Stress and stress fractures

Phew. Things are a bit crazy right now. Got back from work travel, threw a dyeing party complete with crack dip, went back to work and sorted through a week's worth of e-mail, and I paid a little visit to the doctor. Turns out I have stress fractures in my second and third metatarsals. Bleh. Stupid foot bones. But I thought I blew out tendons. At least my bones will heal without having to cut me open. No more soda - more milk!

This weekend my sis gets married, and after that life might slow down a bit....unless a job lead comes through, and then it will get crazy again - but in a good way. I'm hoping to get pictures from Mexico up (Yes, I know that trip was a month ago!) and maybe some wedding pics too, once I get back. Plus, there will be massive yarn dyeing. Well, maybe not massive, but semi-significant. Dyeing with the gals got me thinking about colors.

Busy Busy Bee

Getting set to head off to San Diego for work. San Diego will be lovely, but I will be spending most of my daylight hours inside a hotel meeting room. Boo! Steve-o was going to come along, but he needs to save his vacation days for med school interviews (fingers and toes crossed). I actually went to San Diego a few years ago with my friends Lisa and Jen. The strangest part was that the sun set over the ocean. Being an east coast gal, I had to keep remembering that when looking at the water, north was actually on my right, not my left. It was strange to have to flip the way I was used to orienting myself. But I liked it, because I always had trouble getting up early to see sunrises over the ocean on the east coast, but enjoying a fosty beverage while watching the sun set over on the west coast was much more my speed!

After I get back, I'm hosting a dye party for some knitters, where I will try and pass on my limited dye knowledge to 8 ladies without getting dye all over myself...and them. And then it's onto my sister's wedding. My younger sis is getting hitched! Whoo-hoo! Open bar. Gosh, I sound like a lush today. Actually, it will be nice to see the fam, particularly my nephews who grow at an amazing rate.

Sooner or later, I'll get the pictures from Mexico up and accessible. Until then, I am keeping my fingers crossed on a job opportunity and trying to think up my username for Ravelry....and a business name, in case I ever start selling all this yarn I dye.

Back from paradise

Ah, 8 days in the Yucatan. Divine. Extensive pictures and play by play will be composed and sent to interested folks, and some photos will end up here, but here's the short version.

Vacation is good. Okay, that was the really really short version. But seriously, I love the ocean. Very soothing. The hurricane damage was nearly non-existent. We couldn't get on the beach at the Tulum ruins because they had it blocked off due to shifting sands form the hurricane, but that was the only weather-related snafu. As one taxi driver commented - hurricanes could be bad, but that was the price you paid to live in paradise. He was actually form the pacific coast of Mexico, but moved to the eastern side 12 years ago and hasn't left. One night I got quite sick (which didn't happen at all on my last trip) because I ate spinach on my pizza...at least that's what I'm tracing it to. Luckily, it was short-lived and besides being short on sleep the next day, I was non the worse.

The people in Mexico were lovely as always. As shop owners are want to do, they often try to get you into their shops with clever witty little statements.
Examples include:
"Come on in, my stuff is practically free"
"At least give me the chance to rip you off," and
"Hey honeymooners!" If you reply that you aren't honeymooners, they respond with the ever-classic "Just practicing?"

On our last trip, we were offered "a blanket for your mother in law." When I responded that I did not yet have a mother-in-law, they must have heard something quite different, since they replied with "How about a machete, then." Oh dear! This time Steve-o was offered a whip by a man selling cowboy hats, with the comment - "Buddy, a whip?...for tonight maybe?" Hey, at least they keep you laughing!

The weather was a bit too hot, and next time we'd go later in the year, or even in their high season if we had the cash. But the water was warm, the margaritas were cheap, and the chance to take a siesta mid-day was a great change. They seem to frown upon me taking naps at my desk at work. Humph.

We drove a golf cart, went to a turtle farm, swam in a cenote, saw some ruins and a ton of iguanas, shopped for liquor and hung out by the ocean, of course. It was sad to have to leave it all, but I missed my own bed, and my own kitty. Though Mexico had plenty of strays that I kept in salmon treats. Now that I'm back, I'm ready for another vacation!