Spazzmanda

It’s cooooold here. Very very cold. Time to load up on knitwear, which I do, but I still don’t like it.

I’m knitting again, not much of interest, a lot of boring cables. But all will be fabulous in the end I’m sure!

First up, Palindrome. I admired a scarf made by the lovely Daye, hers with sparkles, and decided to make one of my own. This yarn was a Christmas gift from my mother, cashmere. I’ve never knitted with cashmere and lord help me, I may never be the same.

Here is a crappy photo:

It is sort of seafoam green. And very soft. The best part is that this scarf is reversible, so no ‘wrong’ sides and it seems to be idiotproof, so I like it. Not very challenging, but good to have on hand if you’re knitting and talking, or knitting and drinking, or knitting and drinking and talking.

Next up: Cable Lace Kimono from sweaterbabe.com I bought this pattern three years ago (?) maybe from this site and haven’t had the guts to start it until now. Cables. Lace. AND a Kimono? Craziness, right?  I bought some “Fine Wool Silk” from Brooks Farm at SAFF this year that had this sweater written all over it. So I dove in. I have to chart each row since there is so much going on so far on the back, two panels of lace, and three different cables, it is enough to drive you crazy if you aren’t careful.

So far, so good. Another crappy photo:

It will look better when blocked, I’m sure.

Stay warm, friends.

Name that movie:

“Mawwiage. Mawwiage is what bwings us togethew today. Mawwiage, that bwessed awwangement, that dweam within a dweam. And wove, twue wove, wiww fowwow you fowevah and evah… So tweasuwe youw wove”

Name this movie: Somebody’s Getting Married

Now, explain to me the relevance, to me, today, in particular.

More to follow.

So I bought myself a present for Christmas.

A brand new concert flute.

You may naturally be asking why.  I will attempt to formulate an adequate response for such an odd impulse purchase. You may not know that the  Spazz played the flute from grade school through high school. And I didn’t totally suck either, my junior year I made it all the way to fourth chair before I started losing interest and nearing the finish line of my high school career. I maintained a not too shabby front line of the second string, but alas, my instrument was stolen during my senior year over 14 years ago. (I know, who would steal a flute, right?)  I stumbled upon a moderately priced concert flute this weekend at Tuesday Morning of all places. (Don’t you just LOVE Tuesday Morning?)

Long story long, I snapped it up after very little persuasion from mom. Turns out, much to my surprise and the amusement of both Jeff and my mother, I can play a B flat scale AND arpeggio.

Thaaaaaat’s about all folks.  But I look forward to practicing and re-learning what I can so I can bust out  some wicked “rock flute” at a future gathering. I’m thinking some “Smoke on the Water” or “Stairway to Heaven” or even “Enter Sandman” would be nice to add to my repertoire.

I need to work on my posture. And clean some junk off the fridge while I’m at it. (Yes I voted for Obama and yes, I’m currently a little disappointed even though I didn’t like that other guy much either.)

In other news, I finished a cupcake hat. Well, actually, I finished five cupcake hats. There are too many delicious little girls that needed warm heads this winter. Because I am wildly impatient and couldn’t wait until official gifting time, not to mention the fact that this little nugget was hat less on Saturday evening (shame, shame Ole) I have already gifted one hat.

I’ve got it baaaaaaaad for this little one. She’s both my weakness and endless delight. In short, she’s my pwecssssssousssssesssss. Yes, she has red eyebrows .  RED eyebrows I tell you. Be still my beating heart I almost can’t stand it and want to gobble her up every time I see her. The empty womb is apparently knocking. (Don’t worry, I’ve hit snooze.)

Meet Black Santa.  Actually, Black Santa #2. To fully understand why I have a plastic Santa and see it fit to blog about it, I really must go back to the beginning.

Years ago, grandmother obtained a Santa that was a party favor from a church luncheon. There were Santas of all ethnicities, white, red, yellow and african american- the dollar store was cleared out of all to make sure there were enough for each centerpiece. She came home with black Santa. We immediately loved him.  Somehow, mom and I started “hiding” black santa at one another’s house. Over the past ten or so years,some of the better hiding places have included, her underwear drawer, the bottom of a large Sam’s-sized box of laundry detergent or entombed in a can of soup (not the best, she knows the contents of her pantry far too well.) My favorite hiding place from her was when she hid him in a bag of spinach in my freezer.

I feel I have to explain why there are two. Somewhere along the way Black Santa #1 got lost. Or rather, she hid him too well and I never found him.  Well, back this summer I was cleaning out a closet for a garage sale and squeeeeeeee! I found Black Santa #1 in a box of pictures she had  refused to store any longer for returned to me in 2004.

So it was ON. The funny part really is that on the day of said garage sale, Jeff actually helped mom hide Black Santa #2 in my yarn stash all the while (unbeknownst to both of us) working with me to hide Black Santa #1 in the center console of her car.

Neither Black Santa was found until this fall.  Sometimes that is the problem with the game. If it goes on too long you can forget where he be. And you know, Santa can really be anywhere all the time so watch out! This time I wrote a note on the bottom of Black Santa #1, where he was  found and when he was found and then I TOTALLY hid it while at her house during the tea party last month (bwahahahaha.) Oh, and my stepfather was a witness and knows where it is hidden.  (I think it is good to have accomplices/witnesses in this game, makes it that much more fun.)

Merry merry, y’all. More with today’s theme of Santa, here is a site that a friend sent my way: http://www.sketchysantas.com/

We waited in line at the Borders in Atlanta for four hours, but it was totally worth it to meet the Pioneer Woman, sister Betsy, and best friend Hyacinth. If you are not “in the know” about P-Dub, please familiarize yourself with one of the best blogs I’ve ever read over at www.thepioneerwoman.com. She writes amazing recipes (and I mean amazing) and about her life as an “Accidental Country Girl”, her “Marlboro Man” and four beautiful children and her adorable basset hound Charlie.  Oh, and get her book while you’re at it. You know you want to.

I don’t know why we’re all leaning over like this, but whatever.  I was just happy to meet the lady. And she was delightful. She was signing and smiling for hours. What a trooper.

Oh and kniters, I totally geeked out and made her a gift. (I have a strange compulsion to give objects I’ve knat to complete strangers.) I made a very practical headband that will keep  ears warm without messing up the ‘do’. I took no photos of the thing, I just gifted it. It was a fun night.

Me and my two favorite ladies went to see the Rockettes this past weekend, it was awesome. I took but one photo. Luckily it turned out.

I’m on the fence about this one, you guys be the judge.

Spotted multiple  in classified ads in the local paper recently:

YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE

“We met briefly at the (insert festival, city and date here to protect the innocent). On the back of your shirt it said (again, city specific.) While your escort was talking to another man you told me that your husband of 30 years had died of cancer. My wife died of cancer. I gave you my business card and asked you to call me. Why haven’t you called? I will spend the rest of my life making you happy. (phone number)”

The bitter loneliness here makes my heart ache for this man, in a perfect world this would be the beginning or happy ending of a Lifetime Movie starring Kevin Costner and Robin Wright-Penn.

However, I get caught on the presumptive “rest of your life” and almost ominous “you know who you are” that are both, in this day and age, a tad frightening. Or maybe I’m just hyper-sensitive.

Ah, the Classifieds, along with the scary restaurant cleanliness ratings are why I still read the paper.

Any thoughts?

Pretty low-key this year for Halloween, we hung with friends, went trick-or-treating with the framily, ate at Moe’s and went out around Gainesvegas. My man and I won the costume contest at a local bar! He got first place, $100, and I won second $50- I was totally robbed! I guess his Geiko Caveman was pretty sweet, but all night long I heard some hushed comments as I’d walk away of how much I looked like Flo the Progressive Lady. We had a blast.

(you can see all the photos here.)

I finished a sweater in a month. I know, unreal.  Best part, it is made fromt the top down (no seaming.)  I highly recommend this pattern.

Diminishing Rib Cardigan, from the cover of the Spring, 2009 Interweave Magazine.

“HELLO ATLANTA!  YOU wanted the BEST and YOU GOT THE BEST…!!!”

I was taken for a ride on the wild side on Monday night.

The Magic Man took me to see KISS.

In concert.

On the 7th row of the Philips Arena.

Let me tell you friends, I’ll NEVER be the same again.

By far, the most amazing live show I’ve ever seen in my entire life. I take back EVERY single snarky thing I’ve ever said about this band (like “I don’t get them” or “all their songs sound the same”.)

Surprisingly, I knew most of the songs they performed and retained about 75% of the factoids about the band I was ever told. (See darlin’, I listen!)

Makes me appreciate the Lil’ Gene I made  four years ago that much more… thank you Jeff for sharing this experience with me, I’ve been such a fool.

Next up, Lil’ Paul…  I love you Paul Stanley! (He doesn’t know it, but we share a deep and meaningful relationship.)

I am a newly converted uber-fan of KISS.

Here is the face:

Yeah, my throat hurts.