MAYHEM AT THE POUND (or Mad Dogs & Meredith)

Daughter Meredith recently agreed to head up a group of volunteers for a day of caring at her school (Benedictine College, Atchison Kansas). Their destination was the humane society. Meredith dutifully called ahead to arrange the visit and to be sure they would have something to do. The lady said they could paint and that supplies would be ready for them. Of course when the eager beavers arrived all psyched up to help, no one present was aware they were coming and naturally there was no paint to be had.

The guy in the wife beater shirt wearing a confederate flag necklace (in Kansas!) said they could help him clean kennels. Displaying incredibly decisive leadership skills (which she surely acquired from her mother) Meredith quickly sized up the situation and, having noticed that there was a single hose running at a trickle and 12 volunteers, determined that their collective skills might better be employed elsewhere . . . walking dogs, perhaps? Why yes, great idea. The Kansas confederate dude obtained a bunch of leashes, the cheapo rope ones you get free at the vet or groomer.

According to Meredith, chaos ensued with the introduction of exuberant volunteers wielding leashes to a room full of caged dogs. Everyone grabbed a leash and ran to a cage to get a dog. It wasn't until 12 cages had been opened that it became apparent that no one had considered that most cages had 2 dogs, but each volunteer had one leash and only 2 hands. Meredith said the collective dumbfounded expressions were as funny as the various struggles being played out simultaneously at each cage. The howling, barking, yelling and escaping panic left Meredith incapacitated by laughter.

Eventually, however, the escapees were corralled and a number of dogs leashed so the walking could commence. In no time the group sorted out which dogs couldn't walk near others and it looked like the adventure might be a successful one. Then, someone noticed one girl was sprawled out flat, face down on the ground while her dog struggled at the leash. No one saw it happen, she probably slipped on the gravel and fell. Her face was scraped up and bleeding and she was . . . goofy--like someone with a head injury tends to be goofy. The situation wasn't helped by the fact that most of the helpers didn't know each other. Meredith wasn't exactly sure of the fallen girl's name and merely suspected that her goofiness was injury-related and not her usual mentation. The bleeding was certainly genuine.

Meredith said at this point she felt good about her decision to tell the girl on crutches that she could not walk a dog because that girl was then available to drive the fallen dog-walker to the hospital. So, the crippled girl was introduced to the bloody girl and they took off for the hospital. The picture of the crippled girl shepherding the traumatized and brain damaged aside, everything worked out just fine and reportedly a good time was had by all, especially since the fallen dog walker had a concussion and couldn't remember what happened to her anyway. About 6 of the group thought they would like to continue this service on a regular basis--ya gotta admire youth.

Sock Obsession Progression

Featured elsewhere on my blog is my very first sock. It was knitted on 2 circs and used 2 entirely different kinds of yarn because I ran out. My second pair I started just before I had hand surgery (carpal tunnel) in March. They were knitted on the magic loop, which I found to be a much preferable technique.

Pair three are worthy of the Lucy Neatby Celestial Merino Dream yarn in fiery fuchsia. Funny that I was surprised they were sooooo pink--I guess I didn't look at the name of the yarn. They were knitted on size 2 circ--using magic loop. I consider them my first real socks even though the only ribbing is at the top and they are just straight knitting. They are real socks because I really cared about how they turned out--the other two pair I knitted just for the sake of learning to knit socks.

Next, I completed the mate of my first ever sock. "The improvement between the two socks was remarkable," remarked Ann, who can always be counted on to say something as cliche as . . . (never mind).

I'm trying to hurry and complete the pair currently on my needles because the Temptation (hand painted exclusive to Loops) Koi in a Blender yarn from the Loops sock club awaits me. I need the needles for the new yarn. AND I am not not not buying more needles (probably like I am not not not coaching soccer, and I didn't didn't didn't get a new dog). I will, however, admit I am lusting after the pretty knitpiks wooden circulars Eric brought to knit night last week. Now that I think about it, I do not have any size 1 needles. hmmmmmmmmmm

Anyway, I really love the socks on my needles (pair 4). Magic loop, again. I am doing a little twisted rib thing I found in the Sensational Socks book. The yarn is Crystal Palace Panda Wool (bamboo, wool and nylon). I cracks me up that I am knitting them on bamboo needles, how's that for being easily entertained. (Actually, I have one sock on the bamboo and one on metal, which is not nearly as funny to me).

Looking at the photo, I notice the preponderance of pink. Odd really, 'cause I'm not a pink-esque person. That gives me a reason to buy more sock yarn--can't have the balance of nature upset by an overly pink collection of socks.

BAG ENVY

My fairly crafty, but decidedly needle averse gal pal, Beth travels to book trade shows in her job. Even though she thinks my knitting obsession is goofy, she has faithfully brought me several (well bunches, actually) of swell and FrEE bags for my knitting. I have 6 such bags currently in use: (1) the dishcloth bag (2 UFOs there); (2) the side-to-side garter stitch sweater bag; (3) sock bag--duh (2 nearly completed socks there); (4) the ridiculously long red scarf bag (said scarf being knitted for son-Alex); (5) the baby blanket bag; and (6) the mitten bag.


I thought I was being somewhat obsessive to have that number and variety of projects going at once. UNTIL an epiphany arrived just the other day by way of knittingdaily.com. http://www.knittingdaily.com/posts/bags/253-1.html (that link is really ugly--I don't know how to make it nice and pretty like everyone else does). An article there shares a lovely knitting bag and discusses the author's obsession with knitting bags. She also shares the fact that her UFOs are in DOUBLE DIGITS. Apparently this is not unusual in the knitting world as scores of others came forth to post comments confessing to similar numbers of UFOs.

HOLY SHIT. I'm not even in the running here . . . I've got empty needles . . . I've got stash . . . I've gotta cast on more stuff . . . there is the Lucy Bag, another baby blanket, booties to go with the blankets, felted slippers for Christmas gifts, something lace--I've never really done lace, except lace-ish dishcloths, and MITTENS, ohhhhhh Mittens are almost as much fun as socks, and more and more socks . . . LATER
oh yeah, Beth-- I will need more bags

How 'bout that new dog??

We already have a MONSTER POODLE. His name is Chai, 'cause he's cream colored and spicy, just - just like the Indian tea, chai.

(haven't had chai? ohhhhh drink some -- NOT from a mix and NOT at Starbucks--go to an Indian restaraunt, order some saag paneer, papdi chat, maybe a little chicken korma, or tiki masala AND hot chai--it's black tea steeped with cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, etc and milk)

CHAI is a non-standard Standard Poodle. He is 85 pounds of pure poodle love and muscle comin' at you ready for some smak-down wrestling which usually ends up with some human getting a split lip since he always manages to whack his opponent with his skull.

Long story short . . . I met Bentley our new black-as-night 14 mo old Standard Poodle at PetSmart when I dropped Chai off to be groomed . . . I truly didn't NEED another dog any more than I needed to coach soccer . . . but even in the all-about-Ann era not all things fit neatly into either the "need" or "want" column. Bentley needed a home and I wanted him, so it all worked out.

Consulting Kelly directly would have surely resulted in a veto of the second dog. I mentioned having met Bentley several times, which was almost like consulting Kelly, right? After 25 years of marriage you'd think Kelly would be just a little more perceptive. Anyway, after I passed muster from the ARF (Animal Rescue Foundation) people and got Bentley home, I called Kelly to confess my sin. He didn't hang up--didn't yell--actually he didn't say anything for a loooooong time--he just said he'd be home. Uncertain of his role in this drama, Bentley settled down on the rug by the garage door. Kelly came through that door and growled, "let's see this dog." Bentley sat up at Kelly's feet and lifted a paw to him. Kelly melted . . . "awwwwww, hello puppy."

SOLD--life is good (and I'm blessed with a fine man)

My guys (left-to-right) Captain Oblivious (aka Kelly) Chai & Bentley.

A Weekend in Atchi-town

Parents Weekend was this weekend at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. Sooooooo, Kelly and I went to visit Meredith and watch her play soccer.

Last year I enlarged a fairly grotesque photograph of Meredith's face and pasted it to a paper plate and affixed it to a stick, cut out eye holes and a mouth and waved it around during the game and pretty much made an ass of myself with it--it was fun. On Thursday Meredith called to ask what I was doing this year because it had been a subject of discussion. I told her I hadn't planned anything and she said, "oh yeah, like I believe that." Oh CRAP, I really hadn't planned anything.

Fortunately, when I was Michigan at the Dunegrass Festival (heavy emphasis on the grass for most of the other festival goers, not me) I was feeling waaaaaay too normal, so I spent $55 on a tye-dyed sundress thang. So, I pulled that out along with a big goofy hat. On the brilliant advice of my friend Beth I printed some team photos on cardstock, cut them out and strung them on some red yarn (a lovely wool, silk, and rayon mix--yummmm) for a necklace. When the team was being introduced I slipped that little ensemble on over my clothes and voila, I was suitably ridiculous looking. (See necklace on Meredith)

It was especially fitting that the dress was very muumuu-like because Meredith and her friends periodically declare a muumuu day and wear their thrift store muumuu attire to class. And now the muumuu is in the wash because Beth's son Wally has to have something suitably ugly to wear for gender bender day at BTW tomorrow. As it turns out, that $55 was very well spent!

Now just WHY am I coaching soccer???

For months I have been crowing that Friday, August 17, 2007 (the day after we deliver Alex to school at OU) would be Annie Liberation Day. That day would be the inauguration of the ERA OF ANNIE. A time when, except for college parents' days and school holidays, absolutely EVERYTHING would be ALL ABOUT ME. (and a few things might, by some serendipitous extension of my pleasure-filled life, be somewhat about my husband, Kelly).

BUT, two days before ALL-ABOUT-ANNIE-EVE (that would be Tuesday August 14) my sister-in-law called to say my niece hannah's soccer team was without a coach. "Well hell, that sucks for them" . . . and if you know me, you know that's EXACTLY what I said. . . . right.

So, the Fireballs, the best collection of under 8 girl soccer players in Sapulpa, Oklahoma got me for a coach, and soccer re-appeared on my list of obsessions--coincident with the Womens' World Cup in China, I might add. So, of course I've been getting up at 4am to watch those matches. And of course, Alex and Meredith call me at different times throughout the day to discuss those matches.

What really really really sucks about the whole Annie is coaching again turn of events is that this spring in a rare and obviously misplaced fit of maturity, I threw out my boots (soccer cleats to you). I thought, erroneously as it turned out, that at my age, being waaaay overweight, having bad knees and an iffy back, with kids both over 18, my soccer days were over, except for the pure joy of spectating. STUPID ANN

The kids are a BLAST. They are learning quickly, owing entirely to their own wits and a few simple skills poorly, but enthusiastically, demonstrated by me.

And now I must find myself in bed soon as Kelly and I are leaving tomorrow morning at about 4am to drive 5 hours to get to Benedictine College for a 10 am soccer game--a consequence of the occurrence of an aforementioned college parents' weekend. And THEN I swear it will be ALL ABOUT ME . . . until 6pm on Monday when it's time for practice (or maybe a bit before then because you can't just show up to coach a practice without a plan).

My blog SUCKS! . . . BUT my life is GOOD

More than once I've thought about what I should write about in my blog. I've thought about it so hard and so effectively that it was a COMPLETE surprise to me that my last entry was 6 (six) months ago. [Lawyers do that numeral (number) thing--I've always thought it was stupid].
Since my last entry I have:
--ridden my 12th consecutive Oklahoma FreeWheel bike ride
(Cross-state bike ride from Texas border to Kansas border)
--cheered my son in at least 10 bike races (including nationals in Pennsylvannia)
--moved my daughter (Meredith) home from school in Kansas--and back again
--moved my son and youngest child (Alex) into college at OU
--attended a bluegrass music festival in Michigan
--completed a fine arts photography class
--acquired a new dog (Standard Poodle, Bentley, adopted from ARF)
--begun coaching my niece's under 8 girls soccer team
--knitted 4 and 2 half socks (individuals NOT pairs) and countless dishcloths and some other stuff
--filled my i-pod with over 12 gigs of music
--listened to most of that music
--sewn a couple of skirts and some pants
--tried to teach Meredith to sew (she made a top--cute!)
--celebrated my 25th wedding anniversary
--made my bed at least twice

WHEW!!! I need to get out more . . . I'm obviously ROTTING away with all the sitting around.
SERIOUSLY . . . I LOVE my life . . . I have most of what I want and everything I need (although I could use a haircut)