You'll never believe what I did last night. I stayed home with my stuffy nose and did some knitting! Just when you all thought I was going to change the title of this blog to "Betseee bitches and moans as she plans a wedding, looks for a new job and a new apartment."

I pulled out the hank of pretty cotton yarn I bought at the Sheep and Wool Festival last week, and used my new nostpinne to wind it into three manageably-sized center-pull balls. Much nicer than the ones I have wound using the empty toilet-paper roll in the past. Then I cast on a bunch of stitches and started knitting a scarf. Started with some garter stitch, and have been just semi-randomly alternating between stockinette and garter as I go along, to make a nice texture. The varigation is so pretty that there's really no point in doing any sort of fancy stitch. As you can see, this yarn works up fairly quickly. It's hard to see the texture but if you click on the photo you can get a bigger version that makes it a bit more apparent.



I really just love the colors in this yarn, and it is oh-so-soft. It won't be as warm as a wool scarf, but it's so soft and I'm sure it will be fine for many slightly-less-than-frigid days. I plan to make it really long so I can wrap it around a few times.

Today I need to get out a bit soon and pick up some stuff at the greenmarket and New York Cake. We're having a pot-luck Halloween party at work on Wednesday, and I decided to make Caramel Lady Apples. I figure if I'm leavint the place, I might as well leave on a good note! I love caramel apples but with all the other food, the regular apples would be too big, so this is perfect. I can get the apples at the market, but I need to go to the cake store to get cellophane and sticks (I'm not going to use tree branches the way Martha did). It's always fun to wander a bit around that store anyway.

I should probably get to the shopping stuff pretty soon. Today's my brother's last day in town, and except for the Rush concert I have hardly seen him. He just happened to show up during the most ridiculously (unexpectedly) busy week of the year. Luckily he had lots of other people to see and things to do, but I would like to get to see him later today sometime.

Probably won't post again until the weekend is out - have a great one!

Rush was great last night! I can't believe those guys put on a three-hour show with so much energy. They played so many of my favorites, and still had to leave out so many others - there's just too much material. They did a lot of the older, less commercial stuff, like La Villa Strangiata, which, truth be told, I don't know nearly as well as all the boys in the audience. But they also did lots of fun stuff like Freewill, Spirit of Radio, YYZ, and much more.

Funny about the demographics at the show - very few folks under 30-ish. It was actually sort of fun to be at a concert where I didn't feel old. Also, as I pointed out, I didn't have to find out, but I bet the lines at the ladies' rooms were pretty short. Rush definitely skews heavily male! We were two girls, four boys, and I think that would be representative of the overall ratio. Lots of old tour t-shirts and scraggly hair. Didn't see a lot of hockey hair, though - an encouraging sign of the mullet's final demise!

All in all, it was a really fun night, only slightly marred by my rapidly-developing cold. Today I feel like crap, of course. We're supposed to go to a Halloween party at the home of some friends we haven't seen in ages. I just don't think I'd have a good time, feeling like this, so we're going to have to skip it. I'm sad about it, but if I have to drag myself there, it's not really a party, is it?

I'm looking forward to a quiet weekend, and maybe even getting some knitting in at some point. Yeah yeah, I have been threatening to knit for weeks, I know. Well, anything could happen!

OK, I did it! I resigned! It was awkward. Mostly because my boss is socially awkward even under good circumstances. He asked if I'd consider a counter-offer. I said it wasn't about the money. More awkward. But I "made nice" as much as I could, and now what's done is done and I am very relieved.

I will be leaving this job November 7th, and starting my new one on November 18th. Yay me for taking some time off in-between! Of course, most of that time will be spend packing and moving into our new apartment! Yep, we signed the lease this morning and will probably move November 13th or 14th (most likely both).

I can't believe all this is happening at once! But today I feel more excited than frightened, and that's a good thing. I really appreciate all the supportive and enthusiastic comments from yesterday - they actually did help reinforce my resolve and give me more confidence. Isn't it great to have a little cheering section whenever things get too crazy? And of course more people to share good news with!

On the mundane side of things, I started coming down with a cold almost as soon as all the good news came in. Been popping "Cold Eeze" and Vitamin C, except I left them at Ryan's house this morning so I have to go back to Duane Reade and buy some more. Bleah.

Even more mundane, I was awakened this morning by the alarm, and promptly got a SCREAMING leg cramp. The kind that makes it feel like someone is taking your calf muscle and just twisting it into knots. I actually sat bolt upright and yelped, scaring the hell out of sleepy Ryan! It took what felt like several minutes (but was likely 30 seconds) to subside, and now there's just a lingering soreness. What the heck causes those? Gee, I wonder if it's stress.

Tonight I am very excited to go and see Rush at Madison Square Garden, cold or no cold! My brother is in town, and we're going with him and three other friends, so it should be quite fun. I really love the band, and was sad to have had to miss them when they were in town over the summer (the day after I got back from Italy - way too jet-lagged for a concert out on Long Island.)

In the meantime, I don't really have much to do here, though I said I would do as much as I can over the next two weeks to help them get ahead. But most of what I've written is with various people for comments and/or changes, so I am just waiting on them. Leaves me lots of time to daydream about all the changes to come.

At least I'm not pregnant. Hell of a way to start a blog entry, eh? Not that I had any fears of being pregnant, just that everything else life-changing that can happen is happening!

• We're signing the lease on our new apartment tomorrow morning and can move November 15th.
  
  
• I got the job offer I was hoping for last night.
  
  
• And then there's that little party we're planning to throw in June.
  

Throw in a few smaller things, like Ryan's Mom coming to visit November 15-17 (yes, that would be when we're supposed to move) and the holidays coming up (which includes a 1-week trip to Ryan's sister's in Hawaii) and I think my head is going to explode very soon. Wanna watch?

Seriously, by the time I got the job offer yesterday, I was so overwhelmed I could hardly be excited. I am excited to go work there - it's a big agency, and I'll be working on one of two major accounts - they're not certain yet - but either one is a great opportunity. But after all the stress over the apartment, and whether we would or would not get it, the excitement well was pretty much dry.

I feel like an asshole complaining over all this good stuff. And I'm not complaining, wishing it wasn't happening. Not at all! I just don't know how I am going to manage to fit it all in and still sleep.

I'm dreading giving my notice here at work. I have only been here since March, and I feel uncomfortable about leaving so soon. But you all know well that I started this job search back in the end of the summer, when I had no work here and thought I would be laid-off any minute. Now for the past month I have been busy, but once that ball got rolling, it just picked up speed until it hit the bottom of the hill.

I am a nice person, so I feel bad "sticking" my boss. The insane deadline for the project I am on just got pushed back to January 13 (was November 27) so at least I feel better about that. But I know it sucks to find someone else to do the work. Then again, I think there are others here who are not busy and can step up to the plate.

I like the people I am working with. It's not them that are driving me out, psycho-account-lady aside. But the new job is a place where I will have the ability to be more creative, and it's just something I have to do. I know you understand. I know they will even understand - I just wish I didn't feel so bad about having to say it all.

Well, I'm sure you'll all tell me not to feel guilty, that I am doing the right thing, etc. And please do go ahead! It probably isn't going to make it any easier to walk into my boss's office this afternoon, but I'm sure it'll be good to hear anyway.

Too much excitement had me up today at 6 a.m. My head was spinning with thoughts of new jobs and new apartments. Nothing is definite yet, but I have a good feeling about both. And that's all I want to say for the moment on that subject, lest I jinx myself. Or just feel stupid for giving details when it doesn't happen.

Unfortunately, since those two subjects with a little wedding planning thrown in have basically taken over my life, I have little else to report. I haven't touched any of my knitting since the bloody cow debacle. I'm still awaiting my synthrapol delivery to try and remedy that one. Otherwise I will end up dyeing it purple, as the Mission Falls folks suggested.

I need to start on the bridesmaid tops soon. Really soon. I can't get everyone to pick a neckline style, though I admit I haven't pushed them much. Kristy and Leanne were easy - they wanted basically the same thing - v-neck. Diana and Lisa aren't certain, but I think I will bug them today if I have a chance. I want to fax the forms for the patterns all at the same time so there's no confusion, and I don't want to wait much longer. As I mentioned earlier, we're going to Kristy's house in Hawaii for Christmas, and I want to bring her tank with me to be sure it fits.

I have a feeling I won't make it to Stitch-n-Bitch tonight due to the early wake-up, plethora of work, and other crap. I'm really bummed that I haven't been there lately - I'm missing my girls, and the knitting time. But, I know I will be back again as things calm down a bit, so have no fear. I will be knitting purple silk tanks from now until Spring arrives, and the good company will be essential to getting it done!

Leanne and I had a very fun time at the NYS Sheep and Wool festival. I'm exhausted now, so I'll try and keep it brief. First off, we combined two great loves - food and yarn. Stopped at the Rhinebeck farmers market and got some yummy cheese, grapes and a bottle of cassis dessert wine that will be saved for a special occasion, since it was kinda pricey. But it tasted wonderful, and look how pretty the bottle is - could you resist?



After food, we moved on to the festival, where we were quickly overwhelmed. It was the first time for either of us at one of these, and we couldn't get over the amount of vendors and stuff to see. Both of us are pretty sensitive about the scratchiness of some wool, so there was some heavy yarn petting going on. I didn't think to take pictures of Leanne's purchases, but I did snap mine when I got home.

I got a nostepinne and this beautiful cotton yarn called "Peru" from the Great Adirondack Yarn Company at the Hillcreek Fiber Studio booth. I know, I know - a sheep and wool festival and I'm buying cotton!



I made up for the cotton by buying this great unspun yarn from Fingerlakes Yarns. It's very soft and light, and they say it felts beautifully. I may use it to make the Fiber Trends felted clogs, the pattern for which I also purchased today. They'd be a gift. Sssssh

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I also picked up a little drop spindle kit. It comes with three different colors of roving, and a cute spindle with sheep on it. I didn't have the chance to get any real instruction, but supposedly the directions in the bag are good, and if not I know I can get help. I don't think I'll become a major spinner anytime soon, but it will be fun to give it a whirl, so to speak.



In addition to shopping, we made many new friends. Here were some particularly handsome fellows. Or maybe they were lovely ladies.







We wrapped up the day with a lovely dinner at Mina, a nice restaurant in Red Hook. I think we left around 7:30 and I was back in my apartment by 9:20 or so. No traffic, so we made great time. Now it's off to bed for me, and I doubt I will post in the morning, since I've given you so much excitement already.