Update time

I've been so busy over the last week that I just haven't had the chance to write anything for y'all. Ain't that just mean of me? Maybe if I explain a little I will be let off this one time.
So, last weekend I had my parents-in-law staying for four days as the husband was graduating from his PhD (finally!) which I think I may have mentioned. We had a lovely lovely weekend and it was so nice to spend some time with the family. However this left me hotfooting it and down on sleep at the start of the week and everything has snowballed from there.
First things first: I have done lots of knitting this last week, though none of it on what I should have been doing! I started a shrug on Sunday using some Noro yarn. I only had one skein of it and it had been in the basket for ages so I decided to make a one skein wonder with it as I couldn't afford to buy anymore of the stuff no matter how nice it is. I came up with my own design and pattern and set to it and I enjoyed knitting it so much that I got it finished on Wednesday evening. I spent the mornings and my lunch breaks knitting so that I could get it done. Tuesday evening as ever was devoted to its construction but the other two evenings were spent tending the garden which is needing lots of attention at the moment as the weeds are going mad. We cut the grass at the weekend and then spent an evening this week potting up all our tomatoes and the herbs that we bought recently. The garden is starting to look really, really good. We left a wildflower border in on the left side when we cut the grass which the bees love. The area that we are going to pave at the back of the garden is the only thing that really needs doing now and we have at least made a start on it. Disappointingly the in-laws couldn't really see how much work we had put into the garden to get it to the state that it is but then they are very good at noticing all the things that we haven't done!
I have also done lots of beetle work this week. I have been spending the time after work putting a few of my Erotylids away in the arranged collection every day. This way I hope to get the old material transferred into new storage sometime this month. I spent all yesterday morning doing this as well which was a great help and I managed to snag a hour of work time as well so made really good progress. As my treat for being such a good girl during the day I spent some time washing all my finished knitting last night. I also remembered to throw my square of Donagal Aran into the washing machine so that it would felt. I dug it out this morning and it looks great but will bear another spin though the machine me thinks.
And in amongst all this knitting, gardening and beetle work I have been trying to get enough sleep (which just hasn't happened) and find some time for my kittens (which has happened). Last night Fenway was being such a soppy little cat. The husband and I had sat down to watch a movie- Oh! I forgot this as I was too far into daydream land. Okay, so quick aside for you all here. We sat down to watch Blade Trinity as my parents lent me a bunch of DVDS and this just happened to be in the pile. The husband hadn't seen the first two but I gave him a quick synopsis of the plot and we went from there. The third isn't great- they bounced around too much so the good bits where tied together with some really really crap bits etc etc. Anyway, the premise for this movie is that the Vamps go off and find Dracula who is the original vampire and born perfect i.e. he can walk in the sun, in the hope that he will be able to bequeath this power on them and at the same time kick Blade's butt for them cause they are seriously crap, wimpy vampires. Drac is hardcore and when in proper vamp form is red and knobbly which annoyingly I can't find a picture of. But in 'human' form is his the very delicious Dominic Purcell, better known as Lincoln from Prison Break. I had no idea he was in this movie and about laughed myself off of the sofa when he first popped up on screen but quickly settled in for some hardcore drooling, not least because he runs around without his shirt on for most of the movie. It also meant that I didn't notice most of bad acting that was going on around him. Mmmmmm.
So yeah, Fenway. Well, we were watching our movie (or dribbling in my case) and forgot to feed the cats at eight which is when they normally get their dinner. In order to get my attention and thus get food, Fenway has developed a new tactic. He starts off by giving you little licks- just one or two, on some exposed area of your body. Feet and ankles are good for this but if you are sitting on the sofa then this gives him access to your arms, shoulders and face as well. If you continue to ignore him his increases the number and frequency of licks until he is practically bathing you. I was wearing short trousers last night so got my legs well washed. The only problem is that it really tickles and makes me go 'Ah! ain't he cute' and give him cuddles rather than food, so he is then forced to move onto phase two of the plan which involves him nibbling you with his front teeth. If he can find a fleshy bit like your hip or a bony bit such as toes or elbows then all the better as he can get a good pinch on and actually hurt you. It's at this point that I realise what he wants and stuff him full of food. Afterwards he likes to come and sit back on my lap and fall asleep. Mostly because it's lovely and warm but I think that there is also a little bit of him that is apologising for nipping me. A very small part maybe...