Georgie woke up singing this song this morning. We’ve been on a Foreigner kick lately. We had been talking about them for awhile – did we have their greatest hits? Why didn’t we have their greatest hits? And then one day last week or so I got in the car and noticed that the little snowflake was on next to the temperature gauge and all of a sudden “Cold As Ice” came on the radio! I thought what a funny coincidence! We were just talking about Foreigner and now it’s cold and here’s the song! DUH. Silly me! Georgie had bought the CD and set up the radio so when I turned the car on it would fill with those beginning piano chords. He’s so goofy!
Today didn’t start out so good. I was feeling physcially better, but kind of anxious. Can I confess something? December was beyond awful. I spent every day terrified about Georgie’s illness and anxiety doesn’t even begin to slice it. But, and this is a really big but, it was also something of a relief to have something REAL to be anxious about. And it wasn’t about me. A lot of the time I spend in my head making up stuff to be freaked out about and feel out of control about and when there is something tangible to ACTUALLY FREAK OUT about with GOOD REASON, well, in all honesty, that’s kind of a relief for me. Does that make sense? Because I’d rather panic every day for the rest of my life than have Georgie be sick. I hope I’m making sense.
Anyway. I was feeling kind of bad this morning. Anxiety bad. And still a little physcially bad but mostly anxiety bad so I finished up some work then I decided to run again. Tomorrow is supposed to be BRUTALLY cold around here (maybe not as cold at Zeneedle Land, but still, high of 16, windchills in the negative numbers – that’s pretty freaking cold) so I thought if I want to run again this week I better do it today. So I did. And I felt SO much better after. I came in the house and wrote my run down on the calendar and realized that I have run three days a week since the first week of January. Four weeks down! YAY!
I also got a great email from a very happy client. Also YAY!
And early this morning I split up the fronts and back on CPH:
Still loving the project – mainly because I’m loving the Beaverslide! (Worsted Weight, Huckleberry Heather.) I’m thinking I might still knit the fronts and back at the same time. I’ll have to keep track of some things a bit more, but it might be nice to turn those cables all at the same time. We’ll see. We’re going away week after next (Palo Alto peeps! I’m coming out there!) and G keeps saying it’s going to be cold and I’d love to have the sweater done by then, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. I can be fast, but not that fast. Maybe I’ll finish it out there. I haven’t tackled the math yet, but I think I’ve got a handle on what needs to be done. Thanks for all the offers of help. And for all the cheering up. I really appreciate it. This day is definitely looking better.
Tomorrow the weather here will be warmer than yours…wow! We might break the freezing mark today….albeit short lived.
Your sweater is looking great and I’m totally in love with the color.
I should have had you sing…that would bring the sun out (or break the vase of flowers on my desk);-)
you are coming to the bay area?? it’s only 50 out right now…FREEZING! 😉
I get the anxiety thing. The sweater looks great. And speaking of goofy, sometimes I go to this blog and keep refreshing to watch the pictures change cause they are so nice to look at on a grey day.
Hope you have a great time out here. If you have a minute, you can check out the LYS where I work (Nine Rubies Knitting in San Mateo). It’s a great shop.
Wow. I really understand what you mean about having something real to worry about so that you don’t have to make up stuff. I do that and I didn’t even know it until I just read what you wrote. Wow.
Don’t rush it, girl – you can knit it on the plane! Plus, the blue yarn is perfect for Project Spectrum 🙂
Hope you are feeling better. I am ready for the freezing tomorrow – the high is supposed to be like 20 degrees or something with rushing winds… handknits!
Hey! I’m in Marin (North Bay)! Holla if you wanna grab a cuppa (decaf).
Congrats on the consistent exercise. Gold stars for you!!!
Does anyone know what happened to the Knotty Girls (Jen and La)??? Apparently their domain name was hijacked again (it happened last year too). Just sending a shout out to blogland that I miss them and hope they’re back online soon.
And I signed up for Rockin Sock Club 2007 because your pictures are GORGEOUS. I’m almost done with my first pair of Jaywalkers…I can undertand why you have a bunch of them!
I completely understand the whole “it’s better to have a reason to be anxious” sort of phenomenon. For me, lately, it’s been that it’s better for me to have a reason be upset, rather than just crying for “no reason” (I realize it’s hormones and all that but it’s still really disconcerting!)
I understand the anxiety thing entirely. I often feel panicky for no good reason, and it is a relief when there is a reason. And I would gladly stand the panic if it could keep my husband healthy.
The CPH looks great! The yarn is perfect for the cables.
Have fun in the South Bay!
Teehee….you said beaverslide
Ah! When I think of Foreigner, I think of going to American Legion dances with my friend’s grandmother. We were the youngest people there by at least 40 years, except for the band who played a lot of Foreigner covers. I learned to dance to Hot Blooded…and I knew…he was singing to ME! Thanks for the laugh!
It’s the Magical Thinking theory. (At least that’s what my shrink told me). I worry about everything and magically! None of that happens. Something that never occurred to me does.
I hope that your and G’s health issues are all minor from here on out!
CPH is looking good.
I totally get what you are saying. I worry all the time too and sometimes I seriously stress about things that are out of my control. So since I’m always worrying about something anyways, when there is actually a real problem I feel sort of less anxious about all my worrying. Lovin the Beaverslide by the way! I wish I had ordered some a couple months ago when I first wanted it because now I have to be poor for a couple of years and can’t buy more yarn till the poorness is over 🙂
now I have cold as ice stuck in my head, but just the beginning!
I think you’re still going through some PTSD after December (who wouldn’t), I bet the running and spending time with G in Cali will help.
I don’t often talk about my secret love of Foreigner. Don’t tell anyone that I admitted to it.
CPH looks great, and the pattern looks wonderfully comfy.
I’ll be in Palo Alto this weekend. I moved away 10 yrs ago and I love visiting, but I don’t miss living there. If you like cake, go to Prolific Oven in downtown PA. The best cakes ever. I sometimes bring one back with me…
I hope your feeling a bit better now….stress and anxiety are no fun for sure!
CPH is coming along famously!!!
Ugh, the worries (that’s what we call them, among other not-so-publishworthy names). I try to think about something I’m looking forward to, and think about all the details, make lists in my mind of what I’m going to do, how I’m going to do it, what I have to do before I do it, etc.
The narrowing of the focus helps with the perspective. Hope the clouds start lifting too.
And, yeah, I’m near where you are and it is starting to be *rather* chilly!
I completely understand the anxiety. I get what I call “phantom pains” sometimes. They occur all over my body, but mostly restricted to my arms and legs, and they don’t seem to be linked to anything physical, yet they are very real (sometimes they hurt a lot and sometimes not so much). My doctor speculated that they are stress related (but didn’t test for anything – gee, thanks a lot!) (I know it doesn’t make any difference me saying this but I’ll say it anyway) like my father says, there’s no use worrying about things you can’t change because there is nothing you can do about them. Worry about the things you can change instead. 🙂
I know what you mean. You’re just extremly creative and smart-so your mind needs to be busy, very busy. Manufactured worries real as they are, take alot out of us. When something “real” comes along, it’s pretty easy to drop the weight-there’s the relief. OMG, am I making sense? Hope you get plenty of time to finish that gorgeous sweater in CA. Have fun!
Hi Cara, This has nothing to do with your entry today, but I was wondering if you could point me to the best (easiest) directions for how you knit two socks on one circular needle. It looks like Magic Loop, which I can do. But there seem to be lots of tutorials on the internet, and I just don’t know which would be best. How do you do it? I’m tired of the second sock thing, and want to speed up! I have lots of STR to get through this year before I can buy more!
Whenever you get a chance….Thanks!
I haven’t even THOUGHT about Foreigner in a long while. Now, cold as ice is stuck in my head.
Thanks for nothing.
😉
I identify with what you have written about anxiety. I know just what you mean about having something real to cause anxiety. While it can be a relief, I also believe that the anxiety is even stronger in these situations than in those who do not already have anxiety problems. I don’t know if that makes sense the way I have written it, but it does in my mind. I hope that regular exercise continues for you. I know that it has helped me with anxiety some. It hasn’t been a cure, but has helped to take off some of the edge and a bit of the excess.
Indeedy. Running takes the edge off. I’m loving the color of your CPH. I’m not a blue girl, but that color makes me think twice. I was also wondering if you had any Springsteen photo books, and if so, which ones?
Are you coming out here for the AT&T pro-am at Pebble Beach? It’s been cold (20-40’s in the mornings and nights) and then mid- 60’s during the day here in Steinbeck country.
Your latest post (and many others) have really hit home with me in regards to the anxiety. I won’t fill this comment up with my LONG story, but just know that I do have one. There is an awesome book that has changed my life. The Feeling Good Handbook by David d. Burns, M.D. It based on cognitive therapy and is readily available at Amazon.com. He also had another book, When Panic Attacks; I haven’t read this one yet-but I hear it’s just as good and uses the same principles. I realize I’m a stranger giving unsolicited advice, and normally wouldn’t do that, but this book is a life changer!!
That makes SO MUCH sense. 🙂 Seriously, what is with the anxiety? I swear mine has been getting worse…I can’t…or really really don’t want to…leave the house sometimes.
I LOVE Foreigner!
Dude. Waiting For A Girl Like You. Best. Song. Ever.
Okay, so Bruce had some best songs ever too, but still. If I can get a French guy to sing this to me in his very silly accent, it must be THAT GOOD. Iffen ya know what I mean 😉
I live near Palo Alto, and it hasn’t been too bad this week. Hopefully it will continue to improve!
Glad your run made you feel better. You’re right – it’s infinitely better to be worried than to have him actually be sick.
My very wise GP told me that after any series of life shaking events, there`s always a reaction. Your mind needs to crawl away into itself for a while to recover, not to get landed with more stress. Events to focus on are good for this (not too stressful events!) because your mind stops whizzing round like a hamster on speed and concentrates on what`s in front of you.
Good luck with whatever it was and speedy recovery. Then afterwards, think SMALL for a while! Otherwise you`ll be on the dried frog pills washed down with pink gin before you know it.
Sent the family back to the mainland today & got to catch up on your blog! How does one seal windows? DD 3 needs to know this up in Milwaukee!
I do so enjoy your blog! I am inspired to knit more than ever…on my 2nd pair of socks right now.
Keep blogging!
geraldine
First of all… I love your blog! Your pictures are amazing. I just bought a Nikon SLR camera and your photos are inspiring to me.
I have a question about an older post…the Chance Log Cabin. Maybe I’m being too particular. My first number was 9, so I cast on 9 sts. The next number was 10, so I did my 10 ridges, no problem, then I did the bind off. Now, I’m picking up along the side to start the next color. I have the 1 last stitch on my needle after the bind off. Do I pick up 10 stitches, for a total of 11… or should I pick up 9 and have 10 total?
The total of 11 looks better, but I don’t want to run into problems later if the extra stitch makes the block a bit wide.
Thanks for all you do. It’s always a pleasure to come and visit your blog!
Yeah for the running! I must get my butt going too. Yes, I will.
Hey – that little snowflake on your car temp gauge…that is on mine too! I just noticed it the same day…lots of freezing nights out here in Northern Ca.
If you go North to Wine Country – MUSE Yarn and Arts in St. Helena, around the corner adjacent to Napa Valley Roasters…Michelle the owner and her husbands paintings adorn the walls…sit, sip and stitch.
won’t you see things my way! great, it’s in my head now. 😉
I am glad the run helped! 🙂 Also, CPH looks so so so great in that yarn. Yum Beaverslide (heh heh heh)! 😉
[My DH has really bad anxiety problems, panic attacks, etc. I don’t, but going through various things with him I have learned that it’s very much a day-by-day thing and I wish I could take the anxiety away from everyone who has to deal with it! ]
So glad your run helped. Exercise always does that for me too, and yet it’s often difficult to get my ass out the door! How is that? 🙂
CPH looks just fantastic, and I get excited about knitting myself a sweater from that yarn every time you show it.
(And hey, if you plan on making it down to Monterey when you’re out here, let me know! We have a fabbo aquarium and some of the most restful and beautiful landscape there is.)
ok, ok, I’m convinced. I’ve gotta get me some of that Beaverslide. That sweater is freakin’ gorgeous.
Have a great trip.
Don’t let the Californians trick you, by East Coast standards it’s positively spring out here! 46* this morning, and it hasn’t had a chance to warm up yet.
I also wanted to add that I’ve done the “refresh trick too, just to see the headings change.
It never fails to cheer me up a little!
Take care,
When I get stressed, exercise makes me feel so much better. There have been times these last few months that I’m pretty sure karate is the only thing holding me together. I’m sorry our cold weather is hitting you guys too, but it’s good to sit and knit by (in front of the tv or fireplace is my favorite).
Glad to hear you are feeling better!
The weather out here in Northern California has been beautiful – sunny and dry, cool but not freezing. Hopefully it will hold for your trip out our way.
Way to go on the running, Cara!