Catch-up

Where to start.

There has been knitting.  A hat is done, more mittens are in progress, a sweater is Very Nearly Done, I am itching to cast on for any number of new things.  I have lots of ideas about using the Kauni Effekt yarn (with long striping sequences) - that may be its own blog post though.  I went to the Rochester Knitting Guild's monthly meeting tonight - I haven't gone in 4 or 5 years, they have switched spaces and now meet within walking distance of my house (!).  I serendipitously had put on my Lite Brite sweater this morning and it got a slew of compliments from the knitters.  Combined with a huge array of desserts that folks had brought - let's just say there was comfort food in my belly, comfort clothes on my body, and really comfortable people to be around - not a bad evening at all.

Sadly though, we had to say goodbye to my Clyde kitty the day after Thanksgiving.  He has been declining for a while now - losing weight (he used to be 17 or 18 pounds - he was down to 7 lbs on his last day), looking rather scraggly, and just not as perky as usual.  His kidneys were on their last legs, and while he was reasonably happy all along, we woke up Friday morning to a kitty in distress.  We took him in that day, and while they could have tried some IV fluid therapy and that would have probably made him feel a little better, it was a matter of time - and not much time at that.  His kidneys were down to "little nubs" (I believe that's the technical term that the vet used...) - they were just worn out.

Our other three kitties have been doing admirably at reorganizing themselves into a three-cat household.  The day after, Akasha (the three-legged wonder cat) crawled under the covers in exactly the same spot where Clyde usually checked in at night and in the morning.  She has not made a regular habit of it - but it was poignant for her to crawl in there on the first morning without Clyde.  Sweetie Pie kitty is becoming quite the bathroom buddy (as Clyde was), and Henry cat (the big rather brainless cat - while Clyde wasn't as honkin' huge, he was similar in temperament) is holding down the fort on my bed's down comforter.  Clyde is sorely missed - I had him for 15 years, and he was totally "my" cat.  he had the hugest feet with two extra toes on each front foot, and he just adored me.  But the three others are dears - and all fairly young so we won't be doing the old-pet thing for a good long while grin.

Lastly - skating.  I am SO excited.  The competitive season is around the corner - Sectionals are in March, and Adult Nationals in April.  Typically I go to Easterns as that's the section where I reside (there are three - Easterns, Midwesterns, and Pacific Coasts).  And typically the competitions have two "tracks" - the qualifying events - where the top 3 from each Section go on to the Championship round of that event at Nationals, and the non-qualifying events - where anyone can enter as long as they meet the test qualifications for whatever level they are entering. 

So - the exciting part is that Pacific Coasts will have a *figures* event in the non-qualifying part of the competition.  As in compulsory school figures - that's Tenley Albright in the photo on the left sidebar doing a patch loop.  The two figures being competed at my level are the one-foot eight, and a forward inside bracket to a backward outside bracket.  I am *beyond* excited. 

I need to decide whether I am going to submit a "change of home club" form to switch to a Pacific Coast figure skating club, and therefore buy myself the ability to skate in the qualifying round and make a rather unlikely bid for one of the three slots skating in the championship round at Nationals, or not bother and just skate in non-qualifying events.  I'd skate the same program - no worries there.  I have the form ready to go....typically, my rationale is "why not skate the qualifying round, it's there" but I'm not convinced it's worth the frenzy of changing home clubs etc.

I broke out my patch skates over the weekend (they have been sadly ignored since this summer) and - I have missed the patch time. 

The kids - Toby especially - are in their pre-Christmas/holiday frenzy.  This too shall pass ROFL.

Comments

[Justine]

sorry to hear about cylde kitty, that is always so hard. Hope the skating goes well.