What have I done in two weeks?

Not much, though there was definitely a flurry of activity. Meant to post last weekend, but it didn't happen. Had two meeups with my knitting group - three if you count the rained-out Aeros game, got a chest cold, had several miserable days at work, went cupcake and yarn shopping with Mary, and spent time with Mike for a change.

Yes, last week I spent most evenings with Mike. Which was good, but unusual. Monday was knitting, and he did not tag along. Tuesday was SAAZ, and apparently I flustered the Winking Lizard beer guy by sharing an idea. Wednesday evening we had dinner with Jen and Nick, and Thursday we wandered over to North End for some Gulden Draak. Good stuff. Friday was the ill-fated Aeros game, and sadly we were unable to use the infield tarp as a slip and slide.

Since I spent so much time with Mike during the week, I decided to leave him on Saturday. He brewed a kolsch, and his brother came over, so he was not sitting around the house moping. I also left a few chocolate chip cookies for him. (Yes, I baked cookies before leaving at 8am. 8 dozen, I think.)

I drove to Columbus for Knitters Connection. I didn't sign up for any classes, although next year it may be worth spending a few days in Columbus and learning some new things. I didn't plan far enough in advance to do that this year, so it was market only for me. Bought some yarn, as expected, and will share pictures later. Picked up some more natural alpaca, this time in a gorgeous brown tweed, as well as enough Briar Rose Sonoma (in green) for a cabled sweater. Also grabbed a few balls of Harmony, because I am currently obsessed with laceweight, even though I haven't really knit any lace yet, with the exception of some lace sock patterns.

Oh, I should also share news of another event at the Convention Center - the Midwest Haunters Convention. As I parked at the wrong end of the building, and had to walk 1/2 mile to get to the yarn market, I passed a large number of ballrooms and exhibition rooms. As I got closer to the knitters, I started noticing people with painted faces and unusual attire. Saw one woman who had forgotten her bottoms. Knee-high boots, black nylons, and no skirt or pants. Just black underwear. She was walking the same direction that I was, and it was very entertaining to watch the reactions of people as they saw her. Guys leered, and women raised eyebrows and made faces. Personally, I was more amused by the really tall guy dressed up as some sort of thing that once appeared on Supernatural.

Anyway, checked out the market, and called Maranie to get together for lunch. Well, she had injured her foot, so our visit included a trip to urgent care before a late lunch at Aladdin's. As Vicodin tends to encourage sleeping, she crashed soon after arriving home, and I was on my way. It was a gorgeous day for driving, and the radio was doing relatively well at keeping me happy. Along the way, noticed a sign indicating the distance to Mansfield, and wondered how my college friend Jen was doing. Checked my cell phone just in case I'd stored her number at one point, and luckily I had. Gave her a call, and was very fortunate to find her home and unoccupied. So I made the detour to Mansfield, and we caught up on the past almost-five years. (Somehow we hadn't seen each other since our pre-wedding reception. We won't wait so long again.) Played with her puppies and had good Mexican food. It was a wonderful evening. Made it home just before midnight.

I have been listening to a lot of music lately. Found the House of Hair on some station, and listened for the hour between Mansfield and home. Oh, the nostalgia. Dee Snider did a good job of reminding me of the fun bits of high school. I love therapeutic driving (and even with gas prices as they are, it's still cheaper than therapy), and was so happy to be on the road, even for fewer than six hours on Saturday. Yes, I am a sucker for road trips. Especially on my own, when I can sing along (badly, of course) to whatever I feel like hearing. Also listened to the Cure a bit recently (in the immortal words of Kyle Broflovski: "Disintegration is the best album ever!"), as well as the rest of the stuff that I normally enjoy.

Had a bit of a personal epiphany the other day: For someone who hates people, I am awfully social. (Does that make me an oxymoron? Or just a moron?) I hate crowds, and even large groups, though I can tolerate them depending on the circumstance. I love my personal space, and hate space invaders, especially when they are sick and I am trying to stay healthy. But individuals? As long as I can find some redeeming qualities, you're fine. If you're some random unknown guy driving badly in a minivan, I probably hate you. And I don't hate minivans, just bad drivers that I don't know, and people in general.

Apparently Zuzu had an adventure on Saturday. Mike was brewing in the garage, and he saw Zuzu in front of the house. She'd pawed open the screen door, and gone exploring. Luckily Mike found her, because I'd hate to have our beloved kitty go missing. She is grounded for a week, which means that she won't get to spend time with me on the deck until next weekend. She might have been looking for the ducks that were in the back yard the other day, or the chipmunk that has been hanging out on our deck recently. Hopefully she wasn't tracking the garter snakes that live in the mulch.

As far as knitting, well, there's not much I can talk about. I am knitting several things that are surprises for people who might happen upon this blog, so no details yet. I am nearly done with the museum scarf, as well as the clogs of many colors. Still haven't felted the final Christmas clogs, but will felt them with the technicolor slippers. They just need the second sole attached to the second slipper, and then to be seamed and felted. Have been carrying Firebird around with me, but as it's not really social knitting, I haven't worked on it at all lately.

Anyway, I should head up to bed, as it will be a long day tomorrow. My morning client will probably take more of my time than normal, and my afternoon client will take more time than they have lately. And then it's off to Melt for knitting. Fun stuff! Will post pictures when they are uploaded.

Productivity update...and pictures!

Okay, as not to waste the rest of the day, this will be a very quick post. I am on track to finish the Christmas Clogs today - I am one clog away! If all goes well, they will get felted this afternoon. They can be felted together, even. If I am truly ambitious, I will start the Clogs of Many Colors as well.

Sadly, Geno did not help the Pens win last night. He's still cute, though:

Geno, the little penguin

I also made some stitch markers yesterday. I've been wanting to try, and had a jewelry tool kit, plus some beads, and wire, but no motivation. Well, some of these will be sent in swaps - shhh! don't tell! Although one set should be sent tomorrow, the other will wait until late June, probably. I tend to send close to the deadline. Actually, the package to be sent tomorrow is a bit past the deadline, but I made sure the swap organizer is aware of it. Anyway, here are some pictures, to prove that it happened.

Yes, I too can make stitch markers!


Second attempt

Third set; I think I like these best.

And finally, I took an updated picture of the Museum scarf/sweater gauge swatch. It is no longer exclusively worked on at museums, and has become car knitting. I need more car knitting. Oh well - once I finish a few things, I will find some more portable knitting.

Zuzu loves her morning sunshine!

Anyway, I am really not going to play on the computer all day. There is a clog to finish, and then felting to be done!

No Rice for the Zuzu

Post title: Was portioning rice into tupperware for freezing, and some fell on the floor. Zuzu dashed over to investigate, because it could be food (we were in the kitchen, after all). She sniffed the rice, but decided that it wasn't edible. No rice for the Zuzu.

She has been a naughty kitty lately, and has taken to waking me at 3am. She curls up on my chest, purrs, and paws my chin. Ohhhh, see how nice this snuggling is? We should go downstairs and snuggle more, after you give me breakfast, of course. Yeah. No go. She did that for two nights in a row. We set her feeder to give her some kibble at 2am, and that seems to help. She would have let me sleep in until probably 5 this morning, but I think I'm now conditioned to wake up at 4:30, so even if she doesn't wake me, I wake myself.

Speaking of the kitty, she has been birdwatching lately. Apparently it is a great season to have bird feeders, because the migratory birds are back, but their food is still somewhat scarce. We've had lots of finches, but Zuzu's attention is really drawn by the cardinals. (I think it's because they look more like a meal, rather than the finch-snacks. Not that it matters, because she stays indoors, and her only wild food consists of insects. But a kitty can dream, right?) We have a pair, and they may be looking to nest on the beams of our deck's roof.

Really need to get the She and Him CD. I have been singing various songs of theirs for the past few weeks. Would be great car music, so I could sing along without being overhead. (I think the woman in the office next to mine is a bit annoyed at hearing my voice. She works Saturdays for the quiet.)

So I was going to post Sunday, but got swept up in a kitchen frenzy. Baked bread, cinnamon rolls, red pepper cornbread, and spinach-artichoke dip. Is that all? Feels like there was more. Cinnamon rolls were lovely. I will have to make them again. Challah bread and red pepper cornbread are favorites from Still Life with Menu by Mollie Katzen. Good stuff.

cinnamon rolls pre-icing

challah bread

Mike had a few friends over to play games, and while they made a mess of the basement, I made a mess of the kitchen. I think they were happy for all of the food, though.

What should I have been doing rather than baking? Working on the SAAZ newsletter, finishing those last two pairs of clogs (though I did get one pair felted), making more baby gifts (I'd forgotten how many I need to make, and have gotten sidetracked), and doing laundry. Now nearly done with the first of the last pair of clogs, aside from my clogs-of-many-colors. Have started thinking about them, and what fun they could be.

This week was busy, as we had knitting group on Monday. Abuelo's is a pretty decent Mexican restaurant - and if you ask when you're being seated, they will bring you a vegetarian menu. Gotta love a place that will do that. Plus, I've found most Mexican places in the area to be very bland. Mike finally got the point that I didn't care for one place when I told him that it tasted like Taco Bell. Why spend $7 when I could have the same experience for $2? Anyway, brought him takeout from Abuelo's, and once he understood that yes, the food was his and was not my lunch, he enjoyed it. We will go back.

Finally did the SAAZ newsletter Tuesday, day of the meeting. Oops. Hey, life happens. It didn't really take long to throw everything together, as there weren't all that many contributions. Left out a few small things, but didn't want to search for pictures or clip art to fill the rest of the page.

Baked cupcakes Wednesday. Four dozen. Vanilla with vanilla buttercream frosting, and vegan chocolate mocha with mocha frosting. Surprisingly, I think I like the vanilla ones better than the chocolate. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a chocoholic, but for some reason I'm finding the vanilla ones really tasty.

Bobmas Eve cupcakes

Thursday was Bobmas Eve. If you have to ask, you won't understand. Just over a dozen of us met at Bob Evans for a celebration of Ravelry. It was a lot of fun - matching faces to Ravelry user names. General consensus is that we'll have to have another, sometime soon. Perhaps at a place that serves alcohol. (What can I say, we like to have margaritas/beer while we knit!) Cupcakes were appreciated, but I still went home with two dozen. Left most of them for coworkers this morning, and brought a few for the guy who is covering for me tomorrow.

Mike drove to Columbus this afternoon to drop off beer for the NHC. He kegged beer on Tuesday, and several turned out quite well. Hopefully he'll do well in competition, although you never know who your judges will be. (They even let me judge one year, and after watching Mike torment himself over his returned score sheets, I will never do that again. I don't want to have my name on something that can cause such misery.) Anyway, it is out of his hands now - beer has been delivered, and he is home.

I'm at work now, and it's finally turned into a quiet night. Had to do a lot of running around at first, then had to talk someone through accessing their email account for the first time, oh, and then needed to change a projector bulb. Fun stuff. Finished "Collapse" while waiting for the slowest computer in the world to boot up and open Outlook so I could print the schedule.

Tomorrow is Knitter's Fantasy, in Youngstown. So we are having the traditional turnpike-route departure, and gathering at my house for breakfast before hitting the road. Cakewaffles and cinnamon rolls, probably. Vicky gave me some Vietnamese cinnamon, and it was fabulous in Sunday's cinnamon rolls, so will try it again with the new recipe.

Another News Item: It is the end of an era. I received a new card from Discover, and they changed my account number. I have been able to recite that number for years. Really. I have had the card since college, and always used it for phone orders (really mostly just donating to public radio stations - I'd feel the need to call while in the car, and didn't want to fumble with my wallet, so I'd use the number I knew.). Anyway, I tried to use it online today, and it was declined - they deactivated it! New one is now activated and working, but now I have another number to learn.

Not sure if there's anything else I should share. Oh, made another afghan square last night and shipped it out this morning. Some of the squares may have been lost, so mine is an extra. I just wish I had extra time to include some goodies in the package!

Oh! Chocolate Skittles! Found some in the store here at work, and bought two bags to share tomorrow. They frighten me somewhat, although probably not as much as the ones I saw on their website - Ice Cream Skittles. (Was craving chocolate last week, and didn't bring any baked goodies, so I checked out the candy rack in the shop.) Was amazed by the variety of M&Ms, too. No longer is are M&Ms just plain or peanut - there are dark chocolate ones, wild cherry and raspberry packets. I tried the dark chocolate, but wasn't really all that impressed. Will stay away from the wild cherry and raspberry ones - they are scary. Oh well. On that note, it's back to busy-ness!

Just wasting time...

Had a perfect Friday afternoon yesterday. Stopped at Cold Stone for ice cream on the way home - who knew that their birthday coupon wasn't a BOGOF, but truly a free concoction? - had ice cream for lunch, and then curled up with Zuzu to work on my sister's blanket. We listened to the Weakerthans, and snuggled. Zuzu loves alpaca. Nearly finished - just two rows and cast off to do. Anyway, it was a wonderful way to spend a chilly, gray afternoon - with kitty, blanket, and good music. And the sun came out just in time to drive to work.

Worked Friday night, as well as all day today. New experience - I kinda audited a professional development class on bullying and the media. Very interesting. I should explain, though, as I don't normally get paid to sit in a classroom. (Usually I get paid to sit in an office and knit.) As the class focused on media literacy, the instructor had many videos as well as a PowerPoint presentation to share. As aware as she is about the media, she is not tremendously technologically savvy. So I sat there and knitted, and assisted with any media transitions and computer issues. I think the instructor learned a few things in the past day and a half, too.

While I was disappointed to be away from the computer so much, I did get a bit of knitting accomplished. Made a pair of clogs in their entirety (well, they are not felted), and worked on the cabled hat. Ready to start the third cabled row. Not sure if I will make a fourth set of cables or not. Depends on how I feel, where I am, and what time it is when I get to row 25. Also helped a few people in the computer lab during lunchtime. That counts as an accomplishment, right? Even though I couldn't replace the exhaust fan in a printer? (We don't have the part on hand, not to mention that I don't know the first thing about how to replace it. Might have been able to figure it out, if I had to, but can't do it without the part.)

Oh, mild amusement, at least to me: Was enjoying last night's lecture/discussion, and the instructor mentions a fabulous book by Susan Douglas. I start looking for a pen so that I can scribble down the info, when she mentions the title: Where the Girls Are: Growing Up Female with the Mass Media. No need - I already own the book. Will have to bump it up on the reading list.

Killing time now between work and Muppets History 101. Won Cinematheque tickets (did I mention that already?) for this weekend, which is convenient because it is the weekend that I had planned to go. Muppets History 101 is at 7:00, and it made no sense to get home at 5:00 just to turn around and leave again at 6:00, especially when I'm about 20 minutes from University Circle already. Only issue is that Zuzu is home alone. Mike is on the SAAZ bus trip/pubcrawl to Michigan. I set up her feeder, so she should eat while we're gone. Dry food even, which means she's even more likely to eat. Silly kitty prefers kibble sometimes. Although maybe having kibble for lunch and dinner will make her appreciate the wet food for breakfast tomorrow. And she will be even more thrilled to see me when I finally get home.

Anyway, they are showing Muppets Musical Moments tomorrow, and I may go, just because I can. I think I have most of the clips (Muppet Shows, right?), but it's always fun to watch on the big screen. I love the Muppets. (Never would have guessed, right?)

Let's see, rundown of the last week: Monday was knitting. Fun. Tuesday was quiet, I think. Wednesday went to a lecture with Jessica. Worked on the cable hat, as blanket was too big and has metal (clicky) needles. Had dinner with Cathy on Thursday; was quite good to catch up. Gave her her clogs, she gave me a lovely plant. So that leaves Friday, which was a lovely afternoon, which is where we started. And I should probably catch up on Rav, and get moving - perhaps I can do some more knitting before the show.

Currently listening: Weakerthans and New Pornographers and Push (old band from Pittsburgh - they came to memory because I don't like coconuts)
Reading: Medical Apartheid by Harriet Washington
Watching: Veronica Mars and South Park, or whatever Mike has on TV. And tonight - MUPPETS!!

After a long day

Yesterday was my birthday. With the party to celebrate the fact that my birthday was on a Saturday and that I didn't have to work.

Knitting group came over, we went to Miss Chickpea's and bought yarn, came back and exchanged gifts and ate cake.

Nine cakes. Just a few more people. Yum. I still haven't sampled everything. To be honest, there is a cake that has not yet been cut.

Here's what the table looked like when we started. (To be honest, we had some of the peanut-buttery-goodness-frozen-dessert-cake before the trip to Miss Chickpea's.)


We have, clockwise from lower right:

1. Plain cheesecake
2. Chocolate cheesecake
3. Peanut-buttery-frozen-goodness
4. Mocha layered cheesecake (complete with chocolate covered espresso beans)
5. Raspberry layer cake with raspberry frosting (pink)
6. Cassata cake (white)
7. Ugly Bundt cake - white with chocolate filling and glaze (ugly because the top stuck in the pan when removed)
   
8. Three-layer chocolate cake with chocolate ganache frosting
9. Four-layer yellow cake with chocolate sour cream frosting

We ordered pizza for dinner, and the boys ran to get it. (A change, as I am usually the carryout driver.) Patti brought salad with some tasty dressing she made, and we chowed.

Cakes went over mostly well, I think. Megan really liked the cassata cake's frosting, Jessica really liked the raspberry cake, Melita liked the cheesecake(s), and Nick really liked the peanut-buttery-goodness. Not sure what Patti took home, but she filled her tupperware. I still haven't sampled them all. Hope no one was freaked out my my very strong french press coffee.

Oh well. Zuzu was very well-behaved, although I think she did swat at a few people who were trying to pet her. It takes her a while to adjust to people. At some point during the evening she did sit on my lap, which was nice. She is now snuggling on her alpaca blanket.



Oh, I finished Chris's clogs. They were desperately crying out for red hearts on the toe, and now they have them.



Yes, I am rediscovering the joy of posting pictures. Hope you appreciate it.

About 60% done with my sister's blanket. Here, you can see how beautiful Zuzu looks on it.



Because she needs the love.

Oh, and the gifts! Patti brought some tupperware in a cute bag (I told her to bring her own tupperware if she wanted to take leftovers home since I was running low). I get to regift the bag back to her, as she realized that it said "Baby" on the handle. Megan brought some chocolate and some very cute coasters that she'd made from a thrift shop sweater (great idea!), and Jen had somehow found the time in her crazy schedule to make a needle organizer! I am thrilled - the needle shoebox can be retired. :-) I will have to post pictures of that once I get everything organized. Carl brought me a six-pack of mead, too. Mine, not Mike's. Although he will probably drink most of it, as I can only drink mead in small, small doses.

The gift exchange was fun - much yarn and needles were exchanged, as well as a project bag and even cash.

Anyway, I should have more cake, and get back to the knitting. Enjoy some cheesecake!

Unexpected time

Work was cancelled yesterday and today. Imagine that - we have had more than a foot of snow dropped on us since Friday morning. Luckily we didn't get the ice they'd originally predicted. Here's what it looked like earlier today. There is a car parked on the street in this picture. Can you see it?

We witnessed some kids try to go sledding behind our house this evening (why they ventured out at 6, when it was windier than it had been all day, as well as not long before dark, is beyond me). They lasted about 10 minutes in the knee-deep snow.

I have one vent about people driving in this weather. If you insist on driving a moving snowball, please turn on your lights so that you don't blend in with the rest of the snow on the road/in the air. Preferably, you would actually clear the snow from your car so that you can see and also be seen, but as you are too lazy to do that, please turn on your lights so your car appears as something other than white.

When I last checked in with everyone here, I was looking for my Size 8 DPNs. They were not in the baby hat bag, so I bought replacements. Haven't worked on the gloves yet - this Wednesday is a Fair Isle class, and as the gloves/sweater uses some Fair Isle techniques to weave in ends and whatnot, I decided to wait until after the class to work on them. Even though I really really really really want to start that sweater. Still have 3 pairs of clogs to do, and what did I do yesterday? I started a blanket.

I should explain. As my weekend work is rarely cancelled (never in 20 years or something like that), I was expecting to have to work. Being as I work until 10 pm on Friday, and start at 8 am on Saturday, I figured I'd pack an overnight bag, and crash on the couch in the office, rather than deal with the stress of driving back and forth in the snow/ice. I packed a blanket in the bag, but realized that I might still be cold, especially if they turn off the heat in the building overnight, so I brought yarn for a blanket. It's made from alpaca, and is a very loose knit (size 19 needles), so it knits up very quickly. Figured that I could get a good bit of that done while at work (not to mention when I was waiting for work to start - no need to go home during my afternoon break), and have that as a supplement in case I needed it Friday night. Luckily, work was cancelled, so I used the immortal words of Eric Cartman, "Screw you guys, I'm going home," and drove home.

At any rate, I have about a quarter of the blanket done, as I didn't work on it all that much yesterday. I read a book. "Cross Bones" by Kathy Reichs. Large print edition, which made the pages turn all that much faster. Finished it this morning, as I simply couldn't stay awake for the last two chapters last night. I am somewhat curious about the facts she used as a basis for the book, so I may be reading more nonfiction in the near future. As soon as I finish "Collapse" and "World Cafe."

Nearly finished Shawn's hat on Thursday. Was supposed to be a quiet evening at home, but wasn't. Started the hat on Wednesday, at the museum. Got the ribbing done during the T-Rex vs. Triceratops lecture. Always good to hear Michael Ryan. Always interesting to learn how well-read some kids are on the latest discoveries in the world of dinosaurs. Driving home that night, passed Cleveland Power, and misread their "Super Choice" lighted sign as "Super Chicken." I was tired.

Oh, Thursday Mike drove to the Grape and Granary to pick up some ingredients, as our friend Carl was supposed to come over and brew with him today. I went along for the ride, petted Homer the shop cat, and then we stopped by North End for a drink. Worked on Shawn's hat in the car and at the bar, and got to the decrease point, which is when I insisted that we leave. Still haven't finished it, but will do so soon. Maybe even tonight.

On Wednesday, during the day (at least I think it was Wednesday), was driving from one client to another, and saw lots of falling ice. We'd had an ice storm that morning, it warmed up during the day, and I watched snakes of ice fall from power/phone lines onto the side of the road, the road itself, and a few cars that were unlucky enough to be on the road when the ice fell. I was lucky, and enjoyed the visuals with none of the consequences.

Saw a Great Blue Heron the other day, so spring can't really be all that far off. Please, please, let spring be right around the corner.

Anyway, it's movie time. "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" right now; "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" this morning, and "The Maltese Falcon" this afternoon. Mike also watched "Outpost," but I ignored it, which was probably a good plan.

Have lately been listening to Matthew Sweet, "Kimi Ga Suki", and Vienna Teng, "Warm Strangers."

Just for kicks, here's another winter picture. Enjoy!

How life has been...

Please enjoy this video, as it is I've been feeling over the past few weeks, and will probably feel for most of March. Windmills of Your Mind - Muppet Show

Anyway..... Watching the Muppet Show tonight. It's a quiet evening at home, as I could have gone over to North End with Mike, but decided not to deal with the weather. It's not that bad, but ice is accumulating on cars and stuff. Ahhh, Veterinarian's Hospital....

Yesterday was a long day, as the server that is limping along while The Server That Makes Me Cry is waiting for its replacement crashed. Overheated, apparently. Luckily the data was safe, but it took until after 6 to get things backed up.

Just anti-slipped two pairs of slippers. Shipped a few out yesterday, with some goodies. Still have a few packets to send, as I didn't have everything packed up when I went to the post office yesterday, and I could only spare a few moments away from Server Hell. Will try to escape tomorrow, maybe.

Awww, I love Rowlf. And his cute little snoozing puppy. (Anyone who cares, I am watching Episode One of Season Two, with Don Knotts.) I wonder if they drugged the dog. Or sleep-deprived him for several days - poor puppy is really tired. Or well-behaved.

Nearly finished with yet another pair of clogs. Only 4 more to go! Hopefully I will get a decent bit done tonight. Worked with high school kids again today - my student picked up knitting very quickly. Within an hour, she had learned to knit and purl. She'll be knitting circles around me soon, probably.

Feeling a lot better now. Yesterday was a bit better than the weekend, but I still passed out on the couch around 8:30. I had wanted to have a beer, but was too tired (and apparently didn't need the assistance sleeping!). Perhaps tonight. Oh, made brownie cupcakes on Sunday. Good stuff. Remembered the flour this time. Had hoped to send some away today, but ended up sharing with the kids and other knitters.

What else? I really need to add some variety into my knitting. Let's see how many more clogs I can get done this week (it's only Tuesday, right, and I work this weekend), and then I'll start another new big project. I still need to find my size 8 DPNs for my glove/gauge swatch. I think that's the size I need, as 9 seems just a tad too big. Maybe tonight's plan should be to finish the clog-in-progress (just need to attach the second sole), and then organize, so I can find my needles and work on the gloves. Also want to start B.S. Johnson. Not sure what yarn I want to use, but I'll figure something out. Although I will probably start another hat tomorrow, as it's a lecture. Oh, crap - more babies are due. Which isn't a bad thing, but I need to get back on the baby hat kick. Oh! I bet my missing needles are in the baby hat bag. That's the size that I was using with the Cotton Fleece. And I still need to work on my socks. Maybe I'll do that instead of the gloves. I am far too indecisive. Suggestions, anyone?

Same as before

I still can't get enough sleep. Slept for 12 hours last night, and just took a 60-minute nap. Feel kinda bad about yesterday, as I had been trying to help Mike with his brewing, but I went upstairs to change clothes, and couldn't resist the siren call of the blankets. Might have a few drinks (tea, water, stuff like that) and go back to bed. Yes, this cold is still kicking my bum.

On the last episode of this here blog, I'd had a relatively energetic Monday, and shared baked goods with my knitting group. On Tuesday, the weather was bad, and I felt icky, so volunteering was canceled and I came home and went to bed. Wednesday, I met with another local knitter from Ravelry, and another girl skipped due to car trouble. Luckily we met just a few miles from home, so no big excursions were necessary. Had some very nice tea at Panera, too.

Thursday, I was invited to see the Peking Acrobats. Wow. Went home sore from just watching all the contortions and balancing and feats of strength. Oh, and I was really tired, too.

Somewhere in the midst of all of that, I did finish two pairs of clogs and start another. Hopefully I will get some felted this weekend, as it's a rare weekend off, and start something else. I had high hopes of getting a start on a sweater yesterday, but that short burst of energy left me with a yawn. I do want to bake a few things, and get some packages ready to go - I have several things to mail, and want to free up the space in my house.

Oh well. Zuzu just had her lunch. I should make more tea and try to get some things done while I'm awake. We'll see how long that lasts.

Still reading Collapse, but am nearly done. Being sick certainly adds to my reading time. A bit more than halfway done with World Cafe. Hope to pick up Wicked again soon.
Still listening to the same batch of stuff, really, nothing all that new.
Watched Lost yesterday, and watched some older South Park episodes this morning.

Just can't get enough...

Sleep, that is. Went to bed relatively early last night, slept a bit extra this morning (and Zuzu wanted me to sleep even more), and took a nap this afternoon (and Zuzu wanted me to sleep longer then, too). Started the workday with a "server down" phone call, but thankfully the server was fine, it was just the internet that was down. Could not get warm this morning. Hot shower helped somewhat, but not all that much. Finally had a hot breakfast and coffee, which worked a bit.

Tried to get my windshield repaired today. Don't recall if I mentioned or not, but my car took a rock to the windshield last week. Looks like a mosquito - small nucleus with a few legs. Runners, the repair guy called them. He told me that he shouldn't repair it because there was no guarantee that it wouldn't expand, and also it was in my line of sight. Personally, I think it's a bit below my sight line, but who knows. He was kinda short. Maybe he just didn't want to work today, either.

Met with my knitting group tonight, and worked on more clogs. As usual. Brought cupcakes and individually sized brownies. Found a Hershey's Kiss silicone baking pan, and used the brownie recipe on the label. Turned out rather well, even if I did overfill the the cups. Very cute. Dark chocolate brownies and vanilla cupcakes. There wasn't much to take home.

Oh, remembered to bring my Pittsburgh yarn to the meeting tonight. I love my cashmere. We're planning a trip to Knitter's Fantasy in Youngstown in April, and apparently my house is the central location, so I get to make a cakewaffle breakfast again. Yum. Speaking of yum, I have some really good oranges. I like oranges. Yum.

Anyway, consider this a short post. It is 9pm, and I am tired.

Radio show plug: Shindignation, on from 7-9 am on Mondays, on WRUW. Those girls make me giggle.

Long day, and nostalgia

Worked all day today, then spent some time with the nieces. Picked up the sock blockers that my father-in-law made for me for Christmas. I will need to finish some socks so that I can try them.

Finished Foliage today. It became the hat that I could not put down. Elder niece loved it, and wants one. I have the better part of half a skein left; I could probably make a scaled down hat for her. Or just give her the one that's done. It doesn't seem all that big for her. Big, yes. Huge, no. The hat doesn't have a specified recipient, and it did look cute on her. We'll see. Maybe I will try to use the remnants on a niece hat. Only problem is that if you make something for one, you have to make one for the other.

Worked on more clogs a bit, too, but not all that much. Like I said, Foliage wanted lots of attention. Brought the Baudelaire socks, but didn't touch them aside from showing off the yarn to the nieces.

On the way home, listening to WRUW (College Pop, Starts with XTC), and was thinking about life back in Athens. Thinking about the era of my life that 10am was early in the morning. I remember one day, I believe it was a Sunday morning, when I had to work at the computer lab at 10am. This would have been winter 1995. Mike and Tom went to breakfast, I think at Bob Evans. I would have gone along, but had to work. They made my day, and brought me pancakes.

Oh well. I should get back to knitting. Must make lap space for the blinky kitty. Although she will probably stay with Mike. Maybe I will tempt her with a blanket.

Still reading the same stuff as yesterday, although you can add the current issue of Utne.
Watching: Lost
Listening: WRUW indie shows

Ahhh, breathe. Just an update...

It has been a long week. Had an awful morning on Tuesday. Any day that starts with a "server down" phone call is not good. I won't go into more detail about the rest of the morning, but will warn everyone to back up their data if they try to defrag a computer that hasn't been defragged for years.

Tuesday afternoon, I volunteered over at Success Tech. There's a group of us that are teaching some of the kids to knit/crochet/whatever. I was a bit discouraged at first, partially bad day, partially I am not the world's best knitting teacher, but it took a while for my student to catch on. But when she got it, it clicked, and she was off and running. Anyway, that is a Tuesday commitment for the rest of the school year. Should be fun.

I should have gone to the SAAZ meeting on Tuesday night, but wimped out. I needed some quiet time with Zuzu. I had a few beers and played on Ravelry. Mmmm chocolate stout and belgian trippel. Yum.

Wednesday wasn't much better of a day, especially since I forgot my purse at home, and didn't have money for lunch. Nice part was that I went home early, and watched movies with Mike. I had to run some errands, but combined that with a pizza run for dinner. I think I knitted something, too, but I don't really remember. Oh! I started the Fibonacci fingerless gloves. They are a gauge swatch for my Fairfax Fibonacci Sweater, and I need smaller needles. Must find my size 8 DPNs somewhere. I am very confused about needle sizes - I originally thought that my Foliage hat was on size 9 DPNs, then on size 8s, but really it was on size 7s. I have been working on that tonight at work. I have done 1.5 of 3 pattern repeats of the body. Row-wise, I am just above 50% done. Since the crown has fewer stitches, stitch-wise I am not nearly that close to being done.

I've finished a few more clogs, I think. Made some red and white ones that are really crying to have red hearts put on the foot, but as they're for a guy, I may restrain myself. I might not, though - I haven't decided. I don't know why I am in a Valentine's Day mood. Especially since my big VD excitement was buying cheap candy. I don't celebrate Hallmark holidays, but I needed chocolate.

Thursday was another long day, and we won't talk about the afternoon. The evening was great, though - I met several girls from my knitting group at Moko Coffee downtown, and we went to see Wicked. Had a lot of fun, and really enjoyed the show, especially when I talked to an usher during intermission and spent the second act somewhere other than my original seat. I could actually move my legs there! The seats at the State Theater are incredibly cramped. Legroom is very limited. I am not the world's tallest person, but my knees were pushed up against the seats in front of me. Since my knees aren't very happy when confined, I was experiencing intense pain by the end of the first act. The lights went down, and I stood up. Anyway, the show was great. I am not a huge fan of musical theater, but was very impressed with Wicked.

Driving home last night was miserable. Nothing like being on a snow-covered interstate and exhausted. I have no idea how people could see their lanes, what with the road being white and all, but there were lots of people going 50-60 mph in the snow. Oh well. I made it home a bit after midnight, and went straight to bed. Zuzu woke me at 4, as usual, and I curled up on the couch after feeding her breakfast. She crawled under the blankets on the papasan chair, and snoozed there until I was ready to leave.

Anyway, took a nap this afternoon, and am at work now. For another 30 minutes, as I type this. It's been a quiet evening, which is good. I like having downtime at work. Not sure if I'll finish Foliage tomorrow, or get back to clogs. I still have Nina's hat to finish, and the Baudelaire socks to work on. Somehow I doubt that they'll be done before the end of the month. Maybe I will just hibernate them and start something else............ I really need to try Magic Loop. Must make more socks.

Next week should be calmer, as I only have events on Monday and Wednesday (well, maybe Tuesday, depending), and I have the weekend off. Things will be picking up again in March - three lectures the first three weeks, and an event every night during the week of the 10th. I think I have five events at the museum in March.

As I haven't done this for a while, let's try now:
Reading: Collapse, by Jared Diamond; Best of the World Cafe by David Dye
Listening: Challengers Executive Edition, New Pornographers; Magnetic Fields
Watching: After Sex; In the Valley of Elah; Supernatural

Double dinners

We've all been eating a lot lately. Maybe it's the cold weather - we want extra insulation (even though us humans of the household have more than enough already!). Even the slender one of the household is always hungry. In fact, on Sunday, she was *very* hungry. I fed her dinner around 6pm, and she wanted more. She wanted more so much that she started licking the old crusty bits off of her plate. Oh, and I should note that the old crusty bits were underneath a bowl. Yes, our sweet little kitty knocked a bowl off of a plate to get to the nasty, dried food that was underneath.

What could I do? I gave her a second dinner. Kitty had a half can of food on Sunday night.

Last night, our knitting group went to Johnny Mango's. Don't know if most people got lost, but there were supposed to be 12 of us, and only 6 showed up. Ohio City can be a bit confusing, and I got slightly lost as I was approaching from a different direction - I'd been working downtown, and usually get there from further east. I ate far too much. Yummy food, when we finally got it. The waitress that originally took care of us disappeared at some point early in the night. She welcomed the first four of us, brought our drinks, but then she never came back. Finally Patti garnered the attention of another server, and she did a great job for the rest of the evening.

I finished one clog while there, and started another. They're not the happiest of travel projects, as there's lots of counting involved, but I managed. I really need to finish the Clog Project. I should be knitting now, but I have a purring kitty on my lap and my knitting bag is on the other side of the room.

Pink hat is finished; may drop that off today, depending on timeframe. I think I have three people on the hat list - it's good that there are several lectures coming up! There are three in the first three weeks of March. That might translate into three hats - who knows.

Yeah, I'm getting tired again. Woke at 3 due to micturition urges, and luckily Zuzu curled up with me after I returned to bed. I had a hard time falling asleep again, though, and at 4 she was ready for breakfast. She's been on my lap for a good portion of the morning, and is now snuggled under a blanket on my lap. You know, I could really be productive if I actually did things in the morning. Oh well. It's now nearly time to get moving. Awwwwww. Kitty just peeked out from under the blanket, and we had some serious purring going on. I love my little girl.

Further explanation and productivity

Realized that I didn't explain the catnip pants in the title of my last post. Sunday night, when I was getting ready for bed, Zuzu was rolling around on a pair of my work pants that were on the floor. She was higher than she is around catnip (and we don't usually give her 'nip.). I do not know why she was so nutty, but she was showing off her kitteh belleh. (Sorry, too many lolcats have passed across the screen recently.)

Stayed home from work today. Fighting a bit of a cold, needed some sleep (slept from 4-7, then 8-10, and will go to bed early), and couldn't deal with going out in the Weather. I have had enough ice and snow this winter. I could be on my way to a museum lecture, but am wimping out of that, too, even though I should drop off more food.

Did have a slightly productive day: I made my Pratchagan square, made some chocolate-chip cookie pie for the museum luncheon tomorrow (quiche is already there; I can show up at noon and bring the dessert), and have some laundry going on right now. Wet sweaters are heavy. What else have I done? Um, not much other than sleep and Ravel.

One of the things I like about knitting is that I can look at most of my sweaters and say that I could make them. Have I? No, but I could. Especially now that I know how to do cables.

Got my Hat of Doom today. It's a lovely shade of teal, and fits perfectly. I never realized that Lamb's Pride has mohair in it. I will have to use it more often. So I am dead - time to knit with the Zombies. Although I really should concentrate on my socks. Oh, and Mike's hat. I could probably finish his hat tonight, if I tried. I still really want to start another sweater. It's probably the Weather that we have been having.

Anyway, if I really want to start a sweater, I should work on some of the other things I have going on. I need to finish Nina's hat - all that needs done is to sew on the petals, finish some clogs and some socks. Oh, I could work on my Foliage hat, but it will probably stay on the needles for a while longer, especially if I knit a sweater.

Afterglow, exhaustion, and catnip pants

Went to Pittsburgh yesterday for the 4th Annual Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Festival. Such fun! Five of us crowded into Jen's Civic Hatchback for the drive to the South Hills. What fun! What yarn! What a long weekend! Worked all day on Friday, 8:30 am - 10:00 pm. Woke up at 4:00 on Saturday, then worked from 8:00 am - 4:30 pm (well, knitted my murder weapon while working on Saturday), then off to the beer festival until 10:30 pm, and up at 4:00 am on Sunday. I love my schedule. If only I could schedule more time for sleep.

Mike, I don't think you read this, but if you do, you can stop reading now. Not that you will care, but still. You don't need to know. You can find out in bits and pieces.

Details of the day:

Sunday morning, Zuzu woke me at 4:00 am, as usual. I gave her breakfast, and went about my morning routine, even though I was exhausted, since I didn't get home until 11:00 pm Saturday night. (Winter Warmer was fun, as usual.)

The day began relatively well, with the making of cakewaffles. For those of you who are not yet aware of the glories of cakewaffles, they are nearly-instant cakes, cooked in a waffle iron. Yum! Cakewaffle sandwiches (two cakewaffles with frosting in the middle) are much tidier than cake, especially when one is without plates and utensils. Made coffee and cakewaffles for the group, and had extras to bring along.

Rebecca was first to arrive, soon followed by Jen. Vicky and Melita arrived shortly thereafter. Vicky brought me some of her niece's handspun yarn, which is a gorgeous shade of brown, and oh-so-soft. And intriguing to Zuzu. We enjoyed breakfast, and were on our way.

Although the weather looked nasty, the roads were fine, once we were out of our neighborhood. The drive was uneventful, once we found our directions.

First thing after we got to the festival, we met a HUGE Angora bunny. Such a nice lazy lump, just laying still, enjoying all the petting. Very soft. And $150, for a small one. Which isn't really all that bad, but none of us took one home. I wonder how Zuzu would like having a rabbit in her house. Especially since the rabbit would grow to be larger and furrier than she is.

I had my eye on some of that booth's hand-dyed yarn, but finally passed. We wandered around a while before purchasing anything. So many choices! If there were fewer choices, I may have purchased more, especially from a vendor towards the back. They had a *huge* space, and tons of yarn. I eventually purchased one skein of sock yarn there, a blue-green-black variegated superwash wool blend with silk and viscose. Thought about getting more yarn for a sweater, but couldn't decide on what kind or what color - too many choices.

Spent a good deal of time debating some olive green cashmere laceweight. I kept going back to pet it. I finally did take it home with me. When I was making that purchase, I noticed another skein of green and white alpaca blend laceweight that became an impulse buy. Please note that I have never worked in laceweight, never really even considered it all that much, as I am not a girly-girl and don't really understand the need for shawls. I mean, they're pretty, but they're not really me. If I want to be warm, I will wear something practical, even if it isn't pretty. Well, the idea of pretty won me over yesterday, so I now have two skeins of laceweight. Now I just need to figure out what to make. Or maybe I will just snuggle with the yarn.

Walked past a vendor selling handspun. Nice fibers, but one skein in particular caught my eye. Thought about purchasing it, but after talking to the vendor, walked away with some natural fiber and a dye kit. I am going to try handpainting yarn. Should be interesting. I love me some autumn colors, so we'll see how it turns out.

Finally, a cabled cardigan caught my eye. Lovely green yarn, a hemp blend. The yarn was reasonably priced, and the pattern was gorgeous, so I walked away with a sweater-to-be. Other highlights: Vicky bought yarn for a cabled blanket. Jen found some yarn made out of corn. Melita found a beautiful variegate - I almost bought some, too. On the way out, we checked our raffle tickets. Rebecca won $5 in Vendor Bucks. She chose the vendor that sold me my sweater, and selected some roving.

After we'd finished, we drove up to the Galleria (cha-cha-cha!) for lunch. Wandered through the mall, which had changed a lot since the last time I'd been there. Ended up eating at Panera, and stopped at Starbucks before the drive home. We were all exhausted. When we left Pittsburgh, the sun was shining. As soon as we got to Ohio, the snow started. Luckily the roads were clear.

We were home around 5:00. And very tired. I was quite happy that my house was the central location, so I didn't have to drive anywhere else. Tried to take a nap, but that didn't work, so I made dinner, stared blankly at the TV for a while, and went to bed. On the trip, I finished Kel's clogs, so they are ready for felting.

Today was an adventure, as well. They are calling for nasty weather tomorrow. I am spending the night away from home, so I can be an emergency babysitter if my nieces' school is closed. I should really go to bed. I don't know why I am still awake. Baked quiches tonight for a luncheon at the museum. Jen and Nick came over to watch some show with Mike. And have dinner. We had salad and quiche. It was yummy. I should go to bed. Yes, I should go to bed.

Productive slug-itude

Somehow I ended up with the weekend off. Actually, I should have every fourth weekend off, but sometimes it doesn't feel like it. But I do have this weekend off, and I am being a slug.

I have spent most of the day on the couch. I did a bit of cleaning, but Zuzu decided that my time would be better spent if I was kitty furniture. But I have still been productive! I finished two baby hats, seamed three sets of clogs, and am felting them right now. Only seven pairs of clogs to go! Oh, wait, that isn't counting mine, and Mike wants replacements. Not that his are wearing out, but the anti-slip stuff is coming off, since he got two doses. The silicone is showing through. I could apply more latex, but it might wear off, too. Although I might try it again anyway, so I don't have to make him another pair.

Since last week, I have finished several things. The Vertical Stripes hat for Gavin, Marley hat for Janet's niece, Upside-down Daisy for Margaret, Lilly's Hat for Nina, and I just need to sew on the petals for Nina's Upside-down Daisy. All patterns from Itty Bitty Hats, except Lilly's Hat. Have started some Baudelaire socks, but haven't gotten very far. Hope to finish them before the end of Feb., for the Sockdown challenge. Ordered additional yarn for Mike's hat. Ordered two skeins, so I can finish his hat and then make another. Our friend Chris would appreciate a similar hat, so I'll make one for him as well. It's good museum knitting.

Hat Attack is coming up. I need to swatch. Will probably use some extra clog yarn, as it's the correct weight.

Saw The Dark Crystal on Wednesday. New print. Good movie. Saw the Henson environmental thing last Sunday. Realized that I don't know much about Fraggle Rock. We never had HBO when I was a kid, so I missed it. They're going to show Muppet History 101 again at the end of March. I will have to go, since it was sold out first time around.

New item for calendar - the New Pornographers are coming to Cleveland in April! Thanks to Ed for sharing the presale info.

Work: Two and a half weeks after the server arrived, the licensing issues are resolved, and the thing is ready to go. Migration will take place on Monday. Fun!

Well, can't think of much more to say. Camera is ready to go to Texas for repair; I just need to drop it off at UPS. I should get back to finishing things. I think the washer is just about done with Dad's clogs. Time to throw in another pair!

Reading: Collapse, Jared Diamond
Watching: Airplane
Listening to: New Pornographers; Chasing Infinity Radio for their live songs

The craziness never ends

Mike actually left the house for five days in a row. No, wait, it was six. I think.

Friday - he brewed at a friend's house, while I went to a lecture about the tree kangaroo
Saturday - he went to North End; I met him there after work
Sunday - he played games with some friends
Monday - he visited a friend while I was at knitting with that friend's wife
Tuesday - SAAZ night out at 69 Taps in Akron
Wednesday - he went to North End while I watched the Muppet Movie

And if he was that busy, you know I was busier. Last week, I'd played with brand new server guts. This week, the server is still not running, due to licensing issues. The manufacturer never applied for the codes for the licenses that were purchased. And they are now trying to figure the whole thing out.

I haven't finished anything for a while. I finished the knitting bits of my dad's clogs, so they just need to be seamed and felted. Still making baby hats. Still haven't actually finished any. Need to buy yarn to finish Mike's hat. I had enough yarn when it was short. But he wanted it longer, so I frogged back, and have now run out of yarn. I need to visit a yarn shop to find more. But I'm not allowed to buy more yarn. Maybe I should make him do it. I am a sucker for sock yarn. If I go in for just one skein of his hat yarn, I am likely to leave with at least one skein of sock yarn, too. Last time it was Paca-Peds, which is alpaca (imagine that!). I should not spend money on yarn until I have used at least some of what I have. Oh, I started another pair of clogs too, but haven't gotten very far. I think I've given up on the knit-a-mile challenge, at least for now. I haven't been keeping track, but I know I'm waaay down. I will try to catch up this weekend. I would really like to start on my next sweater.

Anyway, I should get moving. Work calls, and as much as I try to ignore it, not working doesn't pay the bills. (I tell Zuzu something like that every now and then - if she'd earn enough money for her food, I could stay home with her every day. She hasn't gotten the hint and gotten a job. Although then *she'd* have to leave the house, which neither of us would like.)

Well, this sucks.

Went to the Cleveland Museum of Art tonight, planning to see Muppets History 101. Sadly, they were sold out by the time I got there. I am very bummed, especially since they weren't taking reservations, and had no clue that it was going to be a sellout. Anyway, bought tickets for tomorrow and Sunday's events, and will get tix for the rest of the month next week.

In other news... Lots of random snippets from the past few days, as I've been taking notes! I can't actually read all of them (something about ratios - remedies? vinediks? I have no idea what word I was trying to scratch onto paper...I even turned it upside down in case it referred to something else; no luck.)

We've been watching Band of Brothers recently. We're about halfway through. I would not do well at war. I don't recognize visuals quickly enough to be effective - I'd be more dangerous to our side than to the enemy. Not to mention that I really doubt my ability to kill anyone, no matter how much I talk about bombing headquarters of various companies that irritate me. Watching the soldiers camp in the cold made me very grateful for emergency blankets. I don't believe in cold-weather camping without them.

A fellow Raveler mentioned the fun trick of Googling your first name followed by "wants." My first link? Heather Wants to Grab His Booty. Followed by Whatever Heather Wants, Heather Gets. Yeah, I wish. I wanted to see the Muppet videos tonight. I did not get that. I am sad.

Zuzu has a new plaything. A box! It is sideways, so it makes a good hiding place. Have I mentioned her kitty fort? Well, she has a kitty fort made out of our patio furniture cushions. She likes to sit on top of it, and look outside. I filled the bird feeders so perhaps she will have some ornithological entertainment, but we don't think we've attracted any feathered friends yet. Hey! Birds! Come amuse my kitty!

Is it sad that I can identify the movie "Ghostbusters" after seeing just a few seconds of the intro?

I'd wanted to share something about Snoopy, but I don't remember what. I love Snoopy. I think I need to say that again. I love Snoopy. SnoopySnoopySnoopySnoopySnoopySnoopy!!!

Mike made me watch "The Ninth Gate" for some reason. He justified it by saying that I'd already pledged my undying love to Johnny Depp. I disagreed; my undying love has been pledged to John Cusack. Or is it Lloyd Dobler? Watched the movie anyway; wasn't as impressed as he probably would have liked. Oh well.

I really enjoy knitting from center pull balls. *Love* the winder! Finished both pairs of clogs - my mom's and my sister's. They just need felted. Will felt after making sure that the washer leaks were an anomaly.

Still working on the baby hats - just need to assemble the flower one, and need to make the eyes/nose/mouth of the snowman, and then assemble it. Started knitting Take II of Mike's hat tonight while waiting in line at the museum (to buy tomorrow's tickets). I justify the start-itis because I wanted something simple for the movie. That I missed. Have I expressed my sadness enough yet?

Decided that I'm going to make myself some Clogs of Many Colors with all of the leftover bits from all of the clogs I am making.

Do you experience feelings of dread in your basement or attic?

Got stopped by a train this morning, on the way to work. The first few cars were flat, and carried John Deere tractors. That was my morning amusement. Too bad I was a bit late.

Anything else? I think I need to watch some John Hughes movies. At least some of those made before 1990. No "Home Alone" for me! No linky, even. Oh well. I should go to bed. At least I have tickets for this tomorrow. Mike is skipping out on me (he has a playdate at 4, and we wouldn't be back in time), so I have an extra ticket - anyone want to go? Just let me know before 12.

Oh yeah. One thing I miss about myspace is the "listening to/watching/reading" feature. But I never liked that you could only pick one. Was thinking about posting that sort of thing here - let's start now.

Reading: The Color of Magic, Terry Pratchett
Listening to: This Business of Art, Tegan and Sara
Watching: Ghostbusters (obviously!)

Yet another challenge

Happy New Year. Although it feels like it should be early November. I'm still not ready, but am enjoying the days off.

I gave up on November's sockdown challenge, and didn't cast on for December's. I think I might do January's, though - I'd need to knit either a pattern with intarsia (knitting with two colors - think Mike's socks that won me free sock yarn) or by Cookie A. I've been wanting to do Pomatomus and Monkey for a while; either one would qualify. And I now have lots of sock yarn. (As if I didn't before.) So perhaps I will participate again.

Also discovered a new group - Stash Knit Down 2008. Their first challenge is to knit a mile. Between January 5 and February 19 (time frame of the FIRST Robotics Competition - the group moderator has an interest in that), the goal is to use up 1760 yards of stash yarn. And if my calculations are correct (which they may not be), I knitted three+ times that in December, working on all the clogs. I will have to keep track of that. And get back to the clogs, even though I am still thinking sweater. I think I will need the clog-yarn box to send my package to my secret groundhog bunny partner (we procrastinate too much to have secret Santas), so I should work on emptying it. Yes. That is what I should be doing today. Am I? No. Shame on me. Anyway, I think I can knit a mile in six weeks - could probably knit a mile every month if I tried hard enough. So it's yet another thing to keep track of. It's good that I love spreadsheets!

I am learning.... A 6-12-month-old baby's head is about the same diameter as a spindle of DVDs. And that is the size of the snowman hat. As Nancy's baby will be six months old in June, and that's probably not the best time of the year for a snowman hat, the hat should go to another, slightly older, baby. Any candidates out there? Of course, I could just send it to Nina for next year, right? I will do that if I don't discover any properly-aged babies. Or I could just use the snowman hat as a DVD-spindle cozy. Emerson Cod makes gun cozies; I can make DVD cozies, right?

Some friends came over last night for New Year's. Had fun, missed the ball drop because we were talking too much. Stayed up until 2AM. Zuzu wanted breakfast at 5AM, as usual, but then she and I crashed on the couch for a lot longer than usual. Kitty needed to catch up on her sleep, too. Made cakewaffles. With ice cream. Apparently you can make instant cake by cooking cake batter in a waffle iron. Yummy! Ahh, the things I learn on Ravelry. Like how to spend my day thinking about knitting and not actually doing it.

Anyway, I should probably pretend to be productive. Lots to do, and this is the last day off to do it. Weekend work kicks in again on the 11th, so more knitting is on the agenda then. Perhaps I will start a sweater before February...... Oh, how I want to start a sweater now......

(Oh, I ordered yarn from French Creek for a second sweater. Peggy didn't have the amounts of what I needed, so she is ordering more for me, at the year-end discounted price. I will have to shop there more often. Too bad Avon is so far away. But wait! I should not be shopping at all. Perhaps it is a good that it is such a distance.)

Driving in a winter wonderland

It's finally officially December. Well, it was the other day, when I heard "Christmas at Ground Zero" by Weird Al on the radio. But it's really *really* December, since we're getting a ton of snow. Left work an hour early to try to beat the weather. Didn't work. Make the left turn out of the parking lot and onto the road, and slid into the curb on the far side of the road. Luckily I don't think anything was damaged, I was just scared. Traffic slowed down a bit after that, thank goodness. Nothing like driving on an ice rink, especially a busy one. And I did not see a salt truck until I reached Summit county.

Anyway, made it home after an hour of stress. Poured a pint of chocolate stout; Mike tells me I should kick it tonight. He was surprised that I got a full pint out of it. We'll see how much is left. If I get a second full pint out, I'll leave the rest until tomorrow.

Work itself was relatively uneventful, although I had to gather all of the projectors and lock them away in the office for break. I am always amazed by how lazy people are at that school. I sometimes feel like I am the only one who uses the stairs. I use the elevator when going more than two floors, but it sees like all of the students take the elevator for just one floor. Oh well.

I'm probably behind on the holiday knitting, but feel like I'm doing okay. Oh yeah, I was going to felt the first pair of women's clogs tonight. But Mike is brewing, and needed help, so I haven't yet. The night is still young, even though it feels like it's getting late.

Excitement of the day: I got two packages in the mail. My Mama Blue sock yarn showed up (sooo gorgeous! and sooo soft!), as did my Mr. Bento. I will now be able to bring hot food with me for lunch. Which is good, as I don't always get the chance to stop working to pick up food. My friend Danielle reminded me of the existence of Thermoses, when she and I had coffee at 3:00 the other day and I ordered lunch, since it was the first chance I'd had to do so. Mr. Bento is better - I can bring much more than just soup!

What else? Zuzu just had her dinner. She got bad news the other day - she is due for an exam in January. Poor kitty will not be happy about that. But really, she's back to our old playful kitty. She's been grabbing my bum a lot since I've gotten home. Meow! *pawpawpaw* Feed me! Our dinner will be cooking soon. I think I will make cookies tonight. Just because I can. Also, there is a cookie exchange for the Women's Committee next week. I should practice, so I know that I can make good cookies for that. Yeah, that's it. What kind of cookies should I make?

A fellow Raveler posted the image below. I cannot stop giggling about it. The kitteh just looks so sincere. I want to share it with everyone I know, and everyone else that I don't know.



So Friday... Went to a CMNH lecture, learned a lot about Maya salt-making and snorkeling archaeologists, talked to another knitter and pushed Ravelry. I am a bad influence. It was a nice evening, though. Started a hat, as I wanted some mindless stockinette for the lecture. Otherwise, I have been working whole big bunches. Hence the few posts. Not much to say about work. It's work.

Anyway, our dinner is now ready. I really need to remember to remove my glasses before draining pasta. It's a lot easier to do it when I can see what I'm doing. Time to watch John Cusack!

Ahhh, Clean

Me, that is, not the house. The house is going to wait. If it's lucky, the Halloween decorations will be removed sometime before Christmas.

Just took a shower, so it is once again time to thank our friend Chris, as he just happened to have the tools Mike needed to change the scald-guard setting on our shower. I hate taking lukewarm showers in the winter - give me HOT water. Anyway, thanks Chris. (I would link to him if he had a web presence.)

Zuzu has had lunch, I have had my yearly allotment of latkes, and Mike should be back in the near future. He did his Athens reunion thing this weekend. Hopefully the guys had fun. I feel like a slacker because I did not send any baked goods. Oh well, I had too many late nights last week. Went to bed at 9 yesterday. I was mostly rested when Zuzu woke me at 4. I have no idea how such a little kitty can make so much noise.

To be clear: I am a tea buyer, and not so much a tea drinker. I have quite the variety of teas in the cupboard, even though I rarely drink the stuff. Maybe I just *want* to be a tea drinker. Anyway, I have decided that I need to clean out the tea cabinet, and the best way to do that is to drink more tea. I emptied the Decaf Honey Chamomile Green Tea today. One box down, lots to go. Anyone want to come over and help me drink tea?

And on the holiday knitting front, well, I have 3.5 pairs of men's clogs ready to felt. I have 6 more pairs (women's) to do before Christmas. And quite a few other pairs in the queue, but at least those have some leeway, as they are not Family Gifts, so the due dates are somewhat movable.

I need some mindless knitting, though. The clogs are fun, and go relatively quickly (maybe faster if I can get into the pin-tensioned groove), but they require thought, to keep track of my stitch count and row. Although I *mostly* know the pattern, I still like to refer to it - and will
definitely need to use it when I switch sizes. There's a lecture at the museum on Friday, and I like to keep my hands busy while my brain focuses on the speaker. Thus, I need mindless knitting. Maybe I will start a plain old stockinette sock, or something with a simple rib pattern, so I can just go round and round and round while I think of other things. And most of the Christmas socks I wanted to make (will I? probably not this year) are more intricate patterns. Oh well. I'm sure I can find some nice sock yarn in the stash for that. That's the problem with becoming more skilled as a knitter - I want to make things that are prettier than plain stockinette. Even scarves are more fun with patterns. Oh, and the room is dark during the lecture, so even if I did an easily memorized pattern, I won't really be able to see what I'm doing. Maybe I'll work on version II of Mike's Toque. Oh! I have baby hats to do! Maybe I could work on those, although I kinda wanted to do something more fun than stockinette. Should I start another sweater? Nah, not until January. I'll come up with something, I guess.

What I will not be making: banananana hammock. Someone on Ravelry pointed it out, and I wanted to share.

Anyway, I should get back to my knitting. And I need to do the SAAZ newsletter. I think I finally have everyone's contributions - it will be a short one. Let's try to do that now, although maybe I will see if Mike will be home before or after I can make and eat more latkes. I think I want more.