We Are All Crazy

I am off to Denver this weekend to attend what is being billed as "The World's Largest Crop". 1500 scrapbookers in one room having a wonderful time with photos, paper, sissors, stickers and tape runners. I will spend 12 hours on Saturday working on my Year-Abroad album. I orginally put together an album of my photos from my year in Lancaster, England shortly after returning home. I am now putting it in a Creative Memories album and including all sorts of other stuff there wasn't room for before.

I started my scrapbooking "hobby" to record all of my knitting projects. I am on my third knitting album and I keep on knitting. I am also recording my girl scout troop, the dogs (of course!), life with Ron, and several heritage albums.

Ron will be spending the weekend with the dogs - I wonder who will miss me more - Ron, or Lucie and Pershing.

Speaking of Crazy...
Next week I am off to Tempe, AZ to support my brother as he participates in the Ironman Triathlon on the 13th! Check it out: http://www.ironmanarizona.com/ This event is for crazy people. Why would anyone in their right mind spend a perfectly good Sunday swimming 2 miles, biking 112 miles and running 26 miles when you could be knitting or reading or something. Actually, these athletes are very dedicated and work very hard preparing for the Ironman. I am very excitied to attend and support Dave in his first Ironman! I'll post reports when I get back.

No photos again this time. I did get some photos of the Disco Socks I recently finished but once again forgot to download the photos.

THNGVBD

Raise your hand if you ever read the book "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day". I had one of those yesterday. I'm glad that day is over and I hope to never have it repeat again. It was a payroll issue at work and there is nothing like explaining the same thing over and over (and over) again to 40 employees.

I splurged and spent part of my income tax refund on a new iPod. I have the cutest little Nano now - red! Very cool. I figured I can now have my music travel with me as I knit and spin and play with fiber. I also purchased a jumbo flier wheel for my spinning wheel. Yep, I'm a fiber dork.

Along those lines, one of my girl scouts sold me some raw fiber - 3 bags of wool! (yes sir, yes sir, 3 bags full). This led to the determination that Ron needed to install a utility sink for me in which to wash yarn and wool and perhaps even laundry. Did you know it is a 12 mile round trip from my house to Home Depot and that if you drive it 6 times in a 24-hour period you still don't win a prize? Yes, we spent our Easter attempting to do plumbing, which also meant we spent Easter attempting to get water back to our house. We are NOT DIY'ers. I have cold water going to my sink, but no hot water yet, and no drain attached either. Maybe in a weekend or two.

I really should post a photo but I need to take of photo of the socks I finished knitting a few weeks ago before I give them away. I started knitting a cardigan for myself but was not happy with how it was turning out and I frogged the whole thing and will re-think the pattern. I have started another pair of socks and have several projects that need to be started as well. That should keep me out of trouble.

Random Thoughts of the Day

Ron and I took the dogs to the dog park the other weekend and Lucie was running around like a crazy person, as normal. We encountered some other dog owners that had a Benji-type dog and a Bichon Frise type dog. The dogs greeted each other in the typical manner "Yep, smells like a dog". One of the women asked me if Pershing was a very large schiperkee (sp?) and I said no, he is a lab/chow mix. And then I pointed to Lucie and said she was a lab/wing-nut mix. The woman looked at me and stated "Wingnut? I haven't heard of that breed before?" Yes, she had a straight face. I just wanted Bill Engval around to do his "here's your sign" bit. Um, I cleared her confusion by claiming Lucie was an idiot, and she understood. Actually, the labnut is a new designer breed along the lines of the labradoodle.

I did some much delayed spinning last night. And no, for you excercise types it was not what you think. I used an Ashford Traditional wheel and spun some lovely wool dyed a gorgeous poppy red. Actually, I have not spun for a long time as my right leg muscles were not happy with me after several hours. I tried treadling with my left leg (managable, but not as smooth). Who knew that you should stretch and warm up before spinning. I am now trying to decide if I should ply the red wool with itself, or with a black wool (that would be sharp) or something totally off the wall and glittery.

My Girl Scout troop has been selling cookies at booth sales around town. We sold both Saturday and Sunday last weekend and we will be at it again this Saturday. Please, buy GS cookies! It is for a good cause, it helps to support the troops and the council, and the sooner I am rid of all the cookies the sooner we can get on with our lives. I do finally have my garage back as all the cookies now fit in my car. Now I want my trunk back.

Fibertarians United

To h-e-double hockey sticks with the democrats and the republicans! I am so sick of all this primary nonsense! I have switched parties!!! Vote for Dolores in 2008!!! Fibertarians United!!

For more information regarding her platform (shoes) visit The Panopticon.

Reactions

So far people have been very surprised about the new 'do! But everyone also really likes the hair. And yes, it is much lighter. I am re-learning how to brush short hair and I purchased a hair dryer and a curling iron this weekend so my styling will be more than a bun and a stick. I'll get more photos posted soon - promise!

In case anyone as yet to figure this out but men are the most oblivious creatures on earth! I have been at work for 7 hours now and not one person has actually noticed that I cut my hair. Of course the golf pro and superintendant are not in the office every day, but you think that the club manager would take notice. I would get comments on the days I wore my hair in a braid of "Oh, you wore your hair down today - I never realized how long it was" and the like. But today, not one bloody comment! Would they notice if I shaved my head?

Happy 60th Birthday to mom today! Wish I could be home to celebrate.

Yesterday I froze my arse off with my girl scout troop marching in our MLK parade/march. We were the colorguard and the girls did great!! I believe the temperature at 10:30 yesterday morning was something like -20 (with windchill) and it was snowing. Needless to say it was a very fast march and the photos are of all these bundled up people and it is really hard to identify the girls. Apparently another MLK march in Georgia was cancelled yesterday due to 1" of snow or something. I know that they don't get much snow and such, but what lightweights!

Goodbye Cruel World

Lady Godiva, Rapunzel, Crystal Gayle, yours truly. What do we all have in common?

Yep, this is my hair. I have been growing it out long for at least the past 20 years.

Now, what do Jo March, O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi and yours truly have in common?

Yes folks - I cut my hair. Actually, Kayla at the hair salon cut my hair. It looks really cute, it is very light, and now I have to buy a hair dryer and moose and all of those hair products.

Never fear tho - I am donating the cut hair to locks of love. I do have a photo of the hair but Dial Up takes forever to import a photo. Yes, I know, kicking and screaming into the 21st century. There is also a photo of me smiling - that will be imported soon too.

I am happy with my decision. I can't wait for the comments!

UFO's

I've been finishing off a bunch of UFO's this month (UnFinished Objects to you non-knitters). I finally finished the S'mores Socks and they are ready to go to the Girl Scout Council Silent Auction. I hope someone really enjoys them. Last night I also finally finished an afghan. I started this sucker about 4 years ago when I first started knitting. It is knit in 7 separate panels and then seamed together. The partially completed first panel spent several years laying around my yarn room mocking me. Over the past 18 months I starting working on the panels again - a nice break between socks and holiday knitting. The last panel was knit this weekend while watching playoff games (Go Giants!) and I finished seaming the panels last night! As soon as I get a photo I'll post it. It looks really cool. Only two more UFO afghans to go...

Speaking of photos:

Here is my lovely brother modeling his Christmas present - the big red dog hat. (And no, we can never get a normal photo of Dave.) He wanted an ear flap hat, in University of Arizona colors, and the dog motif was a must. Dave has a big tan dog - Farley the English Mastiff. I lined the hat with fleece as he has a bald head and the wool might be too much against the skin. It is a very warm hat and perfect for him to wear after his workouts. Dave is currently in training to participate in the Ironman Triathlon in Arizona this spring - go Dave!! He wears special gear for working out in winter weather, but the hat is great to wear after the training. In fact, his triathlon club mate people really liked the hat as well. Dave did wish there was a tassel on the top. Maybe I'll send him just the tassel for his birthday.

If all goes according to plan there will be a most surprising post on Friday.