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I just finished a big work project that also happens to commemorate the end of the organization's fiscal year. It happens every year, but it's always a big undertaking. As you wrap up a year, there's always time for reflection and lessons learned. In finishing this big project, the satisfaction I usually feel has not rolled over me quite yet. This is partially due to all the work still to be done in the last few days of this year, but it's also because I was able to accomplish so much, but none of it with out mistakes.

I mentioned in a previous post that I started a Procrastination Shawl 'just because', even while I have an ever-growing gift pile that needs attention. It knitted up quickly at first, but has since stayed the same size.

Before: When I cared about presenting you with a quality blog

After: when I did not care what your precious little sensibilities might make of my
horrible cell phone camera

Not because I haven't been working on it, but because I've had to rip out rows more than once due to lost counts, dropped stitches and even forgetting which side was the Right Side and the Wrong Side. Interestingly, this hasn't bothered me very much - probably because the yarn I'm using is cheap and ugly and the pattern is interesting to me but not something I fell in love with ages ago. I'm just enjoying the process and learning new skills along the way. This is known as "process knitting", a simple concept I heard about on an old episode of the KnitPicks podcast. You're knitting to knit and not for a result. This type of approach has taught me more than I can say and has really helped me not only learn from my mistakes but also freed me from constantly beating myself to death over every problem. I think I'm going to apply this a new approach to my workload and see if it helps me avoid mistakes and ultimately overcome them. I'm going to try to enjoy work for the sake of being busy. I'll let you know how that works out for me - if I even remember typing this in the morning.

In other news, the year-end project had it's perks. Yummy hors d'oeuvres and a gift - new plastic cup with straw! It may not be my beloved Tervis Tumbler, but it's a close second, pal.

Cup shown in foreground. Dog included for scale.

This post is brought to you by: an ill-advised late night stop at the Rock n' Roll McDonald's for a large Diet Coke.

Doggy Daily News: Day 2

Alright, people. I understand that you may not care to hear about the dog 24/7. I understand that being so obsessed with the dog makes me one of "those people". So, I will do my best to provide you with a non-dog related entry for every Droopy update. It's going to be tough, but I'm up for the challenge! If you are sick of dog news, stop reading now!

Droopy the Dog!

When I got home from work yesterday, the Droopster had been in his crate for 2 hours. He was wound up and ready to walk! We took an extra long walk through the park, which he loved. He likes leaves and tall grass... that must be where the good smells are! When we got home, our friends Mary Beth and Erin stopped by to meet Droops and to order in some dinner with me.

After they left, I attempted the seemingly impossible: giving Droopy a bath. The reasons for this were two-fold: A1) he was really smelly from the shelter and B2) he has been shedding like a maniac. I read that beagles shed seasonally and that stress can make it worse, so you can imagine what the apartment looks like right about now. Droops has avoided the bathroom since he heard me taking a shower yesterday, so he figured out what was up right away. I only filled the tub with an inch of water and then kept the faucet on low while using a plastic cup to get his fur damp. He kept his face on the ledge of the tub the whole time and one paw at the ready to hoist himself out if I gave him an opening. Other than that, there was no whining or barking, which rocked.

alex's parents gave us a little bottle of dog shampoo to use and it worked really well. We have an old bristle brush which works really nicely to remove old fur. He actually likes being brushed (probably because it feels like petting) - yet another bonus. Long story short - he looks so much better! His coat has a good shine to it and he doesn't stink. We had a great walk this morning as the sun was rising and he ate the breakfast I laid out for him. Progress all around.

Tonight's adventure: trying to find dog treats that he likes....