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Getting Left Behind

Posted on March 15, 2009 by auburnchick

You guys know I’m the oober Soccer Mom.  I go to as many games as I can and would clone myself if I could so I could attend everything.

Too bad I can’t make a money tree grow in the backyard.

Lack of money led me to make the sacrifice of staying home while Chicky and the Mr. flew to a tournament in Las Vegas.  Do you remember how I bought myself a marvelous stash last year when I went to this tournament?

Yeah, I know.  It could have been this trip that led to my financial woes.  Well, not completely, but it certainly didn’t help.

Anyhow, on Thursday, I had to get up at the indecent hour of 4:30 to take them to the airport.  It would have been easier if I had been getting on the plane with them.  Rooster and I drowned our sorrows in Starbucks Frappuchinos and donuts.

The worst thing about getting left behind is not getting to watch Chicky play.

She’s amazing.

I think I’ve said this before.

Although teenagers can gab all day long on the phone to friends, talking to parents on the phone is an entirely different game.

Ugh.

Trying to pull details about her trip, the games, and other regular chit-chat was like trying to make Molly obey the “Stay” command.

Nearly impossible.

Add to that unwillingness was Chicky’s teenaged attitude from thousands of miles away.

Grrr…

When I pick her up from the airport tomorrow, I’ll give her a big hug before popping her on the rear.  Shame on her for tormenting me from afar.

Kids really know how to push your buttons.

Oh, and FYI, I’m not getting left behind next weekend.  We’ve got Round 1 of state playoffs.

I’d like to see her try to give me attitude face-to-face.

Stay tuned…

P.S.  Chicky’s team didn’t do too well at the tourney…oh well…such is the way with sports…

Filed under: soccer | Tagged: , , , | Leave a comment »

Happy 1st Blogversary to Me

Posted on November 21, 2008 by auburnchick

I can’t believe I let the day slip by without posting about it.  I had the best intentions…even wrote down the date in my calendar.  But did I bother to check my calendar yesterday?  Nope.  Sometimes I wonder why I even carry it around. What is even funnier is that last night’s Prize Puzzle on Wheel of Fortune was “blogger.”  It just didn’t register.

Anyhow, yesterday was my 1st Blogversary!  I’ve been thinking about this for a while now.  What would I do to mark this important milestone?

First off, I thought I take a stroll down memory lane.

One year ago yesterday, November 20, 2007, I was in San Diego.  The family had flown over for Soccer Chick to partipate in a tournament.  We left a few days before the first day of play so we could do some sightseeing.  I was still taking college classes, so I didn’t venture out of the hotel too much.  I missed the trip to the San Diego Zoo, and I also missed the showing of the Dead Sea Scrolls.  I had books to read and papers to write.

Meanwhile, in internet land, I was awaiting my invite to Ravelry.  It arrived on November 20th.  Of course, I had to take a break from my hard work and check out what Ravelry had to offer.  In the process, I got busy setting up my profile.

Now, remember that I am a computer nerd through and through.  I couldn’t help but notice an area on my profile for linking your blog.  This perked my interest.  I began researching blog web sites and decided to use WordPress.  I quickly set up my blog and proceeded to write my first post.  It wasn’t the most clever, but it got me started.  I did manage to get my school work done that weekend, but I was forever changed.  From that point on, I would, in the back of my mind, consider all happenings as possible fodder for my blog.  If you crossed my path, you were not immune to being written about.

Along the way, I have blogged about my pets many times.  This and this and this are a few of my favorite posts about them.  In fact, my second post was about my darling critters.

Another favorite topic is my children.  I wrote about Soccer Chick’s athletic feats in this post, and this one, and this one.  This post, however, is my favorite.  It was like I dug out the very core of my heart and put it out here for all to see.

Rockin’ Rooster has been the topic of several of my posts.  This one and this one and this one are my favorites.

Of course, I’ve had many posts about my knitting.  That was the factor that drove my interest into this thing we call blogging.  What a difficult task to pick out my favorite posts, but here are a few…

Who can forget my first real yarn splurge in Vegas?  This post drew one of the highest number of views.  This post contains pictures of a project I semi-designed.  I was real proud of it.  And who can forget my Lace Leaf Scarf, detailed here.

Now, I realize that my blog doesn’t generate the kind of stats that might rival the Yarn Harlot’s, but for someone who hasn’t written a book or isn’t an expert in knitting, I can’t complain.

Throughout the year, I’ve written 176 posts, including this one.  Y’all have commented 392 times!  My blog has been viewed 9,397 times.  This stat humbles me.  I never actually expected people to be interested enough to read, let alone comment, on my posts.

I’m proud of the way my writing has developed.  I’ve always fancied myself a woman of letters.  Somehow my spoken words get jumbled together, but when I write…well, the words just seem to pour forth so much easier!

Thank you for the support and encouragement over this past year.  I’ve made some wonderful blogging friends.  I believe that God put us here to glorify Him, first of all, but also to support one another.  You have given back so much more than I ever expected or hoped for.

Here’s to a GREAT year!  May the next year of blogging be even better!

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

Leaving Las Vegas

Posted on March 17, 2008 by auburnchick

Well, the fun had to end sometime, didn’t it? One cannot live the life of luxury and buy yarn every day, right? Only if you’re Paris Hilton. Imagine that — Paris in a yarn store…Paris, knitting.

First things first…

My daughter’s team did not finish up as strongly as it started. They lost the next two games, but only by one goal. Not bad considering that they played Colorado and Oregon’s state champs. It’s not always about winning but about the journey. The team begins its quest for a state championship in a couple of weeks. Fortunately, we won’t be flying across the country. One can’t always life like the rich and famous.

On Sunday, we started our day very early. So much for sleeping late on vacation. I arose at 5am. We had to be at the fields at 7am. It was raining, and the wind was blowing like it does when a hurricane is coming. From what I was told, this is normal for Las Vegas. Not the rain, but the wind. It felt like it was about 20 degrees. Here’s a picture of what it looked like on our way to the fields…

I prayed the entire way, and the rain stopped before the girls started warm-up. Here’s what it looked like after the game was over (notice the snow…it wasn’t there the day before)…

The girls played a hard game, and then we returned to the hotel for hot showers and a bit of down time. Our plane was not scheduled to take off until 10:45pm.

After checking out of the hotel, we made our way to the Strip. My son wanted to ride the roller coaster, and I wanted to check out the lions at MGM. We parked at Caesar’s Palace and met some friends at the mall inside of the hotel.

Oh — my — goodness! Caesar’s Palace Mall is something to behold! I’ve never seen anything quite like it! All three levels were filled with high-end stores I’ve only seen ads for in magazines. Look at some of the pictures I took inside…

I made the following picture bigger so you could see the detailing on the ceiling.

The Trojan Horse stands outside of FAO Schwartz…

We could have spent a couple of days at the mall, but we were on a tight schedule, so we ventured out to the street level. To get there, we had to walk through the casino. It was like something you see on TV. Wow! The outfits on the female dealers…the enormous atrium. Unbelievable!

We hoofed it on the street, making our way to M&M World.

Look at all of the M&M’s! Have you ever seen anything so amazingly delicious (other than the yarn I posted pictures of earlier)?!

At $9/lb, I decided not to purchase any. Write this day on the calendar. AuburnChick did not buy chocolate!

We went to MGM next, but the hotel was doing maintenance on the lion cage, so we proceeded on to the roller coaster at New York New York. Wow! It was scary, and I screamed as if someone had stolen my new stash. You could have heard me all over the city.

After the ride, we took a look at our watches and realized that we had been too ambitious. We literally ran back to Caesar’s Palace, where we had parked our car. On the way, we passed the Excalibur hotel. My dh stayed there many years ago, when our daughter was a tiny thing.

We passed the Bellagio…all lit up. It’s so beautiful at night!

We made it to the car in record time. I’ll venture to bet that you’ve never seen a 30-something year old woman walk as fast as I did. My poor daughter had sore legs from her game, but she kept up the best she could.

Here are some pictures of the Strip lit up at night. I took these on our way to the airport.

We made it to the airport with plenty of time to spare. Once I stopped walking, I became aware that perhaps I had pushed my body too far. My hips, knees, and feet were screaming at me. But that’s okay. I had led my family well.

Filed under: Vacation | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

AuburnChick Wins the Jackpot

Posted on March 15, 2008 by auburnchick

Folks, Las Vegas has redeemed herself in AuburnChick’s eyes!

No, I didn’t win at the slot machines. Nothing as exciting as that (winning money is always a thrill, eh?). I won a jackpot of a different kind. But more on that later.

First of all, I feel the need to apologize. My previous post was a bit negative. I have learned that you should never blog when you’re tired and, hence, grumpy. Apparently, waking up at 3:30 in the morning and then flying across country, changing time zones three times, can leave one a bit less than 100%. I think that the fatigue, combined with the bright lights and noise of the slot machines, left me feeling overwhelmed. Plus, I was a bit disappointed with the hotel. Hence, my less-than-impressive first impression.

It’s amazing what a good night’s sleep can do for you. Friday, I woke up bright-eyed and busy-tailed, ready to take on this town. I had already found a couple of knitting stores through MapMuse.com. I had called Wooly Wonders the afternoon before to ensure they had the good yarn. My original plan was to visit this store because it was close to the hotel. However, I got up so early that I was eager to get started on my adventure. So, I decided to brave the road, and I headed for the other store, which was further away. Boy am I glad I did!

Warning: The following pictures are not for the faint of heart.

But first…pictures of my trip there. Look at the car we rented! I like this car! I felt sporty, like a hot young mama (one can have their delusions…it is Vegas, after all!).

Here’s the view I had as I drove:

I was thrilled to find two good Christian radio channels. I was singing, enjoying the scenery, and anticipating what was to come. Would my expectations be met???

Here’s the first store I went to — Gail Knits.

What a fabulous store!!! The outside is very deceptive. Here’s what I saw when I entered…

I thought I’d died and gone to heaven! I felt like a two-year old at Disney World! A gal came up and asked if she could help me. I could barely talk, blubbering like some crazy lady. I slowed down and calmly explained that I was AuburnChick from Podunk, U.S.A., and that I had never seen such a marvelous array of yarn before! She invited me to pet the yarn. I did the mad dash. However, she tried to explain all about how some of the yarns were spun, etc.

“Lady,” I wanted to say, “Let me be…not enough time and so much to see.” But I didn’t. I politely listened until she saw the glazed look in my eyes and wandered off, allowing me the freedom to wander. What a marvelous, stupendous place! I saw yarns I’d only seen online. Cascade, Tofutsies, Rowan…I could go on and on…

Now, here’s where the practical side of me came out. If I’m going to buy yarn, I must know what I’m going to make. So undecided…I finally called over another lady, who wound up being the owner. She chuckled at my enthusiasm and patiently answered all of my questions. I’m sure I must have sounded and acted like the country bumpkin I am. I was overwhelmed, but this time the words “cheesy” do not come to mind. Glorious is more like it.

So, on to the good stuff. Here’s what I walked out with.

Bamboo!!! Oh my! I’ve heard about the stuff but have never touched it! It is some of the softest stuff I’ve ever had the privilege of touching.

I’m going to make the Bamboo Lacy Jacket. It’s an in-house pattern.

This is some Cascade yarn. It’s green. The picture does not do it justice. I’m going to make a beret to match the fingerless gloves in my queue.

This is more Cascade yarn. Sorry I can’t be more specific on the color, but I’m sitting on the soccer field as I type this. I think I’m going to make a hat out of this as well.

Here are a couple of skeins of Tofutsies.

A funny story…I was eyeing the bamboo and the three skeins of Tofutsies on the shelves. There wasn’t enough of the bamboo for the project, so I was debating whether or not to purchase it. Plus, Gail didn’t have a color of Tofutsies that I liked. However, I stayed so long that she got in a delivery. You guessed it…more bamboo and Tofutsies yarn. I heard God speak…”Nathalie, this yarn was meant for you…” <giggle>

So, I walked out of the store quite a bit poorer but floating on air. What a great start to the day! But the day was only just beginning…

I decided I had spent enough money, and I proceeded to head back toward the hotel. Conveniently, the Las Vegas Strip was on my way. Having missed the fun the night before, I decided to take a drive. Here are the photos I took, from the window of my car. I have to say that the strip is impressive. It’s amazing how big and ornate these hotels are.

So, after driving down the strip, I realized that I still had plenty of time before I had to go the soccer fields. Mustn’t let an opportunity like this go to waste. I punched the address to Wooly Wonders into the GPS.

What a find! The yarn selection was not as big as Gail Knits, but it was a cozy place with the nicest gals!

Here’s what I bought at this store…

Noro, for a friend. I’m going to make her a booga bag.

I can’t remember the name of this yarn, but it’s just gorgeous! It’s deep blue with a hint of purple in it. I’m going to make a shawl/wrap thing from a lace book I purchased at the store.

Here’s some reading material for the plane.

Now, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the soccer aspect of this trip. Just look at these gorgeous fields…

The mountains provide a backdrop that is simple awe-inspiring. God’s handiwork is something to behold.

Here’s a picture of “Stitch,” a dog that someone on another team brought to the game. I’m throwing it in cause I thought you might enjoy it.

The girls won their game, beating the Nevada state champs! We’re playing the #2 team from California (my hands are freezing as I type this), and we’ll play the Colorado state champs this afternoon. Wish us luck!

Filed under: Knitting, Vacation | Tagged: , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

AuburnChick Knits At 38,000 Feet

Posted on March 13, 2008 by auburnchick

Well, we are officially in Las Vegas!

Our trip got off to a good start, even though we had to be at the airport at o’dark-thirty, as we’re fond of calling any hour before daybreak. I don’t know how I’ve managed to keep my eyes open given the long day (and it ain’t even over yet!). I’m so glad I packed my knitting stuff last night! And boy did I pack. I had to take my laptop, of course. Wouldn’t want to let my faithful readers (or should I say reader, as in singular?) down. But the yarn…what to take??? What projects do I think I’ll actually get to??? I was conservative. I only took three…no make that four…skeins of yarn. But I had to take all of my needles…my entire KnitPicks case, in fact. My laptop bag must have weighed 50 lbs!

So, we took off in the dark on a teeny, tiny plane. Row 7 was almost to the back. Here’s a photo I took looking out our window:

What a pretty view!

Now, I must say a few good words about the flight (second leg, I mean). We flew Delta, and when we got on, one of the attendants explained that the plan had just been renovated. Every seat had its own TV. We were able to watch satellite TV channels and movies. We could control the music, lights, and attendant light via the touch screen. Now, to be fair, the movies cost extra, as did the headphones, but the headphones were good ones…not the ear buds that hurt.

The food was delicious, although you did have to pay for the meals (which you ordered from a nice selection on a professional menu). Peanuts and crackers were free, as were non-alcoholic drinks. The plane was huge too! Seats were comfy, and there was a bit more leg room than the other planes we’ve been on recently.

Oh, and just so you know, I’m receiving no compensation for the above endorsement. Rats…

Despite the fact that I had to get up so early, I didn’t want to waste any precious knitting time. Here’s what I finished on the first leg of our journey…which lasted all of 35 minutes (as you know, every flight must go through Atlanta):

I used I Love This Yarn, and the color is Red. I really like the pattern. It’s called Basket Rib I from the knit & purl book.

We had a three-hour layover, so I actually did some work (as in $$ work). But I had my needles in my hand as we boarded plane #2. Here’s what I knit up during the second leg of our trip:

Same yarn as the other one. The pattern is called Vertical Bar Lines from the same book. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it at first, but the more I knit, the more it grows on me. Here’s a close-up:

These squares will be sent to a gal on KH for the NIU Charity Blanket KAL. I’m going to try to get a few more squares done before I leave.

My impressions, thus far, of Vegas…

What a shock! I was surprised to find slot machines right in the airport…as soon as we got off the plane!!!! The lobby was lit up like the strip too! Wow! Granted, I’ve lived in big cities before. In fact, I lived in Miami for two years and ventured (albeit bravely) over to South Beach and Coral Gables a few times. But this was different! This city is definitely a money machine.

We’re not staying at one of the bigger hotels. No MGM Grand for us. We’re just soccer fanatics…not wealthy enough to stay at such fancy places. But, our hotel does have a casino in it. When we arrived, we had to walk through the casino to get to the reservations desk. I miss Florida’s “No Smoking law.” Why, oh why, do they have you walk through a smoke-filled haze just to get to your rooms?

Money.

When you have allergies, like my family, this isn’t good. Oh well. And I felt sorry for the cocktail waitresses. Everything just seems kind of cheesy. Not at all what I expected. I guess I’ve been somewhat sheltered. I kind of like that.

That said, the scenery (as in outside landscape) is beautiful. Wow! The mountains are gorgeous! I can’t wait to see what the soccer fields are like!

Yep…I guess this is proof positive that I’ve gotten older…when I can’t wait to see the soccer fields instead of the casino. Or maybe it’s not that I’m older…maybe just wiser.

P.S. I’ve already mapped my way to the nearest yarn store. In fact, I even called them first:

“Hello, this is country bumpkin from Hicktown, U.S.A. What kind of yarn do you sell?”

I’m praying they don’t say the standard Bernat, Lion Brand, or any other yarn that I can find at Michaels or Hobby Lobby, which are the only stores I have at home.

“We carry Cascade, Noro…”

“Say no more…I’ll see you tomorrow.”

AuburnChick is going shopping!

Filed under: Knitting, Vacation | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

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