Color, Symmetry, and Promise at the Greenhouse

So, to the greenhouse!

I had the usual wonderful time, though I thought there was a little less color than in previous years. Perhaps I grow jaded? I did see signs talking about their plans for doing major work in the greenhouses, so there may have been some minor changes. Still, it was good to be there, and not just because of this:

Ahh, breathable air!

Outside, a sign to appeal to the punsters.

As always, I don't linger long in the cooler cactus rooms. Moving on, and there's some color!

Lovely.

And more, daffs and some sort of blue-bell thing.

Orange!

You can tell what was drawing me closer.

Flowers.

 Yup.

Color, I say!

And fuzzies.

Don't forget the fuzzies.

Or the spikies. Always look up!

These things fascinate me.

 And this, well, it makes me think of grlic coming out of it's wrapping.

Poof!

Geometric.

Up there again!

Be my valentine. Hot pink...

And light pink.

Finally a little green. I like the pattern to this one.

Back to color!

I looked at this one and couldn't figure out which way it started growing from.

Color!

And this one just made me think of the mandrakes in Harry Potter.

As did this one. You can see it walking, right?

Ah, color.

 This splash of green cascading down...

Delicate little flowers.

 Symmetry.

Somehow I feel like a peeping tom, looking in at this.

Ready to pop.

Big and odd, the center of this thing.

While this is clearly woven.

Color

 Color

Symmetry

Color and symmetry

 Another proto-mandrake. It looks to be outgrowing its pot, and are those eyes on the front?

Ripe and not so.

 Big leaves.

Coiling around to visit other plants.

Symmetry

Spikes on the leaves!

 Little lanterns.

Umbrellas, up

 And drooping

Papayas?

Yes!

I so wanted to pluck one. (I didn't.)

Curly leaves

What is that at the center?

Oh my.

Flower poking out.

 

Berries?

Sort of

Flowers

And more.

And what is the next thing?

 Now I know what a Jerusalem cherry looks like.

Ready to pop

Any time now

Raised eyebrows

Right?

The ones at the top? This is what they look like before they pop.

All promise, no show.

These look like game pieces. Or puzzles of some kind.

Color

Promise

In one room, I caught a sudden whiff of something lovely. I looked at what I was closest to, which appeared to be small daffodils.

But when I bent closer, that was definitely the source of the scent, mmm. Oh, look!

Narcissus, eh?

Lovely.

Of Today

Today has had ups and downs. Why, the weather itself has been both: much warmer, into the 50s, meaning the heavy rain was not much more annoying snow. And lots of melting of the snow that did come down overnight, though it was still a slushy mess this morning, making me glad not to have to go out in it. Plus the basement is flooded a bit.

The rain has a fortunate side, as the humidity levels in here, which were terribly low even with the humidifier going around the clock, have risen again. Hopefully tonight will be easier breathing than last night, and perhaps my lips will stop the chronic chapping.

In more serious news, I realized this afternoon that I hadn't heard back from the petsitter about my booking--you know, for the trip I leave on in four days--and from googling, it seems as though the company has stopped responding to others as well, and even didn't come to one customer who was expecting them. Yikes! Fortunately, Mary Ellen is saving my bacon, or rather, Carlos', so I can go with a clear heart. Whew, though!

The swim class tonight was quite a workout, which is good for my overall health, perhaps, but has me groaning a bit more than usual. Urgh.

On the other hand (and this is ironic, right after the exercising note, I know), my post-Valentine's-sale chocolate came today, so I am all set for delicious.

And the Bruins just won in overtime, so I am going to stop this while I am ahead. Good night!

Not Too Coherent

Man, am I tired. Is it just from the cold? Who knows. I guess we'll see how I do tomorrow.

I did make it to the greenhouse today, after a flat-tire delay. Supposedly just from the cold; I guess we'll also see tomorrow if the tire has flattened again, and if not, accept that explanation.

Am I making sense? I may be too tired to tell.

Anyway! Greenhouse! Far too many pictures to sort tonight, and I make no promises for tomorrow, but I will try to get them up this week, how's that? Meanwhile, keep looking at this.

It makes me happy; hope it does the same for you.

_Not_ the End of the Weekend

I'm so happy to have a holiday tomorrow, as I am not ready for the end of the weekend. Which is nothing new, but this time, I get the extra day!

Yesterday I had a nice lunch with friends (fun fact: just down the street from Za in Arlington is a restaurant called Zhu [well, it's funny to me, anyway]), and then we went to the movies and saw Brooklyn, which I really enjoyed--and I wasn't actually in the mood for a movie when we went, so it had to work for my approval! Beautifully filmed, well acted, and after a late scare, I liked the ending. Yes, I will even say that it was worth going out on a bitterly cold day, which it was. The universe seems to be trying to make me really, really glad to be getting out of town. Though they say it won't be as bad in a few days.

Today I did not go out; I hadn't planned to, but even if I had, seeing the temperature at -7 this morning would have discouraged me. I watched the Bruins lose in such an odd game this afternoon. At one point in the third, the Bruins had only taken 13 shots in the game, but they had five goals. Nuts! Unfortunately they didn't score again, and Detroit ended up with 6. Oh well.

I also, finally, blocked the cashmere scarf. This is what it looked like when I laid it out before:

And here it is, pinned out.

So as you can see. blocking straightened it out somewhat, as well as opening up the lace pattern. It also un-wonked the wonky end pretty well.

I'm quite happy with it.

Also on the camera was the yarn that will be the next socks, a nice ocean-ish blue-geen.

And the label on a bag I bought, which I had to remove from the bag or I wouldn't have been able to use it.

Ow, ow, ow. I can't carry a typo like that around.

And finally, a hyacinth that I got last night, to brighten my week. Last night it was really not yet open, and no scent was discernible. This morning, just a whiff. 

I will keep you posted.

It Is the Weekend

And it is, for me, a three-day weekend, not for Valentine's Day, but because Monday is Presidents Day. Ahh, three days. Tomorrow I have lunch-and-movie plans with friends, to kick things off right. Other than that, who knows? I may counter the bitter cold weather with a visit to the greenhouse Sunday or Monday, but who knows. I'm leaving it loose.

And then, a week from tomorrow, time to run away.

And PS, an unrelated image a friend put on Facebook that made me really laugh:

(Which, if you aren't familiar, is building on both Gordon Ramsay, and this song.)

Here I Am, ish

I didn't mean to miss two successive days, but it seems that can happen when I don't have something on my mind to write about and also have plans in the evening. But here I am, not letting swimming and a major Target run tonight interfere. Or at least, not stop me completely.

A few updates:

• I've looked though most of the stash, and haven't seen any other moth signs, so I am hopeful that the damage was contained to that one area. The yarn in question is still in the car, bagged and enjoying a deep freeze. At some point soon I will bring it in and let it thaw (still bagged), then put it back out to freeze anything that may have survived the first round. Then, sometime when I feel strong, I will de-bag and inspect the yarn, to see what can be saved. Sigh. I know it could be worse, but still, no fun.
• Speaking of a deep freeze, it is miserably cold tonight. Very much can't-feel-my-face weather, and that's supposed to be worse this weekend. Ugh.
• As for snow, after Monday's storm, I had about three inches to clear off the car Tuesday night. We've had a few flurries yesterday and today, but nothing to amount to much. Still, I am SO glad to have Florida coming right up. Winter takes it out of me, blizzards or no.
• After my health upheavals on Sunday and Monday nights, I am feeling much better. Some periodic mild headaching, but nothing too bad.

So that's all to the good. As for the Bruins, who had their worst loss in years on Tuesday night (seriously: 9-2), they are currently up on Winnipeg 3-2 after one, but it has the feel of a game that could go either way. It started at 8, so there's no way I'll be awake for the end, and that may be a good thing. Unfortunately.

What about you? Anything good happening? What was the best thing about your day? Mine is ... Carlos cuddles, I would say.

Weird Health

Note: This may be TMI for some: if you don't want to read about anything relating to periods and birth control, you have been warned.

I don't normally go into a lot of detail about periods and birth control methods here (do I?), so I don't see where I went into what has changed in the last year and a half. Long story short: I went to a new gynecologist's office in August 2014 (after my previous doctor retired) and they wouldn't give me the kind of birth control pill I've been on for the last, oh, 20 years or so (age plus migraines plus high blood pressure). Ah, how I love a surprise like that! Not.

After some brief panic, I decided to try the other kind of pill, but had such trouble with it over the next few months that, when the cramps wouldn't let me sleep on December 1 of that year, I went back in to talk with them about other options, and ended up starting on the Depo shot, which is something you go in for every three months. And, to my extreme delight, I was one of those women who, on that shot, had no periods whatever. It's marvelous! No pain, no mess, no planning; I love it.

Nothing until last night, that is. I had what they call "breakthrough bleeding", which in fact was not much, but the cramps that came with it were terrible, enough that I couldn't get to sleep for the longest time, even with codeine and a heating pad. This morning I felt a lot better, and close to normal in that respect today, able to work and all, though with a tension in the head and neck at times that wasn't too nice.

But then, after work, I had a coke-and-caramel-vodka and some pretzels, and by the time I finished I felt awful, like I not just wanted but NEEDED to throw up, but couldn't. My stomach was just livid. And I was hot, so hot I was shedding clothes left and right, and putting a wet washcloth on my face, and on my neck, and just generally being a mess. I mean, my earlobes were hot.

Finally, finally the tide turned, and I started to feel less awful, and then better than that, but man. What a weird 24 hours this has been. Please let it be done. I still feel wobbly, but more human. Thank god.

Anyway. Today's storm, not that I'm complaining, has been a dud. I know it hit south of Boston much harder, but up here it didn't start snowing until after 9 (4 to 6 AM, my eye), and at 5 tonight it looked like there was maybe an inch of snow on the car. Again, not complaining, but it was no repeat of Friday, as I was expecting. Good.

In other good news, I finished my taxes last night, and being on unemployment for a few months did not kill my refund. Of course, I did have them take the taxes out of the payments, which was hard in September but is nice now. I also had to enter information about those 401k rollovers (which don't affect the taxes, but still have tax forms, so in they go), and my condo refinancing, which had me scrambling for the paperwork (what day did it go into effect? how the hell would I know?) and uttering caustic remarks about what moron put me in charge of these things, but in the end, it got done.

And ... no, that's all I can muster. Still not feeling 100%. Off to slouch on the couch.

A Double Tale of Woe

Right now it's looking like I will be snowed in again tomorrow, and despite all the very welcome melting of Friday's snow that we have seen this weekend, it's frankly too soon for this to happen again. I fear my mood will not be good. You have been warned.

And it gets worse. I told myself, I won't succumb to that yet. I will try. Be of good cheer! Apply knitting! Yesterday I started knitting the Annis, which is lovely and colorful.

I also looked ahead to the next yarn for socks, given that the current pair, heading to the second heel, could be done during my trip.

Not to mention they're pretty bland, in the blah of winter, lovely as they feel. I went to the stash to choose something colorful.

But then I took the skein I picked for a photo, and uh-oh.

Broken strands.

And more about to go. I fear we have ... moth trouble. Noooo...

I started looking through skeins in that area, seeing some that looked fine, some that maybe might have something but I'm not certain, and then. And then.

At that point I put the camera down to start bagging everything in that bin, whether it showed signs or not. (Note to self: put freezer bags on the shopping list.) It will go into the car and enjoy the freeze this week, while I try to let go of my desire to shout at moths yet unseen, "This is my yarn! Get off it! Mine! My precious..."

When I emptied the bin, the evidence was at the bottom.

Yuuuuck.

I am sitting here, itching and twitching, thinking about all the rest of my yarn, and how I should really go through it, but I'm not sure I can stand to. 

This has not improved my mood.

Snow, Meaning White and Anti-White

The snowstorm we got yesterday ended up bringing more than they had initially projected, which is always an unfortunate thing (if you are me, or like me about winter; I imagine skiers and the like were pleased). It snowed and snowed, all day, and I chose not to go out after work for planned errands, none of them being urgent.

I did manage to get this shot just before a truck went over the prints, proof that someone was out. Well, someone and his dog. Possibly bouncing like a bunny

This morning it was pretty. I'll grant you that.

I wasn't super excited by that, though, since I needed to get the snow off my car. Here is the "before" shot.

Significantly less pretty, isn't it? It was, by my estimate, about six inches of not-too-heavy snow on top of about two inches of cemented snow. Fortunately the weather today was not bitter cold, making it less miserable a task than it could have been. I made a first pass at it, leaving a messy mohawk:

Then, after I went down to the basement and dug out the good snow brush (haven't needed it since last year), I did the rest.

What's left is the stuff cemented on: I wanted to get down to that in the morning, since the sun reaches the car in the afternoon, and would loosen it up for me. Which is just what happened; I went out and with minimal effort got the rest off. Of course, "minimal effort" has left my arms, shoulders, and neck rather displeased with me, but a little knitting should loosen that up, right?

While it was snowing yesterday, I put this on Facebook:

And last night, I wound it.

I'm going to try it as shawl, and though I looked at a ton of patterns online, I decided to do the pattern I made for my grandmother two years ago, Annis (started here, progress here, finished here). It was quick but pleasant, and should show the colors of this nicely. We'll see! Off to start.

Feline Communication

When I got home from being in the office today, Carlos sat down with me on the couch to be patted and scritched, and seemed most happy to be there. Later, though, he seemed to think better of it: if, after all, I declined to share my dinner with him, and then ate peaches (which apparently is quite an affront), and then messed about with paint and did not let him help, well, clearly I needed to be taught a lesson.

He sat across the room from me and just looked at me for some time, then changed his tactics and joined me on the couch. But he kept making his feelings clear.

Disapproval. He has it.

Unexpected Trip Planning

Nothing to do with anything, but I did something this morning that I'm not sure I've ever done before: I didn't get all the shampoo out of my hair when I showered. There was a weird, kind of "crackly" spot on one side when I combed it. Since I wasn't going anywhere, I didn't bother getting back in the shower to rinse it out, but man, what an odd thing to do. Or not do.

I was too tired and sore after swimming last night to write, even to share a happy piece of news. Yesterday I was checking that my frequent flyer miles from Christmas were credited to my account, and noticed that there are quite a few in the account--not enough for a first-class trip to Paris or anything, but enough to scrape together a trip to visit my mother, with luck.

I emailed her to see what she thought of my taking a "working week" down there, and as she was enthusiastic, I dug around the (soooo annoying to navigate) website and found an itinerary in a few weeks that fit the miles I had available. Aside from the not inconsiderable pleasure of seeing my mother, it will be so nice to be warm for a while! Warmth and light and color, ahh.

Really, the only downside is missing Carlos. I wish I could bring him, but he's not a good traveler (I've only driven him around here, meow, meow, meow, but I'm told that he meowed for three hours straight in the car before I got him). He isn't going to be happy with me, though.

Just for his sake, here's a picture of him I put on Facebook last week. How did he breathe?

He only stayed that way for maybe five minutes, and when he moved, there was a damp noseprint in that spot.
~~~~
Humidifier Update
It's a week since I set up the new humidifier, and I think I am seeing some positive changes. It's been running around the clock, on the medium setting, and I fill it twice daily. I also flip the filter over at the same time, to try to extend its life; it definitely dries out a bit at the top and sides, and I'm thinking I should soak it in water again to really get the benefit.

As I mentioned, the humidity was reading 35% when I started; it went to 40% within a day, stayed there for a while, then started ranging between 40% and 45% for a few days. Monday I noticed that it was close to 50%, and it has been in that 45% to 50% range since then. I am also noticing that I get fewer static shocks, which is much appreciated, and though I still wake up with some congestion, it isn't as bad as it was. Hopefully improvements continue.

Revisiting the Slow-and-Steady, Pre-pre-pre-Move Purging

I've written a few times about how I am trying, ahead of my intended move to Florida sometime in the next few years, to try to clean up and purge a bit around here, preemptively. Some more progress has been made, I am happy to say. Specifically:

• I did in fact give the smurfs to my friend with the kids, and they apparently played with them for at least two days straight, so that's good news on both sides.
• I decided that as I hated riding the exercise bike so much, and I haven't ridden it since being laid off last summer, and I have started swimming for exercise instead, I could just get rid of the damned thing already and stop looking at it, and having it take up space in my living room as well as space on my mind. So I put it on Freecycle this morning, and someone came and took it this afternoon. Yay!
• I have been sorting through books more, and I have several small bags to donate and a pile for a friend's nieces, and I was able to clear off most of a small bookcase.
• And when I finish clearing it off, I will have room for a real, full-sized, long enough to lie down on, couch! The bookcase is at the end of the loveseat, next to where the bike was, so it opens up possibilities.

I know, I'm talking about getting rid of stuff before moving, and then I talk about getting a couch! The thing is, I've only ever had the two loveseats (which were both hand-me-downs), and having a couch long enough to lie down on is a long-standing dream for me. Plus, these are two old, banged-up loveseats, and replacing one with an actually comfortable couch would be fabulous.

So! Where do I shop for one? I don't want to spend thousands of dollars--hell, I don't have thousands to spend, and I don't even want to spend hundreds! But I really want something comfortable. Advise, please.

~~~~~
Unrelated, but very cool video about driving a model T. Worth the watch!