tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90113012024-03-23T14:31:39.242-04:00hip hip crochetyarn and books and dogs, oh myPamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352303252201409443noreply@blogger.comBlogger536125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9011301.post-30183633250803973352022-11-11T17:02:00.001-05:002022-11-11T17:02:52.168-05:00Hey bloggerYo --TOFIR
<br>Date: Sat, 12 Nov 2022 01:02:22 +0300
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<br>------=_NextPart_000_0087_YUDVCUZC.ET869NMT--Pamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352303252201409443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9011301.post-87785119681273288072022-09-19T07:50:00.001-04:002022-09-19T07:50:25.569-04:00blogger Hello<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.4pt;font-family:sans-serif'>Blogger<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.4pt;font-family:sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.4pt;font-family:sans-serif'><a href="https://bit.ly/3S3ePQS">https://www.google.com/search?q=plovera.lucy@blogger.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.4pt;font-family:sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.4pt;font-family:sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.4pt;font-family:sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.4pt;font-family:sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.4pt;font-family:sans-serif'>Plovera27<o:p></o:p></span></p></div>Pamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352303252201409443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9011301.post-66352045182701215322022-02-09T17:57:00.001-05:002022-02-09T17:57:20.242-05:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.3pt;font-family:Verdana'>Blogger<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.3pt;font-family:Verdana'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.3pt;font-family:Verdana'><a href="https://bit.ly/3HFJQ8z">https://bit.ly/3HFJQ8z</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.3pt;font-family:Verdana'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.3pt;font-family:Verdana'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.3pt;font-family:Verdana'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.3pt;font-family:Verdana'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.3pt;font-family:Verdana'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:11.3pt;font-family:Verdana'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div>Pamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352303252201409443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9011301.post-10248474561108378212020-07-06T17:21:00.000-04:002020-07-06T17:27:39.955-04:00<div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.1pt;font-family:sans-serif'>Blogger<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.1pt;font-family:sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.1pt;font-family:sans-serif'><a href="http://bit.do/fGp8i">http://bit.do/fGp8i</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.1pt;font-family:sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.1pt;font-family:sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.1pt;font-family:sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.1pt;font-family:sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.1pt;font-family:sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.1pt;font-family:sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div>Pamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352303252201409443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9011301.post-42082680327079435112008-12-30T17:51:00.003-05:002008-12-31T09:14:39.334-05:00Last books of 2008<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top">62. <em>Thunderstruck</em> - Erik Larson. The story of The Crippen murder/chase and the discovery of wireless communication, all intertwined like Larson did with the Chicago World Fair and HH Holmes in <em>The Devil in the White City</em>. Larson is always interesting and I love this period of history, the early 1900's.<br /><br />63. <em>Key of Light</em> - Nora Roberts<br /><br />64. <em>Key of Knowledge</em> - Nora Roberts<br /><br />65. <em>Key of Valor</em> - Nora Roberts. Another trilogy by Roberts. I think I liked the Three Sisters trilogy better, but these were pretty good.<br /><br />66.<em> A Walk in the Woods</em> - Bill Bryson. A re-read for the hospital book club.<br /><br />67. <em>Drowning Ruth</em> - Christina Schwartz. Arizona book club. Interesting but rather predictable.<br /><br />68. <em>Twilight</em> - Stephanie Meyers. An unscheduled re-read to prepare for reading...<br /><br />69. <em>New Moon</em> - Stephanie Meyers. Edward, still creepy and kind of an asshole. And Bella is annoying. I'm definitely on Team Jacob, at least for this book.<br /><br />70. <em>They Psychology of Joss Whedon: an unauthorized exploration of Buffy, Angel and Firefly</em> - Joy Davidson, Editor. Pretty in-depth for a pop psychology book. If you have a deep interest in either psychology or Whedon, you might like it. Casual fans of either should probably skip it.<br /><br />71. <em>Stolen Innocence: my story of growing up in a polygamous sect, becoming a teenage bride and breaking free of Warren Jeffs</em> - Elissa Wall with Lisa Pulitzer. Depressing, thought-provoking, sad and hopeful. I'm slightly fascinated by the Fundamentalist Mormons and this book gave a good behind-the-scenes picture of them.<br /><br />72. <em>The Colorado Kid</em> - Stephen King. Not good. At least it was short.<br /><br />73. <em>Dead Until Dark</em> - Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire series). OK, but True Blood is almost directly pulled from this so it didn't have much new in it. I'm starting the next in the series soon and then I'm make a judgment if I like the stories or not.<br /><br />74. <em>Eclipse</em> - Stephanie Meyers. And now Jacob pisses me off. I give up. The only decent person in the books is Charlie and even he's a bit off.<br /><br />75. <em>Breaking Dawn</em> - Stephanie Meyers. Really? Half-vampire babies? "True love" imprinting on infants? Dental c-sections? The name Renesmee? Really?!? Oy.<br /><br />76. <em>The Dewey Decimal System of Love</em> - Josephine Carr. Got it just for the title, which turned out to be the best thing about the book. Had potential but it just got weird.<br /><br />77. <em>Midnight Sun</em> - Stephanie Meyers. I had to do it, just for completion sake. At least Edward realized he was being a creepy stalker, so that's something...<br /><br />78. <em>The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America</em> - Bill Bryson. Technically I haven't finished this one yet, but I only have 20 pages to go so I'll finish it tonight unless something unforeseen happens (premature New Year's Eve revelry, for example).<br /><br />So, 78 books for the year. Not bad considering I was working full time AND had satellite tv for the first time in 9 years. Maybe next year I'll give up sleep and finally get to 100.<br /><br />Happy New Year to all. Lucy and I hope 2009 treats you kindly.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Pamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352303252201409443noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9011301.post-83079134723359585562008-11-13T19:00:00.003-05:002008-11-13T19:30:41.126-05:00A Trio of GoatsPart of the AZ trip was a visit to the <a href="http://www.uniquedesignsbykathy.com/12794.html">Tucson Wool Festival</a> at The Withers' Ranch. Llamas, Jacob goats, one alpaca, angora bunnies and an inordinate amount of mohair goats. Many pictures were taken. <br /><br />I liked this guy because it looked like he had a piece of salt water taffy stuck to his head. Licorice, I assumed. <br /><br /><center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Misc/?action=view¤t=IMG_3458.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Misc/IMG_3458.jpg" border="0" alt="Salt Water Taffy Horn"></a></center><br /><br /><br />This big fellow was the mohair ram. Gigantic horns and - as an extra, added bonus - he was in rut. Which consists of him peeing and then rubbing his face in it. Apparently, that's all it takes to get the female goats all revved up. Also apparent? I am not a female goat...man, did this guy stink. Cool horns though.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Misc/?action=view¤t=IMG_3438.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Misc/IMG_3438.jpg" border="0" alt="Big Horn Mohair"></a></center><br /><br /><br />[whisper]"Don't look now, but I think Mabel's gone and gotten herself posessed. Head's about to twist clean off. I'd leave right quick, before the pea soup starts flying." <br /><br /><center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Misc/?action=view¤t=IMG_3432.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Misc/IMG_3432.jpg" border="0" alt="Mohair goat"></a></center>Pamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352303252201409443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9011301.post-61492608915428433492008-11-10T18:58:00.003-05:002008-11-13T19:31:44.646-05:00BooksI know I've been away a long time. The new wheel is only one (poor) excuse. I'm not making any promises since, apparently, I can't honor them but here's some of what I've been doing, at least.<br /><br />38. <em>The Wind Done Gone</em> - Alice Randall. <em>Gone with the Wind </em>parody. Interesting.<br />39. <em>The Last Full Measure </em>- Jeff Shaara. More Civil War obsession. I don't like Jeff as much as Michael Shaara (son and father) but I still like the topic. And it still had my imaginary Civil War boyfriend, Lawrence Chamberlain.<br />40. <em>Fasting Feasting </em>- Anita Desai. AZ book club. Didn't care for it, don't really remember it.<br />41. <em>The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao</em> - Junot Diaz. Awesome!!! Read this now!<br />42. <em>Manassas: The Civil Ward Battle Series Book 1; A Novel</em> - James Reasoner. Hoped this would be good. Really not.<br />43. <em>Twilight</em> - Stephanie Meyers. Hospital book club. Not as good as the rest of the world thinks and Edward is a creepy stalker but I can understand why it's popular.<br />44. <em>A Gift of Dragons </em>- Anne McCaffrey. 4 Pern short stories, only one new. Still good.<br />45. <em>The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death: Reflections on Revenge, Germophobia and Laser Hair Removal</em> - Laurie Notaro. Very funny but contained the saddest story I've ever read about the death of a pet. The lovely Mel got it signed for me at Changing Hands so my collection remains complete.<br />46. <em>An Abundance of Katherines </em>- John Green. Young Adult but great. Nerds and math and love...how could it go wrong.<br />47. <em>The Friday Night Knitting Club: A Novel</em> - Kate Jacobs. OK. Reminded me of the Blossom Street books. <br />48. <em>Will the Vampire People Please Leave the Lobby? True Adventures in Cult Fandom</em> - Allyson Beatrice. The story of a Buffy message board moderator. Pretty funny but I was hoping for more.<br />49. <em>Dragon Harper</em> - Anne McCaffrey and Todd McCaffrey. Pern again. Still good.<br />50. <em>Dragon's Fire</em> - Anne McCaffrey and Todd McCaffrey. Pern again again. Still still good.<br />51. <em>Gods Behaving Badly</em> - Marie Phillips. The Greek gods in a squat in present day London. AZ book club. I loved it, others hated it. Aphrodite is in it, so of course there's going to be some smut. Very funny.<br />52. <em>Looking for Alaska</em> - John Green. I like this one too, almost as much as <em>An Abundance of Katherines</em>. Nice coming of age story.<br />53. <em>Serenity: The Official Visual Companion</em> - Joss Whedon. The shooting script and behind the scenes of the Firefly movie. I think this completes my Firefly obsession collection.<br />54. <em>21: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Mil</em>lions - Ben Mezrich - The book before the movie. Since I know little of blackjack and have less interest in Vegas behind the scenes drama, this didn't do much for me. In fact, I'm not sure why I read it in the first place.<br />55. <em>The Running Man</em> - Stephen King. A re-read when I didn't want to think too much.<br />56. <em>Dance Upon the Air</em> - Nora Roberts<br />57. <em>Heaven and Earth</em> - Nora Roberts<br />58.<em> Face the Fire </em>- Nora Roberts. These three are the Three Sisters Island trilogy. They were highly recommended to me by a friend so I read them. I assumed they would be, at the very most, tolerable but I ended up really enjoying them and finishing them all in one weekend. Next up, the Key trilogy.<br />59. <em>A Dirty Job</em> - Christopher Moore. My trip to AZ book. A re-read but Moore is completely awesome and worth rereading numerous times.<br />60. <em>Triptych</em> - Karin Slaughter. Another recommendation, from whom I can't remember. I can't say I enjoyed it, a typical murder mystery except it was a lot grosser than others I've read. All that being said, I read the whole thing in one day. <br />61. <em>Fat Tuesday</em> - Sandra Brown. Another murder mystery. Eh.<br /><br />So, to sum up: Still obsessed with Joss Whedon, the Civil War and Pern. New minor obsession with Nora Roberts. Not too many re-reads. Overall positive ratings. Need to find new descriptive words.<br /><br />And one last thing: Edward is a creepy stalker. Really. If he's breaking into your house, it's not love - it's a felony.Pamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352303252201409443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9011301.post-76625324166375916752008-08-20T19:22:00.004-04:002008-08-21T08:53:39.920-04:00Can't Blog. Spinning.<center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/?action=view¤t=IMG_3317.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/IMG_3317.jpg" border="0"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/?action=view¤t=IMG_3333.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/IMG_3333.jpg" border="0" ></a><br /><br /><br /></center>Pamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352303252201409443noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9011301.post-76422562715737613402008-07-31T19:06:00.003-04:002008-07-31T21:19:45.840-04:00My Google-Fu is THAT GoodToday was one of those days I know I made the correct career choice. Bizarre research questions and finding the exact (free, full text) journals I needed. Tracking down a recent newsweekly for an ADVERTISEMENT (i.e. something that wasn't indexed anywhere because it wasn't, you know, science.) Instantaneous article retrieval. Almost proving a negative. <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=google-fu">And so on</a>.<br /><br />OK, maybe having a Grand Rounds with lots of slides of purulent eye discharge wasn't a great aesthetic choice for a lunch conference but that was the presenters choice, not mine. It was still educational even if half the audience wouldn't look at the screen. Or that may have just been me. Eye juice, ick.<br /><br />In dog news, Lucy has found her new favorite place in the backyard.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Lucy/?action=view&current=IMG_3309.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Lucy wedging" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Lucy/IMG_3309.jpg" border="0" /></a> </center><br /><br />It's nice and cozy wedged between the ac unit and the gas meter.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Lucy/?action=view&current=IMG_3310.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Lucy perusing" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Lucy/IMG_3310.jpg" border="0" /></a> </center><br /><br />And there's lots to eat.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Lucy/?action=view&current=IMG_3311.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Lucy grazing" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Lucy/IMG_3311.jpg" border="0" /></a> </center>Pamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352303252201409443noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9011301.post-37796897711125163582008-07-29T19:22:00.006-04:002008-07-29T21:12:01.066-04:00Symbolism 101<center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Misc/?action=view&current=IMG_3280.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Mood weather" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Misc/IMG_3280.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(The view from my backyard last week, 4 o'clock on a balmy summer afternoon. Plus a tornado watch.)</span></center><center><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></center><br />Things are getting brighter but it's been mighty cloudy for a while now.<br /><br />Not torrential downpour cloudy, but more like take-a-blog-hiatus cloudy. I was on the edge of a bad spell and needed to spend some time addressing it. I've being getting acupuncture for the past few months and just recently started on some Chinese herbal medicine to "restore my middle qi" and fix my weak spleen. There's some detoxification action happening as well. I'm not sure if I understand it all, but I'm definitely feeling it, in a good way. One of these days, I may actually feel like a real live girl and then the next step is to stay that way. Right now, it's a goal I think I can obtain. Fingers crossed (and needles at the ready.)<br /><br />There are a lot of things I want to share with you all, but we're going to start with some baby steps. I like blogging but I need it to not seem insurmountable so we'll be spreading out the fiber, travel, Lucy, bookly and deep-thoughts wealth. First up (because they're the closest to the computer) is all of the books since April.<br /><br />22. <em>Life was a Cabaret: A Tale of Two Fools, A Boat, and a Big-A** Ocean</em> - Becky Coffield. Arizona book club. Not good. If you're going to sell your home and sail around on a boat forever, at least invest in some safety equipment. Also, a 360 degree turn leaves you facing the same way you started. If you want to run away, try a 180. Jeez louise.<br /><br />23. <em>Julia's Chocolate</em> - Cathy Lamb. Hospital book club. This one I'd recommend with a few me-specific caveats. a) The cover managed to piss me off by the second page; the narrator is fat and her abandoned wedding dress, as pictured, is a size 2, if that. And b) without a speculum and a mirror, you can't see your own vagina. Vulva yes, but vaginas are internal. Intelligent women should know this. Other that those points, it was very good.<br /><br />24. <em>The Complete Persepolis</em> - Marjane Satrapi. A graphic novel that's recently become a movie. Very interesting look at Iran from a non-conforming female perspective.<br /><br />25. <em>The Blue and the Gray</em> - John Leekley. There was a CBS mini-series done from this book in the 80's. I vaguely remember that but I read this book approximately 7 billion times. It has to have been 10 years since the last time I picked it up, but I still had large sections memorized. Actually a pretty good overview of the Civil War.<br /><br />26. <em>The Twelfth Card</em> - Jeffery Deaver. Typical Deaver twinkie book.<br /><br />27. <em>A Darker Place</em> - Laurie R. King. Not as good as the Mary Russell/Holmes books but okay. The ending was a little rushed.<br /><br />28. <em>Donnybrook: The Battle of Bull Run, 1861 </em>- David Detzer. Local history (for me at least). I liked this but it needed more maps, I spent way too much time trying to figure out where people were supposed to be. I was forced to supplement with a Manassas Battlefield Park map and even that didn't help too much because all the landmarks apparently have at least 2 names. It took me a long time to finish, but it was worth it. I also learned that there was a Confederate officer named Bartley B. Boone and that, in and of itself, almost made up for the lack of maps.<br /><br />29. <em>Savannah Blues</em> - Mary Kay Andrews. Hospital book club. Mystery set in Savannah (duh). Cute book.<br /><br />30. <em>Whatever You Do, Don't Run; True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide</em> - Peter Allison. Arizona book club. The title says it all and it was funny. Recommended.<br /><br />31. <em>World Without End</em> - Ken Follett. Sequel to <em>Pillars of the Earth</em>, set a few hundred years later in the same town. A Fortunate Find at the library with means you get two weeks to read it. At 1024 pages, that was a challenge but worth it.<br /><br />32. <em>Grave Talent</em> - Laurie R. King. Not Mary Russell again. Okay.<br /><br />33. <em>The Killer Angels</em> - Michael Shaara. Re-read to prepare for a trip to Gettysburg National Battlefield Park. Love this book and still have a major literary/historical crush on Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. If you haven't read this already, please do. Even if you don't like "war" books, it's so much more than that. But stay away from Chamberlain, he's <strong>my</strong> imaginary civil war boyfriend.<br /><br />34. <em>Another Thing to Fall</em> - Laura Lippman. Tess Monaghan book. Very similar to the others.<br /><br />35. <em>The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World</em> - Eric Weiner. Arizona book club. Pretty good.<br /><br />36. <em>Breach of Duty</em> - JA Jance. Hospital book club. Okay, nothing special. May have been better if I didn't start in the middle of the series.<br /><br />37. <em>The Cold Moon</em> - Jeffery Deaver. Again, pretty typical Deaver but I think he outdid himself with the twists. I lost count after the third time "nothing was as it seems". At least he redeemed himself with an actual reason for repeating plot points and motivations from <em>The Bone Collector</em>.<br />I think that's all of them. I'm not on track to hit 100 this year but I'll give it a shot.<br /><br />More later. Probably.Pamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352303252201409443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9011301.post-46223638245184220532008-04-17T20:07:00.002-04:002008-04-17T19:48:54.587-04:00In which I am covered in salad dressing and despairAs Anonymous so aptly noted in the comments of my last post, I've been gone for a while now. I've been in a bit of a rough patch, I'm hanging on by a seemingly invisible thread at work and it's just sapping my energy to do much else that requires higher brain function.<br /><p>Since we last spoke I: </p><ul><li>did get an iPod, it's cute and green</li><li>almost finished a very large, oddly colored afghan</li><li>made a <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall04/PATTclapotis.html">Clapotis</a> for my Mom's birthday</li><li>went to Florida to visit my parents and see the new house they bought there</li><li>helped with one day-long conference with a speaker that was determined not to exist (kids and drugs and no one want to speak about it? Seriously?)</li><li>was a major player in a day-long conference that no one wanted to sponsor (hospitals saying they're sorry for f'ing up apparently strikes fear in the heart of drug companies and lawyers) </li><li>ate <a href="http://www.mortons.com/">$40 crab cakes </a>(on someone else's dime)</li><li>inhaled a metric crapload of mohair fiber</li><li>watched a lot of dvr'd tv</li><li>committed myself to spend a weekend sticking mailing labels on 8,000 brochures for yet another day-long conference for which I am almost solely responsible</li><li>took approximately 3 billion pictures of <a href="http://www.savethemanatee.org/">manatees</a></li><li>did some serious research into non-pharmaceutical treatments for depression and came to no firm conclusion on validity and safety</li><li>invited <a href="http://melanieskrafty.blogspot.com/">Mel</a> to come visit and go to <a href="http://www.sheepandwool.org/">Maryland Sheep and Wool</a> with me (p.s. She accepted!)</li><li>had my right eye swell shut for 24-hours due to a medication reaction (and, yes, it was a workday and, yes, I did go to work. For I am a goofus)</li><li>spent too much time feeling sorry for myself about workload, lack of energy and assorted life obstacles</li><li>went to the <a href="http://homespunyarnparty.blogspot.com/">Homespun Yarn Party</a> with <a href="http://trueepicure.com/">Eva</a> and bought pretty yarn</li><li>avoided turning on my home computer with a zeal matched only by my desire to eat my weight in <a href="http://www.tastykake.com/">Tastykakes</a></li></ul><p>and, most notably:</p><ul><li>managed to cover myself from bangs to belt in Italian dressing, thanks to an exploding squeeze bottle at the weekly Grand Rounds I run. In front of my boss. And others. </li></ul>So, that's what I've been up to. That and reading. <br /><br />12. <em>The End of the Alphabet</em> - CS Richardson. Arizona book club.<br />13. <em>The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctor and the Collision of Two Cultures</em> - Anne Fadiman. Hospital book club.<br />14. <em>Water for Elephants</em> - Sara Gruen. Still an excellent book.<br />15. <em>Serenity Found: more unauthorized essays on Joss Whedon's Firefly Universe</em> - edited by Jane Espenson. Such a good TV show I'm forced to read about it.<br />16. <em>The Thirteenth Tale</em> - Diane Setterfield. Hospital book club.<br />17. <em>The Dark Tower: The Dark Tower VII</em> - Stephen King.<br />18. <em>Off Ramp: Adventures and Heartache in the American Elsewhere</em> - Hank Stuever. Highly recommended, especially for suburb dwellers like me.<br />19. <em>Back on Blossom Street</em> - Debbie Macomber.<br />20. <em>Deja Dead</em> - Kathy Reichs. Arizona book club. Didn't really care for it. Neither did the book club.<br />21. <em>Death du jour</em> - Kathy Reichs. But that didn't stop me from reading her second book. However the second book has stopped me from reading her third. <br /><br />Pictures when my brain starts up again.Pamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352303252201409443noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9011301.post-40606401242804048172008-02-19T19:29:00.003-05:002008-02-19T20:32:26.145-05:00HiI'm back and with not a whole lot to show for it. Many things in progress, not a lot done.<br /><br />I did finish <a href="http://melanieskrafty.blogspot.com/">Mel's</a> belated birthday present.<br /><br />Pre-felting, with clogs and dog.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/?action=view&current=IMG_2967.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Mel's unfelted slippers" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/IMG_2967.jpg" border="0" /></a></center><br /><br />Post-felting<br /><br /><center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/?action=view&current=IMG_2987.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Mel's felted slippers" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/IMG_2987.jpg" border="0" /></a></center><br /><br />And the bottoms.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/?action=view&current=IMG_2991.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Slipper bottom" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/IMG_2991.jpg" border="0" /></a></center><br /><br />Pattern: Fiber Trends Felt Clogs<br />Yarn: Lamb's Pride Worsted in Strawberry Smoothie, held doubled and some "rayon chenille" in red and black<br />Needle: Knit on size 13, 24 inch, plastic. Rayon sewn on in loops with tapestry needle.<br />Bottoms: Fiber Trends' Suede 2-piece Slipper Bottoms<br /><br />I got all the yarn at <a href="http://www.the-mannings.com/">the Mannings</a> while I was living with my parents. That is seriously one of the coolest places ever. (<a href="http://lollygirl.com/blog/2008/01/28/new-weave">Lolly</a> thinks so too.) Wheels and looms and yarn and fiber everywhere. Also, many cats. I'm guessing the chenille was a 'home-grown' yarn because the label was plain white with "rayon chenille" and the yardage typed on it. That's is.<br /><br />I used 4 skeins of the Lamb's Pride but ended up with two half skeins because I was holding it doubled. I then used the leftovers to make a garter-stitch birthday scarf for a co-worker. There are pictures but they're trapped in the camera.<br /><br />Here's a partially completed blanket made with the Jo-Ann Sensations Rainbow Boucle in the aptly named "Green Print." I was making a log-cabin but I tired of binding on and casting off so I just went a little wacky with the random squares. It's finished now and there are pictures but, again, camera hostages.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/?action=view&current=IMG_2992.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/IMG_2992.jpg" border="0" /></a></center><br /><br />Library Plug!<br /><br /><center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Misc/?action=view&current=dewey.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Dewey" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Misc/dewey.png" border="0" /></a></center><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pamie.com/">Pamie's </a>doing her <a href="http://deweydonationsystem.org/">book drive </a>again and I encourage you all to go a donate a few books to some needy libraries. Do it 'cause Dewey's so darn cute!<br /><br />Only one book to report. I'm acting atypically for me and have actually started two books recently and put them down unfinished. Nothing really wrong with them and I'd gotten about halfway through each but they just weren't what I was looking for. I did finish this one.<br /><br />11. <em>Island of the Sequined Love Nun </em>- Christopher Moore. Less woo-woo then <em>Coyote Blue</em>, which is good in my opinion. Very funny, touching on organ trafficking, cargo cults and talking fruit bats with sunglasses. For me, the best part came in the Afterword: "My approach to research has always been 'Is this correct or should I be more vague?'" I'm always a fan of a good research joke.<br /><br />In other news, I just got DirecTV and a DVR so I'm planning on never leaving the house again. Except to go to the gym because I'm going to buy an actually iPod soon so I won't go insane while exercising. I have to say, having a positive income is much better than the negative one I've been dealing with the last few years.Pamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352303252201409443noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9011301.post-82802328208642190452008-02-05T19:44:00.000-05:002008-02-05T21:56:33.712-05:00Sorry about thatI managed to warp the space-time continuum and schedule Grand Rounds 4 years ago instead of last week. So, if you suddenly felt discombobulated for an hour or so last Thursday please accept my sincere apologies. And beware because I managed to do the same thing for the last week in February; that Thursday will also be taking place 4 years previously so load up your iPod with some "Hey Ya", ready your best wardrobe malfunction jokes and prepare to party like it's 2004.<br /><br />Note to self: Proof-read entire date prior to hospital-wide flyer distribution. Dumbass. <br /><br />In other hospital-adjacent news, I've joined the Fitness Center. The clientele is generally older and there are a lot of health-related hoops to jump through but it's about a 3 minute walk from my office so I'll be more inclined to go. And, as I was told during my introductory tour, if I collapse during a workout the ER is Right There across the parking lot so...bonus.<br /><br />Besides being a doofus and planning my grand re-entry into the world of active people, I've been reading.<br /> <br />6. <em>Lance Armstrong's War</em> - Daniel Coyle. The hospital book club. I know very little about Armstrong or bike racing and this book didn't really help. The author tried but you really needed to have more background than I have to get the full effect. Also, professional bike racers are insane.<br /> <br />7. <em>The Complete Idiot's Guide to the World of Harry Potter</em> - Tere Stouffer. Impulse selection at the library. This would be helpful if you didn't know much about Britain or had trouble keeping all the spells and monsters apart and it did a nice job of explaining the origin of the names Rowling chose. But it needed a much better copy-editor (ironic coming from the girl who caused a rip in time, I know.)<br /><br />8, 9 and 10. <em>The Bromeliad Trilogy: Truckers, Diggers and Wings - </em>Terry Pratchett. Very cute books. Nomes (not gnomes) who live in a department store and need to leave when the store is going to be demolished. They are very literal and wonder why the humans don't follow the signs saying "Dogs and Strollers must be carried on Escalator." Most of the humans carry neither dogs, nor strollers. The nome's deity, Arnold Bros (est. 1904) doesn't seem to care though.Pamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352303252201409443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9011301.post-41511605156024384942008-01-24T17:52:00.000-05:002008-01-24T18:27:47.707-05:00Decimal points are importantOh goody, my paycheck has been deposited.<br /><br />Why is it half the amount it should be?<br /><br />What's the large amount of money deducted for DivInv%?<br /><br />Is that my 403B retirement account? I thought I decided to put 5% per check in that.<br /><br />That's not 5%. That's more like...oh crap.<br /><br />"Hi, I think someone needs to check their math. There's a really big difference between 0.05 and 0.5."<br /><br /><br /><em>Note: It's all fixed now. Payroll may screw-up but they do fix things quickly.</em>Pamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352303252201409443noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9011301.post-59072368769818890182008-01-22T18:52:00.000-05:002008-01-22T19:21:22.165-05:00Phoenix vs. NOVA part 23Vultures. I know there were turkey vulutes out in the deserts of Arizona but they didn't wander into the city...ever, as far as I saw.<br /><br />Here in Northern Virginia (and south central PA) they have <a href="http://www.lairweb.org.nz/vulture/black.html">black vultures</a>. <br /><br />Sometimes a dozen of them will hang out on barn roofs on foggy mornings just to give a poor, defenseless girl the wiggens on the way to a job interview (Thanks Gettysburg, I spent the next 20 miles saying "They had to be gargoyles. No, one of them moved. But they looked all lumpy and staring. gahh.*shiver*)<br /><br />Sometimes they hang out in groups of 5 by the side of the road in front of my complex and wait for a break in traffic to try to eat a freshly squished cat. Creepy little bastards. But Mother Nature showed them! The FSC was frozen solid in short order, thwarting the carrion removal service. And it stayed there for 2 more days...ok, they may be creepy but an hour of creepy would have been better then having to drive by the FSC 6 more times (it was really quite S'ed).<br /><br />In other news - I have been knitting away but I can't show you any of it. On a related note: Mel - get ready to have a happy belated birthday in a few days, complements of the USPS.<br /><br />And finally:<br />5. <em>What the Dead Know</em> - Laura Lippman. Something about this was off and I just couldn't believe any of the characters. The idea was a good one - two girls are kidnapped as teens and a woman claiming to be one of them shows up 30 years later - but the flashbacks didn't work well and hardly anyone was sympathetic. And no Tess Monaghan.Pamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352303252201409443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9011301.post-12673516994994521552008-01-21T18:04:00.000-05:002008-01-21T18:35:25.675-05:00UpdateSorry to leave you all hanging like that. Well, maybe it was just <a href="http://melanieskrafty.blogspot.com/">Mel</a> who was wondering...<br /><br />The mattress arrived at 3 pm, right in the 1 to 4 window they gave me at 8:30. So I did get a nap from 9 to 11 (again on the couch) and it was much better because Lucy was busy sleeping in a sunbeam in the kitchen and I didn't have to share. The dog has no sense of proportions; I'm three times her size therefore I get three quarters of the couch. She thinks because there are two of us, she should get half. Great for her, not so great for me.<br /><br />My bed seems to be about 3 feet higher then it was in Phoenix. My nighttime routine now include a little running start so I can hop in. Lucy is using her trunk/step and isn't having any issues. It's possible I shrunk while traveling cross-country.<br /><br />I like the new mattress but it's a bit stinky with that weird chemical smell. I keep trying to let it air out but it's about a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">bajillion</span> degrees below freezing here which contraindicates opening the windows for more than 5 minutes. Hopefully the stink will <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">dissipate</span> soon.<br /><br />After my exciting Saturday day of waiting for a mattress, I actually left the house three times on Sunday (this is odd for me, once is usually enough.) First I had lunch with <a href="http://trueepicure.com/">Eva!</a> And a very good lunch it was. But, more importantly, it was with EVA! Later I walked Lu for about 30 seconds before my <a href="http://www.s-anand.net/calvinandhobbes.html#19880205">boogers froze </a>and I made her go back in. Then I met some co-workers at a Mexican <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">restaurant</span> because the former librarian is back to train me for another week (thank god, I need it.) And I ate entirely too much (for the second time that day) so I came back home, watched the Amazing Race and then went to bed on the stinky mattress. <br /><br />I believe you're all caught up now. Aren't you relieved? That vague sense of unease has left you and you're no longer carrying all that tension in your shoulders.<br /><br />Oops, I forgot one thing. Sorry. Try to relax, it won't happen again.<br /><br />4. <em>Song of Susannah: Dark Tower VI</em> - Stephen King. I don't like this one as much as the others, I think it's because the characters are <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">separated</span> for the majority of it.Pamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352303252201409443noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9011301.post-19494833363462169462008-01-19T08:11:00.000-05:002008-01-19T08:26:30.974-05:00Oh my darlin'Oh my darlin',<br />Oh my darlin' new mattress<br />As I sit here waiting for you<br />I'm afraid to leave the nest.<br /><br />I might miss you<br />And if I miss you<br />Tonight will be so very long<br />I deflated the old air mattress<br />Who know that could be so wrong.<br /><br />Spent the night here<br />Spent the night here<br />Spent the night here on the couch<br />Lucy doesn't share well<br />And for this I surely vouch.<br /><br />So I sit here<br />And I wait here<br />For the mattress to arrive<br />Hopefully you will show up here<br />Before the store closes at five.<br /><br />Oh my darlin'<br />Oh my darlin'<br />Oh my darlin' new mattress<br />I can't wait to finally meet you<br />And tonight I'll get some rest.Pamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352303252201409443noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9011301.post-52588098556013028502008-01-17T20:14:00.000-05:002008-01-17T20:24:26.679-05:00One thing that followedMy perpetual wrong number, Mabel, has followed me from Phoenix. She's still trying to reach Sherri, still incapable of listening to my voicemail introduction and still refusing to tell me what number she is trying to reach.<br /><br />In previous calls Mabel (who sounds about 107 years old and is hard of hearing) has been arranging airport rides, informing Sherri of her well being and, most importantly, clipping articles about a woman who was bitten by a bat AND LIVED. Sherri was supposed to drop by and pick that one up. Hopefully there wasn't a bat victim out there thinkin' they were about to kick off because Sherri never got the message. I did.<br /><br />Tonight Mabel called because she is concerned about human cloning. As we all should be, obviously. I think Mabel has the right idea: "Well (long pause), we'll just have to see what happens."Pamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352303252201409443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9011301.post-34418701675380577312008-01-17T17:32:00.000-05:002008-01-17T20:24:47.230-05:00One MoreAnother hint that I'm no longer in Phoenix?<br /><br />The large amount of snow I had to dump out of my high-heeled shoes. And the hood-up, duck-walk, slush-avoiding <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">activities</span> that led to the accumulation of said snow.<br /><br />Note to self: Bring pair of flats to work. And some socks.Pamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352303252201409443noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9011301.post-78898591776249632492008-01-16T18:46:00.000-05:002008-01-16T19:39:54.819-05:00The Little ThingsI'm not saying I don't like Northern Virginia. I like it here just fine. But there are some things that make it abundantly clear that I'm not in Phoenix anymore.<br /><br />I haven't walked around barefoot since November. Prior to November I was barefoot approximately 16 hours a day. Now, my toes only see sunlight when I'm bathing or asleep. And, now that I think about it, there's no literal sunlight during either of those activities so my toes are probably extremely deficient in Vitamin D.<br /><br />My car is covered is crap. In Arizona I had a license plate in the back and a <a href="http://www.saveroe.com/">Save Roe Now </a>bumper sticker. Now I have a plate in the back AND the front, an inspection sticker in the middle of my windshield, a city sticker next to that, an apartment complex sticker on the back window and a hospital parking sticker on the review mirror. And the bumper sticker which is looking a little ragged and needs to be replaced.<br /><br />Stairs. Phoenix was a largely horizontal city, Virginia is more vertical. 'Nuff said.<br /><br />In other news, <a href="http://hiphipcrochet.blogspot.com/2008/01/well-at-least-im-thinking-about-it.html">Stage 4 of New Employment </a>apparently lasts 3 weeks. Maybe week 9 will start Stage 5.<br /><br />And finally:<br />3. <em>Wolves of the Calla: The Dark Tower V</em> - Stephen King.Pamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352303252201409443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9011301.post-34835323940741373812008-01-13T18:38:00.000-05:002008-01-13T19:51:41.965-05:00Well, at least I'm thinking about it.Yes, I'm aware that it's been 11 days since my last post. Yes, I'm aware that I said I'd be posting more often. Yes, I'm aware that I suck.<br /><br />In my defense; twice in 9 days is still more frequently then twice in 2 months.<br /><br />The past week was...well...it was there. It wasn't too bad but it definitely wasn't good and it lasted about 37 days as far as I could tell. I am apparently in the Fourth Stage.<br /><br /><strong>The Five Stages of New Employment</strong><br /><br />1. <strong>Naivete</strong> (first two weeks): "I can totally do this job. I will kick some serious ass here."<br /><br />2. <strong>Trepidation</strong> (third week): "Why did I ever think I could do this job? It's obviously impossible for me to do well at this."<br /><br />3. <strong>Cautious Optimism </strong>(fourth and fifth week): "This job isn't so bad. I'm sure with some time and effort I can succeed."<br /><br />4. <strong>Overwhelming Panic </strong>(sixth and seventh week): "Do what? I didn't know that was part of the job. How am I supposed to do that and the other stuff? And what about that other thing? Does that happen often? Did I cause that to happen? Am I going to be fired because that happened? Why did I ever think I could do this job?"<br /><br />5. <strong>Acceptance</strong> (eighth week): "I can handle this job.I will do great at this job."<br />(<em>This is an assumption on my part. A big, honkin', hopeful assumption</em>.)<br /><br />Anyway - change of subject.<br /><br />Some time in December I finished my part of a small bag for my Mom.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/?action=view&current=IMG_2969.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="crochet nylon bag" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/IMG_2969.jpg" border="0" /></a></center><br /><br />It's made of black Crochet Nylon, knit on size 7 needle.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/?action=view&current=IMG_2968.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Nylon bag with Costa Rican panel" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/IMG_2968.jpg" border="0" /></a></center><br /><br />The back in done in a checkerboard pattern, done with knits and purls, the front is stockinette and the strap is i-cord. It's about 7 X 9 inches.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/?action=view&current=IMG_2971.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Crochet nylon bag close-up" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/IMG_2971.jpg" border="0" /></a></center><br /><br />My Mom sewed the patch on the front, making it into an extra pocket. The patch was a gift from a Costa Rican bird-watching trip.<br /><br />And finally, the first few books of the new year:<br /><br />1. <em>The Final Diagnosis </em>- Arthur Hailey. The same author who wrote <em>Hotel </em>and <em>Airport</em>, this is a behind the scenes look at a small hospital where the staff sleeps with each other, there's an outbreak of typhoid and the pathology department is overworked and run by a doc that should have retired 5 years ago. And, since it was published in 1959, all the staff smoke in the hospital hallways, the student nurses aren't allowed to talk to the doctors and they refer to the black, pregnant patient as a Negress. Aside from all that, hospitals don't seem to have changed too much.<br /><br />2. <em>The Birth of Venus</em> - Sarah Dunant. The book club selection for my Arizona club (I'm now a bi-coastal bookie). When I first finished the book, I thought I liked it and just needed to understand more about Florence, Italy in the 1500s to really get it. Then, the more I thought about it, I realize I didn't care for it. There are too many coincidences, the action moved too slowly (weeks would pass between plot points) and I figured out all the "surprises" before they were revealed. It's not a horrible book but aside from the setting it wasn't very original.Pamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352303252201409443noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9011301.post-1859259642522740402008-01-02T19:15:00.000-05:002008-01-02T20:09:37.302-05:00At the Dog Wash......sing it with me now...working at the dog wash, yeah.<br /><br />Lucy was invited to Aunt M's place for Christmas dinner (the rest of us were invited too, but Lucy was named specifically.) Since Lucy was to be the first dog EVER to be inside Aunt M's home, we decide a sprucing-up was in order and off we went. To the Dog Wash (yeah).<br /><br /><center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Lucy/?action=view¤t=IMG_2925.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Lucy/IMG_2925.jpg" border="0" alt="Lucy at the Dog Wash"></a></center><br /><br />That's the name of the place, seriously. It's connected to (and the controls look like) a car wash: rinse, shampoo, conditioner and, of course, deskunking. I would have taken more pictures but it took both of us to contain Lu. She's not real big on the bathing...<br /><br />Then on Christmas morn she got the all important Christmas Bow and off we went.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Lucy/?action=view¤t=LucyBow.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Lucy/LucyBow.jpg" border="0" alt="Lucy's Christmas Bow"></a></center><br /><br />After all the preparation, it was anticlimactic. Well, except for the death defying tray of salad dressings. And the death defying tray of glass crab imperial holders. And the thrice-steamed broccoli. But that was all more Aunt M than Lucy. Lucy did fine.<br /><br />Possibly because she was dreaming of her new bed, a present from the grandparents.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Lucy/?action=view¤t=Lucynewbed.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Lucy/Lucynewbed.jpg" border="0" alt="Lucy's New Bed"></a></center><br /><br />Add in a bag of dog treats from Aunt Pat and all was right with the world. Of course, Lucy is lucky Santa decided to show up at all, considering she had spent the previous few days knocking large objects to the floor and chewing through felt every time we left the house. For a dog who gets fed twice a day, she sure is a motivated little treat finder. <br /><br />And finally:<br /><br /><center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/?action=view¤t=IMG_2948.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/IMG_2948.jpg" border="0" alt="Shopping Bag"></a></center><br /><br />The first FO of 2008 - a shopping bag for my Mom. Shown holding your typical load of groceries - bananas and a Stephen King doorstop. Ok, maybe it's more MY typical load of groceries.<br /><br />Yarn - Sugar and Cream Naturals in Earth Ombre.<br />Hook - H<br />Pattern - the base is a circle of 4 rows of double crochet, the mesh is chains of 7 and the top and handles are single crochet. Other than that, there's no real pattern.<br /><br />Once Mom reports on the lugging capacity and the stretch factor I see many more of these in my future.Pamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352303252201409443noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9011301.post-20432379908452091182007-12-31T16:25:00.001-05:002007-12-31T16:54:31.936-05:00Squeezin' in a few moreThree books since last Wednesday. That's not too bad considering I worked and drove to my parents and we had a late Christmas dinner with the cousins yesterday. Of course, I don't think I've picked up a knitting project since Thursday.<br /><br />91.<em>I Am America (And So Can You!)</em> - Stephen Colbert. A Christmas gift from <a href="http://melanieskrafty.blogspot.com/">Mel.</a> Very funny and my sister has already absconded with it.<br /><br />92. <em>Girls in Pants (The Third Summer of the Sisterhood)</em> - Ann Brashares.<br />93. <em>Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood)</em> - Ann Brashares. I still like these books, #3 made me cry, just like #1 and #2 did but they got a bit cloying towards the end. I like the way Brashares handled some tricky topics but after 4 books the happy surprises just got away from her.<br /><br />(Now, technically I did re-read the whole Harry Potter series after I read Deathly Hallows the first time. I didn't count them in the total because 4 of them were very rapid re-reads. But that would put me nicely at 100 books for the year... Ethical to count or not? You decide.) (Also, I read lots of blogs, at least a few books worth in the past year. That might count too...)(In retrospect, I read too damn much.)<br /><br />As far as yarn-related projects. I went through the blog and counted 14 projects. I know there were some little things in there as well; dishcloths, small bags and at least 2 small blankets. I would have thought it was more but reading back I realized I did a lot but I ripped out almost as much. Resolution for next year: less ripping, more FOs.<br /><br />Happy New Year everyone!Pamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352303252201409443noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9011301.post-82335106316645365542007-12-27T00:02:00.000-05:002007-12-26T22:10:36.880-05:00Things I've doneIn between job interviews, moving (X2) and reading the aforementioned wack of books, I did manage a to work on a few projects.<br /><br />Currently, I'm working on some belated birthday presents. Once they are done, I'll start the belated Christmas presents. At this point, I can't divulge any detail on those but I did do some things I can share.<br /><br />I crocheted a small, black purse for my Mom to showcase a piece of Costa Rican fabric. The bag is made of nylon cord and currently sitting in pieces in PA waiting for my Mom to sew the fabric in place (but my part is done. Yay me.) <br /><br />I gave up on the <a href="http://hiphipcrochet.blogspot.com/2007/02/look-yarn.html">recycled silk Einstein Coat idea</a> when I realized the bottom panel alone weighed as much as, if not more than, your average Christmas ham. That means the entire coat would weigh as much as the whole Christmas dinner and I'd be unable to walk properly while wearing it. So, ripriprip it went and suddenly I had a large amount of recycled silk and a sister who just returned from a trip to Nepal. It seems fortuitous, so I made this for her.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/?action=view¤t=IMG_2907.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/IMG_2907.jpg" border="0" alt="Recycled silk bag 1"></a></center><br /><br />It's modeled on the messenger bag from <em>Stitch and Bitch Nation </em>but the main part of the bag is crochet and the strap is knit. <br /><br /><center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/?action=view¤t=IMG_2911.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/IMG_2911.jpg" border="0" alt="Recycled silk bag side"></a></center><br /><br />Currently, the strap is adjustable with the two rings but there is a major stretching issue so it will be sewn in place. And please be sure to notice the husset (aka handle-gusset, TM Jess).<br /><br /><center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/?action=view¤t=IMG_2905.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/IMG_2905.jpg" border="0" alt="Recycled silk bag strap"></a> </center><br /><br />The next project was born of necessity.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/?action=view¤t=IMG_2862.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/IMG_2862.jpg" border="0" alt="Lucy's knee pads"></a></center><br /><br />Lucy loves to lounge, so much so she was making bald patches on her elbows. <br /><br /><center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/?action=view¤t=IMG_2863.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/IMG_2863.jpg" border="0" alt="Knee pads"></a></center><br /><br />So a little Karaoke, one strip of Velcro and a shoulder-length i-cord later..it's doggie knee-pads. Dad chose the color - opting for subtlety instead of a fashion color like the hot pink I was leaning towards.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/?action=view¤t=IMG_2866.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Finished%20Projects/IMG_2866.jpg" border="0" alt="Knee pads in action."></a></center><br /><br />Lucy isn't thrilled with the machinations needed to get these in place but once they're on she's surprisingly nonchalant about them.<br /><br />Also, three quarters of my immediate family celebrated birthdays in October. Note the awesome autumn tree on the cake.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Family/?action=view¤t=birthday-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/hiphipcrochet/Family/birthday-1.jpg" border="0" alt="birthdayX3"></a></center><br /><br />And I did read another book since I last posted:<br /><br />90. <em>Blind Eye: The Terrifying Story of a Doctor Who Got Away with Murder </em>- James B. Stewart. My new position falls under the supervision of the medical staff office which does all the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credentialing">credentialing</a> for the hospital's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credentials#Medicine">doctors</a>. This book is about a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Swango">medical resident </a>who was able to move from hospital to hospital, killing patients all the while, because there was no national system in place to record disciplinary actions, terminations and legal actions. There's a system in place now and that what the credentialing deals with. This book is almost required reading when joining the department.Pamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352303252201409443noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9011301.post-23576591993535595442007-12-21T19:48:00.000-05:002007-12-21T17:43:20.806-05:00A Wack of Books77. <em>Dave Barry's Bad Habits </em>- Dave Barry. <br /><br />78. <em>Finding Serenity: Anti-Heroes, Lost Shepherds and Space Hookers in Joss Whedon's <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303461/">Firefly</a> </em>- Jane Espenson (ed.). Not the Festivus type of Serenity, but rather the spaceship type. Essays on the show, the cancellation, one written by Kaylee and a few about atypical women in space. Highly recommended for fans of the show.<br /><br />79. <em><a href="http://www.crazyauntpurl.com/">Crazy Aunt Purl's </a>Drunk, Divorced and Covered in Cat Hair </em>- Laurie Perry. I think everyone in the knitblog world read this one already. If not, you really should.<br /><br />80. <em>The Book Thief </em>- Markus Zusak. Narrated by Death and set in Germany during the Holocaust. Dark and absorbing and surprisingly light.<br /><br />81. <em>Clara: The Early Years. The Story of the Pug who Ruled my Life</em> - Margo Kaufman. I think Clara may be related to Lucy. At least the princess attitudes are the same.<br /><br />82. <em>I am the Messenger </em>- Markus Zusak. Book club selection for November. Very different from The Book Thief but just as absorbing.<br /><br />83. <em>A Sudden Fearful Death </em>- Anne Perry. One of the many Monk mysteries. A bit confusing since I hadn't read the previous ones. I was missing too much back story I think.<br /><br />84. <em>The Saddlemaker's Wife </em>- Earlene Fowler. Borrowed from my mom. Very Harlequin-esque. What I remember the most is wanting to sing <a href="http://www.dollyon-line.com/archives/lyrics/jolene.shtml">Jolene</a> every time I saw the front cover.<br /><br />85. <em>The Time Traveler's Wife </em>- Audrey Niffenegger. Still one of my all-time favorite books.<br /><br />86. <em>The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger</em> - Stephen King. The beginning of the Great Series Re-Read.<br /><br />87. <em>The Drawing of the Three: The Dark Tower II</em> - Stephen King.<br /><br />88. <em>The Waste Lands: The Dark Tower III</em> - Stephen King.<br /><br />89. <em>Wizard and Glass: The Dark Tower IV</em> - Stephen King.Pamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01352303252201409443noreply@blogger.com1