Alien Spouse

Knitting and Napping.

Today I've been re-knitting a project that I originally worked on the wrong sized needles, which meant it went all wonky beyond the possibility of rescue.  So I frogged it, which is always more satisfying than you'd think; one would imagine undoing work that took you hours would be frustrating, but actually the way the stitches just unravel is sort of like popping bubble wrap.  Destructive, yet oddly soothing.

Then yesterday I started the whole thing again, but this time on the right size needles.  These needles are made of bamboo and are part of the gorgeous set Mum sent me for Christmas.  Knitting with these is just lovely.

The bottom inch and a half is going to be rolled up into a curl across the bottom, but I wanted it to match the ribbing of the top, so I inverted the ribbing for the first 15 rows.

Knitting tends to be a sedentary activity, which is perfect for a snowy weekend when you don't intend to leave the house.  This suits Edith down to the ground, she's been curled up on me or next to me for the majority of the weekend.  In this particular picture she is using my foot as a pillow, I think she slept like this for about an hour.  It's a tough life for a floofy cat around here.

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock.

I have a song stuck in my head, and it's been there for two days now. 

This isn't in itself unusual, but this particular song is not the usual ear-worm which is generally a snippet of a pop song on a loop.  Nope, this is a short song that I learnt at primary school, and I know it well enough to have a substantial chunk going round and round and round in my head.

Sometimes it's quite nice to know a song that well, strangely for an atheist the songs that tend to stick in my head are the hymns we sang in school assemblies.  I went to an all girl school, so naturally our school hymn was "When a Knight Won His Spurs", how bizarre is that?  Lots of riding through the land with a shield on his arm and a lance in his hand to kill dragons, just what every tween girl is preparing for.  Still it's a pretty good song, with a fun tune and it's not too religious for me to enjoy singing it occasionally still.

But that isn't what's stuck in my head. 

No, right now I'd love to have some giant-killing action in my head, but what I've got is the first verse and chorus of "My Grandfather's Clock".  Have had now for what feels like "...Ninety years without stumbling (tick-tock, tick-tock)..." 

Doc had never heard of it, so I sang it through for him, and he was bemused that it was something that gets taught to very small children in England.  Essentially, for those of you who don't know it, the song is about a clock which is both a grandfather clock and is owned by the grandfather of the title.  The song details where the clock stands (on the floor, because it's too tall for the shelf), the height of the clock (taller by half than the grandfather himself), it's weight (exactly the same as the grandfather) and when it was bought (The very morning that the grandfather himself was born.  This always struck me as an odd time to be shopping for a clock.)

The clock runs for ninety years in the ownership of one man "...his life seconds numbering (tick-tock, tick-tock)..." until it stops "...short, never to go again, when the old man died.".  It's a cheery little number, you've got to love Victorian song-writing haven't you? 

Anyway, I'm going to try and find something to knock that out of my head before I go totally mad.

Miss America 2010.

I'm watching the "Miss America" pageant.  Apparently the swimsuit round showcases "...the girls commitment to health and self confidence".  Well, that's certainly one way of putting it.

Actually so far I'm quite enjoying it, because there is nothing I like more than a co-ordinated dance routine and it's got Clinton Kelly on token-gay-mentor-to-the-contestants duty.  I do like Clinton.  One thing I don't like is that Rush Limbaugh is on the judging committee.  That's like Jabba the Hutt judging a Princess Leia look-a-like contest; incongruous and, frankly, a bit yucky.  I'm just going to ignore that part of the proceedings.

Ooh! Evening Wear is coming up next.  That helps to demonstrate to us the contestants "...poise, taste and confidence..."  Bring it ladies!

***Post Script*** For me one of the most enduring aspects of the Miss America Pageant will be the biographical notes that popped up on the screen occasionally, such as "Grandmother lived to be 103".  My absolute favourite was "Her inspiration is Batman (Adam West)".  I adore how specific that is, and to be fair she is right on that point - West's Batman is a very different beast to Bale or Keaton's interpretations (I choose to forget about Kilmer entirely in the role, and poor George Clooney as well.)

Chocolate for Breakfast.

We have over a foot of snow now, but we still have power; so everything is fine.  As long as I can make tea and have a hot shower I'm quite happy really, oh and internet access is nice too! 

Best of all I impulse bought a loaf of kulacs chocolate bread yesterday.  Would you LOOK at that...  Yes, that is bread swirled with dark chocolate drops.  It's like a very intense chocolate croissant, but with a lovely spongey bread instead of the flaky pastry of the croissant.  Delicious.

Any day that starts off with a couple of slices of chocolate bread is pretty good, but a Saturday with chocolate bread for breakfast? As Stacey London* would say, "Shut Up!"

* For British readers she is one of the presenters of the US version of "What Not To Wear".  I've been avoiding watching it, but I have to say that honestly I far prefer Stacey and her co-host Clinton Kelly to Trini and Susannah.  They are just a lot nicer.

Extreme Weather? Really?

It started snowing at about 3:45 this afternoon, and we are supposed to be getting over a foot by tomorrow.  There is an extreme weather warning and everything.

Doc and I were fairly blase about this, because we've got a full larder at home and nowhere we need to go this weekend; sure the local schools closed at 2, well before a single flake had fallen, but that didn't impress us particularly.  It wasn't until our favourite bakery twittered that they wouldn't be open tomorrow, that we started to wonder if we weren't taking this seriously enough.  Those guys are usually hardcore, and this is the first time that they've intimated that bad weather might actually come between them and supplying the demand for excellent baked goods and coffee on a Saturday.

I'll post an update on the weather conditions tomorrow.  Assuming we have power. sigh.

Listed

My phone just rang and it was a number I didn't recognise, so I muted the TV before answering.  It turned out to be a professor who taught a course for us last semester.  Umm... Hi..?

He wanted to know where to send some paperwork, that's about, oh, a month overdue now.  So I gave him the department it needed to go, and spelled the name of the woman who would be processing it (after she contacts me to ask why it's so late, and I have to explain that this man with a freaking Phd couldn't sign a piece of paper and put it in the internal mail to her for over a month).  That was all he needed, so he thanked me, apologised for bothering me outside of work hours and rang off.

It only occurred to me a few minutes after the call to wonder where the hell he got my number from.  I don't tend to give my mobile phone number out at work, because then people bother me at home about stuff that could easily have waited until the next business day.  Then a nasty thought struck me: The university's on-line directory.

So I looked myself up, and there is both my office extension number AND personal phone number.  Oh My God.  I don't want my phone number to be that easy to find on-line, thank you very much, and I have no idea how to go about taking it off.  I've tried logging on to the self-service portal to mark it as unlisted, nothing happened. Then I tried just deleting it from my profile, and it's STILL on the directory. 

Ahhh!

Do Not Want!

Half-Way Through the Week.

It's Wednesday.  I have a large glass of red wine.  I might go to bed early to watch the season finale of "Launch My Line" (which I care not a jot who wins, but I really want to see what nonsense they send down the runway this evening.) and eat some Ben and Jerry's.

This is pretty good for a Wednesday!

Cropped.

Yay for short hair!

I think it's sort of a choppy Eaton Crop, but I have to try styling it by myself to be completely sure.  That may sound weird, but at the moment it's in full-on "just stepped out of the salon" mode, which involves a lot more volume then I usually go for.

Tomorrow it'll be back to giving my hair a light spray of product, flipping my head over and blow drying it with some scrunching.

Haircut Research Day.

I need a haircut.  Fortunately my hairdresser can see me tomorrow afternoon, so now all I need is to find a style.  Last time I googled for "choppy bob", "pixie cut" and "razor cut"; then download the pictures to my iPod to show my hairdresser.

The problem with that technique is there is no way of knowing what the model's hair is like, and what will work on thick hair won't on fine hair; so this time I've taken a different research tack.  Having observed Michelle Williams over the course of her acting career, I have noticed that her hair behaves in a very similar way to mine, so I did an image search for her and came up with a gallery of images.

I really like the choppy bob on the bottom row, and those are all from the same photo shoot.  The top row is Miss Williams with slightly longer hair, which I think is how that photo shoot hair grew out.  And I would love to look like that!  Well, not the top far right picture if I'm completely honest, but that is the photo that really convinces me that Michelle and I have similar issues with our mops.

Of course then all I'll need is a stylist, make-up artist and lighting tech to follow me around everywhere, and I could look just like that.  That's an entirely reasonable expectation for a haircut, right?

Third Anniversary.

The first business of the day was to start off well with a good breakfast at our favourite breakfast place, after the appalling lunch we had in Hickory yesterday.  I think the French Toast I ate has finally killed the tuna sandwich that I foolishly tried to choke down.

Then we went shopping for Doc, who needs some business wear, well, an academia version of business wear.  He now has a pair of grey trousers, a sage green shirt and a tie; it turns out that Calvin Klein can cut a shirt almost as well as H&M, even if 70% off isn't quite so bargain-licious.

This afternoon I've been crocheting like a mad thing, I have what feels like a billion projects bursting out of my head right now.  I have one more Threadknits design that I want to do, and then I have ideas for 3 or 4 amigurumi characters.  Yay crochet!

Mainly though I spent time with the Doc, because today is our third wedding anniversary and that made it a very nice day indeed.

Waste of a Saturday.

There are some days that I enjoy living in North Carolina less than others - Today was one of those days.  We went shopping in Hickory where we encountered awful customer service, terrible food and we didn't manage to get the thing we actually left the house for.

The only ones who actually got anything out of it were the cats, because we bought them a really cool feather toy and a cardboard scratcher re-fill.

Ugh.

Confidence, Success and Positivity.

It's Friday!  Friday!!!  And this week I have discovered this really great stuff, which is called coffee. Have you heard of it?  It's amazing!  I drink a cup of it, and then I'm able to actually to get some work done.  The only thing is that at the end of the day I was totally exhausted, so I had a nap the minute I hit the sofa, but it really helped me to combat the Mono for the working day.

One of my favourite nap accessories is my iPod, of course, and, yes, there is an app for that.  I really love a series of apps by Andrew Johnson (a Relaxation Coach, Clinical Hypnotherapist, EFT therapist and Reiki Teacher), who is based in Ayrshire, Scotland.  So when I'm about to have a nap, I tell Doc C I'm going to listen to the Nice Scottish Man for a bit. 

I started off with the Success app, and then snapped up Confidence and Positivity when they were on special offer.  So I spent about $5 altogether, which I think is a bargain.

Aren't those little icon guys sweet?  All three of these start with Andrew talking you through a relaxation exercise, and then it moves onto positive affirmations.  I think.  I am usually soundly asleep before that part starts, but apparently my unconscious mind is still soaking all of that up. 

I wish these came in a cat format, because Nancy could really use some relaxation training.

 

First Ice Storm of 2010.

We got out of work early today because another ice storm has been silently encasing the town.  So now Doc and I are at home, wearing multiple layers, covered in fleece blankets and using the cats to keep our feet warm.

I really hope this storm doesn't knock out our power again.  Thursday night is my weekly Tim Gunn fix.

Paperchains in Amber (Well, PVA Glue. Same-Same)

When Mum sent me the Union Jack paperchains for my birthday I was thrilled with them, and I put them away safely to be used on a special occasion.  I do that all the time; decide something is too nice to use just for fun, or wear everyday, or eat the last piece of, and then whatever it is doesn't get enjoyed to it's full capacity, which seems worse really.

So I took the paperchains out of their safe place and decided to use them because they make me happy! 

Before I made my paperchain I used four of the strips of paper to decorate the sides of the cigar box I keep on my bedside table.  I very carefully matched the curves on the sides of the paper, lined up the lines of the flags neatly, and then decoupaged the sides with PVA glue to protect them.  So even after I've paperchained the whole world, I'll still have those four to enjoy.

This picture shows you the Union Jacks on the box, and also why the box is necessary.  Because, as Edith so demurely illustrates here, the cats view our bedside table as their own personal observation platforms, and they do not care if there is anything on there.  They are quite capable of shoving it out of their way, which is fine if it's an old receipt, but not so great if it's my glasses.  It gets a little tedious hunting for your phone under the bed when you are already late for work. 

Little darlings.

White Collar Return - Postponed Due to Alien Spouse Ill Health. sigh.

I went to bed at nine o'clock last night, which means I missed the return of "White Collar".  Clearly this proves I must be ill, because why else would I choose to skip the episode that followed the Christmas break cliff hanger?  I mean I spent a healthy chunk of time trying to explain that cliff hanger away so that no-one was evil.  Current favourite theory is that old classic, Evil Twin, but I will also accept some type of clone or robot.

Also I don't want to read anything about the real solution, until that episode pops up on Hulu.  No spoilers or hints or anything!  La lala lalala!  I can't hear you!

Chain of Flags.

When I took down the Christmas decorations, I didn't throw away the paperchain so it's displayed in a vase on the mantelpiece. 

This is just until I have something else that I feel needs to be festively festooned.

Small Town Embarrassment.

Fair Warning: I have decided to tell you about something that happened last week, because it was funny; but I want to warn you right now that the main reason it was funny was that it was embarrassing and to give you the full flavour of that embarrassment I need to share Too Much Information with you.

The extended Mono is really annoying, particularly because my immune system is now knackered, so I'm a prime target for opportunistic infections.  When I had my eye infection the week before last I went to see my doctor, and she said that if I were to get any other infections that she would refer me to a specialist.

So...

Coraline (2009) - Freaking Finally!

Since Friday I have watched my "Coraline" DVD (Thanks again for that Mum!  Love you!) three times, twice in 2D and once in exciting 3D.  I'm not being sarcastic there, the 3D really rocked.

I actually really want to watch it for a fourth time, with the director's commentary playing, but I don't think Doc would want to do that.  Particularly as I'd want to double check if the commentary is different on the 2D and the 3D versions, and if they are?  I want to watch both.

This may be one of the best film adaptations of a book ever.  And as "Coraline" is one of my favourite books, this makes me very happy.  Also I want all of the merchandising even more than I did before - which was already a lot.  At the very least, when I replace my wellies (which sprung a leak today just as I was splashing in a huge puddle of melted snow - Fabulous timing there wellies) I shall be looking for a bright yellow pair.  Just like Coraline.  OMG! Coraline could be my Halloween '10 costume!  Oooh!

"Adorable Disaster" - Threadknits Second Entry.

My second entry in the Threadknits contest is based on this t-shirt, Adorable Disaster:

I love the playful kittens, but if they weren't playing with a hand grenade I don't think I'd have bought this tee; it would have been just too cutesy.  Mainly I wanted to use this image, because Nancy looks almost exactly like the kitten on the right.

So I made a hand grenade cat toy, and the cats modeled for photos beautifully.  They are so accommodating to the crazy human female.  It's unfortunate that the one shot I got of Nancy in a good approximation of the t-shirt cat's pose is blurred, but she was just moving so fast!

Nancy was meant to be the star of this photo shoot, but Edith does love the camera and the camera loves her right back.

It's probably a good thing that I didn't stuff it with catnip, because imagine how insane she would have gone.

Nancy did get to make a little film though!

Second Contest Entry Complete.

I've finished the crocheted cat toy, but I had to keep frogging (which just means pulling the stitches out to start all over again, but sounds better) the top because it just wouldn't work.  It took me three or four attempts to get the thing close enough for the cats' discerning eye.  You know how cats can be, they are so critical and if a toy doesn't look right they will just bat listlessly and not rabbit-kick at all.  Boring!

So far Doc and I have thrown it around a bit, but I want to wait until we have some sunlight tomorrow before I give it to the cats and I can get pictures of them playing with it.  Actually I mainly want to get photos of Nancy, because that will work perfectly for my Threadknits entry, but I bet Edith muscles in on the posing action as soon as she sees the camera.  She is so vain.

Second Entry

Damn it! This crochet thing is addictive! Today I have made most of a cat toy, which is also another entry for the Threadknits contest. I'll probably finish it and post pics tomorrow.

Ah Munna Crochet Choo!

I've mentioned before that I love Threadless t-shirts, and the first one I ever bought was this angry pastry:

When I read about the Threadknits contest the Threatening Muffin seemed to be a great candidate for turning into an amigurumi, and so I did.  Ta-Dah!

My entry needs to be approved before it appears in the entry gallery, but you can see it here now.

Just keep your fingers away from his mouth.

Crochet Creation.

Sometimes I wake up with an idea for something that I have got to make.  Yesterday I did the base, and today I was building on that.  It was a little obsessive-compulsive but I think it's out of my system.  Photo tomorrow!

Wrapper.

Yesterday I had a Snickers bar (British Person Over 30 Translation: A Marathon), and I noticed there was some writing inside the wrapper. I thought maybe I had won a prize or someone was trapped in the factory by an evil super-villain and was using the wrapper printer to send out an SOS.  What?  That could happen!

So I read it, and then took a photo so that you could appreciate it as well:

I may be taking this a little personally, but I feel like that chocolate bar just insinuated I'm not as motivated as I could be.  I'm afraid to eat another one, in case it implies something rude about my taste in clothes.

Come On Ok Go!

Ok Go's third album was released today and my lovely Mum pre-ordered it from Amazon for me, so it is already on it's way.  I am very excited, but also apprehensive.  I have a theory that I call "the tricky third album", which as the name suggests, speculates that it is the third release by a band that is the turning point in a band's fortunes.

The first album tends to have all the songs that the band worked on and honed in live performances before getting signed.  The second album usually follows from the first in quick succession, and would have the material they worked on whilst promoting the first album; it is therefore likely to have strong thematic similarities with the first album, and so if you like the first album then you can be fairly confident of liking the second.  The third album is usually when a band will choose to make changes to their songwriting style, and this can be a gamble.  So I'm on tenterhooks right now, because I adore both of Ok Go's previous CDs, but what if in the four and half years since they released their last album they've become obsessed with bagpipes?  Or kazzoos?  Or choirs of squirrels?

Actually, the last one would be quite fun; let's keep our fiongers crossed for that, if anything.

Echinacea and Goldenseal

My doctor suggested that I add Echinacea and Goldenseal to the many vitamins I'm already taking to boost my immune system.

You can get gel capsules but I'm taking 30 to 40 drops of a tincture in a glass of water three times a day for the next two weeks.  This means I can control the dosage more efficiently and I'm avoiding gelatin.

This is a herbal remedy, so it doesn't come in a fruit flavoured syrup.  It looks like brackish pond water, smells awful and it tastes horrible; so it must be doing me good.  Plus Doc C only sniffed the bottle and is now more than ever convinced that I must feel impressively terrible, because why else would I be drinking this three times a day?

Swag Give Away.

When you write a blog sometimes companies will like a post you've written about their products, and sometimes they will send you what is commonly referred to as "swag".  Typically blogs that cater to a particular niche in the readership audience will be sent appropriate items, so for example a cooking blog will be sent cook books, and craft blogs will be sent craft supplies.  This swag may then be kept by the blogger or given away to readers. 

I am pleased to say that, for the first time since starting Alien Spouse, I have swag to share!

Dan at Feline Pine e-mailed me to say that he had liked my recent post about cat litter and offered to send me some Feline Pine gifts, which arrived today.  I have already used the wide-slotted scoop which is perfect for the pellets, so I'm assuming no-body would want that now, and Edith loves the brush, so that's also off the table.  I also feel that Doc has more than earnt the Feline Pine stress ball, so he's getting that.

The remaining swag is a Feline Pine re-usable shopping bag, a Feline Pine mug and a Feline Pine T-Shirt.  Please leave a comment on this post before Monday 18th January if you would like any of those.  If necessary I will draw a name at random, you know, if demand is particularly fierce.

Of course now I'm speculating about what niche in the blog market this swag would indicate that Alien Spouse is catering to.  Devoted pet owners, right?

Tree-Car

You remember that our neighbour's car had a tree fall on it during the Christmas ice-storm?

Well, they've been back home for about a week now, and the tree is still on top of their car.

Doc happened to see the guy the other day, and he was all "Eh, that car didn't go anyway". So, that's ok then.

It could very well be my favourite installation art piece of last year.

Belated Rudolph Viewing.

A couple of years ago Doc C was very sad to learn I had never seen "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (1964), which although it is an American TV classic, I'm not aware of ever being shown in the UK.  You can now get the puppets as toys and Christmas decorations, plus it gets referenced in various ad campaigns, Tv shows and pop videos.

We missed it's 2009 TV screening, so he added it to our Netflix queue and it arrived today.  We may have already taken down our tree, but at least the weather is still appropriate.  It was very sweet (although the mid-sixties sexual politics are cringe worthy in places), but I am going to have "We're a Couple of Misfits" stuck in my head for weeks now.

Mono: Still Going Strong!

Today I mainly slept, drank tea and watched police procedurals whilst covered in cats.  My current obsessive viewing is the afternoon double bill of "Cold Case" and I'm also reading the archives of "Something Positive".

So yeah, Mono it continues.

My Right Eye.

For my new and exciting symptom of a swollen eye I have been prescribed eye drops and warm compresses.  My doctor says I am still fighting off the Mono, which is tiring me and leaving me vulnerable to other viruses and infections.

I have to be careful not to rub my eye, but I decided it wasn't strictly necessary for me to buy an actual eye patch.  Believe you me, that was not an easy decision, but it was certainly helped by Doc C looking quizzically at me when I picked one up at the chemists (American Translation: Drug Store).  He remained unswayed by my very convincing argument of "But... You know... Pirates!".  He actually was much more taken with the idea of my wearing one of those big dog cones, but I don't think we need go that far.

Wall of Sound.

By the way when we saw Doc's family for New Year's Day one of his brothers gave us a Graduation/Wedding/Birthday/Christmas present that he bought us a year ago and not had the chance to give us. It was a Bose Wave music system, which is a tiny little stereo that Doc has been drooling over for years.

There is really nothing you can give a former sound engineer that will make him happier than really good speakers, that he can then wire up to the TV and every other electronic thing in the house.  The theme tune for "NCIS" rocks even more when you can properly appreciate the bass line, there may have been some dancing.

Cupcake 2010

Let's get 2010 off to a good start on the cupcake front, shall we?

Boston, we bow to you.  These beautiful yellow rose cupcakes were on sale at a local Whole Foods supermarket.  I have no idea what they might taste like, but just seeing them was a treat.

We had a Boston Cream Pie instead.  Yum!

Hey, have I mentioned that I've put on a couple of pounds over the Christmas break?  I wonder how that can have happened?

Ice Ice Baby!

I know I was a bit whingy about the weather and being back at work, but just before I left the house today a phone call from my manager made up for that.  She has declared a Snow Day!  Well, technically, it's the ice on the roads and the snow drifts in the car parks that are the problem; point being it is too cold to work today.

So I'm snuggled up with an extremely happy Edith, and I may just have a morning nap AS WELL as an afternoon nap.

A Splash of Colour.

I am back in the office after my Christmas break, and I must admit to having that Monday morning feeling when I woke up today.

So, here is a photo I took in Boston of a gorgeous bunch of balloons in a wintery tree.

It just seemed apt somehow.

Back Home in 2010.

We are back home now, and I'm already in my pyjamas. The cats have made us feel very welcome and we found a packet of shortbread we had forgotten about. In other news it is 13 degrees Farenheit here, which is -10.5 degrees in Celsius, and either way you look at it is still bloody ridiculous! I am SO glad the electricity is back!

The Half-Way Point.

Last time we did the Massachusetts to North Carolina road trip, we just drove until Doc got tired and then started trying to find a hotel.  Which took another hour or of driving around, and I didn't really sleep very well because I've watched far too many movies set in creepy hotels.

So this time, Doc picked a half-way point and booked a hotel in advance via Hotwire.  He's having a bath now, and I'm watching TV whilst I blog.  This is much more civilised.

Tomorrow we are going to sleep late, and enjoy the free continental breakfast before we get back in the car.

Extended Family.

Doc C is the youngest of eight kids, and today we met up with five of them. And their wives/husbands. And approximately forty children of assorted ages. I am exhausted.