Alberto. Sheesh.

So, it's going to be a very wet couple of days. I've gathered up the things that could fly around in the yard, otherwise it's pretty much a yawner. I went to Publix and there was no mass hoarding of bread and ice. I played the odds and bought frozen foods. Whatever.

When I visited my folks yesterday my mother loaded me down with random treasures - an antique knitting stand that is truly lovely and still in amazing shape though I know it's much older than I am, a lot of vintage costume jewelry and some photos of the kids when they were little. I'm sure I have the same prints, but these were loose so I scanned them.



If I look kind of crazed and my hair is unkempt, let me remind you that at that point I was a college student with two kids under 5, a puppy and a husband who traveled a lot. If the children look grumpy, it's because they were at their grandparents' house, and it was incredibly boring and they kept taking these stupid pictures and why can't we go to the park or the beach? Even the dog looks bored.


A Boychild and his puppy. Awww.



The Girlchild and the Baileypup. Yes, she was still "crib age" at this point but would have none of that crib nonsense, so I gave up and got a twin-sized mattress and box spring and used it without a frame, figuring that if she fell out she wouldn't have to fall far. It worked fine.



The Cutest Kids Ever, at least in their mother's eyes, and proof that they actually were blond.

I am drained. Yesterday sapped me, and the heat and humidity didn't help. I slept poorly last night because my knee was bothering me, probably predicting the weather, but I got on the elliptical machine twice today. Exercise is the best thing for it - that and the occasional ice pack. Mostly it's fine and I have no pain at all, but every now and then I pivot too hard and annoy it again.

I spent the day watching The Closer marathon on TNT and working on the Seychelles Shawl until my hands are cramping. It's gray and drizzling, and at some point tonight the sky is going to open up and dump 4 or so inches upon us. I did not sleep well last night, so I hope Alberto is quiet and relaxing, and not big on the howling wind and ominous thumping sounds. I love to sleep to rain. I do not love to sleep to the sound of tree branches hitting my house. So be gentle with me Alberto, I need a good night's sleep.

I also spent the day looking at cities online and thinking of places I've been that made me think "I could so totally live here." Greenville, SC came to mind. Asheville, sure. They are way more affordable than this area and also have a better job market (someone must explain to me how that happens, because I really feel we're getting screwed here). I looked at apartments in Asheville - shoot, I could have a lovely apartment with two bedrooms, a deck, a washer/dryer, a fireplace, and with a beautiful view for a little less than half of what I pay to own this house with a view of a puny little yard I have to pay to maintain and nothing else. I could cut my living expenses in half and bank the proceeds from the house sale. I could take a 40% pay cut and come out AHEAD! I cannot move into an apartment here and see any savings, the rents are too high. Oh, and every place I looked at up there took pets. Do you know how hard it is to find a nice place that takes pets here? Fugeddaboudit.

I'm also looking around the house, mentally shedding the stuff I wouldn't move. Next time we have a HOA garage sale I'm going to have to force myself, at great personal pain, to participate in it. I'm also going to inventory all my knitting magazines that I never even look at, because I really don't need more than a handful of them. I use my books, I use my pattern collection, but I don't really refer to those magazines much at all. I'll put them up for sale here when I get around to it.

I'm open to the possibilities. I'll visit Boy when he gets settled, and check out Asheville.