Knitting Cybrarian

We've gone tankless!

Joel and I decided that it was a good time to get a water heater.  Our old one was fine, but showing rust around the bottom.  And was 20+ years old. 

Missouri Gas Energy is offering an instant rebate, and many of the local plumbers are offering rebates.  Plus the federal gov't is offering a rebate. 

We got estimates from two established local companies.  The first one pushed, Pushed, PUSHED their service contract.  My head swam with the pricing options -- with or without their service contract -- gold, silver, blah, blah.  Ergh.

The second one didn't push the service contract, answered my questions, didn't try to sell me more than I asked for, and was up front about the pros and cons of various systems.  One option was a tank-type system, and he and I measured the space -- that option would not fit in our space.  The other guy didn't even consider that!

The prices were very close.  Joel and I discussed the options and we decided to go with the second company, and Noritz 751 tankless system.

Ed Norton from Neal Harris did the estimate and did the installation.  He was on time, and was so neat and tidy!  Everything was picked up, cleaned out, and the only way you'd know he was there was the new water heater!

Joel was impressed with how neat the venting was -- Ed did a great job installing the outside vent and caulked around it. 

The tank was installed on 5/19 and after 1+ weeks of it, we really enjoy it.  The only catch is that you have to let the hot water run for a few moments for the heater to kick in and the heated water to get to your faucet, but it's hot after that heater kicks in. 

We'll be keeping track of our gas bills for the next year to see if we save any money gas-wise.  I do like that the heater is on only when we need hot water, instead of just waiting for us to turn on a tap.  So far, I really like the system.

And you can set the temperature quite easily.  We've set the temp at 110F right now, although I will probably change that to 120F in winter for my showers.  Yup, I can go down, change the temp for my shower, and after my shower change it back for Joel.  Soooo easy. 

Full disclosure:  if you call Neal Harris (816-361-1950) and tell them I sent you to Ed Norton for a tankless system, I do get a few bucks out of it. 

Just makes you want to join in...

Traveling light?

I've found myself looking at luggage reviews a lot lately.  It probably started when my husband bought me a wonderful knitting bag for our anniversary/Christmas/Hanukkah:  The Tom Bihn Swift.  I LOVE this bag.  It's light, holds tons of goods, but is manageable.  And because it holds so much, I have to clean it out pretty regularly (receipts, etc.) and I use it as my purse.

I traveled to Chicago for almost a week in February, and I used the Swift as my purse then, which was great.  But what wasn't great?  I took my hardsided suitcase (called R2D2 by the airport staff), and wound up having to pull it up 1.5 flights of stairs at the Grant St. metro stop.  That's right folks, NO elevator.  Stairs only.  Ugh.  Lots of folks asked me if I needed help.  I thanked them, but no.  And I hauled that beast up the stairs.  While the wheels helped, it was still a heavy sucker.  I just checked eBags, and Samsonite's updated model of that bag weighs 17lbs.  Unpacked.

Ergh.  No wonder I'm always pushing the airline weight limit when I use that bag.  By the time I put in clothing (and yes, I make careful choices), my music (if I've got gigs on the other end), and a couple of pairs of shoes (those dang size 12s take up a lot of room), I've got quite a bit.  But this time when I *unpacked* at home, I noticed I had 2 shirts I hadn't worn, the swimsuit I took but didn't use, and the knitting project I took but didn't need because I didn't finish the other project I brought.  Hm.  Oh yeah, and maybe another item or two that I didn't touch.  Hmmmm.

So I'm rethinking things for longer trips.  When I'm going on a short trip, I either use my husband's bag (a cloth one made out of some rugged backpack type material) or a small rollerbag.  But for a longer trip of a week or so?  I'm thinking about what else Tom Bihn has to offer.  I've been looking at the Aeronaut, which converts into a backpack when needed.  I've also been reading sites like OneBag. 

I usually travel 3-6 times a year now.  I used to travel 5-10 times a year when I served on my professional association's board of directors.  And while I don't anticipate traveling that often in the immediate future, I also don't want to haul that danged large suitcase up 1.5 flights of stairs.

So, dear 2.4 readers, what is your preferred luggage method for travel?  Advice?

Oh, and I got a Tom Bihn Ristretto bag today and the wallet.  Can't wait to try them out!

Happy spring -- things may be warming up for the season here at last!

Long time, no...

blog. 

The rain is coming down outside, as it has off and on for most of the past week.  At least it's not snow -- we had about 6 inches of snow towards the end of March!

Spring here on the edge of the prairie is pretty, unpredictable, and rainy, or at least this year it is.  The spring flowers have held up well despite wildly swinging temps and snow, rain, sleet, ice, you name it.  Hopefully the fruit trees have too.

The other night 5 wild turkeys visited.  They didn't come onto our property, but just up to the edge.  This is the first time we've had them this close.  The neighborhood possum has gotten pretty fat (unless that's a momma possum expecting!) and waddles around close to sundown.  Joel gets tickled watching it.  We've got raccoons around too, and we try to keep the outside cat dish empty.  Mooch and Evil Cat still visit regularly, particularly Evil Cat. 

And did I mention the deer?  We see a group of 6 deer back of our property around once a week.

While I enjoy this, I do miss the mountains.  The mountains back home are covered in redbud and dogwood right now, with green shoots coming out too.  When I was a small girl, Mom and I would hunt and pick wild asparagus in April and early May. 

Thinking on green things reminds me that my mother's mother used to hunt herbs and such for home remedies -- I wish I had been able to learn from her, but by the time I came along, her eyesight was not good and it deteriorated even more with time. 

Knitting, what have I been knitting?  I knit a fair isle bag and felted it for a Spring Runway Show at the Studio.  The leather handles didn't come in time for the event, hence the twisted yarn handles.

I'm knitting a breast too.  Yes, you read that right.  I'm knitting a prosthesis for a dear friend.  Still working on a pair of socks for me, and a few other items. 

My grandmothers and an aunt tried to teach me to crochet when I was small, and all I produced were tightly twisted crochet chains.  Perhaps they'll forgive me that, given how I've embraced knitting!  I'm sorry they're not around to see and feel my handiwork-- or to try to teach me to crochet again.

Happy Easter and happy spring!

LGG and Franklin

LGG and Franklin
Originally uploaded by lauragayle

Look at who I ran into at the Music Library Association meeting last week in Chicago! FRANKLIN! Actually, he kindly consented to meet up with the MLA SnB group and graciously agreed to photos and autographs.

Don't you love the hand on the knee bit? Hehehe. We all had fun. I left a few moments after this to go rehearse with the Big Band and left my fellow SnBers to enjoy Franklin.

Thankfully we keep the lids closed...

Just humor me, ok?

1. I'm sick.  Again.  Bleah.  A cold, which kicked in Saturday night and now I'm keeping tissues nearby.  Again.  Yes, I would like cheese with this whine.
2. Good news.  There's still sunlight at 6:15pm!  Yay!
3. Bad news.  DST kicks in March 8, so much of what we gain in the evening gets lost again.
4. Good news -- January, the longest pay period of the year, is over.
5. Bad news -- I'm pretty much broke from paying the bills.  Again.
6. Good news.  I'm still employed (and these days, that's no laughing matter).
7. Bad news.  A memo from the president of the university system came out today proposing 1-starting to pay into the retirement plan (so a pay cut will happen) and 2-no merit increases for FY10 (so as inflation and COLA continues to rise, it's effectively another pay cut).
8. Good news.  I'm still employed.
9. Bad news.  There's a matter at work that's driving me crazy.  I don't think there's anything I can do about it.  Well, there is, but I would like to stay employed and continue to pay my bills.
10. Good news.  I'm going to my professional organization's conference soon (unless travel really gets chopped in the next 2 weeks), and I'm mostly looking forward to it.
11. Bad news.  See no. 5.

A poem for St. Brigid's Day

T. Nash

I.Spring

SPRING, the sweet Spring, is the year's pleasant king;
Then blooms each thing, then maids dance in a ring,
Cold doth not sting, the pretty birds do sing,
Cuckoo, jug-jug, pu-we, to-witta-woo!
The palm and may make country houses gay,	5
Lambs frisk and play, the shepherds pipe all day,
And we hear aye birds tune this merry lay,
Cuckoo, jug-jug, pu-we, to-witta-woo.
The fields breathe sweet, the daisies kiss our feet,
Young lovers meet, old wives a-sunning sit,	10
In every street these tunes our ears do greet,
Cuckoo, jug-jug, pu-we, to-witta-woo!
Spring! the sweet Spring!

from Francis T. Palgrave, ed. (1824–1897). The Golden Treasury. 1875. at Bartleby.com

Today's Bushism...

Heard during President Bush's last press conference:

"...and you sometimes misunderestimated me..."

I seem to have ...

lost something.  Like at least 30 lbs.  I just pray I've not misplaced it.

I've not done the scale test, which is ever so depressing.  But I've done the pant test.  Now guys, you probably won't get this, but the women will.

Like most women, I have several pairs of pants in a variety of sizes.  My FAT pants (the ones you wear when the others seem a little snug, or you're tired and/or sick and feel gross anyway, or maybe they're just the ones you find that are clean) were... well, hard to stay up.  The waist kept falling down -- almost embarrassingly so.  And when I wore them, people remarked on how much weight i had lost.

I stopped wearing those, and went back to my "regular" sized ones, which indeed, seemed loose.  I bought a pair of pants, same size -- they seemed loose, but I thought because they're knit, elastic waist, no probable change.

Last Friday I wore my favorite pants to work.  They seemed loose.  But hey, they're old.  Maybe I just lost weight over the break while sick -- after all, I didn't eat much.

But my jeans.  My jeans seemed loose.  This morning I thought I'd wear black jeans to work -- not necessarily the most professional looking, but hey, I've been sick.  The jeans were pretty loose.  And I thought that maybe I'd try on those twill pants I've not been able to wear in a very long time.  In fact, I've only worn them a couple of times and the waist seemed too tight then, and they showed my tummy bulge more than I liked.  I put them on and they fit -- in fact, they're loose!

So I think I've lost something.  I don't know how much.  I hope I can keep it off.  Maybe it's a good thing I was sick and couldn't sew up the new pants I was going to make!