Good Intentions

Your Faithful Sheep was up with the dawn's early light today with all good intentions. I planned to get the grocery shopping done early in accordance with my new Sunday Mornings Are Good Days To Be At The Grocery Store If You Want To Avoid Contact With The General Public And Decrease The Opportunities For Stupid Grocery Store Mishaps plan. With that task out of the way, I viewed the day ahead as full of possibilities for projects and general satisfaction with myself for a job well-done.

I was a teeny bit off-schedule given that the condo had a distinct chill and getting out of bed was harder than I'd planned. The Big, Fluffy Kitty was also something of a bad influence in this endeavor as she was throwing off some really decent body heat that was enough to keep me under the covers for a bit longer. But, all in all, I wasn't doing too badly.

Until I got outside.

The temperatures remained below the freezing mark and Mother Nature had thoughtfully encased my truck in a protective layer of ice that was impervious to my scraper. Twenty minutes of chipping away put a significant dent in my positive outlook on the day. With the help of the defroster and the trucks reluctant agreement to continue running despite its not exactly loving the whole protective ice coating thing, I was able to clear enough of the viewing surfaces to safely drive on public roadways. My arrival at the grocery store brought with it the realization that we just had a storm. Everyone, along with their extended families, friends and what appeared to be random strangers that they picked up along the way, was at the store to restock.

I realize that it is egocentric and probably indicative of my need for intensive therapy to believe that each and every store patron was out to get me this morning. But one can't help but suspect a plot after having to maneuver around the fifth cart in as many aisles that has been carefully left dead-center and next to a protruding display of whatever is being featured in that particular part of the store. While this allows the cart driver to comparison shop at their leisure, it also manages to successfully block 90% of a Sheep's path. In these situations, I like to employ the Great, Gusty Sigh technique. It requires a deep breath, a look of resigned determination and excessive wrenching of the cart as you work around the offending blockage. It decreases the chances of confrontation and generally guilts the blocker into moving their cart.

I almost hyperventilated today. I can't sigh like I did when I was a young whippersnapper. I need more recovery time. I was dizzy before I even reached frozen foods. And, frankly, the technique wasn't working as well as it usually does.

The rest of the day was spent haphazardly moving from project to project with little to show for the effort, I'm afraid. I managed to vacuum the carpets and make up some hummus for weekday snacks. I even ironed an outfit for tomorrow's return to the workforce. But the knitting just didn't seem to appeal. I have a couple of things going on, but neither was really calling to me. Finally, in the hope of having something to show for this day, I parked myself at the wheel and played with some of the Spunky fibers. That seemed to go a bit better.

I traveled from the Mountains...

...to lovely Winnipeg.

The Rocky Mountain High is plied and drying. It should be ready for viewing tomorrow. Winnipeg is coming along nicely but may take a bit longer as I've got a busy couple of weeks ahead of me. Both are merino/silk blends and have worked up beautifully. I had zero dye in the water after setting the twist and the finished yarn has an amazing feel to it. I think that the fabric it creates will drape nicely. These were my first two purchases at SPA last month and worth every penny!

I'm glad that I was able to make a little progress in the happier pursuits of my life this weekend as the week ahead is looking less than accommodating. It may also be the cause for some spotty blogging. I have a rather large project due for my class on Wednesday...two actually. I've started neither. I also have my first round of parent/teacher conferences. Coincidentally, this will also be happening on Wednesday. And my project group has decided that we need to be meeting earlier than the designated class start time as we are having some difficulties managing our time. It's looking more and more like I will be a busy Sheepie for the next couple of weeks.

So, if you don't hear from me for a day or two, fear not! I have not had an "episode" at the local market and made the acquaintance of the friendly neighborhood constabulary. Nor have I been buried in a snowdrift. I am simply having a quiet episode in the privacy of my own home after having discovered that I am buried in paperwork...

and by my own procrastination.

SA