Just another Monday

It's just another Monday. Nothing too exciting has been going on. I finished the Oriel Lace Scarf, just need to block it, and then I'll post pictures. I'm knitting the gauge swatch for the sweater. Let's see how much it lies!
The car is running so much better, what with the new computer and all. Of course, running at all would be better than what it was doing before, which was not running!
Friday was the last day of the spring meet at Keeneland, but we all have to work on Derby Day, too. It kind of makes me laugh, that 20,000 people come out to Keeneland on Derby, to watch TV.
I really don't have much to post about today. I'm spending the day with my nephew, Thomas. He's still sleeping right now, so our day together hasn't started yet. I think that we will play outside, probably in the dirt!

Just when you think that you're getting ahead...

Just when I thought that I was getting ahead, putting away extra money in the bank, I find out from the mechanic that it will cost $400 to get my car fixed. Evidently, the computer died. Didn't even know that a '93 Sable HAD a computer, but whatever. I'm looking at the bright (well, the less depressing anyway) side: at least this happened while I'm working, it's a fixable problem, I had a really good week at work last week so I can afford to get it fixed now. It's just frustrating, to have to pay out that much money, when I just put it in the bank.
I ordered the rest of the yarn and the needles that I need to make the sweater. I don't want to give too much of it away, just in case I fail miserably at this endeavor. If you never hear about this sweater again, forget that I ever brought it up. You can assume that it is buried in a bottom drawer, and it made me a quivering heap of dejection and weeping. But, maybe, I will rock this out and you will have to hear about it FOREVER!
By the way, I hope that you like the new look of the blog. I decided that I wanted to change a few things, which turned into changing some other things, which turned into changing the look of the whole thing! I also took off some of my personal info; I figured that the entire American interwebs didn't need to know my real name! That's right, I fully expect the entire American interwebs to be reading my blog, any day now. Really, they're coming. Really. (Actually, if the 3 of you that do read this would make all of your friends read this, then perhaps my plan of total interwebs domination would have a chance of succeeding!)

Rainy days are made for knitting

It's Monday, and I'm off work, and of course it's raining! I guess I'll spend the day knitting instead of running errands. I've cast on the lace socks, and I just received the laceweight that I ordered, so... maybe that might get cast on too! I highly recommend the seller at Fearless Fibers, on etsy.com. Super fast delivery and the yarn was even more gorgeous than it looked online. Can't wait to wind it up and get it on the needles!
This weekend was just as great at work as the beginning of the week. Great customers all weekend, good money, good times with coworkers, just all in all a GREAT week at work! i'm kind of sad that it will be ending this coming Friday; now I see why Turf Catering has such a high return employee rate every meet. I'm seriously considering coming back in October for the fall meet, if I have a job that will allow me to do that. I created a Facebook page for all of us that work together, so that we can stay in touch after the meet is over. If you're on Facebook, find us in the Lexington Kentucky Room - Keeneland group.
I should probably clean the house today, so that I can spend all day tomorrow relaxing. But I think that we all know that I might get some housework done today, but I'll save the majority of it for tomorrow!
I'm going to make some coffee and do some knitting, and perhaps get some clothes in the wash. Maybe unload the dishwasher. Or wind up some laceweight into balls.

Thank God it's Friday!

I've had a pretty good week so far. Work has been fantastic; I've had great customers and the money has been great too.
Wednesday I waited on a group of folks that were from the Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival. If you find yourself in southeastern Kentucky for Memorial Day weekend, I highly recommend going to the Mountain Laurel Festival in Pineville, Kentucky. It is being run by the nicest group of people that I've ever met. They were an absolute joy to take care, very polite and courteous, well-mannered and I think that they were truly happy to be at Keeneland that day. I made really good money from them, but that wasn't the reason that I enjoyed them so much. (Okay, not the only reason!) They were absolutely wonderful to take of, and I hope that they had as much fun spending the day with me as I did with them.
Today I had another group that I also really liked. They were with Credit Solutions, and they were a ball to have in today. They all were betting on the horses, enjoying the beautiful day and each other's company. It's having customers like these two groups that remind me of why I have always loved the restaurant business. It's good to have customers like this, especially when you wonder why the hell you're doing this for a living. Sometimes it's good to be a part of someone's special occasion, even if you're only the person delivering drinks.
I really needed this reminder this week, after last weekend. Last weekend had me questioning why in the world I would willingly do this for a living. You would think that on the 2 biggest days of the spring meet, the Maker's Mark Mile on Friday and the Bluegrass Stakes Day on Saturday, I would have had a fantastic time and made tons of money. On the contrary, I left work both days feeling angry and overworked and totally underpaid. Those two days, when our dining room was filled with big wigs and high rollers and whatnot, I made jack crap. I made more this past Wednesday, from small-town, nice, polite, regular people, than I did taking care of the hoi polloi. I went to bed last Saturday night wondering if I was even going to go back to work this week. I'm so glad that this week has gone so fantastically well. It's been a real self-esteem booster. It's confirmed my belief that I am a good server and it was the customers' fault last weekend that I didn't make any money.
Hopefully, this Saturday and Sunday will go as well as the first part of the week. The only downside is that I haven't had much time for knitting, because I'm so tired! I have several projects that are on the drawing board and as soon as I get some time to myself when I'm not exhausted, I will be casting on some KNITTING. I'm using all caps because the next project that I'm tackling is a sweater, for me. That's right; I'm making clothes. I've got the pattern, the yarn (I think I have enough), all I need is one particular circular needle (knitpicks.com here I come!), and some free time and I'm making a sweater. Yep. I'm going to do it. Just as soon as I can read the pattern and not hyperventilate.

(By the way, I sold a bottle of Dom Perignon today! Yep, I sold a $200 bottle of champagne!)

Monday, what a lovely day

Seriously, it's a dreary day here in Nicholasville. Cloudy skies, it's threatening rain, perfect day for drinking coffee and knitting. I will work on the lace scarf today; my goal is to complete at least one full repeat of the pattern. I also want to cast on the lace socks with the lovely souvenir yarn that I brought home from Gatlinburg.
Work is going good. I must say that I have a beautiful view from my dining room at Keeneland. The room overlooks the track, right at the start/finish line. It doesn't suck at all.
I'm off today, and I should be cleaning the house and doing laundry. The dishwasher is running right now, so I'm well on my way to having a clean house before Donnie gets home this afternoon.
Easter was fantastic! Thomas had a fun time, and we had fun watching him play outside with his bubble mower. I love being able to spend time with my family.
It's time to start knitting for the day. I could probably dust, too, and pass the vacuum, but there's always tomorrow!

Socks, finished

I finished the socks that I've been working on! And just in time, too, because it's 35 degrees outside! It's April 7th and it's barely above freezing. It's ridiculous, I tell you.

I'm pleased with the socks, even though the toes are different. I was running out of yarn towards the end of the second sock, and I had to join the leftover yarn from the first sock. The colorway varigation didn't match up. But they look cute anyway, and they are very cozy and warm.

This past weekend was my first weekend working at Keeneland. I'm waiting tables in the Lexington Kentucky room, on the 4th floor. It's nice, and so far I'm enjoying it. I'm working with a great group of people, most of whom have worked there before. The money is good, and it's pretty easy work. No food service, since it's all buffet on the fourth floor. I just schlep drinks and bread pudding, and clear plates. It was tough though, since I haven't been working, and my feet HURT! It should get better as it goes along.

I'm enjoying two days off before going back to work on Wednesday. I've got to clean the house, do some laundry, and maybe get some knitting done.