Word of the Day: stagflation I refuse to believe it's been so long since I've updated. It's felt like only a few days. First off, let me start with work. As of, I think, 15 August, we are no longer a Holiday Inn. The only thing I had to say about that was, 'Gor, finally.' Ever since I started there, four looooooong years ago, we'd been in danger of losing the flag. And so, now I just don't care. Really, what does it matter if we're a Holiday Inn or some different franchise? Holiday Inn's standards are so damn high and specific, it's nearly impossible for a building as old at ours to make it through an inspection. Well, it doesn't help that our owner's a cheap, stingy man who won't do what's necessary to keep the building up. Any road, since we're out of the reservation system, we've had out occupancy drop. It was so slow these past two Sundays that I've knit practically all day with hardly an interruption. Of course, they're also cutting hours to compensate for lack of revenue. They're looking for a different franchise, so they say, but we'll find out how true the story is come, say, October. That should give them enough time to find something and at lease tell the employees about it. I've been having sort of odd dreams lately. I had a dream consisting of me and random Naruto characters at a school, ending with Neji questioning Shino and Gaara about their loyalties [for some reason, he wasn't bothered about me at the moment]. I also had a dream about my father again. He disapproved and disallowed my knitting habit [and really, this is something he would do]. We were on a small island with my mother and a few other random people, and I'd knit in corners and while he was at work and things. There was someone who was helping me out, leading me to places where I could knit and giving me encouragement. I was sure after I woke up that it was some fictional character [just like I was pretty sure that my mother would tell me something ridiculous about my father when I saw her yesterday], but it took me forever for me to figure out who exactly. I thought it might have been someone from Harry Potter, but apparently I don't dream about anyone except Snape, and it's usually me crushing on him when he's young and still in school. So it wasn't Snape. Then I thought it might be someone in Naruto, but it wasn't a kid, it was definitely someone who was grown up. Since most of the Naruto cast is under the age of sixteen, I ruled them all out. I thought he might have been from Trigun, but I would have felt much sadder, I think, if it were Woolfwood or Vash, and would have stopped knitting to hug either of them. So finally, after ruling all of these fictional sources out, I realized that he was the Monarch, one of the main characters from my quickly developing [and hopefully eventual first novel] NaNoWriMo story. I was so excited when I realized who it was. I can't believe I love this story so much that I'm dreaming about it. The feeling even overshadowed the ominousness of dreaming of my father. I just thought I'd mention that. And speaking of knitting, look!!!!!! That's my Thermal after one ball of yarn. It's about four or five inches long, or maybe less, I don't really remember. I was so happy, though. This was taken yesterday, I think. It's after about ten inches and halfway through the third ball. I don't know why the bottom ribbing is so damned wonky, that's never happened to me before. This is a slightly fuzzy close up of the waffle stitch pattern. And now, to leave with some pretty random pictures of my whack son: After dismantling the couch, he passed out. Three generations: My mommy, me, and my babeh. I don't even know. And finally, since I just can't wait to show them off any longer, the set I sent to Sarah: Blanket, cabled hat, and kimono-style jacket-sweater. I freaking love that little hat, that's my favorite out of everything I've knit. PS. I tried three times to resize the insanely huuuuge pictures, but try as I might, the internet doesn't listen to me. Sorry. PSS. Nevermind about the pictures. They resized themselves.