Random blatherings and a contest

I procrastinate way too much. Let's not talk about my goals for the year. Let's just say that I got distracted.

Have mostly stopped using facebook, because it annoys me. Thinking of posting "status updates" here instead. So...

Yesterday, my faith in humanity was restored just a little bit. I had to be at the library when it opened, and there was a line to get in.

Then it was shot to hell again when I went to the grocery store without a reusable bag, so I bought a cheap one (and cute, too!), and the checker promptly put it into a plastic bag. ::*headdesk*::

Finally, for reasons that I won't get into here, I bought a unicorn lollipop mold. Someday, in the near future, I will have chocolate unicorn lollipops. Maybe even tonight, as I have more energy than I should. I think that I will have a contest, rules to be determined when I think about it, but comments will be required for entry, so leave a comment if you want a unicorn lollipop. Comments may or may not be judged on entertainment value, so entertain me!

Edit: There will also be a moustache lollipop awarded. So comment away!

The Smart Little Chickadee

Short post here, because I don't have too much to say. Still plugging away on my sweaters, which are still mostly as described although I have been working on Spoke again, and my Owls is about ready for the sleeves.

Anyway, I know I've shared stories from the birdfeeder before, and this is another. When we got dumped on with snow (so much that they sent a backhoe to do the plowing - see below), we did not shovel the deck, so instead of refilling the feeder that hangs at the edge, I just stuck a feeder on the ground, right outside of the door.


Our snowplow for Dec 13-14

Well, it took a bit of time for the birds to find it, but they did, and were thrilled to have more sunflower seeds to eat. (And suet, as I hung the suet cage from the handle of the sliding glass door.) Obviously, the feeder gets emptied every few days.

This morning I noticed that the feeder was empty, so I opened the door to refill it. There was a chickadee watching from the beam of the deck roof. I refilled the feeder, stepped back inside, and that little chickadee was at the feeder before I had closed the door.

But not for long! Here comes Zuzu, curious as to why the door had been open without her knowledge. Off flies little chickadee! Apparently little chickadee knows that humans aren't generally dangerous, but cats frequently are. Hence the title of this post.

What else? I am very entertained with this. Potty humor for paleontologists! Or just silly stuff for kids and kids-at-heart.

In other slightly science-y news, I stayed up to watch the start of the lunar eclipse. In part because I was playing with chocolate, so I could share candies with my coworkers. I still have several things to make, but thankfully there are a few days until Christmas so I can delay just a bit. Haven't started with the dark chocolate yet, and I don't think my family will mind that I won't share many dark chocolate treats with my coworkers, as there will be more for them.


Crappy cell phone picture of the start of the lunar eclipse because I need to find my camera cable to download the better pics

Well, I should probably stop typing and start being productive. I have a lot to do before Christmas, and lots of knitting to be done before the end of the month!

Get your velociraptor here!

So. June 14 is Bring Your Velociraptor to Work Day.

I live near a place that I like to call the Velociraptor Store. Although they definitely have fewer velociraptors now than they did around Christmas, so the store may need a new name. Velociraptor Store is more appropriate than just "Toy Sale," which is how they promote things.

Anyway, in honor of BYVTWD, I snagged some extra velociraptors to share with those who don't have dinosaurs at work.



Leave a comment and I'll draw names, and try to get the velociraptors sent in time for the winners to take them to work. Deadline is June 6, whatever time I think about it.

Things I do instead of sleeping

1. Ponder that since Jimmy Buffett and the Jonas Brothers make me want to die, if all music created by people with the initials JB is RONG. (Answer: No. James Brown and Jonatha Brooke are acceptable. There are probably more, but hey, it's 5:30 am.)

2. Get woken up by a gentle meow from our lovely kitty, go to the guest room so she doesn't wake Mike as well, and snuggle with a lobster.

3. Listen to Zuzu become Angry Kitty since she is on the wrong side of the door, and clearly she is starving to death, and shouldn't I do something about that NAO???

4. Open the door and watch as Angry Kitty becomes Purrmonster and tries to wake me up by sitting on me and purring. Oh, there is also some headbutting of the headboard, too.

5. Lecture Zuzu that she gets kibble at 5 am, and she can't possibly starve to death in 20 minutes.

6. Get up and feed her anyway.

7. Make stupid blog posts, and try to take a nap.

Randomness and an OOK!

So... It's been a while. Lots has happened. October was insane. Went to a wedding reception, saw Neil Gaiman, helped with a benefit for the Museum Women's Committee, did the Tour de Stitch again with Mom, baked 20 dozen cupcakes to take to Rhinebeck, hosted our annual shindig, and had a hot date with a book on October 25 when things finally calmed down. Somehow was able to work in that mess, and knit just a teensy bit.

November was somewhat quieter, but still busy. Saw William Shakespeare's Land of the Dead - ZOMBIES!!! - on the 1st, went to the Jell-O museum on the 6th, took a toe-up sock class with Cookie A on the 7th, and the rest of the month just raced past.

Anyway, can't believe that it's December. The day before Thanksgiving, went to a meeting at what turned out to be a toy company, and they were having their annual Christmas sale. Well, I went back today, and everything that they had over $1 was half off. Including Ook!



I picked up two, which is good, because Mike actually really likes him. He'll be lurking in our library. His counterpart, however, is upstairs in the former office, hiding with half a dozen penguins. Anyway, I think I'll have a contest for the Upstairs Ook. Leave a comment to tell me why he should live with you, and the best story (or a random number) wins.

Anyway, time to make dinner and watch Extract. Have fun!

Finally...and lots of pictures!

Well. This is my first weekend at home in months. Those of you who pay attention to my ramblings on Ravelry and/or Facebook know that my mom had bypass surgery on June 2. Quintuple bypass. With lots of complications. She was in the hospital for most of June. Anyway, she's doing muuuuch better now, and is home, and is driving, and is getting back to as-normal-as-possible life.

I should be making cupcakes for tomorrow's SAAZ blues and brews, but hey, it starts towards evening, so I have all day tomorrow... Today has been a lazy day, just because it could be. Finished book #90 today. Was definitely different, and somewhat disturbing. Started the Chronicles of Narnia, all seven in one book. We'll see how long those 800 pages take...

Anyway, I am posting because I finally awarded the winner of the PPZ magnet! A few weekends ago, Mom drew a name from those who wanted entered in the drawing, and Jesse won! I gave him the magnet on Monday at knitting group, and he was thrilled. (I should have had the camera out when I handed him the magnet - he had quite the look on his face!) Anyway, here he is, with his prize. Someday I will make brioche for that boy, too, just because.


Anyway, Zuzu is pestering me, it is nearly dinnertime, and I have daffodils to browse. (Thanks, CathyCake!) Maybe next year I can convince the deer to leave my tulips alone. Worst case I'll have something blooming in the spring.

Oh, I should give you an update on my knitting adventures. Knitted the pieces for Mom's sweater in two weeks, entirely in the hospital. Working on seaming it now. The shoulders are seamed, the sleeves are set in, and one sleeve is sewn shut. Just need to seam the other sleeve and both sides, and then pick up stitches for the neckline. Might make Mom a cowl to go with it, as the neckline won't cover up her scar, and she doesn't really want to show it off to the world. It was nicely blocked, and looked lovely until it spent a week in a bag. Will re-steam before giving it to Mom. The color is perfect for her.



Finished the first pair of beer socks, Oktoberfest, and unfortunately, the ribbing is too tight, so they don't fit over my heels. Need to frog and redo the foam. Not a good picture, but here you go:



Okay, this one is a bit better, but still not great.


Finished my Gin and Tonic socks, and they fit well. They're snug to get on, due to the fiddly cable, but once they're on they're lovely. Zuzu approves.





Did another Calorimetry, just because, with yarn I handpainted myself. Just need to get a button and sew it on. More hospital knitting.



The summer of alcoholic socks continues. I started some Irish Ale socks, designed by the lovely RedScot, who also designed the Gin and Tonic socks, and the Traffic Island socks that I never posted because I wasn't posting. Let's remedy that. Oh, might also start some frozen margarita socks tomorrow, depending on how simple the toe/foot is. Must remember to bring my headlamp so I can knit in the dark.



Also made two baby bibs for the baby that caused the maternity leave that resulted in my current job.

A dinosaur, of course, and a duckie.



Trying to work on a shawl, but think I'm going to start over as I am only 7 rows in and have 4 extra stitches. That's what I get for trying to do lace in a dark-ish room in public. Oh well. I can live with losing 7 rows.

What else? It's a bit later and I still haven't had dinner, Zuzu is still asking for a second dinner, so everything else will wait. Have fun!

A morning in the life ~or~ The reason I avoid caffeine...and other stuff

It is 5:18 am. Yesterday, I had two cups of (excellent, btw) coffee made from beans Gretchen brought from NYC. Enjoyed the coffee, but wow, the caffeine! Didn't notice it so much during the day, but when I went to bed? First, stayed up later than usual because the normal tiredness didn't kick in. Went to bed, and forgot to take my glasses off until I'd been there about 10 minutes. After about 30-40 minutes or so, I realized my feet were twitching. When I finally made them stop, my ankles hurt. Eventually made it to dreamland, which was a very bizarre place. I was hiding in an office and trying to download David Bowie albums. A noise startled me, and made me turn off the laptop screen to make the room entirely dark, although finally I woke enough to realize that the sound was like Zuzu moving her plate around. Mike was snoring.

Anyway, I felt like a breakfast failure yesterday, since we don't have many breakfast foods in the house, so time to make cinnamon rolls. And apple pies, because my apples are going to go bad if they don't get used. Gretchen likes apple pie - I mailed one to her once.

*************

6:12 am. Cinnamon roll dough is rising. Debating going to the store, but as the guest room is not far from the garage door, that might wake Gretchen. Oh! My sister is online... Chat chat chat chat chat... Piecrust!

6:45 am. Piecrust is chilling. No wonder I haven't tried using butter instead of crisco - it would take 3.5 sticks! Nearly one pound of butter in two piecrusts. Maybe after I find a job. Oh, and my pastry blender could probably be used as a weapon, in case you were wondering. Time to peel and chop the apples! Or give Zuzu some attention, since that is what she wants.

7:26 am. Pie is in the oven. Took longer than expected to find the apple destruction device, and when I found it the apples didn't want to die, so I had to skin and chop them by hand. Nutmeg exploded a bit, so the pie may be a bit too nutmeggy, but hey, worst case we make another pie later. Which we will, as I still have a few apples left. Gretch is awake and practicing knitting. I should catch up on the VLT. Or at least try.

8:13 am. Pie is out of the oven, and cinnamon rolls are shaped and on their second rise. Cream cheese and butter is on the counter, softening, for the cream cheese frosting. Moving pictures from camera memory stick to computer.

8:48 am. Gretchen says the pie tastes like Christmas. Cinnamon rolls are in the oven, getting started on the cream cheese frosting. Also thinking about getting dressed for the day. Nowhere near the end of the VLT.

9:05 am. cinnamon rolls just about done; time to eat one and run off to the art museum!

I am the brillopants

Thanks to Melissa for today's post title. I posted my favorite not-quite-a-pickup-line on Rav, and she told me that I was the brillopants. So I guess I am, since everything you read on the internet is true, right? So there - I AM THE BRILLOPANTS!!!!! I think that should be followed by an evil laugh, so Mwahahahahahahhahaha, too!

Anyway, I was a bit more concerned with the Pens game last night than I was with the blog. Still a bit down about it, but hey, they will finish the series in Pittsburgh on Sunday. Was concentrating on the game, and forgot to mention the Exciting Weekend Plans!

First, there is tonight's lecture. Read his book; good stuff. Then (and I am quite excited about this) Saturday, Jessica and I are heading to Waynesburg, PA for the Waynesburg Sheep and Fiber Festival. Mike's oldest brother and his family live in Waynesburg, so we'll get to visit them. If all goes well I will bring cinnamon rolls to be baked on Sunday morning. (Yes, I am still obsessed. I am starting to wonder if I have so many obsessions that I can never be truly obsessed with any of them, as there's just not enough time for it.) We'll drive back sometime Sunday afternoon.

What else? Nothing much, I don't think. Happy that it is Friday, but I still can't believe that it is mid-May already. Anyway, I should run off to find cash to spend this weekend.