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Mowed the lawn today

I’ve never mowed the lawn before. In my life. Who knew you could adjust the levels? Oops.

Here’s a picture of my trusty steed, purchased today.

I’ve got so much yard work to do. I’ve got so much house work to do. I’ve got soap to pack for Snake River next weekend. I’ve got laundry to do. Papers to read. I need a shower.

Anybody have any suggestions of what to knit with Kidsilk Haze? That’s what I really want to do, instead of all those other things. I finally feel I’ve reached a point in my knitting skillz to tackle a shawl made from, not only Rowan yarn, but Her Majesty Kidsilk Haze. In the most gorgeous colorway called, what else—Majestic.

I’ve been poring over books and Ravelry trying to settle on just the right pattern, but every one I look at makes me think “maybe I could design something I liked better.” So then I can’t choose. If you have any suggestions, let me know.

Posted 10 May 2008 † Alarming Female § Knitting § Life ‡ Comments (9) ° Tagged: , , , ,

I is for ice cream

Dear Breyer’s:

I’ve been a long time advocate of Breyer’s ice cream and refused to buy any other brand for years because you made a superior product with only natural ingredients. I’m very disappointed that you’ve started putting tara gum in your ice creams. I no longer buy Breyer’s ice cream, as I do not like the texture or flavor of ice creams with added thickeners. You have lost a loyal customer forever.

I’ve found, recently, that Blue Bunny makes an all natural vanilla ice cream with no thickeners and I’ve started buying that.

I’m disappointed to no longer enjoy mint chip, strawberry or chocolate ice cream from Breyer’s, but the vanilla Blue Bunny will have to do until I can decide which ice cream maker to buy.

You shouldn’t mess with a good thing.

I have a deep and abiding love for ice cream. Especially in the winter. But even though winter is gone (fingers crossed) I still cannot resist an almost daily ice cream fix.

It’s not that easy to find good ice cream at the grocery store these days. I used to love Breyer’s, because it was made with only milk, cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cocoa, strawberries, etc.; no artificial colors, flavors, or thickeners. Sadly, Breyer’s has changed its formula and added tara gum (ick) and so I’ve been at a loss.

So it’s Blue Bunny to the rescue along with Tom’s Gourmet Dark Fudge Sauce (locally made) until I can decide if I want to buy an ice cream/gelato maker. Then the Blue Bunny will go, but I have a feeling the Tom’s will stay. Yum.

Posted 09 May 2008 † Alarming Female § ABC-Along 2008 § Photography § Rants § Utah ‡ Comments (7) ° Tagged: , , , ,

Fluke


Hello, friends. I have another FREE new pattern available for you to try if you like.

It’s called “Fluke”—doesn’t the lace look like a whale’s fluke? I love it for that very reason. That’s why I chose the dark gray, as well. I’ve seen a whale fluking just once off the Oregon coast and it was AMAZING. I adore whales.

Here’s a great link of a whale fluking. It’s just SO COOL.

The pattern is available as a free PDF download. Follow the knitting link in the top right hand corner of the blog to find the free patterns (also available on Ravelry).

If you do knit it, let me know what you think! It’s already pretty popular on Ravelry and I’ve received a lot of buzz and good feedback.

Posted 07 May 2008 † Alarming Female § Current Events § Knitting § Ravelry ‡ Comments (9) ° Tagged:

Eye Candy Friday

Spring is making a valiant effort—in spite of the snow and cold.

These blossoms were photographed Monday morning of this week, a day that turned out to be 80 degrees and gorgeous. Wednesday was a blizzard of snow. It’s supposed to warm up again this weekend.

That’s a Utah spring for you.

Posted 02 May 2008 † Alarming Female § Eye Candy Friday § Photography ‡ Comments (4) °

Illicit love

I admit it. I know it’s wrong, in so many ways, but I cannot help myself. I’m in love.

photo from motor trendPerhaps love isn’t the right word. I don’t love SUVs. I don’t love the idea putting hundreds of dollars toward gasoline every month. I don’t love spending thousands of dollars on new cars (well, actually I do, or I would, theoretically, but I can’t).

Lust is probably a more accurate description of what I feel toward this vehicle.

Yet the attraction has not been fleeting. I first laid eyes on this beautiful thing last summer while visiting the Oregon coast. I pulled up next to it in a parking lot and just gaped at it. Its retro lines and astonishingly beautiful paint job swept me off my feet.

Okay, now let me mention that I’m totally not a car person. Cars are functional and useful, but I’m driving an eight year old station wagon with 103,000 miles on the odometer and it’s fine with me. I don’t generally go gaga over cars. I didn’t even know this thing was a Toyota FJ Cruiser until a couple of weeks ago.

I might admire cars in the abstract, but they’re just, you know, cars. No big whoop.

But not this gorgeous thing. Though it will never be mine in reality (they don’t even offer this color anymore—idiots), it will always be mine in my heart. Where it counts. At least that’s what I keep telling myself.

*sob*

Posted 30 April 2008 † Alarming Female § Musings § True Confessions ‡ Comments (7) °

H is for handspun

Beautiful Romney wool from my S’nB friend Warren.  He gave me 3-4 oz of two different colors that I’ll ply together once they’re both spun.  This is the lighter of the two.

Posted 26 April 2008 † Alarming Female § ABC-Along 2008 § Photography § SLC-SNB § Spinning ‡ Comments (1) °

Mediation

I was not looking forward to today and had no illusions about the likelihood we’d reach an agreement. To my surprise, we did. My attorney says the divorce could be final next week.

As I sit here alone, surrounded by people in a busy restaurant and sipping a glass of very nice Lebanese wine, I turn my thoughts to my nearly defunct (but for the legal formalities) marriage. My little notebook that has been my companion for the past three years awaits my pen while I take a moment to collect my thoughts and sort out my feelings.

While I’m decidedly content and grateful that the whole ordeal seems to be coming to an end, I can’t help but feel a lump in my throat for the loss we’ve all experienced.

Especially James. He has suffered most of all.

I hope that the cordiality and spirit of compromise that marked today but that has been sadly lacking throughout most of this process can carry over—at least through our inevitable meetings that will mark the milestones of our children’s lives.

I never understood why it had to be so painful.

The unbidden memories that come to mind are vague and consist mostly of two little boys who were endless sources of delight and wonder to both of their parents. They deserved better than they got.

Though I suppose we did the best we could.

Posted 25 April 2008 † Alarming Female § Family § Musings ‡ Comments (15) °

I was confused, but now I’m fine

Current Mood:Embarrassed emoticon Embarrassed

So I was all bragging at S’nB last week about how my sock was a big favorite and had over 100 favs. Woohoo, I’m a rock star—blah, blah, blah. Then I went home and, as a treat to myself, was going to bask in my rock-starness, when what should great me but a mere 11 favs.

Was my face red.

I must have mixed up the number queued with the number of favorites, I thought. How embarrassing. I prepared myself for the ribbing I’d get this week, and decided it was still a big deal that over 100 people had queued my pattern for their projects, and was content.

Then, tonight, I saw this:

Were my pink eyes* deceiving me? What was going on? Am I truly a rock star after all?

Well, of course I am, if rock stars are dumb and vain. Seems I was missing the concept, of which I’m well aware, that favoriting a project and favoriting a pattern are two different things. Duh.

*Now for the pink eye. Let’s just get the preliminaries out of the way—ICK. Okay, anyway, last night was our school prom, and I decided to wear a little eye pencil, just for kicks, you know. By night’s end one of my eyes was sore and dry, so before I went to bed I carefully washed off all my eye makeup and hoped for the best. Which wasn’t exactly what I got.

By this morning I couldn’t open either of my eyes. Not a pleasant realization. I solved that problem and when I could finally see in the mirror I saw two very red, swollen, scary-looking eyes. The green contrasts frighteningly with the red, let me tell you. I’d show you a picture but you’d be haunted by the image.

It’s been a long day but I think they’ll be much better tomorrow. At least I hope so; otherwise, I’ll look like a very old, very tired drunk. Not a good look for a school teacher.

Posted 20 April 2008 † Alarming Female § Family § Knitting § Ravelry § WTF ‡ Comments (12) °

I’m proud of SLC today

From the Deseret News–

It was a quiet morning at the Salt Lake City Recorder’s Office. There were no celebrations or crowds waiting for the doors to open at 8 a.m.

But at 8:20, two women entered the office saying they wanted to sign the city’s new Mutual Commitment Registry.

When acting recorder Chris Meeker told Brandie Balken and Lisa LeDuc they’d be the first couple on the registry, Balken responded, “fantastic.”

The two women have been a couple for seven years, and had with them legal documents proving their reliance on each other. By 8:30 a.m. the couple had signed up and received certificates from the city.

Just don’t call them “domestic partnerships”–

The city’s registry almost didn’t happen after it was proposed by Mayor Ralph Becker and the City Council gave it unanimous support. Proposed legislation would have barred the registry, but lawmakers in the end approved another proposal that required the name be changed from its original title of Domestic Partnership Registry.

Posted 17 April 2008 † Alarming Female § Current Events § Queer Ally § Utah ‡ Comments (9) °

Why not come dancing? It’s only natural

The pattern for Come Dancing is now available here and also via Ravelry.

I’d love it if you’d give it a try and let me know what you think.

Thanks to all the S’nB grrls (and Warren!) for their support and input, and especially thanks to Susan for her ruthless editing. Any mistakes left in the pattern are mine alone.

Posted 16 April 2008 † Alarming Female § Knitting § Ravelry ‡ Comments (8) °