One load of dishes washed
Two meals served (brunch and dinner)
Three movies watched (Stir of Echoes, Encino Man, I am Sam)
Four curtain hooks replaced
Five loads of laundry washed
Six Pansies planted
Seven scented candles lit
Eight CDs transferred to my MP3 player
Nine somethings something’d  (I was doing pretty good here, don’t you think?)
Ten thirty seven PM-  time to go to bed.

Well, Comcast’s customer service site was closed yesterday, so I didn’t get the cable box replaced.   However, I did get my old VCR working (it froze up a few months ago) and watched a bunch of ‘feel good’ chick flicks/comedies.  I don’t know why I was in the mood for that kind of thing, but I was.   I started off with Excess Baggage (starring Alicia Silverstone and an oh, so young and oh so hot Benicio Del Toro), followed up with The Sweetest Thing (filmed in San Francisco- starring Christina Applegate, Cameron Diaz, and Selma Blair), and ended with another San Francisco themed film, Wildflowers (starring Darrel Hannah, Clea Duvall, and Eric Roberts).   I knitted my way through most of the films, so it’s questionable how much of my attention was really on the screen.  Still, the vibes cast by the films were soothing and that’s exactly what I needed.  I’m coming to the conclusion that not having a cable box might be a good thing.  I have a collection of over 900 VHS films and it’d be fun to go back through them and watch some of my favorites again.

It’s still very cold here, but the skies are promising.  I see more light coming in through the window than I have seen in some time.   Hopefully, we’ll get some good blue sky action today.    I plan to spend part of the day planting the pansies and violas I purchased yesterday.  Of course, I am going to be planting them just before the cold snap really hits.   Yeah- stupid me.   Hopefully, they’ll be sheltered enough being on the front porch.   I might have to cover them with plastic garbage bags, though- if it gets too bad.   The weather folks are talking about teens and twenties this week.   eek! 

Sami’s still in bed and I haven’t eaten yet (unless you count half a can of Coke Zero).  I have to get the kitchen cleaned up before I can cook.  Or, at least before I can feel comfortable cooking.  I’ve been working on it off and on as I flit between checking email, listening to music (Today, it’s the Red House Painters), and reading the newspaper.  I think I’ll crack the window open and crank up the heater (yes…   I do that!)  so that I can get some fresh air in the house, but not freeze to death. 

It’s a good day-  I feel motivated.   I’d better be.  The cat is telling me that he’s running out of food and that he’s expecting action immediately.     ”Yes, Master.  I’ll be right there.”

I had a bonus day off yesterday and planned to spend it at home cleaning.  Instead, I awoke with a migraine and ended up spending a relatively miserable day at home, sick, and then out and about running errands for the kid.   No housecleaning for me whatsoever.  I’d planned on opening the windows and letting fresh air in while I cleaned.  It might have been better if the weather wasn’t so blah.  We were supposed to have blue skies.  I assure- there were a few different shades of grey out there, but no blue.  Bleh.   I did, however, get a bit of knitting done.  Hooray for indoor sports!

Speaking of knitting, I am really learning to love it.   A group of ladies at work gather ever week or two and spend their lunch hours knitting.   There are quite a few talented folks in my office- from painters to photographers, writers, musicians, and thespians.   I now know that there are a bevy of gifted knitters and crocheters (is that a word?) who spend their days in the cubicle jungle, too. 

So I attended my first knitting group get-together where one of the ladies brought in a bunch of surplus yarn and needles to share with anyone who wanted/needed them.   I have been trying to learn on a size 11 needle and haven’t had much luck.  The knit is simply too loose for me to be able to keep track of what I’m doing.    She gave me three sets of needles in smaller sizes (I believe that they are 8, 9 and 10) and a bunch of wool yarn.   I have never worked with wool before, so this was a real treat.   The biggest surprise was the difference between the smaller needles and those size 11 ones I’ve been using.   I love the tighter knit and have been knitting ever since.   I really only know the knit stich and I haven’t figured out how to back up and fix a dropped stitch yet, so I find that I end up starting over from scratch a lot.   Still, it’s great fun and I can tell that I’m getting better and faster every day.   (Thanks Mrs. M for the supplies-  It made a HUGE impact on my stitching!)

As much time as I’ve been spending indoors, I’m starting to feel a bit trapped.   I am itching for a hiking trip, but cannot travel anywhere for a while.   This weekend, I need to stay at home and work on the house.   Besides, I cannot drive very far (or very fast) as I have a nearly bald back tire and a crack in my windshield that is growing by nearly 1/2 inch every day.   Both of those two items should be resolved in the very near future, but by then, I’ll be on call again and unable to travel very far.     Perhaps I should start using the treadmill at the office again.   A little (cough) cardio (hack) workout (cough) could go a long way in helping me get into enough shape to take the stairs again without wheezing.  It’d be better with fresh air, though-  and the possibility of wildlife sightings.

For some reason, our DVR died.  This is a newer box (I haven’t even taken the plastic off the front yet).   I can tell from laying my hand on the front of it that it’s getting power- the hard drive is moving.  But the front panel indicates NO power and the TV shows no signs of any signal.    So, I’m taking it back today- hopefully in a few minutes- so that we can get our fourth replacement DVR/Cable tuner.   

In the meantime, Sami popped The Princess Bride in the DVD and has been watching it.   The scene where Wesley/DPR is fighting Inigo Montoya at the castle ruins reminds me of my beloved Alabama Hills.   I checked to see if the movie was filmed there (it wasn’t), and haven’t been able to pull myself away from photos and narrative about the region (the interwebz are a wonderful thing!) since.

Enough rambling.   I would love to restructure this post, but I’ve got to get the cable box disconnected…   that is if I don’t pick up the knitting again.  

I am the poster child for ADD Blogging.