Merry Christmas

How Some Keep Busy During the Writers Strike

How to Make a Witch - Cool video

I Didn't Know I Needed This

But the marketing folks seem to think so.


An automatic martini maker! What happened to craft, to skill?

I have to share

Our friends at Go Fug Yourself have something to say about this.


It is beautifully made.

This might be true

I couldn't resist.

(Click on comic to read.)

Last Day - Bonus Track

OK, you Project Runway bloggers - what's with "conceding" that menswear is harder than womens wear. That is just wrong. And why does my spell-checker say "menswear" is one word and "womens wear" is two? that is just wrong, too.

Have you ever wondered who married the Marlboro Man? Go to "Confessions of a Pioneer Women" and find out.

Day 30 - Finish Line

OK, so this post is only a few hours after the Day 29 post, but it is November 30, so there.

I feel like I've just completed a contractual obligation, or a marathon. I have blogged for all of November.

Maybe now I can finish my post on graphics programs.

Later, gator.

Day 29 - There's an Artist in the House

My husband (you know him as Hubbo) has always enjoyed taking pictures, but he got serious about it last May, when he bought a digital SLR.

Here is some of his work. Click on the photo to enlarge.

Haleakala Park, Maui

Haleakala Park

Maui Isthmus

Sheep, New York

Farmers Museum, New York

Day 28 - Rescue

I love cooking. I hate washing dishes.

Dawn Power Dissolver

This stuff gets the stuck-on stuff off. This stuff is my hero.

Day 27 - What Ever

The New York Times article is called Dr. Drug Rep, but it could be called Drug Money. One reason the drugs you are prescribed might not be the best for you.

Better you should eat some garlic.

Have you tried LibraryThing? Who knew cataloging your books could be addicting? Need suggestions for filling it?

• New York Times holiday list
• Newbery Awards
• Nancy Pearl's SciFi list

The Winter Gift Giving Season (I'm so PC) is upon us. How about some cheap art by Steve Kean? You pick a size and he sends you what he painted that day.

Day 26 - Looks like Project Runway

Eve, A.D. 2000!



(OK, so I copied Manolo. Shoot me.)

This clip reminds me of The Women, a fantastic movie from 1939. (A remake is in the works - big mistake.) Apart from being a great movie, it has this wonderful fashion parade in the middle. Fabulous!

Day 25 - Heavy Slogging

Writing a blog post every day for a month is an interesting exercise, but tonight it is definitely heavy going.

I could write about a new play we saw today, with Hubbo's family - The Poetry of Pizza. OK, so the play had a few problems, but it was fun.

I could write about our Wii, and how much fun everyone had playing and watching, but I think I'll write about that later.

I could write about how the Washington. DC elite are discovering Costco, but do we need yet more evidence that DC is behind the times?

I could, but I won't.

Day 24 - Randomnicity

This is for my friend Nance - Brian Williams on "Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me."

Day 23 - The Day After

Carnage!

I love the day after Thanksgiving. I especially love the leftovers. Recalling a scene from Farmer Boy, I had apple pie for breakfast. Yum. We had pumpkin pie for dinner. It's a good life.

I'm making two more pies tomorrow for Sunday and Hubbo's family. I love making pie.

Maybe that's why I like Pushing Daisies.

Day 22 - Happy Thanksgiving

Day 21 - Magical Reality

Magical Thinking isn't all it's cracked up to be. I'm rapidly falling behind, and in a fit of extreme magical thinking, I scheduled a hair appointment in a town 40 miles away. What was I thinking?

Here is a little homework assignment for tomorrow - How to carve a turkey

Day 20 - Magical Thinking

Magical Thinking has definitions based in alternative medicine, child psychology, and anthropology, for example. It's been used in a business leadership blog, and one should not forget The Year of Magical Thinking, by Joan Didion. But the use that resonated with me was described in an article from the Wall Street Journal - I'm Not Really Late, I'm Just Indulging in Magical Thinking. I am am particularly susceptible to being late by reason of magical thinking - ask my Mom. To quote my favorite part of the article - "Late people engage in magical thinking," she says. "They remember that day 10 years ago when they made it to work in seven minutes flat. That becomes their standard."

Ooops - I'm late. I have to finish cleaning the house for Thanksgiving Dinner at our house.

Day19 - Getting Ready

Minnesota Public Radio put together an interesting quiz to help you find the presidential candidate for you. The quiz appears to include statements of position by the candidates. I've heard that some people who took the quiz were surprised to discover that they were Democrats or Republicans.

Hubbo and I were who we thought we were, thank goodness. I don't need an existential crises this week.

Day 18 - Uncomfortable

The phrase "camel toe" comes to mind.

Late Breaking News

Oh, poo! We lost.

Day 17 - The Big Game

VS

GO BLUE!

BEAT STATE!
(Ohio State, that is)

Day 16 - Medicare Morass

The Medicare program is a national disgrace. My mother's health insurance will no longer be provided directly as a retiree benefit. Instead, she gets a stipend to spend on a program of her own choice. (It's not great, but it is understandable.) So I've been reading through all the info that health care providers have sent her.

What was Washington thinking! One kind of plan, and you get drug coverage.... Oh wait, you get some drug coverage, up to the first $2400, or so. After that, you pay out-of-pocket until you reach $4000, or so. (Don't hold me to these numbers; the info is at my mom's.) Dental? Vision? Still working on that. The other types? I haven't figured those out yet.

And what do we hear on the news? The prescription coverage varies widely from plan to plan, and the plans can change every year. Just because someone has a good plan this year doesn't mean that it will be a good plan next year. Who elected Big Pharma to run Medicare, anyway?

What kind of government does this to 80-somethings? What happens to our seniors who don't have someone at their side? What? What? What!

I'm disgusted.

Day 15 - The Rhapsody Bed

Our new Tempur-pedic bed was delivered today. And the model is called Rhapsody. Why do marketing people do that?

It's this big square-ish chunk of foam, and it's still cold from spending the day in the delivery truck. Being cold makes it stiff, and being stiff made it really hard to get upstairs. I am so glad we didn't have to do it. The delivery guys earned their keep today.

I wonder if I'll be able to feel that pea under the mattress tonight?

Bonus Track II

Maybe this is why I don't have many readers?

The few, the proud, the educated.

Day 14 - Reality

"Those who can do; those who can't spend too much time on the computer." - me.

I love my computer, but I spend too much time on it. Maybe I need this book. Or maybe I already know what to do.

I'm off to do what I do.

Day 13 - Last Night

Last night I went to my first meeting for the local fiber arts guild. Part of the evening was spent in show-and-tell by members of their work. I am intimidated. I am in heaven.

Day 12 - The Dream is Over

I have finished my shawl, Lace Dream - finally! This thing has taken 2.5 years. Did I mention it was a boring knit? It is pretty, though I'm not sure where I would wear it.

I blocked it pretty severely, using these large foam tiles from Lowes as a base.

(The colored tiles show through the cream shawl.)

The thing ended up being a foot longer than the pattern called for. I also used a lot less yarn - about 600 yds vs. 1150 yds in pattern. If I block it to the original dimensions, it would look poofier.



I usually knit pretty close to gauge without any trouble, but I think I would have had to go up 2 sizes from the recommended needle to use all the yarn called for.

Day 11 - Veterans Day

In honor of my Father on this Veterans Day.

A New York Times Love Letter

Nance, this is for you.

Day 10 - The Finer Things

We love living in a college town. The University has one of the top music and theater programs in the country. Last night we saw a production of La Boheme that was simply enchanting. Mimi, Rodolfo, Musetta, Marcello; they were all great. But, the highlight of the evening was when Professor Emeritus George Shirley appeared. Mr Shirley was a renowned opera singer in his day, and the first black tenor many audiences saw. His appearance as Mimi's older gentleman friend was particularly funny, as he was dressed as a black Karl Lagerfeld, complete with white ponytail, high collar, and driving gloves.

Tonight, we go to a production of Marriage of Figaro, in Detroit, performed by the Michigan Opera Theater.

Day 9 - The Princess and the Pea

I'm no princess, but I do need a new mattress. Actually, I've needed a new mattress for several years, as my perpetually sore neck can attest. It's just that there is something so off-putting about stretching out on a mattress in public, and pretending to sleep. I feel so vulnerable.

Anyway, I think I have the solution - My Mommy needs a mattress, too, so she and I are going shopping together. She is a very proper person and places a high value on decorum in public. (She does cut us some slack in private.) Since I have a contrarian nature, if my mom finds stretching out on a bed in public uncomfortable, I'll be perfectly nonchalant - pea or not.

Bonus Track

It snowed today. I have proof. It did not stick, thanks be to the Flying Spaghetti Monster

That critter in the background is my neighbor's ceramic sheep - the best kind.


Isn't this a beautiful sight? The lighting is so romantic.

Day 8 - My Poor Baby

Baby is in the body shop. She won't be back for a week. Sigh.

Day 7 - The Upside of Obsession

I'm usually pretty laid back, but I do have bouts of obsessive-compulsive behavior. Take today, for instance. Yesterday, I decided to clean and organize the basement workbench area. This doesn't sound like a big deal, but it hadn't been sorted out for the last 15 years. The bench was stacked with bags and boxes and loose screws, scattered nails, and assorted junk. I sorted, I tossed, and I put things away. The big piles become small piles. So far so good.

Day 2 - Little piles of stuff. I sort, I toss, and I put things away. The piles shrink by half, but don't go away. I sort, I toss, and I put things away, and the piles shrink by half and don't go away. Zeno's Paradox in action.

But, things will be in order; obsession must be served. Tomorrow, the workbench will be cleared and I will triumph!

Day 6 - Stealth and Subterfuge

Japan has too much time on its hands. You may have read the story in the New York Times about one designer's solution to Japan's (nonexistent) street crime. Check out here for the slide show.

Day 5 - Ka-Boom, Interrupted

Guy Fawkes Day

Do you have your bonfire ready?

Day 4 - Good times.

My boys, the Wolverines and the Lions, won their football games this weekend. Piece of cake. And now Mr. Brady has done his thing. Woot.

Good news for all the Mystery Science Theater fans out there. The original folks will be at it again. Check out The Cinematic Titanic for more info.

I know about the awesomeness that is Bollywood only from what I have read. But, here is video proof.

Finally - a little knitting content. I am determined to finish my shawl, Lace Dream, even though I had to tink the last 4 rows to fix a counting error. (One does not rip out Kidsilk Haze.) Right now, it is a crumpled mess, but I hope to post a picture of a beautifully blocked lace stole soon.

Day 3 - Game Day

Go Blue! Beat State!
Michigan State, that is.

(This has been a public service announcement.)

Day 2 - Can I keep it up?

Happy All Souls day



Today was a good day, until I got a call from Hubbo. My poor Focus got up close and personal with another car. Ann Arbor recently installed some two lane traffic roundabouts. The roundabouts are generally a good idea, but take some getting used to. The young driver of the other car was easily confused and developed a blind spot that prevented her from seeing his car. The good thing about the roundabout is the low speed, so the subsequent crash was more of an aggressive snuggle along the left side of the car. The passenger door is pretty well pushed in, but the car seems to be drivable.

Sigh. We want to keep our zippy little Focus a few more years, but what with crashing deer and young, wayward Canadians (did I mention she was from Ontario?), the car may not be around for much longer.

Tomorrow - UM vs. MSU. Go Blue!

I'm an Idiot

Have I used this title before? If so - the classics are always good. I'm sure I'll use it again.

Anyway, for some reason I just signed up for NaBloPoMo - National Blog Posting Month. This means that I commit to posting every day in November. This also means that I have 75 minutes to post something for November 1, or fail on the first day. But, I don't have anything to write about, so I'm writing about that. I am an idiot.

I'll do better tomorrow.

Until then, play a little Halloween Hangmen. (It's ok. Tomorrow is All Souls Day)

Happy Hallowe'en

From my porch to yours.

Career Options?

Which sci-fi crew would you best fit in with? (pics) created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Heart of Gold (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) You are a light and humorous person. No one can help but to smile to your wit. Now if only the improbability drive would stop turning you into weird stuff. Serenity (Firefly) 100% Moya (Farscape) 100% SG-1 (Stargate) 100% FBI's X-Files Division (The X-Files) 100% Heart of Gold (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) 100% Babylon 5 (Babylon 5) 94% Nebuchadnezzar (The Matrix) 94% Enterprise D (Star Trek) 75% Millennium Falcon (Star Wars) 69% Galactica (Battlestar: Galactica) 69% Bebop (Cowboy Bebop) 63% Deep Space Nine (Star Trek) 63% Andromeda Ascendant (Andromeda) 50%

Thankful

Thanksgiving came early to my family. My brother and his family live in the Westwood section of Rancho Bernardo. Their house survived, and they were able to get back in after a few days.

We are all thankful.

Today's Quote

I love this sewing quote from a post in LiveJournal:

"When the pattern says understitch as far as possible", this is an instruction, not a challenge!"

The Novi Show

The American Sewing Expo, aka, the Novi Show, is almost here. I will be going of course. I've signed up for a pre-show workshop on Thursday- Luscious Layers, taught by Laura Murray. I should finally learn what to do with all the paintstiks, stencils, foils, etc. I've been collecting. Friday, I plan to cruise the booths, and maybe sit in on a show or two.

I'm off to make Vogue V8427, view C

Quality Alert - Mad Men

I love Mad Men! This is the show from AMC about the advertising business in 1960. It looks wonderful, and I love the stories.




Watch it.

We're from the Government and we're here to help

The Government had a good idea with the "Do Not Call" list; they just didn't think it through. It appears that telephone and cell numbers that were registered in the earliest days might be expiring. Move over Government; I'm here to help. Go to the National Do Not Call Registry website. From there, you can check the status of your listing, and re-list, if necessary.

A Blast From the Past

Sewing Instructions from 1948. Enjoy.

Criminals or Fashion Victims?

It appears that this style defies not only the laws of physics, but also the laws of several municipalities.

Can plumber's crack be far behind? (Did I really write that? My subconscious has a bad sense of humor.)

Harry Potter and the Anti-Climax

Am I the only one finding HP7 heavy going?

I have a hard time reading it for more than 15 minutes before boredom sets in. Since I have a similar reaction to exercising on the ol' Nordic Trak, I thought that I should try combining the two activities. Surprise! I can go for about 30 minutes doing both. I guess my brain alternates different boredom receptors, making this possible.



Still Life with Harry Potter

Fiber Expo comes to town

The First Annual Fiber Expo is coming to Washtenaw County, October 27 & 28. Critters, classes, vendors, and stuff. Wahoo!

Mystery Stole 3 report

I wish I knew why I decided to participate in this adventure.



See those lifelines? Those markers? Do you know how long it has taken me to get this far?

I am having a good time.

Alternative Art Fair

The Detroit Urban Craft Fair is coming this August 4th. Check it out.

Ann Arbor Art Fairs

The fairs have come and gone. Ann Arbor had its usual schizophrenic weather; tornado warnings, blue skies, torrential rain, high temps, low temps, humidity - the whole shebang. Once the first day passed, the rest of the week was gorgeous.

We didn't go crazy this year, and bought just one piece: a retablas.

Closed



And opened



And a close-up of the Day of the Dead