Jan Got her Socks!

Yeah, I just got word from my Monkey Swap Pal that she did get her package. Only she was away visiting her daughter when it was delivered. I am so relieved. I was paranoid that the PO had just dropped it on her doorstep and some unknown knitting junky had driven by and snatched it. Here is the link Jan's post. Now that I know she has everything OK, I will post my own pictures of the items. She loved the socks, which makes me real happy. This was my first swap and I had such a good time putting it all together. When I first started the swap, no matter where I looked, I could only find stuffed Monkeys. Everyone else was finding stuff all over the place, but not me. But I did find enough stuff and was able to through in a few extras. And I'm glad she like the stethoscope cover I made out of Monkey Fabric that I found at Erica's. I was worried after I sent it because someone mentioned that some offices weren't allowing their nurses to wear them because after one use they weren't sterile anymore. But she said she's using it and that she like it. I just got this great glow this morning, knowing that she was happy with her stuff.

B100 Fit Club Update:

Today was Weigh-In Wednesday, where B100 announced all of the teams weight loss results. I really didn’t hear all of the non-DJ teams results, although I did catch that 1 team lost 30 pounds. I think it was a Goshen team. The results for the DJ teams are as follows:

Super Jock Jamie & the Couch Potatoes = Lost 25 lbs.
Deb Miles & the Dazzling Divas = Lost 30 lbs. (This is my team)
Cody & the Chunky Monkeys = Lost 58 lbs.

I am so amazed at everyone!! Great job to all of us.

I “fell off the wagon” last night. Well, not totally. I went to a function at ND about weaving. They said they would have snacks and drinks. Was hoping for a veggie tray, but all they had were chips/salsa and cheese tortillas halves. Well, I had about 10 chips with salsa and 1 small cheese tortilla half and a bottle of water. Then for dinner, I stopped at Martins Deli and got a salad with garlic wine vinegar dressing. The only thing was that I really didn’t have any protein except the little bit of cheese that was in the tortilla. So this morning, I was starving by the time I had breakfast.

1st Week Weigh-In

B100 Fit Club Update: I have completed my first week on "The Cardio Free Diet" by Jim Karas. Really, the diet is not hard to follow at all it just involves counting calories, which I have never done before. I just keep a log of everything I eat and since I love playing around with spreadsheets I made up a spreadsheet to track everything and automatically add everything up. I also added a tab that has my exercises on it and one to track my weight and one to track inches lost. Did I mention I love to play around with spreadsheets!! :o)

I have tried a couple of the recipes from the book that I would not normally have tried. They were both really good; the Grilled Salmon and the Creamy Eggs with Spinach and Tomato. I was a bit leery about the Creamy Eggs, because in my mind I have never added creamy, eggs, and spinach together. But I took a chance and they were good. Next time though I won't cook the tomatoes in it. I like them raw and just layered over the top better.

I emailed my results to Deb, the Dazzling Divas team leader, this morning. I have lost 8 lbs in the first week of my diet. I am so excited!!!

UFO Updates: I got half of the binding done on Landon's Toddler Quilt. I just couldn't watch the "Transformers" movie and sew at the same time. I thought I was supposed to see McKelle this Friday, but nope it's not until next Friday. So I have one week reprieve . I will finish it next Sunday.

Monkeys Revealed!!

I stopped by the PO last night on my way home to get my package. I was so worried that I wouldn't make it before they closed. There was a car accident and 4 lanes of traffic had to be detoured a couple of blocks out of the way. I pulled into the parking lot at 5pm and thought for sure I'd have to come back tomorrow. I raced inside and guess what, their open until 6pm! So I rushed for nothing. When I got up to the counter, I couldn't find my orange slip. I thought for sure I had put it in my purse, so I wouldn't lose it. Had a bit of a panic attack, thinking I wouldn't be able to get my package, but luckily they accepted my drivers license and handed me the package. Was a bit worried, they would try asking me who the package was from for further verification. Because unlike myself, my secret pal was VERY good at keeping her identity a secret.

I found I had some help trying to get the box open. Java decided since I set the box on HIS perch, it must be worth investigating.


And here are all the lovely items that I received from Kary in Oklahoma. My new Sock Monkey is perfect. The colors will match my sewing room (once it's done). I also received a Sock Monkey Calendar, notebook and stitch markers. A monkey tape measure and some lovely denim blue Koigu sock yarn with 2 Cookie A. patterns; Mona and Thelonious. I think I'll use the Koigu on the Mona Socks.


And lest I not forget, here is a closeup of my Monkey Socks. Kary, I absolutely love the colors!! They just scream ME. The socks are made from JitterBug, 100% Merino Wool sock yarn. The color is Summer Berries. YUM! They fit great too. I wore them to work today.

Kary, thanks so much for my package. All of it was great.

Another UFO Bites the Dust

I have been wanting to start on my Temple Guardians quilt, but I thought before I start another appliqué project, maybe I should finish the one I have started now. I mean it was only 7 flower petals and 4 flower centers away from being done. So here it is! I finished it up last night before I went to bed.
I made this to hang in the kitchen. I am planning to paint the kitchen a pale yellow and decorate in blue and white. I actually have the paint, just haven't got the actual painting done yet.

B100 Fit Club Update: Doing great on the new meal plan and diet. I made Grilled Salmon for the first time in my life last night. I've never really liked fish, because I don't like the smell of raw fish. It's just to Fishy, if that makes sense. I do like Talapia, very mild and almost no smell. Anyway, my salmon turned out wonderful; so moist and flakey. I grilled 8 min. skin side down and then 5 on the other side. I had grilled asparagus with it and it was yummy!! Also, I weighed myself this morning and I have lost 4 lbs. Tomorrow night I will be going to Pinnacle Gym to work out with Deb Miles, our group captain. Maybe someone there can show me what I am doing wrong with the Standing Hamstring Curl. This is done with a rubber exercise tube around your ankles. But every time I try it, the tub just slides up my leg.

Monkey Sock Swap Update: When I got home last night, I found a little orange card in my mailbox letting me know that the PO has a package for me. I am so excited!! My only regret was that the PO was already closed, so I couldn't go get it right then. I can't wait to head home tonight. Will post photos tomorrow.

Celtic Wallhanging

Here is a photo of the Celtic Wallhanging that I got finished at retreat. The colors are of course more vibrant in real life. I think it turned out great.

B100 Fit Club Update: I got up a 6am this morning to do my exercises. Those who don't know me will probably think "Big Deal" about that. But see I am not a morning person. I usually don't get up until 7am and leave by 7:35am. I also made the breakfast they listed for day #1, the Sunrise Omelet. Man, is that a lot of food. It had 4 egg whites and 3 cups of veggies (tomato, broccoli, and gr. pepper). That's more food than I normally eat. I had to struggle to eat it all and I have to admit I tossed out about 1/2 cup. Tomorrow, I'm going for the cereal/fruit or yogurt/fruit. Same amount of calories, but I know I won't struggle with those since that is what I normally eat for breakfast. Eggs for breakfast, unless it is the weekend, just usually don't interest me.

Monkey Swap Update: To top of a really good day yesterday, when I got home there was a little orange card from the Post Office in my mailbox telling me the PO had a box for me. I have to go pick it up today. I am so excited!! Can't wait to head home tonight. Will post pictures tomorrow.

Retreat Follow-up & B100 Fit Club News

I was away at quilt retreat this weekend. It was great fun. I got completed almost everything that I had planned. YES the binding is on Landon's quilt. I have to hand sew it down, but actually putting the binding on by machine is the tough part. I will work on the hand sewing this week and finish it up on Sunday at work. I also finished my Celtic Wall hanging. It turned out beautifully and I got lots of compliments. I finished 2 of the buck-a-block blocks, but the other 3 are all partially sewed. I just have 3 seams on each one and they will be done. I probably would have got them done if I hadn't taken a couple hours off on Saturday to go to the B100 Fit Club, but it's no big deal.

What is th B100 Fit Club, you ask? It was sponsored by B100, our local country music station. They brought in Jim Karas, author of The Cardio-Free Diet. The plan was that he would give us a bit of a lecture and a "light" workout to explain the some of the strength training exercises from his book. Which I thought would be very helpful to know, because I'm a visual person and I learn better by being shown something than having to read it and do it on my own. I loved the whole experience! He's a great speaker and I felt so motivated and pumped to get started. But that was not a "light" workout. As least for me it wasn't. I was really feeling it in my arms/shoulders and back yesterday. I felt great and invigorated afterwards, but it was tough. Also, the 3 morning DJ's from B100 (Deb, Cody, and Super Jock Jamie) chose members of the audience to be a part of their own personal teams for the 12 week Fit Club event. Then the rest were split up by region and/or offices if a group of people all came from one office. I was one of the members chosen to be on Deb Miles team. There are 9 of us: Sharon, Barb, Ann, Kim, Kim T., Tamara, Kathy, Sandy. Sorry, I can't remember the final members name. Deb announced on the radio this morning that the name of our team is going to be The Dazzling Divas. At least we aren't Chunky Monkey's. Bit is not the names that are important, it the commitment and effort we are all putting forth. Jim Karas had left a comment on my blog earlier last week, and I was so blown away by that. I thought it was wonderful that he would do that. I got to meet him and have my picture taken with him. I will post it later as it is not downloaded yet. I don't know about anyone else, but I had a really great time and I wanted to thank B100 and it's staff for setting this all up. It is just what I needed right now.

Quilt Retreat is Finally Here!!!!

Yeah, I am so siked. Quilt retreat starts tonight. I got everything packed and loaded in the car last night. I decided to take mostly UFO projects to work on. I have been knitting so much this last summer/fall that I have barely done any sewing at all. And there are things that have been hiding in the sewing room way too long. Here is a breakdown of what I'm taking:

1. Landon's Toddler Blanket - All it needs is the binding.
2. Pillow Shams for the new couch and chair (which are now 2 years old)
2. Buck-a-block Block of the Months (5 months behind)
3. Tea cup wallhanging. (have 6 flower petals to hand sew and 4 flower centers - that's ALL)

I did bring 1 new project to start working on. That is my Temple Guardians Block of the Month pattern that I got as a gift from my friend Patsy. The BOM is from StoryQuilts.com and each BOM comes with a chapter of a story about a small Siamese Cat that wants to become a temple guardian. I'll read each chapter as I work on each block. I love siamese cats. My very best friend of 16 years was Charlie. Of course Charlie never really new she was a cat or at least she wasn't going to admit to it. She loved bananas and anything with mint in it. Especially York peppermint patties. No matter how quietly I tried to open the package (so I wouldn't have to share of course), she would hear and come running; even if she was upstairs. And Bengay cream was like cocaine to her. If I put Bengay on my ankle, I had to not only wrap it with an ace bandage, but put a blanket over it too. She would then proceed to sit on me (so I couldn't get away) and try to lick a hole through the blanket to try to get a fix. If I did try to get away, she would follow me around the house and try to lick me every time I stopped. Anyway, I got the last of the fabric picked out yesterday with the help of my friend Kathy. It is all washed and ready for me to start working on it. And Patsy did the freezer paper templates for me while she has been recovering from her hip replacement surgery. Thanks Patsy!

Only I can't start on it, no matter how much I want too, until I have finished Landon's Toddler quilt.

I am on the Saturday night meal crew and it is my responsibility to provide the salad. Unless someone changed something, we will be having spaghetti, salad, garlic bread and a dessert. Yeah, we NEVER go hungry at retreat. Although there have been a couple of close calls, like the burnt meatball soup, Corrine has no sense of smell and didn't realize it was scorched. But we all ate a bowl, just so we wouldn't hurt her feelings and we have never let her forget that one. :o)

I'm taking Dad's (I almost said mine) digital camera, so I'll post photos on Monday.

Monkey Socks are on there way!!

I shipped out my Monkey Goodies yesterday to my pal. I really hope she enjoys them. I had a great time putting it all together. Of course the note I had planned to included got left out of the box, so she'll get that separately, but hey I was so excited to actually seal the box that I just plum forgot. Here is a sneak teaser of the stuff.

Seriously people, did you really think I'd show you everything before she gets it? Of course not!

Pufpaff Fiber Mill Photos

Here are the photos from the Pufpaff Fiber Mill. The sheep are for sale at I think $200 each, but if you want the whole flock, she'll make you a deal.

On the way out to see the livestock, we walked past the garden. I don't know why HUGE pumpkins are so fascinating, but they are.


And here is the carding machine process. In the first picture, Suzanne (the owner/operator) is feeding cleaned merino fleece into the carding machine. She weighed it first and I think she said she had 12 oz. Then you see the see the "combed" fibers coming off the central drum and being twisted into one long strand. The last photo is of the light fluffy beautiful merino roving being collected into a bag. Vicki bought it and I think she paid for 8 oz. It was soo soft.


And this last photo is of the hand felted project that I completed. I forgot to get photos of the Jessica's, Elizbeth's and the one Vicki brought home.

We all had a really good time. Everyone was talking about trying to do another tour at a fiber mill down near Indianapolis and I think that would be fun too.

Updates

I finally get the pictures downloaded when I say I'm going to download them and then blogger pukes when I try to download them. I'll get them up as soon as blogger starts cooperating. Promise.

Well, here are some other updates that I forgot to mention.

Blood Test Results - I went to the Doctor to get my results from the bloodwork they drew on 10/4. Here they are:

Cholesterol = 157 (total)
HDL = 41.0
LDL = 45.6
Triglycerides = 352 YIKES!!! Should be below 250
Glucose = 76
Calcium = 8.3 (lower limit = 8.5, so I have to start taking a calcium supp. since I already either drink milk each day or have a yogurt.)

I went mainly to get my iron tested, because I had been having problems donating blood.
Hematocrit = 37.5% (too low to donate, but above the 35% lower limit so the Dr.'s not worried)

My white blood count was high too, so the Dr. re-ran the CBC blood test. I should have those result this week.

Even before I had this bloodwork done, I knew I had to go on a "diet". I have been listening to B100, a country music radio station, and they are having Jim Karas come in this weekend to give a lecture on his book, Cardio-Free Diet. You concentrate on strength training and building muscles. I had already planned to attend and it's a good thing too. Got to get the weight under control AND work on those triglycerides. They say the best way to lower the triglycerides is to cut back on sugar and carbs (I love sweets and I love bread). Also, I have decided to go ahead and take the iron supplement each day along with the multi-vitamin and the extra calcium. I have been doing this for the last week and I don't know if it's just a mind thing or not, but I seem to be feeling better. Low iron makes you tired all the time, because red blood cells carry the oxygen around. Therefore low iron means not enough oxygen. I havent' been feeling so extremely tired by the time I go home and I haven't knapped on the sofa before dinner once this week.

Catching Up

Sorry I haven't posted much. I've been slacking off, but I've been pretty busy and just hadn't gotten around to the computer.

The only really big thing that has happened over this last week is that I and several friends visited the Pufpaff Fiber Mill in Nashville, MI. Didn't know Michigan had a Nashville, but low and behold there it was. It was a long drive, but is was fun. We all got to see the sheep, llamas and alpaca. Really, for the life of me, I couldn't tell the difference between an alpaca or llama. They both looked alike. The owner walked us through all the steps of processing raw wool. We saw where she washed and/or dyed it if needed. The drying room was next. It looked a little like barracks with netted hammocks hanging from PVC piping. The wet wool was snuggled in the hammocks. It looked kind of yucky at this point. Then we got to see the carding machine. That was really neat. I took pictures, but of course haven't gotten them downloaded yet. Hopefully tonight. We also learned how to hand felt a small project. There is a fine line between using just enough soapy water and too much soapy water. I, of course, used too much. And squeezed too much too obviously because I had oodles and oodles of suds going. Neither Jess or Elizabeth L. were getting that many suds. It was fun, but I don't know if it will be me. Which may be a relief, as that is one less craft bug that I wasn't bit by. The owner also showed us her patterns and explained how to knit or crochet straight from roving instead of spinning and then knitting. She had this lovely afghan on her sofa that was soooo soft. I bought some roving to attempt a pair of felted clogs knitted from roving. Will see how that goes.

Monkey Update: I have the socks done and everyone done except 1 sewing related item that I was supposed to have gotten done this last weekend. It will get done this weekend as I am going to a Quilt Retreat this weekend and all of those supplies will be going with me.

I Plied My First Yarn!!

I learned how to Ply my spinning last night. Over this last spring and summer, I have been learning to use a drop spindle. Vicki from Simple Knits showed me. It is quite addictive, but I had set my spinning aside to do the Monkey Swap. At the Fiber Frolic on Saturday, I asked Liz Mathews how to ply using a drop spindle. She told me to use a ball winder to wind the spun wool. Then ply the ball together from the outside string and the inside string. So I tried that on Sunday. Big disaster! I kept getting tangled up since the outside string would come out longer than the inside. My first thought was that if it was this difficult to ply with a spindle, I would either not ply or try to work out a deal with one of the spinners who has a wheel. But first I did a search on the web and found this Website http://www.handspinning.com/lollipops/spininst.htm by Carol Cassidy-Fayer. It was very interesting. I had looked at this one before when I was first learning to spin. Anyway, I followed her suggestion about putting 2 balls of spun yarn in coffee cups and threading the end through the handle and up to the spindle. I had to have Vicki help me finesse my technique a bit, but it worked out great. In this photo, you can just barely see the 2 coffee mugs in the upper left corner.

And here is some of my finished product. I have a 2 more balls to spin. If my calculations are right, I have 84 yards in the first hank. Definitely not enough for a pair of socks, but I might get a anorexic scarf out of it.

Can't wait to get the rest of it done. Then I have to set the twist. I will post finished photos when I get them, I was just so excited I had to post these now. Oh by the way, this was 100% Targhee dyed by Liz Mathews, The Chocolate Princess.

My Monkey Socks are Done!!

Monkey Sock number 2 is done. I finished it while at lunch today. I have to graft the toe closed tonight and I have a few things to make, so I should have them ready to ship by next Monday. Yeah! This has been a lot of fun. Hopefully the next one doesn't start until after the holidays because I need to do some Christmas knitting. I will take pictures before I ship, I promise.

Ravelry!

I got my invite to Ravelry on Saturday. I didn't actually get signed in until Sunday though. What was funny about it was that I was at our Fiber Frolic meeting and a bunch of us were discussing who was on and when the others would be getting our invites. I have been playing with it a little and it is really neat so far. I found 4 of my Frog Pond friends on line and 1 found me (I didn't even know she was there).

Oh The Fiber Frolic was a blast. I took a few pictures and will upload them tonight. If I counted right, there was about 16 of us. 17 if you counted the Susan's 'soon to be born' grandchild. :o) Susan's new house was very lovely and I can't wait until next year to see the pond/fountains that her son is working on for her. They sound great. We have LOTS of yummy food; Turkey Sloppy Joes, Thumbprint Cookies, Veggies Tray, Apple Crisp, Applesauce Jello, Apple Cider, Chips/Salsa, Bruchetta/Dip, Pepper Cream Cheese Dip with Wheat Thins, Brownies, Lemon Squares, Pineapple Upside Down Cake. I'm sure there's some items that I am forgetting, but they were all very tastey. And I nibbled all day!

I always get a nice glow when I bring something and someone asks for the recipe. I brought the Applesauce Jello. It is so easy to make and it tastes so refreshing. Here is the recipe for everyone else too.

1 large box of Raspberry Jello (or 2 small)
2 cups boiling water
1 23-25 oz jar of Applesauce (I prefer the no-sugar added one)

Disolve the jello in the boiling water. Add the Jello to the applesauce. Mix and refrigerate overnight. Notes: If I add the applesauce to the jello, I tend to splash alot. It takes longer to set-up with the applesauce in it.

Enjoy!!

Good Thoughts

After I posted the Doctor's visit information, I decided that all sounded too negative. So here are some brighter things to think about.

1. Went to Bella Vita and visited with a bunch of knitting friends last night. Aubrey, Elizabeth, Natsuran, Kristine, Jessica, Mary, Susan, Sarah and Sarah's Mom. We had a good time and I got some more of my Monkey Sock done.

2. This Saturday is the Frog Pond bi-monthly get together. We get to see Susan's new house and visit. There will be lots of spinning, knitting, visiting, and eating going on.

3. Next week I have the 12th off as a vacation day and I don't have to work on the basement!! Several of my Frog Pond friends and I will be traveling to Allegan, MI to visit Pufpaff's Fiber Mill. Liz, Jessica, Vicki, Chris, and Me.

4. Quilt Retreat is coming up on Oct. 19-21. I get to visit will all of the Tuesday Night Crazy Quilters from around Hartford, MI. I am taking Landon's toddler quilt with me and IT MUST BE COMPLETED. No more slacking! The weather is getting cool at night and he will need it on his bed.

So there, good thoughts and a very busy month.

Doctors Visits - Yuck

I don't know anyone who likes Doctors Visits. I went today to get my blood work checked out. Hadn't had it done since late 2005 I think. I have been having a problem with low iron since 2005. That's why I had the blood work done in 2005. Every time I went to donate blood, I would be turned away because my iron was low; between 35% to 37%. It has to be at least 38% to donate. When I look back over my donation card, on the times when I was able to donate, my iron was only 38% or 39%. Well in 2005, the Dr's office said "yeah it's low, but it's within range". This year, the last time I was able to donate was in April. During July I got the "too Low" rejection again. So they give you a list of food that is known to raise your iron level and also suggested I take an iron supplement. Still didn't work though. I went in 3 times and the highest I could get it was 37%. Last night I thought I would give it another try. Well they didn't even get around to checking my iron, because they said my blood pressure was 135 over 104; Too High. So I went to the Doctor today to have them check my blood pressure and do blood work to see where I stand. Last year my Doctor moved into a NEW facility. Boy is it nice! There are multiple TV's in the waiting room; one on the cartoon network and one on TBS and one on the news. They even had TV's in the examining rooms! I guess that's so if you are engrossed in watching TV, you won't notice how long it takes the Dr. to get to you. Although honestly I only had to wait 15-20 minutes, which I didn't think was too hellicious. I can remember waiting twice that long at his old office. Anyway, my blood pressure is fine; 135 over 74. I had mentioned that I thought the cuff the blood bank was using was too small and the nurse said that can give you a "bad" reading. Next time I should ask them them put it on my forearm. I have to wait until next week for the results to come back. In the mean time I was given a B12 shot (in the butt) to help with the iron, my flu shot and a tetanus shot since I hadn't had one since 1997.

This was my 2nd Doctor's visit this week. I had to go to the Eye Doctor on Monday. I had a flair up of Optic Neuritis. The short explanation for that is the Optic Nerve swells and causes flashing lights in your eye. I started getting this in 1996 or 97. They come and go. The only problem is that even though I have a diagnosis, it is one of those things that happen that the medical world does not know the cause of. Therefore they don't know how to cure it. The first couple of years that I had it, I went back to the Dr. every time it came back. However, that got expensive as I would need to have either a steroid treatment or another MRI only to be told "No Change". After that I just toughed it out. It was always just at the top of my peripheral vision on my left eye. It never was much of a problem. I was one of the 7.8% of people who didn't experience pain with it. Yeah me! But this time I had not just one flashing light, but three. Two on the edge and one almost in the center of my left eye. They are there all the time, just flickering and annoying the hell out of me. Then on Sunday I had the added bonus of getting a larger, brighter white flash that comes and goes. Still no pain though, which is wonderful. Well with all the added spots, I decided a trip to the Doctor would probably be a good thing. Diagnosis: "No Change". No bleeding and no new scars inside the eye, retina looks fine. Call back if things get worse or if it doesn't go away in a month. Then I might have to have another MRI or steroid treatment.

Let's Play Weekend Catch-up

This weekend was a good one. I got lots accomplished. More than I thought I would.

I took Friday off from work to work on the basement again. My Dad, Homer (my friends Dad) and I got the first layer of drywall mud on the walls. It's looking good. I just have some sanding to do before we can put up the next layer. Once Homer left, Dad and I went to work diagnosing the Lawn mower. We discovered that is was NOT a problem with starter, but instead a problem with the ignition switch. Yeah it was a $13 repair.

Of course then I had to actually mow the lawn. My Dad had brought over his self-propelled mulching mower for me to use in case we couldn't get mine fixed right away. Since the grass was so long and I knew my lawn would look like a fresh mown hayfield if I used my mower, I decided to give the mulching mower a shot. NEVER again will I complain about my riding lawn mower. I always thought since I lived in town and my yard wasn't that big, even though it is bigger than most of the yards surrounding me, that I didn't need a riding lawn mower. I even mentioned this spring to my Dad about selling the rider and getting a self-propelled. Well, like I said I will NEVER complain about the rider again. Let's compare the facts:

Rider = 45 minutes cutting time while sitting on my butt with a 42 in cutting area
Self-propelled = 2 hours cutting time, walking behind that damn thing with a 21 cutting area

You do the math!! The reason I have the rider, is because I have a bum ankle from a auto accident. I thought the self-propelled would be good exercise. And honestly it probably would be, but my ankle hurt so bad that night all I did was sit on the couch with the foot propped on a pillow covered by an ice pack. The next time Dad comes over, he is welcome to take that #@!$#@ mower home with him.

On Saturday, I went with to The Potawatomi Zoo with my BF McKelle and her kids Brenna-5 and Landon-2. Yeah I know more walking, but since we walked slowly in deference to Landon, it wasn't so bad. At least that's why I'm claiming we walked slow. :o) Visiting the zoo is much funner when you have kids with you than when McKelle and I went by ourselves (pre-kid years). We saw the animals, fed the ducks, ate lots of popcorn (which I don't normally like, but tasted Oh so good) and even rode the little train around. It was a good day.

I took my Mom and Dad out to eat on Saturday night to Papa Vinos. I had a coupon for a free appetizer that was due to expire on Sunday and we Love their Calimari. And on Sunday, even though I worked, I got lots of knitting done on Monkey Sock #2. I have 1 more decrease row for the gusset and I am hoping to get it done this weekend. Also, I am waiting for my Cookie A pattern to arrive.