Emily and I stopped by Visart Video today. She likes to get Madeline videos from there, and it’s only a buck for a week’s rental. While we were there, the clerk and another patron and I had a conversation about how business was up because of the writer’s strike, and how there’s nothing on but reality TV.
“Ah, but that’s not true,” I said. “The LOST season premiere is tonight.”
“Oh yeah. (SPOILER),” the patron said. “(SPOILER SPOI…)”
And that’s when I literally put my hands over my ears and started singing, “LA LA LA LA LAAAAAA!!!”
“Well, it was on The View,” he said in his defense.
Grrrr.
Well, in honor of LOST’s premiere and the spectacular island scenery, here are some fairly interesting nature photos, and here are some more. Y’all seem to be likin’ the links, so I’ll keep ’em coming.
Hat on the needles for: Queensland, Australia.
WELCOME TO THE KITCHEN OF TOMORROW!
Shirt by ssdesigner.com.
Body by neglect and sloth.
Tonight as I was cooking the rest of my father’s birthday meal, my husband brought in a package from the front stoop. I knew exactly what it was, but I hadn’t expected to get it so quickly! I shucked my shirt in the middle of the kitchen and tried on my new tee. The color’s a dead match to
The Planet Express ship. The future has arrived!
Scott has a plethora of fabulous shirts, from a “Got Wood” Shaun of the Dead tribute to some really great Jayne ringer tees. If you’re looking to finish off your cunning outfit with Jayne’s famous yellow gun shirt, he’s your guy. And let me just say this: you know how my husband started working out like a maniac and lost weight? I got him a Futurama shirt too – because, really, who can stop with just one? – and his shirt makes him look even thinner. No lie. Must be some kind of Farnsworth invention – super-slimming microknits. As you can see in the picture to the right, this shirt is so awesome that it’s blinding me. It’s true – the future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades.
The best part? Going to my knitting group tonight, peeling off my jacket, striking a pose, and intoning, a la clip six on this list, “Welcome to the WOOOOORRLD of tomorrow!”
Anyway. Great product, great communication, quick turnaround – I can’t say enough good things about this guy. What are you waiting for? Go buy a shirt!
(P.S. – I forgot to mention that it beautifully matches my octo-purse! Better and better!)
For two weeks running, Emily’s told me that she read during art class. Apparently, they’re all working on self-portraits, and she finished hers, so she’s just been quietly reading instead. I feel certain that hers was completed in five minutes, and she opted not to include any detail or color, which would explain the time difference between her and her peers.
Loyal readers may recall this isn’t the first issue we’ve had with art class. And honestly, I could probably write it off if we hadn’t had these same issues in second grade. There was over a month where her answer was “I read” when I asked her what she did in art class. Her second-grade teacher had to have a talk with the art teacher about strategies to get her to not flip out or melt down.
I’m writing her regular teacher to see if a conference with the art teacher is in order. I get that the teacher has 20 little bodies to wrangle in that class, but if a child is having trouble, you can’t just shunt her to the side. If she has trouble with the assignment, she needs a modified assignment, not busywork.
I can’t remember whether I swatched for the Charlie Brown sweater with a size 6 or 7 needle. I cast on with a 7 but then thought… this looks kinda big.
Crud. Gotta swatch again. This is why you keep good notes at every stage.
Speaking of “facepalm” moments, I share with you:
Not Always Right. Tales of unreasonable customers in retail settings. Heh. That’s always comedy gold.
Okay! I’ve got the chart reworked and ready to go. I’ve actually modified this slightly since I made the graphic. It’s a couple of rows shorter now. I printed this out, several iterations wide, and held it up to my Dad’s midsection to be sure it’s the right height. He’s a good sport.
The chart is 22 stitches wide and I estimate a 110 stitch caston with an extra stitch on each side for selvedge will be correct. I hope. If I’m off by a tiny amount per inch, that gets multiplied fast over 110 stitches. Keep your fingers crossed!
Next hat up for: Paris. Ooh la la!
Last October I lost five pounds and kept it off until the end of the year. Then in January, I was on the road a lot and ate a lot of fast food, and comforted myself more than I should have with food. I didn’t exercise over the holidays, and all told, I’ve gained back two or three pounds and a point of body fat over the course of the month. I want to get back on the metaphorical horse, but it’s so freakin’ cold outside. I love the snow, I hate the cold. Maybe I’ll NetFlix some Firm DVDs. The woman they’ve got on the front page of their website looks like she’s gone a little too far. Eat a sandwich, woman!
Steve’s having to work today. He works a lot on weekends. Poor guy. I complain about exercising in the cold, but he’s been walking a mile up to the Lynx station and taking the train into work to get a little exercise and also save money and wear and tear on his car. Whatta guy.
At right: just before I left for Richmond the other day, I took this picture of Steve, Emily, and the Groovy Girl dolls. He’s a good dad.
I realized last night that I’d charted the full-size Charlie Brown stripe wrong, so I need to go back and redo it. Fortunately I haven’t actually knit the stripe, just charted it with paper and pencil. I know there’s software that’ll do it, but I’m on a Mac, I don’t know that there’s something out there for me.
Still kind of sleepy, having gotten to bed late last night. Today I need to hit the library, Goodwill, and Home Depot, and hopefully a coffee shop in there somewhere.
Today Emily went over to a friend’s house for the first time. She asked me to come along, so I did, but I sat in the living room and talked with the other mom while the girls played all over the house, even going outside just the two of them to play.
Emily had an excellent time, and says that we should go over there again. Absolutely we will!
Last night I was over at Turtlegirl76’s place, and had a fantastic meal followed by a fun evening of knitting and watching trashy TV. When I went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror, I realized that Turtlegirl76’s lights were much, much brighter than mine. For the first time, I was able to see that I’m getting wrinkles.
Eh, it had to happen sooner or later. Overall, still a good 24 hours.
I have a problem, and I could use some advice.
I’m interested in purchasing Pat’s spinning wheel. She wrote me in March 2007 that she had an Ashford Traveller. I have no idea what condition it’s in, but she could get 300-400 dollars for it if it’s in working order, and I of course would be willing to pay that fair price. I like the idea of spinning Pat’s fiber on Pat’s wheel.
How the heck do I bring this up with her family? Should I even try, or let it go? I don’t want to seem like a vulture. I’ve already got a wheel, so it’s not that I’m looking to pick up a bargain at her family’s expense, I just think it would be nice to have this extra piece of her life, and of course I’d give it a good home.
I’d also like to volunteer to evaluate and sell any yarn or knitting supplies she has. I know she has some, but I don’t know what quality. I’d be glad to help with that, either by giving an opinion or by actually taking the items and selling them online and sending the money and a report back to her family. I don’t know what kind of medical expenses Pat’s care entailed, but it had to have been significant. I’d like to help her family, because I think she’d want that.
I’ve never been in a situation like this, and I’m afraid that I’ll come off as insensitive or that I’ll hurt their feelings somehow.
Any thoughts?
ETA: has graciously offered to approach her son about this for me.
