Weekend Update
The weekend started off right with a box sitting on my desk when I got to work. It was a package from my Special Swap pal, Leah:
There are two great sock patterns from Cherry Tree Hill and a skein of CTH sock yarn. Next to the yarn is a little pouch of Burt's Bees products for hands and feet - can definitely use that at this ultra-dry time of year (my skin is so dry that I've snapped two knitting needles scratching my back - yeah, I'm not too bright and did it again after the first time it happened). After I got the package, I already lotioned up my hands and rubbed in some of the cuticle cream. I also lit one of the candles that are right below that pouch. Hmmm... such a lovely thing to burn a nice candle at your desk and try to relax. Next to the candles are some package of tea. They are super cool - it's a little "tea cluster". You drop it in your boiling water and it unfolds to reveal a flower in the middle. Awesome! I had just gotten a big cup of coffee, otherwise I might have tried it out. I did however eat one of the chocolate sticks next to the tea. And it was delicious! At the very end is a very cute and whimsical sock bag - it looks like a bug! You can't tell in the picture, but that pink fabric is all glittery. The fabrics are just gorgeous and match the yarn quite well. Wanna see that yarn closer up? (Of course you do!)
Red is so hard to photograph. I absolutely ADORE that yarn! Thanks for a fantastic, very usable package, Leah. And thanks to Lynne for organizing another great swap!
Thursday was my nephew, Michael's, birthday, so we had a birthday party for him on Friday night at the Park at Mall of America (or the Camp Formerly Known as Snoopy, as I like to call it). They rode the rides, ate junk food and Michael got lots of presents, so I think he had a good time. Here's a few of them waiting for a ride:
Red asked if I would take him to see this movie on Saturday:
He really liked it. Me, not so much. There were some images that I really liked. The flaming skeleton was pretty cool. I'm a big Nic Cage fan and I liked him in this. The film is based on a comic book series. It's about a motorcycle stunt rider, Johnny Blaze, who makes a deal with the devil to save his father. He gives his soul to the devil and agrees to become the "Ghost Rider" - the devil's personal bounty hunter. Eva Mendes plays Johnny's true love, appearing in one after another low cut blouse. Her impressive cleavage notwithstanding, she was just dreadful. So wooden and stilted. The story was pretty standard - good vs. evil, be true to yourself type of stuff. Most of it doesn't make a lot of sense - everyone finds out that Johnny Blaze is Ghost Rider and yet once his big showdown happens, no one is looking for him or trying to get him to pay for all of the damage he's done to the town.
After the movie, the snow had begun, so I dropped off Red, headed home and didn't leave until Sunday night. I ripped out the Tofutsies sweater and came up with a different pattern - a raglan cardigan. I knit up all that I had knit before and more:
I'm knitting it all in one piece, which is why it doesn't look as big as the first back did. It's not knitting up in the same pattern, but I think this is ok too.
The snow fell and fell like crazy. Every time I let Fiona out, it was harder and harder to open the back door. Here's how she looked every time she came back in:
By Sunday we had about a foot of snow. Fiona managed to create a little path into the yard to "do her business", but she could easily have gotten lost in the snow:
My back is really sore from shoveling all of that heavy snow, so I've got a heating pad on it now. We're supposed to get more snow mid-week. Oh goody. I'm so glad I'm going on vacation next week!
Sunday night I did venture out to go to my friend's house for an Oscar party. This was a pretty low-key, kind of boring ceremony this year. I was really surprised Alan Arkin won over Eddie Murphy, but he was great in LMS too. I had no idea who was going to win Best Picture and although I would have voted for Letters from Iwo Jima, I thought The Departed was a really good movie too. I guess the one I was cheering for to win the most was Helen Mirren and I really had no doubt she was going to win, which took some of the excitement out of it. I loved that PBS showed Prime Suspect 6 against the Oscars. Overall, I think this was a really strong year for film. I still haven't posted my Top Ten list for 2006, but I'll do it soon.
There are two great sock patterns from Cherry Tree Hill and a skein of CTH sock yarn. Next to the yarn is a little pouch of Burt's Bees products for hands and feet - can definitely use that at this ultra-dry time of year (my skin is so dry that I've snapped two knitting needles scratching my back - yeah, I'm not too bright and did it again after the first time it happened). After I got the package, I already lotioned up my hands and rubbed in some of the cuticle cream. I also lit one of the candles that are right below that pouch. Hmmm... such a lovely thing to burn a nice candle at your desk and try to relax. Next to the candles are some package of tea. They are super cool - it's a little "tea cluster". You drop it in your boiling water and it unfolds to reveal a flower in the middle. Awesome! I had just gotten a big cup of coffee, otherwise I might have tried it out. I did however eat one of the chocolate sticks next to the tea. And it was delicious! At the very end is a very cute and whimsical sock bag - it looks like a bug! You can't tell in the picture, but that pink fabric is all glittery. The fabrics are just gorgeous and match the yarn quite well. Wanna see that yarn closer up? (Of course you do!)
Red is so hard to photograph. I absolutely ADORE that yarn! Thanks for a fantastic, very usable package, Leah. And thanks to Lynne for organizing another great swap!
Thursday was my nephew, Michael's, birthday, so we had a birthday party for him on Friday night at the Park at Mall of America (or the Camp Formerly Known as Snoopy, as I like to call it). They rode the rides, ate junk food and Michael got lots of presents, so I think he had a good time. Here's a few of them waiting for a ride:
Red asked if I would take him to see this movie on Saturday:
He really liked it. Me, not so much. There were some images that I really liked. The flaming skeleton was pretty cool. I'm a big Nic Cage fan and I liked him in this. The film is based on a comic book series. It's about a motorcycle stunt rider, Johnny Blaze, who makes a deal with the devil to save his father. He gives his soul to the devil and agrees to become the "Ghost Rider" - the devil's personal bounty hunter. Eva Mendes plays Johnny's true love, appearing in one after another low cut blouse. Her impressive cleavage notwithstanding, she was just dreadful. So wooden and stilted. The story was pretty standard - good vs. evil, be true to yourself type of stuff. Most of it doesn't make a lot of sense - everyone finds out that Johnny Blaze is Ghost Rider and yet once his big showdown happens, no one is looking for him or trying to get him to pay for all of the damage he's done to the town.
After the movie, the snow had begun, so I dropped off Red, headed home and didn't leave until Sunday night. I ripped out the Tofutsies sweater and came up with a different pattern - a raglan cardigan. I knit up all that I had knit before and more:
I'm knitting it all in one piece, which is why it doesn't look as big as the first back did. It's not knitting up in the same pattern, but I think this is ok too.
The snow fell and fell like crazy. Every time I let Fiona out, it was harder and harder to open the back door. Here's how she looked every time she came back in:
By Sunday we had about a foot of snow. Fiona managed to create a little path into the yard to "do her business", but she could easily have gotten lost in the snow:
My back is really sore from shoveling all of that heavy snow, so I've got a heating pad on it now. We're supposed to get more snow mid-week. Oh goody. I'm so glad I'm going on vacation next week!
Sunday night I did venture out to go to my friend's house for an Oscar party. This was a pretty low-key, kind of boring ceremony this year. I was really surprised Alan Arkin won over Eddie Murphy, but he was great in LMS too. I had no idea who was going to win Best Picture and although I would have voted for Letters from Iwo Jima, I thought The Departed was a really good movie too. I guess the one I was cheering for to win the most was Helen Mirren and I really had no doubt she was going to win, which took some of the excitement out of it. I loved that PBS showed Prime Suspect 6 against the Oscars. Overall, I think this was a really strong year for film. I still haven't posted my Top Ten list for 2006, but I'll do it soon.
rdladd@arnan.com
