*sigh* Over for another year

October 15. D-Day in the tax world. The final deadline for all those returns for 2007. Of course, there are still some people with a zen-like attitude toward tax filing, but I digress. It's the final deadline for all those people who actually want to file their taxes in a timely manner. Finished up the last ones last night and got them e-filed. Including mine, thankyouverymuch. In the process, the house went to Defcon 8 when I realized that I hate the way Quickbooks processes payroll taxes with a white-hot passion usually only reserved for some political candidates and select NASCAR drivers. Bob does his half of the company's books on Quickbooks. I'll be chatting with him about that sometime soon... after I've quit swearing in my head.

Of course, I still have to finish those not-for-profits that are due on November 15.

This past weekend sis-in-law Sandi came down from VA to go to the spring apparel market in downtown ATL. She was buying for the family store, and Richard and I went down to assist (Oscar stayed home, since his fashion sense is somewhat questionable). What we found, other than a bunch of dresses better suited to a line of stores titled "Hos-R-Us" was that there were very few people there buying. Vendors were twiddling their thumbs and not writing orders because there was simply nobody shopping. Normally at the spring market, there's not room to walk. Our guess was that, due to the current economic conditions, people are waiting to see how they do over Christmas and then order in January for immediate delivery. You gotta have stuff to sell... At any rate, we helped Sandi order some nice dresses suitable for church and funerals and some spring and summer tops (she had already ordered pants). Found a cute line of flip flops too.

Our most amusing moment came when the three of us, wandering around to see what new things we could find, wandered onto a floor with temporary vendors set up... and it turned out to be the "gangsta" floor. We were just a tad out of place there. Interestingly enough, it was the only floor with a police presence -- not the floor selling diamonds, mind you, but the gangsta floor. We quickly realized that we should leave and found an escalator to head to another area where we were more culturally comfortable.

I managed to do some damage at a place that sells beading supplies. Swarovski crystals for $1 and $2 a dozen depending on size. Gold beading wire like JoAnn's sells for $18.99 a spool for $6. Yeah, I love being able to shop at the mart!

Be proud of me... I successfully avoided the knockoff purse stores. Most of them were full of the giraffe print Dooney and Burke knockoffs in a rainbow of colors. Who knew giraffe prints were so big?

As for stitching and knitting -- HA!! So no pictures this time. :) Next week is ASG... DF Ann is headed down a week from today, and she'll join me and DFs Jill and Heather in the Party Van (tm) as we drive to Hilton Head next Thursday for the weekend. There'll be a cooler in the car full of LaCroix for swilling, puppy chow courtesy of my mom, and we'll meet up with DFs Vicky, Debbie B, Angela, and Joy... as well as CJ from California and Carol B from MD to hang out and enjoy the weekend of merriment. Oh yeah... there'll be needlework classes too. :)

A thousand apologies to most DF Teresa, my roomie for ASG, who I totally inadvertently left off the meet up list... I now must bribe her with some beautiful yarn, or she'll kill me in my sleep.

The Missing Package Arrives!!!!

Alas, folks, I have been remiss in posting! Blame it on the market meltdown... and Wachovia... and Washington Mutual... and the fact that it's nearing October 15, when the final tax returns are due for 2007 and trust me, most people filing this time of year are not happy.

But I did let the ever patient and persistent Trisia know that my package arrived this past Saturday. And this package of goodies was well worth the wait...

Trisia had a clear message for the Postal Service:
Think they got the message?? Me neither.

But what a bunch of goodies awaited me when I opened it!!! I think I scared His Royal Lowness when I squeeed in delight.See that Starbucks cup?? More about the wonderfulness in it in a bit.... A wonderful pattern for socks to be made with the contents of the cup... handknit mug mats to match the contents of the cup... A generous Starbucks gift card (Trisia has obviously seen me there before my weekly trips to my clients)... a plug in beverage warmer that I've wanted but never bought for myself, perfect for tax season... A Yarn Harlot book to keep me laughing!... gorgeous handmade stitch markers... kewl sock shaped point protectors... Whoppers for a snack (one of my faves)... some dip mix that my stitch group will enjoy very soon.. and some green tea that I've already enjoyed.

As for the yarny goodness in the Starbucks cup??? Two skeins of sock yarn, dyed especially for me and named for me to boot!Woot! How tremendously kewl is that!!!! :)

Thank you Trisia, for a wonderful package. It's been a doubly good experience: not only did a box of great stuff make its way to me, but I also made another good cyber friend to boot.

If you get want to see more yarny goodness, go check out Trisia's site for her wonderful sock yarns. I know where I'll be doing some shopping for future swaps!

And this is a special shout out to my cousin Joe... if you're reading this... glad to have found you again!!! :)

Guilty Pleasures Swap!

I received my Guilty Pleasures Swap package from Barb on Saturday.

Behold the wonderment:
See that bright blue yarn on the right?? That's WOLLMEISE, people!! The Holy Grail of yarn. If you're a fan of The Maltese Falcon, it's The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of. Seriously, I thought someone had to die and will it to you, yet Barb managed to get a skein of it for me, in a wonderful blue, and with a pattern specifically designed for it. Woot!!! The other skein of yarn is Silky Mmmmmmmalabrigo in a beautiful teal. Woot again!!!! And Knit Picks circulars to work on them with!!!

Barb also kindly included some treats: tea and cashews (absolutely the best nut in the world), some Altoid mints, shea butter for my dreadfully dry skin, a teak scented candle, and a sweater stone which will come in handy for some of my woefully pill-ridden sweaters this winter.

I feel so very spoiled!! Thank you so much Barb! I hope you like the package I sent to you half as much!!!

What Does Your Birthdate Mean?

Your Birthdate: January 8

Watch out Donald Trump! You've got a head for business and money. You'll make it rich some day, even if you haven't figured out how yet. A supreme individualist, you shouldn't get stuck in a corporate job. Instead, make your own way - so that you can be the boss. Your strength: Your undying determination Your weakness: You require an opulent lifestyle Your power color: Plum Your power symbol: Dollar sign Your power month: August

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Swap Package Update 2

Heard from Trisia again today....

"I did get your package back on Friday, and I think about 1/2 of it was missing, including the coasters I made for you, which of course were dyed to match the yarn I dyed for you. :( All the treats were gone and so was the gift card, and the card I had in there for you. Very disappointing."

So, evidently someone in Bristol, CT is a major scumbag and stole the goodies. And they've caused poor Trisia to have to replace stuff for me (which I really wish she hadn't done, because none of this was her fault, but she's a good egg and didn't want me to lack for a wonderful swap package). And the post office isn't doing anything about it, because the package wasn't insured, even though it was clearly their fault because they delivered it to the wrong address.

**sigh** I'd say that people are pigs, but that's offensive to the pig, which, from what I read, is an intelligent and noble animal.

What goes around comes around. And if that person's life was so empty that they felt the need to steal from Trisia and me, well, I hope he or she enjoyed the stuff. I don't think I could. That whole "golden rule" thing always kicks in.

In the meantime, I'm busy knitting cup cozies for other folks in the swap whose partners just plain flaked out and never sent anything. Again, I just don't understand. Were these people raised by wolves? Do they have no sense of common decency? I mean, don't enter into what is essentially a contract that you have no intention of fulfilling. Seems pretty cut and dried. Can someone please explain their thought process, because I don't have a clue.

Swap Package Update

You may remember my AWOL Starbucks and Yarn swap package... you know, the one that was vacationing in Bristol, CT?? The lovely and tremendously patient Trisia sent me this update today:

YAY! The dreaded package has been located. WOO HOO!!! The post office told me this afternoon that it’s being shipped back to me and that I should receive it by Friday.

You are just going to die when you hear this story. I can’t believe the nerve of some people. Wow! Actually, I’m still not sure I believe it at all…I can’t wait to get the package back and see if it’s all there!

Anyway, so the package is delivered to the wrong state, as you know. The person that gets it (I wish they would tell me who it is it’s killing me to know…LOL) actually opens it up and was going to keep it I think. Rather than just giving it back to the carrier, or taking it to the post office to return it to the sender, they opened it up. HUH? I honestly can’t believe how much moxy you must have for that. Anyway, I guess the postal carrier on that route finally hooked up with the person at the delivery address and inquired about it and they put the stuff back in the box and gave the carrier the opened box, which has not been repackaged and is being sent back to me.

Of course I am editorializing this based on what the post office told me, but come on…

“Yes ma’am, your package has been located. Unfortunately the receipient opened the package. The route carrier has retrieved the package from the recipient and we have repackaged what was in the opened box and it is not en route to your location.”

Ya…that’s NOT the politically correct version of events that will be posted all over Ravelry and my blog. ROFL!

Thanks for being so patient while I fought with them to sort it out. You are so awesome to be so nice about it! Now that’s going to be one less angel I have to worry about…how embarrassing would that have been? The angel coordinator has to make an angel for her own partner. LOL!

Hugs!
Trisia

Now, imagine for a moment, that you got a package clearly labeled for someone else. Would you actually open it?? Decide it was yours and keep your ill gotten gains?? Geez! Of course, as Trisia said, we're still waiting to see if the package actually arrives back at her house and if the contents are actually all there.... I'm just amazed that the Postal Service was able to track it that far. I figured the thing was a goner.

On the bright side... when Carl Edwards won a race last weekend, Jerry Punch did not refer to his backflip as a "signature somersault", preferring silence instead. Perhaps that little package did some good.

Updates as they become available. :)

Pirate Booty

Avast, mateys. I be feelin' like a pirate today. And it's not even Talk Like a Pirate Day.

Why, you ask? Well, it's a long story...

Every year, my eye exam comes up in May, and I go to the Lenscrafters at the local mall and see Dr. Mohammed. Now, Dr. Mohammed is very kewl. She's got an excellent sense of humor, and on top of that, she makes very good lenses for me. Add to the mix a couple of girls in the office, Amanda and Rebecca, to whom I give a hard time on general principles.

Problem is, when I get my contact lenses, my prescription is a bit... complicated. I wear bifocal lenses, and on top of that, they have to be fitted for astigmatism. Official name is multifocal toric lenses, because I can no longer do the bit where they put a reading lens in one eye and a distance lens in the other (My clients just won't cooperate by putting all their computers at the same distance from the chair. How rude.). At any rate, it takes anywhere from 4-6 weeks for the trial lenses to come in... then another 4-6 weeks for my actual lenses to come in... so you can see I generally spend the summers with the fine folks at the optometrist's office.

This year when my actual lenses came in, and I put them in for the first time, I realized there was a problem... as in I couldn't see stop signs, stop lights... you get the picture. I panicked. I went back to the office, thinking I was nuts and had agreed to purchase stuff that just didn't do, even though I knew they were fitting differently from the ones I had tried. As it turns out, the office had ordered the right lenses, but when they came in, one tiny measurement was off, and so they had to order them again. They put a "rush" on them, so this time it only took 3 weeks instead of 4-6. Wow.

So, Friday night, I went in to pick up the new contacts. As is my usual custom, I snatched up a couple of packages of contact lens solution. I was joking with Amanda and Rebecca, and I said that for the price of these puppies, they ought to give me a case. (My lenses cost about $400 for 6 months worth. See why I was panicking so badly when I thought they weren't right??)

The girls looked at each other... Dr. Mohammed said "You know we've got it... go get it." And even though I said I was just joking, I came home with this:Pirate booty. Probably two years worth of contact solution (checked the expiration dates) and cases.

So I walked through the mall with my $400 worth of contacts and a case of solution. People stared. I didn't care. I scored. :)

And yes, I am easily entertained.

But isn't this an incredibly cute dog right after his b-a-t-h??