I am about to raise high-holy-hell with Knitpicks. I ordered from them at the end of January. It was shipped like the following day, and according to their crappy-ass tracking system was supposed to be delivered today. I just checked the tracking again, and it's telling me now that the package is in freaking LA. Now, of course this cannot possibly have happened, because it shows it arriving in Charlotte on February 1, 2007 at 1:20 PM, and leaving from Los Angeles on February 3, 2007 3:45 AM. That's not at all possible .. unless FedEx .. who is apparently the carrier they're using .. has developed teleportation technology. So .. someone's had a screwup in their computer system .. and I have no friggen clue where my stuff is.

I -will- be calling them tomorrow. And I -won't- be ordering from them again. Elann has never given me trouble.

*yawn*

I'm -so- tired. And, why yes, it is 5:00am. And yes, I've been up already for hours, tossing, turning and flopping in the bed. And disturbing Isis. (Jason sleeps through anything, luckily!) Who granted was a sweet kitty and tried grooming me to help me get to sleep. It didn't work. I finally just roused myself, and came down to discover that the thing that had been on my mind all night was true, and I found my blue pattern/color-card binder. Yeah. I think that's what kept me up all night. Whee.

That and dreading going to Weight Watcher's this morning. And now I want to go even less, because all I want to do is friggen sleep. I'm annoyed now, growly and grumpy and not in the mood to deal with the yuppy moms at the meeting, and certainly not in the mood to deal with the too-cheerful new leader, Lucie. Who is Canadian. And I like her, normally. She knits, in fact. But today .. right now .. I don't want to deal.

Random knitting sidenote: I started my very first Mason Dixon Ballband washcloth, and I'm as hooked as everyone else. This knits so fast! I'm going to take ti back to bed with me as I wait for Jason to wake up so I can tell him I'm not going to the meeting because I need to friggen sleep. Oh yeah, and who else loves the fact that Knit Picks now lets you pay 70-cents less and download their patterns, rather than buying them and having to wait for the pattern?

In other non-knitting news, because I've no desire to try to post coherently about my knitting at this ungodly hour, we have not one but two delightful outings planned this week. First, Sunday we're going to see a production of Rent in Charlotte. Jason and I saw the show on Broadway and I loved it, so when I saw it was coming here I had to get tickets. And then on Tuesday we're going to a weaving class at the LYS we love to shop at, creatively named The Yarn Shop, by Rainy Day Creations. That's the whole name, yes. But the ladies are very sweet, and Jason got us all a lesson and we're going Tuesday. I'm so thrilled! I think the class includes rental of a loom too, which will be interesting. I may not get much knitting done!

One more side note: About the picture in the previous post; it's not snow, nor is it from the wintertime. I took that picture on our trip up the Blue Ridge Parkway last OCtober. The reason the trees are covered in ice is because of what's called a hoar frist, where moisture in the air/fog/clouds freezes on contact with the trees/grass/ground. Cool, isn't it?

I'm going back to bed now, aided by a little blue pill. (Tylenol Sleep - no painkiller, just sleep-aid. My hero!)

Grr.

Why does everyone adore Flickr so much? I mean, unless you actually pay for the dern thing, you can't organize it well at all, and it's impossibly frustrating to deal with.

Side note .. I -really- need to get more ram for my computer. It's disturbing to watch my words come up several seconds after I type them.

Anyway, I've decided to join the picture-a-day thing, in part to encourage me to actually use my camera. But because the insanity is too much for me, I think I'm going to limit posting of said pictures to once a week. (Snaggle-fraggin' computer .. it's not -that- hard to keep up with me, is it!?!) And I'm not, I repeat -not- going to use Flickr. I hate Flickr, because it's .. well .. it's Yahell, and I hates me the Yahell. And if my computer were behaving a bit better right now I'd decide where I wanted to post my 365 photos .. but since it's being a dipshit, I don't have the patience right now. It'll probably be Fotki, and I may actually pay for my existing account to use it that way, but we'll see.

Okay. All knitting progress is currently halted, as I need to go to Hobby Lobby to get more yarn for my red scarves. I did finish the back of my sweater and started on the front .. but there's not a lot to show for that just yet. And I'm not attempting to upload with the beast acting this way. Photo evidence shall have to appear tomorrow. Along with my first week's worth of photos.

I'm going to kill things in World of Warcraft.

Arrrr.

I don't scare easy. Believe me. No, your bitchy comments aren't getting posted. Why? Because they're bitchy, and I told you so. And frankly I don't have any interest in what you have to say.

Karma? Oh, I know all about it. What part of me saying I'm a Witch did you not understand? I'm well aware of what Karma is, and sadly, you aren't, clearly. So I'm not particularly worried about it, and you can blow smoke all you want dearie.

I'm a pirate now. Whee! I've always wanted to be part of a pirate crew. Maybe now I can find Cap'n Jack .. especially since he releases Tuesday. *purrr*

Just to make certain this is understood: I don't care what you little soccer-mom bitches say to me. Your lives are unimportant to mine. Your words cannot harm me. Nothing you say or do can change my life in any way.

Oh, and 'watching for me' in other swaps? You go right on ahead and waste your energy honey. You won't find me. This experience has ruined it for me. And I've run a swap far greater in scope than this one .. I should have known better.

I promise, there will be knitting content later. And yule tree photos too, since we finally got ours decorated lastnight. I've got to go to work, and then I'm going with my mother-in-law to a Christmas Concert at one of her work-friend's church. Yeah, I'm -such- a horrible, bad person that I go to church concerts with little old ladies that have no one else in the world to visit with. God. I'm just evil.

*laugh* Just had to add .. law of three? Lord and Lady, I'm not a Wiccan. At least have a clue when you -attempt- to attack me.

Gods forbid someone have an opinion that's unpopular.

I've had to set my blog to moderate comments because people seem to think they have a right to trash me. So, those of you that want to be bitchy, be my guest. Your comments will be deleted, unread. Have a nice day.

I don't blog here to be part of a popularity contest, and I'm not apologizing for my 'rude' and 'childish' behavior. I am who I am. Don't like it? Don't read me. I don't really give a damn.

Marco ... Polo!!!

Ugh. I'm so worn out, and the week's not over yet! Gah!

As I said the other day, Marco Polo has arrived safely, and is starting on his way out to another destination tomorrow. I couldn't even get pictures taken before my darling husband, who the swap was for anyway, attacked the packages of candy sent within. But I got some pictures once I wrested everything from his greedy little paws.

Look! A box full of beautiful stuff!

And inside, some -beautiful- fibers. Some utterly beautiful white merino (that hubby is afraid to work with until he gets a little better. He's having some issues with merino not taking spin well for him) and some simply fabulous BFL in a gorgeous colorway that I cannot wait for him to spin so I can knit it up into .. well.. something.

Candy .. that he broke into before I could pull out the camera. Very much his favorites. Thank you!

And finally, some tea, some cocoa and some mints which we both will love!

Thank you thank you thank you Amanda. Everything is much loved and much delighted in, and we have to say that being part of Yarn Aboard 2 has been just a blast!

EDIT: Unfortunately, Amanda of the Yarn Aboard deserves, after her recent comments on her blog and emails to be, no thanks. I entered this swap because I thought it would be fun, not because I wanted another job to do. Getting snippy and bitchy with me because I had the -gall- to not email my husband's thanks to her the moment I got the package is simply rediculous, insensitive, and prompts me to believe that this 'good hearted' woman simply wants to get all these packages back, and isn't really interested in the idea of giving. Gods forbid someone actually have a life. Gods forbid we have trouble going on in our home, in our lives, and not be able to email her immediately. Gods forbid we want to post our thanks for everyone to see, and not simply send an email, which I personally find cold and without a human touch.

So I am no longer a part of Yarn Aboard 2, I do not want to be a part of the contests she has running for it, and will not involve myself in any of this callous, uncaring woman's swaps. Actually, I will probably not involve myself in any further swaps with this bad taste in my mouth.

So .. yeah. Menstrual and all, I stayed home today, though I don't think my boss has coverage for the store I was going to cover .. and I feel awful about it, but goddammit, I can't work when it feels like my uterus is being twisted repeatedly by Hulk Hogan. I'm fine by about 6pm, or if I'm sitting down, but my job has to be done in the mornings, and isn't a sit-down thing. So .. she will have to deal without me, cos I just can't make it out to Rivergate and handle my own store .. and I hate it, but I'm female and not past menopause and she'll just have to understand. That'll teach me to agree to cover another person's full vacation right before taking my own.

But I promised to tell you about the birthday gift Jason gave me. He's always been one that can't stand to wait .. though I have to admit, I get that way too, when it's a good one. But this is one helluva birthday present, and I just have to brag a little.

He got be a Nikon D50 SLR digital camera, a good lens to go with it, a UV filter for the lens, a camera bag, and pre-paid for lessons for me to learn how to use said camera. I'd take a picture of it, but it's kinda hard to take a picture of a camera ... but here's the website for the particular camera I have. It is cool as anything, and as much of a shutterbug as I am, it's going to be a great camera for me to play with.

For just an example of the pictures I can take with this camera, here's a shot I took of Isis.




So for those counting, I have gotten a cool as shit phone/pda, and a mega-cool digital camera within two months. Good god, what am I going to get for christmas???

In other, -really- exciting news, the Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair is ... *duhnduhnduhhhhn* TOMORROW!!!! Wahoo!! In 24 hours, barring catastrophes or anything else, Brandon and I will be on our way up to Lake Lure, where we have a house rented until Monday. Jason and Larissa will be coming up that evening, but since we have to figure out how to start a fire in the wood-stove, and have to find the place on top of that, we figured we'd go up there as early as possible.

I'm bringing some knitting, of course, though I only have the burp cloth on the needles right now. But how cool will it be, sitting in the living room together, all .. minus Jason probably .. with our knitting, just gabbing away all the time while it's a frigid 20-some-degrees outside? Oohing and ahhing over the things we saw that day while driving through the mountains, or at the Fiber Fair itself. And celebrating my birthday while we're there. It's going to be so utterly perfect, I can't even begin to explain.

*flop*

Yes. It's 5am. Yes, I'm wide-f*ing-awake at 5am. No, I don't have any earthly idea why. Nor do I have a clue why I had to log in to stupid Blogger this morning, when I've had myself logged in for-freaking-ever. Stupid Blogger.

I hate that I haven't had a lot of knitting to report on. While the yarn arrived for my friends Candle Flame shawl, I haven't had time to go to the LYS to turn my hanks of deliciously yummy-soft Grape Hyacinth KnitPicks Shimmer into useable balls, so I can't get started on that yet. And the next few days are absolutely awful in the getting-anything-done-other-than-work department. Tomorrow I have to go to Monroe (an hour away) to help with a reset .. this -after- learning that they want me to lose 1 shelf in each of my -5- brand centers ... which I don't have enough room for in the first place in my tiny store. Said reset is supposed to last .. 5 hours or so. Whee. Then I have to go to my own store and work another 1.5 hours. Oh wait, lets add that up. 2 hours of driving. 6.5 hours working. Yes folks, I have to work 8.5-f*ing hours on Sunday. Go me. *flop*

Oh, yeah. And lets not forget that I then have to work 3.5 hours Monday .. which wouldn't be bad had I not worked 8.5-f*ing-hours the day before, most of which doing heavy labor. And then on Tuesday, I have two 4-hour calls, one in Pineville which is 30 minutes away.. So that's 9 hours of work. Oh yes. And the following Sunday I have yet -another- reflow to work. In Gastonia. And I still need to deal with my store having inventory that day. And need to find out if I can avoid having the stupid changes done to my brand centers. Because I can't even do that until after their inventory .. if I can even do it then. I've -got- to talk to Donna.

Need I remind you that this is a part-time job.

Let it not be said I am complaining about the paycheck this will result it. I'm not complaining about that. But my body is already wore-out from resetting my own store .. like, done-wore-out. My calves have been sore and clenchy for the last week-and-a-half. (Yes, clenchy is now a word, spellchecker. It means they feel like someone has their hands clenched over them tightly. Fun.) And -nothing- I do has managed to ease that soreness. I walk 2 hours a night, almost every night. I eat well. I take vitamins. I drink lots and lots of water. And I -still- hurt. And it's making me very irritable.

I am however consoling myself in the thought that I just had a $250 paycheck, and this next one should be in the $450 range. My car payment is $380, which means I have about $300 already to put towards our Asheville trip for SAFF. And another check after that one, which I can't even begin to calculate the hours for, so I'm not trying. Of course, I will be working -double- calls the whole week prior to that week, so we'll see how I'm doing -after- that. I need to find out how she wants me to be absorbing the drive time for all this shit.

I'm awake and hungry, and dammit, I just realized I planned a wonderful breakfast home tomorrow with my husband and Brandon, only to remember I won't fucking be here. Oh no, I'll be gone all fucking day. I've got to stop taking these extra hours. I think I'm going to mail Donna and see if I can get out of working the Gastonia reset. I have no time to see Jason this week at all, with all the extra hours I'm taking, and I don't want to start next week that way too.

tetchy: peevish; testy; irritable.

That would be me today. Though at least I know why. Hello Aunt Flo! *growls* Y'know .. there aught to be a rule about one malady at a time.

So yes. I'm irritable. And it doesn't bode well for the people I have to deal with. Now, in the physical sense, that's Jason and Brandon, and maybe his parents. And I'm usually pretty good about not sniping and bitching at them. To them, yes. But I'm clear on the distinction with them.

My Spanish 101 teacher, on the other hand, is receiving the full unfiltered brunt of my rage at the moment. More to the point, my advisor, the Distance Learning administrator, and the Enrollment Administrator who I've worked with this semester are getting the brunt of my rage, which is fully directed at my Spanish 101 teacher. Why, you may ask? Well, just read this little gem of an email the class received from him today.

Submit Self Test Now, Hurry up. Brake is over, this is the last time that I do this, from now you must to submit you assignments on time. Do not send e-mail asking me that update the assignmnets. If I don't have on time, your grade will be automaticly 0.

Sanquintin

Now, I ask you. Would -you- want to take a class from someone that had such a poor grasp of the English language? How can we be expected to actually learn from a man who can't be bothered to write emails with proper spelling and grammar? How on Earth can I be expected to enjoy a class when we're treated like first graders? I've sent a scathing email to the individuals I listed above, basically saying how horrible this teacher is, and how I am considering dropping the class and taking something else. Except I've just realized, we won't get much of a refund on tuition, and I already paid $100 for the damn textbook bundle. So I'm going to have to tough it out and endure this awful class ... but I will make my displeasure known at -every- juncture.

Update: I just received an email from an Interim Dean at the college, assuring me that my concern was being addressed. I'm a bit intrigued as to what that could mean, but I am going to touch it out, and do the work for this next chapter, and see what happens. I know at least I'm not alone in my frustration.