Never made it to the yarn store in Maryland. My manicure and pedicure ended up taking forever and by the time we left we were already cutting it close.
It took almost 2 hours to get there b/c of traffic so we didn't go. It was still an awesome weekend. My friend placed 2nd in the figure competition (short class). Honestly she was robbled. Well she wasn't robbed but she should have got first. The girl who won actually won her pro card last year but turned it down so she could still compete in this division (how weaksauce is that?). In my biased but very accurate opinion she still didn't look good enough to be Teenie. The crowd was displeased but all of us were/are still VERY proud of her.
The "pro" was sweatin' bullets there for a little while too, she even came up to Teeny after she had already been such a snitty hooch and was like, "wow, I have to say you look really good etc etc."
Anyway, nevertheless, Teeny did awesome especially for her first competition ever. This show was actually a very good and accredited natural amatuer competition too. We had done our homework at some other poorly ran and poorly organized events. What a difference!
I am just very proud of my little homie. Maybe it will be me on stage next year....gotta stop eating so horrendously first!

Today hub and I are going up to Annapolis, MD to watch my good friend Teeny compete in a figure contest. I'm pretty excited for her. I talked her into doing it so I could pretty much live vicariously through her :-)
She looks awesome. The two of us have been training together for months in the gym and I'm sure tomorrow the fruits of all her labor will pay off...
We are going up the night before so we aren't stressed running around the morning before the show. I'll be helping her put on massive amounts of tanner and I'll also be doing her makeup.
Anyway, we will leave at 1:00ish today and visit this store.
I hope that the store is better than the website. There is a fiberworks in MD too but it's too far away for todays trip. I'll most likely have to make a special trip for that one....
Anyway, I've got an action packed weekend. Hopefully I'll have a couple pictures and of course I'll post up whatever I purchase...maybe I can find something for my secret pal today!! I'm off to get my nails done. Gotta look cute for the show...
o, Be sure to scroll down and see my post about my secret sistah friend (must steal one of those cute little buttons when I get back) she sent me a whole rack of stuff that I just love but I didn't get a chance to finish putting the pictures in the post until this morning so it's got yesterdays date etc etc etc. Check it out folks.

Not to make a racially blanket statement but here it goes.... This is for the freaks of nature over at bath and body works and walmart NEWSFLASH: As long as there are black women on earth there will be a need to make coconut and tropical scented lotion/bath gel/bodyspray. I mean coconut lime verbena is fine and dandy but I need a strong coconut scent folks. I mean with that stuff its like "Do I smell like coconut or do I smell like citrus?" One would think with it being summer and all these scents would not be hard to find but goodgoogamooga I can not find what I need. I feel desprite. How am I suppose to live? Show me the coconut that's all I'm saying... PS- I did however, find some Queen Helenes cocoa butter at walmart and was very satisfied

LORD HAVE MERCY!!!! My secret sistah friend HOOKED ME UP. I hope I can show all the wonderful things she sent. Of course blogger wants to have a spasm fit when I've got something important to say. First off, I must say that it made my day to find a package waiting on my door when I got home from lunch yesterday. I thought about recreating it all so everyone could react along with me as they read but some how I refrained. I'm sure my husband would have made even more fun of me than he already does for being a 25 year old knitter- I keep telling him "knittin' ain't just for grandmas"...I digress. First off she sent me these personally hand made stitch markers. They are beautiful. The pictures do them no justice. They are just way too cool! She sent me this book full of patterns for unusual but practical and easy to knit entertainment. The book was mixed in with my very first stash of fabric for sewing. Now I have zero excuses. I actually can't wait to get my dining rm table set up to sew this week. I'm just going to do it (like Nike you know?) You see there, all that fabric to sew, you see it? Awesome. I also received two different types of sock yarn in an assortment of blue colorway (love love love) and do you see over there? My secret pal sent me Lion brand because she knew I would appreciate it and I'm not yarn snob. I don't discriminate (I like them black, white, puerto rican or haitian...-just a little background hip hop for ya...:-) Others would call it ghetto knitting but I prefer equal opportunist knitting myself, Thank you very much. Anyway, can you believe the Homespun she sent me is the exact color and dyelot I have in my very own stash here at home. I was so elated to find that out. Now I have no idea what the heck I am going to make but at least when I figure it out I will have yarn all from the same dye lot...Can you see tje Lion brand Big she sent too? What fun! In the picture to my left You can see two balls of South West trading company Optimum wool, in red. My grandmothers favorite color is red (she is one snazzy woman- only in her 60's- yup she started young). Definately think ing about making her something special with that. Just a little sumtin' sumtin'. :-) I decided that it is very important for me to handknit all my loved ones something before I leave for Italy next summer. I've kinda plotted out on paper what I need to start buying and what I can use in my stash for all the hats, scarves, and little purses I need to knit up. So all this has really enhanced my options and helped a great deal. Thank you so much, your generosity has touched my heart. This Christmas will be a very knitted Christmas. I loved EVERY SINGLE ITEM secret friend. LOVED IT. Thank you so much. Thank you for making my day just by seeing the package and thank you for greatly transforming my stash! I can't wait to find out who you are...

I found the label!!
I got a couple of comments on the sock yarn I was using and today I found the label as I was tearing apart one of my many knitting bags...
It's called Sockatta. The label says it "The Plymouth Italian Collection" All I know is that I like the feel/texture and the color, plus once the yarn shop lady told me I could make both socks out of one skein I was feeling pretty good. It's 45% cotton, 40% superwash wool, and 15% Nylon. Does that add up? Yup...good.

Have you ever had the inkling that no matter how much you give, some people will always want more? It's like when you're dating, people want to know when you're getting married, when you get married they wanna know when are the kids coming...so on and so forth.

I grew up not having a lot and appreciating the little things. Even now the greatest gifts to me are the ones that take thought and time. Those things seem more valuable to me than spending loads of money. This could very well be the reason why knitting/crocheting appeals to me so much; these are things created from my being. My personal minutes and hours of my thoughts, prayers, hopes, frustrations. (If any of you ever receive a knitted gift from me know that you share a very special part of me..) Ok I'm going off on a rant.

I got into that trying to make the point that the people that always request more no matter how much or how little one gives will NEVER be satisfied. It also has dawned on me that these same people can never take a step back and see how blessed and how much a head above the rest they are in the world b/c they are constantly focused on what is not being done and what could be better. It's a pattern to be sad over b/c a lot of joy and good times can be destroyed or missed by focusing in on small flaws. Everyone knows by now that life isn't perfect but man almost perfect ain't bad.

Couple things-none knitting related.... * Aeon Flux only somewhat entertaining and not my favorite movie * Pho Saigon just simply yummy and delightful. Mmmm mmm good. Quickly becoming one of my favorites. Beef is good but I've actually started to get the chicken and it is incredible. And here is a couple of things about me: * If you send me a message I may use lots of exclamation points because I really am just that excited. * I'm pretty easy going; some may think I'm high maintenance but really it's the little things that please me.

Yup, this is what you see just minding your own business on the way to eat, on the way to the beach, on the way to pump gas, on the way to shop. This is what you turn your head to the right and see.... Turn your head to the left and see this. This is just walking down the street people. Not staying in a resort, not traveling a couple miles to some place to see sights-this is just what naturally surrounds you. How awesome and different would life be if it consisted of this everyday. Like they say on the mainland, "No hurries, no worries...." On a sour note WTC (what the crap!)...My freakin' hamstrings and biceps are drawn up so tight you could bounce a brick off of them...tonight I need to stretch hardcore especially before powerlifting Saturday. Anyway, here's a little sumtin'sumtin' My socks! I started to knit them but have no idea what the heck i'm doing so they are too small and a little ugly; they will be ripped out very soon. I just bought the harlots knitting rules book and signed up for the first time sock knitters club so this should make a difference in how my 1st pair turn out looking. O how I do love ankle socks though. I hope they can help a sistah out.

I've been back at the gym for two day now. It has felt fantastic to be at it again. I am still not on the total nutrition tip though. Working on that. I should be good by the beginning of next week food wise. My next goal is our next beach trip. I think we're going to Nags Head- iono- I let y'all know when I really know what's up. I just know that it's at the very end of July- beginning of August. Hopefully I can save up enough vacation time. I think I may only take 3 days off from actual work and just use a weekend or something- whatever.
Back to the gym. Tonight was abs, back, biceps, and calves . I got smoked man. I didn't adjust any of the weights lower than what I was doing before, actually we did 5 pounds higher on every set and I hung in there. On the close grip lat pull down I had to pump the music up and focus hardcore though. I made it thru and afterward I felt fantastic! I feel really good. So glad I'm back on it. I've decided I'm back on the supplements and I am adding 3 mornings of cardio to the routine. I'm just going to stick to the weight program as stated. Hopefully DH and I really will get up and run together in the mornings like we previously discussed. Here are my goals for the next leg...

1. Fit a size 10, (actually 8 if I want to be radical and zealous) by next beach trip (I'm between 12 and 10 now)
2. Get in at least 3 cardio sessions a week
3. Focus work on triceps and inner thighs
4. Start training for 8 miler
5. Do more active things on weekends

lt would have been nice if my previous post would have posted like two weeks ago...stupid blogger! Guess you guys thought I fell off the earth Well, anyway-if you read below I we had a lot happen then we went to Hawaii. The trip was SO amazing--wait scratch that, the trip sucked, the visit/the vacation was SO amazing. If you are really interested in going to Hawaii you can read more about it and see pictures of the place where stayed here. My father in law is blogging about it! I thought he was so cute for that. Not only is he an official blogger but he and mi madre (inlaw) are both myspacers. How cute can you get? I'm sure you'll hear Hawaii come out of my mouth more than you can stand for the next one million years. It is truly that beautiful. I am now an advocate and I believe that every person should experience this magical land of wonder... Hopefully when blogger is not being so ridiculous about uploading pictures I will be able to include some in my post to beautify my site. Oh by the way, I finished the front and am almost done with the back of my rainbow tank. It's too cute. I started to knit a sock (anklet) and got past the heel turn but am totally clueless about how to pick up the stitches and were to knit next. I am confused because I am not using a particular pattern. I have just kinda of been putting together the patterns of several socks I liked. I really like ankle socks so that made it a little different too. Again, I'll post some pics when the system can handle.

Wouldn't u know, another post beginning w/ my honeybunches. Well, Friday was his last day @ work and then on Monday he comissioned in the US ARMY. This week has been action packed. We leave for Hawaii in two days so my 3 subscribers know that you won't hear from me until after June 5th baby! I should have a lot of peices finished by the time this vacation is over- realize I won't be seeming or blocking on vacation- just knitting. I'm almost done with the front part of my rainbow tank, of course I haven't been able to spend much time on it w/ shopping for HI, going to birthday parties, my DH's graduation & commissioning, my work, the gym- just a little bit here & there

NOTE: pics to be installed later...

Yesterday my honeybunches graduated from college! Very proud of him. Shout out to my honeybunches...

Had I been more clever I would have brought my knitting inside the ceremony and gotten about 3 hours worth of knitting done! Is that a bad thought to have? (I could so be knitting right now) It's no knock on graduation or my honeybunches. Just a kill two birds thought. I mean your sitting there listening to hundreds of names you don't know being called; waiting for the climatic ONE and then finish up by waiting through another several hundred names you don't know. What could be better than making a time like that pass a little more pleasantly? Instead me and Pecky resorted to people watching...and people are just crazy. Anyway, I still ended up getting a little time in on the drive back though so that's good news.

Speaking of my new graduate he has recently brought it to my attention that many of my posts seem a little... unscholarly, due to grammatical errors. I calmly explained to DH that by the time I insert the freaking pics into whatever post I've made I've pretty much had it. Post and Publish. Then I pray.(Notice no Proofread listed)

Dear Lord,

Please let any reader that may happen upon my site (which I know is usually only by mishap on the way to somewhere else more important-so please send more readers b/c i love blogging and think it great when people stop by and even comment or just care what I have to say; what a truly nice and personal gesture that is-it just makes my whole day) to show me some grace because this is just me and how I am and I may not be able to control that. Amen.

I will do better though, I wouldn't want to shame my learned husband! Spell check/proofread are my friends...check, got it! :-) Well, I dug around and found the sock yarn I purchased about a million years ago when my sister and I originally got the wild hair. I'm casting on tonight.

At this point I have the Mary Janes (which I will be harassing my sister over very soon- Mrs. "Oh, Nina you can do it, it will be easy- if I can do it you can do"), the rainbow tank, and the green zippered sweater- these and hopefully the socks and lace scarf should be enough to keep me busy while on vacation. BTW, Hawaii is in just 5 more days!!! On Monday DH will officially be an officer in the US ARMY. So many changes to quickly.

I AM ON A FREAKING ROLL!! Seriously though, this is like consecutive post.The could be a record for me. Enough of that, I have been checking out many many many knit blogs. Love, Love, Love, what everyone else is doing. Some time in June I will add a listing and buttons to all the wonderful people I subscribe to but have no idea that I've been lurking on their site for like a trillion years. My site needs a makeover anyway. It takes me forever to do things sometime. There's on ryhme or reason. Sometime I'll get done and other I'll drag my feet. But maybe I'll even get snazzy and buy one of those little kits/programs to do something snazzy to the site- I know I'll try to control myself. I stopped ripping the lace mohair blend scarf I screwed up because it kept getting tangled and I just wasn't having the frustration that day and I also haven't touched the Mary Janes again since the cast on fiasco. Nope, no work on the zippered bolero/sweater/thingie either BUT I have been spending my time on this...... since Saturday. It is coming along quick actually. I'm a little more that halfway thru the front. Once I'm done with that I need to make the back pc which is exactly the same and then knit all the little borders. Seaming will be the issue. Nevertheless, I am liking this so much I am strongly considering making it in plain black and white with red trim too. I've seen where black and white will really be in this summer and plus it would just look funky and punchy I'm thinking. Good thing I'm funky and punchy.

NOTE:This post is actually from the 13th but I'm being fairly ghetto and just now getting around to posting it up.

So I am feeling even more retarded today. I cast on for the sweet mary janes for like an hour last night. I went to the knit along site and everything. I tried every method except for the one that I actually might have got. Finally, I stopped being lazy and traveled all the way upstairs to get my crochet hook and cast on in only one try. Pissed! Err, irritated- I guess that’s more ladylike.By the time I got the cast on done I was like, “Dude, I am so finished for the night.” I went to bed.
^^^^^^This is the yarn I will use for the Mary Janes BTW- my sister gave it to me^^^^^^

The funk continued last night only this time me and DH were both in it. Poor thing dropped his freshly painted crotch rocket yesterday. He had trouble with the test at DMV too. I felt really bad for him.We both woke up tired, irritated, and in rotten moods today. He said something halfway retarded and I snapped and pretty much bit his head off this morning. Things are better now though. My whole day hasn’t been sucking even though I’m still not quite myself. My little diet has been going pretty weak these days. I’m not gorging myself at all but I am not eating the specific things prescribed and I am not eating often enough. I am sticking to the exercise to a T though so at least that is good. Tonight is Leg night. This is my week to do the 3 sets of 30 squats on the smith machine. I HATE this exercise. Since it’s so many and I’m lifting a little heavy it puts some pressure on my back and my back is kinda not quite right these last couple days. Hopefully, I won’t hurt myself any worse.

I’ve decided that I have enough lavender, Hawaii blue, and white Lion brand microspun in my stash to make a couple of tank tops…But first I want to make this out of last summer's knit.1 catalog. i know all of you must be like, "Stop with the knit.1 already" Obviously I really liked it...


Anyway I want to knit the other tanks from the top down and I’m thinking I could try to do this WITHOUT A PATTERN. I might even crochet them. Speaking of crochet I saw this awesome UP TO DATE pattern book on this chick’s site the other day. I want this book! Maybe next payday I’ll treat myself along with some sock yarn or a ball winder- one or the other at a time. (I wonder how much $$$I've spent on my little hobby @ this point?) After these the only other thing I want to start is a pair of socks. Surely out of all these projects I can finish one of these babies. Back to the tanks, I say I could do it with out a pattern now but we’ll see how easy it is to do this after I actually start. Thinking about it in my brain it all comes together logically but a lot of times that’s were the logic ends for me.

Mother's Day obviously makes me think of my own mother. I feel the loss so much more on that day, her birthday, and my own birthday; more than any other days of the year. I'm really thinking this is normal for anyone parentless or whose lost a parent. It's partly the magnification of what a big deal it is to have a mother. It feels awkward to be out here without one- and this is after 18 years of being without her. I'm sure this is an absense I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Surely, time has definately eased the pain but the time has caused for more questioning, pondering, wondering, and wishing. There has not been an important moment, happy moment, or a moment of weakness in my life where a flash of my mother or a memory, or a wish for her has not entered my heart. I remember turning 21 and thinking to myself,"K- I should be over this now- I'm a big girl" I thought surely once I saw her gravesight that would be my closure, instead I have even more concerns, questions, upsets-whatever.
Nevertheless, I can't help but wonder to myself on days like this what our relationship would have been like. How would she look? How close would we be? Who would I be? I'm always wondering how I even made it half way to normal if having a mother is this extremely crucial to being normal! :-) I wonder about how I will do if/when I have children of my own. Who will I call when I am totally clueless? How will I know what to do? How have I done things up to this point? Am I even doing a good job at that- because I am surely just winging it all! I know there is a certain amount of motherly instinct in us all supposedly but I can't help but wonder if I got enough. Did enough of the instinct seep in from the short time that I knew her!? (lol- I know this is all silly)
Have I learned enough from all the other women I've known to be good at this? Will I be detached from my experience with my own children or will I be a psycho over achiever at motherly stuff (which is not good either)? Balance is a word i use like everyday; will I be at a good balance when I finally do embark upon motherhood?
Well, anyway these are just a few of my thoughts. To all the mothers out there especially my sister- you guys are awesome. If anything you should gather from this post what an extremely important job and role you play in the life of your children. You are important and unreplacable. Remember that you can teach the biggest lessons in the tiniest ways. You provide more than hot meals and transportation:-) HAPPY MOTHERS DAY....

Sometimes I just get into a funk. It’s not every month or even half the time but when the funk comes it’s usually around female time. Nevertheless, it’s just one of those things were you feel drained or sad –like you’ve had a loss for no apparent good reason.
I wonder if for me this funk comes because I’ve got so much to do and feel a little overwhelmed. It’s funny that I work to the best of my ability when I’m down to the wire. When I’m stressed to the wire and finish things it feels like the best accomplishment ever (which could explain a few things about the lack of finished knitted projects-anyway) but before the “down to the wire” comes I can waste a lot of time in the funk stage thinking about all the things I need to do when I’m down to the wire.
Enough of that, I know I’m just feeling a little of the stress from all the changes that Mateo is going thru. He had to give notice to his job of over 7 years today. It was hard yet exciting for him. I know he felt like he compromised his integrity in some way but he really had no other choice. I’m sure that he will get over it as soon as he starts his new job in the military. He is about to start realizing his dream I hope it is very fulfilling for him because going to school, working at his job, doing ROTC for the last several years has not been fulfilling at all. I’m sure it just felt like he was working and working and working toward this allusive goal. Now he’s obtained it and I hope that it ends up to be even more than he could have ever thought it would be for him….

Anyway, I figured that since I have absolutely no finished projects on this baby I’d post up some old stuff. I crocheted this snazzy dress from Knit.1 last summer.






I used the white microspun called for and actually really liked it despite my sisters protest against microspun. I have to admit that the yarn does seperate some but once you get the hang of it, it ain't so bad! I like the way it feels and looks too.
I took some pics of some of the cut little details too. Note the cute little ruffled edges at the bottom, the little drawstring tie the puff sleeves (my first ones ever) the nifty single crochet edges. Uh-oh is that a cute and fresh little manicure being displayed too. I think so. She's so cute.

I did a trillion scarves when I was first learning to knit and I managed to make a couple of hats over the winter (only one hat and two scarves pictured because everything went to other people). All the hats I made were using Brown Sheep Co- Bulky Lambs Pride. The pattern is from the first Stitch in Bitch. It was the flame cap. The scarves are either garter stitch or seed stitch. The grey and the "army" print are ones I made for my Matty. The gray scarf is the first scarf I ever made. (Yes I know I need to vaccuum- Note: how pedicured toes match lovely model's manicured fingernails- work it gurl!)



Unfortunately, I made another mistake in the lace scarf I was knitting out of that Cherry Tree Hill yarn. I could let one mistake pass but I felt bad when it got to be more than one. I would show you a pic of the ripped out yarn but I'm STILL ripping it out. Who knew mohair blends were such a pain to rip-it really sucks-might be awhile before we see this scarf again.
I’m casting on for the Sweet Mary Janes- maybe tonight
No updated pictures of the pathetic sleeves for the charming zipped bolero jacket sweater thingie.I haven’t even hardly breathed in the direction of this projects in weeks-probably months. Shame.

My sister came up from Shaw AFB in Sumter, South Carolina to trek over to the Maryland Sheep and Wool festival. We had a blast! We both kinda lurk outside of a couple of blogs of folks who were talking about going. maybe next year we will both be more confident to jump into this tight knitted community with full force. (pun intended-lol)
Anyway, we knew there were about a trillion knitters, spinners, fiberlovers, bloggers, etc out there but we were not expecting all of them to show up at our festival...
We were so amused at the masses of husbands hauling fiber back to mini vans, SUV's, and trucks while wives or girlfriends or whoever trailed behind in what looked like states of euphoric bliss/trance. This could just be my own perception --this being my first time to experience any of this and having to wipe the drool from yarn and fiber desire from my own lips.
Anyway, when we first arrived the two of us walked around fondling every texture, pointing at every animal, commenting on every color. It was pure sensory overload. We did a couple of rounds to make sure that if we were going to purchase we weren't missing anything. My DH had contributed to my SEX (stash enrichment xpedition for all you non-knitter) fund and I was not about to blow due to lack of research/self control/education- whatever I was not going to blow it. I already was feeling like the funds I came with (which I was previously elated over) were now just not enough so I wanted to be careful.

We rounded the corner and met these wonderful people from Indigo Moon Farm.

Though the tent was insanely busy they gave my sister and I (along with about 4 other curious passerbyers) a quick drop spindle lesson. I'm telling you though I had never even seen a drop spindle before I don't know what happened.
I hadn't even found yarn for this supposed first pair of socks I told myself I'm going to knit but here I am toting way to much fiber to spin on a drop spindle. Apparently I just could help myself. I was just glad that me and my sis were there first otherwise I might have had to elbow or drop kicked one to the old ladies to get my beginners drop spindle- they were selling like hotcakes.
Anyway, I had an awesome time. It was cool to see every one in there handknitted tanks and sweaters or carrying their little felted bags. I just wanted to hug and squeeze everyone because it was such a cool thing to be a part of.
I never found my sock yarn--not because there was none but more because I had no idea on earth what the heck type of socks I want to make. We searched high and low but I just could never make up my mind.
In other news since it seems I never post anymore, I did start the scarf as stated before.. It's coming a long. These pics are from Wednesday or Thursday or Tuesday-whatever, point is that ther is more done now but you get the idea
Notice my cute little multicolored platform sandals. The are very comfy; go with just about anything and only cost me $17 bucks at Target. Free advertising Love Love Love.
Anyway, if you enlarge the photo and take a good look you can see where I messed this lovely little lace pattern up. I didnt'take it out because I was afraid i would have to start all over to get it and I got right back on pattern nad it didn't look back etc etc. Here is the scarf. Ok. For any dear heart that is still hanging on my thread to my lifeless blog I am sure this is like overload right now so go ahead and read a little bit at a time over the time spance of a few days because you never know when i may post again. And if I post again you just aren't garaunteed it will be interesting so don't complain today. See ya soon.

One post a month that is what I'm going for! Seriously though, things are starting to slow down so I should be able to get some serious knitting in. I can't wait for the plane ride to Hawaii. Talk about quality knitting time....
Today I sent out Matty's announcements over his commissioning and graduating. I am very proud of him. He has really been working his tail off these last years. Now it's all happening. I am throwing a lil shindig on the 20th in between his graduatin and commissioning. Supposedly I'll have the invites for those out by the end of this week. We leave for Hawaii on the 25th!!!!!!!!
Can you tell I'm excited?
Nevertheless, on the knitting news front I am knitting a scarf as abreak to the sweater. I'm using this really beautiful yarn my sister sent me last summer called Indian summer. The scarf is some easy lacy thingie. Soon I'll be able to post up at least one FO (finished object)...finally. ttyl

Can I still technically call this a knitting blog if there is no knitting going on? Furthermore a blog if there are no entries. I'm sure that I will get back on track soon. This simply just couldn't go on forever. If you really seriously miss me click on my little link to Ninanator on myspace. You can see me admiring a concrete zebra....maybe catch a trapsing poem....

It has been over a month since I last posted and even now I don't have any pics :-( At least at this point I have some things to catch you all up on. It has been a very busy time for me. My hubby's grandfather passed away and it was a whirlwind tour to go down to Georgia for the funeral. I pretty much binged the whole week afterward even though I wasn't particularly close to Pop- didn't gain any weight though (and it actually wasn't bad I just didn't stick to my diet and ate what normal people eat but I felt like I was binging b/c every time I ate anything I was freaking out on the inside "how many calories?how much fat? i am going to gain weight? is this really just one serving" you know that kind of freaking out every time I put anything in my mouth that I knew I wasn't suppose to eat.) So then I decided to go see a nutritionist to help me lose the remaining weight and he has given me a pretty hardcore exercise program as well. I spend a lot of time buying and preparing food (it's pretty much a bodybuilding program and diet). Hawaii vacation is underway. We sent the check for the last payment for the house we're staying in. Can't wait for that to be here already. Matty and I are feeling anxiety over the many changes that will be coming our way soon. We've been trying to figure out what would be the best decisions to make given conjured up circumstances b/c we don't actually have anything concrete to go on. We are both pretty bummed to be leaving our home and our many family and the fam. We have had many discussions on how this needs to be the blow out summer for us....freakin' military. I got my hair done in this really cute layered style. Matty LOVES it so I'll keep it for a little while. I'll see if he'll take some pics tonight so I can post them up for all to see. I traveled 11 hours each way to Georgia with a bag full of stuff to knit including my sweater but get this I FORGOT MY NEEDLES!!! The tripped sucked so bad after that but I did pick up some new kicks at the Nike outlet on the way back home so I guess it all evened out.:-) Nevertheless, I haven't gotten very much further on my sweater. The sleeves are almost done, I just need to start the shaping and then I need to go back and do the 2 front panels. Unfortunately I am very tired of this project so tonight I decided to cast something else onto my needles to cut myself a break. I really hope that I am faithful in getting back to showing you pics of everything tonight. There's still a million more things to tell but I'm at work and this has gone on long enough..