I Owe

I owe some major postings. I'm home from CA and still waiting for DH to arrive. We flew separately as he was on a corporate account and we flew the bargain, but fun, airline, Southwest.

All I can say is we made it home early. DH had to stay in CA for almost 12 hours past his original flight time. He should be calling soon for a ride...

Who Knew?

that having fun could be so exhausting?

Yesterday was the San Diego Zoo where my son and I were attacked by a Madagascar Crested Ibis! A zookeeper was feeding the birds in one of the aviaries. And the ibis apparently really really likes grasshoppers. She moved on and the bird stayed eating his bugs. But when his bugs were gone he moved on to me and DS who were sitting on a bench. Nothing like a 10 inch long beak aimed at your barefeet in sandals. He'd run in circles underneath us and then come out looking for our feet. It was very funny.

Had a late afternoon snack on a rooftop restaurant at Pacific Beach so we could nosh and people watch.

Dinner at Hennessey's where it was Irish night. Good whiskey!

Today DH is ditching the convention early to hang with us.

crispy critter

Yesterday we went to the beach - the Silver Strand on Coronado. Lovely. Sun, surf, sand. Unfortunately for someone in my family, they did not apply sunscreen to the front of themselves. DS is a crispy critter. We've found him some aloe, but what a momo!

Even my skin along my hairline on the left side of my face was looking red last night, but this morning I am fine.

Finally got to my favorite Mexican restaurant yesterday also. Kids and I sat in the courtyard feasting and drinking and feeling good for 2 hours. Walked around Old Town sightseeing and shopping. Bought some beads for beadweaving. Today it's time to hit Balboa Park.

frustrated

Okay. I cannot for the life of me figure out why the link to the Stitch Bitch blog won't work. It is correct in my template. Oh.

Meanwhile. Here is California all is gorgeous and warm and just sunny enough.

Yesterday morning we made our way to the Big Kitchen for a breakfast that can't be beat. Judy was tres biening and singing all over the place. I had an omelet with avacado, cream cheese and chives with sourdough toast and side of tomatoes. Kids were enthralled. We'll be going back.

From there I used my radar and we found a Wal-mart to buy cheap beach towels (which I just leave here), shorts for DS to sleep in 'cause he hadn't thought about that when packing, medicine for DS because he hasn't totally kicked that cold, etc.

Then we went walking on the beach just south of the Coronado Hotel and I kept seeing things in black and white because I so want to see Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe frollicking in the surf. Best line ever in a movie: Jack Lemmon ripping off his wig at the end of Some Like It Hot - and saying "But, Cosmo, I'm a man." Cosmo replying -
"Well, nobody's perfect."

Next up: before the kids led a mutiny we needed to visit In-N-Out Burger. We arrived just in time to see a family of 3 kids and a wife removing a blindfolded, handcuffed dad from a van. LOL They had kidnapped him and brought him to In-N-Out for Father's Day. I took their picture and later got their email address to send it to them.

Then we went to the Mission San Diego de Acala. This is just such a peaceful, serene place. Took lots and lots of photos.

Next up - kids and I wandered Seaport Village while David went to an ESRI reception. Did a little shopping. Had dinner at the wonderful pink stucco Fat City Steakhouse. Absolutely gorgeous 80 year old Honduran mahogany paneling and enough stained glass to outfit the entire Titanic.

Off to hit the showers and find food.

Ah Beautiful San Diego

Just a note to say we all got here safely. Our brains are apparently scrambled and we are badly in need of food and caffeine.

Look

I fixed the link to Jenn's blog. I finally added Anna's again. I'll sit here and add a few more, then it's off to pack for CALIFORNIA!

SBQ June 14th

How do you store your WIPs and other projects that you have kitted up?

LOL
You're supposed to have a system?

Um...

Let's examine this issue more closely.

Some things are in bags from stores. Some things are in ziploc. Some things are in those heavy duty reinforced bags - some with 3 holes punched to put in notebooks. Some are just stacked up in the red leather ottoman in the living room.

Yes. This is where my organization skills fail me.

Travelling Project

I went through everything quickly again and pulled this one out to work on while travelling to/from and staying in San Diego:

Monkeyworks - "In the Sea" -

http://home.att.net/~k.cadilek/

My antique blue linen is a little lighter in color than the model. And I've chosen a darker blue silk n colours along with a waterlilies for fibers. All white - not my taste. Love the little monkey faces in the corners. I started the middle of the mermaid yesterday so that once on the plane I could just pull it out and start working.

Loaded more music on to the MP3 player which I was thinking of naming Zelda, but maybe that's not quite right because anyone younger will be thinking of gaming Zelda, not Fitzgerald. Ella? Nina? I'll figure it out.

So it's off to do laundry. A quick cleaning of the downstairs. I don't think I'll pack until tomorrow. I've got plenty of time...

crazy

This school just tried to pull an O'Neill on us and say we owed $135 for a winter track spirit pack that we paid for last October. Thank you, Ms. Jones for patiently finding our payment record. Not like I have a copy of a check from last October. I don't have any copies. So glad we did not pay cash. No money, no graduation. And you tell us about this now - right after graduation rehearsel. Duh. Duh. Duh.

Problem fixed. But first there was a little matter of a fire alarm...

PMSing, waking up at 3:40 every morning. My mind is no longer working correctly. Just when I thought I had all my ducks in a row. House is halfway clean. Stopped mail and newspaper. Just don't need any more surprises.

Picking Out the Perfect Piece

I have been trying to choose which piece of stitching to take with me to San Diego.

I have eliminated all works on dark colored fabric. Anything too large. Anything too complicated.

Current candidates are Sharon Cohen of the Nostalgic Needle's new sampler nametag.
Periwinkle Promise's - the Bluefield Sampler which has the lovely saying "I already know my alphabet"

I may have to go through the project pile one more time. I'm looking for the thing that's calling to me. I know you're in there. Speak louder, darn it!

answers to the movie quiz

How did I do?

1 - office space
2 - Some Like It Hot
3 - Desk Set - it was on this weekend. Don't you just love Kate Hepburn?
4 - ?
5 - It Happened One Night
6 - Singing in the Rain - ah, Jean Hagen! "What do you think I am? Dumb or something?"
7 - The Philadelphia Story
8 - When Harry Met Sally
9 - Bad Santa
10 - The Big Lebowski
11 - ?
12 - Best in Show??
13 - Zoolander
14 - Galaxy Quest
15 - Clueless

Stitching on

Inspired by a blogging friend who frequently has posted about stitching on a train:

I've got a piece, a scandanavian ornament, that I have been carting around with me in my purse since the second week of May.

I've now stitched on this piece: on a plane, in an airport, on a train, in an emergency room which is where DD was directed to go for her first drug test ever for employment, in a baseball stadium, in a car, outside at a picnic table, but never in the house.

One of these days I may actually finish this. Now I'm thinking I should try to fit in a few more exotic locations...

Maybe this week I'll add DS's high school graduation and then I can try for Coronado Beach?

SBQ of the week

What has been your most challenging project and why?

I'm not sure. Is it the Brazilian piece I gave up on 'cause I don't like working with rayon?

Is it my Newburyport Sampler simply for the size and scope and amount of time it took to stitch?

Is it my Heart's Content sampler - over one silk on 40ct silk gauze? Got to admit it was a bitch to frog on that one.

None of these seem like the right answer.

Maybe it's the ringbearer's pillow I stitched for my wedding when I was 24. I should dig this out and take a picture of it. It's needlepoint, white with a little blue and green. Had complicated stitches. But what flumoxed me the most (working on a tight deadline) was the actual finishing of it into a pillow. I didn't have enough money to get a professional to do it if I could have found one.

No. I guess my most challenging project is one I haven't done yet. Maybe it will be Catherine Agnes? or maybe someday I'll do some Japanese goldwork? who knows!

My MP3 player pouch

 


It's a little bit more lime green than this photo. But it's working for me!

Too Early

 



Way too early in the a.m. for pictures, but okay...

I found headphones, specifically Sony's EX71, that have multiple sizes so that one of them is smaller enough to work for me. Added bonus, good sound quality.

Lilies

 



What's currently blooming in my front yard...

MP3

I have mastered the MP3 player. Not at all impressed with the manual, the user's guide on the CD, or the website. But there is music. I know how to play. I deleted the preloaded video and photos and only put on a photo of my cat.

My remaining problem is the headphones. Heading off soon to search out something that I can comfortably wear.

And my little lime green crocheted pouch that I already made works perfectly. Just did hdc till I got a large enough rectangle. Sewed up the sides. Then used hdc to make a strap. Yeah for me!

After Much Gnashing

Do I have any enamel left on my teeth? Maybe not. Manuals accompanying technology are not written for the beginner. That's all I am saying.

In other news: just bought tix for Red Sox/Padres game while we are in San Diego. Am I considered a stalker if I attempt to find out which hotel the team is using while it is in town? Thank you, Stub Hub!

Why They Call It

 

the Granite State

Loon Preservation Center

 

This is New Hampshire's Lakes region in May. My sister and I took a little hike in the woods.

My Tulips

 

Finally downloaded pictures to my computer...here are the "artistic" tulips I planted last fall.

New Toy! A New Toy!

I'm way behind the power curve on this one - but I got a MP3 player today. It's charging right now. Soon I will be like all the other pods wearing headphones and totally isolated from all the people around me. LOL

Seriously. I had put in my request for one before getting on a plane to the west coast later this month. I'm the last member of my household to get one. My DD even has two. And do you realize that no one has ever asked me if I'd like to listen to theirs?

Of course, our next stop was Michael's (for something else entirely) but I bought lime green crochet thread to make a case for my new little friend.

Uh oh

DD was doing training for summer job at the GAP and instead of going home I stayed at the Tyson's mall for 3+ hours. I walked the entire mall and looked at clothes for her and me without buying a single thing.

Finally settled in at the bookstore where I started perusing crochet books and felting books.

And bought this one: http://www.amazon.com/Stitch-Bitch-Crochet-Happy-Hooker/dp/0761139850

Previously I had settled on the Crochet Answer Book, but this is better 'cause it has patterns too.

Why is this uh oh?

Because I'm feeling the pulllll of the yarn. And that means less stitching time.