Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
The hat that almost wasn't
Turns out, our foster beagle likes yarn. I learned this the hard way. If I were a better blogger (or a more patient person) I would have photographed the lesson of why not to leave knitting on the couch. However, when I walked into the room and saw the hat (still on the needles at least) on one side of the room and a ball of red yarn wrapped around two coffee tables and happily being chewed on by a beagle, it was all I could do to simply yell 'SAM, NO!' and try not to deafen my mother (I was on the phone with her when I walked in). It seems Sam thought the ball of yarn on the couch was a toy and jumped up to get it. I'm not sure how long he had it before I walked in, but it was either only a minute or two, or I just have really good luck, because the hat was still securely on the needles and the yarn, though no longer nice and tight in a center pull ball, was not knotted or tangled! How this happened, I will never know, but I was able to simply take the mess upstairs, grab the free end of the yarn and rewind it on the ball winder. The only real 'damage' was some extra dog hair embedded in the yarn (and ultra alpaca is hairy anyway, so who can tell dog from alpaca and wool fiber!)
So the hat isn't technically finished - I'm putting a knit lining, but I need someone with a big head to try it on to figure out where to stop the lining. (Damien self professes to have a 'bigger than average' head, so I don't want to end up with a lining that comes too low to where the bottom folds over on him) Hopefully either Jake's dad or David will do the trick. But the outside of the hat is all done and I love it. It's the Jacques Cousteau Hat.
I love the way the crown decreases! I would definitely make this hat again, though perhaps going up to a worsted yarn so it knit a little faster, though. This was my first time doing jogless color changes, and I think it looks pretty nice (though as Jake points out, very NY Giants - which makes me consider doing another with the same yarn and sending to my friend Kim's husband who is a HUGE Giants fan.)
So the hat isn't technically finished - I'm putting a knit lining, but I need someone with a big head to try it on to figure out where to stop the lining. (Damien self professes to have a 'bigger than average' head, so I don't want to end up with a lining that comes too low to where the bottom folds over on him) Hopefully either Jake's dad or David will do the trick. But the outside of the hat is all done and I love it. It's the Jacques Cousteau Hat.
I love the way the crown decreases! I would definitely make this hat again, though perhaps going up to a worsted yarn so it knit a little faster, though. This was my first time doing jogless color changes, and I think it looks pretty nice (though as Jake points out, very NY Giants - which makes me consider doing another with the same yarn and sending to my friend Kim's husband who is a HUGE Giants fan.)
Monday, December 29, 2008
Cheesecake!!
OK, finally, the recipe that yielded the best cheesecake I've ever made! And that is saying a lot, since I make an inordinately large number of cheesecakes. Jake's favorite desserts are cheesecake and pumpkin pie, so I make a lot of cheesecakes, pumpkin pies and the occasional pumpkin cheesecake.
My normal 'go to' recipe is a very old sour cream cheesecake from Bon Appetit. I have a photocopied version from my mom's print magazine, which is good because the recipe isn't online. It's from like a 1986 magazine, so I guess their recipe archives don't go that far back online. Problem with that recipe is that you have to bake it three times - once to crisp the crust (don't want to skip with this recipe, because you put nuts in the crust with the grahm crackers), one to bake the cake, and one to bake the sour cream topping. I was getting a late start as it was, and the timeline for that was just too long. I considered the Philly Cream Cheese recipe, but I only had 2 lbs of cream cheese and that recipe needs 2.5lbs. I was torn. I really wanted cheesecake but I was recipe-less. I checked out Alton Brown's recipe, he's one I trust to just go by recipe on, but his cooking was even longer than the Bon Appetit (really, Alton, 2 hours?!) and in my experience every cheesecake takes longer to bake than the recipe says anyway.
I have a huge collection of cookbooks, but no real motivation to flip through them all, so I pulled out my two favorites - How to Cook Everything and the Joy of Cooking. I struck out with Mark Bittman - his recipe needed 2.5lbs, too, but I found the gem in Joy of Cooking - it only needed 2 lbs of cream cheese and was from a trusted source, so off to the kitchen I went, making just a few modifications of my own.
Carly's Creamy Cheesecake
(The original is 'Creamy Water-Bath Cheesecake' on page 980 of the 1997 printing of Joy of Cooking)
Ingredients:
2lbs cream cheese
1-1/3 c sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 c heavy cream
1/4 c sour cream
1/2 t. pure lemon extract (really, don't use the imitation!!)
2-4 t. vanilla (2 if you are using pure extract purchased, closer to 4 if using homemade vanilla - recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 325F, Fill a tea kettle with water and set to boil. (If you have time, set out eggs & cream cheese to come to room temperature, I didn't and it certainy didn't hurt the finished product!)
Make any cheesecake crust you like - shortbread or graham cracker (the Joy recipe makes this crustless). Press crust into the bottom of a 9" springform pan. I used a basic graham cracker crust with a little bit of sugar and nutmeg mixed in. I did not toast the crust.
In large bowl, beat 2lbs of cream cheese until smooth. I went about 90 seconds with the paddle set to 6 on my KitchenAid - obviously this will take longer with a hand mixer.
Add sugar and beat another 1-2 minutes until creamy and lightened.
Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing just until incorporated (I did this on speed 3 on the mixer) and scraping the bowl after each egg.
Add the balance of the ingredients and beat on low speed until fully mixed (again I did this on speed 3).
Spread the filling into the springform.
If you have a less-than tight springform, wrap the bottom and sides of the springform with aluminum foil. (My springform is nice and tight, so I skipped this.) Place the springform in a large roasting pan (or any pan at least as deep as the springform and sufficiently wide). Place roasting pan in the oven, then pour water from the kettle into the baking pan until it is 1/2 way up the side of the springform. BE CAREFUL when you push the oven rack back in so as not to splash water from the pan onto the top of the cheesecake!!
Bake until the edges of the cheesecake are set but center is still 'slightly' jiggly. I really hate that type of instruction, because how jiggly is 'slightly' jiggly?! In my case, I baked until only about a 2" ring in the center jiggled when shaken and the rest of the cake was set - about 1h20min. Turn off the oven, prop the oven door open (use a wooden spoon if your oven door doesn't have a partially open setting) and let the cake sit in the oven for another 30 minutes (the recipe says 1 hour, but I was tired and 30 minutes was the best I could do before needed to go to bed!) Remove from the waterbath and cool completely on a rack. When cool, cover tightly and refrigerate at least 6 hours before cutting and enjoying!
I promise you, this is the smoothest, creamiest cheesecake you'll ever have, while still having a nice density to it - I'm not a fan of the really fluffy cheesecakes, myself!
We made both a blueberry and a raspberry sauce to serve with the cheesecake, though the raspberry was the clear winner :)
Our easy sauce is in a 1.5qt saucepan, place a few tablespoons of sugar, 1c or so of frozen berries and ~1/4 c liquer (for the raspberry sauce we used Couintreau, for the blueberry we used black currant liqour). Bring to a boil and let cook at a rolling boil for ~10 minutes, let cool before refrigerating.
Sarah wanted to know about homemade vanilla extract, and it's pretty simple. We tried it once when we had two open bottles of vodka at the house. Simply use 1 vanilla bean per 200mL of vodka you are using (approximately 1/4 of a fifth of vodka). Split the bean(s), but don't scrape the insides and drop the beans into the bottle of vodka (I use FRIS). Store in a cool dark place until the vodka is brown - and there is your homemade vanilla! When I make it, it always ends up less concentrated than store bought (you can tell by the color) no matter how long I let it 'steep', so I just use a little more when I cook with it.
Sorry I don't have pretty step by step photos like over at the cooking blogs. . . I had no idea the recipe would be share-worthy (and even if I did, did I mention that I was very tired? never start a cheesecake at 9:30pm!) Let me know if you try it!!
My normal 'go to' recipe is a very old sour cream cheesecake from Bon Appetit. I have a photocopied version from my mom's print magazine, which is good because the recipe isn't online. It's from like a 1986 magazine, so I guess their recipe archives don't go that far back online. Problem with that recipe is that you have to bake it three times - once to crisp the crust (don't want to skip with this recipe, because you put nuts in the crust with the grahm crackers), one to bake the cake, and one to bake the sour cream topping. I was getting a late start as it was, and the timeline for that was just too long. I considered the Philly Cream Cheese recipe, but I only had 2 lbs of cream cheese and that recipe needs 2.5lbs. I was torn. I really wanted cheesecake but I was recipe-less. I checked out Alton Brown's recipe, he's one I trust to just go by recipe on, but his cooking was even longer than the Bon Appetit (really, Alton, 2 hours?!) and in my experience every cheesecake takes longer to bake than the recipe says anyway.
I have a huge collection of cookbooks, but no real motivation to flip through them all, so I pulled out my two favorites - How to Cook Everything and the Joy of Cooking. I struck out with Mark Bittman - his recipe needed 2.5lbs, too, but I found the gem in Joy of Cooking - it only needed 2 lbs of cream cheese and was from a trusted source, so off to the kitchen I went, making just a few modifications of my own.
Carly's Creamy Cheesecake
(The original is 'Creamy Water-Bath Cheesecake' on page 980 of the 1997 printing of Joy of Cooking)
Ingredients:
2lbs cream cheese
1-1/3 c sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 c heavy cream
1/4 c sour cream
1/2 t. pure lemon extract (really, don't use the imitation!!)
2-4 t. vanilla (2 if you are using pure extract purchased, closer to 4 if using homemade vanilla - recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 325F, Fill a tea kettle with water and set to boil. (If you have time, set out eggs & cream cheese to come to room temperature, I didn't and it certainy didn't hurt the finished product!)
Make any cheesecake crust you like - shortbread or graham cracker (the Joy recipe makes this crustless). Press crust into the bottom of a 9" springform pan. I used a basic graham cracker crust with a little bit of sugar and nutmeg mixed in. I did not toast the crust.
In large bowl, beat 2lbs of cream cheese until smooth. I went about 90 seconds with the paddle set to 6 on my KitchenAid - obviously this will take longer with a hand mixer.
Add sugar and beat another 1-2 minutes until creamy and lightened.
Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing just until incorporated (I did this on speed 3 on the mixer) and scraping the bowl after each egg.
Add the balance of the ingredients and beat on low speed until fully mixed (again I did this on speed 3).
Spread the filling into the springform.
If you have a less-than tight springform, wrap the bottom and sides of the springform with aluminum foil. (My springform is nice and tight, so I skipped this.) Place the springform in a large roasting pan (or any pan at least as deep as the springform and sufficiently wide). Place roasting pan in the oven, then pour water from the kettle into the baking pan until it is 1/2 way up the side of the springform. BE CAREFUL when you push the oven rack back in so as not to splash water from the pan onto the top of the cheesecake!!
Bake until the edges of the cheesecake are set but center is still 'slightly' jiggly. I really hate that type of instruction, because how jiggly is 'slightly' jiggly?! In my case, I baked until only about a 2" ring in the center jiggled when shaken and the rest of the cake was set - about 1h20min. Turn off the oven, prop the oven door open (use a wooden spoon if your oven door doesn't have a partially open setting) and let the cake sit in the oven for another 30 minutes (the recipe says 1 hour, but I was tired and 30 minutes was the best I could do before needed to go to bed!) Remove from the waterbath and cool completely on a rack. When cool, cover tightly and refrigerate at least 6 hours before cutting and enjoying!
I promise you, this is the smoothest, creamiest cheesecake you'll ever have, while still having a nice density to it - I'm not a fan of the really fluffy cheesecakes, myself!
We made both a blueberry and a raspberry sauce to serve with the cheesecake, though the raspberry was the clear winner :)
Our easy sauce is in a 1.5qt saucepan, place a few tablespoons of sugar, 1c or so of frozen berries and ~1/4 c liquer (for the raspberry sauce we used Couintreau, for the blueberry we used black currant liqour). Bring to a boil and let cook at a rolling boil for ~10 minutes, let cool before refrigerating.
Sarah wanted to know about homemade vanilla extract, and it's pretty simple. We tried it once when we had two open bottles of vodka at the house. Simply use 1 vanilla bean per 200mL of vodka you are using (approximately 1/4 of a fifth of vodka). Split the bean(s), but don't scrape the insides and drop the beans into the bottle of vodka (I use FRIS). Store in a cool dark place until the vodka is brown - and there is your homemade vanilla! When I make it, it always ends up less concentrated than store bought (you can tell by the color) no matter how long I let it 'steep', so I just use a little more when I cook with it.
Sorry I don't have pretty step by step photos like over at the cooking blogs. . . I had no idea the recipe would be share-worthy (and even if I did, did I mention that I was very tired? never start a cheesecake at 9:30pm!) Let me know if you try it!!
Saturday, December 27, 2008
1 down, Too Many to go
I am losing hope of completing everything OTN before year's end.
Truth be told, I wasn't that confident from the moment I declared I'd try, but with 4 days left, I'm pretty sure even if I knit continually I'd not finish. I did finish mom's second pair of socks, which is good since she leaves in the morning. They were my own twist on a basic rib, and I quite like them. They took just over a skein of the Louet I was using and I have a skein left, so I might make them again for me!
(more pictures on Rav here)
The picture is taken with my new camera (this one). I can't decide how I like it - I need to do some serious playing with it to decide if I want to return it in the 30 day window I get.
Since I gave up hope of wrapping things up, I cast on two new projects tonite! They both have deadlines for completion. One is a secret and will have to wait to be revealed, but the other is this nifty hat for our friend in Alaska. He is the one who crab fishes and sent us all this crab in June. He sent us some King Crab a few weeks ago, so I'm sending him a hat to help keep warm when he heads back out on the boat January 27. I'm using Ultra Alpaca Light and I'm going to add an inner liner knit with the same yarn. That would be two layers of alpaca/wool blend in sport weight, which was pretty much the warmest thing I could come up with. Hopefully he likes it. The only down side is small yarn and small needles is much slower going than a typical hat!
Unfortunately, the reason I had time to cast on two new projects today is because time wasn't spent sewing. I promised mom I'd make her curtains while she was here if she found fabric she liked. Nothing tricky - cafe curtains for her kitchen. As is usual, the sewing was easy, the cutting straight lines from my fabric took an ungodly amount of time! I finished two of four bottom panels and one of two valances before my bobbin needed refilling, at which point I proceeded to break the bobbin lift cam on my machine. It's fixable, but the place I know to order parts from is in Samoa, so it'll take a while to get to me. So mom is going home with curtains for one window and a promise for the curtains for the 2nd. She'd probably rather have had the promise of the 2nd sock instead, since she really hates her current curtains. I hope she'll send me a picture when she hangs them, because they turned out quite well, if I do say so myself!
Cheesecake and vanilla to come tomorrow after mom is safely at the airport!
Truth be told, I wasn't that confident from the moment I declared I'd try, but with 4 days left, I'm pretty sure even if I knit continually I'd not finish. I did finish mom's second pair of socks, which is good since she leaves in the morning. They were my own twist on a basic rib, and I quite like them. They took just over a skein of the Louet I was using and I have a skein left, so I might make them again for me!
(more pictures on Rav here)The picture is taken with my new camera (this one). I can't decide how I like it - I need to do some serious playing with it to decide if I want to return it in the 30 day window I get.
Since I gave up hope of wrapping things up, I cast on two new projects tonite! They both have deadlines for completion. One is a secret and will have to wait to be revealed, but the other is this nifty hat for our friend in Alaska. He is the one who crab fishes and sent us all this crab in June. He sent us some King Crab a few weeks ago, so I'm sending him a hat to help keep warm when he heads back out on the boat January 27. I'm using Ultra Alpaca Light and I'm going to add an inner liner knit with the same yarn. That would be two layers of alpaca/wool blend in sport weight, which was pretty much the warmest thing I could come up with. Hopefully he likes it. The only down side is small yarn and small needles is much slower going than a typical hat!
Unfortunately, the reason I had time to cast on two new projects today is because time wasn't spent sewing. I promised mom I'd make her curtains while she was here if she found fabric she liked. Nothing tricky - cafe curtains for her kitchen. As is usual, the sewing was easy, the cutting straight lines from my fabric took an ungodly amount of time! I finished two of four bottom panels and one of two valances before my bobbin needed refilling, at which point I proceeded to break the bobbin lift cam on my machine. It's fixable, but the place I know to order parts from is in Samoa, so it'll take a while to get to me. So mom is going home with curtains for one window and a promise for the curtains for the 2nd. She'd probably rather have had the promise of the 2nd sock instead, since she really hates her current curtains. I hope she'll send me a picture when she hangs them, because they turned out quite well, if I do say so myself!
Cheesecake and vanilla to come tomorrow after mom is safely at the airport!
Just stopping in to share cuteness. . . .
Still owe you some cheesecake (and vanilla!) recipes, but am busily trying to entertain mom and finish sewing her curtains. But in playing with my new camera on Christmas morning, I have some cute poochie pics that must be shared!
Zosia, who cannot WAIT to get her mouth on the new squeaky pheasant!
Sam, who wasted no time tearing into his toy (which matches his collar, coincidentally!)
Jimmy Ray hates the new camera as much as the old, so no photos of him :(
Hope you're enjoying your weekend!
Zosia, who cannot WAIT to get her mouth on the new squeaky pheasant!
Sam, who wasted no time tearing into his toy (which matches his collar, coincidentally!)
Jimmy Ray hates the new camera as much as the old, so no photos of him :(
Hope you're enjoying your weekend!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas!
I hope you all have a wonderful and joyous Christmas!
My mom's 2nd socks did not get finished, so she got one in a stocking with a promise that the mate would be done before she left Virginia. I probably would have finished them if I hadn't had poor cheesecake baking scheduling skills which kept me up past my bedtime Tuesday. Totally worth it though, as it was possibly the best cheesecake I've ever made (and I'm a pretty good cheesecake maker, if I do say so myself!) I used homemade vanilla extract, to boot! I'll share the recipe after we open gifts! We just opened stockings and now Jake is making pancakes!
Enjoy your day!
My mom's 2nd socks did not get finished, so she got one in a stocking with a promise that the mate would be done before she left Virginia. I probably would have finished them if I hadn't had poor cheesecake baking scheduling skills which kept me up past my bedtime Tuesday. Totally worth it though, as it was possibly the best cheesecake I've ever made (and I'm a pretty good cheesecake maker, if I do say so myself!) I used homemade vanilla extract, to boot! I'll share the recipe after we open gifts! We just opened stockings and now Jake is making pancakes!
Enjoy your day!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Z is for Zosia
Yes, I got an easy out for a hard letter! My pooch Zosia will wrap up the year of the ABC Along! Even though I wasn't the best about keeping current, I really had fun doing this and I hope someone hosts it for 2009!
I let you take the picture, now let me go back to sleep!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Meet Sam!
We have a new addition to the house, temporarily. Not sure if I mentioned before that we were looking at getting into dog fostering, but we've been thinking about it for a while. Then we saw on the website of where we board our dogs (she runs a beagle rescue, too) a request for fosters over the Holidays. A lot of the dogs through her rescue stay at her home with the dogs she boards, which takes away from how many paid boarders she can have. So they were hoping to find holiday homes, and so we called yesterday and today brought home Sam!
He was a stray, so they don't know much about him. He's a little skinny, but otherwise healthy!
He's not housebroken, so that will be a bit tough to work on, but all 3 pooches are getting along for now. Sam has to get a bath tonite, we'll see if he still likes us after that!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
More projects
(This post someone disappeared from my blog. . . . . so I'm reposting - thank goodnes for bloglines :)!)
At the gym last Wednesday night, Jake decided that a cowl to wear with his leather jacket. I had suggested it before and he said no, but I guess Wednesday was a particularly cold morning and changed his mind. I pulled out some color options from the (ever growing) malabrigo stash, he chose the Churra. I gave him two choices of cowls. He chose the Morningside pattern.
I cast on during lunch Thursday and a few hours later -
I absolutely adore the pattern. Super simple, super quick, super fantstic for showing off a neat yarn. It's sometimes so hard to find a pattern that doesn't compete with the yarn. I made no mods, beyond knitting an extra 1/2 inch or so before I bound off.
Jake really seems to enjoy it, too (except that it messes up his hair a bit in the back!). It's nice that he honestly WANTs the stuff I knit for him, not that he just 'lets' me do it to give me something to do! Looks pretty good, eh?
I finished a pair of socks for mom, too. After this post, I ended up finding someone destashing some worsted Louet Gems for a steal ($19 for 3 skeins shipped priority!) They aren't the most exciting things, but mom wants warm socks to wear with boots and these fit the bill! The pattern is Thuja, I just did it over fewer stitches to fit a ladies foot!
This leaves Wisp #1, Herringbone Socks, Jake's socks, Jake's sweater, sock pair #2 for mom, my lace scarf and my blue shrug as active projects and my goal is to wrap them up before the new year. I'm not counting goddess, because it's definitely hibernating for warmer weather! I only have 2 more work days until year end, that leaves plenty of time for knitting this all up, right?
At the gym last Wednesday night, Jake decided that a cowl to wear with his leather jacket. I had suggested it before and he said no, but I guess Wednesday was a particularly cold morning and changed his mind. I pulled out some color options from the (ever growing) malabrigo stash, he chose the Churra. I gave him two choices of cowls. He chose the Morningside pattern.
I cast on during lunch Thursday and a few hours later -
I absolutely adore the pattern. Super simple, super quick, super fantstic for showing off a neat yarn. It's sometimes so hard to find a pattern that doesn't compete with the yarn. I made no mods, beyond knitting an extra 1/2 inch or so before I bound off.Jake really seems to enjoy it, too (except that it messes up his hair a bit in the back!). It's nice that he honestly WANTs the stuff I knit for him, not that he just 'lets' me do it to give me something to do! Looks pretty good, eh?
I finished a pair of socks for mom, too. After this post, I ended up finding someone destashing some worsted Louet Gems for a steal ($19 for 3 skeins shipped priority!) They aren't the most exciting things, but mom wants warm socks to wear with boots and these fit the bill! The pattern is Thuja, I just did it over fewer stitches to fit a ladies foot!This leaves Wisp #1, Herringbone Socks, Jake's socks, Jake's sweater, sock pair #2 for mom, my lace scarf and my blue shrug as active projects and my goal is to wrap them up before the new year. I'm not counting goddess, because it's definitely hibernating for warmer weather! I only have 2 more work days until year end, that leaves plenty of time for knitting this all up, right?
Wasted Day
I was off work Monday - using up vacation. I ran some errands and planned to spend the rest of the day knitting socks for mom. I LOVED the Fargyle pattern when Knitty came out, so that's what I wanted to do. Boy, was I disappointed :( 
I haven't actually frogged it yet, because I'm just going to knit from it rather than reballing. Given mom arrives in just a few days, pair #2 will be a simple rib with a little cable thrown in for interest! The yarn is Worsted Loet Gems, and it is pretty FAB!
I have photos of a few other projects to share soon!
I haven't actually frogged it yet, because I'm just going to knit from it rather than reballing. Given mom arrives in just a few days, pair #2 will be a simple rib with a little cable thrown in for interest! The yarn is Worsted Loet Gems, and it is pretty FAB!I have photos of a few other projects to share soon!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Natural Born Worrier
I'm quite convinced I lost 2 years off my life this evening. As I mentioned before, Jake went out fishing. . .at 10:30am, with 2 other guys. The person whose boat he went on is somewhat notoriously a) heavy drinker and b) not what you'd call the most skilled boater. Around 4:30, as it was getting dark I thought 'Gee, I hope they're almost back, I sure wouldn't want to be out after dark with him!' At 6pm, I get a text from Jake 'Lost at sea-ish'. Of course, I call to find out what is going on. Jake tells me they were lost, but they think they know where they are now and should be home in a while. I ask (only half jokingly) if I need to call the Coast Guard. At 8pm, still no one is home. I text Jake. No response. By 8:15 I decide that's plenty of time to text back, so I call. .. . phone goes to voicemail. I call fisherman #2 - phone goes to voice mail. I am now officially worried. I don't have the phone number of the boat owner, nor of anyone who would have the boat owners phone number.
I worry a little more.
I remember that one of my girlfriend's husband's would most likely have the number of someone who would have boat owners number, so I call her. Her hubby does have a mutual friend's number, which she gives me while worrying herself.
8:25, I ring Jake's phone one more time before calling the friend - still no answer.
I ring friend and ask 'Do you have boat owner's cell # and how worried should I be that it's been 2 hours since they were lost and no one is answering the phone?' Friend tries to assure me not to worry, that although boat owner is kind of an idiot, he has a crazy expensive boat with GPS on it and neither Jake nor fisher #2 are stupid so if something was going on, they could figure out how to get back even if boat owner couldn't - plus the water is calm. BUT, he adds, "Call me back if you don't hear anything by 9pm" as he gives me boat owners phone #.
I am now bordering on panic, since friend clearly thinks this is mildly worrysome, given that they've been out since the morning. I ring boat owners phone - no answer there either. I begin to figure out my next steps and go online to see how to contact the Coast Guard - knowing full well I do not know WHERE they went to fish, WHAT KIND of boat they are on or what frequency they keep the radio on.
At 8:35 as I am pacing the house, the phone rings and it is Jake - they just pulled into boat owners dock. He had no missed calls, so I guess on the canals snaking back to boat owners house the cell towers are spotty with coverage.
At 8:50, Jake is back home and I am convinced the elevated blood pressure from panicing has done damage to my life expectancy - and I don't know if I feel more like hugging him or hitting him! His response?
'Why were you so worried?'
Perhaps it is HIS life expectancy that will be shortening from this event. . . . . . .
I worry a little more.
I remember that one of my girlfriend's husband's would most likely have the number of someone who would have boat owners number, so I call her. Her hubby does have a mutual friend's number, which she gives me while worrying herself.
8:25, I ring Jake's phone one more time before calling the friend - still no answer.
I ring friend and ask 'Do you have boat owner's cell # and how worried should I be that it's been 2 hours since they were lost and no one is answering the phone?' Friend tries to assure me not to worry, that although boat owner is kind of an idiot, he has a crazy expensive boat with GPS on it and neither Jake nor fisher #2 are stupid so if something was going on, they could figure out how to get back even if boat owner couldn't - plus the water is calm. BUT, he adds, "Call me back if you don't hear anything by 9pm" as he gives me boat owners phone #.
I am now bordering on panic, since friend clearly thinks this is mildly worrysome, given that they've been out since the morning. I ring boat owners phone - no answer there either. I begin to figure out my next steps and go online to see how to contact the Coast Guard - knowing full well I do not know WHERE they went to fish, WHAT KIND of boat they are on or what frequency they keep the radio on.
At 8:35 as I am pacing the house, the phone rings and it is Jake - they just pulled into boat owners dock. He had no missed calls, so I guess on the canals snaking back to boat owners house the cell towers are spotty with coverage.
At 8:50, Jake is back home and I am convinced the elevated blood pressure from panicing has done damage to my life expectancy - and I don't know if I feel more like hugging him or hitting him! His response?
'Why were you so worried?'
Perhaps it is HIS life expectancy that will be shortening from this event. . . . . . .
168 pins and one hour
What do you get after 168 quilting pins and 2 hours? You get an almost complete wedding gift :)
I can't show the pictures yet, but I do have a shot up in Rav. It was a BEAR to pin out - and I understand why I lot of people comment that theirs is still bumpy after blocking because you have to YANK on it to smooth it out. After it dries, I think I'm going to hit it with some steam as well. I absolutely LOVE it though. It's a good thing it's going to a VERY good friend, or else I wouldn't be able to give it up!
I promised photos, but Jake headed out to go fishing today, so I couldn't get any good flat shots of his cowl, and mom's socks are still wet from blocking so they can't go outside to play.
The only photo I have to share is of the tree skirt. They are marginal photos, so I apologize. I'll be getting a new camera when mom gets here (my Birthday/Christmas gift) next week, so hopefully that will improve :)
I've also undertaken the task of working on my queue and figuring out what projects I have yarn in hand for. I'm hoping this will stop me from buying more once I see just how many projects I can start with what I've got. I'll share the plan for 2009 Stash knitting when I get through it!
I can't show the pictures yet, but I do have a shot up in Rav. It was a BEAR to pin out - and I understand why I lot of people comment that theirs is still bumpy after blocking because you have to YANK on it to smooth it out. After it dries, I think I'm going to hit it with some steam as well. I absolutely LOVE it though. It's a good thing it's going to a VERY good friend, or else I wouldn't be able to give it up!
I promised photos, but Jake headed out to go fishing today, so I couldn't get any good flat shots of his cowl, and mom's socks are still wet from blocking so they can't go outside to play.
The only photo I have to share is of the tree skirt. They are marginal photos, so I apologize. I'll be getting a new camera when mom gets here (my Birthday/Christmas gift) next week, so hopefully that will improve :)
I've also undertaken the task of working on my queue and figuring out what projects I have yarn in hand for. I'm hoping this will stop me from buying more once I see just how many projects I can start with what I've got. I'll share the plan for 2009 Stash knitting when I get through it!
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Good News & Bad News
The Bad News? I felted a pair of my socks :( I forgot they are not superwash and I just threw them in with a load. They normally can go in the wash, but in a lingerie bag on the gentle cycle. The Good News? They were my least favorite pair, so I'm not all that heartbroken!
I finally got around to a bunch of blocking today after cleaning the bathroom. The Hemlock is still in there waiting on me to vacuum to make space to pin it out. Mom's socks & Jake's cowl are on the blocking pad.
The bulk of today was taken up with sewing, and MAN do I need some practice! Last year after Christmas I bought some fabric to make a tree skirt and never got around to it. Since we put up the tree, I figured it was now or never. The sewing is rather atrocious if you look close, but since it's made to lay on the floor and be a little bunched up anyway, you can't tell at all. Since I was on the machine, I did a few patches on pants for Jake and then hand sewed a few buttons. The stack of 'to mend' that has been sitting next to my machine for ages is all officially cleared up! Yay for me! Now I may need to make a few Christmas stockings with the leftover fabric from the tree skirt. In unpacking all the Christmas decorations, I have both dogs' stockings, but neither Jake nor mine's. I have no clue where they could be. I'm sure they'll turn up after I make new ones :)
Tomorrow is supposed to be somewhat sunny, so hopefully I can finally get around to posting a bunch of pictures!
I finally got around to a bunch of blocking today after cleaning the bathroom. The Hemlock is still in there waiting on me to vacuum to make space to pin it out. Mom's socks & Jake's cowl are on the blocking pad.
The bulk of today was taken up with sewing, and MAN do I need some practice! Last year after Christmas I bought some fabric to make a tree skirt and never got around to it. Since we put up the tree, I figured it was now or never. The sewing is rather atrocious if you look close, but since it's made to lay on the floor and be a little bunched up anyway, you can't tell at all. Since I was on the machine, I did a few patches on pants for Jake and then hand sewed a few buttons. The stack of 'to mend' that has been sitting next to my machine for ages is all officially cleared up! Yay for me! Now I may need to make a few Christmas stockings with the leftover fabric from the tree skirt. In unpacking all the Christmas decorations, I have both dogs' stockings, but neither Jake nor mine's. I have no clue where they could be. I'm sure they'll turn up after I make new ones :)
Tomorrow is supposed to be somewhat sunny, so hopefully I can finally get around to posting a bunch of pictures!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
On a roll. . . .
Guess who got a call about another job interview today? Oh yeah - ME! The bigger ego boost of it is that they don't want to interview me for the job I applied for - it's been put on hold - but they have two other jobs they want to talk to me about if I'm interested. Two jobs for which I'm HORRIBLY unqualified for by my own estimation, but if they want to talk to me about it, I'll take the interview practice! Jake is convinced the job I interviewed for on Tuesday is mine, and I'd love to follow in his optimism, but I'll work on a back up just in case!
Must Resist
The new Knitty is up. . . . and I am obsessed with Surface! I have some DK yarn in stash that I could use, but I really love how vintage the sweater looks in chocolate brown with the wood buttons, so I'm searching. Someone on Rav has enough Jaeger Extra Fine Merino DK in cocoa, so I contacted her to see if she's willing to part with it. Option 2 is that Yarn & Fiber Company has Ultra Alpaca Lite on sale, but I'm not sure if the halo-ness of it would really work with the pattern. I can't bring myself to spend the $$ on the Berroco yarn it calls for.
And, realistically I need a new project OTN like I need a hole in my head, but I just don't think I can stave this one off for long! I'm almost done with one pair of socks for mom and I plan a 2nd (using some yummy worsted Louet from a destash on Rav). Pair #2 will be a slightly modified Fargyle. Then I will try to trudge through Jake's cardigan. I do have a lot of down time coming - our vacation is use it or lose it so after the 17th I'm only working 2 days. My goal will be to clear up WIPs before the new year, so I can cast on for Surface without guilt :)
Winter Knitty is just so tempting! I love so many of the patterns. . . I think this is the best issue in quite a while! What are your favorites?
And, realistically I need a new project OTN like I need a hole in my head, but I just don't think I can stave this one off for long! I'm almost done with one pair of socks for mom and I plan a 2nd (using some yummy worsted Louet from a destash on Rav). Pair #2 will be a slightly modified Fargyle. Then I will try to trudge through Jake's cardigan. I do have a lot of down time coming - our vacation is use it or lose it so after the 17th I'm only working 2 days. My goal will be to clear up WIPs before the new year, so I can cast on for Surface without guilt :)
Winter Knitty is just so tempting! I love so many of the patterns. . . I think this is the best issue in quite a while! What are your favorites?
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Anticipation!
So, the interview went quite well today! Despite the fact that I had wardrobe confidence issues. (I've apparently lost a LOT of weight since I last wore a lot of my dress clothes and I went through multiple pairs of pants before I found ones that did not have the crotch land near my knees!) I ended up more under dressed than I would have liked, but I felt better when I got there and it was VERY casual. I ended up interviewing with 4 folks rather than the 3 I was told about, but I got tons of positive feedback. There were only two questions I was asked that I did not have direct experience with. Unfortunately, those were from the person I'd be directly reporting to. BUT, he mentioned he wasn't sure which of his responsibilities he wants to pass on to the new person and which he wants to be able to focus on more himself, so maybe he wants to keep proposal writing and it's OK I haven't done it :) Otherwise, my skills match amazingly well to what they are looking for, so I think I've got a good shot. Unfortunately, they don't plan to get to the 2nd round of interviews until after the holidays that first week in January, so I have to sit on pins and needles for a while. Continue to put good thoughts out there for me, though, OK? In learning more about the job, I'm REALLY excited about the possibility and think it will do wonders for my mental state while giving me an awesome job that is directly related to one of the things I'm most passionate about - encouraging continued science and engineering education!
I've been knitting, too, but no pictures. Hopefully later this week :) Hope you are having a great week, and busily knitting away for Christmas!!
I've been knitting, too, but no pictures. Hopefully later this week :) Hope you are having a great week, and busily knitting away for Christmas!!
More projects
At the gym last Wednesday night, Jake decided that a cowl to wear with his leather jacket. I had suggested it before and he said no, but I guess Wednesday was a particularly cold morning and changed his mind. I pulled out some color options from the (ever growing) malabrigo stash, he chose the Churra. I gave him two choices of cowls. He chose the Morningside pattern.
I cast on during lunch Thursday and a few hours later -
I absolutely adore the pattern. Super simple, super quick, super fantstic for showing off a neat yarn. It's sometimes so hard to find a pattern that doesn't compete with the yarn. I made no mods, beyond knitting an extra 1/2 inch or so before I bound off.
Jake really seems to enjoy it, too (except that it messes up his hair a bit in the back!). It's nice that he honestly WANTs the stuff I knit for him, not that he just 'lets' me do it to give me something to do! Looks pretty good, eh?
I finished a pair of socks for mom, too. After this post, I ended up finding someone destashing some worsted Louet Gems for a steal ($19 for 3 skeins shipped priority!) They aren't the most exciting things, but mom wants warm socks to wear with boots and these fit the bill! The pattern is Thuja, I just did it over fewer stitches to fit a ladies foot!
This leaves Wisp #1, Herringbone Socks, Jake's socks, Jake's sweater, sock pair #2 for mom, my lace scarf and my blue shrug as active projects and my goal is to wrap them up before the new year. I'm not counting goddess, because it's definitely hibernating for warmer weather! I only have 2 more work days until year end, that leaves plenty of time for knitting this all up, right?
I cast on during lunch Thursday and a few hours later -
I absolutely adore the pattern. Super simple, super quick, super fantstic for showing off a neat yarn. It's sometimes so hard to find a pattern that doesn't compete with the yarn. I made no mods, beyond knitting an extra 1/2 inch or so before I bound off.Jake really seems to enjoy it, too (except that it messes up his hair a bit in the back!). It's nice that he honestly WANTs the stuff I knit for him, not that he just 'lets' me do it to give me something to do! Looks pretty good, eh?
I finished a pair of socks for mom, too. After this post, I ended up finding someone destashing some worsted Louet Gems for a steal ($19 for 3 skeins shipped priority!) They aren't the most exciting things, but mom wants warm socks to wear with boots and these fit the bill! The pattern is Thuja, I just did it over fewer stitches to fit a ladies foot!This leaves Wisp #1, Herringbone Socks, Jake's socks, Jake's sweater, sock pair #2 for mom, my lace scarf and my blue shrug as active projects and my goal is to wrap them up before the new year. I'm not counting goddess, because it's definitely hibernating for warmer weather! I only have 2 more work days until year end, that leaves plenty of time for knitting this all up, right?
Monday, December 8, 2008
Nervous!
I'm less than 24 hours from my interview! I don't feel like I've prepared enough. But I can't look through their website anymore! I did a trial 'drive by' to make sure I knew where to go, which was a good thing since Google gives you wrong directions. I feel like I anticipated a few questions they would have for me and have decent answers. But I still feel unprepared. I did choose my outfit, though (the important things, you know!). I'm not wearing a suit. I own two suits. One is boring black and outdated - and only has a skirt (it had pants at one point, but they seem to have disappeared). The other is a snappy patterned brown but the only top I have that goes with it well is a snakeskin print, which I think is a little too loud for an interview. So, I'm wearing my brown pinstripe pants with a green shirt and a brown & cream patterned jacket. Put together enough for an interview, I think, and certainly more 'me' than the black suit could ever be :) So hey, if I don't get the job, I'll at least have looked cute trying! I think I need to donate the black suit - I know I'm never going to wear it again!
So keep your fingers crossed for me :)
So keep your fingers crossed for me :)
Sunday, December 7, 2008
So many choices, so little time. .. .
I succumbed to Woolgirl's Black Friday Weekend Sale. I've been wanting to make something for Tricia's little girl and this Spunky Eclectic Sportweight in Sangria seemed perfect. . . and 3 skeins jumped into my cart. I don't know what they will become yet, though. A hooded cardigan, perhaps?
And to keep the Sangria company, some Three Irish Girls came along for the ride to Virginia.
Gorgeous, right?
Friday I got a belated Birthday present in the mail, 3 delicious skeins of worsted weight Misti Alpaca Handpaint.
So what does this all mean? 1st, it means I REALLY have more yarn than I can possibly knit up in a reasonable period of time so I should stop buying!! 2nd, it means I have an easy ABC-along! Y is for Yarn, of course!
And to keep the Sangria company, some Three Irish Girls came along for the ride to Virginia.
Gorgeous, right?
Friday I got a belated Birthday present in the mail, 3 delicious skeins of worsted weight Misti Alpaca Handpaint.
So what does this all mean? 1st, it means I REALLY have more yarn than I can possibly knit up in a reasonable period of time so I should stop buying!! 2nd, it means I have an easy ABC-along! Y is for Yarn, of course!
And the title of most creative goes to. . .. .
Mari!!
Last night was the Yarn for Breakfast Christmas party. It was a particularly fun time, and part of the party was a gift exchange. We did a bit of a mixed up Pollyanna exchange, where people could steal gifts, but no one opened the gifts until the end - so you were stealing based on what you THOUGHT might be in the package. I started out with a package I knew had malabrigo in it (how could I resist!) but I didn't keep my mouth quiet about there being malabrigo in the package, so it in turn got stolen from me! BUT, the package I then got to keep ended up for sure, the most creative gift. The super prettily wrapped (but not photographed) package contained a box of cookies and a box of yarn. Cookies and yarn would be yummy enough, right, but she got CUSTOM DESIGNED COOKIES that MATCHED the yarn!
Like, matched exactly!
Yes, this photo contains only one cookie, but it's not because I ate the other two cookies, I shared them with the two other people who had the package before me! The yarn is Cascade 220 Quatro and is a gorgeous blue-green. I haven't opened the cookie to eat it yet, but Mari sampled one before she bought the cookies and assures me they are delicious.
Super cute, right?
Last night was the Yarn for Breakfast Christmas party. It was a particularly fun time, and part of the party was a gift exchange. We did a bit of a mixed up Pollyanna exchange, where people could steal gifts, but no one opened the gifts until the end - so you were stealing based on what you THOUGHT might be in the package. I started out with a package I knew had malabrigo in it (how could I resist!) but I didn't keep my mouth quiet about there being malabrigo in the package, so it in turn got stolen from me! BUT, the package I then got to keep ended up for sure, the most creative gift. The super prettily wrapped (but not photographed) package contained a box of cookies and a box of yarn. Cookies and yarn would be yummy enough, right, but she got CUSTOM DESIGNED COOKIES that MATCHED the yarn!
Like, matched exactly!
Yes, this photo contains only one cookie, but it's not because I ate the other two cookies, I shared them with the two other people who had the package before me! The yarn is Cascade 220 Quatro and is a gorgeous blue-green. I haven't opened the cookie to eat it yet, but Mari sampled one before she bought the cookies and assures me they are delicious.Super cute, right?
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Time for a Christmas Wish?
An excerpt from an email with my mother today discussing Christmas lists:
"Socks would be good too, heavier ones to wear with boots. Wool."
Now this was not expressly a 'please make me some socks', but it sure seems close. Heavier socks = quick knitting, no? But I have no superwash worsted weight yarn. But, I have a skein of Cherry Tree Hill Supersock DK. . . .I'm debating if I have time to cast on and finish a pair. What do you think?
(And no comments from the peanut gallery that in the last week I've cast on and finished like 4 projects. . .as soon as I HAVE to do something it becomes much less likely I WILL do it.)
"Socks would be good too, heavier ones to wear with boots. Wool."
Now this was not expressly a 'please make me some socks', but it sure seems close. Heavier socks = quick knitting, no? But I have no superwash worsted weight yarn. But, I have a skein of Cherry Tree Hill Supersock DK. . . .I'm debating if I have time to cast on and finish a pair. What do you think?
(And no comments from the peanut gallery that in the last week I've cast on and finished like 4 projects. . .as soon as I HAVE to do something it becomes much less likely I WILL do it.)
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Another Meme
No knitting to share today. The Herringbone Socks I ripped back to the ribbing are back to where I ripped. They are looking much better having fixed the two mistakes, so I'm glad I ripped, but the pattern is kinda slow (row 2 is slow, row 1 is fast!) I'm trying to work up the wherewithal to pick Jake's sweater back up again. I'm still cranky about the whole collar situation, so I think I'll go knit the sleeves and come back to the collar to finish. I also ordered some yummy Jaeger yarn on eBay to make the February Lady Sweater and I won't start that until I finish Jake's sweater, so I gotta get going since that yarn will be here in a few days!
So in place of knitting, a meme taken from Zonda :)
1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Carly Simon :)
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
the Friday before Thanksgiving - when the sh*t hit the fan at work.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
when I actually try and don't just scribble. Catholic school gives you nice handwriting!
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Polish ham - which is very hard to find outside of Michigan. I've never been able to buy it since I've moved away, so I guess it's my favorite by memory!
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
negative
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Sure - everyone needs a catty girlfriend :)
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
Me? Never :)
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
nope - the only surgery I've ever had
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Yes!
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Lucky Charms - but only the marshmallows. I don't eat the actual cereal portion. Of course, they are also like a once a year indulgence!
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Always, if they have ties :) But mostly only my sneakers tie.
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
Physically or emotionally?
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Mint Chocolate Chip
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Shoes
15. RED OR PINK?
Red
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
my legs
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
my maternal grandfather
18. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
none
19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
leftover Thanksgiving dinner
20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Morning News
21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
it's been a while since I've seen a crayon box. I think a lot of the colors in there when I was a kid have been retired. I always was partial to Midnight Blue, though.
22. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Spicey things like cinnamon or pumpkin pie. I really like almond oil, too.
23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
my coworker - the one who helps keep me sane!
24. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Hockey
25. HAIR COLOR?
light-ish brown
26. EYE COLOR?
hazel with specs of yellow
27. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
yes
28. FAVORITE FOOD?
A single favorite? Today my brain is saying mushroom risotto, but my list of favorites to choose from is easily hunderds!
29. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Of the two, happy endings. . .. I am a baby about scary movies - but thrillers or dramas are more my thing.
30. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Quantum of Solace
31. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
white
32. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Fall
33. HUGS OR KISSES?
Hugs
34. FAVORITE DESSERT?
hmmm, can't pick just one - creme brulee, cheesecake and tiramisu (oh, and this jello thing my family makes that everyone else thinks is disgusting but I think it's the best thing since sliced bread - lime jello, pineapple, walnuts and you 'melt' cream cheese into the jello so it's a creamy foamy jello. . . SO GOOD!)
35. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Hmm. .. I guess I haven't finished No Country for Old Men - I don't read that much!
36. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
no mouse pad - just a touch pad on the laptop
37. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
Jake play Wii, then House, then Family Guy re-runs.
38. FAVORITE SOUND?
crickets on a warm summer night
39. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Gotta go with the Stones
40. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Paris (France, not Texas)
41. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
Uh? I'm wicked flexible, that was a big hit in college (and NOT in a dirty way - get your mind out of the gutter!)
42. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Detroit
43. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
everyone's :)
Leave me a comment if you put it on your blog so I can check it out :)
So in place of knitting, a meme taken from Zonda :)
1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Carly Simon :)
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
the Friday before Thanksgiving - when the sh*t hit the fan at work.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
when I actually try and don't just scribble. Catholic school gives you nice handwriting!
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Polish ham - which is very hard to find outside of Michigan. I've never been able to buy it since I've moved away, so I guess it's my favorite by memory!
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
negative
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Sure - everyone needs a catty girlfriend :)
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
Me? Never :)
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
nope - the only surgery I've ever had
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Yes!
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Lucky Charms - but only the marshmallows. I don't eat the actual cereal portion. Of course, they are also like a once a year indulgence!
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Always, if they have ties :) But mostly only my sneakers tie.
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
Physically or emotionally?
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Mint Chocolate Chip
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Shoes
15. RED OR PINK?
Red
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
my legs
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
my maternal grandfather
18. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
none
19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
leftover Thanksgiving dinner
20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Morning News
21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
it's been a while since I've seen a crayon box. I think a lot of the colors in there when I was a kid have been retired. I always was partial to Midnight Blue, though.
22. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Spicey things like cinnamon or pumpkin pie. I really like almond oil, too.
23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
my coworker - the one who helps keep me sane!
24. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Hockey
25. HAIR COLOR?
light-ish brown
26. EYE COLOR?
hazel with specs of yellow
27. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
yes
28. FAVORITE FOOD?
A single favorite? Today my brain is saying mushroom risotto, but my list of favorites to choose from is easily hunderds!
29. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Of the two, happy endings. . .. I am a baby about scary movies - but thrillers or dramas are more my thing.
30. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Quantum of Solace
31. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
white
32. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Fall
33. HUGS OR KISSES?
Hugs
34. FAVORITE DESSERT?
hmmm, can't pick just one - creme brulee, cheesecake and tiramisu (oh, and this jello thing my family makes that everyone else thinks is disgusting but I think it's the best thing since sliced bread - lime jello, pineapple, walnuts and you 'melt' cream cheese into the jello so it's a creamy foamy jello. . . SO GOOD!)
35. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Hmm. .. I guess I haven't finished No Country for Old Men - I don't read that much!
36. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
no mouse pad - just a touch pad on the laptop
37. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
Jake play Wii, then House, then Family Guy re-runs.
38. FAVORITE SOUND?
crickets on a warm summer night
39. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Gotta go with the Stones
40. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Paris (France, not Texas)
41. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
Uh? I'm wicked flexible, that was a big hit in college (and NOT in a dirty way - get your mind out of the gutter!)
42. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Detroit
43. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
everyone's :)
Leave me a comment if you put it on your blog so I can check it out :)
Monday, December 1, 2008
Happy Monday
Why is it a happy Monday?
BECAUSE I GOT AN INTERVIEW :)
I can't tell you how much I didn't want to get back to work today, but my mood has done a total-180 after getting the phone call. The interview is for a job I actually WANT, too, not just a job I applied to for the sake of applying. Of course the chances of me getting the job are far from certain, but it's nice to have a possibility in the mix :) I have high hopes that if nothing else this breaks the logjam of no one responding to my resume. The power of positive thinking, right? :)
Hope you all have something Happy happen to you, too, today!
BECAUSE I GOT AN INTERVIEW :)
I can't tell you how much I didn't want to get back to work today, but my mood has done a total-180 after getting the phone call. The interview is for a job I actually WANT, too, not just a job I applied to for the sake of applying. Of course the chances of me getting the job are far from certain, but it's nice to have a possibility in the mix :) I have high hopes that if nothing else this breaks the logjam of no one responding to my resume. The power of positive thinking, right? :)
Hope you all have something Happy happen to you, too, today!
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