Ike's Aftermath

Okay gang! Guess what? I have power and the babies and I are back in our own place watching college football. I have added pictures to the slide show, but here are some any way.

Initial Damage Assessment at 10AM this morning

Initial Damage Assessment at 10AM this morning

Initial Damage Assessment at 10AM this morning

Initial Damage Assessment at 10AM this morning

The walkway leading to my apartment after the rain ended

Thank all the gods that you can that my part of town was spared. I have not spoken with Trouble or Munchkin, so I am still asking for your prayers for them, as well as all those that will be without power for up to the next two weeks.

I will post more tomorrow, but I will be falling asleep with the babies soon, as no one really slept much last night.

Friday Fill-In (Pre-Ike Landfall)

Before I get tho the Friday Fill-Ins, I want everyone to know that I will be hunkered down tonight with many of the Apartment Posse in an apartment on the second floor in the middle of our section. It is free of trees and we have the window secured. We will have all of our respective babies with us and they will all just have to live in peace. The best part is that most of the babies are already friends, so we just have to keep the stress levels down. Our cars are all safely in a parking garage on the third floor and will be safe with all the luxury cars that are also there. Cell phones are fully charged and we will keep them charging as long as the power remains.

I have also been cooking. I had food that had not been frozen and needed to be cooked. I fixed two racks of lamb, salmon loaves, baked sweet potatoes, grilled crook-neck squash, rice, artichokes, and some hard boiled eggs. The rest is frozen and we will cook as needed should we loose power for longer than 24 hours. Thank goodness for propane grills!

Friday Fill-Ins

1. I enjoy listening to live music with that some one special and the magic that goes hand in hand with that atmosphere.

2. Why more people don't value their relationships and each other more is something I wonder about often lately.

3. In your heart, you knew I was the one, but somehow it took us this long to find each other.

4. Take living each day one at a time, add a little love, laughter, and good friends and you end up with a relationship that will fulfill all of your wildest expectations.

5. Life has gifted me with talents such as knitting and sewing, and the ability to share them with my friends and family. It has also gifted me with a second chance to become the person that has been hidden away for far too long.

6. A sunny day beside the pool with friends and a cold beverage, is an instant vacation.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to making it through Hurricane Ike! Anything after that is gravy!

Moment of Silence, and Other Updates

I am quite sure that all of us remember that today is the anniversary of 9/11/2001; however, it never hurts to remind anyone. So before you read on, please take just a moment to remember all of the lost souls as well as their families. And to also remember all of the Armed Forces that have made it their life's work to keep us safe and free. I have taken the politics out of this, so please do not post political views in your comments. You can discuss that with me offline.

I have wonderful news! Trouble is having a GIRL! Yep, the ultrasound was spot on (pardon the pun). The expected due date is still the 7th or 8th of February. I think that they have settled in on Zoe as the first name but I am not 100% certain of the middle name. It has been requested that I avoid utilization of pastel colors when making anything for my new granddaughter. I will acquiesce because I think that I prefer bolder colors myself as well. And, grandma gets to provide the Bringing Baby Home From The Hospital Outfit! Can you tell that I am super excited? I am still not happy that she is making me a grandma yet, but she is grown and able to make her own decisions.

I have also discovered a new singer. her name is Patrice Pike. She is AMAZING! I personally don't mind all of her tattoos, but some might. Her voice is amazing and her songs are simple and powerful. If you visit the link, you can sample some of her songs. I love Beautiful Thing, Rufus, and Unraveled. If you get the opportunity to see her live, you should. Needless to say, my musical appetite is growing and I am totally in love with attending live performances, many which are totally free. The only expense is food and drink, and I can totally control that expense.

Okay, so the Comets have been eliminated from the playoff picture, and with Ike barrelling down of the Gulf Coast I doubt that we will play the Monarchs Friday night. I am sad about not seeing Kara again this season but I want the players to be safe. That means that I will be rooting for the Liberty (that Janel McCarville is soo cute) for the Eastern Conference and I still have to choose between the Seattle Storm and the Sacramento Monarchs for the Western Conference. Why you ask? Because, Seattle has Sue Bird and Yolanda Griffith. They also have a player from the Comets Dynasty Days, Sheryl Swoopes. And the Monarchs have Kara Lawson (Go Lady Vols!) and A'Quonesia Franklin (Gig 'Em Aggies).

Today we are getting ready at work for the storm and Friday we will work remotely. Not that it is a holiday by any stretch of the imagination. I have NOAA queued up and I have been watching all the alerts carefully. I cannot disclose my plans but I have a contingency plan in place. I have also gathered up as much knitting as I can to hunker down. The UFO's are top priority.

Okay, back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Tuesday Temptations

As a result of last week's post and some wonderful advice from a medical professional, I have been making some changes to my wardrobe.

I was treated to some shopping time at New York & Company Saturday. My co-shopper had a coupon for money off a total purchase and I found some new tops. I bought this, this in a pale blue, and another one in black that I cannot find a picture of online. I also got this for work. And a cardigan like this, except the sleeves stop at the elbow and it is a marine blue. Best part, I spent less than $5.00 each for the tops and the sweater and only $10.00 for the dress. I am also glad that these are making a comeback!

I have been looking at these, but I want one that has a better bra built into it. Any suggestions? I want ones that have an actual bra built in and not just that silly piece of fabric with elastic sewn on, because I would want to wear it without needing to wear a bra. I don't want two sets of straps to deal with.

I know that I had boots in the last Temptations, but these are made right here in TX and would look great with a black dress in the Fall!

What I really want to know is how do designers come up with the names for their shoes. Case in point, this name. Do they look like the name fits? Or what about these? Or these? Can some one explain it to me? If that is the best they can come with, perhaps they should just use a numeric system so that they avoid lame names.

Okay gang, survived the Packers game and have a Comets game tonight. Have a great week!

Monday Minute

Okay, yesterday I went with lanoue81 to Yarntopia for Sunday knitting from Noon to 4PM. It was a total hoot. I saw a lot of familiar faces and met some new ones. And I have to share this quote from lanoue81. We were discussing magic loop on circulars versus regular circular knitting versus double-points. She busted out with, "I love them all, I'm bi-sitcksual". OMG, I loved it and wished I had come up with it first. She gets all the credit, but I will continue to use it.

While I was there, I got to fondle some Malabrigo sock yarn that is only available in Canada at the moment. OMG, if I may say so myself, it was orgasmic to say the least and the Violet color was divine. I also got to fondle the Rowan Bamboo Tape. I think that I may just have to "obtain" this yarn to make myself a three-quarter sleeve version of Sahara in this color or this color.

I can say that I will definitely be adding this Sunday gathering to my "to do list" as often as possible this year. The group was comfortable to be with and we all were able to share and learn with each other in a very unpretentious way. If you know where this LYS is located, give them a call to get the calendar so that you can join us one Sunday and see for yourself!

My Sunday was capped off by watching the Colts versus the Bears with Adam. What a hoot football is when you watch with a Cheese Head. I almost had to root for the Bears just because he would never dream of such a thing. I was also treated to dinner. Adam fixed steak, mashed potatoes, and corn. I think it is only fair for keeping me out late Friday and for the rack of lamb that I found really cheap that he has graciously accepted to be the guinea pig when I fix it this week.

Tonight, we are watching the Packers season opener on Monday Night Football. Alas, I cannot disclose where we will be watching, as she who cannot be named has many spies and I do not want ANY surprises. Tuesday, I will post Temptations, but the post may be short as we have another Comets game. Wednesday, I may be attending a private Comets event if my account rep can tell me which players will be there. Thursday, I may actually get some much needed sleep, depending on what Ike has decided to make of himself in the Gulf of Mexico. Friday is the final home game for the Comets. The weekend will be up in the air due to the impending hurricane. Keep your fingers and toes crossed. I know he has to hit some where, I just wish Mother Nature would pick a place on the Gulf Coast that is not so populated....Any one have any special pull in that area? If not, say all the prayers you can.

Okay gang, busting out of work soon. I have been playing with my schedule a bit (legal advice) so that she that cannot be named and her spies cannot keep tabs on me. I cannot tell you the actual schedule...but I hate what we are trying this week.