And, They're Off!

I don't have a lot to post today, except that I felted a nice alpaca sweater today. It was one of my favorites, too. Don't be sad for me, though. I did it on purpose (whew! I had you going for a second there). Those of you who've been reading this blog since the very beginning (Hi, Mom! Glad to have your loyalty!) will remember back to one of my first posts about the should've-been-hubbie-sweater. I must have subconsciously wanted it for myself, because it was way too small for him. Thing is, though, it was a bit large on me and continued to grow over time. Fed up with the enormous sleeves and shoulders, I lightly felted it today. I was too nervous to do that before. Today, though, I bit the bullet and went for it. The operation went perfectly, and I'm hoping to be able to wear it tomorrow. It should be perfect now, because it'll be a bit more wind-proof, which is something we could use around here (it's not for nothing that they've put up windmills at the neighbor's).

The only other things I can think to mention are the trip we're taking to Lyon tomorrow (and the Anny Blatt/Bouton D'or factory outlet store we're passing by on the way there - ANNUAL SALE!!) and the ridiculous amount of time/money it takes to drive our kid to school. I've got SEX on the brain today, my friends. I know, you're thinking this comment is totally out of place here, but bear with me. We're talking yarn porn, here. Sex, as in Stash Enrichment eXpedition. Gah! What were you thinking I meant?

First, the trip to Lyon. The harvest YARN is over YARN, and we're going YARN to visit YARN my YARN husband's family YARN and YARN YARN YARN deliver some wine YARN to a customer there. Did I mention the factory outlet store that's having their annual sale? I know it's been on my mind a lot lately, but I could have forgotten to mention it. Anyway, I've already armed myself with the yarn requirements for several projects I'd like to make. I'll be looking for equivalent yarns to substitute. Wish me luck on that one. I really would like to be able to stock up some some inexpensive goodies to get me through the year. I've got tons of yarn but not enough of each kind to actually make, say, a full sweater. We'll be aiming to fix that problem tomorrow. Yay for me (except hubbie will be there to keep me in check - you think he can be bribed with promises of soft, cozy sweaters???)!

Then, there's the time/money it takes to drive my daughter to school each day (because we don't live in the village). I've calculated this, because if I want to send her all day, I'd have to pay 3,30 euros for lunch each day (that's right, a four-year-old eats that much food!!!). So, I've done some calculations for this. I drive 5.5 kms per one-way trip to the school. Since she only goes in the mornings for now, I do this two times a morning. My two options are giving up my right kidney to an organ harvester so I can afford the lunch 4 days a week (they don't have school on Wednesday) or bringing her home for lunch and taking her back for the afternoon session. I already spend about 40 minutes each time I go to take her and pick her up. That four times a day doesn't appeal to me, but I thought I'd do the math to find out the price difference.

So, we'll just pretend I actually explained all the math to you, because neither of us really want to go through all that here. Each time I drive to the school (or home from it), I'm spending 44 cents. I already do this four times, four days a week. If I took her in the afternoon after bringing her home from lunch, I'd be doubling that. Ouch! So, now it costs me 1,76 euros per day, but bringing her back in the afternoon would cost me twice as much. If we consider the amount of food she would have eaten at home, plus the cost of gas and the time I waste going a second time, it'd probably be cheaper to send her to the cafeteria. What really irks me most, though, is that sending her with a bag lunch isn't an option here. Ahhh, the downside to France.

So, in case you're wondering, we probably spend about 250 euros a year just to take her to school. That doesn't even factor in the cost of the little supplies the request and the fact that I'd be looked down upon if she showed up without shoes. Kids aren't cheap around here, are they? Okay, I'm a bit depressed after that. I think I'll go do some knitting and dream of the yarn I'm going to fondle tomorrow