midgeling: life in a shoe.

While everybody was getting excited over today's eclipse, I was facing the wrong direction, as usual. Looking back on my day, the eclipse was pretty neat to look at, but I was really taken by the moon setting this morning over the Olympic Mountains in the west. It was about 6:45 am, and I had just returned from dropping Mr Midgeling off at the bus stop. I got out of the car and noticed how quickly the moon was dropping in the sky, and how the large orange ball was turning to a pale yellow. The city was quiet, and nobody was yet running their cars into each other on I-405 down the way.

Everybody was able to get cool hi-res photos of the eclipse. But not everybody was able to get a quick, sleepy-eyed photo of that same moon 12 hours earlier as it was setting over the Olympics - all while trying to find a good vantage point between power lines before the moon lost all of the deep orange glow. That was my job.

Posted by midgeling at 10:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Here is our family dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory. I kind of liked the yellow light. We had fun and ate a lot of pasta. I don't know what else to say. It's just another off day for me, I guess.

Posted by midgeling at 09:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Photo taken with a T-Mobile Dash.

International District - Just another Sunday night in Seattle. We had a great dinner at Shanghai Garden (the family's favorite Chinese restaurant) . We were walking back to the car and I was noticing how pretty the bus station tunnel was with all the lights shining so brightly against the skyline. The camera on my phone doesn't do it justice. The lights all sort of blur together and the colors are a bit washed out compared to the real thing. I love this city. I really do.

Posted by midgeling at 09:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Photo taken with a T-Mobile Dash.

My sisters and Mom flew in earlier today. We had Pho for lunch, then went to the Great Wall Shopping Mall. They have a Ranch 99 Market there. We always go to Ranch 99 as soon as my sister arrives because she must get some strawberry cake. Because that's just how it is. Just outside the market, we saw a shopping cart full of pigs. No, not misbehaving children, actual pigs. (This is one of the reasons I have never been able to bring myself to buy any kind of beef or pork from that market.)

The last time we saw the pigs hanging about the market, they were back in the bakery section on a wooden pallet. It's good to see they know how to change it up a bit.

Posted by midgeling at 08:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

There was no entry for yesterday. I had intended for this to be 30 consecutive days, but because of issues with my back, that didn't happen. I ended up at the doc because the stupid back pain got to me and I just couldnt deal with it any longer without help. But that's another story for another time.

Weebug and I finally got to hang out tonight. It had been far too long because of conflicting schedules. After doctors appointments and school and picking up kids, I made it up to her house. She made me homemade mac and cheese - just as I requested. It was gooooood. We even finally got to exchange Christmas gifts! (photos to be posted later)

So here are the youngest girls, all sitting and taking over the Knitting Couch as soon as Marti and I got up. The Little Mermaid was on, so they were fixated on the TV. Shannon looks so good in green, doesn't she? And you can't really see, but she has on the coolest penguin pajama pants. This is pretty much how it looks when we get together. Kids all over, knitting stuff all over and some much needed chillin out. I just love how our kids all are more like siblings or cousins than just friends. They even bicker like siblings at times, too. LOL!

I needed tonight. I got to hang out, watch the kids play and just spend some quality knitting time together. My mom, sister and brother's ex fly in tomorrow afternoon. It ought to be fun. I love getting to do the typical touristy Seattle stuff that I tend to take for granted day to day.

Posted by midgeling at 11:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

This is our Wednesday. HK gets out of school at 2:08. I pick her up and we stop off at Starbucks for a snack before she goes next door for her guitar lesson. Occasionally, we get lunch first - either Pho or Teriyaki, since my favorite cheap sushi place closed down. From 3:30 to 4:00 pm, I have some knitting time while Lexa bounces around the car listening to XM Kids radio.

I kind of like this photo. It almost gives the impression that my car is clean.

Posted by midgeling at 07:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Harley has been bugging me for a couple of weeks to get her hair cut. It always amazes me to see the dark little curls falling to the floor, then see the cute, bouncy 14 year old hopping out of the chair. Her hair turned out really cute. It's the kind of cut that looks good on her whether she straightens it or leaves it curly. And by the way, she's the only one of my 4 children who has curly hair. Just like my sister Laura is the only one of my mom's 5 kids with curls.

But not to be outdone, Lexa decided she needed a haircut also. She is now sporting the cutest Katie Holmes bob, lol.

Posted by midgeling at 09:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Lexa is busy reading books while wearing her favorite princess jammies. She'll be 5 next month. It's hard to believe my baby is that old already. She's been so much fun these days. The other day I heard her telling her stuffed dog Poodlie "Hypothetically, if we do it like this, then what happens is..." What kind of 4 year old uses 'hypothetically' correctly in a conversation with a stuffed animal?

My photo quality has been marginal these days. You know how sometimes when your life is running a bit rough your artistic endeavors tend to follow the trend? Yup. That's me. Right here. But like everything else, it will get better.

Posted by midgeling at 08:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Weebug was supposed to come over today, but once again, I sort of had things goofed up. I didn't realize that HK had already committed to an afternoon at church, and that day was today. She had told me about it before, but it didn't click that since I had no car and was stuck at home all day Saturday, her day would be today.

We even had dessert picked out. And a vegetarian dinner alternative for Fee. *sigh* But on the bright side, we rescheduled for this Friday after work/school.

So here is Kass enjoying the Lemon Crunch Cake that she picked out. We will have to have her pick out another dessert to take with us on Friday evening.

Posted by midgeling at 08:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Sweater Song

30 Days of the Everyday
I thought it would be a good idea. I threw my back out - it started a while ago when I fell down the last several stairs from my bedroom. And that darn Black Dog has been gnawing on my toes again. My sleep habits are all kinds of messed up. I am not done with my Christmas in part because one of the lovely things my back is doing is sending shooting pains and occasional numbness from between my shoulder blades into my left arm. Makes for some unpleasant knitting.

If I just start by documenting the little things in everyday life that make up my existence, then maybe I can work my way back into having some normalcy and decent quality of life. I am trying to stay positive. Overall, I have much to be thankful for - and I am. The funk will pass.

Posted by midgeling at 11:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I am so not ready for it.

moar funny pictures

Posted by midgeling at 07:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

So this is how WA ushered in the month of December. I celebrated by getting that stupid cold again. The snow was unfortunately short-lived, but we got plenty of rain the following few days. One high school was even closed because of some flooding.

I finished another pair of Lobster mitts. I had to rip out one of the mitts and reknit part of it. The pattern is correct, but some of the numbers are split among 2 lines, so I didn't see that numbers for the larger size were continued on the line below. *sigh* my fault for not reading carefully enough.

I have a couple of finished hats to post as well. Hopefully I will get to those tomorrow - the camera battery is busy charging tonight, so I can't get them all done now. Darn it, I am tired and in serious need of a shower. My weeks have been so busy with all the kid stuff! Hopefully things will get better soon.

Posted by midgeling at 09:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Pretty sunset this evening, wasn't it? I snapped this photo just in time. In the time it took me to change lenses to the telephoto, ithe pink in the clouds was gone.

Oh, and earlier today, Harley and I went to the grocery store. When we returned home, we found Kassie and Lexa in the yard picking dandelions. Kassie was wearing her pink princess bathing suit. Darling Lexa was wearing nothing but a Costco-sized Tostitos corn chip bag. I asked her if Daddy knew she was wearing an empty chip bag. She told me he did. I told her to get in the house and put her clothes back on.

Mommy: Are you aware that your youngest daughter is in the front yard wearing nothing but a Tostitos bag?
Daddy: Yeah.
Mommy: And you didn't see anything wrong with that?
Daddy: No, she's dressed.
Mommy: In a TOSTITOS BAG.
Daddy: She came in and said her bathing suit was wet and she had to take it off, but she wasn't allowed to be outside naked. So she grabbed the bag and put it on. Then she ran outside.

I so wish I had been able to get a picture of her in the bag.

Posted by midgeling at 08:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's the first daisy to bloom in my yard this summer. It actually bloomed on Wednesday, June 27, but I had a raging migraine and it was all I could do to get my butt outside and take the photo. I took some Axert and stayed in bed the rest of the night. Thursday was like having a hangover without the blazing drunken night before, and Friday left me feeling much, much better, but still a little groggy.

Today is Saturday. I finished Nathan's birthday socks. He tried them on. They are too tight. So I started him another pair with 8 more stitches around. See what I get for actually trying to follow a pattern? It gets all mucked up.

So let's pretend right here I rant about how I am sick of spoiled children who act like they are entitled to walk all over everyone. Let's just say how sometimes I wish my oldest daughter had it in her to be a bitch right back instead of always taking the high road. (But secretly I am really proud of her for being herself and actually taking that high road as often as she does.)

But anyway - it's Saturday night and I have a camera, yarn and needles and a diet rootbeer float calling for me. And a cute but nerdy guy playing Warfcrack upstairs. Time to put the kids to bed.

Posted by midgeling at 11:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I forgot my camera at Aunt Anne's a couple of weeks ago. I finally picked it up yesterday and had to take some photos. It had been too long. I hadn't realized how much I enjoyed taking pictures of things, even if the subject matter wasn't anything of importance. I really missed my camera.

Posted by midgeling at 09:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Spring seems to be arriving. The camellia tree is in bloom. Yes, I realize most people think of them as bushes, but since ours has got to be at least 20 feet tall, I would say that qualifies as a tree in my book. It's a tree, folks, really it is.

Oh, and did you know I am a glutton for punishment? Yeah. I really am. I am currently knitting the Twist and Lace Scarf. It is in Cherry Tree Hill Sock (Supersock? I can't remember.), colorway Misty Moor. This has to be one of my favorite colorways. Ever. Really.

Oh, and what is the problem? Well, I got gauge using US #1 needles. I have one skein of this yarn. ONE. Uno. Eins. Ichi. The scarf is maybe about 14" long so far. And I have 50 grams left. That is a bit less than half the skein.

So you know what I am going to do? Yup. I am going to rip it out. Why? because I am going to say "Screw gauge, this obviously isn't working and I need to use bigger needles and maybe do fewer short rows so it is slightly less ruffly so it eats less yarn so I can get a bit longer of a scarf." (Yes, a bit of a mouthful, but that's what I said.) Why didn't I start ripping when I suspected the size weirdness 40 grams ago? Because I second-guessed myself and assumed I was wrong. I have been knitting for 11+ years. You would think I would learn by now. Things like "not enough yarn for the project" generally don't work themselves out if you knit for 6 more hours. Nope. Glutton. For. Punishment. That's me!

Thank God Miss V extended the Sock Marathon deadline. Kisses to Miss Lime and Miss Violet.

Posted by midgeling at 06:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Here is the newly remodeled Fairwood Library in Renton. The Fairwood Library is part of the King County Public Library System, and the KCLS kicks some serious ass. It has damn near every book, audiobood, CD or movie you could ever want. And if they don't have it, they will try to get it for you. You can browse the catalog, place holds, and even pay fines online. Every branch has free wireless. And in summer when it is 90 degrees and 90% humidity, they have AIR CONDITIONING and places for the kids to play with toys, read and play computer games. I love that place.

From 1999 to 2006, the Seattle Public Library System has paid KCLS $104,000 annually to cover cross-use of KCLS materials. If a Seattle resident needed something from KCLS, KCLS would send it to a Seattle library for the patron to check out. A study done in 2005 showed that about $1 million in services were actually being used by the city of Seattle. KCLS was initially set up to serve the people of King County who were not granted access to the Seattly Public Library Syste. So understandably, KCLS has discontinued cross-use with the Seattle Public Library System until a more fair solution could be reached.

I love the city of Seattle. It has so much to offer. But I would never live there. Between King County Fascist Exec Ron Sims (aka King Sims), the battle over the Seattle Supersonics (probably) leaving, how to best replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct and the rapidly declining Seattle Public School system, I have no desire to move into the Seattle city limits at all. It's the burbs for me and my family.

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Lexa's Preschool phrase of the day: "I am 4 1/2 inches tall! Besides, I am 3 years old."

Posted by midgeling at 01:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Here's Harley. She's roundhouse kicking her little brother. For the last 2 years, our lives have been pretty heavily dedicated to Harley and her love of sport Taekwondo. She's naturally athletic. She loves TKD and learns pretty quick. Her coach is currently the National Heavyweight Silver Medalist and the husband of one of my best friends. He has taught her all the skills to be a truly great athlete and she has the physical capabilities, but now she just needs to work on the part where she believes in herself enough to win consistently. The funny thing is that Harley fights best when she is scared of her opponent. This comes in handy because at 5 feet tall and in the heavyweight division, pretty much everyone is at least 6 inches taller than her.

TKD sort of goes dead over the holidays, but in January, the tournaments start back up. This is a great girl right now, and will be a great woman one day. She has a lot of the courage and strength I wish I had at her age. She has her moments when she is still a scared little girl inside (as she has every right to be), but Harley sometimes underestimates her inner strength. I hope she knows how proud we are of her.

Posted by midgeling at 02:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

There really is no deep and thoughtful sentiment for me here in this photo. I just liked how it turned out. Well, I suppose there is the reminder that I need to find that stupid duster and get busy again.

Posted by midgeling at 02:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is another shot of my cousin Janice's house. It is like a little Japanese garden. Even covered in snow, it looks quiet and peaceful and pretty. It's not exactly in the front yard, and not quite in the back yard, and not quite ennclosed. It is sort of in the center - I suppose that makes it an atrium.

I was totally loving the snow in Denver. There were mounds and mounds of it all over. I suppose what added to its appeal is that I don't have to deal with it all winter. I have always loved the snow. We never had any in Southern California, and not enough of it in New Mexico. And here in the Seattle Metro area, I still don't think we get enough of this fluffy, frozen white goodness. But what we did get shut the city down for days on end.

I think what appealed to me most about this garden is that it is a little hidden oasis. You can only really see it from the inside of the house. I know in summers I would spend a lot of time in a place like that. Ever since I was little, I have always had a thing for hidden areas and secret places. I really wish I had one of those now. January has been such a busy month for me. I spent almost all of December sick, so January has been spent trying to catch up with what life keeps throwing me. When I get overloaded, I go hide.

Right now I don't have a nice little secret place to hide. The family has figured me out. When I need to escape, I go down to the basement and knit amongst the piles of dirty laundry. I am usually too congested to smell anything that may be less than fresh. Between my ipod, the washer and the dryer, I can't hear the main floor chaos of the children, dishwasher, husband, World of Warcraft or television.

For years now, I have been wanting my own little space where I can go escape for a brief moment to enjoy the peace and solitude. One Day I will have it. One Day....

Posted by midgeling at 05:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here are my two youngest. Here they are hugging and making up. They had been bickering and fighting. There was a little hair pulling and kicking involved, and things got a bit ugly. One of the things I make them do when they fight is apologize and give each other hugs and kisses.

Sometimes - as was the case tonight - the making up even gets ugly:
* Sister A leans in for the kiss and the hug, but her attempts are thwarted by Sister B.
* Sister A gets angry and tries harder while Sister B scowls and screams "Noooooooo!" while violently pushing Sister A away.
* Mom hollers "You two make up or you both go to bed with no dinner!"
* Sister A says she is sorry for kicking/hitting/pulling hair/calling names and gets the kiss and hug.

This process is then repeated with Sister B making her apology. This loud and lengthy process results in the above photo.

Posted by midgeling at 07:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It is snowing again. We are in the middle of another storm. There's not near as much snow this time as we got last month, but it is prettier now. Even though it is so pretty out, I am feeling a bit melancholy tonight. I had to go into work today. As I was leaving to go have lunch for a co-worker's birthday, I ran into someone I hadn't seen in a while. I can't remember his name, but he is the father of a little girl that I love so much.

Her name is Mariah. She is a sweet blonde haired, blue eyed 5 year old. Mariah went to preschool with Kassie and Lexa a while back. Her dad is a single parent who works hard, but still has to depend on welfare to provide for his 2 kids. Mariah's mother is an unknown to me - she has a substance abuse problem and is no longer in her children's lives. When I would drop off and pick up my girls, I would always spend a little time with Mariah, even if only long enough to get some quick hugs and kisses. Even after I stopped sending my girls to that school, I would often drop by to bring snacks or treats and spend time with Mariah while Harley and Chace were next door taking their taekwondo classes. One day she hugged and kissed me as she sat in my lap, smiled a beautiful smile at me and said "I wish you were my mommy and I could live with you." I got teary eyed and said that I would love that, but that she had a daddy that loved her and would miss her so much if she were gone. And it was all the honest truth.

As I stopped this man in the hospital doorway today, I told him who I was and asked about Mariah. He told me that she was currently in foster care because he had been hospitalized for almost a month with some kind of spinal infection. He had no one to care for his kids. He said they were doing well and going to school in Tacoma. I was stunned and somewhat speechless. I told Mariah's daddy that I was glad to see that he was better and I would keep them all in my prayers.

But there is this sick ache in my heart and in my stomach that hurts for her. She has gone through so much in her 5 short years of life. I wish I could be the one to provide her with a stable home and a ton of love. I honestly have no idea why I became so attached to her 2 years ago. Sometimes in life there are people you have an unexplainable bond with. I know that somehow we are connected but I don't know how. I just pray that her father can get back on his feet and get his family back. I pray that no matter what happens, Mariah is able to live a happy life.

Posted by midgeling at 09:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Socks That Rock lightweight in colorway Henpecked. 8.5 sts per inch. This photo was actually cropped from a much larger image. I really love playing with my different lenses. The stock lens is icky and never seems to help capture the lighting and mood as well as the telephoto and the macro lenses do. I would really like a better quality "all-purpose" lens. A wide angle would be nice...

Anyway, this sock is the one I have been referring to as the "Broadripple Inspired Sock". I have knit and frogged this thing at least twice that I remember. The first time was because even though I was getting gauge, the sock was way too large. The second time was because of the Evil Toe Eyes. The fabric that this yarn knits up into is so nice and soft and squishy and pretty that I don't really mind having re-knit it so many times. I am one of those process knitters that many do not understand. I usually don't mind frogging and knitting, because I just enjoy the knitting more than anything. I usually give away most of the things that I knit. I suppose if I had made any New Year's resolutions, one would be to knit more things to keep for myself.

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Lexa's Preschool phrase of the day: "I want peanut butter and honey because chalupas are not ignoring."

Posted by midgeling at 01:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"The pictures should express the meaning of the month to you."

All of these photos will be about things that are in the forefront of my life this month. I doubt any of it will be deep and philosophical. I am expecting these dozen photos to just capture moments of my life as they happen. As I move around doing my daily things - driving kids around, shopping, knitting or working - I try to pay attention to my surroundings. I like to notice little things like how the two mini-manhole covers on S 7th Street ended up looking like a figure-8 after the utility workers painted around them with tar. I like to look at the trees that have lost all their leaves for the winter, because now you can see all the bird's nests. I like little things like that. Maybe I will get some good photos of some of these mundane but eye-catching bits of my life

Posted by midgeling at 01:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)