Uncle Leona's Day Camp

Well, I made the decision

And it's plaster.

Actually, it's Venetian Plaster from Home Depot...basically really thick latex paint that you trowel on the wall. I got two coats on today, and I'll have to put the sealer on later this week. It looks pretty cool--the photo doesn't show much.

Next: the floor. This may have to wait until I can open windows--I got some adhesive loosener stuff that basically announces your impending death on its label if you don't have adequate ventilation.

We won't see temperatures out of the 90's all week long. The floor may have to wait.

There is a difference between 60 and 300 watts

Today's bathroom improvement job was to install the light fixture. I had been working in there with only a 60 watt overhead bulb...it was time for illumination. Thanks to Dad's help (he wouldn't let me do it myself...he worries), the fixture is up and gorgeous:

Sadly, after three 100 watt bulbs were put into the light, my walls showed me a little surprise:

It's amazing what an extra 240 watts of illumination will do. So, either I sand some more, or just plaster the walls and make things all rustic. Never a dull moment.

I like the plaster idea--it hides a multitude of flaws (I've used it before with really neat results). We'll see how inspired I get.

I am the blog slug...koo koo ka choo

It has been a while since I've updated all that is going on at the Casa de Leona. I've been a little busy...so shoot me. Here's the latest dirt, not necessarily in any coherent order:

1. The Job
I was supposed to interview with the Cleveland West suburban practice dude from the Cleveland Clinic today, but he postponed things until next week. I'm working on a deal which will merge my practice with an existing one (the one next door to me would be perfect) so that I can rid myself of the burden of running the thing. I gave solo practice five years; it isn't getting any easier, and the money is getting worse. That, and I'm tired of working every other weekend; it puts a serious damper on my social life. So, I wait another week and build up even more charm.
(Cassie, the nurses have no idea this is going on, so don't say ANYTHING!)

2. The Social Life
No news. He's still around. We're still flirting. I'm still heading to Michigan for the Fiber Festival and staying overnight in Grand Rapids next month. Stay tuned.

3. The Bathroom
Well, the disco wallpaper is gone. A moment of silence was observed. The painting is now completed:

I still have to tear up the remainder of the second layer of vinyl that I discovered under the first (it was in harvest gold as well...ugh, ugh, and more ugh...some people have absolutely no taste), but I'm waiting until my asthma stops asthma-ing. Reminder to self: don't ever tear out vinyl without taking your antihistamine first. Live and learn. The bathtub insert is also on order, and should be here in a month or so. That gives me plenty of time to get the floor put in. Maybe I'll even get the new toilet put in, too. Depends on my level of inspiration, I guess.

4. The Knitting
First of all, one of the guys who posts on my little internet golf board liked the LeBron headcover and asked me to make him one for UCLA. Here's the result:

For that evening's work, I pocketed $20. Only had to buy the blue yarn. Hopefully, he'll want one for his driver in the near future.

I did fringe Charlotte II, but the fence shot was never taken. She is now draped over a storage bin (a nice one) under a Canada goose floral basket up on Kelleys Island. She looks absolutely perfect up there. I'll try to remember a camera the next time I head up there.

I also have started up on what may be the last summer item of 2006. I had some Crayon yarn from Knit Picks in Ikealand, so I took a pretty generic pullover pattern and went to work. Here's the back:

And a close-up:

Yes, it is the color of Pepto Bismol. It's amazingly soft cotton, though, and very lightweight. Should wake up the kiddies when I wear it to work.

5. The Indians
They suck. But I am going to Dollar Hot Dog Night tonight, so the season isn't a total loss. And Browns training camp starts tomorrow. Hope springs eternal once again.

I love a project you can finish during a baseball game

While sitting on the couch this evening, I started and finished this little present for my 5 wood.

It's my own personal thank you to LeBron James for signing his contract extension. Go Cavs!

Photo evidence

The blocking is underway:

The colors still don't look right, but I'm sure it'll look better in the obligate wooden fence photo later.

Also, I came home from work today to find this in the front door:

Sirdar Denim DK and a pattern for it. Sadly, the stud didn't fit in the box, I guess.

Blocking and Fringing

That's all that's left for Charlotte Part Deux. I just finished up the crocheting here in the office at lunchtime today--have I ever mentioned how much I love to crochet?

That's probably because I hate to crochet.

Turns out that the skein of Koigu I purchased on my way home from Pittsburgh (a fun trip, by the way) was the same color as I already had in the project. Duh. I rummaged through one of my baskets o'yarn at home and located a rogue skein that worked perfectly! Serendipity, thy name is Leona. Then, when none of the skeins with any volume left looked any good as an edging, the extra skein that I had purchased wound up doing the job.

Once again, I'm living right.

I'll get pictures posted once I get home. I'm hopeful that Kato won't pee on the thing when it's getting blocked.

As for the trip to Pittsburgh, we really had a nice time. The weather was great, the golf was reasonable (especially the second day), and the food and drink were top notch. I really like that city, even if the Steelers do play there. It's very pretty with all those rivers and bridges, and the people are extremely friendly. Of course, I didn't tell anyone where I was from...no point starting anything.

This weekend, while I wait for the beeper to go off, I will be working on redoing my bathroom. The sink and vanity are now out; the giant medicine cabinet should be out tonight. This weekend, it's wall time. I also managed to find a really sweet mirror at Ikea on the way home from the 'Burgh. This one:

Not bad for $16.99, huh? I also made out on a towel rack, a shelf, a toilet paper holder, and some art cards with frames. Left there about $36 poorer. That may be my cheapest trip to Ikea ever.

Anyhow, the goal this weekend is to turn this:

into a lovely clean painted wall (a pale pinky mauvey shade). Shouldn't be too difficult.

Then I tear out the floor...and the toilet. I have Bob Vila on speed dial.

The first post from not Cleveland

After whatever many years, I'm posting from somewhere other than Westlake, Ohio, USA. I'm presently in a hotel room in Pittsburgh watching MSNBC's retrospective on those nitwit computer sex predators who fall into their trap. High entertainment, to be sure.

Actually, I'm here in the final hours of my golf vacation in Pennsylvania. My friend and I had a great time--I actually shot 100 today, which is about as good as I have shot in a loooooong time. Couldn't putt for crap, but the rest of the game was reasonable. The weather was spectacular--that's half of the battle whenever you plan one of these outings. Sadly, it's back to work Monday. Ugh.

I'm hoping I may be able to locate a local knitting shop around these parts that's open tomorrow. The Koigu I have for the last color change on Charlotte just doesn't cut it--it's too obscenely bright.

I know. I'm complaining about something bright. There's a rift in the universe somewhere.

Here's to the one day work week!

Well, it isn't exactly a one day week; I am on call until Thursday morning. And the day on Wednesday ought to be a killer. But between the holiday and my golf outing this coming weekend, I will be spending plenty of time bumming around the house this week. A little lawn work, a little laundry, a little vegetating in the pool...not bad. I just need to make sure the beeper doesn't wind up on the bottom of the pool.

Don't laugh. I've done that. It also wound up in a bowl of potato salad years ago. There has to be some Freudian thing going on there.

Today, Mother Nature forced my vegetation inside, so the knitting ensued. I did wind up frogging the blue thing. I hated it. So that yarn is back in Ikealand where I don't have to look at it, and five skeins that had been languishing on the bottom shelf for a year or so were pulled out. Here's the progress:

Yep, it's Charlotte II. The picture sucks a bit--the yarns really have a lot more green in them. I'm into color #3, and it's moving along relatively quickly (I did have to rip out three rows after I realized I jumped colors early, but that only took about an hour and a half to fix). As usual, I have no need for a shawl, but the yarn needed to be used, and I was tiring of cotton.

The cotton has Grady completely spent.