Genius

Edit: the early morning fog has not lifted and temps have stayed in high 30's f.
I am getting smarter every day. Before my swim yesterday, I added 5mg morphine to my mix. My swim was painless! Yes, I could feel exertion, but that is not the same thing. The rest of the day I felt tired and I knew by the time bed time came around that I would not go swimming today, despite that meaning I only went three times this week. I recognize the difference between the tired that means I need to sleep and the tired that sleep won't cure. Yesterday, it was the tired that sleep won't cure. Today has proven that right. I awoke sore and very stiff.

My knitting books from Amazon (USA) have arrived. At 7.30am to be precise! I have not opened the box yet.

I did some more dyeing. I really like the results of the Kool Aid. I did dye another set with food colour, just to get rid of the food colouring as I don't like it for dyeing. It does a good job but the dyes seems to run and run and run whereas the Kool Aid doesn't run at all, not even a slight water discolouration. I have ordered some sachets of Kool Aid from a UK supplier but would like to know of a bulk source, if anyone knows of one in the UK.

My disability payments suddenly stopped. I telephoned to find out why and I was told that I was dead. I was told they were informed back in June that I died on November 9th 2009. I informed the young man I was speaking to, that he had not suddenly developed excellent mediumistic skills, that I was very much alive. He told me the computer said I wasn't and that they had written to me in June, the 6th to be precise, that my payments would stop on November 9th due to my death on that date. )Surely a computer with such precognitive skills would be famous?) He just could not seem to get his head around the fact that the computer was wrong. I hung up and called again, hopefully to get someone with a few more brain cells. I did and she was lovely, quite a chipper person, and she sorted it out for me. This happened Tuesday, and today Friday, the money is in my account. Lesson: if a computer tells you that you have expired, argue the point, unless you are, in which case there seems little point.

Back to dyeing. I discovered that my two 900w microwaves do not behave in the same manner. I was nuking Kool Aid dyed yarn and this time decided to use the other oven too as I was doing two lots. The same yarn, same method. The second oven burned the yarn to a crisp. Lesson number two.

Computer banking is becoming more and more difficult. I do our banking every morning, 7 days a week. I like to know precisely where we are and I pick up very quickly on false usage of cards. That has happened three times all told. I have a good memory for numbers and passwords etc. I know the 16 digit numbers of cards off by heart. Yet I'll forget the dog's names, what day it is, John's name, all sorts of things. (Oh and I just found out that short term memory loss is a PTSD thing). Anyway, this morning, I discovered that on my bank account, I can no longer do transfers and payments without my mobile phone. I say I want to do one of these things, and they then SMS a pass code to my mobile, which I then retrieve and tap in the pc. Bugger! Honestly, this really is becoming a faff. I will now have to remember my mobile phone and you can bet your life I'll be phoning myself regularly to find the damn thing. And guess what? When I do find it, I'll notice I have a missed call and I'll wonder who it was........

Tomorrow morning, John and I go to get our Swine Flu jabs.

I had wanted to go to the pictures on Sunday morning, but the cinema in their wisdom are only showing 'family' films for the next few weeks. Clearly no adults want to use the cinema at this time of year, unless they bred, and the offspring are still in the nest.

Oh, and just in case you have forgotten, I HATE f'ing Xmas! The time for good will and all that piffle. Time for pretence and fights and hell on earth more like. At least that was how it used to be for me and mine. My only good Xmas was when we spent it with Lia and Lui and Jane and Gordon and Nana in 2007 in Germany, near Heidelberg. Now that was a truly good Xmas. It was also a white one. Not because it snowed but because it was -7c and everything was covered in white frost. Gorgeous.(even if it caused me problems. It was worth it.)

TRYING DAY

I am sure you know this but just in case: there are times when I read an email, even a fairly innocuous one, I have to fight the urge to write back with 'go *** yourself'. There, now you. I am not perfect. I just read one of those pedantic ones and deleted it instead.

I had to go to the Chemist (Pharmacy) to get my drugs. Parking was very difficult cos of wankers who parked badly in the handicapped bays with out the blue badge and the worst one had the bloody fish symbol all over it's rear window which did not make me feel any better. Pity their 'love for the Lord' hasn't made them any less self centred. Anyway, the chemist had my drugs ready and I was out in a minute. How about that then? A rare result.

Then I had to go post a letter to the Tax person which arrived at the house. Not good news but not awful either. The situation is not as clear as I had understood. It is still up in the air and we may not be debt free after all. the house is still safe. I hate this not knowing, treading water till they do it all it up.

I broke my resolution and I have just dyed some more yarn. I have used a different technique, one I made up myself. I will show the result but probably not the technique for now.

Yesterday we had a nice day. We went out for most of it to a mall. You will be thrilled to know that I bought merino/viscose underwear (long john's and long sleeved vest) and also some under ski pants thermals too. When it is really cold, I wear 100denier tights, the ski things and the long john's over that then I put my trouser on and yes, I still get cold. On the top I wear a long sleeved silk vest, a long sleeved thermal vest, a roll neck, a sweater, a scarf, a coat and a hat. The top half and my feet generally stay okay, just my legs don't.

I also bought two Trilbies. John bought some tops and almost bought a sweater!!!!! I was not happy with that. The bloody thing had pink and purple and grey and wine and black stripes. it was nice but , blimey, when he did he decide to wear colour? When I have made him a dark grey cashmere sweater with a wine stripe, he thought it loud! Anyway, they didn't have on his size and I told him I would knit him one! How dare he think of buying knitwear? A shooting offence that is.

I have knitted him a wine coloured cashmere scarf in 2 x2 rib using the Garter Carriage and 3 x 2/28 yarn. 750 rows. It is washed, dried and nice and lofty now that it has been given the tumble treatment 3 times.

Swimming was really painful today but not exhausting. Remember how complained abotu how I could do my normal swim and was so tired? well I was exhausting myself. 'Thou shalt not be lazy' so no matter what I was getting up at 5 and going swimming. No wonder I felt like do do all the time. really. Now I can do my swim because I am getting enough rest. I used to think there was no point being bed if I was dozing and dreaming. I have discovered there is! It is still restful. So now, I don't harangue myself abotu the time I got to bed nor the time I get up. I cannot actually be in bed more than 7 hours without beginning to get severe pain but I find 7 is enough. I nap too if I want to. I am doing so much better now. My weight is beginning to drop again after rising because of that hassle I put myself thru. Old tapes are never wiped, they just stay dormant! I am not lazy, never was, and I don't have to push myself to the limits to prove it.

We have both been called for our Swine Flu jabs which we will have on Saturday morning. Oink Oink.

OINK

No, dear readers, I do not mean you. I do believe I am sick. I might even have swine flu. I feel dreadful. I was good yesterday until half way thru the afternoon when I just quite suddenly felt bad, really bad. My energy went. My head feels as if it's in a big muffler or stuffed with cotton wool and I ache all over, though to be frank, that part is hard to know if it's any different to normal. My voice has gone weird, croaky and squeaky. Put it this way, I did not go shopping last night. For those who know me, you know it must be serious for me to forgo shopping.

I have awoken today not feeling any better and my head feels worse. Being the self sacrificing kind of person that I am, I have dragged myself out of bed just to come and write for you.

I was awoken by a knocking at the door. It was the postwoman, Floss. Lets just say I could not go to open the door because of my EME and needing to pee. I wouldn't want to shock the poor thing. John was without an EME so I made him go to the door.

Amongst the mail was another card for Whitney. She has had loads congratulating her on her gaining her Crown. Really many more than I would have expected.

Thankfully I have no show until next Sunday. I hope I am fully recovered from whatever this is by then with enough well days before the show. Otherwise I might have to give it a miss because the following Friday is a 4 day show in Scotland.

I admit to being concerned about the Scottish trip. I will be on my own. John won't be there to help me dress/undress nor to haul stuff in and out of my car. I may end up having to sleep in my boots! I have a pair of Tartan Doc Martens especially for this show. Pink tartan. Patent leather.

The photograph on this post is the one I am going to use for the advert in the dog press.

PS: we finished watching Australia last night. It changed from the comedy it seemed to be into the sort of film I thought it was in the first place-an epic romance. Yes, Yarnhog, I kept watching because of Mr Jackman otherwise I might well have turned it off. John wasn't impressed and would have turned it off after 20 minutes.