't load right - or I thought it didn't, I'm not sure which - so finally I shut it down completely and started over from scratch. That seems to have worked, although Explorer was still acting funny. It all seems to be fine now, and I haven't had any more strange noises.
I forgot to mention that Microsoft came out with some new updates to my version of the operating system (7), and after some stuff I had been reading, I decided to track down what they were for. Well. "To make it easier to see your options for going to Windows 10". I am not going to upgrade to Windows 10. Ever. And after reading some of the problems people who don't control their own updates have been having (getting WIn 10 even though they don't want it), I have even more reasons for being very angry with Microsoft, as are a whole lot of other people. I will NOT have Win 10 shoved down my throat, especially after hearing the hoops one has to go through to stop keylogging, other stuff they think they want to know about me and my system, and trying to force me to store my personal stuff in the cloud. Nothing of mine will ever be stored in the cloud. If it's out there, somebody can access it other than me, no matter what "they" say. That all happened over the weekend, and they still think they want me to install those weird updates. Well, I have a list, and I won't. Ever.
The weather was rather variable and not as nice as yesterday. The high temperature was only 56º, briefly. It was around 50º for most of the afternoon. It was fairly clear overnight, and it stayed that way until around 10:00, when the clouds moved in. The rest of the day was dull and gray. There wasn't much wind until lately, when there were 25 mph gusts from the south. I guess it's supposed to rain tomorrow, and all I can hope is that it will hold off until I get down Quincy Hill. The only nice thing was that the humidity has gotten a whole lot lower. That's good for my joints.
The guys slept. Grayson slept mostly on me, when I was at the computer. When I got up, he was sitting on the tub surround and Louie was chasing Grayson's tail. Grayson doesn't like that, but if he doesn't want Louie to do that, he shouldn't whip it around like that. They are funny little guys.
So that was my day, and I didn't get enough sleep last night, so I hope to take my bath and be in bed at a more or less reasonable hour. I don't have to be in Houghton until 2:00, which is a good thing. Now it's a cloudy, dull, breezy night in the field.
May 30 - Memorial Day I didn't get to bed until about 12:30 this morning, but I slept very well, with only one wakeup, and I got up around 8:45. Not, it turned out, enough sleep, but I felt all right when I got up. When I turned out the light, I could see that the sky was as clear as it's been this year so far. There were all sorts of stars, including Jupiter, which is down by the tail of Leo, and a whole lot of stuff I didn't recognize, but then, I didn't spend a whole lot of time looking. I love to be able to see third-magnitude stars without my glasses! The first time I got up, it was nearly light, but twilight is long in the summertime.
I knitted, but I didn't do a whole lot more. I did - finally! - put two sets of towels and bathmats in the washer to soak. I will have to leave them there for at least five days, and that may not even be enough time, because they were really bad. I discovered a long time ago that even if I wash my towels frequently (which I do not), the combination of my body oils and the iron and carbonates in the water stain them badly, and only a long soak in OxyClean will get them clean. Or I hope it will. I still have some bedding to soak, but even though the washer is big, it can only hold so much. The bedding will have to wait until next week. While I was waiting for the soak cycle to start so I could turn it off, I sort of reorganized all the stuff in the laundry room, but I didn't get much of it folded. It's quite a pile, and there's a lot of stuff I would like to be wearing, so I will have to do something about it. I will anyway, because right now the pile is right in front of the door to the dryer. I didn't think about that until just now, but it was a canny way to make me do something about the pile.
For the rest of the afternoon, I really zoned out, and I got very sleepy for a while. Not enough sleep, obviously.
The weather today was just lovely, and I really should have stuck my nose out the door, at least. The high temperature was 69º, for a couple of hours, and there was a brisk north wind, with gusts up to 33 mph. The high was between 3:00 and 6:00, and now (at 9:00), it's 50º. So much for the clear skies. The wind has died down, though. The humidity was a bit less when it was warm, but it's getting bad again. It was so clear and blue all day, and there were little whitecaps on the harbor when I got my breakfast - accompanied by a little lone merganser. I guess it's supposed to cloud up and rain tomorrow, but at least this was a nice day!
The guys slept, of course, but they both got a lot of lap time. When I was fiddling with the wash, they were both wandering around in the laundry room. I guess I was doing something so different, they wanted to know what it was.
So that was my quiet day. Tomorrow I have to get up early and talk to the garage people and see how soon I can get my car fixed. But now it's a clear, cool night in the field, and I can hope to see a star or two before it clouds up.
May 29 i actually got to bed at 9:30 last night, but it was a restless night. I had gas and I had to get up at least four times for various reasons. The last time was at 6:00, and I decided it wasn't worth going back to bed for half an hour when I had been in bed so long, so I got up.
I began to realize it wasn't going to be a really good day when I discovered that I had left the heat on under my frying pan - it doesn't seem to have hurt it a lot, but we'll see - and then I made a horrible mess in the bathroom that I had to clean up. Sigh.
I managed to get away when I intended, which was a bit earlier than usual. I wanted to leave early, because it was extremely foggy here, but it turned out that was quite local, and while there was one other spot that was also bad (I forget where), the rest of the trip was fine, although I did have to pass somebody on the covered road.
Church was all right, although I had a hard time understanding Steve. I volunteered to try to produce the Sunday bulletins, but that won't start until next week. I also tried to volunteer for Altar Guild, but I'm afraid our matron is getting a little confused, so I don't know if I'll be doing that or not.
Then I had to get gas. The price of gas is still creeping up - $2.449 - but that figures, since it's the start of the summer driving season. I had some cents off, though, so it came out all right.
And then. Coming down the hill toward the blinker in Copper Harbor, something strange happened that I thought was my foot slipping from the brake pedal to the accelerator pedal. However, when I slowed down (and not a lot, because I was behind a very slow driver) to find Woodland Road, my foot went halfway to the floor and the brakes felt mushy. Oh, no! On the way down our hill, I confirmed it - yup, my brakes are failing. There is still something there, though, and I hope it will be enough to get me to the garage.
Anyway, I had Ron pick me up. I invited him to Harbor Haus tonight, to try to thank him for all he's done for me this year. If I ever get the car fixed, I owe him some money, too. We had a nice dinner, and it is just as good as ever, I'm happy to say. They're still keeping the menu pretty much the same as it was, and they've added back in a few things that had been dropped off. I suppose it will change in time, but slowly. There are too many of us who like things just the way they were. I do think the prices may have gone up a bit, but that's to be expected. In my book, it's worth it. It's still a whole lot cheaper than you could get that quality of food in the big city.
The weather was, well, interesting again. The high temperature was 65º, around 4:00 PM, but then at 5:00 it was 55º, and at 6:00 it was back up to 64º, where it's been ever since. There was no wind until just now, when it picked up to 20 mph gusts from the northwest. It was foggy all night and until around 9:30 this morning, when it cleared up until 10:30, then it got foggy again and didn't clear up until 1:30. It is still horribly humid. Oh, and there were some little black bugs flying around when Ron brought me home...
The guys were sleepy. Grayson slept on my lap both before and after church. Louie sat on me for a while, but he didn't stay long. This weather drags them out, too.
It sure has me. The cool humidity has gotten to my joints again and I'm as stiff as a board. So now it's a cloudy, warmish night in the field, but tomorrow is supposed to be nicer. And my car is broken again.
May 28 Well, I read until my eyes crossed (or uncrossed, as the case may be), then I zoned out for a while, and then I fiddled around in the bathroom, so it was rather late when I finally got to bed. I slept well, but I was up a couple of times, and I got up around 11:30. I knitted, and I am doggedly pushing ahead on the lower band of the new shawl. I have 10 more repeats to do. Maybe I can do three a day for a few days and finish the darn thing.
That was about all i did. I was late enough that my surfing took most of the rest of the afternoon.
The weather was, well, interesting. It was 65º when I got to the studio, and it stayed that way until around 5:00, when it began to pour rain and the temperature went down to 55º, where it is now. It was more or less foggy, mostly more, all day. There was no wind. In about two hours, we had half an inch of rain, which we sorely needed. It really rained hard for a while. Of course, it was dull and cloudy all day.
The guys were sleepy, and Grayson slept on my lap for most of the afternoon, except when Louie was there. I had to boot him off, because, as usual, he wanted to lean on my right arm and that hurts after a while.
So it was a quiet, truncated day, and I will be off to the north end soon to get ready for tomorrow. It's a cloudy, foggy evening in the field, and there may be some more rain. It would be nice.
May 27 I got to bed about the same time as the night before, and I slept well. It was a good night to sleep, since I couldn't see anything outside. Even the lighthouse was almost invisible.
I didn't get up until after 11:00, and I knitted. It's nice to get back into my rut again. The knitting is going slowly. I guess it's so repetitive that I keep losing my concentration or something. I even tried to cross one cable the wrong way, although I caught it before I finished the cross.
I was so late that I didn't do much but go to the post office, where there was the usual bunch of bills, catalogs and other stuff. I had sent for a couple of sewing patterns that came. There was one that I didn't get and I don't know why, unless it wasn't on sale or something.
The weather was marginally better than yesterday. At least it was only foggy at intervals. The high temperature during the day was only 51º, and that was just at 8:00 PM. It was in the middle 40s for most of the day, and the humidity was 100% or nearly that. There was no wind. It wasn't too bad when I was out. I guess my body is going into summer mode, because I wasn't nearly as creaky as I have been lately. That's a relief.
The guys slept, sometimes on me. They both got some lap time this afternoon.
So that was another quiet, truncated day, and now it's a cool, foggy night in the field again.
May 26 I was a bit later getting to bed than I hoped, but it was early enough and I was clean. I slept very well, with the usual wakeups. I got up around 10:30, I think, and I knitted, finally. I am now halfway done with the bottom band. I'm anxious to begin the body of the shawl, but I still have 14 repeats of the bottom to do, and then I have to pick up over 300 stitches, so it will be a while. One reason I'm knitting this thing is that its construction is different from any other shawl I've made. The instructions and the construction details leave a whole lot to be desired, though. One of these days it will get to me and I will write a nasty email to the editor of the magazine. The Ojo de Dios shawl is from another issue of the same magazine and it has the same problems
I didn't do anything. There were lots of emails that made me want to follow them up, so that took a long time.
The weather was just as well ignored. I could tell it was foggy when I went to bed last night, and it is still foggy now. I think the camera is still updating, but I can't tell very much because I have been socked in all day. Most of the time, I couldn't even see the other side of our little bay, which isn't more than 500 feet away. There was some rain overnight, and a bit this afternoon, but not a lot. The temperature peaked at 58º at 4:00 AM, then it went down, and it was in the upper 40s all day, until just recently, when it finally got over 50º for a while. The humidity has been 100% all day. It was rather bright earlier, but it is now getting dark and dull. Not nice.
The guys slept, although they both wanted to sleep on me. Grayson got more lap time than Louie did, because he came around more. It was that kind of day.
Now all I have to decide is whether to stay up until midnight to hear Beethoven's Seventh or go to bed early. We'll see. It's a cool, foggy night in the field.
May 25 I guess I was so tired last night that I was too exhausted to move, and besides, I was reading, so it was almost beginning to get light this morning before I finally got to bed. I slept, of course, and I was only up once. I still didn't get enough sleep, but I hope I'll be able to get to bed a tad earlier tonight. I have to wash my hair, though, so we'll see. I don't want to wait too long to do that, though, because I have some trouble in the shower when I'm really tired. We'll see.
I was so late that I didn't do anything except my surfing.
The weather was so-so. Last night they were predicting dire amounts of fog for the whole UP, but sometime after midnight, I looked out the south windows and there was the moon, quite bright and not fogged in, and when I finally went up to the north end, I could see town, so they were wrong. There was some more fog this morning, from about 8:00 to 10:00, and it ended up with clear blue skies and just a string of white right along the surface of the water. I love to see that. The high temperature was 59º for a while this afternoon. It was very humid, even when there was no fog, and there was almost no wind. It was clear for a while, but then the clouds rolled back in, and the late afternoon was dull and gray. I guess we're in for some more rain (I almost wrote snow! See where my mind is), but we really need the moisture, so I will just have to endure the humidity.
The guys slept. Grayson got some lap time, but Louie hasn't yet, because I was busy when he came around. They seemed happy that I didn't get up until after noon and I didn't go anywhere.
So that was my nothing day, and now it's a coolish, cloudy night in the field.
May 24 Oh, it's late and I'm exhausted, because I was late last night, too. I'm poor again, but I have brakes.
I got to bed as soon as I could, but since I was so late getting home, it was 11:00 before I turned out the light. I made the executive decision to sleep rather than be pristinely clean. So there. I slept well, but I definitely did not want to get up when the alarm went off.
i did, and I had time to do my surfing before I was off for Houghton. The new facility is about as different from the old one in Calumet as it could be, and it makes the old one look even more grungy in comparison. It's just a generic car dealership, mostly white, with high ceilings and lots of windows, but there is no weird paving, non-standard steps or restrooms that you can't get into. I'm sure the people who work there are even more happy about it than I was. Just having a restroom that has a handicap stall was enough for me. I used it twice.
But then, I was there for over 3 hours. The problem seems to be that some things that attach to the calipers on the rear brakes rusted out, which meant that the brake pads rubbed on the rotors until they cracked and left me with metal rubbing on metal, so I had to have new rotors and pads. The calipers, thankfully, were fine, and they were able to clean up the rest of the parts. It was still pretty expensive. However, I can't tell you how nice it is to have brakes again. The front ones can't do all the work, and I was suspicious of the rear ones anyway, because every so often I'd have to brake hard and the ABS would kick in when it shouldn't have had to. Oh, yes, and the change oil message was apparently the computer losing its mind. I know all about that. They also changed my air filter, which they should have the last time I was in, but somehow they didn't. Evidently my car has been assigned to one particular mechanic, and he had no idea why he didn't change it when he knew it needed it. Well, at least I have brakes again.
I was tempted to stop at WalMart - I had a whole list of stuff to get - but it was raining when I left the dealership, and I'd already spent enough money. So instead, I went to Bambu, had a very nice early dinner and brought home enough for at least one more dinner. Oh, how I love that stuff! I got home around 4:00.
When I got up this morning, it was foggy, but by the time I left it had cleared some. While I was at the dealership, it rained rather hard, but not really long enough. Here, we had about a quarter inch of rain between 11:00 and 4:00. Better than none. Then it cleared up for a while before the fog moved in again. It was still foggy when it got dark. The high temperature during the day was 61º, but the humidity was over 90% all day. Not the best for my poor old joints.
I guess the guys just slept. When Grayson saw that I was getting ready to leave this morning, he walked away sadly. He got some lap time when I got home, and Louie just came around, but I'm busy now.
So that was my day, and I'm very tired, so I don't expect to be up very early tomorrow. Now it's a coolish, foggy night in the field, and it will be a good one to sleep long and hard.
May 23 I didn't get to bed until nearly midnight (I think) last night, and I didn't sleep well. I was up any number of times and I hurt in various places at various times. My shoulders and my feet were particularly bad. My feet hurt so much that I'm not actually sure I got all the Neurontin I should have taken. I'll never know unless I find a capsule on the floor.
I got up a bit before 9:00, and I did manage to get a good breakfast and do most of my surfing before I was off to see Johanna. My massage didn't do quite as much good as I hoped, but sometimes it doesn't kick in for a day or two, and by the time I left her, it was beginning to get humid.
When I got home, after a trip to the bathroom, I went to bed and I more or less slept for nearly two hours. It would have been longer, but I had to pee. I think it helped, but I'm awfully tired now. I had one cat beside my head and the other one behind my knees.
When I got up, I had lunch/dinner. I thought it was lunch, but it turned out to be dinner. I have been thinking about a burger for a while now, so I got some hamburger yesterday, and today I had some. I had to cook it twice to get it done, which made a horrible mess, but it sure did taste good, with Bar Scheeze and American Spoon Foods' Sweet Tomato Relish (which they don't make anymore).
Then it was off to church. I was truly gratified by how many people from both congregations turned up for the call meeting. We are two very small congregations, but we care about our churches. We learned about the process and I think that between the call committees and the church councils, we have some good groups leading us. Thankfully, there are some set procedures for doing this, but it's likely to take six months or more to get us a new shepherd. In the meantime, there is one ordained minister and one layperson who will be leading our worship and another pastor who will be available for emergencies, so we won't have to change our worship schedule, except that both congregations will have communion two weeks in a row. That's not all bad: I used to go every week where it was offered.
We stayed for choir practice, and Jan, our organist, was there, and she came up with a very nice accompaniment for our song - "Have No Fear, Little Flock," which we all think is very appropriate. And the next week we will be doing a hymn that has a call and response format. By then, maybe Kathleen and Nancy will have come up with some other things we can sing.
I'm greedy enough that I was happy to find that there will be communion on my birthday. I don't know if I can get the pastor to use the old service, but I may mention it to Steve, who is our president and liaison person. I mean, it's a special birthday. But a week or two ago, I wasn't sure there would even be communion on my birthday, so that is a good thing.
Then there was the weather. Ahem. I knew it wasn't cold when I got up, and when I got to the studio, I discovered that it was already 70º. Ack! Then it went up to 86º, and it stayed there until around 6:00, by which time we were in church, where it was even hotter. According to the history, around 6:20, the wind shifted from southwest to north, and the temperature here dropped from 86º to 66º. I thought I felt it getting cooler even in Laurium. It's now 60º, the wind is calm and there is rain coming. I could tell that, too, by the way, by the way I couldn't move. We were not happy. It's too early for it to be that hot, but the next few days are supposed to be much cooler, much more humid, and possibly rainy. Ugh. I'll endure, though, because it has been so dry that we were under a fire warning, and the rain will be very welcome. If I can't move, well, so be it.
The guys slept, and I didn't see much of them, except when I was napping.
Now it's late and I must get to bed, without the bath I should have taken, but sleep is more important than being impeccably groomed. I have to get up early tomorrow, because I have to be in Houghton by 10:30, and that's an hour drive from here. So now it's a cloudy night in the field, the temperature has dropped, and the rain is coming.
May 22 Well, I didn't get to bed until 10:00, but I slept well, and I actually got up about 10 minutes before the alarm went off, because I had to pee. I got dressed early, and then I got sidetracked and didn't leave until later than I wanted. However, when I got to church, there were almost no cars in the parking lot, and for a second or two I wondered if either I had the wrong day or the wrong hour. Nope, but Sunday school is over and everybody was late.
Church was nice, for a lay service. Steve does have the tendency to mumble a bit when he's reading the sermon, and unfortunately, it was one from The Lutheran Hour that I'd heard before, but it was good. I think we sang well, but we had only one man, because the other one was in Ohio - for what I don't know.
After church, I had to do some shopping, because I had run out of lettuce and I was low on eggs. And after that, I had to get gas. The price of gas is creeping up again. I'm not sure if it's that the price of oil is up a bit or that the tourist season is starting.
Speaking of tourists, they were all around, and I had to follow some kind of small RV into Copper Harbor. I didn't know Mercedes made RVs. That was the second one I've been behind who has turned into the west campground entrance, in spite of the sign that says the check-in place is half a mile further down the road. The more I have to deal with RV people the less regard I have for them. Can't they read?
Anyway, I think it was around 1:30 when I got home and it was nearly 3:00 when I finally got everything packed away. I ate something, so I wasn't hungry, and I just finished dinner at about 10:00. I will be tottering up to the north end soon.
The weather was nice. I actually got to go out without a jacket on this morning. It was clear but a bit hazy all day, and the temperature was sort of on a yoyo. It went between 54º and 71º all afternoon, at about a one to two hour period. There wasn't much wind until lately, so I guess it depended upon the direction it was coming from. When it was from the south it was warm and when it was from the north it was cool. We are under a red flag warning until tomorrow, and there may be some high winds overnight. I hope there are no fires, but some people are so stupid that almost anything might happen.
The guys were sleepy, but tonight Grayson picked the wrong place to try to jump onto the desk and ended up kicking my shot glass full of pills onto the floor. Of course, the only one I couldn't find was the expensive one...I will have to sweep. That blood thinner is so expensive, I don't want to lose any of them. So I shrieked at him - twice - and he went away. I don't know what gets into his fuzzy little head sometimes. I haven't seen Louie since this morning, but he usually sleeps.
I have to get up at a reasonable hour tomorrow, because I have a massage and I want to get into the habit of being on time. Johanna chided me about that the last time I saw her - like I'm the only one who is late. Frequently, so is she. Ahem. Anyway, I will try to be on time or early tomorrow.
Then Tuesday, I have to take my car in for service. I have noticed a grating noise coming from the brakes when I put my foot on the pedal, and today I noticed a lot of sort of grating noises coming from under the car. And on the way home, I got a "change engine oil" message, even though I shouldn't need to do that for another 1,000 miles. Ah, cars! Can't live with them and can't live without them. The dealership has finally moved to Houghton, so I will have to leave about the same time I did today, or maybe earlier, since there is some serious road work going on in Hancock.
After that, maybe I can crash, although I do need to try to get the fridge fixed.
Now it's a clear, warmish night in the field, but it's supposed to be windy overnight.
May 21 Oh, I was late again. Not ridiculously late, but late. I was reading and time just passed. I slept very well, and without any covers over most of me. I was only up once, and I got up around 10:30. That wasn't enough sleep, and I'm very tired now, but maybe I can get to bed early tonight. At least it's fairly early now.
I didn't do much. I'm making progress on the shawl. Otherwise, I mostly did my surfing, and I read some and finished another part of Trine.
The weather was nice again. The high temperature, 63º, was at 10:00 this morning, and it has gone down steadily since then, until now, it's 48º. There was some wind out of the north earlier in the day, but it's died down now. It was sunny, but there were those high, hazy clouds all day. When I mentioned yesterday that some of the clouds looked almost like smoke, it didn't occur to me until later that they may well be smoke from the fires up in Manitoba. I know in past years, we've had our skies messed up by them.
The guys slept. When I went through the great room late this afternoon, Louie was laid out in the middle of the seating area, in the sun, sound asleep. Grayson spent a lot of time on my lap, some of it asleep.
So it was another nothing day (there - I said it again! Really it was.). Now it's a sort of clear, coolish evening in the field and I need to get to bed.
May 20 I wasn't as early getting to bed as I hoped, but it was much earlier than the previous two nights. I was restless, and I was up several times, I think because it was quite warm in the bedroom. I finally got up around 10:30. I seem to be getting into the new knitting pattern, and I managed to do two repeats in about an hour, despite dropping a couple of things. This lower border is a long one, though, so I have a whole lot more to do. I'm finding it fun to do cables again. It was a couple of years ago that I last did a shawl with cables (the pale blue one).
I actually did some things today, but I had to think a minute to remember them. I had seven pairs of underpants that needed mending, so I did that, and I would really like to do some more sewing. There was a pile of magazines in front of the bead cart that kept trying to avalanche, so I finally got at that and threw out what needed to go. There are still some magazines that need boxing up, but in one of them I found an article about resizing patterns that I need to reread. I have a whole collection of old patterns, most of which are too small for me, and I haven't found any new ones that I like, so if I'm going to do any garment sewing, I'm going to need to size up some of my old favorite patterns.
The weather is warming. The high temperature here was 63º, just a while ago, but it got up to 75º at least at the airport. The humidity is very low, which I appreciate. There was almost no wind. This is fire weather - warm and dry - and there is a watch in effect, but so far as I know, there haven't been any fires yet. It was sunny but not clear. There has been a haze of high clouds, almost like smoke, all day. The camera shot the moon this morning. I'm really going to have to set up this year's photo pages and get some stuff onto them, but not tonight.
The leaves are coming out at a great rate, at least on the birches and aspens. The maples still have their flowers, and the serviceberries aren't out yet. It's so nice to see things getting green, although I'm afraid that a lot of the green on the ground is from tansy and spotted knapweed. Sigh. The little lupine under the cedar is spreading its leaves nicely. Not only do they have lovely flowers, the leaves are pretty, too.
The guys slept. Grayson got quite a bit of lap time, but I haven't seen Louie yet. He did sleep with me for a while last night, but I sometimes move around too much for him.
So it was another quiet day, and now it's a warm, sort of clear evening in the field.
May 19 It was another ridiculously late night, but maybe I can sort of get it under control tonight. I slept well, but there was some sort of weird solicitation phone call at 10:00 that woke me up. I was irritated, but I managed to get back to sleep and I got up around 12:30. I didn't knit, because I wanted to go to the post office today.
I did that and stopped at the store for a couple of things I will need before Sunday. And that took the afternoon. I cooked tonight. I have a recipe for a really easy chicken recipe that was supposed to use broccoli cheese soup, but all I had was plain cheese soup, and I think I like it better. Anyway, it was good and I have enough left over for another meal. Otherwise, I was still doing my surfing when the talking came on.
The weather was nice. I could go running out in just my sweatshirt without a jacket over it, which I appreciate. It was clear for most of the day, until around 6:00, when it clouded up. The high temperature was 62º and we hit it twice, at 11:00 and again at 6:00, but it went down to 48º in between for some reason. There was hardly any wind.
The guys slept mostly. Grayson got some lap time, but Louie got his time with me while I was in bed. He mostly stayed out of my way, though.
So that was all there was. Now it's a warmish, cloudy evening in the field.
May 18 Well, it wasn't quite an all-nighter, but fairly close. I just didn't want to move. I slept well, of course, and I got up around 12:30. Not enough sleep, but oh, well. I only knitted one repeat.
I didn't do much, but while I was taking care of my accident, I sorted through the avalanche of magazines in the powder room - and now I have a hard time getting in and out. I did bring a bunch of orange bags in, so maybe over the next couple of days I can fill them and get rid of the trash. Maybe? The magazines I save will go into a file box, and I think there is enough room in the one I started last summer. Sorting out the ones I only want to file and the ones that have patterns in them that I might want isn't easy, but I'll do my best. It all started because I needed to find the other copy of the magazine with the current shawl in it, so I just kept sorting stuff. I did find the magazine, and the part I didn't save turned out to be trivial. I need to get that printer working, though, because I think there may be some errata I need to know about.
That was it. I was going to cook tonight, but I just couldn't get myself up in time to do it. I am having a hard time with the idea that choir isn't Thursday night anymore.
The weather was nice. My original plan was to go out and pull up the porch shutters today, but I never got to that. Tomorrow, maybe? The high temperature was 56º, once around 9:00 AM and again around 9:00 PM. There was almost no wind. It was clear or nearly clear all day. Nice. I should at least have stuck my nose out the door. It got very warm in here.
The guys slept. I guess Louie has decided I sleep in his bed, because he got in early this morning and I had a hard time getting out, and then after I got up, he went to sleep right where I usually lay. I don't know how to tell him that's not the way it is without kicking him out altogether. Grayson got a lot of lap time, and he also got breakfast, which he liked.
So that was a rather truncated day, and I need to go to bed, but I have to wash my hair tonight. It's a warmish, clear night in the field.
May 17 Late again. I think it was about 12:30 when I got to bed, which is actually pretty good for a choir night. I managed to get my prayers said, but then I conked out for about four hours. I was surprised, when I woke up around 4:00, to see that it was getting light, but I just checked, and astronomical twilight is starting around 3:45 now, and the days are 15¼ hours long. Ah, the long days of summer...only it sure isn't summer here yet!
I knitted, and that was about all I did. There were a lot of emails I had to investigate further, and I just realized that I haven't read my funnies yet! Oh, dear! I must do that!
The weather was still cool but clear. The high temperature was 48º again. The wind got up to around 15 mph from the north, but it has now died down a lot, which is a sign of summer even more than the temperature. The sky was clear all day, except that there are now some clouds over in the northwest that are hiding the sunset.
The guys slept. Grayson got some lap time, but Louie hasn't been around yet. Louie slept with me for a while last night, but he wants his half of the bed out of the middle, and I don't like that. It is my bed, after all.
So that's all I have to report. They're playing Brahms' Third, and when that ends, I will try to toddle up to the north end. It's a clear, coolish night in the field.
May 16 Of course I was later than I intended last night, but I think it was mostly because I was too tired to get up. I did almost fall asleep in my chair during the afternoon. Once I got to bed, I slept very well. I was up twice, and I got up around 10:30. I knitted on the new shawl, and all I got done was two repeats of the bottom border. I had some trouble, and I dropped a few things and had to unknit a bit, but I think slowly I'm getting the hang of it. I'm still fiddling with cable needles, too, although I guess I'll be going with the slipperier one, just because the other one has grooves in it that keep catching the yarn. What I need is a 4" wood needle that doesn't have any grooves.
I didn't do anything much else, because choir practice was tonight. I picked up Mary Ann. Our new choir director was late, but we spent the time singing everybody's favorite hymns out of the old hymnal, and that was lovely. Unfortunately, a lot of the ones we love best never got into the new hymnal, in order to make room for some new ones. Well, we'll sing them. It was a long practice, because Kathleen is interested in making us sound as good as we can, but we'll do it.
The weather was cold. it rained some, starting around 10:00 and ending around 7:00 AM. Oh, did I know it! I was so stiff I could hardly move when I got up. In spite of what Environment Canada said would happen, it was cloudy until around 4:30 this afternoon, when it finally cleared up. The high temperature was only 43º, and that was between 6:00 and 8:00 this evening. There wasn't much wind. It seems that it should be warming up a bit for the next couple of days, and that will be nice.
The guys mostly slept. Louie, however, misbehaved this morning. When he heard that I was coming to, first he started yelling, and then he pushed the mini-basket where I keep stuff like my ChapStik and my red flashlight on the floor, where, of course, everything went all over the place. I let him know I was not pleased, and he had to wait while I knitted before he got his food bowl filled. It wasn't completely empty anyway, and he didn't eat what was on the floor around it. He is a real snot about his food. Grayson, of course, settled down on my lap right before I had to get ready to leave. I don't know how he knows when I'm leaving. Frequently I think he can read my mind.
So that was my day. It seems weird to go to choir on Monday, and it will be even weirder not to go on Thursday, but I think it's good to get shaken out of my rut occasionally. At least we still have a choir and we will still be singing.
So now it's a clear, cold night in the field, and it's time to go to bed. Really.
May 15 I was very late last night. I was reading, and I guess I just didn't want to do my shower. I slept very well, but I woke up around 6:00 and had to pee, and I knew I would never sleep any more if I didn't so I did, and then I was just about asleep when the alarm went off. Ugh!
I actually got away about when I wanted to, but it was hard. I had to stop in the powder room on my way up to the north end, and I just made it, but I did have time to curl my hair.
Church was good, and I think we sang fairly well. There was communion, because it may be a while before we have it again, and Pastor preached on the same text he used in his first sermon at our congregations. We confirmed two girls, which was nice. I don't think anybody cried, but nobody was very happy. There was a potluck after church, but I didn't stay for it; I was so tired I wanted to get home. I would have taken a nap except that I was hungry, so in the middle of the afternoon, I think I got a few minutes of sleep in my chair. I will definitely be going up to the north end soon. I am exhausted. Fortunately, I don't have to be anywhere tomorrow until after 5:30 PM. Choir is going to be on Mondays now.
The weather was cold again, but it was mostly clear until around 6:00 PM. The high temperature was 50º very briefly at 6:00 PM, but for most of the day it was in the middle 40s with a brisk north wind. It was nice to see the sun and it got very warm in here. I guess there is supposed to be some rain overnight.
The guys slept, although they both got some lap time.
I chased a turkey up the road this morning, and when I came home, a turkey (maybe the same one?) walked across the driveway and into the backyard. It amazes me how quickly they have populated this area. When I was driving to Detroit and back the only turkeys I saw were in the Northern Lower. Now they're all over the place. I wonder if they flew over the Portage Canal or walked across the bridge? Turkeys do fly, I think, although I've never seen one do it.
So that was my day, and now it's a cold, cloudy night in the field and I'm tired.
May 14 Oh, late as usual. I got up around 10:00, and first I tried to work on Ojo de Dios, but it is so boring, especially after the Russian shawl, that I just couldn't, so I started Wonderlake. That went slowly, because I had to get my head around the pattern. It begins with the bottom band, which is worked sideways - narrow and long - and I only finished two repeats (out of 30). It's all cables, but it has a gentle point that has a bobble at the end, so there are some things I haven't done in a while. I was trying out cable needles, too, and that took some time. I think I've decided on the one I will use, but at times, I was tempted to just go back to the crochet hooks I used fifty years ago. A 4" needle works better, but it has to be the right one, and I'm not yet sure I have the right one.
I didn't do anything much else, except that I started filling the dishwasher. It was a quiet day.
It was also a cold day. I was washing my face when I looked at the image of the windows in the mirror and it was snowing! This was about noon. How disgusting. There was no accumulation, and it didn't last long, but still. Snow on May 14. I know it's snowed every month of the year up here, but still. The high temperature was only 37º, and there was a strong north wind, with gusts up to 31 mph. It was cloudy for most of the day, with only a little sunshine in mid afternoon. I think it's supposed to be warmer tomorrow. Or I hope so.
The guys slept, of course, but they both got some lap time and Grayson got a lot of lap time. I just don't know what's going on in his little head, but he wants to sit on me a lot lately.
So that was all there was, and now it's a cold, cloudy evening in the field. Maybe there won't be any more snow, though.
May 13 I actually got to bed around 12:30 last night, although I still wonder how it could take me an hour and a half from the time I decided to go until I turned out the light. I slept fairly well, although I was awake for a while in the middle of the night. I got up around 10:30.
I got right at my knitting, and yee-ha! I finished the Russian shawl! Oh, I am glad to be done with that. I didn't even look very carefully at it before I folded it up in a plastic bag. It's done. All done. It only took me six months.
Now I can go on to other things. I think I will finish the Ojo de Dios shawl first, though, just to get it done. I'm not too far from where the pattern says it ends, but the finishing in the pattern is totally lacking and it doesn't look good, so I think I will have to put some sort of edging around it. I think I have enough yarn, or I hope so. If I had known when I got the materials what I know now, I would never have started it. The only thing good about it is the colors in the yarn. The yarn is scratchy and not very well spun, and the pattern leaves a lot to be desired. I want to finish it, though, just to be done with it.
I know there are some crafters who don't mind having dozens of projects started and none finished, but I'm not like that. If I start something, unless it absolutely turns me off, I want to finish it, even if I'm not very happy with it.
I went to the post office, finished unloading the dishwasher, and washed three pairs of jeans. That was about it.
The weather wasn't very good. The high temperature during the day was 48º (it was 53º at midnight), and there was a strong wind from the north in the 15-20 mph range, with gusts up to 33 mph. It was cloudy most of the day, with only a few rays of sunshine. Not very springlike.
The guys were sleepy. Grayson kept wanting to sit on me, so I had a strange sort of accident and I had to boot him off when it was time to start dinner. Louie came up once, but he doesn't seem very interested in settling down, so he is not a very good lap cat these days.
So that was another quiet day, and now it's a cold, windy night in the field.
May 12 So I zoned out for a while and I spent a long time staring at the bathroom floor and it was very late when I finally got to bed. I was only up once, around 7:00, and it was raining, so I went back to bed and got up around 10:00. I debated, but it was either get up and knit or sleep, so I got up. I think I will finish the shawl tomorrow, except maybe for working in the ends, and we'll see about that. I'll be glad to be done with it.
I didn't do much of anything with my time this afternoon, although I did get the dishwasher mostly unloaded. Mary Ann decided she would like to try singing with the choir, much to my delight, so I picked her up and we went to choir together. It was a rather nostalgic practice, since it's Pastor's last with us. He decided we would sing a thing called the Old Irish Blessing at the end, and it made me cry. After we practiced that and the other song, which is for the two confirmands, we sang three hymns before we parted. He was playing, because Jan is on vacation. Sigh.
The weather was variable. We had 0.19" of rain between 6:00 and 8:00 and then there was thick fog until around noon. This afternoon, there was even some sunshine, and it seemed to be fairly clear when we were coming home from choir. The high temperature here was 59º, briefly. It was a bit warmer in town. I see that they have decided it isn't going to snow tomorrow night, which is a relief. We don't need more of that stuff. Well, the NWS thinks we might have some, but their forecasts aren't very accurate anyway.
The guys were mostly sleepy. Grayson was happy to see me come home, but when I was going through the great room to get my dinner, Louie came and sat on the end table by the couch, so I petted him and called him "Sweet Louie," so when I went by the dining chair, Grayson got up on it and swiped at me with his claws out. All the envy isn't on Louie's side by a long way. Little kids eventually get over stuff like that, but little kitties don't, so I'll just have to put up with it. DC is the only cat I've had who didn't seem to be jealous of his companion cats, but he was extraordinary by any measure.
So that was another quiet day, and now it's a coolish, partly cloudy night in the field.
May 11 I was late again, of course, but part of it was because I was sitting in the bathroom staring at the floor with a nearly blank mind. Showering is such a chore these days that I just postpone it until the last minute. I think it was about 1:00 when I got to bed, and I slept well, There were a few stars when I went to bed. Jupiter is in Leo, down around the tail, so I could see Regulus and Jupiter out the front windows. The first time I woke up, it was beginning to get light, so I couldn't tell if it was still clear.
I didn't get up until around 10:30, which was earlier than I feared, but I had to tend to business, and as it was, I didn't get away until later than I wanted, so I didn't get to get gas until after my eye appointment. It was all right. It was cloudy by that time, so except that I couldn't see at a distance very well, it wasn't hard to see. My eyes are all right. There hasn't been much change in anything, so he doesn't need to see me for a year, which is a good thing. We did have a discussion about my floaters, but they don't bother me very much unless I'm tired and looking at something light colored. Certainly there's no reason to try to do anything about them.
I got home around 4:00, and I just sort of sat after that. I did the rest of my surfing, and that was about it.
The weather was actually rather nice, although it was cloudy. The temperature got up to 63º here, although it was a couple of degrees warmer in town. There was a rather gusty wind for most of the day, with gusts up to 26 mph from the south. It was nice to have it so warm. I guess there may be some rain overnight, and radar is showing rain here, but I think it is all up in the air and not hitting the ground. The only thing is, it has gotten rather humid again, and my joints are telling me so.
I suppose the guys slept. They both sat on me for a while after I got home, but not for long.
So that was my day. I did get gas on the way home. Even though the price is going up, I still find it rather disconcerting to fill my tank for less than $40. Shows you can get used to almost anything. However, I'll take it, and I hope the price of oil stays low for a good long time.
Now it's a warmish, cloudy night in the field and I'm tired.
May 10 Of course I was later getting to bed than I'd planned, but I did sleep well. I was awakened around 10:30 by a call from the eye doctor, and I was glad that she did call, because I had the time of my appointment wrong, but then I went back to sleep and didn't get up until 11:30.
I knitted, and I now have only about two days of work to do and I will be done with this thing. It has been an interesting knit, but much too long. However, the result is (or will be, if I ever get it blocked - and that's another problem) a very large shawl. The yarn is 55% silk and 45% camel, and it has a marvelous drape to it. So I will plug on.
Otherwise, I did nothing except fill the dishwasher, and I will run it tonight.
The weather turned warmish again. The high temperature was 60º, but there was a brisk wind from the south, with gusts up to 25 mph. The day started out clear, but it clouded up as it went on, and it is all cloudy now. It will probably be cloudy tomorrow, and that's not a bad thing. I will have to have my eyes dilated tomorrow, and it would be nicer to be able to drive home if there isn't bright sunshine.
The guys slept, and Grayson got a whole lot of lap time. I don't know why lately he has wanted to sit on me so much. I haven't seen Louie since this morning, but he was coughing again. Shedding season isn't over yet.
So it was another quiet day, and now it's a warmish, cloudy night in the field.
May 9 I was a little later than I wanted to be last night, but I was in bed by 10:30, I think. It was a restless night, although I did sleep. I was up several times. I managed to get up around 9:30, but I really didn't want to, and even though I tried to stay on target, I was late getting to see Johanna.
She is getting better, although she looked thin and pale. I felt much better after my massage. I stopped at the post office, where there was a lot of mail, but no packages. That means I haven't bought anything I forgot about, which is good. I was still so tired that I didn't do anything much with the rest of my day.
When the talking started, however, I pulled out the counted thread sampler I was working on and I finished one alphabet and one pattern section. The pattern section was bargello, which is one of my favorite counted thread techniques, although it is usually done in thicker threads on needlepoint canvas. Maybe I can do some more tomorrow. It felt really good to hold one teensy needle in my hand.
The weather was about like yesterday, although it was a little warmer (53º) and it was cloudy at sunset. There was a little wind around noon, but not much. I did get to see the thin crescent moon last night - it set over the lighthouse - but there wasn't much of a northern lights display. Ron said they were really spectacular Sunday morning from his house. Sigh.
The guys slept, as usual. Grayson did get a little lap time. Louie was coughing this morning, but whatever it was he seemed to get rid of it, although I don't know where he was when he did, probably upstairs. Well, I guess he does wash more than Grayson does (Grayson is not a clean cat) and he's older than Grayson, so I guess it would bother him more. They are both still shedding. They shed so much it always makes me wonder how they have any fur left at all.
So that was my quiet day, and I will be toddling up to the north end soon. Tomorrow will be a quiet day, but Wednesday I have to go to town for an eye doctor appointment. And Thursday there is choir. Sigh.
Now it's a coolish, cloudy night in the field.
May 8 - Mother's Day Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers and grandmothers out there. People kept urging us to "call your mother." I wish I could. I wish she was here with me. She would love it.
I didn't make it into bed until 10:30, and that was only the beginning. For some reason, my nose was running a lot, so I was blowing and coughing, and I didn't really get to sleep until around midnight. Then I was up at least three more times, so I didn't want to get up when the alarm went off.
However...and it's a big "however"...when I turned out the light, I noticed that the sky in the north was very bright, and when I was up at midnight, I could tell that there was a nice bunch of northern lights, although they didn't get much over the trees from my vantage, and there wasn't any particular movement. We haven't had a lot of northern lights this solar cycle, at least not a lot that I could see, so it was nice to have a bright night for a change. When I was up around 3:00, they were still out, but the clouds were moving in, and the next time I was up (4:30? 5:00?) it was cloudy, but the sky was still very bright, about like the full moon above the clouds. Neat. I hope somebody got some pictures.
So I got up when the alarm went off, and I did my thing, and I was actually earlier leaving for church than I have been lately. Church was good. There was communion and Pastor's sermon was good. The church council is moving ahead on the call process. The ladies in the choir scrambled around and we will have a choir director, but we will be practicing on Mondays. That's a bit farther in advance than I like, but at least we'll have a director. So we will be singing for the summer, and that's good. There is a meeting on the 23rd with the district to help us get started on the call process. I still wish we could talk Pastor out of leaving, but he seems determined, so we will go forward.
I got home before 1:00, and I was so tired I didn't do anything. I had toyed with the idea of taking a nap, but when I got up to the north end, Louie was sprawled out right where I lie and Grayson was curled up in the comforter and they were both sound asleep. So i wouldn't have had a place to sleep. I didn't fall asleep during the afternoon, but I didn't do anything but read, either.
The weather was cool but pretty. Those clouds I saw overnight were all gone by sunrise and it was a clear, pretty day. The high temperature was only 47º (now) though, so it was a bit chilly. There was no wind. There are a few little clouds around now, but I might be able to see the crescent moon tonight. It looks like the sun is now setting just out of camera range. It was humid enough that my joints weren't happy, though. But when I came down the hill and saw that blue sky and blue water, that was enough. Ah, blue!
The guys slept. They both got some lap time, and Grayson got a lot of lap time.
So that was another day, and I want to go to bed early tonight. I hope I do. It's a clear, cool night in the field.
May 7 I'm not quite sure when I got to bed last night, but I think it was around midnight, plus or minus half an hour. I slept quite well, with the usual wakeups. I was surprised, when I was up around 3:00, to see an occasional star. Polaris came and went, but they said it would be all cloudy. And Jupiter was shining in the west.
I was awake around 8:30, and that seemed too early, so I went back to bed and I didn't get up until 11:30. Oh, well. I knitted. I was going to only do four repeats, but I ended up doing eight, and that puts me back where I was when I began ripping. So I have three or four days' work left and then this thing will be DONE! Wow, what a project!
Today is washday and fill the pill dispensers day. The first load is in the dryer, the second load is ready to go into the dryer, and the pill dispensers at the south end are filled. Now I have to get the second load into the dryer and fill the north end dispensers, then I can take my bath and go to bed. I was toying with the idea of not washing today, but I decided against it. I'd really like to get things arranged so that I don't have to do everything on the same Saturday. Maybe next month? The first load wasn't very big, so I got a bunch of the tops that have been sitting all winter because they had grease spots on them, and I washed those. Now all that is left in that basket are sweatshirts, and maybe I can do them this week. I did find one that I couldn't find a spot on, so I've been wearing it. I haven't bought a tee from Eddie Bauer in a while, but the old ones were almost impossible to get grease out of. I remember in the past having to wash things three and four times to get them clean. And since I'm an old lady, I frequently have a hard time finding my mouth, so I frequently drop stuff down my front. Even when I do find my mouth, stuff frequently drops down my front. So I need tops that wash easily.
The weather turned out a bit different from the forecasts. It was not clear all day, although there were only a few clouds until now, and the high temperature got to 56º, instead of the 48º they said it would. Not that I'm complaining. There wasn't very much wind, up to around 13 mph from the north. The only thing is, it is cloudy over in the west now, so I probably won't be able to see the thin crescent moon around 9:45, unless it clears up at sunset.
I find I am still firmly on standard time. It's especially noticeable when I decide to eat, which has gotten even harder since the sun is now setting so late. I often wonder how long it would take me to get acclimated to another time zone, since I never get used to daylight savings time. The days are now 14¾ hours long, which I love, provided I don't have to get up at 6:30 EDT the next morning!
The guys slept. Grayson had to try three times to sit on me - I was busy - but he finally got his lap time. Louie only tried once, and it was just as I was about to get up. When I got up, Louie was asleep on the end of the tub surround (Grayson's place) and Grayson was asleep on the counter. I don't know what altercation caused that.
So that was my truncated day, and now I'm off to the north end to try to get to bed early, so I can get up at an ungodly early hour tomorrow. It's a partly cloudy, rather warm night in the field.
May 6 I went into zombie mode last night, so I was late getting to bed. I slept fairly well, with dreams, and I ended up not getting up until around 11:00.
I started to knit, and I got into a terrible mess. I realized, after doing four repeats, that I did not have the right number of stitches to bind off. I went on, but it bothered me, so I looked and looked and I couldn't find where I had goofed. Eventually, after I intended to get up, I decided to rip back, and I had to unknit everything I had done plus some more until I got the right number of stitches. I still don't know where I goofed, but at least now it looks like things are right again. I was most annoyed. I toyed with the idea of just ignoring it, but that would mean I'd end up at the middle of the back with not enough stitches to end right, and it wouldn't look right. I've made enough other mistakes in this thing that I didn't want to make another one. Grr.
Anyway, I was so late that I didn't get dressed until after 2:30, which meant that I didn't get to the post office today. The Schwan's guy was late, too, so I guess that means some of his summer customers are arriving. I didn't do anything else except for my surfing, which was frustrating, since there were a lot of interesting stories on ATC this afternoon and I didn't pay enough attention to a lot of them.
The weather was amazing. When I got to the studio, the temperature inside was 73º and the temperature outside was 74º! It eventually got to 78º, briefly, and it's now dropped to a more normal 57º, but I did open the door in the great room and a window in the studio. Ah, some fresh air! The house needs a good airing out after the winter. The humidity was remarkably low, too, under 45%, which made my achy joints feel much better. However, it made the NWS issue a burn alert for the whole UP. No burning at all. It was clear overnight. When I got to bed, Jupiter was shining in the front windows. I wasn't up again while it was still dark - it's beginning to get light before 5:00 - but I think it was still clear. There was some sunshine in the morning, but it began to cloud up and by 3:30 or so it was cloudy. The weather Underground claims there is some rain going on, but I don't know; I haven't checked. Somebody (probably John Dee) pointed out that radar will see rain or snow that never hits the ground. There wasn't much wind until lately, when it suddenly got up to 25 mph from the north. Oh, I could stand an entire summer like this!
The guys slept. When I got up, Louie was asleep in the bathroom, but Grayson was curled up at the end of the bed, right where I would like him to be, so sound asleep that he didn't get up until I started brushing my teeth. He got a little lap time, but I haven't seen Louie yet.
So that was a severely truncated day. Tomorrow I will start reknitting what I ripped out, and I will have to be more careful to count after every repeat. I do wish I knew what happened, but I'm sure I'll never know. Now it's a dark, cloudy night in the field and there might even be a little rain.
May 5 I was a little later last night, because I took a bath, but I was in bed around 12:30. I slept well, although I was up several times. There were stars, and I didn't think they were very bright until I took a good look out at the Big Dipper, and then I said, wow! Polaris wasn't very bright, but oh, my was the dipper!
I got up around 9:30, and I knitted, of course. It looks like I have four or five more days of work to finish this thing, and oh, will I be glad! I will have been working on it for almost six months when I finish, and that's too long. Now I have to gather up what I need for the next project. I'll be interested to see how much yarn I have left, but it should be plenty for a scarf. By the way, the way to do that is to weigh the skein and calculate. I know there are 16.3 yards per gram in this yarn, so I just multiply. And ugh! When I see "yards per gram" it annoys me no end. But all the crafts I do seem to have the same kind of bastardized measures. I know in beads, the beads themselves are measured in millimeters, but the strands are measured in inches. Yuck.
I didn't do anything else except my surfing. I still feel tired all the time, and while I was thinking about things I could do, either I was reading or there was a cat on my lap. Well, those were my excuses.
The weather was apparently nice, although I didn't stick my nose outside. it was clear this morning (the camera hung up around 6:30, so we didn't get to see it), but as the day went on, it clouded up and by 5:30 it was all cloudy. There was no wind when it was clear, but as it clouded up, the wind rose, and now there are 26 mph gusts from the southwest. I guess tomorrow it's supposed to be very warm - mid 60s. I guess I can handle that, although it's warmer than average. At least the humidity went down this afternoon, and my joints thanked it.
The guys were sleepy, of course, but they both got some lap time.
So it was another quiet, unproductive day, and I hope to get to bed at a reasonable hour tonight. Now it's a warmish, windy, cloudy evening in the field.
May 4 It was around 11:00 when I went to bed last night, and I went right to sleep, but after I woke up around 2:00, I had several hours where I didn't sleep deeply at all. In part it was because the first time I tried to turn onto my left side, my shoulder was so sore I couldn't lie on it, and since I'd been sleeping on the other side, I wasn't comfortable there, either. Eventually, after getting up a couple of times, I was able to settle down on my left side, and the rest of the night was all right.
I got up around 9:30 and I got right at the knitting. It took me eight days to do the first side of the top edging, so I suppose it will take about the same time for the second side. I will be happy to be done with this thingie. I decided I don't really like Orenburg shawls that well, and I made enough mistakes in this one that I won't ever feel very good about it. The only good thing is the lovely yarn, which is a joy to work with. However, I will have enough left to do at least a scarf, so I can work on a pattern for that. There's one pattern I have that is called Isadora that I think I could probably adapt for the thinner yarn and smaller needles. Hmm... Well, I have two shawls on #9 needles to do first, and then it will probably be time for something on smaller needles. We'll see how it goes.
I unloaded the dishwasher, but that was about all I did. And in the middle of the afternoon, I was sitting with a gray cat on my lap and I nearly fell asleep. I'm sort of dragging my tail behind me these days. Well, at least the dishwasher is empty, so I can begin to reload it.
The weather was just so-so. It was cold. The high temperature was only 43º, and that was recently, and there was a rather brisk north wind, up to 20 mph. Now it's gone calm, but it was blowing for most of the day. It was cloudy until around 6:30, when it cleared up, and it is now almost clear. It's still quite humid, though, and my joints are telling me so.
Grayson spent a lot of time on my lap, and Louie came around once, but he went off when I ignored him. His timing has been bad lately. Last night, Louie settled down beside the left side of my head, which is always a problem, because I want to put my arm right where he is, and Grayson curled up behind my knees. That was bad, because when I had to get up, I didn't know he was there and I threw the covers and, I think, the body pillow, on top of him, so he left with a thump while I was in the bathroom. Then they both went away, which was a good thing. I still don't know why they can't sleep on either side of the end of the bed, on the other comforter, where they are out of my way, but they won't.
So that was my day. I have to wash my hair tonight, even though I won't be going anywhere tomorrow. Tomorrow is Ascension Day, and I don't want to go down to Hubbell, so I will stay home. Still, my head is all oily, so I need to wash it. I would not want to go without hair. I had to do that during the chemo, and it has disadvantages, including making my head and ears cold in the wintertime. But as far as keeping clean, it had some distinct advantages. For one thing, I could wash my head with a washcloth, and I didn't have to worry about all that yucky, oily dandruff I get. I never did get used to wearing a wig, though, so if I should live long enough to need one, I will just have to look horrible. I did keep my wig, but I don't know where it is, and I hope never to have to wear it again.
Now it's a clearing, cold night in the field. There might be a star or two.
May 3 Of course I was later than I intended last night, but not too late. I think it was around 12:30 when I got to bed. I slept very well, with the usual wakeups. When I went to bed, there were stars, and they were still out when I was up around 4:00, but when I got up, around 10:00, it was cloudy, and soon it started spitting rain. Ouch, my joints!
I finished the first side of the top edging of the shawl and started the other side, but I had to do the corner twice because I forgot there was a loose end there. It doesn't look as good as the other top corner, but I doubt anybody but me will ever notice.
That was about all I did, except to pay a bunch of bills. And I'm tired again.
Johanna finally called me back, and the reason she didn't call me yesterday is that she has been down with that same upper respiratory thing I had over Christmas, and she has been in bed for three or four days. That seems to be a local Keweenaw bug, and it certainly is a nasty one. I'm hoping she will feel better by next Monday.
The weather wasn't the best. The temperature was up and down. The high was 58º, but that was at 11:00, and two hours later it was 43º. In between, there was a bit of rain, but not a lot, and a bit of wind. The temperature recovered to 56º at 3:00, but then it dropped back into the middle 40s. There was a bit more rain, but not much, and some more wind, but not much. It was cloudy most of the day, and there was no sunshine except between 3:00 and 4:00 this afternoon. It was very humid, and I hurt.
The guys did what any self-respecting cat would do on a day like this: they slept. Grayson got a little lap time, but I haven't seen Louie yet. When I went out to the kitchen to start my dinner, Grayson was sitting at alert and staring at the dishwasher. I wonder if a mouse made its way up under the dishwasher or something.
I washed dishes last night, and I washed clothes today, although I still have to put them in the dryer.
Late this afternoon, I was looking out the south windows, and there were half a dozen vultures wheeling around over my neighbor's house and mine. I don't think anything else died, so I don't know what they were seeing. Nobody landed, so maybe they were just hopeful. Vultures are big birds, but after comparing them to the eagles, they aren't anywhere near as big. They do fly nice, and they are fun to watch flying or soaring on the wind. They are about the ugliest bird I know, next to wild turkeys, but from a distance, you can't see that. And considering their job in the scheme of things, I'm glad they're around.
So it was another quiet day, and now it's a coolish, cloudy night in the field. Tomorrow may be better.
May 2 I was so tired last night that I didn't move until I almost fell asleep in the studio, so I was a lot later than I wanted to be. I actually set the alarm for 9:30, and I was sound asleep when it went off. So I got up with a headache and moved rather faster than I like to. Then I checked my planner, it turns out that my massage is next Monday, not today. Sigh. So eventually, I changed my bottoms, just for comfort, and did not much.
Well, that isn't true. I made the appointment for my physical - at the end of June - and I talked to the mail order pharmacy about some stuff on the March summary.
Then I decided that I'd had enough of wires all over the floor. i had hooked up a surge suppressor when I wound the yarn for the next two shawls. Not that the ball winder needs to be on one, but it acts as a very convenient power strip. So I moved the answering machine, the task light and the radio, although I ended up having to plug the radio into the wall, because the cord isn't long enough. I don't understand why they would put only a 4' cord on a radio. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Anyway, then I unplugged the power strip I had ganged onto the surge suppressor that the computer runs off, plugged it into the wall under the east windows, and plugged the book light and the power cord for the laptop into it. Whew! When I got that done, I could kick the computer power block back under the desk and out of my way, so things are back the way they were last fall when I had the original problem. The monitor cords still run over the front of the computer desk, but I just didn't feel like getting into that. Now, however, I'm not nearly as likely to kick the power block and reboot the computer, which has happened several times.
It was another beautiful day. The high temperature got up to 53º, although that was only at 8:00 PM, and there was no wind. It was clear and blue all day and it still is. I guess the clouds will move in overnight, so there won't be any stars after midnight, but whether it will be cloudy and rain or partly cloudy tomorrow depends upon whose forecast you believe. When I was up around 4:00 AM, Jupiter was setting over Porter Island, and it is so bright that it cast a glitter path on the harbor, as bright as some of the lights of town. So pretty!
The guys were sleepy, of course. They both got some lap time, and while Grayson slept, Louie stomped around on my lap until I booted him off. I wish he would just settle down. They both got some combing. I've discovered that their fur is the kind that reacts best to a regular hair comb, even though they don't like it. Grayson isn't shedding nearly as much as he did for a while, but Louie sheds all the time. I can't tell you how much fur there is on the floor around my desk chair.
So that was a quiet day, and I hope to be a little earlier tonight, although I'm still reading, so it's iffy. Now it's a clear, warmish night in the field.
May 1 MayDay! MayDay! Arrgghh!!
I actually made it into bed by around 9:30 last night and I actually slept rather well. I was up several times, and there was one part of the night when I was so hot that I just lay there without the covers over me, but that passed. There were a few stars, too, although at one point I watched the clouds come in and cover Polaris and the rest of the sky. I think it was cloudy at sunrise.
I did not want to get up when the alarm went off. Not. But I did, and I actually got away around when I wanted to, and I curled my hair. I used the old small curling brush, though, and the result wasn't what I hoped. I have that brush, which is about ½" in diameter, and I have a 1½" curling iron, and neither is quite right. I think a 1" curing iron would probably work best, but I don't know if they even make one like that. Anyway, I had sausage curls on one side and kinks on the other. Sigh.
Church was fine, and we sang well, except it was a bit jarring to hear Stu rather then Ted singing the solo in the first song. But then Pastor announced that he has accepted the call to the seminary. Oh, dear. It's not that I don't understand his desire to do something else - our two poor little parishes have to be frustrating - and it's not that I don't understand his affinity for the seminary, but the job he has taken is just not one that is suited for him, in my opinion and that of a lot of other people who know him better than I do. Oh, sigh. His last Sunday will be the 15th. I'm sure it will work out, but it's a major convulsion in our two churches. And his wife's mother is here, so she will be a long way away from a lady who is not in good health. I could tell that she is very upset, but that's the way things go.
After church, I went off to Pat's to get a few things I needed, like lettuce and JD, and I came away with a lot more than that. The hummus is pretty good, though.
I got home around 1:30, but it was late in the afternoon before I brought the stuff in from outside and got it stashed away. I won't be able to do that very much longer.
The weather was a bit better than yesterday. The high temperature here was only 46º, but it got to around 55º in town. It started out cloudy, but the clouds went away, and the afternoon was all clear and blue. I can't describe how blue the lake looked when I came down the hill. There were a few breakers in the gap between Hunter's Point and Porter's Island, and they looked even whiter against the beautiful blue, as did the little ice that is still there. I don't know where the breakers came from, because there wasn't any wind. It was a lovely day, weatherwise.
The guys ignored it and slept. I don't think either of them got any lap time. I don't remember, but Grayson may have slept a bit on me before I got dressed. They spent the afternoon on the couch in the sun, except when Louie decided to mix it up and Grayson went away. I don't know what gets into Louie.
So that was my day. It was very disappointing to know that we will be losing our pastor, and it's likely to take a while to replace him. I like the church, and I like the people, so there is no question that I will continue to go there and to support the lay leaders. I only wish it hadn't happened. We like Pastor Fundum.
Now it's a clear, cool night in the field and there are likely to be stars. And it's May. Geez.
Last updated 06/01/16 08:42 PM |