Cigars On The Porch

Things I Have Learned About Cycling

2011-08-16T09:47:00.003-04:00

This morning I went for my first ride since May. As the old saying goes, "it's as easy as riding a bike." And, well, riding a bike is easy. It's just not easy to be good at it.

Many of you remember the Bush-Straddling Incident of 2007, and there are a few who might recall the Stop-Sign-and-Car-Denting Debacle of 1980-ish. As much as I have ridden my bike over the years, I'm just not a great cyclist. My center of gravity isn't, well...centered. I lean forward too much, I slow down excessively for turns, and I have as much grace as a tutu-wearing hippo dancing on a circus ball. Rather than just wearing a helmet, I'm pretty sure I should wear full body armor.

2007 MS Ride, Joe taking a picture of me during a most flattering moment. Good thing I'm way in the distance.

I'm not a dancer, I don't roller blade or ski (those were both extremely awkward and painful experiments), but I do enjoy cycling. I'm just extremely awkward at it.

As I was riding down the Greenbelt this morning, surrounded by all the serious cycling commuters, with their reflective vests and backpacks of work clothes, it occurred to me that - even though I'm not a strong cyclist - I can still get from Point A to Point B without killing myself or harming others. At least most of the time.

Stuff I No Longer Carry - #2

2011-06-13T17:45:00.004-04:00

It's been a while since my last update, and my reasons are rather personal. I have, however, continued to focus on my health - in many ways more than ever. Additionally, my family came to visit for a few weeks in late May / early June, and there are few things as wonderful as laughing with those you love.

At my three-month mark, I'm proud to say that I no longer carry the following:

Two rather large, lazy, marmalade kitties.

Baby Steps

2011-03-28T18:49:00.004-04:00

I've always been big. I come from a long line of women with "child-bearing" hips. Add to that my 5'10" height in 7th grade - along with glasses and braces, no less - and I was one popular chica. I wasn't so much fat as I was big. It's just what I was. But at the age of 13, that's tough to take. In my mind, I was fat and ugly.

When I was a Sophomore / Junior in high school, I started running. For no reason. I remember the very night it started. I was walking around our 2.2-mile block with my family, and I had headphones on. They were the size of ear muffs, and the radio and headphones were all one piece. Some Whitney Houston song came on (lame, I know), but it was just the right tempo to make me want to move faster. The next thing I knew, I was running the "big loop" of our neighborhood (appx 5 mi) with those darned headphones bobbing on my head. For one entire summer I got up early to run. There was no stopping me.

I completed my first 5K my senior year. My body image was so horrible at that point, I swore I was just too fat.

My hips will never be size zero. But one day I will have those legs again. This morning, I ramped up my workout to include some running. It's going to take some time, but I'll get there. This morning, I felt the freedom of healthy lungs and working leg muscles. I tasted the sweat and felt the pain. And it was glorious to be there again.

The Boise Greenbelt

2011-03-16T10:52:00.003-04:00

...or, Why We Chose This House

Joe and I first flew out to Boise in May 2010 for his interview. Joe arrived mid-week, and I came out for the weekend, just to see if this city had what we wanted.

It was such a clear, beautiful weekend. There was still snow on the distant mountains, but the valley was vibrant and warm, with just a hint of crispness in the air. While Joe was in his final round of interviews, I arrived at the hotel then ventured out to do some yarn shopping. We met up for dinner later that night and were both amazed at how many NICE people there were.

The next morning, we decided to take a walk down to the Boise River - just a few blocks from the hotel.
Several things overwhelmed and amazed us:
- The path along the river (aka The Greenbelt) was so very clean. There were trash bins and doggy poop stations that people actually used.
- Even with a number of runners/walkers/cyclists and folks setting up for a local race, it was very quiet.
- Walking along the path brought us not only to the river's edge, but also took us through a couple of beautiful areas - Julia Davis Park and the Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial.
- The river was crystal clear.

We looked at maybe a dozen houses with a realtor that day, and Joe returned in June to look at some more. We kept coming back to the first house we saw: it was very dated (think early 80s with shaggy brown carpet and exposed beams and stone), but it was big enough for us and our hobbies. The clincher, to me, was that it was barely a half-mile from a Greenbelt micropath. We could walk or ride our bikes through our neighborhood (and not on main roads) to get to the river, then we could go anywhere - our favorite restaurants, the public market on 8th Street, or even a Broncos or Hawks game.

Since I moved here in November, there wasn't a lot of fun to be had in walking the Greenbelt. Even though it doesn't snow a lot in Boise, it gets cold enough to where recreational walking isn't a lot of fun after about 15 minutes. Now that spring is *almost* here, we've been venturing out more and more.
Last weekend we dusted off the bikes. I haven't ridden my bike since the 30-mi MS ride I did in...maybe 2007? Yeah - it's been a while. But the Greenbelt (much like rail-trails in NY) is mostly well-paved, and there are very few hills. We took the bikes down to a favorite haunt - The Dutch Goose - and had a lovely lunch before heading back.

There are times when I'm counting down the days until we can replace the shag carpet / stuccoed walls / dark colors of our new home. But it's a good home, and those things can wait. I can sit in my office and see the snow-capped mountains, and I can walk right out the door and find rejuvenation among the sounds of the rushing water, crisp breeze, and chirping birds of the Boise River.

Stuff I No Longer Carry - #1

2011-03-08T09:51:00.004-05:00

I thought it would be fun to keep track of my progress visually. So instead of announcing to the world (or at least my little corner of it) how much weight I've lost, I'm going to show pictures of ordinary (or maybe not-so-ordinary) objects that weigh approximately what I've lost so far. Basically, a picture of what my body no longer has to carry.

There probably won't be any regular updates - I'll post on this topic when it moves me and when the weight in question yields an interesting photographic subject. It'll also be cumulative, so it'll keep me focused on what I've done in total - and how much closer I am to my goals.

And now I give you: Stuff I No Longer Carry...

Otis wonders why I don't carry him more often

A geriatric cat.

Step 1: Overhauling My Eating Habits and Figuring Out What I Want

2011-03-01T12:25:00.002-05:00

I'm reading a few books to help me figure out and focus on my goals. More than just "I want to lose weight" or "I want to be healthy" - WHY do I want to do those things? Do I want to run a 5K when I turn 40? Do I want to limit my reliance on a car and depend on my bike more for local transportation? Do I want to get more involved in community activities that might require physical effort? Do I want to take advantage of this recent geographical transition and start working towards a new career?

It's going to take me a while before I get to the core of what I really want, but it's definitely some combination of the above. In the meantime, I want to start working on things RIGHT NOW (being March first and all), and the best start is an overhaul of my eating habits.

I work well with lists. Ask my husband (or my similarly off-kilter brother) about the lists I make for packing, for grocery shopping, or for leaving the house on a long trip. When I can compartmentalize tasks and check them off, it appeals to my sense of organization. I'm really *not* an organized person, but I try to be. Hence the lists.

In one of my books, I came across a two-day meal plan. It's certainly not meant to be something you stick to every day, just an example of the right combination of proteins, produce, and grains. But because I need some rigid structure in these first few days/weeks of meal planning, I figured I'd just go with it. I used the plan as a grocery list, and I'm going to stick to it verbatim for at least 4, maybe 6 days. There's nothing offensive on it (I hate it when meal plans say to eat fish - I know it's good for me, but goddammit I hate fish), it's relatively simple, and it'll keep me on track for coming to terms with (1) how much good stuff I need to eat and (2) how much bad stuff I need to avoid.

When Joe and I lost weight before our wedding (almost fifteen years ago now), the key for us was measuring. It was easy to "eyeball" portions of chicken or rice - easy enough to get wrong. So we measured everything from peanut butter to salsa, and it really worked for us. Of course, going to the gym did a lot too, but that's another step in this process.

First and foremost, I need to be able to wake up and feel great in the morning. I need to know what I'm working for every day. I need to know that I'm moving towards something amazing, and it'll take some time.

Operation FUF

2011-02-24T12:42:00.002-05:00

I have been keeping up with a few friends, via multiple social networks, who are working out with specific fitness programs. C25K is a popular program to get folks used to running and working towards a successful 5K completion. Various Boot Camp programs guide participants through four weeks of daily as-the-sun-rises exercises while encouraging success at any fitness level. Some folks are long-distance "diet partners" who share victories and help each other recover after small setbacks.

I've battled my weight my entire life, and the only time I've been successful with any long-term lifestyle change: put together a program, and do it. Just freaking do it. Log your miles, record your calories, know what you can and cannot allow in your daily routine.

This is where Operation FUF comes into play. Certain hoar friends will know the true meaning of that acronym, but let's just call it "Fit Under Forty" or something more clever. After all, in a mere twelve months (and five days), I'll be hitting that four-oh milestone. If I continue indulging in my current lifestyle, there won't be much to celebrate.

At 29, I played competitive tennis 3-5 times per week. I even ran (for fun!) occasionally.

Years 30-38, not so much. Joe and I did complete a 30mi fundraiser bike ride, but that's about it. I blame it on New York. Limited tennis, crappy winters, and a dozen restaurants mere blocks from the house. Nah...as much as I would love to blame NY, it's all on me.

At 39, this girl is going to get busy. Boise is the fifth most active city in the U.S. There is so much to do, the weather is awesome most of the time, and I live a half mile from a 23-mile walk/run/bike heaven known as The Greenbelt. There are winter and summer activities a-plenty, so there are NO EXCUSES for this fluffy gal.

Stay tuned. It all starts with a single step.

So Long, 2010

2010-12-31T16:25:00.003-05:00

This has been a busy year.
- Started it in our usual way, hungover at a friend's house. This time with Rob & Mika too!
- Traded in old beater car, bought a "grown-up" car
- Survived a couple of huge snowstorms (which Joe was lucky enough to miss)
- Saw my niece play in a volleyball tournament and hooked up with the family in Baltimore
- Went back to the ATL to spend some time with my girlfriends
- Joe put in for a new job (April)
- Went to Boise for an interview (May)
- Put down an offer for a new house (June)
- Bought the new house and moved all our stuff (July)
- Put our NY house on the market (August)
- Drove 2500 miles in an RV with 4 cats
- Went to ATL again for a friend's wedding
- Went to TX to see family for Christmas

And in all that time, I only knit 7 things, 5 of which were easy hat/baby items. That's gotta change. My 2011 goals (in no particular order):
- Knit more.
- Get healthier. Stop saying it and just do it.
- Hope the NY house sells so I don't have to look for work.
- Blog more.
- Finish unpacking and get the house in order
- Never move again

That should do it. May you all have a wonderful 2011!

Nine Weeks

2010-08-26T06:45:00.005-04:00

Okay, so we've gotten through the hard part(s):
- We purchased the Boise home
- Joe started his new job, which he loves
- We moved all our stuff out to Idaho, and it mostly got there in good shape (I don't wanna talk about the Dechar bowl and the Toronto magnet from Jacquie...sniffle...)
- I cleaned ALL THE THINGS that remained in the NY house
- We put the NY house on the market

Nine weeks from today we'll hopefully be loading up a rental RV with clothes and cats, then driving for a few days. So I can finally be here...

...and wake up to this:

I think my blood pressure will drop immediately the morning I first wake up out there. Even if it takes us a while to sell the NY house, I know we're moving in the right direction.

Sigh.

Nine more weeks.

I'm Lookin' for a New Blog, Baby...

2010-07-13T19:28:00.003-04:00

In mid-April, when Joe was home for his one weekend (in a month of travel), he was perusing the internet for some job opportunities.
J: "What do you think about Boise, Idaho?"
B: "Sure...Idaho doesn't offend me."

In mid-May, Joe had passed a few telephone interviews and was brought to Boise for an in-person one. They even flew me out there. We fell in love. We looked at houses, we ate at cool restaurants, we spoke with servers/barkeeps/shopowners, and we fell in love.

In mid-June, we found ourselves scrambling for asset paperwork, signing letters of intent, and focused on buying our new home.

And now Joe is in his new position, loving every moment of being out there, while I wrap up the NY house, pack, and try not to go insane.

A lot has happened in 3 months. And since we will no longer have a porch (that does make me sad), I'm thinking this little-updated blog needs to go in a new direction. Maybe towards the Greenbelt.

Hmmmm...

Freezer Score!

2010-06-01T20:49:00.002-04:00

And more veggies are on the way!

I haven't been posting about every freezer-dive meal we've had, but score a big WIN for the following:
A little bland-colored, but what you see here is peppercorn pork tenderloin (frozen about 6 mos), mashed cauliflower, and corn pudding (both from last year's CSA share). This meal rocked. A lot.

And tonight our CSA share from this year started. Here you can see what wonderful goodies are offered - I never have the patience or skill to take nice pictures like my knitter friend does. Anyhow, tonight we got strawberries (so sweet...mmmmm.), bok choy, radishes, lettuce, and sugar snap peas. Made a nice big salad with lettuce, bok choy, sugar snap peas, walnuts, almonds, and blue (bleu?) cheese. Joe vetoed the dried cranberries. Wuss.

Going through our share is going to be a challenge this year, because it'll all have to be consumed fresh. I have a freezer filled with the bounty from previous years, but all that must get eaten or thrown out rather quickly, as I have a freezer to defrost in about 6 weeks. The reason why isn't quite "Facebook safe" yet, but if you've read this far, chances are that you already know.

So we've got a lot going on: eating healthier, eating cheaper, clearing out the clutter (physical and mental), and still finding time to have some fun. And there is certainly a lot of fun to be had.

656 Days

2010-05-13T19:47:00.003-04:00

In 656 days, I will turn 40.

I want my 40th birthday to be a celebration of epic awesomeness.

And so my goal - in 656 days - is to be the healthiest Beth I can be.

Let the fun begin!

Letting Go

2010-05-01T10:00:00.002-04:00

Living in the same big house for almost 10 years is a curse. Seriously. When you can go a week without even entering the back half of the house - and when you have a full walk-up third-floor attic - it's damned easy to accumulate stuff. And it's really easy to not let go, even when you're trying to clean things out.

Today I'm swapping out my summer and winter clothes, and I'm also culling a few items that have been stored, basically since we moved here. I'm ashamed to say that I've put on more than a few lbs in the last 10 years, and while my goal is to once again be my "fighting weight," chances are I'm not going to want to wear 10+-year-old clothes when I get there.

But going through these items, it's tough to let go.

The long red slinky dress with the slit up the side that I wore to a dance my senior year at OU. The flirty little dresses I wore when I went to Italy with my mother, dresses that earned me whistles and stares from those nice Italian men (well, they pretty much stare at anyone). That little black dress with all the sparklies that made me feel like I could dance all night.

Then again, there are some memory lanes that should never be walked down again. A pair of jean shorts, color: butter. Yes, butter. A mini skirt that was basically one stretchy black tube. I think I wore that to a concert or two, but those stories are best left off of the internet. Numerous items that should stay in the early nineties, like my turquoise and white "suit" that was a tailored jacket and long shorts. Yup. Even wore it with white tights and tan shoes to the accounting firm.

And so while it's tough letting go, it feels great "digging through the stash" and getting this weight off of my shoulders. Much like my freezer project (which has been slightly on hold but will resume), we're just digging through what we can use and dropping what we can't. Life's too short to hold on to 5-year-old clam sauce and butter-colored jean shorts.

A Lovely Yarn Giveaway!

2010-04-21T19:32:00.001-04:00

Please to be looking at this beautiful blog for a contest! For gorgeous yarn! What's not to love?!?

As a side note, the corn chowder survived beautifully, but the corn pasta did not. I should know better by now...cooked pasta does not freeze well...

A New, Frozen Direction

2010-04-19T06:52:00.002-04:00

My poor, neglected blog. Either not much going on or too much to sit down and blog about. Since most of my peeps keep up with me on Facebook and Ravelry, I thought I'd turn my blog into a little reflection of a project I've started.

Freezer Diving.

Yes, folks, CSA time is fast approaching, and I've got an ass-load of stuff in the freezers (both the small and large ones are pretty much full). So I'm spending the next weeks/months hauling out meals that are both interesting and boring, wonderful and...trashworthy. Plus it'll get me out of this processed food funk I've been in. When you work long hours, you tend to fix / purchase what's easy, not necessarily what's healthy.

As spring turns to summer, I'll also be working on new recipes and new techniques for the fresh farm produce. I hope by the end of this season I'll be in the midst of creating a healthier lifestyle, as well as learning a few new things. And I hope to find lots more uses for corn.

For today's adventure: corn chowder from July 2009, Linguine with corn and sage (date unknown), mashed cauliflower (2009), and some peaches (2009). We'll see how they survived their storage.

Introducing...ELWOOD!

2010-01-03T15:26:00.003-05:00

...or, How Many Cats Do You Have???

Joe and I moved to NY with three cats, adopting a fourth in 2002. Having a big house with plenty of space, the addition of another cat was a no-brainer, especially since all of our cats had basically come to us - either rescued or abandoned. After the rough patch of late 2007 / early 2008 where we lost both Milo and Cosmo, we spent a little while with only two cats, then realized that Otis and Dobby hate each other too much to be on their own. So we adopted Willow.

This didn't work out so well...now we had three cats that pretty much hated each other. There was some playing between Dobby and Willow, but it frequently escalated into hissing. I thought another younger cat would help Willow with her playfulness, so I'd had my eye out for an addition for a while - I just didn't know how it would materialize.

One afternoon, while searching Petfinder, I came across a small rescue organization with one picture, a little marmie-white kitten named "Liam." They would be at PetSmart over the weekend, and I stopped by to check them out. There were several kitties, all of which were beautiful and fun. But I was so unsure about "Liam" - was I just getting another cat on impulse, or was this the cat for us?

I brought him home in early December, and he soon became Elwood. After one day of being quarantined and shy, he quickly owned the house.

The other cats hissed at him, but he just went on his merry way with a 'tude of a king. Within a week, he was cuddling with his surrogate mom, Willow.

The older boys still don't care for him much, but I never could have imagined how positive this would have been with Willow. She's grown up, become a "Mom," and has a play buddy.

We might have four cats, but it's certainly not too much - it's the perfect number for us right now.

So How'd That 2009 Knitting Go?

2010-01-02T10:25:00.003-05:00

Remember this list of things to knit in 2009? I think I did pretty well, considering how busy things were this year:

- 6 pair of socks (at least). Five pair completed, two pair in progress
- This shawl, in some groovy Egyptian mercerized cotton I have. Started 11/12/09, 2.5 repeats into pattern (roughly 1/4 of total).
- A scarf pattern that came with my Buckwheat Bridge purchase at Rhinebeck 2007 Started 12/22/09, about 1/5 into pattern.
- Another hedgie for one of Joe's coworkers (who just had a baby) Completed, also made another hedgie for niece Jessica
- Possibly this scarf using this yarn NOT DONE
- A hat and scarf for Joe to replace the really crappy ones I knit him when I was first learning Started the scarf, haven't worked on it in a while
- Another Clapotis, this time for me, out of some awesome yarn I got at Rhinebeck 2008 (the purple stuff at the top of this photo) NOT DONE
- This fish hat. Because how can you not make a fish hat? NOT DONE

Also completed:

Angel Lace Shawl with yak/merino blend

Windy Valley Scarf with Qiviuk

Noro striped scarf

Three baby hats, four pair baby socks/booties

Knucks for Mom

Cigar gloves for Russ

Cool Amelia hat from a kit given by a friend in Toronto

I'm not sure what my project goals are this year, but I'm definitely going to work on "shopping from stash" rather than buy any more yarn. It'll be nice to work the stash size down a bit. Edited to add: my completed projects of 2009 consumed approximately 4,554 yards of yarn - over 2.5 miles! According to Ravelry, I only have another 33 miles to go...

Of course, I have the same old goals of health and making the world a better place - this year I'm going to be very mindful of all of my goals and hopefully simplify my life. Too much clutter - in the stash, in the home, in the soul, and on the body.

Happy 2010 to all!

Something Windy This Way Comes

2009-11-28T13:24:00.003-05:00

I grew up knowing the definition of the term "blustery," but I have to say I'd never experienced it until we moved to New York.

When I was a little girl - and once I'd proven to my mother that I was responsible for items that required special care - I received Mom's collection of Walt Disney records. 33rpm records of the classic Disney movies - Snow White, Cinderella, Mary Poppins, Robin Hood (Kristin is still the only other person I know who can quote that movie like I do). These were pretty much the entire movies with sound only - but with lovely picture books behind the album cover. I treasured these records. I'd put on shows in my bedroom - the only audience being my posters of Shaun Cassidy and John Schneider - acting out all the parts and singing every song.

One of these treasured albums was Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day. I had my stuffed animals act out the parts (even if they weren't of the A. A. Milne variety). I was deep in the Hundred Acre Wood. I learned the wonderful thing about Tiggers. I danced with the Heffalumps and Woozles. My imagination had no boundaries, and it set the stage for my love of music, reading, and the theater.

And on days like today - when the wind blows branches and trash cans and even street signs askew, I can't help but sing this song to myself and smile...

My Heart is with my Friend.

2009-11-24T21:42:00.004-05:00

Dearest Cutie-pie Evan:

We all miss you and your wonderful spirit.

Much love to your amazing family.

Can't Sleep, Can't Wake

2009-11-20T05:29:00.003-05:00

I woke this morning in a cold sweat from a very intense dream about living on some hill where Scottish men (yes, in kilts - so yummy) herded goats, sheep, penguins, and sea turtles down through my yard. I also had a ghost in the attic who played the harp. A coworker was asked to try and break into my house, and he did, but he accidentally let the cats out. I was running around the yard, dodging fluffy penguins and happy sea turtles, trying to find my cats, who were chasing a small terrier.

Yes, I'm deeply disturbed. And even worse now, I have an earworm:

And now I'll leave you with three handsome men and some home brew:

Another Mouse has Come and Gone...

2009-11-14T11:55:00.003-05:00

...and possibly another went to the Big Cheese in the Sky.

Cooling temperatures mean mousing season at the Weismann Home for Wayward Animals. With an old, drafty home comes lots of places for mouse entry, especially when one's pantry is directly over the edge of the dirt basement. This is why all pasta, rice, flour, sugar, beans, soup mix, chocolate, raisins, cocoa mix, nuts, etc are housed in sturdy Rubbermaid containers. I lost an entire box of WeightWatchers Dark Raspberry snack bars to those fuckers.

This is also why Dobby likes to hang out in the pantry. For a cat with no front claws, he is one hell of a mouser. He catches, tortures, then shows off his trophy. Fortunately, the cats don't go for eating them. I can deal with disposing of an intact mouse.

The other morning, Dobby was making some shifty moves around our TV cabinet in the bedroom. Lo and behold, he'd cornered a mouse. He most likely brought it up from the kitchen to show off, then dropped it and "lost" it for a bit. Watching the three cats watch a mouse run around the bedroom was entertaining but without purpose. Once Dobby finally caught it again, he presented it to Joe. On the bed. And the little guy was still alive.

Fortunately, we're not shy here. Joe picked the poor feller up, and we took it outside. It seemed to be in shock, but not injured, so I tucked him into a little cozy spot in the yard and let nature decide the fate.

This morning, while Joe was working on his masterful heat-duct-cover-up about which he'll post soon, The Dobbster left a nice dead mousy present at the foot of our kitchen stairs. If it was the same mouse as earlier this week, then the mouse was an idiot and deserved his fate.

Enough talk about vermin. How about a pretty picture of yarn? Here's the first 10 rows of Muir, in Blue Heron cotton:

I'm thinking this cold, dreary weekend will be bursts of productivity interrupted by hours of pleasant knitting.

Status

2009-11-06T07:53:00.004-05:00

After a somewhat frozen mid-October, we're just barely chilly here in November. The trees are mostly bare, and the groundhog is snuggling into his hole under the porch. This first week of November has been wonderful. After two months of preparing for and having parties, family visiting, and wonderful local festivals, it's nice to have a breather. Last weekend was devoted to catching up some of my Ravelry project photos, and this weekend I'll be cleaning out my car.

Yes, my beloved Hyundai (pictured below, under snow drifts), is ready to go to a new home. She was our post-9/11-help-the-economy purchase, and she's been a trooper. After 102,000 miles she's still going strong, but Joe wants a new car for his constant travel, which means I get his old one (Toyota Matrix - nice upgrade for me). Since winter is coming soon - and I'll be mostly driving the truck anyway - we figured this would be a good time to sell it so we can finish paying off the Toyota before spring and a new car payment starts.

Alas, sweet beater car, you served me well.

On other topics, I've been good with working out - every morning except this morning, which I'll make up for with a nice long walk tomorrow. I also finished knitting my shawl (Rav link here), so I'll be blocking it this weekend.

After I'm done saying goodbye to my car.

Breaking The Silence

2009-11-04T12:29:00.004-05:00

Actually, there's nothing that's prevented me from posting anything, other than lack of motivation. We had a wonderful few months: General Montgomery Day, Mom visiting during NYS Sheep & Wool Festival...a good many pictures taken, most of yarn and beer. Work was chaotic at best during August/September, but now things are finally calming down - two months later - and I think I should get back to blogging again, hopefully a little less yarn-centric than before.

Not only have I not been blogging, but I haven't been checking out others' blogs either. Between Facebook and Ravelry I feel like I'm spending enough time online. But I also miss "putting things out there" once in a while.

A lot of folks choose November as a time to get things done: did you know that it's National Novel Writing Month? Also, there's a revolving National Blog Posting Month. I'm not sure that I could commit to anything each day (particularly since I'm starting on Nov 4th), but here's a list of things that are important to me - thing that I'm committing to do by the end of November:

Health:
- Finally make appts with various docs and dentist. I'm not far off schedule, but this is a good time as any, especially since my health insurance will be changing in January. GP (in the process of getting a new one), eye doc, dentist, and doc for the girly bits. Maybe TMI...
- Work out every day. I'm doing pretty good on that one. Working on a C25K, slowly but surely.

House:
- Get the laundry room ready for repairs. Basically means move everything out of it (or, with the appliances, at least move away from walls), so Joe can repair the exterior siding (there's a leak or two), then replace the drywall, then we can paint and put up the border I bought about 6 years ago. Many thanks to Mom for pulling the godawful wallpaper down while she visited us for a couple of weeks.
- Finally order the damn shade for the master bath.

Knitting:
- Finish the yak shawl (not difficult - binding off now)
- Finish Windy Valley scarf (about 75% done)
- Finish garter rib socks (about 85% done)
- Get 1/3 way through Muir (just got the needles for it)
- Bonus points if I finish my Froot Loop socks and don't cast on for anything else
- Do. Not. Buy. More. Yarn.

Flashin' the Stash

2009-08-31T06:38:00.004-04:00

While cleaning up the guest room yesterday, I thought it would be a good idea to "air out" the stash. Since Joe had given me a few extra containers, I knew I needed to reorganize to make the best use of the new space. I had most of my sock yarn in one drawer-thingy, a good bit of handspun/special yarn in another, and then a bunch of other containers with random combinations of recent purchases.

I thought it would be a good opportunity to really look at what I had. And so now, I give you...my sock stash (enough for 40 pairs):

And here's my entire stash...

While some of you might think, "Jeez girl - you need to get some professional help - you're bordering on becoming a hoarder," I guarantee you that at least 75% of my knitting friends will look at this and think, "That's not a stash - that's just dipping a toe into your hobby - come over to my house some time and see what a stash can become."

Regardless, I'm on a strict yarn diet with limited Rhinebeck purchases this year. Too bad I have this job thing. I'd really love to just knit for a while. A long while.

A Few Boundaries

2009-08-26T23:01:00.002-04:00

Up until recently, I've thought of my blog as a curious self-indulgence that was mostly filled with home projects and yarn. I've also used it to vent.

I now have to be extremely careful how searchable my vents can be. It's sad. I'm a person with thoughts and ideas. And now I'm a person who feels that some things are very unsafe.

I might continue to blog on strictly harmless things, but for the time being I'm lying low.

Thanks for reading - your comments are fun, cathartic, and make me feel loved.

Wide Awake at 4AM

2009-08-19T04:04:00.003-04:00

It's hot. The cats are restless. I wake up to get some water, then suddenly I have random thoughts shooting through my haze of sleepiness...

Don't forget cat food. Need to make a dessert for Tiombe. Find Joe's court notice and put it on the desk so he can find it. That shawl pattern I just bought - double check the yardage needed vs what I have. Check Mom's flight - I think it might be the same day as Jenn's trip to Stitches East. Holy shit, how have I added 39 skeins to the stash this year - and how am I ever going to knit it all? Work is about to get crazy busy. Don't forget cat food.

I figure I'll just jot down a few things so I can let my brain go back to sleep. But of course I can find no writing instruments in the bedroom. Go downstairs, feed the cats, figure I might as well get some of these things done, and here I am.

I think I finally may be able to get back to sleep, now that I have less than an hour before I have to wake up...

Random Thoughts and Memories

2009-08-07T06:39:00.004-04:00

Wow - didn't realize this would be my 400th post. I'm not good with the blogging these days (nor are many of my blogging friends, I realize) - mostly due to Facebook, Ravelry, Twitter...time sucks that have bumped blogging out of the way.

So rather than the "hey - look what we did" kinds of posts I've done in the past - which usually involve pictures and long stories - I'm going to change this over to more of an online thought journal. It probably won't be interesting to most, but every blogger has a bit of "I need to tell the world this right now" in them, and so it is with me.

The death of John Hughes yesterday left me feeling a bit empty. I don't recall exactly when I first saw some of his movies - even though they were made when I was in middle and high school, I'm not sure I watched them when they came out. I was into more of the horror genre at that time, and for the most part I don't remember any movies I watched unless there was something important going on at the time. I recall watching Hellraiser (with Pam?) while Katie watched The Princess Bride - unwise choice on my part, even though I'm still a Pinhead fan. I remember watching some really god-awful movies on awkward dates. I remember the first time I saw Brad Pitt on the screen - at the Dollar Theater on Buford Highway, watching Thelma and Louise.

John Hughes's films, however, just became part of my life. I don't know when or how it began, but they were just "always there." They are the go-to films in our home - or when we're on the road. They really are about who we were as teens / young adults. To quote The Breakfast Club, we knew that "each one of us is a brain...and an athlete...and a basket case...a princess...and a criminal."

Rest in peace, sweet man.

And now, I give you one of the funniest scenes from the genius that was John Hughes (apologies for the poor recording):

For Pammy...

2009-07-28T22:21:00.002-04:00

...and all our "suffering..."

I will never forget the neverending version: DAHdahdahdah DAHdahdahdah DAHdahdahdah DAHdahdahdah...I still hear that in my nightmares... :) Love you, sweetie!!!

Hot Damn!

2009-07-21T11:52:00.003-04:00

Check this out...

I would say I never win anything, but the lovely Cambria would totally call me out on that.

Nothing else exciting going on. Work, knitting, drinking, sleeping...oooh look at the pretty yarn I got in a recent swap!

That's about it, folks. When you're one stereotype away from being The Crazy Cat Lady, there's not much else going on...

Bad Blogger, Tired Blogger

2009-06-22T12:13:00.003-04:00

Just got back from a wonderful vacation, but I can't post pictures until I have clean clothes and opened mail. Here's a little something lovely I found online during lunch today...

It Broke My Heart

2009-05-31T18:02:00.001-04:00

If you haven't seen The Visitor, you really should.

Really.

The Three-Day Weekend of Nothing

2009-05-23T10:04:00.003-04:00

Hear that? That's the sound of nothing. Absolutely nothing planned for the weekend, except a casual cookout at a friend's house. I'm not hosting anything, I'm not traveling anywhere...all that's on my To-Do List is knitting, knitting, laundry, maybe pay bills, and more knitting.

Joe's up in Vermont fly-fishing with an old buddy, so he's in heaven. As much as I love to travel (and as much as I loooove VT), I needed a downtime weekend. Not that it's been busy around here - it's just nice not to have an agenda. Besides, there's a group of us on Ravelry making squares for blankets - several Rav members have loved ones undergoing chemotherapy right now - and I've got to motor through a bunch of those.

In the meantime, I got yarny goodness! Joe gave me a gift certificate from Hanks for Christmas, and since I'm a bonehead I misplaced it for about 5 months. While searching for our video camera cable, I found the certificate! Whoooot!

I got Mmmmmmmalabrigo lace weight in blue

Mmmmmmmmmmalabrigo lace in green:

And some lovely Prism Saki in "Brass"

That's about all the excitement that's happened this week. Finally saw Slumdog Millionaire, and I thought it was a good movie. Not the best ever, but good.

Now I'd better get out of this office chair and get on the treadmill. Then I've got some knitting to do!

So, How's the Knitting Going...?

2009-05-09T12:56:00.007-04:00

Remember THE LIST? Well, here's a 4-month update:

- 6 pair of socks (at least). Completed 3. For Me, Joe, and Mom. Started #4
- This shawl, in some groovy Egyptian mercerized cotton I have. Not started
- A scarf pattern that came with my Buckwheat Bridge purchase at Rhinebeck 2007 Not started
- Another hedgie for one of Joe's coworkers (who just had a baby) Done
- Possibly this scarf using this yarn Not started
- A hat and scarf for Joe to replace the really crappy ones I knit him when I was first learning Started the scarf
- Another Clapotis, this time for me, out of some awesome yarn I got at Rhinebeck 2008 (the purple stuff at the top of this photo) Not started
- This fish hat. Because how can you not make a fish hat? Not started

This original list morphed into a larger, more organized "to-do" list that has amused the ladies of my knitting group (yes, I am a list junkie and a nerd). Included on the new list:

- Amelia hat from a kit SoHo gave me in 2007 Done
- Russ's cigar gloves Done
- Rip out Tubey (failed sweater due to poor pattern/yarn combo) Done
- Mom's knucks and hat-or-scarf Started knucks, hope to finish soon
- Angel Lace Shawl with Bijou Basin Ranch yarn Not started
- Gryffindor socks with Sunshine Yarn Not started (sock #5)
- Noro striped scarf Started but no pics yet - looky here for examples
- Hedera socks for Mom Started, but not happy with gauge. In time-out for now (sock #6)

So that's about it for now. Today is all about laundry and minor cleaning of the house. And seeing how long I can stay in my PJs. It's 2pm, and I'm still going strong.

Edited to add - sorry about all the color changes. Was doing the color change to indicate notes, realized purple was a crap color on this background, changed to peach. Most of it did, anyway. Then realized black was a bad choice when I went back to "normal", and now I'm just tired of fooling around with it. So deal with it, please.

It's Spring!!!

2009-05-02T12:55:00.002-04:00

Warning: May Destroy Pleasant Childhood Memories

2009-04-28T21:21:00.002-04:00

This is for you, Amy! :)

Lovin' This...

2009-04-28T10:50:00.002-04:00

see more Lol Celebs

Did You Know...

2009-04-27T16:30:00.003-04:00

...that if I knit a pair of socks every other month (which is my 2009 goal), it will take me 5 years and 8 months to get through my current stash of sock yarn?

...that I have enough yarn in my stash for 13 different wraps/scarves?

...that I am a rediculously slow knitter that actually bought 11 skeins of some unknown (yet expensive) yarn at a horrible store in NYC because I was inspired to knit a blanket?

Clearly, I have issues. But I did finish my socks for Joe this weekend.

Kristin Knows Me Very Well...

2009-04-13T18:53:00.003-04:00

So I got a note from Kristin on Facebook: "I have something for you and Joe that will make you laugh out loud and giggle to yourselves! Hee-hee!" And when I got home today (Lousy Day One of Five Craptastic Days filling in on a set of duties that I loathe), I noticed a box by the kitchen door.

It was a package from a favorite supplier of the heroin-for-me that is pottery (they are also friends of the Newbys). Inside that carefully-insulated box was a lovely, hefty coffee mug. On the front it says, "How 'Bout A Cup"

And the other side says - you guessed it:

Kristin, this is so very perfect. I've decided I get to keep it at work because Joe already has this hanging above his desk. You are the best, sweetie - and you have made me smile tonight, without a doubt!

Mwwaah! Much love to you!

There Are Perks...

2009-04-13T18:48:00.003-04:00

...granted, I'd love to have Joe home more often, but here's one little treat to ourselves that was FREE thanks to his many Marriott points...

And in one day, we found a piece of furniture, and Joe set this bad boy up in our bedroom. Then Joe had to go to Buffalo. So I can watch what *I* want to watch. :)

I Stare At It All Day...

2009-04-07T18:32:00.003-04:00

I recently had a conversation with a friend about spending time online at home. She mentioned that she stares at a computer all day and doesn't want to deal with it in her down-time. I began to think about this - as I certainly do stare at a PC all day - and I realized that my online time at home has become increasingly important to me.

I'm not a gamer. I'm not in an online romantic relationship with anyone. I do not sit at my PC (and new Mac!) like a veal, exposed only to limited light and communication. But I truly value my online friendships and conversations.

My best friends live 1,000 and 3,000 miles away from me. I've known a couple of them since I was five. We shared kindergarten. We shared CSHS marching band. We shared road trips that will be forever etched in my mind and heart (Sapelo! San Francisco!). We are closer now than we've ever been - because of email and blogs. How else would I marvel at the beauty that is the newborn Louis or pause for prayer and love at the most recent thoughts from Evan's Garden? I will gladly stare at a computer a little longer for that.

And then there are new friends. My freshman crush and ultimate heartbreak provided me with a friend for life. I just didn't realize how short his life would be. Rob Brese passed away in 2004, and while searching for some understanding, I found Snarkland. She and her friends knew and loved Rob as well. I stalked her blog for a while, and then we were friends. Just like that. We've met several times (and I've met many lovely people as a result), and that friendship continues to grow. I can't imagine not hanging around a bit online for that.

I get emails from my wonderful nieces. I get Facebook notifications from friends I'd always loved - just lost touch with. I get blog hits from strangers wanting to renovate their homes.

Yes, I do spend too much time online. But I wouldn't have it any other way.

Bad Blogger

2009-03-28T16:55:00.005-04:00

Okay - steering clear of the local-politics-venting and getting back to blogging about meaningless fun and knitting... This week was a lovely time to take some vacation days - got to chill out, travel with the husband, and drink a bit with friends a time or two...

This is how our trip upstate started - with 300ish yards of alpaca that needed untangling. Mission: accomplished!

We then went to Ommegang Brewery and sampled some most excellent beers. We can get most of them through our favorite beer store, but it was nice to try some special brews as well.

We stayed at the lovely Inn at Cooperstown - centrally located with wonderful staff. I highly recommend it.

After spending the first day drinking lots and lots of beer, we hit the Baseball Hall of Fame on our anniversary. I really enjoyed it, and Joe spent most of the day awestruck. The rest of the Cooperstown pictures are here, but I warn you they're a bit baseball-heavy.

On the way back, we took the long way home on Route 28. In Oneonta, we found a great little yarn shop that shared space with a spice/food store. Both of us came away with goodies on that little side trip...

And I got through a few repeats of the Lupin scarf for Joe - in (the formerly tangled) alpaca from Montgomery Mills.

And the day after we returned, I got a package from my RnR "In Like A Lamb" swap partner! Beautiful handspun yarn, goodies, and noms! Whoot! cthulhulovesme is filled with awesome.

That's about it for the week, other than hanging out with the Connors and drinking too much wine...but that's pretty standard for us. And now I sit here embracing the last few hours of the last night of vacation - and hopefully the cats will be kind and not wake me at oh-dark-thirty in the morning. I so wish to savor my final sleeping-in morning.

I promise to be a better blogger and at least post more quantity, if not quality.

And - HEY - welcome to the world, Louis!

Working On Stuff...

2009-02-28T14:14:00.003-05:00

Without too many boring details...

A scarf kit given to me by the lovely Kelly:

Cigar gloves that look crappy on my small hand but fit Russ (hooray!), so now I can comfortably finish the other one...

A little something for my mom that has been sitting around for a while...

Socks for Joe - again, they've been in the "don't wanna think about it now" pile for a while...

Finished my first pair of socks for 2009 - with a few days to spare (finished 2/22 while watching the Oscars).

Now, back to work. This knitta's got some work to do!

A Farewell to Jack

2009-02-24T18:34:00.003-05:00

I think we need to spend some time apart.

I really appreciate the warmth and the fun that you and your Kentucky cousin have given me time and time again. But lately...?

Lately, I've come very close to depending on you. And I don't want that. Over the years - as I've known more and more of you - I've given away a little part of myself. And I'm starting to not recognize the face in the mirror. I'm beginning to feel like a shell of something I would never become.

And even though I haven't seen your Mexican friend Jose' by himself in a while (he's usually mixed in with others), I have to stop seeing him too. And your absolutly crazy friends.

Don't get me wrong - I do enjoy your company. And we'll meet again one day. But it certainly won't be as frequently. We have different goals, you and I - I'm trying to take care of myself, and you make me not want to.

But I feel like I'm losing me. And I really liked being me.

Finished

2009-02-19T07:17:00.002-05:00

Some years ago, possibly before we left GA for NY, and when our good friends Brent and Joanne lived in Charleston, they got us hooked on a series of books. They mentioned the first book as a must-read - they read a chapter aloud to each other before bed, it was so entertaining. We hadn't heard of these books before - and it was about a year before the Big Buzz surrounding them really exploded. Joe and I purchased the first two and flew through them, in love with the characters from page one.

The third book was a bit bulkier, and Joe dove into it first. I lost a little momentum. With a new environment, new jobs, new hobbies - any excuse I could find, really - I didn't read for pleasure that much anymore. I continued to read the books, but very slowly.

The fourth and fifth installments were pure chores. Not because of the story, but because of so many other things I found to do instead. They were rather large books, so it's not as though I could lug them just anywhere - my knitting was much more portable and enjoyable to me. But I kept on - making sure I at least finished them before their movie versions hit the local screens.

One of my goals for this new year has been to finish the series, and I devoured the final two volumes during lunch and weekends of the last several months. I'm not a quick reader (for an English major and literature lover, I have remarkably average-ish reading comprehension...I can dissect a poem, but don't ask me details about a chapter I just read), and for me to set my knitting aside and just read was somewhat of an accomplishment.

As of 10:55pm last night, I finally finished the Harry Potter books.

And in doing so, I finally realized that I can carve out time for reading again. I look forward to my next adventure. Any recommendations?

Getting There...

2009-02-07T13:47:00.003-05:00

So I've been furiously knitting (okay, half-assed knitting) on the projects I need to finish. Here's what I've finished so far in 2009:

An Amelia hat from Fleece Artist (a wonderful gift kit from Soph):

Another hedgie for a friend/coworker of Joe's in Nevada (he's a new daddy):

Now I just have 3 more WIPs (works-in-progress) to go before I can start something new! Getting close to being done with Russ's Cigar Gloves and Kelly's gift of Qiviet for a scarf...

Just a brief note - I might not be all that blog-talkative in future months...as you've probably noticed lately (all 2 of you), I've been pretty bad at the blogging. Well, my job is changing, and I'm still in a bit of a whirlwind from it all. So let me just say I might be silent for a while when it comes to blog comments and blog posts.

It's all good, but it's all very busy. Peace out, yo...

Introducing the Gingerslut

2009-02-04T19:51:00.002-05:00

Remember when we adopted sweet Willow last July? She's been a wonderful addition to our family. She and Dobby play a good bit (although they can still get hissy with each other), and she fits in very well.

I recall her Rescue Mom mentioning that Willow showed some aggression that is common with females in heat - that it's possible they didn't get all her "parts" during her spay (which, I've found, is quite common), and that some hormones might still be raging inside her.

We had some issues to begin with, but nothing that you wouldn't expect from a new quasi-adult cat being introduced to others. Nothing at all to indicate any weird hormones going on.

And then there was Sunday.

She talks. And she sings. She rolls around. And shouts. And rubs anything she can find. And she sticks her nether-regions up in the faces of the boys. Otis is all "get out of my grill, bitch," and Dobby is all "don't look at me - I don't know what to do," and it's a very, VERY noisy household. I'd get a picture or video of the chaos, but she shuts up when I pull out the camera.

I'm tracking how long the insanity goes on. The fact that we didn't see any signs for six months worries me - like maybe something's wrong. But she's undoubtedly looking for action - and not in pain.

I just wish I could get a decent night's sleep. So do Otis and Dobby, I'm sure.

I'm Out

2009-01-31T18:02:00.003-05:00

Thanks to my wonderful buddy Matthew (and his mad skillz with a jack and a bunch of boards), I was able to drive my truck to the grocery store (and hardware store, and liquor store) today. I didn't even mind the annoying people out today, since it was the first time *I* was out since Wednesday.

I almost started to cry when Matt drove my truck off the landscape timber. I did start to jump up and down like a cheerleader.

Everyone needs a Matt. Someone who helps you, just because he knows how - and because he can't stand not helping. He is a lot of awesome.

Thanks, buddy.

How to Take a Decent Day...

2009-01-29T19:48:00.003-05:00

...and turn it into one in which you mutter every F-, B-, MF-, C-, and S-word you can muster...

It was an icy ride home last night. Not nearly as much snow as expected, but much more freezing rain. I drove home slowly, carefully, and safely. And then I got to my driveway. While backing the truck into the driveway, I slid right over the landscape timbers surrounding the parking area (seen directly under the "G" in DODGE), leaving my rear axle on the timber, the rear driver-side wheel in limbo.

Under normal circumstances, I could work my way out of this situation. But given the fact that there was a nice, fat layer of ICE on the entire parking area, it was no go. Hopefully Wonderful Coworker/Neighbor Matthew can help me out of this predicament tomorrow.

Same sad story with the other, non-4x4 cars. I dug around each car's driver-side wheel, but all they did was spin and go nowhere. Unfortunately, since this area was dug out previously, there's nothing but ice in front of the cars.

Can you see the sheen in the picture above? My yard is nice and icy, with a good 3-6 inches of snow underneath. While walking to the shed (above, far left) to get some Ice Melt, I was wading in crusty snow up to my knees.

We didn't even get mail delivery today. No doubt due to poor Jill (mailperson who walks the route) looking at our driveway and going "Nuh-UH...No way no how."

Yeah. Joe, you owe me big. Please come home soon.

It's All Good

2009-01-20T06:25:00.003-05:00

...so when last we left, I had frozen pipes when I got home Thursday, only to be thawed out after a brief interlude with a hair dryer. Friday morning, however, it was No Dice. The pipes laughed at me and my frozen ass sitting on the floor near the utility closet.

The plan for Friday was to pick up Joe at the train station, drop him off at home, then zoom in to work. Once I realized I would not be getting a shower before picking Joe up, I understood that the "zoom" part of my plan might not happen. So I called my boss, letting her know I'd be later than I'd planned.

I didn't get a call from Joe at 6:30am (which was when he was making his train connection), so I called his cell, and it went straight to voice mail. Not good. I checked online - yup. His plane was over an hour late. Called the boss again, let her know I'd be A LOT later than I'd planned. Then as the morning wore on, I just called in a day off (fortunately it wasn't a busy day), picked up Joe around 10am, went to the hardware store for a heat gun, came back home and finished reading a book while Joe tackled the pipes. Evidently we weren't the only ones in this predicament - the hardware store had sold out of many frozen-pipe-assistance supplies.

After we took showers, we took a nap. Then around 3pm we walked down to our new favorite spot, Garrison's Tavern, where we had a delightful meal and a few glasses of wine. We then braved the cold on the walk back and chilled out for the rest of the day. For a day that started really crappy, it ended up rather nice.

So Joe is home for the week, and the pipes are not frozen. It takes so little to make me happy.

...Then it was the Pipes...

2009-01-15T19:50:00.004-05:00

Today was cold. Brutally cold. Right now it's 6. Tonight it's 0.

I came home this evening in the normal fashion - walk in, bring in mail, feed cats, change clothes, go potty.

Flush.

No filling-tank-noise.

Sinks: nada. Guest bath: nothing. Kitchen sink: trickle.

Yup. Frozen pipes again.

Call Joe, whine, pull out hair dryer (which, honestly, I haven't used for my hair since we bought it). Sit on floor while warming up pipes. Watch water meter. Wait. Wait. Wait...

...and there it was. Tiny little frozen pipe-ed-ness. Keeping the water closet (you think I'm just being delicate or European? We have a closet, and all that's in it is a water pipe and meter) door open, keeping the pellet stove on high - that should solve the problem. Should.

Thank sweet zombie jeebus Joe is coming home tomorrow, so he can see what's what and I can play helpless girl again.

EDITED FRIDAY 6AM: Nope. Didn't work. Frozen again, and 30 minutes with the hair dryer didn't help. Arg.

Detox

2009-01-13T06:32:00.002-05:00

For 2009, I'm kicking it into high gear. The last few weeks of 2008 were spent being (somewhat) mindful of my eating and exercise habits, and other than the holidays I was doing pretty good. To renew my commitment in 2009, I went through a bit of a detox. For four days last week, I had nothing but brown rice, lentils, vegetables, fruit, and oatmeal. I had decaf tea or warm water with lemon juice. No caffeine, no sugar, no salt, no booze. There was also a "media" detox on the plan - limited TV, internet, email, etc. It's one of the reasons I've been so quiet lately. Another is that I'm just too lazy to blog.

I'm feeling fantastic and easing back into "normal" eating - limited salt/caffeine, more variety of grains and proteins, but still drastically altered from bad habits past. As a positive side-effect, I've gotten a helluva lot of things done around the house. And snow shoveling. Ah, the snow shoveling. Joe owes me big.

I'll try to have some more interesting posts in the days to come, but I appreciate your support as I change to this new way of thinking about/dealing with food, drink, and exercise. And hopefully the next time you see me you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Two Thousand And Nine

2009-01-01T17:50:00.003-05:00

Wow, I'm getting old. And I feel every bit of it today, as I'm recovering from yet another wonderful NYEve with the Connors. This time we only stayed up until 2:30am. And I'm not hungover - just tired. The most productive thing I did today was turn on the computer.

Speaking of which, this was our present to each other this year. It's so very lovely. There's a bit of a learning curve on certain applications, and it'll take a while to figure out what we HAVE to move over and what we can get rid of, but it's all good. It'll probably be a good way to keep my brain active - learning new things and such.

Joe also got me a little digital video camera for xmas - just something small to bring to parties (for embarrassing evidence), family trips, or just hanging out with our crazy cats. It's a lot of fun, and only one person has threatened me with violence. So far.

As the sun sets on our first day of 2009, I find myself grateful for friends and family near and far - for the jobs we have and not having to worry about day-to-day living - that even though I have a chilly house, it is a sturdy one filled with love. I have plenty of yarn to knit, books to read, food to eat...life is good. Cheers!

A Whole Lotta Yarn

2008-12-31T13:42:00.003-05:00

Besides the obvious changes needed in my life for physical and mental health, I also find the need to "destash" in 2009. For you non-knitters, that means knitting from my current stash rather than buying new stuff. Seems like common sense, sure...but when you have close to 200 skeins of yarn and keep buying faster than you knit - there might be some room for improvement. And if you think 200 is a lot, you should talk to some of my friends or visit Ravelry. Mine pales in comparison.

So for 2009, I'm hoping to knit the following:
- 6 pair of socks (at least).
- This shawl, in some groovy Egyptian mercerized cotton I have.
- A scarf pattern that came with my Buckwheat Bridge purchase at Rhinebeck 2007
- Another hedgie for one of Joe's coworkers (who just had a baby)
- Possibly this scarf using this yarn
- A hat and scarf for Joe to replace the really crappy ones I knit him when I was first learning
- Another Clapotis, this time for me, out of some awesome yarn I got at Rhinebeck 2008 (the purple stuff at the top of this photo)
- This fish hat. Because how can you not make a fish hat?

It doesn't look like much, but it's a pretty aggressive list for a slow knitta like me.

For all of you non-knitters who really couldn't care less about all this, hopefully I'll be blogging more - about various things - in 2009. Since the world revolves around me, of course, my gift to you is more of myself. Bwah!

I hope you all have a lovely night - be safe, and have fun. We're celebrating in our normal manner, which usually involves lots of wine and a really awesome breakfast. Cheers!

I Have This Friend...And She Rocks.

2008-12-22T21:45:00.004-05:00

Many of you know (or have read about) dearest Lorena. Last week, she sent me the most delightful little package of Christmas surprises, and I promised not to open them until Christmas. Well, Joe and I typically open our presents early - this year I'm surprised we waited until 12/22 - and so last night was The Great Unwrapping, during which we found further evidence that our dear friend rocks. A lot. And not just a lot of rocking...but rocking a lot of the time...

She knitted us socks.

Adorable, warm, matching socks! The above picture has better color.

This picture, while darker, shows off the picot bindoff on mine (ZOMGWTFBBQ!!1! Cuteness!), and Joe's more manly cuff.

I also got a skein of the 2008 Holiday Gingerman sooper dooper sock yarn! Such lovely goodness. What a beautiful person - and mad-skillz knitta - you are, sweetie! MWAH!!!

Joe was particularly good this year, as he received TWO pairs of hand-knitted socks. I finally finished his Baby Cable Rib socks, made with Lorna's Laces I got at Hanks last year (see how it all comes full circle?)...

Joe is a changed man. He now owns four pair of hand-knitted socks, and I don't think he's ever going back. He loves them!

I'll go into more detail about our gifts to each other at a later date. But a couple of hints: I'll probably be posting more to youtube in the future, and our very cluttered office is about to be a lot less cluttered.

Happy Holidays!

Pull Up A Chair

2008-12-19T08:27:00.004-05:00

- Over-the-counter cough/cold medicine: $4.99
- Variety pack of herbal teas: $7.00
- One bag of pellets for stove: $5.00
- Watching the snowstorm from my house, rather than from my office: PRICELESS

ETA: photos

Trifecta of Pain and Misery...

2008-12-17T19:16:00.002-05:00

Four words:
- Cold virus
- PMS
- Hangover

Need I say more? Now get the fruck away from me before I hock a loogi on you, and please turn the light off when you go (and do it quietly, thankyouverymuch)...

Friends Near and Far

2008-12-15T06:24:00.005-05:00

So Friday morning wasn't as bad, weather-wise, as they had predicted. It never got really icy on the roadways, so for that I'm grateful. But it was still so very nice to sleep in...at least until the sun got too bright. I gathered up my courage and went to the mall (maul) to pick up some gift cards for my brother's kids. But first, a lovely little package appeared on my porch:

Lo-and-behold, presents from Lorena! Plus, a surprise Hanks gift certificate from Joe! Those sneaky little bastards... I'm not opening the wrapped presents yet, but the soap looks and smells absolutely divine.

After realizing how much I hate big-box-mall-stores this time of year, I did a little more shopping in the village, picking up a few things for work people and such. Then it was off to a friend's house to work on something for another friend (can't get specific here yet, alas - but it's good). Wine was flowing freely, and I got home way past my bedtime. A lovely day off.

Saturday was another day to lay low - with laundry, general housework, and some grocery shopping. I also picked up some wine to go over to another friend's house - he and his wife were having a holiday party and also celebrating his recent kick-ass diploma-getting skills. Lots of coworkers there - lots of food, wine, and beer...the next thing I know, it's 5am and we're finally putting an end to the "evening." Needless to say, Sunday was rough. Very rough.

Today brought the harsh reality of being productive at work, but this evening brought a couple of lovely surprises...
A lovely Winnie-and-Piglet hug from my dear friend Sunshine, with whom I'd recently become reacquainted on Facebook. It was such a perfect bright spot in an otherwise crappy day, THANK YOU, dear!

I also got plenty of Christmas/Holiday cards, one of which had an odd bulge to it. It was the sweetest card from Lulu (Willow's First Mum), with the cutest little cake stitchmarkers in it. I couldn't get a good picture though - not good with closeups on this camera in artificial light.

And so now I have a smile that won't quit, some knitting to do, and some holiday cards to get started on. I totally skipped out on them last year, and I'll feel really bad if I do it again.

Thanks for the prezzies, friends! Mwah!

Silence

2008-12-11T18:06:00.004-05:00

I've been informed (and, of course, I realize) that I've been a bit silent as of late. Interestingly enough, many of my blogging buddies have been as well. Holiday planning, travel, stress - it all gets the best of us. To be honest, there hasn't been much stress here. Just not much...of anything. At all.

Routine: Get up ridiculously early to walk/strength-train/yoga myself back to a smaller, healthier Beth (4:30am - yup that's right). Shower/dress/yadayadayada, go to work. Work. Get home sometime between 5:30 and 7:00, depending on responsibilites for the day. Drink. Eat. Drink. Go to bed at grandma-early times, since 4:30 is freakin' painful. Barely get to sleep. Joe calls - forgets that 7 his time is 10 my time. Talk for 10 minutes. Sleep. Wake up to horrible interruption of REM 2-to-5 hours later when snuggly cats decide to play/fight/piss me off. Realize I have X number of hours/minutes/seconds left of precious sleep. Wake up.

Repeat forever.

It's not terrible - I really do appreciate that I'm not bugging Joe by (a) getting up at oh-dark-thirty and (b) having broccoli, crackers, and hummus for dinner. But there's not really anything blog-worthy, unless you like hearing about how the cats are acting lately. Because that's what it comes down to these days.

Except tonight. Where the Weather Gawds and Vacation Day Gawds aligned and All Was Good.

Because tonight, as I drove home in 33 degree temps and heavyish rain, I thanked my lucky stars that I booked a random vacation day for tomorrow. The intent was to do some Christmas shopping and whatnot.

This is the scene that greeted me at home:

Hard to see in this dark shot, but that is a hefty accumulation of ice on a tree branch near the porch. It continues to rain, and the temperatures continue to fall. Whatever ice accumulates on the cars tonight can stay there. For at 4:30 tomorrow morning, after I wake to feed the playing/fighting/hissing kitties, I will go back to bed and bury myself underneath our wonderful comforter.

I Received a Book Tonight

2008-12-02T18:53:00.002-05:00

Everyone knows I have a soft spot for the critters of this world. Well, maybe not spiders - if they're large and in my house, then all bets are off. But everything from the loudest little cricket and tiniest inchworm to neighbor cats, skunks, and even baby groundhogs - I'm a sucker for taking care of things. I'm sure there is a visible-only-to-strays sign on my head, for the Weismann Home for Wayward Animals has seen its share of visitors.

When I first visited the Daily Coyote about a year ago, I knew in an instant I was a gonner. The writing - the photography - and, of course, Charlie - I was in way over my head. I completely fell in love with everything about this little guy and his caregiver. So I kept checking in. And so I, too, became a part of their ever-growing family - hanging on to every word and picture. Shreve even commented on my blog once, and I felt like a celebrity.

And so tonight the mailperson brought me a great gift - my preordered copy of The Daily Coyote book. Even though I'm very familiar with the overall story, the first few pages captivated me. I once loved to write. I loved the freedom of words and all that they held for me in my small world growing up. In Shreve's book I see that same love and freedom. I see a life that most envy, even though it's certainly not an easy one. I see hard lessons learned, and I see beauty savored. I see pride in hard work, and I share in being extremely proud of the results.

Now, if you'll excuse me - I have a book to read...

I DON'T Have A Problem, Dammit!

2008-11-20T18:18:00.003-05:00

Another package arrived yesterday. This was purchased long ago, y'all...it's not like I'm buying MORE stuff...

I do, however, have to show off Fedex Packing Guy's mad skillz...I thought my mom wrapped things to withstand reentry into Earth's atmosphere...

All that bubble wrap protected this little bowl. Yeah. Good thing that bubble wrap is going to another, greater purpose. Holiday shipping, hooray! I have packing supplies for years!

I'd better be going - I scored the rare couple-o-slices of buffalo chicken pizza from our local deli. Sonnets should be written about this paaah. Seriously.

Shut Up! I Can SO Stop Whenever I Want To...

2008-11-17T20:47:00.004-05:00

I've been rather blog-silent lately, mostly because not much is happening. Joe is traveling, I'm working/knitting/talking to the cats, and pretty much nothing else. I'll try to catch up on the few exciting things...like--oooh, the pretty!!!!

Anyone who knows Joe and me knows that we're total pottery whores. We can't stop ourselves. We have 2 sets of one-of-a-kind table settings. I have more bowls than should be legally allowed. Lasagna pan, casserole dishes, wall hangings - you name it. If someone shaped some pretty mud and threw it in a really hot oven, chances are we'll buy it.

And so when my dear friend Kristin put a bug in my ear not too long ago, little did she know she was feeding my inner demons. From her friend Lisa...

Some nice, solid cereal/soup bowls (yes, I know - we already have...er...20 or so, but you never know when you might need more). Plus something you don't see every day - a gorgeous decanter and shot glasses. Tall, thin things are rare - they tend to break in production, so I couldn't resist.

Also, these two adorable little bowls:

They're about the size of a little girl's tea-set saucers. The one on the right is a "wishing bowl" filled with cobalt blue glass melted into the middle. I just get lost in it.

Then Mom had to go to some show in Watkinsville - she took some pictures, emailed them to me to see what I wanted, and I just responded (within some kind of budget, of course). It was like having my own personal shopper! She's shipping them a few at a time, thanks to The Wonder Wrapper at FedEx...they could be dropped from a plane into an ocean of rusty nails, and still no harm would come to them...

Bowl and top/plate and really cool leaf tray.

I just couldn't pass this one up. I love unusual color schemes and patterns.

Yes. More bowls. But I don't have a problem. Really. Just one more piece, and that'll be the last one. I swear. Sure, I don't have any place to put this right now, but it's just so preeeetteeeeee....

Rhinebeck 2008

2008-11-02T11:04:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I've been a bad blogger. Shame on me. But now I finally have the time to share the wonderfulness that was NY Sheep & Wool Festival 2008 at Rhinebeck, NY.

Just like last year, we were joined by friends near and far, old and new. Ginger and Kelly flew up from FL, and Lulu (who rescued Willow) came up from Brooklyn. On Friday (after I picked up Joe from the train station - he'd taken the red-eye from Vegas, then hopped on a train to join us), we went to Montgomery Mills:

We later had lunch at The Guilded Otter, then hit a few local wineries. Adair Winery and Vineyards:

Outside of Whitecliff Vineyard, looking out at the Shawangunk Ridge:

We then went back home, tipsy and full, to spend some downtime knitting, napping, generally chilling, until we ventured out for a candlelight ghost tour of the Patchett House. Then it was home for a good night sleep to prepare for the weekend of yarny goodness!

What a perfect weekend it was - quite chilly, but warm enough in the sun...

Joe was particularly fascinated with the auction

We both enjoyed the sheep dog trials

On Sunday, I hit the sheep judging arena

And Sunday night Kelly made a fabulous Indian-inspired lamb chop dinner.

Here's what I scored over the weekend:

Starting at "noon":
- purple wool/mohair blend that just jumped out at me and right into my bag
- directly below: Kona DK Superwash from Mont Mills
- gray prime alpaca from Mont Mills for scarf/hat for Joe
- black/brown Peruvian tweed from Mont Mills for friend's gloves
- GORGEOUS handspun from Ginger
- LOVELY Alpaca from Lulu
- The cutest, warmest, best-fitting house socks EVAR from sweet Sharon
- Joe fell in love with some Alpaca socks from a local farm
- Two skeins of sock yarn - Creatively Dyed and Done Roving
- Bijou Basin Yak/merino blend

I didn't go too crazy this year - it helped that Saturday was so very packed, it was hard to pleasure-shop. But we met some lovely Ravelry people (and Ginger and I both won prizes at the Rav party!), and it was just a perfect weekend all-in-all.

We missed those who couldn't join us, but we expect you here next year!

You Just Can't Make This Stuff Up...

2008-10-26T10:32:00.002-04:00

Newburgh firefighter performs delicate operation to save man's penis

Joining the Club

2008-10-24T21:31:00.002-04:00

An online friend of mine lost her father this week. I wish you all peace.

I Finished Something...

2008-10-12T18:38:00.002-04:00

So my busy time at work is over, and I think I broke my brain in the process. The semi-final big meeting was towards the end of Sept, and then I had to straighten the house for my knitta friends to come over for knitting with wine. I was at the cuff of these socks then. Almost two weeks later, I finally finished these damn socks...

The yarn is truly lovely - it's Lisa Souza, a birthday gift from a dear friend - I'm just such a slow knitter. With knitting ADD to boot. So I've been hopping around project-to-project, avoiding the projects I SHOULD be working on (I haven't forgotten about your baby, John!), because I have the attention span of a gnat right now.

It seems that I blinked after knit night, and suddenly it's 10 days later, and I have guests coming Thursday afternoon to spend a long weekend getting their fix. It'll be a smaller crowd vs last year, but we'll have a grand time (we'll miss you, Lorena, Sharon, Jacquie, Paul, and Soph!). I still have to get the guest rooms ready (aka the rooms where we put stuff until people come over then we run it all up to the attic), and while I was finishing up one guest room I realized I hadn't looked over my stash in a while. Two hours later, I had it all a little better organized and back where it belonged - actually, it was good I did that. Helps me figure out what I'll allow myself at Rhinebeck...in no way am I allowed to get more than 3 skeins of sock yarn, even if it is made of fairy farts and rainbow-pooping unicorns.

So I'm being productive, but in a very random way. Tomorrow I plan on cleaning out the den, which will no doubt mean I'll finally go through that old box of VHS tapes my mom brought up last fall, searching for the ones of our HS marching band, killing even more time in the process. But that'll be good too, since it seems half of CSHS has showed up on Facebook in the last six months. That could explain the wacky reunion dreams I've been having...

Dudes! A C.O. Submishe!

2008-10-07T16:50:00.001-04:00

I feel...like...ZOMGWTFBBQ!!!1! Behold the cuteness...

Well, I'll Be Damned...

2008-09-30T07:14:00.003-04:00

Came home last night to the typical drama - whenever Dobby and Willow are in the same room, there must be a stare-down. Growling, a little spitting, some bap-bap-baps on the head...I couldn't get Willow to come out from under the bakers rack (where Dobby had her cornered), so rather than feed her in her room first, I decided to feed the boys first, to distract Dobby. Needless to say, I was a little surprised at the new arrangement...

(pardon the really crappy phone picture)

This morning they did the same thing. All hissy until the food was poured. Huh.

And now I'm officially the crazy lonely cat lady who knits on top of the hill. Several posts in a row about my damn cats. Just please - someone stop me if I start walking down the street in a housecoat and rollers (neither of which I own, btw), pushing a shopping cart filled with aluminum cans and cat food...

Trying Something New

2008-09-28T21:08:00.002-04:00

This past Saturday, after waking up (at 4am!) to Otis upchucking, I stumbled down the front stairs to feed the cats. Stumbled is a specific term...I missed the last step. Nothing like a jolt to your spine when you drop an extra 7 inches to the hard floor... So I fed the kitties, limped up and released Willow from her confinement (a really nice room, with food, water, blanky, and litter box), and rolled back into bed.

Three hours later, I open my eyes to Dobby at my feet, Willow at my shoulder, and Otis with Joe. All three cats on the bed, without drama! Oh my freakin' gawd!

Last night we didn't confine Willow, but the cats really didn't mingle. Let's see how it goes tonight - Joe's gone, and the cats usually get a little possessive of me...

Long Time No Blog...

2008-09-24T20:00:00.006-04:00

Okay - here's a quick recap of the last few weeks, mostly in pictures.

We had General Montgomery Day, and there was a beautiful tribute to Richie...in art,

...in his empty co-pilot seat on the fire truck...

...and there was also a riderless horse to honor his memory. It was very touching.

Considering this was the day that hurricane remnants were to come through the area, I thought it was well-attended and fun. Not a lot of vendors showed up, but I made sure to patronize those that did.
I guess one of the problems was that I went without Joe (he was in Nevada at the time on business). I'm guessing this is how "the rumors" started.

But on to more pleasant topics - here are some Aliens for Peace. Really...

The same night that I was asked about whether or not Joe left me, I was knitting on the couch (another sign of becoming the Crazy Divorced Cat Lady), when something caught my eye...

Just about every emergency vehicle in the county was down the road from me. Fire trucks, ambulances, volunteers...and of course our local paper did me proud and didn't mention a thing the next day. I have no idea what happened. But lots of pretty lights...

I took some cute pictures of Willow...

Napping in the sun...

Have I mentioned how very adorable she is...?

I've also been doing some knitting...turning the heel on some socks for me...

Starting some socks for Mom...

Just bought some beads for a mohair cowl for a local knitting group knit-a-long....

Started working on a Qiviut scarf - the pattern and yarn (part Alaskan musk ox) was given to me by a dear friend who will be visiting next month for NY Sheep & Wool Festival.

That's about it for now. Work is finally slowing down, but it's still a bit crazy at the moment.

And there you go!

Watch This and Share

2008-09-14T08:06:00.002-04:00

I apologize for the heavy political content lately, but let's just say current conditions have me seeing red.

Edited...

2008-09-11T22:00:00.002-04:00

I had something else up for about 40 minutes tonight. But then I saw this, and I knew I had to change tonight's post...

Losing the Storm Cloud Over my Head

2008-09-10T07:08:00.003-04:00

I love and hate this time of year.

Love - the weather turning cooler, the days getting shorter, the festivals every weekend

Hate - working so many hours that I turn into a bitter shadow of my normal self

And so in an attempt to kick this morning's foul mood, I'm invoking The Power of The Cuteness...

Thanks, Willow...I needed that...

Quick and Dirty

2008-09-02T07:56:00.007-04:00

Totally stealing this from a friend's recent post, I'm just going to hit some highlights as of late:

- How are those New Things going? Rather well, actually. I'm a little behind, but I'll get back on track. I've decided going forward not to publish any more of my goals because, well, some are a bit personal.

- How did that MS Bike Ride go? Oh - you mean the one where everyone bailed on me? Yeah. Due to our team captain, our team, and Joe not being able to ride, as well as that ride being the last weekend before we took off to Italy, I did not ride in that particular event. HOWEVER, we are hooking up with another MS ride very soon and will post information on that. Just so you wonderful donors know that your money did go to a worthy cause, and I will get my big butt up on a bike soon! ;)

- Super-secret to friends in my knitting group - I'm done with all eight legs! Now I can start my Rhinebeck knitting!

- Willow is doing really well, but she still bullies Dobby, and that makes me sad.

- This month will be filled with my working weekends and late nights, so I'm going to be a grumpy blogger.

That's about it - exciting as it is...

Montgomery has lost her smile

2008-08-27T17:37:00.004-04:00

There are certain people you get to know in this tiny village - people you get to know rather quickly.

There's our mayor (and former neighbor) Steve, who made us feel so very welcome when we first moved here, and who loves Montgomery to his core.

There's Rags, the proprietor of the antique shop down the block from us - he marches in every parade as a proud veteran.

There's Rabbit, a Trustee whom you can find outside the Old Fashioned Deli on any pleasant evening, just chewing the fat with his buddies.

And then there's Richie. Everyone knows Richie. With a smile, and sometimes a hug or kiss, he greeted everyone as family. He rode with the firemen during General Montgomery Day parades, head held high, smile as big as his heart. There's a picture in Village Hall of him with Robin Williams during that movie shoot several years ago. Whether it was evening at Copperfield's or mid-day at The Daily Bean, you could always find Richie checking in with the local businesses and neighbors, just making sure everything was okay. Strangers might label him developmentally disabled, but Montgomery just knew him as one of their own. He was surrounded by people who respected and loved him.

Richie passed away last Friday, and all of Montgomery mourns.

Rest in peace, sweet man.

ETA: For a beautiful article on his life, as well as stunning photos of the funeral procession, go here.

Guilty Pleasures on Late-Night YouTube...

2008-08-25T21:11:00.003-04:00

Yeah. So.

Guys may not want to click further - not that there's anything NSFW - just that you might not appreciate it nearly as much as any girl who grew up in the 70s...

...sigh...

...I met this guy once...he wasn't shaking his booty so much, though...

...and best of all I don't pay property tax

I remember where I was when my little brother broke this 45. In Mrs. William's store parking lot. With his plastic cowboy gun. It broke my heart.

And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen...this is what I do when I'm stuck in a youtube loop of nonsense...

Colors You Cannot Describe

2008-08-25T20:25:00.003-04:00

So I'm knitting and watching a good movie, then I turn around and see this...

Yeah.

Life is good...

New Things: Week 1

2008-08-24T12:33:00.002-04:00

HOUSE: Clean the master bath
PHYSICAL: Walk 3x this week (at least 20 min), 1 time must be outside
MENTAL: Knit for at least 2 hours total, outside of lunch hours and knit night. I gots me some baby things to finish for the new little Mr. Clark. Besides that, I was hanging out on the Rav this morning and realized how many lovely things there are in my stash. And then when I put away a recent purchase (hey - it was in Italy - that doesn't break the rules of my destashing goal), I of course had to open up all the bins and drawers and look at what's waiting for me. Yummy, yummy things with a world of possibilities.

This is all going in my Stephen King Desk Calendar, so you know it's official and stuff.

One New Thing

2008-08-21T12:15:00.002-04:00

I've come to a pretty disheartening conclusion:

I'm a fat, lazy, drunk potato on a dirty couch.

And so, with Joe's travel schedule being very intense over the next few months, I see this as an opportunity to take the steps needed to get myself out of this mess. Over the next few months, I will be starting One New Thing each Sunday in the following categories: Home, Physical Health, and Mental Health. They might be big or small. But I will start incorporating these Things into my daily/weekly life until they become habits. Because - and I tell you this honestly - they ain't habits now.

Examples:

Home - clean master bath, tie up recyclables, vacuum certain rooms, etc. Currently this is all being done, but with absolutely no degree of regularity.

Physical Health - walk 3x per week (gotta start somewhere), bike for 1 hr each week, add 1 fruit to daily intake, etc

Mental Health - set aside 1 hr to knit on porch, read 30 minutes before bed each night, no TV on certain evenings, etc.

Again - starting REALLY slow and adding items as they become routine.

Anyone want to join me?

Exciting Things for Montgomery...

2008-08-19T07:43:00.002-04:00

Joe and I were out at our favorite pub last night for dinner...guess what is moving into the neighborhood...?

I'd always joked that we needed a liquor store and a tattoo shop...I can't wait to see what certain "upstanding" community members have to say about this...

I Was Kind of Hoping for a Zombie...

2008-08-18T14:03:00.010-04:00

I've had very odd sleep patterns as of late. The heat and humidity is back, Willow continues to pound on the door to her room, and Joe has been in and out of town, which can be weird to the half-asleep mind. Who is this in bed with me? And why is he mumbling?

Last night was no different. Except at 4am, when I'm usually in the last few precious moments before wakey-wakey time, I heard an odd noise from outside the open bedroom window.

"Auuuuuuggggghhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrwwwwwwwwrrrrrr"

Sounded a bit like a cat getting really pissed off at something. We have neighborhood cats that sometimes don't get along, so I didn't think much of it.

"Auuuuuuggggghhhhhhhhhrrrrrrrwwwwwwwwrrrrrr....ooohhhhhhgaaaawwwwwwwd"

Huh. Probably not a cat. Getting a little freaked out now. I put on my specs and peer out the front window, where I see the silhouette of a tall, lanky man, fumbling around near the railroad tracks.

Holy shit. The zombies are here.

I went from eerily fascinated to disappointed and a bit scared when I heard him blurt out, "I'm gonna kill myself...I don't wanna live..." And in the stillness of the humid morning, he had The Sound of The Crazy - as in, this guy could take out a few others before himself. Gotta call the cops.

Then I realized that in his hand was not a gun but a cell phone. And he was talking to a woman who evidently didn't feel for him what he felt for her. For the next 45 minutes, he went from crying, to belligerent, to cussing her out, all throughout which he was so drunk he was barely able to stand. And so, as he fell/lay down into the gravel near the RR crossing, he Nextelled his buddy and talked about how innocent he was in whatever drama had unfolded.

"Man! I'm lying on the ground! She hates me! Oh, god I wanna die!"

He wandered up the street a bit, waking a few other folks up before his "buddy" came by to pick him up, and he was poured into the back seat of the car.

Edited to add: we live within stumbling distance of several bars, so loud, drunken folks wandering home are not uncommon...I'd just never seen one with such melodrama before...

I Won Something...Again!

2008-08-14T20:57:00.003-04:00

According to Cambria, a good chunk of my recent stories have been along the lines of, "I never win anything, but I won this..."

After several stories of my winning stuff (Pepsi schtuff right before I resigned, Young Frankenstein tickets...), Cambria stopped believing that I never win anything. And so she's right - because I won something else...

This!

You see, as a Rav-Hoar, I'm prone to just surfing about and finding interesting things. I found this lovely lady's blog and saw that she was raising awareness and donations for a very worthy cause. I was supposed to blog about it, but...well...yeah. I'm a lazy bum.

So a while back I received a hefty bunch of yarn from a neighbor, and I wasn't sure what to do with it. But this seemed to be the perfect way to marry yarn love and yarn need...

Here is what I sent, and the letter I sent with it...

Hello from upstate New York!

I hope you are able to use and enjoy this yarn. I wanted to tell you a special story – that this entire box of yarn (except for a few skeins from my stash) came from a somewhat famous home…

John Wylie, a veteran stage actor in New York City, was in the original production of Grand Hotel on Broadway. While he was backstage, or during downtime at rehearsals, he loved to crochet. He became a recluse in his later years, and he passed away around the time my family moved into a home a few doors down from him.

He left his house to his good friend Hal Robinson, who was in Grand Hotel along with John. Hal has been a most wonderful neighbor and friend over the years. One day he mentioned to me that he had a lot of “knitting stuff” that he’d like me to take off his hands.

In the meantime, some movie producers came around our neighborhood, looking for a spot to film a new movie staring Robin Williams. It was called The Night Listener. While it wasn’t that great of a movie, it was exciting having it filmed in our little town, and we even got to meet Robin Williams. In fact, a good bit of the movie takes place in Hal’s house – Hal even had a small role in the movie.

I cleaned out the “knitting stuff” from Hal’s home – it ended up being two large boxes of yarn, odds and ends, and A LOT of things that needed to be thrown out. I was surprised to see so many full skeins still in tact, and I knew that John would be delighted that his stash was going to such good use.

Sending lots of knitting blessings,

Beth

And there you have it. Winning a prize was total gravy - I love that John's beloved yarn is going to such a good place

"We Made Brownies...and I Think We're Dead"

2008-08-13T21:08:00.001-04:00

Check the animated "Drama" and full call in Related Videos...

I Love Me Some Sesame Street...

2008-08-12T11:57:00.000-04:00

Love!

A Maple's Legacy

2008-08-09T11:17:00.004-04:00

Some of you might remember the Grand Old Beloved Maple from this story. And how it became lumber in this post. The life and beauty of this wonderful tree has now come full circle. I give you...

Joe's first project with this hallowed wood: a gorgeous little cutting board. It's simply beautiful. And remarkably heavy! I took it out to the Mother Ship...

I think Daddy Maple would be proud...

Back in the Game

2008-08-08T18:44:00.002-04:00

So I spent the last few months stressing out about a long-distance vacation and planning activities (but not too many, mind you) for 10-12 people and hoping they wouldn't hate me. Our trip was so perfect - so right in every moment - that I still can't believe we were there - that we were part of it.

And now we're at a point where (1) we can't afford to travel anywhere and (2) we're too busy at work to do much. And so, I've come to a conclusion:

I must knit. A lot.

And I started last night, at the local Stitch-n-Pitch:

(That hot dog is a teaser for Joe). We had a blast. And I realized: I must knit more.

I've made myself a little list of all things that must be knitted before I can buy more yarn *. That list consists of:

- Finishing both of these sock pairs
- Make a pair of socks (for me!) in this lovely holiday yarn
- Make another pair for Joe - in this (on the far left - he picked it out at Hanks)
- Make a pair of socks for Mom, at her request (this pattern, this yarn - top of pic)
- Make baby stuff for John and Sara's kid (no spoilers here)
- Make the two projects that were given to me from lovely folks who visited during Rhinebeck (Sophie and Kelly, that's you - already nommed the goodness that Lorena gave me)

So there. That's my promise to myself. To knit wonderful things from wonderful yarn.

* Rhinebeck 2008 purchases don't count...of course

Happy Dobby Day!

2008-08-06T16:19:00.002-04:00

Six years ago tonight, I met this little cutie.

And how do I repay him for the joy and fun he's brought into our lives? I bring home another kitty - one who likes to f--- with his mind and drive him crazy. We never knew Dobby could make such bizarre noises...he sounds like a woman screaming in agony when he gets spooked by Willow.

The good news is (and I hope I'm not jinxing myself here) that we've found a bit of a rhythm. Willow stays out in the daytime, gets put in her safe room (with the Feliway diffuser) at night, and the boys get lots of loving and attention until the next morning. Otis seems to be doing okay, but Dobby is taking a little longer.

Poor, sweet Dobby. I hope tonight goes well for you (and all of us)...

Back to Normal...Kind Of...

2008-08-03T13:16:00.004-04:00

So it took me a week to get back into a normal sleep pattern and be remotely productive at work. A little difficult to get out of the sleep-late-relax-drink-until-2am vacation mode. But to help out with that, we have some great friends who had us over for late-night drinking on Friday, then Joe helped some other beer buddies build a deck on Saturday (I came along to knit and, well, to drink beer). Today is for catching up and going through the mountain of mail I've been avoiding. But first...

Willow is not only out and about, but she's got a snazzy new collar. We started letting her out for supervised chunks of time, and today is her first full day out. It's not going badly, but we still have issues. She has a tendency to sneak around and startle one of the older cats, causing howling, spitting, and a fight or two. Hence the collar - it has a bell. We'll see if this keeps the spitting to a minimum. They all seem to still be intrigued with each other, but I'm not forcing anything. I know it'll take time. I just wish Dobby knew how much fun she could be - they'd be having a blast by now...

In the meantime, I've made some sock progress (gasp!). The pattern is rpm, but I call them my Big Bird socks. Hard to imagine why...

I love the yarn and pattern combination. I'd been trying to avoid the silliness and striping, but when I embraced it, I came to find a very happy sock.

This is a double eyelet rib from wendyknits - I love how it's working up with the yarn (Mountain Colors Bear Foot). This was another yarn I just wasn't finding the right pattern for, but it's really working well now. I knitted on these all throughout Tuscany - on plane, bus, hanging out by the pool...they will hold such lovely memories.

Both of these socks are for ME, because I wanted to make something for me again. And something small. I need to whittle the sock stash down a bit before I blink and it's Rhinebeck time again. I think I need to put myself on a deadline - like finish these two by September, and finish another pair by October. Then I have to work on some Christmas gifts that I had promised last Christmas. That's the thought, at least.

Well, I have some bills waiting to be paid, and some cats waiting for some attention...

Pictures!

2008-07-30T20:52:00.002-04:00

Okay...Italy pictures start here.

There is a different gallery for each day. You can find other days once you are done with Days 1-2, or you can find them here:

Day 3 - Pisa

Day 4 - Lucca

Day 5 - Hiking

Day 6 - Florence

Day 7 - Cinque Terre

Final Memories

Ciao!

Introducing...Willow!

2008-07-28T18:17:00.002-04:00

Dobby is and will always be My Number One Sweetie.

But...this girl just might be the cutest thing ever. She's still behind closed doors, but the hissing and growling (from Otis and Dobby on the other side) has been reduced to hissing and somewhat playing with curiosity. We'll see what happens...

Totally Diggin' the Veggies

2008-07-28T17:52:00.003-04:00

Today I took a vacation day, because I knew I would need some unwinding time. We got in late Saturday, we drove a lot Sunday, and I just knew I wouldn't be ready to face work today. So I woke up early (around 4am, thankyouverymuch), put away 4 loads of laundry, played with the new kitty (more on that later), and went to the grocery store. We had missed the last two weeks of the farm, but we still had plenty that hadn't gone bad in the fridge. So I did a massive cook-fest of the veggies...

And here we have, pre-cooking...Swiss chard au gratin

Kohlrabi stuffed with free-range beef and onions (I'm not sure whether or not the onions are free range...I don't care, really, because I don't think they need that much space...) - as another non-vegetarian move, these will be topped with slices of bacon before going in the oven. I had more stuffing than kohlrabi, so I made some stuffed peppers, too.

Stuffed swiss chard - totally veggie - filled with basmati rice, cheeses, onion, spices, pecans...lots of goodness.

I could get used to just cooking all day. Kind of.

I Love My Shower

2008-07-27T07:48:00.002-04:00

We're back!

As you can see from previous posts, Joe and I spent a week in arguably one of the most beautiful places on earth, Tuscany. More specifically, Villa Aquilea, a home renovated by two Americans who now live in Lucca. All I can say is the pictures on the website do NOT do it justice.

We had a glorious week - a perfect vacation - until we landed in New York. Tack on a couple of hours of hell, and we were so glad to see our driver when we exited the airport. Worth. Every. Penny. We zonked out last night, started doing laundry this morning, and now are one a mini-road-trip to pick up our new little girl.

Mega-pictures to come! Ciao!

Worth the Climb

2008-07-26T01:28:00.002-04:00

Being Neighborly...

2008-07-24T18:27:00.002-04:00

A Door to Paradise

2008-07-23T06:37:00.001-04:00

The Perfect Meal, the Perfect Setting

2008-07-21T13:11:00.002-04:00

A Deep Breath of Perfection

2008-07-20T07:53:00.001-04:00

Possibly the Cutest Thing Ever...

2008-07-17T22:29:00.001-04:00

I just wanna know where this is and how long the landowners will let me camp out there...

No Comment...

2008-07-15T20:58:00.001-04:00

A Kitty Grows in Brooklyn

2008-07-14T12:32:00.004-04:00

I haven't blogged about this, since I've been working on Joe for a bit. He's been reluctant, but he also knows there's no use arguing when you see this.

She was found in the Bronx, eating trash, when a Raveler with a heart of gold found her, treated her, had her fixed, and is holding her until she can find a better home. And that's where we come in...since I've been thinking that Otis and Dobby need someone to difuse their hatred of each other.

We pick her up next Sunday.

:)

But What About the Clydesdales?

2008-07-14T06:35:00.003-04:00

And there goes another empire...

Kinda sad, really.

ETA: According to this article, my particular company will most likely be sold. The good news: I'm so far below the radar that I'm not sure it matters, other than stuff like benefits. The bad news: I might as well update the resume. I haven't looked at it in six years. Anyone need an accountant...?