Dreams

This is about two kinds of dreams.

Night before last, I had a dream that I was in the process of re-renting the house where I used to live in France. In it's own, crazy, dream-like way, it didn't make a lot of sense. The place was very different from when I lived there (in the dream), but I was very happy just to be there. It's probably the neatest place I've ever lived in. I really loved it there. It was just like Snow White's cottage in the Disney film, except that the roof was slate instead of thatch.

The second dream is one that I had ages ago, not too long after lotteries became legal. There was a really big prize (for then) and I planned a bouse I'd like to build on a rather large piece of property. The property would be big enough for some rather long driveways, which might be confused with roads, and which I would name. I haven't got names for all of the streets yet, but I do have at least one place name.

The house would be a large, rambling, Tudor style home. Yes, I know that Tudor homes didn't ramble, but this one would have a section that went out at an angle, and it would lead to a large garage. Because of my experience in France, I'd want a wall around the front yard, creating a large, mostly paved area where cars could be parked as well as garaged.

For anyone out there who doesn't know what a Tudor style house is, here is a kind of generic example. Some of the classic signs are the exposed timber framing with stucco filling in, steep roofs, doors with curved tops, etc.

The general layout I had in mind is more like this, only flopped, with the garage on the right, so that the house would be on the left as you entered the mews, with the garage straight ahead.

The kitchen and bedrooms on the first floor (which would probably only be mine) would have adjacent enclosed gardens. The kitchen garden would have a table and chairs or benches for dining outdoors, and there would be herbs being grown as well as plants that attract hummingbirds.

The living and dining rooms would be able to be opened between them so that the whole area could be used as a large dining hall so that I could host SCA events there. And, of course, the living room would have a large bay window to put a Christmas tree in, and a fireplace to hang stockings.

Oh, and there will be a library on the first floor, plus a room set aside for fiberarts in addition to the kitchen and great room, which would really be an area for living in.

Since then, I've thought that there might be another house on the other side of the mews so that Holly and Robin could live there or visit there or it could be used for guests. Of course, there would be enough room for them to live in the main house (which needs a name) with me, but I want them to have privacy if they want it. Oh, and there would be a workshop there for Robin or anyone else who wanted to use it.

The mews would, of course, be named Stable Mews, and the main house would be number 10, because 10 Stable Mews was John Steed's address.

There would also be an airstrip behind the house with a hangar for a light plane and a batch of ultralights. Here's a sample of what an ultralight looks like, for those who don't know.

And, of course, there would also be a batch of motorcycles for whoever wanted to ride, since there would be roads on the property, plus some good off-road riding places. One or two cafe racers, and at least four enduros for on/off road riding.

Oh and there would be a guest house modeled after the house I rented in France.

I currently have a lottery ticket that I haven't checked which has a top prize of $330 million dollars, which would be divided between me and five of my friends/relatives. I haven't checked it because I'm having so much fun with the dream.

I hope you have some great dreams, too, and a wonderful week coming up!

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Addition:

You really need to see this edition of the Drex files! And do follow the link to the other blog entry. The comments are fabulous!

Schedule Update

I talked to Holly on the phone Thursday night, & we went over our upcoming schedule (among other things). It was after 2 am when I talked to her, and I was pretty sleepy, so I'm posting my understanding of the schedule so that if I've made a mistake, we can fix it now and all be on the same page.

29 Aug--(today)--Holly is going to Baltimore. More on this coming up later in the post. The Maryland Renaissance Festival opens today, but we're not going this weekend.

5 Sep--Holly and I will be going out shopping and having fun together.

11 Sep--The local library will be holding a book sale, and I'll be attending.

12-13 Sep--Holly will be in Baltimore attending knitting classes.

19-20 Sep--Holly will be attending Renfairs in Michigan and Ohio.

26 Sep--Holly, Everett, Jeff, Ashton and I will be attending the Maryland Renaissance Festival.

3 Oct--We will be at the Fall Fiber Festival! This is not as wonderful as the Sheep & Wool Fest, but something to keep me from going into withdrawal before the next one. It's always fun! Except when there's bottomless mud.

17th or 24th Oct--We will be at the Maryland Renaissance Festival one of these two days. The first of these two weekends is pirate weekend, and the second is chivalry weekend. Holly can't decide which one she'd rather attend.

Here's the info I mentioned earlier--Holly signed up for three knitting classes at a yarn store in Baltimore: One for continental knitting, one for speed knitting, and one to knit a beaded scarf. Two of the classes will be on one weekend spread over Saturday and Sunday. She needs to pick up the beads so that she can string them before class, so she'll be going up there today, and staying to see the jellyfish exhibit at the aquarium. She's wanted to see the jellyfish exhibit ever since it was opened, and various things have happened to deflect her from this goal. She planned to go last weekend on Sunday, but woke up really sick. Before that, the car was having problems, and she couldn't go. So, today is the day, and it's beautiful and sunny, and a really nice summer day for traveling.

Last moment update: Holly just reported that she's picked up the beads, and will be presumably proceeding to see the jellyfish!

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I finished knitting the very last of Kyle's socks late last night. I still have some ends to darn in on the last three socks, but I am otherwise finished. I need to write a little note to enclose about how to wash them, and consult with Holly about packaging. She said she has some stuff to send to Kyle, and that I should give her the socks and she'll send them. Holly said Kyle already called her to ask when she was going to get the socks, and she's really excited about it. They're my comfy socks pattern, and I'll have the free pattern up here real soon now.

And there is the ending of the entrelac section on the Quant to do, and the other tie. Almost done!

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Sorry about not posting yesterday. I intended to, but I suspect that I have/had the same thing that Holly had last week. I have just been coughing nonstop for the past week. I can see signs today that it's beginning to let up, so even though I'm not OK, it's at least encouraging. It's just a cold or something, but it's been doing a great job of making me totally miserable lately.

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I read on Twitter that starting in September, BBC in America will be having daytime marathons of shows similar to what SyFy does. The shows they'll be running marathons on include Doctor Who and Torchwood! I'm excited!

There's a new Being Human on BBC in America tonight!

Have a great weekend!

Catch-Up Thursday

Christopher Gorham found another Fairy Door in Ann Arbor at the Jefferson Market and Cakery and published this photo via Twitter. You can follow him here.

You can read a long and complicated story about the fairy doors at Jefferson Market here. Check it out. It's really worth the read. And when you think you've read it all, keep scrolling down to the bottom. It looks like it ends, but there's more.

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There's a review up for the Steve Canyon series in French! You can read an English translation of it here! It's actually gone through a translation process, and some of it is quite amusing after being dragged into English.

The good part about this for many people will be the listings of which planes appear in each episode. This is particularly interesting to me because I was in the Air Force right after the series was on TV, and we had many of the planes that appear in the series right on base where I got to see them up close, sometimes too close.

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Today is a kind of "finish up projects" day. I have ends to darn in on Kyle's socks, and a Quant to finish.

This is where I am at the moment. The photo does not show the nuances and subtleties of the beautiful yarn from Knit Fit Knitting. There is some black and very dark brown, along with a bit of tan, but there are touches of a rich lavender through it, too.

I plan to have the knitting finished sometime today, and then I'll have overnight to block it, and it will need blocking. Each one of those entrelac squares wants to curl up! But it's turning out to be really beautiful! This is a pattern that you really have to pay attention to what you're doing, but it doesn't strike me as particularly difficult. I would have started the entrelac IN entrelac instead of in stockinet stitch with set-up triangles, but that's just me. It's a sample, and needs to be knit according to a free pattern on the internet, so I have to knit it according to the pattern, not "improve" it like I usually do to patterns that other people write.

Some people get a pattern and follow it to the letter, whereas I think of it more as a "suggestion."

Here's a photo of where I am on the very last sock for Kyle:

Probably about half way to the heel, and possibly finished by this weekend!

So, I'm going to sit and watch the last two episodes of Royal Pains that are on during the day today and finish up the Quant and darn in ends. If you've been watching it, the season finale will be on tonight.

Have a great day!

Quick Post!

There is more information and follow-up news on the previously reported yarnstorm. Find out more about it here and here!

There's a new Warehouse 13 tonight!

I have stuff I have to do today that I should have started a half hour ago, so this is all you get for now.

Have a great day!

Yarnstorm!

When I was a child, I remember reading a poem in a book of fairytales or something. It went like this:

"Oranges and lemons" said the bells of St. Clements.

"You owe me five farthings" said the bells of St Martin's.

"When will you pay me?" said the Bells of Old Bailey.

"When I grow rich." said the bells of Shoreditch.

"When will that be?" said the bells of Stepney.

"I do not know." said the great bells of Bow.

This live London yarnstorm was brought to you by the Knit the City. Mischief managed. Off to pub.

I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did!

This was a series of posts on Twitter from knitthecity. A person's name is not given for this twitterer, and I suspect that it's actually used by a group of people. See more about knitthecity here.

I can tell you about yarnstorming, graffiti knitting, yarnbombing, gritting (contraction of graffiti knitting) etc. Actually, the name "graffiti knitting" explains it all.

I was going to put another example of gritting in here, but Blogger won't let me upload another photo. At least I got all of them from the sequence in here. I'll post the other photo another time.

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I hope you haven't missed Harry Potter weekend on ABC Family. It'll be continuing today. And Eragon will be on right before it, so check it out!

Later tonight, there will be a special treat on for all the fans of Dead Like Me! The SyFy Channel will be showing Dead Like Me: Life After Death at 9 pm here. Check local listings.

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I have just a few more rounds to go on the sixth sock for Kyle. Only two more for a total of four pair! I have to take a break and knit the hat I said I would do before the end of the month.

Have a great weekend!

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Addition:

There will be two more episodes of Merlin on tonight, and this really will be the season finale! Don't miss them!

The second episode shown last week was really good.

OK, I know it featured a unicorn, but it was a very medieval type of story, depending on Arthur behaving in a noble manner to fix the problems he got into by behaving badly. There's so much about this that has nothing to do with the Arthur saga, but if you ignore that (and I know it's hard to do), it does have it's moments!

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Another Addition:

This was actually written on Sunday and the posting was postponed to give the folks at Knit the City a chance to get their posting up first.

Happy Thursday!

Not a whole lot is happening around here (I'm on the 6th sock for Kyle), and I don't have a lot of time to blog at the moment, but I thought you might enjoy this:

Have a great evening!

Happy Tuesday!

I hope your day is going better than mine.

I woke up a little early and intended to go back to sleep, but I thought I should plug in the new computer before the battery died completely. It immediately turned itself on and wanted it's OS set up so I could use it. So, I started playing with that instead of going back for the rest of the sleep I needed.

It turns out that the set-up sequence seems to be easier than I thought it would be. Well, as far as I've gotten with it, anyway. The Windows XP set up tells you what to do at each step to set up the software. The problem is the hardware. It keeps telling me I need to turn the wifi on, but there's no information on how to do that.

I finally got frustrated and went in the bathroom, and wound up with someone pounding on the bathroom door. They were supposed to come around last week to measure the countertops for replacement later this Fall. Naturally, they managed to do it while I was in the bathroom and couldn't hear them knock on the door. So, they let themselves in and knocked on the bathroom door.

So, now it's late afternoon, I haven't gotten all the sleep I wanted last night, the computer still isn't set up, and I need to get out to the library and the grocery store.

The good news is that there's a new Warehouse 13 on tonight!

Have a great day!

Birthday!

It's my birthday today!

The photos are ones that Malaia took at a fairly recent air show, and they're there because I just like them.

I couldn't get her to answer me about this, but they look like the Blue Angels to me.

Steve just put up an entry on FaceBook that says:

Off to the air show, then a swell party.

I asked about the show, and he said:

51st annual Chicago Air and Water Show, with the Thunderbirds, Lima Lima, Golden Knights, and assorted other team and single displays by civilian and military fliers. It included a flyby of the USAF Heritage Flight, a P-51, A-10, F-15 and an F-16. All were "loud and proud". Sorry, no pix.

This is part of the reason that I felt compelled to put up photos of planes, even though they're not the Thunderbirds.

On the subject of birthdays, I really got a haul this year. The computer I've been saving up forever to buy is finally bought, shipped, and has arrived. I now have to configure it to utilize the internet, and then add software for the things I want it to do. John called me and told me about a pile of software that I need to install immediately to avoid viruses, etc. It sounded all very complicated. I need to get him to write down the list of what has to be installed.

Before I can do that, though, I needed to get an internet connection for it, and I looked to T-Mobile to provide it. They currently have two deals to do that. One is a USB dongle that connects your computer to a 3G cell phone line. It's an elegant solution, but the monthly charge is a bit pricey, and there's a limit on how much use for each month.

The other one is a really great deal. Start-up costs include about $40 for a combination converter for a phone, wifi, and T-Mobile hot spot that plugs into your existing broadband connection, plus a $35 installation fee. Monthly fee is $10. For that you get an unlimited connection for a landline phone inside the US. If I'd wanted to call overseas, I could add $5 additional. Also, unlimited wifi and/or hotspot.

I had been planning for a while to get the $10 a month unlimited phone service for a while. The new hardware also includes wifi at no extra cost, and since I'm about to set up the computer right now, it seemed the perfect time.

Of course, that also means that I need an actual phone. Holly chipped in $22 of the total price to buy me a really nice phone, rather than the cheapest one from WalMart that didn't have all the features I wanted. The one I got has everything I could possibly want in a phone: volume control on the ringer, with several different ringer sounds that I can really hear, and that won't sound like the phone on a TV show; volume control on the handset; it's cordless; 50 name/number phonebook (this is what I need to program); and I can plug in the headset I already have!

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I got this far in my post, and Lynn called to wish me a happy birthday. I told her all about my new phone and gave here the number and her cell phone battery ran out, so she called me on the new phone! My first call on the new phone was my sister, to wish me a happy birthday! How cool is that?

She also had some news that was a little less happy. She's been diagnosed with a macular hole in her eye, and had surgery for it on Wednesday. She's off from work for a while, and at home recuperating. If everything goes the way we hope, she'll have all her vision back in about 6 months. As of right now, she can't see out of her right eye. So far, everything seems to be going perfectly. I'm glad that it's fixable, and that it looks at this point that she'll be OK, but I feel bad for her that she had to go through it. At this point, it's a major nuisance, but that's so much better than losing the vision in that eye. It would drive me crazy, though, if I had to go through it, so I feel really feel bad for her.

I told her that from time to time I feel sorry for myself that I'm losing my hearing (especially since I really believe that I don't need to, but that doctors don't care or feel I'm worth bothering about), but then I think that if I had a choice between losing my hearing or vision, I'd definitely want to keep my vision. Lynn said I need to get another eye exam soon, and I'll have to investigate that, and plan to do it in September.

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There will be two episodes of Merlin on tonight, and if I'm not mistaken, these will be the end of the season for the series.

Also, The Chronicles of Narnia will be on tonight on ABC Family. Naturally, with two good things, they'll be on at the same time (at least for part of the shows).

I hope you're having as much fun as I'm having!

Wedding Story

A fellow Tweep just put up a tweet about a woman who owns a flock of sheep, and made their fleeces into a beautiful wedding dress. You really ned to read the whole article and see the photos! The dress is unbelievably wonderful!

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Not much going on here at the moment. I've started on the fourth sock (of eight) for Kyle, and I'm up to the heel flap.

I have today and tomorrow before I'm one year older on Sunday, and I'll be spending today quietly, mostly knitting.

Tomorrow, Holly and I are going out. We'll be going to JoAnn Fabrics to get some supplies for a project she's making for Robin. We'll also be going to Olive Garden for dinner. I'm going to talk her into taking me to WalMart, too. And I'm really thinking seriously of giving myself a land line telephone (with wifi) for my birthday to supplement the computer. It will be so much fun!

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There's a new Eureka on SyFy tonight, and they'll also be showing episodes of Ghost Whisperer sometime over the Labor Day weekend.

Have a great weekend! I know I will!

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Addition:

Read about how wonderful a pair of socks can be here!

More Fairy Doors!

Chris Gorham posted more photos of fairy doors he's found:

This next one is a fairy ticket window, with tickets to A Midsummer Night's Dream.

I got a laugh out of that one.

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My new computer arrived yesterday, almost at the end of the time that FedEx delivers. But it did arrive. I spent last evening reading the documantation.

Yes, I know, who reads the manuals? Well, I've done a lot with computers in my life, but aside from a brush with PCs in the public library, all of my experience is with Macs. I can do anything with a Mac, but PCs are a whole new thing for me, and there is a lot to learn.

I plugged my iMac into the internet without a thought or care. But I feel that I need some protection against viruses with the new one. Oh, and the "documentation" for the bluetooth, and some of the rest of it, is on CD! I'm really annoyed that they would send discs to reinstall the OS, and the documentation on CD to go with a computer that doesn't have a CD drive! This is a serious mistake!

Once I get it in touch with the internet, I have to download some software so that the computer can actually do something, too. So, it's not a matter of just opening it up and turning it on and going.

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Well, I'm past the heel and the gusset (in two more rows) for Kyle's third sock. There will be four pair of socks in all, so I still have a five more after this one. Photos soon. Actually, photos will probably go in my comfortable sock pattern, which will be up soon.

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I'm really feeling the let-down, now that I've finished reading the Mediator books. They're so great, but they're done. I always feel that way after reading a really great series of books.

While I was putting together the links for the books in the last post, though, I noticed another series by Meg Cabot, and I think I'll check and see if the library has them. The series is 1-800-Where-R-You. As mentioned, I haven't read any of them yet, but plan to look for the first one, When Lightning Strikes, right away.

Well, while trying to find the books on my local library website, I found out a lot about Meg Cabot. They don't have those books by Meg Cabot, but they do have them written by Jenny Caroll! She writes under several pen names, and the books have been printed under both names! I find that quite surprising! Not that she has a pen name, but that the books are published under both names.

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For all you knitters out there, here are some neat photos I came across that I think you'd enjoy. This is something to think about because Halloween is coming up soon from the perspective of knitting something to wear.

I have to run. Lots to do!

There's a new Leverage on tonight!

Have a great evening!

Fairy Doors!

I've been following Christopher Gorham on Twitter, and he's apparently in Ann Arbor at the time I write this. He keeps posting links to photos of Fairy Doors in Ann Arbor, Michigan. If you've been following me on Twitter, I've retweeted many of them.

Apparently, Ann Arbor is beginning to earn a reputation for being a place to find fairy doors, tiny doors that are located in random places in buildings in downtown Ann Arbor. They seem to appear in baseboards or other low spots in buildings, rather like traditional mouse holes. Only much more endearing and fun.

They seem to have started inside the Wright home, and have spread from there. That last link has a ton of information about them. Just keep clicking the links to other pages on the site. There's even a Tooth Fairy door at a dentist's office (see above)! You can wander around this site for quite a while without seeing it all, so check it out! If you keep going on the site, you will eventually find a way to get some fairy doors of your own!

And you can read about, and see photos of a fairy door hunt here. And don't forget to check out fairy doors on Etsy.

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Book review for a series better than Twilight!

I've just finished reading the whole Mediator series of books by Meg Cabot. The series is one of the best love stories I've ever read. I almost want to go back and read it all over again.

The heroine is wonderful, too. Susannah Simon is the kind of role model that's good for teenage girls, not like Bella, who can't seem to stay out of trouble or do anything to help herself once she's created it. Suze is the kind of young woman who is smart, funny, quick on her feet and with her fists, and an absolute joy to read about.

Suze is a mediator--someone who helps ghosts find their way to wherever they're going after death. She's also someone who isn't afraid of a little action, even if it means punching a ghost. She says, "After all, nasal cartilage is nasal cartilage."

The story starts after her mother marries a man who lives in on the other side of the US, and she and Suze move from New York to Northern California. She not only gains a step father, but three step brothers, which she proceeds to nickname Dopey, Sleepy, and Doc.

Once she arrives at her new home, she finds that she's not only gained a new step family, but also a ghost named Jesse, who is (unbenownst to her mother) her roommate!

If you liked Twilight, try this out, it's excellent.

The books in the series are:

1. Shadowland
2. Ninth Key
3. Reunion
4. Darkest Hour
5. Haunted
6. Twilight

Try them. You'll love them.

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For any of you out there who are into helping animals in trouble, I have a friend who has opened his home to many rescued, otherwise unplaceable dogs and cats. He's currently in financial trouble, and in danger of losing his home. Losing his home would be a tragedy for him, but would mean a death sentence for the animals he's currently helping. If you feel you can help, here is the link with more information.

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We have another Warehouse 13 to look forward to this evening!

Have fun!

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Addition:

Don't forget to watch the meteor shower tonight!

Steampunk!

I've been running into steampunk for a while without having a name for it. It's fairly recent that I've come across the name and a definition for it. For the best thing I've read about steampunk, read this! And welcome to the Clockwork Century, a blog by Cherie Priest about a book, but so much more.

I like the way the she speaks about speculative fiction rather than just science fiction, horror, fantasy, etc. The background art on the site is wonderful, too, and part of it is from the cover of her forthcoming book, Boneshaker.

Needless to say, I haven't read the book (it's not out yet) but the blog is not just fascinating and informative, but a work of art on so many levels.

Enjoy!

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Two reruns of Supernatural will be running on the CW tonight. It's Summer, and the networks are determined that Summer has to be boring (apologies to USA and TNT, and to SyFy for Eureka and Warehouse 13).

I'm a little bummed that when a network puts on a fabulous show that I want to watch, they yank it as soon as they can, replacing it with the most boring drek they can find, and then have the nerve to complain that they don't get the ratings!

Have a great evening!

Persieds Meteor Shower!

After three weekdays since being shipped through FedEx, my tracking number is still not in the system for the package with my computer in it. I'd like to go out and do something, but I'm worried about not being home when it's delivered.

I know that I didn't pay all that much for it, but it's a lot of money for me to pay for anything.

So, I'm worried about when it will arrive (and will I be right here to get it?), and how it's going to perform once it arrives. Will it do what I hope it will? According to reviews by other people who have one, yes, it will. But there are so many questions I have about it that won't be resolved until it arrives.

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In the next couple of days, the Persieds Meteor Shower will be happening. Actually, it's already happening, but it will reach it's height on the 12th.

You can find viewing tips here. Scroll down to Persieds.

Find more information about it here.

I'm really excited about it all! The shooting stars have long been one of my favorite parts of Pennsic, and I'm really sorry that they moved the dates forward so that I would miss the best of it even if I could go.

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The Hugo Awards were last night, but you know that if you've been following me on Twitter or checked this blog last night and got Neil Gaiman's first-hand reactions to winning Best Novel for The Graveyard Book.

Congratulations, Neil and all the other winners!

Have a great evening tonight, and get out there tomorrow night and watch some shooting stars!

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Addition:

More information on the Hugo Awards!

We Hate Comcast!

Comcast, the company that hates it's customers and doesn't mind showing it, turned off service for Holly and Robin.

They couldn't pay their bill due to the fact that Comcast's computer is messed up. Comcast refused to accept a payment, thus (according to legal precedent) cancelling the debt. Robin told them to cancel service permanently, but they said they couldn't do that because (according to them) they still owed money.

So, Comcast is stuck in a limbo of their own making. They'll have an account with Comcast forever because their account can't be closed because they (according to Comcast) owe money that Comcast won't let them pay.

Once again, all together, with feeling: "WE HATE COMCAST!"

The great side to all this is that they'll be having DirecTV installed on Monday! They'll be getting a DVR! And by that, I mean a DVR that works! Not a DVR like the one I have from Comcast that works sometimes. If I could get DirecTV where I live, I would have done it two months after I moved here! I hate Comcast!

They'll have a DVR that has twice the capacity of mine. And it will just work! When they watch a movie and get interrupted and go back to it later, they'll be able to go back to where they stopped watching it, even if it's an hour later, unlike my DVR that remembers where I left off for all of two minutes (if I'm lucky).

And when they go to watch something they've recorded, they'll be able to watch it, not get a black screen that will necessitate unplugging the DVR for at least 5 seconds, and then make them wait another 10 minutes while the DVR boots up to have another shot at trying to watch it. Which is what mine does all too frequently.

And it turns out that you can get internet through DirecTV, too, unlike what they told me a while back.

And Holly said that if she forgets to set the DVR to record something that she can call it on her phone and tell it to record!

I envy them!

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A bit more than a week ago, I answered a call on Twitter and volunteered to make a hat for someone for their yarn store. Last week, I got a ball of yarn in the mail that looked and felt like it had been wound by the incredible Hulk, and he was trying to see how tight he could possibly wind it. Photo later.

Well, I've rewound it, and given it some time for the yarn to relax from the outrageous stretching it's been subjected to. The ball of yarn is much bigger now.

I've been searching on Ravelry for a nice hat to make. Since the yarn is variegated, I thought a nice entrelac would be be good. She specified that it had to be knit in a free pattern. After a long search, I decided to knit a Quant from Knitty.com.

Spin-Off did an article about this pattern, and I've been wanting to get the pattern and knit one. I'd like to knit it from some yarn with slightly longer intervals of color, but I think it's going to be nice after all. And it's one of the few patterns that can be made with 200 yards of yarn or less. The ball of yarn said it has 200 yards, but the ball was about the size of a softball when it arrived, so I have some serious doubts about that. If it was measured while under the extreme tension needed to wind the ball so tight, it's probably more like the 150-160 yards needed to knit the Quant.

More info and photos on this later.

Hope you're having a great weekend!

Librarian on TV Today!

Starting at about 5 pm (here), TBS will be showing all three of The Librarian movies back-to-back! Don't miss it!

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Pennsic is ending, which is sad for all who were there. And it's always hard to pack everything up and go home, but home is so comfortable, just waiting for you. The good thing about getting home on Saturday is that you have Sunday to recover before you have to go back to work.

I'm sure that many people will start to put photos of the war up on the internet during the coming week, so that's something to look forward to.

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The computer has been shipped via FedEx, and is on it's way from Colorado. The tracking number they gave me isn't in the system yet, so I don't know where it is. My experience with FedEx, though, is that it usually arrives by the time they manage to get tracking info up. I have high hopes for Monday.

This new computer may change the face of blogging for me. It should certainly change the face of Twitter for me, because it will be convenient to Tweet on the spur of the moment. We'll see.

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Kyle's first sock is done (except for darning in the ends, and I've got a head start on the second one. She's found out about it already, and unlike most grandchildren, seems to be happy that I'm making her socks. She seems to become quite attached to stuff I make for her, just like her mother.

Have a great weekend!

Happy Birthday, Kyle!

Hey, kid! Have a happy birthday! I'm sending you a link to the Birthday Dirge.

The Birthday Dirge is an old SCA tradition. I've heard that it was invented by the Tuchuks, but that might not be true. What is definitely true is that if you look around the internet, you'll probably find even more lyrics for it, and that new lyrics are being created all the time. I once heard a bard sing the Birthday Dirge for about 20 minutes without repeating lyrics the whole time.

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All this reminds me of Pennsic, which is going strong, even as I write this.

Yesterday was Moonlight Madness. And they had a real, full moon for it, too. Last night was the full moon!

Moonlight Madness is Wednesday of the second week of Pennsic, every year, and they stay open until midnight at the market.

There are so many different things to do there, and one of my favorites is shopping! There are also many different kinds of shopping. For instance, the kind that everybody thinks of is buying things. That's a lot of fun, but you can also go shopping for ideas, which is my favorite kind of shopping. Usually the ideas I get have little to do with what's for sale, except for inspiration. And then there's always shopping for new friends. Meeting people and meeting new people at the market is always fun.

Of course, there are always battles. Bridge battle, field battle, woods battle, melees, sieges, and more!

Then there are the A&S competitions. A&S stands for Arts and Sciences, and could be thought of as craft work. Scadians do just about everything that was done during the middle ages. We have blacksmiths, vitners, brewers, spinners, weavers, leatherworkers, fletchers and so much more. The crafters are the ones that make the fun possible. How could you compete in Archery without a proper bow and arrows? How could you compete in the battles without the proper weapon and armor? How could you even get dressed in the morning without the right clothes?

And A&S leads me right into the subject of classes. There are classes at Pennsic to learn to do almost anything that was done during the Middle Ages. These are one of my favorite things to do there. Learn to bellydance, lucet, brew beer, make jewelry and garb plus lots more.

Bardic circles are fun, too. People group together and tell stories, sing songs and generally entertain each other.

And then, there are the parties! They are loud, fun and last until really late. Where else could you have a drink called a flaming dragon?

There is also the experience of falling asleep every night with drums beating. There used to be the smell of campfires, but they've been having some dry weather lately, and there may not be many, or even any this year. I haven't checked the fire regulations this year.

And speaking of falling asleep and night time, this is the time of year when the Perseids Meteor Shower is happening. Since they moved Pennsic forward in time, they'll be missing the peak of the shower, but it's one of my favorite things there. Going out to the porta-castle in the middle of the night, and watching the stars streak across the sky!

Being at Pennsic is the best way to see it, too. You're up in the mountains, and out in the middle of nowhere, so you can really see the sky. There should be plenty to see near the end of Pennsic, although they'll miss the best part.

One thing they apparently have this year is low-flying choppers early in the morning. There was a big hassle a few years ago about somebody who wanted to do aerial filming of some of the battles. They did put some cameras in the air and film some of it, but there were quite a few people who felt it was not Medieval enough.

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Be sure to check the box in the sidebar from time to time. I'm updating it with info on what's happening at Pennsic, as well as all the other stuff I'm missing at the moment. And some of the retweets I'm putting up will have links to photos, like the one shown here.

Sock Summit is happening this week along with a fiberarts show. And lets not forget about WorldCon! If you miss anything in the Twitter box in the sidebar, you can catch up on it by following me at lostarts on Twitter.

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Burn Notice is showing all day on USA. There will be reruns all day today, and the season finale will be tonight!

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Well, the new computer has been bought and paid for, and now all I have to do is wait for it to arrive to find out how much I'm going to like it or not. I think I'm going to love it! If it works as advertised, I'll have internet access anywhere. And instant blogging, anytime, all the time. Plus the ability to write and draw more easily.

I'm beginning to worry that the problems I'm having with the mouse and keyboard on my desk computer may be in the USB ports of the computer itself rather than the mouse and keyboard. I'll have to get a new mouse and see how that goes. If it works perfectly, then I'm OK. If it has the same problems, then it's probably the computer. We'll see. But if there is a problem with the computer, then at least I'll have the other one to use for some things. I'm really excited about the new one.

Have a great Thursday!

I'm In Shock!

Well, I placed a bid on a computer on ebay, and got it.

The auction was just over, and the last hour or so was very exciting. There were bids up until the last minute. It was very touch-and-go, and I'm so stunned that I don't know how I feel about this. Once it arrives and I start to use it, I'm sure I'll love it. It's got a lot of features to love. It's basically a tablet netbook.

It's a Compaq TC1100 Tablet PC notebook computer. It was owned by a company that did a project on a yearly basis, and the computer was used only for that. It was kept in good shape, and includes the original manuals, OS replacement discs, and even a leather case. It has lots of connectivity. The computer is a discontinued model, but was very popular, and there are scads of replacement parts out there if I need them in the future.

Reviews by owners call it sleek and modern, but it looks more steampunk to me. Very Warehouse 13. If it had an onboard video camera, I'd be thinking about calling it Farnsworth.

I'm so stunned that I'm really at a loss for words.

I'm down to the heel flap on the first sock for Kyle (photo later), and there's a new episode of Leverage tonight.

That's about all the news I'm capable of at this point.

Have a great evening!

Nothing to Say Tuesday

I really don't have a thing to say today, and I have to get going and run some errands.

But you need to read Crazy Aunt Purl today. She's got several random things to say.

This is one of those posts where you don't want to drink anything while you read it unless you want it squirted out your nose! And don't think you've gotten past that point, because there's another zinger waiting for you!

Enjoy!

Oh, and I have just barely started the first of Kyle's socks.

Have a great evening, and don't miss the new Warehouse 13 on SyFy tonight! Artie has to decide what to do about Claudia, although the decision seems obvious. But Joe Flanagan will be guest starring! That's always a plus for the ladies.

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Addition:

The President's Analyst is just starting on TCM! It's an oldie, but oh, so good!

The Christmas Blog War

Saying that I'd gotten the yarn to make a Christmas present for one of my granddaughters has sparked a flurry of text messages and phone calls and discussions about it.

Holly reminded me in the comments that Malaia reads my blog, although not all the time, so if the present is for her and I don't want to tell her what her Christmas present will be, I shouldn't write about it on the blog.

Malaia saw that in the comments and let Holly know immediately that she shouldn't have told me that, and that she wanted to see her Christmas present as it developed. Always supposing, that is that I was talking about her.

Holly and I had a big discussion about all of this yesterday when I saw her. We also discussed Christmas presents. I said I was going to make socks for Kyle for Christmas, and she asked me what color. I said green because that's Kyle's favorite color. Holly said that she didn't think it was anymore.

At this point, I feel I should mention that I can discuss this on my blog because I've changed my mind about what I'm going to make for who, so all of the foregoing, and some of what is coming up is totally wrong, and completely changed.

To continue... Holly sent a text message to Kyle saying "What's your favorite color?" The answer was "Purple, why do you want to know?" After a few more text messages, Kyle now also knows that I'm making Christmas presents and that some will be for her.

Christmas is difficult in this age of instant communication!

And, as if that weren't enough, Holly reminded me that Kyle's birthday is later this week. I knew that, but, as usual, was lost in time.

I can know things, but not connect them to the timeline. Sometimes it's as simple as "Oh, is it Wednesday already?" syndrome, where I know that something happens on Wednesday, but am completely oblivious to the fact that it is Wednesday.

I don't know where I went wrong in this case, but I did want to make or get something for her.

So, I've completely revised everything. I'll be making some socks for Kyle for her birthday, and they'll be late, but at least she'll get them. And here is the photo of some of the yarn I'll be using to make them.

That's the Knit Picks sock yarn which was called Essential, but is now called Stroll, in the new color, Sprinkle Heather.

As you can see, I haven't even started, and, in fact, currently have a sock for me on the needles. But I'll be getting started on them real soon now, and I'm guessing she should get them around my birthday.

I'll also get the sock pattern up real soon now, too.

I have so many things to do that I don't have much time to blog. Add to that the mouse problems I'm currently having, and I just can't do it right now.

Have a great evening!