iPod Shuffle 06/01/07

Well, this iPod Shuffle list was supposed to be posted on Thurs 5/31 but it got busy over here and I didn't have time.

Busy weekend ahead. I have to get up early to help Mom with something on Saturday plus take M to Musical Lapsit at the library if I can swing it. Sunday is a visit with the in-laws.

It finally hit me that our escrow closes on Thurs 6/7!!!! NEXT THURSDAY!!!! That's not too far away!!!! I know we wrote down a date on our Offer Papers, I just couldn't remember when it was ... and no, I can't go check the papers cuz I'm lame. We've signed the Loan Papers. I was definitely somnambulistic during that meeting, it was a complete blur, sign here, initial there, what are we getting ourselves into again??? (Or maybe it's because I haven't been sleeping well lately)

Anyhowz, we get to walk-through our new house with our Realtor on Monday --- YAY!!! I want to make note of a few things so I can start making some plans. I really wish we had some sort of floor plan diagram showing where everything was situated and with the dimensions of each room.

Sometime Tues and/or Wed we have to get the cashiers checks for the down payment to the Title Company. We have a ballpark idea, but we're waiting to find out what the final number will be. It will be the down payment - $28,500 "earnest money" check (there's probably a proper name for this) + "mystery charges". Going through the list on the Loan Papers makes me think of my phone or cell phone bill, complete with mystery charges tacked on. We haven't figured out exactly how we're going to go about getting this together cuz it'll come from several places.

My Mom is helping out with $200,000 for the down payment. It runs in our family to help one's children with things like house buying. My Mom's siblings, who also grew up in Hong Kong, also helped their kids (my cousins) do the same.

I'm not sure where the remainder will come from. It was going to be a combination of savings and stocks. But since the stocks dropped, it might be some other combination ... more savings & less stock? all savings? I dunno. DH & I have been too busy to actually discuss it; he's also got a lot going on at work that is eating into his home time ... and poor guy, he has to do "homework" this weekend too, writing focals for all the people who report to him. I think he'll have to do it all on Saturday since we're going to visit the in-laws on Sunday. This also translates to me taking care of M full time on Saturday, so it's not really a "day off" for me either, no/little relaxing for me, my weekend is already completely gone.

Gosh, I wish we could insert a few extra days every other day between now and Thurs ... to have some extra free time. I really need more down time, I'm feeling really stressed about the whole house thing, and everything is just moving forward way faster than I had anticipated.

1. Heaven or hell - Alphaville
2. Fighter - Christina Aguilera
3. The Reflex - Duran Duran
4. The Jet Set - Alphaville
5. Morning Song - Jewel
6. Bizarre love triangle - New Order
7. Perfect Kiss - New Order
8. Diggin' on you - TLC
9. Sinfonie Nr. 5 B-dur 4. Allegro Vivace - Franz Schubert
10. Honey to a bee - Tina B

And the photos are daytime shots of my Utopia Hat. Color always comes out better in may daytime photos, as you can see by comparing this to my previous photo of the same hat. Pooh bear is modeling the hat so I can show you what the top looks like.

The nice thing about this type of cable pattern is that it is makes a nice stretchy fabric that will fit a wider range of head sizes.

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My Luna Moth Shawl went to Mom, she likes it and tells me it is warm. It amazes me that something "holey" can be warm. Anyhowz, she is now wondering whether I could knit one as a gift to one of her friends. I think she meant one shawl, but I know there could be one or two other people. Now I'm wondering when I will find time to knit her knit gifts and still manage to finish all my knit gifts.

I had also mentioned possibly using Adara for my Mom's vest. Well, Mom, being Mom, has changed her mind about the yarn. Not surprised there. It's not uncommon for her to think A, then later come back and say no, no, no, now I want B, and then later on come back and say no, no, no, I think C is a better idea.

Mom called me to let me know she thinks a solid color yarn would be better than a variegated one. She mumbled something about solids being better for the "elderly" (she's in her 70s). Then she suggested using the same yarn as the one for the shawl (Highland Wool). Well, there's a lot of colors for her to choose from!!! Now I just need to show her the HW shade cards and have her choose a color.

I am concerned about whether I can substitute Highland Wool for Lion Cotton. Will the vest come out too small using HW? I'm not sure how I could compensate for the difference.

HW gauge: 19 sts / 4 inches on US7
Lion Cotton gauge: 16 sts / 4 inches on US7
Pattern is knit with US7 needles

Perhaps I should knit the medium size vest instead of the small size vest? I dunno. Of course even if I were to use Lion Cotton, chances are still just as high that the vest will come out all wrong.

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I plan on typing up the patterns for the Miranda Scarf and the Utopia Hat soon, but probably not this weekend. I will try to take a better photo of the scarf (you already saw it here), in daylight, this weekend. I also plan on blocking my Georgiana Scarf too, which I've been meaning to do for ages, maybe I'll somehow get that done this weekend too.

Ack! It's almost half past midnight. Gotta go to bed. Hope this post is coherent...


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