Tigers' Big Day Out

Yesterday I had a day off of work and decided to skip town to the country for the day. Miss A and I went to Hahndorf. My friend Jess went there last weekend. We have a lot in common Jess and I - she goes to Hahndorf, I go to Hahndorf (totally coincidental) She's knitting Rogue, I want to knit Rogue (okay this is after she shows me the pattern!) Did I mention she is a great enabler??

First off we went to the Farm Barn (had to put in a fun thing otherwise Miss A wouldn't have come)
Miss A got to milk a cow, bottle feed lambs, feed guinea pigs. They have different types of sheep there that you can pat: Damara, Liecester, Suffolk and Merino. Outside they have a huge fenced yard that contains wallabies (I think they were wallabies definitely not kangaroos), geese, ducks another Damara sheep, and several deer. Inside they have a beehive and chicks hatching in an incubator, an alpaca, rabbits.

All was going well until this big deer targeted Miss A and began to eat the bottom of her pants. She's standing there squealing and I'm laughing, then I come to my senses, if it keeps going it'll wreck her good pants and she's just standing there so I grabbed her and pulled her away and out come her pants from the deers mouth luckily unharmed.

They have a show that goes for about an hour and they bring out the different sheep to meet everyone.

After that we went into the city itself. There's lots of shops to visit - a beeswax shop with lip balms and creams, a lolly shop with boiled lollies, oh a soap shop - I bought 2 bars of Frangipani and 1 of honeysuckle. There's an alpaca shop with yarns and garments already made to purchase. There was a nice jumper there for only $199.00 !

I didn't buy any yarn there and decided to stop off at Needlenook on the way home for a quick fix.
I didn't purchase anything there either but I've ordered yarn for the Rogue.

Miss A fell in love with a guinea pig at the Farm Barn and in Needlenook decides that I could knit her one. Yeah right I said, but after sleeping and dreaming of knitted guinea pigs I think it's possible - they make Hedgehogs right? How hard can a guinea pig be.

Mine will be very simple - a knitted tube stuffed with embroidered eyes and mouth. She also wants a carrot - a knitted triangle sewn up with a bit of green out the top, and a piece of lettuce - I'll make this up as I go along. Oh and then there's babies it has to have babies! Simple - smaller tubes.

So we are off to Big W today for some supplies to knit guinea pigs.
Watch this space for the birth of guinea pigs!

I've promised her by tonight she'll have a guinea pig.
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Added:

Here is a ready made one.

Did you know that there are patterns for this!! Wow this looks a lot like a guinea pig. Miss A has decided this is the one she wants, don't know if I'll finish it tonight though we'll see.

Well, off to Big W to buy yarn. Have a great weekend.

Ahh, we're both sick here, my cold has reached the two week mark and Miss A's just started yesterday.
The lack of posting bothers me but I just can't be bothered grabbing Miss A and stuffing the yellow socks on her for a photo. Hope you understand.

The good that has come from this is that I've completed 3 assignments in this week alone. I tell ya - I've gotta do them when I get them and not leave them till the last minute!
So Communicating Electronically, Produce Complex Business Documents and Develop and Use Complex Databases are all finished (whether they are correct and I pass are another story)

I haven't been able to settle to knit much of anything. I took on a project - I think I posted about it before - a black alpaca scarf. It's kicking my butt 160cm of black 4x4 ribbing.
Each time I sit to knit my new cat jumps up on my lap and sleeps, I can't disturb him. If I start to knit he wants to play with the needles. Always wanted a cat to snuggle on my lap, none of the others are lap snugglers.


Uh Oh, this is where it gets whingy back away now.

So my list of things to do is as follows in no particular order:

1. Complete Cert 4 in ICT by end June
2. Begin Reclassification process (going from SSO1 to an SSO2)
3. Start Cert 4 in Business Administration next month
4. Fight Centrelink for benefits
5. See lawyer regarding property settlement and stuff
6. Initiate divorce proceedings
7. Knit something

Now number 4 above: Centrelink does not agree that I am separated and trying to live on my own meagre wage. They say that being separated under one roof is too hard to prove and keep sending me away. However in desperation I sought legal advice with Legal Aid here in SA. They say that Centrelink is not doing the right thing at all and I am indeed entitled to said benefits and need to keep appealing their decision. Just have to have few letters of support from like the therapist that I visited each week for over 8 months (at a cost of $50 per session) when I first split up, the teacher that supported me when I had a mini melt down at work (the students still say to me - "Remember when you cried that day? That was funny". Luckily I can counter with some crap about us all having bad days and that I can remember consoling each and everyone of them when they have cried) and my doctor who is very supportive.

Not separated indeed! If I want something for Miss A, I have to buy it and give him the receipt and he'll think about paying half!! We don't even talk to each other.

Which begs the questions -

Why am I still here?

And no, it's not because I still hope to get back together, he is a different person now and I've seen his dark side and have no desire whatsoever in that direction.

Because this is my home, my cats are here and I know I'll lose at least 2 of them, Miss A can see her dad whenever she wants (although he hasn't been here much lately and mostly just sleeps after work), I have too much on my plate at the moment, we have too much stuff to move, I love the area, but the bottom line is that Miss A and I have talked it over at length and she wants to stay. Perhaps if I keep ignoring the problem long enough he'll go away.

Quick Update...

Wow, it's been two weeks since I last posted!
I've finished the socks and have made progress on the 'crayon' socks.

I've been asked to knit a scarf by a work mate. A 4x4 rib with some lovely black alpaca.
The yarn is soft and yummy. So I am hoping to cast on for this tonight.

I will post pics of the finished socks - if Miss A can find them - haven't seen 'em for a while, and the socks in progress.

Looking forward to the Mother's Day knitting meet this Sunday.