Like lots of other people, I’m watching election returns tonight, but, how about a nice, knitting picture?

Sleeve #1 is now completely done, because not only is it knit, but all its ends are woven in. Sleeve #2 is making progress, and has all its ends (to date) woven in also.

You can also see that I’m using stitch markers to keep track of the increases. As much as I like the pretty, beaded stitch markers, these plastic “clip” ones are my go-to stitch markers because they’re just so darn versatile. I’m marking the increases as I make them, and I have “pending” increases lined up at the bottom, so that I know exactly how many I need to make–can’t lose count this way!

So, here’s Chappy’s crate with its cushy mattress and chin-resting bumpers around the edges, but he also gets a towel to snuggle into. I had taken it out on Monday to wash, but forgot to give him one last night, so the poor boy slept without a blanket all last night. As soon as I realized, naturally, I grabbed one of his towels from the linen closet and tossed it into the crate.

And, just as naturally, when Chappy walked into his crate later, he immediately tossed it OUT. But I don’t think he’s exactly opposed to the idea of using this towel, huh?

So. The election. You U.S. people DID vote, right?

It’s looking very encouraging for Obama right now, and can I just say how pleased I am about that? He comes across as smart, calm, thoughtful, personable, even-tempered … and that’s just so refreshing (especially after the last 8 years). I respect John McCain and admire his years of service, but I abhor the campaign he ran–nasty, scattered, uneven–and even worse, I did not like his VP pick.  I’m happy for Mr. McCain to continue to work in the Senate, I am grateful for all the work he’s done … but I want Obama to win. By a lot.

Without wanting to offend any of you Democrats out there (I’m a registered Independent, for the record), I confess that I’m a little worried about the thought of a Democratic President (yay!) with a House and a Senate that are ALSO both strongly Democratic (and with the House headed by Pelosi, a woman who scares me). The system has checks and balances built in for a reason, and while I like a lot of the things that the Democrats want to do, them running willy-nilly, unchecked is a frightening thought. My father is convinced that this means we’ll be a socialist country in four years, but, honestly, don’t ask me where he got that idea from. It won’t be THAT bad …but, still … worrying. But still–so happy this is looking so encouraging for Obama!

Now–for an interesting little juxtaposition. When there’s nothing “good” on television, Mom and I put in DVDs of tv shows on an ongoing, rotating basis. It takes us months to get through a single season of any series, because we’re only watching one episode every couple of weeks, and tonight–because we didn’t want to watch constant election returns–Quantum Leap was up. And tonight’s episode? Justice. The episode from 1965 when Sam leaps into a KKK member to prevent the lynching of a black man who is trying to get black men registered to vote. How incredibly appropriate. Not only is it an amazing episode, but it’s about not only voting RIGHTS for blacks, but about basic equality … And all this on the night when we elect (I hope) our first black President. Not just letting them vote, but … President. That’s huge. And that’s all pretty much in my lifetime. Okay, I wasn’t born until 1966, but still … Forty years ago, who would have expected that a black man would be in the running for (or the winner) President of the United States? That’s HUGE.

And, it will be so nice to have a President who can spontaneously use complete sentences (and pronounce “nuclear” correctly).

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning // 4 Comments »