Friday Night/Saturday Afternoon

That's how I spent my Friday night: finishing off this bottle of yummy (albeit sweet) wine. I used a portion of it in the sauce for the pork chops I made (along with mustard, apricots, and thyme), then someone had to drink the rest. Me, me, me! I'll do it!

Today is Saturday and my Clean Living Routine is still going strong (3 days and counting). Breakfast every day, exercise every day, and keeping a journal of my food and exercise. I'm trying to train optimally for this next race I have yet to register for...we'll see...Katie and Kimmy have already registered, and so has Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam with Full Force. Usually I'm the first to register. Loss of focus? No, I think I'm just focusing on the difficult part first (the training) and leaving the easy stuff (giving away my money) for a bit later.

Tomorrow I will update on the kitchen renovation (yes, with pictures) and let you all know how my first long run of the New Year went. Right now I'm going to get some coffee ready for The Devil, as she is coming over to knit! Have a great Saturday.

I'm So Happy I Don't Have To Move To Canada

What a surreal night last night. I found myself wanting to be transported to Grant Park with all those people I used to curse at during the Taste of Chicago. And then to wake up this morning and realize I wasn't dreaming and Senator Obama had become President Obama...bliss with my morning coffee.

I planned ahead, though. I took the rest of this week off and left instructions with the rest of the staff at work: Do NOT call me. We'll see if they remember. I thought that I might have to start packing for my new life in Toronto, but since the election came out the way I had hoped, I'll be staying put here in Southern Canada.

What else? Well, Mr. Fix and I are going to a wine tasting with Fast Jessica and the Fast Doctor tonight. The food is being done by a woman who used to cater in Napa, CA and our hopes are high for a tasty evening.

Tomorrow I'll be attending the opening for the Northern Exposures exhibit . Both Mr. Fix and I had pieces selected for this juried show (me= "Glance (David)" and him="Media Generated Viruscape"). Mr. Fix will not be attending, just me and Tha Doctah (not Fast Doctor) and some of our "hippy-dippy-post-menopausal" friends (that's what Mr. Fix likes to call the staff at the arts center). Cash and prizes are handed out at this shindig, so maybe I'll have something more to report on Friday.

The rest of today will look like this for me: eat Greek yogurt with strawberries; drink more coffee (good, hot coffee- not the reheated stuff. Mr. Fix left his thermos here this morning...); paint the trim in the kitchen (my way of "helping" with the renovation); go to the YMCA and workout a little; finish knitting my sweater (see picture below); get dolled up for my date night; have Mr. Fix drive me home and put me to bed (because I'm a lightweight).


For all of you knitters out there, I couldn't afford to buy enough Noro yarn for the entire sweater when I started this project (um...about 18 months ago!), so instead I bought Lopi Lite wool in a heathered plum color (its actually got a bit of red undertones to it) for the body and sleeves, and bought Noro's "Kureyon" in color 148, which is a variegated yarn with the same plum as the Lopi, but with some purple, maroon, magenta, olive green, and black. I'm using that for the ruffled edge trim on the front of the cardigan, plus edging on the sleeves. I'll for sure post pics when its complete.

And now, I'm off! Its a beautiful day today- again, temps in the upper 50's/low 60's- and the sun is shining. Have a fantastic day!

Subversive Knitting & The New Etiquette

Here's a link to a really intersting interview that was on NPR (Katie's favorite!) and forwarded to me by my friend, Bobbie.
Click here for the story.

I think, but am not certain, that Bobbie's sister-in-law (the new librarian in town and my neighbor) is a knitter. Why do I think this? Well, I kinda remember Bobbie saying something about it, and then there was my trip to the library the week before last.

It started when I was looking at my lastest issue of Interweave Knits (thank you, Doctah Freuh), and in the new books section was a book on knit kimonos. I made a mental note to find the book and look it over my next visit to the yarn store. Later that same day, I went to the library to pick up some children's books for work, when- lo and behold- there was the kimono book on display with the other new acquisitions. I quickly scooped it up and ran to check it out before any of the old ladies circling the stacks knew what I had. The clerk checking out my selections mentioned that the knitting section was greatly improved with the new librarian in charge...So does she knit, or is she just being a good librarian and staying on top of trends?

Whatever. But I'm thinking that when my living room is done being renovated I'll host knitting club and issue an invite to her. Here's a question for you: She and her husband and son have lived in the house behind ours for about a year now...is it bad that we haven't introduced ourselves? I mean, we have people in common, so I'm fairly certain that we know who each other is. Is that a comment on the lack of etiquette that can be so pervasive in today's society? And wouldn't you think it would be more easily found in a larger city than in a small rural town? Thoughts?

Snow Day #2

So here's the photo I promised of Jennifer's Christmas-now-Valentine's Day- scarf. No pattern to work from, just a moss stitch (or seed stitch) worked in that great Mission Falls 1824 cotton on a size 8 needle, 17 stitsches across. My colors, for all you knitters out there, are 402 Sea, 302 Wintergreen, and 201 Coral. Funny coincidence: I was finishing this while watching tv one night, and the blanket I had across my lap (yes, I'm a cold-blooded person) was one that I've had for years. I bought it in Mexico with Jennifer. I was looking at the tv, and then glanced down at my work and noticed that the blanket and the scarf have the exact same color palette. It was meant to be.

Snow day #2 ended last night with the fabulous company of My Favorite Redhead and My Favorite Local Celebrity (yes, I'm sure she hates that label, but until she provides me with something else, that is what she will be called) drinking hot chocolate with Starbucks Coffee liquer and munching on popcorn in front of "Project Runway." How awesome was Ricky's dress? And Rami's? You're right- about as awful as those two jackets by Jillian and Victorya. Tomorrow, back to the grind.

No School!

Well, the day started off with a 5:39 am phone call cancelling school for Mr. Fix. Of course he couldn't stay in bed, but he did manage to find out that school was cancelled for all of us in the FixFamily. Once I rolled out of bed around 9:30 (after the "Radio Reader" on our local NPR station, WNMU), I got ready for a busy day of...not much so far. This blog post. Paying my speeding ticket. Grocery shopping. Knitting.

What made the transportation directors call off school, anyway? Most likey the freezing drizzle we had last night. Or maybe the threat of blizzard-like conditions this afternoon.

It has been so long since I had unstructured days at my disposal that I'm always a bit confused when they happen. Before I had a regular job, my days and weeks were a mishmash of activities and jobs and errands and daydreaming and depressed hours on the couch watching whatever was on TLC or HGTV. Now I at least make it home to watch "Project Runway" on Wednesday nights.

My major accomplishment today was to finally finish the scarf I knitted for my friend, Jennifer. Now, Jennifer and I go back to my bartending days in Chicago, and this year for Christmas we decided to make each other something rather than buy each other something. We agreed on scarves. She sent me some fantastic bird-themed items (more on my bird fascination later), and I sent her some candy and a new North Face fleece. How does that saying go?..."The path to hell is paved with good intentions." Anyhoo, I'll post a pic of the now- Valentine's Day scarf tomorrow after it is blocked and ready to send out.