The audacity of hope

and stuff. Barack Obama has a book out with that title. That's not what I am referring to.



I went to a baby shower today. Little Nicholas' due date is any day now. I started a pumpkin hat for his mama, because Chris absolutely LOVES Halloween. I finished it and took it by her job a few days after Valentines' Day. I was absolutely shocked when I found out she'd already HAD him. He weighed one and a half pounds at about 25 weeks.



It hit me last week when I was browsing little onesies, looking for a gift. Such an optimist. Buying size 9-12 month clothing for a child who weighs less than my purse .... THAT is audacious hope, pal. Women do it all the time.



Speaking of hope, I got my Suede in this week. Couldn't stand walking by it, and finally I sat down with it. It was the center piece of one of those tops that starts as a circle, then morphs out into a real top. Gauge-wise, it wasn't QUITE gonna work. Then the amazing gassy dog laid on it and pushed a few stitches off the circs. Pthb! went the dog. Zip zip zip, out went the needles.



Those patterns are usually written as 'One size' and too bad if it ain't YOUR size. I don't really think Suede wanted to BE that circle top, but at least now I understand HOW it works, and have a good idea of the color layout. The top that it REALLY wants to be is trapped in my head.

'lo?

All's been quiet in blogland. I've had several nice half-day excursions to the VA. I am a leetle bit worried about what the doc gave me. I've got another appointment in a week, I will ask more questions then, but right now, this bottle of meds and I have been in a staring contest. I ain't taking it yet. It's used for hyperthyroidism, and to shut your thyroid down. Thanks, I'd rather be certain about it, I hate to experiment.

Last week, I got a message from my little brother. He had an emergency appendectomy. He THOUGHT he was going to go to Tokyo this weekend, but he was wrong. (Mothers KNOW this stuff already...you may feel really good after childbirth, but someone sneaks up on you and hits you over the head, and you fall on the bed. This happens repeatedly until the kid graduates.) So he's been bunny-slippering around the house. Good. He told me they weren't going to take his staples out early, and I said he wouldn't make it thru airport security.

Last week, I got my phone bill from China. That was not so good.

I haven't knit much lately. I think some of this is because the DVD player died. This is pretty annoying, especially since I bought a copy of Juno on Friday. It's stuck in the machine now, I haven't even seen the menu.

I've been pondering the whole thyroid issue-and mine's pretty simple, really-I have almost no TSH- and decided that it would be in my best interest to document my body's response to this process. So I joined Weight Watchers. It's pretty interesting-it's like Ravelry for Dieters, but they are (for the most part) no where near as cool as the knitters I've met. Just sayin'. It's been sucking a lot of time. I joined the Core plan, but staying honest is harder than it sounds.

One thing that's been especially difficult is food. Last week, I roamed thru Target gathering a care package to go to China (lots of nuts and organic stuff) and picking up bulgur wheat. Bulgur wheat is one of the things I am allowed to eat, but I can't even imagine a food it reminds me of. Possibly bean sprouts, but that's it.

Another thing that's been giving me grief is my scale-we've had a fancy schmancy digital one that stores body fat and composition for up to 4 people...trouble is, if you move the scale, your numbers change. So you might lose 5 pounds overnight because you've mopped the floor and moved the scale 8".

I went to Wallyworld today-to look at scales (I bought the old school boring kind for 10.00), a new VCR (they were out), and to pick up some cabbage for slaw (Italian beef night! YAY!) And I found this awesomeness:

It seems to be scarf fabric, or perhaps advertising background (the squares are 18"). It looks like polyester. And it was 1.00 per yard. I bought their last 3 yards. I think it would be FABULOUS purse lining. Isaac Mizrahi is leaving Target to move on to Liz Claiborne.

Warren Jeffs is in prison

I've been following the FLDS situation in the southwestern part of the country for a number of years now. They are an interesting study in mind control and social engineering. I was sympathetic to the 'lost boys' who were banished for minor infractions, culling the herd of superfluous males. I shook my head over men who would marry women and their daughters, and I did not understand how a household like that could benefit all members.

I was happy when they caught and imprisoned Warren Jeffs. Hopefully, the correctional system will correct him. I have every confidence he will be someone's girlfriend, and I believe justice will be served.

I get a lot of junk mail from people I know. Bill Gates STILL wants to give me 500.00 for forwarding email, Victoria's Secret is still checking its mailing list and wants to send everyone a gift certificate (I am a shareholder, and that would PISS me off), and oh, and that kid in Ohio with apageal cirrhosis of the appendix needs a postcard for his hugemongous collection. Yeah, whatever. I am readily able to discredit most urban legends in five minutes flat.

Most of the mail I get from casual aquaintances is stuff to blow off. Except this, which I got from Fran the Rancher's Wife. Texas, once you actually stop and look around, is actually pretty small. Both Mark and I lived in San Angelo (near Eldorado Texas) for a while, and Eldorado Texas was a location of a little military significance. And I believe there is probably more fact than fiction in this email:


Subject: Eldorado FLDS situation


Dear Friends & Family:

Just needed to ask your prayers for the situation with the women & children taken from the FLDS compound north of Eldorado. This is so much bigger than any of us ever dreamed it would be. Please pray that some of the girls would be willing to step forward and tell the truth. They are scared to death as they have been indoctrinated to believe we are all evil. At the moment, we must surely look that way to them.

Please pray specifically for the Child Protective Services workers that they will have a positive affect on the women and girls. They are under such strain. Our high school athletic director's wife is employed by them in San Angelo and I am specifically praying for her as her heart has been so burdened for them before all this took place. Pray for strength for all of them to endure the days ahead.

The 5 people from our church that tried to feed the group at the Fellowship Hall and take care of all the donated food,etc. were emotionally & physically worn out due to the girls being scared, reclusive, unable to eat due to our food not being natural food. They even refused chicken noodle soup. They were throwing up and some had diarrhea, etc. They asked for raw milk which we were not able to supply, but our group did get fruits, vegetables, yogurt, dried fruits, etc. They finally ate some grilled chicken. In other words, it was a wreck trying to figure out what to do with them.

Of course the CPS people were there and law enforcement outside to keep the media and church people away. The fellowship hall was full and we only had the men's & women's restrooms for them. They finally agreed to be bused over to the gym at the school to shower.

Most were young teenage girls, but some of their mothers came with them. We heard that there were some very young who apparently were pregnant. I cannot imagine how they all must feel right now, but we have all prayed God would help us to find a way to get into the compound and get the children out if they would come. He answered and now it is in His hands to help the State complete the task ahead. It can be accomplished, but I believe only through His intervention. Please also pray for all the local & government officials still at the compound as they continue to search for evidence. Our local bunch must surely be tired. I thank each of you for your prayers.



(name withheld)

Exactly WHAT is this supposed to do?

I talked to Enidation earlier in the week, and she told me about "Ni-Hao Kai-lan", which is Nickelodeon's new Chinese cartoon character. Of course, I checked Kai-lan out, and she seems like a nice little Dora-style cartoon. Yay-I learn how to say xue.

While waiting for Kai-lan to come on (yeah, ok, I didn't DVR, I don't ALWAYS think of those things) I met "Yo Gabba Gabba" this week. Have you seen this? OMG. You can't TELL me there's not an agenda afoot. Really.

First, there's the host, wearing the only piece of vintage Mary Quant the producers would spring for. Remind YOU of the winter VK cover photo?

Can YOU look at this character and NOT think "one-eyed trouser trout"?

And Biz' Beat? Biz scares me, plain and simple.

Blogchatter seems pretty favorable toward this show. Parents seem to think it's cool. Kids want to please their parents and are usually open to things their parents like, so it would be hard to say if KIDS really like it. I would venture to say that some skits are presented in a way that's 'too old' for the "intended audience". Heavy guitar solos to teach 123? THAT's for parents, not for the kids.

Have you seen it? What do you think?

You can't take it with you when you go...

But I can sure as hell try....this is the Mongkok postal station, in Kowloon Hong Kong. It is the best post office in the universe. And I have seen my share. The clerks HELPED me get a cheaper rate, which you would never see in East Cupcake. Not a total stranger, at any rate. These guys are small team champions, according to the Civil Service website. I can see why.

I have some 15-17 magazines somewhere enroute, which took up a significant portion of my luggage allowance, and I was so panicked to mail things out in Hong Kong that I bought very little there. But my Shanghai surprises?

Weasel yarn (the photo is a ferret, but the actual fiber is marten) and Delphi. Delphi was the surprise bargain of the trip. 100 grams per ball, soft wool, and reasonable. My shopping helpers were astounded by Noro's price. I consider it to be comparable. A total shame I found the Delphi at the SECOND LYS I went into.

Ah, needles and totes-I was pleased and surprised to see an El Cheapo Peko candy tote. The last time I saw that candy was in 1962. Yes, I remember things that far back. I was probably barely potty trained, but I remember THAT candy box. I bought several of those little novelty sacks, as well as the sock sized brocade bags too.

Cashmere yarn porn shot.

The hank of burgundy, and the hank of crystal blue-maybe 3-4 ounces total, very nice laceweight cashmere. Price for both hanks? 1.00 USD. I ran out of suitcase LONG before I ran out of money.

The guys I was with were VERY helpful...but you HATE to keep non-knitters waiting. I was a little PO'd that I got a mixed/broken bag on accident. I bought the Popular at the FIRST LYS. It's nice, but I prefer the Delphi, which I got in two colors.

The aftermath-

I got home last Tuesday.

There is something about a trip like this that always makes me take stock. I remember years ago, Dean and I went to London for the weekend. From California. It was right after we'd gone toe to toe with the wicked witch of the north for the kids. We lost, and it was brutal. Going to London reminded me that Anchorage Alaska was not the center of the world.



It IS very good to see other things, just to get another viewpoint.

Coincidentally, this morning I threw out 30 bottles of nail polish. Don't worry, I still have two dozen left. Our nail polish consumption has gone WAY down since the kids aren't here, and aren't coming back. What a huge fucking waste of time THAT's been, eh? There, I've said it.

I've been taking stock on a lot of things-I need more exercise, I need to take more care with my appearance, I need to work on quite a bit. I worked 70 hours a week for three years at the coffee shop. I need to direct that effort to myself now.



This morning, I assessed my shoe wardrobe, and bought five pairs. I threw out seven, yay me! I bought several pairs of expensive shoes (all marked down, of course), the kind I don't buy myself because I cheap myself out of things. I bought a pair of killer pumps. And these:



I just found my size (at another e-tailer) in silver. And BLUE. These might have to go back. BLUE!!!

Note to all: I can SEE that they are brown. This was the only color offered at the first site I shopped, and explains why these were 20.00-I guess the original retail was 85.00? BLUE ones are 10.00 more, but I plan to hold off on the blue ones until I see how these fit. There is a strong chance that these will go back. They also come in BLACK, and according to this person, also came in pink at one time.


The other central truths I learned while I was out this time?

We are no longer a super-power. Learn Mandarin now. If you argue about THAT, you are acting like the French.

The best post office on the planet is the Mongkok branch in Kowloon, Hong Kong. I know my post offices; they were GREAT with everyone in the parcel line, and the patrons represented several countries.



I don't shop drunk-but my little brother will. I coined a new phrase "Drunkle" Dean, a little play on one of his childhood nicknames that is a conglomeration of drunk and uncle. Drunkle Dean bought a cute backpack for his niece, and a cute train case too. I veto'd the train case, because that is going to his new nephew. (We're out-guessing karma, here. What are the odds that the baby will be a boy?) I have to mail that to Phoenix.



I have taxes to do. ick.

More of the Sevens

First we walked around.



Then, we yelled for Canada. Sorry, it didn't work.

We drank Pimm's cup, a drink so blokish, I am surprised I never have tasted it. I found a recipe here
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5541978

Blogger here is not co-operating, so just cut and paste. I KNOW I am making a pitcher this summer.

New Zealand won!

Saw THESE, and took a picture for knit inspiration.

Sevens

Suddenly, Hong Kong's a lot more fun.


Wow. More fun than I ever expected to have. Seven players per side, seven minutes per side, that's sevens. Love it. Also love Pimm's, I think. We have GREAT seats.




Our obligatory streakers.

The night market

I had a forgettable dinner. I woke up my little brother about 7, and said "Hey, I'm thinking about getting some take-out." "Get me some too" he said. So I went across the street, and studied the pictures on the menus very carefully. I had my choice of many menu 'sets', which is the same as a value meal at McDonalds, and if you choose badly, which I did, you get a complete bag of yuck. I am slowly working my way thru the fast food menus of Asia.

I finished, and we bagged up the survivors (you know, I wasn't eating bait or anything, just REALLY gristly beef that was mostly fat), and I perused a local tourism book.

"Hey, you can get Red Army stuff at the nightmarket!"

"Yeah Bets. Ya wanna go? I'll take you!"

As it turns out, this was my brother's excuse to put on a clean shirt and get ready to go out drinking. Whatever. So we walk the six blocks down to the nightmarket, which should be called tourist CRAP R US. On the way, we pass a guy with bleached hair that eyed him, and Dean noticed. We walk around the market, and buy a little of this and that. Midway thru, he jets. (Eye rolling, but hey, he lived here, and there are parties all over this weekend. But now I gotta walk back by myself .... yikes!)

Something about Hong Kong doesn't feel as safe as Shanghai. Dean says "Ignorance is bliss" and maybe that's so. But it WAS only six blocks.

So I finished buying shiny trinkets (I would insert a photo here if the hotel computer had the appropriate port, but it doesn't) and started hoofing it back to the hotel. Four blocks from the hotel, I notice a woman with a really short skirt, and she's no spring chicken. Three blocks from the hotel, I pass a vacant lot ringed by chainlink. I notice a girl in a short skirt and boots leaned up against it. And another. And two more. And a small cluster around the corner.

Then I notice the guy with the bleached hair, and suddenly I understand that he's the pimp. Oh.

The good news and the bad news-

I went to the bookstore in Shanghai, and found plenty of knitting books. I bought as many as I thought I needed....and that was the problem. My suitcase was about a dried leaf away from being overweight.

So....my little brother introduced me to the Hong Kong subway....not so different from The Tube, and certainly manageable.

You can tell when the announcements switch from Cantonese to Mandarin, which I heard all last week. Mandarin sounds of swishes and dimples, and vowels that sound like Air and Loo. Lu actually means street or road. So Tai Caing Lu means Tai Cang Road. Before I left Shanghai, I was to the point of going to Cindi Lu Hu. HAHAHAH-I AM a dork.

Yesterday, I ventured out to see the nice people at DHL about shipping my books.

I got to the Central Station ok, and wandered about looking for the DHL kiosk. I stopped a woman in the concourse, asking her "Where is DHL?" She gave me a "I don't know what the fuck you are talking about" look, which you might expect, except that she was wearing a DHL uniform and carrying a DHL bag. Bitch. I made up my mind to pack a BIG HEAVY box.

So fine-I picked up my packaging materials and hopped the subway back to Mongkok. I thought about it a little. If empty, folded boxes were a pain in the ass, what would a box of BOOKS be like? Yes, I think more ass-pain.

I got back to the hotel, and looked up the local post office. Bingo! Just a few blocks away, a short cab ride. (It looks a little sketchy around here!)

So the good news is I ditched seven kilos of printed matter on the Hong Kong postal system. The bad news is I chose the surface option. Secretly, I struggled with that in my mind. DHL sends things FAST, but it would be triple the price I paid for the magazines. My cheapness won't allow it. Hong Kong slow boat really IS a slow boat. My package should get there in about two months. Ohhhhhhhhhh-Kay. It was 50 bucks (US) which was about the cost of the periodicals. Sigh

If it's Thursday

it must be Hong Kong.

We left Shanghai for Hong Kong last night. We are staying in a GREAT place in Kowloon. You'll notice I can blog again; that's because the Chinese government blocks Blogger's IP. It is refreshing to watch real, unfiltered news again (even tho this has a decidedly British slant, it's ok, it was the ABSENCE of real news that was unsettling.) Shui Kuen sent me links to news of Tibet, and I could never read beyond the first page!

We are here for the Sevens, an international rugby 'thing' (OK, I don't KNOW a lot about rugby, but plan to learn this week). I am happy I get a chance to blog-photos later!

I'm a teensy bit excited

I'll be back shortly, just going out for a bit. Knit quietly among yourselves.

Obviously I can't use this

For my Ravatar or any bio pic.  The Eurodrama-angst look has been done.  Many times.  I just kind of liked the picture.

I'm deluded.

I like to pretend I am very cosmopolitan, but every so often, something utterly East Cupcakian happens, and there's no denying that I live in BFE. On Sunday, we were going to go fire at the range. We drove out to the range, unlocked the gate, drove in, locked it back up. We drove down the rutted dirt road, got to the tables and.....Oh, I guess not! They looked insulted by the very idea!

We met another truck as we were leaving. We told them about the obstacles on the range. They invited us to a (eye twinkling) barbecue.

On the knitting front-still slugging the damned albatross. Did a little easy knitting-another pumpkin hat and a 160 yard scarf.

It always turns out a little differently than you expect

It must have been about 1989. I was looking at a map of Africa (you know the country names and geography change frequently) and spied Djibouti on the map. I decided right then and there that I REALLY wanted a T-shirt from Djibouti, just because it was so much fun to say!

It took 18 years to get that shirt. Matt sent it. Actually, he sent two, and I am very excited just to have ONE!!! Here is the front and back of my favorite!

In other news, I went to the doctor's today. Things are a little whacky. More after I give more blood. Gerr-rate.

It's not that I am a slut or anything-

At DH's request, I went thru some yarn bins in the garage. There was at least 15 sweaters worth out there. Some of the yarns are from way back when, too. Take, for example, the Scheepswool Fiamme-I bought it in Enkenbach-Alsenborn in about 1988, and it was a holiday like Labor Day or something. The Sumatra was purchased the first time I went to Britain-in April 1987 we were walking down the street and passed a shop. It was one of the little towns surrounding RAF Bentwaters. The white stuff-my ex and I were driving thru the South and stopped in Pickens South Carolina at the Brunswick factory in 1986. It's tough for me to ditch those yarns.

I remember buying MOST of the yarn. Ebay yarn is an exception. Ebay yarn is the stuff tend to get rid of-it usually disappoints. In my stash dive yesterday, I found some Reynold's Coco and some Mondial Tangeeri that are exceptions, except the Coco is peppermint chip green! These are nice and should become things. Most of my yarns are not wooly one night stands. They have fond spots in my heart.

Oh my!

I went to the mail box and found this from a certain birthday pal. Oh my! My birthday fairies conspired, and now I am so totally overwhelmed because the pressure is ON! Whatever I make from this slew of fabulosity and generosity has got to be G-orgeous! I need a stunning project for these guys!

(swearing)

Remember that I wrote about buying a new, ungodly expensive repeater for my new iphone that I bought from the evil Apple store? The phone that wouldn't work at the house UNTIL I bought the repeater? The phone receipt is still on my fridge, dated Feb 3.

Dh called me while I was at the store yesterday afternoon about 3, and that was the last call I took. My phone's had a "no service" message on it since about 7. I spent a whopping 45 minutes on the phone with lovely Angela from ATT, and hopefully, someone will work on it today. I R-E-A-L-L-Y don't want to drive 70 miles to the Apple store, aka "hellonearth". So I am pissy about that.

I stash organized yesterday. I found this be-yootiful wool and silk in an abandoned project, so I frogged it, and tested it. It's Mystical Creations-my last wool and silk yarn turned from brilliant kelly and lime to um, sage and lime. The kelly green kept bleeding and bleeding and bleeding. I finally decided (at the third washing, when the water in the basin was DARK green) that it wasn't my fault! Apparently, this is a pretty common problem, and many of their yarns are poorly set. I wrote the company, and she replaced the yarn, but once you knit a garment that goes to hell like THAT, you are kind of careful.


I figured I should test this. The purple bled. A lot! I took pictures, but THEY ARE TRAPPED ON MY IPHONE. Hmmmph! Anyhow, look at the deep dark wavy purple. Notice how everything on the washed part doesn't look quiet as dark? I will probably bite the bullet and pitch this.



Note: Called Apple, phone ok, here's bleeding yarn photo. Water is from about 3 yards of yarn-soak one and soak 2.

Vote early, vote often!!

When DH wandered in he asked me if I wanted to go with him to pick up new pants. "Honey, don't you wanna go vote?" "Oh yeah!" I handed him a small bowl of spinach lasagna, and we discussed our strategy. "Hmmm-I was thinking about voting Democrat for Hillary-if..." I broke in "That's what Chris was saying! McCain can take Hillary, Obama, I am not so sure about!" We discussed the local scoundrels we wanted to ditch.

The place was packed. The little church was busier at 5:15 on a Tuesday evening than it is on Sunday morning. And it wasn't potluck dinner night, either! We waited in line. It's not the first time we've waited in line, but usually, it's 6:50 in the morning, and we wait for the polls to open. The line swelled after we arrived, and I counted more than 30 people behind me before we made it to the front door!

Once inside, I waved at people I knew. It was packed! Election officials were scurrying back and forth. "Do you know how I do a first time voter?" I heard one woman say. The Democrat line was LONG. I just watched the evening news, and the Democrats are still almost equally divided.

DH got his ballot before I did, and I was really puzzled why it took him so long to finish his ballot. When we left, I asked him what took him so long. "Who the hell is Ho Tranh?" What? "He's a Republican presidential candidate." I quit reading the list after Fred Thompson. He dropped out weeks ago. I admitted I hadn't read the whole list, but told DH "Honey, he's born in the US, and over 35." DH was a little concerned about his own qualifications to run for president. He was born at a military hospital overseas. "I think you count because it is a US hospital. Like being born at an embassy. But Arnold can't run." He felt a little better then.

We got to the store, and I noticed how smokey the air smelled. There was a large brown cloud to the southeast, and one to the southwest. "I saw two really big fires on the way home," DH said. We stopped and got a snack, and DH peered over my shoulder. "What are you looking at?"

Another fire. To the north. We need rain.

Yay, my phone works!

We had to buy a repeater so my phone would work at home. The wildly expensive yellow box contained a short whip antenna (18"), a clamp, a lot of cable, a box with a light on it, and another antenna the size of a pencil. You gotta be kidding, right? But my phone works at home now, and I am happy once again.

I had to go for bloodwork this morning, which involves a 50 mile trip to the VA. With no coffee. I cannot stand getting blood drawn. It's the look the tech gives me when she tourniquets me up, thumps my veins, rubs the inside of my elbow, thumps, and frowns. "I'm sorry, I forgot to drink a lot of water last night," I apologize. Stick one-got a vial, but she's wiggled the needle and the flow stopped. She rubs my arm. Checks my wrist. Goes for my other arm. Sticks. Zilch.

"Hey Anthony!" she yells. "Ya busy?" Anthony toddles over. Checks my wrist-the main vein, then the ancillary one on the side. Goes for my "I ain't EVER gonna commit suicide by slitting HERE" wrist, and coaxes some blood out. I spring a leak. Barely. I don't donate well, either. Three sticks and I am taking a cookie, whether they get any blood or not.

Since I have to drive forever to get to my blood taken, I shop on the way home. I stop by Dillards and visit the boobologist, and buy a new bra. Then I stop at the bookstore on the way home. I beat feet to the magazine section, and see this:

I am not sure if that's funny or sad, but I'd like to talk to the guy that does the merchandise plan. He's a smartass. (The photo was taken with my phone. And sent at home! Yay!)

I was really happy to see this on the shelf. I've become a much better cook recently. Tonight we had chicken with buttered lime and caper sauce, and it was REALLY good. And freakin' easy.