in which I take after Benjamin Franklin

I have been known to plan my day out, hour by hour, just like Mr Franklin....

(image credit: http://kalman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/30/can-do/)

Now if I could just get the whole doing-good-all-the-time ball rolling (somehow, I don't think that organizing my yarn stash--much as it pleases me--counts towards worldly good).

and now for something completely different

2010 street change

just back from my winter excursion to california (more snow, rain and wind than sun, so don't go imagining me lounging on the beach or anything), and I've just completed that all-important new year's task of counting last year's haul of street change: 

folding money: $24 (a twenty in a Sacramento gutter sweetened this figure)
cold hard cash: $12.68
foreign currency: $0.31 (canadian and australian, converted using today's exchange rates)
one train-flattened penny (can't spend it, so it's not counted, but it was a penny)

grand total: $36.99!

funny: frank chimero

This funny story came to my blog reader, and I immediately wanted to share it.  Enjoy!

school: wood shop

I remember laughing in undergrad when I took a soils class (I'm playing in the mud... in college?!?), and now I'm laughing that I'm in grad school and taking wood shop*.

*OK, OK, it's actually called Landscape Materials, but it sure feels like wood shop so far.

in which I jump out of a perfectly good airplane

I celebrated my birthday (just a little late this year) by going skydiving!  I've never been before, though I'd been wanting to for years and years.  I did a tandem jump from 13,500 feet, with about 60 seconds of free fall before my instructor deployed the parachute.
Bill at Skydive Snohomish was my instructor, and he was great.  Thanks, Bill!!  It was such a thrill, I'm looking forward to going again already!

see ya!

there's a little saying in these parts....

Q: What do you call a sunny day that comes after two rainy days?

A: Monday

And just to prove our point....

(source: nws.noaa.gov)

you know you're facing finals in a design program when.....

.... your fridge looks like this.

ps: don't worry mom, I went to the grocery store today.

vitreous humor

This has been my favorite yarn for a long time. I felt like the spinner must've had me in mind when she created it, but given that I wasn't the first, and that she regularly sells out of it, and that there are several projects made with it on ravelry (rav link), I guess I'm not the only one who would love and cherish such a yarn. In fact, I know this is true, because I place the origin of my penchant for eyeballs squarely on my dad. He knows why.

And, no sooner did I say that I can't do a whole knitting project in a single sitting in my last post, than do I do exactly that. Last night, I sat down with my favorite yarn (which I had previously been content to simply display in a wad in my bookcase) and a pair of borrowed size 35 needles (for the non-knitter, that's the same diameter as your average broomstick), and Kathleen Rogers' Vitreous Humor Scarf pattern (rav). It was the first (and as yet, only) pattern I'd seen for this yarn that allows the yarn to retain it's gutsy, sinewy character instead of just knitting it into a dense, pink fabric.

And even a little early for halloween, no less!

working in the garden

it's hard to believe I was drinking coffee and wearing a fleece this morning (around 7)... it ended up a scorcher in the afternoon.... 86 degrees! yikes!

can't talk now....

... having entirely too good a time on San Juan Island with Eric. More later.

loss karma

Some people I've known are perennial misplacers. Sometimes it's important stuff like their keys or wallet, or maybe it's just their shopping list or a book. I've never been one of these people. I don't mean that I've never ever misplaced anything, but I do it so rarely that when I do lose something, I get a little wigged out about it. Which is why today, when I lost two things before I even got off the plane, I was rather put out about it, and began to believe that my entire trip was doomed. First, I lost my spork, which I carry in my bag to avoid using disposable cutlery. I used it to eat up my breakfast at SeaTac, then tucked it into a pocket so I would remember to wash it, and when I went to retrieve it (still at SeaTac), it was gone. I retraced my steps, but to no avail. I have another spork or two at home, so it's not a huge loss, but still. Dang! And then I managed to leave my handkerchief on the plane! (stop making that "ew" face -- it's not as gross as all that) I reached for it later and realized that I must've left it on my seat, where I had put it under my leg rather than wiggling about to get it back into my pocket whilst seated with my seat belt securely fastened. Dang, again! So there I am in Phoenix, sans spork and one handkerchief (turns out I had stashed a spare subconsciously in my bag), when I turn my attention to the radio in my rental car. I start cruising the stations when I notice that the display says "CD IN". What? The previous renter left their CD? That's something I've often been afraid of doing, so my initial feeling was that of sympathy. But then I got down to business to see what sort of CD I had just inherited. Assuming it was going to be something like MC Hammer's 1988 Christmas album I set my hopes low, which probably wasn't a bad idea. It's U2's new album, No Line on the Horizon. U2 has traditionally been my favorite band, but this particular album received pretty dismal reviews, so I hadn't lifted a finger in an attempt to procure it. I listened to it today when the radio stations petered out (I agree with the reviews: meh), and I'll probably listen again when I head back tomorrow, until the radio stations start to pick up again.
Whether or not I keep it though, will probably depend on how I am feeling about the loss of my spork and handkerchief.

catching up

Writing from somewhere over Nevada – on my way to Phoenix for a super quick field office visit.

I spent last weekend working, so I don’t feel bad for missing Sunday’s confessional. Working the weekend made Sunday feel like Tuesday, which makes today (Tuesday) feel like Thursday. I’ll get back to Seattle on a Wednesday that will feel like a Friday, take Thursday off (since that’ll be Saturday), then work on Friday (which will then feel like working on Sunday again). Then it’ll be the weekend again, at which point a little bit of my brain will melt and ooze out of my right ear, but I won’t complain because I’ll have the day off. Incidentally, I think this is how Finn gets so smart – he laps up my oozed brain bits while I’m asleep.

I dropped Finn off at Great Dog for some overnight play care while I'm away. He was there on Monday for day care so this will be an unusual three days straight of day care for him, which will certainly wear him out for the next several days. He’s no spring puppy anymore – he used to come home from day care and still be bounding with energy. Now he comes home, has a lagging burst that consists mostly of barking at passers by, then zonks out on the couch or bed until it’s… bedtime. Yesterday he slept even longer and deeper than usual – I think he’s going to be one exhausted pup when I get home.

The garden is nearly ready to be planted. I’ve turned the soil and amended it with four bags of Farmyard Blend compost. This Thursday (aforementioned day off), I’m volunteering at the Seattle Tilth Edible Plant Sale (sale is actually on Saturday and Sunday, I’ll be on a plant set-up crew), which comes with the benefit of getting first dibs on the plants I want, so now I have to think about what and how much I want to plant. One of the only benefits of living alone is that this year, I get to plant whatever I want.

Tomatoes – a no-brainer. Last year we had nine plants, I think I’ll do about the same this year, but I might try some different varieties.
Peppers – I’m thinking about trying a mini plastic hoop setup to grow peppers. So far, our attempts at peppers have been lackluster, but at the same time, seemingly promising, if I could just get it right. Not sure if I’d want to try sweet or hot. Both?
Broccoli – these have worked very well in the past
Beans – sugar snap, green and yellow
Spinach and lettuce – but only if I get to these soon… if I wait too long they bolt
Eggplant –I think I’ll try that instead of zucchini
Onions – especially since I didn’t get any garlic going this year
Potatoes – they’re already reestablishing themselves from last year, but they’re good all through the winter
Winter squash – of some variety, which makes me want to consider trying
Parsnips and/or beets – since I’ve enjoyed those over the winter

I think I will skip trying artichokes this year – the few I’ve grown have been the best artichokes I’ve ever had, but I’m just not sure they’re worth it. Same for carrots – these are a favorite of Eric’s, but we get tons from our CSA box, and they’re pretty demanding for such a basic plant.

As for herbs, Last year I swore off trying to grow cilantro and basil, but now I am waffling. Maybe this would be the year I get it right! I also have in mind a little lavender garden, with three or four different varieties. And if anyone knows the secret for getting thyme to thrive, I’m all ears.

What am I missing?

Finn, I don't think we're in Seattle anymore...

As I waited for the bus* to take me downtown, I saw this....

These are two of the skiers I saw today. Five cross-country (including one skijourer) and one downhiller.

* skiing really might have been faster than the bus today, but my hat goes off to the Metro and Sound Transit drivers these snowy days -- they've been doing a helluva job, under very trying circumstances. Bravo!

WIP: cricket costume, 4

Costume completion! After sizing the smock on Zoe last night, I sewed hook and loop dots on the sides, stitched joints into and attached the legs, and sewed the wings on the back. Before coming down to Irvine, I stuffed the abdomen with a bit of polyfill at Eric's suggestion (spot on, Eric, thank you!). Here's the documentary picture of the completed project, the back of it, draped over the futon.....

Much as we adults might, Zoe does not love the costume. She seemed to enjoy the parts of it before they were all assembled. She grabbed the sparkly pipecleaners Emily got for antennae and took to holding them onto her head as "tenna", and she clasped the wings to herself and hopped around the living room for a bit. She even took the stuffed fabric tubes, held them next to her own legs, and then mama's legs and identified them as such, but when it was all together, she wanted not much to do with it. She seems semi-interested in it when it's on mama, who tried valiantly to convince Zoe to don the outfit at a playgroup halloween party today, but Zoe was more interested in going sans costume. She accepted the "tenna" though, which Emily wound into her pigtails. After the third or fourth try at getting Zoe to wear the costume, she was sufficiently distracted long enough to get used to it, and played on the wooden climbing structure long enough for a few photos. If I may say so myself, it's even cuter on her than I had even hoped.

edited to add a few more photos:

go figure

Just when I swore off buying new fabric until I make some progress on my current projects, this happens. Lookit all those great finds!

happy friday!

you know you're at the Fremont Solstice Parade when....

I went to the Fremont Solstice Parade last Saturday with some friends. It was easily the strangest parade I have ever seen, either in person or otherwise. There were no banners or other announcements of what group was coming next, and I am pretty sure that whoever wants to be in the parade, can be. You and your friends want to dress up in mardi gras beads and thongs and march down the street with finger cymbals? Go for it. There were a few (man-powered!) floats, a smattering of semi-organized musical ensembles who appeared to have practiced the same songs, and I tell you, there were absolutely no political statements whatsoever....





I perused the craft fair but I think I was missing a street or two, because I remember it being much larger and with more real crafts and fewer booths of sunglasses for $3.99. Oh well, next year.


these guys had a guitar case proclaiming them as the Old Time Jug Band or similar, but mostly I recognized two of the four as being from the Tall Boys.

a goobernatorial phone call

me: hello?
caller: hi, I'm calling from Acme Poll, and I have a couple of questions for you about this year's gubernatorial election.
me: okay
caller: first, do you consider yourself to be a republican or a democrat?
me: neither.
caller: okay, by that do you mean you're an independent, or...?
me: no, I just don't affiliate myself with any one political party
[at this, I can practically hear him panic over the fact that there's nothing in the script for this answer]
caller: uhh, okay then, one last question: who do you plan to vote for in the upcoming gubernatorial race?
me: Christine Gregoire
caller: correct
me: (laughs) correct?!?
caller: oh, right...uh, thanks for your time!

Kiss me, I'm Irish!