And I'm all smiles.  This is what comes of wearing short skirts with cowboy boots.  Yup.  You can call me a tart, and you'd be absolutely right.

xxx

Inside, however, there is rather more sock than there was a couple of days ago.  Lookit:

I'm probably being quite shameless with my use of the tape measure, but I make that about 9 inches. Ish. I have to do twelve repeats of the little diamond before the heel can be turned (it's an Eye of Partridge Heel.  I've been doing them for a while - I love the way they play with texture and, when there's a varigated yarn involved, the way the colours bounce about.  I only discovered what they're called last week).

It's pouring with rain.  I ought to be on my way to Morris practice, but I'm too tired.  I must go to bed early, or I'll be ill.  And that would be nasty.  I've had two nights out on the trot - two nights where I've failed to get to sleep before 1 a.m.  It's not good for me.  So.  Tonight, I shall vegetate, and continue to work my way through the first series of House.  Or maybe just watch my favourite episod of Due South (it's the one on the train).

There is too much to do at work.  Our contractor DBA is giving me the most rotten boring jobs to do at work: and it's all stuff that he should have done himself in the natural scheme of things.  There is a limit to how long one can copy and paste information before going batty, so much easier to deal with One Server At A Time.  I'm an escalation point for my old job (position not yet filled, slight shake up in different bits of the department, it will be wonderful but not for a while yet.  Patience.  Patience).  And now that I've worked in three different divisions of the department, well, blow me if everyone isn't asking questions.  It is nice to be wanted.  And I've got another Afrikaaner to practise my Afrikaans upon.  Shame I haven't had any sort of lesson for over a year.  But it's very cool working on MIIS with him, and finding out all those things about Visual Basic which I'm not supposed to know.  I do like that.  I also like MIIS.  I'm less keen on the error messages, but, you know, digging around finding out what the problem is: that's one of the things I'm good at.  I enjoy that.  Muchly.

I think I might just go and join the Carlton. 

xxx

*sneeze*

Where's the Antihistamine gone?   You'd have thunk, with all the thunderstorming and rain that's been going on round here, that my sinuses would be in a decent state of health, and unencumbered by pollen.  Not so.  Much sneezing.  Here.  See how far I got on the sock when I was concentrating on knitting the sock last night:

Before anyone comments that inches isn't that far, please bear in mind that I'm on US #1 needles (2mm, or something silly), and that there are 90 stitches round.  This goes round my sockpal's calf.  There's, what, 22 rows there, give or take a row, and that's nearly 2000 stitches.  I decrease down to 54 stitches in the process of knitting the leg, and that makes life somewhat more bearable.  Roar.  I am perpetually amazed at how much knitting I can achieve if I actually settle down to achieve it.  So, on that note, I'm going to go and put the laundry on, tidy my bedroom a little more, cross off several things on the to do list, which keeps growing, sit and write for the afternoon, and then knit all evening.  Jo and I have a date to watch "28 Days Later" tonight, and then I can have nightmares.

See where I'm storing the socks?

Why yes.  It is the collapsible top hat.  Which pops out if stored collapsed, so is now storing yarn.  I may take it to my meeting at the Carlton on Tuesday.  Just because I feel the need to be vaguely outré when I go there.  It's either that, or green nail varnish, and, since I'm being taken out to dinner by a doctor (he does ENT - or will be doing ENT) afterwards, green nail varnish may not necessarily be my route of choice.  Still.  Having a meeting at the Carlton does at least reduce down the sartorial impossibilities.

I had a lie in this morning.  I had several nightmares while I was at it.  It really wasn't worth the pain.

xxx

• Bury Tim Fish
• Brownie Accounts
• Update Brownie Emergency Contacts
• Laundry
• Pay in the Bag Packing Money
• Write thank you note to M&S for £183.22 raised bag packing.
• Continue Second Sockapalooza Sock.  Photograph progress so far. Post Picture of completed first sock

• Upload Ascot Pix
• Get prints of various photos
• Renew Library books
• Tidy up (again again again)
• Find various bits for Guides on Friday, including Italian Music, Italian text book, Fly with me CD (a compliation I did with my old Guides).  Start collecting bits of rubbish for 'make your own musical instruments'. 
• Find out Madonna's address for Brownies.  Find other addresses, mail invitations.
• Supermarket shop
• Shoe mender
• Sleep
• Maybe work on The Book.
• Buy paternal birthday present
• Pay Jo
• RSVP Region Day (Guide thing)
• Read Gas and Electric Meters

And I have no concrete plans.  This is a weekend that I've aching for.  An empty weekend.  And now it's in front of me, and good lord, it looks incredibly boring from this perspective.

xxx

However, I did manage to sleep.  I remember dreaming about being in bed, and going to sleep.  It was all a little odd.

*stifles yawn ineptly*

I am entirely daunted by the prospect of the week ahead, and I have tummy ache.

xxx

Time for a meme, from Lady Lung Doc

Bold for stuff you’ve done/are doing, Italics for stuff you intend to do one day, Normal for stuff you’re not planning on doing.

Afghan/Blanket (baby)
I-cord/I-cord edging
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with yarn made of camel, yak, alpaca, synthetic, sheep's wool, recycled, vintage, silk, soy, bamboo, banana, plastic bags, cut up fabric, cashmere, hemp, linen, wire, cotton
Mittens cuff up
Mittens fingers down
Hat
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Slip stitch patterns
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental Knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
American/English knitting (vs. continental)
Knitting to make money
Knitting for a living
Button holes
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting - and Estonian, and anything else from the far frozen north and east.
Dying with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
Olympic knitting
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with DPNs
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting smocking
Dying yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Fulling/felting
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Darning
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rugs
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public
Knit a vintage pattern (over 40 yrs old) it is now, but not quite when I did it!
Crochet
Cross stitch/Embroidery/Needlepoint
Sew-like on a machine

(Brought to you with a heavy dose of PMT hormones.)

No, I have not come out solely to listen to you pontificate.  I like conversation.  This means that you pause, and the other person is allowed to get more than three words into what they're saying.  Yes, I was pulling faces about you to the gentleman to my left.  He was far more interesting, and you completely obliterated any chance of conversation with him too.  I'm glad you appeared to be reasonably healthy, merely because you sprayed me with spittle several times.

No, I am not going to go ice skating with you.  Besides, text messages sent between half past midnight and one a.m. and after gin and tonic, and wine, are null and void under the over-lubricated by alcohol rule.  You should know that.

No, I do not want a Jemima Puddleduck tea set.  Where on earth would I put it?  My Mother doesn't want one either.  Buy it for your neice.  She's five, and will love it.  I am 28.  I already have my Grandmother's bone china teaset.

Nor do I wish to hear about how you're thinking about my eyes when you walk past my local Tube Station...Nor that you thought about kissing me while in the bread aisle at the super market.  We went on two dates, and I called halt at the end of the second: and what on earth were you doing up here anyhow?  You live in Hammersmith.

No, I don't want to talk to you right now.  It's after midnight.  You may be faffing about writing up (or not) a PhD, and therefore not having any sort of structure to your days.  I have raging insomnia, a four hour meeting to learn about SQLdm in the morning, and need my sleep.   (I'm trying a different pillow tonight).

No, I cannot solve the need for an instant Brownie Meeting while out at the Royal Automobile Club.  They made me switch my phone  to silent; it stymied things.  I can, however, suggest the Brownie Adventure File as being terribly handy for this sort of emergency.  As is the 'Right Here, Right Now' resource.  And origami.  Now is the time to sort out a parental rota (and she should have given you the term plan?!).  Will email.

No, I don't want to hear about your lack of sex life and resultant frustrations.  Nor do I wish to hear about how you resolved this particular issue, although I'm very glad you stopped sort of describing positions.  Too Much Information.

Thank you for your attention.  I am no longer grumpy.

xxx

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Apparently, one of the other Guiders thought we needed some chocolate.  Bless her. Then she realised that chocolate brownies and I don't mix when there's wheat involved, so she sent some jelly babies as well.  With a note to remark that I could use my knitting needles to deal with the boy jelly babies.

What with that, and the picture of the nose sitting on my dining table this morning, I'm really rather confused.  However, no-one's fallen over on top of me in the past 24 hours, the sunburn is going down, and the sunshine will be back with us in about four hours. 

Have a picture of a Sockapalooza sock.  My Sock Pal has decently sized calves, but minute ankles, and tiny tiny feet.  I've decreased down from 90 stitches to 54.... which is making things go rather quickly, despite the 2mm needles.  That's a ball of tofusies in the background.  It makes a good talking point.  And I haven't had any coffee yet... hence appalling picture quality.  They are Anniversary Socks from Favorite Knitted Socks.  Adapted to fit as knee socks.

xxx

Sam Fish  June 2006 - June 2007. 

 RIP.

Furnival's Fun Funeral Sunday 3rd June.

Music By Simon & Garfunkel.

In the back garden, under the rose bush.