Fast yes, furious not so much

Consider this a post card.  I weighed myself yesterday evening.  After a week on Phase I South Beach diet, I've lost 6 lbs.  The only exercise I get is shopping, and I have to keep that pretty short 'coz the sciatica hurts like heck after a bit.  You could do this too.  Just sayin'!

Woe is me

I just finished up all the manual work my supervisor sent home with me.  Yes, I worked on Sunday.  Yes, I am going straight to hell in a handbasket.
And that's not the only bad thing I've done lately:  last night we cruised over to Bed, Bath & Beyond and spent some dough for a few "useful" things.  We got a nice bamboo dish drainer & the matching utensil basket, a slightly less expensive version of the spice rack I'd seen in the circular, my Be Active sciatica brace (!!! can't wait to see how well this works, could be a game-changer; got my fingers crossed!!), a little set of under the sink drawers for the master vanity, and a nifty thing that I hardly know how to describe.  It's one of those multi-tools for escaping the car, with a glass-breaking pointed hammer, a seat belt cutter, a flashlight, and another nifty feature: pop the pointed hammer into the door-latch space (door is open, natch) and a handicapped person can use the very secure handle as an assist to getting in or out of the car.  I've already used it for both, and it is quite secure, and gives me a good handle to support myself there.  The Plaidman spotted the thing at the register, and after we bought it he peeled off the packaging -- I don't think I even saw the name on the pack.
So we're guilty of enjoying having a little money to throw around!

This 'n that

10/24/15 ETA:    I'm starting back on the South Beach Phase 1 diet.  I've had to fudge a little, because South Beach compliant foods weren't in the pantry.  Yesterday I had a breakfast of 2 eggs scrambled, seasoned lightly & wrapped in a slice of high-fiber whole wheat bread.  Lunch was also not compliant, I had some Campbell's split pea with ham soup, which has potatoes and carrots included.  I guess I could have picked out the root veggies.  Dinner was a Lean Cuisine turkey dinner.  This morning started better: I wrapped the scrambled eggs in a couple of Romaine lettuce leaves!  I was pleasantly surprised yesterday, as I did not get hungry again until almost 11 a.m. -- I'm usually famished by 9:30!  Today's lunch will be a salad of mixed greens (heavy on the spinach, yum!) with cauliflower florets and some cooked turkey (ok -- it's turkey breast lunch meat, 99% fat free).  The sciatica has been a major pain lately, and I know that if I can get down to about 165 lbs it will be a lot less of a problem. I've actually done pretty well sticking to the South Beach plan this time, been mostly compliant all week!  We had a birthday luncheon Wednesday, chili and hot dogs -- I had a large bowl of chili & one dog without the bun.  I did splurge on a slice of birthday cake.  I have been having Romaine lettuce wraps for breakfast, with eggs (2), or an egg & sliced ham, or 2 slices of ham.  And I don't really miss my Raisin Bran.

I worked last Saturday, then went to Dillard's Boot Day "event".  Dillard's, you may want to add a few extra staffers to the Shoe Dept when you're advertising an "event" -- it took us forever to get help, but the staffer was really very nice so we made the best of it.  Anyway, I had been looking at ankle boots for weeks, thinking to replace the tan ones of man-made material, that came apart a few weeks after I bought them last year.  And I found two pairs @ $99.00 each, both handsome and leather, so the question was: Which pair do I buy?  The staffer offered a discount if I applied for a Dillards charge card...so I bought both pairs!  That's a smart staffer, wish I'd gotten her name so I could give her kudos here.  'Coz she sold me one more pair than I had intended to buy, and made it very pleasant.  Can hardly wait to wear these beauties:

"Olive drab" = greenish brown

The color is closer in the 1st pic

But I will wait until my "maid" has put the protective spray on them -- must be nice to the new suede lovelies.  Christina has a sign at her desk, "Will work for shoes" -- eat your heart out, Christina!!  These babies are mine all mine.
So, here it is Saturday again -- the Komen Race happened out in Brentwood, and I didn't want to go over there while that was on.  So the boss sent me home with a briefcase full of manual reports to code.  I've been working in my housecoat & slippers.  TomTom discovered that I was parked near the door to the deck, and has been in and out all flippin' day.  He likes to sit in the planters -- it's ok, I haven't had any flowers there in ages, and he doesn't seem to know what dirt is for (he's been an inside kitteh all his life).

He really thought about running the 5K for Komen too; look at him getting kitted up in his pink ribbon knit hat.....
I'm about to update the Challenge page!

Weekend To-Do's

I'm hoping Disco & I can go over to the costume shop today, and get some medieval gowns for All Hallows.  I don't want to do a lot of walking and/or standing around to accomplish this!  And I would prefer not spending a small fortune for these -- I'm hoping to rent rather than buy! 
Well, that plan has already hit a snag -- the shop closes super early on Saturday.  I will have to go after work next Tuesday & get the family to meet me there (I have a feeling I'll need a dresser).
This week I've been digging deeper into the jewelry boxes, for some oldies but goodies.  The Plaidman & I went on a canyon vacation out west many, many years ago.  One of the mementos I've kept is a little choker of bugle beads, turquoise chips, and a shell -- it's older than DiscoDame!

And, appropriately, I wore it with paisley!  The earring featured in the middle pic is one (of a pair, of course) that Disco made for me, I just love them.  And check out the sweater chain!  I found that in an antique shop, and boy howdy was it a rare find.  I'd been looking at antique shops, yard sales, and just wherever I thought I might find one.  I can't wait till November...when I can get a haircut!
The Plaidman & I went over to the library, to verify that he can pick up held books I've requested.  While there, I found French Girl Knits Accessories.  Some nice stuff...makes me wonder why I haven't already bought it!  I mean, accessories are just perfect for giftables -- tiny, portable, not much of an investment in yarn...Although I think the yarn buying moratorium has expired.

Busy and not

I thought I would be working this Saturday, but we're caught up in coding, so I took the day off.  Woot!  We went out -- on this rainy chilly windy day -- to High Meadows Alpaca Farm in Leiper's Fork.  The first thing I did there was to buy a chullo, because my hair was braided back and my ears were f-f-freezing!  Of course, I didn't get any pictures of it until we were in the car on the way home:

Car Selfies!

It made the visit a lot more pleasant.  We (Disco & I) did manage to get one alpaca to come right up to the fence, after the owner gave us her name.  And isn't that just the cutest thing, that she knows her name!  Meet Cinderella, a lovely chocolate color alpaca, and her two nameless buds:

Oh, their faces are so darn cute!  Got these little mop-tops, and big eyes beneath.  

"Don't hate me because I'm beautiful."

These two ladies had been shopping, and had an alpaca figure covered, of course, in alpaca hair -- and Cinderella wanted to check it out.

When the rain started getting serious, the alpacas in the meadow came down to the shed -- and that tall fella there is a llama, likely their big defender and leader.  I got a lot of video of several more of these cuties, but my vids are all too big for Blogger use.  

I went shopping too!  I have a large skein of bronze alpaca lace weight, and two small balls of bronze alpaca & wool fingering.  I had a brilliant idea that I could make a bronze chain for my Halloween costume, out of I-cord links of one or both of these bronzey yarns!  Quicker than knitting a shawl, and certainly lighter in weight than actual bronze chains.  If only I liked making I-cord...hmm, come to think of it, I've got a spool knitter that would make it a little quicker still.  That's the ticket.

Oh, BTW, the Weekday Outfits Challenge page has been updated.  I gotta figure out a way to make separate posts on that page, or maybe put all that stuff on a separate blog?  There doesn't seem to be an easy way to post there like posting here.  

The birthday

I've survived another year.  And I am so d**n silly sometimes.  At the Box O'Docs, I'm in the coding department.  This used to be part of a larger department, we had about 22 people all told.  My current supervisor had this whole department, which had several functions.  Then it got broken up, and now she only supervises the coders -- much better for her!  Anyway, the former big department still invites the coders to participate in their fun activities; it's always been one of the best-fed groups in the company!  And they celebrate birthdays big time, putting crepe paper buntings and mylar banners and balloons in the celebrants' cubicles.  Well, I'm a nut and sometimes not as observant as I could be, and I had gotten the impression that all this decorating was occurring the Monday before the actual birthday so it could be enjoyed all week.  The Monday before my birthday I did not find my cubicle decorated.  I fretted a bit, just a bit.  Tuesday, still no decorations.  I began to get upset, to the point that had trouble going to sleep that night.  Wednesday, still no %^$#@& decorations.  I began to get a little steamed.  Then I wondered if maybe only the Big Dept personnel were getting the gala treatment, and finally decided that must be the case.  So I went home and didn't think of it again, and when I showed up for work Thursday my cubicle was covered in birthday stuff.  My supervisor brought over a vase of flowers and a cardboard tiara and a great handful of Mardi Gras beads.  I put on the beads and tiara, and worked happy.  When I got home my photographer took some decent pics.

I took off the Mardi Gras beads, the very snug blouse & cami, changed to a more comfortable knit tee, and opened my presents: The Rowan Pure Wool Worsted Collection pattern book, and Debbie Bliss magazine issue 15.  And then, we went out!  Plaidman had told the ladies at Bliss Yarns that he'd try to bring me by, so we went there first.  I got some more presents!  I now have blocking wires! Woot!  And I got a lot of DK weight yarn, for two projects.  And yes, I was still wearing the tiara.  So next we went over to the Greek Deli (very original name..) and the fellahs behind the counter looked like deer in the headlights when they saw the tiara.  It was so fun.  So this is a birthday to remember.

Unwinding

        That's pretty much all I've done today.  Sorry, the Workday Outfits update will have to wait 'till tomorrow.  I had today off work, after working a half day yesterday.  And after work, I rolled on home for lunch, then the Plaid Patrol headed for the Tennessee Crafts Fair.  I did walk around past about 70% of the booths, with stops as available to sit & rest.  None of us bought any handcrafted items.  I think the Plaidman was determined to rein in any more spending on birthday swag for me!

            Which is totally cool, since we made a stop at Bliss Yarns on my birthday -- and I got nine stamps on my discount card!  I am the delighted owner of a set of sweater blockers from Fiber Fantasy, nine balls of Rowan Pure Wool Superwash DK, 3 balls of Cascade Yarns Roslyn (also DK), and a ball of Lana Gatto Super Soft which looks very close to UT orange.  All this was pretty close to $200.00.  And my yarn buying moratorium is officially over.  As to why it's all DK weight: I did go through my yarn stash as I was clearing it from the closet, and saw that I had lots of lace weight, fingering, worsted, and bulky yarns -- but no double knit weight at all.  And I actually bought all these yarns with specific projects in mind!  Not my usual method, which is to go pet lots of yarn and buy a bunch of the most appealing.
         Well, I've got to finish this.  I'm working 6 days next week, and probably will for about a month.  ICD-10 is just around the corner, and all our coders are being pressed for 50 hours weekly.  I sure hope it's only for a month.