TGIF - Leap Day

Before I get to my TGIF, I want to wish a HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to Capo & Ron!

This week, I'm grateful for:

• snarky bitch friends that crack me up
• finally achiving the state of Goddessness
• 2 Cammo blet Kartate Kids (Ryan graduated yesterday!)
• salsa
• fabric sales
• kick ass female engineers (the train kind - but the other kind rock too!)
• heated seats
• my inner Diva
• old firends keeping in touch
• new friends
• small talk
• hand knit wool socks
• tea and digestives at bedtime
• turning the heel and onto the home streatch

Add your TGIFs to the comments if you'd like to share!

Dear MTA:

Were you trying to screw with our heads this morning? Really, a Club Car on the morning train? I thought Club Cars have gone the way of the cocktail party (Both of which deserve a comeback IMO). I mean, why bother? It hardly has any seats (but the cup holders are a plus) and you aren't serving anything. Now, if you were serving breakfast on the train... even just "coffee and.." that would be a whole other deal. I could have gone for a bluberry muffin on the way in this morning. If you actually open the bar on the afternoon trains you could probably afford to buy a couple of coaches that aren't older than me. Think about it. How civilized would it be to sip a martini on the train on the way home from work? I think it would really increase the popularity of the train. Don't you?

Sincerely,
Thirsty Commuter

While I am on the subject of Club Cars, want to hear a funny story? when my Grandmother was pregnant with my Dad, my Grandfather was still in the Navy and stationed in RI. Since my grandmother already had a house and a career in CT, she stayed here and he took the train home when he could. When he got word that it was "time" he hopped on the train and rode the Club Car to Bridgeport (about 2 hours or so). by the time he got there, he was tanked - and a father. The nurses at the hospital asked him to fill out the paperwork for the birth certificate. On the line that said "name" he wrote his own - not the baby's. So, my Dad is Jr. and they named the dog Peter.

4 things

A) FOUR PLACES I GO OVER AND OVER:

• Stratford Train Station
• Greenwich Train Station
• work
• home
• Self-defense Class(I am aware that makes 5, but it is certainly worth mentioning)

B) FOUR PEOPLE WHO E-MAIL ME REGULARLY:

• Mom
• Kathy
• FIL
• VIAGRA

C) FOUR OF MY FAVORITE FOODS:

• Dark Chocolate
• Irish Soda Bread (it's about that time!)
• lamb
• fried mashed potatos on toasted home made bread

D) FOUR PLACES I'D RATHER BE RIGHT NOW:

• bed
• couch
• Jamacia
• anywhere quiet with my knitting

E) FOUR MOVIES I WOULD WATCH OVER AND OVER:

• Ever After
• The American President
• The Princess Bride
• Shawshank Redemption (great Short Story too! read it!)

F) TAG FOUR PEOPLE :

• Cynthia
• Deb
• Diane
• Cathy

There you go "four things about me". even though it was really 21 + 4 tags...

TGIF 2/22

this week I am grateful for:

• chinese food and wine
• akido
• taking the train in the snow
• sock heels
• seaweed wraps
• teacup hooks
• sleep
• TEA- and lots of it!
• knowing the difference between decomposed rock and weathered rock.
• Ravlery
• my ability fo find anything
• free hockey tickets
• gentlemen
• "salt" and those who "salted" me

Nervous traveler

I've been mulling this post over in my head for a few days, yet I'm still not sure I can articulate my thoughts properly.

As a kid I was painfully shy. My mom maintains that she signed me up for dance class and I got over it. Nope. not even close! I enjoyed the classes, so I put on my big girl panites and did it anyway. I've been trying to push the boundary ever since. I'm still terrified of new situations and it takes me FOREVER to warm up to new people.

What does this have to do with traveling? Lots. The whole reason - I think - is a need to know what is going to happen. I can "wing it" with my knitting, but that is about it. I NEED to know when the train is. which platform my transfer is on. where my stop is. where to catch the bus. if I need to walk up/back for my stop (I almost never know which car I'm in. I don't count).

Then you have the fact that I am packed in with hundreds of complete strangers. Granted, most people are just waking up or trying to wind down at the end of the day and get lost in their own thoughts (except the two "gossip girls" who yap inceasantly from Stratford to Greenwich and back EVERY day). Occasionally people like to make polite conversation. I suck at small talk. One lady asked me about my knitting and wanted me to show her how to knit socks. It was like talking to someone I'd known forever. funny how that works.

So this commuting thing has gotten easier after a week. my only disaster happened the first day - it sucked, but I lived and I am over it. the faces are getting familiar. and I am gettign home at a decent hour - relaxed.

Visit http://www.bridgeandtunnelclub.com/bigmap/outoftown/connecticut/metro-north/index.htm for more MNRR New Haven Line pictures.

Chugging Along

I was going to take a pic of the Safari Socks on the train, but I thought with Homeland Security and all.. maybe not... so here it is in my office.



I may be able to turn the heel tomorrow.. maybe...

FO Extravaganza

Andy Finished his first quilt square (and I uploaded the pictures...) in his Catepillar quilt.


Here is the big brown wool lettuce leaf which is currently in time out until I have the patience to deal with it. Besides I've been inspired by a big blue empty wall in my office to do a different project.



I signed up for the healing wrap ministry at church in September and I hadn't heard anything since and forgot about it. I got a letter last week from the chair requesting some more as her "stash" is depleated but her list of requests are not. I dug out some homespun form my stash (I bought it for a sweater which I abandoned. Who the hell thought it was a good idea to design a cabled sweater in homespun??) I made a lovely, soft shawl.



I started another in a half granny square pattern, but it is too small for any interesting pictures. I think I'll use the edging from the famous(?) "Martha" poncho.

While I was knitting with yarn I won't wear (now that I know better) I pulled out the leftover "seaweed" yarn and started knitting a rectangular wrap.



I was inspired by this scarf. I made it wider to make it a wrap and I dropped the rib. the alternating solid and stripe tones down the stripes and avoids the wierd pooling you get with varrigated yarns. also, with this techique, the fabric appears to be K 2 rows, P 2 rows, but in fact it is all knit but only turned every other row. Of course you know what happens when you try to "use up" leftovers.. I need to buy more.. sigh...

speaking of seaweed, I finished (I think) my quilt. I hung it up to look at it and decide if it needs anything else. I do need to add a label, but the show committee has to cover the labels for the judging anyway, so I'll just wait until after the show and save them the trouble.

TGIF

My blogless(?) friend Kathy sends out an e-mail list of "grattitudes" every day or so. It got me thinking. Not only is it good to acknowledge to the universe (or at least the internet) what you are thankful for, but the process of writing it down really makes you think of things that are positive in life- even the small ones. You have to think about what you have - not what you don't.

So, to that end, my friday blogs will be devoted to just that. Afterall, I think we are all grateful for Fridays! TGIF, right?

so, my first TGIF list:

• Upward career moves


• Mass transit


• cabbies that show up on time


• socknitting


• flowers


• unexpected chocolate


• "old money"


• friends with good advice


• a blog to post this on ;)


• BB2


• ARC


• TAB


• Yorkshire tea


• electricians with a clue


• remembering to bring a sweater


• valentines from my kids


• bag gloves & a bag to hit with them


• a vent for frustration


• talent to share

the Commute

new job - new commute. the first morning didn't go so hot. my stinkin' cab was 40 minutes late*! I missed FOUR trains and screwed my shutle connection at the other end. I ended up being 1:15 late for my second day - nice. Fortunately, the new boss is not an ass, so it was ok. The ride home was better.

On the way back a lady saw me knitting and sat down next to me. She is a new knitter and we talked needles and yarn shops and I introduced her to magic loop and HK socks. she asked "the" question "why not just go to Kohls?". I told her to knit a pair, put them on - then ask me. Its like parenting. you think you know - but you don't - not until you are ankle deep in it.

This morning, the planets aligned and the commuter gods were kind. My cab was about 10 minutes early - which meant that I caught the early train - semi express, through train to my stop - no transfer in stamford :happy dance: I got off the train, down to the street and my shuttle was wating. My stop is the last in the loop, so I was the last one on the bus. the driver pulled up to the driveway of my building instead of the regular stop next door. I hope the rest of my train rides go this well!

so, if you are on the MNRR New Haven Line and see someone knitting this:



come and say "hi"!

*Note to Cab drivers: if you are 40 minutes late and I miss 4 trains - you do NOT deserve a tip - so don't ask for one - jerk!

I'm a Tool!

Totally forgot the memory card with the pics I wanted to post.

Andy finished his "Very Hungry Catepillar" block right after I posted last. VERY cute! He's going to make more collaged blocks from the book and we'll assemble and quilt once they are all done.

I finished knitting and felting The Great Big Yawn. BUT I need some help with the felting but. the edges are all ruffly (I also have a pic on the card I didn't bring). Looks like brown furry lettuce... sigh...

Random Recap

A) I wanted to respond to Diane's comment on the last post:

Calling it "why don't I own a knitting machine?" instead of "why didn't I decide to knit socks for someone with smaller feet" is probably a good thing. lol
it isn't the socks that are never-ending mind-numbing stockinette hell. it is a giant pioece of fabric to be felted into a batting/backing for a collaged art qult. the socks are moving along well and should make nice commuter knitting - which brings me to..

The shawls look great. How you manage to do all this with so many little ones in the house is amazing.

I am starting a new job soon, so I am home in the interm. the big guys are in school and the baby naps about 3 hours a day. I can also knit while he plays most of the time.

B) I finished my "Library Challenge" block. The theme is "What is on your Library shelf?"

my apologies for the crappy lighting. All of the blocks submitted will be assembled into a quilt. the names of all the guild members that submitted a block will all go into a hat and the winner's name will be drawn. YAY!

C) Ryan has decided to move into a tent in the living room.

I am now shopping for "bed tents" for the big guys so I can have my living room back.

D) Remember the collage quilt I talked about last time? well, mom started hers. Andy is fascinted by it. I found it hard to believe, but Andy didn't know what a collage was. I explained that Eric Carle's illustrations are collage. He is a HUGE fan of Eric Clarle's work - HUGE! so.. he and I are making a quilt based on Carle's work. pics to come next time!