Here we go again!

I went back to work today. Although I am still not 100% recovered it is time to go back to work. (I am starting to alphabetize stuff at home.) My doctor says that I still have another 3 to 4 months of healing until I can expect to be headache-free and to be able to tolerate glasses on my nose again. So I can't wear my glasses. And since driving without seeing is really not an option I have purchased contact lenses to get me through.

I don't really like wearing contacts; I prefer glasses. I like looking artificially smarter. It is like an accessory for your face- one you can hide behind.  I don't blink enough and contacts get dry when I stare at my computer. I rub my eyes a lot and accidentally drive my contacts into the back of my eyes. (Maybe the reason I have headaches is because I already have two or three contact lenses back behind my eyes that I have thought I lost otherwise. Hmm.) I forget that I am not wearing my glasses and go to push them up in between my eyes while suddenly remembering that I am NOT in fact wearing glasses I have to casually feign that I meant to fix my hair or eyebrow or something. I hate doing that.

Otherwise I am still not finished my Vergennes sweater. Although I do have the whole body complete and 9" of sleeve #1. And with less than 25% of the project left to finish I am already looking ahead to my next project. This time I am thinking I will make a shawl. I am leaning towards the Colour Affection shawl, by Veera Valimaki. I am also going to make it with lace weight yarn.

Last night I wound up my colours and got them ready. These are Tanis Fiber Arts' Pink Label  Lace Weight, single ply yarn in (starting at top left and going clockwise) Gold, Frost, Grape and Midnight. 

Aren't they pretty?



So what HAVE I been doing?

So... I've had some time on my hands lately. I'm healing or so the doctors tell me. To my observation "healing" is a way to make being lazy sound purposeful. I am doing as much staying still and resting as I can but I'm not exactly a patient person. I'm trying but only because I know that I still have a way to go yet.

So, what have I been doing with my time, you ask?  Well, to start with... the aforementioned healing. It looks a lot like this except I am on the chair too. Covered in a blanket. And likely sleeping.  I have to give thanks to my Dad for the loan of the Sleep Chair. It's powers of healing and napping are strong!


Howard, my handy assistant in healing.

 While sitting I have often been knitting.  This is my Vergennes sweater, knit in Woobu yarn by Blue Moon Fiber Arts. True Blood, colourway.  I started it on April 19 and I am hopeful to have it done (or at least mostly) before I head back to work.

Yes, knitting a "blood" coloured sweater while recuperating
from surgery is my idea of a funny joke.

I have had difficulty watching TV as I cannot wear my glasses yet. Not that it bothers me all that much to keep things quiet.  I listened to audiobooks while knitting. I highly recommend "Is everyone hanging out without me? And other concerns." by Mindy Kaling. I just finished this one. She is hilarious.  Another laugh-out-loud funny one is "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris. This one is extra funny to me because a large part of the book chronicles the American author's attempt to learn french while living in France with his partner. They say laughter is the best medicine, right?

I have restarted reading "Talent is Overrated" by Geoff Colvin.  It only sounds like a pessimistic book. It's purpose is to explain "what really separates world-class performers from everybody else".  The book discusses a very interesting premise: that there is no such thing as a "natural talent". That "talent" is just really hard work and an ass-load of practice and perhaps the incentive to succeed. What it also suggests is that success is not limited by a person's intelligence or memory- it's not just for super smart people. (Yeah, us regular people have a hope!) I haven't finished the book yet but I am enjoying the read so far.

I've been playing my favourite new app on my ipod touch: SpellTower. I tell you this is an additive game. I have wasted a lot of time on this over the past week or so. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Scott and I also have a new pass time and a new friendly competition... but more on that tomorrow. In the mean time, I guess I have some knitting to do.