tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27621206380131968142024-02-19T00:56:58.573-08:00Little Grey Cat MusingsA place for me to stash my thoughts and things I want to shareMaggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09077738223278000467noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762120638013196814.post-55930783177462688192010-03-10T09:27:00.000-08:002010-03-10T09:28:00.508-08:00Big Changes and Big News<span style="font-family:arial;">I'm moving, yes, but not the way you think. Big Man and I are splitting up. It wasn't amicable at first, but it is now. I'm not moving to LA anymore; I'm moving to Charlottesville, Virgina, home of </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.fiberfarm.com/blog">Juniper Moon Farm</a><span style="font-family:arial;">! My amazing friend <span style="font-size:85%;">(and the farm's owner)</span> Susan asked me to move in and be her assistant in exchange for room and board.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Clio and I and my wonderful sister <span style="font-size:85%;">(who's flying in to make the drive with me)</span> will be starting on our grand adventure this weekend, and should be at the farm sometime next week. If I can get my camera to cooperate <span style="font-size:85%;">(currently, the pictures it takes look like Salvador Dali painted them)</span>, I'll share pictures of our trip and our new home soon!</span>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09077738223278000467noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762120638013196814.post-72307857658356878672010-03-04T08:26:00.000-08:002010-03-04T08:33:34.767-08:00Miscellany<span style="font-family:arial;">We got a house! To rent--never in our lifetimes could we afford to *buy* this house. However, it is AMAZING--1926 Spanish style, many many original fixtures (like leaded glass windows, built-ins, original <a href="http://www.tilenut.com/Batchelder/index2.html">Batchelder tile</a> fireplace)--and is in a great neighborhood, and our landlady seems really lovely, and it's less than 1/2 mile from the beach, and overall I'm thrilled! Pictures once I get up to LA again (well, Redondo Beach, technically).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">It is going to require some paring down of our belongings. It is technically the same square footage as this apartment, but it seems MUCH smaller. However, I don't mind having to cut back. We've needed to do so for a long time, so it's refreshing.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The house is small enough that I'm not even sure where, exactly, to put the cat's litter boxes. Someone on Ravelry suggested this <a href="http://www.citikitty.com/default.asp">toilet-training kit</a> to me. I was immediately prepared to dismiss it. </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >However</span><span style="font-family:arial;">, it's only $30 for the kit, and I would love to be done with litter entirely. Plus, it's obviously hilarious to see a cat use the toilet. Anyone have any experience with this? I'd love to hear about it.</span>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09077738223278000467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762120638013196814.post-21780416722826127372010-02-16T18:09:00.000-08:002010-02-16T18:24:30.186-08:00Moving on up...<span style="font-family:arial;">To the east side...well, not really. We are moving on up the map, though, to LA! Big Man accepted a job in El Segundo, and we'll likely be out of the San Diego area entirely in 2 or 3 months. We're both pretty excited and nervous about it, though for different reasons. He's nervous about his new job (more responsibility), and I'm nervous about how to condense and move 7 years' worth of STUFF out of here!</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />I'm likely to be selling/wanting to get rid of some things, like novels and other books, maybe some crafting items (though not likely any fiber or yarn!), and maybe some kitchen gear. If I get these things listed somewhere public like Craigslist or half.com, I'll be sure to post a link.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />In the meantime, I get to figure out how we're going to work out our life for the next few months. And yes, I'd say we're finally (maybe) getting our piece of the pie :).</span><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pcggr_23WJU&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pcggr_23WJU&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09077738223278000467noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762120638013196814.post-19034130708196635102009-12-05T08:54:00.000-08:002009-12-05T08:57:35.541-08:00it's been a while...<span style="font-family: arial;">And things are different. I have a craft show tomorrow, so I'm madly knitting for that (except right now, when I'm typing) and hoping I sell every bit of what I bring. Thanks to the terrible economy, we'll likely be moving in a few months, though I don't know yet if it'll be for a job or back in with my mom in Maryland. Clio the Wonder Kitty has a urinary stone that should have, in all ways, killed her, but she's perfectly healthy. I am sort of holding my breath to see what our future holds. I'm excited to find out, whether it's good or not so good. Either way, it'll be different.</span>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09077738223278000467noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762120638013196814.post-89484562099806726372009-08-24T16:06:00.000-07:002009-08-24T16:10:48.179-07:00A taste of things to come<span style="font-family:arial;">Here's a few photos of some of the handspun yarns I have listed or will list during this week in my shop. They're going to be priced MUCH lower than normal in order to get some cash flowing into my anemic bank account.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGQTcuqZN_Ai31yiXYKRSqYF8QqwKxke1tODlA2jhBXpOD113Z2VG0hS68bKmTDoY0VwPvECgbBd7H1bYBe7CTTihQYKiB1__GXKKsRvJMZ90xcndK3XP1FwSpiflKk5gGXSMSCtU1i8/s1600-h/IMG_7650.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 253px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGQTcuqZN_Ai31yiXYKRSqYF8QqwKxke1tODlA2jhBXpOD113Z2VG0hS68bKmTDoY0VwPvECgbBd7H1bYBe7CTTihQYKiB1__GXKKsRvJMZ90xcndK3XP1FwSpiflKk5gGXSMSCtU1i8/s320/IMG_7650.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373671260623645202" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnl1FgqRQtDaH-Q9Uu4SMTGxWiYFgvyUTqyVOT_Ojox3eI86tqTeI1q0Gl7WE1PF7G3_jEhMiK8KT_WMTuxHgsvj2J2pzEVVlS2hrfR5t2mug8NewXuhkWUZhL-4oNEGW8lm_nkVw6nY/s1600-h/IMG_7654.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 277px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnl1FgqRQtDaH-Q9Uu4SMTGxWiYFgvyUTqyVOT_Ojox3eI86tqTeI1q0Gl7WE1PF7G3_jEhMiK8KT_WMTuxHgsvj2J2pzEVVlS2hrfR5t2mug8NewXuhkWUZhL-4oNEGW8lm_nkVw6nY/s320/IMG_7654.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373671247366258818" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixw1f5-HkmiSDrYfffjERi9PIxFYkNZDTYOM8CpTC5G4rBRwQ5pZ9eY10waPp2sE7qUEYp1TaAMMKEOS4gb70oE0ddlFbTdzQw4sHxi8ezO0nUWQoFHQS5VjkqcD4ybwoRulTFjN5JT9Y/s1600-h/IMG_7658.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 308px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixw1f5-HkmiSDrYfffjERi9PIxFYkNZDTYOM8CpTC5G4rBRwQ5pZ9eY10waPp2sE7qUEYp1TaAMMKEOS4gb70oE0ddlFbTdzQw4sHxi8ezO0nUWQoFHQS5VjkqcD4ybwoRulTFjN5JT9Y/s320/IMG_7658.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373671239013832306" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyXnV9WTc9nfxIwJ6k6JaYckiXSV-7ooACqs-RfDx3QXVxUZzjcL-F734F-bmJnCA-4rgzE2TTGjqEXu8StTkT31ioISBkDSRYfAMPJdogXBQ-MOLV5owAfzOiEZ1xstsnLSqPX0FjVjY/s1600-h/IMG_7643.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyXnV9WTc9nfxIwJ6k6JaYckiXSV-7ooACqs-RfDx3QXVxUZzjcL-F734F-bmJnCA-4rgzE2TTGjqEXu8StTkT31ioISBkDSRYfAMPJdogXBQ-MOLV5owAfzOiEZ1xstsnLSqPX0FjVjY/s320/IMG_7643.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373671199466505010" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_1TCLvDufZanozWi22l1BtbfD5f_QTsJEMsnwOW9SJYtGESS7RQr44DpbmkzhVbnFQqd7UBeIuBZWfL6RfD_rfVyvkvuQznB_6scQlnxea04Cves_yc-J-x_p8GpNYkAaUg_r6QIKpI/s1600-h/IMG_7640.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 147px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_1TCLvDufZanozWi22l1BtbfD5f_QTsJEMsnwOW9SJYtGESS7RQr44DpbmkzhVbnFQqd7UBeIuBZWfL6RfD_rfVyvkvuQznB_6scQlnxea04Cves_yc-J-x_p8GpNYkAaUg_r6QIKpI/s320/IMG_7640.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5373671171983102594" border="0" /></a>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09077738223278000467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762120638013196814.post-31363761558707094192009-08-22T20:13:00.001-07:002009-08-22T20:39:14.485-07:00hi there<span style="font-family: arial;">Wow, it's been a while, eh? I've been in quite a long, drawn-out funk. I'm not a fan of my job<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(anybody want to hire me? For anything?)</span> for several reasons, and it's affecting my brain pretty heavily.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">However, this weekend marks the first weekend I have off since I told my boss "no more weekends!!". Even though this means my hours are being cut roughly in half, I can't tell you how happy I've been since I got off work Friday. It's completely worth it <span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(not to mention the fact I'll actually get to spend time with Big Man again)</span>.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />One sign of this happiness is that I'm interested in spinning again! Oh, I had done some during the bleaker days, but I wasn't *excited* about it. Now I am. Due to the hours being cut, I plan to work hard and get things listed in my Etsy shop at enough of a discount to <span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(hopefully)</span> ensure they sell just to get some more money coming in. I'm just spinning my fingers off, and it feels great. I owe a local Ravelry/LSG friend a debt of gratitude for getting me going, as she is paying me to custom spin some rovings she fell in love with.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />I plan to take photos tomorrow, as this afternoon was spent spinning and napping<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> (and, I kind of forgot I was supposed to take them)</span></span>. I hereby swear to post photos on this blog in the next few days of beautiful fibery things. Oh wait! I DO have a picture of the skein I test-spun for my Ravelry/LSG friend!<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCIOTf8iHQASvPBGEA3m4qpxr-r2q7Ln7VJ1kTTgiQn84J61e0yqinR-dsx3Fo3MBMsQkCoXhsNO9QPV_Qq4FnCz0f-fVOXWBbMntJlh-NLDKAH2TS6dhbtt6ADG_EuZWSKQlJj-QpBZc/s1600-h/IMG_7608.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 245px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCIOTf8iHQASvPBGEA3m4qpxr-r2q7Ln7VJ1kTTgiQn84J61e0yqinR-dsx3Fo3MBMsQkCoXhsNO9QPV_Qq4FnCz0f-fVOXWBbMntJlh-NLDKAH2TS6dhbtt6ADG_EuZWSKQlJj-QpBZc/s400/IMG_7608.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372996637998017794" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial;font-size:85%;" >50ish yards, 4oz of hand-dyed merino from <a href="http://fatcatknits.etsy.com">Fat Cat Knits</a>, her colorway Deep Woods (I called it Sea Glass)</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">And just for fun, here's my buddy Sampson at the Wild Animal Park (where I met said friend this morning). I don't really know if it's true, but I like to think he remembers me, as every time I go into the aviary he hangs out in, he always comes right to the front of his tree and hams it up and looks like he wants to jump onto my shoulder. I say this because I've observed him from the entrance (where he can't see me), and he just sort of hangs out on the tree not doing a lot for other folks. I do usually spend at least 15 minutes talking to him every time we go.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Today he danced for me! I'd never seen that. Of course, that was when my camera died, so you'll have to move your head up and down in front of this photo and pretend.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFb0JWsPwdYxp7oVI5F-bh4kqIA2evN7zUzc7YcARz4RhkMzhgCEFmGLHoBm01wQPbhWXom4XyPlPKAY0GrMZXV2Vwkl8ffHkgE62dOyR1YD9k4v6Ja607YbRUVwvoeA-WOHAoCJ4sFnc/s1600-h/IMG_7622.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFb0JWsPwdYxp7oVI5F-bh4kqIA2evN7zUzc7YcARz4RhkMzhgCEFmGLHoBm01wQPbhWXom4XyPlPKAY0GrMZXV2Vwkl8ffHkgE62dOyR1YD9k4v6Ja607YbRUVwvoeA-WOHAoCJ4sFnc/s320/IMG_7622.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5372995432138946338" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">He's a hyacinth macaw, and part of the reason I realllllllly want a big bird. His beak (and a lack of funds and space) is part of the reason I don't have one.</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: arial;"> I'm a weenie.</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Maybe the lifting of the funk will mean more blogging too--it feels fun right now, whereas in the past it felt a bit like a chore or duty. Here's hoping! Now I'm off to spin some more...</span><br /></div></div>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09077738223278000467noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762120638013196814.post-43741189176882094672009-05-22T19:47:00.001-07:002009-06-08T10:49:57.760-07:00You must eat this NOW.<span style="font-family:arial;">Immediately, drop whatever you're doing and go straight to the nearest grocery store. You MUST try this flavor of ice cream.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMaGLYk0hBYxlL1l1W-xy8ZTG8cKTGcAQRqKZcna9BT_CxOCqDPZiS2tau0mXhMSAh56xC58Y3iaRiPxtq3ghPGUcBitH5Ud7VR9-vsjFcls9LQhB5ZwzzqG2KTfqilh8aeRhR46za6A/s1600-h/haagen--dazs-caramelized-pear-pecans-777468.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 243px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPMaGLYk0hBYxlL1l1W-xy8ZTG8cKTGcAQRqKZcna9BT_CxOCqDPZiS2tau0mXhMSAh56xC58Y3iaRiPxtq3ghPGUcBitH5Ud7VR9-vsjFcls9LQhB5ZwzzqG2KTfqilh8aeRhR46za6A/s320/haagen--dazs-caramelized-pear-pecans-777468.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345015438747410498" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I know it's been out for a while, and I'm late to the party. But it's soooooo gooooooooooood.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Also, if anyone knows where I can get my hands on some Ben & Jerry's <a href="http://www.benjerry.com/flavors/our-flavors/#product_id=131">Coconut Seven Layer Bar </a>ice cream <span style="font-style: italic;">(short of going to a scoop shop)</span>, PLEASE let me know!</span>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09077738223278000467noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762120638013196814.post-5136105233928608402009-05-20T10:18:00.001-07:002009-05-20T10:53:06.857-07:00I'm a thief.<span style="font-family: arial;">My lovely friend Susan has a recurring feature</span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.fiberfarm.com/blog"> on her blog</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> of "Probably Something You Would Like". I'm stealing that idea to share some things with you that I like, and hopefully you will too!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I adore </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://smittenkitchen.com/">Smitten Kitchen's blog</a><span style="font-family: arial;">. LOADS of wonderful recipes, all very well-written and photographed, and I have yet to find a problem with anything I've cooked. Well, baked, as I usually go for the goodies. I also bought some of her prints to put up in my kitchen. They look lovely, if I say so myself. Well, if you ignore the horrible rental "white" paint and the ugly window.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyNqxRw1qB556LDIxYyov_uPL3BOlb7UFgXvJIqZu49Sux8UQEPzqQ7kSNRPBxaYrai3KfQbxR6Hmb3kODNY4jxlB5yFtHFtMX07fvmHDO2MJDPxjYmxAr0zjUHjq62nHmTdo2dVk6jIA/s1600-h/IMG_7494.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 253px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyNqxRw1qB556LDIxYyov_uPL3BOlb7UFgXvJIqZu49Sux8UQEPzqQ7kSNRPBxaYrai3KfQbxR6Hmb3kODNY4jxlB5yFtHFtMX07fvmHDO2MJDPxjYmxAr0zjUHjq62nHmTdo2dVk6jIA/s320/IMG_7494.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337961650079546210" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The artwork found in </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5408586">AmberAlexander's shop</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> is *amazing*. I'm in love, and want to wallpaper my wool room in her prints. I especially like this one of an octopus.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_430xN.66594679.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 430px; height: 331px;" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_430xN.66594679.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Artwork property of and courtesy of AmberAlexander</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Lookit this amazing fiber bowl! It's machine stitched on soluble fabric, and is just astounding to me. <a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23468759">ChocolateFrog </a>really is an expert at this most unusual art.<br /><br /><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_430xN.65426931.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 430px; height: 366px;" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_430xN.65426931.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Image courtesy of ChocolateFrog</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://notalwaysright.com/">Not Always Right</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> kills me, every time. Customers say the darndest things!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">You've probably seen this before, but I lurve it. The kitty makes me happy.</span><br /></div><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/g15ybAXAUbE&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/g15ybAXAUbE&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /></div></div><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Well, I think that's it for now. I don't get out much anymore--work, sleep, sometimes on my days off I get to cook or do fibery things. I'll see if I come up with anything interesting for a post next week--if not, maybe this will be an intermittent feature!</span>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09077738223278000467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762120638013196814.post-26030051353708446402009-05-15T07:00:00.000-07:002009-05-15T07:00:17.917-07:00Friday Funny<span style="font-family: arial;">I snagged these from this month's issue of Vegetarian Times.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">A couple sits down at a diner. The husband orders a burger, and his wife gets the veggie burger. The waitress yells back to the cook " Two burgers, one regular and one de-calf!"</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />----------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />Why did the tofu cross the road?</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />To prove he wasn't chicken!</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />----------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />A man walks into the doctor's office with carrots in his nose and broccoli in his ears. He says, "Hey doc, I still don't think I'm eating right."</span>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09077738223278000467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762120638013196814.post-91922847419082624662009-05-12T10:25:00.000-07:002009-05-12T10:36:48.762-07:00Well, hello there.<span style="font-family: arial;">I am still here. Things have been, well, a bit topsy-turvy in my head the last couple of months. I'm trying to straighten myself out and settle down. It's slow going, but it is going, at least a little bit.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I've been trying to get used to my new job, and doing some knitting, and some spinning, and lots of nothing too. I might have a finished object to show you, but, well, someone has been holding me up.</span><br /><br /><br /><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRLlBywzTuQHIqYjpEDF79zT1tiYGIrP3u7I4x8ylWVrxGKH-5HX95MxHArRkSv8oDJvAyO2GR6k_va36Z-p4KbkL65seWHuWZaZ9VeqsijURxfAXmMfBS6AmBOe8ExL6x0phPHXN_n4o/s1600-h/IMG_7486.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRLlBywzTuQHIqYjpEDF79zT1tiYGIrP3u7I4x8ylWVrxGKH-5HX95MxHArRkSv8oDJvAyO2GR6k_va36Z-p4KbkL65seWHuWZaZ9VeqsijURxfAXmMfBS6AmBOe8ExL6x0phPHXN_n4o/s320/IMG_7486.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334991141935195074" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">That's the inside of the finished back of my Estes Vest. Clio decided it was wonderful and the perfect bed, so it has been naught but a bed for some time now. I've also finished one side and part of another, and will be buying a skein of grey Lamb's Pride to make her her very own bed, so she can stop usurping my knitting.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm going to try to post more often. I did hear a good joke recently, so look for a Friday Funny this week. Oh, before I forget--I'm going to Rhinebeck this fall! For those of you who aren't fiber fanatics, Rhinebeck is the informal name for the </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.sheepandwool.com/">New York State Sheep & Wool Festival</a><span style="font-family: arial;">, and it is one of the two biggest on the East Coast, if not in the country. I'm considering it research, as I'd really love to make a living traveling to different markets with my yarns, and selling online and wholesale in between festivals.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Till next time, keep knitting, spinning, spending time with your loved ones--whatever it is that makes you tick and keeps you happy!</span>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09077738223278000467noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762120638013196814.post-78323904437611205552009-03-09T10:48:00.000-07:002009-03-09T10:57:19.961-07:00Virtual Cat<span style="font-family: arial;">Because I forgot to take the camera to the beach this weekend and because I've done nothing but knit, watch Mythbusters on DVD, and that single beach trip, I have nothing to show you (though if the sun stays out, I'll snap some pics of the finished back of my Estes vest). However, I figured we could all use some time with a snoozing kitty, who is ever-so-happy to have me home all day. You might be able to hear her tiny little snores. If not, she's still calming and cute.</span> <span style="font-family: arial;">Hope it brightens your day even a little.</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzJdR6SZxgVk9GfkI-bE06GFxbd84y_DDhVlACeevEg1ohltSr6w9PpS9kiPkYmuuqWQ_VCqN_lvjAoO-2Ycg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09077738223278000467noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762120638013196814.post-72587779801276361372009-03-06T06:00:00.000-08:002009-03-06T06:00:01.169-08:00Friday Funnies<span style="font-family:arial;">A three year old walked over to a pregnant lady while waiting with his mother in the doctors office.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />He inquisitively ask the lady, "Why is your stomach so big?"</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />She replied, "I'm having a baby."</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />With big eyes, he asked, "Is the baby in your stomach?"</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />She said, "He sure is."</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Then the little boy, with a puzzled look, asked, "Is it a good baby?"</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />She said, "Oh, yes. It's a real good baby."</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />With an even more surprised and shocked look, he asked...</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />"Then why did you eat him?"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Three guys are driving in a pickup, two in the cab and one in the bed. Suddenly, a deer jumps into the road, so the driver swerves to avoid it and drives down an embankment into the river. He and the other guy in the cab swim out as the truck sinks. To their horror, as they reach the riverbank, they realize the third guy is nowhere to be found. They’re just about to dive into the river to save him when the third guy final pops up and swims to the shore. “Sorry,” he says. “I couldn’t get the tailgate open.”</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">What do you call two men sitting on a window sill?</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Kurt and Rod.<br /><br />----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />Three fonts walk into a bar. The bartender looks up and say "Shove off! We don't serve your type in here!"<br /></span>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09077738223278000467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762120638013196814.post-44185153072690753922009-03-05T09:09:00.000-08:002009-03-05T13:04:48.418-08:00what, you want I should update?<span style="font-family:arial;">So, it's Thursday. Time has gotten away from me, moreso than usual. I do have a few pictures </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">(however terrible)</span></span><span style="font-family:arial;"> for you, and I will post them now. Let's see, how to begin...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I went to Stitches West. It was really great. I want to be a vendor next year. I think that makes me insane</span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;"> (especially since I just looked at the prices for vending this year, eep!)</span></span><span style="font-family:arial;">. I nearly forgot to take photos, and the ones I took are sort of blurry. Believe me, these two are the best of the bunch. Sorry, but if you squint you'll see it clearly!</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiIzurxZZlxodODgSgCX_8gKxGEhc98ymB4LIJuQbl0oQq5Lhexi3Fax02UO9WI9lR2cPWdYpIUyHx5ZDo5FTZYlzIlFvWhYfaO3vxYOWv748KnUEVGeAuTde4ytjBYvxasjZWa5XJzfY/s1600-h/IMG_6922.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiIzurxZZlxodODgSgCX_8gKxGEhc98ymB4LIJuQbl0oQq5Lhexi3Fax02UO9WI9lR2cPWdYpIUyHx5ZDo5FTZYlzIlFvWhYfaO3vxYOWv748KnUEVGeAuTde4ytjBYvxasjZWa5XJzfY/s320/IMG_6922.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309755361858635282" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Yes, it was crowded. Yes, it was weird being one of the attendees after working so many other types of conventions.</span> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">However, as it was a crowd of women, I could see over almost everyone!</span></span><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTDUQt4Z8fHon-pVtZgeZMklIfmUY4ne3FXaJ3LGrwmYBuEJYoXxQ2k9Y2Me-NtjMb2xRk-mflWkHyTwts8SdrSRJhBNVYHQtjRcZt5UD_JvRqOUZNBYacjrEI7POAe3Bk5L0JgVlmhCQ/s1600-h/IMG_6921.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTDUQt4Z8fHon-pVtZgeZMklIfmUY4ne3FXaJ3LGrwmYBuEJYoXxQ2k9Y2Me-NtjMb2xRk-mflWkHyTwts8SdrSRJhBNVYHQtjRcZt5UD_JvRqOUZNBYacjrEI7POAe3Bk5L0JgVlmhCQ/s320/IMG_6921.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309755355708387554" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">Standing on a chair near one of the back corners. This was a relatively *open* area--it was PACKED in some of those booths!</span></span><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYp79hEYLEsSR_Jc-0Z6XB2HfU0nBZar9QjCpuY121BNVGDJqwu3qut05SWL69wd7Y66mmNtMCP9lAJ33RI6gNvSky0Z9PW4SzIV1XnrFCgtMV6CIc9NOjCPRzrTXVgfaGV6VaFdFOaW0/s1600-h/IMG_6924.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYp79hEYLEsSR_Jc-0Z6XB2HfU0nBZar9QjCpuY121BNVGDJqwu3qut05SWL69wd7Y66mmNtMCP9lAJ33RI6gNvSky0Z9PW4SzIV1XnrFCgtMV6CIc9NOjCPRzrTXVgfaGV6VaFdFOaW0/s320/IMG_6924.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309755365904721874" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">I think this was The Bagsmith booth--those are US50 wooden needles. She could've killed someone with them. The rug to her left was knit with roving and those needles.</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family:arial;">What's that? You want to know what I bought? Why? Oh, living vicariously, ok. I had set aside some of my tax refund to take to Stitches, and boy am I glad I did! I used almost every last penny of my budget for the trip, but I paid for all my gas, food, and of course yarn with it. I've got some captions on the photo </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">(click on it to "embiggen" so you can actually read it)</span></span><span style="font-family:arial;">.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">Also, please try not to be distracted by the colors of my bedspread. Nowhere else was big enough and light enough to take the photo!</span><br /><br /><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOr2_e9gQXIkwsY6ZDqCwPkAsQD0gXLCigtmeKn5zpGBabsFH6yZTB0foTu5HQTbxXypY9M-jZ8_yaeyKc3FgBA0g_76Yw8Ei1hrBWreoBJ5euNZsaPcAxC_1kOhL_yOU2UFAHW9Jt0dQ/s1600-h/IMG_6946+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 230px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOr2_e9gQXIkwsY6ZDqCwPkAsQD0gXLCigtmeKn5zpGBabsFH6yZTB0foTu5HQTbxXypY9M-jZ8_yaeyKc3FgBA0g_76Yw8Ei1hrBWreoBJ5euNZsaPcAxC_1kOhL_yOU2UFAHW9Jt0dQ/s320/IMG_6946+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309768881725306226" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">click to make it big enough to read the captions!<br /></span></span></div><br /><ul><li><span style="font-family:arial;">I have no idea just yet what the Malabrigo is for, though there is enough of the Brillante for a vest </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">(I think)</span></span><span style="font-family:arial;"> and enough of the Melilla for a short-sleeved sweater </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">(I think--maybe even elbow length)</span></span><span style="font-family:arial;">. I simply could NOT resist those colors. Yes, I know it's a softly spun single, and yes I know it will pill. I don't much care though, and I'll shave them as necessary!</span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family:arial;">The Knitting Notions should be plenty for a cabled vest, I believe.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;">Hand-dyed--there are gorgeous tonal variations you can't quite see in the photo.</span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family:arial;">There's another enormous skein of Eco-Wool for Big Man's sweater, but that was being swatched from and therefore in another room </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">(did I tell you I want to make him a hoodie? And that he wants it baggy? Thankfully he likes the looser/bigger needle swatch!)</span></span><span style="font-family:arial;">.</span></li></ul><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><ul><li><span style="font-family:arial;">The sequin thread will be plied with some plain black thick/thin </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">(like </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20817739">these</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20819228">yarns</a><span style="font-style: italic;">)</span></span><span style="font-family:arial;"> and I think I can get two skeins out of it, and the two green wool/stainless Habu cones are to </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">(eventually when paired with two cones I already have)</span></span><span style="font-family:arial;"> make myself a </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer08/PATTseatangles.html">Sea Tangles sweater</a><span style="font-family:arial;">.</span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-family:arial;">The ultra-fine stainless--I can't wait to try that! I want to spin a textured single of...maybe merino/bamboo, and let that thinner-than-a-hair wire wrap around it as I spin it back the other way. It'll be sooooo coooooooool. I have to find the perfect fiber, though...ooh, maybe I'll corespin and then let the wire wrap! So many decisions.</span></li></ul><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Not much else is going on right now, honestly, I'm applying for jobs, freezing myself because I feel like not using the heat </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">(but leaving the silly windows open)</span></span><span style="font-family:arial;"> is a great money-saving measure for some reason, and deciding if I should make my own bread every day </span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">(is it more cost-effective? Doing the math today)</span></span><span style="font-family:arial;">. ETA: I just called my local warehouse store, and a 25lb bag of all-purpose flour is $6.29. That is roughly <span style="font-weight: bold;">$0.26 flour cost PER LOAF</span> of sandwich bread. Guess who's never *buying* sandwich bread again! Off to try making a loaf right now to ensure I'm good enough at it that this would be a worthwhile purchase.<br /> I've been doing loads of knitting on my </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.interweaveknits.com/galleries/bonus/fall-2008/Estes-Vest.asp">Estes Vest</a><span style="font-family:arial;">, and have nearly the whole back done. I know it's faster than if I were doing it with finer yarn, but even using the </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://brownsheep.com/lp.htm">Lamb's Pride Bulky</a><span style="font-family:arial;"> and US10.5 needles, all the tiny cables in the honeycomb are slowing me down. It's such a cool pattern, though, that it's worth it. Plus, it's going to be a REALLY warm vest--I'm excited.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />And because I know you've missed her, here's another shot of Her Furry Highness. It's from yesterday, and she was resting hard. Doesn't she look tired from all her exertions?</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXzW9ZOiUDrPEl7v0A_G_KM-R8C6vMfioKIdlngP8AhUm7lF3OSy3FYE2_JmQIcZ4z_vaBxelLMdDJVqmdJ9NLreflpdC8-8_K0k-yKcRtn0Uj3xkNA74fx7Ue_QNHdt6NiFxa0IiWVZY/s1600-h/IMG_6941.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXzW9ZOiUDrPEl7v0A_G_KM-R8C6vMfioKIdlngP8AhUm7lF3OSy3FYE2_JmQIcZ4z_vaBxelLMdDJVqmdJ9NLreflpdC8-8_K0k-yKcRtn0Uj3xkNA74fx7Ue_QNHdt6NiFxa0IiWVZY/s320/IMG_6941.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309758054469302178" border="0" /></a>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09077738223278000467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762120638013196814.post-27041471538188788912009-02-27T06:00:00.000-08:002009-02-27T06:00:00.106-08:00Friday Funnies, Matey!<span style="font-family: arial;">These are courtesy of my Seester, queen of silly jokes. Thanks Seester!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />Why did the pirate cross the ocean?</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">To get to the other tide!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />A pirate walks into a bar with a paper towel on his head. The bartender asks "what's with the towel?", and the pirate replies "Arrr! I've a bounty on me head!"</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />How much did the pirate pay for his piercings?</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />A buck-an-ear!</span>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09077738223278000467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762120638013196814.post-4062224758059181252009-02-25T18:40:00.000-08:002009-02-25T19:00:07.468-08:00Wednesday, huh?<span style="font-family: arial;">What a long strange week it's been. Let's see...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">1. I am now part of the 7.6% of Americans who are unemployed. I kind of knew it was coming, but it still stings. On the plus side of things, this means I probably have more time for spinning and knitting till another job comes along!</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />2. I'm going to Stitches West this weekend. Actually, I leave tomorrow morning. I'm driving up, picking up a fellow Raveler about halfway. it should be loads of fun, especially as I have a portion of my tax refund to spend as I wish!</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />3. I have not yet begun to pack for this trip. I don't even know what knitting projects I'm taking, and I have to do a load of laundry. I am sure I'll forget nothing </span><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">(yeah, right)</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">. I will try to remember to take photos, though.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />4. I don't know that I even have 4 things tonight, much less 5. It's been sort of a draining afternoon/evening. Did I mention that when I got to the rental car place directly after work, that location had closed and *no one told me*? I was, um, "annoyed". I was able to go to another nearby location and get my silly rental car though.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />5. Hey look, 5! But nothing substantive to post, so here's a picture of my cat. Again.</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-IWvsz5vEU2yiSDGBJGlNuMXV9Wr0Ay95HVoq4YrwrLeBe7Om9NlrYi_whUoKlHfb6EAjbCiMc5fSdwpHYxQCku78YALSZJqy6aFnhVZbgbZvyXHvYX_RZq-IWXR7iPI9GelVOnwpBg/s1600-h/IMG_6147.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-IWvsz5vEU2yiSDGBJGlNuMXV9Wr0Ay95HVoq4YrwrLeBe7Om9NlrYi_whUoKlHfb6EAjbCiMc5fSdwpHYxQCku78YALSZJqy6aFnhVZbgbZvyXHvYX_RZq-IWXR7iPI9GelVOnwpBg/s320/IMG_6147.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306935115737433954" border="0" /></a>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09077738223278000467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762120638013196814.post-9298532168654488712009-02-22T16:55:00.000-08:002009-02-22T18:42:59.219-08:00Another one bites the dust...<span style="font-family: arial;">Hopefully I've now gotten </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNQRfBAzSzo">that song</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> stuck in your head, because I'm evil like that. Another week has flown by. Thanks to my pinkeye </span><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">(which seems to be resolved now, thankfully)</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> and some goings-on at work, I had a three day week this past week, and I'm going to have another one this week because I'm going to </span><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stitches West!!</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> I'm pretty excited, though it doesn't really seem real. I've already made up shopping lists for all the yarn weights and yardages I'll need for all the </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.zephyrstyle.com/catalog/item.cfm/2367447/3974522">different</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://jacquelynlandry.net/patterns/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=23&zenid=edc17b7b86ee12c1f42cf5e0f372447e">sweaters</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.yarn.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/categoryID/471883A2-D53A-460E-ABE8-A9C0826AA825/productID/24A3311D-2805-4E5C-88ED-81499D7AA6CA/">I</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/7436430@N03/1483265313">want</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="https://www.knotanotherhat.com/productDetail.cfm?product_id=752">to</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/78979159@N00/1643893590">make</a><span style="font-family: arial;">. If you actually clicked through, you'll see two men's sweaters. Yes, I'm convincing Big Man he wants a sweater. Considering how tall he is, I think I now qualify as a masochist. At least they're both done in worsted weight yarn, so it won't be too awful.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm also excited to see many of my online friends from Ravelry. I'm road-tripping up and picking up a lovely Raveler about halfway up, and it should be a lot of fun. I made loads of muffins this weekend </span><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">(more on that later)</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> and intend to take quite a few with me, both for delicious snacks and to ensure I have something to eat in the mornings that doesn't come from Starbucks!</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />The only sad thing is that I don't think I'll have much in the way of internet access while I'm gone, so the virtual world will have to muddle through without me somehow!</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />Yesterday (and Friday night), I decided I wanted to bake. As Big Man will testify, I don't usually do things in a small way when I cook. I should probably sign a contract to cook for the local firehouse </span><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">(though they would probably take exception to my vegetarian</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;"> meal planning)</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">. I looked in my cabinet, saw that I had 4 kinds of dried fruit, and decided I would make muffins. I don't think I've ever made muffins, but that didn't deter me. So, when making muffins, the recipes usually make 1 dozen--muffin pans only have 12 cups, so why not? However, if you're going to take the time to cook one dozen, why not make TWO dozen? I mean, really, it would be silly not to. Right? Right?</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTnzj3EFj3-mVNm8TwOTW3ChY6RCp0R-AnC5jwXPYOM65eNuzqukeobymwMvXqRADYJ2lZdwlOp00orEI9QOfMxAJA5yxZOKxyomEu31DbzpNeOP6rmsZIEUzSTwfcc2393iV-Z0rFwJ8/s1600-h/IMG_6906.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 208px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTnzj3EFj3-mVNm8TwOTW3ChY6RCp0R-AnC5jwXPYOM65eNuzqukeobymwMvXqRADYJ2lZdwlOp00orEI9QOfMxAJA5yxZOKxyomEu31DbzpNeOP6rmsZIEUzSTwfcc2393iV-Z0rFwJ8/s320/IMG_6906.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305805141718499282" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">That's a 5.0 cubic foot freezer. Sure, there is some other food in there (like Big Man's Lean Cuisine, which will go to work Monday and be replaced with more muffins, <span style="font-size:78%;">see below</span>). but there are also approximately 60 muffins stuffed in there too. Oh, and about 4 cups of cookie dough (see it perched precariously in between the top two bags of muffins?) because 8 dozen muffins weren't enough.<br /><br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wqbTw0LjM4CFhMTn_aaMEubsk7-_yA6DhloJPgh03D5M3i_WwxWYs_yBkJw33eXFljlKThyphenhyphenu5WNzAiXuiu1BW1fd5T3G0jbdzMMa_VRRLOXezOBhN3AyOSgne677nRl10qvyWZHYfrg/s1600-h/IMG_6907.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 201px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wqbTw0LjM4CFhMTn_aaMEubsk7-_yA6DhloJPgh03D5M3i_WwxWYs_yBkJw33eXFljlKThyphenhyphenu5WNzAiXuiu1BW1fd5T3G0jbdzMMa_VRRLOXezOBhN3AyOSgne677nRl10qvyWZHYfrg/s320/IMG_6907.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305805143074018546" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">This is why we discussed getting a small chest freezer last night. That's about 20 blueberry muffins that wouldn't fit in the freezer yet, plus a few of each flavor to be eaten sooner rather than later.</span></span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Since I was waiting to go to the specialty store on Saturday for the sparkling sugar to sprinkle heavily on top for that lovely sparkle and delicious crunch </span><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">(though it turned out they don't carry it anymore, phooey)</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">, Friday night I made Olive Oil muffins from </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/11/olive-oil-muffins/">Smitten Kitchen's blog</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">(which is amazing, go look)</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">. I cooked mine too long, as I'm not used to making muffins, but they're still just wonderful. I imagine they'll be perfectly delightful with a salad or soup, or, well, anything. I didn't use fresh zest, but rather splashes of </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.boyajianinc.com/citrus.html">citrus oil</a><span style="font-family: arial;">. It's wonderful stuff, and just the thing for adding flavor when you don't have fresh fruit handy, or when a recipe would suffer for too much liquid added. Take note: a little goes a loooooooooooooooooong way!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">On Saturday, after discovering I wasn't getting any prettifying sugar, I came home and started baking. First up were</span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.marianifruit.com/recipes/baked/apricot_muffins.php"> Sour Cream-Apricot muffins</a><span style="font-family: arial;">. It says it makes 1 dozen muffins. When I doubled it, I had enough for 2 dozen muffins and to fill a loaf pan </span><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">(if so</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">mewhat shallowly)</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">. This is ok, actually, as they're delicious! Despite me (again) cooking them too long, they're very tender and delicately flavored. When I chopped the dried apricots in my food processor, I added some candied ginger to the mix </span><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">(and should've added a bit more)</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">. Note: if you make this recipe, the dough is much more like biscuit dough than batter, and will seem EXTREMELY dry til you add the soaked apricots, so do not skip the soaking! Also, they don't really rise almost at all, so feel free to fill the cups FULL.</span><br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3vs0wSD_chbBl1LPOo4UW81rEKRbTEr5_5MH4bd-QLQWRp9OiHlwbPCajBvnGdVckJ0IIcErfDYOkNUyQTtrm8XqSv_QSSIl3F8dvdY-A7R0PaYi1Qo86hTRLDodpt_G3EBmPoBwzEhg/s1600-h/IMG_6909.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3vs0wSD_chbBl1LPOo4UW81rEKRbTEr5_5MH4bd-QLQWRp9OiHlwbPCajBvnGdVckJ0IIcErfDYOkNUyQTtrm8XqSv_QSSIl3F8dvdY-A7R0PaYi1Qo86hTRLDodpt_G3EBmPoBwzEhg/s320/IMG_6909.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305805148087032818" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The line-up, L to R: Olive Oil muffins, Sour Cream-Apricot muffins, Cherry-Lime-Almond muffins, and Blueberry-Lemon muffins.</span></span><br /><br /><br /></div></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Next up were the Cherry-Lime-Almond muffins. I used the same</span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cranberry-Orange-Loaf/Detail.aspx"> recipe</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> for these as the Blueberry-Lemon muffins, but modified it to suit what I wanted. Disclaimer: I think I'm going to try a different recipe next time, as this wasn't quite right (though not bad!).</span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Trader Joe's makes a neat product called almond meal (though I expect you could find it lots of places) which is ground almonds that you can use to replace part of the flour in your baked goods to provide an almondy flavor without the chunks. Obviously, I used it here, or else I wouldn't mention it! I used both the lime oil and some lime juice. I only made up a small part of the total liquid called for with lime juice and made the rest up with water. Even so, the batter was VERY limey, but it mellowed out some on baking. I chopped the dried cherries in the food processor again, and again added some candied ginger to the mix. Also again, I needed to add more ginger! I again cooked them too long (noticing a pattern?), but they are very flavorful nonetheless. I really like the lime in particular, and the cherry flavor becomes more noticeable as they sit.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">The final contender was Blueberry-Lemon. I also used some almond meal in these, but didn't feel like including it in the name. I actually used real lemons in this one, so no lemon oil for me! I scraped the zest of two lemons and used the juice like I did with the lime. I added a good bit of powdered sugar to the liquid, though, to make up for the intense tartness of the lemon juice. For these, I used dried wild blueberries</span><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;"> (I love Trader Joe's!)</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;">, and they're so wee I didn't chop them. I finally learned from my mistakes, too, and took them out sooner than I thought I should, and they have the best texture of any of the group. The blueberries are wonderful bursts of flavor, and I wholeheartedly recommend them, even if they are a bit pricey.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Finally, the cookie dough was </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/wayne-harley-brachman/chocolate-chip-oatmeal-cookies-recipe/index.html">my old fallback</a><span style="font-family: arial;">, modified of course. I added chopped good-quality dark chocolate, dried cranberries, and delicious </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.honeylocator.com/floral_details.asp">tulip poplar honey</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">(thanks Dad!)</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"> instead of the egg. I usually tip in some shredded coconut too, but I didn't have any. I have no idea how these bake up, because I don't think I've ever actually cooked them. I always just eat the dough. Oh don't look at me like that--I know you've done it too!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Oh, right--I'm supposed to talk about yarn and stuff, huh? Well, though the twist hasn't been set yet, I did some spinning amidst the baking this weekend. This is spun from FatCatKnits' last installment of the first merino club. It totals 4oz, though it is obviously in two yarns. The thin two-ply is spun from what wouldn't fit on the bobbin when I did the single. I had thought I wanted to do a N-ply, but thought the colors would look good and tweedy as a two-ply.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt0bPvoz2lExp5IOYdLWPbcSXJ5gqBik0WvaTokDsZtpfUG16DvTVKFNRnWQ0ikJCuDlzx_TkZgS5ZXc3AOhY8PRlOJOOdPG9GlZDhz0X8rkpgUvAPoQBc0PH0gU_r0br3O9rc5_yjk0k/s1600-h/IMG_6917.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt0bPvoz2lExp5IOYdLWPbcSXJ5gqBik0WvaTokDsZtpfUG16DvTVKFNRnWQ0ikJCuDlzx_TkZgS5ZXc3AOhY8PRlOJOOdPG9GlZDhz0X8rkpgUvAPoQBc0PH0gU_r0br3O9rc5_yjk0k/s320/IMG_6917.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5305815580858982162" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Approximately 45yds/2.6oz of the single and 80yds/1.4oz of the 2-ply. Approximately.</span></span><br /><br /><br /></div><span style="font-family: arial;">I would also love to know what your favorite online or local yarn store is. I have another huge batch of promotional postcards to send out, and would love your input on who you'd like to see carrying my yarns. Sadly, I can only do within the US right now, as selling wholesale internationally is a bit much for my feeble brain to comprehend at the moment!</span>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09077738223278000467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762120638013196814.post-903107631256052722009-02-20T06:00:00.000-08:002009-02-20T06:00:01.004-08:00Friday Funny<span style="font-family:arial;">René Descartes walked into a bar and the bartender asked if he’d like a drink. He replied, “I think not” and </span><code style="font-family: arial;">*</code><span style="font-family:arial;">poof</span><code style="font-family: arial;">*</code><span style="font-family:arial;"> he disappeared.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Have you heard about the vampire who decided to be come a poet?<br />I hear that he went from bat to verse.<br /><br />What's orange and sounds like a parrot?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />A carrot!<br /></span>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09077738223278000467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762120638013196814.post-74991621277918682112009-02-18T10:07:00.000-08:002009-02-18T12:26:52.328-08:00Wednesday!!<span style="font-family:arial;">1. I'm nearly out of jokes for Funny Fridays! Someone help! Ok, the internet will probably be useful in this endeavor. So will my Seester, queen of goofy jokes. I'll be ok. I think.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">2. My eye is much better, thank you. Antibiotics are pretty amazing.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">3. The scarf of doom was used to great effect--lookie!<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyBm2ZWNGVlg9D5v0RFFgiiYuUWNXdZn4cPdh-b9ZikgGPqQgF-1BuyqgqP4MN-WpJrAs7hC5yBihgunm6uLRKgd-kbeMma9amt9r6rgTF5zvgkjKhTt6_qfCESBM-SF8zh_FIf3Lik18/s1600-h/katie.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyBm2ZWNGVlg9D5v0RFFgiiYuUWNXdZn4cPdh-b9ZikgGPqQgF-1BuyqgqP4MN-WpJrAs7hC5yBihgunm6uLRKgd-kbeMma9amt9r6rgTF5zvgkjKhTt6_qfCESBM-SF8zh_FIf3Lik18/s320/katie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304236387364382322" border="0" /></a> <div style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">That's my old friend Katie in the middle, dressed as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rikku">Rikku</a>. She's accompanied by her friends Mary and Lauren dressed as other characters from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Fantasy_X-2">Final Fantasy X-2</a>. See the scarf of not-doom-but-awesomeness?</span></span> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">She wears it well.</span></span><br /><br /></div> <span style="font-family:arial;">4. Due to upcoming changes in my life, you may get to see more yarns, FOs, and blog posts! Hurray! Or, you may not--I don't know yet what precisely is going to happen.</span> <span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />5. I don't normally post things like this, but it made me laugh today. Hope it makes your day a little brighter too.<br /><br /></span> <a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzuoS2dEIFg4glu53Q80X0O6ABnjscdap_PGModj4uYY-G9Uk8a5Z6bxOuSleMkat6B2mW1xO-8BWJR9qOgx3fKCe-6vvXt05sCkoIiHnBfwaLu7iwGUI1fgaWUqclsInkQJH1soenYY/s1600-h/funny-pictures-something-in-cats-te.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzuoS2dEIFg4glu53Q80X0O6ABnjscdap_PGModj4uYY-G9Uk8a5Z6bxOuSleMkat6B2mW1xO-8BWJR9qOgx3fKCe-6vvXt05sCkoIiHnBfwaLu7iwGUI1fgaWUqclsInkQJH1soenYY/s320/funny-pictures-something-in-cats-te.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304207755871368162" border="0" /></a>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09077738223278000467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762120638013196814.post-36247953726139745982009-02-16T18:55:00.000-08:002009-02-17T21:16:10.886-08:00Hmmm.<span style="font-family:arial;">Welp, I was worn out Sunday and didn't post. Last night, I didn't much feel like it. I still don't tonight, but think I ought to. So now, I'm going to simply caption pictures rather than writing. So I think I shall. It's good to be da king.</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvo87FUpP1oROWLMmvSTB_iJ3-sYOhUc0j0i2r6B9-db5oHosswKfdDFLqVqW2itHVjNgcc6W7oo9HvqnE21dU-o6l8ZSEflHkzlxdDWW2GiDYuJu066SSIR5frWSyGUTuazo_FJ7x9fU/s1600-h/IMG_6747.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvo87FUpP1oROWLMmvSTB_iJ3-sYOhUc0j0i2r6B9-db5oHosswKfdDFLqVqW2itHVjNgcc6W7oo9HvqnE21dU-o6l8ZSEflHkzlxdDWW2GiDYuJu066SSIR5frWSyGUTuazo_FJ7x9fU/s320/IMG_6747.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303997858774994530" border="0" /></a>Point Loma, the westernmost point of land in the continental US. That pic is for you, dad.<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJFNM5x77sJ6UeKsLvO96JNFyhSaqKxxwqVCXiJc73lIJn49ZCsouD0ayKXeJoRzaNY52XOxW-OFAB993kG7P-Bre3ShBx5vY1IzIYmT7uJZdfwPv47cvFkJKYrbZXUMhUS16b9NDOod4/s1600-h/IMG_6772.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJFNM5x77sJ6UeKsLvO96JNFyhSaqKxxwqVCXiJc73lIJn49ZCsouD0ayKXeJoRzaNY52XOxW-OFAB993kG7P-Bre3ShBx5vY1IzIYmT7uJZdfwPv47cvFkJKYrbZXUMhUS16b9NDOod4/s320/IMG_6772.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303997850346802258" border="0" /></a>See, I told you we went whale-watching. That right there is the best picture I got. Sure, we saw tails and blow-sprays and flukes. But no, I couldn't get a single one on film.<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjADwgOIw8I8P3RmUThOhWMImax9CU-aTlTp0t5B9lLls3g3Ovdib43jeL_EyzTQ59loNO_VTYnp3jG73TGl9Mmn69YMgXrt7HcsKjv5uetsnHNWAsBoDHw1FNbNUgMbH7P7qc9TC5bY/s1600-h/IMG_6788.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjADwgOIw8I8P3RmUThOhWMImax9CU-aTlTp0t5B9lLls3g3Ovdib43jeL_EyzTQ59loNO_VTYnp3jG73TGl9Mmn69YMgXrt7HcsKjv5uetsnHNWAsBoDHw1FNbNUgMbH7P7qc9TC5bY/s320/IMG_6788.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303997851167329906" border="0" /></a>A replica of the schooner <span style="font-style: italic;">America</span>, who gave its name to the America's Cup race when the title was snatched from the British in 1851.<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHEkq4qrL9aG1ZjngWCQ3j4VfKLWIMZpA7AdN-qG9u1sSHpnce5QfJuBeerx8B1AIF2vSmw2wytQAeecBm1-iY1pOSKGH0QE3D_OT1H_rgLDQjtnADX8s-lFtttdbhjoK0AQnU8vj4CM/s1600-h/IMG_6843.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHEkq4qrL9aG1ZjngWCQ3j4VfKLWIMZpA7AdN-qG9u1sSHpnce5QfJuBeerx8B1AIF2vSmw2wytQAeecBm1-iY1pOSKGH0QE3D_OT1H_rgLDQjtnADX8s-lFtttdbhjoK0AQnU8vj4CM/s320/IMG_6843.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303997037544403794" border="0" /></a>Look, handknits! See the neckwarmer? You saw it a few weeks ago too. The sweater was bought on clearance at Target. Can anyone explain to me why a sweater made of 60% cotton/25% wool/15% acrylic is the itchiest damn thing I own?!?<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3AcXGJCTSCvg4Z3gd1kfVgNEq0G1h45BrhBY4Z34AjauTR31y0YGx5SRdH1TMftmUICTQUnKzVrTVRLY90abftLImU7DvhQZlgaZ97yDYRJl3J9fJXw1SXAzT9BRS8bVBwHh8dVH1aQ/s1600-h/IMG_6855.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3AcXGJCTSCvg4Z3gd1kfVgNEq0G1h45BrhBY4Z34AjauTR31y0YGx5SRdH1TMftmUICTQUnKzVrTVRLY90abftLImU7DvhQZlgaZ97yDYRJl3J9fJXw1SXAzT9BRS8bVBwHh8dVH1aQ/s320/IMG_6855.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303997035637848418" border="0" /></a>A nook-u-ler submarine. They can go 30 YEARS without refueling!! No, that's not a typo. YEARS. I know what I'm doing when the zombies come.<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3r4fwlvY1sjscnHwZqg8OTkOlKl2G8pJ-itgu1w1p6G4f0BHw6d_TL9Sbid94-YJoB8I_a8bNwOIH1JwKGidGaGAvGqhXJcviAfiVQMUbM0Ot5NYv_pwoiK-ZFpqpJTXZEMWHnGQucE8/s1600-h/IMG_6864.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3r4fwlvY1sjscnHwZqg8OTkOlKl2G8pJ-itgu1w1p6G4f0BHw6d_TL9Sbid94-YJoB8I_a8bNwOIH1JwKGidGaGAvGqhXJcviAfiVQMUbM0Ot5NYv_pwoiK-ZFpqpJTXZEMWHnGQucE8/s320/IMG_6864.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303997031459624194" border="0" /></a>Lazy sea lions. They're sunning on some docks that date from the 1950s and are used for holding live bait.<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_nEKMKrIiTGJtwrXUFnmRlqqL8XPbyDkp9G8YDf-c5VczQAhG4HF5Bx5GVhtK4bGcmP8SGB6ce9NNydxQjSw1nCwM1uEve708tb08U6BTGyyBqTdn9c0ESx1bVNZTh9PAFfz3dIRu2I/s1600-h/IMG_6890.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_nEKMKrIiTGJtwrXUFnmRlqqL8XPbyDkp9G8YDf-c5VczQAhG4HF5Bx5GVhtK4bGcmP8SGB6ce9NNydxQjSw1nCwM1uEve708tb08U6BTGyyBqTdn9c0ESx1bVNZTh9PAFfz3dIRu2I/s320/IMG_6890.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303997026880558578" border="0" /></a>Part of the SD skyline and the <span style="font-style: italic;">USS Midway</span>. Though it's slightly cut off, the width of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Midway</span> is nearly 26 stories. It's just over 100 stories long, twice the allowed "height" of San Diego skyscrapers due to FAA regulations.<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAQ-FvFia28k2ig6fZH6psMfvMl9dOMDagc7I0FxF2ZjmJyYLzSBYNu_Lr7CV5YsITo6mpDkQ81I5fG4AI0nS6wOKODbYK5IbvCm4u-TAPLKRpzGwIJXtDJhUx99wHtRAY0Te6RrljU4/s1600-h/IMG_6900.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAQ-FvFia28k2ig6fZH6psMfvMl9dOMDagc7I0FxF2ZjmJyYLzSBYNu_Lr7CV5YsITo6mpDkQ81I5fG4AI0nS6wOKODbYK5IbvCm4u-TAPLKRpzGwIJXtDJhUx99wHtRAY0Te6RrljU4/s320/IMG_6900.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303997017092332066" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Super delicious "Car Bomb" cupcakes I made for our LSG/Ravelry get together on Sunday. They have Guinness in the chocolate cake batter, whisky (that I didn't use) in the chocolate ganache filling, and Bailey's Irish Cream in the buttercream frosting. They are AMAZING, and you can find the recipe </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/01/car-bomb-cupcakes/">here</a><span style="font-family:arial;">.</span><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">That's all I've got for now. Have to save something for tomorrow's post of randomness, right?</span><br /></div></div>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09077738223278000467noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762120638013196814.post-40884292598463318682009-02-13T06:00:00.000-08:002009-02-13T06:00:02.805-08:00Friday Funny<span style="font-family:arial;">A neutron walks into the bar and asks how much for a drink….. barman says “for you, no charge”</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span><br /><br /><div style="font-family: arial;" class="body forum_post_body"> <p>What does the H in Jesus H. Christ stand for?</p> <p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Haploid</p><p><br /></p><p>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /></p><p>What do you do with a dead chemist?</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Barium.</p> </div>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09077738223278000467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762120638013196814.post-90374924313398204562009-02-11T13:06:00.000-08:002009-02-11T13:50:05.863-08:00Promiscuous Wednesday<span style="font-family: arial;">Yes, promiscuous. See last week's post for clarification.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">i. Don't forget--any purchases of yarn, patterns, or knitted items throughout the month of February will help support the Australian Red Cross in their efforts to deal with the devastation of the ongoing bushfires.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />1. I think of things I could write all week, and then forget them. It's terrible. I can't wait to see how awful my memory will be when I'm 70!<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial;">2. I joined Twitter. Seemed like all my Ravelry friends were on it, and it also seemed like a great way to keep inane babble out of this blog. So, really, I did it for you. Check out my tweets (not twits) in the sidebar over there to your right.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />3. You may have forgotten, but I have yarns on consignment over at </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.materialwhirled.com/Yarns-by-Little-Grey-Cat-Designs-c-64.html">Material Whirled</a><span style="font-family: arial;">. The wonderful Reenie Hanlin has a lovely website, so check it out!</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />4. On the note of yarns--I'm going to have to spin my head off the next few weeks, as my stock is incredibly low, and (thankfully!!) people want skeins. However, I have to finish a custom knitting project first, and I feel like it's the slowest thing I've ever knitted. Sigh.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />5. I long for a proper crafting space. Right now, my wool storage/workspace shares a room with the guest bed and the computer. I would want a computer in my future studio (the internet is sort of integral to my happiness and crafting abilities), but I would LOVE to get the dang futon out of the room right now. That, however, would leave nowhere for guests, and we do like having visitors on occasion. Of course, there's also the comfy chair in the living room, and the yarn in our bedroom--those should all be in one place with the wool and other supplies. One of these days...probably the same day we cease to have noisy neighbors!</span>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09077738223278000467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762120638013196814.post-28851548480452504222009-02-09T07:08:00.000-08:002009-02-09T07:16:38.734-08:00Australian Bushfires<span style="font-family:arial;">I have several e-friends on </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://www.ravelry.com/">Ravelry</a><span style="font-family:arial;"> who are in the "danger zone" for the Australian bushfires. You may have heard news reports about the fires. One friend said </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >"this must be what the apocalypse feels like"</span><span style="font-family:arial;">. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;" >I'll be donating all profits from the sale of yarns and knitted items and all proceeds from the sale of patterns to the Australian Red Cross during the month of February. </span><span style="font-family:arial;">Please consider making a purchase and supporting our Australian friends in their time of need.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />I'll be donating weekly, and posting a running total of donations here on the blog. I've donated US$40 myself already to start us off. Help me make that number grow.<br /><br />Additionally, if you're interested in supporting the care of wildlife injured in the bushfires, please click through to <a href="http://www.wildlifevictoria.org.au/cms/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=43">Wildlife Victoria</a> to donate for the animals.<br /></span>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09077738223278000467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762120638013196814.post-61002589183684223562009-02-08T15:53:00.000-08:002009-02-09T07:02:40.697-08:00Are you sure we had a whole weekend?<span style="font-family:arial;">I'm just asking, cause it sure seemed to fly by for me. Let's see...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">SATURDAY</span><br /><ul face="arial"><li>Started out the day by visiting a <a href="http://www.jazicrafts.com/">local yarn s</a><a href="http://www.jazicrafts.com/">hop</a> interested in carrying my yarns. Not only did they agree to place a wholesale order, but two of the employees nearly cleaned out my stock for their own stash! I'm quite pleased, to say the least. I was also delighted to do the math and figure out I'd only need approximately 8 wholesale orders a month in order to match my current salary at my day job--time to step up my marketing!<br /></li><li>After doing a few things at home, Big Man and I went out for dinner to celebrate the sale. We ate at <a href="http://www.monsoonrestaurant.com/html/home.htm">Monsoon</a> downtown, and you should do the same if you're ever nearby--it's quite delicious, and the atmosphere is wonderful. I had coconut-ginger soup and dizzy noo shak <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(curried bananas)</span></span>, and of course delicious naan. We also ate at <a href="http://extraordinarydesserts.com/balboapark.htm">Extraordinary Desserts</a> for <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(you guessed it)</span></span> dessert. I was <span style="font-weight: bold;">painfully</span> full on the way home, but all the food had been so good I couldn't turn it down!</li><li>Sadly, upon arriving home, I discovered my ankle was exceedingly unhappy with me for some reason, and I spent the rest of the evening grimacing and watching Iron Man.</li></ul><span style="font-family:arial;">SUNDAY</span><ul face="arial"><li>Due to the stupidity of my ankle, we had to skip our beach walk. This made me very sad, and I alleviated my sadness in that time-honored way: baking. I made Blueberry-Lemon-Ginger bread from scratch, bastardizing a cranberry-nut bread recipe. I used dried wild blueberries from Trader Joe's, and diced up some candied ginger from the bulk food aisle at my local natural food store, and lemon oil instead of fresh juice/zest. It turned out quite well, though I always have to bake quick breads for FAR longer than the recipe says to get the middle done. Sometimes I don't care and eat it doughy, but I wanted to do this one right so I wouldn't be embarrassed to show y'all a picture!</li></ul><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqjznOkF2lkSuVw7EZ-tinWIWqJ9vZR2r5DMsUVwrx67ARdwtOufUyB1FhZU0M7mlRoPSCLWPo7gXiFIcrBZn6vBIyjnOwLlAAyeTSglGD0ZbhPZB_iOz925b4D7s2liZx8RHlCGAu2QQ/s1600-h/IMG_6718.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqjznOkF2lkSuVw7EZ-tinWIWqJ9vZR2r5DMsUVwrx67ARdwtOufUyB1FhZU0M7mlRoPSCLWPo7gXiFIcrBZn6vBIyjnOwLlAAyeTSglGD0ZbhPZB_iOz925b4D7s2liZx8RHlCGAu2QQ/s320/IMG_6718.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300582377082811986" border="0" /></a><ul style="font-family: arial;"><li>After making the bread, I decided I couldn't stand the clutter in the house anymore, and recruited Ian to join me in a cleaning whirlwind. It felt great, and we threw out plenty of useless junk, collected coins to cash in, and even rearranged a few things. I'm not <span style="font-style: italic;">done</span>, of course, but a good portion of the apartment is much prettier now!<br /></li><li>While the sun poked its head out for a few minutes <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(it's been rainy here lately)</span></span>, I snapped some shop photos. Yes, you heard correctly--I have new yarns to list! You've seen the two black ones (remember them?), but this one I spun AGES ago, and hadn't shot yet. Heaven knows why, because I love the yarn so much I'm tempted to keep it.<br /></li></ul><a style="font-family: arial;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-hX4hpGIsHGMCh6Y3vJVBNsFEWh9CEf9S2Qivh9lubmOT8BPvP-VYN9mD9mTGgJ10cDiTGouNuuqxyLoLWaQx9u1txViVnIRtSt2B3NJr-1DTdl68lvqwRBcrfoODS-DdPkzlnhHZTs/s1600-h/IMG_6720.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-hX4hpGIsHGMCh6Y3vJVBNsFEWh9CEf9S2Qivh9lubmOT8BPvP-VYN9mD9mTGgJ10cDiTGouNuuqxyLoLWaQx9u1txViVnIRtSt2B3NJr-1DTdl68lvqwRBcrfoODS-DdPkzlnhHZTs/s320/IMG_6720.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300583254311312402" border="0" /></a><blockquote style="font-family: arial;"></blockquote><blockquote style="font-family: arial;">It's spun from <a href="http://fatcatknits.etsy.com/">FatCatKnit's</a> handdyed merino in colorway Crocodile Tears. I got it some time ago, so you may not remember seeing the roving in her shop. It's 116yds and just over 8oz of thick/thin bulkyish weight two-ply, and has delicious raspberry sorbet colored sparkle spun in at the raspberry parts <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(you can see it in the big version of the photo, so clickity!)</span></span>. If I could think of something specific I'd make with it, I would keep it!</blockquote><ul style="font-family: arial;"><li>I'm now off to do a custom knitting order that I should've finished by now. I'm also packing up some packages <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(none of them orders, btw, so don't think I'm slacking there!)</span></span> that I should've already mailed. How is time so speedy, and so much speedier than us?!?</li></ul>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09077738223278000467noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762120638013196814.post-11661979473970090252009-02-06T06:00:00.000-08:002009-02-06T06:00:00.997-08:00Friday Funny<span style="font-family: arial;">Because I have no problem whatsoever remembering to make regular posts, I decided to start another recurring post! I'll post something funny (and clean!) every Friday.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Why did the chicken cross the </span><a style="font-family: arial;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%B6bius_strip">Moebius strip</a><span style="font-family: arial;">?</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">To get to the other...oh, wait.</span>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09077738223278000467noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2762120638013196814.post-11791089676142183092009-02-04T21:43:00.000-08:002009-02-04T21:58:44.870-08:00Arbitrary Wednesday<span style="font-family: arial;">1. The online thesaurus I sometimes use gives "promiscuous" as a synonym for random. That's a fail right there, <a href="http://thesaurus.reference.com/">thesaurus.com</a>!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">2. Any suggestions on a comfortable low stool, preferably with a back and no arms and perhaps 16" high? My regular spinning stool works just fine with my Sonata, but my Country Spinner requires me to be much lower, and the sofa heaped with pillows won't cut it for more than a skein or two of plying.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> I love being tall, but sometimes being regular-sized would be most helpful--I wouldn't scrunch over just to be closer to my spinning, and the regular stool would probably be fine!<br /><br />3. Do you prefer cold water or room temperature water? I like mine to be icy, though I will usually finish my glass if it's warmed to room temperature from icy <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(but not usually if it's been out overnight, as on my nightstand)</span></span>. I know some folks like warmer water all the time, but I just can't fathom it!</span><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br />4. I adore pudding, but only instant <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(or <a href="http://www.snackpack.com/products.html">Snack Packs</a> if I must)</span></span>. Cooked pudding <span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(aka <a href="http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Homemade-Pudding/Detail.aspx">the real stuff</a>)</span> has never appealed to me, especially not when it forms a skin, ugh.<a href="http://brands.kraftfoods.com/jello/products/pudding/instant-pudding-and-pie-filling/"> Instant pudding</a> only turns into pudding because of some sort of reaction between the pudding mix and the calcium in the milk. That's why soy or rice milks don't really work at all and just make pudding-flavored soup, and a reason I occasionally buy cow's milk. But only once in a great while, as it kind of squicks me out <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(for various reasons I won't go into, cause they're gross)</span></span>.</span><span style="font-family: arial;"> Oh, and NEVER tapioca. I don't like eating fish eyes, thankyouverymuch.<br /><br />5. I saw this on Cute Overload today, and it made my whole day. Except, it did make me sad I don't live in Australia, because nothing like this would ever happen in the States. At least, if it does, it's never an animal as cute as a koala.</span><br /><br />------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><p>Hot damn.</p> <p>It is <span style="font-weight: bold;">HOT.</span></p> <p>Hot enough to sneak into this cinderblock haven and look for relief! [Koala makes 'ehn!' sounds]</p> <p><a onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=836,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false" href="http://mfrost.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2009/02/03/100_1005.jpg"><img src="http://mfrost.typepad.com/cute_overload/images/2009/02/03/100_1005.jpg" title="[Koala sniffing sounds] Mmmm! Watères!" alt="100_1005" width="500" border="0" height="522" /></a></p> <p>WAIT A MIN! [sploosh sploosh] WHAT'S THEES!?</p> <p><a href="http://mfrost.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2009/02/03/100_1008.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=928,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img alt="100_1008" title="Mmmmm! A cool pool, just for moi." src="http://mfrost.typepad.com/cute_overload/images/2009/02/03/100_1008.jpg" width="500" border="0" height="580" /></a></p> <p>[Test Slurpitty test slurpitty]</p> <p><a href="http://mfrost.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2009/02/03/100_1009.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=764,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img alt="100_1009" title="[taste test]" src="http://mfrost.typepad.com/cute_overload/images/2009/02/03/100_1009.jpg" width="500" border="0" height="477" /></a></p> <p>Yes. </p> <p>Yes, this will do.</p> <p><a href="http://mfrost.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2009/02/03/100_1012.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=811,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img alt="100_1012" title="Did you know I was coming!?" src="http://mfrost.typepad.com/cute_overload/images/2009/02/03/100_1012.jpg" width="500" border="0" height="506" /></a></p> <p>[Sizzling Koala sounds]</p> <p><a href="http://mfrost.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2009/02/03/100_1013.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank', 'width=800,height=600,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img alt="100_1013" title="Sssssssssssss" src="http://mfrost.typepad.com/cute_overload/images/2009/02/03/100_1013.jpg" width="500" border="0" height="375" /></a></p> <p>According to Sender-Inner Kathy M., "A guy at work's wife sent him these photos of a little Koala who just walked into the back porch looking for a bit of heat relief. She filled up a bucket and this is what happened!" </p>Maggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09077738223278000467noreply@blogger.com2