31.10.07

Be careful what you wish for . . .

. . . you know how it goes.

I was a tight knitter. Possibly an uptight knitter. For those who are familiar I have an example: I knit myself a pair of Cookie A. Monkeys in worsted weight yarn, on US 2's, and they fit just right. For those of you who are unfamiliar - I tend to have to use a needle 2-3 sizes larger than a pattern calls for, to force my stitches to be the right size.

Well, that may no longer be the case. I was comparing the second part of a project to the first part last night, only to discover that the second piece, which should have been identical to the first, was significantly bigger. Now I completed the first piece a good bit ago, and set the project aside to finish a couple other priorities first. Well, in that time, I seem to have loosened up. Not the best time for that to happen!

So last night I frogged the entire second part, and when I couldn't get the yarn wad apart (it's a two color project) I just cut it from the intact balls. Thankfully, I have plenty of yarn for this project. I cast on again this morning, on needles one size smaller, and my initial comparison looks promising. Onward and upward!

29.10.07

Sadly, no.

The apartment turned out to be a bit disappointing. The kitchen is the size of my sister's closet, and while she has a walk-in closet she doesn't have to fit cabinets, a refrigerator and a stove in that closet. Also it seemed very dark, and we like sunlight. So sadly, it was a bust. But it was an adventure!

In other adventures, we went to the Bass Pro shop and had a tremendous time looking at grills and camping equipment. I think we may be going camping (as soon as we remedy a lack of sleeping bags). Mmmm . . . . food plus fire . . . good!

25.10.07

This could be very exciting!

We're going to look at an apartment tomorrow - 2 bedroom, central air, washer/dryer hookup, deck, what sounds like a better kitchen, a cute little neighborhood, water view and a small dock, and a PLACE TO PARK TWO CARS!! It sounds ideal - but tomorrow will be the test. If we like it, and we can have it, we may very well move.

Is it sad that the parking is more exciting than the water or the possibility of having a washer and dryer?

I would like to thank the academy, Curly, and Craigslist!

21.10.07

Ugh.

And then, true to my nature, I forgot the camera. There wasn't much in the way of decent light at the winery, and we'll definitely be seeing Williamsburg again. So, I'll have to remember next time.

19.10.07

Looking forward . . .

There will be wine tomorrow! I'm pumped.

My mother and father in law announced this morning that one of the things they wanted to do this weekend while they were here was scope out a winery or two. Sadly, as this is not a greatly winery rich area, too coastal, too flat, we lack many wineries from which to choose that make a good day trip. But we do have one! Williamsburg Winery here we come! From the looks of things, they have a lovely tour and tasting. And if we're feeling up to it, we may go check out Colonial Williamsburg for a few hours.

It's going to be a great day - it might be a bit warmer than I'd like, but I'm excited.
Hopefully, pictures tomorrow.

12.10.07

Seriously?

This is not going to win me friends; in fact, it will likely make people very mad at me. Any staunch liberals who may come across this might just want to stop reading right here.

But who thought it was a good idea to give Al Gore a Nobel prize? I'm sorry, but that man gives me the willies. Slimy, stuffed shirt, consumate politician. Did I mention slimy?

Like I said, this is no way for me to win friends or influence people. I don't care. I don't like him.

All that said, I think he's done some good things in the realm of environmental awareness. Not sure it was Nobel prizeworthy, but good nonetheless.

He still scares me. Not as much as Hillary Clinton scares me, but he does. And I'm still trying to figure out what it was he won an Emmy for - I honestly thought it was some kind of spoof when I was watching.

11.10.07

What is happening here??

Working at a television news station can make a person very paranoid. "No news is good news" is alive and well. If all I saw of the world was on the news, I'd never leave my bedroom again. A shooting here, a fatal accident there (and they really are terrible and heart wrenching, I don't mean to sound cold). . . but the recalls can be the worst! Tainted meat, tainted fruits and vegetables, incorrect labels, salmonella, e coli, listeria. A kid could lose her appetite.

Usually, products for children are recalled due to a choking hazard of some sort. We get a little jaded about that after a while. But it got me thinking the other day. Choking hazards are relatively easy to spot. If someone was inspecting the prototypes for these toys for choking hazards they'd never even make it to production. The same thing goes with all of the toys made in China. No one is checking on these things; nobody cares enough about the quality of the products they're producing or the safety of those who buy them. I'd ask where the integrity has gone, but it bowed out to the overwhelming power of the almighty dollar.

Well, that was depressing enough, but now they've hit an all time low. Now they're recalling children's cold and fever medication because of the possible side effects of incorrect dosing. They're pulling kiddie meds off the shelves because of the bad things that can happen if people don't follow directions. Seriously. From one extreme to the other - from neglect to the attempt to prevent operator error.

I'm having trouble fathoming how this even makes sense.

5.10.07

I'm boring . . . but I have a plan!

I blame Christmas, by the way, and the Hogwarts Sock Swap. I, who hate deadlines, have made myself a bed of deadlines in which I must lie. How is it, I ask, that I repeatedly put myself in this position?? But I digress.

The point is, I have been meaning to post something, more than one something, but when I sit down to type I have little or nothing interesting to say. I mean, the granola was awesome, but if that's the highlight of my postable news, I may be losing it.

Now, I do have some greatly exciting knitting going on; at least I find it exciting.
So, I promise there will be pretty pictures and some really fun FO's (if I do say so myself) eventually. But since they are either Christmas presents or socks for the swap, eventually will come once towards the end of October, and then not again until January. Until then, it wouldn't kill me to engage a few brain cells in discussing something that doesn't involve wool and other assorted fibers.

In other news, I have crafted a plan for keeping myself chugging along on the deadline knitting. When I finish the last of it, I will place an order for the yarn to start my first sweater. And while I'm waiting for that to come, I've got a hank of merino I've dyed for a hat for myself.

Now . . . what to talk about for a while?

3.10.07

Thoughts on the Granola

It was good! I made another batch this week. This might be my new favorite snack!