I Should Have Known...

...that it was in the blood. Remember the picture of the shack from a few days ago? Check out this comment from my aunt: Did you know that the chicken coop was also a goat shed? Or also held sheep, since Great-grandpa also had sheep. The stanchions are still in place. I am SOOOOOO moving there and running sheep. I only need 3 or so. Let's see... a Finn for wool, milk and lambs, a romney for wool and a cormo for wool. And maybe a shetland (moorit of course) to keep everyone else on their feet. And the best part? Now I have an excuse to get an Anatolian Shepherd dog. Bwah ha ha.

The first MS4 clue comes out tomorrow. I am excited. I also have no yarn and no beads. Timely I am not. Oh, I have some stash laceweight, but it is all earmarked for other projects or there is not enough yardage. DUH! *smacks forehead* I have an entire cone of 8/2 silk... nope. That belongs to the business and is set aside for weaving. Forget I said anything. I keep eyeing that Cormo roving though...



I finished listening to "Memoirs of a Geisha" this morning and enjoyed it thoroughly. The ending was very happy and tidy (almost too much so). I will swing by the library tomorrow to see what other gems they have. I also have a couple of netflix to watch, although it is difficult to read subtitles and knit lace at the same time. It is OK for spinning, though. I watch so many movies in Chinese that I sometimes think I don't have to read the subtitles, but it is never really true. I hate overdubbing in English (with the solitary exception of "Steamboy" which is about a japanese boy in London).

I also finished the center section of That Scottish Shawl this morning and embarked on the right hand side. It now requires my full attention (good luck), but is a satisfying knit. I love the yarn and the color (Alpaca With a Twist "fino" and Sea Glass). It has been a week of project monogamy, which is quite nice. Who woulda thunk?

Well, I am literally the only customer left at the coffeeshop at 9pm on a Thursday. How wierd is that? I should flit from table to table.

Thought for today: They always look like angels when they are sleeping.

Wide Open Spaces

I am back from Wyoming and in one piece (one anti-social piece, but that is a post for another day). The rosary / funeral / burial were sad, but the rest of the weekend was nice. There was visiting with family and lots of eating. Several of us had never met before. We talked, walked, played games and I knit like the wind. Seriously, Mandy's sweater needs about 5 rows on the collar and the sleeves sewn in. I ran out of yarn in the Denver airport or it would have been done by now.

Three generations: Do you see what I see? Over a barrel... Sometimes a post is just a post...
The homestead. Grandma designed it and Grandpa built it. It took 5 years.
Thistle poppy - the fried egg plant. I saw antelope, but they were far away and very fast.

The trip home was exciting - take a car to Ft Collins, change cars to Denver, wait for my plane (forever), bus to Union Station, train from LA to Riverside, then the bus to my neighborhood, then a mile walk home. Whew. I can hardly believe I made all those connections. It is good to be home but I miss the emptiness of WY. I am suffering from closed-in-itis right now. It is hard to imagine why I couldn't just stay there. Sigh.

Weekend Recap and Soap Schedule

From the comments - we will try to update the Soap Plantation website with our upcoming events this weekend. Meanwhile, I will keep everything posted in the sidebar under "come smell soap". I try to put in links to the events when they are available. We also take suggestions for events if you know of something fun!

From the weekend - I had a spectacular weekend. Pretty much everything went pretty much according to the plan. Friday I bustled about the house and tidied up the front room and the kitchen and did a lot of laundry. I like laundry - it pretty much does itself until you get to the dreaded folding part. It was wet and rainy here most of the weekend, which was fine with me, but the dogs disapproved, especially Miss I Hate Getting My Paws Wet. I was pleased with my tidying progress, although it could always be better. It is amazing to me how much progress I can make in a short amount of time when I buckle down.

Saturday I got it together at a reasonable hour and headed off to the Orange County Museum to see the "Birth of the Cool" exhibit before it closed. It was indeed quite cool. There was music, art, movies, furniture, and more. I really liked the tv show section (I saw "Gerald McBoingBoing"! That took me back...) and the art of Helen Lundberg. She is going on my list of books to look for in the library. I got to see the Soup Can and the Chairman Mao pictures by Andy Warhol, and 3 short movies by Charles and Ray Eames. There was an adjoining exhibit that was more modern, and I was not too keen on that. Performance art is just not my thing. I like my art to look like something and to be somewhat orderly. But I liked getting out and doing something, even if I was on my own, and I am going to resolve to do cultural stuff more often.

On the way home I stopped by the BIG Whole Foods market and had a look see. It is still packed with many tempting goodies, and many people who take up all the parking spaces. I got some grocery staples and made a nice breakfast the next day.

Sunday was weaving day and Denise came by to look at my Walling loom. We managed to get the harnesses working and the treadles tied up, but we are still stumped by the brake assembly. It just does not make any sense. Pictures soon. Really, if I had some clamps or a bungee cord, I could warp it up and start weaving, but it would be nice to have it working propoerly. I also need to go to the store and get a ratchet thingy to tighten all the nuts and bolts. But getting the harnesses working was a major achievement for me - it needed quite a lot of tweaking, and with very little weaving experience, I would never have know what to tweak.

Knitting did occur, although not all of it was responsible on-task knitting. I also got in a few shots of weaving on the table loom while waiting for Denise. I think I will make more progress tonight. I also managed to watch 2 more dvds of "House" *sigh* I don't know what I will do when I am all caught up. I did start reading the Sherlock Holmes books this weekend, tittering at the things they used in "House" and generally enjoying reading. Another thing I don't do enough of.

Today the spectacular-ness is wearing off, but I think that is mostly because I am bored out of my mind here at work. Sigh. There is a new guy, who I am positive I know from somewhere, but I can't place him. It is driving me mad.

Blah

Blah blah blah knitting blah blah blah yoga blah blah blah cats blah blah blah. So predictable.

Just yesterday I posted about Season 1 of "A Bit of Fry and Laurie" and when I got home it was waiting in my box of Christmas-presents-they-had-to-mail-me-because-I-was-under-a-rock. How cool is that? There was, sadly, no yarn. I popped it right into the tv (after knitting and yoga) and settled in for some knitting. It is definitely the funniest one.

It seems there is no Arts Walk tonight, so I will be home doing chores, tidying up, setting out the trash bins, and then weaving. I have one more disc of the current audio book waiting for me. I have to find out if they save the world or not. It is a Clive Cussler novel, so I bet they will.

Apparently it is supposed to rain this weekend. I am in favor of that. Saturday I have big plans to go to the Orange County Museum of Art and the farmer's market. There is a nascent plan that Denise is going to come over on Sunday and help me finish putting together the floor loom. Even if I don't warp it up right away, it will be reassuring to know it is assembled and ready to rock and roll.

Woozy

I am back. I did not have a good time. The highlight of my trip was getting an IV on Tuesday night to rehydrate after being violently ill for half the day. Then I was quarantined in my cabin for 2 days (but I escaped for dinner, which was pretty darn tasty). I am still a bit unsteady on land due to being rocked on ship all week. I kind of like the feeling - like being drunk but without the hangover. But I also feel like I will fall off my chair at any moment. I did watch a lot of movies, some of which were surprisingly good: "Evan Almighty", "Night at the Museum", "Pirates: End of the World", "No Reservations", "Ratatouille", "Ocean's 11 (and 13)", and "We are Marshall".

Some knitting did occur. I finished the first sleeve of Petal and have made good progress on sleeve number two. Tonight is movie night at Knit N Stitch ("White Christmas"), and I will take one of my pending projects to work on. Tomorrow is the RiverSpinners Holiday party and the plan is to finish spinning up the Ashland Bay roving in the "seamist" colorway. I don't know what it will be yet, but I love to look at it. It is a grayish-bluish-greenish-goldish-silverish merino / silk blend and I adore it.

I also got a little reading done. Diana Gabaldon's new book "Lord John and the Hand of Devils" came out last week and my Borders had one copy left. If you like historical fiction and mysteries, give it a try.

My friend Anne's guinea pigs are rooming with me temporarily, and they are just adorable. There are 4 babies that are just a few weeks old and they are cute beyond words. I wish I could keep them all, but I think Mr. Whiskers (my GP) would be jealous. Does anyone need a furry friend? We also stopped by the bird store to board her parrots for the week, and it was a narrow miss on me adding another feathered friend to the flock. But I like the birds I have and need to spend more time with them, not get a new one.

And last but certainly not least, a boisterous "shout out" to my friend Rose who watched my pets for me while I was away. Everyone was fat and happy when I came home, the mail was in, and the place was still standing. She is a real trooper.

Vacation Recap: Part 2

Tuesday dawned bright and mild; a good day to go on an adventure. After a yummy brunch, we went to the ocean (just a few feet away) and played in the surf, laid in the sun, and generally relaxed. Around 11 we piled in the car and drove to the Tedeschi Winery. It was serene, gorgeous, and welcoming. We tried several yummy wines and brought a few home. My favorite was the Raspberry Dessert wine. We didn't have time to take the tour, but I hear it is lovely.


Our defenses down, we crossed the street to the Ulupalakua Ranch Store and had some lunch. I had the Maui Cattle Co cheeseburger and it was fantastic. They also have local elk-burgers, but they were sold out by the time we arrived. They are trying to build a market for local-grown, grass-fed beef on the island, instead of shipping the cows to feedlots on the mainland. This beef was sweet and flavorful, the burger made right there on the porch for us. Add the relaxing (to me) Hawai'ian muzak, the calm cloudy day, and the greenery all around, and I think it might really have been heaven.

The highlight of the day was the trip to the Surfing Goat Dairy . We took the 3:15 Farm Chores tour, and got to bring in the goaties from the pasture, learn how to milk a goat, watch John milk very fast with the automatic milking machine, feed some goats, play with the babies, and taste some amazing goat cheese. It was a blast. The goats they keep for milkers are all hand raised and very friendly. They keep Saanens and French Alpines. I bought a cute t-shirt and some yummy cheese (feta, sun dried tomato, and mango flavored).

After those adventures, it was time to turn in to the resort and have some dinner. There may have been a spot of laying by the pool / beach too. I did make some progress on the burgundy Icarus shawl and Mandy's sweater over the course of the week, while in the car and during odd moments in the hotel, watching Law and Order. Hey - it was my vacation, I could watch TV if I wanted!

And again, there ARE pictures, but they are trapped in the laptop.

Vacation Recap: Part 1

We arrived in Maui on Sunday night and stayed in Kihei at a lovely little place. I particularly enjoyed watching the birds - even the parking lot birds were interesting! I saw zebra doves, a purple breasted dove, mynahs, sparrows, and a cardinal. We breakfasted at Denny's (outdoors!) and watched the ocean while we ate.

We drove south along the beach until we got to the lava fields, where we could go no further. We visited an 1838 church and graveyard and dipped our toes in the ocean at Makena beach. We also visited Big Beach and the red sand beach. Lunch was found at a roadside taco stand which had great ambiance and fantastic food.

In the afternoon we settled into our room in Ka'anapali. I forget where the rest of the afternoon went - wading in the ocean or a well-deserved nap, I think. We also browsed the brochures and Maui books in the room and discussed what we wanted to do over the week. We walked to the corner store and got some supplies for dinner and then watched "The Claim" which was one of the Netflix I brought. It was okay. I think I ordered it because it has Sarah Polley (from "Go"), but it was a very slow, convoluted story with a lot of poorly defined flashback sections. It was beautifully filmed, but hard to figure out what was going on and unsatisfying in the end. The credits say it was based on Hardy's "The Mayor of Casterbridge" which I have heard of but never read.

PS. there are pictures, apparently I hit publish by mistake. I will try to upload the pictures tonight.

Maui

I'm here, it's gorgeous. Today we snorkeled. There are fish in the ocean! Who knew?

Recharged

I went out to dinner with Mr. Fixit last night. He is just as cute as I remember. We had yummy health food and a cranberry-apple cobbler (a la mode) for dessert. We had a review of my therapy session and I think I can get used to this honesty and sharing business.

There was some netflix watching in my week - I got disc one of "A Fine Romance" with Judi Dench, and it is OK but did not grab me right off. 4 episodes later I was still not grabbed. I like "As Time Goes By" far more. I also managed to watch "Vanity Fair" with Reese Witherspoon and *yay* Johnathyn Rhys-Meyers. I had forgotten he was in it. He plays a bad man. He is really good at that. I liked it quite a bit, especially the costuming. It was spectacular. There was a little incongruity when she was gifted with a parrot "from India" that was actually a blue and gold macaw (from the Amazon). Considering the extravagance of the settings and costuming AND the fact that the director is a native of India, I could hardly believe the props people couldn't scare up an Alexandrine Parrot or an Indian Ringneck (like my own Kiwi-bird). Perhaps they were not as big and splashy as the blue and gold. At home I have "The Claim", and two more things arriving Saturday, but I suspect they will have to wait until I get back from vacation, unless I want to watch them on the laptop.

Open spinning is tonight. I don't know that I will bring spinning to work on, but it will be a good time anyway. Progress can always be made on Mandy's sweater. I have spinning to do, but my empty bobbin for my Majacraft Millie is AWOL, and it is technically plying that needs to be done.

I get on the plane Sunday afternoon. If you break into the house, you have to sweep up under anything you steal.

Mish Mash

I am title free at the moment. I will try to think of something brilliant before I hit "Publish". Yesterday I managed a 1/2 day off as my computer tanked and ALL my tasks require it. Today I have a computer and a smattering of programs, NO saved email and NO internet favorites. We shall not speak of the personal files I meant to back up. It makes me a little sick to think on it.

Las Vegas was great. There are *gasp* no pictures. Sorry kids. I sold clothes with a vengeance and drank lemonade like there was no tomorrow. There were many men in kilts and none of them turned my head (as well it should be) even as much as Mr. Fixit in a greasy jumpsuit, working on the van. I may have bought some jewelry and a woven throw with ravens on it (big surprise there) and I needed another pouch as I forgot my new one at home. Sigh. But basically I was too busy or exhausted to shop. This year they had the vendors on one side of the lake and the guilds on the other, and I really liked it that way. I would have liked to spend more than 2o minutes over there though.

This week has been filled with preparations for Hawaii (read: laundry) and angsting about my appoinment with the shrink today. Long story short, I did NOT want to go. But I did. I was not too happy there, but the dust has settled over the last couple hours and I am feeling much more chipper. I have "homework" which I feel silly about. I have also spent some quality time sleeping (alone, sadly), and visiting with the pets, who have missed me, and who I feel really badly about leaving for an entire week. We have been watching some Netflix and eating fast food in the evenings for our quality time.

Monday night was quilting class. I had homework there too, which I did last night. It was to sew (no thread) along the lines of an index card to practice my 1/4" seam and sewing in a straight line. I got to do some fun things like break and change the needle, change the presser foot and guide plate, go to the store and buy thread, set up my spool thread, and fiddle with the bobbin thread. But, try as I might, I just can't get the needle thread to pull up the loop of bobbin thread. I gave up after a while and it will just have to wait. I was bummed, as I really wanted to get some strips put together.

The Rum Runner socks continue (I am on the leg of sock #2), as do Mandy's sweater and SG1. If the gods are with me, there will be a new Booty Club box on the porch tonight. I could use some comfort yarn.

Inside My Head

I go to see the therapist this afternoon. I am counting the minutes. Yesterday was pretty low and while Mr. Fixit cajoled me into joining the rest of the human race again, it is not really his job to fix me. He is patient and supportive and prods me when I need it, but not too much, and generally keeps me going on days like that. I want there to be fewer of those days, though. It wasn't so long ago that I was satisfied being sad all the time - it doesn't seem so bad when it is your everyday state - but I have been a lot happier lately with spinning group, lace group, knitting group, soap activities, and yoga stuff, even before Mr. F came along, and I want that to be my new everyday state. Thanks to all who leave comments, by the way, I love to read them. I check my blog stats and know people are reading (thank you!) but feedback is always appreciated.

Whew.

I did manage to finish the foot and heel of Rum Runner sock #2 yesterday, but had to stop when I got to the leg pattern section. While I have the pattern memorized, I forgot which row to begin on. I suppose it isn't the end of the world, but I would like them to match.

I also managed to make it to yoga. It was slow deep stretch night (Wednesday always is) and Barbara was the sub. I really enjoyed her style and when I have a free weekend (2012 maybe) I want to go to one of her regular classes. I also picked up a flyer for a concert thingy on 11/16 and paid my bucks for the home practice class on 10/28. There is a link to Inland Yoga in the sidebar if you would like more info.

Tonight is a flurry of activity before I leave for Las Vegas in the morning. Packing, feeding pets, laundry, appointments, gas in the car, wash the car, get directions, go to the bank, go to the pet food store. I hope to have a fun weekend though, even if I will be working. It is always fun to work with Don and Andrea at Whimsy, though.

The Yarn Harlot posted her pictures of the finished Mystery Stole #3. I am hip to knit it. But not yet. Not only is my plate full, I may have made plans to go to a quilting class on Monday night. Anybody wanna come along?

Little Miss Sunburn

Ow. Ow. Ow. My poor little nose. At least I didn't get burned until the last race. Darn those Trans-Ams! The windburn is starting to ease, though.

Otherswise, a good time was had by all. Amazingly, I managed to catch up to Mr. Fixit around Encinitas and followed him the rest of the way to Coronado. There was a little excitement when a tire blew out on the motorhome just as we were coming down off the Coronado Bridge, but it happened in a "good" spot where we could pull out of traffic and feel safe. Ish. It was man vs. Winnebago, but Mr. Fixit prevailed and we were rolling again shortly, headed right for the reception and cocktails.

Saturday dawned bright and cheery, and it was off to practice for The Boys. Jamie had a little issue with the Berkeley, and had to spend the rest of the day tinkering with it, but it was up and running by that evening. Mr. Fixit raced the little red racecar and I was impressed as always. To unwind, we went into town in the evening and had some pizza (Village Pizza in Coronado *yum*) and some beer and generally had a grand time.

Sunday was more practice and more racing. This time I knitted on Mandy's sweater (SG1) during the morning and after lunch I stayed in the stands and watched races for most of the afternoon. They are getting more and more interesting as I understand them better and can keep track of what is going on. It also helps to have good earplugs so that I am not in pain or deaf by the end of the day. I finished the first Rum Runner sock Saturday morning, and continued working on #2 while I watched. I finished the toe and 6" of foot by the end of the weekend! Gotta love that stockinette foot. It was fun to have people come up and ask what I was making and / or reveal that they too are knitters. I saw one woman quilting! I am threatening to start a group called the "Crosley Crafters" for interested parties.

After all the cars ran, it was time to go to the reception, which was swanky as usual. They take good care of their drivers! The USS Ronald Regan was our host and after the awards ceremony and nibbles we got to wander around the flight deck and ask questions. Mr. Fixit was enthralled and I was wishing for my knitting, but it wasn't too cold or windy, and I learned lots of neat things, so it was still a good time. I even saw a shooting star.

We each made it home safely, tired but happy after a fun weekend. I didn't hit all of my knitting goals, but I made some progress and I got to spend lots of quality time with Mr. Fixit, which is always my favorite part of the weekend. Even better than admiring the Tiger Sunbeam. Way to go, dear!

Zoom Zoom

We are off to the races. Mr. Fixit has his racecar, I have my knitting, life is good. More on Monday!

The Incredible Shrinking Woman

I am going to see a therapist on Thursday. I am excited and scared and can't really remember, now that I am a little happier, what it was that was bothering me so much in the first place. I am sure it will come back to me *ha ha*

Rum Runner sock #1 is nearly finished. Just another 1 1/2 inches on the ribbing, I think. It is my "the computer is slow at work" sock, knit in the spare moments when I am trying not to double click until my finger falls off.

Mandy's sweater continues. Progress has been slow this week, as I have taken the opportunity to work on Secret Gift #2 (which is going swimmingly). But I want to have both sleeves finished by the time I get back from Coronado this weekend.

After a couple weekends at home(ish), I am off gallivanting again. This weekend Mr. Fixit is racing at the Festival of Speed, next weekend I am at the Las Vegas Renaissance Faire with Don and Andrea of Whimsy. The weekend after that, The Soap Plantation is heading to Maui for a week or two. It is fun to go on vacations and adventures, but I have enjoyed being a blob at home these last couple of weeks.

To Tide You Over...

Until I free the pictures from their purgatory, here is a quick synopsis of my Renaissance Weekend with Mr. Fixit. Friday- mad dash to finish laundry and dinner at Ruby's (mmmmm). Saturday - long drive up to Gilroy / Casa de Fruta, some knitting progress on the Saffron socks, an amazing amount of chatting about all things great and small, a fabulous time at the faire until closing, and passing out, exhausted, at 6:30. Sunday - part 2 of a fabulous time at the faire, a pleasant peasant lunch, and a long drive home, marred only by a headache so intense it made me cry. Advil came to my rescue and the last 1/3 of the trip was filled with chatting.


Tonight, I have a date with this:

Lucky me!

All The Things I Love

I had a fabulous weekend once again. The festivities began on Thursday during Market Night when I got to open my Yarn Pirate Sock Club box. The yarn is gorgeous, in a sock yarn base I have not tried yet, and the goodies are pretty fun too. I will wait to announce so it doesn't spoil anyone else's surprise!

This weekend The Soap Plantation was booked at Summergrass, a bluegrass festival held in Vista. I took Friday off work to go down early and help set up, but the motor home had other ideas. Even after it got coddled through a smog check and had a low tire replaced, it decided to be cranky and have a second leaky tire. Mr. Fixit threw in the towel and the lovely and talented Mandy held down the fort at Summergrass on Friday with her nephew and the flying screaming monkey. I spent the remainder of the day with Mr. Fixit. We visited his friend and they worked on a piston for the racecar (I brought knitting) and we went out for lunch. We tried the new Pei Wei in Tustin and I tried some Orange Peel Chicken. It was very tasty and pretty swanky for fast food. After we were done, the guys went back to work in the garage and I played a little Chocolatier and then lay down for “a minute”. I think it was dark when I surfaced again.

Saturday we got an early start and headed down to Vista. The day was easygoing and fun. We sold some soap, heard some good bluegrass, ate some yummy snack food (Mr. Fixit woos me with root beer floats. I am powerless before them), and I actually got a little spinning done. I plied 2 oz of some Merino/Tencel lace weight yarn that had been sitting on the bobbin since June and it came out very pretty; a nice peachy-orange. Then I fired my Millie up again and started on some BFL roving. I am spinning it heavier, and, gee, the bobbin fills up fast when one is not spinning lacewieght! It felt good to be spinning again. I have been focusing on knitting for the last couple of months and the change was refreshing.

We packed up for the night around 8, found our hotel, and had a tasty dinner. I am pretty sure staying in a hotel ended up being a better bet than putting gas in the motor home for the weekend.

Sunday morning dawned bright and partly cloudy, until I looked toward Escondido and saw the wall of black clouds. eek, the soap! I wailed. We drove through the deluge, arrived at the site, and I was relieved to see that the soap was high and dry. We had the farm breakfast and the sweet old ladies were flirting with Mr. Fixit right and left. We got ready to open – bluegrass fans are a devoted bunch and I did not think that the show would be cancelled – and the deluge returned, soaking the site for over an hour. We still held the high ground and were nice and dry and toasty under the pop-up tent. Soap sales were slow, but the visiting and entertaining were alive and well. Everything was bright and sunny again by noon, and Mandy joined us for the afternoon. Denise came over and tried her hand at spinning on a wheel – and did quite well!

We packed it in about 5 and headed for home. Mr. Fixit and I stopped on the way to meander around Dana Point and we had a nice time – we saw stingrays and fishies and all manner of seabirds. Lots of folks were out walking their dogs. We admired the boats and picked out the ones we would have if a) we won the lotto and b) we had much interest in boating. Then it was a fish & chips dinner at the Harborside Café, which was excellent, and watching the moon rise and the sun set. I think I may just be the luckiest girl in the world.

Yes, This is a Knitting Blog



Much to my surprise and delight, I had a fantastic weekend at the Monterey Historics. We started seeing neat old / rare / interesting cars on the drive up the 101 Wednesday night, and it was neat to see Lambourghinis, Ferraris, Porsches, Astin Martins, and other great cars on the road to and from the event each day. Mr Fixit and I picked up our tickets and set up our "pit area" on Thursday, and I learned something right away: it is not to be referred to as "the encampment". Sorry, faire folk. I also learned that "helping" is subjective. We drove the racecar over to tech inspection and we saw Al Unser, Sr, which was pretty exciting. That evening there was a brilliant reception and much visting with Mr. F's friends. The wine was never ending and high quality. I learned that I love crab cakes with a burning passion.

Friday was warm up day for the drivers and the racecars. Jan and I watched them race from the driver's lounge and the view was spectacular:

The view of Mr. Jan, anyway. Here is the view of Mr. Fixit:

Clearly I needed to practice with the camera a little more. However, I did catch him coming past the start/finish line:

The rest of the day we moseyed about, socialized, and watched races from the Corkscrew. In the evening we went to Fisherman's wharf to see what we could see. There were boats, and crabs, and starfish, and seagulls, and sea lions, and then we saw this:

I realize the picture is teeny, but believe me when I tell you that this is a momma otter with a baby otter coming along for the ride. We watched them swim past all the boats, closer to shore, when momma let the baby float while she went to go dive for dinner. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. That pretty much made the trip for me.

Saturday we looked at more cars. Some Bentleys:

Some H-Mods:












A Cheetah:

















... and we went out for a lovely fishy dinner with friends and family on Saturday night. I was not brave enough to try the grilled baby octopus. Sorry to disappoint.

Our big race day was Sunday, right after lunch. I got to come along for the drive up to the pit for the warmup, but for the race itself I watched from the Corkscrew:

















To celebrate the end of a great weekend, we chilled a bottle of Champayne:

And got ready for the awards ceremony. The Daniel Boone hat was the hit of the party:

On the way to pick up the trailer, I saw a bobcat, and we startled a family of California Quail. We heard accounts of foxes near the campsites - wow.

It was a great weekend. I had so much fun. I met great, friendly, interesting people and can hardly wait to see them again. I got to spend some quality time with Mr. Fixit and how can that be bad? He did a fantastic job driving us home early into the morning, and I drug myself to work nearly on time.

Knitting did occur. I promise. I now have 5 socks on the needles instead of 4. Nothing was finished however, and I have to say it was because I was having a blast. Whee!

Quickie

Thank you for the kind words about the Adamas shawl. I am quite pleased myself. It did get worn this weekend and is surprisingly warm for such a wispy looking thing.

I am back from my trip to Monterey and here at work. I am also running on 2 1/2 hours sleep last night (we got in at 3am) and about 4 hours the night before that, so am a little loopy. I will work on a long chatty post *with pictures* for later today or tomorrow.

We had a fantastic time and I can't wait to do it again at Coronado in October.

Asleep on my Feet.

Hi Everybody, I am back from Lambtown and still recovering. After a trip to the auto shop to have the car checked out (while I knit the foot of the second Gray sock), I drove up Friday, listening to a new book on tape on the way ("The Sunday Philosopher's Club" by the author of the "Ladies' No 1 Detective Agency" series). My first sheep sighting was at 6:09pm, so I knew I was finally getting close. I located the park and scoped out my location, knowing that I wanted to get in early, get set up fast (and first), and get out for breakfast before the show opened.

Saturday morning at 5:55am I was unloading the car and setting up the booth. I had a nice spot, got out to IHOP for breakfast and more knitting by 6:45, and came back well before we opened at 9. It had all the makings of a great show: the sun was out, Carolina Homespun was my neighbor, Gail from the limeade booth kept me in limeade and lamb taco salad all day, I met lots of great people and was happy to see several folks who have come by every year. About 6 I started putting everything away and loading the car right back up. I stopped to visit with some friends who own Fanfare Farms and The Loom Room, and then went back to the hotel to collapse. It had been a hot, sunny, and busy day.

Sunday I packed up and headed off to Courtland to see the Pear Fair. I only got a little bit lost. The Fair was fun: two soap vendors to examine, fruit butters to sample, music to listen to, pear-aphernalia of all types, and an exhibit of old photos of life in the Sacramento Delta and tools used (and still used) to harvest, sort, pack, and package pears. Then (as I had soap melting in the car) it was back on the road and another book on tape to entertain me. With the help of a blended cinnamon dolce latte, I made it home right around 9.

Miles driven: 988
Socks knit: 1/2
Sheep spotted: Jacobs*

Tonight's big adventure is a trip to see "The Simpsons" movie with a friend. I hope I stay awake!

Mr. Fixit is back in town and I was quite pleased to see him yesterday. We have plans to watch "Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift" this weekend... the plot may be thin, but the cars are very shiny.

*it's a sheep and wool joke.

The best laid plans... I have recovered from the weekend and have some "Did"s and some "Did Not"s to share. I DID get some fiber dyed in some new colorways and in some replacement colorways. It will be ready in time for the show at the Citrus Station. Anything that is left will go on the ebay store - I'll post a link.

I did NOT watch either of my Clive Owen movies (although I had a dream about Johnathan Rhys-Meyers) as I was busy busy busy this weekend. Last night I did find time for 2 episodes of Nature, however. I learned all about African Black Eagles and Rhinos. Quiz me, I dare ya.

I DID go to the Huntington with another RiverSpinner and we had a nice time. We saw about a half a zillion lizards, the roses were blooming, we got sucked in by plant sale ("The Gauntlet"), and even got some spinning and knitting done. Imagine that! I came home with a sunburned nose, an alpine strawberry plant and a variegated lemon thyme plant. I would call the day a success. We even saw sheep! We were lost at the time, but they were certainly sheep. I melted into a bubble bath when I got home and called the rest of the day "Naptime". I did NOT make it to the Kirtan at Inland yoga, but I was really done for the day.

I had a lovely time at yoga on Sunday - even managed to zing Scott (in a kind, friendly way, of course), but of course I can't remember it now. I also managed to wrap in a pose I never wrapped in before (one of the forward bends in half lotus - with a very long name) which made me happy. Then it was off to Fran's house for a bobbin lace afternoon. I made good progress on my moon -- 4 entire arches. That doubles the number of arches I had finished and brings me to 1/3 done with that section. I am very pleased. I would like to provide a picture, but you would not believe how hard it is to flip one's bobbin lace pillow upside down and slap it on the scanner :)

I did NOT get any knitting done. Not one stitch. I did a little bit of planning more projects and I think one of them will be Miriam Felton (MimKnits)'s Icarus shawl. I just need to find some yarn for it now. I spindled a little bit of baby camel down, but there is only 1/2 oz of that, not nearly enough (for me) to make the 900 yards I will need.

The peppermint socks did not see the light of day this weekend. They will however see the flickering lights of my math classroom tomorrow when school is back in session (wah). I am knitting the leg using the Entrelac technique, which is made up of interlocking boxes of knit stitches. One can find basic flat entrelac patterns all over the world (I like "How to Knit" by Debbie Bliss), but I found guidance for in-the-round entrelac knitting in the newest Interweave Knits, where Eunny Jang's entrelac socks are featured. I am using a relatively fine yarn on size 0 needles, which makes for a lot of squinting. Pictures when I have some progress.