I'm all domestic and stuff

What did I do this Sunday? I got all kinds of domestic.

First I made eggs, bacon, and rolls for breakfast. It was good. Dottie thought so too when she jumped on the counter and helped herself to some bacon. Bad doggie.

Then a trip to the dog park with John and Dottie. It was raining. Dottie was totally covered with mud and slobber, but she was so freakin' happy.

Afterwards took her to Pet Smart for supplies and possibly a bath, but they wanted about $30 to wash her, so Dottie got the hose instead. She was all cold, but we put her on a blanket in front of the heater and she forgave us.

Then grocery shopping so I could get moving on to the main event. Cook-a-thon!

First, make wheat roll dough. Let set to rest.

Then start boiling whole chicken with veggies for soup.

Next make raisin bread dough. Let rest.

Check on chicken, yum! Turn it over in the pot so both sides can cook (since our largest pot still didn't quite fit the smallest chicken at the store.)

Punch down and knead wheat dough. Let rest.

Watch your 8th episode on Dexter since Thursday.

Punch down both doughs and form them into single serving rolls. Let rest.

Take chicken out of broth. Drain broth to remove large chunks of veggies. Chop up veggies for soup and saute. Add chicken, broth, spices, and barley. Bring to a boil and then simmer.

Fully bake a few rolls for our dinner.

Watch another episode of Dexter.

Eat dinner and also partially bake the rest of the rolls.

Let everything cool, bag it and put in the freezer for later.

Things I didn't do this weekend...laundry, laundry, and dishes. Sorry John, I only used every pan in the house. But wasn't it worth it?

P.S. Terzah- Thanks for the King Arthur cook book. As you can see its totally come in handy.

Home Alone

This past week John and I experienced a trial of our marriage. No we didn't fight. There was no sickness (except my lingering cold). No, not even money issues. Our first test was...John leaving town for a week to work. I was home alone. 

Unlike Kevin I didn't have a bb gun for protection, I had Dottie. 

Doesn't see look threatening?

I would never post something like this while he is gone. My imagination is way to overactive. I would have visions of a stranger viewing my blog and some how finding my home at 3am and well, you can see where this would head. I'm paranoid enough as it is. I spent the entire week avoiding any TV that might add fuel to the fire. CSI was almost too much for me. 

However, I made it through the week and so did John. Poor boy spent his week working in Florida. He watched wildlife get rescued, went fishing, and ate said fish the same evening. I'm pretty sure he didn't hate his week, much as he missed Dottie and I. 

I didn't hate my week either. This past week showed me I can do it on my own while he is gone. I can be a single mother to Dottie, I just need to adjust. So I can't knit for hours on end, oh well. Playing fetch with Dottie is more fun. I can also cook dinner and play fetch at the same time. And when bed time comes, just leave the bathroom light on, turn on the fan, and go to sleep. Let your mind rest. 

I'm glad we had this short trial. John has traveled a lot since we meet 4 years ago and there is a solid chance he will need to travel again. I think its the hardest part of marrying John, but its a reality I can handle and I'm just glad I have family and friends nearby to support me when I need it. 

And our ferocious guard dog...

A New Year.

I've been thinking a lot about my blog...should I continue? I wasn't sure if anyone actually read it, but I think I'd like to continue...so here goes.

Its been a crazy few weeks since I last posted.

I finished my husband's Christmas sweater, knit 4 hats in a week, finished my sister's awesome shark mittens, accepted my first commissioned sewing project in a long time, started a sweater for myself, then a skirt for myself, etc.

(Kathryn and the sharks)

We traveled to Colorado for Christmas and it was sooooooo wonderful. It was my first Christmas away from my family, but it didn't feel awkward at all. I'm luck my in-laws are good people. My mom and sister were not pleased. I think Kathryn cried. But its all part of growing up, and they understand.

The new year has started out well for us. A little work for John is a good thing. Dottie finally settled in with other dogs and now enjoys romps at the dog park. She LOVES the dog park. We love it too because 15-20 minutes of romping equals peace and quiet for most of the afternoon.

Now if only I could conquer this cold I picked up. John got it too, but since he wasn't working while trying to heal, I think his was a little quicker. Work for me has been so busy I haven't enjoyed much rest. I did enjoy Colin Firth!!!! Inside the Actors Studio was filmed in the theater right across the hall from my office. My super awesome boss let me attend the taping and invite my mom and aunt along. He really handsome in person and gave way more detailed answers than I anticipated.

My point is...I'm back. I've been knitting up a storm, so I have lots to share. I also have been baking and sewing too.

Coming soon...

Did I mention I'm starting a dancewear line?

Yep.

Here's a sneak peak!

Knitting Project: Dottie's Blanket

Last week I hit a wall...a knitting wall. I lost motivation to knit to and from work. I lost motivation to knit Johnny's sweater. I needed a jump start.

Jump start #1: Seeing someone else knit on the train and realizing how easy it is to knit while taking the Metro.
Jump start #2: Dottie's blanket project.

I had this forest green yarn sitting around for about a year and a half. I originally bought it to make a sweater for my friend, but it was a bad plan. The yarn was way to soft and stretchy for a sweater. So I took it apart and the yarn sat in my stash since last May.

Then about two weeks ago I because obsessed with this yarn again. I wanted to make a cozy sweater for myself, but hello! I tried that last year and it didn't work.

Then I had a stroke of genius...puppy blanket.

Its getting a little cooler here in Southern California and I thought Dottie needed a little something to snuggle in. I was so right...

Pattern: Radiating Star Blanket (Ravelry link)
Yarn: Knit Picks Comfy Bulky in Arbor
On the needles October 28th to November 7th

The color is a little off in this picture, but as you can see its a cute little radiating star just as its name promised. I'd say it came out a great size for a baby or a 30 lb. puppy like ours. The yarn is soooo soft. A nice mix of cotton and acrylic that makes the blanket machine washable. Like I'd make something for a dog that wasn't machine washable :)

Now I feel much better. I've finished the knitting for my sister's Christmas gift and hit a major milestone in the knitting of my husband's sweater. I also worked up my nerve to start working on my dance wear line. Hopefully I'll have that to show off by the end of November!

Riding the Train

Last time I posted about the train I think I was complaining, but let me follow up by saying taking the train is also possibly the best thing I've ever decided to do. I've already taken the train 6 of the 13 days I need to ride this month to make the monthly pass worth it.

Good Points about the LA Metro System

1. It is generally on time barring freak accidents involving semis crossing the tracks or brief periods of flooding.
2. As long as I catch my train at 8:13am I will be on time to work.
3. My husband drives me to the stop in the morning when he's not working, thus I get to spend a few minutes with him before I go. Dottie Jo likes it too because she gets a brief car ride.
4. I can knit or read as long as I can find a seat.
5. My balance on a moving vehicle is getting better as long as I'm not wearing heels.
6. My husband and Dottie come walk me home when they can.
7. Most importantly I can witness excellent art work like this...

 I'm not sure what the artist was thinking, but it looks like the person is being tortured because this is a picture of a man hanging from the ceiling. There are several of these in the Civic Center stop and they are all in this same pose. I think it's supposed to imitate flying, but it just looks like the train hit them and flung them up into the rafters.

Tired.

Ever need a weekend to recuperate from your weekend? I do! I do!

Saturday was fine. Museum tours and lots of knitting. John was working so I splurged and had Kraft mac and cheese for dinner.

But, you see the problem with John working is the late hours involved. He works a 20 hours day and arrived home at 4:30am. I tried to sleep, but knowing he was navigating the freeways after such a long day makes me worried. Sometimes I think its easier for him to be out of town. Then Dottie and I can get in a rhythm.

Sunday morning Dottie awoke at 7am, or was it 6:30? I'm not sure, but I do know I only got about 3 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

Sunday afternoon was Dottie's very first dog pawty! My co-worker's dog turned 3 so she had a few people and puppies over to celebrate. I was really proud of Dottie! She was friendly to all the dogs. Only one dog didn't like Dottie and our little one just didn't know to leave that dog alone. Big steps for Dottie who was a little shy of other dogs when we first got her. Yay!

So even though this weekend wasn't overly busy, the lack of decent sleep Saturday night has left me a little frazzled today. Here's hoping ballet class with my beloved teacher Ina will get me back on track.

P.S. Couch to 5k totally failed this weekend. Could barely keep my eyes open so I postponed until maybe tomorrow to start. Maybe next weekend. I'm not sure yet, but I do know that I need to get my butt in gear and fast.