Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Further adventures

We have a problem here at chez Poppa. Perhaps several. They are called "raccoons" and they have been feeding voraciously on the crane fly larvae that live in his overwatered lawn. Feeding voraciously looks something like this only without the tree in the middle and Poppa is not amused. Not amused looks like this and a can of smoked oysters which all very well until a raccoon gets into the trap and the raccoon is not the destructive "I need to feed my kits" mother 'coon. Nope, we done caught us a baby and it is not happy. Think hoarse squalling until it is exhausted and falls asleep. Think Mama Coon coming round and saying, "sorry, Junior, I can't get you out of that so you're on your own."

Damn. This is one time my brother would be useful - he doesn't have a soft-touch bone in his body about things like this and he's at work out of town for the next few days. Poppa and I are having a debate about relocation (not a good idea for the raccoon according to research). He wants to take it to an island (ummm, that would be a $30.00 ferry trip) for relocation. I want to deal with the crane fly larvae and let coons be. I think I won't win this round but he might see reason when he does the math (1 mama + 4-7 kits X $30.00/ferry trip = $150.00 - $240.00 + gas).

Meanwhile, I am knitting socks with my foot up listening to squalling.

And still breathing.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Things I didn't know this time last week....

1. It is more aerobic to go upstairs than down but down is faster especially if falling.
2. It is possible to drive oneself to the ER with a damaged R foot. Possible but not pleasant.
3. According to the staff member who fitted me for crutches, I am 5'2" tall. Seems I have grown a couple of inches in the past week.
3.1 Crutches are useful but awkward.
4. And one's armpits get really, really sore.
5. A toilet immediately beside the sink works well for balancing one's foot while brushing one's teeth.
6. Carrying a martini glass while on crutches is not impossible although it does require some rethinking about "carrying" and "glass".

Further:
7. X-rays can be difficult to read and even doctors don't agree (although I knew the latter years ago) on what they say.
7.1 Trusting one's own intuition is a good idea.
7.2 RICE works.
8. Crutches will make excellent garden ornaments ( Climbing roses? Anti-deer fence?) when this is all done as one no longer rents them but buys them outright.


Still breathing and weight bearing gently....

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Quibble(s) of the day

People (especially those of you interviewing on CeeBeeCee Raydeeoh): the word is NOVEL not "chapter book".

And as for the rest of you: the word is SNEAKED not "snuck"! (as in: peaked not puck, leaked not luck, feaked not... well you know).

This quibble break brought to you by the daughter of the woman who also didn't do "kids" as children or "guys" as anything but wires. I miss you, Mum.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

The view out the windows

for the past week has been somewhat limited (or expanded depending on point of view) due to the joyousness of having the house painted. The limitation is because there is brown paper and masking tape over all the windows prior to spraying - I feel like the inside of a parcel. The expansion is due to the eye candy that is the painter who has no fear of heights which is a good thing given the design of this house. The Sr Boy was the same: he actually constructed and used a 10 foot bolt-on addition to our extension ladder so he could deal with the house. The Juniors seem to have acquired the appropriate gene for ladders and it sure wasn't from me. I don't do heights on wiggly ladders. Heights on solid ground? Yes. Heights that sway? No. Thus, the painter. I could have done it but the colour would have been emesis rather than the lovely one it is and I would still be on wall #1. This guy will be done by next week.

For those who are colour adamant: it's green. With cream trim.

In knitting news: this skirt and this yarn in colour Foggy. At the moment, the skirt looks sort like an old kersey jacket (or elderly Stanfields) but I am assured that ferocious blocking will improve things. Next time I use this yarn, I will give the skeins a soak/conditioner treatment before winding it off in 'opes of avoiding giving myself knitters' elbow trying to get the project done before The Next Adventure. The big question is, "Will it be finished by Sunday morning?" Stay tuned.

The inertia of the last several months is slowly lifting and there are small movements forward: more piano practice, more bags of someone-else-will-want-this going out the door, tiny corners of order created. The shredder is my new favourite tool. Along with the skill saw which I learned to use when my father was last here and which is still on the kitchen floor. Guess that's the next corner of order.

Still breathing.....