31. a bit of leftover talk

I had this one last piece of pumpkin pie today (Okay, okay, I had it for BREAKFAST!) (Happy you dragged it out of me?) and then I had to throw the rest of the pie in the trash so I would stop eating it. It was good. A bit too good.
I'd hate to have written on my tombstone: Sandy was killed by a pumpkin pie.
That would suck.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
This now concludes any and all talk about pumpkin pie for this season. I give you my promise on that. (I mean, how often can a blogger mention pumpkin pie and get away with it anyway?)
~~
I pose you this question:
How much sweater can this knitter knit in a month?
This much:

The back and right front are done, the left front has been started. That is not technically a sweater so I have not been successful (TECHNICALLY) at the NaNoSweMo but in my view, that is one raging success. I have a lot more sweater than I started November with. And perhaps I can pull it off by the end of December. (I do have 2 simple knitting gifts I need to pull off by Christmas but I am afraid to give my attention to something else. One glance at another knitting project and my focus will have disappeared. I know myself)

♥
~~~
P.S. The turkey, btw, that was indeed cooked in a covered enamel (antique) turkey pan (not on a rack) was quite juicy. Not dry at all. But I do have a turkey trick passed onto me from my mother. It's very simple actually, but I did not think of it myself. As each slice (white meat) is taken from the bird it gets dipped into the pan drippings then onto the platter. No one will EVER accuse you of having a dry bird again. Guaranteed or your money back. Srsly.

32. Today's things

1. Lots of knitting. I have gotten a crapload of knitting done on the Town and Country Sweater (*FOR ME*) but it will not be done by tomorrow.

2. I had planned to attend the Tuba Christmas Concert today in Boston. At the last minute, I chickened out. Or perhaps I was being a turkey. I did not feel like walking around in the cold city today. Wimp.

3. Bethany and I went to see Four Christmases today. I loved it. Well, perhaps not "loved" but I liked it alot. It was the perfect movie for this weekend. Nothing deep, entertaining, and a hoot as a bonus. It was a little cheesy but in a good way.

4. Either Reese Witherspoon is extremely tiny or Vince Vaughn is very large.

5. Then we went to Target (or as I like to say TARZHAY) where I found shortbread cookies in Christmas shapes. That made me ridiculously happy. Almost as much as a Tuba concert would have.

6. It was a day of turkey leftovers.

7. Elf is on television tonight. I'll watch and knit a bit more.

8. I made a pumpkin pie out of REAL pumpkins. You insisted, I listened. And I'm glad I did. It was easy and delicious. In fact, I'm going to have a piece right now.

9. Pass some whipped cream.

33. I hope it's not dry!

Last year my Mom gave me my Grandmother's turkey roasting pan. This is the second time that I am surprised at how much quicker turkeys cook in that pan. I hope I remember that for next year! Falling off the bone or not, this guy looks yummy. He's sitting right now waiting for the rest of the meal to catch up. Not ketchup, please.
This is the day that I have missed my father in law, Bob the most. I feel his presence around me as I cook what was his favorite meal of the year.
As I was puttering around, I spied this little guy outside the kitchen window:

Bob's favorite bird was the cardinal.
Hi Bob!

34. pie, a sky and a turkey (or two)

The one on the LEFT is the turkey, thank you very much.
(the one on the right is debatable) (for those who really don't know, that is me. You'll have to GUESS which one)

It may be Non Thanksgiving day but that does not mean that a person has to be without apple pie!
And a sky:

A Thanksgiving sky. Also a sky worth giving thanks for.
~~~
I am truly thankful for you.
Thank you!

35. photo a long

KT stole it and I snitched it. As I said to her, a good meme is hard to hold down!
Rules. Always rules. If there were no rules, we'd all be running around willy nilly memeing all over the place with no rhyme or reason.

* Go to your Sixth Picture Folder then pick your Sixth Picture.

* Tag 5 others.

Simple rules at that. (Though you know that the last one is the tricky one!)

As you can see, the photo was taken August 24, 2005. The day before my birthday, 3 years ago. The end of August is the prettiest in terms of Dahlias. They bloom proficiently in my neighbor, Mr. Connelly's yard as I've shown you before. It's fitting that one of the dahlias makes it to this meme. And now it dawns on me that I did not take one picture of dahlias this summer.
Rats.
This is when I tag others. Usually I wave you on, today I tag.
Maryse
Lucia
Nora
Carole
and
hmmmm. I really want to say Claudia because I love her pictures so but I'm not sure she's a memealonger.
So, I"ll say ClaudiaNorma.
~~~
All that a picture of Fig

Fig is waiting for his favorite meal of the year, turkey~no cranberry sauce for him please!
And now? I'm off to the grocery store. If you never hear from me you know I have expired from the crowd mentality. I hope I make it through.

36. It's Tuesday and I have 10 things

Today is Tuesday, I do believe but I am going to do last week's 10 on Tuesday. Technically that means this is 10 on last Tuesday, but let's not let the details bog us down.
The reason I am doing last Tuesday's 10? This Tuesday's 10 is about Christmas and last Tuesday's is about Thanks Giving. Because I think that Thanksgiving gets the bums rap I will concentrate on giving thanks until the day is over. And as you know, my Turkey day is a day after the rest.
I have a lot to be thankful for, I guess I need an extra day. Seems fair.

Without any further ado:
10 Things I am Thankful for This Year:

1. Diet Coke in the morning
2. A reason to get out of bed in the morning
3. Sheets. Crisp and white
4. purring, skinny Fig
5. sheep, ergo wool
6. cheese
7. Charlie Brown who has such optimism that he always tries to kick that football
8. my housekeeper (Oh, wait. That one only exists in my fantasy world)
9. Seinfeld reruns: I laugh and laugh
10. mail order to Christmas shop
~~
There are of course, implied things that I am thankful for.
I am quite thankful for the opportunity to be thankful.
(Are you thankful I am done now?)
I'm done. There is no more.
Still here?
You may as well leave a comment then.

37. Monday talk about Thursday

So, Thanksgiving. A day to be thankful. A day of turkey. To stuff and be stuffed.
This year our Thanksgiving day is taking an interesting turn. Bethany has to work. The EMT's of the world are keeping us safe, rushing to aid us when we need them. Holiday or not. Leaving me feeling a bit pouty (pouting seems to be a theme in the blogs today) about having Thanksgiving without her. I know that someday they will move out and have families of their own to thanksgive with but for now, they are at MY table.
I offered 2 options to the rest of my family.
1. We could go to Andy's sister's for a wonderful traditional Thanksgiving
or
2. We could all stay home (except for Bethany of course who will be working) and have an alternative T-Day. Which will include all or some of the following activities:
resting
knitting
napping
watching football
watching movies
knitting
going TO the movies
making pizzas
OR
ordering Chinese food for the ultimate anti T-day symbol
And then having our traditional Thanksgiving on Friday when all of us can be there.
All have opted for plan B. I couldn't be more happy. The more we think about sitting around having anti T-day the more we love the idea.
So, that's what I am doing on Thanksgiving and the day after. How about you?
(I do realize that it's not Thanksgiving around the whole world. If you do not celebrate, surely you can pause a moment that day to BE thankful.)
(Or order Chinese)

38. I was wondering...

Derek loves to use those Axe sprays whenever he goes out. In my opinion they smell like his socks right before I wash them! It is pure BO! I tell him that the soap and shampoo smell is much better than that smelly stuff! I told him to go and buy some NICE aftershave. And he told me to go ahead and buy it for him.
Kids.
So, I'm wondering:
1. Do you know a good smelling aftershave spray that is acceptable by young men? Not your grandfather's aftershave but something hip and in?
2. While I'm at the process of wondering, do you know where the hell I put one pair of handknit mittens? Cripes, my hands are COLD. Imagine?

39. I ♥ pumpkin pie

It is so cold here honestly, all I want to do is knit. That can't be a bad thing, right? Perhaps with a nap or two thrown in?

I finished the back of the Town and Country and know working on the right front. There is about another 2 inches than shown here.
I have been really wanting to knit a hat for Jean's Hat Drive for the homeless but I know that if I stop knitting this sweater to knit ONE thing, it will be over. The spell will be broken and it will go into the knitting basket of the damned, perhaps to be taken up again in a year or so. I must keep the momentum going.
I do however, have a hat that I knit that no one wears so I will be sending that along. That counts, right?
You should knit a hat or two if you are so inclined. This winter is proving to be a significant one. It's not even technically winter yet but it is COLD around here. I think often how lucky I am to have a wonderful home and heat to keep me warm. We are a lucky bunch, aren't we?
And what do we have here?

Yes. That's right. Even though I swore right here on this blog that I would NEVER make a pumpkin pie from real pumpkins (Canned only, I spouted) I found myself being talked into it by the likes of you. I will be roasting these babies up and pureeing them to within an inch of their lives. The name is Pie. Pumpkin Pie.
Will it be worth it? My personal jury is out. But I have an open mind. And a huge love of pumpkin pie.
Now you know.

40. Forty more days to blog to have blogged 365. wow.

I love nights like tonight when the weather is super cold and my family meets with friends that are like family for dinner at our favorite restaurant and the evening goes on and on and feels wonderfully soul satisfying.
Talk turned to the holidays and how they are rapidly approaching. It seems like I cannot get away from that theme lately. So be it.
I will embrace it.
I thought I'd share a couple of the ideas that I have had for gifts this year. Some years you have it and some you don't. Inspiration that is.
Of course, this year Christmas is coming so soon after losing my father in law which changes the holiday immensely.
I ordered prints from Realmemories.com and although I have not received them yet, the whole idea is fabulous. I'll let you know my final thoughts after the delivery of the product. Check them out. How easy is that? Upload a picture to their site, chose a frame and mat, have some engraving. Done.
I ordered 3 to give to all branches of that family. I hope that gift goes over well and doesn't make everyone too emotional.
Another favorite gift that I ordered happens to be the aerogarden that I am currently growing. I bought 2 others to gift. I know that they will love them because I am loving mine.
What's your favorite gift to give this year? Will you be knitting gifts?
(This has been another edition of blogging while under the influence of 2 glasses of great wine. I think I did okay. I never did gush my love of David Cassidy or anything so I think every thing is fine.)

41. My feet are cold, my bones are old

Dr. Seuss I am not.
So, Christmas shopping. Yeah, I've been doing it. In fact I am pleased to say that for the first time in all the years of my swearing to do so, I am well on my way to the end of the list BEFORE Thanksgiving! I know. Is the sky falling? I'm not sure what got into me but there it is. We can all use it to proclaim the end is near or that some apocalypse may come. In any case, I still need to wrap so let's not get crazy.
The thing is with the early Christmas shopping is that I'm doing a bit of "one for you and 2 for me". While this feels good, I really need to stop. I should be writing all of this stuff down and giving it to an elf so I will have things under the tree. But? I can't resist when I go into a bookstore. I MUST BUY BOOKS. I can't help myself. Can anyone hold that against me??
While I was shopping ahem:for others:cough, I spotted the funniest named Chinese Restaurant ever. I even took a phone picture but I cannot figure out how to send it to my email address (please, no technology idiot jokes: I'm not strong enough! :)
Can you imagine the conversations?
~Where do you want to get Chinese?
~That Chinese Place
~What place?
~That Chinese Place
on and on and on....
and on.

42. (Number 42 Again) Today's Wool

With the temperatures hovering near 30F as the high temps, it is time to wear as much wool as one can get away with. This was today's selection.
Everyday Cardigan, Charlotte's scarf and fetching, even though I should have been wearing full fledged mitts.
What is your "Today's Wool"?

43. A bit of good with the bad

Well, it seems we will have to have Gripe day more often around here. Seems we ALL have things to get off our chests. It's good for our blood pressure to get them out in the open. I'm just thinking of our health.
Geez, I forgot the grump about the woman at the bank that I go to ALL the time. All of the bank clerks say hello to me when I step up to MS. Newbiebankpants. She eyes me like I am a long lost member of Bonnie and Clyde and about to take an Uzi out of my purse and rat a tat the bank up a bit. She eyes my check that I am DEPOSITING and checks my ID several times with the shifty eyed glances at me.
Geez Louise! Do I look that shady?
Yeah, so anyway, today was better. Not grumpy at all.
From work I headed out to do some errands. Not "errands" so much as "Christmas shopping". I've got to say that I am particularly pleased with myself as I have a good amount done and it's not even Thanksgiving yet!
If anyone sees the real Sandy, tell her the alien one is getting along just fine thank you very much.
So, just to balance ourselves out, tell me something good about YOUR day!

44. Kwitcherbellyachin: A random list of awful

I am declaring today Cranky day. Yes, I have lots to complain about so I saved it all up for today. While reading this crankified list, please be listing all of your complaints in your mind and them spew them in my comments. Well, spew sounds so ugly. So just state them, k?
My biggest complaint is knitting. Not MY knitting, but a coworkers. You see, she started knitting one of the dragon scale scarves in some lime green red heart yarn. Now, what you must know is that I don't care a hoot what people knit with. If Red Heart is your thing, KNIT. It's not MY thing and I expect the same courtesy back. But she does not understand how I can knit with such expensive yarns. That's one complaint.
If someone does not "GET" that, they will never get it. That's fine. I can live with it.
But? Then she decided that she had enough yarn to knit a hat and wanted me to show her how to knit a hat.
Now. I am all about helping people. I LOVE to share the knitting knowledge. BUT? I don't wish to spend all of MY knitting time (Of which there is precious few during the day but I squeeze it in by mowing a sandwich down in 3 seconds flat) TEACHING her how to knit a hat. Okay, so I'm finally on board with teaching her to knit a hat. I talked myself into it. You know...."Come on, Sandy, don't be so selfish! Share the wealth!"
THEN? She wants me to "figure out" how to make the dragon scales pattern into a hat. I told her that I am not interested in writing a knitting pattern but that I would look for another pattern.
She did not like any of them.
Then? She decided she wanted to knit a vest. So, I could just "show" her how to knit a vest.
I have never knit a vest. And furthermore? I am a PATTERN person. I cannot just WHIP anything up. I tell her to get a pattern and I'll help her.
Big disgusted sigh.
So, another woman brings in a vest pattern. Vest knitter/Hat knitter shows me the yarn wants to do it in that yarn. Which (as you probably can guess) is not the same guage. I tell her to knit a swatch. It does not match by any stretch of even MY imagination. She wants me to do all the math and fix it so it will be right.
Again, I tell her that I am not interested in writing a pattern for a vest.
That's when I got the hairy eyeball.
~~~~
Twice today people have bumped into me, HARD. Me, with the lower back that is better but not all better and reminds me by zinging me every now and then that I'd better be careful. Bumped. Into. Me. And did not say anything. No excuse me.
That really grinds my gears
~~~~~
My neighbor still has not removed the pile of tree that fell on my car over a year ago. I guess I have to turn into lunatic neighbor to get his butt in gear.

~~~~~
WHY can't anyone make a bed around here??? Honestly~!

~~~~~
Okay. I'm done. I could go on and on but I won't. I will force myself to end it here.
I hand the grumpy baton to you.
What's YOUR problem?

We will return you to your regularly scheduled non grumpy blog tomorrow. Maybe.

45. It's Sunday and this is what my day is full of OR: All that and a crock pot of beans

Bethany's New Car!!! 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit. Heated seats.

I'm knitting up a storm. Almost done the back. 14 more knitting days.

46. Why I never like poodles which explains why I wanted Pinky to be a bear

Recently, I found this little photo album in my "stuff".

I was perhaps 8 or 9 when I owned this.
Inside the front cover:

I always did have trouble writing in a straight line.
But the picture that is the most interesting in the photo album from the past is this:

Me (circa 1970)(look at that styling hair cut) and Pierre the poodle. Pierre belonged to my Aunt Georgette and Uncle Homer. I hated Pierre. He was your typical ankle biter. And he DID bite ankles. And fingers, elbows, ears and anything else he could get his grubby teeth on. And if he bit you? Aunt Georgette would tell you that you probably did something to deserve it. That you can't tease Pierre. I never did tease him. I was too busy ducking and flinching from all the nips he gave me.
Aunt Georgette dressed him, as you can see. She also cooked for him and wiped his feet and other sensitive places which I don't care to name.
Pierre lived the life. I never did view him as a dog. More of a "THING" that was a pain to me.
So, yes, Poodles were never a big draw for me. Pierre ruined it for me.
~~~~
15 more knitting days.

47. P is for Pinky

P is for Pinky.
Pinky was made for me by my Memere. I always assumed that Pinky was a bear but now I believe he is a poodle.
I carried Pinky everywhere I went. Pinky and me. Me and Pinky. That's how it was.
While spending the night at my Memere's, his nose fell off. I was mortified. I thought Memere would be mad at me. So I did what any kid would do. Hid him under the bed and when she asked me I told her I did not know where Pinky was.
Memere knew something was fishy because I always knew where Pinky was. When she left the room, I took him out of his hiding place, slept with him and replaced him back under the bed in the morning.
Oddly enough, Memere found him (imagine with me hiding him in that GREAT hiding place, under the bed) and asked me what happened.
I cried when I told her that his nose fell off.
She immediately fixed him and Poor Pinky did not have to sleep under the bed anymore.

Pinky has been with me every day of my life since then. I don't sleep with him anymore but he is not far away from me.

48. A message from FIg

P is for Pinky will be shown at a newly scheduled time in tomorrow's blog to bring you this message from Fig.

Fig wants you to know that he does not eat the herbs that are growing in the aerogarden. In fact, he doesn't give a hoot about them. But? He's always been a good cat and never ever gets on the counters. He also would like you to know that we bought our aerogarden at QVC which honestly? Is a great place to get some Christmas shopping done.
Here's the link: CLICK FOR QVC PAGE ON THE AEROGARDEN
It does make a bit of a bubbling noise like a small fish tank but that does not bother Fig at all. He wants to be sure that you know that.
He also has another message for you but you'll have to watch this amateur grade kind of crappy video taken with a digital camera to know what he's talking about:

Pardon my Talking to Fig voice. It's normally not that creepy.
And what do you think the tail is at the end? Is that some kind of secret cat message?

49. J is for jerk. Me, who never finishes an ABC along. Tomorrow, though, I am doing a "P is for.." entry because I have something I am dying to show you!

On my kitchen counter, residing beside the pencil cup, a cube of paper, hand cream, perfume, a candle holder and a spotty toaster lives my new toy. An aerogarden.
I have been eyeing one of these for a long long time, finally deciding to take the plunge and get one. I also purchased a couple for Christmas gifts. I couldn't give a gift without knowing that it would work, could I??
The seed pods come ready to "plant" and they grow in water. I opted for the herb seeds, growing basil, chives and thyme.

This picture was taken about 5 days after I "planted" the garden.
This is what they look like today!

This is exciting! I just love to grow things and this, I've got to tell you, is pretty snazzy!
I do think I will get a flower pod for the winter, though. It will be nice to have blooms in the kitchen during the cold months!

50. The sky is cloudy and so am I

Because I'm feeling quite grumpy and very sorry for myself right about now, I now proclaim today's blog as JOKE DAY. Tell me a joke, a funny story, a true story, fiction. Make me smile. (And in the process making all the others smile too)
Here, I'll start:
Q: What do you get when you cross a canary and a blender?
A: Shredded Tweet

:)
~~~
P.S. The doctor said that I have an extreme muscle spasm on the right lower back and compensation pain in the left hip. My back is all crooked and so is my gait right now. She recommended lots of rest and advil and even pain killers. Next week, the plan is Physical Therapy. For now, walking is literally a pain and something that is practically impossible for any distance. I kept a couple of people busy at work today being my legs. I thank them from every aching muscle that I have.
~~~

51. random to mask all the whining

Unfortunately this Monday morning dawned with me feeling a bit worse in the lower back/ hip area. Which led me to miss work. Let me tell you that if I miss work, I am hurting. But even I am getting sick of hearing the same old story from myself. (aside note though, I will be making a doctor's appointment and scheduling Physical therapy)
So, let's do a bit of random:
~All those bobbles, what was I thinking??
~I love egg noodles
~I narrowly missed spilling a whole glass of diet coke on my Town and Country sweater today. The carpet and end table was not so lucky
~Why is it that if you have an aching back almost everything humanly in reach will drop to the floor?
~Is that some kind of Murphy's law thing?
~Fig's been very meowy today
~I love that
~It doesn't feel like November even though it looks like November. Of course the mild temperatures of the last week did not help
~But? Any money saved on the heating bill is much appreciated
~November is one of my favorite months.
~along with October and December. It's kind of a favorite trio of months
~Paula invites you to please take a survey. Go on over there and answer a few questions. It will literally take you under a minute~

Click Here to take survey

52. 21 more knitting days. That's not a long time. So let's just talk about knitting, shall we?

Betsy in California requested a bit of information on the November sweater!
She asked, I deliver!

Here's the progress so far. As you can see, I'm no Wendy (Dang can that woman knit FAST, huh?) But I am having fun and enjoying every stitch. Or as some put it, ENJOYING THE PROCESS.
The pattern is called Town and Country from the book A Fine Fleece by Lisa Lloyd.
Here is the ravelry link to the Town and Country pattern. I love her patterns. I could knit straight through that book from one end to the other and be a happy camper.
The yarn I am using is from Foxfire Fibers called Cormo/Silk/Alpaca that I bought at the NY Sheep and Wool. I am a huge fan of the Foxfire yarn and this does not disappoint!
~~
Today while doing a couple of errands, I had a helper with me (I guess that is another of the silver linings of hurting your back), needing to stop at the yarn store for some "supplies" (more on that later) the helper sat in the car waiting for me. I guess she doesn't like to browse yarn stores. Hrmph. Anyhoo. Bethany then stated to me when I came out that all who went into the yarn store were hobbling. Me included. SO, she deduced, knitting makes you hobble.
That's a pretty good hypothesis but I posed this scenario: Perhaps hobblers knit.
Which came first? The hobbler or the knits? That is one of those questions that may never fully be answered. But I knew one thing. There was a small group of us hobblers that had plenty to keep us occupied while waiting to heal.
~~
Those supplies? Are for knitting a hat called berry bobble hat that is on the cover of the IK holiday 2009
A coworker wants to knit this hat but does not know how to read American Knitting patterns (she is from Poland) so I told her we'd work on it together! I know. I know. Like I need to be knitting on something else.
~~~
No pictures of Bethany's new car yet. (it's the black one on that page) Technically it's not hers yet. She needs to sign the papers and get the insurance and registration done. She did pay a down payment on it so to me, it's hers.
~~~
A huge thank you for sharing in my misery the last couple of days. You shared stories of your own personal "burning building" injuries and that made me laugh. Which did hurt my back, but you know.

53. 22 more knitting days

blahblahblabackhurtsblahblahblahblahblahblahhobblingaroundblahblah
walkingcrookedblahblahblahsnoozingblahblahblahknitting
blahblahfiglovesit
blah.
Blah.
Oh, and not blah?
Bethany bought a brand new 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit today. Woot for her~

54. I lept out of the way of a racing car, jumped off a burning building

If you hurt yourself, you know, bad enough that everyone notices when they see you because you are walking crooked because of the lower back spasms and everyone asks what happened, wouldn't you want to have some dramatic answer?
Like I saw a poor child stuck under a parked car and with my superhuman strength, lifted the car off the injured child.
Or
Fig's mouse was stuck under the refrigerator and I moved it so he could get it.
Or
I want parachuting and landed a bit skewed
Or
I have been racing cars as a hobby and sat too long cramped in the drivers seat while winning the Indy 500.
But in reality? I had to tell everyone today that my back is in spasms and I am walking crooked because I put my underwear on. Yes. I stepped into my underwear and threw out my back when pulling them up.
So uninteresting.
And mundane and pedestrian.
But? The silver lining is that I have more knitting time. When I'm not sleeping because of the pain killers!

55. Mock me if you must, I can hack it!

I was deliriously happy this morning when a similar minded co worker stood at my door and told me that the local oldies radio station had switched to Christmas music right through Christmas day.
Now, I realize that it is very early. I concede that as a fact. However, that does not stop me from listening every chance I get and singing along quite a bit to boot, garnering dirty looks from a lot of people around me (I'm sure) but I am oblivious! I won't look! This makes me happy!
And happy me is good, right? I mean, I have to be in a good frame of mind to keep all that knitting going on.
Tonight will be a super fasteroo dinner (Beef rice a roni with sauteed hamburg, green peppers and onions)(Don't judge it from the sound, it is delicious!)(And quick)(Leaving plenty of time to...well, you know) and then some good television with Grey's Anatomy and ER on tonight.
(NOTE TO NORMA: This is your Grey's ALERT! Watch it at 9 pm tonight) (I always have to be Norma's tv guide) (I don't mind)
falalalala lalala la.
~~
(did I use enough parenthesis for cripes sake?)
(24 more knitting days)

56. I knit way too slow for a sweater in a month. I can't give up sleeping either, don't even suggest it. I won't be amused

25 more days

How I love foxfire yarn.
~~ Yesterday I heard stories of people waiting at the polls to cast their vote so I prepared myself: pee break, water bottle, magazine, knitting, comfortable shoes. I was ready for the long haul. It was fine with me. I would wait until the cows came home to exercise democracy.
As you can probably guess, I was in and out. It pays to be prepared.

57. Glutton

My mother would call me a Glutton for Punishment. She loves phrases. Someone should call the men in the little white coats because I am srsly thinking of joining the NaNoSweMo. I mean, if you meet me, I'm sure I come off as a reasonably sane person and yet.....
I have always been a terrible joiner. And none more than here in blogland. If there was a knitalong, I joined. I never finished but I joined. Never. Okay maybe once. I'm thinking Everyday Cardigan.
Then the NaNoBloMo came along. Blogging during the month of November. And I did it! Remarkable for someone who was THIS close to leaving blogging.

Then along came 365 blogging. After calling some of my dearest friends crazy for even thinking about that, somehow I joined. Never, mind you believing that I could do it. I really did set myself up for failure. But a funny thing happened along the way. Here it is, November 4th and I am still blogging every day. Barring a catastrophic failure of electronics or the brain, I think I'm going to make it! No one is more surprised than me.
So, here I am, sailing along the final stretch of the 365. Dare I say that it is even NO problem nowadays. I hope I do not tempt my fate with that statement.
Then I have to go mess it up by challenging myself to do a sweater in a month???? SRSLY. CRAZY.
I don't think I can do it. I don't think it is physically possible.
And yet..

~~
Talk me down off that ledge. Or jump with me, either way.

~~~

58. Twas the night before the election and all through the house of representatives not a creature was stirring (how I wish I had the energy to write up the rest of that poem. It would be a scream, don't you think?)

I couldn't stand the fact that we were pumpkinless this Halloween. That is the first time. I had no excuse except that I put it off for so long that there were none left. But there inside the store on November 1st was a display of sugar pumpkins. No doubt trying to Martha me into making homemade pumpkin puree for the pies. When a couple of rows away in that supermarket is perfectly good canned pumpkin puree. No thank you, Martha. You can take your guilt.
I did however buy a small Bert shaped one that I thought was adorable because pumpkin decorations are also for Thanksgiving.
And for sitting in the window with Fig.

59. Dessert, attacking cantaloupes and tattoo hiders

I had a wake to go to today. Friend's parents,which honestly is the only time we are seeing friends lately and that stinks no matter how you look at it. And me, with an Obama tattoo on my hand. Bethany innocently asked me if I was going to shake hands and say "Sorry for your loss, Vote for Obama". While that appealed to me for a millisecond, I knew this idea would not fly. Luckily it was a cold day and my fetching handwarmers came to the rescue! Of course, when there, I took off my right handed handwarmer, leaving the Obama camouflage one on leaving me to look a bit like Michael Jackson.
This leads us to the time that I will call...Name Your Affliction!
I have 2 complaints today. Each one of them as amusing as the other so you get to hear.
1. I burned the roof of my mouth last night when I ate a boiling hot potato from the fish chowder to see if it was cooked through. It was. Now I have a souvenir of a blister on the roof. You know I cannot leave it alone either, right?
2. Cantaloupe. It seems an innocent fruit. But it can injure and maim. Why do they stack cantaloupes in such a pyramid anyway? One rolled off, I tried to catch it, I did not. It hit the top of my foot. No cantaloupes were hurt in this incident. It got to sit on the shelf unharmed. Me? I have the very rare cantaloupe bruised foot.
It really did jump off the shelf and hit me.
~Going to a friend's house for dinner tonight and I'm bringing dessert. Which you see under the Hidden Obama Handwarmer Picture. It is upside down apple cake, recipe thanks to Martha. You can find it here.

60. My tattoo

Wool and Spice Diane was kind enough to send me some Obama stuff. I am thrilled to be in possession of it all. Although I don't put bumper stickers on my car, and you don't see it here, I stood the bumper sticker in my hall window for all the neighborhood to see. Thank you, Diane, for sharing.
I have never been very interested in politics or the political process but this year I am. Perhaps it's age that makes me wiser but I have been very fascinated by the PROCESS. (nod to Margene)
And although I was a big Hilary supporter, I am now getting in line with Obama. A girl has to readjust sometimes.
AND??? I got my first tattoo today. I KNOW! Weird, right?

A temporary tattoo of course. But this is my first temporary. My family will still think I have gone over the deep end once and for all, I'm sure.
Maybe they are right.
Now. I have a glass of wine and some knitting waiting for me on the couch. Wish you were here.