Alone Time

I am the oldest child of four. I am also a single mother of one. I ride the bus and I work with the public. I NEED alone time.



I like to describe myself as a social loner.... I like to socialize, but really don't mind being by myself. Sometimes I feel like hanging out and will easily talk to people around me, but I also avoid people, wear headphones or look at books while not absorbing a word or sound.



I love my child dearly, but she is a talker, hardly taking a breath between words. When I drop her off at her bus stop, I will walk down three blocks to the bus stop even though there is a bus stop across the street. I will also let a bus (sometimes two) pass me by in order to have a little decompression time between the hustle of getting my girl on the bus and opening the office for clients that are often demanding and a little crazy.



I figured out that the best reason for a set bedtime for your kids other than it is good for them is that you can be by yourself, settle in for the night, read a book, listen to some music, watch a movie that won't scare your children to death so they end up in your bed for a month. I put my girl to bed at nine pm sharp, get a nice cup of tea, read a book or knit a little before falling into a blissful sleep.



Sometimes, when I feel extra pressed by toomuchpeopletime, I take a day off from work. I send my girl to school without telling her that I am playing hooky, go back home, slip my pajamas back on, watch the View, and do whatever the hell I want to do. By the time she gets back to school, I am happy and refreshed.



At work, I found the best hiding place where I can sit down, eat, knit and listen to my music. I come back to work with a natural high and almost giddy.



The few times that my girl is away from home, I go out to my favorite joints, Ross, Diaso and Barnes and Noble. I can sit inside B & N's cafe with my triple chocolate chunk cookie, a grande cup of tea and a few books and chill for hours. And nobody bothers me. Today, that is my plan. I am going to stop by a fabric store, walk to the bookstore while listening to my audiobook and chill for a few hours while my daughter enjoys herself at my sister's home. I'll miss her, but look forward to my rejuvination.

Knitting

I knit, therefore, I am.



I knit, but don't expect no complicated frilly stuff. Homey don't play that. I do quick, uncomplicated things. I have been working on a vest for the last 3 or 4 months, and I am in no particular hurry to finish it since it is now 'summer' and I don't need the extra insulation.
Knitting brings me peace and helps me work things out in my brain when I am troubled. The last week has been crazy with family issues, I knit like a fool and finished two bags, two hats and I am currently working on another. My favorite thing to do is to sit and knit. The weather has been so lovely lately that I sit outside with the sun burning my legs and knit and drink my lemonade or iced tea until it is time for me to get some real work done.

But I love the winter, the time of year when it is cool to sit on your butt and do nothing. I like to put on music, heat up a pot of tea, wrap up in my blanket on my favorite chair and knit. Sometimes I watch TV, but it is better with music. I was watching a movie and my friend was irritated that I was knitting while watching the movie. He thought I couldn't follow along with the movie while knitting. I had to educate his butt.
I have tons of knitting paraphernalia. I have a lot of knitting needles, and don't EVER ask to borrow them. I can part with yarn, but not with my needles son. I have three or four garbage bag sized bags of yarn.... I am a little more likely to part with my yarn only so I can buy more. My favorite sites for my hobby/ fetish are:

• knitpicks.com- The Harmony interchangeable needles are the shiznit and the yarn is cheap too!
• Ebay- Uhhh yeah! I have found needles by the lot, yarn and cute knitting bags here.
• Discontinuedbrandnameyarn.com- I found my favorite yarn- Lamb's Pride- here for half price.

When I recieve my Knit Picks catalog in the mail, I get so excited. I call it my porn because it makes me hot- I swear it does.

I also spend a lot of time on Ravelry.com. It is like a MySpace for knitters and crocheters. You can post pictures of your work, your stash of yarn, there are forums and groups to join and of course, there are friends to make. I belong to a lot of groups. Maybe too many.

I love knitting so much and believe in it's powers to calm and soothe that I teach a class at work and will teach anyone who asks... but bring your own stuff cause I ain't sharing.

Tea

I love tea! It comforts and warms me when it is cold outside. It reminds me of my childhood, but it also makes me feel grown and sophisticated. When I am home, I enjoy my tea hot or cold and always have at least one pitcher of iced tea in my fridge. I enjoy my tea more when I have an "atmosphere" going on at home, which basically means my house is clean, a nice teapot and matching cup is a must. I have too many teapots and cups, but can not bear to give any away. My favorite thing to do is to put on some music, wrap up in a blanket and grab some good reading material or knitting project and just chill with my favorite tea of the moment. Who needs drugs or alcohol when you have that? I like to have tea parties with my daughter, though she usually enjoys the cookies and not the tea. She will learn.

My favorite teas:

• Harny and Sons Mango Black Tea- This tastes so good with milk, this is my favorite evening tea.
• Market Spice Tea- This is my new favorite, but I will admit that I did not like it when I had it when I was young. But now, this is my favorite morning tea and it smells so good and it makes my office smell like cinnamon and oranges, which is better than the usual stinky smells around this joint.
• Contsant Comment- This is my OG tea. My dad brought this home when I was little and I was intantly in love. I always have a box in my house. I make this hot and enjoy it cold mixed with good ol Lipton. It also tastes good with milk or half and half, smells and tastes luxurious and therefore, my house has to be on point and I bring out the teapots to enjoy this. If I share the yummy goodness of this tea, you have to know that I really like you or I am being awfully generous and want to share my secret love with you.
• Morrocan Mint- This is a great winter tea when I feel icky in the chest and great iced with Lipton. Also good with milk and half and half.
• Jasmine Tea- There is a brand I pick up in the Asian grocery store as a loose tea. I do not remember the name of it, but I always find it because the package is bright yellow and black. I use it for iced tea and add lemon and it is a very delicious summer tea.
• Lipton- Good ol Lipton. Sometimes, I don't want any flava. I just want a hot cup of tea that tastes good. Lipton is that tea. I don't like anyother 'plain' teas but this. I buy it in bulk from Costco. I make my iced tea with 4 bags of Lipton, one bag of a specialty tea or 5 bags of Lipton and one lemon.