what's happening!

As you can see I had a lot to do on my "to do list"

Here is what the place looked like friday:


by sunday it was looking better...



and today it even looks better, but I didn't have the energy to take another photo.
(sorry)

But here is our porch full of boxes that we had to haul away yesterday...



that is pretty fun looking, no?

And in all this business I finished one dishcloth and a birthday present (that will get mailed tomorrow and once it arrives, I will post pictures... just in case the recipient reads this blog).

The dishcloth looks exactly like the blue one I mailed to Susan... so it is not very exciting to post.

One more shipment of goods are arriving next week and then we will be all moved!! Yay!!

Rock on!

I Got Mail!! Tons of it!

So Happy things came in my mailbox...

But first I have to show you that I have indeed been knitting and so here is proof - I sent these out to a certain someone who claimed they liked hand knit washclothes (a dangerous statement to make when I was producing them like hotcakes. Of course now I have moved on to a birthday present so my washcloth production is down right this second).

Isn't it cool how washclothes make their own little package and all you have to do is add contrasting string to make it look so pretty?!? And don't these three colors look marvelous together?!?!

Okay now onto the presents, first, my brithday present from Rebecca came (so my birthday was in June... I told everyone to wait until I got a bonified address). She's been my friend since like Kindergarden and how well does she know me?
Very well indeed - look at this!!


Alpaca yarn! And it has a little picture of one of the Alpacas from the farm, how cool is that? Also I got a neat spoon also from her trip to Washington State. It has a piece of Mt. St. Helen on it. Pretty snazzy for a little collector's spoon (yes I collect spoons, it is out on the internet for the world to know - I don't care who knows!!) And some Hello Kitty stickers that smell like vanilla. Pretty rocking!



And a surprise from Susan (who knows I love surprises especially when I am stressed out!) sent me this hilarious little button and some really cool Gee Bends Quilt stamps. I have wanted those stamps soooooo badly but my post office doesn't have them, and she didn't even know that! She is a mind reader!! I miss her incredibly.


Why do I have such great friends? Who knows!! It made my bad week slightly better. It was my first mail here at my new place! Yay!!

And more importantly - what am I going to make with 215 yards of DK Alpaca yarn? It came with a pattern that you can see in some of the photos, but we know my track record with lace is ZERO. Hmmm. Harland suggested mittens since the wool is so warm, but I have hot hands to begin with. Suggestions? Leave them below. PLEASE. Or send me an e-mail. Or send your suggestion inside another package for me. Haha.

complaints

I finally have internet. So now I have a wider audience to complain to. My husband is happy. Probably you are not, now that you have to read this.

Here are my complaints for this week so far (note, it is a monday).

1. I bought two beautiful baguettes of french bread from Giant. Turns out they are sourdough. Now I like sourdough. But not when I am craving french bread! It caused me to have to pardon my french, because it wasn't the kind Susan teaches.

2. People who sit right next to you on public transportation when there is a row of seats available nearby. I mean, I do not begrudge people using seats near me on the metro, because I too like to sit. But WTF? There are empty seats right there!!! And this guy kept elbowing me! I would have gotten up and sat in the empty seats if I could have, but he was blocking me in and I felt a tad bit embarrassed to get up and climb over him to get to empty seats. Plus - I was tired.

3.The pwer went off today, making me hope I could go home. But no, it came on again. It only went off long enough to mess with everyone's computers and the printer.

4.Movers who accidently send you an e-mail of the arrive time of your goods... only to have it turn out that is the time they are picking up said goods, not delivering it. Of course they don't reveal this until after half the day has gone by and your husband wastes a day off.

5. The mail service is so slow that I can not yet show you a picture of something I just mailed out. So please wait for it. Sometime this week I wil post happier posts with pictures.

So there.

Still moving in

So if the next time you move you ever think "I wonder if it would be better if all my stuff came in little bunches instead of in one big pile?" I have your answer. No. It wouldn't. Trust me.

Our apartment looks a mess. For although we have a nice big closet, we have no hangers. And we have been eating only what one would call "one skillet and a sauce pot" dishes. So it has been one long week. And movers, well let's just say that dealing with three different movers is NOT all sunshine and lollipops.

By the end of next week we should have all of our stuff AND the internet. We actually ordered said internet but it isn't working and the people at Cox COmmunications are not a friendly bunch. We're looking forward tot heir visit on monday, anyway, though.

I have a picture to add to the blog but I will have to wait a few days. Sorry about that but I am typing this at the library. We come here to entertain ourselves since we have nothing to entertain ourselves here.

But anyway I have to go because Harland is standing over my shoulder and wants to use the computer and the library closes in 12 minutes.

Will Write soon!

Moving Schmooving!

We all know how eager I am to settle down and move in to the new apartment. How I am looking forward to finally starting my life together with my wonderful husband - after almost 2 years of marriage we have yet to live in an apartment with our belongings. And really, I have been living out of suitcases since January. We haven't slept in a bed bigger than a double since then. I want sheets big enough so that I don't have to steal every night!!

(and a side story here, my husband is really wonderful. The other day I was mad at my hair. I am sure some of you have felt this way before, your hair looks stupid several days in a row, you swear you are going to cut it off. I decided "what the heck, I barely wear my hair down anymore because it has been bothering me I should cut it short." The next day - it looks perfect. Without any effort. like a model's hair. So I tell this little story to Harland and for some reason I was expecting the answer of something Susan would say - so something like "I know how that is, the hair always does that when you decide to cut it" or "maybe it is trying to get our of it's death sentence" or something along those lines. But instead this is what he said "Really? I thought your hair looked great, Honey, you are so beautiful everyday that these little ins and outs I don't notice." Isn't he just dreamy?)

Okay but back to the point. Moving is never easy. It never goes right. It is like weddings - something always happens. And I knew this move would not be easy. I mean, our stuff is coming from Ohio, from Korea, and from Alabama.

But I didn't expect this:
Thursday night 6:30pm - movers call say they need to deliver the things tomorrow.
(we don't move in til saturday)
it is too late to call the apt. office.
so we call the next morning. by 10 am we get them to let us move in one day early with the understanding our carpets will not be completely dry from the cleaning.
4:00 I leave work early to go sign the lease and everything - Harland also leaves work earlier.
4:45 when the movers are supposed to arrive
7:00 when the movers do arrive
7:10 skies open up, pouring commences
8:00 movers are done
8:01 H & I got to maccoroni grill.

But what did we get? Not our stuff from Korea. That stuff didn't make it to Ohio in time to get moved. So who knows when we will get that. My Alabama stuff should come sometime this week, I just hope they let me know earlier than 6:30 the night before.

So today will be a fun day of moving the little we have here to the apt. Cleaning where we were staying and maybe going to Ikea for a table.

But I might not have internet for a few days (just warning you) at home so I won't be posting. Notice no knitting has been mentioned. because I haven't done any. I am hoping to go to a knitting group this thursday.

Rock on and send many happy moving vibes my way.

Manassas National Battlefield

Harland and I went the Manassas National Battlefield Park today. We bought the National Parks Pass which lets you (and your spouse if you've got one) into any national park for a year. We are excited because there are many National Parks around us - including , Great Falls, Shenandoah, and Assateague Island among others. Also for parks with a "per car" entrance fee anyone in our car can get in free. Pretty cool stuff now that we are on a hiking mission.

It started to rain while we were out there - so we only were there for an hour or two. Here are some pictures.


Here are some cannons out in the field. The rolling hills are so pretty.


This is an old stone house that was used as a hospital during both battles. It was an inn before that and afterward until 1949 when the park system took it over. Up on the hill (Henry Hill) is the Henry house. I think they must be redoing it because in all the pictures it is white, but right now it is natural wood color. Judith Henry was the only civilian killed in the first battle, she was 85 years old and bedridden. Poor Judith!

This is a monument to Stonewall Jackson who received his nickname here at the first battle of Manassas.

In case you are wondering - the Confederates won both battles here.

It is a really nice park and I encourage anyone in the area to come out and see it. They have horseback trails too if you have a horse.

misc. stuff

Well I have been knitting on the secret project but it is slow going. Hopefully this week I will make great progress so I can mail it away and actually post pictures once the giftee gets it.

Today H. and I went shopping to kill some time. We browsed around and really got some savings. We bought a DVD holder that is nice and folds up and is wodden and holds a bunch of DVDs for FREE. Really, it was 20 bucs at FYE and then you mail in the rebate and it is free! Then we went to Dick's Sporting Goods so H. could get some shorts for running and he got two pairs for 15 bucks each and I bought this beautiful 100% wool sweater for 11 bucks. And it is gloriously heavy! Yay Labor day sales! We spent 61 bucks for a ton of stuff - and 20 bucks will be coming back to us! Pretty good day.

H. and I are going to be getting into day backpacking and I am excited about all the cool areas around here to hike in. Eventually we'd like to get into multi day backpacking (camping in the rough) but we don't have the $$ to get a nice tent and all the stuff we'd need to schlock around with us. Maybe in spring or next fall. That will be fun because we can hike then set up camp then I can knit until I fall asleep. I think I'll have room to carry around a wee sock in my backpack. Certainly nothing heavy.

Anyway - I think he misses all the trips "to the field" from the Army. And you all know I love the woods so that is perfectly fine with me. Since we decided this was to be our new hobby I got a few books out of the library yesterday that will help us find cool places around here. We also got a few ideas from the REI store. I have a feeling we will be shopping there alot in the next year. It is such a great store and everyone really knows their stuff there.

So anyway, any websites, anecdotes, advice, old gear, etc. that you know of about backpacking around here would be welcomed!