A Three Hour Tour

I swear sometimes I think I'm going nuts....and that it's an alarmingly short trip. I wouldn't even need to pack a snack, let alone a change of clothes. See what you think:

I woke up this morning at some unknown time, with the room full dark. Okay, it's obviously not time to get up...but I'm not going to look at the clock. I know from experience that if I look, I will fret over WHATEVER time it happens to be, as in "Oh, no--it's 2:30! That's not nearly enough sleep! What if I can't get back to sleep?" etc. Such thoughts are rarely conducive to sleep, so I don't look. (If nothing else, I do know my own neuroses--rather like the wonderful bumper sticker I saw which said "I live in my own little world...but it's okay. They know me there.") Anyway, I did what most normal people would do (although I admit that the connection between me and normal is a tenuous thing at best, as you'll see), which was to try to figure out what woke me up. Husband not snoring, room not cold or hot, no strange noises.....I decided that it was probably that I needed to pee. (Forgive the bluntness here--but you know us nursey types.) Now, here's where the departure from normalcy occured. Did I toddle off to the bathroom to tend to that issue? I did not. I laid in bed and tried to determine IF I REALLY NEEDED TO GO. I know. What in the world....? It's not like I get charged for using the restroom in our house. It isn't on the other side of an arctic tundra, or a slavering pack of dingoes. What can I be thinking at times like this? It boggles the mind. So naturally, I realized that yes, I really did need to go just about the time that I further realized that I was well and truly awake and would probably have a hard time getting back to sleep. Sigh. So I used the facility, returned to bed, pretended that I didn't know I was wide awake, and prepared to return to sleep. I turned the pillow to a cool spot. I snuggled down on my side, pulled up the covers. And this is what happened in my mind:

"Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip, of"---Oh no! Not the Gilligan's Island theme! I can't get that stuck in my head--I'll never get to sleep!! Gotta get it out...gotta think of something else......"No phones no lights no motorcars, not a single luxur--"ACK! No, no, no, NO. Let's see.....I know. I'll think of a quiet place....the woods, yes, that's it. The woods on a summer day. Yes, I can kind of see it. It's quiet, peaceful. Yes, I'm getting into this now. I can hear the soft breeze, hear the birds and the squirrels....I can smell the scent of warmed pine needles....needles....I should have that pink sweater off the needles today....just one more cap sleeve to go....what should I make next I wonder....? Oooh. Okay, thinking about knitting. Too interesting--I won't get back to sleep that way. Ummm....."as primitive as can be..." No! No more Gilligan's Island! The lake. That's it, the lake. I hiked out to this glassy smooth lake once and it was so still that when I got the pictures back I couldn't tell which end was up (the reflection was so perfect)....I remember sitting there, watching the fish jump every so often....so quiet I could HEAR them jump....water so blue....just like that new yarn I just got at Hilltop Yarn...I wonder if there's enough of it for Icarus? It has a bit of loft...I might need to use bigger needles....I--oh. I'm planning knitting again. Okay, let's see....let's see....."a three hour tour..." NO!!.....um....okay, back to the forest, lovely green forest...forest green....I wonder if I want to try making the Gatsby Girl Pullover from the newest Interweave Knits in that forest green wool I've been saving? I have enough of it....but I don't love the buttons on the shoulder...what if I changed the neckline....?....Hey, Mr. K isn't snoring...which is good...but can I hear him breathing? I'm not sure I can hear him breathing.....I wonder if he's okay.....(nudge Hubby)....he mumbled a bit...guess he's okay....oh, great--now he IS snoring....."the professor and Mary Ann--heeeeere on Gilligan's Isle!"..what about that yummy white alpaca blend I bought at Cultured Purls?

And so it goes. I am a complete freak. I surrender finally, to both my freak status and my shortened slumber. I look at the clock. It is after 6:00. By my best guess, I awakened around 5:00. Mr. K's alarm will go off soon--I'll just lie here and think about what I want to make next. At which time, I promptly fall asleep (yeah, yeah, I know--I relaxed and stopped fretting--I KNOW this, but my brain somehow breezes by that logic without a pause each and every time). And then Mr. K's alarm, just as promptly, DOES go off. And of course, it's across the room because if it isn't, he'll turn it off and go back to sleep. All hope of remaining asleep is utterly lost. I think he is still puzzled as to why my response to his very sweet "How ya doing, Babe?" was a mumbled "You hate me. You must hate me. There is no other possible explanation for having that HIDEOUS clock on my side of the room!!" Well....good morning to you, too.......

BUT, I am nearly done with the pink cashmere (did the first sleeve at Knit for Life last night), and now I'm thinking of maybe making this sweater in this yarn:

You probably can't see the yarn too well....but it's a wool/alpaca blend in a creamy white. I'm not too sure about the pockets...but I could leave them off. What do you think? And does anyone have any idea how to get the theme from Gilligan's Island out of my head??