Road Trip

Christi has been bugging me for months now to come visit her in Columbus, and today was the day!  But before I could leave, I had to attend to some very important business.

I had to get my new True Blue sticker on my car.

That done, I was off to Columbus.  It's about as far as it is to either Memphis or Jackson, and it was a very scenic drive.  It had been years since I'd been to the Eastern part of the state, and I enjoyed the drive very much, but finally, I arrived in Columbus, and found myself at Yarns Downtown.

This was the first time I'd ever been to Columbus, and I loved the old fashioned downtown architecture.  I didn't take any photos, though.  I really should have.  Once I got inside, I found a very pretty yarn store.

Lots more yarn than this, too, I just didn't get photos of all of it. It was big, open and airy.  Lots of yarn stores seem crowded, but this one had plenty of room.

As soon as I got inside, Christi came out and said, "May I help you?".  Then she realized it was me, and she grabbed me up in this big old bear hug and exclaimed, "I'm so glad to finally meet you in person!"  Now, you know me.  Normally I'm nervous about meeting new people.  I always worry that I won't be able to think of anything to talk about, but not to worry.  Right away, it was as if I'd known her for forever.  We were chatting like old buddies within just a minute or two.  Even when we ran out of things to talk about, we just sat and knit and watched the Food Network until the conversation started again.  That little voice in my head, the one that always says, "hurry up and say something--don't let the conversation die" never showed up.  It's not often that I meet someone that it's OK to be quiet with, but Christi was one of those people.  She even gave me a little ball of leftover sock yarn for the blankie.

This one will go in my sister's blankie.  I had some other yarns follow me home, too. 

Cherry Tree Hill supersock in Indian Summer

Heritage Hand Painted Sock Yarn from Cascade Yarns.  There is no color name on the label that I can see.  Just a number:  9903  Whatever it is, I love this color.  It reminds me of spruce trees in winter.  If I were going to name this colorway, that is what I'd call it:  Winter Spruce

This is King Cole Splash DK weight, in the seaspray colorway.  I'd never heard of this, but Christi said that it is dyed so that it makes patterns when you knit it--more than just stripes and brocade.  There was a pink color that makes little roses.  She didn't know what the blue makes, but it was my favorite of the colors.  I think it will end up being a scarf.  I don't know, though.  I haven't decided. 

I did love this yarn.  It is cashmere and was soooo soft.  I loved this color, too (the gray and yellow one).  But in the end, it stayed on the shelf.  

In case you didn't get that, here it is again:

Yeah.  Moving right along...

I'd chosen today to go because football season will be starting soon, and my Saturdays will be full, but Christi told me that SEC football is always on in the shop.  The owner is an Ole Miss fan, and Christi is a State fan, so Saturdays ought to be fun there!  I think I should plan on going on Egg Bowl day.  And as you know, I'm an LSU fan--when it comes to SEC.  My first loyalty is to the Longhorns. 

I'm sure Christi would have loved for me to stay until closing time, but I needed to get on home. We had just one last mission before I could leave. 

Yep, we had to get a picture together.  When I went to visit Amy, we never managed to get one. 

I got home and discovered that Scarlett had had a very bad shed.  So into the snake sauna she went.  She didn't have to soak very long, though, and her old skin peeled right off. 

The best news, I found out one of my Facebook friend's husband is stationed overseas, and they have the Green Beans Coffee cafe on his base.  I pestered her to death until I got all the pertinent information, then promptly went and bought him a coffee card.  I told her I was going to, and she said he'd love it.  The last time he'd called her, he asked her to send him their coffee maker, and she said she wouldn't.  Won't he be surprised when he gets his card?