O. M. G.

Holy smokes, I didn't realize that I'd been incommunicado, or in absensia, or incognito, or in deep s**t, or in whatever for so long!  Time for a quick catchup, I suppose, so here's the list, in no particular order:

1. The trip to the coast was great.  My seminars were good; I got to catch up with some old friends; and the weather was good.  ToolMan and I had a lovely dinner with one of the local judges and his wife which we really enjoyed. 
2. We probably won't be travelling anymore for quite awhile.  We can't leave Andy with a kennel because of his diabetes, and it's just too difficult to travel with him.  Any change in his routine or environment is just too stressful for him since he's become blind and deaf; it just throws his blood sugar way out of whack, and it's just too stressful on him and on us.
3. We bought a new digital video camera before the beach trip.  He tried to take some video, but with Andy's leash on one hand and the camera in the other, it's more than just a little jerky. 
4. I finished the short row scarf at the seminar and donated it to the BSD Project.  I have some more things planned to knit for this, but I'm working on something for myself right now.  I also cleaned out my stash and gave a big bag of yarn for the BSD Project. 
5. I'm working on a seamless sweater for myself, using EZ's Percentage System.  I'm going back to Elizabeth's writings on knitting and designing.  I'm hoping she'll spark the answers to some things I've had rolling around my head for the last few months.
6. The Secret Knitting still can't be revealed.  The original plan was to spill the beans in October, but that didn't work out.  Best laid plans and all that.
7. I'm still watching DWTS and have no idea who's going to win.  Jennifer has been wonderful through the whole season; Kyle is such fun and so energetic; Bristol has finally found her confidence and has worked really hard.  Who's going to capture the mirror ball trophy?  Your guess is as good as mine.
8. Work is going fine; I'm glad to be back in litigation.  I like working with the young attorneys and having the opportunity to mentor them.  I'm changing some of the office procedures, and in some cases creating protocols.  And I'm doing the ex parte appearances several times each week; that's always been something I enjoy.
9. ToolMan and I have been on diets since the first of July.  Nothing too stringent; just cutting down on carbs, watching the portion size, and eating salads nearly every day.  We've both managed to drop quite a few pounds; he's lost about 40 pounds and I've lost nearly 30.  Enough that we've both had to buy more pants, which is a very good thing!  Still lots more to go, but we're determined to reach our goals, sooner or later.
10. ToolMan delivered some of his shawl pins to Cindy for sale at Urban Fiber Works.  She's thrilled to have them in her shop, and we're thrilled for her to offer them.  I'm planning on going through my stash and possibly offering some of my handspun in her shop as well.
11. Next weekend is the Surprise Stash Sale at Blue Moon Fiber Arts.  ToolMan and I are planning on going over in the morning to have breakfast at the Scappoose Creek Inn before the sale.   Maybe we can figure out the new digital camera before then.

I think that's pretty much caught you up on what we've been up to.  Now that I have the laptop and internet access at work, I'm going to try doing shorter posts more frequently.  Maybe just a short paragraph or two several times a week.  I blog in my head all the time; I just need to get it out of my head and onto the 'net.  In the meantime, I'll see you in the funny papers.