Waffling

Why I had waffles for dinner tonight:

1. It was one of those days where, as an educator, you have to realize that you have your limits. You need to accept that your influence is not so far-reaching that it can fix everything in a kid's life. All you can do is try to make it a little bit better.

2. I can't even get mad at the various agencies who are powerless to do anything about certain issues that make kids' lives miserable. I've worked from their side of things. I know what the limits are and there was nothing anyone else could have done that wasn't already attempted. We all have to work within the rules. The ball was not dropped. And believe me, I checked. And have been doing so for a while. Everyone did their respective jobs. It just isn't going to help matters this time.

3. I'd already eaten a peanut butter cup on a Tuesday and this is not a Designated Chocolate Eating Day. This was misbehavior of the highest order and could be the first few feet on a very slippery slope that ends with my eating peanut butter cups all day, every day.

4. I did not get my computer today. You remember...the one I ordered on September 26th? The one that I led me to "discussing" the matter with the head of the tech department since he did the ordering for those of us who purchased through the school? The tech. director who, when faced with my menopausal and utterly horrifying self, became scared? You remember him.

5. He is also the one who went on vacation this week. For the whole week.

6. That was the deal-breaker which led to Reason #3.

7. The fatigue and slight tickle in my throat is a very bad omen. I know this feeling. It is a Pre-Monkey Pox feeling. And what I call, "Monkey Pox" is bad. In medical circles it is commonly known as pneumonia. I do not care for pneumonia or Monkey Pox. We are crossing our fingers that this rather familiar feeling is merely seasonal and maybe due to a chocolate deficiency. Since I usually only get The Pox in the spring, I like to believe that I have every reason to be hopeful.

8. The community in which I teach does not celebrate Halloween. Instead, they have adopted Beggar's Night. This is a sort of alternative kind of holiday that some towns in the states like to toss into the mix on October 30th. The little ones don't even know when "real" Halloween is. The older ones that I teach do know and are willing to travel to other towns where holidays are celebrated in their proper order. And thus they will be trick or treating for two nights instead of one. They are, shall we say, "excited." And highly challenging to educate. They will probably not bring me any peanut butter cups either.


And this is why I had waffles for dinner. Four of them. They were of the whole wheat variety so I suppose there were one or two redeeming qualities. Frankly, I don't care if they had such qualities or not. I wanted waffles.

Meh...let's talk about knitting.

Kath and Debbie asked a question about my version of The Harlot Scarf and how I did the floofy crocheted thingies on the ends.

See those floofies?

They aren't a part of the original pattern. I got all "designer" on it. When I made the first of these scarves last year, I intended them to be gifts for women. But they looked a bit plain to me. Nothing wrong with that...but I needed more. At first, I put a fringe on. That looked nice and one of those fringed beauties went to a school secretary. But, I yearned for something even more. So, I dug deep and found my inner crocheter. I've since put this little bit of floofiness on several scarves and it always adds a nice touch. It is also very, very easy.

After casting off, I reattach the yarn and do a single crochet, chain three in the corner. I then attach that chain with a single crochet to any reasonable point. The Harlot pattern has these little ridges so that seemed logical place. I then chain three more and work to the end attaching the chains at evenly spaced intervals. At the edge, I chain five, turn and work back across, attaching the chains into the single crochets from the first row. I continue in this manner increasing by two chains at the end of the row. I fasten off with a slip stitch when I have enough floofies or can take no more.

The length of the chains and the amount by which they are increased each row is really determined by the yarn and the scarf. A finer yarn may look better with a longer starting chain. There is no real math involved. I just do what looks nice. Or, if not nice, then floofy. Floofy is what I'm going for.

And there you go! The Sheep's alternative to fringes: Floofies. Tah-dah!!!!!!!

And now I must be off. I have a great deal of self-pity and inner loathing in which to engage over the peanut butter cups and waffles. Then I will probably sublimate my guilt through the consumption of ice cream and head off to bed. I may even knit a little bit in between courses if time permits. And my energy level...

Waffles are really, really good for capping off an otherwise yucky day. But they really weigh you down. They are not floofy.

SA