It's Sunday night already and I'm wondering where the weekend went. I had promised myself some "normal" time and Saturday was it.

Friday, Pk and I took off from work early and went home and then to see Em. She was looking good and more alert. We stayed for a while and then came home and crashed. Saturday, I decided, was going to be for cleaning and laundry and then some spinning and knitting. I got up fairly early and got the cleaning done and the laundry well on its way by 11. That gave me all afternoon to spin in the sporatic sunshine. It rained halfway through the afternoon and the temp dropped significantly. It took away some of the humidity so it was all good. I finished plying the Purple Trainwreck and this is what it looks like before I washed it. It's hanging up to dry and feels light and fluffy. Kate is in love with the colors. I have enough for a pair of socks and she has dropped rather broad hints regarding some foot coverings.

And if that weren't beautiful enough, I started spinning some of this gorgeous silky merino that Jejune sent me (along with a violet crumble that mysteriously and quickly disappeared). It is the softest feeling roving. She said that it's something special that Australian scientists have come up with. I tried to look it up but couldn't find any other info on it. No matter. I'll just enjoy the soft silkiness and the bright colors.

I also spent some time with the knitting needles and the North Sea Shawl. I am in the home stretch. Only two more repeats then two rows of yo k2tog and I graft it together. Unfortunately, all the spinning has made my hands sore. Maybe I'll just lay off the knitting tonight.

Today, we got up and had some breakfast and then took Em some unsweetened tea. They keep giving her "unsweetened" drinks but it's really a misnomer. They are very sweet, just not sugared. She is not used to aspartamane or splenda or whatever they are using as a sweetener and just wanted some truly unsweetened tea. Pk brewed her a gallon of tea and we took it over this afternoon. She looks wonderful. The incision is healing up beautifully and she moves with fewer grimaces of pain. Of course, she is still on IV drugs so that helps. Em was a little upset today at the thought of having to stay in the hospital beyond Tuesday. They are letting her have some real food tomorrow and then will check the lymph levels and the chest tube output. If there is not an increase in liquid coming out then they will take out all the tubes and start her on oral pain meds and send her home on Tuesday. If there is an increase, then it's more testing and a "procedure" to "embolize" the lymph system. The doctor said there's a 20% chance they'll have to do the procedure. Naturally, Em is hoping they don't and that she can go home on Tuesday. I'm taking her some strawberries and homemade whipped cream after work tomorrow. And hopefully, we'll make plans to pick her up and take her home.

She's really handled this whole thing rather well. Not being able to eat for 5 days is a bummer but she handled that, too. The nursing staff all seem to like her and have been amazingly kind and helpful. It's made it easier for us to bear the idea of her being there.

We are sitting here just chillin' and mentally preparing for getting up for work tomorrow. Mondays are my really busy days but I don't think tomorrow is too bad. I'm listening to a book and Pk is playing a shoot-em-up game. It's too bad this doesn't allow you all to hear his creative profanity as he gets shot down. Again. I have to remind him that the windows are open and sometimes I'm sure the neighbors can hear him. I hope you all enjoyed your weekend. They sure are short.

And just because, here's one of the Jersey alpacas. He's all grey but has a white nose. His mother has one too. He is a gorgeous animal. He's only a year and a half old and looks like a teenaged boy to me. Kate is going to visit the farm one day next week. She and Pk are having detailed discussions on how they could raise alpacas. I just let them be. Everyone needs a dream.