First blogoversary!!!

Kate over at The Suddenly Kate Show and Momuboocrea Island reminded me that it was my blogoversary (because I've been too busy to even notice-what would I do without her!!). I cannot believe it's been an entire year, but at the same time I feel like I've been blogging forever!

But as for my year of blogging, I've learned so much about not only myself, but stitching (a subject I thought I had already mastered...silly moi), and tons of other subjects that I never thought I would care about. I've met some amazing people and even gained an amazing bestie that hopefully will be a friend for life (that is until you get sick of me Katie and then Tony will be pissed because he'll have to deal with me all by himself!). I've been able to vent my frustrations and share my thoughts without the burden of seeing indifference in a person's face. I've also participated in some amazing challenges, something I'd never do in "the real world". I'm almost borderline social now (I know, scary prospect)!

Hopefully with my new work schedule, my blogging (and stitching) will get back on track. I have an idea for a new blog series..."Disney Planning 101 - The OCD View" and I have tons of reviews I need to do of shows I've been watching lately. I'd really like to get at least one of my WIP's done before the end of the year. I have a backlog of books I haven't read yet that fill an entire bookshelf. But most importantly, I have an upcoming Disney trip to plan!!

I do have blogging thanks to give...of course to Kate, whose support and friendship I would be at a loss without. Vickie at the Reading And Stitching blog, without whom I never would have started blogging in the first place. Joyce at Random Ramblings who has not only allowed me to participate in the International Hermit And Stitch Weekends, but is my stitching guru master and fellow gamer! Tom at TomBadguy.com, who makes me want to be like him when I grow up...brutally honest and an amazing and passionate blogger! Of course there are tons of others and I hope no one feels left out, I do appreciate each and every one of you guys!

I wish I had the time to celebrate properly, but tomorrow is judgement day (so to speak). The docs had their exec meeting tonight and it was uncommonly short (which could be either bad or good), but hopefully tomorrow I will know everything...my new job title, my duties, my new pay rate, and whether or not I'll be hourly or salaried. Scary stuff! Even worse, it means I have one more day to milk as much knowledge as I can get from the guy I'm replacing! Needless to say, my blogoversary will be celebrated with a couple of Guinnesses and an early night.

Thank you from the bottom of my tiny itty bitty soul for supporting me during this past year and I'm really looking forward to the next year to come, not just for me, but for all my blogging friends!

The Ribbon Topiary

For my IHSW, I started the redo on the breast cancer project that I did for a friend a long time ago. I haven't given the original to her yet because I wasn't happy with it and I never got it framed. The original instructions called for linen and silk thread, and even though I was a long-time stitcher, I had never done a stitch with anything other than 14ct aida and DMC and basically couldn't afford the linen and silk thread. So I went through about 10 different pink aidas trying to find the right color and used variegated thread to make up for the silk color (and basically ended up spending more than it would have costed to get the proper stuff).

Here is the first modified version I did:


And here is the picture from the designer showing what it's supposed to look like:


But the more I thought about it, the more I decided to give in and redo it. I've become a better stitcher and decided I was ready. I found the linen, but couldn't find the right count (I ended up with 30 instead of 32...that probably should have been my first clue I was doomed). I ordered the proper thread (Thread Gatherer's Silk-N-Colors Sailor's Valentine), but mistakenly ordered only one skein (which isn't near enough). The site I ordered the thread from didn't have anymore, so I ordered from another vendor, and this time ordered 3. But when they came in, the color wasn't close to similar even though they were labeled appropriately (they were just the same base pink). I emailed the vendor, but they basically just gave me the old "hand-dyed colors vary" and pretty much told me I was screwed. I understand that there is differences in dying lots, but this wasn't even close to the actual thread or the manufacturers guide picture. So I just ate the $30 cost and ordered another 3 from yet another vendor, which also turned out to be exactly like the second batch. I finally realized that it was the thread manufacturer goofing up and I was pretty much screwed.

It's really hard to tell from this picture, but the top color is the proper one and the bottom one is what the other two vendors sent...the proper color has a purple-gray streak in it and the wrong color has more of a tan-brown streak:


I just gave in and decided to work the project with the off-colored thread, so here is where I got to this weekend:


It's not that hard to stitch, but it's boring and is taking a lot longer than it should and I'm really not happy with the colors or the material (it's way too hole-y), but I'm gonna see it through. I've also done more frogging so far on this puppy than I think I ever had on anything else. My TUSAL jar has doubled in size! I'm gonna keep at it, but it may take a lot longer than I expected. I thought that since I've already done it once, it would go quicker this time...that's what I get for thinking!

Dreams and questions

I don't know how many of you pay attention to your dreams, but I've always been fascinated with mine since a very young age.  I used to be much better at manipulating them than I am now (a side effect of a childhood filled with nightmares-got to keep the baddies from getting you somehow), but, needless to say, I have an overabundance of dreams every single night in many different guises (as do most Aspers since our brains run non-stop) and I also typically remember most of them. I believe that not all dreams are gobbledygook, some are actually your subconscious (or, depending on your religion, insert message-sending deity here) trying to tell you something, be it an omen or a solution to a problem.  Our minds are amazing and uncharted things that we may never understand, but when I run across one of these beauties, I do find myself looking for the meaning behind it (must be as prepared as I can for every eventuality, ah the power of OCD). I have numerous dream dictionaries I typically refer to, but the web is also a great source of info and I often compare and contrast the meanings depending on the situation, to get the best possible answer (most good sources are pretty similar ).

A recurring dream that I have quite often (as well as lots of other people) is one where my teeth are falling out and I just keep spitting them out, handfuls at a time, usually lots more than there should actually be. Typically, most sources will tell you that this means change is coming.  I've always seen it as a bad omen because the entire dream is a constant freak out as to why are my teeth falling out, how can I stop it, and what will people think of me and my snaggledy mouth!  The combination of blood with the teeth usually means I'm about to get sick (I didn't have one when they found Fer-id, but I had tons when they diagnosed my migraines). But last night, for the first time ever, I had the teeth dream with constant handfuls of crumbled teeth, but when I checked my mouth, they were still all there and intact, no blood, no snagglies, solid as ever, and this kept up for quite a while, me spitting out handfuls of teeth and then checking to find them all still there.

I have a huge change coming at work at the end of the week, new position, new hours, and a massive responsibility that I'm not quite sure I can handle.  So the teeth dream is no surprise.  But what has been plaguing my mind all day is why were my teeth still there after falling out?  Is that a good omen or bad?  Does it mean big changes but all will still be intact, or all will be restored after the change, or I'll still save face after the change?  Or does it mean change for others (because my switching jobs is going to affect everyone elses jobs as well) while I stay rooted?  I've been driving myself crazy all day trying to work it out and the more I think about it, the more I'm completely stumped!

Anyone have any thoughts? For those of you that have had this dream, have you ever kept your teeth, and if you did, how did that work out for you in your waking life?

I'll do my stitch update when I get home, but I just wanted to put this out there, hopefully so I can stop obsessing about it!!

IHSW August-delay

For some stupid reason, I thought that this weekend was the IHSW, but apparently it was last weekend! My life is flying by so fast right now I can't keep track! So, since I missed it last weekend, I'm gonna do it this weekend (because I haven't missed one since I started blogging and I don't want to break tradition now).

I do also want to give big thanks for everyone's kind comments about my head and my stitching. You guys have been great! Another week is passing and still work is kicking my tail feathers, but I'm determined to be a better blogger after the first of September has come and gone! Besides, I gotta focus on planning a Disney trip, it's just around the corner!

Ferg-id is alive and well!

I wanted to wait until I officially spoke to the neurosurgeon to tell you guys the news.

Ferg-id Quinn #1:


Ferg-id Quinn #2:


Ferg-id is not growing but is getting a bit denser (in layman's terms). So, I guess the good news is, no skull cutting. Bad news is it isn't the cause of my headaches which means the neurologist has been right all along and it's the stress from my job. Frankly, I think I'd rather have my skull cracked open, it would be a much easier fix. I've been fighting the neurologist for so long, swearing that my headaches had nothing to do with the stress from my job, but now I have to suck it up and realize he's right and things have to change, or I've gotta get a new job.

It's my fault that things are like they are, I've allowed them to milk me for every drop of blood I have, and I gave it gladly for the good of the company, but the longer I'm there and the less I see others doing, the more resentful I'm becoming. It's literally eating me alive. The new job is supposed to make life better (when it starts), but so far, things are getting much much worse. Tomorrow is a new day and, as of now, tomorrow will be different...one way or the other. Now, if I could just stick to it...

Oh, and for those that don't know, Ferg-id Quinn is my left frontal lobe meningioma named after the three doctors I work for that make my life, in a word (or at least a nice word), difficult.

Stitch Update and major milestone!

Well, I have done it! I've finished row 3! I'm about to start page 19 and am within a hairs breath of being halfway through!

Here is the end of row 3:


And a rare look at the entire piece so far (even for me):


I still haven't had any time to update the rest of my world...but hopefully after I have my MRI on Tuesday, I'll have enough weight off my shoulders to be able to resume normal activity.

Until then...have a good week everyone and maybe I'll actually be able to catch up on blogs this week. I'm so far behind now, it's ridiculous! Now I must go off and be a good friend (because I have been a crappy one lately).

TUSAL results

I know I'm late with my ort jar pic, but I have good reason! I was in Memphis at the Duran Duran show! So apropos, my ort pic is Duran themed!

Update (in more ways than one)

I have been horrible at blogging recently, but I have good reason - everything at work is about to change, which, in turn, is about to change my entire life (I just hope it's for the better!). I've worked so hard for so long, I just hope it's about to pay off. Once the official decision is made, I'll have a new job (with hopefully a new salary), new "normal" hours-in both time of day and length of shift (which probably freaks me more than the extra responsibility), and the scariest of all - a week's long training course by myself. I was able to choose where (and you can only guess where I've chosen-Orlando of course), but the when I couldn't choose, two months after our official Disney trip. I don't even want to think about it too much right now...one lump at a time. Besides, they are definitely milking me for everything I have until then, so I don't have much of a chance TO worry about it!

And speaking of lumps, the lump in my head is getting scanned next week as well. If it's growing it will explain so much about my head, but could mess everything up with my job because they will want to cut it out (which will also make the pain stop). If it's not growing, then it doesn't explain the headaches and I get to live to continue living with them for heaven knows how long - a right cluster...well, you know cluster what. I don't want to think about that either.

A good thing to focus on is the Duran Duran show is this Friday night! But, (and I promise I'm not trying to find negatives everywhere), there are massive fears with that as well. I don't know the venue or how it's all gonna work yet and I don't do well with the unknown. My social problems are kicking up a right stink just at the moment. So, moving on...

One more chance at positivity for this week, a stitch update - but unfortunately, I didn't do very good with that either...see for yourself - Monday's work:


to today's:


I'm not nearly as far as I wanted to be, but at least she doesn't look freakish anymore! Plus, I was a bit worried about the colors not blending right, but the more I filled them in, the better they got. HAED's never cease to surprise me! Now, if I could just get over the 5 o'clock shadow it looks like she's got, I'll be extremely happy!

Hopefully, I will get a chance to check everyone else's blogs this week and get a bit of work done on my little girl as well. Things will happen as they happen, no need to upset myself by thinking about it (which is Asper speak for if I don't think about anything, I don't have to deal with anything)! Besides, things will catch up to me soon enough!

Stitch update

Just a short one, but here's last week's work from Tuesday to tonight:





Right now, she kind of looks a bit creepy. I'm hoping I can clean her up a bit by the end of the week.