It's Not Entirely My Fault

I would like to start by saying that Blogger sucks. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Blogger sucks.

Now that that’s out of the way, I want to say that I am aware that it’s been eons since I’ve updated my blog, and that it’s not entirely my fault. First of all, I updated my virus scan software and now I’m getting error messages left and right. The good people at Trend Micros are trying to figure it out, but everytime I see “program not responding” I want to chuck the stupid computer out the window.

Deep breath.

And the other reason I’ve been away is that I’ve been sick.

I’ve got the whooping cough. I know, who gets whooping cough these days? Well, me, for one.

And yes, I know you were vaccinated as a kid and you think you can’t get it too. Well, let me tell you something, Smuggy Superiorton: your immunity was gone by the time you graduated high school. It seems that the vaccines we got as kids were only safe to get until we were 13 or so. And there were no safe adult boosters, so by the time we were adults, we were ripe for the picking by the old Pertussis bacteria. Or is it a virus? I forget.

Apparently, it’s going around in adults again, due largely in part to the fact that it doesn’t look like whooping cough until it’s really too late to do much about it.

Here’s how it shakes down. You get a cold. Some asshat sneezes on you at the bank, or your first grader brings home some germs from one of her dirty little classmates. Either way, you get a cold. Runny nose, congestion, cough, sore throat, aches and pains, the works. Only after about a week of it, you don’t feel a bit better, despite all the NyQuil and chicken soup. And your cough is getting worse instead of better. So you bite the bullet and drop in on your internist.

He listens to your chest and says, “Well, you have a cold. You need some chicken soup, plenty of fluids and rest. And here’s some codeine for the cough, sounds like a touch of bronchitis.” And you pay the nice lady on the way out and go home with the benefit of all that medical training.

At two weeks, you don’t feel better. You’re coughing any time you exert yourself. Something as simple as going up stairs to put the baby down for a nap or walking next door to see how your sister’s kitchen renovation is coming brings on a coughing fit that lasts for five minutes or more, during which you’ve pissed your pants a bit and are having trouble catching your breath.

You call Dr. Feelgood back and get in for an appointment, and you tell him all about your dry cough and how you can’t seem to do anything more strenuous than sit in your recliner and knit. And as enjoyable as this is, you miss having a life.

So he listens to your chest again and tells you it sounds fine to him, so he thinks you have Whooping Cough.

You say “What the fuck? Who gets whooping cough?”

He says, “You do.”

Huh.

So he gives you an antibiotic—finally!—and some more codeine and tells you to sit and knit until you feel better. Which could be another 4 weeks or so since 7 weeks is the average run for whooping cough if not treated in the first two weeks. You know, back when he told you that you had bronchitis and wouldn’t give you that antibiotic.

So kiddies, I’m on the mend. I’m almost done my arithromycin and I’m not coughing nearly as much. And I’m no longer contagious, though God knows how many people I gave this to back when it was “just a cold.” And, I have a massive supply of Tylenol with codeine to get me through those rough days with the toddler.

Speaking of the toddler, I made her sweater in between coughing bouts. It is the Knitting Pure and Simple rollneck sweater, only I made a bell-shaped turtleneck because I cannot make a pattern as written. The cuffs and bottom edge are 1 x 1 ribbing and the neck was originally just 1 x 1 as well, only my bind-off is still a bit tight and it hurt her when we put it on her or took it off. So I added the same “design feature” as Bug’s poncho and made a series of increases that made a turtleneck that belled out like a modified Elizabethan collar-type thingy. It’s more comfy now, for sure.

I used the Oceanos colorway by handpaintedyarn.com and use the same stitch pattern as Bug’s poncho so they kind of match.

And I’m on pair number twelve out of fifteen of the Red Hat Lady Slippers that I’m making on commission. I should be able to finish them this week, I’m thinking. God willing and the creek don’t rise. And provided that I don’t get gout or consumption or something ridiculously out of date like that.

Oh, and I’ve been told after my second attempt at cantoring, this time in tandem with Sue P., that I’m good to go solo any time I want. Only the cantor schedule is already set and I don’t know if I’m supposed to wait and see if someone can’t do it and jump in with an offer, or pick a mass I like and ask the scheduled cantor to step aside. Really, I’m okay with waiting until Advent and the new schedules come out. Rumor has it (from Fr.’s mouth) that she’s working on them even as we speak. Kewl.

Either way. I’m back and still coughing from time to time. But now I have to go feed the kid. Between computer error messages and Blogger’s usual antics, this has taken FOREVER to post and she is late getting down for her nap.

Don’t hate me. Because I love you more than my luggage.

Little Lovely Poncho

Okay, I told you I made the Bug her poncho. It's not "from hell" anymore because I found a way great variegated pink and red yarn that she liked so much she didn't even notice that I didn't use the heinous pink and red she picked out months ago. That has been relegated to The Stash.

The pattern I used is from "Top Down for Toddlers" in the largest size. I modified the collar because it was WAY too big for her neck and would slide down off her shoulders if I didn't do something. So I picked up the cast-on stitches, but only half of them and continued upwards in 1x1 rib and then I started increasing every few rows until it made a relaxed turtleneck.

Which is why I had to order extra yarn.

It comes just to her waist and wrists, and I think in these pictures she has it on sideways, but I can't be sure. I was rushing because it was 85 degrees out there today and the model was sweaty. Fierce, but sweaty.

The yarn is by handpaintedyarn.com and is called "Little Lovely." I liked it so much I ordered a blue colorway to make a sweater for Bobo. No more ponchos! Blech!

I've also made progress on the porch. We painted the floor with a semi-transparent oil stain called "weathered barn board" and it looks good. I got the trim to paint tomorrow and nail into place. We have to finish it up because Dad is having his defibrillator replaced Wednesday and will be on light duty for awhile. So we want to get the bulk of it done. Luckily it's going to be cooler over the next few days. It was HOT today.

We went to the Sandwich Fair today. Usually it's about 20 degrees cooler and a warm bowl of chowder in a bread bowl and a hot apple crisp are just the ticket. Today it was in the 80's and the lemonade people were lovin' it!

I usually love it, but meh. Too hot to enjoy. And I burned my neck and cheeks. Meh again. More on that later, Sister has the pics and I'm tired. And still sick.

Meh.

Belated posting!

I've been a bit behind. I've gone almost a week without a peep. And my peeps will abandon me without fodder!

So let's see. After last weekends songfest, I still had choir practice on Monday. On Saturday the choir lost one of our own, and her funeral was set for Friday. So at Monday's rehearsal we practiced for that service plus our usual Sunday stuff as well. It was a full practice. And I was assigned a solo for the funeral.

Most of this week was fairly uneventful, I have to say. The leaves are at peak foliage this week, and the weather's been nice and cooperative, though not enough so as to get the porch painted. But I did get the stain I needed and I think Sunday is going to be the day, as soon as I get home from church.

I also started using Freecycle, and I gotta tell you, I'm not impressed. I listed two things and no one has shown up at all. Bah.

So Thursday night was calling hours for Mary, our departed soprano. Jeanne, the choir director, had some of us over that night later to raise a glass and wake her in fine Irish style. So we played some cards, sang some songs and drank some good tequila.

I had also come down with a cold on Wednesday, so that night I thought it prudent to take a couple of Benedryl to clear up my head congestion.

Note to self: Benedryl and tequila, no matter how top the shelf, do not mix. Not when you have to sing at 10 in the morning. I started warming up with scales at 7:30 and by 8:30 I was panicking a little. But by 10 I had found my voice and it was back completely by the time the mass was over. So all went well there.

Saturday we tried to go to Oktoberfest at Gunstock. Paid our admission and went in only to find out that most of the activities ended at 4, and the evening stuff didn't start until 7. WTF? So we asked for and got our money back, and had a lovely dinner at the William Tell Inn instead. Osso Bucco that can't be beat and Wienerschnitzel so good you'll slap your mama.

And now it's Friday night, the kids are in bed, and I'm all updated. Tomorrow I will take a pic of the Bug in her new poncho.

Oh, and the Knittyheads thought it would be fun to display all our FO's from this year. I haven't got the heart to tell them I've made 133 things that I can document. (Possibly more that I either didn't finish or gave away/sold and forgot to mention.)

They're going to hate me. Or think I'm lying. But I'm not...