Unwinding ... yeah, right!

I have a small problem. I can't wind down.

The last few weeks of work each spring are like a whirlwind. I get to work really early and leave no earlier than usual -- often working 10-12 hour days.

By the time I get to July 1, the official start of my summer vacation, I am so used to running on the proverbial treadmill that I can't get off.

That tends to translate into frantic cleaning of the apartment. And by cleaning, I mean scrubbing, not just straightening.

Today, for example, I got up, read my email, played some Farmville and then bleached and scrubbed all the painted surfaces in the bathroom.

Then, after waiting for the bleach smell to wear off, scraped and spackled. Took a walk with the family and picked up some supplies for my new watering system for the terrace.

Now I'm waiting for the primer to dry so I can paint it ...

I should be weaving but the loom is kind of blocked in with all the stuff that came out of the bathroom ...

I could sit and read a book ...

but I can't sit still for more than a few minutes at a time ... I think I'll set up the watering system.

(oh, and I might have done some work type work while waiting for the primer to dry ...)

Summer Update

With the first two weeks of the summer now over it is time for an update on my summer goals.

Reading:

Finished: Hiroshima, John Hershey and Bound Feet & Western Dress, Pang-Mei Natasha Chang.

Working on: In the Time of Butterflies, Julia Alvarez and The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins.

On the knitting front:
Lace Scarf from handspun silk -- not yet blocked.
Men's sock -- k2, p2 ribbing on the top of the foot, stockinette on the bottom. Note the marker near the toe. I knit from the marker on up during Harry Potter this afternoon. Good movie! I would have gotten further but I dropped a stitch during one of the final scenes.
The cobweb shawl.
Fronts of Cheveron Shadows vest for the TdFKDL. Only 2 more side panels to go!

***

On the home front, we have a lot of clearing to do tomorrow so that we can paint on Monday. The turtle tank has to be emptied, the rug rolled (and tossed out if I have my way) and the furniture moved. Everything except the desk and the three remaining bookcases will go either into a kid's room or the dining area with the thought being that we can get both coats of paint on in one day and then get everything back in the room and mostly in place by dinner (not counting the book cases in our bedroom). What do you think? Are we crazy? The apartment has to be in some semblance of order by Wednesday morning so that Maria can work her magic. Worst case, the second "room" will be painted Thursday and Friday. Remember -- we only have from about 9:30 a.m. until about 3:00 p.m. to do this in ... Tomorrow, however, we are going out for a pleasure ride to Inspiration Point.

Picnic Dinner

Today we decided to pick up some bread, cheese and sausage and go for a dinner picnic after camp. We rode up and got the kids, hit a greenmarket and Fairway for fresh fruit, bread and cheese (the salami turned out to be overly moldy) and then rode south to this lovely spot along the Hudson River.




After a meal al fresco, we continued downtown for ice cream sandwiches at Chocolate Haven. Yum!

***

The only knitting accomplished today was a little bit of this sock for Summer of Socks. It is the second of the pair.***

Now a question for those of you with a sense of design / proper furniture arrangement. (We have none.)

Here is the way the far wall of our living room looked before we emptied and moved three bookcases into our bedroom in anticipation of painting the walls next week.This is what it looks like right now, without the thinner bookcases.

The question: When we return the thinner cases, should we slide the 3 thicker pieces into the left corner and put the two thinner cases together on the right side near the balcony door? Or, should we move one of the two narrow-thick cabinet cases (shown) into the left hand space with the bookcases on the right near the balcony door? Or, should we leave everything alone and return it to how it was with the thin cases flanking the thicker ones?

(The space to the right of the balcony door holds a third book case.)

So? Any ideas? You have until probably Monday evening since we will probably paint during the day on Monday. Nothing exciting -- all white again. Tuesday we do the dining room / hallway and hopefully can finally call this place finished after last summer's construction fiasco.

Feel free to ask questions.