Stash busting

So when we had our New Year's party I moved all my yarn out of it's various places around the house to keep it safe from spills, mocking friends, etc. Well, it is ALOT of yarn. Justin told me that I had an "illness", which I take with a grain of salt from a man who owns 4 cars, but he got me thinking that I should start stash busting.

Here are January's results:
1 ball of Knitpicks sock garden became very soft fingerless mittens
4 balls of Valley Yarns Shelburne which was an impulse buy on my first trip to Webs became a very cozy hat and mittens. The mittens were knit in the round btw.



One half a ball of Patons Classic Merino became a cute little felted pouch. Which is waiting for Mark's Haunted Mansion project to clear out of the sewing table so I can sew a lining for it.
And last but not least, my Christmas crocheting became complete with dad's socks being finished.

I've made some good February progress too, but haven't busted out the camera yet. Maybe next week!

Well. Life is life. To update anyone who was concerned about my eyeball situation, I managed to get in touch with the eye doctor who said that the solution Ciba was recommending "should" be fine. So I braved it. It only required trips to 2 different drug stores to purchase it, so far it's been ok, so we'll see how it works out in the long run.

I am feeling the need to blog today although I have nothing really important to say, but this has been such a technologically backwards week that I feel the need to be using a technology that was invented within the last ten years! In the past two days I have used both a typewriter and a fax machine. Yes an actual typewriter, the likes of which I haven't seen since high school typing class. For a visual on that picture an abnormally large man with an abnormally high pitched voice saying very slowly "aaawaaawaaawaaaqaaazaaa" in a classroom full of socially awkward fifteen year olds typing in rhythm to that letter by letter chanting. AND, a fax machine to send the typed document of course! Since it was typed on a typewriter there is not convenient way to get it anywhere other than a fax machine that makes those yucky screechy noises awfully reminiscent of dial up modems! All of this to apply for money to go to a conference at "a complete state of the art conference facility with overnight guest rooms, and meal services. The Center occupies a tranquil 83-acre setting that blends rolling fields, woodlands, and pathways lined with colorful gardens and shrubs. The site of a former monastery....I hope that typewriters and fax machines are not state of the art for old monasteries, I mean even the Vatican is online! Well maybe I'll visit the national postal museum while I'm there, it is after all the only hotel with a permanent Smithsonian exhibit on the premises! I think that the lack of email is a way to drum up more business for the postal service, since after all, if I was on the ball I would have been mailing my application rather then faxing it just before the deadline!

Oh well, back to the dissertation!

Riled Up!

Well, I was thinking about starting up my WIP Wednesday again, but I am so riled about something else today that it will have to wait until next week!

So I have very sensitive eyes and went through a thing a few years back to find a contact solution that was just right for me. It's kind of expensive, but I really like it, so two weeks ago when I was at the eye doctor's we agreed I would stick with it. A new brand came out with something similar, I gave the trial a try and it made my eyes burn like heck so, back to the good old Pure Eyes.

Why is she babbling about this you may ask?

Last night, I ran out of my solution. So I tossed my month old contacts and wore my glasses today planning a quick stop to CVS after school today. But, CVS was all out of my Pure Eyes, or had stopped carrying it, I was unsure. Then to Walgreens. All out, empty shelves where the Pure Eyes belongs. Then on to RiteAid. No luck. Now I was a bit annoyed an a little vocal to Mark about what was going on. The kind manager overheard and told me that they had just pulled many of the Ciba products because they were being discontinued. So I was a bit miffed.

So to the internet, nothing at Cvs.com, walgreens.com, drugstore.com and a variety of other kind of sketchy online pharmacy sites. All just poofed the product or discontinued it. Amazon does have it here. But I'm a bit worried that that is a lie. I've Googled and Froogled and tried every variation I can think of. No go.

So I called CibaVision. They have a lovely message stating that they are undergoing a manufacturing upgrade so all of their products will be out of stock. Please consult your eye care professional to see if clear care one step will suit your needs. We hope to have our products returned to shelves sometime in the first HALF of 2006.

Now I'm riled.
a) I can't use a one step. I'm allergic.
b) I was just at my eye doctor, there isn't really another option for me other then the nasty burny one.
c) wtf! a product just poof's for 6 months with no warning, no notice to doctors, no further explanation, no alternative. I mean I understand killing a lipstick color, or a jean cut, but you can still paint your lips or wear jeans, maybe just not as aesthetically pleasing. But come on! Eye care!!! What if I didn't have glasses! I'd be blind and causing car accidents or something. I'm pissed.

Now I have to call my eye doctor, to see if he can recommend something else, or go get fitted for daily disposables, which since I was just there 2 weeks ago, my insurance won't cover another visit. Plus I just bought a year's worth of contacts $140, which are useless to me because I have no solution to use them with! Can I sue for damages. Financial and emotional I'm thinking.

So here is my second public service announcement for the week. Boycott Ciba!