I'm feeling very small right now

Some friends have been pestering me about not updating, and they well know why I haven't. They've been it with me.

Don't get me wrong, it's lots of fun. But, as usual, I'm all used up, and need to hunker down at home for a bit (work is crazy right now).

But, the garden is in, and it looks great. I'm looking for a complicated lace project to work on throughout the summer while I listen to audio books and watch my garden grow.

Some pics, for now. There will be more soon, I think.

I am a princess when I sew and do construction. I think it really does suit me.

There was some knitting. A very little bit. Well, a whole shawl, if I'm honest.

There was a metric butt-ton of sewing. It was annoying, but fun.

I heart spring

The time has arrived, the time I have been waiting for since I bought this netbook. I am sitting outside, with a glass of wine and the internets at my fingertips.

Today is a very good day to be me.

There are volunteer pansies springing up in the garden boxes and the flower beds (and a whole lot of weeds), Edgar is snoozing in the sun, and I think I will barbecue a large piece of beef for my dinner. This little chunk of real estate is the best $100 grand I ever spent.

With that said, life is insane. I am preparing for the show, and there is much work to be done. I'm stealing these few hours from a million other things I should be doing. Right now, I don't care. It's far too fine a day to do anything except listen to audio books, knit, and putter.

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Mother's Day

I just tried to phone my mom, and there was no answer. No surprise there. With five grandchildren to occupy her and her own aging mother to pay attention to, the daughter 200 km away is not even on her radar screen.

But, mom? I am the woman I am because of you. And despite my many unpleasant qualities, I think I'm your finest work. I am strong, powerful and amazing. On this day, I raise a glass to you. Well, done. And thank you.

Paint ALL the things

Before I get started, have you seen this blog? It's delightful.

And that reminds me that I should update my blog list on the right. My interests have changed radically over the past three years, and I now read very few knitting blogs, because I can get that stuff on Ravelry. However, Google Reader (I migrated there a couple of months ago, when Bloglines announced it was shutting down, a migration that was long overdue) has brought to my attention many wonderful things that are outside the knitting world. Run-on sentence, much?

Anyway, I've been feeling, in the best possible way, rather at loose ends since I sat the exam. I won't be taking another course until summer, 2011, at the earliest, though fall is more likely. It's going to be about three months until the show moves into super-high gear, at which time I will be swamped, manic, cranky and loving every minute of it.

So, it's time to find a project. It's got to be cheap, only moderately time-consuming, and I need another hobby like I need another hole in the head. Also, deadlines and I don't get along. I thought about volunteering for something. I thought about knitting for charity (but then remembered I have many friends and loved ones to knit for - I don't need to knit for strangers who will likely not love what I make). There are, naturally, many books I want to read, and many television programs to catch up on, but that can only be done so much before my ass grows as wide as my sofa.

I was in the bedroom tonight, changing the sheets, when I glanced at the window. Or more accurately, the blinds. Which are nicotine stained, cheap and generally ugly. It occurred to me that I should get off my butt and make those curtains I've been talking about.

And then something else occurred to me.

Cue the trumpets.

I stripped (or rather, my good friend D stripped) most of the wallpaper in my study before I moved into Chez PeePee. My intention was to finish stripping the wallpaper and paint, but somehow (ha!) time has gotten away from me.

It's been four years, and it's time to have a proper study / spare bedroom.

Now, don't get me wrong, this is not the first time this thought has occurred to me. Some months ago, I borrowed a wallpaper steamer from my good friend M (it's good to have good friends) and it has been sitting in the dining room since I brought it home in August. Enough.

I am taking holidays between Giftmas and Oo Near. That would be a good time to putter around and finish stripping the wallpaper and give the walls a good wash. There may even be time to do the patching, or at least make an attempt at patching, because I suck at that sort of thing.

In my wildest fantasies (the wildest fantasies of the past hour, anyway) I can get it painted as well. Painted a bright lime green that screams cheer, good energy and inspiration.

We'll see about that.

Anyway, before pics:

This is the view behind my desk. I can't believe, now that I think about it, that I have been looking at this for four years. Clearly, I only see what I want to see.

Paddling upstream. Or not.

I am... not tactful. In certain situations, I can be downright blunt. And in commemoration of a particularly memorable phrase shouted in a bar during a meeting I was chairing, one of my dearest friends made this for me:

I think it's awesome, and as soon as I can figure out where to hang it, it will proudly be the first piece of art on these walls (it's only been four years).

This is not the blog you are looking for

I have a dirty little secret: I know how to sew.

I have chosen to concentrate on knitting, because I find it much more satisfying. But, I learned to sew nearly 30 years ago, and yesterday, I hauled out the machine for the first time in nearly ten years.

It's amazing how quickly it came back to me. Which is good. I sewed four dresses yesterday, another one today, and the sixth and final one on Wedesday. I hope.

God help me if these dresses don't fit. Also, I hope the people intended to wear them have slips, because I seriously cheaped out on the fabric.

What am I doing, you ask? Well, I'm working on my show, Nuthouse and Other Stories. We are performing this Thursday and Friday. You should come and see it, just to see my amazing handi-work, if nothing else.

Remember, you saw it here first!

I've been waiting for months to get this. I tried to upload it last night, but my computer is so aged that the CD drive doesn't read video files.

This is a clip from my show. I wasn't in Holy Babble, but this is the sketch that was born when I suggested the election of President Obama was like the second coming of Christ.

This song was definitely the highlight of the night:




And the audience loved it so much we had to do it again. Actually, if you listen carefully, you can hear me hollering, because I was right beside the videographer.



I'll post a youtube link when it's uploaded, but I just couldn't wait any longer.

Edit 09/17/09: Youtube link is here.

Slowly finding the surface

The show was two weeks ago, and I've sat down at the computer many times to write.

Then wrote nothing.

I don't know where to start, with the journey I was on for that short five weeks that is the social highlight of my year.

How about some photos of knitting?

Rehearsal socks. Basic sock pattern, too small for me. Details to be entered on Ravelry. Eventually.

Sweater for Junior B. That name is bulky, and she shall henceforth be known as Lillibean. Trust me, it fits. Argh, details on Rav to follow.

This is, believe it or not, a much, much smaller version of the same sweater shown above. It's for my vet's assistant's daughter. Let me explain... no, is too long. Let me sum up; lady I like had baby. I make present.

Big brother or dad socks. These suckers are huge (Six-ply yarn FTW!). If I stick my arm in them, with my fingers at the toe, the cuff ends up at my elbow. And I have long limbs. Really long limbs.

Well, that was good for me. How's about you?

**Spoiler Alert!**

"Yeah, though I walked through shadows,
There'll be a new tomorrow!

Obama Mia! We can live again..."

We are here. Tickets available here.

T minus two days to lift-off, when we blow the roof off this city.

Where have I been?

I was hanging out with some readers I know IRL tonight, and I got a wee bit of gentle ribbing about how I haven't been blogging.


Well, damnit, I'm busy.


I'm busy doing the one thing that I love more than knitting.


That's right. There is one thing that I love to do more than knit (and it's not what you think, get your minds out of the freaking gutter).


That thing is a political satire sketch comedy show. It's been a Winnipeg tradition for 75 years. The organization that hosted the show for 73 years went bankrupt in 2006.


So myself and two other people formed a not-for-profit corporation under a new name to keep it going. We, along with a whole bunch of other people, have been busting our asses for the last eight months. It's that special. We do something truly unique, and we are very, very good at it.


For the past three weeks, we've been making phone calls, selling tickets, rehearsing, building sets and laying awake at night wondering how we are going to pay for this thing if we don't sell the 400 tickets necessary to break even.


Because there is no question about it. The show will go on. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster. Our website is here. We were even mentioned in the Winnipeg Free Press.


And if we don't break even, I'll cash out some RSPs to pay for it. Seriously, it's that important to me.

Me? A writer?

So, I'm in this little political satire sketch comedy show.

Over a year ago, our parent organization died, so those of us who cared rolled up our sleeves and got to work.

We are a bona fide not-for-profit corporation now, with a GST number and everything.

As VP Finance, I often have to drop into meetings to talk to people, pick up documents, collect money, etc.

I've become hooked on the writing committee. Now, I'm planning on sitting in on these meetings. It's a fascinating process, and the stories have depth that I never imagined.

I was tickled pink a few weeks ago, when my suggestion for a character was accepted and written into the script. I was further chuffed when my support for someone else's joke was acknowledged as a good use of "foreshadowing."

I was beyond thrilled, when talking about another sketch that wasn't really working, I threw out a sketch idea, saying, "I'm not a writer, so I don't really know, but shouldn't this story really be about.... a cool idea."

There were satisfied looks, nods of approval. Others chimed in, riffing on the theme. The head writer looked straight at me and said, "You're here. You are a writer, now."

And then I left early to catch my bus, but the last I heard was that they were building a sketch based on my idea! Holy shit!