I love fireworks like a fat kid loves cake

My husband doesn't love fireworks, so I drove three hours to my grandfather's house to go to fireworks with people that love them. That my friends is dedication.

Tour de erin Day 3 (July 4)
Goals: work on socks, read Fallen Angels

goals= met (Yeah, they were easy)

Tour de erin Day 4 (July 5)
- rest day!
Yes, I realize it is too early to have a rest day, but I was in the car and had other things that I had to do so I sure did take one. I think you get two, right?

Tour de erin Day 5 (July 6)
goals: finish foot on sock
get one pattern repeat done on The Triad Scarf
get one repeat done (one owl) on Owl Baby Blanket (I'm making this up as I go.)
Finish Fallen Angels
Also, I need to get laundry done, the kitchen cleaned, and meals planned. Yup, I'm adding this to my goals for today, too. That is why it is Tour de erin. I do what I want.

I'm the smoothie master

After years of wishing I could make decent smoothies I finally found the right amount of "pour this and that in" to make it work.

This is embarrassing because I was once employed as a blender jockey. (I used to bartend at a Chi-Chi's- and that's pretty much what I did -- run blenders. Well, actually, I watched more VH1 than anything.)

Anyhow, I'm delighted that I finally get the idea of how to make a smoothie. I've had one daily for about a week now.

Tour de erin Day 2 goal:
- turn heel on flutterby sock
- rip out stupid ribbed baby blanket and instead cast on a cool baby blanket using the owl stitch pattern that is used on everything. Here's an example.

Tour de erin Day 1 goal:
- complete

I'm thinking that in order to really meet my summer goals I need to add reading in to the tour de erin. I supposed I could make reading goals on the week days, right? That way I won't have failed yet!

The Great Gatsby- Fitzgerald

It amazes me how many "classic" books there are that I never read in high school. This is one of them. I read it, for the first time 7 years ago, when I got my current teaching job. I had 2 days to read it before I started teaching. (That's a crazy story, but I think one that many teachers share.) I was also reading Great Expectations for the first time during this time period as well as rereading To Kill a Mockingbird. I had to teach all three of these books at the same time and it was fun, but stressful. Now that I have read them all I would be fine to do this, but then it was a lot of work. I didn't love Gatsby when I read it then-- imagine-- but in this second go 'round I really enjoyed it. I really like books where crazy, unexpected things happen. I also really like books where someone realizes the faults of everyone else, but doesn't feel the need to run it in their faces.

This book is basically about wealthy (or at least some that pretend to be wealthy) people that live their lives doing whatever the hell they want with little to no regard for anyone else. If that doesn't entice you to read it I don't know what will. Seriously, if I tell you any of the plot I feel like it ruins the book.

Tour de erin

Of course, the first day of Tour de erin I have decided to change things. All the rules previously set still apply, but I am adding one more caveat. Each day I will set a new, separate goal for that day.

Day 1:
Knit the entire leg of the flutterby sock. This is a super quick knit sock. I did nine repeats on the top of the first sock, and I timed myself this morning when I cast on the second sock (see. I'm following the rules I set out yesterday) for one repeat and it takes 23 minutes. *
As a side note I used to think I was a fast knitter, but watching videopodcasts and listening to audio podcasts have assured me that I am not as speedy as I thought. So, with not much on the docket for today I think I can finish this goal. Right now I have 5 repeats finished and we just put Felloship of the Ring in so I feel good about finishing the leg and even moving on to the heel.

Tour de erin might just be a success!!!

Tour de... something

If I was in to spinning I think I might get more excited about Tour de Fleece, but I don't spin. Last year I tried to make my own Tour de erin and I failed, completely. I'm going to try again this year for Tour de erin.

Tour de erin rules:
- Knit for two hours every day.
- Nothing can be cast on until something else is cast off.
- Second socks must be cast on the day that sock on is cast off.

I have a lot of things on the needles right now, and I have even MORE things that I want to knit so this makes a lot of sense to me!

The Chocolate War - Robert Cormier

I'm getting a new teaching load this upcoming fall and one of the things I am teaching is a remediation class. I am really excited about this class, and I am ever more excited because the previous teacher did a wonderful job of picking a great variety of books. This book is one of those. It is young adult fiction, but really related well to the students and has some "adult" things in it that I think they will enjoy reading about.

The Chocolate War is about a private school where the students are asked to sell chocolates to help the school raise money. (Yes, so far this sounds really lame and like a million other books, but it isn't.) There is a secret society in the school, mean teachers, students that really see what is going on, violence, talk of sex... it is an interesting read. If I told any more about the book I would give away what takes place so if you're interested in this sort of thing-- or have young adults that might be -- you should read it!

My love/hate relationship with summer

I love my job as a teacher, and I spend the second semester counting down (along with the students) to how many days there are until summer break. I love sitting outside and reading, knitting, catching up with random TV shows that I didn't know that I wanted to watch and constantly trolling facebook and plurk in the summer. I also like to try to find someone to go out to lunch with me daily which is harder than you might think.

I love it for like two weeks.

Then, I get unmotivated and bored.

Yes, I still read, knit, and catch up on things, but my motivation starts to dwindle little by little.

At the beginning of the summer I put up a giant calendar of all the things I wanted to get done and a timeline of how I wanted to finish them. Pretty much the reading and knitting is getting done. The rest of it fell the the wayside after week one.

This is the table of knitting to work on. I'm usually a one or two project person. This is insane and freaks me out.

Last week, I woke up the the idea that if I put my plans on the internet I would feel like I *had* to do them. (Knowing it is on the internet is enough for me- no one even has to read it.) So, this is my new plan. I'm going to start a crazy, hodge-podge blog with knitting stuff, book reviews, and whatever else I feel like writing or talking about. I'm sort of hoping that writing every day will give me ideas for the "zombie-teacher" novel that I want to write. Currently, the novel consists of 6 pages of exposition. That I wrote in April. Of course I wrote it in April because I was so busy I couldn't see straight. Now that I have all the time in the world? Nothing.

The Help- by Kathryn Stockett

I read this about a month ago and I liked it. The story is about African American women during the times where everyone in the south had hired help. One white woman digs into their stories and realizes her own dreams. It was interesting and felt like it could be historically accurate, but something about it keeps me from calling it fantastic. Honestly, I think I'm a little taken aback by the fact that the author of the book is white and is trying to imagine what these women went through. I suppose an African American woman that would have written this would have had to do the same research. That might not make sense, but in my head it totally does. I will, however; be seeing the movie because it stars Emma Stone and I may have a tiny girl crush on her. I want to be friends with her and go out for lunch and cocktails. She seems super fun.

there was never even a wagon to fall off

91 hours down- 9909 to go

Tour de erin was a good idea- in my head. It didn't even start to pan out though. I'm not even mad that it didn't pan out either. I wish I was closer to done on all my projects, but what can you do? If you aren't working on them they don't grow.

There are a lot of things I meant to get done this summer that I haven't. As summer draws to a close (I only have three weeks until I have to go back to work) I'm realizing that I need to get some stuff done. So, I think I'm going to have to cut out the taking of four hour naps and like do stuff. Today, I want to rearrange the cabinets in the kitchen, take down the heinous wallpaper off two kitchen walls, and an assortment of school/cross country paperwork. I'm only telling you this so that I then feel like I have to work on the stuff.

I'm already tired.

Tour de Fleece, ha ha ha

71 hours down- 9929 to go

I had plans to do tour de fleece, but day one (and two, and three) I didn't knit at all. So, that's kind of blown. Instead, I have a new plan.

Tour de erin:
-Knit on each of three projects (fish blanket, snuggie, cabled baby sweater (to be replaced with sock yarn blanket) each day from July 7-July 31.

- read SOME Jane Austen each day.

So, go me!

a whole bowl of pathetic

71 hours down- 9929 to go

For some reason today I was a bowl of pathetic. It was beautiful outside and there were things to be done, but instead I sat inside all day watching TV, listening to podcasts and knitting.

I also watched the saddest movie ever. Remember Me. I have a habit of watching movies without knowing what they are about, but this one took me by surprise even after reading the Netflix jacket. If you have an extra two hours and you love crying by all means watch it. Robert Pattinson is super hot in it and I really like Emily de Ravin, but the story still completely stunned me.

I cast on for the Lion Brand baby sweater today and with most baby things it is progressing quickly.

I think another reason that I really like knitting is because I have trouble just sitting and watching TV because I feel like I should be doing something more productive, but somehow I can sit and do nothing other than knit all day and still feel bad. Something to ponder.

Almost ready for "tour de fleece"

63 hours down- 9937 to go

I've been knitting a lot in the past few days. Just going back and forth between the snuggie and the fish blanket. You can't really see the progress since they are both huge projects, but I know that the time is making additions.

Later today I'm going to cast this on instead of the baby surprise jacket. I've made the lion brand sweater before and it is just too cute to pass up.

I feel like I'm 13 again...

60 hours down- 9940 to go

Eclipse comes out tonight and I'm really excited about it. Initially, I read Twilight because the high school girls (that I teach) begged me too. They told me it was so good. Then, for Christmas my high school aged cousins bought it for me. Then, I had surgery and I couldn't do much so I finally read it. I don't understand why I put it off so long, because I knew it wouldn't be a time consuming read. I think sometimes I have to shun the popular. (I swore never to read Harry Potter, but in college I had to read The Sorcerer's Stone for a young adult literature class and fell. in. love. Also, I think Harry Potter is far superior to the Twilight Saga, but they both fell into the "I don't want to read it because it is popular" theme.)

I don't think that the Twilight Saga is by any means great literature, but they are captivating and well-written books as far as I am concerned. As for the movies, well, I can't read a series and not see the coordinating movies, and what is more fun than lining up at midnight with all the fanatics?

Oh, and Taylor Lautner and Robert Pattinson are hot. I tried to touch Cedric Diggory's costume when I went to see the Harry Potter exhibit in Chicago (it was at the museum of science and industry-- but I think it is traveling) until my husband jokingly pushed me toward it and a guard gave us both the death stare. I know that Mr. Lautner is just barely 18, but anyone that works that hard on their body deserves a look and praise. Mr. Pattinson is a tad more age appropriate, and his mystery (both on and off screen) makes him a little hotter. I'm still sorry Voldermort killed his character during The Goblet of Fire though.

A rant and a plan

58.5 hours down- 9941.5 to go

First, a rant- feel free to skip :) -
* In February we started the process to refinance our house. We've only owned the house for four years, but the rates are so good and our payment would drop so much we were excited to do it. We thought we'd use the extra money (from the skipped month of mortgage) to pay for the Spring Break trip to Florida that we didn't really have the money to go on. It wasn't done by April when we needed the money. It is now the end of June and tomorrow they are coming to appraise our house again before they can sure up the loan. There have been some speedbumps in the process: the original guy we worked with got fired, we have an 80/20 loan and our current lender wouldn't sign off on the 80 if we didn't also move the 20, and I think that many of the people who work at this lending agency might be morons. I mean really almost 5 months is about 4 months longer than I've seen anyone wait to refinance.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I feel better.

On to more exciting things!

I've made a "tour de Fleece" plan. I'm not a spinner so I'm going with the Knitmore Girls' idea of handcycling. I'm such a poor judge of what a good goal is in terms of finishing things so I've come up with my own plan. Every day during "tour de Fleece" I'm going to work on EACH of these projects-- the fish blanket, the snuggie, and the to-be-cast-on baby surprise jacket each day. Hopefully, throughout the tour I'll finish something and in that case my third project will be replaced with the sock yarn blanket squares. I'm not going to join any "tour de Fleece" groups because my plan is so random, but I think I'll try to document each day via this blog. I also would like to kick off my Jane Austen summer during the tour as well. I really want to read all of her work, but I put it off continually. So, I think I might add that to my tour goals!

Vacation is a win, but yields no knitting

56.5 hours down- 9943.5 to go

I had a great time in Vegas, and we even came back with a little money to put back in the bank which makes it even a little better. There was time by the pool, time to gamble, delicious food, and of course some free drinks.

I didn't even knit on the plane. I took a new project to start (I think I'm going to start a baby surprise jacket) but I didn't cast it on.

Tonight, as I start getting things cleaned up from vacation I'll be knitting again though :) There's a time and a place for everything, and for me Vegas isn't a knitting city. There's not enough sitting around!!

Wow, this post is boring...

56.5 hours down- 9943.5 to go

Today, I got home from cross country practice (where the student I often run with and I ran 14 seconds faster than yesterday) and I sat down and worked on stuff for a solid 6 hours. I mean, I ate and whatnot, but all told I spent 6 hours knitting. Well, some of that time was spent putting fish together, and let me tell you putting the fish together eats my soul. I do so love how the fish look put together though so I'll keep doing it. The fish don't lay very flat and I think even if I block the crud out of it they still won't, but I'm pretending that makes it whimsical and fun.

... and then I felt guilty.

So, I went outside and cleaned limbs out of the yard-- I even had to cut a few branches that broke during the storms-- and mowed the lawn. Our yard is pretty small so mowing doesn't take long, but I was bored so I made up a new game.

Speed Mowing
Speed Mowing is played by seeing how quickly you can mow the lawn. I mapped out the quickest route, or what I thought was the quickest route, and then tried to mow as fast as I could. My thought is by the end of the summer I can mow even faster than I did today. I was totally jogging behind the mower sometimes, but then sometimes I just had to walk. Maybe by the end of the summer I can mow the yard in nothing flat and get a good workout in.

I also cleaned the kitchen, made "brinner", and got the rest of the stuff together for the "finance the Vegas trip" garage sale taking place this weekend. Sadly, I was able to do all of that in a very small time period, but at least I did something today.

The sky is falling

50.5 hours down, 9947.50 to go

The weather around here has been nasty. Green skies, crazy winds, and sideways rain have been the norm the past few evenings. I don't get freaked out by storms, but my 80 pound dog becomes a giant cry baby when thunder hits-- so I'm over the weather.

Nothing like having three big projects on the needles to make you want to cast on EVERYTHING, but I'm sticking true and trying to finish at least two of the things before I cast on anything new. I've been splitting my knitting time between the snuggie and the fish blanket. It will be a while until they are done, but at least I can see progress!

47 hours down- 9953 hours to go

Yesterday, my sister, husband, and I made lunch for my parents and grandparents. It was fun, a little hectic, but completely delicious.

Today, I did nothing. It was fabulous. I woke up too early, went back to sleep, and then proceeded to sit on the couch all. day. long. I've been knitting and reading on and off and we had good lunch and dinner.

That's really it, but I love days like today.

to nap or not to nap...

43 hours down- 9,957 to go

I'm frustrated with everything. So, I'm going to vent with a quick list and then go on.

1. I went to tutor a homebound student today and the teachers didn't give me everything I needed before they left for vacation. I hate looking stupid in front of a healing student who is busting her ass and wants to get done.

2. I don't like crocheting (I don't think it counts as crochet, but I'm using a crochet hook to sew the pieces so...) the fish together. I don't like sewing/crocheting anything together so this is not a surprise.

3. I didn't go to cross country practice this morning because of tutoring and they played ultimate frisbee and the other coach told me how much fun I missed.

4. We're making lunch tomorrow for my parents and grandparents in a "Top Chef" style -- so we're competing-- and my sister and husband have their menus planned out and I don't.

5. I want to take a nap, but I know if I do I'll be out for hours.

6. My house is WAY too messy for someone who isn't working right now.

7. There's nothing good on TV to pacify me while I try to fix #6.

Now, on to nicer things.


Things I'm not cranky about:

1. I like how the fish look once they are put together, and I've been smart enough to start putting them together now as to not be extra cranky at the end.

2. The snuggie I'm knitting is SO soft that I might make myself one.

3. There is an awesome trail I'm going to run later since I skipped practice.

4. There is NO laundry to be done; all my clothes are clean.

5. There are lots of podcasts to get me through since TV is crappy during the day.

6. I'm in love with the tea blend I made-- it is cherry limeade sun tea and it is THE BEST.

7. I found lots of things for my "fund the Vegas trip" garage sale next weekend.


Seven is a random number to stop on, but that's what I got. Since my brain didn't work enough to write a paragraph I think I AM going to take a nap.

Woo Hoo.

Fishies!

Fishies!,
originally uploaded by erincolleen27.

40 hours down- 9960 hours to go

I'm a lazy picture taker. I know this, but these are the first six fish (in all the colors) for the fish blanket. The fish seem to fly by even though they take longer than you would think. I realize that makes no sense, but in my head it makes sense.

Summer break is officially upon us and today was the first day I had to get up and go to cross country practice. I ran a very slow 3 miles, but I feel phenomenal now. It was really early, and I'm really out of shape, but I feel good now.

I have 7 different "themes" in my head for summer goals and each day I'm trying to accomplish one thing under each theme. So, today holds ripping out bushes, making laundry detergent, making an outline for the zombie novel I want to write, running (accomplished!), making fish and a sock blanket square, and planning the first week back to school, and pricing things for the "finance" my Vegas trip garage sale. (If we make $50 I will be delighted.) Last summer I think I wasted too much time and I was totally sluggish when I had to go back to school, so I think this year being busy and doing all the free home improvement stuff I can is the answer.

Sock yarn blanket- the more I think about this the more I realize that the real answer to making this cool is to put a quilt-ish back on it. My thought it I'll sew the backing on around the edges of the blanket and then make those little quilt tie- things (my quilt knowledge is amazing, no?) at the corner where 4 squares meet. This makes sense in my head-- does that come across and make sense to anyone else?

Fish and Squares

37 hours down- 9,963 to go

I finally found some time and my knitting mojo so I have square and a fish (yes, I bought the yarn- but I ended up getting 60 dollars worth of yarn for $10 because of gift cards and rewards-- so yay) finished. The fish aren't really cool on their own, but I think once they are together they will be cool. At least, I'm hoping this since I've knit one and I need about a gajillion more. The second square for the sock yarn blanket it really cool, but I'm sure you can't see all the little cabley-bits here.

The one great thing about the fish is they are kind of addicting. I sat down to just start one and all of a sudden I realized that instead of doing the cooking and cleaning I was supposed to be doing I had finished a whole fish. Oh well. Everything will get done eventually!

Wait, aren't I supposed to have some free time?

36 hours down - 9964 to go

It is the second day of summer break, and I'm up early and I have to be out the door and gone all day. Why, why do I do this to myself? Yesterday, my day was spent getting our one track girl prepared for the state meet that is this afternoon. (There were lots of track girls, but only one made it to state.) Today, I had originally planned lay low until 3 when I have to go to the meet, but then I agreed to do some other stuff so I'm up early and I need to be headed to the shower.

Hopefully, I can figure out a point in time today to hit my lys and buy yarn for the fish blanket. (Yes, I haven't knit in almost a week, but I NEED this yarn.)

I did sell some yarn on ravelry this week, so I feel like this is almost fair...

36 hours down- 9964 to go

I finished a blanket that I have picked up and put down many, many times. I think I'm going to give it to one of my students as a graduation present.

Really, that's all I have to say; I just wanted to get my three hours logged before I forget. Pictures shall be forthcoming, when it isn't so icky outside.

Oh, and tomorrow is the last day I have students. I'm SO excited, and I'm sure they are too.