The Ottoman Empire Falls

Hooray, my parents visited today.  And Mom mopped my floor.  To be honest, it needed it.  The problem with damp yards and doggies, the floor suffers.

Their visit was happy and utilitarian.  Happy because it was Dad's birthday, utilitarian because I wanted them here for my eye appointment.  I just knew they were going to dilate my eyes at the doc's office, and sure enough they did.  At first I didn't think it affected me all that much, but then I realized how little I could focus and how much my head hurt.  I was very glad they chauffeured me around.

I was a bit surprised to hear from them that they are kidnapping my Ottoman of Extreme Usefulness.  Sure, it didn't open very easily, and looked a bit lopsided, but I still used it all the time!  Dad is going to try to fix it.  In the meantime, I dragged over the desk chair so I can still put my feet up after my Kinect Adventures workout (longer than DC, less intense).

So it's spring break week around town.  You'd think that'd mean it's quieter at the library.  Nope!  While the students are gone, they're not the ones that really drive our Busy Factor.  That would be the parents with kids.  And they're flocking in to entertain those kiddies during the "I'm bored!" week that this will turn out to be.  And what did I decide to do?  Take extra hours!  And forget to buy frozen lunches!  I'm going to have to get creative tomorrow, because I'm not driving tonight.

I miss my ottoman.

Still Home

I often wonder if the house is too much for me.  It's got two extra bedrooms and much more garage than my cute little zippy car needs.  But, it's mine.  I like having a blue house with a nice backyard and a wall that looks like it's bricks but it's not.

Usually, my mind drifts around until I decide, with certainty, I'm glad I've got the house to myself.  I'm not ready for a roommate, or even a long-term visitor.  It's kind of amazing how even low-maintenance visitors put a strain on the hostess.  I think I'm pretty sensitive to that.  I like my space.  Sometimes it amazes me when I look back and realize how comfortable I was with Michael close by.  We did fit quite well.  Maybe someday, there'll be another who can sort of be in that place, but for now, I'm glad it's just me.

Besides, it'd be hard to share the living room while I'm doing my Dance Central exercise times!  I managed 22 minutes the other day.  I plan better now, with two water bottles close by.

Maybe it's that I've risen to the challenge of managing myself.  Still wouldn't say I'm perfect at it, by any means.  Losing my keys, forgetting the water bill wasn't an online auto-payment, there are still lessons to learn.

But I'll learn them best on my own.

Passports and Adventures

It arrived!  I now have a passport!  And the picture is pretty hideous, it seems like that's a requirement, huh?  But there it is, the final piece of my adventurous puzzle.  I can now travel.  If I had time.  It seems like the spring is busy busy busy.  Before long, it'll be Easter, then graduation time for several of my coworkers, then Memorial Day... okay, July's gonna be here before I know it!

And I'm busy when I'm at home too!  I've managed twenty-minute workout times on Dance Central, and tonight had a pretty good go at Kinect Adventures.  It's a more playful game than DC, certainly more kid-friendly and a bit more variety in intensity.  I don't know if it's having an effect on my weight or fitness level yet, but fun is fun!

I'm re-watching all of one particular season of Doctor Who, to really get to know it for my swap partner.  It's kind of fun, seeing bits that I didn't really appreciate the first time I've seen some episodes.  Yeah, can't be more specific, not till after the swap is done.  On that note, here's my main project!

 Still a long way to go, huh?  And still not particularly interesting.  I'm really hoping that changes once I'm past the heel and the Tardis pattern starts kicking in.

Aahh, tomorrow's Friday.  Heck, looking at the clock, it's almost here already.  Happy Hour at the knit shop!  Yay!  I hated missing last week, I'm really looking forward to it.  But Saturday I work.  Bleh.  Saturdays have been insane lately.  And the weather is supposed to be crummy.  My mug for tea here will see a lot of use, and hopefully the coffeemaker at work will as well.  Caffeine jitters kick in about 12:30, then I'm all "Where's lunch?!?  Now!"  But warm drinks, with a good dash of creamer... they make a dreary day tolerable.

A Dry Heat

I'm kinda mad.  I have no water.  The bill is paid, no one's messed with my valves in the house that I can tell, but my faucets won't drip a bit.  Thank goodness I had it this morning, or it would have been a rude surprise when I got in the shower!  And my dishes are clean, so I suppose this happened later in the day.  But I called the utility phone at 4:00, and still at 9 pm nothing has been done.  The after-hours line was useless.

Sigh.  I really wanted mac & cheese tonight.

Ooh, there are lights outside.  Maybe they've come!

YES!  My toilet is filling, and the laundry will go in soon.  See the power of blogging?

OMG, Prince Harry is on BBCA right now.  His voice, damn!  I've never really paid much attention to the royals, unlike a lot of Anglophiles.  Wow, they're telling about his army experience in Afghanistan.  It's interesting hearing the narrators talk about the princes' aversion to the media.  Well, golly gee whiz, I wonder why, right?  I can't really imagine not having privacy that way.  Fame isn't very friendly to personal lives.

There's the new promo teaser for Doctor Who.  The Doctor is in... America!  Woohoo, but why'd he pick Utah?  Really, that's a beautiful state, but it would have been so cool if the show had been close enough for me to see them filming!

Hmmm... even as late as it is, I still want my mac & cheese.  To the kitchen!

Mo Nose Weather

It's fabulous weather here!  Eighty degrees, sunny, just perfect... but not according to my nose.  I do believe allergy season is here with a vengeance.  My shoulders are aching, I've sneezed so many times in a row.  It's time to get out the Big Gun of Allergy Meds, my Benadryl.  It really knocks me out, but also knocks out the allergy symptoms.  As long as I remember to get ready for bed early, so the Benadryl has a chance to wear off before I have to get up, I should be okay.  Except I hate to get to bed early.  Pre-midnight.

I got to see my nephew this weekend!  Cutest toddler in the world.  Really gets amused when I blow my nose (yeah, there's where my scatterbrain connected these two paragraphs).  From the time he really started looking at me, rather than the blob-baby vacant stare, I've been pretty hilarious to him.  Doing voices during storytime is reinforcing that.  At least it's fun to be laughed at by a kid like this!

The pups are such good traveldogs.  Saffron just hangs out in her crate in the backseat, you hardly hear a peep out of her.  She also tends to stay close to the house if I let her off leash.  Ty, in contrast, really wants to be in the front seat, riding shotgun like a pro.  After a little while of sniffing the air vents and barking at pedestrians, he settles down to staring forward as if urging the car faster, or lying down for a nap.  Until I hit the rumble strips.  He hates rumble strips, it usually sets him barking.  If it's because I'm drowsy, this is actually a safety feature.

I used to be the champion of packing.  I could get Michael, his wheelchair, an oxygen concentrator, the dog crate, both dogs, battery charger, and luggage into the van.  I was proud of the skill, but I don't really miss having to do that anymore.  Mom and I were reminiscing, and last July Fourth was the last time he traveled down to the ol' hometown.  It was a fun trip, even though we missed the fireworks!  Soon after that, everything went downhill so fast.  But we wouldn't have been able to travel anything like we'd dreamed one day, once he had to be oxygenated so much.  Airlines don't like that, apparently.

It's just so complex, missing the man, but not the situation.

The Mad Search

I lost my car keys today.  I wasn't worried at first, I mean, I'd had them when I got home last night!  Obviously, they had to be somewhere close by, right?  So I looked a little bit.  No luck in the obvious places.  I looked in some more unusual spots, thinking maybe they'd gotten something put on top of them.  Nope.  I went to the laundry, but remembered my slacks from yesterday had no pockets.  The jacket was empty as well.  By this time, I'm late for my planned activities, and getting a little panicky!

I had to get the dogs out of the car, where they'd been waiting for half an hour.  I frantically searched again, coming up with some long-missing little things but nothing key-like.  I was getting really upset, and looking in spots I'd definitely already checked.  What's a girl to do?  So I flopped down in the comfy blue chair, and played Beautiful Katamari for twenty minutes.  When in doubt, it seems to help to roll up the world on a funny bumpy ball.

As it turned out, the keys were trapped at the bottom of the purse.  Where I'd thought I'd looked three times before.  If the police were to have to come into my house before I get back there to clean it up a bit, I'm certain they would say there's evidence of a struggle!

What Not To Say

I am usually good about filtering my words.  I can be sarcastic, deadpan, cutting, all of that, but usually I keep it under some sort of control.  But oh, sometimes I wish I didn't!

My department used to have the switchboard phone for the library.  It always made me laugh when I'd get this sort of call:
Caller:  Hi, I'm looking for a book?"
Me:  "Sorry, we're all out."  (see?  I filter that!  But wouldn't it be fun to say?)

Then there are the people who don't have their ID or library card or whatever but still want to get stuff...
Patron:  Why do I need my ID?  It's just the library!
Me:  Why do I need my driver's license?  It's just driving!


Patron:  What do you mean, I'm blocked?  I had my brother's girlfriend's aunt return that book for me four months and three days ago!
Me:  Really?  You remember the exact day that well?  You trust your brother's girlfriend's aunt that much?  And why did they have to be responsible for your stuff anyway?


Kid:  Why do I gotta have my mom sign for a card?  I just wanna get on the computers!
Me:  Because your mom is probably exactly the kind of person who'd sue us for every last brick of the place if you got some kind of cyberstalker, or got a glimpse of a naughty website, or just about anything else they don't agree with, and we didn't have their signature saying they're the ones responsible and we are not babysitters.
Kid:  What's "responsible" mean?
Me:  *headdesk*

Patron:  But some other staff member let me do it last time!
Me:  Must... control.... Fist of DEATH!!!

Isn't it really good I have a filter?

There are other things to filter, but they're more subtle.  The Staff Picks Display, out in the lobby... oh, I could mess with that!  Here are some items I resist putting out there:

Toxic Coworkers: How to Deal With Dysfunctional People On the Job
Managing Your Most Difficult Customers
What Color is Your Parachute?
The Four Hour Workweek
I Quit! Quit Your Job and Regain Your Life
How to Really Stink at Work (by Jeff Foxworthy)

There are tons more I could mention.  Stuff about bosses, job "teams", customers (or patrons or clients, whatever you want to call the people who essentially keep you in business), early retirement, job dissatisfaction, so many subjects that you probably don't want other people at work to see you reading.  If I really did assemble this display, I would hope someone would see the irony in it.  Staff Picks?  Get it?

Come to think of it, it'd probably be a pretty popular display!

And really, the vast majority of people I see across the desk are a real joy to deal with.  This is an interesting town, with loads of character: the good, the strange, and the just goshdarn interesting.  I'd really miss it if I were in the back room all the time.

Another Ten Minutes

I decided to get an XBox 360.  The list of games that peaked my interest was growing, and the clincher was "Dance Central" with the Kinect sensor.  No controller necessary!  Just get off your duff and move!  It seemed like the perfect solution to being somewhat bored with walking in place and shadowboxing.

Well, it only took me three days and help from a couple of friends to get it on the screen.  I put in Dance Central, start in on an Easy-rated song... and lasted 19 minutes.  Little was I to know, that's a pretty good chunk of time for this game!  Sure, I was gasping, sweating, and a little bit dizzy at the end of that.

For the last two days, I've managed ten minutes.  That's about three or four repeats of whatever song I obsess on.  And at the end of that ten minutes, I'm panting and my ankle is twinging.  But I'm going to keep at this until I can hit that twenty-minute mark, because it really is making exercise fun!

My other obsession is this Doctor Who themed swap.  I must finish these socks!  (Yes, Karen, you guessed right!)  But they just don't excite me.  I'm pushing on because I imagine my spoilee's excitement at receiving them.  It's kind of fun seeing everyone else's posts about what they're working on, and their inspirations... like this...

...resulting in this quote from Killerlashes:  OMG STOP MAKING ME LICK MY SCREEN.  ITS BAD FOR THE IPAD

Hahahahaaa! Oh, I love it.  Especially since Mr. Tennant's Doctor is rather known for licking or tasting very odd things.  Like on today's episode, Tooth & Claw, he licked a library wall.  Okay, having too much fun talking about licking.

Well, back to my tiny needles and lovely yarn.  My thoughts and prayers with those affected by the earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan.

Sock It To Me

Friday, knitting day of course!

Before that, though, I decided lunch should be pizza.  And since I really can't devour an entire pizza alone, not without taking a few days and getting sick of it, I ordered while at work and treated my coworkers.  Let me tell you, Papa John's Chicken Cordon Bleu pizza is pretty awesome.

Then I dash home to let the pups run around in the yard for a while.  Oddly, no mail.  Not even junk.  I caught the end of Jumanji while I waited.  So different than the book!  Chris van Allsburg's books are short, lavishly illustrated, and not usually plot-driven.  I love them.  But I do also love the movie version.  It's got some great situational comedy, like the police officer getting excited about kicking the door, only to have it knock him off his feet when that releases all the monsoon water.

On to knitting!  It was a good group, some regulars missing and some irregulars stopping in.  Since the rule is "Use your feet, lose your seat," I found a chair and didn't leave it much!  I thought it would never happen, but I got the toes finished on the sock I'm learning to make.  Now for the (probably boring) foot portion.  Still nothing interesting until I get to the cuff.

Here's the yarn!  Wildfoote is a Brown Sheep yarn, which means it's mothproof.  It feels so soft!  Kind of light for sock yarn weight, which means I am using tiny needles and it's going to take forever, but it should feel lovely on the feet.  The white yarn is Ballad, from Jojoland.  I'll need to find some black yarn as well, for the design, but I might have a bit in stash from the time I bought a grab bag of remnants.  Anybody want to guess what pattern I'm working on?  (Anyone not at Happy Hour tonight, that is...)

See, here's a week of work.  I don't think it comes close to covering my toes, but I'll keep soldiering on.  Thank goodness I'm doing these two-at-a-time, so no Second Sock Syndrome for me!

I think now I'll go make something fast on big needles with nice chunky yarn.  Very little brain-work required.

That's Why We Keep 'Em

Sometimes I wonder why I have dogs.  Their yearly exams and shots get pricey, my schedule revolves around their bladder size, my kitchen floor is currently covered in muddy paw prints, and every single thing I own seems to have at least one white doggie hair stuck on.

But then, I get funny events like this morning!  Their routine with food-time doesn't change much.  I go to the kibble bucket, Ty tucks himself into his old crate (it has his food dish in it, and Saffron doesn't mess with him in it) and Saff sits beside her dish.  Unfortunately, there was one small change recently.  Or, not so small!  I got them a much bigger water dispenser, and apparently placed it a little too close to her normal spot.  Her tail was soaked!  I tried to get her to move so it wouldn't get too wet, but instead she thought it was a fun new game and started wagging!  Water droplets everywhere!  I couldn't help but laugh, which of course made her wag more.  Ah, the hilarity!  All the while, Ty's sitting there like "Hey, my dish is still empty, you fools!"

Now I have to go in search of my allergy tablets.  My nose went crazy today.  Bit early for allergy season!  Hopefully it's a temporary phase.

I Made the Coffee!!!

Ever since the snack/coffee kiosk at the library closed, my coworkers and I have looked elsewhere for our caffeine fix.  The staff room with its soda machine is about as far away from our department as you can get and still be in the building.  Not precisely convenient.  So, somebody dug out the old coffee machine and got it cleaned up and operational once again!

Since then, one particular coworker, M.,  has spoiled me rotten.  Not intentionally, and not inappropriately, really.  He doesn't even consider it spoiling, I'm sure.  But I think it is.  I mean, what would you think if every morning you walk into work and there's a lovely piping hot pot of freshly brewed perfect-strength coffee?  Spoiled!

But today.... he wasn't there.  PANIC!  No, not really.  But, I was desperate enough for coffee that I broke out the bag and filters and scoop and made a go of it.  I was actually worried that I'd make a super-strong or wimpy-weak brew, since it's been a while.  But it turned out just about right!

The next thing I know, another coworker, C., is happily exclaiming, "Wow, there's coffee!  Who made the coffee?"  She wanted some, and of course I tell her to help herself, and she's so thankful.  It was just coffee, in a communal pot, but her joy at it was pretty nice.

So, retroactively, thanks a bunch, M.  Your daily coffee has been so nice a welcome to the work day.  Get better soon.

On the Knitting Super Sekret Project front, I have a picture to show.

This project is going quite quickly, since I switched from a rather awkward Magic Loop technique to double-pointed needles.  Yep, that's backwards than usual.  But somehow, this little thing just needed to be done on DPNs.  I guess it's good practice for me to "juggle the porcupine," as I like to call it.  Oh, and don't you love the cute little yarnball stitch marker?  It's very light.  And it's blue.  Yay for blue.

The yarn is Lanaloft worsted yarn in white.  It's squishy and lovely to work with, but I think for a worn item, I might use bigger needles.  So far, the fabric is very firm, which is great for what this will eventually be.  Clue:  You've seen it already in the blog.

Hodgepodge Day

Once again, "sleeping in" resulted in about thirty more minutes sleep than usual, rather than the hour and a half I'd hoped for, but oh well.  I did get to catch the end of "Sister Act" on one of the movie channels.  I love the nuns in that!  Really good casting.  After that was "Bicentennial Man" which is so sad in the end.  So nice, a sci-fi movie that's so character-driven.  And more makeup effects rather than CGI or whatever.

It often amazes me how well comic actors do with dramatic roles.  Robin Williams and Jim Carrey come to mind.  "Final Cut", scary but great philosophical movie.  "Bicentennial Man", as already mentioned, which makes you think about what it means to be human.  "Truman Show", sure it's funny, but it's mostly a commentary on freedom of choice!  "Liar Liar", they don't demonize the potential stepfather (Carey Elwes, hi Westley!) or make things completely perfect at the end.  It's just about a guy struggling to be a good father, or at the least someone that his child can respect.

Anyway, though, after that I made it to the yarn shop, to try to put in some good time on my two Super "Sekrit" projects.  I got in some work, but my fingers were actually really sore from all the practice Saturday during the class.  I need something with big non-pointy needles... maybe a bulky-yarn scarf I've had in mind for one of my coworkers.  That's the great thing about bulky yarn, it works up quickly.  Arrgh, but I really should focus on the projects if I'm going to finish them by Sending Day!

After coming home, I decided to watch the Doctor Who TV movie from the 90's, but this time with commentary!  Oh, Paul McGann would have been a great Doctor! (assuming he got good scripts, of course)

 I found out from the commentary, that's a wig.  And he hated it.  Oh well.  It was so close to "ginger!"  And the TARDIS set, it was a real work of art.  It'd be popular now, since steampunk seems to be coming into its own as a subgenre.  I'd love to do a steampunk costume for a convention, but I'm not good enough with tools and costuming to add all the gears and gizmos that really make Victorian into steampunk.

This was quite a ramble, wasn't it?  Anything to delay the start of another work week, I think.  It just seemed like this weekend vanished.

In Like a Lion? A Lamb? Flint?

Aah, March.  Month of change.  There's the hope of spring, but still the bite of winter.  I just really hope the snow is done.  I love the wind!  Give me a windy day, clear and blustery and great for kites.  Not that I have a kite right now.

March brings on a new big project for me too.  I'm in a swap!  Basically, I put together a box of goodies for someone, while a different someone is putting together a goodie box for me!  In addition to making a couple of things, I'm also supposed to gather other spoils to fill out the box.  The theme?  Doctor Who!  This is gonna rock SO much.

There's a slight possibility that my swap partner might find this blog and discover what I have in store.  So I"m not going to say in too much detail what I have planned.  But, I can say, I'm using some very skinny yarn, and some rather bulky yarn.  One is white, the other blue.  I went to a class to learn how to make one of these projects, and I've got a pretty good start on it!   As is pretty typical in the world of True Blue Fiber Friends, and Bex my yarn store owner and friend, she's helping me turn one of the patterns head over heels to do a different way.  It's really good to have a mentor like her, who encourages flexibility in knitting.

Some items will be arriving in the mail because I just love getting packages, even if bits of them will be sent on to someone else.  Later on, you might get a teaser picture or two.

Come to think of it, I may have to be careful not to go over the recommended value...

It seems to be Sean Bean night on the TV.  First there was Lord of the Rings, now there's Goldeneye.  Gotta love the costars!  Orlando Bloom, Viggo Mortenson, Pierce Brosnan.   My eyes are certainly satisfied with the candy.

I've Been Workin' on the Scaa-aarf...

Someone may have noticed the new gadget on my bloggy page.  It's my progress on the Season 12 Tom Baker Doctor Who scarf!  Yikes!  Just 28%, and I feel like I've been slogging away at it for ages.  Not really, though, I haven't had the yarn all that long.

It outgrew its project bag (much bigger than the brocade one I showed you) but while I visited my parents, Mom and I found a lovely fabric-lined basket that will do quite nicely until it gets muuuuuch longer.

 The big green lump is the scarf so far.  The goldeny yellow is next, followed by the dark grey then the red.  I need to remember to put in the pattern.  All seven colors just won't fit in this thing, so the ones not coming up on the list live in the Storage Ottoman of Extreme Usefulness.

I couldn't do a basket like this if my puppies weren't good about leaving my yarn alone.  They do want a sniff if I bring new stuff into the house, but if it's yarn or needles they lose interest very quickly.  I do have to pick Saffron-hairs off my finished items, but it is a hardship I'm willing to suffer, since she lets me shove my cold feet under her when she's lying on the floor.  Better than house slippers, by far.

I discovered SmartWool socks!  The single pair I have is quite nice.  I also dug out a pair of cashmere-blend socks from Marshall's.  Yay for comfy socks.  If I ever figure out how to knit socks, I doubt I'll ever want to wear a store-bought cotton pair again.  Except I'm not wild about hand-washing.  The price to pay for wooly feet...  I have attempted to knit socks once before.  I just lost interest!  Didn't even really get past the toes.  But after all this garter stitch, maybe it'd be a nice change.

Socks, or maybe this (major) lace project!

 It's the Sidhe Shrug from Vampire Knits.  I'm not a huge vampire fan.  Okay, not really at all.  But the book was less than 12 bucks, and there are at least three projects I love!  I figure that's worth it.  It's hard to tell from this shot, but the Shrug is essentially lacy sleeves connected by a shoulder-skimming back piece.  Not much coverage, but I hate cold arms.  Plus, the sizing shouldn't be hard to mess with.  It only goes up to 1x, but really all I have to do is make sure it doesn't strangle my upper arms, and reaches the center of my back.  Hardly difficult, if I get the increases looking nice.  I'm now in search of the perfect yarn.  Maybe sock yarn, still haven't decided.  Not black, for sure.  I don't look good in black, although I do have one black shirt that I love, and one sweatshirt everyone compliments.  That's probably because it has a cardinal on it, though.  Go Cards!

An Evening for Tea

Aah, yesterday was just what I needed.  I "slept in" and didn't get out of bed until 7:15.  Ugh.  I really do wish I could sleep in when I have the opportunity, but it doesn't seem possible.  So, I got out of bed and enjoyed a lovely cup of Earl Grey before breakfast.  And with breakfast.  And with the TV shows I watched after breakfast!  It's good tea.

I got all my paperwork together and trudged into the post office to finally get it all turned in for my passport.  I was prepared for a long session standing in line.  I had a little knitting bag, a bottled water, and my iPod.  The line and the application process took a whopping 15 minutes.  I think the postman could tell I was a bit shocked, but all he said was he hoped I'd have a nice trip when the time came.  I love the local post office.  Totally not a nightmare of a place, even when I do have to spend loads of time in line there.

With time to freely spend, I decided to go to the Alpine Shop, which various online searches had revealed should have some highly recommended walking shoes.  I ended up walking out on a new pair of Dansko's, which are vegetarian-friendly and quite comfortable!  No laces.  I figure they'll be good at the airport.  (No, I'm not vegetarian, but I like it that there are companies who think about those who make that choice.)  The best part, they have European sizing, which seems to make it easier for me to find my perfect fit!  First pair, that never happens.  I'm usually just way too picky.  Same company could make two near-identical shoes, and I'll reject one because it just doesn't feel right.  No cramming my feet into uncomfortable shoes!  (HA!  The iPod is currently playing "Happy Feet".  How appropos!)  I still have to find a pair of sorta dressy sandals for the theatre, but I've got time.  Most stores don't have spring displays out yet.

Oh, but the weather!  Spring is on its way, for sure.  Yeah, it's Missouri, we still may see snow and ice and misery, but lovely spring is heading here!  Wooo!  I've got to get my bike up and running.  I wonder if I can fit it in the trunk if I fold down the back seats... something to explore the next afternoon I'm off.

I didn't make it to a movie or anything else more ambitious than playing with the dogs in the yard.  But it was the kind of day I needed.

I upgraded my exercise plan!  Instead of moving about during the commercials, today I moved around during the shows, and rested during the commercials!  I haven't made it through a whole show this way, but I did make it for two consecutive sections, and only had to rest for part of the next one.  Progress!  I still haven't found a bathroom scale, but it's kind of low priority since my bathroom ceiling is getting worked on.  It's a very bare room right now.  I never realized how much colorful towels and lotion bottles can really brighten a tiled room.

Soon, I'm going to brew up a nice big mug of my evening tea.  Herbal, decaf, called Tension Tamer.  It's mostly chamomile and peppermint.  Definitely puts me in a sleepy mood.  When I go on that red-eye flight, I'm taking a couple of bags of chamomile.  It really works for me, and I've also got a playlist that is really programming me to get sleepy.  The last song on it is "Madame de Pompadour" from Dr Who Season 2 (David Tennant, of course) composed by Murray Gold.  It's just a beautiful lullabye.