I'm NOT taking it down!!

Certain people are blaming my snow people in the front door for our recent weather.  To them I say Pffft!  I'm NOT taking it down!  If anything it is countering my carbon footprint and global warming!



Meet Karen's Li'l Devil.  Backstory- I met Karen a few years ago on Ravelry.  She was in several of my groups and co-ordinated the most fun swaps.  She did a lot of work organizing the swaps, but never participated.  She lives in Central Jersey, and posted an open invitation to her Library Loopers holiday party in one of the groups.  It was 45 minutes from my house, so figuring it would be fun to finally meet her- I told her I'd come as long as there wasn't snow or ice.  Naturally that meant there was snow AND ice.  Monday was the re-scheduled date.  I thought it would be fun to create a swap package for her- as thanks.  Thus the devil.




Don's scarf - I work with a great guy named Don - Donald when he isn't listening to me.  Don shares his birthday with Angie ( albeit 48 years earlier).  He had mentioned that I never knit anything for him. I pointed out that I don't knit things for anyone at work.  He implied that he should be an exception.  So after searching for a bulky yarn (yes I wanted a quick project) that would match the Giant's blue of his jacket.  I didn't have time to drive to a decent LYS, and I didn't want to mail order, so I settled for a grey tweedy yarn.  I cast on at Min's house the day after his birthday, and finished the scarf last weekend.  It was a simple pattern. Knit one row, knit1 purl 1 next row. Repeat.  Today was the first day we worked together so I gave it to him and he loved it.

I also have two additional creepy cutes finished and mailed off for a swap.  The theme is "Forbidden  Love" I can't show you until after the opening date of Feb 7th.


I'm trying not to cast on anything new until Feb 1.  I did cast on a mini sock, figuring I can finish by then.  I am taking part in a knitting challenge, NERDWARS, on Ravelry.  I'm on Team Bazinga - fans of The Big Bang Theory. I'm sure you'll be hearing more next month.


I've been having chocolate cravings all day. So currently there is caramel brownies in the oven.... waiting...

Sensational Haiku Wednesday

Posted on January 26th, 2011 by Jenn

Sensational Haiku Wednesday

Welcome to “Sensational Haiku Wednesday!”

Click here for info and background on this weekly event!

The basics:
Haiku is simple! It is 3 non-rhyming lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively (a great way to use your fingers!)

This week’s theme is: Transition

 

I've got 5 weeks left,

In a job I really love,

Then I must move on. 

Last Weekend- as promised - though late

We went to lunch on Sunday with Min at Reading Terminal.  A whole section of Amish shops were closed - bummer it included a great bakery.   I had put one place in Curt's head however.  Beck's Cajun Cafe.  OMG! Janbalaya, Muffalettas, Etouffes, Alligator Gumbo (my choice), PO Boys, Catfish (they were out of Catfish - what Curt wanted, but it didn't take much for him to decide on Red Beans& Rice - although the Chicken/Andouille gumbo tempted him as well.  Min, doesn't eat pig, so she had less choices ( I hadn't thought of how much would be flavored with pig) She tried a few things and settled on Fried Mac n Cheese balls with some sort of a tomato based sauce on top, and their fries which were cut more like potato chunks and cooked with peppers and onions.  I had a few - they were wonderful - although I was rather stuffed with my gator (I have a weird phobia of alligators and crocs - and I deal with it by eating as many of them before they someday get me) They allow you to sample anything before you make your choices.  Poor Curt almost got lost in the sample shuffle.  Then once going through all this, I also got a Shrimp and Crawfish Salad (seriously - died and went to heaven) to take home for lunch on Monday,  we all also got their bread pudding with sauce to take back for later.

After we ate, we browsed through the rest of the Market and bought cookies.  Curt and Min had I think snickerdoodle,  I had white chocolate macadamia.  At that point I spotted the coffee stand, and in my defense I hadn't had coffee since 1030 - over 3 hours!!  Apparently, I went into what Curt calls my caffeine daze and drifted over.  They didn't want any ( I know!!) But I had a wonderful macchiatto - not the over milked Starbucks version.

At one point my brain did awaken before the coffee enough to realize I hadn't gotten our parking ticket stamped.  We went back over to Beck's to see if they remembered us.  With a chuckle they did remember us. (Yes I make a spectacle wherever I go) 

We then headed to Ikea, to try to help Min with some kitchen reorganization.  I think Min discovered Curt's dread of my fascination with gadgets!!  (I did control myself- needed to measure)  We got some things for her - and she bought me a salad spinner to dry my handknits in.  And headed on to Target.  Target was quick and then we attacked the super market- which actually had genuine Taylor Ham!!  I sent Angie a picture and now she has some hope for next year when she will hopefully be in an apartment in the same building she has her suite in now.  Of course the bagels I can't help her with.

Going back to Min's house, I sat and knit while she put stuff away and Curt installed a spice rack.  (Yeah - kinda useless - I was moral support!!)  After they finished- no thanks to me - we heated up (ok Min heated up - I continued being useless) the bread pudding.  We finally left at 10pm!  got home shortly after midnite ( I sort of drifted in and out on the ride home) Which made Monday a tad rough, but it was carpet day so I had my smile!!

Sensational Haiku Wednesday

Posted on January 19th, 2011 by Jenn

Sensational Haiku Wednesday

Welcome to “Sensational Haiku Wednesday!”

Click here for info and background on this weekly event!

The basics:
Haiku is simple! It is 3 non-rhyming lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively (a great way to use your fingers!)

This week’s theme is: Deception

 

Smile for the cam-ra

Laugh and act like you don't care,

Cannot hide the pain.

 

 

Radio blasting

Scared of silence forcing me,

listen to my thoughts.

 

I can lie to you,

deceiving myself cannot

go on forever.

 

 

I realized today

leaving flooring will be hard.

losing part of me. 

 

Philly

Angie's dorm re-opened to the students at 10am on Sunday.  Is it wrong that I had my f-i-l's truck packed by 645am??  At 715am we went to the bagel shop for one last north jersey  bagel with Taylor ham (soo not pork roll) for breakfast before heading to Philly.  We arrived, parking in front (woot!) at 10:01am.  We notice a dad with a handcart carrying 5 cases of Poland Spring water, joking there must be a drought in Philly.  It turns out it was the father of Maeve, Angies best friend at school, who with  the Angie goes through water like it's well water.  At 10:25 she told us we could go, and then decided to walk downstairs with us to the door. (nothing like getting the boot) We've gotten used to this, in pre-school while other kids would cry to try to keep their parents there - Angie would say "bye" turn on her heels and run over to her friends.



By 11, we were at Min's house (where my favorite cat Felix lives) We exchanged Christmas gifts and I gave her  birthday yarn - as her birthday is the day before the Angie's.  She brought me some bbq sauce from KC that I can't wait to try - but as a freezing rain is not exactly the ideal weather to smoke meat in , so I AM FORCED TO WAIT!!!   She gave me a bottle of hot that I told Curt I'm not sharing! He can share the other one.  She also brought me the coolest shirt of cow tipping!!



For the rest there is a bit of a backstory.  When I picked up Angie in December, I hung out with Min in the morning.  After breakfast at Redding Terminal, we stopped at Trader Joe's.  One of the items Min needed was peppermint Joe-Joe's to bring home to Missouri with her.  Apparently if she doesn't bring them she will be left at the airport until her return flight.  The Trader Joe's in Philly was sold out.  We looked and saw a box above the freezer case in a display on a sleigh.  I needed a stick.  I walked around a few minutes and found an empty chip clip. (warning to all that work retail , keep your chip clips full or someone like me will use them for ebil)  I was going to try to pull down the box of Joe Joe's from the display, hoping it wasn't attached to the rest of the boxes or the sleigh.  By the time I got back to the aisle, there were what seemed like a hundred customers flocking in the aisle, and an old woman who seemed content to park herself under the display.  I really was willing to risk pulling the display down (yes in my store I have pulled displays apart to sell the last item to a customer)  but to kill an old woman in the process, so I asked a person working if there were any actual cookies in the box.  he went to check and the answer was no, the box was empty, he suggested the front desk could see if other stores had any.  The ONLY store was in WIllmington Delaware, 45 minutes away on a good day, of course this meant it was snowing.  I left to get Angie and bring her home, Min went to rent a car.  I forgot all about the cookies, except Min had gotten me 2 boxes and a box of fudge covered ones!!  And let me tell you- if there is a Trader Joe's near you next Thanksgiving - get some they are worth the drive!!



The rest of the story Thursday.

Happy Birthday Baby!!

My baby turns 19 today!!!  Seriously I am not old enough for a 19 year old!!  I'm really proud (most of the time anyway) of the smart, assertive, wiseass, independent woman she has become.  To celebrate her birthday today we went to breakfast at Panera's .  Then she got a mani/pedi at Galaxy.  She got done with that faster than expected, so we wandered the mall a little while until it was time for her haircut, blowout & flat ironing.  (should I mention that it was 8 degrees and she was wearing a light cotton romper - the kind you would wear after a day at the beach- with tights, flip flops and her pea coat??) Afterwards her friends from French class came to wisk her away to some French Cafe in New York State where they were meeting with their old French teacher and meeting her fiance.

Not neurotic??

You are Extroverted, Conscientious, Agreeable and Open

Extroversion: You have high extroversion. You are outgoing and engaging, with both strangers and friends. You truly enjoy being with people and bring energy into any situation. Enthusiastic and fun, you're the first to say "let's go"! Conscientiousness: You have high conscientiousness. Intelligent and reliable, you tend to succeed in life. Most things in your life are organized and planned well. But you borderline on being a total perfectionist. Agreeableness: You have medium agreeableness. You're generally a friendly and trusting person. But you also have a healthy dose of cynicism. You get along well with others, as long as they play fair. Neuroticism: You have low neuroticism. You are very emotionally stable and mentally together. Only the greatest setbacks upset you, and you bounce back quickly. Overall, you are typically calm and relaxed - making others feel secure. Openness to experience: Your openness to new experiences is high. In life, you tend to be an early adopter of all new things and ideas. You'll try almost anything interesting, and you're constantly pushing your own limits. A great admirer of art and beauty, you can find the positive side of almost anything.

The Five Factor Personality Test

Blogthings: Quizzes and Tests and Memes, Oh My!

     

Sensational Haiku Wednesday

Posted on January 12th, 2011 by Jenn

Sensational Haiku Wednesday

Welcome to “Sensational Haiku Wednesday!”

Click here for info and background on this weekly event!

The basics:
Haiku is simple! It is 3 non-rhyming lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively (a great way to use your fingers!)

This week’s theme is: Doldrums

 

 

 

August afternoons,

Hot and humid air feels dead,

Just don't want to move! 

 

 

 

While searching for the proper images for my poem I came across a crochet pattern for this:

 I'm not the greatest crocheter - especially from charts (funny really I love knitting charts)  but I think I'm going to try to make one of these!

Project Me - 7

I'm on page 87 of War and Peace.  This may take a while more than 2 months.  I did read a review and chapter 1 of a novella Two Tickets to The Christmas Ball by Donita K Paul on Quilly's blog - link on sidebar.  It kind of sucked me in .  My library didn't have a copy so I put a request for them to transfer it.  I got the book on Saturday.  I read the book cover to cover on Sat evening.  It was an excellent book, even if it's a bit late for a Christmas book.

 I was sort of watching what I was eating, until yesterday's baking fest.  So we'll see what the scale says.  I did lose 2 pounds as of last week.  I'm looking into gyms or other forms of exercise.  I think that's what I really need.  If nothing else as soon as I get Angie back at school this weekend, next weekend I'm going to take down the tree and I'll have room again to break out the wii.

You Are an Outdoor Person

You love spending time outside, and it's likely you've crafted your lifestyle to maximum outdoor activities. You probably live in an excellent climate (or intend to). And you are also probably physically fit. (if by physically fit they mean fat and needs to join a gym) Of all the types, you are the most likely to be the happiest. Being outdoors really raises people's spirits. So go ahead and spend as much time outside as you'd like. Just remember to protect yourself from the sun!

Are You an Indoor or Outdoor Person?

Blogthings: A Fine Line Between Insight and Stupidity

   

Knitting Update

I finished knit project 4 of the year.  It is another mini-sock, this one designed by Meagheen's actual brother Murphy - not the sheep.  It is his opening salvo in the much anticipated Sheep Wars.





She has the green butt. LOL

I also pulled out the first of my finish-or-frog-2011 projects.  I'm not counting it towards my 52 projects because only half will be done this year. ( technically it is only supposed to be projects started and finished this year, but that caused a lot of WIPs -work in progress turn to UFOs unfinished objects.  So since some of them are barely started, or the amount left is as much or more than some of my other projects)  I got the toe and three repeats of the lace charts done.  One more repeat and the heel and I'll have a finished pari of socks.

Feeling Domestic

i woke up this morning and for whatever reason was feeling domestic.  I made a batch of bacon cheddar scones for Curt and I for breakfast:



Then since the Angie went on a 4 day road trip with some friends, I made them a batch of chocolate chip scones to take with them:



Then I decided I was in the mood for roasted chicken and roasted potatoes/vegetables for dinner. So:





And lastly - because when I was making the scones I put an egg white in the buttermilk instead of the yolk, I experimented with a "healthy" cranberry white chocolate chip muffin.  I used the buttermilk and egg whites obviously. I used plain non fat yogurt, rolled oats, and ground flax.  I substituted 1/2 the sugar with some agave syrup. Oh and I couldn't resist adding some chopped pecans I had.


color kind of washed out here. 

You Are Chocolate Truffles

You are unpredictable and even a little zany. No one knows what to expect when you're around. You have a short attention span and need a lot of variety in your life. You are easily addicted to the things that you love. It's hard for you to only eat one chocolate from the box.

What Chocolate Dessert Are You?

Blogthings: We'll Tell You The Truth... Someone Has To!

      

I don't smoke!

So this is Thursday.... hmmm....  I've done Thunks on Thursday for so long that now that they are gone, I don't quite know what to do ;P

First, because of all the non-smoking support and comments from Yesterday's Haiku:  I don't smoke!  Seriously.  I used to smoke socially on some occasions - mostly at bars, in my early 20's.  Haven't had a puff in over 20 years.  Don't call myself an ex-smoker because I rarely had more than 5 or 6 cigarettes a week.  I was just looking at common New Year's Resolutions to make my poem up.  I would like to say Thank You to all my commentors.  It is good to know that if I did smoke and were trying to quit I'd have all you guys behind me!

Second, while some people have the impression I have a streak of June Cleaver in me - I really don't. I do enjoy cooking so I cook most of our food from scratch.  Sometimes, when I'm in a hurry or feeling lazy, and I don't have a standby in the freezer or fridge, I will try cheats from the store.  I saw the McCormmick Recipe Inspirations World flavors.  It IS expensive as a regular means of obtaining spices.  But for a night I was feeling lazy - there is all the spices pre-measured and a recipe card that cuts out of the back and it was on sale from $1.99 to 99cents.  I bought the Asian Salmon, some salmon, made some quick ginger honey glazed carrots and brown/wild rice. It was really good!

 I also bought  Chicken Tikka Massala.  I made that on a different night, served it over rice with a nice crisp tossed salad on the side.  I didn't follow the directions exactly ( ok except for baking I rarely do) but it came out really good too.

Hopefully by next Thursday I'll have a better plan than rambling, but I'm not making any promises!

Sensational Haiku Wednesday

Sensational Haiku Wednesday

Welcome to “Sensational Haiku Wednesday!”

Click here for info and background on this weekly event!

The basics:
Haiku is simple! It is 3 non-rhyming lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables respectively (a great way to use your fingers!)

This week’s theme is: Resolutions

Lose Weight, Stop Smoking

Relax,  higher scores, WE WILL!

Until next month comes.

Pictures, Prize Pictures

This is  a very overdue post.  I needed to take some pictures, but by the time I thought about it it was too dark, and the lamps cast an odd glow on colors.   First up, in the beginning part of December Thom and Quilly had a 12 days of Christmas contest on their blogs based on Christmas movie quotes.  I won a prize package from Thom:



There was an University of Hawaii Warriors t-shirt (promptly appropriated by the Angie)  dried green mangoes, honey roasted macadamia nuts, 2 keychains, a cool bottle with sand and shells in it, a memo pad, pack of cards and a refrigerator magnet clippy thing.



Then My friend Sarah at RainLover Knits, had a raffle to help her pay for her graduations costs so she could walk at the graduation ceremony.  I won two skeins of Yellow fingering yarn!!  The funny thing is I knew I won but not what I won.  Yesterday morning I said to a friend of mine that I needed to get some yellow fingering or sock yarn - and last night in the mail as if by magic!



Last but by no means last - I met up with Grace last week for breakfast, and we had a belated (I've been around knitters to long I almost wrote bleated) birthday breakfast.  Grace brought goodies!



A tea chest filled with tea - I gave one section back to her because I would never drink it.  She got me a book of 101 patterns that use a skein of sock yarn or less ( a much needed book - given my collection of sock yarn) and since I have been on a mini sock kick she got me a mini sock blocker keychain with pattern.  And finally the piece de resistance :



I was telling her that I wanted to knit the "Tappan Zee Vest" in red mercerized cotton.  She made it for me in Ella Rae superwash.  She tricked me by asking what size I was going to make to judge for a gift she was knitting.  She also included a heat shawl pin!  I wore it the rest of the day (changed into a black tank to show it off better when I got home)  

I am truly spoiled!!!