Secret...Gaysian Man...

2008 - New Year, New Resolutions, New Life!

2008-01-26T02:21:00.000-05:00

Well, folks, I'm HERE!

I arrived in Long Beach, CA, on Wednesday, December 12th. We left Cincinnati, OH, on Monday, December 10th, stopping overnight in the St. Louis-area, Tulsa, OK, and Amarillo, TX. Three short jumps of 8-hrs, 12 hrs, and 14 hrs...and we made it with 2 cats in backseat. No whines, meows, claws, shredded car seats, or other issues. Just a few days of rain, rain, and more rain.

It's been a month since I've been an official "Southern Californian". I've applied for and passed the written test for my CA driver's license. (I'm waiting for it to be mailed to me...should be another week or so--more on this later.)

Work has started off lightly and is now starting to take off. I've been picking and choosing jobs that fit all of our schedules. What with having to pick up the kids from school, watching the kids while M's off at work, class, or other necessities, and my complete lack of motivation to drive 2 hours 1-way to a job that's only 20 miles away...and get paid 2-hours only...it's sometimes difficult to find jobs that meet my specifications.

I'm done with teaching for now. While it was fun for the past 7 years, I think it's time for a short sabbatical. This will give me time to recuperate, reflect, and seriously consider my professional motivations, future desires, and educational background. In order to work in Southern California, I've heard that it's more about "who you know" than having all the right credentials. So I need to get out there and meet important contacts out there.

For now, Independent Contracting is what I'd like to continue. It's got its ups and downs, but it's totally flexible to my in-transition life. If I'm feeling up for a drive and exploration, I can go further north up to the Valley or south towards San Diego. Or I can take advantage of my other wonderful contacts and colleagues around the country and world! For now, it's about supporting myself, my partner, and my family. At the same time, it's about getting a handle on my debt and "growing up" finally. (If my mother were in the grave, she'd be turning cartwheels about now!)

*hehehe* Anyway, good to know that you're still out there reading. I'll try to be a little more consistent about posting. Thanks for being there for me. Good to know I've got something still to say. *hugs* to all!

SKSK

--Bob

"New Day, New Dawn, New Life...For Me!"

2007-05-15T00:36:00.000-04:00

Michael Buble has said it all! :-)

I haven't posted in what seems like forever! It's almost been a full year. I know that some of my regular readers wonder what's been going on. Here's the general information:

I have broken up - after 8 years of wonderful life together - with J. We're parting on friendly terms, after all we are each other's best friends. Unfortunately, we've grown apart and are on separate roads towards our futures. I was feeling held back and antsy, he was needing room to grow and flourish.

I have met someone new - M, in Long Beach, CA. He has asked me to move in with him, and I'm ready. Well, I *will* be ready for the move by December of '07. This gives me almost 7 months to close out my business and responsibilities here in Cincinnati, my 15-year home and anchor. It's time to pick up my roots and transplant myself someplace sunnier, warmer, and where my heart truly lies - with M, with Cosmo, with Sara, and with little Miguel. (More on them later.)

J and I are continuing to live together - it's the most economical choice and neither of us has enough savings or chutzpah to try to go it alone at this point - with only 7 months left. It wouldn't make sense for me to try and find a place in Cincy for 6 months (first month, last month, security deposit, cat-friendly, etc.), and then pack up to move cross-country). Nor does this make any sense for J. So for now, we're living together, still doing some of our regular activities together, and pretty much going on with life.

For those of you who are worried about us, don't be. We really are being very respectful and supportive of each other. We never wanted to hurt each other, and we only want the best for each other. I am pushing for J to find someone who will complement him, encourage him, and make him feel motivated to better himself in all ways. He's pushing for me to be happy, to love deeply, and to find myself.

In general, this is a very good thing. The most awkward part is the separation of us as B & J, and the establishment of B... and J... as separate entities. It's slow-going - we have met many people over the past 8 years together, and we don't want to leave anyone out.

Please contact us if you have any questions, comments, or words of wisdom. We appreciate hearing from everyone. Take care...all our love!

XOXO

Bob in Cincy

P.S. If anyone wants to donate to the "Bob-moves-across-country" Fund, please let me know! :-D

Scripps-Howard Spelling Bee

2006-06-01T21:56:00.000-04:00

I'm a geek. I've embraced that. I've always known that my preferences and tastes leaned more towards the cerebral, and less towards athletics and physical outlets. That said, something you probably never knew about me:

I was in an inter-Grade School local spelling bee in the seventh grade. Funnily enough, the spelling bee was hosted by my father's High School alma mater, St. Edward. (While St. Ed's was known for their athletics program, they were not nearly as well-represented in their academic pursuits.) For academic excellence, I had my heart set on going to St. Ignatius--St. Edward's mortal enemy!

While both High Schools were all-boys and Roman-Catholic-affiliated, I was going to support the Jesuits who ran St. Ignatius. But I digress!...

I entered the Grade School spelling bee and drum roll, please!

I WON!

And my winning words? First I had to spell the misspelled word: "amphibian". Then I had to complete my own word: "perforate".

Not difficult, you say? Remember that I was only 12 years old. Most of the other spellers were 8th grade, 13 years old, and just itching to get to HS. Suffice it to say, I beat them all! (And had only studied for about 4 or 5 months.)

Ah well, we all have things to be proud of. I trounced the competition at my father's alma mater. And I went to school at the opposition. :-)

Enjoy the mental titillation!

From tonight's Scripps-Howard National Spelling Bee,
the finalists' words (Challenge Word List):
psitticism
maieutic
aubade
poiesis
kanone
tutoyer
izzat
koine
tmesis
weltschmerz
kundalini
** ursprache ** (winning word!)

Anyone out there?

2006-05-31T14:27:00.000-04:00

Who's reading my blog?

Reply in my comments section! At least leave your first name and your city/state.
If you have your own blog or webpage, leave that too. :-)

Miss you!

- B

Winter Quarter's Done...now what?

2006-04-04T01:02:00.000-04:00

My regular job had me completely stressed...money matters sucked. And to top it all off, I was in a slump. :-(

But now that the Spring is here, the sun peeks its face out every now and then, and I'm starting to feel a little better.

I've been working more (a lot more - almost to the other extreme!). And I've started interpreting cruises! Talk about an amazing experience. The best, though, is interpreting Atlantis Cruises - all gay, all the time!

Think of it:

3,100 Gay Men

100 Lesbians (they must like Olivia Cruises better *shrug*)

Comedians & Entertainment, like Margaret Cho, Jim David, Poppy Champlain, and Hypnotist-Extraordinaire Bruce McDonald!

Western Caribbean - 2 Exotic Destinations (Cozumel, Mexico & Grand Cayman Island)

The Cruise Line's Private Beach hideaway on the NorthWestern coast of Hispaniola - all to ourselves with NO OTHER tourists around!

Oh, did I mention the 3,100 HOT, Muscular, tanned, and amazingly god-like "hunks-a-men"??? ;-)

And the Atlantis staff were as hot, if not hotter, than the cruisers!

P.S. I also heard that deck 12-forward had some skeezy late-night fun, especially considering that the ship staff were "nice enough" to turn off all the deck lights up there after midnight. *ahem* I never got up there, but I must imagine that it took a lot of pressurized water to clean up that deck each morning. :-)

Add to that a great group of consumers, an excellent team interpreter, and a whole helluva lot of fun...and that's a true "working vacation". I can't wait to go back and do another one!

Well, that's enough rambling for now. Maybe I'll post some hottie pics soon.

*heheheh*

SKSK

2006-02-08T01:50:00.000-05:00

Knitting Olympics 2006

A Gay Old Time!

2006-01-14T05:09:00.000-05:00

What a way to start off the New Year - a new post by Bob for his BobTerpGaysian Blog. It know it's been a while...I wanted to sift out those readers who want to attend to my work/life/general blather from those who wanted to hang on every art fiber/beading/knit bitching!

So, I just found this on another guy's blog. Since he got it from a message board - it's pretty much a free-for-all. So enjoy!

-----------------------

I saw a message board for "Will & Grace" fans that had a section in it where people posted their favorite quotes from Karen (my favorite character). This isn't so much of a blog as it is just sharing some good humor from one of my favorite TV characters :)

I copied/pasted these quotes from that message board. Enjoy! ;)
===================

[Grace trying to start up her Uncle Jerry's very old beat-up car, but it won't start]
Grace: "Okay, here we go... that's weird. Will, what do you think is wrong?"
Karen: "Oh, my God. She just asked a Fairy an engine question. We're all gonna die in this car."
Will: "Karen, you're not going to die. It would take a silver bullet and a wooden stake to do that."

Karen: [on hiring Jack to play a straight man in a commercial] "No one in the world would believe you're straight. You're as gay as a clutchpurse on Tony night. You fell outta the gay tree, hitting every gay branch on the way down. And ya landed on a gay guy... and ya did 'em. No, no, honey, your gayness can be seen from space."

(Karen to Grace)
"I stared death in the face, and I tell you it wasn't a pretty sight. [looks at Rosario] Ahhhhhhh there it is again!"

"Look, someone got flowers...or as I like to call them, 'poor people's jewelry'"

"Good Lord. I can't believe I'm at a public pool. Why doesn't somebody just pee directly on me?!"

Karen: "Here, honey, i brought you some soup."
Jack: (sniffs it) "Karen, this is vodka!"
Karen: "Yeah, but with noodles!"

Karen: "Oh, coulda shoulda prada!"

Karen: "Rosario, take the kids to the toy store. El toy-o store-o."

I loved it when Will, Grace, Jack Karen make a few "pit stops" on Thanksgiving and they are at Grace's "Aunt Honey's" apartment. Aunt Honey is wearing a hideous muumuu and at one point Aunt Honey tells Karen about her bad back. Then Karen says "Hey, how did you throw out your back--by running away from good taste?!?"

"Grace, it's Christmas, for goodness sake. Think about the baby Jesus--up in that tower, letting his hair down... so that the three wise men can climb up and spin the driedel and see if there are six more weeks of winter."

Karen at the Gay and Lesbian Ball: "Ladies, Gentlemen and undecided!"

Beverly Leslie after the Auction: "But I was the highest bidder!!!"
Karen: "Oh you're not the highest anything!"

Karen says this to some random lady in a restaurant: "Hey do u have a tic tac or something?"
The lady: "Yea, in my purse."
Karen: "It's not doing you any good in there!"

Another one I just saw in the "It's the Gay Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" episode happens when Karen goes with Jack to a gay group therapy meeting. In the midst of the group meeting Karen says --->
Karen: "I feel so uncomfortable. All of these gay eyes judging me...and undressing me... and then dressing me up in a new outfit!"

"What!?! They are trying to make gay people straight? GOOD LORD! Don't they know what that will do to the Fall line!!!"
-----------------------

SKSK

Re-Direct!

2005-10-30T19:36:00.000-05:00

For my Fiber-Arts followers and other yarn/crochet/stitch marker enthusiasts, I have created a blog specifically for that!

http://bobloparooriginals.blogspot.com/

So, check it out, leave me some comments, and we'll re-build over there!

SKSK
Bob

My-my-my! Blog-itude

2005-09-29T03:30:00.000-04:00

Well, I think that the "cootie"/"Lice" scare on my blog is gone. I believe I've narrowed it down to the blinking mini-banners I had along my right-side margin.

Therefore, the blinking mini-blinking java evils have been eradicated. Let me know how your computers are doing...locking up? Barfing microchips? Attempting world domination in the background?

Either way, I've decided to keep my work/life stuff on this blog, and migrate my knitting/beading/crafty stuff to my other blog. It's not up yet...nor really designed. I'll be unveiling it over this weekend, so be prepared!

Thanks to all those who have supported my crafting endeavours throughout this past year. It's amazing to think that in a little over a year, I've gone from making simple knitted scarves and horribly-shaped n-gons to felted purses, designer scarves with self-designed cable patterns, light and lacy shrugs, and even sock(sic)!

So I haven't exactly finished a pair of socks...but the single partial that I have isn't exactly lonely! It has two other single partials to keep it company. :-)

Be on the lookout for the new blog addy and keep sane!

SKSK

Cooties?

2005-09-15T02:15:00.000-04:00

Here's a new one!

A friend keeps trying to access my blog. She tells me that everytime she navigates her browser to my blog, some sort of worm or malicious spyware/adware/java application causes her computer to hang, then crash!

Anyone else experience this???

Please leave me comments here or e-mail me: Bob

Also, let me know if the problem is with my Flickr active board, loading up pics, or any other troubleshooting tidbits that might help me!

Keep dry, warm, and safe!

SKSK

Thoughts & Prayers

2005-08-31T07:58:00.000-04:00

In this odd "Summer of Death"...more names of local friends are added to the roster. Keep them and their families in your prayers. Kitty, we miss and love you!

In addition, don't forget those worst-hit by Hurrican Katrina down in the Gulf of Mexico region. My step-sister and her family live in New Orleans, just minutes from the French Quarter (though about 6 or 7 feet above water level). Luckily, they evacuated to Houston, TX, in time. The worst part for them, though, is mentally preparing to go back and face what wreckage may remain. Mental images will probably not be able to even begin to match the reality of the situation.

Do what you can to help. There are many refuges, charities, and other shelter-type organizations out there. Give what you can, even if it's just positive thoughts, prayers, good vibes, and karma. Thanks!

:-) Have a good Hump Day!

Meme to end all memes!

2005-08-18T01:57:00.000-04:00

OK,...Here's the deal:

You must post a comment to my blog, thus adding on to this list. It's funny, it's tasteless, it's sometimes downright hilarious! But I think that my readership may grow to love their vaginas and embrace them!!!

RULES: Think of a movie, replace one word with Vagina, and post the comment to this blog-entry. Try not to repeat! And please put the original movie title in parentheses!

Examples (try not to laugh!)

2001: A Vagina Odyssey (2001: A Space Odyssey)

8 Crazy Vaginas (8 Crazy Nights)

After The Vagina (After The Sunset)

Vagina In Wonderland (Alice In Wonderland)

All About The Vaginas (All About The Benjamins)

Baby Vaginas (Baby Geniuses)

Back To The Vagina (Back To The Future)

VaginaJuice (BeetleJuice)

The Big Vagina (The Big Lebowski)

The Blair Vagina Project (The Blair Witch Project)

Vagina ‘n The Hood (Boys ‘n The Hood)

The Vagina Club (The Breakfast Club)

The Breakfast Vagina (The Breakfast Club)

Breakin' 2: Electric Vagina-Loo (Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo)

Big Trouble In Little Vagina (Big Trouble In Little China)

Bridget Jones’ Vagina (Bridget Jones’ Diary)

Vagina Almighty (Bruce Almighty)

Buffy The Vagina Slayer (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

Cheaper By The Vagina (Cheaper By The Dozen)

The Chinese Vagina (The Chinese Connection)

A Vagina Story (A Cinderella Story)

Vagina-less (Clueless)

Crazy Vagina (Crazy Beautiful)

Creature From The Black Vagina (The Creature From The Black Lagoon)

Crouching Vagina, Hidden Dragon (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)

The Dark Vagina (The Dark Crystal)

The Day The Vagina Stood Still (The Day The Earth Stood Still)

Deep Blue Vagina (Deep Blue Sea)

Dirty Vagina (Dirty Dancing)

Dirty Rotten Vagina (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels)

Don't Be A VAGINA In South Central While Drinking Juice In The Hood (Don't Be A MENACE In South Central While Drinking Juice In The Hood)

Dude, Where’s My Vagina? (Dude, Where’s My Car?)

Edward Vagina-hands (Edwards Scissorhands)

Enter The Vagina (Enter the Dragon)

Vagina Guy (Family Guy)

The Fast And The Vagina (The Fast And The Furious)

Finding Vagina (Finding Nemo)

Vaginas Of New York (Gangs Of New York)

The Vaginabusters (The Ghostbusters)

The Vagina Next Door (The Girl Next Door)

Vaginas In The Mist (Gorillas In The Mist)

Happy Vagina (Happy Gilmore)

Harry Vagina (Harry Potter)

A Vagina At The End Of The World (A Home At The End Of The World)

Vagina Bound (Homeward Bound )

Honey, I Shrunk The Vaginas (Honey, I Shrunk The Kids)

The Hot Vagina (The Hot Chick)

How To Lose A Vagina In Ten Days (How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days)

The Hunt For Red Vagina (The Hunt For Red October)

Interview With A Vagina (Interview With A Vampire)

Jay And Silent Vagina Strike Back (Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back)

La Vagina E Bella (La Vita E Bella)

Lemony Snicket's A Tale Of Unfortunate Vaginas (Lemony Snicket’s A Tale of Unfortunate Events)

Vagina King (Lion King)

The Little Black Vagina (The Little Black Book)

The Little Vagina (The Little Mermaid)

The Lord Of The Vaginas (The Lord Of The Rings)

Lost In Vagina (Lost In Translation)

Mean Vaginas (Mean Girls)

The Mighty Vaginas (The Mighty Ducks)

Mortal Vagina (Mortal Kombat)

The Neverending Vagina (The Neverending Story)

New Vagina City ( New Jack City )

Vagina’s Eleven (Ocean’s Eleven)

Old Vagina (Old School)

Vagina Monster (Party Monster)

The Passion Of The Vagina (The Passion Of The Christ)

Vaginas Of The Carribbean (Pirates Of The Caribbean)

The Polar Vagina (The Polar Express)

Rear Vagina (Rear Window)

Requiem For A Vagina (Requiem For A Dream)

Vagina Hour (Rush Hour)

VaginaFace (ScarFace)

Shakespeare In Vagina (Shakespeare In Love)

A Vagina Tale! (A Shark Tale)

Vagina-Man (Spider-Man)

Vagina Wars (Star Wars)

Vagina Driver (Taxi Driver)

There's Something About Vaginas (There's Something About Mary)

The Sweetest Vagina (The Sweetest Thing)

Vagina Sky (Vanilla Sky)

Vaginatron (Voltron)

The Vagina Suicides (The Virgin Suicides)

A Vagina To Remember (A Walk To Remember)

Wayne's Vagina (Wayne's World)

Willy Wonka And The Vagina Factory (Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory)

You Got Vagina (You Got Served)

Wow! You made it this far? Did you snort your drink? This one should definitely be shown to Eve Ensler! By the way, pass on this link!

Qualifier!

2005-08-14T14:32:00.000-04:00

By The Way,

AIA - Apology In Advance

The previous blogpost in NO WAY slanders or libels SpamTM.

Though I "don't dig on swine", I fully support the Hawaiian indigenous people's fierce devotion to that premiere island haute cuisine, which is a necessity in the "Hurricane Emergency Kit" or "Potential Dock Workers Strike Preparation"(the other basic needs being toilet paper and rice).

So if it's edible, spam away! If it's legible, keep it to yourself. Or I'll be grabbing the toilet paper to wipe it up and out.

Un-humbly yours!

SKSK

Spam Assholes!

2005-08-14T06:14:00.000-04:00

So I just realized that a spammer somehow connected to my blog and left a stupid, long-ass message in my comments!

It just goes to prove that these days, while the Internet has that "democratizing" effect on the web-community, it also has just as many pernicious violators as peaceful nurturers. Thus, democracy at its most equalizing.

*sigh*

(The most frustrating part of finding spam was that I wasted about 1 hour looking for a way to delete the comment from my blog...and all the while the damned trash can icon was at the bottom of the vexing comment! *DUH*)

It's late and I must hie to sleep.

G'night, loyal blog readers!

SKSK

Most Excellent Summer Eats!

2005-08-10T20:09:00.000-04:00

I went to the local farmers market last week. They had Ohio-grown sweet corn on the cob, 5 for $.99. That meant I HAD to buy at least 10 ears of corn. I didn't know what to do with it, but I'd make something!

It came to me tonite:

6 ears would be boiled (and ready for shucking, removal from the cob, and freezing...to be used at a later date).

The other 4 ears would get a special treatment: Seasoned and broiled!

Recipe for Broiled Garlic Pepper Corn

Ingredients
4 ears of freshly shucked corn
1 Ziploc(TM) bag - Gallon sized
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Garlic & Herb seasoning (Tone's, Lowry's, or even Mrs. Dash!)
2 pinches Sea Salt (iodized, kosher, etc. are fine too), or to taste
Pam(TM) non-stick easy spray, aerosol can
Cookie Sheet/Bar Pan

Turn on Broiler to preheat.
In Ziploc(TM) bag, mix the dry seasonings (pepper, garlic/herb, and salt).
Rinse ears of corn in cold water and put into Ziploc(TM) bag.
Shake, rattle, and roll! Completely coat the ears with all the seasoning mixture.

Lightly spray cookie sheet with Pam(TM).
Place each ear on the cookie sheet, none touching each other.
Lightly spray the tops of the ears of corn.

Place cookie sheet in broiler for 5 minutes.
Check corn, turning every 4-5 minutes, making sure each side doesn't burn, but gets a broiled brown look to it.

Total Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Cooking Time: 20 minutes (give or take, depending on how "golden brown" you like your corn.

Remove corn from broiler, being careful because the entire thing is HOT!!!
Using a cutting board, Cleaver/Sharp-bladed knife, and Tongs, cut corn ears into thirds.
Wait a few minutes for ear-lettes to cool down and eat!

Suggestions:
The seasonings can be mixed around. Keep the freshly ground black pepper if you like the additional heat and kick.
Try other herbs/seasonings: sweet paprika, spicy curry, a small bit of poultry seasoning, fresh rosemary & thyme, sweet basil, 1 teaspoon of lemon/orange zest, even 1/2 teaspoon of freshly shaved cinnamon!

Get creative. And you don't have to leave the corn on the cob. Remove the corn from the cob and add the seasoning mixture. Mix thoroughly, and use as a side dish.

SKSK

Retractions & Errata

2005-08-08T06:10:00.000-04:00

So, to all my loyal blog-readers...I must profess deep apologies for my inconsistency and lack of lustrous blog-worthy copy. :-(

I've also been notoriously missing on others' blogs, comment-wise. So, I miss you all:
Kerstin, Jon, Jon, James, Bonnie, Laura, Erys, Laurie, Wendy, Drew, Larry, Mark, Marq, Sean, Hilary, and Robert. (All in no particular order.)

Summer life is bipolar. It's either "slower 'n molasses 'n January" or it's a whirlwind of Andrew-sized proportions. And I don't usually have a handle on the summer days as they slip away into one another. To make matters worse, Summer is usually less financially liquid than other times of the year. (Adding in uncontrollable yarn-binges at the most inopportune moments, liquidity is nigh impossible.)

Thanks to Bonnie for her recently posted comments. I owe her apologies, as she was the actual etymological initiator for "CEHD" = aka Cotton-Ease Hoarding Disorder.

Haven't been in the mood to upload pics.

Gotta start teaching a summer-session (intensive, daily 3-week classes, 2 per day, 1:50min each class). *ugggghhh* Beginning 3 and Intermediate 3 (there are three classes per level, and I just happen to be the OGRE that each class must pass in order to level-up...what a way to make friends, eh?). Ironically the Intermediate 3 students are the worst. They're required to take 6 classes of a Foreign Language for their Bachelor majors. I'm their last class...in their eyes, the gatekeeper. They hate me because after 6 classes, I actually expect them to be able to use their foreign language...conversationally, survivor-ly, realistically. What do I get?

"Why don't you just talk in English? We'd understand you so much better!"

"I hate this book. I don't understand any of the pictures, and where is the English?"

"You know your stuff, but you're constantly picking on us in class to use the language. Oh, and I didn't put forth any effort in this class all quarter."

(These are a few "gems" that I've received on past class/instructor evaluations. I don't let them get to me -- unless I'm in that dark place -- but just laugh at the absolute, utter waste of 2 years these students allowed to slip through their fingers when they could have been learning to converse with a small, though vibrant minority community here in America. There have been positive evaluations, too, though. :-)

Soon pics. Be good to each other. XOXO

SKSK

Where ya been?

2005-08-06T04:46:00.000-04:00

I've noticed that I've been titling most of my blog posts with Questions. Rhetorical? Yes. :-) But necessary? Nah. Either way, it's always enticing...and I don't think of things in song-lyric fashion enough to apply to most of my posts.

Thanks to Bonnie for this most excellent website resource, MyWorld66.

Now I can show you where I've been...and where I have yet to go!

Touch-Finish!.

- Thanks to World66.com - create your own personalized map of the USA here.

In other news: I have a sinus infection that's somewhat lodged in my lungs. *sigh* Just what one needs during the summer - illness. Luckily I caught it soon enough and have procured antibiotics in time. Thus, the doxycycline week-long trial begins. In addition, thanks to a nurse Mother, I'm schooled in the folly of self-diagnoses and self-medication! Doxycycline + sudafed + ibuprofen/acetaminophen + loratidine + the occasional Benadryl(TM) = a Happy Yarn Bob!

"It's only a flesh wound!" :-)

On the knitting front, I've yet to finish the first half of my large Lisa bag. It's in a heathered blue Cascade 220. Ask Laura for the exact yarn name, model, make, year, and dye lot. She's good at genomic identification and gel electrophoresis. *wink* It also has two stripes of Colinette fuzzy-something-or-other. I'll post the particulars later. Once the first part of the bag (comprising the body and 1/2 of the strap) is finished, a second part of the bag must be made. Then everything is stitched up (except for the opening...and I'm even considering making a flappy-flap-thingummy too!), thrown in a washer, and felted/fulled.

I'm still working on Jeff's "laptop bag" - ala Stitch 'N Bitch Nation, pg. 152. It's in 3 colours of Manos Del Uruguay (Purple variegated, Purple/Green/Teal, & Grape) + some Pink/Fuchsia/Purple

The socks are...well, tubes. And cuffs, and collars. 1 is slightly sock-ish. The prognosis is still out.

The rainbow sock scarf is still about 10" long - not quite scarf-ish, though definitely tube-ish.

Cotton-Ease - a new Hoarding Disorder(TM*) - has its own collectors Yahoo! Group here. Bonnie is the group's Moderator and Coordinator. If you find that you must succumb to daily or even weekly CEHD, please join this support group as soon as possible. There can only be progress and rehabilitation through group work, a strong support system, and time-proven professional standards of collection, documentation, and personal investment. :-) So join as soon as you humanly can!

*Thanks to Laura for coining the new disease, soon to appear in your newest updated edition of the DSM-LXIX!

Felting/fulling on other fronts has stopped. It will continue soon enough. My friend Susan is gone for all of next week. I have to stop by and let out her big dog, "Moose" as is her affectionately-given moniker, 3 times a day. If it doesn't rain, then I'll have to water the newly planted(?) sod and plantlife in her front and back yards. (How I get myself into this, I don't know! In the past, every time I stop to let out the dog, she pees all over the floor/rug/wherever she's standing. Either I have some magical Kegel-/Urethral-releasing power over canines, or the dog is really excited to see me. If she's really excited, perhaps I should stick to cat-sitting?)

Because Susan has a house and a top-loading washer, all my felting occurs there, unbeknownst to Susan. (Unless she's read this blog! *uh-oh!*)

And...to get into BWDs which I prefer NOT to do, I have started this baby - Shimmer from Knitty.Com - in Cotton-Ease Popsical Blue. Since I don't do BWDs, keep in mind that I have absolutely no sense of gauge or actual sizing. To that effect, I have chosen to make the Medium-size (which is the first #s on the left inside the () parentheses. I have no one really in mind to whom I will gift this crazy experiment. I have also done the entire back using Clover US9 circulars and the arms in Balene US6 DPNs. We'll see how the arms connect (as I've only got 1 cuff so far). The back is almost finished with 2 repeats of the "lozenge" pattern + 3 more rows.

Pics soon.

SKSK

Where have I been?

2005-07-29T16:30:00.000-04:00

1) Cincinnati (early July)
2) Cleveland (2nd weekend of July)
3) San Antonio (2nd week of July)
4) Cleveland (3rd weekend of July)
5) Cincinnati (3rd weekend of July)
6) Philadelphia (3rd week of July)
7) Cincinnati (07/22/05)
8) Indiana (07/22/05)

And now I'm back in Cincy.

It's been forever since I've actually picked up some knitting. Sorry to say that knitting has been spotty on the homefront. I finished a "Mini-Lisa" bag, which was ceremoniously given to Lisa (by my mother, I hope!).

In the works: "Lisa" bag (regular sized), Jeff's wool "laptop" duffle - which will probably felt/full more like a mini-bag *sigh*, socks socks and more socks that aren't done yet, and a ton of 1-skein scarves.

Lots in the works.

On a high note, I've gotten in touch with my Florida contact who has given me some cruise assignments! I'll be interpreting some Caribbean cruises in the upcoming future! Even though we don't get paid to work when we're on the cruise, we get a complimentary future cruise (for the same amount of days as the worked cruise). Which means if I work a 7-day cruise, I receive a free 7-day cruise to be used at my leisure any time in the future. Or I can transfer it to someone else. Talk about a great gift option! Plus, if the work is good, sometimes we can get tips--a little bit of spending cash is always great.

That's about it for now. Keep safe and sane!

SKSK

Hola, from San Antonio!

2005-07-11T03:00:00.000-04:00

Bad blogger, me!

But now I'm in San Antonio--national interpreter conference. Only us crazies would plan a week-long conference in one of the hottest cities in the freaking country, in the middle of July!

Regardless, I'm having a blast catching up with people, meeting old friends, making new friends, and otherwise networking. Usually at these conferences are the wisest, best-est interpreters, as well as the new, up-coming baby interpreters. Therefore, there's lots of time for awe, whining, hero-worshipping, and comparing notes -- and training too! *hehehe*

Biennial friendships are not fleeting, they're just in slow-motion.

Oh, a retraction:
The Deaf woman I thought had died two weeks ago, in fact, did not! So, she's alive and well. No #3 there.

But on another note, a past employer of mine (who forever fought to not pay me and other interpreters what we're worth), just passed away from "liver disease". Who knows if that's euphemistic or not, but it's the officially printed obit.

There, three it is. Now we can get on with life.

On the yarn homefront, I'm making cheap-o 4-stitch crocheted- scarves (with contrasting/enhancing single-crochet & single-chain borders) for immediate purchase at this conference. I brought a small suitcase full of a variety of novelty yarns.

Here's how it goes: I start making the body of a scarf during a workshop. Someone sees it, loves it, and asks me if I'm selling them. I ask them if they like it, and I ask for their favorite colour. I quickly do that (45 minutes or so) for the body, and another 15 minutes for the borders. In 1 hour I can finish 1 scarf, therefore in one 3-hour workshop I could theoretically finish 3 scarves. But, because it's usually novelty yarns, difficult subject matter, and I can't go 3-hours continually crocheting, I get 2 done in a 3-hr workshop.

This hotel is freezing! Just had to let you know it. And to go outside - on the Riverwalk, etc. - is fun...but sometimes oppressive. And somewhat humid! (You wouldn't expect it down here - Oh, Texas? That's the dry heat.

What else is going on? Not much. Some fights with the host hotel (I go through it EVERY year!!!). I'll try to keep everyone updated. Though, as soon as I'm done in San Antonio, I immediately fly back to Cleveland (from whence I departed), and then drive to Cincinnati.

After getting about 4 hours of sleep, I'm back on the road to Philadelphia (about 9 hrs!) for the next week. Crazy me? Yep, you know it. :-)

Take care. I'll try to write more later.

SKSK

Better and better! Worse and worse!

2005-07-01T02:12:00.000-04:00

How doth thee, life, spurn mine entire being?
From dexter, sinister, above and below,
I shield mine face from thy blinding daggers
and am consumed by bliss and inimitable suffering.

The Good:

I finished my first few felting pieces! (pics will follow later tmw [Friday])

My previous foray into alpaca/wool felting left me with a 10% felted/fulled elephant dick warmer. :-( Yesterday, at Fiber Naturell I was able to "borrow" their washing machine. With it, I was able to take that 18" Traveler Bag and transform it into a horse dick warmer. And then again to make it just about "Jack Daniels" sized! Yay!!!

My reddish colourway of Manos del Uruguay is not only beautifully boundoff, whip stitched, and sewn up, but now it's about 40% smaller and felty. Both before and after pics will be posted later.

My crackpipe-dream iPod holder is also done. I used Noro Kujaku. I CastOn 30 stitches, and then promptly began a 2x2 rib stitch. Stupidly, I didn't realize that felted/fulled means just that - tight, thick-as-hell, doubled FABRIC. A 2x2 rib stitch will not make it more elastic than it already is. Prior to felting/fulling it was almost big enough to put 4 20-gig iPods into. Now, it's big enough for 2 (wide)! It's about the right height, but it's not the right width. That's OK, though, I just call it my "Noro iPod Gauge Swatch". And I didn't even use up the entire skein. I still have more of that 85% woolen/15% Polyester vibrant goodness.

In response to my Movie-buff quiz from yesterday
Q:Which 1989 female actress bemoanedly lamented, "Some Day!" in response to a question about her age?
Answer = Meg Ryan as Sally in "When Harry Met Sally".

Late one night, Sally dreads her future and aging, saying, "I'm going to be 40!"
Harry, concerned and surprised, asks, "When?"
Sally moans in reply, "Some Day!"

Congrats to Keli. She chose these as her winnings. They'll be ready for her next Tuesday (07/05/05).

Now for the The Bad Stuff:

This morning at 8am, I realized that not only was I being charged for "Returned Check Fees" in my personal AND my business checking accounts, but I was missing 4 checks in each checkbook!!!

Upon more research on my part (and 2 hectic calls to 2 large national banks), I found out that I was right. About 3 weeks ago, (probably while I was at Borders with my checkbooks in my knitting bag, and I left briefly to run to the bathroom) someone ransacked my bag and found my checkbooks. They were somewhat "witty" in that s/he left the topmost check, but tore out several others below the top one. Therefore, if I were to just open it and make a cursory scan, I wouldn't notice anything amiss.

My phone calls and inquiries turned up what I didn't want to hear:

My personal checking account (which I've had for over 10 years now!) would have to be closed out before other fraudulent checks were attempted. I'd need a new ATM/Debit card, and I'd have to re-order more checks. Can we all say a big F.U.C.K.!!!???

Then, my business account (for our Theatrical Interpreting Company - SignCinnati Theatre Group [SCTG]), which we had just opened up at the beginning of June and received our ATM/Debit CheckCards and Checks, would also have to follow suit (closing, blocking, re-opening, re-issuing, etc.). SUCKS is not the word for it.

Luckily, I caught it quickly. Then I found out how fucking moronic this criminal is. Not only did s/he try to use the temporary business checks (no name, address, phone number, check #, or anything else!) to pay for his/her credit card bill (twice to Chase Bank - with the name of the person and their Credit Card # - so trackable! - can you believe it!), but they also tried to write a check from my personal account in the amount of $4,500! And they bounced a check at CVS for about $44. The CVS check had another person's name, address, phone number, Ohio Drivers License #, etc. Someone's ass is going to be incarceratedly-brutalized. *GRIN*

*HAHAHA-MOTHERFUCKING-HAHAHA*
You so deserved that, asshole!

Somewhere, there's some poetic justice. All the banks were nice. They immediately canceled things this morning, blocked further transactions, believed my story, and helped in such amazing ways. *sigh*

I'm going to be happy when fucking-June is over. It's not been a very good month. *sigh*

I'm going to bed. When I wake up, it'll be July. Everything will be fine. :-) Oh, and I have to go to the police station and file police reports of fraud (twice!) tomorrow. Just love them coppers. *ugggghhhh!*

XOXO to everyone. SKSK

So it happens in threes!

2005-06-28T19:09:00.000-04:00

Yep, threesomes it is. And not in the good way. :-(

Jeff's dad died of cancer ("Revenge of the..." most of us suspect [65 y.o.]);
My cousin died of cancer (melanoma that metastasized to her brain [35 y.o.]); and...

...Today I found out that a very sweet Deaf friend of mine - BJ - passed on last Friday [early 60s]. She had lived a full life, and managed to battle her pain well. She had fought and survived lymphoma for 14 years, but last week she died too. I barely knew her, but she was always a bright shining face, an excellent language model, and she was a world traveler!

She went to Russia on a few occasions, making friends, learning written Russian (some of the various different dialects and forms), and even learned some Uzbekistan Sign Language and Ukraine Sign Language. She taught me a few signs, though I forget almost all of it.

So, BJ - \|,,|

Peace.

Don't forget the upside - my other cousin [male, 27 y.o.] got married this past weekend. His new bride and he escaped to Mexico for 2 weeks. I'm so jealous! But that gives me extra time to finish off their Wedding Blanket. It's crocheted in strips (but each new colour-way/stranding is simply worked onto the previous strip--this way I avoid seaming and joining all the strips). The downside of doing a blanket this way is that it becomes a bear to haul around.

In Fiber News:

I got some Cascade Quatro (4, 2 of a slate-blue/gray tweedy mix and 2 of a Raspberry/Wine tweedy mix);
Manos del Uruguay (2, 100% wool, Purplish with Magenta undertones);
Colinette (1, wispy/feathery SilkyChic, bright pink, 30% off of $31.50 = $20-ish);
Noro Kujaku (3 @ 30% off!, so about $7 each);
Plymouth Follow-Along 1/2 Railroad ribbons (1 Spice - Red, Yellow, Green, Lavender; 1 Electra - Muted Rainbowy colours); and
Skacel Merino Lace (100% Merino, shrink-resistant, Hunter Green, 1375 yds, 30% off, about $10).

All in all, my perambulations through Cleveland resulted in some excellent finds. I also managed to stock up on the Lion Brand Cotton-Ease. I don't know what to do with it, but I'm a pack rat. And I'd consider "discontinued yarns" for knitters almost like Wonka Bars and Golden Tickets. You know that the yarn itself is good (just like the chocolate). And it's a great idea to treat yourself every now and then. But we all like to gamble that the discontinued yarn we buy today will become the lotto motherload (on eBay, with friends, or even selling back to the LYS!)--some day!

COMPETITION!!!

I always picture a specific female actress saying "...some day!", in a 1989 movie. She bemoans her fate of getting older [i.e. turning 40]. Name that movie. Name that character. Name that actress.

WINNER: First person to E-MAIL me at 1989 Movie Competition E-Mail Entry.

PRIZES: Choice of a 1-skein scarf (body and border of their choosing) or a set of BLO Stitch Markers or Sock Yarn (2 skeins--exact type, TBD by winner).

Movie buffs - GO!

SKSK

Back in the Groove

2005-06-23T08:36:00.000-04:00

Some new updates:

1) Back in class again. I'm "sub" teaching for over 1/2 of another teacher's summer class. It's an intensive 17-day M-F 2 hour class. It's from 9:30am-11:20am. (Am I stupid, or what? [That's rhetorical, don't answer! :-]) Which means I'm trying to get at least 4-5 hours of sleep before I get to class. Sucks for my nocturnal-itis.

2) So I told you that Jeff's father passed away on June 5th, and services were June 9th. My cousin (dad's sister's daughter, 35 y.o.) also passed away on June 15th. Her services were June 21st. All this cancer-death gets you thinking about mortality, your own future services, and that long, drawn-out pomp and circumstance is just that--long and drawn-out. There's something so masochistic about forcing the immediate family to stand in the long receiving line during a wake/visitation. Then, if your family's as Catholic as mine, imagine the 3+ hours of funeral, motorcade procession (about 75 cars long!), mausoleum burial ceremony, then finally off to the reception. (The mass was touching, the mausoleum was beautiful, and the reception spread was amazing! Who knew that there could be that many "salad"-y items to nosh and inhale.)

3) My other cousin (mom's brother's son, 29) is getting married this weekend--a Friday afternoon wedding. Last Sunday I thought: "I should just make them something, since funds are pretty tight." What am I doing? I'm crocheting a "wedding afghan" for them. (I know the bride will appreciate it as she's just learned to crochet about 9 months ago...and all she knows is single crochet. So you can imagine that EVERY project of hers is a "labour of love"--as well as a freakin' itty-bitty single crochet nightmare!) She'll love this one because it uses variegated muted-rainbow acrylic alongside a solid acrylic. Pictures will come soon. It has single crochets, double crochets, mega-drop stitches, and I stupidly cast on 165 stitches on my size P hook. (That's equal to a US Size 15 knitting needle, in circumference). *sigh* I have about 1 foot in [length? width? Actual orientation to be decided tomorrow--though I'll be in Cleveland in another 3 weeks, so I can bring it up to them at a later date and give myself more time to work on it!].

4) I gotta get ready for class! Oh, and I still have pics of the Manos del Uruguay "Red bag" pre-felting to show you. I haven't had time to felt it yet--let alone take some still-pics.

SKSK

Felting, fulling, beating my sheep (er, alpaca)!

2005-06-18T04:18:00.000-04:00

So I promised to show you pics of my first felting/fulling adventure. It happened a few weeks ago, and I've taken forever to download and edit the pics. But finally, after the LONG wait, here they are!

P.S. I'm healthy now! (A little bit of a sore throat, but otherwise, no worse for wear.)

Here I am - during the process. (Yes, my eyes are characteristically red while engaging in my typical Devil's Work. *grin*)

Step 1 (warm water in left side of sink, plus a little White Rain shampoo). Here's my Mountain Colors "bag" (more like a glorified nubbin' sock, or wine cozy, for you PC-language people out there.

Step 2 - Get it wet a little bit.

Step 3 - Continue getting it wet.

Step 4 - rub and rub, pretend I'm an early 1800's washer-man and "beat it against the rocks". :-)

Step 5 - Show off "Palmolive (TM)" hands. Of course, in this instance, it's "White Rain" hands. Keep up the friction and washing.

Step 6 - Time to start rinsing. Keep the rinse water the same temperature as the soapy water. Don't shock the alpaca. Keep it temperate.

Step 7 - Wring it out, see how "felty" it looks??? No more stitch definition...just a llama-y look to it.

Step 8 - See it all finished? It's wine-bottle sized. Or maybe a foot-long nubbin' prosthetic cover. (I've promised it to a friend with a fake leg...but I think she just might have a fake foot too. That means I'd have to "turn the heel" on my nubbin' cover, and I just don't want to do that. I guess "Wine Cozy" it will be!

Step 9 - Another close-up, crisp shot. The colour-way has muted itself somewhat. The colours (dry) are much less intense. The bands are beautifully toned down.

Step 10 - Another look, side-view.

Step 11 - One should always consider that a "handle" and/or strap is a good idea. Therefore, I used a twisted strap (made up of 4 strands of the alpaca, twisted and twisted until it twisted up into a VERY strong handle). All that's left is to attach it.

So that's it, folks! The "Wine Cozy" will be assembled, perhaps then felted/fulled even more (probably even in a real life washing machine). It was made from Mountain Colors 100% Alpaca, Stockinette Stitch on a 20" Size US 10.5 Clover Circular. It's very loose and not very tight fitting just yet.

If I were to do another project like this, I might actually make it ribbed (2x) to give it more coziness and hold to the actual wine bottle.

Oh, I forgot, I even included bobbly-type knots about 1-1/2 inches down from the opening. Laura was playing around with bobbles, so I thought I'd try them too. They were a bitch! to do. Laura had mentioned 3 knits, 3 purls, and 3 knits all in the same stitch. Well, for those of you who have never tried to do this:

You have to K through the front loop, K through the back loop, and K through the front loop again.

Then you P tbl, P tfl, P tbl.

Finally, you Ktfl, Ktbl, Ktfl all over again.

Once that's done, you have to get all 9 extra stitches off and pull the yarn through them all. I ended up having to switch to a US Size 4 bamboo needle in my right hand, while still using the US Size 10.5 to hold all 9 stitches. It was rough going, and I had 6 bobbles all around.

I'll never do bobbles that way again, believe you me! But once it's all assembled and done, I'll show you some final pictures...probably with a wine bottle inside it. (Or a nubbin' prosthetic - if I can find a model!)

Anyway, now I have another felting/fulling project in the works. I'll post some of those pictures later too! (It's a Manos del Uruguay Red-colourway 100% wool purse/bag.)

SKSK

And? I'm better!

2005-06-15T08:03:00.000-04:00

For the moment, that is.

:-) As I have told others, in the land of "no insurance", I don't have the luxury to go popping in to see ye ol' chemist any time I've got a rheumatism, chillblain, the vapors, or even ague. Thus, I must suffer unto ye all until my maladies thus wax and wane.

Oh, and I have to work EARLY this AM and tomorrow. Why? 'Cause I need some travelin' $$$s. Also, it's good to keep up one's skills, even at 8 in the AM.

Finally, look for pics later. I tried to do some pseudo-felting a few weeks back and will finally post the after-effects. It's not all that oooh-some and ahhh-some...it was alpaca (not baa-baa).

Check after about 5pm today! (EDT)

SKSK

This is Getting OLD!

2005-06-14T03:33:00.000-04:00

Sick again. Same thing - headache, body aches, fevers, chills, low-grade fever (though tonight I did manage to get up to a respectable 100.7 degree fever). No nausea, no diarrhea or constipation.

Just lack of appetite and the aforementioned symptoms.

Living in the Ohio River Valley, I've gotten used to two or three sinus infections per year (which usually accompany the other symptoms). Right now, though, no "Christmas-coloured" mucous-y expellations.

Nothing new on the knitting homefront. (Well, I started another sock, different colour-way. I think that I'm just intrigued by the ankle/calf portion of my socks. Not really with the turn-the-heel-create-the-large-gaping-hole part. Nor am I enraptured by the decreasing--though I did it on the baby booties, so how much harder could it be for my adult-sized sock?)

Anyway, I blame my current state of un-health on my messed up sleep/work schedule, too much working in the hot sun (I volunteered to help out with the Cincinnati Pride Parade this past Sunday - and stood in a covered tent selling tickets for beer, food, and water for over 3 hours), and not enough sleep. Sunday, it was hot, humid, and bright. I didn't wear any sunscreen. I didn't get burned. I drank enough water. I ate healthily. Of course I went to bed by 6am Sunday, and woke up at 10am!

But I woke up on Sunday with minor body aches and a slight butterfly-feeling in my tummy. The next day (all day today), I lay in bed, relaxing, reading, and just lazing about.

I'll let you know more later!

SKSK

Just a Quickie?

2005-06-08T01:30:00.000-04:00

OK...because I'm on my way out. It's busy. Here's the low-down:

1) All Final Exams given, graded, tallied, and reported to the respective institutions of *ahem* "higher" learning. Awaiting final paychecks (which always hinges upon the successful completion of grade submittal *ugggghhhh!*).

2) Hubbie's dad passed away on Sunday afternoon. It seems he passed peacefully in his sleep, but was found by Jeff's mom. That's always somewhat traumatic. There is a positive side - he fought a bout of lung cancer (smoker!) about 7 years ago. His cancer went into remission. So he enjoyed many more years of life than originally predicted. Tmw (Wednesday) is the visitation, and Thursday is the funeral.

3) Paychecks and money finally came in! I'm rich (well, temporarily and very short-lived...once I pay all my bills, I'll be poor again! *frown*).

4) Annually, Jeff and I go to NYC and spend a whirlwind week of Broadway plays, clubbing, awesome cuisine, and seeing old friends. (It's also a deductible "working vacation", as we're hob-knobbing with interpreters and interpreter trainers all week!). Because of the recent developments, we had to cancel our plans. And trying to book an entire "vacation" 4 days before you leave is just begging for 9-11 Homeland Security to body-cavity search you (and not in the good way). So we're putting that on hold for now in the hopes that we'll be able to get to NYC sometime in the near future.

5) My cousin in Cleveland is marrying his long-time girlfriend. Jeff and I will be in attendance at the end of June. I guess I should get started on something "fiber-y" for her, as she just learned to crochet. Maybe I'll knit something heirloomish. *ugggghhhh* Or I can dig out the Forever Fisherman's Wedding Afghan that I've been working on for the past 10 years. The couple for whom it was destined were married 7 years ago, have two kids, and a dog now. It's probably too late for them. And it's one of those "crochet 1 billion motifs" then sew them all together into some semblance of a queen-sized potholder sans handle-loop.

OK...we're off to Hillsboro. Take care everyone! Keep Jeff and his family in your thoughts. Send them some good karmic vibes and let things happen in their own time.

Love to all.

SKSK

I can do it, yes I can!

2005-06-05T03:48:00.000-04:00

Pride. Yep. And a sense of completion, closure, if you will. And I know that preemie infants' feetsies might be a little warmer thanks to me. "What?" do you ask me? Scroll and see!

"The Book" - why I bought it, I don't remember. I think there was supposed to be a quick and easy scarf or something in there. Instead, I chose to do...

...these babies. Literally. :-) A whole pair. And in less than two days. Am I good or what? I guess it doesn't prove a lot, considering that I used size US 3 DPNs and only cast on a total of 22 stitches. They're good for preemies and NICU babies. (Believe me, I've already tried them on kitty cats...but their paws are jointed funny and aren't homologous to NICU preemies. *sigh*)

The Finished Product!

And to put them into perspective... my Red Pen of Death, which is getting a major workout this week (what with Final Exams and the amount of blood needed to fully explain to the students that they need new eyeballs--since their current eyeballs just don't seem to be seing shit in ASL class!). :-)

This was definitely a great way to quiz myself, go through some practice runs, and, in general, experience the frustration of interpreting a pattern while trying to turn the heel, shape the gussets, pick up gusset stitches, and then decrease to the toe (with a VERY easy circular-thread-through 12 Stitch "toe bind-off").

More FOs on the way!

SKSK

In Flagrante Delicto!

2005-06-03T18:43:00.000-04:00

"Caught Red-Handed!"

I've always known that the cats have fun while we're gone, but the horror to find out it happens even right under our noses (or next to Jeff's :-) !

I've got the videodiary all set up. I just managed to escape before the vicious curse of the gold/green glowing kitty eyeballs fried my brains.

*whew!*

It's been a crazy day around here with the pseudo kitty-coup. See for yourself!

While Daddy sleeps, Geoffrey plots.

Close-Up of the Stealth Kitty in action. See how he manages to get the videocamera in his possession?

Now he perks up a little, acting nonchalant.

He's got the battery inserted into the videocamera and getting it ready!

No one's looking. Always check your 3, 6, 9, & 12!

Someone's looking...act sleepy! "You didn't see nuthin'!"

Academia BLOWS!

2005-06-01T15:37:00.000-04:00

...OK, Bob, tell us something we don't know.

Well, I just need to vent.

I work for a variety of educational institutions as an adjunct (that's part-timer to you SAT worders out there!). One, in particular, has recently gained the full impact of my ire and frustration. Here's what happened:

I started working the Spring Quarter without any knowledge of the specific college's School Calendar, Pay Scale, Agreement to Teach (they don't give us Contracts - since we're not contracted - fucking semantics!), etc.

Fine, I used the internet, I e-mailed people (other instructors at the college - and no responses!), called people (left messages, no responses!), checked the school's website (not nicely designed!), ferreted out all the necessary info (can you say "cut and paste"???), and put together a stunning syllabus. I already had exercises, homeworks, and quizzes (including the Final!) pre-printed and ready as well. So the normal amount of time it would take to prepare a class, just multiply it by 1.5 and that's how much effort I put into it - 150%.

I've been teaching for almost 3 months now. I have not been paid. It's not unusual to have to teach the entire first month of classes before getting your first paycheck (similar to other jobs), so I chalked it up to mail delay.

After the second month rolled by, I began to worry. I contacted my department's secretary. She got back to me in a week. I continued to e-mail her back and forth, and she continued to assert that I knew what was required of me, and I just needed to drive on up to the college. (This college is not close to me. I estimated that each round-trip was costing me about $15 in gas money just to get there! Multiply $15 times 10 weeks of class, and that's a large chunk to be losing BEFORE my first paycheck!?!?!)

I explained - I'm nocturnal. Your office isn't open when I'm conscious. Therefore, you need to send me papers and forms from HR, the department, my paycheck, etc.!

Her response: "You need to sign some papers and then you'll get your paychecks mailed to your home instead of put in your mailbox." (Its location - I still have no FUCKING clue!)

She pawned me off onto some HR person. I sent a few e-mails, reminded her that I haven't taught there in a while, and to make sure my mailing address was correct. That she did. And promptly her boss sent my forms to my old address...on Friday...the day before Memorial Day weekend.

Suffice it to say, they "bounced" back and were returned on Tuesday.

--- You might be asking yourself: "But, Bob, why the sudden urgency in getting this taken care of?"

AHHhhhh. Well, Bob's last paycheck is supposed to be cut on June 6th, next Monday. And Bob is desperately trying to scrounge up some funds for a "business-related" New York trip, and needs to depart on June 9th. See the dwindling turn-around time for the USPS?

Now, I support and like USPS. My mail carrier is fantastic. He's da bomb. And if I order packages, he delivers them impeccably.

Those agencies mailing things - they're usually the dumbfucks. It means that I don't get my money on time, which delays bills being paid, and then I'm out of a phone, car, utilities, and my apartment. *sigh* It sucks how easily one can go from "College Graduate" to hand-to-mouther (but aren't those both synonymous?). I digress.

Flashforward to last Friday. I explicitly told HR person to fax the forms to me (this was @ 3:30pm). I could get them signed, returned, and have my paychecks sent to me Friday afternoon. No can do. The HR person must have sent the e-mail and left the office 1-1/2 hours early for the holiday.

*grrrr* (Bob sees red. Again. At an institution of higher learning. And isn't happy either.)

On Tuesday, when 2 paychecks have NOT ARRIVED, but an e-mail from HR person has (stating that the mailing was Returned To Sender because they didn't have my right home address), I got furious.

This time I replied with:

HR PERSON *name deleted*,

This is the reason why I include my mailing address and ALL contact info (most recent) in my e-mail signatures for EVERY e-mail that I send.

Please FAX the forms to me ASAP at the following phone number: (513) 621-1388.

I will sign them and send them back TODAY.

There is absolutely no reason for this incompetence and miscommunication to occur. I have now waited almost 3 paychecks' worth of time (1 whole quarter) to get paid. I have heard nothing from your office--when I agreed to teach in March 2005, or throughout the past few months as my adjunct mailbox has filled up with necessary paperwork.

This leads me to believe that either someone in *My Parent Department*, *My Current Department*, or *Your Department* cannot do their jobs effectively and in a timely fashion. I expect that this matter will be taken care of by the end of business TODAY.

SKSK

I sent it to the HR person, my Department Chair (time to get her involved), and two of my tenured colleagues within my program.

Then I got this e-mail from my Department Chair this afternoon:

Bob,
This is quite possibly the most insulting email that I have ever read. I will be drafting a formal letter to you in regard to the manner in which you have conducted business at *Insert Name of College Here*. I will certainly send it to the correct address.
*Signed, Department Chair*

My Department Chair apologized for the breakdown in communication and admitted that it probably came from her office. I agreed.

She stated that my e-mail was rude, insulting, and not professional.
I explained that I had been seeking answers to my questions since late March, and have still not been satisfied. I have not been given the support and information that I need in order to be an effective instructor in her program at her institution.

She replied that there was no need for my e-mail. I stated that there was a need, because it was obvious that someone had dropped the ball and no one was willing to take responsibility.

I'm not sure about you, out in Blogland, but if you run a business, provide services for 3 months, and 2-months in see NO recompense, you're gonna get DAMNED PISSED!

(I always say: "Don't Fuck With My Money!" ... the corollary being, "And I Won't Fuck With Yours!" Of course my friends know that "My Fucking Money is Your Fucking Money.") -- Just wanted to see how many times I could swear in one post. See how angry I am???

In the end, I told my Department Chair about another e-mail I had sent to my colleagues (with no response from them, might I add!), where I had said: "If this is the way *institution* is going to run its business, I don't want to be part of it or work for them."

And Department Chair told me that she probably wouldn't ask me back. I underlined my original intent by repeating myself (I know, it's the most uncreative form of "get back"--repetition, that is...you know, saying it again and again? Over and Over? Anyway... :-)

If this is the way *institution* is going to conduct its business, then I don't want to work for it. It's too much hassle, too many troubles, and your communication with your adjuncts is lousy.

Thus, "Academia BLOWS!".

Have a good fucking day!

SKSK

My Friday (05/27/05)

2005-05-29T04:19:00.000-04:00

What did I do?

I got up by 11:30am because I had to meet a student at Tri-County Panera. (She missed a quiz last Sunday, so I was going to give it to her and review with her prior to next Sunday's Final Exam.)

I piddled around for a bit...checking e-mails, cursing my ISP (Outlook refused to download from my ISP's e-mail client: Queencity). Then I got ready to meet my student, collected my papers, put them near the door and started the shower.

I left the shower running while I ate something, checked more e-mail, browsed some blogs, and double-checked the papers I needed for my meeting.

I got my clothes ready, pushed kitties off of them, and thought again about taking my shower. (By this time, the shower had been running for about an hour--gotta love having "public" water and not giving a damn about the hot water heater running out of water. I think the longest time I've had the shower running "waiting to heat up" was about 2 hours. It makes good background noise! :-)

Anyway, my plan was to leave by 2:30pm, meet her by 3pm, stop by Michael's and Hobby Lobby, then get home around 6pm.

Well, I left at 3pm, promptly noticed highway traffic SUCKED! There was an accident at Towne Street (Exit #8, and I was still at Exit #3...and backing up quickly!). So
I immediately got off at Hopple (#3) and tried to take Spring Grove up all the way to Tri-County (it's an 'almost' straight shot...though it connects to Paddock and Vine on the way up!).

Spring Grove was locked at 15 mph for about 5 miles. Then it let up for another mile, and gridlocked at 5 mph for another 2 miles. I actually drove past Jeff's school, and had time to page him, call him, and still look out my window to wave to him--he had been sitting in his car getting ready to leave the parking lot. Traffic was fucking ridiculous today!

Finally made it all the way to Tri-County by about 4:25pm--only 1 hr and 25 minutes AFTER I left. I even checked my odometer. I had traveled 18 miles--in 85
minutes. That averages out to 12 miles per hour. *UGGGGH!!!*

I worked with the student until about 5:30 - almost an hour. Drank a Carmel Latte (soy, triple shot of espresso) and ate a chocolate-filled croissant.

Went to Michael's (got some cool black/iridescent tear-shaped beads).

Went to Hobby Lobby (almost bought, but didn't!)...
1) Balene Size US 13 29" circulars (didn't even know Balene/Boye made them! Awesome pointy ends and nice needles, but sucky cord...put them back;

2) A few new flavours of Hobby Lobby-brand elf "eyelash"/"boa" yarn...didn't even hold them past 3 seconds--just enough to peruse the moichan-dise;

3) Found some new charms sets that would have made awesome themed stitch markers--in the scrapbook-making section [hearts, stars, girly-styled pendants, etc]--touched, didn't buy.

In the end, I managed to pick up a new bead divider box, another ruler/gauge (this makes my 4th...I can't find #1-3 right now!), some Hobby Lobby "Yarn Bee: Playful" in the 'royalty ombre' colour-way (somewhat Bling-Bling-esque, fun furry, slubby, and truly acrylic!), and 3 pewter dolphin charms (on discount for only $.80 each!).

Driving home was much more stress-free. I got home in a record 18 minutes...and had to again clench my jaw as I noticed my street was blocked off right where I normally park--due to "Taste Of Cincinnati," the annual downtown restaurant-aficionado's dream. (The only positive about having it this weekend is that I don't have to cook at all for any meal...and I don't have to travel to the far reaches of the universe to try out a smorgasbord of cuisine styles.)

Such was my day.

SKSK

3-D in 2-D 4 all U

2005-05-28T03:25:00.000-04:00

Jon asked:

I don't get the scarf. Can you please explain it?

Ahhh...it's tough to explain the tube scarf - a 3-D object using a 2-D space. Let me try:

It's just a scarf that's knit in the round, but instead of keeping the colours all in-line, I've decided to offset each colour yarn by 2 stitches on every round.

Here's how I started
The Purple (18 st) was cast on first. Followed by Red (18 st), Orange (18 st), Yellow (18 st), Green (18 st), and finally Blue (20 st).

Once I got to Blue, instead of stopping at the Purple and switching, I knit two extra Blue stitches into the 1st base row of Purple. This lifted me up onto the second row, as well as started the colour-jog with a left-leaning helix. See below (if anyone knows HTML code for blogger that allows me to change fonts, let me know ASAP!):

11 PPbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGyyy
10 PPPPbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGyy
9 PPPPPPbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
8 PPPPPPPPbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
7 PPPPPPPPPPbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbGGGGGGGGGGGGG
6 PPPPPPPPPPPPbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbGGGGGGGGGGG
5 PPPPPPPPPPPPPPbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbGGGGGGGGG
4 PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbGGGGGGG
3 PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbGGGGGG
2 rPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbG
1 rrrPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbG

I know this doesn't help much, but just consider the 2nd row, the left-most 2 Blue underlined stitches...that's why you cast on 20 stitches of blue (Stitches numbered #19 & #20 are actually knit into the first row of the next-left colour--in this case, it's RED. This allows your helix to spiral.

Finally, once you've made your colour "step-up" and spiral, you need to keep the number of overall stitches constant: Purple (18 st) , Red (18 st), Orange (18 st), Yellow (18 st), Green (18 st), and Blue (20 st).

---------------
I'll work on this pattern so I can write it up as easily as possible. (Oh, you could easily adjust the width of the design -- 6 sts for each colour. I was using a 24" circular. If you use a smaller circular, you should adjust the total # of stitches accordingly.) Oh, and YES, I swatched and gauged to come up with the 18 sts/colour number. :-)

Retirement Home

2005-05-28T02:52:00.000-04:00

Not for me. Just another job.

Well, not just another job. It seems that life will be really cool in the near future. Here's the chronology:

1) New Retirement Home for Independent Retirees opens up near my LYS.
2) Social Director at R.H. goes to LYS looking for instructors in the arts.
3) LYS owner mentions my name (as just a few days prior, I had offered my services to her at teaching a short "Crochet Yourself A 1-Skein Scarf" class).
4) S.D. from R.H. calls me. Leaves a message. Calls me again. Leaves another msg.
5) I finally return her call. She asks if I'm interested in offering a knitting or crocheting class to her residents.
6) I ponder the stereotypical gut reaction: "But they're OLD--they should all already know how to knit/crochet! They could teach me a lot! Not vice-versa."
7) I voice said gut reaction to S.D. of R.H.
8) S.D. ponders my gut reaction statement. Mulls it over. Has internal dialogue externally over the phone, with me as uninvolved 3rd party.
9) S.D. invites me to the R.H. "Arts Open House" on Thursday, May 26th, at 10am. Instructs me to arrive about 9:45am and set up my wares.
10) I, again, express my doubts about being able to "instruct" knitting classes, but feel more than comfortable teaching crocheting.
11) I also offer up my ability to do beadwork and small jewelry projects.
12) Also I inquire as to the residents' abilities to procure artistic resources and equipment. (Where do they get their yarn, needles/hooks, and/or beads???) S.D. lets me know that all necessary equipment prices would be rolled into the entire cost of the class.
13) S.D. suggests I show up, exhibit, and we'll have a "sign up sheet" to gauge interest.
14) I ask if any residents are disabled or need accommodations. I also offer my skills as a sign language interpreter - possibility of teaching an ASL class???
15) S.D. is looking for arts right now, but files away the possibility of offering other subjects later.

Fast-forward to yesterday. I show up at 10am-ish. No breakfast, no coffee, early morning, can't find my sunglasses. Me grumpy!

Immediately I started to set up my table. I brought multiple knit and crocheted scarves. Also have crocheted winter hat, "pocket slippers" (thanks Laura!), in-process socks and purse/wine bottle holder, and my mega baby blankie. I also brought my box 'o stitch markers (will post pics soon!). Then I got myself a cup of nasty cafeteria-style "coffee" (though I shudder at the actual thought that what I drank bore any resemblance to actual Arabica beans at any time in the past).

Many older women approached me. 2 said in high school they had knit Argyle socks for soldiers during the war. (I'm guessing World War II, though I'm not sure!) Another stated that she could crochet a chain. A fourth said that she had multiple unfinished knit projects in her condo, but most needed finishing, seaming, and or more work. A fifth stated that she knew how to crochet and knit, and has been doing so since the tender age of 9--which led me to believe that she's got at least 40+ years on me in experience, if not more!

The rest of the women (another 10 or so) had never done any knitting or crocheting and were VERY interested.

They signed up and were vociferous in trying to pin me down to an actual day/time schedule for the class. (Most of them were going on vacations at certain times during the summer and were adamant that they not miss a class due to being out of town.) I allayed their fears and let them know that I had a very flexible schedule and the S.D. would be getting in touch with them very soon to schedule actual dates (will probably be a 6-week mini-refresher course).

Summary: In all, I'm really excited. The ladies were chock-full of energy, interest, and a serious desire to learn and make beautiful items. (I wish some of the men were interested...but none signed up while I was there. Maybe their wives will talk some of them into "accompanying" them to the lesson once or twice??? :-)

I'll let you know how things go!

SKSK

On The Needles...what?

2005-05-26T03:06:00.000-04:00

Here's the most recent "Sock" collection pics. I've no actual "sock pair" collection pics--that's millennia to come. Stay tuned! :-)

Alaskan Socks

"Alaskan" colourway Sock (KnitPicks yarn), Size US 4 Bryspun (NZ) DPNs.

"Alaskan" colourway Sock - next to my cell phone to give you a sense of proportion.

Phoenix Socks

"Phoenix" Sock (Schachenmeyr), Size US 1 Susan Bates Aluminum DPNs. 3rd incarnation! - also next to my cell phone for proportion. 1x1 ribbing for 1-1/'2 inches, followed by an eternity of 2x2 ribbing...until the stupid heel.

Rainbow 2-Step Tube Scarf--my own creation

Rainbow 2-Step Tube Scarf. Using Knit Picks' "Crayon" 100% Pima Cotton Yarn & 10.5", 20" Addi Turbos.

Rainbow 2-Step Tube Scarf - Pic 2. Using Knit Picks' "Crayon" 100% Pima Cotton Yarn & 10.5", 20" Addi Turbos.

Rainbow 2-Step Tube Scarf - Pic 3. Different Perspective.

This Rainbow 2-Step Tube Scarf is a BITCH to do, simply because of stupidity on may part - which I'm now going to chalk up to: artistic vision!

How does that work, exactly? See, the entire thing was started with a Cast On row of 18 stitches of each color, except for Blue. Blue calls for 20 stitches. This gives you that 2-step jump up to the left for the entire blue band, and forces all the other colours to be offset by 2 stitches. Continue with the colours as begun (ROYGBV), making sure that when you return to Blue that you knit 20 stitches.

Another thing to recall, as you come around the first time, there will be an internal "float" of yarn that must be dealt with. Because the entire scarf is pretty loosely knit, the float must be long enough to stretch from the final stitch of the first row, back to the 1st stitch of the 2nd row (which is actually above the 3rd stitch of the 1st row). Confused yet??? :-)

So, pull the float and let it hang on the wrong side before you knit, and soon, after enough rounds, you get the internal pics (if you can discern them from these low-res pics). Not only do you get your "Right Side" external 2-step jog to the left to create a stunning diagonal band, you also get "Wrong Side" internal 2-step float jogs to the right! I know, it's not all that cool listening to me describe it, but if you were to see it, you'd think that it could be almost-reversible (other than the fact that the finished scarf will have tassels on the ends, keeping it closed and flat!).

One other artistic vision decision that I *ahem* chose to make, was to NOT TWIST the first stitch of each colour (or knit into the back loop [K TBL] of the stitch). The way I have it now, there are small holes outlining each colour as it jogs left. If I had gone with a K TBL at the start of each colour, I would have closed that hole and had a perfect seamless 2-step jog, without the counterpointing vacancy that, in effect, outlines each colour.

Therefore, my artistic vision decision is serendipitously opportunistic.

Birthday Surprise!

Birthday gift from Laura The chocolate is all gone. I'm still wondering what the "Funny" wants to become.

Thanks to Laura and the other wonderful Cincinnati Stitch 'N Bitch/Cincinnati Knitting Meetup girls who wished me a "Happy Birthday!" last week.

Off to bed.

(*Drum Roll* please)
...I'll tell you all about the Retirement Home tomorrow! :-)

Off The HOOK!

2005-05-24T16:42:00.001-04:00

Recently off the hook (crochet hook, that is) - 6 1-skein scarves! (Not yet edged and bordered, but soon.)

And for all the Martha-ites out there...a little home re-decorating:

Anyone have any dead/broken halogen torchiere lamps out there? One thing you can do is transform it into a scarf holder! In a small apartment, you've gotta maximize your vertical space. :-)

Not Dead Yet!

2005-05-20T04:35:00.000-04:00

But wavering on the edge. Yep, that's right! For the past three days I've had a low grade fever that spikes every 4-6 hours (depending on when the Ibuprofen & Acetaminophen start to wear off).

*uggghhh* I'm just waiting to see if my nose stuffs is gonna turn green and red (Christmas coloured-mucous in Cincy means the city's revenge--allergies and sinus infections!). Tidbit - Most people never have allergy and sinus issues until they move to SouthWestern Ohio...then they suffer horribly, tremendously up-charge HMOs, and eventually move to Arizona for the "dry heat".

So far, no Holiday occasions to celebrate. (And no HMOs either.) :-(

On a different note

More stitch markers finished! Be on the lookout for pics later this weekend.

And I haven't shown you what's on my needles (oh so many of them!) at all in the past months. In fact, I've shown you nothing since the infamous doggy/kitty mat, well, "blankie"! So I've got to post some pics of knitting/crocheting stuffs.

Finally, another thing:

Jen La said...
Happy birthday Bobby! For your birthday I think you should get an RSS feed for your blog so that I can bloglines you!

Since I'm new to the whole blog thingy (and haven't programmed HTML, let alone BASIC for a bazillion years), someone's got to enlighten me on the whole RSS feed thing-a-ma-jig.

P.S. "Point of No Return" with Bridget Fonda and Gabriel Byrne is on - awesome movie. (Harvey Keitel's also in it.)

A tout a l'heure.

Cue the music

2005-05-15T10:34:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday to me
Happy Birthday to me
Happy Birthday, dear Bobby
Happy Birthday to me.

And many more!

It's # 31 - and life goes on. Who'd a thunk I'd get this far? (And who would know I'm worth a negative value! Tell that to the Real Mathematicians and CPAs. *hehehehe*)

Happy Birthday to all you May Tauri out there.

SKSK

Please excuse our dust...

2005-05-12T03:21:00.000-04:00

In the spirit of all procrastinators everywhere, when deadlines are breathing down your neck, what should you do?

Why, everything else that you haven't been doing!!! And that which is most important must quickly be shaken to the bottom...where it will stay until the absolute 11th hour!

This means:

1) Updating & adjusting blog template--Fini!;

2) Uploading and posting cutsie pics of the domestic quadruped felines--(see below);

3) Giving you a "Word of the Day" - vaticinate which can be found--here;

4) Taking out all the trash in the entire apartment, since Thursday is trash day--Also Fini!;

5) And reading up on my workshop materials (notice the ranking of #5 - which should be #1, considering that the workshop must be ready by tomorrow and presented on Saturday!!!), rehearsing my presentation, collecting multi-modal/multi-sensory manipulatives, creating memorization exercises, making a PowerPoint presentation, photocopying everything, and then packing it all up for Saturday!--Not even close to 10% done!
___________________________________

Classic B&W Geoffrey - looking cute!;
___________________________________

To be fair, there needs to be a colour pic of my baby!...

Geoffrey - enjoying the newly hung shelves in the office...they're only 7 feet up the wall! (OK, so I put him up there and he quickly got bored. *grin*);
___________________________________

Gracie - on the "Magic" couch. Gracie says, "Why are you upside down and taking this picture of me? Aren't I cute???"

Why is it the "Magic" couch? It seems that anytime you have something important, pending, or of a timely nature, the "Magic" couch will foil you every time. In fact, it's even more soporific than warm milk, lullabies, and tummy-rubs from Mummy.
___________________________________

Max - playing coyly.

He's our Jaguar. Black all over, except for tufts of white fur in his leg-pits, and a little white fur near his groin. Can you imagine that someone named him Colton? I think that that was the real reason we adopted Max...to save him from his Soap-Opera-esque moniker.

(Which would then have doomed him to forever being stuck in a well, getting pregnant, sneaking away to Mexico for an abortion, having an evil twin, being diagnosed as schizophrenic, falling into a coma, dying, getting reincarnated, dating and marrying the same kitty 5 times, and of course, being a real pussy-bitch but never actually winning a daytime Emmy.) Aren't we good daddies to save Max from that editors'/writers' hell?
___________________________________

Ah well...It's back to work for me. Gotta do more research and think about the PowerPoint stuff. (I know how to make them, I just don't want to put forth the effort!) But if this workshop turns out well, then I'll be on my way to "doing the Presenters' Circuit", as well as my other billion jobs. Hey, I guess I need a new hobby. ;-)

SKSK

New Stitch Markers!!!

2005-05-08T02:09:00.000-04:00

FYI

Welcome to all my blog friends and daily-blog reads! I've finally figured out how to put you into my side bar links!

Right now it's my knitting wunderkin...but soon I'll add more!...on to the Stitch Markers:

Hematite & Teal Russian Cloisonne Globes (Up to Size US 8).

Hematite & Blue Russian Cloisonne Globes (Up to Size US 8).

Hematite & Burgundy Russian Cloisonne Globes (Up to Size US 8).

Fimo Giraffes & Gold Glass Beads (Up to Size US 8)

Fimo Dolphins & Frosted White Glass Beads (Up to Size US 8)

Girl Power Button Set (1st 1/2, Up to Size US 8).

Girl Power Button Set (2nd 1/2, Up to Size US 8).

"Itty Bitty Bugs" Set, with Blue & Purple Glass Cylinders & Frosted White Glass Beads. (Up to Size US 34).

Hot Pink Miracle Beads, Black Bi-Cone Glass Beads, & Silver-Lined Clear Glass Beads. (Up to Size US 6).

Purple Miracle Beads, Black Bi-Cone Glass Beads, & Silver-Lined Clear Glass Beads. (Up to Size US 6).

Profile Dragonflies, Pewter charms, Silver Twist Tubes, Iridescent White Discs, Black, Teal, and Green Glass Beads. (Up to Size US 34).

Teal & White Striped Glass Beads (Up to Size US 8).

Cracked Teal & Native Gold Cylinders (Up to Size US 34).

Glass Melon Globes & Cracked Teal Cylinders. (Up to Size US 34).

Glass Melon Globes & Cracked Teal Cylinders (Close-Up).

Teal & Silver Foil Glass Barrel Beads, Silver-Lined Clear Glass Beads, & Silver Twist Tubes. (Up to Size US 34).

Red Miracle Beads, Red Floral Barrels, Black Glass Beads, and Gold Findings. (Up to Size US 34).

Red Miracle Beads & Pewter Wedding Charms (Set of 8, Up to Size US 34).

Purple Miracle Beads & Pewter Girls Charms (Set of 8, Up to Size US 34).

Rainbow Glass & Pewter Wedding Charms (Set of 8, Up to Size US 34).

Rainbow Glass & Pewter Wedding Charms (1st 1/2 of Set, Close-Up).

Rainbow Glass & Pewter Wedding Charms (2nd 1/2 of Set, Close-Up).

White Miracle Beads & Pewter Girls Charms (Set of 8, Up to Size US 34).

Blue Miracle Beads - Gold Pewter Girls Charms (Full set closeup)

Blue Miracle Beads - Gold Pewter Girls Charms (1st 1/2, Set of 8, Close-up; Up to Size US 34).

Blue Miracle Beads - Gold Pewter Girls Charms (2nd 1/2, Set of 8, Close-Up; Up to Size US 34).

Sacred Charms - Cool Colours Yin-Yang, Sunrise Yin-Yang, Crescent Moon & Star. Hand-Painted, Lacquered Wood, Silver "Native" Cylinder, & Black Glass Beads. (Up to Size US 34).

Why? Because I had to!

2005-05-07T18:32:00.000-04:00

Saw this on another blog...and had to take it.

True, no? :-)

-----------------

Pretty Fucked.

What Fucked Version of 'Hello Kittie'(TM) are you?
brought to you by Quizilla
-----------------
As for what else is going on in life...did I tell you that I'm actually doing some "gainful employment" stuff lately? Not enough to actually support the sumptuous lifestyle to which I've become accustomed, but enough to foot most of the bills.

And, I've made a great sale of Stitch Markers to Fiber Naturell, my favorite LYS. Thanks, Patty, Tosha, and Roz! Check them out for the nicest customer service this corner of Ohio! If they don't have it, they'll order it for you. They're always willing to go that extra mile for you, and they have talented and experienced knitters on-site to help with anything from dropped stitches, felting/fulling issues, reading patterns, and finding that "light blue" Cascade yarn that you need to finish your eternal project. :-)

I'm off to interpret a show--check it out: "Good Boys" at The Know Theatre Tribe, Cincinnati's Edgy, Alternative, Adult theater -- offering multicultural, diverse, and controversial theatre for over 5 years! Their interpreted shows for "Good Boys" are Saturday, May 7th, and Friday, May 13th.

(Oh, and I need to get those taxes done, plan my workshop that I'm presenting next weekend in Louisville, KY--"Memorization & Mental Gymnastics", and I need to make more stitch markers!)

In between there, I guess I should call my mother and grandmother to wish them "Happy Maw's" day.

To all you Muthas out there--have a good one tomorrow. You know who you are. ;-)

SKSK

Welcome, Spring!

2005-05-03T03:35:00.000-04:00

So it's been almost 2 weeks since I've posted. I'm glad people are missing me.

I'm missing you too!

I'm currently working on getting my stitch markers ready for retail. (A few pics to follow.)

Front View - PinkWhite Rose Globes

Back View - PinkWhite Rose Globes

Another thing I'm working on is defending my local knitting group.

Background
I am a member of the "Cincinnati Knitting Group" - through Meetup.com. Because of Meetup.com's recent switch from free-services to paid-services, my group's coordinator decided that the best thing to do would be to switch to another free-service provider (such as Yahoo!, Google, or MSN, etc.).

With the permission and insistence by the general membership, we switched to Google Groups--here.

I guess in the e-mail notices and FYI Group Meeting notices, a certain local soon-to-be-published knitting magazine owner took umbrage against our Knitting Group and the use of the name "Cincinnati Knitting Group". Why, you ask?

Well, according to her (and/or 'allegedly' her husband - whose name was signed at the bottom of the harassing e-mails), our Knitting Group's name infringed upon their website's/magazine's name, as well as created confusion for consumers. When our coordinator attempted to reply to the e-mails, stating that our group has been in existence since early 2003 (and under the coordinator's control since early 2004), the upstart-business owner replied with: "Please send me the name and address of your attorney...".

WTF?!?!

It seems that someone's on a power trip. It's quite obvious to those with even a portion of glial matter (and a smattering of cortex) that a knitting group is a completely different entity than a knitting magazine. But the e-mails, posts, and other allegations and libelous fodder flew from the business owner towards our coordinator. To make things even more intense, the business owner posted to our Meetup.com group, posted in my comments section!, and even posted to quite a few Yahoo! Groups relating to Knitting.

Over and over, many knitters felt like they were drawn into this argument and impending lawsuit. Because the business owner chose to discuss her situation (and respond on multiple occasions in different venues), she then involved EVERY SINGLE MEMBER of EVERY SINGLE GROUP to which she posted. This meant that she also insulted, affronted, and threatened EVERY SINGLE MEMBER.

Where does this leave us? Silence is the best policy. She wants arguments, more "evidence" for her weak-ass lawsuit, and the attention.

TOO F**KING BAD!!! She won't get that satisfaction!

This business owner has shot herself and her enterprise in the foot. She didn't want to come off like an evil, litigious-hungry freak...but in effect, that's the current appearance, IMHO. Her publication will NEVER be bought or patronized by me or those I know.

I will do everything I can to ensure that I have nothing more to do with her and her "magazine". It's sad too--because she could have been a source of good in this world. Instead, she let the impending opening day pull her to the dark side. And she brought her spouse and others into the battle.

Oh, and let me add...she doesn't care about the "little guy/girl" knitter. She only cares about what's she perceives to be hers (regardless of commonly understood and accepted semantics). If she doesn't get her way, she'll take her toys and go home. She'll even take your toys and go home. And heaven help you if you try to even cry home to mommy. (That's what she thinks...in her pipe dreams!)

My message to her: "Wake up, business owner. It's the consumer that controls your destiny through patronage. If you prove to hate the consumer, it's destined to be that your business will plummet. If you show in any way that you don't have the best interest of your constituency/consumers at heart, they will go where they are appreciated. And...can you hear the faint thundering of rapidly stampeding feet as they exit, stage left???"

P.S. I'll post pics of the newest stitch markers in a few!

XOXO to all (except her). *shudder*

Procrastination... maybe later?

2005-04-20T04:31:00.000-04:00

At the 11th hour (literally), I decided to file for an extension. This gives me an automatic additional 4 months to get my fiscal shit in order. And it's all over the place...also literally.

So what should I do in order to support my continuing denial? Knit more, Crochet more, and make more Stitch Markers! Yay! I'll upload more tomorrow.

But I'm still alive. And you know what, it came to me at the 11th hour: "What if I didn't get my tax return in by midnight, what would happen? What would happen if no one got their tax returns in by midnight on April 15th???"

The answer: "NOTHING." Yes, those people who owe would owe just a little more (thanks to late-fee penalties). But those people who are owed money would just have to wait until they filed their returns, got authorized and confirmed, and then had the money direct deposited!

So, why do we all go nuts and pull out our hair? Why do we suddenly need LaMaze breathing techniques, nitroglycerine, or chocolate? The answer--we don't. As long as we're ready to accept the consequences of our actions! :-)

SKSK

Schedule C, anyone?

2005-04-15T01:47:00.000-04:00

And now for the half-time Tax Procrastination blog:

What's going on with the taxes? Well, as some of you may know, I was working "part-time" everywhere:

1) The Alcoholism Council (as their contract "Deaf Specialist", providing interpretation for rehab, AA meetings, treatment, events, etc.);

2) The University of Cincinnati (as an adjunct instructor of American Sign Language); and

3) A variety of multiple free-lance, contract jobs.

This is what I've been doing for the past two or three years. I don't want a full-time job. I like my crazy schedule. (And since I'm not a "morning" person, working evening hours - or odd weekend hours - is perfect for me.)

(BTW, pursuant to my professional Code of Ethics, I have to change names, details, and other identifying info in my stories below. So, don't try to figure out who, what, where, when, etc. I won't tell anyway! :-)

Anyway, two years ago I had worked for a bunch of "post-secondary educational institutions" as a contract English-ASL interpreter. I was working with a few different students, getting back into the groove of college and enjoying myself. I was also working a LOT and making some good money. Of course it was all "Independent Contractor" status and NO taxes were taken out.

Since I worked at the Alcoholism Council and UC (with taxes taken out), I'd also instructed the Financial people to withhold additional monies for each paycheck, both Federal and State. What I didn't count on was the influx of work and megabux that I was making. The inflow was a lot more than my current withholding taxes could accommodate for that year. (FYI - I don't pay quarterly because with all my deductions, credits, and other business-related itemized deductions, the IRS always owes me $$ back!)

To make the story crazier (instead of just going to the Financial people and asking them to withhold more--I can't keep my finances that controlled!) when it came time to do my taxes for two years ago, I couldn't find my 1099-MISC form from them stating how much I'd made for that year. So what did "dummy"-me do?

I forgot about including that income, filed my taxes, and put it all out of my mind! (Afterall, I got $$ back and had plans for it already!) SOoo.... Fast-Forward to about 2 months ago:

I received a mailing from the City of Cincinnati saying that I had "neglected" to report over $13,000 on my 2003 Tax Return...and thus owed them a LOT of late taxes (including penalty fees!). Now, I know I'm a bad citizen. I've NEVER paid any city taxes, EVER! I don't even know how to do it. I've always worked full-time jobs that had full benefits, deducted the appropriate amount of taxes (Federal, State, and City), and therefore never had to worry about it.

(Before you go off, I know, I can't "legally" plead ignorance of the law since I, as a citizen, am encumbered to know the law--and have the ability to learn it.)

Anyway, it's only been the past 2 or 3 years that I've had enough free-lance INDEPENDENT jobs that I could go on my own without having to rely on agencies to shell out jobs. At that point, I quit all my full-time jobs and/or "downsized" myself to a "part-time" employee. I worked independently. And I didn't pay attention to my business' financial woes.

To make matters worse, the City of Cincinnati doesn't just want me to pay on the $13K from 2003, but they want to research my tax returns for the past 5 years, figure out how many independent jobs I've done without paying up my share into their coffers, and basically leave me owing them forever.

Oh, and jump to today and the FEDERAL government. I'm not one to get "all political and stuff" (cf. "South Park movie"), but I'm really hating the IRS. They also billed me for their portion of the $13K that had somehow been reported by the paying institution--on a 1099-MISC form that wasn't sent to me!.

And, since I'm in a venting mood, that "post-secondary educational institution" still owes me over $4,500 from FY2004!!! I'm going to have to report that as "bad debt" this year, due to non-payment on their part. Maybe that "bad debt" will help me offset how much I over from FY2003, and I'll still get some $$ back? [wistful hoping] (Long story...maybe another time.) Sometimes being a small business owner SUCKS!

OK...that's enough for now. I'm sure I'll do another Tax-Procrastination post soon!

Stay tuned, folks! (Oh, and more stitch marker pictures a' comin'!)

SKSK

Go, BLO!

2005-04-11T02:41:00.000-04:00

What have I been up to this past week?

Well, LOTSA stitch-marker making. I've got some RAOKs that need to go out...and I have addresses for most of you! If you're interested in "test-piloting" some of my creations, drop me a line or leave a comment. These will be going to market at my LYS pretty soon. I've just needed to create an inventory, packaging content, and work on my logo:

BLO - Bob LoParo Originals.

This logo will represent all my fiber-art designs, stitch markers, and other miscellany. Who knows, maybe this business will flourish!

Ahh...on to the stitch markers. Most have been created with a size US 6/4.25mm split ring attached to a larger US 35/24mm split ring. This allows the users to size the markers to whatever project they're doing. Leave everything as is for larger needle sizes (up to US 35/24mm). (Mind you, I don't have any US 35s, so this measurement is more of an estimate. Anyone have a good diameter measurement of 35s? I'm too lazy to whip out Stitch 'N Bitch and check. :-)

Oh, and I have MORE (just photographed, but not yet prepped for blogging). They'll probably be posted Monday evening/Tuesday morning.

Other than the sets I've created (usually 4, 5, or 6 markers per set), each type of stitch marker is unique. This means that you will get a one-of-a-kind stitch marker, not available anywhere else. Most markers couldn't be duplicated if I tried - considering that the inventory of beads I'm using are over 3 years in the stashing, from all over the country, and from over a dozen different sources (large and small businesses).

Some sets can be made to order (i.e. I had one friend ask me to create a stitch marker set of cosmetic charms - lipstick, compact, rouge brush, etc.).

P.S. THIS IS A VERY LONG POST...BUT MAJORLY ILLUSTRATIVELY-ENHANCED!

Oh, and personal post stuff later. Life is hectic, the feds want me, and the city hates me too. :-( [Just a teaser for later this week! *hehehehe*]

Baby Girl token set with Miracle Cylinders and white iridescent bi-cone beads.

Baby Boy token set with Miracle Cylinders and clear glass beads.

Birthday Boy token set with Rainbow Miracle Cylinders and white iridescent bi-cone beads.

Bloomin' Bugs token set with Pink/Orange/Yellow Miracle Cylinders and black glass beads.

Blue Cloisonne beads with an Iridescent White and Blue Disc Stack.

Teal cracked glass beads, anodized glass beads, and Gold "Native" cylinder. (Up to Size US 6, 4.25mm only.)

White Cloisonne beads with frosted white glass beads and aqua anodized glass beads. (Up to Size US 6, 4.25mm only.)

Black, Lavender, and Pink Rose Globe beads.

Red and Pink Rose Globe beads.

White and Pink Rose Globe beads.

Jet Black Pillow beads, silver twist cylinders, and white iridescent bi-cone beads.

Smoky Black glass oval beads with white iridescent discs and anodized glass beads. (Up to US 6, 4.25mm only).

Rainbow Floral Globe beads, with frosted gold glass beads and silver-lined glass beads. (Up to US 6, 4.25mm only.)

Orange Swarovski Crystals mounted in sterling silver, Orange Miracle Cylinders, and glass seed beads.

Pewter Dragonflies with anodized glass beads, anodized glass discs, anodized glass cylinders, and clear glass seed beads.

Teal Miracle Heart Stones, powder blue Miracle Beads, and Aqua glass beads.

Pink Miracle Heart Stones, Pink Miracle Beads, and Iridescent frosted pink glass beads.

Ladybug buttons, two styles. 1) Lime Green Miracle Beads, clear glass beads, and ruby-red Swarovski bi-cone crystals. 2) Lime Green Miracle Beads, black glass beads, and ruby-red Swarovski bi-cone crystals.

Honey Bee Buttons with iridescent metallic cylinders and honey yellow frosted glass beads.

Blue Dragonfly Buttons with iridescent metallic cylinders and three triangular glass beads, teal-, white-, and black-lined.

Lady Bug Buttons with iridescent metallic cylinders and iridescent red frosted glass beads.

Mini Anodized glass beads (teal, aqua, blue, navy, purple) and anodized metallic hexagonal cylinders. (Up to US 6, 4.25mm only.)

Brawny -- ahem

2005-04-05T04:04:00.000-04:00

One more to round out my Monday evening/Tuesday morning blogs:

Has anyone else seen the "Brawny" paper towel commercials late-night on Food Channel? OH MY GOD! Not only does it have a hunk-a-man as the "model", but it contains a cute puppy, an immaturely decorated cake, and a size 10-1/2" stuffed basket!

:-) Did I catch anyone's attention with that?

Here's the pseudo-script:

[Pan in]
Scene: Kitchen, nicely decorated, multi-coloured earthy marble-topped island. Male model icing a cake with chocolate icing and whipped cream. (?)

Sexy voice-over: "Brawny towels...BLAH...BLAH...BLAH"

[Cut to close-up of Towels]
[Cut to spilled whipped cream on counter]
[Cut to model ripping off a sheet of Brawny towels]
[Cut to model holding golden retriever puppy, which has a dollop of whipped cream on its nose, and using said towel to clean off the puppy's nose]
[Cut to close-up of Towels again]

[Cut to full-length shot of model, decorated cake in right hand, puppy in left hand]

The full shot allows you the benefit of noticing that this particularly toned-down lumberjack-man not only goes commando but attempts to stuff the entire package down his right thigh.

(Maybe he's happy to see me? Or the cake? Or the puppy? Or even the towels? But whatever he's hiding down his pant leg should probably be let-out every now and then for a good breather...and maybe even a feeding.)

*giggle* >:-P

For your own viewing pleasure, watch
www.Brawnyman.com 300K Large media file (DSL or Cable) or
www.Brawnyman.com 100K Smaller media file (Dial-Up).

P.S. These are both the 30-second spots, NOT the 15-second spot (which is probably shown during daytime/primetime hours, since it's less risque). ENJOY!

SKSK

Real News? Washington Post Express Spoof!

2005-04-05T03:24:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Hilary...

The RoundUp

-- a spoof on the online Washington Post Express (WPE).

I've decided I like it. So should you. :-)

SKSK

Another Quiz from LeHilz

2005-04-05T03:20:00.000-04:00

Which Religion Is Right For You?

You scored as Buddhism. Your beliefs most closely resemble those of Buddhism. Do more research on Buddhism and possibly consider becoming Buddhist, if you are not already.

In Buddhism, there are Four Noble Truths: (1) Life is suffering. (2) All suffering is caused by ignorance of the nature of reality and the craving, attachment, and grasping that result from such ignorance. (3) Suffering can be ended by overcoming ignorance and attachment. (4) The path to the suppression of suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path, which consists of right views, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right-mindedness, and right contemplation. These eight are usually divided into three categories that base the Buddhist faith: morality, wisdom, and samadhi, or concentration. In Buddhism, there is no hierarchy, nor caste system; the Buddha taught that one's spiritual worth is not based on birth.

Buddhism

83%

Christianity

71%

Paganism

71%

Hinduism

71%

Satanism

58%

Islam

58%

atheism

54%

agnosticism

50%

Judaism

42%

Which religion is the right one for you? (new version)
created with QuizFarm.com

SKSK

My uterus is bigger than yours! :-)

2005-04-05T02:33:00.000-04:00

Well, I must admit to a few things:

1) I'm a bad blogger...allowing insignificant things such as "life", "work", "financial stability", and "friends" to interfere with my knitting/blogging life. *BAD BOB!* ;-)

2) I first saw this "Uterus" design on Jon's Blog in his Worthless, Stupid Projects page. I agreed. It was stupid. Then I found out a good friend of mine was going to have a hysterectomy over Spring Break. She's not old, she's not menopausal, and she's had a few wonderful daughters! So, in order to keep her company (and help her to *ahem* "cut the cord" a little more gently) I made her a uterus.

Yep! You heard it here.

I MADE HER A UTERUS!!!

I tried to follow the knitty.com WOMB Pattern by knitting it. But it DROVE me CRAZY!!! So I simply made up the pattern as I went--by crocheting it. :-)

I fudged a lot, but as you can see below, it was a nice compromise. (The Fallopian Tubes were missing the sensuously seductive and sessile [adore all that alliteration! *heehee*] "fingers"...and it didn't have any attached egg-sized ovaries. But, I did connect the cervix/vagina to the body of the uterus at the 4-chained starter ring. This meant that I had a bona fide working vagina! *YAY! FOR ME!*

(Who knew that Bob harboured a functional vagina in his dark, dank, musty creativity?)

Linda's Uterus - Pink "Bernat Acrylic Soft Boucle" (fashion weight). Ventral View (not to scale).

Linda's Uterus2 - Another Ventral View. Crocheted in 4 pieces, then single-crocheted/sewed together.

Linda's Uterus (Fallopian Tubes--hollow). Sinister/Proximal view. Tubes were sewn to the body after the fact, thus they are non-functional. They attach to the solid wall of the uterus, but the passage is blocked.

Linda's Uterus (Cervix/Vagina--hollow). Inferior/Ventral view. Cervix/Vagina was crocheted and sewn to the body after the fact, AND functional! The uterus is a hollow "sack" with a small opening on its ventral end, thus allowing full access out through the cervix/vagina.

And, she LOVED it!

And I had a blast crocheting up that sucker. (Even though it seems stupid, the energy and creativity needed to make it up on the fly, the night prior...in about 2-1/2 hours including finishing & sewing together...was an inspiration.) This project got me back on track--knitting, crocheting, and making stitch markers.

It didn't help that I had been dedicating my conscious hours to ensuring that our Broadway star visitor had the best time possible in Cincinnati. That said,...

3) To Guthrie - YOU ROCK! Both for your on-stage dancing/signing/acting abilities, as well as your amazingly sweet, thoughtful, and engaging personality. Hubbie Jeff and I had a ton of fun hosting you and the other "Big River" stars. You and your friends are always welcome to drop by, crash, or just party!

Next post - some of my new stitch markers. (The others have almost gone, and I'm now making more "themed" sets.)

SKSK

Out of sight,... out of mind? Nope! But still traumatized!

2005-03-30T18:48:00.000-05:00

Awww, thanks for all the comments from my Blog friends!

I've been SUPER-busy for the last two weeks. As I told you in my previous blogs, I was hosting one of the cast members from "Big River" on their Broadway tour. I'll post some pics later...as I've got to get ready for my Knit Meetup tonight.

Anyway, between his odd work schedule (4pm-11pm every night, 12noon-11pm on weekends), and my funky 2nd/3rd shift work, when I've been conscious, I've been hosting, sight-seeing, eating, and just talking all night long.

This doesn't leave much daylight time for consciousness...or blogging time. :-(

Sorry. I'll have more to post later.

(Also, this week starts the Spring Quarter at school, and I'm SWAMPED!)

SKSK

Bob

P.S. Bad Hippie - still waiting for your response re: stitch markers!
P.P.S. Jon (Colorado babe) - I'm still here...just sporadically lurking.
P.P.P.S. MarQ1 - Miss you too!

Where ya been?

2005-03-20T03:30:00.000-05:00

Want to let people know more inane prosaicisms about yourself? Try here, which is the same as the link below.

--------DIRECTIONS--------
BOLD he states you've been to, UNDERLINE the states you've lived in and ITALICIZE the state you're in now...

Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas / California / Colorado / Connecticut / Delaware / Florida / Georgia / Hawaii / Idaho / Illinois / Indiana / Iowa / Kansas / Kentucky / Louisiana / Maine / Maryland / Massachusetts / Michigan / Minnesota / Mississippi / Missouri / Montana / Nebraska / Nevada / New Hampshire / New Jersey / New Mexico / New York / North Carolina / North Dakota / Ohio / Oklahoma / Oregon / Pennsylvania / Rhode Island / South Carolina / South Dakota / Tennessee / Texas / Utah / Vermont / Virginia / Washington / West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming / Washington D.C /

Go HERE to have a form generate the HTML for you.
-----------------

Thanks to Hilary, the Impy Vixen or her other site here.

Grades

Almost done! (Though I just found out that I can't find the grades for one class.) That means I'll have to ransack the apartment looking for half of their Final Exam grade. *hehehehe* Oh, justice, where art thou???

Knitting

Haven't done a thing since Monday this past week. No time. No time to make any stitch markers either, even though I just picked up some amazing beads. Check them out!

Red & Cream White Swirl Marbles.
Teal & White Swirl Marbles.

Floral Beads - Cream & Pink Roses, Blood Red Roses, and Black/Pink Violets with glittery dichroic streaks.

Bug Button Mix - Blue DragonFlies, Red LadyBugs, Yellow BumbleBees, Beige Flies.

What's up for the weekend?

2005-03-18T18:57:00.000-05:00

Here's the first of many shows that I'm going to see. I LOVE IT!

School House Rock!

It's actually: School House Rocks, Live! Jr. Because it's being performed by 6yo to 16yo. It's a cute 1-hour show. Gotta love it.

Also, there's:

Banner

Poster

Which is going on in Cincinnati right now. I have the privilege and honour to host and know one of the actors from the cast. He's the understudy for Huck! He's a doll, and the nicest performer I've had the chance to meet. (Plus he's famous! He was in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.)

OK, that's enough for now. Gotta go see shows!

SKSK

Phoenix Sock

2005-03-15T02:15:00.000-05:00

So I ripped the 2nd attempt, and am now on my 3rd (no pics yet). I guess ripping, re-ripping, then finishing and ripping again would be just on par for its namesake--I just wonder if these could really rise from the ashes once they incinerate themselves after 5,000 years?

I've re-done the 65 stitch cast-on (no more "long-tail" cast-on) - Cable Cast-On it is! Don't tell me that socks and cable cast-ons don't work. I guess that it's called a cable cast-on because it works well for cables (and my socks are going to be 1x1 rib [@ 1"], then 2x2 rib [to ankle] and then something else for the rest of it).

I haven't thought that far in advance...so it's going to be Random Phoenix Sock (#1) as I work it. And I'll have to remember to post often here, since I'm not even writing down the pattern I'm making up! (*gasp!*) I know, sacrilegious - but that's me. ;-)

Have a great week!

SKSK

Update on the Kitty/Puppy Blankie!

2005-03-13T11:21:00.000-05:00

No one ever said speed was my strong point--especially for knitting! But fini is the kitty/puppy blankie! Yay! My 4th or 5th FO for knitting. And my first "bias"-knit item. *cha-ching!* (I think that I'll be crocheting the rest of these...knitting them almost killed my hands! It wasn't relaxing, it wasn't enjoyable, and my shoulders hurt too much. I think I'll just stick to donating kitty/puppy crocheted blankies.

Pics here: (it will be blocked before being donated!)

Kitty/Puppy Fini #1

Kitty/Puppy Fini #2

Kitty/Puppy Fini #3

And since you probably want to know about my babies, how 'bout some pics too?

Gracie, the Grande Damme

Gracie - Jeff's kitty - we think she's close to 13 y.o., but still a thin tabby. It's not very often we get these "posed" shots, so enjoy!

Geoffrey, the middle child

Geoffrey - my kitty (and yes, I had the kitty before I met Jeff, so there's no "dedication" or anything) - he'll be 6 y.o. on 03/23/05, our arbitrary birthday. He's a mutt tabby, orangey-tan on his back and sides, with snowy white on his belly, socks, and muzzle.

Max, the big-baby

Max - our kitty - now 1-1/2 y.o., but bigger than his big brother, Geoffrey! He's over 15 lbs, easy. All black, with just a trace of white tufts on his sternum and under his leg-pits. :-)

Group shot, say "cheese"!

Gracie, Max, and Geoffrey - Lords of the Messy Bed! And of course their "devilish" eyes glint in the light of the flash. (Or maybe "angelic"? Nah! They're kitties! Their middle names are "Trouble". And we still love them. ;-)

SKSK

Ahhh, and the Kitties/Puppies are warm?

2005-03-11T05:48:00.000-05:00

I haven't given you an update about my kitty/doggy shelter donation blankie! It's coming along slowly because I just haven't had the time or the shoulder constitution (I knit VERY tightly and I'm using two-strands of acrylic yarn [navy & cream] on Addi Turbos--size US 9), thus it's almost aerobic exercise!

The pattern is SO simple, and I guess I'm a bit of an over-achiever. I originally saw this blanket knitted by my friend Tosha, who works at a LYS here in Cincy. She found/created the pattern (dunno, so I can't share it with you until I find out) and had an example. I thought the example was about 18" x 18" (45.72cm x 45.72cm), but later on she corrected me by saying that it should be about 14" x 14" (35.56cm x 35.56cm).

------------

Home plate? Inverted Superman chest applique? Nope, it's 3/4 done!!!

Kitty/Puppy close-up of simple garter stitches.
------------

Ah well, I think that the blanket I'm making is somewhere between 14" (35.56cm) and 18"(45.72cm). :-)

Be warm kitties & puppies!

SKSK

I'm getting the hang of this "Hello"/photo-hosting stuff! yay!

2005-03-11T05:43:00.000-05:00

Tic-Tac-Top-down!

Sunny Phoenix close-up.

Extreme Sunny Phoenix close-up.

Broken promises!

2005-03-11T05:13:00.000-05:00

What's this? Sunshiny-Phoenix (puh-hoe-nicks :-) colours! (Jon, no mention of the fiber content!

I decided to re-work my sock lesson from last week! (Thanks, Kimber!) So, I took another skein of this German Microfiber, chose US 0s (5 DPNs) and CO 65 stitches, dividing them equally per needle (16 each), and 1 for the join & a K2tog.

After the CO, I worked 1 row of all Knit, then 1 row of all Purl.

Then I thought I should probably start my 1x1 ribbing--I know that for many of you most types of ribbing are pretty mindless. I'm not yet at that stage for KPKPKPKPKP, etc., so I always end up KPPKPKPKKPKPKP or something not quite 1x1. :-(

Somehow I got all messed up and ended up with 17 stitches on 3 of the needles, and 16 on the 4th! Instead of ripping back and re-starting, I thought I'd just continue on!

While 1x1 ribbing, I also managed to P2 tog at the ends of each of the 3 needles, reducing their # to 16 sts each, again. Even if it's not the best start, at least I've learned to troubleshoot something this simple. (And if it's not the best, I'll rip it and start over.)

Broken promises--I told you all I didn't do Body Wrapping Devices (BWDs), but I may need to retract that statement. Thought if I keep adding stitches as I go along, I may be true to my word! (Whose leg, ankle, and foot have that many variations in their circumferences?)

More pics to follow!

SKSK

Finals upon us!

2005-03-10T08:05:00.000-05:00

I've been up all night (what's new? *grin*) grading papers, checking over attendance sheets, getting things ready for Tonight and Next Monday. I have two Final Exams to give (and subsequently grade) tonight, and one next week.

The actual Quarter ends next Friday (03/18), but I decided to end everything almost a week early so that we could get a chance to see "Big River: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer". It's always such a rush to get things done by the end of the quarter (and I DESPISE grading papers and essays--mostly because the students these days don't appreciate good formatting, clear style, and conventional spelling wisdom!).

Back to "Big River" - I'm not sure how many of you blog readers have ever heard of this musical/show but it's a mixed cast: Deaf and hearing actors working in tandem to create a seamless, multi-cultural/bi-lingual presentation so that hearing and deaf viewers can appreciate the lyrics, dancing, storyline, and character interactions. The hearing actors sing, dance, and sign for themselves. The Deaf actors sign (with hearing people voicing their lines nearby), dance, and act themselves.

This type of theatre almost never hits the mainstream (other than our favorite Marlee Matlin ["Children of a Lesser God", "West Wing", etc.], Linda Bove [Sesame Street Lady], and that FBI Deaf lady--can't remember her name). When this type of theatre finally makes it big--and hearing critics love it--then you've got yourself a blockbuster touring production!

I tell my students that if they're lucky, they might see theatre like this 2 or 3 times in their life...and even then those occurrences are usually spread out, years apart. I can't wait! To make it even better, we qualified for discounted (DEEP discount) student tickets. Instead of the $25-$65/seat that most people will be paying, we got $10 seats! *woo-hoo!*

Mind you, I'm reserving final quality seating judgment until the time at which we are actually seated. According to the Cincinnati Arts Association webpage:

Procter & Gamble Hall is the Aronoff Center's largest theater, and seats 2,719, has a fully-equipped stage, state-of-the-art sound and lighting and a beautiful ceiling studded with 3,000 fiber optic lenses that create a starlight effect. The rich color scheme of terra-cotta, teal and ochre is accented with brass trim and cherry wood. Excellent sightlines and comfortable seating add to the enjoyment of any event.

We'll have lots of fun, but with almost 3,000 seats, there's a huge potential for rather shitty seats and horrible sight lines! :-( (I might have some Deaf/hard-of-hearing friends with me, and they'd love to SEE the signers and ASL! *grrr*)

I'll let you know.

What else? Well, I have some "Famous Deaf People" research papers to go through--let me amend that, from my 14-person class, I've finished 4 of them. The students turned them into me on February 14th...and I still haven't gotten them back to them. *double uggggh*

Procrastination = my middle name! :-) Not really, it begins with an "S", and like Jon in Colorado, I won't tell you. You have to guess. It could be worth some fun & funky gifts! (For those of you out there who already know: Wendy & Jeff, shut it.)

Time to lurk on others' blogs!

P.S. I made the hubbie breakfast AGAIN! (This nocturnal 3rd shift thing has its benefits - I get to see him in the morning, in actual daylight, before he goes to work. I get to cook for him.) This morning was veggie sausage patties and Chocolate Cinnamon 12-grain French Toast. All yummy! --more later on why the 3rd shift stuff.

SKSK

2005-03-09T08:14:00.000-05:00

White Cloisonne bead surrounded by simple, clear and buffed white "pillow" beads, then topped by a gold twist tube. Stitch Marker can accommodate up to US 6 (4.25mm).

2005-03-09T08:11:00.000-05:00

White Cloisonne surrounded by simple, clear white glass "pillow" beads and buffed white glass "pillow" beads, then topped by a gold twist tube. Stitch Marker can accommodate up to US 6 (4.25mm).

2005-03-09T08:10:00.000-05:00

Blue Cloisonne surrounded by simple, clear white glass beads and blue glass "pillow" beads. Stitch Marker can accommodate up to US 6 (4.25mm).

2005-03-09T08:08:00.000-05:00

Fimo fun! Dolphins surrounded by a sunburst rainbow, connected by rectangular light blue glass beads (lined with purple). Stitch Marker can accommodate up to a US 6 (4.25mm).

2005-03-09T08:06:00.000-05:00

White Cloisonne surrounded by simple, clear white glass beads and buffed white glass beads, topped by a gold twist tube. Stitch Marker can accommodate up to a US 35.

2005-03-09T08:05:00.000-05:00

Blue Cloisonne surrounded by simple, clear white glass beads and buffed white glass beads, topped by a gold twist tube. Stitch Marker can accommodate up to a US 35.

My knitting friends, my influences...

2005-03-09T07:57:00.000-05:00

So, have I told you "WHO DO I LOVE the mostest???"

Well, the following blogs are my knitting dietary supplements. They get me through the days:

Male Knitters--The Boys (alphabetical order)
1) Colorado Knits: "Irreverent Confessions Of A Male Knitter" (Jon--actor-extraordinaire, David Eddings-lover, and knitter-du-magique! Oh, he's HOT to boot. *yummy!*)
2)Dan Vera: "Blog & What Have You" (Corbeau in DC--man for all fibers & seasons, newbie for hats--one day I'll get to hats--and always ready with his digital camera! Also a true friend. Aubie swears it!)
3)Fibre Alive: "Join me on my endeavours as I explore the delights of knitting and creating art pieces with fibre."
(Kiwi James (yep from New Zealand!)--You MUST see his recent "Norsewear Art Award Competition" entry!
4)Jon's Knit Blog: "So much yarn. So many men. So little time." (NYC--Master Knitter! Creator of such wonderful things like BCG, BGWA, SSS, etc. Check it out for those acronyms. *hehehe*)
5)KnitDad (Larry in the LA, California, area. He's always got a million WIPs, and cranks them out in no time at all! Sweetie, advisor, and great yarn rep. *hehehe*)
6)Knit-O-Rama (Drew in Cincy - Colorguard Coach, Graphic Designer, Froggie-wanna-be, and Knit-babe like me!)
7)"Mark Knits: "Knitting, Writing, Living, Me" (Gentle soul, great taste, excellent fashion, theatre, and music sense--too bad he's the technological equivalent of The Ring *heehee*)
8)MarQ1: "It is what it is" (Mark--handsome bald head...wonder what the face actually looks like? :-)
9)Sean's Soapbox (Bah-stun babe, gourmet chef, Uncle spoil-them-kids)
10)Tricky Tricot: "Always Check Your Gauge!" (Aubergine--Dazzling personality, Master D.C. Knitter, Faboo honey.)

Female Knitters--The Gals
1)At My Knits End: CrazyDaisy (Kerstin, also Bah-stun, is an amazing knitter, supermom, dedicated wife, and all around beautiful woman. You go, girl!)
2)WendyKnits: "Knitting & Spinning. The Fun Never Stops" (THE Wendy! Speed-Demon knitter, Perfectionist--takes one to know one!, giving/sharing soul, pet of Lucy :-), fantastic person. We think she swatches gauge "blankets" for fun.)
3)Yarn Harlot: "Stephanie Pearl-McPhee goes on (and on) about knitting." (Stephanie, knitter, author, self-deprecating, enthusiastic & driven, generous beyond belief, and truly hilarious and real.)

SKSK

Feeling somewhat better...

2005-03-07T00:01:00.000-05:00

...but slammed with work. I haven't been a good boy in keeping up with all the papers I have to grade. Some of the assignments were due to me over a month ago, and I haven't returned them back to the students yet. *chagrin*

Oh well, they'll live. I'm always torn between assigning work that will get them to think (and use correct English!) and my absolute hatred for grading students' papers. Most of the time, they bitch and moan because I take off points for awkward usage, misspellings, grammatical errors, lack of paragraphs, run-on sentences, vague pronoun usage without antecedents, etc. I assume they should know all of this grammatical information because after 8 years of Catholic Elementary School, 4 years of Catholic (Jesuit) High School, and 4 years of Catholic (Jesuit) University [Xavier in Cincy], I know it! They should know it too.

Then again, I don't think most of my students are actually worried too much about their foreign language classes, and even less about American Sign Language. I attempt to open their minds up to the diversity of cultures and peoples in the worlds, occasionally sprinkling my teaching style with lectures, group work, 1-on-1 partner exercises, in-class presentations, workbook studies, videotaped projects (where I videotape them and give them feedback immediately), and even some spoken Spanish, French, German, and Chinese. I even try to use mime, gesture, international sign language, and Swedish Sign Language. They are still unresponsive--perhaps rigor mortis?

WHY OH WHY are the kids these days so DENSE & UN-INFORMED??? When I was their age, even though I didn't care a lot about school (most of my formative years were simplistic and unchallenging), I still put forth the effort and attempted to make my work LOOK good.

As I got into college, I remembered a friend from High School who was an artist and loved to draw (pencil, pen, ink, charcoal, etc.) just like a professional architect. I was always so jealous of his beautiful penmanship and attention to detail. His lettering seemed blue-print perfect! So I went into the college bookstore one day and bought a "Penmanship Design" book specifically geared towards people taking architectural/drawing classes. It helped me immensely and I practised endlessly when taking my notes in classes. In fact, I realized exactly how wasteful, limiting, and un-creative lined paper was. I started buying reams of paper, punching 3 holes into them, and creating my own unlined notebooks, thus allowing for more creativity, more clear outlining, additions of diagrams, drawings, charts, etc.

Or maybe my anal retentiveness and undermotivated overachieving-ness was highly at work during those years? (To this day, my notes must be perfect, but my apartment can be a condemned shit hole. Talk about psychological "control" issues. Well, not now. Just food for thought for another blog entry.)

Well, I'm off to grade sub-par barely literate papers by my star students. Enjoy your evening!

(BTW, no more fever! No more headache, no more burning eyeballs!...well, except for symptoms attributable to Jon, but he knows why. *poke* *poke* :-)

SKSK

ugggh I hate this feeling

2005-03-06T13:50:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning with aches and pains running down my arms. I located the source of my pain -- all throughout my body.

And then I noticed the fluttery/flutter-by feelings in my tummy. Years of experience have told me that this is the onset of a low-grade fever. (I typically run cold, 97.5F or 97.8F (22.16C-22.3C), but NEVER 98.6F (23C). I chalked up my fluttery tummy to hunger pains...but then it became somewhat nauseous.

I had to go to work (interpreting church at 11:30am -- WAY too early for me, but I dragged my ass there). Got there just in the middle of the opening instrumental song. Luckily, during the Lenten/pre-Easter season, it's a little laid back with opening songs. I switch back and forth from time to time, if I interpret for the priest or interpret the songs/people responses. This week I did the priest. (*evil snicker* Take that as you care to!)

All during mass my arms and hands were aching, though no sharp pains. I knew that I was getting sick, but it was slightly chilly in the church. I couldn't notice my fever.

Now that I'm back at home, I can feel my eyeballs heating up and my throat drying.

(See, all my training from my mother-the-nurse: self-diagnosis, symptomatic logic, and ultimate denial of every need for "professional" treatment services, has really paid off!)

I'm going back to bed.

Oh, not to leave the bloggers in the land with nothing controversial and dare we say "dangereuse", how about:

Ponchos: out or in?

Discuss amongst yourselves!

SKSK

2005-03-04T14:42:00.000-05:00

Rainbow donuts with little "eye" dots on them, surrounded by smoky purple/black glass bicone beads, a clear white glass bead, and topped off with a hematite heart. Stitch Markers can accommodate up to US 6 (4.25mm).

2005-03-04T14:36:00.000-05:00

Fimo Peace symbols dangling between two arms - iridescent round beads and black-lined glass beads, all in gold. Stitch Markers can accommodate up to US 6 (4.25mm).

2005-03-04T14:19:00.000-05:00

En Francais, "Le Penguin"! Fimo Penguin charms swinging from two arms, each containing black-white-black interior-coated glass triangular beads, then connected to golden jump rings. Stitch Markers can accommodate up to US 6 (4.25mm).

2005-03-04T14:11:00.000-05:00

Dichroic glass beads at the center, white Miracle beads at the bottom, and sandwiched in between--two silver dragonfly charms, and topped by an iridescent glass twist tube and mini silver star. Large Stitch Markers can accommodate up to US 35 (? mm). :-)

2005-03-04T12:07:00.000-05:00

More Silver Charms! Dolphin with aqua and teal glass beads, a light blue Swarovski crystal bead, plus a light blue Miracle bead. Butterfly with pink and a clear white Swarovski crystal bead, topped with a red Miracle bead. Ladybug charm with 2 ruby red Swarovski crystal beads, a single clear white glass bead, a smoky purple/black glass bead, also topped by a red Miracle bead. For all Stitch Markers, they will accommodate up to a Size US 6 (4.25mm).

2005-03-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

Silver Rain Forest Tree Frog charm, teal glass beads, Emerald Green Swarovski crystal beads, lime green and 2 shades of red seed beads. Stitch Marker will accommodate up to a Size US 6 (4.25mm).

2005-03-04T11:58:00.000-05:00

Silver Butterfly charm, pink (milky & clear), white, orange, and periwinkle seed beads, a clear white glass mid-spacer, and bookended with rectangular glass beads, pink interiors. Stitch Marker will accommodate up to a Size US 6 (4.25mm).

2005-03-04T11:54:00.000-05:00

Silver Sunflower charm with a clear white glass bead, golden glass rectangular beads, sterling silver mid-spacer, and a white/silver Miracle Bead atop. Stitch Marker will accommodate up to a Size US 6 (4.25mm).

2005-03-04T11:52:00.000-05:00

Silver Dragonfly with iridescent green/blue plastic beads, aqua and blue glass beads, and a single lustrous clear white bead in the middle. Stitch Marker top will accommodate up to a Size US 6 (4.25mm).

2005-03-04T11:14:00.000-05:00

Real Amethyst with Silver Filigree globes and tubes, topped with Anodized Violet Glass Beads. (Inside the Silver Tube is a fine iridescent twist glass tube.) Stitch Marker top will accommodate up to a Size US 6 (4.25mm).

Has it been a week?

2005-03-04T05:20:00.000-05:00

Wow! I can't believe that it's been over a week since the last time I posted. OK, so here goes:

10 things about me (on my way to my "100 things about me" list):

1) My mother's Irish, my father's Italian. My brother's Vietnamese. My Step-Father is Slovakian. My cat's a mutt. :-)
2) I'm a American Sign Language/Spoken English interpreter by training, an adjunct instructor of ASL at University of Cincinnati, and a bourgeoning ASL/Interpreter Workshop Trainer.
3) I never really wanted to be an interpreter, and didn't even know what they did until about 2 years into my training (back in 1997-1998).
4) The longest time I've held a full time job was 3 years.
5) I got my Bachelor in Psychology degree first ('96), then went backwards to get my Associate Degree in Interpreting ('98).
6) I hate school. But I hate paying back Student Loans even more. This seeming irony forces me to consider staying in school forever and continually deferring Loan Payments.
7) I could easily become a life-long student...if it didn't carry the cost of tuition and fees/books!
8) I *LOVE* coffee -- espresso is my D.O.C. (Drug Of Choice). My favorite drink is a Triple-Shot [espresso], Grande [medium], Soy Milk, Carmel Macchiato, with Carmel in the cup and on top of the Whipped Cream. It's a diabetics coma-inducing dream drink.
9) I shy away from milk - I think I've become mostly lactose intolerant, and I don't drink/imbibe alcohol - due to an oxalo-acetic [by-product of metabolized alcohol] allergic reaction that is prevalent in peoples of Asiatic descent. I don't smoke - tried it once as a young kid (mom and dad smoked, both have quit), got caught, hated it.
10) I have the most amazing husband of 5-1/2 years. If only we could formalize it with an actual legal "marriage". We have already traveled to Hawaii and registered as "reciprocal benefits partners" in that state. (IF we ever decide to move to Hawaii, we'd be eligible for each other's benefits & other legalities that currently married couples already receive.) Anyway, he's my heart and soul (and my conscience on many occasions). He's also an ASL/Spoken English Interpreter.

Just a little snapshot of me. :-)

More pics to follow!

SKSK
Bob

2005-02-23T04:03:00.001-05:00

And another up-close pic of the Cloisonne beads.

2005-02-23T04:03:00.000-05:00

Stitch Markers! Cloisonne beads with some glazed and clear glass beads, then a 24K gold twist-tube near the top. These are RAOKs for my Cincinnati Knit Meet Up friends. More to come! Bob SKSK

2005-02-23T04:01:00.000-05:00

Stitch Markers! Almost a rainbow of fruit flavours, but missing orange and yellow. I'll have to search for more "Cat's eye" beads & Swarovski crystals. *sigh* These are RAOKs for a great friend out in Bahhh-stn. Kerstin, you ROCK! :-)

2005-02-23T03:27:00.000-05:00

Kitty/Puppy pic #4 - I just had to do it. I broke down and bought my first Addi Turbo circular needles (Size US 9, 5.5mm, 32" long). Tosha told me to go until I have 120 stitches on my needles -- well that wouldn't work very well with my genera-Susan Bates plasti-crylic knock-offs! So I got these brass-plated tips. I LOVE THEM!!! Oh, to finish the pattern...wait for more pics. >:-P

2005-02-23T03:24:00.000-05:00

Kitty/Puppy pic #3 - Close Up of the start - a la Tosha: Cast on 1, then increase (Knit into the front, then the back of the first stitch). Keep increasing in the first stitch, while Knitting across, until you have 6 stitches. At that point, you Knit 3, YO, Knit to the end. Turn, Knit 3, YO, Knit to end. Do this till hell freezes over. (Or you're me and you get bored or your hand hurts.)

2005-02-23T03:22:00.000-05:00

Kitty/Puppy pic #2 - notice the 3-stitch border, then the YO, and then you continue with Knits to the end. It's all Knit, which gives you a Garter Stitch double-sided fabric.

2005-02-23T03:21:00.000-05:00

Kitty/Puppy pic #1

Whatcha doin'?

2005-02-23T03:12:00.000-05:00

So it's been a few days (or a week or so) since my last post. I'm trying to figure out what to say. It's already the end of February. I've received all my W-2s and 1099-Miscs, plus a letter from the IRS about my 2003 return.

(Seems they want more money from me. *sigh*)

I'll get to that soon enough. Anyway, what else is going on? I've joined a few knitting groups around the area: Cincinnati Knitting Meet Up, Cincinnati Crocheting Meet Up, Cincinnati Stitch 'n Bitch, and North East Cincinnati Stitch 'n Bitch.

I've only been able to make it to the Cincinnati Knitting Meet Up due to conflicts on the other days/times. But I plan on eventually getting to them all. I've met some great knitters/friends/advisors too! Thanks to Sheryl, Kimber, Amy, Tosha, and Liz...my knitting is coming along.

I've learned to work a basic Fair Isle design, crochet a "bear hat" complete with ears, eyes, and muzzle, and have started on my Kitty-Puppy blanket (a la Tosha) that will benefit poor kits/pups in shelters. They need some softness and warmth in their lives until they're adopted. So we're doing a service here.

Next week I'm going to learn to make some socks! (Thanks to Kimber--knitter extraordinaire!!! *all bow down to the knit-goddess!*)

I'll post more kitty/puppy blanket pics as they come!

SKSK

2005-02-14T01:07:00.000-05:00

Drum roll, please! It's the happy recipient: Susan. (And since, she doesn't wear it to work because it might get dirty. I don't even think she wears it out in public. Mayhaps she's Potter-Paranoid???) :-P

2005-02-14T01:00:00.000-05:00

Here's the final pic. And no, I'm not HIGH!?!?! I'm just anti-climactic that the damned thing is finished. *hehehe*

Who's the Asshole/Bitch???

2005-02-14T00:57:00.000-05:00

And what are you? :-)

I am 59% Asshole/Bitch.

I am abrasive, some people really hate me, but there may be a group of other tight knit assholes and bitches that I can hang out with and get me. Everybody else? Fuck ‘em.

Take the
Asshole/Bitch Test
@ FualiDotCom

Don't Fall Asleep! (And don't answer the door to "trick or treat!")

2005-01-28T09:27:00.000-05:00

Scary!!!! Children, ski masks, tribal images (before tribal was cool!)...

Ski Mask Knitting Instructions, a la Snapatorium - *snap!*

If you want to see something that's JUST NOT RIGHT...(from a knitting & a sane perspective), check out this craziness. Children should NOT be dressed in these types of masks, even if it was popular back in the mid-60s.

(As we all know, the mid-60s was a time of upheaval, crazy "fashion", and experimental thingies...I think this link qualifies!)

2005-01-27T09:10:00.000-05:00

HP Gryffindor Scarf - And the "almost-finished" look. There's still an awful lot of alternating fringe to put on the ends. It hung to my mid-thighs (without fringe), which is why it's wrapped once around my neck. Once the fringe is on, it should hang to my knees. For Susan, this would be her waist! :-)

2005-01-27T09:08:00.000-05:00

HP Gryffindor Scarf - Red/Scarlet end - top down perspective. (Ironically, this project really gives one a great introduction to the entire world of Beginning Knitting - classes 1-35!)

2005-01-27T09:07:00.001-05:00

HP Gryffindor Scarf - What do those finished/bound-off edges look like? Here's the Red/Scarlet end.

2005-01-27T09:07:00.000-05:00

HP Gryffindor Scarf - Gold end - top down perspective.

2005-01-27T09:06:00.001-05:00

HP Gryffindor Scarf - What do those finished/bound-off edges look like? Here's the Gold end.

2005-01-27T09:06:00.000-05:00

HP Gryffindor Scarf - Oh yeah, to have a nice finish to your sock scarf, it makes sense to bind off the ends (so that it has that "finished" look). Little did I know that this would open up the world of the 3-Needle Bind-Off (or "Menage a Trois BO" in the knitting world :-).

2005-01-27T09:04:00.000-05:00

HP Gryffindor Scarf - Sock Scarves...must be turned inside out, seamed (mattress-stitched in this case), then the ends weaved in. With 15 blocks, guess how many weaved-in ends?

2005-01-27T09:03:00.001-05:00

HP Gryffindor Scarf - Block #13...will the tedium never end???

2005-01-27T09:03:00.000-05:00

HP Gryffindor Scarf - @ block #12 (Red, Gold, Red, Gold...*Arrrggggh!*)

Knitting Mania!

2005-01-27T05:23:00.000-05:00

I've taken up more craziness in my life. I don't use my hands enough--I rock climb (used to), I interpret, I type, I crochet, and now I KNIT!!! :-)

There's nothing more exciting and awesome than to see loop after loop suddenly make the type of fabric that I've only been able to buy! But now I can make it myself. It's called Stockinette Stitch - it's a bitch stitch, but it's the basis of a lot of fabrics, sweaters, scarves, etc.

I've been working on a Harry Potter scarf (Gryffindor) for my friend Susan. She'd better be DAMN-WELL happy, since it's taken me over 4 months to get this thing done.

(That's how long I've been "learning" to knit...4 months of off-again/on-again work on a stupid block scarf--15 blocks to be precise. And to make it even more "educational", I got to learn how to mattress stitch/whip stitch the double-wide scarf into a sock. Then I learned how to tuck in ends, tighten things up, and then even do a 3-Needle Bind-Off...I know, sounds kinky, eh? *grin*)

I'll post some progress pics soon!

Auf Wiedersehn

Rogers Indicator of Multiple Intelligences

2005-01-24T17:35:00.000-05:00

My Friend, Robert Lee (the 3rd) had this up on his blog, and it just invited me into testing myself. Check it out and see what you are! ;-)

You scored as Verbal/Linguistic. You have highly developed auditory skills, enjoy reading and writing and telling stories, and are good at getting your point across. You learn best by saying and hearing words. People like you include poets, authors, speakers, attorneys, politicians, lecturers and teachers.

Verbal/Linguistic

100%

Bodily/Kinesthetic

93%

Interpersonal

89%

Visual/Spatial

89%

Musical/Rhythmic

82%

Intrapersonal

79%

Logical/Mathematical

64%

The Rogers Indicator of Multiple Intelligences
created with QuizFarm.com

Another 4 years, Another $40 Million, Another 40 Million...dead?

2005-01-20T07:11:00.000-05:00

Protest the Inauguration -- "party while our beloved friends, family, and fellow Americans die in a meaningless, useless, unnecessary war...all for the price of over $40 million?". Look closely and see his accountability for all those who have given their lives to HIS WAR.

Secret...Gaysian Man...

2008 - New Year, New Resolutions, New Life!

"New Day, New Dawn, New Life...For Me!"

Scripps-Howard Spelling Bee

I WON!

Anyone out there?

Winter Quarter's Done...now what?

A Gay Old Time!

Re-Direct!

My-my-my! Blog-itude

Cooties?

Thoughts & Prayers

Meme to end all memes!

Qualifier!

Spam Assholes!

Most Excellent Summer Eats!

Retractions & Errata

Where ya been?

Where have I been?

Hola, from San Antonio!

Better and better! Worse and worse!

The Good:

Now for the The Bad Stuff:

So it happens in threes!

COMPETITION!!!

Back in the Groove

Felting, fulling, beating my sheep (er, alpaca)!

And? I'm better!

This is Getting OLD!

Just a Quickie?

I can do it, yes I can!

In Flagrante Delicto!

Academia BLOWS!

My Friday (05/27/05)

3-D in 2-D 4 all U

Retirement Home

On The Needles...what?

Alaskan Socks

Phoenix Socks

Rainbow 2-Step Tube Scarf--my own creation

Birthday Surprise!

Off The HOOK!

Not Dead Yet!

On a different note

Finally, another thing:

Cue the music

Please excuse our dust...

This means:

New Stitch Markers!!!

FYI

Why? Because I had to!

Welcome, Spring!

TOO F**KING BAD!!! She won't get that satisfaction!

Procrastination... maybe later?

Schedule C, anyone?

Go, BLO!

Brawny -- *ahem*

Real News? Washington Post Express Spoof!

The RoundUp

Another Quiz from LeHilz

My uterus is bigger than yours! :-)

I MADE HER A UTERUS!!!

Out of sight,... out of mind? Nope! But still traumatized!

Where ya been?

Grades

Knitting

What's up for the weekend?

Phoenix Sock

Update on the Kitty/Puppy Blankie!

Gracie, the Grande Damme

Geoffrey, the middle child

Max, the big-baby

Group shot, say "cheese"!

Ahhh, and the Kitties/Puppies are warm?

I'm getting the hang of this "Hello"/photo-hosting stuff! *yay!*

Broken promises!

Finals upon us!

My knitting friends, my influences...

Feeling somewhat better...

*ugggh* I hate this feeling

Brawny -- ahem

I'm getting the hang of this "Hello"/photo-hosting stuff! yay!

ugggh I hate this feeling