That’s me… or soon will be at this rate! I think the stress of life is getting to me. For you T.M.I. folks, just turn away now. You were warned…

I have a nasty little habit of getting fever blisters/canker blisters. I get them at the usual times, when I’m sick, etc. But also I get them when stressed. Usually just one, maybe two if things are a little wacked. I also have an irritating tendency to lose large amounts of hair during times of extreme or prolonged stress (this has only happened four or five times in my life). Well… I currently have my upper lip covered in these fever blisters, they’re all over the inside of my mouth, I feel one cropping up on my lower lip, and I even got to have one inside my nose. So, I look purdy! Real purdy! Kinda like a leper.

In addition, my hair started falling out on Saturday. I convinced myself that I was imagining things but the clumps are getting a bit hard to ignore. So… maybe I should change the name of this blog from Knitting Wannabe to Bald-headed Leper because that’s what I’m gonna look like in another day or two.

So… that’s the downer news for the week. Here are some happier thoughts….

In sleeping news… I’m actually sleeping. Falling asleep in a normal amount of time. Remaining asleep most of the night. I do wake up every two hours starting around 3 am to “check the time”. But… I go back to sleep. I’m not prepared to admit changing the time of my last caffeine dose (i.e. glorious, delicious, gourmet beverage known as diet coke!) helped my sleeping because Dana would read this and then he would have to die. His death would immediately follow his saying something, anything, in an “I told you so” manner, tone of voice, deep sighing or just the appearance of that “look” on his face. So, in the interest of Dana’s health, I will not attribute any sleeping improvement to my diet coke schedule.

House news: The house has apparently sold. I sound less than sure because nothing is signed. Its apparently a school holiday (wed, thurs and fri) and one of the buyers, his realtor and my realtor have all headed with their families/kids to various parts of the world/country and did so before anything was signed. But, we agree on everything verbally and all should be signed Monday morning. Then we’ll see if this gets to closing. Investors bought the house, I am too afraid to even think about what they might do to the place. If they are trying to get the town of Oakland to assist them in anyway or think they’ll get the zoning changed on this place, they’re going to be disappointed… then they will bail out. I’ve been there, done that…. good luck! So, I’ll feel a bit more certain on Monday and then I’ll feel quite certain after they do their inspections and show us proof of financing. If all goes forward, we close on November 30. This leaves me with a choice….

Choice 1: Drive like a mad woman and get as far north as I can without hitting snow (because I don’t know how to drive in snow and with my baldheaded leprosy already in full bloom I don’t think I need to add the stress of learning snow driving techniques!). Dana can then fly to nearest airport to meet us there and drive us the rest of the way to Washington and hope that we get there before Christmas. (This requires stopping periodically to see my family and being able to escape in a timely manner to allow you to proceed to Washington and get there in under three weeks. Unlikely!)

or….

Choice 2: Stay here, rent a vacation rental thing for a month (preferably one with housekeeping…. woo hoo!) with Dana going back and forth and then move to The Grand Floridian for the Christmas weekend. We’d then head out a few days after Christmas. I know folks go to Disney all the time for Christmas (and I always thought that was odd) but I’m a bit too traditional for such things. However, the idea of a “traditional” Christmas maybe out the window at this point.

Can ya tell I’m leaning toward choice 2? The Grand Floridian is decorated so beautifully for the holiday (and traditionally. If you go the Disney Beach Club you get to see the turquoise tree with Ariel the Mermaid as the “angel”. Yucko!). We could also keep the tradition we set up with the inlaws (last year) of having AG coming to their house on Christmas Eve (thus leaving us “free” for Christmas). And… we could still visit with friends over the holiday. And…. I could just relax and not worry about Christmas, etc. And…. this would leave Dana in Washington with whatever new house we buy and all of our stuff and nothing to do but unpack. Him. Unpacking. In all of his abundant “free time”. Sounds like a plan to me!

In AG news, she is jabbering and jabbering and jabbering. She loves her trampoline. I started her at Gymboree this week and she thought that was also pretty cool. Her latest game, drop something, anything, often, and repeatedly say “uh oh”. She’s really growing up.

Finally, I got an unexpected blessing this week. I went to the mailbox and
Kathleen sent me the kindest note and this wonderful sock yarn.

You can’t really see it in the picture but the colors are pretty soft pastels of pink, greens, lavenders and blues. I really like the hues, they blend in such a way that they just look peaceful. (Peaceful. Peace. Peaceful is good. Real Good!). This was such a blessing, perfectly timed. Thank you, Kathleen, thank you so very much. You’re a jewel.

Odd fact. I stumbled onto Kathleen’s blog a year or more before I learned to knit. At the time, I thought she was the only person on the net writing about knitting. (Yes… I know this is funny. I now realize there are gazillions of knitting blogs but at the time I only knew of hers. Somehow that list on her side panel of blogs that she reads did not give me a clue. What can I say?…. I’m a product of the Florida school system!). Anyway, it was by lurking on her blog that kept me inspired to learn to knit and I stuck to my guns and convinced the hubby to teach me how to knit. (I know… he’s going to kill me for announcing that to the universe. But hey… I’m a balding leper and I can do as I please!).

In knitting news, an evacuation plane flew over the Isle of Banished Knitting and rescued Rogue. So, she’s back in business. And… I think I’m going to cast on some sock-a-roos using my new giftie from Kathleen. Just need to decide on a pattern.

Well, off to soak in the tubby tubby tub tub!