Real life intervenes and changes things

… and it doesn’t mean I won’t pay attention to the WordTapestry site again. I just need to deal with real life. And no, “real life” doesn’t need to be discussed here.

Pity I’m on an enforced blog vacation, since I was thinking of writing a blog on surviving jury duty (8:15 AM to 5:30 PM, with a short break… and no, not one jot of it like something from a Miss Marple story, so feh.) while being denied crochet or knitting needles. No, i did not hit my head multiple times against a pew in front of me, although some of the people there were rocking back and forth with heads in hands while we waited to find out who of a group of 500 would be the 12 selected, with alternates. P.s.: they made everyone, including the women, remove their hats (one woman seemed to be going through chemo and was really unhappy), so it was really unlike anything imagined by Agatha Christie. Ps.s.: and of course, it was very unlike Agatha because there were no uppercrust people, no high class motivations. Just stupid, sordid, and… sadly… real life for someone.

Today’s moment of the giggles

For anyone who is on LinkedIn, Facebook, Ravelry, (and I missing a site?) there are always moments where the requests to become part of someone’s network becomes funny.

Especially when you’re part of a college network, and the college has a mascot for a team you’ve never really invested emotionally in. Hearing the phrase “I am open to all invites from fellow ____ and look forward to networking and learning how I can be of benefit to you or your current organization.” just gives me the giggles. Here’s why:

Insert almost any team name in the blank space. Favorites might be Lions, Hurricanes, Cavaliers, Greyhounds, Badgers, Wildcats, Tigers, Turtles. There are any number of options for giggles you can’t explain at work. I doubt the lions, the bears, the whatever are interested in networking with someone named Chad (which still sounds like an island to me) who I’ve never met (although the Greyhounds might have a fleeting acquaintance).

So, anyone receive any weird networking come ons lately? I’m reluctant to link in to this person because he claims to be the starter of this network, but two years ago someone else had that role. Baffling. Ah well

Off to commit food now.

Mending holes from the past

You can mend relationships, you can mend body and soul, and you can just do some plain old mending. I’m starting off the new year doing all three, and in the case of one — it actually involves wool. The Gardener had worn a hole through both elbows of a favorite sweater, so now it sports two elbow patches made of wool.

Music videos and a fascination with the past

Whether it’s a fascination with French filmography: Smashing Pumpkins

Or green-fairy induced monomania/Victorian mourning with an unpleasant singer who was possibly told to overact: Nine Inch Nails

People in wigs and crushed velvet: Annie Lenox (Hugh Laurie and John Malkovich)

Incomprehensible Cold War camp when you go west with the Pet Shop Boys

A lovely video that might be from Martina McBride or not… called “For These Times” (starring NYC). I mostly posted this because I want to visit it again.

Enjoy the timewarp.*

*Courtesy of my desire not to look at the news and obsess more about earthquakes and not being able to feel like I’m making a difference. BTW: If you’re interested in helping, check credible nonprofits out there, okay? There’s Doctor’s Without Borders, Red Cross (although I feel weird about texting something on my phone to donate), and other places that have a track record of helping others.

Going back in time

My friend’s baby shower was recently. I wasn’t able to go, but I was hoping to have something packed up and handed off to her sister beforehand.

So, what am I doing right now? Tinking back a wee, small item that has managed to stump me. Once it looks less embarrassing, I’ll do a photoshoot. But for now, I’m tinking, and hearing Huey Lewis and the News while in my mind’s eye I see a DeLorean, a kid and a mad scientist. I’ve managed to morph the song into “Power of Love,” which I at least know the words to. Hopefully sometime this week I’ll be able to sit and listen to the audio book I have on tape and enjoy some knitting time.

So, how about you? And small, easy projects suddenly surprise you with an unexpected challenge? Or are you breezing through intarsia or entrelac?

Sometimes the online universe boggles me

While waiting at a well-known coffee chain, waiting to get hot water for some tea, I stood in front of someone who was explaining on how wonderful it was to find a StarbuZZ at the mall. And she always got the same drink. (The people she was with were tired, footsore, and trying to explain that they didn’t want any coffee or snacks, because they were going to go get lunch… the 10-year old and 5-year old seemed a little overwhelmed by the effusiveness of the woman who was talking.) And then she whipped out her camera and explained loudly that she was going to get a photo, because she had a page on facebook. And on that page she had pictures of every StarbuZZ she had visited. One in Switzerland, one in London, one in Jerusalem. I was grateful when I got my tea, and I was even more grateful when I could pay the nice man behind the counter so I could make my escape.
I’m not on facebook, and frankly… I don’t get it. But I do take pictures of yarn as it slowly becomes something, so I can’t really judge. I just may be more likely to talk about my Ravelry account and my blogging when I’m surrounded by people who actually care (like a LYS or a friend in the knitting circle), instead of in a coffee house filled with surly people who really weren’t sure what was going on with the lady who was gesturing madly as she tried to snap pictures.

I’m not on facebook, so I ask in kind of horrified amazement — do people really devote pages to pictures of well-known coffee chains? [And, in case anyone has shopped for women's clothing recently, what's with all the outfits worthy of Liza Minnelli, Ethel Merman, or Adam Ant? Was there some sort of kabal in the design world that laughed and said that we'd all either be singing about New York, New York or "don't drink don't smoke, what do ya do?" I'd like to know that this is a regional fad, and if I leave this region I might find something a grown up can wear to an office.]

Sympathy and coping ideas for those suddenly dealing with snow

A funny story about wearing layers. When I went to school in winters when children still walked more than a mile in crummy weather, I would be bundled up. Long johns, jeans, a wool skirt, two pairs of socks, boots pulled over the bottoms of my jeans, a turtleneck, sweater, knit hat, mittens (sometime gloves inside the mittens), one scarf around my neck, one scarf around my hat, knit legwarmers, and an anorak. I’d wobble my way to school, backpack barely on my shoulders and a flute case flopping in one hand. My shadow looked like an emperor penguin. I’d get to school and remove boots and one pair of socks and put on the sneakers in my locker. Then I’d step into my locker (I was short) and remove the outer skirt. Once I had the anorak off and the other extra layers, I looked like a teenager again — mostly braces and frazzled hair. I was lucky, though. My school had heat, and so did my parents’ house. I didn’t have to always dress like an emperor penguin with a strange Cosby Show sense of style.

My mother was hell bent and determined that I would get an education, but I wouldn’t freeze for it.

Now, the UK, the deep south of the USA… both are dealing with crippling cold temperatures and snow. I’m not sure when the last time was that I heard the weatherman announce that portions of the Mississippi have frozen. The Midwest of the USA is dealing with crazy crippling cold and crazy snow. My sympathies to all of you, and a few coping ideas for people suddenly faced with strange driving conditions (those of you in the Midwest probably already know this, so move along). The folks on NPR said people on the BBC were looking for ideas, and I’m gullible so hear y’are:

1. Keep a blanket in your car, bring a flashlight with fresh batteries, travel with water in a thermos, fuel up your car to half a tank no matter what, etc.
2. Read up on how to drive on ice and snow. The American Association of Automobiles always has links up on this. (Note: there are instructional videos online from the 60s and 70s that were probably still used by the Driver’s Ed teacher to explain what to do in the snow, but I learned on cars without antilock brakes. It’s all a bit different now.)
3. And for goodness sakes, stay home if you don’t feel safe going out in heavy driving snow or braving black ice on the roads. If you have a heart problem or a bad back, now is not the time to shovel your walk or dig out your car.

If you’re in one of the hard hit areas of the UK or the USA, and you have the luxury, stay home by the fire or the radiator. It’s a great opportunity to knit or plan next season’s garden. If you do have to go out, only go out for short bits of time and bundle up. There’s better technology out there to keep kids and grownups warm. No need to be a penguin in a loud sweater.

End of my amateur PSA. I’ll go back to knitting tomorrow, hopefully. Right now I’m planning on getting some salt in from the car, in anticipation of the inevitable. It’s winter.

All I have are a couple of strange links

Sadly, a bunch of scattered links that sort of show the way my brain darts around when it’s home from work.

Find out how snow removal can provide a workout, and work your laugh muscles at the same time: Check out the funny at Cabbages and Kings. Yes, as someone who has lived in a frequent snowzone, I remember one week when I couldn’t drive to my apartment parking lot because of the small glacier on the hill.

Apparently you can find almost any kind of premade socks for baby — including ones that look like shoes with spats, ones that look like Mary Janes, and ones that look like Teenage Mutant Ninja somethings. (Who knew there was something called a shopwiki out there? Not me. I just found it looking for baby bootie patterns with spats.) If you’re not into knitting (and not trying to figure out how to do TMJT in intarsia or duplicate stitch, you might find this lamb gift a cute one for a newborn (and thank heavens, it doesn’t seem to be “for boys” or “for girls”).

Film noir links here and a dress that purports to be a women’s black film noir dress, on a site called the Peruvian connection. Other pretty objects on the site are made from more natural fibers — cocktail dress with swirly pattern and alpaca Bartlett shrug (knitters out there — do you think that shrug is felted or knit?), or this expensive but interesting jacket. I think I may have to hit the thrift stores sometime soon to see if there’s something out there that would be interesting for wardrobe changes.

Visit Anne over at Gunsmokeandknitting to read about peace, bayberry candles, and a decadent toffee treat. Wish I’d found this one prior to the holiday of gifting.

And if you want to look for reading ideas from across the pond, try DoveGreyreader, or Harriet Devine. Anyone know where I could find someone’s take on current Australian literature? I ran into a couple of mystery novels (that I didn’t enjoy one jot so no names of authors or titles of books), but it made me wonder if there was better literature that someone outside of Australia could get their hands on.

The first of the year

Snowgeese, 2010

At the ocean, on the beach, while seeking shells,

We heard their call. Later at sunset,

On white wings with black tips

They swept across the sky.

White plumage glowed red with sun

As they made disorderly vees

In the sky, then streamed off

Into the distance above the houses,

The beach, the sands, the scrubpine,

Graceful necks outstretched.

Their bodies flickered as

Black wing tips blurred their outlines,

Dancing like a sideways snowsquall. — rn, January 2010

P.s.: Yes, it was bitterly cold at the ocean. But so lovely.

Present hopes

Present hopes

Originally uploaded by rjknits

2009 seems to have been hard for a lot of people: Family losses, job losses, new job stress, and the news media acting more like a bad-news blog that yammers about every uptick and downtick in the world (while not reporting on important things like 7 car pileups unless they’re half a world away). I’m hoping we all find safe, appropriate ways to celebrate this change of the year, and that 2010 is a bright shiny package filled with good things.

Keep safe! I’ll be back blogging once I’m done partying like it’s 1999 (hey, the picture is of purple wrapping paper — you wouldn’t imagine me skipping out on a “the artist formerly known as” reference).