18 days

Things have been too busy at work to really enjoy the whole countdown, but for those college friends who remember my (probably annoying) need to count down every day until my birthday - here you go.

Having a deadline extended and being shuffled to another project have made this week busier than expected...but since both deadlines are on Friday, it is my expectation that I will *not* be working this weekend.

In other news, Christmas is now officially taken down at our house. The boxes still need to go up to the third floor, but by the time I finished taking down the tree and indoor decor I was ready to call it quits for the night. If I can make time to vacuum the first floor before the weekend, that's one less thing I'll need to do during the weekend. Fingers crossed that I leave on time tonight.

>From my previous published list...

1) Phantom - I saw it last weekend at the Saturday matinee (before going to work for 6 hours). It's not a bad show. The sets, the costumes and, in general, the songs are very nice. The cast that we saw (at least the 3 leads) were very good singers, although they might have been trying a little too hard with the acting and some of the Raoul/Christine blocking seemed ridiculous, but that's not their fault (I hope). I still have trouble understanding why this show is *so* popular, but I suppose the same thing could be said for "Cats". (Although Cats doesn't really even try to have a plot, and POA tries but it is wispfully thin.) Honestly, the only time the show made me "feel" anything was in the last 10 minutes. I think I realized that it is because in many instances the songs don't really move the plot along. They talk about love, but except for "The Music of the Night" they don't provide a lot of insight or character development. But maybe that is more an issue of lack of plot than anything else.

I'm sorry if I sound mean about this. It's just that there are so many shows that make me feel so much - even some of the "popular" ones, and this one just really does nothing for me. Yes, there are enough enjoyable songs that I will probably buy the CD at some point. But I'm not running out to get it. There are just other things I would rather have first.

The next show in the subscription is "Wicked". Can't wait!

3, 6, 11) 35 hours of overtime in 11 days. And that's 11 calendar days, not 11 work days. Blah! Thankfully, I think the worst has past.

4) Cabled vest - In my dementia caused by working too many hours I didn't actually make the cables called for in my vest pattern. The pattern calls for alternating 6 row and 8 row cables, for a nice subtle change. After the first 7 rows of the pattern I just knitted on my merry way and repeated 6 row cables over and over. It still looks nice, and I didn't figure it out until I was practically done with the back, so I'm not changing it. I finished the back and cast on the front, so I have put it aside for now. It will be a great project for my knitting GTG on the 29th - it will be easy to talk and knit, with a cable row every now and then for interest.

5) Two at once, toe-up socks - I'm trying my first pair. In my urgency to start, I purchased the only somewhat acceptable needle at the show across from my office. The needle is the right size, its metal and it has a good flexible cord. But, it's not an addi, so the join isn't fabulous (though it isn't annoying) and she only had a 30" pair, instead of the 47" that the pattern calls for. I am due for a trip to the LYS I have a gift certificate to and the new one I haven't visited yet. The somewhat acceptable pair was only $6, and I decided it was a reasonable investment considering that I could hate magic loop, so I wouldn't want the addi anyway. So far I'm not opposed to magic loop, and I think I'll like it more with a longer cord. This doesn't mean I'm throwing away my dpns, it just means I'm open to my available options. The only annoying thing about "two at once" is that the boring parts take twice as long, but it does seem like it will be nice to finish both socks at once. And since I am making the pair from a 200 yard skein, this is the only way to get the longest socks possible without running out of yarn...

8) At the time I was making the list I had to move from the first floor to the second because the music coming from the basement was so loud that I couldn't hear the TV, 4 feet away from me. I acknowledge that the speakers were directly below me, but still...

9) I had a massage on Saturday before the show. It was lovely. Misty asked me several times if I was warm enough because my feet and hands were cold to the touch. I was fine, but when she left at the end she immediately bumped up the thermostat in my room. :-)

10) I'm not having any anxiety over the fact that I'm turning 30. A single friend claims that it's because I'm married, which I don't really believe, but I know where she's coming from. Maybe it's because my parents didn't start to get gray hair until their 50's. Maybe it's because I'm just glad to be past my mid-twenties. Maybe it's because in high school I was mistaken for a graduate student and I don't really feel much different now that I did then (other than probably having more self-confidence). Maybe it's because the majority of people I work with are over 40 and my husband is 6 1/2 years older, so I am generally made to feel pretty young on a regular basis. Whatever the reason, it doesn't really concern me. We'll see what happens at 31. :-)

My lunch hour is winding down, and several of the items left need pictures to go with them, so I'm signing off for now.