Blog of a Million Dreams

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Blue Blanket Throw

I'm working on a Navy/teal blue blanket throw....

What I'm doing is sort of a wild pattern...I take dark blue yarn of all different kinds and I'm knitting it in a wide striped pattern of no particular order. It's turning out pretty nice and I'll take a picture of it when I'm finished.

What really makes the blanket is the yarn that has fringe to it.

The stitch I'm doing is yarn over, knit, yarn over, knit.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Sway, etc.,.

I'm listening to both Dean Martin and the Pussycat Dolls. Both do a great rendition of "Sway".

And it's put me in a great mood, despite my impending return to work.

I've been scouring the news for lack of better things to do such as (oh I don't know...clean?). Two news stories stand out.

The first news story is about the difficulty in securing a home loan due to the Freddy Mac and Fannie Mae crisis. Even though housing prices are falling, no one can buy anything because it is so hard to qualify for a home loan. Which is kind of sad, because when I bought my place about 5 years ago, everyone qualified. No down payment? No problem! No job? No problem! Now you can have a down payment, a job, even good credit, and have difficulty getting a loan. It's so interesting how fast things change. Which can be good...because if things are capable of turning around quickly, it doesn't always mean bad things turn around quickly...good things can happen fast too...at least that's how I choose to look at it.

The second news story that looked interesting to me was this tidbit that's been circulating on various news sites about how so many American women in their 40's are childless. It's sad, really. Because I think it speaks to the lack of support and opportunity for women who want to have children. I think we (women) have to make a choice; financial security and career success or children. Men never have had to make that choice. And the urge to have a child is something men will never understand or care to understand. I feel such sadness for the women in the position of wanting a child but not finding a mate or the opportunity to have a child. And I also feel a lot of anger over a society and culture that supports and encourages messed up people to procreate but does not make it economically possible or even socially acceptable for smart, responsible women to have children. I think what makes me especially sad and angry is that I've always wanted to have 2 other children, and in this culture it probably isn't going to happen.

Well, I can always just listen to Sway again!

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Weird Things

I've been lucky enough to have a whole lot of 'me time' lately (as a spoiled Rich New Yorker put it on some tv show I've watched) and spent the time web surfing.

Only to read a news headline on KCBS that drove me nuts.

I mean, really, say what you mean...and when people in the news business say one thing and mean another it makes me gnash my teeth. Especially when I suspect that these writers make tons more money than me...at the very least they could be more qualified than me...but no!

So, the headline that made me spit up my tea?

"Bay Area Home Prices Plummet"

And what does the blurb under the headline say?

"For the first time in three years, the Bay Area has seen an increase in home sales,..."

Summer Trip

Took a quick day trip yesterday to Half Moon Bay.

I wish I could go somewhere else, but I don't want to dip into savings more than I have to. And with the home reno taking up so much of my cash, I have to really be cognizant of where the cash goes.

If an expected check comes in the next couple of days, I may be able to go somewhere. In the meantime, I've decided to enjoy the area around here and see how much cash I can save, daily.

Half Moon Bay was fun. The weather was beautiful. I expected overcast and foggy. Instead, I got sunny, with a few clouds. We stopped at a produce stand where I bought corn and a tomato. And the yarn store had a sale, so I bought three balls of blue yarn for my newest knitting project (a blanket for regular people, not babies). My knitting project is actually turning out pretty good. I'm knitting yarn over, knit, yarn over, knit...and using various shades of blue, navy, blue green, teal. Some of the yarn is really funky and it looks good. Maybe I'll include a picture of the blanket (or it could be called a 'throw'), when I get farther along.

I should be painting but 1) I don't want to spend the money or time to go get the paint I need and 2) I don't want to spend my last week of freedom painting.

In the meantime, I'm going to think about the beautiful spa/hotel that is being built near the pier in Half Moon Bay. It's probably a whole lot of money, but I may decide to spend a weekend at the hostel later in the year (the one at Pigeon Point Lighthouse) and pretend I'm actually at the spa/hotel.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Milpitas Festival

I went to the Milpitas Arts and Crafts Festival today with my friends Dee, Danielle and Laura.

It was pretty fun. The best part was the fact that it wasn't a mad mass of people. There really weren't that many people there and it had a nice neighborhood feel to it.

I had lumpia for $1 (it was good), Kettle Korn for $5, and a glass of wine for $5.

There was a fantastic jazz band, that I could've listened to all day. After that we danced to the "Hitmen" another band that played a wide range of music (from '70's to '80's to motown!).

And lots of people brought their dogs.

There was billiard hall next to the band stage. It was interesting because it was such an industrial area, and stuck right in the middle of it all was this billiard hall.

Anyway, it was a lot of fun...and, although I should've been working on trying to figure out a 2nd income or an action plan, I really enjoyed myself!

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Isaac Hayes

I am just learning via various websites that Isaac Hayes has died at 65 years old.

So young.

Bernie Mac

In honor of Bernie Mac, who died at such a young age of 50 yesterday, I watched the movie, "Pride" today.

I can't believe Bernie Mac died.

I really liked him.

At first, when I used to watch his show, "The Bernie Mac Show", on channel 36, I couldn't understand him. But I kept watching, and eventually I started to understand how he talked. I think he had a speech impediment or something. He was so hard to understand.

But he was funny.

He also was kind.

I liked how he showed how sometimes the people who toed the line and were tied to the system might be right, but were invariable incredibly unkind. He showed, on his show, how to be compassionate and understanding, and a genuinely good parent.

I really liked him.

So today I watched the movie, "Pride". It was the story of Jim Ellis, a swim coach in Philly, who, during the horrible recession of the '70's (yes, those of us who were around then remember how bad it was) and the crap of the '60's, managed to come up with a great program for kids, coaching them to the National Swim Meet. Bernie Mac played the part of a janitor in the movie.

What got to me, when I watched the movie, was how Bernie Mac looked years older than he was. He does in his tv show also.

I think it's 'cuz he has a certain wisdom that only comes with age. When someone who is younger has it, it is striking.

Anyway, Bernie Mac you will be missed.

Working, again

Work starts up again tomorrow.

In honor of this wonderful new beginning, I've thrown out my upper back. My lower back has been malfunctioning for the last 3 or so years. Now my upper back is giving me pain.

Is this what happens in mid-forties?

Should I expect a new disabling pain every three or so years?

Or just a physically-potentially-crippling reaction to stress?

My colleagues have been calling me in tears the last 4 days.

Newsflash: Issue, resolved. They were tormented until the absolute deadline but have moved on! Lucky ducks!

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Electronic Document Scanning

Rolled out of bed at 8:30 a.m. today (ahh, the perils of being on vacation...all morning sleepfests).

Anyway, I finally figured out how to install my electronic receipt/document folder system (NeatReceipts.com..it really works).

But...I've been scanning documents and receipts in since 10 a.m. with only one pee break.

And I've barely started.

I'm realizing the extent to which I've been buried under paper.

And I'm also worried because I still have to back up my hard drive. Losing precious doc's would not be cool.

Sunday, August 03, 2008

House Reno

I've been renovating the house.

We started in April. Tore out the carpet and linoleum, replaced the bathroom vanity, painted and painted again. And then painted again.

Then we tore up the kitchen. Put in brand new cabinets (my brother and I are doing the work ourselves). Then he brought his tile saw and cut all new tile for me. I mortared and grouted it down.

Now it's August. I have to repaint and spackle and caulk the baseboards and crown moldings. I have to repaint the house (there are spots from where things were replaced, such as drapery brackets, etc.,).

The whole time this has been going on, my neighbor has had the hots for my brother (he likes his women about 20 years younger and 200 lbs lighter). She came over yesterday about 5 times with various excuses (would your brother like some old batteries? I made him some food even though I'm sick...does your brother want to come over and look at my kitchen? I'm having a party tomorrow, would your brother like to come?) She was relentless.

She waylaid him at the dumpster, when he went to throw stuff away. She approached him at his truck when he was packing up his tools. She trounced into my house at the end of the night (about 9:30 pm), and pounced on him...

He was sitting on the couch and she plopped down next to him, so close she would've sat in his lap if he hadn't scrunched up his rear onto the end of the couch.

"Jay, I want your opinion..my daughter has a hangover, now what's the best way to get over it?" she asked.

My dinner guests all stood around her, gaping.

Oh, but it got worse.

She pushed her enormous breasts onto him and cooed in this ear (at this point he looked like he was smelling a really bad fart and was stunned), "Jay, should I tell my daughter to smoke pot and will that help with the hangover?". She giggled.

I told her, "Marti, that's all we need...for you to go around saying my brother told your 21 year old daughter to smoke some pot..."

She wasn't getting the reaction she wanted so she flounced up and bopped out the door. I was stunned, my brother looked like he'd been attacked (which he had), my mother was furious and my other dinner guests looked horrified.

This morning, I went over to her house to deliver a present for her daughter. I actually think Marti was mad at me, because she was pretty cold...

Lesson learned; There are worse things than Home Renovation, and living next to a crazy neighbor is one of them.