Disaster averted! Woman swoons and carpets are sent to the cleaners!

I don't have my camera handy which doesn't really matter because there isn't much to see right now. Big sigh of relief. My life must be really boring because this has been affecting my whole day.

This morning while I was "incommunicado" (as we say in my house) - otherwise known as "in the bathroom" - my three-year old son opened the gate to the front stairs, walked all the way upstairs, down the hall and down the back stairs into the kitchen. At this point, he opened the refrigerator, pulled out a full bottle of maple syrup, and reversing his steps, walked all the way back to the living room.

Now, the good stuff happens. He opens the bottle, sprinkles syrup on the furniture, the sofa and the rug. Lots on the rug. Lots and lots on the area rug - the most expensive thing/piece of furniture we've ever bought.

What really gave me a start (besides the fact that he opened and closed the supposedly-child proof gates) was that this all happened next to my knitting bag! With Oldest Daughter's almost finished blue sweater in it! I've been putting off finishing this sweater because it got a little boring but this would have been awful - what do you do to get maple syrup out of wool?!

After rushing the bag out of the room, settling Boy down for a time out on the bottom stair and getting out the bucket and cloths - I had plenty of time to think over the "ick" factor while cleaning up. Plenty of time because I get stepping in sticky patches and tracking the stuff around. Now, the rug guys came to pick up the area rug for cleaning (expensive cleaning) and I'm off to run at the gym. Working off the stress, I guess.

Another day, another week

Well, I still have poptarts on hand as well as my absolutely favorite candy - orange slices - but I think I am over my snacking obsession. It turns out that it was that time of the month. Yep. Time to rant and rage at my family and then stay up too late watching movies.

I did work out several times to try and work out the nagging pain I developed in my hip (Dare I call it "Driving Ass?") - so I don't feel too bad overall. Swimming, cross country skiing, indoor biking and weightlifting - all feel just fine. Running - kills me.

On the Yarn Front, I've left knitting and moved into frantic wool combing and spinning mode. I've been planning an afghan using different kinds of wool that I got at Shepherd's Harvest, a great wool and yarn festival in Minnesota every May. This would be brought back for a competition at this year's festival. Suddenly, I remembered - I had to spin all that wool. NOW! This is something that is usually quite soothing but having combed so much wool that I have fuzzy bits in my eyes and nose - I am not soothed. I am: itchy, tired, alone (DH is traveling) and sore. Hmm, where are those poptarts?

Just how I'm feeling today

I happen to have a knitting bag with a current project by the living room sofa, the sun room chair and my bed. But am I knitting? Naw! Maybe after I eat a pop tart. Us triathaletes get hungry! I had a really great swimming workout - good times - but it has removed all my interest in moving. Tomorrow is another day!

Perhaps a photo to convince you?

I've been working on unloading a photo of our beautiful Minnesota winter. Now, it was 50 degrees F. last week, but what the hey! Mother Nature strikes again!

Snow Day! Ban the Car!

I've been at a knitting and exercising impasse lately because of the HORRIBLE DRIVING that has taken over my life. Like many other parents, I drive in a car pool for my older children's school. Oldest Child is working on her driver's license but I just feel that safety is more important. So two mornings and three-four afternoons a week, I drive.

I have no problem with this schedule. Usually. However, one carpool driver had a baby and the other driver had a car accident (no one hurt) so her car is out of commission. Now, I really don't want to complain about this situation - life happens - but I feel like I'm spending hours (2-3 daily) in the car. I bring my knitting for odd waiting moments but I am really driving so that makes knitting a not so safe option.

I've always had a small problem with my hip flexor muscles and I always spend extra time stretching and working on flexibility. All the sitting, however, is killing my hips. Running has become very painful, cycling impossible and the only thing that feels good is swimming. I've just completed a triathalon training program and now I am blowing all my muscle gains because it is so painful.

Late last night, a winter storm blew into town and today, at 6:45 a.m. - the news said "Snow Day!" Everyone was up anyway but I made a vow, "No driving today!" I've knit, baked, made soup, and read and later on, will walk to my YWCA to swim and lift weights. Yeah - this is just what I needed. I may even break out my skis. On days like this, I can ski out my front door and down to the Cathedral of Saint Paul down Summit Avenue. A Minnesota Moment right up there with cross country skiing on a frozen lake.

The Bode Miller of knitting?

Actually, that would assume that I had high expectations of finishing early or even on time in the Knitting Olympics. Obviously, I didn't finish and I really didn't have that high of expectations. Perhaps I should have used the US Women's Curling Team as my post title. They were cute and at least on the Olympic level but not really expected to accomplish much.

The only thing getting on my nerves is that I was ahead of the program! I figured out how much I would need to knit and I was running ahead from the start of the Olympics until we got to London. All that sightseeing and walking was wonderful but I was exhausted. Knitting speed went from several inches per day to about four lines on the pattern. Add to this the fact that my husband asked at the check-in counter and was told I needed to check my knitting. About 500 yards away, on the other side of baggage security, while waiting for my flight - what did I see but four women knitting?

There is proof that I was working hard on the shawl, however. Not very attractive but I was concentrating!



I did had a fabulous time at the Victoria and Albert Museum - they have a great textile collection and I saw some inspiring fashions. The Rowan sale at Liberty of London was over but I bought a pattern book just to remember the lovely store.

So, after the trip was over, all we had were memories - and germs. For the past week and a half, we have all suffered some nasty hoopagoop that made jet lag seem preferable. So, no gold, only a cold. But I really think the Toronto Olympics will be my year, anyway.