Knitting Fool

I have been working on a baby outfit (sweater, bonnet, booties, blanket) for the niece of a girl who used to work for me. I have decided that, while I love to knit, no money can be made on these types of projects, so it's best to just enjoy making them and giving them away as gifts. It's a great way for me to relax in my spare time (and it keeps me from eating all evening long!)

The problem with this project is that I started it when I was not working, and had much more "spare time". Since I went back to work four months ago, I have had very little time to work on it. Meanwhile, the baby was born last week. She may well be in High School by the time I finish, at the rate I'm going.

Topping Off

Today we had the "topping off" ceremony for the new medical center. For those who haven't seen this before, it involves the raising of the final beam to signify the steel structure is finished. The beam is painted white, and is signed by those invited to do so. That's generally the owner, the developer, often the contractors, and dignitaries who are invited to the ceremony. (When Beaumont finished their south tower in Royal Oak, the beam was left in front of the hospital for about a week, so that any employees who wanted to - including yours truly - could sign it)

Then a tree is palced on top of the building. I never did understand the significance of that part, but my research tells me it dates back to a Scandanavian religious practice of placing a tree on top of a wooden structure to appease the spirits of the tree-dwelling ancestors that had been displaced. (Huh??)

What this whole ceremony means to me is that I will be in a new office in a year or so. Now that's progress!

Yoga

One thing about going back to work is the stress level is up again. During the summer, that is resolved with golf. Now that winter is approaching, it's time for yoga. I started my new class today. I haven't been in a yoga class since last April, so I was anxious to get back to it. Amazing how much stiffer I feel than I did a few months ago. Ah...getting old!

I recently heard an exercise expert make the comment that yoga is the best exercise for women. The reason given had little to do with exercise itself. But the fact that yoga requires full focus on movement and breath prevents us from multi-tasking. I must admit, I didn't think about work once tonight.

Euchre Club

Our monthly Euchre Club started up again on Saturday. We always take a break over the summer, since many of our neighbors have extra-curricular activities with their kids that prohibit them from committing to a regular card game. So, it's always so much fun to get started again, and gives us something to look forward to over the long winter months.

We always seem to spend at least as much time sharing stories, eating and drinking, as we do actually playing cards. This week, though, I guess it wasn't enough for the guys. After we finished (about midnight), some of the guys decided to have a cigar together to finish off the evening. So, of course, the hubs invited them over to our garage (his favorite "smoking section"). I decided it was time for me to go to bed. Good thing....they finally broke it up at about 3AM!

My Second New Years

This time of year always inspires me to make resolutions. Maybe being raised in the household of a schoolteacher had some influence. The start of a new school year (even though I am long out of school) feels like a time of new beginning. Or, maybe it's because my birthday comes around at this time. Whatever the reason, it seems like Labor Day Weekend is often spent thinking about how I will get my life (diet, finances, fitness, household, what-have-you) back on track.

So today, after putting up several pints of peach jam, I cleaned out the refrigerator, then the rest of the kitchen. The hubs is a great cook, but when it comes to some of the more mundane jobs (like wiping down the cabinets and counters, or scrubbing the floor) not so much. Since the kitchen is predominantly white, I went through about 1/2 a bottle of Clorox Cleanup. Then I finished folding the laundry and went outside to pull weeds in the yard for about an hour.

I'm exhausted....but it was a great start on a long list of things to do.