Multi-tasking OVERLOAD

I am not sure if it's my multi-tasking overloaded life that has caused a slump in my posting or the fact that I have been spending what little internet time I have on Ravelry...... but I have failed miserably to update my blog (in a while). This week I have had a few days off and tried to relax. I have discovered I am not a person who can RELAX. My gosh I am addicted to chaos. I am addicted to running from one appointment to another. I am addicted to multi-tasking. I am addicted to NOT sitting still.

I was watching the news (only because I was still up working) and saw a special on people who multi-task. Apparently there is a new "disorder?" for "us." It's called multi-tasking overload. HOW ORIGINAL!

As I understand it - the blackberries, multiple windows simultaneously open (sorry Leopard), the lack of actual personal communication face to face and increased work hours/weeks has created this overload.

Symptoms?

• Frequent Headaches

• Memory failure (of simple things like your children's names in mid sentence and of appointments and commitments)
• Inability to complete tasks
• fatigue
• insomnia/sleep disorder
  
• blurry vision
• Stress
• nausea/IBS like symptoms
• irritability
• muscle aches/body aches
• dry skin (I am not sure about this one? Is multitasking just sucking the life out of you?)

One mom was quoted as saying "I come home and the kids are jumping all over me with what they have done for the day and I want to scream - enough - I can't take one more thing! My brain hurts."

I paused....... mi gosh that sounds like??????

Then I came across the symptoms for CFS or Fibromyalgia.....

• Frequent Headaches

• Memory failure or inability to concentrate
  
• Inability to complete tasks
• fatigue
• insomnia/sleep disorder
  
• blurry vision
• Stress
• nausea/IBS like symptoms
• irritability
• muscle aches/body aches
• dry skin
  

Now I am totally confused..........

Until told otherwise I will be multi-tasking and opening as many windows I possibly can on my relic of windows at work and my soon to be upgraded MAC at home.

In the meantime I am trying my best to relax. I still twitch when I hear an ambulance go by or think I FEEL my blackberry buzzing on my hip.... (when it's not really there..... it's on my dresser with the EDGE disabled by the DH). Today I cleaned the house from top to bottom, dust bunnies, marks on the wall (how do scuff marks end up on the top part of walls - where feet should never be? and that lone hair on the ceiling? and dust bunnies under the bed? ), purged books I have read - donating them to charity for a book sale, reorganized closets, reorganized drawers, reorganized the knitting (and the scrapbooking) and did laundry - you know the laundry that rarely gets done - the comforters, the pillows from the sofa, the throws, the curtains (yes I finally put curtains up today) and finally collapsed at 2230 t0 KNIT. I couldn't stand to just sit and knit all day without having something to do while knitting (computer, blackberry, reading online for work, etc....) Of course my DH was twitching because I can't just clean ONE room at a time - I have to float from room to room - fragmenting and multi-tasking my cleaning. He a mono-task individual. Give home two things to do and he decompensates quickly.

Pathetic..

Maybe a two week vacation I would finally be able to relax????????

Nothing but Honest

Sorry for the absence...... I have been busy at work, at home, with school things and knitting. Okay - and I have been obsessed with getting my ravelry page set up.

What I have found (and I haven't gotten all my projects, WIP, FO, Wanna be projects on the page) is that Ravelry forces me to be honest about all my CAST ONS (WIP) and realize that I need to NOT buy anymore yarn, books (except for Cat Bordhi's new book - cause I have been wanting it for the longest time) or knitting projects till I at least finish some of the projects I have at hand. When you post a project and then post the "start date" and it happens to be 2006 and you realize that it's "hibernating" you are a bit humbled and realize what a two timing knitter you are. Just like (some) men (and women I suppose) - as soon as some new, fresh, pretty yarn and new, fresh, funky pattern comes across my sights - I am on it!

I hope to have them all up by the end of the week - but alas - life occurs - and get going on my projects (WIP).

With that said - I have put limits on my stash additions. Since starting my fitness/weight loss/nutrition makeover I have vowed to not buy yarn till I hit certain milestones (first 5K - sock yarn, first 5K under 30 minutes sock yarn, ten pounds a sock pattern from loopy ewe.....).

Perhaps I should put my projects on some bonus point system - every three WIP I finish I can buy and maybe cast on a new project?????

Oiy - such a dilemia - so much yarn, so many needles, so many patterns, so little time.

IT HAS FINALLY HAPPENED!!!!!

TODAY
- just about FIVE minutes ago -
I just got my invite to Ravelry
AND
joined!!
(In less than twenty seconds)

Yipee - doing the freakazoid dance around my place!

I want to absorb myself in the uploading but I have so much work to do!!!!!!!!!

Resist and behave - I have to finish my work!

- BONZAIKNITZ -
check me out!

(I am not fully loaded - I am not even slightly loaded)

Blast from my past

While perusing the bloglines I found a post that referred to this link. This book - oddly enough - was one of my favorite books growing up. What a blast from my past. I am not sure this is an accurate description of me - but maybe the issue is that I talk too much about talking rabbits. (Just like the flying monkeys - they do exist!)

You're Watership Down!
http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
by Richard Adams

Though many think of you as a bit young, even childish, you're
actually incredibly deep and complex. You show people the need to rethink their
assumptions, and confront them on everything from how they think to where they
build their houses. You might be one of the greatest people of all time. You'd
be recognized as such if you weren't always talking about talking rabbits.


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

By the way - thank you Lorinda - I am apparently 12970 days old. Today my biorhythms are all whacked. According to this link - I should have not gotten out of bed today much less leave my humble safe abode to enter the harsh reality of the world. It's a wonder I was even physically able to get out of bed - according to the physical biorhythms I am giving off. Intellectually I can not even complete a sentence (according to my biorhythms) and I am not in harmony at all. Egad - maybe I better start the day over.......

Disaster at the home front

Well - where do I start. It's not a knitting disaster.....

It's a hard drive disaster. My computer (the family computer that holds all pictures, all Itunes for the DH and the only link to my camera and the printer) had a melt down. The hard drive is fried. Currently (after a late nite vivesection) the hard drive is sitting at a friend's house - trying to recover anything from our hard drive.

I hope it wasn't blasphemous to pray over it as I handed it off this morning. (but we did)

Now - I have two kids moping around (can't get on Tamatown) and a husband who is also pouting (can't watch the race for October).

We have a decision to make. Should we go ALL MAC or replace the PC with a PC. If we go all MAC I lose windows forever (not a bad thing - since I think windows is what took down my hard drive to begin with).

Meanwhile - any posts of pictures will not be available until I can fineagle my husbands D50 to take pictures. (He will probably barter time with the MAC for his D50.)

My MAC book - is off limits to anyone who exclusively used the PC. I can't afford to have my MAC crash with work and school stuff on it.

Needless to say - the stitches on my latest sock are tight.....

What I can say - Thank God for Blackberries! emails are still getting to me as are my tofutsies group mail from yahoo.

WIP - not alone

I am sitting at my desk trying to get charts done and other excel nonsense stuff and I started to check on my bloglines. I saw this post at the Yarn Harlot and immediately felt.......

Inspired - maybe -

• at the idea that there is hope for my WIP's sitting in my clothes basket and knitting bags ready to go on a moments notice. Last night - as I was looking at them - I thought I heard them whispering "what about me.... did you lose interest in my pattern? yarn? color?"

• at the idea that it is okay to have more than one project going because I get side tracked by another yarn, pattern or color way????

• at pulling my WIP out and get going on them???? (not quite)

Enabled - DEFINITELY.

So if you need a little enabling (or inspiration) check out her post from today!

Knit On!

Is it a generational thing?

Our girls have been in Michigan the past few weeks visiting Grammy and Grampy. (What WE have been doing will be in another post for another time)

Before they left - I took them to see Hairspray - to which they were ga ga over. They loved it - they especially they loved this actress (actor?)



My daughter called me tonight to tell me that her and her best friend from Michigan watched this movie.......



Then when I told her that the hunk she thought was "gorgeous" in Grease



was the very same actress (actor) her and Rowan loved in Hairspray - she didn't believe me........

Then - I realized that - sigh - John is getting old......

Nine hours and counting.....

Stitches Midwest.......

I am all packed for my day away with yarn, needles, knitting paraphernalia and oogles of books on knitting.

Unfortunately I have to curb my appetite by NOT buying...... darn budgets you know....

I wish I could take pictures while I am there - but tis is strictly prohibited.

I will return with stories on Sunday - Saturday I have an Advanced Burn Life Support class to knit through. (this is where you go.... ooooooh sounds technical and difficult.... )

36 hours and counting

That's how many hours til STITCHES MIDWEST!!!!!!!

I can hardly wait.....

Ooodles and oooodles of yarn to fondle.....

ooooooze of creativity to soak up..........

tons of people like me.......... (ok maybe not just like me)



And I have one day to take it all in and soak it all up........

Hope to see you there!

Better Living Through Chemistry

Well - tonight American Baseball has taught the youth of America - (my daughter's generation) - that

YES

LIFE IS BETTER

LIVING THROUGH CHEMISTRY

Barry Bonds may have surpassed Hank Aaron's Record BUT he would have NEVER been able to do it without supplementing with steriods.

What message has this sent the generation coming up?

• LIE CHEAT AND CLAW your way to the top.

• No holes barred

• No morals or ethics needed

• Any way you can sneak a cheat in - DO IT!

I do not tip my hat to Barry Bonds - I just shake my head and pray my girls aren't watching.......

Hello........ Hello.....

Is there anybody out there? Still? At all??

It has been (gasp, shudder, averting eyes from blog posts to see) several months since I have logged in and blogged on.

I really have no excuse other than I was caught up in my own life (drama) and not living.

It's easy to take a step back and realize that when I sit here at my MAC while my girls are away in Michigan. My husband and I have had time to BREATHE. Not that I couldn't breath with them here. They are my greatest gift from God and I adore them - but they tend to suck all energy and time out of your day.

My husband and I have spent time biking and walking all over - in the double digits for miles. It's been grand. I realized how much living I needed to do and how much of my life was sucked up into just getting to the next day. Praise God for the epiphany!

Now - onto knitting stuff.....

STITCHES MIDWEST

- is a mere five days away -

I am so geeked.

I have one class that I was able to sign up for - and that is it. BUT - I plan on spending more time on the vendor floor. Yarn shops from all around - could it get any better?

One problem.......

My yarn stash hasn't gone down alot.

IF - IF - I were to purchase more yarn (and believe me Socks that Rock...) I would have to do it in small, smuggable, quantities.

Again - we are getting a hotel room - and I am excited to just sit back and relax - knitting, spending time with friends and fondling yarn.

For now - I will curl up with my book on the couch and later - fall asleep dreaming of all the wonderful yarns that will be on display at Stitches.....

The countdown begins.....

I am an ADHD knitter

Hello, my name is Bonnie and I am an ADHD knitter.

I can not stay focused on one project to save my life....

My various WIPs will speak for themselves.

While I have been feveriously knitting for friends and friends with babies... I started to pout (yes I, at my age pout) that I had nothing for myself that I knitted.

Well - that just started me on a selfish knitting frenzy to which four (yes four) projects are on needles in various stages of development. Granted - two will be casted off today - it's just - HELLO!!!!

A little focus would be nice!

What a find....

Oh mi - you have to go here.....

This person has creative style....

I found her on Knitty with a fabulous pattern to boot.....

These are FREE.... they don't count!!!

and check out this little number....

When is enough ENOUGH?

So a friend called me, rather text'd me - (yes Mark - many people have embraced the idea of text messaging and find it a quite acceptable way to communicate) - that she was knitting the hat in HERE but thought that she did not have enough sequins.

So - I think... wait I have this book.... So I run (okay I walked... it's been a long day) to my bookshelf and start going through my collection. There are so many cool patterns in this book and it's successor. But yet I still want MORE books.... I must have three or four must haves on my list and six more - "these are interesting..." books included.

Now that I have a moratorium on yarn purchasing I need to include one on BOOKS! I need to utilize all those books that hold patterns I could not live without back in the day (less than a year ago) that I purchased them.

Yet - somehow... Vogue Knitting Accessorizes looks like such a GREAT book......

Back to knitting....

New Jobs, UFOs and looking forward

It has been OVER a month since I posted and I have no excuse other than - I was BUSY BUSY BUSY with school, work and work. As my old position wrapped up I doubled with my new position. I wanted to start with my feet firmly planted on the ground. End result - I started on the 6 February - wobbling. But the good news.... Weebles wobble but they don't fall down. So far I have been able to keep my head above water (barely) and prevent drowning on a daily basis.

I LOVE my new position and I love the fact that the last three weekends I have been HOME and happy with my family. My girls - have finally realized - I am home home home home on the weekends. Even better - while I have been pulling 10 and 12 hours days trying to get planted and grounded - I am home in the evenings. Our house just seems calmer since this has happened (granted it has only been two weeks).

What does this have to do with "KNITTING?" ALOT - I actually have time and energy to KNIT! I actually ENJOY it as opposed to sneaking it in between this and that. I still carry it with me every where - but I am sitting and knitting in the evening and sitting and knitting with my girls! YES - GIRLS! Rowan - having attending a book reading at SASI - for this book..... Picked up some knitting needles at the store and with a little direction from Donna, the owner, is not well on her way to her first scarf. I use to have to "start" the row - now I am sitting there watching her to start, knit and start the next row.

I - have placed myself - on a NEW YARN MORATORIUM. Why - while I have a mini yarn pile going - and it's strategically and decoratively placed throughout the house - I HAVE TOO MUCH YARN, UFO's and not enough FINISHED projects. So the next few months - you will be seeing UFO's and hopefully Finished projects posted. Of course - an addict like me might just have to get a yarn fix sooner or later... so stay tuned for my progess.

Looking forward - I am reading THIS... and I am hoping my KNIT NIGHT buddies will join along....

I also have added this....

AND THIS.....


To my library of knitting books... and I am hoping that I can knit a few projects out of here with what yarn sits in my baskets..... Stay tuned for updates....

Well I must get back to my blackberry, paperwork and eventually knitting....

Here is to the 9 - 5, management, salary jobs that I thought I would never EMBRACE!

Praise God for moving forward and making a positve change in my career, family and life!!!!!!

WHERE o Where is the knitting fairy when you need her?

GASP.....

Okay - at the risk of a certain person (who never reads my blog) READING my blog I am still going to post this....

I am heading back to Michigan in a few days (a week) and while this brings me great joy to see old friends, I have no desire to be in Michigan longer than I need to be. However, I am returning for a baby shower.

What a joyous occasion!

Now the rest of the story..... I had intended to create a baby scrapbook (almost done -but not quite), knit an outfit and get a baby bag from Lil Street purse company here in Chicago. Clearly I have nothing.... I will be returning to MI in as little as no time to spare - and no time to get anything done....

I frantically started knitting at knit nite last night and almost got the (shhhhh) hat done. I am planning on starting the booties as soon as I log off. I PLAN on going to the purse shop TODAY on the way into work.... What I really need..... is a knitting fairy god mother!!!!!!

New Years New Bloggin?

I have been a very bad blogger but REFUSE to feel guilty about it. My life has been turned upside down and inside out over the past two months.....

With that said - lets get down to the new years resolution (which I said I would never make) of KEEPING the blogs up to date! (blogs - as in my two (knitting and scrapbooking)as well as prodding my DH to keep his up to date).

What have I done in the past two months?

• Work... work alot....
• School.... Finals blew me away... (in essences alot of BUSY paper work making disastor plans and plans of action in improving the health of chicago.... YOU LAUGH NOW).
• Thanksgiving and the Christmas holiday doings..... Never (and I will probably say this next year too) has this time period flown by so fast.
  
• Interviewing for a new job... career advancement if you will. One job I was interviewing for had about five separate interviews... that can really wear on a person you know.

Plus all my personal needs of SLEEP, eatting, (not working out - one thing I lament) and spending time with the fam.

What did I accomplish.... I did get several knitting projects done before Christmas. Each of Nat and Ro's teachers got a knitted scarf. The DH got a knitted scarf (be all that it may it was knitted and finished at the wee hour of 0230 on the 25th). Each friend got a hand made Stitch Marker (made by the DH) and Lorinda - PLEASE email me your address so I can send you a much belated Holiday card.

I haven't even kept up SASI blogspot which has many members itchy (with good reason!)

What I did accomplish in the last week of December makes me GLOW with happiness.
One of the goals of moving to Chicago - and DOWNSIZING our life - was to DOWNSIZE our clutter. Well unfortunately CLUTTER was ready to PUSH us out of our humble abode. So - we decided to move our bedroom to the guest room and the guest room to our room. WHAT an undertaking. If left to my DH devices it would have been a DISASTOR. What is it about men that they do not see DUST, Debris and un-organization. He - if not caught by me in time - would have literally swapped closet for closet. Fortunately - I caught him in the act - and instructed him to leave EVERYTHING out of the rooms till they were CLEANED top to bottom, repainted (or at least touched up), scrubbed floor - and then SLOWLY replace everything away.

The result.... after a week of CLUTTERED living that left me TWITCHING, ten HUGE bags of TRASH (more to come I am sure) is.... (drum roll please?)



This is the Guest room now..... I am sure the cough will find another home soon.... (praying it will) and we will have a different sofa lounger in there with another piece of furniture I have praying for the need for. This is the official PLAY room for the kids between guests. The Legos in the corner have never looked that good. What I need - is an area rug, a trash can, a magazine rack (I can never depart with old scrapbook mags and knitting mags... if you know of a system please EMAIL me!)



As you can tell - this is now the FAV hangout for the girls..... I hope they don't get too comfortable on that couch.....





I do not remember the last time my room looked this uncluttered..... I need a new bed spread/comforter.... it's time. I am thinking Red and Black colors.... Domestications online here I come!



The Dinning room table..... NEVER looked this cleaned off inbetween meals..... How exciting.....

These photos (taken by my lovely Rowan - photographer in training) do not appropriately reflect how much we cleaned out and cleaned up. Lets just say..... I feel so much better... the new year is lighter.... (now my weight on the other hand is another story.... hopefully with the onset of the new year and BETTER work schedule....that will all be a thing of a past.....)

What does describe how I feel is this picture (again by Rowan).....



Yes - this describes how I feel on so many levels.... order, a basket full of yarn waiting to be fondled AND knitted.... warm and fuzzy all over..... that's how I feel!

Happy New Year and Good knitting to all!!!!!!

For Christmas Pictures - please click on my other blog - I actually was able to get all my Christmas cards MADE and mostly distributed in time - more on my OTHER blog.....

A Letter to MACY's

So - MACY's disappointed me today. (Is that such a surprise?)

Go HERE to read the letter sent.... (really I did send it!)

Then - on a good note - go here! Awesome article!

I wonder if she knits?

Christ Follower or Christian?

I love this!

My friend and fellow knitter/blogger Lorinda, who lives in the "Burps" (as my daughter Natalie calls it), attends this really cool church (that I guess would be classified as one of the emerging coffee house churches?). For the past three weeks she has shared their video Mac - v - PC Parody's.

You MUST go here for week one. Go here for week two and HERE for week three.

(I really like week three.)

I am interested to see where they go with these.

For the rest of the story go here!

I want to thank Lorinda for posting these on her blog! MOST awesome thought provoking videos and sermons.

And for wonderful thought provoking blog posts go here. My Pastor is most awesome as well!! Our church is smaller - but making an impact in the Chicagoland Area in a big way.

Enjoy!

Interestingly enough - in a related story from work.... I had openned an email about a Willow Creek Special downtown on a Sunday with Bono and Bill Hybels. I was talking about it at work and another co-worker asked what "Willow Creek" was? ANOTHER co-worker started in with "oh you know it's that huge church compound that has all those freaks worshiping Jesus and praying......" I let her go on for a while and then I said "Hello - apparently I am one of those freaks because I got the email about the service. She quickly caught herself and said "oh well no I didn't mean it that way."

uh huh.....
(for the record - I WOULD sign my kids up for Jesus Camp.)

LOOK WHAT CAME!!!!!

Waiting for me on my doorstep - when I just got home a few minutes ago was -


THESE!!!!!! My knitpicks interchangeable needles!!!!!!!

LOOK at those needles.... those beautiful needles..... I wonder how many WIPs I can get on them..... Oh the temptation!!!


Seriously - nothing is more frustrating then getting ready to cast on a project (yarn in hand with pattern on your lap) and the needles you need - are in another project or haven't been purchased yet.....

My hubby openned my box as I finished a presentation I am doing tomorrow. He was a bit confused by the mechanics surrounding them......

Okay back to my presentation.....

My wonderful hubby - is putting them together and in their nice carrying case.... How exciting!!!!