Days of wine and knitting

OK, I know I've posted this wine cozy before. But it's the only wine-related knitted object I have handy.

Lately I've been fascinated with wine. Learning more about it, that is. Over the past few weeks I read The Billionaire's Vinegar: The Mystery of the World's Most Expensive Bottle of Wine by Benjamin Wallace (I recall one evening a couple weeks ago detangling a mess of Lorna's Laces Lion & Lamb, thanks Daisy, while reading The Billionaire's Vinegar), and last night I finished The House of Mondavi: The Rise and Fall of an American Wine Dynasty by Julia Flynn Siler. And I'm puttering my way through Red, White and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass by Natalie MacLean and The Little Red Book of Wine Law. And I just HAD to go and subscribe to Wine Spectator, along with Food and Wine.

So I decided to google wine knitting to see what I could come up with. Unfortunately, most of the patterns fall into two categories:

1. wine bottle cozy/wine bottle gift bag (BTDT); or
2. wine glass markers.
   

Dude. Can't people come up with something ELSE??!!??!?!11?!11eleven///?? :::sigh:::

I guess that means it's up to me to come up with something.

Either that or I'll just knit up a ton of wine bottle cozies to use for blind tastings.

And I suppose I better make some wine glass markers, since I'm using my existing markers as stitch markers on the Clapotis I'm making with the Lion & Lamb.

Back to the Clapotis... guess I better knit on it some more..

More experiments in dyeing

KnitPicks Bare sock yarn I dyed with a mixture of strawberry Kool-Aid and grape Kool-Aid.

OK, Photobucket's being weird

Just ignore all these weird extra posts.

Experimenting with dyeing

Some Rambouillet I dyed with cherry Kool-Aid.

I do still exist

Just haven't been wanting to post, that's all.

Wombat, just because I can

I maded u a kitteh yarmulke...

BUT I EATED IT

Lump of coal in my stocking...

So here (above) is the lump o' coal, a/k/a Embers. It came today. Isn't it gorgeous? love (a bazillion)

Below is Frenchman's Creek.

Drive by update

I finished Frenchman's Creek today. The second sock is blocked and drying. Pics to follow in a couple days. Yesterday I cast on a pair of socks from How to Knit in the Woods using the Zitron Trekking hand-dyed I picked up in June in Frisco, CO.

Kidlet's first midget football practice is tomorrow.

Work still sucks.

I'm getting back to healthier eating. I reread most of In Defense of Food over the weekend, did some shopping that mostly focused on veggies, lean meats, blah blah blah, actually did some cooking

Off to Ron's place in a few minutes.

Moving right along

Here is the new toy I just ordered. It's a Dell Latitude 630. I also ordered a printer and a docking station. 'Tis for the new gig. I can't wait for the new gig.. bouncebouncebounce

So. Looks like I will be getting a prezzie from teh Yarn Fairy! Lookee here...


The story behind the prezzie: click here. I'm being punished, er, rewarded for asspinnerating the Tsarina of Tsocks. The above yarn is supposed to be a lump of coal... seems that threats were made that I would receive coal with a tsock kit. Well... I like this kind of coal! It's called "Embers."

Now lots of Ravelers want to be similarly "punished." I think a trend has been started.

Meanwhile, I am still at work. Is it time to go home yet?

Name This Post!

Cute picture of kittehs, just because I can.

I'm not feeling very creative today. Can't come up with a good title for today's post. But I figured I better post since I hadn't in awhile.

Man work is driving me insane. I'll be glad when the end of the year gets here.

I finally finished my Walking Meditation socks. All I had left to do was the embroidery. Naturally it took me 2 months to pull them out of the UFO pile and do the embroidery... I did the embroidery while watching the Olympics.

I have been making progress on Frenchman's Creek as well. I'm about 3/4 of the way through the cuff on one sock. I will need some replacement beads before I can do the other cuff tho, as I broke a couple beads. I haven't taken updated picture of FC tho.

I did get sidetracked yesterday with this tsuspense project that arrived yesterday... Just enough yarn (and pattern) to knit two tsock toes, or kitteh yarmulkes, or clown noses, or whatever. It has an interesting ktbl/purl increase wedge on either side of the toe/yarmulke/nose. Awaiting further instructions, and presumably further yarn. I do like the brick red color of the yarn tho. Very pretty. I seem to be partial to that shade of red.


I have a stomach bug or something that is sapping me of energy. It's a nice day out today but I don't want to do anything. Just watch the Olympics and knit, I guess. Oh well. I suppose I should enjoy not having to do anything. Soccer AND midget football will be here before I know it...

If it were done when 'tis done...

If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well
It were done quickly: if the assassination
Could trammel up the consequence, and catch
With his surcease success; that but this blow
Might be the be-all and the end-all here,
But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,
We'ld jump the life to come. But in these cases
We still have judgment here; that we but teach
Bloody instructions, which, being taught, return
To plague the inventor: this even-handed justice
Commends the ingredients of our poison'd chalice
To our own lips.

--Macbeth, act I scene vii.


Just kill me now and get it over with.

So the report from the compliance review came last week. It basically says nothing nice at all about us. I'm painted as incompetent and a liar. But I can't get my revenge... that whole "even-handed justice" thing, ya know?

Whatever. I'm gone in less than 5 months. Actually more like 4 1/2, I spent part of yesterday calculating leave time such that 1) I can cash out as close to 120 hours as possible, and 2) I can take off pretty much the entire second half of December. At least from December 19 on, anyway.

The board wants me to join them (the board) after I cease to be an employee. I don't think I will, however. I need a break. Plus at this point, there isn't enough alcohol in the world to get me drunk enough to agree to join...

Obligatory fiber arts content. I got back to spinning, some anyway. Been spinning some Monkey Farts on a drop spindle. Spun up another ounce or so of the Enchanted Knoll May batt that has been languishing since June. As for knitting, I let Frenchman's Creek take a break for a week. I started a moebius sling bag with some Louet Euroflax I picked up during Crazy Days. I'm kind of going back and forth between Frenchman's Creek and the moebius bag.

I have a headache today. Urg. Well I suppose I better get some work done.

Endgame

So the endgame begins. I included my resignation letter in the packet for next Friday's board meeting, and put Succession Planning and Hiring the Next Sucker, er, My Successor on the agenda. I looked around Corinne's office yesterday and made notes on which room I want for my office. Started looking at office furniture, computers, blah blah blah. I'm thinking a Dell Latitude D630 and a docking station, external keyboard and mouse, maybe an external monitor. Hey, why get a tower? Also started comparing case management software. Corinne doesn't have a CMS and now that she's gotten used to TIME, she thinks a CMS would be a good thing to have. I said I'd start looking around at them. I ordered a free-trial CD of Amicus Attorney small firm edition.

So the shit is poised to hit the fan.

I haven't told many of the staff yet. Lori knows 'cuz she read the board packet (I knew I should have sealed the damn thing up). I was going to tell Rick but he is really sick and I figured it wasn't a good time to say, "oh BTW, I'm leaving, you want my job?"

Still nothing from my favorite funder. Whatever... Oh well, in a little over 5 months I'm DONE with them! Woo hoo!

So anyway, tomorrow Ron, the kidlet (and a friend) and I are going floating on the river. That should be fun.

I haven't been doing much knitting this week. I guess I kind of needed a break. I also haven't been spinning.

Didn't play soccer last night. I had an upset stomach, didn't feel very well, decided staying home and not upchucking on the soccer pitch was the better part of valor.

The Eye of Argon

This has to be the. worst. thing. ever. written. I was educated as to its existence by a fellow Raveler, ProgrammerAtArms. I will have to get my revenge at some point. Here is The Eye of Argon's history, according to Wikipedia.

I finished Oktoberfest last night.

I am at work, taking a break from working on stuff for the board retreat a week from Friday. Woo hoo... I suppose I should get back to it however.

Spinning is another thing I need to get back to. I haven't done much lately. Maybe tonight?

Onward and upward....

I think Molly has the right idea. She has apparently decided that the moebius bowl I made a couple months ago should be a cat bed instead. She is curled up looking very comfortable.

So on the work front, I talked w/ board chair yesterday, told her what my thoughts are. She said she didn't blame me one bit. So... the transition period officially begins...

Here are some pictures from the mountain from 4th of July weekend:

I fell in the creek (after these pictures were taken) and banged up my left hand. It's still sore. Oh well. At least I am getting back into running. I've done several runs on the mountain over the past few weeks. Plus adult league soccer has helped with that. I have a soccer game in 40 minutes so I'm going to have to get moving and get ready for that.

Obligatory Knitting Content:

I'm almost done with Oktoberfest. Here's the one sock:
I'm mostly done with the second Oktoberfest sock. I have another pattern rep or so before I get to the cuff.

I'd be done with Oktoberfest if I hadn't gotten distracted by Tsock #2, a/k/a Frenchman's Creek...
The Frenchman's Creek kit arrived over the 4th of July weekend. I cast on the 7th (I think). I'm almost done with the heel flaps.

I can still knit even with the banged up hand. It's just my left pinky which I don't use very much in knitting. Typing is kind of a PITA though. You don't realize how much you use your left pinky in typing until you bang it up... and I've been working on grants all week (gotta keep things going for the next guy/gal)

Well, time to head off to the soccer pitch. Laterz

Uggg

I forgot to take my Claritin this morning. I have a sinus headache. I want to go home and crawl in bed.

That is all.

Ouch

First adult league soccer game was last night. I sucked, and we got creamed by a team made up mostly of NCHS and KW players, but it was still fun. But I need to get some arch supports for my cleats! My plantar fasciitis is flaring up, and I can barely walk today, much less run. I guess I know what today's purchase is going to be...

Soccer last night kept me from knitting. But I found a fun book yesterday at All That Yarn... How to Knit in the Woods by Shannon Okey. It's full of useful projects for camping, hiking, etc... such as a Nalgene bottle cozy and a cooler hammock. What's not to like?!

I still don't have Tsock #2. Oh well, I still have Oktoberfest and Firebird...

I suppose I better get some work done. Once again, not very motivated.

Friday, again

Only half a day of work today. I should get to it, but I'm blogging instead. Leaving at lunchtime to go to a soccer tournament in Rapid. The main thing I need to do today is draft a MOU and a proposal for the city money. That shouldn't take too long.

Oh my hair is shaggy. It's driving me nuts. Can't get in until next week though as my hairdresser is on vacation.

I frogged Firebird yesterday and started over. I was getting tripped up on the body, realized about 10 rounds in I was making mistakes and what I should be doing. Unfortunately I hadn't put a lifeline in and when I tried to frog back to the beginning of the body section, I had trouble picking up the stitches. So I just decided to frog the whole thing. This time I'm knitting both socks at once. Woo hoo, no second sock syndrome on Firebird!

I'm almost done with the first Oktoberfest tsock. About another inch and a half to go before I knit the "head." Then I can cast on for the second one...

Speaking of soccer, my first adult league game is Tuesday. I fully expect to suck. hehehe

I should have worn...

...the "work bites" t-shirt I bought in Breckenridge to work today. I am just very unmotivated this morning. Oh well.

I did not want to come back from the weekend. We had a great weekend, it was a lot of fun, very relaxing and enjoyable. Hanging out Friday evening, shopping on Saturday, cycling on Sunday. Also watched cyclists finish a bike tour Saturday morning.

Here are some pictures from Dillon Lake, along the bike path:




This was an eagle statue in Breck. Ron liked it and took this picture.


Here we are at a restaurant in Frisco. It had Paulaner Thomas Brau... what a great nonalcoholic beer!


My bike was named Leonardo, Ron's was named Chevy. Man I am sunburned... NTS: don't go on 22 mile bike rides at 9500 feet without sunscreen. But it was still fun.

Home again, jiggety jog...

So. Friday afternoon/evening/night the kidlet and I flew back from D.C. Then hopped in the car and drove to Cody for soccer. Got there at 2 in the morning. Then two days of soccer. (I did at least KIP on WWKIP Day, although I had to make a trip to the Cody yarn shop to do so. I picked up some Plymouth Boku and decided to make another wine bottle cozy.) Finally saw my house this afternoon, for the first time since waaaaayyyy too early Monday morning. OMG the lawn was shaggy as heck...

However there were two cute kitties wanting to cuddle up to me, and my KnitPicks order was here - dye and circs. I don't know when I'll be able to play with the dye tho... busy the next two weekends.

After mowing the lawn, I decided to start Oktoberfest since I have the KP needles I needed. I'm about halfway thru the toe on the first sock. I also went through the Firebird errata and made notes.

I don't want to work tomorrow. Or at all, really.

Oh yeah kidlet's team won all their games. Two of their victories were shutouts. W00t!!! Oh, and Junior won today! W00t!!!!

More news from the Beltway.

So when I went down to breakfast, apparently the big news was a power outage somewhere in the metro area that was messing up the Metro.

Anyhoo.

This is the Hope Diamond. It's fuzzy, kind of hard to get a picture when 10 billion people are surrounding it.

This quartz crystal was also on display at the natural history museum. It's like 3 feet tall.

Looking down the Mall, from outside the Washington Monument.

From inside the Washington Monument, at 500 feet up:




The white things on the Mall are tents, they're setting up for some sort of cultural festival.

More dispatches from inside the Beltway

Today in Washington. I have absolutely no idea what's going on in the nation's capital even tho I'm in the middle of it. I have succeeded in avoiding the news, which is probably not a bad thing.

This morning, waiting in line for tickets to go up to the top of the Washington Monument:


Our tickets are for 4:00.

At the WWII memorial: (someone was being goofy)


This duck was protecting her duckling and quacked at us as we walked past. (along the reflecting pool between the WWII memorial and the Lincoln memorial)

And here's the Lincoln memorial. And a kidlet who's continuing to be goofy.




Oh yeah, some guy from Texas lives here:

(I was instructed to make a goofy face for the above picture)

We also went to the National Aquarium and the National Air and Space Museum but didn't take pictures. My enthusiasm for taking pictures was waning considerably by the time we got to the National Air and Space Museum. It's hot again today.

Here are some more pictures from the National Zoo:

Ob-la-di, ob-la-da...

I survived the conference without having my head handed to me on a platter. I had been worried that I'd get dragged aside and given the third degree (again). That didn't happen, fortunately. I did come away with some materials about transition and succession planning... which may come in handy... maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon...

I also finished the Zombie Socks during the conference.

Also before leaving for D.C., I spun up half of my May Enchanted Knoll Happy Hooves batt:
Marathon update. It went well, albeit chilly and windy. My announcing got rave reviews. Scary thing is, I will probably be asked to announce again next year.

Kidlet and I went to the National Zoo today. Here are some critters:




We saw the giant pandas but I don't seem to have gotten a picture of them. They are rather elusive. I did buy some panda souvenirs tho.

Yesterday Kidlet and I went to the National Archives. He thought seeing the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution was really cool. Apparently the Archives people get a lot of questions/comments about the "National Treasure" movies...

Tomorrow we are off to the Mall. I had to explain that it is not a shopping center.