Neophyte Knitter

Tales from New England

**Warning.  No Friday Review today (on hiatus until after the New Year) and there is not much knitting in this post.  If you are just here for that, move on.**

OK.  I am usually the person who goes in no matter how sick I am.  I can always manage to be somewhat productive and for whatever reason, when I take a sick day I like it to be a mental health day.  So Wednesday when I came in sick and got progressively worse (chills & mild fever), I persevered due to a late afternoon meeting that I was not going to reschedule.  It was until the trek home that I felt like I was going to drop. 

Traffic was crazy downtown so I trekked the 6 blocks to the subway to catch the bus further down the route.  And then proceeded to wait 45 minutes for the bus which got caught up in the craziness downtown.  It took me 1-1/2 hours to get home and I was ready to drop.  So Thursday I stayed home. Sometimes a day at home on the couch is just necessary!  And today I feel almost 100%.  Yeah!

So back to my trip East.  It was a good time and I love spending time with my family.  Especially my 6-year old nephew who is a bit of a neurotic.  I always try to do something special with him when I visit.  This time it was a trip in to Boston with my Mom and a showing of The Nutcracker.  My sister even let him skip school for it!

The train in is always fun.  Though it was a bit long.  Apparently some shocks were shot on one of the cars so they couldn't go fast almost doubling the normal 50-minute ride.  Not unbearable but there were a few "Are we there yet?" towards the end.  I had decided early on that I wanted to head to Harvard Square for lunch.  I like to walk through the school and just like the area.  And there is a very convenient yarn store!  So off on to the T we went, marveling at the hellacious increase in price.  My mom insists that the last time we were in town the fare was still under a buck, not the $2 it is now.  Still one of the best transit systems around.   

Once we cross the river into Cambridge, the first stop was Woolcott for my souvenir trip yarn.  And to educate my Mom a bit on why I only like "nice" yarn now.  I chose a skein of Classic Elite Alpaca Sox.  And my nephew, who had informed me he wanted a hat, chose some teal wool.  As a quick ahead, I made the hat the next day which turned out a wee bit big as I was winging it.  He was bored with the idea by then anyway.  It will probably never grace his head.

Next it was off too lunch.  After sitting down at this lovely tavern, we had to get up and leave as they didn't have a single thing the kid would eat.  He is an extremely picky eater and pretty much lives on chicken nuggets, hot dogs and fruit.  No sauce on anything either.  So we wandered a bit before sitting down at the Border Grill, a weird Cajun/Mexican place, that had the needed nuggets.  Food was good and the margaritas were strong so we were happy.

As we left the restaurant, it started too snow.  Normally I detest the white stuff but it was rather pretty this time.  And it made a beautiful back drop for our visit to Boston Commons.  My picture skills were sucky this trip but since the nephew generally refuses to be photographed, it didn't really matter.  As we walked, the kid picked up every chunk of packed snow and proceeded to smash it into small pieces.  How easily entertained are the young.  We walked over to the ice rink but skating is not my forte and I didn't want to have a sore butt.  Plus the kid gets super easily embarrassed in public. 

Instead we walked over to Macy's to shop for a bit before heading to the show.  This shot of the snow falling down in the night is my favorite.  At the store, I went a bit loco and bought my nephew a $50 purse to give to his mother.  I couldn't resist.  It was shaped like a dachshund, just like the wiener dog that seemed to sit in my lap every time I sat down at the house (Padme the dog).  I am not a small dog girl but it grew on me over the 5-days.  Anyway, when I saw the purse it just made me laugh.  And because her son will be the one to give it to her, she will have to carry it around!  That's just how presents work with your kids.

Then it was off to the Nutcracker.  I do wish we were a bit more dressed up but since we were walking around all day, that wasn't very feasible. The Opera House is a lovely venue and it was great seeing all the cute kids milling about.  And when we got to our "cheap" seats with their impeded view I was stunned.  We were 7 rows back from the stage on the left.   We could see everything except the Christmas tree.  It was amazing!!  I had never seen the show except bits and pieces on PBS so it was a treat.  Caleb loved the first half, especially the rat king dying, but all the dancing in the second half did him in.  He was ready for it to be done.  To be honest, I was too.  Ballet is nice but unless it's telling a bigger story, it wasn't doing much for me after the first 10 minutes.

When it was done, we trekked back to South Station for the train ride home and were all snuggly in our beds by midnight after a great day out. 

Vacation Mode

I am still in vacation mode which is perfectly understandable given I will only be at work 2-days this week.  It's actually the perfect amount of work time - I can get everything done without running out of things to do.  My big excitement here is that I have finally been given the go ahead by the big boss to find my replacement.  It's been a great temporary assignment but I am no longer challenged and am a bit fed up with dealing with politicians and the whiny public.  I am looking forward to getting back to engineering.

Last week was a blast.  We did three days of theme parks and then based on the feelings of the mob, took it easy the final two days.  I didn't know this but apparently my nephew's favorite thing is to stay in his pajamas, watch cartoons and play guys.  My mom was content to read.  So we hung around the house the last two days, venturing out in the afternoons to soak in some LA culture and get dinner.

I was very impressed by how awesome my bf was with the kid.  It's not a secret that neither of us want any of our own but unlike me, he doesn't really like tykes.  And although my nephew is a sweetie, he is a bit spoiled being an only child and having no cousins.  And shy.  He doesn't like to be the center of attention or talk to strangers. But being the master observer of people he is, Jon had Caleb's number in short order.  Never ask if he wants to do something because invariably the child will say no.  Just do it.  That's how we got him to actually take a picture with Tigger.  This was the only interaction we got but he did wave at other characters as we walked through the parks.

We even got some smiling pictures out of the kid, another thing he doesn't like to do.  But not always.  Apparently me acting like a pirate made too many people standing around gaze at us with their beady eyes to get a grin here. 

Over the two days at Disneyland, we did everything we wanted to do.  I was also really glad I decided to stay next to the park at a hotel within walking distance.  We were able to take a later afternoon break to recharge either through napping (adults) or swimming (the kid).

I was also glad we saved Legoland for last.  We were tired but that park is so small and less crowded that we did the whole thing in about 7 hours.  Doesn't even compare to the 12+ hours we did each day at the Magic Kingdom.  And Legos were bought and built over dinner.  The highlight for Jon was Batman.  Always Batman.  And the fact that he got the nephew to buy Batman stuff and began his conversion to mini Batman freak. 

The only thing that didn't really happen was knitting.  I just didn't feel like it, preferring to play games with the nephew or talk to my Mom.  But I have high hopes that the geek fest I am heading to tomorrow (aka San Diego Comic-Con) will yield primo fiber time.  So ciao for now and see ya next week. 

Aimless

I had a bit of a blogging laze come on but I think it has passed. 

I made it back from Las Vegas last week much, much lighter in the pocket (causes: Grey Goose on the rocks, gambling and a stripper named Rebecca that my birthday pal took a shine too).   I have come to accept the fact that I am just unlucky in Vegas.  Whatever game we tried, I lost and the bf won.  It was just scary.  Luckily I gamble for the enjoyment and don't mind losing as long as my bank lasts me the whole time I am in Sin City.  It didn't this time so I spent more than I planned.  Still a good time was had by all. 

This trip I stayed in two very different properties and both were awesome - The Venetian and Hooters.  I expected nothing but class from the first one and it didn't disappoint.  It was a ginormous room with a bathroom as big as my old studio apartment.  The nice touch for me was the turn down service.  It was nice to come back to a bed all set to jump in, low lights, scrumptious chocolates on the pillow and even the radio playing!  Then we moved to the other place when the bf joined me in town. What surprised me was how nice the Hooters room was.  I got the room for free so I wasn't expecting much but it was nicely appointed with natural wood furnishings and a orange beachy motif.  The casino is small but friendly and it's within walking distance to a couple of good resorts.  The bf and I will definitely stay again if the rates are good. 

This trip makes my 25th since my very first one almost 10 years ago when I turned 21.  I have slowly been trying to stay at almost every place (no Circus Circus for me!) on the Strip and a few off.  To date have stayed in 21 different properties and have 8 left that I want to stay in.  I really love Las Vegas!

Knitting is on-going.  I finished my nephew's socks thanks to some knitting at the poker table.  I got a bit of teasing from all the dealers and even had to get the boss to approve of it!  There was some worry that I might slow the game down.  I assured everyone that I don't have to watch my hands and pay attention just fine.

Since I got back I have been aimlessly knitting.  I can't decide on my next big project so I have just been doing random things to stash bust - a hat, some booties, a warshcloth and now a bib.  Hopefully inspiration will hit soon and I can stick my teeth into a more substantial project.   

No Time

I don't what I have been doing but I haven't been able to find time to blog even though I am writing blog entries in my mind all the time.  I think it's hand block.  Even though the thoughts are whirling around in my brain, my hands just didn't want to type them.  That seems to be past so get ready for a monster post.

When we last left I was off to Atlantic City.  The trip itself was a lot of fun.  I love my family and we don't all get together nearly enough.  However Atlantic City itself is a bit of a hole.  I was expecting a mini-Vegas and what I found was a slightly seedy beach area with a few casinos.  The board walk was OK but you go off it even a block and you don't want to walk around by yourself at night.  Seeing all the hookers was entertaining though.  Sadly due to time constraints, I didn't make it to a yarn store.  That's probably a good thing considering the money I spent on the trip.

There were a few memorable moments.

• Sleeping with my entire family at least once.  We had one room for the six of us (keeping costs down) and the first night I slept with my Mom & sister in the middle (we were 3 to a Queen bed).  The next night my nephew decided to sleep in the "girls" bed so I bunked with my Dad and brother.  Definitely something I haven't done on a vacation since I was like 8. Luckily Pop's small so he fit in the middle.
• My Dad getting hit by sea gull shit in his eye while strolling down the Board Walk.  The best part is that he was wearing his sunglasses but they didn't have a bit of crap on them.  It was a perfect shot in the space between the lenses and his eye.  We were all quite amused including my Pops who was hysterically laughing while entreating us to help because, "It's burning!" I'm just mad I didn't think to take a picture.
• Watching Caleb frolicking in the surf.  The first time we went down he was so happy and danced and played with the waves, racing back and forth.  I took a video with my camera because it seemed to be the essence of summer.  Wonder if I was like that as a kid?
• Jon getting approached by a pimp in a uber loud salmon leisure suit coming out of the bathroom in Caesar's, his "girl" seated at a nearby slot machine.
• Seeing two guys in their late 60's almost coming to blows in a 2-4 Limit Texas Hold-em game at the Showboat over a $20 pot.  The posturing was hysterical and so out of control that half the table immediately stood up and left. 
• Heading to Steel Pier and enjoying being fleeced by a crappy amusement park into paying $3 per game and $5 per ride. Caleb of course made out and the kid walked away with a stuffed dog and a snake. His favorite ride was a mini-version of the one that raises you up and drops you.  The real shocker was my siblings paying real money ($40) to be slapped in some steel and shot up 250 feet.  The view at night on the ferris wheel was also beautiful, even if we froze our asses off and had to huddle together for warmth while when we were at the top.

The only knitting that has been happening that's picture worthy is my wash cloths using stash leftovers of which I finished one on my trip.  Not exciting but pleasurable in their own way.  I am going to start using them to wash dishes.  Still working on Pink Satisfaction, the lace stole that never ends, of which I got 2 full repeats done on the plane rides to/fro to Phillie while listening to about 9 hours of the audio version of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.  It's read by a totally awesome narrator, Jim Dale, and I can't recommend them enough.  I only have two more books or 47-1/2 hours of listening to go before I am ready for the last entry into the series in July.  And for comparison, the first 4-books come in a a little over 49 hours!

In other news, Laurie of Crazy Aunt Purl inspired me to make my first Zappos purchase.  I was blown away with the service...I placed my order at about 7:30pm and got my order the next day from Kentucky!  I have never in all my many years of ordering on the Internet, received a purchase so quickly! And I truly put their service to the test when I had to return those two pairs due to bad fit and get two more.

One of them is new running shoes.  I originally ordered some Asics based on some research but they were too tight for my feet so I decided to just get the latest version of the Brooks shoe I have.  But I didn't like the girls colors so I ordered the mens.  Aren't they snazzy!

And because just ordering athletic shoes would have been boring, I picked up some Keen Barcelona's.  I found Keens through Stephannie at And She Knits Too.  I originally ordered these in red and I really, really, loved the color but they were a half-size too big.  Sadly they didn't have the reds in the size I needed so I switched to the Moonstone color.  I was expecting a grey (based on the picture) but they are actually light blue.  Still they are super comfortable out of the box and it's get to break out of your mold sometimes.  I definitely don't have any shoes this color.  And if I really love them, maybe I can justify another pair in red when they are available!

So that's all that's going on at the moment.  My bf made it back from Atlantic City on Monday but is leaving on again on Friday for a trip that will take him to Lake Tahoe and then to Vegas.  I love that his career is really taking off but him being gone so much makes me a bit irritable.  Actually, that's probably just the PMS talking!

Here and Hanging

I made it back from Florida.  Lots of fun but as with most vacations, too short.  And I didn't take enough pictures.  I aspire to be a shutterbug but I forget most of the time.

I was able to snap a few of Beaded Black Betty being worn at the wedding.  Actually, I harassed Jon too take them.  Sadly no one commented out it so I wasn't able to toot my own horn but I did get appropriate oohs and aahs when I showed it to my mom and grandmother a few days later.

The wedding itself was lovely in its own way but a bit different from many others I have attended.  Since they couldn't serve alcohol in the hall (though a few flasks were in evidence), they had an afterparty at a friend's house.  A house with a full bar, speakers wired throughout the house, a 12-hour custome playlist with videos shown on TV's in the bar area and a disco ball.  And some of the coolest decorating around (one of the hosts is a set-decorator).

Then it was 3-days of theme parks (Universal and Disney World).  What I love about having been there before is that even though were weren't there long there was no stress.  We only went on things that were favorites or were new since we had last visited so the lines (and there were a few) didn't bug us.  It was my first time at Universal so we spent the most opening to closing there (and even a few hours before the wedding) and did everything we wanted.  It had some cool shit at the Islands of Adventure park including a whole Dr. Seuss themed land.  I thought I had found our next Halloween costume but somebody didn't want to wear a red shirt and have blue hair!

The evenings were low key-too.  One evening we went to Pleasure Island and had a great dinner at the new Irish Pub (we are suckers for them) followed by some 80's dancing.  Another night we met up and had dinner with his Mom.  And one of the nights, we sat outside at a bar by the pool and watched American Idol for the first times in our lives.  Then Jon, being the Stern fan and a rabble rouser, voted several times for Sanjaya.  I am so ashamed!

The last day or so we hung out with my Mom and that side of my family.  Per usual, this meant lots of drinking!  We are Irish after all.  I actual played it low-key being the designated driver with a rental car.  It was the first time Jon had met my grandmother, aunts and uncles.  All went fine but Jon held his tongue a bit and was quiet.  As my Mom said, she doesn't talk politics, marriage, or babies with us.  There's no need to have an argument! 

The highlight was that I got to wear BBB again.  I think this is going to be a useful item in my closet!

   

Fake Memories

I have had a busy few days.  So much so that it took me 3-days to complete this post.

It started last Thursday when I left early to go to the DMV with Jon.  This visit has been a long time coming for him.  You see Jon had been maintaining to the Federal Government that he has been a resident of Florida.  This despite the fact that he has lived in LA for the last 4-years and in Vegas the 2 before that.  I have been hounding him to give in and admit he is a Cali resident for the last 18 months for various reasons like car insurance.  But he has turned a deaf ear because he is a man.  I am convinced that every male has fine-tuned this skill by the time they turn 4.  Maybe earlier if they have sisters. 

Anyway, I finally convinced him to take the plunge.   Well not me really but the City of LA who if we both have licenses showing we live at the same address and sign a piece of paper saying among other things that "You and your partner must be in a committed and mutually exclusive relationship in which you are jointly responsible for each other’s welfare and financial obligations," will give him health insurance. Yep.  He's going to be my domestic partner.  Gotta love California and hats off to the gays who made it a wee bit better for heathens like me who don't want to get married.

And I don't know if this is a sign but at the DMV we saw Ryan Seacrest.  Actually I know it's not but it was pretty funny.  Even stars have to renew their licenses. 

Then on Saturday in preparation for heading to Vegas that night, I did errands and putzing around the house.  At one point, I was off to do laundry but I had to do the tandem parking switcheroo so I could get to my car.  Which led me to clean the bf's car a little bit during which I found a book I asked him to mail about a week before. That sparked off a thought about the camera.  So as I scoured under the seat, removing stray french fries, playing cards and ATM receipts I looked for it.  Lo and behold I found it nestled in the glove box.  When I confronted my still sleeping boyfriend (it was noon), he swore up and down he mailed it.  It's like Total Recall. He had an implanted memory.  He really believe he had mailed it.   Surprisingly I wasn't that annoyed.  I was just happy to have it back, broken and all.  Now it's really on its way to the repair center. 

Late Saturday, we drove to Vegas getting into town about 1am.  Money was lost over the next 6 hours.  Then as the sun was rising I hit bottom.  We didn't actually have a room until Sunday night but my awesome boyfriend managed to talk the clerk at the Aladdin into letting us check in immediately.  Thank goodness because I crashed as soon as my head hit the pillow. 

We left the room at 5pm and headed to the Venetian.  We didn't leave for another 12-hours.  During that time I played lots of slots and then popped my No-Limit Texas Hold-em cherry.  I have always been afraid to play no-limit where you can bet as much as you have in front of you, because you can lose (and win) a lot in a single hand.  You need some skills to make sure you don't lose your shirt.  I held my own walking away even after a few hours making me a bit proud.   

More sleep and then we headed over to the Wynn to check in.  Yes.  I switched hotels in a single trip.  The whole reason I went to Vegas was to stay at the Wynn.  Jon got a conference gig there and they paid for his room so I had to go because it was free.  And the room was absolutely freakin beautiful.  Best hotel room I have every been in.  I want to stay there always now but my finances probably won't let me.  I gambled by myself here, playing more poker while the man earned his living.  I made myself go to bed at midnight because I was catching the 6:10am flight back to LA.

The next day was a blur.  I left the hotel at 5am, the flight was smooth, and the bus to downtown quick.  I was at work by 8am.  And I actually am more tired today than I was on Tuesday.  I can't seem to get back into my schedule. 

Overall a very quick trip and as usual, I didn't win.  More tomorrow with actual knitting content.

Still in Sweden

Day two in Sweden was very short.  Jon was very tired from his week at FISM so he convinced me to sleep in...until 12:30pm.  Then we had to run a very important errand, shipping his extra bag to the States via UPS.  After doing our own sleuthing on the Internet, we found a Mailboxes Etc. and walked in the door 2 minutes before they were to close.  Pretty damn lucky.  The very nice guy helped us right out and said we had been his only customer of the day!  Don't even ask how much it cost.  I don't want to tell. 

Then we walked around a bit.  We saw the Stockholm Gay Pride parade.  I am not that biased but the West Hollywood one is definitely better.  But they were having loads of fun. 

The big event of the day was seeing the Final Stage Competition.  I was able to sneak in with a very famous Irish Mentalist's badge.  Apparently he couldn't go the last day.  A bunch of great acts but I disagree with some of the judging.  And magicians are mean.  There have been a number of missteps and snags that have resulted in a lot of very loud booing.  Not the acts.  The organizers. 

Now I am back at the same hotel as last night, stealing some Internet time.  It is chock full of magicians everywhere.  Jon wants to session (show and tell of magicians) until the sun comes up.  Luckily I think that is 4am here in Sweden.  Still it is going to be a long night.  Tomorrow afternoon we fly to Milan and from there?  Such an adventure still awaits!

Sweden

Well I made it to Sweden and am borrowing some Internet at a hotel I am not staying at.  My boyfriend tipped me off that they don't check if you are a hotel guest so I thought I would do this while I am waiting for him.  He's been doing the Magic Convention thing while I adjusted.  Slept longer than I would have liked and now have a few hours to kill until he is done with his banquet.

Sad to say he will not be winning the competition.  He went over time and was disqualified but he put on a good show and everyone is saying he did really well.  So he is pleased and disappointed. 

The flight over was fine.  Had to rush a little in Chicago because to get to the International Terminal you have to leave the terminal where you land, get on a train, and then go back through security.  Plus I needed a seat assignment.  Still I made it and I lucked out with a bulkhead seat so I was able to fully stretch my legs the whole way.  I also sat next to a nice Swedish man who lives in LA and was going back to spend a few weeks with his family at their summer home.  SAS was a good airline with good food and pleasant staff.

I made it to the City proper and after a few moments where I thought Jon might not meet me, all went well.  He did find me and ushered me to the closet we are calling a hotel room.  He didn't want to get a bigger room so we are staying in a 5' by 15' room with a single bed and shower-toilet.  And I do mean shower toilet.  There is a curtain you wrap around you and the drain is in the floor next to the toilet.  It also has no windows.  It is definitely an economy room.  Still when I shut the lights off to nap, it was pitch black and very little noise. 

When I finally roused from the dead around 4pm local time, I left to wander.  I am not meeting Jon until 10pm so I have a lot of time to kill.  I have just been walking around.  Lots of water.  Interesting buildings.  Lots of tourists.  It seems to be a very nice City.  I didn't want to specifically catch any sights since Jon is going to skip the last day of the convention to wander around the City with me tomorrow.  Now I need to go find a bar, get a beer, watch the world go by and maybe knit a bit.  I started a sock on the plane and it´s engrossing.  It´s one of the new patterns from knitty.  Maybe I will try to find a yarn store too.