Look! A post!

I'm kinda bored, so I figured I'd put my boredom to good use :)

Mom ordered a book for me from Elann on sweater finishing, which looks nice. I've been meaning to knit some sweaters, but I've got a bunch of little projects to finish. I'll probably work on my Ravenclaw scarf or my Irish Hiking Scarf tomorrow, while watching one of my overdue library DVDs :p

The dogs have been morons today. Every time I tried to focus on my library book (The Manga Guide to Molecular Biology), they'd bark at something or whine to go outside. Or the phone would ring, which can be just as annoying. I managed to get a little bit of GED work done this morning, though, and I read through an old algebra book to refresh my memory while watching an episode of Cheers - my latest addiction. Ted Danson is a hoot.

I've been skimming through Grace Llewellyn's The Teenage Liberation Handbook, which is about unschooling. I feel inspired when I read it, and I needed a bit of inspiration. I think it helped a little, because my brain kind of went, "Okay, for Canadian history I can read Canadian History for Dummies and Famous Dead Canadians 2, and I can watch Ian McKellan: Acting Shakespeare and read my Simply Shakespeare copies of Hamlet and Macbeth..." So I think I'm kinda going somewhere.

The second season of Vampire Diaries starts tomorrow! So excited! :D

Early morning

The dogs decided to start complaining... just before 7, I think. So I got up to let them out, and they woke Mom up, too. And Teddy would not go outside.

It pissed me off immensely. Normally, she'll run outside and Lulu will be the one to jump over the baby gate (which is up to keep them from the cat litter) and bother Mom. But this time, Teddy stood with her paws on the gate (she doesn't jump over it, probably because she knows she's not allowed) and wailed because she knew Mom was awake.

I was feeling nervous because last night I got an e-mail from somebody I knew at my first karate school, whom I haven't spoken to in years. It went to my junk mail, so I didn't open it, but I told my mom about it and she said I should open it, but I wasn't so sure that I wanted to dig up the past (I left the karate school because of our opinions of the teaching, so I wasn't sure what kind of tales my old friends had been told by the instructors. My brother's old friend had said that, when a kid asked where me and my brother were, an instructor gave them a bullshit story). So today I thought, I'd better open it before I lose my nerve. So I did.

It was a spam link.

facepalm

All that worry for nothing! How ridiculous!

I found out today that I can't renew my library book, so I'm a bit annoyed about that. I couldn't focus enough to start it, though, so it's not that big a deal. Plus, I added it to my Goodreads to-read list, entered a giveaway for it on Goodreads, and the new library catalogue keeps track of recently returned items!

Anyway, I might pick up some light fiction from the shelves at the library I go to. There's a bunch of books on my library 'for later' list that are at that location. And I have the third Full Moon O Sagashite manga coming from the library, too, so that should be cool.

I should probably eat something. All I've had is some water :p

Human beings should not be up this early

I think it was 20 minutes to seven when the dogs started whining. Lovely. They were all being dumbasses, too, which didn't help. Humans shouldn't be up that early. Or dogs.

I need water...

M'kay. I have a glass of water now. Mom's watching Oasis HD, and she was all, "Look at these Brazilian hunting dogs! They look like a cross between a Jack Russell and a Tasmanian Devil!" At least, I think they're Brazilian. I'm still tired.

I went to the library yesterday, and guess what? The self-checkout was working for me! But the other one wasn't working for Dad. I went over to see what was wrong, and I saw that it looks different than the one I was using. I mean, the whole terminal is the same, but the displays on the screen are different. Odd. I picked up a Jane Goodall DVD, the first InuYasha manga, and a Dire Straits compilation. But I probably already said that in one of my other posts, haha.

I wonder if that Green Day CD is in yet. I couldn't check my account earlier, because they were doing catalog maintinence until, like, 7:40 or something. I think I can check my account now.

Other than that... nothing's going on.

FRICK

I feel like crap.

At around quarter to six, the dogs starting wimpering to be let out - holy crap, it's 8:57... Sweet, the local TV station's playing 'Mississippi Queen' by Mountain. Or they were... now it's on commercial. ANYWAYS. I was already awake, but I hadn't slept well because the damn cat was in and out of my room. So I let them out, (note: I just tried listening to music via Windows Media Player, and I can't get the frickin' music library to come up. What. The. Hell.), got a glass of water, and flipped through the program guide until I decided that my choices were limited: at around six in the morning, the only decent stuff on TV is repeats of The Hour and Steven & Chris, so I put on Shine a Light, which was just starting on The Movie Network.

I just tried to get Media Player to work again, but no luck. Dad seriously needs to put iTunes on his computer, because this is driving me almost as crazy as the dogs.

After I drank some water, I started feeling hungry, so I had a bowl of corn flakes. Teddy kept whining because Mom wasn't up yet. And then when Mom came down, she asked me if the doors were all open. Well, gee, Mom, I didn't think of opening all of them, given that the dogs are driving me insane and I'm sleep deprived.

And my arm hurts. So I should probably stop typing now.

I seriously need to make my notes into footnotes. I'll have to make a note of that. A note... haha.

I only have two items waiting for me at the library, and four more in transit. DAMNDAMNDAMN.

I really need to stop typing now.

edited to correct spelling

Feeling loads better.

I'm not as stuffed up today, which is great. I should be well enough to go to youth group on Wednesday.

The past couple of days have been pretty nice. I think the weather's finally turning spring-like. Last night it was raining, which I thought was great. I went outside in the rain, wearing my hiking-style boots, to bring in a couple of dog toys that found their way outside. Smiles came with me to 'help' - in other words, I picked up the toys while she danced about in hopes that I would throw one. The ground was pretty soft, and I got mud and stuff on my boots, so I gave them a wash when I came back in.

Katie came over yesterday. She got me and Dad a T-shirt each in St. Martin - she was over there... last week? My shirt's quite pretty. We had turkey for dinner, 'cause Mom and Dad bought a turkey (or several??? I can't remember) on sale. I went back for the last of the Brussels sprouts.

We didn't go to church today because Dad had a really bad headache this morning. I'm not complaining, because it means that I can stay in my pajamas.

Oh, and I e-mailed Holly, since I haven't e-mailed her in ages.

I have to go eat soon...

The Holiday Weekend in a Nutshell, Part 2

Time for part two, folks! :)

Sunday (yesterday)

Dad had to work again. Katie and Dan went to IKEA to eat the breakfast and look for stuff, so me and Mom had the house to ourselves. We watched SNL. Katie and Dan came back in time for the four of us to go to Len's Mill Store to buy yarn. We were there early - they weren't open yet. So we went to the nearest Tim Horton's to get something to drink (Mom and I got tea, Katie and Dan got chocolate milk). What was really funny was that an older couple drove into the Len's parking lot, and the woman got out to check the hours on the door, and was motioning to her hubby to park. It was cute. We were all laughing.

I bought some S.R. Kertzer On Your Toes and some marked down Patons Be Mine, using my money from The Other Grandmother (or, as I called it, 'The Angela Money'). It cost less than I thought, actually. I thought I'd have to pay a little over $10 for the On Your Toes, because I thought it was a print. It was actually considered a solid, so I had about $2 in change, plus the coins already in my changepurse. I might have just enough change to pay my library fines, but Mom said she'd pay them anyway. Katie got some Patons Decor.

Katie and Dan left for Grandma and Grandpa's before Dad came home, because they were eating dinner there. Dad came home at around 6:00-ish. We left shortly after. I was in casual clothes - my denim cargoes, my toothpaste green t-shirt with trees and stuff and 'Vernon Canada' printed on it (I got it from Katie), my green-and-blue plaid flannel shirt and my fluffy pink socks. Juno chic, with a touch of super-cute anime girl. Mom made cupcakes, but we didn't bring them with us because they were too warm to travel.

Aunt Patti and Becca's dog, Chelsea greeted us when we arrived. She's one of Bailey's puppies (Bailey, in case I haven't mentioned before, is my uncle's yellow Labrador), and she's rather cute. Everyone was still eating when we arrived, actually, so we sat by ourselves until they finished eating. I spoke with Justin for a bit, and Dad paid Chelsea some attention, which caused the coffee table to flip over. Justin's sock got covered in some kind of dip, but luckily, my pink socks were spared. I thought Patti was rather rude when she moved Justin's dip-dipped foot onto his lap. When he pointed out that his sock was soiled, she said, "Are you renting those jeans?" When he said he owns them, she replied snidely, "Then they can go in the wash." Uh, you don't talk to someone like that, Patti. Either before or after the table-flip, Patti said something about a fan being in the basement years ago for ventilation when they'd smoke in the basement, to which Uncle Brent replied, "That was only at your parties." ZING! And Dad said something like, "Is that what this burn mark here is from?", and he pointed at a spot on the carpet. Patti must've said it was at a New Years' party, because Mom said to Dad quietly, "It wasn't New Years', it was her sixteenth birthday party!"

I love having a blog that my extended family doesn't know about :D

So anyway, we ate some of the Pumpkin Pie Blizzard Cake, which had candles on it for my grandma's birthday. I'm not sure if her birthday was that day, or was coming up, or had already passed. I was feeling too bitter to sing 'happy birthday'. I later found out that Jack, our family friend who is in his nineties, told Katie, "You deserve a medal", because Katie made the cake. I thought that was so sweet of him.

I didn't get to talk to Breanne much, because she felt sick and went upstairs to lie down, but I did get to say "Nice shirt" to her, 'cause she was wearing a 'The Wall' shirt. I actually had a conversation with Becca, which was a bit surprising. She said she was reading Twilight, and I said that I liked it, but I would've liked it better if there wasn't such a hype, and that I don't think I'd own it (I might own it, but I'd rather buy other books first). Anyway, she told me that she's liking it, and that she's going to continue reading the series.

Grandma had these bags that someone she knows made, so she offered them to us. I picked one with lots of pockets, perfect for knitting projects. It has a flowery design on it, kinda like an old fashioned table runner, but I like it. Mom got a bag made out of fabric with saddles printed on it, and Katie got the bag with leaves printed on the fabric. Becca wanted Katie's bag so bad, and she didn't like the other ones. We went out to the car shortly after, and it was quite foggy. The car was slightly damp. I found out, to my disappointment, that I'd missed the beginning of The Legends of Classic Rock. I'll have to catch it on Saturday morning. When we got home, Dad moved the table downstairs and we ate some of the cupcakes. While everyone else was watching True Blood and Dexter, I went downstairs and read with my headphones on.

Monday (today)

Katie and Dan left close to noon. She took some of the cupcakes with her. Dad washed the dishes, and I dried, but when I opened a cupboard to put a muffin tin or something similar away, we had a slight avalanche. So that cupboard has to be reorganised. Yay. Other than the muffin pans and things on the table, the kitchen is clean. Dad deflated and packed up the air matress, and then moved the elyptical so I could get to my computer! Yay! I have eaten:

Two slices of pie (one pumpkin, one cherry)
Two strips of bacon
A bowl of mashed potato casserole mixed with gravy.

I have drank:

One glass of water
One glass of chocolate soy milk
One can of Pepsi

That's just today. I don't want to list everything I ate on Saturday and Sunday...

An early Thanksgiving

We're having our Thanksgiving dinner early. I think my siblings are supposed to come around lunchtime, and we're going to eat around the time when Dad gets home from work.

I'm pissed off with Dad. Mom is, too. Mom and I had to not only carry the large folding table upstairs, but we also had other stuff to do. I swept the living room as best I could, then I swept the bathroom and the hallway near the bathroom, and then I gave the cat's litter pan a scoop. The roofing guy came by to drop off the materials, and Mom had to step outside to pay him. We locked up Smiles, Teddy and Lulu beforehand - we let Goldie stay out because she behaves. And she did behave. After her usual barking, she settled down. I was quite proud.

I also disinfected my table, because I've had little visitors (mice) leaving droppings on it, to put it delicately. Either that or the cat knocked the droppings onto my table via the ceiling. Who knows? Anyhow, I hid the Redwall and Artemis Fowl books, in case Nathan wanders downstairs to get a can of pop and decides to steal them.

And, just when things couldn't possibly get worse... Smiles decided to steal a cat turd. So I had to dispose of it and then sweep up the litter. We're using a pine litter now, so it's not only lighter than the standard litter, it also looks gross. Seriousl. It clumps good, though. Mom cleaned the bathroom. We still need to bring up the chairs from the furnace room...

I have not eaten anything yet - I've had a glass of water and two cups of hot chocolate, but that's it. I might eat something soon, only I don't know what.

Oh, and one more thing. Goldie and Mouse are both pathetic beggars. Mom's frying up meat (for the stuffing, I think), and Mouse is there meowing and pawing the cupboards. It was so cute. And then Goldie comes in and looks up at Mom, ears perked up, and just waits with hopeful eyes.

The GED book has been found!

I guess it was in a box of books. But seriously... was it there the whole time???

In other news:

1. Mom and Dad are cleaning like crazy. I've tried to help, but I think it's best if I just stay far, far away right now
2. I can't find my favourite SNL skits from the 70's on YouTube. Except for a really crappy video where someone is holding a video camera up to a TV. Gah. I just can't win.
3. The dogs are driving me crazy.
4. I'm not looking forward to my upcoming dental appointments.

BAH STUFFY NOSE!!!!!

Yep, my nose is a little stuffed up. It was worse before my shower.

Last night I put laundry in, and I kept my wall light on so that I would still be awake for when the buzzer went off... but I fell asleep! And i woke up with a stuffy nose and a sore throat. Both are better now, but my nose is still a little stuffy and my throat is a little slimy. Lovely.

So yeah... not the best morning I've had. I haven't eaten anything today because of my slimy throat - Mom thought I shouldn't have peanut butter if my throat's being like this, and my stomach's being a bit weird.

I think my mom let me sleep in, because I'm normally up before 9:00, but when I got up it was partway through Maury, which is on at 9:00. Also, I heard one of the dogs (I think it was Smiles) coming down the stairs, and my mom yelled, "Leave Sam alone, she's sleeping!"

Mom says we'll probably go to the library tonight, before they close. That works for me! I'll probably take that Bob Dylan album back, though, because it skips on some of the tracks. Quadrophenia has to go back by tomorrow, and I'll also take the Monster Xmas Ballads CD back. But Zeppelin's staying out :) So far, I have seven items to pick up - four CDs, two books and a DVD. The CDs are Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, the Jeff Healey Band and Elton John, the books are a book on Gandhi (which has a lot of pages, but that probably includes the maps and an index) and a book on basic guitar, and the DVD is the 2004 Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival!

I'm still waiting on three items: a Joan Jett CD, a DVD on Martin Luther King Jr, and season one of Gilmore Girls.

And I'm #60 on the list for Twilight, and my city's library system has 35 copies, I think. So be patient, Twilight fans! I'll read it when it comes! :)

Baby cardigans and Bryan Adams (dogs, too!)

Let's start with baby cardigans.

I cast on for Lion Brand's One-Stitch Baby Cardigan, because I need to use up my two skeins of Cotton-Ease. It's the first time I've knit with cotton, and so far it's going good. The yarn split a few times, but it didn't catch on the needles like acrylic does. Okay, so Cotton-Ease is actually 50% cotton and 50% acrylic, but hey, it still counts as knitting with cotton....right?

Next, my silly dogs. Smiles, Teddy and Lulu were outside in the pouring rain. This is unusual for Lulu because she doesn't like getting wet, but the reason she was out there was because there was a squirrel on our neighbor's roof. Thus, three soaking wet dogs needed to be dried off. Drying them off is actually fun, because they don't mind being dried off. Smiles loves it - if you throw a towel over her head, she has a blast. Teddy tends to go over to the big dog bed and roll around like a kitten, so now there's a huge wet spot on the dog bed.

And now, about Bryan Adams. I went to the library the other day (yesterday, I think) to pick up Monster Ballads Xmas, and while I was there I thought I'd look through their CDs. I found Ray Davies's newest, which is called Working Man's Cafe, and Bryan Adams Unplugged. I was going to check out Bruce Springsteen's Devils & Dust, but I figured I shoudl listen to the Springsteen album I'm already borrowing first. I listened to Bryan Adams Unplugged last night, and wow. That album is going on my Christmas list. I love it. The unplugged versions of Summer of '69 and Cuts Like a Knife are works of art. I also found out that Heaven is one of his songs.

Here's the original video for Summer of '69...

Singing to my cat.

Yep. I sang to my cat today.

Q107 played Have a Cigar by Pink Floyd, so I sang along to the cat. Mouse has been very talkative lately. I'll start walking to the stairs, and she won't leave me alone. I'll tell her, "You go up the stairs, I'll follow you."

Anyway, I couldn't knit while listening to that song, so I set my knitting down, got up and paced. After a little while I sat back down on my bed.

I sang, "And did we tell you the name of the game, boy?"

"Reh," Mouse squawked in reply.

I laughed through the next line.

And, a few minutes ago, Dad chased Lulu, Goldie and Teddy away (they were probably on the couch), so they came in here. I made goofy high-pitched noises at Lulu (you know, the sounds you make when a cute dog is near), and she jumped up in my lap. "You're gonna clunk your head!" I told her right before she jumped. When she was in my lap (without clunking her head), I continued, "Miss I-Smell-Like-Pollen!"

ETA: I was able to knit during the guitar solo at the end. My Mobius Wrap is halfway done.

Long weekend!!!

Even though I have absolutely nothing to do this long weekend, I'm still happy because it means that I don't have to do schoolwork on Monday! Our neighbours might have fireworks to set off, so that's pretty cool, although when fireworks go off, I usually have to lock the dogs up, because they get upset with all the noise. Maybe I'll get some knitting done whilst listening to the racket of the fireworks...

Dogs

Here are Teddy (black, white and brown) and Smiles (white and brown with button ears) on the new pet bed, which we tend to call the 'dog flop'. They love it. When we got it, it smelled like cedar, so when one of the dogs would jump up we'd smell cedar. Teddy has this habit of 'making beds' - she tries to fluff up this new pet bed, but it's too slick. And she likes to get herself wrapped up in blankets, and it you try to unwrap her, she gets grumpy. And, if I don't keep an eye on her, she sometimes sneaks down to my room (aka the basement) and fluffs up my blankets, which means I have to straighten them again.

And yet, I feel crappy. Maybe it's because I'm having a bad typing day.