What does a knitter do when they have a cast on their left thumb/hand/arm?

No knitting that's for sure. It's even difficult to type on the computer. Why do I have a cast on my left limb, you ask? If you have been reading my blog on a regular basis- you might have noticed that I mentioned that I did have an injured left thumb/tendon/etc.?

Well, I saw the hand surgeon in the states on Monday and he put me in the cast and I have to keep it on 100% 24/7 for a week-- and then, on the second week, I'll be able to take it off a couple times a day for 5 minutes.. (one of those times will be used to take a shower-I can guarantee it). The third week, I'll be able to take it off for an hour at a time for a couple of times a day... then, I'll go and see the doctor again to see what the next steps of medical care will be. The other options are: cortisone shots and/or surgery. Of course, I'm hoping that the cast isolation will do the trick and I won't have to do anything else- other than keep it in a brace for continued recovery?

Anyway, I am already tired of the cast and it seems to make me notice the pain in my thumb area even more... since, it's isolated. Or maybe that's my imagination?

Here are some more Grand Canyon photos. Enjoy.

If only it was that easy....

An ad that I saw in 'Little India' in Singapore... or was it in Bali? No, I'm sure it was in Singapore... I think?

That's what happens when you don't post your photos immediately after you go somewhere... hee hee


And, on the knitting front....
It's actually a pretty deep red.


I knitted this on the plane ride from Korea to AMERICA. It's knitted out of baby alpaca from Peru, purchased in Seoul, South Korea, and knitted while going over the International Date Line.

It's a gift for a fellow knitter's mom who is undergoing CHEMO. A group of other knitters on a knitting website: Knittinghelps.com are making knitted items to send to her.

And look closely at this hat... it was almost an international incident that might have stopped knitting needles being allowed on planes. Oh NO! WHY? WHAT HAPPENED? All good questions, "Grasshopper."

Well, if you don't know how to knit... you usually knit a hat using 4 or 5 double pointed (sharp on both ends for the non-knitters) needles. I happen to use wooden needles made out of bamboo. They are about 8 inches in length and a little thinner than a pencil.

Well, there I was... knitting along on the hat and I had about an inch knitted- or the ribbing that is closest to the ears... when, suddenly... one of my knitting needles bounced out of my hand, ricocheted and hit the arm rest, bounced up and hit the window, and then flew over the seat to an unknown location 'somewhere a row or two behind me'.... I immediately shifted my knees so that I could stuff my yarn and knitting into that little magazine, safety poster pouch right in front of my knees.

AND,I kept my eyes forward, giving no indication that I was the 'reason' for the flying sharp projectile. I also listened for sounds of: "OOOWCH" "Something flew into the air and landed my eye!"

I could just see the headlines... International injury caused by flying sharpened projectile wooden object over International waters... just hours before crossing the International Date Line. Investigation is on-going in this International incident.
Updates at eleven.

This has never happened, to me, anywhere else... and despite it all... it was quite funny- and when it happened, all I wanted to do was "LAUGH"... but, I had to hold it in. I waited about 20 minutes and when no one emitted a blood curdling scream of pain, I started knitting again. My seatmate slept almost the entire way- and when we arrived at the gate in San Francisco, I told him about it- so, he could help me sort of 'look' for the needle. He couldn't help it-- but, laughed out loud for a few minutes when I described my accidental flying knitting needle. We didn't see it under our seat or the seat/floor behind us... who knows where it landed. I'm just glad that it wasn't in an eyeball.

Last day/night in Korea

It's 8:30pm and I'm in the hotel room. It is time to see if ALL of the 'items' will fit into the 2 suitcases and of course now you have to also consider... will the suitcases be overweight or not-- since, they have lowered the weight allowances?

I am only taking a medium sized suitcase that I will check and a carry-on size that I will take on the plane with me. It will have all the cameras, electronic gizmos and all their attachments/chargers/etc., dvds, jewelry (not about to put anything like that in the checked bag), books and magazines for reading entertainment, and of course some knitting for the plane ride. I wish that this suitcase was a little bigger... because, I only have half of what needs to go into it - in it... and I can tell that I need more room.

I am so tired... and for the first time... I am 'almost' (notice that I said: ALMOST) ready to get on that forever and a day flight to the states- because, if I'm on that plane... it means that I don't have to do any errands for about 30+ hours.

I have been using my change, both won and USA coins for the past 2 weeks. I was amazed at how much I had accumulated. I tend to just use the bills to pay for items and dump the coins in the bottom of my backpack or purse. I also had a ceramic bowl, in my apartment, that I would store coins in too. So, that had made my daily 'bag' pretty heavy. I do think that I've used most of the coins though.

I'm sorry that I haven't been able to use the computer to update my blog the past several days--- I've just been too busy to even get on the computer. The taxi company that serves the military base population has been on strike for weeks and I've had to walk everywhere. I don't mind walking, even though it's hot, but... mostly it's just a time sucker to have to walk everywhere to do the 'get ready to leave' errands/etc. I have to turn in paperwork, do shopping/etc. when I get finished teaching- and that only leaves me with an hour before the military offices and post-offices close for the day.

Once again, thanks for visiting my blog. I'll update when I get to the states. I'm very excited about getting to see the Grand Canyon for the first time this summer.

My bags are packed

Ok, truthfully, as it stands... there is no way that I'll be getting on any plane with all the stuff that I have in my hotel room. I have items to mail, items to give away, and a whole lot of stuff to 'sort though'..

I will be leaving on a jet plane... in a week. I'm Crossing fingers hoping that I'll get a plane with the video screens in every seat... because, I'm telling ya... those forever and a day flights take a long, long time to end. I do have my portable DVD player as a back up 'entertainment' option. I usually read, knit, and watch videos... and the videos come in handy... especially in hour 9 of the flight that seems to never end... because, I am one of those people that CAN NOT sleep on a plane.

The movers did manage to get my household goods packed up and put in the sea crates... Ok, they forgot to pack an oscillating fan and my newly purchased micro-wave from the blog entry: the fire that was and wasn't...

and let me just say this..

I now know that I have a lot more stuff than I thought I had... that's what happens when you have it all stored away... doesn't look like so much until you see all those boxes everywhere.. Maybe a couple of times every year.. I should just drag everything out of the closets, shelves, and other storage containers/etc. so, I can actually 'see' the stuff.

I am using the 'pay for the Internet' at the hotel... and the server isn't as fast as what I had at my apartment... and as a result, I couldn't download photos on this blog entry.

Call the cops.. I think someone stole my snowman..

Now, I realize that 'that' statement isn't one that you expect to hear in 'oh, I don't know.. the month of JUNE??'


Yes, I do know that winter is long gone... and I know that this cute little snowman that I adored and hauled all the way home on 2 subway transfers... (along w/ the other stuff that I bought) should have been put up long, long ago... but, he was just so cute greeting me at the door when I came home and the fact that I'd forget about him after I walked into the apartment has no bearing whatsoever on forgetting to bring him indoors. Nope, none at all.


Even if he did contrast badly with the spring tulips hanging in a basket on my door.. Hey, who says you can't straddle two seasons at once... "OK, 3 seasons at once."

But, anyway... I came home and he was no longer standing guard in his corner... I'm not happy about it...



But, then again... maybe one of my two Korean neighbors (who do not speak English or to me at all) took it... because, it grated on their last nerve one time too many as they stood waiting for the elevator? AND, maybe they thought that I had already moved out and left it behind? After all, the delivery truck did pick up my storage items yesterday???

Either that... or my snowman ran away to the Swiss Alps where there is snow year round? Maybe it finally got so hot that he melted? Or in my staying up too late doing endless, endless things for packing... and it's to the point that I don't know what I'm doing... and I forgot that I brought my snowman in the apartment last night?? *Truthfully, I don't think it's that- I've been putting all the holiday stuff in the guest bathroom (in the tub out of the way) and he is not there... I've looked 3x in the past 15 minutes... hoping, that he'd be there. And another clue? My snowman mat and the tulip flower basket was still on the door. Le sigh...

What I think is that one of my 2 neighbors took the snowman... saw the movers yesterday and maybe they just thought that I had moved out??? And, thought he was up for grabs.


So, I did the only thing that someone who speaks only English could do to put up a 'lost and found' poster for a missing (and maybe sort of stolen) snowman for the neighbors that only speak Korean...


I was just reminded that I had bought other cute little stuffed snowmen (wreath, free standing snowman very much like this little guy) etc. were stolen by workers at the storage facility when I moved to Italy 4 years ago. Sigh..


Which reminds me... it's time to start doing more stuff... the movers come in 14 hours.... sigh.. (it' might be an all nighter folks)

Drum roll please.....

The winner of the 'iwouldratherbeknitting' giveaway of 'items found and no longer needed or wanted' while getting ready to move... from one foreign country to another foreign country is...

May 25, 2008 8:25 PM
hodgepodgespv said...
you better get to where you can load your pictures soon...i love traveling with you! sandy in texas. spvaughan in ravelry


You will get SOMETHING knit related in the mail soon... I'll try to get mailed this week... I have movers coming on MONDAY (in less than 11 hours for me and some of those 11 hours should really be spent sleeping)... and WED. I'll work on TUE, Thur and Fri. I don't have a car now.. (it's been shipped to Germany) and I'll see if I can get the box mailed by FRIDAY.. if not, I will mail it next week when things are less hetic.

Silly me, forgot to mention... I can't mail it until I get a mailing address from the winner!! Send me an email at: knitknitknit2007@yahoo.com


It's so bad.. that since my car has already been shipped, I've got to figure out a way to get from my apartment to the hotel w/ all my stuff.. on WED .. I'll also have some left-over food that would be good during a hotel stay of a week, my suitcase, paperwork that still hasn't been done (the bane of my existance), etc. It's a little complicated because the 'base taxi's are on strike'...

SO, anyway.. she posted on the May 25th blog entry: Greetings from Singapore

Congratulations hodgepodgespv and thank you to all that entered the contest by leaving comments on my blog...

AND DID YOU NOTICE THE BIG, BIG number of visitors on my blog? WOW! I know that it's really more than the number that shows.. because, I didn't know about getting a counter thingy for my blog for quite awhile.