Potholders

Wednesday, April 20, 2022

Unraveled Wednesday: 4/20/22

I'm joining Kat and fellow Unravelers for Unraveled Wednesday, with some progress on the Antler cardigan yoke. 


I've finished the cabled decreases and most of the neck ribbing. I'm trying to decide whether I quit now and bind off or do another two rows before binding off. I've got kind of a strange situation going on as I write this on Tuesday. In an ideal world, I would try the sweater on and make the decision, but I'm on hold with the Colorado Dept. of Revenue and have been for an hour and 50 minutes. We had our taxes done in March, and the tax that we owed to CO for selling Ryan's house last summer was supposed to be automatically withdrawn from our bank. I noticed this morning that it had not been deducted so I called the tax preparer. He said that the taxes showed as filed and accepted on his end, so he advised me to call the CO Dept. of Revenue and see what the story was. It might just be some sort of glitch on their end, but I can't reach anyone to find out. I don't have any kind of online account with Colorado so I can't just check the situation online, and I'm hesitant to just hang up and lose the time I've already spent on hold. I suspect that's what I may end up doing, but I decided to at least use my hold time for something constructive. So I've made progress on the sweater but am afraid to try it on for fear I'll lose stitches if I end up frantically trying to take it off in case CO ever answers their phone. Do you believe they keep playing the same song continuously, interrupted only by an occasional announcement saying they are sorry for the increased wait? You can't make this crap up. 

I finished three books last week, Seasonal Work by Laura Lippman, The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka, and Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Seasonal Work was a three-star collection of short stories, but it suffered from the same issues I often find with short stories - not enough plot or character development, simplified relationships, abrupt endings, and this bunch has different narrators for each story (some of whom are better than others). The Buddha in the Attic was also a three-star read for me, again written in first-person plural like The Swimmers, but it was less effective in this story about Japanese picture brides.

And then there was Lessons in Chemistry The fact that this book was blurbed as "a delight for readers of Where'd You Go, Bernadette and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" and "laugh-out-loud funny" just may win the Absolute Worst Blurb Award in 2022. I had many huge issues with this book but your mileage may vary. I'm going to link to my review here in case you want to read about the problems I encountered. I feel funny about discussing this book that has received a lot of positive hype but I also want to warn potential readers that might have the same issues I did. 

What are you making and reading this week?

(Two hours, 32 minutes on hold, and counting ....)

9 comments:

  1. Oh, my . . . I am hoping you got some resolution for your issue with the Colorado Dept. of Revenue after that huge investment of time, Bonny. You are a stalwart, that's for sure! (Once I was on hold with Delta Airlines for over an hour, and I thought that might have been a world record in patience. Now I see that I was merely an amateur. . . ) But WOW! That cardigan is a beauty!!! The mix of color, yarn, and pattern is just beautiful, and I can't wait to see it finished, blocked, and ON you. XO

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  2. what a pain! Taxes always stress me out. Love your sweater!! It's easier to rip out extra rows than to add two extra rows after bind off. (more thread burying) but that's just me... Your sweater is GORGEOUS!!

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  3. I hope by the time I'm reading this, the tax situation is resolved -- what a hassle! Your Antler cardigan is looking amazing, though! I'm sure you figured out the ribbing dilemma shortly after getting off the phone, and I'm guessing that it won't be very long before it's fully finished (likely right around the time the weather changes for good).

    I'd had Lessons in Chemistry tagged as to read, but your review has me rethinking that. There are too many books out there to be read for me to waste my time on something I won't enjoy.

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  4. Oh man, I hope that tax situation gets resolved. I remember Dale being on hold with unemployment about 11 years ago. We were driving back from Gettysburg and he was on hold for 3 hours!

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  5. You know, that is totally ridiculous to put on hold that long, but I think it is the "new normal" for trying to get in touch with businesses and governments. I spent an hour on the phone yesterday with a pharmacy trying to get some respiratory equipment for my husband. I just put it on speaker and did some things in the kitchen, but you always have in the back of your mind that you can't get too involved with anything while holding. What a PIA! I didn't think about knitting, that sounds like the perfect diversion IF you are not following a chart - LOL. I have attempted to read many books lately, and I have really been disappointed in all of them. I have 3 library books sitting by my chair, but none of them are calling to me (one of them is Buddha in the Attic). I think I should just give up on reading books for a while until something is published I want to read. I have been doing a lot of reading about current events instead, but that can be so depressing. SO, I think I am going to continue cleaning out closets/rooms and maybe start a new knitting project. I certainly hope that this is the last little bit of business related to moving houses for you. Please let us know if you ever got in touch with these people!

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    1. OH, and I can hardly wait to see your sweater completed. It's lovely.

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  6. well UGH about the long hold and I sure hope you got through just after you pressed publish! (and that your $ was where it was supposed to be). So you could try on your cardigan ... and decide it was time to bind off that neckline.

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  7. Oh man, I hope the hold time eventually paid off in the form of a conversation with a human being who could help you. Why does anyone play the same song over and over for customers on hold? Your sweater looks so warm and cozy. Those cables are the best.

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  8. Oh my goodness. Boo Colorado Department of Revenue... one would think that if they were owed money, they'd be prompt in taking it! (and I hope you were not relegated to Hold Hell for the foreseeable future!)

    Lovely sweater though! :)

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