Sunday Night

Ugh  Back to work tomorrow after a week of vacation that even though it wasn't perfect, was still better than being at work.  I'm already telling myself that at least next weekend is a long weekend for Labor Day.  I hate wishing the week away like that, and am trying not to do it other than related to work.

Thank you for all of your kind words and concern after my last post.  To make a very long story short, I had been lucky enough to have two interviews for a new job at a place I think I would enjoy working.  I had not been assuming the job would be mine, but I felt I'd done pretty well at the interviews, and more importantly, it gave me hope that I could leave where I am, which is becoming more and more toxic every day.  So even though I hated going to work, I had hope.  Well, last Tuesday I got an e-mail from the HR person at the other place, telling me they were not "going further with your candidacy."  That's bad enough, but it was also the very first thing I saw on Tuesday morning, which didn't help.  Jobs of any kind are few and very far between around here, and it was the first call I've had for an interview in 2+ years of looking.  To say it was upsetting is putting it mildly.

I worked really hard last week to not let it ruin my whole week, and to concentrate on the good as much as possible.  For the most part, I was successful.  And as a dear friend said, try to focus on the small good things, and that you enjoy your life outside of work.  It doesn't solve anything, but it does help.  Those are wise words - I just hope I can keep them in mind.

So you see I am fine, and plugging away at other things.  Like my lemon meringue pie, which was a success - nice and tart but not too sour.  The last pieces will be for tonight (bad timing there!).  I am really thrilled with how well it turned out.

Our beach day was perfect - the temperatures were in the low 80s and there was no humidity to notice at all.  After we left the beach, we went and had a late lunch/early dinner at our fave clam shack, so that was a treat as well.  Sadly, it's the first time we made it to the shore this year.  Not that we usually go every weekend, but almost always it's more than just once by this time during the summer.

I've also been knitting of course, and I gotta tell you - I was really hoping the Scattered Wishes shawl would be finished by Labor Day weekend.  Not because it had to be, just because I thought that would be a good time for it to be finished.  I am on the lace border, which is 26 rows - 13 lace-patterned, and the other 13 just knitting back.  As you may recall, lace knitting and I do not have a solid relationship  And that lace border is kicking my butt!  Whether or not I've been using a lifeline, regardless of how slowly I go, it's just been a mess.  I am however, determined to "get" it.  I am back at Row 1 of the border, and will try my practice of *only* working on it first thing in the morning when I am freshest (and possibly only on weekends), and only do two rows at a time.  Every time I feel confident going past the second row I'm doing, I screw up.  I'm sure it's as much psychological as anything else, but I am determined to get it done!  Maybe just not by Labor Day ... ;-)

My socks are going well, and I've been reading a book I'm really enjoying.  This morning I spent about an hour and a half cleaning up in the garden.  Other than watering things, when it's really hot and humid, I just can't handle cleaning up.  But it looks pretty good right now  A few of the flowers we planted never made it, so I just pulled them up, but others are doing OK, and some are very happy!

This has also recently started:

Here is Pip, happily curled up and napping.  You can't necessarily tell from the photo, but he has decided that the small cubby under the table in our TV watching area, where I keep my laptop, is his new fave place to relax and hang out,  He barely fits, and it takes him a few minutes to get situated.  He's content to be there whether or not the laptop is.  Sigh.  He is a weird cat!  If any of the others attempted this, he would narc them out in a second, especially if they got on top of the laptop ...

The weather is still nice here, which is enjoyable not just during the day, but nice for sleeping at night.  I keep thinking of everyone having to deal with the hurricane and its after effects in the Houston area, and hope they get some relief sooner rather than later.  It looks as if a lot of people are checking in on their neighbors and trying to help one another, and I know that some Philadelphia firefighters left today for the area to do what they could.  When something like this happens, it really does take a village.

And that's all from here on a Sunday night.  I hope you had a good weekend, and that the week ahead will treat you well.  I'll be back soon with a giveaway to celebrate (belatedly) my blog anniversary, so stay tuned!

Pie Day

Not to be confused with Pi  Day (March 14) ...

My mother was not much of a cook, though she loved to eat.  But once every summer, she would make a lemon meringue pie.  It was a *big* deal.  And always yummy.

The other day I stopped at the market near our house for a few things, and I saw that they had a box of Lemon Pie filling.  Hm, I thought - I have a pie crust in the freezer, and I'm home this week, maybe I'll make a lemon meringue pie.  So I bought it, and today turned out the be the day.

It doesn't look as nice as my mom's used to - she was really good at getting super high peaks on her meringue, and successfully spreading it so that no filling was visible.  But I think I did a pretty good job for my first attempt.  We'll have some later, and hopefully it will be good.  I already remembered one ingredient she would use that I forgot, but I'm hoping it will still be OK.  Lemon meringue pie always makes me think of summer.

This week has been OK, so far.   Monday afternoon we took Milo the Koodle to the vet for a checkup.  We've been so busy with Dug and then Jetsam the past couple of years, that it had been a while since any of the others had gone.  We were trying a new vet, and hoping for the best.  Milo was so freaked out, that when we put him in the carrier, he expressed his anal glands.  OH MY GOD THE SMELL!!!  Fortunately, the vet cleaned him up.  He got his shots, and was declared in good health.  Of course they made a huge fuss over him, which he loves.  And his report from the vet said he was "a good boy."  PUH-LEEZE.

Yesterday was just a terrible day. First thing in the morning I got awful news (nothing health-related, don't worry) and frankly it just ruined my whole day.  I couldn't stop crying.  I don't mean to be vague, but I just can't talk about it right now.  By the end of the day I was OK again, but it was one of those days that was so humid, it was unbearable. So unfortunately, it was a lost day.  

We had crazy loud and violent rainstorms overnight.  I was having trouble sleeping anyway, so I sat up watching most of the night.  Needless to say, I'm tired today!  But it was a day of doing stuff around the house, baking, cooking, and things like that.  The weather today was gorgeous, so we had a pleasant walk this afternoon, and will likely sit in the garden for a good part of the evening.

Tomorrow - a beach day!!  YAY!!

I've also been knitting away, and yesterday I finally swatched for my summer sweater top.  Ahem.

I finished one book today, and started another.  Though I have a few squares on my Book Bingo card filled, I'm not anywhere close to having a completely filled card like some other participants.  But I'm OK with that, because I wasn't thinking it was a contest, and I just wanted to see what I would be able to accomplish.  There's still a week or so left, so who knows, I may have more than I think by the time it's all over.

So it's been a week when I am more than happy to not be at work, especially yesterday.  Now the weather has improved, which helps everything anyway, so it's all good.  

How has your week been?