A comedy of errors

Yikes ... back at work after a glorious week off and the morning couldn't have started out crazier. First of all I turned off my alarm and awoke 10 minutes before I should have been stumbling out the door. But I got myself in gear and made good time, dashing out the door in about 45 minutes. As I rolled my bike out of its little cupboard I was recalling what my friend said to me as we were biking Wednesday afternoon ... those words were , "Is there something wrong with your back tire"? Since I was powering up a hill at that point I wasn't going to stop and check but I looked back and it didn't look flat so I said, "No, I don't think so". I had put air in it before we had gotten going too far and indeed we only rode 11 1/2 miles. But whatever ... when I rolled it out this morning that rear tire was flat as a pancake. Dang! Already late, I just dashed inside, threw on some jeans and a top and rearranged things between my pannier and a backpack and dashed back out to the car. It was only when I was 3/4 of the way to work that I realized that I should have put the bike in the back of the car so I could take it down to be repaired after my run at lunchtime! What a DOPE!! Now I'm going to have to go back home after work and then come back down here ... crap. But I just wasn't thinking. It happens.

I had a very interesting weekend. Saturday afternoon I went out to a private island for a concert and party. By "private" I mean that it has NO PUBLIC LAND and is entirely owned by the few inhabitants. There is no regular ferry service, just a boat that you can schedule to run you out. Most of the people living there come and go by airplane. I am not kidding. It is just incredible. Since it's rather remote not many people live there full time, but a few do and one of the full time folks sets up parties and concerts every year. The venue is a saloon that reminds me of Disneyland. I stayed in a vacation home that was so grand - three floors, log cabin type with windows looking out over the water and decks and balconies ... just too much. I was traveling with the talent and crew for the event but since I wasn't actually working nor entertaining I got to be a guest. Best of both worlds. There was a little pre-show dinner given for us by some lovely people who happen to own one of the larger wineries in Washington. I got to the house and everyone is sitting around chatting and drinking wine and the host introduces himself and suggests I pour myself a glass of wine. Oooo, I love this wine!! It was lots and lots of fun.

There wasn't much knitting this weekend. I tried to knit on the little shuttle boat coming back from the island but it was too choppy and I started feeling seasick. I did ... ta da! ... finish up Isabella last night!! Woohoo! Tonight I'm going to block it so I'll take pictures after it's pinned out. And then I'll finish up the fronts of the Scoop de Jour and cast on the sleeves. I haven't decided which project to tackle next. I have so many to choose from.

And to top the weekend off I got my Ravelry invitation. I haven't yet had the time to activate it. Maybe this afternoon after I put out a few more fires.

I 'm lovin' this vacation thing!

The weather has been gorgeous and I'm having a wonderful vacation. Yesterday I had a nice bike ride, then got my hair done and then .... ahhhhh .... nothing. I was going to work on a web site for a friend's business but I figured since he's been without one for years another day won't kill him. I am actually working on it this morning and that's the ONLY work type thing I'm going to do today. After I get one page up for him I'm going to get cleaned up, wash my doggie and then get my nails done. Maybe another bike ride this afternoon if I'm feeling like it. I'm going up to the San Juan Islands for a party Saturday so I want to get Tink washed up before I send her over to her doggie friend.

I haven't finished up Isabella yet ... gah ... but I have been doing some good work on Mikie's socks. There are only so many hours in the day. I've been reading for a nice change, catching up on my Vanity Fair magazines. Maybe tonight I can finish up Isabella. Or ... not.

Proof - I have proof!

I am finishing things ... yes I am! Here's a picture of the finished socks. They are not very pretty, I know. I don't like the width of the stripes, nor the colors actually. But they are comfortable and will be good with boots or clogs for the winter. And I must admit I'd rather wear ugly hand knit socks than store bought ones.

I got a surprise in the mail yesterday -- it was a good day, really. My secret pal spoilee from last round (SP 10), Jen, dyes yarn. I could hardly wait for the exchange to be over so I could go to her Etsy shop and purchase some sock yarn. And as luck would have it she had just finished up a new batch of yarn and had a gorgeous colorway all set to sell. So as fast as I could I clicked into her Etsy shop Knitting Like Crazy and purchased this beautiful hank of yarn, which she calls Forbidden Forest. Isn't that beautiful? I can't wait to get started. Oh but I must -- I have lots of sock yarn now sitting on my shelf waiting for their turn. Click on over to her shop though and take a look. It's beautiful stuff.

And finally, I got the right front of Isabella finished and took the stitches off the holder and got a good start on the left side, before I went out last night (for the best Italian dinner I've had in years but that's another story for another time). Here's how she's looking this morning. I have a one o'clock massage appointment and I am going to be in the neighborhood of Little Knits so I am going to stop in while I'm there. Hopefully I can get some more knit on this tonight. Maybe even finish it? We'll see.

Hoorah for vacation

Okay ... even though I'm not going out of town, I'm still happy about having a whole entire week to sleep in and just do whatever I want. I had planned on doing gardening this weekend but it has been raining so that was out. Today after I do a few chores around the house I'm going to settle down and tackle Isabella. I have finished those socks and my resolve is set. I'm going to finish up Isabella and then finish up the fronts of Scoop de Jour and cast on and start the sleeves before I cast on another project (except socks, which don't count. I do already have another pair of them going).

Other things I want to do this week are get my circular needles into the great needle case Pam gave me, my SP10, and sort and straighten my stash. But hey, if I don't get to it I am not going to beat myself up. This is supposed to be a rest for me and I tell you, I have been resting! I think my friends are right when they say that my constant exhaustion lately is mostly likely a backlash from stress over all that I've been through this past month. I can't get enough sleep, that's for sure. Saturday and Sunday afternoons I slept! Napped!! But oh it was good. And today I got up at 8 to let the dog out, read the paper and then went back to bed and slept for another couple hours. I wonder when I'll be caught up?

What a fabulous event!

Yesterday evening I went to Chateau St. Michelle winery for a wine auction and picnic. The woman who does my hair invited me to come along with her. She had been given 2 tickets by one of her clients, who runs these types of events. It was gorgeous. The Northwest Wine Society (or something like that) does a couple of very high end charity events to benefit Children's Hospital. One of them was last night and then on Saturday is the grand extravaganza event. But the one last night was just wonderful. There were more wines to taste than you could even imagine, and I've been to a few industry wine tasting events in my time. And the food .... I couldn't believe it. The cheese table alone was mind blowing -- French and Irish and Italian English and everything in between. And there were lamb chops and salmon and ... well, you name it. It was just wonderful and I had a super time. She was the designated driver but somehow got sidetracked. I think she was doing too much drinking and not enough eating. I ended up driving her back home but I was fine because I was doing plenty of chatting and eating along with the drinking. Can you tell I had a good time?

And I'm still smiling today! I have been working on a rather large project for the chairman of the department. When he first asked me 2 years ago if I could do a web site for a meeting he was in charge of in Hawaii I said sure, but that I'd probably have to go to Hawaii to make sure it all went well ... I was just being glib. But as the time has drawn closer and I've not only done the web site but planned and set up the program for the meeting, I'm gathering the abstracts and basically coordinating the whole meeting and today when he came in for a short talk about a few things and I mentioned that I might be gone around Thanksgiving he was a little dismayed and said "Aren't you coming to Hawaii?". I said I wasn't sure he was serious about that and he said oh yes he was and he was also hoping I could come a few days early to help set everything up. Oh. Okay. So it is now a fact and not just wishful thinking. Woohoo! I guess I'll have to go to Europe in January or February.

Again, no knitting content. Tonight I plan on starting some socks for my friend Michael and I'll have a whole week to do nothing but knit and goof around. I got some yarn from Elann yesterday. They are so fast! Of course, they're not far from where I live but still - I just love that about them. That and the fact that I have less than $50 to spend before I get my $50 certificate. Niccccccce.

Disappointing peach

In my opinion, one of the sole reasons for venturing across the mountains into Eastern Washington in the summertime is the fresh fruit. Just right over the mountains in Cashmere and Wenatchee it is just one orchard after another - peaches, nectarines, pears, apples, cherries, not to mention corn and tomatoes and beans ... far as the eye can see. Little mom and pop fruit stands line the sides of the road and I was really looking forward to getting some fabulous fruit for this week. I can only assume that it was simply bad timing on our part because we couldn't find much at the fruit stands! Oh plenty of jam and honey and kitschy junk, but the fruit and vegetable selection was slim to say the least. There were huge peaches and good sized nectarines with good color, but rock hard. The cherries looked good so I bought some of those for my friend Ruth for taking care of Tink. The tomatoes were ripe and I got a couple of those and a few rock hard nectarines and peaches, figuring I could ripen them up in a bowl on the table. Yesterday evening one of the peaches and one of the nectarines felt ripe so I popped them in the fridge and now am eating the peach. And hmmmm .... not sweet. The texture is good but the flavor is not what I was hoping for. It could have used a few more days on the tree is what I'm thinking.

The weather has taken a strange turn for the worse and wouldn't you just know it! I have been invited to a party this evening at a winery -- a gourmet picnic and wine auction. The forecast is for rain but I don't care. I think it'll be fun anyway. The winery is lovely and humidity makes my hair curl! It's a good thing.

I finished up a pair of socks last night! Yay me!! I finished something!! Woohoo!! I should have taken pictures for proof. I'll do it tomorrow. Mike has been bugging me to make him a pair of socks so maybe I'll do that next. He lives in Phoenix - it doesn't make sense to want some warm hand knit socks to me, but he says the floors in his house get cold in the winter so whatever. I'm happy as long as someone will actually wear what I knit for them. McG is being a much better house guest than last time, I must say. I suppose partly because he hasn't been in my house as much and he put the bed away downstairs when he left to visit his mom and sister. I think it's a case of when I make a critical remark on how he is treating me and my house he's going to be worse, and if I ignore his messes he cleans them up. Kind of immature, isn't it? Truly - some people never ever grow up.

Public enemy No. 1

Yesterday afternoon I strolled up the Ave to send off a felted bag and to get new pictures for my passport renewal [I was thinking ... I've had a valid passport since I was 16 years old and I won't say how many years that is!!]. Anyway, there is a copy shop that I passed by that also takes passport pictures so I stopped in. The man that owns the place was talking to me as he was setting up for the photo, didn't even give me a "1,2,3" and shot the picture. Now I know we're not supposed to smile any more for the picture but I thought I had at least a pleasant look on my face. Not so .. not so my friends. I look like a convict. You know you see those booking photos of celebrities, like Nick Nolte when he was pulled over for DUI? Or Mel Gibson? You know, that slightly crazed look in their eyes, kinda droopy and drooling? Yup, that's what my picture looks like. Not only that but the lighting was bad and do I need to tell you what bad lighting can do ladies and gentlemen?? I am seriously considering getting another one taken. It's hideous.

I had a pleasant surprise yesterday evening WIP-wise. I had forgotten that I had finished all of the decreases, both neck and arm, for the fronts of the Scoop de Jour! I just have to finish up knitting on the 11 stitches until the length is the same as the back. I wish I had had the foresight to count rows like I did in the Isabella. It is just so hard to get an accurate length measured with Calmer, especially if there's ribbing. It's stretchy.

No knitting ... no ranting either

Last night was dancin'! I was exhausted after work yesterday. I barely made it through my run at lunchtime. I can only surmise it was just my body telling me I had had too much late night and party the past few days, but I had made arrangements to go dancing with my friend MaryEllin and I wanted to go! So I took off from work a little early, dashed home and walked Tink and then went down for a nap. Man ... I slept hard! I was asleep before my head hit the pillow and slept for 1 1/2 hours. But then I felt great! And we had a fun time, too. I learned something new as well. But oh my goodness.... the air conditioning in that club was not working very well and I was just drenched by the time I got done with a couple dances. Next time maybe a sleeveless top would help.

Today I'm going to get my new passport picture. I realized as I was looking at my calendar and day dreaming that IF I'm going to go visiting friends in Europe in November I'd better get going on renewing my passport. They are backed up and saying on the web sites that you need to allow 10 to 12 weeks (!). One does have an out though. If your passport is not in your hands and you have 2 weeks or less to go before your trip then they will expedite it. But I don't want it to get that far, so I'm getting the picture today and getting that thing in the mail ASAP.

Must fill out my SP11 questionnaire and get that posted. I believe we're starting tomorrow.

Just the barest HINT of a bite in the air

When I went out to get the newspaper this morning I detected the slightest hint of a bite in the air. I know it's only mid-August and maybe it's purely psychosomatic on my part because preseason football has started and football = autumn. But still it was a little brisk this AM. I'm not trying to hurry time. Things move too quickly for my taste as it is.

I have sold a bag from my Etsy shop! I got an email from a woman this morning asking if she could purchase a ready made bag and I told her I just hadn't gotten around to listing them yet but I'd do it first thing and before it even showed up in my store she had purchased it. Fun! I'm curious to see if the kits go. As I said before, the ready made ones seem to sell but I would think a kit and a pattern would be a good seller. We'll soon see, won't we?

The newest Secret Pal starts Wednesday - Secret Pal 11 - and that means I've got to stop messing around and start back on some real knitting so I can have some interesting pictures to post. Heaven knows I've got some WIPs and I may even resurrect my Ogee Tunic! That'd be something. I am, truly, motivated to finish things but I keep getting side tracked - mostly by felted bags. This weekend I had plenty of time before and during the "concert"/party thingie and I worked on the sock ribbing until it got too dark to see. I have two more stripes to go and I can cast those suckers off (and away). No, I'll wear them. I love the feel of hand knitted socks. And it doesn't matter if they're ugly because I don't wear them with sandals.

It was a long weekend. McG and I drove from Seattle to Wenatchee on Saturday, I got a brief nap and then we headed off to the Columbia River where the party was going on. It is an annual party a woman friend of Mike's throws every year in a neighborhood that is mostly summer homes, but there are people that live there year around - about 20% according to one of the "natives" I spoke with. The music is mostly mediocre to bad with the exception of Mike, one other guy and a blues band. The rest of the time - this goes from 7 to midnight - it's just one excruciatingly bad performance after another. Yes, I am a bit picky when it comes to live music but still - amateur hour for sure, with the exceptions. My favorite part of the evening was the end when the children had gone off home and the locals were out in all their drunken glory and I was dancing on the grass in my bare feet. That was nice. Then at midnight we went back to the Best Western in Wenatchee and Sunday morning drove back to Seattle via the scenic route, stopping at a fruit stand on the way to get peaches and nectarines and the tastiest tomatoes in the world! OMG - I just about swooned when I sniffed those gorgeous tomatoes. I didn't even put them in a salad last night but just sliced them and sprinkled them with a bit of balsamic vinegar. Yummy!

The Seahawks played well in their first preseason game last night, beating the Chargers. I just watched the game - no knitting. And there won't be any tonight either because I'm going out dancing. But this week and the next - I'm going to be a knitting fool!!!!

Can you say football?

Oh my goodness - football season again! I watched the first pre-season game last night and finished up my latest felted bag. Knitting and football - it's just so .. so... right. Now if it would only cool down a bit so I could have a lap full of sweater and not be sweating to death. No - I don't mean it. I don't want to hurry the cool weather. I am just a bit anxious to get back to knitting garments rather than accessories. It's my own fault, but still.

So - I had a productive day working from home. There is so much going on work-wise this time of year. It's lucky that I have projects I can do from home because that dish guy didn't leave until nearly 2 o'clock!! It wasn't worth changing into my biking clothes since I was already handling stuff from home, so I finished up the day there. Then Tink got a bath - she was so dirty!! No matter that I put bark in all of the flower beds, she just scuffled around in them until she gets to the dirt and then plops down! I didn't let her out again after that except for the deck and the patio because if I don't watch her carefully, as soon as I let her outside after a bath she rolls in the dirt.

The latest felted bag experiment went surprisingly well. When I looked at it during the felting process I was not too happy, but I let it go all the way through the cycle and it has turned out pretty good. There is some tweaking to do with the pattern but overall I am happy with the structure and proportions and general design. I'll take pictures - it's drying now. I think I will add a button closure and re-think the structure of the handles. But I'm going to take a little break from bags and finish up a couple of my WIPs. Isabella first, because I am so close, and then the Scoop de Jour. I must! The new Secret Pal is starting up next week and I've got to have something new to talk about!!

Weekend in Eastern Washington. It'll be hot and dry. Maybe I'll take some pictures there as well.

They can't all be fabulous

Mid-week birthdays are .... boring. I did my best. Had a little sparking wine, got some nice cake and it was fine. McG came by and brought a cute card and more wine and we had some laughs. What more can you ask for, really? Good friends are what it's about.

So, today I'm home. The cable box is gone and as I type the Dish man is putting up not one, but two satellite dishes because they need a separate one for the HD signal. What I did not count on, however, was that I would be seeing those (ugly) dishes when I look out of my window toward the deck. They had to mount them on the rail along the floor of the deck, above the patio, because of the sight lines to the satellite. Because my house has no fascia and the gutters are small and there isn't much clearance between the house next door, and it's illegal to mount them over living space (i.e., on any part of my roof), that was the only place the guy could put them. How long before I stop seeing only them when I look out my window? I'm really not happy about it but I'm kind of stuck now. If I find it's too steep a price to pay I can change it out next spring. I think I can stand it for a year. Well, I'll have to I guess. At least they're not visible from the street.

I was washing up this morning while I was waiting and noticed that the water wasn't getting very hot. Uh-oh... McG had spent the night and so I asked him if he'd noticed anything and he said when he had his shower yesterday he noticed the water wasn't very hot. Grrreat .... I thought I'd check the breakers first because I had flipped one a few days before and sure enough, I had accidentally flipped the water heater as well! Oh joy! That's the good news for the day.

It is a case of the last straw

Comcast ... I have had it! My cable bill is outrageous even though I don't have a single premium channel. But I did have NFL network. DID have it. I tried to watch the channel a couple nights ago and found that they have now put it into a premium tier and if I wanted it I would have to pay for it. That just really steamed me!! I already pay too much. I was reading NFL.com and there was an article about what Comcast had done and they were suggesting calling and complaining (big deal ... like that's going to do any good) and changing to one of the satellite services. I had looked into that before but found the price of the HD-DVR tuner to be prohibitive. However, when I checked again yesterday they were giving them away to new customers so ... I signed up! Tomorrow they're coming to switch me over and Comcast is coming to pick up their equipment. I will have all the channels I currently have PLUS NFL network and I'll save $50 a month. Not bad.

I did not knit last night. McG came over and I cooked and we tried to decide what song I would do with him. I'm having second thoughts.

My arm is not as sore as it was yesterday but I am noticing as I type that it's starting to hurt again. So it's the typing and not the knitting that is the cause but knitting doesn't help it any. I should have taken another Naproxen this morning but I forgot. Oh well, I'll do it when I get home.

I was reading the paper last night and saw that Stevie Wonder announced a date at the winery - August 31. The tickets went on sale yesterday and sold out in 15 minutes! I somehow missed the announcement of ticket sales or I would have been right there! I would LLlllllove to see him! What a legend. My one friend with contacts at the winery all but laughed in my face when I called to ask about getting seats. Oh well ... would have been so cool.

Too much of a good thing?

Last Monday I noticed that my left hand was sore, especially around the base of my thumb. I assumed it was from playing golf, since I do it so rarely. One week later and it's not better. In fact yesterday it was hurting me quite a bit. The pain is now going all the way up my arm and into my shoulder, which leads me to believe it's an inflammation from a combination of the tons of computer work I had to do last week - lots of copy and paste movement - and knitting. I noticed Sunday night that my hand got awfully sore while knitting (yet another) felted bag prototype. Since, unfortunately, I can't take any time off work until August 21, I might have to curtail my knitting. Maybe I'll just try to take tonight off and see how it feels tomorrow. And I have done the major part of the donkey work on my sites for school and spreadsheets for the meeting I'm helping the chairman with. Don't ask why his secretary can't do it ... I have no earthly idea ... and the only positive coming out of it is that I might get a trip to Hawaii in December and I don't know about you, but I'd do just about anything for a free trip to Hawaii in December! It's worth a bit of discomfort. This morning I took a good anti-inflammatory and no weight lifting today. Must nip this thing in the bud.

The clouds have moved in, which is not typical for August. It was raining on my ride into work. At least I had my glasses this time.

The birthday week has begun!

Rather unusually, my birthday week has started before the actual date. I don't know about you, but typically my birthday celebration starts on my birthday and just kind of keeps on for a few days. But this year my friend Ruth invited me to brunch at the Space Needle on Sunday with her son and their Japanese exchange student to watch the Blue Angels perform their air show (which is an annual Seafair tradition.) But it was also a lovely surprise b'day brunch with gifts! (My favorite? A ticket to the Seahawks season opener!) The weather was perfect, we could see the planes flying around and it was just lots of fun. The previous day I had gone to watch the Seahawks at a scrimmage and didn't get any yard work done, so my plan was to come home from the brunch and work in the yard. Hah! All I wanted to do after that meal was snooze.

I didn't do much knitting this weekend either. Got the heel turned and the gusset stitches picked up and am now set to do the leg ribbing. Then I was working on another prototype felted bag - this time I'm getting smart and not doing a huge version but just a small one to check dimensions and see if the new handle idea I have works. But tonight I really want to dedicate myself to finishing up the left side of the Isabella and starting on the right. I am motivated to get that thing done!

This coming weekend I have been invited to accompany my friend McGarrah to a party he is performing at near Coeur d'Alene. He wants company and it would be nice to get out of town. But the coolest is that he wants me to sing a song at the gig. Cooler. It has been too many years since I've actually sung in front of a crowd. I used to love it and never got stage fright. It will be interesting to see if those things still hold true.

Disaster averted ... kind of

I awoke to rain this morning. What a nice surprise and a nice break from the heat. Well ... for Seattle anyway, days and days of 80 degree weather is difficult when you don't have an air conditioner. My office ..... it is hot even with the window open and a fan to circulate the supposedly air conditioned air. I am at the end of the air conditioning duct and it doesn't seem to blow very cold over here. On the other hand, my friend's office on the other side of the building is so cold she needs to wear a sweater. Doesn't seem very efficient does it? Anyway, so I was a little off my game this morning, running on autopilot as usual and as I stopped to pick up my keys and put my bike helmet on I glanced in the mirror and .. yikes! No makeup! Got that fixed up and half way to work, as I was cursing the rain pelting my face, I realized I had forgotten my sunglasses and hadn't put on goggles either. Some days I wonder how I arrive at work at all.

Got the bag felted last night and got my sock up to the "turning the heel" spot. I spent quite a bit of the evening reading the new "Interweave Knits", which did indeed seem much larger this issue. I enjoyed reading it but I don't think there's a single thing in there that I would make, except maybe the cardigan with the cables at the yolk. Not that the designs weren't good, it's just that this issue nothing really jumped off the pages at me. Of course, I've got a few things in the pipeline as it is and don't need any more projects at the moment. Once the weather cools down a bit more I can get back with the sweaters but it is too darned hot for a lap full of sweater at the moment! Although I am just dying to get back to my Scoop de Jour, although that's probably because it's being done in Calmer and everybody knows how nice that stuff is, huh?

Before I finish up -- everybody send Nonnahs and her B some positive thoughts today.

Kick start me!

I cannot get it going this morning. I slept okay, didn't have much trouble getting out of bed even, but I am just barely keeping my eyes open and it's only 9:30. Perhaps it is because I've got so much work to do. Or maybe it's construction fumes. Whatever ... I've got to shake it off and get moving.

Yesterday evening was just lovely - the weather is so great! I had a nice cold Stella on the deck of the local pub while waiting for the sushi place to make my dinner, then Tinkie and I walked back home and I relaxed and nearly finished the bag I'm working on. I could have finished it up but not gotten it into the washing machine, so I left 1/2 a row and binding off for tonight, then I'll pop it into the washer. Maybe I can even finish the heel of the second (ugly) sock. I do so want to finish those up so I can use some pretty sock yarn. [Memo to self: Quit buying ugly sock yarn!!]

I've got a busy weekend building. Saturday the Seahawks are having a scrimmage and I'm going down for that in the evening, meeting my friend R whose son is going to the football camp in the morning. Then Sunday my friend R also invited me to join her and her son and their Japanese exchange student for brunch at the Space Needle and the Blue Angels are going to do a fly by! That'll be cool. Hoping also to get work done in the garden and, if the bass player has been replaced, to have a rehearsal as well AND maybe even go out to hear some music on Saturday. Almost sounds like too much ..... when will I knit?

They don't have to be single to chat you up in a bar

Here's a classic. [PJV, you are most likely not going to like this story.] My friend Lisa and I went out to hear some music a couple weeks ago. When the band went on break the drummer of the band approached me and started chatting. I had remembered him from when he played in another band that I saw a couple times at a now defunct bar near my house. I mentioned that and he introduced himself. Having learned the hard way that not all flirtatious men are sing, I said, "How many wives, girlfriends and children do you have"? He said, "No wife, no girlfriends and 2 sons, 18 and 20". We chatted some more about the music scene and he bought me a drink and then had to go back to work. He said something like ... see you on the next break .... or something to that effect. But Lisa wanted to go and she was driving so we left. I wanted to go dancing again this weekend and I love to dance to that funk and R&B music they play, so yesterday I looked up the band's web site to see if I could find out if they're playing. On the web site there were only dates for July but a link to be added to the mailing list. The link was his email address, so I sent an email saying how much I enjoyed the band and I wanted to thank him again for the drink and sorry I didn't get to stick around for the next break but I wanted to be on the mailing list. I got a message back .... from his wife. She said "Hello, this is xxxxx's wife. There is no mailing list". Can you believe it??? The nerve of that guy. And the stupidity. Let me ask you, do you think I have the word "gullible" written across me in some way that only married men can see? Oh well ....

I had to mow the lawn when I got home last night and then got some good work done on my second whimsical hairy bag. I need to find a name for it ... Anyway one more good night of work and then I should be done and I can put up two more bags on my Etsy site.

It's going to be hot again today. I need to run early so I'd better eat something!

Musicians are great big babies and other rants

Sunday we finally got a rehearsal together after about 5 or 6 weeks and the drummer was sick! No matter, the guitar player and the bass player and I just rehearsed without him. For a while, that is. The bass player was admittedly tired when he arrived but he was acting even stranger than normal -- kind of spacing out, staring out the window and not playing, etc. Granted, we started with country songs which neither he nor I are particularly fond of but hey, the leader wants to have a selection of country songs and so we do them. The bass player, let's call him Mark, was messing up in the same spot in a song that he had never bothered to learn correctly, so the leader, Doug, was trying to show him the correct notes. Mark got all snippy. He doesn't like to be corrected. We went on to another song, and Mark again messed up. This time it was the ending of the song. He kept saying he was playing it right and Doug was, gently, trying to tell him that he was not playing it right and to tell him the correct notes. All of a sudden Mark just said, "I can't do this any more. I'm playing it right!" and he started packing up his stuff! He quit! I was just standing there kind of blinking ... not believing that I was seeing two grown men acting like high school garage band babies. It was astonishing. So, Doug and I sat down at the piano and started working on that K T Tunstall song "The other side of the world" while Mark continued to pack up his gear and haul it out to his truck. Doug was not too upset about it. Turns out he had been working with Mark for years and years and this had happened before, but this time he's not taking him back because he's been wanting to get a new bass player anyway. So, I guess all is well. Hopefully he can get a new bass player by next week.

So that was my Sunday except for all day I was on the couch reading the new Harry Potter book. I read 500 pages the first day. I finished it off yesterday. My back was a bit tweaky so I just stayed home from work and read until it was done. I liked it.

Saturday was the golf tournament and here comes the second rant .... I was originally put in a foursome with my old pals but then at the last minute I was put with a couple of guys that I didn't even know because, according to the woman in charge, there were too many women so she wanted to spread us out. uh huh I was a big girl and didn't complain but I must say I would have had a much better time with my friends rather than with two people I didn't know! And one of them was just a JERK. First of all he was non stop jokes and they weren't funny jokes. Second, he used to be a golf teacher (he said) and I am not someone who golfs a lot but I've had lessons and I know how to play and he wouldn't keep his mouth shut. All the time criticizing my swing and my feet placement and ... oh you name it. Which, of course, had the totally opposite effect. Instead of getting better I was worse and worse! Thankfully I made a few clutch putts so he quieted down on the second 9 but ... gah! We were joined by a fourth on the 4th hole. This guy had gone to the wrong golf course! He had a knee brace and was so stoned on pain killers that he actually fell down! He couldn't find his golf balls in his pants ... too many pockets, he said. I am serious! The third guy was pretty nice and I rode in his cart. I just wish the beverage cart had come around a lot more. The dinner was fun though and I had all in all a pretty fun time. I am covered with mosquito bites from sitting outside but it was worth it.

So yeah this is supposed to be a knitting blog -- I finished up a sock and got a good start on the second one yesterday. I want to finish up these socks because I don't like the yarn colors. I have some really nice sock yarn I want to use! And I bought myself that sock book I had purchased for my Secret Pal because I thought it was a cool book and it is. I am also waiting for a new book on two at once on 2 circulars. My friend Peggy always does hers two at once and the one time I tried it I could NOT get the heels turned. I am hoping this new book will make that clear and also that it'll have toe up two at onces. If not I'm going to have to figure that out myself.

I guess I'm powerless

I am going to be playing golf tomorrow. It's our second annual class reunion and golf tournament and this year I'm playing. So I figured I'd better get some new golf shoes since mine are so old and how many more excuses does one need to buy a new pair of shoes? I noticed when I was reading the sports section of the newspaper a couple days ago that a golf shop nearby was having a big sale, so I zipped over there last night to snag a pair of golf shoes, and I got some cute ones too! Fake Alligator -- I know, sounds weird but they are really really cute! Well so, since I was there I thought I'd try on one of the nifty little skirt/short combo thingies and oh, I had to try a shirt on with it. You know where this is headed - I walked out of there with an entire new outfit. Pink skirt, white shirt with brown stripes along the sides and brown shoes. So even if I'm going to be an absolute duffer, I'm going to look good doing it!

I'm hoping to finish up my last "whimsical" felted bag this weekend. It'll be a couple weeks (waiting for materials) before I'll be able to make swatches to show what other colors I will be able to sell of that bag since I was unable to buy more of the color I am using now. Kind of a hassle but to keep the costs down I need to buy what I can find at a price point that makes sense. It's just an experiment anyway .... something to do.

And speaking of something to do - we're finally going to have another band rehearsal! It's been over a month but things have just kept happening. When July rolled around and everyone was done with meetings and vacations, the drummer's Dad passed away! Then my thing - well we need to get back on the horse, so to speak, and to that end we're meeting up Sunday evening. The leader said he has recruited a keyboard player, which will really add a lot to the sound. He wants to add 3 new songs from the latest K T Tunstall CD, which I am all for since I lllllove it! But he's got to settle down, make a song list and book us a gig! I know, easy for me to say. For the time being I'll just shut up and sing when he says sing.

Who can explain a "thing" ...

I've been having this thing for felted bags lately. Like for the past few months. I sent an email to the Magknits team but didn't even get a reply so I must have done something wrong. The submission guidelines are clear enough but it did say that if you were a first timer to send an email .... ah well, no matter. I had the brilliant idea yesterday of re-opening my Etsy shop and selling felted bag kits, or the pattern separately, or a finished bag. I've got two "models", if you will. One of them is rather whimsical and uses a novelty yarn and the other is rather more sedate but still has some interesting knitting so it's not totally boring to make. I remember that when I first had my Etsy shop, like ... what 2 years ago? .. the only things that sold were my felted bags! So I will be killing two birds with one stone - getting rid of a few of these bags that keep multiplying around my house and maybe earning some little extra money. I'd like to buy a ball winder and swift or a blocking board.

Yesterday was much hotter than we had expected. Even though I ran at 11 so that I could be cooled off by the noon knitting group, I was still quite flushed and hot. Luckily the air conditioning was blowing in the conference room so I was able to knit without the yarn sticking to my fingers. I am 8 rows away from starting the left front shoulder of my Isabella. I didn't work on it any more last night. After biking home, walking the dog, and mowing the lawn I was beat! I settled down to read the paper and had a cocktail and then the phone started ringing and the best I could do was a few rows on the current TV knitting project - a felted bag of the whimsical variety. I should be able to work more on something tonight although I am very keen on finishing up my re-reading of the 6th Harry Potter book so I can go on to the last one. I haven't even opened up the package because I'm afraid I'll sneak a look.

I need a snappy comeback

As you may or may not know, I commute to work by bike. I carry my "stuff" in two panniers that attach to a rack on the back of the bike. The panniers are not huge -- they're about 10 inches across and about 14 inches high -- and therefore are some days packed full. "Stuff" comprises my breakfast and lunch for the day, my wallet and sunglasses case and things like that in one pannier and in the other a change of clothes (I don't sit around in my bike clothes all day) and sometimes something extra. For example, clean gym clothes or on Wednesdays, a knitting project. So, the deal is that people make comments! "Running away from home"? one might say. Or, today, "Moving in"? Now I can't stop and tell them what I am carrying, although I am sorely tempted. I need some sort of snappy comeback to shut them up. And, as an added bonus, it would be nice if it made me look SUPER smart and clever.

Progress is slowly being made on my Isabella. It doesn't look now as if I'm going to be able to get the entire front done with the same dye lot and will therefore have to use that wonky ball for part of the front as well. Ah well ... it'll give it personality. I just want to get the darned thing done so I can get some wear out of it before the weather changes!! I know it's going to be a bitch to finish - the sewing up part I'm talking about. I think I'm going to steam block it because the edges are going to curl something awful. At least if it's flat it'll probably only take me a week to mattress stitch it up. Next little top though - I'm going to figure out how to do it in the round. Maybe I will try it with the Emerald Seas (the Knitty surprise). I have some linen blend yarn that I bought at my LYS on sale just because it was so gorgeous. It might work for this. Oh well ... it's down the line. I have too many WIPs as it is.

It's dry today and has been for a couple days now and my lawn is SO long! I must cut it tonight after work. I was going to go to the driving range .... might have to postpone that until Friday. Oh I know I'm going stink Saturday no matter what I do. If we play "scramble" rules rather than "best ball" then hopefully my partners won't hate me so much.

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

Things are slowly coming back to normal. There was a death in the family - not unexpected but still ...

I have been reading and knitting. I decided that I wanted to read the last two Harry Potter books before I started in on the last one but I started too late to finish them both. The newest book is now sitting on my dining room table, unopened. I am into book 6 now so it won't be long before I can crack open the last one. I just need to stay away from spoilers!!!

As for knitting - I feel like ... oh, you know those dreams where you're running and not getting anywhere? That's it -- I knit and knit and knit and nothing is finished! I did get a good start on the left front of the Isabella. I finished up the closed lace leaf portion and split it and got about 3 repeats done. I have, according to my calculations, 28 more rows to go before I start the short-row shaping for the shoulder and then onto the second half. I'm not going to have it finished this weekend though. Saturday I've got a golf tournament/class reunion to attend. I really need to spend some time at the driving range since I haven't been on a golf course in I don't remember how long. At least it's just a "best ball" thing and really only for fun (although there are cash prizes).

The rain and humidity and warm temperature have caused my new lawn to start growing like crazy again. Also, there are some very odd fungi coming up. I suppose it is from the compost the landscaper put down before she rolled out the sod, or maybe from the sod itself. They are strange though. It looks like it's going to be drying out here for the next few days so I can get it mowed.

Raspberries for breakfast

This time of year it is such a joy to go to the produce section and see blueberries and raspberries and strawberries -- all local and all SO good! My yummy breakfast makes up for the fact that I arrived at work soaked! Yes, it's not sprinkling, it's raining big fat drops. My bike jacket is covered in mud because now that my office is in a different area I bike for a little ways on an unpaved portion of road and as a result came in with a jacket striped with mud. Oh well.

I dashed home last night, ran up to the optometrist to pick up my glasses ("Be careful" she admonished. "Yes, I'll try not to step on them again"), quick stop at the grocery store, then walked the dog and then gave her a much needed bath. In order to keep cool she lays down in the dirt and bark ... she was pretty filthy. I used that lovely soap my SP10 Pam sent me - it works great for her face and makes her smell great. I had just settled down with the paper, preparatory to getting a big chunk of my Isabella done when my house guest called. He wanted to take me to dinner and that was not a difficult choice - Hmmm .... salad or go out? Easy - we went out. I had a nice chicken breast cooked in a pseudo Caribbean sauce-y way -- it was good. No knitting, but it is Wednesday, so I'll be meeting at lunchtime with the knitting ladies and perhaps also tonight I can get a bunch done.

I am looking forward to a good run today. Always when it's raining I have such a powerful run. Someone suggested to me it's because there is more oxygen in the air. Do you think that sounds right? Maybe. I don't care why, it's just good.

It rained last night!

Oh happy day ... clouds and cooler and even some rain. It must have been a gentle rain because it didn't wake me during the night, but the cement was still wet when I got up this morning. It's not chilly by any means, but comfortable. It's a nice change.

Everyone is talking about Ravelry, and I signed on for my account nearly a month ago. There is now a link to check where you are on the list and I am #10058. 4132 people are ahead of me in line. and 7682 people are behind me. 32% of the list has been invited so far. Isn't that incredible? I had no idea it would be so huge.

I also signed up for Secret Pal 11 a few days ago. I just have so much fun with those exchanges. I've met so many nice people, learned new things, and have tons of blogs to read every day, as a consequence. I'm still working on projects from several exchanges past. It won't be starting for a while, which is good.

I am still under siege from the house guest from hell, aka McG. I came home yesterday to find dirty socks on the dining room table [I am NOT kidding], the bed still pulled out downstairs and his stuff all over. I left the mess, assuming he'd be around in the evening but he called after 8 saying he was going to stay with his sister and sorry about the mess, he'd be by to get his stuff tomorrow (today) and may or may not be staying another night. Thanks for the heads up.

Not that I was doing much yesterday evening anyway -- true to my intentions I worked my fingers to the bone on the Isabella exclusively. I got almost one full repeat of the lace leaf pattern in the front done. Then I stayed up late reading. But I really feel I accomplished something and if all goes well I should be able to finish that up this week.

Oooo! And my glasses - my super favorite ones that I stepped on? ... I took them to the optometrists on Friday and ends up they could just replace the hinge and I just got a call that they are done! Yay!! Super news. Now ... if the rain can hold off for my walk to the gym in another hour or so, life will be good.

Here's the deal ....

It has just been traumatic around my life these past few weeks. I don't want to blog about it, but I've been on an emotional roller coaster, for lack of a better ... what? simile? I have my health, I have my job, I have my dog and my house and my knitting so I'll be okay but that's why I haven't been blogging quite as much as normal. That being said .....

I took Friday as a work-at-home day since I had a few errands and personal phone calls to deal with and there wasn't much work that needed face time so I was able to handle it. In another few weeks the work load is going to increase substantially so I am trying to enjoy this little lull as best I can. As I mentioned, I thought it might be good to dedicate myself to one project so I could finish something that I might actually be able to wear before the weather turns. To that end I worked exclusively on my Isabella this weekend. I finished up the (multi-colored!!) back and got a good portion of the front done. If I hadn't been interrupted by a surprise visit from McG on Saturday I might have gotten all the way to the lace leaf portion of the front. I am not far from starting it. If I dedicate myself perhaps I can finish it up this week. I must say though that I am definitely NOT looking forward to mattress stitching that baby up. This is being done on size 3 needles. Someday I'm going to have to stop being so lazy and just buckle down and re-write these patterns to circular. I don't think it's that difficult - just a matter of doing a little math (eek) and then doing the fronts and back separately. Ah well .. someday [probably after I go blind stitching this top up!)

The heatwave continues. There were some rumblings Friday night - little thunder action but very little rain. Supposedly it's supposed to cloud up and shower later this week and I wouldn't mind it a bit. Because it was so hot and humid I decided to go to the nice air conditioned gym Saturday morning and was there around 10. Oddly there were plenty of parking spaces. Hmmm .... got up to the door and found that they didn't open until 11 on Saturdays -- summer hours! Dang! So I had to run instead and I swear, even after a cool shower it took me about an hour to stop sweating. Got a few errands taken care of and as I just settled in for a nice afternoon of knitting preparatory to going out to see a band with my friend Lisa I got a phone call from McG, who was on a plane in Arizona on his way to Seattle and could I pick him up. Fine .. I figured he wouldn't mind coming out to hear some music with us so I agreed to go get him. THEN I got a call from my band leader trying to get a rehearsal together after saying that we weren't going to rehearse because the drummer's dad had passed away. Well I said I couldn't come because I had to pick my friend up and it actually ends up to be great that I didn't go because the drummer and his "entourage" didn't end up arriving until after 9 and then it was just a big jam, which is no fun for a singer .....

ANYway, after struggling through the mess at the airport I got Mike and took him to my place. After 116 degrees in Arizona (but it's a DRY heat .... gak) he was happy to be in Seattle although it was in the 80s and rather humid. I LIKE humidity, to tell the truth. He wanted seafood so we went to Duke's at Greenlake so we could sit outside and enjoy the evening. It was so nice! And I was all set to go out and hear some music and then Lisa called to say she was tired and wanted to beg off. So we ended up going to the little neighborhood pub and having a couple drinks and watching "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" with the sound off and crappy rock music in the background. Weird evening.

Sunday I had to get out into my front garden and so I did -- got the lawn mowed, the roses dead headed, the small weeks plucked out of the flower beds, the larger weeds along the fence sprayed .... whew! Thankfully the grass is still only growing slowly. Then Mike went off to visit other friends and I worked on my Isabella. I should have given Tinkie a bath - she is so dirty again. I took her to Greenlake for a walk on Friday afternoon and after he little dunk in the lake she got dusty. I brushed her but still. Well, I'll do it tonight after work.

I'm going to have a nice run now in about an hour. Thankfully it's still cooler - not quite 70. Nice.

Now here's where my face turns red ...

I've been knitting how long? And yet another "duh" moment. I was working diligently on my Isabella yesterday evening. Oh it was hot. I mean H-O-T and I was in the coolest room of the house, which is the TV room in the basement. The patio doors were open and there was a bit of a breeze coming in so it wasn't too bad a place to be. So I'm working away on the back ... and in the natural light again I can see the difference in those two balls of yarn and it's bugging the heck out of me! So for at least the 3rd time I take out the ball band from the ball I'm using and check it with another ball band on an as yet unused ball and what do you think I see? I'll tell you - the number I was looking at was NOT the dye lot number, it was the color number!! CRAP!! Sure enough I have two dye lots in there. I now have to hope that the front of the garment will not take more than two balls of yarn. Since it is split I am pretty sure I can make it from two of the same dye lots. The back ... well, I do have lots of hair.

I was at the meeting in Salt Lake City and someone just sent me a picture -- so here I am at the last evening with my friend John. As you can see ... lots of hair. It will definitely cover up a good portion of the back and if anyone is looking THAT closely that they notice a subtle difference in yarn colors well then ... they'd better be buying me dinner!

A sickening crunch

This morning I heard something fall in the bathroom. I looked in and saw that my makeup mirror had fallen onto the sink. I started in to pick it up and then changed my mind since I was already running late and as I turned to go I heard something crunch under my foot. Instinctively I didn't step down harder but lifted my foot up only to see my beautiful wonderful most favorite glasses in the world on the floor, one ear piece sticking up at an unnatural angle. Damn damn damn!!! I didn't look closely enough at them to see if they're repairable or not -- I am hoping they are because I just love those frames. How very annoying.

And speaking of annoying - can anyone tell me how this could happen? I'm looking at my Isabella yesterday. I'm on the second ball of yarn and working on the back, halfway or more through the armhole decreases. I thought at first it was a trick of the light but in fact it looks like ball number 2 is from a different dye lot! Let me assure you I checked and double checked before I purchased the balls and I re-checked the ball bands from the used balls and they all say 131. The yarn shop doesn't have anyplace where a single ball could be sitting in the sun and get bleached out nor have I left them out so that could happen. It's just weird. Thank goodness it's the back. Probably nobody will notice but it bugs the dickens out of me.

Hot. Hot hot hot hot. It's already nearing 80 and it's not yet 9:30. I'm going to go run in an hour or so because I think it'll just be too hot for that at lunchtime. I managed to stay relatively cool downstairs last night and the fan in my bedroom makes it bearable. I'd have to sleep downstairs if I didn't have that fan though.

You're absolutely right ....

I haven't been blogging much lately. It's not only that I haven't been knitting much but that I've been dealing with some family issues and spending a lot of time away from the computer. On the positive side, my sister has been visiting since July 4 (I just took her to the airport this afternoon to fly back) and we got TONS of work done in the back garden. Therapy really - working up a good sweat and having something to show for it other than sweaty gym clothes. There is much work left to do in the back but the beds are all cleaned out, the rockery is cleaned out, the shrubs have been pruned and the larger trees cut back. I still need to clean the moss off of the patio but it is so so SO much better now than it's been for years. Just a few man hours. It's just too daunting to do it myself but when two are working it makes it go much faster.

Last evening I started the armhole decreases for the Isabella and got a good bit done. Hopefully tonight I can work some more on it. It is beastly hot here. We're having a heat wave in Seattle. It's nearly 90 degrees now and tomorrow it's supposed to get to 97 degrees. That's hot anyway you look at it. And I've been SUCH a piggy - a week at a meeting and then a week with my sister - too distraught to run or go to the gym and eating and drinking way too much. I can ride my bike the rest of the week and if I run tomorrow early it shouldn't be too bad. AND I've got to start going back to the gym because it's air conditioned and easier than working out in the heat of the day. The evening bike ride is torture enough.

Also, I'm going to be going to the driving range soon - I'm playing in a little golf tournament at the end of the month and I need some brushing up! And new golf shoes.

Where's the camera when you NEED it???

I missed such a photo-op yesterday. I am still kicking myself. My sister came up on the 4th - sort of a spur of the moment thing. The weather has been stunning and hot. I am taking care of Jasmine, the cockapoo this week so yesterday we decided to take both dogs for a walk around Greenlake. It was hot, as I said, so when we came to a spot where there was a beach I let the dogs walk up and into the water. Tink walked out until her little legs lifted off the floor and started swimming! It was just adorable! The very first time I've seen her swim. Next time I'm going to bring my camera, which has a video option, and try to get a video of it.

Not too much knitting going on. I did finish another felted bag - a pink and brown one. There's been too much socializing and not enough knitting! Tonight I have a band rehearsal, I think, so maybe this weekend I can finish up the fronts of the Scoop de Jour or the back of the Isabella.

It really feels like summer

I know, it IS summer, after all. But for us here in the Pacific Northwest ... our summer is usually end of July through September. Here we are just 3 days into July and it's hot and dry and sunny. Nice. I am trying very hard to keep my new lawn green, I'll tell you that. There are some beginnings of brown spots - I mean it's nearly impossible to keep it completely green. Most people just let their lawns dry out and go brown around here for water conservation but since it's a new lawn I must keep it alive through the summer. AND keep the weeds out of it. My neighbor to the south has a whole lawn FULL of dandelions. Just getting ready to go to seed. grrrrrr

I am WIP heavy. I've somehow gotten on a felted bag kick, although I did work on my Scoop de Jour while at the meeting. What I need to do is devote some serious time to finishing up a few projects. I've been knitting on the same sock for months! I know it's meant to be a "take along" project but I do like to finish and wear them from time to time, plus which my Secret Pal sent me some awesome purple sock yarn and I've purchased some sock yarn myself that I want to knit up. I do so love the feel of handknit socks. This time of year it's not an issue, of course, but I still want to finish, for crying out loud. Especially since I'm not all that keen on the colors of the ones I'm doing now.

And then there's the sleeveless top, the Isabella, that is going to be so pretty and useful. It's slow going. Maybe I should concentrate on that to the exclusion of the other projects. Just work on one project at a time. What a concept. hmmmmm

Ahhhh home at last!

I can't tell you how happy I am to be home after that meeting! The meeting was good in all ways except the weather. It was absolutely blazing hot, as in high 90s and low 100s, with a dry wind that stirred up so much pollen and dust that I was in agony with hay fever, as were many of the other participants. I could NOT sleep through the night and as a consequence was sleep deprived and, I might as well admit, a bit cranky as well. On the positive side, I did get a lot out of it and have come home with a couple of pretty nifty ideas I am keen on implementing here with the faculty. That's the tough part, of course. But who doesn't need a challenge now and again?

My garden was fine while I was gone, because it drizzled for a few days while I was gone and I had a friend come by to give my flowers a drink. The lawn needs a soaking and I'll have to do that tonight. Weather report is for hot weather the next few days, which is just amazing for us --- to have a July 4 that isn't raining.

Needless to say, there wasn't much knitting going on between meeting sessions. I did get a bit of work done on the front of the Scoop de Jour and last night I worked on another felted bag. I am anxious to get some real knitting done but it's going to have to wait since I've got a focus group tonight and most likely won't feel like doing anything when I drag myself home late.

On our last day in Utah we took a tour in the afternoon up to the Olympic Park in Park City where the ski jump and bobsled/luge/skeleton events took place. This is also where the Olympic and X-Game freestyle ski athletes train year around. We got to watch the freestyle skiers going down their plastic runs and then doing their flips and whatnot and landing in the swimming pool! It was sooooo cool! I wish I had taken video rather than trying to capture still shots, but I got a few which I'll just post here as a slide show. Also in this slide show is a picture taken from the top of the ski jump. It made my stomach flip to be up there. It was rrrreeeeallly tall!

On the way back to our evening get together my friends and I passed this very cool place called, appropriately enough, the SoundGarden. Here are a few pictures of my friends playing the "instruments" and the instruments themselves. Really a nifty idea. Hanging next to each instrument were plastic covered sticks to use to beat on them. The round metal things are old brake drums from different types of cars.

I also took some pictures of a lovely botanical garden where we had our dinner the first night but I think this is enough pictures for one post!

Thur in SLC

Here I sit.

On my way to SLC

Airport beverage. Early flight today.

Tuesday already

I tried to mobile blog -- you will see that there is an airport cocktail up now -- but because I had changed over from the old Blogger to the new my mobile stuff wasn't coming through. Oh well .... I had a good weekend anyway. No knitting, lots of laying around reading (which was a treat), some awesome shoe shopping and a great party Saturday night. Instead of racing home Sunday we had another day to laze around and then I figured a plane ride home from Burbank on Monday afternoon would be a breeze. Instead it was one of those airport nightmares you hear about. Plane delayed, plane delayed some more, plane canceled at which point people start going crazy and I just wanted to go back to my sister's and start over on Tuesday (today) but after about 30 minutes of waiting to get into the line to change my ticket they decided we could go on that plane after all. So they board us. THEN tell us that one of the lavatories isn't working .... *more* delay. Well obviously I made it home but good heavens .... it was a loooooong day. And tomorrow morning I have to get back on a plane. I am hoping all my airport bad luck has been used up.

Multimedia message

Airport cocktail. Yay long weekend!

Second post of the day

Well, I don't EVER do two posts in a day but this is a special day besides being the first day of summer -- Secret Pal 10 Reveal Day, as it turns out. My package to my spoilee, Jen, arrived and she blogged about it AND tagged me with a Birthday Meme, which I will do at the end of this post. Go say hello to Jen.

I came back from running errands and found 3 packages on my doorstep. I had recently ordered a couple small bits of yarn for two more felted bags and they were sitting there as well as a box from my spoiler, Pam. She sent me a skein of superwash sock yarn in a gorgeous purple, a beautiful heart shaped box, some gift tags for handknits and a circular needle holder, which I so desperately need. Thanks SO MUCH secret pal. Go say hello to Pam.

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The Birthday Meme

The rules are to go to Wikipedia and type in your birthday month and day only. Then post 3 events, 2 births and one holiday that occurred on your birthday, then tag 5 friends.

Events:

• 1908 - Wilbur Wright makes his first flight at a racecourse at Le Mans, France. It's the Wright Brothers' first public flight and the French public goes wild.
• 1963 - Great Train Robbery: In England, a gang of 15 train robbers steal 2.6 million pounds in bank notes.
• 1974 - Watergate scandal: U.S. President Richard Nixon announces his resignation, effective the next day.

Births:

• 1884 - Sara Teasdale, American poet (d. 1933)
• 1937 - Dustin Hoffman, American actor

Holidays:

• Roman Catholicism - the feasts of at least 5 saints:
  • St. Dominic de Guzman, priest, (1170-1221).
  • St. Cyriacus
  • St. Largus
  • St. Smaragdus (and companions)
  • St. Hormisdas

Okay ..... now to tag:

Pam
Nonnahs
Sherrill
Tammy
Karen

Sum-sum-summertime

I do believe that today is the first day of summer and so .... everybody put on your shorts!!

I haven't been doing much and not even blogging, have I? I did manage to get my Secret Pal's big ol' package sent off. Did a few rows on my pretty green Isabella yesterday with the noon knitting girls, and a few rows on a sock while I watched a movie last night but that's about it.

Today I'm working from home and multi-tasking -- cleaning up things around her preparatory to my two trips. I'll only be home for about 24 hours between California and Salt Lake City so I don't want a mess around here. I'll have to spend Monday evening doing laundry and futzing with the garden and Tuesday packing. I'm going to miss Tink, but I figure I can do without here for that one night. It would be too much trouble to pick her up from her friend's house just to drag her over here to sleep with me. I think I can sleep without my doggie for one night.

And I need to figure out which project(s) to take on my trips. I don't believe I'll have much time to knit when I'm in California so I think I'll just toss in my sock. I should be able to have some time in Salt Lake City between meetings and presentations and stuff so maybe the Isabella.

Now to get on with the day. Look for the airport cocktail tomorrow!

Now the waiting

I sent in my first ever pattern submission ever to Magknits on Friday. I know that it was after business hours there (wherever they are in the UK) but I figured what the heck, I'd send it anyway. Close enough. And over the weekend I finished a second prototype so I sent a picture of that yesterday afternoon (which was Monday morning for them). So now .... I wait.

I had to get in early this morning because I had two women coming by for make-up exams at 8:30 and I needed to be set for them. One of them was out of here in less than 30 minutes.

It's nasty and wet outside so I am glad I had an excuse to drive in. Besides having to make sure I was on time I also wanted to bring in my last package for my Secret Pal so I could take it up to the Post Office tomorrow to get it sent to her. I need to add a card and a couple little things but otherwise it's done. It's just too large to carry in my pack and/or my panniers so I had to drive it in. I hope she likes it. I added some fresh sprigs of lavender from my garden so it's going to smell good - that much we know for sure.

Not a terribly exciting weekend, but not bad. Friday after my hair appointment I went out for drinks with with Lisa and one of her customers who just "happened to drop by". I don't know that I completely believe that, since I had expressly forbidden her to ever ever try to fix me up again, but in this case it turned out to be a very pleasant experience. I didn't stay late since I had not only Tink to go home to but Jasmine as well, hungry for their dinner.

Saturday was supposed to rain but I got out in the morning and got the grass mowed and went all around the new beds and pulled up rogue weeds. I cannot let it get out of hand! Or it'll end up like the back which is overwhelming. I like having one area that I know I can handle and keep nice looking. The kicker is that it never did rain on Saturday and I could have hired someone to come work with me. Oh well. But Sunday it rained, which was find because I had lots of errands and chores to do.

It's going to be a short and busy week - leaving Friday afternoon for SoCal. Can't wait!

Well of COURSE it's raining today!

I noticed patches in my newly created lawn that were a bit brown. The weather report keeps predicting rain but it never appears. So I watered the dickens out of the grass last night and I awoke about 3:30 am to the sound of raindrops. Oh well ... if that's all it took, I'm happy.

Nothing much knitterly to report - still working on the bags. I'm about 1/2 done with the "fancy" one. The bottom is very fast, but body not so much. But it's perfect TV and/or movie knitting or, in the case today, knitting for the hair salon.

I got an email from my Secret Pal today saying her "reveal" package is on its way to me. Hope it gets here by Thursday because I'm stopping my mail on Friday for a week and a few days and if it doesn't come by Thursday I won't get it until I get back from Salt Lake City. I'll be home for a day between trips but I won't be able to get my mail.

I did SO want to hire someone to help me in the yard tomorrow but if it's going to be raining I don't want to do it. I'll check the extended forecast later today and hope that it's set to clear up. I am in the mood to get some work done out there! The front is just so nice compared to the back.

A little pre-work pamper

This morning I treated myself (well if not me, then who??) with my little windfall. Sure sure ... I could have bought some clothes or hired someone to work in the garden, but I just really needed a splurge and it is SO totally worth it. I am feeling and looking good.

Oh! And speaking of looking good -- I've got a killer idea for a new picture for my blog profile. That one up there is a year old now and I'm getting tired of it. So while I'm in California visiting my sister we're going to shoot a new one. It is going to be so fun!

I'm going to run again today. I've had two good runs this week and no pain (knock on wood) so I'm going to be daring and run today even though I did it yesterday. I don't usually do two days in a row but I'm going to be taking my friends to the train station tomorrow and working from home (hopefully getting a garden helper in as well) and so I know for sure that no matter how good my intentions I will not run tomorrow. It's supposed to get nice this afternoon - right now it's threatening rain.

I got all inspired yesterday to create a couple more felted bags quickly so I can submit them to Magknits. The deadline is the 15th of each month and I don't want to send pictures of just one type of bag, so I'll just get them done quickly and take pictures and have it early for the July 15 deadline. After I stopped out to see my Dad I went to JoAnn's and found some stuff that I can iron between two pieces of fabric that I can use to stiffen up the bottoms of the bags - make them a bit squarer. I am, basically, trying to recreate my favorite shopping bag. Every time I visit Paris I make sure to go to this wonderful incense and candle place called "Esteban". Their shopping bags are the BEST - perfect size for carrying my lunch when I drive into work. And they are also a great project sized bag. The Noro 150 I made is almost exactly the size of this little shopping bag. I'm working on one now that will incorporate some novelty yarn (otherwise known as why the hell did I EVER buy THIS?!?) and be kind of funky. Or ... ugly. We'll see. Beauty AND ugly is in the eye of the beholder baby.

Is it so wrong to be a creature of habit?

Well, sometimes it is. Like this morning. I drove in today so that I could have the car here at work to be able to run out to my dad's for a meeting at 3. I was late and then the phone rang which disrupted my zombie-like morning movements. Mike wanted Steve's address so he could send his final CD to him. (Oh, check out the web site Mike's niece made him. MUCH nicer than the plain one I turned out -- it's in Flash and she's a graphics designer as well. She did the cover design for his CD too. Oh. And the music isn't bad either. ;-)) Anyway, I was dashing around getting bits and bobs in my various bags [lunch, knitting and hand], got the dog called in, picked up my sunglasses from the side table and swept out the door. Only to realize the instant the door was closed that I had neglected to pick up my keys. Nothing else to do - I had to climb in a window. Lucky for me it's not winter and one is conveniently unlatched. Only thing I have to find something to climb up on so I can swing my leg in there or else I'd get all grubby. Well I got it done anyway and to work not too late [like anyone notices where I am now]. And that's my story. Let's hope the day progresses with a little less drama.

I seem to have gotten over that weird leg/hip (actually my gluteus) problem I was having last week with running. I had a good solid run on Monday and I'm not sore or limping so I'm going to give it another go today. I would sure like to get back to 3 solid runs a week. Those new shoes! That's what got me off track how many weeks ago?? I've certainly learned a good lesson there. NEVER EVER buy running shoes from anyplace but the running store. They check your gait and really know their stuff. And I tell you, it makes a huge difference. One little bit of alignment problems and it can throw your whole body out of whack. Not fun.

As I was laying in bed last night not sleeping, I kept thinking about all the use I'm getting out of the last felted bag I made. I call it my Noro 150 [because of stitch counts]. It is such a perfect size for toting around projects. The knitting books or 8 1/2 x 11 printed patterns fit perfectly. I was thinking of making a couple more versions, taking some decent pictures, and submitting the pattern to Magknits. I'm sure it's not tricky enough for Knitty, although I am considering one of the 3 versions to have a bit of easy Fair Isle but still .... it seems to me that for a pattern to be accept on Knitty it's got to have a gimmick and/or be "piquant". Or be a pair of socks. heh

They're gone!

The students are gone and the campus is nice and quiet. No clumps of surly, shuffling people to bike around in the morning. Plenty of room at the bike racks. No long lines at the espresso stands. It's just perfect! And this morning, while it is a bit chilly for my taste, the ride in was gorgeous with blue sky and puffy clouds and then, when I turned the corner to head south towards the big fountain there was Mount Rainier. Oh! I forgot -- last week there was a Blue Heron in the fountain on my way home. I see them frequently this time of year in the fountain, for some reason. But that was my first of this year.

No knitting last night. I had a busy day at work. And then had to pick up my friend's little boy and run an errand with him so it was after 7 when I got home, totally exhausted. Oh I would have given anything for a shoulder rub. You know how it is when you've been busy and all the tension goes into your shoulders and neck. Well Tink wasn't about to step up, so I had a martini and let it work its magic while I read the paper. And then -- no knitting. None. I made a nice little dinner and watched one of my favorite movies, which just happened to be on last night. "Cold Comfort Farm" I don't know why I like that movie so much. Maybe it's because everything gets tied up at the end -- everyone gets their heart's desire. Now I must resist the urge to keep saying "I saw something nasty in the woodshed".

A good way to start the week off

With a smile ... You know sometimes when a dream is SO real that it's almost spooky? I had one of those this morning. I was relieved to find out that one part at least was not true and that's that I had changed jobs and had an hour commute to work! Otherwise it was a funny encounter and I am left with a nice feeling of optimism and good fortune.

It was a pretty good weekend, all in all. Friday turned out sunny and very warm so even though the weather forecast was for rain all weekend, I skipped mowing the lawn Friday after work and instead Tink and I went to the Alehouse to sit in the sun and read ... oh, and drink a "Kilt Lifter". On the deck, as they call it, there are chairs and umbrellas and a little fence around it to keep people from parking too close, or something. Anyway, as I was sitting there a woman drove her motorcycle up behind me and parked it. She was a rough looking woman - short sleeved Harley t-shirt and tattoos all up her arms. But her bike! Wow ... I mean it looked like it had never been driven, it was that clean and shiny. She came in and sat with her buddies and had a drink and was nice to Tinkie - gave her peanuts, which she loves. So when the woman was leaving I turned and said "Wow, that's the prettiest and cleanest motorcycle I have *ever* seen"! Did she say "Thanks"? Did she say "Well yes, I just bought it". No -- what she said was "It's not a motorcycle. It's a Harley". Ooooookay then.

During the night it clouded up and Saturday it was raining. All day! I was just kicking myself for not mowing Friday evening. You can almost see that grass growing and the forecast called for rain all weekend. Tink got a long overdue grooming on Saturday and I just lazed around. She looks all serious in this picture, snapped this morning before I left. Check out the lush lush lawn, baby! And good luck came my way (as it has been doing lately ... finally) on Sunday because it was breezy and blew all the clouds away! It was gorgeous so I got the lawn mowed after all. And found one of my favorite stores going out of business and everything was at least 50% off so I got a couple of tops and a really great pair of summer pants.

Band rehearsal went south again this weekend! The drummer couldn't make it until nearly 9 on Saturday and that was too late to start. Then he's going to be off for surgery for a couple weeks and I'm going to be gone to California and then a meeting so June is just a total write off. I think I should be able to get together with the guitar player (and leader) this weekend to go over vocals and backups and that would be helpful. Then July we can really hit it and hopefully he'll book us a gig so we've got something to aim for!

Knitting wise -- I finished up the Airy Wrap-around but have not yet sewn up the last sleeve and tucked in all the ends. I did try it on and .... well, how the heck are you supposed to wear that thing without looking all bunched up?? I don't happen to have a stylist handy. I'll fiddle with it. It is pretty cute.

I started the Isabella top. Size 3 needles. Ouch. It is like making a top out of sock yarn. I got a good bit into it. This picture shows the unturned hem and about 4 inches of the body. This top is going to take me for-freaking-ever to finish but I like the color and the texture of the fabric. And one of the things I wear most that I have made my Green Gables so tanks and T-shirts are good things to make.



And finally we have a picture of the ever present sock. I am not crazy about the color scheme on the sock but oh well. The next pair is going to be awesome! And the back and two fronts of the Scoop de Jour. I am very close to starting the armhole decreases.

Oooooo so close!

I am very very close to finishing up the Airy wrap-around sweater. If I had stayed up late last night I could have done it but I also had a book that was waiting to be finished and so I left it for tonight. I am glad that I have already sewn up one sleeve so I will only have to weave in a few ends and sew up the other sleeve and it'll be ready to wear! No blocking. (Could I be the laziest knitter in the world?) And then .... I think I should start on the Isabella from Knitty. I have the yarn, I have the inclination and since it's done on such tiny needles, if I want to wear it at all this year I'd better get on it! So that will be my project that I have to concentrate on. Otherwise I'm still plugging away on the Scoop de Jour. Just an inch or so and I can start the decreases for the armholes and after that it'll be fast to finish up the fronts and then the sleeves.

Here's why I love the Internet - reason #3,564,789 (or something like that). Last night I had an odd assortment of ingredients and I didn't want to go to the store. So I just entered a few key words and voila! up popped about 10 recipes using ingredients I had on hand and it was good and easy. I LOVE that!

I booked myself some super duper pampering with my little windfall. Oh you knew that's what I'd do! I am a firm believer in pampering. Great mental health benefits.

My friends are just so cool!!

I just thought this was so beautiful! A friend of mine sent me this link today. And another friend came into my office with a very sweet smile on her face .... just chatting "Hey, how are you? What's new"? And then she hands me a very nice little check. Seems she had entered me in a raffle and I won 2nd prize! And even better - *she* won first! Now I get to figure out what I want to spend it on. Shoes? Yarn? Pampering? wheeee

WIP photos

I've been working on my Fitted Knits Airy Wrap-around. I finally finished the right side. Here is a close up of part of it. It's long - over 50 inches. It's very curly on the sides so I tried to straighten it out a bit so you can get an idea. Of course the detail isn't going to be very evident when it's tied but I am sure it'll add some relief from just plain knit.

And here's a picture of the how it looks so far. I hope to get the left side stitches picked up and get a start on it this evening. This shows the color a bit more realistically than the other shot. Super cute sweater and I think it's going to be very wearable and useful with a little tank underneath. I am going to have tons and tons of this angora blend mohair left over. It's very soft, as you might imagine.

I had a super great run yesterday but I somehow injured myself. I don't know what is the underlying cause but I noticed it as I was biking up hill on the way home yesterday - a very VERY sharp pain in my rear! It subsided and then happened again as I was walking up the stairs from the basement. I mean, it was so electrifying and painful that I nearly blacked out. NOT good. I'm treating myself with a heating pad and anti-inflammatory meds, no biking or running today and we'll see how tomorrow looks. I had practically no sleep last night. I have had enough experience with "athletic" injuries that I know enough now to rest it and work on the inflammation. It's just annoying with all the great 5Ks out there and I can't run them!

Happy Monday

It's cooling down, which is a relief since it was just blazing hot all weekend long. Last night I thought for sure we were going to get some rain. It was thundering and a few drops fell but that was it. Surely it'll rain today. It's very muggy and windy. The blisters on my feet are gone so I can run today. I think I'd rather have it raining than windy. I don't like running in the wind.

The weekend was hot and uncomfortable and just a little weird. Do you feel sometimes that your iPod, when playing on shuffle, has it out for you? Or senses your mood and serves up just what you're in the mood for? Or ... or I'm just insane. Anyway, my iPod and the car radio and any music anywhere around me at all were all in on the same cosmic joke, it seemed. So I spent a good portion of my weekend pining. "Other Side of the World" must have come up 3 times at least.

When I wasn't pining, I was working in the yard or running any number of errands. It seemed both Saturday and Sunday that I didn't get done with chores and errands until nearly 5 each day. Thankfully my basement is nice and cool so I spent a good deal of time there. I did finish up the right front of the Airy Wrap-around, got the heel turned on that ever present sock and started on the leg ribbing, and also got about 2 inches from the start of the armhole decreases on the Scoop de Jour. I was looking forward to rehearsal yesterday evening but there were scheduling conflicts so .... next weekend.

I have to get serious about getting my final Secret Pal package together! I have a good idea of what I want to do this time so I just need to get it done, right?