The other morning a gal on the bus gave me a couple of packs of post-its. It was odd. At first, I was suspicious because one time a guy had tried to sell me socks and a TV Guide on the bus. She said her grandmother had given her a bunch and told her to give them away if she could not use them. So she gave me some. They are now sitting in my bag. I do like to use post-its when I knit; for marking my current line and keeping a repeat tally. It was really nice of her to give them to me, but now I feel guilty because I haven’t done anything for anyone else this week. You know, to pay it forward, it is a lot of pressure.
Yesterday we gave up our dog. The conflicts between him and The Girl were getting totally out of control, so he had to go. I would’ve liked to keep him, but I really can not kick a pregnant teenager out of the house. And I know that someone could provide my boy with a good home. He is such a friendly, happy dog. We brought him to a shelter that does no have a time limit on how long they hold the animals, so hopefully he will be okay. He is at the MN Valley Humane Society, so if you live in the Twin Cities and are looking for a dog, please go check him out.
In reality, my husband brought him because I knew that I could not do it. I feel so terrible that I would ever get rid of an animal for which I am responsible. I have never done such a thing before and I hope I never have to again.
Overall, it has been a very sad month for me. I hope February is better.
Do you watch “Fringe”? In this week’s episode (12: No Brainer), Astrid is wearing the cutest sweater. I would love to get a photo of it so I could examine the design.
I have "Lost" theories, but I do not have time to discuss them right now and I want to re-watch the episode to reaffirm them. So I will let you know later what I come up with.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Another birthday…still not mine
Today The Girl turns 17. She wanted a Gamecube for her birthday so we bought one at the pawn shop. This is old gaming technology, but she loves the game Animal Crossing so that is what she wanted. The Girl drives me mad. I suppose it doesn’t matter. I do not even remember what I wanted for my 17th birthday, nor do I remember what gift I received from my parents. I do remember that I bought myself a Canon T-50 camera for my 17th birthday. I received my 1st tax refund the same week as my birthday and it seemed appropriate to buy myself a gift. I still have that camera. It has always worked well. Any WAY, we are all going out to Red Lobster tonight for her birthday dinner. This is her choice, I actually find the Red Lobster to be fairly bland. It is one of those places where when you order your food, it sounds really tasty but when it comes it is just boring.
I am sorry for my lack of blogging as of late. I do not have a good excuse; I have just been feeling blah. There has been fighting at home, which never helps. And work has been, well work. Yesterday I took the day off. It was nice. I had hoped to just spend the day with my hubby, but The Girl did not go to school because she had a meeting at her new school. Oh, I bet I did not tell you about the new school. This is one not far from where we live and is for pregnant teens and teen mothers. She is very excited about the prospect of a new school. This makes it high school number 4 and she is only a junior. Well, I think technically she is still a sophomore, but they think she will be able to graduate on time if she does summer classes.
Anyway, since The Girl was home, I did not have much time with my husband. We did go to the thrift store and bought a new office chair to replace the one with the broken seat we had been using. I also bought a ball of Hempathy for about $3, not bad huh?
Last night I cast on for The Daily Sweater from “Mason Dixon’s Knitting Outside the Lines". It is a really good book and I have already knit the kitchen towel out of it. I am not using Calmer for my sweater, rather Ella Rae Silkience in a cranberry/wine color. It is very nice. I knit a gauge swatch and got gauge on the 1st go through. Now this really does not mean very much, because I am not very good at measuring gauge. I never have been, but since this is done from the top down, I will try it on as I go and adjust if needed.
The big event yesterday though was “Lost”. It is back!! Hooray!! Spoilers ahead!!
So the Losties have become unstuck in time, just like Billy Pilgrim. This is never good. Jack has Sayid. I do not know if this is bad or not. I think the Oceanic 6 are going to have to go back to the island to fix what has happened. The “cops” have Hurley. I do not think the men who picked up Hurley were really police officers since one of them is Abbadon (the guy who recruited the Freighter people). I am pretty sure Hurley is going to be in custody of Widmore. Which I do not think is good either. Of course, that is because I like Ben and I think Charles Widmore is a jerk. I could be wrong. It does happen on occasion. I still believe Jin is dead. There is nothing that has occurred to make me think otherwise. We will see. I think Sun is on a revenge mission to destroy the other Oceanic 6 for leaving Jin behind. I did not believe her when she says she doesn’t blame Kate. Just the way she said the thing about Kate going back for Jin and not getting him. She totally was blaming Kate. I think she has become like her father, ruthless. I do not understand why she would blame Ben for Jin’s death. I can see Widmore, because it was his people who were responsible for the freighter being there and being full of C4. I can see Jack and Kate since they did not wait for Jin. Unless she some how found out Ben killed Kimmy, which is what set off the explosion. But who would tell her that, Ben wouldn’t. Did Locke tell her when he saw her? That doesn’t really make sense since I am pretty sure that he wouldn’t say anything that would interfere with his mission to get everyone back. Gosh, I love “Lost”!
I am sorry for my lack of blogging as of late. I do not have a good excuse; I have just been feeling blah. There has been fighting at home, which never helps. And work has been, well work. Yesterday I took the day off. It was nice. I had hoped to just spend the day with my hubby, but The Girl did not go to school because she had a meeting at her new school. Oh, I bet I did not tell you about the new school. This is one not far from where we live and is for pregnant teens and teen mothers. She is very excited about the prospect of a new school. This makes it high school number 4 and she is only a junior. Well, I think technically she is still a sophomore, but they think she will be able to graduate on time if she does summer classes.
Anyway, since The Girl was home, I did not have much time with my husband. We did go to the thrift store and bought a new office chair to replace the one with the broken seat we had been using. I also bought a ball of Hempathy for about $3, not bad huh?
Last night I cast on for The Daily Sweater from “Mason Dixon’s Knitting Outside the Lines". It is a really good book and I have already knit the kitchen towel out of it. I am not using Calmer for my sweater, rather Ella Rae Silkience in a cranberry/wine color. It is very nice. I knit a gauge swatch and got gauge on the 1st go through. Now this really does not mean very much, because I am not very good at measuring gauge. I never have been, but since this is done from the top down, I will try it on as I go and adjust if needed.
The big event yesterday though was “Lost”. It is back!! Hooray!! Spoilers ahead!!
So the Losties have become unstuck in time, just like Billy Pilgrim. This is never good. Jack has Sayid. I do not know if this is bad or not. I think the Oceanic 6 are going to have to go back to the island to fix what has happened. The “cops” have Hurley. I do not think the men who picked up Hurley were really police officers since one of them is Abbadon (the guy who recruited the Freighter people). I am pretty sure Hurley is going to be in custody of Widmore. Which I do not think is good either. Of course, that is because I like Ben and I think Charles Widmore is a jerk. I could be wrong. It does happen on occasion. I still believe Jin is dead. There is nothing that has occurred to make me think otherwise. We will see. I think Sun is on a revenge mission to destroy the other Oceanic 6 for leaving Jin behind. I did not believe her when she says she doesn’t blame Kate. Just the way she said the thing about Kate going back for Jin and not getting him. She totally was blaming Kate. I think she has become like her father, ruthless. I do not understand why she would blame Ben for Jin’s death. I can see Widmore, because it was his people who were responsible for the freighter being there and being full of C4. I can see Jack and Kate since they did not wait for Jin. Unless she some how found out Ben killed Kimmy, which is what set off the explosion. But who would tell her that, Ben wouldn’t. Did Locke tell her when he saw her? That doesn’t really make sense since I am pretty sure that he wouldn’t say anything that would interfere with his mission to get everyone back. Gosh, I love “Lost”!
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Reflections on a New Year
This is the time of year that we traditionally examine the past year and look forward to the new one. So I have been thinking about life in general. To sum up last year, it sort of sucked. My teenager caused various kinds of trouble. She got pregnant. She got arrested. And her boyfriend moved in with us. So really not great a reflection on me as far as my parenting skills go for 2008. Not that I really think I have ever had great parenting skills. My maternal instincts have never been great. I am pretty sure it is because I have a mind that is far too logical. This is something I made my self into on purpose. It was my way of dealing with my depression when I was in high school. I figured if there were no emotions I could not feel bad. This, of course, is bloody nonsense. If you suffer from depression, please get help. Find a therapist who teaches skills based therapy. It saved my life and I should have done it before I did so much damage to myself. Anyway, I digress.
I worked a lot in 2008. Well, no more than I do any other year, but it seemed like I spent a lot of time at work. Of course, this is probably caused by the fact I hate my job. Okay, that is not quite true. I do not mind my job, I am just sick of sitting in an office day after day.
What good things happened in 2008?
We went on a nice road trip. The only down note on the trip was The Girl’s morning sickness…
I learned how to knit two handed. So I can now do Fair Isle, which is really cool.
The Vikings made it to the playoffs.
I managed to disengage myself from my family without even trying. This is both good and bad as I do feel sorry for The Girl because I had been tolerating my family all this time mostly for her sake. She is not perfect, but she is still my siblings’ niece, you would think that would count for something.
Okay, I really can not think of a lot of great things that happened in 2008. I made it through, that is always good, and so I suppose I should be grateful.
Does 2009 look any better? Not really, I am going to turn 40 and become a grandmother. The Girl is going to make me get rid of my crazy dog so I will no longer have someone to breathe on my toes at night to keep them warm. I know that The Girl will not be able to behave herself once the baby comes and we will be right back where we were a year ago, only with an innocent life at stake to boot. Maybe I am wrong; maybe it will be a great year. Who knows?
RESOLUTIONS
I do have a couple of resolutions. Nothing fancy as I really am not very good at resolutions.
1. I intend to go through my WIPs on a regular basis and decide if I am going to finish the project or just rip it out. If I decide to finish, I will try to get them ordered so I can get some of them done.
2. I am going to learn how to steek. Since I learned how to do Fair Isle, I have been wanting to learn how to steek as well. I have just been too scared to do it. So that is my BIG knitting resolution. I like the idea of learning something new every year.
3. I am going to make stuff for my granddaughter. This is not a hard resolution, since I have already started. However, I firmly believe that you should have some goals that are easy to achieve so you do not feel like a failure.
4. I want to start a new banking account for the Alpaca fund.
That is really all I have. Nothing too big, like I said, but I should be able to achieve most of them.
I worked a lot in 2008. Well, no more than I do any other year, but it seemed like I spent a lot of time at work. Of course, this is probably caused by the fact I hate my job. Okay, that is not quite true. I do not mind my job, I am just sick of sitting in an office day after day.
What good things happened in 2008?
We went on a nice road trip. The only down note on the trip was The Girl’s morning sickness…
I learned how to knit two handed. So I can now do Fair Isle, which is really cool.
The Vikings made it to the playoffs.
I managed to disengage myself from my family without even trying. This is both good and bad as I do feel sorry for The Girl because I had been tolerating my family all this time mostly for her sake. She is not perfect, but she is still my siblings’ niece, you would think that would count for something.
Okay, I really can not think of a lot of great things that happened in 2008. I made it through, that is always good, and so I suppose I should be grateful.
Does 2009 look any better? Not really, I am going to turn 40 and become a grandmother. The Girl is going to make me get rid of my crazy dog so I will no longer have someone to breathe on my toes at night to keep them warm. I know that The Girl will not be able to behave herself once the baby comes and we will be right back where we were a year ago, only with an innocent life at stake to boot. Maybe I am wrong; maybe it will be a great year. Who knows?
RESOLUTIONS
I do have a couple of resolutions. Nothing fancy as I really am not very good at resolutions.
1. I intend to go through my WIPs on a regular basis and decide if I am going to finish the project or just rip it out. If I decide to finish, I will try to get them ordered so I can get some of them done.
2. I am going to learn how to steek. Since I learned how to do Fair Isle, I have been wanting to learn how to steek as well. I have just been too scared to do it. So that is my BIG knitting resolution. I like the idea of learning something new every year.
3. I am going to make stuff for my granddaughter. This is not a hard resolution, since I have already started. However, I firmly believe that you should have some goals that are easy to achieve so you do not feel like a failure.
4. I want to start a new banking account for the Alpaca fund.
That is really all I have. Nothing too big, like I said, but I should be able to achieve most of them.
Friday, January 02, 2009
Happy New Year
Christmas came and went without much incident. I did not finish my husband’s present on time. I had to spend Christmas Eve day and evening wrapping presents, so no knitting occurred. And then I spent the rest of my Christmas break finishing up the convertible fingerless mitts for my co-worker. She was very please to have a complete pair. I did not get a picture before I gave them away because I did not have my camera around.
I did get some pictures on Christmas Day.
Here is our tree. Isn’t it lovely?
Here is our troublesome dog that we are going to have get rid He was helping me open presents.
I hope your Christmas was as good as mine.
MOVIE REVIEW
Over the Christmas break we went to see “Milk”. We were going to see “Frost / Nixon”, but it was sold out. In fact, there were people trying to sneak in and one of the ushers had to go and kick people out. Anyway, we had wanted to see “Milk” as well, so it worked out okay. I have to highly recommend “Milk”, it is a wonderful film. The acting is divine and the story line is very moving. Josh Brolin is brilliant as Dan White. It is the story of Harvey Milk, the 1st openly gay man to be elected to a major office in the USA. There were no hand knits, but since the movie takes place in San Francisco, that is not really surprising. Regardless, I am going to give it 3 ½ knitting needles out of 4. I recommend you see this film. It will make you think and that is never a bad thing.
Old Year – Out Like A Lion…
New Year’s Eve day started out so good. The Girl had a doctor’s appt so we had an opportunity to talk to The Boyfriend alone. We explained that we did not want The Girl to run off and live on a military base with him and he seemed to agree. She had told us of this plan on Christmas Eve. Now we just need to convince her. I worry about the baby because she really does not have a handle on her rage, which we got to see when we arrived home. My husband had accidentally left our troublesome dog out of his crate and he got into The Girl’s bedroom and ate her food and candy. She flew completely off of the handle and was mean and yelling at us and the dog all night. She finally went to a friend’s house. So we are stuck having to get rid of our dog and nobody seems to want him. He really is a good dog; he just needs to live with someone who is not going to yell at him over everything he does. I have thought of just moving out on my own with him, but it seems sort of extreme and I could not afford to pay for 2 places to live.
She seemed to be fine yesterday. I really hate the mood swings. When will they stop? Maybe they won’t, that is my fear, that she will always be so out of control.
On happy news, I finished my husband’s gift. It was a pair of socks! He loves them and they fit him perfectly. Yeah!!!
I did get some pictures on Christmas Day.
Here is our tree. Isn’t it lovely?
Here is our troublesome dog that we are going to have get rid He was helping me open presents.
I hope your Christmas was as good as mine.
MOVIE REVIEW
Over the Christmas break we went to see “Milk”. We were going to see “Frost / Nixon”, but it was sold out. In fact, there were people trying to sneak in and one of the ushers had to go and kick people out. Anyway, we had wanted to see “Milk” as well, so it worked out okay. I have to highly recommend “Milk”, it is a wonderful film. The acting is divine and the story line is very moving. Josh Brolin is brilliant as Dan White. It is the story of Harvey Milk, the 1st openly gay man to be elected to a major office in the USA. There were no hand knits, but since the movie takes place in San Francisco, that is not really surprising. Regardless, I am going to give it 3 ½ knitting needles out of 4. I recommend you see this film. It will make you think and that is never a bad thing.
Old Year – Out Like A Lion…
New Year’s Eve day started out so good. The Girl had a doctor’s appt so we had an opportunity to talk to The Boyfriend alone. We explained that we did not want The Girl to run off and live on a military base with him and he seemed to agree. She had told us of this plan on Christmas Eve. Now we just need to convince her. I worry about the baby because she really does not have a handle on her rage, which we got to see when we arrived home. My husband had accidentally left our troublesome dog out of his crate and he got into The Girl’s bedroom and ate her food and candy. She flew completely off of the handle and was mean and yelling at us and the dog all night. She finally went to a friend’s house. So we are stuck having to get rid of our dog and nobody seems to want him. He really is a good dog; he just needs to live with someone who is not going to yell at him over everything he does. I have thought of just moving out on my own with him, but it seems sort of extreme and I could not afford to pay for 2 places to live.
She seemed to be fine yesterday. I really hate the mood swings. When will they stop? Maybe they won’t, that is my fear, that she will always be so out of control.
On happy news, I finished my husband’s gift. It was a pair of socks! He loves them and they fit him perfectly. Yeah!!!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Why has there been no blogging?
Don’t you hate it when you read a blog on occasion and then the person doesn’t blog for like a month? Me too. Sorry for the lack of witty blog posts for the last few weeks, things have been absolutely crazy.
Most of my time has been devoted to work. Last week I was in training and I was expected to do my regular job on top of that. It was complete chaos. Things have been so bad that I do not even have my Christmas shopping done. I have never had presents left to buy and/or make this late in the season.
I am not done with my husband’s present, although I am almost through, so I am confident that he will have it under the tree come Christmas Day.
I made a felt hat for one of my co-workers and it was not completely dry by this morning so I had to give it to her damp. She was happy to get it as she had liked one that someone else in our department had bought. My one co-worker put in a special order for fingerless gloves. Easy peasy you say because there are about 10 million patterns out there for fingerless gloves! Well, yes and no. She wanted gloves that she could convert from long fingers to short. I had to come up with a new design to handle it. So I only made one because as I was coming to the end of the 1st one, I realized I had no hand measurements and was not sure what I had designed was what she wanted. I finished the one and gave it to her and told her I would make another one if this one worked. It was a good thing I did it this way because she has longer fingers than I thought and I am going to have to rip back a couple of the fingers and knit them longer. Otherwise, they are what she wanted. Hooray! So over the weekend, I am going to make the other glove. I made a hat for another co-worker who does not celebrate Christmas (she was raised a Jehovah’s Witness) and she almost cried just getting a gift because she had not expected it. She did like the hat, so all around, it was successful. I did not take pictures of any of these items because I can not find the camera and well, I just did not have the time.
I was going to make a hat for The Boyfriend, but I have not had any extra time and I do not think I will get it done at this point. It makes me sad, because I did have a great idea for a hat for him. Oh well, if he is still around next year, I will make it then.
It has been cold and snowy here. Which is fine by me really, although there have been a couple of days when the cold has made it unpleasant to walk from the bus stop. It was well below zero several days last week and the one day the wind-chill was -25 F. This is a tad bit chilly to walk in and I have to take my glasses off because they fog up from by breathing into my scarf. Overall though, it is not bad if I have my long johns on.
I am going to be off of work for until next Monday. I will try to blog over the weekend and I will try to get some photos up.
Most of my time has been devoted to work. Last week I was in training and I was expected to do my regular job on top of that. It was complete chaos. Things have been so bad that I do not even have my Christmas shopping done. I have never had presents left to buy and/or make this late in the season.
I am not done with my husband’s present, although I am almost through, so I am confident that he will have it under the tree come Christmas Day.
I made a felt hat for one of my co-workers and it was not completely dry by this morning so I had to give it to her damp. She was happy to get it as she had liked one that someone else in our department had bought. My one co-worker put in a special order for fingerless gloves. Easy peasy you say because there are about 10 million patterns out there for fingerless gloves! Well, yes and no. She wanted gloves that she could convert from long fingers to short. I had to come up with a new design to handle it. So I only made one because as I was coming to the end of the 1st one, I realized I had no hand measurements and was not sure what I had designed was what she wanted. I finished the one and gave it to her and told her I would make another one if this one worked. It was a good thing I did it this way because she has longer fingers than I thought and I am going to have to rip back a couple of the fingers and knit them longer. Otherwise, they are what she wanted. Hooray! So over the weekend, I am going to make the other glove. I made a hat for another co-worker who does not celebrate Christmas (she was raised a Jehovah’s Witness) and she almost cried just getting a gift because she had not expected it. She did like the hat, so all around, it was successful. I did not take pictures of any of these items because I can not find the camera and well, I just did not have the time.
I was going to make a hat for The Boyfriend, but I have not had any extra time and I do not think I will get it done at this point. It makes me sad, because I did have a great idea for a hat for him. Oh well, if he is still around next year, I will make it then.
It has been cold and snowy here. Which is fine by me really, although there have been a couple of days when the cold has made it unpleasant to walk from the bus stop. It was well below zero several days last week and the one day the wind-chill was -25 F. This is a tad bit chilly to walk in and I have to take my glasses off because they fog up from by breathing into my scarf. Overall though, it is not bad if I have my long johns on.
I am going to be off of work for until next Monday. I will try to blog over the weekend and I will try to get some photos up.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Chaos to Spare
Are you looking for some chaos? I have extra to go around. Things have been just crazy. Ahh where to begin?
Work has been just awful. One problem after another, which means I have been spending extra time there, which has been very stressful. Have I mentioned I am sick of work?? I am sick of engineers. I am sick of buying parts. I am sick of dealing with problem parts.
I had a dentist appt last Wednesday and I have a cavity. On the plus side, the dental hygienist said I did a great job of brushing. She did not even ask if I flossed! Which is always good, because I do not floss, I just brush really well. The Girl had an appt at the same time. She did not tell the DDS she was pregnant and he took an x-ray. He thought it should be okay, but that they normally do not like to take x-rays on pregnant women. I had to explain to The Girl that doctors and dentists and such need to know if you are pregnant so they do not do any damage to the baby.
Thanksgiving did go well. My hubby did a fabulous job of the meal. He gets better and better every Thanksgiving. This year we had turkey breast for The Girl, shrimp and venison steak. It was awesome.
I went out shopping on Black Friday. I was disappointed in the sales. I really did not find very much. It was so crowded in some stores, I did not even bother and the lines in some stores were crazy. So much so, it was not worth my time to stand in them. I think they had less people running the registers. Anyway, I still have a bunch of stuff to buy.
And to knit. It is already December. I can not believe it. I have been knitting, mind you, but there is still plenty left.
Here is some photo prove!
Here is the hat I made for my co-workers grandson
Here is my progress on L’illo.
Here is the hat I made for my co-worker in exchange for the venison steaks we enjoyed on Thanksgiving.
Here is the 6-hour throw I made for my in-laws. It is being held down by our troublemaking dog (more on that later).
Here is a hat I made out of Noro. I think it is lovely. It is darker in real life.
Here is the Opera Stole I have been talking about. I am using this picture because it shows the color off well. However, you can not see the sparkles very well.
So I have been working. I have also been working on my hubby’s present, but he reads the blog so no photos of that!
I also knit a hat for Save the Children over the weekend. I just did not get a photo of it taken. If you have some spare time, maybe you too can knit a little hat. They do not take much time and it can do so much good.
I have much left to do… we will see if it gets done.
On Saturday I went to the movies by myself. I saw “Let the right one in (Lat den ratte komma in)”. It is a Swedish movie. It was haunting and beautiful. If it is playing in your area, it will probably be at your local art house. It is about a 12 year old boy who lives with his mom and is bullied at school. He gets a new neighbor who is not exactly a girl, she is a vampire. I think it takes place in the 1980’s. I am not 100% sure, but there are some clues like the Rubik’s cube and the record player. I am sure there are others, but I did not live in Sweden during the ‘80s so I probably missed them. There are a lot of beautiful knits and one scene with actual knitting! It is a lovely movie. There is blood and such because it is a horror film, but all of the scenic loveliness of Sweden and hand knits makes up of any horror. I am giving it 3 ½ knitting needles out of 4.
Since it is the holiday season, I find myself in kitchen stores. I always like to buy something for the kitchen for my husband. I do not cook. I occasionally bake, but mostly, I just eat what my husband makes. So I find kitchen store fascinating. It is like an anthropological study. I always see something that I did not know existed and do not always know why it is needed in the world. For instance, I was in a store over the weekend and I saw an egg cuber. It allows you to make your hard boiled eggs into cubes. I don’t mean chop into cubes, rather make the whole egg square. Why is this needed? I would I want a square egg rather than an oval one? I stood staring at the box for a long time until I realized people wanted to get by me. But still it puzzles me. Sometimes, I see things and my first reaction is “Cool! I should buy that!” At the same store I saw a 24” balloon whisk. It was as long as my arm and I just thought it was awesome. I have no idea what any one would use it for, but it was big and therefore cool. If I lived on my own, no doubt I would have stuff like this all over my kitchen walls just for decoration. I really do have some sort of problem!
I have a friend who is going to give me her crib. Her girl has moved up to a big girl bed. So we have to get the nursery cleaned out by Thursday. My husband and The Boyfriend have been working on it all week. I also hope to get the walls ready to paint so we can get the taken care this weekend. It has thrown the whole house into chaos because everything that was in there has been displaced. We have no room for our Christmas decorations. Normally, we have our tree up by now.
On Monday, the troublesome dog (see photo earlier in posting) got into The Girl’s room and ate her Chips Ahoy cookies and her cat’s food. The Girl pitched an absolute fit and demanded that the dog go. Yesterday she refused to go to school unless we called the pound and got rid of him. We refused because he is part of the family and truthfully as much trouble as he is, I really do like him. I explained to her that it is just not that easy.
Instead, my hubby put a lock on the outside of her door. And he made The Boyfriend help him empty the nursery. She was calm by the time I got home. So I guess everything is okay for the moment.
Last night I hurt my foot. I don’t know how. I stepped and suddenly pain went shooting through my heel. I have been limping around ever since. I am fine so long as I do not move. My co-worker who sits in the next cubicle thinks it Plantar fasciitis. Then she implied it was because I was fat. Isn’t life grand? For the record, I do not think this is what the problem is. This is the 1st pain I have had in my foot and it is very painful.
Hopefully the rest of week will be less exciting.
Work has been just awful. One problem after another, which means I have been spending extra time there, which has been very stressful. Have I mentioned I am sick of work?? I am sick of engineers. I am sick of buying parts. I am sick of dealing with problem parts.
I had a dentist appt last Wednesday and I have a cavity. On the plus side, the dental hygienist said I did a great job of brushing. She did not even ask if I flossed! Which is always good, because I do not floss, I just brush really well. The Girl had an appt at the same time. She did not tell the DDS she was pregnant and he took an x-ray. He thought it should be okay, but that they normally do not like to take x-rays on pregnant women. I had to explain to The Girl that doctors and dentists and such need to know if you are pregnant so they do not do any damage to the baby.
Thanksgiving did go well. My hubby did a fabulous job of the meal. He gets better and better every Thanksgiving. This year we had turkey breast for The Girl, shrimp and venison steak. It was awesome.
I went out shopping on Black Friday. I was disappointed in the sales. I really did not find very much. It was so crowded in some stores, I did not even bother and the lines in some stores were crazy. So much so, it was not worth my time to stand in them. I think they had less people running the registers. Anyway, I still have a bunch of stuff to buy.
And to knit. It is already December. I can not believe it. I have been knitting, mind you, but there is still plenty left.
Here is some photo prove!
Here is the hat I made for my co-workers grandson
Here is my progress on L’illo.
Here is the hat I made for my co-worker in exchange for the venison steaks we enjoyed on Thanksgiving.
Here is the 6-hour throw I made for my in-laws. It is being held down by our troublemaking dog (more on that later).
Here is a hat I made out of Noro. I think it is lovely. It is darker in real life.
Here is the Opera Stole I have been talking about. I am using this picture because it shows the color off well. However, you can not see the sparkles very well.
So I have been working. I have also been working on my hubby’s present, but he reads the blog so no photos of that!
I also knit a hat for Save the Children over the weekend. I just did not get a photo of it taken. If you have some spare time, maybe you too can knit a little hat. They do not take much time and it can do so much good.
I have much left to do… we will see if it gets done.
On Saturday I went to the movies by myself. I saw “Let the right one in (Lat den ratte komma in)”. It is a Swedish movie. It was haunting and beautiful. If it is playing in your area, it will probably be at your local art house. It is about a 12 year old boy who lives with his mom and is bullied at school. He gets a new neighbor who is not exactly a girl, she is a vampire. I think it takes place in the 1980’s. I am not 100% sure, but there are some clues like the Rubik’s cube and the record player. I am sure there are others, but I did not live in Sweden during the ‘80s so I probably missed them. There are a lot of beautiful knits and one scene with actual knitting! It is a lovely movie. There is blood and such because it is a horror film, but all of the scenic loveliness of Sweden and hand knits makes up of any horror. I am giving it 3 ½ knitting needles out of 4.
Since it is the holiday season, I find myself in kitchen stores. I always like to buy something for the kitchen for my husband. I do not cook. I occasionally bake, but mostly, I just eat what my husband makes. So I find kitchen store fascinating. It is like an anthropological study. I always see something that I did not know existed and do not always know why it is needed in the world. For instance, I was in a store over the weekend and I saw an egg cuber. It allows you to make your hard boiled eggs into cubes. I don’t mean chop into cubes, rather make the whole egg square. Why is this needed? I would I want a square egg rather than an oval one? I stood staring at the box for a long time until I realized people wanted to get by me. But still it puzzles me. Sometimes, I see things and my first reaction is “Cool! I should buy that!” At the same store I saw a 24” balloon whisk. It was as long as my arm and I just thought it was awesome. I have no idea what any one would use it for, but it was big and therefore cool. If I lived on my own, no doubt I would have stuff like this all over my kitchen walls just for decoration. I really do have some sort of problem!
I have a friend who is going to give me her crib. Her girl has moved up to a big girl bed. So we have to get the nursery cleaned out by Thursday. My husband and The Boyfriend have been working on it all week. I also hope to get the walls ready to paint so we can get the taken care this weekend. It has thrown the whole house into chaos because everything that was in there has been displaced. We have no room for our Christmas decorations. Normally, we have our tree up by now.
On Monday, the troublesome dog (see photo earlier in posting) got into The Girl’s room and ate her Chips Ahoy cookies and her cat’s food. The Girl pitched an absolute fit and demanded that the dog go. Yesterday she refused to go to school unless we called the pound and got rid of him. We refused because he is part of the family and truthfully as much trouble as he is, I really do like him. I explained to her that it is just not that easy.
Instead, my hubby put a lock on the outside of her door. And he made The Boyfriend help him empty the nursery. She was calm by the time I got home. So I guess everything is okay for the moment.
Last night I hurt my foot. I don’t know how. I stepped and suddenly pain went shooting through my heel. I have been limping around ever since. I am fine so long as I do not move. My co-worker who sits in the next cubicle thinks it Plantar fasciitis. Then she implied it was because I was fat. Isn’t life grand? For the record, I do not think this is what the problem is. This is the 1st pain I have had in my foot and it is very painful.
Hopefully the rest of week will be less exciting.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Mama Told Me There’d Be Days like This
Actually, she really didn’t, but if it good enough for John Lennon, it is good enough for me. I am having one of those days. I need a day off, except I am trying to save my vacation time for when the baby comes. Sigh.
Work has been crazy and it makes me crabby. I really should just go home and knit or something before someone gets hurt. I am sick of being a worker bee. I know I have said it before, but it seems extra true today.
Weather
I know you all get very excited when I discuss the weather… It has gotten cold here. Not liquid in your eyes freezing cold, rather ice starting to form on the pond cold. It has been interesting to see the path I take everyday submit to the chill of winter’s onslaught. The cold does not bother me so long as I am bundled up sufficiently. Taking the bus has made me realize I need a better scarf. I have hand knit hat and mittens, but I have an acrylic scarf I bought at the thrift store. Why? You may ask. Why would someone so obsessed with knitting not have made herself a scarf? Because I hate knitting scarves. They are long and tedious. I have not bought myself a new scarf because the one I have is the right width and length. It is very wide and long. It is hard to find a scarf of such a great size. I have seen one at Macy’s, but it is a Hugo Boss and expensive. Sigh.
Movie Review
A week and a half ago my husband and I went to see “RocknRolla”. It was awesome. It was a fun, violent romp through the underbelly of London. It was directed by Guy Richie and very much in the vein of “Snatch” & “Lock, Stock and 2 Smoking Barrels”. If you did not like those movies, you will probably not like this one. I however, loved those movies and I enjoyed “RocknRolla” a lot. Gerard Butler was fabulous. Actually, everyone was really good. I am thinking about going and seeing it again. There were no hand knits, which is of course always a little disappointing. However, I am still giving it 3 knitting needles out of 4.
Knitting
I have not downloaded my pictures of my knitting in forever, so I do not have any currently. I have been knitting though. I should be able to finish the 6 hour throw tonight. Last night I went out with some friends and did not really do any knitting.
Strange days indeed – John Lennon
Work has been crazy and it makes me crabby. I really should just go home and knit or something before someone gets hurt. I am sick of being a worker bee. I know I have said it before, but it seems extra true today.
Weather
I know you all get very excited when I discuss the weather… It has gotten cold here. Not liquid in your eyes freezing cold, rather ice starting to form on the pond cold. It has been interesting to see the path I take everyday submit to the chill of winter’s onslaught. The cold does not bother me so long as I am bundled up sufficiently. Taking the bus has made me realize I need a better scarf. I have hand knit hat and mittens, but I have an acrylic scarf I bought at the thrift store. Why? You may ask. Why would someone so obsessed with knitting not have made herself a scarf? Because I hate knitting scarves. They are long and tedious. I have not bought myself a new scarf because the one I have is the right width and length. It is very wide and long. It is hard to find a scarf of such a great size. I have seen one at Macy’s, but it is a Hugo Boss and expensive. Sigh.
Movie Review
A week and a half ago my husband and I went to see “RocknRolla”. It was awesome. It was a fun, violent romp through the underbelly of London. It was directed by Guy Richie and very much in the vein of “Snatch” & “Lock, Stock and 2 Smoking Barrels”. If you did not like those movies, you will probably not like this one. I however, loved those movies and I enjoyed “RocknRolla” a lot. Gerard Butler was fabulous. Actually, everyone was really good. I am thinking about going and seeing it again. There were no hand knits, which is of course always a little disappointing. However, I am still giving it 3 knitting needles out of 4.
Knitting
I have not downloaded my pictures of my knitting in forever, so I do not have any currently. I have been knitting though. I should be able to finish the 6 hour throw tonight. Last night I went out with some friends and did not really do any knitting.
Strange days indeed – John Lennon
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Ahhh The Good Old Days
My life used to be dull. Really, it did. Big excitement was going down to visit my mom and dad. They lived in my home town about an hour away. We used to go down every other weekend. That became every weekend when my dad got sick. Sometimes we would go hang out at the MOA (Mall of America), not to shop per se, as were did not have much money, but to look around. We would poke through shops and maybe have a little lunch. We lived in an apartment, we had a couple of cats, and life was boring. God I miss that life! Now, everything is chaotic, too many things and people in my life. I really would like to go back to just my husband and me. Of course, that doesn’t seem likely at this point.
Pain
Yesterday I fell. When I got up in the morning, I managed to trip over a step stool near my bed. So, not only did I fall, but I fell on top on our floor fan. It was very painful. I have a huge bruise on my breast. I have never seen a bruise this color, it is dark blood red. My breast plate hurts, my hand hurts, and my knee hurts. It is miserable. I know that if I was old and frail I would be busted up badly and maybe even dead. That is scary. Obviously I need to clean my room!
The Girl
I just looked over my last few blog entries and realized that I am not totally up to date on info on The Girl.
1st – we have found out she is having a girl. We found out last Tuesday. I am sort of excited just because there are a lot more baby girl patterns to knit.
2nd – The Girl’s boyfriend has moved in. The Thursday before Halloween she went up to visit The Boyfriend and it ended with his uncle (whom he lived with and worked for) trying to strangle him. So now we have yet another mouth to feed. He is looking for a job and is willing to pay rent. Plus, he is helping around the house some. We will have to see how this goes.
Yesterday, The Boyfriend was driving over to pick up The Girl (in OUR car) and he was pulled over. It is somewhat unclear what he was pulled over for, but regardless, the police pulled up his name and it appeared were warrants out on him. They were not actually on him, but his father (he is a Jr.), but he still had to sit in the cop car for 45 minutes and The Girl did not have any one there to pick her up and DH did not have any way of knowing what was going on or to be able to pick her up. Eventually he got home, without The Girl and DH had to go pick her up late. Drama!
Later in the evening, there was a fight between The Girl and The Boyfriend. It was bad. The Girl stormed out of the house, followed by The Boyfriend. They came back in about an hour and everything seemed okay. More Drama!
Knitting Crap
I have been working on a Noro Kureyon hat. I am almost done. It is not for anyone. I love to knit hats and sometimes I just have to make one. It is really quite pretty. I also knit a baby hat out of sock yarn for a baby shower today. I took a picture, but I do not have it with me. It was a big hit with the recipient so I am happy. People are very impressed with baby hats made out of sock yarn. I recommend you make one for the next baby that comes into your life. They are easy and they look impressive to the uninitiated.
I was also knitting a baby bib to go with the hat, but the cotton hurt my hand too much to finish it last night. Hopefully my hand will feel better in the next couple of days. Wool does not seem to bother it too much so I can still knit.
I have started the “right” side of the front of L’illo. Who knows, maybe it will be done before the baby comes. I have not been working on the Opera Stole at all. Plus, I have to start on Christmas gifts. The Stole might have to wait until after Christmas.
Regarding Good Old Days
I know that logically, my early days with my husband were not all wine and roses. There were a lot of stressful things going on. Because life is stressful. I did not have my depression in control, we had no money, my family caused me a lot of grief, etc. However, I miss having time with my husband where we could just sit around naked in bed and watch TV and not have any reason to get up. I just miss the two of us. There just seems to be so many people in our house…
It will all be fine. To quote a former boss, “It is ALL good!”
Pain
Yesterday I fell. When I got up in the morning, I managed to trip over a step stool near my bed. So, not only did I fall, but I fell on top on our floor fan. It was very painful. I have a huge bruise on my breast. I have never seen a bruise this color, it is dark blood red. My breast plate hurts, my hand hurts, and my knee hurts. It is miserable. I know that if I was old and frail I would be busted up badly and maybe even dead. That is scary. Obviously I need to clean my room!
The Girl
I just looked over my last few blog entries and realized that I am not totally up to date on info on The Girl.
1st – we have found out she is having a girl. We found out last Tuesday. I am sort of excited just because there are a lot more baby girl patterns to knit.
2nd – The Girl’s boyfriend has moved in. The Thursday before Halloween she went up to visit The Boyfriend and it ended with his uncle (whom he lived with and worked for) trying to strangle him. So now we have yet another mouth to feed. He is looking for a job and is willing to pay rent. Plus, he is helping around the house some. We will have to see how this goes.
Yesterday, The Boyfriend was driving over to pick up The Girl (in OUR car) and he was pulled over. It is somewhat unclear what he was pulled over for, but regardless, the police pulled up his name and it appeared were warrants out on him. They were not actually on him, but his father (he is a Jr.), but he still had to sit in the cop car for 45 minutes and The Girl did not have any one there to pick her up and DH did not have any way of knowing what was going on or to be able to pick her up. Eventually he got home, without The Girl and DH had to go pick her up late. Drama!
Later in the evening, there was a fight between The Girl and The Boyfriend. It was bad. The Girl stormed out of the house, followed by The Boyfriend. They came back in about an hour and everything seemed okay. More Drama!
Knitting Crap
I have been working on a Noro Kureyon hat. I am almost done. It is not for anyone. I love to knit hats and sometimes I just have to make one. It is really quite pretty. I also knit a baby hat out of sock yarn for a baby shower today. I took a picture, but I do not have it with me. It was a big hit with the recipient so I am happy. People are very impressed with baby hats made out of sock yarn. I recommend you make one for the next baby that comes into your life. They are easy and they look impressive to the uninitiated.
I was also knitting a baby bib to go with the hat, but the cotton hurt my hand too much to finish it last night. Hopefully my hand will feel better in the next couple of days. Wool does not seem to bother it too much so I can still knit.
I have started the “right” side of the front of L’illo. Who knows, maybe it will be done before the baby comes. I have not been working on the Opera Stole at all. Plus, I have to start on Christmas gifts. The Stole might have to wait until after Christmas.
Regarding Good Old Days
I know that logically, my early days with my husband were not all wine and roses. There were a lot of stressful things going on. Because life is stressful. I did not have my depression in control, we had no money, my family caused me a lot of grief, etc. However, I miss having time with my husband where we could just sit around naked in bed and watch TV and not have any reason to get up. I just miss the two of us. There just seems to be so many people in our house…
It will all be fine. To quote a former boss, “It is ALL good!”
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Election Day
My husband and I got to the polls before they opened, about 6:40 or so. There was a small line, nothing too serious and when 7:00 came around, people started heading in and it took us about 15 minutes or so to get through the line. And I was able to make my 7:30 bus. A successful voting experience all round! I love voting. It is so powerful and I truly feel it is the job of every American to go out and have their say. To me, if you do not vote you lose bitching rights. I do not care who you vote for, write in yourself if you want, but always take advantage of your vote.
It is hard to SSK on the bus…
It is also hard to purl slippery rayon on the bus. I have been working on my Opera Stole on the bus and it is going well. I am about half way done. Obviously I did not finish it before our opera outing on Saturday. Oh well. The company Christmas party is going to have a cocktail party theme, so I think my stole will be perfect for it.
I am also knitting L’illo on the bus. I am alternating depending on my mood. I am almost done with the extended collar on the one side of the front. It says it is the left side, but the pattern is wrong and it is going to end up being the right side. But that’s okay. I do not figure a newborn is going to mind.
At home I was working on the Aran slippers for my mom for Christmas. However, I have run into a snag. First, I can not read the adult chart to save my life. I tried to write it out, but it is a very convoluted cable pattern. So I decided to use the child’s version instead. I am using a bigger needle and added a stitch on each side. The second problem, I lost one of my needles. They were the lovely birch needles my sweetie bought me at Shepherd’s Harvest and I am very sad. I do not know what happened to it. I hope it turns up. Regardless, I am stopped on the slippers. They are sort of irritating me so I do not know if I will actually finish them or not.
It is hard to SSK on the bus…
It is also hard to purl slippery rayon on the bus. I have been working on my Opera Stole on the bus and it is going well. I am about half way done. Obviously I did not finish it before our opera outing on Saturday. Oh well. The company Christmas party is going to have a cocktail party theme, so I think my stole will be perfect for it.
I am also knitting L’illo on the bus. I am alternating depending on my mood. I am almost done with the extended collar on the one side of the front. It says it is the left side, but the pattern is wrong and it is going to end up being the right side. But that’s okay. I do not figure a newborn is going to mind.
At home I was working on the Aran slippers for my mom for Christmas. However, I have run into a snag. First, I can not read the adult chart to save my life. I tried to write it out, but it is a very convoluted cable pattern. So I decided to use the child’s version instead. I am using a bigger needle and added a stitch on each side. The second problem, I lost one of my needles. They were the lovely birch needles my sweetie bought me at Shepherd’s Harvest and I am very sad. I do not know what happened to it. I hope it turns up. Regardless, I am stopped on the slippers. They are sort of irritating me so I do not know if I will actually finish them or not.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Baby its Cold Outside
The weather has taken a turn for the cold. On Saturday it was in the 60s and very pleasant. Yesterday, the weather became cold and wet. It even snowed some, not the kind that sticks to the ground. Today, it is about 40F and windy. I think I will have to get out my winter coat.
Last Thursday, the family went to see “Max Payne”. It was okay. It was an action movie. The dialogue was not what you call great, however, it was okay. Stuff blew up, always a good trait. However, Mark Wahlberg was not in his under-britches even once, it was very disappointing. There was no nice hand knits as well since it was a dark dismal future type of movie. If you can suspend your disbelief for an hour and a half, then this movie is a good choice. You will not remember much afterwards, but it does allow you to escape reality for a little bit. I am giving it 2 ½ knitting needles out of 4.
Knitting News – Or How I Can Not Finish a Project
Yesterday I started a new project. They are a pair of slippers for my mom for Christmas. It is the Aran slippers in the Interweave Knits Holiday issue. It is a quick knit so far. I have about ½ ways done with the 1st slipper. I would be further along, but I had to rip out the heel short rows because I miscounted the 1st round.
Now, I know I said that I was not going to start anything else until I finished my Opera Stole, but it is so tedious, just the same 4 rows and really only two of those are different. It is going far quicker than I thought and I think I will not be able to use all of the yarn. So maybe I will be able to make something else with it as well.
So at present, I currently have 3 “active” projects: the Opera Stole, My Mom’s Slipper and the L’illo baby sweater. This is a problem because it is better if I have a bus project and a home project. Oh well, I will struggle on.
Last Thursday, the family went to see “Max Payne”. It was okay. It was an action movie. The dialogue was not what you call great, however, it was okay. Stuff blew up, always a good trait. However, Mark Wahlberg was not in his under-britches even once, it was very disappointing. There was no nice hand knits as well since it was a dark dismal future type of movie. If you can suspend your disbelief for an hour and a half, then this movie is a good choice. You will not remember much afterwards, but it does allow you to escape reality for a little bit. I am giving it 2 ½ knitting needles out of 4.
Knitting News – Or How I Can Not Finish a Project
Yesterday I started a new project. They are a pair of slippers for my mom for Christmas. It is the Aran slippers in the Interweave Knits Holiday issue. It is a quick knit so far. I have about ½ ways done with the 1st slipper. I would be further along, but I had to rip out the heel short rows because I miscounted the 1st round.
Now, I know I said that I was not going to start anything else until I finished my Opera Stole, but it is so tedious, just the same 4 rows and really only two of those are different. It is going far quicker than I thought and I think I will not be able to use all of the yarn. So maybe I will be able to make something else with it as well.
So at present, I currently have 3 “active” projects: the Opera Stole, My Mom’s Slipper and the L’illo baby sweater. This is a problem because it is better if I have a bus project and a home project. Oh well, I will struggle on.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
O Happy Day
My lovely husband came home yesterday. It was joyous! We were going to go out to dinner after picking him up, but The Girl threw up on the way to pick him up. So we went home and picked up some sushi for dinner. It was a nice evening.
Movie Review
The Girl insisted on seeing “W” on Sunday. She actually wanted me to miss the Vikings game, but I refused. We went after the miserable loss to the Bears.
“W” was okay. It could have used some extra editing because it was too long. It was actually really sympathetic towards The President. Sure, he looks like a doofus, but he appears to be in over his head more than anything else. There were no hand knits and like I said, it was too long so I am giving it 2 ¼ knitting needles out of 4. The Girl was bored and hungry about ½ ways through so I do not think she enjoyed it very much. It concerns me that she will not want to see “Nixon / Frost” when that comes out, because that looks awesome and good for her to see.
Knitting News
I came up with a stitch pattern for my Opera Stole. It is the vertical lace trellis pattern from Barbara Walker’s ‘Treasury of Knitting Patterns’. It is lacy and it shows off the yarn. I have several inches knit. I can knit it while I am watching TV, but not when I am tired as I tend to mess up.
This morning I cast on the left front for L’illo. I really like how the back turned out. I hope it will fit. I figure it can be the Baby’s coming home outfit. I think I will make a hat and booties to go with the sweater.
I bought Interweave Knits Holiday issue. There are several things in there that I think I will make. There is a pair of slippers (the aran ones) that I think I will make for my mom.
I do not know how much stuff I will be knitting for Christmas. I have some ideas for my husband, which I can not reveal here since he reads this blog. I think I will make The Girl a sweater from ‘Pretty in Punk’. It is knit on huge needles and really holey and has dropped stitches etc, so I think I can do it quickly. I know I will not have much time for knitting, so I will have to get moving.
Here is a random photo from my trip this summer. I do not know what this plant is. If you do, leave me a message and let me know.
Movie Review
The Girl insisted on seeing “W” on Sunday. She actually wanted me to miss the Vikings game, but I refused. We went after the miserable loss to the Bears.
“W” was okay. It could have used some extra editing because it was too long. It was actually really sympathetic towards The President. Sure, he looks like a doofus, but he appears to be in over his head more than anything else. There were no hand knits and like I said, it was too long so I am giving it 2 ¼ knitting needles out of 4. The Girl was bored and hungry about ½ ways through so I do not think she enjoyed it very much. It concerns me that she will not want to see “Nixon / Frost” when that comes out, because that looks awesome and good for her to see.
Knitting News
I came up with a stitch pattern for my Opera Stole. It is the vertical lace trellis pattern from Barbara Walker’s ‘Treasury of Knitting Patterns’. It is lacy and it shows off the yarn. I have several inches knit. I can knit it while I am watching TV, but not when I am tired as I tend to mess up.
This morning I cast on the left front for L’illo. I really like how the back turned out. I hope it will fit. I figure it can be the Baby’s coming home outfit. I think I will make a hat and booties to go with the sweater.
I bought Interweave Knits Holiday issue. There are several things in there that I think I will make. There is a pair of slippers (the aran ones) that I think I will make for my mom.
I do not know how much stuff I will be knitting for Christmas. I have some ideas for my husband, which I can not reveal here since he reads this blog. I think I will make The Girl a sweater from ‘Pretty in Punk’. It is knit on huge needles and really holey and has dropped stitches etc, so I think I can do it quickly. I know I will not have much time for knitting, so I will have to get moving.
Here is a random photo from my trip this summer. I do not know what this plant is. If you do, leave me a message and let me know.
Friday, October 17, 2008
All By Myself
Okay, I am not really all alone, The Girl is at home, but my husband is out of town. He is off visiting his parents. They wanted him to come down and visit them before the baby came. We were not invited, which I probably good since I intend to save as much time a possible for when the baby does come. I am going to take time off to spend with The Girl and The Baby. Regardless, I am very lonely. My husband and I are a perfect match. We really are meant for each other. I am sure many people can say the same thing about their spouses, although not everyone. So when his is gone, I feel his absence greatly. Plus, he takes care of most; okay ALL, of the household chores. So now I am faced with getting groceries (which I HATE) and doing laundry and finding something to eat for breakfast, etc. It sucks. And he can always make me laugh. I love his voice. If I am having a bad day, I can call him up at home and he makes me feel better. So it is difficult when he is away.
Otherwise, I have been driving to work so there has been no bus knitting. I did do some knitting last night and I was able to finish the back of the L’illo baby sweater. I bought “Pretty in Punk” for The Girl and she marked all the patterns she wanted me to make. She is so funny because she just sees the things in the colors in the book. I have to work on making her see the pattern in different colors. She marked about 9 of them. She did say I did not have to do them all at once. LOL. She is a funny girl! There is a holey sweater made with fingering weight mohair that I think I will make 1st. I have some Kid Silk Haze Night in red that should work. I showed it to The Girl and she declared it very nice. It doesn’t look too hard, so I should be able to do it fairly quickly.
I have cast on for my opera shawl, several times, I am not very happy. I am not sure if I am going to be able to actually get it done by 11/1 since I don’t know if I like the latest pattern I have chosen. It is frustrating when I have something in my head and I do not know how to get it out of my needles.
I have earned a $50 gift card from The 3 Kittens Yarn Shop and I am trying to decide what to get. I was very excited when I got it because, well, it is free yarn. I am trying to decide if I should go over there this weekend and spend or if I should wait. I did go to The Yarnery this week and bought $40+ worth of yarn and the Interweave Knits Holiday issue. So I really don’t need more yarn, but I like to use gift cards when I get them. This stems from when my purse was stolen and I had received a gift card from my boss and I was not able to use it because it was stolen. I live in fear of not getting free stuff. I know, it is an illness!
I do not have any really big plans for the weekend. I have to wait for my husband to come home to go see “Max Paine” and there are not any other movies I really want to see. I have to do laundry, blech. The Vikings play the Bears on Sunday. I will watch, because I am a masochist and I always hope they will play well and manage to win. Otherwise, I am going to try to knit. Something. I feel like I am behind on my knitting.
My husband comes back on Monday night. I can’t wait. He is the best man alive and I miss him terribly.
Otherwise, I have been driving to work so there has been no bus knitting. I did do some knitting last night and I was able to finish the back of the L’illo baby sweater. I bought “Pretty in Punk” for The Girl and she marked all the patterns she wanted me to make. She is so funny because she just sees the things in the colors in the book. I have to work on making her see the pattern in different colors. She marked about 9 of them. She did say I did not have to do them all at once. LOL. She is a funny girl! There is a holey sweater made with fingering weight mohair that I think I will make 1st. I have some Kid Silk Haze Night in red that should work. I showed it to The Girl and she declared it very nice. It doesn’t look too hard, so I should be able to do it fairly quickly.
I have cast on for my opera shawl, several times, I am not very happy. I am not sure if I am going to be able to actually get it done by 11/1 since I don’t know if I like the latest pattern I have chosen. It is frustrating when I have something in my head and I do not know how to get it out of my needles.
I have earned a $50 gift card from The 3 Kittens Yarn Shop and I am trying to decide what to get. I was very excited when I got it because, well, it is free yarn. I am trying to decide if I should go over there this weekend and spend or if I should wait. I did go to The Yarnery this week and bought $40+ worth of yarn and the Interweave Knits Holiday issue. So I really don’t need more yarn, but I like to use gift cards when I get them. This stems from when my purse was stolen and I had received a gift card from my boss and I was not able to use it because it was stolen. I live in fear of not getting free stuff. I know, it is an illness!
I do not have any really big plans for the weekend. I have to wait for my husband to come home to go see “Max Paine” and there are not any other movies I really want to see. I have to do laundry, blech. The Vikings play the Bears on Sunday. I will watch, because I am a masochist and I always hope they will play well and manage to win. Otherwise, I am going to try to knit. Something. I feel like I am behind on my knitting.
My husband comes back on Monday night. I can’t wait. He is the best man alive and I miss him terribly.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Breaking Dawn Review
I finished reading “Breaking Dawn” the fourth and last book in the Twilight series. I had heard rumblings of discontent before I read it, but I did not listen closely because I did not want to have the story spoiled. Now, I am very confused as to why anyone would complain. It seemed to be a perfectly fine end to the story arc.
Overall, it was a good book. I enjoyed it. It was not as good as the 1st one, but that is not all that uncommon in sequels. Perhaps I will have to investigate what others were complaining about. If it is worth mentioning, I will write about it right here!
Overall, it was a good book. I enjoyed it. It was not as good as the 1st one, but that is not all that uncommon in sequels. Perhaps I will have to investigate what others were complaining about. If it is worth mentioning, I will write about it right here!
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Reviews – Book and Movie
I have been very busy this week and have not had time to blog. Sorry.
I have reviews today. I will go in chronological order.
Last Saturday, The Girl and I went to see “Appaloosa”. It is a western starring Ed Harris (who The Girl declared ‘sexy”), Viggo Mortenson and Jeremy Irons, oh and Renee Zellewillger. It is a good western. There was more humor in it then I had expected and the plot moved along at a good pace. However, there did seem to be bits missing. The timeline was not always clear. There is a point when you are not sure if a week; six months, a year or 5 years have past. I am sure that it is because this is based on a book and they had to hit the high points. There was no real hand knits in it, which always makes me wonder since there had to be people knitting stuff during this time period. There was a shawl that one of the characters had, which might have been knit, but I could not tell. Regardless, the acting is really good. Both The Girl and I did not like Renee Zellewillger’s character, but it did lead to a good discussion after the movie about what one does for someone they love. I am giving the movie 3 out of 4 knitting needles.
RIP III Review
I just finished “World War Z”. This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. It is just incredible. On the back, it says it is in like the work of Studs Terkel and I have to admit I was skeptical of such a claim because I love Terkel. However, it is very much in the vein of Terkel’s “Working”.
Of course, this book is an oral account of the Zombie Invasion, so it is fictional, but it seems real, which is a huge accomplishment. It is broken down in sections by time. There is one section about how people survived and rebuilt their communities. There is a line in which a guy states how he is wearing a sweater he knit from yarn from his sheep. I loved that. I have always thought that when someone asks a person why they are knitting a sock that she should say something about having socks after the fall of society, but now, I think they should say something about zombie survival. I have to say everyone should read “World War Z”. Go out and buy it or get it out of the library. I do not think you will be disappointed.
If you do not think you are up to zombies, go out and read some of Studs Terkel’s books. I would recommend either:
“Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do” - 1974.
“Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Reflections on Death, Rebirth and Hunger for a Faith” - 2001
Both of these are excellent books. When I read “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”, I thought that it should be required reading in high school. It deals with death and dying in a wonderful way. I think people today do not understand death very well.
I have reviews today. I will go in chronological order.
Last Saturday, The Girl and I went to see “Appaloosa”. It is a western starring Ed Harris (who The Girl declared ‘sexy”), Viggo Mortenson and Jeremy Irons, oh and Renee Zellewillger. It is a good western. There was more humor in it then I had expected and the plot moved along at a good pace. However, there did seem to be bits missing. The timeline was not always clear. There is a point when you are not sure if a week; six months, a year or 5 years have past. I am sure that it is because this is based on a book and they had to hit the high points. There was no real hand knits in it, which always makes me wonder since there had to be people knitting stuff during this time period. There was a shawl that one of the characters had, which might have been knit, but I could not tell. Regardless, the acting is really good. Both The Girl and I did not like Renee Zellewillger’s character, but it did lead to a good discussion after the movie about what one does for someone they love. I am giving the movie 3 out of 4 knitting needles.
RIP III Review
I just finished “World War Z”. This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. It is just incredible. On the back, it says it is in like the work of Studs Terkel and I have to admit I was skeptical of such a claim because I love Terkel. However, it is very much in the vein of Terkel’s “Working”.
Of course, this book is an oral account of the Zombie Invasion, so it is fictional, but it seems real, which is a huge accomplishment. It is broken down in sections by time. There is one section about how people survived and rebuilt their communities. There is a line in which a guy states how he is wearing a sweater he knit from yarn from his sheep. I loved that. I have always thought that when someone asks a person why they are knitting a sock that she should say something about having socks after the fall of society, but now, I think they should say something about zombie survival. I have to say everyone should read “World War Z”. Go out and buy it or get it out of the library. I do not think you will be disappointed.
If you do not think you are up to zombies, go out and read some of Studs Terkel’s books. I would recommend either:
“Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do” - 1974.
“Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Reflections on Death, Rebirth and Hunger for a Faith” - 2001
Both of these are excellent books. When I read “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”, I thought that it should be required reading in high school. It deals with death and dying in a wonderful way. I think people today do not understand death very well.
Friday, October 03, 2008
Eclipse Review
Last night I stayed up late (1 am) reading “Eclipse”. I finished it. So I technically have finished both my books for RIP III, however, I am going to read World War Z next so I will review that as well.
I really enjoyed this book. I discovered the Twilight series a few months ago. I really like the books, even though, I know I never would have read them when I was a teen. I was just not into such tales. Even now, it is embarrassing. I mean they really are just sort of silly books, but it doesn’t stop me from loving them. Of course, they are a quick read, so that also helps.
***There will be spoilers ahead. If you have not read the books and you want to, stop now. ****
For those who are not familiar with the Twilight series, the books revolve around a teenager who moves to a small town in Washington State to live with her father. Of course, she was not really happy moving, but she did it for her mom’s sake. Anyway, in the 1st book, “Twilight”, she falls in love with one of the local vampires, Edward. You know all small towns have a few vampires, I know mine did. They are very good vampires as they do not feed on human blood, only animals.
In the 2nd book, “Full Moon”, Edward has left her to save her from living with a vampire for the rest of her life. She is very despondent, but she finds a friend in Jacob who is a teen from a nearby tribe. Their fathers are old friends. Well, the tribe has a wolfy history and Jacob ends up being a werewolf. We find out werewolves and vampires are bitter enemies. So Bella is torn between her friend and the vampire she loves. Edward comes back and in the end his family agrees to help turn Bella into a vampire so she can spend eternity with Edward.
So we start the third book with her high school graduation approaching. She is set to become a vampire over the summer. However, Edward wants to get married 1st. Bella does not want to get married; she just wants to have sex before she becomes a vampire. However, Jacob is in love with Bella as well as wants her to stay human and be with him. Bella realizes she is in love with Jacob as well, but she needs Edward at her core and so in the end, she chooses Edward. What was funny is that at the end I just knew that I would have picked the werewolf over the vampire. I felt truly sad for Jacob having to be alone.
All of these books have a plot other than the love entanglements. In this one, a vampire bent on revenge is forming an army in order to kill Bella and the werewolves and the vampire family work together to save her.
I really enjoyed this book. I discovered the Twilight series a few months ago. I really like the books, even though, I know I never would have read them when I was a teen. I was just not into such tales. Even now, it is embarrassing. I mean they really are just sort of silly books, but it doesn’t stop me from loving them. Of course, they are a quick read, so that also helps.
***There will be spoilers ahead. If you have not read the books and you want to, stop now. ****
For those who are not familiar with the Twilight series, the books revolve around a teenager who moves to a small town in Washington State to live with her father. Of course, she was not really happy moving, but she did it for her mom’s sake. Anyway, in the 1st book, “Twilight”, she falls in love with one of the local vampires, Edward. You know all small towns have a few vampires, I know mine did. They are very good vampires as they do not feed on human blood, only animals.
In the 2nd book, “Full Moon”, Edward has left her to save her from living with a vampire for the rest of her life. She is very despondent, but she finds a friend in Jacob who is a teen from a nearby tribe. Their fathers are old friends. Well, the tribe has a wolfy history and Jacob ends up being a werewolf. We find out werewolves and vampires are bitter enemies. So Bella is torn between her friend and the vampire she loves. Edward comes back and in the end his family agrees to help turn Bella into a vampire so she can spend eternity with Edward.
So we start the third book with her high school graduation approaching. She is set to become a vampire over the summer. However, Edward wants to get married 1st. Bella does not want to get married; she just wants to have sex before she becomes a vampire. However, Jacob is in love with Bella as well as wants her to stay human and be with him. Bella realizes she is in love with Jacob as well, but she needs Edward at her core and so in the end, she chooses Edward. What was funny is that at the end I just knew that I would have picked the werewolf over the vampire. I felt truly sad for Jacob having to be alone.
All of these books have a plot other than the love entanglements. In this one, a vampire bent on revenge is forming an army in order to kill Bella and the werewolves and the vampire family work together to save her.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
October… At Last
It is hard to believe that October is here. Today the weather is perfect. It is about 65 and sunny with a cool fall breeze. I love it!
Movie Review
I have blogged twice this week already and neither one contained a movie review. This would not be unusual, except that we went to the movies on Sunday. I know, it is shameful! On Sunday we went and saw “Ghost Town”. It was very funny and cute. Nothing terrible deep, but it was sweet and I enjoyed it. Plus, there was a “fair isle” sweater vest with beagles on it that was too cute! It is about an obnoxious dentist who dies and then starts seeing ghosts. If you are looking for some simple escapism and can suspend your disbelief for a couple of hours, I have to recommend you go see it. I am giving 3 knitting needles out of 4.
Knitting
Look I have photos. This proves I do actual knit!
Here are the Beer Gloves I made for my hubby. They are from “Son of Stitch n’ Bitch” they are easy and look pretty good, if I do say so myself. Although, if I made them again, I would do them in stockinet stitch instead of reverse. I just hate that I got ladders in between my needles.
Here is the market bag I am making for my MIL. The color on the picture is total crap. The yarn is actually an emerald green. I do not know why these did not come out color-wise, because the others are really close to their actual colors. Oh well. I am getting close to being done. The pattern is the Ilene Bag.
Here is the beginning of the baby sweater I have started. It is really easy so far. I have just started on the back.
RIP III
I am working on my second book for RIP III. It is “Eclipse” by Stephanie Meyer (it is the 3rd book in the Twilight series). Please don’t judge me, but I do really enjoy them. They are so much fun and easy to read. Plus I am sure is has been banned somewhere since it deals with vampires and other supernatural beings and of course teenagers wanting to have sex. So it covers both my banned book reading AND rip III. What more could you ask for in a book? I will give a review once I am finished, which should not be long.
I think that is everything for today.
Movie Review
I have blogged twice this week already and neither one contained a movie review. This would not be unusual, except that we went to the movies on Sunday. I know, it is shameful! On Sunday we went and saw “Ghost Town”. It was very funny and cute. Nothing terrible deep, but it was sweet and I enjoyed it. Plus, there was a “fair isle” sweater vest with beagles on it that was too cute! It is about an obnoxious dentist who dies and then starts seeing ghosts. If you are looking for some simple escapism and can suspend your disbelief for a couple of hours, I have to recommend you go see it. I am giving 3 knitting needles out of 4.
Knitting
Look I have photos. This proves I do actual knit!
Here are the Beer Gloves I made for my hubby. They are from “Son of Stitch n’ Bitch” they are easy and look pretty good, if I do say so myself. Although, if I made them again, I would do them in stockinet stitch instead of reverse. I just hate that I got ladders in between my needles.
Here is the market bag I am making for my MIL. The color on the picture is total crap. The yarn is actually an emerald green. I do not know why these did not come out color-wise, because the others are really close to their actual colors. Oh well. I am getting close to being done. The pattern is the Ilene Bag.
Here is the beginning of the baby sweater I have started. It is really easy so far. I have just started on the back.
RIP III
I am working on my second book for RIP III. It is “Eclipse” by Stephanie Meyer (it is the 3rd book in the Twilight series). Please don’t judge me, but I do really enjoy them. They are so much fun and easy to read. Plus I am sure is has been banned somewhere since it deals with vampires and other supernatural beings and of course teenagers wanting to have sex. So it covers both my banned book reading AND rip III. What more could you ask for in a book? I will give a review once I am finished, which should not be long.
I think that is everything for today.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Let’s Get Dirty!
Get you mind out of the gutter! Today is National Mud Pack Day. Tonight relax with a soothing mud pack. It will rejuvenate your skin. It will make you look younger and tighter. Actually, it probably won’t, but it would be fun. Slather on some muddy stuff and do a little reading.
I Read Banned Books… How About You?
Yesterday, I forgot to remind everyone that Banned Book Week had begun on 9/27. It goes through 10/4, so you still have time to read a banned book. Of course, you can always read a book that has been banned. I am trying to make my way though a list of them. I have read several, but some, well I know I will not be able to slough through any Steinbeck, so I know I will not read them all. However, if you can read Steinbeck, do it! Right now! Go out to your local library or book store and pick up a book that has been banned or challenged. To find out what books have been banned and why, please go to the ALA website. If you would like a recommendation, I would suggest Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. It is one of my favorite books and ironically has been banned. A few others that I can recommend: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Slaughter-house Five by Kurt Vonnegut, or Beloved by Toni Morrison. All of these are fantastic books.
Stick it to the man and Read!
I Read Banned Books… How About You?
Yesterday, I forgot to remind everyone that Banned Book Week had begun on 9/27. It goes through 10/4, so you still have time to read a banned book. Of course, you can always read a book that has been banned. I am trying to make my way though a list of them. I have read several, but some, well I know I will not be able to slough through any Steinbeck, so I know I will not read them all. However, if you can read Steinbeck, do it! Right now! Go out to your local library or book store and pick up a book that has been banned or challenged. To find out what books have been banned and why, please go to the ALA website. If you would like a recommendation, I would suggest Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. It is one of my favorite books and ironically has been banned. A few others that I can recommend: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Slaughter-house Five by Kurt Vonnegut, or Beloved by Toni Morrison. All of these are fantastic books. Stick it to the man and Read!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Wheresoever You Go, Go With All Your Heart
Today is Confucius Day. It is a day to celebrate the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius. He was extremely influential in Asian culture. His sayings became the cornerstones for the Chinese for centuries after he wrote them.
Here are just a few (along with the title) that I like:
When anger rises, think of the consequences.
Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon and star.
It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.
So look up your own quotes or think about these, but spend a little bit of time with Confucius today. He really did have many good things to say.
BIG NEWS
We bought a car on Saturday. It is a 2008 Mazda 3.
I know that I had not really talked about the Mazda, but we looked it up in the Consumer’s Report and they recommended it. My husband test drove it on Friday and he really liked it. So on Saturday, we went up and I drove one and it was fine so we bought it. I liked the Rabbit better, but the Mazda was more sensible. I did however figure out last night why I liked the VW better, I could really hear the engine. I like the sound of the engine. I realize that when I read reviews of cars, they always comment on how much road noise there is and that is considered a bad thing, but I like the noise, it makes me feel like I am driving.
The color is Galaxy Gray Mica. I think it is a stupid name for a color. I am not sure what the “mica” part means even. Is it going to flake off? Is it supposed to be sparkly? What? All the colors were really dull, black, silver, gray… sigh. I think I am going to get a racing stripe or something put on it to jazz it up.
I am not complaining (well, maybe a little). It is a nice car. We got a pretty good deal and got rid of our old car. I will not have to worry about a new vehicle until we get a farm and will need something to haul alpacas and such around.
Knitting News
I am plugging away on the market bag for my MIL. It is going well, but if I knit too long with the linen, my hand starts to hurt. So I have also cast on for a baby jacket for my upcoming grand child. It is l’illo from Knitty.com. I just love how it looks. I am knitting it with a wool/cotton blend and it is really soft. I think it will be just lovely.
Here are just a few (along with the title) that I like:
When anger rises, think of the consequences.
Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon and star.
It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.
So look up your own quotes or think about these, but spend a little bit of time with Confucius today. He really did have many good things to say.
BIG NEWS
We bought a car on Saturday. It is a 2008 Mazda 3.
I know that I had not really talked about the Mazda, but we looked it up in the Consumer’s Report and they recommended it. My husband test drove it on Friday and he really liked it. So on Saturday, we went up and I drove one and it was fine so we bought it. I liked the Rabbit better, but the Mazda was more sensible. I did however figure out last night why I liked the VW better, I could really hear the engine. I like the sound of the engine. I realize that when I read reviews of cars, they always comment on how much road noise there is and that is considered a bad thing, but I like the noise, it makes me feel like I am driving. The color is Galaxy Gray Mica. I think it is a stupid name for a color. I am not sure what the “mica” part means even. Is it going to flake off? Is it supposed to be sparkly? What? All the colors were really dull, black, silver, gray… sigh. I think I am going to get a racing stripe or something put on it to jazz it up.
I am not complaining (well, maybe a little). It is a nice car. We got a pretty good deal and got rid of our old car. I will not have to worry about a new vehicle until we get a farm and will need something to haul alpacas and such around.
Knitting News
I am plugging away on the market bag for my MIL. It is going well, but if I knit too long with the linen, my hand starts to hurt. So I have also cast on for a baby jacket for my upcoming grand child. It is l’illo from Knitty.com. I just love how it looks. I am knitting it with a wool/cotton blend and it is really soft. I think it will be just lovely.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Don’t Read Under The Covers… You’ll Go Blind
Today is National Comic Book Day. When I was a kid, I never read comics. I don’t even know if I could have bought them in my little home town. I did not read comics until my met my husband. He really introduced me to them. Of course, he was a Marvel guy and I ended up being a DC gal, but we share a common love. And I was able to fix him and he soon was reading Batman and Sandman as well. It was he who bought me a subscription to The Tick, one of the best comic books ever! I think we were married by the time we were subscribing to The Sandman. So some time today, get out a comic book or a graphic novel and read it. Enjoy the artwork. Maybe it will change your world. Okay, it probably won’t unless you are reading “Watchmen” or something, but you never know. I do highly recommend “Watchmen”, it is awesome. I also will recommend “The Dark Knight Returns”, “Batman: The Killing Joke”, “Swamp Thing” (by Alan Moore), any issue of Astro City and almost any issue of “The Sandman” (stick to the ones written by Neil Gaiman). I also am enjoying 30 Days of Night, but it is really grim. A lot of these recommendations are old because, well, I really have not kept up with my comic book reading.
Car crap…
We test drove another VW Rabbit last night. I still really like it. It is so hard to decide because I know logically we should go with something like a Toyota, but then I think that I am going to have to ride around in it and I want to be comfortable. The gas mileage is not all that much better than the Passat, but it can take regular unleaded which will save money right there.
Car crap…
We test drove another VW Rabbit last night. I still really like it. It is so hard to decide because I know logically we should go with something like a Toyota, but then I think that I am going to have to ride around in it and I want to be comfortable. The gas mileage is not all that much better than the Passat, but it can take regular unleaded which will save money right there.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
And To Think I Have Never Even Tried It
Today is National Cherries Jubilee Day. As my title indicates, I have never had cherries jubilee. I have never had any desire to try it. I still do not have any desire to try it National Cherries Jubilee Day or not. However, if you like cherries jubilee or wish to try it, here is a recipe from the Food Network
It looks easy. Try it out.
I am participating in RIP III. I am doing Peril the Second. I have already read my 1st book. It was “The Hellfire Club” by Peter Straub. I had sort of hoped it would be a horror book, but it really was more of a mystery. Although it was not much of a mystery, since I figured out what was going on way before any of the characters. Don’t get me wrong, it was an entertaining book. It was a bit gruesome in parts. So if that bothers you, don’t read this book. The plot revolves around a Tolkien type book that may or may not have been written by the author. So the mystery is who wrote the book and what happened in 1938 at some writer’s retreat. Like I said, it is entertaining, not deep or meaningful and I sort of questioned the time line at points because it did not seem like some of the characters would have been around for almost 60 years (the book was written in 1996).
On a similar subject…
Last year for RIP II, I read Lovecraft’s “The Rats in the Walls”, which I enjoyed immensely. Last month I received a newer copy of Stephen King’s “Night Shift”. This was to replace my ratty old copy I have owned since high school and did not have a cover. For those who don’t know, it is a collection of short stories from early in Mr. King’s career. One of the stories is called “Jerusalem’s Lot”. Now, I remember reading the story years ago and I had liked it then, but what struck me about it now, is that it is basically the same tone as Lovecraft’s “The Rats in the Walls “. I was actually really impressed that I noticed and that King was able to write in such a manner. It is a good story, so you should go out and read both and see what you think.
Cars…
We did not like the Honda Civic. Tonight we are going to test drive a 4 door Rabbit. Maybe that will be the one after all.
It looks easy. Try it out.
I am participating in RIP III. I am doing Peril the Second. I have already read my 1st book. It was “The Hellfire Club” by Peter Straub. I had sort of hoped it would be a horror book, but it really was more of a mystery. Although it was not much of a mystery, since I figured out what was going on way before any of the characters. Don’t get me wrong, it was an entertaining book. It was a bit gruesome in parts. So if that bothers you, don’t read this book. The plot revolves around a Tolkien type book that may or may not have been written by the author. So the mystery is who wrote the book and what happened in 1938 at some writer’s retreat. Like I said, it is entertaining, not deep or meaningful and I sort of questioned the time line at points because it did not seem like some of the characters would have been around for almost 60 years (the book was written in 1996).
On a similar subject…
Last year for RIP II, I read Lovecraft’s “The Rats in the Walls”, which I enjoyed immensely. Last month I received a newer copy of Stephen King’s “Night Shift”. This was to replace my ratty old copy I have owned since high school and did not have a cover. For those who don’t know, it is a collection of short stories from early in Mr. King’s career. One of the stories is called “Jerusalem’s Lot”. Now, I remember reading the story years ago and I had liked it then, but what struck me about it now, is that it is basically the same tone as Lovecraft’s “The Rats in the Walls “. I was actually really impressed that I noticed and that King was able to write in such a manner. It is a good story, so you should go out and read both and see what you think.
Cars…
We did not like the Honda Civic. Tonight we are going to test drive a 4 door Rabbit. Maybe that will be the one after all.
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