Starting to wonder...

So I left my new used car back where I bought it Monday, because the "Check engine" light had gone on 30 minutes after I drove it off the lot and stayed on for almost two weeks. So they gave me a 2011 Sonata as a loaner, and said they'd call me once the cause of the light was found and fixed, if it was something that needed fixing. Since then: not a word. I called this morning and was told the lady would look into it and call me back. That was about 7 hours ago, and not a word. I'm really starting to wonder...

In the meantime, I've successfully restarted the second yellow CoBaSi sock! AND! I started another pair of socks - using beautiful Koigu wool, and this time I'm getting fancy: I'm using a simple herringbone lace pattern on the leg - and it turns out it's not as hard doing lace as I thought.

I'm very pleased with how it's going. I even kinda overdid it last night - both hands are sore today, so I'm leaving them sit tonight.

And that's about as exciting as it gets around here.

Plusses all over da place ... and one niggling complaint

Had my first real post-surgery checkup with my surgeon today. I'm doing as well as I think I am - which is terrific. Still can't mow the yard or drag the vacuum cleaner around until the middle of October, though. *grumble* That's not the complaint.

We've been enjoying absolutely heavenly weather here in Omaha for more than a week. Delicious temps in the 70s during the day, high 50s at night - sun, breezes, it feels like fall, really it does. Glorious. I would love to spend more time in the yard but when I'm out there I want to start pulling weeds & stuff, verboten by my doctor. See 1st paragraph.  That's not the complaint, either.

My "new" used car is back at the dealer's, getting the persistent "check engine" light checked out. I dropped it off Monday - they gave me a newer loaner, with lots of modern conveniences that I find worrisome and distracting, but I figured them out so it is OK. I wish they'd fix my car and get it back to me, though - AND I wish they'd get the car I bought under my name in the county titles records so I can get its new license plates.  But THAT'S not my complaint.

None of those things are really concerning me at all. No, what's annoying me right now is water way, way under the bridge. I have several of the BBC's Lord Peter Wimsey DVDs. The newer ones, with Petheridge as Wimsey, are lovely and delightful - but why, why, why, is the BBC so stupid about setting up these DVDs? Even if you hit "Play All" at the beginning of a DVD, it still makes you sit through all the credits at the end of each episode, and then the opening credits of the next one. There is no way to fast-forward to just get to the damned episode. IS there anyone who actually wants to read all that stuff? I'm going out on a limb here and saying NO, there ISN'T. So what good does it do? Not to let us FF? All it's doing is aggravating the hell out of me, who is generally an enthusiastic BBC supporter. THAT is the complaint.

And going by that, I'd say I'm pretty damned lucky. So here endeth the complaint.

Things progress

I found, and bought, a used car last week. It is SO nice not to have to impose on my friends for rides to the doctor's office, grocery store, etc.! It's a 2006 Hyundai Sonata, a bit bigger and more powerful car than my beloved Elantra. I like it!

I'm still chafing under, but obeying, my surgeon's directions not to lift anything over 8 lbs, and do NO yardwork. I am so lucky to have two wonderful neighbors willing to mow my yard! I couldn't afford to pay anybody to do it, but these two golden guys are in line for some yummy baked goods and nice gift cards to our neighborhood brewery/restaurant pretty soon!

And that's about it. Not being able to vacuum around the house (also expressly forbidden by my doctor) is driving me crazy and I expect once the 90-day restriction is lifted I'll be cleaning house for several days straight - because I tire so easily I can't expect to do it all in one, or even two, days. Not that non-lifting or non-strenuous cleaning has been neglected. Having, as I do, an image of myself as the laziest slug on earth, I'm rather surprised to learn that I do like having (for me) a pretty clean house! Like a cat who, after attempting to jump up on a sofa but failing, vigorously cleans its paws as a sort of deflecting mechanism, I find myself going after the kitchen and bathroom more often due to frustration with the floors.

My ambition is increasing faster than my recovery. Lord, give me patience RIGHT NOW PLEASE!

Much ado about not much

I wouldn't have believed it would take me three days to create a little facial tissue cube for the bathroom, especially since I was cannibalizing an empty one to do it. However, since I didn't take the time to plan it out beforehand, I ended up having to re-do parts...and the sheer number of tools I ended up with on the table was laughable. However, I *did* get it done. It's not perfect, but it'll do:

And here it is in situ:

That's the only time the candle's lit, by the way.

So for the supplies and equipment list:

an empty tissue cube
fabric
Elmer's glue
buttons (I had three of the blue, white & red ones and I just love them - they're *really* vintage - 50 years or more old, I'm sure. From my mom's stash all those years ago.)
thread
hot glue gun & glue sticks
1" square of hook & loop fastening, self-adhesive (which didn't adhese; thus the glue gun)
one 4" x 4" ceramic tile (to glue inside on the bottom to give it some weight)
newspaper ads to protect table

scissors
awl
tap-hammer
needle
strips of #6 recyclable plastic, in various finger bandage sizes
bunches of clothespins
toothpicks

But it's all put away now and that little project's done. Whee!

Merrily along

OK, Thing 3, the car situation, is now planned out. I know what I need to do, and with my dear friend's help, we'll get 'er done this week. Yay!

The other night, I finished my first CoBaSi buttercream yellow sock:

Not quite ready to launch its mate so I was looking around for something else to do for a bit. I had some sewing projects' materials and a sketchbook and supplies sitting on the dining room table for the past week, so it obviously couldn't be either of those. I ended up digging out some fabric and the disassembled Kleenex cube from which I'd long ago planned to make a tissue box. So that's what I'm doing:

Somehow it never seemed this messy in the workshop in my head. It's going to take awhile; glue needs to dry, etc. These are the fabrics I got for it:

but I'm not going to be using the blue or the moustache one for this project. I hadn't realized just how much of them I had; I can make some sock project bags and maybe a zippered pouch for stuff & things in my purse. I love them all together.

And the summer goes gliding by...