My evening

Let me tell you about my evening. I had told Katie I would pick her up at school since we had planned a trip to the mall. As usual, I was running late at work, so I sent her a (garbled) text message to catch a ride home. Too late, the bus and her ride had already left. While trying to text her (I suck at it) I accidentally missed an important step in the assay I was setting up and had to re-set things and fix it before I could leave. Luckily, my lovely co-worker Ms. C stepped in and rescued me. I ended up only being 20 minutes late.

While on my way to the high school, my cell phone rings. It's Katie. "Where are you?" I tell her and hang up. Ten minutes later, ring. "Where are you?" I tell her and hang up. Five minutes later, repeat previous sequence. I finally get to within 50 feet of the entrance to the school, but a train is passing and all traffic is stopped. I can see where I want to go, but cannot get there. I toyed briefly with making my mini-van an off-road vehicle, but decided that the cop directing traffic would surely see me and I don't look good in an orange jumpsuit so I wait not-so-patiently.

I don't usually try and hit the mall, or anywhere other than the grocery store, on a week night, but we had a mission. Saturday is homecoming. The last two weekends Katie has gone shopping for a dress. I first told her she had to wear one she already had, but she begged and whined and pleaded and drove me insane about it, so I gave her a budget. Last weekend while shopping she found the dress and shoes she wanted. BUT......they were twice what her budget was. She succumbed to the pressure of her friends and whipped out Mama's debit card and bought them. I think she felt guilty about it, but she still tried to defend the purchase. I heard the usual. Everyone got a dress. Hmmm. So last night we went back to the mall and returned the dress and shoes, with absolutely no complaining from Katie. She really is a terrific kid. We could easily afford the dress and shoes, but the lesson she learned was more important. Sometimes you just have to think about things in a bigger way. Yes, we could have the dress and shoes, but in the bigger scheme of things, wouldn't that money be better spent elsewhere....... like saving for a car?

Anyway, we fight traffic to the mall, make our returns and head home. Being the super-mom that I am I pick up corn dogs from Sonic for the kids. Ahhh, the food of champions. Hey, they ate them with ketchup so that covered at least 3 food groups!

Finally, I sit down and pull out the new sweater pattern, the first yarn and the pattern. I carefully cast on, counting the stiches 3 times. I pay close attention to the tension so the stiches will be nice and even. The next step is to begin knitting the ribbing. Knit 2, purl 2, knit 2 purl 2.
Halfway down the row, Chris comes in. He wants to know how to get a hummingbird out of the garage. I put down the yarn and fill a new feeder for him to hang on the open garage door. Back to the knitting. I begin the second row.....but wait, my ribs don't line up! I rip it out and carefully start again. Chris comes back in. The hummingbird is buzzing all over in the roof of the garage chirping like crazy. It only knows how to fly up and won't come out. He tried scaring it out with a long stick but it only got more frantic. I told him to just leave it alone. It's dark now and it probably won't come out. We talk for alittle bit about whether a hummingbird would nest in a garage (no idea) and other such worldly tidbits. I knit some more and realize that I end with an odd number of stitches. Crap! I rip it out again. This time I pour a glass of wine, in an attempt to channel the Yarn Harlot, and try again. Knit 2, purl 2, knit 2, purl 2. Hey wait, Grey's Anatomy is on. Change the channel and settle in again. Knit 2, purl 2, Levi, give me back my yarn! The phone rings. Hello, this is your crdit card company wanting to send you a package of blah blah costs nothing blah blah Not Interested. Hang up. Knit 2 purl 2 knit argghhh! The ribs are not lining up again. Thats it. Back in the bag. I will deal with your ugly self tomorrow!

Maybe I should knit at work. It's much calmer there......