Tuesday, December 21, 2004

Finished freakin' vest!!

Knitting Front:

Good news! I finished the freak vest in tome to wear it to California. Bad news, I am not sure I love it, but I did learn a lot doing it and would like to tackle a sweater next. I am not sure why I don't like it, well that is not true. I thought it added about 40 lbs to my figure. I work very hard running and working out to look fit, do I need to senselessly add 40 lbs with one item of clothing? I think not. I need to try it on with jeans, my baggy sweat pants and sweater underneath were not helping matters. I will give it a go tomorrow.

I will try to post pictures tomorrow too.

The rest of my life:
I am almost ready to go to California. I got the kids all packed yesterday and I am packed except for the things I need before I go. (tooth brush, hair brush...You know the important stuff)

I had a great day with the kids and with Bonnie (she watched the kids while I packed) We all had a good time and a productive day. Everyone is tired and sleeping now, I think I will join them. All this busy Christmas energy wears me out.

Debbles is gone for Christmas and I won't see he for a month. We have back to back trips, I am missing her already, and Layne of course. Deb is wonderful and helps to keep me sane, she spoiled me with a elann gift certificate for Christmas, and a subscription to my favorite magazine, Fine Cooking. She spoils me. I knit her a pixie and a felted bag, if I could I would give her the world on a silver platter. Friends and Family make Christmas rock!



Saturday, December 18, 2004

Picture goddess!

We have picture success! Thank you in a huge way to Kathryn Owen, the most amazing photographer in the the world for the rescuing the Ouimet family Christmas! Check out her goods at www.owen-imaging.com and of course the picture posted here.

She took the pictures last night and dropped them off tonight. We pick out which ones we love the most and have them printed on Monday and Viola! We are Christmas ready. I don't even how to thank you Kathryn. You have given the Ouimet family the best gift ever!


Here we are! Posted by Hello

Friday, December 17, 2004

Photo Fiasco

This year I thought, what a wonderful surprise it would be to have professional photos taken of my lovely family to give to rest of my lovely family. Little did I know that this would turn into the Photo Fiasco. We had the photos done 2 months ago and got them YESTERDAY! Thank you for the last minute, three months in planning gift Photoman! Ah, the story gets worse...photoman delivers photos and they are terrible. I paid a kings ransom for photos that are blurry and well...just not that good.

Tonight we are having more photos taken...in hopes that we will be able to present our family with photos we love and can be proud of. The burning question: will the photoman give me back the kings ransom when I return the blurry photos? Or will he grinch us?

Knitting Front:

I am understanding the Knitters Christmas Panic. We leave for CA in six sleeps, I am chugging along on the Freak Vest, but have realized that I have not one pixie to do before then, but also 2 umbilical cord hats! I will never make it. I have to sleep and pack and take care of my lovely family. Oh yes and tonight I am having pictures taken...Again! So I will not have time to knit! Okay I am feeling better now. I will just do what I can and have fun doing it. Right now I am going to do the laundry. Endless task with family of five!

Tuesday, December 14, 2004

I should be knitting

I have started my pack for California list. It is already one page! I have gone one step further, I have started the 'Bin' for Ca. This is the Canadian Stupid Stores infamous green bin, now purple, that is overflowing in the bottom of my closet with stuff to be transferred to my suitcase. I would be hucking stuff straight into my suitcase by that would entertain my DH to much. He is getting quite a lot of entertainment from my excitement. Ah, well whatever makes him laugh.

The question I am wrestling with is: To wrap or not to wrap? If I wrap the few gifts that I have not already shipped then we know that customs will open my bags and unwrap them. If I don't wrap them customs will ignore my bags and I will be annoyed because I could have my wrapping done ahead of time, instead of on Christmas eve! I am overly organized (aka anal retentive) and will probably wrap them and to hell with customs.

Great run this a.m. It was very mild by Kamloops standards for mid-December (oh crap! is it mid-December already!) Did a 10K loop in good time with a strong run all the way up Pacific Way (very steep and 2k long) It was fun. Chest and back wts followed. During which I called the local radio station to answer the NIQ (nearly impossible question). What is the Websters word for 2004.....BLOG! I yelled at the radio. I missed winning by only one caller, Phhhhhffffft. Maybe I will know the next one.

Knitting Front:
Not much to report here. Still hoping to start and finish the fourth pixie B4 Ca. Working steadily on the Freak Vest. Shaping L front now. Still hoping to finish it so I can wear it on the plane.

Incredibly busy week this week. Christmas parties, runs, kids Christmas concert. Wish me luck. I am off to work on the Freak.

Thursday, December 09, 2004


THE PIXIE CHICKS: Posted by Hello

The Pixie Chicks!

Yippie! The pixies are done! (well I do have one more to go)

I had a great run with my group last night. We ran a quick 40 min hill run, they had a great time. It was my second run of the day and I felt great. It gave me a chance to have a guilt free day off today.

Presented the Pixies to Debbles and Mnt Goat MacKinnin. Photo follows.

I am feeling much better on the mood front the past few days. New Supplement or new attitude? Who cares, the point is I feel better.

I made my first online yarn order, from http://elann.com. I order a 100% wool they have on sale this week. Enough for three felted bags and maybe some left over I will find something to make with. It was so much cheaper than Kamloops LYS. I will be able to make 3 bags for the price of 1 1/2 bags! I can't wait to see the yarn.

Tuesday, December 07, 2004

Huge Learning Curve

Okay, I think I am feeling better. I started a supplement a few days ago that may be helping and I am generally making an effort to think happy thoughts and be less negative. This all seems to be working. I am WAY more patient with the kids today and I seem to be having more fun today. Yeah!

I found a free HTML course on the internet and I have been reading up on how to program web pages. I am trying to learn how to add all the cool things to my blog that will make more fun for all. I would like to add a hit counter first, so I know if anyone at all, other than me, is interested in my musings. I would like to add a graph of some kind that keeps track of my progress on my knitting projects, and I would like something to keep track of runs and w/o's per week. I feel like I am making a Christmas list for Santa. Anyway, I have learned lots already through the course and I only read a little bit, that is all I have time for. I can only soak up so much computer info per day...and I have reached my limit today.

Knitting Front:
Pixie #3 - I hope to finish tonight. Burning question? Do I have enough yarn? Mnt. Goat McKinnin has a lot of hair, so her hat is large....will there be enough yarn to cover her lovely locks?

Running Front:
3 days off in a row. I feel good, I needed a rest. I can't wait to run tomorrow. AM run with Mnt. Goat and PM run with run clinic, that should make up for missing today. Lots of snow flying today, I love running in the snow.

Monday, December 06, 2004

Funky Town

I don't know why, but I have been in a funk lately. I try to shake it off and I don't seem to be having any luck. Mountain Goat Mckinnin suggested that I write things down and let them them go that way...good idea...here goes.

I feel frustrated all the time. I am frustrated with my DH, who is a good man. I am frustrated with my kids, who are awesome and I am not in love with work right now, I usually love what I do, but lately, not so much. It is like somewhere along line I lost my passion for everything. I am scared by that.

I could just crawl in bed and sleep for about three months. I don't know if it is the weather, or if I am just tired, or if I just need a lobotomy. I have so much in my life to be passionate about, so why the funk? Does everyone do this to themselves or am I some sort of freakshow?

I have got to let go of the funky stuff. I need to find a way to get out of my system. I have tried running it out, that has worked before, but not this time. Maybe I need to try a tan. That sounds silly, but the sun has been elusive here in the Loops. Maybe it is some sort of Seasonal Disorder.

Well regardless of what it is, I have a loving amazing family that needs me to be at the top of my game, so I need to find my out of this funk. I am feeling a bit better just by writing this down and getting it out of my brain. Maybe just venting a bit will help me out, that would wonderful if that works. Cheaper than hours and hours of therapy! See that I am turning into my optimist old self already! Miss Mnt Goat McKinninn may be right! Look at the explanation points spill onto the page, this is good news. I will keep you posted.

Knitting Front:

About 1/2 way done with the third pixie. I hope to have it done by Wed. I have not been working on the Freak Vest. I have put it aside to make Christmas gifts, I would love to get a couple of rows in on the Freak this week. The thing is it is on a crappy set of dble pointed needles and that makes it cruddy to work on. Can anyone suggest a good brand, one that your work slides along nicely on?

I picked up the yarn for the 4th pixie yesterday (the last?!?) I got it all on sale at Michaels. Just coincidence (you see how much I have to be cheerful about). It will a sparkled red with black fun fur around the face, special request for ski patrol colors. I am getting tired of doing them, but I love each one more that the last. I will post a pixure when 3# is done. It is different from what I used on the last two. I always worry about gauge and if I have enough. I will stitch up a swatch after pixie #3.

Thursday, December 02, 2004

Amazing women, Crappy Men

Amazing Women

I am amazed by my life. I have found myself at 34years of age, surrounded by some of the most amazing women I have ever known. Women that show so much strength in their lives and help me to see the strengths in my own.

Bring on Tami, the mountain goat. She always makes me laugh. That girl can just send me a msn message and make me laugh. And somehow she always manages to time it when I need one more than ever. She pushes me to run faster, harder and of course higher than anyone I have ever met. It is not that she brings out my competitive edge, but that she inspires me, through all her hard work to be a better person and a better runner. Miss mountain goat is not afraid to call me out when I need it (I need this almost as often as I need my eyebrows waxed). She is also strong enough in her own rights to ask for help when she needs it. She is a 'tell-it-like-it-is' kind of gal...I love that.

And then there is Deb, 'Debbles'. Deb is a tough-nut. She keeps me hip and sane. If it weren't for Deb I would still be wearing my 80's jeans, my husbands t-shirts topped with the oh-so-sexy oversized button down flannel shirt. She also tells me when to get my eyebrows waxed. I need this. Between Deb and I we have 4 kids (my3 and her1) , we both have 4 kids really. Her daughter is as near and dear to me as my own and vise-versa. I am not sure who got the good end of the stick. She gets 4 kids and only one delivery. I get 4 kids and Deb to help with the work load. She inspires me to keep myself strong. You should see the girl she is a power house and has a wonderful spiritual side. She helps me balance myself.

This is not all, there are so many, many more, Leanna, Denise, Vike...I would bore you to death to list them all. How did I get so blessed to have this amazing network?

Crappy Men

Here is my question for the universe, or anyone else that dares to field it: why are wonderful women attracted to crappy men? Or are Crappy men just smart(they must have some redeeming qualities) and they are snatching up all the wonderful women while the good guys are having tea with their mothers? There are some exceptions, several of the wonderful women I know have DH's that treat them very well. It is the single wonderful women who I worry so much about. These women seem to have no idea how incredible they are! They don't know they should be treated like gold. They need men that tell them everyday how much they are loved and how phenomenal they are!

Okay I am feeling better now.

Knitting Front:

CO for Tami's Christmas Pixie starting now!



Wednesday, December 01, 2004

Getting my Groove on

I am having a great time getting my chistmas groove on this afternoon. I just blew the dust off the xmas mp3 files and I am grooving to a Very Elvis Christmas as we speak! I love this time of year. The shopping, the chirstmas cookies, the chirstmas parties, I think my favorite part is the excitement that fills me when I find just the right gift for the special people in my life.

This year I got my DH the gift of lifetime. I can hardly wait for the big day. The kids too...I can't wait for the present frenzy. The gift opening! Watching my daughter's eyes go huge with the opening of a gift and discovering a new doll! Sebastian (3years) loves tools and blocks anything he can build with. Q (1year) will just love the paper, the tearing, the excitement. I will love seeing Christmas through the eyes of my children, I will love being home with my sister and family....did I mention how excited I am this year?

This year we are going home to California for Chistmas, I have not been home for 2 years. I will miss the snow! I am already packing things...what a nut! (did I mention that I am a transplant? I am Camerican. I was born and raised in the bay area, California. I have lived in Canada for 5 years now.)

knitting front: The 2nd pixie is done. I will post a photo of Debbles wearing it as soon as I give to her. I have to finish another one and then I give them away for Christmas gifts. The timing is good, it finally cold enough to wear a hat.


Monday, November 29, 2004

I did it!

I figured out how to post my pictures. This program is way easier for the green blogger.

The pixie is in its final stages, I hope to finish it tonight. The Freak Vest...by the New year.

After the pixie, I have 2 more to do. This seems to be the problem with cute patterns...everyone wants one and you end up making four of the same thing instead of trying something new. What cracks me up is the people who started out pokeing fun at me for knitting are now asking for the coveted projects! I love irony.

Freak Vest Posted by Hello

Debble's Pixie Posted by Hello

Yesterday, Nov. 28 2004

Okay, Okay, I started my first blog yesterday on bloglines, but seemed to have a little beginer trouble. This site looked like it might be easier to learn on...so here I am.

Just to keep myself (and whoever may want to follow along) curent here is yesterday's post. Nothing like being a day late and a $ short right from the get go!

Nov 28, 2004

Okay, Let's Rock and Roll! I have been online checking out blogs and have decided to jump in wiht both feet and start one of my own. Bare with me on this, I am a beginer and this will always be a work in progress.

I am starting with the idea of this being my knitting blog, but I am sure the rest of my life will trickle (pour, flood) in as I go. I am a knitter, but I am also a mom, a business owner, a wife, a chiropractor, a woman, a sister, a runner....I think you get the idea.

About the knitting, I have been knitting since June, my mom taught me when she came for a visit, and I am hooked. I have completed about 10 projects since I started...it has turned into an addiction. I started with a seed stitch scarf and I have now made, hats, purses, a felted bag, and more hats. I have recently started on my biggest adventure yet, a vest. It is the Freak vest in Amy Singer's book, Knit Wit. It is going well, but I seem to have a case of knitter's ADD. I can't seem to dedicate myself to only one thing at time. So the vest is going slow, I am making pixie hats for all my friends (also Knit Wit) at the same time.

All this talk of knitting has my needles calling me. I am going to knit now and learn to blog later. Also all three kids are sleeping now...I did mention I was a mom...they are 1, 2, and 3 years of age...and all napping! So I'm off to knit.

I will post some pictures when I figure out how