My last post of 2008

I can hardly believe that 2008 is almost over. This was a fairly good year-I got married, got a small inheritance left to me by my grandfather, and started my life as a lab tech (rather than a student). I have high hopes for next year: I'd like to have a baby in 2009. I'd like to survive another year in my job (and hopefully outlast a few co-irkers). It'd be really nice if DH got an EMT job-he is taking the national registry test next Tuesday. He's not a good test taker despite knowing the material, so I have everything crossable crossed that he passes. I'd like to knit a whole lot more, and I have specific goals in that dept:

• Finish my central park hoodie without mangling it more than what's been done
• Learn to knit socks
• Possibly start making DPN-holders
• Maybe open an etsy store? I gotta pay for my yarn habit somehow lol.
• Start making baby stuff

I've been trying to convince DH that we need to make some kind of life plan, and even if we don't adhere to it, a general plan would be great. Here are some of the things I'd like to map out:

• We're already TTC, but I'd like to have a goal in place for kids, spacing between them, etc.
• We need to buy a house
• We want to move somewhere that has snow in the winter (I'm thinking PA or CO, he's thinking Alaska lol. I better win that fight).

Those are the big things that I can think of. I'm sure there's more, but I'm not far enough into marriage I guess to think of them yet.

I need to decide if I'm going to go back to school or not. There are so many options, and that's the problem. I'm 99.5% certain that I do not want a PhD. I'm currently flirting with the idea of getting a master's degree in genetic counseling or forensic DNA analysis. I doubt seriously that I'll stay as a lab tech, because I'm only about $6K away from the top of the pay-scale (and that's with only 3 yrs total experience). I could always get a master's degree in biology I guess. Or I could do something totally different (which would unfortunately involve another bachelor's degree). How can I be 25 years old and not know what I want to do with my life? Geez, I need to get my shit together already lol.

So, I made it through 2008 relatively unscathed. No major work problems, no family deaths (thank God), no broken bones (although we have had an ER visit, but that was for DH. He's fine.). I've picked up a new habit (knitting) and learned more about my body (charting and TTC). I've seen Sadie grow up into a slightly psychotic yet lovable schnauzer, and watched Jake exhibit every single sign of sibling jealousy. I've finally married the guy I've been with since 2003 (and can now jump him guilt-free lol). I've made several new online friends, and I'm thankful for all of them (even the one who doesn't read my blog!). I wonder what 2009 will hold in store for us? Oh, and did I mention that odd numbers make me nervous?

Happy New Year 2009!!!

Random dog pic post

Here's my dog's version of the sideeye; normally he has his head facing down with his eyes upward. This is the closest I have come to capturing it:

The fun thing about schnauzers is that when they sleep, their beards stay in whatever position their head was in. Case in point:

Wanna see a cute pouty face? Here's the one I saw both on the entire car ride to my Mom's house for Christmas, as well as the entire ride back. We still haven't figured out why he was pouty, but he sure was cute while he was doing it. Ignore the sheet-my car has leather seats, so I put a wool blanket covered by a sheet over the seats when the dogs are in the car.

We got a new chair!

When I was a kid, my grandpa had the most comfortable round chair in the world! I honestly did not know that they still made them. I wandered into Pier1 last night, and look what I found:
Too bad this is what the chair has looked like since we got it:


Anyway, I'm really excited about the chair, despite the fact that it is apparently a very expensive doggie bed lol.

2008 Stolen from the magnificent Alliebooberz!

1. What did you do in 2008 that you had never done before?
I got married

2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I probably didn't, since I can't remember if I made a new years resolution. 

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Define close; IRL, no. Nesties, yes.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No, but DH lost 2 family members (I didn't know them)

5. What countries did you visit?
Didn't leave the country. Got to see the grand canyon though.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
that's easy: a child and a house of our own (not sure the second one will happen)

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Feb. 29, 2008: FINALLY got married.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Its a toss-up between planning my entire wedding on less than $3000 or getting a big-girl job in the lab.

9. What was your biggest failure?
I try not to consider my lack of being pg as failure, but its the first thing that popped into my mind.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Um not really that I can remember.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Our late honeymoon to the Grand Canyon?

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I don't have an answer for that one lol.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Mine actually. 

14. Where did most of your money go?
Lately the yarn stores have been sucking it out of me.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Getting married, starting TTC, being off for a week for Christmas...

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
I guess "You're the one that I want" from Grease-we walked down the aisle to it after getting married.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? happier overall
b) thinner or fatter? about the same
c) richer or poorer? richer

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
relaxing

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
stressing

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Went to the ILs as normal. Went to my Mom's on the 26th.

22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
I've fallen more in love with him

23. What concerts did you attend this year?
Tuskahoma: a few country ones that I dont' really remember, and Third Day

24. What was your favorite TV program?
Dexter

25. Do you dislike anyone now that you didn't dislike this time last year?
I dislike the same people I disliked then more now.

26. What was the best book you read?
Knitting books! Stitch N Bitch, and a few books by the yarn harlot (all hilarious)

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
that I miss playing the drums and that I should have tried harder to become a pro musician

28. What did you want and get?
I wanted to get married and start TTC, and I got both. I also wanted more friends, and got those too. I also got contact with my Dad's family.

29. What did you want and not get?
a pregnancy

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
IDK

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 25 on Oct 14. Had to work. I don't think we did much of anything.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More time with mike, a less stressful job, and getting pregnant

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
a few efforts to look better; all have failed miserably except for the haircut I got yesterday. I can honestly say its the first one I've ever really liked.

34. What kept you sane?
My husband, my best friend, and talking with my online friends.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I'm a huge fan of Julia Stiles, but I didn't see her much. :(

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
That would be the election.

37. Who did you miss?
My husband for the summer, and I wish my best friend lived closer. I missed my dog a lot too-she died in Oct. 07 at the age of 12. I still dream about her all the time.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
My knitting friends IRL; there are a few nesties that stick out in my mind too.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
Although I'm not an active Christian, its becoming more and more apparent that God is watching over me despite my best efforts to hide. 

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Of course, now would be the time when I can't think of any songs.

The scarf is finished!

I finished my first scarf (the pattern is called My So-Called Scarf) last night! The yarn I used is Paton's SWS in Natural Pink. It's 70% wool, 30% soy. I added a fringe to it, and did not block it. Here is the finished product:

I gave it to my best friend as a birthday/graduation/Christmas present. I'm quite proud to say she loved it!

I'm stalking myself lol

If you look down the page at that thing that shows where the site hits come from, you may notice that almost all of them say Oklahoma City, OK. That would be me looking at my own site lol. I'm stalking myself!

I am now organized!!

I went to Target tonight (thanks Fred) and bought an It So organization setup for my rapidly growing yarn stash. If I'm going to stay with knitting, I need to make sure I stay organized and can find all of my yarn/needles/patterns. So, here is what I bought:


While I was setting up my organization system, Sadie was otherwise occupied. This is why she is not allowed in the second bedroom alone:


Imagine how much fun she would have if mommy wasn't nearby to make sure Sadie doesn't take a flying leap at the cage?

Jack is singing again!

Jack has been pretty down since Jill died. Even the addition of Will didn't cheer him up. Now he's singing and ruffling his feathers at me again! He's probably just threatening me or challenging me LOL, but choose to see it as love.

Stitch N Bitch

I discovered a local yarn store this weekend, and they have a weekly stitch n bitch on wednesday nights. A Stitch N Bitch is basically a get together for women who want to knit or crochet, and you can talk/bitch about whatever you want. Anyhoo, I LOVED the SNB! I was a little apprehensive about going since I can be painfully shy sometimes and I've never been the coolest person to hang with. Those ladies are so much fun!  They're funny and non-judgmental. One of the girls has BOTB just like me and also knits and cross-stitches. Another girl is engaged to a Native American (and is white like me too), so I think we'll be able to joke about the issues of being in an interracial relationship based on some of the comments she made tonight. I think I may be on my way to making some IRL friends. As a girl with few friends throughout life (but the ones I have are great!), I'd like to have a few more.

I wish the SNB was held every other night instead of once per week. I can hardly wait until next Wednesday. One of the girls goes to another SNB on Saturdays-I might go to that one too! I usually go to my mom's house on the weekends though, so I'm going to have to figure out what to do lol. Haha-I feel like such an adult! I can go out on my own without my shyness taking over! (they say its the little victories...)