Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Olympic Dreams

I grew up in a non-sporting family. They didn't play sports...they didn't watch sports. I never saw the Olympics until I was an adult. Since then, the Winter Olympics have always captivated me....the grace of the figure skaters...the speed of the luge....the bobsled...

Who wouldn't wonder what it would be like to put your body to the test...to train until you were a finely tuned athlete hurtling toward your goal while millions watched enthralled??? Many of us are past the age of sporting competition, if indeed we ever were made of such stuff in the first place. We watch the Olympics knowing our time, if there ever was a time that was ours, is past....

But, perhaps not! Tho your opportunity to land a quad in the skating competition may have passed...tho you may not have the lean mean muscle machine of a body it takes to hurtle down an icy run in the luge...you too can go for the Gold! Thanks to the Yarn Harlot there is now Olympic Knitting! I won't repeat the rules...go read for yourself if you haven't already. I'm seriously considering this opportunity to challenge my knitting...most of all, to set a goal and attain it. I am a horrid procrastinator...a starter who rarely finishes. This would be a good opportunity to challenge myself.

What to knit? My mind has been buzzing on that one since I read the Harlot's post. Something that is a challenge...but that I COULD finish, if I put my mind to it...Stay tuned.

Now, for all my whining about not being a finisher...I finished Branching Out last night. Needs to be blocked...which could take months, knowing me....but it's done being knitted. I believe I got 29 repeats from the mohair and once it is blocked it will certainly be a great length. Pictures? Yeah, yeah I know. One of these days.

I would love to buy a digital camera. In fact, at one point, I may have thought about using my tax refund to do so.

Tax refund? What tax refund? The one I'm not getting? I went to the "tax lady" yesterday....and I OWE! My oldest at home turned 17 this year....and that means I don't get a child credit for her. Is that not the most sucky thing? Hello...I still support her 100%...but now that she's 17...I don't get a credit for her being a child? I say again..."HELLO!!! this is effed up!". What did it cost me? Over $1,000.

When my face fell in horror at learning I owe...She said (and I have no idea of her politics or her of mine, tho I've gone to the same tax office for the last 6 years...) "You can thank Mr. Bush for that one."

Gee. Thanks Dubya. How many days till he's gone? If I didn't owe the IRS...I'd buy THIS to keep track....

1 comment:

Chris said...

Oh, that sucks about your taxes! I have experienced that "can't quite breathe" sensation when seeing the negative bottom line, so I can sympathize.

I'm going to participate in the Knitting Olympics, too - just have to figure out what I'll knit. Hmm...

Congrats on finishing Branching Out!