And there was debris everywhere

Well. After such a long break my poppets, I owe you some sort of explanation, but the only thing I’ve got that make sense comes from Inigo Montoya, “Let me explain… No, there is too much. Let me sum up.”

To say that I landed hard here at home last week would be an understatment of an epic nature. I didn’t just land, I crash landed. I knew when I committed to two weeks away that when I walked in the door I’d be somewhat A) Behind and B) In demand. I was down with that. (When I say I was down with it, I mean more that I’d accepted it in the general way that you accept that someday you’ll have to clean the basement. You know it’s going to be crappy, but there’s no way out of it.) Coming home after a long trip is always rough – people and messes to catch up on, figuring out everything you’ve missed, finding out all that went on (putting the coffee cups right way around in the cupboard for the love of all things woolly can we not agree on this after this many years) unpacking all your scrambled stuff… reentry’s always a crap scene, and over the years I’ve gotten way, way better at it. Part of it is acceptance, and part of it is taking it easy on the way home so that I arrive well rested, and ready to fork over whatever’s needed. (Speaking of forks, what sort of person changes the order you keep the cutlery while his wife is away? A wild man. He’s a lunatic.)

muststashstripes 2015-11-23

(I’m just randomly going to show you some finished knitted stuff from the last few weeks. Here pictured a finished pair of sock for yours truly, knit from a skein of Must Stash perfect sock self-striping in “Chocolate Bunny Cake #2”)

muststashstripespicot 2015-11-23

muststashstripespicotcat 2015-11-23

This time though, that didn’t work out.  The Strung Along November Retreat (was lovely, thanks for asking) wrapped up Monday night, and Debbi and I had a day of meetings and tidying up to do on Tuesday, and then we’d both get home on Wednesday. That’s not really what happened though.  What happened was that the weather turned foul, a huge storm started to blow through, things got a little complicated for knitters heading home, and Debbi and I were extra busy that evening after everything was over, and I went to bed extra early feeling totally wiped out – with a half glass of wine undrunk on the table. (That should have been the first sign things weren’t right.)

watermellon 2015-11-23

(Look! Another pair. These are the cool watermelon pair – all done. Opal Sweet and Spicy in “Wassermelone”. My classic top down pattern.)

Things got rapidly not right after that. I woke up around midnight feeling very poorly indeed, and minutes later had installed myself in the hotel bathroom, living through the beginning of the most epic round of a stomach bug I’ve ever had. I spent the next 20 hours… well. Let’s just say that I never again want to live through the indignity of viral gastroenteritis in a shared hotel room. It was nothing short of dreadful, and I’m sure Debbi never wants to live through it either. She made it to the meetings on my behalf, and helped Judith pack up and get gone, all while a crazy storm raged outside.   Judith didn’t get very far – about 20 minutes into her drive home, the roads were closing, trees were falling, and back she came. As soon as she arrived at the hotel, the power went out – and candlelight did nothing to add romance to my stomach bug. (By way of illustration, I was so sick that for that 24 hours, I neither drank coffee nor knit. i can’t remember the last time that happened.)

 

All of us went to bed at 8:30 that night, and my last thoughts were that I hoped I was well enough to navigate a 3 hour car trip followed by two flights. (Neither are places that have readily accessible bathrooms, and I didn’t want to be Typhoid Mary either.) I  woke up feeling fragile, but okay – and decided to give it a go.  I slept most of the way home, waking up just long enough to take the antibiotics for this stupid infection I have in my foot (What… I didn’t mention that? It’s fine – but added a layer of misery to the whole thing) and arrived gratefully home at midnight on Wednesday.

mensstripes 2015-11-23

(Another pair, these are in my favourite yarn “I can’t remember” in the colourway “I lost the ball band.)

Thursday was a blur, Friday was much better, but I never did make it to my desk, and then… well here we are. Monday. I spent the weekend finally getting caught up, and doing laundry, blocking a little sweater I finished (I’ll show you tomorrow) and now the rest of the week can be spent pulling the pieces back together. As the fog clears, I had just the briefest thought about how close I was to Christmas, and how I should really be doing something about that, but then I knit until the feeling went away. I’ll think about it tomorrow.

There’s lots of time. Lots.

127 thoughts on “And there was debris everywhere

  1. Oh you poor thing! Hugs to you. I cannot imagine the sheer misery of being that sick, away from home AND in a shared hotel room. Hoping you are back up to speed in no time.

  2. I’m so sorry you went through that. No coffee or knitting? Wow you must have been really sick. That’s a good indicator for me too. “Knit until the feeling went away” – lol.

  3. Well, first off I am SO glad you are OK, because I was beginning to Wonder, and in another two days I would have upgraded to Worry ….
    …. and I am so sorry about the tummy bug, total bummer as my daughter would say — and in a hotel room!!! Horror of horrors.
    …. and I can’t believe that somewhere mixed up in all that (or round the edges of it) you managed to knit 3 pairs of beautiful socks.
    Give yourself plenty of rest, get someone else to rearrange the cutlery/do the laundry/clean the house — I am sure you can direct them gracefully from a chaise longue surrounded by coffee and knitting! But do take care of yourself.

  4. You poor thing! I caught that bug for the first time two months ago so can imagine how miserable it was in a shared room without power… holy cow. So glad your home safe & sound.

  5. Of course there is tons of time (in space)! I have told myself this so many time now, I am starting to believe it. I’ve got the popcorn…Rams?

  6. GAAAAHH. For that, you deserve a whole extra week of pre-Christmas knitting time. (What? If you get lucky, the Doctor might pop by…)

  7. I’m so glad you’re back. I was beginning to worry. And on the bright side, you got your holiday illness out of the way early so karma owes you a lovely, healthy holiday with family and friends. Yay!

  8. Yuck. I’m glad you’re home safely, glad you’re feeling better, and impressed at the Princess Bride reference.
    That really is the bestest movie.

    Taken a page out of your book, by the way, and decided it’s time to knit for ME again for a bit. 🙂

  9. Oh you poor thing… and I know the indignity of sharing a hotel room and having a violent ill streak occur. Been on both sides of that actually, as the sick one and the non-sick one *AND* been the parent of a sick one. {{{{hug}}}}

    Beautiful knitting… and I’ll bet someone in the universe will know what that yarn is that you lost the color band too. Then again, isn’t that what stashing on Ravelry is for?

  10. So very glad you are on the mend. Since I apparently live vicariously through you, ?, I have missed the posts. However, even vicariously, I would rather not have the bug…..

  11. There is nothing worse than a stomach bug – nothing. I hope that you are feeling better. There is a wicked stomach bug raging through Edmonton right now as well, and it has taken down 3/4 of my wee family. I somehow think it is scared to attach itself to me, as we are close to Christmas, and I do. not. have. time. We’ll see.

    Here’s hoping you are well on the mend. The knitting is simply beautiful.

  12. Oh, dear. I think that I have felt too sick to knit maybe four times in the thirteen years since I began knitting again. You poor thing! I cannot imagine how awful it must have been for you and your friends and roommate, but I am very glad that you’re feeling better. Take it easy and just knit for a few days… As if. ;- )

  13. I am so sorry to hear that your trip ended so poorly, it sounds truelu awful. I love the watermelon socks, though, especially where they’re folded by the cat. I’m reading this kooky (but helpful) book about home organization and the writer suggests folding one socks so they’re happy an relaxed (the socks) and they really are so pretty that way. (It also makes it evident that I own an epic number of socks, it was surprising.)

  14. So sorry to hear about your sickness. It’s bad enough feeling crummy from whatever made you sick, but then to feel guilty because you’re in a shared hotel bathroom – that’s just woefully unfair. Surely this has guaranteed you will make it through the holidays and the rest of this winter without another bug…(knock on wood).

    And beautiful socks, as always!

  15. Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry you got The Bug! What a nightmare of return travel. Rest easy and thanks again for a fantastic gathering.

  16. There is indeed plenty of time, because you are convalescent and therefore need to spend long periods of time resting – and knitting.

  17. So glad you are safely home and are starting to feel better. Take care of yourself. Maybe after this many years, it is just time to give up on the coffee cup handles . Hugs and healing thoughts from Texas

  18. So glad to hear you are on the mend..consider you as one of my children so was worried about you…thanks for the post despite your fragility. XOX

    • Yep..me too. I’m still not over the one pill of antibiotic from Thursday. Nasty, nasty side effects. The “cure” is far worse than the ailment.

  19. This is NOT what I mean when I gleefully break out the wine and popcorn to enjoy your freak-outs from a safe distance.

    Take care, sweetie, and don’t ignore that ‘little’ infection. Ask me how I know.

  20. I’m about 90% sure that that bottom pair is Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in Watercolor, or something very much like it! I’ve made a pair out of that exact yarn, and for whatever reason I recognized it instantly. XD

  21. Two things:

    1. I have so much extra love for people who can quote other parts of The Princess Bride than that one line that everyone knows. 🙂

    2. I’m guessing the sort of man who rearranges the flatware drawer while his wife is away is the sort of man who uses up all the flatware, and then doesn’t actually remember what’s supposed to go where when he goes to put it away after washing it.

    I’m also sorry to hear you were sick, and glad that you’re recovering.

    • Not to disparage Joe, but I’ll bet you’re right about the flatware.

      And, Stephanie, we have the cup issue at our house. There’s just two of us so his cups go the way he likes and mine go the way I like.

    • Well if that’s how the flatware got in the wrong spot, all I can say is that at least they got washed and put away. My big guy (as lovely as he is in many other ways) is totally incapable of remembering where anything goes even though nothing has changed in the 13 years we’ve been in this house. Typically things get piled on the counter because “I don’t know where that goes”, even though he was the one who got the stuff out of the cupboard.

      (sigh)

      I still love him.
      Chris S in Canada

    • Yes, that was my thought as well regarding the cutlery. You just know there was an “oh crap” moment when trying to remember which item goes in which slot/space. But better to have clean cutlery stored incorrectly than a dishwasher full of dirty knives and forks.

  22. Let me offer as consolation that you have already enjoyed Thanksgiving up there in Canada. No one is expecting you to whip up a fab meal this week while you look around slightly concerned about how they’ve put Christmas so darn close to Thanksgiving again. Hope you recover from bugs, injuries and absence quickly.

  23. Well, now! (SO glad you are.) Here’s hoping life and knitting treat you tenderly, especially for the balance of spreadsheet season.
    How many books worth of ‘material’ have you experienced this year alone? I would be glad to read one that just said, “and she knit happily ever after” (but with lots of pictures!)
    Now it’s time to click on the pants for today’s bit of bloggy irony, as I’m still in my robe (migraine day) and nearly all of my pants are in the mending basket awaiting alteration.

  24. Hmmm…Today I learned the hard way (again), that The Universe has a way of saying ‘Slow down.’ #BrokeMyToe, #ThisIsTheFourthTime, #ApparentlyINeverLearn

    The Universe is speaking…

  25. Sounds like it was a rollercoaster of a week for sure. Murphy’s law and all that seems at play. The more things you have to do, the more likely that all hell will break loose.

    I’ve been working on a pair of socks that, while I normally am very good about gauge and casting on, I have had to cast on not once but three times before I’ve finally managed to get some reasonable progress done.

  26. Love the Scarlet O’Hara quote, “I’ll think about it tomorrow”. Glad to hear you are on the mend (the socks are most impressive), and safely home.

  27. You poor thing! Don’t worry about everything you’ve got to do before Christmas, I’ve still got loads to do and I’m having a baby next week and I’m not worrying!! Xx

  28. I have a pair of socks in my drawer made from that very yarn that you can’t identify. I have no idea what it is either but the socks are getting a bit old and just recently one of them got a hole. So whatever the yarn is, it’s good and long lasting. So sorry to hear about your stomach bug. I had something similar one day while teaching. I had to go home and prayed I would make it there before the disaster hit. But within 24 hours I was better. Please rest, knit and drink plenty of water to flush out bad bugs.

  29. Wow. When you have a reason for not blogging you really have a reason! So sorry to hear about your illness, but glad to hear you are home and recovering. Thanks for the FO pics. Your socks are beautiful as always.

  30. Oh, man. The five-layer bean dip of bad luck!! Sounds like you had good support through it fortunately. Take it easy, feel better. The socks look amazing!

  31. Being sick in a hotel room is awful – complete sympathy here! Glad you made it home and can take your time (yes, you should!) and do the final recuperation. Don’t overdo or it can come back! Be as nice to yourself as you would want your children or Joe to be….regardless of the flatware and cup issues. Gentle hugs to you – and prayers for good health to come!

  32. I’m glad you’re feeling better. I’ve been missing your posts and feared something was wrong. I know when I’m sick I just want to be in my own home! Take care and be well.

  33. I suspected something rotten had happened when you were quiet for so long. And I sympathize regarding the rearranged kitchen cupboards, because I have not one, but two male family members who do the same thing. Very annoying to come home to when you’re already exhausted, but not so very egregious on the grand scale of things!

  34. Oh how utterly dreadful! But, when you went all radio silence for so long, I was afraid something even worse may have happened. So let me say, Whew! And welcome back.

  35. Hi Steph – that was totally epic and you came out of it anyway AND with 3 pairs of socks! We could all take a lesson from you. Please remember that Christmas is also all about BOOKS! Please take it easy and thank you for the great blog!

  36. Being sick while traveling really sucks. I’m glad you’re feeling better, getting back into your home groove and finding your sorts. We have the same favorite yarn. 🙂

  37. Glad you’re feeling better. Just had to respond because your comment about knitting until the idea of Christmas being near went away made me laugh out loud! Thanks for the chuckle!

  38. Oh, so sorry for you! I was concerned about the long silence; you were really missed. Take care. All the best. Ps love those socks!

  39. Glad you are feeling better! I had a stomach thing for a week and a half and finally took antibiotics and it resolved quickly. It was horrible and I sympathize!!

  40. Oh, My. I am so sorry you got sick. As a very lucky retreat attendee, I want to say that I had a wonderful time and am so grateful to have been able to come. I am glad you are home and recovering. Best wishes!

  41. Am I the only one who thought that “I lost the ball band” was the actual color way name? Um….hope you feel back to your energetic self soon!

  42. Ok! I’m only going to say this once (because I usually repeat myself when I think people are not listening; just ask my kids)…… I talked with you briefly after your class on silk hankies at Columbia Gorge (which was fabulous, by the way……). You are WAY busy and, I suspect, WAY tired as a result of your schedule. Slow down and take care of yourself!! Ok. now I won’t say it again. I so hope you are resting and recouperating. About the cups….. Joe doesn’t even know what you are talking about. lol

  43. If you could only see how many times we came to see your blog while you were away. We REALLY missed you!

    Get well soon! We’re very Greatful for you❤️

    Happy Thanksgiving!

  44. Sorry to hear you were so sick (especially while not in the comfort of your own home), but very glad to hear you are on the mend! And sure, there’s LOTS of time until Christmas 🙂

  45. You survived THAT? You SURVIVED that!!! You are one tough lady, m’dear. Lovely knitting, too. Love that picot hem – I use it a lot!

  46. Good Glorietta – in a hotel and shared facilities!!! Gadz. I’m glad that seems to have passed through and car trips with flights are behind you (too many puns there, sort of). The Bunny Cake colorway is the sweetest nicest ever. Thank you for the gift-inspirations. I did wonder about the blog-silence, glad everyone got out and home.

  47. Sorry you got to experience that particular storm…it was a doozy. I can’t imagine it, plus the stomache bug and power outage. Glad you’re back home and on the mend.

  48. That’s quite funny, that second pair of socks are knitted in the exact same yarn as my first ever pair of socks! I don’t know the right colorway either. Apparently I only noted the dye lot in my Ravelry details (5560), and it’s a Regia yarn.

    Hope you feel better soon!

  49. Too ill to knit? and away from home – how awful! I hope you are feeling lots better by now. Take it easy, and drink lots of fluids. I missed reading your blog, while you were ‘out of it’. Best wishes.

  50. Oh my god, you poor thing. There’s not much worse than a stomach flu, except maybe a stomach flu away from home! So glad you’re back safely, and I hope you’re able to rest and recoup now. I’m in the same boat with the notion of Christmas/Yule, but I think that if I just ignore it it’ll go away. Take it easy, YH! The blog can wait while you get feeling better.

  51. Argh! I suffered through a similar bug in London last year. It is very scary to be multiple flights from home and feel that bad! Glad you are better!

  52. Oh dear. It sounds like crllulitis? That was bad. Very bad. (Don’t ask how I know.) Amazed you were able to travel so soon and very very glad you had the meds you needed!
    Feel better!

  53. Speaking of forks, what sort of person changes the order you keep the cutlery while his wife is away?
    One who uses every piece of cutlery in the house before washing up/trying out a new dishwasher loading layout challenge and then doesn’t remember where they went in the first place? ;-P

  54. After reading your post, I feel the need for a spreadsheet. Pronto!

    Also, glad to see that you survived the bug…. of all the nasty luck to be sick while gone from home. Take care.

  55. So glad you are back. We missed you! I hope the viruses and bugs all pass you by for at least the next five years, as you have definitely paid your dues.

  56. So sorry to hear of your travails, but take the time to hydrate and let the body heal itself – pushing too soon just brings it all back with a vengeance. (Don’t ask me how I know – started in June and lessons still to be learned despite ER visits.)

    Home and family will go a long way towards turning the corner to some semblance of normalcy, but better to rest now before the holiday rush.

    Beautiful socks, BTW. Always impressive, but even more so after the latest adventure. I couldn’t even think about knitting during last bouts…. feel better soon. Namaste,

  57. I knew when there were no postings that it was going to be good news or bad! So sorry you were so sick! I think now that you are home and healing more and more each day you will start to feel like your self once again.

    The knitting you are able to accomplish when traveling is spectacular even when illness hits. I can only admire. Socks still take me about a month of knitting time. Best wishes for a speedy recovery from travel-itus and home-coming-trials.

  58. I’m so sorry your exit was so awful from WA! That was a heck of a storm. I thought you had started to wind down the bloc. I hope you are feeling like yourself soon.

  59. I had the feeling something must be really wrong. Hope you are truly on the mend.

    As to the coffee cups – there are things in our kitchen that hubby will put away and insist he put them where they’ve always been. He’s delusional.

    Even better – someone was volunteering in our middle school library. She decided to reorganize all of the librarian’s storage cupboards. The librarian then decided she should be a volunteer in one of the other school buildings.

  60. oh you poor thing, having survived a night of food poisioning and a cross country flight home the next morning I tremendously send sympathies.

  61. so sorry to hear of this illness. it all sounds to me like a hint to slow down and not to book two-week trips. you’ve told us before that it’s so difficult to be away from home more than 10 days.

  62. So sorry to hear you were sick! I was wondering why the longer than usual silence. Glad you’re starting to feel human again. Knit on!!!
    Love the socks, by the way, especially the scalloped hem. What pattern is that, and where can I get it?

  63. 1. So glad you’re feeling better! Now that you’re home, rest up. Everything can wait.
    2. I refuse to even think about Christmas until after Thanksgiving.
    3. Our silverware drawer has no “organizer”, we just dump it all in there loose…easy! :-))
    4. Bunny Chocolate Cake, mmmmm. they are lovely!
    5. How can coffee cups get turned “the wrong way”?

  64. Classic: accepted it in the general way that you accept that someday you have to clean the basement. So know what you mean!
    Since you’ve been through the ringer, maybe that spreadsheet will be more of a spread note, eh?
    Maybe 2016 will be the year of the quarterly spreadnote? All it takes is a wedding or a baby or a growth spurt or a bike rally to muck up planned, paced knitting. How good would it feel to have a quarter checked off and be ahead of yourself?
    I truly admire you for wrapping handknit hugginess around those you love. I’m sure there’s miles of stitches to rival the rally. I understand the planning and pressure-that’s where you thrive. There will be many moments when you’ll get to settle back with an adult beverage and take in the lovely faces of those you love cradling what you have knit for them.
    I keep hoping some of you rubs off on me!

  65. 1) I’m glad you’re feeling better! Sick is no fun…sick and travelling? Pure torture. 🙁

    2) You got me – I actually googled “I can’t remember” just to see if it was a real brand of yarn. Wouldn’t that be awesome if it was? The colorways could be like “I think it started with a P” and “the one with all the red in it”…. someone totally needs to do this now lol

  66. I’m so sorry!
    I’m reading your most recent posts late because I have been sidelined by stomach bug and assorted other contagions the past week, as was most of the rest of the household. We are now on the mend. I was also struck by the lack of knitting and coffee, though. I realized I was maybe on the road to recovery this morning when I brewed myself a couple mugs if the good stuff, and actually drank it, and this evening I made progress on spouse’s sweater. Travel makes it much worse, though. Hope you are fully operational, and just as caffeinated as you desire.

  67. I am just getting back to reading everyones blog and if it makes you feel any better….I too endured that same storm and I’m still without power. Tempatures are dropping into the teens at night and on top of it all…I have DeQuervains Tenoysis, making it so I can’t knit.
    I hope you are feeling better and home where the warmth of your family greets you and takes care of you. Thank you for visiting our neck of the woods.
    One other thing, would you be willing to share your top down cast on with me for socks. I’m struggling to find a stretchy cast on that looks nice and holds up well.

  68. O. M. G. Where can I get that Chocolate Bunny yarn?! I do hope Must Stash is making skeins and skeins and skeins of it, because now that it’s posted on your Blog, every knitting in the Universe is going to want 2 skeins!!! Clever of them not to post an email address…..drat.

  69. Oh! And now that I’m out of my brief, yarn-frenzied, self-centred, wool-gathering trance, I’m so sorry to hear you’ve been feeling poorly. I deeply sympathize with gastric distress. It’s the poops. Hope you are feeling well enough now to sit back tonight, enjoy a little wine, knit and hum along to M. Buble crooning Xmas faves.

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