Boring, Boring, Boring

So yesterday, my mother went under the knife for a three-hour operation. She had to have two procedures done; a hysterectomy and having her bladder lifted and put into a sling so it didn't fall (I have visions of it falling on her feet when she laughs). Hubster and I went to the hospital last night to see her, and even though I didn't let on, it was upsetting. She looked so small lying there with her leg stockings on, her IV in her left hand, doped out of her mind and drifting in and out of consciousness. She's only had one other hospital stay in her life (excluding my triumphant entrance into the world), and that was when she fell off the bed and broke her ankle. This was a bit more serious; however, she's 71, so I guess only having had two operations in all that time is pretty good. Not like me - I've been sliced open five times so far and had every invasive test known to man done to me. I actually had to lay on the table and have this giant Q-tip (it was about a foot long) stuck up my nose into my sinus. That uh... hurt. So anyway, we told her to call us when she was ready to come home, as we were going to pick her up and install her in her own bed. Hubster set the alarm and I had the phone next to my head. We woke up at the right time and promptly went back to sleep. Then I woke at noon, got Hubster up, and realized that no call had come. He called the hospital only to find out that she had been sitting there for an hour waiting for us. Sigh. I know what's going to happen. She's going to tell me that I'll be late to my own funeral and chew my ass out for not being there at 11:00. That was the time she was to be released, but we know how long it takes them to do paperwork and release someone; hence, the call. Since I can barely keep my eyes open and it would take me an hour to get ready, Hubster took off by himself to get her. I'm sort of dozing, typing, and knitting (wow, did I ever drop a stitch this morning - shit), and keeping Emma company (she's sprawled on the couch in front of the fan and gnawing on her leopard stuffie).

While Mom was in surgery, I was having lunch with Karen of KaratStix. She designed a special OOAK item for the first place gift basket in the Crochet and Knit Giveaway (sign up, peeps!). I won't tell you what all is in there, but it's a $65 prize and contains several items, all coordinated with each other and with a special design representing the shop. I was blown away by it. She also gave me some of the sets which have the little sock needle gauge, the Kitchener Stitch instructions, and a mini-ruler. I love the set she made me for my birthday and take it with me in my knitting bag or have it sitting next to me when I'm in the Monster. We're taking pictures this weekend, logging in all the new vendors, and trying to get some of the work posted before we leave for Folsom. I'll also be working on it next week. I have a lot of new, exciting vendors who have come onboard and am in negotiations with several others. One of them... well, let's just say that his work is for both spinners and knitters. Out of wood. 'Nuff said.

I've been on a yarn buying binge for some reason. I think it's because I didn't buy anything for quite a while and finally, the dam burst. You all know what this means. I have to go to the hardware store for another bin. I've run out of room. Again. The yarn is breathtaking, though. I got some from Maui Yarns, Fernwood Woolworks, White Willow, Fat Cat Knits, Knit, and Lotus Yarns, to name some of them.

The other huge thing I bought was a flute I had been coveting since I first saw it online about five years ago. Mac (my duet partner) is also a flutemaker and had a gallery at the time (he still sells flutes from other artists and goes to shows all over the country). Anyway, when he had his gallery, he had pictures of some outrageous flutes listed on his online pages It . One of them was a flute carved and painted to look like a totem pole, complete with a marble stand and a fetish carved to look like a whale. I've wanted that flute since then, so imagine my surprise when we walked into his house and saw it sitting on his mantel. The man who made it had it for sale, and Mac had been unable to sell it. That was like waving a carrot in front of a donkey. I called him a few days after we got home and bought it. It arrived yesterday and is a joy to play. It's also gorgeous to look at. I'll take a picture of it later so you can see it. It felt really good to buy a flute, since it's been quite a while that I've added a new flute (other than a trade) to my collection.

Our vacation plans look like they're finalized. We'll be heading down to Poway for the concert in October, spending a few days in San Diego, and coming home. No Disneyland. No Vegas. No nothing. Why? Because Hubster wants to take Emma with us. While I want to see her interact with the ocean, I really wanted to go somewhere else like we normally do. He really wanted to take her, though, so I agreed. I hate this money-saving phase we're in. I'll be so happy to have my own house so I can start spending money again (I do have to decorate it, after all). I know he doesn't understand my logic, but that's okay.

Other than that, I've just been working on the shop and knitting. It's so nice to sit there in the evenings watching TV and knitting away. I'm making good progress on the sock I'm working on right now (it's a new patten for me - in fact, I think I mentioned it in an earlier post). I'm also working on the CD via phone with Mac. It's in the mastering phase right now, so we need to have money set aside for that. We have to pay for the mastering as well as the actual run. I still can't believe that I have a CD which I recorded. It's almost surreal. Let's hope that it sells well.

So anyway, check out the shop next week to see the new vendors, try out Hubster's new search/browse feature, and wish cooler weather on me. This stinking hot weather has to go. I read on someone's blog that September is the start of summer in San Francisco, and I'm wondering which San Francisco she was referring to. This is the month where we begin to cool off, the grapevines start to turn those glorious colors, and the air gets a snap in it. Since we're technically still in summer, I guess I can understand the temps, but I wish they would disappear. I can't take much more of this.

I think I'll go take a nappy-poo until Hubster gets home. Then it's in the pool for the rest of the day. Let's hope the pool guy doesn't show up while I'm out there.

He doesn't look like the pool guys on TV, so there goes that fantasy.