Well, it seems I do have a version of Steve’s cold. I’ve been hearing other people talk about it too. It starts out like bad allergies and then you end up bedridden. I can’t say I’m exactly bedridden…but you know it’s bad when I almost don’t want to knit.
I got groceries today – we were out of three staples: applesauce, yogurt and peanut butter. Ben cannot live without any of those three. He cried at breakfast when he asked for yogurt and I told him we were out. Since I’m not feeling well, we won’t be going to playgroup tomorrow, which is usually followed by our weekly grocery shopping. I decided we’d just go today and be done with it.
Then our vacuum cleaner has been on the fritz. It is an old Electrolux – the Silverado – and the power wand has a short in it that makes it go on and off while you’re using it. Not my idea of a picnic. I took it to Omaha to this place that sets up a booth at the state fair every year. I talked to the service guy over the phone, and though he said he wouldn’t be there when I was able to bring it to them, he did give me an idea of what it sounded like the problem was. And since I couldn’t wait while they repaired it, someone from their store is going to Lincoln tomorrow so they’ll be delivering the repaired vacuum to me then. Talk about quick service and going the extra mile!
They showed me what a new brush looks like (for the power wand), of course. I told them I don’t have deep shag rugs or anything, and ours does look pretty good. The hose is getting old. I mean, it’s a vacuum from the 1980’s that I inherited from my grandparents, for goodness sake! When the service guy called me this evening, he said the psi was 70 – with a new hose it’s 90…when it gets down to about 40 is when they strongly recommend a new hose. A new hose costs around $100. They thought the motor on it sounded really good, which is good to know.
I was worried the whole thing would be kaput and I’d need to buy a new one. The repair guy said they replaced the wires on the power wand, and he took the hose end off another vacuum they had in the shop and used it to replace mine since the connection there was getting loose as well. The total came to a mere $42.78. Like I said, not having to wait for it for a week and then making another trip to Omaha isn’t all bad either! I can handle that.
Of course, no trip to Omaha is complete without a visit to the yarn store. I stopped by Personal Threads and bought some size 1 dpns to replace the set I have of five which is now four and at the moment cannot be located. Those socks I’m knitting have occasional cables. I always use smaller dpns as cable needles so I was using my darning needle as a cable needle which wasn’t working very well. I also bought a couple skeins of yarn to complement yarn I already have for a sweater for Joey which he has already outgrown if I made the size I have enough yarn for.
I had an interesting conversation with the yarn store owner about their new store and whether they’ll be holding sit ‘n knits or inviting high profile guest speakers like the Yarn Harlot or Annie Modesitt to events at their store. His answer was rather interesting. Basically he said they’re a store – not a clubhouse. Those types of events just aren’t their thing. I can respect that. He said they do have people on staff that can help you with a project you’re stuck on (unlike some yarn stores), and I think they do have a good inventory of nice yarn. Really, business owners have to figure out what they do best and do it – if being a “clubhouse” isn’t their style, it isn’t their style. Of the yarn stores in our area, it’s my favorite…so they must be doing something right.
So tomorrow we shall be staying at home and watching my little seedlings sprout. I noticed the first ones yesterday evening – and I took pictures – but I haven’t had the energy to download them for posting on my blog. They all look the same at this point so I really have no clue what is up and what isn’t. I did write down where I put things – and once theyr’e grown enough to move to the garden, I will be able to tell tomatoes from cabbage. Until then, though, I can only guess at what I see because I did not mark which side is “north” on my seed tray. La la la!
Oh, and the house is a mess! I don’t know if it is annoying me because I’m sick and annoyed at everything or if I simply haven’t had the energy to keep up with it like I usually do. I have a feeling it’s the latter, but self-doubt seems to spring forth in times like these. My desk still looks nice, though.
Now if I could just feel better…