CJ's Excellent Thanksgiving Weekend Adventure!

Whoo hooo! We survived folks! And CJ did GREAT!!

On the way up, she mainly hung out in her carrier...

But look at this view she had...

Of course, we get there to find this in the pet policy for the cabin rental...

Oops. Perhaps they should have stated that BEFORE folks got there! Just sayin'! ;)

And being the good law-abiding citizens we are, we did what everyone else would have done ... we snuck her in! (shhh .. don't tell! ;))

CJ's friends on the trip...

Friday,Penny sporting her head warmer (aka a fingerless glove gone bad), and Stella

Here CJ is viewing our sleeping quarters...

"We'll take this bed, mom."

She then wandered around to check things out. Safety first, ya know?!

Okay, emergency escape routes mapped ... she found time to sit and enjoy the view...

Her favorite part of the weekend .... the tons and tons of food....

"Mmmmm ... turkey!"

The ledge above my bed CJ thought would be fun to sit on...

...thereby giving me a heartattack what with this being the drop off the other side...

I, of course, took no pictures of her up there ... scared that the flash would startle her into falling (who me? Paranoid?? Pshahhhh! ;))

CJ supervising the chaos from the safety of the stairs...

"Ya'll are pigs ... just sayin'"

And finally, on the last day, this questioning look...

"Alright, I'm done. Can we go home now, mom?"

"Good, looks like you guys have done great on cleanup .. let's go!"

The drive home...

"So how does this driving thing work?"

"Okay, that key thing goes there..."

".....and this stick thing needs to be at the "D"...."

"...then you sit, look forward out this window, and put your paw like this ... got it..."

"Let me drive! Let me drive! Let me drive!"

"No? Well FINE ... I will lay here and block your view then until you give me a turn!"

"Seriously? You need a license to drive? SHEESH! Well then I'll lay over here. But just know I can take over in case of emergency, k??"

And there you have it. CJ's Excellent Thanksgiving Weekend Adventure!

Interesting Dryer Safety Tip

So I just received the following email from a friend this week* and thought I would share:

I had a wonderful morning, the heating unit went out of my dryer! Why does everything seem to fall apart this time of year!???

The guy that fixes things went in to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. We always clean the lint from the filter after every load of clothes. He told us that he wanted to show him something. He took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. Now, this thing is like a mesh - I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like - WELL......the hot water just laid on top of the mesh!!! It didn't go through it at all!!!

He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh and that's what burns out the heating unit. You can't SEE the film, but it's there. He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months. He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that???!!!! Learn something new everyday!

I certainly didn't know dryer sheets would do that. So, thought I'd share!

Note:

I went to dryer and tested my screen by running water on it. The water collected a little but ran though the screen. I dried it off and was ready to put it back in the dryer since the water ran through it but, I thought was the heck it won't hurt to wash it while I had it out. Warm soap water and a nylon brush and I had it done in 30 seconds.

I then ran the water over the screen and what a difference the water just gushed through it with no puddling at all and this time I was running the water at a faster rate. That repairman knew what he was talking about.

So I tested this out at home first before posting it here. Though my lint filter looked free of lint the water did pool a bit in the bottom. I just grabbed a hearty paper towel and scrubbed both sides of it real quick and then retested with the water. The water passed through afterwards without pooling. Hmmmm.

So that gives this safety tidbit Kat's Seal Of Approval! ;)

*this email isn't written by my friend. Just one of those emails making the forwarding circuit!

Let's talk turkey! ....

So, Thanksgiving ... tomorrow! Whoo hooo! I love Thanksgiving. Probably my favorite holiday. Which is only because I always have so much to be thankful for (true) and has absolutely nothing to do with the guiltless gorging on tons and tons of my favorite comfort foods (not true).

Nope, it's about the thankful. And errr, the pilgrims. And uh ... yeah ... not the hot dinner rolls slathered in butter. Nor T1's wonderful carmel apple salad (which involves snickers bars ... mmmmm). Nor piles of stuffing! And let's not forget the turkey and cranberry sauce!!! Oh, and hello! ... PIES!!!!!!

This year I'm gathering with friends up in a cabin in the mountains. Yep, 8 friends, two dogs, one oversized hyper puppy ... and as if that wasn't enough of a circus, I'm bringing ...... (*insert drum roll here*) ...CJ! HAHA! Yeah. She needs that dang pill everyday and I hatehatehate having to board her. So she's travelled well in the past (albeit WAYYY in the past) and I think she'll do okay after a day or so. (errr, guys, did I mention she does this plaintive wailing thing the first night she's somewhere strange? No. Oh, never mind.)

But really, thankfully she's an intelligent cat and doesn't scare very easy. So she'll wander around meowing for a bit and want to check out every nook and cranny of this cabin but should then settle in pretty well (errr, minus the second round of meowing and wandering she'll do again that first night. (shhhh, don't tell the gang! ;)). And I know she'll be okay with Penny and Friday because I've housesat them with CJ and Emma before. The only real unknown is Stella ... the puppy. CJ should be fine with her but the question will be "is Stella okay with CJ?". Given the choice, CJ will simply ignore her. Ya know, because Stella is merely a pet and CJ believes she is above mere pets! The problem is ... she may not have that choice. So we'll see. Wish us luck.

Anyway, it's going to be great! There will be much lounging in pajamas, and eating, and yapping, and relaxing, some board games, movie watching, wine, and, of course, knitting! Oh, and did I mention the eating?? May also squeeze in some skiing and hottubbing! Though both those involve changing outta the pajamas so may not happen in my case. We'll see!

But this four day jaunt also means I'll be off blogging for the weekend! So I'd like to wish you all a very, very happy Thanksgiving now while I can and stay tuned for a couple of more posts today of things I've stumbled across recently that I'll share with you before I go!

And while I'm gone I will take many pictures so when I get back I can let you know how the cat/dogs/puppy/8 people/1.5 bathroom weekend turned out!!! There are bound to be stories!! :)

Happy and safe Thanksgiving everyone!

I love you, Judge Cicconetti!

So apparently there is this judge in Ohio who will sentence criminals with unusual punishments.

For instance:

A woman abandoned 35 kittens in the woods (grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr) and so part of her sentence is to spend one night alone in the woods without food, water or entertainment!

Also:

He has ordered a man who hollered "pigs" to police officers to stand on a street corner next to a 350-pound pig with a sign that read, "This is not a police officer." (*snicker, snicker*)

After an 18-year old man stole some porn from an adult bookstore, the judge ordered him to sit outside the shop in a chair, wearing a blindfold, and holding a sign saying "See No Evil" so that passing traffic could see him.

Cicconetti punished a group of high school students who vandalized school buses by making them throw a picnic for a group of grade-school students whose outing was canceled because of the stunt.

A nanny accused of hitting a little boy with a belt was given a folder of articles on the consequences of child abuse, and compelled to read them all, and then discuss them with in the courtroom in front of the judge and the victim's mother, as spectators looked on. Afterwards, the mother agreed to no jail time for the nanny.

Of course, apparently the alternative punishments don't always work. Like in this case:

A man who ran from the police was offered a reduced jail sentence if he agreed to train for a five mile race. The man stayed in shape, and a few months later, he grabbed a woman's purse and ran with it. (hehe)

But for the most part, I bet these alternative punishments are more effective. At the very least, it's great to see a judge that tries! You go, Judge!!!

Tuesday Randomness

Okay, some Tuesday randomness for you:

• I have finished TWO pairs of the Christmas gift socks now and have finished the ribbing on the second of the third pair. And hello?... it's STILL November! That's right, folks .... (*knock on wood*)... I do believe I'll be finished with these by Christmas. Whoo hooo.... who'd have thunk it??

• A couple of book titles I stumbled across while surfing ... errr, I mean working .. today. They just crack me up!



Why Do Men Have Nipples? Hundreds of Questions You'd Only Ask a Doctor After Your Third Martini
by Mark Leyner, Billy Goldberg

When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?
by George Carlin

Freakonomics : A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner

Running with Scissors: A Memoir
by Augusten Burroughs



"Running with Scissors: A Memoir"!! .... gahahahaha! Love that one! Even more so than "Who Moved My Cheese?" (by Spencer Johnson and Kenneth H. Blanchard) which has been my favorite title for awhile now!

• My friend Ms C's knitted poncho she just finished! Look how absolutely beautiful! (damn talented people!):

• What is up with me and The Nesting lately? I am just spending money left and right for things for the home. Thank goodness I've not found any furniture that moves me because surely I'd be more than happy to dig the ole credit cards out for bigger expenses too. As it is, I'm buying curtains and ... are you ready for this ... spin and store storage containers (ya know, like tupperware that stores on its own little Lazy Susan). Do y'all know I don't cook? Because it would make sense if I cooked a lot ... needing the tupperware* for all those leftovers. (which isn't to say I don't ever have lots of leftovers ....but luckily those nice waiters and waitresses box that stuff right on up for me. ;))
  
  But my theory on buying this spin and store crap is two-fold.
  
  1) On sale. (enough said ... right, Ladies?) :) But really, only $9.99 ... usually $19.99. Look at all the money I saved! (hehehe)
  2) I was thinking I would bake** brownies tonight to bring on my Thanksgiving trip. And wouldn't tupperware be nice in which to store it? To protect it from all the jostling on the drive? Yep, that's what I thought. ;)

And last, but certainly not least...

• Any Fantasy Football widows out there? I just heard of a fantasy league for you! It's called: Fantasy Fashion League! That's right, you choose celebrities, you choose designers, and you get points for every time one of your celebrities wears your designer! What an absolute hoot, right??! :)
  

*please note I use the term "Tupperware" to describe any and all little plastic food storage containers with those plastic tops. Even though I realize "Tupperware" is actually a brand of those and certainly not what I purchased today. I do the same thing with Kleenex and Xerox. What can ya do?? :)

** "baking" is not "cooking". (welcome to my Crazy!)

Attitude Choices

So I was discussing Happiness recently with a friend and the discussion led to thoughts about a person's ability to make certain attitude choices. You know, whether or not a person can choose to be happy ... no matter what life hands you.

It reminded me of a little Tony Robbins tidbit I remember from way back when ("way back when" being when I actually listened to tapes or read books in an effort to better myself. Ya know, before I gave in to The Lazy :)) which I thought I'd try to share with you. I'm not quite sure how powerful this little exercise will be by reading it (it involves closing your eyes) but hopefully it will be effective enough for you to get the gist.

[I know this post is a little off the beaten track for me. But had I found anything, anything at all, even remotely amusing in the news today, I'da gone with that. So blame the media, k?? :)]

FOR THIS TO WORK YOU ACTUALLY NEED TO FOLLOW MY DIRECTIONS.

And this entire exercise is like a whopping 10 seconds so I'm not asking a lot from you. Really :).

First, I need you to look around your environment real quick (I'm talking no more than 5 seconds) and notice everything that is the color brown. Try to remember as much as you can, you'll be tested. Then come right back to reading this. Go.

......

Did you do it? Did you do it? If you didn't, do it now or this exercise will be completely ineffectual.

Got the list in your head? Okay, now close your eyes and try to tell me everything that you saw that was the color green.

Ah ha ... tricked ya, didn't I?! Kinda hard, huh?

Now close your eyes and tell me everything that you saw that was the color brown.

A lot bigger list of the brown, right? Right.

And Tony said something like the brown represents the crappy things in the world and in your life whereas the green represents the good. And though everyone has both good (green) and bad (brown) in their lives, choosing to focus on the good can be an effective tool for achieving a higher degree of happiness. Because surely only focusing on the brown would make for a crappy existence, don't you think? I do.

Which isn't to say that I'm always able to react positively to life's ups and down. Because Lord knows I've thrown myself some whopping Pity Parties every now and again. (can you say, all-day "pajamas, People magazine, and my three favorite men: Ben, Jerry, and Mr TeeVee" fest?!) But I think I've been pretty lucky in life in that I do tend to have a relatively happy disposition. But is that entirely based on my attitude choices ... or are there some genetics involved? I do believe that choosing your attitude can be an effective happiness tool, but I know people that deal with hard-core depression that can't seem to make the same choices.

So I leave you with this question because I'd love to hear your thoughts: are the folks who are able to make the positive attitude choices the ones who are happy to begin with? Is this one of those "which came first.. the chicken or the egg" situations? Is happiness strictly attitude based or does genetics play a large role?

The Knitting Rules

[okay, the photo software strike is over. (actually, I found a workaround -- screw you photo-upload-software!!!). So back to our regularly scheduled programming! ;)]

That's right, folks. Just when you thought it was safe to leave the house with your knitting ...

The sneak attack occurs. In this case, coming from my friend Buck's cat, Cosmo.

Yep, Cosmo. A kitty I assumed knew the knitting rules. But, as you can clearly see from the picture below, apparently does not!

Seriously, one minute I'm knitting along with the kitty purring contently in my lap. And the next ...WHAM!.... yarn chewed through.

I was less than amused. Especially being that I'm a remedial knitter who can't do anything but the basics. So when you throw me for a loop with something like broken yarn ... not quite sure how to continue with the knitting. (in this case I did some twisting and praying and I hope to give the sock away before it starts to unravel*)

And how hard is it to learn the knitting rules?? For Cosmo (and her guardian!), here's a little refresher:

Rule 1: Do not touch the knitting
Rule 2: Do not touch the knitting
Rule 3: Do not touch the knitting
Rule 4: Do not touch the knitting
Rule 5: Do not touch the knitting

See? Only 5 rules. Easy-peasy. And yet, me? ... with broken yarn.

Here's the culprit as she gloated:

And this incident again caused the baffling at the workings of the magic stripe yarn. Because, if part of a stripe goes missing due to missing yarn, then you would think that all the rest of the stripes that follow would be affected, right?

And, hence, the rest of the sock would no longer perfectly stripe, right?

Even though you don't even remotely comprehend how it perfectly striped in the first place, right?

RIGHT!!!

And yet .... voila ... it continues to stripe correctly.

For the love of logic, how does that work, people??!!!!

That's just not magic ... that there is some kinda dark magic. (*shudder*)


*errr, to the recipient of this sock, please disregard this post. The sock is perfect, I tell ya! PERFECT!

Due to circumstances beyond my control..

... the scheduled post today will be delayed. Today's post required photos and apparently the software I use to upload the photos has decided to go on strike. As soon as a settlement can be negotiated with said software, any and all photo posts will be uploaded as scheduled.

In the meantime, I give you this diversionary post. Enjoy:

The Importance of Walking

Walking can add minutes to your life. This enables you at 85 years old to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing home at $5000 per month.

My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was 60. Now she's 97 years old and we don't know where the hell she is.

The only reason I would take up exercising is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.

I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 bucks. Haven't lost a pound. Apparently you have to go there.

I have to exercise early in the morning before my brain figures out what I'm doing.

I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.

I have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them.

The advantage of exercising every day is that you die healthier.

If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country.

And last but not least:

I don't exercise because it makes the ice jump right out of my glass.

Is today Friday??

Because it really feels like a Friday. Especially with all these crazies in the news today! (like with full moons, Fridays seem to bring the loon barreling outta the loonies, if'n you know what I mean)

Check these out:

You GO, Granny!

Granny Upset Over Grandson's Marriage

It seems that a 37 year old woman (aka The Crazy #1) was having "relations" (*wink, wink*) with a 15 year old boy and became pregnant so she up and married him in an attempt to avoid prosecution. Granny is VERY upset (uh yeah, who wouldn't be?) and gave the following quotes which I just lovelovelove:

Quote #1: Granny wants the marriage annulled, saying the couple would stay married "when I am laid out and candle lit."

And then when Clark (the pregnant 37 year old woman) tried to talk to her, Granny wanted nothing to do with her, saying:

Quote #2: "She (Clark) said she just wanted us all to be family. I said I already have a family, I don't need one with a pedophile in it."

hehehe. What a pistol! Ya gotta love her! (Granny... not the pedophile!)


Hello? Sanity? Why have you deserted me???

Woman to marry man who shot her

So this woman (aka The Crazy #2) wants to marry this man (aka Psycho #1) who shot her in the groin and then kept her hostage in his family's garage for 6 days while he and his parents (aka Ma and Pa Psycho) tried to treat her with home remedies (hello? GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE GROIN) in the hope of keeping Psycho Jr from getting in trouble with the po-po. Uh yeah.

And her thoughts on this event:

"I love Christian today as deeply as I loved him before this awful thing happened to us," Stebbins wrote in a victim impact statement. "We are soul mates."

"And I pray that Christian has forgiven me for failing him when he needed me most."

I'm sorry, did you say "happened to us"?? And that YOU failed HIM?? Uh hello, Crazy, it happened to YOU. HE shot YOU. Then kept you hostage and tried treating your critical gunshot wound with Bactine and Bandaids and yet YOU failed HIM?? (*head shake*) I just don't get it. Maybe sanity will return sometime over the next 20 years that he'll be spending in prison.


Speaking of prison sentences:

This is just SO wrong to me...

'Cool mom' gets 30 years for sex parties

The guy above gets 20 years for shooting someone then holding them hostage for 6 days and yet this person gets THIRTY YEARS for making some teenage boy's wet dreams come true. I don't get it.

I mean, I am certainly NOT condoning her actions. Giving drugs, alcohol and having sex with these teenage boys was wrongwrongwrong. However, 30 years in a federal prison for it is CRAZY! They weren't forced. You KNOW these boys were high-fiving each other and bragging to their friends about how lucky they were. And at 16, y'all, I've BEEN 16 ... I knew right from wrong and up from down and could make my own decisions at 16.

What that chick needs is some serious, SERIOUS counseling (can you say "NO self-esteem") and maybe even some jail time .... but 30 years? While violent rapists walk the street in 6 and attempted murder (see above) only gets you 20. WHAT THE HELL????? I'm not sure which is crazier in this story, the "cool" mom or the justice system.

[okay, I'll step off my soap box now! ;)]

I LOVE idiot criminals!!!

Love them!!

I was just reading the news and saw that there are some $100 counterfeit bills being passed around here locally. So I read the article hoping it listed some discrepancies so I'd be able to differentiate these bills from the real thing in case someone hands me a $100 (yeah, yeah, I know ... the last time I held a $100 bill was when I worked at a bank ... but whatever ... it could happen!)

Turns out these counterfeits should be easy to spot ... being that the idiots ... err, I mean criminal masterminds.... use Abraham Lincoln's face instead of Ben Franklin's! HAHAHA.

I'm guessin' they never fully understood why $100 are called the "Benjamins"!!

Happy Birthday, Sisses (or whatever the plural of "Sis" would be! ;))

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy BIRTH-DAYYY dear A and JJJJJJ,
Happy Birthday to you!

And many morrrreeeeeee!

As a birthday gift this year, I am not posting your age (you're welcome!).

NOR am I posting any recent pictures* (you are very welcome!).

So instead, I give you this photo memory. Ya'll waiting outside the bathroom door for mom as wee tots.

(Ahhh, ain't they cute, folks??! :))

It is a pleasure having you as sisters (especially now that I'm too big for you guys to hoist high up into a tree and leave me there for mom to find, thereby losing my allowance for being in the tree (I'm tellin' ya, Mom ... it wasn't my fault! :))).

As always, I will have some cake in honor of your birthday! (I know, I know ... twist my arm, would ya??! :) And I hope you both have a fantabulous day!!!

*especially any of those Vegas ones which mom keeps terrorizing us with! (how do we make her burn those?? :))

Overachievers Anonymous

So T1 finished her fuzzy feet over the weekend. And as usual, went above and beyond in the Creative Department. (it's okay to hate her a little bit too!) ;)

Here are ... The Fuzzy Feet:

And check out the bottom. A little puffy paint for non-skid purposes...

VERY cute!

And in My Knitting News .... it's official ... I have FINISHED the complete first pair of Gift Socks (GS#1 and GS#2)! Whoo hooooo! So for those keeping score, I have finished GS#1, GS#2, GS#3 and GS#5. I am now starting GS#6 and then will go back and do GS#4 (because I'm weird like that!! :)). But one whole pair ... done! By me! Blocking as we type/read! Yippee skippee!!!!

So now what are the chances I can squeeze in two other knitting (though non-sock) gift projects before Christmas?? Anyone? Anyone? Yeah, not sure if I'm ready to commit to that either. Let's see how far I get on the socks first! I might be pushin' my luck just to get those done! :)

Though it is good to dream... :)

I'm beginning to realize why I'm dateless

Yep. It was nice to blame the knitting. Men get a little weird about The Knitting.

But now I'm thinking it's more The Crazy Cat Lady syndrome. Ya know ... like the fact that I'll buy jeans simply because they have my cat's name on them. See?

Uh yeah. It just might be time for that intervention, folks. Just sayin'! ;)

I Heart Rob Thomas

Warning ... there is NO knitting to be seen in this post. Not even one yarn strand.

But ... as an apology to those folks that consider this a knitting blog (HA! .. that still cracks me up) ... I will try to make up for it by instead showing pictures of some Pretties (ie "cute guys" to you newbies). ALSO ... in one of the pictures you can see pink furry slippers. So no knitting .... but Pretties and pink furry slippers. Hope that's okay! ;)

Okay, I've been slacking on my concert updates lately. (ie never really did a Foo Fighters or Weezer review). BUT ... went and saw Rob Thomas (Anna Nalick opened) last night and have some pictures to share.

First ... the ticket!*

And here's the marquee at the Arlene Schnitzer auditorium.

Okay, first up .. Anna Nalick:

Now Anna I've seen once before when she played with The Afters and Vertical Horizon. But this time she stuck around to meet and greet (which I still think she didn't do last time due to the Freaky Banana Head Guy).

So T1 and I got autographs ...... (errr, disregard that whole "Linda" thing ... these rock stars know not what they do! ;))

She again did a great job. This was only her second show opening for Rob (Antigone Rising had been touring with him previously) and since she said she's such a fan of his she wanted to make a good impression and went out and bought some 2-for-1 Payless shoes. Unfortunately, the shoes were giving her blisters so she had us wait while she took them off after a couple of songs (along with a piece of tape she had covering one of the blisters). Pretty funny. She definitely comes across as very down to earth. Plus, how can you not like someone who will sign autographs in pink furry slippers?!! (see? .. I told you there would be slippers!!)

Here's her bass player, Joey Ramone .... errr, I mean, Tim Hogan.

And here we are with Anna. (Dang Anna. Talented, famous, funny AND gorgeous! Yeah, you've just got to hate her a little bit, dontcha?!! :))

Okay, now on to Rob Thomas (* insert wolf whistle *)

A couple of pictures I took during the show (errr, unless that's illegal. In which case I got these pictures from ... umm ... (oh I know) ... Rob sent them to me (yeah, yeah ... that's the ticket). I got them from Rob ...with a signed letter giving me permission to post them. (see? .. it's all good! ;))):

(say it with me, ladies .... "MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM")

I've seen Matchbox Twenty twice before so knew I'd be in for a great show. Rob Thomas is one of those singers who can inject such emotion into his songs. I LOVE that. In fact, when "Yourself or Someone Like You" first came out I was SOOO addicted to the song "Long Day" even though the lyrics didn't really speak to me (err, sorry Rob). But the emotion and intensity in that song just held me captivated and I would play it over and over and over and over (well, you get the picture) again. LOVE that song. Would have loved to have heard it again last night but, alas, was not meant to be (*sniffle*).

That several Matchbox songs were played though was VERY cool. Some were played fairly true to the originals ... but others were changed up a bit to be much slower. (And if I had any decent memory at all, I'd go into details on which was which. And wouldn't a set list be cool too? Yeah, well ..... sigh....almost 20 hours have passed since the concert. That I can still remember that I went last night is amazing enough! ;))

Oh, and before I forget ... let me tell you about Frank. I THINK his name is Frank Romano but don't quote me on that. (could that be what he signed here?... I don't know)

Anyway, he's playing guitar on this tour with Rob. He said he's also played with Mary J Blige and some RnB bands. Here's a pic of him onstage during the show.

T1 and I ran into him after the show and chatted for quite awhile. SUPER nice guy. Really, a sweetie. Here's us with Frank and Abe (still not sure who Abe is ... but he fit The Pretty profile so he was very welcome in the picture!! ;))

(Isn't that a cute pic?? :))

Anyway, Frank was saying he's been touring with Rob since March and that they head out on the busses right after the show to the next location and then have hotels there. Rob (who had left already) usually does all his meeting and greeting prior to the show (in more formal atmospheres ... like with the winners of the radio contests and such). But that some of the band guys like to meet some folks who are hanging by the busses (err, which apparently would be us. (What? Me a wannabe groupie?? Pshahhhh. :)))

So they had arrived in Portland Monday night and had the night off. Stayed at The Hotel Lucia which he said is right next to the Typhoon restaurant on Broadway in downtown Portland. All meals on the tour are catered and you can order food to have waiting for you on the bus for after the show (I would weigh 900 pounds if I were touring with the band!).

He said he was enjoying touring with Rob, not only because Rob is so mellow and down to earth, but because Rob's fans are too. Isn't that sweet?? And oh so true! :)

Anyway, it was a great night. Thanks Anna for being so down to earth! Thanks Rob for ... well, OH so many reasons! ;) And a special thanks to Frank ... for yabbering with T1 and I for so long even though we were all freezing our arses off!


*And look, T1 ... no complaints here cuz it's the paper one and not the fancy-schmancy one they'll send you for free. Nope. :)

The Sheep Shit Hat

Okay, the story of the Sheep Shit Hat (SSH).

(Again, my apologies if'n I've already told this story. Repeat Blogging is going to happen at some point ... I've already braced myself for that. I mean, with my crappy memory .... that y'all haven't heard the same story or seen the same pictures a couple of times per week is pretty dang impressive, I think.

So if you've heard this before .... just stop reading.

OR ... you can be like my awesome office-mate-of-8-years, Mr R ... he just nods his head, interjects laughs where appropriate and never ever admits that he's heard me tell the same story 10 bajillion times already. Love you, Mr R!!!)

Okay, so I was in Manzanita, Oregon with friends last year for Thanksgiving and we were browsing a store and my friend T1 said "see this hat? It'’s from felting. No sewing or anything… we should try that next"”. ("next" as in "after knitting" ... which we had just learned).

Anyway, the hat was cool and I thought... "hey, no sewing ... sign me up"”.

Yeah well, famous last words because she did.

The three class sessions were held in a small studio in subzero temperature (studio owner had no heat) pulling straight-from-the-sheep wool to use to create the hat. I mean, I'm talking full on barnyard stench, wool still in the shape of the sheep from which it came, dirt, straw, and might I presuppose.... sheep shit*??

But the instructor kept saying that after the third week this sheep shitty wool would become one swanky felted hat.

Kinda like this:

Uh yeah.

So the first week involved creating the pattern, deciding on the wool, and running the wool through a carder, which seemed to be some device to get the wool fibers going all in one direction. I was hoping the carder would clean the wool .... but no ...afterwards it still had dirt and straw and (?) in it.

But anyway, then I was told that the next two weeks I would spend laying out the wool into my hat shape and felting it by hand using hot, soapy water.

"Hot and soapy water" ..... brilliant, I thought! Being that it would both felt the hat AND, dare I say, clean it at the same time. So I had high hopes.

Right-o.

So, to make a long story short ... after spending $60 (plus extra $ for cleansers to disinfect (and attempts to de-stench) my hands after each session) and 3 weeks in subzero temperatures .... I left with a stinky, with straw still in it, sheep shit homemade hat that I refuse to touch (let alone wear!)!!

But just for you, I dug it out of the corner of the garage this morning AND TOUCHED IT (please pass the disinfectant) just to bring y'all here this picture. (and yes, the barnyard stench is still there!!!)

Ladies and Gentleman, I give you ......The $60 Sheep Shit Hat.

(please click to enlarge for the full effect. And yes, that is STRAW still in the wool, thankyouverymuch)

Think if I add a flower it will look just like the green one above?!?!? :)

*ah ha ... hence the title!

They said "Let there be fuzzy feet"....

... so by God, there be Fuzzy Feet!

See?

Well, granted ... they could be fuzzier. I apparently am not Le Goddess De Felting*. Either that or I am such a super tight knitter (this could very well be) that the socks didn't have the time necessary to felt enough before they had shrunk to the necessary size.

But regardless, I'm thinkin the MAIN point to be made here is that I finished a freakin' project!!!! Whoo hooo!

And they even fit....

.......which I believe takes me back to Sock Knitting Genius status, if'n I'm not mistaken!! ;)

Now, had only They** commanded that there also be A Clean House...... or Clean Laundry ... or maybe even A Date With a Hot Man. But no ... sigh ... They only commanded that there be Fuzzy Feet. So the rest of the weekend was spent just relaxing ... kinda like this........

(Thanks to Emma for the reenactment!)

* As was proven by the Sheep Shit Hat fiasco. (have I told that story yet??)
**Whomever "They" are ... I haven't quite figured it out. But man, do they seem to hold the power. Or the peer pressure. Somethin'! :)

This is a knitting blog???

When the hell did THAT happen???!

And yet ... and yet .... I just found that I was linked here as a local knitting blog*. Hello? Have ya SEEN pictures of the things I knit?!

Case in point .... I knitted THIS ... and no...this is NOT supposed to be a yamika....

Granted, I do BLOG about my knitting attempts. But truly, this blog was created for friends who wanted to hear about my dating escapades.

Yes, you heard me correctly, folks .... D-A-T-I-N-G. Ya know, that thing I don't blog about because ... well, frankly .... what's a date, again?

Sigh.

And I guess, hence all the free time to knit. Or to attempt knitting should I say. Because I simply don't consider myself A Knitter. Just a person who occasionally knits.

And yes, there IS a difference.

Because really, would A Real Knitter hate to purl? No.

And would A Real Knitter's purling involve propping a needle up against the tummy and biting the lip to keep the cursing to a minimum while trying to loop yarn around flailing needles? Stitch by blessed** stitch?? I think not. ( But, if so, then I'm The Purling Queen, baby!)

And would A Real Knitter call the third gift sock they were knitting, Gift Sock #5?? (You heard me ... the third sock is sock number five). No ... because A REAL Knitter would not have to knit GS#1, GS#3, and GS#5 before going back to knit the sock mates: GS#2, GS#4 and GS#6. Am I right?? Oh, I think so.

And yet, now I'm feeling the pressure to blog about knitting. And really ....because I AM doing a lot of knitting lately (ie. at home dateless), you'd think I'd be able to. BUT ... my current knitting is The Christmas Gift knitting ... so I can only say things such as: "The socks are soooo cool ..... I'd show ya pictures ... but uh yeah ... can't til after Christmas". Now where's the blog knitting fun in that? :)

No, no ... it's a stretch to call this blog a blog about knitting. That's for dang sure. :)

But there will definitely be knitting talk every once in awhile. Like now, for instance, when I share with you a picture of the first foot of my friend T1's Fuzzy Feet***. She forewent the 3" cuff due to yarn shortage. But as a "booty", this looks great! Can't wait to see it felted!

And maybe someday .... just MAYBE ... I'll be able to get back to blogging about dating. In the meantime, fine, fine ...pass the yarn.

*don't get me wrong. I am SOO flattered that any stranger simply reads my blog, let alone links to it! So thank you, Shetha ... I may think you're kinda crazy ... but don't think I don't LoveLoveLove ya! :)

** when I say "blessed" ... I'm actually meaning "f'ing". ;)

***Well, you can see part of the FF anyway. T1 doesn't have a digital camera and so had to try to hurriedly ...and without getting noticed by the bosses ...scan in her fuzzy foot at her office. SCANNED it in!!! HAHAHA. That just cracks me up! Love you, T1!!!

Hung what?

So I went to Portland's Chinese Garden this past Sunday with some folks. Thought I would share a couple of pictures.

(Feel free to click to enlarge)

A couple of random shots:

The stone pathways were designed beautifully!

Check out this building! Can you see what's on the roof?

It's a Blue Heron. (errr, or so I'm told. It could actually be a Dodo Bird for all I know about birds! But let's go with the "Blue Heron".)

My favorite shot ... the one with the Oh-So-Chinese European Roses in it!!! :)

Anyway, the Chinese Garden is beautiful ... but one of the bonuses is lunching in the surrounding area afterwards .... Chinatown, as it were. And my favorite restaurant there (though I have yet to actually make it inside) is this one:

That's right, folks. The Hung Far Low! HAHAHA! Gotta love it. And notice that the bottom of the sign is supposed to read "CockTAILS". Ah, those Portland pranksters!!! :)

Quite possibly one of the most disgusting things I've ever read....

Ever.

Amputee keeps foot in bucket on porch

A couple of tidbits from the article:

"I'm not sick or, like, a danger," he said. "I just wanted my foot ... I just figured I'd do with it whatever I pleased."

Hello? Bad enough that you took it ..... but ummmmm ...you're keeping it in a bucket on the porch?!?!?!

But wait ...as if a severed foot in a bucket on the porch wasn't enough......

He added trinkets to the bucket, including a porcelain horse and a can of Hamm's beer, to make it what he called "a collage of myself."

A porcelain horse, a can of beer and a severed foot equals a collage of you?? Uh hello....Insane Asylum ... I'd like to schedule a pickup.

Sitting on the porch Monday afternoon, he put on a plastic glove, dipped a hand into the bucket and lifted out the foot for anyone to see.

GAHHHHHH!

Rubottom admits it may sound unusual, but to him, that's part of the appeal. Not everyone, he said, can say he keeps his own foot in a bucket.

Well, damnit ... you've got me there. Not everyone CAN* keep a foot in a bucket!

And yet, oddly enough, I'm still totally disgusted by it. Especially this part:

Rubottom said he cut off two toes, which he was considering giving to friends.

Friends, I love ya and all .... but if you EVER think it is even remotely okay to give me a severed body part ........ you've simply got another think coming. Just sayin'.

I mean, I know, I know ... Christmas is coming up quick and maybe you're starting to panic on what to buy me ... but really, let me just give you this little insight into my Christmas List this year ... it does NOT involve anyone's amputated body part. K? K. Just a little heads up ... from me to you!

Now please excuse me while I go scrub down in the shower......

*or would ever want to!!!!!!

Anyone have a knitting pattern for an ark??

Anyone? Because I think those of us in Portland are going to need it!! The rain has been coming DOWN!

And hello .... yes, the Portland area is used to a lot of rain. Which is why I think I need to start knitting the ark right away because when you start to see the streets piling up with water here .... ya know it's a bad sign.

And it looks like it won't be stopping any time soon!



So please, please, please send a knitting pattern for an ark so I can get started. Oh, and maybe some yarn (cuz I'm thinkin' there would need to be much yarn to build an ark!).

Or .... hmmm, I suppose you could just send out the Coast Guard boat for me. Ya know, loaded up with the cute, single Coast Guard men! ;) Tell 'em that I'll be the chick huddled on the roof with two cats, two finished Gift Socks and one (still to be fuzzied) Fuzzy Foot! They can't miss me! ;)