"When I tell you something is dangerous, I mean it. And, I never forget the Victims"
T.J. Hooker
"Everyone can master a Grief but he who has it”
William Shakespeare
”I had given him a life not worth living, but I had also given him an iron will to live. This was a common combination on the planet Earth”
Kurt Vonnegut about his character, Kilgore Trout.

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Baktus and Misc. Babble

A Day in the Life of.. or make that a couple of days....


Today, before any wildness starts and people go feral for the New Year,  the girls and I are going shopping to get some circular bamboo needles (which DD4 likes the best) for a chunky cabled cowl she is making for her twin.  I've seen several cowls and am sorely tempted to make a few this year as gifts.  I prefer straight scarves myself but cowls look very interesting lately.   This can be worn pulled up around the face, too.  !s this normally call a Smoke ring?


Last night, after a supper of local take out pizza and a huge salad , we watched those "Nanny 911" superstars whip families into shape.  I had told the girls that it was completely amazing to me how the Nannies could straighten out families in just one week!  I think the women are saints!  


S made us all delicious herbal tea, and we ate far too many Christmas cookies.  Well, you know!  'Tis the Season!  DH, who has a cold for the first time in several years, and who awakens at five in the morning because the dog, who is a lot like a cat, climbs up on his back and licks his ear,  was soon dozing on the couch, waking only to the screaming of parents driven mad by their horrid little kids.  Poor man, he needs to rest more during the day, or we need to kick the needy small doggie off the bed.  Remembering Wolfie's huge effort to get atop the high bed - as a sickly new found fellow to our habitat - we would be very reluctant to ban him from the pack's "den". 


And yes, those girls finally arrived yesterday afternoon (Yay!)  from Central Coast,  having spent three hours just getting through the usual horrendous L.A. traffic jam.  There wasn't much relief from it when they finally reached the bottom edge of Orange county, either!  The text messaging set a furious pace with them trying to ask us about alternate routes - there are none, and finally, resignation.  DH has some resource he can access on the computer which shows how traffic is flowing in the corridor.


Los Angeles freeway traffic is legendary.  Traffic through that huge complex of cites has been the butt of jokes and the bane of drivers for at least 60 years, starting when I was a high school age kid whose art class would take sketch boards up on the overpass that ran next to the high school and sketch the lanes for practice in perspective.  Freeways have great straightaways.  


The only time we've ever made good time driving through on L.A. freeways was  at 4 am one year when we couldn't sleep anyway so we just left here at midnight.  During the Watts Riots in the 60's, others reported no problems at all getting through Los Angeles.  So, if you pick your times wisely, you sail right on through!  Anyway,  I'd bet half the gas for any trip made through LA is used just sitting at an idle and stuck in five lanes of traffic, north or south. 


A bit of bad news:

I'm still fighting off DH's cold, and we just found out that someone near and dear to Mz. S is in the ICU fighting for his life.  He is her voilin teacher and he has pneumonia, though he seemed perfectly fine a couple of days ago when they talked.  He's been on a ventilator for the last day and a half.  



What is it with this very aggressive pneumonia flying all over the place?   We just found out that  S had it a few years ago, too.  I've had it, and didn't even know I was that sick until the day I couldn't move and my chest was on fire.  Weird disease!  So, the point of all this is this:  If you are having symptoms of pneumonia Check them out here:

WebMD page  


You do NOT want to go into the hospital or be on a ventilator.  Not fun to start the new year out this way so heed those warning signs.   You are not just being a baby if you worry about it.  Menfolk, you listen up!


Ah the Baktus...

 Baktus was fun to knit, plus I  didn't run out of yarn and here's the ball to prove it! 




Mz. Meff, you were right, just knit it!




In fact there is enough left over yarn for a catnip KorkMouser, or Korkfisshe .   Mz. Bella always has catnip growing - so she is my supplier.  


About fish and mice:
 I'm trying to avoid Chinese take-out toys since it seems that everyone (and maybe even their dog) is making them for cats, and I prefer more ordinary kitty fare.  I know some truly awesome kittahs that are ready to pounce upon them and scratch out their guts! 



Have a happy New Year's Eve, no matter if you stay home with the sniffles and aches, or go out dancing your legs off in some hot, Salsa nightclub.  The Auto Show is giving a Ball this Evening!  I would be there except that when I was resting my knee on Sister's couch at Christmas,  the Wolf ran up and over my knee -he gave it a thorough trouncing!  So, now the new knee is a cranky old hot spot on the even older anatomy.  Also there is that troubling viral stuff going on in DH's chest, and he should be resting.  The girls are merry company, so we are fine.  I'll start knitting a Korkfisshe!  Mz, S will knit her shawl, which is beautiful.  We will eat lots of veggies and stuff.  

Happy New Year to you all!


 



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I will NOT update this anymore.  I promise I'm through with it!

3 comments:

  1. Happy New Year!!! I am glad you are having a good time with your daughters! <3

    ReplyDelete
  2. I woke up this morning at 5 a.m. and the view out my window was just like your header - white white snow shining against a black cloud sky. I think my New Year's resolution will be to find my tripod, so I can take these pictures.
    Today I'm baking bread and making buckwheat pancakes, and browbeating Daughter into shoveling the snow for the sake of her mother's poor back.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Happy New Year, Kara and k!

    Kara, thank you, and we are having a great time, although I'm eating way too much. hehe

    k, I hope you got the tripod set up and get some piccies. Happy Baking, and staying warm!

    The sky in the small painting has tiny specks of silver printed on the fabric, so it is like a dark starry night. I guess you had a stormy sky! Wow. Magnificent!

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I’m going through some stuff but I will peek in now and then and will be back when it’s over..