Socks, Sickness, and Theft

Socks: These are the socks I started February 16. This is as far as I have gotten.
I have been working on continental style knitting, hoping to speed things up. I do think I'm faster than I was with the traditional method of throwing the yarn with the right hand. It does take longer to pull the loop and needle from one side of the socks to the other than it does to change from one needle to the other when using double pointed needles. An advantage is that I really don't have to be concerned about needles slipping out of stitches. Overall, it's still slower than knitting one sock at a time on double points, but I hope it will become faster.
Sickness (graphic--feel free to skip this part): In 1993 on my way to the only faculty restroom at a school in Arizona, I asked the office personnel to come check on me if I wasn't out in 15 minutes. They forgot. I lay on the floor of that restroom for well over half an hour before I was able to get up and stagger out. The principal had to take me home; after school a couple of teachers brought my car to me--a mere six miles.
Now I commute over 60 miles each way. When I arrived at school Thursday morning, I had to unlock the pod door to get in (two custodians were absent, the third is intent on doing as little as possible), dropped my coat on the table, and headed straight for the restroom. Yech insued. I arrive at school nearly an hour before most other teachers due to my daughter's midschool schedule.
I did consider a fast run to the 24-hour Walmart but realized that since I was already sick, investing in new clothes I wouldn't even enjoy wasn't likely to make things much better--I'd just have felt poorer and still been sick on top of it all. I phoned my principal and Alexandra's school, explained that I really didn't want to go in to check out my daughter smelling the way I did, so they arranged to come out to the car, check my ID, and get her out of class. I managed to drive home. I was still sick yesterday. I'm still sick today; apparently I finally succumbed to the illness that has been keeping my students at home. Checking our district's online absence site, I see that the school did not get a substitute for me either day. I'm not sure I care. Maybe we'll be able to pick up where we left off. Since the district has no substitutes trained in Orton-Gillingham methodology, subs don't teach what I would teach anyway.

Theft: These are the views to the west {with the mountains covered in haze) , north (with the mountains invisible), and east of my house, respectively. Seven houses on our little street.

Last weekend I had planned to put some new lightbulbs in the exterior lights. I left the ladder on its side near the portico on the front of the house--invisible unless someone was at the front door. I knew I should carry it back to the storage building. I asked Alexandra to help me. She wasn't willing to do that. I should have done it by myself. Monday we came home to discover the ladder was missing. The only visitors we get out here are Mormon missionaries, people campaigning for public office [no elections in the near future, so no people campaigning], and, last weekend, someone claiming to be selling Kirby vaccum cleaners. My money's on the Kirby salesman. Wait....I don't have any money. I don't have a ladder either; that means that no lightbulbs will be changed until I go buy another. I don't think I'm going to have money for a ladder this month what with entry fees for flute festival, car license and title renewal, and an unexpected dental bill from when Alexandra had her bike accident almost two years ago. On the other hand, I still have a job and I still have insurance so I'll eventually get a ladder, and if I'm lucky, I'll find a used one.

Alexandra's making a list of what we need from the grocery store, so I'll take my sorry stomach there before the Saturday crowds get too large. If I'm lucky I'll manage to work on a quilt before the day is over.