Financial Pain

Oh, my...what a lovely morning.

Last night I don't think it got much below 70, and it was super muggy. Now, before you FL and GA folks get all up on me for that, remember that I have no central A/C, and we haven't pulled the wall units down from the attic yet. So - no escape from the mugginess.

The furnace guy came by this morning to tell me, basically, that I need a new furnace. $800 for a new control panel that might not be the only problem, but until the control panel's replaced, we can't figure out what else is wrong. We put $900 into the furnace in December for some other thingy that was broken. Sooo...spending $4,000 on a new one looks mighty attractive (the current one is 17 years old and has been through many floods in the basement). But we'd also need to re-grade the basement and install the sump pump. So. Yeah. Joy.

Then I thought I'd run some errands and was QUITE proud of myself at exploring some of the back roads of Orange County. These roads are all twisty and never make sense. I always "feel" like I'm going in one direction then just get confused. Not so today. Yay me.

Went back to the plumbing supply store to place my order for a shower floor. The plumbers want it just to be exact with their pipe moving and such. $500. Yikes. For a shower floor. Not even a tub. Plus there's a 4-week lag-time. Double joy for me today.

Came back - elated to hear there's a TORNADO WATCH (huh? here?) in effect until 6pm. Decided to stop by the liquor store for some wine. Yes, those two sentences are very much related.

The good thing is that I took my cans to the recycling place and got $2.05 back.

Last week, due to finally finishing the beer socks, I was seeking some quick and easy projects before jumping into my sweater again. A new (surprise) hedgie worked up quickly, and now I'm ready to felt it. But I wanted to make something else so I could felt more than one thing and feel a little more water-conscious. So I started the French Market Bag:

This is some Andes yarn that I picked up on the sale rack up in Woodstock a few years ago. I've never been IN LOVE with it, and I only got three skeins. I'd read that it was great for felting, so I thought I'd have minimal time and money invested in this puppy. Plus, even if it's an ugly bag, it's still a bag, right? I'm always in need of another project bag. The yarn isn't truly verigated, so it's doing weird things on the base of the bag, but it'll be quasi-stripy up the sides. Quick and easy - great to do while watching mindless daytime TV. Which I can do. Because I'm on vacation. ;)

Waitin' for the Water Guy...

...to come replace my meter. Nope - that's not any kind of euphemism. We turn in our water meter reading twice a year (it's inside the house), and evidently it's had the same numbers the last few readings. So it gets replaced. During my vacation. And I get to straighten up the house. Yippee.

Since there's really nothing exciting about this day, I'll talk about some progress we've made on the bathroom.

This was a wall in our hallway, which we discovered had been a door at one point, when the master bath was just another room. After all, if you had opened this door into our bathroom, you would have tripped over the toilet on your way in. Joe wanted to open up the footing at this wall for easier access by the plumbers. Note the particularly interesting-yet-tacky old-lady wallpaper we discovered (in blue)...

Now that all the debris has been cleared, you can stand in our upstairs den and see right through to the opposite bathroom wall. Kind of adds a weird dimension to the house layout right now. The cats love it - like it's a secret place all their own.

I have to order the shower pan this week, then Joe only has a little work left before we can bring the plumbers back out to redo the pipes. That'll be the big hurdle. Once that's done, we can start REconstructing, and that's the fun part. Yay!

Have a lovely day one and all - I'm about to go tie up recyclables now.

She Don't Need...The Glamorous Life

Yup - that's me - all glamor and sparkles...bwah.

At the beginning of the year, I earmarked this week for vacation to spend some time with my mom. Unfortunately, she couldn't come up for Mother's Day, but I still needed a week off. Since a surprise visit to see her would have cost more than our trip to Italy next year (for which we're saving pennies), I thought I'd stick to home. You wanna talk glamorous?

Today - slept in (well, that was TRULY decadent - haven't had a working Monday off for a year). Got up, walked, showered, checked email, then got ready for my appt at the dermatologist (nothing major - I just have lots of moles - we like to keep our eyes on the moles). Go to the grocery store - how unbefreakenly PLEASANT it is to shop during a weekday (when it's not double coupon day). Just a handful of moms and babies in the store - plenty of lanes open - wow. I need to do this more often. Totally changed my grocery-shopping experience...

Had a few hours to kill, so I shaved my cat's butt. Yes, you read that right. Our dear Milo, the great Impersonator-Of-Baby-Seals, had a vet appt today...

He's a portly fellow. Now before you folks point fingers at me for for feeding him too much - he was a thin alley cat for the first 5 years of his life. He could jump to the top of the refrigerator in one leap (and knocked many things off of it constantly). We moved here, and he just kind of got in a funk. Then he started gaining. We had two other cats at the time - both normal, healthy weights. Milo was just becoming The Fat Kid, and the others would mercilessly make fun of him (I'm anthropomorphizing, I know). So he got depressed. And husky.

He topped out at 20 lbs a few years ago, but he's been slowly getting back on track. Today he was only 17 - yay, Milo! In the meantime, when he's this big, it's hard to keep him clean. There are just spots he can't reach. So we clip the parts of his fur he can't really clean - which is mainly around his bootay. And that's how I spent my glamorous afternoon. Shaving his rear. Then taking him to the vet, where everyone applauded his recent 1.5 lb loss.

And now, on this glorious spring day, I think I'll retire to the porch with a cigar and a glass of sangria. Or five. Because I can. And it's a week day. And because I can. :)

Happy Mother's Day!

Finally get to post about this thing I've been working on since December - had completed it a few months ago and just needed to block it...

Clapotis!
Made from 3 skeins of Lorna's Laces Bullfrogs & Butterflies, Mother Lode colorway. This was just a yarn I fell in love with in Alexandria - you know, the trip where I got my lovely basket. Anyhow, I saw it, fondled it, then took it home with Clapotis in mind.

Slight difference in yardage from what was called for in the pattern, so I only did 11 repeats rather than 12. Still a goodly size, though. Lovely pattern - fun to work.

Mom opened her present this afternoon and was already wearing it over her church clothes. I hope you enjoy it, Mom - Happy Mother's Day - Love you!

Happy Pre-Mother's Day

Since tomorrow will be devoted to MY Mom, I thought I'd give a little shout-out to the other moms in my life who have influenced me and helped make me what I am today (er...that's a good thing - trust me).

First of all, the wonderful Mrs. Huss.

I met her daughter, Jeanine, on the first day of 1st grade, and we basically lived at each other's houses until they moved when we were 13. Mrs. Huss made the best granola. They had cable TV and a volvo. Both of Jeanine's parents ran...for fun. We did chores. We played stickball in her yard. She helped us sew tooth-fairy pillows and really bad 80s shirts. Much like my own mom, Mrs. Huss wasn't a girly-girl. She had fun, got things done, and she's what I wanted to be when I grew up. Around the time I got married, she sent me her granola recipe. Whenever I want to find a warm happy place, I open my cookbook to that card and see her perfect teacher handwriting - I follow her instructions on the amount of wheat germ and how often to turn the crunchy goodness in the oven - and everything is warm and wonderful.

Then there were my formative years...

Since I wasn't in the practice of taking pictures of mothers when I was younger, here are the KIDS of those influential women - my best friends growing up and, really, today...mostly. From the top - Pam, Tim, Amy, John, Bill, and Jane. If Bill looks a little funny, it's because he wasn't actually on this trip, but a certain "ex" of John's was. Didn't want her in the picture, wanted Bill - and voila - really sloppy photo editing. Sorry your head's a little small, Bill... Anyhow, my teen years would not have been complete without Mrs. Moseley, Mrs. Russell, Mrs. Pomerance, Mrs. Clark, Mrs. Huber, and Mrs. Bricker. They had basements and let us have parties (we were good kids, so no worries there). We had movie-thons. You let us talk on the phone way too late because you trusted us. You gave us safe places to hang out. You taught me that moms can have pretty sick senses of humor. We had late-night calculus study sessions, and you fixed snacks. You cared about all of us, and you told us in both actions and words. I vented to, cried on, hugged, and needed - and you were there. Thank you.

My father's sister, Aunt Anne:

You grew up in a small Georgia farming community and moved away. That was so cool to me - away. My grandmother took me to see you when I was 10, and it seemed like such a great life. So different. You married a man from Canada who spoke French. You let me play dress-up in your nightgowns. I later visited again when I was in college, and I got to spend more time with my cousin, who is just the coolest kid. You introduced me to tabbouleh and babaganush, sweet orange marmalade on pumpernickel bread, strong exotic coffees, and Nutella. You represented a freedom that was so very magical to me.

And those kooky Georgia ladies Nancy and Joann (middle two, below):

When we met, Nancy was skating across a hardwood floor in her socks as the rest of y'all sat around drinking wine and laughing. Little did I know that the silliness would never stop. We've been to Italy with Nancy, St Louis with Joann, and the wine and fun kept flowing. And when you came up to see us one fall...you raked leaves and picked up sticks in our yard! You are bundles of energy and kindness, and we're very glad to know you.

Lastly, our New York mother - Barb.

Unfortunately, this is the only picture I have - I'm usually so distracted by kids doing daredevil things (or adults playing with large fires) that I don't have many good people shots from your parties. You and Coke have opened up your home to us, and from the very first moments, we truly felt welcome. You laugh as we consume too much "company product" and fix the BEST breakfasts the next day. You're one of the few folks who actually read my self-indulgent blog, and you have raised some pretty amazing kids and grandkids. If it's okay with you, Joe and I are adopting you and Coke as our folks-away-from-home. :)

To all of you wonderful mothers out there - I hope you have a fantastic weekend and know how much you mean to me.

Battle Scars...

Got back in the saddle with some bike riding - and it bit me on the ass...

Joe and I were riding the 6-mile-loop around the village - it's a nice after-work ride with a lot of minor elevation changes. Coming back, in the last 1/4 mile or so, I came to the place where I usually have to make a decision - it's a state road - busy, yet slow-mph - and lots of cars park on the sides of the street. Since I make a turn, I usually opt to hit the sidewalk at this point, so I'm not worried about traffic on my turn. It's just what I do.

But this time, I missed my window. The sidewalk was a bit more elevated from the street at that point, and then there was this rock...

Next thing I know, I'm plowing into a neighbor's bushes - the shrubs that grace her walkway where it meets the sidewalk...? Well, I straddled them. I rode THROUGH one bush, and INTO the other, braking ever-so-elegantly as I sat perched atop Bush #2. My right leg looks like something that might have graced Frankenstein's Monster. And a good 75-100 commuters got a good look at my goofiness. At least the bush didn't suffer much - only one twiggy thing broke.

But I didn't fall off the bike, right? I laughed, rode home, and covered my legs in iodine. Then we went and had a few beers.

I'm...I'm not that strong a cyclist...

Dar!

Spent Saturday up in Woodstock (no, not THAT Woodstock - that's Bethel, actually) window-shopping, then Bearsville where we at at The Bear Cafe then had The! Best! Seats! at a Dar Williams concert.

Every time you love just a little
Take one step closer
Solving the riddle
It echoes all over the world

We'd been to Bearsville's theater twice before. Once to see the Jayhawks (Ollabelle opened - kickass!) - standing room only, and once to see The Thorns (Los Lonely Boys opened - even more kickass!) - "reserved" seating that was more "come-late-and-you're screwed."

This time? Oh, my. We were assigned seats. And our seats? Front row center. I kid you not. Approximately 4 yards from Dar. Plus, they were filming a DVD of the concert, so my ugly mug will probably be in a few shots. Bwah!

What a great weekend. Spent Sunday working on housy stuff and doing some drinking on the porch. Not a thing wrong with that...

Every time you choose one more morning
Goodness or meanness
Life has one warning
It echoes all over the world

Heeeeeere's HOMER!

Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen - Homer, our resident groundhog / woodchuck / marmot is back in full force and munching on weeds and maple saplings like there's no tomorrow.

And that can only mean...IT'S FINALLY SPRING!!!!!

Many warm, happy spring days to you folks (and for you FL friends - I hope your late spring/early summer stops being so damn hot and smoky).

Good People Surround Me

As most of you know, I moved here just about 6 years ago from a place I'd lived all my life. Some of my best friends have known me since we were in preschool together. It's very difficult - well, pretty much impossible - to get to *know* people in a new place. I mean, my friends from Athens have a HISTORY with me - stupid stories, embarrassing moments, estrangements, and all. I know this sounds really uppity and naive, but it's true - at least for me. The first party/cookout I attended in NY had only a handful of acquaintances. I promptly went into the bathroom and cried for the friends I missed so much - I wanted to be beyond small talk. I wanted to *not* be with people who were worried only about hair colors and manicures. I wanted to be able to TALK and have people KNOW me. To not just be that oddball girl from the South who doesn't know how to play bocce ball.

I still miss my girlfriends like there's no tomorrow. But the great thing is that I've finally started opening up and creating new relationships. With such wonderful online knitting friends. And with wonderful people from work, of all places.

Since I've learned to knit, I've also learned that a few ladies at my work knit. Now remember - I work at a production facility that's about 95% men. So the fact that women head into the Ladies' Locker Room during breaks to knit just floors me. Regina and Melanie, in particular, have been such inspirations. And on my recent birthday (sorry I didn't post earlier, Regina!), they filled my heart with their warmth.

Guess what wonderful goodies I got?

Yup - Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles - by Cat Bordhi, Socks-Socks-Socks - Edited by Elaine Rowley, and a kick-ass knitting bag that I sorely need! Now that beer socks and Clappy are out of the way, I've been jonesing to learn socks on circulars. And the Sock collection book - well, let's just say that both Regina and Melanie might be getting some pretty creative socks for the holidays. :)

Thanks to both of you sweeties - you make work tolerable, which as we all know can be difficult at times! I am happy every day when your crews are on, because you are so fun and lovely and kind.

Thank you!

Beered Out...

Not to steal any thunder, I'll only put up a couple of pictures from the weekend. **EDITED TO ADD: Joe's pictures are here.** While I did the Good Thing and was DD for 3 beer-loving men, plus paid bills, did laundry, etc while they were at a BEER FESTIVAL, the boys had a great time. And just to prove that I finished the beer socks on time...

What neither of us noticed is that he had 2 different shoes on. By then end of the day, instead of "that guy with the cool beer socks," he was known as "Two-Shoes." Sigh. Valiant effort on my part, though. I have to amend my earlier critique of the socks - I didn't redo the ribbing in a larger needle, and although they were TIGHT, they did fit over his foot. I don't know if this will relax with wear, but since they're major novelty socks (and not everyday), I'm not concerned. They're done. I'm on to better things. Like finally blocking Clappy.

So I pick up the guys from the bar where the bus drops them off, and I was blessed with the company of three bobbly-headed-babbling-grunting-man-boys. It was fun, though. When we got home, Joe went (stumbled) straight to bed. So I got to peruse the digital camera...

Let me say for the record...those aren't mine. Umm...far from it. Joe had some 'splainin' to do this morning...

Spring!

Over the weekend, the rain finally dried up, and it was actually sunny out! Hooray! Besides finishing Joe's Beer Socks, I did some work in the yard and dusted off my bike to begin training for my MS Ride. Considering I haven't ridden my bike more than a handful of times in the past few years, I thought 6 miles was a good start (with hills, no less!). Man, did my butt hurt. But I got on the treadmill the next day and worked some kinks out, and tonight I hit the road for another little 4 mile ride. For the first few weeks I've just got to get used to the darn thing again, and we'll be hitting the rail trails on the weekends for longer, flatter rides. Wahoo!

In the meantime, the first to bloom in the yard...our beloved magnolia.

Not sure what kind it is, but it smells heavenly. It's a tall yet scraggly tree that's seen better days. The lady who owned our home before it was "flipped" had legendary, beautiful gardens. Then Mr. Bonehead came through and just did what he needed to do, covering lots of the gardens with fill, compacting the soil, etc. So our first few years involved all kinds of "Wow - a tulip just popped up in the middle of the front yard" - "Oooh, look - peonies!" So no doubt this magnolia has had a rough life, but hopefully with some TLC it'll hang on.

The only trouble is that we're notorious for getting some pretty hefty spring storms, so usually the magnolia blooms last for about a day or two. Then they blow throughout the yard, causing Joe much aggravation.

But at least for today, they're pretty and smell nice. Unlike myself after a bike ride.

Shhh! Don't tell Joe!

...but I think his Beer Socks are done!


Please pardon my ashy white legs...

This was a wonderful pattern/kit from the Tsock Tsarina. Loved the pattern except for two things:
1) If you can find a better toe-up heel, then use it. I was sorely disappointed at my first short-row-heel attempts.
2) I would almost recommend the ribbing/foam in a slightly larger needle size. I got gauge the whole sock through, but the ribbing is pretty tight, since it's a twisted stitch pattern.

That's about it - knit on, and enjoy!

Tiny Moments...

Every morning, and every evening, the sun comes through certain windows and hits our chandelier, casting speckles of light all over the dining room. I've lived here 6 years now, and it still thrills me...

May your weekend be filled with tiny specks of wonderful.

Peace!

All By Myself...

...I kicked ass and took names this morning. Mission: Light The Water Heater Pilot - Accomplished! It may not seem monumental to some, but I'm damn proud of myself. Plus, I get the added benefit of TAKING A HOT SHOWER later this morning. Woohoo!!!

I turned on the furnace to see if it would cooperate with my awesome luck thus far, and the burners kicked on, but it just seemed to get hotter and smell burny and not really blow any air. Not knowing if this is supposed to happen or if this is the last thing people notice before their furnace blows up in their face, I turned it back off, cut the gas, and I'll just ignore it for a while. The next week or so should be in the 40s-to-60s, so there's no real loss there.

I should also note that during the winter, with our under-sized furnace and our poor duct work, our house never gets above 62. With no heat the last few days, it hasn't gotten below 55. Not that big of a difference. I can live with that. And I'm moving back to my cushy bed tonight - no more roughing it for this gal.

I have today and tomorrow off - before you folks think I've got vacation out the wazoo, well, this year I finally got an extra week, making 4 weeks total. The other folks on my team get 6 weeks (they've been there a while). Since certain people can't be off at the same time, we get together in early January and plot out the majority of the year's vacation. Yes, we really do. It sucks. And since I can't take days off at the beginning of any month (accounting close) or anytime late August through early October (budget season) or any of the six weeks our scheduler is out (I cover for him) or any of the weeks my boss is out (I'm her backup), my strategy for taking four weeks gets complicated, and I just pick random 3- or 4-day weekends here and there with some time around the holidays. And so here I am, on days when I thought I would be "spring cleaning" - yeah, like that'll ever happen - getting my jeans and shoes mucky and winning a battle with a stubborn pilot light.

It's 10am on a Thursday - is that too early for a glass of wine?

Whenever Joe's Out of Town...

That's my Murphy's Law. Crap happens when Joe's out of town.

It started in our first house in Atlanta, when the air conditioner compressor thingamajig decided to spurt water everywhere in the basemenet. That was the first frantic "whythefrickaren'tyouherewhereyoubelong" call was made.

You see, my dearest husband travels. A lot. And if it's going to snow 12+ inches? He'll be out of town. Funny how it works that way. Here's the last 48-or-so-hours in a quasi-nutshell:

- Sunday. Lots of rain. Boy, that foundation work we had done really does the trick. Bone dry basement.
- Sunday night. Still raining. Little bit of water in the basement. Not from the usual suspect (bad drainage - hence the foundation and drainage work of 2005), but from the dirt floor. Water table rising. Just a little water, though.
- Monday morning. Check basement. Looks a bit higher, but still well within our "flood range" that we'd experienced pre-2005.
- Monday afternoon. Joe left for Cleveland.
- Monday night. Large bags of crap, insulation, and pieces of wood (but no dead animals, Amy) floating in the Weismann Underground Lake. Heater making funky noise (since, heh, it's flooded). Turn off emergency switches and call Joe. Joe talks Beth down from mental ledge. Joe describes where sump pump is. Sump pump has no hoses. No nothing. How the heck to I put it together? Damn you for leaving this goddamn ladder on the stairwell. Putting on these way too big wading boots to go down into 6-7 inches of muckitymuck and scream about Joe not being around whenever crap like this happens. Forget it. I give up. Everything's under water. Nothing to do now. Going upstairs.
- Later Monday night. Joe calls and says friend/coworker Roy is coming by. Whatever. Roy doesn't make up for Joe not being here. Grrrrrr. Now have to actually put a bra back on.
- Roy comes by, poor thing - with a bad cold, carrying some hoses from his pool. He engineers some kind of system with duct tape and gets the sump pump purring. Water streaming out the window. Roy hangs out a bit, the water goes down about an inch, then Roy goes home after I hug him 3 or 4 times.
- I turn off sump pump when it starts sucking too much air - water gone down by about 4-5 inches now. Yay! Call Joe, who's worried sick about crazy wife.
- Sleep upstairs with kitties in rooms that have heat not attached to furnace. Thank goodness for this Hudson Valley version of the Winchester Mystery House.
- Had toasty night of restless sleep and quick-as-a-wink shower that ended up not being too cold.
- Tuesday afternoon. Came home, saw basement had drained some more - actually dry spots now. Called Joe to talk me through relighting water heater pilot. Tried many, many times with knees in muck, phone on ledge, flashlight propped up, and fingers crossed that there would be no kablooey. No kablooey. No pilot lighting, either. Will try tomorrow after cleaning crud from pilot light doohickey. If not successful, then calling the service folks.

Joe's out of town for another ten days. I will not jinx myself, but I don't want to think of what else can happen.

ON TO HAPPY THOUGHTS...

A big THANK YOU to the Pomerance Family, my big brother, and Miss Lorena for your generous donations to the MS ride! I'm actually over my goal now. This is *such* a motivator to not disappoint my sponsors!

And, before I bid you good night, I leave you with another happy thought...

BEER SOCKS!!!

Just about 10 more days before TAP-NY, and all I have left is the top ribbing. Woohoo! Don't pay attention to the crappy heals, though. Not crazy about that method. At all.

I have electricity, heating sources, TV, booze, cats, and knitting. It's all good...

Thanks for your support!

I Don't Wanna Talk About It...

I really, really don't.

I'm going to have some pizza, chill out with the cats in front of the stove, then sleep in the guest room (because the furnace is flooded and the guest room has electric heat), then take a cold shower in the morning (yup - flooded the water heater too) and just rejoice that little inconveniences are nothing in the big scheme of things.

Thank You to Friends Near and Far...

Man. Sometimes I think I must be doing something right. Not one, but TWO wonderful gifts today...

Coke & Barb - our wonderful friends from upstate (parties seen here and here - they're usually bustling around in the background making sure everyone else is taken care of) - not only do they take care of us for wonderful weekends with their friends and family, but they're my first MS Ride sponsors. Woohoo! Wow, it's bad enough that we drink your beer, eat your food, and use your tools for something than their intended purposes (well, actually, that was Todd). But THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for helping me reach my MS fundraising goal.

I was still glowing from the good feeling my friends had given me, when lo-and-behold...

This beautiful Lisa Souza sock yarn was waiting for me at home! A birthday present from dearest Lorena - the woman who first exposed me to the drug that is knitting. She is wonderful in so many ways. Thank you, sweetie - can't wait to see you in the fall!

Blessed, fortunate, and grateful - yes I am. Thank you!

And Now For Something Completely...

Check out the sidebar for my buddy E's homepage. Also look for my MS bike ride link. I had all these grand plans of buttons and such, but it basically came down to the fact that I'm lazy. Really freakin' lazy.

My goal is to train for 30 miles come July. Of course, if it keeps *SNOWING* like it did today, that'll be a big dent in my training time. Regardless, we're in it for the long haul. Thanks for your support!!!

A Damn Near Perfect Day

It's called Good Friday for a reason, folks - it's Good to have a Friday off.

I convinced Joe to take a day off with me, and oh, what a day...

Started off stopping by the Village Hall to get re-sworn-in for my new term on the Planning Board. When I was appointed, I was filling in for someone who left. Now I've been appointed for a full term. Kinda scary realizing I'll be 40 when that term is up.

Rolled down the street to the new Iron Cafe - this great guy Brian renovated a condemned house and turned it into a beautiful cafe with awesome coffee. And hands-down, this guy makes the BEST bacon-egg-n-cheese-on-a-roll sandwiches. Yum.

Across the river into Fishkill for a trip to N&S Supply, a huge local bath/kitchen design store. Had a good talk with some folks, picked up some brochures, and realized we need to talk with our plumbers before we make any major decisions.

Went north a bit on Route 9 to the mecca of beer snobs - Half Time. You have to love a beer store with full-sized shopping carts and a dozen taps for tasting and/or bringing home a growler or two. Loaded up the car with a goodly supply, then headed back over the river...to see...

GRINDHOUSE!!!!!!!!

Totally rocked. Kicked ass. Three hours of non-stop awe. You must see this in the theater.

After that wonderful guilty-pleasure flick, we walked around the corner to Johnny Rockets, a great burger joint when you're going for the all-out heart-attack meal. Which, of course, we were.

Walked a little further into the mall and picked up some things at Target - including the new albums that Pink and RR&TFB have out now.

Drove back home to find out - BONUS! - the books I'd ordered from Amazon came today - Sensational Knitted Socks and...wait for it...Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook. Because while I am clearly NOT a neat-freak, for some reason I want to be one. Kind of.

We get home, we open a few beers, and Pulp Fiction is on TV.

What a good, Good Friday.

Must Have...

At the risk of being "that crazy lady who knits critters..."

Yup. Here's the next one. Thanks to Mrs. Noodle for pointing it out to me. I should note that she has also pointed out lobsters, and Baby Noodle has some squiddy toys courtesy of Aunt Beth.

Scchwwwweeeet...