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Ramblings

Posted on October 21, 2008 by auburnchick

I’ve been rather busy the last few days.

On Friday, I left work early so that the family could travel to Ft. Myers to Florida Gulf Coast University.  It was Jr Recruiting Weekend, and Soccer Chick was invited to attend.

We arrived in time to watch the second half of the women’s soccer game.  The team is good, although the tied score did not reflect it.  Afterward, Soccer Chick was introduced to her host for the weekend, and we were invited to attend a team dinner.  The players’ parents were very welcoming, and the girls seemed to get along well.

Soccer Chick stayed with her host while we played house at a local hotel, returning the next morning for a talk with the coaches and a tour of the college.  We love the coaches.  The team is only in its second season, but it’s apparent that they have high aspirations.  The college itself is very small for a D1 school, but it has a great feel to it.  It has its own beach (can you believe it?!), and the athletes reside in apartments on campus.  We loved hearing about the way academics are stressed.  It is clear that their priorities are in the right order.

One of the neat things is that everything is almost brand new.  The team has a new field and its own building with a fabulous locker room and lounge area (see the windows on the second floor…that’s where we ate dinner on Friday night).

The only downside is that the school is a solid day’s drive away from home.  Of course, Soccer Chick likes this fact.  Duh!  She’s a teenager.

We ended the weekend by attending the women’s game on Sunday.  They won.  They looked good.  We thanked the coach, who told us he would love to have Chicky become part of the program.  Talk about making us feel good!

During Sunday’s game, I decided to start a new knitting project.  I had taken along my Knotty or Knice socks, but the pattern was too complicated for the car ride.  Thankfully, I had packed my Malabrigo and the pattern for the Palindrome Scarf.  What a great pattern!  If you’re looking for an easy cable project, this is it.  I completed 16 repeats before it got too dark.  The yarn is delicious too!

Malabrigo - Worsted - Water Green

So that takes us to Monday, which came way too fast after our late arrival home the night before.  After work, I washed a load of clothes and noticed water on the floor in the laundry room.

Uh oh.  Not good.  Last week, the same thing happened, but I attibuted it to hanging clothes up to dry above the washing machine.

Today I put on my grunge clothes and decided to investigate.  I couldn’t find water escaping from the hoses going to the machine.

I tried to get the cover off of the back.  No go.  I pride myself on being able to figure out how to take things apart.

Not today.

I did finally manage to get the front off of it.  Here’s what I’ve been looking at ever since:

Yeah.  A little intimidating.  At this point, I picked up the phone and called a repairman.  He’s coming on Thursday.

I’m still determined to fix this myself.  I have unplugged the machine after watching water drip inside it while the tub fills up.  I cannot figure out where the drip is coming from though.  Even my googling skills are not helping.

Grrr…

I hate spending the extra money.

Especially since I saved a whopping $55 last month by hanging up my clothes to dry on my new clothes lines in the garage.  My electric bill went down from $177 to $122.  Guess I’ll have to use the money to fix the washer.

Grrr.

Sorry for rambling.  It’s been a stressful few weeks, and my mind is jumping from one thing to another.  Maybe I’ll do another juice fast…pull myself back together.

Hmmm…

Oh, and one last thing.  I got a boost yesterday when I discovered that Knitting Rose had mentioned me on her podcast!  Woo Hoo!  I feel like I’ve won the lottery (minus the money)!  If you ever get the chance, listen to her podcast.  She’s easy on the ears and knows her knitting stuff!  She’s also got a group on Ravelry!

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

The Passing of a Family Pet

Posted on October 20, 2008 by auburnchick
Small in body, but large in personality.  We will miss you.
Chance

Chance

Filed under: Pets | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

A Slice of Hawaiian Paradise

Posted on October 16, 2008 by auburnchick

Any guesses to what one of the ladies in my Bible study brought to our gathering last night?

No, it’s not an Easter egg.

This, my friends, is a slice of Hawaiian paradise.

It’s called Mochi.  It is ice cream that is wrapped in sweetened rice flour.  And you don’t have to live in Hawaii to get a taste.  My Bible study friend orders Mochi from Bubbie’s.

The gal had been talking about this delectable treat for weeks before bringing some in.  She brought in four flavors…Chocolate Peanut Butter, Chocolate Espresso, Tiramasu, and Guava.  Although I am a chocoholic, I couldn’t take the chance of getting the espresso, since the chocolate treats looked alike from the outside.  I opted for the Guava.

How to describe it…

The outside of it is smooth.  When you bite into it, you notice that it’s chewy.  The texture is similar to a fruit roll-up, only sweeter.  Each bite includes a bit of ice cream…a sensational gift to the taste buds.

We all sat in silence as we savored our unexpected surprise.

So now, that makes TWO treats you must gift yourself…Tilli Tomas (yes, I’m also an enabler) and Mochi Ice Cream.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , | 3 Comments »

I Can’t Believe This Is Me

Posted on October 15, 2008 by auburnchick

Today I subbed for a friend of mine.  He teaches 7th grade science at the same school my children attended.  In fact, he taught both Soccer Chick and Rockin’ Rooster, which is how we’ve become friends.  He’s an excellent teacher whose method is hands-on learning.  Totally my type of educator.

We got to know each other better when his daughter, who is several years younger than my children, began playing competitive soccer.  She’s little, but she’s like a stick of dynamite.  I’ve encouraged him to get her some good training.  She has a lot of potential.

So, we share a mutual love of learning and soccer.  A great combination.

I saw him last weekend at the soccer tournament Soccer Chick played at.  We chatted during one of her games, with me inquiring about what we would be doing in class this week.

“Well, since I know it’s you, I’m going to let you teach,” he said.

Yippee!  My kind of teacher!

“What do you think about Play-doh?” he asked.

Uh oh.

“We’re studying cells, and I thought the kids could make models of them.”

The last time I was around Play-doh, my children were young, and I rarely got it out.  To play with it, they had to be barefoot and outside.  I hated the way it got into the crevices of shoes and fingernails, thus spreading all over the house.

“No problem,” I gamely replied.

I came into the class dreading the mess and chaos.

I have to say that I surprised myself.

To his credit, Mr. Science Teacher had prepped the students, going over the projet beforehand.  He did leave me leeway to make adjustments as I saw fit.  The students knew exactly what to do, and they did it!  They had a couple of questions, and we adjusted.

I can’t believe how calm I felt.  I am surprised at how the day flowed.  My kids would have been proud.  Actually, they would have questioned “Who” had taken possession of Mama’s body, because I did not resemble my “home” self.

I like this me.  Teacher AuburnChick.

Sure, it’s only one day, but I know in my heart that teaching is what I am supposed to do “when I grow up.”

And so I wait for the perfect position to open up.  Well, okay…any position.

Bring on the Play-doh!  AuburnChick is ready to roll!

P.S.  In case you’re wondering, I have been knitting.  I just picked up my sock and hope to have it done very soon.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

The (Daily) Great Escape

Posted on October 14, 2008 by auburnchick

I just got back from a 20-minute car ride.

What kind of trip did I make this time, you might be wondering.

Oh, the around-the-block kind of trip.

To round up two pups who consider it their mission to escape from my home…on a daily basis.

No kidding.

As you might remember, I recently had blinds installed in my windows.  It sure would help if I used them in the afternoons.  They are a lot more decorative than prison bars too.

Who are the escapees, you might be wondering.

My not-so-loveable (at the moment) Pele and Molly.

Pele

Pele

Molly

Molly

Don’t let their quiet demeanors fool you.  All they are doing is plotting.  They are saving up their energy for the perfect moment.  The moment they spy Rockin’ Rooster playing outside.

His sighting is the signal to run.

Pele runs to the laundry room door…the one that leads to the garage, and turns the handle.

Out he goes with Molly hot on his heels.

Because I am saving electricity by hanging clothes to dry in my garage, the garage door is wide open…the perfect avenue to freedom, and the dogs know it.

As I run out the door, grabbing my car keys on the way, all I can see is a streak of white.  Molly is headed down the street on her newest adventure.

We’ve figured out that retrieval is fairly quick when we offer them a ride in the family car.

Not tonight.

I drove slowly down the street, windows down in order to track them by the sound of their tags jingling with every step.

I spy Rooster, hot on their heels but never quite close enough.

Tonight Pele decided to tease me.  He stopped running and approached my car.  Relieved, I got out and gently approached him.  Just as I was about to grab his collar, he took off.

Typical male.

The dogs rounded the corner and headed around the circle that the neighborhood is built around.

Great.

I don’t know how Rooster managed, but he kept pace.  Down each street we went with brief pauses along the way.  Both dogs gave us obligatory glances before heading deeper into no-man’s land.  People stared at us, but nobody offered to help.  I suspect they were trying hard not to laugh.

I did laugh, for a short bit.  At one point it was comical.  Then I got frightened that I would wind up watching one of the pups get hit by a car.

Not so funny.

Part of my neighborhood backs up to our high school.  I could see the lights of the baseball field and hear the crack of the bat.  The sound of tags jingling met my ears…coming from the dirction of the baseball field.

Oh no.

I parked the car and headed in that direction.  Then I saw it.

Rockin’ Rooster had Molly by the collar.

He had run her down, in his bare feet.  Pele followed alongside, tail hanging down.

Just another day in the AuburnChick house.

Filed under: Pets | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

Today Was My Turn

Posted on October 13, 2008 by auburnchick

I should have just stayed in bed today.  In fact, I tried my best to do just that.

Soccer Chick and I spent the weekend out of town, just the two of us, at a soccer tournament.  This was her first one back with her old team (the one she was on before joining the Jacksonville team).  I felt like the new kid in class as I joined the parents on the side-line.  Everyone is thrilled that we are back.  The soccer community is one huge family.  That’s one reason why I love being a soccer mom.

We had left our home at, what Mr. AuburnChick is fond of calling, O’Dark Thirty.  That means a time of the day when nobody should be out of bed, much less on the road.  Here’s what it looked like as we left our house:

As we neared our destination, we had to cross a bridge.  Daylight had broken significantly (Soccer Chick took this picture for me):

The competition was certainly not what we are used to, but Soccer Chick came off of the field happy.  That was the best thing about the weekend.  Oh sure, her team soundly defeated each team it played, but we left with much more…her joy for the game had returned.

In between games on Saturday, I went yarn shopping.  I had planned on being a bit sneaky, but Soccer Chick would have none of that.  My plan was to check into our hotel, leave her there while I ran to the shop, and then pick her up to go to the mall.  Well, she didn’t like that one bit.  Our conversation went like this:

“Soccer Chick, I’m going to leave you here for a short bit while I run to the yarn store.”

“Um, Mama, if you think I’m going to be left behind, you’re crazy.”

“Soccer Chick, when did you start liking yarn?  Is this why you want to go?”

“Um, Mama, I know that if you go, you will forget the time and stay gone for hours.  I’m going with you.”

And she did.  Granted, she waited in the car, but after about 40 minutes, she made her presence known.

Inside the store, I heard the honk of the car being locked.  I looked at the store owner and asked if an angry teenager parading around in a soccer uniform was making her way through the door.  She nodded an amused “yes.”  I quickly wrapped things up, paid for my yarn (which I’ll take pictures of another day), and left.  Soccer Chick was not amused, but she withheld her contempt since we were, after all, on our way to her store.  For once, she played it smart.

We went shopping and had a great time.  We didn’t spend much, but it was a relaxing afternoon and a great time of bonding.

Soccer Chick’s last game was at 4:30 on Sunday afternoon.  We were both exhausted as we left for home.  Here’s what it looked like as we headed out:

By the time my alarm went off this morning, I was ready to pull the covers over my head and feign illness.  Molly, my youngest pup, tried her best to get me up, using her nose to push off my covers and then doing a head dive into me.  It didn’t work.  I ignored her plea to go potty.  I’m mean when I’m sleepy.

I did finally roll out of bed around 8:15, about the time that I’m supposed to be at work.  Oops.  I figured that if the kids were getting to sleep in on their holiday from school, why shouldn’t I get a break too?  Boy, I can’t wait for retirement.

But I digress…as usual…

Aside from the slow start to the day, my morning at work went well.

Until my boss paged me over the phone system.  She wanted to meet with me in the conference room.

My heart fell.

I knew what was coming.  It was what I had been dreading.

She wasted no time in getting the bad news out.  The firm is making budget cuts, and there just isn’t the financial means for part-time IT people (i.e. me), effective the end of the month.

As I said, I was not surprised.  I’ve been part-time since I started there.  We now have a full-time, fully certified IT guy, and he’s doing a great job.  I’ve only been putting in between 12-18 hours a week lately with the subbing work I’ve been doing.

Still, it was difficult to hear.

It was official.

I count myself fortunate that they have given me two more weeks.  They could have easily told me to pack up and leave today.

I’m sad because I never expected to fall in love with these people.  I’m scared because I don’t know when I’m going to find a better paying job (i.e. a teacher position).  I’m afraid I’m not going to be able to pay my bills.

But ultimately, I know that God is in control.  Everything in our lives is for His glory.  I am more certain of that than anything else in my life.

I am determined not to feel sorry for myself, knowing that others are going through what I am going through.  I was browsing around YouTube and found this version of a song that I absolutely love.  I used to sing it to Soccer Chick when I rocked her to sleep, and she sang along when she was a toddler.

The version below is a bit rocked out and probably not something you’ve heard before, but I really like its faster, uplifting beat.  The most important thing is the message of the song…Jesus is my All in All.  Much like the lambs He is holding in the various pictures, He holds my life in his hands as well.  I know that is the safest place to be.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , , | 6 Comments »

Mr. AuburnChick is in the Dog House

Posted on October 9, 2008 by auburnchick

Today was a long day.

I subbed for a teacher who did not leave very clear instructions for me.  The entire routine was different from what I’m used to, so the day was a bit more difficult than I had anticipated.  Plus, I was extremely tired.  It was my one day of the month when I suffer from severe fatigue.  Ladies, I’m sure you understand exactly what I’m talking about.

By the time I got home, I was wiped out, so I took a brief rest on the couch before heading back out to pick up Rockin’ Rooster from soccer conditioning.  I had, by this time, decided that cooking dinner was out of the question.  I asked Mr. AuburnChick to pick up dinner on his way home from an errand.

“No can do,” was his answer.  He would later regret this.

I figured everyone would eat leftovers.  With my plans for dinner finalized, I resumed my horizontal position on the couch.

Until the doorbell rang.

I wearily dragged myself from the couch, full-blown headache firmly entrenched on my brain by this time, and gingerly opened the newly-installed blinds by the front door.

Hmmm…I did not recognize the gentleman standing outside.  And then it hit me.

An appointment that Mr. AuburnChick had set up.

Rats.

I quickly put the three dogs outside and went into the bathroom (might as well tell all since “someone” got me into this) to retrieve the hubby.  This was, after all, his doing.  He would be cutting his “business” short to take care of the man at the door.

I went back to the living room, pasting a polite smile to my face, and greeted the man in what I hoped was a sincere hello.

He was a salesman.  From Rainsoft.

How in the world did I get roped into this?

Well, let’s just say that Mr. AuburnChick is henceforth banned from purchasing all large items from retail stores.  You see, when he went to purchase blinds, he allowed himself to be cajoled into listening to a sales pitch…all because he would be receiving a $20 giftcard from said store.  What could be the harm, he told me, in watching a quick demonstration.

Yeah, right.  Always run when the words “easy” or “quick” are thrown around.  There’s no such thing.  Especially when a salesperson is using such vocabulary.

So now I was stuck watching a demo with a raging headache.  I looked like you-know-what.  I’d just dealt with a large number of sixth graders, a teenaged boy who didn’t want to do his chores, and now a grown man wanting me to spend money I don’t have.

I sat and listened.  When the man wasn’t looking, I nailed Mr. AuburnChick with the “Boy Do You Owe Me” look.  You know what I’m talking about.  When you’ve been married as long as I have, you can communicate more with your eyes than words.  Mr. AuburnChick had to turn away lest he be burned.  I did see him chuckle under his breath though.

Bad, bad, bad.

The demonstration was not quick.  Oh no.  One hour passed.  The blinds guy came and left after installing the set he had to take back in for repair the other day.  Soccer Chick came home from babysitting.  Rockin’ Rooster did his chores.

And on and on went the demonstration.

My headache got worse.  Nausea built up, and I almost had to excuse myself.  I did manage to take two Excedrin Migraine pills.  The man stayed long enough for them to kick in.

Finally, just when I thought the exhibit was drawing to an end, and we were telling him how we couldn’t afford his product, he began pulling out samples of the cleaning and beauty supplies that will “conveniently” be included in our purchase.

By now, the drugs were beginning to take effect.  One of the products…perhaps it was the shampoo…is called “Peaches and Creme.”

I totally cracked up at this point.  Remember my 18 dishcloths during the Olympics?  Remember how I used Peaches ‘n Cream for them and have sworn off buying any more?  To have shampoo sitting in front of me with the same name, and after sitting there for what was now two hours, was just too much.  And for the man to tell me that he would provide enough to last nine years (I can’t remember how many gallons it was, but you use so little cause of the softened water, that it will last that long) I started giggling.  Can you imagine?  Peaches and Creme for nine years?  I laughed so hard that tears were coming down my face.

Yes, I had lost it.  Two Excedrin pills will do this.  Sitting in a chair for two hours will do this.

Poor sales guy.

Heck…forget that…

Poor AuburnChick.

Mr. AuburnChick truly did not know what to do at this point.

I finally composed myself enough to allow the man to end his demo.  We’re “thinking” about it, we told him.

I think Mr. AuburnChick was scared to come back after walking the dude to the door.  He knew he was in for it.

I didn’t disappoint him.

Let’s just say that I got my dinner, from my favorite restaurant, and he went to pick it up.  Complain?  Yeah, he tried.  But not for long.

Fetch.

Good boy.

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

AuburnChick Covers Up

Posted on October 7, 2008 by auburnchick

Well, I’m happy to say that Martha Stewart would be proud of me.  Yep.  I think I’ve finally done something right.

See if you notice what the following pictures have in common:

Give up?

Well, in all of the pictures, you’ll notice that there are no blinds in the windows!

Can you believe that the AuburnChick family has lived in this house for five years, and we still have not put blinds in some of our main windows??  In fact, the master bedroom only recently got its blinds.  The kids have had their windows covered from the get-go.  We also blinded their bathroom window pretty quickly.  The rest of the house has suffered.

The Chick family is notorious for not covering up.  In our last house, we tacked sheets in front of our sliding glass doors until one Thanksgiving when, during the family dinner, the little girl next door chose to entertain us with her dancing.  We purchased blinds the next week so we could let her dance in private.

Why would I decide to fork over the money in a time when we’re all penny pinching?  You might remember that I have been making some changes in my effort to save money…hanging a clothes line in the garage to save on the electric dryer as well as turning off the air conditioner and toughing out the heat.  Yeah, it’s been interesting in this house lately…kind of like stepping back into time a few decades.

So, the blinds are an attempt to save money in the long run.  The kitchen windows let in a tremendous amount of sunlight each afternoon, with the dining room getting hit in the mornings.  I’ve read that covering your windows provides insulation and is a great way to conserve electricity.

My blinds were custom-made due to the measurements of a few of the windows.  I decided to try to be fashionable and keep all of the blinds in the main living area the same.  It’s such an open floor plan that this seemed to be the most tasteful thing to do.

Here are the “after” pictures:

The picture above is my front door.  The blinds on the left are missing because something was wrong with the gear that opens and closes them.  But you can get a feel for what they look like by focusing on the ones on the right.  They’re so cute!

I can only imagine what the neighbors must be thinking…

“We can finally drive by without watching episodes of Survivor or Knitting With the Stars.”

I can rest easier too, knowing that I won’t have to kill myself trying to run past the windows half-naked to retrieve clothes from the garage.

AuburnChick has finally covered up…sort of.

Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: , | 2 Comments »

A Beautiful Day for Knitting

Posted on October 4, 2008 by auburnchick

Behold, my latest project…

Knotty or Knice Socks

Knotty or Knice Socks

The yarn I’m using is this:

Trekking Pro Natura

Trekking Pro Natura

It’s actually much darker than the picture above.  For some reason, I can’t seem to photograph purple stuff very well.

Here are more photos I took today in my attempt to get a more accurate color rendering:

You can find the pattern in the Fall 2008 issue of Interweave Knits.  Here’s the picture of the completed pair in the magazine:

I hope mine turn out as nicely!

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

A Tisket, A Tasket, A Red and Browwwwn Basket

Posted on October 3, 2008 by auburnchick

My package arrived yesterday!!!  Just in the nick of time too!  I was having a not-so-good afternoon.  I’ll spare you the gory details and get to the good stuff.

Here’s what was waiting on my front porch…

I opened it up and found this…

Of course there’s a story behind everything.  A couple of weeks ago, during one of our daily conversations, Rabbit told me that she had bought a cute little basket at Joann’s.  She showed off a picture of it.  Well, I just fell in love with it, and the next time she went to the store, she saw that there was one left, so she got it for me.

During our talks, we gab about yarn.  Remember that she has a huge stash.  If you are on Ravelry and haven’t seen it before, click here.  One day I’m going to go to her house, we’re going to throw all of her yarn in the middle of the floor, and I’m going to jump in, as if it were a leaf pile.

Anyhow, we were talking sock yarn, and she asked if I had ever used Austermann Step (Forest).  Nope.  But I’ve seen it as the recommended yarn in patterns.  So, she sent me a skein of it, along with two skeins of fabulously soft Ice, which is 40% kid mohair and 60% polyamide.  She also included a cute notepad, which I promptly threw in my knitting bag.  It’s always helpful to have paper to make pattern notes on.

I feel incredibly blessed to have such a thoughtful friend.  You know the saying, “Every cloud has a silver lining?”  Well, out of Rabbit’s son’s accident arose an unexpected friendship.  It was there already but had not bloomed yet.  It reminds me of the sunflowers I’m fond of planting.  They grow slowly, but when they bloom, LOOK OUT!  Their beauty is magnificient.

Filed under: Knitting | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

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