12.25.2007

12.25.07

I fear I am crippled.
Due to mass amounts of snow, there was much shoveling Monday which did not do anything to help the pulled muscle in my shoulder from last week. This hindered large amounts of knitting but I wasn't in the mood to do anything important anyway. I did not end up going to the movies either - the thought of shoveling my car out for a third time was really quite unbearable. I started a February Baby Sweater from the Knitting Almanac by Elizabeth Zimmermann for a little girl one of my friends expects to arrive in late January/early February. I'm using a lovely shade of Robin's egg blue from Blue Sky Cotton (the expectant mother is allergic to wool) that I just happened to have in my stash. (See, to have a stash is a good thing.) I have finished the yoke and arms, now the body should be quick to finish. I LOVE this pattern. If anyone has calculated for an adult version (save me from the math. PLEASE.) I would love to get ahold of the numbers and knit one for myself.

12.22.2007

12.22.07

Why is it the eager, overly interested guys are not remotely appealing to me? I received a text mere moments ago from such a fellow:
'What does [insert gunter's first name] do on sat night?'
Since the person in question lives clear on the other side of the country, such a question seems totally irrelevant. Besides it's nobody's business. Never mind that all I'm doing is watching TV and knitting a scarf. (Right now it is Pat and Mike on the TCM channel.)

Anyway.
Back to my movie reviewing: Waitress
Now if you have not seen this movie SKIP THIS POST.
Why I liked this movie: Keri Russell's character did not use up someone else's happiness to get her own. Nathan Fillion is quite dishy and, yes, her husband is a creep but she did not assume that entitled her to permanently keeping someone else's husband. Her accent wasn't over-the-top and they didn't overly make her up, she realistically looked like maybe she could work in a diner. One the topic of Nathan Fillion: If you are one of the few people who've never seen Joss Whedon's series Firefly - get thee to Netflix at once. Hey, you got something better to do? (um, apparently me neither.)
What I didn't like: The pies were overly saturated, color-wise. I am very picky about my pies.

This weekend's plans were canceled due freezing rain - the roads have been hellish. So in case anyone asks: my extended plans include more TV viewing, some coffee/beer drinking (depending on the time of day) additional scarf knitting, some book reading, working as little as possible on Monday and then Tuesday, possibly going to the movies with friends. I said I would go to see this flick. Please don't hold it against me it was after all, against my better judgement and in a moment of weakness.

12.21.2007

12.21.07

Instead of writing about Waitress (postponed, but not forgotten), I am going to attempt to justify (not to myself, I am without shame) my love for Rowan Atkinson.
I find genius appealing. There are many types of genius out there and I think someone who makes me laugh is, in fact, worthy of genius status. Let me demonstrate with this treasured scene from Love Actually:



Then, who can forget this memorable ceremony from Four Weddings and a Funeral?:


And this fresh Hell:


And then The Thin Blue Line? Who really can resist it?:


'Besides which I could issue the fellow with a cruise missile permit and you would still look a Dickey-Doo-Da'.
Then, for last, the uncomfortable first date:


Each of these characters are not particularly good looking or even smart, but Rowan Atkinson is (to me) endlessly varied and hilarious, which makes him accidentally attractive and, yes, a genius.
With what my sister calls 'the writer's block' still stretching endlessly before us into the future, I recommend getting yourself over to Youtube and watching some of the many excellent Rowan Atkinson' videos. Me? Well, I suppose I should get back to work....................
(But first I recommend this comic)

12.20.2007

12.20.07

I watched two movies last night, Waitress and Mr Bean's Holiday, both guaranteed to warm even the most cynical heart. The one I will gush about first is Mr Bean's Holiday. (Tomorrow I will gush about Waitress. and Keri Russell. and pie. and especially Nathan Fillion.) I was initially very excited to see Mr Bean taking a holiday, and my excitement doubled after reading a lovely review. Then last week some friends viewed it without me (now I am relieved this was the case) and gave it a non-stellar review, most of their complaint being that there was no talking throughout the film. I was resolved to watch it without prejudice. This is probably impossible since I love Mr Bean, Black Adder, & Rowan Atkinson. (Would it be odd to confess a slight crush on Rowan Atkinson?) I found the lack of dialogue in the original Mr. Bean sketches to be refreshing rather than irksome and I was pleased that the film felt true to what I remembered. The first film outing of Mr. Bean did NOT feel right, I have thankfully managed to block most of it out.

What can I say? Rowan Atkinson is rather brilliant:
'Do I look absolutely divine and regal and yet at the same time very pretty and rather accessible?'

12.19.2007

12.19.07

Today I reserved my hotel for my February vacation. yay!
I have been listening to Coffee Break Spanish in preparation for this mini-break. I love the fact that I'm listening to a Spanish learning podcast from Scotland. His Scottish accent is sooo handsome. The upside to these are I can download the podcasts to my ipod and listen while driving, the downside: everyone passing sees the crazy lady talking to herself. But really, who am I kidding? I have trouble with English and I've been practicing that all my life. Oh, and everyone expects me to be crazy.
I have also subscribed to the weekly XMU podcast, it is a great place to hear about new bands: you should check out Bell x1, their song featured this week sounded good. (This summer while talking to someone about concerts and bands: they told that I was 'like a teenager', what does that mean anyway?) I have also tried listening to knitting programs - this has been a little hit and miss, some are very interesting; while others......... not so much. On a funny side note: While listening to a knitting podcast out of Texas - I realized I have met the knitter's mother and sister.
Knitting progress pictures should be forthcoming later on in the week (as in Friday - I have a few non-fun deadlines looming).

12.17.2007

12.17.07

I cast on for shifting sands in a modified size and without a picture, so imagine my surprise when I discovered that my 5" wide x 4.5" long swatch of a scarf doesn't really look like one belonging to anyone else. So very much unlike ALL the pictures on Ravelry. I would venture to say that something has gone awry. You may ask: how could I have been so scatterbrained? It's remarkably easy. You give the briefest of glances at the written directions, don't print out a picture, ignore the chart, and watch TV rather than pay attention to your knitting. Voila! A scarf that appears to zigzag instead of shift. My question isn't so much 'where did I go wrong?' but rather 'where did everyone else go right?'

12.13.2007

12.13.07

I was channel surfing yesterday and flipped past Oprah (who I personally find to be the Devil) and she announces that she's giving away the BIGGEST prize yet and the camera pans around to all the audience members who are practically wetting themselves in anticipation ......and the box lifts to reveal a silver god - or so one would assume by the facial expressions of the incontinent audience. Yes, apparently the BIGGEST prize yet is a gleaming silver refrigerator with a HD flat screen Television built in. Because you know nothing says useful in the Kitchen like a giant, mammoth fridge with an exorbitantly expensive TV on the front. Then the camera goes again to the laughing/crying/jumping for joy/crapping their pants audience who actually look like they don't have a doorway wide enough to fit this enormous, overblown monstrosity, let along any food to put in it. But they aren't even considering a useful application for this gift, they are caught up in the euphoria of getting free junk. Since when did people start bribing guests to come on their show? Remember the good old days when you had to earn your free junk by knowing with certainty the retail price of dish soap?

12.12.2007

12.12.07

There is a corner house where I turn on my way to work Most mornings, a little girl is right in front of the window, jumping on a tiny trampoline. Last week she waved.

12.11.2007

12.11.05

I have made some headway on my light box. Look! Yarn! This is Gisele ........ and here is Henry .... my lovely yarn models.
If I had additional light sources I could illuminate things from the top and right side as well, but I am working with only one light source: one of my dad's old work lights. I still need to pick up some poster board so there is something more professional than the tissue paper backing being demonstrated at the moment. Despite these inadequacies my yarn colors certainly look clearer than before.
My Koolhaas is turning out lovely. I need a mannequin head to fit inside my light box for optimum pictures. My grandma Jeannie wore wigs for as long back as I can remember. She used to have foam heads wearing wigs lining her shelves. They were kinda cool in a creepy sort of way. She is living in Utah now, her family moved her into a assisted living home. It is sad to me that such an independent woman who tore through town in her vintage VW Bug, wearing a red and black homemade poncho, clingy black dress, stiletto heels, the longest earrings I have ever seen, a carefully combed wig and always (always) a girdle, is living among strangers far away.



She had a little yellow mobile home - bright red inside. The interior sort-off resembled a respectable bordello. There was always a jar full of lemon drops and on the radio, (K-JO) big band music played...

12.10.2007

12.10.07

I am a little glum due to a hideous weekend I will not recap. ever.

I sent my sis' new hat, mitten and scarf on Friday so hopefully they will be arriving at her door today. I did not take any good photos (sadly not only have I neglected to finish my light box but I've mislaid my camera cable as well) - so we must rely on her to model for us (yes, I really mean it Jen). Another pair of mittens was finished as well but they will not be gifted due to thumb issues - very bad placement on my part, and not something I can take back. They have taken up residence in my mitten bin by the door. I have a theory that, unlike cats, you cannot have too many mittens. I have also progressed on the koolhaas hat by jared and am now in the home stretch - I love the way the Lattice Pattern looks, but it has been slow going. It seems slightly snug but I think after washing it will be perfect. Hat are tricky for me, I seem to have a lot of sizing issues.
Now that you all feel like jumping off a bridge too, let me lighten the mood....






That probably didn't help much, huh?

12.04.2007

12.04.07

Knitting has been happening, though sadly, you will have to take my word for it (Slow knitting due to my being a little foggy with a cold). I have been promised fudge (which I sadly am incapable of making as yummy as she) in exchange for mittens and a hat. I tried to knit her a scarf instead of the hat, hoping she wouldn't notice the lack of said warm accessory but apparently mum spilled this information during a phone conversation and now I've been busted.
Tin Man has been on for the last two nights and I'm loving it. Unfortunately, I get caught up watching and forget to knit. This is a very good/bad sign. Last night I also started to work on a light box for photos, using instructions found here. Pictures this time of year are tricky at best, so I am hoping to liven things up a bit. The cat found the tissue paper application VERY exciting and it was almost a disaster.
Did you know you can actually rent photo booths for your special occasions?

12.02.2007

12.02.07

A finished object, YAY!The Bianca Jacket is now finished.
This is the best view I can swing at the moment, the sun is at the wrong angle. I'm not sure why the pattern is called Bianca....I searched Wikipedia and the name is most commonly associated with actresses, models, porn stars, or italian noblewomen. Shakespeare liked it so much he used it in two plays.