Ya Knew It Couldn't Last

Nope, it couldn't last. This afternoon I cast on a Pinwheel Hat.

The pattern is similar to Coronet, but is worked in short rows. Pinwheel actually predates Coronet by almost three years. There are plusses and minuses to each pattern. In Coronet, the cabled band is knit first, then stitches are picked up for the rest of the hat. I suppose if you like picking up stitches, this is no problem, but most people I know think it is a pain. Pinwheel is worked in one piece with short row shaping. However, it must be seamed up the back. All in all, I prefer Pinwheel, which is why I am knitting it.

I'm still working on Cody's sock. Progress is slow, but I am making a little.

I haven't done a karate post in quite a while. Well, in a week. There wasn't much to report on Thursday's class. We did basics the first half of the class--as always, then I helped a san kyu finish learning Chinto kata. He was almost to the end, and I taught him the last four or five steps.

Last night in Black belt class, we worked on bo kata--both tokumine and urashi. I had forgotten some of urashi, but going through it a few times brought it back to me. We also worked on finding self defense moves in kata. That is, we picked out defenses from different kata for the same move. After class, sensei asked me if I was learning anything from it. I said that it was really hard for me to learn just by standing there listening to him talk, and almost as hard to learn just by watching. I have to be doing the stuff to really learn it. He said he's going to try to incorporate more drills into class. I hope I don't end up partnered with one particular student. She never does the drills the way sensei tells us to. It's really hard for me to get any learning done when I have to pair up with her.

Tonight's class was basics with a twist. We went through a few upper body basics as normal, but when we did the kicks, we did them slow motion first. Then we did them normal speed. Doing kicks in slow motion is really good, not only for checking your form, but for working on balance as well. After that, we did some stance work, followed by seisan by the numbers. Sensei would count, and we would to a step of the kata and all the techniques that go with that step.

Finally, we partnered up and did some kumite drills. That was it for tonight's class.

The bad thing is that one of the little kids moved up to the adult class this week. You almost have to feel sorry for this kid. Nobody likes him, but he brings it on himself because he is soooooo obnoxious.

There is supposed to be a lunar eclipse tomorrow (Wednesday). I'm off to research it.

I Laughed So Hard

I don't usually watch Oprah. Sometimes I do, depending on who she has on or what she is talking about. Today I watched Oprah. Her guests were Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, and Carol Burnett. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. I grew up watching The Carol Burnett Show. It has got to be the funniest show that ever there was. Who could forget Carol's portrayal of the Queen, Tim Conway as the Little Old Man, Harvey Korman being unable to stop laughing, and Mrs. Whiggins. Oh, how I miss that show.


I finished my socks last night.

Pattern: Roundabout Socks by The Yarnarian
Yarn: Fortissima Socka mit Bamboo
Colorway: 0006
Needles: Knitpicks nickel plated size 2/75 mm.

This afternoon, I cast on Cody's black socks:

Can you believe I still only have one project on the needles? I can't. But it's true.

Photo Safari

Sort of.

Don't let this sky fool you. It is windy and pretty chilly outside.

So instead of going out to the lake like I'd planned, I just walked around the yard.

More daffodils were blooming.

They have been blooming just a bit early these last couple of years. I think the mild winters have confused them. We usually don't get them until the first part of March.

I think technically, these are jonquils.

I think jonquil is my absolute favorite word in the entire English language. I just love saying it. Jonquil. Jonquil.

Buds are coming out on some of the trees already.


"What's this thing?"

"OK, mama. Take my picture. See how pretty I pose?"

What has got me so freaked out?

The birds are back.

Click to see them better...if you dare!

P.S. Ignore the bloodshot state of my eyes. I have not been drinking. They are just always like that. My eyes have been bloodshot for as long as I can remember. I think it's from my allergies going untreated for so long. Or maybe from getting slapped upside the head by my mother so much.

P.P.S. Also ignore the makeupless state of my face. I corrected that soon after that picture was taken.

P.P.P.S. Jonquil.

He he he...

Rainy Saturday

The plan was to go on a photo safari, but when I got up, the sky looked like this:


Soon after I took this picture, a slow, drizzly rain began to fall and it continued to rain for the rest of the day. Before it started, though, I managed to go out into the yard and get some shots of the spring flowers that are just beginning to bloom.

I don't know what these are, but I've had a devil of a time trying to get decent shots of them.

They are so white, they confuse my camera.

The daffodils are always very photogenic:



I don't know what these are either, but they're pretty.

I'm not much of a botanist, am I?

I took a break from sock knitting today to finish off two dishcloths. These are from the Monthly Dishcloth KAL. I wasn't sure I was going to do the KAL again this year, but I really liked these two patterns.

Red always seems to confuse my camera also.

That's pretty much all I did, other than some house work. Spring is getting close. I'm starting to get restless. I feel a road trip coming on.

A short one.

Like to the Memphis Zoo maybe.

Soon...

Still Single

After re-reading yesterday's post, I hope I didn't come off as sounding too whiny. As I said, most of the time I'm OK with being single. Content, even.

And really, when you get right down to it, the fact that I am still single is my own doing. I mean, I could be married to this guy, or this guy, or this one, or maybe even this one.

And there are more. If I wanted to, I could probably hook up with the one I mentally refer to as my stalker. He's been asking me out for --what, 12 years now? Or there's the mooch--who at 43 years of age has never supported himself, and even now is sponging off of his single mom sister. Or how about the one who, though in his mid 20's, still lived at home, had a curfew, and still got spanked by his mama. (Seriously. I thought he was joking at first, but he said no, she really still spanked him. I asked him why he didn't move out on his own, and he said he wasn't allowed to. I'm not kidding.)

Then there was Keith, who willing to foot the bill for a lawyer to get my divorced pushed through the court so he could marry me. Keith, who had been married and divorced three times, couldn't carry on an intelligent conversation, always looked dirty, and had already lost all of his teeth. And he was only 29 years old.

I'd meant to tell you about my one and only semi-date with Keith yesterday as my Valentine's Day post, but I decided against it. It was too awful for words. Let me just say, guys, that leaving a woman's baby sitting in a diaper full of poop screaming his head off while you park to watch people fishing is not the way to win her heart.

And brush your teeth.

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is probably my least favorite of holidays.

I am single. I have been single all of my life, except for a brief stint at marriage which I don't even count because my ex and I never lived together. (Long story--military involved.) At this point, I see a long future ahead of me in which I remain single.

Most of the time, I am OK with that. I was looking around at my life just the other day and wondering where I would put a man if I found one.

But on this day...

This day with all of its emphasis on love, and couples, and togetherness...

On this day it hits me. Some years harder than others. This is a bad year.

I watch the flowers and balloons being delivered, and I know that there will be none for me. I watch the commercials for dinners and jewelry, and I know that there will be none for me. I watch people crowding in the holiday aisles at the stores buying gifts, and I know that there will be none for me.

On this day, I am alone. Forgotten.

Like the cotton on the edges of the fields. The cotton that doesn't get picked. Forlorn. Bedraggled. Forgotten.

Having endured the winter, it waits.

It waits...only to find itself mowed down to make way for a new crop.

And soon, no one will even remember that it once grew there.

TMI

It got pretty cold last night--28' when I got up. Quite the drop from the 59' or so the day before. One of my co-workers told me that his wife had called him at work this morning. Seems his younger daughter had thought you were supposed to leave the windows down on your car when it gets really cold. I don't know why. What happened was that her window froze somehow and it pulled it out of the track. Now he's got to get her car fixed. He was pretty aggravated because he had to get the older daughter's car fixed last week. "You can't tell 'em nothin'," he said. "One time," he continued, "they hit each other. Just ran into each other in the driveway!"

I don't know what it is. I must have a really open face or something because people seem to feel that they can talk to me. Trouble is, I don't always want to hear what they have to say. Take this story, for example, told to me several years ago by a former co-worker:

My mama bought me some underwear, only she got the wrong kind. That is, she didn't buy the brand I normally buy for myself. Trouble is, they don't fit right. The fly won't stay closed and my stuff keeps falling out. That's the weirdest feeling --walking around with your stuff hanging our of your underwear.

I was sitting there the whole time, smiling and trying to look sympathetic, but I was thinking, "Do I really need to know this?" But that's the way my life goes. I've been told some of the strangest stuff! Unfortunately for you, that's the only example you are going to get. What is told to me in confidence, stays in confidence.

I think I found the answer to my problem. I'm in the wrong country:

You Should Date An Australian!

You're a down to earth, outdoorsy kind of girl And you need a guy who can keep up with your adventures A rugged Austrailian guy is just your style Better start learning how to surf!

Which Foreign Guy Should You Date?

Last I looked, there weren't too many Australian men hanging around in central Mississippi. BTW, before I learn how to surf, I probably ought to start with learning how to swim!

Oh well....

A Rare Early Morning Post

You're the time of day right around sunrise, when the sky is still a pale bluish gray. The streets are empty, and the grass and leaves are a little bit sparkly with dew. You are the sound of a few chirpy birds outside the window. You are quiet, peaceful, and contemplative. If you move slowly, it's not because you're lazy – it's because you know there's no reason to rush. You move like a relaxed cat, pausing for deep stretches that make your muscles feel alive. You are long sips of tea or coffee (out of a mug that's held with both hands) that slowly warm your insides just as the sun is brightening the sky.

In other early morning news, I've been dreamed about! Buck is in it, too. Too weird.

History Lesson

In 1964 (the year you were born)

Lyndon B. Johnson is president of the US After riots break out, Panama suspends relations with he US Cassius Clay becomes heavyweight champion when Sonny Liston throws in the towel in the sixth round in Miami Near Anchorage, the strongest earthquake ever to strike North America kills 117 Worst soccer disaster in history occurs when rioting and panic kills over 300 in Liverpool Hundreds of white college students work for civil rights in the south during "Freedom Summer" South Africa sentences Nelson Mandela to life in prison Kemeny and Kurtz create BASIC (Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code), an easy to learn high level programming language Nicolas Cage, Jeff Bezos, Rob Lowe, Elle Macpherson, Courteney Cox Arquette, and Keanu Reeves are born St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series Cleveland Browns win the NFL championship Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup "I Want to Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles released in the US, sparking Beatlemania The Beatles appear on The Ed Sullivan Show, breaking television ratings records The game show Jeopardy! debuts on television Mary Poppins, starring Julie Andrews, is the top grossing film

What Happened the Year You Were Born?

h/t Buck Cause I don't have anything worthwhile to talk about.

A storm is blowing in and the temperature is dropping like a rock. It was 58' when I got up this morning, and has been steady on the decline ever since. It'll be in the upper 20's by morning, or so they say. We're holing up tonight, and wishing we didn't have to go anywhere tomorrow!

Back To Class

I finally made it back to black belt class. This was the first time in two weeks I'd gone. I still have a chest full of congestion, and I can't even walk across the room without panting, but I went. I had this crazy idea that exercise would help break that congestion up. Well, we'll see.

It was just Barrett, Joshua, and me there. We started by doing kata to warm up. Then we went over Sanchin kata. Funny, after nearly 4 years, sensei has decided that I am doing sanchin all wrong. (I'm just doing it the way I was taught.) So now I have to relearn the whole kata. It's not that the moves themselves are vastly different. He just wants me doing them in a different way.

The last half of the class cool. We talked about bunkai sort of. For those of you not in the know, bunkai is the application. It is what each move of the kata is doing. Usually as kyu ranks, we just look at the bunkai of each kata. Now we are looking at moves from different kata countering the same technique. We also looked a bit at combining moves from different kata and using them in self defense situations.

It is going to be interesting.

It's All Over

The Pro Bowl is over, and with it, the 2007 football season.

(AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

Pro Bowls can sometimes get kind of boring, but this one was a good game. Both teams scored on their first possessions, but then the NFC gave up two turnovers and quickly fell behind 24-7. Get this, Demarcus Ware--Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker--got to return a kickoff. Unfortunately, he fumbled the ball and AFC recovered it and capitalized, going on to score a touchdown.

The NFC tried everything it could to get kickoffs and punts into the hands of Devin Hester, who had returned six of them for touchdowns during regular season. At one point, Jason Witten caught a kickoff in the end zone and tried to hand it to Hester. It was cute--as much as a football play can be cute. On another play, Hester did catch the ball, but when it was clear he wasn't going to go anywhere, he lateraled it to Witten, who was wide open. If Jason had just a bit more speed, he'd have gone all the way.

As the game went on, though, things began to get serious. After the first quarter was over, the NFC began slowly chipping away at the AFC lead.

(AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

The AFC only scored 6 points in the final three quarters of the game--two field goals by Rob Bironas. The NFC answered with 5 touchdowns, winning the game with a final score of 42-30.

The late Sean Taylor was honored by his team mates. All three wore his number, and when introduced, they entered the stadium with their heads bowed. Taylor, if you don't know, passed away in November after being shot in his home during a botched robbery attempt.

(AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

As for me, I finished my Clapotis prior to the game.

The yarn is Red Heart Super Saver in Fall colorway, and this wrap took nearly three skeins--at 244 yards per skein. The total yardage used was approximately 700. I found this to be a very soft yarn. I washed the Clapotis right after I took this picture, and it came out even softer than before.

I had enough yarn left to whip up this Calorimetry.


I knit this during the game, and was nearly finished by the time it was over. I still have to find a button and sew it on. I modified this pattern slightly after reading many of the comments on Ravelry about it. Most people said that despite getting gauge, theirs ended up being way too big for any human head. So instead of casting on 120 stitches, I only cast on 88. It fits my head, but snugly. I think from now on, I'll cast on 92 stitches.

There is just a smidgen of this yarn left over. I'm thinking about making some wrist warmers, or a headband out of it.

Finally, I cast on my second roundabout sock. Can you believe that it is the only project I have OTN at the moment? I can't. But it is. I'd better get on it, because Cody wants some socks for himself.

Speaking of, I got out all my sock yarn--every bit of it--and told him to pick which yarn he wanted socks out of. What color did he pick? Black. Solid black. The only solid black yarn I had.

"It's the only kind that doesn't look weird," he said.

Saturday Sky

They blacken the sky.


They get so noisy that they drown out the TV.

They can empty a birdfeeder in a matter of minutes.


And when they land, they fill two or three trees.


They are the blackbirds.

Eye Candy Friday

I've been busy working on Clapotis, anxious to get it finished. I'm on the decrease rows--finally. Of course, since I'm decreasing, it takes less time to do each row. I'm excited about that!

I have to work tomorrow (Saturday). Woo hoo! Overtime!

Oh, My Goodness!

You've got to be kidding me.

Mississippi is now introducing a bill into the state legislature that would ban fat people from eating at restaurants. Technically, the law would ban restaurants from serving anyone that could be considered obese. This is the nanny state taken entirely too far! Fat people don't get fat from eating at restaurants. They get fat from eating too much, no matter where they eat it. Restaurants don't drag people in off the street and shove food down their gullets. People choose what they eat, and where, and how much. True, Mississippi is the fattest state in the nation, but it all boils down to personal responsibility. People choose to overeat. They can also choose not to.

Be sure and read the comments. I was astonished at how many people actually think this is a good idea. Astonished, I tell you.

On a brighter note, Sus awarded me with this:



Give the award to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel happy about blogland. Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so they can pass it on. Beware you may get the award several times.

I'm passing it on to:

1. Opal My knitting buddy from the Aloha State.
2. Carol Carol always has the most interesting stories to tell about her adorable grandson.
3. Robin My fellow Cowboys fan. Need I say more?
4. Tabitha We share a birthday, and have connected on many other levels as well.
5. Dani Knitting friend and fellow martial artist, Dani always seems to know just what to say when I need advice.
6. Lou An artist, mother and grandmother, her stories of her daughter and grandbabies always bring a bright spot to my day.
7. Cindy I met you first online, then in person. I'm glad I did both.
8. frotoe Another one of my fibery martial artist friends.
9. Buck I know this isn't really a guy thing to do, but I found Buck's blog purely by chance, by clicking the Next Blog button on my toolbar. I'm so glad I did.
10. and finally, back to Sus, who I think must be my long lost twin sister. We have so much in common we've got to have some shared genes somewhere.

I know some of you have already gotten this award, so don't feel you have to do the meme again. Frankly, it was hard to choose. There are a lot of blogs I like, and enjoy reading that I could have nominated. The ones here, the reason I listed you is because you're not just an interesting author, somewhere out there. You have touched me, and I am honored to call you my friends.

We're OK

Some of you may have heard about the storms that blew through the South last night. It did get pretty bad for a while. There was a severe storm that passed through around 2 AM. The lightning woke me up. Yes, it was the lightning. It was that bright.

Or maybe it was the cat climbing my face.

Either way, it was bad, and tornadoes whizzed all around us, but we made it through unscathed. Some people weren't so fortunate. Keep them in your prayers, would you?