Knit'nat

I Like to Move It, Move It...I like to....MOVE IT!

2006-08-20T20:33:00.001-05:00

I've whined about it for weeks now, maybe months...the lack of consistency with blogger. Yes, it's nice...yes, I get to monkey around with entirely too much HTML. I have problems posting pictures. I have problems with posts appearing 2 or 3 times. I have problems with the entire post disappearing. I know, there's the old adage "you get what you pay for" -- well, I'm going to start paying.

I have officially moved to Typepad. http://www.meritwriter.typepad.com.

I have photo albums there...you can see all of the pics of the zoo...a lot of knitting...oh, just loads of stuff.

It is still a work in progress, so please bear with me! It operates differently than Blogger, so I've still got some glitches that I need to work out -- and those glitches are user problems, not Typepad problems.

There's apparently some way that I can redirect you from here to there automatically...however, I'm not at all positive how to do that (yet). Until then, though, please update your Favorites, your Bloglines subscriptions, etc.

C'mon over, y'all...it's mighty welcoming at my Typepad blog!

I Like to Move It, Move It...I like to....MOVE IT!

2006-08-20T20:33:00.000-05:00

Photo Limit Exceeded.

2006-08-08T12:40:00.000-05:00

Robert getting flung around on the Scrambler!!Great shirt, worn by an Idlewild visitor!

The sock waiting for a hearing yesterday - and what a hearing it was!! Cool bug I saw after the hearing.

This flew over our house on Friday.

Scenes from Life

2006-08-08T11:56:00.000-05:00

You may recall that last week, I went to Idlewild with Cheryl. Here, my sons are waiting for the Spider to start.

They actually enjoyed the ride...this was Robert's second time around. Brian (Cheryl's kiddo) thought he might be scared so Robert rode with Matthew.

I rode this thing with Robert. It's called the round up. When I was finished, I had loads of fun walking like I'd had too much rum.

Brian and Robert in the front seat of The Wild Mouse...Matthew in the back. Looks like fun!

If you read Cheryl's blog, you'll recall that she mentioned Jell-O Shots. Well...the reason for that is we saw people at Idlewild who weren't covered up, but obviously should have been. Granted, I am not a teeny tiny person...but I really try not to leave myself open for heckling such as this.

This is not the worst of them. I feel bad, though, for if this guy burns (he really was very pale) he'll look like a stoplight...red, then yellow...all he'll need is a green pair of sneakers and the look will be complete.

Now, this girl should KNOW better. Honestly! And what on earth was the manufacturer of that swimsuit thinking?? "Oh, here, let's take a square yard of fabric, cut it up like so, and then slap a Size 24 tag on it."

huhhhhhhhh.

There are more pics...but obviously Blogger is having an issue (yet again) with allowing me to post more than five. I refuse to write HTML to show you the photos. I'll try another post and see how that goes.

Just Put Me Out of My Misery Now.

2006-08-07T13:34:00.000-05:00

I signed up for Sock Wars. I must be freakin' insane.

Weekend update will come later...probably tomorrow...including an incredible sky watcher pic. :)

I'm with SJ.

2006-08-03T16:01:00.000-05:00

it's got to be the heat.

Why else, for what reason, would I think "hmm...that Sock Wars thing sounds fun!"? I mean...I have knit ONE sock, and it sucks. I have a second sock that sucks waiting to be finished (it hangs out in my bag from Trek, waiting for me to remember that it's easy stockinette and I can do it while watching TV)...and then I have another sock, a sockotta sock, that I couldn't stand doing any more of the cuff on and I started doing the hell while at a court hearing and with no pattern whatsoever (although I think I'm doing it right...although it's been more than a week and I haven't even bothered to check). So WHAT on this green earth would make me think that I could knit a set of socks in a given period of time?? Lordy help me. Not to mention that a DEADLINE, period, is a bad idea with knitting -- at least for me, the girl with a gazillion things on the needles at once!!!

AIEEEE!

It's hot.
I've got to wear nylons tonight under my dress.

I will post some Idlewild pics for you tomorrow...if Blogger allows.

B.F.D.

2006-08-01T08:26:00.000-05:00

So Mel Gibson got pulled over for DUI. So he allegedly made some remarks. Haven't other people been pulled over for DUI and not been as courteous and kind as they should have been? I know, I know...it's because it's Mel. Criminy. Apparently everybody has to have a major case of the woo-woo's because it's Mel. Poor fella.

Photo Scavenger Hunt

2006-07-28T12:56:00.000-05:00

Don't forget!
You can participate by emailing or leaving a comment.
You can ALWAYS vote -- it is so simple! Just leave a comment when we announce that voting is open.

You have until TOMORROW at 6 p.m. to submit your pics...I'm extending the deadline because it was a short-notice kind of contest this week.

Oh...PS to Catie... Lady in the Water wasn't that scary. I jumped a couple of times...but it really was a zero on the gore factor and a 7 on the chill factor. :)

Upsh*t Creek

2006-07-27T14:12:00.000-05:00

If you've read Cheryl's blog, you know that I drank something that didn't agree with me. Of course, that's a major understatement.

This little bottle -- seemingly harmless -- is apparently a wolf in sheep's clothing. It tastes TERRIBLE...I mean REALLY, REALLY AWFUL. I couldn't drink the entire 2.5 oz. thing. It was like drinking cough syrup...no, actually, I'd rather have had the cough syrup. I purchased it at the Sunoco station at the Oakmont Service Plaza on the Turnpike. I was on my way to Cheryl's for the Knit Wits "Christmas in July" sale. Anyway...I bought the upshot and 2 bottles, 1 litre each, of water. I took two swigs of the Upshot, couldn't take it anymore, put it on my dashboard and took a picture of it (yes while I was driving), figuring it would be an experiment that I could blog about. Little did I know.

I washed the taste (or most of it) out of my mouth with one of the bottles of water. By the time I got off the Turnpike, the energy drink had kicked in and I was silly. Talking to myself, to the Jeep, to the camera. I was like a poodle on crack! I got to Cheryl's, sat, knit a bit, then we loaded up and headed over to Knit Wits...and this is where it goes horribly wrong.

I started feeling woozy...and no matter what I did, it wouldn't go away. I drank the rest of my water. I drank 2 glasses of water, had a couple of cookies, and 2 glasses of cranberry juice at Knit Wits. I felt like I was car sick, only much, much worse. The spiral stairs at Knit Wits didn't help matters! I was shaky and dizzy and my vision was distorted around the edges. When I got back to Cheryl's house, I didn't bother to go in...I just wanted to go home.

On the way home, I stopped at McDonald's and got a hamburger and another bottle of water (trying to flush out the poison or absorb it with the bread). That didn't help. When I got home (I saw Jane on the way there!), I practically fell out of the Jeep. I told Bill about the energy drink, then went in to lie down for a while. We ate grilled cheese sandwiches at 10:30 that night...and it was right about then that I started to feel "normal". I can't begin to explain it...I was sick but I couldn't throw up...it was like the bad part of being drunk...

What kills me...this drink can be bought by anybody. If it had this kind of an effect on me -- and I am not a small girl -- then what kind of an effect would it have on someone who is smaller? My kids could buy this drink...and I am sure that it would give Matthew cardiac arrest. It was in the same cooler as the bottled water...which is the sole reason that my attention was drawn to it. So in the interest of good health...DO NOT PURCHASE THIS PRODUCT, OR ALLOW YOUR KIDS TO PURCHASE IT!

Now that the drama is over...

I need to take a moment and say THANK YOU to some lovely friends!

1. To Donna...FOR THE FOOZLE! He is awesome. I've tried to upload a pic here (several times, actually) but Blogger...well, you know.

2. To Dani J. -- this one is LONG overdue...for the Fleece Artist. YUM.

3. To Heather, Jenn, Blogless Ember, Blogless Leslie, Betsy, Donna, Donna's mom & kids, Cheryl, Sandie and Nora...for coming to my house and knitting a couple of weeks ago! You guys are just awesome.

4. To Cheryl, who was so concerned about me that she lost sleep Tuesday, worrying about me and the drink from hell.

The boys come home on Sunday!

YELLOW is the word of the week for the Weekly Photo Scavenger Hunt! Get involved!

Movie Goers Weekend

2006-07-24T09:17:00.000-05:00

The kids are still gone. They called last night to let us know they were all right and that Matthew wanted to come home. I told him to give it another day or so and then we'd talk about it again.

In the meantime...
It was a movie weekend!

Saturday, Nora and I went to see THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA. What a good, good movie. Meryl Streep plays the part of the bitch perfectly!!! Sunday, I went with the hubby to see THE LADY IN THE WATER. Good, in an odd way. But typical M. Night Shyamalan!

And in other news...Typepad is looking better all the time. I tried several times on Saturday to post pictures, to no avail. I have tried THREE TIMES today, and they won't upload. Come on, Blogger...what gives??

Fustercluck.

2006-07-22T16:21:00.000-05:00

Why that title, you ask?

The children are at their father's house for 10 days. I won't get them back until the 30th. This, of course, means that Bill and I turn into blubbering idiots for 10 days. Yesterday was the longest morning ever. I looked at my watch, thinking it should be around noon...it was 10:30. The house is so quiet. I'm caught up on transcripts. You'd think I would knit! I didn't even do that. Well, I kind of didn't do that.

I did read Mason Dixon Knitting from front to back. I like Ann and Kay, and their book had some great ideas in it (Blogless Leslie, left, is creating a log cabin cotton afghan for chilly nights on her patio). I did buy some Peaches & Creme cotton yarn and started a dishcloth this morning (because I've only ever made two dishcloths and neither of them was the pattern on the Peaches & Creme yarn...I've actually only used Sugar & Cream yarn and made the diamond-shaped -yarn-over style dishcloths (well, there was the one sampler creation that I made also, but that doesn't hardly count).

I also washed a swatch of the Banana Fiber yarn. Let me tell you -- what a disappointment. Not only did the colors run......but also the fibers get -- well, worn looking. What were very vibrant colors are still kind of vibrant...but the stitch pattern is almost lost in a mini-felting expedition. It doesn't quite felt -- it just kind of all blends together and looks old.

I had originally planned to make Sonnet with this vibrant, beautiful banana fiber. Now, though, I have no idea what on earth to do with it. I do not want to spend hours and hours creating something that won't wear well -- let alone will turn the rest of my clothes blue, pink and purple if I get caught wearing it in a rain storm. Now, though, I have no idea.

*Side note: Blogger is not letting me upload the photo of the swatch...I've tried 3 times. Damn blogger. Typepad is looking better all the time.

In other knitting news...I have completed Ziggy. I'd show you a picture of that, but apparently Blogger thinks two photos is enough for today. I only have to sew the button on, and then will return it to Knit One, where it will languish as a shop sample.

Remember way, way back when, when I was Cheryl's Pittsburgh Secret Pal, and I knit her a Hands-Free Hipster Bag? I have cast on for one for myself, using Berrocco Suede in Tonto (rather amusing that the names of the yarns are all reminiscent of the Old West). I have finished the flap end of the purse and am now on to the 16" of stockinette...which will be followed by miles of endless i-cord. Of course, I am still working on the socks that suck, the chevron striped Sockotta socks, the car hat, Matthew's sweater (which he has probably outgrown by now), Convertible, and -- wait. I think that is actually it. Dishcloths don't count! Crystal's afghan is still in the works...I am coming around the bend on the first round of "V Stitch". (Crystal, I hope you know that I am working on it, in between everything else). I do have yarn to knit Sally Melville's Three Scarf Ruana, and the Cascade Heathers is calling me to make a Moebius Sling Bag.

If you haven't voted yet, the Weekly Photo Scavenger Hunt pics are up. There are seven pictures in all...please pop over and cast your vote! Voting ends Monday at 10 a.m. EDT.

I'm off to investigate Typepad...or try another post of only pictures. Most likely both.

Photos are Up!

2006-07-22T12:48:00.000-05:00

Visit them here.

Vote on them in the comments section. Must vote by Monday; Winner announced Monday and that person chooses the next word.

If you want to get in on the fun, leave a comment or send an email!

(Knitting content coming later today. Really.)

Weekly Scavenger Hunt

2006-07-20T11:25:00.000-05:00

Remember...the word of the week is STICKY. Post your photos on Friday (no later than Saturday!!), and let us know that you've posted them! (Dani, I double dog dare you to post that pic...)

Blog address for the photo scav. hunt is http://weeklyphotoscavengerhunt.blogspot.com/

Comment here (or on the scavenger hunt site) or email me so I can get you listed on the scavenger hunt site...so we can all vote on your photos!

Smallish Update

2006-07-18T10:36:00.000-05:00

Zoo with Cheryl and her son last Wednesday. Great pics, need to transfer them to the computer. Knitting at my house on Saturday with the girls (Heather, Betsy, Cheryl, Jenn, Blogless Ember, Blogless Sandie, Blogless Leslie, Nora, Donna and her family). Lots of laughing, lots of eating (TexMex food!), lots of knitting, need to transfer those pics to the blog. Furnace is still not in (don't go there). Hotter than the hinges of Hades around here.

Since we are finished with Holly's ZYX Along, anybody want to do a photo scavenger hunt? I've put some thought into this...we'll set up a separate blog where participants register...and then vote on everyone's pics (that post on Friday)...on Monday, the person with the most votes wins and selects the next word for the scavenger hunt. Am I making sense??

The picture can be something you find on the internet, but can also be a picture YOU take...which I think will be entirely much more fun!

This week's word will be STICKY.
(Stay tuned for the scavenger hunt blog address...but if you want to participate, leave a comment.)

(Let's do this until the end of the year, and the person with the most votes gets something goody-ish. Sound fun??)

And so we raise the final curtain...

2006-07-14T20:00:00.000-05:00

You guessed it. A is for Aerosmith.

(If you ever, ever, ever have the chance to get some of Joe Perry's hot sauce...do it. It is HIS OWN recipe. It's not someone's recipe that they slapped a label on. Good schtuff.)

Aerosmith was one of the most popular hard rock bands of the '70s, setting the style and sound of hard rock and heavy metal for the next two decades with their raunchy, bluesy swagger. The Boston-based quintet found the middle ground between the menace of the Rolling Stones and the campy, sleazy flamboyance of the New York Dolls, developing a lean, dirty riff-oriented boogie that was loose and swinging and as hard as a diamond.In the meantime, they developed a prototype for power ballads with "Dream On," a piano ballad that was orchestrated with strings and distorted guitars. Aerosmith's ability to pull off both ballads and rock & roll made them extremely popular during the mid-'70s, when they had a string of gold and platinum albums. By the early '80s, the group's audience had declined as the band fell prey to drug and alcohol abuse. However, their career was far from over — in the late '80s, Aerosmith pulled off one of the most remarkable comebacks in rock history, returning to the top of the charts with a group of albums that equalled, if not surpassed, the popularity of their '70s albums.In 1970, the first incarnation of Aerosmith formed when vocalist Steven Tyler met guitarist Joe Perry while working at a Sunapee, NH, ice-cream parlor. Tyler, who originally was a drummer, and Perry decided to form a power trio with bassist Tom Hamilton. The group soon expanded to a quartet, adding a second guitarist called Ray Tabano; he was quickly replaced by Brad Whitford, a former member of Earth Inc. With the addition of drummer Joey Kramer, Tyler became the full-time lead singer by the end of year. Aerosmith relocated to Boston at the end of 1970.After playing clubs in the Massachusetts and New York areas for two years, the group landed a record contract with Columbia Records in 1972. Aerosmith's self-titled debut album was released in the fall of 1973, climbing to number 166. "Dream On" was released as the first single and it was a minor hit, reaching number 59. For the next year, the band built a fan base by touring America, supporting groups as diverse as the Kinks, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Sha Na Na, and Mott the Hoople. The performance of Get Your Wings (1974), the group's second album and the first produced by Jack Douglas, benefited from their constant touring, spending a total of 86 weeks on the chart.Aerosmith's third record, 1975's Toys in the Attic, was their breakthrough album both commercially and artistically. By the time it was recorded, the band's sound had developed into a sleek, hard-driving hard rock powered by simple, almost brutal, blues-based riffs. Many critics at the time labeled the group as punk rockers, and it's easy to see why — instead of adhering to the world-music pretentions of Led Zeppelin or the prolonged gloomy mysticism of Black Sabbath, Aerosmith stripped heavy metal to its basic core, spitting out spare riffs that not only rocked, but rolled. Steven Tyler's lyrics were filled with double entendres and clever jokes and the entire band had a streetwise charisma that separated them from the heavy, lumbering arena rockers of the era. Toys in the Attic captured the essence of the newly invigorated Aerosmith. "Sweet Emotion," the first single from Toys in the Attic, broke into the Top 40 in the summer of 1975, with the album reaching number 11 shortly afterward. Its success prompted the re-release of the power \ballad "Dream On," which shot into the Top Ten in early 1976. Both Aerosmith and Get Your Wings climbed back up the charts in the wake of Toys in the Attic. "Walk This Way," the final single from Toys in the Attic, was released around the time of the group's new 1976 album, Rocks. Although it didn't feature a Top Ten hit like "Walk This Way," Rocks went platinum quickly, peaking at number three.In early 1977, Aerosmith took a break and prepared material for their fifth album. Released late in 1977, Draw the Line was another hit, climbing to number 11 on the U.S. charts, but it showed signs of exhaustion. In addition to another tour in 1978, the band appeared in the movie Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, performing "Come Together," which eventually became a number 23 hit. Live! Bootleg appeared late in 1978 and became another success, reaching number 13. Aerosmith recorded Night in the Ruts in 1979, releasing the record at the end of the year. By the time of its release, Joe Perry had left the band to form the Joe Perry Project. Night in the Ruts performed respectably, climbing to number 14 and going gold, yet it was the least successful Aerosmith record to date. Brad Whitford left the group in early 1980, forming the Whitsford-St. Holmes Band with former Ted Nugent guitarist Derek St. Holmes.As Aerosmith regrouped with new guitarists Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay, the band released Aerosmith's Greatest Hits in late 1980; the record would eventually sell over six million copies. The new lineup of Aerosmith released Rock in a Hard Place in 1982. Peaking at number 32, it failed to match the performance of Night in the Ruts. Perry and Whitford returned to the band in 1984 and the group began a reunion tour dubbed Back in the Saddle. Early in the tour, Tyler collapsed on stage, offering proof that the band hadn't conquered their notorious drug and alcohol addictions. The following year, Aerosmith released Done with Mirrors, the original lineup's first record since 1979 and their first for Geffen Records. Although it didn't perform as well as Rock in a Hard Place, the album showed that the band was revitalized.After the release of Done with Mirrors, Tyler and Perry completed rehabilitation programs. In 1986, the pair appeared on Run D.M.C.'s cover of "Walk This Way," along with appearing in the video. "Walk This Way" became a hit, reaching number four and receiving saturation airplay on MTV. "Walk This Way" set the stage for the band's full-scale comeback effort, the Bruce Fairburn-produced Permanent Vacation (1987). Tyler and Perry collaborated with professional hard rock songwriters like Holly Knight and Desmond Child, resulting in the hits "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)," "Rag Doll" and "Angel." Permanent Vacation peaked at number 11 and sold over three million copies.Pump, released in 1989, continued the band's winning streak, reaching number five, selling over four million copies, and spawning the Top Ten singles "Love in an Elevator," "Janie's Got a Gun," and "What It Takes." Aerosmith released Get a Grip in 1993. Like Permanent Vacation and Pump, Get a Grip was produced by Bruce Fairburn and featured significant contributions by professional songwriters. The album was as successful as the band's previous two records, featuring the hit singles "Livin' on the Edge," "Cryin'," and "Amazing." In 1994, Aerosmith released Big Ones, a compilation of hits from their Geffen years which fulfilled their contract with the label; it went double platinum shortly after its release. While Aerosmith was at the height of its revitalized popularity in the early '90s, the group signed a lucrative multi-million dollar contract with Columbia Records, even though they still owed Geffen two albums. It wasn't until 1995 that the band was able to begin working on their first record under the new contract — nearly five years after the contract was signed. The making of Aerosmith albums usually had been difficult affairs, but the recording of Nine Lives was plagued with bad luck. The band went through a number of producers and songwriters before settling on Kevin Shirley in 1996. More damaging, however, was the dismissal of the band's manager Tim Collins, who had been responsible for bringing the band from the brink of addiction. Upon his firing, Collins insinuated that Steven Tyler was using hard drugs again, an allegation that Aerosmith adamantly denied. Under such circumstances, recording became quite difficult, and when Nine Lives finally appeared in the spring of 1997, it was greeted with great anticipation, yet the initial reviews were mixed and even though album debuted at number one, it quickly fell down the charts. The live A Little South of Sanity followed in 1998. Three years later, Aerosmith strutted their stuff on the halftime special on CBS with the likes of Mary J. Blige, Nelly, *N Sync, and Britney Spears, just prior to issuing their heart stomping Just Push Play in March 2001. Next up for the band was a blues album, Honkin' on Bobo, released in 2004.

--------------------------

I'm very sorry that I didn't post this morning. I was going to do the post the other day and date it for today so that I didn't have to monkey with it, but I was distracted.

It is HOT today. We don't have air conditioning. Tomorrow is a small shindig at my house...and I spent the morning cleaning and re-arranging and getting stuff ready. Who shows up? The furnace guy. He's putting in a new furnace. Today.

I leave the furnace guy in the basement at 4, go to the bank and to Meineke to get Bill. Bill has a last minute rush job and we don't leave Meineke until 7:30. This fouls up taking Stanley to the kennel this evening...not to mention Matthew needs a bday present. We arrive home at 8:30...and the furnace is in (except for cleanup and hookup, I guess)...and there's also dust and debris all over the previously clean dining room area (where the thermostat is). So let me tell you...Mr. Furnace Man had best have his ASS here bright and early to clean up and finish up!!! Because I'm up at 6. I'm taking Stanley to the kennel at 9. People will be arriving at 2 or 2:30. And if he shows up in the middle of it all, hell to pay, there will be.

If I distract you with the lameness of the music...

2006-07-11T12:02:00.000-05:00

...perhaps you'll overlook the lack of knitting content and photographs.

Stole it from Dani.

So, here's how it works:Open your music player (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, etc).Put it on shuffle.Press play.For every question type the song that's playing.When you go to a new question press the next button.Some songs fit perfectly.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Opening Credits: “When Will I be Loved” – Little River Band
Waking Up: “Undone” – Lifehouse
Falling in Love: “Eagles Fly” – Sammy Hagar
Fight scene: “Dance the Night Away“ – Van Halen
Breaking up: “Mercenary” – the Go-Go’s
Getting back together: “Smooth” – Santana Feat. Rob Thomas
Secret Love: “Live for Today” – 3 Doors Down
Life's okay: “Run, Run Away” - Slade
Mental breakdown: “My One and Only Love” – Rod Stewart
Driving Flashback: “California Dreamin’” – The Mamas and the Papas
Partying: “Vent” – Collective Soul
Happy dance: “Wedding Song” – Tracy Chapman
Regretting: “A Day Without Rain” - Enya
Long night alone: “Switch” – Will Smith
Final Battle: “Lonesome Loser” – Little River Band
Death scene: “You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feeling” – Hall & Oates
End credits: “Lover” – Michael Stanley Band

Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnnie Ray...

2006-07-07T06:33:00.000-05:00

ZYX Photo Fridays, featuring the letter B.

Although Billy Joel never was a critic's favorite, the pianist emerged as one of the most popular singer/songwriters of the latter half of the '70s. Joel's music consistently demonstrates an affection for Beatlesque hooks and a flair for Tin Pan Alley and Broadway melodies. His fusion of two distinct eras made him a superstar in the late '70s and '80s, as he racked an impressive string of multi-platinum albums and hit singles.Born in the Bronx, Joel was raised in the Long Island suburb of Hicksville, where he learned to play piano as a child. As he approached his adolescence, Joel started to rebel, joining teenage street gangs and boxing as welterweight. He fought a total of 22 fights as a teenager, and during one of the fights, he broke his nose. For the early years of his adolescence, he divided his time between studying piano and fighting. Upon seeing the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, Joel decided to pursue a full-time musical career and set about finding a local Long Island band to join. Eventually, he found the Echoes, a group that specialized in British Invasion covers. The Echoes became a popular New York attraction, convincing him to quit high school to become a professional musician.While still a member of the Echoes, Joel began playing recording sessions in 1965, when he was just 16 years old. Joel played piano on several recordings George "Shadow" Morton produced — including the Shangri-Las' "Leader of the Pack" — as well as several records released through Kama Sutra Productions. During this time, the Echoes started to play numerous late-night shows. Later in 1965, the Echoes changed their name twice — once to the Emeralds and finally to the Lost Souls. For two years, he played sessions and performed with the Lost Souls. In 1967, he left the band to join the Hassles, a local Long Island rock & roll band that had signed a contract with United Artists Records. Over the next year and a half, the Hassles released two albums and four singles, all of which failed commercially. In 1969, the Hassles broke up. Joel and the band's drummer, Jon Small, formed an organ and drums duo called Attila. In Attila, Joel played his organ through a variety of effects pedals, creating a heavy psychedelic hard rock album completely without guitars. On the cover of the band's eponymous album, both Joel and Small were dressed as barbarians; in an interview on the back of the album, Joel claimed to forget the name of his previous band and stated that he only "sweated" two things — perfecting his sound and the war in Southeast Asia. Epic released Attila early in 1970 and it was an immediate bomb and the duo broke up. While the group was still together, Joel began a romance with Small's wife, Elizabeth; she would eventually leave the drummer to marry the pianist.After Attila's embarrassing failure, Joel wrote rock criticism for a magazine called Changes and played on commercial jingles, including a Chubby Checker spot for Bachman Pretzels. However, Joel entered a severe bout of depression, culminating with him drinking a bottle of furniture polish in an attempt to end his life. Following his failed suicide attempt, Joel checked himself into Meadowbrook Hospital, where he received psychiatric treatment for depression.Joel returned to playing music in 1971, signing a deal with Family Productions. Under the terms of the contract, Joel signed to the label, for life; the pianist was unaware of the clause at the time, but it would come back to haunt him — Family Productions received royalties from every album Joel sold until the late '80s. Joel refashioned himself as a sensitive singer/songwriter for his debut album, Cold Spring Harbor, which was released in November of 1971. Due to an error in the mastering of the album, Cold Spring Harbor was released a couple of tape speeds too fast; the album remained in that bastardized form until 1984. Following the release of the album, Joel went on a small live tour, during which he would frequently delve into standup comedy. The tour received good reviews but Joel remained unhappy with the quality of his performance and, especially, the quality of the album. Furthermore, he lost a manager during this time and Family Productions were experiencing legal and financial difficulties, which prevented him from recording an immediate follow-up.Early in 1972, he moved out to Los Angeles with his girlfriend Elizabeth. Joel adopted the name Bill Martin and spent half a year playing lounge piano at the Executive Room. Toward the end of the year, he began touring, playing various nightclubs across the country. At the beginning of 1973, Joel married Elizabeth Weber and she enrolled at UCLA's Graduate School of Management. Around the same time, a radio station began playing a live version of "Captain Jack" that was recorded at a Philadelphia radio broadcast. Soon, record companies were eagerly seeking to sign the pianist, and he eventually signed with Columbia Records. In order for Joel to sign with Columbia, the major label had to agree to pay Family Productions 25 cents for each album sold, plus display the Family and Remus logos on each record Joel released.

(All information courtesy of allmusic.com; you can read the rest of Billy's bio here.)

Lyrics to "We Didn't Start the Fire" (not to mention the events that the lyrics pertain to) can be found here. (This is one of my favorite Billy Joel songs.)

Have a great Friday, everybody!!

Yes, I'm still here...

2006-07-06T08:29:00.000-05:00

Things at the law office are still plugging along. You'd think that I'd have accomplished a lot of knitting by now...but I haven't. I do intend to change that some. The phones yesterday rang off the wall, plus there is a settlement conference tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. that I needed to pull together some information for, so that is all well and good.

On Tuesday, HRJA participated in the Zelienople Independence Day Parade. We had 26 Jeeps, and I called Judy during the parade route to see if she was home...however, her phone was set to voice mail, so I figured she must have been at work or sleeping...or maybe still camping. Then it was back to the West ranch for the regular meeting, a picnic, swimming (Matthew was in the pool for TEN hours total) and the longest game of Cornhole. Ever. We had a cornhole tournament...my game lasted an hour and 25 minutes. Everybody else's lasted around 25 minutes.

Today is Robert's birthday. Thirteen years ago today, I was in labor. I had been in labor for about 12 hours at this point...(9:30 a.m.) and I still had another 10 hours and 10 minutes to go. But he was healthy, and had a lot of hair. A LOT of hair. I guess that is what happens when you're pregnant and crave spicy foods (I'd eat 2-3 jars of salsa a day, with a spoon...who needs chips?). The most odd thing I craved was Nacho Cheese Doritos and Vanilla Ice Cream in the same sitting. One of the best pregnant moments was when I had been through a particularly rough week in court, and the judge bought me a pint of Praline Pecan ice cream from Baskin Robbins. But I digress. Where did those 13 years go? To add to it, 9 years ago was Matthew's due date. He wasn't born for another 10 days...so we can talk about him then.

Happy Birthday, Roberty-Roo.

(oh...I finished a moebius bowl over the weekend. Did I mention that?)

Photo Friday

2006-06-30T11:18:00.000-05:00

Today's Photo Friday is brought to you by the letter C.
[pic to come later...blogger won't let me post it.] :(

Biography
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Blondie may have had a string of number one hits and Talking Heads may have won the hearts of the critics, but the Cars were the most successful American new wave band to emerge in the late '70s. With their sleek, mechanical pop/rock, the band racked up a string of platinum albums and Top 40 singles that made them one of the most popular American rock & roll bands of the late '70s and early '80s. While they were more commercially oriented than their New York peers, the Cars were nevertheless inspired by proto-punk, garage rock, and bubblegum pop. The difference was in packaging. Where their peers were as equally inspired by art as music, the Cars were strictly a rock & roll band, and while their music occasionally sounded clipped and distant, they had enough attitude to cross over to album rock radio, which is where they made their name. Nevertheless, the Cars remained a new wave band, picking up cues from the Velvet Underground, David Bowie, and Roxy Music. Ric Ocasek and Ben Orr's vocals uncannily recalled Lou Reed's deadpan delivery, while the band's insistent, rhythmic pulse was reminiscent of Berlin-era Iggy Pop. Furthermore, the group followed Roxy Music's lead and had artist Alberto Vargas design sexy illustrations of pinups for their record sleeves. These airbrushed drawings were the group's primary visual attraction until 1984, when the group made a series of striking videos to accompany the singles from Heartbeat City. The videos for "You Might Think," "Magic," and "Drive" became MTV staples, sending the Cars to near-superstar status. Instead of following through with their success, the Cars slowly faded away, quietly breaking up after releasing one final album in 1987.

-------------------

Today I am subbing at a law office. Can I tell you that I am BORED? The attorney is at negotiations...the secretary is on vacation. The phone has rang ONE time. The mail isn't here yet. I had my laptop but forgot the cord so I couldn't finish my transcript...although I do have my knitting and plan on getting into that after I have some lunch.

(sigh)

Tag, I'm It.

2006-06-29T16:03:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Stick for this.

Four places I have worked are:
Copperman & Zlotnick (law firm)
Golden Dawn (grocery store)
Butler County Courthouse
Crawford County Courthouse

Four movies I would watch over and over again:
Galaxy Quest
Monsters, Inc.
The Italian Job
Finding Nemo

Four places I have lived:
Conneaut, Ohio
Boardman, Ohio
Guys Mills, Pennsylvania
Butler, Pennsylvania

Four TV shows I love to watch:
Good Eats
30 Minute Meals
Whose Line is it Anyway?
The New Battlestar Galactica

Four places I have been on vacation:
Townsend, Tennessee
St. Louis, Missouri
Captiva/Sanibel Island, Florida
Washington, DC

Four websites I visit daily:
www.yarnharlot.ca
www.baecu.com
www.btpsmom.blogspot.com
www.google.com

Four of my favorite foods: (I agree with Stick: ONLY FOUR? GEESH!)
Tabouleh
Pesto
Sushi
Cheese
*Honorable Mention: Wedgewood Pizza

Four places I would rather be right now:
Jeepin' in Paragon
Sanibel/Captiva
Knitting with Friends
Somewhere with no responsibilities.

Four Friends that have been tagged that I think MIGHT respond:
I haven’t tagged any previously, but I'm tagging you now!
Cheryl
Lisa B.
Donna
Kolton

It's the Little Things, redux

2006-06-27T12:06:00.000-05:00

Or sometimes it's the not-so-little things.

Some of you may or may not know that I've been on Weight Watchers since the beginning of the year. I've hit my 10% goal. I missed last week's meeting and did make it to this week's meeting to find that I had gained a couple of those pounds back. However...I had what they call a non-scale victory; this week, I was able to fit into what I call my 'goal bra' - a bra that I purchased from Frederick's of Hollywood, that was more than a wee bit small for me. Try 3 sizes too small. I was able to put it on, and it fits! Without cutting off circulation!!

Knitting content: I started a moebius bowl the other day on the way to Cheryl's house for her Pampered Chef party. (I can't find the link to Jane's PC website so I just put her blog addy there. You can contact her for more info if you'd like to host a party. Or you can contact Heather, who signed up as a new consultant!)

Back to knitting content: the band is done on the moebius bowl. I did the i-cord cast off just a little differently and it looks okay. I'm getting better at kitchenering (?) the ends of the i-cord together but am still not perfect at it...the felting will hide the imperfections, though. I have knit 12 rounds of the actual bowl part. I'll finish it sometime today, maybe tomorrow, and will felt it and have it here for you all to gawk at soon.

I have to get some yarn together to finish Pasha for Stick...silly girl didn't send me yarn to piece him together with.

I think that that is all the knitting content I've got for you!

Oh...Holly asked what will we do once ZYX Photo Fridays are finished. How about a Photo Scavenger Hunt? I've got a few good ideas for it. Any other suggestions??

Shop with me!

2006-06-26T15:09:00.000-05:00

So today I bit the bullet and did this:

http://www.thebodyshopathome.com/web/yspencer

SHOP WITH ME!

(Ahem.)

2006-06-23T09:02:00.000-05:00

Pittsburgh, PA Knitting Information

Thanks for the kick in the pants, Martha!!! :)

D is for

2006-06-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

DEF LEPPARD!

Read all about them here.

(Thanks, Holly, for coming up with ZYX Photo Fridays! Hard to believe we are almost done.)

CALLING ALL PITTSBURGH-ISH KNIT BLOGGERS!

2006-06-22T15:32:00.000-05:00

You know SJ, right? KnitWit? And you know she recently got engaged, right?

There are plans for an engagement party in the making. She would like to meet as many "blog peeps" as she can. (Yes, she knows what I have up my sleeve. It's not like it's a secret...)

PLEASE EMAIL ME FOR DETAILS ON A SPECIAL GET-TOGETHER.

I am not going to post them...I am still ironing out dates.

Let's just say this:

PARTY IN THE YARN SHOP!

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII don't wanna work...

2006-06-21T08:27:00.000-05:00

...I just want to bang on the drum all day!

Okay, not really.
Yesterday I got about 90 pages of a transcript done...which, considering all the interruptions, is quite an accomplishment! Today I had to take Bill to Meineke, stop by the Butler Twp. building, and I have to finish the transcript and be in West Deer by 1 p.m.

Knitting news: There is none. However, there is crocheting news!! I finished the first round of single crochet on Crystal's afghan. WOW I thought I'd never get done. I'm now doing the round of "V" stitches and it is going MUCH quicker. I knew that once I was done with the single crochet it would start moving right along. I worked on it last night while watching The Scorpion King...then didn't want to stop, once I got to the V stitch part! There are no pics because the single crochet really doesn't show up well at this stage, and the V stitches are just too few to make a difference. :) Once I get a good inch of edging on, though, I'll take a picture for you all.

By the way...if you haven't made it over there yet to congratulate her, stop by SJ's blog and give her a WOOT WOOT!...she got engaged!

Hope everybody has a great day!

Snagged from Cheryl

2006-06-19T07:29:00.000-05:00

Stolen from Cheryl who obtained it from Rabbitch.

Please leave a one-word comment that you think best describes me — it can only be one word long. Then copy and paste this into your blog so that I may leave a word about you.

(eek.)

The Body Parts in the Mail Box...

2006-06-17T09:55:00.000-05:00

...aren't quite as sinister as they sound. You see, I knew they were coming...I just didn't know when.

Stick and Dani worked together on Pasha...but never put him together. Stick was telling me about that one night while we were IM'g...and I said that I would put him together for them. So the body parts arrived yesterday, along with some fluff to stuff him with.

Of course, Bill just looked at me when I showed him the body parts, shook his head and said "Honey, you have some strange friends."

He should talk.

----

I had the pleasure of having lunch on Friday with Martha...she treated Matthew and I to a WONDERFUL sushi place in Monroeville. It was absolutely delish. Martha, thank you SO MUCH. I had a great time, and so did Matthew! (He ate the rest of the shrimp on the way home). I cannot wait to go back there again. She has the cutest house! Two spinning wheels, a library, a firing room, and yarn, yarn, YARN! I know where I'm going when I need a retreat! :)

----

Knitting News: There's another moebius basket that snuck onto the needles and is already done and ready to be felted. (Stick, don't worry...I still have some Manos so we can do the Moebius-along. Speaking of which, if anybody else is interested in bowling with yarn, please let me know...we'll do a group thing!) (I just needed a quick sense of accomplishment...really. That "DONE" fix that we all know and love...)

Ziggy is almost completed...vest needs ends woven in and a button sewn on. Hat is about half done.

Convertible is where it was the last time.

Socks that suck are where they were the last time.

Sockotta Sock is in the second pattern repeat! I love this sock yarn.

Next up, sockwise: Two socks at one time. (I do live in Fantasy Land, thanks for asking.)

Car Hat is about ready to decrease.

----

I picked up a little something for my bud Cheryl in my travels...she is on a retreat this weekend and I'm having withdrawls. No emails from her, no phone calls...*sniffle*.

----

Jane and her kids went with Bill and the boys and I to see CARS on Thursday. It was the first movie theater visit ever for John and Caroline, and they did very well. They were getting a little restless toward the end, but I think that's because 1) it was a long movie and 2) it went over lunchtime, and those kids are on a schedule! But they still did a fine job and we had a lot of fun hanging out with them. (Just a hint for anybody who knows Jane's kids: If you want entertainment, let Caroline play a CLAW game.)

Disturbing package.

2006-06-16T21:07:00.000-05:00

Today in the mail I received a very disturbing package.

You'll have to wait til tomorrow to see what it is.

Let's just say...body parts.

Got to Get You Into My Life...

2006-06-16T21:04:00.000-05:00

Earth, Wind & Fire were one of the most musically accomplished, critically acclaimed, and commercially popular funk bands of the '70s. Conceived by drummer, bandleader, songwriter, kalimba player, and occasional vocalist Maurice White, EWF's all-encompassing musical vision used funk as its foundation, but also incorporated jazz, smooth soul, gospel, pop, rock & roll, psychedelia, blues, folk, African music, and, later on, disco. Lead singer Philip Bailey gave EWF an extra dimension with his talent for crooning sentimental ballads in addition to funk workouts; behind him, the band could harmonize like a smooth Motown group, work a simmering groove like the J.B.'s, or improvise like a jazz fusion outfit. Plus, their stage shows were often just as elaborate and dynamic as George Clinton's P-Funk empire. More than just versatility for its own sake, EWF's eclecticism was part of a broader concept informed by a cosmic, mystical spirituality and an uplifting positivity the likes of which hadn't been seen since the early days of Sly & the Family Stone. Tying it all together was the accomplished songwriting of Maurice White, whose intricate, unpredictable arrangements and firm grasp of hooks and structure made EWF one of the tightest bands in funk when they wanted to be. Not everything they tried worked, but at their best, Earth, Wind & Fire seemingly took all that came before them and wrapped it up into one dizzying, spectacular package.

ZYX Photo Fridays...It's Electric!!

2006-06-16T10:44:00.000-05:00

...Coming soon, the letter E!

Electric Prunes?
ELO?
Electric Slide?
Elvis?
Etheridge (Melissa)?
Elliman (Yvonne)?
Or something totally different?

Tune in later to find out!

Not much happening ...

2006-06-14T08:01:00.001-05:00

The kids are out of school for the summer. As a working mom, this poses some problems, but none that can't be overcome. Fortunately, I'm self-employed and can kind of bend my schedule a bit. Unfortunately, that means that I'm upstairs trying to get transcripts done while the boys are downstairs creating a ruckus. This has been solved by a schedule -- we'll see if it works! They are on their own and not to bother me in the morning. They have chores to do daily (pick up their rooms, etc.) and weekly (garbage duty!), and then they are supposed to read or play quietly together with Legos or board games, etc. Then we have lunch together and they can play outside and go to the park, etc.

In knitting news, Nora and I visited The Knit Shoppe on Saturday. If you live in the area, you really must visit this little gem of a shop. Gina, one of the owners (there are five!), was so gracious and pleasant. Nora and I were the first two customers of the day, and really took our time browsing the yarns, the needles and accessories. I went over budget (way over budget!) but came away with Sockotta, a little something for my Other Secret Pal (Yes, I am spoiling someone -- but I'm having someone spoil a friend who wasn't going to sign up!!) and an Addi Turbo in size 6 (I had to borrow Ember's size 6 -- see below for details), and a gift for my good friend Trek, who sent me a lovely DPN case. And I put yarn on layaway. You read that right -- they have yarn layaway. Why other shops don't do that is beyond me! It makes it so nice to be able to pay for yarn for a large project in increments...or to make that really expensive skein of yarn a little more affordable!! (Thanks, Nora, for going with me to Canonsburg!!)

Just as an aside: We'd like to take another trip to The Knit Shoppe, and perhaps get together with some of you Pittsburgh bloggers* there...there's a little tea shop down the street a bit so if you're interested, leave me a comment or drop me a line!

Project Notes:
Ziggy is almost done (at least the vest portion of it). I am binding off the green trim right now. I'd like to thank blogless EMBER for the use of her Size 6 circular needle, which I needed to finish this up. (I actually needed two circulars to be able to do the trim. Wow.)

Convertible is trucking right along. I need to devote some serious time to it, though, if I plan on finishing it before summer is out. I also need to invest in a steamer so I can block it more easily.

Sock that Sucks No. 2 is progressing; I am done with the gussets and am now just knitting the mindless stockinette. I am doing this on two circulars, and I think I really should have bought longer circs for this...they're the 16" ones, and while that's all well and good, I think just a little longer set would have made things a bit easier. I am hoping to finish it and get it off the needles by the end of the month, because I'd really like to cast on for Pomatomus or Hedera.

The Blue Hat is almost to the decrease point. It is my "car" knitting -- I keep it in the Jeep and when I have a spare moment or two, I knit a little bit on it. Yesterday when Bill and the boys went in to Target to scope the CARS diecast -- uh, cars, I stayed in the Jeep and worked on it.

NEW PROJECT ---> You know that Sockotta I mentioned? Well, I decided that I couldn't wait to start knitting with it, so I cast on for a sock from the Sensational Knitted Socks book. It's a four-stitch rib pattern. I finished the K2P2 ribbing last night and started on the first pattern repeat. I had initially put this on four DPN's but was having a LOT of trouble trying to manage them all, so I switched to the Magic Loop (I have an Inox needle for it and I really need to straighten out that cord). I have to say that it is moving along swimmingly now, and I will take pics and post them later. Yes, really, I will! I also need to mention that the feel of this yarn is amazing. It's sturdy...and I can't wait to wear this particular pair of socks. Which means I have to knit a bit faster, I think.

That is all for now. I hope everybody is having a lovely summer!

*and the rest of you, of course!

Wasted Days and Wasted Nights

2006-06-10T07:16:00.000-05:00

I grew up in a house that listened to "oldies" and country music. I don't think I knew that there was anybody out there like the Eagles -- or more -- until the late seventies. And as a tribute to that time, when I had no clue, I present to you

Freddy Fender.

(I know, Heather, this is SUCH a turn from my usual self...!)

We listened to Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Bobby Vinton, John Denver...in our fifth grade talent show, when the other girls were dancing to Le Freak, I was singing Fulsom Prison Blues...which the school quickly ruled as "inappropriate" and I wound up not participating at all.

So anyway...

In Knitting news, today Nora and I will be traveling to The Knit Shoppe, hoping to make a connection there on a Body Shop at Home venture. Also, I have been working on Ziggy for Knit One, and convertible is moving right along. I'm also done with the gussets on Sock that Sucks #2, and am itching to get it off the needles so I can try out the Hedera sock pattern from Knitty. Also, the blue hat (did I mention that before?) is about at the halfway point. I keep it in the car to knit during long lines of traffic, the drive thru window, or while I'm waiting for my husband to come out of the hobby shop.

Today is KNIT IN PUBLIC day -- go knit in public!! And have a great weekend.

G...

2006-06-02T14:41:00.000-05:00

I was going to do George Thorogood. I was going to do the Go-Go's. I was even thinking of doing GooGoo Dolls. However, this is a tribute to one of our "Hometown Heroes" -- Joe Grushecky. And yes, that is him singing with his idol and may I mention good friend Bruce.

Biography
by Erik Hage
Much like Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band or Southside Johnny & the Asbury Dukes, Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers have been making American blue-collar bar rock that draws on classic R&B from the 1970s on. Unlike his New Jersey counterparts, however, Grushecky calls the Iron City of Pittsburgh home. He has also never received the accolades or attention of his New Jersey counterparts. The group, who first emerged as the Iron City Houserockers, released their debut, Love's So Tough, on MCA Records in 1979. A spate of albums followed in the 1980s. However, despite heavy-handed critical accolades from the likes of Rolling Stone and Billboard, among others, the band never achieved commercial success or became a household name. The group's major-label record deal collapsed after four albums that featured production by Steve Cropper and the team of Ian Hunter and Mick Ronson. In 1989, a retooled version of the group resurfaced as Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers with the album Rock & Real. Landing a deal with the record label Razor & Tie in the early '90s, Grushecky was able to quit his teaching job. Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers experienced somewhat of a renaissance in the mid-'90s (and a media blitz) when Grushecky's old friend Bruce Springsteen produced, co-wrote, played, and sang on the group's American Babylon album. The Boss even joined the band on guitar for a six-night live stand. On the back of the Springsteen connection, the group was seen on CNN, Entertainment Tonight, and MTV and toured Europe several times. The follow-up, 1997's Coming Home, featured four Springsteen co-writes and a gritty mixture of heartland rock and Dylanesque ballads. Grushecky returned to teaching in the late '90s and a live album followed in 1999. Grushecky released a solo album, Fingerprints, in 2002 and another, True Companion, in 2004. Outtakes and Demos 1975-2003 and Five Alive in Spain arrived in 2006.

I love his song "Pumpin Iron" -- it was the first I'd ever heard of him and I loved it. Still do!

-----

In other news...Cheryl came up for a visit today (she got her hair cut! It looks awesome!) and we met up with Holly and her daughter Cate for lunch at my favorite Mexican restaurant. The food was absolutely delicious...but it always is! Mi amigo Gerardo es Mexicano, de Acapulco. Los enchiladas con pollo son muy delicioso.

Knitting wise; I am working on another shop sample for Knit One...pics to come soon. And Convertible is moving right along.

Have a great weekend, all!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO CHERYL!

2006-05-28T11:06:00.000-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR CHERRRRYL,
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!

H...

2006-05-26T14:12:00.000-05:00

...is for Don Henley.

Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine (courtesy of allmusic.com)

Out of all of the Eagles, Don Henley had the most successful solo career. After the group broke up in 1982, Henley released his first solo album, I Can't Stand Still. Although it wasn't as successful as an Eagles record, the album performed respectably, launching the number three single "Dirty Laundry" and going gold. Building the Perfect Beast followed two years later and established Henley as a solo star in his own right. Featuring the Top Ten hits "Boys of Summer" and "All She Wants to Do Is Dance," as well as the Top 40 singles "Not Enough Love in the World" and "Sunset Grill," the album sold over two million copies and stayed on the charts for over a year. Henley's third album, 1989's The End of the Innocence, was his most ambitious record yet, as well as his most commercially successful. The album sold over three million copies and stayed on the charts for nearly three years, launching the hit singles "The End of the Innocence," "Heart of the Matter," "New York Minute," "How Bad Do You Want It?," and "The Last Worthless Evening." Henley reunited with the Eagles in 1994, embarking on a worldwide tour. The group released a live album culled from an appearance on MTV Unplugged called Hell Freezes Over; the record also featured a handful of new studio tracks. Hell Freezes Over was a major success, selling over five million copies by the summer of 1995. However, the group decided not to pursue any more projects together and Henley continued working on his fourth solo album, finally issued in mid-2000 under the title Inside Job.

I heart Don Henley!!

GE, They Bring Weird Things to Light

2006-05-25T22:56:00.000-05:00

So have you seen the commercial for the new locomotive that GE's built, or is building? It's mostly black and white, with some color thrown in at the end...and talks about how sooty and dirty everything was before this new locomotive. What I find odd about it, though, is the background music...it's not "I've Been Working on the Railroad" or "Casey Jones" or even "900 Miles"...it is a song written in 1862 by American composer George F. Root, "The Battle Cry of Freedom." I am not exactly sure why GE chose this particular song...unless they're trying to convince us all that their new locomotive will give us freedom from the sooty blackness of locomotives past...but even that's stretching it. And while the Union had their version, so did the South have theirs.

The baffling thing, at least for the testosterone-laden beings in this household...is that I know the words to that song (and frankly the dang commercial makes me start singing it EVERY dang time). After explaining the song's origin and all to the boys, the youngest one had the topper:

"Civil war? I knew you were old, Mom, but not that old."

Gee thanks, Matt...

Five...

2006-05-23T10:04:00.000-05:00

I snatched this from Lisa.

Five minutes to yourself . . . how would you spend them ideally?
In a chair on a not-too-crowded beach, my toes buried in the sand, my sunglasses on, sun beaming overhead, waves lapping at the shore, and there's a good book and a bottle of ice cold water nearby.

Five bucks to spend right now; how would you spend it?
Godiva chocolate raspberry truffle ice cream.

Five items in your house right now that you could part with, that you hadn't thought of already?
Bissel Steam Vac (what *was* I thinking??)
Crock Pot
Black & Decker Steamer (for veggies and such...)
Pool Table (it's small and from the previous renters)
Washing Machine (if you got me a new one)

Five items that you absolutely, positively could never part with in your house?
Husband/kids/cats
Laptop
Yarn Stash
Longaberger baskets (selected ones)
Cast Iron skillet

Five words you love?
Decadent (it just sounds good)
Refund
Love
Smooth
Smoochies

Small Scale Secret Pal

2006-05-20T07:08:00.000-05:00

For those of you who have signed up, who might sign up, and who have no idea what I'm talking about, a blog has been created for the small-scale SP exchange. I'll post buttons, etc. there (once I get them going...!) and will (eventually) (maybe) list who all is in the exchange (I don't want you all trying to figure out who your pal is! heehee.)

The Other SP

There is still time to sign up. Please visit the site and as always, if there are questions...email!

The Letter I

2006-05-19T09:42:00.000-05:00

...is for Donnie Iris.

Biography by Jim Worbois
He found fame as the lead singer of the Jaggerz (the one-hit wonder from 1970 responsible for the number-two hit "The Rapper"), but Donny Iris returned to the pop charts in the early '80s several times as a solo act. Born Dominic Ierace in Beaver Falls, PA, Iris began singing at weddings at age five, and by eight was performing on local television and entering talent contests. When his voice changed, he took up the drums but later got back into singing while in high school. A self-taught guitarist, he formed Donnie & the Donnells while in college.The Jaggerz, Iris' next band, were formed from the remains of several local bands. Though the band's big hit was "The Rapper," in actuality, the band began as an R&B revue. Outside of Pittsburgh, where songs like "Gotta Find My Way Back Home" and "(That's Why) Baby I Love You" (on Gambel Records) were radio favorites, this period did not bring much success to Iris or the band. Their next move was to Kama Sutra, where Iris' "The Rapper" was the first in a series of three hits the band enjoyed.

After the Jaggerz broke up, Iris toured with Wild Cherry, whose 1976 hit "Play That Funky Music" made them a hot property into the end of the decade. Unfortunately, Wild Cherry was another one-hit wonder, and Iris was out of a job by 1980.That same year, Iris teamed up with keyboard player Mark Avsec (ex-Wild Cherry & Breathless) for the first in a series of good albums for MCA; the single "Ah! Leah!" hit number 29 that year, and six second-rank singles charted during the next five years. Avsec and Iris' collaboration proved to be a good thing in both the songwriting and artist/producer department during this time. By the time of 1993's Footsoldier in the Moonlight, though, Iris' talent as a songwriter had apparently dried up and he was relying entirely on Avsec originals.

Flowers from the North Pole

2006-05-17T06:35:00.001-05:00

Okay, North Pole, Alaska, to be specific, but hey...LOL

I have a friend, Crystal, whom I've known (only online) for about oh, 10 years, if not more. She's a scopist, I'm a court reporter, we met on the Court Reporters Forum on CompuServe way back when. Crystal cross-stitches. I've done cross-stitch, but I've gravitated to knitting. Quicker results! Anyway...this gorgeous afghan, completed by Crystal, arrived via Fed Ex a couple of weeks ago:

Not a gift for me, though. You see, my mission is to crochet, with crochet thread and a #7 crochet hook, a 4" wide lace edging around the entire thing. You start by single crocheting along the borders...467 stitches on each long side, and some other obnoxious number (300-something) along the short sides. I started on a long side...I'm now about a fourth of the way done on the second long side. I do this in between knitting projects, usually in the evenings after dinner, while the kids are getting ready for bed. It's relatively easy...it's just a lot of teeny little stitches. My hands cramp after a while of doing this, so I can only do it in 1/2 hour spurts. But that's okay...I think as long as it gets done and gets back to her, Crystal will be happy!!

NOT A FINALIST - The Da Vinci Code Quest on Google

2006-05-16T06:36:00.000-05:00

That's what the email headline read. *Sigh* I still had fun solving the puzzles, I did enjoy the book and will read it again, and I will see the movie. Thanks to anybody who cheered me on! Apparently people are already selling their cryptex puzzles on ebay. Yeesh.

DaVinci Code Quest Update...again

2006-05-15T20:06:00.000-05:00

I still haven't heard anything from the DaVinci Code people. I'm figuring I'm not one of the 10,000 finalists. :( Ah, well. It was VERY fun, and I'm one of the thousands anticipating the release of the movie! Partly because it's a great book, and partly because it's causing such an uproar and controversy. I think a lot of the folks in church need to relax...Dan Brown does say at the beginning of the book that it's a work of fiction. And if nothing else, it really created interest in some European landmarks!

Stash Enhancement

2006-05-14T20:10:00.000-05:00

On Friday, I visited KNIT ONE, which is my favorite LOCAL yarn store. My favorite not-so-local yarn store is Flying Fingers. I met up with Cheryl, and we shopped, knit and had lunch.

The reason for going to Knit One was this:

Tank Girl pattern from Stitch & Bitch, size M; knit with 6 balls of Skacel Meditations yarn. Size 10.5 needles.

Yes, that is my knitting, on display for all to see! Egad.

The result of that little shopping experience is this:

Two skeins Cascade 220 in Heathered Pink, 1 skein of Manos in Wildflower Multi, one skein of Mountain Colors, 1 skein of something else, and a ball of something sparkly! The Manos and the "something else" yarn are for Moebius Bowls.

On Thursday, I had visited Carol's Needleworks with my DH (we went to WV to pick up Jeep parts...so I figured since we were in Bridgeville, or near Bridgeville, we could stop). I am sorry to say that I wasn't very impressed with the owner. It was not a good shopping experience, and I am not sure I will go back again; however, in the spirit of supporting local yarn stores, I did get this:

Yes, it's OPAL sock yarn. Sothat means that I am going to try more socks, once I get through the 2nd of the Socks that Suck. I'm on the heel flap now, and I'm thinking this one will be better. I may even tackle Pomatomus with it. I've also decided to knit Hedera with the Lorna's Laces that Kristin sent me in the SP7 exchange. Lord help me, lace and socks all at once. Someone call the funny farm and make me a reservation.

I also wanted to post a picture of the lovely sock bag that I got from Trek.
Isn't it cute? It's totally reversible, and holds the knitting nicely. I keep it at the bedside, because the sock has been bedside knitting recently. It will, however, be making a visit to the law offices and the hospital for depositions this week.

I hope all the moms have had a great mother's day!!

Small-Scale Secret Pal Questions Answered

2006-05-14T10:13:00.000-05:00

A couple of you have asked for more details on the small-scale SP exchange. Here's what I'm thinking:

$30 over 2 months...so $15 a month, not including postage. Obviously it would be knitting pals, so yarn would be a good item to share, but it doesn't have to be limited to yarn -- can be books, candles, sweets, anything.

We can start at the beginning of June and run it through until the beginning of August.

I have about 8 participating so far...obviously, spread the word to your friends! As I mentioned, although Jane's SP was local to the Pittsburgh area, I'm extending the boundaries a little bit so friends like Stick, Dani and Dani can participate!

As usual, email me or comment if you have questions or want to participate!!

I (used to be) Made for Dancing...

2006-05-13T16:03:00.000-05:00

Yahoo! News Photo

Leif, whatever happened to you?

A Small-Scale SP?

2006-05-13T11:11:00.000-05:00

Jane and I have been batting around the idea of another Pittsburgh SP. However, I know a few friends who are interested in being in a small-scale SP but aren't local to Pittsburgh...and I have a feeling there might be others in this little circle who'd also like to participate but aren't in the area, either. (I know Jane hosted the last one...I told her I would be happy to host this one so she can participate).

If you are interested in joining a small-scale Secret Pal exchange, please leave a comment or drop me a line. I know many of you are or may be participating in SP8, so please don't feel obligated to sign up for both! Also if you have questions, let me know!

DaVinci Code Quest Update

2006-05-13T09:27:00.000-05:00

It's not much of an update...I received an email telling me that I successfully completed the quest and will be notified on Monday if I'm one of the 10,000 finalists. SJ also finished the Quest, so cross your fingers for us! Even if I'm not the big winner, I think taking part in the time challenge will be fun.

J is for Jack...

2006-05-12T07:39:00.000-05:00

Jack Blades!

Biography (courtesy of allmusic.com)
In addition to fronting one of the mid 80's most successful mainstream/arena rock bands, Night Ranger, bassist/singer Jack Blades has either recorded with, penned songs for, or produced albums for some of rock's biggest names. Originally hailing from Palm Springs, California, Blades joined countless local bands in the Southern California area during the early '70s, during which time he attended San Diego State University (as a pre-med student). By the latter part of the decade, Blades had relocated to San Francisco, where he joined the dance-rock group Rubicon. The band issued a pair of obscure releases, 1978's self-titled debut and 1980's American Dreams, before splitting up. Blades and Rubicon guitarist Brad Gillis decided to form a new band together, one that would be more aligned to hard rock than their previous outfit. The early '80s saw the formation of Night Ranger, along with members Alan Fitzgerald (keyboards), Jeff Watson (guitar), and Kelly Keagy (drums, vocals), who fit in perfectly with such then-thriving melodic rockers as Journey, Loverboy, and Van Halen. On the strength of such releases as 1982's Dawn Patrol, 1983's Midnight Madness, and 1985's 7 Wishes, the group scored several substantial U.S. hits. But soon the hits dried up for the group, and after one more release (1987's Big Life), the quintet split up. It didn't take long for Blades to re-appear in another similarly styled band however, the all-star Damn Yankees, which consisted of Tommy Shaw, Ted Nugent, and Michael Cartellone. The band enjoyed a hit with their 1990 self-titled release, but by the time of 1992's Don't Tread, interest in the group dipped considerably, which led to their split soonafter as well. Blades and Shaw opted to remain together, issuing a lone album under the name of Shaw Blades, Hallucination, in 1995. Subsequently, Blades has penned songs for other artists (Aerosmith, Cher, Alice Cooper, Roger Daltrey, Journey, Vince Neil, Ozzy Osbourne, Styx, etc.), and has produced others, as well (Great White, Samantha 7). The late '90s saw Blades reunite briefly with his old pals in Night Ranger for a few albums (1997's Neverland and 1998's Seven), and also play with others, including Ringo Starr (the ex-Beatle's 1998 release, VH1 Storytellers). Five years later, with countless songwriting and production credits to his name, Blades returned to his work as a musician. He signed with Sanctuary before the year's end and prepared for his first solo album of his career. The self-titled release, which appeared in spring 2004, was classic Blades with its guitar-driven backdrop and anthemic songwriting.

J is also for

Jack Black!

We love Jack Black at the Spencer house -- can't wait for the release of his new movie Nacho Libre! Our favorite Jack Black film to date is School of Rock, but we also love him in Shallow Hal, Saving Silverman -- ah, heck, we love him, period!!

I am off to Knit One, to deliver the completed TANK GIRL top and meet up with Cheryl for a little shopping and a little lunch. I'll post pics later, of many things!

If you want a good laugh...

2006-05-11T14:41:00.000-05:00

YouTube - Evolution of Dance

I laughed SO hard. It's a bit of a long clip, so grab a drink before you click the link. Well, maybe not...or just grab the screen wipes with the beverage. Heehee.

Anticipa-ay-tion, it's making me wait...

2006-05-11T07:14:00.000-05:00

I completed the Google DaVinci Code Quest yesterday...and right at the end where it takes you to the form that says you've completed the quest -- there was an error. The module on my Google personalized page says I've completed all 24 quests. I filled out the registration form and clicked SUBMIT...and now I am just waiting to hear if I am one of TEN THOUSAND finalists. Ten thousand! Can you imagine?? I know that I have a slim chance of winning the big prize -- which is valued at like $130,000. I do, however, want one of the little puzzle thingies (a cryptex), just to have. Part 1 of the contest ends today at 1 p.m. EDT. I will know by May 15...which seems like an eon away!!

THANK YOU TREK!

2006-05-10T21:59:00.000-05:00

First of all, thank you TREK for my knitting bag. I need to post pics of it, I know.

Secondly, thank you TREK for telling me that I won this contest*! Otherwise, I would have been CLUELESS! I'm clueless to begin with, I know...(shaddup, Stick!)...but really, I had forgotten that I entered the contest. At all.

(*How clueless am I? I forgot to give the link and had to edit my post. Oy. SHUT UP, STICK!)

Peer Pressure

2006-05-10T08:47:00.000-05:00

Have you ever decided you needed to knit something because others around you were knitting it? Did you feel that you HAD to knit it because your friend was knitting it, even though you really didn't like the pattern?? I'm kind of that way with the Branching Out scarf. I was knitting it because others in my circle were knitting it -- there was even an unofficial knit-along happening with the Cranky Knitters (although I think Jane and Judy and Koley and I were the only ones knitting-along in the knit-along). At first I was very enthusiastic about the pattern and my first forage into lace. I started knitting in Cascade Cloud 9, then decided that lavender really wasn't a good color for a scarf that was supposed to represent leaves. I yarn shopped, found some lovely green something or other that appealed to me, and started again. After about 5 repeats -- not to mention countless rip-outs -- I decided that I really, really didn't like the pattern to begin with, and I wasn't sure what I would do with it once it was done, since I certainly wasn't going to wear it. It isn't something that would appeal to my mom, as Mom is a practical kind of gal who would wear a scarf in the winter but never as an accessory. I really don't have any aunts who would appreciate it, either...and the stress was killing me of having 29 stitches this row, 32 stitches that row, or whatever the stitch counts are. So I frogged it. Utterly and completely. I now have two skeins of a lovely sage green yarn that are waiting to be used for something else...I'm thinking a hat. And maybe some fingerless gloves.

Back to the original question...Have you ever succumbed to Knitting Peer Pressure? If you have, tell me what it was you knit, and why you were knitting it...and did you eventually fall in love with the project or just hate it forever? If you haven't, tell me about that, too! What made you resist??

ZYX Photo Fridays -- The Letter "K"

2006-05-05T06:30:00.000-05:00

Oh Yeah...you know who it is, don't you??

"Detroit: Rock City" was the first album I ever owned. I started listening to KISS in elementary school...and have never stopped. No, I've never been to one of their concerts...yes, I did watch the KISS movie when it came out. And when I bought my first red lipstick, it had to be "Paul Stanley Red." Not that it looked good on me...but it was what I wanted!!

Yes, they've had good press and bad...drug troubles and apparently Gene Simmons has a few issues...but they're still one of my favorite bands. Ever.

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Knitting News: I have completed the 3 needle bind off on the Tank Girl tank top and need to do the side seams. I plan on doing that Saturday morning, before I head to the Basket Bingo with Jane. I am moving right along on Sock #2, and am probably about 3/4 of the way finished with the cuff. Convertible is moving along nicely, although I did have to cast on a ribbed hat (using the Yarn Harlot's hat recipe from her new book) so that I have some mindless knitting to work on whilst watching the TV (usually between 10 and 11).

Today I am one of the chaperones for the youngest son's field trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium. I haven't been on a bus in years...this should be EXTREME entertainment. Yes, I'm taking the sock with me. Expect lots of animal pictures over the next few days. My favorite part of the zoo is the ray pool, where you can pet the little rays (as long as there's a zoo staffer nearby, that is). The least favorite part? The snakes.

Speaking of snakes...hop on over to Kristin's blog (she's not a snake! She was my AWESOME secret pal!) and check out her pictures from her trip to Costa Rica. She's got a pic of a boa constrictor that just gives me the willies...but she's also got some great pics of the local wildlife there.

Last, but not least, while I'm talking about wildlife...did you see Wendy's ebay purchase? The tiger roving?? Wow.

Have a great Friday everybody! And for those of you going to Maryland Sheep & Wool -- especially the GNG girls -- I hope you all have a GREAT time and that it doesn't rain too much!!

Yes, I changed the image...apparently other folks had linked to that KISS picture and Geocities decided he'd overdone his bandwidth! Yes, I am a bandwidth thief. Shame on me!

Another Post (yeesh)

2006-05-02T13:00:00.000-05:00

So I'm really hooked on the DaVinci Code Quest game on Google. (I've tried to hotlink it here but it winds up wiping out my post.) http://flash.sonypictures.com/movies/davincicodequest/

I have no delusions of winning the BIG prize but one of the gazillion little prizes might be nice!

It's the Little Things

2006-05-02T11:36:00.000-05:00

Really. It is the little things that will trip you up, at least in my profession. Take, for example, this recent question/answer (discussion revolves around time to get dressed in work clothing):

Q How about your shoes?
A It takes me longer to tie my shoes because I make two bunny ears instead of one.
Q I thought you had a [LA BONS] that you had to get past or something.
A I wasn't going to say that.

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Now....the words in brackets are what didn't translate (It actually looks more like [HRA][PWOPBS] on the screen but I didn't want to confuse you all too much...). So I spent a good part of yesterday and today looking up everything I could in the dictionaries, on Google, slang dictionaries, etc., for la bonnes, labonz, labanz, las bons, -- you get the picture. I found the answer today on www.ask.com, when I typed the words "slang for belly" into the search box:

Probert Encyclopaedia: Slang (L-Ld)
Labonza is Australian slang for a belly or paunch. Labonza is Australian slang for the buttocks. Research Labonza...

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Such ends our Australian slang lesson for today...after literally hours of research. (sigh)

Soap Boxing

2006-05-01T21:40:00.000-05:00

Forgive me for this right up front.

Today, one of Matthew's friends stopped over with his dad for a bit. Now...this child is not my favorite friend of Matthew's but I tolerate the child because Matthew seems to like him now and again. First of all, Dad is riding on a moped, with the kid half sitting on the seat in front of him. No helmet. If the kid needs a helmet to ride a BICYCLE, dont'cha think he'd need a helmet for the moped?

All right...so anyway...I was upstairs in my office working when the stopover occurred, but I could hear the conversation going on outside because my office window faces the driveway.

Child: Can I stay here and play for an hour?
Matthew: No, we haven't had dinner yet.
Child: Can I come over tomorrow?
Matthew: I don't know.
Child: Can I spend the night on Friday?
Matthew: I don't know.
Child: Can I spend the night on Saturday?
Matthew: (getting more exasperated by the second) I don't think so.
Child: What about next week? Can I spend the night next weekend?

At this point, Dad (who hasn't gotten off the moped) says something about time to get going and they leave. Dad wasn't conversational enough to say hi to Bill who was standing outside working on a motor...nor did he interrupt the barrage of child's questions by saying "Maybe Matthew needs to talk to his mom..." or anything like that.

When I grew up, it was pretty near a mortal sin to invite yourself over to somone's house without being asked, and this is a trait that I have tried very hard to pass on to my children. My children ask if their friends can come over, but I seriously frown on them calling a friend and saying "can I come over?" -- and because of that, they don't do it.

A good friend and I were talking the other day about how we've gone from a front porch, know-your-neighbors society to a fenced-in-back yard, shut-out society. Granted, you might not care for Mrs. Nebby down the street a ways, but for sure and for certain, if there's someone nosing around your neighborhood who ought not to be there, you'll be thankful Mrs. Nebby was there when they discover that the lurker is a thief.

I can see why our parents/grandparents call their younger years the "good ole days." I miss those good ole days from time to time...

Evanovich Lovers, Unite!

2006-04-28T11:15:00.000-05:00

12 Sharp is due in stores on June 20!

Woohoo!

www.evanovich.com

Touch that Dial...

2006-04-28T06:33:00.000-05:00

Today is Friday, and that means it is time for Holly's ZYX Photo Friday-Along! This week we focus on the letter "L". And since I've been doing music tributes, I figured I'd give you all a flash back to the days of big hair bands, leg warmers and headbands with

LOVERBOY

Used to love 'em. Still like listening to them!

I think this is the most famous picture though, from their video "Working for the Weekend":

(And I'll bet a bunch of you figured I'd be posting about Lynyrd Skynyrd!)

So Happy Together...

2006-04-25T11:43:00.000-05:00

Krista and Lea are hosting a little Pittsburgh-knitters get together on Thursday! I am otherwise committed (thanks for calling those men in the white coats, by the way) and can't make it...but you may want to join them if you're in the neighborhood. Details are here.

All Points Bulletin.

2006-04-24T19:59:00.000-05:00

Folks, we're missing a blogger.
Actually, we're missing two.

There have been NO updates from The Stitchin' Seminarian since January 2. If you've heard from her, or know her, or have any idea whatsoever what happened to her, let her know there's concern.

The second blogger we're missing is this person...usually seen accompanied by two small (but excessively cute) children, some wool (generally lace weight), and a circular needle or three:

A more recent photo indicates there may be some insanity settling in around the edges:

Jane, we know you're out there. (Actually, I really do know she's out there...she and the kids stopped by to visit on Saturday, and had some warm from the oven chocolate chip cookies. I just want her to update!!)

(I know she is gonna KILL me for this post...)

Bugs

2006-04-24T12:44:00.000-05:00

Gentle Readers,

I am sure you think I've lost my mind. There were problems with Blogger this morning...it kept saying 0% published...so I'd try another post and another, all for naught...or so I thought...I walked away from the computer, did some knitting with Donna, donated a pint (of blood) to the Red Cross, and made a few phone calls. I came home and tried to post again, and it said it posted! Whoopee! Then I tried to post with a picture or two and it wouldn't upload the picture. Then I clicked View Blog.

Oy.

Apparently EVERYTHING I had posted (except, of course, for the most recent try, with the picures) posted. Everything. Two pictures of my fridge and the tank top instead of one. Inane ramblings which were just test posts, to see if things were working yet...they weren't working at my end of the world, but apparently whatever had blogger clogged like a toilet finally let loose and everything came flooding out...! (Sorry for the visual that you now have, but you know...it just had to be said.)

So please...do not call the men in white coats to alert them to a potential situation in Butler...(weirdness note: there was just a little bitty thing underneath the text box that said "Unable to connect to blogger...saving and publishing might fail." You know...maybe you *should* alert those white coat fellas...they'll be able to coax me off the roof with some yarn.)

Fridge-Along Photo (and some knitting content, too!)

2006-04-24T06:34:00.000-05:00

To start with, here's the fridge picture! Nobody left me a comment saying they were going to join the Monday Fridge-Along tribute to Alton Brown, but I figured maybe if I posted mine, someone else might jump on the bandwagon. :^)

So here's the tank top (or portions thereof) -- I didn't finish it, as I was feeling lazy yesterday and did not knit...slept late, did dishes and stuff like that. It is the Tank Girl pattern from Stitch & Bitch, made with the Skacel Meditations yarn. This stuff knits up very nicely...I have even frogged it and not had a problem at all. The scent to this yarn is lavender, and I am not sure at all if it will last through the 40 washings. This is a shop sample for Knit One.

Up next is the progress on Convertible. I'm using the Hopyard Spinnery's Summer Spun yarn, and it is going along very nicely. This is with slightly more than 3 repeats completed. I think I'm having more luck with this because it is a rather simple lace pattern, and the stitch count is 13, and it never goes up or down, unlike Branching Out. I am truly enjoying knitting this and can't wait to wear it.

Cheryl stopped by for a visit on Thursday. Now, this is no small feat; she lives about an hour and a half away! She happened to be close (well, relatively close) picking up her new spinning wheel (she got it at a steal!!) and drove the 20 minutes further to get here. Unfortunately, we didn't get to knit as she had to head back home, but we did go to lunch. :) I'm so glad you stopped up, Cheryl!!! Tell Dave you need to move closer. Heehee.

This is Purl. He is hanging out in the dog crate -- something that all the cats do when the dog is out of his crate. We aren't sure what the fascination is, but mostly we figure it's the cats going "ha, ha, I've been in your personal space...you're not even allowed to think about going into ours, but we're in yours...neener, neener..."

Donna is supposed to stop by today, as she is in the neighborhood! She lives even further away than Cheryl!

And I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Jane stopped by with the kids on Saturday; no knitting but a lot of chatting, and consuming of iced lattes and freshly baked chocolate chip cookies!! (I am sure that her kids were so high from all the sugar they were close to spontaneous combustion!)

Have a good Monday, everyone!!

Rainy Days and Mondays....

2006-04-22T11:56:00.000-05:00

....don't always get me down, but they do make me want to stay inside, curled up in a quilt with a cup of something warm, knitting or reading.

Knitting: I am almost done with the tank top. I am about 2" away from the armhole decreases...this will be finished tomorrow.

Reading: Yesterday I bought The Davinci Code in paperback. It is a definite page turner. Also while out and about yesterday, we bought the DVD Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire...the boys and I stayed up until 1 a.m. watching that. It was very, very good...and although a lot of the subtleties of the book weren't there, it was still a great movie. I also bought a book of Sudoku puzzles...Heather posted the link to the Web Sudoku and I am now hopelessly addicted. And while I was working one of the puzzles last night, Robert helped out and HE is now addicted.

Jane will be stopping by later on with the kids, so that should be entertaining! And I do have pictures to post...well, I need to TAKE some pictures to post...but I will definitely do a picture posting here soon!!

ZYX Photo Fridays -- the Letter 'M'

2006-04-21T06:44:00.000-05:00

M is for

MATCHBOX 20.

I love this group. I love Rob Thomas (even if he is a high school dropout.)

Upon the release of their debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You, in the fall of 1996, Matchbox Twenty were pigeonholed as one of the legions of post-grunge guitar bands that roamed the American pop scene in the middle of the '90s. As their first single, "Push," climbed the charts, it was widely assumed (at least by cyncial critics) that they were a one-hit wonder, but Yourself or Someone Like You continued to spin off singles well into 1998. By that time, the group's blend of '70s arena rock and early-'90s American alt-rock — closer to Pearl Jam and maybe R.E.M. than Nirvana — had become the sound of mainstream American rock. That transition slipped underneath the radar of many pop music critics and fans. Yourself or Someone Like You sold millions of copies without ever truly dominating the charts — by 1998, it had gone platinum five times; by 2000, ten times. At no time did the record top the charts, but it was always around, a staple of modern rock, adult alternative, and Top 40 radio alike. Matchbox Twenty were omnipresent because they managed to blend the structure and sentiment of '70s arena rock with '90s hard rock, thereby winning a large audience by seeming simultaneously classicist and modern. They were a little more classicist than modern, but that's the reason why they became America's most popular rock band of the late '90s — even if nobody quite realized that they had achieved that status. The de facto leader of Matchbox Twenty is lead singer and songwriter Rob Thomas. An Army brat that was born on a military base in Germany, Thomas spent much of his childhood between his mother's house in Florida and his grandmother's place in South Carolina. The stress of the constant movement spilled over into his schoolwork and he dropped out of high school at the age of 17. He spent some time wandering around the Southeast, singing in a variety of rock bands before he made Orlando, FL, his home base. There, he met bassist Brian Yale and drummer Paul Doucette, and the three spent several years drifting through local bands before Matchbox Twenty officially formed. They rounded out the lineup with Adam Gaynor (rhythm guitar, vocals), who had previously worked at the Criteria Recording Studios in Miami, and Kyle Cook (lead guitar), a former student of the Atlanta Institute of Music. (For more info, check out www.allmusic.com)

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In knitting news, I have finished 3 repeats on Convertible, and am IN LOVE with this pattern. It's easy to follow, and although I'm not using that fine, gossamer yarn that lace knitters are addicted to, I am confident that I will be able to finish this lace project. I'm using the Hopyard Spinnery Summer Spun that I purchased from Flying Fingers earlier this year. I'm also plugging along on the Meditations tank top for Knit One; my goal is to finish that this weekend. And the mate to the sock that sucks is at about 2" on the cuff...no, I haven't encountered anymore undyed yarn...but neither have I worked my way through the gazillion yards that I pulled from the skein in that frenzy last week. (Pics to come later...I promise.)

Hey, how about those gas prices, eh? The Today show was talking about them this morning, with one of their analysts indicating that "it's not the oil companies' fault" - well, maybe if the oil company executives didn't pull 7 figure incomes, it might -- MIGHT! -- help. And of course there are the problems with the refineries (spring maintenance...you'd think they would do maintenance when there was a LOWER demand for gas, not when the gas purchasing starts to rise because it's getting to be spring break/summer vacation time). (Of course, I am not an analyst or a politico or anything other than your average consumer, struggling to make ends meet, so please don't take my word for anything!)

CALLING ALL SOCK KNITTERS!

2006-04-19T06:50:00.000-05:00

My good friend Heather is doing some research for school, and is looking for input from sock knitters everywhere. If you have a moment or three, please visit this link and fill out the survey. You could win sock yarn!! She needs your responses before midnight Saturday, EDT.
Thanks :)

(Please feel free to let other sock knitters know about this project.)

If you Celebrate this Holiday...

2006-04-16T08:26:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter!

If you don't celebrate, I still wish you a great weekend!

Look at This Photograph...

2006-04-14T07:45:00.000-05:00

Yes, you guessed it, N is for Nickelback. Good group, great music, and supporting the No More Landmines cause is awesome.

Canada's Nickelback started life as a cover band in Hanna, 215 kilometres northeast of Calgary. Eventually, they tired of playing other people's songs, and singer/guitarist Chad Kroeger put together a collection of original songs, borrowed money from his stepfather, and went to Vancouver to record the band in a friend's studio. Based on the results, Kroeger's guitarist brother, Mike, and pal bassist Ryan Vikedal all relocated to Vancouver in 1996; that same year, they recorded and released the EP Hesher and full-length Curb independently, then embarked on a series of cross-country tours.
In late 1998, the band started managing themselves, with Chad handling all the radio tracking, brother Mike Kroeger the distribution, and Ryan Vikedal all the bookings. A second LP, The State, was released independently in January 2000 during a period when Canadian content requirements were increased and local rock radio began desperately seeking out homegrown product. What they found was Nickelback's single "Leader of Men." Nickelback toured ceaselessly for The State and 200 shows later, the band had gone from virtual unknowns to playing in front of over a million people alongside the likes of Creed, 3 Doors Down, Fuel, and more. The band's post-grunge commercial appeal wasn't lost on the record industry and The State was snapped up by Roadrunner in the U.S., and EMI in Canada. It eventually sold an impressive 500,000 copies.
(Find out more at www.allmusic.com)

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Bill and I went to our favorite restaurant last night...we hadn't been there in a while and BOY were we ever surprised!! They had TOTALLY remodeled...expanded...and it was amazing. This is a very small, family-run restaurant and the new look takes it from -- well, dive to divine. The food was awesome, as it always has been. The first time I took Bill there, he was a little leary about it...but now he eats everything, from the baba ghannouj to the stuffed grape leaves. He's had the kibbee before and his favorite is the chicken on the rod. We really indulged last night, with baba, grape leaves, tabouleh, and the marinated chicken. YUM.

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I want to take a minute and thank Dani for hooking me up with The Body Shop at Home. I have recently signed on to become a consultant, and have just scheduled my first Girls Night Out. (Thank you, Jane!) Work in the court reporting arena has been a little on the slow side, and it's rather frightening how often we're pinching pennies around here because I don't know if the attorneys are going to pay soon or not. This should help ease some of the crunch.

-------

Have a great weekend!

Yinz Knit?

2006-04-13T08:45:00.000-05:00

Anita has started a Yahoo! group for folks who are north of Pittsburgh, maybe a little further north than Cranberry or Zelie...

Click to join yinzknit

Gas Prices

2006-04-13T08:13:00.000-05:00

There's this map, and it shows ALL of the US, with a color code as to how gas prices are...I'm thinking Idaho and Montana look pretty good right about now...or Utah...

Pittsburgh Gas Prices

What's in Your Fridge?

2006-04-12T16:31:00.000-05:00

Really.

So I'm taking this idea from Alton Brown. He did it a while ago, before he changed his web site. Unfortunately, folks sent him nasty letters and vulgar pictures and he hasn't done anything with the whole concept since.

So...show me (a couple or three photos on your blog, please...and leave a comment so we know where to look...)

What's in your Fridge?

Open the door and take a picture. No blurring out the brand names of the liquor you've got stored in there, or editing out the brown goo under the crisper drawer...Take a pic or three, and throw it up on your blog. And just to make it interesting...let's post them on April 24. It's a Monday, and we always need something to perk us up on Monday!!

Socks that Rock? No.

2006-04-12T14:40:00.000-05:00

Socks that Suck? Yes!

Ladies (and gentlemen, if there are any of you out there that read this blog) I give you...the socks that suck.

Holes and an unbridled and wonky set of decreases.

Holes. Two, to be precise. And we're not even gonna DISCUSS the toe.

Words of Consolation from the Yarn Harlot.

Notice the bright and shiny WHITE STUFF, courtesy of Knit Picks. I thought there would only be one...and then today there was another strip of undyed yarn. So ~~in a fit of blind rage~~ in order to assure myself that there was no more undyed yarn in the skein, I sat and pulled about, oh, 35 yards of it out...and it is now in a big rat's nest in my portable knitting bag. (Donna, I mean no disrespect to your pets by calling that a rat's nest.)

I had written this really long post...and now it disappeared. Freakin' Blogger!!

Okay...the wonky decreases...I have one word: LOSS. Yes, I had LOST the pattern. So it is because of this LOSS that I decided to just decrease randomly...well, not really randomly...I decreased some in the middle of every needle. And every row. And you know, owning a book on socks (Cat Bordhi's book), I didn't even THINK to check that, to see what she said about decreasing. Nor did I look at the Sally Melville Purl Stitch book to see her recommendations on socks. It was only when I found the pattern (tucked inside of yet anothe rknitting book) that I thought I ought to have a look-see at what I was doing...and what I should have been doing. But rip back the sock? No way! I forged ahead, sure that what was doing would work out in the end! And it did...I finished the toe last night (it sucks, too) and put the sock on...it fits VERY nicely...but it just doesn't look very pretty. (sigh)

I have also decided to knit the "convertible" pattern from the new Knitty. Yes, I know it's LACE. Yes, I know I have issues with LACE. But I really like it, it doesn't seem THAT complicated, and I think I can do it! Really!! (If I am wandering around in the next few weeks, muttering incoherently and drooling, please call the nice folks in white jackets with keys to padded rooms...)

If someone else is doing convertible and wants to start a ~~support group~~ knit-along, drop me a line.

Various and Sundry Thoughts and Photos

2006-04-11T12:11:00.000-05:00

Let's see, where shall we start??

On Friday, Jane, Ember (who has no blog but almost signed up for a blog and then changed her mind about having a blog) and I went to see Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (we all know her as the Yarn Harlot) at Knit One in Squirrel Hill. It was a very crowded shop and I did not have a good view of Stephanie while she was talking; I could hear her rather well, though. I took my poor pathetic sock with me, hoping to get some Harlot Mojo...and I'm not sure if that happened or not (I have barely begun the cuff of Sock #2). She did tell me that my poor, pathetic sock is 1) supposed to suck (as all first socks suck) and 2) it is a great sock (I have it in writing. Really.) (Note: I just need to graft the toe ends together. Pictures forthcoming, I promise!) I am, however, enjoying both Book 1 and Book 3 immensely [one is for upstairs-before-bed reading (or sometimes between transcript paragraphs reading) and the other is for downstairs-waiting-while-dinner-is-cooking reading]. Stephanie is funny and insightful, and I learned an awful lot from her in the hour or so that she spoke.

Discussing the sock that sucks with Stephanie. (BTW, Steph, if you read this, I like the highlights in your hair!) (Oh, and yes that is the alpaca sleeveless sweater making its public debut.)

After returning to Cranberry, Ember and I went to Wing King for a late (but really, really good) dinner. Their teriyaki chicken salad is the best!

On Sunday, the family took off for Boardman, Ohio and went to see Ice Age 2: The Meltdown. What a cute movie!

Friends of ours are in Moab, Utah at the Easter Jeep Safari. We have to take care of their dogs on Friday and Saturday, as their regular caretaker had a bit of an incident.

Easter is coming quickly. The boys were supposed to go to their ~~sperm donor~~ father's house on Wed. and return on Fri., but apparently that has changed. I am picking up a ham on Friday, although we are not having a traditional Easter dinner on Sunday, as my mom and stepfather are visiting and they would rather have a nontraditional Easter dinner. Sushi, anyone?

I would like to show you a picture of my forsythia that is in the back yard; however, it seems that Blogger is having some issues with images. So instead, here's a picture of Robert at the science fair, with his project on the inclined plane. That face was made because I told him to say "kiss the girls" instead of "cheese".

Curse of the Were-Rabbit?

2006-04-08T10:23:00.000-05:00

Cheese, Grommit...

That's a phrase often heard around here, especially from 8-year-old Matthew. Wallace & Grommit, Curse of the Were-Rabbit, is on his current top 5 movie list.

So imagine my surprise when this popped as the most emailed photo on Yahoo!

That is ONE BIG BUNNY.

Oh, Oh, --->O!

2006-04-07T08:34:00.000-05:00

Who's that kid with the Oreo cookie?

I know, you're probably thinking I'll post a pic of Ozzy Osbourne...and I had thought about it. But I figured it was the OBVIOUS choice. So going for the NON obvious choice...

Know who it is?

It's OINGO BOINGO!

Oingo Boingo was the band of composer Danny Elfman from the mid-1970s to October 31, 1995. An early version of the band (who produced a novelty record about kidnapped heiress Patty Hearst, "You've Got Your Baby Back") was known as The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. Early success for the group came in 1980 with the song "Only A Lad" from its first EP release. The song aired frequently in Los Angeles on KROQ-FM and complemented the station's then-unusual New Wave format. Although the song was deemed New Wave due to its theme, the
sound of Oingo Boingo generally defied categorization. Replete with staccato
brass arrangements and surrealistic imagery, the music appeared to be influenced
as much by Frank Zappa as it was by Cab Calloway. Following regional success of "Only A Lad," the group released its first album of the same name the following year.
The band is probably best known for appearing on a number of soundtracks in the early-to-mid-1980s. Their most well-known song, "Weird Science" was, in
fact, written for the John Hughes movie of the same name. The band made an appearance playing their hit "Dead Man's Party" on stage in the memorable party scene in the movie Back to School (for which Danny Elfman composed the score), in addition to appearing in the 1981 film Longshot, performing their unreleased song "I've Got To Be Entertained". They also contributed two songs (neither of which can be found on any Oingo Boingo release) to the soundtrack for 1984's Bachelor
Party; "Bachelor Party" and "Something Isn't Right".

(Just a little note...I'm a HUGE Danny Elfman fan. Batman, Beetlejuice, Spider Man, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Red Dragon, The Corpse Bride, Nightmare Before Christmas, Mission Impossible, Men in Black, and so many more feature his music.)

Oh...and here's a pic of Ozzy, so I don't disappoint anybody. :)

Knitting In Progress...

2006-04-04T06:46:00.000-05:00

No pics, just words...

I have completed FOUR repeats on the Branching Out scarf. You will recall this being the one I tried in purple and then frogged...and then started over in green and frogged. Well, we're back to the green and are using lifelines.

The front of the ribbed tank is completed. I cast on for the back yesterday and am already an inch into it. I haven't had a lot of time to just sit and knit. Well, I have, but I haven't done it.

In other news...things are settling down here a bit. Just a bit; I'm sure that I'd fall over if suddenly everything settled and went like it was supposed to.

The Yarn Harlot is coming to Pittsburgh. I am looking forward to going to Knit One on Friday to see her there. I can't wait to get her new book and maybe get a little sock karma from her.

Better Late Than Never

2006-04-03T06:54:00.000-05:00

I had signed up for Flash Your Stash, which was supposed to happen on April 1. Well...let's just say that between Wed. and Sunday, all hell broke loose at my house. Think a rather rowdy episode of Jerry Springer, and then multiply it by about four. And that was just the Pampered Chef party! (No, really...I'm kidding about the party. I'm not kidding about all hell breaking loose.) So anyway...here is my stash flash, albeit it a bit late:

To all who visited on Saturday, expecting to see the flashy pictures then...my sincerest apologies!! Trust me, I would rather have been flashing than been in Jerry Springer hell!!

me, mememememememememeeee...

2006-03-31T13:33:00.000-05:00

X marks the spot...
(x) Smoked a cigarette
(x) Drank so much you threw up
( ) Crashed a friend's car
( ) Stolen a car
(x) Been in love
(x) Been dumped
( ) Shoplifted
(x) Been laid off/fired
(x) Quit your job
(x) Been in a fist fight
( ) Snuck out of your parent's house
(x) Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back
( ) Been arrested
(x) Gone on a blind date (3 of them!)
(x) Lied to a friend
( ) Skipped school
( ) Seen someone die
(x) Been to Canada
( ) Been to Mexico
(x) Been on a plane
(x) Been lost
( ) Been on the opposite side of the country
(x) Swam in the ocean
(x) Felt like dying
(x) Cried yourself to sleep
(x) Played cops and robbers
( ) Recently colored your hair
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
(x) Made prank phone calls
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(x) Danced in the rain
(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(x) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(x) Watched the sun rise with someone you care about
(x) Blown bubbles
(x) Made a bonfire on the beach
(x) Crashed a party
(x) Gone roller-skating
(x) Ice-skated

P is for...

2006-03-31T13:29:00.000-05:00

Peter Frampton!

Peter Frampton was one of the biggest arena rock stars of the '70s, making his
name largely on the double-LP concert set Frampton
Comes Alive. Frampton was one of several '70s rock artists (Kiss, Cheap
Trick, etc.) to break through to a wide audience with a live album; much
like the others, he'd recorded several previous albums and built a following
through extensive touring, in the process honing an exciting concert presence.
That helped Frampton
Comes Alive become the best-selling live album of all time (up to that
point), with eventual sales of over six million units in the U.S. and over 16
million copies worldwide. Frampton had paid nearly a decade's worth of dues
before reaching superstardom, and unfortunately for him, it proved to be
short-lived — bad luck and a failure to duplicate the phenomenon of Frampton
Comes Alive conspired to halt his career momentum.

So Cheryl's Tired of Phil...

2006-03-29T10:35:00.000-05:00

therefore I give you this.

It's something.

It's not Phil.

It should get you through the day.

What type of Fae are you?

2006-03-25T12:19:00.000-05:00

Would somebody please tell Mr. Spector that this look does NOT do him any good?
And now, completely unrelated...
Has anybody heard from The Stitchin' Seminarian? She hasn't updated since January 2. I don't know her...but I know she's back in "da 'burgh" -- or was supposed to be -- and I just want to know that something hasn't gone horribly wrong.

Got a Photograph...

2006-03-24T14:09:00.000-05:00

...or 3. Or 4. Or more!
First is this picture of Matthew, sporting his skully wristlets which were made by Nora.

Secondly...
I had previously mentioned that I had a lovely gift from a wonderful friend that I was late in posting. This gift came as a complete and total surprise. I received it on the same date as the yarn crawl...and I marvel at it all the time. I am so blessed to have such a good friend.

So...Now that I've built up to it...

This is my Jeep:

This is my Jeep, hand painted onto a drop spindle:

Thank you, Jane, so much, for such a wonderful and thoughtful gift.

Last night, there was impromptu knitting at Beecher's with Judy, Nora and Ember. (Shout-out to Ember, who lurks here but has no blog!)

Judy couldn't make up her mind what she wanted to do. She worked on a sock, she worked on a friendship bracelet, she whipped out her Branching Out and then put it back, and then back to the sock, and then she just gave up on it all.

Ember worked on her hat for Knitter's Fantasy.
(sorry, no pic.)

Nora worked on her orange sweater (I have another pic of Nora but it looks like she's getting a little friendly with her water bottle).

And then I was working on my Fur Elise bag (pattern by Hopyard Spinnery, available only at Flying Fingers Yarn Shop). In between fits of giggles, the purse...well, the purse...umm.....Oh, hell. There's no way to explain it. Just look:

(Yes, I am blessing Ember's knitting.)

Q

2006-03-24T07:31:00.000-05:00

is for Queen.

Few bands embodied the pure excess of the '70s like Queen. Embracing the exaggerated pomp of prog rock and heavy metal, as well as vaudevillian music hall, the British quartet delved deeply into camp and bombast, creating a huge, mock-operatic sound with layered guitars and overdubbed vocals. Queen's music was a bizarre yet highly accessible fusion of the macho and the fey. For years, their albums boasted the motto "no synthesizers were used on this record," signaling their allegiance with the legions of post-Led Zeppelin hard rock bands. But vocalist Freddie Mercury brought an extravagant sense of camp to the band, pushing them toward kitschy humor and pseudo-classical arrangements, as epitomized on their best-known song, "Bohemian Rhapsody." Mercury, it must be said, was a flamboyant bisexual who managed to keep his sexuality in the closet until his death from AIDS in 1992. Nevertheless, his sexuality was apparent throughout Queen's music, from their very name to their veiled lyrics — it was truly bizarre to hear gay anthems like "We Are the Champions" turn into celebrations of sports victories. That would have been impossible without Mercury, one of the most dynamic and charismatic frontmen in rock history. Through his legendary theatrical performances, Queen became one of the most popular bands in the world in the mid-'70s; in England, they remained second only to the Beatles in popularity and collectibility in the '90s. Despite their enormous popularity, Queen were never taken seriously by rock critics — an infamous Rolling Stone review labeled their 1979 album Jazz as "fascist." In spite of such harsh criticism, the band's popularity rarely waned; even in the late '80s, the group retained a fanatical following except in America. In the States, their popularity peaked in the early '80s, just as they finished nearly a decade's worth of extraordinarily popular records. And while those records were never praised, they sold in enormous numbers, and traces of Queen's music could be heard in several generations of hard rock and metal bands in the next two decades, from Metallica to Smashing Pumpkins.

(Information courtesy of AMG).

Of course, we're all familiar with Bohemian Rhapsody, thanks to Wayne and Garth:

More posts later...including a visit from a cardinal. ;)

A Little Caberet Music, Please...

2006-03-23T14:37:00.000-05:00

...for we are about to have a SP PACKAGE STRIPTEASE!

This is what the postman brought.Lots of paper...

Remove some paper and we get our first peek!

Is this not the MOST GORGEOUS present??

And open the box, and what's inside:

EZ's Knitter's Almanac. A clear CHIBI. Two chocolate bars for my two sons. A package of watermelon hard candy (Yum!). A package of SEATTLE CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES (Can you say YUM?) Two soaps, one Lemon Verbena and one in Lavender. A little black sheep tape measure from Lantern Moon.

And the best part? It was all packed in a TRIFOLD BOWL that she knit herself!
HOW AWESOME IS THAT???

My Secret Pal is KRISTIN of Knit One, Quilt Too. Check out her blog -- you'll be amazed! Wait until you see the sweater she knit for her Knitting Olympics project! WOW.

Kristin, I cannot thank you enough for all of the yummy goodness you have brought to my house. You have been a most amazing Secret Pal. I hope that you have been treated as well as you have treated me!! You are amazing!! THANK YOU so much for your generosity! I have absolutely, absolutely enjoyed every package you have sent my way.

And for those of you who are keeping score (and even for those who aren't), Kristin sent me:
Interweave Knits magazine
Two Skeins Lorna's Laces Shepherd Socks in Sherbet
Cucumber Melon Body Wash & Lotion
Mint Lindor Truffles
Hand-made tote bag
Ferro Rocher chocolates
Manos del Uruguay Yarn
The Knitter's Almanac
Orange Chibi
Lantern Moon Tape Measure
Watermelon Hard Candy
Seattle Chocolate Truffles (this should win her the Best SP Award all by itself!)
Lemon Verbena Soap
Lavender Soap
Trifold Knitted Bowl

Turn, Turn, Turn

2006-03-22T10:28:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, Donna stopped by with her umbrella swift and ball winder, which I promptly put to good use. Not only did I wind skeins, but Jane stopped by with the kiddos, and she wound up some skeins also!

Thank you, Donna...with your help, this now looks like this:

While I was making yarn cakes, Spooky decided to take a snooze on the knitting basket:

Comfy looking, isn't she??

The swift and winder were huge hits with the entire family...Bill wound a few skeins when he got home from work, then on Sunday both of the kids pitched in and rewound a few skeins. They made noises about getting me a swift and winder for Mother's Day, but I'm wondering if they're not just going to do it for their own benefit...kind of like when Homer bought that bowling ball for Marge on The Simpsons.

In other knitting news...I finished Bill's Moebius bowl, using the Manos in the loden colorway. I had to modify the pattern, as I was running out of yarn...and the bowl has turned into a very squat, very cute little thing. I will take pics and post them soon. I am working on the tank top made with the Skacel Meditation for Knit One, and am about 2/3 of the way finished with the front. Being self-employed does not always leave you time for knitting! I've also cast on for the Fur Elise bag from Hopyard Spinnery. It is pretty mindless knitting, garter stitch base and then pick up/knit in the round, then make a flap and my absolute favorite, icord. Yippee, icord. Ugh. I have worked a little on Matthew's sweater...maybe I'll be able to take a picture of him wearing it around July. Heehee. If you couldn't tell, I have issues with project monogamy.

I am also very late at posting a picture of a wonderful gift from a very dear friend. You'll have to see it to believe it...but I need to actually take the picture first!

Lastly...a request from my friend Janine! However, the contest ends TODAY (3/22).

A friend of mine's brother invented and patented something that is attached
to a snow board. He was working for a company in Vermont when the company had
some problems and had to lay him off. He is currently living back at home. Now
the favor. He is entered in a contest and the winner will be flown to Oregon and
a company out there will produce the winners product. The contest won't let the
same server vote more than one time, so the County has already shown up as its
one vote. Please, if you have time, log on to the following web-site and
follow the instructions below. I promise this is not a scam!!

Thank you Thank you Thank you:
www.lib-tech.com
upper right corner, click on:
"Brainstorm contest top 10"
and vote for DOUG VENSEL
Have a lovely day!!

Stuff and an Odd Meme

2006-03-18T10:29:00.000-05:00

I have a lot to talk about. I don't have a lot of time to talk. Donna is heading over today to lend me her ball winder and swift. Jane is coming over, with kiddos, to have a yarn winding party. I am in the middle of a cleaning frenzy...I just jump from project to project. I need to wash dishes. But just like there's always room for Jell-O, there's always room for a meme. I grabbed this one off of Molly's site.

There weren't instructions; I think you just post your thoughts on the subjects. Or at least that's what I'm gonna do.

1. I need: Steady Income
2. Sex: I can't answer this! That's just too personal.
3. Relationships: Build them to last.
4. Your Last Ex: ()*&#*%^&@#*(*()_)_#@*())(*#()@&$&_#@()()*&#*%^&@#*(*()_)_#@*())(*#()@&$&_#@()()*&#*%^&@#*(*()_)_#@*())(*#()@&$&_#@()fathered my adorable kids()*&#*%^&@#*(*()_)_#@*())(*#()@&$&_#@()()*&#*%^&@#*(*()_)_#@*())(*#()@&$&_#@()()*&#*%^&@#*(*()_)_#@*())(*#()@&$&_#@()
5. Power: Brought to you by the electric company
6. Marijuana: If the government was smart, they'd legalize it...sell it next to the alcohol. Not that I smoke it, it's just that punishment for simple possession has become basically a summary offense (30 days maximum incarceration, $250 or $300 fine). If you're possessing with intent to deliver, it's a bigger offense. If you're growing, it's a huge offense. Well, keep the PID and the Manufacturing crimes but create government controls and then sell it at State controlled stores. You've created jobs (need someone to harvest, tend to the stuff, etc.) and hello, you can sell it and tax it.
7. Crack: Wear a belt.
8. Food: Love to cook.
9. The President: ()*&#*%^&@#*(*()_)_#@*())(*#()@&$&_#@() Not doing a very good job. Who cares that his approval rating is only 37%? Not like he's going to be seeking re-election!
10. Drama: Good movies.
11. Cars: Too expensive anymore. $25,000? I don't think my parents' first house cost that much.
12. Gas Prices: Out of this world. What the hell is up with that?
13. Halloween: Harmless.
14. Politics: Makes the world go 'round.
15. Religion: Shouldn't be pushed on others.
17. MySpace: Should be more closely monitored.
18. Worst Fear: SNAKES! Tornadoes! My kids being seriously injured or killed.
19. Marriage: Not always all that it's cracked up to be.
20. Fashion: I have no fashion sense.
21. Brunettes: Huh?
22. Redheads: Huh?
22. Blondes: Huh?? Why are these 3 topics even in there? Can't, or shouldn't, stereotype.
23: Work: I love my work.
24: Pass the time: Knit. Read. Cook.
24: Football: Seriously overrated.
25. One night stands: Scary.
26: Pet Peeve: Know-it-alls.
27: Pixie Stix: Sugar Rush.
28: Vanilla Ice: Weird.
29: Porta Potties: Nasty.
30: High school: I went, I graduated.
31. Ice cream: Yum.
32. Pajamas: Can't stand 'em.
33. Wood: Beauty.
34. Surfers: Awesome.
35. Pictures: I need more frames.

See, toldja it was an odd meme.

Tell Me All the Things That I Wanna Hear...

2006-03-17T09:04:00.000-05:00

...'cause it's true, that's what I like about you.

ZYX Photo Fridays brought to you by the letter R...which is for The Romantics.

Ah, yes, the Romantics...my favorite '80s song of all time is What I Like About You!

In other news...

The Pampered Pals have all received their info. I'm expecting to see some yummy packages posted on blogs in the next couple of weeks! It's a one shot deal, all packages to be mailed by 3/31, so I'm very anxious to see what people come up with.

Not much knitting going on recently; I took the Skacel tank top with me to work on while waiting for a hearing on Wednesday, and last night I finished up the first ball of yarn and started into the second. I probably have 5 or 6 inches done on it. It is K1P2 ribbing, which really messes with my head if I've been working on Matt's sweater which is K4Sl1 as if to purl...so I have to be careful!

Finally...HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY! If you find the pot o' gold, share it.

Holy Rainstorm

2006-03-13T15:28:00.000-05:00

3:27 and all is fine...the high winds seem to have died down, for now.

Milo thought that the rain was fun, though, especially when it was coming in at a neat 130 degree angle to the rest of the earth (you can see the slant of the rain at the top of the picture, in front of the tree).

Today has been pretty mild...did some knitting, did some steno work -- THAT was just HUGE clap of thunder that shook the entire house. WOW.

Sorry.

So as I was saying, I did a little knitting, did a little work, and am probably about done playing on the computer, considering the thunder strike that just happened! The youngest son will be getting home in about 5 minutes so I'll go meet him with an umbrella. I hope the bus driver brings him to the driveway today and doesn't let him off down the street...

This weekend, I finished the knitting on the Sleeveless Sweater. I need to weave in ends and block it. I also started a Moebius bowl for hubby, and worked on Matt's sweater...the front and back are done and put together, and I have started on the left sleeve. Hooray for me.

Oh, almost forgot...I am balling up some laceweight yarn to try to make a scarf...all courtesy of Lis, my Pittsburgh SP. Last thing -- I have found the perfect pattern to use with the banana fiber yarn. I need to get 2 things off the needles and I can start it. Self-imposed restriction, so we'll see how long it lasts. Heehee.

FLASHER ALERT!

2006-03-10T14:06:00.001-05:00

Okay, no posts for a long while...3 posts in a day, with potentially more posting on the way. No, I'm not on crack. Really.

So anyway...

I was floating around at Trek's blog, and saw her post on the FLASH YOUR STASH-athon, slated for April 1. Sounds fun to me!!

Soo...

Show your stash!
Show your stash!
Show your stash!
Show your stash!

A Meme Ripped from Jen's Blog...

2006-03-10T09:48:00.000-05:00

From Jen
Meme instructions: Look at the list of books below. Bold the ones you've read, italicize the ones you might read, cross out the ones you won't, underline the ones on your book shelf, and place parentheses around the ones you've never even heard of. (I just left "normal" the ones I wasn't sure about.)

The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy - Douglas Adams
The Great Gatsby - F.Scott Fitzgerald
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
(His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J. K. Rowling
~~Life of Pi - Yann Martel~~
Animal Farm: A Fairy Story - George Orwell
Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
(The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon)
Lord of the Flies - William Golding
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
1984 - George Orwell
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J. K. Rowling
One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
(The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini)
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold (it's only on my bookshelf til I return it to its rightful owner.)
Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut
(The Secret History - Donna Tartt)
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - C. S. Lewis
Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
Atonement - Ian McEwan
The Shadow Of The Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
~~Dune - Frank Herbert~~

S is for...

2006-03-10T07:59:00.000-05:00

Yum.

Gonna Hafta Face It, You're Addicted to...

2006-03-08T17:24:00.000-05:00

...Cat Bordhi!

This is the Moebius bowl that I did with the Manos del Uruguay yarn from my SECRET PAL. Thank you so much, once again, SP, for the LOVELY yarn! I absolutely love the Moebius bowls, and have requests for 3 more...one from each of my sons and one from my husband. Yes, my husband!!

In other news:
I have recovered from the yarn crawl. I don't think my pocketbook will recover for a while, but it is what it is. For lots of pics, head on over to Jane's blog. You can also see why she's thinking Arby's while you're over there.

Oh...there's also this:
yes, I am (almost) finished with the alpaca sweater. That lovely picture you see there was taken in my son's room...before I actually did the bind off. I had put some waste yarn in the neckline to try it on. It fits wonderfully! (Well, it may be a little short, but I'm not counting that issue). So I go back to the couch, put the stitches on the needle, do the bind off, and try it on and...you guessed it, my bind off was WAY too tight and I couldn't get my head through the opening. I am going to try to fix it this evening, as I was telling a friend of mine about it today and she wants to see it..so if I can get it fixed by tomorrow, I can wear it to court and show it off. Wish me luck!

On the needles:
I'm trying Branching Out. Again. (It is winning. Again.)
I have about 2" left on Matthew's sweater, and then it is on to the sleeves.
I am knitting a shop model for Knit One, using the Skacel Meditation yarn in colorway BEIGES. It is wonderful to knit with.
Oh, and the never-ending sparkly scarf is still waiting to be finished.
And the baby sock.
And the adult sock.
And I think I'm going to start another bowl...I have more Manos, and some Autumn House stuff, and some other things...

Oy.

2006-03-04T20:47:00.000-05:00

Stash enhancement today. Lots of fun. I am tooooo tired to talk. I left my house at 8:30 a.m. I got home at 8:20 p.m. Three yarn shops. Lunch with a great group of people. Visiting Heather and Montey (who is recovering nicely) at the hospital. Four counties: Butler, Westmoreland, Allegheny, Washington. Jane's thinking Arby's.

I will post yarn enhancement pics and stats soon...

I really need a needle tracker, too...

Pampered Pal Update

2006-03-03T16:46:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder that I am hosting the PAMPERED PAL...it is a one-shot mailing of pampering items to your Pal. If you have signed up, please check the blog, there is new information up...including a cute (or at least I think it's cute!) button for you to put on your blog, so others will know you are in for pampering...not to mention a great offer from another pampered pal!

ZYX Photo Fridays Presents...

2006-03-03T10:46:00.000-05:00

...the letter T.

But first, a comment or two:
Heather's husband had a little bit of a health issue yesterday...I just would ask everyone who prays, to offer a little (or a big) prayer for Montey. He seems to be doing fine today (asked for his needles and yarn) (Yes, Montey knits) and is scheduled to be moved from CCU to a regular room today.

LisaBe, the ZYX Photo Fridays are the brainchild of Holly...it's easy, post a photo relative to the alphabet letter every Friday. Obviously, today is T. Thanks for reading my blog!!

This week, T is for TRIUMPH:
Not the car, not the motorcycle...but the band!

In 1981, Triumph released what would become their best album, Allied Forces. Included on that album was the song Fight the Good Fight, which is probably their best known song...and the lyrics to which contain a lesson for us all:

The days grow shorter and the nights are getting long
Feels like we're running out of time
Every day it seems much harder tellin' right from wrong
You got to read between the lines
Don't get discouraged, don't be afraid, we can
Make it through another day
Make it worth the price we pay

The Good Book says it's better to give than to receive
I do my best to do my part
Nothin' in my pockets, I got nothin' up my sleeve
I keep my magic in my heart
Keep up your spirit, keep up your faith, baby
I am counting on you
You know what you've got to do

Fight the good fight every moment
Every minute every day
Fight the good fight every moment
It's your only way

All your life you've been waiting for your chance
Where you'll fit into the plan
But you're the master of your own destiny
So give and take the best that you can
You think a little more money will buy your soul some rest
You'd better think of something else instead
You're so afraid of being honest with yourself
You'd better take a look inside your head
Nothing is easy, nothing good is free
But I can tell you where to start
Take a look inside your heart
There's an answer in your heart

Fight the good fight every moment
Every minute every day
Fight the good fight every moment
It's your only way
---

Behold, the Gold...

2006-02-28T14:25:00.000-05:00

I never thought this day would come. When I signed up for the Knitting Olympics and said I would do a cat bed...I thought a lot of things: First and foremost, that it was too big. Secondly, that the technique was too new and I would need a lot of time to grasp the moebius cast on. Thirdly, that I would never be able to finish it in time. There were more thoughts (like who's going to cook dinner if I decide I need to knit?) but none that were really relevant.

I am, apparently, better at this whole knitting thing than I thought. I learned a lot about yarns in the process, or at least about the yarn that I was using. I learned that the moebius isn't as difficult as I had thought it would be, and that the results of it are stunning. I learned that Lamb's Pride Bulky felts like a dream. I couldn't recognize it as yarn after one run through the washing machine (therefore hiding the fact that I used reverse stockinette stitch for the body of the cat bed). And I was able to knit quickly. I sometimes feel that I fumble with my knitting, especially when it comes to purling....now, maybe I'm not quite as bad as I had originally thought.

Now, with my new understanding of my knitting side, I will go forward and complete the UFO's. (Actually, if I get the seaming done and the ends woven in, I'll be sporting that alpaca sleeveless sweater tomorrow at our Cranky Knitters stitch & bitch session). I have about 3" of body, plus the 2 sleeves, to do on Matthew's sweater...and then I'm going to try to tackle the Coco Puffs jacket from Knitters.

And then, of course, there are the moebius bowls calling my name...I have 2 skeins of Manos, therefore I need to do 2 moebius bowls, don'tcha think?

(I'll leave that gold medal big for a bit...then I'll shrink it and life will return to normal.)

Oof.

2006-02-27T22:36:00.000-05:00

Donated blood today. Tonight I am feeling woozy. I think I overdid...and I shouldn't have. Ugh. :P

I'm gonna go lie down...

Something to Talk About

2006-02-25T12:47:00.000-05:00

Actually, I have SO MUCH to talk about. I should have blogged more yesterday but I had a bunch of stuff to do and time just got away from me.

First of all, A VERY BIG THANK YOU to my Secret Pal! I received a wonderful package from her yesterday! You'll note the totebag -- she made it! How awesome is that?? It is just the perfect size for carrying a sweater in progress and my notions bag. Tucked inside the tote was a card, some Ferro Rocher chocolates (they are gone...kids nabbed them and WHOOOSH -- took off!) and some Manos del Uruguay. In her note, SP told me that the little skein of yarn was just enough to make one of the little bowls in Cat Bordhi's Second Treasury of Magical Knitting. I really enjoyed the moebius strip and working on the cat bed, so I cannot wait to get started on a bowl! I had to order a Size 11 needle (from Flying Fingers, of course) and am anxiously awaiting its arrival. I have a Size 8 in the required length but I'm thinking it might be too small. Of course, I could try...although I really am trying to get a few things finished before I start on something else.

Speaking of the cat bed, here it is pre-felting. Once you have completed the requisite number of rounds on the moebius strip, you bind off with applied icord (new method for me!), then pick up stitches under the icord and knit in the round. I picked up stitches backwards, so when I was knitting it was reverse stockinette. I was a little fearful that you would be able to notice that it was the purl side sticking out and not the knit side...but I should NOT have worried a bit. The moebius band is in Woolpak something or other, label is gone; the base of the bed is in Lamb's Pride Bulky, Color Charcoal.

Cat recommends that you use a wheel barrow inner tube to block your cat bed after felting...which I did, as you can see. I was amazed at how big that thing got, without exploding! Just off center on the front of the picture, you can see the moebius twist in the front of the cat bed.

I've traded emails with Cat, who thinks that I should have gotten a larger in diameter size inner tube. I could only find a 6" and an 8" -- hers is 12" in diameter...she suggests that we rewet the bed and try and stretch it again, with the new inner tube...because although Spooky and Purl

enjoy it as a kitty tart pan (or maybe it's a kitty pizza, like Stick's cat bed turned out!), I really wanted it to take the shape that is shown in the book. Plus maybe Spooky won't be able to shove it under the couch so easily that way.

You can see that Spooky is having no trouble whatsoever claiming that bed as hers. Milo? He's ignoring it.

Details: Rose Red Cat Bed pattern, from A Second Treasury of Magical Knitting
Yarn: small amount of Woolpak something or other for the moebius band; almost 4 skeins of Lamb's Pride Bulky for the base.
Started: February 10
Finished: February 19
This was my Knitting Olympics project.

On February 18, I went to the Conoquonessing Elementary School Basket Bingo. they've held these bingo's every February for the past 5 years (I've attended 3 of the 5). It is their main fundraiser. A $25 ticket gets you lunch and 20 regular bingo games. There are also 4 specials you can buy cards for and play, plus 3 raffles, and door prizes given throughout the day.

I didn't win any of the bingo games (was close a couple times but that's about it). I did, however, win this basket:

This was the Sixth Grade raffle basket. Longaberger afficionados will recognize it as the large hamper basket. It includes a woven woodcrafts lid and protector. Cost of the basket and protector is $300. I spent $10 on tickets for the raffle. I was very, very happy to win this. It is now holding stash yarn. No, it isn't the only thing holding stash yarn.

Speaking of stash yarn...I did a stash inventory. It isn't very pretty...I have single balls of yarn that I had bought during my "scarf design" days (where that was all I did was knit scarves because I was afraid to tackle anything bigger than that) that no longer interest me. I have a lot of eyelash yarns (okay, maybe not a lot, but more than any self-respecting person should have). I have yarns with no particular project in mind (the banana fiber yarn, for example...) and yarns that I had bought with a project in mind but the project no longer interests me. I have yarns that I had bought for felting, and now that I've felted with two different yarns, I'm not sure that I want to felt with the one yarn again, because the second yarn felts much more beautifully than I could have ever imagined. Lamb's Pride has become my favorite felting yarn...you can't even see the stitches...it's just one big piece of felt. I love it!

News about what's on the needles:
I am 6" short of finishing the back of Matthew's sweater...then it is pick up and knit on the shoulders, and complete a 3 Needle Bind-Off with them...then on to the sleeves.

I am about 80 percent done with the Alpaca sleeveless sweater...I have finished the armhole bind off and decreases, and am knitting straight for another inch or so before I start decreasing/binding off to get to the neckline.

Sock #1 has been moved from 3 DPN's to 2 circulars and I tuck it in my pocket and carry it with me or knit on it when I am on the phone. I haven't made a lot of progress on it, really, but think I'm getting close to decreasing for the toes.

The Sari Silk cat bed needs sides. I was going to pick up and knit in the round but it's really difficult with the yarn to do that, so I am just going to knit a wide scarf and attach it to the sides. It worked out all right for me, Mavis for her 2 Olympic beds, and I figure it should work for me, too.

Next Saturday, I'm heading out to Autumn House Farms to spend a good part of the day with the Go, Knitter, Go group of Betsy, Cheryl, Donna, Heather, Jill and Leslie. Jane will be tagging along with me as we are the "northern chapter" of that group...heehee.

I guess that's about all for now...once again, a great big THANK YOU to my SP!! You are AWESOME!!

ZYX Photo Fridays

2006-02-24T10:19:00.000-05:00

This week...the letter U.

URIAH HEEP

My favorite song of theirs is Stealin':

Runnin’, hidin’, losin’, cryin’
Nothing left to save but my life
Stood on a ridge
And shunned religion
Thinking the world was mine
I made my break and a big mistake
Stealin’, when I
Should’ve been buyin’

As if there weren't enough secrets...

2006-02-23T16:21:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about this for the last couple of days...and finally decided to just take the plunge and say WTF.

Want to be a Pampered Pal?
It's the end of winter, spring is near, and I think it's time for a little pampering! As a Pampered Pal, you will be asked to send one package containing products of your choice, but they should be products used for pampering...for instance, chocolates, bath salts, moisturizer(s), face masks, etc. In turn, you will receive one. (This isn't to say that if your Pampered Pal likes to knit that you can't send her (or him) a little yarn to brighten their day...)

This is a ONE SHOT deal. It won't last for months and months...a one-time commitment of at least $25 (including postage). Yes you can go overboard -- but please don't go under.

Sign up by MARCH 15. You will receive your Pampered Pal by March 18th. I will create a survey regarding allergies/likes/dislikes and post it here the week of the 15th; you'll need to post your responses on your blog. Here's the kicker: I'd like all packages to be mailed no later than March 31st.

Want to sign up? Click here!