quiz

I got this from carrie's blog - see knit fiber on my bloglist. It seemed fun so I gave it a go.

I'm a Quiz Bowl Challenge Rock Star—are you?

I correctly answered 19 out of 20 questions in the Connections Academy Quiz Bowl Challenge!

Take the Connections Academy Quiz Bowl Challenge to see how you match up mind-for-mind.

Who knew John Quincy Adams was the first president to be sworn in wearing long pants?? The things our history teachers leave out!

Grace's Interview

Ruth interviewed my friend Grace, and since I have been somewhat remiss in posting recently I said Grace could interview me. So here are her questions:

1. If you personally could change one thing about our country what would it be? Why? I would change the sense of entitlement people seem to have. The country was founded on people who wanted to make a better life for themselves and their families and were willing to work for it. People joined the military to defend the country and everything it stands for. Today, people are getting all give me, give me, give me. They want everything handed to them on a silver platter without having to put out any effort on their part. Someone has to pay for everything that the government hands out. I have a lot of family in the military. Yes, if anything happens ( I did lose one cousin) it really sucks. But it was their choice. I am so sick of people who join the military for free education and free training etc etc and then are all shocked if they are required to serve in a potentially dangerous situation. There is no free ride people, stop whining! I'm not saying things are perfect- access to healthcare and education- but even then it is people in the middle working class that get screwed. The slackers get it handed to them and the people with money can buy what they want. I'm just sick of all the slacker leaches and it's only going to get worse.

2. If you and Curtis could go away for 10 days starting tomorrow, where would you go at such a last minute?
Ok, its winter, that narrows it down a bit. In the middle of the winter if cost were no option I'd have to go with skiing in the Italian Alps.

3. If you Found 50$ on the ground right outside your favorite yarn store, would you go shopping or would you save it for a bigger purchase either online or at that store?
I don't ever spend money I just find on the ground. If it isn't possible to figure out who lost it, I donate money I find. I have donated to Hope House, The Interfaith Food Pantry, the animal shelter in East hanover with found money.

4. If you could have pets would you? Absolutely. I want a cat so bad it isn't funny. And either an Australian shepherd, a black labradoodle or a rescued mutt.

5. If you could meet any author in the world, who would you pick? This is actually the hardest question. I would have to say either Stephen Hawking or Brian Greene. Probably Brian Greene. Don't know if I'm bright enough to carry on a conversation with Dr. Hawking. but I would love to discuss cosmology and string theories with Greene. Sorry - I know most people would go with fiction.

For those of you who might want to be interviewed, here are the directions:

1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions).
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Weekend updates

Sick, sick, sick sick - yes that pretty much covers it. And it's my fault. I pretty much never get sick. I have a surefire plan whenever people around me get sick or when I get that little tickle in the back of my throat a couple days before I actually get sick. I use either airborne tabs or zenergizer ( I like the zenergizer better) which have a bunch of vitamins and herbs in a effervescent bubbly tablet. like 3 or 4 times a day. (yes I know not to do it for too many days or it can get toxic) I also use zicam nasal swabs 4 or 5 times a day ( I tried the melts and as gross as the swabs are they are the way to go) and a netti pot before bed and when I wake up. now when my throat felt funny last weekend, and angie was sniffling I was running low on both the items because curt had been sick after Christmas. So I gave angie what i had, and figured I'd get some on monday. Except I worked late monday and she had a meet. So didn't get any until tuesday afternoon. Well it was seriously too late. WEdnesday I started coughing. Thursday it was worse - I had to take a cup of tea everywhere I went to keep from coughing up an internal organ. Friday, I was feeling soo bad I had to cancel on the knitting group and actually went home after 3 hours of work. I spent most of the weekend drinking tea in bed.

angie's birthday was last week. 17! so saturday we let her take a bunch of her friends to olive garden and the benjamin button movie. So I did have to drag myself out for that, but I went home and napped during the movie. (it's almost 3 hours long!)

sunday I was slipping in and out of watching football. I went to work today, still coughing a little. A lot of people said I should have stayed home, but then it would have been more work the rest of the week. C came early with my carpet delivery but not with his "big boy truck" he didn't have a lot so they sent him out with a 30 foot box truck instead of the tractor trailer. Problem - all my lift equip are taller than the roof, and my rolls were way up by the nose. So we had to use the rope hooks which took so long, I left on time. i was hoping for early. But at least if he had come on time, I would have left late. I really really hope I stop coughing and can go to knitting tomorrow. I'm down to about a coughing fit every 45 min or so. Well I'n not going to get better if I don't get to sleep.

Two Thousand and Mine!

Ok, not that kind of mine! Here it is the middle of January already and I have never explained my two thousand and mine theme. It was inspired by my friend Grace who was calling January - Meuary. ( By the way grace if you are reading this - let me know how that is coming) She was going to work on knit projects for her to actually use, and projects that she wanted to make, not just because she should or someone asked for something. The problem with that is shwe can knock out a killer shawl ( designing a killer shawl I should say) and have a sweater done in a couple of days. Me, not so fast. And not just because I chase my daughter around and work 45 hours a week. I'm just a slow knitter, with some form of ADD that bounces me between way to many projects to finish anything quickly. So Meuary won't work. I do have to go back to the joy/zen of knitting though. In the fall (2008) I found myself with way to many ongoing projects with deadlines. And knitting became work - guilt crept in - I should be working on x right now.

So, after a lot of thought ( if you guys haven't figured it out by now I do way, way , way too much thinking) I came up with Two Thousand and Mine. It ties in closely with my " BE THE BEAR" theme. Be the Bear is a lot harder than it seems. I come home some days and tell my husband that I lost the bear by 430 am. Other days are a "Fozzie" day! Back to 2000mine. I want to enjoy this year. It is the last full calander year before Angie goes to college, and I want to enjoy her. Too many things have become "work" and "must do's" and "shoulds".

Starting with knitting. I am going to knit things for me. I have a bunch of sock yarn just waiting to become socks. I love having handmade socks on my feet. I made a stole for me. I made 2 felted bags. I am currently making nightinggale gloves for me. I am working on an off-season afghan for VJGC. but not exclusively. it should be done in time, but if it isn't it's not going to be the end of the world. I am going to make more for the regular season, but only one at a time and not to the point of only being able to work on them. I am not going to knit with yarn that I don't like or that annoys me. ( no more boucle) And if I don't like the pattern, I am going to frog without remorse. I am not saying I won't be knitting for anyone else. (I don't actually wear a lot of knits) But only if I love the yarn, love the pattern and knitting it makes me happy.

I have also decided that I need to do things, for me, because I want to. I am not currently sure what those things are or if curt and angie can tag along. The only thing I do for just me right now is my Mara's knitting group. I have a lot of fun eating, having coffee, laughing, talking ( sometimes even actually knitting) The only other thing that is "just me" is my nail appt. every other thursday. (although angie tags along when she's not in school) I rarely if ever wear makeup, jewelry is really a hazard at work, I wear mostly jeans , t shirts or turtlenecks with sneakers boots or crocs, don't always have a purse with me and that's all good. Without my nails looking good I don't feel like a girl. I can't even flirt properly if one gets broken. (fortunately - knock on wood - in 18 3/4 years I've only broken 2 nails at work, both when someone else dropped something)

That's all I have for now, I will update randomly when the mood strikes ME!

Knitting updates

I have been hinting at Grace (blog) from Mara's knitting group (needles54 on Ravelry check her projects out) that her January tea cozy should be a snowman. She has designed a Halloween. and Christmas tree cozy as well. So when we got together on Thursday she had not only designed the cozy- she gave it to me as well!!! Is it not the cutest?? She also took my Noro stole to ask her husband Tom to block. Knitting group was great this week. All 4 of us were there. Sandy and Jacqui brought some knitting books and magazines to check out and just a lot of cathartic talking.

So here is the afghan square I worked up the 14 for Tony's new car number



And the checkered flag square



Today I have been working on the pink anklets I started before Christmas. Curt picked up some size 2 bamboo clovers from ac moore for me. I slammed one needle in the car door and stepped on one, so I needed enough for 2 socks. I use 4 plus the working needle so I need 10- I only had 8. I want to start on a pair of breeze cable anklets from knitty this week.

I hope everyone has a great week!

Fencing saber squad

Angie's fencing team won their meet on Wednesday, they lost yesterday- but lost well against one of the best teams in the state. Here's a picture that my friend Lesley posted to the starledger's web version of the girl's saber squad, with a few of the boy sabers.

Angie went 2-0 and 1-1 respectively.