Run101

I ran a 5k on Saturday.  It was nice to only run 3 miles, but I was also stressed because this race was on "home" turf.  My employer held their first race, Run 101 with 5k and 15k options.  I knew a lot of people at this race. In fact, I knew a majority of  the runners, and I wanted to beat them.

I placed 3rd in my age group and 27th overall!  I thought I would place because of the small number of runners, but I wasn't sure.  It feels pretty good to be 3rd best in 20-29 y/o females.

I barely had time to get home and shower after the race before my in-laws showed up.  They came to take down a dead tree in our backyard and to haul the wood away.  I am so thankful for their visit!  (Especially since on Sunday it was so windy the tree could have lost more branches and caused some major damage on our house or out neighbor's.)

While everyone was hard at work with the tree,  I got to sneak away to my favorite store, The Fiber Universe.  It was their 1 year anniversary.  I had to celebrate with a bit of shopping and knitting.

I have good knitted things to show you later this week!

What did you do this weekend?

Rumbly

I have two rumbles going on.

1. The daylight savings time change has me all messed up.  I am hungry and sleepy at all the wrong times.  I know I have gone through this time change business twice a year for the past 29 years, but it still messes with my internal time clock, I think more than my daughter's.  She seems to be fine and on a good schedule.  I, however, seem to have a perpetual "rumbly in my tumbly". I now better understand Pooh and his plight to get honey in an attempt satiate his rumbly.  I often feel as though a bee hive wouldn't stop me.

2. Election day was on Tuesday.  I voted early so, I didn't have to wait in line or worry about making it to the polls on time.  It was my first time voting in Illinois, and for the first time I knew that my presidential vote would be for the same person as the state's electoral votes.  My past two votes for president have been located in Iowa (swing state and in 2004 swung the way of not-my-vote) and in Tennessee (not a swing state, always the way of not-my-vote).  2012 was different for me, the media "called" Illinois  for President Obama with 0% of the precincts reporting.  A few hours later, President Obama was named the winner of the election.  This is causing quite the rumble.  I know a lot of people happy and unhappy with this outcome.  Personally, I am very happy, which should not be shocking to my friends and family.  What is shocking is the horrible stuff being passed around on blogs, talk radio and social media.  People saying things and really hurting other's feelings.  It is just not right.  It is more vicious than ever.  This is coming from a lady who owns a "the only bush I trust is my own" t-shirt. (That was just plain funny and a bit oppositional.)  It was a hard fought election and very emotional on all sides.  Discussion and arguments over politics is fine, but it needs to be done respectfully.  Something I think we have all forgotten.  Something everyone needs to work on.

I am really proud of America and the amazing new senators and representatives at the state and national level. (And that a local library bond finally passed!)  I am happy that in a country where women make up half of the population, we can have more female congresspersons.  The diversity of the newly-elected officials is something to celebrate: openly gay, disabled, Hindu, Buddhist, Asian-American, etc.  When there are more representatives like this, I feel that our country's government is better because it actually represents the amazing diversity throughout the nation.  A representational government should represent the population.

I am also excited that four states voted for marriage equality.  I know this is another hotly contested issue.  I personally think that all Americans have the right to marry another person.  In Tennessee in 2006, I voted No on a constitutional amendments banning gay marriage.  It passed anyway by a large majority. I am glad to see, 6 years later, people and states are saying no to banning gay marriage.   I again hope that Americans can be civil toward one another and accept other people's convictions on this matter.  Diversity is something that makes America so great.  We are united in our diversity.

Now that the election is over, it is time to move forward with the future of our country.  It is time to get along with each other and not fight...for a least a few years.....

If you read this and agree or disagree, please leave respectful comments. I usually don't get a lot of comments and they are always very nice, but when talking politics, you never know.

Debt

Money is one of those impolite topics to discuss, but I am am going to discuss it.  Today, we paid off the balance on our credit card!!!!  It has been a long, long road.  I never thought we would have credit card debt.  We were married for four-and-a -half years without credit card debt so, I really did not see why we would ever need to carry a balance, until I got this job, three years ago this month.

Now getting a job you would think would be the opposite of going into credit card debt, but not for us.  Me getting this job meant paying for us to quickly move to another state, paying rent at an apartment and the mortgage on our house in Nashville, my husband unemployed without unemployment benefits, and my education loans coming out of deferment. D was 18 months old and we had to pay for diapers and tons of clothes as she seems to be growing much faster than an average child. Oh and both our cars needed repairs.

About 6 months after moving to Peoria, my husband got a job, low-paying compared to his job before  but a job.  We also sold our house in Nashville, but lost all of our equity, our savings, and had to borrow $6000 from my parents to sell it.  At least we didn't have the mortgage to pay anymore.

We started to recover, but those months left us with credit card debt.  People told us, you are young, you'll recover.  But it didn't feel that way.

Three years later, we finally paid off the credit card balance!!!!  We still owe money to both of our parents, but we are making monthly payments and have made a good dent in the total that we owe them. Plus they don't charge interest or change our credit score.

I am so thankful that I had good credit and could have a credit card to help us out through a very difficult time in our lives.  I am now so thankful that the debt is gone.

Knitting is like that

Part of my 2012 challenge for The Fiber Universe is to knit gloves...

Done and done.   I decided to make child size for D. 

The yarn is Jojoland Baritone (loved this wool! first time using it.) and the pattern is Gloves for Kids.

Only there is one problem...

They are not the same size.  I seem to have forgotten some important step in the palm area on the second one making it smaller.  Knitting is like that, very unforgiving if you, you know, forget to do something.

I have enough yarn to make a thrid.  Maybe then I will get a matching pair.  Or maybe I will just throw these in the pile of knitted objects never to be used.

Still on a teal kick....

Next project might still be teal.  But after that no teal..........

 

FOOTBALL!!!

It is not secret, we are a football family.  My husband has turned my daughter into a Packer fan which is just horrible for his Vikings fan.  

Anyway, when I saw this pattern from Knit Picks on Pinterest. I had to buy it and make it.

The pattern is Faster Football Hat.

The yarn is ???

Again, my model either does this or won't let me take her picture at all.

What is your football team?  Or do you not care?

New Trick

This is my newest trick:

This warn was white when I started.  There are three shades of green/ teal in the skein now.  I am on a teal kick.

I took a class at The Fiber Universe and learned to dye yarn with things around the house like food coloring or Kool-Aid and a Crock-Pot.

I am so excited to try it at home soon.

What colors do you think I should try?  I need something not teal.

Another KAL

I may or may not subscribe to a variety of knitting and crochet magazines.  One of my favorites is Knit Simple. 

 

The new holiday issue just came out.  One of the regular columns is Vickie Howell's knit-a-long (KAL).  

I don't know waht it is about a quick and simple KAL, but I can't resist.

The pattern is Happy Cowliday.

The yarn is Teal Heather- Cascade Pacific. I am on a huge teal kick.

I even got D to model for me.  She is such a ham.

She is trouble.