New vault-tec dog bowl

Day three week one

Alright, here are tonight's results!

Pushups:
Max: 20
Total: 52

Squats:
Max: 30
Total: 91

Situps:
Max: 40
Total: 107

I'm ready for you, week two!

In other news I'm watching Milk, and I love it! Sean Penn is totally
rocking my socks; he's amazing and it makes me so so sad that we are
STILL dealing with bigotry here.

Sent from my iPhone

Day Two Week One

Here are my results from Day Two of Week One for pushups, situps, and squats.

Push-ups:
Max: 15
(total from last night-41)

Sit-ups:
Max: 40
(total from last night-103)

Squats:
Max: 32
(total from last night-87)

So I blew away the totals from Monday! Let's see how awesome Friday is!

Tiny Charlotte being relocated

Testing mobile posting!

Dating Nosmo King

Miz Critiki is totally dating Mr. Nosmo King. I hope they get MARRIED. 4 EVER! 'Kay then, some science:

STAND BACK BITCHES, I'M DOING SCIENCE!

My take on it behavioral modification:
I bet if someone punched you in the neck or kicked you in the taco every time you even WENT near a cigarette, you'd quit pretty fast. So much for bad behavior.

My behavior is generally rather bad and when combined with Miz Critiki, we are like the Wonder Twins of Naughtiness. And poop jokes.

Both: Wonder Twin Powers Activate!
Miz Critiki: Form of a, uh, hmmm...an ICE POOP! A BIG COILED ONE!
Baka: : Uh, um. FORM OF A FLY! SO I CAN SIT ON THE POOP. UM, AN ARTIC FLY SO I AM INURED TO THE COLD STINK OF THE ICE POOP!
Both: Yay!


Wow. That was random.

Kicking ass, not yet taking any names

In an effort to do something with myself without cigarettes, I decided to check out the websites for Hundred Push-Ups, Two Hundred Sit-ups, both mentioned in my last update, as well as the other sister site Two Hundred Squats. I've done the initial tests for all three, and have completed Day One of Week One for all three as well.

In the interest of full disclosure, as well as some accountability to keep me on it, here are my results to the present:

One Hundred Pushups (I'm doing the kind using my knees-it counts!):
Initial Test-8
Day One Week One max-10

Two Hundred Sit-ups (really crunches):
Initial Test-31
Day One Week One max-35

Two Hundred Squats:
Initial Test-32
Day One Week One max-20

All improved except the squats, but the max set is one you do AFTER doing 4 other sets of varying numbers. So total I did 88 sit-ups, 30 pushups, and 67 squats.

I can't wait to see more progress!

While I'm here-week 3 report

I'm now on week three of quitting smoking! We're still having our cheats now and again, but overall I feel really good! I'm going to have to start exercising, not because I'm gaining weight from quitting (I'm not snacking as a replacement), but because now I'll be able to!

I'd like to work on links I got through Lisa on DH, for Hundred Pushups and its sister site Two Hundred Situps, as well as busting out my workout DVDs, and I also need to get my bike fixed so I can ride to work, now that it is light out late enough to safely be on the river trail. Right now, second gear won't engage, so all I have are first and third. Netflix seems to have some of their workout DVDs available on watch instantly, so that may be the thing to do as well to mix things up.

Today will be a park day for the dog, so I'll get a few miles of walking while we're there. The weather has been uncooperative, so he hasn't been in more than a week!

Nothing to see here

Move along people, nothing to see here....

Hehehe

I wanted to embed this little guy, but I don't have time to figure out why Blogger chooses to cut it in half.

Supernatural?

Day one: 20 hours and 12 minutes

Waiting for BBQ takeout for dinner. Just dropped satch at my folks house and am sad I won't see him until tomorrow :(

Still no smoking. My arms feel weird, and I feel like my eyes are all wide open. Like they might bug out of my face.

I sure hope tomorrow is easier! There will be car knitting ok the long drive.

Foods done I'm going to go drive home.

Day One-10 hours and 6 minutes without smoking

And yes, about 6 1/2 of those I was sleeping, but it still counts. I kind of want to smoke right now. But I'm not going to. Can't even bum one because everyone else is quitting too!

My cravings haven't been too bad so far. I've gotten a craving now and again this morning, but they have passed. Physically, I'm getting a twinge in my joints now and again, the fingers on my right hand are sort of tingly, and that's about all. No big loogies or anything as of this point.

This afternoon I'm going to have to bring some knitting to work on, to keep my hands busy when I'd normally be taking a break and smoking. Fiber is much healthier to be addicted to.

Anyway, so far so good. You may be seeing me later with an explosion, but we'll see. Let's try to keep it calm.

Taxes

You'd think that the state's website to file state income taxes would be up to par to work on all browsers, right? WRONG! After screwing around in IE for about 10 minutes, I finally decided to just try Firefox. Guess what? Totally fine. Annoying, but done now.

Wheel in the Sky

A little Journey reference to start the post off on a random note :)

Hm. Well, as the ever lovely contributor Bakagaijiin mentioned, I'm lazy, so most of the blogging going on around here has been from her :) She's an excellent contributor, so I'll have to keep her around for awhile yet.

Go, Steelers! I'm pretty happy that they won, as Satchel looked very handsome wearing his sister's old Steelers jersey. He's a good boy, and puts up with me putting clothes on him. My chili was a success, and the grilled avocado quesadillas were well received also. YUM!

One of the guys who delivers parts to us here at the shop introduced me to the Redwall series of books. I've become a woman obsessed! They are totally written for kids, but have excellent storylines, and the FOOD. OMG. The descriptions of what the Abbey dwellers eat always makes me yearn to learn to cook those things. Plus, animals acting like tiny, smarter people is a surefire way to hook me in. For good measure I threw in a rereading of The Wind in the Willows, which was a fun one to go back to after so many years.

As a measure to prevent my brain from getting mushy, I'm also rereading Requiem for a Dream as my required Grown Up Reading Selection.

Knitting: I've knit quite a few things since my last update-probably too many to go into, so I'll talk about what's current.

First, I'm working on a thank-you hat in exchange for some badass hockey tickets I received from a super duper awesome customer. After that, I have two more of the same pattern to make, one for my dad, and one for the Mr. (I'm using the Seaman's Cap pattern, first made known to me by the fancy Hello Yarn. It is now my favorite boy hat pattern. Knits up quickly in worsted weight yarn, is easy to size, and looks very nice when finished.)

After those simple hats, I'm going to design a super awesome stranded hat featuring toast and bears for my aforementioned contributor, Bakagaijiin.

My big project right now is prepping the wool I've been washing and getting it all ready to spin up for my sheep to sweater project. It is very relaxing to sit and comb and comb and comb. The black fleece I got at the Estes Park Wool Market last summer is lovely. It is really very clean; almost no vegetable matter at all. And it is combing out into a great, soft, fluffy cloud. The big combs my Mr. got me for Xmas are a pleasure to work with. (From Paradise Fibers.)

I'm super happy about Obama!

Okay, that's enough for now. I have to work.

Almost Famous

Absolute Motorworks has been featured in a video segment on Denver's local news.
There's also an accompanying text article. Miss Critiki's too lazy to do this herself, so I am guest blogging it. Here it is.

New Years Resolutions

Hi All!
Guest blogging again. I have 20 New Year's Resolutions.
I think the coolest one is that I have decided to read all the Hugo Award Winners since 1953.

The strikethroughs without dates mean I have already read the book. CURRENTLY READING is self explanatory. Strikethough and dates means I finished the book in 2009.

2008 The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon

2007 Rainbow's End by Vernor Vinge 5/9/2009 (read it in one day)

2006 Spin by Robert Charles Wilson

2005 Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

2004 Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold

2003 Hominids by Robert J. Sawyer

2002 American Gods by Neil Gaiman

2001 Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling

2000 A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge

1999 To Say Nothing of the Dog: Or How We Found the Bishop's Bird Stump At Last by Connie Willis

1998 Forever Peace by Joe Haldeman

1997 Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson

1996The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer by NealStephenson

1995 Mirror Dance by Lois Mcmaster Bujold

1994 Green Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson

1993 Doomsday Book by Connie Willis and A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge

1992 Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold

1991 The Vor Game: The Continuing Adventures of Miles Vorkosigan by Lois McMaster Bujold

1990 Hyperion by Dan Simmons

1989 Cyteen by C. J. Cherryh

1988 The Uplift War by David Brin

1987 Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card 01/03/2009

1986 Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

1985 Neuromancer by William Gibson

1984 Startide Rising by David Brin

1983 Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov

1982 Downbelow Station by C. J. Cherryh

1981 The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge

1980 The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur Charles Clarke

1979 Dreamsnake by Vonda N. Mcintyre

1978 Gateway by Frederik Pohl 03/15/2009

1977 Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm

1976 The Forever War by Joe Haldeman 03/10/2009

1975 The Dispossessed: An Ambiguous Utopia by Ursula Le Guin

1974 Rendezvous With Rama by Arthur Charles Clarke 01/04/2009

1973 The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov

1972 ToYour Scattered Bodies by Philip Jose Farmer

1971 Ringworld by Larry Niven

1970 The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin

1969 Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner

1968 Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny

1967 The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein

1966 Dune by Frank Herbert and This Immortal by Roger Zelazny

1965 The Wanderer by Fritz Leiber

1964 Way Station by Clifford D. Simak

1963 The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

1962Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein

1961 A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller

1960 Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein

1959 A Case of Conscience by James Blish

1958 The Big Time by Fritz Leiber

1957 No award was given.

1956 Double Star by Robert A Heinlein

1955 They'd Rather Be Right by Frank Riley

1954 Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

1953 The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester

DANGER! POOP POST

Oi, Teme!
That's Japanese for Hey, Assholes!

This is bakagaijiin, guest posting for Miss Critiki. Today's post is all about poop. More specifically, all about poop (and pooping) in Japan. I decided on this topic after MC and I realized that we cannot have a conversation without some faeces-related comment being squeezed in. Actually, being "squeezed out" is more like it. And funnier. And more gross.

A rising fad here, more prevalent in the last two years I've been here, is the preponderance of poop. Cute poops on keychains, golden poops for cell phone charms, poop-topped pencils. Poop stickers, as evidenced by the picture at the top of this guest posting (the flowered background is a piece of origami paper). Neatly coiled pyramids of poop, in various colours, often anthropormorphised with faces. Yes. Faeces with faces.

Ladies and gentlemen, were I to get up off my fancy Japanese toilet, and see my poop peering up at me (even with a smile) I would flush that fucker posthaste. Such a situation would require a flush, a courtesy flush, a just-to-be sure flush and a holy-fucking-mother-of-god, I just shat out a turd with eyes flush. And probably several sessions of therapy.

But back to poop in Japan.

I honestly believe that due to the heavy amount of rice in the diet, Japan is probably one of the most constipated nations on the planet. I see lots of advertising for laxatives, etc. I also find that the society is a bunch of "tight asses" -- this is probably one of the most repressed and rigid societies I've seen. There's a nice juxtaposition there, huh? But then I learned that it wasn't just a physical thing, and that there's also some religious aspects about poop in Japan (no, I am serious) as well as some wordplay going on (folks who love puns and wordplay should learn both spoken and written Japanese ). Let me go into further detail.

Japan has less than a 2% Christian population. The main religions are Shintoism and Buddhism. Buddhism, with it's Zen serenity, pretty doesn't give a shit about anything. (hahahaha, I'm full of 'em in this post, aren't I) however, Shintoism or Animism, with its emphasis on deities for everything, does. Because guess what? There are spirits related to health and wellness in Shintoism, including specific gods for bodily functions, collectively known as benjo-gami ( literally privy-spirits). A specific example of such is the god Haniyasu. Images of these benjo-gami were (are) placed around or even under the privy.

As far as health goes, what is the one of the best indicators of health? Yup. Poop. But why the quintessential Japanese crap possess a shape that is disturbingly reminiscent of a soft-serve ice cream?

Traditional Japanese toilets (loathed and feared by gaijin everywhere) are of the squat kind. They're oblong and shallow. And dry. Unlike western toilets, there's no water in the thing until you flush. When you poop, the poop collects in the toilet. If everything is working properly, when you examine your turd (this is called kenben in Japanese) you'll hopefully get a coiled pile of crap, brownish, noisome, somewhat firm but not hard, maybe with some corn in it (and hopefully with no blood). Since Shinto gods are always depicted in an idealized form, a poop icon representing the benjo-gami would be that coiled pile idealized -- a perfectly coiled soft-serve shape. It made me think twice about ordering chocolate ice-cream. For a while, anyway.

The proper word for poop (faeces) in Japanese is daiben. A very polite (and I think obtuse) word is Otuuj. An archiac word for it is edo (aslo used in Zen for referring to the illusory and false material world) and another old word is fujou. If you were to smash your thumb, you'd say "Kuso!" (loudly, too!) Now, the colloquial Japanese word for (healthy) poop is Unko or Unchi. Unchi is more like the kiddy verison - like poopy rather than poop. That U makes an OON sound. That OON sound is also the first sound in the Japanese word for luck or lucky. The words are altogether unrelated but it's the sort of wordplay and punning that is a huge part of the Japanese language and culture. So if you have a good shit - you're lucky, because you're healthy!

You should aim for a healthy unchi poop but what kind of other kinds of poop might you produce?

unpi - The Hershey Squirts. Angry ass. Backdoor/Green Apple Trots. Yup. Diarrhea.

unnyo - not diarrhea, but loose and not quite right.

ungo - A clinker. Hard, black and really stinky. You need to your eat veggies to get roughage.

If you made it this far without feeling sick, thanks for coming along. For your pleasure, a few random bits to end out my guest spot on Canary Tusks.

Potty training in Japan. A talking toilet is worse than a poop with a face!

Japanese toilets are dual-flush. The handle is maked with the characters for "big" and "little".
One for pee, one for poop. Push or pull the handle depending on what you did. Unless you have a really fancy toilet with electronic controls, then you just push the appropriate button.

All kinds of poopy things.

The little poops with smiling faces used as charms, knickknacks and other decor that I mentioned are referred to as unchikun. The -kun suffix being a affection diminutive added to a (male) person's name (girls use -chan). In addition to charms, stuffed toys, and other gewgaws, you can get Mr. Poop Candy.

A robot that scoops up snow and poops it out in brick form.

How about an ancient Japaneses beauty secret? A poop facial. Hahahaha. You sick coprophiles, it isn't quite what you think. More about Uguisu no Fun.

It is also believed that if you step in horse shit, you'll be able to run faster. This is an old samurai superstition, probably stemming from the idea that horses can run fast, so there must be something in them that allows them to do so and it is passed into the poop.

Here's hoping you don't step in any horseshit and have happy, healthy poops.

See you soon!

BG

Uberlist Failure!

Well, fuck me, I totally blew off "Blog Once A Week," didn't I? Well, I've got so much fun knitting stuff to share, and some knitting confessions as well.

First, the beautiful and fabulous and talented Bakagaijin knit me a lovely pink shawl. I wish it were chillier so I could wear it all the time RIGHT NOW!

Here it is:

Sorry about this picture's quality, but self-timer is only so great a photographer!


Secondly, I FINALLY finished the giant man socks. It feels so good to be done with them, and the Mr. is happy to finally have some comfy hand knit socks of his very own! The one skein of Trekking XXL was JUST enough to finish, I probably have about 10 yards left.


Next, I've been working on a cotton tank with some bulky/chunky Nature Cotton. I didn't really find any patterns I loved for a tank top with big yarn, so I did some measuring and started knitting. I'm done with the front & back, both the boob parts, and now need to seam it up and figure out what I want to do about straps.

I did rip the first attempt at boob coverage out, nixed the yellow seed stitch borders, and refigured the decreases to leave plenty of boob coverage.

These guys have been done for a bit, but not blogged:

Mrs. Beeton's from Knitty, in some Hello Yarn sock yarn and Kid Silk Haze. I made 3 pairs of these, in different colors. One for me, one for Bakagaijin, and one for my mom.

Now the confessional:
I still haven't blocked the Irish Hiking Scarf or the Kiri Shawl. And I still haven't photographed the finished Beatrix socks either. Maybe this weekend :)

Elephant Provolone

Elephant Provolone, originally uploaded by skullymom13.

Catching up with some pics I've taken over the last few months with my camera phone.

I saw this while waiting in line at my grocery store deli. I'm not exactly sure what elephants and provolone have in common, but who cares? Cheese!

Satch with his puppy

Satch with his puppy, originally uploaded by skullymom13.

Satchel loves this puppy. He picked it out for his birthday at Lewis & Bark, and carries it with him on walks.

Random Bjork

Random Bjork, originally uploaded by skullymom13.

Trying to catch up on some pics I've taken with my cell phone the last few months.

Taken in downtown Denver near Capital Hill. I think the mural is on the side of an ice cream shop.

Popcorn!!

I can't get over the look on Tina Fey's face when she says Popcorn. Hahhaha!

Birthday, Scarves, and Guns!

A few little things!

I had a birthday! Hooray! I went with my mom and dad to the shooting range to fire off a few rounds. They got my favorite Creepy Guy With Moustache targets back!





Then my mom, aunt, and Jefer went to have tea at Tres Jolie.



Much fun was had!

I've also got my hands on the DH Around the World Scarves! I have 6 done, and 5 photographed.



That's about all!

Oh and also!

I almost forgot! I finished a few more things!

My Beatrix socks are DONE! The Irish Hiking Scarf is DONE! Pictures will follow once I wash and block them.

I am halfway through the 2nd giant man sock for the Mr., and only have about 3 rows, binding off, blocking, and end weaving left on the Kiri shawl. As soon as I finish the shawl, I can start a new project, holy shit, FINALLY! :D So excited.

A Visit to Pueblo, CO

Monday & Tuesday I accompanied the Mr. on a quick trip to Pueblo, CO. I had never been there, despite its proximity to me, and thought, hell, why not? We drove down on Monday, leaving snow in Denver, passing Pike's Peak, and arriving to gorgeous blue skies and 50 degree weather.

We had lunch at Cracker Barrel (I know, cheesy!), and then the Mr. got to work. I decided to explore a little, and ended up in Stem Beach. This is about all that was there: Yup, no beach (not an accessible one anyway), and a closed down boarded up Mini-Mart.

Since Stem Beach ate up about 30 minutes, I started driving, and noticed some signs for Lake Pueblo State Park. I ended up spending the rest of the afternoon there, taking pictures and knitting.

After going to the hotel and showering and changing clothes, we headed over to the car wash. The Mr. washed his car, and I poked around and found some interesting things to take pictures of: Monday night we went to the best happy hour at the Green Light Tavern, where ALL drinks are a buck. Seriously. Afterwards, we went to the Irish brewery next door, where I enjoyed several fun martinis, AND these incredible shots of Ketel One vodka that had been steeping in fresh cranberries, limes, and lemons. Delicious. The food was also delicious, well worth revisiting.

It snowed on Monday night, so all of Tuesday's activities were indoors for me! After dropping off the Mr. to work, I headed to the historic shopping district, with the intention of wandering around poking into stores. It was a bit too early, so I found a tiny bakery and bought some fresh bagels, went to a nice little diner and enjoyed some pancakes, and waited for 10:00 am to arrive.

The first place I went to was the delightful yarn store, Colorado Fiber Arts. If anyone ever finds themselves in the Pueblo area, GO THERE. Super awesome! They have a lovely selection of yarns, and they also carry supplies for spinning and weaving! The people there are extremely friendly, and I even caught a glimpse of a We Call Them Pirates mitten that someone was knitting! Hello Yarn, you're famous all over, lady! I ended up buying a bottle of SOAK, a few lovely skeins of coordinating green Cascade 220 yarn, a pair of earrings made by Two Shakes of a Lamb's Tail (sorry, I can't find a website, but trust me, they are awesome!). The earrings are balls of yarn with knitting needles shoved through them. Very cute.

After the yarn store, I still had some time to kill before the Mr. would be done and we could go home. I ended up going to the
Steelworks Museum. I had an excellent time, and heard that the building they are in now is only phase 1. They'll be adding another building in the next several years. There was a machine that we got to use to make nails. There was also interesting information about the nurses that were specially schooled by Colorado Fuel & Iron to treat the kinds of injuries and sicknesses that befell the workers in the mines and in the mill. There were original nurses' uniforms and a fabulous nurses' cape. I'd love to find one like it. Unfortunately I didn't take pictures inside the museum. Another place I would highly recommend visiting if you find yourself in Pueblo.

I then headed over to meet the Mr., and we headed back home. We picked up Satchel from my parents' house, and went home!

Yarny Progress and other tidbits

Wow! This has been a really good knitting week!

I finished, washed, and blocked the feather and fan shawl: I must say that I adore this thing. It is warm, oversized, and comfortable. It is soft, squishy, and sproingy.

I also FINALLY finished the 1st Giant Man Sock: It feels good to be 50% done. My reward for finishing that sock was starting this:

The second Beatrix sock for me! I'm already halfway done.

Once I get through my unfinished objects (the pile gets smaller every day!), I'll be able to start some new items, like mittens, a sweater, and this cute circular shrug I bookmarked from Ravelry. All that is left unfinished besides the two pairs of socks is the Kiri Shawl and the Irish Hiking Scarf. Wheee!

Tibits:

Breaking Bad is good. Watch it, or miss out on all the awesome.

The Man With the Screaming Brain: completely corny, and sort of a whim that we picked it up on Netflix Watch Instantly. Two thumbs up!

Sock Dreams has utterly fantastic service! I ordered 4 pairs of super cute socks on Friday night, and they showed up in the mail today. I even selected the standard, free shipping. I can't recommend them more, plus, a lot of their selection is made in the USA, so no Chinese sweatshop guilt! Extra great!

A few snippets

Hola!

I'm enjoying a delightfully busy day here at the shop, wishing I were at home snuggling with the dog, finishing my handspun shawl, and playing a little Call of Duty.

A few snippets to fulfill my weekly blogging obligations:

Anyone into electronic music ought to check out Baron Zen At the Mall: Remixes on Stones Throw Records. My cousin, the incredibly talented Selector Dub U has track 13on the remix side, No More. Check it!

And a book snippet: I'm currently reading Kingdom of Fear by Hunter S. Thompson, a gift from the Mr. for Xmas. So far, so great! I love Hunter S., and this book has so far discussed a number of issues close to home for me here in Colorado.

In knitting news, my handspun shawl is ALMOST done. I think about 4 or 5 more rows and then I can bind off and start the daunting task of weaving the bajillion ends in before I block it. I can't wait to wear it, it is going to be so warm and soft and squishy! Yay!

A New Reign of Terror...er....Writing, featuring the Uberlist of 2008

Hello!

As you'll see in my following Uberlist, one of my goals is to blog at least once a week.

I think I'll start with the Uberlist. Will I finally reach the ever elusive Brenda status, or get stuck as a Donna? Only the next 360 some odd days will tell!

1. Quit smoking (this time, I mean it)
2. Go to Yarn School
3. Go to the Hiwan Homestead Museum
4. Sew something using the denim and red printed cotton fabrics I bought last year
5. Knit myself mittens
6. Get curtains/window treatments for all windows, rehang wood trim on living room door and window
7. Make a cookbook
8. Organize the office and closet-take pics of the closet for Seekay
9. Visit 5 historic Colorado places
10. Fly a kite
11. Clean bedroom & closet
12. Write my children's book
13. Make Cookie Picture collar frames, try to sell (patent pending!)
14. Go to the dog park 10 times (this one ought to be easy)
15. Make an effort to keep up my appearance
16. Beat Bioshock
17. Get 2 tattoos (Skully picture & pin-up)
18. Secret!! Surprise to come! (not a big surprise, just a little one)
19. Give Satchel a bath
20. Have film from garage sale camera developed, order some more film for camera
21. Read 12 books
22. Pay bills on time!
23. Finish Mr. Pants' socks & Beatrix socks for me
24. Wash face daily, moisturize as needed
25. Keep fingernails neat and even
26. Go through all boxes and get rid of stuff
27. Ride bike to work 10 times
28. Play Viva Pinata
29. Sew a dress
30. Clean and organize kitchen cabinets
31. Knit a sweater
32. Complete Around the World Scarves on time
33. Pay off old credit card/other debt
34. Go to the zoo
35. Go to the Botanic Gardens
36. Go to the new contemporary art museum
37. Organize living room & buy stools for tall table so we can eat at a table like normal people
38. Get set up to recycle at home (I know. Currently I only recycle cans at home.)
39. Buy a new, giant memory card for digital camera
40. Go to the Estes Park Wool Market
41. Meet up with local Ravelry people
42. Intall new weatherstripping on door to garage
43. Track all spending/income for at least one month & adjust accordingly
44. Replace hideous light fixtures (gold? Good god, people)
45. Replace cream colored outlet/switch plates in living room
46. Finish handspun shawl & Kiri shawl
47. Get a haircut
48. Get mixer repaired (the music kind)
49. Practice on turntables
50. Wash & detail car
51. Make a list of problems on car and fix them
52. Spin some yarn Done! I'll be making more of course
53. Make multi-frame picture collage for living room wall
54. Lose 20 pounds
55. Install electronic thermostat
56. Put $2,000 into savings
57. Install toy display shelf in living room, install shelf under Skully's pictures for her urn
58. Make a basic scrapbook
59. Go through all paperwork and shred unnecessary items, file things to keep
60. Donate time or money to a charity
61. Give myself a pedicure
62. Buy Get Fuzzy books that I don't have
63. Get 2nd computer set up in the office, get a new monitor
64. Put kennel back into storage
65. Finish a big Sunday size crossword without cheating
66. Send a care package to Fury
67. Send secret package to a few secret people
68. Order prints from Brandon Bird and/or Natalie Dee to hang in the office
69. Have BBVD & Avs autographed posters framed
70. Take Satchel to the vet for his checkup
71. Fix furnace
72. Go to the eye doctor
73. Wash & prepare raw fleece
74. Get new bedroom furniture
75. Replace sheets and comforter
76. Update Netflix queue
77. Blog at least once a week
78. Update Bloglines subscriptions-add new as found, repair ones that don't work
79. Update MySpace once a month
80. Take a class for my brain-photography, pottery, or a language
81. Paint bathroom, replace shower curtain, hang new towel rack
82. Paint office
83. Touch up paint where needed
84. Make a cover for Kitchenaid mixer
85. Clean and organize kitchen counters-get items needed to keep it organized
86. Take a few rolls of film with old 35mm camera
87. Make homemade ice cream
88. Perfect chili recipe
89. Go to shooting range
90. Make a schedule for chores
91. Try a new local restaurant
92. Replace or repair flooring in office
93. Knit a critter for my spinning wheel
94. Make homemade pup cookies
95. Make or buy a toybox for Satchel
96. Try to save up for a fancy pants DSLR camera
97. Find great, tall, flat boots
98. Bake cookies
99. Clean the bathroom, scrub all grout and caulking, replace caulking if necessary
100. Plant something in the big pots on the patio
101. Go to the farmer's market 5 times
102. Visit farm in Windsor to buy Buckhorn cheese
103. Visit an alpaca ranch
104. Try a fightin' sport
105. Do workout DVD's 3 times a week
106. Get color coded star stickers to mark calendar for regular items (exercise, cleaning, blogging, dog walks, savings, etc.) I tried this for exercise a few years ago, and liked it.
107. Find a way to organize all CD's
108. Take Satchel on a long walk (one mile or more) at least once a week

Okay, there it is! Let's see how I do, shall we?

In knitting news, I've been working my butt off on my handspun shawl (in between sessions of Call of Duty 4; we've been having a blast playing online). I'd like to be able to wear it while it is still cold. I've got about 10 inches to go before it is the same as my wingspan. Here is the most recent photo, it is probably 3-4 inches larger with a few more colors since:

Knitting ADD

It is official. I've got myself a severe case of knitting ADD. The Yarn Harlot might call it startitis. The Giant Man Socks, the Beatrix Socks, the Kiri Shawl, and the Irish Hiking Scarf just aren't enough, you know. I was thinking the other night how NICE it would be to have a warm, toasty shawl to curl up in during the upcoming chilly evenings. Instead of just grabbing my (finished) Clapotis, and wrapping it round my shoulders, I decided that I MUST start knitting a Feather & Fan Comfort Shawl.

I've also ordered a bunch of Knitpicks Palette in various colors, so I could knit some sweet mittens like these super awesome ones like Adrian at Hello Yarn makes.

ANY.way. Yeah. I have Knitting ADD.

Oh! Here is a hat I finished, modeled by the always lovely and cooperative Satchel:



Specs:
Pattern: My own, standard hat with earflaps
Yarn: Crystal Palace Merino Frappe in blue, Elle Lussuria in fuzzy, soft white
Needles: US 6 (made a nice fabric, # of stitches cast on worked for my big head)

Wireless R0xx0rs and other Saturday Fun

I heart wireless. So much so that I'm not even using it right this minute, but I had to upload some pictures. The guy that the Mr. is doing prototyping work for gave us a wireless router, and today, they got it all set up. I came home from my errands to Nerdville USA. There were THREE laptops out on the kitchen counters, the Mr. was fiddling with the PSP, and our desktop computer was also on. I immediately snagged an empty laptop and checked out the wonders of the internet in the kitchen. Awesome.

Earlier, I went out on a little journey to the yarn store, the library, and to Jerusalem's to pick up some food. First up, the yarn store. I parked, saw a Thunderbird car show, and had to visit a cute pink 1957 Thunderbird convertible. Then to the yarn store to browse (and shop. Shutup, I'm powerless in that place). I sat down and knit a little on a sock, chit chatting with another knitter who was working on attaching a handle to a purse. Just as I'm fondling some Rowan Tapestry yarn, a woman storms in and asks if anyone in there drives a black Echo. Another woman confirmed that it was her car, and the stormer yells, "First, you're parked illegally, and second, you hit my fucking brand new Cobalt!!" Naturally, the whole place is silent, other than this exchange. The Echo driver says that she's sure she didn't hit the other car, and maybe she just tapped it. Yeller yells at Echo that her bumper is fucking touching her bumper. The Yeller and the Echo driver go outside, and we all gathered at the window to check out the situation. The Echo driver WAS parked very poorly, AND touching the Cobalt's bumper. I won't make excuses for that kind of poor driving etiquette, but damn, Yeller could have handled the situation with just a touch more class.

Next, I headed for the library, and there was a sidewalk chalk artist drawing a beautiful mural for Banned Books Month. I successfully picked up Slaughterhouse Five and Animal House.

Afterwards, I headed over to Jerusalem's to pick up some falafel and a shish kabob sandwich. I must have been spoiled by Blake's cooking at Yarn School, but my falafel was subpar in comparison. I was pretty bummed, since I've been craving the good stuff since the day I had it in Kansas. Luckily, my shish kabob sandwich was delicious, like most of Jerusalem's food, and I was sated.

As far as knitting goes, I'm working on a few things at the moment.



This is the first sock I'm making for the Mr. I frogged the Gentleman's Sock with Lozenge Pattern from Knitting Vintage Socks, and used just the ribbing for the top. I'm doing the rest in plain stockinette so I can knit them on the go without using a pattern. Plus, these things are huge, so doing a fussy diamond pattern on not one, but TWO whole socks would drive me to the bottle.



This is the first sock of the pair using Mountain Colors Bearfoot. The pattern is Beatrix. I can't start the second one until I finish one of the Mr.'s socks.



Here is my Kiri shawl in progress. I'm really enjoying the colors in this yarn. it is Dicentra Designs alpaca laceweight, in Abalone Dark.

And finally, the Victoriana Top is finished.



I should have knit a smaller size, but I love it anyway.

Tey iz feeddin me

This post is to make my mom feel a little better, as we are babysitting their dog, Krystal, while my folks are out of town.

Goodbye my sweet, sweet baby girl

Skully was put to sleep on Friday, September 21st, 2007. My heart and my home both feel empty, my eyes sting from the tears that won't stop.

Skully came to live with me on July 5th, 2002. The same day as my cousin's funeral, and the same day that not one but FOUR friends moved out of state. She saved me. We didn't have any kind of adjustment period, we just WERE. We went everywhere together: on walks, to visit my folks, out to the country, to the park, on hikes, and on car rides for quick errands. Her middle name, Potatoes, came during the first week I had her, when we got in the car one day. She wasn't aware that she needed to stay in the back seat, for her own safety, and was trying to climb into shotgun. Instead of cursing at her, I yelled, "Skully.....POTATOES," and it stuck.

When I surfed the web on my laptop in bed, she was there, and pawed at my arm when it was time to stop. She always knew when I needed her, and I knew when she needed me. Call it co-depency, I call it doggie soulmates. The instant I met her, even before she was living with me, I loved her.

I remember taking her up to Mt. Falcon park for the first time, where they really aren't supposed to go off-leash, but we let her go to run through a big, grassy meadow. She looked so happy, running through the grasses, with a big, puppy smile on her face. Another walk, along the Platte River Trail to the south of us, was also a big source of amusement for her. There were these tiny little frogs, hopping all along the trail. She thought they were quite fun to stalk, and she kept trying to polar bear them with her front paws.

The second place we lived together, in downtown Denver, was for a short time, but was where she met her first dog friend, Hoover. He was a black lab, and lived across the alley. She used to watch out from our bedroom window for him to be outside. She'd see him, and cry at me mercilessly until we'd take her out to play. They used to run and run in the little side yard, and when it snowed, they'd busy themselves digging and digging, looking for something underneath the snow.

When we lived in Littleton, Skully got to go to daycare. She loved to go there every Friday and play & socialize with all the other doggies. She always knew when we were going there, and would freak out accordingly.

Shortly after her daycare closed down, we met a puppy, who was destined to become a little brother for Skully. We introduced them, and they got along, so he got to come home and complete our little family. We named him Satchel Porkchop Squishyface. It took Skully a bit to understand that she wasn't being replaced, and that she still had all of the same priveleges as before. Once she caught on, she loved having another dog around to snuggle and play with.

At any rate, rather than keep going on and on, recounting all of my sweet memories of my baby girl, I'll leave it at this, for now, anyway.

And last night, we got back her ashes and her memorial plaque. It was a bittersweet moment; getting her back makes me feel whole again, but she's not here anymore to "mer" at me, or give raspberry kisses too anymore.

Very, very sad

This Friday night, I will be sending my baby girl, Skully, to the Rainbow Bridge. I'm terribly sad about this, even though the logical part of my brain tells me that this is the right thing to do. The other part of me never wants to let her go. The arrangements have been made. A mobile vet will be coming to my house to do the procedure, so that she will be safe and comfortable at home. My folks & the Mr. will be there. Satchel might get a better understanding this way, too, moreso anyway than if we took her away somewhere and she never came back. He's going to be really upset too. A gentleman who runs a local business that handles pet cremation and the like will be taking her from there and will insure an individual cremation, rather than the alternative. He'll put her into a nice urn, with her name on it, and will make a lovely memorial plaque with the Rainbow Bridge poem, a pawprint, and a lock of her fur.

I will be posting more, after the fact, as a memorial to her, but for now, I just need to try not to sit here all day crying at my desk.

Best Idea Ever

Well, perhaps the best commuting idea ever.

If I could find a really lightweight kayak, canoe, or other small watercraft, that I would be capable of carrying aways by myself while rollerblading, I could commute TO work on the river. In a boat. And rollerblade the short distance from the river to the shop, and then rollerblade home.

Hells yeah.

Oooooooooklahoma

On Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, my dad and I took a 24 hour road trip from Denver to Jennings, OK to the Hallett Motor Raceway to pick up an engine. We left Denver around 6:15 am, and I was back home and in my bed the following morning at 5:00 am. We stopped in Oakley, KS, home of the World's Largest Prairie Dog for gas and lunch. Their sign is huge.

We ate here:

They had fantastic french fries, crispy and yummy! My dad reviewed the fried chicken, and said that it is delicious and not all greasy inside. If you find yourself in Oakley, KS, I recommend a stop there!

Then we were ready to get back on the road. The gas station implores that we drive safely:

My first driving shift over, I settled in as navigator and got some knitting time. Here you can see my Jaywalker sock enjoying Wichita:

As we got to the merging of I-135 and I-35, we were required to stop and pay a toll. This wonderful tollbooth operator was happy to pose with Sock:

We soon made our way into Oklahoma, and stopped again for fuel in Braman, OK, just south of the Kansas border. I was able to purchase a pack of nail files to get rid of a yarn snagging fingernail burr that had been bothering me for miles. They offered this:

The next leg of our journey was fairly short and uneventful, but I realized that Oklahoma seemed to be the land of slow, dead things in the road. We came across armadillos, tortoises, and other various roadkill. In fact, at one point we went by a lucky tortoise who had almost made it, and saw him cross into safety as we passed. I had no idea that OK had a big tortoise population. I apparently also enjoy typing tortoise. We made it to the track and looked for Terry & the Pirates:

After our greetings, we prepared to transfer the engine from their truck to ours, when a torrential downpour began. We were lucky enough to make it in time for the dinner that had been prepared for the BMW racers at the track for the weekend. The grumpiest lady in Oklahoma* served us our food, and while we ate, the rain subsided. (I'm sure the grumpiest lady in Oklahoma is so grumpy because she gets to deal with visiting racers who can probably be a little rowdy sometimes.) We went back to the truck and the guys started moving parts:

I took this time to take some pictures:



I then "asked" some of the folks to pose with Sock.






We left the track around 7:30 or so (CST), and headed back home. That drive was pretty uneventful, picture wise, due to getting tired, frequent driver changes, and napping. There was some rather heavy fog through western Kansas and eastern Colorado, but we made it.

Here are our final trip stats:


Overall, I'd call the trip a success! I got in some fun bonding time with my dad, got to check Oklahoma off of my list of states, and made people hold my sock.