No, no not the BLOG lights, silly!

The window lights!

See what we’ve got? Not just one set of vertical blinds, but TWO

So now we can cover up the Palladian window when the sun is blinding … which is most of the afternoon. Or when it’s particularly cold outside. So, yay for us!

It was kind of weird seeing people over there while standing on the second floor, though…

And Chappy is just exhausted. This installation thing really cut into his nap time, you know? And he’s not as young a puppy as he used to be…

Of course, he’s still probably tired from his long walk in the park on Saturday, the first time we’ve been there in MONTHS.

We were sad to see these trees had fallen, though. Mom called them the “huggy trees” because the two of them were so intertwined with each other. Together to the end (sniffle), though it looked like they brought four or five other trees down with them at the far end. It was like a mass suicide of trees. (Or murder suicide? I wonder who investigates this kind of thing for trees?)

• Tags: General • Permalink:Lights Out // 5 Comments »

It’s National Grammar Day again. You know, “March Fourth/Forth.”

What better way than to sing the theme song? “March Forth: The Grammar Song”

• Tags: General • Permalink:Grammar Day // 1 Comment »

I told you yesterday that I would tell you about my button-sorting yesterday.

I told you I bought some buttons at the new yarn shop yesterday. They each came in little plastic bags, which is good, and all, but those take up a lot more room in a button bin than loose buttons.

(And, yes, my button bin is a disposable leftover-food container. You got a problem with that?)

As we all know, loose buttons are fun to play with, but finding all the matching buttons can be, shall we say, tedious. So, an idea came to me.

I finally came up with a use for that evil Zephyr yarn that’s been lurking in my stash for going-on five years now.

I went through ALL my buttons and strung all the matching buttons together. I didn’t want to use sewing thread because I thought it wouldn’t be strong enough, but I needed a yarn that would be thin enough to fit through the button holes … not to mention easy enough to thread on a needle slim enough to fit. Lace yarn seemed perfect.

Each group is threaded on doubled-yarn. I cut a length of yarn, folded it in half, and threaded it onto the needle at the fold. Then I threaded each button onto the needle, and once they were all there, tucked the tip of the needle through the loop at the far end, and then tied a knot.

When put back in the button bin, sure they all look just as jumbled as before, but I can easily pull out each group of buttons. SO much easier.

Of course, it’s just fun playing with them, too. It’s like I suddenly have dozens of new (tiny) bracelets to wear.

• Tags: General • Permalink:Button Order // 5 Comments »

This was a rare treat–a new yarn shop to visit!

The Blue Purl, right on Main Street in Madison NJ. (Their website is going to be TheBluePurl.com, I was told, but wasn’t actually active yet–but here’s a nice review of the shop.)

I admit, I thought the front was a little off-putting–there’s nothing in the front window except some geometric wire and a sign on the window, so it almost didn’t look like it was open for business … but it is. And the moment you walk in? It’s just beautiful. Tons of space.

I really loved that you can walk around without tripping over displays and various kinds of clutter. The hardwood floors are gorgeous, the built-in yarn bins are beautiful, and the whole place was airy and just really classy. Nice yarns, too–Noro, Rowan, Debbie Bliss, Cascade, just to name a few–not to mention some smaller companies. They had a smallish book and needle selection, but, no problem. It’s a good start. Inventory is hard to come by when you first open, and they’ve only been open about two weeks. The owner (Maura) was really nice, as was the other person working there, Rebecca. (At least, I’m pretty sure the name was Rebecca.) I love it when people are FRIENDLY!

Did I buy something? Of course I did. This skein of gold/orange yarn. I’d say it was yellow, but it’s color name is “Orange You Glad” so we’ll compromise on saying gold. Also a few buttons … because I’m on a button kick.

Other than the yarn shop, Mom and I had coffee (really good coffee, actually) just up the block at a little coffee house called “Drip.” We stopped at Whole Foods to buy some coffee beans because their coffee is not only darn good but remarkably cheap–which isn’t something you can say about many things at Whole Foods.

We took Chappy for a walk–but no extra snow romping. The path to the little playground wasn’t shovelled and I really wasn’t up to trudging through 2-feet of snow in my sneakers to get him to the gate. He didn’t mind though, he was just so happy to be out of the house.

I spent most of the afternoon sorting through buttons … but I’ll tell you more about that tomorrow.

• Tags: General • Permalink:Rare Treat–A New LYS // 2 Comments »

Well, yay for me. I had a snow day today!

It’s hard to say for sure how much snow we got, but according to the news, the snowfall amount was 11″ yesterday, all of which was very wet and fell on warm ground, so that it condensed fairly quickly down into slush. But then it got cold, and windy, and we got probably another 10″ or so overnight.

So, I got up this morning and waited and waited for the phone to ring from work. (I’m the only one who knows how to change the phone message that tells the employees and customers that we’re closed.) The rule is that we’ll turn the bad-weather message on by 7:00. Well … no call. I got dressed, I made my breakfast, brewed the coffee and … 7:18, the phone rings.

Mom was relieved. She kept saying all through breakfast. “You’re not going to work.” “If we’re open, I’m going.” “There’s no way you’re going to work.” “I am if we’re open.” “You can’t get out of the driveway, you’re not going to work.” … And it’s true, getting out of the driveway would have been, um, hard since there was about a foot of snow out there.

Luckily, the bulk of the snow was over by then, and while it snowed on and off all day, there were moments of sun, too.

I spent some of my time working on my knitting. I decided that the cables I had yesterday were close but not quite right. So I tore the fronts out yet again (sigh) and restarted.

The only real difference is that I inserted a small, 2-stitch crossed cable between the 8-stitch cable at the front edge and the 6-stitch braid. I figure that gives enough difference for the eye, enough contrast. And this is it. I am NOT starting these again! (I hope.) Thank heaven this Black Water Abbey yarn is so darn sturdy.

I also worked on my book. At this point I’m mostly doing tweaks, checking the grammar, editing down some of the more wordy bits. (I know, the thought that I could be wordy is a shock.) I figure it’s darn close to being done … or at least, done enough to be seen by other sets of eyes. I really need to hear whether the story holds together as well as I think it does!

It sure turned into a pretty afternoon, but no, we did not go out for a romp today. Too tired from yesterday! Except for checking for the mail, I stayed in the house–a good, good thing.

• Tags: General • Permalink:Snow Day! // Add Comment »

And, yes, those front cardigan cables of yesterday are no more.

Unfortunately, for some reason, when I tried laddering-down to reknit one of the–thankfully the first one–there was a funky tangle that just wouldn’t come out. So I ended up ripping the fronts out altogether and starting fresh. I’m just very, very grateful that that tangle was on the FIRST side I tried to do, not the second!

I’ve got some links for you:

I’ve got a hilarious video for you (courtesy of Mom). Silent Monks singing the Hallelujah Chorus. (Yes, you heard me.)

How about this funny link about just how the creative process works (?)

And, for my fellow CHUCK fans? Holy wow, you must check out this Super-Preview created by the Chuck team just for Chuck fans. There are snippets in there coming from episodes as far out as episode #15. (We’re currently on #7 with #8 coming on Monday.) Man, I just love the internet.

Do you wish you had a light box for your photography, but just can’t afford one? Don’t want to struggle with cardboard boxes, paper and tape? Well, how about this? A lightbox made from standard office supplies–paper and binder clips.

This recipe for granola bars sounds wonderful … and I’m not even usually a fan of granola bars.

• Tags: General • Permalink:Yes // Add Comment »

Okay, I need an opinion.

Here, as you know, is the center cable on the back of my Aran.

Now, my thought was to take this same exact cable and split it in half where the two front halves meet.

But I’m not sure if I like the way it looks. I don’t hate it, but I don’t know that I love it, either.

What do you think?

I don’t really want to tear out everything, but I COULD drop down these 8 stitches and knit up a different cable at the front edges, but certainly, now is the time to decide.

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Opinion, Please? // 11 Comments »

I had a rare day today … I did almost nothing.

Oh, sure, I cooked breakfast, and I started the pot roast for dinner. We took Chappy for a walk. But other than that? I read. I watched a couple movies. I actually did some spinning for the first time in weeks.

It was really a refreshingly lazy day. I didn’t even do any writing … well, some. I did the Wordpress upgrade for all three of my blogs and somehow, my most recent review at Knitting Scholar disappeared. My “Aran Sweater Design” review that I posted on Wednesday just … poof. Gone. All I had left was the draft from the week before which basically just spelled out the title/author/publisher-type stats, but without any of the pictures or the actual REVIEW.

So, I quickly rewrote it, or tried to. You know as well as I that re-treads are never as good as originals, but I did at least try. At least there’s a review! (grin)

Mom and I went to the bookstore yesterday, where I finally used my Borders Christmas gift card. Along with the buy-one-get-half-off-another offer at the store, the 30%-off-one-item coupon I got online, and the gift card, I ended up with four new books for only $20 and change. Yay for me! (Because you know how I love new books.)

I even baked a pie this weekend, though I took it out of the oven about 5-10 minutes too soon–the bottom crust is a little, um, soft. The crust, incidentally, is Pillsbury–because you know pie crust and I don’t get along.

The only real downside to the day? I still haven’t gotten that nap…

• Tags: General • Permalink:Lazy Day // 4 Comments »

Here’s the progress on my sweater. I’ve got the back done down to the armholes (8.5″), and just started the two fronts. And, yes, I know. It looks like it’s one, big piece, but in fact, those are two, separate fronts. They just meet in the middle on the needle. The fronts look like they’re a lot wider than the back, too, which I’m a little concerned with. I mean, there are a couple more stitches solely because of the selvedge for the button bands … but of course, once the button bands are added, the fronts will be wider still …

So, anyway. I’ll give this some thought before I knit any further, in case I want to do something different  for the two, center-most cables for the front.

I’ve been unusually quiet this week, which I blame on the Olympics. I’ve spent way too much time tweeting about them while watching instead of, well, doing anything else. It’s remarkably fun, tweeting live while watching something that millions of other people are watching at the exact same time.

Chappy doesn’t mind–just as long as I’m where he can keep his eye on me.

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Aran Progress // 4 Comments »

This has been one, dedicated balloon. It should look familiar. My sister brought it for MY birthday back in November, and not only did it last through the month of November into Christmas, but it made it through Dad’s birthday in January AND Mom’s in February.

Talk about value for your balloon dollar.

But, yes, yesterday was Mom’s birthday. (Go wish her a happy birthday!). She was feeling guilty (!) about the fact that I was cooking dinner and making dessert, so she sent Dad out for donuts for breakfast. It turns out that it’s Dunkin Donuts’ birthday, too, so their cups already said Happy Birthday on them … though, Mom tweaked the year on hers.

Then, we waited for the family to arrive. Can I just say that I love it when Chappy sits UNDER the desk to watch out the window?

When the chair is in JUST the right place, he can see out without getting a crick in his neck, but looking backwards (like, say, if someone’s taking your picture?), he’s got to duck.

And yes, I think he IS silly, but wouldn’t change a thing.

We had beef stew for dinner (Mom’s choice), and homemade breadsticks from my sister. Then at least some of us settled down to a good game of Sorry. (I think it’s cute that Chappy wanted to play, don’t you?)

Then there was cake and presents. (Well, little individual ice cream cakes–brownies on the bottom, raspberry jam, and vanilla ice cream.) And the present? Mom was SO surprised that I gave her my Redhook! She really, really loved that sweater when she saw the finished product–little knowing I was planning on giving it to her.

And, naturally, I used the buttons that she liked the best. It seemed only right!

I’m not participating in the Knitting Olympics this time around. I won my Gold Medal in 2006, so I’m good. But I AM working on my new sweater anyway. This is the “replacement” for my Celtic Dreams, using the reclaimed yarn when I ripped out that sweater last month.

We had the extra fun, too, of our water being turned off for a couple hours. Two Fridays ago, they were supposed to turn it off to replace some kind of building-wide valve to improve water pressure–but they didn’t. Then they rescheduled for last Friday, but, well, there was too much snow on the ground, so that didn’t happen either … meaning all the extra pitchers and thermoses of water Mom filled turned out to be unnecessary.

But then, this morning? 9:00 on the dot, just as I was making my breakfast … no water. But we never got a notice that it would happen today! Luckily, it was only off for about two hours, so that wasn’t too bad. (Though I wouldn’t have drunk my usual, large glass of water at 8:30 if I’d known!) But still … you have to wonder why they’d reschedule to a day when schools and at least some businesses are closed, but not actually tell people?

Chappy, meanwhile, wants you all to know that he’s tired! Not only did he have to be cute and charming and generally entertaining yesterday while the family was here … with barely a nap to boost his energy levels … but he’s got to watch after me today, because I’m lucky enough to have the day off from work. This means that he IS getting plenty of nap time, but there are more trips up and down the stairs.

Finally, I want you to know how smart Chappy is. The other day, when Dad and I were taking him for a walk and regretting the loss of a yard for him to romp in the snow in … because you KNOW how much he loves romping in the snow! I said that I DID think that we might be able to use the playground up the street. It’s fenced in and doesn’t have any “no dogs allowed” signs, and they don’t shovel it out, so … why not? But that was the other day, on a lunchtime-from-work walk so we didn’t have time to stop.

Today, we were walking past it and suddenly Chappy PULLED me across the street over to the playground. In the three months we’ve been here, we have literally been there ONCE, and Chappy was never off-leash. We haven’t even walked on that side of the street or peered in the gates since. Until today, the first walk he’s had since Dad and I had that conversation, when he insisted.

I tell you, dogs know a LOT more than we give them credit for. How else do you suppose they’ve trained us so well?

Because, yes, like a good, well-trained Mom, I took his leash off and threw snowballs for him. He loved every minute of it and practically skipped the rest of the way home, he was so happily prancing.

Man, I really do love my dog.

• Tags: General • Permalink:Valentine Weekend // 5 Comments »

So, I’d say we got about a foot of snow, though I haven’t actually measured it. I’m more or less estimating from what’s piled on the chair seats out there.

The answer to yesterday’s question? Yes, I had to go to work this morning. Yes, the office was open. Yes, it was snowing. There were about 3 inches of snow on the ground when I woke up, but when the phone rang at 6:55 … the message we needed on the phone was “Open, but we’ll be closing early.”

So … I headed to work. I got there right on time and was the third person to arrive. Usually there are about eight people there. But, no matter … except that there were only the three of us for the next 45 minutes, and when more people arrived? There were a total of SEVEN of us in the office today. You know, instead of the usual 35 or so.

Anyway, judging by the way the snow is piled on the chair seats, I’d say we got about a foot of snow, altogether. It snowed all day but, at least at this point, we didn’t get the wind they had said we would. So … snow, but not blizzard conditions.

Chappy wants you to know that, at lunchtime, the snow was knee-deep out there.

This afternoon, I did a little baking–tried a recipe for Maple-Corn Biscuits because, for whatever reason, snowy days make me want to bake. I did some writing. Wasted time online. (And don’t even try to tell me that you’ve never done that.)

Oh, and my sweater? I wasn’t perfectly happy with the cable arrangement, and I hadn’t realized that two of the cable charts had an extra purl stitch at the edges, which threw off the symmetry. So … I frogged this little bit and am starting over again.

The saddles, by the way? They’re remnants of the original Celtic Dreams. I kind of like the idea of them being in the new version, too!

Isn’t my boy gorgeous, all sparkly with snow flakes, and yearning to be back outside in the snow?

• Tags: General • Permalink:Foot // 3 Comments »

This is what our day is looking like for tomorrow. See where the “of” is for the “Worst of the storm?” That’s us. Right near the top of the “o.”

I am SO hoping they decide to close the office. The official policy? “We are a service company and unless the state declares a state of emergency or starts closing roads, assume we will be open, but use your discretion and feel free to use a vacation day if you need to.”

The actual forecast? Snow starting around midnight, but the heaviest snow between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm, with winds up to 35-45 mph and blizzard conditions. Fun! And, sure, I COULD use a vacation day, but … unlike most of my co-workers, I have a (blessedly) short commute. About 3 miles, 10 minutes on a normal day, and I usually feel that if the people with longer, tougher commutes can make it, my Volvo and I have no excuse. So … yeah, if the office is open tomorrow, I’ll be there.

On the plus side, I get to be one of the very first people to know whether we’re open, because I’m in charge of the phone message, the one that all my coworkers call to find out if we’re open, so I’m the second or third person to know. The fun part, since the “weather message” gets turned on at 7:00, is maneuvering through the voice mail system and, more importantly, recording the relevant message when I’ve been awake for all of 10 minutes!

• Tags: General • Permalink:Forecasting // 6 Comments »

Well, I’m trying to come up with cables for my aran cardigan, and I think these are the ones that I’m going to use. I’m going to use the same top-down, saddle construction that I used for the original Celtic Dreams (and, in fact, am using the exact same saddles), but these cables instead, with some spacing added in between. Hopefully it will actually fit this time…

And, you’ve got to love cameras and computers that make playing with cables this way possible. Now, I just need to see how it looks in real life.

Otherwise? Quiet weekend, after Friday’s excitement. Unlike the people a little further south, we got practically NO snow, to Chappy’s chagrin. There was about 1/2″ (if that) on Saturday morning, and that was IT.

Mom and Dad went to a surprise 70th birthday party last night, though, and had a great time, while Chappy and I had the house to ourselves for hours. That’s the first time that’s happened since we moved in! There had been one afternoon in November, a week or two after we moved, but I spent that unpacking and moving books. Otherwise, I haven’t had the house to myself for more than a few hours at a time at most, and that’s never been at night before, so that was nice. I adore my parents, but it’s a treat to be alone in the house once in a while.

Chappy, of course, disagrees. He says we’re ALL supposed to be home, with him, at all times, and wonders why the world isn’t set up in such a way as to make that possible.

Thanks to the magic of Twitter, I just saw this photo. The caption is “Blizzard + Ingenuity = Win” which pretty much covers it. Brilliant and funny … especially for Superbowl weekend! (Thankfully for them, it looks like a basement door.)

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Cables // 1 Comment »

So, Mom and I went into New York today to visit the Titanic Artifact Exhibition. This is, not surprisingly, an exhibit of actual pieces salvaged from the ocean floor. Jewelry, dinnerware, ship’s whistles. Eyeglasses. Cosmetic cases. Watches. Wallets. A pair of shoes. The compass from the bridge. Money. Letters, stamps. A sink from a first class cabin. Along with these real items, there are some set pieces–a replica of a third class cabin, or a section of a first class cabin. A hallway set up to look like one of the real ones.

When you get there, you get a boarding pass for the trip.

On the back is the name and details of one of the passengers. My boarding pass belonged to Nora Hogarty, an 18-year old on her way to becoming a nun. Mom’s was a Catherine Jenson, mother of two.

When you get to the end of the exhibit, they have a list of who lived, who died, and sadly, Nora didn’t make it. (Mrs. Jenson did, though she suffered from TB, so who knows how long she lived afterward.)

Also at the Discovery Times Square location was an exhibit for “Leonardo Da Vinci’s Workshop,” which was fascinating. Pages from his notebooks, sketches, preliminary work for some of his paintings. But, even better? 3-D models of some of his most ingenious inventions. A Robot Soldier, for heaven’s sake. A mechanical Lion designed to walk up to the King of France and present him a gift. A mechanical kite designed for men to fly. All very, very cool. I wanted to play with all of them! But, unfortunately they had “Do Not Touch” signs all over the place. They did have interactive touch-screen computer models, though so you could see how it all fit together, get closer looks at some of his masterpieces like the Mona Lisa–including a representation of what the colors probably looked like before they faded with age. Very, very fun.

And, here, see? Proof that I was in Times Square. (That’s the Army recruitment booth there on the right, with a facsimile of the US flag in lights.) But, see that Pepsi 2010 add?

I’m not crazy for seeing the name of my favorite little boy there, am I?

While we were walking through Times Square, looking for someplace for lunch, we were stopped by these two lovely ladies. The one on the left, Catherine Birndorf, has a book coming out (co-written with Lucy Danziger), and they were asking people if they could ask a few questions for a book trailer they’re working on. How nifty is that?

The book is called “The Nine Rooms of Happiness: Loving Yourself, Finding Your Purpose, and Getting Over Life’s Little Imperfections,” and is a guide to helping women deal with the inbalances in their lives. Or, well, something like that. It’s hard to get a clear description while standing on a street corner, but the idea is that we each have metaphorical emotional rooms, Living room for socializing, Family room for family, the basement which is under everything and stands for our past … all that … and that sometimes even when you think you’re focused on one “room,” you may be stuck in another, one that’s throwing your balance off.

Anyway, they were both very nice, and we enjoyed chatting with them. They seemed to like Mom and me, too, which is always a good thing.

Anyway, we took the train in from Penn station. Dad had dropped us off at the station this morning, which is good, because the train is my favorite way to get into the city. (For the many times I GO into the city, of course.) True, taking a bus directly to Port Authority would have been closer, but it’s not like it was THAT long a walk. Luckily, it wasn’t freezing cold, either. Not yet snowing. Not windy (thankfully). It was just … normally cold, so the walk was perfectly reasonable.

And, as usual, somebody stopped me to ask for directions. It’s uncanny, but it happens almost every time. I’m told that I have a distinctive walk, determined, like I know exactly where I am and where I’m going. When I spent a semester in London in college, I had somebody ask me for directions there on my first day there (and yes, I actually knew the answer). I find it intriguing.

Or maybe it’s just my eye-catching orange hat? It’s proof that I was there, though, and taken by Mom, while we were playing “catch me if you can” with her and her camera on one side of this pole, and me on the other. She finally said, “Oh, just peek around,” so I did. She did the same for me to take her picture, but like just about every picture of her these days, she HATES it (sigh). (Honestly, we all understand about good and bad photos, but she hates even the good ones.) But, anyway, I’m not posting it because I want her to continue speaking to me. She was definitely there, though.

Oh, and as usual, the train ride was great for my sock knitting. This sock? I finished turning the heel last night and was literally two rows past the heel when I got on the train … and now look. That’s about half a leg, there! So, yay for me.

Okay, I should go spend some time with my boy. He really missed me today. Dad reports that he spent most of the day sitting by the garage door, instead of hanging out downstairs with Dad, or curled up on his pillow like usual. He even convinced Dad to take him to the train station to pick us up. Such a happy tail! He was sooooo glad to see us, and he has kept close to me ever since. Poor guy … he hates it when his family is unaccounted for.

• Tags: General • Permalink:I Died // 8 Comments »

Just when you thought the story couldn’t get worse than the knitting-less needles that have left me with no knitting to do for several nights now. (Well, except for that sock.) Just when you thought things couldn’t get scarier…

You discover that evil is lurking everywhere.

Even an innocent coffee cup.

I bring my coffee to work every morning in this stainless steel thermal mug. It sits on the counter overnight, and each morning, while brewing my coffee, I warm up the mug with boiling water, so that my coffee will stay hotter longer, since I can’t abide warmish coffee.

So, this morning, I went about my usual routine. Made my oatmeal, fed Chappy, and then prepared my coffee. I dumped out the hot water, poured in the coffee, cream, and sugar and screwed on the lid.

Then I flipped the seal over on its hinge, to hold in the coffee.

There was a BUG lurking under the seal.

On lid of my coffee cup. While I was screwing it onto the mug.

What would have happened if I hadn’t sealed the mug, but had instead decided to take a sip? The bug and I would have been eye-to-eye. Or it might have fallen down my shirt (eek!). Or scurried off over my hand to get away, causing me to drop the coffee on poor Chappy’s head.

I don’t like bugs, mind you, but I’m not THAT squeamish about them. But … this was a little too close for comfort. Did that bug climb up the coffee cup to the lid and sit there all night? Did it creep across the counter while I was stirring my oatmeal? How long was it there? What was it doing? Why?

I’ll tell you what it was doing. It was lurking, lying in wait for some nefarious reason.

Well!

The aftermath?

I was very calm. Sure, it startled me. I flipped the seal over on my coffee, saw the bug, and said, “Oh!” as I pulled my hands away and stepped back.

“What?” asked both my parents.

“There’s … a BUG on my coffee cup.”

“What? Where?” Mom jumped up and came running over. Meanwhile, the bug hadn’t moved (it was probably dizzy from its ride while I screwed the lid onto the mug). I flicked it off the cup and into the sink.

Mom started doing her Bug Dance. “Ohmigod! What are we going to do? Kill it! It’s moving. It’s escaping!” She grabbed a huge handful of paper towels and … I’m not sure if she squished it or just laid them on top … but by then she was waving her hands in the air and calling my Dad, who was calmly trying to eat his bagel … not easy to do when you’re laughing at your wife’s antics. I, on the other hand, was standing there, holding my coffee cup, trying to tell them exactly where the bug had been, how CLOSE it had been, so that they would properly appreciate how calm I was, not throwing the mug across the room or freaking out.

All in all, it was a pretty exciting moment. And just thinking about Mom’s bug dance makes me feel like laughing. Mom is VERY entertaining when there are bugs around. Or snakes.

Oh, and the kind of bug? I’m not sure. Dad said a water bug (coffee bug)? We obviously have them around, though, because I found one ON Chappy’s water dish the other day. Right on the rim, right where my thumb would go when I pick it up to fill it. That was startling enough, but, you know, that was on the FLOOR. That’s completely different. Finding a bug on the floor (or, well, two inches up, on your dog’s dish rim) isn’t THAT unusual. Finding one that apparently wants to share your coffee? Definitely unexpected.

Something else that’s unexpected?

You’ll never guess what I’m doing tomorrow.

Mom and I are going into New York.

That may not seem that unusual. We only live about 35 miles outside the city, after all, right? Except … I really don’t like New York very much. It’s a crowd thing, I can’t abide crowds.

Mind you, there are some wonderful things in the city, and don’t think I don’t know that. But I also don’t like traffic. I’ve never once in my life driven into the city. The closest I’ve come was driving over the George Washington bridge the one and only time I’ve been to Long Island. I get claustrophic on buses (because, again the crowd thing), and just generally don’t like to go. I have had good times once I’ve made it into the city and am wherever it is I needed to be … the theater, the museum, the office, whatever. But the idea of going in and just walking around? That’s like going to the dentist.

In fact, you folks know exactly how long it’s been since I’ve been to New York. Almost exactly four years, since I went in on business on January 31, 2006. Before that? It had been 6 years. That had been while Katy was alive, and we went in to see a Broadway show. (“Annie Get Your Gun,” which I hated, even if it did have Bernadette Peters in it. The rest of the family loved it, though, and Mom and Dad even went to see it again with my sister and their grandkids when Reba McIntyre took over.)

Anyway, you can see that this is a highly unusual thing for me. So, it’s got to be something big that draws me in there, right?

Well, yeah, in its way. Titanic, even.

Because, that’s where we’re going–to see the Titanic Artifacts exhibit at the Discovery center (or museum, or whatever it’s called) in Times Square. It’s been there since the summer, and I’ve wanted to go, but kept putting it off. The exhibit ends in a few weeks, though, so time is of the essence.

Besides, this is by nature of a reward for finishing the draft of my book. (Did I tell you that I had the second draft done? In only one month after finishing the first one–talk about record time!) Since the book is called “After Titanic,” seeing actual pieces from the real thing is definitely an inspiring idea, don’t you think?

(And, don’t think I don’t appreciate the irony that I’m doing something I compare to going to the dentist as a “reward.”)

• Tags: General • Permalink:Evil Lurks // 5 Comments »

It’s the 5th Annual Blogger’s Silent Poetry Reading. I’ve participated in 2006, 2007, 2008, and last year gave you the Very Special Treat of sharing one of my own poems with you. it went over so well, I thought I’d try it again. It’s a rare, rare thing, so … I hope you like it!

Mourning After
by Deb Boyken

Finally, I stand, my feet firm on the shore,
And look back as the waves of grief lap at my toes.

I successfully navigated the waters, finding air
For my gasping lungs, as the tempest washed over my head.

Yet I fought my way through the waves, leaving
My battered heart no choice but to strive with the rest of me.

I struggled to the beach, victorious but weary, uncaught by
The undertow of despair dragging at my heels.

Looking back at the horizon, I see wave after wave
Baring white teeth which can no longer touch me.

Grief waits, poised to dissolve the sand beneath my feet,
But I’ve charted its greater depths, and ‘ware its watery tricks.

Still, it calls me, sussurrating in the wind, tempting me,
Promising to fill my ears, my mind, with waters of wistful memories.

I stand unmoving, my feet firmly planted on the sands of life,
My hardest challenge now to turn away.

Hmm, interesting… it’s been a while since I read this one.

• Tags: General • Permalink:Poetry // 2 Comments »

I finally figured out where to put my blocking board. If I clear off the table in my little room/office, I can balance it on the top. It’s not a terrible fit, either–it’s larger than the table, but only by about about 5″ on each side, so while a little inconvenient, it at least works.

Of course, I don’t know what I’m going to do the first time I have a lace shawl to block–those never fit entirely on the blocking board, so that’s going to be interesting…

Of course, this means I was finally able to block my ribbed-cabled cardigan that I finished last month. The poor thing has been waiting for weeks and weeks to get its final wash.

My orange sweater is blocking, too–laid on a towel on the cedar chest. I had recently torn out the button bands that had stopped halfway up, because I was never happy with that. So I just reknit them, finishing them last night. So, that’s drying now, too.

After I had laid everything out and sat down to rest, I glanced over … the blocking board was just as eye level. (You folks know I sit on the floor when I’m using my computer, right?), and I loved the ripple the ribbed edge made.

Now, I just need to pick out the buttons.

On the plus side, it’s not going to take long for these to dry. Not only did I spin most of the water out in the washing machine, so they’re damp/wet, not sopping, but … it’s warm up here! We joke that this townhouse is a Goldilocks house… the downstairs is too cold, the upstairs is too warm, and the middle is juuuust riiiiight. And on days like today, when it’s really cold outside (like, 20 degrees) so that the heat is on a lot? The upstairs is extra warm. In fact, I’m sitting here right now in jeans and a tank top, having shrugged off my sweater. When I get up to go down to the kitchen for lunch, I’ll grab it, but for now? Too warm for a sweater.

Yes, I know, it’s weird. And we’re all a little worried about what’s going to happen this summer, if the heat rises this dramatically–especially with that huge window of ours.

In fact, we’re trying to figure out what to do about that window. It’s beautiful, but it’s HUGE, and it lets in way too much sun in the afternoon. (As in, it’s blinding in the kitchen.) Not only that, since that’s a large amount of glass, it’s letting too much cold air in now and is going to make things extra hot in the summer.

We’re desperately trying to think of something we can do to cover this window enough to (1) cut down the glare, (2) add some thermal protection, (3) still let in some light because we like the whole natural-light thing, and (4) won’t be too expensive.

This is harder than it might seem. First, the three of us all have different ideas on what will or won’t work, or how it shoul be done. And, second … even if we agree on a drape or blind or something, installation is going to be HARD. This window is about level with the second floor, so it’s HIGH. Even if we owned a ladder–which we don’t–there’s no way it would be tall enough to reach ABOVE the window to hang, say, a drapery rod. And that’s assuming you could find the floor space to put the ladder, because we have almost none, and our huge behemoth of an unmovable tv is in the corner right in front of the window. We can’t move it even an inch. Even if we find some affordable kind of cover that we can all agree on? Installation is going to cost a fortune …

I don’t suppose any of you have any ideas, huh?

And now? Do you realize that I don’t have any knitting projects? I’m still trying to find a pattern for all that lovely Black Water Abbey yarn I unravelled, but … haven’t found one. Which means that the only thing I’ve got to knit right now is the sock in my purse (yawn).

• Tags: Finished Knitting, General • Permalink:Knitting Horizons // 4 Comments »

I can’t tell you how much fun I had, having a Chuck-watching contest, and I want to thank everybody who humored me and gave my favorite show a try!

1. What snack was Chuck gorging on during his depression? Cheese Balls (apparently a Buy More specialty)

2. How many times was Chuck knocked unconscious in the first episode? Four times, including being drugged into submission. Once in Prague on General Beckman’s orders, once when Sarah slapped him on the dance floor, once when they were ambushed at the Buy More, once in his prison cell when he couldn’t flash to defend himself.

3. What instrument did Chuck play on stage? Guitar–pretty much any answer with this word in it was right, since I’m not really up on the various mariachi/flamenco guitar nuances.

4. What were Sarah and her friend Carina doing when they bumped into Chuck? Clubbing, out for a drink, girl’s night out… just generally having fun.

5. How did Chuck get the briefcase out of the vault? There was quite a sequence of events here, Chuck flashed on the security system and then did some truly amazing acrobatics to get to the far side of the vault. Though, technically, he didn’t get the briefcase out of the vault at all–he got cocky at the end and sprang the alarm so that Sarah had to come to his rescue.

6. Did Jeff and Lester try to help Morgan out at his party? Or did they just mock? And were they successful? A shocker, of course, but they mocked. And mocked. And mocked. They did take steps at one point to try to bring down the numbers of men who came in with Carina, but that was mostly out of selfish motives so they’d have a better chance with the women, than to help Morgan in any  way. They were, of course, wildly unsuccessful.

7. Who looked the best at that embassy dinner? Chuck? Sara? Awesome? Ellie? (Really, there’s no wrong answer to this one.) Seriously. No wrong answer to this one … though I deliberately left Casey off the list because, handsome though he is, he wasn’t at his sartorial best that night. (He has yet to top his diving off a balcony-while-tied-to-a-chair-in-a-tux outfit.) Besides, technically, he wasn’t at the dinner–not until he crashed it.

8. What color was Sarah’s dress, while she was dancing with Chuck? Sparkly silver/gray/pewter.

9. How did they save the dictator? By the unwilling blood donation from AB-negative Casey … despite the fact that he had already passed out from lack of blood himself. Seems unreasonably risky, but hey, the man was a FORMER stinking commie dictator.

10. What do you think happened to Awesome at the end of the episode? Obvious from the next-week scenes, and of course, it’s two weeks ago now, but yes, the man was kidnapped because they thought that HE was the super-spy, not Chuck. (“Because one looks like a spy, and one looks like, well, Chuck.”)

So, who is the winner?

I used Random.org to pick a random number and, honest to God, the winner is #1, Jennifer Shival. Congratuations, Jennifer!

• Tags: General • Permalink:Chuck Winner! // 4 Comments »

I was starting to think the button band was going to take forever.

I started the sweater back in December, and the button band-slash-collar took me about a week. Insane, right?

Now I just need to pick a button. These are just a few of the ones in my button collection. Some, you’ve seen before. And yes, I actually do have a favorite from these.

Oh, and my Chuck contest? I’m working on picking the winner, and was all set to go, but my printer won’t print out the list of entrants. I don’t really want to write them all out just to be able to pick the winner. I could just assign a number to each one and use a random number generator, but where’s the fun in that? Though, honestly, that’s probably what I’m going to do. Just not right this minute.

Right now? Back to work on my book. I’ve got all my plot holes plugged. I drew an Excel sheet with a row for each character, a column for each day and plotted out everything I had happening, and made sure that, character-for-character, I wasn’t missing anything (too) obvious. Because I knew I was missing some things, and was afraid of dropping others … or of things happening too soon/too late … it was easier at this point just to plot the whole thing out. (“Oh, okay, I need a scene that explains why the reporter knows what Adam wrote in his school essay.” “What if his classmates gave him a gift that proved that he had friends and really was happy in that school? Then, how do I make sure the lawyers know about it?” Stuff like that.)

Then I went back and moved some chapters around and added a few so that the holes weren’t so ankle-twisting for the readers.

So, I’m kind of calling it Second Draft now, and it clocks in at 93,696 words.

Next step–reading through the whole thing again, this time watching for continuity errors, grammar-and-spelling type things, and filling in some of the details for some of the newer chapters that are, at the moment, mostly dialogue. I love writing dialogue, but sometimes forget to have my characters DOING things while they’re talking!

• Tags: Finished Knitting, General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Finally! // 4 Comments »

Hi, everyone, it’s Chappy, and I have a friend who needs your help.

Okay, I haven’t actually gotten to meet her yet, but her name is Lucia, but everyone calls her Lucy. She’s lucky enough to live with Susan and Erin and Paige at Juniper Moon Fiber Farm. (Actually, that’s another confusing thing because there used to be the Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm because it was on the Vineyard, and then there was the Hudson Valley Fiber Farm too (which I kind of liked because it was a shorter drive and I don’t like the car), but, anyway, now Susan and her farm is in Virginia and called Juniper Moon. I’m not entirely sure where it is, but the pictures look like fun.)

Anyway–the help part.

Last night, Lucy was hit by a car.

I know! It’s awful. My sister Katy was killed by a car, you know, which worked out kind of good for me because that’s why Mommy needed a puppy when I came along, but it was still really sad. And even sadder, Susan at the whatever-you-call-it Fiber Farm lost of her dog Biscotti to car just over a year ago, too. (I know, the idea just makes me want to howl.)

But, here’s the point.

Sick Lucy

Last time we heard, Lucy was still alive, but having trouble breathing because her lungs are bruised (which just sounds painful, and Mom says she can only imagine how much that must hurt). The vet wanted to keep her on oxygen to help for several days, but it was too expensive.

So, there are two things you can do.

1. Say a prayer for Lucy. Or send good thoughts, or good vibes, or whatever you want. But, send some positive energy her way. Like I said, I haven’t met her yet, but she is a GOOD dog and she’s only a few months old and just shouldn’t die. Puppies just aren’t supposed to die, especially when they are so cute and lovable–not to mention loved. And hard-working!

2. Help pay the vet bills. Susan said that she doesn’t want to ask, that she hates to ask, but the bills from Lucy’s rush to the vet last night–and then the transfer to the second, more-expensive vet–wiped out her bank account. Now, I don’t know pretty much anything, but I know that bank accounts are necessary for things like food and collars and biscuits and chew toys and treats. And food. So I know it’s important.

This is what Susan said:

If you’d like to make a small donation to help with Lucy’s vet bills, you can send it via Paypal to susangibbs1 AT mac DOT com. We are all so very grateful for the thoughts, prayers and kind words you are sending to Lucy and to us.

But I definitely know that sending prayers can only help, and that if you can spare even just $5 to help pay for the costs of keeping that sweet puppy alive long enough for me to meet her and play with her, that would help, too. (And yes, I realize that would mean I’d have to ride for something like six and a half hours in the car. And be near the sheep again, who hopefully aren’t as mean as the goats were last time I saw them.)

Oh, and for any other dogs out there reading this? If your Mom or Dad needs to give you an extra hug, you should probably let them. Mom didn’t think it was funny when I played the “I’ve got a toy, keep away” game when she came home at lunch. Go figure.

• Tags: Chappy, Family, General • Permalink:Plea for an Injured Puppy // 6 Comments »

Don’t forget–I extended the deadline for my CHUCK contest–there’s still time to enter!

If you’ve forgotten–these are the prizes.

Oh, and while you’re watching, if you get hungry, I’ve got to tell you, this is one of the best, easiest tomato sauce recipes I’ve ever seen. A can of tomatoes, an onion (cut in half), and butter. So simple, so yummy!

• Tags: General • Permalink:Don’t Forget the Contest! // 1 Comment »

Well, finally. For the first time since August, I got a haircut yesterday. How badly did I need it?

Here’s what it looked like yesterday before the cut.

Actually, it’s been so long, it’s been tangling a lot, so I’ve been brushing it before my shower each night–and here’s what it looks like then:

Lots of hair! The minute you break up all those curl-clumps, every hair goes wild and you end up with frizz.

So, anyway, I got my hair cut. Now, my stylist–the one I found after several really bad cuts when my last regular hair-dresser disappeared from the old salon–is really wonderful, but she recently got a promotion, which means her haircuts are $20 more than they used to be, which I can’t really afford. But I like her, so I’m trying to make my cuts last even longer than before.

So, today, it’s much shorter.

Oh, but yesterday after the haircut? By the time she was done combing through it and doing all the cutting, trying to salvage any curl was pretty much impossible, so I let her blow it out .. making yesterday the first time my hair has been blown dry in, well, years.

I took a picture as soon as I got back to the car.

And one when I got home, figuring it wasn’t going to look like this, well, pretty much ever again.

(Oh, and more or less as soon as I took these pictures? I got out a headband to keep the hair out of my face!)

In other news, Mom has a cold again–her third since October. Because she didn’t feel well, I cooked supper for the three of us last night–beef stew and homemade biscuits. The stew (in all modesty, I make great stew). For whatever reason, though, the biscuits chose not to rise–but tasted good anyway.

I had been going to bake a cake, too, but it turned out that we were low on flour, so Dad said he’d run to the store this morning to pick some up … which he did. About 20 minutes later, though? A phone call. He had somehow lost his keys and needed me to come and bring him the spare keys. Okay… turns out, his had fallen out of his pocket INSIDE the car as he got out. (No, don’t ask me how. I don’t understand it, either.)

By the time I got home, though, Chappy was a little put out that I’d put a coat on and gone out without him, so he convinced me to go out for a quick walk. Good thing, too, because it’s now sleeting and raining outside and we would otherwise have missed the one opportunity to go. So, you know, silver lining.

Okay, back to working on my book!

• Tags: General • Permalink:Hair Today // 9 Comments »

How’d I miss that?

My 5th blogiversary was on Thursday, and I completely forgot.

Darn it. Five years.

That’s one thousand, eight hundred, ninety posts. 1,890.

Fourteen thousand, five hundred sixteen comments. 14,516.

And, my first real post? About getting Chappy’s picture taking, as well as some very pink spinning for yarn that I made for a friend’s birthday. That was about a month and a half after I started spinning, just about one month after I got my Kiwi to spin on.

It’s a pity the pictures are so mediocre, though. There’s no question that knit-blogging has been WONDERFUL incentive for me to improve my photography.

And, all of you, of course. Blogging would be pointless if it weren’t for the fact that you come by to read it. I’ve made a lot of friendships because of the blogging world, and it just wouldn’t be the same without you!

• Tags: General • Permalink:Blogiversary // 7 Comments »

It seems to me that I haven’t shown you a picture of my sweater in a while. I’ve got the two fronts done. (They’re wider than they look, they just curl a lot from the stockinette stitch.) Now I’ve just got the back to finish. Then, two cap sleeves and the button bands.

Chappy is keeping tabs on things for me. You know how he likes to supervise.

Some random stuff for you:

I can’t get this song out of my head, In-Flight Safety’s “Model Homes.” Wistful lyrics, lovely music.

How cool are these? “Grid-It” covered with interwoven elastic straps for storing, well, anything you might usually stash in your purse or briefcase … thumb drives, phones, headphones … all the little things that get lost in corners.

You DID know that Stephanie lit the Knit Signal, didn’t you? To raise money for those poor people in Haiti?

And … if you have a few more dollars to spare?

My best friend–you’ve heard me talk about Dawn lots of times is working on her Masters Thesis Film at the American Film Institute. Like most films, though, it requires money, and to be able to make it, she needs to prove to AFI that they’ll meet the budget. So … Can you help her out? All donors get listed in the credits of the film, and donations are tax-deductible.

The film is called “Big Ol’ Crouton” and the website is right here.

Here’s what she has to say:

Dear Friends,

I’m still working on fundraising. We need to get to $30,000 by next Friday (Jan 22) in order for AFI to allow us to do this film. We are halfway there. And so I am now offering:

The Dawn Green/Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Weekend “TWO FOR ONE” Film Fundraising Special!

Anyone who donates $50 or more to our film starting today (1/14) through Jan 18 (Dawn’s birthday) will receive TWO DVDs of our film and TWO HOURS of professional Italian Lessons with Dawn. Hours are transferable, so feel free to give them away as a gift to a friend! Go to www.croutonthefilm.com to donate now!

Times are tough right now. And as you know, when things get tough the arts get cut. AFI has had to cut back on the monetary assistance they give to us, and it’s more difficult than ever for AFI students to raise the money they need to make their films. I know that it might be a really bad time for you, too. I get it. I’ve been there myself. I want you to know that anything you have to contribute is truly appreciated. And even if you can’t give a monetary contribution at this time, your words of support truly mean everything to me. If you are on Facebook, become a fan of our page “Big Ol’Crouton”. Or give me call or drop me a line!

Regardless, please check out our website (http://www.croutonthefilm.com) for details on our film. If you are able to give money, you can donate either by check or credit card. Your contribution is tax deductible. Also, your company might offer matching funds (ask me about this, I have a list of companies).

All the best, Dawn

–  Dawn Green Producer, “Big Ol’ Crouton”

I know, there are other, more urgent demands on your money right now–especially the urgent need down in Haiti. Making a film may seem unimportant. But, still … How could I help but ask? At the very least, could you help spread the word?

• Tags: Friends, General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Progress Report // 2 Comments »

Okay, I’ve told you about the contest.

I’ve shown you the prizes.

And now the episodes have aired. You presumably have either (1) watched them, (2) recorded them to watch them later, or (3) have gone to hulu.com or NBC.com to watch them online. (Presumably iTunes, too, for that matter.)

Which brings us to the actual contest.

Answer the Following Questions:

1. What snack was Chuck gorging on during his depression?

2. How many times was Chuck knocked unconscious in the first episode?

3. What instrument did Chuck play on stage?

4. What were Sarah and her friend Carina doing when they bumped into Chuck?

5. How did Chuck get the briefcase out of the vault?

6. Did Jeff and Lester try to help Morgan out at his party? Or did they just mock? And were they successful?

7. Who looked the best at that embassy dinner? Chuck? Sara? Awesome? Ellie? (Really, there’s no wrong answer to this one.)

8. What color was Sarah’s dress, while she was dancing with Chuck?

9. How did they save the dictator?

10. What do you think happened to Awesome at the end of the episode?

We need rules, of course:

Number One Rule: Send me your answers via email, to contestATchappysmomDOTcom. Do NOT put your answers into the comments.

Number Two Rule: Whoever gets the most questions right (or ties with the most correct answers) will be eligible … and since the questions are going to be pretty simple if you watched, so there are really no excuses.

Number Three Rule: Of the eligible entries (that is, the ones with the correct answers), I will randomly select one winner. The two yarn-y prizes will be shipped by yours truly, and Glory will send the Blu-Ray disk set she’s so generously offering directly.

Number Four Rule: The deadline for entries is Friday at noon, EST. This gives you plenty of time to watch the episodes if you haven’t yet (or you want to watch them again). Although, I might extend this through the weekend to give people a little more time to watch…

So … what are you waiting for?

• Tags: General • Permalink:The Chuck Contest! // 7 Comments »