Pick your heart up off the ground, I'm sure it weighs a ton. You're no better and no worse than any mother's son

Progress check:

I finished one exterior side of the Hoop Purse-- which wasn't actually on the list I made yesterday, but still counts in my mind since I started it before the Grand Proclamation was made. Only three more sides like it (one outside, two linings) before I can throw the whole thing in the wash. I also got another pattern repeat on the argyle scarf knocked out on my lunch, so that brings the remaining length down to four feet, 10 inches.

Tonight we go to see a really good local band for their last show. Sometimes I think local music is dying around here, though I don't usually voice it because it tends to start arguments. Venues are shutting down for various reasons, bands are breaking up or moving out of town, and there are becoming fewer and fewer reasons to bother leaving the house at night. Hell, it's gotten to the point where the bar that seems like someone's basement is the one of the best (and only) places left to see a band.

Then again, maybe I'm just getting old and longing for the "good old days". You know, the ones that were really only so-so, but are really, really great in your memory. Cause really, one of the inherent traits of a college town is bands that come and go, and although there really is a dirth of good venues around town these days, something new will eventually pop up. Things ebb and flow around here, and we're probably just experiencing the latest downswing. If anything, I'm learning to appreciate how good we really had it.

It's shaping up to be a nice weekend after two weeks of downpour, so I might break out the barbecue and dye some more yarn. I want to test out the icing colors I bought, and maybe do an experiment with some hibiscus tea. It should produce a nice rosey color, but I want to see how deep a color I can make.

For now though, it's back to my purse. I'm hoping to get the first lining cast on and a bit knit before we go out tonight.

Knitting ADD.

I'm starting to develop a problem. I have far too many unfinished projects, all at various progress levels.

The current tally:
-one finished sock with no match
-one knee sock that's pretty much only a legwarmer at the moment
-a cardigan that's missing a sleeve and buttons
-a pullover that actually has two sleeves but still needs to be sewn up
-tea cozy without the drawstring required to cozy it up
-a mitten without a thumb
-a blanket that's currently about the size of two place mats and
-a scarf that is about 5 feet too short

...and now I've started a purse. Really, what the hell is wrong with me? I'm almost ashamed, which would explain why one or two of those aren't listed in my Ravelry notebook. One can only handle a certain number of little squares staring at you with that "wip" icon in the corner.

So I hereby officially anounce (it sounds more important that way) that from here on out, I will not start another project until I've finished atleast three on that list. (I'd say the entire list, but let's face it-- that simply will not happen.) I will also not be buying any new knitting books for a little while, as I think this is part of what is contributing to my lack of attention span. The super-short scarf began with the purchase of Son of Stitch and Bitch, and the new purse happened when I picked up Felt Forward. So, for the time being anyway, I need to cut off my dealer-- the book store.

But still I'd be lying if I said it wasn't easy....I am trying to break your heart

In the interest of full disclosure, I never did start that second sock.

I did however go back to a sock I started, like, months ago. It was an expirement involving a knee sock with calf shaping that doesn't involve changing needles. I'm almost to the bottom of the calf decreasing, and I'm still not sure if the whole thing's going to work, or if I even put the extra stitches where they really need to go. It will be so completely awesome if it works, though useless as a pattern, since everybody's calves are shaped differently.

(Nevermind the fact that it's been so long since I worked on this sock that all my notes about the shaping have disappeared. It has nothing to do with that at all.)

I had made a plan to get some stuff done after I got off work today (including some top-secret Valentine stuff) but I have been pretty much immobile since I started getting stomache aches last night. I barely made it through work, then came home and immediately put on my pajamas, with little intention of leaving the house again until tomorrow. Though I've always had a stomach of steel, I think I may have finally pushed it past the limit with all the random things I ate in a rather short time* yesterday. We seem to have come to a truce for now, as I no longer feel the urge to vomit (sorry), but like any peace talk it's tentative at best, so I'm staying put and (maybe) attempting to eat some of my spinach lasagna later. It's good enough to risk another tummyache.

Heck, I might even finish something tonight. I only have about 11 active works-in-progress right now, having started yet another one last night. For now though, a short nap is in order.


*noodle bowl + blood orange + super rich chocolate cake + blackened catfish + collard greens + mashed potatoes, in that order, and all in less than five hours. How dumb am I?

Letting the world go by....

There's nothing better to come home to than a dog who loves you and good salsa.

Due to a slight mishap involving me and a sidewalk curb that took out one of my tires, I had the opportunity to navigate Bellingham's bus system for the first time in quite a while. I used to bus and bike all the time, back when I lived a car-free downtown existence. Since then, routes, times, and my own destinations have changed. They have this crazy color-coded system where two digits mean one thing and three digits mean another. I was a little nervous I was going to have the same mishap I did back in high school, the one that resulted in an hour long round trip to and from somewhere I didn't want to go. (And still don't come to think of it. Lynden's not a very nice place.) I think I've got it sorted out now, though, so it should be a lot less walking tomorrow. As it is, Eric got home from work shortly before I did, so he swung down the road and picked me up.

As much as I like the independence and thinking time driving from place to place affords me, as well as the oh-so-important opportunity to sing along to the radio, it was kind of nice to sit in the back corner and read my book until I was where I needed to be. I brought some knitting with me, but didn't feel like breaking that out since I had to look out every once in a while for my stop. Tomorrow, however, I will be bringing the second Diagonal Cross-Rib Sock, the one I plan on casting on for tonight. After finishing the first, I'm not so sure that a multi-colored colorway was really the absolute best way to go, but I still like them nonetheless. Now if only I could stop dropping stitches when I do that little twisty thing!

Last night I dreamt that I was taking a tour of a garden on the inside of a house. It was a community garden and the room was divided into tiny plots only one or two feed wide and three or four feet deep. I overheard someone say, "yep, that's standard California size." I walked around looking at the plants that had sprung up from their tiny beds, then eventually walked another garden that stretched almost as far as I could see. I looked down to see a perfect red bell pepper hanging from a vine, so I pulled it off and bit into it like an apple.

....which is why I'm currently reasearching how to sign up for one of Bellingham's three community gardens.

Yay for weekends!

I think I may have a post-football hangover tomorrow. Not from the beer consumed, but the fact that my favorite sport is finished until next fall. Then again, I'm going to be able to get some good mileage out of gloating for the next few days, so I may be able to stay away from the end-of-season blues for a little while longer.

It's been a very nice weekend around here. This was the first weekend of my new schedule (ie, the first weekend I've had off that I didn't have to pull teeth and call in favors to get), and I think I can get used to this.

We spent Friday night in Seattle visiting my friend Jen, who's been feeling a bit homesick since moving down there recently. Other than forgetting my wallet down there and locking myself out of the building, it was a splendid evening. I've really missed having her around since she left, and this was the first time we've gotten the opportunity to just hang out without a whole lot of other things going on. We'll probably be doing it again sometime next month, if not sooner.

I also got to do a bit of knitting on the way down. The garter stitch, sort-of log cabin blanket I started has been my go-to knitting lately. I'm about 10 panels in, and I keep wanting to work on it, if only because I'm not sure whether it's going to be this awesome blanket, or a giant garter stitch mess, and I'm anxious to find out. Plus, it's all garter-stitch, so I can even knit it in a dark car on the way to Seattle!

We came home and vegged out, then went into uber-cleaning mode in preparation for Super Bowl festivities on Sunday.

Sunday was, of course, all about the Superbowl. Around this house, it's practically a holiday, complete with lots of food and a few friends. In keeping with family tradition, I made meatball subs, and some buddies brought pizza. We stuffed ourselves silly while occasionally yelling at the TV. The game ended the way I wanted it to, and now I'm enjoying my clean, quiet house with a beer and Arrested Development. Not a bad way to end a weekend.