This is War

We interrupt our regularly planned blogging topic to post this Public Service Announcement. A couple weeks ago I came home from work and found wood chips on the deck, and wondered what MFB had been up to. Later that evening I noticed these holes in the support beams of the roof over the deck. Then over the weekend I heard someone knocking outside and we saw this going to town on the support beam. Tonight we came home to another set of this pattern of holes.

We are now in the planning stages to end it's reign of tyranny. Yes I know we live out in the country, that's why we have mice, bats, rabbits, herons, hawks etc. We also have telephone poles, groves of trees and barn wood. But noooo, the woodpecker has to pick our house to either nest in or just be destructive. Woody the Woodpecker is now on my last nerve, and MFB has declared war. Sure he was all cute and fun when we were kids, but now I understand why he had that annoying cackle.

I'm a woman on the edge my friends. I keep telling myself there's no reason to resort to violence, I know there are other ways to get rid of pests. Let's just hope that we can get rid of the little ph before it brings down the roof.

Decompressing

Where has the summer gone in the APK household? Mine has been drowned in work hours due to a staffing shortage and special projects on top of my usual duties. I'm lucky as I enjoy my job, but I'd say I was close to burnout. Luckily things started letting up a bit this past week, and by the end of this upcoming week things will be settling down.

MFB definitely handles more than his share of the domestic duties normally, and during the last couple of months has taken on 99.9%. Thanks for looking after me and things this summer MFB, you're one in a million!!

OK my knitting friends - thanks for all the compliments on the start of the Monkey Socks from the last post, and I'm sorry I didn't thank you all personally via an email or kept up with you all. That should be changing over this weekend though, as I am currently sitting on the deck with my MP3 player (Bob Seger at the moment Old Time Rock & Roll), glass of orange juice and club soda, house phone and cell phone. The phones are with me so that I don't have to leave the fresh air. Nothing better than the fresh air and sunshine (today very overcast though) to recharge.

I finished the first Monkey Sock last week and took it with me to my knitting group. I have a feeling a few other ladies are going to be looking for some of this Tess Designs yarn as it truly is a joy to the touch and wonderfully dyed. I'm currently working on the ribbing of the second sock.

Tide to Go® to Grove City --

I have to tell you a quick story of a weekend away last month with a little fiber at the end. Our best friends live in Canada and so of course we don't get to see them often, but we made special plans to meet in Grove City PA. It seems Canadians flock here as most of the cars we saw had Ontario plates. Why that tourist hotspot? (snerk) Outlet Mall shopping of course. My girlfriend (I'll call her B) is in her final year of residency and our spouses know when their spouses are working hard and the going is rough, the tough go shopping. I was wearing white pants and during one of our rest the tootsies breaks, must have sat on something. We didn't realize this until I made a restroom break after lunch where B tells me "you have something on your arse". No worries, I have Tide to Go® My attempt to remove the item was decent, but my friend the doctor decided this required the expertise of an MD. We were in luck, there was a forlorn looking folding chair in the large sized restroom and so she sits down and all of a sudden I see the doctor in her. I'm told to "bend over". So here I am with my dainty white pant clad behind sticking in her face and she's operating. Anyone with a camera? I hope not. Ladies are walking by doing their best to ignore, but one looked particularly surprised. Now my friend and I are not what our spouses would call shy. I looked at this lady and said, "Don't worry, she's a doctor," and B says, "You wouldn't believe the things I've seen!!" Priceless. The weekend was unforgettable and exactly what the four of us needed.

There was a yarn store there I wanted to visit but I think the store I found wasn't the one I was looking for. I think what I found was a more of a gift shop, and it was CLOSED on a Saturday for a family reunion. Couldn't have been a yarn store, eh?

So here's the fiber. We return home from a fantastic weekend with our Canadian friends, and in the mailbox is a package from a new Canadian friend I've met. First at her blog, and then in person when I stopped in Kniterary, the yarn store she just recently purchased in Whitby Ontario. She sent me a lovely note and this terrific Canadian sockyarn which is 74% Superwash Merino and 25% Nylon in Winter Skies colorway, which was dyed exclusively for her shop. I was admiring it when I stopped in her shop but didn't purchase it. Thanks so much Martina, it was such a wonderful surprise. I plan on starting this on the first day of winter. It will remind me of the warm greeting you gave me in your totally cool (I love your store) shop!

Next post could be a bit longer - stories of why I'm currently haunted by the number three. Oh - and pictures of stash enhancement, because even though I've been working, I've been shopping.

Monkeying Around

I've been too busy to post or to catch up with friends. But I have found some time to knit. After finishing the P socks last month I had a hard time deciding what sock yarn to use for my first Summer of Socks project. I did a swatch with my Tess' Designer Yarns Supersock yarn I picked up at MDS&W this year and fell in love with the yarn and the vivid colors, which I think is their Peach Melba colorway. At first I thought I would do just a plain stockinette sock, but I saw the Monkey pattern that so many were knitting and thought I'd see how this yarn looked. I really liked the look but found the pattern a little tight after the first two pattern repeats so I ripped it out and started again with eight extra stitches. The extra stitches did the trick. I'm almost done with the heel flap now - this is another fun pattern.

We've been extremely busy over the last month. Mostly with working long hours (67 last week to be exact), a quick trip here and there, a major purchase, friends and family down from Canada and a surprise from a friend in Canada. If we aren't on the road this weekend, I'll be trying to catch up with everyone.

Memo to Twig: I am so LMAO over the Axe comment and I have to apologize that I haven't sent the package off yet - hopefully this weekend.

Happy Birthday MFB!!!