very exciting (and self-promoting), no? you have to admit, it is kinda pretty... 
Here's a yarn I spun from wool dyed by the lovely Heather. Nothing to do with V-Day but I spun it between then and now. Looks super 80s to me :), we will see if I can let go of it or not...
It was also vacation for mr. d last week so we went up to Maine for a few days to visit with zay and mom d. While in The County, we hid this:
One of two received from the uber-talented Josh Simpson's Infinity Project. Go submit a proposal!!! Besides being a really cool idea, you get a second one of these AMAZING planets to keep for yourself! 'Cause chances are his bigger stuff is not in your price range. If it is, please pick one up for me while you're shopping, 'cause you can afford to :)
Here's the one I kept for me:
You can't tell from the pics, but this one is actually quite a bit smaller than the first one. Here's a shot of me freezing my behind off during the "hiding"...
And actually, now that I think about it, if you know where this is, there's a pretty good chance you could go and get that planet for yourself because I don't imagine anyone else is dumb enough to go out there until it gets warmer.
Speaking of warmer, I am planning on a super-fun (and long-awaited) trip to SF & Hawaii to visit ms. c, ms soon to be mrs. c, ms. f and #1! I'll get to mooch off my friends and eat yummy food, and be WARM! Finally, a use for my thirty-five bathing suits. This news accompanied by a photo of the cool lights in the trees at LLBean. 
Finally: if you've read this far, thanks. I have to explain to those who care enough to read this much that I tend to disappear from email (and blogging) when I get overwhelmed. Personal hiding reaction to stress. In this case, when mr. d and I got back from Maine, we found out that my grandmother had fallen into a coma. She is now conscious but recovering very slowly. She can't speak or walk yet, nor is recovery certain, and my parents are getting ready to fly to Taiwan to see her. Depending on what happens during their visit, I will probably go myself sooner or later. It's hard not to feel helpless and stressed, especially when you're over 9,000 miles away. Day to day on this, but I am working on not withdrawing so much when things get crazy. Thanks for bearing with me. xoxo, #2
YUMMY! And not at all ruined by the fact that I took an extra three weeks to post about it...
I was even nice enough to share with others... well, some of it anyway... I just had a thought (again, only took me three weeks)... was there a CD in here? Because I didn't see one when I unpacked? Did it somehow go missing? Hmm, a mystery...
Tomorrow I will give myself a bit of a break so I don't break my computer out of frustration, and reorganize. Loads of handspun. If you see something you like that doesn't have an add to cart button, just send an email or leave a comment. Thanks. I'll be back when I'm not annoyed with my computer anymore. Smooches.
Very solidly stuck at 1/10th finished right now. Note my cute Clover kacha-kacha at row 44 and the only 7s I own, annoying Susan Bates metal needles. I haven't used metal needles in months, and I remembered why about two rows in. Since I also dislike small needles to a certain extent and plan on not using them for many months after this is done, I could not justify buying new bamboo 7s. 
and I FINALLY watched the Netflix DVDs that I'd had sitting around for ages. I like Season 5. Lots of drama for Rory & Lorelai. And I'm almost caught up enough to feel like I can watch the new episodes. I am trying to hold out, though, because we all know how much I need a new TV show to watch. 
"south beach" and "fairy tale" (and don't get me started, I know "fairy tale" is not a place or food and thus does not fit into my general naming scheme, but I couldn't think of a place and I am saving the few candy names I haven't used for a bigger piece)
So, I just finished knitting a neckwarmer for mr. d. As I was finishing up, I realized, hmm, I never measure these things. I just continually hold them up to my head and neck as I get to the part where I think I'm getting "close". And this realization of how I "measure" got me to thinking about the subject of this entry.
Some of my friends know this, but I thought this would be interesting for those who don't know as much random crap about me: I have a disproportionately large head. Now, everyone I discuss this with SAYS that my head doesn't SEEM unnaturally large, but there is proof. mr. d, who is about 5' 8" and sort of stockily-built, not big but pretty broad-shouldered, well, his head is smaller than mine. This was a point of contention for awhile until finally one day we got a tape measure and measured. Yup, my head is bigger. For those of you who don't know, I am not quite 5' 2" and though I seem to keep gaining weight, I am your average small-boned female Asian build. MY HEAD IS ABOUT ONE INCH LARGER THAN MY MUCH LARGER THAN ME HUSBAND'S HEAD. And no, his head is not freakishly small.
To further emphasize my point, mr. l was over when we measured, and he is taller and bigger than mr. d. I would say that the average person meeting mr. l on the street would probably hesitate to mess with him (correct me if I'm wrong here, people who know). And I think mr. l himself would say that his head is not small. ms. f says so too, and she knows. AND MY HEAD IS A MERE ONE-HALF OF AN INCH SMALLER THAN MR. L'S HEAD. See? Disproportionately large. I'm going to start drawing myself as a lollipop.
Don't worry, I don't have a complex. Yet. Though I know my roommates senior year in college will tell some story about how I came home freaking out one day after we had our heads measured for our caps and spent the next 12 hours feverishly questioning all the other seniors I came across in my attempts to find someone with a noggin as big as mine. No, I don't have a complex. I do have a problem finding knit hats that are flattering, though. Any suggestions? 'Cause I think winter is going to be a while longer here.
Okay, I'm off to cozy up with my Cascade 220, pattern & row counter. No promises that I won't fall asleep a few rows in, though...
So, in my ongoing attempt to eat healthier, I convinced my companions, mr. d and the lovely mrs. w, to order baskets of fried pickles AND jalapeno poppers at Beerworks tonight. Then mrs. w added on lobster quesadillas, we all added fries with our entrees, and it was all over. I guess the half of the Greek salad that I had might've added a little bit of fiber. Too bad all the grease and fried batter blocked any of the healthy stuff from being absorbed into my system. 
Color me in complete shock. Where did the first half of January go? Where did the rest of December go, for that matter? I have to say, I've definitely been feeling the aftershock of the holidays. There was a lot of driving and quite a bit of drama this year. No dirty laundry here, though. Suffice it to say that I think I was exhausted long after mr. d's short vacation had already ended. And I am still avoiding.
Well, I am less cranky now. Thanks for not taking it personally. Here are some pictures of the lovely white tree that I made mr. d run around all over with me looking for. Now there's an awkward sentence. The tree, plus a peek at the wrapped presents from the weekend (there are about twenty five more from today's cranky wrapping session-- might YOUR gift be in this pile?):
So, this is not something I ever imagined wanting, but I saw heidi's post of one of her gazillion trees and was inspired... of course I wanted mine heavier on the green and orange, 'cause that's the way I am... and it's actually not done yet, 'cause I have a whole 'nother box of ornaments that are waiting for me to make hangers for them... it makes me happy anyway.
I have been avoiding the site because it makes me cranky, but I will get back to it tomorrow. Maybe even for a bit before I go back to bed. Weather forecast says 6" to 10" of snow tomorrow! If there's a snow day and mr. d doesn't have to go to school, we're going to put up the big tree AND the OTHER little one... off to make a Christmas CD, eling
I am cranky and tired and cold. (Growl.) Solution: going to hide in bedroom with powerful area heater and many, many Christmas gifts. I will wrap lovely & cute gifts with pretty paper until I am not growly any more.
I have decided that Stephen Chow is up there in the category of "strangely attractive despite generally odd appearance". Joining him there is Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters). Anyone else have any other additions? Okay, actually, Stephen Chow doesn't look bad in this particular photo but if you've seen the movie, or Shaolin Soccer (also AWESOME), for that matter, then you get it.
Fine, I might not get to work on it 'til this weekend. But isn't it PRETTY?*I almost forgot to write about the MOMA! I had to come back. There is too much to say, but I especially liked the SAFE: Design Takes On Risk exhibit. Full of crazy science and quirky designs, plus your necessary social commentary. :) Check out the cool concept of the patches here... not for nicotine, but for junk food! 
While in NY, I also pulled my normal stunt, which is to force everyone to eat too much food with me because I am panicked that I will not get such a good selection of food again in the near future. But no food pics 'cause I always forget in my rush to stuff everything in my face.
The other thing I do is to force everyone I want to see to eat together regardless of whether they know each other or not, because I am on a tight schedule. In this case, it was mrs. s, plus friends mr. c and mr. r-k, and we went to Pylos, which is right in mrs. s and mr. c's neighborhood. YUM. And, disturbingly, booked solid at 6:30 on Monday night. Wow. We only got a table because someone else's party was not as big as they said it would be. Anyway, there was too much food to deal with, and I couldn't pronounce ANYTHING on the menu, either. SO GOOD. Here's us outside after, minus the mrs. I am so full I am cross-eyed. 
Tuesday it was rainy so we stayed in until father of mrs. s arrived to meet us all for lunch. We went to Veselka, which really was as good as everyone kept saying it would be. I had borscht for the first time, which was much lighter than I thought it would be, and not to overuse the word, but GOOD. Plus, Chloe Sevigny came in and was sitting at the table next to us. Very random. Did I say YUM yet?
Anyway, I headed back north after that-- it was already getting insane with people leaving the city for the holiday. Which totally crept up on me, by the way. Thanksgiving has long been my favorite holiday, because I love pretty much all the foods associated with it, and really, what is better than eating a ridiculous amount of food and doing nothing else? Except maybe taking a nap and then getting up to eat MORE food. We had a nice at-home deal. 
hot caramel apple cider-- basically it was the hot apple cider COVERED in whipped cream and drizzled with caramel. Very buttery cookie on the side. In case you missed me, here's what I've been doing: eating. Okay, I've been doing rhino work too... anyway, gotta give a shout-out to the V family for taking us to Vaccaro's while we were in Baltimore last weekend. All hail Vaccaro's:
Guess who was the insane person who got the oreo sundae? Or oreo ice cream cake with two scoops of vanilla gelato plus whipped cream, hot fudge and more oreo cookies? If you guessed me, you don't know me that well. Yup, it was my chocolate-loving spouse. I got the coconut napoleon thing... and even that was too much. We were in the middle of little italy and it was so much sugar that I was actually tempted to have dinner again after we were done. Don't think that B to the altimore was all sugar and cream puffs, though... we also saw Larry Flynt's stake in the city...
The best part was that the Hustler Club was on a WHOLE STREET full of awesome seedy strip joints. Luckily someone planned ahead and the police station was right on the middle of the block too. Sweet.
On the way back from Maryland we stopped in on River Road in Edgewater, NJ to go to the Mitsuwa Marketplace, supercool Japanese supermarket, food court and bookstore! Probably by far the largest concentration of Japanese people on the East Coast. CROWDED.
Basically I've been hiding out trying to get stuff ready for the Sampler and prepping for ANOTHER trip, this one to NY to see Bono & the Edge at MSG, and to go museum-hopping and window-shopping (with money I don't have) with the newly MRS. s.
Wow, that was a lot of non-pictureness. I will try to update the other blog tomorrow with updates on the Sampler goodies and yarn! and jewelry :) I think I might go to bed! And not even 2 a.m. yet. Okay, I might finish some other emails first... I will leave you with the nice Ethel M chocolates that mr. l brought back from Las Vegas after his rendezvous with the lovely ms. f... trust me, the box looks nothing like this anymore...
Luckily, things turned around and here I am at the playground not two days later. How cool is this thing? Another sign of my getting older: I was kinda scared up there.
It was a pretty tame weekend. Saturday someone got her first bath in over 6 weeks. No, it wasn't me. I am trying for 8 weeks. And we did errands, and I did (gasp!) Christmas shopping. Hey, they were having a big DVD sale... yesterday we were up at mr. d-senior's house for his birthday. In other words, we drove up 2 1/2 hours and visited, then ate too much food and got tired, and drove back 2 1/2 hours. Always a good time :).
Finally, at least for now, this weekend I ...(drum roll)... spun my own yarn! Pictures to come. Very excited about this, though if this does reduce my handspun yarn consumption it will drastically increase $ spent on fiber (sigh). Oh well, it was FUN!!! !!!!!! !!!!!! Yup, I liked it a lot. Hmm. I don't think I'm very witty before 1 a.m. I'll write again later and we can compare. xoxo, eling
SOMEBODY chewed right through the wrappers to eat both a Kit Kat and a pack of Whoppers while others were eating dinner. Thank goodness for Halloween snack size candy. So if Daisy looks needy, maybe it's because she is trying to con you into leaving the room so she can steal and eat more Halloween candy out of the bowl while you're not looking.
I think I had more to say earlier but it's getting late and the bad TV watching habit that rears its ugly head when there is a lot to do has sucked any thoughts I had left out of me. Busy weekend leading to busy week. At least if I'm not too hard on myself I can admit that I have been moderately productive.
At least there was dimsum on Sunday, and all the goodness that comes with dimsum...
Bedtime... and new mattress topper... yay! Goodnight!
