What A Difference

What a difference a year makes!

Blaze is an almost 2 year old male, amelanistic corn snake:
Sunset is an almost 3 year old male, amelanistic corn snake:
Note that both Blaze and Sunset are in tanks that are 36".

You know how you can know something for a long time, then one day it just hits you that you know it? It hit me just this week how big Sunny has gotten in the last year. By this time next year, Blazie will be about the same size as Sunny is now. Corn snakes are generally considered adults at 3 years of age. Sunny is about there. Blaze is just entering what could be considered his puberty stage. He will grow about a foot in length and double his girth. Sunny, on the other hand, will slow down considerably now that he's reached his adulthood.

At last measurements, Sunny was 46" and Blaze was 34".

I Finally Finished

I finally finished what I had begun to refer to as The Neverending Scarf. I knit it from a ball of wool blend yarn I had leftover from making Joshua a sweater a couple of years ago. What I didn't realize was that this ball of yarn was an artesian ball. The yarn was reproducing itself at the other end faster than I could knit it up. Once I realized what was happening, I had to work at supersonic speeds to outknit its propensities of perpetual propagation. I succeeded, though I melted my favorite needles in the heat of my furious knitting pace, and finally finished the scarf.

Ok, not really, but it felt that way at times...Still, the scarf turned out nice.

Best of all, it is one more FO to cross off of my WIP list:

1. Prayer Shawl
2. Irish Hiking Scarf
3. Grey Scarf From Unknown Wool Blend
4. Red Heart Strata Scarf
5. Branching Out Lace Scarf
6. Texas Longhorn Scarf
7. First Time Socks
8. Socks using Magic Loop
9. Socks on DPNs using Knit Picks yarn
10. Socks from Red Heart Strata

I also finished the mid-month dishcloth--finally. I'd gotten two days behind on my rows, but yesterday I did both days worth and caught up. The big problem I'm having with these is that I don't like knitting at my computer. But at the same time, I don't want to print out 6 or 7 days worth of patterns and use up a bunch of ink and paper. I could wait until it is done and print the whole pattern out at once, but that kind of defeats the purpose of a knit-along.

Moving right along...



I actually got a good workout last night in class, for the first time since before I was sick. That was nearly a month ago. I was sweating buckets, breathing hard, and my heart rate was up. It felt good. After we did basics, sensei had James and me work with Barrett, Josh, and Blake on two man basics while he did other stuff with the rest of the class. Blake kind of gets on my nerves. James and I are trying to get Barrett and Josh through two man basics because they've got shodan grading coming up soon. Blake started whining that we weren't paying enough attention to him. I apologized, explaining that we were trying to get Josh and Barrett ready for testing. Blake says, "I'm testing, too, in April! I'm testing for my brown. That is just as important as black."


Only two things wrong with that statement, besides the obvious. 1) Two man basics isn't required for third grade brown. 2) Blake has been a purple belt for 4 years. If brown were really that important to him, maybe he should have been coming to class all that time. I don't think it's right that sensei is letting him test. For the last 4 years, Blake has been showing up maybe once every 6 months. Sometimes he'll come in and help teach the kids classes, but leaves before our class starts. About 3 weeks ago, he started coming back to class regularly, and sensei is going to let him test? If it were my dojo, he wouldn't be testing. He would have to show me that he is dedicated and committed before I would let him test.


But that's just me.

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Charlie Waters

Or What I Find Attractive in A Man, Part 1

I've never really understood why people get so spastic over celebrities. It just isn't my thing. On the way home from Wisconsin with the church youth group, somewhere in Missouri, the church van was filled with teenage girls. Suddenly, the girls all started screaming and jumping up and down--as much as one can jump in a van. They were all looking out the window, waving and taking pictures. And screaming. Being the clueless one of the bunch, I asked what was going on. One of the girls turned to me and said,

"It's Richard Gere!"

I didn't even know who Richard Gere was at the time, but these girls had spotted a man in a car and they were sure it was him. After we'd passed the car, the girls were all discussing whether it really was Richard Gere or not. Some of them insisted that it had to be because it looked just like him. Ever the practical one, I burst all their bubbles when I posed the question,

"Come on, what would Richard Gere be doing driving through Missouri?" and although I didn't say it, I could have added, "and being passed by a church van?"

That kind of carrying on has never been my style.

Backtrack a few years--to 7th grade. The girls in my school were all agog over Charlie Waters. I was all agog over him, too, but what I couldn't understand was why they weren't just as agog over Cliff Harris. After all, he was just as good a ball player as Charlie Waters. Why didn't they go goo-goo over him?

"You've got to be kidding! That old bald headed guy?"

I didn't understand how being bald affected his ability to play football. What did it matter anyway? Once he had his helmet on, you couldn't tell he was bald.

"Oh, Becky, you just don't get it."

I'll admit, I was a bit of a late bloomer when it came to noticing boys as boys. It was late the next year before I really began to notice boys. Up until then, Charlie Waters was just the best strong safety to ever set foot on a ball field.

Now, let me set the record straight. Just because I was a late bloomer, doesn't mean I was blind.

Yeah, I thought he was cute. It just wasn't as important to me as the way he played football.


Charlie Waters played football with a passion and intensity that was rare, even in those days, and is almost never found among today's pampered pansy players--at all levels of the game. He gave of himself 100% in every game. There was no holding back. And he never quit until the game was done.

Charlie Waters broke his arm. Now, for most players, that would be a season ending injury. Even if it weren't, it would mean a big chunk of the season sitting on the sidelines for them.

Not Charlie Waters. He continued to play, even with his arm in a cast. Not only did he continue to play, he played with such passion and intensity that he broke his arm in two more places inside the cast. Now for most players, that would be a season ending injury. Even if it weren't, it would mean a big chunk of the season sitting on the sidelines for them.

Not Charlie Waters. Doctors inserted a steel rod in his bone, and he continued to play. Not only did he continue to play, he played with such passion and intensity that at times the end of the rod would pop out through the top of his shoulder.

Some people would say that is just foolishness. I don't think so. I think just showed how much he loved the game. It showed the passion he had for what he loved. It showed how much of himself he was willing to give for what he loved.

He carried that passion with him off the field as well, and kept it even after he retired from football. And he still gives of himself 100% in everything he does.

He was, and still is, involved in many charities and community events, including Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the I’m Third Foundation of Kanakuk Kamps, the Boles Home for Children, The American Diabetes Association and the Cody Waters Memorial Fund. In interviews, you can still see the passion, the intensity, and ..and..and a joy shining through his life. It shows in his eyes. It sounds in his voice. It works in his actions. It sings through his entire being.

As for his physical appearance...

Well, he can still make guys like

and
hang their heads in shame.

Even at 58 years of age.
That's what I find attractive in a man.

Beats Me

Last week, or rather the week before spring break, I got a note home from one of Cody's teachers. Seems he has been violating the school's dress code. Some of the jeans he has been wearing to school have small holes in the knees. His knee skin was exposed. She taped the hole up that day, but if he continued to wear those jeans, she would have to refer him to the office.

But he can wear shorts to school and it's no problem. HUH? Maybe it's just me, but shorts expose a whole lot more skin than a quarter sized hole in his jeans. What a wacky world we live in.

Continuing in the same vein, my little man finished the essay I had assigned him. It was good. It was very good. It was so good, I'd like to share it with you. Here it is in its entirety.

Respect, as defined by Funk and Wagnells, is a deferential regard, or esteem, for someone. Respect is important in many ways and places. Respect is not just to be shown to authority figures, though. Respect is also to be shown to yourself and other people. Respect is to be shown to the snakes and the birds and the cats and the dogs. Respect is to be shown to your belongings. Respect is to be shown to other people's belongings. Respect is to be shown to the father, and respect is to be shown to the mother. Respect has a great impact on what other people think of you. Respect has a great impact on how you think of yourself. Respect is for well-known heroes. Respect is for the common, unsung hero as well. Respect is to be shown to those who die to keep the United States a free country to all its legal inhabitants. Respect is to be shown to those who support our troops. Respect is to be shown to those with strong moral values, and stand by them. One must show respect to one's colleagues, and one must show respect to one's boss. Self respect is an important factor in one's first impression of you. Many parts of your personality is defined by your respect. Your respect also has an impact on your attitude. Your respect also has an impact on how people treat you. Respect is an important factor in modern society and public relations today.

Courtesy is a genuine and habitual politeness. Courtesy is doing what is decent and right. Courtesy is another factor that will make people think better of you. One should be courteous every day in every way. Courtesy is a major part of one's first impression of you. One should be courteous to everyone they meet. If one is courteous, people would probably like to be around him. One should be courteous, not because people will like him, but because it is the right thing to do. Courtesy is being kind to people, and doing what you should do. Courtesy is helping people because you care, not for a reward. Courtesy is giving to the many people who have nothing of their own to support themselves.

Funk and Wagnell's dictionary describes manners as "polite behavior". Manners will affect every one's opinion of you. Without proper manners, one would become the outcast of any social event. Manners are being polite and proper. Once again, your manners will effect people's first impression of you. There are many types of manners. They range from not talking with your mouth full, to telling someone where you are going. Someone exhibiting bad behaviors only makes himself look like a fool. Manners should be exhibited everywhere you go. Manners often make someone look smarter, richer, or brought up in a better family or area. Manners can help make people thing much, much better of you. Manners are a very very important part of society in these modern times.

Pretty good, huh?

Happy Spring and Alan Alda

Happy Spring. I am amused at reading some people's blogs. While they are frantically searching for the first signs of spring, I'm rushing out to get the last of the spring flowers before they die back. I almost waited too late.

Something had been eating at me for a while. I said something that I really shouldn't have, and now it's bugging me. Several months ago, I said that I thought Alan Alda was ugly.

As someone who has been called ugly, both behind my back and to my face, I know how it can hurt. Truth is, I don't really think the man is all that physically unattractive. I don't find him all that attractive, either, but that doesn't mean he is ugly. He's just a little too baby faced for my taste.

What I did when I said that was to get Mr. Alda confused with his character--Hawkeye Pierce. The character of Hawkeye can be hugely funny at times, but for the most part, I found him to be arrogant, opinionated, and tremendously disrespectful to women and anyone who disagreed with him about anything.

The day I posted that first post, we had gotten a couple of series of M*A*S*H on DVD for Christmas, and I had just spent several hours listening to Hawkeye's blame America first anti-war ranting. You know the "This entire war is all America's fault and if we would just pack up and go home, the North Koreans would cease their aggression against South Korea, retreat back behind the 38th parallel, and restore to South Korea its territory and independence and everything would be all hunky dory" kind of thing. Hmmm, sounds vaguely familiar, doesn't it? It was his character's attitude, rather than his physical appearance that made him appear ugly to me. So I offer my apologies to Mr. Alda and everyone who read that post.

But what do I find attractive in a man? Well, that is a whole nother post.

No sketch today. I found a newspaper and read it at lunch instead. Remember yesterday when I said Johnny Lindley was on a tear? Today his tear had escalated to a full scale rampage. I'm even tireder than I was yesterday, and am not even going to attempt my dishcloth rows. I need something more mindless and relaxing--like a sock or scarf.

Brain Dead

I've been sitting here about 30 minutes now trying to think of something to blog about, but keep coming up empty. Johnny Lindley was on an absolute tear today and when he is like that, it is exhausting just being in the same building with him. You never know when he is going to explode, and over what. Makes me want to take an extra vacation day, just to have a day away from him.

Then to top it all off, Cody comes in after school, throws his books down and disappears for 5 hours without so much as a how-de-do. Oh, I wasn't worried. I knew where he was. And, yeah, I could have called him and told him to come home. It's just the principle of the thing. So now, in addition to being grounded from life for a week, he's got to write me a 500 word essay on respect, courtesy, and manners. He's not the happy camper.

What I need is a good night's sleep...

All Bottles Are Good

John over at Martial Views has an interesting post up about different styles of martial arts. What is interesting is that in some of the comments, people refer to those who trash talk about other styles of martial arts. Seems there are always those who believe that theirs is the only style that ought to exist--that others are inferior to the point of being worthless. This is not a new thing. Master Shimabuku had to deal with this in some of his first gen Isshinryu students.

As the story goes, students usually stayed after class for a while, talking and drinking. During one of these bull sessions, some of the students began bragging about the superiority of Isshinryu, to the point where they were trashing other styles. Master Shimabuku then indicated several types of beverage bottles and asked which one was the best. Of course, the students had no answer to that, but the master did. He responded, "All bottles are good. They each serve a purpose."

All martial arts styles serve a purpose. No one single style is superior to the others. Each one has its particular weakness and strengths. Later, Sensei Advincula added to it by saying, "Knocking one bottle off does not make the others better." Isshinryu will not improve as a style if we suddenly were to make shotokan or tae kwan do nonexistent. On the contrary, cross training in another style (I generally don't recommend this until one has reached black belt in his own style, though) can actually improve your understanding of your primary style.

I'm normally not into discussing the deep philosophical meanings behind martial arts. But this topic deserved a mention.

All bottles are good--even acrylic ones.

Nice segue into knitting content, don't you think?

A completed sock. Wool blend, though. Not acrylic. But hey, all bottles are good, right?

I've gotten a day behind on my dishcloth rows. Here are yesterday's rows that were done today. I'll do today's rows tomorrow.

and this is my drinking cup that I carry with me at work.

Blog fodder has been lacking of late. I hope to get more interesting soon.

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Actual Animals

Le-Le the male giant panda. The Memphis Zoo is one of only four zoos in the Unites States to have giant pandas. The female, Ya-Ya was artificially inseminated early this year, and shows every sign of pregnancy. The trouble with pandas, though, is that they can have a very convincing false pregnancy. The zookeepers won't know if she's actually pregnant until the baby is born. Keep your fingers crossed.

The polar bear, picking up pieces of fish from the bottom of his pool. Some guy on Oprah a few weeks ago was saying that global warming is hurting polar bears because it is melting the Arctic ice. Polar bears are having to swim farther and farther to find ice, and since polar bears don't like to swim, this is bad news. I personally don't think that guy knows what he is talking about. In the several times I have visited these bears, I have only once seen them out of the water. This guy, the whole time I was watching, never left the water for a moment. If they don't like to swim, why do they voluntarily spend so much time in the water?

Introducing Anna Kate, the baby reticulated giraffe who was born last November. Isn't she a cutie?

I don't know if these two adult giraffes are her parents or not, but they were the only other ones out.

Tiger cubs

I finally get a good picture of the cheetah.

and the Kookaburra.

And a couple of brief video clips of the polar bear swimming:

Pictures

My Saturday Sky was taken at the Memphis Zoo. Since Memphis was named for an ancient Egyptian city, the zoo has all kinds of heiroglyphics and Egyptian themed decorations near the entrance. I don't have a clue what, if anything, this is supposed to say.

In a strange twist of irony, I think I took more pictures of the botanicals than of the animals this trip.

BTW, this is what the Memphis Zoo looks like in Google Earth:

Last, but not least, today's dishcloth rows:

It's Finally Friday

and we are having another one of those plant shutdown days. No cleanup crew worked either, so I've been off all day. I told Cody it felt like Saturday to me because I wasn't at work. It felt so much like Saturday that I kept feeling like I should be taking my Saturday Sky photo. I didn't actually do it, though.

So what did I do? A bunch of little things that have been piling up for a while. I boxed up 16 hats and sent them to charity. These were all knitted last year from small bits of stash that weren't big enough for anything else--most of which my mother sent me when she cleaned out her stash.

Plus, I mailed birthday presents to two of my nephews. Joshua was 3 yesterday, and Nate will be 7 on the 27th. I don't have new pictures of either of them. I guess I'll have to lean on their mommies a little.

I started the new

I never did do the first of the month cloth. That came about when I was still so sick with my bronchitis that I wasn't thinking clearly and, after nearly completing it, I ripped it out because I didn't like the color I'd chosen. I ended up not doing it at all. BTW, I'm feeling much better now, thank you.

I worked a lot on my grey scarf these last two days, #3 on my Stashalong WIP list. The pattern is Yarn Harlot's One Row Scarf pattern. This has very quickly become one of my favorite scarf patterns. Ok, ok, my favorite scarf pattern. It is so easy, yet it provides enough variety that I don't get bored working on it. I see many more of these in my knitting future.

I also worked on this sock:

This is a basic sock knit from Meilenweit Multieffekt. Don't ask me to pronounce it. I'm not even going to try to match stripes on the second one of these. As you can see, I was able to knit nearly the entire leg before getting back to the same spot in the color repeat. I've taken far longer on these socks than I should have. I rented the DVD of House Season 1, and ended up ripping and redoing the heel three times. That's when I decided I needed something a little more mindless, like the afore mentioned grey scarf.

What I didn't work on was my friend's prayer shawl. I'm still not motivated to knit it. I know I should be, but I pick it up, look at it for a while, and end up putting it back down and reaching for something else. I'll get it done eventually. It'll let her know I haven't forgotten. When my father died, there was a great outpouring of sympathy, plants, food, visits, cards, etc. A week later, everyone was going about their business as if nothing had ever happened. I wanted to grab them and shake them and scream, "HEY! My father's still dead and I'm still hurting here!" I think that's why prayer shawls are so important to me. Long after the flowers have died and the food is eaten up or thrown out, the grieving person still needs something to hold on to. A shawl will last forever.