Bah Humbug

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving. Ours was pleasant - we had the traditional Thanksgiving Pizza - I was very thankful Domino's delivered on Thanksgiving!.

I am afraid I am not really in the Holiday spirit this year - too much stuff going on that is killing this season for me. I haven't picked up my needles in ages, I have though been beading and will post pictures eventually.

Happy Thanksgiving

Everyone Enjoy!

Momma don't let your children grow up to be cowboys...

Geesh - does anyone besides me think that it is really strange that the CMT awards are at MSG tonight? The Mayor in a 10 gallon hat!?! This is just wrong.

My new phone came yesterday - I charged it and activated it - now I just have to figure out how to use it and add in my phonebook.

I found out who my International Scarf Exchange buddy is Michelle @ blog-o-rama - I have some lovely deep purple cashmere blend from elann in my stash that I think will be perfect for her. I just need to decide on cables or lace? I am kind of leaning towards this - I am in the hat scarf group so I would have to make a hat to match - I have been toying around with designs in my head.

I am wearing my Kerry Blue shawl today - Have I mentioned how much I LOVE this shawl? It is one of those cool damp icky NYC days today and I am really loving me some shawl warmth!

I spent part of the weekend reorganizing my stash - I have some yarn and needles to send KatyknitsNYC for a class she is starting. I bought 2 boxes of those giant ziplock storage bags - I got 4 rubbermaid tubs into 3 bags and they take up a whole lot less space than the tubs.

Later.......

I Got the [Kerry} Blues

While I was in Chicago last week, I received an email from Give a Little saying I had won a prize - I emailed them back to say thank you and send my address. Well with all the training and practice going on I forgot all about it - I never even checked to see what I had won.

When I got home from work today, there was a package for me from England! In it was this:

In case you can't tell - it is the Kerry Blue Shawl knit by Poly. This is the most amazing knitted shawl - it is absolutely lovely - I am in awe!

Here are some more pictures:

and a edge detail:

There was also a box of Marks & Spencers Viennese Biscuits - butter cookie, orange marmalade and milk chocolate - YUM!! Thank you Polly and Thank you Margene and Susan for starting Give a Little.

oh and here is an update on my angora/alpaca FBS - I am almost embarrassed to put in in the same post as Kerry Blue.

Home Sweet Home - now with pictures

I have made it home safely from the land of Corporate Centers, shopping malls and chain restaurants. I was able to fly standby and got into LaGuardia by 9pm last night. Here are some pictures of my room at the Hyatt - It was gorgeous:

The Livingroom


The Bedroom - I want to redo my apartment in these colors.

This morning Jeff had to be at Stuyversant HS at 8am to take the HS entrance exam so we were up very early this morning. I was not happy, but it turned out to be a fun day. We drove in dropped Jeff off parked the car downtown. David had to go the BSA store for stuff for the troop, so we took the Subway up to the Empire State Building to the shop there. Afterwards we walked down to South Street Seaport for lunch then went to the Strand bookstore. As we were walking back towards the car Jeff called to say he was done, so we met him on Chambers and Church. He was finished by 12:00.

A photo tour of our Day

The Brooklyn Bridge from City Hall Park


The World Trade Center PATH Station


Construction at Ground Zero


David & Jeff after the test

Tonight I am going to bed early!

Greetings from suburbia

There are some advantages to training at the corporate offices - great hotel rooms, free breakfast coupons, free lunch @ the brand new company cafeteria - but I really miss being home - I want my own bed and the 11:00 news to be on at 11 - Late night is NOT 10:30!

Two more days and I will be home - training is going well - but I have a feeling that whoever designed the training never actually had to go through it. At least I got a lot of knitting done on the plan and hope to get a lot more done on the way home. I will have pictures once I load them.

I won't have time to visit any LYS - I was really hoping I would get a chance - I also won't get downtown Chicago proper - I am stuck in the land of shopping malls and chain restaurants. I just do not have a Midwestern mind set - I never did appreciate Chicagoland ( I am an urban snob - there is only 1 City - THE City! NYC) Chicago never cut it for me.

That about sums it up

You fit in with: Spiritualism Your ideals are mostly spiritual, but in an individualistic way. While spirituality is very important in your life, organized religion itself may not be for you. It is best for you to seek these things on your own terms. 60% spiritual. 60% reason-oriented.

Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

I have the apt. to myself tonight - David and the boys left for a camping trip - they will be back in time to drive me to the airport on Sunday. So tonight I am surfing the net, watching the Devils (Boo) and trying to decide what knitting projects to take on the trip. Tomorrow I have to wash all my clothes, pack, get a haircut, go to Target to see if I can find this (- it's cold in Chicago and I new a new coat in a neutral color to go with all the great scarves and shawls I have made or received in swaps and exchanges. ) I also have to wash and pack my mothers stuff for her stay at the respite center.

I hope I like my haircut, I usually wear it very short, but I am trying to let it grow out a little - unfortunately I have fine, but curly hair - so as it grows it grows out instead of down and I look like a qtip. Well we will see - if it looks good I will post - if not, you won't see me gracing the pages of this blog anytime soon.

So last night, David and I went for a romantic anniversary dinner at our (his) favorite restaurant - you may have heard of it - Chez Sizzler. We go there for almost every anniversary - he is such a romantic!

I will have my laptop on my trip so I should be able to post while I am away - I will let you know if I find any really cool yarn shops

Later................

Weird dreams and anniversaries

I am feeling a little hungover today - no not from drinking (that could be a good thing) from the migraine I had for the last 2 days - since going off the pill I get less headaches that are less intense, but last longer - not a happy tradeoff (I know TMI - sorry) So anyway last night - feeling nauseous and dizzy I laid on the sofa and watched TV (David was out) I watched the end of Queen of the Damned (eh), Veronica Mars (good) and Invasion (very good!) then took 2 Tylenol PM and went to bed, where I tossed and turned and had strange dreams of Evil Alien Dolphins sucking the lives out the locals and turning them into Pod People, except they were all listening to indy rock, so maybe they were iPOD people and dancing at the home coming party.

Needless to say I did not get much rest.

Anniversaries! Yes today is David and my 12th anniversary - this day always makes me a little sad because on our first date (Oct 27, 1993) we snuck up to the top of the WTC (his friend was as PA cop and let us in) and watched the city beneath us under a brilliant October moon. It was magical and it is now gone.

I also realized that Oct 8 (besides being John Lennon's birthday) was my 2nd Blogiversary! I can't believe I have been doing this for 2 years already - I should have soooo many more finished objects - I am a slacker.

I leave you with my current favorite picture of me and my honey in Utah:

I love the orange-y-ness of this picture.

SP Goodies & a FO!

When I got home from work on Monday this was waiting for me:
The reveal pkg from my Crochetville SP Megan. I am amazed at all the wonderful things she sent me - can you see the knitpicks yarn in my favorite color, the wool of the andes in natural so I can try my hand at cool aid dying, the gorgeous key hole scarf - the yarn is sooo soft and I love the color! - note cards with patterns, tea (in my favorite pumpkin spice & gingerbread) coffee (I love coffee)and note pads!!!! So much good stuff - thank you Megan!!!!

I wound the cascade 220 last night and finished the last few rows on my stole - here is a picture pre-blocking:
and blocking:
the wrong side is facing up, but I think it looks pretty good!

My socks on two needles: this is the test I did to see if I could do it. I am not sure I am doing it right - is the inside ( the purl side) supposed to be facing me when I work that needle? Does this mean I have to use patterns written for this technique or adapt regular sock patterns to work this way? Does that make any sense at all?!

Look what I found: Black Cat Peeps!!!! I bought every package the store had (only 3) I love these!

And lastly, everything has a price:

My blog is worth $13,548.96.
How much is your blog worth?

Any Buyers?

Who stole my weekend?

I can't believe it is Sunday night already - where did the weekend go? It started ok - David & the boys went to boy scouts and I had the sofa and TV to myself. Nothing like curling up on the sofa with hot cider, my knitting and the Rangers on the tube (yeah I know they lost, but it was a good game and they came very close, if it wasn't for DiPietro we woulda won dat game).

Saturday though was not a relaxing stay at home day - I had to take my mother to the Doctor in the morning then drop her at the day care center, so I could drive Robert to Brooklyn Tech so he could take the H S entrance exam. It was cold and wet and there was so much traffic over by S Portland St - I had to let the poor kid out of the car at Fulton St, and make him walk the rest of the way or he would never have gotten there on time. Then I ran around Brooklyn getting my errands done and finally ended up double parked on DeKalb with all the other parents waiting for the test to end. At least I got to work on my FBS while waiting - I got quite a bit done, the test didn't let out till almost 4pm.

It was too late for me to get back to Ridgewood and pick up my mother so David had to go get her and bring her back to our place - I brought Robert home got him changed into his scout uniform and he and David left to set up for the Troop Annual Pasta dinner. I don't quite understand how this happens, but they make a ton on money at this event - it is $8 per person for unlimited baked ziti and/or ziti with broccoli and garlic - the food is eatable but not really anything special, but the always get over 100 people to show up - this year there was close to 200 tickets sold. I even won a small Liz Claiborne purse in the raffle. I brought my mother - I thought she would like a night out and my brother really needed a free day which is why I had her on Saturday.

Today I had a fun day with my friend Marilyn, we went to Panera Bread for lunch - it wasn't bad - I had a yummy Moroccan Tomato Lentil soup and half a sandwich. Then we went to MGM Shoes - WOW I saw a pair of Kenneth Cole pumps I could've killed for - unfortunately killing some one wouldn't have given me any money to buy them so I had to leave them, but it was hard really hard.

Tonight I am going to watch bad TV and work some more on my FBS. The additional skein of Cascade 220 I ordered to finish the stole I started in Utah has shipped so I am hopping it will come tomorrow so I can finish it and take it to Chicago with me.