Feeling the Crunch

It would appear that I like most of the knitter's I know have seriously underestimated the amount of knitting time available prior to the opening of Christmas presents. I may have bought some extra time by insisting that nothing is to be opened until Christmas morning . . . no exceptions! That being said, I am beginning to feel the crunch. Actually the time schedule would have worked had not son #4 with family in tow arrived a day early, an totally unscheduled trip w/daughter #1 to retrieve son #3 from Chicago due to a "snafu" with son #1's scheduled departure time from the greater Chicago area to Des Moines had not gotten put on the schedule. I am beginning to get seriously angry w/the United States military and their seeming lack of concern for my holiday preparations. Daughter #1 and I will be leaving Des Moines around 3:30 p.m. on Friday, arriving in Gurnee, IL at son #1's apartment probably about 9:00 p.m. +, retrieve son #3 from Chicago/O'Hare at 7:16 a.m. on Saturday morning (I certainly hope all the air traffic gods align so that he leaves Raleigh, NC on time and hence arrive Chicago O'Hare on time), knitting time on the way over will be seriously reduced by the fact that it gets dark early, hopefully knitting time on the way home will be better. However, as luck would have it the weather is supposed to turn to absolute crap around midnight on Friday . . . so the drive home may be tricky.

I still need to finish the multi-directional scarf for son #1, have four pairs of felted clogs to knit and felt, thank goodness that they are all for little people and whip up pretty fast and I had hoped to finish a pair of socks for son #4 . . . plus I still have to block "the daughter's" gift and the hat and gloves that match the scarf that isn't yet finished. I have to at some point go to the grocery store and get the fixins' for Christmas dinner.

Now that I look this all over I think I am going to have a nice cup of tea and whimper quietly in the corner before I start knitting again.