Oh, for the love of...

It's snowing. again. Roughly 6" of heavy wet snowball snow on my car was just removed by me, because the folks who plow here decided to come and plow before the storm ended (which is ENTIRELY contrary to the piece of paper shoved under our door a couple of months ago). But the car is cleared, and moved, and I'm back inside, awaiting the arrival of the lovely Kate and company (Emily, Jacob and Mary, to be exact) where we will depart for yarn shops unknown (ok, probably just the one in Portsmouth and the one in Rye Beach.). We had planned to go (back) to the Webs sale today, but ol' Ma Nature had other plans for us. If there were no kids involved, maybe. But that's too big a risk with such precious cargo with us. So we'll stick pretty close to home today, which suits me fine, what with this leaky faucet I call a nose.

Dan isn't home from the valley yet, which means I didn't get to try out my new skill of batting my eyes and asking him to clean off my car (I'm not supposed to do strenuous stuff outside until I'm at least done with the course of prednisone I'm on, and there's a few days yet to that). Ah well. Such is life. I'll guilt him about it later, i suppose ;)

stolen...

...from Kate. Because if I were to respond to her last post, it would be full of warm fuzziness for her and her family, who just might be the best thing I've stumbled across this year, and am eternally grateful to whatever force propelled Kate into coming to our little knitting shindig in Dover. Seriously. Wherever, whatever, whomever you are..THANK YOU.

28 years ago I…

…was six months old. (roughly) and experiencing my first new england winter. Dad still worked for Uncle Marty, mom still worked at the Greenery, and our snug little house on the island was home.

20 years ago I…

...was in 4th grade, and loathing much of it. Pretty perpetually picked on, given static for going to the higher level reading group..blah blah.

10 years ago I…

...was finishing my first semester of college at the University of Arizona. I had a few good friends formed from anthropology class, was considering converting to Judaism, and in general having a pretty good time 3000 miles and 3 time zones from home.

5 years ago I…

...was finishing my first semester of post undergrad work in public history. I was managing the hockey team and traveling with them at this point, seeing great hockey games, meeting fabulous people, and in general pushing myself to every limit i know, including stress and sleep deprivation. And I'd do it again in a New York minute.

2 years ago I…

...was full time at the bookstore, had been living with Dan for a little over a year and a half. I was settling into life on the Seacoast, but still missed the valley terribly, and didn't have so much in the way of non-work friends.

1 year ago I…

...was coming out the other side of my first retail holiday as a manager. And I survived! About this time I accepted the position full time (as opposed to filling in for someone). Dan was talking about going for his Ph.D after finding out that he'd passed his comps with flying colors (and he'd assumed he'd failed, so he never bothered to find out!)

1 month ago I…

...held my breath and braced myself for another retail holiday. I made my holiday knitting list of things i needed to start and or get completed in time.

1 week ago I…

...finished the last of the holiday baking, and officially gave up on the fingerless gloves for dad. I cajoled the boy into trying to decide when he was going to head down to see his folks (prior to my arrival, or at the same time?).

1 day ago I…

...was reveling in the wonder that is the Webs year end clearance sale with Dan's mom (hooray for christmas shopping!). I emerged with enough yarn for a sweater for me (yes!), a scarf and socks also for me, and a scarf each for mom and molly.

1 hour ago I …

...fussed around on Ravelry, entered my new yarn, and watched the end of the TD Banknorth UVM hockey tourney.

And right now?

...am watching Deal or No Deal and nursing a bit of a cold. Time for tea and a spot on the couch, methinks.

knitting survey, for the hell of it.

Purple for stuff you've done, green for stuff you plan to do one day, and normal for stuff you're not planning on doing.
Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (=modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti knitting
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit/crochet
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Buttonholes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dyeing with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on one or two circulars
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dyeing yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener stitch
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegated yarn
Stuffed toys
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mits/armwarmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas...

No, but really. We've had green Christmases the last couple of years. And I don't even subscribe to the whole "it's only a white Christmas if it really snows on Christmas day"...I'm just looking for snow on the ground come Christmas. Well, we got that one covered, for damn sure. It's snowing (again), on a night that I work late (again). Something about me working late just makes the weather suck. I dunno. Oh well, at least I should be able to get a bunch done tonight, right? Right?? 5 more days until Christmas proper, and I can't wait. I don't have dad's present done, but I'm not so worried about it...he's requested some fresh bread and cookies. Done. Friday I'll bake cookies most of the day here, then off to K's to hang with her and the kids and do more baking. Somehow I think kids will make it that much more fun!

I can die a happy woman...

No, we're not engaged, so stop that thought train right there :)

I got to have my picture taken with the World Series trophy Saturday night at the Monarchs game. The boy and I went with K&W and the kids...much fun was had by all, a fair bit of junk food, and all around merriment. And yes, K and I both knit during the game, though she more than I. I missed almost the entire first period of the game to get my picture taken with the trophy, but some things are worth it (particularly since it didn't turn into a really good game until about the last 10 minutes of the 3rd, overtime, and the shootout. It was nice to see a bunch of old Hockey East players (Peter Harrold, Brian Boyle, Gabe Gauthier to name a few...Jon Quick is backstopping for them, but he's backup, so I unfortunately didn't get to see him play at all...)

Next game to get myself to: Merrimack Warriors Hockey. Never thought I'd see the day they were higher than Maine in the HEA standings....Miracles do happen, I guess!

the male of the species...

...occasionally makes me insane. He's quite forgetful, sometimes, to the point of frustration. But what's a girl to do? He's cute, makes me coffee, and loves me. And I love him back. But MAN can he frustrate me sometimes...

last one, i swear!

Your Scandinavian Name is:

Love Freja

What's Your Scandinavian Name?

I can't really disagree with that choice....

and another, just for kicks

Your 80s Theme Song Is:

Walk Like an Egyptian by the Bangles

What's Your 80s Theme Song?

doing the pigeon...

You Are Bert

Extremely serious and a little eccentric, people find you loveable - even if you don't love them! You are usually feeling: Logical - you rarely let your emotions rule you You are famous for: Being smart, a total neat freak, and maybe just a little evil How you life your life: With passion, even if your odd passions (like bottle caps and pigeons) are baffling to others

The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

list updates

ok. already knocked one thing off the list. See? This Christmas knitting thing is easy! (mmhmm...remind me I said that, and then smack me, when I'm stressing on Christmas Eve, won't you?) Mom's scarf is done, save for weaving in the ends. I'm not sure blocking it is such a great idea, since it's already pretty fluffy, and I don't want it to bloom more/get ENORMOUS (it's alpaca...and hooboy, does that stuff like to grow. Peoples exhibit a, my bluey purple socks. which are now mom's bluey purple socks. *grumble*)
made some decent progress on molly's clapotis, though i have NO idea why i'm working on it since i have many months until she comes home...

gift knitting

I've opted for a much shorter gift knitting list for this year..pretty much just 2 things. a scarf for mom that's over half way done, and a pair of fingerless gloves for dad, that are being started for the third time. (first restart is because i'm smarter than i give myself credit for...I got superwash yarn so that dad COULDN'T shrink his gloves, and yet planned on felting them.moron. second restart is on smaller needles..i'm not thrilled with the gauge i'm getting on the current set, so i'm going down 2 sizes from 7s to 5s.) I'm working on a clapotis for my sister, but since she won't be back from Europe until April, and I don't want it getting lost somewhere in Europe (4 skeins of pink malabrigo, tyvm), it can wait. though i got a bunch done yesterday, thus continuing my tradition of knitting a gift for my sister on thanksgiving.
I've got a set of socks in process for Dan that I'll try to finish if I get time...Sorry, charity knitting, but monday nights might belong to gifts for the next couple of weeks...plus i still need to finish the baby stuff for k's sister. hoo boy. that list is longer than i thought. here it is, in bullet form:

-Fingerless gloves for dad
-Scarf for mom
-baby wrap blanket for k's sister
-Clapotis for molly
-baby hats x2 (k's sister and my cousin)

giving thanks

Good lord, it's the weekend before Thanksgiving. It's the earliest it can ever be (with 11/1 falling on a Thursday this year) but seriously...already?! It didn't occur to me that it was coming so quickly until mom asked what I wanted her to bring...my response of, "how the hell do i know, i haven't gotten that far!" was met with, "Thanksgiving is in a week, you know." oh shit.
At least this year I don't seem to be possessing any insane ideas to knit my sister a lap blanket before Christmas...instead i have a baby blanket to complete. at least it's smaller...though 24" of stockinette...
This year I'm doing next to nothing for gift knitting. the scarf intended for my little sister won't be done before April (when she returns from her European skating adventure), so I pretty much just have the fingerless gloves for dad to knock out...and the first one is almost halfway done. then to felt them, then done. voila.
So I think i'll watch the Mythbusters Supersize special for the 3rd time this week (the first time, in fairness, was interrupted by the season premiere of Project Runway. I'll opine on that later) and do a little mindless stockinette. I got way too frustrated over a video game tonight, and need to put myself into a bit of a timeout. a soothing, repetitive, stockinette filled timeout. ohhmmmmmm

10 year reunion

Ye gods, has it been 10 years?? There was a reunion of the first 2 classes of the Great Northern Knowledge Factory in Portland last night...A few old teachers showed up (Tasker, Atwood, LaVallee, Farrell, Dr. Debbie...), Jim P and Jim M, the new director, Mr. Warner (thanks again!)...and a whole mess of old friends, many of whom it's been 4 years or so, some it's been even longer (it's been 10 since I've seen Angie!) Everyone looks great, is up to interesting things and some old tricks...overall, really great to see everyone. My iPod will be making a trip down memory lane for a few weeks as I revisit the music of my youth...

pot roast v2.0

Ok, so we're trying the pot roast thing again (duly noted: the piece of meat at Market Bucket labeled as Pot Roast is NOT ideal for Dan's preference towards extremely soft meat which falls apart easily. The last one did not oblige his desire to rip it apart wantonly and with very little effort. The current model, left to it's own devices over night in the crock pot, came apart with the aid of a butter knife and nothing else. A marked improvement. A little gravy flour was added to thicken the juice a bit, but most of it will be earmarked for shepherds pie for dinner tonight anyway. I'll note below what I put into to crock pot with the pot roast, for the next time when I stare blankly at my cupboards and vainly try to remember what i did...

1 onion halved and cut into large wedges
2 cloves of garlic smushed but not chopped
3/4 of a can of pepsi
worcestershire sauce
beef stock (pretty much until everything is covered
2 bay leaves
handful of whole black peppercorns

I added a pinch of salt this morning after shredding the meat and returning it to the pot to cook uncovered for a bit to reduce. mmmmm....hopefully there will be some left for shepherds pie...I am home all day....

hooray!

The boy comes home from Sacramento today...It's been a long week here without him, nevermind having the flu for 3 days thrown in (and boy did I miss him then!!) I'm very excited to have him coming home, and blissfully have the day off tomorrow to spend the day with him! (and hopefully sleep off the rest of this flu bug).

So hooray to boys returning home!

halloween lite..

So today is halloween. No, your calendars aren't wrong..ok, it's technically something called Beggar's Night around here. I call it kinda dumb. The local towns decide what day they are going to celebrate Halloween, and what time the kids can go trick or treating. Where K lives, it's today. So we're taking her small ones out to ask for candy. Should be a good time, but I'm still a little hung up on the whole, "We'll decide when halloween is, thankyouverymuch". Someone notify the pagans...they might have a little something to say about it. I'm looking forward to it though, since I've never seen real trick or treating in neighborhoods....my hometown was just too small for that (in that, the houses were too bloody far away!)

Last night we made whoopie pies, too...frosting's almost right, but not quite. If anyone out there has a good frosting recipe for whoopie pies (must be dense and sugary), do let me know...we got closer on this one, but still not quite there...

2 in 4

Hells yes, the Red Sox have won the World Series. The commercial for Dick's Sporting Goods says they'd like to be the first to congratulate the Red Sox. Too late...NESN beat 'em to it! bwhaha...

Two in four years...and there's someone on TV waving a broom around..heh. How's that for awesome. Mike Lowell got the MVP trophy...damned well deserved. I hope we sign him again...but he can ask for a hell of a lot of money now. And rightfully so.

LETS GO SOX!!!

Oh I'm subtle all right...

...about as subtle as a hockey stick to the face.

Last night the boy was commenting on how much he loves apple tarts, and how he could eat them for the rest of his life. What do I reply with? "Marry me and you can." He wants tarts, I want a ring. His is tasty, but mine is shiny. And no, before you get the wrong impression, this is not the first discussion of the whole marriage thing. We've been discussing it for 2.5 years or so at this point....

In other news my way too big Pedro Martinez shirt has been replaced with a much better sized Josh Beckett shirt....*sigh* I loves me Josh Beckett!

game one

in the bag. to quote Becky: Apparently no one told Colorado that this ain't t-ball.

Damn right.

Very superstitious...

...Writings on the wall..

OK. Enough Stevie Wonder. So tonight is the first game of the World Series between the Colorado Rockies and my beloved Red Sox. This time 2 years ago I was closing at work, listening to most of the first 4 games in receiving on the radio. And we won. Superstition dictates that I do the same for at least the first game. And I will be, at least the first 6 innings or so. I unfortunately can't remember what I was wearing that night...(yup, I have that much sports superstition)..though even if I could, the clothes have probably gone to charity via Dan's mom by now (courtesy of losing almost 15 pounds over the last year or so..)...so it's time to dig out my Dropkick Murphy CD for Tessie, replace my old red sox tee shirt (I had a Pedro Martinez shirt...I'm now torn between Beckett and Papelbon...but leaning towards Beckett....) and get ready for a great series between 2 teams riding hot streaks. You know where my loyalties lie though.

damn right!

And my beloved Red Sox are going to the world series for the second time in 4 years. Thankfully my schedule at work seems to have worked out and superstition being what it is, it's only fitting that I listen to the first game of the world series on the radio in receiving.

decisions...

Do I finish my current WiP on my size 1 addi turbos (a lovely pair of socks for me out of a pretty cornflower blue alpaca silk blend, or do i let the sock languish for a bit and make myself a clapotis out of some laceweight malabrigo i have kicking around....opinions?

ladies and gentlemen...

let's play...hockey!
-Johnnie Dee, the voice of the Arizona IceCats

So UMass and Merrimack are both off to a decent start on the season, expected from UMass and well deserved for Merrimack. The boy and I will hopefully make it down to North Andover for a game or two this season, which should be fun. Lawler arena leaves a bit to be desired for quality, but the atmosphere is fun, and very OTH (old time hockey), so i'll take it. Maybe we'll even get some of the old crew together, which could be very entertaining.

In other news, I'll be on my own for a week after this Friday...i think it will turn out to be a week full of quiet baths and coconut ice pops. (he HATES coconut, so I haven't had a coconut fruit bar in almost 3 years....that will change next week!!)

The Sox are currently winning 10-2, top of the 8th...so it looks like we'll have a game 7. God Bless Red Sox nation...It's a great time to live in New England!

eureka!

discovery made today while in target (pronounced tar-jay, thankyouverymuch)

I am not what one might refer to as....well endowed. So my discovery? Cute inexpensive bras in the teen section! some of what was there was very clearly training bras...but some were not! woo!

(i found the size thing out, by the way, by visiting vicky's....i asked the gal there to measure me, as i had lost a bunch of weight and my bras were all too big. She informed me that i was an a cup, but as they don't sell bras that small, she could sell me a b. so wait...I'm not a b, I'm here because my bras are all too big, and you're going to sell me a $45 bra that's....too big? Thanks, but no.)

Velveeta macaroni and cheese is delicious.
Macaroni and cheese and chopped meat and ketchup might be the worlds most perfect meal.
I have a wonderful boyfriend.
Coffee is god.

That is all.

It's officially fall!

I get to watch hockey on TV, the Red Sox are in the playoffs, and today was the first meeting of the Library Knitters in Yarmouth. Kate came with me, which was lovely (and very nice to hang out sans kids. Her kids are great, but it's nice for grown up time, too!) and I finally got to meet Nissa! At press time my beloved Minutemen are beating St. Lawrence, the Merrimack Warriors won last night (yay for Coach D and Coach Y!), and the Sox embarrassed Cleveland. I also got myself some lovely alpaca/silk yarn to make a pair of comfy socks out of...not meant for much more than slouching around, though that may change...the stitch definition is lovely. we'll see. I'm increasing the toe first, then going to see how many stitches I get, before i decide on a motif. I want these to fit me perfectly!

not a fan of blueberries, but anyway....

You Are a Blueberry Margarita

Honestly, there's no one quite like you. And believe it or not, most people think that's a bad thing! You're open, wild, friendly, wacky, and tons of fun. You have a big personality... and a big heart.

What Flavor Margarita Are You?

a sad day...

Today we find ourselves in the midst of another school shooting. This brings the total to 40 since Columbine (1999). An obviously troubled young man saw no other way to cope with his problems than to bring two guns to school, shoot 5 people, and then kill himself. I may have lived a sheltered life, but you never heard much about things like this when I was a kid. We're all so damned worried about kids self esteem and feeling good about themselves that they aren't developing any coping skills whatsoever. If we're so damned worried about their self esteem, how are we missing things like this?! The kids that were interviewed all said that they knew that if something like that happened at their school, this kid would be the one to do it. If that's so, why the hell wasn't anything done?? It terrifies me to think that young people seem to view guns as the great equalizer on the battlefield of bullying, and that they have no other recourse. And sadly, often nothing is done about bullying...the kids being tormented sure as hell aren't going to say anything, for fear of more torment, and the bullies will deny everything. Good, that'll help. So lets sum up (before I get more wound up, here): Kids are getting bullied. Nothing is being done about the bullying, in many cases. Kids see violent weapons as the only equalizer. Innocent kids and others get shot/injured. Kid being bullied kills themselves. How is this going to end a cycle? (aside from the obvious)

git yer hike on

The boy and I are going hiking today...to Franconia Falls! I'm very excited. Should be lovely. Of course, I'm bringing knitting with me (what kind of girl do you take me for?!) and will try to get some ypf shots a day late with the falls...hmm...what yarn to bring!? (and there will be pics of the falls, too, i'm sure, later!

I cannot change...

...how I am perceived, I can only change how I am presented.

The crux of tonight's Tim Gunn's Guide to Style. Youngish girl, similar body type to my own, similar self image issues...it was really interesting to see how Tim and Veronica helped her deal with those...and a good thought for me to keep in mind. the above phrase is presently written on the bathroom mirror, and my mirror in the bedroom. Perhaps this is the start of a self esteem revolution?

more yarny goodness

I checked the mail on my way to work this morning, and was greeted by not one, but TWO keys to the package boxes at the end of the mail shed. I got my socks from my lovely swap partner Valkryie, as well as some bath goodies. I also got my swap package from Presto! (whose identity i STILL haven't figured out!). Chocolate goodies (which had to be brought in to work (and hidden) because it was supposed to be 80 today! I got a neat carved stone rabbit, a lovely multicolored wooden bowl, some goodies for my car (fuzzy dice and liquid chalk for writing on the windows) and 2 skeins of some really soft cotton tweed.
(over the course of the swap she's also sent me, among other things, corn yarn (maizey) and a fuzzy sheep pez dispenser!)

pics of both up when i find the camera cable...

knitting excitement

I got in to Ravelry, finally. They've really stepped up the invites (the number dropped pretty quickly for the number of people ahead of me). So far, I'm a fan. It's a nice way for me to have my stuff organized, but I didn't have to develop the database, which is lovely.

I've also finished a pile of projects...a pair of socks for a swap partner, my mom's epic green shawl (binding off 1200 stitches is NOT the most fun thing i've ever done in my life, to be frank). Cast on another pair of socks, knit a bit on Dan's socks...yeah, I'm doing real well at trying to not have a relapse of the tendonitis, aren't i! Oh, and I intend to cast on a pair of fingerless gloves for Dad for Christmas. I can't think of a blessed thing to get for the man, he doesn't wear the socks I knit because he says they're too warm, but he wears gloves outside all the time. Maybe I'll make the kind with the flipover mitten part for when he's shoveling snow or something. I dunno. Suggestions??

It must be fall...

Because I've already gotten to watch hockey on TV! (kings vs ducks in London, England...no, I don't know why, please don't ask....) (though apparently the NHL is thinking of branching out and having a Euro league...like ticket prices aren't high enough?!)
College hockey starts Saturday with UMaine hosting their annual tournament, the Cupcake Classic (let's invite 3 teams we can kick the crap out of, so we look like heroes in our own barn. good plan, boys.)
This weekend the boy and I are going hiking to Franconia Falls, which should be a nice day trip. He's even promised to drive! (which means more knitting time for me, and getting to see the sights...I drove when we went to the highland games 2 weeks ago in the same area) We'll officially be pretending to be leaf peepers, and probably take the Kancamagus Highway back...which is a lovely drive, and was ever so much fun in my new car!
lets see...lots of knitting stuff to post, but that will have to wait..time for work!

ohmmmmm....

What Famous Leader Are You?
personality tests by similarminds.com

just for giggles

Vinniefest!

Well, the boy and I are off for a night of camping...in B and V's front yard! (It's a somewhat scaled down version of Vinniefest! hehe)
Then I work Sunday, then OFF FOR A WEEK! I'm going to try and get some knitting done (I've been good and let the repetitive stress heal and hardly knit at all for almost 3 weeks!), do some day trips with mom, and hopefully find some stuff for some knitty packages! (ooh..note to self...post about sp9 package 2 from presto!)

Live free and drive (tm)

wheehaaa!! I got the car! The test drive was awesome. We tooled around the tradeport a bit, then on the highway to get back to the dealership. They were very friendly and helpful, and I'm very excited!
Meet my new car! (pre-wash...this is the picture I took the day I met her...pre-test drive, even!)

Test Drive!!

The boy is on his way home from Uni to go test drive the golf with me...more after the drive!

cautious excitement

ohhhhkay! SO! I'm practically twitching as I write this, I'm so geeked. I might have found a car! It's a 1998 VW Golf, very low mileage (really!), and the price is right. I haven't test driven it yet (it just got on the lot this morning and hasn't been through the shop yet. The dealer I was working with said he didn't want me driving it before it was all fixed up and be disappointed in it. a good man, that one. Proof? You want proof of this guy? ok. I'll oblige. The car in question had tentatively been sold already by the time we got there. He was disappointed for me, because he said it would be in my price range, and probably a perfect car for me. Dan and I were equally bummed, but thanked him for his time, and asked him to call if any other cars like that came in. We leave, head back towards home, make it about to where I work, when the phone rang. It was the same dealer. The deal on the car had fallen through, and was I interested in seeing it? You bet your sweet ass I was. So we turned around and headed the 10 minutes south again. it's perfect. stick shift (yes!), 4 door (yes!) and has a SUNROOF. (awesome!). So hopefully the test drive will happen Monday or Tuesday. Keep your fingers crossed!

le sigh

So yesterday started out like any other day. Dropped the car off to get it inspected, walk the length of the mall to work, go to work. Fast forward to around 11am. The car shop calls...with some seriously bad news about my car. She needs a LOT of work done to pass inspection. Like, twice-the-blue-book-value-a-lot-of-work work. So I tell them don't do ANYTHING. Call mom in a panic (only thing I could think of to do...yes, I'm certainly old enough to take care of my own problems...I had just been thrown into completely unknown territory, and needed that reassurance that it would be OK from a parent. Even though they have nothing to do with the resolution of said problem.). She tells me that she didn't think it would pass...but for entirely different reasons! (her reason being the hole in the left rear wheel well (say THAT 5 times fast!) from when some jackass hit my PARKED car on a very cold winter day. [side note: the insurance company said it wouldn't go on my license or as a driving accident. I told them that that was good, considering I WASN'T DRIVING. (I was at work. inside. away from my car.)]) So it's decided that Maggie will be retired, and replaced with a newer, hipper model. I'm thinking subaru or vw. used. We're going car shopping tomorrow...I'll keep details posted as they become available!

kool aid dyeing

WooHoo! Round one of kool aid dyeing, complete. I used blue raspberry lemonade, grape, and a flavor called Jamaica (a mexican import found at Stop&Shop this weekend in the Valley!). Burgundy, purple, and electric blue. nifty. might have to get dyed a second time, same colorways, just to make it saturated enough for me, but i'm letting it dry, and will go from there. so fun!

I also went to WEBS this weekend, and got yarny goodness....Lorna's Laces shepherd sock (my first time with LL...so soft!) and a little malabrigo lace weight that's screaming to be made into socks! (also ridiculously soft!)

Pics of the yarn experiment later!

why not....

Directions: If your life was a movie, what would the soundtrack be?



1. Open your mp3 library

2. Put it on shuffle.

3. Press Play.

4. For every question, type the song that’s playing.

5. When you go to a new question, press the Next button.

6. Don’t lie and try to pretend you’re cool.

7. Don’t skip songs.



My Movie:

01. Opening credits: Honey Pie- The Beatles

02. Waking up: Brand New Colony - The Postal Service

03. First day of school: Bring me to life - Evanescence

04. Fight song: Sleeping In - The Postal Service

05. Breaking up: Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love - They Might Be Giants

06. Happiness: Somewhere Between Waking and Sleeping - AIR

07. Life’s okay: Dear One - George Harrison

08. Mental breakdown: The Boy's Gone - Jason Mraz

09. Driving: I Just Called To Say I Love You - Stevie Wonder

10. Flashback: Colors of Discipline - Rustic Overtones (fair enough, this came out when I was in high school...and we listened to it a LOT at school)

11. Getting back together: Uptight (everything's alright) - Stevie Wonder

12. Wedding song: Back in the USSR - The Beatles

13. Birth of first child: Whistling in the Dark - They Might Be Giants

14. Final battle scene: That's the way it goes - George Harrison

15. Death scene: Two of Us - Aimee Mann and Michael Penn

16. Funeral song: About a Kid - Rustic Overtones

17. End credits: Belleville Rendezvous - Ben Charest

Some of them are ok...some are just plain weird. Not sure if that just means I have a pile of odd stuff in my iTunes library, or what...

Yarn fun

Ok, so I'm taking the leap, and learning to dye my own sock yarn! I've just ordered 3 skeins of merino sock yarn from knitpicks, should be here by the time I get back from vacation...photos and details posted as they become available! (wish me luck!)

Harry Potter swapping fun!

So I just got home to a lovely package from my HP Swap partner on the knittyboards. Included in the box were some tasty HP candies and a book about what might happen in book 7. But BEST of all...a skein of handdyed sock yarn in my house colors (go hufflepuff!!)

Thank you Dobby's Sock!!

movie geekery...

"It’s been alleged that if you’ve seen over 85 movies you have no life. Mark the ones you’ve seen. There are 249 films on this list. Copy this list, go to your own blog, paste it in and put x’s by the ones that you have seen. Add them up, figure out whether you’ve got a life or not, and post it."

(X) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(X) Grease
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest
(x ) Boondock Saints
(X) Fight Club
() Starsky and Hutch
(X) Neverending Story
(X) Blazing Saddles
(X) Airplane
(x ) The Princess Bride
( ) AnchorMan
( ) Napoleon Dynamite
(X) Labyrinth
() Saw
() Saw II
() White Noise
( ) White Oleander
() Anger Management
(X) 50 First Dates
(X) The Princess Diaries
() The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
() Scream
() Scream 2
() Scream 3
( ) Scary Movie
( ) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
(X) American Pie
() American Pie 2
( ) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
(X) Harry Potter 1
(X) Harry Potter 2
(X) Harry Potter 3
() Harry Potter 4
(X) Resident Evil 1
(X) Resident Evil 2
(x ) The Wedding Singer
( ) Little Black Book
() The Village
() Lilo & Stitch
(X) Finding Nemo
() Finding Neverland
() Signs
(X) The Grinch
() Texas Chainsaw Massacre
() Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
() White Chicks
() Butterfly Effect
()13 Going on 30
() I, Robot
() Robots
(x ) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( ) Universal Soldier
(x ) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
() Along Came Polly
(X) Deep Impact
( ) KingPin
(X) Never Been Kissed
(X) Meet The Parents
() Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
( ) Joe Dirt
() King Kong
( ) A Cinderella Story
(x) The Terminal
( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
( ) Die Another Day
(x ) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
( ) Final Destination
( ) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
() Halloween
() The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving Christmas
(X) Flubber
( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
() Practical Magic
() Chicago
() Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
(X) Hellboy
() Secret Window
() I Am Sam
() The Whole Nine Yards
( ) The Whole Ten Yards
(x) The Day After Tomorrow
() Child’s Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
( ) Bride of Chucky
(x ) Ten Things I Hate About You
( ) Just Married
() Gothika
() Nightmare on Elm Street
(x ) Sixteen Candles
( ) Remember the Titans
() Coach Carter
( ) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(X) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
() Bad Boys
() Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number SlevIn
(x) Ocean’s Eleven
() Ocean’s Twelve
() Bourne Identity
() Bourne Supremecy
( ) Lone Star
( ) Bedazzled
() Predator I
() Predator II
() The Fog
(X) Ice Age
(X) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George
(X) Independence Day
() Cujo
() A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
() Christine
(X) E.T.
() Children of the Corn
( ) My Bosses Daughter
() Maid in Manhattan
() War of the Worlds
(X) Rush Hour
(X) Rush Hour 2
( ) Best Bet
(X) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
(x ) She’s All That
() Calendar Girls
( ) Sideways
(X) Mars Attacks
() Event Horizon
(x ) Ever After
(X) Wizard of Oz
(X) Forrest Gump
() Big Trouble in Little China
(X)The Terminator
(X) The Terminator 2
(X) The Terminator 3
(X) X-Men
( ) X-2
( ) X3
(X) Spider-Man
(X) Spider-Man 2
() Sky High
() Jeepers Creepers
() Jeepers Creepers 2
(X) Catch Me If You Can
(X) The Little Mermaid
() Freaky Friday
( ) Reign of Fire
( ) The Skulls
( ) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
( ) The Hot Chick
(X) Shrek
(X) Shrek 2
( ) Swimfan
(X) Miracle on 34th street
(x ) Old School
( ) The Notebook
(X) K-Pax
( ) Krippendorf’s Tribe
( ) A Walk to Remember
( ) Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
( ) The 40-year-old Virgin
(X) Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
(X) Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
(X) Lord of the Rings: Return Of the King
(X) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(X) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(X) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
( ) Base-ketball
() Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
() Elf
(X) Highlander
() Mothman Prophecies
() American History X
( ) Three
( ) The Jacket
(x ) Kung Fu Hustle
(x ) Shaolin Soccer
( ) Night Watch
(X) Monsters Inc.
() Titanic
(X) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
(x ) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard
( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
( ) Hulk
() Dawn Of the Dead
(X) Hook
() Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
( ) 28 days later
(x ) Orgazmo
(x ) Phantasm
() Waterworld
() Kill Bill Vol. 1
() Kill Bill Vol. 2
( ) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
() Kingdom of Heaven
() the Hills Have Eyes
() I Spit on Your Grave
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
(x ) Army of Darkness
(X) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(X) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(X) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(X) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(X) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(X) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks: Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks: The Battle For Endor
(X) The Matrix
(X) The Matrix: Reloaded
(X) The Matrix: Revolutions
(x ) Animatrix
(X) Evil Dead
( ) Evil Dead 2
( ) Team America: World Police
() Red Dragon
() Silence of the Lambs
() Hannibal
() Twister
(X) Liar Liar
(X) Armageddon
( ) Benchwarmers
() Passion of the Christ
( ) Man of the Year
() Casino Royale
(X) Night at the Museum
(X) School of Rock


92...hmm...to be fair, a decent number of those were watched on the bus to games....do those still count, if i was a captive audience??

Your Score: Modern, Cool Nerd

60 % Nerd, 52% Geek, 21% Dork

For The Record:



A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.

A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.

A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.



You scored better than half in Nerd and Geek, earning you the title of: Modern, Cool Nerd.



Nerds didn't use to be cool, but in the 90's that all changed. It used to be that, if you were a computer expert, you had to wear plaid or a pocket protector or suspenders or something that announced to the world that you couldn't quite fit in. Not anymore. Now, the intelligent and geeky have eked out for themselves a modicum of respect at the very least, and "geek is chic." The Modern, Cool Nerd is intelligent, knowledgable and always the person to call in a crisis (needing computer advice/an arcane bit of trivia knowledge). They are the one you want as your lifeline in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (or the one up there, winning the million bucks)!



Congratulations!




THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

Link: The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test written by donathos on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Damn right!

Finished objects and not-so-finished objects

So, the boy and I finally got ourselves a digicam...only took us, oh..3 years? It's primarily only been used to take pictures of a baby sweater I made, and the ensuing baby shower that the sweater was a gift for.





I'm now working on (among other things) a shawl for mom, a pair of socks for mom, and a baby blanket for a family friend.