The Cult of Ellen

Almost a year since my last post. Wow. The blanket I was crocheting in that photo? As soon as I'd finished it - before I'd even sewed in the loose ends - Newton ran up and stole it. Pretty much, "Thanks, mum! New blanket!" and so for the last year, it has been his blanket. He curls up on the sofa beside DH, gets tucked up under the blanket, rests his chin on DH's leg and watches whatever DVD is on the tv. (Favourite film: The Thing; favourite TV series: episode 1 of Walking With Dinosaurs or any wildlife series; seems fond of werewolf films but looks at us like, "Why won't you change into a big dog and run around with me?")

The Pittsburgh Penguins went on to win the Stanley Cup for the second year in a row, and are currently second in the Metropolitan Division, with only 5 games to play before the playoffs start for the 2018 Stanley Cup. They aren't playing very well at the moment for whatever reason, but they know how to bring it when the stakes are high. Playing tonight, so fingers crossed!

Health-wise, I'm not brilliant. Still got ME/CFS, still struggling. I'm taking a mindfulness course at the very wonderful Cedar Foundation in Ballymena which helps immensely with anxiety and depression. I sold a short story to Schreyer Ink Publishing, which appeared in Twilight Madhouse Vol 3. Yay!

Currently, I'm designing knitting patterns. My first pattern is up FOR FREE: it's the TARDIS Phone Sock! Copyright of the TARDIS is, alas, not mine, so go forth and knit, my pretties! My second pattern, a cabled scarf, is with a test knitter at the moment and awaiting feedback. And I'm working on turning an Elizabethan blackwork pattern (as seen in a painting of Queen Elizabeth I, on the cuff of her shift) into a double-knitting pattern. Easier said than done! I'm persevering, though, and someday soon I will have my pattern figured out and I will knit it! Mwa ha ha! And then, you know, I'll put it up for test knitting and I'll put it up for sale on Ravelry, and two people will buy it, but that whole few pounds will be a tremendous validation and make it worth all my time, yes it will indeed!

I was going to get new tyres on my car today but I cannot find the locking wheel nut key. Argh! Tomorrow I shall ransack the car, the barn, the hallway, old handbags, goodness knows where it is since Kwik Fit and a local garage don't have it. I suppose I could ask the mechanic who worked on it 2 years ago if he knows where it is, but I very much doubt he has it either. *sigh* Which reminds me, I need to buy a socket set anyway as the heavy gates on the yard keep working their bolts a bit loose from the pillars. Eh, never mind, I'll get it sorted before the car's not legal to drive. Suuuuuuuure...

Welp, that'll do, going to go knit some more of a bed jacket for mum in glorious merino/silk yarn. Happy fingers!

( Bit of an update... )

A plug: if you're after anything in classical or jazz music, please consider ordering through/purchasing from the Lamb CD shop on Micklegate in York. It's an independent music shop, it's struggling to stay in business, and it used to be one of the largest classical and jazz music shops in the country. If you're after a specific recording, even if it's been deleted, chances are they may have it, and it'll be available at its usual cd price rather than the 'it's deleted so we'll hike the price up to 60 quid' which Amazon have a habit of charging.

Another plug: if you have a special event coming up, need decorations for cakes or buns, consider ordering them from Anita's Sugarcraft. Anita makes all the decorations by hand, to order. She's a friend, and she's very talented.

Last plug: if you're in need of any games, dice, rpg stuff, go visit Jorvik Games. It's run by a couple of friends of mine, who will post stuff out to you, arrange to meet up with you to hand things over, or even hand-deliver items (in York, that is).

Keep the economy going! Go forth and buy stuff!

I've had a long a difficult day.

Well, when I say long, I mean I rolled up at 10.05 for work (courtesy of points failure), went out at 12:20 for lunch (to give blood), got back at 1:50 (because it just takes that long, okay?), and left at 3:30 (to go pick up the car from the garage).

So not long and difficult at all.

Of course, there's the small matter of the 76 quid for replacing part of the car's exhaust. Meh. But for now, I'm chilling out with a glass of wine and my friends who may get around to D&D-ing any minute now.

Tomorrow, I move stuff back out of storage. And call the estate agent to take the house off the market. And go round next door to let them know and take back all the boxes of books. So tomorrow will be busy.

Just to note: the week before last, I cycled 28 miles, swam 125 lengths, went bouldering and skiing. Last week, I cycled ooh, some miles that was over 27 and less than 50, and I can't remember. This week, I've cycled 40 miles. I had 2 weeks of not drinking alcohol, and (with the exception of last weekend when ravenlas's brother came to visit), watched my diet. My weight's not shifted at all. I'm a tad disgruntled! Ho hum, never mind. I'm still amazing. *heh*

I've reworked 2 stories, though, and knitted a sock. Ooh, finally, D&D action! Must go blow things up...

The world is conspiring against me today. Meh.

( Cut for ranting... )

Edit: Well, I've just had a call to say someone's put an offer in on our house. It's 20k less than our bottom line, mind, but it's a start! *heh*