The House of Insanity

Things that make me go Hmmm

2008-10-03T20:01:00.003-03:00

When we bought this house it was on a cul-de-sac. In the months between making the offer and closing, the street was extended, straightened and said cul-de-sac was no more. When the cul-de-sac was taken out, our front lawn doubled in size.

Today the landscaping crews came to finish the front yard. Previously it was dirt and rock and now we have topsoil that the crews hydro-seeded.

They also fixed the driveway where they had to extend it out to the new road. As part of fixing the driveway they put in a parking pad for my truck. In the pic below you can see it midway up the driveway to the right.

Now, these guys knew this was for my truck. They saw the truck in the driveway while they were working. Since I went to get groceries midday, I wasn't home when they finished. I pulled in, saw my lovely parking spot and parked.

And promptly sank.

They didn't compress the gravel.

I got stuck.

Thank god for 4 wheel drive.

And patient hubbies who don't laugh when you call them panicked because the truck sunk in gravel and you can't get it out but calmly remind you that you drive a four wheel drive vehicle.

So, my question is "Why the heck didn't they compact down the gravel?"

Bear with me

2008-10-01T14:00:00.003-03:00

I know, you are tired of the hats already. I promise this is it for awhile. Micheal wants another hat or two but I'm going to take a little break and move onto other things (like 19 unfinished socks, sweaters and shawls). After the failed star hat for Devon I decided to go back to a trusted pattern that seems to always work. For the longest time this hat appeared to be HUGE. I even emailed Devon's Nanny and got her to measure his head as I was convinced that it was going to big enough for Micheal. However he was out to the house today and it fit perfectly, not that he would leave it on for longer than 0.2 seconds. It did look cute in the fleeting glimpse I got of it on his head.

Pattern: improvised basic beanie hat
Yarn: Zitron Lifestyles
Needles: US#2 metal dpns

A hat and some cookies

2008-09-29T17:23:00.005-03:00

Tomorrow I am going to go have coffee with Itty Bitty and his mom. I decided to whip up this little fall hat for him last night. I love this yarn!

I took a break from painting the family room, which is a baby blue, I'm painting it a tan colour, to make these cookies. Mackenzie has been begging me for the last few weeks to please, please make breakfast cookies. They are actually called school day cookies but since they are healthy enough to eat for breakfast, that's what Mack calls them. This is another one of my mom's recipes, jotted down on a piece of paper so I have no idea where it came from.

School Day Cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar, 2 beaten eggs, 2 tablespoons orange rind, 1/4 cup orange juice, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 and 3/4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 cup wheat germ, 2 cups rolled oats, 3/4 cup chopped nuts, 3/4 cup raisins, 1/2 cup coconut

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat together. Stir in juice, rind and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients. Mix and drop from spoon onto lined cookie sheet. Bake 12 minutes.

Some handknits and a dog

2008-09-27T20:28:00.003-03:00

Micheal requested this hat, for some reason he loves hats. The first attempt was too small and had to be ripped out. Mackenzie is modeling the second attempt as Mike is in Alberta right now.

With the leftover gray from Mike's hat and some other odds and ends I made this little hat for Devon but although the pattern said size 3-4, it is probably a size 12 month. It wouldn't go over his head no matter how much I stretched it. I didn't feel like ripping out a second hat so hopefully I'll find someone to give it to.

Last not but least my heat loving dogs warming themselves in front of the fire. I swear Maxx is still alive and not roadkill! Crazy dog!

I'm baaaaaaack!!!!!!!!!

2008-09-25T07:25:00.001-03:00

We finally have internet at the new house!

Yay!

Off to see what everyone's been up to.......

Hello!

2008-09-16T11:51:00.002-03:00

Hello! Hello!

Anybody out there?

Still no phone, cable or internet.

But hopefully soon.

I will be back.

Promise!

( Megan says Hi! )

There's always something

2008-08-21T14:54:00.002-03:00

So, the move went as smooth as can be. We are all moved in and unpacked. The new house is lovely and we are all settling in.

The snafu? Cause something had to go wrong right? The provider we use for cable, internet and phone won't be able to hook us up for another three weeks. I had made arrangements for services to be hooked up last Saturday but when they came out they had to deliver the unfortunate news that the previous owners had used Satellite TV and dial up internet. This means that the house was never wired for cable or high speed. Since we are the last house in a new subdivision the wires were never even brought down the street. They stop two power poles up from us.

So we have to wait for the surveyors to survey the street, then the construction crews to run the lines down to the power pole in front of my house, and then they will come back out and hook me up. Thus you will only be hearing from me every once in awhile. And if you want to shed a sympathy tear with me I'd appreciate it.

Project #2

2008-08-12T22:55:00.001-03:00

After buying a second ball of yarn project two is now completed. Only nineteen more to go.

%$#&%@*

2008-08-11T09:10:00.003-03:00

Can you tell what's wrong with this picture?
See the little pile of yarn on the right?

In over 40 pairs of socks I have come close before but have never actually run out of yarn before.

I guess even the knitting gods are conspiring against me.

A kitty blankie

2008-08-09T11:58:00.002-03:00

The cats claimed this blanket as I was knitting it.

One down, twenty to go.

WIP's

2008-08-08T09:04:00.002-03:00

I currently have 21 wip's (works in progress) on the needles. I'm not sure which is scarier, my addiction to starting new projects or the fact that despite having 21 sets of needles in use, I still have tons of needles free for new projects.

We are moving next weekend and the thought of trying to safely move all my current projects without losing needles, notes or patterns is worrying me. So this week in between packing and cleaning I have been knitting like mad trying to finish as many projects as possible. I think I have a good chance of finishing at least 5-7 of them.

If you need me this week I'll be the crazy woman randomly throwing things in boxes while flitting between knitting projects.

Wish me luck.

For a new baby boy

2008-08-05T10:02:00.001-03:00

One of my favourite places

2008-07-30T21:55:00.001-03:00

Still here

2008-07-28T10:13:00.002-03:00

I'm still alive here just in a bit of a funk. Still trying to finish up all the little things around the house. It doesn't help that I have lost all my motivation and can't seem to get anything done. The weather isn't helping either. It has been foggy and rainy here lately with high humidity. Yesterday was warm and sunny and we went to the beach which helped my mood tremendously but today we are back to rain. We move in three weeks and I haven't even started to think about that yet except in a kind of denial way. I'm well aware it's coming fast but pretending it's not. Make sense? Probably not.

While driving through New York State

2008-07-21T09:17:00.001-03:00

You would think I'd know better

2008-07-16T15:47:00.003-03:00

They have been doing this for an hour now, since I put their crate in the car and told them they were going to Uncle Danny's house for a sleepover.

Baby Knits

2008-07-13T10:57:00.002-03:00

Brain cells

2008-07-12T08:26:00.002-03:00

I am busy varathaning the floors and am slowly killing what brain cells I have left. The smell is horrendous and the headache is astounding. People keep telling me it's a cheap high but I can't figure out WHY anyone would WANT to feel this way.

Digging gardens redneck style

2008-07-10T01:46:00.003-03:00

Still alive, barely

2008-07-06T23:23:00.003-03:00

Happy Canada Day!

2008-07-01T18:31:00.003-03:00

Today is the day to celebrate Canada's birthday. With parades, picnics, concerts and fireworks. Unless you live in the House of Insanity, then it is just another day closer to L-day (listing day), which happens to be Thursday. We're close, so very close but still working oh so very hard to meet that goal.

Back in a day or two with lots and lots of pics.

It's Snowing

2008-06-28T11:06:00.000-03:00

In my living room!

Still Alive

2008-06-28T07:45:00.002-03:00

Barely. Hopefully by tonight the sanding will be completed. Then at least no new dust will be created. Mike's gone to pick up more supplies so I'm stealing a couple of minutes on the computer. Next week I'll have pics of the finished rooms, Yay!

Off to get coffee before resuming painting.

Disaster Zone

2008-06-26T07:10:00.002-03:00

My house is....... I can't even think of a word to describe it. All the rooms needed drywall work done so there is drywall dust everywhere. Plus we are sanding the stairs and floors to refinish them. The sand and dust coats everything. Every night I clean as best I can and every morning when I get up everything is white again. It's in my clothes, my bed, my hair, the corners of my eyes, my nose, I feel so gross.

Back to cleaning and painting.

School's out for summer!

2008-06-25T07:07:00.002-03:00

I am so excited. I am one of the few parents who prefer when their kids are out of school. I hate making lunches and I hate having my day dictated by the school's schedule.

Mack received a medal for overall academic excellence, he excelled in all areas of his schoolwork. His teacher's only complaint? Mack writes too small and the teacher is getting older and has a hard time reading it. Mack also received a pin for being a peer mediator which meant he helped resolve student conflicts peacefully.

I am very, very proud of him!