Pheelya tagged me for a birthay meme (you've got to check out her blog; she is a riot! A good one ha ha!). Since I haven't blogged for almost a month, this is the perfect way to ease back in.
Here are the rules: You go to wikipedia and type in your birthday (only the month and day). Then you write down 3 events, 2 births, 1 holiday, and then you tag 5 friends.
Events:
585 BC - A solar eclipse occurs, as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Cyaxares in the Battle of the Eclipse, leading to a truce. This is one of the cardinal dates from which other dates can be calculated.
1892 - In San Francisco, California, John Muir organizes the Sierra Club.
1961 - Peter Benenson's article "The Forgotten Prisoners" is published in several internationally read newspapers. This will later be thought of as the founding of the human rights organization Amnesty International.
Births:
1779 - Thomas Moore, Irish poet (d. 1852)
1944 - Gladys Knight, American singer
Holiday:
Republic Day in Azerbaijan and Armenia (both 1918)
So there you have it: the cool things that happened on May 28.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Monkey Socks or Not?
A few weeks ago, I started a pair of Monkey socks and I love this pattern! But I do not like how my yarn (Tess) is behaving with it. It has this weird spiral effect going on.
See no yellow on the other side:
So I am trying to decide if I should rip it and save this yarn for a baby
sweater someday. I could start the Monkey sock with different yarn. I
know this is what I should do, but I HATE ripping! But when I tried it
on today and looked down at my foot, all I could see was the stupid
yellow. I didn't see the cool stitch pattern at all.
It is a fun pattern. I want to do it. I know I need to rip, but I'll probably leave it for a few days while I mourn it.
Errrrrr....
See no yellow on the other side:
So I am trying to decide if I should rip it and save this yarn for a baby
sweater someday. I could start the Monkey sock with different yarn. I
know this is what I should do, but I HATE ripping! But when I tried it
on today and looked down at my foot, all I could see was the stupid
yellow. I didn't see the cool stitch pattern at all.
It is a fun pattern. I want to do it. I know I need to rip, but I'll probably leave it for a few days while I mourn it.
Errrrrr....
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Mojito Magic
Pheelya is having a contest to celebrate her birthday. Go tell her what your favorite drink is.
Mine is, hands down, the mojito. I first had one in Puerto Rico during a work trip in 2002 and it was love at first sip.
Now, I get excited when I see it on a drink menu. Even if it's not on the menu, I'll sometimes ask for one knowing the bartender or waiter will probably tell me they don't have the requisite fresh mint. But, they are starting to show up at chain restuarants. I've had one at Red Robin and Don Pablo's recently. Both were just so so. They didn't grind the mint into the drink. That is key.
Because, it's the mint that makes the mojito so delicious. I'm told a taco place in Hamden has the best mojitos in Baltimore. I really need to check that out.
Anyone know of other area spots to get a great mojito?
If you are ever in Madison, Wis., on a Sunday night, head over to the Cardinal bar to hear the best Latin jazz in town (surprisingly, Madison has a fair amount of Latin jazz) in a free show and to have a seriosly good mojito.
Mine is, hands down, the mojito. I first had one in Puerto Rico during a work trip in 2002 and it was love at first sip.
Now, I get excited when I see it on a drink menu. Even if it's not on the menu, I'll sometimes ask for one knowing the bartender or waiter will probably tell me they don't have the requisite fresh mint. But, they are starting to show up at chain restuarants. I've had one at Red Robin and Don Pablo's recently. Both were just so so. They didn't grind the mint into the drink. That is key.
Because, it's the mint that makes the mojito so delicious. I'm told a taco place in Hamden has the best mojitos in Baltimore. I really need to check that out.
Anyone know of other area spots to get a great mojito?
If you are ever in Madison, Wis., on a Sunday night, head over to the Cardinal bar to hear the best Latin jazz in town (surprisingly, Madison has a fair amount of Latin jazz) in a free show and to have a seriosly good mojito.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Where are my Manners?
Thank you for all your kind wishes on my birthday and house! Despite my soreness and exhaustion (see below), I am really very excited. I already love sitting in the sunporch, especially yesterday in the rain, and know I'll be spending many knitting hours there. I hope to have invite local knitters over after we're settled, and maybe after the weather has cooled (which, I know, won't be until October) so we can use that wonderful sunporcch.
Sore to my Core
Evil, thy name is wallpaper.
G and spent the entire weekend at the house, painting and remvoing wall paper. Well, we didn't sleep there, but we didn't really sleep much at all. We worked until midnight on Friday, 1 a.m. on Saturday and called it quits last night at 10. I am exhausted. And sore. And have a ton of work for my actual job to do. And I just want to nap. And knit! But I don't know that I'll be able to for several days. You see, I am sore everywhere, but mostly in my right hand and wrist. I probably shouldn't be typing.
But that is what happens when you grip a paintbrush for two days straight and scrap off wallpaper. I am just so grateful that the previous owner only had the wallpaper on two walls.
But, we longer have pink walls! I love the paint we picked and can't wait to see the rooms after next weekend when we paint the trim. (I guess it never stops. Earlier today someone asked how it feels to be a homeowner. I responded, "sore.")
But (that's three paragraphs started with "but" in a row; I'd use another transition, but I am too tired and sore), I've been knitting vicariously through all of you other knit bloggers.
G and spent the entire weekend at the house, painting and remvoing wall paper. Well, we didn't sleep there, but we didn't really sleep much at all. We worked until midnight on Friday, 1 a.m. on Saturday and called it quits last night at 10. I am exhausted. And sore. And have a ton of work for my actual job to do. And I just want to nap. And knit! But I don't know that I'll be able to for several days. You see, I am sore everywhere, but mostly in my right hand and wrist. I probably shouldn't be typing.
But that is what happens when you grip a paintbrush for two days straight and scrap off wallpaper. I am just so grateful that the previous owner only had the wallpaper on two walls.
But, we longer have pink walls! I love the paint we picked and can't wait to see the rooms after next weekend when we paint the trim. (I guess it never stops. Earlier today someone asked how it feels to be a homeowner. I responded, "sore.")
But (that's three paragraphs started with "but" in a row; I'd use another transition, but I am too tired and sore), I've been knitting vicariously through all of you other knit bloggers.
Friday, June 01, 2007
A Very Good Birthday Plus A House!
Monday was my 31st birthday and it was lovely and low-key.
My brother, sister-in-law, niece M (3) and nephew A (6 months) came to stay with us in our two bedroom apartment that is currently filled with boxes. It was cozy (which, incidentally, is M's favorite word. Everything is "cozy" from her "cozy towel" to dry her hands in the bathroom to the "cozy sofa" to the the "cozy bear." Adorable.)
It was such fun having them and we did so much! We went to the pool at my apartment, to the Baltimore zoo, to see our new house (oh, make that our "cozy house). I played restaurant with M several times. G even got into the game one night to play the chef at a "Japanese restaurant." He really outdid himself when he brought us a "birthday cake" (aka a piece of bread with the candles from my cake stuck in it. Suzanne said that would now have to be repeated at home.) M loved it.
G and Suzanne made me a delicious chocolate and peanut butter cake. Two pieces left for tonight yeah!
I had some lovely gifts. Of course, my gifts from G was some of the yarn I bought at MD Sheep and Wool. Plus we went shopping and got these cool chairs from Pier One for our new sunporch.
And I got this lovely bag from my mom.
Joe and Suzanne gave me a beautiful purple necklace. How gorgeous!
And L outdid herself with this wonderful book
and this amazing yarn! That's Seasilk in Rose Garden. How lucky am I?
But the best birthday present is our new house, on which we closed last night! This picture is from a few weeks ago, when the azaleas were in bloom:
And the backyard w/ dogwoods! It is so beautifully landscapped. I am so excited that I don't have to start from scratch. Plus it has so many of my favorite flowers: roses, daffodils, irises, lillies-of-the-valley and many more. It reminds me of my mother's yard, which I've always found lovely.
We bought the house from the original owners who lived there for 50 years. It is in beautiful condition, though we will be taking out the pink carpet and painting over the pink walls. It's a good house. It seems happy. And we saw it completely by accident.
We were going to look at a house on the same street, but at the bottom of the hill. Well, our realtors turned on the street, saw the Century 21 sign and stopped. We were at the door before they realized it wasn't the right address! But they had the code to get in so we decided to look at it, why not? Even w/ the pink carpet and walls, we could see that it was a lovely house. I remember standing in the backyard, looking around thinking "this feels like home." Only it wasn't so much those words as a feeling of being home. Hard to explain. It's a soul house (you know, like a soul mate).
Anyway, we saw a lot of other houses (including a beautiful one in a rat-infested neighborhood--thank goodness G likes to strike up converstation with the neighbors!) and did lots of homework. So we didn't pick solely on emotion. But we love the house and are so glad that we got it. As the previous owner said last night after we told her the story, "It was more than just luck" that we found it.
So here we are: the happy owners.
My brother, sister-in-law, niece M (3) and nephew A (6 months) came to stay with us in our two bedroom apartment that is currently filled with boxes. It was cozy (which, incidentally, is M's favorite word. Everything is "cozy" from her "cozy towel" to dry her hands in the bathroom to the "cozy sofa" to the the "cozy bear." Adorable.)
It was such fun having them and we did so much! We went to the pool at my apartment, to the Baltimore zoo, to see our new house (oh, make that our "cozy house). I played restaurant with M several times. G even got into the game one night to play the chef at a "Japanese restaurant." He really outdid himself when he brought us a "birthday cake" (aka a piece of bread with the candles from my cake stuck in it. Suzanne said that would now have to be repeated at home.) M loved it.
G and Suzanne made me a delicious chocolate and peanut butter cake. Two pieces left for tonight yeah!
I had some lovely gifts. Of course, my gifts from G was some of the yarn I bought at MD Sheep and Wool. Plus we went shopping and got these cool chairs from Pier One for our new sunporch.
And I got this lovely bag from my mom.
Joe and Suzanne gave me a beautiful purple necklace. How gorgeous!
And L outdid herself with this wonderful book
and this amazing yarn! That's Seasilk in Rose Garden. How lucky am I?
But the best birthday present is our new house, on which we closed last night! This picture is from a few weeks ago, when the azaleas were in bloom:
And the backyard w/ dogwoods! It is so beautifully landscapped. I am so excited that I don't have to start from scratch. Plus it has so many of my favorite flowers: roses, daffodils, irises, lillies-of-the-valley and many more. It reminds me of my mother's yard, which I've always found lovely.
We bought the house from the original owners who lived there for 50 years. It is in beautiful condition, though we will be taking out the pink carpet and painting over the pink walls. It's a good house. It seems happy. And we saw it completely by accident.
We were going to look at a house on the same street, but at the bottom of the hill. Well, our realtors turned on the street, saw the Century 21 sign and stopped. We were at the door before they realized it wasn't the right address! But they had the code to get in so we decided to look at it, why not? Even w/ the pink carpet and walls, we could see that it was a lovely house. I remember standing in the backyard, looking around thinking "this feels like home." Only it wasn't so much those words as a feeling of being home. Hard to explain. It's a soul house (you know, like a soul mate).
Anyway, we saw a lot of other houses (including a beautiful one in a rat-infested neighborhood--thank goodness G likes to strike up converstation with the neighbors!) and did lots of homework. So we didn't pick solely on emotion. But we love the house and are so glad that we got it. As the previous owner said last night after we told her the story, "It was more than just luck" that we found it.
So here we are: the happy owners.
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