Little Earthquakes.

That basically sums up my week...
If you are a fan of Tori Amos (if you are not, you should be!) then you know the song.
Basically (at least how I see it anyway)..a "Little Earthquake" shakes you up, shifts you around, pulls you out of your comfort zone, and sometimes can "rip you into pieces".
And so much has been going on behind the scenes here at chez stitchinwench. I feel like I have been ripped apart, tossed around, and then glued back together by a three year old.
Earlier this week a blogger friend lost her sweet kittie. My own professor scrappy meowsnshitz is getting on in age. I believe she is about 15 years old now. She is my baby. She has been through so much with me. And although I know someday she will leave me, I can't even begin to think about it.
So of course this week she gave B and I quite a scare. Acting out, meowing in loud and pitiful ways (she hardly ever gets vocal), and being very sluggish. She seems to be back to her old self now, but I am still keeping a close eye on her. The reality of her mortality has been very hard to face..I hope I wont have to encounter it again soon.
Work has been a fright. I don't want to go into details..but there have been a lot of changes in the past few months, and in my opinion, for the worse. I just can't wrap my mind around the decisions the owner has made. We are heading into our busy season, and I do not feel that he has set his staff up for success. His "improvements" have made every one's job three times as hard, and the customers are suffering for that.

But today my friends, a new light has been shining down upon me.
Today I got a new job.
As of now, I am going to work both the current job and the new job part time. Just so that I can get a feel for the new job, and the new job can get a feel for me.
I am extremely excited about this change. I am not sure how into detail I can get..but let's just say that I will be working with yarn. Lots and lots of yarn. In fact, the next time you place an order on line..depending on where you order..I may be the one boxing it up and shipping it to you. And..who knows..there may be some designing in my future.
(I am a little scared about this, considering I have never designed anything before. But I am also very excited..I know I can do it if I tried.)
So my friends,the little earthquakes that happen in our lives are not all bad. Sometimes we need to be torn down, so that we can rebuild and be stronger and better. And hopefully happier.

Now on to some fun news. Sock Madness round 4 starts tomorrow. I can't believe I have made it this far! I have my work cut out for me this round though. The person I am against is FAST! We have been neck and neck finishing socks thus far in the competition. And I know she is not going to be taking a vacation or working or going to a fiber festival. She is in it to win it, just like me.
The yarn specified is another variegated. The original was knitted with Claudia's Hand painted..LOVE IT!..so I will most likely use this yarn:

Claudia's Hand painted in the "Oops" colorway.

However, this lovely yarn has been wanting to be knit up for a while now. Please forgive my nasty rewinding..the yarn is rather fun and "spunky".
This is Socks That Rock in the Blarney Stone colorway...and considering who I am up against..I could use all the luck I can get. (heh, get it blarney stone..luck..duh!)

Of course, I will make my final decision when the pattern is released sometime between 5 am and 9 am on Saturday.

Me? Up at 5 for some silly pattern? YOU BET YOUR SWEET ARSE!