Stash Withdrawal

Who knew such a thing existed?

I didn't.

Until now.

So when you last tuned in, you saw the beginnings of getting-the-house-ready-to-sell. We've been put behind schedule on that as the last 2 weekends have been spent showing the house (well before it's ready and looking it's best) to neighbors who have small children and are growing out of their homes. We have quite a bit of work to do since we had no intention of moving until about a month ago and thus were slowly fixing up the house to our liking. Now we are trying to fit what would have been done in the next 2-5 years into a couple of weeks.

This


has become this.


While packing up the stash, it dawned on me that my yarn and I might not be reunited until September. Or later. This caused minor heart palpitations.

OK, major palpitations.

Cold sweats. Dreams about massive yarn shortages and me without a readily accessible stash. What if there's a disaster? What if my stash disappears in a cyclone to Oz, just like Dorothy's house? What if a plague of moths descends - moths that are able to chew through wood and plastic to get to the bounty? How can I part with my sentimental reminders of trips taken, places seen, and new friends made who live far, far away?

I hurriedly gathered patterns and yarn.

Never mind that when sorting the stash I found enough WIPs to keep me busy until 2015.


The more of a sentimental attachment I have to things, the more difficult it is to be parted from them. I think I could deal with a separation from DH for that length of time with more grace and less anxiety. At least he and I have the capability to stay in touch - we can email - we can call. My stash sadly lacks the verbal skills of Harry.

I think there are many knitters out there who understand this behavior - the ones who travel with too much knitting...you know... just in case. In case you actually finish the other 4 projects you packed. In case the car breaks down in the middle of nowhere and you're stuck waiting for repairs in a place that has no LYS. In case there's an unforeseen 14 hour layover at the airport. In case you get shipwrecked on a desert island. Really now - who of us hasn't packed fewer non-essential items, like clothes and toiletries, in order to accommodate more yarn? I am sufficiently self-aware to know that I should not try to curb this impulse. Sometimes a person just has to give in to the foibles of one's personality. I'd rather have too much with me than not enough.

And that last sentence, children, is as good of a reason for the stash as any I've heard.

A Sad Day

It's a sad day in the knitting blogosphere for Rachel and her family and also in the world of politics and journalism for the loss of Tim Russert.

I can't think of a better epitaph than to paraphrase Tom Brokow. They will be missed as they were loved - greatly.

Chaotic, Tumultuous, Cataclysmic

Life at the Stash Haus in the recent past can be described with these words...and a few choice others, which are probably best left unprinted.

DH has burned out in his current position. He's given notice and will be leaving at the end of summer. In order to finance DH's job change, we are moving to a small town about an hour away. And when I say small, I mean SMALL. As in, there's not even one stoplight in the town. It resembles Garrison Keillor's Lake Woebegone.

So we are now in the process of selling the current Stash Haus and buying another - and trying to stay sane through all the details, financing, negotiation, and experts that these events require. Pre-marital counseling, bah-humbug! I think a more worthwhile enterprise would be to have couples who wish to marry buy/sell a house together or require them to complete a remodeling project together. If they still want to get married after that, I can't think of a better predictor for marital success.

So, as you can see, the Sorting of the Stash was not just a mad, impulsive attempt at reorganization. The stash, liberated from its closet, was taking up quite a part of the house. This is just about 1/2 of the bins.



We rented a couple of these. The stash, our books, CDs, and other household goods and furniture are being stored in them.



Before I put the stash into the temporary storage containers, I added some natural moth balls (or so I hope they turn out to be). I bought cotton tea bags and an 8 oz. bag of whole cloves. I hope moths don't like cloves - if so, I think the stash is safe.



What I like about the tea bags is that I'll be able to use them again and replace the cloves when they lose their potency or to fill with any other natural moth repellant mixture.

The Stash Haus is being prepared to look its best for showing to potential buyers.



As for the occupants of the Stash Haus, we are exhausted down to the last one of us...

Speaking Of Traveling to Exotic Places

This is the typical exotic locale I get to visit on my work-related travels.

My students and I stopped here for lunch on Friday.




Yes, the name of that hamburger stand is the Hamburger Haus - just opened last weekend for the summer season. They make a great burger. We were lucky the weather was nice as there was only outdoor seating.

I couldn't get a closer picture, as we were already garnering an undue amount of attention from the customers - we were 4 people who are clearly not locals.

5 Things

This meme is going around. I've never done a meme yet, so as I've no new knitting progress to show...

What was I doing 10 years ago?

I had just finished graduate school and was moving back to the midwest.

5 things on my to-do list today.

Doing laundry.
Grocery shopping.
Making a dish for a work-related party.
Going to that work-related party.
Continuing to clean out 3 closets.

Snacks I enjoy.

Please...the easier question to answer would be snacks I don't enjoy.

As for top favorites, for something sweet - chocolate. Any kind of chocolate.
For something salty/crunchy, Walkers Salt & Vinegar Crisps. The snack companies in the US have no idea how to make good salt and vinegar potato chips. They load them with TONS of salt.

Where are some of the places I've lived?

Well, this is boring. With the exception of living in Florida for 3 years, I've always lived in the midwest, specifically places in Michigan and Wisconsin. DH has lived in much more exciting locations, like Brazil, San Francisco, the Phillipines, Seattle, and other places.

What things would I do if I was a billionaire?

Of course there are the typical things I would do which I think are a part of everyone's list: make certain our families are financially set, give to favorite charities; have a knitting studio or room devoted to knitting - with a comfy chair, a TV (with Turner Classic Movies) and lots of natural light.

But mainly, I'd want to travel, travel, travel.

After accompanying Jean to see the cats of Lake Van and her other wonderful sites, I'd organize a trip to see places I haven't had the opportunity to travel to (yet). Who wants to come along? A good starting point would be the new 7 wonders of the world. DH is ahead of me, as he has already seen the Colosseum in Rome, Machu Piccchu in Peru, the Great Wall of China, and the Christ the Redeemer statute in Rio de Janeiro.

Then, I'd start on this list.

And it should go without saying that any flight more than 3 hours in duration would be spent in business class, not economy.