Oh, I love Turbotax and Tax Freedom. It's a joy to my life to be able to file my tax return over the internet (Tax Freedom makes it free to file for low income families). I think this is about the sixth year I've done it. TurboTax should give me a commission on the people I've converted to e-filers. heh
My 2004 federal tax return is flashing through cyberspace and I will soon have my refund. Thanks to my wonderful husband (yes, the one that lives in another state), my bills are caught up and my refund will be spent on getting a "new" car this year! Hooray! It'll be probably 2 weeks before I get the money (always comes on a Friday) so I'm still turning my head away when I drive past those car lots because they'll have something completely different by the time I'm ready to go car shopping. When I get my car I'll probably take "before and after" photos of my ride. ha
And the sock. Still not finished. And I'm still thinking this pattern was made to fit Andre the Giant. This thing is coming out enormous! I really feel like ripping it out and starting over with something else. I was browsing some blogs this evening and their socks were SO much prettier than mine. Maybe it's the yarn. Maybe it's the needles? All I know is this sock will never fit me and I'll never be happy about the way it looks. All this effort and "yuck" for results. I thought maybe I would be happier as I got into the final part of the foot but it's getting worse! You would think that the part that goes around your foot should be slimmer than the part that goes around your leg. Uhh.... noooo.... these things look like something that should be worn on your trip to Antarctica* with several pairs of normal socks underneath! The more I think about it, the more I know it's time to frog the project. This is pretty yarn and should be used for good, not evil. These socks are coming out HIDEOUS! lol
(*check out the attorney from my office who just returned from Antarctica!)
Thank GOD I finally admitted it. They're horrid. A'frogging I will go. And then I'll have no sock.... and be in search of a better pattern. Maybe I need to make the "ribbed ankle sock" pattern? No. I want to make those pretty socks I've seen.... fluted bannisters. I will look for the pattern. Okay, maybe I'm being too hasty. Will it be less floppy and huge when it's been washed? This yarn is a superwash blend. Maybe it'll get better. *sigh* But I'm still looking for other patterns.
AND... as promised... I will report on my findings about a local knitting guild:
THERE ISN'T ONE.
However, there are some Texas knitting Yahoo groups, and one local spinning and weaving guild, Heart of Texas Spinners and Weavers, that has a knitting night once a month. The Lone Star State Knitters Yahoo group has a fairly busy exchange of emails going on during the day and has made me feel very welcome. I'll be taking a day of vacation on January 28th to drive to Kansas to see my husband (his birthday is January 29) so maybe I'll get to stop by Yarn Heaven in Arlington! There are a few others that were mentioned by the knitting group members (in Cleburne and Granbury) so we'll have to see. Those might be saved for another trip.
Today is Inauguration Day for the President. It makes me swell up with pride and stand taller to be an American. And to live so near to (and be a former resident of) Crawford, Texas. It's probably pretty quiet in Crawford today because I'm sure at least half the population is in Washington, D.C. The high school band will be there. I know it's a very proud day for that little town, only seven miles from my little town. We play their kids in baseball and football - they almost always beat us but my son has a few wins under his belt in both sports against Crawford. Anyway, enough about the friendly rivalry - it's INAUGURATION DAY! HOORAY!
