bread!

Woo hoo! Interwebs at home!

So, after a way too long hiatus, i have internet at home and can finally resume posting inanne things and pithy witticisms. Tonight i only have the i pad fired up, and i confess, it's not super easy to type on it. but fear not, tomorrow i shall get Rocekt the Laptop up and attem, and i will post piccies, and linkies, and all manner of such! Yay!

now you work for ME too

so here are my thoughts on this. i’m terribly disappointed, but i can see how it happened. Fiscal responsibly really isn’t all bad, on premise. so using that as a major campaign tool was pretty smart; lots of people will vote for fiscal responsibility, regardless of which party is talking about it. If i’m honest, Martha Coakley wasn’t a swell candidate, but she was in favor of HC Reform; for me, the deal breaker issue is healthcare.

So. there is almost nothing we can do about this, other than make him work for us. he used the whole “people’s seat” and the “people want change” rhetoric, so i don’t wonder if it’s time to up the ante on our demands of our senator. Presumably he’ll have an office and an email, so perhaps it’s time for us to get our letter writing pens out, and get cracking.

So fine you aren’t going to vote in favor of this current healthcare reform bill, but guess what smarty pants, it’s time for you to present an alternative. How would you correct what is broken? I want healthcare that works for the majority of people, not just those who are lucky enough to have an employer who offers it (and said employer will give them 40 hours to make them eligible).

now hear this Senator Elect Brown; you say you’re working on behalf of all the people? well i’m in your constituency too, and i want healthcare reform, whether you do or not.

Dear, unfortunate Wes Welker

Yeeps. Yesterday's injury came on a technique and motion that athletes of almost every single sport perform on a regular basis. Heck, walking through an ordinary city street causes people to use the same maneuver. perhaps not at the same velocity; and so that could be the cause of the injury, but not playing wes welker in the first possession yesterday is in no way a guarantee of injury prevention.

It is terribly too bad that it's season ending; indeed, my coworker todd is even saying hair-raising things like career ending. I'm not going to go that far yet; it only happened just yesterday, but indeed, it did not look very good.

the sally gap hoodie!

previously i mentioned a little lake in ireland.

six or seven weeks ago, i decided to make a sweater that tried to capture the same shade of blue.

i think i've done it!


this one is a little bit of cabling, to be reminiscent of an aran sweater, but not so much cabling that i want to poke my eyes out. the cable crosses were every third row, instead of every row or every other row; so that made it a bit easier to handle.


There is cabling on the sleeves as well, so that alleviates the stressed stitches usually found in raglan style sweaters.


there is only one teeny weeny mistake that is easily corrected- one sleeve is short a cable repeat so it's about 3/4 inch shorter than the other, and the cuff is done with larger needles on that sleeve, so it's a bit too loose, but that's super easy to fix- i'll do so in few days or so.

at the risk of being a broken record....

I do love those Bouncing Souls.


THE BOUNCING SOULS "Airport Security"

Bouncing Souls | MySpace Music Videos

They are soooooo good. They have such good stuff. So true to themselves and their place in the "here and now". Agreed, as they get old, they get a teeny bit less frenetic, but they are no less emotional, original, and creative than they were twenty years ago.

The latest album is a 20 year anniversary album; called Ghosts of the Boardwalk. It's pretty good. It's got anthems and acoustics; harmony and pounders; thoughtful lyrics and some that are just for fun.

If I were a Jersey Girl, I would be at every single show at the Stone Pony next week; alas, I'm a Masshole, so while I take East Coast F*#k You directly to heart, I think it's better to let the locals have all the fun.

It's hard for me to pick a Bouncing Souls Best playlist; even harder to pick a favorite album, which is as near as makes no difference to impossible. I suppose I would have to go with most played souls album. What is it? Dunno really. Probably the self titled, but it could be Hopeless Romantic, Summer Vacation, Maniacal Laughter, or even the Gold Record. The Gold Record is a top drawer album- especially considering that it's one of the later albums. Often the later work of musicians can be the weaker of the library; but not so the Souls. I'm not sure yet if Boardwalk stacks up yet, but I didn't skip any tracks, so that's a good sign, isn't it?

here's how i do a grocery bag!

so you start with the four sheets (2 of lining, 2 of outside). each one sewn opposite pattern, right side together


then you turn one of the halves right side out.


then you take the one you just turned right side out, and put it inside the one that's still inside out, with same patterns and right sides facing.


(this is just another piccy to show you how it should look)


then you take it to your machine and sew the inside of the handle. (like the inside of a tube).


after all this, and you pull everything right side out again, it should look like this. the two patterns will be back to back, as they should be on the finished bag, and then all you need to do is sew up the side seams (right side and same pattern facing) and then do the bottom as you wish.

if i had ny own house....

there is a moderately long list of things i would like to have. some a dealbreakers others are just wishes.

I'd like to have a sewing room. Perhaps a futon or murphy bed in there for guests, but primarily it will be a sewing studio.

I'd like a room to sit and read. a small telly can go in there too.

NO telly in my bedroom! you might think i've forgotten how to read before bed!

I'd like a small yard where i can send the cat outside. a basement to put the sandbox in would be good too.

i've got fab curtains i made for sofia's appartment. she returned them when she moved home to lisbon. It would be nice to use them. I would like my kitchen to be pale spring green. I'd like my bedroom to be blue, and the bathroom to be pale yellow again.

I'd like a user friendly kitchen, and a gas cooker would be a extra special bonus, and i'd like enough space to have people over for sunday lunch!

i wonder why i've been so quiet

it's not that i have nothing to say, it's just that i'm distracted i guess. Some of it i blame on facebook. While i really do love the connection to long lost friends and those who live far away; in a way, it's cut into my creativity. The decrease of posting my life's inanities is directly corollary to the increase in time spent on facebook.

the thing i'm not so crazy about facebook is that it's a bit like sensory overload. it's not unlike the school cafeteria; there's a lot of talking going on- sometimes over each other. So i do like it, but sometimes it's hard to be coherent.

Currently i'm studying for the cptb exam, and i'm getting nervous, because i haven't spent enough time doing so, but on the other hand, i'm also feeling sheepish because i haven't yet worked on the lisbon photos, or holiday shopping or much of anything! yeeps! i need more hours in the day!

lame journalists

honestly, i don't know why i continue to read boston.com and the globe. I mean i'm all for calling a spade a spade, and i do like it when journalists are matter of fact and all, but i also like it when they have unfailing faith and love for their team; i like it when they can say "Just wait til next year!" with the rest of us.

the way bob lobel and gil santos can do. but no. Since gil santos is a patriots guy, and no other media outlet has given bob lobel a job (foolish), we're stuck with dopes like the curly haired boy, bob ryan and tony massarotti. I used to think mazz was a beacon of hope in an otherwise dim landscape at the globe, but today he has sealed his fate with me.

i don't mind that we didn't beat the angels. honestly. i really don't. we didn't hit very well this series, and we didn't pitch championship pitching. I do not mind that the angels came in and did both those things. but for mazz to pen an entire article about the possibility of being on the decline isn't at all the same as saying the angels were a better ball club.

Do you really want to go out before the 09 season is completely over, and say 2010 is going to be a non-race year for us? is that really the kind of fan you are? Are you such a clever "journalist" that you aren't even a fan anymore? Today isn't a day to be mr prediction, it's not for being edgy and apocalyptic, you asshole. today isn't the day to flatter yourself or blind us with your quote unquote brilliant baseball analysis.

Today is a day to be a fan. Today is when you say, "wait til next year! We'll get you next year!"

here is my list of things to accomplish this fall.

i'd better get on the stick, because today is september 24, and the list is pretty long. Gah!

knitting projects:
1. dayflower cardigan, using the stupid Rowan felted tweed that i made into the cabled raglan and haven't worn once.
2. Jade cabled hoodie using the super fab knitpicks kettle dyed wool of the andes
3. i must finish mom's pullover. it would be super fantastic if i could do so for christmas but alas, as it has sat untouched for two whole years now, i rather think that's not in the cards.
4. christmas hats for the kids. i've got some done, one i'm on the fence over. if it doesn't look a bit better after a trip through the washer, i'm going to skip hats for the girls, and only make them for the boys.
5. I'm so close to completion on the stripey socks i can taste it. trouble is, the project is so exceptionally BORING that i can hardly bring myself to complete even the last bit of the toe on the second sock. I'm still not too sure why people are SO enamored with knitting socks.

and there's more!

there are other projects too!

Argh! how am i possibly going to get all of this completed?

household projects
1. paint the cabinet boxes
2. paint the livingroom and bedroom
3. replace the dishwasher and fridgerator

work projects
1. study for the pharmacy tech exam! that's on december 3! I have to get back at studying.
2. complete the cbt's for the new fill system at cvs.

social projects:
1. christmas shopping
2. open house viewing
3. confirmation classes with catha

i have to admit, i didn't realise...

until i arrived at work. Is that a sign of complacency, or of recovery? The thing is I don't think it's adequate enough to remember September 11 just on the anniversary. And I don't think it's appropriate to simply remember those who lost their lives. I really feel that we must live our lives in honor of and as a legacy them.

We are no further forward in world stability and serenity than we were nine years ago. Is that down to the politicians? Perhaps. Probably. But i also have to admit, I think it also falls down a little bit on us.

I know in my heart of hearts that the way to world peace is open-minded compassion and caring. I know it takes two to tango, and if only one person at the pugilistic party holds these to be self-evident then they have a rather tall order, but I don't care. I'm going to be that idealist. I hold a serious responsibility to look after my fellow man (even when they make me angry); and if Ii can't look after him, then do no harm to him.

It often seems like there aren't many people willing to do that part of it (the tough part) the looking after; and for that matter, I'm probably not as good at it as I should be, but that's what I like to renew on September 11. I like to renew my effort of caring; to try to spread the message of peace. Surely I can't be alone, won't you join me?

here's one thing i'm not sure i understand:

in the wake of the fairly substantial polemic separation, as well as all the somewhat "la la la la la! i can't hear you! especially when i shout horrible half truths louder than you!" campaigning tactics, i still haven't gotten to the bottom of WHY people are so opposed to universal coverage.
what's so objectionable about it? really objectionable, I mean. What are the real CONS to hammering out some kind of system in which everyone has health care? i'm not talking about costs, nor about illegal residents. Those are somewhat separate facets to the convo, that i'd like to keep separate for now.

No, what i want to know is why is it a BAD IDEA to have health coverage for everyone? I'm really interested in what could possibly be the drawback to achieving SOME sort of system where everyone has some kind coverage?

Up to now i've not seen anyone address this, not even the staunchest republican detractors. I just can't believe that even these detractors feel that our current system is effective. But perhaps i'm wrong maybe they really DO think our way of getting healthy and staying healthy is effective; i mean they haven't really offered any possible OTHER options. Like, Well Mr. President, democrats, and us citizens; we hear what you're saying, we need health care reform. Here's what we came up with, what d'you think of these ideas?

To this point they haven't brought anything to the table, so i need to know, Is this whole thing a terrible case of typical republican game strategy, or d'you think they really think it's disadvantageous to have some sort of coverage for all americans?

the cocoon lace stitch pattern clarified (i hope!)

alrighty, so someone wondered if i can clarify the cocoon lace for them. Well, as is always the case with projects that i can analyze to death, i have done so. I hope. (raspberryconverse, apologies for the crap photos)

so, here's the set up row (this is done in a swatch style, so there is a 2 garter stitch binding at each end). You should have already started the pattern and done a row or two of *knit 5, p1, k1, p1* Also note that this was done at midnight, and the pattern wasn't in front of me, so the right side wrong side might be a bit jumbled.


now, you've knit 5 tog (however is most comfortable, be it k5tog OR slp2, k3tog, p2sso) and you get to this spot here:


the next step is the actual making of one by lifting the bar. be careful that you lift the bar in such a way that there is no gap resulting from it. you don't want a lace eyelet there. then you just knit front back front, and then lift the next bar. then you knit one, and purl 5 tog to start all over again.


While these piccies are of super high quality, this one here is probably all you really needed in the first place (but what can i say? i'm a wordy person, and if there's explaining that needs doing, i'm your man, ma'am.)
=

the first dunkin donuts run!

when you have a new car, you do silly things. Like document the first time you go to dunkin donuts!


so here it is, the first Two Donut Friday in the Super Black!

i'd like you to meet The Super Black!

isn't he fab! A special shout out and thank you go my friend sanjay. (Though he mostly knows my friends debra and ben, i sincerely hope he doesn't object to me calling him that as well) He's very skilled when working with dealers, and he's not a waffler! no wishy washing from him! (it's a good foil those of us with fold-like-a-lawnchair tendancies).

This is the first car for which i've ever really done research, test driving, comparison shopping, and consumer reports investigation. It's also the first one where i did all the appropriate research on credit scores, interest rates and so forth. I did a fair amount of searching around dealers and all, and then found the car that was within my budget, yet was also within my expectations on looks.

I traded in the trusty space pod;

and while the space pod was indeed trusty, it was close to the edge of his life- i don't believe he would have survived another winter. No, that's not true, he would have survived, but using him was no longer comfortable. the heater had gone, and the radio was beginning to crap out; so driving him was unpleasant. structurally, and mechanically, once the brakes were replaced (which was simply a wear and tear repair- not a fault of the car), he would have been good to go, if you don't mind being cold, with nothing on the beatbox. No, after ten years, and 140,000 miles it was ok to trade him in. (~sniff!)

The super black is indeed super, i love it so very much! it goes like the clappers, handles like it's on rails and goes 450 miles on a single tank! i won't even mind sending the car payment every month and really, that's the best thing. if you've gonna have a car payment, you should love the car.

even more than an 86 year drought

This will test our mettle. Anyone can hop on board in 2004 after 86 years. But i'll tell you what- this is a better litmus test of a fan's dedication than even the shittiest of shitty years.

And it seems to be pretty clear some fans in boston aren't fans at all (I'm looking at you Dan Shaughnessy, bob ryan, and regrettably, even you mazz.

How quickly you all are to dump him, seconds after it comes across the wire. The sports wire for crissakes!

How fast you are to pen your knee-jerk and reactionary articles before all the facts are released. So lets have a look at an important thing that's lacking; creditable sources. Your only source has thus far been a new york times article which in turn cites unnamed, untraceable, and anonymous sources itself. if i were writing a highschool term paper and turned in crap like that, i'd get a D.

Have you done any investigative work on this project? Have you gone to the New York courthouse yourself? Failing that, have you even done any kind of due diligence and called the lawyers involved in the case to cajole them into corroborating statements? So far, i have not seen any indication that you have done so. Essentially you have been nothing more than a sports version of perez hilton and TMZ. Shame on you.

You don't even pretend to offer an innocent until proven guilty possibility. For crying out loud- you leave it to Nomar and Youk to point out the holes and reasonable doubt that is all over this stupid "list". Kudos to Amalie Benjamin and Nick Cafardo to put their byline on something that is a bit more than thinly veiled op-ed snippets masquerading as journalism.

This is going to test our mettle as fans, and my sox are red. I've long ago dismissed the late '90s and early 2000s as the steroid years; and d'you know what? those bombs over the green monster? Still pretty awesome. And d'you know what else? Steroids don't affect timely hitting; A Clutch is a clutch hit. How far you hit it is irrelevant.

Until i get ALL the facts, i'm as pleased as punch to have ortiz on our roster; and along with mike lowell- i'm not giving my rings back, so don't ask.

my latest sweater!

here's the sweater i finished last night.


it came out so good, if i do say so myself! it totally fits, there isn't a single mistake on it, and it's made of smooshy soft yarn made for wool and silk. Silk! ooooh la la!

'tis a bit too warm to wear it today, but i yam anyway, because i just finished it last night!

help me with a playlist?

so i've decided that we should all dance more. the next family gathering we have were going to do some dancing! Mom even agrees that the Living room is a good dancing room, now that the orange rug is gone!

so here's my preliminary playlist. You'll note that some of them are clunkers, but are fun none the less (i'm lookin' at you captain and tenille!) Some are in jokes for heidi and i, and others are dancing staples.

Now, true to form, i have thought far too much about this, but that's ok, it's fun for me. But i'll to open it up to suggestions. i'd like tunes from all eras, but i'd rather they weren't too terribly obscure, and they've got to be dance=ish.

please, dear readers, note that this has to be moderately PG-13. a naughty word here and there is ok, but we can't have parental advisories all over the place.



post replies of your ideas, i can't wait!