Two unexpected days off in a row.

Block 7

Block "8"

For reasons I won't bore you with, I completely expected to work at least one day this weekend.  Luckily, democracy came to its senses and gave staff a weekend off before continuing its march through floor action.  I decided that due to the weather and my overall grumpiness with people who aren't cats, that I would stay home and quilt this weekend.  I would also watch Law and Order reruns, but that wasn't in the plan - just a happy coincidence that Tivo decided to tape some entertainment for me.  I love the Tivo, but I try to get all sophisticated with it and I tell it to tape Frontline and Nature.  I am in no mood to watch Frontline and Nature when I am spending the weekend locked in the house with a various number of cats. Luckily, Tivo sees through my desperate attempts at culture and records lots of Law and Order reruns for me.  Technology saves the day yet again.

But, I digress because the point of this post was to whine about waking up with a migraine headache.  It is hard to open the smelly cat food for the cat army while holding your head and insisting that everyone use their indoor voice.  Several hours on the couch with Sam, Scout, and then the Sam/Bob combo that we all know and love and I am ready to face the world in subtle, indirect lighting.  So, I finished up block 8 (I did block 7 yesterday but didn't want to get giddy and do a double post) and am ready for more abuse.  Block 8 isn't the block 8 that was designed in by the block-a-palooza.  They used applique. Not that I have anything against applique.  I love applique when it is done by someone who is not me, but I have mixed feelings about doing it myself and so modified block 2 to become block 8.

I'm going to download the directions for block 9, but I doubt I'll get to it tonight.  There is another cat asleep on me that probably should not be disturbed. Seriously, I'm envious of their little sleepy lives sometimes.

Snowed in.

Block 6

Here in my part of the Pacific Northwest, we don't respond well to snow.  Sure, there are always going to be those people who see snow and then get all excited and shout that they want more.  Those people are not commuters.  As for me, I dread the slow drive in to work knowing that at some point in time a person in a large truck or SUV is going to decide he can drive faster that me and demonstrates that by tailgaiting.  I enjoy the stress of trying to keep my speed up, trying not to spin out, and hoping that the guy behind me knows that no matter how great his four wheel drive vehicle is, it isn't going to stop on the glare ice.  I also learned that my car has a warning light to alert me when I am sliding.  This is useful, because nothing relieves the stress of avoiding sliding off a bridge or into another car like a bright red blinking dashboard light.  I like to multi-task as much as the next girl, but having to worry about all the above and then think, "oh, no, now there's something wrong with the car" doesn't help as much as the maker of my car would think.  After awhile I started shouting at it, "I know, you don't have to tell me!"  But, I made it to and from work for several days and have decided to spend this weekend at home quilting and trying not to develop a drinking problem.  Block 6 of the block-a-palooza is above, taken by the window with light reflected off the snow.  Flippin', flippin' snow.  

block a palooza

Block 5 

I'm now only one block behind and, of course, another one gets released tomorrow.  It's not futile, just very, very hard to keep caught up.  The good news for me is that my busy time at work might be over next week Monday.  It's all relative, but we are looking for minor victories at this point.

A lovely surprise.

Kona cotton!

I had almost forgotten that I participated in GenXQuilter's kona your world fabric exchange.  I sent a bunch of greens and pinks in and received these lovely fabrics in return.  You can click on the link to the right to see what I'm talking about with the exchange.

This is so fortuitous because I'll be using at least four of these in the block a palooza quilt along - cerise I'm really looking at you, you bright magenta thing you.  True story, my favorite crayon in the crayon box has been and always will be magenta.  I will accept no arguments in favor of the lesser colors.

Block A Palooza

You wouldn't know it from the picture, but the sides are a deep purple.

It's nice to finally have a day off and to get the chance to catch up on the block a palooza.  These are blocks 2 through 4.  I especially like the bottom one which I think turned out great and might be one I make again in a different color combination (maybe sometime soon?). Also on my day off from work, I roasted a chicken and put some meat away to add to soup.  We've reached the point in session where I have to start getting creative for lunch because I really can't eat any more Lean Cuisines.  Nothing against them, but I need to eat something that didn't originate in a box.  Which I just realized makes my soup plan slightly ironic because I'll be eating soup from a box.  Damn.  I hate it when my evil plans are thwarted by packaging.

Go Packers! WOOOOOO!

Block 1

Okay, I know the Superbowl was yesterday, but one doesn't get over having one's team win the Superbowl in just a day. It takes time.  Months.  It takes months.  So, yes, the Packers won the Superbowl and my people back in Wisconsin can enjoy the bliss of knowing the Lombardi trophy is home.

But, wait, isn't that a fuschia and purple extravaganza?  Why, yes, yes it is.  The bloggers block a palooza started a couple of weeks ago. They've released five blocks.  I'm four behind.  But, much like my beloved Packers we rise to adversity and stumble our way through until we emerge victorious.  Block 2 is my next foe.