Drop Your Pants

and bend over

So the Big-12 conference seemed to be saying to the Texas Longhorns by announcing that Oklahoma, and not Texas, would be representing the Big-12 South in the conference championship next Saturday.

The Texas Longhorns and their fans will instead have to watch a team that they defeated 45-35 in regular season play contend for the Big-12 trophy. Their opponent will be the University of Missouri, whom (guess what) also lost to Texas in regular season play by a score of 56-31.

Two teams, both of whom LOST to Texas, will be playing for the conference championship, while Texas, who DEFEATED both teams, will be on the outside looking in. It's enough to make you want to puke.

If Oklahoma defeats Missouri, and I have no doubt that they will, they will probably go on to play for the BCS National Championship, an opportunity they did not earn and do not deserve.

Bend over, Texas. You're taking this one right up the butt.

Grenada Band

The Band's final performance of the year.

It's All Over

but the shouting.

Oklahoma defeated Oklahoma State 61-41, though State gave them a run for their money.

Baylor *snort* almost held off Texas Tech, until Tech pulled ahead late in the 4th quarter. An upset here would have solved everyone's problems. Still, Tech didn't gain any style points in this game.

Texas slaughtered Texas A & M 49-9 Thursday.

This leaves the teams in a 3 way tie in the Big 12 South, and at the mercy of the polls.

There's gonna be a lot of shoutin over this one.

Saturday Sky Gloom

Once again, the sky was gray and gloomy outside,

so we made it bright and cheery inside.

It has long been a tradition in my family that we get a new Christmas ornament each year. I have continued this tradition. Here is Cody hanging his new ornament:

and the ornament:

Here is my arm:

and my ornament:

Hanging more ornaments:

(kindly ignore my make-up-less face)

Cody's LSU ornament:

and Katie's ornament

Our tree:

My Fontanini Nativity:

Thanksgiving 2008

Since J had to work until 7:00 PM, we waited to have our Thanksgiving dinner until he got home. In the meantime, I finished my final dishcloth:

The color is not accurate in this picture, but it shows the pattern better. I also blocked the nativity cloth.
Cody and I watched the parade, then the dog show, then the Cowboys football game. It was all timed perfectly because about the time the game was over, J was home and it was time to eat. It was just the 4 of us. Mike, Dennise, and the girls wanted to come, but Dennise's boss doesn't allow them to take vacation days near any holidays. They didn't get to come, so it was just us.

First of all, we took turns making faces at one another:

"You always take me by surprise!"


"Take the picture already!"

This is Cody's evil eye look.

This was dinner:

We kept it pretty simple, just a smoked turkey breast, shrimp and turkey gumbo, sweet potato salad, strawberry Jello salad, and Veg-All casserole. For dessert, cream cheese pie, pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, and apple dumplings.

Finally, we finished the day by watching Texas annihilate Texas A & M 49-9. All in all, it was a quiet Thanksgiving, but a good one.

You Could Have Heard A Pin Drop

During last Sunday's game against the 49ers, while Jason Witten was laying senseless on the field after taking a shot, commentator Troy Aikman remarked that you can tell how important a player is to his team by how many of them come to check on him while he is down.

Maybe that's why, when DeMarcus Ware lay writhing on the turf in agony during the fourth quarter of the game against the Seahawks Thursday, half of the Cowboys bench at one point or another gathered around him.

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Indeed, the whole of Texas Stadium was gathered around him, in spirit if not in body. The place was silent. Eerily silent. Deathly silent.

You could have heard a pin drop.

No doubt every fan there, and every fan watching on TV that day was thinking, "Dear God, not DeMarcus Ware!"

And this, just a few plays after seeing Marion Barber leaving the field, heading to the locker room, not to return. It was like a kick in the gut. A hard one.

DeMarcus eventually left the field under his own power, but did not return to the game. Though the Cowboys trounced the hapless Seahawks 34-9, fans were left wondering,

How much more could this team take??
.

Woo Hoo!

I finally have a male dragon!



This one is named, what else? DeWare. Once he is grown, you'll understand why.

This one hasn't gendered yetUPDATE: is another female, but I named it anyway.



It's name is Montrae, after the guard, Montrae Holland, who has replaced Kyle Kosier since he is injured. Since this is a guardian dragon, it needed to be named after a guard. I liked the name, and figured it would go for either, so that's the name it got.

This one is another female:




I've named her Antonia Joy. No need to tell you who she is named after!

More Little Dragons

Aren't they cute? Only the water dragon has gendered so far, and it is another female. I've named her Tra (pronounced like tray), after the Cowboys newly signed safety Tra Battle, who made a big hit in the game today.

Oh, and one more egg:

Gratuitous

Colt McCoy photo

To All My Friends

For Dawn

and anyone else interested. Here are some links to free dishcloth/washcloth patterns to get you started.

Grandma's Favorite This is the best one out there. I knit my first ones of these some 5 years ago, and have yet to have one wear out. Ok, the one that puppy teeth helped along doesn't count.


Knitting Knonsense--dozens of patterns, many free--scroll down past the map to get to the index.

Valentine Cloth--this one is worked from a chart. If you're not familiar with chart knitting, dishcloths are a great way to learn, because they don't take a large time commitment.

Skully--if you're into that sort of thing.

Knitting Memories--several free patterns, including a Transformers one. Be sure and check the archives.

Star Trek cloth

Knits By Rachel--lots of patterns, including some free ones.

Superman--I know you'll need one of these! Be sure to check out the list of free patterns in the right sidebar.

There you go. This ought to get you started, but there are plenty more out there. Happy knitting, and God bless, my friend.

(Whoa, channeling Bob Ross there for a moment.)

Two More

washcloths, that is. I finished this one last night.

This is Christmas Ornament from Harvest Moon designs, and I can only find it through Ravelry, though I'd gotten it from a regular website a couple of years ago. I can't seem to find it now. Found it: click on the picture in the right sidebar.

After finishing the ornament, I cast on this Nativity Cloth and finished it today. I'll give it a light blocking before giving to anyone.

I also lightly blocked the candle cloth from yesterday's post:

The design shows up much better, don't you think?

I think Opal may have jinxed me. Usually my post game football posts are forming in my mind while the game is still going on. However, Opal complimented me so well on the last one, that I think she jinxed me. I'm drawing a total blank on this San Fran game. And I do mean total. I've always had at least a few ideas to build upon, but this time...I got nothin. And I do mean nothin.

Today is Katie's 13th birthday. She celebrated by finding some dead thing to roll in. Mama didn't let her back into the house for a long time, but then, she and Rylea snuggled up on the love seat.

Katie's face is almost all white now, and each birthday that passes, I know that there will not be many more left. I'm already dreading the day when we have to let her go.

I don't want to think about it. Change the subject.

My cute little dragon eggs ought to begin hatching tomorrow or the next day. They've all got holes in the shells now.




I've named my adult dragons, finally.

This is Nicola:



Named after Nick Folk. (Kickers are so under appreciated--until you need them!)

This one is Trindon:



Named after Trindon Holliday--my favorite LSU player.

This one is Jaysa:



Named after Jason Witten.

And this one is Prophyria:



Porphyria is actually the name of a group of diseases, but I changed the spelling a little bit because I thought it sounded like some fancy ancient word for fire.

They are all female, and I managed to feminize all the names except Trindon. I didn't want to mess with that name. I hope I get some males in this next clutch. What makes it hard is that so many people are using that website, but each name can only be used once.

I got up this morning at 5:20. Actually, I woke up needing to go to the little girl's room and couldn't get back to sleep. So I got up. After a while, I was listening to Around The World In 80 Days, which I downloaded from Librivox. I decided to go get back in my bed, because it was warm in there. I remember leaving Phileas Fogg somewhere in Nebraska, and the next thing I knew, he was in the mid Atlantic, running out of coal.

I had to go back and pick up those few chapters I'd slept through, but I did finish listening to it today.

Now I've got to go find me something else to download.

.

I Don't Remember

if I've done this one before, so I'll do it again. Courtesy of Robin

The things I have done are in BOLD!

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain (Volcano, but it still counts)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightening at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch (if knitting counts)
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice (I've been to Venice, but didn't ride a gondola.)
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset (Both actually, and in the same day, too.)
31. Hit a home run (I kicked quite a few in kickball, do they count?)
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person (Cody has, but not me)
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language (sort of--I could get by, but was never fluent)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (Never!)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing (indoor)
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David (It is stunning.)
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person (Another stunner)
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies (I sold Camp Fire Girl Cookies, though)
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone (I'm pretty sure, but since I never went to the doctor, I don't know)
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible (Well, most of it anyway.)
86. Visited the White House (Drove by it, but didn't do the tour. Ex didn't want to.)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (and et it too.)
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury (I was selected, but the case was postponed, so I didn't actually jury)
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Rode an elephant

I guess my list isn't as thin as I thought...

Sunday Stuff

Football. All day long, just football. The Cowboys first, defeating the 49ers. Then the Giants crushing the Cardinals. Finally, I ended the day with the Colts winning on a last second field goal over the Chargers. The best part of that game was that I got to watch my boy Jacob Hester score his first career touchdown. I'd once promised to name a child after him, back when he was at LSU.

I whipped out a washcloth while watching football:



The pattern came from Knitwits Heaven and the yarn is Peaches & Creme cotton in the color Yellow. I bought four balls of this cotton yarn to make dishcloths that I though I could use as Christmas presents. I finished this one, and have started another.

BCS rankings came out and poor Texas Tech has dropped all the way down to #7. Alabama is still #1, while Texas has moved back up to #2. Makes you wonder which team is the real fluke, doesn't it.

I got four more of those cute little dragon eggs:



I've got to think up names for my adult dragons. No dragon should have to go through life nameless. Problem is, they are all female, and the names I am thinking of are masculine names. I may just use them anyway.

Who's gonna know?

A Picture

is worth a thousand words, and I think this says it all:

(Photos by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Socks and Skies

The completed socks


and the cloudy sky:

I had bad dreams last night. The one I remember really freaked me out. There was this creature--it looked like a man, but was some sort of supernatural creature. What he would do is to go out and capture a person. He would then hang that person upside down--alive. Then this creature would go out and capture other people and torture them to death. Whatever he did to this person, the one he had hung in his lair would feel every bit of it, only he couldn't die. It was really freaky.

So I didn't sleep well, and to top it off, I woke up with Boomer Sooners running through my head.

It must have worked. OU is leading TT 42-7 at halftime.

UPDATE: The final score was Oklahoma 65, Texas Tech 21. The Sooners said they were sick of hearing about how good Tech was, and I'm sick of hearing Boomer Sooners.

Also, my post on the Cowboys/Redskins game is finally done. I retro dated it, but you can find it here.

.

P.S. My dragons are grown! I guess I'd better be giving them names now.