Thursday morning random

* I can't tell if I pulled some kind of internal abdominal muscle, or if I got ahold of something that has one of my personal Banned Food Additives (sorbitol and Splenda are the two most likely offenders - will have to check the label of something new I bought and ate some of last night). But pain is always worse lying in bed, when you don't have anything else to occupy your mind. At one point I was wondering, "Could this be an intestinal blockage? Will I have to go in for surgery?"

Well, I can tell that, given one of the things I did that I normally do during my getting-ready-for-the-day time this morning, it almost certainly ISN'T. I now suspect lurking sorbitol.

Could be a pulled muscle, though. Putting on hose this morning was more effortful and lifting my left leg to put them on (I put them on from a standing position, which requires some stork-like contortions) was a little painful. Also, the last time I did the dvd workout (a day or two ago), I definitely had a "stitch" in my side when I was done.

Though right now it feels more like plain old gastritis, which makes me think there was a bad food additive in something. (Heck, even too much malic acid -a common "organic" preservative and sourness-enhancer - can set me off)

* I was really hoping for a Cubs trip to the World Series. I'm not a HUGE baseball fan (but would watch the Cubs in the World Series), but my dad, a lifelong Cubs fan (he is 80), has NEVER got to see them go to a World Series. (1908 was the last time for them. More than 100 years ago).

So, eh meh, another World Series I'm not that interested in.

* I have (somewhat regretfully) decided I'm not going to hand out Hallowe'en candy this year. I think that's a tradition that's largely dead in my neighborhood: I was the only house on my two blocks to do it last year, and I didn't get many kids. And I don't feel like buying a big bag of candy that I most likely won't eat (there are some kinds I like but they are either too expensive to buy much to hand out, or they're not individually wrapped). And I don't feel like sitting by the door for an entire Saturday evening.

I'm sad to see the tradition die, because as I have said before, the thrill of being able to be out, after dark, in strange clothes, was a big deal to me as a kid and a source of happy memories. But I guess times have changed. Maybe kids today have things that will give them equally enjoyable memories and maybe kids now aren't as innocent as I was (to the point where "I'm out after dark....this feels TRANSGRESSIVE" (though I wouldn't have known that word then) was a big deal)

Still not sure if I will do anything for Friday. Had a passing thought of wearing brown slacks, my brown ribbed sweater, doing my hair up with artificial leaves in it, and making a "plant pot" out of posterboard - and going as Baby Groot (well, sort of Baby Groot).

But it might be weird, it not ACTUALLY being Halloween. I don't know. (I also briefly thought of adding a couple of "leader" slides for the class in which I use them,. that have data or graphs on them but just "I am Groot" as the captions, but maybe that's a little too precious.)

* I started the Mira Cowl last night - I am using the bright-green yarn I bought at BPAFF. It's a simple pattern once you establish the knits and purls and I am doing this as a test-knit to see if it would be a good one for the AAUW gift-exchange gift. I hope it's a fast knit....

*it's also my new invigilating knitting, since the Sloane Shawl is big enough now to be unwieldy to carry around.

* One of the good things about cleaning house is you find or uncover stuff. I mentioned the Monster High dolls, which I had kind of put away - I pulled them out and set them up on the little table that normally houses my yarn ballwinder. And I do think maybe I'll try making at least one dress from the pattern I have....the main reason I bought these was to be able to sew for them. (Though the odd complexions - one is greyish, one is orange, and one is sort of a turquoise color - makes finding the right colors a little more difficult)

I also found my hexagon quilt. I had bought a "fabric basket" thing at the Target a while back and stowed the in-progress top and the pieces I had ready to go in there. I set it out in my living room now and plan at some point to get back on working on it.

Also I am contemplating sewing up another quilt backing and taking yet another quilt in to be quilted....