Still a secret. Also, still moving.

Which applies both to my Pal spoiler, and - for y'all - of what she sent me. I'm moving, folks. Don't expect me to know where my USB camera cable is.

Rest assured, it's a package of awesomeness. My response was so great, I don't want to give anything away until I can show you. Let's just say there was a ton more non-itchy goodness - all of which I love! - and I'll do my level best to fill in the blanks in a Sunday Evening Post.

Yes, this week. Hush.

As you may have gathered by the time stamp, I'm already on "vacation." While I hate using scare quotes onscreen, it's the only way to express my mild frustration that my week off work will be filled with packing and boxes and moving and cleaning and unpacking.

I say mild because I've actually gotten past a lot of my stress about it. Things have gone better this week, and I finished everything at work that I possibly could without having to do any of it today.

Plus, my I Scarcely Deserve a BFF this F*&$ing Awesome BFF Caety is still heading in this evening to help, despite having a cold of yuck. My I Don't Mind Your Clutter but I'm Glad For You That You're Fixing It pal Amy will join in tomorrow for moral support. And my It May Take Me A Lot to Get Started but Once I Do I Rock husband...well...read his title there.

Many thanks to the others of you who've offered good wishes and more. Particularly Jenny, who offered more than once to help pack. Rather than horrify those of you who have never been exposed to the Plum Texan/TechieBK House of Clutter, I will try to have the locals over for a knit-in sometime soon, once we've remedied the situation.

My 15-minute break is over. Back to packing! See you on the flip side of the 16-foot truck.

Update of little import.

The packing for the move, she continues apace. At, erm, a-pace much higher than I was expecting. *ducks* Today especially, I made a handful of accomplishments that gave me back a bit of pride in the whole process.

The sick, she has greatly abated. I don't feel like passing out...don't even feel dizzy...and I can *almost* hear normally again. Unfortunately, as per usual, the congestion in the chest area continues to be pretty heavy (the nose, thankfully, is minor). I still have a touch of that ugly cough that I always get with bronchitis. (If you've known me in person for any considerable length, you know the one.)

Not much else has changed; I'd love to have more to say, but you know, I'm knitting the same things (well, I started another basketweave dishcloth), doing the same things, working the same, not feeling much different. I did have quite a bit of fun holding up a wall in a laser tag bout with the work peeps on Friday, and the hanging out shooting the breeze after. Today, there was Yum Yum Cha and a bit of Amy's company, too.

The only bit of excitement is that I ordered some yarn...for my Secret Pal. I still don't want to give away too much in case she's sleuthing, even though the end of this round is the same day as my move. But rest assured: it's pretty, and (unlike the last yarn I gave her) it's something I'd be able to use myself.

This week holds a ton more SSDW*, but also: Thanksgiving with my folks, a trip to the Twisted Yarns sale (wherein I shall likely purchase more Claudia...or maybe more Cotton Stria), and a party at my boss's house (which promises to be hardcore good times). I am positively dying to start new lace, yet resisting heartily due to all the other projects (like MOVING) I have to handle. I think it will be Tuscany, when I get a Round Tuit.

Enough of my rambling! I am up way past my bedtime and really tired of boring the hell out of everyone. Since many of you will likely be out of touch later this week, I wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving with as much good food and as little family drama as possible.

OK, one more thing. I just realized that I have no idea if anyone who's in a place that doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving (or celebrates it at another time) is in my tiny legion of readers. So: if you're not in the U.S., please leave a comment and let me know who and where you are. Thanks, and...happy fourth week of November!

*SSDW = same sh!t, different week. Akin to SSDD, "same sh!t, different day."

Title about being sick here.

Sorry, y'all - that's practically all I've got today. I have to save up a bit of energy for house/packing stuff, since the cold that's been creeping up with me chose today to wallop me full-force. There's just never a good time for this.

I also have to maintain some strength for dinner tonight, as my BFF Caety is in town, her birthday is on Monday, and we're hitting the Melting Pot to celebrate. I was excited until I woke up feeling like I was carrying bags of water behind my nose. (I know...disturbing, but not *too* gross, I hope.)

In other birthday news, happy happy to David, whose fiber festival attendance I am again envying...next year, it will be Rhinebeck AND Kid 'n' Ewe, I swear.

And I'm off...with a weak promise to try not to make Short and Pointless Saturday a habit.

Excuses, excuses

Except that I'm not going to make any. I had a long and tiring - but very enjoyable - day out at the quilt show yesterday, and then a long day of running around randomly and helping Amy warm up her new house a little. No photos today - it's late, I'm exhausted, and I only just got rid of a three-day headache* - but a bit of good news.

Our realtor informed us that we have passed the potential new landlord's credit check. We weren't too worried about this, but we know that these can be squirrelly. All that's left now is the rental history check, but we're trying to take confidence in our impeccable rental histories. By tomorrow, we very much hope to have word that we have a new home (as of Nov. 30, anyway).

In an attempt to be happy and relaxed, I am in complete denial about how much really has to be done before then, and am just trying to do it. Not much else I *can* do about it, really.

Though perhaps getting more/better sleep would help. Fingers crossed.

Out of the depths

Oh dear. I did not realize that it had been quite so long, so mired in stress and tired have I been. And be warned: this hand-to-forehead style will likely continue post-long, so look away now if you're the eye-rolling sort. Unfortunately, I've had such a long, painful, on-and-off crappy week that I am invoking the My Blog Dammit rule.

But since I also really love to give mad props to people who do things to improve my day...many thanks to my Secret Pal, who gave me a big thrill when I came home (following dinner with Amy, who is MOVING BACK TO HOUSTON TOMORROW, and TechieBK) to a package from Amazon. This I tore open with abandon (so much abandon that I almost paper-cut myself to death) to discover something that, in part, resembled this:

I got a little excited. I may have squeed. I may, in fact, have said "Shut UP!" a couple of times. I know, I still didn't post pictures of her previous gifts, for which I was also quite grateful...SP, please forgive the picture-less-ness, but rest assured that I am overjoyed! Thank you!

I don't much wish to recap the stress (now, don't all of you sigh in relief at once), but there's half a chance that the Sunday Evening Post will resume this week, and that I will tell you a little about Dim Sum Lisa's wedding and the rest of Jet's visit. There may even be a report on tomorrow's trip to the Quilt Show. And pictures. Maybe. Just a few.

I swear I'm not trying to cop out in advance. I can also report that I've done several rows of the Red Shawl Dammit and a couple on the Emergency Dishcloth. It's something, isn't it?

When my eyes begin to cross of their own accord, I think it's time to wrap up...but not before I wish Amy good luck tomorrow with the MOVING BACK TO HOUSTON. Have a fabulous weekend, y'all.