Everybody Sing!

Happy Anniversary,
Happy Anniversary,
Happy Anniversary,
HAAAAAAAAAAAAPPPPYYYYY Anniversary!

Da bus haz a better flavr

The bus home was more crowded than usual today. I don't mind the rush-hour ride home so much if I can snag one of the single seats and knit without feeling crowded, or like I might accidentally stab somebody with my needles if the driver hits the brakes suddenly. Today, it was not meant to be. I found a window seat on the shady side of the bus, at least - it was hot - and was just contemplating whether I had room to pull out my knitting, when a large-ish middle-aged suit carrying a huge backpack sat down next to me, effectively pinning me against the side of the bus.

"Oh, spot and bother," I thought to myself. (OK, actually it was more like "Oh, fuck." But I'm editing for the sake of my parents' delicate sensibilities.)

And then , he promptly pulled out his crochet.

I asked him what he was making. "A baby blanket," he said; then added, rather sheepishly,"It's just something to pass the time while I'm on the bus."

I pulled out my knitting. We had a great conversation.

And when he got off the bus, I decided that it was time to stop minimizing my knitting to the Muggles who look at me askance. Look all you want, baby, but I'm gonna have warm, sexy feets this winter! And I'm going to wear them proudly.

So there.

Not that any of those kinds of Muggles would be reading this, but still.

(Mr.Q just set a plate of pasta down in front of me, with a beer. Gotta run!)

1000 Words

This about says it all!


At least Mr.Q made me coffee before he went to work, so there's a caffeine-flavour creeping in there!

Monday Moods

Bit of a funky mood today, for no particular reason. The weather's gorgeous, I love this time of year! Work goes well - a big learning curve, of course, getting settled in a new environment, but most of the other staff are friendly and helpful. I finished the Tuscany shawl yesterday...no photos yet, though. I'm really not happy with the colour changes between the skeins that were theoretically from the same dye lot...and in reality, are about as similar as an apple and a bagel. OK, maybe I'm exaggerating a little there, but really - horizontal stripes across the back of a short person with the shoulders of a (padded) football player...not so sexy! But somehow, some way, it needs to be over-dyed. Soon, so I can wear it while the weather's right.

Went up Main Street yesterday to meet up with the Terminal City Ravelers...good times, as always! I even went into Three Bags and managed not to buy anything. (Ummm...that would be because I walked out of there on Saturday with 3 skeins of Malabrigo sock yarn. There was public fondling and squealing, and not just by me!)

I'm supposedly off to another meet-up tonight, but I am just sooo tired that I'm not sure it's going to happen. I still have a half-hour to decide. I want to go; they're a fun bunch, too. But. That whole "tired & dealing with public transit" thing is not motivating me.

Blah blah blah. I don't even really know what I'm saying! Think I'll go have a little lie-down and make up my mind...Yay for the end of Monday!

Procrastinator: A new superhero!

I should so totally be getting ready for work. (Oh, yeah, I found a job. More on that later!) But instead I'm playing on Ravelry, and got distracted by someone's blog, where I found this - and it's not, I think, too far off base!

Your result for The Perception Personality Image Test...

NBPS - The Idealist

Nature, Background, Big Picture, and Shape

You perceive the world with particular attention to nature. You focus on the hidden treasures of life (the background) and how that fits into the larger picture. You are also particularly drawn towards the shapes around you. Because of the value you place on nature, you tend to find comfort in more subdued settings and find energy in solitude. You like to ponder ideas and imagine the many possibilities of your life without worrying about the details or specifics. You are in tune with all that is around you and understand your life as part of a larger whole. You prefer a structured environment within which to live and you like things to be predictable.

The Perception Personality Types:

Take The Perception Personality Image Test at HelloQuizzy

Queen for a day. Or something.

One thing I don't remember doing much of as a kid was playing princess...I was far more interested in playing Star Wars, or rounding up the neighbourhood kids and directing them in a made-up play or something. Or climbing on the roof. (Ummm...drove by that old house when I was home last and had another look at that roof...Sorry 'bout that, Mom!)

But today was a special day! I get to make up for that lack of princess-hood. Today I learned that I'm about to get my very own crown. In fact, I'm so fantabulous, I get two!

Yeah, I sure do love my dentist. My new one, that is. It's been five years since we've had dental insurance (that we've bothered to use...oops!) - since we left the Kootenays. So I went for a check-up and cleaning today. I also need three fillings. He's going to put them all in on the same day. Two on one side of my mouth, and one on the other. That should be all I need to perfect my squirrel impression! Coz you know, that's in the top two of my List Of Things to Do Before I Die.

Not.

But they did send me home with some new dental floss....one of those little teeny ones that will fit perfectly in my knitting notions pouch, for lo, I am a believer in the goodness that is a lifeline.

He asked, of course, if I floss regularly. I told the truth: I use floss quite often. For my knitting. He was...nonplussed. I refrained from the next obvious step: a lecture on the True Destiny of Ziploc Bags. He did have sharp pointy things in my mouth at the time.

I think I swallowed some of the flouride. I'm feeling kind of queasy. And I had to spit a lot on the way home. Gross!

Play Date

Mr.Q had some play money from a couple of gigs, burning a hole in his pocket. He decided (no surprise) that he wanted to go up to his favourite record store and poke around. Since he's been so busy the last couple of weeks with rehearsals and shows, yesterday was supposed to be Quality Time. So he bribed me. "Anything else you need from the yarn store, while that sale's on?"

Ummm....I'm sure I could think of something....Christmas knitting! Yeah, that's it! (We could never, ever live in that neighbourhood - there are two yarn stores and two record shops within an 8-block stretch.)

Seems I was not the only one with a weak will. It's nice to know I'm in good company! I was reasonably restrained, walking out with stuff I could conceivably have somewhat-immediate plans for. You know, if I was all organized and disciplined and stuff. And for once, Mr.Q finished at the record store before I was done. An interesting turn of events!

After he fetched me from the yarn store, he offered to take me to lunch. There's a wee spot across the street from Three Bags that I've been curious about - a sort of Middle-Eastern/Indian restaurant - I've had their mango lassis and they're quite good, but hadn't eaten there yet. It was...so much fun! Low seats and benches along each wall, with low tables in front, lots of tapestries and carpets and candles and wood furniture. Like being in a yurt, but with plumbing:

They brought us tiny cups of incredible chai while we waited for our rotis. Love the pinky action!

I had paneer and peas, very Indian; Mr.Q had beef and lamb kababs, very Middle Eastern. He was calling it the "Peshawar to Kandahar experience" - and it was a combination that worked quite well! We'll definitely go back.

Waiting for the bus home, fall was definitely in the air. The light's shifted, the colours are suddenly changing, and the wind was tossing around the first few leaves on the ground:

We capped off the day by digging into the second season of Stargate SG-1. Great knitting time! I am on the last repeat of the Tuscany shawl...will have to start into a third skein of the Socks that Rock, but should have more than enough left over for a pair of socks or something.

Our vegetative viewing was interrupted at one point by a strange rustling noise on the table. It took us a minute to figure out what it was, but then we found this:

He stayed in there for a good part of the evening. I am heroically resisting the urge to make a joke about letting the cat out of the bag.

(But not quite heroically enough, apparently!)