Keebles World

The first row is done! I said I was going to work on A Summer Ball, but I can't help to want to move on to row two of this one! It's way too hard for me to focus on more than one project at a time. Plus, I can't help but think if her hair is this intense, how cool will her eyes be! And what about the sword! It really makes me want to start Foxglove Ball but those 147 pages terrify the living crap out of me!!

What is normally considered gorgeous for the male standards is not usually what I consider gorgeous. Their intelligence, their strength, their humor, their intensity, and a bit of danger are all more important to me than a chiseled face and a hard body. Those that follow me know that I've mentioned several actors numerous times over and over again, my favorite actors. But if you are American, more than likely you have probably never heard of these guys (but I'd bet you'll probably recognize one or all of them). So my New Years gift is the gift of men! Number 1 - Rupert Penry-Jones, Spook spectacular in more than one instance, a bad guy you just can't hate in Cassanova and Silk, and OCD detective in Whitechapel, and the best Captain Wentworth Jane Austen ever imagined! (Spooks, Cambridge Spies, Persuasion, Silk, North Square, Cassanova, Whitechapel, The 39 Steps, Jane Eyre, Virtual Sexuality, Hilary and Jackie, just to name a few). Number 2 - Richard Armitage, ...

It's amazing how that bright garnet red is browning up! And adding the highlights is turning it orange! It won't be as orange as the hair in the demo pic, but it's close - just more intense. HAED's are genius! At the rate I'm going, if I get this row finished today, then I still have a chance to get a big chunk of the first page of A Summer Ball finished!

I've thought a lot about joining WIPocalypse and frankly, I'm just not cut out for it. Goals like that I just don't do good with, I would set unrealistic goals and crucify myself when I didn't finish them. But New Years Resolutions are a different story. I don't usually set any because I think they are stupid (i.e. I don't usually stick to them). But I think maybe I might actually set a few this year and making them public might actually make me keep them up. So here we go, Keebs' New Years Resolutions: 1) Purchase only one video a week from Amazon UK (sets count as one video - no need to go too drastic). 2) Put no less than $50 per pay day in savings - it's time for a new car. 3) Limit myself to one soda per day (and that doesn't mean if I skip a day I can drink two the next). 4) Everything that I usually eat, cut it in half (trust me, I eat enough for two). 5) On the topic of eating, it's time to eat more than one meal a day...

Got a lot more work done today! Head still hurts, but it's tolerable. I probably could have done more, but I couldn't focus for too long without getting sick. But here's today's work: I have finally made it to red, but I wasn't expecting it to be Garnet red! It's a bit off-putting from the guide pic...I expected more of an orange-y red. I just have to have hope that all will work out in the end.

I've been in and out of consciousness all week...guess it was to be expected I'd end up with the migraine to end all migraines. I've managed to do a bit of stitching, but at random intervals since Friday night. I wish I could have had all my facilities this week. But I think I'm on the mend now (or at least I hope). I've had two false hopes already this week. Only a few more vacation days left. I so wanted to finish both the page of A Summer Ball and a row of my little Highlander, but now I think that goal is a bit out of reach. But here is where I'm at on A Summer Ball: And A Walk Through The Highlands:

Just one final post for the day, with a Duran flair...Jesus and Santa, singing Christmas Carols, South Park style - is there any other way to hear a Christmas carol? That's right - poopity poppin!!

I'm home. I did a lot of thinking on my way home and I think my new meds have finally kicked in. The only anxiety I felt was through the whole internet fiasco. My temper was relatively in check otherwise. I was rude, but that's nothing new, I can't really control my mouth, what I'm thinking falls out before I can stop it (which is why I prefer to communicate through text or email or blogging, I can edit before I send). And every single thing my Mother does annoys the snot out of me, so I guess I was lucky I didn't do something worse (and trust me, much to my shame, I have). I did have some issues with noise pollution and my head is paying the price now. My Step-dad is pretty much deaf due to a war injury, so TV volume is set a lot higher than I'm used to, both the living room TV and the TV in his bedroom were both running different channels at the same time (even though most of the time no one was in his bedroom - who pays their electric bill - Santa or ...

Time to shift houses! Heading to the Aunt's!

It's amazing how we split when things are all done...Mother is in the kitchen, my step-dad goes back in his room, only my Sister and her husband and I remain in the same room. Probably because only we can stand to be in the same room with each other. We are watching a Storage Hunters marathon and I'm bored to tears. I still have to stop at my Aunt's house on the way home and do all this again. But that should go even quicker. I feel like there is a bottle of wine in my future.

It's all done! Christmas is over! Just like that! And for the first time evah I actually got Amazon gift cards! I've asked for them for years, but never actually got one! Was it the thread of blogging that did it? The fear of public humiliation that made them behave? Or was this actually a good Christmas? Who knows!

Yep, that's right...we're done eating! In my defense, I only ate my steak and nothing else...I don't care for fries, or corn, or rolls, so it wasn't a big loss. But either Zachary is obsessed by the meat, or my dog has a hearing problem. I keep calling his name and he completely ignores me!! But in a very strange move, we are already pushing presents! What's up with that? Food hasn't even settled yet!

The drama has started already! Had a pretty non-eventful trip here, had to wait in line to get my tire aired up, apparently every single person on the planet waited until today to get gas so, not just my gas station, but every single gas station on the planet was completely filled to the brim! I took the bypass and my car is not used to going 70 mph, but she did OK, but the second I got to the halfway point, I started sneezing! I always do that when I get to my hometown - I'm allergic to it (that's my story and I'm sticking to it!). But needless to say, it was still a pretty uneventful trip and now I'm here and then the drama started. My step-dad doesn't know his internet passcode, so I couldn't connect to the internet! Joy of joys! I am currently using my Mother's computer. He kept giving me his email password and kept getting pretty upset when I was telling him it wasn't working. Ugh. My nerves are already at the breaking point. I needed to...

I'm all ready! Time to load the car, pack the pup, air up the tire, and head to the parents! Let's just hope it's a very uneventful day!

Headache is still on the periphery and could bust through at any moment, but I'm gonna attempt this madness called Christmas! But things have already gotten off to a terrible start! Got a call at 9:46 this morning from my Mother telling me I needed to be at their house at 1:00 pm. Those that follow my blog know that since I work nights, I'm a night person, and therefore, stay up nights. Last nights bedtime? 5 am this morning!! So, yep, she woke me from a dead sleep (knowing my sleep patterns) to tell me I didn't need to be there until the afternoon (which was a given anyway...I don't usually surface before noon for no man or woman). I'm up now because the call pissed me off so much, I couldn't go back to sleep. So now I've got an interrupted sleep pattern with less than 4 hrs sleep (just because I went to bed at 5 am doesn't mean I went to sleep at 5 am), a migraine just waiting to bust through, and now plenty of time to fret and worry about the ...

Guess it's not shocking that I've got a migraine building (yep Joysze, I might get to call in sick afterall), so I've gotta type quick, this screen is killing me. I was given an out clause on my Christmas responsibilities and I didn't take it, but now I'm thinking I might have to. I'm still not sure why I didn't take it. Thanks to everyone for your kind comments about my situation. Honestly, it really is nice to be able to spurt out my problems (to someone other than a therapist) and actually have someone listen. In the real (not cyber) world, I don't speak much except to people I really know and tell even fewer these stories, so thanks again for letting me vent. I talk a lot about guilt, but technically, I don't actually feel guilt, it's the perception of guilt I feel. It's one of my learned traits...I know I'm supposed to feel guilty and therefore I generate a bad feeling in response to the perception of the supposed emotion, ...

I don't know what made me do it, but I worked on A Summer Ball a bit tonight! It was nice not having to use the magnifying light for once and actually being able to see the blocks! I even bumped up a color!

OK, so that's not exactly true...getting Zach to take a picture is like pulling teeth. But sometimes, if I say the magic word, I can get his attention long enough to get the pic snapped. Smile and say "pup-eroni!!" Somebody is in dire need of a haircut!!

I didn't have much time tonight to work on my little Highland girl, but I did get a touch of hair done: It is kind of amazing how stitching works like Xanax...shame I can't drag it everywhere with me...think work would mind if about every couple of hours I have to whip it out and work on my stitching for a while to calm my nerves? Yeah, probably not. I didn't make it to Kroger tonight. I got done at work too late and after 11 they close the people check out lines and that only leaves the self-checkers. Now, you'd think a person like me would prefer the self-check, but oh no my friends...oh no. They were created by Satan for the sole purpose of Keebs torture. Let me tell you why. I used to always go to Kroger late, my preferred time because of the lack of shoppers. I don't go to the store very often, so when I do go, I usually have a buggy full of groceries, and this particular night was no exception. They had just started closing the people checkers but...

Last night I went to Wal-Mart...a seemly normal task for most people, but a major hurtle for me. I can't go the two in my town, one is too dangerous, the other has a Subway restaurant owned by my Dad in it, so it's off limits (long story for another post - I know I keep saying that, but one day when I'm ready). I end up using to the Wal-Mart the next major town over, about 35 minutes away (if you drive the speed limit). I feel somewhat comfortable there and my old second job was in that town, so it's familiar. This is a stupid time to be going to Wal-Mart anyway, I know that, you know that, but it had to be done...the closer I wait till Christmas the worse it will be, I needed to get the money cards for everyone's Christmas cash and, since I'm on vacation next week (still hoping), I needed to have food in the house since there is none (and by none, I mean, NOTHING). I thought I'd warm up by getting gas...no worries...my pump was empty and the entire st...

Having Asperger's keeps me from expressing myself vocally to others, but I don't have that problem when I'm writing...my thoughts and feelings just flow (usually much to the chagrin of others!). This blog has been really a marvelous outlet for me to get what's in my head out for the world to hear (whether you want to hear it or not). So the whole thing got me to thinking...since Christmas is such a nightmare for me to deal with Asperger-wise, why not blog my way through it? That's right folks! An entire day of live blog feeds from my terrible Christmas experience for your enjoyment! Sounds like fun doesn't it? My family should be thrilled to bits (insert awkward pause here). Since the only way I can deal is with my fingers, then by God, that's what I intend to do and since I'm being forced to participate in their Christmas, then they're gonna participate in my bloggin Christmas!! Ho Ho Ho and a bottle of rum (or however it goes)!

Thanks to everyone for your nice comments on my progress...and a special thanks to Joysze, who so very kindly pointed out that my little Highland girl has a head like a bum! But seriously, I've been obsessing over the same thing! It's been driving me mad and I'm glad I'm not the only person who's noticed it! On a separate note, I put in my yearly request to opt out of Christmas this year, and you'd think I asked to slaughter a bag full of puppies! I tried every method I could think of; the sympathy method, the uncaring method, the Grandmother's not participating so why do I have to method...but nothing worked. I was completely calm, cool, and collected, I didn't get bent out of shape or upset through the whole thing. Mother fought valiantly at first, but then the water works started and all I got was "talk to your sister" and the quivering lip. It was completely shameful. So I guess I'm stuck with another year of complete misery an...

It wasn't the rousing success I imagined it to be and I didn't make it to red, but I did make it to brown which is still in the hair area! I'm surely not gonna complain about that! I've done better, I've done worse! But here's Saturday's work: And Sunday's finish: I'm excited to see how everyone else got on!

I'm predicting that before this International Hermit And Stitch Weekend is over, I'm going to see "red"...hair that is! That's the goal, anyway, as long as I can keep from sleeping the whole weekend. But this is where I am now:

After a rather grim negative report from my neurologist concerning my migraines...I decided that today's post should be a word from my own...personal...Jesus....Robert Smith (you thought I was gonna say Dave Gahan, didn't you? I have too many indecent thoughts about him to consider him a holy deity!). So here it is, a song about a girl who keeps blindly handing herself over, even though it's the worst thing in the world for her. The Cure's From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea:

I haven't posted a video in a while, and this song is a bit of a theme song for me and I've been in a Girls Aloud mood lately. Plus it's an endless source of past hairstyles for me, including my last one (Kimberley's) and the one I'm getting done next week (Cheryl's)...so enjoy! Girls Aloud - Life Got Cold

Definitely looking forward to this International Hermit and Stitch Weekend! I am gonna rock this one! I can't wait!

Boy, I'm on a roll...the last post got to me thinking again...has there ever been instances where I liked the sequel or even the remake better than the original? This answer is a bit more complicated. I'm not a fan of remakes, in TV, movie and definitely not in music form. I don't understand them. Come up with your own stuff, don't redo someone elses. But on the sequel subject, there have been several instances where #2 or #3 were better than the first, and since I'm on the subject of vampires a lot lately, Interview With The Vampire is a prime example. Anne Rice threw a fit when they cast Tom Cruise as Lestat. She said she got over it once she saw his performance...I'm still not over it. Interview was the first "real" book I ever read, when I was really way to young to be reading such material, but it holds a very special place in my heart. That, IMO, is one of the worst casting choices in movie history. The sequel, Queen Of The Damned, in...

Doing the Vampire Diaries review got me to thinking (scary thought, I know). I did pick up the first book last night and read the first six chapters and promptly put it right back on the shelf. The character of Elena is completely different, the storyline is way too different, I just couldn't deal with it. But here's where the thinking comes into play...most times the book versions are better than their movie/TV counterparts, but, are there times when the movie/TV counterparts are better than the books? The answer is yes, at least IMO. It is a rare occurrence, for sure, but it does happen, and the best example, for me, is A Walk To Remember by Nicholas Sparks. I absolutely love this movie, sad ending and all. Shane West is amazing, Mandy Moore is amazing, they have real chemistry, it's just perfect. The book, on the other hand, based supposedly on Nicholas Sparks' real-life sister, was lackluster at best. I'm really surprised I made it through it. I didn...

I've seen the TUSALs a dozen times on blogs, but I never imagined I'd participate in one, but I've gone and signed up for it! I'm also gonna probably have to buy a jar because I'm not happy with my current choices in the house (only I'd make a production out of scrap jar!). It's also gonna be hard for me to collect scraps and not dispose of them...a neat-freaks worst nightmare! What a challenge this will be!! But when I get the jar, I'd definitely be posting a pic!

I just finished watching season 1 and 2 of the Vampire Diaries. I tried to watch them when it started, but I don't get the CW on satellite and I don't like to watch shows online, so I didn't keep up with them. Plus, I HATE cliffhangers and when each episode is a cliffhanger, it drives me nuts! So, as is the case with Supernatural (another one of my favorite American shows - which is a very short list), buying the series and watching them all at once, is always the best course for me. But I've not bought The Vampire Diaries because they've always been pretty expensive...thank goodness for Amazon! I managed to finally catch them on sale and got them for $11 a piece! Anyway, on to the review, since I had already seen about half of the first series, I knew the basic storyline, girl meets boy, girl falls in love with boy, boy turns out to be a vampire...simple enough concept. But, of course it doesn't stay that way! Stephan (the vampire), falls for Elena (...

For someone who sleeps so much on the weekend, I sure got a lot of work done! I've decided not to limit myself to the confines of a page and I think it's helped with the page lines, but I've still got to be rigid a bit, so I'm sticking in the row. But the good thing is I'm not sick of gray yet, which is important, if I'm gonna do Melencolia. It only has about 9 colors of gray and it will be huge, so there you go.

Lookie!! Yea me! I've done tons of big projects before, but there is something about this HAED. It's really having a strange effect on me and I've become completely obsessed with it (OK, so that's not new, but...). I can't tell if it's because you don't have to do fractional stitches and can just flow or if it's because of the complexity of the project. I really should also be working on A Summer Ball, but I can't focus on it. I also think I'm really enjoying starting in the top left corner. As a lifelong center starter, doing the best stuff first and saving the crap stuff for last, with this it's crap, then good, then crap, then good, you don't get a chance to get bored with it! Plus, being out of the Disney loop for a while, I feel like part of a community again, well, as much as a complete social-phobe, internet-only communicator can feel a part of a community and in a weird kind of way I kind of like it!!

Worst nightmare for a social-phobe and an Asper-girl? Sitting in a room full of people (even if they are family) and having them all staring at you while you open presents, expecting you to react a certain way, when reactions are, by your very nature, almost impossible to fake. It's extraordinarily terrifying and you are forced to endure it every single year of your life and it never gets easier, only worse...this is my 41st year of torture. A very wise woman once wrote "Surprises are foolish things. The pleasure is not enhanced, and the inconvenience is often considerable". That woman was Jane Austen and I'm more than a little convinced that she was an Aspger-girl too. So how did I solve the problem of the dreaded Christmas present opening as a child? The only way I knew how...I got in my parents closet before Xmas and opened the presents to see what they were, re-wrapped them, and practiced my reactions. But that still didn't solve the problem of being st...

It's not a ton of advancement, but I did get about a third of page 3 done. At least this will be the last of the "seam" pages now that I know how to prevent them (thx Vickie and Joysze!). But the first page seam is already fading, so I am more confident that time as well as washing and framing will fix them.

I have done absolutely no stitching this week, not a single square. But hopefully, knock on wood (or the particle board that makes up 97% of the furniture in my house), this should be the worst of the work weeks for the holidays, at least for a little while. I've come home every night too tired to do anything but sleep, except for the headache days, and those where just too terrible to remember. But the funny thing was, I spent most of the day at work doing nothing but thinking about stitching! I think I've decided not to try to frog the page seam lines. I'm hoping that washing and ironing when I'm done will fix what little damage there is. It would probably cause far more damage trying to frog it anyway. I did finally break down and sign up on the HAED message boards. Talk about information overload! They do have a section to post requests for projects and I've been dying to suggest a few, so yea! I'm not a big message board poster (I've been on...