I really need to work on getting some interesting posts up. I know this, but right now my brain is in hibernate mode. It's focusing madly on trivial and entirely unworthy things, which generally means some kind of Big Decision is being reached behind the scenes. No doubt me, myself, and I will fill us in on the decision when the time comes. We usually do.

Anyhow. Just so you know. The endless blather about knitting patterns, yarn colors, doing laundry, and drinking coffee won't go on forever.

And, speaking of coffee, this was the first Monday morning since December 18 that I haven't had to commute through a pile o'fresh snowfall. (Or been stuck at home, unable to get anywhere at all.) I celebrated by stopping at Starbucks on the way in. Mmmm, venti latte!

We had snow on Saturday, but it was a pretty feeble effort. No more than an inch, maybe an inch-and-a-half in places, and it was already melting off, even before it had stopped falling.

So, what did I do this weekend, without the R.C. around to nudge me into getting out and around? Not much.

Saturday:

Hair appointment:

Cut and color: Stylist went mad with the "black" in the dye and my hair looks dyed for the first time in a long time. Must talk to her about that. I don't mind being old nearly as much as I'd mind being old and giving the impression I was trying to look 20.

Laundry:

3 loads. Must refill stupid key card before can do more. Key card machine hates me, so I'll have to go with my loins girded for a struggle.

Phone calls:

Talked to my mother. For some reason, she always calls me when the R.C. is out of town. I think the two of them think I'll fall over and die for no particular reason, if no one is watching me.

Talked to the R.C. for an hour. For someone on a "business" trip, it sure sounds like she's doing an awful lot of shopping.

Yarn stuff:

Finished a scarf made with some oddball cream-and-pastel yarn I found. Inspected it closely. Decided that, with that yarn it was always going to be ugly, but there wasn't any reason it had to be that ugly. Tore it all out and started over. Remains ugly but not quite as much of an offense against humanity as the first version.

Dug out the "casting on" instructions for knitting and tried again. After a while, I regained the knack. Knitted approximately 3" of the ugliest, messiest work I've ever seen. Tore it all out (story of my life) and started over. It all came together the second time and now it's a keeper. So pretty! I'd forgotten how much prettier knitting is than crocheting. Maybe because knitting is so slow. I prefer fast results.

Worked on the latest "regular" afghan. Approximately 1/3 of the way done, I've decided that it should have been wider. After much deliberation (ten seconds), I decided I was out of love with ripping things out, so I pressed on. The world has skinny people, too. Not everyone needs an afghan that's three feet wide.

Shell Afghan - Worked on the afghan with the fancy "shell" pattern. Can't decide if it's pretty or a gosh-awful mess. May wind up tearing it out and using the yarn for another scarf.

Scarves, misc. - Finished two of three of the scarves I was working on for friends. Fringed one. Need to buy more yarn before I can fringe the other and finish and fringe the last one.

Summary:

This day was a triumph. You know why? Because not only did I not overspend (nothing but the hairdresser), I didn't overeat.

Sunday:

Much the same, without the hairdresser. Spent no money. Worked on my "projects" and did a bit of housecleaning. Watched a few DVDs. Very peaceful.

And! I got in three solid hours of sketching practice! I am grossly out of practice, but I found a portable table (actually, it's a watercolor painting board) I can keep my stuff on, so now it's out and available.

I plan to practice a little every day. Sunday I achieved something that might have been a tree and another thing that really very nearly looked like a pile of rocks. And a building that, triumph of futuristic science, clearly exists on three different planes of existence.

I'm working strictly with technical pens this time. I had a ton of fun using the pencils and charcoal, but my teacher was very scornful of me using blending to cover the deficiencies of my line drawing. This time, it's nothing but pens until I get the hang of lines.

Otherwise? I watched the new Dresden Files episode last night. I can't decide if I'm going to like this show or not. I thought about Shakespeare (consequence of a discussion in another forum) and Very Nearly put in Henry V (I'm sure we still have it) but never quite got around to it. (Television isn't high on my priorities when I'm alone. I still have an urge, to watch it, though.

Tonight:

Yarn store to get the aforementioned supplies.

Apartment complex office building to refill key card

Tape Studio 60 for the R.C.

May decide to try Enterprise. I understand it's re-running on the Science Fiction channel, starting tonight. I've never actually seen it. I assume it wasn't good since it wasn't on the air for very long, but I really like Scott Bakula, so who knows?

I can hear you all snoring from here, so I'll stop now.