Holiday musings

Some thoughts as the holiday season draws perilously near. Contrary to my griping, I really do like the winter holidays. What I don't like is the commercialization of them, and the obligations that force people into situations that take away from the enjoyment of the time.

To me, the holidays aren't about presents, or how many houses you feel obligated to visit because of complex family situations (including houses of god).

It's about spending time with cold cheeks and frozen fingers, laughing in the snow with friends and dogs. I have yet to meet a dog that doesn't love chasing snowballs. Making snow ice cream with the first good snow, always brushing off that top layer like it's really all that cleaner underneath. My dad and I always made snow ice cream in mom's classic orange and avocado tupperware bowls. I'd pile the snow in and the milk, but he would always be the one to measure out the vanilla. Every year when I bring in a bowl of snow to make some, I think about him. Maybe we'll get fresh snow for Xmas and we can do it together again.




I get such an odd melancholy feeling in most stores around this time. Even though I don't have the pressure to buy presents for everyone, I see so many people who do. Tired and frustrated moms with antsy kids, quietly desperate searching for presents for in-laws and siblings, trying to keep the kids still in the massive lines. I smile at them if our eyes meet, or take notice of the thing the kids are hopping crazy about, which seems to give the moms a moment's rest. But for some reason I do have a sad feeling, thinking of people feeling obligated to spend money they don't have, trying to match the gifts they know others are giving. There is one store that's different, though - Fresh Market. Perhaps it's the softer lighting, and all the wood and baskets full of things. Or maybe the combined fragrance of numerous spices, cooked food, bakery items, and flowers. But there is always such a good vibe there, everyone smiles at each other and I often just stop and breathe in, enjoying the moment.

For me, I think food is such an important part of the holidays. That extra bit of care people take, the special items that only come out then. This year will be our first time hosting a holiday family dinner. My parents are coming down, and D's family is coming over. I honestly don't know if they've been together since we got married. I'm sure there will be odd tensions, and uncomfortable moments. I know that secretly people will be judging our lack of decorations, or some of the non-traditional foods I'm serving. But you know what? I'm going to have a wonderful time, sharing food and warmth with my whole family. And if they don't like it they can go to hell.

Status updates year end summary

Yes, I have a Facebook account. Now that I work from home it's the easiest way to keep up with my friends and old coworkers. But I'm not into the Farmville Mafia Wars or anything that wants more control/access over my information. But sometimes an app comes along that you really want to do (like the What kind of dinosaur would you ride into the apocalypse? quiz - I ended up on a triceratops with a flamethrower!) So the new hotness on FB is something that mines your status updates for 2010 and posts the most frequently used words.

 

Here are top words from my Facebook status messages!

1:Weekend - used 8 times

2:Dog - used 7 times

3:Great - used 7 times

4:Again - used 7 times

5:Love - used 6 times

6:Laundry - used 6 times

7:Friends - used 6 times

8:Done - used 6 times

9:Dinner - used 6 times

10:Trying - used 5 times

 

I"m pretty happy with this list - lots of good things and activity. Apparently too much laundry. I feel like I could almost combine these words into one sentence that would accurately describe most weekends. Except the word Done wouldn't go before Laundry, unless it was "trying to get the laundry done".

Upcoming holidays = mania

Let me start out by saying that I don't *have* to knit presents for the holidays. It would be nice to have some finished, but it's not like I'm depending on them. But for some reason as soon as the air turns chill (finally happened like last week), and the holiday decorations go up around the neighborhood (don't look at my house, we still haven't cleaned up the leaves from the yard), I get attacked by the knitting bug. No, this isn't just a bug, it's more like a swarm of africanized killer knitting bugs. I NEED to knit, I have tons of things I want to knit, I have new yarn I bought on recent trips I can knit with. I am almost done with my second Koolhaas hat, the first one being way too small for some reason. I'm almost to the heel on the second sock of a pair (actually the third, but we won't go there), and will hopefully get it done next week on my next flight. These are intended as presents. All well and good, with more than enough time to finish them.

But that's not where the mania starts. I want to knit myself a tam. Now that I work from my slightly-too-chilly home I can indulge in oddities like wearing tams during the day. I know which tam I want to knit, and even have the yarn ready.  But I have something I want to knit for D, and I never make him stuff so I'd really like to do it. But Knitpicks is conspiring against me and their website was so bogged down by cyber monday I couldn't order more yarn, and now won't have it in time to get it finished. And I feel the need to knit another pair of socks for our grandad, except I have to knit them in extra-honkin' huge size, so it's more like knitting sweater sleeves. And lets not forget the Clapotis shawl I have almost halfway done. But I also want to knit a warm shawl out of handspun to wear. And and and... So I'm definitely going to finish the hat and socks. And try to make D's item. And not worry about the rest. But I'm in that manic mood right now where I'd be happy sitting with a pile of DVDs knitting all day long. Alas! Hmm...maybe I can squeeze in a few more rows before bedtime.

My feets is nekkid

Barefooting is really working for me. I'm not going to make any wild pronouncements since so many people view the barefoot runners as nutters, but I will just say that my lower legs, ankles, and feet are much stronger than they ever have been and I'm enjoying running and hiking in a way I never did before. I'm following the guidance of the book Barefoot Running to make sure I learn the proper way to strengthen my feet and ankles, and build up my footpads. It's a slooooow process but I know that it's the safest route. Ack, already sounding too preachy!
 

Some of the most fun I've had is trekking in the woods with the dogs while barefoot. There are so many uneven areas and different textures it helps strengthen your feet, and it loads of fun. Well, it wasn't fun walking under the oak trees with their acorn-littered ground. But boy the leaf litter felt like a spongy mattress afterwards! And moss has to be the most awesome groundcover for barefeet ever. It's so densely spongy, cool and damp yet warm in the sun. I also loved standing on patches of smooth dirt to cool my feet while the dogs rustle in the underbrush. After coming out of the woods with all of its twigs and rocks and bits, walking on the asphalt street feels like a treat.

And for you worrying, yes I do bring shoes with me just in case I need them. And not just any shoes! Daven will be proud I bought some Vibram Five Fingers. I had a choice between white trimmed with green, or ghastly orange trimmed with hot pink (not much color choice in a women's 41 - hell, I'm lucky to have found any in person). You don't even get to guess which pair I ended up with. I figured the white ones would get really funky dirty fast. They conveniently clip onto a carabiner for easy carrying.

And I noticed something cool when I was stretching one day - a Baddha Konasana Dragonfly! Check it out!

Busier than I expected

Wow, life has been ZOOMING by the last few months. My new job has kept me very busy. I'm trying to stay in better contact with my friends now that I don't get to fall back on seeing them at work everyday. D and I have been doing a lot more together in the evenings. I'm trying to squeeze in the last bit of outdoor adventures before winter sets in. I've been dying to write some new blog entries, but for a while lately I'm happy if I can even update my facebook status regularly. But I just downloaded a bunch of photos from my phone and figure it's the impetus I need to actually write some posts.

The travel hasn't been as bad as they said, right now I'm going once every 3 weeks. It would be great if that's how it stayed, but I'm worried it might have to pick up sometime next year. I was all over NC last week, and my next trip is up to NJ. So far getting into the field has been great. I'm learning a lot from the reps and everyone seems really happy with how I'm doing. The odd thing about the travel I do is that I never get to stay anywhere longer than about 30 hours. My record was 1:20 in Raleigh. I drove 3.5 hours there, ate lunch, had a 20 min. meeting, then drove 4 hours west to the next stop. I'm learning how to unpack in the hotel and immediately repack everything I can to speed up the next morning. Did you watch Up in the Air, that George Clooney movie? Whenever it's on I always stop what I'm doing to watch him pack each time. I usually have time to workout in the evening, and sometimes a few hours free to check out some quirky shop I found online and marked to visit. Mealtimes also tend to be really skewed - too-early breakfast, late lunch, ridiculously late dinner. I've found that I pretty much lose track of not only what day it is, but even what time of day. It's all driven by where I have to be next. Wow, that sounds kind of weird and sad, but really it's not. So far I've adapted really well. And D has been wonderfully supportive. I know he hates it when I'm gone, but he doesn't gripe about it at all. He keeps threatening to kill the dogs if they don't calm down, but honestly I'm with them all day long so I know where he's coming from. I'm sure there's some Freudian reason I'm worried you all might be concerned with the tone of this post, but I don't think I need to start exploring that right now.

Googlemaps has a great feature I highly recommend. You can search for shops, restaurants, yoga studios, etc on googlemaps and it'll pinpoint all of them in an area. You can then save the ones you want to a map for reference later. Anytime someone suggests a spot I save it to a map for that city.

And, since all the blogs I follow use lots of photos, here's one of the hostess stand at the Tupelo Honey Cafe in Asheville. Brilliant!

Something new I learned about myself

I'm indecisive. No, really! But I've learned tricks to overcome it, like noting the first thing on the menu that catches my attention and ordering that if the waitress comes back before I make a real decision. It's all part of a method to not annoy everyone around me. Of course when I'm by myself it's a bit harder. I'm also impulsive. When I was in CA decided to get sushi and was walking to the restaurant, then saw a Sprouts store and decided to pop in. Lots of tasty whole food things, bought a few snacks (dark chocolate covered berries & nuts - OMG!). Ok, back to finding the sushi restaurant.

So what I learned is that my indecisiveness is WAY WAY worse when I'm tired. I was trying to figure out if I really wanted sushi (and when do I say no to good sushi?) or did I want to go back to Sprouts and get a random assortment of stuff - like the Icelandic skyr yogurt I saw - for dinner instead. I'm not kidding it took me about 20 minutes to decide. Like even pretending someone was waiting for me I still was paralyzed with indecision. I kept going back and forth (physically!) trying to figure out what I wanted. I finally gave up and went back to Sprouts. It was really tired after an early flight and busy day and 3 hour time change, and figured that maybe yogurt and strawberries and some spanakopita was all I could really handle.

It turned out to be a good dinner, and now I know that my friend makes better yogurt than even the pricey Icelandic kind, and I brew better Kombucha than the pro stuff that's finally back on the shelves. I wonder if the returned Kombucha is different than before - maybe the FDA made them get new scobys. It's not much more flavorful than water and is uncomfortably fizzy. Speaking of scobys, mine grew exponentially while I was gone. Seriously, it's almost an inch thick right now. I'm kind of afraid to taste the brew.

Running in bare feet

Do you ever notice a small thing and pass over it, only to notice it again in a different setting, then again and again. Finally you decide to explore the idea, figuring that if you keep getting bombarded with suggestions from different places, maybe it's something you're cosmically meant to notice. Barefoot running was like that for me. I won't go into the details, suffice to say that I can count at least 4 unrelated instances in the last couple weeks that brought it to my attention.  I decided on Sat. to head to the gym and try it out on the indoor track.

As I sat on a bench to take off my running shoes and socks, I was curious how my ankles would feel - would they be strong enough without running shoes to avoid injury? What about my weird hip rotation that causes my legs to swing in and knock my knees together - how would it respond without the stabilizing effect of my shoes?  How do I learn to run on the balls of my feet? I walked a lap to warm up, ridiculously aware of my bare feet with their blue-painted toenails, ready to respond if an employee told me to put my shoes on. But once I started to run all thoughts left my head. It was so...easy. My gait was springy, landing on the balls of my feet, heels barely touching, then bouncing off the track. My ankles felt fine. My arches didn't hurt. Boing boing, I felt like Tigger running. I smiled hugely, enjoying the fun and freedom of just running. The sound of my bare feet on the track, a soft plaf-plaff, a sharp contrast to the heavier footfalls of the other runners. I stopped to walk a bit, then run again, around and around. It was so fun. I remembered the line "Don't think, just run" and for the first time I was enjoying doing just that. I looked down at my feet and noticed how straight my legs were, no conscious fight to keep my knees from turning in. Nothing hurt running this way. And I learned how many helper-muscles weren't getting used running in shoes. Muscles that complained they're not used to work - like the soleus, the muscles between your calf and ankle. And tiny unnamed muscles wrapping the ankle from foot to leg that still needed strength training.

I ran longer than I should have. I think I covered a mile in total, and was TIRED at the end. When I got home and looked online for more information, everyone warned to start slow, very slow. I had no idea just how slow you really have to start. My soleus (lower leg) muscles are so worn out I walk funny if I've been sitting a while. But I know it's muscle fatigue, like your pecs after doing a bit too much on the bench press. I'm thinking I might do a few laps before lifting weights, or after a Zumba class. But I'm definitely going to do it again.

Blow out

I got my hair cut yesterday.  No!  Nothing serious. The length is the same at the bottom, but she took off a shocking amount of hair shaping it in layers - like half the volume.  My shortest strands are now chin-length, and they layer evenly down to the full length.  My hair is really thick and heavy, and now my ponytail is really wussy and a braid (my normal workout hairstyle) is impossible.  It's nice and curly and bouncy when down, but missing half the thickness makes it feel like someone else's hair.  She decided to blow it out straight, something I've never had professionally done, and it was super gorgeous!  It was totally like movie star hair, lustrous and silky with the perfect swoop at the end of each lock.

TribOriginal

Woo hoo!  Gotta love learning intensive-crazy topic-no cares dancecamp weekends!  I registered almost a year ago in their super-early-bird deal with the thought that I'd just wait and see where I was when the camp rolled around.  You all know I haven't been bellydancing as much, and was debating whether I should even go, or stay home since I knew I'd be gone a week later on another trip.  I'm so very glad D demanded that I go regardless of my work schedule.  I had a blast, learned a ton of new things, and am inspired to work harder in my dancing, drumming, and playing.

Ironically, I only took 1 dance class, but had classes every available session.  Mornings started with yoga with Jaia, which was transcending.  She did energy imagery and pranamaya and by the end our hearts were open and ready for the day.  I had drumming classes at various levels and am back to drumming on tabletops and my steering wheel.  One of the teachers was Jeremiah Soto, who I had no idea was as famous as he is until after the classes. He was great, but definitely asked more than I could really handle at times.

Hanging in Pike on the way down after a move.

I really used the class list as an opportunity to try new things and to face down some fears I have.  My fear of falling & inversions and concerns over my upper body/shoulder strength were met head on in Aerials and Acrobalance.  Dangling from a hoop suspended from rafters and flipping yourself up into it took a lot of nerve.  Acrobalance - Cirque du Soleil style partner balancing & support - actually pushed me to my edge.  I kept doing the moves - including headstands (scary for me) - trusting that I wouldn't get hurt.  I even fell once when my base supporter lost her grip and was fine.  But the final move took it a bit too far. In it the base lay down on her back with knees bent and arms straight up in the air.  Standing straddle I put my hands on her thighs, shoulders onto her waiting hands, and my feet on her knees.  Then, supported by her arms and balanced by my hands, let go with my feet and curled into a ball.  I don't think I could breathe without conscious effort, I was so scared.  The next step, to point my legs straight up into a handstand, just couldn't happen.  I tried a couple times but accepted that my bravery was used up for the moment.  I know this sounds silly to all you normal people who have been able to dive, do cartwheels, or inverted balances since kidhood.  But inversions are my biggest physical fear and even baby steps are a big thing.  I'm really glad I did, these 2 classes were the  most memorable and exciting in retrospect.

The further back you lean the easier it is!

The other great part was my cabin-mates. They were all a lot of fun, and one of them mentioned she was an immunology/microbiology PhD.  So we started chatting and it turns out she applied to TL (my old job) years ago and knew Bob and some others!  She's thinking of moving back to B'burg so I gave her my contact info.  She's got a great personality and would be a good addition at TL - wouldn't it be crazy if she ended up there!

Technology is really pissing me off

I'll be the first to admit I love cool new toys.  My android rocks.  Yesterday I found a fabric I thought my friend might like while I was at the store.  I took a photo of it, emailed it to her, and she called back instantly to tell me how much to buy.

But when technology doesn't interface correctly, or you don't know the stupid little tricks needed to make it behave, it can be royally frustrating.  I have several blog posts just waiting, pending the ability to scan something using my GD new scanner.  Yes, that's a goosedown scanner, for any of you wondering.  No, seriously, this all-in-one printer/scanner/fax my company gave me is the biggest piece of crap ever.  Never mind that I've printed less than 50 pages and the black ink is already empty.  It will print, but REFUSES to scan!  I've lost 8 hours on the phone, with tech services remote linked to my computer trying to make it work.  I wish I was exaggerating.  The final time everything worked perfectly.  I cheered.  Apparently too soon.  Now it won't even recognize the connection to my computer and I'm going to have to call them back again.  Sigh.  I'm starting to think about that scene from Office Space in the field with the blunt objects.

I could go into the annoyances with my blackberry but I think you've all heard me go on about it before, so I'll spare you.  At least my juicer works properly without having to refer to a manual.

Waking up

I am asleep.  I know subconsciously the alarm has given its first battle cry and been rebuffed.  An extra 10 minutes of sleep is definitely anticipated.  My youngest dog Kayla sits at my head straining forward to reach me.  She flicks out her tongue, peppering me with fast light test licks.  There is a long hesitancy between each lick, but the touch itself is the briefest possible.  Almost as if she's testing the waters and doesn't want to go too far too fast.

The licks are pushing under my downturned cheek.  I lift my head slightly, releasing its weight but not yet severing its contact with the pillow.  Kayla uses this opportunity to shove her snout under my cheek and flip it up.  Under a hand this move indicates she wants more petting.  Oh, I was petting her.  I hadn't fully noticed.  I reach my hand back up to her head and she renews her licking at an increased speed.  Too much this early.  It stops momentarily and I peel open my eyes.  Kayla's mouth is fully extended in a tooth-baring yawn, so close to my face I can't quite see her front teeth.  Yes, definitely time to get up.  Those last few minutes of my snooze stolen by the shock of mentally processing my first image of the day.

Timestream

Time keeps passing and passing.  I'm being carried downstream not by my own power.  Thankfully I am safely afloat, worried more about holding on to the flotsam of pending tasks than scurrying around looking for a paddle.    As I swift my way along each day I see others casually tubing in the shallows.  Bumbling along, knowing they'll reach their destination without really caring how long it takes or if they end up weighted down by rocks.  I was a tuber until recently.  Amazing how quickly your attitude shifts once you step into the rapid current and the deeper part of the stream.  At least I'm not getting too drenched yet.

I have several items finished I need to post to Ravelry, but that means getting the photos off my Droid and onto my computer.  Hmm...hadn't thought to try posting directly from the droid, we'll have to see if Ravelry can handle it.  That would save one step at least.  I unravelled my extra big sock and need to try knitting it again.  I also cast on for a Koolhaas hat, which isn't so bad once you get used to the 2-st. cables.  Hmm...I wonder if the twist stitch trick would work for that so I don't have to take stitches off the needles for the cable.  But of course I can't stop knitting on my Clapotis right now.  Thankfully I can knit in meetings and no one is the wiser.  This morning's meeting was so long I also painted my toenails and fingernails.  I'd like to have some photos of things for you to see, but that goes back to having the time to take some and post them.  Soon hopefully!

What did we do without Ravelry?

I have a ball of Zauberball laceweight I got at MDSW that has been calling my name.  Purple, fuscia, orange - so not my normal colors!  It's 800m, which means it's not quite enough to go charging blindly down the lace shawl avenue without careful checking of required yardage.  I've been searching through my favorited shawls, trying to imagine what they'd look like with the long color repeat of the zauberball.  I also searched all projects made with this yarn, and lo and behold one of my top shawl contestants was made in the exact colorway I have!  And it looks terrible!  No offense to the creator, the knitting is lovely, but the color changing just doesn't work for me.  I had been imagining a triangular or semi-circular shawl, and after reviewing all the projects, I know I want something long and rectangular, to stretch the color blocks as far as possible.  Never in a million years would I have chosen this route left to my own devices.  I'm thinking about making a Clapotis.  It fits my shape requirements and I figure 16000 other knitters can't be wrong!  I just checked and it has been made more than any other pattern online - even higher than the baby surprise or Jaywalker socks.  Woah.

Sockonundrum

Dangit!  The purple and green turned out to be too similar in tone (or is it value?) when knit in the Lizard Sock leg pattern.  The chain pattern was totally lost.  So I went to the LYS since I know they have a small selection of Claudia's HandPaints yarn, hoping they would have something contrasting yet complimentary to use.  Actually I wanted 2 skeins of yarn to work with both the purple & green, so I would still have enough for pairs of socks.  ARGH!  I hate the LYS here!  They look like they have a lot, but when you dig in you realize how little selection they have.  Not much that would work at all :(  I finally whipped out my droid and opened Ravelry to scan through the completed projects to see what color combinations worked well.  I ended up with a soft silvery white to pair with the purple - I think it'll be purple lizard on silver background, unless I want to go for the moonlit lizard on a dark purple base.  Hmmm...I like the sound of that.  Or maybe do one of each for a negative effect?  The green was harder to match, knowing how variable the colors of it are.  I finally chose Ink, a dark dark warm color not quite black.  The green will obviously be the lizard.  I'm going to do the purple and silver ones first, and see how I feel when the project is done.

Sizing Note for all you with Lizard Socks in your queue:  The sizing for Europe vs. US doesn't match.  I wear a 40-41 Eur (9.5-10 US).  I decided to go with european sizing since the pattern is German.  I chose the Med. size but when I knit a swatch it wouldn't fit over my heel.  So maybe the US sizing is right (I would have knit a Large if going by US).  But it's worth the time to swatch for this one, since these socks have no stretch to them. 

Sock opinion needed!

I'm ready for yet another pair of socks.  They are going to be 2 color, variegated purple and variegated lime green from Claudia's Handpaint - the photo doesn't do it justice, the colors look really great together.  I have 3 patterns I'm trying to decide between, and need YOUR opinion!  Two of them are fairisle, something I'm happy knitting but have avoided in socks.  I was always concerned about the stretchiness of them, but there are so many stranded sock patterns it must be ok.  The third, Bolts, is fairisle only on top of the foot where the pattern is.  The yarn is carried inside the sock across the pattern area to the beginning of each round and twisted in, just like knitting a circular swatch flat.  If I do the bolts pattern I think I may flip the colors for the 2 socks.  The other 2 patterns will be purple background and green colorwork. Here are the 3 pics, and the Ravelry links with the name:

Meeresrauschen


















Bolts Socks

Lizard Socks












So what do you think?  Bolts was my original intention, but I favorited the other two also, and think they could be really cool.  Plus being fairisle they may not wear out and need darning quite as quickly.  But I really like all 3.  So, please let me know what you think, ask other people nearby which they like.  Also any opinions or tips about fairisle socks are welcome!

My first official trip

In preparation for my travels I splurged on several packing aids for carry-ons -- clothes envelopes, a universal charging amt for all my electronic gadgetry, a bag tether to hold my 2 bags together as one.  I also watched some videos on efficient business trip packing and was excited to try out what I learned.  I was very impressed how well everything fit in my bag, so well in fact that I was able to squish my pillow in too.  I'm so thankful to my chiropractor for recommending the contoured neck pillow to ease my neck/shoulder strain, but equally frustrated because now I can't bear to sleep on anything else.  So not only am I the twat at the airport with a laptop and 2 smartphones, but I'm also the tweed carrying a bed pillow too.  Still, I was really excited how easily everything fit in my bag.  Until I unpacked and really started thinking about the next few days.

Turns out I forgot to pack a few items.  Like shorts, pants, or any casual bottoms except for the capris I was wearing and running shorts.  I also forgot my pajimmyjams (PJs) and handknit wool bed socks.  This simply will not do.  I'm going to designate a pair of bedsocks for travel, and never take them out of my suitcase.  Luckily I found an awesome Lululemon yoga shop and got some new pants.  I had to get the regular length, since the talls were WAY too long for me.  I also got a beautiful purple tank top that I can wear without a bra.  Wow, I was so excited I rushed out of the dressing room to show the girl helping me.

On the flight up there was a 2 year old kid a row ahead of me who screamed nonstop from the moment she sat down until they opened the doors again.  Not cried, but that attention-seeking shriek that rattles the eardrums.  I kept expecting her to fall asleep from the sheer physical effort of yelling that long.  You could feel the tension throughout the cabin, and her mother didn't do anything to shush her.  I made up a story where the girl was on a game show and had to hit a certain unobtainably high frequency and volume in order to win the grand prize, and the continued screams were all attempts at winning.  It suddenly made the ordeal funny an somewhat sad, as she kept trying to hit that note but never succeeded.  At least it took away the frustration I felt towards her and her mother.

One last thing - what the hell is wrong with New Jersey roads?  When you pass signs that read "Left Turn Keep Right", what the hell is an out-of-stater supposed to do?  When all you want is to make a U turn and go back the way you came, why would you possibly think you should be in the rightmost lane instead of the left lane, and how in the name of Christ are you supposed ot get over 3 lanes of traffic at rush hour to make a right hand U turn at a light because YOU CAN'T TURN LEFT AT ANY STOPLIGHT??  There should be warnings about that plastered to the rental cars.  And the poor Garmin telling me it was recalculating was like that scene from Austin Powers:  Evacuation compl...comp...com...evacuation com..com...com...

Thirsty dog

It's been hot enough lately that I've avoided taking the dogs on pedestrian adventures.  That's what we say now - they've learned every other euphemism for walk we can think of.  They were really insistent yesterday about wanting to go out in the middle of the day.  I knew it was broiling, and both of them are black.  I wore my runner's Fuel Belt (water bottle belt), hoping if I gave them water during the walk they wouldn't fall over from heat exhaustion.  Windy refused to drink anything, I know she was scouting for open water to swim in to cool off.  I cupped my hand and squirted water into it to see if Kayla would lap it up (she always refuses to drink from travel bowls).  It worked ok, although was somewhat slimy for me.  After a minute like this I put the bottle to the side of her mouth and squeezed, fully expecting her to back away.  She kept up the lapping motion and no water came out of her mouth.  Cool!  My dog can drink from a squirt bottle.  Next water break I just held the bottle to her mouth and squeezed.  She drank 6 oz. of water straight.  The final time I held the bottle to her face and she turned her head so I could squeeze it into the spot she likes.  Hooray!  Now I just have to remember which bottles are hers, and which are mine during outings.

Not quite baby chicks

My SIL recently got a herd of baby chickens and has been blogging about her chicken escapades.  While I don't have a whole bunch of peepers growing at home, I do have some recent egg laying and baby hatching activity at the house.

It's pretty neat to be able to see things like her weaving the egg sac so close.  And once all the babies hatched, it followed a very slow moving flock dynamic.

The thing is, there are SO MANY insects invading, we're letting all the spiders be to help combat the problem.  Well, until I looked and found that every single spider of this species hatched her egg sac on the same day. Sorry, a few spiders per room I can handle.  But thousands of baby spiderlings all over?  Nope, not gonna happen.

Maine Meal

One thing I love about traveling is finding unusual places to eat with foods out of the ordinary.  So we're up in Portland, Maine for work.  I've had lobster, and clam cakes.  Maine blueberries and blueberry soda.  Sampled several microbreweries (yay beer flights!).  Had a great lunch sandwich of smoked turkey, brie, smoked bacon, and granny smith apple slices all toasted together with a microbrewery fresh root beer.  But I never expected to have one of the best meals of my life here.  Someone recommended a funky out-of-the-way restaurant called The Pepper Club.  The menu was a slate with the day's entrees written in colored chalk.  They brought a cute baseball-sized loaf of molasses-oatmeal bread to the table and told us they were having an anniversary 4-course special that essentially was "pick 4 courses off the menu" for 2 bucks more than an entree alone.  I started with baked brie with apricots and almonds (shared with my friend).  Then a wonderfully diverse salad with the kind of dressing you want to drink by the bottle.
But it was the entree - fresh seared scallops in thai coconut curry with jasmine rice and vegetables - that took my breath away. The vegetables were absolutely perfect - fresh and juicy with just the right amount of tooth, firm yet tender.  The sauce was well balanced, enough heat without overpowering the flavors.  But the scallops, oh my.  They were beyond description.  I can still recall the sublime taste and texture.  The dish was so good it wasn't possible to talk while eating, as it might distract from the enjoyment of the food.  I'm really at a loss for words thinking about this dish, it's truly stunning.
The meal ended with their signature chocolate pepper cake, a dark chocolate cake that had a quick hint of pepper on the first taste and a lingering heat in your throat as you ate.  Dark dark chocolate ganache was swirled over the plate and the cake was dusted with a spicy cocoa powder. 

MDSW Roundup

I had such a good time at Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival (MDSW).  I stopped for amazingly good donuts on the way up.  I also stopped by a MAC store (no, not the Apple store, although they are side by side at that particular mall) and picked up a new ridiculous shade of bright blue/purple eyeshadow.  They still don't have a good green, but did find an emerald green cream eye pencil that will do nicely.  My rainbow is nearly complete! 

As I drove up my brother's street I saw several people having fun painting a pull-behind trailer.  I wondered about it, then realized it was parked in my brother's driveway!  I did a quick U-turn, grabbed the donuts, and walked up to join in.  A few hours of paint and turpentine fumes later, check out the awesomeness they will be hauling across the country. 

We cleaned the paint off ourselves as best as we could (fingernail beds are apparently a permanent paint location) and had tasty sushi for dinner.  I've never been so full from sushi before that I thought I might burst.  Well, there were bento box goodies and ice cream too.  Mmm...mango, red bean, ginger, green tea, mochi...why do Americans only believe in chocolate and more chocolate?  Thankfully the filling dinner saved the donuts so we were able to slice them up into little wedges and enjoy them with our otherwise healthy breakfast of eggs, turkey bacon, turkey sausage, and oatmeal-applesauce pancakes.  Sure, they roll out the healthy goodness, and my contributions are donuts and mimosas.

It was a fun drive up to MDSW, until the last couple miles that added nearly an hour onto our travel time.  Gads they needed a cop at the intersection!  Once we got near enough we all piled out of the van and started walking to the festival rather than sit in traffic anymore (Thanks Daven!).  Ever had a dandelion fight?  It's really fun, although hard to attack someone if you have to run up to catch them.  Here we are at the climax of our battle - I wish the camera captured the cloud of dandelion fluff we're standing in.  I also learned a dandelion in the ear is shriek-worthy no matter who the victim is. 

I haven't been to MDSW in 8 years or so.  It was great, but less overwhelming than it felt back in those days.  I think I've learned so much in the intervening years I don't need to see/touch/do everything (oops, I mistyped 'everyone' at first).  I did learn a few things that are handy. 
1. Kilts are great as they totally replace a shoulder bag or purse and leave your hands completely free.  I wasn't sure about it at first (my brother handed out kilts left and right when we were all leaving that morning) but by the end of the day I was glad to have it.  Seriously, I had my wallet, camera, phone, notepad, pen, and snack in my pockets and then clipped all my purchases into the convenient belt clip.  There were quite a lot of kilt wearers there that day, which brought questions from some confused folks who thought we were in a dance troupe or something.
2. Golding Ring Spindles really do spin longer than any other, and are totally gorgeous.  But after using them I lost my decade-old desire to have one.  All the extra spin time is meaningless since you have to stop once you near the ground.  And the shafts are kind of tacky feeling.  It might have been because of the heat melting the wood wax, but they had a feel reminiscent of the Mongolian Grill wooden platters you put your bowl on.  It's kind of like losing a crush.

Oh, you'd rather see the haul of stuff I bought?  Special thanks to my husband for demanding that I buy whatever I wanted.  Here's the pretty yarns:

Top: Mountain Colors sock yarn.
Left to Right: Zauberball laceweight, 2 balls of Mini Mochi for alternate colorway striping, 2 skeins of Claudia's Handpaint for striped socks, maybe the Jaywalker Pattern.
I didn't photograph the blue faced leicester wools, since a camera can't capture the feel of them.  I also got a supremely awesome pendant I'll post later.

We stayed to the end of the festival and by that point were trudging along after a day of dizzingly hot weather.  I knew how hot it was when I realized I'd drank 3 quart-sized lemonades and a bottle of water and never had to pee.  Here's part of our band heading out.

I'm so glad I got to go with such a fun group of people.  Maybe we can all meet at Estes one year...

He loves me more than just flowers

I was out shopping at Marshalls/TJ Maxx and fell in love with this totally impractical pair of shoes.  They're Calvin Klein, on clearance, and actually had my size.  A subtle evergreen/teal snakeskin peep toe with a dark brown stacked stiletto heel.  I tried them on, standing up gingerly aware of my bad ankle.  The shoes were perfectly comfortable, peep toes really take the pressure off from the heel height.  I walked around, knowing that once my ankle is better I'll have no trouble moving in them.  But they're just ridiculously tall.  4" heel on top of a half inch platform.  Yeah, that puts me dangerously close to 6'3".  I'm thinking of Braveharlot when I say that, since she's a gorgeous 6'2" barefoot and no stranger to over the top heels. 

I fell obsessively in love with them but put them back on the shelf, telling myself they were a bit too expensive, definitely too tall, and where am I ever going to wear them?  Yes, the unusual color would go with almost any color dress, particularly that gorgeous cool grey dress I bought recently (also Calvin Klein.  God I love TJ Maxx).  They kept dominating my thoughts as I went through the store buying more practical items like velvety hangers, a new couch cover, and pet odor carpet spray.  I went back to the shoe department and put them back on, taking a photo of them with my phone to remember them by.  I called my mom and told her about the shoes, lamenting that my shoe fetish wasn't quashed permanently, and how do I keep myself from drooling over things like this when I know what types of shoes are better for my feet and legs?  She laughed, and I went home with my practical household items.

When I got home D felt something was wrong, and wanted to know what it was.  I told him about the shoes and showed him the photo I took.  He said I should go back and get them if I really liked them that much.  I demurred, citing all the reasons I had against buying them.  He got exasperated with me, commenting that he'd like to buy me things like that, knowing I don't really care about flowers and such.  When I argued how impractical they were, he said I'd wear them to a dinner party and all the other women could see how nice they were.  He insisted they were a present, and before I knew it I was back in the car to get my special shoes.   He's so sweet :)

Ankle update

It's been a tiring week dealing with  my ankle.  I've been doing partial-weight on crutches, since without support I'm reducing to a slow shuffling gait.  Most of the swelling is gone, it's just the areas below the toes and around the ankle bone that still have firm swelling around them.  The bruising made it halfway up my calf and wrapped around the other side of the ankle, although not as impressive as the outside.  But look!  It's foot-shaped again!

 

I'm starting heat therapy now, since sitting in the hot tub at the gym made it feel looser.  I think I prefer feeling the immobile stiffness though, the looseness made it more likely to move in uncomfortable ways.  I'm hopefully going to start PT soon, to try and speed the strengthening and healing process.  Overall it's going good, I'm just frustrated how minor things are such a pain now that I can't just zip around like normal.

Incomprehensibly clumsy

Impressively so. Inexplicably clumsy. It boggles the mind.

So the weather has been beautiful here lately. On Sat. I decided to take Windy running down the riverwalk. It was our first official run of the season and we were both loving it. She's a really good running partner normally, stays right near me with the leash slack between us. She had a couple dips in the river and was insanely joyous. We ran up a leaf-strewn trail that went up a ridge quite easily. I made a point to constantly watch the ground a few feet ahead to spot any trouble. I really respect how potentially dangerous running on uneven ground can be. On the way back down we were near the end of the trail when we saw 3 guys walking up. They stepped off the trail for us to pass, Windy balked as we approached, but ran ahead at my urging. Something spooked her after we passed and she lunged off into the woods. My foot slipped on the leaves and I took a terrific tumble. I fell to the left and my right ankle turned under and rotated onto the top of my foot.  In my mind it felt like my ankle dislocated and my weight landed on my legbones. Not truly what happened, but that's what it felt like. Most of the rest was just scrapes and mud streaks on my shins and forearms. I had to sit on a rock for about 5 minutes rocking back and forth until the pain subsided enough to walk again. I saw my ankle already swelling over the lip of my shoe. Unfortunately I was about 1.5 miles from my car, but at least it was on the paved path. By the time I got to the car I was able to walk with barely a limp. I went home and plunged my ankle in a bucket of ice water (better than putting ice on it), then bound and elevated it. Been pushing 800 mg of ibuprofen too. But today my foot looks like a zombie limb. The entire area between my ankle bone and the bottom of my foot is purple/grey, thick and hard, with shiny skin on it. My whole foot is swollen, grey, and my toes look fat. There's a pinpoint bruise behind my ankle bone that I think was an internal point of impact, and some bruising runs up my leg a few inches. Nothing's broken, but it's pretty ugly just the same.

What sucks most (other than my lack of mobility) is just how long this is going to take to heal. Ever since I started running I've been pleased how strong my previously-weak ankles seemed to be. Running is clearly out for the next month or so, as is the aerobics class I've started taking. I'm hoping swimming doesn't hurt too much, or maybe the elliptical machines will be ok soon. Grah!

Awesome thrift store find

My bellydance class meets at the local dance studio, which happens to be part of the YMCA building, which also houses a thrift store. I usually pop into the shop for the few minutes before class starts to see if there's anything worth picking up. Today something near the entrance caught my eye, more of a decorative display than a sales rack. I was shocked to see an Egyptian Riq on the shelf. A riq is a frame drum with zills inlaid in the rim -- a tambourine to most people. Here it is with my other drums - an Alexandria doumbek and Remo 16" frame drum.The goatskin drumhead was broken, but still held a surprisingly good sound. The zills need some work to be reshaped into the correct orientation, but have a pleasant tone. Given the lack of tuning pegs I think I may put a Remo drumhead on it.The intricate inlays wrap around the entire frame, and the drum would be a pretty decoration even if I can't get it in good playing order. Even cooler, it's really made in Egypt.
Best of all, check out the pricetag! I've wanted a riq for a while but didn't think I could buy one. This one definitely needs some work but hopefully will end up being part of my drum set :)

Bookworm

We've all heard of bookworms, but so far I haven't encountered anyone who's actually seen one - the actual worm not the euphemism. I picked up an old book from the free book pile at the thrift store and was fascinated to see a wormhole in it. I took the book home and have been showing it around to people. When you flip through the pages the hole materializes, grows, and disappears like a flip book. I love it, but don't want to keep the book with all my others, since the very dark brown of the pages is apparently a sign of some bacterial/fungal infection. Can't rightly remember, but was told by a microbiologist that it was infectious in that it could spread to other books.

Embarking on a new hobby!

Well, not entirely new. I've done weaving before. But never Tapestry weaving! And it IS another yarn-associated craft, so not like delving into woodturning or something. And it fits my rule of not being too bulky or expensive -- I have to make up rules like this or my house would be overrun by insane craft experiments. Don't tell my husband I said that, he already thinks that's true and I'd hate to see what he thought if he knew how much worse it could be.

So I was at my friend's house, in her awesomely envy-inspiring workshop that brings to mind a classic wood cabin complete with wee Franklin stove and a loft. She had her current tapestry on the loom and we started talking about how to build one myself. I dashed to the hardware store for the necessary supplies and she helped me build my very own copper pipe loom. I've been playing with ideas, drawing pictures, and imagining what I'd like to weave. I saw the local yarn shop was having a sale on tapestry yarn, and made a spur of the moment decision while driving there on what I would weave. Here's the yarns I bought.
The colors aren't as saturated in real life as this photo. That garish stripe of farm-raised egg yolk yellow isn't nearly so bad, and the greens are closer to grasses than rainforests like the photo suggests. So I have my yarn, my loom, my warp, my ideas. Now I just need to draw the picture so I know what and where I'm doing things. Keepin my fingers crossed, hope it all goes well!

Ugly Costume Blog

A hilarious website of hideous bellydance costumes - What were they thinking? I've only made it through the first few posts, but it promises not to disappoint. I love the vulva embellishments on one of them!

My own olympics

I'm obviously not an olympic athlete. Nor am I really a major olympics-watcher. BUT all the talk of the knitting olympics and ravelympics has got me fired up. Actually it's Braveharlot's decision to join Yarnharlot's Knitting Olympics that got me thinking I could do it to. So I manically scanned through all my fav'ed patterns and yarn in my stash for a suitable project. Alas! The projects and yarns were not in alignment and I couldn't find a sufficiently challenging option to join the K'Olympics officially. But in the spirit of things I'm going to try my own gestalt version.

I have a beautiful skein of yarn that has been challenging me what to do with it. I have lots of ideas for small items, and I"m going to see how many things I can make with just this one skein during the Olympics. But I'm also really wanting some armwarmers and have a different yarn picked out for them...we'll just have to wait and see what happens!

I'm also going to attempt finishing at least one craft project per day from my almost-done pile that has been plaguing me for eons. Skirts that need waistbands, hipscarves that need ties, yarn that needs washing, socks for darning, vintage dress repairs, oh the list goes on and on. If I do one per day I will likely clear out the entire pile - and what a truly Olympic achievement that will be!

A childhood dream realized

I remember being a kid and seeing Badge-A-Minit ads on TV. Oh, did I want one! I knew it would be the most awesome thing ever if only I could get one. But they were stupidly expensive for a kid, and I didn't get one. When I was in high school I again thought it would be great fun to have, but even with my own money they were still stupidly expensive and I did without. Now that I'm an adult, I again wished I had a B-A-M, decided to buy one, and went to the website. Wow. They're still stupidly expensive. Sure I'd pay 30 bucks now, but 70?? No wonder I never bought one in all the decades I've wanted it. I was telling a friend about my lifelong Badge-A-Minit dream and she opened the website on a whim. Damn if they weren't having a sale on them - the same price they were in 1988! Finally within my justification price range! I ordered it right then and there.

It's a bunch of rainbow color-coded rings and a hand press made out of a sturdy fiberglass-like plastic that reminds me of these weird chunky alphabet blocks we had as kids. The blocks were about twice as big as the classic wooden letter blocks, and hurt like hell if you threw one at someone. I have a imprinted memory of what it feels like to be clipped on the side of the head by one. I think it was yellow.
Anyway, in honor of the 2010 blizzard, I made a pin using my new B-A-M. It's a snowman sledding and he's completely filled with joy. Arms outstretched, heart lifted, smile literally ringing his face. I'm wearing it to work tomorrow.

Color in the Winter

I know I'm all the time complaining about produce in the winter. That we've sacrificed quality and flavor just to have an item available at an unnatural time. Plus I like to revel in enjoying a seasonal item when it's actually available. Clementines used to only be out at christmas, and it was an old-fashioned treat to have a "Christmas Orange" again. But now they're available all the time, and their magic is diminished.

BUT, there is a Fresh Market store nearby that has "Jet Fresh" Produce that is flown in twice a week from South America. I couldn't resist picking up a few things, they are all so gorgeous and I'm sure will be tasty if Fresh Market is willing to sell them. And there is a certain magic to have such gloriously colored foods in the middle of the biggest blizzard in over a decade. The orange was labeled as an heirloom variety, as was the tomato. Haven't encountered heirloom oranges yet...I will report back once I eat it.
The photo takes away some perspective - it's actually a good sized tomato, small pepper, and stupidly large orange. I've started thinking about our garden this year. Now that I'm set up in the house I'll finally be able to do some canning this summer!

Excitement, then disappointment...then hope?

I fell in love with this yarn from Steam Valley at a fiber show this past fall. It was at the very first booth I went to, and I spent a good chunk of money on it without caring that I might find other things later on I wished to buy. Now anyone who's attended a show knows you don't just go crazy buying the first thing you see. But this yarn refused to let me walk by. It's almost 500 yards of fingering weight superwash, and the photo does not do the colors justice.

I wanted to knit myself a pair of armwarmers from it. I found a pattern I liked with a chevron of ribbing down the arm. I swatched and my gauge matched PERFECTLY. Like, 7 1/4 sts/" on the button. Who gets that kind of accuracy -- or is it precision? No, I think it's accuracy -- on the first swatch with a different yarn and needle size than the pattern calls for? Call it serendipity, fortuitous, what-have-you. I was just thrilled for everything to be falling into place. Until I started knitting the project. The color repeats are much shorter than I thought, only about 4-6" which means they don't form stripes or even pools of color. They blend into a muddy palette that dulls the beauty of the skein of yarn. Very disappointing. I'd post a photo but I already unraveled it.

So, I still have the yarn begging to be knit, but no idea what to make it into. The color repeats just don't seem like it'll work for socks, yet that's what this yarn is intended for. I thought of something with short rows to keep the colors pooled, maybe entrelac, but they'd be really small squares. I might try the Swirl Shawl since I have the pattern, but don't know that I want to embark on a piecemeal project. Any suggestions or favorite patterns for this type of yarn?

Plus, and here's the craftastrophe part, I don't have a knitting project right now. I ordered yarn from Knitpicks to make a pair of hot pepper elf shoes but it hasn't shipped yet. This is not normal. I think all of us being snowed in has caused a wave of orders at KP that they can't keep up with. I need a portable pattern that I don't have to look at to work on in the carpool. I can't just let all that free time riding in the car to go to waste. I still like that armwarmer pattern, but don't have any appropriate yarn. I could dye some, but that won't help me NOW. I could knit them in white and dye them afterwards in a gradation or something. That's an idea...

Thought for the day

"There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." Edith Wharton

When I read this quote, my immediate response was that I want to be the mirror. Thinking a bit more on it, my reason was that the mirror can reflect the light of many candles, spreading more light than a single candle could do on its own. It can also increase the light generated by a single candle. It's not bound by itself to spread light, but can partake of all the light around and pass it along. Of course I realize the opposite reasoning, that some people would want to be the initiator of the light, and feel the mirror is nothing without the candle. But for myself, I know better.

Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you. ~Maori Proverb

Eye candy nom nom nom

Sometimes after a session of web surfing (oh please tell me we're still allowed to call it that) you've traveled so far from your original site you're not sure how you ended up where you did, but you're glad you did. This morning I started out on FB and browsing new knitting patterns on Ravelry. I linked through someone's blog and ended up on a site called Superherofan that is just a huge gallery of shirtless male celebrities. Pretty tasty eye candy, regardless of your preference. There's another site called Squarehippies that's great if you like guys with chest hair. The author of that blog is really funny to read. His indignation over Bon Jovi shaving his chest for his Sex & the City episode (he slept with Carrie) is a riot.

Resistance is Futile

I rented a car to attend a training session on using a graphical statistical software package being held in a nearby state. Ooh, let's hear it for sexy business trips! I was driving down with one other person and we both started laughing when they brought out our "mid-size sedan like a Chevy Malibu" and it was a Nissan Cube. First off, is this really a sedan? I think I was giddy with embarassment over it, especially when I noticed heads turning in nearby cars to stare at our crazy ride (complete with Alabama plates).We laughed over some of the ridiculous features, like the "ripples in a pond" roof.The Disney-trademark-infringement cup holders.I wondered over some of the oddments inside, trying to figure out what intended use they had. For instance, the shelf in the passenger side dash is a great place to plunk your knitting when you run into a store. That's the Nutkin socks done on 2 circs, if you were wondering.
It also was a handy spot to stand the driving directions. I suppose a GPS or iPhone would fit there equally well.A funny thing about this picture is that we tossed the directions when we got there, and didn't have any for the return trip. That area has many overlapping roads and is very confusing. After buying a map and being lost a bit, I was browsing my photos and discovered the photo of the directions that we could have been following!

The Cube also had the perfect place to hold an extra biscuit and jelly leftover from Bojangles. I'm so glad for such specific features in a car! Really, heated seats are one thing, but a biscuit and jelly holder? How can you ask for more!
By the end of the trip I was fairly impressed with the Cube's handling. It has the sharpest turning radius of any car I've ever driven. It feels more roomy up front (the "cockpit" according to the owner's manual) than a lot of SUVs. Everyone else notices you, so you're probably pretty safe on the highway. BUT it's just so goofy. Every time we walked out of a store and found it in the parking lot we had to make fun of it. Yet once we were inside, we were glad to have it. In the end, I'd recommend it to anyone who likes this type of car - it really is a good car. If you live with someone sarcastic, it might be hard to own an asymmetric cube-shaped car, no matter how great it is inside.

Ale tasting

My parents came down for a visit and I thought it'd be fun to have an eclectic mix of beers for me and Dad to share. He said he likes brown ales so I went to the local wine shop and told the manager what style I wanted. It was great being led around the extensive beer section having him pull bottles off the shelf explaining why each choice was special. He pulled a Dogfish Head ale down and I commented that I didn't really care for DFH beers. He seemed stunned, knowing that my tastes are similar to his, and said DFH is his favorite brewery. He handed me a bottle, saying I needed to taste it. He saw my hesitation and dragged me over to the counter to open it, saying I *had* to try it. He poured us each a healthy dollop to drink. It was pretty good, and I promised I'd give the brewery another try. So here's the array I ended up with. My favorite was the Boont amber ale. Dad & I had a fun time working our way through the lineup over their visit. They were all very different, and a few times we traded glasses after tasting each other's choices. Best of all, they're about 1/4 the cost of my normal Belgian ales. I'm pretty sure I'll be doing a similar style-tasting in the future for other varieties. Anyone want to join me?

New Year Deer

I woke up fairly early on New Year's Day (can you tell I'm a bit behind in my posting?). Like 7 am, which is roughly when the dogs' desire for me to be mobile overrides my ability to ignore their ear-flapping head shakes just inches from my face. God forbid I burrow under the covers, or a cold probing nose will worm its way in and guarantee I shoot out of bed in an instant. Still, I figured I'd enjoy a nice quiet morning since it's the one day per year you can pretty much guarantee everyone stayed up past their bedtime the night before. I brewed a cup of my awesome Teavana white ayurvedic chai and sat back to appreciate the morning stillness and snowy backyard scene. The deer in the photo was standing next to our fence, still enough I was able to run and get the camera.

The echoing gunshot that sounded next was uncomfortably loud even in our closed house, causing the dogs to whine and bark. No wonder the deer were hiding along our back yard - we all hoped the hunters had the sense not to fire towards the houses. I fully respect the right of someone who wants to kill a deer for food, but not in my damn backyard, and not at 7am on freakin new year's day! Thankfully deer season has ended and I can stop worrying about misfires finding their way into our yard and dogs.

Women Frame Drumming

I found a great youtube subscription page entirely of women drumming. Some are performances, but many are home videos of women in their native cultures drumming and dancing for the joy of it. It's mesmerizing to watch some of them, and makes me wish I could experience it live. There are tons of videos to watch, but I think Youtube is an agent of the Dust Bunnies trying to steal our free time (see my last post for the DB epiphany), and I must do my best not to get sucked in for too long. Still, this one was really great. I love the woman on the left playing the riq (tambourine).