Update

Thank you all for your comments and well-wishes regarding my Not-Tennis Elbow.

Just to clarify, knitting isn’t causing me any pain, or I would stop doing it. I may be obsessive, but I’m not certifiable (quite). I’m cutting back on my knitting anyway, but I have one stealth project three-quarters done that needs to be finished in about two weeks, and I would very much like to finish the Fireside Cardi in time for Bendi (seven weeks away), though I’m flexible on that - I may even leave the sleeves off and just wear it as a vest. You can see one such here (Ravelink) – I think it looks pretty nice, and I could always add the sleeves on later if I wanted. Speaking of which, I’m almost finished the left front. All buttonholes are present and accounted for, the shoulder-decreases are almost done, and there haven’t been any further cock-ups (knock wood). Then it’s a simple matter of 12cm of collar and I’m half-done if it’s a vest, or 1/3 done if I’m doing sleeves.

The activities that are causing me trouble are mostly extension and lifting actions. For instance, reaching into the pantry for the cookie-jar is really painful – good news if one is trying to lose weight, but not so much if one is a small boy wanting a snack. I am very, very right-handed; it just never occurs to me to open a door or pick something up left-handed. But I am trying very hard to remember to lead with my left at the moment.

And the up-side is, I have that Get Out Of The Ironing Free Card. There’s always a silver lining, isn’t there?

Delayed reaction, perhaps?

I have Tennis Elbow. Which is interesting, considering I haven’t played tennis since I was like, 12 years old, and my tennis coach took me aside and told me (in the nicest possible way) that everybody is good at something, and maybe, just maybe, tennis was not my thing. She was so sweet about it that I really couldn’t be upset, especially because I did suck most ferociously.

My doctor has prescribed anti-inflammatory meds, an elastic support bandage, and specific exercises, and told me that if there is no improvement in a month, it will mean an incredibly painful cortisone shot, which may or may not work. Interestingly, the literature he gave me said that I should avoid things like ironing, but there is no mention whatsoever of knitting. Hah!

Thursday #5

Well, it seems at least four people are still willing to speak to me after last week’s P&P&Z post. I’m so glad (BTW, did you know that Lady Catherine de Burgh had an army of ninjas? Neither did I, but it makes so much sense!).

Weight: 83

BMI: 29

This week: gain of 200g 

Total loss so far: 5.okg

As you can see, I’ve had a little gain again. No excuses other than pure slackness on my part. I’ve been doing other stuff than exercising, you see. Plus there’s been lots of fun stuff happening, most of which involved food (although, seriously? All the running around I’ve done this week should have counted for something!). I’ve got to get back on track this week, because I’m coming into Bloat Week again. Helpfully, today was our school’s Biggest Morning Tea event. So there I was, surrounded by ooey-gooey cakes, cookies and slices (which I valiantly ignored in favour of tiny chicken-salad sandwiches) while I supported both the school and the Cancer Council. Sigh. They (they being The Huge Universal Conspiracy Against Me, hereafter designated as THUCAM) don’t make it easy.

In other news, I’ve been given all my Semester 1 assessment materials for my TAFE curse course (hmm, that was a Freudian typo if ever I saw one). I’m confident I can get it all done easily and with time to spare. The course is only half over, but I’ve decided to transfer out of classroom teaching into OTEN (TAFE’s online distance education facility). That way I can work around the kids (literally if needs be - I learned how to type around a sleeping baby when Josh was in his clingy stage), and I know now that I can handle the material without needing an actual teacher physically present. So I’ll pick up the rest of the course later in the year. Then, who knows, I may even continue on for a further I.T. course, or maybe study something completely different. I’ll see how I like the OTEN experience.

I have circled the culprit, even though it's glaringly obvious to anyone with eyes.

Also, the knitting Gods are clearly in league with THUCAM. I was merrily knitting along yesterday, when I got to the armpit of Front #2 on my Fireside cardi, and I checked it against Front #1 to see if everything was matchy-matchy. Nope. I’d done the bust increases about ten rows too soon on the second front. So I frogged back to the appropriate point, noticing in passing that I’d also forgotten the last two buttonholes, and thinking Oh well, I would have had to rip back anyway. Then I got everything back on the needles, and started knitting again. I plugged away at it all afternoon (remembering the buttonholes this time) and by 9pm I had myself back to the armpit point again. Which is when I noticed the mis-crossed cable. Not in a place where I can work the Harlot’s magic cheat, but right about solar plexus level where everybody can see it. So today I had to rip back.

Again.

I couldn’t help myself…

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.”

Meet the fifth and final book of my Mother’s Day haul.

I will understand if you never want to speak to me ever again.

It’s been really nice knowing you all.

Thursday weigh-in #4, and another book in my mailbox.

Weight: 82.8

BMI: 29

Loss this week: 1.4kg !!! 

Total loss so far: 5.2kg

I am BACK, baby! The Points Nazi (that would be me) has come through big time this week.

Also, another book has arrived: Custom Knits by Wendy Bernard. I’ve wanted this from the minute I heard Wendy had a book in the works. When I actually saw the cover, I was lost! I. MUST. HAVE. THIS. JUMPER!!! For this jumper I am willing to overcome my fear of Fairisle AND Steeking! That’s how much I want it. Also, the book has a section on top-down set-in sleeves, which is a technique I’ve wanted to learn for ages, but I’ve never been able to get my hands on the Bible of Top-down, Knitting From The Top by Barbara Walker (every time I have the cash, the book is unavailable. Yes, I realise that if I just held onto the cash, I could buy the book when next it became avalable. Your words are starnge and incomprehensible to me. What means this “logic” of which you speak?). So I’m very, very interested to read this book (which is something I don’t normally do with knitting books – I generally just launch myself straight into the knitting).

 At the risk of repeating myself, I LOVE my postie!

More Postie Goodness.

Another book was waiting for me when I got home this afternoon: Vulnerable by Amy Lane, whose blog is a bloody hoot. This is another one I’ve been wanting to read for a good long while now, ever since reading some of her short fiction on her website, Green’s Hill. I started reading this afternoon, and so far, me likee. The lady knows how to write a good solid story, with interesting and unusual characters, and some new and intriguing twists on faerie/vampire/shapeshifter lore. I’m not even halfway through yet, and already I’m counting up my pennies, thinking about how soon I can get my paws on the next book in the series.

Stalking the postie.

My man truly knows the way to a woman’s heart. The Friday before Moher’s Day, Tech Support sat me down in front of the computer, gave me a budget and said “Go!”.

Hee.

These arrived yesterday:

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking. I have been considering this book for quite a while, but was hesitant to buy it, because if the “discovery” was a crock, then I’d be stuck with a cookbook good for nothing but taunting me with pictures of bread I didn’t have time to bake. A couple of weeks ago I managed to scrounge up one of the recipes online, and tested it out. Oh, it works all right! It was a major enabler in the Ploughman’s Lunch incident(s)  the other week. Don’t worry, it’s turning out to be a bit like the espresso machine. I went a bit nuts at first, but now I’ve settled down into a steady routine of having only two or three cups of coffee a day (which is actually less than I was drinking before the espresso machine hit the scene, partly because espresso is a much more efficient caffeine delivery mechanism, but mostly because it’s too much like hard work to fire up the machine, make the coffee, and then clean up afterwards). Likewise, even though I’m baking bread almost every day, I’m not eating all that much of it, and when I do, I’m factoring it into my points tally for the day. Anyway, I can highly recommend this book for anyone who loves good bread, but is too time-poor to actually bake it for themselves. The recipes are clear and easy to follow, and the bread produced is really, really good.

Next up:

Historic Costumes and How To Make Them. I have some (possibly lunatic) ideas for clothes I want to make, and if I can get my act together timewise, you all get to watch the crazy! I’ll keep you posted.

There’s more goodies still to come (the Book Depository ships books out individually, which makes a multiple book order order kinda like an extended Christmas!), so stay tuned, kiddies.

 

 

(I filched these pics from the Book Depository website. Just so you know)

Thursday.

Well, it’s weigh-in day again.

• Weight: 84.2
• BMI: 29
• Loss this week: 0.5kg
• Total loss so far: 3.8kg

So this week’s loss is pretty much all water weight, as discussed previously. This week I have fallen off the wagon (as opposed to last week’s mere wobbles), because those delicious Crispy Little Apples I bought on the weekend invited some mates over. First came Vintage Cheddar Cheese, who was soon followed by his good friends Fresh Crusty Bread and Green Tomato Pickles, and we all played several rousing games of Ploughman’s Lunch. It was extremely amusing while it lasted, but now it’s time for me to get back to work before things really go bad. Tonight I’m back to the gym, and tomorrow it will be seriousness on the exercycle, which hasn’t seen total neglect like last week, but hasn’t exactly been getting quite as much attention as previously, either.

Say Hello to my Random Number Generator

….and the winner of the blogiversary giveaway is…

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

…(drumroll puh-leeze)…

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Amy, if you’d be so kind as to email me your postal address (I know I had it somewhere, but I’ve lost it because I am a goose), I’ll get your coffee mug in the post tomorrow.  :)

Counting My Blessings

1. Coffee. Coffee is definitely a blessing. As is the ability to make espresso whenever I want it.
2. My beloved husband this morning endured half-an-hour’s lie-in time with the Twitchiest Kid on Earth™ (AKA Boyo) so that I could enjoy my great big cappuchino and check my email unmolested. Isn’t he the thoughtfullest man you ever heard of?
3. My children haven’t yet heard of the cruel and unusual punishment fine old Mother’s Day tradition that is Breakfast in Bed.
4. Knitting. I am truly grateful that I rediscovered the joy of playing about with sticks and string. It has opened up a whole new world to me, and probably prevented me from committing a heinous crime. Or two.
5. You guys. Thank you for coming by and reading my ramblings, and for rambling (very eloquently) back at me.
6. These two. They are blessings (and I mostly remember to appreciate them as such), and the whole reason I get to celebrate Mother’s Day.

 

No, Sasquatch is not in horrible pain. This is his idea of "a nice big smile"

Since we didn’t have to be anywhere today (we have no family near enough to visit), I spent the day slopping around in my pj’s and knitting (I also did umpty-six loads of washing, but we’ll skip over that bit). Hope you have enjoyed your Sunday, however and whereever you spent it.