Monday, October 12, 2009

That Warm, Happy Feeling

I was late getting my classroom set up for this school year. I'd planned to go in two weeks before the first day, get everything done and then have the last week of vacation free. The best laid plans are often thwarted by the weather...

With temperatures well into the 90's, I knew I couldn't spend even an hour in my third floor classroom. The very idea of moving desks and whatnot in that kind of heat made me wilt. I waited and did it the following week.

When I arrived at school to begin this dreaded task, I made a point of stopping in to see the school secretaries. They are nice to me and a bright point in my otherwise dreary working day. Only one secretary was in, though. That was OK. She made up for the lack of greetings in stereo by coming around the counter and hugging me like a long lost child. Mrs. Secretary At The Front Desk and I are kind of like kindred spirits. She "gets" me. The first time I casually tossed out a movie line that fit the circumstances if not the company, she knew exactly what I was trying to say. Not many people do and I cherish the folks who don't look at me like I missed the morning medication rounds.

She is also very well-versed in the art of zombie lore. Not quite as well as I. At the risk of sounding pompous, I think I can claim to be something of an expert in that area. But she is darned close to thinking at my level and always willing to learn more. She is on the short list for Sheepish Annie's A Team when the dreaded zombie apocalypse arrives.

Sometimes she sends me articles about zombie ants that she found on the internet. She keeps me up to date on things like zombie parties and fun zombie games. And sometimes she even brings in a movie she's found on the clearance racks that she knows will tickle my zombie-hating fancy.

Not many teachers can claim to have been loaned a copy of Planet Terror while administering the state achievement tests. But I can. And I feel that I am a better person for having a school secretary in my life who knows that long weekends are meant for movie exchanges with like-minded co-workers.

I'm a lucky woman...

Movie watching is also quite good for knitting. Even better for knitting is the change from unbearably hot to surprisingly chilly temperatures. I am always surprised by how motivated a knitter can become when suffering from frozen toes. And fingers. And everything else.

Sure, the interwebs may chuckle. I don't blame the interwebs. I'd laugh too were I on the other side of the monitor. The yarn-based intentions were enough to elicit some giggles, but the very thought of me making up a pattern on the fly should have had everyone laughing until summer temperatures return to my corner of the globe. It's funny.




But I'm not laughing now. My self-designed hot water bottle cozy was finished in a nick of time and has proven invaluable as the mercury drops.


I probably should have just used one of the billion available patterns to make this, but you know how I am when I get a bee in my bonnet. Sometimes I just have to prove I can do it. Even if I can't.

Thankfully, this time I could because my toes are really, really cold. Essentially, I wanted a thin covering with little in the way of lumpiness. The idea wasn't to insulate the bottle, rather to give it a snuggly quality. I also didn't think that knitted cable or seed stitch impressions on the various parts of my body where this thing will be held would be all that attractive. When one is already using a hot water bottle, one is perilously close to looking a bit matronly anyway. It's best to not add further divots to the skin. The bit of ruffling at the top was probably overcompensation on my part after all that plain stockinette. But I'm keeping it. A few ruffles never hurt anyone...

In fact, I like my hot water bottle cozy so much that I might just include it in the backpack when the time comes to flee the approaching zombie hordes. Packing light doesn't mean you have to give up every creature comfort, does it? I'm still not sure, but bringing my new cozy along is on the table for discussion.

I'm going to school early tomorrow to see how the school secretary feels about it. I'll get back to you.

SA

10 comments:

Teri S. said...

Did you hear that one of the universities (I think it was U. of FL) removed The Zombie Survival Guide from their emergency preparedness site? Or rather, the guide showed up rather unexpectedly and then they removed it. For shame! Don't they care about the safety of their faculty, staff, and students?

sheep#100 said...

I thought about you this morning, you and yout hot water bottle cozy, because it was so danged cold in our house. Took me ages to warm up. Especially the nose/toes/fingers.

Bet you have some toasty hoofs at night with such a spiffy H2O cover to cuddle.

April said...

Sheepie, that is a lovely hot water bottle cozy, I am way impressed.

Hey, am I on your school picture distribution list? This one I've got staring at me right now is kinda old.

Anonymous said...

It's actually very cute! :)

mia

Karen said...

I love your hot water bottle cozy! It is both attractive and functional. Excellent job.

Donna Lee said...

I'd definitely pack the hot water bottle in the backpack. Cold toes are nothing to play around with! (My toes are always cold). And in a last resort, we could fill it with explosives and make a bomb out if it.......

Cursing Mama said...

Oh I think you should keep the hot water bottle with you - it can provide warmth if you are without heat and it can provide water if you are thirsty - being multipurpose is essential in packing light.

Anonymous said...

You are probably well aware of the site at http://sockzombie.com But if not, you should check it out. Here is a paragraph from the first page:

Indisputably the best place on the internet to meet your sock zombie needs. You might be asking yourself, “Wait, what’s a sock zombie and why do I need one?” A sock zombie is a zombie doll made completely from socks. It’s better than an ACTUAL zombie in so many ways! I mean, can you put an ACTUAL zombie in your backpack? Sure. But just that one time. Sock zombies are available in a wide-range of sizes and colors and phases of decay. I don’t want to sound preachy, but experts agree—bringing a sock zombie into your home is really the best way to ensure you’ll be around after the zombie apocalypse. You should buy three or four right now, just as insurance.

Elizabeth said...

I love it!!!!! Did you, by any chance, take notes while you were creating this cozy? I've been collecting patterns, but most of them are too bulky. Yours looks like just the thing.

And I just want to say thank you for your blog! You make me laugh out loud. I may have snorted this morning, while reading about your chocolatey interaction with the principal.

Ronni said...

I love your hot water bottle cosy!