Catch up

I've said it before, but I suck at this blog thing...and keeping up on other people's blogs and keeping up on email. Sorry to all of you!!! I just spent three hours trying to catch up on blogs alone. Good grief! I think I've got something of a handle on what's been happening now, at least...missed birthdays and all!

Things have been busy, busy, busy here. The hubby is working insane amounts, but hopefully it'll be well worth it in the long run. Work for me is not only busy, but odd and changing and uncomfortable, but I don't want to go into that here. Suffice it to say that my job is safe, though my duties may change down the road. I hope that will be for the better, too, but we shall see. Sure wish we had air conditioning at work, no matter how things are other ways!

Knitting...I've been knitting...A LOT! I finally finished the second gigantic sock (see older post) and the Tuscany shawl from "No Sheep for You" in bronze Handmaiden Sea Silk...pictures of that will go up if the sun is cooperative tomorrow. Love how it looks...on smaller people. Tempted to take the cast off out and add another skein, but it's some damn expensive, yet wonderful, yarn, so it'll wait awhile. I've started Sally's Favorite Summer Top out of Sally Melville's "The Knit Stitch" in SWTC Bamboo. It's amazing how light and cool and airy bamboo yarn is. Lovely! And I got sucked into Melanie's Mystery Stole 3 by the Yarn Harlot (or, perhaps, Stole Pimp would be a more appropriate name for her these days, since 2400 people joined the group after she posted about it...Enabler!!! :) It's coming along, but I chose difficult yarn and I'm using beads and I've only knit a year and a half, so.... We shall see! Planning a pair of Jaywalkers by Grumperina in Socks that Rock mill ends (I think it was Watermelon Tourmaline that got too fuscia in the pink) that I got at Black Sheep Gathering and have some other projects in mind, but no super firm plans at this point. I've become such a knitting geek! I can't wait for the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival! I plan to spend the entire Saturday there, shop first, then take a class, hopefully. Too fun!!!

The dogs are wonderful! Ethan is starting to regard Savannah as a full, if junior, pack member and they get along fine...even in the house. The only issue we have is if I'm sitting in "my" chair...both would like to "own" me. So I move around a lot or sit somewhere else and all is well. Dogs are weird!!! It's just nice to have my darling, sweet Efa back. We've got all Ef's winter weight off and he looks really good, if somewhat hairless. Libby's losing again, too...still Libby, but she can gain weight by looking at food, like me.

Then there is Savannah. She really is an awfully pretty little puppy. Shedding like crazy now, but very pretty. We decided after Canby that she needs more "odd situation" training than show training right now. We're taking her lots of places and giving people treats and asking them to maul her. She's gone to handling class, just to be mauled...I knew people there would really grab her. She's been to Petsmart a few times...the last time was really good, because we basically did our own handling class while a puppy class was happening. Tons of distractions and she had to pay attention to me and did well at it. She went to work one day when I was on vacation...we were there nearly three hours total and she must have seen 40 or 50 different people and been in five different office areas. It's been very good for her. I think we'll take her out to Petsmart for a crazy Saturday tomorrow and really get her some exposure. We'll go back to actual handling training this week, too. We'll do the EKC class on Tuesday that we usually go to and then a private class with another instructor at her house on Wednesday. She's hoping to pull a small group together, so we can pretend we're doing classes and winners'. Savannah's okay in classes, if there aren't too many distractions, but she falls apart by winners'. Little brat!!! So, we'll work on all of that. We're showing in Portland (probably daytripping - ugh!), then Roseburg (definitely daytripping), then Eugene (woo hoo, home show!). Keeping our fingers crossed!!!!

Phew!!! Long update!!! More soon, I hope!