ARG!!!

Work is killing me!!!  Just because the Finance people have to close our books for the quarter, doesn't mean the whole world must say "how high" when they say "jump.'

Scattered mind

Have you ever had mornings or days or weeks when your mind feels like a bunch of marbles scattered EVERYWHERE?  I've been up for an hour and I swear I haven't looked at anything for longer than 2 minutes.  And in those 2 fleeting minutes my eyes don't want to read or see what is in front of it.


The more I want to get something done, the faster the clock seems to tick.  Some say they like the sunrise.  Well I don't because it means the rest of the world is waking up and this time is no longer all mine.  I get a twinge of regret that I wasted so much time.  But honestly, the waste was not for the lack of trying!

Man, this is going to be a long day.  

Marble = synapses in my brain

Bowling ball = work

What I really want is to knit.

Sweater #1

So I'm knitting 2 sweaters for my coworker's boys.  My coworker did the thing that many knitters love: he made a special request for hand-knitted items.  =)  It makes me smile just to know he appreciates what I do (at least, that's what I'd like to think!).


So here is sweater #1 for Leo's 18 month-old Nico.  It's a boat-neck sweater with a wide body.  The sail boat in the middle fits the sweater well, don't ya think?

Sweater #2 just got cast-on, and hopefully I can finish it before the older boy Dominique turns 7!


Lastly, a gratuitous picture of our little boy:

Time flies

Wow...I can't believe Christmas and New Years day passed already.  It really is the year 2010!  I've worked at Verifone for 2 years, while Tim and I have been married for 2 and a half.  Wow Wow Wow.... amazing how time flies.



Speaking of Verifone, I found a video that actually makes my company look "cool."  If you want to see a part of our business, check out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0UphTWfjVg&feature=youtube_gdata

Tim and I were recounting some of our most memorable events in 2009.  Moose definitely was one of them. He's cute beyond believe and has a pension for things in our laundry basket.  He also loves to drag the socks off my feet then bury them.  Here's what I mean:

Moose with one sock successfully taken off my foot:

See the buried sock "treasure"?

How do others see you?

Be careful! It's a time sink...
.
www.youjustgetme.com
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Cuteness and "The Bizarre and Brilliant World of Knitted Science"

Science From Discover Magazine:

Emily Stoneking had been knitting conventional, cute frogs as toys for some time when she got the idea to slice one open.  Want details? Want more?

Cuteness from our own little boy:

Moosey is staying with mom at grandma's (the Asian one).  Lady, the grand-aunt beagle, is getting used to this furry  ball of energy. 

More you ask?  OMG!  Are you kidding?

What should I knit next?

Woo HOOO!!!  I finished sewing in the ends of Sandy's sweater on Wednesday, and gave it to her on the same day.  Hopefully I'll have a picture of Sandy wearing the sweater to show and tell!

Here is the finished sweater (sans Sandy).

Seems like I'm on a roll with cabled sweaters. But you know what I want to knit next?  (Well, other than the hat I started this morning.  It's getting cold and I need a new hat.)  I am itching to make a top-down, seamless, boring old in-the-round sweater for me, in some kind of brown yarn. NO patterning, NO bright colors, NO sewing of sleeves!!  Just plain stockinette around and around and around.  I so need a break from having to think!!!

I'm thinking of making Ingenue or Pink from Wendy Bernard's Custom Knits.  Hum.. in brown?  Hum....

Fiscal Year End

My company's fiscal year ends on Oct 31st and this is always the busiest time of year for us.  For the past 2 weeks I've been hit with one issue after another.  And of course all has to be resolved YESTERDAY and all are CRITICAL!!!  Meanwhile my manager is also asking how my "regular" projects are going.  Fun.


But last weekend I did have dinner with my brother, his wife, and his very cute baby boy.  My mom and step-dad (that sounds weird.... we usually just call him Hans) were also with us.  I finished adding buttons on to Mikey's jacket and here he proudly shows it off:

Work brain! Work!

Have you ever had moments/hours/days where your brain refuses to work?  I just farted around the web for an hour while work email piles up.  But my brain says "ah...feeling lazy...don't want to be think."  Sigh... I'd be very happy if I knitted instead of whatever I do "brain farting".  I don't watch TV so maybe the web is my distraction of choice.  I applaud those people who read as a distraction.  At least that's somewhat useful!

http://discovermagazine.com/2009/jul-aug/15-brain-stop-paying-attention-zoning-out-crucial-mental-state

Back from Sydney!

We are back from Sydney and boy did I get some knitting done.  Sweater sleeves all done and I started a sock on the trip as well.

Moose and sweater

Sock so far!

And just to prove we actually were in Sydney...

Koala Babies:

Opera House:

Darling Harbor:

Some more pictures (including ones of kangaroos and crocodiles):

http://picasaweb.google.com/chen.irene/AustraliaOct2009