Monday, May 25, 2009

Practice

I have two practice sessions before the actual "start" of summer vacation. With the end of school being delayed this year due to storm cancellations, I will have a great deal of time between my practice sessions and the genuine article, but I'm not thinking about that right now. It could lead to fits of depression and massive carb consumption.

The carb consumption is already happening. We don't need to add to the problem...

The first of my practice sessions occurs during the April break. The weather has warmed up a bit so it is kind of easy to see how the whole thing could work out should I be done with school for reals. Then there is Memorial Day Weekend. It is not as long as Spring Break, but the whole summer experience seems much closer and the weather is usually dead-on.

I had myself a truly wonderful three day weekend this year. After Friday's heat wave, I was ready for some cooler temps and Mother Nature obliged. With the exception of the aforementioned carb consumption, I really did get into the spirit of summer vacation.

I puttered. I tidied. I visited with family. I napped. I knit.



You are just going to have to trust me on this one. The Thing That Is Not A Sleeve has gotten longer. The fact that it doesn't look any longer is something upon which I shall not dwell. It would ruin my Practice Summer...



I even made a Dollar Store run. I don't necessarily do that every day during my summer vacation, but it is a handy place to stop for all those little gee-gaws and doo-dads that you need to be productive during the summer. I scored big with storage containers, cat toys, washcloths and band-aids for the first aid kit. I also happened to notice that they'd just gotten a huge lot of books and those of us willing to rummage through cardboard boxes could find some real gems.



Not the first knitting book I've found at the dollar store, mind you. But it is the biggest if that counts for anything.


I actually already own a longer version of this same book and many of the patterns are repeats in the Sheepish Library Of Things She Will Never Knit. However, there were a couple of new ones included in this edition and I figured that was worth the buck. Plus, I have absolutely no idea where the other one is and this is a sure-fire way to ensure that I will trip over it within the next 48 hours. That is just how these things work.

Summer, be it the practice version or the real one, also involves the yearly battle with the ants. Over the last few years the cute little ants that used to wander in have given way to gi-normous beasts who probably spend the day raiding the fridge and making lots of long distance calls while I am out. I spent part of today attempting to dissuade them from making this their summer vacation home with the liberal spraying of a vinegar, lemon and water mixture. (ants hate that stuff)

No ants have been seen since, but I anticipate the hate mail arriving sometime within the next week or so. I wouldn't be surprised to find that they've keyed my car either. I don't care. It will be worth it to not have gigantic, mutant ants crawling on my feet while I am enjoying summer vacation television viewing.

Yup. I think I've got it all down pat. This summer vacation thing is in the bag. The fans are set up, the schedule is working and I may have fooled the ants into moving on for a while. I am a master of summer vacationage!

Now I just need the actual vacation. And if anyone dares to mention that this is four weeks away, there will be heck to pay. I'm in a precariously balanced zone. It is a fragile state.

And it is not going to be pleasant seeing it shattered tomorrow morning when I have to get up and go back to school...

SA

11 comments:

Teri S. said...

I'm not going to mention that you still have 4 weeks of school. That would be just plain mean. At least you get the summer off. And lots of weeks during the school year. That never fails to make me jealous.

What's the ratio of ingredients in your ant spray? And where do you spray it? We've got a veritable army of tiny ants parading through out kitchen. Usually they stay on the counters, but they've graduated to the kitchen cabinets.

It's sad that the long weekend is ending.

Anonymous said...

We have had the tiny ants for several years. Since I find the sport of crushing the little buggers under my thumb to be quite a fun little exercise, I have not invested in any ant-repellent or ant-killer.

This year, however, the bigger, more vicious ants have apparently followed the trails of the little ones. These Big Guys I dispense with a clubbed fist. Quite fun, really. DH has taken a bit of the fun away by putting out ant killer, but it is not 100% effective so I continue to dispense the pests with well-placed blows.

Call me Killer and tremble at my approach.

=Tamar said...

Remember that ants leave a scent trail behind them, and the other ants follow it. If you wash it away, the followers lose the trail.
So wash those windowsills and door sills and anywhere else you think they may be coming in. (Then spray them for added vengefulness.)

Anonymous said...

sounds like a perfect long weekend - and thanks for the tip about the aunt spray!

Back to work for me tomorrow too... only six more short little years to retirement :)

mia

Anonymous said...

I hate the gi-normous ants! Vinegar, lemon, and water - how much of each? I'm going to have to try that!

sheep#100 said...

I hear you on the carb consumption. We ate out over this long weekend. Often.

I am actually looking forward to a nice fresh pile of greens at lunch time.

Knitting Linguist said...

You're clearly ready for vacation, whenever it may arrive. Getting rid of the ants is definitely an important step (I hate ants...). I hope you're stocking up on fun reading books, too!

Donna Lee said...

It sounds like you have the vacation thing down pat. I am very good at vacations. I have mad nap skills and can find something to eat and keep myself busy. Too bad I won't have the opportunity to use them for a long while.

Anonymous said...

Try a 50-50 mix of powdered Boraxo and plain white sugar. The sugar makes 'em think it's yummy, so they carry it home to momma. Then the boraxo does 'em in.



Gwyndolyn O'Shaughnessy

sophanne said...

I'm with Teri- this is the one time I don't have to be envious of your time off.

Summer Question Number One (#1)

Will there be notecards?

Lynne said...

I have four weeks until the winter break! But sine we never have snow in this part of the world, I will enjoy the cool temperatures with liberal doses of sunshine, I hope!

Enjoy your practice [weekends count too even if they're short ones!]