Say my name, say my name...

So every time I hear my last name it makes me want to hurl. Walking around with my soon to be ex-husbands last name is grossing me out. I need to change it, but I don't want to use my maiden name either. My maiden name (like from back when I was a fair maiden? What a stupid archaic thing to call it) is my father's last name and my mom and him split when I was a baby. He is total degenerate and I haven't seen or heard from him in over 15 years. When I was about to get married I was thrilled to get rid of that name, but I cannot stand to use my ex's name for much longer. When I give tours at work and I say my name it's hard to get out of my mouth. I stopped calling myself "Mrs." which was a weird feeling. Do I say Miss? I think that since I was married I am a "Ms." by default.
Anyway, I decided to use my mother's maiden name. It's a cute name and sounds very British. (Well, because it is. It reminds me of Miss Moneypenny from James Bond.) I have been digging around for my birth certificate and I hope that is enough to change my name. My concern is that I'd be changing my name to something I've never been called before, and I don't know if there are extra steps I have to take. Oh boy am I looking forward to fun filled day at the Social Security office! What a horrorshow that place is. I can't wait to get a new driver's license! I never thought I could feel so good, so soon after something that I thought was supposed to be traumatic.

I've returned from restructuring.

So, where have I been? I'm getting divorced. 
Rest of post deleted. TMI-8/18/13

Life is short.

post deleted. Divorce TMI 8/18/13

Wordful Wednesday

This was my last pack of cigarettes.

I've decided to quit smoking. I've done it before and I think this time it's going to stick. I started smoking around 4 years ago and I quit after getting sick last February. I was laid up in bed with a horrible virus and by the time I stopped puking, it had been 3 days since I had a cigarette, so I figured I quit. It was not hard for me to get over the initial quitting, but it was hard for me to stay quit. My husband smoked around me all the time and eventually, I caved. First it was one or two a week, then day, then I was back. I didn't start up again until July, so it's only been 8 months. Hopefully that helps. What I think is going to help the most is that this time, my husband is quitting. He decided to quit on his own, which is a positive thing because I know you can't quit til you're ready. We need the money. It costs between $400-$500 a month for a couple to smoke. That's fucking stupid.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVED smoking. I truly enjoyed it. I just like money more. So, it's been 9 hours and thirty two minutes since my last cigarette, and I feel fine. Mr. Fight and I decided we are going to treat ourselves with gifts equal to the amount of money we would have spent on cigarettes to keep us motivated at first. I'd say, "Wish me luck", but luck has nothing to do with it. I'm a tough cookie and I refuse to let something like cigarettes be the boss of me. I know I'm stronger than that.

For more Wordful Wednesday vist Angie at:

Give me your web address, url or whatever it's called!

Arrg. I just took a look for the first time at the person's blog who has the url (is that what it's called?) I wish I had. I was attempting to link to my blog and I accidentally put in fightorflight.blogspot.com and I finally saw the blog that uses that address. Mine is THEfightorflight.blogspot.com, because what I wanted was already taken. She hasn't posted anything to this blog and it hasn't been active since 2002. That doesn't sound that long ago, but how cow, it's seven years! I wish there was a way to get it from her, but I can't bear the thought of redoing my widgets anyway, so I guess it wasn't meant to be. It's too bad that inactive blogs with zero posts don't go back into the system at some point. Say, after six years.

New yarn...YUM

I went to the Kraemer Yarn Store today! Always fun! I love to shop there since they are so knowledgeable and helpful and always polite to newbies. I have never felt put off or intimidated to ask questions there. They have a clean, bright, well organized store, with an amazing discount bin of off-weight skeins! The purpose of my mission was to pick up a skein of Tatamy Tweed DK, in the taupe colorway. I am making Kathleen the One Skein Scarf from the Stitch 'n Bitch: The Happy Hooker book. The pattern is also available free from the Jo-Ann's website, so go forth and make one-skein scarves! It is the best pattern evar!

So I picked up a nice skein of the taupe color but soon noticed a discount bin calling my name. I saw that it was a full bin of the very yarn I was holding! The discount bin holds yarn that doesn't weigh quite what it should, either too little or...too much! Typically the Tatamy Tweed costs about $6, but the sale priced balls are $3.49! I found a sale priced skein of the exact color I needed and when I took it home it actually weighed in at 115 grams, or 1.15 skeins! For less than what I would have paid for 1 skein. Awesome!

Here is said yarn:

Tatamy Tweed DK, Taupe
(Look Kathleen, I got you one with a LABEL. Fancy!)

But of course I couldn't stop there.

Tatamy Tweed DK, It's a girl, $3.49

Weighing in at another amazing 110 grams or 1.1 skeins!

These next two balls came together:

Tatamy Tweed worsted, Navy Tweed

Weighing in at 71 grams, .71 of a skein!

Tatamy Tweed worsted, Flannel Tweed

This ball weighs in at 100 grams or a full skein!

This and the navy ball were $3.49 TOGETHER!

And I couldn't resist more of the black colorway, of which I already have some stashed:

Tatamy Tweed worsted, Black Tweed

Weighing in at 157 grams or over a skein and a half!

Did I mention it cost $3.49?

Ok, so I saved the best for last. Sitting all alone in the sale bin was this beautiful ball of Fountain Hill Brushed Mohair. Are you ready to hear what it cost? ONE DOLLAR. I took it home and weighed it and I was shocked. It was the deal of the day. A full skein of this yarn costs either $10 or $12 dollars and weighs 100 grams. This ball weighs 93 grams! For a DOLLAR.

Fountain Hill Brushed Mohair, Surf's Up!
93 grams!

I love new yarn! Sure it'd be nice to buy whatever I wanted at full price, but I got all that yarn for $14! The Tatamy Tweed is a dream to work with, it feels so cool and soft moving through your fingers. I like to make small things, too, so for me it works to have small quantities of stuff on hand. However, they also have beautiful bags of "sweater quantity" in the discount bin too, also for rediculous prices. Thank you Kraemer Yarns! I love you!

Stash bags, con't.

Remember a few posts back when I mentioned I was going to take the stash bags down to the tobacco store to see if they wanted to sell them? No dice. The guy was polite, but clearly not interested. He obviously liked them, because I could see him reacting as I was pulling them out of my bag. He seemed to like the rasta one the best as it warranted a smile.


Maybe he was feelin' irie. Then again, maybe not, since he basically told me where I could put them.

I'm a 21st century digital girl!

I got my laptop! Whoo-hoo! I had no clue how to use it for the first few days and my husband has been consumed by his new software for burning dvd's and making new covers for them, since apparently our new computer (or something in it) lets you take screen shots from the movie you are watching. He is starting up a little cottage industry where he will be distributing rare horror and punk concert movies and he is thrilled to be able to make jazzy new covers. When he is ready to go public, I'll post a lot more info. But anyway...I'm back!

I also got a new banner and button! The button is so cool you should put it on your blog! (How did you say? Just copy my code on the sidebar!) My always fantastic friend Kathleen from Katydid and Kid made them both for me and she can make you one too! She will make them for cash or reasonable trade, so if you want your blog to look rad like mine (I know, I know, I get a new button and my head swells) head on over and ask her to hook you up!

Thanks Kathleen!

Computer go boom.

Moments after publishing my last post, my computer apparently broke. I went out to buy printer paper, which I haven't bought in what seems like years and I came home to my computer making a horrible noise. It was fine that morning while I was writing the post, but I guess things often seem fine until the minute they break. Since I obviously have no resources to get my computer fixed or buy a new one, I figured this was the end of computing pour moi. Amazingly, my awesome mother offered to buy me a new computer for my birthday, which is actually months away. I try to be extremely self sufficient, but sometimes I let myself take a handout. I picked out a laptop, which should be here tomorrow! (I am writing this from work- shame, shame.) So if you tried to email me or reach me via computer somehow, I should be back up tomorrow.

Some finished Stash Bags

The one in the back didn't photograph well, but it is the black "felted" bag from the post below. The tan one is my fav and I'm still working on the rasta one.

We'll see if this is lucrative.